"Contestant Jing Ming, please enter the arena." The announcement blared in the private room.
Xu Jingming grinned at his parents and siblings. "Time for me to roll in."
"Be careful." His father, Jing Yulong, had worry etched on his face.
"If you can't take him out, bail quick," Yuan Yu said anxiously. "Safety first."
They'd been stoked watching the previous fights, but they flipped out seeing their kin step into the arena—especially after the first two weaklings got crushed.
"Bro." His younger siblings stared at Xu Jingming. Even his baby sis—just over a year old—gawked at her elder brother with huge eyes. Ni Yun, the bodyguard, and the rest were antsy too.
"Chill." Xu Jingming smiled. In a flash, he vanished from the private room and materialized in the arena a thousand meters away.
"What speed." Jing Yulong, his wife, and the others felt goosebumps prickle their scalps.
When Xu Jingming had hung with them before, he'd usually shown strength around level 30 to 40. Now that he'd truly unleashed his maximum strength, even his speed left them stunned.
The other powerhouses had displayed speeds over 100,000 meters per second, blowing their minds.
But seeing kin showcase that speed amped them up a thousand times more.
"I was so laid back watching the other fights, but why am I so tense now?" Yuan Yu said. "Can't even breathe."
"The match is kicking off." Jing Yulong was seriously worried too.
At the same time, a projection floated beside him. On it streamed the live match feed for the seven human countries.
…
The whole world got how unique this year's Myriad Species Tournament was. So when human powerhouses made it into the 300 contestants in the main event, the seven human countries went wild. Countless humans had been hyped for this match.
"Lord Jing Ming is onstage!"
"Lord Jing Ming, I love you!"
"Lord Jing Ming's speed when showing up has already broken 100,000 meters per second. That's our human powerhouse!!!"
Countless people watched the broadcast fervently.
The humans even got a host and two commentators for the match.
"Making the main event in this tourney that's got the attention of all species, that's already an incomparable win for Lord Jing Ming! Out of nearly 100,000 species, only nine powerhouses from weaker species made the main event. We humans took one spot. That's the pride of the entire human race." The host was so psyched his face turned red.
"Even though the match hasn't started, Lord Jing Ming has already won! Just standing in that arena is an incomparable victory—one that'll go down in history!"
"Actually, Lord Jing Ming looks real chill for this match," the commentator said. "Weaker species are way weaker than stronger species, so them losing is normal. Lord Jing Ming has the psychological advantage…"
"Lord Jing Ming went on that stage to show off human powerhouse strength freely. Winning or losing isn't that important."
The host and commentators talked like that to prep everyone for losses ahead of time.
Of course, countless peeps thought that too. Wasn't it only right for weaker species to get dominated? In the past million years, only three human contestants had ever made that arena.
This tournament meant a lot. Just making it into that arena was enough for humans to celebrate! What more victory did they want?
We don't need the win! We're already very happy!
"Lord Jing Ming is my idol."
"I already put up Lord Jing Ming's portrait by my bedside. Seeing Lord Jing Ming daily powers me up when I practice martial arts."
Countless people voiced their opinions. Online media in the seven human countries partied. This day might be the most lit and joyful day in countless humans' lives.
"The match is starting!" The host and commentators focused on the match right away. Countless viewers held their breath.
*******
In the arena.
Xu Jingming stood there, surveying the Mountain Demon Badishon from thousands of meters away. The other party towered 65 meters high, a veritable hill of flesh and bone.
Badishon was also sizing up his opponent carefully.
Their gazes locked.
Xu Jingming had entered the tournament to hone his skills, but Badishon had a different motive. As a Mountain Demon, every victory in the early rounds counted when he descended as a Mountain Demon.
"Hmph." Badishon made the first move. Despite resembling a towering mountain, he struck like lightning at Xu Jingming.
"Screech!"
Badishon saw a massive divine bird spread its wings, afterimages blurring into a thousand feathers. Eyes narrowing, Badishon focused his mind and glimpsed Xu Jingming's true form.
By then, Xu Jingming had already taken flight, pouncing at Badishon.
Badishon clasped his hands together, and like a bear trap closing, they shut off Xu Jingming's path of attack. At once, they enveloped and crushed down upon him.
Bang!
Midair, Xu Jingming kicked Badishon's left palm. A terrifying force surged through, and Xu Jingming rode it to retreat.
His mental strength is considerable. My Heart Divine Weapon Combat Technique has a relatively weak effect on him. Xu Jingming judged. Understandable—out of over five million high-dimensional lifeforms, only the exceptional have entered the main competition.
His mental strength was still attaining the seventh realm of the Eight Directions Map—My Dao realm.
Mastering the Dao took step-by-step progress.
How long would it take to put the Dao into practice? No definite timeline existed.
For high-dimensional lifeforms of the mental lineage, it was normal to be unable to complete cultivating the My Dao realm in a lifetime, even possible for half-step third realms in the mental lineage to not master the My Dao realm.
