From the Metropolis to the Strongest in the Cosmos

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Geniuses Gather

A large number of youths had already gathered in the vast area.

A closer look at their faces revealed that they were the geniuses from the previous video.

They were geniuses from the other Star Continents!

When these geniuses saw Li Yang and the others arrive, their gazes couldn’t help but drift over.

"It’s the group from the Yangyuan Star Continent."

"The one with purple hair is Jin Xu."

"The quality of geniuses from the Yangyuan Star Continent is mediocre this time around. Even their top contender, Jin Xu, has no chance of being accepted into the Eternal Saint Hall."

"Nothing worth seeing here."

Many who had glanced over quickly looked away again.

The Yangyuan Star Continent truly wasn’t worth their attention.

Li Yang overheard some of the chatter. The disdain for the Yangyuan Star Continent was obvious in their words.

But this was normal. Everyone here was a peerless genius from their own Star Continent, and their sole objective was to enter the Eternal Saint Hall.

They would only focus on those with a real chance of getting in. As for the background characters, who would bother paying them any mind?

Li Yang observed the crowd, his gaze eventually landing and narrowing on one person in the plaza.

’That’s Huo Lie, the top genius of the Fire Flame Star Continent.’

Not far away, the young man was clad in red armor. Red, mystical patterns adorned his face, and even his hair was a fiery red. He looked like a living flame.

Huo Lie had reached the 2,300th step on the Path of Deities. He had instantly defeated every other genius from the Fire Flame Star Continent, including the second-ranked one!

According to the intelligence provided by the Yangyuan Star Continent, Huo Lie was a shoo-in for the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall.

As Li Yang watched, many other geniuses were also staring at Huo Lie.

"So that’s Huo Lie."

"The 2,300th step on the Path of Deities... With an achievement like that, he probably has the power to instantly kill someone at the Peak of Longevity Realm!"

"He’s too strong! I can’t even beat someone at the Peak of Longevity Realm, and he can one-shot them."

"I hear Huo Lie’s strength is enough to rank in the top twenty of all the geniuses in the Three Thousand Star Continent!"

"This generation is packed with talent. In any previous competition, Huo Lie’s achievements would have likely put him even higher in the rankings!"

The geniuses chattered amongst themselves.

A genius guaranteed to enter the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall would naturally draw the attention of the others.

"Li Yang."

As Li Yang was watching, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.

He turned to see a young man with purple hair standing next to him. Li Yang was taken aback. "Jin Xu?"

Jin Xu, the top-ranked genius from the Yangyuan Star Continent, had actually approached him.

Jin Xu followed Li Yang’s gaze toward Huo Lie and couldn’t help but whisper, "Li Yang, that Huo Lie is incredibly strong. If this were the last talent selection for the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall, his achievements would have been enough to take first place!"

"First place?"

Li Yang was stunned. He had only received basic information about the geniuses’ relative strengths, so he didn’t have a clear picture of their exact power levels or how they stacked up against the previous generation of contestants.

"Yes. The winner of the last competition was someone with the power to kill a warrior at the Peak of Longevity Realm."

Jin Xu continued, "That’s actually the typical standard for the Eternal Saint Hall’s talent selection."

"But this time is completely different. Just from the strength we’ve seen on display, there are at least nine other geniuses on par with Huo Lie! On top of that, there are two who are even stronger, having reached the level of a Starry Sky Lord! And who knows how many more are hiding their true power. Based on these rankings, our strength probably puts us outside the top five thousand."

Jin Xu couldn’t help but shake his head. "Competing in the same generation as geniuses like these... I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse."

He shook his head in resignation. With his level of strength, he would have been a shoo-in for the last talent selection, but this year, he barely had any hope at all.

Li Yang remained silent. It was true that an unusual number of geniuses had emerged this year.

But he didn’t feel discouraged. On the contrary, a powerful fighting spirit began to stir within him.

’Competing against geniuses like these is what makes things interesting.’

"Thanks," Li Yang said, grateful. Jin Xu had no obligation to share this information with him.

"It’s nothing."

Jin Xu smiled. "We’re both from the Yangyuan Star Continent. We’re a team here."

He and Li Yang continued to talk.

In truth, not many geniuses were in the vast area. Like Li Yang’s group, the others were also just there to take a look.

They didn’t stay in the Virtual World for long. Under the guidance of the Deity, Lu Kaluo, Li Yang and the others soon logged out.

"The area you just entered will be the competition venue," Lu Kaluo said, addressing the crowd. "Geniuses from the other Star Continents have not all gathered yet. When they have all arrived, the competition will begin."

There were surely other situations like Li Yang’s, with geniuses still needing to be brought to their respective Star Continent headquarters.

"There are approximately five days remaining."

Lu Kaluo’s voice was grave. "Therefore, in five days, the moment that decides your destiny will arrive."

SWOOSH!

With that said, Lu Kaluo vanished without a trace.

The contestants in the plaza exchanged glances before dispersing, obviously to continue their training.

Li Yang also followed the directions to his own quarters.

’More than ten geniuses who could have taken first place in the last competition...’ Li Yang couldn’t help but marvel.

"Li Yang, feeling the pressure?" Soul Ink’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"There’s pressure, but it just makes me more excited."

Hearing the question, Li Yang just smiled. "Joining the Eternal Saint Hall will only be interesting if I have to compete with geniuses like them!" A hint of anticipation glinted in his eyes.

’Time to get back to training! I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to mastering the third form of the Hexagram Spear.’

Li Yang had been training non-stop on the way to the Yangyuan Empire.

Although he still hadn’t fully mastered the third form and was stuck at a bottleneck, Li Yang felt he was incredibly close. All he needed was the right catalyst!

...

「Five days passed in a flash.」

While Li Yang was training in the Virtual World, he suddenly had a thought. ’Hm? Is the competition about to start?’ He immediately logged out and prepared to gather at the plaza.

"How did it go, Li Yang?" Soul Ink asked as soon as Li Yang logged out of the Virtual World.

He knew that Li Yang had reached a final bottleneck. If he could just break through, he would undoubtedly secure a top rank among the geniuses of the Three Thousand Star Continent!

The higher his rank, the more the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall would value him.

Li Yang shook his head. "I still couldn’t break through."

Time was up. He had no more time left for a breakthrough.

The Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall had allotted five years for the first stage on the Path of Deities; the subsequent trials would certainly not be so generous with time.

Soul Ink thought for a moment before saying, "Even without the breakthrough, you just need to ensure you make it into the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall. You can break through after you get in. A sudden burst of potential like that will still get you plenty of attention."

Li Yang nodded. As they spoke, he quickly arrived at the plaza.

Genius after genius was already gathering there.

"Alright, everyone enter the Virtual World and prepare for the competition!" the Deity, Lu Kaluo, commanded the crowd.