The moment the first two matchups appeared on the list, the entire world erupted.
"What the hell?! They're opening with king-versus-king matchups?!"
"I knew the rounds would get brutal, but this is insane right out of the gate!"
"So the mysterious Dragon Nation contestant Wuxian is fighting first? Then Eddie's done for!"
"Not necessarily. That black monster inside Eddie is terrifying. No one has lasted long against it so far."
"Hah! That's only because he hasn't met Lord Wuxian yet. If he had, he'd already be on the ground."
"This opening lineup is way too intense. I can't wait!"
Even so, most Dragon Nation viewers were even more focused on another name—
Zhang Zhiwei.
As the old Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, no one truly knew where his ceiling was.
And Longhu Mountain itself held an extraordinary place in Dragon Nation's history.
Because of that, countless people were desperate to see just how many true Daoist arts this old Heavenly Master could display.
"Hahaha! This time, Old Heavenly Master Zhang is definitely going to shatter everyone's worldview!"
"Exactly! You think he only knows hand-to-hand combat? I heard he uses lightning methods!"
"If that's true, then we're finally about to see a real thunder battle!"
"But Miracle Nation's Magneto is no joke either. That guy can control metal."
"That's already been proven in earlier battles. His power is ridiculously tricky."
"I'm just wondering whether Old Heavenly Master Zhang can overpower him."
"Of course he can! If Magneto dares manipulate metal in front of Longhu Mountain lightning arts, isn't that basically asking to get struck dead?"
The more Dragon Nation viewers imagined the matchup, the more excited they became.
On the other side, Miracle Nation's viewers were just as fired up.
After all, two of their strongest contestants had been paired directly against Dragon Nation's undefeated elites.
They had originally assumed the two nations wouldn't collide until later.
Who would have guessed the clash would come this early?
"Miracle Nation is absolutely taking the final victory. What 'mysterious Wuxian'? He's probably just some secret weapon Dragon Nation cooked up."
"Exactly. Dragon Nation always loves pretending to be mysterious."
"I'm backing Eddie all the way. Sure, the guy acts dumb sometimes, but that blood-soaked fighting style is exactly my thing."
"Hahaha! This time Dragon Nation's people are finally going to feel Miracle Nation's real strength!"
For Miracle Nation's viewers, this opening arrangement was perfect.
For a long time now, Dragon Nation's contestants had done nothing but win.
Even online, Dragon Nation's viewers had become more and more arrogant.
Miracle Nation's viewers hated it—but before a direct clash, they had no proof their own side was superior.
Now they finally had the chance to settle it with their own eyes.
At that moment, Will of Blue Star announced the next set of pairings.
[Miracle Nation contestant Joker vs. Tofu Nation contestant Midozi]
[Eastern Isles Sword Saint vs. Miracle Nation contestant Adam]
[Kimchi Nation contestant…]
As the names continued scrolling downward, many Miracle Nation viewers instantly locked onto one thing:
Joker was up next.
"Do you think that guy can actually win? Every time I see him, he just looks ridiculous. I can't take him seriously."
"Still, if he made it into Miracle Nation's final ten, he has to be capable."
"I honestly don't rate him. He looks like a circus clown, not a real fighter."
"I'm calling it now—he wins. Every time I see that smile, I get chills. There's something seriously wrong under that face paint."
"Damn it… I've been seeing that clown too much lately. I can't even sleep alone anymore."
At the same time, Eastern Isles viewers immediately noticed that their beloved Ashina Isshin had been matched against Adam.
Adam was Miracle Nation's manufactured monster, a weapon designed for terrifying combat performance.
"Sword Saint-sama will cut Adam down with ease. That thing is nothing."
"If it were Miracle Nation's other weird contestants, I'd be a little worried."
"But Adam? He's no match for the Sword Saint."
"No one is a match for Sword Saint-sama. He is invincible!"
"He'll bring the final victory back to Eastern Isles!"
"I've never worried about whether Sword Saint-sama can win. I'm more worried about everyone else."
⸻
Dragon Nation Studio Broadcast
Inside the studio for I Came to Watch the Divine Domain, Bingbing stared at the matchup list and frowned.
"Why are Dragon Nation's contestants running into Miracle Nation's strongest fighters right from the beginning?"
"If two tigers fight, one of them is bound to be injured…"
As host of I Came to Watch the Divine Domain, Bingbing had followed the Blue Star Deathmatch from the very beginning.
She knew perfectly well that both Venom / Eddie Brock and Magneto were terrifying opponents.
Even though Wuxian and Zhang Zhiwei were incredibly strong as well, any injuries they suffered here could easily affect them later.
Professor Luo, however, smiled calmly.
"Don't worry, Bingbing. From our perspective, this is actually a very good development."
"First, no one knows where Wuxian's upper limit really is."
"That means Eddie Brock is almost certainly not his opponent."
"Wuxian hasn't taken any fight seriously so far. His strength is simply not on the same level as the others."
Captain Ryan Cole laughed as well.
"And as for Old Heavenly Master Zhang… you probably still don't know what his real specialty is, Bingbing."
Bingbing blinked in confusion.
Ryan Cole grinned.
"Old Heavenly Master Zhang has been holding back far too much up to this point. So far, he's only shown basic hand-to-hand skills."
"But his real trump card is Longhu Mountain's lightning method."
"Once he uses it, his opponent won't be able to endure it."
"And poor Magneto really got unlucky. His ability happens to be directly countered by Old Heavenly Master Zhang."
"I almost feel bad for him."
Hearing that, Bingbing's eyes lit up, and her anticipation for the upcoming battles only grew stronger.
At that point, Will of Blue Star continued announcing the remaining matchups.
[Eastern Isles contestant Kishou Arima vs. Mung Nation contestant Greenhair]
[Eastern Isles contestant Tsukiyama Shuu vs. Brown Sugar Nation contestant Tangxin]
The instant those two appeared, Eastern Isles viewers became ecstatic.
After all, these were two of their nation's most beloved elites.
"Kishou Arima will definitely win. Someone as elegant as him simply cannot lose."
"No enemy could bear to hurt Kishou Arima. He's too perfect."
"Lord Arima will show his opponent what true elegance looks like."
"We've already organized a girls' support club for Lord Arima!"
As for the supporters of Tsukiyama Shuu, they were already preparing in their own way.
"Hahaha! I already ordered three huge meals downstairs. When Gourmet-sama starts fighting, I'm eating too!"
"My monthly allowance is nearly gone, but getting to watch Gourmet-sama fight is worth it!"
"Our eight-person dorm already prepared fifty servings of rice. We're going to watch while eating!"
"That's honestly genius. Watching Gourmet-sama fight while saving money!"
Even Dragon Nation viewers couldn't help sparing a few moments of silent sympathy for Mung Nation and Brown Sugar Nation.
"Eastern Isles might be annoying, but some of their contestants are genuinely terrifying. Mung Nation is in for a rough time."
"Did anyone notice that Mung Nation's contestant is literally called Greenhair? That's… extremely direct."
"And that Tangxin guy from Brown Sugar Nation somehow sounds delicious."
"I'm not kidding—Tsukiyama Shuu looks like he might literally turn that guy into a dish."
"Forget it—the real gourmet battle is about to begin. I'm going to clip the whole thing and send it to my dieting friend at midnight."
"Brother, that is genuinely evil."
Then Will of Blue Star announced the next pairings—
and two of them shocked the world all over again.
[Eastern Isles contestant Kamen Rider vs. Dragon Nation contestant Fahai]
[Miracle Nation contestant Deadpool vs. Dragon Nation contestant Zhang Qilin]
These two announcements instantly ignited the emotions of audiences across the globe.
By now, Fahai, with his infamous "one punch, one kid" style, had already gained a massive international fanbase.
Every battle he fought shattered new viewing records.
That kind of muscle-driven, explosive brutality—violent without being grotesque—appealed to an unbelievable number of people.
Even his merchandise had already begun flooding markets worldwide.
As for Kamen Rider, he perfectly matched the fantasies of countless nerds all over the world.
The full-body battle suit. The hidden face. The overwhelming combat strength. He felt like a walking embodiment of childhood dreams.
And that grasshopper-themed design—ridiculous as it sounded—had somehow pierced straight into the hearts of endless fans.
"Fahai will definitely win. Bigger muscles equal more truth."
"Are we really getting another classic 'one punch, one kid' scene?"
"I'm officially interested in Buddhism now. Somebody please get Fahai an interview."
Fahai's violent-but-not-overly-bloody combat style had completely ignited the hormones of countless male viewers.
In terms of raw popularity, he now had a truly absurd number of global fans—so many that even the mysterious Wuxian couldn't fully compare.
Meanwhile, Miracle Nation viewers were discussing Deadpool again.
"Deadpool just looks like some shut-in nerd. He never shows his face, and honestly, I can't get interested in him."
"Why is a Miracle Nation contestant hiding himself like that? I really don't like it."
"To be honest, I can't stand his mouth. He talks way too much in battle."
"Still, I hope he wins. He's one of Miracle Nation's strongest contestants."
And over in Dragon Nation—
confidence in Zhang Qilin was overwhelming.
Especially among the countless members of Zhang Qilin's rapidly expanding girls' support clubs.
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