Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 149: Arena Battle

On July 17, 2066, China time, the entire Qianwu Universe Kingdom was in an uproar as the arena battle officially began.

The fact that the preliminary rounds in the hundred world regions were not broadcast live caused immense anxiety among countless citizens across the 13,000-plus star systems of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, as they could only see the rankings. However, the upcoming arena battles were open to spectators, leading to a frenzy for tickets.

The arena battles are divided into 1,000 groups, with 200 groups taking place each day. The first day consists of groups 1 through 200.

The Black Dragon Mountain Empire selected three players through the preliminary rounds: Nabini, Hong, and Luo Feng. Nabini was in group 32, Hong in group 161, and Luo Feng in group 382. Thor was in group 621. Nabini and Hong both participated in the arena battles on the first day, while Luo Feng's group was scheduled for the second day. Thor participated on the fifth day.

In a specially created dimensional space within the virtual universe, a vast and boundless river flows, carrying islands that each possess an arena. This arena battle is taking place within these arenas.

Island 01932, inside the arena.

The audience was packed with people, stretching as far as the eye could see. Lin Yun, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen sat together, with their families behind them.

"There are so many people. Dad, how big is this arena?" Pingping, with her parted hair, exclaimed in surprise.

"The arena is tens of kilometers long and wide," Luo Feng said with a smile. "It can accommodate up to a billion spectators."

"A billion?" Pingping and Xiaohai exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Yun sat next to Luo Feng, his gaze fixed on the center of the arena. His expression was calm, but his eyes held a hint of anticipation. Hong and Lei Shen's duels were both today, and he didn't want to miss them.

"Big brother, are you nervous?" Thor asked Hong.

"A little," Hong said calmly, "but I'm ready."

The entire Qianwu Universe Kingdom has hundreds of millions of star systems. If ten people in each star system can buy tickets, the tickets will be sold out. Luo Feng and Hong were able to get a few dozen tickets because they both passed the pre-selection and had priority in booking.

The melee in Group 32 began first.

Nabini displayed remarkable cunning in the melee, wielding twin swords like a gust of wind as he weaved through the crowd. He avoided the strongest opponents, specifically targeting the weaker ones. However, as the battle space shrank and the clashes between experts intensified, Nabini was finally pierced through the head by a psychic weapon wielded by a psionicist.

With Nabini's death, half of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's hopes for the first day were dashed.

The audience from the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield in the stands sighed, but quickly turned their attention to the next hope—Hong.

"Big brother, it's your turn." Luo Feng looked at Hong beside him.

Hong stood up, stretched his limbs, and a smile appeared on his lips: "I'll give it my all."

Lin Yun patted Hong on the shoulder: "Big brother, I believe in you."

Hong nodded and walked towards the preparation hall.

Arena No. 10389.

The 161st group of arena battles is about to begin. Cheers erupt throughout the arena as the beautiful commentator introduces the brief information of the one hundred geniuses in this battle.

"Number 93, Hong, from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, ranked 623rd in the 72nd World Region in the preliminary round."

"flood!"

"flood!"

"flood!"

In one section of the stands, millions of spectators from the Black Dragon Mountain Star Region shouted loudly, as if declaring that the genius "Hong" belonged to their Black Dragon Mountain Empire.

Amidst the cheering crowd, Lin Yun, Luo Feng, and Thor held their breath in anticipation. Lin Yun knew that Hong's strength far surpassed that of the original story. With the aid of the Life Rules and the accumulation of abundant resources, Hong's Law of Light had already stepped into the threshold of the Origin Law. Although his comprehension depth was not as deep as Lin Yun's, he was already a top-tier existence among those of the same level.

"That savage is here too," Thor whispered. "He's the one who killed me in the preliminaries."

"Hmm." Lin Yun nodded. "That savage has already stepped into the threshold of the Laws, and his power is extremely strong. However, my elder brother has also stepped into the Law of Light, so there is hope in this battle."

In Group 161, besides the savage, there was also a female warrior who had stepped into the fundamental law of water. With two law-powerful individuals in the same group, the competition was exceptionally fierce.

The countdown starts.

「10、9、8……3、2、1！」

boom!

A roar erupted from the arena as a hundred figures appeared in different locations at the center of the arena.

Hong held a silver spear, his gaze cautiously scanning his surroundings. A faint light emanated from his body, the fluctuation of the fundamental law of light—although he had only just stepped into the threshold, it had already brought about a qualitative change in his strength.

"Battle begins!"

The deep, resonant voice echoed in the minds of everyone in the arena.

A violent burst of airflow erupted instantly.

The burly young man with messy hair—the savage—took a single step barefoot and covered a hundred meters in a single stride, slashing a sharp blade directly at a psychic. The psychic was startled and tried to dodge, simultaneously manipulating his psychic weapon to defend himself.

"Bang!"

The short sword slashed down with unstoppable force! The psychic weapon was directly cleaved away, and then the short sword struck the psychic master's head, splitting him in two.

"Hahahaha!" The burly man laughed loudly, his bare feet carrying him far with each step, much faster than many mentalists could fly.

"Surround and kill him!" someone shouted.

However, the savage moved with ghostly speed through the chaotic crowd, making it impossible for those who wanted to surround and kill him to succeed. He slaughtered wherever he went, and although all one hundred of them were unparalleled geniuses, none of them could contend with him.

Besides the savage, the armored, burly female warrior was equally eye-catching. She wielded twin swords, her eyes gleaming with ruthlessness, killing with clean, decisive efficiency. Wisps of green energy swirled around her—fluctuations of the fundamental laws of water—she had already crossed the threshold of those laws.

Instead of rushing to the edge, Hong quickly blended into the densest part of the crowd. His Law of Light made him extremely sensitive to his surroundings, and every dodge was perfectly timed.

The spear moved like lightning!

Hong Yi spear pierced the head of a genius expert, then swung his spear to deflect the psychic weapon of another attacker. His spear was incredibly resilient, wielding itself like a giant serpent, eerily unpredictable. The speed granted to him by the Law of Light made his spear move at its peak; opponents who hadn't even reached the threshold of that law couldn't possibly track his attack trajectory.

Time ticked by, and the death toll continued to rise.

40, 45, 50, 55...

As the number of participants decreases, the space for chaotic battles also shrinks, leading to increasingly frequent clashes between the strongest individuals.

The savage had already killed nearly twenty people, and the female warrior had killed more than a dozen. Other geniuses and experts all gave way, but the shrinking battle space left them with nowhere to escape.

Finally, the female warrior's gaze fell on Hong.

Many people in space use spears as weapons, but most choose spears with extremely high rigidity. Hong's spear, however, is incredibly resilient, and when wielded, it resembles a giant snake—utterly unpredictable and arousing—which piqued the interest of the female warriors.

"Interesting." The female warrior, wielding two swords, lunged directly at Hong.

Hong's expression changed, but he didn't panic. He knew he couldn't avoid it; he had no choice but to fight.

"hold head high!"

The spear spun like an eel in water, incredibly fast and swift, directly piercing towards the charging female warrior. A white light flashed at the spear tip—the power of the Law of Light—the speed of light, pushing his spear to its absolute limit.

"A Law Master?" A hint of surprise flashed in the female warrior's eyes.

The green aura surrounding her body swirled around the two curved blades, which slashed directly at the edge of the spearhead. An invisible, eerie rotating force was transmitted to the spear, causing Hong's spear thrust to veer off course.

Hong's expression changed, and he abruptly retracted his spear. Then, with a loud shout, he raised the spear high and, as if chopping with an axe, slammed it down on the female warrior.

"Boom!"

The female warrior seemed to transform into a surging torrent of water. One of her curved blades merely touched the spear, dissipating the powerful impact, before she frantically attacked Hong. In an instant, Hong seemed to be caught in a whirlpool of floodwaters.

But Hong's Law of Light ensured that his speed was not inferior. His spear moved like streaks of light, weaving through the female warrior's flashing blades.

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"

Swords clashed, sparks flew. Although Hong's understanding of the Law of Light was still in its early stages, his combat skills and experience compensated for his lack of depth. His spear moved like a nimble serpent, always blocking fatal blows at the most dangerous moments.

Each of the female warrior's strikes carried the weight of the fundamental law of water, but Hong, aided by the speed of light, deflected most of the force. His body moved swiftly across the arena, leaving behind afterimages.

"This guy from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire is no ordinary person," the female warrior thought to herself.

The battle zone continues to shrink, and the death toll has reached 89.

Only eleven geniuses remained alive—the savage, the female warrior, Hong, and eight others.

"One more must die," Hong knew in his heart.

The savage punched the last obstacle in his path to death, then looked in the direction of the female warrior and Hong. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he strode towards them.

Hong's situation became even more dangerous. On one side was a female warrior wielding the fundamental laws of water, and on the other was a savage with terrifying power; both were formidable adversaries.

But he didn't run away—there was nowhere to run.

The female warrior seemed unwilling to face both the savage and Hong simultaneously. She suddenly sheathed her sword and retreated, flying in another direction. The savage pursued relentlessly, and the two instantly clashed.

Taking advantage of this respite, Hong quickly surveyed the battlefield. Of the remaining eight, three were engaged in melee combat, while the other five were scattered in various locations. Without hesitation, he charged towards the nearest lone survivor.

He unleashed the full power of the Law of Light, reaching incredible speed. His spear thrust forward, amplified by the speed of light, leaving his opponent with no chance to react.

One blow kills.

The death toll has reached 90.

"The 161st round of the arena battles has ended. The 90 who died have been eliminated, and the remaining 10 are qualified to compete for one of the 900 spots." The deep voice echoed in the minds of everyone in the arena.

Hong, covered in blood, stood in the center of the arena, panting heavily. His armor was covered in knife marks, but his injuries were not serious—the Law of Light made his reaction speed far exceed that of ordinary people, and he dodged or deflected most of the female warrior's attacks.

He survived.

In the stands, millions of spectators from the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield erupted in thunderous cheers. Lin Yun and Thor stood up simultaneously and clapped enthusiastically.

"Big brother!" Thor roared excitedly, "Well done!"

Luo Feng also stood up, his eyes filled with pride.

Hong raised his head and looked at the familiar figures in the audience, a smile appearing on his lips.

The second day of the melee in the arena, Group 382.

When Luo Feng entered the preparation hall, it was already quite full of people. He found a seat, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

"Pushkin!"

"It's Pushkin, and next to him is Zincily!"

The previously quiet preparation hall suddenly erupted in a commotion. Luo Feng opened his eyes and saw two humans appear at the teleportation point ahead. One of them was tall and burly, with a face covered in golden fur, standing at least six meters tall, practically a giant ape-man. His eyes, which faintly glowed green, were quite frightening, and his fists were comparable to two enormous iron hammers.

Pushkin, a peerless genius trained by the royal family of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, ranked 9th in the preliminary rounds of the 89th World Region.

The man next to him, "Jin Ci Li," was thin with a cold face and ranked 13th in the preliminary rounds, but 21st in the world.

The two walked directly to the seats next to Luo Feng and sat down. Jin Ci Li glanced at Luo Feng beside him, his voice cold: "Sit back! I don't like people getting close to me."

"You're out of your mind." Luo Feng glanced at him and said coldly, then closed his eyes.

Jin Ci Li's cold eyes suddenly seemed to burn with flames as he stared intently at Luo Feng for a moment, but since fighting was forbidden in the preparation hall, he could only snort coldly and close his eyes.

The sounds from the fighting arena outside drifted into the preparation hall at the back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the upcoming event is the 382nd group battle of the arena. Let me introduce the one hundred genius masters in this 382nd group."

"First place, Pushkin, from the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, ranked 9th in the 89th World Region in the preliminary round!"

The thunderous cheers shook the entire preparation hall.

"Second place, Jinci Li, from the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, ranked 21st in the 13th World Region in the preliminary rounds!"

"The third one..."

"Fourth place..."

"Fifth place, Luo Feng, from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, ranked 28th in the 1st World Region in the preliminary rounds!"

The cheers were thunderous, the excited shouts of millions from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. 28th place—this was the best preliminary result achieved by the Black Dragon Mountain Empire in the Genius Battle, second only to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun sat in the audience, watching the center of the arena. He knew Luo Feng's strength; he had already mastered the first level of the Divine Weapon, and had stepped into the threshold of the Golden Origin Law. There were no other Law Masters in this group, so Luo Feng's victory was a foregone conclusion.

The countdown ended, and a hundred figures appeared in the center of the arena.

"Battle begins!"

Luo Feng hovered in mid-air, riding the Sky-Piercing Shuttle and carrying a dark gold staff on his back. His eyes were cold and bloodthirsty, and he wasted no time.

A young man wielding a shield and an axe charged at him. Suddenly, a string of golden light split off from the dark golden staff behind Luo Feng, and numerous complex golden threads intertwined, instantly forming a hazy golden illusion sword.

"Phantom Sword Style!"

A golden sword beam shot out instantly, striking the shield the young man was hastily using to defend himself. With a loud crash, the young man's arm bones shattered, and the golden sword beam, slightly deflected, pierced directly through his skull!

puff!

The golden sword rainbow, its momentum undiminished, hurtled towards another purple-haired girl behind it. Caught off guard, the girl tried to defend herself with her telekinetic weapon, but was instead knocked away by the golden sword rainbow, which then sliced ​​through her head.

With a single move, he killed two people!

The expressions of the other geniuses and experts around them changed drastically. Ophius and Kazan, who had originally been flying towards Luo Feng, turned around and left upon seeing this scene, not daring to provoke him any further.

Luo Feng's cold gaze swept across the area, locking onto Jin Ci Li.

"Sit further away?" Luo Feng sneered, stepping onto the Sky Shuttle and shooting straight over.

Jinci Li's expression changed drastically, and he immediately sent a telepathic message to Pushkin: "Pushkin, hold him off for me!"

Pushkin frowned, leaped in front of Jinci Li, and stared at Luo Feng with his huge, glowing green eyes. He transmitted his voice, "Jinci Li is wrong, but there's no need for you to fight us. Spare his life, and we'll fight together in the arena!"

"Get out of the way!" Luo Feng shouted telepathically.

Anger flashed in Pushkin's eyes as he swung his right fist, enveloped in an earthy-yellow aura. The fist moved slowly, like pushing a mountain, yet it blocked the golden phantom sword.

Boom!

Pushkin retreated more than ten meters, gritting his teeth as he stared at Luo Feng.

"Pushkin, you are no match for me. Get out of my way," Luo Feng said coldly. "Otherwise, you won't even pass the group battle in the arena."

Pushkin stared intently at Luo Feng, gritted his teeth, and charged suddenly toward the crowd beside him.

Having lost his protection, Jin Ci Li could only turn and flee. But Luo Feng was faster and caught up in an instant.

"Bastard!" Jinci Li roared as he turned and charged forward, wielding his twin swords.

"Phantom Sword Style!"

Golden rainbow light shot out again. Jin Ci Li crossed his twin swords to block, but was so shocked that he coughed up blood.

The second time, the twin swords slipped from his hands. A golden rainbow pierced through his skull.

Jin Ci Li, die!

Seeing this from afar, Pushkin's muscles twitched beneath his golden fur: "Too strong..."

The battle lasted about five minutes, and the death toll reached 90.

"The 382nd round of the arena battles has ended. The 90 who died have been eliminated, and the remaining 10 are qualified to compete for 900 spots."

Luo Feng put away his Divine Weapon and hovered above the arena on his Sky-Piercing Shuttle.

In the stands, millions of spectators from the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Luo Feng!"

"Luo Feng!"

"Luo Feng!"

The roar was deafening, sweeping across the entire arena like a tsunami.