The World Watches: A Battle at the Peak

Lin Yi watched the departing figures of the Holy Radiance Race contestants and nodded slightly.

A smart person.

Then, Lin Yi looked down over the entire arena.

The view from the highest point is excellent.

His gaze pierced through the layers of crystal pillars and landed precisely on a single crystal pillar in the middle section.

There, Edith was looking up at them.

This top genius of the Spirit Race was now covered in silver-white armor, the surface of which shimmered with patterns of light and darkness, and his pale green hair fluttered gently in the weak air currents of the arena.

Her eyes were emerald green, and at this moment, a clear and visible fighting spirit burned within them, pure and fervent.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

In an instant, the clamor of the entire arena seemed to be drawn away by an invisible force.

Then, Edith moved.

Her figure vanished from the crystal pillar without warning. The next instant, on the platform at the top of the highest crystal pillar, ten meters away from Lin Yi, the air rippled like water, and a silver-white figure stepped out from it.

quiet.

A deathly silence.

In the stands, millions of spectators from all races of the Pan-Spirit Alliance held their breath simultaneously.

On the viewing platforms suspended in mid-air above the arena, the accompanying personnel, relatives, and observers from various races, who had been quietly discussing tactics and analyzing the rules, all stopped talking.

Even the other competitors in the arena, who were preparing to choose their opponents and carefully use their three challenge opportunities, all stopped what they were doing.

The Holy Radiance Race contestant who had just voluntarily stepped down from the highest crystal pillar was now hovering outside the light shield of the chosen upper-middle region crystal pillar, one hand already raised, ready to touch the light shield and issue a challenge.

Sensing the spatial fluctuations and the sudden freeze in the atmosphere behind him, he paused and slowly turned around.

All eyes were on them.

Whether it was the spectators from all races in the stands, the viewing platforms suspended around the arena, or the countless viewers watching in real time via Virtual Network, all were focused on the platform that stood atop all the crystal pillars.

On the highest crystal pillar, two figures, one blue and one white, stood facing each other.

"This..." the Holy Radiance Race player murmured, then shook his head with a wry smile, "A head-to-head battle right from the start?"

He withdrew his hand, which was about to launch the challenge, and floated back several meters, hovering in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the highest point.

It wasn't just him.

Inside the arena, all 998 contestants, regardless of whether they were in high-level or low-level crystal pillars, and regardless of whether they came from powerful or medium-level clans, made the same choice at this moment.

pause.

Wait and see.

All eyes turned to the solitary crystal pillar in the center of the arena.

Because everyone knows that what is about to happen there is very likely the actual championship battle of this year's Genius Battle.

The winner of the preliminary round clashed directly with the peerless genius nurtured by the Spirit Race in the very first minute of the ranking match.

"It's started! It's really started!"

"The very first ranked match is a showdown between the best players?!"

"Edith is determined to avenge her defeat in the qualifiers!"

After a brief silence, a torrent of discussion erupted from all corners of the audience, and the Virtual Network comment section exploded with activity.

The Starsea Common Language, the ancient language of the Spirit Race, the dialects of various Human Race, and the crystal-clear syllables of the Crystal Spirit Race—countless sounds intertwined to form a noisy yet exciting background sound.

The floating crystal platform, where Eternal Rock and the others are located.

Lin Yao's fingers unconsciously gripped the armrest of the seat, her eyes fixed on the two figures on the tallest crystal pillar below, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

"Brother," she murmured, her voice trembling without her even realizing it.

Sitting next to her, Aurelia appeared to be much calmer than Lin Yao.

She maintained her elegant posture, her turquoise eyes calmly watching the game, and even had a faint smile on her face.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that her hands, resting on her knees, are gently clasped together, with her fingertips digging slightly into the back of her hands due to the force.

Her gaze shifted to Lin Yi.

The figure in the dark blue combat uniform stood quietly, facing a powerful enemy who suddenly appeared ten meters away, without any panicked movements, or even assuming a fighting stance.

He stood there calmly, as if what was before him was not an impending great battle, but merely an ordinary meeting.

"Lin Yi." Aurelia murmured the name in her heart, her clasped hands relaxing slightly.

Behind them, Chen Yu, Zhou Yuxuan, Kaliya were completely speechless.

Chen Yu stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape.

Zhou Yuxuan subconsciously leaned forward, as if that would allow him to see more clearly.

Kaliya covered her mouth with her hand, afraid that she might make a sound that would break the tense atmosphere.

Eternal Rock sat at the very front, his dark blue armor gleaming with a calm luster under the energy light of the crystal platform.

The Eternal Divinity's face remained expressionless, but a very subtle hint of approval flickered deep within its eyes.

"Not bad spatial control," he thought to Edith, "But..."

His gaze fell on Lin Yi, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

"The real victory or defeat is never determined by the initial momentum."

--

Blue Star, Headquarters of the Earth Federation.

The largest circular conference hall was now filled with almost all of the consortium's top executives.

On the central 3D projection screen, the scene inside the Ultimate Arena is being played in real time.

Li Zhenguo stood in front of the projector with his hands behind his back.

The chief administrator, who had passed the Civilization Advancement Assessment and led Blue Star step by step into the Star Sea, had no expression on his face at this moment.

"Commander." Zhou Donglai subconsciously used his old title, wanting to say something to ease the atmosphere, but found his throat was a little dry.

Nie Chang sat in the second row, staring intently at Lin Yi's figure on the projection screen, his mind uncontrollably flashing back to the scene of annihilating the first Abyss Nest.

At that time, Lin Yi still needed to rely on strategy and the help of his team to fight for a glimmer of hope for civilization.

And now.

He stood on the highest stage of the entire Pan-Spirit Alliance's younger generation, facing the peerless geniuses nurtured by the Spirit Race with all their resources.

The conference room was eerily quiet.

Dozens of high-ranking officials, military generals, and think tank experts remained silent.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the collision that might erupt in the next second on the screen.

That was more than just a battle.

If we win, the name of Blue Star will truly resound throughout the cosmos.

Lost

Nie Chang shook his head vigorously, trying to banish the thought from his mind.

"I won't lose," he told himself. "Because... he never lets anyone down."

--

Human Race territory, across various star systems.

From the bustling central star system to the remote frontier star system, from military fortresses to civilian settlements, almost everywhere connected to the Pan-Spirit Alliance's public star network, the same scene is playing out at this moment.

In an underground bar on an industrial planet, hundreds of technicians who had just finished their shifts crowded in front of a huge projection screen, each holding an energy drink.

The moment Edith appeared on Lin Yi pillar, the entire bar erupted in a cacophony of gasps and whistles.

"Holy crap! Let's go for it!"

"That little girl from the Spirit Race is pretty reckless!"

"Stop recklessly! They only dare to do this because they have the strength! Lin Yi, get her!"

In the tactical analysis room of a military academy, hundreds of young people in cadet uniforms sat upright, but the excitement in their eyes was almost overflowing.

The instructor on the platform did not stop the students from whispering, because he himself was also intently watching the projector.

"Pay close attention to Edith's movement trajectory."

The instructor couldn't help but speak, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet analysis room, "Spatial folding, but the degree of folding is controlled with extreme precision, indicating that her understanding of Space Rule has reached the level of microscopic manipulation. This is an opponent."

He didn't finish his sentence, but all the students understood the second half.

This kind of opponent is extremely terrifying.

Inside the private viewing hall of a prominent Human Race, a group of richly dressed and powerful clan members sat around a circular sofa.

When Edith appeared on screen, the old man sitting in the main seat clicked his tongue softly.

"It seems the Spirit Race has invested a lot of resources recently," the old man said slowly. "The completion rate of their spatial folding is perfect; it's a significant improvement compared to their performance in the qualifiers."

"Clan leader, what about Lin Yi?" A middle-aged man beside him couldn't help but speak up.

The old man waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "Just watch. The higher-ups are taking it so seriously, even sending His Majesty Eternal Rock to his side; there must be a reason."

Even so, the old man's hand on the armrest clenched slightly.

nervous.

Throughout the entire Human Race territory, countless people watching the match, regardless of their status or strength, were all experiencing the same emotion.

Because everyone knows that the significance of this match has long surpassed that of a simple ranking game.

That was a clash between a new Human Race leaders and geniuses and the successors painstakingly cultivated by the Spirit Race.

This is, in a sense, a battle of the titans.

--

The Ultimate Arena, the highest spectator area.

More than forty luxurious floating crystal platforms are arranged in a ring at the top of the arena. The platforms are made of a kind of translucent golden crystal, with liquid light energy flowing inside.

At this moment, most of these crystal platforms have figures sitting quietly on them.

Some are blurry energy phantoms, some are solid True Body, and some are shrouded in mist, their faces obscured.

Without exception, the aura emanating from these beings, even after being weakened and isolated by the crystal platform, still caused a slight distortion in the surrounding space.

Inside one of the crystal platforms, the Xuan Yan was leisurely reclining on a long chair formed from starlight.

He held a glass of Amber liquid in his hand, gently swirling it, his gaze fixed on the two figures facing off atop the tallest crystal pillar below, a smile of keen interest on his face.

"That's efficient." He took a sip of the liquid in his glass and muttered to himself, "The little girl is impatient, but that's fine too, saves her time."

His thoughts drifted back to before the match began.

Just three standard hours before the start of the Ultimate Arena and held a brief meeting in their designated rest area.

That was a routine pre-match exchange, ostensibly just small talk, but actually an opportunity for each other to test each other's strengths and show off.

As soon as Xuan Yan entered the rest area, he saw that face that made him feel uneasy.

The Annihilation Lord of the Nightmare Race.

The creature was shrouded in a swirling mass of dark purple mist, revealing only two eyes that seemed to burn with ghostly fire.

Upon seeing Xuan Yan enter, the Annihilation Lord let out a low laugh, and the mist churned even more violently.

"Xuan Yan, it's been a long time."

The voice, seemingly emanating from the depths of an Dark Extinction, carried a naturally chilling quality. "I heard your Human Race has produced a promising talent this time? First place in the preliminaries, Ninefold Spacetime Life-Death Domain. Tsk tsk, impressive."

Xuan Yan calmly sat down opposite him, casually pulled a teapot from thin air, poured himself a cup, and said, "What, are you envious?"

"Envious?" The Dark Extinction laughter grew louder. "No, no, no, I just feel it's a pity."

He paused, his misty eyes turning towards the direction of the Spirit Race Lord, and said meaningfully, "I've heard that Edith has made considerable progress recently."

The surrounding lords all glanced at him slightly.

The Radiance Lord of the Spirit Race smiled faintly, neither denying nor admitting it, simply saying, "That child simply worked hard on his own."

"Effort alone is not enough."

Dark Extinction turned to look at Xuan Yan, her gloating barely concealed, "Xuan Yan, do you think your Human Race's Lin Yi can retain first place in this final? I'm really looking forward to seeing Edith knock him down from the top under the spotlight."

There was a moment of silence in the rest area.

Several lords who were on good terms with the Human Race frowned, but said nothing.

This level of verbal provocation is common in exchanges between lords. After all, at their level, the possibility of direct combat is extremely low, so verbal exchanges become the main means.

Xuan Yan picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

Then he put down his cup, looked at Dark Extinction, and gave her a gentle smile, "Dark Extinction, have you had some problems with your cultivation lately? Is your memory not so good?"

The Dark Extinction mist paused for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is..."

Xuan Yan was still smiling, but his eyes had lost all warmth. "Your Nightmare Race's number one genius from the last competition, what was his name again, Yan Xu? You've already forgotten how quickly he got beaten up by my Human Race's prodigy in the finals?"

"You!!"

The mist surrounding Dark Extinction churned violently, and the temperature in the rest area suddenly dropped.

Xuan Yan, however, seemed oblivious and continued slowly, "How about this, when the match starts, let's make a bet? We'll bet on the outcome of the duel between Lin Yi and Edith."

"The bet? I remember you bought a Nether Core at the Void Auction last time? I think that thing would be perfect for making a teapot, what do you say?"

"Arrogant!"

Anger finally crept into Dark Extinction voice, but he remembered that Lin Yi had been sent by the Human Race to be protected by a god-level guard before the competition started. After hesitating for a long time, he ultimately did not respond to the question.

"Shut up if you're afraid to gamble."

Seeing that Xuan Yan wasn't Dark Extinction for his trick, Xuan Yan's smile vanished instantly, and his voice turned cold. "If I hear you being sarcastic again, I won't hesitate to let you relive the memory of being hunted down by me across three star systems in the Star Shatter Corridor thirty thousand Epoch ago."

The rest area was completely quiet.

The venerable ones kept their eyes down, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

Radiance Lord gently shook his head, picked up his flower tea, took a sip, and a barely perceptible smile curved at the corner of his lips.

The Dark Extinction mist churned for a full ten seconds, then finally gave a cold snort and fell silent.

Recalling this point, Xuan Yan slowly withdrew his wandering thoughts, thinking to himself, "What a pity. If I had known it was Dark Extinction coming, I should have had Eternal Rock hide in the shadows first. Oh well, it's not worth the risk for such a small thing."

Xuan Yan shook his head, then looked at the two people on the crystal pillar below who had not yet made a move, took another sip of the liquid in his cup, and a smile reappeared on his face.

--

The highest crystal pillar, atop the platform.

Time seemed to stretch out.

Edith stood ten meters in front of Lin Yi, the light and dark runes slowly flowing across the surface of her silver-white armor.

Her eyes were fixed on Lin Yi, and in her emerald eyes, besides fighting spirit, there was also a hint of caution.

Yes, be cautious.

Although she chose the most aggressive approach to challenge him from the start, when she actually stood in front of Lin Yi, this genius of the Spirit Race felt an inexplicable pressure.

The Human Race youth in the dark blue combat uniform standing before me seemed to exist on another level, even though he was standing here.

His breathing was eerily calm.

Edith could sense that this wasn't feigned composure, but a genuine calmness emanating from the depths of her soul.

Edith spent a full month reviewing the battle at Central Divine Mountain after the qualifiers.

She retrieved all available combat records and analyzed Lin Yi's every move, every movement, and every tactical choice from every angle.

She even invited the clan's master of rules to analyze the construction logic of Lin Yi's Ninefold Spacetime Life-Death Domain for her.

Then she went into seclusion for two months.

Deep within the Time Tower, she cultivated and fought tirelessly day and night.

Her clan provided her with resources that would make even ordinary Eternal Divinity envious.

Life Source Crystal, Space Fragment, Time Sand, Life and Death Cycle Liquid

On the day she emerged from seclusion, the Radiance Lord personally came to see her and asked only one question, "Are you confident?"

Edith remained silent for a long time before finally answering truthfully, "If Lin Yi only showed the strength he displayed in the qualifiers, I would have at least an 80% chance of winning."

"Eighty percent." Radiance Lord nodded gently. "That's enough."

But now, standing directly in front of Lin Yi, Edith suddenly realized that she might have underestimated this opponent.

Because Lin Yi was too calm.

Faced with her sudden challenge, faced with the focus of the entire Xinghai, faced with this essentially early championship battle.

Lin Yi's expression was even calmer than when he was at the Central Divine Mountain.

That wasn't an act.

That was genuine indifference from the bottom of my heart.

It was as if this duel, which countless people regarded as a turning point in their lives, was just an ordinary exchange of skills in his eyes.

This realization only fueled Edith's fighting spirit.

She took a deep breath.

Then, to everyone's surprise, she spoke.

But the words she uttered stunned almost all the audience members.

That's not the common language of the Pan-Spirit Alliance.

It is not an ancient language of the Spirit Race.

It's not even the official language of any major race in the Star Sea.

It was a language with concise syllables, distinct tones, and a unique rhythm.

A murmur of bewilderment rose from the audience.

"What is she saying? Wait a moment, let me activate the rare language translation module of the Pan-Spirit Alliance."

What race speaks this language?

"That sounds familiar... wait, this seems to be..."

Even the most experienced commentators in the commentary booths of several major Xinghai media outlets were stunned.

One of the Human Race commentators instinctively sat up straight, his eyes widening.

"This is the Silver Blue Language of the Human Race Silver Blue Civilization!"

Yes.

Edith used the official language of the Silver Blue Civilization.

His pronunciation was clear and articulate, even carrying a slight accent from the eastern part of the Silver Blue Starfield.

She spoke not very fast, but every syllable was crystal clear.

"I have benefited greatly from observing Lin Yi's battle at the Central Divine Mountain, and have made further progress in the three months since. In today's battle, I hope Lin Yi will give it his all and put what he has learned into practice."

The words had barely left his mouth.

The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a deafening roar.

"The Spirit Race's number one genius went to learn the dialect of a small Human Race?"

"What kind of tactic is this? Psychological warfare? A gesture of goodwill? Or...?"

On the floating crystal platform, Lin Yao and Aurelia were both stunned.

Chen Yu stared, mouth agape, before finally managing to stammer, "Damn, this girl's got something..."

Zhou Yuxuan murmured, "She even learned our Xia Language in order to study the Commander?"

Kaliya said softly, "That's what it means to truly respect your opponent."

A hint of surprise flashed in Eternal Rock's eyes, which quickly turned into admiration.

In the highest spectator area, Xuan Yan raised an eyebrow, then chuckled, "This little girl... is interesting."

On the Spirit Race's crystal platform, the Radiance Lord was taken aback at first, then gently shook his head, a helpless yet gratified smile on his face.

He certainly knew what Edith had done to study Lin Yi.

The child not only learned the Silver Blue Language, but also accessed all the publicly available cultural materials of the Silver Blue Civilization.

At the time, Huiguang thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now it seems

"Perhaps that's why she's gotten this far," Radiance sighed inwardly. "It's not just talent, but also the utmost respect and deference she shows to every opponent."

--

Crystal pillar platform.

Lin Yi was genuinely surprised.

He looked at the serious-looking Spirit Race girl before him, and at the undisguised fighting spirit in her emerald eyes, and suddenly smiled.

"Goodness," he thought to himself, "They've studied me quite thoroughly."

Language learning crystals can indeed be purchased Virtual Network, and they are not expensive.

But given Edith's status and position, it's astonishing that she could still find the time to specifically learn a "language of her adversary," and perhaps not just language, but also cultural customs.

This attitude forced Lin Yi to re-evaluate his opponent.

He recalled what he had been doing for the past three months: secluded cultivation to challenge the laws of time, to organize his Rule Comprehension, and to solidify his realm.

As for Edith?

He knew, of course, that she was cultivating in the Time Tower and that the Spirit Race would do their utmost to nurture her, but he didn't know the specifics of her progress, how much she had improved, or what new techniques she had mastered.

To be honest, Lin Yi hadn't studied it in detail.

It's not arrogance.

Rather, he was confident that, in the face of the laws of time, all so-called progress was nothing but fleeting illusions.

But now, faced with Edith's solemn request for a "full-force battle" delivered in Xia Language, Lin Yi suddenly felt that he should perhaps give an equal response.

Respect is mutual.

Since you value this match so much, then I

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."

Lin Yi spoke.

He was confident that Edith would understand.

really.

The moment Lin Yi finished speaking, Edith moved instantly!

There was no probing, no feint.

She goes all out from the start!

The runes on the surface of her silver-white armor lit up simultaneously, and ripples of spacetime spread outwards from her, while black and white halos condensed behind her.

Then Edith took a step forward.

Space folded beneath her feet.

The ten-meter distance instantly vanished.

She appeared in front of Lin Yi and immediately threw a right punch.

The fist's edge bore spiraling black and white patterns; wherever it passed, space shattered like glass, revealing dark spatial cracks behind it.

The flow of time is accelerated a hundredfold in front of the fist, making the actual speed of this punch far exceed the limits of visual capture.

In the audience, countless people held their breath.

Aurelia's fingertips dug into her palm.

Lin Yao closed her eyes, unable to look.

Inside the Blue Star Conference Hall, Li Zhenguo suddenly stood up.

In the Yong Yan Family council hall, Yong Qing cried out in shock.

Inside the Dark Nightmare's crystal platform, a victorious smile curved the corners of his mouth from the shadows.

All eyes were on Lin Yi.

However.

Faced with a terrifying punch that could shatter space, distort time, and contain the power of Light-Dark Cycle, Lin Yi did nothing.

He did not dodge.

There was no blocking.

They weren't even wearing the standard battle armor.

He just stood there, calmly watching the fist come hurtling towards him, his expression completely unchanged.

It was as if it weren't a punch powerful enough to shatter Star Shatter, but merely a falling feather.

Edith's fist stopped thirty centimeters from Lin Yi's face.

She didn't stop it herself.

because

Time stood still.

Edith's earth-shattering punch stopped right in front of Lin Yi's face.

The ninefold rule light flowing on the fist was still flashing, but the movement was frozen, like a flying insect frozen in Amber.

Her expression froze the moment she launched her attack.

His eyes were sharp, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were tightly pressed together.

It is a kind of focused concentration that pours all one's mind and all one's strength into a single strike.

But she couldn't move.

He couldn't even move a single finger.

The reason is simple: time has been frozen.

In the space-time she inhabits, the flow of time has been reduced to almost zero.

Her mind was still functioning; she could still perceive everything around her, see Lin Yi's calm face, and "hear" the roar of the power of rules on her own fist.

But the roar was stretched out infinitely long, so long that it lost its meaning.

She could even see a glint of silver light appear on Lin Yi's forehead.

The silver light emanated from beneath the skin between the eyebrows, rapidly outlining and extending into an incomparably profound silver rune, seemingly condensing countless mysteries of time.

The runes are complex and magnificent, composed of countless flowing, intricate runes that are constantly changing, sometimes like a rushing river, sometimes like sand turning in an hourglass.

A silvery glow emanated from the secret patterns, soft and profound, making Lin Yi's face appear like that of a deity.

Edith's mind worked with difficulty, and a thought slowly emerged:

"Hour"

"The Law of Time!" The host on Skywave Starsea Media's live broadcast channel exclaimed instinctively, his pupils shrinking.

"This is the mark of the laws of time!!!"