Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Transmission initiated.

The light and shadow twisted and stretched before my eyes, as if being crushed and pieced back together by an invisible hand.

When the feeling of weightlessness finally subsided, Lin Yi's boots stepped on something soft.

Lin Yi looked down and saw fine white sand beneath his feet, the particles evenly distributed and so clean that it didn't seem like it was formed naturally.

The sandy area is not large, about 300 meters in diameter, and is a perfect circle. At the edge, there is a nearly transparent barrier that rises from the ground and extends upwards, converging into an arc-shaped dome at the highest point.

Outside the barrier is a tiered, circular grandstand.

The stands are stacked up from the ground, extending to a height that is difficult to see, like an inverted mountain.

Every tier of the stands was packed with people, flags hanging from the railings, their various colors and patterns intertwined to form a surging sea.

Cheers bounced back and forth between the stands and the barrier, merging into a huge wave of sound that made the air tremble slightly.

"These are the ones that passed the third round?"

"Eighty-six people, far fewer than expected."

"With the Viking Sea in such a state, it's a miracle they even survived."

The voices were all mixed together, and it was impossible to tell who was speaking. All you could see were countless mouths opening and closing, and countless hands waving.

Lin Yi stood at the edge of the sand, his gaze sweeping over the stands, and quickly found several familiar areas.

The demon race's stands were on the far east side, where a group of burly figures sat, some with bandages wrapped around their heads, clearly having just been withdrawn from the battlefield.

The Feather Clan's stands were on the west side, and that area had a much cleaner color scheme.

Su Xiao stood next to Lin Yi, also looking around.

With the Dragon Slayer sword hanging at his waist and the hem of his black trench coat reaching his knees, his posture was no different from usual.

But his gaze paused briefly when it swept over a section of the stands, then moved away without any change in expression on his face.

The casters of Arcane Eternal Star were seated in those stands.

Meanwhile, in the area separated by an energy barrier at the highest point of the stands, Serphia had already put down her wine glass.

Her posture was the same as before, leaning back in the chair, one hand on the armrest and the other hanging at her side.

A faint smile graced his well-maintained face as his gaze swept across the entire arena, landing on Su Xiao.

Su Xiao withdrew her gaze, turned her head, and found that Lin Yi was still standing in the same place, his gaze unfocused, as if looking at a point in the void.

Su Xiao frowned and patted Lin Yi's shoulder.

Lin Yi turned his head, met Su Xiao's gaze, and explained his thoughts.

"The Void Tree's message states that only the participant's family, friends, or fellow clansmen can spectate."

Su Xiao nodded, waiting for what was to come.

He already knew this rule; it wasn't worth Lin Yi stopping to look at it for so long at this point.

"Do you think I could apply to have the Void Tree go to the real world and bring my relatives and friends over?"

Su Xiao was stunned for a moment.

At this moment, an indescribable change appeared on that face that was usually expressionless.

He turned his head and looked at Lin Yi with an extremely complicated expression.

There was love in that look, but not the kind of love an elder has for a younger person; rather, it was the kind of love one person feels when they are genuinely confused by certain circuits in another person's mind.

“Or you could use this trick to bring over relatives you’ve never met before,” Lin Yi continued, completely oblivious to Su Xiao’s changing expression.

Su Xiao remained silent for three seconds.

Then he turned around, facing the direction of the arena, and stopped looking at Lin Yi.

The posture of that figure from behind was very straightforward—I don't know this person.

Looking at the back of Su Xiao's head, Lin Yi realized that this idea might not be very reliable.

The Void Tree's light screen still hovered above the arena, constantly displaying text and data.

He had already looked it over once, but some information needed to be confirmed again.

Eighty-six people.

This number is less than in any previous round.

According to these races' predictions, the number of people passing the third round should be between one hundred and two hundred. This prediction is based on past data statistics.

While the Viking Sea is dangerous, it doesn't necessarily lead to an excessively high elimination rate.

But this time is different.

The way the Viking Sea became is inextricably linked to Lin Yi and Su Xiao.

Bone Sheep died, Agati died, Redbeard went mad, and the three legendary pirate crews collapsed overnight.

The small and medium-sized pirate groups, now free from restraint, began to frantically seize territory, while kingdoms that had always wanted to extend their reach to the seas took the opportunity to send troops, turning the entire Viking Sea into chaos within just a few days.

Some of the contestants didn't even know the coordinates of Terror Island before they were caught up in this chaotic battle.

Some people's ships were sunk, some people's ships were stolen, and some people were chased by that madman Redbeard's fleet for three days and three nights, and in the end they didn't even know where Terror Island was.

It's already lucky to have survived, let alone find the horror island within the allotted time.

Therefore, only 86 people passed the third round, but none of these 86 people were weak.

Those who can survive a place like the Viking Sea, locate the Terror Isle within a given time, and pass the Void Tree's judgment are all elites in terms of combat ability, intelligence, and adaptability.

The battles to come will not be easy.

The match schedule on the light screen was still scrolling, and the names on the roulette wheel were flashing rapidly.

Lin Yi looked for a while but couldn't find his name, which meant that his match hadn't been scheduled yet.

He withdrew his gaze and was about to take a few steps toward the center of the arena to observe the structure of the barrier from a different angle when a voice came from the stands.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the noisy arena.

"Kid! Over here! Over here!"

Lin Yi stopped in his tracks, looked up, and followed the direction from which the sound came.

A group of familiar figures were sitting in that area.

Little Red Riding Hood sat in the front row, wearing a red hooded cloak with the hood open, revealing her dark brown curly hair.

She was short; when she sat in the chair, her feet couldn't reach the ground, and her legs dangled under the chair.

Lagren was sitting next to her.

He had fresh scars on his face, stretching from his eyebrow to his temple, which had not yet faded completely and were clearly left not long ago.

Lin Yi's gaze continued to move to the left.

Then he saw Hill.

She sat in the very center of that area, surrounded by empty seats—not because no one wanted to sit there, but because no one dared to.

This time, Hill wore a light-colored robe with a simple design and no unnecessary decorations.

She sat in a relaxed posture, leaning back in her chair with her hands folded on her knees.

The atmosphere in the arena changed the moment Hill appeared.

The change wasn't sudden, but rather spread outwards from her area like ripples on water.

The first to notice were the audience members in the rows closest to her. They were talking in hushed tones when their voices suddenly stopped, and they turned their heads involuntarily, their gazes falling on the light-colored figure.

Then came the spectators further away, who followed the gaze of those people, their expressions shifting from confusion to surprise, and from surprise to disbelief.

Then, the entire east side of the stands was filled with people who had been drinking, chatting, and adjusting their clothes. They all stopped and turned their gazes in the same direction.

The clamor of 300,000 people in the arena fell silent at that moment.

Hill raised his hand and waved at him.

Play your game well.

Lin Yi looked at the gesture, paused for a second, and then nodded.

The other contestants were still wondering what had happened.

Some of them had just been teleported to the arena and sensed that the atmosphere around them had changed, but they didn't know why.

It wasn't until someone with sharp eyes followed the gaze of the audience that they spotted the light-colored figure on the east side of the stands and the empty seats around her.

The contestant's expression changed.

They recognized her.

Not everyone has seen Hill in person, but who hasn't seen her portrait after spending so much time in the Void? Who hasn't heard the legends about her? Who doesn't know what the words "Abyss Healer" mean in the Void?
Wasn't Hill dead? Hadn't he fallen? Hadn't he disappeared many years ago?
How did she get here? How did she end up in the stands of the Barrow Arena? How could she be sitting there like that, as if nothing had happened?
The contestants' brains were working frantically, trying to dredge up every piece of information about Hill from their memories.

But the news of her demise has been confirmed by the Void Tree, it is a fact acknowledged by all major powers, and it is a conclusion written in history books.

But now she's sitting right there.

The silence in the arena lasted only a few seconds. After those few seconds, the entire arena erupted in chaos.

It wasn't just ordinary noise, but a near-frenzied uproar.

"That's Hill? I'm not seeing things, am I? That's the Abyss Healer Hill?" "Wasn't she already dead? How could she be here?"

"What are they doing? Digging up the dead from their graves?"

The sounds surged in from all directions, merging into a buzzing roar that bounced back and forth between the barrier and the stands, making the air tremble.

But many more voices were swallowed back down; it wasn't that they didn't want to speak, but that they dared not.

Because those truly influential voices are all silent at this moment.

In the demon race's stands, several older demons stood up from their seats.

Their movements were slow, but everyone who saw them stand up felt an invisible pressure emanating from that direction.

An elderly female winged creature also stood up. Her movements were very elegant. When she stood up, her robes were without wrinkles, and she looked like a flower gently lifted by the wind.

In the Star Clan's stands, the halos suddenly brightened a bit.

Several figures stood up at the same time, their movements so swift that they were unlike the usual slow and deliberate Star Clan.

Their gazes swept across the entire arena and landed on Hill. Although the expressions on their faces were obscured by the light, the fluctuations in their auras were enough to explain everything.

On the stands of Arcane Eternal Star, several elderly men with white hair and beards looked at each other in bewilderment.

Their expressions were complex, showing surprise, confusion, and a hint of undisguised solemnity.

Only Serphia remained seated.

Her posture was exactly the same as before, and even the smile on her face remained unchanged.

But her gaze had already shifted from Su Xiao to the light-colored figure on the east side of the stands.

She probably didn't even notice that the handrail she had just tapped had left a shallow dent.

The commotion in the stands continued, but it was no longer the aimless clamor of before.

Everyone was doing the same thing—moving closer to Hill.

The elders of the demon race were the first to move. They walked to the empty seats next to Hill, paused for a moment, and then sat down in an orderly fashion.

Those seats were originally empty; no one dared to sit in them.

It's not that the rules don't allow it, it's that I don't have the qualifications.

Before sitting in that kind of seat, you need to consider whether you are big enough.

The elders of the demon race now sat down, as if they were sitting in their own living room.

The elder of the Feather Clan followed closely behind. She walked to a few seats to Hill's right, bowed slightly, and then sat down.

The bow was a small gesture, but in the etiquette of the Feathered Clan, it represents the highest level of respect.

Then came the witches. Several women in dark robes walked briskly from the other side of the stands. Their steps were hurried but not hurried. When they reached their seats, they first nodded slightly in Hill's direction before sitting down.

Then there were some forces whose names he couldn't recall. Some came from a race deep in the void, some were ancient families that had always maintained neutrality, and there were a few forces that Lin Yi had never seen before.

In less than two minutes, the previously empty area was filled with people.

The seats were arranged neatly, with sufficient spacing between each row, but at this moment those spaces had been compressed to a minimum.

The people were huddled together, shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee, but no one seemed to care.

These figures, who usually command the winds and rains in the void and whose mere stomp could make half the void tremble, were all crammed together at this moment.

These people have an average combat strength of at least the highest level.

It's not the kind of absolute strength that barely scratches the surface, but a genuine absolute strength honed by time and battle.

Any one of them, if placed in the void, would be a capable entity standing alone.

They were huddled together in the small area around Hill, and no one felt uncomfortable or crowded.

Only those sitting in that area know how much pressure there is.

It wasn't Hill who put pressure on them; it was them competing with each other.

The elder of the demon race sat there, subtly releasing his aura.

The elder of the Feather Clan was not to be outdone. Her aura became even more restrained, but what was hidden beneath that restraint was more dangerous than any outward pressure.

The Star Clan did not release their aura, but the brightness of the halos around them slowly increased, illuminating the entire area.

Those representatives of the forces sitting a little further away all had pale faces and were sweating profusely.

The atmosphere in that area was too chaotic, so dense it was like a pot of boiling soup, and anyone weaker than that didn't even have the right to get close.

But no one left.

Because they know that simply sitting here today is a statement in itself.

Whoever leaves will be at a disadvantage.

Whoever backs down loses the right to speak in this void.

The contestants, who should have been the center of attention, stood on the sandy ground of the arena, looking at the area in the stands, their expressions increasingly complex.

Some smiled bitterly, some shook their heads, and some remained silent.

They weren't unaware of Hill's status, nor were they unaware of what the title "Abyss Physician" meant in the Void.

But when it all actually happened before their eyes, the impact still exceeded their expectations.

The result of today's match is probably not as important as Hill's return.

The Battle of the Strongest is ultimately a game, a competition where the strongest cannot participate in person, so they use this method to secure resources for their own forces.

The winner gets more quotas, the loser gets less, that's all.

In the end, all the fighting is about those tangible things.

But Hill is different.

Her very existence is a resource.

Her knowledge, her abilities, her experience—these are things that cannot be bought with quotas or built up with resources; they are unique treasures accumulated over countless years.

If she were willing to take action, many problems that have plagued the various races of the Void for years could be easily solved.

Those patients plagued by curses, those strong individuals tormented by intractable diseases, those bottlenecks that they could not break through no matter what they tried, might only be a matter of diagnosis for Hill.

That's why those old guys are scrambling to get close to her.

It's not about friendship, it's about interests.

These are real, tangible benefits.

The atmosphere in the stands grew increasingly tense.

Although the elders of the demon race and the winged race sat in the same row, there was a full three seats between them.

It's not that there are no seats, it's that neither side wants to get too close.

The feud between the demon race and the winged race has lasted for thousands of years, and it's not something Hill can resolve by sitting here.

The Star Clan were caught in the middle, torn between two sides.

Hill's gaze remained fixed on the arena, as if he were looking at something he was proud of.

The powerful figures surrounding her also noticed this detail.

The demon elder was the first to withdraw his gaze, then he raised his head and glanced in Mondstadt's direction.

The meaning behind that look was clear: let Mondl decide for himself.

Mond met that gaze, paused for a moment, and then nodded vigorously.

He had just seen a message in the elder's eyes: if you don't obey this time, you'll be beaten to death when you get back.

The elder of the Feather Clan glanced at Shang Yue, and Shang Yue nodded slightly to another Feather Clan member beside her, indicating that they understood.

The StarClan members didn't look at any of the contestants; their halos flickered a few times, as if they were communicating in a way that only they could understand.

Then, those old guys from those factions all turned their attention to the players under their command.

Their meaning couldn't be clearer.

In this round, anyone can lose, anyone can be eliminated.

However, whoever draws Lin Yi and stands in the same arena as Lin Yi must ensure Lin Yi's advancement and safety.

There is no room for negotiation, no room for bargaining; this is an order.

The contestants felt those gazes, and their expressions were complex.

Some people gave a wry smile, some shook their heads, and some remained silent.

They could understand the elders' thoughts.

Hill has returned, and the Abyss Healers have come back. If they antagonize Lin Yi now, it's not a competition; it's causing trouble for the entire race.

If anyone were to seriously injure Lin Yi, would Hill let it go? The elders would tear them apart when they get back.

But they are also contestants, elites who have fought their way out from countless others.

Having come this far, who wouldn't want to win? Who wouldn't want to prove themselves in the arena? Who wouldn't want to demonstrate their strength in front of 300,000 people?
Now that's great, I don't need to think about it anymore. (End of Chapter)