"ORD-DEL-HKG-SYD-LAX will be an xONE4"

Being pedantic, that's not what the rule says. It's ex-North America so the rule says minimum 3 continents, and only 3 continents are touched. I don't see any rule that says this is 4 continents - to the letter of the rules it's an xONE3.

On the other hand, SYD-LAX-ORD-DEL-HKG-SYD would, to the letter of the rules, be an xONE4.

I suspect that's not what they intend, but that is, pretty clearly in my mind, what the rules say.