"This issue... many people may not understand. It's been seventy years since the war, and it's only now that the potential of human Star Martial Warriors has started to explode; this is just the beginning. In the future, for a very long time, outstanding children will continue to emerge endlessly.

But over these seventy years, the strength of human Star Martial Warriors hasn't always been hovering in a trough. It's just that the quality of the middle and lower tiers wasn't up to pre-war standards.

Moreover, have you considered that the development speed of human Star Martial Warriors nowadays is incomparable to that of a hundred years ago? A hundred years ago, one needed fifty years to develop to a level of strength that only requires ten years in this era."

"Is it because of Soul Resonance?"

"Exactly. From two hundred to one hundred years ago, it was the previous invasion cycle of the Demon Clan. At that time, Star Martial Warriors all relied on self-awakening. Occasionally, one or two Star Martial Warriors with a talent for the soul could stimulate human awakening through Star Martial Skills, but that was just a drop in the bucket.

But now it's different. Since the invention of Soul Resonance a hundred years ago, it has been directly applied since the war. A large number of Star Martial Warriors who previously couldn't awaken have now done so through Soul Resonance. A great number of middle and lower-tier Star Martial Warriors have bolstered our forces. Their power may be small, but they are the sparks that can start a prairie fire.

The foundation is set. What's lacking is the vitality lost in the last great war and a large number of talented successors who have yet to step forward. For human civilization, we lack a favorable wind, a Golden Age."

"Now, the Golden Age has arrived. We must not only show the Demon Clan our potential but also demonstrate our depth to the common folk. In recent years, there have been signs of the Demon Clan getting restless, causing many people to become anxious.

It's not just our Jade Country, but many countries internationally. They are terrified, scared, and some even consider retreating. They are already suffering from the hardship of Different Dimensional Space openings. If they learn that the Demon Clan is about to make a comeback, desperation might lead them to any extreme action.

As the leader of the five major countries, Jade Country must stabilize public morale—not just within Jade Country, but worldwide.

We are the first to publicly hold a provincial martial contest. This will show those frightened countries that we are brimming with talent, giving them a glimmer of hope. Afterward, countries like White Eagle Country, Bear Country, Gran Country, Doron Country, and so on will sequentially showcase their strength. We are setting an example.

And as for your earlier concern about exposing these excellent children to the Demon Clan, do you think the Demon Clan wouldn't know if we didn't broadcast it live? Unless we don't hold the provincial contest, they will definitely find out if we do.

Not making it public is like a lock that keeps out gentlemen, but can it stop villains? Since we can't hide it from the Demon Clan, we might as well not hide it at all—let's just lay our cards on the table."

"So that's how it is... But this batch seems destined to grow through trials and tribulations. With Eld Di making it public like this, wouldn't the Demon Clan be remiss not to make some kind of statement in response to his 'good intentions'?"

"Even if the Demon Clan does respond, they will only target the champions of each province. These champions will all enter the four major Star Martial Academies. If we can't even protect a few promising talents, how can we protect Jade Country or the human race?"

"Eld Di, the Demon Clan is growing increasingly restless. Based on your experience, when might they formally invade?"

"It's been only seventy years since the Demon Clan last left, and historically, the shortest interval between invasions has been a hundred years. When the Demon Clan withdrew back then, it seemed very sudden. We speculate they had a compelling reason to leave.

Otherwise, there was no reason for them to hastily retreat when the fruits of victory were within reach, just a year or a year and a half away from conquering the entire territory. Later, many scholars discovered that this particular war against us took the Demon Clan the longest—a full one hundred and thirty years.

We were already stretched thin at that time. Could the Demon Clan's hasty retreat also mean they couldn't sustain their efforts any longer? Subsequent research revealed that the Demon Clan's invasions, occurring roughly every century, seem quite regular. This doesn't suggest they can invade whenever they please.

Seventy years have passed since their departure, so there should be about thirty years before their next large-scale invasion. But this is just our optimistic speculation; it shouldn't be taken as a certainty.

It would be best if we had more time, but even if we don't, we're not afraid of them. Look, our Star Martial Warrior forces are recovering, and our technological power is advancing by leaps and bounds. What will it be like in the future when modern warfare is combined with Star Martial Warriors?"

"Exactly! Seventy years ago, when the Demon World launched a major invasion of human civilization, they encountered unprecedented resistance. The Eastern Isles, in particular, showed the Demon Clan our resolve by self-detonating seven nuclear bombs. The human race's determination to be 'shattered jade rather than intact tile' will ensure that if they dare to invade again, they will not return, and they'll have to seriously consider if they can afford the price."

"Furthermore, our galaxy, the Milky Way, is an insurmountable natural barrier for the Demon Clan. For countless years, it has protected us humans, who appear so weak in their eyes. Legend says the Milky Way is actually a colossal array! Moreover, we've deduced that their centennial invasions aren't random; at least, the situation in another star system is roughly similar."

"Eld Di... you... you're not joking, are you?"

"Of course not. To obtain this intelligence, Little Phoenix might never be able to return."

Lu Zhao knew that "Little Phoenix" was Eld Di's affectionate nickname for the Flame Emperor. In the entire world, fewer than ten people dared to call the Flame Emperor "Little Phoenix."

"But... Eld Di, such confidential intelligence..."

"It's not entirely a secret. As the fear of the Demon Clan grows daily, some information will be released. Anyway... the Demon Clan is not as powerful as we imagine, nor are they as invincible as we think."

Lu Zhao had processed a vast amount of information today, but he was also someone who knew discretion. Eld Di could casually share things, but Lu Zhao knew he couldn't speak carelessly.

His expression was somber as he watched the distant competition grounds, his mind lost in unknown thoughts.

"Eh, what's the name of that girl?" Eld Di, who was beside him, suddenly asked.

Lu Zhao looked up. At that moment, Jiang Xinyu and her opponent were locked in a fierce battle.

"Jiang Xinyu, the captain of the Suzhou City representative team."

"So, she's the captain! No wonder, no wonder. Such high combat intelligence... Although her innate talent isn't exceptional, her potential is boundless. Which family is she from?"

"She isn't a descendant of a Star Martial family. Her parents are just ordinary people, but her talent is very high; she awakened her Ice Attribute on her own at the age of eight."

"Not from a Star Martial family? Then to have such strength at her age is indeed quite impressive," said a young man with a cold expression, sitting next to Eld Di.

"Yes, if she had the resources of a Star Martial family, she might have reached the peak of the Star Cloud Realm by now."

"Director Lu, Star Martial level isn't the most crucial thing," the young man spoke again. "For ordinary Star Martial families, they can only pursue Star Martial level because they can't aim for other things. With ample resources and proper training, advancing the Star Martial level can actually be slowed down to better cultivate a disciple's Dao foundation."

"Lin, haven't you understood yet?" Eld Di's voice was deep. "Prioritizing Dao foundation or Star Martial level isn't inherently sequential, as long as one isn't overly emphasized.

Overemphasizing the Dao foundation is just like how you used to excessively pursue Star Martial level—neglecting one for the other. You are going to be a father and a mentor someday. Focusing on both while maintaining balance is the best strategy."

"Yes, Teacher is right."

As the matches of the third round progressed, it seemed as if the Suzhou City representative team was only now truly exerting their strength. The previous two rounds looked like they were intentionally giving points to their opponents.

In the first round, they lost four members. In the second, another three. Following this trend, it seemed they were about to be completely wiped out in the third round.

But in the third round, when Jiang Xinyu fought, she immediately secured a victorious start for the Suzhou City representative team. As always, her performance was rock-solid.

Because she had controlled the rhythm of the match for three consecutive encounters, defeating her opponents with an absolute advantage, the broad netizen community of Suzhou City hailed her as the most reliable captain.

There was no helping it; the Suzhou City representative team had always had a tradition of their captains leading the charge only to be swiftly eliminated. Looking back five tournaments, it seemed the captains of the Suzhou City representative team hadn't even made it to the third round.

Jokes proliferated online, and someone even concocted a group chat for former captains of the Suzhou City team. The captain from the 14th tournament was eliminated in the first round. The captain from the 15th spent the rest of the tournament in the stands after the first round. The 16th term captain barely made it to the second round before being KO'd by the Jin City captain. The captains of the 17th and 18th terms led their teams by being the first to fall.

Then came the 19th tournament... Jiang Xinyu, how did you become captain? Is the fine tradition of the Greater Suzhou City captains gone? How could you last until the third round? And even successfully make it into the fourth?

After Jiang Xinyu, Mu Shaoyun took the stage. His opponent had received a bye in the previous round. His strength... really wasn't much to look at and was dealt with by Mu Shaoyun within a minute.

At three in the afternoon, the scorching sun's intensity had lessened slightly.

On the huge screen, Wang Lan's and Lei Tianxu's portraits each occupied half the display.

Lei Tianxu was very tall and burly. Previously, looking at him from a distance, Wang Lan thought he resembled a large chimney. Now that they were standing on the platform, Wang Lan felt as if this colossal creature was almost outside the human species category.

Lei Tianxu: seventeen years old, height 2.12 meters. Damn, seventeen and already 2.12 meters! If males typically stop growing around twenty, his height could still increase a bit more.

Weight: one hundred kilograms. A chiseled face and a weathered appearance. Looking at Lei Tianxu's face, Wang Lan could hardly resist the urge to call him "Uncle."

Wearing just a red vest, his bulging chest muscles seemed ready to burst through his clothing.

His arms, in Wang Lan's eyes, were even thicker than his own thighs.

Judging by his physique, Lei Tianxu's fighting style should be tank-like, power-focused. Speaking of which, it seems I also have a talent for strength.

"Wang Lan, Lei Tianxu, are you both ready?"

"Ready."

"We can start anytime."

BEEP—

The moment the whistle sounded, Wang Lan and Lei Tianxu moved simultaneously. The two of them, as if by unspoken agreement, employed the exact same tactic: rapidly closing in on their opponent with absolute speed.

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