Five battle scenes were displayed on the bottomless plaza at the Summit of the galaxy.
The one who attracted the most attention was Dilius. As the possessor of a Sovereign-level Extraordinary Physique, Dilius' name had long resounded throughout the Celestial Throne. The day his innate talent was made public, countless powerhouses at the Summit of the Galaxy were shaken to their core.
In this selection process, Dilius naturally drew the eyes of the masses. Next were three super-geniuses with Monarch-level Blood. Their performances were equally captivating. The final battle scene randomly switched between the remaining selected geniuses, attracting relatively few viewers.
Chi's gaze swept over the three Monarch-level prodigies one by one. His brows furrowed deeply as he searched for an answer.
"So, which one of them is it?" His companion asked, equally curious about the powerful, monstrous newcomer Chi had described.
But Chi simply shook his head.
"None of them."
"What?"
His companion was taken aback, his expression turning puzzled.
"If it's not a Monarch-level bloodline, then who else could have done that—defeating you, a Law Master, with a single move?"
"I don't know."
Chi exhaled slowly and said in a low voice, "But such a person definitely exists. Perhaps it's a hidden Monarch-level talent."
"Hmm."
His companion nodded, offering no further questions. It wasn't unheard of for a genius to remain obscure and conceal their true strength before the selection, only to make a stunning debut during the competition. In past years, there had almost always been one or two dark horses who suddenly emerged. But as long as the selection continued, if the opponent's strength was truly as formidable as Chi claimed, they were bound to encounter them again.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a blinding flash of light erupted from the starry sky at the very center of the Palace of the Summit of the galaxy. Amidst a ripple of murmurs and speculation, Chi and his companion's gaze was drawn to the scene. There, amidst the starlit expanse, stood a domineering and ferocious three-eyed youth, holding a long spear. Though merely a projection, the savage and menacing aura emanating from him still caused many to turn their heads in astonishment.
"Dilius!"
"He's already cleared the seventh stage!"
"So fast! He's almost broken the record for the fastest clear in previous years!"
"No wonder he's of Sovereign-level Blood—it's truly terrifying."
Chi and his companion both froze slightly, exchanging glances. In each other's eyes, they saw traces of shock and awe. To have cleared the seventh level so quickly! It must be noted that aside from the first stage, which was guarded by upperclassmen, all subsequent stages involved capturing General-level Beasts from the Interdimensional Battlefields.
Starting at level 13, each stage grew more terrifying than the last. Even if they, as upperclassmen, were to go through the selection process again, few would be confident they could clear the seventh level. And yet, how little time had Dilius taken to completely clear all seven stages? Such power was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
"A Sovereign-level… a Sovereign-level genius who might appear only once in a hundred thousand years in a single galaxy…"
His companion didn't know what words to use to describe it, only sighing in awe. Glancing at the other live feeds in the arena, the battles were still raging on, fiercely intense.
"Those three Monarch-level Bloods—even the fastest among them has only just set foot on the fourth stage!"
Chi listened to his companion's exclamation, nodding slightly with a complex expression to show his agreement.
And just then, the fifth broadcast feed—the one that had been consistently overlooked in the starry sky, the one receiving the least attention— suddenly zoomed in, freezing on a randomly selected frame. A towering, peerless figure stood out in the image. Standing right beside Dilius, equal in stature. A Match Made in Heaven!
"Uh…"
This unexpected turn of events left many of the senior students at the Summit of the Galaxy momentarily stunned. Many were so taken aback that they couldn't even react for a moment. The random screen lock and zoom-in could only be caused by one reason. And that is—the person selected by the random feed... had also cleared the seventh stage of the selection and was now awaiting the start of the next one!
The moment Chi saw the figure in the feed zoomed in and highlighted, his pupils contracted sharply. The memory of being utterly crushed in the selection chamber by that palm shrouded in white light—shattered in an instant—instinctively resurfaced in his mind. His spirit trembled in that instant. Chi stared intently at the aloof figure standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Dilius, his expression dazed as he murmured.
"I've found him… the one who defeated me in a single move… it's him."
"?!?"
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In the Celestial Serpent's heart, countless people stared intently at the massive blue portal in the sky, and at the rankings displayed beside it.
"Damn it!"
A small vortex appeared within the vast blue portal stretching from sky to earth, and a slender young man tumbled out of it. The young man exuded the powerful aura of a Level 13 martial artist. His expression and demeanor were rather disheveled, even tinged with a touch of embarrassment.
"Young Master Nonoxis!"
The moment the young man appeared, a small group immediately rushed out from the crowd gathered around the blue portal. Riding flying machines, they swiftly flew to meet him. The young man known as Nonoxis, however, merely tossed out a single word: "Go!"
Then he shot off into the sky, not looking back once. Some in the crowd watched him fade into the distance, but soon averted their gaze, no longer paying attention.
"Looks like this selection process is even tougher than we imagined."
Over here, Pablo and Haiji Dao, also among the onlookers, stood side by side. Pablo glanced in the direction the young man had left, his expression complex as he spoke, "I never thought even a level 13 would still get eliminated."
"What did you expect?" Haij Dao glanced at him and said indifferently, "If any level 13 could guarantee admission to the Celestial Serpent Supreme Martial Arts academy, why would you and I still be standing here?"
Pablo nodded with a wry smile. Then, with a mix of tension and anticipation, he looked at the massive leaderboard beside the light gate. It hadn't been long since the group of geniuses participating in the selection had entered the light gate, yet the number of those who had been eliminated was astonishingly high. Many had been thrown out the moment they entered, making one wonder if they had even managed to catch a glimpse of their opponents' faces after going in.
In contrast to Pablo's tension, Haiji Dao looked completely relaxed and unconcerned. His primary purpose for this trip was to escort Lu Sheng to participate in the selection. So far, the strength Sheng had demonstrated had far surpassed his own—no, it had far exceeded the expectations of the Chief Star Elder by more than ten thousand times. There was absolutely no doubt that Sheng would pass the selection and enter the Celestial Throne Academy.
If even Lu Sheng were to be eliminated, Haiji Dao couldn't imagine who else could possibly pass this selection. As for Anon Turing... In Haiji Dao's mind, he was nothing more than an afterthought. It would be great if he passed, but if he didn't, it wouldn't matter. At worst, he'd just go back with him.
As time passed, the frequency of people being flung out of the Light Gate gradually decreased. Meanwhile, the rankings displayed on the Light Gate leaderboard began to fluctuate frequently.
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Translation notes by dhoo
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Summit of the Galaxy, atop/upon the stars/galaxy
羣星之巔, qún xīng zhī diān: 羣星 galaxy (羣 multitude 星 star), 之 's, 巔 summit/peak
These are actually the characters used to describe this place in the previous chapter, "atop a group of stars", as well as the characters used in the prediction Saya received: « See the first person you met, go back to where it all started, reclaim what is rightfully yours. The one reigning upon the stars has prepared everything for you. »
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Young master Nonoxis
諾諾西斯少爺, nuò nuò xī sī shàoyé: yes yes western present
Young master yes yes seems angry, it seems he can't take no for an answer :/