CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73: 13 INTO 7

「Three days later, the second round and the third episode began to air.」

At Suzhou City TV station, in the backstage area for the Star Martial Warrior competition organizers, Min Jian stood on the balcony with a cup of coffee, quietly watching the distant lights.

By the second round, the ratings for yesterday and the day before had increased significantly compared to the first round. As the rounds progressed, the events became more exciting, naturally boosting viewership. However, this particular episode left Min Jian feeling uneasy.

The final episode of the second round had just finished recording when it suffered a ruthless spoiler leak. Through posts by live audience members after they returned home, channels like Weibo, and with the aid of internet armies reposting, the details of this episode’s matches were almost completely revealed.

Having spoilers reposted was proof of the show’s popularity. Min Jian should have been happy that his program was blazing hot. His achievements since the official start of the third season were clear for all to see, solidifying his position as a top variety show director.

But there is a limit to everything.

A small number of spoilers can pique the audience’s desire to watch, a promotional tactic Min Jian was deeply familiar with. However, excessive spoilers can drain that anticipation, leading the audience to not watch it immediately, or even at all.

As netizens said, browsing the forums felt like having already watched the latest episode.

"Director Min, the ratings for the first ten minutes are out," the assistant said hurriedly, approaching Min Jian with a spreadsheet in hand.

"How much did they drop?"

"Zero point eight percent."

Although he had mentally prepared himself, the coffee in his hand still trembled slightly.

"What about the online viewership rate?"

"It also fell by thirteen percent."

"SIGH—" Min Jian slowly turned around and returned to his seat.

"Director Min, what do we do? The show’s hype has already been stirred up, and spoilers are unavoidable. After all, it’s a competition, and the ultimate highlight is the outcome. Once the results are known, the audience’s desire to watch decreases. What if we hold closed competitions? Without an audience?"

"The live audience’s reaction is also an essential effect for the show. Without a live audience, the viewers at home won’t have an immersive experience. We can’t do without a live audience..."

"Then... what should we do?"

"I plan to initiate a semi-live broadcast, with a half-hour delay in the live stream."

"Ah? But how will we manage the post-production in time?"

"We’ll hire the most professional team for simultaneous post-production. As long as no unexpected incidents occur at the venue, managing the program’s rhythm shouldn’t be a major issue. The Star Martial Warrior Competition is this popular; there’s no reason for it to start with a bang and end with a whimper."

"Should we consult the producers and get their opinion?"

"It’s my show; I make the decisions. Don’t worry, get the word out."

Gradually, the show neared its end.

Suddenly, a strange shout erupted in the data monitoring office, "Damn!"

Min Jian lifted his head and looked coldly at the technician who had yelled. Doesn’t he realize that such a sudden outburst in the quiet office could startle people? Min Jian calmly pulled out a tissue and wiped the coffee that had splattered onto his pants.

"Damn!" Another shout followed.

"What’s happened?"

"Director Min, the ratings are up..."

"Director Min, the online view count has also suddenly bounced back."

"What’s going on?"

"It must be related to Wolf’s appearance on stage..."

"Right, it’s currently broadcasting Wolf’s match. Most of the highlights of this episode are actually from the backstage segment where Wolf is showing off. His actual fight wasn’t that impressive."

"Yes, the comments on the online video are starting to get lively too."

On the online player, what was once a quiet comment stream suddenly exploded with messages.

"He’s here, he’s here, walking with a stride that disowns all kin!"

"He’s here, he’s here, swaggering in with the audacity of a rogue..."

"PFFT! HAHAHA—"

"Wow, so white, so round, so pretty!"

"Wow, so long, so straight, so sexy!"

"So many talented trolls online! Can a real wit come up with a fitting caption?"

"Busy licking the screen, no time!"

"Is Wolf fighting this missy today? Why do I feel a bit sorry for her?"

"I heard Wolf KO’d this missy in the match. She’s so pretty, how could Wolf bear to strike... I feel so sorry for the missy."

"Get lost, you sissy above! A real man kills girls to prove his Dao!"

"Exactly! The land of tenderness is a hero’s tomb. In the world of Star Martial Warriors, there are no girls, only brothers! Does nobody want this girl? I’ll take her."

"The one above is despicable!"

"SLURP—"

As the barrage of comments increased, keyboard warriors got all fired up, unleashing their lightning-fast fingers, filling the screen with so many comments that not a single gap remained.

The match itself held no real suspense; Director Min and the production team were well aware of this. It was a completely mismatched battle. While a one-hit knockout might be dazzling, what the audience really wanted to see was a fiercely competitive fight between equals.

So, after Wang Lan quickly knocked An Wei out of the ring with a flurry of punches, the screen was flooded with celebratory bullet comments. The occasional simp who chastised Wolf for not knowing how to treat a lady gently, questioning how he could strike such a beauty, was quickly drowned in the deluge of comments.

Then, An Wei stood up, completely unharmed. The commentators explained that Wang Lan’s rapid punches hadn’t actually injured An Wei but had merely pushed her out of the ring. After this, those simpering comments naturally vanished.

Then, the real climax arrived.

Originally, Wang Lan receiving a bye had made the keyboard warriors in front of their computers so frustrated they felt like smashing their keyboards.

This season of the Star Martial Warrior competition really only has Wolf as its main attraction. If not for watching Wolf, who would care about this show? But unexpectedly, after being drawn for a bye, Wolf actually broke through on the spot, in public.

The production team made a special edit of this unforeseen event. They dimmed the lights, cut the sound effects, and zoomed in on the surging Star Power around Wang Lan. Then, they cut to a close-up of the bewildered faces of the audience in the stands. This editing pushed the atmosphere to its peak, making the viewers at home feel a tension so palpable it was almost suffocating.

Suddenly, Wang Lan’s Star Power erupted, then just as quickly, it returned to calm.

"Holy shit, so a Star Martial Warrior’s breakthrough really is like what they show in TV dramas?"

"This is a genuine breakthrough, damn it, with zero special effects!"

"Although it’s not as visually spectacular without special effects, why do I feel so moved... I never thought I, a mere muggle, would witness a Star Martial Warrior’s true breakthrough in my lifetime... It’s too emotional."

"To the commenter above, don’t cry. Give me your address, and I’ll come over to give you some warmth."

"To the two commenters above, may you have a hundred years of happy marriage and an early case of AIDS!"

Next up, of course, was Wang Lan’s show-off segment. When the audience heard his theory on breakthroughs, the bullet comments exploded.

"The way he’s showing off... forget these Star Martial Warriors, even I want to take a knife to him."

"I originally thought Wolf, with the mask, was a serious Star Martial Warrior. Now I know this guy is anything but serious."

"Can some big shot tell me why these Star Martial Warriors are reacting so strongly to Brother Wolf’s breakthrough?"

"Kid, you don’t understand, do you? A Star Martial Warrior’s breakthrough requires a lot of preparation. The most basic is a massive source of Star Power—either Soul Beads or a body filled with abundant Star Power."

"Then, you absorb or extract it all at once, striking the Star Shine within the Star palace. When the Star Shine breaks through the Star Power limit, that’s a breakthrough."

"Exactly. But Wolf clearly didn’t do any prep work. He just broke through, openly, without any regard for others’ feelings. This is completely shattering the worldview of the other Star Martial Warriors."

"Oh, Brother Wolf really is the best!"

The last episode of the second round came to a successful close. Although its average viewership wasn’t great, it did have a peak in ratings, giving the production team a respectable way to save face.

Deep into the night, as all grew quiet, the online jesters were still bursting with energy.

On a certain popular platform, talents converged, and one parody video of Wang Lan after another was shared like crazy. But all of this had nothing to do with Wang Lan anymore.

After reaching the Star Shine Stage, the speed of breakthroughs slowed considerably. Well, that’s to be expected. The total experience required is a hundred times that of the Starlight Stage. It started at ten thousand, and now, having successfully upgraded to Star Shine Four, advancing to Star Shine Five actually requires forty thousand experience points.

Possibly, probably, maybe... Even if I win the Star Martial Warrior competition, it would at most fill half the experience bar, right?

Thinking of this leveling difficulty, Wang Lan couldn’t help but feel a wave of despair.

「Unknowingly, another weekend arrived.」

The third round wrapped up perfectly, with the top thirteen successfully decided. Besides Wang Lan’s effortless selection, Hu Qing also won a brutal victory against his opponent to secure his place.

However, it was said that although Hu Qing had a tough victory, he had also sustained considerable injuries. That one hundred thousand yuan prize money was hard-earned. If Hu Qing faced another tough battle next, he might be eliminated. But luck always seems to open doors when you least expect it.

In the draw for advancing from thirteen to seven, Hu Qing fortunately received a bye.

This meant not only did Hu Qing effortlessly gain two hundred thousand yuan in prize money, but he also got two days of rest.

Two days of rest were more than enough for Hu Qing’s injuries to heal. For Star Martial Warriors, as long as they had time to rest and sufficient food, their Self Healing abilities were remarkably strong.

The greatest value of a medical Star Martial Warrior was on the battlefield, enhancing a team’s endurance when there was absolutely no time for rest.

Upon learning of the situation, Wang Lan called Hu Qing. Over the phone, Hu Qing sounded energized, saying he had only broken two ribs and that two days of rest would be enough for him to recover completely. "It’s nothing!" he said, telling Wang Lan to focus on his own matches and also make it into the top seven.

To this request from Hu Qing, Wang Lan replied that it was a given. What am I here for, after all? I came for the championship.

With each advancing round, the experience and skill point rewards would skyrocket. Winning the championship would probably be worth the effort of several previous battles combined.

Since it’s the same effort to beat someone up, of course, I have to brawl my way to the championship throne.

「Arriving backstage, today six elimination duels were scheduled to determine the top seven. After these, there would be a day of rest, and then on Monday, the competition for the top seven rankings would take place.」

By now, those who remained were basically all experts; there were definitely no slackers left trying to get by. As for who would secure a definite win or who would be eliminated, none of the contestants backstage dared to make any guarantees.