Chapter 214: Great War Zone Begins! Lasting for a Thousand Years! Goal: Top One Hundred!

Chapter 214: The Grand War Zone Begins! A Millennium-Long Contest! Aim for the Top Hundred! The Empire's Ultimate Tournament

The City of Genesis, a magnificent capital temporarily established for the "Cosmic Genius Tournament," had allocated independent residences for every genius who had passed the trials of the minor war zones.

Within the residence, the meditation chamber was spacious and austere, with only a central cushion and the tranquil simulated starry sky on the four walls, proclaiming this place as dedicated to martial cultivation.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly shut.

The century-long meditation trial had just ended, and the vast, abyssal pressure within his spiritual sea suddenly dissipated, bringing a long-lost sense of ethereal clarity and relaxation.

Yet he did not indulge in this comfort.

His will was as firm as divine steel, his Dao heart perfectly rounded; neither the clamor of the outside world nor the emptiness within could shake him in the slightest.

At this moment, Qin Feng was sinking his mind, carefully sorting through the myriad tangled threads before him.

A century of cultivation, reaching the pinnacle in one fell swoop—this brought not only glory and status but also numerous matters to be handled and a future path to be replanned.

With a flicker of thought, a pale blue light screen silently unfolded before his eyes, and streams of information refreshed like a waterfall.

Qin Feng's gaze first fell upon a timer at the very top.

[Time remaining until the Grand War Zone opens: 9 years, 351 days, 11 hours...]

Ten years.

This span was neither too long nor too short, just right.

For the geniuses who had just endured a century of arduous cultivation with taut minds, these ten years were a buffer period to digest gains and fill gaps;

For Qin Feng himself, it was a golden era to fully transform a century's accumulation into personal combat power.

He moved his gaze away from the timer and continued scrolling downward.

Among the many rewards, a line of text emitting a faint golden glow stood out conspicuously—[Qualification to become a direct disciple of the King-level powerhouse, the "Swallowing Heaven King"].

The moment Qin Feng's spiritual power gently touched that line of text, the entire light screen interface trembled slightly.

A concise communication request pop-up replaced the original information stream.

Applicant: Swallowing Heaven King.

No superfluous suffixes or titles—just these three words, yet they seemed to contain the supreme power to suppress the galaxy.

Without a moment's hesitation, Qin Feng confirmed with his intent and clicked "Accept."

The next instant, the space before him seemed torn open by an invisible force; ripples of subspace communication spread layer by layer, and a blurry video image coalesced in the center of the meditation chamber.

It was a scene beyond words.

The background was a slowly rotating, resplendent nebula, magnificent and vast.

A white-robed phantom sat cross-legged at the center of the nebula, its silhouette clearly visible, but its face shrouded in a hazy halo. No matter how Qin Feng focused his eyes, he could not discern a single detail.

It seemed as if the figure was not in this realm but a glimpse cast across infinite time and space.

Even through the image transmitted via the subspace network, that transcendent aura, coexisting with the universe itself, made Qin Feng feel his own insignificance.

"Qin Feng."

A voice sounded.

That voice was vast and boundless, not entering through the ears but resonating directly within the sea of spirit, as if it were the resonance of cosmic stars.

"You have comprehended my ultimate art, the *Swallowing Heaven Fist Technique*. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

Facing this inquiry that spanned star domains, Qin Feng did not hesitate in the slightest.

He straightened his back, faced the blurry phantom, and replied with a deep, solemn voice:

"Your disciple is willing."

This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

A "King-level" supreme powerhouse as a mentor—its value had long surpassed the scope of material resources.

Even if the other party offered no substantial help, just a word or two of guidance on the path of cultivation would save others thousands of years of detours.

Not to mention that such an existence, standing at the pinnacle of humanity, possessed a network of connections spanning countless eras and star domains across the empire.

Qin Feng had never expected that comprehending the *Swallowing Heaven Fist Technique* to the entry level would bring such a heaven-defying opportunity.

"Good."

The phantom's voice revealed neither joy nor anger, still calm and vast. "Practice the *Swallowing Heaven Fist Technique* diligently."

"Your disciple obeys."

"Furthermore, there are a few matters you must remember."

The Swallowing Heaven King continued, "In the Grand War Zone, your goal is to secure a place among the top hundred. Remember, you must definitely make it into the top hundred."

"Yes."

Qin Feng engraved these words deep in his heart.

"After securing a top-hundred spot, you will receive a choice."

The Swallowing Heaven King shifted his tone and spoke an instruction that slightly surprised Qin Feng: "At that time, do not choose to join the 'Limit Warrior Legion.' Instead, choose to go to the 'Myriad Races Battlefield' for training."

This suggestion contradicted all the information he had encountered before.

Both his mentor Yu Han and the legendary powerhouse Zhou Xiong had come from the Limit Warrior Legion.

Yet he did not voice any doubt, only listened quietly.

"Within the Myriad Races Battlefield, humanity controls many dangerous lands and secret realms, with countless opportunities and countless dangers. That is a path paved with blood and bones, leading straight to strength."

The Swallowing Heaven King's voice explained, "If you choose to join the Limit Warrior Legion, there will be fixed missions, even mandatory ones. Only by completing missions can you obtain resources. Although this is already considered quite good among ordinary options, these will affect your cultivation rhythm."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, indicating understanding.

This was not a denial of the legion but a plan for him to walk a faster, more extreme martial path.

"This is a privilege for geniuses."

The phantom added, "Only geniuses who break into the top hundred in the Grand War Zone can enjoy such a privilege."

"Qin Feng, do you know the rules of the Grand War Zone?"

Qin Feng shook his head and replied frankly, "Your disciple does not know."

"Haha..."

For the first time, that vast voice carried a trace of almost imperceptible laughter.

"The Grand War Zone—though called a competition, is in fact a training ground.

All participants will gain unimaginable benefits within it.

There are vast amounts of cultivation resources, martial imprints left by senior powerhouses, and opportunities to battle billions of alien races.

You all enter at the planetary level. If you can persist to the end and break into the top hundred, then by the time you emerge, your overall strength will have been tempered to the peak of the galaxy level."

"After that, go to the Myriad Races Battlefield, seeking the opportunity to break through to the black hole level amidst blood and fire.

Then, attempt to walk your own path, imprint your Dao upon the universe, and break into the Domain Lord realm."

At this point, the Swallowing Heaven King's voice paused, and in a flat tone stating a fact, he uttered words that could overturn the understanding of countless martial artists.

"Remember, on the path of martial arts, the Domain Lord level is the true starting point."

At these words, a wry smile involuntarily flickered across Qin Feng's face.

He recalled clearly that on Qiming Star, when he first learned of martial arts, his mentor Gu Yue had told him: On the path of martial arts, the fourth-level Opening Aperture realm is the starting point.

Later, at Canaan Star Martial University, his mentor Yu Han told him again: On the path of martial arts, the Planetary level is the starting point, meaning one gains the qualification to traverse the star sea and explore the universe, a qualitative leap in life level, and the beginning of cultivating mental power.

And now, this master he had never met, a supreme existence at the Human King level, actually said—the Domain Lord level is the starting point.

Perhaps this is what they call vision determining perspective.

Standing at different heights, the scenery one sees and the starting points one defines are worlds apart.

"Your disciple understands."

Qin Feng composed himself and nodded solemnly once more.

"Mm, good."

The phantom seemed extremely satisfied with his response. "Let it be so. Remember everything I have said today."

"Your master awaits you in the Myriad Races Battlefield."

The moment the words fell, the white-robed phantom seated amidst the nebula, along with the magnificent nebula backdrop, dissolved into specks of light, quietly vanishing into the meditation chamber.

The ripples of subspace communication subsided, and all returned to silence.

Qin Feng remained seated cross-legged, unmoving for a long time.

In just a few minutes of conversation, the amount of information was immense, completely reshaping his previously clear future plans.

Top hundred in the war zone, abandoning the war group, journeying far to the Myriad Races Battlefield... a path full of unknowns and dangers, leading to supreme strength, had already unfolded before him.

Ten years.

He had only ten years to make thorough preparations for this path.

After the communication ended, the meditation chamber fell silent again.

The Domain Lord is the starting point; the Myriad Races Battlefield is the true stage.

Qin Feng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, settling his thoughts.

Though the road ahead was clear, every step beneath his feet still needed to be firm and steady.

With a thought, he accessed the subspace network storage unit.

In a void space, an ancient-looking, dark long spear floated silently.

This was the divine weapon custom-made for him by the Empire's Supreme Artificer Hall, taking a century to forge, using the core skeleton of a juvenile "Star Devourer" as the main material, incorporating the supreme treasure "Heavenly Evolution Alloy" and hundreds of rare materials.

Qin Feng's mental probe extended, gently touching it.

Hum—

The spear let out a faint hum, instantly crossing the boundary between virtual and reality, appearing in his palm.

It felt slightly heavy in hand; the spear's surface was covered with naturally formed, star-trajectory-like fine patterns, smooth to the touch, yet containing a terrifying sharpness capable of tearing stars apart.

"Heavenly Evolution Weapon..."

Qin Feng murmured to himself.

The information about this divine weapon was already imprinted in his mind.

"Its conduction efficiency for mental power and spiritual energy reaches theoretical perfection, and it can continuously absorb various rare materials for self-growth and evolution."

"Most crucially, the Heavenly Evolution Weapon is not confined to a fixed form."

He focused his mind, slowly infusing his mental power into the spear.

The next moment, a miraculous scene occurred.

The dark spear seemed to turn into a pool of flowing liquid metal, rapidly shifting and reshaping in his palm.

In an instant, a cold, gleaming long blade took shape, the unique patterns of the Star Devourer's skeleton flowing on the edge, exuding a fierce killing intent.

Then, the blade melted again, stretching and extending, transforming into a heavy, ancient long staff, its body seamless, as if it could smash a mountain with one strike.

Flying knives, battle axes, giant swords, chains...

Under Qin Feng's mental guidance, the Heavenly Evolution Weapon changed in a thousand ways, each form flawless, whether in balance, edge, or force structure, reaching the pinnacle of that type of weapon.

"This is very good."

A satisfied smile appeared on Qin Feng's face, and the liquid metal in his palm recondensed into the long spear form he was most familiar with.

"The path of martial arts is profound and extensive. If I want to go further and become a true martial master, I must never confine myself to just the spear in the future."

Holding the spear, his gaze deep, his thoughts already drifted to a more distant future.

"From the most basic muscle power techniques, to the construction of deeper mental-spiritual energy aggregation modules; from the release of will pressure, to the condensation of martial true intent, and ultimately to building my own spiritual domain... To keep climbing the martial path, I must embrace all rivers, dabble in myriad martial arts, and draw parallels to become a true master."

This divine weapon, capable of freely changing forms, undoubtedly provided infinite possibilities for his future path.

"Since you were forged from the Star Devourer I personally slew, this Heavenly Evolution Weapon shall be named 'Star Devourer.'"

Qin Feng gently stroked the cold spear body, whispering, "Star Devourer, Devour Heaven... it complements the name of the 'Heaven Devouring Fist Technique' well."

"Perhaps you will accompany me for a very, very long time."

Qin Feng smiled and put away the "Star Devourer Spear."

Then, he began to examine his cultivation plan for the next ten years.

The goal was clear.

Using the ten years before the war zone competition began, he would successfully cultivate another purchased seventh-level killing technique, "Ninefold Blood Spear," to the entry level, adding a new trump card to his arsenal.

At the same time, he would continue to polish the more important "Heaven Devouring Fist Technique," striving to elevate its realm from "entry" to "minor accomplishment" within ten years.

Just as he finished planning and was about to enter the Empire Arena to begin a new round of arduous training, the communication prompt on his personal terminal flashed continuously.

Qin Feng opened it and saw several messages from different old friends.

The messages from his three close friends, Shi Potian, Xiong Yanfu, and Tie Mu, were the most straightforward, filled with excitement and pride, congratulating him on topping the rankings again and promising to watch and cheer for him during the war zone competition.

The messages from his three comrades, Ning Jing, Nissan, and Long Yu, were more direct. Besides congratulations, every word revealed a burning fighting spirit, spurred by being left far behind.

In addition, there was a message from his enlightenment mentor, Lin Yue.

The content of the message was full of emotion. She was immensely proud that her former student had reached such an unimaginable height, and also carried a hint of self-deprecating relief, saying that Qin Feng had long surpassed the limits she, as a mentor, could imagine.

Qin Feng looked at these familiar names, a warmth flowing in his heart.

He replied to each one carefully, exchanging a few simple words with his old friends, promising to meet again in the future.

After handling all the miscellaneous matters, Qin Feng wasted no more time. His mental consciousness instantly sank into the Empire Arena.

...

Time flew by in monotonous, high-intensity practical training.

Qin Feng's first goal was to cultivate the "Ninefold Blood Spear."

This seventh-level killing technique centered on the exquisite manipulation of spiritual energy, requiring the martial artist to superimpose and oscillate spiritual energy nine times in an instant, forming a ninefold penetrating destructive force.

For Qin Feng, whose mental power had reached the "Cup Realm" and could easily achieve "a thousand minds at once," the difficulty curve appeared unusually gentle.

In the ranked battles of the Imperial Arena, he locked his own strength at the planetary elementary level, engaging in pure technical combat with opponents of the same rank time and again.

In just one year, he had successfully cultivated this seventh-grade killing technique—one that would take countless planetary warriors decades to master in the outside world—to the realm of "minor mastery."

"For me now, the difficulty is far too low."

After exiting a battle, Qin Feng hovered in the virtual preparation space, letting out a sigh.

The *Ninefold Blood Spear* was indeed exquisite, but compared to the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art*, it was like comparing mud to clouds.

"The gap is too vast."

Qin Feng shook his head. "The martial arts information and spiritual module complexity contained in the entire *Ninefold Blood Spear* can't even match the information flow within the first spiritual imprint of the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art*."

"Both are seventh-grade killing techniques, yet the difference in quality is as wide as the heavens and the earth. And this is only the seventh grade—what terrifying disparity must exist in the eighth and ninth grades above?"

At that moment, he truly grasped the profound importance of a "killing technique" as one of the fundamental pillars of a warrior's path.

"Without a top-tier killing technique as support, even a vast vitality index and spiritual power can only unleash a tenth or a fifth of their potential. Relying solely on brute force and direct spiritual pressure is ultimately too crude a method."

After this reflection, he set aside the *Ninefold Blood Spear* for the time being and poured all his focus into honing the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art*.

Day after day, year after year.

In the Imperial Arena, he fought fiercely against phantom images of powerful warriors from every corner of the universe.

When he lost, he analyzed his mistakes and fought again;

When he won, he sought stronger opponents to challenge his limits.

Every battle was a deep practice of the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art*.

Nine years passed in the blink of an eye.

When Qin Feng once again emerged from a decade-long deep training session, he had engaged in over a million high-intensity battles during that time.

"The *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art* has finally reached minor mastery."

He spread his palm, feeling the surging power within his body. "And I have successfully grasped the first killing move—[Heaven-Swallow]."

"My rank in the Imperial Arena has finally reached the 'Warrior' level. But... it's extremely unstable."

A wry smile appeared on Qin Feng's face.

Over these nine years, his rank had oscillated repeatedly between "Warrior" and "Ninth Rank," dropping down, climbing back up through skill, then falling again when facing stronger opponents.

It was a cycle, and he could never firmly establish himself at the "Warrior" rank.

"It seems I'll need to cultivate a top-tier seventh-grade killing technique like the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art* to at least 'major mastery' before I can hold my ground at the 'Warrior' rank."

He suddenly recalled his high school mentor, Gu Yue.

In his memory, Mentor Gu Yue was a genuine expert at the "Warrior" rank.

"Who would have thought that Mentor Gu Yue's strength was so formidable?"

Qin Feng smiled, feeling a new layer of respect for that guide from his past.

He glanced at the time—there were fewer than thirty days left until the official start of the Grand War Zone.

Ten years to sharpen a single blade; it was time to emerge from seclusion.

With a thought, Qin Feng's consciousness returned to reality.

He slowly opened his eyes and stepped out of the cultivation chamber.

In the central plaza of Genesis City, the crowd was once again buzzing with noise.

A century ago, billions of K-level geniuses had gathered here; now, those eliminated in the trials had long since departed, leaving only one million victors who had successfully advanced.

Most of them, like Qin Feng, had just concluded a decade-long period of closed-door cultivation and were emerging one after another from their residences.

Qin Feng spotted a familiar figure in the crowd at once.

"Huo Yuan."

"Qin Feng!"

The chubby Huo Yuan spotted him too, his face beaming with a warm smile as he hurried over. "You're a real freak, man—first place, leaving everyone in the dust!"

"Just luck."

Qin Feng smiled; it was his habitual reply.

Just then, a sharp gaze fell upon them. A young man with a straight posture and a spear-like aura approached.

It was Jin Mu.

"Qin Feng."

Jin Mu stopped before him, his eyes complex as he looked at him, and said with genuine emotion, "It's been a few years, and you've grown even stronger."

"Back in the Star Cup, I could still best you. Now, I suspect I'm no longer your match."

There was a hint of regret in Jin Mu's tone, but more than that, a pure longing for the martial path. "The *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Art* contains too many mysteries. Comprehending the ninetieth spiritual trace was already my limit. Unfortunately, I couldn't cross that threshold to continue exploring its deeper knowledge."

"You flatter me."

Qin Feng's mindset remained as calm as ever.

Huo Yuan, standing by, looked from Qin Feng to Jin Mu, and only then realized with surprise that the top three of the Small War Zone all knew each other.

His eyes darted, and he immediately said excitedly, "Qin Feng, Jin Mu! Since the three of us know each other and happen to be the top three, why don't we form an alliance? That way, when we enter the Grand War Zone, we can look out for one another!"

"Oh?"

Jin Mu raised an eyebrow, pondering. "That might not be a bad idea. But I still don't know the specific rules of the Grand War Zone. Do you... have any information?"

"Of course I do!"

The chubby Huo Yuan slapped his chest with excitement, a mysterious and confident smile spreading across his face.

Seeing him like this, both Qin Feng and Jin Mu perked up, their ears pricked.

Facing their curious gazes, Huo Yuan's plump face took on a mysterious grin. He lowered his voice, as if sharing some top-secret intelligence:

"To talk about the Grand War Zone, you first need to understand its scale.

Our Human Empire claims to have a million war groups, but that's just a rough number.

In reality, the war groups with names and reputations number around five million."

Huo Yuan held up five fingers to illustrate.

"According to the rules, each war group is entitled to recommend one million planetary-level geniuses to participate in the 'Universal Genius Battle.'

Do the math—how many people is that?"

At this question, even the composed Qin Feng and Jin Mu felt a slight chill in their hearts.

Five million times one million.

That was an astronomical unit that made any number seem pale—five trillion!

"Five trillion..."

Jin Mu's eyes turned razor-sharp as he murmured, "And those recommended by each war group are no mediocrities. The caliber here is far, far higher than in our Small War Zone."

The Small War Zone was an open selection within a war group.

The Grand War Zone, on the other hand, was a collision of all the elites screened by the empire's various war groups—a true battlefield for geniuses.

"Exactly so."

Huoyuan nodded and continued, "As for the rules, you must remember: the fundamental purpose of the 'Cosmic Genius Battle' has always been to nurture geniuses. Therefore, the resources available will be extremely, extremely abundant."

He emphasized the word "resources" with a heavier tone.

"According to the information I've received, it's highly likely we'll be dropped into one or several trial galaxies personally crafted by the empire's top-tier powerhouses."

"Trial galaxies?"

Qin Feng let out a soft exclamation; he had heard of trial planets before.

"Yes, essentially an enlarged version of a trial planet.

Only the area is larger, the scope broader, directly elevated to the galactic level, and it's even possible that several galaxies will be linked together as the arena."

Huoyuan explained, "Inside such trial galaxies, the ecology, resources, and even the spiritual domain are under the absolute control of King-level powerhouses. So, even if we are killed inside, we won't truly die; instead, we'll be pulled out by that great force."

This setup instantly made Qin Feng understand the core logic of the major arena—encouraging combat, but not at the cost of sacrificing geniuses.

"What about the competition format?"

Qin Feng asked the most critical question.

"The format? It's definitely a brutal elimination tournament."

Huoyuan's expression turned serious. "I've studied the format records of the last three Genius Battles, and they're all much the same. The total duration of the competition lasts a full thousand years!"

A thousand years!

That time span made both Qin Feng and Jin Mu feel the heavy weight of it.

"The format uses a points system."

Huoyuan continued his in-depth explanation. "After entering the arena, each of us should receive a token like a 'jade slip' that carries points.

The rule is simple: kill an opponent, and you plunder all the points from their jade slip.

A killed contestant isn't directly eliminated; instead, they are respawned at a random location in the arena."

"Respawned?"

Jin Mu keenly caught the key point. "Doesn't that mean infinite respawns?"

"No,"

Huoyuan wagged his finger. "A contestant who is killed, though 'resurrected,' has their points reset to zero and receives a temporary hunting permission—within a set time limit, they can see the locations of other martial artists. If they successfully defeat one person, they can truly 'revive.' If the time limit expires or they are defeated again within it, they are genuinely eliminated."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of understanding flashed in Qin Feng's eyes.

It not only encouraged contestants to hunt others but also spurred the killed to seek revenge.

In the chase and escape between them, more battles would be ignited, leaving the entire arena with no moment of peace.

"Finally, when the thousand years end, the system will tally the points of all 'survivors' for the final ranking."

Huoyuan added the last and most crucial point. "The format for this edition is likely still the same. After all, each set of rules in the Human Empire usually lasts for over a dozen editions before a major overhaul."

"I see."

Qin Feng nodded slightly.

Points, hunting, respawn, revenge, final survival... a few simple keywords sketched out an immensely bloody yet opportunity-filled competition.

"So, that's why I said the three of us can join forces."

Huoyuan looked at the two of them earnestly and said, "To look out for each other."

"Understood."

This time, both Qin Feng and Jin Mu nodded without hesitation.

Under such brutal rules, the strategic value of a stable alliance formed by top-tier geniuses was self-evident.

"Ah, if only we could break into the top hundred."

A look of longing appeared on Huoyuan's face as he sighed. "As long as we get a top-hundred rank, we earn a chance to choose—we can apply to go to the 'Ten Thousand Races Battlefield'!

In that place, there are extremely, extremely many top-tier opportunities, and many of them are pre-marked by our Human Empire, reserved specifically for the most exceptional prodigies to obtain.

That is the true leap to greatness!"

Hearing this, Qin Feng couldn't help but regard Huoyuan with newfound respect.

The secret of the "Ten Thousand Races Battlefield" was something his master, Devourer King, had just told him.

It might not be a secret among the empire's high echelons, but for ordinary planetary-level martial artists, it was absolutely unheard of.

This seemingly harmless, well-informed fat man, Huoyuan, likely had a background far deeper than Qin Feng had imagined.

Just as the three reached a consensus and were about to discuss more details, a cold and authoritative voice, like a celestial decree, instantly enveloped the entire plaza of the Genesis City, clearly reaching the ears of every genius.

It was the examiner, Luo Yu.

"Fellow contestants."

The clamorous noise of the plaza vanished in an instant, and a million gazes turned sharply toward the sky.

"The major arena is about to commence. All contestants, please immediately accept the subspace teleportation invitation to travel together to the venue of the major arena."

"Before that, let it be known in advance.

The major arena will be monitored without blind spots throughout, and broadcast live to all life-bearing planets of the Human Empire.

This matter involves the personal cultivation process of the participants and falls under the category of personal privacy.

All contestants, please submit the 'Privacy Disclosure Agreement' immediately. Those who do not submit will be deemed to have voluntarily forfeited their eligibility."

At these words, among the million prodigies in the arena, no ripples stirred.

Everyone appeared exceptionally calm, almost without hesitation, selecting "Agree" on their personal light screens.

For these martial artists, who had grown up under the empire's system, this was already an unspoken rule.

So-called cultivation privacy was hardly a secret for planetary-level beings.

The cultivation methods everyone practiced could mostly be bought in the empire's trading halls; the only differences were in proficiency and personal insight.

Qin Feng shared the same thought.

True privacy and secrets belonged to those above the "Black Hole Level" who had forged their own martial paths.

Mere planetary-level beings, in the eyes of those true giants, were as transparent as glass—hardly worth agonizing over.

When the last contestant submitted the agreement, a teleportation invitation shimmering with silver light popped up on everyone's light screens simultaneously.

Qin Feng did not hesitate and chose to accept.

The next moment, a brilliant pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping him completely.

Looking around, the entire plaza was filled with a million such pillars of light shooting into the heavens—a spectacle of utmost grandeur.

Within the light, space began to twist and fold violently.

In the blink of an eye, the light faded, and the million prodigies vanished together from the plaza of Genesis City, leaving only emptiness behind.

—

The dizziness of subspace teleportation receded like a tide, replaced by a surging torrent mixed with billions of different auras rushing toward him.

Qin Feng steadied himself and slowly opened his eyes.

The sight before him stirred a ripple in his heart, long tempered to stillness by a century of cultivation.

He stood upon a vast square beyond the reach of words to describe its immensity.

The ground was paved with an unknown pure white jade, smooth as a mirror yet seamlessly whole, stretching endlessly in all directions to the horizon.

And upon this boundless square, there were people.

A sea of humanity, stretching beyond the eye’s reach.

A tide of souls.

The number of warriors here surpassed any conventional measure.

Five trillion.

Qin Feng gazed out; these prodigies from the empire’s war bands were diverse in form and distinct in aura.

There were giants over three meters tall, muscles knotted like granite, exuding a primal savagery.

There were warriors with golden hair and blue eyes, slender figures clad in ornate, form-fitting soft armor.

Others had skin as dark as the deepest night, with sharply defined features.

Still more bore skin of a faint blue, hair cascading like waterfalls, drifting gently in the air, their auras calm and profound, as if holding the secrets of the starry sea.

Beyond these, there were countless hybrids with mixed features, clearly born from unions of different civilizations and races, their appearances bizarre and varied.

Qin Feng could even clearly sense, among the crowd not far away, several auras of exceptional power—obscure and terrifying—that from a mere distant perception made him feel the immense threat of being watched by a colossal beast.

“See that?”

Huo Yuan beside him lowered his voice, a tremor of awe in his tone. “The warriors under our ‘Extreme Warriors War Band’ mostly have black hair and black eyes. But other top war bands, like ‘Fire Dragon,’ ‘Thunder,’ ‘Sanctum,’ and so on, rule over civilizations of every strange form, with different educational models. The top geniuses they select are equally diverse.

Some come from impoverished war bands—they are the fiercest of the fierce.”

Qin Feng nodded silently.

This was not merely a gathering of geniuses; it was a concentrated display of countless brilliant civilizations within the human empire.

A unified school system like that of the Extreme Warriors was actually quite rare; most war bands sifted out their top geniuses through cruelty and bloodshed.

The prodigies of the Extreme Warriors were even mockingly called flowers raised in a greenhouse.

“These—from the countless civilizations and star domains of the human empire, layer upon layer of selection—are the most elite five trillion geniuses.”

Qin Feng looked around, feeling for the first time the most tangible pressure from the goal of “top one hundred.”

The weight of this competition far exceeded any of his previous imaginings.

To emerge from this ocean of monsters and break into the final top hundred was as hard as reaching the heavens.

“I wonder if I can truly make the top hundred…”

Qin Feng sighed softly in his heart. “If I fail at the very start, unable to even reach the top hundred, how could I ever face my master, the Devouring Heaven King?”

Just then, the gazes of Qin Feng and his two companions were drawn as one to the center of the square.

There, unnoticed, a hundred-meter-high platform had silently risen.

Its design was extremely simple, forged entirely from a dark gold metal, without any superfluous ornamentation.

Yet it stood quietly at the heart of billions, naturally commanding everyone’s attention.

Atop the platform, a figure sat in stillness.

“Nine Spirits King!”

Huo Yuan’s breath caught sharply, a stifled exclamation escaping him.

A king-level supreme powerhouse!

Qin Feng’s heart jolted; he immediately focused his gaze, even subconsciously mobilizing his “Goblet Realm” spiritual power to try to glimpse the true visage of that mighty being.

But just as when he had faced his master, the Devouring Heaven King, through the subspace network, all his probing sank into an abyss.

That figure seemed to exist in another dimension—visible, yet beyond perception.

His spiritual power swept over it, sensing only a vast pressure like the starry cosmos, but utterly unable to trace any specific features.

There, it was as if absolute nothingness reigned, yet also as if it held the ultimate principles of the universe—any attempt to pry was utterly futile.

…

Time flowed slowly in the long, oppressive wait.

On the square, the five trillion prodigies sat or stood, some meditating with closed eyes, others whispering to companions, maintaining a strange order.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

When the last batch of prodigies from remote star domain war bands was teleported to the square, all participants of the great competition zone had finally gathered.

At that very moment, the figure seated upon the throne, motionless for a month, finally stirred.

A voice, without warning, resounded in everyone’s mind.

The voice was calm, majestic, devoid of emotion, yet carrying the unquestionable supreme law.

“The current Cosmic Genius Tournament—Great Zone, begins now.”

That simple sentence plunged the entire square into absolute silence.

Everyone’s breath stopped in that instant.

The Nine Spirits King’s voice continued in their minds, announcing the rules:

“All contestants, please note the competition rules as follows.”

“Soon, you will each hold your ‘Information Jade Token’ and be uniformly deployed into the trial galaxy cluster. This cluster consists of ten thousand galaxies, rich in cultivation resources, but also teeming with alien creatures—opportunity and danger coexist.”

“This trial galaxy is under my control.

During this period, even if you are killed, you will not truly die.”

“Your ‘Information Jade Token’ will record all your information and points.

For each enemy you successfully kill, you gain a base point of ‘1,’ and you may also plunder all points held in that enemy’s token at the time.”

“If you are unfortunately defeated, you will be randomly redeployed by the rule’s power to various parts of the galaxy, entering a ten-year ‘Hunting Period.’”

“During the ‘Hunting Period,’ if you successfully kill any enemy, you regain formal competition eligibility, and your points restart from the enemy you killed.

If you fail to kill within the ‘Hunting Period,’ or are defeated again, you are considered officially eliminated, losing all competition qualifications.”

“…”

(The chapter ends.)