It was approaching evening.
The leaders of each Genius team from the 1004 Universe Countries, all great Immortals, arrived at Restaurant No. 1, some on the first floor, some on the second, chatting casually.
"With Kedi's comprehension of Space and Time Law, perhaps in a few hundred million epochs, he will become a 'Space' or 'Time' Venerable."
"Become a Venerable? Easier said than done!"
"That's too much. Even if Kedi's talent is extraordinary, becoming a Venerable isn't that easy."
"Right, let alone becoming a Venerable. With his current Law comprehension, it might even be difficult for him to become an Immortal. After all, the deeper the Law comprehension, the harder it is to become Immortal. Everyone knows this principle."
"Indeed, our Human Race's five Leviathans of Humanity have cultivated Geniuses for endless years, and countless Geniuses whose Law comprehension rivaled a Immortal King at the World Master stage have emerged. But the number of those who could become Immortal is limited."
"Yes! The deeper the Law comprehension, the more solid the Foundation, and the more robust the core becomes. If one cannot break through the core's shackles, they can only be trapped as a World Master, turning into a shattered world after a thousand epochs."
The Immortals present were all trusted confidantes of the various Universe Venerables and knew some hidden secrets.
Just as these Immortals were chatting, a loud voice suddenly said, "Based on the talent Kedi has displayed so far, he is an unparalleled Genius who appears once every few hundred million epochs. If he doesn't fall in the future, there's a certain probability he will become a Universe Venerable."
The loud voice echoed throughout the first and second floors of Restaurant No. 1, and immediately, the Immortals on the first floor all turned to look.
They saw a man with grayish-black hair, dressed in fiery red battle attire, and with many tiny hairs on his face, walking in through the main entrance of the restaurant.
He stood there as if he didn't exist, seemingly in a different space-time from the other Immortals present.
Boom!
Hundreds of Immortals on the entire first floor, including several King-level Immortal, all stood up and bowed in respect.
"Venerable!" hundreds of Immortals respectfully said in unison.
"Our Virtual Universe Company is holding this Genius Battle, and your various Universe Countries have given strong support. On behalf of our Virtual Universe Company, I express my gratitude," the man in fiery red battle attire said with a smile.
"This is what we should do."
From the first floor to the second floor, voices of Immortal rang out.
"Mm." The man in fiery red battle attire smiled and nodded, "You all continue chatting. I'll go gather those youngsters."
After the man in fiery red battle attire left, the hundreds of Immortal on the first floor, and the Immortal continuously walking down from the second floor, began to discuss.
"So it was Venerable Gu Lun."
"I heard that Venerable Gu Lun only became a Venerable less than ten thousand years ago. I didn't expect him to preside over this Pinnacle Genius Battle organized by the Virtual Universe Company."
"Before becoming a Venerable, Venerable Gu Lun was a Limit stage King-Level, and he was renowned among King-level Immortals, having killed countless alien Immortal on the Extraterritorial Battlefield."
"Speaking of which, Venerable Gu Lun was stuck at the Limit stage King for countless years. Now that he can Breakthrough to become a Universe Venerable, it can be considered his wish fulfilled."
These Immortals sighed with emotion. Becoming a Venerable was extremely difficult. Like Venerable Gu Lun, he had stayed at the Limit stage King for countless years before he could Breakthrough to become a Universe Venerable.
Each of these Immortals held extremely high authority in their respective Universe Countries, were trusted confidantes of the Universe Venerable, and were first-rate big figures in that Universe Country.
Some planets and stars, they could destroy with a flick of their hand. However, if one could become a Venerable, they would possess the Heaven-Defying ability to occupy a vast Starfield and build a Universe Country.
With a wave of the Universe Venerable's hand, stars would shift, and space would transform. So-called planets were like glass marbles before them.
…
Evening.
Ender, who was eating delicacies with Lanka in Restaurant No. 45, suddenly had a voice invade his mind, "All participants from the 1004 Universe Countries, gather at the Central Square."
Ender unconsciously stood up. Not only him, but all the Geniuses in the restaurant stood up.
1,004,000 Geniuses, some flying from the sky, some flying out from the residential buildings, and some converging towards the center from the edge of the Central Square.
All millions of Geniuses did so!
In just a moment!
A neat, large square formation composed of 1,004,000 Geniuses stood on the Central Square, and then… the millions of Geniuses woke up.
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"Huh, why am I here? I was just in the room."
"This is…" Listening to the discussions around him, Ender looked around and suddenly realized, "The Pinnacle Genius Battle finals have begun."
At this moment, standing in front of the formation were 1004 Immortals. These Immortals naturally exuded their pressure, the pressure emanating from over a thousand powerful Immortals.
Instantly, the entire formation of over a million people quieted down, not a single person daring to make a sound.
"Welcome, all of you, to the Pinnacle Genius Battle organized by our Virtual Universe Company," a gentle voice entered everyone's ears.
Everyone looked on in shock.
In the previously empty half-air in front, a man with grayish-black hair, dressed in fiery red battle attire, appeared.
He wore a smile, but standing in mid-air, he seemed like an ancient God King. The naturally subtle Energy he exuded made the over a million young people involuntarily submit.
Moreover!
Although they could see the man in fiery red battle attire in the distance with their naked eyes, all the Geniuses present felt… as if that great Supreme Being was not in the same space as them. That sense of temporal and spatial dislocation felt very strange.
"From 1004 Universe Countries, each Universe Country has selected one thousand, totaling over a million Geniuses."
The man in fiery red battle attire stood in the Void, looking down at the millions of Geniuses below, his voice gentle, "Our Virtual Universe Company will select the strongest one thousand from among you and absorb them into the core of our Virtual Universe Company."
"You millions will compete for these one thousand spots."
"The rules are as follows."
"Tomorrow, all of you will enter a 'Trial Space' individually. Our Virtual Universe Company has prepared over a million Trial Spaces for you, one for each person."
"There are a total of seven Trial Towers in the Trial Space! Each Trial Tower has seven levels!"
"Start by challenging the first Trial Tower. After clearing all seven levels of the first Trial Tower, proceed to the second Trial Tower… until you die and are kicked out of the Trial Space!"
"Your scores in the Trial Space will be used to calculate points."
"Points from 1st place to 100th place will be directly absorbed as core members by our Virtual Universe Company without further screening, securing 100 spots."
"From 101st place to 7300th place, these 7200 people will then engage in arena battles to compete for 900 spots."
"As for those beyond 7300th place… all eliminated!"
The words of the man in fiery red battle attire stunned the millions of Geniuses below.
There are a total of 1,004,000 people this time, meaning that a single Trial Space will eliminate nearly a million people. The rules are too cruel!