Chapter 824: Chapter 824

The Sovereign Races took turns hosting the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War. This time, the event was held in the Chaos Clan's territory.

People often divided the Nine Sovereign Races into two tiers: the Upper Four and the Lower Five.

The Upper Four included the populous Human Race, the fast-growing Divine Race, the mysterious Intelligent Lifeforms, and the Astral Beasts, known for being unmatched among those of the same rank.

The Lower Five consisted of the Demon Race, constantly caught in internal conflict; the Unique Lifeform Alliance, seemingly united on the surface; the individualistic Star Spirit Clan; the Sky Clan, gifted in spatial abilities; and the Chaos Clan, whose strength fluctuated unpredictably.

Of course, this didn't mean the Lower Five were weak. The main issue was stability. The Upper Four maintained a united front and stable leadership, while the Lower Five were riddled with internal problems. These issues made it hard for them to show real strength when facing external threats.

Take the Demon Race for example. One of their Heavenly Emperors secretly took over more than a dozen star systems controlled by the Human Race and slaughtered every living being in a massive blood sacrifice. The Humans were furious and launched a full-scale hunt.

That Heavenly Emperor, a direct disciple of the Demon Race Supreme, fled back to his master's protection, thinking he was safe. But the six Human Supremes joined forces and struck deep into Demon territory.

Faced with this near-total war, the other Demon Race Supremes didn't help. Instead, they dragged their feet, or worse. Some took advantage of the chaos to settle old grudges, attacking while their own Supreme was locked in battle with the Humans.

In the end, that Demon Race Supreme lost ninety percent of his mass and escaped into the depths of the Void of Chaos.

Before the Humans could retaliate further, the Demon Race had already torn apart his sect and divided the spoils among themselves.

The same kinds of issues, to varying degrees, also existed among the Unique Lifeform Alliance, the Star Spirit Clan, the Sky Clan, and the Chaos Clan.

Take the Chaos Clan, for example. Their numbers were few, and every time one was born, a corresponding lifeform appeared somewhere else in the universe. If they manage to find and merge with this counterpart, their strength and talent would rise dramatically.

The well-known Beta Fusion Art actually came from the Chaos Clan.

Because fusion brought such a leap in power, there was once even a Heavenly Emperor who ascended beyond the Astral World through fusion and achieved Supreme status. This rare ability laid the foundation for the Chaos Clan's place as a Sovereign Race.

But the universe was vast, and finding one's "other half" was incredibly difficult. Even if they did meet, merging meant fully sharing everything, secrets, thoughts, and emotions. Not everyone was willing to do that.

Most Chaos Clan members spent their lives growing alone. On the surface, this might make them seem weaker, but no Sovereign Race dared to take them lightly. After all, no one knew when two previously unwilling Heavenly Emperors might decide to fuse and suddenly rise as a Supreme force.

A massive flying vessel sped through the core layer of the Astral World.

Even under the immense pressure, like a submarine crushed by the deep sea, the vessel still managed to travel at nearly one-tenth the speed of light. That was almost the limit for a Sovereign Divine Weapon-grade vessel in the core layer. Any faster, and it could fall apart.

Inside, the Divine Martial Emperor handed out documents to dozens of contestants and said, "The location for the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War has been decided by joint agreement of all the Supremes. It will take place at the Sixth Battlefield, right on the border between the Chaos Clan and the Intelligent Lifeforms. This battlefield formed from a massive Abyssal Rift and is known as the Weeping Emperor Battlefield."

"In ancient times, before it became a battlefield, this place was still a ruin. Void Creatures invaded from that direction, and more than a hundred Heavenly Emperors fell here. That's why it was named Weeping Emperor."

The number struck a chill into the hearts of the contestants.

"Over a hundred Heavenly Emperors fell..."

While clans within the existence faction often clashed, even the fiercest conflicts rarely aimed to wipe out an entire race.

But the Void Creatures were different. Wherever they went, nothing was left alive.

"This battlefield is among the largest of them all. Even at the core layer, its diameter exceeds ten million miles. Because of the massive breach here, the Supremes of the Nine Races once joined forces to seal this place. Your battlefield will be at the base of that seal, on a continent shaped by Supreme Laws."

As the Divine Martial Emperor spoke, he gave a casual wave.

A vast continent, over ten thousand miles across, appeared before everyone's eyes. Around its edges stood thirty-three towering stone pillars, soaring so high their tops disappeared into the clouds.

Each seal represented a Supreme power. Together, the pillars were known as the Supreme Pillars.

Now, however, all thirty-three pillars were dim.

That was because the Abyssal Rift at this battlefield had long been repaired, making the seal no longer necessary.

The reason this area became a battlefield was because of the Supreme power left behind on the thirty-three stone pillars. Although less than one percent of that power remained today, these pillars once held the power of thirty-three Supremes, encompassing the might of all Nine Sovereign Races.

Any lifeform from any race who came here to comprehend that power could gain valuable insights. Over time, the area naturally turned into a sacred ground for cultivation.

This was especially true for the Intelligent Lifeform Alliance, which relied on collecting vast amounts of data. For them, the Weeping Emperor Battlefield was a place they had to visit at least once in their lives.

But the battlefield happened to lie closer to the Chaos Clan's territory, and the Chaos Clan belonged to the Lower Five Sovereign Races. With such conflicting interests, the area naturally became a battleground where the two sides constantly fought.

"The rules for the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War were just released," said the Divine Martial Emperor. "The first stage is selection. All participants from every race will be placed into this sealed continent.

"From there, the cultivators will take to the skies and charge toward the thirty-three stone pillars hovering above, each formed from Supreme power. Only the races that manage to reach the pillars will qualify for the final battle. Those that fail will be automatically disqualified."

"Thirty-three races, huh."

The participants all found the rule reasonable.

Without enough strength, a race wouldn't even qualify to show up and speak at the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War.

Letting thirty-three races take part was already a generous move. Back in the fourth tournament, which the Demon Race hosted, they directly set up the Nine Great Demon Caverns. Only the race that first broke through all nine was allowed to enter the final round.

That... was basically just short of saying outright, "We, the Nine Sovereign Races, will decide everything. The rest of you just do as you're told."

Even so, top-tier races occasionally produced rare geniuses. Limiting the contest to just nine races often led to upsets, where a Sovereign Race got eliminated, and fierce arguments followed. So gradually, the number of slots was expanded.

Now, thirty-three races were being selected.

With that many spots, the Nine Sovereign Races were pretty much guaranteed to make it through the first round.

"Only the races that reach the stone pillars can enter the second round... But these pillars... Aren't they each thousands of miles high?"

A contestant asked quietly, "Does that mean we have to fly thousands of miles just to qualify?"

"Exactly. Each pillar is thirty thousand miles tall," the Divine Martial Emperor replied calmly. "The space from the ground to thirty thousand miles up is the contest zone. If someone can't even fly that far, then they're simply not qualified to take part."

He paused, then said, "Besides, this isn't a bad thing. Take the last tournament as an example. The Divine Race secretly controlled dozens of minor races. They forced cultivators of Cosmic Radiance and Tyrant level, who weren't strong enough, to master deadly combat techniques and secret arts. Their goal was to deliver fatal blows to us, even if it meant they would be destroyed in the process.

"But now that the battlefield stretches from the bottom to the top of these thirty-thousand-mile pillars, most of those cannon fodder will be eliminated early on. For us, that's actually a good thing."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Flying was easy on its own, but flying without attracting the power of the Eternal Oblivion Force was much harder, almost exponentially so, especially in the core region.

Without strong enough control, the moment many took off, they risked being entangled by the Eternal Oblivion Force and facing certain doom.

"Each race can send one Commander and two Deputy Commanders to compete. As for us humans..."

The Divine Martial Emperor's gaze briefly landed on Li Pin, Emperor Ara, and Yao Ji, then shifted to Yue Shu, Xuan Chengming, and Wu Meng.

Li Pin is the strongest in combat, Emperor Ara excels in offense, and Yao Ji is skilled in control. Aside from those three, the rest had received special training in agility and flight.

"I want to experience it for myself," Li Pin said with a smile before the Divine Martial Emperor could speak. "The moment when the top talents of all races rise together, flying toward the summits of the Supreme Pillars... That scene must be magnificent." Latest content publıshed on novｅlfire.net

The Divine Martial Emperor's expression grew serious. "This time, the Chaos Clan used the 'flying' rule to eliminate many minor races. But the first few thousand miles after takeoff will be fiercely contested. Even if the Eternal Oblivion Force tries to hold them back, those specially trained foreign races still have a good chance to break through that distance.

"And you are our Commander, honored as a Supreme seed. For the minor races that have been controlled or infiltrated, killing a Commander like you would bring them rewards far greater than winning the entire tournament."

"They're all scattered and unorganized," Li Pin said calmly. "They won't pose much of a threat to me."

He glanced at the Divine Martial Emperor. "Besides, I have the Luminous Ark and have mastered the Grand Oblivion Art. When it comes to movement and flight, no one can match me."

The Divine Martial Emperor looked at him, knowing that once Li Pin spoke this way, there was no changing his mind. He nodded. "Very well. Li Pin, Yue Shu, and Xuan Chengming, you three will secure our human race's spot in the next round."

Li Pin gave a slight nod. Yue Shu and Xuan Chengming also nodded solemnly.

As the Divine Martial Emperor continued explaining important details, a continent crowned with thirty-three radiant pillars slowly came into view.