They looked up at the outer wall of the stadium, where a massive screen, several tens of meters high, displayed a woman of outstanding beauty and grace.
She was dressed in a form-fitting battle suit, holding her longsword reversed behind her, with a solemn expression and beautiful eyes looking straight ahead as if she had locked on to an opponent in battle. Several Mutants, also in battle attire, surrounded her, the center of everyone's attention like stars around the moon.
A realization dawned on Ji Xinghuo.
The person on the screen was Zhao Manying, a world-famous prodigious Mutant, and those gathered outside the stadium were her fans.
However, it struck him as odd. Why had so many people suddenly shown up?
Ji Xinghuo checked the news on his phone and was immediately taken aback, "Zhao Manying has ascended to Super Mutant status, no wonder..."
The event had occurred just half an hour before and had already soared to the top of the national trending searches.
It was a sensation that gripped the entire world.
"A Super Mutant at 22, that's outrageous!"
Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but let out a sigh, feeling a mix of admiration and a pang of jealousy. He was also 22, albeit a few months older, and had just been feeling proud of ascending to Primary Level Mutant status, while someone else had already become a Super Mutant and shattered numerous records.
"Truly deserving of the title Sword Immortal," Ji Xinghuo murmured to himself, "I have to admit, it's impressive."
He followed Zhao Manying on his social media accounts and would watch her matches whenever he had time, having a deep understanding of her.
Zhao Manying fused with an Alien Species to become a Mutant at 16, evolved to Intermediate Level Mutant at 17, and at 18 was recognized by the Martial Arts Association as the youngest-ever "Sword Master."
After advancing to Advanced Mutant at 20, Zhao Manying signed a lucrative contract with the "Emperor Star" Club, joined the Super League, became a competitive Mutant and was groomed as the core member of her team.
Most members of the Super League teams were Super Mutants, a rank above Zhao Manying.
Even so, Zhao Manying still faced few equals on the battlefield.
Her Professional Template was "Swordsman," and with her unmatched global prowess in swordsmanship, there were few opponents who could withstand her in a one-on-one duel.
However, the competitive league's battles tend to favor teamwork. Other members of the Emperor Star Team were not as strong, failing to provide adequate support, so during the two years since Zhao Manying joined the club, her team hadn't achieved any impressive results, always remaining mid-tier.
But this didn't deter Zhao Manying's popularity one bit.
The reason was simple: aside from her exceptional talent in the Martial Arts, she possessed a beauty that could topple empires and kingdoms!
There were many beautiful women in this era, but few had the looks, figure, and aura to match Zhao Manying's level of beauty.
There were many geniuses in this era, but few had the Star Power, Abilities, and Martial Arts prowess to reach Zhao Manying's level of talent.
Beautiful women are always in short supply, and so is talent.
Both being world-class and concentrated in one person makes for an explosive effect!
Zhao Manying's popularity soared beyond imagination, surpassing all cultural and entertainment stars. Even though she was just an Advanced Mutant, she was as famous as the "Heavenly King," perhaps even more so.
Her billions of fans spanned the globe, from the Asia-Pacific Community to the New Roman Empire, from the Southern Kingdom to the Latin Revolutionary Army—almost nobody didn't know her. Her matches were always a focal event, watched by at least a billion people, solidifying her team's popularity, from which the Emperor Star Club reaped massive profits for the past two years.
Zhao Manying was a true global icon!
She had many other nicknames, with "Sword Immortal" being the most famous.
There were also titles like "Prodigy of the Century," "Greatest Talent of Our Time," "Second Global Goddess," "Sword Immortal of the Cold Moon," among others—some truly deserved, some a bit exaggerated. All were words of praise.
Now, with Zhao Manying ascending to Super Mutant status in less than two years, her strength would surely surge significantly.
Even though the Super League emphasizes team combat, the overall strength of the Emperor Star Club would see a corresponding rise.
For the next few years, the Emperor Star Club would inevitably be a hot favorite for the championship.
So, it was no wonder that these fans and team loyalists were so excited. As soon as the news broke, they had gathered at the Emperor Star Team's home base to show their support, chatting excitedly about the team's future.
Ji Xinghuo watched the commotion for a few minutes.
The plaza outside the Tianqin Stadium was crowded, and the Security Guards came out in time to maintain order. However, more fans kept arriving, making the scene a bit chaotic.
Ji Xinghuo quickly got into his car and left.
On the car's built-in projection screen, almost every platform, live-streaming channel, and social media was discussing Zhao Manying's ascension to Super Mutant status.
Hosts and commentators were spouting non-stop in front of the cameras.
Sports programs were analyzing data, predicting the Emperor Star Team's performance;
Mutant bloggers speculated on how far Zhao Manying would climb in the "Global Ladder" rankings;
Entertainment channels gossiped about Zhao Manying's private life;
Economic news paid attention to the Emperor Star Club's share price;
And fans either revered Zhao Manying for her talent or were simply enthralled by her beauty, expressing their feelings online.
That day, the entire world's attention was on Zhao Manying.
No one cared that in Chang'an, there was a young man named Ji Xinghuo of the same age who had also become a Mutant.
Even Ji Xinghuo himself wasn't particularly thrilled; he knew he would become a Mutant sooner or later and didn't expect it to make any impact.