Chapter 1 The Vast Arena

The main arena was a massive elliptical structure, with a maximum diameter of approximately 16,000 meters, suspended more than 100,000 meters in the air. Without any visible support, it had remained suspended for countless years.

Xu Jingming and the other preliminary contestants observed their rivals, especially those with avatars outside, whose thought processes were terrifyingly fast, constantly memorizing and analyzing information about their opponents.

"Just from the first round of the preliminaries, I can see that I have no hope in the previous few rounds," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "Those powerful races without wings, whose flight resistance is greater than mine, still have more than 50 who are faster than me."

"Especially those three! The Fire Dragon Descendant powerhouse, the One-Armed Giant Ape, and the Mountain Demon Race powerhouse—those three are far ahead." Xu Jingming was very patient.

As a weak race, he should avoid the initial rounds.

In those rounds, he could feel out the strength of his opponents. There was no need to risk his life.

"In the world of myriad races, weak races are the majority, and many high-dimensional lifeforms are among the weak races." Xu Jingming also remembered the strong individuals from the weaker races who arrived at the arena more slowly than him. "For a weak race, as long as they can get into the top 10,000, they can't be underestimated."

Suddenly—

Buzz!

A light shield enveloped the entire arena, isolating the other preliminary contestants.

"All other preliminary contestants are eliminated." With a sound that echoed across the high altitude, the myriad race powerhouses outside the light shield, who were quite unwilling, were all teleported away.

…

"They won't even let us watch the subsequent screening." All the preliminary contestants were teleported out, and Yu Yangwei, Feng Ke, and Ying felt somewhat dejected.

Yu Yangwei sighed and said, "Participating in the preliminaries and seeing these competitors firsthand has made me understand the gap. Even among the weaker races, there are many who are stronger than us. The possibility of me getting first place in the Myriad Races Arena is zero! There's no use struggling anymore!"

"Even among the weak races, there are many who are stronger than us. We have no hope of leaving here alive," Ying said calmly, nodding. "I was born as a high-dimensional lifeform, and as a nascent high-dimensional lifeform, I've been living cautiously, afraid of being sacrificed, afraid of being killed… but I still couldn't avoid this calamity."

Born as a high-dimensional lifeform, she had lived cautiously for many years, but a Third Realm existence had captured more than 5 million high-dimensional lifeforms, and Ying was one of them.

"I don't have to hide anymore. I can openly enjoy life," Ying said with a smile as she looked at the city before her. "These are the last years of my life. I should enjoy them."

The large, portly Feng Ke remained silent, simply walking along.

Competition among high-dimensional lifeforms was already brutal, and in the world of myriad races, it was even more brutal. Of the more than 5 million high-dimensional lifeforms, only a very few were destined to survive.

"Compared to low-dimensional lifeforms, we've lived long enough. It's already pretty good," Yu Yangwei said quickly, smiling happily. "Even compared to the natives of the world of myriad races, we are much stronger and live much more comfortably."

"I come from a low-dimensional lifeform race, and I'm the only high-dimensional lifeform in my race," the large, portly Feng Ke said softly. "Even until death, I will not give up."

Ying and Yu Yangwei were both stunned.

******

At the suspended Myriad Races Arena, 10,000 preliminary contestants gathered.

"Congratulations to everyone for passing the first round of screening." The golden intelligent machine in the high altitude looked down below. "Next is the second round of screening, which is also the final screening! From among you 10,000 preliminary contestants… 300 contestants will be selected to participate in the main competition."

Xu Jingming raised his eyebrows.

The second round of screening would directly select 300 people?

The many powerhouses present listened carefully.

"In the second round of screening, there will be an invisible force suppressing you," the golden intelligent machine said. "You need to endure it, the longer the better! Those who can't endure it can choose to give up. As long as you say you give up, the Myriad Races Arena will teleport you out of the arena."

"Here's a friendly reminder: If you feel you can't endure it, don't force yourself! If you force yourself to the end, you may not even be able to shout out the words 'I give up' and will be directly suppressed to death."

"Those who voluntarily give up and those who are suppressed to death will be eliminated."

"When there are only 300 people left, the second round of screening will end," the golden intelligent machine said. "The rules have been explained. The final screening is about to begin. 5… 4… 3…"

"2… 1! Begin."

The massive, elliptical arena was enveloped by an invisible force that acted on every powerhouse, including Xu Jingming.

"Hmm?" Xu Jingming felt as if a ten-thousand-zhang high mountain was pressing down on him. With his physical fitness, he felt a slight pressure. Furthermore, this pressure was constantly increasing. Xu Jingming still had the leisure to observe his opponents.

"Those with smaller physiques are relatively relaxed. Those with larger physiques… some are already quite distressed." Xu Jingming saw that the two Giant God Race members he had encountered when signing up were now trembling.

The two Giant God Race members, who were over 30 meters tall, were receiving much greater suppressing force due to their massive size.

"How are those small guys so relaxed?" The two Giant God Race members were friends and stood together. At this moment, they both felt extremely difficult, and their bodies were uncontrollably trembling.

"When flying, those small guys were about the same speed as us. We have large bodies and greater resistance, so our physical fitness should be stronger than theirs. This invisible force… does the pressure increase with body size?"

"This round of screening is unfair to the powerful races."

"However, even if we can't get into the top 300, participating in the main competition would be a joke." At this moment, many thoughts flashed through the minds of the two Giant God Race members. Heat surged from their bodies, and they were covered in sweat.

As time passed.

"I give up." "Give up." "I give up." "I've given up." One by one, high-dimensional lifeforms from powerful races chose to give up. This screening was indeed more favorable to the weaker races.

The two Giant God Race members, ranked around 5,000th, also chose to give up.

At this moment, having a little bit more strength meant eliminating a group of opponents.

Xu Jingming still felt very relaxed. He looked left and right. Fewer and fewer contestants remained in the arena. He didn't see anyone being suppressed to death.

"The high-dimensional lifeforms aren't stupid. Even if they have to desperately force their way into the 300 slots for the main competition, they'll be quickly eliminated and have no hope of winning first place in the myriad races." Xu Jingming watched. "Since they see no hope, they're giving up very decisively."

When there were only two thousand or so preliminary contestants left on the field, weaker races began to be eliminated.

"They can't even pass the preliminaries."

The various avian races were also eliminated in large numbers. Their average level was indeed weaker than the other contestants, so they were naturally eliminated in large numbers in the second round of screening.

"Hmm?"

When there were only 1,000 contestants left on the field, Xu Jingming felt that the force pressing down on him was already very strong.

"There's some pressure now." The Fire Dragon Descendant powerhouse, the Mountain Demon Race powerhouse, and the One-Armed Giant Ape King also felt some pressure. After all, their physiques were too large, and the pressure they were receiving was very strong.

In particular, the Mountain Demon Race powerhouse, who was over 60 meters tall, was experiencing extremely terrifying pressure.

900, 800, 700…

Fewer and fewer contestants could persist. Those who remained were the true elites.

"There are less than 500 contestants left." Xu Jingming felt that the pressure was already extremely terrifying. He observed his surroundings. "The weak races who can persist until now may be my future competitors."

"Even though the rules of the second round of screening are favorable to the weak races, there are less than 50 weak races who have persisted until now."

"In the outside world, they must be extraordinary as well."

Xu Jingming thought to himself.

He was a new Eternal Realm expert of the Heart Realm lineage, reaching the Eternal Realm in about ten thousand years, which was considered extremely talented.

What about the other opponents?

"Even if I have some advantage for now, it doesn't mean I'll still have an advantage in a few thousand years," Xu Jingming thought. "There are also weaker races like the ant race and the bee race. There must be some remarkable powerhouses among them as well."

"335, 334, 333…" A cold and stern Forest Elf Race powerhouse trembled, observing his surroundings. "I, 'Shan Yi Dijun,' cultivated to the half-step Third Realm. In the first competition, I can't even get into the main competition?"

"I've already fallen behind in the previous three hundred years. In the days to come, I have to work even harder," the Elf Race powerhouse muttered to himself.

"Crack." The Elf Race powerhouse felt that his bones were starting to crack under the pressure.

"I give up." After the Elf Race powerhouse shouted, he swept his gaze around before being teleported away. "There are still 10 weak races persisting. Each one is stronger than me!"

Whoosh.

He was teleported out.

…

Xu Jingming was also struggling. His expression became much more solemn as he observed his opponents.

310, 309…

Accompanied by cries of giving up, fewer and fewer contestants remained in the main arena, and every powerhouse who left firmly remembered those who could still endure.

Suddenly, the already terrifying pressure completely dissipated. Xu Jingming instantly felt much lighter, as if he were about to fly.

"If it had continued like that, I could only have persisted for half a minute at most." Xu Jingming observed his surroundings. Among the surrounding behemoths, there were very few small figures. "Of the 300 main contestants, there are only 9 from weak races?"

Even though the second round of screening was already biased towards the weak races, the number of weak races who could enter the main competition was still pitifully small.

"In just three hundred years of cultivation, the growth rate of the weak races is far slower than that of the powerful races," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "Races like the ant race are growing even more slowly. I wonder when they will be able to enter the main competition."

"I'm already trembling, and this human is obviously more relaxed than me." A Xiao Race member glanced at Xu Jingming.

"Nine weak races. I'm the Abyss Lord. Who are the other eight?" A Dwarf Race powerhouse smiled and observed his surroundings, focusing on the other contestants who were also from weak races.

"The screening is over," the golden intelligent machine said with a smile. "Congratulations to everyone present for becoming main contestants in this year's Myriad Races Competition."

All the contestants also paid attention to each other, especially the nine from weak races, who attracted the most attention.