119: Chapter 119 A Gathering of Geniuses

"Look! It's Ron Zaka from the Federal Republic of America, number one on the blue star youth platinum ranking, and the first Genius of this term to break through to the Momentum Realm."

"He's finally here."

Accompanied by a wave of suppressed, excited whispers, a group of young men and women with sharp temperaments, uniform attire, and distinct Western features stepped into the hall under everyone's gaze.

The leader stood nearly two meters tall; though not particularly burly, he gave off a sense of toughness as if cast from steel.

He had short golden hair that stood up like needles, deep facial contours, and a particularly high bridge of the nose that formed a distinct aquiline shape.

Most striking were his azure blue eyes, which were as sharp as a cold, deep abyss.

Just by indifferently glancing around, he carried an arrogance that looked down upon all living beings from on high. His powerful Aura spread out like a tangible electric current, causing the nearby chatter to involuntarily quiet down.

A faint, cold curve played at the corner of his mouth, as if he were quite disdainful of the so-called gathering of stars before him.

This person was none other than the undisputed leader of the Federal Republic of America's younger generation, hailed as the future God of Thunder, Ron Zaka.

Before the imposing presence of Ron Zaka and his group could completely dominate the hall, another wave of exclamations surged from the entrance.

"It's Du Yun!"

"Ranked fourth on the Blue Star Youth Ranking, he is the pride of our Huaxia."

"Privately, it's rumored that he is actually the strongest Genius of this term; Ron Zaka just broke through earlier."

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"He really does look incredibly strong!"

If Ron Zaka's appearance brought a sense of pressure and distance, then the arrival of the next person ignited the fiery emotions of the ethnic Chinese students in the hall.

A young man, standing as straight as a pine or cypress, walked in.

He had a handsome face, with a gentle gaze that concealed a heart-palpitating depth. His steps were steady and his Aura restrained, yet he was like a hidden vortex beneath a calm sea.

He was the benchmark figure of Huaxia's younger generation, the top-tier Genius from the Du Family of the ancient capital, Chang'an—Du Yun.

Fourth on the blue star youth platinum ranking.

The rankings on the Blue Star Youth Ranking do not represent a ranking of strength, but are ordered according to the time of Breakthrough to platinum rank.

Therefore, Ron Zaka being ranked first does not mean his strength is number one.

There have been constant rumors recently that Du Yun is actually the strongest of this term.

Following closely behind Du Yun were several other favored children of heaven from the Asian region who were also on the list, each of their appearances stirring the atmosphere in the hall.

For a moment, the entire lobby of the Star-Grabbing Pavilion Hotel seemed to have become the unveiling site of the blue star youth platinum ranking.

The top-ranked dazzling stars arrived one after another. Exclamations and discussions in various languages were incessant, and the air itself became heated.

However, for Li Wen and the others, all this clamor was merely background noise.

After the reception staff quickly processed their formalities, they did not linger. Amidst this star-studded and lively opening, they quietly followed the service staff toward the assigned floor exclusive to the prodigies of Jiangnan Province.

Tomorrow would be when the real stage truly opens.

At that time, the outcome will naturally be revealed.

June 1st, early morning.

The faint morning light shone through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the Star-Grabbing Pavilion Hotel room, spilling over Li Wen as he sat cross-legged.

He did not, as was his habit, immediately immerse himself in the accumulation of knowledge and classics after washing up.

Instead, he sat quietly on the edge of the soft, wide bed, his gaze vacant, directed out the window toward the silhouette of the towering ancestral vein shrouded in the hazy morning mist.

It had been exactly five months since he awakened his Past Life's Wisdom.

Five months passed in the blink of an eye.

In a daze, the figure of the youth in Class 21 of Qingshi County's Third Middle School—who had faced a bleak future where even getting into the lowest-tier martial arts university was uncertain and required gritting his teeth to endure—had already blurred and faded.

Replacing it was the figure before him now, who had slain demons, broken through realms, reached the top of Jiangnan Province, and was even about to step into the highest Holy Land of human martial arts.

The Ascension of his strength felt like a dream, yet it was undeniably real, etched into every tempering of his flesh, every comprehension of his Intent, and every expansion of his Sea of Consciousness.

Now, his entry into Kindling University was a certainty. No matter where he went, the name "Li Wen" was enough to leave a clear and profound mark in the eyes of others.

At this moment, thousands of thoughts flowed through his heart.

From the loneliness of studying alone in the Hongyi Building to the shock caused by slaying the Iron-Armored Earth Dragon Beast; from the bloody struggle in the provincial second mock exam's chaotic arena to the ultimate Breakthrough in the virtual arena; from being an ordinary youth in Qingshi County to an existence now capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's prodigies.

The road was long, but looking back, every step taken over these five months had been firm and powerful, leading to this place.

7:00 AM sharp.

"Buzz————"

A soft yet unignorable vibration emanated simultaneously from the smart devices on the wrists of all the young geniuses present.

The notification had arrived.

The last trace of vacant daze in the depths of Li Wen's eyes faded, replaced by a quiet sharpness.

——

He had already organized all his belongings, and his neat black martial arts uniform made his figure appear as upright as a pine tree.

Without any delay, he pulled open the room door and stepped out.

Other figures from Jiangnan Province could already be seen in the corridor—Chu Feng, Nangong Xue, Wang Shuo, and the others had also appeared.

Their eyes met, containing familiar scrutiny, complex competitive spirits, and a solemnity regarding today's unknowns.

Without much communication, the group merged tacitly and walked toward the stairwell with steady steps.

The lobby downstairs.

When they entered, the massive space was already teeming with people.

Over three thousand top geniuses from various provinces and powers around the globe were gathered together, a dense mix of youthful vitality and sharp edges rising in the air.

The hall instantly became an ocean of geniuses and the focus of intersecting gazes.

Low but irrepressible exclamations of excitement occasionally broke out in the crowd; these were the uncontrollable emotions of the young men and women upon recognizing the top prodigies on the blue star youth platinum ranking.

"Look, it's Ron Zaka! Number one on the platinum ranking!"

"Du Yun! Ranked fourth on the platinum ranking, he has an extremely high reputation in the Huaxia region!"

"Is that Rukawa Arashi from the Sakura Kingdom? His Aura is indeed extraordinary!"

"The one from Northern Europe is here too————"

Discussions in various accents intertwined, and the air was thick with an invisible atmosphere of competition.

Mingling within the small Jiangnan Province team, Li Wen calmly scanned these figures, matching the famous faces one by one with the data he had previously studied.

These were the opponents he might clash with or stand alongside in the future.

The group did not wait for long.

A few minutes later, a low humming sound approached from afar, accompanied by a slight pressure in the air.

Through the hotel's massive floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, a uniquely shaped, silver-gray super-large aircraft, as massive as a mobile fortress, could be seen landing silently like a giant bird on the vast plaza in front of the hotel.

The streamlined fuselage shimmered with a cold metallic luster.

The attendants guided them at the right time, and the flow of people surged out of the hall in an orderly fashion like a tide.

Li Wen and the others boarded the aircraft along with the crowd.

The interior space was surprisingly vast, enough to accommodate thousands of people without feeling crowded.

Once everyone was seated and the aircraft's hatch closed, a strange scene occurred.

The originally enclosed metal cabin walls and porthole areas became completely transparent within a few seconds, as if ice and snow were melting away.

The outside scenery was projected in without any obstruction, making everyone feel as if they were directly situated within the vast world.

The aircraft floated steadily and began to sail deeper into the Xinhuo Ancestral Vein.

The speed was not fast, clearly intended to allow these young elites from all over the world to properly appreciate the magnificent scenery of this holy city of human martial arts.

As far as the eye could see were grand temple complexes in an ancient Eastern style, built along the mountain slopes and nestled amidst verdant forests and dense Spiritual Qi.

Massive upturned eaves and bracket sets, intricately carved coiled dragon jade pillars, and towering towers reaching into the clouds glistened in the morning light.

Waterfalls and springs poured down from the mountain peaks, with clouds and mist swirling like a fairyland.

On the massive streets of Xinhuo City below, pedestrians walked with vigorous steps and calm Auras, all radiating a Martial Artist's charm that could not be underestimated.

In the distance, the grand fluctuations of an ancient Mountain-Protecting Array could be felt, as vast as an abyss or a sea, guarding this Holy Land.

This was the cradle nurturing human hope—Kindling Hall.

Even someone as steady as Li Wen could not hide the shock in his eyes.

The aircraft flew for about dozens of miles, crossing several magnificent peaks, before finally slowly descending toward the top of one of the mountains.

At the peak of the mountain was a massive plaza as wide as a small plain, paved with an unknown green jade that shimmered with a gentle luster.

At the end of the plaza stood a towering and spectacular palace.

The palace was an ancient silver-gray throughout, with a square and grand design; its upturned eaves were like the spines of blades, carrying a sharp momentum that shot straight toward the sky.

Above the main entrance of the palace hung a massive plaque. On the plaque, three vigorous and ancient characters, as if carved with iron and silver hooks and containing the charm of some great Dao, were imprinted: "Jian Xin Hall."

The aircraft landed steadily at the edge of the plaza.

The hatch slid open, and a fresh mountain breeze carrying Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost tangible blew in, refreshing everyone's spirits.

As everyone descended the gangway, dozens of attendants dressed in uniform plain-colored robes, with restrained yet capable Auras, immediately stepped forward respectfully, silently guiding the more than three thousand geniuses.

Following the wide jade path paved in the center of the plaza, they walked toward the "Jian Xin Hall," which radiated a mysterious and ancient Aura.

The closer they got, the more they could feel the magnificence of this palace and the vast pressure settled within it.

The towering hall doors were a full thirty meters high, like an entrance to another world.

Upon entering the main hall, the interior space was far more expansive than what was seen from the outside, as if widened by supreme power; the dome hung high, resembling a starry sky.

The floor was made of warm ink jade, and one could faintly see wisps of spiritual light that refused to dissipate flowing through the textures of the floor.

The attendants guided everyone to a massive open area in the center of the hall to stand in formation.

Only now did everyone see clearly that in the front of the hall, about three meters above the ground, there was a solemn and dignified main platform.

And when the gazes of Li Wen and the others reached the main platform, they all felt a sense of awe in their hearts..

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