Father-Son Duel

"Ling Xuan is here." Zhulong Ancestor keenly sensed their arrival, a gentle smile appearing on his aged face.

"Greetings, Ancestor." Manlong Marquis and Ling Xuan hurriedly bowed in unison, their postures straight and their attitudes reverent.

"Sit." Zhulong Ancestor waved his hand casually, signaling that they need not stand on ceremony.

Having experienced the vicissitudes of life over endless years and witnessed countless cycles of rise and fall, many formal rituals had long since become like passing smoke in his eyes, no longer of any importance.

Yet, Manlong Marquis and Ling Xuan dared not slacken in the slightest; in their hearts, the person before them was the source of the Zhulong bloodline and the very foundation of their entire clan's strength.

After the two carefully took their seats, Zhulong Ancestor narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze like a torch as he scrutinized Ling Xuan: "I have long heard of your talent; it is truly remarkable, far surpassing my own at that age. Back then, I hadn't even reached the Star Level when I was your age."

As he spoke, Zhulong Ancestor fell into deep recollection, his eyes filled with nostalgia for the days of old.

"Any achievements we have today are entirely due to the hard work and dedication of our Ancestor over the years," Manlong Marquis remarked with heartfelt emotion.

Zhulong Ancestor did not possess a Star Level bloodline back then, and at that time, humanity had just emerged, struggling to survive in the universe under conditions far harsher than they were now.

All of his accomplishments had been accumulated step by step through cruel battles of blood and fire.

"When one grows old, one cannot help but reminisce upon seeing outstanding youngsters," Zhulong Ancestor sighed softly.

Zhulong Ancestor picked up an archaic wine cup, his gaze toward Ling Xuan filled with both expectation and hidden concern: "Little one, you must not become complacent."

"I have heard that this year's Peak Genius Tournament has produced an incredible fellow, a super genius said to appear only once every hundred million epochs."

Ling Xuan was slightly startled upon hearing this. Currently, his comprehension of the laws of fire and space could only rival geniuses of the ten-thousand-epoch caliber like Bolan; compared to a monster encountered once in a hundred million epochs, the gap was immeasurable.

Seeming to sense the gravity in the youth's eyes, Zhulong Ancestor raised his hand and waved gently, a mild force smoothing out Ling Xuan's tense nerves: "However, there is no need to feel too much pressure. The Giant Axe Martial Arena has made an exception this year to provide one extra spot for the Giant Axe Secret Realm; you only need to secure a position in the top two." He stroked his crimson beard, his tone slowing down, "Your greatest weakness is that your cultivation time is too short. That fellow's age is greater than your great-grandfather's; there is no need to compare yourself to him."

"Ancestor, I will not admit defeat easily!" Ling Xuan stood up abruptly. Although his current law comprehension could not match the opponent's, there was still some time before the finals to catch up. Furthermore, his greatest combat strength did not rely on law comprehension, but on his cheat.

"Having confidence is a good thing." A flicker of gratification crossed Zhulong Ancestor's eyes. He pointed into the void, and the spatial laws of the entire palace suddenly fluctuated violently, with countless runes emerging from the walls: "You will cultivate here for these next few days. I will manifest the laws of space for you, and I hope it will be of help to your comprehension."

Before his words had even faded, he seemed to recall something and laughed, clapping his hands: "However, if you can truly take first place, I will cast aside this old face of mine and beg a supreme existence of the Giant Axe Martial Arena to take you on as a personal disciple!"

"You are the most talented among my descendants, and I hope you can go higher and further."

"Many thanks, Ancestor!"

At this moment, what he felt was not just an opportunity, but the heavy expectations of the entire Zhulong clan.

"Alright, hurry up and cultivate." Zhulong Ancestor waved away the spatial barrier beside Ling Xuan and turned to look at Manlong Marquis: "Manlong, if you have nothing else, you may head down."

After Manlong Marquis bowed and left, the entire palace fell into silence.

Zhulong Ancestor flicked his finger, and the void seemed to be torn apart by invisible claws as twelve pitch-black chains wreathed in chaotic energy emerged.

Dark purple secret patterns flowed across the surface of the chains, twisting and deforming in mid-air to transform into twelve Zhulong phantoms that spat out ghostly blue flames, coiling around Ling Xuan with claws bared.

"This is the materialization of the spatial laws I have comprehended; observe it with your heart." Zhulong Ancestor waved his sleeve.

Ling Xuan immediately sat cross-legged, closing his eyes slightly.

Crimson-gold flames surged around his body, colliding with the pitch-black Zhulong phantoms with crackling sounds.

His consciousness pierced into this vortex of laws like a sharp sword, attempting to capture the fleeting inspiration.

In the days that followed, Ling Xuan cultivated under the guidance of the Void Mirror and Zhulong Ancestor, while also occasionally listening to Zhulong secretly tell him intelligence about that super genius who appeared once every hundred million epochs.

He had one advantage over his opponent: the opponent knew absolutely nothing about him, while he could learn some intelligence about the opponent through the well-connected Zhulong Ancestor.

Meanwhile, on Manlong Planet, in the Mangu Tribe.

"Hahaha, wife, I've signed up!" A handsome but somewhat rugged-looking man gestured wildly as he boasted to his wife and daughter.

"Dad, what did you sign up for?" Ling Xue asked, confused.

"Why, the Peak Genius Tournament for all humanity that happens every five thousand years, of course! Think of me, Ling Tianhe, as an unparalleled genius; how could such a grand event be without me? When the time comes, I'll charge into the finals with Xiao Xuan, and we'll stage a legendary tale of father and son competing on the same stage." Ling Tianhe grinned from ear to ear, seemingly already seeing the scene of himself battling experts from all over the universe and becoming famous throughout the cosmos.

"Dad, stop causing trouble." Ling Yue advised, speechless. Her father's talent was clearly mediocre; even his Star Level 9 cultivation had only been achieved in the last ten years thanks to the resources gifted to their third brother by the clan.

If it weren't for the Spirit Essence Crystal Core and Soul Nourishing Fruit that the third brother brought back, her father wouldn't even have been able to comprehend a domain. Now he actually wanted to participate in some genius tournament—wasn't this just a joke?

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ling Tianhe's old face flushed red, "For me, it's about the participation."

Ling Yue thought about it and realized that wasn't wrong, but it would be awkward if the father and son actually met.

What would her younger brother do then?

He couldn't exactly beat up his own father, could he?

But she couldn't stop her father from participating in the genius tournament, so she decided to leave it be.

In any case, it would be the father and son who would have the headache when the time came.

Time passed like a white horse galloping past a crevice, and the moment for the genius tournament to open finally arrived.

Over seven billion super geniuses from the Ganwu Universe Kingdom gathered in one place.

"The preliminary rounds will be divided into one hundred world areas. Which one are you in?" Zhulong Ancestor asked.

"The 77th World Area."

"Go!"

The sound of the countdown suddenly resounded through heaven and earth, the clear Universal Common Language carrying a majestic pressure that made the entire continent tremble: "Collective teleportation is imminent. Countdown: 60... 59... 58..."

When the final "1" faded away, over seven billion rays of light ignited simultaneously, and the figures of the crowd dissipated into the void like bubbles.

At the same instant, one hundred independent worlds took shape within the Virtual Universe with a thunderous roar.

As the grandest competition of geniuses in human history, this event drew the gaze of everyone from immortal powerhouses to ordinary citizens, with countless eyes fixed on every move across the various arenas through virtual screens.

Ling Xuan appeared at the base of a tall building, a screen displaying his personal information hovering before him. Having experienced similar teleports before, his consciousness recovered quickly, while other contestants not far from him were still clutching their heads, struggling to regain their senses.

"Points delivered to my doorstep." A cold, sharp arc curled at the corner of Ling Xuan's mouth. With a flick of his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear, the entire space was ignited by crimson-gold flames.

The Flame Domain, spanning a hundred meters in diameter, suddenly contracted like a cage, and the runes flowing along the blade erupted with blinding radiance.

As the long blade swept horizontally, a scorching blade aura imbued with a aura of destruction tore through the air, causing the atmosphere to twist into a vortex wherever it passed.

Before the screams could even begin, 108 figures were reduced to dust within the flames.

The virtual screen before Ling Xuan flickered frantically:

Contestant: Ling Xuan (Zhulong Empire)

Points: 108

Ranking: 0001

World Area: No. 77 World Area

Time: The Preliminary Elimination Tournament lasts for 30 days. When time expires, the entire preliminary round ends, and the winners are determined based on the final points.

Note: The No. 77 World Area is a continent simulated after the appearance of Moduo Planet in the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, with a land area of over 13 million square kilometers.

The buildings and ground hardness within the area are all at B9 grade.

Point Rules: Killing a contestant grants 1 point and 50% of the opponent's points; defeating a powerhouse yields multiplied rewards.

Leaderboard Rules: Deceased contestants retain their ranking. If their points are high enough, even after a 50% deduction upon death, they still have a chance to rank in the top 1001.

At this moment, the name "Ling Xuan" flashed with a glaring red light at the top of the leaderboard.

Having used thunderous momentum to slay 108 dazed opponents the moment he entered the arena, he could be considered the first person to do so since the genius competition began.

Seeking votes, seeking follow-reads, seeking favorites, seeking comments, and seeking investments.

It has been a long time since I received a monthly ticket; I really want a monthly ticket.