Chapter 576 - 350: The Finals Begin

Chapter 576: Chapter 350: The Finals Begin

...

The stunning performances of these top prodigies sparked waves of awe and discussion across the various sectors.

And when the highlight reel scrolled to the Alka District, the figure of Blood Slaughter Barton was prominently featured.

In the footage, Barton stood on a chaotic battle stage, the crimson light of his blade like a river of blood erupting from the depths of hell.

The murderous will, honed amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, assaulted the minds of countless viewers even through the screen.

When the caption "Alka Empire, Blood Slaughter Barton" appeared at the bottom of the light screen,

Li Wen and the others instantly felt it was not just the neighboring sectors.

Countless gazes were being cast their way from even more distant regions.

For the first time, in a true sense, the Alka Empire’s contingent became one of the focal points of the entire space.

"Oh? So that’s the ’Blood Slaughter’ from the Alka District? I hear he’s just a Tier One Centurion?"

"His cultivation level really isn’t high, but that killing intent... it’s so pure. Rumor has it he crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood."

"Mm, a bit interesting. A Blade Intent forged from such pure murderous will is not to be underestimated.

Still, he’ll probably only make the top thousand. Getting into the top five hundred would be a real stretch..."

...

In the sector belonging to the Celestial Vault Divine Country, a few geniuses with extraordinary auras were also communicating privately with their divine senses.

Their expressions mostly held a kind of lofty indifference as they commented on the experts from ordinary empires.

While their words acknowledged Barton’s exceptional nature, the pride and sense of superiority originating from the foremost of the seven Divine Countries was impossible to hide.

Of the ten thousand high-level empires in the human universe, the seven at the apex of the pyramid were revered as the seven Divine Countries.

And the Celestial Vault Divine Country was the leader of these seven.

In every Cosmic Peak Genius Battle, the Celestial Vault Divine Country alone often claimed over one hundred of the top one thousand spots.

Any single one of the one thousand contestants they selected possessed the strength to crush the so-called "number one" of many ordinary high-level empires.

They had every right and reason to look down on the masses and pass judgment on the contestants from ordinary empires.

Of course, when faced with an expert who displayed truly world-shaking prowess, even the prodigies of the Celestial Vault Divine Country would reveal the appropriate solemnity and respect deep in their eyes.

...

...

In stark contrast to the grim and tense atmosphere of the arena outside,

a banquet of the highest standard was currently underway inside the magnificent central building.

The space within the hall utilized powerful spatial folding technology, making it far vaster than it appeared from the outside.

The dome was like an inverted starry sky, adorned with projections of real stars that shed a gentle, stellar radiance.

The floor was paved with fragments of Star Cores, warm and smooth like jade, suffused with Spiritual Qi.

Countless tables, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old divine wood or exotic metals, were arranged in an elegant, scattered pattern.

Upon them were laid out shimmering nectars, immortal fruits, and spiritual delicacies.

However, not a single one of the tens of thousands of guests in the hall paid any attention to these rare delicacies.

They were all Immortal beings from the ten thousand high-level empires, the colossal pillars supporting the human universe.

At this moment, the Immortals were forming social circles, large and small, based on their respective networks.

Chen of the Alka Empire was seated at a table with several other Immortals whose auras were just as ancient and powerful.

They were clearly old acquaintances, and the atmosphere between them was relaxed and congenial.

"Old Ghost Chen, your Alka Empire really struck gold this time," an Immortal powerhouse dressed in fiery red robes, with a beard and hair as crimson as flames, laughed heartily, his voice booming.

"That little fellow named Barton, and that Li Wen... I’m afraid your Alka is going to take two spots in the top thousand this time."

Another Immortal, wreathed in water vapor and with a disposition as gentle as the sea, nodded with a smile.

"It’s truly rare. As long as they don’t run into those monsters early on, they have a great chance of both making it into the top thousand."

Faced with the praise of his old friends, a rare, irrepressible smile of gratification appeared on Chen’s face, which was usually as placid as an old well.

He raised his cup, took a small sip, and forcefully suppressed the excitement in his heart, waving his hand in a display of feigned modesty.

"You two flatter me. The finals have yet to begin, and there are still many variables. Besides, it’s still a stretch for Li Wen’s strength to get him into the top thousand.

Whether they can achieve it in the end will depend on their performance on the divine altar. It’s still too early to say."

Despite his words, the unsuppressable curve of his lips completely exposed his inner pride and anticipation.

The Alka Empire had been weak for a long time, always playing the part of an insignificant participant in the Cosmic Genius Battles.

Now, there was finally hope of breaking their streak of zero placements, and perhaps even getting two people through at once. This was enough for him to hold his head high in front of his old friends.

...

Time slipped by quietly amidst the waiting of countless geniuses and the high-level discussions of the Immortal powerhouses.

Finally, a grand and majestic voice, seemingly originating from the will of the universe itself, resounded throughout the entire space without warning.

This voice did not travel through the air, but echoed directly in the depths of every living being’s soul.

Carrying an irresistible authority, it instantly suppressed all discussion among the ten million genius contestants in the arena.

The entire mega-arena fell into an absolute, pin-drop silence.

Everyone’s mind was held captive by this voice.

"Silence." The voice was calm and flat, yet it contained a power that could make a Star Domain tremble. "The finals of the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle now begin."

"Announcing the rules:"

"The finals will be divided into two stages."

"Stage one... elimination rate—ninety-nine point nine percent! Only ten thousand will remain to enter the next stage!"

BOOM—!

Although they had been mentally prepared, when this terrifyingly suffocating elimination rate was announced so clearly,

a huge, invisible wave of shock still swept through the entire arena.

Ten million people. After stage one, only ten thousand would be left.

On average, only one person from each empire would remain!

Different contestants reacted to this brutal rule in completely different ways.

Figures like Ling Xuzi, Time Shadow, and Illusory, who stood at the very apex of the pyramid, had their eyes instantly turn incredibly sharp.

Their gazes swept across the arena, no longer searching for opponents, but sizing up... prey.

To them, this was not an elimination round, but a stage to showcase their power and sweep aside all enemies.

As for Barton and the other top geniuses from various empires who were widely expected to contend for the top thousand,

most of them wore grave expressions, their eyes filled with vigilance and a trace of nervousness.

Their strength was formidable, but they were well aware that the finals were fraught with uncertainty.

They had to be on high alert, carefully dealing with every opponent to ensure they could fight their way into the final list of ten thousand.

Saphis Yingge sat amidst the crowd, their expression flickering between light and dark, fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest of their seat.

Meanwhile, contestants like Ares and Isabel, who were not highly ranked within the Alka Empire and whose strength was a world away from the cosmic top thousand,

actually seemed the most composed, even somewhat relieved.

Ares gave a wry smile and shrugged at Isabel beside him, whispering:

"Looks like our journey ends here. It’s fine, though. Getting to come here and witness the prowess of Cosmic Level geniuses, to experience this atmosphere—it was worth it!"

Isabel nodded as well, her face showing not much disappointment, but more the feeling of having had her horizons broadened.

"Yeah. The stage from here on out belongs to Li Wen and Barton. All we can do is wish them well."

Their minds were at ease, already prepared for elimination.

The most tormented were those contestants of middling strength, who were just a hair’s breadth away from or slightly below the threshold for the estimated cosmic top thousand.

They were the most nervous and anxious group.

Their eyes constantly scanned the figures of the top prodigies on the light screens as they mentally calculated their potential opponents and chances of survival over and over again.

For them, this first stage was a life-or-death line.

Cross it, and they would have a chance to compete for a spot among the supremely glorious cosmic top thousand; fail to cross it, and all would be for naught.

The pressure was so immense it was almost suffocating them.

The grand voice paid no mind to the myriad reactions of the masses below, continuing its announcement in that same cold and absolute tone:

"After the first stage concludes, the ten thousand who advance will be ranked by points."

"Those who rank in the top one hundred by points will directly secure a spot in the final top thousand, with no need to fight further."

"Those ranked from one hundred and one to ten thousand, a total of nine thousand nine hundred people, will compete for the remaining nine hundred spots in the top thousand through challenge matches and other rules!"

"In the end, the top one thousand will be this session’s Cosmic Peak Genius Battle—the Cosmic Top Thousand!"