"What kind of strength was that? It was terrifying!"

"That was Evelyn of the Tower of Myriad Treasures. She could not even survive a single exchange against him. If I stepped onto that arena, I would die even faster."

"Arena No. 3 is controlled by Soren, a recognized supreme powerhouse. Yet the master of Arena No. 1 is clearly no weaker than a top-tier expert. Our only chance is to test our luck on Arena No. 2."

The challengers discussed the result in low voices, but no one moved toward John.

John watched their fearful expressions and felt a trace of impatience.

The master of Arena No. 2 was pretending to be weak, but his actual strength was equally formidable. The deception might continue working for a short time, yet once the crowd understood the truth, they would realize that none of the three arenas offered an easy path.

Everything unfolded exactly as John expected.

After Arena Master No. 2 won three consecutive rounds by an apparently narrow margin, the watching challengers gradually noticed something wrong.

"This is strange," one of them muttered. "He looks only slightly stronger than us, but no one can defeat him."

Another participant’s eyes narrowed.

"You still have not noticed? He has been acting from the beginning. I became suspicious during the second round. He has fought three battles without suffering a single real injury, yet every time he behaves as though he is about to lose."

A third person suddenly understood.

"That is true. He always appears suppressed, but he finds some unexpected way to reverse the situation at the final moment. He is deliberately making each battle look difficult."

"He is hiding his strength so that people will continue challenging him. If he killed everyone instantly, no one would approach his arena."

Anger spread through the crowd as the truth became clear.

"Damn him! He used such a shameless method to deceive us. I nearly volunteered to challenge him."

The contempt they had once shown toward Arena Master No. 2 disappeared. It was replaced by caution and solemnity.

They finally understood that he also belonged among the supreme powerhouses.

The second Arena Master noticed the change in their attitude. He knew his disguise had been exposed, but he did not appear concerned.

A smile formed on his face. He placed both hands behind his back, and an overwhelming aura erupted from his thin body.

The sudden transformation made many challengers tremble.

The situation could no longer be misunderstood.

Arena No. 3 was guarded by Soren, a famous supreme powerhouse.

John on Arena No. 1 had ended two consecutive battles in an instant, revealing combat strength comparable to the highest tier.

Arena Master No. 2 had won three rounds while secretly controlling every exchange and was clearly no weaker than the other two.

Not one of the three arenas was easy.

As time passed, however, the challengers became increasingly restless.

"Enough. I will choose Arena No. 1. Challenging Soren is the same as throwing away my life, and Arena Master No. 2 is too calculating. I would rather face John directly."

"Then I will challenge Arena No. 3," another man declared, forcing confidence into his voice. "I will knock Soren from the platform. As a cultivator, why should I fear a strong enemy?"

"Since all of you have made your choices, I will challenge Arena No. 2."

A different participant shook his head.

"You are all courageous, but I value my life more. I am withdrawing from the tournament."

"I will withdraw as well. The three Arena Masters are too dangerous. Losing will almost certainly mean death."

The remaining participants made their decisions one after another.

Many possessed the talent to pursue the Sovereign rank or even Peak Sovereign in the future. They saw no reason to wager everything on the Myriad Worlds Tournament. Rewards were valuable, but no treasure mattered after death.

Several chose voluntary withdrawal. Their bodies transformed into streams of light and disappeared from the battle space, eliminated immediately.

On Arena No. 3, Soren calmly watched the first challenger who finally dared to face him.

The challenger’s expression was tense. His eyes shifted constantly, and he activated every defensive treasure and Divine Ability he possessed before the battle even began. He clearly intended to survive through passive defense.

Soren smiled faintly.

He raised one hand and closed his fingers toward the opponent.

A terrifying palm force expanded across tens of thousands of miles within the arena’s hidden space. It descended like a divine mountain, sealing every direction.

The challenger paled.

"Void Law!"

He controlled the Void Law and immediately attempted to escape into a void passage.

However, the passage was sealed the moment it opened.

The mountain-sized palm had already reached him.

With no path of retreat, the High God poured all his power into resistance. The phantom of a massive golden bell appeared around his body, enclosing him within layers of defensive light.

Soren’s palm shattered the bell with effortless force.

His fingers closed around the challenger.

White light circulated through the giant hand, grinding away the man’s divine body and Origin. The trapped High God roared, released forbidden techniques, and burned portions of his Life Origin, but none of it changed the result.

A moment later, his body collapsed.

His Origin power was continuously erased until nothing remained but drifting ash.

An identity badge flew into Soren’s hand.

Soren cultivated four great laws: Destruction, Destiny, Karma, and Creation. He was a genuine supreme powerhouse, and killing an ordinary participant required almost no effort.

The spectators felt a deep chill.

"How can we fight someone at that level?"

"If the master of Arena No. 1 fought Soren, it would be an extraordinary battle. Unfortunately, they are defending different arenas, so we may never see it."

"Arena No. 1 has already produced another result. John keeps winning without resistance."

"Wait. Someone else is challenging him."

While Soren fought, John had already secured another victory. He now needed only two more identity badges to advance.

A new challenger stepped onto his arena.

The man was a sword cultivator whose path resembled Holly’s. Sword light gathered around him in dense layers, each blade carrying enough power to split a plane.

John noticed that several people below were finally considering challenging him. He immediately abandoned the thought of pretending to struggle.

There was no need for deception.

He would simply kill his opponents quickly and complete the requirement.

Tribulation lightning filled the arena.

Before the sword cultivator’s attack could cross half the distance, a thick bolt descended from above. It moved faster than the sword light and struck him directly.

His defensive sword domain shattered.

A moment later, the full power of the Great Sound Art erupted.

Sound waves connected with the Origin of the universe and passed through every layer of his body. The man’s sword intent tried to resist, but the waves broke it apart. His flesh exploded, his divine soul scattered, and his Life Imprint was erased before he could reform.

The sword cultivator fell on the spot.

Another identity badge entered John’s possession.

The watching crowd fell silent again.

The difference between the three Arena Masters and ordinary participants was becoming increasingly obvious. Even the brave challengers who had spoken of defying powerful enemies now hesitated.

Still, the rules gave them little room to delay. Those who wanted to advance had to fight, and the available identity badges were rapidly gathering in the hands of a small number of victors.

John stood at the center of Arena No. 1, surrounded by fading lightning.

He did not release a threatening aura or issue a challenge.

He merely waited.

Yet to everyone below, his silent figure appeared more frightening than any roar.

They understood that the next person to step onto his arena would not be entering a contest.

They would be entering an execution ground.