Chapter 83: Rules of the Genius Tournament

After delivering the gift, Chu Shaojiang did not continue to force conversation. Instead, he quietly withdrew and sat off to the side. Silence returned between them once more...

A few minutes later...

Ding! The City Lord stepped out from the elevator.

"Alright, let's set off," he said. "Do you have anything you need to tell your families? This trip to the Genius Tournament won't be a short one."

Chu Shaojiang shook his head. The news of his participation in the tournament was already known throughout his clan; whatever needed to be said had been said long ago.

Song Qi, however, raised his hand. "I still have a few things to discuss with my parents."

The City Lord nodded. "Then you go ahead. I'll wait at the main gate with Chu Shaojiang."

"No problem."

...

Song Qi returned home first. He spoke with his parents for a while, watched as they drank their potions, and only then did he take his leave.

When he arrived at the gate, the City Lord and Chu Shaojiang had been waiting for him for some time. The two of them were sitting atop a mass of black mist floating in the air. The mist was large enough for five or six people to lie down comfortably.

Song Qi approached and reached out to touch it. Though it was a mist, its structure was remarkably solid, yet not stiff—more akin to the feel of a sofa.

"What are you fiddling with? Get up here quickly. If you anger this thing, there'll be no one left to take you to the First District."

"This thing?" Song Qi was taken aback. "Does it have consciousness?"

"Enough talking, just get on." The City Lord offered no explanation, simply waved his hand and summoned another mass of black mist to lift Song Qi onto the surface.

A transparent, circular barrier then appeared around the mist.

"Hold on tight!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than—

Boom!

A surge of air exploded outwards, sending dust flying!

All three, along with the black mist, vanished from their original spot in an instant.

Song Qi and Chu Shaojiang, caught off guard, slammed into the barrier. As the speed stabilized, they managed to steady themselves.

At this point, the City Lord spoke again.

"Flying from the Seventh District to the First District will take four hours. If you get any ideas about relieving yourselves or passing gas along the way, my advice is to hold it in."

"Otherwise, if you're thrown off mid-flight, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Now, let me explain the schedule and format of the Genius Tournament ahead of time."

"First, the Genius Tournament is hosted by all the top authorities of the human race. Each district can select up to five participants."

"The quota is determined by each district's City Lord at their own discretion..."

...

Under the City Lord's explanation, the two gradually gained a rough understanding of the tournament.

The duration of the Genius Tournament was uncertain—sometimes as short as ten days, sometimes as long as a month. The exact end depended on when the final victor emerged.

The tournament consists of three rounds: the Survival Round, the Team Round, and the Individual Round, in that order.

The Survival Round involves sending all these geniuses into a designated wilderness area at random. It usually lasts about a week, though the exact time may vary based on circumstances.

Contestants earn points by slaying monsters of varying levels—the higher the level, the greater the score. Some high-level monsters are deliberately placed in the area as well, offering even greater points.

Ultimately, rankings are determined by the number of points each contestant accumulates.

Of course, the wilderness area is first thoroughly surveyed by human experts to ensure nothing abnormal lurks within before it's chosen. During the tournament, at least five City Lord-level experts and dozens of high-ranked professionals (level 90 and above) are assigned to monitor the proceedings, ensuring no accidents occur!

Contestants may cooperate, but internal conflict and killing are strictly forbidden!

After all...

These individuals are the cream of the crop among the human race! In the future, they might become the backbone, or even the elite fighting force of humanity. The loss of any one would cause considerable pain.

As for the Team and Individual Rounds, their rules are far simpler.

The Individual Round, as the name suggests, is a series of 1v1 matches drawn at random. Winners advance, losers are either eliminated or, at the judges' discretion, enter the revival bracket. The higher the placement, the more points awarded.

Lastly comes the Team Round.

In the Team Round, each district forms teams of up to five and no fewer than two members, then faces off against other teams in randomly drawn matches.

Upon hearing this, Chu Shaojiang paused, then after a moment, couldn't help but step forward to ask:

"City Lord, I have a question... If that's the case, doesn't our district have a natural disadvantage?!"

"We only have two contestants!"

The City Lord nodded. "That's right, it's by my design. But don't worry—the fewer the members in a team, the higher the points for the same ranking."

"For example, a five-person team finishing in the top ten might only receive ten points. But a two-person team would get forty!"

Chu Shaojiang remained uneasy.

"But... since this is a tournament for geniuses, shouldn't the gap in strength between participants be minimal? Two against five... no matter how you look at it, it seems risky..."

At this, the City Lord let out a cold laugh.

"Geniuses? No significant gap in strength? Hah!"

"Though this may dampen your spirits, the difference between the top geniuses and the ordinary ones is a chasm!"

"The First District always fields five contestants, but every Team Round, they voluntarily split into two teams!"

"And they even argue over who gets to form the two-person team!"

"Why?"

"Because the geniuses of the First District are terrifyingly powerful!"

"They would rather be a solo team to earn more points!"

"And reality proves they're not arrogant—no matter how they're split, they consistently rank among the leaders!"

The City Lord shook his head, a hint of pity in his tone.

"Even among geniuses... there are gaps."

Hearing this, Chu Shaojiang was struck with sudden realization. He glanced at Song Qi with newfound admiration and disbelief.

Since the City Lord dared to bring just the two of them, it meant their abilities were already sufficient.

Chu Shaojiang knew his own limits well.

He worked hard!

His family background was decent.

His talent was rated S-class!

But... even so, he was at best an average genius.

Clearly, the City Lord's confidence was not placed in him.

"So... I'm just an extra for this tournament?"

"Just chosen to make up the numbers?"

He had thought that qualifying for the Genius Tournament was his stepping stone to greatness!

Yet, before the tournament even began, the City Lord had slapped him back to reality.

Looking at Song Qi again, he saw only calm indifference—no hint of excitement, as if the praise meant nothing to him.

"What composure... Even when praised, he remains serene and unmoved?"

"If it were me, I could never be so calm."

"So... this is the gap between us?"

"I can't even match him in temperament?"

For a moment, Chu Shaojiang felt a bit demoralized.

Of course, what he didn't know was that, with no signal in the sky and unable to play on his phone, Song Qi, after hearing the tournament rules, had long since drifted off into daydreams about how he would spend ten billion.

The City Lord's words had gone in one ear and out the other...

...

After a while, Song Qi furrowed his brow and muttered, barely audible to the others.

"Ten billion really isn't enough after all."

"Maybe I should be bolder and make it a hundred billion?"

"No... better make it a trillion. Wasn't there a company in my previous life whose debts alone totaled two trillion?"