The Shining Star Above The Heaven

The beginner stage third phase continued with raging battles in each round. The competition was quite intense as each of them showed their best to take down their opponents. The spectators were also entertained by the performance of the participants. At the very least, their performance did not bring shame to the Barisan continent in front of the outsiders.

Even for the outsiders, the talent shown in the continent was not inferior and even much higher compared to other continents or even stars. In fact, many outsiders started to consider the Barisan continent as one of the strongest in the future, with the potential these participants had shown since yesterday.

If cultivators at such a low level could display this much, then what about those with higher cultivation?

The number of geniuses was indeed quite large, and many began to wonder if there was a true secret within the continent that allowed it to give birth to so many talented cultivators.

If the Barisan continent had not been limited in the past and had possessed the same power as other continents, then with someone like Aldrian the Great leading its entire strength, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Barisan continent was the strongest continent in the Central Star Cluster.

Still, the future remained uncertain, as these talents and other cultivators from the Barisan continent needed time to catch up in cultivation with those from outside. For now, they had to rely on Aldrian the Great as both a deterrent force and the key factor that made external powers regard them with the same status as the other strong continents.

The battle of the beginner stage, which was less complex than the other categories, lasted for almost two hours before finally reaching the final. It was a relatively quick round for a tournament, as they lacked the stamina and complex techniques possessed by higher-level cultivators.

"Congratulations to Erik Sachfield and Sun Meilin for advancing as the finalists of the beginner stage. The finalists may take a break, as we will now move on to the other categories first," Orlav shouted, his voice met with excited cheers from the spectators.

The two finalists were a handsome young man with short black hair, who used a sword as his artifact, and a beautiful young woman with blue hair. At her waist hung a finely crafted sword, its pure white blade and scabbard giving the impression of a weapon forged from snow and ice.

The two of them looked at each other calmly, yet a blazing spirit of competition burned beneath their gazes. This was the final, and they were only a step away from the reward that would guarantee a smooth cultivation path in the future.

They left the arena as Orlav raised his voice again to announce the beginning of the next category.

"For the Disciple stage participants, you may now enter the arena and take the number balls from the box." The same box as before appeared in front of him. As earlier, each participant picked one ball, and Orlav announced the number on the ball along with the participant's slot. The spectators eagerly discussed the pairings and the possible outcomes of the battles.

However, among the spectators observing the tournament, there were some individuals who did not seem too interested in the matches themselves but instead focused on something else. In one of the VIP rooms, five figures—three men and two women—appeared to be enjoying the sight of the crowd, while one of them kept his gaze fixed on the arena where the draws were still taking place.

The one watching the arena, the strongest among them, was a man at the middle pseudo-immortal stage. His face remained expressionless, yet he sent a voice transmission to the others.

"How is the investigation going?"

"I have discovered some useful information, my lord. It might aid us in our mission. We could use it as a distraction, and with many of our assassins having arrived not long ago, I believe the success rate is quite high," one of the men replied.

"I have found many weaknesses in the target's security, as well as many parts we could take advantage of…" One by one they answered the leader, and after all of them gave their reports, one of the women offered her opinion.

"He seems full of openings we could take advantage of, but I don't think it is that simple. His ability is what truly worries me. I have a feeling that although the target and his family's safety appear full of gaps, it is more like a trap meant to lure anyone who dares to attack them directly."

"I also think the same. For an emperor, his security seems quite lax and full of holes. So I believe there are two possibilities here. Either the security is truly that poor, or the emperor is so confident in his strength that he knows he will remain safe even with such defenses. In my opinion, the second one is the more likely option," another man commented.

There was a silence after they shared their opinions. The leader seemed to be pondering something as he continued to observe the arena. From time to time, his gaze flicked toward the balcony where Aldrian sat, lingering only for a second before shifting elsewhere.

"I understand, and I also think the same," the leader finally said. "His lack of security feels more like confidence that nothing will happen, even with such obvious flaws. Moreover, the story of his attack ability that could reach the entire continent cannot be verified, as we have found no eyewitness who has directly seen the emperor use it."

"We do not know whether that power comes from a large-scale formation or from his own innate ability, which leaves us uncertain about the true limits of that man's strength."

"The current influx of outside powers has also been quite orderly, without causing much disturbance. Those who might wish to cause trouble must be hesitating because of the emperor's reputation, and because of that there has never been any clear proof to confirm whether his ability is real or not."

"What we need is proof—a guinea pig to test whether what people say is real. If he truly has that ability, then I already have a plan in mind. But if not…" The leader paused.

"Then this mission might be much easier than we expected."

The others looked at the leader with curiosity, until one of the men finally asked him—

"What do you have in mind, my lord?"

The leader kept his gaze fixed outside as he answered. "I received some interesting information. The Spirit Ancestor, whom so many have been searching for, has finally left the Beast Continent and is now visiting this continent. We will use her as the main distraction, while striking in several other places at the same time. If Aldrian the Great truly has an ability that can cover the entire continent, then he will likely be forced to act personally, and almost all at once."

The others who heard him seemed surprised, but one of the women frowned. "The Spirit Ancestor? If she is truly on this continent right now, then I imagine she is under heavy protection. I have only heard about the arrival of the Dragon King and the Phoenix Queen. If they are here, then they may very well be her protectors," she said.

"My lord, with those two as her guards, I do not think using the Spirit Ancestor even as a distraction will be easy. To truly overwhelm her and whoever else might be protecting her, we would need a tremendous force. The Dragon King alone is terrifying, and now with the Phoenix Queen and possibly others as well." She added.

The leader showed a cunning smile. "Then we will stir up those forces that want the Spirit Ancestor dead. That old woman and her race were hunted by many powers in the past, and those who would seize this chance to kill her are not few. All we need to do is spread information about her whereabouts and let them do the work. We can manipulate them into attacking her in a coordinated manner."

"As for us, our assassins will create trouble elsewhere. Once we confirm Emperor Aldrian's ability, we will execute the plan I have in mind. That way, we can strike him while he is caught off guard."

"What is your plan, my lord?" one of the men asked.

Still wearing his cunning smile, the leader replied, "In a week, or two weeks at most, there will be a huge event that will draw the attention of many powers. Before that event begins, we will launch the distraction operation, and afterward, we will carry out my plan. If we succeed, we will be able to escape from this continent unharmed."

The others exchanged glances, still confused by their leader's ambiguous plan.

"What is the event you are talking about, my lord? What will happen in the near future?" one of them asked.

The leader finally turned his head and looked at the others.

"A great war. There will be a war so large it will engulf this entire star."

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The tournament proceeded normally, with even more exciting battles as the disciple stage cultivators displayed far more complex and varied techniques. The spirit of the participants did not waver, even after witnessing the strength of their opponents.

After two hours, the disciple stage category finally came to an end, and the two finalists were decided before Orlav continued the tournament with the next category.

As the time for his category drew closer, Zander's heart beat faster, not only from nervousness but also from excitement. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

'Focus, focus, don't let anything distract you.' His eyes grew sharper.

'Stay focused. Be the winner!'