Chapter 1439: This Cruel

Zhang Lie asked, "We know from interacting with the spectators and from watching the fights that there are many exceptionally strong cultivators in the tournament, many of whom are supported by forces of shocking strength and means. Where do you think they come from?"

Sun Mengmeng replied, "Allegedly, from the stars above—a galaxy, though I doubt it's the same physical one we're in."

"And where is that galaxy located?"

Yang Ze smiled. "Why ask, Captain? You already have a guess."

Fang Yi nodded. "I think we all have a similar guess."

"The fifth realm," everyone replied simultaneously.

Zhang Lie nodded. "As expected."

Sun Xiaowu asked, "I'm just somewhat confused. The lifeforms of the fifth realm should be far stronger than we are."

Zhang Lie smiled. "Don't forget that we're all mental projections in the virtual realm. Our bodies are only copied over."

Yang Ze steepled his fingers and propped up his jaw. "My hypothesis is that the virtual realm straddles the fourth and fifth realms. It's a particularly special existence, and the fact that our bodies are only projected over means that the strength of fourth- and fifth-realm hunters are roughly the same in that virtual realm."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Yang Ze couldn't help but laugh. "If Elder Bu Wentian were here, he would certainly say something like, 'In a manner of speaking, but also not. Your answer is close, but not comprehensive.'"

Everyone laughed at Yang Ze's mimicry.

The members of Team Zenith had all taken some damage in their respective fights, though nothing particularly serious. Because they had been fighting with their mental projections, the damage that they suffered was spiritual in nature. It would heal quickly with sufficient rest. The hunters rested well over the next three days, preparing to enter the tournament proper at peak strength.

The three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Bu Wentian informed them all of the rules of the tournament.

"The rules have been published. Unlike the qualifiers, the actual tournament isn't going to be focused on one-on-one arenas. Rather, it's a free-for-all."

"With how many challengers? A few, or a dozen? Are the victors the ones who survive until the end?"

Bu Wentian shook his head. "It's not so straightforward, and it's not just a few or a dozen challengers. It's all the competitors."

Yang Ze gaped. "That cruel?"

Bu Wentian continued, "Of course, you're not going to be sent to an arena. Rather, everyone will be teleported to a small world for the fight. Fifty challengers will make it out of the qualifiers, and another fifty seeded challengers didn't need to participate in the qualifiers at all. That makes a total of a hundred challengers."

Zhang Lie clarified, "Do you win by surviving until the end?"

"Indeed."

Sun Xiaowu rolled his eyes. "That's easy, then!"

Bu Wentian shook a finger. "It's not so straightforward. A contracting boundary will form within the planet, slowly restricting the area over which challengers are trapped."

Sun Xiaowu frowned. "Why does this feel so familiar...?"

"The competitors you'll face will surely be stronger than in the qualifiers. Although you all performed excellently, don't let it get to your heads, and don't be overly prideful. None of these challengers will be weak, especially those groomed by the strongest forces."

"It looks like it'll be an intense fight," Zhang Lie commented.

"That said, don't be too worried, either. There are plenty of treasures on that planet that can heal your wounds, increase your mental strength, and so on. Try your best to claim them to grow stronger."

The members of Team Zenith goggled. Sun Xiaowu cried out, "This is just Fortnite!"

Yang Ze was speechless. "And here I thought there would be something deeper to the competition..."

Bu Wentian frowned. "I don't know what it is that you're talking about, but don't underestimate your opponents. Otherwise, you'll suffer. When the tournament starts, you'll automatically be sent to different parts of the planet."

Sun Xiaowu raised a hand. "Aren't we going to parachute onto it?"

Bu Wentian shook his head. "Random teleportation. Why would there be parachutes? You might even encounter an enemy right beside you; that would be the worst-case scenario."

Zhang Lie nodded. "We need to think about how we can all gather together, don't we?"

"Indeed."

Bu Wentian took out six soulshards. One was a giant golden orb like a beehive, while the five others were like small bees.

"This is a particularly special set of soulshards. The golden orb is called the queen's hive, a disaster-grade soulshard with the ability to attract these small bees—the five superior-grade tracker bee soulshards. Their function is to lead your way to the disaster-grade queen's hive soulshard."

"In other words, they're like compasses," Yang Ze concluded.

Bu Wentian continued, "The tracker bee soulshards have no combat strength whatsoever. The only reason they're superior-grade is because of their particularly strong functionality. They would lead you to the queen's hive soulshard even from hundreds of kilometers away. Allegedly, they're attuned to karma, and it's difficult to trick or disrupt them."

Zhang Lie nodded. "So we'll easily be able to gather with these soulshards in hand?"

After some discussion, it was concluded that Zhang Lie would carry the disaster-grade queen's hive soulshard, while the rest of them would each take a tracker bee soulshard.

Yang Ze said, "If someone were to steal the queen's bee soulshard, they could lead us all into an ambush. Our captain's the strongest among us, and it makes sense for him to guard it."

Bu Wentian nodded. "That's a standard choice. The disaster-grade queen's hive soulshard can even allow you to sense the five tracker bee soulshards. If any of them break, the queen's hive soulshard will immediately inform its wielder of the direction where it occurred.

"So I can rush to the scene and rescue anyone in need, right?" Zhang Lie asked.

Sun Mengmeng clenched her fist. "Don't worry. We're very strong, and you won't need to rescue us, Captain."

Bu Wentian reminded them, "Don't forget that you've made yourselves famous in the qualifiers. Everyone's talking about you, and the representatives of the strongest forces might target you to gain the attention of the spectators. All of you are members of an unknown race, and many wish to test themselves against you."

Zhang Lie frowned. "In other words, we'll be a prime target."

Bu Wentian shook his head. "Not to that extent, but you'll have a harder time surviving than other challengers."

Zhang Lie smiled. "Don't worry. We're not that weak. We'll see who's the hunter and who's the prey."

As they kept the soulshards in their soulspaces and finished their preparations, the hunters stepped into their respective apparatuses.

A screen flickered before them. [Congratulations on making it through the qualifiers of the Galactic Rising Stars Cup. The official tournament has begun. Enter the tournament grounds?]