Eventually, the long journey came to an end.

They finally crossed the ocean and reached the Central Continent.

Even the air they breathed was several times purer. This left everyone stunned, shocked, and excited.

They had heard rumors of the Central Continent, of how prosperous it was, how elegant and powerful.

Silver Realm fighters were said to be as common as pigs. Skilled fighters were not rare. Platinum Realm fighters walked openly among the masses.

But now, upon entering the Central Continent, there was no doubt at all. Everything they had heard was true. Truly, the Central Continent was leagues above them.

The ship accelerated, blazing through the clouds as they saw beautiful trees and towering mountains that seemed to touch the sky.

Long, glittering rivers filled with crystal-clear water.

Streams that stretched for miles.

Now everyone was truly excited and filled with anticipation.

How strong would the fighters of the Central Continent be? And would the Eastern, Southern, or Northern Continents be as strong or even stronger?

All these questions would soon be answered as they approached the Central Academy.

---

Far toward the inner circle of the Central Continent stood a massive academy.

Even from the sky, one could see how exquisite it was.

The air there was several times denser, and a unique energy flowed through the surroundings, making one's body feel relaxed and refreshed.

With the academy at the center, four terrifying auras approached, representing the four continents:

The South, the North, the West, and finally the East.

The academy had an open ground prepared to welcome them, and they landed one after another.

New faces stepped out, especially the younger students, who looked around in shock.

"Welcome to the Central Continent Academy. We are pleased to welcome you and happy for you to join the Ten-Year Battle of Geniuses. Please follow behind your leaders as we proceed into the academy," a calm, almost soothing female voice echoed, drawing everyone's attention.

Seeing that she was one of the representatives of the Central Continent, everyone nodded as discussions followed and introductions were made.

Among the large crowd was Calus.

He saw familiar faces, the future giants and terrifying experts who were still young now. Calus gave a wary smile.

In the past, his goal had been to become at least as strong as them, or even surpass them.

But now, his goal was different.

He wanted to destroy the secret organization.

He was hungry for strength.

Soon they toured the Central Academy. Just as Calus remembered, it was magnificent and impressive. Judging from everyone else's expressions, it was clear most of them were genuinely shocked.

Those from the Southern and Western Continents, however, showed little surprise. It seemed their continents were similar in prosperity.

Only those from the Northern and Eastern Continents were visibly stunned. After all, they ranked last, and their resources were far inferior to the others.

Calus wasn't too surprised. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Soon, they were shown to their sleeping quarters. The competition would begin in a few days, and in the meantime, they were free to explore.

Hearing this, everyone dispersed.

Luckily, Fre and Calus were assigned to the same room, making communication easier.

Calus knew things would be different this time. He was stronger in this life.

And he was waiting.

Waiting to see Mabi.

The days passed quickly, and soon the day of the competition arrived.

---

"Good day and welcome to another Joint Ten-Year Competition. We are happy to see you all. This competition is divided into three stages.

First, we have the newly admitted students. Most are in the Bronze Realm, with a few in the Silver Realm.

Next, we have the senior students. All are in the Gold Realm, with a few exceptional individuals in the Platinum Realm.

Finally, the major battle we have been waiting for will feature our elder students, who are in the Platinum Realm."

A middle-aged man stepped forward as he spoke at the center of the arena.

By this time, Calus, Fre, and the others had gathered inside the arena.

It was completely filled. The fighters were suited up and mentally prepared.

It was a massive colosseum-like structure.

Hearing the commentator's voice, Calus took a deep breath.

The time had finally come.

"The rules are as follows: unless absolutely necessary, there should be no attacks that threaten a competitor's life.

Defeat is determined when an opponent is seriously incapacitated or voluntarily gives up.

No external enhancing pills or potions are allowed."

The rules were announced, though the fighters were not surprised ,they had already been briefed.

"Stay safe out there. And don't die," Calus said to Fre, lightly hitting his shoulder.

"I won't but

win for us, okay?" Fre laughed.

Calus nodded.

"Without further ado, the grand competition begins! First, we invite the Junior League contestants to step forward!"

Finally, it was time.

Fre, Lisa, and Calus stepped onto the stage as the crowd cheered.

The arena featured one main battlefield, but thankfully it was divided into dozens of smaller arenas that could later merge into a massive central stage for major battles.

Soon enough, everyone drew their matchups.

The good thing was that Fre, Lisa, and Calus would not meet until the finals.

But the question remained..., would they even make it that far?

The battles began and would continue from morning until night for several days.

Calus was called up and stepped into his arena.

Opposite him stood a short boy with a skinny build, but his aura was far from weak.

At the peak of the Bronze Realm, he was only a step away from entering the Silver Realm.

"I won't hold back," the boy said before the match began.

Calus nodded.

If you hold back, you'll lose very quickly.

Several referees stepped forward to oversee the battle.

"Hope you are both ready. You may use any weapon of your choice, including secret weapons. Aim to disarm your opponent, not kill," the referee instructed.

Both Calus and the boy nodded.

Calus glanced at the realm displayed on the system panel:

Gold Realm, One Star.

This was likely the level of all referees. A Gold Realm expert could easily stop any life-threatening attack before it happened.

"So… begin," the referee announced.

The boy moved instantly.

His foot pressed against the ground as he flashed forward.

His clothes fluttered as a massive baton swung violently toward Calus's face.

BOOM!

The sound of compressed air exploded through the arena.