https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-87-Ascending-to-the-Top-Popular-Rankings/12529872/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-89-The-Conclusion-of-the-Arena-Match-and-the-Ultimate-Reward-for-Ranking-First-in-the-Worl/12529877/
Chapter 88: Sweeping Dominance, Crushing the Global First
Chapter 88: Sweeping Dominance, Crushing the Global First
The reason Thunder God ranked first was entirely due to his flashy combat style.
Summoning thunder, controlling thunder, and becoming one with thunder, especially the latter, had captivated countless fans.
This fervor surpassed Fang Qing, securing the top spot in the rankings.
Of course, these folk rankings weren't particularly authoritative.
They were based solely on the past achievements and popularity of the top ten Evolvers.
Even so, the ranking of the top ten Evolvers to some extent reflected the outcome of the final battle.
The top three were undoubtedly the strongest, whether it was Thunder God, Fang Qing, or even Yang Wei.
In any case, these three Evolvers' strength was evidently a notch above the rest.
Almost everyone believed that the champion would emerge from among them.
As for who would ultimately claim the title, only the battle would tell.
To ensure fairness, the officials of the Arena Competition had not arranged for these top three Evolvers to face each other thus far.
Yang Wei was an exception, having been crushed by Thunder God before awakening his sixth-rank bloodline.
But once a powerful bloodline was awakened, it became challenging to predict the outcome.
While bloodline-type Evolvers were constrained by their bloodlines, the awakening of a formidable bloodline almost guaranteed dominance over peers of the same rank.
The day before the global competition.
Virtual World.
An official from the Arena Competition approached Lin Yuan.
"Hello, Mr. Lin Yuan. I'm an assistant for this edition of the Arena Competition." A woman with gentle features and light purple irises smiled as she spoke.
"Hello," Lin Yuan nodded in greeting.
"We would like you to record a video sharing your thoughts on the upcoming top ten competition."
The female assistant paused before continuing, "Of course, if you don't know what to say, we can provide you with a script to read from."
Upon finishing, she handed Lin Yuan a stack of documents.
He took them and quickly scanned through, immediately understanding that these scripts were meant to challenge the other nine Evolvers.
While it was almost certain that the top three of this Arena Competition would be among Fang Qing, Thunder God, and Yang Wei, one couldn't afford to lose in terms of momentum.
Even if one didn't make it to the top three, there were still ranks four to ten.
These pre-competition interviews were designed to stir up trouble and excite the other competitors and viewers.
"I'll speak my mind, then."
After perusing the interview scripts, Lin Yuan felt that none of them suited him.
"If Mr. Lin Yuan has his own ideas, there's no need to stick to the script," the gentle-toned assistant said. Having been part of multiple Arena Competitions, she understood that some Evolver competitors might feel nervous before the event, which was why they prepared scripts as a thoughtful gesture.
"Then..."
A smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face as he said, "I wish everyone a pleasant competition."
"Is that all?" The female assistant patiently waited for a while after hearing Lin Yuan's words, realizing he had finished only when he looked at her.
"Isn't that enough?"
"Are there time constraints for the video recording?"
Lin Yuan inquired.
"There aren't any particular time constraints," the assistant quickly clarified. "It's just that it feels a bit short."
There was one more thing the assistant wanted to say—Lin Yuan's declaration lacked vigor.
And just a simple 'I wish everyone a pleasant competition'?
As merely an assistant for the Arena Competition, she couldn't dictate what Lin Yuan wanted to say.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Finally, I wish Mr. Lin Yuan the best of luck in achieving a good ranking." With a smile, the female assistant vanished from the spot.
That night.
Lin Yuan cultivated as usual.
Just then, his smart assistant notified him that the profit-sharing income for the Martial Arts Evolution Path had been settled.
"Let's see how much it is."
Lin Yuan was intrigued.
The profit-sharing income was settled once a year.
Up to this day, Lin Yuan had already gone through one settlement.
However, at that time, the Martial Arts Evolution Path had barely made it into the top 100, and it hadn't been on the market for long, so the final profit-sharing income was less than 10 million.
But from the last settlement to this one, the Martial Arts Evolution Path had been in the top ten of the Evolution Rankings for almost a year, and it must have attracted quite a number of citizens to cultivate it.
"1.536 billion?"
Lin Yuan was slightly surprised when he saw the final profit-sharing income.
This was just the take-home income; if he included the 70% taken by the officials and the corresponding taxes, the total sales would amount to nearly 10 billion.
[Evolution Path: Martial Arts]
[Number of cultivators at the Innate Stage: 7,893]
[Number of cultivators at the Grandmaster Stage: 2]
[Number of cultivators at the Grand Master Stage: 0]
"There are already people who have cultivated to the Grandmaster Stage?"
Lin Yuan took a look at the data related to the Martial Arts Evolution Path.
This data came from the official Universal Human Alliance's uniform registration with the Evolvers' Association.
There might be some discrepancies in the data, such as Evolvers who had cultivated to the Grandmaster Stage but hadn't gone to be crowned.
But there definitely wouldn't be many, and those like Lin Yuan, whose strength increased drastically every eight months, were extremely rare.
"This data is incorrect."
Lin Yuan looked at the sales figures for each stage of the Martial Arts Evolution Path again.
"Over 200 copies of the third stage have been sold?"
Lin Yuan was astonished.
Currently, the Martial Arts Evolution Path was divided into three stages: the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage.
Lin Yuan had set the following prices for these three stages:
First Stage: 10,000.
Second Stage: 500,000.
Third Stage: 5,000,000.
And he hadn't uploaded the third stage of the Martial Arts Evolution Path for very long.
Yet over 200 copies had been sold? Moreover, at a price of 5 million each, that would amount to over 10 billion.
After deducting the 70% taken by the officials and the taxes, he would still be left with 300-400 million.
That was not a small sum.
"It must be a chain reaction caused by the Martial Arts Evolution Path topping the rankings."
Lin Yuan pondered for a while and figured out the reason.
After uploading the third stage, it had caught the attention of the Wisdom Goddess, leading to a re-evaluation of the Martial Arts Evolution Path and its eventual rise to the top of the Canglan Evolution Rankings.
This matter might not be considered a big deal in the entire Chu Kun Star Domain, but within the Canglan Star, it had definitely stirred up a storm in the Evolvers' circle.
It was only natural for those top-tier Evolvers to spend over 5 million to buy the Martial Arts Evolution Path and study it.
While 5 million might be an amount that ordinary citizens could never earn in their lifetimes, it wasn't a huge sum for those third and fourth-stage Evolvers.
"It's paid for itself already."
Lin Yuan was in high spirits. The dip in his wealth caused by purchasing the two universal spirit items, the Scarlet Fruit and the Cold Jade, had immediately been replenished. In fact, he had made a few hundred million more.
"The income will probably be even higher the next time we settle." Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The impact of the Martial Arts Evolution Path topping the charts had not fully sunk in yet, and as time went on, it would surely be the first choice for any new Evolvers on Canglan Star. After all, given similar costs, it was a no-brainer to choose an evolution path that ranked first, second, or even fourth on the Evolution Rankings over any other.
The next day.
The final competition among the global top ten officially began.
On an incredibly massive stage, a male and female host appeared. They were the most famous hosts on Canglan Star and were responsible for commentating on this final top ten competition.
The seats around the stage quickly filled up with spectators, and the virtual world broadcast showed that countless citizens were tuning in to watch.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the highly anticipated final competition among the top ten is finally here. I'm sure everyone is eager to find out who will emerge as the champion of this Arena Competition," the male host said, his voice amplified. "Without further ado, let's invite our ten Evolvers to make their entrance."
The camera zoomed in.
Fang Qing, Thunder God, Yang Wei, Lin Yuan, and the other contestants took the stage one by one.
With each appearance, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers, with the loudest support going to Fang Qing, Thunder God, and Yang Wei.
As for the rest, who were far behind in terms of popularity, everyone was naturally more interested in the potential champions. Indeed, Fang Qing, Thunder God, and Yang Wei had the highest chances of winning.
"Lin Yuan, I love you!"
When it was Lin Yuan's turn, a portion of the audience went wild with excitement.
Lin Yuan's unique fighting style, which involved 'torturing' his opponents, had attracted a dedicated fan base with 'unique interests'.
"Alright, everyone."
The male host spoke up again. "I must say, these ten individuals are the most outstanding young Evolvers of our Canglan Star, and they represent our star's future."
"However, in the Arena Competition, there must be a winner and a loser."
The male host's voice reverberated with intensity. "And now, let the competition officially begin!"
"First up, we have the point accumulation round."
"The ten Evolver contestants will be placed on an island a hundred miles long and wide."
"The objective for all contestants is to find these blue crystals on the island."
The male host pointed with his right hand, and a palm-sized, deep blue crystal appeared before everyone's eyes.
"There are a total of one hundred of these crystals hidden in various secret locations on the island. The final rankings for this point accumulation round will be determined by the number of crystals each contestant possesses."
The male host paused for a moment before continuing, "And for this round, contestants are allowed to fight each other."
That last statement was a clear provocation.
Allowing contestants to fight meant that simply finding the crystals wasn't enough—the real challenge was in keeping them safe.
Otherwise, even if you found a hundred crystals, they could all be taken away by another Evolver who defeated and robbed you, rendering your efforts useless.
"Let the competition begin!"
The male and female hosts announced together.
And so, the competition commenced.
Chapter 88: Sweeping Dominance, Crushing the Global First
Fang Qing, Lei Shen, and the others appeared at a certain location on the island.
Above the massive arena, ten screens appeared, each displaying one of the ten Evolver contestants.
"Now, everyone can choose their favorite contestant's perspective, and you can switch views at any time," the male host reminded the audience.
As soon as he finished speaking, the spectators began selecting their preferred viewpoints.
The number of viewers for each of the ten screens was updated in real-time.
After a moment, the viewer counts for each perspective stabilized.
The most-watched perspective was Lei Shen's, with over 11 billion viewers.
Closely following was Fang Qing, with just over 10 billion.
Yang Wei's perspective attracted around 9 billion viewers.
The numbers fluctuated as many viewers switched back and forth between different viewpoints.
"Alright, let the competition begin!"
The male host periodically switched perspectives as he provided a running commentary.
However, most of the time, he focused on Lei Shen, Fang Qing, and Yang Wei, as they garnered the most attention, and his commentary on them elicited the most response from the audience.
"I'm not very good at finding things," Fang Qing admitted as she appeared in a dense forest, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"But I can give it a try."
Fang Qing closed her eyes, and behind her, a colossal 'Ancient God' silhouette appeared faintly.
Fang Qing's senses expanded with the aid of this 'Ancient God' silhouette.
"Blue crystals?"
Lei Shen, on the other hand, appeared at the edge of the island. Purple lightning flickered in his pupils, and soon, purple thunderbolts surrounded him, extending for hundreds of meters in every direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom! One blue crystal after another was revealed as the purple lightning struck, each one falling into Lei Shen's hand.
"Let me see where the crystals are," said Yang Wei, a stern-looking man. His pupils deepened, and his gaze seemed to penetrate all.
Bloodline Talent - Piercing Eyes.
In an instant, everything in Yang Wei's vision, from trees to stones, became illusory, except for the blue crystals, which shone with a distinct hue.
"There's a crystal over there."
Yang Wei 'saw' a blue crystal and flew towards it.
High above the massive arena, the male host continued his enthusiastic commentary.
"Look at our contestant Fang Qing. She has directly unleashed an 'Ancient God' silhouette to enhance her senses, and she has already found six blue crystals!"
The male host offered his insights before switching the perspective to Lei Shen.
"My goodness! It seems like contestant Lei Shen has also awakened a domain prototype, likely a Thunder Domain prototype. With this domain, he certainly has an advantage in finding the blue crystals."
"And now, contestant Lei Shen has found eleven crystals!"
"As for Yang Wei, his method of finding crystals is quite intriguing. Can he directly perceive the location of the crystals? Is it due to some sort of eye-related bloodline talent?"
The male and female hosts switched between the ten contestant perspectives, offering their insights and commentary on each.
Finally, the male host switched to Lin Yuan's perspective.
"Is our contestant Lin Yuan taking a rest?"
The male host was taken aback.
In the previous nine perspectives, all the contestants were frantically searching for the crystals.
But here, Lin Yuan was lying on a boulder with his eyes closed, seemingly taking a nap.
And this scene was witnessed by many viewers.
In the perspective of Lin Yuan, he lay leisurely on a boulder, a stark contrast to the other contestants searching for crystals.
"Could it be that he's given up?"
"That makes sense. Lin Yuan has mastered a domain prototype, so he should be skilled at finding crystals. But finding them and keeping them are two different matters."
"With Lin Yuan's strength, even if he finds crystals, what can he do when he encounters powerful opponents like Thunder God and Fang Qing? He'll have to hand them over obediently."
Countless viewers speculated, with most believing that Lin Yuan had started to slack off, figuring that even if he didn't get a single crystal, he would still be ranked tenth globally.
"It seems our Lin Yuan knows how to prioritize."
The male host thought for a while before finally coming up with a somewhat positive term.
Next, the male host switched perspectives again.
Lin Yuan's passive attitude towards the competition was not supported by the arena officials, as it didn't make for exciting viewing.
Even if there was no hope of winning, one should still put up a struggle, creating more discussion and interest among viewers.
On a certain giant rock on the island.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes and looked around.
"It's about time."
Lin Yuan thought to himself.
The rules of this point accumulation round were to find the hundred blue crystals scattered across the entire island.
These blue crystals could be hidden anywhere on the island.
Even if Lin Yuan wanted to find them, it would take some time.
It would be better to wait until the other nine Evolvers had collected most of them, and then he could go and 'pluck the fruits of their labor'.
After all, the competition rules didn't prohibit robbery and even encouraged fighting.
"Let's see who's nearby."
With a slight movement of his mind, Lin Yuan's Taiji Domain quickly expanded.
1 li, 10 li, 20 li, 30 li.
"There are three of them."
Lin Yuan opened his eyes, and his figure vanished from the spot.
"The tenth blue crystal!"
Yang Wei maintained his bloodline talent, 'Piercing Eyes', and his efficiency in finding the blue crystals was remarkable. It didn't take long for him to locate the tenth crystal.
To think that there were only a hundred crystals on the entire island.
"Another one?"
Yang Wei scanned his surroundings, his eyes lighting up as he prepared to head in that direction.
Just at that moment.
A terrifying pressure descended.
"What?"
A look of horror appeared on Yang Wei's face.
Before he could react, his vision went dark, and he vanished into nothingness.
The next moment.
Yang Wei reappeared in the resting area of the competition venue.
"Me?"
A look of disbelief crossed Yang Wei's face.
"Am I dead?"
Yang Wei's mind was in a daze.
Even now, he didn't understand how he had died.
Even if he had encountered the strongest Thunder God or Fang Qing, he was confident he could hold his own for a while, and even in defeat, it would be a close call.
But to be defeated in an instant like this was beyond comprehension.
At the same time.
High above the massive arena.
The screen showing Yang Wei's perspective suddenly 'blacked out'.
The nearly 100 billion viewers who had been watching from Yang Wei's perspective were suddenly left homeless and erupted in a frenzy of discussions.
(End of Chapter)
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