Chapter 165 The Immortal Stele Manifests, Heroes Compete for Supremacy

Above the ruins of the collapsed palace complex, the pale golden glow grew increasingly brilliant, and the sound of the Dao echoed as if it were tangible, cleansing the minds of all present. It was an indescribable attraction, as if the most primal longing deep within the Soul had been awakened.

The immortal fate stele was about to manifest!

Around the ruins, powerful figures gathered from all directions, hovering in the air, confronting each other with vigilance, yet all gazing with fervent eyes toward the place where the glow was most intense.

Nightmare brought Su Wanqing, appearing silently within the shadows of a broken wall. The power of the rule fragment perfectly concealed their Auras as they coldly observed the situation on the field.

There were nearly a hundred people present, encompassing almost all the powerhouses from the earlier star platform. Those few Hedao Stage existences were like pillars of stability, each occupying a corner of the void, their Auras deep as the sea; no one dared to approach them easily. There were more than twenty Void Refining Stage Cultivators scattered around, their eyes flickering as they clearly held their own schemes. The rest were all Late-Stage Transformation Spirit or Peak Spirit Transformation, mostly traveling in groups or attaching themselves to some Void Refining or Hedao Stage great expert, attempting to seize a share in the coming chaos.

Nightmare even saw a few "acquaintances" — Money Maple, who he had met once in Heavenly Derivation City and who was hiding her identity, was currently standing behind an old woman with an obscure Aura, her gaze also fixed on the center of the glow; and there was that Grey-Robed Elder, a Void Refining Stage Cultivator whom he had injured in the Nine Nether Lands, who was currently sweeping the crowd with a hidden, resentful gaze, seemingly searching for his tracks.

The air was filled with the suppression and tension of a storm about to break. No one spoke, but invisible Auras collided and clashed in the air, causing the void to slightly distort.

Suddenly, the brilliant glow retracted inward with a jolt!

Boom!

A massive stone stele, about a hundred feet tall and carved entirely from unknown white jade, rose slowly from the center of the glow, standing tall above the ruins!

The stele was not carved with words, but covered in countless naturally formed, profoundly mysterious Dao patterns! Those patterns flowed slowly as if they were living things, sometimes transforming into the movement of stars, sometimes evolving into the birth and death of all things, and at other times becoming an endless torrent of runes! Each change pointed directly to the Origin of the Dao, containing unimaginable mysteries!

Just one look was enough to make one's mind sway, as if the Bottlenecks that had remained unresolved after years of bitter cultivation were showing signs of loosening!

The immortal fate stele! It had finally manifested!

In an instant, everyone's breathing became heavy!

However, just as everyone was restless, preparing to step forward to comprehend and seize the best positions —

The Dao patterns on the immortal fate stele suddenly changed, transforming into twelve huge, golden, ancient characters. Although no one recognized them, their meaning was directly imprinted into everyone's Sea of Consciousness: "Twelve immortal fates, one line of Dao contention. Rely on your own abilities; the time limit is three days."

Below the characters, on the body of the stele, twelve relatively small, pale golden light seats, each only large enough for one person to sit cross-legged, appeared, distributed around the stele.

The meaning was clear: the immortal fate stele only provided twelve seats for comprehension. Whoever could occupy them would do so based on their own ability, and the comprehension time was three days!

Almost at the same moment the light seats appeared!

Boom!

The atmosphere, suppressed to the extreme, was instantly ignited!

"Seize them!"

It was unknown who shouted first, but the next moment, countless figures rushed toward the twelve light seats like arrows released from a bow! The speed was extreme! Various escape techniques, spatial Divine Abilities, and even secret arts burning essence blood erupted all at once!

"Get lost! This seat belongs to me, Old Ancestor Heavenly Evil!"

"Hmph! A mere Soul Transformation, and you dare to covet the immortal fate? Die!"

"Join forces! Clear the field first!"

A brutal melee erupted instantly!

The few Void Refining Stage Cultivators who rushed to the front bore the brunt of it, unleashing various powerful Magic Treasures and Divine Abilities without mercy at their competitors! Brilliant lights flashed, Laws collided, and the deafening roars were thunderous!

Almost in the first exchange, seven or eight Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivators who had rushed too fast were submerged by several terrifying attacks before they could even scream, their bodies and Souls destroyed on the spot! Their flesh and blood and Primordial Spirits were even directly devoured by certain Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques, used to enhance the power of the casters!

Blood and death, far from making people retreat, thoroughly ignited everyone's ferocity! For the sake of the immortal fate, who still cared about being fellow Human Race? At this moment, except for oneself, everyone was an enemy!

Those few Hedao Stage great experts did not act immediately, but coldly watched the melee below, like gods high above, looking down on the struggle of ants. Their targets were naturally those best positions closest to the heart of the stele; to act now would be beneath their status.

Nightmare did not rush into the fray. The rule fragment calculated the situation on the field at high speed, analyzing the intensity of the struggle around each light seat, the strength comparison of all parties, and possible traps.

Su Wanqing watched the melee, which was like a meat grinder, nervously, her palms full of cold sweat. She did not even have the qualifications to participate in a struggle of this level.

"Wait for me here, do not leave the range of the shadows." Nightmare instructed Su Wanqing, his Annihilation Domain expanding slightly, completely solidifying and concealing the shadow area where she was; unless a Hedao Stage great expert deliberately investigated, it would be difficult to discover.

The next moment, Nightmare moved!

He did not rush toward the core light seats that were being fought over most fiercely and watched by several Void Refining Stage Cultivators, but his figure flickered, appearing like a ghost near a relatively remote light seat located behind the side of the stele.

In front of this light seat, only three Cultivators were fighting fiercely. Two Peak Spirit Transformation and one Early Stage Void Refining. The green-robed old man at the Early Stage Void Refining was clearly stronger, suppressing the two Peak Spirit Transformation Cultivators, and was about to kill one of them under his palm to occupy this light seat.

"Haha! This seat belongs to this old man!" The green-robed old man laughed triumphantly, slapping his palm toward the crown of a Peak Spirit Transformation Cultivator's head.

However, before his palm could land, a slender finger, yet containing a power that made even him feel palpitations, arrived later but reached first, silently pointing toward his vital back heart!

Annihilation Finger Force!

The green-robed old man was terrified, the intense crisis of death forcing him to abandon his prey, turning around abruptly and sacrificing a verdant vine shield to block behind him!

Pfft!

The Annihilation Finger Force tapped onto the vine shield, and that Spirit Treasure-grade vine shield instantly became withered and rotten, centered on the point of contact, losing all spirituality! The remaining momentum of the finger force did not diminish, penetrating the vine shield and striking the green-robed old man's shoulder!

"Ah!" The green-robed old man screamed, his entire right arm instantly withered and necrotic, the terrifying Power of Annihilation crazily eroding along his Meridians! He was so scared that his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, no longer caring about any light seat, desperately urged his magic power to suppress that destructive force, retreating in a sorry state, his gaze toward Nightmare full of fear.

The two Peak Spirit Transformation Cultivators were also stunned by this sudden scene.

Nightmare did not even look at them, took a step, and was already sitting steadily on that light seat.

Hum!

A pale golden light shield rose above the light seat, protecting him within. This light shield contained the power of the immortal fate stele and was extremely sturdy, clearly to ensure that the comprehenders would not be disturbed.

The two Peak Spirit Transformation Cultivators looked at each other, and in the end, dared not step forward to provoke this fierce god, turning away resentfully to compete for other light seats.

Nightmare occupying a seat so cleanly and neatly did not attract much attention. The field was in chaos at the moment, and most of the attention was focused on the struggle for those core seats.

The battle at the core was even more brutal.

A Late Stage Void Refining Yao King from the Yao Race, revealing part of its true form and covered in red scales, relied on its tyrannical Physical Body and Heaven-Burning Yao Fire to forcibly tear a competitor to pieces, occupying one of the foremost light seats.

The old woman whom Money Maple followed, holding a dragon-headed cane, tapped it lightly, causing the void to shake, and shocked two Mid-stage Void Refining Cultivators into vomiting blood and flying backward, also occupying a seat.

Although the Grey-Robed Elder was injured, his methods were ruthless and strange; he sacrificed a myriad soul banner, the wailing of wronged Souls forcing back the crowd, and he also seized a position.

The Hedao Stage great experts still had not moved, but their Disciples or affiliated forces had already begun to clear the best positions for them.

People kept falling, blood staining the ruins red. In a short time, nearly twenty Soul Transformation Cultivators had been killed or injured, and there was even a Mid-stage Void Refining Cultivator who, under the siege of several peers, unwillingly detonated his Nascent Soul, dragging two enemies to perish together!

Brutal! Incredibly brutal!

Finally, when the twelfth light seat was also occupied by a Late Stage Void Refining Demonic Cultivator shrouded in Devilish Qi, the chaotic battle on the field gradually subsided.

Twelve seats, each with its owner.

The three Hedao Stage great experts still hovered in the air, not having entered the field, seemingly dissatisfied with the seats before them. The remaining nine seats were occupied by Late Stage and Mid-stage Void Refining Cultivators and Nightmare, this "anomaly".

Those losers either retreated to the periphery with injuries, their gazes unwilling and greedy; or had already turned into cold corpses on the ground.

Around the immortal fate stele, a strange balance and silence temporarily fell. Only the pale golden light shields emitted a soft glow, protecting the twelve "lucky ones" within.

Everyone's gaze was focused on the immortal fate stele. The three-day comprehension time officially began!

Inside the light shield, Nightmare immediately felt a vast and majestic Dao intent surging into his Sea of Consciousness! Those patterns on the immortal fate stele seemed to have come alive, constantly evolving the ultimate truths of heaven and earth before his "eyes"!

The rule fragment began to run crazily at an extraordinary speed, greedily absorbing, analyzing, and recording these Dao mysteries! Especially the parts concerning "Annihilation", "Stars", and "Space", which were highly compatible with his own Dao, countless sparks of inspiration burst forth, and many difficulties in his past cultivation suddenly became clear!

He could even feel that his dao seed, which had condensed into a prototype, was becoming solid and clear at a speed visible to the naked eye! The Bottleneck for breaking through to the Void Refining Stage was rapidly dissolving!

This immortal fate stele was indeed worthy of its reputation!

The powerhouses in the other light seats were also immersed in deep-level Dao comprehension, each with expressions of joy, confusion, or shock on their faces. This was a heaven-sent Opportunity; no one was willing to waste a single second.

However, the crisis was not resolved. Those losers eyeing them covetously on the periphery, and the three Hedao Stage great experts in the air who had not yet acted, were like sharp swords hanging over their heads. No one knew what would happen within these three days.

Especially Nightmare; he could feel at least three ill-intentioned and malicious gazes sweeping over his light shield from time to time. The Grey-Robed Elder, the old woman behind Money Maple, and that Demonic Cultivator shrouded in Devilish Qi...

The tree wants to be still, but the wind does not cease. Nightmare sneered in his heart; while fully comprehending, his rule fragment always maintained a shred of vigilance, silently calculating power. He wanted the immortal fate; if anyone wanted to seek death, he would not mind sending them... to complete Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.