In the original timeline, Rowan's immunity to illusion techniques came from cultivating the Void Tower passed down through the Meteorite Ink Star legacy.
In the present, Rowan had naturally mastered the Void Tower as well.
Unfortunately, Hong and the Thunder God could not.
They were not mental cultivators. The Void Tower could only be trained by those who had awakened psychic abilities.
Because of this, Rowan could not help feeling uneasy.
Whether Hong could withstand Phantom Demon Galessi's mental assaults remained an unanswered question.
At last, after observing the battlefield for a long time, Galessi finally made his move.
His close combat abilities were equally terrifying.
He did not rely solely on illusion to compensate for weaknesses. True geniuses excelled in both offense and defense.
Galessi was one of them.
That was why he had earned a place among the top contenders.
Twin blades in hand, Galessi cut through the crowd like a phantom. Any opponent who exchanged even a few blows with him would inevitably be caught by his illusion techniques.
The moment their minds faltered, Galessi's blades would descend, ending the fight in an instant.
The spectators gasped again and again as Galessi slaughtered opponents with terrifying ease, like a reaper walking through the battlefield.
At the same time, within the Virtual Universe, in an elegant and serene chamber, numerous Universe Venerables had gathered.
They represented the rulers of over ten thousand universe nations.
Not all of them were Universe Venerables. Many nations were governed by Immortals instead.
After all, becoming a Universe Venerable was no easy feat.
"That Galessi is impressive," said a Venerable whose body burned with blazing flames. "His illusions are elusive and lethal. In battles between experts, even a ten-thousandth of a second trapped in illusion is enough to determine victory."
Several other Venerables nodded in agreement.
Among mental cultivators, most chose the path of weapon-based psychic combat, relying on long-range control.
Galessi was certainly outstanding, but not extraordinary enough to command deep attention.
Once a cultivator reached Domain Lord or Immortal level, most would cultivate powerful soul-defense techniques.
Against such defenses, Galessi's illusions would lose much of their potency unless he achieved a higher realm of illusion mastery.
Illusions alone could not support true ascension. They required profound law comprehension and coordinated offense.
While the Venerables discussed casually, the battlefield continued to shrink.
Deaths mounted rapidly.
Soon, only fourteen participants remained.
Four more eliminations would decide the top ten.
Every remaining combatant was a peerless talent, each possessing terrifying strength.
Outside the arena, the audience roared like thunder.
Spectators screamed themselves hoarse, cheering desperately for their respective talents.
The Black Dragon Mountain Empire and the Qianwu Universe Nation sections were especially fervent.
Everyone urged Hong onward.
Reaching this point was already an incredible achievement.
Far away, within the Qianwu Universe Nation, atop a massive planetary garden.
The garden was constructed from an entire planet, filled with rare creatures gathered from across the cosmos.
Each beast was gentle and charming, set against a landscape resembling a celestial paradise.
Seated there were the ruler of the Qianwu Universe Nation and several high officials.
Among them sat the Black Dragon Mountain Emperor.
"Black Dragon, your empire has truly struck gold this time," said a burly Immortal with stone-like patterns across his skin, his tone tinged with envy. "To produce such a talent."
The Black Dragon Mountain Emperor laughed openly.
"Hmph. Your Jiahe Empire could not even break into the top hundred thousand this time. That sounds more like decline to me. Our Black Dragon Mountain Empire has four geniuses within the top hundred thousand. If you feel jealous, that's only natural."
He had waited far too long for this moment.
For countless years, the Black Dragon Mountain Empire had not produced a single talent capable of reaching even the top hundred thousand.
Even the top ten thousand had been out of reach.
Mockery from other regional rulers had weighed heavily on him.
Among the more than thirteen thousand star domains of the Qianwu Universe Nation, he ranked merely middle to lower tier.
To rule a star domain required at least the strength of a military-grade Immortal.
He was only slightly stronger than the Immortal now speaking to him, who held a low-level King title.
In the past, he could only swallow such insults.
Now, he finally had the confidence to strike back.
Four talents.
That alone was beyond anything he had dared hope for.
Rowan was already astonishing.
But Hong had exceeded expectations.
Surviving this long in the first arena match meant his strength was easily worthy of the top ten thousand.
The only question was whether he could break into the top ten.
The Emperor's heart was tight with anticipation.
The Immortal he had retorted to flushed with anger and was about to speak when an overwhelming pressure descended.
The ruler of the Qianwu Universe Nation released his aura.
Instantly, everyone felt suffocated.
Only the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's ruler stood unaffected.
The Black Dragon Mountain Emperor was secretly shocked.
When the pressure faded, the ruler spoke calmly.
"This time, the star domain under Black Dragon has fought a proud battle for the Qianwu Universe Nation. Any who dare speak recklessly will be punished severely."
The blatant favoritism stunned the gathered Immortals.
In past genius battles, the ruler had never intervened, regardless of internal disputes.
This was unprecedented.
No one dared question it.
But doubt lingered.
What exactly was happening with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire this time?
Back in the arena, the final moments approached.
Another thirty seconds passed.
Only twelve remained.
The battlefield had shrunk to less than half its original size and continued contracting.
Everyone fought with bloodshot eyes.
For the ten slots, they unleashed every hidden trump card.
The battle grew ferocious.
The audience's cheers reached a deafening crescendo.
On the battlefield, Hong stood firm.
Silver spear in hand, seven layers of domain bloomed.
Within the light domain, his speed became a raging storm.
He clashed with two mental cultivators at once.
Countless flying blades swarmed toward him.
Facing the crushing pressure of psychic weapons, Hong remained calm.
His spear spun, forming an unbroken black-red domain barrier.
No matter how fierce the assault, it could not break through.
Realizing they could not breach his defense, the two mental cultivators retreated to target someone else.
Hong had just begun to lower his spear when a piercing, unsettling shriek rang out behind him.
"How interesting," a voice whispered. "You are strong enough to deserve death. I enjoy crushing geniuses like you and casting them out of the arena."
Phantom Demon Galessi appeared.
His eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty light.
Hong's gaze hardened.
He had already witnessed Galessi's terror firsthand.
After the preliminary rounds, Babata had purchased intelligence on the most prominent contenders in the Peak Genius Battle.
With enough resources, detailed information was easy to acquire.
Records of battles, achievements, and encounters beyond the tournament itself.
Many geniuses bought such intelligence to prepare countermeasures.
Hong, the Thunder God, and Rowan had all studied the data.
Only Rowan had declined.
Among the top twenty were Death God Bolan, Phantom Demon Galessi, Savage Rong Jun, the Manka warrior Uka, Qianshui, and others.
Hong knew Galessi's abilities well.
And he knew how dangerous they were.
He lacked psychic aptitude.
He could not cultivate the Void Tower.
Whether he could resist Galessi's illusions had always been uncertain.
"Die."
Galessi smiled cruelly.
A surge of psychic power burst from his eyes.
In an instant, Hong was dragged into illusion.
Chaos engulfed him.
He stood within a familiar nightmare.
Earth.
The early days of the Great Cataclysm.
Back when he was still an assassin.
His family and friends torn apart by monsters.
He survived only because his physique had barely reached entry-level warrior standards.
Those memories had once haunted him.
Now they surged back.
Monsters lunged toward him, fangs bared.
Yet Hong stood unmoving.
"I have already died once," he said calmly. "Fear is my fuel. Using such crude tricks against me is laughable."
Within his soul, the Ninefold Phantom Demon Tower activated.
His will sharpened like a blade.
The illusion shattered.
The entire process took less than one hundredth of a second.
As the illusion broke, Hong saw Galessi turning away.
Galessi had assumed Hong would perish like the others.
But suddenly, he felt his illusion collapse.
He spun around in shock.
Hong smiled coldly.
"You are too weak."
Galessi's heart plummeted.
"That's impossible! How did you break my illusion so easily?"
It was the first time anyone had done so.
Even Universe-level opponents had struggled.
He launched another illusion.
It descended into Hong's mind.
And shattered instantly.
"First Form of the Ninefold Phantom Demon Tower. Layered Shadows."
Hong raised his spear.
The air twisted.
Seven layers of domain surged into the spear tip.
He thrust.
Faster than sound.
Galessi was pierced through.
A scream tore from Galessi's throat.
The world around him collapsed into chaos.
He found himself standing on a black, dead planet.
His family and friends were obliterated by a Universe-level existence with a glance.
Fear swallowed him whole.
Then the illusion shattered.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in the Virtual Universe's waiting area.
"I died?"
Galessi stared in disbelief.
In the final moment, he had been dragged into illusion himself.
Impossible.
How could a pure warrior wield illusion?
Around the arena, the remaining participants were stunned.
The most promising contender of the first match had fallen.
With Galessi's death, the ten survivors were finalized.
"The first arena match has concluded. Ten participants advance."
The Nine Swords Venerable's voice echoed.
The stands erupted in thunderous applause.