Chapter 529: Enter the Stage! A Hundred Demons' Night Parade!

The martial arena, the preparation area.

Although Sakuragi Rin had already braced herself the moment she saw her opponent was Xu Jingming.

When Xu Jingming turned those cold, sharply contrasting black-and-white eyes her way,

the overwhelming pressure still made her delicate frame tremble ever so slightly.

After a gap of more than half a year, Sakuragi Rin once again felt that aura that made her fear.

And the reverse-contract mark in her sea of consciousness was like a brand burned into her.

Constantly reminding her that her life did not belong to herself, but to Xu Jingming......

Driven by this emotion,

Sakuragi Rin's beautiful eyes looked over, her rosy little mouth like a rose petal parted slightly, and she called out instinctively:

"Master......"

In the surrounding spectator stands, at least ten million people were looking forward to her entrance.

Many of them were already shouting her name, cheering and roaring for her.

Yet she could only face this man in such a humble posture.

Fortunately, sound in the preparation area did not carry out.

Otherwise, those two words alone—"Master"—would be enough to cause an enormous uproar.

And would even drive some fanatical male spectators to despair.

"It seems you haven't forgotten your place."

Xu Jingming walked unhurriedly to a seat in the front row, his tall frame settling down, and said in a low voice:

"After today's match ends, come find me in the virtual world on your own."

"Yes......"

Sakuragi Rin's little head lowered slightly, and she replied very obediently.

"Why do I get the feeling that this Sakuragi Rin seems very afraid of Jingming?"

In the spectator stands, Song Qiuyun, who had been watching the preparation area, said in confusion.

"Is she? I didn't really notice."

The white-haired girl Jiang Chuxuan blinked. "But Jingming nearly killed Sakuragi Rin back at Civilization Ruin No. 9.

It's only natural she'd be afraid now."

"Is that so?" Song Qiuyun murmured thoughtfully.

Beyond fear, she seemed to also sense a very submissive emotion from Sakuragi Rin.

Unfortunately, as an ordinary spectator, she had no way to use her 'Dawn Light' ability in the virtual world.

Otherwise, she could have analyzed more information through it.

"Must be my imagination. Sakuragi Rin is, after all, an S-rank from Sakura Country.

It's normal she'd fear Jingming a little, but submission shouldn't be part of it."

Shaking her head, Song Qiuyun didn't think on it further.

Every ability-user who possessed an S-rank ability was without exception a favored child of heaven.

Such prodigies carried absolute pride—even in death, they wouldn't necessarily choose to submit to anyone......

Before long, the previous match ended, and the pretty commentator stepped back up to the front stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next match is about to begin!"

"First to enter is Sakuragi Rin, from Sakura Country!"

"She is twenty-four years old, Upper Fifth-Tier, and possesses the special summoning-type S-rank ability 'Shikigami Summon'!"

"She is also the youngest dojo master of Sakura Country's Amaterasu Dojo, honored with the title 'Holy Maiden'!"

Accompanying the commentator's impassioned voice, Sakuragi Rin walked out of the preparation area onto the arena stage.

At the same time, the spectator stands surrounding the martial arena immediately erupted with a tidal wave of cheers!

The vast majority were citizens of Sakura Country, along with some spectators from other nations.

Their faces flushed red, they shouted in excitement!

"Sakuragi Rin! Sakuragi Rin!"

"Holy Maiden! Holy Maiden!"

"Great Holy Maiden, you are the strongest!"

"......"

All manner of voices gathered together, surging forward like a tide!

"And her opponent is Xu Jingming, from the Great Xia Nation!"

"Xu Jingming is twenty years old, Upper Fifth-Tier, and possesses the lightning-type SS-rank ability 'Doushen Shenlei'!"

"Because of his domineering and fierce combat style, he has also been honored with the title—Lei Di!"

The commentator's voice was noticeably much more impassioned than when introducing Sakuragi Rin.

Especially when pronouncing the two words 'Lei Di,' her tone grew even heavier.

"Lei Di!"

"Lei Di!"

"The strongest!"

"......"

Not only were the ten million spectators of the Great Xia Nation cheering with all their might.

Tens of millions of spectators from other nations were also cheering and shouting.

Although their own country also had contestants, with those contestants not yet having taken the field,

it did not stop them from cheering.

Especially the ferocious dominance Xu Jingming had displayed in the earlier free-for-all on the arena and the first seven rounds of one-on-one arena matches.

No one knew just how many viewers he had conquered.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Xu Jingming likewise walked out of the preparation area and stepped onto the arena.

The moment he appeared, the surrounding cheers and shouts grew even more frenzied!

The voices of tens of millions of people blended together, even causing the entire alloy arena to tremble faintly.

Those cheering for Sakuragi Rin were mostly men.

Yet those cheering for Xu Jingming were mostly young women!

Their voices were even more shrill, their penetrating power even stronger.

"Both of them are Fifth Order Upper Rank, but one is twenty-four years old, while the other is only twenty.

The gap in talent is truly terrifying..."

Some viewers murmured in awe.

The Global Genius Exchange Tournament gathered the finest talents, and before the finals ended, no one knew who would be the strongest.

But if one had to pick the genius with the highest talent, then without a doubt, it was absolutely Xu Jingming!

A Fifth Order Upper Rank at twenty years old — this had never happened in the entire history of Blue Star.

Amid their awe, some also began predicting the outcome of his upcoming matches.

"SS-class ability versus S-class ability — Sakuragi Rin is doomed."

"That's not necessarily so. Her Shikigami Summoning summons over a thousand shikigami; Xu Jingming might not be able to withstand it."

"Heh, you're dreaming! A lightning-type ability fears a human-wave tactic the least!"

"..."

Sakuragi Rin had her supporters, and Xu Jingming had his fans.

Before the match had even begun, both sides had already started arguing over who would win.

Still, the voices predicting Xu Jingming's victory occupied the overwhelming majority.

"These two — one is the genius of Sakura Country, the other is the genius of Great Xia Country!"

"Each represents their own nation, so who will emerge victorious next?"

"Let us all wait and see!"

"Please have both contestants ready! The match... begins now!"

As the words fell, the beautiful commentator vanished from the arena in an instant.

Meanwhile, Sakuragi Rin across from him immediately raised a white banner similar to those commonly used by shrine maidens of Sakura Country!

Immediately after, she cried out in a delicate voice: "Shikigami Summoning! Hundred Demons' Night Parade!"

Boom!!

A terrifying aura erupted, and the white banner fluttered of its own accord.

In the span of a single breath, dense ranks of spirit-body shikigami appeared around Sakuragi Rin.

Looking out, there were well over a thousand of them!

Among them, the three most formidable shikigami had auras reaching the terrifying level of Sixth Order Upper Rank!