NOVEL WEB Chapter 83 What a Coincidence! The first-round opponent is a girl!_1
Afternoon, 2:45 PM.
The 64 contestants of the elimination round were led by the chief examiner to the first basement level beneath the square, where they prepared for the elimination round scheduled to start in 15 minutes.
"Group A: Su Yan, Xu Haolong, Fang Pingyuan, An Shihua, Yang Jianming..."
"Group B: Qin Yao, Li Changxiao, Lü Shuyu, Qin Hansheng, Su Yuyue..."
The chief examiner held a list and read out the names of the grouped contestants one by one. Based on the groupings on the list, he had the 64 contestants line up in two lines, forming an obtuse triangle facing him.
Once the lines were formed a moment later, the chief examiner stood with his hands behind his back and began to briefly introduce the rules of the elimination round to the contestants before him.
"There are a total of six rounds in the elimination round. The first three rounds will be held simultaneously on several Martial Arts Platforms, while the last three will take place on a single Martial Arts Platform."
"The matching mechanism is group-to-group, meaning contestants from Group A will be matched with those from Group B."
"There is only one chance for each contest. Winners will directly advance to the next round, while losers will be eliminated."
"Following this pattern, half the contestants will be eliminated each round, and winning six consecutive matches will secure the championship."
"The matching list will be displayed on the big screen in the center of the square when we ascend shortly."
"As for the rules of the contests on the Martial Arts Platforms, having experienced the preliminary selection in the morning, you should all be very clear about them by now."
"Therefore, I won't belabor the point regarding the rules of the matches."
After briefly introducing the rules, the chief examiner looked at the contestants and asked, "That's all I have to say. Does anyone have any questions or concerns?"
Upon hearing this, the contestants immediately responded in a fairly unified voice, "No!"
The chief examiner nodded. Then he spoke, "Very well, everyone stand still. In one minute, we will ascend to the center of the square."
One minute is short, but for the 64 contestants present, it felt as long as a year. All of them had undergone countless tests during their three years of high school, but a nationally live-broadcasted contest of such a large and solemn scale was still a first. Many of the more reserved contestants were feeling very nervous at this moment, sensing their bodies turning soft and weak.
"Su Yan, are you nervous?" the talkative Li Changxiao, who was next to him, once again struck up a conversation with Su Yan.
"Not really, I don't feel much," Su Yan replied in an even tone, looking very calm.
Li Changxiao said, "You've got a good mindset. I'm freaking out right now. I'm really afraid I'll be matched with some of you freaks in the first round of fighting and be knocked out immediately. I hope the heavens look after me, let you freaks knock each other out in the first few rounds, and then I keep matching up with weaklings. If that happens, maybe I can take second place and show off a little, give myself some face."
At these words, Su Yan chuckled. "Good luck then. Hope all your matches are with easy targets."
A minute passed quickly.
Just then, the floor beneath everyone's feet trembled slightly. Next, it began to rise slowly upwards like an elevator, approaching the ceiling above.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Accompanied by a tearing sound, a large fissure suddenly split open in the ceiling overhead, revealing a wide opening. Very quickly, everyone was lifted up from the first basement level on the rising floor.
What greeted them was a hubbub of noisy chatter and a dimness that made it hard to see further than two meters.
The square's lights had been turned off. As far as the eye could see, there was only a murky, indistinct darkness.
A contestant murmured, "It's really dark."
However, most of the contestants stood quietly still, waiting for the elimination round to begin.
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
Suddenly, accompanied by three sharp clicks, three dazzling beams of light shot down from above the stadium, evenly illuminating the high platform in the square.
In an instant, two tall figures standing on the platform abruptly appeared before everyone.
One was a handsome man dressed in a black suit and shining leather shoes, his hair neatly styled and looking fresh and bright. The other was a beautiful woman in a silk long-dress and high heels, her long hair cascading down to her shoulders. At this moment, the man and woman who appeared on the high platform were none other than Zhao Lei and Qin Min, the hosts who had maintained a low profile during the preliminary selection.
"Man, what kind of pairing is that?" Li Changxiao muttered, looking up at the handsome man and beautiful woman on the high platform. "One wearing a modern-style suit, and the other an ancient-style long-dress—what kind of genius came up with this divine pairing? Speechless! Utterly speechless!"
Not only Li Changxiao, but most of the contestants present thought the same. Truth be told, although the hosts' attire styles were severely mismatched, it didn't look jarring at all. The man was still handsome, the woman still beautiful, and they were quite pleasant to look at. Indeed, as long as people are attractive, no matter what they wear, they can ultimately become a beautiful sight.
"'Ladies and gentlemen! Good afternoon! We're so glad to see you all again!'" the two hosts exclaimed in unison, their voices loud and clear.
Male host Zhao Lei then said, "After the lengthy preliminary selection this morning and the thrilling qualifying round just now, here we are, finally at the much-anticipated elimination round!"