Chapter 44: Competition Venue

On the road, with a beep, a large bus came to a smooth stop in its designated parking space.

The doors swung open, and students and teachers poured out, filling the space to capacity.

Familiar with the venue, the students immediately headed for the entrance.

Above the towering stadium, the gleaming gold-plated characters for "Liao City East Stadium" shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

This was where their competition would be held.

Ke Lu didn't mingle with the crowd. Being quite short, she knew she'd only see a sea of legs and waists if she tried to. Instead, she took her place at the front of the line, with her follower Qin Yu beside her.

Qin Yu was the same person from Shi Lei's team who had studied Spirit Arrays. Now, he too was representing the school in the Spirit Array division of the Second Profession Competition.

The other students, aware of Ke Lu's height, courteously let her take the lead.

In the past week, Ke Lu's skill had completely won over this group of students.

Previously, everyone had been at roughly the same level. But Ke Lu's sudden arrival had been like dropping a bomb into a pond, utterly overwhelming them.

For the past week, the most common criticism they'd heard was, "Look at Ke Lu..."

They were sick of hearing that phrase.

However, Ke Lu's arrival had brought them significant benefits. For instance, her explanations were often remarkably insightful.

The teachers, despite their years of experience, sometimes struggled to bridge the gap between their thinking and the students'.

But Ke Lu, being a fellow student, could explain concepts in a way that clicked instantly.

At times, the teachers would even throw in the towel, admitting outright that Ke Lu's understanding of Spirit Arrays surpassed their own.

Ke Lu treated these compliments as mere externalities, viewing teaching her classmates as a casual side project.

Regardless of her perspective, in the eyes of her peers, she had already become the undisputed "Big Sister" of Spirit Arrays.

Stepping into the Liao City East Stadium, the stands were already a roaring sea of voices, every seat filled.

The stadium, capable of holding over ten thousand spectators, was packed with parents who had squeezed time out of their busy schedules to support their children, members of the community, and the vast majority—students.

Notably absent were the Senior High Third Grade students—their time too precious to spare. The audience primarily consisted of students from the Senior High First and Second Grades.

Rumor had it that since watching the matches excused students from class, the sign-up slots were overwhelmed by enthusiastic students, with scalpers even reselling them at exorbitant prices.

Ke Lu's gaze swept across the stadium.

Vast—that was her first impression.

Comprehensive—the venue regularly hosted major competitions, so it had everything one could need.

"But... there don't seem to be many students from our school here," Ke Lu muttered.

This was immediately obvious. Each school's uniform was distinct, and when Ke Lu glanced at the stands, she could barely spot a handful of students wearing the Liaocheng No. 1 High School uniform.

Qin Yu, standing beside her, promptly offered an explanation: "The Second Profession Competition is being held simultaneously in three stadiums. Our school is quite far from here, so not many people came."

Liao City had three stadiums—East, West, and South—a fact Ke Lu was already aware of.

She nodded and said to Qin Yu, "Could you give me a tour of the venue?"

"Huh?" Qin Yu's jaw dropped, his expression bewildered. "You've never been here before?"

"What do you think?" Ke Lu retorted, exasperated.

"Right, right, right!" Qin Yu realized his mistake. "You transferred here recently, and you weren't at school during the rehearsals. After that, the stadium was closed."

The stadium had been closed for a week prior to the Second Profession Competition to ensure compliance with standards and to prevent cheating.

Having only a week to prepare after emerging from the Secret Realm, Ke Lu missed the opportunity to inspect the competition venues beforehand.

"Alright, I'll show you around," Qin Yu offered.

After informing their team teacher and obtaining permission, the pair headed to the competition grounds.

"Look, this is the agricultural competition area," Qin Yu began, pointing to the nearest field.

Ke Lu gazed at the vast expanse of farmland, suspended in mid-air, its dimensions estimated to be at least a hundred meters wide and long.

According to the competition rules, agricultural students would cultivate crops here according to specific requirements. The organizers would then use Growth Potions to accelerate the plants' growth.

This is... this is...

As they inspected each venue one by one, they soon arrived at the Spirit Array arena.

"Here, our competition is divided into two parts," Qin Yu explained, gesturing toward the sealed chambers.

"In the first part, we enter these chambers, complete the same Spirit Array arrangement under confinement, and the top eight advance to the Quarterfinals."

"The second part is different for the Quarterfinalists. Based on the exam prompt, each competitor arranges their most proficient Spirit Array."

"The most crucial part," Qin Yu's voice rose slightly, tinged with admiration, "is that the scenarios are randomized. I could never pull that off."

"You're being too modest," Ke Lu said. "Don't underestimate yourself. You could definitely contend for the top four."

A randomized arena meant the terrain would be laid out in real life based on maps provided by the organizers, unlike the flat, level ground inside the ship.

This required students to adapt their Spirit Arrays flexibly to the terrain, demonstrating a genuine understanding of the arrays rather than mere memorization.

"It'll be tough, but with your skills, Ke Lu, it'll be a piece of cake for you," Qin Yu said earnestly, looking at her.

Ke Lu didn't deflect the praise with false modesty; she accepted it as her due, explaining her capabilities matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, Ke Lu sensed a familiar aura approaching. Turning around, she was tapped on the head with a balloon.

In the blink of an eye, she saw Su Rou in a short skirt, vigorously waving pom-poms. "Why aren't you surprised to see me?" Su Rou demanded.

"I figured you'd come," Ke Lu replied, completely unfazed. Though Su Rou hadn't explicitly said so, Ke Lu had guessed she'd come to cheer her on—one of those unspoken understandings between close friends.

But... Ke Lu noticed Gu Yunfan standing nearby, dressed in casual clothes, the pom-poms in his hand clashing sharply with his refined demeanor.

"What are you doing here?" Ke Lu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gu Yunfan maintained his impeccable smile and carefully chosen words. "Since it's our school's competition, of course I came to cheer you on. Since there aren't many people here, I thought I'd come provide some support."

Fine, Ke Lu thought. Even though I know Gu Yunfan's up to no good, I can't stop him from doing what he wants. I can only be vigilant.

Nearby, Qin Yu's eyes lit up at Gu Yunfan's arrival. "Boss Gu! You actually came! I rarely see you at these kinds of events."

He continued, talking to himself, "With both of Liaocheng No. 1 High School's top students on our side, we've got the advantage for sure!"

Gu Yunfan cleared his throat lightly. "Of course. We're graduating soon, so we should make some memories."

He didn't want Su Rou and Ke Lu to realize he was deliberately getting close, so he used the "graduation" excuse.

Ke Lu sneered inwardly. He's really smooth at coming up with excuses.

She had already warned Su Rou to be wary of Gu Yunfan. As for the rest, she would simply wait and see how things unfolded.

Overall, the group's atmosphere remained cordial.

But then...

Pfft.

An untimely snort of laughter suddenly interrupted their conversation.

A student in a different school uniform stood alone nearby, openly sizing them up with a mocking gaze. His eyes were filled with undisguised contempt.