Chapter 408: Battle Royale and the Desirous Sage

One second after Li Yu realized it.

His popularity ranking surged past "Morning Star," "Time-Stop King," and "First Corrupt Head," directly seizing the throne of first place.

As for the reason?

He didn't even need to investigate; the flood of tipping comments revealed the answer:

"What's going on? Why is a non-demigod mixed in among a group of demigods, and why is his viewer count number one?"

"Although the Son of the Vortex God is not yet a demigod, he has been the first to clear both rounds consecutively. His speed crushes all demigods; it is only reasonable that his popularity is number one. I support him."

"Ranking does not represent combat power. His opponents in the first two rounds were not demigods either. In the third round, all the opponents he faces will be demigods. How can he win? He is sure to die."

"I am very curious to see how far the Son of the Vortex God can go, so I tipped."

"There is an essential difference between the Legendary realm and the demigod realm. He has no possibility of survival."

"Being one of a kind, he deserves to be ranked first, even if he dies the very first second he enters."

"He might not necessarily die. It's hard to say about others, but the Toad God seems to think very highly of him."

……

It was obvious why he had abruptly attracted a large number of viewers and soared to first place.

The reason was that all the viewers wanted to see.

Could an existence above the Legendary realm but below the demigod realm survive while surrounded by a group of vicious demigods?

This was easy to understand!

It was just like starting a live stream in a past life, throwing a live chicken into a crocodile pit; it would also attract many people curious about whether it could survive.

Li Yu was currently in the position of that poor live chicken.

It was no wonder that apart from the "Toad God," the top donor who knew the inside story, no one else was optimistic about Li Yu.

The gap between the two levels was simply too great.

A Legendary-level being, no matter how legendary, is merely a powerful life form.

But the demigod level, although not yet a true divine entity, already possesses the corresponding power since it occupies the word "god."

Not to mention other aspects, the essential gap.

Just speaking of a divine domain is enough to crush him.

A demigod-level powerhouse can unfold their own unique divine domain, which has a massive range and is equivalent to a small divine kingdom where they hold the power of life and death. As long as a life form below the demigod level is enveloped, there is no way out.

This kind of gap!

Cannot be smoothed over by the "scheming," "combat IQ," or "tricky methods" that Li Yu had displayed so far.

Even in the entire Boundless Spirit Realm, it is rare for a Legendary-level powerhouse to kill a demigod-level one across ranks.

Before seeing it with their own eyes, no one would believe Li Yu was that exception.

Because of these thoughts, Li Yu's [Popularity Number One] ranking became increasingly stable.

The curious grew ever more numerous.

Li Yu's fame also grew explosively with every breath, becoming well-known throughout the myriad worlds.

Unfortunately, for the time being, he could only be known as the "Son of the Vortex God," rather than Li Yu himself.

Regarding this, the Vortex God, who was still outside the heavens and had not yet arrived, only watching the broadcast, was quite satisfied.

Lending out this portion of divinity was an absolute profit.

And in the midst of this chaotic process, another accident occurred that caused quite a stir.

That was the Ancient Saint!

This old thing actually popped out abruptly to compete with the Toad God for the position of Li Yu's top donor.

A large amount of golden, glittering tips and comments erupted.

It even expressed support for Li Yu.

Who could not be shocked by this turn of events?

One must know that in the second round, Li Yu had personally slaughtered the Ancient Saint's follower [Takros], stripped him clean, and even seized three divine artifacts.

The Ancient Saint was not some righteous god who repaid evil with kindness.

He was a twisted and perverted evil god.

With this grudge, it would be strange if he didn't grind Li Yu to dust. In fact, in the final Battle Royale about to begin, the Ancient Saint was to serve as a "Pursuer" to completely eradicate Li Yu.

With the Ancient Saint's twisted temperament, he might even exercise some creativity before the eradication, transforming Li Yu into some messy existence.

Now, why repay kindness with enmity?

Other viewers did not know.

As the "person involved," Li Yu naturally understood in a second.

Those tips and comments were specifically for him to see.

The purpose was, of course, to continuously output pollution and suggestions to make Li Yu fall further.

From the Ancient Saint's perspective:

Li Yu, this Son of the Vortex God, had swallowed Takros and seized the three great divine artifacts, so he was no longer pure. He only needed a little guidance, and Li Yu would have a faction shift, turning into a Son of the Ancient Saint.

Losing one heaven-defying genius in exchange for one with better innate talent.

This was a deal he could make.

Especially now that the "World Coordinate" inside Takros had entered Li Yu's body, he could not let him go.

Regarding this!

Li Yu just smiled and accepted it, his inner thoughts relaxing slightly:

"It's just as well. Since the Ancient Saint wants to win me over, at least he won't kill me the moment he descends. This increases my chances of survival."

"Maybe he will even continue to give me benefits?"

Just as Li Yu was having some wishful thinking.

Suddenly, all the fighting in the second round ended.

At the very moment all the victors were born, the passionate and excited commentary of the Curtain Master sounded again:

"The second round has ended."

"The third round, [Battle Royale], is about to begin."

"All Boundless geniuses will be dropped into the core area of the [Gate of Worlds] after ten breaths."

"That place was originally a desolate universe."

"But now it has been randomly populated with many 'Fragment Worlds,' 'Small Strange Domains,' and so on. In every gathering point, there are strange artifacts and divine artifacts that can be used to strengthen oneself or kill others. They are all in an ownerless state; pick them up and you can use them. After being killed, the artifacts you picked up will also be plundered."

"The most basic cosmic artifact among them is the [Pseudo-Space-Time Secret Blade], which is also something you must pick up. It is a necessary tool for the Battle Royale mode; holding it allows you to tear through the void, whether to pursue or to flee."

"Other strange artifacts and divine artifacts have their own uses."

"If one is lucky, even if their life level and cultivation base are inferior to other geniuses, they can use those cosmic artifacts to bridge the gap."

"For example, if you pick up an [Invisibility Cloak], you can hide everything about yourself. Before the time limit expires, even if a True God stands in front of you, they cannot see through it... This artifact is blessed by my authority. If their status is not higher than mine, even if a Sovereign-level deity descends to the Gate of Worlds, they must obey the rules."

"There are also [Pseudo-Dream Helmet], [Water of Life], [Pseudo-Fate Card], [Pseudo-Ever-Changing Maze], [Pseudo-Infinity Gauntlet], and other high-level divine artifacts."

"If a lucky Legendary-level existence picks up a large number of divine artifacts, it is not strange for them to kill a demigod in the end."

"This great world will be divided into three stages."

"Initially, all Boundless geniuses are allowed and encouraged to kill each other, seize treasures, and strengthen themselves."

"In the second stage, you need to kill other geniuses while protecting yourself, because the universe will begin to collapse continuously, accompanied by a large number of cosmic disasters capable of devouring and slaughtering divine entities. If your escape speed is a step too slow, you may die in the disaster or be swallowed by the cosmic collapse."

"When the last disaster at the end concludes, the cosmic collapse will stop, and your [Pursuers] will descend, officially entering the final stage."

"Run!" "Run by any means necessary, regardless of everything."

"Of course, if any genius is confident they can counter-kill those Pursuers who are True Gods, they may attempt it, or trigger special rewards."

"Whichever genius is the first to escape into the [Safe Point] at the very center of the Gate of Worlds will win the championship of this first Boundless Grand Tournament and receive a story exclusive to themselves. If your ambition is great enough and you dare to gamble, even if you write that you will become a Sovereign in the future, I can fulfill it for you."

"Additionally, there will be an opportunity to take away a portion of the cosmic artifacts you picked up."

"Everyone, kill to your heart's content."

"The Key to Ascension is already in your hands."

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

……

Every word the Curtain Master uttered made the atmosphere even more heated.

Despite the massive amount of information, as the "avatar" of narrative authority, every word of the Curtain Master could be instantly understood by all viewers, making them excited as if they were there in person.

Many viewers, and even True Gods, were moved to participate in this Grand Tournament; it was stimulating and offered unimaginable gains.

Li Yu was equally excited.

Especially the examples mentioned by the Curtain Master, which in a way pointed out a bright path, or rather, a path to survival for Li Yu.

Some of those cosmic artifacts had terrifying power just by hearing their names.

If Li Yu was extremely lucky and could pick up many, he could naturally erase the gap between himself and other geniuses.

Legendary level!

Could still kill demigods.

By accomplishing this miracle, his fame would be even more terrifying.

Of course, this was a double-edged sword; if you can snatch them, can't other contestants snatch them?

In terms of picking up and fighting for items, Li Yu would once again fall completely into a disadvantage.

If one were just a little unlucky and landed too close to any "Demigod," they would be in mortal danger.

Clearly, everyone understood that the gains and losses here would cancel each other out, so no one was making a fuss about it.

The only debate was just one point:

"The Toad God clearly favors that Son of the Vortex God and will surely bestow a blessing, granting a [Luck Aura], which is equivalent to cheating from the sidelines. As for whether it will succeed, that depends on whether His status and authority can suppress the Master of the Veil?"

"The answer from most spectators and True Gods is: No."

Right in the midst of this chaotic scene.

The countdown ended.

Subsequently, the scene that made all the spectators cheer with excitement appeared.

Accompanied by countless grand and eerie movements!

The entire Gate of All Realms began to deform.

It was as if an "infinite giant Rubik's cube" was being slowly dismantled, unfolding from the inside out.

From the shape of a cube, it transformed into a vast, boundless panoramic map that could be viewed by all spectators from every angle.

Within the map was a complex, eerie, and incredibly deathly silent universe.

Inside, there indeed existed many fragmented worlds and small eerie domains, which were marked with extreme clarity and perceived by all the spectators.

If Li Yu had the "spectator perspective" at this moment, he would feel a strong sense of déjà vu; in some concepts, it was truly extremely similar to a popular game from his past life.

The difference was!

At this moment, the contestants were not being air-dropped by planes.

Instead, everyone was treated like a puppet actor, suspended in the void.

The moment the universe map unfolded!

All the heaven-gifted geniuses were deployed collectively.

It was not a simple free fall, but a quantum leap.

Dozens of Demigods, along with Li Yu, the "special case," turned into points of light, flickering and colliding as they entered the battlefield.

The spectators began to choose their perspectives one after another.

Li Yu!

Once again became the one with the highest number of views.

There were simply too many people choosing him.

All the others were Demigods; even if they were unlucky enough to encounter each other upon deployment and became entangled in a fight, it would be impossible to end in a short time, so there would be plenty of opportunities to watch.

Only at the location of Li Yu, the Son of the Vortex God, was it highly likely to end in an instant, so everyone prioritized him.

And so, all the spectators followed Li Yu's perspective.

Amidst the surging universe, he descended.

In his eyes, the landing point below appeared.

It was shockingly a paralyzed, decommissioned giant space battleship, and both inside and out, there were many traces of filth. He did not know what kind of existence it had fought against, or where the Master of the Veil had plagiarized this scene from to use as a landing point.

The curious thought was suppressed by Li Yu in the blink of an eye; the scene was not important at all.

What truly concerned Li Yu were the giant points of light flickering at the left and right ends inside the battleship, each wrapping a strange object.

That’s right!

All cosmic strange objects would show prompts in the contestants' perspective.

They were a dagger with an ancient design flashing with rainbow light, and a giant psionic cannon formed by the combination of flesh and machinery.

"Pseudo-Space-Time Secret Blade!"

"A cosmic strange object imitated with the authority of the [Master of the Veil]. The original of this divine artifact possesses the divine authority to slice through space-time barriers and travel to any multiverse, or even the past and future. Its creator was the legendary and extremely powerful God of Time."

"This is an imitation; its utility is reduced by ninety-nine percent. Holding it allows one to move at will within this universe, but it cannot touch time."

"God-Slaying Cannon!"

"Originating from a special flesh-and-machine civilization. That civilization was exploited by a Star God for years. In order to resist, they developed the paths of both flesh and machine simultaneously, and finally merged them into one, forging a weapon capable of slaughtering gods—the God-Slaying Cannon."

"Although this weapon is an imitation, it has already obtained a portion of its power. If activated and it hits the target, it can slaughter Demigods and God-Spawn."

"Am I this lucky?"

After reading the information in the blink of an eye, Li Yu was just about to rejoice.

He suddenly sensed something, frowned, and looked into the distance.

He saw, without any warning, another figure appearing in the position opposite to him.

As it manifested, it was shockingly a Demigod he had never encountered before.

No!

It could not even be called a single entity.

Because this Demigod was very special, composed of two extremely filthy and evil shells entwined together.

And what made Li Yu feel incredible was that although this was his first time seeing this twin-bodied Demigod.

Judging from the familiar divine aura in his perception, Li Yu had likely already dealt with the "Main God" behind it.

It was precisely the Twin God he had tricked once in Wanfu City... the Sage of Lustful Sins.

(End of chapter)