The next morning, all 7,300 geniuses, including Zhang Junbao, Luo Feng, and Rong Jun, gathered in the square. After a night of rest, Zhang Junbao had recovered his strength.
At this moment, he was multitasking. He didn't need to fight in today's arena match; he only had to be present. Although he was physically there, Zhang Junbao was actually still reflecting on what he had learned in the previous battle. Even if people knew he was slacking off, no one would blame him.
On the other side, the team led by 1008 is composed of Immortal Expert.
Suddenly, an invisible aura enveloped the entire Central Plaza, causing all the geniuses present to tremble and involuntarily look up.
Then, a familiar figure appeared in the air. He wore a blue battle robe, which seemed ordinary but actually contained infinitely profound energy. His face was covered with purple scales, and his pale purple eyes swept across the entire arena, yet no one dared to meet his gaze. He was none other than the Controller this Genius Battle, the Venerable Nine Swords.
"Greetings, Venerable!"
The 7,300 geniuses and 1,008 Immortal present all bowed respectfully.
The Venerable Nine Swords nodded slightly, and his majestic voice echoed out, " The First Order of the trial has ended. Congratulations to the trial participants ranked 1st to 100th. You have obtained the qualification to enter the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company! If anyone is unwilling, they may raise their objections. The Virtual Universe Company will never force anyone."
Once you join my Virtual Universe Company, you will receive corresponding training, but you will also bear corresponding responsibilities. Is there anyone willing to withdraw?
At this point, no one was foolish enough to want to quit; everyone was there to join the Virtual Universe Company.
"Very well, next I will explain the rules of the qualification rounds," said the Venerable Nine Swords.
The top 100 players in the Trial Tower have qualified early.
"Ranked 101st to 7200th will participate in one-on-one arena battles. Based on your performance in the Trial Tower, the Virtual Universe System will automatically assign you an opponent. Winning three consecutive battles will earn you a spot, while losers will be eliminated."
Of the 7,200 participants, 900 remained after three rounds of one-on-one duels.
There's nothing to question about these rules. Virtual Universe Company selects the most outstanding geniuses; if someone loses a one-on-one duel, what right do they have to call themselves a top genius?
After the rules were explained, the 7,200 contestants were directly teleported to their respective arenas, with 3,600 arenas set up in the middle of the venue.
Zhang Junbao, Luo Feng, Rong Jun did not need to participate in the battle; they could simply watch from the sidelines like the Immortal. Zhang Junbao glanced around and saw Bolan, dressed in white robes and carrying the Blood Bolan, staring intently at him instead of looking at the arena. Zhang Junbao gave him an awkward but polite smile.
Zhang Junbao wasn't so kind as to help Bolan, who was unable to shake off his depression.
Not far away, there was a young man from the Manka Race, full of fighting spirit. Although he was full of fighting spirit, Zhang Junbao actually felt a little favor towards this young man with a youthful face and a slightly chubby figure. Perhaps it was because chubby people were naturally likable. It was better than Bolan staring at him with a dead fish face.
Not far away, the two genius siblings from August Planet nodded slightly in greeting when they saw Zhang Junbao looking over.
As for Ai Chen, the Mengluo Wing Race girl who had declared her intention to punish Zhang Junbao, she held her head high, appearing extremely arrogant.
Zhang Junbao ignored him; he had no liking for overly arrogant people.
The battle on the arena was fierce, which also provided them with a good opportunity to understand their opponents' strength.
Just because someone didn't make it into the top 100 of the Trial Tower doesn't mean they're weak. There are two levels in the Trial Tower that are against Machine Race and Metal Lifeform. These races have a natural resistance to illusions, and Illusionist are at a great disadvantage when they encounter them.
Furthermore, the Trial Tower contains a large number of enemies, Spirit Reader can kill them much faster than martial artists, putting martial artists at a greater disadvantage.
But one-on-one arena battles are where individual skill is truly tested.
The winners advance, the losers are eliminated—it's all realistic and cruel!
In front of the screen, a young man knelt on the ground, seemingly asleep. But this was on the arena; once he fell asleep, there would be no more chances.
"Look at that Illusion Demon Galexi. He killed his opponent without even moving. His illusion magic is truly terrifying. According to Lord Thirteen, he has the strength to enter the top ten, but the rules of the Trial Tower limit his performance."
"Among us, besides Zhang Junbao and Bolan, who is confident that we can stop him?"
Rong Jun, who was standing to the side, said.
"Yes!" Luo Feng nodded. " Illusionist are terrifying."
Zhang Junbao nodded in agreement, "How terrifying!"
Rong Jun glanced around slightly, feeling that what the two men were saying was terrifying, and that it wasn't the same thing he was talking about.
"You two, do you look down on this Illusion Demon Galexi?"
"Pfft! I didn't expect you to see through me!" Luo Feng chuckled, while Zhang Junbao shook his head slightly. He had clearly acted quite well, so how could Rong Jun have seen through him?
" Junbao goes without saying, but do you really have the confidence to defeat Luo Feng?"
"You should know that Hong is our fellow disciple. We practice together regularly, and the first thing we need to do is defend against Hong's illusion attacks."
"Hong? I admit, his illusions are indeed quite good, but he doesn't even reach the top 1,000 in the Ganwu Universe Country. His strength is far inferior to that of the Illusion Demon Galexi!" Rong Jun asked, puzzled.
"Him? He's nobody!"
Brother Hong lost to you because his attack techniques were insufficient, not because his ability to create illusions was lacking.
I admit that Galesi's illusions are very powerful, but he only relies on his powerful Spiritual Force illusion techniques to forcibly drag his opponents into the illusion.
This kind of illusion seemed to have been abandoned by Brother Hong a long time ago. He believed that if an illusion couldn't make the person in it willingly succumb to it, then it was a failed illusion.
Luo Feng glanced at Galesi and said disdainfully.
"Look at Galesi's opponents, each of them has a bitter look on their faces, obviously they have encountered something terrible in the illusion. This way of casting illusions works against people weaker than him, but once he encounters someone of equal strength, his illusions are completely useless."
He has absolutely no idea what his opponent wants!
"The enemy's desires are the best material for creating illusions; that's what Brother Hong told us."
Rong Jun was shocked. He had thought that Hong was no longer a threat after he eliminated him. But he never expected Luo Feng to have such a high opinion of him.
"That's right, Galesi's illusion is powerful, but it lacks any real skill. It simply relies on the burst of secret techniques to trap the enemy; it's nothing special." Zhang Junbao nodded, affirming Luo Feng's statement.
An illusion that doesn't control people's minds is like the illusion cast by the Phantom Spirit King. It might work well for ordinary people, but it's completely useless against masters of mind like Hong and Zhang Junbao.
Having sparred with Hong for so long, both Luo Feng and Thunder God had developed their own methods of dealing with him. As for Zhang Junbao, with his superior mental cultivation compared to Hong, Hong's illusions were unlikely to have any effect on him.
For someone like Luo Feng, who has studied the two great secret techniques, " Soul Seal " and " Void Tower," his control over mental power has reached an extremely high level, and his defense is also extremely strong. Moreover, he has the Golden Horned Beast as his trump card to break through the illusion, so resisting the illusion of the Illusion Demon Galexi is not a problem for him.
The sparring between Zhang Junbao and his three companions wasn't just about practicing powerful attacks; they also conducted targeted analyses of various opponents. Luo Feng already had a clear understanding of the Illusionist's battle plan.
" The True Meaning of Taiji that I cultivate can be summarized in two points: going with the flow and going against the current. Going with the flow means adapting to the enemy's secret techniques and attacking, pushing the boat with the current. Going against the current means using completely opposite forces to unleash the greatest attack power."
Most geniuses in the universe strive to go against the tide. Whether it's Rong Jun or Luo Feng, they are constantly amplifying their attacks in pursuit of the fastest speed and the strongest attack power.
"You, you just reveal your secret techniques so easily, aren't you afraid I'll learn them?" Not only Rong Jun, but all the other 99 geniuses in the audience heard Zhang Junbao's words and looked at him in shock.
"Hahaha, since I dared to say it, I'm naturally not afraid that you'll learn it. If a few simple words from me can affect your cultivation, then such a person is not worthy to be my opponent."
Zhang Junbao said with a smile.
Bolan was not far away, frowned. He had initially wondered why Zhang Junbao was suddenly acting so foolishly, but now he realized that Zhang Junbao was simply fearless.
"Secret techniques are meant to be constantly verified, with numerous shortcomings identified and corrected one by one. Each person treats their secret techniques as treasures, hiding them away, afraid that others will see them."
Don't assume that the secret methods left by our predecessors are perfect. No secret method can be completely perfect in dealing with every situation. Only by putting the secret method out into the open and constantly verifying and researching it can we truly perfect it.
Little did you know, what is your treasure is my worn-out shoe.
Zhang Junbao's last sentence was spoken in Earth Mandarin, which no one except Luo Feng could understand, but that did not prevent them from speculating on Zhang Junbao's previous words.
Zhang Junbao's words made Rong Jun ponder deeply. Rong Jun couldn't help but recall that during the preliminary rounds in the Ganwu Universe Country, Zhang Junbao was actively seeking out other participants to exchange secret techniques. Could it be that he had already been refining his own secret technique since then?
"Haha, well said. On our Manka Star, everyone cultivates together. Any shortcomings in our secret techniques will be immediately identified and continuously improved!"
What's so special about a mere secret technique? Since others can find its flaws, it proves that the technique is still imperfect. True top geniuses don't even have the confidence to comprehend the Law and secret techniques faster than others; they shouldn't embarrass themselves by showing off!
"Hello, Zhang Junbao! I am Wuka, the prince of Manka Star!" The chubby boy Wuka walked over with a loud laugh and greeted Zhang Junbao.
" Manka Star, this is the pinnacle of human bloodline!"
"I can't compare to you! But I really liked what you just said. When will we have a chance to spar? And could you help me find the flaws in my secret techniques?"
Wuka was very enthusiastic and had a very outgoing personality.
"Then we'll see if we run into each other in the next battle. If we do, don't cry then!"
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm definitely going to join the Virtual Universe Company anyway. I have no hope of winning against you. If I fight you, we can discuss things and discover the shortcomings in our secret techniques, improve our strength, and maybe I can even advance a few more places."
Wuka said with a smile.
"Then you can't go back on your word. I've found the flaws for you. If you can't find the flaws in me, that won't do!" Zhang Junbao said with a smile.
"Well... you're putting me in a difficult position. If you could find a flaw in your secret technique, would I still be able to lose to you?" Wuka an awkward smile.
Is this guy trying to get something for free?
Zhang Junbao chuckled. This young man from the Manka Race, Wuka, possessed the insightful heart of a martial artist. He was devoted solely to battle, genuine and unpretentious.
Unlike Bolan, he was not aloof or arrogant.
" Wuka, are you trying to get Junbao to give you free guidance? Is this how you Manka Star People treat your friends?" Luo Feng teased from the side.
"You underestimate us, the Manka Race!" Wuka became agitated upon mentioning his race.
The Manka Race, possessing the pinnacle of human bloodline, can become Domain Lord Level even without dedicated cultivation upon reaching adulthood.
Therefore, according to the adult age of the Manka Race, Wuka in front of him is actually just a seven or eight-year-old child. Naturally, he feels admiration for Zhang Junbao and Luo Feng, who are much stronger than him.
This is the terrifying aspect of the bloodlines of the most powerful races. Others may strive for thousands of years and still not become Domain Lord, but they can become Domain Lord simply by eating, drinking, and growing naturally.
This was the result of the efforts of countless ancestors of the Manka Race over hundreds of thousands, even millions of epochs. Once, a World Lord wanted to possess a Manka Race youth and captured him while he was away. When the Manka Race found out, they launched a powerful attack and annihilated the realm World Lord's entire force, including two Immortal Expert within it.
As for that realm World Lord, after being imprisoned and tortured by the Manka Race for millions of years, he finally died due to the exhaustion of his lifespan.
On the arena, 7,200 people were vying for a spot in the Virtual Universe Company, while in the audience, Zhang Junbao and others were having a discussion.
The Immortal standing to the side ignored them. These teenagers were all top geniuses from various Universe Country, and they would all be entering the Virtual Universe Company together in the future.
It's not a bad thing to make more friends with talented people.
Venerable Nine Swords, the representative of the Virtual Universe Company, also watched silently, tacitly approving their actions. There was no need to overly restrict true geniuses.
Every year in the Genius Battle, there is a top figure who leads the geniuses of that year to keep striving. The Venerable Nine Swords is very happy to see Zhang Junbao lead the other geniuses to progress together.
Their ultimate enemy is other races in the universe, not these geniuses of the same level.
Surpassing other geniuses of the same level is far from enough; true strength lies in uniting to fight against Alien Race.
Although the five major powers compete with each other within the Human Race, the Venerable Nine Swords actually knows that the strongest humans are very united.
Humanity's top geniuses should not only focus on defeating their own kind, but also dare to confront Alien Race in order to lead Human Race further in the universe!