The conflict between Ziwei Academy and Shengyang Academy quickly spread throughout Longqing Academy, with countless students discussing the matter.
Shengyang Academy had truly suffered a great humiliation this time.
In contrast, the people from Ziwei Academy seemed to possess a protagonist's halo wherever they went, attracting much attention, endless discussion, and being observed by countless people with looks of admiration.
Especially Chu Luoyan, her fame as the Phantom Night Rakshasa had already spread widely throughout Longqing Academy. Many admired her peerless beauty while simultaneously fearing her strength, creating a contradictory sentiment.
Crucially, Chu Luoyan was not known for her good temper. The mere thought of being chased by Chu Luoyan wielding a ten-meter-long divine artifact was enough to make one's head ache.
They were arranged into a lounge. The grand competition between the four major academies would officially commence the next day.
The students participating from the four academies were housed in different corners. In the center of their accommodations was the arena where the grand competition would take place tomorrow, a venue resembling a bird's nest.
It was extremely vast, capable of accommodating a million spectators. Due to the presence of space arrays, it could be expanded several times over if there were too many viewers, eliminating any concerns about space limitations.
During the competition period, students were strictly forbidden from leaving their rooms. Every corridor was guarded by powerful cultivators from Longqing Academy, ensuring meticulous security.
Chu Luoyan and the others were instructed not to wander off, to rest well, and await the official competition tomorrow. If they felt hungry, they were to notify the teachers directly.
Soon, Chu Luoyan was invited to leave by personnel from Longqing Academy. However, only a few people departed; the remaining elders stayed behind to protect them.
Despite the thorough security measures implemented by Longqing Academy, they remained highly cautious. These students were the most outstanding of Ziwei Academy, and not the slightest mishap could befall them.
In the reception hall of Longqing Academy, the teachers leading the delegations from the four major academies convened. At the forefront was Zuo Jianyuan, the principal of Longqing Academy. He appeared very young, only in his thirties, but his true age exceeded a thousand years.
The representatives from the other three major academies were all familiar faces: Chu Luoyan from Ziwei Academy, Jin Hongyun from Beidi Academy, and Macdonald Baker from Longqing Academy.
However, the leading teachers from Shengyang Academy were a peculiar sight, with bruised and swollen faces, especially in such a formal setting.
Furthermore, Macdonald Baker and the others wore displeased expressions, their gazes fixed on Chu Luoyan with a mixture of hatred and fear, a truly paradoxical mix.
As the principal, Zuo Jianyuan could not have been unaware of the prior incident between Ziwei Academy and Shengyang Academy. However, being an ancient cultivator of such long standing, he was an astute individual and would not bring it up, pretending ignorance. After all, Shengyang Academy had merely received a lesson; no lives were lost, so it was a trivial matter.
"On behalf of Longqing Academy, I extend a warm welcome to all of you who have traveled from afar. The purpose of your gathering here today is to discuss the rules of this competition," Zuo Jianyuan announced, stating the objective.
This was also the reason why the leading teachers from the other academies were present; they naturally needed to be informed of the competition rules and the specific events.
Everyone listened attentively as Zuo Jianyuan first explained the competition for the first-year students, followed by the competitions for the second, third, and fourth-year students.
The competition events varied for each year group, with only one event per year group. The one who could persevere until the end would be declared the ultimate winner.
After listening, the teachers from the three major academies began to inquire about their doubts. The meeting lasted for several hours before concluding. Finally, Zuo Jianyuan hosted a banquet for the teachers from the three major academies.
After the meal, the teachers from the three major academies returned to their respective accommodations, carrying the competition materials.
Upon their return, Chu Luoyan briefed the elders on the grand competition and then distributed the materials to the teachers responsible for each year group.
Han Li and Leng Yue, after gaining an understanding of the situation, took the materials and summoned Zhou Yan and the others, stating, "We have obtained the competition materials."
"What are they?" everyone asked with great curiosity.
Leng Yue distributed the materials to them, saying, "These contain detailed information. Please review them first, and then tell me your questions. I will answer them for you one by one."
Everyone took the materials and began to examine them.
Zhou Yan read through the competition rules.
First-Year Competition Information:
For this competition, the first-year freshmen will enter a world specially created by Longqing Academy to participate.
The time ratio between this world and the outside world is 10:1.
For every ten days spent by students in this world, only one day will pass in the outside world.
Spectators in the outside world will observe their competitions within at a tenfold speed.
Within this world, there are a total of forty countries. Upon entering, each student will be randomly teleported into one of these countries.
Furthermore, summoned students will be unable to communicate with anyone, contact any individuals, or use any items. They will also be unaware of which country is adjacent to theirs.
The national strength of each country is comparable, but their geographical locations differ. The specific details will require students to investigate themselves.
Each country possesses ten cities, and there are no soldiers guarding them.
Upon entering, students will initially be able to summon twenty thousand people. The choice of which twenty thousand people to summon rests entirely with the students.
Their objective is to eliminate other countries until only one remains, thus becoming the ultimate victor.
It is important to note that for every enemy city conquered, an additional two thousand people can be summoned from their territory.
Within this world, mining and forging will be carried out with a hundredfold increase in speed and efficiency.
Soldiers summoned from their territories will have no weapons or equipment; they will have to rely on themselves to re-arm.
Individuals not summoned from their own territory cannot be summoned; Longqing Academy has methods to detect this.
...
After reviewing these materials, all the students were astonished.
They had never imagined the competition would be conducted in such a manner.
It was somewhat akin to playing a nation-building game.
With four academies, each having ten participating students, a total of forty individuals would enter, and there were only forty countries within. Moreover, upon entering, they would have no idea who their neighboring countries were, nor would they be able to discern them.
This would prevent any communication and make it impossible to identify opponents.
To win this battle, they would have to attack others; only by conquering enemy cities could they win the competition.
However, they soon realized that this competition was far from simple. While it appeared to be a mere offensive and defensive battle, it involved many other factors.
For instance, the materials did not specify the population or resource conditions of each country.
The initial summoning limit of twenty thousand people, with soldiers lacking any equipment, would necessitate summoning individuals with various civilian professions.
This was undoubtedly not a simple competition; it involved an immense number of elements.
They would all have to carefully consider how to leverage the advantages of their territories for rapid development. Only by developing faster than others could they gain a crucial advantage.