Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

Qin Feng nodded, having no objections.

The two quickly found a pair of cushions toward the back of the plaza, sat down cross-legged, and entered a state of silent waiting and cultivation.

Time trickled by against a backdrop of absolute silence and the magnificent Star Sea.

More and more contestants began to trickle in from the various entrances of the City of Genesis, gradually filling the plaza.

Some arrived in groups of three or five, chatting animatedly.

Others, like Qin Feng, found a quiet corner and remained silent.

Still others had sharp gazes, constantly sizing up every "competitor" around them, trying to identify the powerful individuals who warranted special attention.

Just a few days later, something happened that was both unexpected and, in hindsight, inevitable.

On the other side of the plaza, a verbal dispute between two equally powerful Planet-level Martial Artists quickly escalated for reasons unknown.

One of them couldn’t restrain himself and attacked.

However, the instant his Spiritual Energy flared from his body, two incomparably swift blue streaks of light materialized from the plaza’s guard post, arriving at the scene in a flash.

They were two Ultimate Warriors responsible for maintaining order.

Without a single unnecessary word, they used an absolute, crushing force to subdue the two Martial Artists on the spot.

Then, a cold, merciless judgment boomed from their power armor’s external speakers, echoing across the entire plaza.

"Sector A-1089, contestant ’Gulie.’ Sector A-1090, contestant ’Ferren.’ For violating pre-competition discipline by attempting to engage in a private duel within the competition grounds, both are hereby stripped of their eligibility. Expulsion is immediate!"

The moment the announcement ended, two beams of light enveloped the two ashen-faced geniuses, instantly teleporting them away.

The entire process was clean and efficient.

This scene instantly silenced much of the noise in the once-bustling plaza.

It also gave Qin Feng a clearer understanding of these so-called "prodigies."

These Martial Artists from all corners of the Extreme Warband’s territory, despite being called geniuses, weren’t all paragons of mental fortitude with wills of iron.

It was just like the difference between his alma mater, Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, and those Imperial Top 100 Star Martial Arts Universities.

The truly strong who had fought their way up step-by-step from life-and-death battles of blood and fire perhaps only accounted for about fifty to sixty percent of the total.

Of course, that was already a terrifyingly high percentage, more than enough to support the Empire’s massive war machine.

The rest were like the two who had just been expelled.

They might be exceptionally talented, with cultivation speeds that advanced by leaps and bounds, but their minds had not been tempered to match.

It was very likely that they had never even carried out a single truly life-threatening Imperial mission.

When things went their way, they were lofty geniuses.

But the moment they encountered setbacks or provocations, they were easily swayed by their emotions.

The overall percentage of such people among geniuses was extremely low, but unfortunately, the total number of contestants this time was simply too large.

With geniuses gathered from countless Star Zones, even if the proportion of these "hothouse flowers" was only one in a hundred million, their total number was still significant.

Qin Feng also observed that a significant number of the Martial Artists present were exquisitely equipped. Their elegant bearing and every gesture exuded the calm composure of someone from a higher social stratum.

Take Fire Circle, for example. A Martial Artist who could afford to purchase a high-level cultivation method like the Celestial Disc Scripture on his own must have an extraordinary family background.

After all, with countless Martial Artists gathered from innumerable Star Zones, it really did take all sorts to make a world.

Qin Feng reined in his thoughts, no longer paying attention to the disturbances around him.

He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into his mind’s sea, continuing to silently unravel the mysteries of the Canaan Scripture as he quietly awaited the official start of the competition.

Time flew by.

Soon, the start of the preliminary rounds drew closer and closer, until only a few hours remained.

By now, the vast plaza, measured in light-years, was densely packed with figures.

The number of Martial Artists had reached a mind-numbing figure in the hundreds of billions!

From countless Star Zones, an average of over a thousand Planet-level geniuses, all graduates of Martial Arts Universities, had arrived from each one.

This number represented the terrifying depth of the new generation’s power under the rule of the Ultramarines Chapter.

And in the end, out of these hundreds of billions of Martial Artists, only the one million ranked highest in comprehensive potential assessment would distinguish themselves in this century-long "open course" and advance to the next round: the "Grand War Zone."

The difficulty was, to put it mildly, astronomical.

Fortunately, however, the core of this assessment was to test more fundamental qualities like potential, comprehension, and mental fortitude.

In this regard, Qin Feng felt he had a decent chance.

Another hour passed.

Just as the countdown was about to reach zero, three figures appeared without any warning within the vast and magnificent nebula above the plaza.

Their appearance seemed to silence the entire Cosmos.

The three figures floated silently above all the contestants.

Their auras were so immense and profound that the surrounding light was twisted and devoured by their powerful gravitational fields, forming a sphere of absolute darkness that made it impossible to discern their true features.

They were like three living black holes cloaked in human form. Their mere presence caused the hundreds of billions of Planet-level geniuses to feel an indescribable pressure and awe that stemmed from the very core of their beings.