78: A reclusive genius emerges

The summit of the 10,000-zhang volcano, “Blazing Sun Mountain,” in the Southern Region.

This place is perpetually engulfed in the undying Southern Bright Departure Fire, making it a Holy Land for Fire-element Cultivators.

At this moment, atop the mountain Peak, two beings wielding peerless flames were facing off.

On one side was a woman dressed in crimson feathered robes, exquisitely beautiful, with an air of nobility and cold indifference in her gaze.

Golden True Sun Fire burned around her, her aura fierce and overbearing, and her cultivation was at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm!

She was the princess of the Saint-level Force, the “Golden Crow Divine Clan”—Phoenix Nine Songs!

She possessed the Golden Crow Bloodline and commanded the Sun Origin.

On the other side was a figure shrouded in Chaos-colored flame, whose exact features were obscured, but who exuded a terrifying aura capable of incinerating everything yet also containing vitality.

Their cultivation was equally unfathomable, faintly having also reached the Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm!

“Your flame carries the aura of the Phoenix, which I despise.”

Phoenix Nine Songs' voice was icy, like clashing metal, “But its purity is far inferior to my Golden Crow Divine Fire!”

The figure in the Chaos flame did not reply. With a raise of their hand, the Chaos-colored flame transformed into a gigantic, sky-shrouding fiery claw, carrying a strange power interwoven with annihilation and creation, and grabbed toward Phoenix Nine Songs!

“A mere trick! Golden Crow Splits the Void!”

A Three-legged Golden Crow Manifestation appeared behind Phoenix Nine Songs. With a flap of its wings, endless True Sun Fire condensed into hundreds of millions of golden divine feathers, shooting toward the fiery claw like torrential rain!

*Hiss, hiss, hiss—!!!*

The collision of the two supreme flames triggered an earth-shattering explosion!

The entire Blazing Sun Mountain trembled violently, and magma erupted!

Countless black holes were burned into space!

When the flames dispersed, the two remained in confrontation, seemingly evenly matched.

Phoenix Nine Songs' eyes grew colder: “It seems I cannot defeat you without using my true abilities.”

A golden divine pattern lit up between her eyebrows, and her aura climbed once more, as if resonating with the sun in the sky!

The figure in the Chaos flame also shifted slightly. The color of the flame around them deepened, and ancient Phoenix phantoms faintly rose and fell within the fire... In the Western Region, there was an ancient temple ruin shrouded jointly by Buddhist Light and Devilish Qi.

A young monk, clad in moon-white robes, with a benevolent face and a faint golden Karma wheel behind his head, was confronting a young man from the Demonic Path, who was clad in pitch-black demonic armor, surrounded by towering Devilish Qi, and whose eyes were cruel and violent.

The monk was the Buddhist Saint of the Saint-level Force, “Great Thunder Sound Temple”—Sakyamuni (Reincarnation), whose cultivation was at the Eighth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm, and whose Buddhist Law was profound.

The young man from the Demonic Path was the Devil Saint of another Saint-level Force, the “Infernal Devil Domain”—Fierce Heaven Demon. His cultivation was also at the Eighth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm, and his Demonic Technique was world-shaking.

“Amitabha, Benefactor Li, the sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and the shore is near.”

The Buddhist Saint pressed his palms together, his voice carrying the power to enlighten minds.

“Bald Donkey, cut the crap! Today, I shall refine my Myriad Devil Banner with your Buddhist Blood!”

The Devil Saint Fierce Heaven Demon sneered. The Myriad Devil Banner shook, and countless ferocious Devil Heads roared out, devouring the Buddhist Light!

Infinite Buddhist Light bloomed around the Buddhist Saint. He chanted True Scriptures, and golden “swastika” symbols flew out, colliding with and dissolving the Devil Heads.

The Buddhist Light and Devilish Qi eroded each other, transforming the ancient temple ruins into a battlefield woven of light and darkness.

Their battle was less overtly violent than the previous one, but far more perilous.

Besides these, there was also the Saint of the “Myriad Gu Sect” who controlled Primordial Venomous Gu, the Divine Maiden of the “Void Palace” skilled in assassination and space, and the Dao Son of the “Divine Heavens Sect” who commanded lightning... One by one, the top successors of Saint-level Forces, whose names were usually heard but who were rarely seen, emerged like mushrooms after rain. Their cultivation levels were at least the Seventh Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm, with the Eighth and Ninth Layers being common!

Those so-called Geniuses from before, such as Bei Chenxing and Ice Without Trace, were completely relegated to being supporting characters and background scenery in front of these truly top-tier Prodigies; they didn't even have the qualifications to participate in their battles!

The eyes of the entire Nine Provinces were drawn to these newly emerging top Prodigies.

Countless people were discussing, comparing, and guessing who the true Leader of this generation would be.

Beneath this bustling clamor, an even more shocking but unconfirmed piece of news quietly circulated like a ghost within the highest circles—

A suspected Emperor Son from an Emperor-level Faction had already entered the world!

...Time flowed on. More than a month had passed since the Seven Saints of the Lin Clan entered secluded cultivation.

During this month, the dramatic changes among the younger generation in the Nine Provinces could be described as progressing a thousand miles a day.

The top successors of the Saint-level Forces had become the absolute main characters; every collision between them tugged at the hearts of countless people.

Battle Vault and Mysterious Heaven Son fought fiercely in the depths of the Fallen God Land over an Ancient Battle Soul, tearing the heavens and splitting the earth;

Phoenix Nine Songs and that mysterious Chaos Fire Cultivator battled fiercely for three days atop Blazing Sun Mountain. They eventually seemed to reach a certain understanding and both entered the Secret Realm within the mountain belly;

The Buddhist Saint Sakyamuni and the Devil Saint Fierce Heaven Demon's debate at the ancient temple triggered Buddhist-Demonic Phenomena, ultimately ending in a draw, after which they each departed... The new Prodigy Ranking was quickly updated. Those ranking at the top were all these newly emerged successors of Saint-level Forces, with the lowest cultivation being the Seventh Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm.

Bei Chenxing, Ice Without Trace, and others, who were once infinitely glorious, had long been pushed to the middle and lower ranks of the list, their luster dimmed.

Yet, amidst this boiling commotion, the Lin Clan, which had once risen powerfully with its seven Saints and shaken the Nine Provinces, appeared unusually silent.

Aside from necessary business operations and the activities of low-ranking disciples, there was almost no movement from the higher echelons. The seven Saints, who were considered the future of the Lin Clan, had vanished as if evaporated from the world, with no news of them circulating.

This abnormal silence, fueled by those with ulterior motives, gradually evolved into various speculations and criticisms.

“Hmph, I knew it! Nouveau Riche are Nouveau Riche after all! Seeing the true foundation of a Saint-level Force, they got scared and hid!”

“I heard that the highest cultivation among the Seven Saints of the Lin Clan is only the Fourth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm. How could they possibly compete with Prodigies like Battle Vault and Mysterious Heaven Son, who are at the Eighth or Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Soul Realm?

Secluded cultivation? That's probably just an excuse to avoid battle!”

“It looks like their previous victories were mostly luck, or they used some Secret Technique to overdraw their potential. Now that the side effects have kicked in, they dare not show themselves!”

“The Lin family? Haha, they were just a flash in the pan. In this true Great Era, they will ultimately be exposed for what they truly are.”

Discussions like these began to spread throughout the Nine Provinces, especially within the circles of the Forces that had previously been suppressed by the Seven Saints of the Lin Clan, carrying undisguised mockery and schadenfreude.

Even some neutral Forces that were originally benevolent toward the Lin Clan began to waver.

Suddenly, in the center of the Nine Provinces Continent, at the core of the Boundless Desert—that area regarded as a forbidden zone of life, perpetually shrouded by Chaos Qi Currents and Spatial Fissures—a strange phenomenon abruptly occurred!

*Rumble, rumble, rumble—!!!*

The colossal sound echoed throughout the Nine Provinces!

A vast golden pillar of light tore through the Chaos above the Boundless Desert, shooting straight beyond the highest heavens, connecting heaven and earth!

Within the light pillar, countless palaces and Phantoms of Immortals and Gods could vaguely be seen rising and falling, and the Profound Sounds of the Great Dao reverberated, seeming to expound upon the Ultimate Truth of Heaven and Earth!

Immediately afterward, an ancient pressure, surpassing all things, transcending Reincarnation, and capable of making even Xiaoyao Realm Mighty Experts tremble, swept across the entire Nine Provinces Continent like a tide!

Under this pressure, all things submitted, and Laws became compliant!