Translator: CinderTL
"In the final rounds, we will successively determine the top sixteen, top eight, top four, and ultimately, the champion!"
"The top eight geniuses of this year's Genius Cup will earn the right to participate in the Great Stellar War one year from now!" Chu Jingye announced loudly.
Great Stellar War!
The entire audience fell silent.
The Great Stellar War was the highest-level competition in Blue Star Civilization and the most widely followed event.
The reason was simple:
This competition would be broadcast on the Federation's largest news channel, reaching billions of viewers worldwide!
Its popularity was unparalleled.
In contrast, the Twenty-Five School Genius Cup was primarily followed by students from the Twenty-Five Schools.
But the Great Stellar War? Even those who weren't martial dao university students would tune in!
From octogenarians to young children, it was a household name.
To achieve a ranking in the Great Stellar War meant true global fame.
"Top eight!"
"I must make it into the top eight."
"The gateway to the Great Stellar War, the starting point for fame." The thirty-two finalists all wore determined expressions.
They, too, yearned to reach that battlefield.
To clash with the peerless prodigies of this era in a peak showdown!
This was the burning ambition in the heart of every student from the Twenty-Five Schools, and especially those from the ten great schools.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ye remained nonchalant.
"Top eight?" he muttered, unimpressed. After all, his goal had never been merely reaching the top eight.
Suddenly, he paused.
"Hmm?"
"Where's Liu Wanxiao?" Jiang Ye scanned the crowd, his expression shifting.
He realized that Liu Wanxiao was conspicuously absent from the thirty-two finalists!
Of the ten participants from Penglai University—including Jiang Ye, Yun Qing'er, and Shen Changxi—a total of six had advanced to the finals.
Liu Wanxiao, ranked fourth among the school's geniuses, had somehow failed to qualify?
In a secluded corner of the spectator stands, Liu Wanxiao clenched his fists, roaring inwardly, "Damn you, Li Qi! Just you wait!"
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! Don't underestimate a young man's potential!"
Originally, securing a spot in the finals had seemed like a certainty for him.
But who could have predicted...
Shortly after entering the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, Liu Wanxiao encountered Li Qi from Star River University.
After a brief clash, Liu Wanxiao was eliminated.
This wasn't the worst part.
The real frustration lay in being eliminated without even seizing a single opportunity.
"Li Qi is terrifyingly strong," Liu Wanxiao thought, his anxiety growing. "He must have claimed many top-tier opportunities. I wonder if Jiang Ye can defeat him."
Inside the Bird's Nest Structure, the atmosphere among the hundreds of thousands of spectators grew increasingly feverish.
This wasn't solely due to Chu Jingye's stirring commentary.
The soaring music filling the arena also played a crucial role.
As Chu Jingye's narration intensified, the music's tempo accelerated, building toward a climactic crescendo.
"Enough preamble!"
"I hereby declare the final round of this year's Genius Cup officially underway!"
As Chu Jingye's voice boomed, the music reached its peak, driving the crowd into a frenzy.
"First match of the final round: Lin Qingxue versus Xu Gang!" Chu Jingye announced.
Rumble!
At the center of the arena, a massive floating platform slowly rose into the air.
The thirty-two finalists retreated to the waiting area in the audience stands.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Only two figures advanced instead of retreating, leaping onto the arena.
Lin Qingxue and Xu Gang.
"Lin Qingxue! Lin Qingxue!"
"Become my wife!"
"Lin Qingxue will win!" A thunderous roar erupted from the audience stands.
As one of the most dazzling performers in the Mountains and Rivers Secret Realm, combined with her striking beauty—rivaling even Shen Changxi's—Lin Qingxue's popularity in this year's Genius Cup had soared to peak levels.
In contrast, Xu Gang received little fanfare.
"Xu Gang's up."
"He's probably going to lose." The Penglai University students watched the arena intently.
Xu Gang was one of Penglai University's participants, but he ranked last among the six finalists.
In the waiting area:
"Xu Gang against Lin Qingxue?" Jiang Ye watched with interest. Lin Qingxue was one of the strongest talents in this year's Genius Cup.
Lin Qingxue was a popular contestant with a strong chance of winning the championship!
In contrast, Xu Gang was significantly weaker in both popularity and strength.
"A final match between the strong and the weak?" Jiang Ye murmured, already grasping the competition's format. "Xu Gang has virtually no chance of winning."
It was just like the Freshman Competition at Penglai University.
First, the strong would eliminate the weak.
Only then would the true clash of titans occur.
On the arena, the battle erupted swiftly.
As Jiang Ye had predicted, Xu Gang was completely overwhelmed by Lin Qingxue from start to finish.
Boom!
Boom! Bang! Wielding a silver longsword, Lin Qingxue conjured phantom meteorites, each over ten meters wide, that crashed down with earth-shattering force.
Xu Gang struggled to defend.
Hold on!
I need to probe her limits as much as possible, Xu Gang thought grimly. That way, Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, and the others will have a better chance of defeating her.
From the moment the match began, he knew his defeat was inevitable.
But even knowing he would lose, he would fight to the bitter end. That was the will of a cosmic martial artist!
Xu Gang was completely fired up.
"Ultimate move: Starburns the Four Seas!"
He gripped his long blade tightly, unleashing tens of thousands of strands of stellar energy simultaneously, unleashing the most powerful strike of the battle.
Boom! A blade light resembling a stellar sea, its terrifying power surging toward Lin Qingxue.
"An opening!"
"Could I actually win?" Xu Gang's eyes lit up.
The next moment—
Swish!
A dazzling sword light, as brilliant as a star, tore through the vast blade curtain and struck Xu Gang squarely in the chest.
Boom! Xu Gang was sent flying off the arena like a cannonball.
A golden light flashed across his chest, activating the protective mechanism.
On the arena, the slender black-robed girl sheathed her sword, her skirt only slightly dirtied.
Lin Qingxue wins!
"Lin Qingxue! Lin Qingxue!"
"Lin Qingxue is the strongest!"
"Marry me!" The audience erupted into deafening cheers once more.
"So strong!"
"A simple sword strike blocked Xu Gang's ultimate move and sent him flying off the arena?"
"So this is the genius from one of the ten great schools? Truly formidable!" The contestants who had advanced to the finals wore solemn expressions.
Even Li Qi narrowed his eyes.
"This woman... her Falling Star Sword Technique is exceptionally sharp."
"She's likely my greatest rival," Li Qi mused. "There's also Jiang Ye. I wonder how strong he is."
Jiang Ye's earlier act of voluntarily relinquishing the opportunity in the secret realm had earned Li Qi's contempt.
But despite his disdain, Li Qi never underestimated any opponent.
"Lin Qingxue, even if she doesn't win the championship, she'll definitely place in the top three."
"It all depends on how Li Qi and Jiang Ye perform," Elder Bai, Mo Zixuan, and the other teachers murmured among themselves.
Their discerning eyes could clearly see the depth of Lin Qingxue's strength.
Suddenly, Mo Zixuan's gaze sharpened. "The second match is Wang Bo's turn."
"That Wang Bo... I don't expect him to win the championship."
"But it would be best if he could defeat Jiang Ye," Mo Zixuan thought to himself, his secret wish.
Donghai University had always been overshadowed by Penglai University.
Wang Bo was Donghai University's most promising genius student in recent years.
Whether they could finally prove their worth depended entirely on this year's Genius Cup.
Soon, the second match began.
Wang Bo faced a female student from Nanyang University.
In this battle, Wang Bo needed fewer than three moves to end the fight and advance to the top sixteen.
Another crushing victory!
In the third match, Li Qi faced a young man from Donghai University.
Needless to say, it was another one-sided affair.
This battle truly showcased Li Qi's terrifying strength to the other finalists.
With a single spear thrust, Li Qi instantly "killed" his opponent.
A simple, unadorned strike, yet utterly unstoppable, completely shattering the Donghai University prodigy.
"Li Qi's power is terrifying."
"He could easily rank in the upper-middle tier at Star River University."
"Mastering an earth-rank mid-tier cultivation technique to Major Success is truly terrifying," the other participants murmured, their expressions grave.
The remaining matches proceeded without suspense.
Most were simply strong against weak.
After all, this was just the round to reach the top sixteen.
Once the top eight were decided, the true strength of the competitors would begin to show.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the tenth match.
"Round 1, Match 10: Jiang Ye versus Wang Xuan!"
In the next instant, two figures appeared simultaneously on the arena.
"Jiang Ye! Jiang Ye!"
"Penglai's strongest! Jiang Ye will win!" Students from Penglai University roared their support, pumping their fists in the air.
"Wang Xuan's up."
"She's the weakest competitor from Star River University this time."
"Can she defeat Jiang Ye?" Several Star River University students watched the arena intently.
The other competitors also followed the match closely.
On the arena, which stretched hundreds of meters wide:
"Jiang Ye, Penglai University's top student?" Wang Xuan, with her ordinary looks but strikingly pale skin, stared at Jiang Ye. "You should probably be considered the top student in the twenty-five school alliance."
"I'm going to defeat you!"
"I'll win this match," Wang Xuan declared confidently.
Her confidence stemmed from representing Star River University, ranked seventh among the ten great schools.
It also came from her relentless training, day and night.
And above all, from her own formidable strength!
Students from Star River University naturally looked down on the twenty-five school alliance.
Even when facing Penglai University, their attitude remained the same.
"Star River University?" Jiang Ye stared back at the girl across from him. "I hope you won't disappoint me."
This was his first direct confrontation with a student from Star River University.
Match Start
The moment the subtitles faded,
Boom! Boom!
Two figures blurred into afterimages, colliding with the force of cannonballs.
"Where my spear points,"
"All enemies fall." Jiang Ye swept his spear horizontally.
Clang!!!
The instant his spear struck Wang Xuan, it unleashed terrifying power.
Wang Xuan felt an overwhelming force surge through the spear, crushing her defenses like dry leaves in a hurricane.
Boom!
Whoosh! A figure flew off the arena like a kite with a severed string.
Jiang Ye wins!
"Is that all?" Jiang Ye stood with his spear lowered, frowning.
Before the match, she had rattled off a string of confident-sounding nonsense.
He had expected a formidable opponent, requiring a fierce battle.
But this?
"Looks like I underestimated my own strength," Jiang Ye said with a shake of his head and a wry smile.
His gaze flicked across the panel.
A skill effect flashed briefly:
Beauty's Inquiry
"One spear?"
"Instant kill?!"
"Holy shit! This young man!"
"Too strong!" The audience of over a hundred thousand erupted into a massive uproar.
Completely unexpected!
Wang Xuan was, after all, a student of Star River University.
Yet Jiang Ye from Penglai University had annihilated her with a single spear strike!
She was also the first competitor from Star River University to be eliminated.
"Jiang Ye is indeed no ordinary opponent," Li Qi and Lin Qingxue observed from the sidelines, their expressions varying.
Meanwhile, Wang Bo's face darkened.
"Can I defeat him?"
"I must! Easily!" Wang Bo pounded his chest, inwardly vowing, "I hope I face Jiang Ye in the next match."
"That Jiang Ye kid..."
"His spearmanship is still far from Perfection, yet how can he unleash such devastating power?" Mo Zixuan's expression grew increasingly grave.
Suddenly, as if struck by a realization, Mo Zixuan's eyes flickered.
"Could it be that the Heaven-Tier High-Grade Inheritance this kid obtained at White Dragon University is a cultivation technique?" he mused.
Only this could explain why Jiang Ye's stellar energy was so much more potent than others'.
"I've seen Heaven-Tier cultivation techniques before," Mo Zixuan thought to himself, "but none have ever displayed such absurd power as Jiang Ye's."
The first and second breakthroughs were merely the starting point of cultivation. At this stage, the difference between Heaven-Tier and Earth-Rank cultivation techniques wasn't significant.
Many cultivators therefore didn't rush to cultivate Heaven-Tier techniques early on, as progress would be too slow. They would switch to Heaven-Tier techniques later, when their cultivation realm reached a bottleneck—a viable alternative path.
The competition continued.
After Jiang Ye's match, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth matches proceeded.
In the fifteenth match, Shen Changxi took the stage.
Her Crimson Moon Sword Art once again captivated the audience. With just over ten moves, she defeated her opponent.
Compared to Li Qi, Wang Bo, and Jiang Ye, they paled in comparison.
Yun Qing'er's performance in the sixteenth match, however, left a lasting impression on everyone.
When Yun Qing'er strode onto the stage wielding a hammer three times larger than her head, her opponent's face turned green.
Boom!
Boom boom boom boom boom!
In the end, Yun Qing'er secured victory with a ferocious barrage of three hundred hammer strikes per second.
With that, the final sixteen were determined!
"Li Qi, Lin Qingxue, Wang Bo, Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, Yun Qing'er, Zhang Nan..."
"Congratulations to the sixteen finalists who have successfully advanced to the next round!"
Chu Jingye's voice echoed across the arena.
"Among the final sixteen, Penglai University alone accounts for four participants."
"Truly worthy of being Penglai University, the leader of the Twenty-Five Schools."
"Penglai remains formidable!" Countless spectators marveled.
Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, Yun Qing'er, and Zhang Nan—all four hailed from Penglai University.
Remarkably, this feat was achieved despite being sandwiched between two of the ten great schools.
Having four students reach the final sixteen was no small feat.
"Ah, don't envy Penglai University so much. It's just a small matter, a trifle!" Elder Bai chuckled, glancing at the surrounding teachers. "Old Mo, stop glaring at me like that. Donghai University isn't bad either—you actually have someone in the top sixteen!"
"You motherfucker!" Mo Zixuan's face turned green, unable to hold back his curse.
It was true.
Donghai University had only Wang Bo in the top sixteen.
The other Donghai University participants had either faced Li Qi or powerhouses like Shen Changxi and Yun Qing'er.
Their luck had been truly abysmal.
"Don't worry, you still have Wang Bo, right?" Elder Bai reassured him with a smile. "He's a top seed for the championship."
Mo Zixuan finally nodded, his mood improving slightly.
His gaze shifted to the arena below.
Wang Bo!
Donghai University's last hope.
Five minutes later, the top sixteen matches officially began.
In mid-air, Chu Jingye, with his Transcendent Aptitude, wasted no time on formalities.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced.
"The top sixteen matches now commence."
"First match: Jiang Ye versus Wang Bo!"
(End of the Chapter)
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