Resting Area.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.
A virtual screen appeared before him, flashing information about various Evolvers.
These were all top fifty contenders in the arena fights.
Even if they weren't in the third tier, they were close, with each holding their secret trump cards.
Lin Yuan carefully observed, even reviewing battle videos of these Evolvers' previous matches.
With Lin Yuan's heaven-defying comprehension, he could gain some insights even from watching battle videos.
But of course, compared to actual combat, these videos were just appetizers.
They were like the NPCs in old games, with fixed moves and techniques.
Unlike real battles, where the ability to adapt and respond provides greater understanding.
"Fang Qing."
Lin Yuan's expression showed slight seriousness as he looked at the information in front of him.
It belonged to a young man, who appeared gentle and harmless.
But he was a favorite to win this arena championship.
So far, no one knew Fang Qing's evolution path, yet every time he fought, he ended the battles in just one or two moves, even against third-tier Evolvers, without exception.
This was the complete opposite of Lin Yuan.
Most spectators saw that Lin Yuan liked to 'toy' with his opponents, dragging even a match with a first-tier Evolver into overtime.
This instilled an inherent fear of Lin Yuan in many Evolvers.
Apart from Fang Qing, there were a few other Evolvers Lin Yuan paid attention to.
For instance, the one called Thunder God, who summoned and controlled thunder.
Lin Yuan wasn't particularly worried about him, but the ability to become a being of pure thunder, immune to most physical attacks, was impressive.
Then there was a third-tier Evolver on the poison evolution path.
This path was quite niche, with few practitioners, but once they achieved something on this path, their techniques could torment Evolvers of similar or even higher levels.
Poison affected not just the body but could impact the soul and spirit, suppressing them.
A third-tier poison Evolver could easily cause the death of millions, even tens of millions, in a city if they desired.
Time passed quickly, and in half a day, the virtual world arena tournament invited Lin Yuan to participate.
The tournament had already reached the top fifty stage.
Each contestant was either a third-tier Evolver or a particularly skilled second-tier peak Evolver.
Ordinary second-tier contenders had long been eliminated.
Among the fifty remaining, nineteen were confirmed third-tier Evolvers.
In the resting area, Lin Yuan accepted the official tournament invitation.
Whoosh! Lin Yuan's figure appeared in the center of the arena.
As soon as he showed up, thunderous cheers erupted from all directions.
"So many people?" Lin Yuan looked around and saw that nearly ten million seats were filled with spectators.
The tournament had moved to the most prosperous city's arena in the Central Continent.
From the initial eight thousand matches in a day, the tournament was now down to just five a day.
This caused the audiences to converge, nearly reaching ten million for this match alone.
Bear in mind, the live viewers in the virtual world were all Evolvers or second-tier citizens and above.
As for ordinary citizen viewers watching 'live broadcasts,' they likely numbered in the tens of billions.
Now, with only two matches a day spaced apart, interested spectators had no choice but to watch this match.
Lin Yuan's entry into the arena drew a wave of cheers.
"Lin Yuan!"
"Lin Yuan is here!"
"Torture King Lin Yuan!" Chorused the cheers.
Though it wasn't a physical match, the virtual world replicated everything with perfect fidelity, and the deafening cheers echoed through the air.
Before long, Lin Yuan's opponent appeared, a tall, cold-eyed man who seemed to exude an inexplicable chill.
Third-tier Evolver Bing Yan, who followed the ice evolution path among the special element paths.
Most contenders who faced Bing Yan ended up as ice sculptures.
Bing Yan's arrival sparked another wave of enthusiasm from the spectators.
Although Lin Yuan had advanced to the third tier, he hadn't yet displayed third-tier prowess.
Many of his previous opponents had conceded voluntarily, and those who hadn't weren't strong enough to force Lin Yuan to reveal his full power.
Thus, in the eyes of the audience, Lin Yuan remained a particularly skilled second-tier peak Evolver, while Bing Yan was a true third-tier Evolver.
On Azure Wave Star, there were fewer than twenty people who had reached the third tier within a hundred years, and Bing Yan was one of them.
"I've watched your match videos."
Bing Yan spoke in a calm, unemotional tone.
"I admit, you're strong, but facing me, this is your limit."
Lin Yuan's most prominent achievement so far was holding his ground against a third-tier Evolver for over half an hour.
However, that Evolver specialized in soul and spiritual attacks, a rare dream Evolver.
Lin Yuan's evolution path might have some foundation in soul or spirit, making it unsurprising for him to last so long.
However, considering the usual strengths and weaknesses of evolution paths, those focused on soul and spirit typically had weak physical aspects.
The ice evolution path, on the other hand, specialized in freezing everything, including the physical body.
Hence, Bing Yan was confident.
In the spectators' area, a seemingly gentle and harmless young man sat in the middle, appearing bored with the ongoing battle.
"Teacher, these two, one not yet in the third tier and the other with a common evolution path, their fight is less worthwhile than practicing more in the resting area."
The young man's name was Fang Qing, the hot favorite for this tournament's championship.
"Fool."
A palm-sized white-bearded old man appeared on Fang Qing's shoulder, visible only to Fang Qing.
"You haven't noticed the peculiar aspect of this Lin Yuan?"
"Something peculiar?" Fang Qing was slightly taken aback.
"Domain prototype?"
Lin Yuan's most formidable skill appeared to be the domain prototype, a power typically only accessible to fourth or fifth-tier Evolvers.
Though forming a domain prototype was a monumental challenge for most Evolvers, to a person like him from the Ancient God lineage, it was nothing special.
Fang Qing could easily master a domain prototype if he wished.
"The special part isn't the domain prototype itself, but the power that evolves into it," The white-bearded old man explained, rolling his eyes.
"Besides, your old master once dominated dozens of star domains, overlooking everything, only to be plotted and killed by aliens. As his successor, even if you're on the 'Ancient God' path, if you remain complacent and arrogant, you'll follow in his footsteps."
The old master's brilliance was undeniable, but his demise meant everything was lost.
"I understand."
Fang Qing nodded solemnly, beginning to watch the battle more intently.
"If my guess is correct, Lin Yuan might already be in the third tier," the old man continued.
"Already third-tier?" Fang Qing was taken aback.
In the arena, as soon as the commentator announced the start, Bing Yan attacked without delay.
Though confident, he was not careless, throwing himself fully into the fight.
A terrifying chill spread rapidly.
But in the next instant, an invisible fluctuation enveloped the area.
Lin Yuan unleashed a third-tier Taiji Domain, its suppression power stronger than ever.
Facing a third-tier opponent, Lin Yuan had no intention of holding back, using the Taiji Domain to suppress his adversary.
"What is this?" Bing Yan's expression changed slightly.
Lin Yuan had revealed his Taiji Domain in previous matches, but it never seemed this powerful.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been overwhelmed by the third-tier dream Evolver.
"Are you third-tier now?" Bing Yan's tone was solemn, realizing the suppressive power was something only a third-tier domain prototype could achieve.
"But defeating me won't be that easy."
Bing Yan charged at Lin Yuan, transforming almost into a millennium-old iceberg, crashing down fiercely.
Even with the Taiji Domain's restraints, Bing Yan's speed was astonishing, reaching an astounding kilometers per second.
Boom! They clashed directly in combat.
"See? Isn’t Lin Yuan remarkable?" The white-bearded old man on Fang Qing's shoulder was intrigued by the battle below.
"Indeed, he’s extraordinary," Fang Qing acknowledged with a slight nod, recognizing that Lin Yuan utilized not just one type of power, but two completely opposing forces.
These opposing forces found balance in Lin Yuan's hands, seamlessly merging.
"If I faced Lin Yuan, I’d probably use the 'Ancient God' true form, suppress him within ten moves, and defeat him in two hundred," Fang Qing estimated.
The need for two hundred moves was due to Lin Yuan's defensive prowess, capable of converting enemy attacks into his retaliation.
"Merging powers is something only sixth-tier beings can achieve. Without relying on the 'Ancient God' evolution path, you'd be inferior to this Lin Yuan," the white-bearded old man commented, giving Fang Qing a sideways glance. (Chapter end)