21: Ancient Battlefield Opens

"Challenger Lin Yuan!" That ancient, weathered voice, carrying a rare hint of solemnity, echoed through the shattered Star Domain. "Will you end the challenge now? You can receive a 50-star base combat power empowerment! If you continue... victory brings supreme creation, but defeat... means eternal damnation and all previous efforts wasted!"

There was not even a ten-thousandth of a second of hesitation!

"Fight!" Lin Yuan's answer was a single word, but it exploded like a thunderclap, his Battle Intent soaring to the heavens!

Boom—!!!

The final battlefield fully manifested! This was a Star Domain of the end, composed of countless stellar remains, shattered continents, and broken Laws! Nine terrifying figures, emitting a presence that made the galaxy tremble and time warp, stepped through Void Realm cracks and descended from different rivers of time!

The Final Stage of the Blood Battle Platform: Battle of the Prodigies!

At the head was a youth in purple robes flowing with the aura of Chaos. His face was blurred, but his eyes seemed to contain a destroying Universe! He simply raised his hand and made a grasping motion!

Buzz—!

The entire brilliant galaxy spanning the battlefield was actually refined and extracted by him! Billions of stars wailed as they collapsed and condensed, turning into a World-Extinguishing Galaxy Sword entwined with stellar core flames and broken Laws! Pointed by the blade, it was the first to slash toward Lin Yuan!

The other eight ancient Prodigies struck simultaneously! Some used palm prints that covered the sky to annihilate stars, others opened divine eyes to pierce through eternity, and some manifested Dharma Forms that stood tall between heaven and earth to seize the sun and moon!

The first round of attacks was like nine supernovas exploding simultaneously at Lin Yuan's position!

Crack—!

The defensive barrier around Lin Yuan, constructed of his Golden Body and stellar power, shattered like fragile glass! The golden runes flowing with immortal radiance on his skin dimmed by nearly half instantly! He felt as if he had been struck by a starship, and he coughed up a large mouthful of pale gold divine blood. Upon internal inspection, his proud Golden Body was covered in cracks, on the verge of collapse!

"Bring it on!!!" Instead of being alarmed, Lin Yuan turned wild, letting out a roar that shook the galaxy! Within his Sea of Consciousness, his vast 100-star Mental Energy erupted like a cosmic flood bursting a dam!

Boom—!

An illusory image of a massive chaos millstone, seemingly carved from the raw stone of the beginning of Chaos, manifested in the void above him! Even more shocking, the grinding stone split into five! Five illusory grinding stones, suppressing the heavens and crushing the myriad Daos, rolled toward five different Prodigies with a world-ending roar!

Simultaneously, his battered Golden Body erupted with unprecedented light! Every golden rune was like a lit stellar core, dazzling to the eyes! With every move, he actually triggered the surrounding stellar fragments to resonate and rotate with him! Every punch and kick carried the power to shake the Star Domain!

The battle was tragic beyond description! Shattered stars turned to dust in the aftershocks, and broken Laws were repeatedly torn apart! By the ninth hour, Lin Yuan was covered in wounds, his Golden Body riddled with web-like cracks, and his aura was withered, like a candle in the wind!

In this absolute death trap!

Buzz—!

Deep within Lin Yuan's Sea of Consciousness, the dormant Primordial Purple Qi suddenly shone brightly, as if ignited by billions of years of Battle Intent and unyielding spirit! Violet light illuminated his Sea of Consciousness!

The Profound Truth of the Nine Transformations War Soul Art at the Peak of the Transcendent stage, the essence of the Purple Heaven Startling Thunder Sword tempered a thousand times, and all the experience from life-and-death combat on the Blood Battle Platform... under the illumination of this supreme violet light, they all merged together like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

An unprecedented Sword Intent, like the first ray of light at the creation of the world, was born deep within his Soul!

"Purple Heaven · Nine Transformations... Slaying Reincarnation!!!"

Lin Yuan roared, unleashing this ultimate killing strike that condensed his lifelong martial arts, the insights of a thousand Reincarnations, and the Origin of his Primordial Dao Body!

The sword light rose!

There was no earth-shattering commotion, only an extreme Chaos void that seemed capable of swallowing time and space! Wherever the sword light passed, the shattered Star Domain, the raging energy, and even the nine invincible figures of the Prodigies... everything was as if a pause button had been pressed!

The next instant!

Crack... crack crack...

The illusory images of the nine ancient Prodigies, like a glass mirror struck by an invisible giant hammer, froze and then... silently shattered into pieces, turning into the most primitive light and dissipating in this final battlefield... RUMBLE—!!!

The Blood Battle Platform... collapsed!

A Chaos golden light, whose vastness and nobility were beyond words, pierced down from the depths of the endless void, tearing through the sky of the Xuanmu District! Wherever the golden light went, Laws retreated and all spirits bowed! Countless old monsters in secluded cultivation, with auras like deep abysses, were awakened by this eternal phenomenon and looked toward the source of the golden light in shock!

When Lin Yuan's figure stepped out from the void, treading on the lingering Chaos golden light... Buzz—!!!

The space of the entire Xuanmu District trembled violently, unable to withstand the surging, almost tangible terrifying power within his body! The space around him constantly warped, shattered, and repaired itself, forming a chaotic force field!

Inside the Qingge Palace.

Crack!

The glazed cup in Mu Qingge's hand, carved from a stellar core, instantly turned to dust! This Palace Master, usually as cold as the moon and looking down upon all living beings, lost her composure for the first time and stood up abruptly! Her moon-white robes fluttered wildly, and the moonlight around her fluctuated uncontrollably!

"He... he actually... passed... the Ultimate Trial?!" Her voice carried a hint of unbelievable trembling.

At this moment, a mysterious purple-gold mark, a perfect fusion of blood-colored battle runes and the golden runes of his Golden Body, was at the center of Lin Yuan's brow, emitting a supreme pressure! After the ultimate tempering of the Blood Battle Platform, his life level had undergone a world-shaking qualitative change!

Base Combat Power: 140 stars → 260 stars! (Blood Battle Platform Origin Empowerment: +120 stars!)

Golden Body Evolution: 30% → 45%! (Physical Body combat power boost: +275 stars!)

Mental Energy: 70 stars → 120 stars! (Convertible combat power bonus: 120 stars × 5 = 600 stars!)

King of the Extreme Realm Title: Base combat power boost 30% → 260 × 0.3 = +78 stars!

Self-Created Ultimate Skill: 【Purple Heaven · Nine Transformations Slaying Reincarnation】! This move contains the true meaning of Reincarnation and Grandmist Dao power. When fully unleashed, it can briefly double the base combat power! (An additional +260 stars!)

Peak Combat Power: 1473 stars!

Mu Qingge's gaze was fixed on the flickering battle rune mark on Lin Yuan's brow, which flowed with Chaos purple-gold divine light. Her cold voice carried a rare, irrepressible fluctuation: "This is... the Half-Step Extreme Realm Emperor Mark! It can only be condensed by reaching the top in the Blood Battle Platform's Ultimate Trial! If you can defeat all Ultimate Realm Experts and reach the Peak in the Ancient Battlefield... this mark will become completely perfect, turning into... a true Extreme Realm Emperor Mark!"

She took a deep breath. "In the last few epochs... no one... has ever obtained a complete Emperor Mark!"

Lin Yuan slowly looked up. In those deep eyes, thousands of galaxies seemed to be born and destroyed, containing the wisdom to see through illusions and supreme Battle Intent. "Palace Master, now... am I qualified to step into that Ancient Battlefield?"

Outside the palace, the massive star ring in the sky, composed of endless void energy, had completely solidified! Countless powerful auras that made space warp were converging toward the star ring from every corner of the Xuanxiao Great World, every Secret Realm, and even other subordinate worlds!

A battle for the King of the Extreme Realm... was about to pull back its bloody curtain across the entire Great World!

Inside the Qingge Palace, the flames of seven bronze ancient lamps that seemed to have burned for eternity flared up without warning! Brilliant white light instantly filled the hall! Mu Qingge's sleeves fluttered, and countless profound moonlight runes surged out, instantly setting up a powerful Restriction that isolated heaven and earth!

"Lin Yuan." Mu Qingge's voice was more solemn than ever, even carrying the weight of entrusting the future. "Your growth... has exceeded the limits recorded in the Spirit Martial Hall of my Xuanmu District for ten thousand years! This item... is the final gift prepared for you by our hall! I hope you... will take this to battle the ancient lands and spread the fame of our Xuanmu across the heavens!"

She pressed her jade-like hand toward the void in the center of the hall!

Buzz—!

A coffin carved from mysterious crystal flowing with Chaos purple-gold colors slowly emerged! The moment the coffin lid opened... Crack crack—!

An extreme cold that seemed capable of freezing the Soul's Origin instantly spread! The floor, walls, and even the space of the entire hall were covered in thick, starlight-shimmering profound ice!

"This is... the remains and Legacy left behind by the previous King of the Extreme Realm of my Xuanmu District... before he fell three thousand years ago." Mu Qingge's voice carried a hint of reminiscence and solemnity.

In the coffin lay a battle robe that seemed woven from the moonlight of the Nine Heavens and the starlight of the heavens, as well as a three-foot green blade with a body as transparent as water, yet inside it seemed to have billions of rune-galaxies slowly flowing!

【Xuantian Star-Moon Robe】

Combat Power Bonus: +50 stars!

Trait: 【Stellar Protection】! Passively reduces all forms of damage received by 40%!

Requirement: Base combat power ≥ 200 stars!

【taiqing xuana sword】

Combat Power Bonus: +50 stars!

Trait: 【World Breaker】! Attacks ignore 30% of the target's defense!

Requirement: Base combat power ≥ 200 stars!

"Put it on!" Mu Qingge tapped her finger. The Star-Moon Robe flew toward Lin Yuan as if it were sentient, instantly covering his body!

Buzz—!

The moment the battle robe was donned, the Grandmist Dao power and the golden runes of the Golden Body within Lin Yuan's body resonated loudly! The starlight patterns flowing on the robe were instantly activated, merging perfectly with the golden runes on his skin, forming a layer of brilliant stellar armor composed of tangible stellar power outside his body! The light flowed, indestructible!

At the same time, the taiqing xuana sword was in his hand!

Clang—!

A clear and spirited sword hum, as if it could cleanse all evil, echoed through the hall! Within the water-transparent sword body, the billions of rune-galaxies suddenly accelerated their flow, actually producing a seamless resonance with Lin Yuan's Purple Heaven Startling Thunder Sword Intent, which had already reached the Transcendent stage! On the blade, Purple Lightning and starlight intertwined, emitting a sharp aura that sliced through the void!

Peak Combat Power: 1573 stars!

The Restriction outside the hall was removed, and the training square was already crowded with people! All instructors, students, and even the Elders in seclusion were alarmed and gathered here! When Lin Yuan, shrouded in tangible stellar armor, holding the taiqing xuana sword flowing with rune-galaxies, and with the purple-gold battle mark shining on his brow, appeared in everyone's sight... the entire square fell into an absolute, suffocating silence!

"This... this is... the true... pressure of a King of the Extreme Realm?!" A level-five Genius's voice shook uncontrollably, his legs going weak.

"Thud!" The recording Jade Slip in Instructor Xiao Zhan's hand fell directly to the ground. His lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face: "Three... three thousand years! Our Xuanmu District... finally... finally has another... true King of the Extreme Realm!!"

Mu Qingge waved her sleeve, and a massive light screen unfolded above the square, with blood-colored characters emitting an aura of iron-blooded slaughter:

【Ancient Battlefield · Final Rules】

Battlefield Structure: Nine Heavens Domains! Progressing layer by layer, Opportunity and danger double!

Initial Teleportation: On the first day, everyone will be randomly sent to the First Heaven!

Heavenly Glory Monument: In the core of each domain, a "Heavenly Monument" is erected, recording the achievements of the top ten thousand Prodigies of that layer in real-time!

Domain Trials: Each domain contains unique trials; those who pass can obtain the supreme Opportunity of that domain!

Ultimate Title: The sole person to reach the Ninth Heaven will be crowned with the title of "King of the Extreme Realm"!

Buzz—!!!

The bronze "Star Orbit Token" in Lin Yuan's hand suddenly erupted with a golden divine light billions of times brighter than the sun! A massive golden light pillar, as if connecting to the Universe's Origin, ignored all spatial barriers and enveloped him!

"Xuanxiao Great World · Tianqing Domain · Cangmang Realm · Lingyun Prefecture · Xuanmu District Spirit Martial Hall..."

A grand, cold voice, like the will of the Heavenly Dao, echoed through heaven and earth:

"Challenger: Lin Yuan!"

"Base Combat Power: 260 stars!"

"Granting Initial Points: 260 points!"

The entire training camp completely boiled over! Countless gazes, filled with extreme shock, fanatical worship, and deep awe, stared fixedly at the war god-like figure in the light pillar!

"Lin Yuan..." Mu Qingge's final voice pierced through the light pillar and clearly reached Lin Yuan's ears, carrying an unprecedented solemnity and... a hint of hard-to-detect concern, "Come back alive!"

Space twisted and shifted violently!

In the final instant before his consciousness was completely pulled into the Ancient Battlefield, Lin Yuan clearly "saw" that at the bottom of the "Heavenly Glory Monument" in the First Heaven, which towered into the clouds and emitted an ancient aura, a name suddenly lit up like a star:

【Rank 901: Lin Yuan (Xuanxiao Great World. Tianqing Domain. Cangmang Realm. Lingyun Prefecture. Xuanmu District Spirit Martial Hall)】 Points: 260

The scene before him suddenly opened up!

Boundless! Desolate! Ancient! The shattered earth stretched to the end of his vision, and the air was filled with iron-blooded Evil Qi and pure ancient Spiritual Qi! Above the sky, nine vast continents floating like prehistoric beasts were stacked layer upon layer from bottom to top, emitting different but terrifyingly extreme Law pressures!

And at this moment, the entire sky was being torn apart and illuminated by hundreds of millions of brilliant light pillars falling from the heavens! Every light pillar represented the arrival of an Ultimate Realm Prodigy from a certain world or power!

Among them, the most dazzling few light pillars emitted energy fluctuations that... had already surpassed 2000 stars! Like several destroying suns, they scorched this Ancient Battlefield!

The true... Extreme Realm competition sweeping through the myriad worlds... at this moment... has just begun its bloody and glorious prologue!