Volume 2: Shenzhou Academy & The Battle of Venice
The twilight descending upon the Sacred Land of Venice resembled a magnificent oil painting splashed with blood and fire.
The crimson sun sank like a colossal chunk of magma toward the distant horizon of the Adriatic Sea. The shimmering sea transformed from its familiar brilliant azure into a gorgeous crimson silk, draping a radiant golden glow over the thousands of ancient canals of the floating city. The late-afternoon sea breeze carried a heavy, salty tang, weaving through sandstone-paved alleys and whipping up the runic banners hung along graceful arching bridges that had stood firm for a millennium.
Down in Saint Mark’s Square, the frenzied atmosphere showed no signs of cooling despite the historic final match having concluded two hours prior.
Tens of thousands of mages, reporters, and fans from all five continents remained packed densely across the vast expanse. Cheers, shouts calling out the competitors’ names, and the sound of clinking celebratory glasses echoed through the air, drowning out the gentle lapping of waves outside the bay. On the gigantic optical magic screens hovering thirty meters in the air, the Venice World Tournament standings glowed brightly, featuring the supreme championship title claimed by a single name: The Shenzhou National Team.
It was an unprecedented seismic shock in the history of modern magic.