Chapter 588: Trial Rules and Strategies! (Request Monthly Votes)

August 10, only one day left until the Seed Trial.

Black Dragon Base

8:00 AM, Training Room 206, 120x gravity environment

Lin Qi, clad in a black robe, moved like a golden lightning bolt, struggling to weave through the training room.

The crushing gravity pressed upon him like mountains; he wielded his body technique burdened by a mountain, each step heavy, the ground trembling slightly.

Fatigue, pain, aching—every torment surged into his heart.

It made one want to give up.

Yet Lin Qi's expression remained calm; he gritted his teeth and endured, continuing his body technique.

After an unknown length of time, his body suddenly relaxed, and he felt the surrounding gravity's pull weaken.

It wasn't that gravity had lessened—it was that his speed had increased.

【You trained your body technique under 120x extreme gravity; your mastery of the body technique "Lei Jijiu Flash" improved significantly; Body Technique +1%】

【Body Technique: Rank 5, 54% → Rank 5, 55%】

…

"Huuu!!"

Lin Qi halted, releasing waves of heat from his body; seeing the panel's message, he smiled.

From last night until now, aided by the Ancient Blood Vine, his body technique improved by a full 7%.

But the Ancient Blood Vine's effect had faded; his mind no longer felt smooth or effortless.

At every moment, he gained new insights into his spear technique and body technique.

It felt as if no challenge could hold him back—this sensation was utterly addictive.

"The Ancient Blood Vine's effect is too strong!"

"If every genius entering the Seed Trial could obtain an Ancient Blood Vine!"

"Its value is unimaginable!"

"If Jin Di consumed it, how far would his martial arts advance? Rank 6?"

Lin Qi guessed Jin Di's martial arts might have already broken into Rank 6.

Otherwise, with his talent and resources, it would be impossible for him not to have reached it.

Then Lin Qi relaxed his body; the gravity floor system shut off.

He entered the bathroom, exhausted, preparing to rest before continuing his cultivation.

Half an hour later

In the living room, a large screen projected before Lin Qi; Jiang Tao's dark face appeared on the other side.

Jiang Tao spoke solemnly:

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, last night I consumed the Ancient Blood Vine; my comprehension soared."

"Now my blade technique has reached Rank 4's peak, but I'm just short of Rank 5."

"Master is on the Iron Great Wall in the other world, facing a disaster beast surge."

"I need to spar with you, Lin Lin Qi Ge—I need intense pressure to grow stronger."

Lin Qi nodded and replied: "No problem!"

After ending the video call, he activated his virtual bracelet and logged into Chi Realm!

"Hum!"

Moments later,

"Shiiii! Shiiii!"

In an empty white arena, two figures materialized backward into existence.

"Lin Lin Qi Ge!"

Jiang Tao, clad in silver battle armor, swung his battle blade, radiating a heavy, mountain-like aura.

Opposite him, Lin Qi wore black-gold battle armor, holding a spear in one hand, his towering frame exuding a blade-like aura, sharp and fierce.

"Taozi, I've adjusted my stats to match your Rank 7. Attack me with everything you've got!"

Lin Qi called out to Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao swung his blade and said: "Then I rely on you, Lin Lin Qi Ge!"

【Countdown: …3, 2, 1】

【Combat Commences!】

The arena's AI voice announced.

"Watch out, Lin Lin Qi Ge!"

As he spoke, Jiang Tao erupted with terrifying energy; his aura grew heavier, three patterns glowing on his skin.

His battle blade, wrapped in brown Golden Gangjin, charged at Lin Qi like a giant ape.

"Chii!"

His blade tore through the air and slammed toward Lin Qi.

Seeing this, Lin Qi also revealed two patterns on his body; he held back his true strength, using only two abilities to form his Golden Gangjin, to keep it fair.

"Hum!"

A golden field erupted from him, engulfing Jiang Tao.

"Hummm!"

Jiang Tao, sprinting forward with massive strides, instantly felt overwhelming suppression.

Invisible sharpness ravaged his body, slicing at him.

Though it couldn't pierce his defense, it severely hindered his speed.

It also pressed upon him like a mountain.

"Is this the power of a field?"

Jiang Tao was stunned; he felt his strength suppressed, his combat power reduced by twenty percent.

In Lin Qi's eyes, Jiang Tao's movements were already slow—now they were slower still.

He shot forward like lightning, his great spear sweeping horizontally in an instant.

"Bang!"

In an instant, their weapons clashed in midair.

"I—"

At the moment of contact, Jiang Tao's face changed; he felt terrifying force surge through his blade.

The brown blade Golden Gangjin trembled violently, nearly shattered.

"Such immense power!"

His body involuntarily staggered backward.

His face twisted from muscle spasms.

"Tap-tap!!"

He retreated several steps before finally stabilizing.

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, what kind of power is this…?"

Jiang Tao was stunned; his own strength was already formidable, yet he was utterly crushed by Lin Qi.

Lin Qi swung his great spear and roared:

"Don't distract yourself!"

He then thrust his black-gold great spear; the spear tip vibrated, tearing the air, his Golden Gangjin swirling into golden threads.

"Ding-ding!!"

"So fast!"

The air trembled; Jiang Tao widened his eyes, focusing entirely, swinging his blade to block continuously.

Too fast!

Too powerful!

This was Jiang Tao's true feeling—Lin Qi's power was exquisitely precise, his strength and speed both terrifying.

He was being crushed from all directions.

Jiang Tao had thought himself strong enough—even the Rank 7 top graduate, given a few months, could catch up.

But now, fighting Lin Qi, he understood what a monster truly was.

Heavy pressure surged at him like a tide from all sides.

As if his head were being held underwater, choking him.

"Puh~"

"Too slow! Too slow!"

"Taozi, your speed is too slow!"

Lin Qi said as he thrust his spear.

In the next instant, he seized the opening and pierced Jiang Tao's heart.

Jiang Tao instantly dissolved into nothingness—he died.

The next second, Jiang Tao reappeared.

Jiang Tao's expression was stunned; he immediately swung his blade again:

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, again!"

Saying this, he launched another attack, and Lin Qi swung his spear, thrusting at Jiang Tao.

"Shiiii! Shiiii!"

"Dang! Dang!"

"Puh~"

After a moment, Jiang Tao died again and revived.

Jiang Tao's will remained firm; he kept swinging his battle blade, wielding his sword art, searching for an opening to win.

"Puh! Puh! Puh~~"

In this way, Jiang Tao lost count of how many times he had died—likely over hundreds.

Finally,

Jiang Tao widened his eyes, staring at the spear tip Lin Qi thrust toward him. Under intense pressure, his mind trembled, and a sudden insight surged into his heart.

The aura force within him began to transform, evolving into a domain that spread outward.

In an instant, he felt the surrounding sharpness weaken.

"Taozi, congratulations on your breakthrough!"

Lin Qi also saw the domain energy radiating from Jiang Tao and smiled as he offered his congratulations.

He knew Jiang Tao had broken through.

"I broke through!"

Jiang Tao's expression grew excited as he said:

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, thank you so much!"

Lin Qi shook his head: "Thank the Director for the Ancient Blood Vine—and your own talent!"

"Without the Ancient Blood Vine greatly enhancing your comprehension, even if I trained with you for days, you still wouldn't have broken through!"

Jiang Tao nodded; the key was truly the Ancient Blood Vine—this heavenly treasure was incredibly precious.

Without the Fire Seed Trial, he never would have obtained it.

Then he gripped his battle blade tightly and grinned: "Lin Lin Qi Ge, I'm already at the fifth stage!"

"The battle isn't over yet!"

Lin Qi shook his head: "To me, it makes little difference."

Saying this, he exploded forward, his speed surging dramatically.

"Chii!"

"Puh~"

Jiang Tao swung his blade, but a flash of golden light passed by—too fast!

His neck was pierced again by the great spear, instantly falling into death.

Jiang Tao instantly dissolved into nothingness.

When he reappeared, he did not continue fighting; instead, he chuckled bitterly:

"Lin Lin Qi Ge, you're too strong—I'm no match for you."

Lin Qi smiled: "My spear art broke through the fifth stage long ago—how could you possibly beat me?"

"With your strength and fifth-stage sword art, you're among the strongest in the category of dual-ability geniuses."

Jiang Tao grinned confidently: "In the Flowblade Civilization, except for galaxy-level geniuses, I'm confident I can defeat all others."

……

Room 206, Lin Qi opened his eyes and checked the time.

It was already two in the afternoon—he had trained with Jiang Tao for several hours straight.

"Hum!"

"Master, a message from the Mountain-River King!"

Xiao Chan, projected in a blue bodysuit with delicate features, reminded him on screen.

Lin Qi also saw the content on the green large screen.

【Mountain-River King: Lin Qi, meeting at 8 PM sharp in the Red Realm. Fire Seed Trial rules have been released. Link: …】

……

After reading it, Lin Qi's expression turned serious.

The Fire Seed Trial rules have been released?

The trial's rules were crucial—they determined whether their Blue Star Civilization could win.

Currently, Blue Star was at a disadvantage overall; to win, they had to study the rules carefully and exploit them.

They had to find a path to victory within the rules.

Tonight's meeting had the same purpose.

……

7:50 PM

In the Martial Arts Room, Lin Qi suddenly opened his eyes and checked the time.

"Time for the meeting!"

He activated his virtual bracelet, letting it scan his body, then closed his eyes.

"Hum!!"

Moments later, in his personal space, Lin Qi clicked the link sent by the Mountain-River King.

The next instant, an invisible hand transported him into a spacious conference room.

Thirty intelligent chairs surrounded a massive black conference table.

He took a seat, and one by one, others logged in.

All were Fire Seed Trial geniuses.

The thirty seats filled quickly.

"Lin Lin Qi Ge!"

"Lin Qi!"

To Lin Qi's left, Jiang Tao logged in; to his right, Sun Sheng, along with Xu Qin, Gu Cheng, Shen Heng, and other geniuses.

Of the thirty seats, thirteen were occupied by representatives from their Xia Guo—nearly half.

"Lin Qi!"

Lin Qi spotted several familiar figures: the Overlord, the Mountain-River King, and the Sword Emperor.

And finally logging in, clad in a red robe, was the Red Emperor—his arrival instantly made the air grow solemn.

The Red Emperor's expression was grave, radiating an invisible aura as he spoke:

"All present here are warriors who will compete in tomorrow's Fire Seed Trial."

"The purpose of today's meeting is to inform you: the Fire Seed Trial rules have been released!"

"Hum!"

The next instant, a red figure emerged like a flame, burning into view.

She waved her hand, and before everyone's eyes, a large screen materialized, playing a video of a woman in blue robes with delicate features.

"It's Inspector Tu Lan!" said Sun Sheng beside him.

Lin Qi nodded—everyone in the room recognized her: Inspector Tu Lan, a being of the Second Cosmic Realm.

"The Fire Seed Trial rules are out. Three realms, each side's ten geniuses will compete in turn…."

Inspector Tu Lan explained the Fire Seed Trial rules.

Moments later, her video ended, replaced by a flood of Xia Guo text.

It contained the Fire Seed Trial rules.

The Red Emperor spoke again:

"For this trial, we've drawn the most common rule set."

"In each of the three realms, the ten geniuses from both sides compete against each other; the side with more wins takes the round."

"There is no fixed order for who fights—on the day of the trial, you may freely assign your competitors."

After hearing the Red Emperor's explanation, the participants began discussing among themselves.

Lin Qi nodded—though this rule was common, it truly reflected a civilization's overall strength.

But this rule was extremely unfavorable for Blue Star Civilization.

According to this rule, Blue Star's overall strength was inferior to the Flowblade Civilization.

If they fought like this, Blue Star would almost certainly lose the Fire Seed Trial.

From the White Eagle Federation's spectator seats, their nation's strongest warrior, clad in a black robe—the War God—suddenly spoke.

Tall and muscular, his body forged like steel, radiating explosive power, he crossed his arms and said:

"This rule is terrible for us. If we fight like this, we'll only lose."

"We've all seen the Flowblade Civilization's geniuses—they're incredibly strong. We must admit this gap."

Others nodded silently, agreeing with the War God's view.

In the Bear Nation's section, the massive, bearded Ice Emperor spoke up:

"We must find a way to win within the rules' constraints!"

From the Indian Nation's spectator seats, the white-haired, serene River Sage also spoke:

"Red Emperor, you must already have an idea, correct?"

All eyes turned to the Red Emperor, expressions filled with anticipation.

The Red Emperor spoke calmly:

"Last night, I learned the rules of the Flame Seed Trial. After extensive study, I've developed a strategy."

"Do you all know the story of Tian Ji's horse racing?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qi and the others instantly brightened, their minds racing with speculation.

The projection before them shifted, beginning to play the story of Tian Ji's horse racing.

Shanhe Wang spoke: "Everyone should be familiar with the story of Tian Ji's horse racing."

"Tian Ji and King Wei of Qi each fielded three horses for a race."

"Tian Ji's three horses were overall inferior in quality to King Wei's."

"So he employed a strategy: his middle-tier horse against the opponent's low-tier, his top-tier against the opponent's middle-tier, and his low-tier against the opponent's top-tier."

"He ultimately won two matches and lost one, securing victory."

The Black Robe War God's eyes lit up as he said:

"So we should adopt Tian Ji's strategy as well?"

The Red Emperor replied calmly: "Precisely. When our overall strength is inferior, we must rely on strategy."

"Due to the restriction of fixed opponents, we can select our strongest warriors to face theirs."

"I've already consulted with Inspector Envoy Tu Lan. The Liurun Civilization is extremely powerful and exceedingly proud—we can exploit their psychology."

"Their pride means they won't bother studying our competitors' strengths. That is our opportunity."

"Through available data, we've assessed the strength of their prodigies and ranked them accordingly."

"We will deploy our stronger prodigies to defeat their weaker ones."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes brightened—under this strategy, they might win several more matches.

Lin Qi silently nodded inwardly: their Eighth Realm had three Star System-level prodigies; if all faced the weakest opponents, they would secure at least three victories.

If executed well, they might even secure at least five wins.

The red-robed woman switched the display again, revealing sixty names—belonging to competitors from the Liurun Civilization and Blue Star Civilization.

The Red Emperor pointed at the projection and said:

"Our Blue Star Civilization's goal this time is at least Medium Civilization potential—that means we must achieve a draw in this round!"

"If we properly exploit the Liurun Civilization's psychology and the rules, we have a high probability of securing a draw."

"We might even win."

At these words, the crowd's spirits surged.

If the Red Emperor's method held, victory might truly be possible.

Moments later, some began to leave, but Lin Qi received a message instructing him to stay behind.

Lin Qi looked around—only fifteen remained: five from the Eighth Realm, and all from the Ninth Realm.

The Eighth Realm warriors present were Lin Qi, Sun Sheng, Li Tian, Augustus, and Andre.

The five strongest among the Eighth Realm.

The five exchanged glances, uncertain of the situation.

The Red Emperor suddenly turned to Lin Qi and said:

"There were some things we didn't mention earlier!"

"According to our simulations, the gap between the Seventh Realm and Liurun is too vast. No matter how we arrange them, we can win at most three matches—everyone else will inevitably lose."

"Our only hope lies in the Eighth and Ninth Realms!"

The five nodded—they too felt the overwhelming gap, and had no choice but to abandon the others.

The Red Emperor continued:

"Among the Eighth Realm, only you five have the highest probability of victory."

"Following Tian Ji's strategy, we have a chance to win five matches."

"Therefore, tomorrow, your five shoulders bear the heaviest burden—every match is critical. You cannot afford to lose a single one."

As he spoke, the Red Emperor's expression turned grave, his eyes blazing like a burning sun, capable of incinerating all things; a scorching pressure descended from all around.

The five exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

Sun Sheng spoke confidently: "I will defeat my opponent!"

Lin Qi also nodded: "We will win!"

……

(End of Chapter)