Two months passed quickly.
Finally, the day of the Geniuses' Gathering arrived, and countless powerful figures from across the Nine Skies Realm converged toward Thunder Sound Mountain.
Thunder Sound Mountain.
This ancient divine mountain had recently risen from the ground, with the entire mountain glowing brilliantly, bathed in radiant light. Even the trees on the mountain shimmered.
It was said to be a former sacrificial site of Xuanhuang Heaven, now chosen as the venue for the Geniuses' Gathering.
At the peak of the mountain, there was a vast square, paved with ancient blue stone bricks, grand and majestic, exuding an aura of ancient history.
At this moment, the square was already packed with a sea of people.
In the sky, figures were still arriving from all directions, greeting friends and acquaintances.
"Brother Wu, it's been a long time."
"Brother Ximen, since we parted ways, millions of years have passed. I still vividly remember how we fought side by side, conquering mountains and rivers."
"Indeed, those memories are still fresh in my mind."
"Hey, isn't that Kong Yiji? I've heard he wields calligraphy as his sword, and his 'Fennel Sword Technique' has five different styles of writing!"
"Gasp, it really is him!"
"Look, that's Song Changjing! I heard he once crushed dozens of geniuses of the same realm single-handedly. Terrifying."
Conversations buzzed all around, as people discussed the powerful figures gathered.
After a while...
The sky began to change.
Rumble!
Golden clouds gathered from the horizon, rubbing together and igniting like flames in the sky.
The golden clouds spun rapidly, forming a massive vortex with a diameter of hundreds of meters.
"They're here!"
"The young master of the Luo Family!"
Everyone raised their heads, gazing solemnly at the vortex in the sky, their eyes filled with awe.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect so many to come. It seems everyone gives me a lot of face."
A hearty laugh echoed from the vortex.
Then, a dazzling beam of light shot down from the golden vortex, and within the light, more than a dozen figures slowly descended.
These figures were of all ages, both men and women.
At the center was a handsome young man in purple robes, exuding nobility. Purple aura swirled around him, and a vertical purple mark rested between his brows, resembling both a crack and a third eye.
This was Luo Chentian!
Surrounded by these figures, Luo Chentian floated in the center of the beam of light, his aura making him the focal point of the heavens and earth.
"Greetings to the young master of the Luo Family!"
"Greetings to Young Master Chentian!"
Everyone bowed their heads in greeting.
Many among them were far older and of higher seniority than Luo Chentian.
But the power dynamics had shifted.
They were now like bankrupt nobles, while Luo Chentian was the wealthy newcomer offering them a way out.
They had no choice but to flatter him.
"There's no need for such formalities."
Luo Chentian smiled and nodded graciously at the crowd, exuding both courtesy and poise.
After surveying the crowd, he said:
"I've invited you all here today on behalf of my Luo Family's ancestor, to offer you a great opportunity."
"It's better to offer help during hard times than to give gifts when things are easy. The Xuanhuang Heaven is at its weakest now, and my Luo Family is willing to share some of our resources, hoping to form a good relationship with the forces of Xuanhuang Heaven."
As he spoke, he glanced at an old man standing beside him.
"Uncle Li."
The old man nodded knowingly, stepped forward, and waved his sleeve. A beam of golden light shot into the sky.
Whoosh!
The golden light unfurled in the sky, revealing a large golden scroll similar to a decree. The scroll was adorned with embroidered landscapes, dragons, and phoenixes, radiating a noble and mysterious aura.
Luo Chentian smiled and said, "This is the 'Celestial List,' a treasure forged by my Luo Family's ancestor over millennia using countless precious materials. Anyone who can have their name inscribed on this list will receive the blessings of a world's fortune and energy infusion. I'm sure you all understand what that means."
"What?!"
"This kind of treasure?!"
The crowd was utterly shocked, their breaths quickening.
The blessings of fortune and energy infusion were exactly what they needed most. They were currently in a state of energy deprivation, unable to restore their peak strength due to the lack of fortune and energy. They could only wait for the revival of Xuanhuang Heaven's energy to piggyback on its resurgence.
But now, the Celestial List could resolve their most pressing issue and restore their strength.
The fortune and energy of an entire world! Even a lower world would be enough to restore them to their peak!
Truly worthy of the God King Clan's ancestor.
Such a grand gesture!
"What must one do to get on the list?" someone asked excitedly.
Everyone else looked at Luo Chentian with eager eyes.
Luo Chentian smiled and explained:
"This list was forged by my ancestor with supreme magic. Theoretically, it can hold up to ten thousand names."
"Of course, inscribing your name on it won't be easy. You'll have to endure a certain amount of backlash, and that backlash is tied to your cultivation level."
"In short, only the truly exceptional will be able to inscribe their names on it. Good luck to you all."
Hearing this, the crowd was filled with excitement.
"Can we start now?"
A burly man asked eagerly.
"Of course."
Luo Chentian nodded with a faint smile.
Whoosh!
Dozens of figures instantly soared into the sky, rushing toward the massive scroll in the air.
"Get lost!"
One particularly strong man attacked the others with a sudden strike, sending them all flying with a single punch.
He approached the Celestial List.
The crowd below watched him intently, as many true powerhouses were still observing, waiting for him to test the waters.
"My name is... Lu Ya...!"
The man extended a finger, etching his name into the scroll with a force as sharp as iron.
However, before he could finish, the Celestial List trembled violently, and a beam of golden light struck him, causing him to cough up blood and be sent flying backward.
Boom, boom, boom!
Several protective barriers around his body shattered one after another, as the backlash dispersed all the power within him, rendering him temporarily incapable of battle.
His name, "Lu Ya," appeared on the list!
But in the next moment...
The name quickly faded, disappearing completely like evaporating water.
"What just happened?"
"He clearly inscribed his name. Why did it disappear?"
"Young Master Luo?"
The crowd looked toward Luo Chentian with questions, feeling that if this was a joke, it would be in very poor taste.
Facing their gazes, Luo Chentian remained calm and said, "The name vanished because he didn't finish writing it."
He looked toward the fallen man and asked sternly, "Tell everyone your full name."
"I..."
The man, his face red with embarrassment, didn't want to speak. But under the pressure of Luo Chentian, he had no choice but to stammer:
"My full name is... Lu Yabao."
Instantly, the crowd burst into jeers!
At that moment, they also realized that inscribing their names on the Celestial List wouldn't be easy. Their moods turned solemn.
"I'll try!"
At that moment, a young man in black shot into the sky, moving quickly toward the Celestial List.
Swish, swish!
In a few strokes, his name was inscribed on the list. Instantly, the Celestial List emitted dazzling golden light, and two dragons—one gold and one silver—emerged from it, circling a few times before merging into the young man's body.
Hum!
The young man's body began to glow, and his aura surged rapidly, shining like a sun in the sky.
"He succeeded!"
"So this is the power of the Celestial List!"
"What an intoxicating aura."
The crowd's eyes sparkled with excitement, their blood boiling as they prepared themselves for a chance to inscribe their own names.
As Luo Chentian observed the reactions of the crowd, a proud smile appeared on his face.
But the next moment...
When his gaze fell upon the name inscribed on the Celestial List, his smile froze.
Qin Zi?!
At that moment, the young man in black slowly turned around and smiled at Luo Chentian.
"Young Master Luo, I trust this doesn't count as crashing the party, does it?"