Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 166 A Gathering of Heroes

The opening ceremony officially began.

The leader of the Martial Arts Alliance ascended the platform, his steps unhurried, his robes trailing on the steps. Standing before the microphone in the center of the platform, he cleared his throat. His voice, amplified by the sound system, resonated throughout the entire arena, echoing in every stand and corner, every word clearly audible. His address was brief, but every sentence carried weight. The gist was that young martial artists were the future of humanity; they should make friends through martial arts, exchange skills, and not forget that the evil race lurked outside, always ready to pounce. Every ounce of strength must be used wisely. His voice was not loud, but steady. The noise from below gradually subsided, until finally, complete silence fell.

After a lengthy speech, the group drawing began. A circular stone platform rose in the center of the arena, its surface inlaid with a huge crystal ball. Within the sphere, spiritual light flowed, like a frozen star. An alliance elder stepped forward, placing his hands on either side of the crystal ball, infusing it with spiritual energy. The crystal ball began to spin, its speed increasing. The spiritual light within transformed from a blurry halo into countless tiny points of light, each representing a participating team. These points of light collided, dispersed, and recombine within the sphere, ultimately forming six lists, which appeared one by one on the crystal ball's surface.

Xingwu University Team – Group 3. Their group consists of the Sakura Country Team, the Australian Team, the Southeast Asian Martial Arts Federation Team, the South American Free Warriors Team, and that mysterious black-robed independent team.

Su Ling'er leaned closer, looked at the blurry black robe emblem on the crystal ball, and pouted. "What a small world. I just told them to be careful, and then I drew a pair."

Leng Feng didn't reply, but tapped his fingers lightly twice on the hilt of his battle sword. It was a habitual gesture he made when deep in thought, light and steady, like tapping a beat, or perhaps calculating something.

Chu Fan quickly flipped through his notebook, jotting down the draw results, his pen scribbling across the paper. His speech was measured and steady, as if he were reading a prepared report: "Our main opponents in the group stage are the Sakura Nation and the Black Robe Team. Miyamoto Ichiro's swordsmanship is extremely lethal; even intelligence reports can only provide a vague description of his sword techniques, indicating that he himself is still exploring this level. The Black Robe Team's background is unknown; even the league can't ascertain their true identities, let alone their purpose in participating. The other three teams are relatively weak; while we can't completely underestimate them, they are unlikely to pose a significant threat."

After the groups were determined, each team returned to the rest area to prepare for the competition.

On the first day of the group stage, Xingwu University faced off against the Southeast Asian team. Their opponents were of average strength, with the highest cultivation level being only at the early stage of the Transformation Realm, and their techniques lacked variety. The five players didn't go all out. Leng Feng cleaved through the opponent's formation with a single strike, Chu Fan used a trapping array to separate two of them, Su Ling'er used a mind-controlling pill to disrupt the remaining player's perception, and Su Muyue spread out array patterns, making it impossible for them to even discern their location. Throughout the entire match, Lin Chen only used one sword strike. They won easily.

The second match was against the Australian team. Their opponents were significantly stronger than in the first match; all three cultivated a beast soul possession technique, causing phantom images of ferocious beasts to appear around them during battle, their strength and speed surging, making them appear like three humanoid monsters pouncing. Su Muyue set up a trapping beast formation, using array patterns to counter the explosive power of the beast souls. Leng Feng withstood their charge head-on, while Su Ling'er seized the opportunity to throw Explosive Flame Pills to disrupt their coordination. Lin Chen cut in when the opponent's formation was breached, securing the victory with a single sword strike. With two consecutive wins, advancing from the group stage was practically guaranteed.

The third match against the Sakura Country is scheduled for the fourth day, which is the day after tomorrow. The fourth match against the Black Robe Team is scheduled for the fifth day.

There was a one-day gap in between.

As night fell, the lights in the arena gradually illuminated. Not the glaring kind, but warm yellow lights, one by one, starting with the light strips at the top of the stands, then spreading down the steps, finally lighting up the giant screen above the arena, displaying the day's results and standings for each group. Most of the spectators in the stands had already left, and the remaining ones were slowly making their way out. The arena gradually quieted down, leaving only staff cleaning the area and repairing the edges of the ring damaged by the fighting; the clanging of metal and the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty space.

Lin Chen stood on the terrace outside the arena. The terrace wasn't large, paved with gray-white tiles, and the wrought iron railings were painted dark green, with peeling paint in places revealing the dark red rust underneath. He leaned on the railing, gazing at the myriad lights of the city in the distance. The lights of Xingwu City at night stretched from the nearby streets all the way to the foot of the distant mountains, like a luminous river, densely packed and layered. Under each light, people were eating, talking, sleeping, and going about their lives. The distant noises drifted in on the night breeze, mingling with the city's unique atmosphere—smoke from cooking oil, exhaust fumes, incense, and fireworks—becoming faint, as faint as a dream.

The core of his Star Martial Arts in his dantian throbbed slightly. It wasn't a steady throbbing; it was a reactive response. Something was nearby, cold and malevolent, like an eye lurking in the shadows, watching the brightly lit city. The temporary dormitory area where the three black-robed figures rested faced this terrace. That aura was well concealed; ordinary martial artists wouldn't detect it. But his Star Qi was naturally sensitive to malevolent energy, like a dog able to smell scents from a thousand miles away. That faint chill seeped through the layers of formations in the arena and drifted to his face.

Su Muyue walked over with a cup of warm water. Her steps were light, and the saucer at the bottom of the cup made no sound. She walked to Lin Chen's side and handed him the cup. The cup was warm, and the warmth seeped into his palm through the clay, spreading from his hand to his arm.

"Thinking about the Black Robe Team?"

"Hmm." Lin Chen took the water glass and took a sip. The water was lukewarm, neither too hot nor too cold, just right for his taste. "They're hiding among the participating teams, definitely not to win any prizes. A young master of the evil race, accompanied by two late-stage Transformation Realm guards, infiltrated the Global Youth Martial Arts Competition—either to kill or to steal. Or perhaps, to use this opportunity to contact accomplices hidden in various countries."

"We'll face them tomorrow, a perfect opportunity to find out what they're really up to." Su Muyue's voice was soft and gentle, like an evening breeze brushing against her ear. "I'll set up a detection array beforehand to see what trump cards they're hiding. I'll adjust the array tonight, maximizing its range."

"I'll go with you."

"No need." Su Muyue shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips. "You should rest well. You just broke through recently, and your cultivation level isn't fully stable yet. There's a tough battle ahead tomorrow."

Lin Chen turned to look at her. The moonlight fell on her brows and eyes, softening her usual coldness. Her profile appeared serene in the moonlight, like a watercolor painting that hadn't quite dried yet; the varying shades of ink reflected her usual calm and composure. She didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on the distant lights, as if she were thinking about something, or perhaps not thinking about anything at all.

He nodded, not insisting. They didn't need many words; what they understood, they understood.

A breeze blew from the north onto the terrace, carrying the scent of distant mountains and forests, mingled with the smoky aromas of the city. The two stood side by side, silent, watching the myriad lights of distant homes illuminate the night, one by one, until the very end. Inside the arena, the sinister force lurked in the shadows, slowly spreading. In the corners illuminated by the lights, something was insidiously creeping, like water seeping into cracks in bricks, silent yet relentless.

A battle between good and evil, hidden beneath the grand event, is about to begin on the group stage stage.