As for the aforementioned rankings, Angelina really didn't know what to say. After all, she was considered a beauty queen-level figure at Wind Thunder, but being ranked in the second tier was almost worse than not being ranked at all. Ahhh, second place again, forever the eternal runner-up, it was maddening.

Sky Shadow and Dovir, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less; it was utterly boring. Compared to these trivial matters, Sky Shadow was busy intensifying his training every day. He had initially mastered the techniques of the Blank Paper Realm and Air Travel, but still couldn't reach the level of Feng Yi.

Of course, there were many second-tier countries, like Saudi's Jiu Ling, Diya, and Margaret, who could all be classified in the second tier. It wasn't that they lacked beauty, but in the face of Kexiao's influence, even Jiu Ling, who was lauded as a 12-star general, had to suffer in silence.

As for these rankings, let them be. Though she didn't say much, deep down, Jiu Ling was a tad envious. It was true that Kexiao was exceptional, but she wasn't bad either. Her skin might be dark, which was a result of her natural complexion mixed with relentless training, but who to blame? Compared to these, weren't her panther-like physique and slim waist her greatest strengths? Such a boring set of rankings.

Next came the middle tier; there were so many people in this group that it wasn't very remarkable. The general public comment was relatively scarce, and instead, those with the least pleasing appearances attracted more attention.

In the past few days, the dignity of Zana Republic had taken quite a hit. The fact that Raymond got slapped in the face could be overlooked since he eventually recovered his dignity, but he ended up being the least favored in terms of looks. Naturally big and burly, with a raspy voice and wild personality, these traits might be seen as advantages in the eyes of some women, but most people described them as barbaric.

As a result, while Mirami might have been slapped in the face, at least she was still ranked in the top tier. But you, although starting as a three-star among the 12-stars, ended up beaten into this sorry state. It would be fine if it were just your appearance, but coupled with a bad personality, it was no wonder you got thrashed.

Online discussions in various countries quickly shifted focus from beauty icons to Zana, becoming a hot topic for casual chatter.

There was certainly an agenda behind the rhythm of these discussions, but once the tempo was set, it was not easy to slow it down. Normally Zana would have endured, but standing on the world stage was different. News couldn't be contained, and other nations were watching eagerly for a laugh. Combined with the chain reaction of sensitive issues from previous face-slapping incidents at Hell's Gate, the blow dealt was more than just a slap. Without a response, there was no way Mecha Battle could lift its head.

Seeing the crazily spreading news, Zana was filled with hatred for Hell's Gate. They couldn't show their faces to the people back home, and for the first time, the upper echelons showed a clear hatred for Hell's Gate, closing all passages to the Zana competition areas and gaining unanimous approval from the Zana public - meanwhile, the higher-ups issued a secret message: in the Mecha Battle competition, facing Hell's Gate players, one could mercilessly choose to destroy them!

In fact, after Zana closed the passages to Hell's Gate, Hell's Gate also suddenly realized the seriousness of Zana's attitude. They hadn't expected things to escalate like this. The Hell's Gate high command was inwardly lamenting, sternly reprimanding Mirami for her reckless actions and demoting her two ranks.

But this did not change Zana's attitude. Everyone was holding back their anger, and as Zana closed the viewing channels to Hell's Gate, the world's focus on the issue only increased...

There are no permanent friends, only eternal interests. The relationship between countries is the true driving force for development. In fact, Hell's Gate had already realized the seriousness of the situation. Public resentment was the root cause of the incident, and in order to appease it, the Hell's Gate spokesperson publicly apologized for the face-slapping incident a few hours later.

At this moment, Zana was like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. It would have been better not to apologize, but once the statement came out, the Zana public exploded! This was a downright insult to the Zana Republic. Why now? The people of Zana declared the apology unacceptable.

The issue was on the verge of escalating to political negotiations, and even the popularity of the Mecha Battle seemed to be completely suppressed by the tense, drawn-swords atmosphere between the two sides.

After a day-long silence, Zana did not respond to the public apology, but under official encouragement, early the next day, news about a civilian beauty competition once again blew up all the major and minor forums.

This beauty competition was open to anyone who believed they were attractive, allowing them to enter the official Zana forums to upload their photos for online voting battles. The twist was that each user could only vote once, and voting was restricted to Zana IDs – it was a direct response to the rest of the world.

An exquisitely beautiful girl suddenly dazzled the whole world. If those ranked at the top of the numerous beauty lists were merely extremely beautiful, this person's stunning looks were off the charts.

She was nicknamed Mengdie, and the photo was clearly not posed, but was taken from high-definition monitors during the recent misunderstanding between the Zana competition area and Hell's Gate, recording the entire battle between Mengdie and Vladimir. The live audience was too far away to see the true countenance clearly, but through the high-definition playback, people were now witnessing Mengdie's breathtakingly natural beauty for the first time.

The battle from start to finish had not been mentioned by her at all, the only action she took was to gently shake her head at a flamboyantly dressed beauty. It was that light touch and the display of elegance and composure that, in an instant, attracted countless gazes...

She seemed like a faintly fragrant flower, emitting a subtle scent. It wasn't lethal, but the charm was lingering. Her simple elegance and the vague beauty that shone through irresistibly made one long to see her face. Her type of beauty was inimitable—her movements soft and gentle, gracefully pleasant, naturally elegant as if she were a dragon moving through the clouds, not seductive nor desecrated, giving off a delicate distance that evokes pity. Less ordinary, with a hint more of ethereal aura, her unique temperament could not be simply replicated by others.

The beauties from various countries, who were still immersed in the joy of being considered as faces representing their nations, didn't quite know how to describe her. If they themselves were considered beautiful, in comparison with the former, they might not be ugly ducklings, but the difference was like heaven and earth. Even the world-famous singer Athena was beyond reach.

Mirami was struck on the spot. It had to be said that this person left a profound impression on her. If there was anything at the Mecha Battle competition that could shake her, this person definitely counted as one.

Princess Dilia was also quite shocked. After a night of silence, the Zana Republic unexpectedly slapped the world in the face, so to speak, or rather gave a severe slap to Hell's Gate. That slap, although subdued, was enough to cause a worldwide storm. Especially during the battle, the surveillance footage not only captured Mengdie but also filmed Mirami, which stirred another topic: could Mirami truly be considered a face of Hell's Gate? It sparked global debate about whether the world had gone blind.

Suddenly, the topic of conversation shifted entirely back to Hell's Gate.

Feng Yi just arrived at the Saudi competition zone and discovered this message; the Mecha Battle competition was indeed interesting.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time; you've finally come," a voice suddenly rang out beside him... Kexiao had sensed his presence the moment Feng Yi arrived in Saudi.

"I knew you were waiting for me."

"Heh, I knew you would come too. Of course, even if you didn't, I would still release the news that Revenge Shadow Rider is participating," Kexiao responded.

Huh? Feng Yi was taken aback; this was unexpected. It turned out Kexiao was playing hardball. Even without registering as Revenge Shadow Rider, driven by economic interests, he considered making a smokescreen, making Feng Yi the scapegoat inadvertently.

Kexiao looked at Feng Yi somewhat puzzled. Although they'd only met a few times, their conversation was like that of old friends, and he said, "I was certain you would come, but you appearing here must be for more than just letting me know of your arrival, right?"

"Heh..." Feng Yi habitually shrugged his shoulders, "Then what do you think is the reason?"

"I can't guess."

"Is that so? Then let me ask you a different question, do you believe in science?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe in theology?"

"No." Kexiao stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm yet carrying an undertone that brooked no doubt.

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