310: Trace of the Tao

Dao Traces!

This is a Secret Realm formed from the inner world of a Human Race sage after his demise, located in the ancient city at the center of the Central Dao Domain. The Legacy of this Secret Realm has long been emptied, but its unique nature has made it the place where the Mandate of Heaven descends through the ages.

This is also the place where various Human Race Prodigies have competed for the Mandate of Heaven throughout history.

As only three months remained, the ancient city outside Dao Traces gathered countless forces and various Loose Cultivator Prodigies.

"Dong dong dong ~"

As nine grand bells rang, the entire ancient city completely boiled over.

"Boom!!!"

Nine ancient figures descended from the Void Realm, and a terrifying Aura swept across the entire ancient city. The originally excited crowd involuntarily quieted down.

A great scholar, full of scholarly Qi, stepped forward.

"Fellow Daoists, Human Race Prodigies, this Senior is Bai Shuting, Dean of Dongxuan Academy, and I am responsible for presiding over this Mandate of Heaven Contention..."

Hearing the great scholar's introduction, the lower-level Cultivators couldn't help but be shocked; this was a truly important figure.

Immediately after, they heard him recount the history of the Human Race, from a small barbaric clan, growing step by step to become the foremost clan in the Eternal Dao Realm. At the same time, he encouraged the Prodigies to learn from the spirit of their ancestors and plan for the Human Race, and so on!

Finally, he announced the rules for this Mandate of Heaven Contention.

The Mandate of Heaven Contention will be held within Dao Traces. Any Human Race member whose age is within thirty epochs, whose cultivation is above a One-Step Quasi-Emperor but below the Emperor Realm, can enter Dao Traces to compete.

Within Dao Traces, the flow of time is different from the outside world. One day outside is one month inside. The Mandate of Heaven Contention needs to proceed for three months, which means approximately seven and a half years will pass inside.

Inside is a continent with a hundred cities, and in the central Ancient City of Ascension, stands an ancient Dao Stele. This Dao Stele is the key to the Mandate of Heaven Contention!

Dao Traces has many beings from the Myriad Races imprisoned within. Some are descendants of those imprisoned in ancient times, while others were sent in recent years for committing atrocities against the Human Race.

Because of rule restrictions, they cannot Breakthrough to Great Emperor, but there are many Quasi-Emperors among them, and because they are imprisoned, they harbor extreme hatred for the Human Race.

And this is the test for the Prodigies: kill a being above Quasi-Emperor to earn corresponding points. The top thousand in points will be recorded on the Dao Stele and receive corresponding rewards.

Seven years later, the top hundred in points will undergo an ascension trial. Those who make it into the top nine will obtain the Mandate of Heaven and achieve the Mandate of Heaven Great Emperor.

During these seven years, if one cannot endure, they can crush a distributed jade token to leave, but that also means losing the chance to compete. However, the jade token is not omnipotent; if one's space is sealed by another, then they can only rely on themselves.

"Everyone, let's begin!"

After the introduction, Bai Shuting looked at the other elders.

"Boom!!!"

Nine terrifying Auras soared into the sky, and the vast Emperor's Might made countless people prostrate in reverence. Only then did everyone realize that these elders were all in the Emperor Realm.

The next moment, they simultaneously struck out, sending a stream of energy towards the mountain range where Dao Traces was located.

Boom!

Nine colossal Emperor Dao powers, hundreds of feet in size, suddenly whistled over the heads of the Cultivators, like giant pillars, converging on a spatial node in the mountain range.

"Rumble!"

Torrential energy churned, the entire space continuously vibrated, and was peeled away layer by layer.

An astonishing Aura erupted from their bodies, and the heavens and earth gradually changed color at this moment, causing the Martial Artists below to be as silent as cicadas in winter. This kind of power was far beyond their reach.

As the energy continuously churned, a hollow door slowly appeared.

Through the energy mist, everyone could vaguely see an ancient land.

"All Prodigies, enter now!"

And just as everyone was in shock, Bai Shuting roared, his voice echoing like thunder.

Boom!

As these words were uttered, the entire world instantly erupted. Countless Prodigies shot out, transforming into streaks of light, and rushed into the spatial door.

"Let's move too! We don't know what will happen in Dao Traces, so everyone be careful," Xu Yuan said, looking at the others.

Besides him, Xu Ji and others also entered this time. Additionally, there was a group of Xu Clan members whose cultivation had been raised to the Peerless Quasi-Emperor Realm. Of course, these people were not competing for the Mandate of Heaven, but were responsible for protecting Xu Ji and the others.

Swish!

The next moment, Xu Yuan and his group simultaneously shot out, surging into it.

Seeing them, Bai Shuting and the others' expressions changed, as they perceived the strength of the Xu Clan.

"Could it be that the Xu Family is one of the Hundred Clans of the Eastern Wasteland?"

A hint of doubt simultaneously arose in the hearts of the nine Great Emperors, because only those ancient clans remaining in the Lower Realm could possess so many Peerless Quasi-Emperors.

"This Mandate of Heaven Contention will undoubtedly be fierce. Not to mention the people from the Xu Family, just consider that Secret Realm..."

One Great Emperor said.

The other Great Emperors fell silent upon hearing this.

The Eternal Continent had not seen a Mandate of Heaven appear for several epochs, so the Myriad Races within had not been cleared for a very long time. Under such circumstances, it must have bred many powerful Myriad Races.

Some of the Myriad Races, their combat power might even be comparable to an ordinary Great Emperor. After all, the Lifespan of the Myriad Races is generally much longer than that of the Human Race. The long years, coupled with the suppression of the Secret Realm rules, had already allowed their combat power to reach an incredible level.

For a time, worry lingered in their hearts, hoping that their Disciples had heeded their admonitions, otherwise, this Mandate of Heaven might...

Within mere tens of breaths, an ancient city appeared before Xu Yuan. The rich energy that rushed towards him was considerably denser than that of the outside world.

He surveyed the world before him; it was an ancient land, as if from the primordial era.

And where he was, was an ancient city, one of the hundred cities on the continent.

All Prodigies entering Dao Traces would be randomly teleported to one of the hundred cities, excluding the City of Ascension. These hundred cities were inscribed with formations by Great Emperors; any foreign race approaching within a hundred thousand li would be annihilated by the formation!

Therefore, the Myriad Races in Dao Traces lived far from the ancient cities, and the ancient cities became the Human Race Prodigies' habitat and safe zone for these seven years.

Outside the ancient city, beyond a hundred thousand li, was a boundless plain, and in the distance, ancient trees stood, and mountain ranges soared straight into the clouds. The entire world was filled with an ancient, savage Aura.

Xu Yuan's Saint Sense probed, but he did not find any Xu Clan members, indicating they were teleported to other cities.

He took out his clan token to make contact and learned the locations of his clan members. His wife, Wang Yanan, and his niece, Xu Linghuang, were together, along with two Peerless Quasi-Emperor clan members, which freed Xu Yuan from any constraints.

Randomly choosing a direction, his Quasi-Emperor power surged around him, and with a stomp of his foot, his figure shot out.

With his strength, he didn't need any protection. It was just points, wasn't it? He would take the first place, directly killing his way to the top of the Dao Stele.

Just as many Human Race Prodigies entered Dao Traces, deep within a certain ancient mountain range, as far as the eye could see, there were countless white bones, so many that it was known as a mountain of bones.

This also made it a Forbidden Ground for living beings.

Suddenly, the entire earth violently trembled.

"Boom--"

With a loud bang, a vast and unparalleled Aura soared into the sky. In that instant, a gigantic shadow rushed out from the cracked earth.

This was a colossal beast, spewing terrifying black light all over its body. As soon as it appeared, the entire sky turned oppressively dark. Distant creatures, sensing this Aura, rushed even further away without hesitation.

"Human Race Aura!"

"I smell the Aura of the Human Race!"

A low growl sounded, filled with an unyielding killing intent!