Forbidden Zone of the Human Race

Chapter 277: Heavenly Star City

Xiang Ning’s world had expanded. He knew the world was huge, but experiencing it firsthand drove the point home. The magnificent plains they passed through left a deep impression on him.

There were no tall trees, but far away, he saw a city covered in plants. Everything was tranquil, but he knew that there were many terrifying beasts living within.

Five hours later they were nearly at their destination, Heavenly Star City. It was also time for their briefing.

“The organizing committee has arranged for cars to take us to the hotel for rest after we disembark. Twenty teams from ten of our neighboring cities will be here to fight for the top ten spots. The tournament rules are as follows.…” Lei Zhongyuan lifted his hand and swiped across his watch. A light screen appeared in front of the crowd while he started his explanation. “All twenty teams will be divided into five groups of four teams each. Lots will be drawn to match the teams against each other. The team with the most victories will get a spot in the next round.”

Hanwu Academy’s instructor added, “That means that you must be number one in your group!”

The group of students looked at each other.

“Don’t worry, though, you guys won’t be up against each other. That’s to prevent teams from the same city from fixing matches to win a spot,” said Lei Zhongyuan.

Wu Rui heaved a sigh of relief. This didn’t mean he was lazy, there just was no point. He could fight Xiang Ning with all his might and knew he might even stand a chance. However, there was no point because the schedule was tight and he intended to avoid injuries if at all possible. If you were injured, being incapacitated for just three or four days could easily mean losing your chance in the tournament. Every team in this tournament was the best of their cities, after all.

“Alright, that’s it from me,” Lei Zhongyuan said with a smile.

“That’s it?” Li Zimo cocked his head, surprised.

“That’s it. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.”

“Uh… don’t you have a few more words of encouragement?” Li Zimo felt wrong. This was completely different from his imagination. Shouldn’t this be the time for a few words of encouragement or reminders? Such simple words, there must be something off here.

Lei Zhongyuan seemed amused. “There’s nothing to remind you of. Worst case scenario, you all return to Marsh City without winning a spot. I’m not the one who’ll lose face.”

Forget Xiang Ning, none of the children of powerful families could stand that possibility. They were all young, passionate teenagers that just couldn’t accept such a loss. They had only left the city for a few days, then they would already have to pack their bags and go home. It would be truly embarrassing. Xiang Ning didn’t want that, Wu Rui didn’t want that... nobody wanted that. To be fair, Lei Zhongyuan’s last statement was better than any pep talk he could give.

Looking at the red-faced teenagers, Lei Zhongyuan laughed heartily. “As long as you guys qualify, you’ll get a day off in Heavenly Star City, all expenses paid!”

The rich kids didn’t feel much, because they had been out of Marsh City before, but it was extremely effective on Xiang Ning. His main objective was to take his sister out to explore the world, the tournament was second. However, he must win in order to bring her around, so there were no conflicts of interest there.

“Right, is this a team event?”

“Yes. The event will be in a ring-battle tournament format. As long as three people in the opponent’s team are defeated, your team will be considered the winner.”

The teams understood. After asking a few minor questions, they were left to discuss them among themselves.

......

On Xiang Ning’s side.

“Xiang Ning, let’s discuss this first. You can’t be the first up, you must let us up first.”

“Hehe, you overestimate me. I might have nothing to do for the entire time.” Xiang Ning scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.

“Alright, alright. Remember to watch us, see if we still have any weaknesses,” Li Zimo chuckled. If Xiang Ning was first up, it would expose his skills to the entire martial circle. They would know exactly how accurate his ability to capitalize on opportunities was, and how he could spot weaknesses like a tier seven master. They didn’t call him teacher for nothing.

Very soon, they arrived at the station. The students got in the cars assigned by the organizer and headed to Heavenly Star City’s best hotel.

Heavenly Star City was an important hub in the southern region of China. There was only one track leading to the north, which subsequently led to great development in the surrounding area. It was five times the size of Marsh City and home to more than twelve million people. It was a true super city.

The car sped along the highway as countless skyscrapers swept past. The nightlights were mesmerizing, and Xiang Xiaoyu was full of praise for them. Even her brother acted like a country bumpkin arriving in a city for the first time, fascinated by everything.

“Big brother, look! It’s a statue!”

They were currently crossing a bridge near the city center. Xiang Ning coincidentally saw a tall, majestic statue.

“That’s a statue of Heavenly Star City’s first city lord. His name was Li Tianxing, a tier nine master. A hundred and seventy-odd years ago, a tier nine Beast Emperor and two tier eight Beast Kings invaded the city. City Lord Li fought all three of them alone for four days and, in the end, killed the two Beast Kings, but at a hefty price. He managed to disperse the beast horde that way, saving Heavenly Star City. But due to his severe injuries, he passed away. The people wanted to immortalize him and so named the city Tianxing City after him, and even built a statue,” Lei Zhongyuan slowly explained, looking at the statue. [1]

The group listened in reverence. Fighting a Beast Emperor and two Beast Kings alone, ultimately sacrificing his life to save a city. Every person who heard the story had the utmost respect for him.

Soon, they came to the Heavenly Star Hotel.

Coincidentally, there were also teams from other cities staying at the same hotel. The organizing committee had stipulated that all participants must wear the same uniform as their teammates during the tournament period. That was why it was easy to identify other teams.

The instructors from both sides cordially nodded and went to register, but the teenagers were always excited to see their peers.

“Xiang Ning, look! Oh my goodness, they’re powerful! I can sense it! That boy with the rooster head is at least my tier,” whispered Li Zimo.

“Mmhmm, he’s strong. Look at his height, it’ll be a pity if he doesn’t play basketball,” Xiang Ning said, stroking his chin. His favorite sport in school was basketball. When he was in the orphanage, if he had nothing to do after his classes, he would sit in front of the television and watch a basketball match. That was considered one of his few hobbies.

However, Li Zimo took his words as Xiang Ning mocking the guy. Yeah, his height was suited for basketball, but he’s not that strong.

Of course, that was just Li Zimo’s imagination….

1. His name is 李天星 (Li Tianxing) which directly translates to Li Heavenly Star ☜