"Go, go, go! Zhang Qilin is the handsomest in the world—okay, Eat-Stream Adrian Vale doesn't count. He's a foodie, not a pretty boy!"
"All the figures based on Zhang Qilin's height and build are ready! Girls' support club members, send me your addresses—I'll ship each of you a set for free!"
"Yay! Long live rich girls! I'm following the rich-girl route—one day I'm going to marry Qilin-gege!"
Inside Dragon Nation's studio, Bingbing looked at the flood of girlish comments and couldn't help smiling.
"Hahaha, it looks like Zhang Qilin really does have overwhelming appeal among young women."
"But in the Blue Star Deathmatch, looks alone won't decide the outcome."
She turned toward Professor Luo.
"Professor Luo, what do you think about our Dragon Nation contestants' next two battles?"
Professor Luo cleared his throat, then answered with a grave expression.
"Although I firmly believe Dragon Nation's contestants will claim the final victory, I do have to say that Kamen Rider's abilities happen to counter Fahai to some extent."
"That man's grasshopper-like armor isn't just for show. His jumping power is extraordinary. A casual leap takes him more than ten meters."
"If he goes all out, exceeding fifteen meters shouldn't be difficult."
"Fahai, on the other hand, is a fighter who shines most in close-quarters combat. He needs to get in close—and stay there."
"So if Fahai wants to win this match, he'll have to put in real work."
Bingbing nodded seriously, then turned toward Captain Ryan Cole.
"Captain Ryan Cole, what's your view on Zhang Qilin's next battle?"
Ryan Cole's brows were tightly knit. He ran through countless scenarios in his mind before answering slowly,
"Deadpool versus Zhang Qilin will almost certainly be an exquisite cold-weapons showdown."
"There's no need to say more about the black-gold ancient blade in Zhang Qilin's hand. His saber technique is tricky, ruthless, and nearly impossible to guard against. He's definitely one of Dragon Nation's highest-tier fighters."
"But Deadpool's twin blades are no joke either. In battle, they often produce highly unexpected effects."
"These two are both close-range specialists."
He paused.
"So honestly… the outcome isn't easy to predict."
That same thought had already appeared elsewhere.
Inside one of the waiting rooms, Deadpool was frowning hard.
"Of all people, why did it have to be that weird Zhang Qilin?"
The moment he recalled the cold flash of that black-gold ancient blade from the previous round, his face darkened.
Meanwhile, in another room, Zhang Qilin's eyes gleamed faintly.
"This next fight should be interesting," he said softly.
"So I really did run into another cold-weapons specialist."
He lowered his gaze to the blade in his hand.
"Let's see whether twin blades are stronger… or a single saber."
Divine Domain: Forbidden Zone
Inside the Dreamlike Forest, Adrian Vale watched the ancient trees around them twist into new shapes, and a cold smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Boss Raven," he said, "be careful in a moment. Every one of these trees can attack."
A flicker of surprise passed through Raven Shaw's eyes, but she didn't ask any questions. She simply nodded once.
In the next instant, she triggered cell burn.
Adrenaline surged through her body. Her physical condition climbed sharply.
At that moment, Raven became incomparably calm. Even if death itself were standing in front of her, in this state she could still face it with absolute composure.
"Kid," Raven said, "these trees shouldn't be enough to trouble you, right?"
Adrian replied without hesitation,
"You're joking. These trees think they can stop me?"
"They're just a pile of rotten wood."
The moment those words fell, the entire Dreamlike Forest seemed to freeze.
Every sound vanished.
Then, one by one, the giant ancient trees around them began to sway.
Rustle… rustle… rustle…
Black shadows darted rapidly beneath the canopy and through the layers of darkness cast by the branches.
It was as if the forest itself had been enraged by Adrian's words and had finally chosen to strike.
Dragon Nation's livestream instantly filled with helpless commentary.
"Adrian Vale, can you be a little more careful?! Why are you provoking the enemy at a time like this?"
"Boss Adrian, don't forget—these trees can't be eaten! Even if you kill them, they still won't end up on your menu!"
"Oh no, here we go again. Eat-Stream Adrian Vale's food-brain is activating."
"I swear, if Adrian Vale and Tsukiyama Shuu ever met, the scene would be legendary."
"Hahaha! I feel like Adrian wouldn't kill him right away—he'd force him to become his personal chef!"
As the chat spiraled into food jokes again, Adrian's gaze swept across the surroundings.
Every direction—front, back, left, right—had already been sealed off by shifting black shadows.
It was obvious now.
The forest had prepared this ambush a long time ago.
Raven noticed the same thing and said coldly,
"So if we don't clear these things out, we're not leaving here."
Adrian nodded.
"Then we cut this pile of rotten wood to pieces."
"Just looking at them is annoying."
Since none of this could become food, Adrian's mood immediately worsened.
To him, an enemy that couldn't be eaten simply wasn't a good enemy.
Blue Star Deathmatch
The first pair to enter the arena had already taken their places—
Wuxian and Venom / Eddie Brock.
Wuxian still wore flowing white robes and floated more than thirty centimeters above the ground, expression calm as he looked toward Eddie in the distance.
Within five meters of Wuxian, the air itself seemed to have settled into complete stillness.
Even the grains of sand on the ground looked as though they had been pressed into the stone by an invisible force.
A perfectly clear circle had formed around him.
The audience immediately broke into startled cries.
"What is this?! How strong is this Dragon Nation contestant, Wuxian?!"
"Look at the ground! What exactly is causing that circle to form?! Is this one of Dragon Nation's ancient hidden arts?"
"Look at Eddie—he seems completely stunned!"
"Hahaha! Is he really scared stiff before the fight has even started?"
"This is hilarious. Miracle Nation's contestant looks so low-class right now."
At that moment, the broadcast thoughtfully zoomed in on Eddie Brock.
His eyes were wide, locked on Wuxian.
Black viscous matter writhed all over his body.
That was Venom, leaking out under stress.
Miracle Nation's viewers instantly exploded.
"What the hell is Eddie doing?! Wasn't he supposed to be fearless? Why is he acting like this in front of Wuxian?"
"Don't tell me Dragon Nation's viewers were right—did Eddie actually lose his nerve?"
"Eddie, you idiot! You're carrying Miracle Nation's pride. Stop standing there like a moron!"
Inside the arena, Eddie's excellent eyesight had allowed him to notice the changes around Wuxian almost immediately.
He swallowed, then said cautiously,
"How is he doing that?"
"Why is he floating like that so naturally?"
"Is this really one of Dragon Nation's hidden powers?"
Venom, who had already pulled half his body into the open and formed a humanoid shape beside him, bared his teeth and let his scarlet tongue hang out.
"If there aren't any surprises, he's like Magneto," Venom said.
"One of those special ability users."
"That means taking him down is going to be hard."
Eddie immediately shot him a glare.
"Hard? Aren't you always bragging about how strong you are? And now you're scared before the fight even starts?"
Venom twisted around and snapped back instantly.
"Cut the sarcasm. If it weren't for you dragging me down with your weak human body, why would I lack confidence at all?"
"What?!"
Eddie nearly jumped.
"Now you're blaming me? If not for me, you wouldn't even have the chance to exist in this world!"
The two immediately descended into another furious argument.
The atmosphere became bizarrely heated.
Dragon Nation viewers stared in disbelief.
"Is this Miracle Nation style? Their contestants start arguing with each other before the battle even begins?"
"These two really aren't taking Lord Wuxian seriously at all."
"But Wuxian doesn't seem to care. He looks like he's just waiting for them to finish fighting among themselves."
"It's actually kind of funny. Lord Wuxian is just standing there watching them curse each other out."
Even Will of Blue Star seemed to find the scene mildly amusing, because the live feed shifted into a close-up dedicated entirely to Eddie and Venom's face-to-face screaming match.
Off to the side, Wuxian remained dressed in white, floating quietly like an immortal descended into the mortal world.
His expression was tranquil.
His eyes didn't even seem to contain Eddie and Venom at all.
To him, the pair looked no more significant than ants.
Then—
Wuxian's gaze shifted.
A subtle, invisible ripple swept across Eddie and Venom's bodies.
Both froze instantly.
In that moment, they felt as though everything inside them had been seen through completely.
Wuxian's voice rang out, ethereal and distant.
"Have you two finished arguing?"
Eddie shivered and immediately answered,
"Yes."
After a brief hesitation, he forced out an awkward smile.
"Mr. Wuxian… how about we go easy on each other?"
"After all, if fighters as strong as us get hurt here, it won't really help anyone."
Venom turned and stared at him in total disbelief.
He clearly hadn't expected Eddie to suddenly say something this shameless.
Even Wuxian's eyes showed the faintest trace of surprise.
Then he said mildly,
"Before entering the arena, the scissor assassin Wu Liuqi warned me that your skin is exceptionally thick."
"It seems he was right."
Eddie's face flushed red, but he still kept the awkward smile plastered on.
"Well… no helping it. I happened to meet Mr. Wuxian."
"And I promise—if we both enter the Divine Domain later, I definitely won't attack you."
Wuxian gave a slight nod.
"In that case, I'll give you a chance."
He remained suspended in place, still as a painting.
"I'll stand right here and not move."
"You may use any attack you like."
"If you can force me back even half a step…"
"Then this match is yours."
The instant those words fell, both Eddie and Venom's eyes lit up.
"Really?!" they shouted in unison.
Wuxian nodded again.
"Dragon Nation contestants have always valued honesty above all."
Hearing that, Eddie trembled with excitement.
Venom's body quivered violently as well, barely containing the urge to attack.
Eddie took a deep breath and shot Venom a quick glance.
In the next instant, Venom's body split open—
and dozens of jet-black spikes burst outward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Each one shot forward like a deadly arrow, slicing through the air with sharp tearing sounds.
Venom grinned viciously.
"I refuse to believe that against this kind of omnidirectional attack…"
"…he can still stand there without moving."
The entire world held its breath.
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