High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 527: Chapter 327: The Preliminary Round Begins (Part 2)

A young man, clad in simple gray robes, his face as grim and cold as stone.

He stood alone, facing three phantom beasts formed from Laws. Each was the size of a mountain, its aura clearly at the late-stage Tier One Star Lord level.

The phantom beasts roared. Claw-shadows that tore through space and searing breaths that could incinerate all creation blasted toward the gray-robed youth simultaneously.

Yet, not a ripple of emotion showed in the youth’s eyes. His figure moved like a phantom, weaving through the gaps in the violent onslaught.

He was so fast he left behind a trail of afterimages. Every movement perfectly evaded a fatal blow, making it seem effortless.

He seemed to be merely observing, adapting.

A moment later, just as the three phantom beasts’ attacks reached their frenzied peak, a cold glint flashed in the youth’s eyes.

SHING!

A sword hum, so clear and sharp it seemed to slice through the Laws themselves.

There was no earth-shattering explosion of energy, only a flash of bleak, gray sword light—condensed to its absolute limit, as if capable of severing time itself.

PSH! PSH! PSH!

The three late-stage Star Lord phantom beasts, their savage auras blazing, froze mid-motion.

Then, they silently split down the middle and dissolved into pure energy particles, vanishing into the void.

The entire process was unbelievably fast, clean, and decisive.

The youth sheathed his sword, his movements as smooth as flowing water. It was as if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

”Excellent!” a wizened voice, full of gratification, rang out.

The space beside the youth split open without a sound, and an old man in identical, simple gray robes slowly emerged.

The old man’s aura was completely restrained, as if he were one with the void itself. Yet his mere presence instantly calmed the turbulent currents of the Laws around them, forcing them to retreat in deference.

He looked at the youth sheathing his sword, a rare hint of approval on his face.

”That strike, ’Instantaneous Life and Death,’ has captured its essence. The trace of space-time, controlled at will. Very good, my disciple. Your ’Annihilation Sword Dao’ has finally reached a proficient level.”

The gray-robed youth bowed slightly. ”Thank you for your guidance, Master.”

The old man’s gaze turned toward the distant Alka Empire, his profound eyes seeming to pierce through the endless Star Sea.

”The Cosmic Peak Genius Battle... Go. With your current strength, you are more than capable of contending with that so-called ’Bloodslaughter’ Barton, the one rumored to be ranked first on Alka Star this year...”

”...vying for the top spot in that district. Let this silent universe hear the ringing of your sword.”

At last, a spark of fervent battle intent ignited in the youth’s eyes.

He nodded slowly. ”Disciple receives his orders.”

The invisible drums of war were already beating in every corner of the vast cosmos.

Whether they were ambitious imperial powerhouses, ancient Strong Races whose halos had faded, warriors from minor clans struggling to survive, or peerless prodigies who trained in secluded cultivation...

...all eligible geniuses were like stars being drawn into a colossal vortex.

They surged toward the stage of the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle, a focal point of infinite light and glory.

The Star Sea was set ablaze!

...

Time slipped by quietly amidst cultivation and waiting.

In the blink of an eye, a month slipped through their fingers.

Galactic Calendar, Year 250, April 4th. (Blue Star Time)

The grand event that had captured the attention of the entire human domain of the cosmos—the once-in-a-millennium Cosmic Peak Genius Battle—officially began today.

Within the Virtual Cosmos, in a private preparation area exclusive to the Source Net.

Li Wen’s figure had already materialized.

Before him was the exclusive Genius Battle interface, officially released by the Source Net.

On a massive holographic projection, a countdown timer ticked down relentlessly.

Every tick of the numbers tugged at the hearts of countless geniuses.

[Alka Advanced Empire District Registered Participants: 8,742,695,321,155]

The staggeringly long, astronomical number was a cold testament to the brutality of the competition.

Eight trillion!

And this was just for a single advanced imperial jurisdiction within the Alka Empire.

Behind every single one of those numbers was a living being who considered themselves extraordinary, dreaming of making a name for themselves or changing their destiny.

They might be renowned prodigies from a certain Star Domain.

They might be elites meticulously groomed by an ancient family.

Or they could be lone warriors from a remote planet who had overcome countless hardships just to get here.

Now, all of them had their sights set on a single goal—

...to fight their way out of the masses on the stage of the Genius Battle and seize the glory and resources that could change their lives forever.

”...3... 2... 1... 0!”

The moment the countdown hit zero, an irresistible spatial force instantly enveloped Li Wen.

WHOOSH!

Light swirled, and space shifted.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an immense, clamorous plaza.

As far as the eye could see, there was an endless tide of people of all shapes and sizes.

Auras of every kind of life form mingled and clashed.

This was the initial assembly area set up in the Virtual Cosmos for all participants in the Alka District.

The teleportation was carried out based on one’s ”IP address” in the real world.

As a relatively concentrated group of elites, the internal members of the Source Net were mostly assigned to the same area.

Li Wen soon spotted some familiar figures—Ares Titan, with a physique as burly as a small mountain, and Isabel, whose cool temperament made her shine even in a crowd.

Almost at the same time, they spotted Li Wen as well. Their eyes met, and the three of them quickly moved toward one another through the thronging crowd.

”Li Wen!” Ares’s voice boomed with a hint of excitement. ”They’re about to split us into zones. Out of a thousand worlds, who knows what godforsaken corner we’ll get thrown into. I just hope we don’t run into a freak like Barton right off the bat.”

He grinned, but his eyes burned with an eagerness to fight.

”We’ll find out soon enough.” Li Wen was calmer, a faint, confident smile playing on his lips.

He glanced around, feeling the immense presence of the trillions of geniuses gathered in one place. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement, but it was mostly overshadowed by a calm anticipation.

The few of them exchanged brief pleasantries, discussing their current conditions and their thoughts on the rules.

Almost as soon as their conversation ended, an even more powerful teleportation force descended, covering the trillions of participants in the plaza without any warning.

BZZZZ—

Space warped violently, and the light before their eyes shattered and reformed in an instant.

When his vision cleared again, Li Wen found himself standing on a primitive, unfamiliar land.

Towering ancient trees shot up from the ground, their canopies like parasols blocking most of the sky, allowing only mottled specks of light to filter through.

The air was humid and heavy, thick with the rich scent of vegetation and the raw smell of earth.

He felt a firm yet slightly elastic texture under his feet—a layer of humus that had accumulated over countless years.

’Gravity!’ Li Wen’s body sank slightly as he instantly perceived the change in his environment. ’It’s several times stronger than on Alka Star.’

Just as he was adapting to the intense gravity, a cold system announcement echoed simultaneously in the minds of all participants:

[Cosmic Peak Genius Battle · Alka District Round One (1,000-Man World Battle Royale) Rule Announcement:]

[1. All participants start with 1 point.]

[2. Kill Rules:

Killer: Receives 50% of the killed participant’s current points (rounded down), with a minimum gain of 1 point.

Killed: Loses 50% of their current points (rounded down), with a minimum loss of 1 point.]

[3. Killed participants will be immediately teleported out of the world.]

[4. Each 1,000-man world will last for 30 days of Virtual Cosmos time. Afterward, the top 100 participants from each world, ranked by points, will advance to the second round.]

...

When the announcement ended, an invisible, murderous aura instantly enveloped the world.

Li Wen remained where he was, not immediately rushing off to hunt others like so many other eager figures.

’Starting with 1 point, killing a weakling only gets you 1 point. The efficiency is too low. Besides...’ He shook his head slightly. ’...out of these trillions of people, 99.999% of them probably can’t even put the slightest pressure on me, let alone provide any Martial Daoist experience points.’

To confirm his most important assets, he immediately turned his focus inward to inspect his body.

’Physical strength... Mid-stage Saint Realm. My recently attained Saint Realm physical body from the real world has been perfectly replicated.’

The explosive power contained within his muscle fibers and the surging vitality from his cellular activity felt incredibly real.

’Primordial Spirit... Tier One Star Lord level. Status synchronized.’

Although the range of his Spiritual Power perception was suppressed by both the world’s rules and its gravity, its purity and total amount were completely undiminished.

’Good. My foundational strength has been replicated one-to-one.’