The Crest of the Wave

As the Noah Kingdom Lord departed, the heavy atmosphere in the plaza eased slightly, yet that weighty sense of expectation remained in everyone's heart.

At this moment, a King Immortal seated on the throne to the left, clad in dark red armor with a primitive face and flame patterns on his forehead, slowly rose. His gaze was like a torch, sweeping across the hundreds of millions of geniuses below, his voice booming like thunder:

"I, King Yanlong! By the order of the Kingdom Lord, I preside over this assembly!"

"You must keep the Kingdom Lord's words in mind! The glory of Noah must be defended by your own hands!"

His gaze felt tangible as it slowly swept over the group at the very front of the crowd, which included Qin Zhao.

"You are the contemporary elites of my Noah Secret Realm, the core of the Kingdom Lord's expectations!" King Yanlong's voice carried an unquestionable power, "Especially you, Qin Zhao!"

In an instant, almost everyone's eyes focused on Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao's expression was calm as he bowed slightly in salute: "This junior is here."

"A disciple of King Lanchen, the top-ranked genius in the Noah Secret Realm Peak Ranking Battle!" King Yanlong's voice shook the surroundings, "Your talent and strength are clear to the Kingdom Lord and all of us. Your goal should not be limited to merely passing the Preliminary Elimination, nor should it be limited to those one thousand qualifying spots!"

"Your goal is the Peak Final Battle! It is to charge into the top ten of the entire universe! Or even... higher rankings! Win more glorious honor for my Noah Universe Kingdom! Can you do it?"

At this moment, the pressure descended like a mountain. This was a public expectation from the highest level of the Noah Universe Kingdom, effectively placing him on a pedestal. If the final results were unsatisfactory, then... but Qin Zhao's eyes did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, he met King Yanlong's scorching gaze, straightened his spine, and his voice echoed clearly and firmly across the plaza:

"This junior will surely do his utmost, living up to the high expectations of the Kingdom Lord and all you lords, and spread the might of our Noah Secret Realm!"

He did not boast about which specific rank he would achieve, but his declaration of "doing his utmost" and "spreading the might of Noah" already demonstrated his determination and confidence.

"Good!" A hint of satisfaction appeared on King Yanlong's face as he nodded.

Immediately, his gaze turned to the other geniuses standing at the forefront, encouraging and pressuring them one by one. These geniuses included Spirit Reader Controllers, Illusionists, and special humans with immense physical talent; every one of them had stepped onto the threshold of the laws and served as the trump cards for the Noah Universe Kingdom in this genius battle.

Finally, King Yanlong waved his large hand, his voice spreading throughout the entire plaza: "The rules are clear, and the expectations have been set! Now, prepare yourselves! Remember, you represent not only yourselves, but also the families and factions behind you, as well as the Noah Universe Kingdom that raised you!"

"Now, dismissed! I wish you all the best in blooming with your own brilliance on the stage of the genius battle!"

BOOM!

Hundreds of millions of geniuses responded in unison, the sound wave sweeping across the entire Sacred Mountain plaza like a tsunami, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens!

The next moment, countless figures began to turn into streams of light and dissipate, logging out of the Virtual Universe.

Before leaving, Qin Zhao could clearly feel the competitive gazes coming from all directions, especially from those other geniuses who were also highly regarded. He knew that not only would he encounter strong enemies in the universal final battle, but even within the Noah Universe Kingdom, the competition would be anything but easy.

Returning to reality, in his Cultivation Plane, King Lanchen was already standing before him.

"Is the pressure heavy?" King Lanchen asked with a smile.

Qin Zhao took a deep breath, his eyes surging with fighting spirit: "Pressure is also motivation. Teacher, I am ready."

"Very good." King Lanchen nodded, "Remember, your advantage lies in the depth of your law comprehension and the uniqueness of your self-created secret techniques. The Preliminary Elimination is a chaotic battle; efficient hunting is the key. With your Hundred Line Flow movement technique and the control of your Black Stone Prison, you can basically sweep through the Star Level."

King Lanchen did not even mention whether his disciple could pass the preliminary round; he even imparted experience on how to achieve efficient hunting. Clearly, King Lanchen and the other high-level figures of the Noah Secret Realm had absolute confidence in Qin Zhao's strength!

"This disciple understands."

"Go, adjust your state. See you in the Virtual Universe."

Qin Zhao nodded heavily, sat cross-legged, and began his final meditation, adjusting his essence, energy, and spirit to the most perfect peak state.

His consciousness seemed to sink into his internal world, seeing the Earth God Clone that radiated a heavy divine might, feeling the pervasive veins in space that he could use for Teleportation, and the data on the system panel representing his power and achievements. There was no longer enough time for him to make further progress; all he could do now was master every bit of power he already possessed!

Outside, discussions about the Peak Genius Battle were in full swing, and the major platforms of the Virtual Universe network were completely ignited by related topics. Countless people were analyzing, predicting, and anticipating.

After the oath-taking ceremony at the Noah Sacred Mountain concluded, the atmosphere for the genius battle across the entire Noah Universe Kingdom was pushed to its peak. On the Virtual Universe network, analysis posts and prediction posts about various geniuses emerged one after another, and the betting odds set by major factions fluctuated constantly, creating a clamor.

As for Qin Zhao, who had been personally named by King Yanlong and carried the high expectations of the Noah Secret Realm and the entire universe kingdom, he became one of the focal points of public opinion. Countless gazes, whether open or hidden, were cast upon him—anticipation, scrutiny, skepticism... all sorts of emotions intertwined.

However, Qin Zhao, who was at the eye of the storm, had entered the deepest level of meditation within King Lanchen's Cultivation Plane. The disturbances outside could not shake his rock-solid will. He adjusted his state to the most perfect, harmonious realm; his spirit, force, law comprehension, and physical strength were all like a taut bowstring, waiting for that earth-shattering strike.

Time, amidst the anticipation and anxious waiting of the masses, finally reached the moment for the preliminary rounds to begin.

Virtual Universe, the Assembly Continent specifically opened for the Noah Universe Kingdom's preliminary rounds.

This was a vast, boundless land that stretched beyond the horizon. At this moment, the continent was teeming with people, densely packed, gathering over a trillion Star Level geniuses from the Noah Universe Kingdom! What was the concept of a trillion people gathered together?

Like the sands of the Ganges, everywhere one looked were figures of all shapes and sizes: rock giants dozens of meters tall, tiny lifeforms only half a meter tall with sharp eyes, winged people with wings on their backs, and demon-blooded warriors covered in scales... There were thousands of races with mixed auras, but without exception, they all radiated the energy fluctuations of the peak Star Level, along with that sharp spirit and confidence of those who refused to be outdone.

Qin Zhao stood in the crowd, unremarkable. He wore the standard second-order Force Battle Suit provided by the Virtual Universe system (a mass-produced model with no special bonuses). Beneath his helmet, his eyes calmly swept across the terrifying "sea of people" around him. Even he, facing the majestic momentum formed by the gathering of a trillion geniuses, could not help but feel a slight tremor in his heart. This was a true struggle of a trillion geniuses; no one standing here was mediocre—everyone was a person with absolute confidence in themselves.

"Attention, everyone!" A cold and majestic voice, as if falling from the nine heavens, clearly entered the ears of every genius on the Assembly Continent, instantly drowning out all the noisy discussions.

"This Noah Universe Kingdom Preliminary Elimination will be divided into one hundred 'World Zones'. Each of you has already received the number of the World Zone assigned to you."

"Collective teleportation will take place immediately to transport you to your respective 'World Zones'. Please confirm your equipment one last time; once the preliminary round begins, you will no longer be able to request any weapons or supplies."