At this moment, green poison algae rained down from the sky. Chi Lian-Baiye had broken through the blockade and was spreading his poison throughout the valley.
The algae's range was too vast, so its potency was greatly reduced. But combined with Diao's and Yin's strength, everyone except for a few top-ranked experts from the various academies was fundamentally unable to cross the valley.
Twenty minutes later, as the last student dashed across, the "Storming the Three Academies" segment ended.
The final number of students who broke through was 362, just shy of half. If even one more person had made it, the three academies would have been eliminated.
Yan Qing-Night-King let out a breath. It was a good thing this segment was just for entertainment. If those Domain Master students had truly attacked, even all the students of the Third, Seventh, and Tenth Academies combined wouldn't have been able to stop them.
This one segment showed countless people the power of the Starry Sky Academy students—not just the defenders, but also those breaking through. Many people reflected that they absolutely could not have broken past those three guards. The poison algae, the gravity, and the murderous Field... it was too terrifying. Even some Explorer-realm experts wore grave expressions. The younger generation was getting stronger and stronger.
In space, Liu Xiaoyun let out a breath. It was finally over. She looked at Yin on the screen. The man was smiling, but it sent a chill down her spine. He was only in the Melt-realm, yet he wielded the power of life and death over Limiteer experts with his Field. Even if those Limiteers could fight back, how many could have blocked him? Once this person broke through to the Limiteer realm, he would absolutely be a powerful contender for a Zone Master position.
It wasn't just Liu Xiaoyun. The Zone Masters on the high peak to the south were also paying close attention to Yin.
In the Great Yu Empire, Jue Lang frowned. This person's identity was mysterious. He was from the Empire, but the imperial records on him were pitifully scarce, and seemed to have been tampered with. This person... what is his origin?
On Wu Shan's personal terminal was Yin's file. It was very ordinary, very simple, and... very mysterious.
In the valley, Chi Lian-Baiye and Diao both gave Yin strange looks. This person was truly chilling. Nearly half of the eliminated students were killed by him. Even though this was the Afterlife-World, they felt that even if it wasn't, this man would kill without the slightest mercy. He was a madman.
Yin smiled, his smile brilliant. He looked up, though no one knew who he was looking at.
...
As all the participating students arrived at the open ground behind the war drums, the "Storming the Dragon Gate" segment began.
The Fourth Academy's students were the first to fully assemble. On the screen, under the gaze of countless people across the universe, a man roared. His palm suddenly enlarged several times, twisting the void. Cracks spiderwebbed from under his feet. He then thrust his palm out. A faint spatial crack could be seen spreading from the void upwards, shocking countless viewers.
BANG!
A tremendous sound shook heaven and earth. A visible sound wave rippled out like a tsunami, striking the Fourth Academy's students head-on.
This was the "baptism" of the war drum. In ancient warfare, the drum led the charge. The drum's roar shook the world. Only those who could withstand its momentum could go to battle. The Ten Academies Tournament... was a battlefield.
The Fourth Academy's dozen or so students stood motionless. The sound wave swept past. Even as blood trickled from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths, they endured. At this moment, they could not fall, even in death.
The roar passed the Fourth Academy students and spread out, gradually enveloping all the participating students, including those from the Third, Seventh, and Tenth Academies who had just arrived.
The earth shattered. Rubble flew into the air, only to disintegrate into dust.
At this moment, another great bang resounded, this time from the First Academy. As Lulu watched, Grantini Mebis threw a punch. It didn't create a spatial crack like the man from the Fourth Academy, but it was just as shocking, because she had used pure, unadulterated strength.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
...THUMP!... (Sound of the Tenth Academy's drum)
...THUMP!...
...THUMP!...
The successive explosions caused the very sky to visibly distort. The concentrated sonic booms wrought havoc. The "Storming the Three Academies" valley in the distance directly shattered. The students from all academies who were watching were also affected, clutching their ears in pain.
Behind the Tenth Academy's drum, Keke bit her lip.
Meng Yue's face was red. Shuz gripped the hilt of his saber. The waves of sound almost knocked them unconscious.
Lulu shouted, raised her hand, and threw a punch. The moment her small, snow-white fist made contact, she finally understood why she was told to use her full strength. The war drum was incredibly tough; an ordinary person couldn't make it sound at all.
...THUMP!...
The overlapping sound waves exploded. Finally, some students couldn't hold on and collapsed. These were the ones who had relied on luck to get through the valley. But luck couldn't guarantee they would pass the "Dragon Gate." The tournament wanted true elites, not just opportunists.
In front of the Fifth Academy's drum, the man Lulu had thought was frail raised his hand. Water from the sky converged, forming a sphere. As time passed, the sphere's size didn't change, but it terrified many, because it had condensed too much water. The weight of this water sphere was horrifying.
THUMP!
The Fifth Academy's drum exploded with a sound so world-shaking, it drowned out the Ninth Academy's drum, which was struck at the same time. This one sound... caused no less than twenty students to vomit blood and collapse.
Behind the Tenth Academy's drum, Hei Xu looked up at the frail man. His name was Tu Bo. Like him, he was a "seed" from the Clover Company, representing terrifying talent.
...
All the war drums had been struck. In an instant, they had destroyed an area of ten-thousand meters, completely shattering the land, filling the air with dust. Above the drums, the void itself cracked, as if it couldn't bear the strain, forming a rain of fissures.
Countless people across the universe stared blankly. It's just striking a drum. Does it have to be this dramatic? Tearing the void... isn't that exclusive to Star-wanderer experts? Why does it look so easy in their hands?
At this moment, Gurbach and the others watching the screen finally understood the gap between them and the universe's most VIP geniuses. They weren't even in the same league. They couldn't compare. Wendy Yushan's disdain for them had been correct.
Lulu hadn't caused much of a sensation. Her origins were too clear: the Mebis clan, a terrifyingly strong race by birth. No matter where you put them, they were absolute geniuses. She couldn't provide the same shock as Yin had.
At this point, Wu Da's gaze had already shifted south. There, ten ancient, hundred-meter-tall incense sticks stood. This incense was difficult to light, not because of its material, but because it was entwined with the battle-intent of ancient predecessors. This intent was formless and indescribable, similar to a Field. Ordinary people couldn't even get close.
It looked like a simple offering, but in reality, this was the hardest trial. In the tournament's history, academies had been eliminated for failing to light the incense, and quite a few of them. Therefore, those qualified to light the incense were all absolute experts of the Ten Academies.
The other academies all had deep reserves of talent. Only the Tenth Academy... who could they send? Who could light the incense? Perhaps only Da Pao and Xiao Pao. But even they were a stretch. Combat power didn't always mean one could light the incense. Their personalities would drastically lower the success rate.
Lighting the incense, "Honoring the Ancestors", required reverence.
...
As the sound waves faded, the sky calmed. The screen changed. Countless people turned their gazes to the ten incense sticks, and to the ten figures standing a thousand meters away from them.
In past tournaments, the incense-lighters were almost always the ones who would ultimately challenge the academy Top Students. They were the ones everyone paid most attention to.
Ten figures stood silently. The thousand-meter distance to the incense was their test.
Countleass eyes turned to the First Academy. A woman stood there, her face veiled, but her temperament was cold and clear, with an ancient charm. No one dared to look down on her. The First Academy had held this position for many years; they possessed the most elite, monstrous talents.
People looked to the Second Academy. A man with a longsword stood there. Many recognized him: Liu Tang, a disciple of the Sword Sect. Though not a Domain Master, he was no weaker than any of them, perhaps even stronger. No introduction was needed. The name "Sword Sect" said it all.
The Third and Fourth Academies both sent members of the White Night Clan. The White Night Clan represented power. People didn't even have the inclination to question it; their strength was too deeply ingrained in people's minds.
The Fifth Academy sent a Domain Master, a man with a gentle appearance and a smile in his eyes. Many recognized him: Xia Ye, the Domain Master of the Heavenly-Path-Machine-Tomb. Though many knew of him, almost no one truly understood his strength. But to be standing here, he had to be strong.
The Sixth Academy's was a stranger. Many experts in the Ten Academies were "hidden-mountain-undisclosed-water". Perhaps only the Zone Masters knew their true power.
The Seventh and Eighth Academies also sent unknown experts, making them unpredictable. But to be sent out for this segment, these people would definitely become famous after the tournament.
The Ninth Academy's choice was recognized by many. To be precise, his clan was famous. They were the traitors of the Undying-Bird family—the Black-Undying-Bird, the Phineas family. The one who came was Boni Phineas, who had broken through to the Limiteer realm.
Behind the Fifth Academy's drum, among the dozen students, Hart Phoenix's eyes burned, his lips curled. He had survived his family's nine-deaths-one-life trial and finally metamorphosed. He would personally tear Lu Yin and this traitor apart in the tournament, to show everyone the glory of the Undying-Bird once more.
...
And a thousand meters from the Tenth Academy's incense... stood someone who made countless jaws drop. A Melt-realm? They sent a Melt-realm cultivator?
Many had speculated it would be Da Pao or Xiao Pao. After all, those two had challenged a Zone Master together and possessed the power of top-tier Domain Masters. Although their personalities made it hard to light the incense, it wasn't so bad they had to send a Melt-realm, was it?
That's right. The Tenth Academy sent Xia Luo. He stood there with a faint smile, enduring the questioning and bizarre looks from countless people, his expression unchanging, even relaxed.
Wu Da's eyes were bright with excitement. "It's him! This guy can easily neutralize Uro's full-power attack! He's definitely not simple! He might have a Field, or maybe he's a Lockbreaker! If he succeeds, it will shake all ten academies! He'll be the first Melt-realm in history to light the incense! Come on, you have to succeed!"
In space, Matron Nalan was also stunned. She turned to Lu Yin. "Your Tenth Academy... has guts."
Lu Yin smiled. "Oh, he's very strong."
"How strong? Like that Yin?" Matron Nalan was curious. The Tenth Academy had successfully piqued her interest. This "expelled" academy was very interesting.
Lu Yin nodded. "I don't know exactly how strong. He's never shown it."
Liu Xiaoyun said indifferently, "It seems you are just as the rumors guessed: a decoy propped up by the Tenth Academy."
Matron Nalan snapped, "Xiaoyun, be respectful!"
Lu Yin just smiled, unbothered.
At this moment, the captain announced, "Ma'am, we are approaching the Tenth Academy."
Lu Yin's and Liu Xiaoyun's eyes lit up. It was finally their turn.