250: Chapter 249 The Situation in the Upper Realm

"Keep the music playing, keep the dancing going!"

As Yuan Chen's calm voice faded, the terrifying pressure that had just suppressed the entire arena slowly dissipated, and the tense atmosphere between heaven and earth suddenly relaxed.

The previously interrupted Prodigy competition resumed once more.

On the arena below, spiritual light soared to the sky, and the resonance of the Dao roared.

Young Prodigies from the various Sects, ancient clans, and hidden tribes of the Eastern Wasteland took turns stepping onto the stage to battle. Fists and kicks shattered the airflow, techniques tore through the long sky, and sword light crisscrossed for a hundred miles, with every collision stirring up deafening roars. Countless Cultivators stopped to watch, with cheers and exclamations rising one after another; the entire Prodigy gathering had returned to its lively and prosperous state.

However, having experienced the heaven-shaking changes from the previous cross-border arrival of the Dragon Clan Golden Immortal and the conclusion of the Immortal race war, the liveliness of today's arena had long since lost the unrestrained flamboyance of the heroes contending. It now held a bit more stifled frustration and speechlessness; it was chaotic, everything was in Chaos.

Yuan Chen sat in the main seat, with the various faction leaders arranged on both sides, the order orderly.

Below the high platform, Clan Leader Ao Yi led the group of Dragon Clan Elders and core tribesmen, standing quietly.

Yuan Chen turned his head to look at this group of cautious Dragon Clan tribesmen. A gentle smile rose at the corners of his lips as he took the initiative to break the silence. His tone was warm and easygoing, devoid of any cold oppression from a superior.

"You all don't need to be so restrained."

Yuan Chen's clear voice resounded across the high platform, falling clearly into the ears of every Dragon Clan tribesman. "Today, the Prodigy gathering has restarted. Geniuses from all directions have gathered here, with ten thousand techniques competing and a hundred schools of thought contending; it is a martial arts spectacle rarely seen in the Eastern Wasteland for ten thousand years. Your Dragon Clan has long dwelled in the Dragon Palace Secret Realm, focusing on hard cultivation, and usually has very few opportunities to observe the gathering of Prodigies from the entire mortal world."

Upon hearing this, Clan Leader Ao Yi's heart trembled slightly. He quickly lowered his head to listen, not daring to make the slightest movement.

"Since you have come, you might as well stay." Yuan Chen raised his hand to gesture towards the honorable guest seats on both sides of the high platform. "Would you like to come up and sit, watch the competition and comprehend the Dao together, and relax your minds? There is no need to be on guard at all times."

Once these words were spoken, the hearts of the Dragon Clan Elders relaxed. They looked at each other, and expressions of being moved flashed in their eyes.

The war had just concluded, the Dragon Clan had just surrendered, and the hearts of the tribe were unsettled. Everyone was secretly terrified that Yuan Chen held a grudge and would settle scores later. At this moment, Yuan Chen's active display of goodwill and enthusiastic invitation was undoubtedly a kind gesture to break the ice and appease the tribe, an excellent signal to ease the relationship between the two sides.

In their hearts, everyone had already gladly agreed, but no one dared to answer without authorization. All eyes gathered in unison on the leader, Clan Leader Ao Yi, waiting quietly for his decision.

Clan Leader Ao Yi's thoughts raced, his considerations extremely thorough.

He stepped forward half a step, his posture upright, bowing his head with a respectful and appropriate demeanor.

"The Clan Chief's kindness makes us, the tribesmen, feel flattered and deeply grateful." Clan Leader Ao Yi's voice was steady and earnest, every word measured. "However, now that the Clan Chief holds the overall situation of our Dragon Clan and is our Supreme Clan Chief, we, as tribesmen, must strictly follow the Clan Chief's orders in all our actions and movements. Everything is at the discretion of the Palace Master."

A rich look of satisfaction instantly flashed across Yuan Chen's eyes.

Clan Leader Ao Yi was steady, rational, understood the big picture, knew awe, understood how to advance and retreat, and followed the rules. He was truly the most reliable talent in the Dragon Clan, most worthy of cultivation and heavy use.

With this person assisting, there would be no need for him to worry too much about the future regulation and steady development of the Dragon Clan.

"There is no need to be so restrained and rigid." Yuan Chen waved his hand lightly, his tone relaxed and tolerant, carrying full magnanimity. "You all should take your seats and watch the competition with peace of mind. Be at ease, there is no need for excessive courtesy, and no need to be restrained."

"Yes!"

Clan Leader Ao Yi, along with the group of Dragon Clan tribesmen, accepted the order in unison. Afterward, everyone moved in an orderly fashion and settled steadily into the elegant seats on both sides of the high platform.

After settling the Dragon Clan members, Yuan Chen's seemingly casual gaze quietly pierced through the dense crowd below, precisely locking onto a dark corner in the deepest part of the crowd.

There, Young Master Ao Xing was curled up tightly, suppressing his own Dragon Qi to the extreme. His head was buried deep in his chest, his body trembling slightly, trying his best to erase his own sense of presence, wishing he could completely hide in the shadows of the crowd.

Young Master Ao Xing's heart had long been filled with extreme fear and despair.

He knew better than anyone that he was the instigator of the entire Immortal-mortal catastrophe. If it weren't for him coming to the Lower Realm to act arrogantly, provoking the Imperial Dynasty, stirring up trouble, reporting false military intelligence, and bewitching Old Ancestor Golden Immortal Ao Li to raise an army across borders, the Dragon Clan would never have ended up in such a miserable state of fallen Prodigies, crippled Golden Immortals, and a surrendered tribe.

At this moment, being lightly swept over by Yuan Chen's indifferent gaze, the hair on Young Master Ao Xing's body stood on end. A bone-chilling cold surged through his limbs and bones, his breathing instantly froze, and the fear in his heart almost completely swallowed him.

But Yuan Chen only glanced at him before withdrawing his gaze, not making trouble or holding him accountable on the spot.

Just a small fry.

The other party would not have an easy time in the days to come, and he couldn't be bothered to deal with him now. After all, the other party was not as strong as Golden Immortal Ao Li and the others; he didn't even have the ability to cause trouble for him.

Suppressing the stray thoughts in his heart, Yuan Chen no longer paid attention to Young Master Ao Xing. His gaze shifted slightly, falling on Zhao Miao, who had been standing silently at his side.

Yuan Chen looked at him, his thin lips parted slightly, and he had just spat out one word: "You..."

Before the words had even landed, Zhao Miao, whose mind was active and whose ability to observe expressions was already perfected, instantly tensed up.

He hurriedly stepped forward, bowing, his speech extremely fast and his attitude obedient: "Your Majesty! I will also follow and take a seat to watch the competition! The chaotic battle of the Prodigies, I have benefited a lot from it!"

"..."

Looking at his appearance of being extremely worldly-wise, slick, and fawning, without a shred of pride left, Yuan Chen raised his eyebrows slightly and waved his hand helplessly: "It's not about that."

Yuan Chen was secretly dumbfounded in his heart.

Previously, he had been secretly calculating, planning to use the traction to get the other party down and beat him up, to test the traction effect, and by the way, add some nourishment for Fortune Spirit.

But who could have imagined that in order to survive and gain a foothold, Zhao Miao would not give him a chance to make trouble at all. He was bottomless, extremely slick, took the initiative to admit defeat, tried his best to please him, and refused to show even a shred of confrontational stance.

The other party was so obedient and well-behaved to this extent that it made his originally planned confrontation fall through, and instead, he felt embarrassed to take the initiative to target him again.

Putting away the helplessness in his heart, Yuan Chen looked straight at Zhao Miao, getting straight to the point, his tone flat but carrying a sense of scrutiny: "I ask you, what exactly are your intentions? I have killed your descendants, and you can endure it so well? Do you have bad intentions, wanting to find an Opportunity to plot against me?"

"Your Majesty, please see clearly! The general trend has been set. The Palace Master suppresses the Eastern Wasteland, suppresses Golden Immortals, and reigns over ten thousand races. Your battle power crowns the mortal world, and your layout overlooks the heavens; you are the recognized Supreme! I am not a dull person; naturally, I understand how to follow the trend of Heaven and choose a master to serve! Following the Palace Master is following the general trend of the Heavenly Dao. Acting against the trend is the only way to death; how could I not distinguish between what is important and what is not?"

Yuan Chen's mouth twitched: "You are indeed very good at talking."

"Every word comes from the bottom of my heart!" Zhao Miao hurriedly bowed his head, his attitude extremely humble. "Besides, the struggle for the Great Dao and the competition for Opportunities are the constant norms of the Cultivation World since ancient times! The descendants are incompetent and had their country destroyed; this is a tribulation they must go through on their cultivation path, a tempering they deserve to experience. It cannot be counted as any grievance or entanglement at all!"

"Breaking and then establishing; presumably, after this experience, the surviving descendants can truly grow!"

Yuan Chen raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but size up Zhao Miao again.

This person is indeed capable of bending and stretching.

After a long silence, he couldn't help asking: "Are you sure you are the Old Ancestor of the Da Ming Zhao Clan? Not some steward or something who followed up?"

The tone was too similar!

Zhao Miao gave a dry laugh and did not respond.

Insult? Sorry, didn't hear it, don't talk nonsense!

A moment later, Yuan Chen no longer dwelled on past trifles, changed the subject, and asked about the curiosity in his heart.

His gaze was distant, looking toward the vast Void Realm above the Nine Heavens: "By the way, I am still completely ignorant about the Upper Realm."

"You descended from the Upper Realm, come from an orthodox Immortal Sect, and are familiar with the situation in the Immortal Realm. Today, there is nothing to do; tell me carefully about everything in the Upper Realm. Geographical divisions, power structures, cultivation systems, explain it all clearly."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Miao instantly restrained the hippie smile and fawning look on his face. His expression suddenly became solemn and grave, and he bowed respectfully and replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty! What the world generally calls the Immortal-Demon-Demon Realm, which is the Upper Realm, has a vast territory of hundreds of millions of miles, far exceeding the imagination of the beings in the mortal world. It is by no means comparable to this small plane of yours."

"The entire Upper Realm territory is vast, and the structure is huge. The main body is divided into three major orthodox territories. Besides this, there are countless scattered ancient Secret Realms, Void Realms, and lost treasure lands spread across the heavens, with countless Opportunities and crises lurking everywhere."

Yuan Chen nodded slightly and took the Opportunity to ask precisely: "What are the three major orthodox territories? What are their respective characteristics? How is the power distributed?"

"The three major territories are the Immortal Realm, the Demon Realm, and the Ten Thousand Yao Exotic Realm." Zhao Miao said clearly and slowly, "The Immortal Realm is the core hub of the Upper Realm and also the orthodoxy of the entire Immortal-Demon-Demon Realm. Here, the Heavenly Dao rules are the most perfect, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is the most dense, and the Origin of the Great Dao is the most complete. The resources are uniquely endowed by nature, nurturing countless ancient Immortal Sects, top clans, and Supreme factions."

"More than sixty percent of the top experts and core cultivation resources of the Upper Realm are all gathered here. Factions are numerous, checks and balances are complex, and the various factions are intertwined and contentious, with the most intense fighting. It can be said that the Immortal Realm is the true center of power in the Upper Realm. This is also the reason why the Lower Realm is accustomed to calling the Immortal-Demon-Demon Realm the Immortal Realm."

Yuan Chen's eyes brightened slightly, and he continued to ask: "Then what about the Demon Realm and the Ten Thousand Yao Exotic Realm? What is the specific structure?"

"The Demon Realm is the Chaos ruins territory left over from the ancient God-Demon war." Zhao Miao explained patiently, "The terrain here is extremely dangerous, mountains collapse, time and space are chaotic, incomplete ancient arrays are everywhere, and there is no unified order."

"Here, Opportunities and murderous intent coexist. One can see ancient treasures and Legacies left over everywhere, and one can also see the skeletons of fallen Supremes everywhere. It is suitable for lurking and training, and exploring ancient relics. Generally, those who like to kill, or those who Cultivate killing techniques, take root here."

"As for the Ten Thousand Yao Exotic Realm, that is the orthodox stronghold of the Yao Race in the heavens." Zhao Miao continued, "Hundreds of millions of Yao Race are numerous, Bloodline is Supreme, the Physical Body is incomparably strong, and they inherit the ancient Yao Dao, forming an independent cultivation system."

"Is the Upper Realm dominated by the Human Race?"

The other factions nearby were listening with great interest. Although they had means to contact the Upper Realm, there were limitations, and many things were simply unclear. Hearing Zhao Miao's words, they couldn't help but ask with confusion.

After all, in the Cultivation World, the Yao Race was considered the more advantageous side, not only occupying the largest area of the Chaotic Star Sea, but also having Yao Race forces distributed across the four regions.

"That's right!!" Zhao Miao glanced at the other party and, seeing Yuan Chen also looking at him curiously, nodded gently: "There are countless Small Worlds below, and the Human Race that ascends accounts for the majority, so the forces formed are naturally the most powerful."

"Besides this, there are other small factions such as the Spirit Race, Ancient Race, and Void Race, each occupying some Secret Realms or small territories, allied with each other."

Yuan Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and asked about the core: "Then how are the cultivation Realm systems and levels of the Upper Realm divided? How big is the gap in combat power between the top and bottom?"

"The gap can be described as heaven and earth!" Zhao Miao's tone was solemn, and he explained seriously: "Once a Cultivator breaks the wall and ascends, sheds their mortal body, condenses an Immortal Foundation, and formally steps onto the Immortal path, the cultivation system will undergo a complete transformation. The mainstream basic Realms in the Upper Realm from low to high are: Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Golden Immortal, Taiyi Golden Immortal, Grand Unity Golden Immortal. These five levels of Realms are the mainstream Foundation of Cultivators in the Upper Realm, with the largest number of people and the widest distribution, covering more than eighty percent of the Cultivators in the Upper Realm."

Yuan Chen nodded slightly and asked again: "Above the Golden Immortal, are there higher Realms?"

"Naturally there are! Above the Golden Immortal is the truly high and far Immortal path!" Zhao Miao's expression became increasingly respectful, and his tone carried strong yearning, "After Taiyi and Grand Unity, there are the Immortal King, Immortal Lord, Immortal Venerable, and Immortal Emperor! These four Realms are the true top combat power of the Upper Realm, the Foundation for standing in the heavens and dominating territories!"

"Immortal King experts can govern a large continent and sit in charge of first-class factions; Immortal Lord experts can lead ancient Immortal Sects and balance the structure of a region; Immortal Venerable experts can traverse the heavens with few opponents, and are the recognized top-level combat power in the Upper Realm; and as for the Immortal Emperor, they can be counted on one's fingers!"

Yuan Chen silently noted down this complete combat power hierarchy, thought for a moment, and asked again: "What is the level of the Dragon Clan in the Upper Realm?"

Zhao Miao analyzed carefully, "They are considered a major force in the Monster Realm, but in the Monster Realm alone, there are not a few forces stronger than it. This is even including all the Dragon Clan that ascended from other Cultivation Worlds, such as Tyrannosaurus, Hydra, Wyvern, etc..."

After listening to all the intelligence on the structure of the heavens, Yuan Chen's heart was clear and bright. He paused for a moment, locked his gaze on Zhao Miao, and continued to ask specifically: "Tell me about the faction you belong to, is it strong?"

Speaking of his own Sect, Zhao Miao was in high spirits, his back straight: "Is it strong? Heh! The number one force on Wanxiang Star!"

Yuan Chen asked: "Wanxiang Star? What the heck is that?"

"The number one small planet under the jurisdiction of Liuyun Heaven, governed by the Immortal Realm's Wuchen Immortal Emperor!"

Yuan Chen rolled his eyes: "Then what the heck are you proud of!"

"Hey, why can't I be proud of this? Your Majesty, you must not underestimate our Wanxiang Sect. The first generation Old Ancestor has ascended for only one hundred thousand years. Not only has it not been destroyed, but it has actually carved out a small territory in the vast Immortal Realm; that is good enough. Look at the forces in the Cultivation World today, many of the Old Ancestors above are long gone. Don't look at how they talk about summoning Old Ancestors to the Lower Realm; they are all just bluffing. You let them try calling one down."

The several factions listening nearby instantly squirmed uncomfortably.

They looked at their noses, and their noses looked at their hearts, shifting their gaze to the Prodigy battle arena.

"Hey, look at whose descendant that is, they are not at a disadvantage fighting against the Palace Master's offspring, so strong!"

"Yes, yes!"