Qin Zhao appeared near the front of the plaza, and a small space around him was left empty without anyone needing to say a word. Many of the other geniuses looked at him with unconcealed awe, curiosity, and even a trace of fear. Terrifying rumors about the "Deity" of World Zone 39 had already spread among the survivors. His astonishing score and overwhelming dominance, in particular, had made him impossible to ignore.
Soon, the Noah Secret Realm members who had passed the qualifiers began gathering and exchanging news of their own accord. When the rough statistics came in, a subdued atmosphere quietly spread through the crowd.
"Only a little over forty percent of our Noah Secret Realm members passed the qualifiers this time?" said a stern-looking young man in Silver Battle Armor. He was Leiluo, another renowned genius from the Noah Secret Realm, who had also claimed first place in his World Zone by an overwhelming margin.
"Fewer than forty-five thousand," replied a cool, composed woman, faint streams of water swirling around her. Her name was Shuiyuan, and she, too, had placed first in her World Zone. "The ruler's expectation was for us to claim more than half of the Noah Universe Country's one thousand qualifying spots—at least five hundred. Converted into qualifier passers, that means at least fifty thousand. That would be a normal proportion."
The result left many of the Secret Realm geniuses, so proud of their own abilities, feeling humiliated. They came from the Noah Secret Realm, enjoyed the finest resources, and received guidance from undying beings. They had always believed themselves far superior to the geniuses outside.
But reality had dealt them a heavy blow. The number and quality of hidden geniuses in the vast universe beyond were far greater than they had imagined! Many Secret Realm geniuses had either encountered powerful opponents too early through sheer bad luck, or made a careless mistake amid the brutal melees, and were ultimately eliminated with regret.
"Hmph. So the people out there aren't all useless after all," Leiluo said with a cold snort.
"Indeed. The qualifiers are full of variables. Strength isn't the only factor in a melee, but it is the central one." Shuiyuan nodded slightly, though her gaze couldn't help drifting to Qin Zhao, standing alone nearby as if cut off from the surrounding bustle. "Geniuses like Junior Brother Qin Zhao, who can practically sweep through their entire World Zone, are ultimately few and far between!"
At the mention of Qin Zhao, the other first-place geniuses fell silent for a moment, their expressions complicated as they looked toward the black-robed figure. Clearly, their recent conversations had left nearly all of them aware of Qin Zhao's astonishing feats and his overwhelming lead in points.
They, too, had taken first place, but none believed they could sweep the field as effortlessly as Qin Zhao, leaving it almost like a slaughterhouse. His nearly 1.5 billion points loomed like a mountain, leaving his peers struggling to breathe.
Just then—
"Vmmm!"
A terrifying pressure, vast as a sea of stars and majestic as a divine mountain, descended upon the entire plaza without warning!
In an instant, the million geniuses in the plaza—whether cheering, sighing, or talking—were all struck pale. Their bodies trembled beyond their control, as if a weight of ten thousand jun had fallen on their backs! Their Origin Force grew sluggish, their souls quaked, and even their thoughts seemed on the verge of freezing! Those with weaker wills had their legs buckle and nearly fell to their knees.
Even top geniuses like Leiluo and Shuiyuan, who had placed first in their World Zones, turned pale. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads as they desperately rallied their wills against the pressure, which felt as if Heaven and Earth were collapsing, just to remain standing.
Yet amid the terrifying pressure sweeping across the plaza, one person was unaffected.
Qin Zhao furrowed his brow slightly as he felt the familiar pressure. It was more tangible than the pressure he had sensed at the mobilization meeting; clearly, this time it had been directed at them. The pressure was indeed powerful enough to break an ordinary Domain Lord's mind. But to Qin Zhao, whose will had long since reached the peak of Domain Lord Level and even brushed against the threshold of World Lord Level, it was like a gentle breeze. He felt only a slight heaviness, remaining straight-backed as a pine, his expression calm.
His unusual reaction immediately caught the attention of the few geniuses still capable of watching their surroundings. Leiluo, Shuiyuan, and the others stared at him in astonishment.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort boomed like thunder from the heavens, making every genius' ears ring and their hearts seize. King Yanlong's towering figure appeared above the plaza. He still wore his dark red battle armor, his features ancient and stern, but his expression was now as grave as still water. His eyes swept over the million geniuses below like two burning suns, filled with unmistakable disappointment and authority.
"You..." King Yanlong's voice rumbled like a war drum, pounding in everyone's hearts. "You have disappointed the ruler! You have brought shame upon the Noah Secret Realm!"
His words shook the hearts of the million geniuses below, and they lowered their heads in shame.
"Out of the 100,100 qualifier spots!" King Yanlong's voice rang like a bell. "Our Noah Holy Land devoted everything to training you, and the ruler personally placed great hopes in you! And what was the result? You claimed fewer than forty-five thousand spots! You failed even to meet the bare minimum of our expectations!"
The terrifying Consciousness Pressure surged in waves alongside his words, leaving many geniuses pale and teetering.
"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!" King Yanlong rebuked them without mercy. "You walk around with your noses in the air, calling yourselves geniuses, but the moment you're on a real battlefield, the geniuses from outside show you for what you are!"
The plaza fell deathly silent. Only King Yanlong's furious voice echoed through the air, along with the suffocating pressure.
After rebuking them for a while, King Yanlong's tone softened slightly, and the pressure eased just enough for everyone to catch their breath.
"However, the qualifiers are over. Regret won't change anything!" His gaze swept over them like a sharp blade. "Next come the Arena Battle and the Samsara Battle! This is your last chance to reclaim your dignity and prove that you deserve the training you received from the Noah Holy Land!"
"The ruler has given his orders!" King Yanlong's voice suddenly rose. "Of the one thousand spots in the final team representing the Noah Universe Country at the Peak Final Battle, our Noah Holy Land must claim at least six hundred! If you fail..."
He didn't finish, but his cold tone and the renewed pressure made the consequences of failure clear to every genius. The repercussions would be far worse than simply losing face.
Finally, King Yanlong's gaze settled especially on the first-place finishers of the World Zones, with Qin Zhao, Leiluo, and Shuiyuan among them.
"Though you were fortunate enough to place first in your World Zones, you must not slack off for even a moment! The real challenge lies in the Peak Final Battle! It will bring together the top monsters from every human Universe Country! If you think placing first in the qualifiers is something to be proud of, you'll only suffer an ugly defeat in the finals! Every one of you had better prepare properly for what comes next!"
"As for the rest of you, remember today's humiliation! Once you leave, prepare for the Arena Battle and the Samsara Battle with everything you have! You must reclaim the glory of the Noah Universe Country through your own strength!"
With that, King Yanlong said no more and swept his hand through the air.
Boom!
Spatial ripples enveloped the entire plaza. The million geniuses were instantly transported away, each returning to their residence in the Virtual Universe to prepare for the upcoming Arena Battle.
The plaza atop Noah Sacred Mountain was empty once more. The Noah Holy Land's performance in the qualifiers had clearly fallen short of the higher-ups' expectations. Compared with a genius like Qin Zhao, who could sweep through an entire World Zone, the other geniuses from the Noah Secret Realm seemed all bark and no bite.
A heavy burden had now settled on the shoulders of every genius who needed to prepare for the Arena Battle and the Samsara Battle.
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