"It's over!"
"Our journey in the Genius Competition ends here!"
"Haha! Everyone, failure is only temporary. In the end, the true measure of martial cultivation is whether we can become immortals!"
"That's right! From today onward, surpassing Jiang Li will be my lifelong goal. If I can't beat him at the Stellar level, who's to say I won't at the Universe level?"
"Exactly! There's still the Domain Lord level and the World Lord level. I believe that one day I'll surpass those geniuses!"
"Exchange contact numbers! If we get the chance in the future, let's explore secret realms together!"
"Deal!"
"I'm leaving!"
"Goodbye, brothers!"
The eliminated geniuses did not leave in despair.
Instead, most departed with their convictions strengthened, determined that one day they would surpass those ranked above them.
Soon...
As time passed, the geniuses ranked from 100th to 7,300th began their head-to-head arena battles.
From the Qianwu Universe Country, aside from Hong, there were three other participating geniuses.
The brutal competition continued unabated.
Those who had been eliminated departed with hopes for the future, beginning their journeys home.
Those who remained sharpened their resolve, waiting for their final chance to shine.
"Jiang Li, Luo Feng!"
Inside the spacious courtyard, Rong Jun stepped out of his room. Looking at the two chatting together, he took a deep breath.
"I'm really looking forward to fighting both of you."
"Hm?"
Jiang Li and Luo Feng, seated calmly in the courtyard, turned toward him.
Rong Jun's tiger-like eyes held not the slightest fear.
They burned only with soaring battle intent.
"So am I."
A smile appeared on Luo Feng's face.
His long ordeal inside the Trial Towers had allowed his Law comprehension to improve continuously.
In the end, he had reached the first floor of the sixth Trial Tower, earning seventh place, slightly ahead of Rong Jun.
Meanwhile...
In a vast and mysterious region of the universe...
"Geniuses are always so confident."
A sigh echoed from a special dimension where the flow of the universe's Laws was exceptionally clear.
"Perfectly comprehending the operation of the universe is already unimaginably difficult."
"Yet this Jiang Li has comprehended four different Laws..."
"What a pity."
"The more Laws one comprehends, the harder it becomes to achieve a breakthrough."
"How could someone like him ever become an Immortal within a thousand eras?"
The same sighs of regret could also be heard in Chaos City.
Many supreme beings who had been watching the Human Universe Genius Competition felt similarly.
The realm of Immortality...
Was simply too difficult.
In their eyes, someone like Jiang Li—who had chosen to study so broadly—had effectively blocked his own path to becoming an Immortal.
Even if he reached the peak of the World Lord realm...
Even if he became as powerful as Kedi and could kill Marquis-level Immortals while still a World Lord...
So what?
A World Lord's maximum lifespan was only one thousand eras.
Compared to the endless passage of cosmic time...
A thousand eras were nothing more than the blink of an eye.
Outside opinions had no effect on the ongoing Genius Competition.
After a day's rest...
The final 7,300 geniuses gathered once more in the plaza.
Invisible pressure filled the air as the Universe Exalt presiding over the competition appeared above them.
"Lord Nine Sword!"
The Immortals and all the participating geniuses bowed respectfully.
"The Trial Towers have concluded."
"First, congratulations to the contestants ranked first through one hundred."
"You have earned the qualification to enter the Virtual Universe Company's Core Region."
"If anyone does not wish to join the Virtual Universe Company, you may speak now."
"You will not be forced."
Lord Nine Sword's gentle voice echoed directly into everyone's ears—and minds.
Silence.
As the seconds passed, the enormous plaza remained deathly quiet.
"Very good."
After a moment, Lord Nine Sword nodded.
"Next..."
"The contestants ranked 101st through 7,300th will compete for the remaining 900 spots."
"The Virtual Universe Network has already assigned your opponents."
"Only those who achieve three consecutive victories will secure qualification."
"One defeat means immediate elimination."
As soon as these words were spoken...
Many geniuses inhaled sharply.
By this point, they had already accepted the competition's cruelty.
The only uncertainty now...
Was whose luck would be better.
Perhaps they would draw a weaker opponent.
Boom!
Before anyone could ask questions...
Space trembled.
In an instant, 7,200 contestants were teleported into their individual battle arenas.
Moments later...
Scenes from each battlefield appeared throughout the plaza, just as they had during the Trial Tower phase.
The remaining one hundred directly qualified geniuses looked up to watch.
"There are seats over there."
Lord Nine Sword pointed toward one side of the plaza.
"You may sit and watch."
Naturally, no one declined.
Friends gathered together as they took their seats.
"It's started."
"Curator Hong's opponent is Thunder Blade from the Yate Universe Country."
Having traveled around before the competition, Luo Feng was familiar with many famous geniuses.
Unlike the lengthy Trial Tower challenges...
Arena battles were swift.
Very soon...
The first round ended when the final contestant leaped to his own death rather than surrender.
Hong barely defeated Thunder Blade through the combined use of Light and Time Laws, advancing to the second round.
"No!"
"I won't lose!"
As cries of unwillingness echoed across the arenas...
Another round concluded.
Only 1,800 peerless geniuses remained.
Their eyes burned with longing for the future.
They were only one step away from final victory.
Among them...
Certain geniuses secured victory with overwhelming ease.
One example was Phantom Demon Galesi.
Across all three of his matches, he barely needed to move.
Every opponent was defeated by his terrifying soul attacks.
Such a specialized method had been at a disadvantage inside the Trial Towers...
But in arena battles...
It was practically unstoppable.
"If it were me..."
"I'm not sure I could withstand it either."
Rong Jun spoke in a low voice as he watched Galesi.
"Soul attacks are the most unpredictable."
Luo Feng nodded.
As a Spirit Reader, the more he understood illusion techniques, the more frightening he realized they truly were.
"Ah!"
On one of the projected battlefields...
Hong's figure flashed like a beam of light.
His mastery over the Law of Light had become nearly flawless.
In the end...
A single spear thrust pierced straight through his opponent's head.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
One figure after another returned to the plaza.
After three brutal elimination rounds...
Only 900 geniuses remained.
Among them...
Was Aurora Hong.
Including Jiang Li, Luo Feng, and Rong Jun—who had already qualified directly—
Hong was the only remaining representative of the Qianwu Universe Country.
"It seems Miscellanies of Time truly changed the Curator's destiny..."
Jiang Li looked toward Hong and nodded inwardly.
After all...
Hong had once been Earth's strongest human during the Great Nirvana Era.
His life story alone was worthy of an entire novel.
For someone like him...
Growing stronger was only a matter of time.
"Congratulations."
Looking at the 900 victorious geniuses, Lord Nine Sword's ethereal voice reached every ear.
"The Genius Competition is not the end of your martial path."
"On the contrary..."
"It is only the beginning."
"And the beginning of an even crueler competition."
"Among the one thousand of you..."
"The last 900 will each receive 10 Mixed Yuan Units, the qualification to study within the Initial Universe, and admission into the Virtual Universe Company's core Doomsday Secret Realm."
"Those ranked 11th through 100th will each receive 100 Mixed Yuan Units, the qualification to study within the Initial Universe, and admission into the core Heaven and Earth Secret Realm."
At this point...
Lord Nine Sword paused before smiling.
"Originally..."
"Contestants ranked 3rd through 10th were to enter the Primal Beginning Secret Realm."
"However..."
"Since your generation has broken records set by all previous participants..."
"The highest executives of the Virtual Universe Company have reached a decision."
"They are granting five places in the Primitive Secret Realm."
"In other words..."
"After the final rankings are determined..."
"Five of you will enter the Primitive Secret Realm."
Silence.
Most of the thousand peerless geniuses had no idea what these Secret Realms actually represented.
But judging from the names alone...
It was obvious that the Primitive Secret Realm was the highest-ranked among them.
"Heh..."
"Death God Bolan had already become famous throughout the universe."
"The Virtual Universe Company was probably planning to reserve one Primitive Secret Realm slot for him."
"Who would've thought Jiang Li would completely steal the spotlight?"
The Immortals, who understood the rules of the Genius Competition, all turned to look at Immortal Thirteen.
He merely shrugged with a smile.
"They should be thanking Jiang Li."
"He single-handedly forced the Virtual Universe Company to add three extra Primitive Secret Realm slots."