Chapter 75: A Level 100 Player, Defeated in an Instant?

After watching two rounds of the arena battles, Sterl couldn't be bothered to watch any further.

He closed his eyes to rest while silently practicing his arcane skill.

In his sea of consciousness, he repeatedly crushed the energy he had already absorbed into his body, combining his mental and physical strength to refine it into a new form.

The galaxy in Sterl's mind transformed from its original cosmic imitation into a purely spiritual world, glowing everywhere and surrounding Sterl. He vaguely sensed something...

"Forging countless stars, constructing a universe that belongs solely to me—this is the foundation of a legend..." He mused, as if having an epiphany.

Energy continued to surge within Sterl's body.

System notifications kept ringing in his ears——

[Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency increased!]

[Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency increased!]

[Your...]

While cultivating and feeling the power of Star Soul Rotation gradually nourish his body, Sterl casually watched the matches.

He was surprised to find that the selection of players in this consciousness space seemed to follow a certain pattern, mostly matching the weaker players against the top-tier ones.

This resulted in them being eliminated in the first round...

On the previous platforms, one player after another was instantly destroyed by dazzling ultimate moves.

The slightly stronger players were all promoted to the second round, avoiding internal conflicts early on and preventing weaker players from advancing by luck.

Thus, the first-round arena battles mostly ended in overwhelming victories.

Sterl understood why he had a bye in the first round. Because he didn't need to fight.

In the judgment of the consciousness space, he was likely considered the strongest among the players. If anyone should get a bye, it would be him.

"But that doesn't seem right..." Sterl was puzzled. It seemed like a mechanism of the consciousness space, yet the princes of the Divine Mountain Empire appeared unaware.

They had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Faye's easy victory and had also complained about Sterl's bye...

What's going on?

Sterl speculated: Could this intelligent selection mechanism have appeared recently? Or did it change without the knowledge of the Divine Mountain Empire's rulers?

Do the royal family of the Divine Mountain Empire only have the right to use the consciousness space but not complete control over it?

While Sterl pondered and practiced his arcane skill, the energy in his body surged rapidly, tearing his meridians and flesh. After all, this was something only those close to legendary status could learn. Forcing it would come at a cost.

Fortunately, the effects of the life serum within Sterl's body had not worn off. He could practice for a while and then rest, allowing his injuries to heal automatically.

When it came time for the second round of player pairings, Sterl saw the blank crystal floating before him and wore an expression of realization.

Another bye! I'm still considered the strongest.

"How does this guy keep getting so lucky?"

However, the only issue was that facing a near-third-class advancement expert, Faye's chances of winning were low. Given her beauty, many felt sorry for her.

Sterl's expression changed. He was a bit surprised. Naturally, Sterl was also interested in the mysterious Faye and curious about the strength of a nearly third-class advancement level 100 player.

But Sterl had just concluded that the selection rules of the consciousness space were to eliminate the weak first. So why was there now a strong-strong clash? What was going on?

However, out of the corner of his eye, Sterl suddenly noticed something.

The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire were whispering to each other.

The eldest prince had a sinister smile and was mocking the fourth prince. Sterl seemed to understand something...

"The people of the Divine Mountain Empire do have some control over the consciousness space. At least this round's matchup was deliberately arranged by the eldest prince."

"And I guess it's because I haven't been targeted and am still being automatically assigned by the system, which is why I continue to get byes." Sterl mused.

At this moment, the battle had already erupted. As the golden light of the arena's barrier faded, Noah spoke, "Apologies, Miss Faye. I have long admired your beauty and strength, but unfortunately, we serve different masters."

The mage, dressed in a white robe, bowed slightly. Though Noah appeared friendly on the surface, he was smiling while... launching an attack!

Noah drew the staff from his waist and with a slight wave, conjured dozens of gleaming energy blades that shot out abruptly!

The speed was astonishing, and these blades emitted a chilling airflow as they flew, slicing through the space and leaving behind visible trails!

Players familiar with Noah shouted in alarm.

"Watch out, Miss Faye! Dodge quickly!"

"You sneaky bastard, attacking by surprise?"

"Those are Noah's Shadow Shards! They can paralyze and break defenses, and they deal massive damage! Don't get hit!"

Evidently, Faye's renowned status and beauty had earned her much sympathy from players, who loudly warned her.

The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire displayed varied expressions.

The eldest prince wore a smug smile, while the fourth prince sighed and directed his gaze towards Sterl.

The fourth prince believed that Faye, being a newcomer with just over a year of experience, lacked the necessary skills. If she got hit by this sneak attack, she might not stand a chance in this arena match.

He thought he could only pin his hopes on "David," who seemed strong enough to rival Faye, though he wasn't sure if David could defeat Noah.

If... David really was a player beyond the third class advancement, there might still be hope! The fourth prince pondered.

However... on the arena stage, everything happened in a flash.

Although the crowd was shouting for Faye to be cautious of the sneak attack, by the time their words were out, the scene on the stage had already changed.

Faye seemed to have prepared for this. She spun in the air, and a shimmering, crystalline water barrier appeared around her, enveloping and dissolving Noah's blades.

The water barrier then twisted nimbly into a cage.

In just a moment, the situation reversed. Noah, having just cast his skill and trying to control his Shadow Shards to strike Faye's vital points, found himself a split second too slow and was completely trapped by the water cage!

At that moment, countless players were cheering for Faye, resulting in a scene where many of their indignant words got stuck in their throats, unable to form any coherent sentences for a long time!