In the central plaza of the plane space specially designated for the Pinnacle Genius Battle, over one million geniuses from the 1,008 Universe Nations stared at the rightmost of the four massive screens floating in midair. Even the powerful Immortals seated on their thrones turned their attention toward that screen, their ancient eyes gleaming with interest.
"Swish!"
As Han Jue decisively dispatched the final Zerg Queen, a profound hush fell over the entire scene, a silence so complete that even the virtual wind seemed to hold its breath.
"Two! Both have passed the sixth Trial Tower!"
"Who's stronger, Han Jue or Bolan?"
"They both cultivate the Origin Law of Space and can create hundreds of avatars. I'd say they're evenly matched."
"Their combined points have eclipsed the third-place finisher by an absurd margin!"
"Too terrifying..."
Not only the geniuses but even the Immortals remained transfixed by the giant screen, their expressions a mixture of shock and anticipation.
Could these two prodigies make it past the first level of the seventh Trial Tower? The question hung in the air like thunder waiting to strike.
"Han Jue made it through the sixth? And the Death God Bolan too?"
Luo Feng's expression shifted, conflicting emotions warring across his features.
He'd expected Han Jue to succeed, after all, he knew his friend's true strength better than most. But the fact that even the legendary Death God Bolan had passed the sixth tower was genuinely terrifying. The white-robed swordsman's reputation hadn't been exaggerated in the slightest.
"No." Luo Feng clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, determination blazing in his eyes.
"I have to move faster!"
Controlling the Soaring Shuttle with his telekinetic power, Luo Feng charged at the Zerg Queen with renewed ferocity.
The fifth Trial Tower, passed!
The seventh Trial Tower awaited.
The first level's enemies consisted of ten thousand Blood-Haired Mammoths, creatures that had served as mere point-givers in the previous Trial Towers. But with each tower's advancement, the mammoths' strength had grown exponentially.
Any single one of these ten thousand Blood-Haired Mammoths possessed enough raw power to slaughter ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the one million participating geniuses. When ten thousand of them attacked in coordinated fury, even the Death God Bolan couldn't withstand their onslaught for long.
The Blood-Haired Mammoths stampeded forward!
They besieged Han Jue from all directions, their massive bodies trampling the ground with earth-shaking force. The virtual terrain cracked and rumbled beneath their weight as they converged on his position like an avalanche of flesh and fury.
At this point, Han Jue couldn't continue his previous leisurely approach. A single misstep would see the enraged mammoths tear him to pieces and trample him into paste.
Gripping the Cloud Sea Hunting Dragon sword tightly, Han Jue took a deep, centering breath.
"Swish!"
In an instant, the space surrounding him filled with dense, blue-clad figures, thousands of avatars appearing simultaneously. Within the mammoth herd, Han Jue became enveloped in a blue mist that transformed his surroundings into his own domain, as if he controlled the very fabric of reality itself. His expression remained utterly calm despite the chaos.
"Slash!"
Sword light flashed like lightning across water.
Thousands of avatars slashed their swords in perfect synchronization. Each strike incorporated Han Jue's comprehensive understanding of the fundamental Origin Laws of Water and Space, precisely targeting the mammoths' vital points with surgical accuracy.
Strange!
Swift!
Unpredictable!
Not only the observers outside but even Han Jue himself couldn't predict which beast's head his sword would strike next. Within a herd of such ferocious creatures, it was impossible to anticipate where an enemy seen one moment would appear the next.
All he could do was improvise with perfect execution, allowing his body to flow like water through the gaps in their formation.
Outside, in the central plaza.
"Thousands of spatial illusions! I haven't seen the technique he's cultivating documented anywhere, and it even allows the illusions to remain in place for a short duration," one Immortal commented, his voice carrying a note of professional fascination.
"A technique combining two fundamental Origin Laws? I believe I've encountered something similar before," Thirteen murmured thoughtfully, his scaled features creasing in concentration.
"His technique isn't the critical point!" another Immortal interjected sharply. "Didn't you notice he's using a technique he created himself?"
"His talent for creating secret techniques surpasses even Rong Jun's, and his gift for comprehending the fundamental Origin Law of Space matches Bolan's, perhaps even exceeding it. Furthermore, he possesses illusionist abilities that blend seamlessly with his combat style!"
"This..." an elderly Immortal whispered reverently, "...is the bearing of a future Venerable."
In another dimension of the Virtual Universe, Venerable Nine Swords was also observing Han Jue's trial with hawk-like intensity.
"Is the technique he's using the 'Myriad Avatars'?" Venerable Nine Swords murmured to himself, recognition dawning in his ancient eyes.
"The signature technique of the Bingfeng lineage..."
"Unfortunately, it seems I won't be able to take him as a disciple." Venerable Nine Swords shook his head with genuine regret, then turned away from the screen. Politics and ancient obligations had already determined Han Jue's fate, he would fall under another master's tutelage.
On the grasslands of the seventh Trial Tower.
Bolan gritted his teeth, wielding his blood-red sword as he fought desperately through the mammoth herd. His attention kept drifting to the leaderboards displayed at the edge of his vision, watching Han Jue's points climb steadily closer.
The momentum showed no signs of stopping, in fact, the rate of increase was accelerating!
"Puff!"
A mammoth's tusk pierced Bolan's arm, sending blood splattering across the virtual grass. All his phantom forms vanished instantly as his concentration broke.
Without even glancing at his wounded limb, Bolan swung his sword in a vicious counterattack, piercing the mammoth's skull and ending its life. Dark blood sprayed across his white robes, staining them crimson.
"Damn it! How is this possible!"
Bolan's teeth ground together audibly as he checked the leaderboard again. Han Jue's points had already surpassed his own total, and they were still rising at a frightening pace.
"Boom boom!"
Taking advantage of Bolan's momentary distraction, the other mammoths pressed their attack. Multiple heavy blows struck him in rapid succession, each impact rattling his bones.
After suffering catastrophic damage from the coordinated assault, the young man in white was finally knocked back, his body crushed beneath the trampling mammoths in a spray of virtual blood.
Ten thousand mammoths. Bolan the Death God had killed 6,333.
Under Han Jue's indirect pressure, he'd unleashed even greater potential than before, but ultimately, it proved insufficient.
With Bolan's elimination, every genius in the plaza fixed their gazes on the rightmost screen with renewed intensity.
"Can he make it past the first level?" The savage Rong Jun clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, staring at the screen with a mixture of admiration and frustration. "Too powerful... My proudly self-created secret technique is nothing compared to his capabilities. In every measurable aspect, he surpasses me!"
"I can't even hope to defeat Bolan right now, let alone Han Jue..." Rong Jun's nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood that he didn't even notice. His pride warred with stark reality.
Throughout the plaza, Rong Jun wasn't alone in his reaction.
The genius siblings from the mysterious Augus clan, Prince Wu Ka of the Manka people, the talented young woman from the Mengluoyi tribe, all of them remained glued to the screen, watching history unfold before their eyes.
"First it was Bolan, and now it's Han Jue." Wu Ka, the Manka prince, had completely abandoned any thoughts of competing for first place. His silver armor gleamed as he crossed his arms, acknowledging superior strength when he saw it.
"Fortunately, securing a spot in the Absolute Beginning Secret Realm shouldn't present any problems," he muttered to himself, already recalculating his goals and expectations.
"Our teacher was correct about Bolan being extraordinarily terrifying, we have absolutely no hope of defeating him," said the delicate green-haired girl, her voice soft but certain. The green-haired young man beside her, her brother, nodded solemnly in agreement.
"But teacher didn't anticipate that there would be another genius even stronger than Bolan appearing in this generation," she continued. "The competition has exceeded all expectations."
"Whoosh!"
Han Jue burst forth once more amidst the herd of Blood-Haired Mammoths, his movements fluid and precise.
The number of avatars on the field instantly doubled!
Years of arduous cultivation now bore their fruit in spectacular fashion. While Han Jue's understanding of the "Myriad Avatars" technique hadn't yet reached the legendary fifth level, the realm of Ten Thousand Dao Avatars, he'd made considerable progress through the fourth level's complexities.
"Waves!"
"Ice!"
"Sea Split!"
Three sword strikes executed in rapid succession!
The speed was incredible, almost impossible for the human eye to track. Only flashes of brilliant sword light could be seen as the Blood-Haired Mammoths were instantly dismembered by the blades, their massive bodies falling in pieces across the blood-soaked grass.
The first level of the seventh Trial Tower, passed!
Han Jue emerged completely unscathed, appearing relaxed and composed even in those final moments. His breathing remained steady, his posture perfect.
He clearly hadn't unleashed his full strength yet, this was merely a demonstration of his current baseline capabilities.
The second level presented ten thousand demonic beasts called "Nine-Headed Pythons."
Compared to ferocious beasts, these demonic creatures possessed considerable intelligence and excelled at coordinated combat tactics. While their individual strength didn't dramatically exceed the Blood-Haired Mammoths, their ability to work together as a unified force made them exponentially more dangerous.
Unfortunately for them, they encountered Han Jue.
"I told you, I'm at my best during group combat," Han Jue chuckled softly, gazing at the massive nine-headed python slithering before him with genuine amusement.
"Myriad Avatars!"
Han Jue's figure flickered between the nine-headed pythons like a ghost passing through walls. In an instant, over two thousand avatars materialized across the battlefield. Though lacking true physical form, these avatars maintained their positions for precious seconds, thoroughly confusing the pythons' tactical judgment.
Their vaunted intelligence became their fatal weakness.
Han Jue found dealing with these supposedly superior nine-headed pythons far easier than handling the mindless mammoths!
Second level, cleared!
The third level presented one thousand metallic beings called "Dora Warriors."
These Dora Warriors represented a genuine challenge even for Han Jue's exceptional abilities. Their armored bodies deflected weaker strikes, and their coordinated defensive formations proved difficult to penetrate.
Another explosive burst of speed!
But this time, Han Jue was pushing himself toward his absolute limit. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he concentrated with fierce intensity.
Over three thousand avatars appeared simultaneously, surrounding the Dora Warriors in a suffocating net of blue-clad figures.
Han Jue fought with everything he possessed, but telltale signs of exhaustion began showing in his movements. His breathing grew heavier, his strikes fractionally slower.
He gritted his teeth, making a crucial decision.
"Boom!"
Han Jue fully activated the first secret pattern engraved on his fifth-rank Force weapon, the "Cloud Sea Hunting Dragon." Mastering this pattern's power was roughly equivalent to wielding a third-level Soaring Shuttle weapon!
His killing speed skyrocketed instantly, his blade becoming a blur that few observers, save the watching Immortals, could properly track or comprehend.
Third level, passed!
The fourth level contained one thousand exotic cosmic creatures called "Howling Wind Hounds."
Despite being classified among the universe's most ferocious beasts, they proved no match for Han Jue's unleashed full power. His sword danced through their ranks like death itself had taken physical form.
Destroying them with calculated ease!
Fourth level, passed!
The fifth level presented one hundred mechanical puppets of devastating capability.
Despite experiencing repeated near-death moments and suffering several severe injuries that left him bloodied and battered, Han Jue managed to pass this level through sheer skill and determination. His robes were torn, blood leaked from multiple wounds, but his eyes burned with undiminished will.
With gritted teeth and iron resolve, he advanced to the sixth level!
The sixth level featured ten colossal star beasts called "Cang."
Meanwhile, Luo Feng had also concluded his own battle, having successfully reached the sixth Trial Tower before collapsing on its second level. His performance was extraordinary by any normal standard.
Overall ranking: Third place!
Luo Feng, Hong, the Death God Bolan, the Savage Rong Jun, Prince Wu Ka of Manka, many renowned geniuses remained transfixed, all staring intently at the final large screen displaying Han Jue's battle.
Han Jue gritted his teeth, wielding the Cloud Sea Sword with desperate precision as he charged at the first celestial beast!
"Swish!"
This time, even the seemingly invincible Cloud Sea Sword failed to slay the massive celestial beast with a single decisive blow. The creature's hide proved almost impenetrable, its defenses far exceeding anything Han Jue had faced before.
Throughout the watching crowd, many geniuses breathed unconscious sighs of relief.
He could fail too!
Several celestial beasts joined forces in coordinated assault, and no matter how valiantly Han Jue struggled, no matter how brilliantly he fought, he couldn't overcome their combined might. The mathematics of the situation were simply too unfavorable.
Han Jue was finally stopped at the sixth floor of the seventh Trial Tower, his virtual body crushed beneath a Cang's massive claw.
"Is this... a genius who appears once in tens of millions of epochs?" one Immortal exclaimed in genuine horror, his composure completely shattered.
"Not quite at that transcendent level yet, but..." another Immortal replied slowly, choosing his words with great care, "...there's definite hope for him to reach such heights. The potential is unmistakably present."
"Absolutely terrifying!"
The Immortals marveled collectively, their ancient perspectives allowing them to truly appreciate what they'd witnessed.
This level of talent, even if not quite at the legendary tens-of-millions-of-epochs tier, could legitimately be described as appearing once in millions of epochs! The distinction might seem academic, but to beings who'd lived for eons, it represented a meaningful difference.
Compared to the other participating geniuses, the gap wasn't like comparing stars to the moon, it was more like comparing the vast ocean to a single insignificant water droplet.
Thirteen hadn't stopped smiling radiantly since Han Jue passed the sixth Trial Tower. His scaled features were lit with barely contained joy and professional satisfaction.
This unprecedented performance must be reported to his Lord immediately!
The politics and opportunities such a genius represented were almost incalculable.