The value of conceptual light clusters was undeniable.
They brought about enhancements to the body, spirit, energy, and even the birth of new 'talents' without any limitation on quantity.
Fang You's own panel had gained small talents such as 'Wood Element Amplification Lv1' and 'Sword Element Amplification Lv1'.
These directly influenced the creation speed and vitality of trees when he used the skills of the Tree of Life, the toughness of his vines, and so on, and also made him more adept at wielding the laws of growth.
"This must involve the highest-tier rules, but everything has its limitations."
The combatants entering the tower could only produce a limited number of conceptual light clusters. The drop rate was highest upon initial entry; after one or two, or two or three battles, the drop rate for those entering the tower returned to normal levels.
— After a major battle, a meager one or two light clusters would drop.
Fang You felt he had to seize this opportunity, with numerous strong individuals serving as leeks and the three trial officials covering the energy costs, to maximize the value of the combat tower.
"However, this batch of reincarnated ancient gods is still too weak. It's evident that they haven't been reincarnated for long, only reclaiming a tiny bit of ancient god power… Well, outwardly, the laws they wield are not strong, merely at Xing Jinglei's level."
In the first round, Xing Jinglei had already knocked out two reincarnated ancient gods with his overwhelmingly strong physique.
For Xing, laws were merely icing on the cake; a true man fights with muscles alone.
However, because Xing Jinglei's output was relatively low, his battles with the reincarnated ancient gods lasted longer, allowing him to extract their value thoroughly and drop over a dozen conceptual light clusters related to laws.
[Conceptual Light Cluster (Sharpness Law · Minor)]
[Description: Contains a trace of the power of the Sharpness Law. Users can enhance their own Sharpness Law with this. If the user has not yet grasped this law, it might require more than ten conceptual light clusters to even touch the threshold.]
These conceptual light clusters were useful, but not abundant.
The law power possessed by the reincarnated ancient gods was too weak, and naturally, the light clusters they dropped were also weak.
"If a few high-ranking ancient gods could produce light clusters within the combat tower, that would truly be a fortunate matter."
This thought was too wishful.
He shook his head, not forcing the issue.
He would wait for Chi Yan to recover and for Liu Feng, Hei Dao, and An Jianyin to advance to the Ninth Realm. His subordinates' strength would increase, further boosting the combat tower's output of conceptual light clusters, and then absorbing these light clusters to improve… This would form a virtuous cycle.
As for now, he would continue to harvest these leeks.
...
Trial Grounds, Second Round.
Planetary Space.
The rule for this round was 1v1 combat, with an ordinary planet as the battlefield.
However, the battles of the myths and demigods did not begin simultaneously. Instead, the myths with the worst performance in the first round started the matches. After eliminating half of them, the remaining winners of the first round would then battle against myths with slightly higher performance points from the first round, and so on.
In other words, myths with poor performance in the first round would have to pay a greater price to achieve an upset in this round, having to win every match to ascend.
This was the consequence of having too poor a performance in the first round.
However, regardless of anything, the trial participants who lost in the first round still had a chance to make a comeback. Even if this chance was very slim.
They weren't aiming for the top, but merely winning a few more matches and obtaining rewards from the trial grounds would suffice.
"We trial participants have one chance to fail in this round, but if we cannot break into the top 100, we will have no part in the third round trial," stated Demigod Xi Guang.
He looked at the younger generation, including Gong Li and Chen Tianxuan, "The mission of competing for the legacy will be carried by us old folks. You don't need to feel pressured; just exert your strength to your fullest."
"An environment like this, where one can fight to the death, is extremely rare, especially when facing evenly matched opponents. After this trial, regardless of your ranking, you will gain considerable rewards."
Gong Li, Chen Tianxuan, and the others acknowledged.
But as super geniuses, how could they easily admit defeat? There were only about thirty demigods in the entire trial grounds, and still over sixty myths could break into the top 100.
Since they were all myths, why couldn't he? Chen Tianxuan thought to himself.
However, he dared not underestimate any opponent, let alone…
"I will appear in the 11th round, meaning my performance in the first round only ranked in the upper-middle tier, barely entering the top 200."
There was still a huge chasm to the top 100!
Of course, the performance in the first round trial did not fully represent individual combat power. He, the Radiant Sword Saint Chen Tianxuan, excelled in defense, with slightly weaker offensive capabilities, resulting in fewer kills during the first round trial… This might have led to his lower ranking.
He would never surrender.
He thought of someone similar to him, a burly man who excelled in defense but was weaker offensively.
"I wonder which round Xing Jinglei will appear in, probably the 13th, 14th, or maybe the 16th or 17th?"
He had not seen Xing Jinglei during the first round trial.
This was not surprising.
The combat power of the Rending Fist Martial Saint Xing Jinglei was significantly stronger than his, so he was not in the same area during the first round trial.
In fact, in the treacherous trial, Chen Tianxuan had no spare capacity to observe much else.
Energy tides raged from all sides, engulfing the figures of many trial participants.
"However, as long as I win all my matches, I will have the chance to compete with Martial Saint Xing."
Thinking about it, Chen Tianxuan felt a surge of excitement.
Let the battle commence!
The younger generation was unwilling to admit defeat.
The older generation, like Demigod Xi Guang, felt immense pressure.
Because,
"Based on the round calculations, my ranking in the first round is around 23rd. This position is a bit behind."
"Indeed." Demigod Hui Gang looked grim. "I just received news that the old king of the Red Sand Kingdom ranked 39th."
"This…!"
There were not 39 demigods present, and the old king of the Red Sand Kingdom being 39th meant that some myths had even better performance than him.
The old king of the Red Sand Kingdom was no ordinary demigod!
Anyone who could enter the strongest trial grounds, whether myth or demigod, was no mediocrity!
"Could it be the reincarnated ancient gods who surpassed Red Sand in performance?"
"Yes, very likely."
Hui Gang and Xi Guang were both veteran demigods, yet when they fought against demigod-level reincarnated ancient gods in the first round, they found them incredibly troublesome.
Reincarnated ancient gods possessed the power of laws!
Under the effect of the laws, even the invincible demigod avatars were merely a piece of relatively thick parchment.
From the very first encounter, they were filled with apprehension, unable to even exert eighty percent of their strength.
And some myth-level reincarnated ancient gods also seemed to possess the power of laws. It was not impossible for them to defeat demigods of higher realms.
"Regardless, Kandra is our human legacy. We must obtain it, otherwise, we will be too passive."
"Indeed, and ancient gods are also divided into different factions. If the chaotic and evil ancient gods were to seize it, that would be truly terrible."
"No matter what, we humans still have an advantage in numbers, and we are not fighting alone."
The Empress of the Winterless Empire possessed an invincible aura.
And also, the Spark Academy.
Looking at it from a positive perspective, perhaps not all the myths ranked above the old king of the Red Sand Kingdom were reincarnated ancient gods. With the mysterious nature of Spark Academy, it was possible they had some individuals capable of such feats.
Demigod Xi Guang had long ago linked the mysterious force that appeared in Trial Ground 404 with Spark Academy.
Regardless, he would not place his hopes solely on others.
"I, Xi Guang, was also an invincible powerhouse in my youth."
He did not accept the 23rd ranking!
...
"To rank this Governor 57th! Infuriating! How dare they!"
In the waiting area of a certain planet, Governor Beishan roared with anger.
He, a great demigod, was ranked behind over twenty myths. This was simply a disgrace!
Beside him, Governor Luoxia glanced at him.
His own ranking was 31st, which was rather poor and annoying. However, upon seeing Governor Beishan, who had fallen to 57th… Wow, his mood suddenly improved.
He patted Governor Beishan's shoulder. "These are the rankings set by the Kandra trial officials. It's just that our luck in the first round was a bit poor. It doesn't matter; we'll make up for it in the second round."
"By the way, old friend, how were you eliminated in the first round?"
Governor Beishan's momentarily eased expression tightened again, turning ashen.
That's hitting a nerve!
"I was careless!"
"Those two possessed a power-type law and a fire-type law, respectively. They were definitely reincarnated ancient gods! And top-tier ancient gods in their past lives!"
"However, ultimately, I was careless. This insult, this Governor will definitely avenge!"
...
The second round of trials proceeded very quickly.
This was because, as time passed, the planets serving as battlefields would become smaller, and various disasters would arise.
Otherwise, some myths could stalemate and fight for three days and three nights without a clear winner.
If they waited until the demigod battles, without a sufficient difference in strength, the two sides could fight until the end of time.
Disasters would arise from this.
Was this fair? Fang, the instructor who was both a participant and a judge, deemed it fair, and therefore it was fair.
The trials could not drag on for too long.
Ten minutes, half an hour; a myth could drop a conceptual light cluster, and then it would be pretty much done. If it continued, even shaking them upside down, not another conceptual light cluster would be extracted.
First round, second round… tenth round…
The trials proceeded in an orderly fashion, with some rejoicing and some grieving.
The scenario of the weak achieving an upset and reaching the top was naturally impossible. Mentor Fang had put considerable effort into matchmaking; he desired evenly matched battles.
The second round of trials did not determine the final rankings.
He merely had the demigods fight one or two matches.
The truly intense competition was in the range of 70th to 130th place. The top 100 rankings not only determined qualification for the third round trial but also the rewards the trial participants would receive.
The trial plan was arranged by Mentor Fang, but the trial rewards were naturally paid for by the late Kandra Empire.
The three trial officials had long ago finalized which tier of ranking corresponded to how many rewards.
The rewards were primarily technical.
However, they were indeed cutting-edge technologies, covering aspects such as spatial teleportation, artificial secret realms, and law-infused artifacts.
Fang You himself was envious, but he was even more envious of the conceptual light cluster drops.
He began to arrange the affairs for the third round of the trial.
...
"The second round of trials has concluded."
Demigod Xi Guang's expression was grave. Although he had just won a match… among all the trial participants from the ancient Moon Dynasty, only he and Gong Li had broken into the top 100.
Chen Tianxuan had not even managed to get into the top 150.
"The competition in this trial was more intense than imagined."
"We cannot see the battles of other myths and demigods, but it seems that the trial participants from our human hegemonic powers who broke into the top 100 are… few."
"Where did all these unknown trial participants in the top 100 come from?"
"There are certainly not many myth and demigod powerhouses from non-hegemonic human powers. This means… the reincarnated ancient gods who entered the trial grounds are not just those dozen or so."
These dozen or so reincarnated ancient gods were merely more high-profile upon their appearance, immediately drawing attention.
However, their reincarnated forms were human. If they did not expose their identities themselves, it would be difficult to discern them.
It was not wrong to call these reincarnated ancient gods human; some had also completely integrated into human society.
Within the ancient Moon Dynasty, there was a reincarnated ancient god. However, his previous life's memories were severely fragmented, and he had only awakened a sliver of power. In contrast, his 'humanity' far outweighed his 'divinity'.
"Looking at it optimistically, the ancient gods are on the same side as us humans. The stronger they are, the more beneficial it is for us… Is this situation not so bad?"
...
At the same time, in a hidden location within the Demonic Realm.
An ancient existence spoke, "Have you found it?"
"We have," replied another ancient existence. "Using the anchor point that has already entered the central trial grounds, I have pinpointed the location of that special space. However, bypassing its rules to enter it is still somewhat difficult."
"Can it be done?"
"Of course," the ancient existence replied proudly. "I was once the God of Locks, most adept at unlocking all seals in the world. If the Kandra Empire were still here, with Ninth and Tenth Realm powerhouses guarding it, it would be different, but the current trial grounds, hah, are merely a large lock."
"I only need a little time."
"Very well, I await your good news."
...
In several other hidden locations, similar conversations were taking place.
"We need to gain control of the legacy of the Kandra Empire."
"The simplest method is to forge identities and enter the trial grounds to obtain it through the 'rules'."
"And as long as we can enter the trial grounds, as long as we comply with the established procedures, even if the trial officials discover anything, they can only watch helplessly. They are ultimately artificial beings who must strictly adhere to the rules."
"A loophole has been found!"
"However, to avoid alerting the trial grounds, only Ninth Realm high-level beings can be sent, and in limited numbers."
"Ninth Realm is sufficient; the highest-level trial participants are only Eighth-awakened demigods."
"No, do not be careless. We are not the only ones who can do this."
"Lord of the Nine Seas is correct."
Soon, two Ninth Realm ancient gods, who had also cultivated mysterious systems, and three peak demigod divine scions, under the influence of a certain ancient existence's power, began to descend and traverse through space.
Their destination was reached in an instant!
Before them lay surging spatial turbulence and annihilation storms; everything was chaotic, filled with danger.
"Is this the high-level void?"
"No, that's not right. The laws are different. We have already entered the trial grounds, and even reached the battlefield of the third round."
"The process had minor variations, but the result is entirely as intended."
The Ninth Realm ancient gods smiled.
The Kandra legacy, they were coming for it!