The rules for the one on one matches were brutally simple.
To advance, you had to keep winning.
Each battle took place on an identical arena spanning one thousand meters. Every arena was constructed to the same standard, with no environmental advantages or disadvantages. Each match lasted sixty minutes under the universe's unified time system, which translated to roughly ten minutes longer than Earth time.
All rankings and matchups were handled entirely by the Virtual Universe Company's intelligent system. After encoding the information of all ten thousand remaining contestants, the system shuffled and paired them at random, then publicly released the match order, time slots, and arena assignments. The same information was simultaneously delivered to every participant's terminal.
The process was transparent, impartial, and beyond reproach.
Soon after, the system began assigning numerical identifiers to all ten thousand competitors, confirming their opponents through randomized sequencing.
Before long, notifications appeared on everyone's terminals.
Rowan was scheduled for the very first match.
When he saw the name of his opponent, he paused slightly.
It was Chonglou.
The same opponent he had faced during the preliminary selection rounds.
Chonglou hailed from the Savage Frontier Universe Nation and had once been ranked first in his world. Among the younger generation, he was widely recognized as a formidable talent.
Rowan's expression turned subtly strange.
Fate really had a sense of irony.
The last time they met, Chonglou had barely escaped with his life. Both of his wings had been shattered, and he had only survived by burning a forbidden technique to flee at full speed, narrowly avoiding Rowan's killing blow.
This time, however, the arena was only one thousand meters across. Even if Chonglou had ten pairs of wings, there was nowhere to run.
And it had only been a little over ten days since their last encounter. In that span of time, a dramatic leap in strength was simply unrealistic.
Chonglou was truly unlucky.
The news spread quickly.
When the ruler of the Savage Frontier Universe Nation learned that his most promising genius had been matched against Rowan, the young man who had nearly taken first place in the initial selection, his face darkened immediately.
The immortals beside him hurried to offer reassurance.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Chonglou has consumed multiple high grade genetic enhancement serums during this period. His strength has increased significantly. This time, he should not fall as easily as before."
But everyone present knew the truth.
It was nothing more than comfort.
Yes, Chonglou's strength had improved.
But not nearly enough.
Against someone capable of wielding one of the Nine Telekinetic Weapons, the Void Cleaving Blade, there was no realistic path to victory.
Last time, Rowan had nearly killed him during a chaotic melee. In a clean one on one duel, the gap was even more unforgiving.
The ruler clenched his teeth in frustration.
It had taken ten thousand eras for their universe nation to produce a talent like Chonglou. With his astonishing defense, ferocious blade techniques, and partial mastery of the Law of Wind, he would have easily placed within the top fifty in any previous Genius Battle.
Now, even reaching the top one hundred felt uncertain.
Chonglou himself felt worse than anyone.
When he saw Rowan's name on his terminal, despair flooded his heart. The memory of their previous clash still haunted him. Even with his recent gains, he knew he stood no real chance.
He had followed Rowan's battles closely, praying silently that fate would spare him this matchup.
Yet the very thing he feared most arrived in the first round.
Bad luck did not begin to describe it.
As announcements rang across the plaza, all participants received their match times and arena numbers. Judges dispatched by the Nine Swords Lord began announcing the opening bouts.
Rowan stepped onto the arena.
Across from him, Chonglou followed, his expression grim.
The moment the battle began, Chonglou inhaled deeply and spread his iridescent wings. They trembled once before forming a translucent shell around his body, like a crystalline cocoon. The surface shimmered with strange light, radiating immense defensive power and even nullifying mental attacks.
This was his greatest safeguard.
And yet, standing before Rowan, it felt woefully insufficient.
Still, there was no retreat now.
Chonglou drew his twin long blades. Cold light flashed along their edges as currents of wind began to swirl around him. He was already invoking the Law of Wind.
Rowan stood calmly, the Star Shard Void Blade hovering at his side, gleaming with cold brilliance.
He did not rush.
He waited.
With a roar, Chonglou struck first. His blades spun, dragging the wind into a towering tornado that ripped across the arena toward Rowan. The ground was carved into deep scars as the violent airflow tore through stone and air alike.
Rowan moved lightly, slipping past the storm's core with ease. His form flickered like a phantom along the tornado's edge.
The same tactics.
The same patterns.
Rowan knew them all.
He noticed Chonglou's distracted expression and the tension etched into his face. A faint smile crossed Rowan's mind. He decided to let Chonglou vent his fear and desperation first. Ending it too quickly would almost feel disrespectful.
Chonglou, however, felt no such patience.
Seeing his attack fail, panic crept in. He pushed the Law of Wind harder, strengthening the tornado while charging forward, blades flashing as he pressed the assault.
Rowan finally moved.
With a flick of his wrist, the Star Shard Void Blade split into one hundred eighty thousand five hundred flying blades. They scattered like a field of stars, streaking toward Chonglou.
Chonglou's face drained of color. He reinforced his defensive shell to its limit while desperately swinging his blades to deflect the onslaught. Sparks exploded across the arena as blade after blade struck the cocoon.
Even as he defended, he searched for an opening.
Spotting a fleeting gap, he unleashed a wind infused slash straight at Rowan.
Rowan sidestepped effortlessly.
He nodded faintly.
Chonglou had improved.
But not enough.
Minutes passed. Rowan deliberately held back, allowing the battle to continue. He could have ended it at any moment, yet he let Chonglou fight on, giving him the dignity of resistance.
At last, Rowan decided it was time.
His telekinetic force surged.
The flying blades abruptly shifted direction, accelerating with terrifying speed as if guided by an unseen will. Their power multiplied.
Chonglou faltered.
Cracks spread across his shimmering cocoon. His wings trembled violently, fractures spiderwebbing across their surface.
Panic overwhelmed him.
It was useless.
Before absolute strength, everything else was meaningless.
With a final gesture, Rowan brought all the blades together into a single devastating torrent. The defensive shell shattered instantly.
Chonglou froze, eyes wide with terror.
The blades engulfed him.
Rowan controlled their force carefully. Chonglou was grievously wounded, but not killed.
It was mercy.
Chonglou collapsed onto the arena, despair hollowing his gaze. He understood that Rowan had spared him. Rowan had not even used the first form of the Star Shard Void Blade.
That mercy felt heavier than death.
With a final act of defiance, Chonglou struggled to his feet and drove his blade into his own chest, ending the battle on his terms.
Rowan sighed softly and turned away.
For him, this was merely another step forward. His true goal lay far beyond the arena.
Below the stands, Hong, Thunder, and Logan Feng exchanged smiles.
They had expected nothing less.
"Rowan is still terrifying," Thunder muttered with admiration.
"Yes. With him, our chances of reaching the top ten feel much more real," Logan Feng agreed.
Hong said nothing, his eyes fixed on the arena, already preparing himself for his own fight.
The battles continued across more than a hundred arenas. With five thousand matches in total, it would take over a day to conclude the round.
Eventually, it was Thunder's turn.
He was scheduled for the one hundred eighth match.
The massive blade in his hands seemed to hum with anticipation as he strode onto the arena.
His opponent was a tall, dignified man with dark green skin, every movement exuding aristocratic composure. In his hand was an unusual weapon, a slender needle like spear, something rarely seen.
Rowan watched with interest. Even he had never encountered such a weapon before.
"You are Thunder?" the man asked coolly. "I am Mo Yuan."
Thunder raised an eyebrow, then grinned.
"Enough talk. Let's fight."
The moment he spoke, thunder erupted.
Lightning surged from his body, crackling through the air as arcs of electricity danced around him. The arena trembled under the pressure of his presence.
Mo Yuan's expression sharpened. He flicked his weapon, sending a dark green beam shooting toward Thunder's throat.
Thunder swung his blade.
The collision shook the arena, forcing Thunder back several steps, his boots carving deep marks into the stone.
"Now this is interesting," Thunder laughed, excitement blazing in his eyes.
He charged.
A nine layered lightning domain unfolded around him, layer after layer stacking until the entire arena drowned in violet light. Thunder raised his blade high and brought it down with the force of a falling mountain.
Mo Yuan hastily activated his own domain, a surging field of water meant to resist the attack.
He forgot one thing.
Water conducts lightning.
The thunder tore through his body in an instant. His scream echoed briefly before the blade descended, cleaving him in two.
His form dissolved into data and vanished.
"The winner of match one hundred eight: Thunder!"
The crowd erupted.
Thunder had won in an instant.
His armor, his lightning, his presence all combined into a spectacle impossible to ignore.
In that moment, Thunder's name blazed across the arena, etched into the minds of all who watched.