Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Those contestants who made it to this round must be quite intelligent.

They understood the meaning in the elders' eyes—it wasn't a hint, it wasn't a suggestion, it was a command.

An order that leaves no room for negotiation.

Whoever draws Lin Yi must ensure that Lin Yi advances.

What does this mean? It means that if you draw him, you can't go all out, you can't use those trump cards that might threaten him, and at some crucial moments, you might even have to concede.

This isn't a competition, it's a performance.

But can they refuse? No.

The consequences of rejection are beyond their means.

Offending Lin Yi is a small matter, but offending Hill is a big one.

Offending Hill is a small matter, but offending the elders of one's own clan is a big deal.

Those old guys usually have the final say in the clan, who would dare to say no to them?

They've made their decision in front of 300,000 people. If you dare to disobey them in the arena, you'll face more than just a scolding when you get back.

The light screen above the arena was still scrolling, and the wheel of the match schedule was spinning rapidly.

The names flashed across the screen so fast that they were almost invisible to the naked eye, but each time the roulette wheel stopped, the set of names displayed would cause a stir in the stands.

Eighty-six people.

Forty-three matches. Each one captivated the nerves of the factions in the stands.

Lin Yi stood at the edge of the sand and looked up at the screen of light.

He was thinking about one thing: how he should fight in the arena.

Even if you let the opponent win, you can't go too far. The Void Tree's judgment mechanism is not to be underestimated. If the opponent lets the opponent win too obviously, the points will still be deducted.

However, this issue quickly ceased to be Lin Yi's focus.

The rules of the arena were officially released a few minutes later through an announcement from the Void Tree, and the content of the announcement stunned everyone.

The fourth round of the competition was reduced from the original four rounds to three rounds.

The reason is simple: there aren't enough people.

At the end of the third round, there were 86 people left, a number that is neither too many nor too few.

If we proceed with the original plan of four rounds, eliminating half the participants in each round, and leaving only five or six people in the end, how can we possibly fight in the fifth round? We can't just have five or six people engaging in a chaotic free-for-all in the arena.

Therefore, Void Tree adjusted the competition format, allowing players to check their total points directly after three rounds, with the top ten players advancing to the final round.

As for those who were eliminated, they are not entirely without a chance.

The competition format includes a revival round. As long as you survive and your score isn't at the bottom, you have a chance to fight your way out of the revival round.

But after reading the rules of the revival round, Lin Yi had already made up his mind—if you really do fall into the revival round, you might as well surrender and admit defeat as soon as possible.

The battle for supremacy is essentially about vying for first place. If you can't beat a player, even if you survive the revival round, you still won't be able to beat them when you encounter them later.

Instead of exhausting all your resources and energy in the revival round, it's better to save some strength for the next round.

The representatives of the various factions in the stands were also processing the announcement, but no one raised any objections, because the rules of the Void Tree were not something they could question.

They've already started maneuvering within this framework of rules, such as stalling for time.

This is why the fourth round of the competition did not start immediately.

On the light screen above the arena, below the match schedule, a new line of small print appeared: "Start time for the first round of duels: to be determined."

This "pending" period quickly turned into a specific timeframe shortly after the announcement, a timeframe that was nearly twice as long as the normal preparation period, almost reaching the limit allowed by the Void Tree.

The reason is not complicated.

One reason is that the match still needs to be broadcast.

There aren't many grand events in the void; tournaments of this caliber, like the Battle of the Strongest, only happen once every few years or even a decade or more.

Naturally, the major powers would not miss this opportunity for publicity. Their broadcasting equipment had already been set up, covering the main areas of the void. From east to west and from south to north, countless eyes were watching the Barrow Arena through those magic arrays.

But promotion takes time, signals need to be adjusted, images need to be optimized, narrators need to be in place, and audiences need to enter the venue.

Some of the void dwellers sitting in front of the magic circle had just received the news, while others were still on their way. They needed to be given some time.

On the other hand, and more importantly, is Hill.

Hill's appearance was so sudden that no one was prepared.

Representatives of forces in other star systems rushed to the Barrow Arena as soon as they received the news.

They used every means possible, through various channels and connections, to delay the start of the match.

Some people found the node administrator of the Void Tree, some contacted members of the tournament organizing committee, and some went directly to the owner of the Barrow Arena.

These people have only one goal—to give us some time to get here.

No one wanted to miss this opportunity.

Hill disappeared for so many years, and now he's suddenly reappeared. What does this mean?
This means that the Abyss Healers lineage has returned to the chessboard of the void.

This means that those partnerships that were interrupted by Hill's downfall may be restarted.

This means that there may be a solution to the problems that have plagued them for years.

This isn't a competition; it's an opportunity.

Whoever can strike up a conversation with Hill before anyone else will gain the upper hand.

Therefore, with the tacit approval of many, the preparation time for this competition was extended to the longest possible.

Those powerful forces with influence did not object, because their representatives were already on their way.

Those minor factions with no voice had no right to object, because they wished for the situation to drag on as long as possible so that their clan elders could also come and see Hill.

The Void Tree had no objection to this matter, since the methods they used were entirely within the rules.

Whatever the reason, the outcome is already decided.

The match was postponed, and postponed long enough.

The contestants stood on the sand, feeling the countdown numbers constantly jumping on the light screen above their heads, their emotions complex.

Most of them had fought tooth and nail in the previous rounds, crawling out of piles of corpses to finally stand here.

He should have been the protagonist, he should have received cheers from 300,000 people, and he should have proven himself in the arena.

But now, everyone's attention is on the stands, on Hill, and on the important figures who have rushed over.

Nobody was watching them.

The audience in the stands were still making noise, but their eyes had already shifted from the arena to the area on the east side of the stands.

Those sitting there are not contestants, but the true rulers of the void.

They usually live a secluded life and rarely show their faces, but today they came from all directions and crowded into that small area for the same person.

Just as Lin Yi was about to enter the lounge, someone called out to him again.

Lin Yi stopped and looked up in the direction the sound came from.

On the stands of Arcane Eternal Star, a young man in loose pajamas stood by the railing and waved at him.

That person's skin was very white, almost transparent, the kind of white that comes from someone who hasn't seen the sun for years.

His eyes were narrowed to slits, as if he was trying to adjust to the light in the arena, and a reluctant smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

Prince of the Wind.

The son of King Linfeng.

Lin Yi had seen him before in Alice's Devil Castle; at that time, he was wearing a magic robe and looked quite respectable.

He was wearing pajamas, his hair was a mess, and he looked like he had just been dragged out of bed.

Sitting next to Prince Feng was a middle-aged man with a resolute face; this was none other than King Linfeng.

At this moment, King Linfeng was not watching the arena at all. He was holding a communication stone in his hand and was communicating intensely with someone. His lips were moving rapidly and his face was full of anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Prince Feng looked at his father's appearance, pouted, and pulled his hood even deeper, covering half of his face.

He hates sunlight, he hates crowded places, and he hates this noisy environment.

If he could, he would rather spend his whole life in the wizard's tower, researching those magical topics that would never be finished.

But his father wouldn't let him stay.

This morning, King Linfeng barged into his wizard tower, dragged him out of bed, threw him a set of clothes to change into, and then dragged him onto the spaceship.

King Linfeng didn't say a word the whole way, and Prince Feng didn't dare to ask either.

All he knew was that the spaceship's destination was the Barrow Arena; he had no idea what it was going to do there.

He didn't understand until he saw the light-colored figure in the stands.

Hill.

His father came to see Hill.

Prince Wind didn't have much of an impression of Hill. He only knew that she was a very powerful healer with a great reputation in the void. Even his father used a respectful title when he mentioned her.

But what do those things have to do with him? He's not sick, he doesn't need treatment, he just wants to go back to the wizard's tower to sleep.

"The sunlight is too bright. Sigh, I really want to go back to the Magic Tower," the Wind Prince muttered softly, squinting his eyes.

His voice wasn't loud, but King Linfeng, sitting next to him, heard it. "You unfilial son, shut up." King Linfeng's voice was deep and authoritative, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

He didn't look at the Wind Prince; his gaze remained fixed on the communication stone in his hand. But the anger in those three words made the spellcasters of the Arcane Eternal Star around him unconsciously shrink back.

Prince Feng pursed his lips and dared not speak again.

He pulled his hood up even further, shrinking into the chair and trying to block the glaring sunlight with the back of the chair.

King Linfeng had no mind to discipline his son at the moment.

He was urgently contacting the elders of the Elemental faction, since many of them were not on Arcane Eternity and it would be very difficult for them to get over.

On the other end of the communication stone, the elders of the elemental faction were having a heated discussion.

Some say they can exploit the delay in the broadcast signal, others say they can use the excuse that the venue needs maintenance, and still others say they can directly request the Void Tree to extend the match interval.

Various proposals were put forward, rejected, then put forward again, and rejected again.

As King Linfeng listened to those voices, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

He knew these plans weren't good enough; the rules of the Void Tree weren't so easy to exploit.

But he had no other choice but to grit his teeth and continue the talks.

Prince Feng huddled in his chair, looking at his father's flustered appearance, feeling a little like laughing, but not daring to.

He had never seen his father like this before. Normally, on Arcane Eternal Star, King Rin was a man of absolute authority, and no one dared to say no to him.

Now, they can't even bear to put down their communication stones, for fear of missing any important messages.

Just as Prince Feng was trying to figure out a way to escape, a terrifying aura suddenly appeared in his senses.

The aura arrived without warning, like a thunderclap exploding in a clear sky.

The Wind Prince's body tensed instantly. He sprang up from his chair, his hood slipping down to reveal his pale face.

His eyes were wide open, his pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints, and his lips were trembling slightly.

What was it? His mind went blank, with only this thought echoing in his mind.

The others in the stands also noticed it.

The representatives of the factions who were talking fell silent, the spectators who were packing up to leave stopped what they were doing, and the arena staff who were maintaining order froze in place.

All eyes turned in the same direction at the same time.

At the entrance to the arena, a battered figure slowly walked in.

It was an old man.

He wasn't very tall, and his back was hunched over, as if he were bent over by something.

He was wearing a tattered robe, which was full of tears, and in some places you could even see his emaciated body underneath.

But his eyes were so bright that it was impossible to look directly at them.

An inextinguishable fighting spirit.

Old methods of extermination.

The entire stands fell into a deathly silence at that moment.

Three hundred thousand people, not a single one made a sound.

Then, someone gasped.

"That's... the Old Destroyer?"

"Impossible, he's already..."

"He was alive. I knew he was alive."

"Oh my god, why is he here?"

Whispers came from all directions, the voices were kept low, but the sheer number of people made up for it; the whispers of 300,000 people merged into a buzzing roar.

But there were no cheers, no applause, no expressions of welcome in those voices. Only fear.

If Hill's resurrection brought ecstasy to the forces in the Void, then the appearance of the Old Spellbreaker brought them only fear.

A primal, deep-seated fear.

Those who destroy the Dharma.

No one knows better than those old folks who have lived for a very long time what these three words represent in the void.

They are not heroes, not knights-errant, not warriors fighting for justice.

They are a bunch of lunatics, a bunch of lunatics who would stop at nothing to maintain the balance of the elements.

Once a spellcaster's power exceeds a certain level, they will need to use magical runes to devour natural elements.

It's not that we don't know, but that we have to do it.

This is determined by the structure of the magical circuits within their bodies; it is the source of their power and the foundation of their existence.

If they do not absorb the elements of nature, their magical circuits will collapse, their power will dissipate, and their lives will come to an end.

But natural elements are finite.

The devoured elements will not automatically recover, and the spaces from which the elements were extracted will become dead zones, barren and devastated.

This is the reason why those who destroy the Dharma exist.

They are not targeting any particular spellcaster, faction, or race.

They target all behaviors that disrupt the balance of the elements.

No matter who you are, where you come from, or what kind of power stands behind you.

If you disrupt the balance of the elements, the destroyers of the law will come knocking.

There were no warnings, no negotiations, and no room for discussion.

Draw your sword, slash, sheathe it. It's that simple.

Interestingly, if a spellcaster and a spell destroyer stand together, the first impression of an outsider will definitely be that the spellcaster is on the side of justice, while the spell destroyer looks like a villain.

Because those who destroy the Dharma don't care about their image or reputation; they are the kind of people who can do whatever they want.

Having a bad reputation is better, as it helps maintain the balance of elements.

If someone's reputation is infamous enough, those who intend to disrupt the balance of elements will have to think twice before doing certain things, because they are facing a group of lawbreakers who will not listen to any explanations.

This also has its advantages: no matter what horrific things the Destroyers do, the various Void Races can accept it calmly, since they are already used to it.

Of course, there are downsides as well, namely the current situation.

Its mere presence was enough to send shivers down the spines of many races.

The old destroyer of the law walked in through the entrance of the arena. Those big shots who usually commanded the wind and rain in the void were now all bowing their heads, staring at their toes, not daring to breathe too loudly.

The old perpetrator didn't care. He turned around and walked towards the east side of the stands.

Those sitting around Hill saw him approaching and spontaneously stood up, making way for him.

No one felt it was inappropriate, and no one felt offended.

They had no choice but to give way to this old man.

The old destroyer of law walked over to Hill and sat down in the seat that had been empty for a long time.

That seat has been empty since the start of the competition; no one dared to sit in it.

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

Now, the owner of the seat has arrived.

The whispers in the stands reached their peak at this moment.

Everyone was asking the same question—why did the old destroyer of law come here? Was it to see Su Xiao? Was it to see Hill? Or was it for something else?
Nobody knows the answer.

But everyone knows one thing—from this day forward, this empty sky is about to change.

Time passed while we waited.

Some of the representatives of the forces that were on their way had already arrived, while others were still on their way.

Every time a spaceship landed on the helipad outside the Barrow Arena, it caused a commotion in the stands.

People craned their necks, eager to see who was coming, which faction they represented, and what their relationship was with Hill.

Some of them have very powerful backgrounds, so powerful that even the elders of the demon race have to stand up to greet them.

Some of them may not be from any prominent background, but the gifts they bring are quite remarkable.

Some people are just there to join in the fun, but being able to join in at a time like this is itself a sign of strength.

On the light screen above the arena, the countdown numbers were slowly decreasing.

Finally, an hour later, the countdown reached zero.

The notification sound from the Void Tree rang in the ears of every contestant.

[Reminder: The fourth round of the battle for hegemony is about to begin. 】

This round uses a points-based elimination system, consisting of three rounds of matches. After each round, the Void Tree will comprehensively evaluate scores based on factors such as battle time, outcome, and performance.

After the three rounds, the top ten players in total points will advance to the fifth round.

The first round of matches will begin in ten minutes. (End of Chapter)