Chapter 589

Moments later, Lin Qi and the other four logged out, leaving only the final ten.

The purple-robed Overlord spoke:

"Following Tian Ji's horse-racing strategy, we have a chance to secure one win and one draw."

"I didn't expect the highest win rate would come from our Void Riding cultivators."

"Alone, there are twenty-five who have awakened two abilities."

Bai Ying, the strongest of the White Eagle Federation, shook his head:

"Due to population, heritage, and resource limitations, our overall strength still falls short of the Liurun civilization."

"Only by taking desperate risks can we hope to win five matches!"

The ten listened and each sighed—they had watched the battle videos, where thousands, even tens of thousands, of ninth-realm cultivators appeared.

All top-tier geniuses of their respective civilizations.

On Blue Star, they might be the pinnacle-ranked warriors, but among the cosmos, they were utterly ordinary.

Finally, Jin Di's expression turned serious:

"I believe our Blue Star civilization will win."

"Tomorrow's Seed Trial—I entrust it all to you!"

The others replied solemnly:

"It is our duty—to protect Blue Star civilization!"

…

Black Dragon Base, Training Room 206

Lin Qi opened his eyes, shut off the virtual wristband, and recalled the content and rules of the Seed Trial.

Every match tomorrow is critical—none can be lost.

In our eighth-realm round, if fortune favors us, we can win five matches; by the rules, we then enter a tiebreaker.

That means the two civilizations' strongest geniuses duel once more—the winner decides the entire round.

He very likely will face Liuming.

His burden grows heavier—he is the strongest of the eighth realm; the final victory rests on his shoulders.

Thinking of Blue Star, of billions of lives resting on his shoulders, his heartbeat quickened slightly.

"Buzz!"

At that moment, his phone vibrated—he pulled it out and saw a file sent by Shanhe Wang.

【Shanhe Wang: Lin Qi, tomorrow's Seed Trial will not take place in Chi Realm, but in a brand-new virtual world. Update your virtual wristband.】

【Learn the rules and operational methods of the new virtual world.】

【Moreover, anyone who wins tomorrow's Seed Trial will receive a reward from Jin Di.】

…

After replying, Lin Qi opened the file, updated his virtual wristband according to its instructions, and memorized the operations.

He also recalled Jin Di's reward—the Piercing Fluid and Ancient Blood Vine were still extremely effective.

If he could get more, he could open a hundred acupoints even faster.

"Buzz!"

Moments later, his phone vibrated again.

Lin Qi projected the message—it was from his parents, urging him to do his best and not to feel too much pressure.

"Huh~"

After finishing the wristband's setup, Lin Qi took a deep breath, quickly steadied his mindset, stood up, retrieved his great spear, and began practicing spear techniques.

There was still time before tomorrow—better to use it for cultivation.

Tomorrow, he would win.

Losing was impossible.

…

Meanwhile, countless people across Blue Star could not sleep.

Tomorrow's Seed Trial stirred the hearts of millions.

In Tianhai City, Candidate Yu Jing Candidate Yu Jing Haoting Community, Mansion No. 5.

"Tomorrow is the Seed Trial—I hope Xiao Qi wins!"

In the bedroom, Fang Fang Huiyi lay in bed, her mind filled with thoughts of the Seed Trial, too anxious to sleep.

Beside her, Lin Zhen sat up to comfort her:

"Don't worry—Xiao Qi has never let anyone down. He replied to me on WeChat."

"He said he can win—he will win."

Hearing this, Fang Fang Huiyi calmed down.

…

Time passed slowly; hours went by.

Cultivation Calendar 2049, August 11th.

This day was destined to be etched into history.

Across Blue Star, all nations, many malls and factories shut down.

As for students, they were already on summer break.

Most students, at home, had turned on their video screens.

"The live stream's started!"

"This is the official live stream link—click to watch."

"Too bad we can't afford a virtual pod—we could've watched live in person."

"This time, Blue Star must win the Seed Trial."

In a modest apartment, the spacious living room was packed with children of all ages.

Zhang Cheng, a burly man, held a child in his arms.

His gaze locked onto the projected live stream.

"Dad, why hasn't the Seed Trial started yet?" asked a five-year-old girl.

Zhang Cheng smiled warmly:

"It won't start for a while yet!"

"I'll go get snacks and drinks!"

"Yay!" Several children beamed with joy.

…

At the headquarters of Chi Qiong Martial Arts Hall, staff in the back were already busy.

"One hour until the Seed Trial begins—live viewership has reached one billion and is still rising."

"The number logging into the virtual world has reached ten million."

"Insane!"

"This viewership is insane—even the selection rounds didn't draw this many."

One staff member exclaimed.

Another chuckled:

"Obviously—it's about the fate of our Blue Star civilization."

"If we lose, the bulk of interdimensional profits go to aliens—we'll be left with scraps. How can we ever develop?"

"If we win, everything changes."

"We connect with the cosmos—we eat meat, maybe even gain advanced tech that lets us cultivate too."

"Today will be etched into history."

"Jin Di, Overlord, Shanhe Wang, Lin Qi, Sun Sheng—they must win!"

All nodded, silently praying for them.

…

Beijiang Province, Black Dragon Base, Room 206

In the training room, a figure finished washing up.

Lin Qi changed into a clean black martial arts uniform, glanced at the wall clock: 9:43.

"Not much time left!"

He sat in the living room and pressed the circulatory wristband on his left wrist.

"Beep!"

A screen projected before him, displaying two options.

【Chi Realm / Seed Trial】

Lin Qi tapped "Seed Trial."

Then let the device scan his body.

"Buzz!"

When he opened his eyes again, noisy sounds filled his ears, and his vision cleared.

Lin Qi instantly realized—he had arrived at the Seed Trial's spectator seats, seated in the front row.

He looked around, and the entire world was immersed in the cosmos, above him an endless, dazzling expanse of starry void.

The spectator seats they sat on, along with the circular arena, resembled a giant elliptical sphere suspended in midair.

The blue intelligent seat beneath him was extremely comfortable; he clenched his fist and felt a stronger sensation than his usual circulation.

At the same time, he could see the opposite side—the spectator seats were completely different, entirely forged from silver alloy.

Brown-skinned individuals kept appearing online, each with human outlines and distinct faces.

"Who are they?"

"Aliens?"

Lin Qi had excellent hearing and caught the murmurs of confusion coming from the spectator seats behind him.

Only Lin Qi recognized the people on the opposite spectator seats as members of the Liurun Civilization.

Their civilization's people had physical features and skin tones distinct from those of Blue Star humans.

"Lin Lin Qi Ge!"

"Lin Qi!"

"Big Brother Lin Qi!"

At that moment, others began logging in one after another: Jiang Tao, Sun Sheng, Xu Qing, Li Tianxing.

All were contestants of the Fireseed Trial.

They sat together in a separate area, isolated from the other spectators.

Three rows were designated: Ninth Realm cultivators sat in the first row, Eighth Realm in the second, Seventh Realm in the third.

Sun Sheng gazed at the Liurun Civilization's spectator seats and sighed:

"I never expected Liurun Civilization people would log in to watch the livestream."

"Their gazes feel like they're looking at country bumpkins—it makes me uncomfortable."

Li Tianxing spoke up: "To them, watching Blue Star Civilization is like city dwellers observing people from impoverished regions."

Those around him nodded in agreement.

Augustus, with golden hair and blue eyes, spoke:

"Our opponents have logged in too!"

Everyone turned to look across, and saw a distinct section on the opposite side, also with over thirty seats, as people continued logging in.

Each one radiated a unique aura, their expressions haughty, eyes sharp, gazing at the crowd like hunters watching prey.

Everyone understood: these were their opponents in this Fireseed Trial.

Meanwhile, in a third section, over a hundred seats were present.

They differed in skin tone, physique, and appearance, hailing from different civilizations, yet all wore identical silver battle suits.

Sitting in the front row, clad in a blue robe with a refined smile, Envoy Tu Lan surveyed the surroundings and said with deep meaning:

"Quite lively!"

"Today's Fireseed Trial is bound to be spectacular!"

Beside him, Tie Ran, with red skin, shook his head:

"Leader, you're overestimating. Liurun Civilization and Blue Star Civilization are not even on the same level."

"It'll be a complete one-sided affair—I estimate they'll win at most one match out of thirty."

The three-meter-tall burly giant beside him chuckled: "Maybe they won't win any at all!"

"Not even as good as their fight against Tie Gang Civilization!"

"Today's Fireseed Trial will probably end in half an hour."

Another woman spoke—she had brown skin, a tall, lean, and formidable figure—she was from the Liurun Civilization.

Nearby, Administrator Ta Jia, a broad-shouldered man with silver skin, a square face, and a hardened aura, slowly spoke:

"Fireseed Trials are usually like this!"

"I've overseen 999 Fireseed Trials—no civilization has ever achieved a draw. Winning even one match is impressive; most are completely wiped out."

"Today's trial between Blue Star and Liurun Civilization won't be any different."

Envoy Tu Lan, in his blue robe, merely smiled and said nothing.

…

On the Liurun Civilization's contestant seats, the thirty geniuses were conversing.

"Are these the Blue Star natives?"

"Their auras are too weak!"

"In today's livestream, let them watch their civilization's finest geniuses get crushed effortlessly by us."

"The feeling of despair—it's almost amusing to imagine."

The speaker was a muscular, two-and-a-half-meter-tall bald giant who grinned.

Nearby, a beautiful woman with toned muscles like a cheetah spoke up:

"I doubt they'll ever forget this feeling."

At that moment, she turned to the tall, handsome Liu Ming, her eyes glinting:

"Liu Ming, why aren't you speaking?"

"Do you think we're too cruel?"

"This is the rule of the universe—and they won't die, so no need to feel guilty."

Liu Ming shook his head: "I just want to finish quickly and return to cultivation."

Meanwhile, Tian Tian Renliu, clad in a green robe, logged in.

His eyes blazed as he carefully observed the Blue Star people.

After sensing their auras, he shook his head—too weak.

Not even as strong as one of their random life planets, which had at least tens of thousands of Blood-Exchange and Meridian-Refining cultivators.

Yet among so many spectators, most were pitifully weak.

If they lost to such a civilization, Liurun Civilization might as well quit.

Then his gaze settled on one man—tall, wearing a crimson robe.

In the instant their eyes met, he felt as if engulfed by a blazing sun.

The sensation came swiftly and vanished just as quickly.

Tian Tian Renliu immediately frowned.

Before him, a screen projected, displaying thirty portraits, grouped by realm.

"The strongest of Blue Star Civilization?"

"Indeed, exceptional."

…

Time slowly passed, and the spectator seats gradually filled.

Finally, it was 10:00.

"BOOM!!"

Above the circular arena, a massive blue light pillar shot skyward.

The pillar instantly transformed into a colossal figure.

"It's starting!"

Countless spectators on the stands stared in awe.

Administrator Ta Jia's projection appeared, imposing and commanding, radiating an earth-shaking aura that instantly silenced the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"I am a steward of the Deep Space Academy, Solar Flame Elder Xing Yu, and the official overseeing this Fireseed Trial—my name is Administrator Ta Jia!"

He spoke in Universal Cosmic Tongue.

The Blue Star spectators all wore puzzled expressions.

Fortunately, screens popping up before them automatically translated Administrator Ta Jia's words into their native languages.

"Deep Space Academy?"

"Solar Flame Elder Xing Yu?"

"Steward?"

These new terms confused them, but they understood the last one—"overseeing"—and the name sounded like a major figure.

Lin Qi, after a month of study, had already mastered Universal Cosmic Tongue and understood Administrator Ta Jia's words.

He committed every word to memory.

Administrator Ta Jia's voice echoed in everyone's ears.

"This Fireseed Trial is hosted by our Deep Space Academy, with participants Blue Star Civilization and Liurun Civilization."

"Per the Cosmic Genius Act, both sides must strictly abide by the rules—any violation will result in immediate disqualification and a loss."

Here, his tone turned grave, and a terrifying pressure surged forth, pressing upon all present.

The faces of Chi Di, Zhan Shen, Ba Wang, and other Ninth Realm cultivators instantly grew solemn.

Chi Di said gravely: "This steward's strength is immense—at least a Cosmic Second Realm powerhouse."

Lin Qi also felt a momentary suffocation.

But the sensation passed as quickly as it came.

Looking around, many spectators had pale faces, still shaken and breathless.

Taka retracted his aura and continued speaking:

"For this Seed Trial, the rules are a ten-person tournament, divided into three rounds: Blood Exchange, Meridian Cultivation, and Skyriding realms—each round consists of ten matches, decided by total victories."

"Both sides may freely choose the order of combatants; each fighter may only fight once, until they kill their opponent."

"The first round is Blood Exchange realm—please have both civilizations' fighters prepare!"

"I declare the Seed Trial officially begun!"

After speaking, Taka raised his hand and condensed a star vortex into a large blue screen.

The screen split into the names of the two civilizations.

【Blood Exchange Round, Match One: …】

In the audience seats of the Flowblade Civilization.

A screen appeared before Tianren Liu, who turned to the final ten fighters and said:

"As planned, first match—Liu Qu, you're up!"

A lean, muscular man with a buzzcut and a scar across his face slowly rose to his feet.

"Let me open with a win for everyone!"

As he spoke, his body transformed into a blue pillar of light soaring upward.

…

Simultaneously, the screen displayed two portraits and names.

【Blood Exchange Round, Match One: Liu Qu (Flowblade) vs. Knox (Blue Star)】

…

"Knox, you're up first!"

On the Blue Star audience seats, Mao Xiong's strongest warrior, Ice Emperor, turned and spoke; from the third row, a massive, burly man slowly stood.

"Ura!"

He nodded to the first-row Ice Emperor, roared, then transformed into a blue pillar of light that surged skyward.

"Boom!!"

The grand arena's floor was forged from a special blue-silver alloy.

Two pillars of light descended; thirty seconds later, two figures slowly emerged.

Liu Qu wore black battle armor, a design distinct from Blue Star's.

Opposite him, Knox stepped forward, clad in blue armor, wielding a battle hammer, radiating overwhelming might!

Liu Qu raised his battle blade, pointing at Knox with a grin:

"Big dumb oaf, today you'll see the true strength of the Flowblade Civilization."

"You'll remember it for the rest of your life."

Upon hearing this,

【Countdown: …3, 2, 1】

【Blood Exchange Round, Match One—Combat Begins!】

…

Above the arena, an emotionless female AI voice announced the start of combat.

"Knox!!"

"Defeat him!!"

"Go!!"

In the next instant, the audience erupted in a tidal wave of cheers.

Especially the Mao Xiong spectators, who roared without restraint.

In the stands, Sun Sheng spoke:

"Knox of Mao Xiong is a genius who awakened two abilities."

"I wonder if he can defeat Flowblade's opponent."

Jiang Tao's expression turned grave: "I've reviewed Liu Qu's records—he's the weakest in Flowblade's Blood Exchange realm, which is why he's first."

"If we lose the first match, the rest will be hard."

Everyone nodded, their eyes fixed on the arena.

Lin Qi watched the two in silence; as soon as the battle began, both unleashed terrifying auras.

Knox charged forward, swinging his hammer like a giant bear, bringing it crashing down.

Dual patterns surfaced across his body.

Seeing this, Liu Qu's eyes widened in shock:

"Two abilities? How is that possible?"

"Whoosh!"

But he snapped back to focus, swung his blade, and dual patterns emerged—his body vanished in a gust of wind.

"Clang~"

The clash erupted instantly; their weapons collided, sending shockwaves of energy rippling outward.

…

(End of Chapter)