Genius Summit Preliminary Round

"An Innate Realm expert!?"

Seeing several people stride through the air toward them, many cried out in shock!

One had to know that only King Tier experts who had stepped into the Innate Realm could briefly remain suspended in the air. Although those people were not truly soaring through the skies, each step carried them more than ten meters, and they moved with incredible speed.

Very soon, three figures entered everyone's sight.

Li Ye looked over. The three were a fat man in his forties, a gloomy-looking man also in his forties, and a beautiful woman in her thirties.

The moment the three arrived, everyone immediately felt an overwhelming aura pressing down on them, leaving them barely able to breathe.

Even the four great geniuses, including Li Mo, changed expression as they felt immense pressure!

"These three are so strong! Their auras alone are enough to leave anyone below the Martial Dao Master level unable to move a muscle!"

However, Li Ye discovered that he was clearly less suppressed than the others. He was even more at ease than Li Yuan Jia, a Martial Dao Master at the eighth level of the Spirit Martial Realm, standing beside him.

Over by the three great Lineages, the heads of the Wu Family and Yu Family immediately rose to greet them. On the Li Family's side, the Grand Elder of the Li Family also hurried forward with a broad smile.

The three most powerful figures of the three great Lineages personally welcomed the trio onto the raised platform and seated them in the places of honor. Meanwhile, they themselves sat cautiously beside them.

"Who are these three? Even the heads of the three great Lineages are treating them with such respect?!"

Many people began guessing inwardly, and Li Ye was no exception. But when he recalled the terrifying aura the three had displayed earlier, he understood. Though they had not revealed much of their strength, no one dared underestimate them! In particular, many secretly wondered whether they might be the legendary Innate Realm King Tier experts.

At that moment, atop the platform, the Wu Family head wore a faint smile tinged with reverence as he asked the three, "Have the three of you come this time because of that matter?"

The most amiable-looking fat man among them chuckled. Rather than answering directly, he said in a low voice, "I heard that you hold some sort of Genius Summit here every year. The three of us happened to be passing by, so we came to have a look."

That answer brought a flicker of disappointment to the Wu Family head's face. The Yu Family head and the Grand Elder of the Li Family, on the other hand, stirred slightly but did not press the matter.

At this time, the first stage of the Genius Summit had already begun.

"This first stage is the preliminary round. Anyone who has reached Spirit Martial Tier Five may take the stage. As long as they win twenty matches in a row, they will earn the right to enter the finals."

As if deliberately explaining it to them, the Yu Family head spoke at that moment.

"Oh."

Unfortunately, the fat man and his two companions showed little interest. Instead, they seemed somewhat absentminded.

Seeing this, the Wu Family head and the Yu Family head exchanged a glance, though no one knew what they were secretly communicating. The Grand Elder of the Li Family, meanwhile, frowned slightly and swept his gaze over the two, sensing that something was strange.

However, the preliminary matches below had already begun.

Li Ye was carefully observing. Though the three great Lineages, as the initiators, had fifty slots, not everyone could directly advance into the finals. Only those at the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm or above had such qualifications.

Li Ye had to go through the preliminary round. In other words, he needed twenty consecutive victories before he could truly enter the finals.

"This format is quite fair. The preliminary round weeds out the weaker ones, leaving behind the truly capable experts of Wuzhou City."

Either one's realm had to reach the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm directly, or one had to carve a bloody path through the preliminary rounds!

It could be said that the Genius Summit's system gave many people an opportunity. Otherwise, nearly all those in Wuzhou City under twenty-five who had reached the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm would have been claimed by the three great Lineages. If that were the case, the Genius Summit would have lost its meaning.

Because Li Ye was only at Spirit Martial Tier Six, he too needed twenty consecutive victories in the preliminary round to advance.

Li Ye's first opponent was a youth at Spirit Martial Tier Four. Unfortunately for him, Li Ye blasted him off the arena with a single move, and he posed no threat whatsoever.

His second opponent was slightly stronger, at peak Spirit Martial Tier Five. Had he not encountered Li Ye, he would have had a good chance of reaching the finals. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side, and he too was knocked off the arena by a single punch.

After fifteen straight matches, Li Ye had sent every opponent flying off the arena with one punch, instantly becoming the focus of much attention.

"Who is this kid? Fifteen matches so far, and every one of them ended in a one-punch instant kill! What a freak!"

"Late Spirit Martial Tier Six. He looks only sixteen or seventeen, doesn't he? So young, yet with such cultivation—he must be from one of the three great Lineages!"

Many people turned their eyes toward Li Ye. Although the competition rules gave those of lower realms a chance, winning twenty matches in a row was not easy. Once someone lost to a challenger, their accumulated victories would be transferred to the person who defeated them. Thus, the further one went, the stronger the challengers became. One careless slip, and one could capsize in a gutter.

"The seventeenth one! Still sent flying with one punch!"

A young man at peak Spirit Martial Tier Six screamed miserably as he was blasted off the arena, his face full of unwillingness.

Just as many had expected, after Li Ye won ten matches in a row, the opponents he faced became noticeably stronger. After fifteen victories, even the weakest were at peak Spirit Martial Tier Five. Some, like that youth just now, were even at peak Spirit Martial Tier Six! Their strength was enough to reach the finals.

"Three more matches."

After seventeen consecutive fights, Li Ye had barely expended any effort. After all, beneath the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm, there was practically no suspense for him.

He even had the leisure to observe the situations on the other arenas. One figure in particular was also slaughtering his way in all directions, with almost no opponent able to last a single exchange.

"Li Datou? I didn't expect that after half a month apart, he would have risen straight to peak Spirit Martial Tier Five!"

That honest-looking youth was the nightmare of many people. With his terrifying divine strength, even when facing experts at peak Spirit Martial Tier Six, he could still send them flying with a few punches!

At the same time, Li Ye noticed that Li Yijian and Li Yu, who had entered the ranks of the Inner Disciples just like him, were also winning match after match. The preliminary round clearly posed no difficulty for them at all.

Besides the outstanding performances from the Li Family, several people from the Wu Family and Yu Family among the three great Lineages also charged through powerfully, utterly unstoppable.

The ones Li Ye knew best were Yu Wen Tianhua and Wu Wenhao, who had previously been with Li Yue at Virtue Moon Tower. Both were at peak Spirit Martial Tier Six. In Li Ye's view, they at least possessed the strength to challenge ordinary seventh-level Spirit Martial Realm Martial Masters. Before long, they accumulated twenty consecutive victories and advanced into the finals.

"Kid! You encountered me, Jiang Wenhua, yet you still dare look around and lose focus!"

An angry roar drew Li Ye's attention back. Standing before him was a young man in his twenties, his right eye covered by a black eyepatch. The fierce expression on his face was completely different from every opponent Li Ye had met before.

"What a heavy stench of blood on him!"

With just one look, Li Ye could tell that this man was nothing like flowers raised in a greenhouse. He was an extremely dangerous person.

"Heavens! It's actually Jiang Wenhua!"

Some people below cried out in surprise, letting Li Ye know that this man seemed to be quite famous in Wuzhou City.

"Jiang Wenhua, one of Wuzhou City's ten greatest mercenaries! Though born in poverty, he has been fighting for survival in the mercenary world since the age of ten. He is now at peak Spirit Martial Tier Six, and he once fought a Martial Master at the seventh level of the Spirit Martial Realm for a hundred exchanges without defeat. He is one of the legends of Wuzhou City's mercenary world!"

Li Ye listened and secretly took note. Mercenaries might be somewhat inferior to disciples of great Lineages, but they could not be underestimated. These people who made their living on the blade's edge every day would often stop at nothing for victory, and anyone who could make a name for himself in the mercenary world was ruthless and vicious!

"Kid, you can only blame your bad luck for meeting me, Jiang Wenhua! You should be from one of the three great Lineages, right? I won't make things difficult for you. Get the hell off this stage now, and I'll spare your life!"

Jiang Wenhua looked at Li Ye without the slightest fear. Instead, his gaze resembled that of a beast in the jungle eyeing its prey.

Li Ye found that look extremely unpleasant, but his instincts told him that the man before him was dangerous.

Li Ye already had nineteen consecutive victories. As long as he won one more match, he could end the preliminary round and enter the finals. But likewise, if someone defeated him now, that person could advance directly into the finals!

"Jiang Wenhua really picked his timing well. This kid may be young, but his strength is no joke! Late Spirit Martial Tier Six, and he practically instantly defeats everyone at the same level. Perhaps he could even fight an ordinary seventh-level Spirit Martial Realm Martial Master. What a pity that his luck is so bad—Jiang Wenhua has set his sights on him. Jiang Wenhua has fought seventh-level Spirit Martial Realm Martial Masters several times without losing. Who knows how much his strength has improved by now!"

As they watched the arena, most people favored Jiang Wenhua, who had long been famous in Wuzhou City. The title of one of the ten greatest mercenaries in the mercenary world was not empty boasting—it was a fearsome reputation he had carved out through years of killing.

Li Ye, in contrast, was young. Though his strength was impressive, his fair and tender appearance made him look like a pampered young master. Never mind that one was at late Spirit Martial Tier Six while the other was at its peak, widening the gap—even if they were at the same realm, most people still believed Jiang Wenhua had better odds of winning.

At that moment, after Jiang Wenhua announced his name, the youth before him remained utterly unmoved. A trace of anger flashed through his eyes, and his expression turned cold.

"You ungrateful little brat. I originally didn't want to lay a hand on you because you should be from one of the three great Lineages. Yet you refuse to appreciate my kindness. Since that's the case, I'll cripple one of your arms and throw you straight off the stage!"

Jiang Wenhua was not some brute with well-developed limbs and a simple mind. Though he was one of the legends of Wuzhou City's mercenary world, he knew full well how terrifying the three great Lineages were within Wuzhou City, so he only intended to win quickly.

Unfortunately, he had made the greatest mistake of all!