Chapter 779: Chapter 779

Yan Sheng, Wu Meng, Zi Zaitian, and the others were momentarily stunned. "Hmm? He's here?"

Divine Emperor Xi didn't keep them guessing. He stated directly, "The Light of Origin requested to participate in the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War Overlord Competition through the White Emperor of the Sacred Flame Hall.

"But do you know what the Overlord Competition is? It's a battle that determines the fate of our Human Race's fortune in the next era. The candidates are usually chosen and cultivated within the first ten thousand years of a new era.

"Even the slower picks are finalized at least a thousand years before the tournament begins. Many of you here have spent tens of thousands of years preparing for this one battle."

His words struck a chord with many.

Several Tyrants even frowned.

"Absurd," one muttered.

Luo Wuji, who had been preparing for this tournament for forty thousand years, spoke clearly. "Li Pin may be one of the most exceptional talents to emerge in recent centuries, and I don't deny his gift. But as Zi Zaitian mentioned, give him a few tens of thousands of years, and he might stand alongside us in this tournament. But right now... he's simply too young. The Prodigy Competition is where he truly belongs."

Many nodded in agreement.

As for Emperor Ara, he remained absorbed in his game of chess, playing against himself.

To him, from the start to the finish, no one here was truly an opponent. With no one to challenge him, there was no need to divide his focus.

Such intense concentration didn't go unnoticed by the Divine Emperor Xi, who only grew more appreciative. No wonder Emperor Ara was hailed as the trump card in this era's tournament. He is truly worthy of the title Invincible Tyrant.

With such praise in his heart, he continued, "At first, I didn't allow this nonsense either. Even White Emperor Ji Shun knew it was an unreasonable request. But we couldn't risk crushing his spirit during the Prodigy Competition.

"After careful consideration, Ji Shun and I agreed on a condition. To avoid any mistakes in the thirteen matches of the Overlord Competition, he had to place in the top ten among all of you to qualify."

Zi Zaitian's expression stiffened at the words. "Top ten?"

Everyone's gaze shifted to him, Luo Wuji, and Wu Meng. The three of them were nearly equal in cultivation

If they truly fought, it might take decades, even centuries, to determine a winner. And such battles could be decided by the slightest difference.

In truth, this was the case for most of them.

Among the dozens of Overlord Competition contenders, Emperor Ara stood alone, unmatched. Yue Shu and Xuan Chengming followed closely behind, then Yan Sheng and five other elites. After that came Wu Meng, Zi Zaitian, and Luo Wuji.

For Li Pin to break into the top ten, he would have to reach the level of at least those three.

"If I remember correctly..." Wu Meng spoke after meeting everyone's gaze for a moment. "Li Pin has only been cultivating for less than three hundred years? And his best record on the Supreme Ladder was the eightieth step?"

The Divine Martial Emperor nodded. "That's correct, less than three hundred years."

"Less than three hundred years, only eighty steps on the Supreme Ladder, and he still agreed when you told him he'd have to break into the top ten just to qualify?"

Zi Zaitian straightened up and stepped forward, his voice heavy with displeasure. "Does he think the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War is some kind of children's game? Or does he really believe we're no different from those Solar Flare and Cosmic Radiance Realm cultivators he defeated, those who never even touched the legacy of a Heavenly Emperor?"

"To break into the top ten, he'll have to go through us," Luo Wuji let out a cold laugh. "I'd really like to know who gave him the courage to say something like that."

Even Xuan Chengming, who had stayed silent until now, couldn't help but shake his head with a faint smile. "The youngsters from the Humanity Sanctum these days... each one more arrogant than the last."

He himself had once come from the Humanity Sanctum. Back then, the place had felt much more harmonious.

"Fearless like a newborn calf. We get it," Zi Zaitian said, his tone calmer now. "But it's a shame. He picked the wrong people to challenge."

"Great. You're full of spirit," Divine Emperor Xi said with a faint nod, glancing across the crowd. "I thought the same way once."

Those quick to catch on paused at his words, sensing something more hidden beneath the surface.

Divine Emperor Xi calmly continued, "But now... you'd best set aside the pride you carry as disciples of the Heavenly Emperors, as their descendants, and as those personally taught by the Supreme. Not long ago, that so-called Light of Origin challenged the Supreme Ladder again. And this time, he reached the eighty-fifth step."

His words sent shockwaves through the crowd. While the top-ranked remained largely unmoved, the expressions of Wu Meng, Zizai Tian, Luo Wuji, and those below them changed dramatically.

"The eighty-fifth step!?"

"No way... We may have been training in the Myriad Astral God Hall, but we haven't been completely cut off from the outside world. I remember hearing about him for the first time in the Heavenly Prison World. The second time, he'd just made it to the eightieth step, and that was only a few decades ago. A few decades? From eighty to eighty-five?"

One Tyrant after another was visibly shaken.

Even Yue Shu and Xuan Chengming, who stood just below Emperor Ara and occupied a league of their own, lifted their gazes.

As proud prodigies of the highest tier, they rarely spared attention for peers they considered beneath them. To them, anyone unworthy of being called an equal wasn't worth understanding.

For them, there had only ever been one target—Emperor Ara.

But now... according to Divine Emperor Xi, someone new had suddenly caught up. He even showed signs of standing shoulder to shoulder with them! That alone was enough to command their attention.

"Don't forget," Divine Emperor Xi said, "Li Pin has only cultivated for just over two hundred years. In your lifespans, which stretch across tens of thousands of stellar years, you might spend decades just learning a secret art or mastering the basics of a combat technique. But for him, those decades make up a full tenth of his entire life."

Seeing the growing seriousness in their expressions, Divine Emperor Xi deepened his tone. "To cross from the eightieth to the eighty-fifth step on the Supreme Ladder in just one-tenth of his life... is that so unbelievable?"

"One-tenth of a lifespan..."

The moment those words landed, Wu Meng, Zi Zaitian, Luo Wuji, and all the other contestants, including Xuan Chengming and Yue Shu, quieted down.

What did one-tenth of a lifespan mean? Even the shortest-lived among them had existed for over a thousand years. The rest had survived for several millennia. With that kind of time, could they have done what Li Pin had?

Just then, Emperor Ara, who had been quietly playing chess against himself, suddenly spoke. "Interesting."

As a figure destined to shine across the world, to dominate his era, and reign as the undisputed supreme prodigy of this generation, every word and action from him was enough to draw all eyes.

And that one casual remark pulled everyone's attention to him.

"It's been a long time since a prodigy this interesting came along." Emperor Ara lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Wu Meng, Zi Zaitian, Luo Wuji, one of you should fight him. Let's see if this so-called prodigy lives up to the name."

Although the dozens of contestants present stood on equal footing in terms of status and identity, Emperor Ara's commanding tone felt entirely natural.

No one questioned it, not even Wu Meng, Zi Zaitian, or Luo Wuji. They simply nodded.

"If he plans to break into the top ten, and I happen to be the one ranked tenth... then I'll be the one to face this so-called Light of Origin," Zi Zaitian said, glancing at Wu Meng and Luo Wuji. "I want to see if his strength matches the rumors—if he'll surprise me."

Wu Meng and Luo Wuji nodded in agreement, showing no interest in competing for the spot. The three of them were evenly matched. It didn't matter who stepped up to face Li Pin.

Hearing their exchange, and seeing even Emperor Ara, who rarely involved himself in such matters, showing interest, Divine Emperor Xi smiled in satisfaction.

He didn't believe Li Pin could defeat Zi Zaitian.

Among them, Emperor Ara was a supreme prodigy who had forged his own path in cultivation. Zi Zaitian, Luo Wuji, and the others, on the other hand, had been guided by him and the other Heavenly Emperors. Each had accumulated years of combat experience and possessed battle strength that far exceeded their current realms.

But years of intense training and rapid improvement had caused some of them to grow arrogant. Perhaps among the younger generation of the human race, they had indeed reached an unrivaled level, but this time, their opponents were from other races. The Eight Sovereign Races, to be exact.

In this situation, introducing a competitor who might not yet be strong but possessed astonishing talent was the best way to motivate them.

At the very least, they needed to understand that their talent wasn't so absolute that they could ignore others. The only reason no one had caught up yet... was timing.

Divine Emperor Xi smiled faintly. "A catfish effect." The most update n0vels are published on novｅlfire.net

At that moment, he seemed to sense something. After glancing at the token on his body, he turned to the others. "He's here. Zi Zaitian, get ready. Li Pin has reached the eighty-fifth step of the Supreme Ladder. Don't underestimate him."

He added with a light smile, "He's only been cultivating for just over two hundred years. If you lose to someone like that—"

"I won't lose," Zi Zaitian replied calmly. "The Supreme Ladder is one thing. The Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War is another. The Supreme Ladder doesn't have the Eternal Oblivion Force. There, you can unleash your full power freely. But the tournament takes place on the alien battlefield in the Astral World, where the Eternal Oblivion Force is ever-present."

His voice carried unwavering confidence. "Whether it's in direct combat or manipulating the Eternal Oblivion Force, I have a hundred ways to crush an eighty-fifth-step Tyrant."

"Good. I look forward to seeing what you can do."