Infinite Evolution: My Idle Evolution System

[Match #1470]

→ Necro vs. Chao Yao

'Ah, right. That guy from before on the Staircase,' Necro thought as he calmly stepped onto the platform.

Chao Yao was already there, grinning with disdain. His Flamespine clan robe fluttered behind him as magma-like qi roared around his body, radiating at the 1st Layer of the Golden Core Realm.

"I've been waiting for this, brat," Chao Yao said, licking his lips. "You humiliated me on the staircase, but I'll make sure you crawl off this stage begging to be eliminated."

The referee, a Nascent Soul Immortal, nodded to both combatants. "Begin!"

BOOM!

Chao Yao didn't wait a second. He punched forward, launching a crimson explosion in Necro's direction.

Necro remained still.

BOOM—!!

The platform exploded in smoke and dust. Chao Yao grinned savagely.

"Is that it!?"

But the grin quickly faltered.

From within the dust, Necro walked out, not a single scratch on his robe. His gaze was expressionless.

"You talk too much."

CRACK!

Necro flicked a single finger forward. The pressure was suffocating. Space folded, and Chao Yao was slammed into the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"GACK—!" Chao Yao spat blood. "Wh…what…?"

Necro didn't even look at him. "You lost the moment you decided to waste your breath instead of understanding your opponent."

The referee raised a brow but nodded quickly.

"Winner: Necro!"

Silence. Then—an explosion of cheers, gasps, and mutterings from the crowds.

"He didn't even draw his weapon…"

"What pressure… he's not simple."

"I bet he's a hidden genius from one of the Secret Sects!"

San Xianying smiled faintly from his perch above, nodding in approval.

Necro returned to the waiting area, his expression unchanging. But he felt it—the attention. Gaze after gaze now followed him. Some were wary, others curious, and a few… murderous.

'Tch. They've all locked onto me,' he thought, glancing at Bai Gong across the field, who returned a venomous glare. 'Then again, this works as well. Saves me some trouble…'

—Back in the shadows of the floating isles, two cloaked figures crouched behind a veil of magic—

"That brat… he's better than expected," Chan Xiu said through gritted teeth, clutching his invisibility talisman tightly.

"He may be strong," Bai Gong muttered coldly, his smile crooked, "but no one can stay untouchable forever."

A third shadow appeared beside them—this one tall, cloaked in crimson robes with faint scales glinting from beneath his sleeves.

"You called for reinforcement?" the figure asked in a hoarse, ancient voice.

Bai Gong smiled wider. "Yes. The Saintess said to spare no effort. The boy is to die… before the final trial. Even with the threat of the Sacred Azure Sect, the Saintess allowed the Deacon to secretly teleport in with our spatial position as an anchor."

Chan Xiu's voice trembled. "You actually called in Deacon Mo Yi…?!"

Even beneath the talisman's protection, cold sweat rolled down his back.

Because Mo Yi was not a mere disciple—he was a Deacon-level assassin of the Dragon Island Sect. And unlike the others, he didn't mind shedding blood.

"Elder Mo Yi," Bai Gong said with reverence, "the Saintess has personally ordered the death of the boy named Necro. He's cunning, powerful, and possibly far more dangerous than we originally assumed."

Mo Yi did not respond immediately. He tilted his head, as if sniffing the air. Then, after a pause, he said with a strange hiss in his voice, "He reeks of something... ancient."

Both Bai Gong and Chan Xiu stiffened.

"Ancient?" Bai Gong echoed. "You mean…?"

"There is a layer upon him, thicker than mere cultivation," Mo Yi said, staring out at the dueling grounds. "A protective karma… like that of a Sacred Beast's blessing. Or worse… something that has awakened long before this world's current generation."

Chan Xiu nearly choked on his spit. "Y-You're joking, right? You think he's contracted with an actual Primordial?"

"No," Mo Yi murmured. "Not contracted. Something else. I sense the influence of a lotus—one not meant to exist in this realm."

"There's also… a naturistic scent," he added dramatically. "I don't know what that one is."

The two younger disciples remained silent, their minds racing.

Bai Gong eventually clenched his fists. "Then we were right to call for you. He cannot be allowed to walk out of this Trial alive."

Mo Yi's eyes, glowing faintly behind his hood, narrowed. "Then prepare. When the Third Trial begins… he dies."

—Elsewhere, inside a sacred bamboo grove within the Fairyland realm—

Necro sat cross-legged beneath a glimmering moon-tree, its silver leaves humming faintly in tune with his cultivation. He wasn't meditating, not really. Instead, he was sorting his thoughts.

'That Bai Gong guy… he's here. He even used that sword in plain sight, knowing it might reveal his identity. Meaning the Dragon Island Sect isn't afraid of causing waves within the Sacred Azure Sect… or maybe they're simply being permitted to continue what they're doing.'

He opened one eye.

His soul sense subtly swept over the surroundings, avoiding attention. But no matter how much he searched, he couldn't detect the second disciple, Chan Xiu, nor that faint aura he felt back when hiding inside the Aimless Ancestor's head wound.

They're cloaking their presence.

Necro's fingers twitched slightly.

This meant they were planning something for the next Trial—and considering how tightly regulated these duels were, it had to be during the next phase, which would almost certainly take place in a less controlled environment.

'No matter,' he thought. 'If they want to play that game, I'll prepare accordingly. I can feel the 6th Petal's light-up being imminent under the high density of Spiritual Energy in the High-Heaven Kingdom. Furthermore, I can take this opportunity to seamlessly assimilate my various Auras with my improved cultivation base.'

—Later that evening—

San Xianying floated above the central platform once more, his presence like a deity descending upon mortals.

"The 2nd Trial has now concluded. All 200 of you standing here today have proven yourselves above the rest."

He paused, letting the silence settle in.

"But know this—what comes next is unlike anything you've experienced before. The Third and Final Trial will take place in a truly untamed part of the High-Heaven Kingdom: the Forgotten Sky Basin."

Gasps.

A few disciples visibly turned pale.

"That's—!"

"Wait… isn't that the place where even Nascent Soul Immortals go missing!?"

"The one with spiritual beasts mutated by dimensional storms!?"

San Xianying raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "Yes. That place. It was chosen not because we wish for your deaths, but because only in a domain untamed by humans will your true potential be revealed."

He waved a sleeve, and a map appeared in the air.

"In the center of the Forgotten Sky Basin lies a floating tower—The Azure Eclipse Pagoda. You will each begin at different locations on the basin's edge. Your task is simple: reach the Pagoda. Inside are tokens of admission—only 10 of which exist."

A sharp hush fell over the crowd.

"Out of 200, only 10 can enter the Sacred Azure Sect."

This meant the final round had a 95% elimination rate.

"Anything goes," San Xianying added darkly. "You may form alliances or fly solo. Kill if you must, though the Sect discourages pointless slaughter. Interfering elders and hidden backers will not save you. You are on your own."

He clapped.

Golden talismans shot toward every participant, slamming into their foreheads and embedding a glowing rune inside their sea of consciousness.

"You'll be transported to the basin in five minutes."

Necro stood silently, adjusting his robe. His finger brushed the new rune on his forehead.

Then, a voice whispered from behind him.

"Hey… do you ever smile?"

Necro turned slightly.

A girl with short silver hair stood behind him, robes fluttering, spiritual qi swirling gently around her. Her eyes were bright, her skin smooth as jade.

He didn't recognize her.

She raised a brow. "You're Necro, right? The one who beat Chao Yao with a finger?"

"…Yes."

She smirked. "I'm Lan Ziwei. 5th Princess of the North Deep Sea Empire. I came in fourth in the Trial of the Staircase."

Necro blinked once.

She shrugged. "Just figured I'd say hi before we all get thrown into a survival death match."

A pause.

"…Hi," Necro finally replied.

She laughed. "You do talk. I thought maybe you were secretly a golem in disguise."

Before he could reply, their surroundings warped.

The Trial had begun.

In the distant skies, clouds parted.

A wide, desolate land filled with black stone, floating shards of reality, and crimson rivers unfolded.

The Forgotten Sky Basin.

Across its chaos-filled expanse, 200 cultivators of the Golden Core Realm appeared one after another, scattered throughout the jagged terrain.

Necro appeared atop a cliff edge, alone, the wind tugging at his robe.

He glanced toward the horizon—and saw the faint silhouette of the Azure Eclipse Pagoda, floating like a phantom tower far, far away.

Then he looked down… and smiled.

A faint shimmer—someone was trailing him already.

"Let's see how many come for my head before the sun sets."