Chapter 57: Media Frenzy

After Gu Yue hung up the soul communicator with Leng Yaozhu, she cast a resentful glance at Xia Yi.

"What are you planning to do next?" Gu Yue asked.

Xia Yi had undoubtedly been the center of attention today, completely capturing the notice of the powerful figures on Douluo Continent.

Gu Yue wasn't worried about Shrek Academy's strong individuals making a move against Xia Yi; what concerned her were the Academy's fanatical admirers.

"What's there to do? Just take things as they come. Besides, I haven't done anything wrong—why should I be afraid?" Xia Yi said nonchalantly.

"Afraid? Look outside and then talk," Gu Yue retorted, dragging Xia Yi to the window.

From the window, they could see the hotel entrance crowded with a noisy mob. The hotel doors were tightly blocked.

Apart from the troublemaking crowd, there was also a large gathering of media personnel, all eager to interview Xia Yi and grab the first scoop.

Xia Yi was the first person in 20,000 years to defeat a Shrek Academy student while crossing rank boundaries.

Strictly speaking, in 20,000 years, apart from Xia Yi, no one had ever managed to defeat a Shrek Academy student at an equal soul power level, let alone across ranks.

The media frenzy was understandable. Whoever secured the first exclusive interview with Xia Yi stood to make a fortune.

This madness wasn't limited to the local media in Skysea City; reporters from other cities were also rushing over. Even if they couldn't get the first scoop, they were at least determined to grab some leftovers.

The chaos outside the hotel had reached boiling point.

Thanks to the soundproofing materials used in the hotel walls and windows, there was no sign of disturbance inside the hotel. But the moment the window was opened, the cacophony of noise surged in.

"What's there to see? The hotel is protected by a mecha squad. Do you think they can just barge in?" Xia Yi said indifferently.

In any competition, ensuring the safety of participants was the organizers' top priority.

This was especially true for soul master competitions. Not only were the competition venues guarded by mecha squads around the clock, but so were the hotels where the participants stayed.

This was why the organizers insisted on unified management—without it, it would be hard to prevent shameless older generations from targeting other geniuses to benefit their juniors.

It was said that this unwritten rule was left behind 20,000 years ago by the Sea God, Tang San.

Among the troublemakers outside, while some were soul masters, the majority were ordinary people.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare act recklessly in front of mechas, no matter how bold they were.

"You've got nerves of steel," Gu Yue said in exasperation. She hadn't expected Xia Yi to remain so nonchalant despite the situation.

"What else can I do? Go out there and explain? Do you think they'd listen?" Xia Yi asked calmly. If he showed up now, it would likely make things worse.

"Not showing up? Are you planning to stay in the hotel forever?" Gu Yue looked out at the noisy crowd gathered at the hotel entrance. Neither the media nor the troublemakers were likely to leave without seeing Xia Yi.

Especially the media—those reporters had the patience to wait him out.

"Who said I wouldn't show up? I'll make an appearance once they calm down," Xia Yi said with a smile.

He glanced down at the crowd outside and said in a low voice, "But I won't have a choice soon. The hotel manager will probably ask me to come out. Otherwise, with this mob blocking the entrance, the other competitors staying here will have trouble coming and going. How will they participate in the competition?"

"That's true," Gu Yue nodded.

"In that case, go pass on a message for me. Announce that I'll meet everyone at Skysea Stadium tomorrow and ask them to leave for now. If they don't disperse, they'll be barred from entering Skysea Stadium tomorrow," Xia Yi instructed.

Gu Yue stared at Xia Yi in disbelief. "Am I your errand girl now?"

"If I step out now, I won't be able to come back. You're the only one who can do it," Xia Yi said, already pushing Gu Yue out the hotel room door before slamming it shut.

"That damn fox, treating me like a servant," Gu Yue muttered angrily, clenching her fists. Despite her frustration, she bit her lip and made her way to the hotel entrance.

"Ah..." Xia Yi exhaled deeply. He hadn't expected that simply defeating Ye Xinglan would lead to such a series of complications.

Shrek Academy's status in the hearts of the people on Douluo Continent was greater than he had imagined.

"No wonder the Federation government is reluctant to openly oppose Shrek Academy. Besides fearing their strength, they're probably most concerned about losing public support," Xia Yi speculated inwardly.

"Why worry about all this? I'll deal with it tomorrow," Xia Yi shook his head. At his current cultivation level, pondering these matters was pointless.

Without sufficient strength, overthinking was futile.

Putting the thoughts aside, Xia Yi closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Gu Yue, after leaving, didn't return. Instead, she went straight to her room.

Thanks to Gu Yue's message, the crowd gathered at the hotel entrance finally began to disperse.

This allowed Long Hengxu to bring the Eastsea Academy's junior and senior competitors back to the hotel.

Seeing Xia Yi in meditation, Long Hengxu didn't disturb him.

Although all of Eastsea Academy's participants had been disqualified, he didn't feel the slightest disappointment.

Winning the Skysea Alliance Tournament championship didn't carry as much significance as defeating a Shrek Academy student.

Xia Yi had already brought glory to Eastsea Academy. Whether they continued in the competition or not didn't matter anymore.

Of course, this was true for Eastsea Academy as a whole. For the academy's participants, however, they had suffered an unwarranted disaster.

Traveling such a long way to compete, only to be disqualified on the second day, was understandably upsetting for anyone.

The next day, when Xia Yi arrived at Skysea Stadium, all surrounding streets had been cordoned off by armed soldiers. The area near the stadium was heavily guarded, with dozens of mechas stationed. Even the street from the hotel to the stadium was completely sealed off.

The Skysea Alliance officials were clearly worried about a potential riot among the audience.

Upon entering the stadium, Xia Yi saw a packed crowd. As soon as he stepped inside, countless media cameras turned to focus on him.

At the same time, Xia Yi could feel countless hostile glares directed at him. If not for the mechas and soldiers maintaining order, those people would have undoubtedly rushed over to mob him.

Xia Yi had no doubt about that.

Ignoring the glares, Xia Yi walked straight to the main stage.

On the main stage, apart from the Skysea Alliance officials, there were also Shrek Academy's Shen Yi, Ye Xinglan, and Eastsea Academy's Long Hengxu.

Thanks to the healing provided by the soul masters summoned by the Skysea Alliance officials, Ye Xinglan showed no signs of injury. She looked as beautiful as ever, though her expression was icy, and her gaze at Xia Yi was even colder.

As soon as Xia Yi stepped onto the stage, before he could speak, a middle-aged man from the Skysea Alliance officials spoke first.

"As everyone knows, yesterday, Xia Yi from Eastsea Academy defeated Ye Xinglan from Shrek Academy. After the match, Shrek Academy's team leader filed a complaint, alleging that Xia Yi violated competition rules. Upon reviewing the footage multiple times, we confirmed that Xia Yi did indeed break the rules. As a result, we disqualified Eastsea Academy's participants. However, many online believe our decision was unfair.

"To address this, we've decided to hold a rematch between Xia Yi and Ye Xinglan in front of everyone today. If Xia Yi wins, we will lift the disqualification of Eastsea Academy's participants. If Xia Yi loses, it will prove that he cannot defeat Ye Xinglan without violating the rules."

The middle-aged man turned to Xia Yi and asked, "Xia Yi, do you dare to challenge a Shrek Academy student again?"

Xia Yi's eyes narrowed. Shrek Academy's plan was all too obvious.

If he lost, it would restore Shrek Academy's reputation while forcing him to admit he violated the rules.

Even if he won, it wouldn't hurt Shrek Academy much. Yesterday's match had already proven that Ye Xinglan wasn't his equal. A second defeat would only confirm that.

(End of Chapter)