118: Top three on the Wanfa Tianbei Youth Ranking

Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction. 'Efficiency is good. By the way, do you have a name?'

'This assistant's factory number is XZ-3000. Master can assign a unique designation,' the light orb figure flickered slightly.

Lin Yuan pondered briefly. 'Let's call you 'xiao kun'.'

'Naming confirmed — xiao kun at your service!' The light wings fluttered briskly, carrying a hint of personified delight. 'Master, would you like to set up other personalized functions? For example, reminders for critical Cultivation milestones, monitoring market fluctuations for specific resources, tracking movements of hostile targets...'

'Not needed for now.' Lin Yuan waved his hand to interrupt, a sharp glint hidden in his eyes. 'Now, tell me — given my current state, which training location can most rapidly improve my combat power or compensate for my weaknesses?'

xiao kun reacted extremely fast. A semi-transparent light screen instantly popped up, clearly listing the information:

[Tower of Will]: Forge an unparalleled core of will! Willpower intensity directly correlates with the final grade and potential ceiling of Dharma Domain Realm War Spirits! Highly recommended!

[river of origin]: Although you just underwent the baptism of the Life Origin, you can attempt to comprehend other Origins (such as Death/Chaos) or deepen your existing Origin! Comprehension efficiency starts at a hundredfold increase!

[Taichu Arena]: Life-and-death combat! Actual combat is the ultimate crucible to test truth, hone battle skills, and Breakthrough limits! A large number of challenge invitations detected for Master!

Lin Yuan's gaze swept over them. He was just about to examine them in detail when he noticed a slight ripple of energy shimmering at the edges of xiao kun's form. 'Hmm? Unstable energy?'

'Reminder: This assistant requires regular replenishment of 'virtual source energy'. Each recharge consumes 100 virtual coins and sustains operation for 30 natural days.' xiao kun's voice remained steady. 'Current energy reserves: 99.3%.'

Lin Yuan chuckled wryly. 'Truly a 'coin-devouring' assistant. Alright, I'll call you if needed.'

'As you command, Master.' xiao kun responded obediently, retracting its light wings and quietly hovering beside Lin Yuan's shoulder, like the most loyal guardian. 'Additionally, it is strongly recommended that Master activate the 'Non-Friend Communication Block' function. It can effectively filter 99.99% of meaningless informational harassment.'

'Execute immediately!' The moment Lin Yuan finished speaking, the world instantly became quiet. He looked at this intelligent and efficient assistant with satisfaction. 100,000 virtual coins — worth it!

Just as Lin Yuan focused his mind to contemplate his next move—

*Hum!*

A special challenge request, crimson as blood with ominous black qi swirling around its edges like a blood-stained declaration of war, abruptly popped up, forcibly occupying the center of his vision!

[Death Divine Temple · Hei Wutian has initiated a 'Privilege Life-and-Death Duel' against you!]

[Stake: Special Privilege × 1!]

[Taichu Arena Myriad Laws Realm Record: 1860 wins! 230 losses! Win Rate: 89%!]

[Accept?!]

'Hah! The wealth-delivery boy is here again?' A brilliant light exploded in Lin Yuan's eyes, his Battle Intent instantly ignited! So that's how special privileges could be obtained! A stake battle? Perfectly suits my wishes! All those previous challenge invitations, arriving like snowflakes, were blocked by the myriad laws heavenly stele's rules because their total combat power was lower than his. Only this life-and-death duel staking a 'special privilege' had the qualification to force a pop-up window!

'Accept!'

Space distorted! The scene shifted!

A sinister wind howled, countless bones jutted out jaggedly! A terrifying bone mountain, towering into the clouds and piled from countless massive skeletons, stood before his eyes! At the mountaintop, Hei Wutian's figure was already waiting. The Aura of death rolling around him was dense as ink, several times more formidable than last time! The signature bone spear in his hand was gone, replaced by a massive, pitch-black scythe, entwined with countless wailing resentful Souls, its blade edge flowing with the frigid light of the River Styx! Every slight tremor of the scythe caused the surrounding space to emit a corrosive sizzling sound!

'On the myriad laws heavenly stele... that was merely a remnant shadow I left last month!' Hei Wutian's voice scraped over bone marrow like a freezing gale from the netherworld, hoarse and filled with deep-seated venom. 'Now... let you experience personally what true... Death's Judgment is!'

Lin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. He merely curled his index finger contemptuously at the murderous figure...

'Die!'

The moment the countdown reached zero! Hei Wutian erupted violently!

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

Three hundred-zhang-long, pitch-black crescent blades formed from pure Death Law tore through the Void Realm, arriving in a triangular formation to shred their target! Simultaneously, his left hand formed a bizarre hand seal and slammed it onto the bone mountain beneath his feet!

*Crack! Crack! Crack!*

Three ten-zhang-tall, bone-white battle generals, their bodies composed entirely of dark golden Immortal bones with ghastly green Soul fires burning in their eye sockets, burst forth from the bone piles, roaring as they stood up! The Aura of death emanating from each one was actually not the slightest bit weaker than Hei Wutian's main body! Wielding giant axes, bone hammers, and long spears, like three mobile fortresses of death, they instantly sealed off all of Lin Yuan's dodging space!

'Oh? Learned 'Undead Summoning'?' Lin Yuan's eyebrow arched slightly. Facing encirclement from all sides, he showed not a trace of panic. The power of Devouring Origin flowed in his palm, condensing into a pitch-black energy spear, so dark it seemed capable of sucking in Souls!

The spear's shadow moved like a Dragon! Sweeping out horizontally!

*Sss—!*

Those three fierce Death crescent blades, like ice and snow meeting a red-hot iron, silently dissolved and disintegrated the moment they contacted the spear's shadow, utterly annihilated by the Devouring power!

However, the three bone-white battle generals had completed their encirclement! The Soul fire in the eyes of the general wielding the giant axe suddenly blazed to its limit, its massive body instantly swelling!

*Boom—!!!*

It actually detonated itself without hesitation!

A terrifying storm of death, mixed with countless sharp bone spikes, swallowed Lin Yuan like an apocalyptic tsunami! Under the violent energy impact, the layer of Protective Aura condensed from his Immortal Dharma Idol covering Lin Yuan's body emitted the sound of unbearable strain cracking, instantly covered in spiderweb-like fissures! His entire person was violently sent flying!

*Boom! Boom!*

Before Lin Yuan could stabilize his posture, the other two bone-white battle generals also chose to self-destruct without the slightest hesitation! The superimposed destructive energy exploded atop the bone mountain into a massive, Death Law-constructed black mushroom cloud! Space was torn into shreds!

Right at this critical moment of absolute kill, amidst the raging energy turbulence and blurred vision!

A pitch-black scythe shadow, faster than a ghost, like a venomous snake lying in wait, pierced through the chaotic energy storm with pinpoint accuracy! Carrying the will of death to end all things, it stabbed straight towards Lin Yuan's heart! The timing was grasped to the pinnacle of perfection! This was Hei Wutian's long-brewed killing strike!

Just as the scythe tip entwined with resentful Souls was about to pierce his heart—

The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth hooked into a smile icy to the extreme!

'Had enough fun?'

*Hum!*

Soul Devouring Seal activated! But this time, that terrifying black hole did not expand outward! Instead, it instantly collapsed inward like a living thing, clinging tightly to Lin Yuan's entire skin, forming a layer of constantly rotating, pitch-black armor so deep it seemed capable of devouring the Universe!

*Clang—!!!*

The scythe stabbed fiercely into his chest!

The expected penetrating wound did not appear! Hei Wutian only felt an irresistible, overwhelmingly vast and terrifying suction force suddenly transmit from the scythe's tip! His strike, infused with his entire body's Death Origin, vanished without a trace as if a clay ox had entered the sea! Even more terrifying, his arm holding the scythe was actually stuck fast by that bizarre 'armor'! No matter how he urged his Divine Power, it didn't budge an inch!

'No! Impossible!' Hei Wutian was scared out of his wits, utterly horrified!

'My turn!' Lin Yuan's voice was like Death's pronouncement! His right hand formed a sword-finger. At his fingertip, a point of pure black light, refined to the extreme and seemingly capable of devouring all things, suddenly blazed forth! Following the scythe's long handle that was stuck fast, it shot straight into Hei Wutian's chest like lightning!

*Thud—!*

The black light entered his body! Soul Devouring Seal · Devouring Origin! Full power eruption!

'Urgh Aaaahhh—!!!'

Hei Wutian let out a shrill shriek unlike any human sound! His body visibly withered and dried up at an alarming rate, like a punctured balloon! Vast life essence, dense spiritual energy, even the Death Origin Law he had painstakingly Cultivated... all were frantically plundered and stripped away by that bottomless Devouring power! His skin lost its luster, muscles atrophied, eye sockets sank in, instantly transforming from a menacing powerhouse into a desiccated corpse barely maintaining human shape!

'I... I... will... return... for revenge...' Before the phantom completely dissipated, it emitted a venomous hiss filled with endless resentment and fear!

[Battle Concluded: Victor — Lin Yuan!]

[Obtained: Special Privilege × 1!]

[Taichu Arena Wins +1! Current Points: 10!]

Returning to his personal space, Lin Yuan looked at the Soul Devouring Seal mark slowly rotating in his palm, like a miniature Universe black hole, feeling the terrifying Devouring power within it having grown yet another fraction, revealing a satisfied smile.

'This Hei Wutian... truly is my 'lucky star'.' He muttered to himself, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes. 'If I meet him in reality, I must 'thank him properly'!'

Three uses of the Soul Devouring Seal remained today! How could this surging Battle Intent be wasted? Lin Yuan's gaze, as if piercing through the virtual space, fell upon those three insurmountable monuments at the very pinnacle of the Prodigy ranking!

'xiao kun!' Lin Yuan's voice was low, carrying an undeniable Battle Intent. 'Pull up the detailed combat power data for the top three of the myriad laws heavenly stele youth ranking!'

'Command confirmed! Accessing highest privilege database...' xiao kun's eyes flashed with torrents of data. A light screen instantly unfolded, listing data sufficient to suffocate any Myriad Laws Realm Martial Artist:

[Third Place: Xuan Wuming (Time-Space Divine Temple · Core Saint)]

[Base combat power]: 1,550,000 Yu

[Core Origin]: Space Origin Law 58%

[Origin Spell]: Void Great Severing Slash (Level 4)

[Limit Breakthrough]: 4,650,000 Yu!

[Second Place: Yu · Hongling (Great Yu Dynasty · Seventh Princess)]

[Base combat power]: 1,600,000 Yu

[Core Origin]: Fire Element Origin Law 65%

[Origin Spell]: Nine Revolutions Heaven Incineration (Level 6)

[Limit Breakthrough]: 4,800,000 Yu!

[First Place: Zhou Xingchen (Star Sanctuary · Contemporary Saint)]

[Base combat power]: 1,600,000 Yu

[Core Origin]: Star Origin Law 70%!

[Origin Spell]: Zhou Tian Starry Dipper Sword (Level 7)

[Limit Breakthrough]: 5,280,000 Yu!

'The spatial control of a superior Law... Level 6 and 7 Origin Spells... Limit Breakthroughs exceeding five million Yu...' A blazing Battle Intent burned deep within Lin Yuan's pupils! These three were truly worthy of being the Peak of Taichu Divine Continent's younger generation! Their Foundation, Laws, and Spells had all reached the Transcendent realm! The spatial control of a superior Law was inherently superior, and the multiplier from high-level Origin Spells was terrifying! Although the Chaos Origin Law was powerful, he had yet to find a matching Origin Spell Cultivation method...

However!

Lin Yuan's spine straightened ramrod straight. A vast Battle Intent, growing stronger when facing the strong and believing oneself invincible, surged skyward!

'The true measure of power levels... can only be seen in collision!'

'Fight!'

[Challenger Lin Yuan meets challenge conditions! Target: Third Place · Xuan Wuming! Teleportation commencing!]

Space distorted! Lin Yuan found himself within a bizarre, kaleidoscopic, constantly shattering and reforming distorted Void Realm! Opposite him, a young man clad in silver-patterned star robes stood with his hands behind his back. Fine spatial cracks flickered around him like breathing, as if he were the master of space itself! His gaze towards Lin Yuan was like looking down upon an ant that had mistakenly wandered into a divine domain.

'A mere tenth-place trash, also worthy of challenging this Saint?' Xuan Wuming's voice was icy, carrying an aloof indifference. 'No matter... I shall use your demise to set off the... eternity and despair of space!'

Before his words faded!

*Zheng—!*

His sleeves billowed without wind! Ten thousand zhang of blindingly brilliant silver Divine Power erupted violently!

'Void... Great Severing Slash!'

Xuan Wuming formed a hand like a blade and... slashed through the air towards Lin Yuan!

*Crack—!!!*

Three terrifying silver fissures, spanning heaven and earth, a thousand zhang long, with Chaos Qi flowing at their edges, suddenly tore through the entire Void Realm like giant blades swung by a Creation deity! Wherever they passed, space itself silently shattered and annihilated like fragile glass! The very Foundation of all existence was utterly severed! The destructive energy fluctuation... shockingly reached the terrifying Peak of 4.65 million Yu! This was a spatial killing move sufficient to severely injure or even erase an ordinary Dharma Domain Realm powerhouse!