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Early the next morning, the remaining contestants were already assembled, their states adjusted to peak condition, quietly awaiting the start of the day's assessment.
Above the plaza, Venerable Nine Swords stood at the forefront, flanked by Undying experts from 1,008 Universe Countries.
Their mere presence exerted an invisible pressure that enveloped the entire venue. Beneath that pressure, the 7,300 remaining geniuses stood in orderly formation at the center of the plaza, none daring to show the slightest disrespect.
The rules were announced succinctly.
First came the one-on-one elimination battles for those ranked 101st to 7,300th.
Three consecutive victories meant success.
Three failures—or even one fatal loss—meant elimination.
From these battles, 900 survivors would emerge. Together with the already-confirmed top 100, they would form the 1,000 members eligible to enter the Virtual Universe Corporation.
Cruel? Absolutely.
As for whether two truly strong geniuses might clash too early and lose their chance—such concerns were meaningless. The matchups were arranged by the Virtual Universe terminal, an enslaved Automaton Race Universe Lord under the Origin Ancestor's control. Fairness and optimization were its very function.
Soon, the 7,200 contestants were teleported away to their designated battle spaces.
The vast plaza instantly emptied, leaving behind only 100 young Human elites.
Among them were familiar figures: Bai Yue, Luo Feng, and the third genius from Ganwu Universe Country.
There was also Bolan, robed in white and carrying a blood-red sword; the ferocious youth from Manka Star; the sibling prodigies of Augustus Planet; the six-meter-tall behemoth wielding a blood axe; the Dream Snail Wing Race youth; the bear-faced giant with a body covered in thick hair; the enchanting four-armed girl clad in black silk stockings; and the shy-looking young man who always kept his head slightly lowered.
Venerable Nine Swords personally arranged for them to take seats in the spectator stands.
They would wait.
7,200 people.
900 spots.
To stand among the survivors, one had to win three battles in a row.
Three battles to decide destiny.
Those who succeeded would step into the core of the Virtual Universe Corporation.
Those who failed would be cast aside.
Of course, even elimination at this stage did not mean obscurity. Any genius who reached this point was already a prized resource for countless major forces. In the distant future, some might still rise to prominence—but the odds were slim.
In the Universe, one step slower meant every step slower.
With the Corporation's resource tilt, the gap would only widen.
Roughly two hours later, all battles concluded.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Nine hundred figures appeared simultaneously in the central plaza.
Most wore expressions of uncontrollable excitement. After three brutal rounds, they had survived.
Yet a few faces remained calm and indifferent.
Among them stood the tall, thin man shrouded in black robes—Gallesi the Illusionist.
Seeing him, Bai Yue's lips twitched faintly. He glanced at Luo Feng beside him, who was also observing Gallesi with a complex expression.
Gallesi was undeniably strong. Unfortunately, he had encountered Luo Feng early. With Bai Yue's presence altering the board, whether fate would bring them together again was uncertain.
Soon, the 1,000 qualifiers regrouped.
Venerable Nine Swords first offered formal congratulations. All of them had now obtained the qualification to join the Virtual Universe Corporation, which would invest heavily in cultivating them.
Then his tone shifted.
"But you should all understand—competition is eternal in the Universe. Even within our Corporation, it is impossible for all of you to receive equal treatment."
He proceeded to explain the structure of the four Mystical Regions, the resource hierarchy, and the rules for the next stage: the arena competition.
When they heard that only 100 out of the 900 would advance to the arena—and that the final selection would narrow this down even further—unease spread through the crowd.
Some even began to voice dissatisfaction.
The response was immediate.
A surge of Undying pressure crushed the noise into silence.
The Virtual Universe Corporation neither persuaded nor comforted. Anyone unwilling could withdraw freely.
But who would?
After coming this far, no one would turn back.
Just like the original structure of the genius battle, there were only two spots in the Primitive Mystical Region.
That meant Bai Yue would have to push aside either Bolan or Long Yun.
Things are getting interesting.
Bai Yue's smile deepened.
"Lao Bai… what are you plotting now?" Luo Feng asked warily. Growing up together, he knew that look all too well.
"You'll find out tomorrow," Bai Yue replied lightly.
He already knew the rules.
And he was preparing a surprise—one specifically meant for Bolan.
Arena Competition Begins
Early the next morning, 1,000 peerless geniuses gathered once more.
The arena competition officially began.
The silver-white arena spanned nearly ten kilometers, sealed beneath a black silk net that isolated Space itself.
Bai Yue's first opponent, Lasha, wore a bitter expression the moment they faced each other.
This was one of the two people he least wanted to meet.
The result was inevitable.
Even after unleashing his ultimate technique, Lasha failed to withstand a single strike. The staff shadow tore through Heaven and Earth, and when he reappeared beneath the stage, his consciousness had yet to fully recover.
The battle was over in an instant.
"Congratulations," Venerable Nine Swords announced, gazing down at the 100 victors.
"You have entered the top 100 and are qualified to enter the Heaven and Earth Mystical Region. Now—only the best 20 remain."
Nervous tension rippled through the victors.
Soon, the list was announced.
Bai Yue's next opponent: Yi Feng, known as the Sword of Life.
Ten arenas.
Ten peak battles.
Compared to the earlier matches, these duels represented the true pinnacle of this year's genius battle.
On Bai Yue's arena, he did not rush. Instead, he exchanged a few calm words with Yi Feng, while fierce clashes erupted on the other stages.
The fastest battle—Bolan versus Tao the Blood Axe—ended in a single exchange.
As the arenas continued to shrink, Yi Feng finally acted.
"My Martial Dao does not allow hesitation," he said evenly. "I will draw my sword."
"Go ahead," Bai Yue replied.
Yi Feng erupted with terrifying power. His mastery of Wood Origin Law and Space Origin Law, combined with chilling sword intent, sealed the surrounding Space in layers of interlocking sword light.
What appeared slow was, in truth, frighteningly fast—mere afterimages left by distorted Space.
Within the storm of blades, Bai Yue moved like flowing water, weaving through impossibly narrow gaps, even sparing a glance toward the other arenas.
Battles ended one after another.
Even Rong Jun caused an upset, defeating Gusi Luo, the second-ranked contestant, shocking many observers.
Seeing this, Bai Yue no longer delayed.
With a final exchange, he ended his own match—the last victor of the round.
_____________________
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