But he was aware of the dangers involved.

"Nine deaths and one life"... that doesn't sound like a good phrase at all!

"So that's why Third Senior Brother came to Shanghai?" Shen Qian asked, his mind filled with complex emotions. "So that's why Eighth Senior Sister and even Fourth Senior Brother came to Shanghai—all for my sake?"

"That's not entirely true, you don't need to feel guilty."

Shi Dingyan smiled calmly, "Put yourself in their shoes. Even if your other fellow disciples were in trouble, you would definitely rush to their aid, wouldn't you?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Qian realized it was true and stopped worrying about it, instead saying, "So my tribulation is destined to occur in this battle of the Nine Heavens?"

Shen Qian frowned slightly.

Although he still didn't quite believe that the Nine Heavens Battle could have any life-threatening consequences, the words of the powerful leader Gao forced him to take it seriously.

"I can't be sure, I can only say it's highly likely."

Shi Dingyan stood up and said with his hands behind his back, "Before leaving, I performed divination several times. Unfortunately, this battle of the Nine Heavens involves more than one king or nobleman. It is beyond my ability to figure out the entanglements involved. The divination results are chaotic and incomprehensible."

Is that so?

He remained silent, slowly processing the information.

Shi Dingyan exhaled a final breath, turned around and solemnly said, "Junior brother, you must be careful no matter what. Our teacher may have left Earth. If anything happens, you should give up the competition to protect yourself. Your journey... is still very long!"

...

The first day of the first month of the lunar calendar in 2298.

As dawn broke in the east, the entire city of Shanghai seemed to awaken suddenly, transforming from silence to a frenzy in just a few seconds.

Countless people came out of their homes and hotels and flooded the streets.

Last night, tens of thousands of military personnel were mobilized to seal off all the core areas equipped with large screens in order to prevent disputes from arising due to people reserving seats in advance.

At this point, many people poured into the open area, carrying sunflower seeds, stools, and drinks to grab a good spot.

Some excited members of the public would pull their relatives and friends aside and boast that their children had also participated in the Nine Heavens Battle.

Among the large crowds that flooded the streets, there were some special groups who showed more anxiety than the average person.

Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be mostly young teenagers.

At this moment, at the entrance of the Shanghai Grand Hotel, the gathering point for Jiangzhong Military Academy students, a large number of Jiangzhong Military Academy students were also lining up and assembling.

Shen Qian stood quietly in the crowd, and for the first time he realized that it was quite nice that the focus wasn't on him.

Since talking with Shi Dingyan last night, Shenqian's feelings are still somewhat complicated.

As everyone boarded the vehicle one by one, the car slowly started and drove towards the track. Shen Qian also gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Damn it, everyone else is going to compete, but why do I feel like I'm risking my life?"