70: The number one prodigy in the Divine Refinement Realm

The Thousand-Mechanism Array Diagram unfolded above the Myriad Worlds Platform like a pitch-black sky of extinction! Within the array, a million cold, metallic battle puppets simultaneously opened their crimson electronic eyes! Endless bloodthirsty killing intent, like a tangible blood-colored storm, instantly swept across the entire space, causing the Divine Souls of a million prodigies to tremble as if they had fallen into an ice cave!

"The rules are simple." Vice Hall Master Ling Qingyun's voice was like a decree from the Heavenly Dao, directly imprinted into the depths of everyone's Sea of Consciousness. "Project your Divine Thought into the array's illusion! Avoid the battle puppets' attacks! Those who are hit—are immediately eliminated! Your ranking will be determined by how long you persist!"

Lin Yuan closed his eyes slightly, his Divine Thought surging out like a tide.

When he opened them again, he was already in a bloody purgatory!

The sky was a solidified blood-red, as if burned by endless war. At the end of the desolate, deathly silent sand dunes, the horizon was completely devoured—that was a torrent of battle puppets surging forth like a black tide of death! The heavy sound of metallic footsteps converged into a drumbeat of destruction, shaking the earth beneath his feet violently, with yellow sand filling the sky and blocking the sun!

The first wave of the rain of death descended!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!

Tens of thousands of God-Breaking Arrows tore through the bloody firmament, weaving a net of destruction that covered heaven and earth without any blind spots! The whistling of the arrows tearing through the air was like the wailing of billions of evil ghosts!

But in Lin Yuan's ninth-order Divine Thought perception, the world seemed to have been put in slow motion:

The trajectory of the three arrows on the left, the charge shimmer of the energy cannons on the shoulders of the battle puppets to the upper right, the poisoned ground spikes about to burst out of the sand three inches beneath his feet... The trajectory, landing point, and energy fluctuation of every attack were clearly visible, just like an unfolded chessboard!

Move!

Lin Yuan's figure instantly turned into an elusive cyan phantom! In the rain of arrows and barrage of gunfire capable of strangling a Myriad Laws Realm Martial Artist, he was like an elf dancing on the tip of a blade!

His head tilted slightly, a God-Breaking Arrow tipped with dark blue poison grazed his temple, the force of it cutting off a few strands of his dark hair; his toes lightly tapped the sand, his body floating up like willow catkins as three poisoned ground spikes burst out from the soil right beneath his soles, bringing up foul-smelling dust; his waist twisted at an incredible angle as two intersecting energy beams whistled past his chest and back, the scorching heat wave making his robes flap violently!

Every dodging movement was precise to the extreme, without a trace of excess, without a hint of panic; it was smooth and flowing, elegant and calm, as if he were not in a life-and-death battle, but composing a breathtaking poem of death!

"Heavens! It's already been a hundred breaths!" Outside, the inspector announced with an incredulous, trembling voice, "Those eliminated—exceed seven hundred thousand!!!"

Inside the illusion, the lethality spiked exponentially!

The second wave was a 360-degree energy torrent with no blind spots! The violent energy beams were like a divine punishment of extinction, turning every inch of space into a boiling energy furnace!

The third wave was an intangible Divine Thought shockwave! Like billions of invisible heavy hammers, it ignored physical defenses and struck directly at the Origin of the Divine Soul! Countless prodigies from the Central Continent began to let out unwilling roars, their Divine Thought projections shattering like bubbles one after another:

Nine Nether Emperor's body was surged with Netherworld black sun, resisting attacks from all directions, but at the nine-hundredth breath, he was forced into a dead end by a "God-Breaking Crossbow Array" composed of twelve special battle puppets. A pitch-black crossbow bolt condensed with the Law of Destruction pierced through his projection. He let out a furious roar, and his figure dissipated unwillingly!

Chu Dust-Dispelling's Sword Qi and Divine Thought crisscrossed, destroying countless attacks, but he could not attend to all directions. A tricky, snake-like mental shockwave ignored his sky-filling sword shadows and precisely hit the projection between his brows. He groaned, and his figure instantly dimmed and disappeared!

Su Muyu turned into a clear breeze, drifting unpredictably, but ran headfirst into a "Spirit-Binding Trap" preset by the Space Law, instantly solidified, and was submerged by countless energy beams the next moment!

"Six-Star Great World—Lin Yuan! Still persisting!!!"

This announcement was like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, striking hard at the hearts of every spectator! The entire Myriad Worlds Platform fell into a deathly silence, with only heavy breathing left! Inside the illusion, under the bloody sky, that figure in green robes stood alone, his sleeves fluttering, facing the endless torrent of destruction like a tide, as if he were an undying—War God who would never fall!

"The final test—Divine Thought Annihilation Storm!!!"

The metallic shells of the hundred thousand core battle puppets lit up with blinding red light of destruction simultaneously! The next moment—

Rumble—!!!!

An indescribable, terrifying Divine Thought shockwave, like the energy released by the simultaneous extinction of billions of stars, turned into a tsunami of destruction that swept across the entire bloody illusion! Space was like fragile glass, crumbling inch by inch under the shockwave, emitting a tooth-aching wail! This was the ultimate killing move capable of instantly obliterating a Dharma Domain Realm Divine Soul!

Lin Yuan's figure blurred completely at this moment!

It was not an afterimage of high-speed movement, but a—Law Imprint left in the gap between time and space after his Divine Thought reaction reached its limit!

At every instant the tsunami of destruction swept over, his "imprint" could precisely "jump" through the gaps of destruction in a billionth of a second! The shockwave tore through the phantom he left behind, but was always that insignificant fraction of a line too slow! This was not a contest of speed, but the ultimate performance of Divine Thought pre-judgment, Law control, and reaction limits!

When the last ripple of destruction dissipated, and the illusion slowly faded like a fading painting...

Lin Yuan's figure solidified from illusion to reality in the center of the Myriad Worlds Platform.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and calm like an ancient well in a deep pool, his aura long and steady, his robes spotless. It was as if the life-and-death desperate situation just now, which would have made a Saint look sideways, was merely a leisurely afternoon nap for him.

"Divine Thought reaction test—Lin Yuan! First place!!!" The inspector's voice, filled with uncontrollable trembling and reverence from the depths of his Soul, resounded through the sky!

"Boom—!!!"

The spectator stands exploded! The mountain-shaking, sea-roaring sound almost overturned the Myriad Worlds Platform! From the Six-Star Great World! First Heaven of the Spirit Refining Realm! On the home ground of the Central Continent! Among a million prodigies, taking first place in the reaction test with an absolute advantage! This was no longer a miracle, but a myth! It was a complete subversion and trampling of all inherent cognition!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Nine Nether Emperor's handsome face twisted like a demon, his clenched fists digging deep into his palms, blood dripping from between his fingers. He stared fixedly at that figure in green robes, his eyes burning with crazy jealousy and unbelievable horror!

The Law comprehension test, begin!

The Dao-Enlightenment Stone, this legendary ancient strange stone obtained from the depths of Chaos, slowly rose into the air and hovered in the center of the platform. Its body was crystal clear, containing endless galaxies within, with vast nebulae flowing endlessly, as if it had sealed all the myriad Daos of the heavens within it, emitting an ancient dao rhyme that made one's Soul palpitate.

"Nine Nether Emperor, please test." The inspector's voice carried obvious respect.

The black-robed youth stepped forward and pressed his palm heavily on the cold surface of the Dao-Enlightenment Stone.

Hum!

Inside the stone, two rays of light suddenly lit up:

A beam of light, pitch-black as ink and exuding the Death Qi of the Nine Nethers, struggled to climb to 8% height—Netherworld Law!

A cyan beam of light, carrying the sound of whistling wind, stopped at the 35% position—Wind Law!

"Nine Nether Emperor! Netherworld Law 8%, Wind Law 35%, Total Score: 59!"

"Chu Dust-Dispelling, please test!"

The white-robed swordsman stepped forward, and a brilliant golden light burst from the stone, piercing the firmament:

A pure, sharp golden beam of light that seemed to be able to cut through everything shot straight to 35%—Sword Dao Law!

A thick, sharp pale gold beam of light stopped at 28%—Metal Law!

"Chu Dust-Dispelling! Sword Dao Law 35%, Metal Law 28%, Total Score: 63!"

The test proceeded rapidly. The scores of the prodigies from the Central Continent were mostly between 30 and 50 points, which was already shocking. When a youth from a powerful Three-Star Great World tested, the stone tablet lit up with three-colored light for the first time:

"Wood Law 17%, Life Law (Upper) 4%, Poison Law 12%, Total Score: 31!" This drew a smattering of applause. It was indeed rare to master three Laws, especially including one Upper Law, in the Spirit Refining Realm.

"Six-Star Great World—Lin Yuan!"

When this name sounded again, the entire Myriad Worlds Platform instantly fell into a suffocating, pin-drop silence! A million gazes, filled with shock, suspicion, inquiry, jealousy... like invisible shackles, focused tightly on the figure in green robes slowly walking towards the Dao-Enlightenment Stone.

Lin Yuan's expression was calm. He restrained the supreme Chaos Law (17%) within his body into the depths of the Primordial Purple Qi and lightly placed his palm on the surface of the Dao-Enlightenment Stone.

"Hum—!!!"

It was as if a star had exploded inside the Dao-Enlightenment Stone! The entire ancient strange stone emitted a violent tremor, like a dying groan, unable to bear the load!

Inside the stone!

Thirty-one dazzling Law starlight beams, like ignited cosmic starfires, erupted simultaneously! They illuminated the Dao-Enlightenment Stone as brightly as a supernova! Among them, five beams were like divine spears of creation, piercing through everything:

A silver beam of light, like a divine dragon that had broken free from the shackles of time, roared and shot straight to the top of the stone—Time Law 100%! Perfection!

A pitch-black beam of light, exuding a terrifying aura that devoured everything, followed closely behind and also hit the top—Devouring Law 100%! Perfection!

A scarlet, blood-like beam of light full of the aura of destruction stopped steadily at 20% height—Law of Destruction!

A warm, jade-colored beam of light that encompassed all Souls rose to 25%—Soul Dao Law!

A nimble, pale cyan beam of light rose to 30%—Wind Law!

The remaining twenty-six beams of light of different colors, although they only stayed at a faint 1% shimmer, the unprecedented spectacle of thirty-one Laws appearing simultaneously completely drowned out the Myriad Worlds Platform with the light of the Dao-Enlightenment Stone! It was as if a sun of Laws had been born here!

"Pfft—!"

The inspector spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale as paper, pointing at the two beams of light, his voice distorted and changed due to extreme fear: "Time... Time Perfection?! Devouring... Devouring Perfection?! This... This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!!!"

On the high platform!

Vice Hall Master Ling Qingyun, who had been sitting as steady as a mountain, stood up abruptly! The seemingly rotten wooden sword at his waist suddenly emitted a heaven-shaking clang! It unsheathed three inches on its own! The chilling Sword Qi split the space!

He stared fixedly at the two beams of light. On his calm face, for the first time, an unconcealable horror appeared! Law Perfection? A threshold that countless Myriad Laws Realm Martial Artists could not touch in their entire lives? And it appeared on a young man in the First Heaven of the Spirit Refining Realm?!

Even more terrifying was that he had comprehended seven Upper Laws in the Spirit Refining Realm?! Such talent could no longer be described as a "Prodigy"; this was—a divine miracle unprecedented in eternity!

"Total Score: 553 points!!!"

The cold number was like a divine hammer of extinction, smashing hard into everyone's heart! It was nearly ten times that of the second place! On the spectator stands, Feng Tianxiu was streaming with tears, his whole body spasming with excitement, almost fainting!

In the Central Divine Pillar area, the million prodigies were like Souls collectively extracted, one by one dumbfounded, with only extreme confusion and shock left on their faces! The Netherworld black sun above Nine Nether Emperor's head fluctuated violently, and countless resentful Souls let out shrill screams! The ancient sword in Chu Dust-Dispelling's arms buzzed, and Sword Qi overflowed uncontrollably!

"A child of heaven... no... this is..." Ling Qingyun muttered to himself, a hint of awe for the unknown flashing in his deep eyes for the first time, as if he had seen a figure that only existed in ancient prophecies.

Finally, the light screen summarizing the results of the three rounds, like a list of the Heavenly Dao, hung in the firmament:

Lin Yuan (Six-Star Xuanxiao Great World · Tianqing Domain): Strength 102nd place (338 Yu), Reaction 1st, Law 1st (553 points), Total Score: 639

Nine Nether Emperor (Central): Strength 1st (2500 Yu), Reaction 2nd, Law 3rd (59 points), Total Score: 498

Chu Dust-Dispelling (Central): Strength 2nd (1300 Yu), Reaction 3rd, Law 2nd (63 points), Total Score: 178

...

Yan Jin (Seven-Star Yanyang Great World): Total Score: 52

The moment this ranking lit up!

The entire Central Continent fell into an unprecedented, absolute silence capable of freezing time and space! A Cultivator from the First Heaven of the Spirit Refining Realm from a Six-Star fringe world, with an absolute posture that crushed the heavens and subverted cognition, ascended to the pinnacle of the Myriad Worlds prodigies! He had created an immortal legend that had no predecessor and would be hard to have a successor!

Vice Hall Master Ling Qingyun's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, breaking this suffocating silence: "The top one thousand, follow me back to the Spirit Martial Hall headquarters. After returning, the Hall will have generous rewards to help you... take a step further before the Soul Ruins Secret Realm opens!" His gaze swept across the crowd below, and finally, it landed on Lin Yuan as if it were tangible. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, containing indescribable complex emotions:

"Ten days later, the Soul Ruins Secret Realm... will open." He paused, his voice suddenly becoming as heavy as ten-thousand-year black ice, carrying a trace of bloody warning:

"I hope you all... do your best... to come out alive!"