Chapter 274: Chapter274-The Strongest of the Three—Faustus!

Silas’s face was also filled with shock.

It took him a long while to recover from his daze. Only then did he suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

"Faustus’s talent is truly terrifying."

"Mentor, this student will remember your warning."

Silas’s expression turned solemn, and a deep sense of vigilance gleamed in his eyes.

"Good."

The Oracle-grade nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"There is no need for you to worry excessively. You are both Nine-Star powerhouses. You may not necessarily be inferior to him. I am merely telling you that caution comes first!"

"Your foundation is far deeper than his. As long as you do not underestimate your opponent, you should be able to defeat him."

"This student understands. Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit!"

Silas replied respectfully.

...

A new day dawned, and the first rays of morning light had just spread across the peaks of the surrounding mountains.

The Canaan Starfield’s Oracle-grade, Chanelle, appeared in the void.

His voice clearly reached the ears of every single participating contestant.

"All of you, follow me to the arena."

There were two major highlights today.

The first was the Warm-Up Match—the victor would directly obtain qualification for the Advancement Round, securing their place ahead of schedule.

The second was the Elimination Round—the defeated would be eliminated, while the victors would continue onward.

The Warm-Up Match would be held first, followed by the Elimination Round.

"The tournament is finally about to begin."

Along the way, Daniel met up with James and Mosi.

"Boss Faustus, there are far too many hidden powerhouses in this year’s tournament."

For once, James had put away his usual carefree, mischievous expression. His face now carried a rare trace of solemnity.

"Many years ago, I fought Silas of the Viridis Starfield. That battle ended without either of us emerging victorious."

"Silas?"

Daniel had some impression of that name.

He was the Viridis Starfield’s only Nine-Star powerhouse.

James proceeded to explain Silas’s fighting style and unique traits in detail, holding nothing back.

"He is indeed a formidable opponent. We will have to be especially careful if we encounter him."

Daniel nodded.

"Strong."

Mosi uttered a single word, which counted as his agreement.

...

The venue for the Warm-Up Match was located at the very center of the secret realm world.

There stood an enormous magic array, its intricate patterns interwoven together as streams of faint light flowed continuously through them.

Inside the magic array was the battle arena itself. From the outside, it appeared no larger than an ordinary arena, but with the enhancement of the magic array, the space within had been stretched into an infinitely vast battlefield!

At the same time, the magic array reinforced layer upon layer of surrounding space. Even an Oracle-grade being would find it difficult to tear it apart with ease.

Surrounding the magic array were countless tiers of spectator stands.

They extended from the ground into midair, then rose even higher into the sky in orderly layers, ensuring that every participating contestant could clearly witness every battle taking place in the arena.

The spectator seats reserved for the five premier starfields were all situated on the ground level.

They were also the most important factions to make their entrance last.

Oracle-grade Chanelle led the thirty contestants behind him as they slowly flew into the Warm-Up Match venue.

At this moment, the contestants from the remaining hundreds of starfields had already arrived in full. The spectator stands were densely packed with figures as far as the eye could see.

As the only starfield among the more than three hundred participating starfields to possess three Nine-Star contestants, the Canaan Starfield immediately became the focus of everyone’s attention the moment it appeared.

Countless gazes surged toward them like a tide, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, wariness...

"Look, that’s James! I heard he once fought his way through an entire galaxy alone and never met an opponent who could defeat him."

The powerhouses from the other starfields looked toward James and whispered among themselves.

"A Nine-Star powerhouse is definitely no ordinary existence."

"That one is Mosi, the strongest demi-sage in the Frostfall Galaxy. He created his own supreme-grade secret art, and beneath the Divine-grade, he is practically without equal."

A powerhouse who recognized Mosi introduced him to the companions beside him.

"Mosi is also a Nine-Star powerhouse."

"Who is that person walking between James and Mosi? Anyone capable of standing between those two definitely cannot be some nameless figure, right?"

"Judging by his appearance, he should be a human. Someone capable of standing above both James and Mosi... that has to be Faustus."

"Faustus? You mean the Starchosen who reached the summit of Cloudcrest Peak?"

"That’s right. Speaking of which... he seems to be from a generation even younger than ours!"

"Indeed. Who could have imagined that the powerhouses of the next generation would grow so quickly? Our generation never produced a prodigy capable of reaching the summit."

"Has anyone else noticed? The strength of the Canaan Starfield this time is almost absurdly overwhelming."

One powerhouse frowned deeply, a worried expression on his face.

"They have three Nine-Star powerhouses in total. That is more than any other starfield."

"Don’t panic. Perhaps one or two of them will fall during the Elimination Round."

"There is still the Advancement Round afterward. They may very well suffer losses there."

"The more people who advance, the greater the risk of being deliberately targeted. That has been an unchanging principle since ancient times."

...

"Faustus..."

From afar, Harris looked toward Daniel, his gaze calm and still as water.

After an entire night of reflection, he had already buried the raging battle intent in his heart, concealing every trace of its edge.

"So that is Faustus... Judging by the looks of things, the three great prodigies seem to regard him as their leader!"

Silas studied the distant figure with considerable interest, murmuring inwardly.

"Even James willingly acknowledges his superiority?"

"Then I truly would like the chance to face you in a fair and open battle!"

"So he is Faustus!"

Countless gazes fell upon Daniel in unison, like innumerable invisible blades.

Daniel raised his eyebrows slightly.

He could clearly sense that more and more eyes were landing upon him, each gaze growing heavier than the last.

Some carried undisguised provocation. Some were filled with hidden curiosity. Others contained reverence, as though their owners were looking up at a brilliant star suspended high above the heavens!

Chanelle led the younger generation of the Canaan Starfield to their designated spectator seats, then raised a hand in instruction.

"Take your seats."

Daniel sat down and discovered that a faint layer of radiance had also appeared on the surface of the table before him.

The transparent tabletop was like crystal, clearly reflecting a real-time image of everything taking place inside the magic array.

"A personal viewing screen."

Daniel immediately understood.

Before long, an Oracle-grade being from the Budelica Starfield appeared upon the elevated platform.

This year’s Starlight Rankings Tournament was being held in the Budelica Starfield. Naturally, the authority to host and oversee the competition lay in their hands.

After offering a brief opening speech, the Budelica Oracle-grade announced the detailed rules of the Warm-Up Match.

"Each starfield may choose one representative from among the top five powerhouses on its battle roster to step forward and blindly draw a contestant from another starfield."

"The seat number assigned to each contestant will serve as the basis for the blind draw. Whoever is selected must enter the battle."

"Wagers may be placed on every round of competition. Any powerhouse wishing to place a wager need only deposit their treasure into the storage magic array located at the upper-left corner of their table... Once each match concludes, the rewards from the wagers will be distributed immediately."

The instant Daniel heard this, his eyes lit up sharply.

"You can place wagers as well?"

"And the rewards are issued immediately..."

He blinked, his thoughts racing rapidly.

"My Millionfold Boost is already trembling with impatience!"

His heart was filled with anticipation.

The voice of the Budelica Oracle-grade continued echoing throughout the venue.

"Now then, may the Canaan Starfield send a powerhouse forward to carry out the first blind draw."

"Excellent. We’re the very first."

A smile appeared at the corner of Daniel’s mouth.

"Now, what should I wager...?"

...