High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 560: Chapter 343: 100 Million Experience

There was also a female contestant who specialized in Illusion Techniques, originally hovering on the edge of the top thousand.

When she saw her name irrevocably dimming, she instead gave a bitter smile of relief.

She shook her head lightly, her gaze complex as she looked at the few companions beside her who had successfully advanced, and whispered:

”I was still a little short... But, in a way, it’s a relief to be free from this pressure.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t work hard. It was just that on this stage, which had gathered the most monstrous geniuses of the entire Alka Empire, the gaps in talent, foundation, and opportunity were sometimes not something that could be overcome by hard work alone.

When the last name below the top one thousand had completely faded from the stone monument, it was as if some kind of signal had been triggered.

BZZZZ—!

Inside the preparation space, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from the bodies of the one thousand contestants corresponding to the vanished names.

The light instantly enveloped and consumed them.

A thousand beams of white light flared up at once, only to be extinguished in the next instant.

When the light dissipated, the spots where they had stood were empty.

The vast preparation space suddenly felt much more spacious.

The one thousand remaining qualifiers stared at the empty spaces where their former rivals had just been.

Even though there had been no shortage of competition and friction between them, an indescribable and complex emotion now welled up in their hearts.

It was a somber feeling for their fallen peers, a reverence for the brutal law of elimination, mixed with a sliver of survivor’s relief.

An utter silence filled the air. Only the three names shining with golden light at the top of the monument silently proclaimed the iron law that the victor is king.

Just as this silence was spreading, two auras—as vast as the Star Sea, as majestic as the might of the heavens—descended without any warning.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Two figures appeared on the high platform at the very front of the preparation space.

One was seemingly wreathed in an invisible, scorching force field that slightly distorted the space around him. It was Flame Ashes.

The other’s aura was like ten-thousand-year-old ice. Where he stood, even the light seemed to turn cold and solid. This was Ice Soul.

The two Immortal beings had appeared together once again.

Fortunately, this was within the Virtual Cosmos, where everyone’s basic physical attributes were set to be equal.

Otherwise, if their true Immortal bodies were to descend, the terrifying pressure they naturally emanated alone would be enough to crush the Star Lord Level geniuses present to the ground, rendering them incapable of even a sliver of resistance.

Flame Ashes’ gaze swept across the thousand people below. A trace of satisfaction flickered in the depths of his magma-like eyes as his grand voice echoed through the space:

”Congratulations, true top elites of the Alka Empire’s younger generation! You have distinguished yourselves from hundreds of millions of geniuses to successfully enter the top one thousand of the district!”

His voice carried a rare warmth and praise.

Ice Soul’s cold voice followed, flowing like a glacial spring:

”This achievement is a testament to your talent, effort, and will. But this is merely the beginning.”

He paused, his voice taking on an unquestionable authority. ”The one thousand of you will represent our Alka Empire in the final tournament of the Cosmic Human Peak Genius Battle in half a year!

That is the ultimate stage, where all the top factions, peak races, and super empires in human territory will gather their most monstrous geniuses!”

Flame Ashes took over, his tone becoming solemn and filled with expectation:

”At that time, you will be facing true Cosmic Level prodigies! The brutality of the competition will far exceed what you have experienced here.

I hope that in this final half-year, you can cast aside all distractions and give it your all!

For the Empire, and for yourselves, display the prowess of our Alka Empire in the final tournament!”

His gaze slowly moved, finally landing precisely on the two most dazzling figures at the front of the crowd.

He looked at Blood Slaughter Barton and praised him without reservation, ”Barton, we have all witnessed your strength. With your combat power, entering the top one thousand in the entire cosmos should be as certain as a rock.

Furthermore, even within the top one thousand, you are bound to be one of the higher-ranked powerhouses! The Empire has high hopes for you!”

Next, his gaze turned to Li Wen, his tone carrying encouragement and a hint of cautious assessment:

”Li Wen, you have risen with astonishing flair. Your potential is beyond doubt, and the Time Law is especially rare.

If, in the next six months, you can fully convert this potential into greater strength and stabilize your realm, it’s not impossible for you to challenge for a spot in the cosmos’s top one thousand!

If you succeed, two from one nation in the top thousand... that would be a legendary tale for our Alka Empire!”

A hopeful smile appeared on Flame Ashes’ face. ”At that time, I imagine even His Majesty the Sovereign will be greatly pleased to hear of it!”

Upon hearing Flame Ashes’ words, countless gazes in the preparation space focused on Li Wen.

Barton remained as silent as a boulder, while Hua Sha’s eyes flickered uncertainly.

A barely perceptible sneer hung on the corner of Saphis Yingge’s mouth, while Oleg and the others had complex expressions.

Most people thought this was Flame Ashes’ affirmation of Li Wen’s potential.

But it also implied a reservation about whether his current strength was enough to rank among the top thousand in the cosmos.

However, Li Wen’s expression was exceptionally calm, his eyes clear.

He showed no sign of frustration at being underestimated, nor any eagerness to argue.

He simply whispered clearly to himself in his heart:

’The top one thousand? That’s just my most conservative goal. If my guess is correct...

...when my Martial Daoist level breaks through 20, the caps for both Scholar and Martial Daoist will simultaneously rise to level 30...

...at that point, forget the mere top one thousand. I’ll have the confidence to fight for a spot in the top ten!’

After conveying their message and expectations, the two Immortals, Flame Ashes and Ice Soul, did not linger.

They took one last deep look at the thousand advanced geniuses, their gazes sweeping over Barton and Li Wen once more.

Then, just as they had appeared, their figures silently faded and vanished.

The terrifying pressure that had enveloped the entire space dissipated along with them.

With the two Immortals gone, the atmosphere in the preparation space immediately lightened up considerably.

The qualifiers began to bid farewell or chat briefly with friends they knew.

They celebrated their hard-won advancement and made plans on how to prepare for the finals in six months after returning to the real world.

Li Wen was more eager than anyone else.

He gave a slight nod toward his Source Net companions not far away—Isabel, Ares Titan, and the others.

Without any pleasantries, a thought crossed his mind, and his figure instantly transformed into a beam of white light, disappearing from the preparation space.

BZZZ—

His consciousness returned.

Li Wen’s eyes snapped open, and the familiar sight of the quiet room in the basement of Villa 11, District B, met his gaze.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he immediately summoned the system panel that only he could see.

As expected!

Two brand-new notification messages, bordered in shimmering gold, had clearly popped up on the panel:

[Congratulations, you have achieved a final rank of second place in the second stage of the Alka District preliminaries. You have received 50,000,000 Martial Daoist Experience (MAX)]

[Congratulations, you have achieved a final rank of second place in the third stage of the Alka District preliminaries. You have received 50,000,000 Martial Daoist Experience (MAX)]

[Profession: Martial Daoist Lv. 18 (123,798,400 / 26,214,400)]

Li Wen stared at the two new messages on the panel, which were nearly identical save for a single word.

Li Wen’s first reaction was a slight daze; he almost thought he had misread it.

”So that’s it...” He quickly understood, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile of unexpected yet logical delight.

”The experience points for the second stage weren’t withheld; the final ranking just hadn’t been calculated at the time.

I didn’t expect the ranking for the second stage to be tied to the final ranking of the third stage.”

These extra fifty million experience points were undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.

Combined with the one hundred million experience points he had just obtained, it was enough to support him in making that crucial two-level jump!

The critical moment to verify his theory had finally arrived.

Without any hesitation, Li Wen immediately connected to the villa’s smart hub via his consciousness:

”Star Pivot, initiate the highest-level silent defense protocol. Lock down all areas of the villa. Do not disturb me unless there is a crisis-level, villa-destroying threat!”

”Command confirmed. Highest defense protocol initiated,” Star Pivot’s cold and efficient electronic voice replied.

In an instant, all of the villa’s energy shields, spatial interference devices, and physical isolation barriers activated to their maximum.

The quiet room was completely transformed into a fortress, sealed off from the rest of the world.

Li Wen took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and submerged his consciousness into his sea of consciousness, issuing a command to the mysterious system:

”Begin leveling up!”