Chen Chu wasn’t surprised at all by his effortless victory. Even though his Dragon Elephant Art had only reached the middle stage of the First Realm, his foundational attributes were at least twice as strong as those of his opponents. It would be more difficult to lose in such a situation.
In this world, the concept of the weak prevailing over the strong was non-existent. The strong defeated the weak, and winning signified that you were more powerful than your opponent. Even among the reputed geniuses in the cultivation world, who could engage in battles transcending multiple realms, such victories merely indicated that their momentary power surge or current secret arts were stronger than their adversaries’.
A weaker cultivator could only narrow the gap between themself and a cultivator of a higher realm by having some kind of advantage. Only then would it be possible for them to engage in battles that transcended boundaries.
Descending from the platform with his straight saber strapped to his back, Chen Chu began to watch the other matches.
Around the fifty platforms, students with weapons strapped to their backs dotted the landscape. Names and information continuously flickered on the large screens overhead, while in the distant spectator stands, many people were cheering for their classmates.
Amid a raging torrent of vitality, a male student, wielding what seemed like a pole or even a pillar, forcefully smashed his opponent off the platform. With a towering height of nearly two meters, he appeared even more formidable than Li Meng, emanating an oppressive aura from his entire being.
Such a terrifying strength. That iron pillar of his was over three meters long and as thick as a thigh. Even if it was made of lightweight alloy, it must weigh at least a few hundred kilograms. Chen Chu couldn't help but be taken aback.
Who was this? How could he be so powerful? Using such a heavy weapon, he must have an arm strength exceeding a thousand kilograms. First Heavenly Realm cultivators simply didn't possess such strength. Could this person have innate divine power?
Chen Chu had initially believed that, with his foundational attributes surpassing the limits of the First Heavenly Realm, he would easily rank at the top among the freshmen. He hadn't expected to encounter someone so formidable, however; it was completely beyond the norm.
Casting a profound gaze at the giant-like male student, Chen Chu proceeded towards the next arena.
The students in the spectator stands shared Chen Chu’s excitement. The figures on the platforms intertwined, moving swiftly like the wind. As heavy weapons clashed with each other, the entire arena resonated with a series of booming echoes.
Contrary to the focused attention of the eager newcomers, the teachers on the main platform paid little heed. These freshman competitions held little interest for them; the speed was too slow, the strength too weak, and the participants lacked true power, let alone the external release of such that could shake heaven and earth.
Casually watching the surveillance footage, a teacher would occasionally speak up, calling a halt to a match where someone couldn’t or wouldn’t stop, and declaring the side with the advantage as the winner.
After a while, one teacher asked, "Old Lin, do you know why the authorities are focusing so much attention and resources on this batch of freshmen?"
Lin Xiong shook his head slightly. "It's not just for this batch. Each upcoming year will be receiving increased resources as well, in all three of the major Federal nations."
Pang Long exclaimed, "What? The training resources have already been increasing every year, in all three nations. Could it be that we’ve gotten some significant victories recently?"
Excitement appeared on the faces of the other teachers at the thought, but Lin Xiong's expression turned somewhat solemn. He shook his head slightly and said, "No, it's not that. The fifth legion has opened up several new resource points, but the situation at the front is still intense. The third, ninth, and fifteenth legions are under significant pressure, with battles at the king level or above erupting every month.
"The number of casualties has been increasing over the past two years. New people are desperately needed. So, the higher-ups have allocated these additional resources to increase the number of cultivators we produce each year. This includes training even the freshmen who have taken up to two months to complete Foundation Building."
Lin Xiong's words caused the teachers to tense up.
"So, does this mean the situation has become even more dire?"
After a long pause, Pang Long slowly exhaled. "Even if that's the case, is it really necessary to focus on cultivating freshmen who can't even build their foundations within a month? If these resources were allocated to the second and third years, their growth rate might be faster."
Lin Xiong shook his head again. "The growth of those second and third-year students has already stabilized, and even if these resources were allocated to them, the effect would be limited.
“The freshmen who take more than a month to build their foundations might have poor innate talents, and their initial progress will seem despairingly slow. But with how large the populations in the three major nations are, the more people we encourage to cultivate, the more likely it will be that we get another case like King Xuanwu.
"I believe that's what the higher-ups are planning—using resources to expand the general cultivation base, and hoping to find a few more 'monsters' with hidden potential, thereby unearthing a massive gain for the human race."
Pang Long and the others nodded thoughtfully.
Having finished his match early, Chen Chu roamed among the various arenas. During his stroll, he witnessed Lin Xue cleanly defeating her opponent, and the two nodded at each other as they passed by.
He also witnessed Lu Haitao being defeated by a formidable female opponent, dejectedly descending from the arena.
Chen Chu's steps came to a halt, his gaze fixing on the ninth arena ahead. There, a beautiful girl, almost identical to Lin Xue, stood with a sword in hand.
Unlike Lin Xue, this girl’s black hair shimmered with a blue hue. There was a perpetual smile on her face, her gaze gentle and emanating a warm and soothing feeling.
Her opponent, also a girl, wielded a slender saber.
After nodding in agreement, both sides swiftly made their moves, transforming into two blurred shadows that collided with each other.
The blades radiated a sharp light, and their shadows were as swift as the wind. As the two figures spun, they left behind trails of residual images, both exhibiting considerable speed.
Both girls were clearly proficient in sword and saber techniques. One wielded her blade with lightning speed, while the other's swordplay flowed like water. The spectators around them couldn't take their eyes off the intense display.
Suddenly, a glaring spark exploded. The girl wielding the saber grunted, appearing at the edge of the platform with a pale face.
"I lost." There was a hint of disbelief in her voice, before she turned and jumped down from the platform.
"Platform Nine, Lin Yu emerges victorious. You have completed your allotted number of matches. Please step down and wait for the results."
The girl named Lin Yu sheathed her sword and stood still. She nodded slightly to the classmates around who were watching, displaying great politeness. Shortly after, she leaped down from the platform and left.
Is this the class monitor's younger sister? She's quite strong, Chen Chu pondered.
Both of them displayed movement speeds reaching the limits of the First Heavenly Realm. It was so fast that the naked eye couldn't keep up, more impressive than the arrogant girl that Chen Chu had defeated earlier. At such speeds, ordinary people could no longer discern their movements, let alone comprehend the kinetic force of their sword techniques.
This level of skill placed them at the forefront among the present freshmen, but Chen Chu could discern that Lin Yu had defeated the other girl with ease, displaying a certain level of mastery and composure.
"If it weren't for this competition, I wouldn't have known there are so many experts among the freshmen." Chen Chu sighed and shook his head. Any trace of superiority that he had been feeling from the sudden surge in his physique disappeared.
This slight advantage was still not enough for him to overcome his peers; he needed to work even harder on cultivating his avatar’s Devouring skill.
With over five hundred participants, fifty platforms, and each match lasting ten minutes, the first round concluded only at noon, once each person completed six matches. With that finally finished, the crowd dispersed to have lunch.