The battle between Rowan and Chong Lou raged with extraordinary intensity.
Blades cut like thunder, slicing through mountains and rivers.
Raging flames of destruction erupted, capable of melting everything in their path.
Two utterly different powers collided again and again, leaving hundreds of thousands of kilometers of land reduced to scorched wasteland.
From time to time, terrifying air blades shot into the distance, or molten lava and fireballs scattered across the battlefield.
The spectacle was so intense it assaulted the mind itself, leaving anyone who looked upon it in awe, hardly believing their eyes.
As Rowan's ranking surged, attention across the Black Dragon Mountain Empire was immediate.
Countless eyes were glued to the World One leaderboard.
The rankings flashed constantly, but most changes occurred around the thousandth place.
Once a player reached the top 500, their rank rarely shifted. At that stage, most competitors paused their killing sprees they already qualified for the selection matches.
There was no need to risk their lives over minor rank improvements. Anyone who tried would likely regret it.
Because of this cautious approach, the top 500 stabilized quickly. Most players chose to preserve their current standing rather than risk challenging stronger opponents.
Now, Rowan had shot up from over 500,000th place to 98th. The news drew the immediate attention of every major power.
"Rowan… it's him!"
In the palace of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Brolin leapt with excitement as he saw Rowan reach 98th place.
The Emperor of Black Dragon Mountain, however, smiled calmly. He had always believed in Rowan's abilities.
He hadn't expected the young man to endure patiently until almost the final stages, only to explode with power at the perfect moment. In a single day, Rowan had climbed to 98th place not by indiscriminate killing, but by strategically eliminating high-value targets.
The Second Prince's expression darkened.
Though he was universe-level himself, observing so many battles especially those involving top-tier geniuses he realized that a third-tier universe-level warrior would struggle to survive in the Geniuses' Tournament.
Among these top geniuses, many approached universe-level strength, and the top ten could rival or even kill third-tier universe warriors with ease.
The Second Prince felt a wave of despair.
Rowan's leap to 98th suggested he had slain opponents around third-tier universe-level strength.
Recalling their past encounter, in which Rowan had easily bested him, the prince forced himself to calm down.
He had always considered himself a genius, yet now he realized that against these elite warriors, he wasn't even strong enough to withstand a single blow.
Meanwhile, in the Qianwu Universe, nations were still observing the performance of their top geniuses.
Across thousands of star systems, over a hundred billion geniuses participated in the Geniuses' Tournament.
Currently, the most dazzling competitor was the wild warrior Rong Jun from District 88.
Trailing behind were Hong and Thunder God. Luo Feng had begun hunting for points, though his progress was steady rather than explosive.
Unlike Rowan, who struck directly at top-ranked opponents, Luo Feng preferred a safer approach, eliminating ordinary players to steadily accumulate points. Even so, he had climbed from over a millionth place to roughly 200,000th in a single day.
This drew attention, though it paled in comparison to the other dazzling competitors.
Now Rowan's sudden rise ignited a storm of interest.
The emperor of the Yellow River Star Region frowned as he noticed that all three of the top performers hailed from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
"How is this possible? How can one empire produce so many geniuses at once?" he muttered.
"It's true. Hong and Thunder God are both terrifyingly talented. Thunder God is especially insane his killing speed and sword technique are unparalleled. At this rate, he'll claim the top rank soon enough," another emperor remarked.
Many smaller empires' top talents lingered around the hundreds or low thousands, struggling to break into the top 100. A dramatic rise seemed unlikely this year.
"And now there's Rowan… from over 500,000th place straight to 98th. He didn't go on a killing spree immediately, but waited for the perfect moment to strike high-value targets. Judging by this result, he must have defeated at least one top-50 player to reach 98th," observers whispered.
Investigations revealed a shocking truth: Rowan, Hong, and Thunder God all came from the same planet within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
Even more astonishing they were sworn brothers.
News of this spread rapidly, stunning everyone.
At the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's virtual observation hall, Immortal Tianxu watched the battlefield with Cang Bo.
"What an incredible talent, and he turned me down… it hurts just thinking about it," Tianxu murmured, watching Thunder God cut through opponents as if moving through empty space.
Cang Bo chuckled. "The opportunity was there, but he has his own path. You've helped him, and he owes you a favor. When he reaches greater heights, he may return it. You've only gained, not lost."
Indeed, Rowan, Hong, Thunder God, and Luo Feng had drawn the attention of countless immortals, all eager for information. Tianxu had assisted them during mercenary missions and offered guidance to Thunder God on refining his cultivation techniques, cementing a friendly bond.
Thunder God's rapid rise, coupled with his innate ability to understand sword intent, marked him as a future king-level immortal or even a cosmic sovereign.
On the battlefield, the terrain itself seemed to quake under Rowan and Chong Lou's clash.
They darted across the molten wasteland, exchanging blows that shook the continent.
Rowan laughed, exhilarated by the intensity.
Chong Lou's face darkened.
Several exchanges revealed Rowan's Ninefold Domain slightly surpassed Chong Lou's Eightfold Domain, suppressing his wind-based powers.
Even worse, Rowan could attack with the multi-purpose Dao Heaven Cutter while wielding a warblade for close combat.
He was flexible, deadly, and impossible to pin down a hybrid of ranged and melee mastery.
Chong Lou's speed and refined sword techniques were powerful, but Rowan's Dao Heaven Cutter constantly disrupted his strikes, reducing their effectiveness.
His wings, once his protective shell, were riddled with cracks from repeated collisions. Though he could repair them with energy, prolonged strain would deplete him, weakening his defenses.
Evaluating the situation, Chong Lou realized he was in serious danger. Continuing as he was meant inevitable defeat.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Frustration boiled over. He could feel Rowan's hidden power the young man had not yet unleashed his full strength.
Chong Lou abandoned concealment, flapping his wings furiously. Ten blade-like arcs, each kilometers long, tore through the lava toward Rowan.
Rowan, holding a fourth-tier warblade, remained calm. His true trump card the Starflare Rift Blade was still concealed for the finals.
Against the incoming attack, Rowan maneuvered his Dao Heaven Cutter to effortlessly pierce the onslaught.
Then Rowan noticed something unusual: air currents around Chong Lou began to converge, forming a massive tornado.
"Wind Law!" Rowan realized.
Chong Lou's ultimate technique had been revealed.
A colossal storm, over ten kilometers across, formed around him. Even the clouds above the planet were drawn into the vortex.
"You're strong," Chong Lou called. "I had planned to save Wind Law for the semifinals, but you forced my hand. You deserve a top-ten rank. But you've met me. Once I kill you, you'll drop hundreds of ranks. When we meet in the semifinals, I hope you won't fail like this again."
Rowan smiled faintly.
"So this is your hidden ace. I've mastered Wind Law for over ten years you won't stop me."
Chong Lou raised his twin blades, radiating brilliant multicolored light. The tornado spawned countless razor-sharp wind blades, each capable of shredding a stellar-level warrior.