Bai Ziye looked at the captain of Modu University, patted his shoulder, and chuckled:
"Brother Xuanyuan, you're really straightforward."
"You really don't plan to put up a fight?"
The Modu captain laughed heartily:
"Fight? What for?"
"To be honest, our second place is entirely due to the draw."
"If we'd met you earlier, we'd have gone home ages ago."
"We're already satisfied just to have reached this point."
Lin Ran had just come down from the stage and, seeing the two men who bore a slight resemblance, asked:
"Do you two know each other? Relatives?"
Bai Ziye nodded:
"Let me introduce him to Brother Ran."
"This is my cousin, Bai Xuanyuan of the Bai family in Modu, a legend at Modu University..."
"Of course, he's not comparable to you, but he's achieved a bit."
Bai Xuanyuan waved his hands repeatedly:
"No, no, no!"
"Before Brother Ran, who would dare call themselves a legend? That would be shameless!"
"My small spark is nothing compared to the radiance of the moon."
Lin Ran quickly humbled himself:
"Not at all, I'm just average."
"It's strange, Ziye, you're from Modu, and your family is in Modu, so why are you studying at Qingjing?"
Bai Ziye sighed:
"It's because Qianqian didn't want to be constrained by her family and wanted to venture out."
"Whatever the reason, I couldn't just let a young girl run around alone, could I?"
"So, of course, I had to follow."
Lin Ran recalled the long-standing marriage alliance between the Bai family and the Lu family of Modu that Luo Qingyan had told him about, and he smiled in understanding.
Ni Ya looked at the group who had already gathered and started chatting, helplessly remarking:
"Modu University has directly conceded..."
Han Zixi, however, seemed quite pleased:
"It's normal."
"After seeing Lin Ran's earth-shattering sword strike, this decision is hardly surprising."
"Let's congratulate Yanyun University on winning the team competition once again!"
"With two first-place finishes in points already, they've practically got one hand on the championship trophy!"
The audience watched this scene with a mix of amusement and resignation.
Modu University had practically colluded with Yanyun University, pulling off the same move Luo Qingyan had made in the individual finals, conceding without a fight.
Although they felt that these players were no match for Lin Ran, they could have at least gone through the motions.
This made their celebration for Lin Ran feel a bit anticlimactic.
After all, they had just cheered for Lin Ran's victory against Xihu University, and now he had won the finals to become champions again. It was exhausting.
However, the fervent fans weren't stingy with their applause and cheers, still roaring "Brother Ran! Brother Ran!" in a truly spectacular fashion.
"Beautiful! Well fought!"
Lu Qiufeng and Lin Miao, holding the team competition championship trophy, ambled over.
Lin Miao seemed even more excited:
"Hooray!"
"According to the points system, with two championships, we are now in an almost unassailable position!"
"Even if we lose all subsequent matches, we'll still have a chance to compete in a tie-breaker."
"Unless you completely collapse and don't even make the top ten, it's hard to lose now."
Lin Ran rolled his eyes:
"Sister Miao, you don't seriously think the outcome of these four championships is in doubt, do you?"
"With me here, it's a sure thing, isn't it?"
Lin Miao patted Lin Ran's shoulder:
"Good kid! I love hearing that!"
"However, there are a few things I need to tell you."
"We're not the only ones keeping a close eye on the ranking and points table; all the schools are paying attention."
"The upcoming survival match is a free-for-all! We're very likely to be targeted by other schools aiming to achieve results!"
"Don't think I'm being alarmist; this has been the case every year, and no school has ever escaped it."
"Any team that wins the first two competitions will inevitably become a public enemy."
"Especially this year, with us having won two championships, it's even more so."
Lin Ran nodded and smiled confidently:
"But that won't change the final outcome. Let them come!"
"I'll fight a thousand of them!"
Lu Qiufeng quirked his face:
"You're really getting ahead of yourself..."
"While you are indeed strong, they're not so weak as to be completely defenseless, especially when working together."
"A swarm of ants can truly kill an elephant."
"Moreover, besides the survival match, the final mysterious event will also often implement rules unfavorable to the team with the highest points, to prevent the championship from being a foregone conclusion."
"Especially this year, I heard that..."
At this point, Lu Qiufeng pulled Lin Ran and the other ten members aside before continuing:
"This year's final mysterious event is not being organized by Xiang Chu."
"It's said that this mysterious event is being directly handled by a special task force dispatched by our Dragon Country's Supreme Council!"
"So, no matter how you look at it, it won't be simple, and the difficulty will inevitably increase significantly."
The Supreme Council!
Lin Ran was also taken aback.
They, the highest power center of Dragon Country, actually cared about a mere freshman exchange competition?
Dragon Country was currently in a turbulent period, with countless matters requiring their attention and processing. Yet, they still had the leisure to focus on this.
It seemed somewhat absurd.
Could there be other motives?
Lin Ran was puzzled.
If there was anything noteworthy at the freshman exchange competition that would attract their attention, it would only be himself.
This was all Lin Ran could think of.
It wasn't that he was being narcissistic.
As the most dazzling rising star in Dragon Country, the Supreme Council would undoubtedly be paying attention to him.
Especially since he was often told he strongly resembled a younger Ye Yun.
The name Ye Yun alone was enough to capture the attention of the entire world, let alone the Supreme Council.
Ye Yun...
Lin Ran felt that he was gradually becoming interested in this mysterious figure.
He would find an opportunity to study him thoroughly!
"Ahem, excuse me, may I interrupt?"
Just then, a timid female voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting Lin Ran's thoughts.
Lin Ran turned his head and saw Jiang Siqi, the captain of Wunan, and smiled:
"Have you made up your mind?"
Jiang Siqi nodded and handed Lin Ran a can of silvery-white liquid that sparkled with stardust.
"I feel that, from the current perspective, there is nothing more precious in this world than your friendship."
"It's just the primordial power of Destiny Summoning, nothing to mention."
"Besides that, the Jiang family of Wunan also welcomes your arrival at any time."
"If you ever need our help in the future, don't hesitate to ask."
Lin Ran took the can and glanced at the calm-faced Jiang Siqi.
The Jiang family of Wunan was also starting to try and capitalize on him...