Chapter 413: There is Esports in the Alternate World

Beside Xiao Yulü sat a massive werewolf in a remarkably proper manner, who opened its wolfish jaws, releasing a wave of foul breath: "Old Xiao, what do you think of that kid Song Qingfeng? He’s played the longest; do you think he looks like a favorite to win the championship?"

"As for this game King of Fighters, I actually know it inside out." When it came to games, Xiao Yulü’s confidence surged once more. "This game demands natural talent. Playing for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good. Besides, there are several others who have played just as long, not just him."

"Prince Nalan is a seasoned veteran with exceptional talent. Could he take the crown?" Mu Donglai asked again.

Xiao Yulü shook his head and gestured with an air of expertise: "Though the Old Prince possesses seasoned combat experience and profound strength, he holds absolutely no advantage within 'My Space'."

Mu Donglai spoke again: "I hear that over in Half-City, there are a few highly skilled masters of King of Fighters. Could they rank among the top?"

Xiao Yulü waved his hand dismissively and said: "They are mostly of the female sort, not even worth mentioning."

Hearing this, Mu Donglai sized Xiao Yulü up from head to toe, eyeing the clothes he wore: "..."

"Watch the match, watch the match..." The big werewolf beside them also looked thoroughly embarrassed.

On the grand screen.

"Next up, we are broadcasting the King of Fighters Tournament! I am your host, Bi Yao!"

"And I am your host, Xiao Bai." The scene shifted to the guest hosts, where a Bi Yao and a nine-tailed demon fox, Xiao Bai, stood side by side, holding microphones and looking exceptionally professional.

Xiao Bai seemed to sense something amiss, glancing first at the microphone in her own hand and then at the one in Bi Yao’s: "..."

With an expressionless face, she flipped her microphone the right way up.

"Now, let us return to our previous topic."

"At this moment, our first batch of contestants has successfully taken their positions one after another."

On the grand screen, quite a few people had already taken the stage, most of them clad in cosplay outfits. Over on the left, a man dressed as Chris from Resident Evil had already begun selecting his characters.

Beside him sat a Wesker, who cast a glance at him before likewise beginning his selection.

On the other side, a young girl dressed as Athena casually selected Athena.

Soon, a Terry wearing a baseball cap, jeans, and a red vest came and sat down beside her, choosing Terry as his very first character.

There was also a girl dressed in the attire of Lin Yueru.

Immediately following that, three Li Xiaoyaos were seen rushing up.

"..."

"It appears our tournament is incredibly lively!" Xiao Bai remarked. "I hear that our Miss Bi Yao is also highly proficient in King of Fighters. May I ask if you have any unique insights regarding this tournament?"

In the lounge area of the Jiuhua City shop.

An elder clad in a purple robe sat alongside an old Daoist wearing a white robe and a jade belt, each holding a cup of milk tea as they leaned back against the sofa.

Beside them, Li Longyuan pointed at the grand screen and said: "Master, this is the tournament hosted by this shop. I hear they have already held one prior to this. This shop bestows a unique title upon this kind of tournament, calling it 'eSports'."

By this time, the grand screen had shifted to the Athena player and the Terry player. "Athena" was seen gripping the joystick, violently thrashing it about; the Athena on screen moved with agile positioning, beating the Terry next to her into a frenzy as he frantically pounded away at his own controls.

Li Longyuan explained: "Please look at this game. It heavily tests a player’s reflexes and psychological judgment. Compared to playing chess, it is far faster and swifter, because if your thinking lags even slightly, you will face a tempestuous onslaught from your opponent. It is highly intriguing. Most importantly, upon reaching an advanced level, one can even unlock the fist techniques and spells used by these fighters."

"Of course, they also have virtual reality combat that does not rely on this puppet-like style of manipulation," Ling Wanyin added. "Which is even more realistic!"

"Mhm!" The purple-robed Daoist stroked his beard. "This is a fine method indeed!"

The old Daoist in the white robe and jade belt nodded in agreement: "This mode of 'eSports' not only enriches the combat experience of cultivators but also prevents casualties, ensuring that talents are not squandered in pointless battles and saving the various grand sects from unnecessary losses. I see it as very good!"

"Indeed," the purple-robed Daoist said. "Furthermore, the supreme being here is actually capable of replicating natural laws within a virtual world?"

Li Longyuan lowered his voice and said: "Back when we witnessed that ray of sunlight from the Taixi Sect within our own sect, that was precisely the 'Universe Distorting' move from King of Fighters..."

The purple-robed Daoist and the white-robed Daoist instantly stared with wide eyes: "What?! Then why did you still recommend that Devil May Cry 3 to us?! It caused us to die hundreds of times!"

They pointed directly at the grand screen and asked: "Is it truly this King of Fighters game?!"

Li Longyuan and Ling Wanyin replied: "We dare not deceive the Sect Masters."

"Who would have expected this!" The purple-robed Daoist took out his communication jade and said: "No wonder the Wuwei Daoist Alliance went so far as to skip the Cultivation Domain Grand Ceremony!"

The white-robed Daoist remarked: "The things this place offers are indeed far more precious than ours!"

"However, the Cultivation Domain Grand Ceremony passed down by our ancestors absolutely cannot be abandoned just like that," the purple-robed Daoist said with a frown.

"How about this, in the future, we can alter the Cultivation Domain Grand Ceremony, changing it into..."

The two spoke in unison: "The Cultivation Domain eSports Tournament!"

The two of them immediately burst into hearty laughter: "In this way, our two sects can also emerge from our previous shadows as quickly as possible."

"And I believe we can ally with the top factions from the other shop location that Longyuan mentioned," the purple-robed Daoist laughed, clapping his hands.

"Splendid!" The white-robed Daoist grew increasingly excited as he spoke. "In this manner, wouldn't the entire world come to know of our Cultivation Domain eSports Tournament?!"

"It's just..." Li Longyuan expressed a hint of worry, "I fear this matter will require the Boss’s support to work. After all, this eSports thing has always been organized by the Boss..."

"Not necessarily... He runs his shop, and we host our tournament. Isn't that perfectly fine?" The white-robed Daoist snorted coldly. "Just like when we held our Cultivation Domain Grand Ceremony, we never interfered with the disciples' sparring matches among the various sects!"

"I believe Longyuan makes a valid point," the purple-robed Daoist said. "After all, eSports can only be held within this shop."

The two quickly grew serious, sipping their milk tea as they discussed: "We must host a grand tournament, one even more spectacular than the Cultivation Domain Grand Ceremony—a world-class tournament, drawing elites from all corners of the world to gather in one place and compete for victory!"

"That will surely be a glory under the gaze of tens of thousands!"

"Hahaha! Splendid, this eSports is truly splendid!"

"Drink tea! Drink tea!" The two continued to bite their straws, drinking the red bean milk tea from their cups.

By this time, batch after batch of contestants had rotated on the grand screen. Watching the many King of Fighters players thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage, several youth with adept skills could no longer sit still.

Below the stage, an Iori Yagami flipped himself up onto the arena.

"Look! Iori Yagami!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Iori Yagami on stage stretched his limbs, casually executing a few of Iori Yagami's signature moves with imposing aura, shouting gibberish lines to match the character's sounds.

He then thrust his hands into his pockets and found a seat.

"Oh—!"

"Iori Yagami! Iori Yagami!"

A crowd of King of Fighters fans cheered frantically.

"Heh heh, it is time for this young master to make an appearance as well!" On the other side, a Kyo Kusanagi and a Benimaru Nikaido leapt onto the stage in succession.

"Giggle... To think that even a few of the main characters have taken the stage." "Bi Yao" handed the microphone to Xiao Bai and stepped forward. "It seems I cannot afford to show weakness either."

"Hmph!" A cold snort rang out as a beautiful woman dressed in a plain white uniform, slim-fit trousers, and with hair reaching her waist stepped onto the stage.

"Chizuru Kagura?!"

"Junior Sister Liu! Keep it up! Junior Sister Liu, keep it up!" The disciples of the "Qingyun Sect" below the stage shouted frantically.

"The Three Sacred Treasures Team has actually all taken the stage?!"

"Holy crap! Look at that Iori Yagami playing Iori! A clean sweep of three!"

"This Kyo Kusanagi is amazing! That Naraku drop combo is flawless, 666!"

"Look at that Chizuru Kagura!" On the screen before "Chizuru Kagura" was Chizuru Kagura herself, pulling off a twenty-seven-hit combo with one hand behind her back.

"Holy crap, a full-health one-shot combo!"

"Is Chizuru Kagura herself playing this?! 666"

The atmosphere across the entire venue, and within the shop itself, reached its absolute zenith almost in an instant!

.