Chapter 137: Chapter 108: Versus the Force Realm

"Forty-eighth? Unity Realm?" A youth with a presence as steady as a mountain had a flash of surprise in his eyes, seeming to recall something.

"That’s right. He was late-stage Unity Realm back then, not even at the peak," the silver-haired youth confirmed, the surprise in his voice undisguised.

"It’s only been a month, and he’s already broken through to the Power Realm? That speed... is a little insane, isn’t it?" the composed youth said, slightly surprised.

"Hmph," the top-ten genius who had previously expressed contempt during Lin Xuan’s field-clearing now let out an undisguised cold snort.

"Just another Art Awakened. What’s so special about relying on talent to burn through your potential for a short-term, explosive rise in realm? People like him can show off in the early stages, but the path only gets harder."

He watched the pale gray saber light on the arena, his gaze filled with condescending disdain.

"When it comes to potential and foundation, how can they compare to us, who have earned every breakthrough through genuine comprehension?"

The target of his words was painfully obvious.

Although the other geniuses didn’t voice their agreement, their expressions—from Lin Xuan’s pursed lips and Chu Feng’s thoughtful gaze to the silver-haired youth’s slightly raised eyebrow—

all clearly indicated that, deep down, they at least partially agreed with the sentiment.

At their level, the "advantages" and "shortcomings" of an Art Awakened were common knowledge.

"Judging by his stance, his saber form is quite stable." The silver-haired youth steered the conversation back to the technique itself.

"He has a solid foundation; it’s not just for show. His burst power and area control are decent, too."

"His efficiency is acceptable, but..." Lin Xuan shook his head slightly. His own saber style prioritized absolute lethality and speed.

"Compared to a Mid-stage of Power Realm, the intensity of his edge... is a bit lacking."

He was referring to the world-shaking burst of saber power he had unleashed when clearing the arena in the first round.

Chu Feng nodded as well. "It lacks that ultimate sense of pressure, that feeling of breaking past one’s limits."

His assessment was that Li Wen’s Power Realm performance was competent, but it didn’t exceed his expectations.

"At this rate," said the silver-haired youth who had first recognized Li Wen, offering a summary of his thoughts,

"he should have a good shot at breaking into the top twenty of the provincial rankings. But..."

He paused, exchanging a look with the others. Seeing a similar understanding in their eyes, he continued,

"the top ten... is probably still a bit of a stretch." His tone carried the unspoken definition of the "threshold" that existed between geniuses.

This judgment was clearly a conclusion they reached after witnessing Li Wen’s performance and comparing it to their own.

The "standard" Power Realm saber technique Li Wen was currently demonstrating might seem divine to an ordinary person, but to these true top-tier prodigies, it wasn’t enough to pose a real threat to their positions.

At least, during this "culling" phase of the free-for-all, Li Wen had yet to display the kind of extreme power that would make them feel threatened.

...

「The timeline cuts back to the moment Li Wen was teleported into Arena Number Seven.」

「In the real world.」

In the main plaza of Bluestone Third Middle School, the first and second-year underclassmen saw Li Wen appear on the big screen. Like a drop of water hitting a pan of boiling oil, the crowd’s long-suppressed excitement instantly exploded.

"Go, Li Wen! Go!"

"Bluestone Third Middle School for the win!" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"We’re counting on you, boss!"

The shouts rose and fell, converging into a tidal wave of sound that echoed across the plaza.

After watching over twenty brutal and fast-paced free-for-alls, these younger students had not only witnessed the terrifying power of the province’s top prodigies, who could clear an arena with a mere flick of the wrist, but they had also placed even greater, more fervent hope in their school’s own legend.

This hope even carried a hint of desperate yearning. After all, just a few rounds prior, their school’s second-strongest student, Huang Hao, had seemed so insignificant and struggled so helplessly against the true experts. His failure only served to emphasize the weight on the shoulders of Li Wen, who now carried all the hopes of the Third Middle School.

...

「The timeline returns to the virtual arena.」

As Li Wen calmly eliminated one contestant after another on Arena Number Seven—his pale gray saber flashes seeming unremarkable, yet fatally precise, like a farmer reaping wheat—another group of spectators in the area for Changning City First High School was also staring at that same screen with complex emotions.

Li Changjie stood squeezed among the students of Changning City First High School, his expression shifting erratically.

His gaze was locked on the saber-wielding figure on the screen, his mind in turmoil.

His cousin, Li Wen... The same cousin who, along with his parents, had been subtly and not-so-subtly ignored and belittled by their clansmen during the ancestral rites. The same person who, just one month ago, had been a nobody in his eyes, was now so powerful, so dazzling on a stage watched by the entire province!

The saber in his hand, his Power Realm, his calm demeanor—every detail stung Li Changjie’s soul, which was already reeling from its own harsh dose of reality.

Shock and disbelief intertwined with a thread of jealousy and fear he was unwilling to admit even to himself.

And it wasn’t just Li Changjie. Standing not far from him was Luo Zhen, the student who had placed first in Changning City during the last provincial mock exam. His expression was just as grim.

A month ago, he had glanced condescendingly at the rankings and seen the name Li Wen from Bluestone County listed behind him, marked with the "Unity Realm" tag. He had felt nothing but dismissive contempt, writing him off as some lucky country bumpkin not worth a second thought.

But now, the scene unfolding on screen number seven mercilessly shattered that contempt.

Every flash of the saber revealed an absolute dominance that was far beyond the city level.

Luo Zhen realized with bitter clarity that the "lucky kid" he had once disdained had already left him far behind in terms of true combat strength.

The bitterness and chagrin brought by this realization made him press his lips together, rendered speechless.

Three minutes can feel like an eternity in the midst of a tense and brutal battle, but for Li Wen, who was in complete control of the situation, it was so short as to be uninteresting.

The last contestant, who had tried to launch a sneak attack amidst the chaos, was swept off the arena by the aftershock of a casual slash from Li Wen. In an instant, only ten figures remained on Arena Number Seven—including Li Wen himself.

Li Wen slowly sheathed his saber, and the oppressive aura of his Power Realm, which had seemed to make the very air stagnate, receded slightly.

He hadn’t cleared the arena until he was the last one standing, as he had seen Lin Xuan and Chu Feng do.

’There was simply no need.’

’If the rules didn’t state that the top ten had to be decided within ten minutes or everyone would be eliminated, he wouldn’t have even bothered to move.’

’For him, using his Power Realm mastery to crush opponents who hadn’t even touched the realm’s threshold was like a grown man fighting a toddler. It was not only boring, but it also offered no sense of accomplishment.’

’Culling the contestants down to ten was enough to complete the objective.’

When the soft white light indicating his advancement enveloped him and teleported him back to the Bluestone Third Middle School area, he was greeted by a wave of sound far more intense and frenzied than when he had left.

"LI WEN!!!"

"He’s too strong! He was just steamrolling them!"

"He really did the Third Middle School proud!"

"See that? That’s our Third Middle School’s ace!"

His surrounding classmates, whether they had previously been curious, awestruck, or even a little distant toward him, now all had faces filled with excitement and a shared sense of pride.

In their eyes, Li Wen’s advancement—clean, efficient, and even tinged with a hint of mercy for his opponents—was the most glorious kind of victory.

It wasn’t just a victory for Li Wen; it was a resounding vindication for all of Bluestone Third Middle School on the brutal provincial stage.

Everyone crowded around, showering him with praise and admiration.

Time slipped by, and the tense atmosphere continued to build during the wait.

Finally, as the massive countdown timer hit zero, a cold system prompt rang out:

"First round complete. The list of 10,000 qualifying contestants is confirmed. After a three-minute preparation period, the second round of the free-for-all will commence to determine the top two hundred."

After a brief silence, an even greater uproar erupted.

Everyone knew the real main event—the clash of the prodigies—was about to begin.

The white light descended as scheduled, far more brilliant and blinding than before.

The remaining ten thousand elite students instantly vanished from their respective preparation areas.

When the light faded, the students were found evenly distributed across the twenty familiar, giant floating arenas.

The spectators immediately noticed a key detail: this "random" distribution was, as expected, pseudo-random.

The fifty-three-or-so prodigies confirmed to have reached the Power Realm were distributed almost evenly across the twenty arenas.

Most arenas were set up with three Power Realm experts to serve as the core point of conflict, with only a few having just two.

The crowd from Bluestone Third Middle School instinctively and unanimously locked their gazes onto the screen of one such three-expert arena—the one Li Wen was on.

Li Wen stood calmly on the arena, his gaze sweeping over two others not far from him who were also exuding powerful auras.

Based on his observations of the previous rounds and the basic information displayed by the system, he recognized them. One was named Zhang Lin, the other Chen Zhuo. Both were ranked outside the top thirty in the provincial mock exam.

At that moment, however, Zhang Lin and Chen Zhuo’s expressions were extremely grave. As their eyes met, they reached a silent understanding.

They had witnessed Li Wen’s effortless culling on Arena Number Seven. They also knew from the provincial mock exam that he had broken into the top fifty while still in the Unity Realm. Now, having just broken through to the Power Realm, he was already revealing an incredibly sharp edge.

’The potential to challenge the provincial top twenty? They couldn’t agree more.’

’Clashing head-on with such an opponent right at the start would be foolish.’

It wasn’t just the two of them who felt the immense pressure. In the virtual spectator space, the packed cheering squads of friends and family for Zhang Lin and Chen Zhuo were also holding their breath, their palms sweating.

But the arrow was already on the bowstring; it had to be loosed.

’There are ten spots for advancement. As long as we avoid the sharpest spearhead, qualifying should still be simple enough for us.’

As the cold, merciless countdown echoed above every arena, "3... 2... 1... Begin!"

Zhang Lin and Chen Zhuo moved at the same instant, in perfect sync.

They didn’t charge toward Li Wen. Instead, as if by silent agreement, they shot off in opposite directions, making for the relatively weaker "ordinary" contestants at the edges of the arena.