Chapter 559 - 343: One Hundred Million Experience

Chapter 559: Chapter 343: One Hundred Million Experience

In the prep space, the atmosphere was equally strange.

Demon Hand Hua Sha watched the defeated Li Wen on the light screen, his arms crossed and his face expressionless.

But a complex emotion flickered deep in his eyes.

It was impossible to tell if he was wary of Barton’s terrifying power or sobered by the explosive strength Li Wen had just displayed.

Saphis Yingge, on the other hand, made no effort to hide his glee. His smile stretched nearly ear to ear as he whispered:

"’The higher you climb, the harder you fall... Time Law? Dual cultivation? In front of Barton, you’re nothing but a joke!’"

Oleg, ranked fifth on the overall leaderboard, and several other powerful geniuses who had previously fought Li Wen,

now had an even deeper understanding of the overwhelming power Barton possessed. A chill crept deeper into their hearts.

At the same time, as they looked at the young man kneeling on one knee on the light screen, they couldn’t help but feel a flicker of respect.

To last that long against Barton, and to even manage to injure him...

That tenacity and explosive power was more than enough to earn their respect.

A flash of light on the arena stage, and both Li Wen and Barton were teleported back to the prep space.

Li Wen materialized in his designated spot.

His face was still pale, but he held his back as straight as a spear.

He calmly lifted his gaze, which swept over the massive points monument in the center of the space.

The top of the leaderboard was still firmly occupied by the name "Blood Slaughter Barton," which glowed with an unshakeable light.

Meanwhile, the name "Killing God Li Wen," while still ranked high, had slipped from its previous spot, tied for first place with Barton.

There was no dejection in his eyes, not even the slightest flicker of emotion.

There was only a deeper sense of calm and contemplation.

He didn’t look at anyone’s reaction, nor did he pay any mind to the gazes of pity, mockery, or awe directed his way.

He silently sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.

It was as if the defeat that had shaken the entire Alka District had never happened.

He was reviewing the fight.

In his sea of consciousness, he replayed, deconstructed, and analyzed every detail of the battle at high speed.

Blood Slaughter Barton remained seated in his spot, eyes closed, as if he had just done something trivial.

But a careful observer would have noticed his fingers, resting on his knees, twitch ever so slightly.

Only he knew the truth. In that final, do-or-die attack, the young man with a bone age of a mere fifty-seven...

...had unleashed a power so stunning it had made even him feel a momentary threat of death.

’This "Killing God"... his potential is far more terrifying than I anticipated.’

That flicker of interest had already morphed into genuine wariness.

’The next time we fight... I’ll need more power.’

There seemed to be no more doubt as to who would take first place in the Alka District.

But this peak battle, a glorious defeat, had given the name "Killing God Li Wen" a new and profound weight.

...

「Another five days passed in a flash.」

As the light signaling the end of the final round-robin match faded from the virtual arena, the third stage of the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle in the Alka District officially came to a close.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

In an instant, all two thousand contestants were teleported back to the familiar prep space.

The space was packed with people, but the atmosphere was completely different from when they had first arrived.

Excitement, anticipation, anxiety, despair... a mixture of emotions filled the air.

At almost the exact same moment, everyone’s gaze was drawn to the colossal, pillar-like golden monument in the center of the space.

The majestic monument suddenly trembled, erupting in a dazzling golden light.

The golden light rippled outward like water, illuminating every face in the room.

Li Wen looked up along with everyone else.

Ever since the "Battle of the Two Kings" on the sixteenth day, when he was defeated by Blood Slaughter Barton, the top three names on the monument had been set in stone.

[No. 1: Blood Slaughter Barton (Murphy Empire) Wins: 1999]

[No. 2: Killing God Li Wen (Lain Empire) Wins: 1998]

[No. 3: Demon Hand Hua Sha (Demon Pigeon Empire) Wins: 1997]

These were the undisputed top three of the Alka District.

But the changes to the monument were just beginning.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, all the names on the monument ranked below one-thousandth place began to dim and blur, as if being wiped away by an invisible eraser.

The process was slow and cruel, a clear pronouncement of the fate of each contestant whose name faded.

Reactions in the crowd varied.

The lean youth ranked exactly one thousand and first, a young man of humble origins from a remote star system,

stared intently at the spot where his name was fading away, his eyes instantly turning red.

He bit his lower lip, his body trembling slightly. In the end, he couldn’t hold it in any longer, and two silent streams of hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

He thought of his homeworld, a planet poor in resources but rich in hope.

He thought of his clansmen, who had tightened their belts and endured hardship just to scrape together enough cultivation resources for him.

He thought of the countless days and nights he had spent in the gravity chamber, drenched in sweat, pushing himself to the absolute limit...

So close, yet a world away!

All his effort, all their hopes, vanished into thin air the moment his name disappeared completely. The immense bitterness and despair nearly drowned him.

Another genius, a noble from a mid-tier empire ranked around eleven-hundredth,

had his eyes filled with disbelief and humiliation.

He glanced around, feeling as if the gazes of the qualifiers were all filled with silent mockery. His family’s glory and his personal pride were shattered in an instant.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something harsh to save face.

In the end, however, he just lowered his head in defeat, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.