"Don’t leave yet!" Host Lena Liu smiled as viewers began to exit the Xia National Livestream. "We’ll broadcast all Celestial-tier matches for the next six hours. These are the elite of the elite—don’t miss their battles!"
She continued, "To ensure work-life balance and physical health, virtual world access will be restricted starting July 26th:
<ul>
<li>Under 16: 8 hours daily, unarmed combat only.</li>
<li>Stellar/Lunar Rank (16+)：10 hours.</li>
<li>Solar Rank：12 hours.</li>
<li>Celestial Rank：16 hours.</li>
</ul>
"Sharpen your skills to earn more time!" Lena added. "You can also watch our stream via traditional media to conserve virtual hours."
The chat erupted:
<ul>
<li>"Unarmed? That’s unfair!"</li>
<li>"Adults get all the gear!"</li>
</ul>
Coaches Huang Yong and Qin Yiwen intervened:
<ul>
<li>"Unarmed combat builds foundation," Huang said. "Ethan Gray’s spear mastery stems from his Chuo Jiao roots."</li>
<li>"Master fists first," Qin agreed. "Weapons follow."</li>
</ul>
Lena shifted focus to the next match: 3/10 players queued. Moments later, it dropped to 2/10.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"A Celestial player withdrew," Lena sighed.
<hr>
Spectator Reactions
<ul>
<li>Clifford (Xiong Tianshan, 5-division boxing legend): "I’ll train offline first. No shame like Kane’s debut."</li>
<li>Aaron Young (Ethan’s teammate): "Ethan’s unstoppable now. Time to grind for Celestial!"</li>
<li>Franky (Heng Fang, National Team veteran): "Ethan’s surpassed even me. New era, new rivals."</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Family Breakfast – Ethan’s Home
Ethan’s family celebrated his victory over congee and fried dough twists.
Henry Xu (Ethan’s father): "Eight billion viewers? Unprecedented. But stay humble. Millions of geniuses—doctors, engineers—will flood the virtual world. Domination won’t last."
Ethan nodded. "Master Hale warned: Pros rule for a month. After that? The masses take over."
Sophia Reed (Ethan’s girlfriend) teased: "Six million followers overnight? My music career took years to hit a million."
Grandpa Xu grinned. "1.5 million donations? My boy’s a star!"
Ethan shrugged. "Split with the platform and taxes? Barely 400k net."
<hr>
Live News Broadcast
A wall screen flickered to life:
<ul>
<li>Anchor: "Virtual world peak users: 1.28 billion in Xia.</li>
<li>Highlight: Ethan Gray’s squad triumphs in historic Celestial clash.</li>
<li>Next Match: 7/10 players queued."</li>
</ul>
Footage replayed Ethan’s Stone Pillar Thrust piercing Titan’s armor.
Henry Xu sighed. "News cycles are now virtual-first. The world’s changed."