"This is the first time the Virtual Universe Company has selected talent seeds from across the universe. Perhaps each of you is among the very best in your respective Universe Country! But here at the Virtual Universe Company, that is not enough!" Venerable Plain Robe paused. "You will learn your first lesson in life here: seize your opportunities! And to seize them, you need strength—to grasp them, to compete for them, to fight for them! If you cannot seize an opportunity, then you must recognize your own weakness and work hard to grow stronger, until you become one of the handful at the very top of the pyramid!"
Some of the geniuses present looked thoughtful as they listened to the Venerable. The competition in the Peak Genius Tournament was brutal by nature. Countless geniuses from 1,008 Universe Countries had been eliminated round after round, until only the final thousand remained. This proved the Venerable's point: even after joining the company, no one could rest easy. On the contrary, that might only be the beginning of the competition!
"The Virtual Universe Company has always promoted the capable and dismissed the mediocre. As long as you are strong enough, perhaps you can become a pillar of the Human Race! We are never short of miracles—or, you could say, we are the miracle of the Human Race!" Though the Venerable spoke calmly, the domineering force behind his words was enough to shock everyone present!
"Starting tomorrow, you will fight in the arena to determine the final rankings." His voice drifted through the air, echoing in everyone's minds. "The rules for the decisive battles have already been sent to each of you. Rest well today."
Boom!
Once Venerable Plain Robe finished speaking, he vanished. Only then did the 1,008 powerful undying beings begin to talk.
"The Virtual Universe Company really is domineering. No wonder it's one of the top powers of the Human Race!"
"I wonder what sort of training conditions the Four Great Secret Realms offer."
"I don't care about any of that. I just want to know who will take first place in this tournament's finals!"
While the undying beings talked, Lu Yan'an and the other 999 contestants looked down at the screens on their wrists. The rules for the decisive battles had already arrived.
The rules were as follows:
In the three elimination rounds that had just ended, 900 geniuses had been selected. Based on their performances in the Trial Space and the three elimination rounds, the Virtual Universe System had chosen the best 100 of these 900. The list was as follows: ...
These 100 would face off one-on-one against the 100 who had qualified earlier by placing in the top 100 in the Trial Space, for a total of 200 contestants.
The 100 winners would qualify to enter the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm. The other 900 would all enter the Endless Secret Realm.
Of the 100 winners, the Virtual Universe System would select the best 20 based on its assessment. Those 20 would face off one-on-one... to determine the top ten.
The top ten would qualify to enter the Primordial Secret Realm.
The top ten would then compete for first place, and the winner would enter the Original Secret Realm.
A detailed list of the matchups was attached below.
The rules were based on the Virtual Universe System's selections. It had chosen only 100 people from the 900, leaving the other 800 without even the right to compete in the next round. All of them would be assigned to the Endless Secret Realm.
"How can they do this?"
"They won't even let us compete?"
"This is outrageous!"
"Th-this is putting way too much faith in the Virtual Universe System."
The 800 peerless geniuses who had been excluded erupted in protest in the Central Plaza. They couldn't believe they weren't even being given a chance to show what they could do!
"I refuse to accept this! I refuse!! Why? I'm absolutely certain I can make the top 100, but now they won't even let me compete! Is the Virtual Universe System always right?" A bald warrior with green skin shrieked in anguish. He was the most outstanding genius in his Universe Country, yet the Virtual Universe Company had denied him even the right to compete!
"This isn't fair! We demand fairness!!"
"If it came down to a fight, who'd be afraid of whom? Why won't you give us a chance?" More than twenty peerless geniuses from various Universe Countries saw that someone had taken the lead and immediately joined in, shouting.
"What are you thinking?"
"Are you trying to rebel?"
"Silence!"
Many of the 1,008 powerful undying beings in the distance roared at them. At the same time, a terrifying Consciousness Pressure spread out, bearing down on the 800. The young geniuses of various races turned pale and trembled all over. Their legs shook uncontrollably, and one after another, they collapsed to their knees.
Rumble...
The 1,008 powerful undying beings appeared in front of the group of geniuses, looking down at those kneeling on the ground.
"Idiots! Didn't you hear what the Venerable said earlier?"
A Marquis Immortal gave the group of rebels in front of him a cold, disdainful look.
"Since when does the Virtual Universe Company need you to tell it how to do things?"
"You're just a batch of promising seeds. You haven't even grown up, and you already think you can reject the higher-ups' decision? The universe is short on all sorts of things, but never geniuses! In a few thousand years, another batch of talent seeds will arrive. What are you so arrogant about?"
Just then, a majestic, ethereal voice rang out, tinged with a hint of coldness. "If you object to the Virtual Universe System's rules for the decisive battles, you can choose not to join the Virtual Universe Company. The Virtual Universe Company will not force anyone to participate." Venerable Plain Robe had finally responded to the matter.
His voice echoed across the world, and the faces of the 800 geniuses lying on the ground changed.
Their faces were full of disbelief. They had thought themselves heaven's favored children, and believed that if they all resisted together, even the Virtual Universe Company would have to take their opinions seriously.
But they hadn't expected this kind of response.
In short, it meant one thing: join if you want to; if not, get lost.
"The higher-ups of the Virtual Universe Company made the decision about the rules for the decisive battles. Did you really think you little youngsters could change it? What arrogant fools!" An undying being sneered. In all his life, this was the first time he had seen ants dare to make demands of the strong!
"You're just a bunch of little nobodies on the outermost layer of the Core Layer, yet you dare to voice your opinions to the highest level? And you dare to object?"
"Everyone who enters the Core Layer is a genius. You little youngsters think you're too good for this? As those being trained, you should have the right attitude!"
The 1,008 undying beings remained cold and impassive. Even though they didn't understand why, in this first-ever Genius Tournament, the Virtual Universe Company had imposed such an unreasonable rule—after all, holding two more rounds wouldn't take much time—they all knew one thing: never defy the Virtual Universe Company's decisions! Even when those decisions seemed unreasonable!
The higher-ups had made this decision mainly because these geniuses were indeed extremely talented, but most of them were arrogant and ill-tempered. On the road to the pinnacle, unless that arrogance was ground away, it would only get them killed.
The purpose of this rule was to make them see themselves clearly and forget their past glory. In the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer, none of them was special.
Before a genius had grown up, he was still just a genius! Until he had truly turned his talent into strength, he was better off keeping a low profile! Every strong person present had once been a genius. If they couldn't change their mindset, then no matter how many resources the Virtual Universe Company gave them, it would all go to waste!
Lu Yan'an silently watched the scene. Though he had already learned about this in the original story, experiencing it in person felt far more real than reading about it. Even after entering the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer, people's status could still differ by a world. Survival of the fittest had always been the only truth in this universe.
Because of this, he was even more determined to become a strong person!
Lu Yan'an didn't linger to watch any longer. He turned and left.
The Genius Tournament would end tomorrow. He needed to start preparing early!
Before you continue