Fighting at Full Strength, Advancing, and Facing the Second Elimination Round
Those who lack Heart of the Starry Sky know better than anyone what to do next.
Go find someone who also doesn't have it and fight them; even if you win, you won't get the Heart of the Starry Sky.
Go and rob those who possess the Heart of the Starry Sky; at least there's a glimmer of hope.
As a result, almost everyone who failed to get a heart started to gravitate towards those who possessed the Heart of the Starry Sky.
Many people witnessed Chen Du snatching the Heart of the Starry Sky from Chu Yunhe.
They knew this person's strength; they knew he had defeated Chu Yunhe was ranked in the top thirty.
But the more this is the case, the clearer those who desperately need the Heart of the Starry Sky understand that while snatching it from him is risky, the value is also immense once obtained.
Chen Du soon discovered that he had become the prey.
The man who had his eyes on him was a bald, burly man with a towering frame. His bare upper body was covered with dark red patterns, like the outward manifestation of some kind of law.
He stood in front of Chen Du, his aura even stronger than Chu Yunhe's. A layer of dark red light membrane formed around him from a second- Lower Second-Level Law, from which a faint roar could be heard.
"Hand over the Heart of the Starry Sky."
He spoke, his voice deep and resonant like a bell, without any unnecessary words.
Chen Du glanced at him, took the Heart of the Starry Sky out of his breastplate, held it in his palm, then closed his fist and assumed a starting stance.
The bald, burly man snorted coldly, and a dark red light suddenly exploded around him, transforming into a phantom of a bull tens of feet tall, which swooped down towards Chen Du.
In that instant, Chen Du felt far more pressure than he had felt in the battle against Chu Yunhe.
Although this person's application of the law was also at the lower level, he was more experienced than Chu Yunhe, and every strike went straight for the weakness, leaving no room for error.
The two fought fiercely in the open field, the shockwaves from their clashing fists and palms churning the ground for miles around.
Chen Du absorbed the opponent's heavy blow with the Cangming Abyss, suppressed the opponent's law fluctuations with the [Celestial Master] Divine Status, and then counterattacked with the Taixu World Fist.
The three laws were applied in turn, gradually stabilizing the situation. However, the opponent's foundation was extremely solid, and they did not lose ground in a head-on confrontation.
After exchanging dozens of blows, Chen Du suddenly merged his [Celestial Master] Divine Status with Cangming Abyss. The two laws converged in his palm, transforming into a pillar of light interwoven with dark blue and dark gold.
This was the application he had deduced over the past three days, and now he was using it in actual combat for the first time.
The beam of light pierced through the phantom of the bull and slammed into the bald, muscular man's chest.
The burly man's protective laws shattered instantly, sending him flying backward. He tumbled several times in mid-air before finally regaining his balance.
After landing, he did not immediately launch another attack. He stared at Chen Du for a few moments, then decisively turned around and sped off in another direction.
"It's not worth it," he said without turning his head.
Chen Du did not pursue. He withdrew the pillar of light and let out a slight breath. The battle just now had allowed him to advance his understanding of the stone tablet's laws by another step.
Within his sea of consciousness, the fragments of the law related to "suppression" were finally pieced together completely.
This law is called "Nine Nether Mountain-Suppressing True Method," Lower Second-Level Law. With suppression as its core, it can suppress the law power of enemies, as well as the power of heaven and earth.
When one cultivates to the highest level, a single thought can subdue mountains and rivers, and a single palm strike can suppress the stars.
He slowly clenched his fist, the power of law in his palm steady and heavy, like grasping an invisible mountain.
The first round of elimination matches drew to a close amidst frenzy and bloodshed.
The last few remaining players on the field were almost all red-eyed.
Those without the Heart of the Starry Sky fought desperately to grab it, while those with the Heart of the Starry Sky fought desperately to hide.
Before someone could even rejoice after snatching it, a cold arrow pierced through them from behind, and the Heart of the Starry Sky rolled to the ground, where it was picked up by someone else.
Some people, knowing their own inadequacy, simply hid the Heart of the Starry Sky deep within their sea of consciousness, disguising it as nonexistent, and mingled among the crowd, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Some even took the risk of targeting those who had just snatched the Heart of the Starry Sky from others, killing them when they were exhausted.
The closer it gets to the end, the more chaotic the situation becomes, and the more chaotic it gets, the bloodier it becomes.
Several extremely fanatical Ninth Tier found Chen Du. They either traveled together or alone, but without exception, they all had their eyes on the Heart of the Starry Sky on his chest.
But after only a few moves, their expressions changed one by one.
Three days ago, when Chen Du defeated Chu Yunhe, it took him three moves.
At this moment, the Nine Nether Mountain-Suppressing True Method in his palm was newly formed. When a suppressing force pressed down, the opponent's laws were like a mud ox entering the sea, unable to even make a ripple.
Someone tried to attack desperately, but he pressed a palm down on their shoulder, causing them to kneel down, their knees slamming into the ground, unable to get up again.
Some people turned and fled when they saw the situation was not good, but he did not chase after them. He simply took out the Heart of the Starry Sky from his chest, weighed it in his palm, and the meaning was clear: if you want to take it, then come and try. But no one else dared to come.
"Increasingly unshakeable." In the distance, a Ninth Tier cultivator who had just snatched the Heart of the Starry Sky from someone else looked over with a solemn expression and whispered to his companion, "That person is much stronger than when the competition started, and he's still getting stronger. Don't provoke him."
His companion swallowed hard and nodded.
Finally, that cold, mechanical voice echoed throughout the world.
"The first round of elimination matches for the 87th Cosmic Genius Battle (Youth Group) has concluded. One hundred participants have advanced. Those holding the Heart of the Starry Sky, please remain where you are and await teleportation. All other participants are eliminated."
Chen Du stood still, the Heart of the Starry Sky in his palm glowing slightly, the dark blue starlight casting a faint halo around him.
A beam of white light descended from the sky, enveloping him entirely.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his personal space within the Spirit Realm.
A screen floated in front of him, clearly displaying his grades.
[0771 Star Domain, Arena 23, Advancement Ranking: 19/100. Overall Strength Rating: 19th. Starfield Overall Ranking: 365/2300.]
Chen Du looked at the words and raised an eyebrow slightly. 19th place in the 03rd Arena, which would place him 365th out of the 2,300 qualifiers in the entire star field.
This ranking isn't low, considering that his arena was just one of the twenty-three arenas in the Star Domain, and the overall Star Domain ranking compares all the qualifiers from all the arenas.
Ranked 365th means that ahead of him are 364 other Ninth Tier prodigies who were earlier, faster, or more overrated by the system.
He turned off the screen and leaned back in his chair. The first round was over.
There will be a second round, a third round, and even more.
The junior group competition hasn't even started yet.
He closed his eyes and reviewed the principles he had comprehended over the past three days in his mind once more.
The Nine Nether Mountain-Suppressing True Method is of the lowest level, second grade. The Celestial Master is of the lowest level, second grade. There are two kinds of Lower Second-Level Laws, plus one third grade law and one fourth grade law.
Several laws flowed slowly within his body, their resonance growing stronger with each other.
He vaguely sensed that if he could further integrate them, his combat power would reach another level.
In the second round, he will no longer be ranked outside the top 300.