Tower Challenge

"What a terrifying illusion! If I hadn't spent this time discussing states of mind with Hong and the others, reaching the level of Heart like a mirror, I probably would have been completely trapped in it."

The first level of one's state of mind was Seeing one's true nature. Though he was still far from reaching Heart like a knife, with guidance from several junior brothers who had mastered Mind cultivation, along with his Universe level strength and willpower, Jin Yu had likewise reached Heart like a mirror. He could constantly brush clean his true heart and keep his state of mind free of the slightest dust.

"Interesting." Fighting spirit surged from the depths of Jin Yu's heart. "I'd like to see what kind of test this tower of the Gan Wu Universe Country has."

Jin Yu put away his relaxed attitude and cautiously walked toward the Gan Wu Tower step by step.

As the place where the Royal Family selected geniuses, soldiers were always stationed outside the Gan Wu Tower. The weakest were Domain Lord level five, while the strongest captains had even reached the peak of the World Master level.

After routinely checking Jin Yu's identification, they were somewhat surprised to discover that Jin Yu was actually the emperor of a low-level Universe Country.

What promising genius would become an emperor? It was a waste of valuable cultivation time.

After all, any one of them could casually destroy such a low-level civilization. They were only briefly surprised before no longer paying attention.

"Go in. The tower has different stages based on different professions. As long as you pass the corresponding level, you can obtain a matching level of inheritance. You'll understand the details after entering." After giving a brief explanation, one guard let him through.

They received countless Stellar level and Universe level geniuses every day, so naturally they had no time for detailed explanations. Once inside, intelligent systems and the like would introduce everything to them.

"Thank you." Jin Yu nodded, then strode directly through the tower gate, which stood over a thousand meters high.

"Please select your challenge type:

Warrior, Mental Master, Illusionist, Puppet Master..."

After entering, Jin Yu found the surroundings incomparably empty. He was the only person there.

"It seems to be spatial technology." After briefly looking around, Jin Yu selected Warrior.

Such a design was nothing unusual. Even a mere World Master could create a vast world, let alone an entity from a High-level Universe Nation. Applying a little spatial technology was effortless for them.

He had the Golden Horned Beast inheritance for Mental Master techniques, so he did not truly lack them. However, many Warrior secret techniques were unsuitable for a human body and could only be cultivated by the Golden Horned Beast.

"I choose Warrior," Jin Yu said to the empty air.

"Warrior trial preparation. Ten-second countdown. 10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1. Begin teleportation."

Jin Yu's vision blurred, and he appeared on an empty grassland.

"The requirement for the first level is to kill one hundred Stellar level nine Tarot Beasts attacking you within one day! If you die midway, or ask for help and terminate the challenge midway, you will fail! After killing them all, you may enter the next level. The time limit is one day. If you have not died after the time limit expires, you will automatically advance to the next level."

Jin Yu had not expected the so-called tower challenge to be like this. It seemed to be an upgraded version of the Limit Martial Hall's combat space.

"Please select your weapons. Defensive equipment is limited to tier two. Weapon grade is unrestricted. Maximum quantity: five."

Jin Yu then selected a tier-two Force battle suit, a golden fifth-tier Force battle blade imbued with the Golden Void Law, the Golden Void Shuttle as a telekinetic flight weapon, and a Yan Shen Bing.

The restriction on defensive equipment was meant to test the geniuses' true combat ability.

Weapons, on the other hand, were unrestricted because they had high usage requirements. If you were capable of using one, then use it. As a place for selecting geniuses, they naturally hoped you were as strong as possible.

They were not afraid of you choosing a high-tier weapon. They were only afraid that you could not use it.

The instant the weapons and defensive equipment were chosen, a herd of rhinoceros-like monsters appeared ten kilometers away from Jin Yu. They were over ten meters long—one hundred Stellar level nine Tarot Beasts.

However, the space around Jin Yu was distorted. The Tarot Beasts could not see him at all and merely watched their surroundings vigilantly.

"This is your first time entering the Gan Wu Tower for a challenge. You have ten minutes to prepare."

Holding the fifth-tier Force battle blade, Jin Yu briefly familiarized himself with it. Since it was not a weapon custom-made for him, he needed some time to get used to it. The secret law engravings on it also needed to be activated before they could display their power.

This was also one of the tests of a genius's adaptability.

Unlike the Genius Battle held by the Virtual Universe Company, the battles in the Gan Wu Tower were entirely practical combat exercises.

There was no virtuality here! Death meant real death! One had to go all out!

And as long as you passed the corresponding stage, you could obtain the corresponding secret technique reward. It was essentially trading your life for secret techniques.

The Gan Wu Country Lord's goal was clear: to select geniuses who possessed both true talent and combat strength.

The Gan Wu Country Lord did not care how many geniuses died. What he cared about was whether they could bring him enough value.

Having been the biggest debtor for many years, his eyes were fixed solely on repaying his debts.

Ten minutes quickly passed!

"First-level challenge, begin!"

An electronic voice boomed like thunder throughout the entire grassland world. The powerful Tarot Beasts seemed to react instinctively, lowering their sharp rhinoceros horns toward the enemy in the distance as their massive bloodshot eyes stared viciously ahead.

"Roar~~"

All one hundred Tarot Beasts charged toward Jin Yu with an incomparably savage aura.

The ground trembled beneath them, and the sound of their galloping echoed across the heavens.

The battle was about to begin.

"Without exceptionally strong combat talent or extraordinary aptitude, one would probably die within minutes against monsters like these."

Jin Yu still had the leisure to comment on them. In his eyes, these Tarot Beasts were painfully slow. With his strength, he could wipe them out with a wave of his hand.

Ordinary geniuses either needed extremely rich combat experience or the ability to comprehend a domain. Otherwise, their chances of dying against these Tarot Beasts were extremely high.

"Every one of them has Perfect-level movement techniques? These monsters even understand movement techniques?"

Jin Yu watched as the Tarot Beasts hid their bodies behind the ones in front, ready at any moment to deliver Jin Yu a fatal blow.

This was utterly ridiculous. Were they really this intelligent? Were these even monsters? They should be demon beasts.

Jin Yu's eyes had been opened. This Gan Wu Country Lord was no good person!

Anyone who could pass the first level would probably count as a genius even in a mid-level Universe Country.

Yet this was merely the minimum requirement for the first stage of preliminary selection.

"Then again, the Gan Wu Country Lord does not even think much of law geniuses. The Genius Battle alone will produce several hundred in the Gan Wu Universe Country. Yet in the end, among the thousand chosen from the entire universe, there are only the wild savage Rong Jun and the madman Luo Feng."

Jin Yu clearly remembered the grand spectacle of the Universe Peak Genius Battle a few years from now.

What he did not know was that these Tarot Beasts had been specially trained by Beast Tamers and had survived extensive training and real combat.

They could even use simple secret technique attacks, making them far stronger than ordinary monsters. These hundred Tarot Beasts could emerge victorious even against a thousand equally wild Tarot Beasts.

Ordinary geniuses would find even the first stage difficult to pass.

I just decided to change the outline. I'm not taking the Genius Battle route anymore. I don't want to write it. It feels like every fanfic is exactly the same—tasteless to read, yet a shame to abandon. I've decided to abandon it and take the backdoor instead. Yep, that's it.