Full-Time Magister: Crimson Lion, the Strongest Divine Soul!

Chapter 124 Captain's Draw, First Battle: Japan

The Venice Magic Competition has a complex and unique format, consisting of three stages, each with a completely different competition style.

The first stage is the knockout stage, which is like a brutal selection storm, selecting sixteen outstanding teams from among many participating teams to advance to the next stage and successfully enter the top sixteen.

The second stage is the "Treasure Hunt," where all teams compete fiercely. Only eight teams will ultimately emerge victorious and advance to the final stage, becoming the top eight players.

The third stage, the "Grand Showdown," is undoubtedly the climax and pinnacle of the entire tournament. In this stage, the teams will engage in a fierce battle for the ultimate championship glory.

The draw at the beginning of the competition is a crucial point in the grouping of teams for the knockout stage.

The 32 national teams from different countries will be cleverly divided into eight groups, with each group containing four teams.

After the groups are determined, each group will play two rounds, for a total of six intense matches. After a fierce battle, the top two teams in each group will successfully qualify for the second stage of the competition.

As the grand opening ceremony came to a close, the intense and exciting lottery process immediately began.

This draw is not just about determining the grouping of teams for the competition. Around the world, the matchups between the 32 national teams have created massive, money-filled betting pools with staggering amounts of money involved.

Strangely enough, many ordinary people who usually don't care much about national affairs or conflicts in the magical world showed extraordinary enthusiasm for the competition between the world's top universities during this tournament.

The reasons for this are twofold. On the one hand, the competition among the world's top universities has become a hot topic of national discussion every four years, closely linked to the glory and prosperity of one's own country and related to national pride.

On the other hand, the various betting games held during the competition involved an extremely large flow of funds, comparable to the import and export volume of a country. Such enormous economic benefits naturally attracted the attention of many people.

"Go and draw lots," mentor Feng Li said to Li Xuan with concern.

At this moment, the captains of the thirty-two teams stepped out from their respective teams and lined up neatly.

As is customary, the drawing of lots should be the responsibility of the mentors. However, at some point, this important task was quietly transferred to the team captains.

Today, this lottery has become a special honor, since the entire lottery process is broadcast live, and the captains' faces will be presented to audiences around the world without reservation.

Li Xuan didn't care at all; it didn't matter to him which team he faced.

He calmly stepped forward to complete the draw. After drawing the lots, he didn't even look at which team he had drawn. He went straight to the referee and handed the lot to the referee for verification.

After verification, Li Xuan casually grabbed the token and walked back to the line with unhurried steps.

In contrast, the other 32 teams, even those strong and renowned national teams, were all on edge, their hearts pounding with tension.

After all, which country's team you are drawn from is crucial.

Strong teams naturally don't want to encounter equally strong opponents at the beginning of the competition, as early clashes will only expose their overall strength too early.

The weaker teams are even more anxious, as they are likely to be eliminated early if they are drawn against a strong team.

Before they even had a chance to shine on the field and have their team's name and members' faces remembered by the world, they had to return home in disappointment.

If they perform poorly in the competition, they may face a barrage of criticism and abuse upon returning home.

In today's society with a high degree of freedom of speech, it is surprising that ordinary people who have only a superficial understanding of magic can be so articulate and logically rigorous when they hurl insults. This makes one wonder if some unassuming holy mage is hiding behind the internet, using a fake account to vent their frustrations.

Soon, Li Xuan stepped down from the drawing platform.

While everyone was eagerly waiting for him to announce which country's team he would be playing against.

Suddenly, a tragic cry rang out from the Japanese National Government contingent beside them. They kept speaking in an internationally recognized language, their voices filled with despair and resentment.

Why is God treating us this way?

"Such a formidable opponent right from the start!!"

Li Xuan and his team had already dealt with the Japanese national team before.

I remember when we were dealing with the Caribbean Red Ornament Guild, the Japanese National Government team was so arrogant and overbearing.

"Are they our opponents?" Mo Fan asked with a hint of surprise and doubt.

On the Japanese team's side, almost half of the players turned their heads to look at Li Xuan and his group.

Ming Busong, Shao Hegu, and that soft-spoken girl—these people were all old acquaintances to Li Xuan and his group.

"Look," Li Xuan said, showing off the lottery ticket in his hand.

The draw card clearly showed that they would be playing against the Japanese team.

Mo Fan stared at the sign for a moment, then a smile crept onto his face: "Hey, what a small world! They didn't get away with it last time with the Caribbean Red Ornament Guild, and now they've run into each other again. This is going to be quite a show."

On the Japanese side, however, the atmosphere was as gloomy as a dark cloud.

Ming Busong frowned, his face full of worry.

He knew the strength of Li Xuan's team well. They had encountered a formidable opponent right from the start, and their path to the next round was fraught with difficulties.

The attention of other teams around them was also drawn, and soon, discussions arose one after another.

"The Japanese team is in trouble now. Facing the Chinese team, their chances of winning this round of the knockout stage are slim."

"Yes, Li Xuan's strength in the Chinese team is undeniable. It will be extremely difficult for the Japanese team to break through."

These comments reached the ears of the Japanese team members, making their mood even heavier.

Li Xuan observed the Japanese team's reactions and calmly replied, "Just play normally."

The team members nodded in agreement, full of confidence for the match.

At this moment, the stadium's broadcast system came on, introducing the matchups for each group.

When the match between Li Xuan's team and the Japanese team was announced, the audience's emotions were instantly ignited, with cheers and discussions mingling together.

Even before the match began, it had already become the focus of everyone's attention.

Many viewers pulled out their phones and started sharing the news on various social media platforms, predicting the outcome of the match, and the amount of bets on the game surged instantly.

Backstage at the Venice Games, high-ranking officials from various countries' magic associations were closely watching the draw results.

The president of the Japanese Magic Association looked extremely grim upon seeing this confrontation.

(End of this chapter)