Chapter 205: Bright Stage (1/2)

Many knew that this Astral Combat Tournament would attract many powerhouses to compete, but they never expected that the first elimination round of the tournament would result in so many Area Masters being eliminated. They were Area Masters! And in previous tournaments, Area Masters would generally last till at least the third round before one of them was matched up against a Realm Master. But now, multiple Area Masters had been eliminated in the first round, which was unprecedented.

At this time, a blazing inferno roared to life and enveloped the skies, changing the temperature of both heaven and earth. Countless spectators looked over to see a man floating high in the sky and arrogantly looking downward. The fiery blaze roared all around him, as this was not just a firestorm simulated through star energy, but rather a true conflagration. The flames had a tinge of black at their center, and the inferno created a distortion in the void. A black color accompanied the inferno as it distorted the void; the temperature had climbed high enough to cause cracks to appear in space.

On the stage below the flames, a woman was kneeling with a terrified expression on her raised face.

The man in the sky laughed wildly and he flew further up until he was eye level with the peak overlooking the valley. Then, as if he were an equal to the student leaders seated there, he said, “Feng Shang, I never thought that you would become a Realm Master after not seeing you these years.”

His words shocked many people, but on the peak, the leader of Astral-8, Feng Shang, was puzzled. “You are?”

The man laughed before replying, “Old friend, have you really forgotten me? It was I who burned you to a crisp back then. It’s been so many years. Do you have anything to say?”

Many were dumbfounded when they saw the exchange unfold on the screen.

Feng Shang’s face suddenly turned cold. “I remember now. So it’s you, Arikar.”

“Finally! I never thought that that impulsive junior would end up becoming a Realm Master. You’re really capable.”

“When you lost that battle for the title of Realm Master to Brother Neru, you actually dared to mount a sneak attack after that. If you rejoined the academy after going missing for so many years, it seems that you must have frozen yourself to preserve your bone age.”

Many were shocked by this reveal; this person had actually fought against the previous Realm Master of Astral-8, and he was a frozen genius as well.

Feng Shang’s face sank. As he scanned over the destroyed arena, he recalled the battle scene from when he had just joined the Astral Combat Academy. That battle had overturned his conception of strength, and this person had been one of the participants in that battle.

“What a powerful attack,” Lu Yin marvelled, “Why is this person’s attack so similar to the Blaze Realm’s?”

Feng Shang replied, “Because he’s from the Blaze Realm. He was the previous champion before Jared on the Blaze Realm Rankings.”

“No wonder he seems to need a beating,” Lu Yin muttered.

Beside Lu Yin on the ninth seat, Liu Yin removed his headphones with a dazed expression. “It’s so hot. What happened?”

Lu Yin glanced at him strangely. Is this fellow really a leader of his academy?

The first round of the lottery battles had eliminated half of the students, with 217 advancing onto the second round. The arenas on the plains changed again, and the 217 arenas from the previous round merged into 108 larger arenas. A number once again appeared before each competitor, and without the need for any reminders, they all lightly grasped the number before them. The scene shifted before their eyes as they appeared in an arena facing their next opponent. One short male remained in his original position with a blank look on his face, confused.

“Uhh, Mentor, what about me?” asked the short male as he raised his head.

“You’ve advanced onto the next round.” The loud voice made the crowd jump.

The short youth was delighted by this news. Since there was an odd number of contestants, it was normal for one to receive a bye and advance to the next round without competing. He was the lucky one in this instance.

Coco looked at him enviously and almost cried when she saw her opponent. Before her stood a huge, muscled man who was at least three meters tall. He had a square face and did not look like a pushover. Why did I end up with such a person?

“There will be a three hour break. Then, the tournament will resume,” the loud voice declared once more.

A strong wind suddenly appeared in the middle of each arena, separating the two opponents.

This break was not just for the competitors; it had also been implemented out of consideration for the countless spectators. With such a large audience, it was not appropriate to end the Astral Combat Tournament too quickly.

From the start of Three Academies Guarding the Gate to the conclusion of the first elimination round, a full day had passed. The Astral Combat Tournament had to last for at least three days, which meant that there would naturally be a break between each set of battles, and the breaks would also become longer and longer as the finale approached.

A sense of superiority filed Lu Yin as he sat on the tenth seat atop the highest peak. It was quite reasonable for him to feel this way as this seat was a goal of all students.