Heroes' Prison

Chapter 207 - 205: Promotional Video

At this moment, media outlets across the globe were synchronized in their countdown, with over 9 billion viewers tuning in through various channels to watch the live broadcast of The Second World’s annual gala. Among them were some who had woken up in the wee hours just to watch the event.

As the countdown reached its final second, a video suddenly appeared before the eyes of all viewers worldwide—it was the promotional film for The Second World annual gala, accompanied by the stirring background music that came alive simultaneously—

The video began with an aerial shot swooping over varied terrains like Grass Mountain, grasslands, lakes, and forests, showcasing a vast and beautiful world. Then, the scene shifted to an ancient battlefield, depicting an epic war. In the sky was a massive rift, from which hordes of evil creatures poured out like water, inundating the land. Numerous legendary heroes were valiantly slaughtering those malevolent beings, their power earth-shaking and awe-inspiring!

Eventually, all the heroes unleashed their most powerful moves in unison, directing their collective might toward the colossal rift in the sky. At that moment, darkness fell upon the world, engendering chaos as two massive continents cracked, fragmenting into over two hundred landmasses.

Straight after, the camera zoomed in on a Human Race hero, who had exhausted his entire Essence of Life in that recent assault. As he looked at the fading evil creatures, a relieved smile appeared on his resolute face. He then fell skyward, and his golden War Blade dropped onto the battlefield. The camera followed the blade to the ground, resting there. Time marched on, and the world underwent tumultuous changes. The vestiges of war slowly vanished as if they never existed, but that War Blade lay silently on the ground still.

Years later, a hand suddenly reached down from above the frame, firmly grasping the hilt of the War Blade, hinting at a taste of historical legacy. The camera then panned up to reveal the owner of the hand, clad in a suit of golden armor, exuding an unstoppable sharpness—it was none other than the world’s number one expert—Dao Feng.

Then the camera swiveled, now inside an ancient church where a middle-aged man in a black Magic Robe stood with his back to the camera, his towering silhouette receiving a coronation from an old man in a red gown. Countless Saintesses sang Hymns around them, and the church was bathed in milky white light. The camera moved to the middle-aged man’s face, with faint stubble around his mouth and a determined look. He was the leader of the United States players—the Pope.

The camera turned once more, this time to a man standing atop the highest structure in a city during the night, gazing up at the Eastern Starry Sky. Dressed in a white robe billowing in the wind, with an Eastern Sword hanging by his waist, he exuded an ethereal and otherworldly air. A close-up revealed his eyes, timeless and deep—these were the eyes of Heavenly Dao.

Following that, several of the world’s top players made their appearance in the promotional video, with Thunder God among them.

Finally, at the end of the video, the tenth figure appeared!

Against the backdrop of a brilliant starry sky and a tranquil, large Bright Moon, tiny buildings below twinkled with lights, scattered across the land like another starry sky. A lone figure stood motionless in the void, silhouetted against the enormous full moon, gazing down at the vastness below, leaving a lonesome figure to all living beings.

This figure was Huang Yi.

At this, the music stopped, and the video ended.

The video featured only 10 players, basically all of whom were among the strongest professionals in the world currently. Huang Yi was an exception. His power was the weakest among these 10, not even in the same league as Dao Feng, Heavenly Dao, the Pope, and Thunder God, yet the video made an exception for him, indicating Era of Corporation’s recognition of his great Achievements in The Second World.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. The annual gala of The Second World has begun..." At this point, live footage of the opening ceremony finally appeared in the video. This was in Los Angeles’ largest New Century Stadium, where at the moment, 200,000 spectators filled the venue, a sea of faces lit by countless camera flashes. The host began the opening remarks in English and Chinese, the two most widely spoken languages in the world.

"Distinguished guests attending The Second World annual gala include: current CEO of Era Corporation, Mr. Huang Huapeng; Chairman of the World Federation, Mr. Oster; President of the United States, Mr. Bart..." The host proceeded to introduce over a dozen names—individuals who either represented the real world or The Second World.

Following the introduction of the honored guests, the host announced the cultural performance segment, similar to the Olympics.

...

"Now, it’s time for the parade of nations!" Finally, after an hour of cultural performances, the opening ceremony reached the most anticipated segment, the parade of nations.

Subsequently, the representative teams from various countries began to emerge one by one from backstage, each team led by a flag bearer holding their national flag, walking along a huge red carpet to enter the arena. This ceremony is also known as the red carpet walk, with contenders from all over the world participating.

"Approaching us now is the Algerian representative team; this year, they have a total of 62 individuals who made it into the finals. Their flag bearer is Mr. Carton, who recently helped Algeria earn its first National Honor Point."

"Approaching us now is the Rwandan representative team; this year, a total of 24 individuals from their country have made it into the finals. Their flag bearer is a Rare Class Holder..."

...

One after another, the teams came forth, and the host introduced them in turn, with most countries having dozens of finalists.

"Approaching us now is the Chinese representative team, with a whopping 3,541 individuals making it into the finals this year, the highest number of any country. The flag bearer leading the way is none other than Dao Feng, the man ranked first in the world in multiple fields!"

Just then, the host’s voice suddenly rose a notch as he introduced a massive delegation.

Dao Feng has become a veritable symbol of China. When speaking of Chinese players, what usually comes to mind first is the sharp yet radiant and just figure of Dao Feng. He is like an eternal protagonist, his aura shining brightly wherever he goes, overshadowing even Huang Yi when standing before him.

Dao Feng is no longer just a simple player; he has become a symbol for Chinese players, a spiritual leader. However, such a status is burdensome, as he no longer lives for himself alone, but for countless others. Every action is under intense scrutiny, and every flaw is magnified immeasurably.

Standing behind Dao Feng is a plain, unremarkable-looking man, about the same age as Dao Feng, exuding an utterly ordinary aura, like someone randomly pulled off the street, in stark contrast to the dazzlingly brilliant Dao Feng. However, at this moment, the camera lingers on him for a rather long time, even granting him a close-up shot lasting two seconds.

Because this man is Dragon Spike.

Both are top-tier players in the world, with vast numbers of fans. Their appearance instantly triggers a wave of crazed screams from the audience. Such figures are hard to come by, with one continent hardly producing one, yet the Chinese delegation boasts two such heavyweight players.

"China is a country bursting with masters, with Dao Feng and Dragon Spike being the most familiar to everyone. In addition to them, the two hottest contenders for this year’s Best Newcomer award—Thunder God and Instakill—are also Chinese players. Their rise to fame is reminiscent of the early days of Dao Feng and Dragon Spike. Unfortunately, both Thunder God and Instakill are absent from this year’s The Second World annual celebration..." Due to the large number of members in the Chinese delegation, their entrance took quite some time, prompting the host to share more about them.

"Now approaching us is the Japanese representative team. This time they have a total of 632 finalists, one of the countries with a large number of entrants. Last year, Japan placed third in the gold medal rankings at the annual celebration, achieving outstanding results. The flag bearer at the forefront is Miyamoto Musashi, on par with Heavenly Dao, who was also the flag bearer for the Japanese team last year. Mr. Heavenly Dao, not fond of bustling events, is once again absent from this year’s annual celebration. However, other renowned Japanese players, such as Sakura and Black Warrior, are present."

...

Teams from each country entered in succession, introduced one by one by the host. All told, nearly twenty thousand people were present and would soon compete in over two hundred award categories.

"Now, please welcome Mr. Huang Huapeng, CEO of Era Corporation, to deliver his speech!" After over an hour of the entrance ceremony, the host’s tone became solemn as he announced the name of the most prominent guest at the event.

A man in his thirties, dressed in a suit, wearing glasses, and exuding an air of refinement, walked onto the red carpet. On both sides of the red carpet stood two rows of glamorous usherettes, their hands neatly folded at their waists, saluting the man with their gaze and pivoting in the direction he moved, giving him the sense of being the center of attention.

The noise from the crowd came to a halt with the appearance of this man, leading to a hushed silence. Even Huang Yi, watching through video, could feel the atmosphere of the crowd collectively holding their breath.