491-493 (13.2k)
At this point, all participating geniuses have climbed to their respective limits of comprehension, and what follows is the speed of progress.
"This miniature primordial star is really amazing."
"By abandoning external influences of various Dao sources, my comprehension speed is tens of times faster than before." More and more geniuses realized this, feeling joyful and excited.
"I am now ranked in the two hundredth place, not aiming to break into the top hundred, but at least to maintain it and strive to directly enter the second stage." Some geniuses thought like this.
"I am ranked in the four hundredth place, let's strive! It's not impossible to break into the three hundred and twentieth place."
Due to the Primordial Steps, everyone's ranking can be clearly seen, and many geniuses have a clear positioning of themselves.
Those with high rankings hope to climb higher and make themselves stronger.
Those in the middle are most eager to break into the top three hundred and twentieth place.
And in reality.
The most panicked are the numerous geniuses of the Immortal Court.
"We must break into the top three hundred and twentieth place on the Primordial Steps, otherwise it's over."
"Why?"
"Haven't you seen Zhushan? He's ranked in the two thousandth place, destined to enter the chaotic battle stage."
"Chaotic battle!"
"At that time, he will definitely chase after us geniuses of the Immortal Court. Who can stop him?"
"Huh? Shameless!" Many geniuses of the Immortal Court realized this point and became panicked.
Yes!
If it were a normal chaotic battle, then those with stronger strength would have a better chance of surviving until the end.
However, there is Zhushan in the Witch Court. He is clearly the strongest, but his achievements in the 'Laws of Primordial' are extremely low, which is very unreasonable.
But no matter what, this is the current situation.
It also makes Zhushan likely to become a nightmare for many geniuses of the Immortal Court. What they can do is to fight desperately, break into the top three hundred and twentieth place, and avoid a direct collision with Zhushan.
...
"Primal Force Diagram!"
"The first one, is it so difficult to complete?"
While observing and comprehending the 'Miniature Primordial Star,' Wu Yuan also analyzed the Primal Force Diagrams.
The combination of the two.
The three thousand basic diagrams are the core.
The so-called five thousand primal force diagrams are essentially the three thousand basic diagrams continuously reorganized to become more perfect, but this reorganization is not a simple fusion, but a difference in dimensions.
"If the three thousand basic diagrams are considered one-dimensional, then the five thousand primal force diagrams are two-dimensional, and the final nine thousand primal diagrams are probably three-dimensional." Wu Yuan thought to himself.
Because of this, the difficulty of the five thousand primal force diagrams far exceeds Wu Yuan's imagination.
Even though he has extremely high talent on the path of matter and has perfectly mastered the three thousand basic diagrams, comprehending them is still extremely slow.
"I need to change my mindset and not be limited to the three thousand basic diagrams." Wu Yuan realized his shortcomings.
However, realizing and being able to do it are two different things.
Time passes day by day.
Wu Yuan's refining body avatar is practicing, trying to analyze the underlying logic and principles of the primal force diagrams.
Very slow.
But his heart is extremely calm, after tens of thousands of years of cultivation, his mind has been honed extremely strong.
... Just when Wu Yuan's refining body avatar reached a bottleneck.
Other geniuses, such as Mingjian, Wuchang, Liguang, and Youfeng, are all progressing rapidly, continuously approaching the three thousand-level steps.
However, the most dazzling among them is still Liejin, relying on the special environment of the Primordial Steps.
Just twelve years of cultivation.
He broke through the bottleneck of the three thousand-level steps and stood at the same height as Wu Yuan.
"Liejin broke through."
"He also reached the three thousand-level steps, comprehended the three thousand basic diagrams, and reached a higher level."
"What about Wu Yuan? Why hasn't he moved?"
"I'm afraid he's trapped in a cultivation bottleneck." All participating geniuses couldn't help but look up at the top of the steps.
For more than ten years, Wu Yuan has been stuck at the three thousand-level steps.
He hasn't moved at all.
"Liejin? He's really fast." Wu Yuan seemed to sense something and glanced back at Liejin, showing a hint of smile towards him.
It should be noted that Wu Yuan's refining qi avatar just broke through the two thousand four hundredth level of steps, temporarily ranking fourth.
Youfeng, who ranks third, is only slightly behind the two thousand five hundredth level of steps.
It can be said.
Wu Yuan and Liejin's lead on the Primordial Steps is cliff-like, with no one else close behind.
As for breaking through to the two thousandth level of steps?
Apart from the original six, there is also the Bai Lian Immortal from the Witch Court.
"Wu Yuan." Liejin's face was peculiar and handsome. He smiled and greeted Wu Yuan from afar.
Then.
Liejin began to comprehend the primal force diagrams, but this comprehension surprised him a bit.
Too difficult!
It's simply overwhelming for him to know where to start.
"The difficulty of comprehension seems to have increased tens of times. It's as if it was originally deducing the superior laws, but suddenly turned into comprehending the grand Dao." Liejin was secretly shocked.
He already had some understanding in his heart why Wu Yuan hadn't moved for more than ten years.
It's not that Wu Yuan didn't want to move, but the comprehension of the primal force diagrams was indeed difficult.
"No need to rush, already tied for first place."
"Take it step by step." Liejin calmed down and silently comprehended.
... Decades passed in the blink of an eye, and the entire Primordial Steps were silent.
All the geniuses were silently comprehending.
"Finally, I've deciphered some of the logical rules of the primal force diagrams, this is the profound mystery of the deep operation of matter."
"So, the rules of the primal force diagrams are actually like this." Wu Yuan finally found some clues.
Indeed, it's too difficult.
Even with his high talent, it took him decades to barely cross the threshold of the primal force diagrams.
"Next, it's to slowly decipher until I completely comprehend the first diagram." Wu Yuan thought to himself. "The beginning is always difficult, as long as I can fully comprehend the first primal force diagram, the rest will be much easier."
Wu Yuan didn't know how long it would take to comprehend.
But at least, he has figured out a little clue. As long as there is enough time, he can definitely comprehend the first primal force diagram.
Now, Wu Yuan has given up on the idea of reaching the top, which is simply an impossible task.
"Liejin and Wu Yuan are both trapped."
"This is our chance."
"Give it our all to close the gap between us."
... Thousands of geniuses from various holy places in the endless universe are doing their best.
Among them, the top ones are eager to win the Saint Title.
Those with slightly weaker strength hope to gain greater gains in the Heavenly Domain War. In this way, even if they leave the Celestial Domain Path, their future achievements will be greater.
Time flies.
In the blink of an eye, more than three hundred years have passed. Among the powerful cultivators, time always passes like a fleeting moment.
However.
Compared with over three hundred years ago, the positions and rankings of the thousands of geniuses on the Primordial Steps have changed significantly.
Wu Yuan and Liejin still haven't moved, as if time has stood still for them, both trapped at the three thousand-level steps.
"The primal force diagrams are probably extremely difficult."
"The difficulty of cultivating the primal force diagrams and the basic diagrams is definitely not on the same level." Many geniuses who originally thought Wu Yuan was stuck in a bottleneck have now closed their mouths.
Is it possible for one person to be stuck in a bottleneck? What about two? For hundreds of years?
Almost impossible to be just a bottleneck, can only indicate that comprehending the primal force diagrams is too difficult.
Even Wu Yuan and Liejin, such extraordinary geniuses, find it hard to break free from the shackles.
Suddenly.
"Whoosh!"
A faint ripple dispersed again, instantly attracting the attention of many geniuses.
"Hmm?"
"Someone else has entered the three thousand-level steps?"
"It's Mingjian!"
"He has risen to third place, actually surpassing Youfeng? Youfeng is still several steps away from the three thousand-level steps."
"Mingjian finally ranks third!" Many geniuses couldn't help but look towards the figure in the white robe.
Over the past few hundred years, Mingjian's progress has been accelerating, continuously narrowing the gap with Youfeng, and now he has actually surpassed him.
Whoosh!
Mingjian's figure gradually became blurred, obviously entering a higher level.
The three thousand-level steps are a major threshold.
Once broken through, it's a qualitative change.
"Mingjian?" Youfeng, dressed in black robes, furrowed his brows, a glint flashing in his eyes. "Faster than me?"
Initially, he was slightly higher than Mingjian in climbing the steps, but now, Mingjian has surpassed him.
In fact, over the past few hundred years, not only has Mingjian surpassed Youfeng, but many geniuses who were originally lagging behind have also surpassed the former.
Geniuses like Wuchang and Liguang have reached the two thousand eight hundredth level of steps.
And those who have surpassed the two thousand four hundredth level of steps are already more than fifty.
There are even more than two hundred participating geniuses who have surpassed the two thousandth level of steps.
It can be foreseen that with the passage of time, under the special cultivation environment of the Primordial Steps, more and more geniuses will break through bottlenecks and reach the three thousand-level steps.
The three thousand basic diagrams, as long as the strength is high enough and the talent is not too low, can always be continuously broken through by slowly comprehending.
"Mingjian."
"Good!" Zhuo Haiyue, Bai Yi, and Dongyang Immortal all smiled.
Other geniuses may not necessarily know the relationship between them, but they know that they all belong to the same Taiyuan Divine Court lineage.
Taiyuan Divine Court has eight major masters and tens of thousands of sovereigns, and is very powerful in the Lingjiang Universe, with a prestigious reputation.
However!
Looking at the countless holy land forces in the endless universe, the Taiyuan Divine Court is quite ordinary. Of course, the Taiyuan Divine Court is considered good, but some holy land forces with slightly worse luck may not even have geniuses who can enter the Heavenly Domain War.
...On the three thousand-level steps.
"Whoosh!" Mingjian and Wu Yuan silently glanced at each other, seeming very indifferent, and neither side said much.
Mingjian didn't say much to Liejin either.
"Very good."
"Both avatars have broken through." Wu Yuan felt quite pleased in his heart. "The refining qi avatar is ultimately a superior Dao body. With the assistance of the avatar, his talent in analyzing temporal and spatial substances is indeed quite good."
The "Primordial Principles" consists of three parts: the temporal and spatial, the myriad beings, and the life sections.
Although the directions are different, there are some similarities.
Wu Yuan's two avatars comprehend different directions. Although they cannot completely coincide due to the eternal uniqueness, occasional collisions of inspiration can also produce many different insights.
Most importantly!
"Inexplicably, it seems that I am naturally suited for the path of material. Whether it's analyzing the life or temporal and spatial sections, I'm becoming more and more adapted, and my comprehension speed is getting faster and faster." Wu Yuan thought to himself. "It's as if I've walked a similar path before."
It's very strange.
In Wu Yuan's memory, he had never come into contact with the "Primordial Principles" before, so why does he have this kind of illusion?
"Regardless."
"Let's just assume that I'm really suited for this path, with innate talent." Both of Wu Yuan's avatars calmed down and comprehended the first primal force diagram separately.
It seems like they are both comprehending the first diagram.
But the progress of the refining qi avatar and the refining body avatar is actually quite different. The refining qi avatar has just made contact, while the refining body avatar is not far from understanding the mysteries of the first diagram.
"Mingjian!"
"Truly a peerless genius who became the strongest genius after cultivating for over twenty thousand years."
"The Taiyuan Divine Court has truly produced a peerless genius."
"The Immortal Court has a vast territory, and there is also a group of the strongest geniuses. Now, even the geniuses of the Taiyuan Divine Court have not competed with him."
"In history, the geniuses of the Taiyuan Divine Court have probably never been so dazzling." Many geniuses sighed with emotion.
Most people really admire Mingjian.
...Just over a dozen years later, a faint ripple swept through again. Youfeng, who was previously ranked third but is now fourth, broke through to the three thousand-level steps.
"Worthy of being from the Abyss Demon Clan."
"In the abyss, there are countless living beings, and geniuses are abundant. Youfeng also emerged from the abyss." Geniuses from various holy land forces secretly sighed.
The Abyss Demon Clan, with numerous strong individuals, if all added up, is much stronger in terms of quantity compared to the Immortal Court and the Witch Court. After all, there is an abyss in every universe.
However, the abyss is too chaotic, and there is no way to unify it.
In the current Heavenly Domain War, nearly twenty of the strongest geniuses from the abyss are almost not affiliated with the same force. They all have different masters and even different supreme beings behind them.
Chaos!
The synonym for the abyss is chaos, but the internal chaos and the abysses warring against each other can also become nightmares for many holy land forces in the endless universe.
The holy land forces in the endless universe are collectively referred to as the "Starry Camp".
The Starry Camp directly opposes the abyss. Over countless years, the two sides have erupted in countless wars, large and small.
...
As time passed, nearly a hundred years went by in the blink of an eye.
Liguang and Wuchang also broke through successively, finally ascending to the three thousandth level steps, standing at the same height as Wu Yuan, Liejin, and Mingjian.
The earliest six dazzling geniuses seem to be at the same level now.
At this moment.
"Whoosh!" At the one-thousandth level steps, a figure in a very ordinary black robe leisurely stepped onto the one-thousandth level steps.
He was already second to last.
But his breakthrough instantly attracted the attention of almost all participating geniuses.
Especially the geniuses from the Witch Court and the Immortal Court, almost instantly realized and couldn't help but look towards the last figure.
"Zhushan!"
"He finally broke through."
"The flowers in my celestial treasures have bloomed nearly five hundred times." Many participating geniuses sighed with emotion.
Nearly five hundred years!
In the special environment of the Primordial Steps, one genius after another is rapidly breaking through. Even those who initially only climbed to six or seven hundred levels of steps are now mostly above one thousand levels.
As for Zhushan!
The strongest in the Heavenly Domain War, invincible in the Divine Realm for nine thousand years. Such a peerless genius has always failed to break through the one-thousandth level steps, which sounds absurd.
But that's the reality.
"One thousandth level steps?" Zhushan felt the gazes on him but remained quite calm in his heart. "To comprehend the temporal and spatial sections from scratch and reach a thousand diagrams in less than five hundred years indicates that I have quite a talent for the temporal and spatial aspects."
He was actually quite proud of himself.
Others thought that he had spent nearly five hundred years breaking through from over nine hundred diagrams to a thousand.
But in reality, he started from scratch.
"My refining body avatar is destined not to follow the path of material, so the achievement in the temporal and spatial sections doesn't matter." Zhushan's gaze was calm, and he looked towards the highest point, a hint of inexplicable smile on his lips. "Wu Yuan? I wonder if you'll be surprised when you learn the truth in the future."
Zhushan was quite leisurely, comprehending in an orderly manner.
...
Time passed, year after year, and more and more geniuses broke through to the two thousand eight hundredth level steps.
Moreover, when the time exceeded eight hundred years, even more geniuses broke through to the three thousandth level steps.
The number increased from the previous six to thirteen.
"There are thirteen who have reached the bottleneck of the three thousandth level steps."
"Yet no one can take another step. Is it that difficult?"
"From the basic diagrams to the primal force diagrams, it's probably like mastering sovereign-level techniques to becoming the strongest genius." Many participating geniuses exchanged thoughts with each other.
But in reality, most participating geniuses are not clear about the difficulty of the primal force diagrams.
Being able to enter the Heavenly Domain War indicates decent talent. With enough time spent on the three thousand basic diagrams, one can certainly comprehend them.
However.
The five thousand primal force diagrams require higher talent and comprehension. If the talent is not enough, it's difficult to break through no matter how much time is spent.
And for the dozen or so geniuses who reached the bottleneck early on, if they spend countless years, they will definitely make progress.
But just a few hundred years? Even with miniature primal stars, it's extremely difficult to make progress.
"Breakthrough?"
"These primal force diagrams are hundreds or thousands of times more complex than the basic diagrams. To achieve such a level by studying pure material is quite impressive." The White Lotus Immortal sighed inwardly.
She is the seventh to break through to the three thousandth level steps, but even after two hundred years of comprehension, she still has few clues.
In her heart, the White Lotus Immortal has a premonition that perhaps even after spending hundreds of years, she may gain some insights, but it will be difficult to progress further.
"What should I do?" Liguang is also troubled. He is the number one genius of the Immortal Court, but his brilliance on the Primordial Steps is far less than that of Wu Yuan, Liejin, and the others.
Naturally, he is somewhat annoyed.
"Humph!" Liguang, the
upper god, frowned slightly and glanced at the several figures in the distance. "I find it hard to break through, but Wu Yuan and Liejin can make breakthroughs in just a few hundred years?"
He has realized that even if he continues to cultivate for thousands of years, it will probably be difficult for him to break through again.
"Better to further perfect the Primordial Law," the Upper God Liguang secretly decided.
Comprehending the way to analyze material deeply, but to unleash enough combat power, it also takes time.
...
The thirteen peerless geniuses were all trapped at the three thousandth level steps. Some looked calm, while others wore worried expressions.
Some seemed to have comprehended the profound aspects and couldn't help but smile.
"At last."
"It's been analyzed." Wu Yuan's gaze fell on the primal force diagram not far away.
This primal force diagram was only clear to him, and it was extremely complex.
Eight hundred years of cultivation.
Wu Yuan first found the basic operating logic of the life primal force diagram, and then step by step analyzed it, spending hundreds of years before finally succeeding.
In fact, the breakthroughs of later arrivals to the three thousandth level steps did have some slight influence on him.
But Wu Yuan quickly regained his calm.
"The path of cultivation is not about competing with others, but with oneself. As long as I keep progressing, I will eventually reach the peak." Wu Yuan silently thought, "In this regard, I have to learn from Senior Jiang Huan."
However.
While remaining calm and unaffected by external factors, Wu Yuan unknowingly still ended up at the forefront.
"The first primal force diagram is foundational. Understanding the first one means there's hope to understand the second, the third... until all five thousand primal force diagrams are understood." Wu Yuan murmured, "Moreover, understanding the first primal force diagram also means I can elevate the Primordial Law to a higher level, causing a fundamental transformation."
"Just ten years should be enough."
The progress of the Primordial Law is closely related to the progress of the "Primordial Law".
Wu Yuan was not in a hurry to climb the steps. The biggest gain this time was to understand the first primal force diagram.
For Wu Yuan, it's better to perfect the Primordial Law first and maximize his strength.
As for later comprehending the second and third diagrams, it won't help the Primordial Law as much.
The former leads to a fundamental transformation.
The latter is just icing on the cake.
"As for the refining body avatar, with the guidance of the refining body avatar in front, it should also break through soon." Wu Yuan thought to himself.
The progress of the refining body avatar is also extremely fast.
Time passed silently, and no one knew about Wu Yuan's breakthrough. He still remained motionless.
Over a dozen peerless geniuses who reached the three thousandth level steps also showed no movement.
Several decades later.
On this day, on the quiet Primordial Steps, thousands of figures stood like sculptures.
Whoosh!
A very slight ripple, but it was instantly noticed by geniuses like Liejin, Liguang, Youfeng, and Wuchang.
They were all shocked and looked over.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, Wu Yuan moved. He stepped onto a higher level of steps without any hindrance, and he didn't stop there.
He leaped up another level of steps.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Several consecutive flashes, Wu Yuan climbed five levels of steps in a row.
Then he stopped.
"What?"
"Wu Yuan?"
"He climbed five levels of steps in a row? This! This!" The other dozen or so geniuses were shocked, finding it hard to believe what they were seeing.
Even Liejin was no exception.
They had all attempted to comprehend the primal force diagrams, and they knew how profound they were. Some hadn't even understood the logic of operation, let alone deduced them.
And Wu Yuan, unexpectedly climbed five levels of steps in a row?
This wasn't just a difference of five levels of steps; it represented a fundamental difference between Wu Yuan and them.
"Wu Yuan, broke through."
"It's still him, it's still Wu Yuan, the first to break through the bottleneck of the primal force diagram." Thousands of geniuses who were still at the three thousandth level steps stared in shock.
Although they didn't understand the difficulty of the primal force diagrams.
But Wu Yuan's solitary breakthrough once again established his position as the first, and this scene couldn't be faked.
"This!"
"Wu Yuan's talent is too terrifying." The geniuses of the Immortal Court were even more shocked and frightened.
This kind of cultivation speed is truly terrifying.
"Five primal force diagrams?" Wu Yuan remained quite calm in his heart. "With the accumulation of the past eight hundred years and several decades of comprehension, naturally, I can quickly grasp the first few primal force diagrams. The further I comprehend, the more difficult it will be."
As the comprehension progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult.
Yet Wu Yuan had no worries in his heart; he had already seen a glimpse of the essence of the primal force diagram.
As long as he continued to cultivate step by step, he would eventually comprehend all five thousand diagrams, although it would take many long years.
For Wu Yuan at the moment, the most important thing was that the primal law cultivated by his refining body avatar had already been perfected, undergoing a fundamental transformation.
"Just one step left."
"The final chapter of 'Heavenly Creation Ban.'" Wu Yuan silently recited in his mind, his eyes gleaming. "If I can break through again, relying on the primal law, I should be able to fight against Candle Mountain."
Candle Mountain!
For thousands of years, this had been a dark cloud looming over Wu Yuan's head, but also a goal that motivated him to keep moving forward.
Both belonging to the Witch Court, they had no life-or-death enmity.
Moreover, there was still some friendship between them now, but that didn't prevent Wu Yuan from seeing Candle Mountain as the target he needed to surpass.
Now.
Wu Yuan finally saw the hope of defeating his opponent.
...Years passed, perhaps stimulated by Wu Yuan, or perhaps after accumulating enough comprehension time.
More and more top geniuses broke through to the three thousandth level steps.
Sixteen.
Eighteen.
Twenty-one.
However, every peerless genius who comprehended the three thousand basic diagrams would subconsciously look up at the figure higher up.
Wu Yuan!
Standing alone above all geniuses.
Especially for these newly breakthrough geniuses, after comprehending the primal force diagrams, they truly understood how terrifying Wu Yuan's achievements were.
"The path of material, Wu Yuan, is the first!"
"No one can compete with him."
"If Candle Mountain represents invincible combat power, then Wu Yuan represents the mastery of the 'Primordial Law.'" This had become the consensus among thousands of geniuses.
Of course.
There were also some speculations gradually arising: What is the true strength of Wu Yuan, who has cultivated the Primordial Law to such a high level? Can he surpass Candle Mountain?
Of course, these were just a few voices; ninety-nine percent of the geniuses didn't believe that Wu Yuan could rival Candle Mountain.
It's not that Wu Yuan isn't strong enough, but that Candle Mountain is too strong!
As time approached more than nine hundred years, getting closer to the millennium mentioned by the envoy of the Heavenly Domain.
The real intense competition was in the range of three hundred to four hundred.
Approaching a white-hot state.
The top three hundred and twenty would directly enter the second stage of the Heavenly Domain War. No one wanted to be caught in a brutal free-for-all.
Even the strongest geniuses couldn't guarantee they would survive until the end.
This silent competition was more intense than the Divine Domain War, almost like a head-to-head confrontation.
On this day.
Whoosh!
At the three thousandth level steps, nearly thirty geniuses stood there. Suddenly, a figure in golden robes flew out and leaped to the next higher level of steps.
"Liejin!"
"He finally took this step? Has he comprehended the first primal force diagram?"
"Him?" The other geniuses were a bit dazed but also not too difficult to accept.
After all, Liejin was evenly matched with Wu Yuan at the beginning, but now, he was lagging behind Wu Yuan by many years in terms of progress.
"Liejin!"
"Good." The several hundred geniuses of the Witch Court were increasingly excited, filled with anticipation.
But the Upper God Liejin remained calm, as if his actions were insignificant.
Just three years later.
Whoosh!
Another figure jumped out from the three thousandth level steps and reached the next higher level, standing alongside Liejin.
"Mingjian!"
"He actually broke through again?"
"He comprehended the three thousand basic diagrams later than Liejin by hundreds of years, and now he broke through just a few years later?" There was a buzz of discussion.
Everyone was shocked as they looked at the ethereal figure in white robes.
Mingjian was one of the most relaxed among the many top geniuses, even breaking through towards the end of the Divine Domain War.
At that time, most of the top geniuses didn't pay much attention to him.
But!
In the first stage of the Heavenly Domain War, Mingjian revealed terrifying potential, rising from the fourth position at the beginning and constantly surpassing one after another.
Now, he was almost catching up to Liejin.
It's not that Liejin's progress was not fast enough, but Mingjian's chasing speed was too fast.
"Mingjian?" There was a hint of surprise in Liejin's eyes, but then he didn't pay too much attention to it.
"In the vast universe, there are countless geniuses."
"My Witch Court can give birth to Wu Yuan, and it will also give birth to other peerless talents." Liejin muttered to himself, "However, this Mingjian seems to be from the same realm as Wu Yuan, Qingling Realm."
One realm, one era, giving birth to two peerless talents? And they're both so close in age?
"It's a bit strange." Liejin frowned slightly, a thought flashed through his mind involuntarily, but he instinctively felt it was impossible.
The probability is too small.
"I must be overthinking it. They are both from the Witch Court and the Taiyuan Divine Court..." Liejin's gaze fell on the miniature primal stars at the end of the void.
Continuing to comprehend.
...Two years later, accompanied by the shocked gazes of many geniuses, Mingjian was the first to climb to a higher level of steps.
He truly surpassed Liejin.
"Wu Yuan has reached nearly three thousand one hundred levels, far ahead of everyone else."
"Mingjian, from the Taiyuan Divine Court, ranks second." Many geniuses sighed with emotion.
"At least Liejin has broken through the bottleneck of the primal force diagram."
... "Both avatars have made achievements on the path of material, making the hope of seizing the holy title even greater." Wu Yuan's calm heart was also filled with joy.
The deeper the comprehension of the primal force diagrams, the clearer Wu Yuan's understanding of the material world became.
Although in the special environment of the primal steps, he still couldn't perceive the various origins.
But Wu Yuan had a feeling that once he left here and comprehended the avenues of creation and time and space, he would definitely progress faster and more rapidly.
"The hundredth primal force diagram." Wu Yuan's refining body avatar silently analyzed this diagram.
He was fully comprehending and analyzing.
The collisions of the two avatars produced countless thoughts, making his progress extremely fast, to the point of causing palpitations.
Suddenly.
"The millennium is up!" A majestic voice like the sky simultaneously sounded in the ears of all geniuses: "Those who comprehend the 'Primordial Law' and climb to the top three hundred and twenty of the primal steps will directly enter the second stage."
In an instant.
Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~ The figures ranked at the forefront disappeared out of thin air, already being moved away.
"The hundredth primal force diagram." Wu Yuan stood on this level of steps, but a smile appeared on his face.
The incomplete primal force diagram in his eyes was quickly completed and became flawless.
Out of five thousand primal force diagrams, each hundred was a small checkpoint, and each thousand was a major bottleneck.
Only Wu Yuan's two avatars and Liejin successfully broke through the first primal force diagram.
It was obvious.
Wu Yuan's achievements and talent in the path of material were indisputable.
Whoosh! Wu Yuan's two avatars and Liejin disappeared silently from the steps.
...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Three hundred and twenty figures appeared on the original square at the same time.
Sparsely distributed.
"Hmm?" Wu Yuan's refining body avatar swept his gaze, seeing that nearly a dozen of the Witch Court's strongest geniuses, such as Qijue, Wanbao, and Xuanrong, were present.
Except for Candle Mountain.
"Haiyue." Wu Yuan's refining qi avatar also swept his gaze, only to see Zhuo Haiyue.
Dongyang Upper Immortal? Baiyi? They both fell short in the end and didn't make it into the top three hundred and twenty.
"It's a pity for Dongyang Master." Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.
Near the end, he glanced at the rankings of Dongyang Master on the primal steps, which should be around three hundred and thirtieth place.
Just a little bit short.
But this is the Universe Heavenly Road, extremely brutal.
A little short, and one must participate in the brutal free-for-all to compete for the other three hundred and twenty spots.
"Witch Court, nearly forty people have directly entered the second stage." Wu Yuan analyzed quickly, "As for the Immortal Court, it seems that there are more than forty-two people."
A total of three hundred and twenty spots, with the Witch Court and the Immortal Court occupying more than one-fifth.
It can be seen how strong these two major forces are.
"However."
"Nearly a hundred of the strongest geniuses have mostly advanced directly." Wu Yuan muttered, "Only about ten are caught in the melee."
This was also normal.
Most of the strongest geniuses had extremely high comprehension and talent. Even if they started off behind, after thousands of years of cultivation, most of them could rush to the forefront.
Whoosh! A middle-aged man in a white robe who had been standing in the void silently flew to the square above, overlooking the three hundred and twenty people below: "First of all, congratulations on entering the second stage."
"However, your progress is too slow. With so much time and such a good environment, only thirty-two of you have comprehended the three thousand basic diagrams, and only three have crossed the threshold of cultivating the primal force diagram... It's indeed slow." The middle-aged man in the white robe sighed lightly, "None of you can directly seize the holy title."
Silence.
Wu Yuan, Liejin, and hundreds of other geniuses couldn't help but look at the middle-aged man in the white robe.
Slow?
In comparison to the demands made by the middle-aged man in the white robe, they were indeed slow, but they were already the top geniuses in the endless universe.
"The rest of you, over two thousand people." The middle-aged man in the white robe looked into the distance.
On the primal steps, there were still over two thousand figures.
"Fight each other, and the thirty-two survivors on each battlefield can enter the second stage." The middle-aged man in the white robe waved his hand.
Boom! Boom!
In the distant void, rifts instantly appeared, forming vast paradises, followed by over two thousand figures disappearing simultaneously.
In each paradise, over two hundred figures appeared out of thin air.
At this moment, they all glanced nervously at each other nearby.
"Hmm?" Wu Yuan shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly, "Candle Mountain's plan is probably going to fail."
Because.
The nearly ten strongest geniuses who didn't advance were basically distributed to different paradises, and in the paradise where Candle Mountain was, there wasn't a single strongest genius.
Moreover, even the geniuses from the Immortal Court were rare, with only two.
Obviously.
This selection wasn't entirely random but was intentionally controlled by the Heavenly Domain Envoys to select the strongest three hundred and twenty, rather than allowing Candle Mountain and other top geniuses to selectively kill.
"Let's begin!"
"Remember, you only have twenty breaths of time. When twenty breaths are up, if the number of survivors exceeds thirty-two, then the thirty-two with the most kills will advance." The middle-aged man in the white robe looked down, his voice indifferent.
Echoing in the ears of every genius in the ten paradises.
Twenty breaths?
Wu Yuan, Liejin, Zhuo Haiyue, and the other geniuses who had advanced looked at each other. This rule was meant to limit those skilled in agility, forcing them to fight desperately.
As the voice of the Heavenly Domain Envoys fell...
"Kill!"
"Kill!" In the ten paradises, a ferocious melee erupted instantly, terrifying spells and towering figures standing tall.
However, the most eye-catching melee in the ten paradises was undoubtedly in the seventh paradise.
It was Candle Mountain!
"Those who block me, die!" Candle Mountain's eyes were cold, and instantly, three identical figures appeared around him.
Three Primal Avatars.
With his avatar, that made four in total, all bursting out simultaneously, causing a bloody storm.
No one could withstand his slap!
---
PS: Twelve thousand words, combined into four parts.
Apart from the guaranteed two chapters, there's still a guarantee for 3/4 and 4/4 of the owed updates. With two days off this month, the guaranteed owed updates will be fulfilled. Starting tomorrow, there will be extra updates with monthly votes.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 493: Clash of Titans
In the thousand-year-long cultivation on the primal steps, it was Wu Yuan who stole the spotlight, leading by a wide margin, regarded as a formidable adversary by geniuses like Liejin, You Feng, and Li Guang.
Now.
In this brutal elimination, each paradise had about two hundred and forty people, but only thirty-two could survive, with over eighty percent elimination rate, determining the outcome in one battle.
The most eye-catching figure, undoubtedly, was Candle Mountain!
The moment he appeared, the other geniuses in the same paradise turned pale, fully aware of Candle Mountain's terrifying power.
"Escape!"
"Run!"
"We can't defeat Candle Mountain." Immediately, a large number of geniuses fled frantically in all directions, afraid to face Candle Mountain head-on.
And next, Candle Mountain's performance in battle truly revived everyone's memory, once again displaying scenes of his invincibility in the Divine Realm for nine thousand years.
Especially when he unleashed his three Primal Avatars simultaneously.
Invincible!
Absolutely invincible.
His main body or each Primal Avatar walked alone in the paradise, seemingly casually making moves.
Slap after slap.
Simple, rough, yet unmatched in power.
Each slap seemed as leisurely as swatting a mosquito for an ordinary person, but no matter how other geniuses dodged, they couldn't evade.
Escape? Slapped to death!
Resistance? Slapped to death!
Over a dozen geniuses joining forces to resist with spells? Still slapped several of them to death!
The Five Elements rotate, perfect and flawless.
Candle Mountain's palm technique seemed so simple that even geniuses like Wu Yuan, You Feng, and Wu Chang standing outside the arena seemed to see through his moves.
It's as if he had no moves at all, just randomly slapping.
"Puff!"
"Puff!" "Puff!" Beams of light flashed by, and each genius would be teleported away from the paradise just before falling.
Eliminated!
In other paradises, there were numerous geniuses fighting each other, but the paradise where Candle Mountain was located was an exception. The other hundreds of geniuses had only the chance to escape.
They didn't even have the courage to join forces to fight.
Because Candle Mountain's killing speed was extremely fast, both his main body and the three Primal Avatars were madly killing in different directions.
Only six breaths!
"Boom~" Another extraordinary genius turned into a beam of light and was teleported away, followed by an invisible force enveloping the entire paradise.
Candle Mountain's main body stopped.
His three Primal Avatars stopped too.
"Only thirty-two people left."
"We survived?"
"We finally survived." The other thirty-one geniuses left in the paradise, except for the eight geniuses from the Wu Court who remained relatively calm, showed a mixture of fear and joy.
Survived.
Their survival had nothing to do with their strength; it was purely because they had fled farther away from Candle Mountain.
"Thank goodness."
"We're in the same paradise as Candle Mountain."
"We're entering the second stage."
"We can get a supreme Dao artifact." The eight geniuses from the Wu Court were full of joy on their faces. In terms of strength, they were average among the thousands of geniuses.
If it were a normal elimination battle, perhaps only one of them would have survived to enter the second stage.
Now, thanks to Candle Mountain, all eight of them survived.
"Heavenly Domain Envoys, are you targeting me?" Candle Mountain furrowed his brows slightly.
Normally, each paradise world should have about twenty or thirty powerhouses from the Wu Court and the Immortal Court.
However, the paradise he was in had only a pitiful single-digit number of geniuses from both the Wu Court and the Immortal Court.
Moreover.
In a true large-scale melee, such as when thousands of geniuses gather in one paradise for a battle, Candle Mountain was confident he could slaughter over a thousand people alone.
Unfortunately.
It seemed that the Heavenly Domain Envoys had anticipated this, not allowing Candle Mountain's formidable strength to disrupt the balance.
Upon thinking about it, Candle Mountain could understand. The essence of the Universal Pathway was to select enough monstrous geniuses. How could they leave such a big loophole for themselves?
Swish! Swish!
Waves of spatial fluctuations descended, and Candle Mountain and the other thirty-two people were instantly teleported out of the paradise.
To the square.
...
"Candle Mountain!"
"It's terrifying." On the square, hundreds of geniuses who had already entered the second stage were holding their breaths, looking at Candle Mountain who had just been teleported out.
His three Primal Avatars had disappeared, leaving only his main body, which still looked ordinary and inconspicuous.
Compared to Candle Mountain, Liejin appeared extraordinary and handsome.
But!
Despite Candle Mountain's seemingly ordinary appearance, the terrifying power he displayed was enough to make all geniuses tremble.
The simplest moves he made erupted with the most terrifying strength.
"His attacks, seemingly simple, are actually flawless and impeccable."
"It's impossible to stop him."
"Even if I use the Primal Law to slightly enhance my strength, facing Candle Mountain? I'm completely outmatched."
"His palm technique has reached an unimaginable level. I even suspect that his understanding of the Dao has reached the level of a Mid-Tier Sovereign."
"It's hard to say." Many geniuses on the square exchanged their thoughts with each other.
Geniuses like Wu Yuan, Wu Chang, Ming Jian, You Feng, and Li Guang, who had the potential to break into the top ten, seemed lost in thought.
"Unstoppable."
"His consciousness and mental strength are too strong. This is not only because of the Extreme Realm Spirit; what has he experienced?" Wu Chang's expression was calm, but there was a hint of despair in his eyes. "I couldn't even defeat one of his Primal Avatars before, and now there are four..."
"No chance of winning!"
"Even if I've mastered the Primal Law, I'm afraid I can only withstand two of his Primal Avatars." Bai Shui's figure was graceful, gritting her teeth, murmuring to herself, "But he has three Primal Avatars. With their coordinated attacks, even his main body doesn't need to take action; just the Primal Avatars alone are enough to crush me."
...Despair!
These exceptional geniuses aspiring to be in the top ten truly felt a deep sense of despair when they witnessed Candle Mountain's actions.
Unstoppable.
Moreover, they all knew that the slaughter just now was only Candle Mountain testing his skills; he hadn't encountered truly powerful opponents yet, so he probably hadn't exerted his full strength.
If he were to encounter a life-and-death opponent and unleash his full power, Candle Mountain's strength would probably be even stronger.
By then, who could stop him?
However.
In the atmosphere of despair among the geniuses, there were also two bright and clear pairs of eyes, with a glint of fighting spirit.
"Candle Mountain."
"His strength seems to be stronger than when we last fought? It's reasonable, my strength is constantly breaking through and improving, so how could his strength remain stagnant?" Wu Yuan's body refining Avatar had a gleam in his eyes. "Very good, very good."
Candle Mountain's strength didn't make Wu Yuan feel despair; instead, it ignited even more fighting spirit in his heart.
Surpass the opponent!
Catch up to the opponent!
If the two sides were to eventually meet and clash, Wu Yuan would go all out in the battle.
Even if he failed, Wu Yuan wouldn't regret it.
"Not aiming to be the strongest, how can one become the strongest?" Wu Yuan silently recited in his heart, filled with longing.
Whoosh!
Candle Mountain suddenly turned his head, as if sensing something, and his gaze instantly collided with Wu Yuan's.
Four pairs of eyes met.
Both Wu Yuan and Candle Mountain felt the unshakable willpower in each other's eyes, and both couldn't help but smile.
This wasn't about mortal enmity.
But the purest form of competition!
Competing to be the number one of the same generation, competing for the fortune of an era, and competing for the invincible belief of a lifetime.
...
The paradise where Candle Mountain was located ended its battle in just six breaths.
But in the other nine paradise worlds, the fighting was incredibly intense and fierce.
Wu Yuan paid close attention to several paradises, as there were people he cared about and was concerned about.
In the third paradise.
Dongyang Immortal was inside.
At this moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Nearly two hundred extraordinary geniuses who hadn't been eliminated were fighting fiercely inside, spells surging, treasures flashing across the sky, emitting dazzling light.
The fighting among these geniuses was incredibly fierce.
Melee! In this paradise world, there was no strongest genius, which meant there was no absolute strongest.
The more so, the more intense the fighting.
They not only had to defeat their enemies and accumulate kills, but also had to be careful to prevent being ambushed by enemies.
In a sense, this large melee was more friendly to body refiners because they had stronger survival abilities.
In theory, it was also more friendly to the Wu Court, the Immortal Court, and other major forces, because these two major forces had more geniuses and could completely cooperate to kill enemies.
However, no genius was a fool.
As soon as it started, the geniuses from other forces cooperated tacitly, crazily targeting the geniuses from the Wu Court and the Immortal Court, trying their best to separate them.
Don't let the geniuses from the two strongest forces cooperate with each other.
After all, this was an elimination battle, not a battle to the death.
Geniuses belonging to the same force could be fully trusted. If they were allowed to cooperate, the combined effect would be much greater than the sum of their individual strengths.
"Dongyang Master is very dangerous, and his strength is still somewhat lacking." Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar stared intently.
As for the body refining Avatar? There's no overt concern.
After all, in public relations, the body refining Avatar and Dongyang Immortal have no connection.
In terms of strength, those who can reach the second stage are at least Star Sovereigns with extreme insights, with half of them mastering Sovereign-level techniques.
What about Dongyang Immortal? He has yet to master Sovereign-level techniques, so his strength is relatively low.
However!
Dongyang Immortal is quite skilled in spatial laws, his footwork is extremely exquisite, greatly increasing his survivability, dodging enemy attacks time and time again.
One hundred and eighty people.
One hundred and fifty people.
One hundred and twenty people.
Ninety people.
As time passes, more and more geniuses are eliminated from the third paradise, while the remaining individuals become stronger overall.
"Hmm?"
Wu Yuan suddenly noticed that in the tenth paradise, another genius from the Great Source Divine Court, 'Bai Yi', was hit simultaneously by several attacks.
Couldn't withstand it!
Bai Yi, eliminated.
"Dongyang Master is still on the run." Wu Yuan silently observed, pondering.
In this elimination battle, Wu Yuan couldn't intervene, only silently praying.
...Whoosh!
Dongyang Immortal exerted all his strength, his Law Avatar followed closely behind him, surrounded by seven life-bound flying swords, sword energy rampant, his figure elusive and unpredictable.
"So difficult."
"So crazy."
"Those who can hold on until now are definitely not weak." Dongyang Immortal's eyes were cold, gritting his teeth to endure.
Those who can hold on until now, in any universe, are ranked in the top thirty or even twenty of the absolute geniuses, with a ninety percent chance of becoming Sovereigns in the future.
How could there be any weak ones?
Right! Dongyang Immortal is indeed very strong. He has obtained many opportunities in the Dragon Mountain Universe and has grown rapidly in the Divine Realm.
However, among those who can compete on the same stage, how many are weaker than him?
After fighting until now, Dongyang Immortal has been fleeing all along, with no ability to kill other participating geniuses.
Fortunately!
In terms of footwork, Dongyang Immortal ranks high among these hundreds of geniuses. Coupled with his unremarkable appearance, he managed to survive in the melee time and time again.
As for other geniuses? As the number decreases, those who are still alive are either strong in strength or strong in survival ability, making it increasingly difficult to kill them.
Finally!
Twenty breaths have passed.
"Buzz~" An invisible force instantly enveloped the nearly sixty people remaining in the third paradise.
"Defeat the top thirty-two in terms of kills, victory!" The indifferent voice of the Heavenly Domain Envoy echoed in their ears.
"The rest, eliminated."
Poof~ Poof~ Poof~ Including Dongyang Immortal, nearly thirty people disappeared instantly, teleported out of the paradise world, and did not appear on the square.
His kill count is zero.
Dongyang Immortal, stopped at the first stage of the Heavenly Domain War.
...
Phew! Phew!
On the square, more and more figures kept appearing.
Each batch teleported out numbered dozens.
In fact, only the paradise battlefield where Candle Mountain was located had ended the battle.
As for the other paradises?
With the participating geniuses being relatively evenly matched in strength and each having strong survival capabilities with their Avatars and Laws, the other paradises were fighting fiercely until the last moment.
Rankings were determined based on the number of defeats.
"Dongyang Master, failed." Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar sighed inwardly. "Bai Yi, also eliminated."
"Ming Jian."
"It's a bit unfortunate for Dongyang. If he had achieved higher accomplishments in the 'Primordial Law', he could have directly advanced to the second stage." Zhuo Haiyue's voice echoed in Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar's mind. "If it were a large melee, his strength would be relatively weak and getting eliminated is normal."
"As for Bai Yi, her strength is actually not bad. She was eliminated early in the melee, obviously targeted, which is a bit regrettable."
Zhuo Haiyue wasn't too clear about the relationship between Dongyang Immortal and Wu Yuan's master.
But she knew that both came from the Dragon Star Immortal Sect.
As for Bai Yi? Everyone belongs to the Great Source Divine Court lineage, so even if they aren't familiar, they would still feel close.
Therefore, Zhuo Haiyue would pay some attention.
"Among the Great Source lineage, only the two of us remain," Wu Yuan transmitted, looking at Zhuo Haiyue.
"I'm clear about my own strength and status. Breaking into the top ten is basically hopeless," Zhuo Haiyue smiled and transmitted, "For me, entering the second stage is considered a victory."
"The difference between the top 640, top 80, and top 40 is not significant; they all have obtained supreme Dao artifacts."
"Only the top ten can be considered entering the third stage, where the rewards are qualitative," Zhuo Haiyue transmitted, "Ming Jian, as part of the Great Source Divine Court lineage, whether a transcendent genius can emerge in the top ten of the Heavenly Road depends on you."
As for the Saint's title? Zhuo Haiyue didn't say.
Because in her view, after Candle Mountain and Wu Yuan consecutively erupted, the probability of Ming Jian seizing the Saint's title was very low.
Although occasionally in history, there have been three Saint's title geniuses, most of the time there is only one or two.
"Top ten?" Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar nodded slightly.
As a sacred land force, the Great Source Divine Court has participated in dozens of Universal Heavenly Roads openings, and the best achievement among its geniuses is the Mountain Jin Dominator, who made it into the top ten.
As for other geniuses? In the history of the Great Source Divine Court, although some geniuses have been able to rival the Mountain Jin Dominator at the God Immortal stage, they have not had the opportunity to shine in the Universal Heavenly Road.
After all, the Universal Heavenly Road only opens once every 5.5 billion years, and the vast majority of geniuses don't have the opportunity to participate.
"Saint's title?" Wu Yuan silently contemplated.
The desire to seize the Saint's title from the body refining Avatar's perspective was almost naked, and any genius could sense it.
But no one would question it.
After reaching the Primitive Stage, Wu Yuan's body refining Avatar has long been one of the top candidates for the Saint's title.
But unlike the Qi refining Avatar, although his strength is astonishing, it's not so dazzling, so there's no need to flaunt it for now.
...
"640 slots, our Witch Hall has only about seventy."
"The Immortal Hall has even fewer than seventy."
"We were targeted too much during the melee stage." Dozens of geniuses belonging to the Witch Hall exchanged messages with each other.
According to reason, the overall level of geniuses from the Witch Hall and Immortal Hall, the two strongest forces, should have resulted in more people advancing to the second stage.
However, in the recent melee stage, the two major forces were almost uniformly targeted by other forces, resulting in a large number of eliminations.
Of course, judging from the number of people entering the second stage, the two major forces are still formidable.
It must be understood that more than one-third of the sacred land forces in the Endless Universe have been eliminated, with not a single one left.
For example, Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar and Zhuo Haiyue, with two remaining from the Great Source Divine Court, are already considered to be among the larger sacred land forces.
...
Boom~ Around this vast square, numerous jade platforms appeared out of thin air, numbering in the thousands, followed by figures appearing out of thin air on the platforms.
Among them, some still had normal life fluctuations, while others were extremely embarrassed.
"Hmm?"
"What's that?" Wu Yuan, Candle Mountain, Zhuo Haiyue, and the others immediately noticed that people like Bai Yi and Dongyang Immortal, who had been eliminated earlier, appeared on the jade platforms, but many of them had very weak life fluctuations, seemingly recently severely injured.
Phew!
"Although you've been eliminated, you've come to the Heavenly Domain War, which shows extraordinary talent," the voice of a middle-aged man in a white robe in the void was faint, overlooking below, "Therefore, I allow you to watch the battle. Perhaps you can gain some enlightenment. When the final Saint's title is decided, you will leave together."
"These jade platforms all have the merit of assisting in cultivation, better than the cultivation environment in the Divine Realm."
Wu Yuan, Nochang, and other geniuses couldn't help but nod secretly.
Watch the battle?
Observing the battles between the strong can indeed be enlightening at times; the Heavenly Domain Envoy's thoughts were comprehensive.
"Rewards have been distributed to those who have been eliminated." The middle-aged man in the white robe overlooking the six hundred and forty people on the square below said, "If you are eliminated, you can also watch from the side and receive corresponding supreme Dao artifacts."
"If you make it into the top ten, you will receive a Primordial Spiritual Treasure."
"Want a Primordial Spiritual Treasure?" The middle-aged man in the white robe looked at each genius one by one, feeling the fiery gazes, "Then go for it! Charge into the top ten, and naturally you'll have one."
Phew!
The middle-aged man in the white robe waved his hand, and the ten paradises in the distance disappeared rapidly.
In their place, a new paradise was opened up.
The entire paradise had a maximum diameter of about a million miles, with the internal space shaped like a sphere, as if it were in a different time and space dimension.
"The rules of the second stage are very simple: one-on-one duels!" The middle-aged man in the white robe said slowly, "Out of the six hundred and forty people, three hundred and twenty winners will advance to the next round."
"Then, the one hundred and sixty will compete, with the winners
"Then, proceed to duels, with one hundred and sixty people advancing to the next round."
"Finally, after six rounds of duels, the top ten will be determined," the middle-aged man in the white robe said, "Only the top ten can enter the third stage."
"Each battle will be conducted separately."
Wu Yuan, Candle Mountain, Lijin, Zhuo Haiyue, and many other geniuses couldn't help but furrow their brows.
They had already understood the pros and cons of the duel rules.
The biggest drawback is that the chosen top ten may not necessarily be the true top ten in terms of strength.
If they encounter other top-tier powerhouses early on, for example, if Wu Yuan meets Candle Mountain when advancing from eighty to forty, what will happen?
It's certain that one of them will be eliminated.
It can be said that unless one is truly the strongest, if they want to break into the top ten, it largely depends on who their opponents are.
Before breaking into the top ten, each person will face a maximum of six opponents.
"Everyone, don't worry too much," Wu Yuan's voice resonated in the minds of dozens of Witch Hall geniuses such as Bailian and Xuanrong, "From the melee just now, the Heavenly Domain Envoy seems to value fairness more and won't deliberately eliminate the top-tier geniuses early on."
"Hmm."
"Wu Yuan is right, but there's something to note," Candle Mountain's voice also followed, "These one-on-one duels might lead us to clash with strong individuals from our own faction. If that happens, we should go all out and not hold back."
"Although we're from the same faction, when it comes to opportunities, we must seize them," Candle Mountain's voice lingered.
Candle Mountain's words were simple but resonated deeply with many Witch Hall geniuses.
Not to mention that this competition doesn't involve life and death.
When it comes to critical moments, for great opportunities, even if it means risking their lives, they must fight for it.
"In fifteen minutes, the duels will begin. Be prepared," the middle-aged man in the void said lightly, waving his hand once again.
Silent.
Buzz~ Buzz~ Jade platforms appeared simultaneously beneath Wu Yuan, Candle Mountain, and the others. The six hundred and forty people seemed to be guided invisibly, each sitting on their respective platforms.
The moment they sat down.
These geniuses felt a mysterious substance seeping from the jade platform beneath them, rapidly merging into their bodies, replenishing their depleted mana and life force.
"It can replenish mana?"
"What a peculiar substance."
"It can even dispel mental fatigue." Wu Yuan, Nochang, and others couldn't help but marvel.
Although they mostly carried precious pills, such effective ones were very rare.
...On the spectator stands.
"Dongyang? I've heard the Dominator talk about you before. Indeed, you're extraordinary, almost advancing to the second stage," Baiyi in white robes smiled.
"I'm not as strong as you," Dongyang Immortal also smiled.
They both belonged to the Great Source Divine Court lineage and had a natural affinity.
"But your comprehension of the 'Law of Primordial Origins' is amazing," Baiyi sighed, "Without the strongest talent, if you want to advance to the second stage based solely on strength, luck plays a big role."
Dongyang Immortal nodded in agreement.
"Hmm? The duel is about to begin." Baiyi suddenly pointed to the distance, feeling surprised, "The first battle, is Ming Jian stepping onto the stage?"
"Ming Jian?" Dongyang Immortal squinted, also looking at the distant void battlefield.
...
"Ming Jian is on stage."
"The first match features the strongest genius?"
"Although there are over three hundred duels in the first round, having nearly a hundred of the strongest geniuses participating is quite normal, isn't it?" Not only did thousands of already eliminated geniuses exchange messages with each other.
The hundreds of geniuses preparing for battle were also paying attention.
Their attention was all focused on Ming Jian.
Ming Jian's reputation, although not as great as Candle Mountain or Wu Yuan's, had become one of the top twenty contenders after passing through the Primitive Stage.
...In the million-mile-long battlefield.
Two figures faced each other from a distance.
"Ming Jian, the top genius in the Endless Universe, and also the strongest genius." A burly man clad in black battle armor, wielding a black staff, stared fixedly at Wu Yuan, "It's difficult for me to win against you, but I won't give up."
"Attack!"
With a low roar, the burly man's figure flashed, splitting into two instantly, transforming into two towering figures, charging fiercely toward Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar, appearing extremely ferocious.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Two figures, eighteen staffs swung, as if sweeping across heaven and earth, fiercely smashing towards Wu Yuan.
"Mo Qi? The Abyssal Demon Clan, mastering monarch-level techniques? That's quite barbaric." Wu Yuan's Qi refining Avatar smiled faintly.
Swish!
Wu Yuan took a step forward, as if teleporting, instantly advancing thousands of miles.
Buzz~ A huge silver sword disk appeared beneath his feet.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Strands of sword light burst out from the sword disk, with a total of eighteen flying swords, forming a vast sword domain spanning tens of thousands of miles.
Approaching the Abyssal God.
"Boom~" As soon as the Abyssal God's Avatar and Source Body touched the sword domain, they felt a terrifying pressure sweeping over them, reducing their speed by over eighty percent.
It was like sinking into a super mud pit.
"This battlefield cannot enter higher-dimensional space, which is very disadvantageous for my spacetime lineage," Wu Yuan's voice was faint, "Unfortunately, you're too weak to grasp my weaknesses."
Swish!
A dazzling endless sword light streaked across the sky, directly piercing one of the towering figures.
It was the Abyssal God's Avatar.
In a life-and-death struggle, if one's strength is sufficient, there's no need to pay attention to those avatars and Source Bodies; one can go straight for the Avatar.
"Not good!"
The Abyssal God's expression changed slightly as he wielded his heavy club to block, but only saw a formidable sword formation composed of nine middle-grade flying swords, with overwhelming power.
"Boom~" The Abyssal God was sent flying backward, spitting blood.
"Go!" Wu Yuan's Qi Refining Avatar's voice was faint.
"Pong~"
"Pong~" The sword formation attacked three times in a row. Although it seemed like a simple attack, each time it precisely targeted the Abyssal God's defense weaknesses, causing him to fly backward, almost losing his grip on the club, and his body seemed on the verge of bursting apart.
Blood gushed out.
"Wham!" The sword formation struck again like lightning.
"I concede." The Abyssal God gritted his teeth and shouted, feeling a chill in his heart.
The gap was just too big.
Under the suppression of the sword domain, even his Source Body couldn't come to the rescue, and even if it did, it would only delay things a bit.
Defeat was inevitable.
However, the Abyssal God didn't expect to lose so miserably.
..."So strong."
"He didn't even appear in person, relying only on his avatar, and defeated a genius who controls monarch-level techniques with repeated strikes?"
"Impressive." Many geniuses murmured to themselves.
The strength displayed by Wu Yuan's Qi Refining Avatar was indeed formidable.
"But wait."
"The most formidable aspect of Ming Jian lies not in the strength of his sword formation, but in his control. Every time his sword formation attacks, it leaves the Abyssal God unable to defend, which is truly terrifying."
"The spacetime domain is naturally best at control." Many geniuses communicated with each other.
Especially the top-tier geniuses were all contemplating how to block Ming Jian.
...Wu Yuan's Qi Refining Avatar defeated the Abyssal God, representing a smooth entry into the top 320.
As they were both moved away.
The second round immediately began, with two geniuses who controlled monarch-level techniques facing off.
Both were considered peerless geniuses, and their fight was extremely intense, but much less attention was paid to it.
In the end, a genius from the Purple Twilight Universe emerged victorious.
The third round...
The fourth round...
...
As time passed, one duel after another ended.
In each battle, participating geniuses fought fiercely.
Only those who could continue to the next round had a chance to break into the top ten, with no fear of losing their lives, so naturally, no one was willing to give up or concede.
In the twenty-eighth match, Zhushan participated and easily defeated his opponent.
In the sixty-seventh match, Wu Yuan's Body Refining Avatar participated and, with a single slash, also defeated his opponent, displaying astonishing power.
In the ninety-ninth match, Wuchang participated and, standing still, defeated his opponent without moving.
Gradually, many participating geniuses realized that these duels were not random; the nearly hundred strongest geniuses did not encounter each other.
Obviously, as Wu Yuan and Zhushan predicted, the Heavenly Realm Envoys were not willing to eliminate the powerful too early.
Such arrangements made most of the first-round duels lose their suspense early on.
Instead, it was the seemingly weaker ones who, though appearing weak, were actually evenly matched, making their battles more exciting.
However, in the first round of 320 duels, there were also some shining moments.
In the two hundred and eighty-ninth duel, Zhuo Haiyue fought Qing Fu.
Qing Fu, a peerless genius from the Immortal Court, controlled monarch-level techniques and had formidable strength, having defeated several peers of the same level.
"Zhuo Haiyue, you've only been cultivating for over twenty thousand years?" Qing Fu was full of confidence. "I will defeat her."
Most of the observing geniuses thought the same way. In fact, except for a few like Wu Yuan and Dongyang Xianshen, most people didn't pay much attention to this battle.
But!
As soon as she made a move, Zhuo Haiyue erupted with terrifying power, and her overwhelming Thunder Dao Blade overwhelmed Qing Fu.
In less than ten collisions, Zhuo Haiyue had Qing Fu on the ground, literally toothless.
After all, even his body was cut apart by the Thunder Dao Blade.
Zhuo Haiyue won.
"What?"
"The complete Law of Thunder?"
"She comprehended the Law of Thunder? Another strongest genius?" There was an uproar as many geniuses stared at Zhuo Haiyue in shock.
Until now, in the first round of battles, Zhuo Haiyue was the only one who revealed herself as the hidden strongest genius.
"Becoming the strongest genius?"
"Comprehended the Law of Thunder?" Wu Yuan frowned. He was well aware of Zhuo Haiyue's situation.
It couldn't be inferred by the normal pace of genius cultivation. If she wanted to, Zhuo Haiyue probably could have comprehended the Law of Thunder long ago, but she had been suppressing it.
Now, she actually broke through?
"Did Zhuo Haiyue resolve the issue of the Supreme Seal?" Wu Yuan pondered. After all, the Thunder Bead was still in his hands.
He couldn't forget that in exchange for the Thunder Bead, he had also destroyed a strand of life imprint from that mysterious Supreme Existence.
However, after they met, Zhuo Haiyue didn't say much, and Wu Yuan didn't ask much.
Soon, the first round of 320 matches ended, and apart from Zhuo Haiyue's battle, there was little suspense in this round.
Or rather, there wasn't much suspense, like the duel between two geniuses who controlled monarch-level techniques. Would their victory affect the top ten candidates?
It wouldn't.
So, naturally, it wasn't given much attention.
"Rest for fifteen minutes, recover your mana, and the second round will begin in fifteen minutes," the Heavenly Realm Envoy overlooked the crowd.
Soon, the second round began, and Wu Yuan's Qi Refining Avatar was still the first to take the stage.
The opponent's strength was comparable to Cangyu, who had already perished, not one of the strongest geniuses.
It was an easy victory.
The duels continued one after another, with the second round being much like the first; the Heavenly Realm Envoys still arranged many of the strongest geniuses in different matches, avoiding early confrontations.
There wasn't much suspense.
Until the one hundred and thirty-seventh match, where Ziyue from the Yao Yue Divine Palace fought Guoya from the Abyssal Demon Clan.
Both were geniuses who controlled monarch-level techniques according to everyone's intelligence, not too dazzling.
But when both erupted, the situation immediately changed.
Guoya from the Abyssal Demon Clan turned out to be a strongest genius. His body was like a skeleton, terrifyingly powerful, and his crazy fighting under the complete Law of Death filled the air with death qi, immediately suppressing Ziyue.
Just when everyone thought Ziyue was about to lose, in this desperate moment, she actually broke through!
She mastered the Law of Fire in one fell swoop.
Instantly, what was originally a normal duel escalated into a showdown between two of the strongest geniuses, immediately capturing the attention of almost all participating geniuses.
This is the first time in the Heavenly Realm War that two of the strongest geniuses have directly confronted each other.
Unlike the Divine Realm War.
At that time, although there were many battles among the strongest geniuses, most were just avatars or incarnations, and each had their own concerns. Many of the strongest geniuses did not carry their strongest magic weapons.
But now, after a thousand years of cultivation on the Primordial Step, many geniuses have made progress in their strength.
It's another head-on battle between avatars.
Naturally, it attracts attention.
And in this battle, the two sides fought fiercely, and chunks of bone from the towering body of the Bone Tooth God were blasted into chaos.
In the end, Ziyue, who broke through in desperation, was still no match for the Bone Tooth God. Her avatar was killed in battle, and even her main body was almost killed. She was defeated.
However.
Ziyue's eyes were not filled with despair; instead, they were full of excitement and excitement.
Top ten? She never expected to break into the top ten in the first place.
But the life-and-death duel between avatars of the same level of strength can be extremely stimulating to the mind, allowing her to break through.
"Breakthrough!"
"After returning, I can break through to become a monarch." Ziyue was extremely excited.
For her, becoming the strongest genius is the greatest achievement of the journey on the Universal Heavenly Path.
And she also obtained a supreme-quality magic weapon that fits her well.
Different strong people have different goals.
..."This Bone Tooth God seems quite formidable."
"Although Ziyue broke through in life and death, she was suppressed from beginning to end and never truly turned the tables. Her breakthrough only delayed her defeat."
"Yeah, Bone Tooth's strength is terrifying. He should have a chance to break into the top twenty." Many of the strongest geniuses whispered to each other.
Nearly a hundred of the strongest geniuses, their strengths also vary.
Obviously, the sudden outbreak of the Bone Tooth God is enough to rank him among the upper-middle in this group.
This is the Universal Heavenly Path. Until the final showdown, no one knows if their opponents have hidden strength.
...The second round of duels, there were no very exciting duels, and in the end, all 160 duels were concluded.
The top 160 were decided.
Now.
More than half of the remaining geniuses are the strongest geniuses, and most of the rest who control monarch-level techniques also have their own unique strengths.
Each one is not easy to deal with.
"Fifteen minutes later, the third round of duels will begin." The Heavenly Realm Envoy looked down at the remaining hundred or so geniuses in the square and said lightly, "To fight to this point, you are all excellent, but you must understand that there is a big difference between 160 and 80."
"Luck!"
"The top eighty people, also known as the top hundred, in the Universal Heavenly Path, in addition to the treasures and cultivation opportunities on the surface, there is also the invisible blessing of luck. The higher the final achievement, the stronger the luck will be, and the greater the hope of becoming a master in the future." The Heavenly Realm Envoy said slowly.
Wu Yuan, Bailian, Mulong, and more than a hundred geniuses all showed a serious look.
Right!
Luck, elusive and unpredictable, but indeed important.
Soon after.
"The first battle of the third round." The Heavenly Realm Envoy waved his hand, and Wu Yuan's Qi Refining Avatar and the Bone Tooth God instantly disappeared from their original positions.
"What?"
"Mingjian is fighting against Bone Tooth?"
"The first match begins with a showdown between the strongest geniuses?" There was an uproar, whether they had been eliminated or not, they immediately paid attention to this battle.
There are nearly a hundred of the strongest geniuses, but only eighty will inevitably win and enter the third round.
So, no matter how the Heavenly Realm Envoy arranges it, at least more than a dozen of the strongest geniuses will be eliminated.
But no one expected it to be Mingjian against Bone Tooth.
Mingjian, a recognized genius who should be able to break into the top twenty, is incredibly young.
Bone Tooth is also considered capable of breaking into the top twenty.
Both are very powerful, but they collided early, apparently the ranking by the Heavenly Realm Envoy is not entirely based on strength.
It's likely a combination of other considerations.
"Who do you think will win?"
"It's hard to say. Mingjian has a better chance of winning, but he is a Qi Refiner, so his ability to protect himself is weaker, which may put him at a slight disadvantage."
"Yeah, Bone Tooth has comprehended the Law of Death and fights like a madman." Many of the strongest geniuses secretly speculated.
Most of the strongest geniuses believe that Mingjian has a high probability of winning, but this battle will be fought fiercely.
Even Zhushan and Wuchang thought so.
It might be a 'battle to the death,' and it would be a narrow victory.
Of course, neither the avatars nor the incarnations would actually die. At the moment of death, they would be teleported away by the Heavenly Realm Envoy.
But in reality.
The actual duel process of the first battle of the third round surprised everyone.
As soon as they exchanged blows, Mingjian dispatched only his avatar and directly displayed the original method, blocking the Bone Tooth God's full-scale attack by his main body and incarnation.
The two sides held their ground.
Then, Mingjian's main body finally made a move, and this move was earth-shattering.
When the nine main flying swords formed a hundred-sword formation and turned into a spacetime divine sword, it was just three swords!
The first sword sent the Bone Tooth God's avatar flying backward, almost bursting its body.
The second sword blasted away the Bone Tooth God's main body.
The third sword shattered three arms of the Bone Tooth God, completely one-sided combat.
Forcing the Bone Tooth God to directly admit defeat.
Mingjian, victorious!
"Impossible!"
"The nine flying swords?" A wave of shock swept through, top-tier geniuses like Youfeng, Liguang, Wuchang, Baishui, and Bailian were all stunned, staring at the nine flying swords surrounding Mingjian's main body.
The sharpness of the flying swords made their hearts tremble.
No one expected that the overwhelmingly strong Bone Tooth God in the previous round would be easily swept away by Mingjian.
"Nine life-bound flying swords, perfect evolutionary path, and already evolved to completion."
"Perfect! The strongest offensive magic weapon."
"Mingjian has also cultivated the original method to a very high level, making his flying swords terrifying."
"So scary."
"In the top ten, Mingjian's strength is definitely capable of challenging the top ten. He's probably close to Wuyuan." These top-tier geniuses felt the pressure.
Hidden for thousands of years.
A sudden eruption!
Mingjian's outbreak truly scared almost all participating geniuses.
It can be said that judging from the terrifying strength revealed by Mingjian, except for Zhushan, no one has an absolute certainty of defeating him.
"Mingjian? He has become so strong?" Zhuo Haiyue revealed a smile.
She knew that Mingjian had outstanding talent, but she didn't expect him to be this strong.
"My disciple!"
Dongyang Xiansheng, who had long been eliminated, was also surprised: "Mingjian is his Qi Refining avatar, capable of challenging the top ten, and Wuyuan is his Body Refining avatar, also capable of challenging the top ten."
Two main avatars, both capable of challenging the top ten?
Just thinking about it, Dongyang Xiansheng's heart trembled, and he even felt a bit absurd.
"Can I really teach such disciples?" Dongyang Xiansheng muttered to himself.
He couldn't help but recall the tens of thousands of years ago, the nascent little guy who was learning swordsmanship in front of him.
Is it the same person?
"Time truly has extraordinary magic." Dongyang Xiansheng sighed secretly. "To be so outstanding after only tens of thousands of years of cultivation, what about after hundreds of thousands of years? Billions of years? It's unimaginable."
Dongyang Xiansheng had vaguely seen that in the future Lingjiang Universe, a powerful ruler who would shake many great realms would rise.
...
In the third round of duels, Mingjian's sudden outbreak scared all the geniuses.
But the subsequent battles, which followed one after another, reassured top-tier geniuses like Liguang and Baishui.
Not everyone is as abnormal as Mingjian.
Except for the duels among the dozen or so strongest geniuses, most of the battles were one-sided.
It's almost impossible for those who only control monarch-level techniques to defeat the strongest geniuses.
Wu Yuan's Body Refining avatar defeated an ordinary genius without any surprises.
Geniuses like Zhuo Haiyue, Zhushan, and Liejin also easily dealt with their opponents.
Smooth advancement.
In the end, after the eighty battles of the third round were concluded, the top eighty were determined.
"They are all the strongest geniuses."
"Each one is not easy to deal with."
"They are all very powerful." The thousands of eliminated geniuses sitting in the viewing stands were discussing in whispers, feeling regretful.
They had all been eliminated, so they were relaxed and could freely express their opinions and insights.
The top eighty are all the strongest geniuses.
This is extremely rare.
Normally, in the Thirty-Six Universes of the Endless Cosmos, there are usually only three to five strongest geniuses born in the same period, and very few can break into the top ten.
And they are basically invincible in their own universes.
Otherwise, why would they be hailed as the strongest? Because they are truly strong, invincible in their generation.
Even when the Universal Heavenly Path opens and the luck intertwines, there are usually only thirty to forty strongest geniuses born in the Endless Universe.
But this time, nearly a hundred strongest geniuses were born?
Compared to the talents that emerged in the dozens of Universal Heavenly Paths before, the quality of this session's Universal Heavenly Path is definitely among the best.
And on the square.
Wu Yuan, Zhushan, and the other eighty strongest geniuses each closed their eyes in meditation.
The closer they got to the end, the calmer they became in their hearts.
A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
..."First of all, congratulations on entering the top hundred." The Heavenly Realm Envoy looked down at the eighty geniuses below, "You are all very good, and in the future, you will probably reach the peak of monarchs. Perhaps many rulers will be born in the future."
"However, the top hundred is definitely not your goal."
"The top ten is. Don't slack off." The Heavenly Realm Envoy said slowly, "The first battle of the fourth round."
Exhale!
He waved his hand, and two figures on the square immediately disappeared onto their respective jade platforms.
"It's Wu Yuan!"
"And Wanbao." A wave of surprise, in the previous three rounds, Mingjian always went first, but in the fourth round, it switched to Wu Yuan?
"The internal struggle of the Witch Court?"
"Haha, good." Most of the geniuses showed joy, especially the geniuses from the Immortal Court were most delighted because both Wu Yuan and Wanbao were the strongest geniuses of the Witch Court.
No matter who loses, it's a loss for the Witch Court.
"What a pity."
"Wanbao is probably going to lose."
"This Heavenly Realm Envoy has a pure heart and is biased against our Witch Court." The geniuses of the Witch Court couldn't help but feel dissatisfied and helpless.
If they lose to the strongest geniuses of other forces, it's fine, but to have an internal struggle?
"Wanbao probably will lose."
"Yeah, Wu Yuan's strength is terrifying."
This was basically the consensus among all the observing geniuses; among the top eighty strongest geniuses, there were strong and weak ones.
But without a doubt, Wu Yuan is recognized as one of the strongest.
Wanbao Xiansheng? Although his reputation is also great, compared to Wu Yuan, he is still inferior.
However, in the end, it's a battle among the strongest geniuses, and no one dares to speak too soon until the final moment.
Perhaps Wanbao has hidden strength?
And geniuses like Zhuo Haiyue, Xuanrong, Dongyang Xiansheng, and others naturally hoped that Wu Yuan would win.
...
Inside the Celestial Battlefield.
Wu Yuan and Wanbao Xiansheng faced each other from a distance.
"Wu Yuan, I'm really unlucky." Wanbao Xiansheng showed a bitter smile. "I didn't expect to encounter you in the fourth round. It's destined for me to lose."
Wu Yuan smiled but didn't say anything.
"Wu Yuan, although we are both members of the Witch Court, the situation forces me to be ruthless." Wanbao Xiansheng said solemnly, "However, I know your strength is extremely strong. I will use a secret technique. If you can withstand it, I will directly admit defeat."
"Admit defeat?" Wu Yuan was slightly stunned.
At this point, Wanbao Xiansheng was willing to admit defeat voluntarily?
"If you can easily withstand it, it means your strength is far superior to mine, and I don't need to fight desperately anymore. In the end, I will probably still lose, and maybe even force out your hidden means." Wanbao Xiansheng, who looked like a child, grinned. "It's completely meaningless; it will only let your future opponents know your tactics in advance, giving them an advantage."
"It's better to admit defeat early and help you."
"If you and Zhushan both obtain the Saint's title, it will also be a great fortune for our Witch Court."
Wanbao Xiansheng's words moved Wu Yuan. The other party was indeed considering the overall situation of the Witch Court.
"It's okay!"
"Wanbao Xiansheng." Wu Yuan smiled, "You can go all out. You don't have to consider me later."
"What? You?" Wanbao Xiansheng was stunned.
"Except for Zhushan, in the entire Heavenly Realm, no one else is my opponent anymore."
"Even Zhushan, the outcome has to be decided in a battle." Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. "You can't force out all of my strength."
Wanbao Xiansheng's pupils contracted.
How arrogant Wu Yuan was.
However.
"I like it, haha." Wanbao Xiansheng laughed instead. "This is the spirit that a Saint's pride should have. Wu Yuan, in the past, I only admired Zhushan."
"Now, I really believe that you can also obtain the title of Saint's pride."
"As you wish."
"I will go all out." Wanbao Xiansheng's eyes flashed with light. "Be careful."
Swish!
Another childlike figure appeared beside Wanbao Xiansheng, and two invisible divine soul fluctuations instantly attacked.
---
PS: Over 12,000 words, combining four chapters into one.
In addition to the guaranteed two chapters, there will be extra updates on March 19th and April 19th.
I'd like to add a few more words. I calculate one update per 3,000 words, and the word count for each chapter is displayed before each subscription.
Many brothers complained that I come to write part-time every day and get tired of reading various comments.
So, I thought about it. After I finish the remaining dozen or so updates, I will explain them in single chapters, cancel the combined chapter calculation, and discuss additional updates later. I will continue writing until completion.
I will still work hard here, and I will make up for the missed extra updates from before, totaling 18 more updates. Thank you for the support along the way! Thank you!
(End of this chapter)