The livestream was filled with praise as Zhou Yan quickly defeated his opponent.
"666!"
"Such incredible speed, I had to slow it down dozens of times to even see how Zhou Yan made his move."
"This is the best in the world, this is the brightest genius of our Shenlong Kingdom."
"Ye Bufan's battle is also over, both of them are so strong."
"And Feng Qingyang and the others, they all advanced to the next round of preliminaries very quickly. I've noticed that all the freshmen in our cohort are formidable."
...
After their victories, Zhou Yan and the others were teleported back to the resting area for the Shenlong Kingdom.
"You all did very well, advancing to the next round of preliminaries. From here on, you will face increasingly challenging opponents. Keep up the good work."
Everyone waited for the second round of preliminaries to begin. The first round eliminated half the participants, leaving only about six hundred from over a thousand.
Two hundred and forty-five countries worldwide were participating, with 1225 opponents in each age group.
Before long, the draw for the second round of preliminaries commenced.
Zhou Yan and the others were teleported to a new arena, chose the same equipment and weapons, and awaited the start of the match.
A few minutes later, the arena transformed into a new battlefield, and his opponent was a mage.
Before the opponent could cast a spell, Zhou Yan unleashed a bolt of lightning, striking him down.
Zhou Yan advanced through the ranks, with no opponent able to withstand even a single move.
Zhou Yan successfully entered the top 100. Ye Bufan, Feng Qingyang, and the others also made it into the top 100.
All five participants from the first-year cohort successfully reached the top 100, which delighted many.
With only 77 people left in the entire arena, there was a slim chance that the five of them might face each other, but that was unavoidable if luck wasn't on their side.
Such occurrences were not uncommon.
Another draw took place, and everyone naturally hoped that no one from the Shenlong Kingdom would be matched against each other.
After the draw, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they hadn't been pitted against each other, though some had already drawn very strong opponents.
Feng Qingyang was up against a seeded player from the Eastern Ying Kingdom, and a student from Shenlong Academy also faced a seeded player from the United States.
As for Zhou Yan, he defeated his opponent with a single move and quickly exited the competition space.
"Are they out yet?" Zhou Yan watched the matches of the others and then spotted Feng Qingyang's opponent. "This must be the seeded player from the Eastern Ying Kingdom. Their strength is quite decent."
"We've analyzed it. With Feng Qingyang's strength, it's only a matter of time before he wins. However, for the other student, it's harder to say. This Tom from the United States is quite strong; Zheng Yuan might lose," Leng Yue analyzed.
"Although Zheng Yuan's individual strength is slightly weaker, his overall combat ability is still very high. He's very troublesome in territorial combat, effectively limiting opponents."
Zhou Yan believed that Shenlong Academy likely sent him to showcase the strength of Zheng Yuan's territory, while their personal combat hopes rested on their own abilities.
Not long after, Ye Bufan also finished his match and appeared first.
Everyone turned their attention to Zheng Yuan's opponent, Tom. Tom's abilities were indeed peculiar and difficult to deal with. Despite Zheng Yuan's tight defense, he was ultimately defeated.
In any competition, there are winners and losers, and there was no need for regret.
The last remaining participant from Shenlong Academy, Jin Nuanmeng, also successfully advanced.
"I'm sorry, I lost. The rest is up to you all now." Although Zheng Yuan was eliminated, he didn't lose his confidence and accepted his defeat.
"Don't worry, we'll take it from here."
"I just hope we don't face each other. Even if we do, I won't hold back," Jin Nuanmeng said with a smile.
In the previous round, one person received a bye, so there were 39 people remaining in total.
This time, another person received a bye. Zhou Yan discovered he was the one who got the bye, a stroke of luck.
"What incredible luck," Leng Yue chuckled.
"Even without a bye, Zhou Yan would have advanced to the top 20," Han Feng stated.
"Have they faced each other?" Zhou Yan asked.
"No, but Jin Nuanmeng has a powerful opponent. It's hard to say if she'll win," Leng Yue said, watching the ongoing matches.
Feng Qingyang and Ye Bufan, with their strong abilities, each defeated their opponents and advanced to the top 20. Then, they watched Jin Nuanmeng's remaining match.
Finally, Jin Nuanmeng defeated her opponent and also advanced to the top 20.
"Impressive." Everyone applauded. In the top 20, their Shenlong Kingdom had four representatives, with only one eliminated so far.
For the next stage, the top 10, there was a high probability they might face each other, given the odds.
After the draw, Zhou Yan indeed drew Jin Nuanmeng. While it was unfortunate, there was nothing to be done.
Zhou Yan successfully defeated Jin Nuanmeng, entering the top 10 first.
Unexpectedly, Ye Bufan drew Tom from the United States, and a fierce battle erupted.
This match was incredibly exciting and lasted the longest, with everyone watching the intense combat.
However, Ye Bufan, with his superior strength, defeated the seeded player from the United States.
The Shenlong Kingdom erupted in cheers, and Ye Bufan's name was also etched into memory.
If not for an anomaly like Zhou Yan, Ye Bufan would likely be the chosen one of this world.
Alas, he was ultimately no match for the anomaly.
"Well done!" The others rushed forward and hugged Ye Bufan.
"Who do you think I am? I am the heir of the Dragon King family. How could a mere United States be my opponent?" Ye Bufan said with a smile.
"Don't get cocky. There's still a high probability that you three will face each other," Leng Yue warned.
"That's true. All three of us are in the top ten. It would be awkward if we met," Ye Bufan said.
"I really don't want to face Zhou Yan," Feng Qingyang stated.
"Me neither," Ye Bufan replied.
Zhou Yan: "..."
They began the draw, and the outcome brought cheers from the Shenlong Kingdom!
"Great! Will our Shenlong Kingdom sweep the top three this time?"
"Damn, this is too amazing! If they take the top three, it will be truly exhilarating."
"Sweep the top three! Sweep the top three!"
The entire venue erupted in a fervent wave of excitement.
As for the battles in other age groups, they also entered the contention for the top ten. The participants from the Shenlong Kingdom had indeed not disappointed, with at least two individuals reaching the top ten.
However, everyone's attention remained fixed on the first-year cohort's competition.
Without any surprise, Zhou Yan, Ye Bufan, and Feng Qingyang, with their overwhelming strength, defeated their opponents and successfully entered the top five.
In the next round, the probability of them facing each other was extremely high.
Among the five remaining contestants, one would receive a bye.
Ultimately, Zhou Yan was the one who received the bye. Such rotten luck.
Feng Qingyang and Ye Bufan did not face each other, which was also remarkable luck.