Sitting on the chair, Luo Feng poured himself a cup of tea. The tea flowed into the cup with a gentle splashing sound, but countless thoughts still surfaced in his mind.
“Babata is right. My current strength is indeed still far inferior to some of the super geniuses! It will be very difficult to break into the top 1,000 of the universe’s ultimate showdown!”
“My movement technique, spiritual force weapon control, combat experience, willpower and mentality may all be considered pretty good, but when compared with the most top-notch geniuses in the entire universe, they cannot be considered top-tier.”
“Some powerful experts, such as my teacher and ‘Luo’, eventually created their own secret techniques.”
“Of course, no matter what I do, I have to proceed step by step. I first need to learn the secret techniques created by those who came before me, and then slowly create my own. And right now… I have only just begun.”
“If I’m surrounded by a group of sheep, then even if I become the strongest, I’m still only a slightly stronger sheep!”
“But if I’m surrounded by a group of lions, then even if I’m not the strongest, I’ll still be a fierce lion.”
“If I want to enter, then I’ll enter the core of the Virtual Universe Company!”
“I am weak.”
“But that’s mainly because I’ve only been cultivating for such a short time. This Genius Battle will last a long time, so I still have time to improve!”
Luo Feng pondered, his brows tightly furrowed.
The core of the super giant among the humans of the universe, the Virtual Universe Company, recruited 1,000 super geniuses every ten thousand years. After generations of accumulation, there would be millions of peerless geniuses there. Furthermore, after countless years of accumulation, the number of Immortal beings there would also far exceed that of the Ganwu Universe Country!
That place!
Was the most dazzling and supreme force!
“If I want to compete, then I’ll compete against the strongest group of geniuses!”
“My cultivation time is short. As time passes, I’ll catch up with them.”
“Work hard!”
“Work hard!”
“Right now, my first goal is to obtain one of the 1,000 places within the Ganwu Universe Country.”
Luo Feng made his decision and did not say anything more to Babata.
From childhood until now, Luo Feng had never admitted defeat.
Even when he had once faced the incomparably powerful Golden Horned Beast, which seemed invincible, Luo Feng had never lowered his head.
If…
His younger brother Luo Hua liked fighting in the universe’s financial markets, repeatedly competing and battling to seize wealth.
Then Luo Feng liked pursuing the peak of life, constantly breaking through his own limits, continuously improving himself and defeating one opponent after another! Difficulties, setbacks, competition and opponents were not things he feared. What he feared was having no difficulties at all. If one day he truly stood at the very peak with no opponent left, he would probably feel very lonely.
A master is lonely at the top.
Luo Feng had already tasted that feeling on Earth, and he did not like loneliness.
“Let’s fight!”
“Let’s see how far I, Luo Feng, can go!”
There was a gleam in Luo Feng’s eyes. It was the light of an intense desire for the path to becoming a strong expert.
The arena group battles lasted a total of five days. After the group battles ended, the 10,000 participants who had passed were given one day to rest. During this day of rest, the organiser, the Virtual Universe Company, also informed every participant of the arrangements for the upcoming arena decisive battles.
…
The night of 22 July 2066, China Time.
Within the Virtual Universe, on Black Dragon Mountain Island, in the living room of Luo Feng’s home in Nine Star Bay Residential Area.
Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder God and more than a dozen others had gathered together.
“How are the arena decisive battles divided?”
“Brother-in-law, who are you fighting in your first battle?”
“There are 900 places and 10,000 people competing for them. How are they going to compete?”
Everyone began discussing.
“Quiet.” Luo Feng pointed towards the air in front of them. Immediately, a huge screen appeared above the dining table. A densely packed list appeared on the screen. “This is the arena decisive battle list for the 10,000 participants.”
“Oh?”
“The words are too small.”
The entire family hurried over to take a closer look.
“Enlarge it.” Luo Feng pointed towards the corner of the screen. Immediately, one section of the list continuously enlarged, and Luo Feng’s name appeared there.
“Brother, you fight ‘Saiwaluo’ first? After winning one battle, you then fight the winner of the group beside you?” Luo Hua carefully examined it.
“Mm!”
Luo Feng nodded and looked at everyone around him. There was his brother-in-law Xu Gang, Hong’s sons, daughters and their families, Thunder God’s daughter, as well as Luo Feng’s own family. It was indeed very lively with such a large group of people together.
“The process of this arena decisive battle is very simple.”
“One-on-one. The winner continues forward, while the loser is sent into the ‘losers’ group’.”
“The 10,000 people are paired off into 5,000 pairs. After the first battle, 5,000 winners emerge, while the 5,000 losers are sent into the losers’ group.”
“The 5,000 winners are then paired off again. After the second battle, 2,500 winners remain.”
“Continue!”
“After the third battle, 1,250 winners remain.”
“After the fourth battle, 625 winners remain! These 625 winners who have passed four battles will obtain 625 of the 900 places.” Luo Feng explained.
The rules were very simple.
After four battles of pairing people off against one another, only 625 people would remain!
“Brother-in-law, if 625 of the 900 places are given out, doesn’t that leave another 275 places?” Xu Gang asked in confusion. Beside him, Luo Hua smiled. “Xu Gang, didn’t you notice that my brother said earlier that those who lose are sent into the ‘losers’ group’? I estimate that those 275 places belong to the losers’ group.”
Thunder God laughed beside them. “That’s right. Luo Hua is smart. You have to understand that pairing people off to determine the winners is very fast, but there is a major flaw. It is very likely that two super strong experts will be forced to fight each other. One of them will inevitably be eliminated, making it easy to miss a ‘genius’.”
“Mm.”
Luo Feng nodded. “That’s why there is a ‘losers’ group’. Of the 10,000 people, 625 are winners, so there will be 9,375 people in the losers’ group.”
“These 9,375 people will undergo a cruel and lengthy round robin battle to determine the final 275 places.” Luo Feng said.
“A cruel round robin battle?”
“How cruel?”
“Lengthy? How long will it take?”
Everyone looked at Luo Feng.
“The round robin battle means that every one of the 9,375 people in the losers’ group must fight each of the other 9,374 people in one-on-one battles! In other words, each person in the losers’ group must fight 9,374 battles! A victory earns one point, while a defeat or mutual destruction earns zero points! In the end, they will be ranked according to their points. The top 275 will obtain the final 275 places!” Luo Feng explained.
“Good heavens!” Xu Gang’s eyes widened.
“Wow.” Little Hai exclaimed. “9,374 battles? How long will that take?”
“Exactly, how much time will that take? After fighting more than 9,000 battles, it will definitely take a very, very long time.” Everyone sighed. After all, these were life and death battles. If they continued fighting life and death battles, their mental energy and spirit would become exhausted, and their strength would begin to decline.
Therefore, even if each life and death battle did not take long, it was impossible to conduct too many battles every day.
“The Virtual Universe Company announced that during the round robin battle, each person will fight ten battles every day. It will last for nearly three years.” Luo Feng said. “The entire Genius Battle, this regional selection battle of the Ganwu Universe Country, will spend the longest time on this round robin battle.”
“Nearly three years?”
“That’s quite long.”
…
The arena decisive battles proceeded very quickly. Half the people were eliminated in every battle. As long as they continued winning through four battles, they would obtain a place!
On the rooftop of Luo Feng’s residence in Nine Star Bay, late at night.
Luo Feng, Hong and Thunder God sat around a round table.
“Third brother, your situation isn’t looking good.” Hong said solemnly.
“Among these 10,000 participants, only 521 have crossed the threshold of the Laws. After four rounds of arena decisive battles, only 625 people will be selected. Logically speaking, all 521 of these people should obtain places.” Thunder God muttered. “But how did the Virtual Universe Company arrange the groups? They actually let Law geniuses encounter one another?”
Indeed.
Although the recordings of the arena group battles showed that only 521 people had crossed the threshold of the Laws, if the Virtual Universe Company had arranged the groups properly, these 521 people could have avoided one another and all obtained places.
But…
The Virtual Universe Company had not done this. Most of the experts who had crossed the threshold of the Laws would not encounter other Law experts during their four consecutive battles. However, nearly a hundred of these Law experts would encounter one another!
For example, Luo Feng himself!
According to the battle arrangements, Luo Feng was confident about the first, second and third battles! But the fourth battle… based on that list, Luo Feng could deduce that as long as that Law genius did not stumble along the way, his opponent in the fourth battle would be someone who had also crossed the threshold of the Laws!
His name was ‘Rong Jun’, and his nickname was precisely ‘Wild Man’.
‘Wild Man’ Rong Jun!
The super expert who had defeated his second brother Thunder God, and the monstrous figure who had swept through the arena group battles.
“With this kind of grouping, nearly a hundred Law experts will meet each other in the final fourth battle.” Hong nodded. “Moreover, these nearly one hundred people are the most ferocious performers among all the participants in the arena group battles.”
Whether it was ‘Wild Man’ Rong Jun or ‘Madman’ Luo Feng, both had displayed an unstoppable sweeping momentum in their respective arena group battles.
“In terms of strength.”
“These nearly one hundred people should be among the strongest of the Law experts.” Hong said solemnly. “Now the Virtual Universe Company is making them face one another. Obviously, it wants to test them properly. Moreover, the losers… will still have a chance to participate in the round robin battle. There are fewer than 50 Law experts entering the round robin battle, while the losers’ group has 275 places. Even if these Law experts lose in the fourth battle, they can still obtain a place through the round robin battle.”
“From the perspective of the Virtual Universe Company, this should be to test this group of people.”
“Whether it is the direct clash between the top experts or the 9,374 battles in the round robin battle, both will have a training effect.” Hong said.
Luo Feng and Thunder God both nodded slightly.
It made sense.
The Virtual Universe Company was organising this competition to select the most elite geniuses, so it was perfectly normal to put the strongest performers through tougher trials.
“Third brother.” Hong looked solemnly at Luo Feng. “You shouldn’t have any problems in the first three battles. Right now, your only opponent is… ‘Wild Man’ Rong Jun, whom you will encounter in the fourth battle. I have personally witnessed his strength. He is extremely, extremely terrifying. He is far stronger than Pushkin from your group.”
“I fought him once. He finished me with a single move.” Thunder God quickly said. “He is very strong, especially when he brings his blade down. The attack is incredibly heavy.”
“I know.” Luo Feng nodded.
If he wanted to obtain a place early, he had to defeat that Wild Man. Luo Feng had watched Wild Man’s arena group battles at the Dojo in person. He really was absurdly powerful.
“Who told you to perform so fiercely, Third Brother?” Thunder God laughed. “Because you were too strong, killing the other geniuses in the group battles as easily as killing dogs. The Virtual Universe Company values you, so it arranged Wild Man for you. It wants the two strongest to fight each other!”