“Maggot, I refuse to accept this result! You are the first person to defeat me! Watch out, I will make you regret this in the future!” Yun screamed shrilly, and with that, the phantom image of the giant mountain crumbled away. Lu Yin’s palm, which was pressed against Yun’s abdomen, caused her entire body to shatter into a million pieces. Fragments of metal scattered everywhere, but there was no blood. All that remained were shattered bits of machinery.
Everyone was stunned; it was finally over.
The participants from the Technocracy were all stunned.
“The first match of the third round. Victor: Lu Yin.”
Every match in the Tournament of the Strongest was mind-blowing; however, Lu Yin’s match against Yun was by far the most shocking one so far. The main reason for this was the sheer level of destruction and oppression that the battle had reached. The violent shockwaves from their battle were so extreme that even the Astral Academy mentors had been forced to step in to stabilize the barrier.
Compared to Starsibyl or Tian Hou’s battles, although they were terrifying in their own right, they were not as tangibly oppressive. This most recent battle had shown countless people the true disparity between them and these peak Limiteers.
This battle also solidified Lu Yin’s position. His actual power level was still above Yun’s, and he had proven his right to be called a true Ten Arbiters’ candidate,
On the east side, Starsibyl’s eyes lit up, as reality was getting closer to matching the results of her divination.
Grandini was shocked; Lu Yin was becoming more and more powerful with every passing day, and he was well on his way to becoming an unbeatable cultivator.
In a distant location, Nightqueen Yanqing gripped her fist tightly. This bastard was still growing stronger. Even though she had grown stronger as well, the disparity between them was still enormous. In the Daynight clan, there was already no Limiteer who could match up to her, and in fact, even many Explorers would find it hard to defeat her.
Everyone in Astral-10 was elated by the result.
Wu Da mumbled to himself incessantly as he stared at Lu Yin in excitement; this person was a great source for his news articles.
In the Outerverse, many powers watched their screens in stunned silence as well.
At the Spirit Seal Flowzone’s Watermoon Villa, An Shaohua had his head bowed down and did not dare to breathe.
“Is this the Lu Yin who compelled you?”
“Yes, Father.”
“With his abilities, even if your powers were multiplied tenfold, you would still not be a match for him. I shall not punish you for what happened back then.”
An Shaohua heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Father.”
“Keep in touch with this man.”
An Shaohua was troubled by this order. “Father, the promissory note has already been used.”
“Use your heart to try to win his favor. This is about building a binding relationship, and there are no explicit benefits to it. This man is worth your effort.”
“Yes, Father.
…
Deeper in the universe, within the First Flowzone, at the Sword Sect, someone ordered, “Send out an invitation: the Sword Sect would like to invite the kid to join us. We will treat him as a young master.”
Many of the disciples within the Sword Sect echoed similar sentiments; this battle had made them truly realize the disparity in power between them and Lu Yin. He was just too strong, as his abilities had already surpassed the Fourth Sword.
…
At the Daynight clan’s Ancestral Grounds, Nightking Yuanjing looked away from the screen to glance behind himself to ask, “Have you completed the mission?”
Zhuo Daynight stood behind Nightking Yuanjing, and she looked away from the screen to respond, quelling the shock she felt in her heart. She respectfully answered, “Yes.”
“Very well then, you can go ahead and do whatever you wish now. No one in the Daynight clan will stop you,” Nightking Yuanjing sad in a gentle voice.
Zhuo Daynight bowed and slowly took her leave.
…
The Astral Combat Academy’s Astral Combat Tournament had not been enough to strike fear into that many powers, precisely because it had merely been a competition between the academy’s students, so it was not an accurate representation of what the cream of the crop of the entire universe’s younger generation’s capabilities were. However, the Tournament of the Strongest was different as it represented something else entirely.
Even though this tournament seemed to be just a competition among the younger generation of the universe, it was actually a ploy for the three domains to negotiate. However, many people saw the competitors as candidates who would one day take over for the Ten Arbiters. The true Ten Arbiters’ candidates represented something different entirely, especially for anomalies with no background such as Lu Yin. He would belong to anyone who managed to successfully recruit him into their clan. Lu Yin was now a true Ten Arbiters’ candidate who existed outside the controlling influence of the various powers. He held a huge attraction to many powers.
Perhaps the only places that honestly wished Lu Yin well were Zenyu Star and a few places back on Earth.
Within the Lifeseek Realm of the Astral Combat Academy’s trial zones, Lu Yin walked out of the battlefield.
“Brother Lu, congratulations,” Han Chong said.
Lu Yin let out a pained smile. “It was a difficult fight. That woman is very strong.”
“That goes without saying,” Grandini said, rolling her eyes.
Lu Yin felt like this girl was becoming more and more like Lulu. Was everyone from the Mavis clan this plucky? But if that was true, then who was overseeing the economy?
The next battle was between Starsibyl and Tian Hou. At that moment, Tian Hou had already appeared within the battlefield.
Starsibyl was in no hurry to enter. Instead, she walked over to Lu Yin and whispered something into his ear before entering the arena.
Lu Yin turned around and stared at Starsibyl’s back in shock. Starsibyl had shockingly offered to let him use the Mirror of Clarity within the Lifeseek Realm. The Mirror of Clarity was just like the Heavenly Drum, Tilting Tower, Sky Platform, and the other top training grounds within their respective realms. It was the best training ground in the Lifeseek Realm, and whoever controlled the Mirror of Clarity was the Realm Master of the Lifeseek Realm.
Ever since Starsibyl had taken control of the Mirror of Clarity, she had only ever allowed Nightqueen Yanqing to use it. And now, at such a crucial moment in the Tournament of the Strongest, she had shockingly agreed to let Lu Yin use it. What did this mean? Lu Yin could not understand why she would voluntarily make such an offer to him.
On the battlefield, Starsibyl smirked. Since the results of her divination were becoming more and more clear, there was no harm if she pushed matters in the direction that the divination indicated.
The battlefield had already been restored, and this was the umpteenth time that this had happened. Whether it was the battles during the Astral Combat Tournament or the Tournament of the Strongest, this battlefield would always end up being destroyed over and over again.
Limiteers had powerful destructive abilities to the extent where, given enough time, they could even bring about the destruction of planets, much less a small piece of land.
“Starsibyl of the human race, your reputation precedes you. Even those at the Spiritual Academy have heard of you,” Tian Hou said from where he stood on the battlefield. He was usually a reticent individual.
Starsibyl laughed, unamused. “You have quite a storied reputation yourself since a long time ago, Cosmic Hou.”
“I hope that this battle will not disappoint me,” Tian Hou indifferently responded.
Starsibyl gave him a brief glance. “I guess that I will have to let you down then. My attacking capabilities cannot surpass the upper limits of what you are able to withstand.”
“But the Starsibyl clan has never relied on their attacking capabilities.” After he finished speaking, Tian Hou’s body merged into the void. When he reappeared, he was already at Starsibyl’s side. He stretched out a hand, attempting to banish her into the void, but his attempt was thwarted. His arm exited from a black vortex only to pass through Starsibyl’s image. She had already moved. It could even be said that she had never been there to begin with.
“Astral Banishment!” A voice cried out from above Tian Hou’s head. He lifted his head slightly, but he did not try to evade the attack. He allowed Starsibyl to reach out and tap him, and at the same time, Tian Hou stretched out a hand to grab Starsibyl. Both of them touched the other at the same time.
Everyone watched on intently. Although this battle was not as intense as the previous one between Lu Yin and Yun, it was still just as dangerous. A slight mistake from either one would result in their instant defeat.
The entire audience fell silent as both competitors had successfully landed attacks on the other. Then, Tian Hou’s black robe was visibly torn apart, revealing that strange black vortex that everyone recognized as his body now. On the other side, Starsibyl was engulfed by the void that had opened up behind her.
Countless spectators felt their heart skip a beat; had Starsibyl been defeated?
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes. He refused to believe that Starsibyl would be defeated this easily.
With a swoosh, Tian Hou suddenly released his hand and whirled around. Starsibyl, who had been engulfed by the void, slowly vanished, leaving nothing but a white coat behind.
Many people heaved sighs of relief; Starsibyl was fine.
“Your attacks are useless against me,” Tian Hou said. He was unimpressed and spoke as though he was stating the obvious.
In front of him, Starsibyl helplessly replied, “Yes, but you are unable to defeat me as well.”
“That remains to be seen.” Tian Hou arrogantly raised his head into the air as a new layer of the black vortex spread out beneath him. “This battleground is limiting you. If this was a battle to the death, then perhaps there would be no winner. However, in this restricted area, your defense is useless even if you can divine my attacks. My attacks will engulf the entire area, and given your defenses, you won’t be able to withstand them.” After he finished speaking, the vortex started expanding at an even more rapid pace. It was as if a black hole had appeared above the ground.
As the audience watched the vortex expand, some of the students’ pupils spasmed, and then afterwards, they collapsed to the ground. They merely lost consciousness and were not dead.
“Everyone! Do not look at the vortex!” The booming voice of a mentor came from high above. He could no longer stay silent at this moment.
Everyone was horrified; this was too terrifying a scene. The students of Astral-7 suddenly thought back to the student who had strangely collapsed when the competitors from the Astral Beast Domain had first arrived. They looked at Tian Hou with terrified looks on their faces; this creature’s attacks were capable of reaping lives in such a swift fashion that it was scary to even think about.
Starsibyl took to the sky, but as she looked at the vortex that was slowly swallowing the entire arena, a helpless look flashed through her eyes. “Stop the battle. I admit defeat.”
As soon as she said this, Tian Hou lifted his head, and the vortex beneath his feet started to disappear. “You made a wise choice.”
Many students had concerned looks on their faces; Starsibyl had been defeated! Even though Starsibyl was not known as an unbeatable individual, she still wielded the power of divination and could predict the future. Now that she had been defeated by a member of the Astral Beast Domain, it was a bitter pill for many to swallow.
What Tian Hou had said was correct; this battleground limited Starsibyl’s abilities. Unless Tian Hou could swallow the entire universe, he definitely would not be able to defeat Starsibyl in the wild. This had been an unfair battle.
“This was not what I wanted to do. I hope that we can do battle in space next time,” Tian Hou grumbled loudly.
Starsibyl gave a faint smile before leaving the Lifeseek Realm.
“The third match of the third round. Victor: Tian Hou.”
At the same time that the voice declared Tian Hou’s victory, he turned around to look at Lu Yin.
Everyone who was outside the battleground also looked at Lu Yin. The final battle in the Tournament of the Strongest would be between these two individuals. Who would be victorious? Who was stronger?
One wielded unbelievable destructive capabilities while the other had unfathomable defensive abilities. One was an unstoppable spear while the other was an impenetrable shield. They couldn’t wait for the tournament finals to start!
The screens were completely filled with images of Lu Yin and Tian Hou, and the figures of the two appeared all over the universe.
The Tournament of the Strongest was being held to bring the Human and the Astral Beast Domains closer together. As fate would have it, a representative from each side had managed to make it to the finals.
In the Zephyr Flowzone, Shui Chuanxiao’s eyes lit up as he watched Lu Yin on his screen. His time had passed, but this young man’s journey had only just begun.
In the Innerverse, atop a cliff, there was a long, white sword. A woman with long black hair stared at the screen as an indescribable flash of brilliance passed through her eyes.
At this moment, many people’s attention was now focused on Lu Yin. He was not just representing himself—he also represented the entire Human Domain now.
“Seventh Bro, you must be under a lot of pressure,” the monkey suddenly said.
Lu Yin stopped staring at Tian Hou and looked in the other direction. That was where the Mirror of Clarity was located.
“The final match will take place in one day.” A booming voice echoed out through the Lifeseek Realm.
Tian Hou immediately left the Lifeseek Realm, and the others also left in quick succession.
Han Chong took one look at Lu Yin before he left as well.
No one bothered Lu Yin, and no one knew what the outcome of the last match would be. However, many people were not optimistic about Lu Yin’s chances.
Lu Yin flew into the sky and disappeared with a flash. He was headed to the Mirror of Clarity. Even though he did not believe that Starsibyl could truly divine the future, he had decided to go and check out her training zone since she had offered it to him.
“Monkey, the final battle is very important, so tell me everything you know about this Cosmic Hou,” Lu Yin ordered in a grave tone.
