The Three Meet

"Damn it, this guy's Phantom Body looks so real, I can't tell which one is his true body!"

"Watch out! His attacks are way too fast!"

"That female swordswoman was impressive enough, but I didn't expect this guy to be just as formidable."

"This year's tournament is getting more brutal with every match."

More than a dozen people stared intently at the figure at the foot of the mountain, their expressions grave.

Bai Xingyun held a blade in each hand, looking like a god of war as he slowly approached them.

"What? You were the ones who attacked first, and now you want to run?"

The crowd's expressions darkened.

They knew he was strong, but they hadn't imagined he'd be this strong!

First, his Concept was rather strange. He could actually conjure a Phantom Body so convincing that they couldn't distinguish it from the real one. With no other choice, they had to split their strength and attack both the real body and the Phantom Body.

Even more troublesome was his blade. It was astonishingly fast.

A Concept that blended reality and illusion, paired with blade techniques as swift as the wind, made him even more formidable.

If that were all, they might still have been able to fight him.

The biggest problem was that his combat instincts were far too advanced!

He seemed to have already seen through the attacks of the Psychic Masters, responding to them with effortless composure.

After discussing it among themselves, they realized he was simply too tough to crack, so they decisively withdrew.

Watching them leave, Bai Xingyun slowly sheathed his blades and shook his head.

"I was wondering whether to bring out my full strength, but they ran off first."

He wasn't particularly disappointed, since he had a more suitable target in mind.

"A female swordswoman? Sounds like she might be a few steps stronger than what I just showed."

"I hope she's an opponent worth going all out against."

--

As time passed, one young member of the Blade Clan after another was eliminated.

By then, the outside world was already in an uproar.

But what surprised everyone was that they weren't arguing over the grudges and rivalries inside the Blade Tomb World. Instead, they were debating who would take first place in this year's Genius Battle.

"I'll say it right now: that female swordswoman is definitely taking first place! If I'm wrong, I'll chew up this Force Blade and swallow it right in front of you!"

"When it comes to combat strength, that female swordswoman is certainly outstanding. But the rankings in the Genius Battle have always taken overall performance into account. There've been cases in the past where someone was eliminated early but still ended up being ranked first. In my opinion, Bai Yuan has the best chance."

"Same here! Bai Yuan is only Apprentice Level 8, yet he's already this terrifying. If he reaches Level 9, won't he sweep the whole field? First place has to be his."

"Actually, that Bai Xingyun is pretty strong too. I think he has a chance."

"You mean the dual-blade expert? He's strong, and the Concept he's grasped is quite unusual, but compared with the first two... he still falls a little short."

These young people naturally didn't have the insight of Universe Realm experts. In their eyes, fighting above one's level was the clearest proof of talent.

That was why Bai Yuan had garnered the most support of all.

Meanwhile, Bai Yuan, inside the Blade Tomb World, knew nothing about what was happening outside.

He was walking between hills and wastelands, searching for his next worthy opponent.

As he fought one genius after another, each with a different Concept, his horizons continued to broaden.

The experience from every battle settled little by little in the depths of his consciousness, becoming an indispensable foundation for his future cultivation.

Many people didn't show extraordinary talent early on. Instead, they built up a deep foundation through victory and defeat, trial after trial, and one brush with death after another.

Time honed them, and bloody battles tempered them. Their talent was like an ore vein buried deep underground, gradually brought to light.

If talent alone were all that mattered, why bother seeking a master or pursuing an education? Why endure hardship? They could just sit back and wait to grow stronger.

In the end, how many peerless experts who reached the summit hadn't been forced by reality to fight their way forward, one step at a time, when they were young?

They fought against the heavens, against the earth, and against other people.

The one who emerged victorious was destined to stand atop the universe, with the piled bones of countless failures beneath his feet.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

By then, of the more than ten million contestants who had started, only a little over three thousand remained.

On that day, a sudden change occurred.

The eliminated contestants waiting in the plaza for the final results noticed the sky above them shifting. Then a clear projection screen appeared overhead and unfurled.

The image showed an immense, boundless plain.

Three figures had somehow converged on the plain.

"Oh? It's him?" Bai Yuan looked toward the figures approaching from two different directions, his gaze shifting.

One of them, dressed in a blue robe, was the mysterious youth he had encountered once before.

Bai Xingyun's heart was likewise in turmoil. When they had first met, he'd admired Bai Yuan's bold ambition, but he hadn't taken his strength seriously.

He had never imagined that Bai Yuan's strength would be so unfathomable, or that fighting above his level would come as easily to him as eating or drinking.

As for Bai Luoyan, when she saw the two men, her expression remained calm, as if she didn't take either of them seriously.

"Do you two want to draw lots and fight one-on-one, or should the three of us just fight it out?" Bai Yuan asked with a smile.

Now that they'd run into one another, a fight was inevitable.

"No need to make it complicated. You can both come at me," Bai Luoyan said slowly.

There was no arrogance in her voice, only a faint indifference, as though this were simply how things should be.

Bai Xingyun and Bai Yuan both reacted, surprised that she would look down on them so blatantly.

They exchanged a glance, then Bai Xingyun slowly said, "Since you've offered to take us both on, we won't hold back."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Bai Yuan struck first, bringing his blade down with a heavy, forceful swing.

On the other side, Bai Xingyun refused to be outdone. He whirled both blades, while a Phantom Body appeared beside him, mirroring his every movement and pose. It was impossible to tell which was real and which was false.

"You have some strength. Much stronger than the others I fought earlier, but still not enough." Bai Luoyan smiled calmly, giving them a brief word of praise.

Whoosh!

Before her words had even faded, she danced forward like a lone goose spreading its wings. In an instant, she was in front of the two men.

Before her sword even reached them, its icy intent swept over them like a freezing tide. A solid sword arc, bright as the light of dawn, shot toward Bai Yuan and Bai Xingyun!

Bang!

A thunderous blast rang across the plain. Bai Yuan and Bai Xingyun were both sent flying, driven back several yards by that single strike.

Bai Luoyan, meanwhile, turned lightly with the momentum and landed, her sleeves fluttering and her expression as still as calm water.

"Two kinds... no, three kinds of Concept!" Bai Yuan's hand and arm trembled faintly around his blade, his heart in shock.

"And her burst of power is even greater than mine!"

Her Force Amplitude was lower than his, but her own strength was far greater—almost twice his.

On top of that, she was incredibly fast, and much more agile than he was.

She had him beat in both strength and speed!

"Tsk, looks like I'll have to go all out. But fighting a genius like this really gets the blood pumping!"

Across from him, Bai Xingyun's expression was just as grave. His Phantom Body, convincing enough to fool anyone, was completely useless against her.

In terms of understanding Concepts, she was clearly far ahead of him. His Water Moon Concept was entirely ineffective against her.

But after his brief shock, a blazing light ignited in his eyes.

"Excellent! Only an opponent like you is worthy of my full strength!"