["Ten Thousand Monster Starlands" - The deployment of the demon race and hostages has been completed!]
On the Initial Starland, beneath a massive, translucent tree that seemed to float in midair, Zhao Xing's eyes snapped open.
"It's starting!"
"The demon race and the human cultivators have all been placed. From now on, the critical moment has arrived."
Zhao Xing gazed into the distance and saw multiple Starlands drifting through the void. Beams of light shot up from these Starlands but quickly dissipated.
[The ranking board is now open. Your current ranking: 2,705,121]
"Over two million?"
In the blink of an eye, his rank dropped by another two or three thousand places.
"There are over twenty million Shennongs participating in the third round, but only about three million chose the Self School battle division."
"Hmm? Some people are already gaining points?"
Zhao Xing checked the top 1,000 rankings, and surprisingly, several people had already scored.
[1st place: Tuosen - 21,204 points]
[2nd place: Ji Xingchen - 17,546 points]
[3rd place: Han Qiye - 12,145 points]
…
[10th place: Lianrong - 3,521 points]
…
[100th place: Pu Ying - 1,821 points]
…
[1,000th place: Shi Ge - 514 points]
"So fast. The event just started, and these people have already crossed the starry void and made their first kills." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"They've spent three years gathering their troop types, but some geniuses didn't even need three years. They've already assembled powerful battle formations and were waiting at the Initial Starland's edge."
"The moment deployment was completed, they immediately used Void Species to leap to the nearest Starland."
"Or perhaps their Dao Fields have already reached the Solar Tier, allowing them to attack across space even from the Initial Starland itself."
To achieve this level of efficiency, there were many methods—but they all required skill and power.
"Based on the Star Mirror's displayed map, combined with my own observations of spiritual energy concentration, chaos coefficient, and other factors, if I travel on my own, the fastest I can reach the nearest Ten Thousand Monster Starland would be twelve days."
Without a doubt, the faster you move, the more points you can gather.
The Star Mirror showed that there were 10,000 Ten Thousand Monster Starlands evenly distributed around the Initial Starland.
It also displayed three ring zones—low, mid, and high. The stronger the demons, the farther they were placed.
"The gap is massive. One Starland takes twelve days to reach, meaning a thousand Starlands would take over ten thousand days. The geniuses ranked at the top are seriously powerful."
"I have to shorten my travel time if I want to maximize my point gains."
Qiao Song and North River Lord Yang Lin were monitoring the battle progress.
"Lord, Zhao Xing's flight speed is approximately 20 times the speed of light."
"If he relies solely on flying, even at 20 times light speed, he still needs twelve days to reach the first Starland."
"In the Self School battle division, with over two million participants, his speed isn't particularly outstanding—it's just about upper-mid level," Qiao Song reported.
North River Lord didn't monitor the rankings all the time—he only checked them after the leaderboard went live. At that point, he glanced at the twelve Shennongs from his star system.
Seeing Zhao Xing's name, Qiao Song immediately reported his situation.
"The Life Formation Flow has the fastest speed. By using Void Species plants, they can set up teleportation formations for one-time use."
"Tuosen from the Imperial Capital Star System had already set up a teleportation array using twelve Void Species plants. The moment deployment was completed, he instantly appeared in the high-tier Starland zone."
"He completed his first kill immediately, which is why his score climbed so fast."
"Most of the other top-ranked geniuses also used similar techniques."
North River Lord nodded before asking, "Can Zhao Xing shorten his time?"
If reaching one Starland took twelve days, then in thirty years, the number of Starlands he could visit would be extremely limited.
If his kills were too few, he wouldn't make it into the fourth round.
"He should be able to," Qiao Song replied.
"Should?"
Qiao Song continued, "Many of these plants are ones I don't even recognize, since Primordial Realm introduced a lot of derivative species. Just by their appearance, I can't tell what they do."
"But I noticed that Zhao Xing also tamed quite a few Void Species—so he should be able to shorten the distance and improve his efficiency."
"I don't practice the Life Formation Flow, but I have tamed plenty of Void Species—Star Void Vine, come forth!"
Whoosh—
As soon as Zhao Xing reached the edge of the Initial Starland, he immediately released a dark silver vine, speckled with black holes, devoid of any leaves.
The Star Void Vine had only one main vine with no branches. According to legend, it was a descendant of the Thousand Star Vine.
When fully matured, the Star Void Vine reached the Grand Divine Ability Realm. It had no offensive capabilities, only one divine ability—Void Traversal.
Zhao Xing's true body had spent tremendous effort capturing this Grand Divine Ability Realm Star Void Vine, as it constantly wandered unpredictably across the Initial Starland.
Moreover, Primordial Realm had set restrictions so that at any given location, it would only stay for three seconds before disappearing, leaving little opportunity to act.
"Shrrrk!"
Zhao Xing leaped onto the upper section of the Star Void Vine, and in an instant, the vine's tip turned into a sharp blade, piercing through the void.
As if poking through a piece of paper, the next second, the Star Void Vine had already pulled Zhao Xing out on the other side of the void.
He turned to glance back—the Initial Starland had shrunk to the size of a pearl.
"Shrrrk! Shrrrk! Shrrrk! Shrrrk!"
Repeated piercing movements—the void seemed like a fabric, and the Star Void Vine acted like a needle and thread, slipping in and out.
With every entry and exit, Zhao Xing leaped across vast distances.
In less than three days, the light blue Starland labeled 'Ant Tribe 996' appeared before Zhao Xing's eyes.
"Reduced the distance by nearly six times—not bad."
Meng Wu and Wu Tian, observing through the Star Mirror, noted his movements.
"If he relied on flight, it would have taken him over ten days. Now, he reached Ant Tribe 996 in less than three days."
"I told you this kid was capable," Wu Tian said with a smirk.
"Meng brother, looks like it's time for us to say goodbye."
"Don't be so sure," Meng Wu glanced at Wu Tian. "There are still 100,000 people ahead of him."
"You think you're transferring to another prison already? It's too soon to tell."
Zhao Xing glanced at the Star Mirror and found that nearly 100,000 people had already earned points—even the lowest-ranked among them had at least a single point. This meant that 100,000 Self School Shennongs were moving at speeds comparable to his own.
Tuosen, who ranked first, had already accumulated 15 million points.
The top ten all had at least several million points each.
The top 1,000 had all exceeded 1 million points, and even the top 10,000 were closely packed in score.
Beyond rank 10,000, there was a steep drop, with only a few hundred thousand points.
Beyond rank 100,000, the scores barely exceeded 10,000 points.
"The regions people chose must be very different. Many must have been confident enough to head straight for the high-level demon zones from the start. Tuosen is absurdly fast—he clearly doesn't see any demons below the Dao Domain Realm as worth his time."
Killing Lesser Divine Ability Realm demons only granted 1–100 points.
Greater Divine Ability Realm demons were worth 1,000–10,000 points.
Five Elements Dao Domain Realm demons granted 10,000–1,000,000 points.
Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm demons had a fixed value of 100 million points.
In just three days, the gap in points had already widened immensely. This clearly indicated that the choices players made in battle zones were drastically different, and also proved just how fast they were reaching the battlefield.
"The Empire's geniuses are really on another level."
Zhao Xing put away the Star Mirror and descended upon Ant Tribe 996 Starland.
"This is a mid-to-low-level demon Starland. The points it grants are lower, but the numbers are vast."
"A species like the Ant Tribe is a colony-based race. There are about 1–2 million of them on this Starland alone."
Everyone had their own approach. Zhao Xing had already gathered many unit types and was capable of challenging weaker Five Elements Dao Domain Realm demons.
However, heading straight for the high-level zones would mean his plant-based soldiers could suffer damage, and he himself could get injured. Healing would consume valuable time.
On lower-tier Starlands, he had a higher chance of executing a flawless hunt without suffering injuries.
"No Starland can be completely destroyed. Once I land, the Earth Veins will suppress movement, drastically slowing everyone down."
"Some people focus on hunting stronger enemies for big points, while others focus on quantity."
His strategy followed an explosive army flow + clone flow, rather than single-combat specialization.
That didn't mean his efficiency was any worse.
Based on his fighting style, he needed a high-density battlefield where he could slaughter en masse to rack up points quickly.
Activating Three Realms Void, Zhao Xing projected plant-based soldiers from his Origin Space into the world.
"Boom—!"
A massive forest materialized, almost like a miniature Starland, descending upon the eastern region of Ant Tribe 996.
The ground seemed to flow, shifting as various plants repositioned themselves.
In moments, a fortress of plants began taking form.
"Divide!"
From within Zhao Xing's body, countless clones emerged, each emitting a faint floral fragrance.
They were all 'Ant Fern' clones.
The outer perimeter of the forest was lined with rooted plants resembling potatoes, their green shoots exuding an alluring scent—these were Ant Fern Grass.
"Pteridophyte Order, Ant Fern Genus."
"The outermost perimeter consists of Staghorn Ferns, Spirit Fragrant Lotus, and Water Dragon Ferns from the Polypodiaceae family."
"Even my Straw Puppet clones are made from these."
Standing atop the canopy of a towering tree in the forest's heart, Zhao Xing observed his surroundings.
Tiny starlike lights fell from the tree's crown, and he plucked a single leaf, pressing it against his eyes.
Instantly, his perspective shifted—the earth turned transparent.
Mountains, rocks, and mist all vanished from sight.
Then, in the distance, a red tide surged from the horizon.
"They're coming."
A trace of excitement flashed across Zhao Xing's face.
He didn't even need to seek out the Ant Tribe demons. His carefully arranged plants alone were enough to lure them in.
This was their favorite food.
"That's... quite a lot."
At first, Zhao Xing had been relaxed.
But as time passed, his expression grew serious.
"At least 500,000 Ant Tribe demons—all at the Lesser Divine Ability Realm!"
"Most of them are in the early to mid-stages, with a few at the late-stage and perfection-level."
"Consuming this wave alone should net me at least 500,000 points, potentially even millions."
As the horde drew closer, Zhao Xing's clones quickly analyzed their exact attributes using his interface system.
[Ant Tribe · Metal-Devouring Ant]
[Realm: Lesser Divine Ability Realm - Early Stage]
[Innate Ability (Minor): Geng Metal Fangs, Tier 3]
[Passive Divine Ability: The fangs contain condensed Geng Metal essence, allowing them to slice through any material.]
[Innate Ability (Minor): Star-Moving Strength, Tier 3]
[Passive Divine Ability: The species' unique life structure grants them limitless strength, capable of shifting entire Starlands.]
"The Metal-Devouring Ant Tribe... the main difference between them is the tier of their abilities."
There were also a few Void Law-level passive abilities, and even Source Laws.
Some Metal-Devouring Ants had burrowing-type Void Laws, distinguishing them as different worker classes.
However, those below the Divine Ability Realm weren't significant enough for Zhao Xing to worry about.
"Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!"
A thunderous chittering filled the air.
At first, the footsteps were faint.
But as they neared, it was like an unstoppable tidal wave crashing forward.
"Treasure Mountain Divine Ability, Pillar of Heaven!"
Zhao Xing immediately jumped down from the towering tree.
His feet slammed into the earth, stabilizing the Earth Veins, sealing off the Metal-Devouring Ants' burrowing ability.
Since their burrowing ability was below the Divine Ability Realm, Zhao Xing effortlessly cut off underground combat.
Lacking high intelligence, the Ant Tribe had a simple response—if they couldn't burrow, they'd attack above ground.
Immediately, countless Metal-Devouring Ants emerged from underground, turning the scene into a spectacle of horror.
A dark-golden tide resembling flowing molten metal surged toward the forest.
"Firefly Tree, Advance!"
Seeing that his bait had worked, Zhao Xing activated Three Realms Void, retracting the outermost perimeter of Ant Fern plants into the forest's depths.
The ground rippled like water, shifting new plants to the frontline.
The Metal-Devouring Ants, seeing their prey retreat, grew increasingly agitated.
Like addicts in withdrawal, they rushed forward recklessly, utterly ignoring their safety.
"It's about time."
Zhao Xing's Three Divinities Destiny Palace surged with power, controlling the 2,000 Firefly Iron Trees on the outermost ring.
These trees had dark red bark, with red leaves, but their crowns shimmered with silver light.
Its every leaf was curled inward, but as Zhao Xing controlled it with his mind, every single one of its billions of leaves straightened instantly, like a bowstring being drawn taut.
"Release!"
A sharp glint flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes, and in the next moment, countless leaves shot out like streaks of light.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The leaves rained down like a sky full of stars. Initially, they only emitted a faint glow, but upon touching the ground, they expanded rapidly, blazing like miniature suns.
Fiery domes erupted outward, expanding like blooming petals—this was the Sixth-Tier Divine Ability, Fire Tree Silver Flowers.
"The Firefly Tree is a fire-type plant soldier. Its innate ability condenses Nine Heavens Mystic Fire, and its fire element perfectly counters the Metal-Devouring Ants' metallic nature."
"A Sixth-Tier ability versus a Third-Tier ability—burn them all to ashes!"
The inferno surged skyward, casting Zhao Xing's face in a crimson glow.
Beyond the forest, the entire landscape had transformed into a sea of flames. Meanwhile, the Firefly Trees had been stripped bare.
"Withdraw!"
Zhao Xing recalled 2,000 plant soldiers into his Origin Space, keeping them from further battle.
It would take half a year for them to regrow their leaves.
But that wasn't an issue—he had plenty of backup. Thanks to his cultivation in Three Divinities Destiny Palace and Heavenly Soul Sight, he could control a vast army of units.
Some players specialized in commanding only a few elite, powerful soldiers, but Zhao Xing had gone in the opposite direction—sheer numbers.
In his past life, many players had followed the explosive army flow strategy. The main reason? They were broke and couldn't afford top-tier units, so they compensated by fielding as many cheap ones as possible.
In the Xuanhuang Realm, most Shennongs preferred this approach, especially since they had access to Derivation of the Divine Spirit, a soul-based technique that enhanced unit control.
Of course, explosive army flow players would never admit they were poor.
If you asked, they'd simply say: "I enjoy diverse tactical setups! I love micro-managing an army!"
[You have slain an Ant Tribe Lesser Divine Ability Realm (Early-Stage) demon. You gained 1 point.]
[You have slain an Ant Tribe Lesser Divine Ability Realm (Mid-Stage) demon. You gained 25 points.]
[You have slain an Ant Tribe Lesser Divine Ability Realm (Late-Stage) demon. You gained 50 points.]
…
On the Star Mirror, Zhao Xing's points surged dramatically.
Since the Primordial Realm could monitor everything, every kill Zhao Xing made was immediately displayed on the leaderboard.
"Lord, Zhao Xing has climbed into the Top 80,000! Just from this battle alone, he's gained nearly 300,000 points!"
Qiao Song's eyes lit up.
"Explosive army flow has its advantages—seems like staying on a low-tier Starland wasn't a bad call."
Initially, Zhao Xing had ranked at the very bottom.
But in an instant, he surged into the Top 100,000.
The third round of the Primordial Realm required players to be within the Top 150,000 to advance.
Zhao Xing now had a strong chance of making it through.
"Being able to tame and control this many units is a skill in itself."
Even Lord Beihe nodded in approval.
Zhao Xing's units weren't particularly strong, but they weren't weak either—the key was that he had a massive number of them!
From his strategic play, it was clear he had a solid game plan for efficient point farming.
"But… he won't be able to wipe out the entire Ant Tribe at this rate."
Qiao Song pointed to the Star Mirror.
"The Ant Queen has arrived—his efficiency is about to drop."
———
"Whoosh—!"
Zhao Xing leaped onto the central giant tree, gazing through the foliage.
Through the raging flames, he scanned both aboveground and underground, calculating how many Metal-Devouring Ants remained.
This was no ordinary tree—it was a Spirit Essence Heavenly Tree, a Greater Divine Ability Realm (Peak-Stage) entity!
Like the Starrealm Creeper Vine, this was one of the rare units Zhao Xing had painstakingly subjugated.
The Spirit Essence Heavenly Tree had another name—Soul Tree.
It was a soul-type plant.
Some Soul Trees could store spirits, some could heal soul injuries, and some could launch soul-based attacks.
Zhao Xing's Soul Tree was a support-type unit.
Its function? Amplifying its master's soul-based abilities.
Every explosive army flow player needed a Soul Tree.
Why? Because it increased the maximum number of units one could control—essential for complex tactical play and precision micro-management.
Zhao Xing first captured the Soul Tree, using it to enhance his Soul and Will-based abilities.
With this, capturing other units became significantly easier.
For minor battles like this, standing on the tree and channeling its power through its leaves was enough.
If he was in a life-or-death battle, he would jump directly into the tree's core, activating "Soul Sight Galaxy" or even "Soul Burn" to push his abilities to the extreme.
"Out of the 500,000 Metal-Devouring Ants, I've wiped out over 100,000."
"They're retreating?"
"Ah… the Ant Queen has arrived."
Zhao Xing's gaze penetrated the inferno, focusing on a distant hilltop.
There, a golden, cocoon-like lifeform rested, surrounded by a guard of fully matured Lesser Divine Ability Realm (Perfection-Level) Metal-Devouring Ants.
She had two glowing antennae, emitting a soft radiance.
It was her presence that had quelled the swarm's feeding frenzy, halting their mindless charge toward food.
The Ant Queen had assumed command.
Previously, the Metal-Devouring Ants had attacked chaotically, throwing themselves mindlessly at their prey.
But now, they had formed organized battle formations.
She had left one unit behind to cover the main swarm's retreat.
Meanwhile, another division worked in circular formations, using Void Laws to manipulate Earth Vein Gold and Earth Vein Soil.
Since the outer Earth Veins weren't affected by Pillar of Heaven, they had quickly raised a series of protective barriers.
With 200,000–300,000 Metal-Devouring Ants combining their Void Laws, the resulting barriers were incredibly formidable.
"The Ant Queen is micro-managing now?"
Zhao Xing chuckled.
"You can run, but you can't hide."
"Juyang Avatar—Deploy!"
Suddenly, Juyang Avatar, crafted from Three Sun Azure Wood, emerged, replacing the Ant Fern-based bait clones used earlier.
There were only 500 of them—an insignificant force compared to the Ant Army's sheer numbers.
But each clone wielded a long, thorn-covered whip.
"Brambles Family—Realm Thorn Vine!"
Realm Thorn Vine's innate ability was designed to shatter formations and barriers.
Its physical attack power was average.
But for breaking barriers?
It was perfect.
Zhao Xing's Juyang Avatar weren't here to kill.
They were here to break the barriers.
The 500 clones leaped skyward, charging through the flaming battlefield, using Three Realms Void as cover to launch a blitz assault on the Ant Army's stronghold.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The Juyang Avatar swung their whips.
Each of the 500 clones lashed just once—but that was enough.
"Boom—!"
Zhao Xing moved his territory forward the moment his Juyang Avatar advanced, shifting his Origin Projection ahead.
The very moment the barrier broke, he was already within the optimal attack range.
At the same time, he deployed the second wave of Firefly Trees to launch another attack.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Another round of bombardment began.
The earth veins beneath the battlefield were scorched through!
"He still has another row of Fire Trees?!" Qiao Song was a bit surprised. "Just how many units has Zhao Xing tamed over the past three years?!"
"His efficiency is unreal."
"At this rate, it's impossible to predict where he'll rank."
———
On Starland No. 996, Zhao Xing soared into the air, withdrawing his Origin Projection.
"The Ant Tribe in the eastern part of the Starland has been mostly wiped out. The remaining ones are too scattered—chasing them down isn't worth it."
After all, a Lesser Divine Ability Realm ant was only worth 1 point.
Hunting down scattered stragglers was a waste of time.
"On the Eastern Continent, I've slain over 400,000 Ant Tribe members, taking a total of three days. The remaining tens of thousands are fleeing in all directions."
"I'm ranked in the Top 70,000 now."
"Fortunately, there are no hostages here—I can go all out. Next, I'll head south and continue the purge!"
———
The Ant Tribe had sheer numbers, making them ideal prey for someone like Zhao Xing, who specialized in explosive army flow and clone tactics.
For other cultivators using different strategies, the Ant Tribe's overwhelming swarm tactics would make them much harder to fight effectively.
If they were surrounded, they'd be in grave danger.
For most other cultivators, even if they could handle this scale of enemies, it would take far more time and effort.
For example, even if Torres, the current ranked first, came to handle the Ant Tribe, it would be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
He might be too powerful, but his efficiency in exterminating large numbers of weak enemies would never match Zhao Xing's speed.
The Ant Tribe's power level was too low—no matter how strong the attacker was, excess power was wasted.
In terms of overall effectiveness, the combination of explosive army flow and clone tactics was undoubtedly the strongest.
———
Twelve days later, Zhao Xing commanded his Void-Type unit, Starrealm Creeper Vine, and left Starland No. 996.
Even Qiao Song, watching from afar, couldn't help but cheer.
"In twelve days, he racked up over 4 million points!"
"His efficiency is insane! He's already ranked in the Top 60,000—and there's still so much time left."
From an initial pool of over 2.8 million Shennongs, Zhao Xing had fought his way into the Top 60,000—even Qiao Song hadn't expected such a performance.
By now, almost half the Shennongs hadn't even scored a single point!
Many had yet to even reach their first Starland.
———
Meanwhile, in another examination world, Xilin had just finished her slaughter on another Starland and was preparing to leave using her Plant Life Formation.
She took a brief moment to glance at the rankings.
Her expression remained cold and indifferent.
Only when she saw a familiar name did her expression slightly change.
"Hmph. He's only ranked in the Top 60,000?"
She only took a quick glance before losing interest.
Her own ranking? 824.
Using her Divine Mental Ability, combined with her Life Formation Flow, Xilin had gone straight to the high-level hunting zones.
Her mental abilities allowed her to pinpoint the exact locations of high-rank demons.
From there, she simply lured Dao Domain Realm demons into her formation and killed them quickly—her efficiency was unmatched.
———
"Roar!"
A massive divine tortoise swung its iron mace-like tail, slamming it into the skull of a Five Elements Dao Domain Realm Mystic Rhinoceros Demon.
"Boom!"
The Mystic Rhinoceros Demon let out a pained howl, attempting to escape.
But ahead, an entire forest of golden bamboo suddenly rose from the ground, completely blocking its path.
"Shaa—Shaa—Shaa!"
The bamboo emitted a crisp, ringing sound, sending out bursts of yin wind.
The Mystic Rhinoceros Demon's eyes glazed over in confusion, only to suddenly ignite with killing intent once more, charging again at the Divine Tortoise.
After three days of battle, the Mystic Rhinoceros Demon finally succumbed, collapsing to the ground with a deafening crash.
"1 million points."
Xiao Xuan reverted to human form, grabbing a black fruit the size of a small mountain and devouring it hungrily.
"Huh? My ranking is only Top 30,000?"
Xiao Xuan immediately picked up his pace.
"Getting into the third round of the Primordial Realm after reincarnating into the Red Star Empire is tougher than I expected."
"I wonder what's up with Torres, the top ranker. He already has over 1 billion points. Is he some newly risen genius or an old monster in reincarnation?"
Xiao Xuan exhaled deeply, then leaped into the sky, heading for his next hunting ground.
———
On Fox Demon Starland No. 5, a young man sat within the petals of a giant flower, his gaze dazed, staring up at the starry sky.
His flower roots had embedded themselves into the corpse of a powerful demon, absorbing its blood and life essence.
Around him, countless streaks of white light floated upward—those were the hostages he had 'saved.'
As clarity returned to his eyes, he muttered to himself, a hint of realization in his voice.
"So that's why I've cultivated so fast over the past 600 years..."
"Because in my past life, I was a Reincarnation Realm expert."
"My name was Han Chuchen, a Reincarnation Realm cultivator of Origin Heaven Palace."
"I interfered in the affairs of the Reincarnation Divine Hall and was forced to reincarnate…"
"Du Yun, you bastard, you really screwed me over."
Han Chuchen suddenly cursed aloud.
"All I did was charge you 5 trillion, which is just the price of a single low-grade Origin Divine Weapon. Who knew it would cause such a disaster?!"
"What was the name of the guy behind this?"
"I think his surname was Zhao… I can't remember."
Han Chuchen let out a deep breath, his expression darkening.
"Why? Why was I punished so severely for such a minor matter?!"
A sharp headache struck him.
He had no choice but to stop thinking about it.
———
A decade passed in the blink of an eye.
The Demon Starland Examination had already reached its one-third mark.
At this moment, Zhao Xing was en route to a high-level demon territory.
"My ranking dropped by another 10,000 places."
As he traveled, he glanced at the Star Mirror.
In the first year, his ranking had stabilized within the Top 70,000.
Each year, he had climbed about 10,000 places.
By the sixth year, he had finally broken into the Top 10,000.
His best ranking so far was—
"The competition within the Top 10,000 is too fierce." Zhao Xing muttered to himself. "I've been charging forward for more than three years, but every time I break into the rankings, I can't hold my position. Just the time spent traveling allows others to overtake me, pushing me back out of the Top 10,000."
"Among the demon races on low-tier Starlands, there aren't many easy targets left, yet I still can't break further ahead."
Zhao Xing understood that to climb higher in the rankings, he had to move into higher-tier regions.
"Going against the current—if I don't move forward, I'll be pushed back."
Even if he cleared out every demon on the low-tier Starlands, it wouldn't guarantee that he could secure his ranking.
The remaining demons were difficult to eliminate because they often had too many hostages.
Zhao Xing's explosive army flow strategy worked best in large-scale battles, but it also carried a high risk of collateral damage.
If he accidentally harmed hostages, the point deductions would be too severe, drastically lowering his efficiency.
This meant he had to step out of his comfort zone and take bigger risks.
Rather than going to mid-tier Starlands where Lesser Divine Ability Realm demons resided, it was better to head directly to higher-tier Starlands with Dao Domain Realm demons.
After all, Lesser Divine Ability Realm demons weren't necessarily easier to deal with than Dao Domain Realm ones.
"Lesser Divine Ability Realm demons always have innate Divine Abilities, but Five Elements Dao Domain Realm demons might not."
"The Five Elements Dao Domain Realm demons have stronger overall combat power than Lesser Divine Ability Realm demons, but they lack explosive bursts of power."
"At the same time, high-tier Starlands might have the threat of Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm demons."
Because of this, the point rewards between the two tiers of demons weren't significantly different.
After weighing his options, Zhao Xing ultimately decided to move to a higher-tier region.
His explosive army flow strategy was especially vulnerable to burst damage tactics.
If someone instantly killed him, his entire army would be worthless.
As long as he himself remained unharmed, he could slowly grind down the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm demons, even if it took a little longer.
But if he sustained injuries, it would cost him even more time in recovery.
———
[You have arrived at 'Water Demon 12' Starland.]
The moment Zhao Xing entered the mid-tier Starland, the Star Mirror sent him an alert.
From space, Water Demon 12 looked like a giant bowl—mountains lined the edges, and in the center was a vast body of water.
"Let's test the waters first."
Zhao Xing activated his Origin Projection, and a green mushroom slowly moved forward.
[Green Venom Empress (Self-named Derivative Species)]
[Quality: King-tier]
[Type: Aquatic Species]
[Cultivation: Lesser Divine Ability Realm Perfection]
[State: Peak Condition]
[Innate Divine Ability: Three-One Water Essence Scattering]
[Toxic Divine Ability: Releases a highly potent toxin across a vast area. The poison consumes Water-Elemental Origin Essence to replicate itself. Once it infiltrates a living being, it explodes within 31 breaths, completely draining the Water-Elemental Origin Essence of the victim.]
[Innate Divine Ability: Five Elements Soul-Piercing Needle]
[Toxic Divine Ability: When the Three-One Water Essence Scattering reaches its limit, it converts the victim's Five Elements Origin Essence into endless toxic needles, which then pierce the soul. The victim's soul begins irreversible decay.]
After a century of training, with continuous improvements in Dao Fields, Zhao Xing had advanced from Lunar Tier Six to Lunar Tier Nine.
In the Origin Space, he had finally grasped a trace of the Dao of Life.
By applying this to Lesser Divine Ability Realm toxic mushrooms, he could successfully cultivate one hyper-toxic mushroom for every 10,000 attempts.
Since this was a derivative species, essentially a new variant, Zhao Xing personally named it "Green Venom Empress."
The Green Venom Empress stood only 100 meters tall, which was tiny compared to many demonic beasts that spanned millions of miles.
Even so, the toxins it produced were so potent that Zhao Xing didn't dare get too close.
Whenever he released the Green Venom Empress, he made sure to maintain a safe distance.
"I wonder if it can poison the entire ocean of this Starland." Zhao Xing mused.
The Green Venom Empress was an aquatic species, specifically designed for underwater combat.
Zhao Xing's explosive army flow strategy perfectly embodied his faction's philosophy:
"Every environment should be combat-capable. No reckless unit spam—every soldier must have its role."
"Even if it doesn't kill outright, weakening their combat ability is good enough."
———
Zhao Xing's cautious behavior immediately caught Qiao Song's attention.
"This is the first time I've seen him this careful."
"Could it be that mushrooms are his trump card?"
Qiao Song recalled the nickname Zhao Xing had earned during the second round and remembered seeing mushrooms as tall as towers.
"Every time he comes up with something new… looks like mushrooms are his core army units."
———
The Green Venom Empress slipped silently into the water.
The ocean surface remained eerily calm.
Zhao Xing couldn't see anything happening with the naked eye, nor did he see the Green Venom Empress releasing any toxins.
Yet, deep down, he instinctively sensed an overwhelming threat.
Without hesitation, he retreated further, moving all the way to the Starland's edge, hiding inside a Soul Tree.
At the same time, he activated an outer defensive formation—a Five Elements Barrier made of lotus plants, layering multiple defensive measures.
"Even with my Divine Ability amplification inside the Soul Tree, I still can't perceive how the Green Venom Empress is releasing its toxins… or where they are spreading."
Zhao Xing could only sigh in admiration at the mystical nature of plant-based lifeforms.
"Even an Emperor-tier Shennong could study for a hundred lifetimes and still fail to fully understand the biological properties of all native species… let alone the limitless potential of derivative species."
"This path… truly has no end."
———
The moment the Green Venom Empress entered the water, Zhao Xing immediately saw the effects.
At three breaths, the ocean began to boil.
At ten breaths, furious roars erupted from all directions—north, south, east, and west.
One after another, Water Demons broke through the surface.
Zhao Xing did a quick count and estimated there were over 50 Five Elements Dao Domain Realm Water Demons.
At fifteen breaths, half of them suddenly died on the spot, sinking lifelessly into the depths.
At twenty breaths, the water level visibly dropped, as if the ocean itself was being consumed.
By this point, Zhao Xing noticed that the total number of dead Five Elements Dao Domain Realm Water Demons had reached 214!
At twenty-five breaths, the water level dropped again dramatically.
Sensing the unusual phenomenon, Zhao Xing immediately withdrew to the skies, looking down from orbit.
"There must be a Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm Water Demon in there."
His expression turned serious.
A demon of that level was not something he could fight head-on.
If he encountered one, he had no choice but to flee—otherwise, he risked elimination.
Zhao Xing did not sense the aura of a Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm entity. His eyes scanned the area, but he saw no sign of a massive aquatic demon surfacing.
His judgment was based purely on the sudden and drastic drop in the water level. This could only mean that both innate divine abilities of the Green Venom Empress had been triggered.
"The Water-Elemental Origin Essence is depleting at an alarming rate, triggering the Five Elements Cycle. The spiritual energy index of the entire Water Demon 12 Starland is plummeting."
"It started at 86 and has now dropped to 24—and it's still decreasing."
Consuming this much spiritual energy origin could only mean that the second divine ability, Five Elements Soul-Piercing Needle, had activated.
If the toxin was not forming toxic needles, it would be impossible to consume this much energy.
The fact that it was forming these toxic needles indicated that there was a Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm Water Demon present!
"Mou~~"
Suddenly, a sorrowful wail echoed from the ocean, as if piercing through time and space.
Zhao Xing's eardrums burst, blood seeping from his ears. His vision blurred, and a strange illusory world unfolded before his eyes.
"Slaughter Mind Blade, Soul Bell!"
He immediately elevated his position and activated his soul defense.
At 27 breaths, Zhao Xing finally recovered.
Through the amplification of the Soul Tree, he could now clearly see what lay beneath the ocean—a massive beast.
A colossal aquatic behemoth floated ominously in the water, its gigantic body stretching across one percent of the entire Starland.
Its scales shimmered with an eerie light, each one resembling a perfectly sculpted shield, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
Its head was draconic, but adorned with two enormous, curved horns, razor-sharp and seemingly capable of ripping through space itself.
Its once-lustrous eyes, which should have shone like lanterns, were now dim and lifeless, filled with pain and unwillingness.
At some point, a deadly poison had invaded its body.
The toxin, like a swarm of frenzied specters, rampaged through its enormous frame, devouring everything in its path and snuffing out its vitality.
Dark greenish-black blotches spread across its body, as if it had been cursed by some malevolent force.
"So it's a 'Mingyuan Extinction Chi.'"
Upon recognizing the creature's form, Zhao Xing immediately understood.
[Mingyuan Extinction Chi]
[Cultivation: Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm – Early Stage]
"Mingyuan Extinction Chi possesses the innate divine ability 'Molting Rebirth.'"
"It's trying to use that ability to escape the Green Venom Empress' attack?"
Zhao Xing watched as the Mingyuan Extinction Chi thrashed violently, its powerful tail sweeping through the water, desperately trying to expel the toxin from its body.
At the same time, from its head, a smaller Mingyuan Extinction Chi emerged from within the original body—an attempt at rebirth.
However, this was not a toxin targeting physical bodies—it was a soul poison.
Even after completing its Molting Rebirth, the toxin remained embedded in its soul.
It only managed to slightly reduce the toxicity, but could not escape it completely.
The ocean churned violently, as massive whirlpools formed and dissipated around the beast.
But since the Starland's ocean was too small, even after its rebirth, it could not escape the poisoned waters quickly enough.
Moreover, demon beasts were restricted within their designated realms—they could not simply flee beyond their assigned regions.
"It will continue experiencing the cycle of Three-One Water Essence Scattering leading into Five Elements Soul-Piercing Needle."
Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes.
As long as it remained trapped within the Water Demon 12 Starland's ocean, it would repeatedly succumb to the poison.
There was no escape.
"Its death is only a matter of time."
Zhao Xing used Void Sprout Star Vines to retrieve the Green Venom Empress.
At 31 breaths, the Green Venom Empress' toxins had been fully released, its body turning from green to white—its task was complete, and it no longer needed to remain in the area.
"Time to go."
Zhao Xing saw no need to stay and confirm the kill.
Without hesitation, he left Water Demon 12 Starland.
"Mou~~"
The agonized howl of the Mingyuan Extinction Chi echoed behind him, its voice so powerful that it caused the ocean itself to tremble.
Its limbs flailed desperately, but its strength was waning.
With every passing moment, its struggles grew weaker.
As time passed, the poison spread relentlessly, and its life force rapidly faded.
By the 25th day after Zhao Xing's departure, its movements became sluggish.
Finally, its massive body collapsed, sinking slowly toward the seabed.
Along the way, its scales peeled away, drifting in the deep blue waters like dull, lifeless treasures.
When its body finally crashed into the ocean floor, a huge cloud of sand erupted.
A Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm aquatic overlord, despite all its might, had perished simply because it could not leave its designated territory—killed by the Green Venom Empress' poison.
"Hiss…"
Qiao Song had been monitoring the situation closely, and when he saw the colossal corpse lying at the bottom of the ocean, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.
"Zhao Xing actually took down a Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm behemoth?"
"What kind of monster did he create?"
A Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm martial general standing beside Qiao Song instinctively imagined himself in that scenario.
"If I had been in that thing's place…"
"I probably wouldn't have survived either."
"This is insane… completely insane!"
"No wonder they call him the 'Mushroom King'—that title was well-earned."
The warriors under the command of the Northern River Lord erupted into discussion.
The combat prowess of Shennongs from the Self School was universally acknowledged, but it was rare for a Lesser Divine Ability Realm cultivator to defeat a Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm opponent.
Now, they had witnessed it firsthand.
Even though it had happened under specific conditions, it was still utterly shocking.
After all, the gap between Dao Domain Realm and Lesser Divine Ability Realm was immense.
"This is the kind of genius that represents the Northern River Star System—Zhao Xing!"
"Look—his ranking is about to break into the Top 5,000!"
Primordial Realm, within an ancient green city, Zuo Qiyu's true form sat across from an elder clad in dark green robes, drinking wine and playing a game of strategy.
A Star Mirror was placed between them, and whenever the other party contemplated their next move, they would glance at the screen, watching the misfortunes of participants unfold, using it as entertainment.
Just as Zuo Qiyu was about to make a move, Five Venoms Emperor suddenly raised his head and looked at the Star Mirror.
"Hmm?"
Countless images flashed across the Star Mirror in front of him, showcasing the massacres on high-tier Starlands over the past ten years in the third round of the Primordial Tournament.
"Oh? It seems like there are a few good seedlings skilled in poison arts." Five Venoms Emperor suddenly became interested. "Old Zuo, take a look at this."
"Quit your yapping, don't distract me." Zuo Qiyu impatiently responded.
Five Venoms Emperor laughed heartily. "Hahaha, Water Demon 12 Starland—was this set up by your disciple? I recall you're responsible for a lot of this tournament's affairs."
"So what if I am?"
"You're too weak! Look at this—Water Demon 12 Starland had over 300 water demons, and someone took them all down with a single mushroom!"
"He didn't even bother to check whether the Mingyuan Extinction Chi had died. That's pure confidence! Reminds me of myself."
Hearing this, Zuo Qiyu couldn't help but shift his attention to the screen.
"That Zhao Xing kid? I recall bringing him in. He's from the Northern River Star System. What, are you interested?"
"Of course! Who wouldn't like a good talent?" Five Venoms Emperor grinned. "And poison-based combatants are rare."
"He's not bad, but can you stop secretly moving the pieces?" Zuo Qiyu turned to glare at Five Venoms Emperor.
"What nonsense!" Five Venoms Emperor immediately blew up in anger. "Which eye of yours saw me touch the board?"
Suddenly, dozens of Zuo Qiyu's heads peeked out from the doorway, silently watching Five Venoms Emperor.
At the same time, a prism-shaped mirror floated in the air, replaying the moment Five Venoms Emperor had tampered with the board.
Five Venoms Emperor: "…."
Zuo Qiyu casually reached out, resetting the board, then placed his next piece.
"Hurry up and play, stop dawdling."
"At this rate, the next Primordial Tournament will start before we even finish this game!"
Five Venoms Emperor was even more impatient than Zuo Qiyu and flipped the board over in frustration.
"Urging, urging, always urging! I quit! Get lost!"
"Oh? Quitting?" Zuo Qiyu sneered coldly, waving his hands. The board instantly reset itself, and suddenly, ten thousand Zuo Qiyus surged forward, surrounding the entire city.
"Today, you'll play whether you want to or not! If not, I'll dig up 15 of your Emperor Seeds—you decide!"
"Hahaha! Try if you dare!" Five Venoms Emperor laughed wildly. "I hid them long ago!"
Zuo Qiyu's expression darkened, and the entire city began to shake, revealing its true nature as a massive plant fortress.
"Enough, Five Venoms, Zuo Qiyu—stand down."
A deep voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Both Zuo Qiyu and Five Venoms Emperor froze in place, immediately stopping their dispute. The voice belonged to Gu Luohou, a figure far superior to them in seniority, status, and power.
The voice soon resounded again.
"Five Venoms, since you wish to take in a disciple, then do it properly—participate in this tournament's disciple selection."
"Yes, I will." Five Venoms Emperor stood up and accepted the order.
"Zuo Qiyu, you will also participate in the disciple selection."
"Understood."
Though Zuo Qiyu was reluctant, he had no choice but to obey.
In the final year of the Primordial Tournament assessment, within a dried-up Starland, Zhao Xing gazed at streaks of light soaring into the sky—each carrying a rescued hostage.
Of course, some were also deemed "killed" during Zhao Xing's rescue process, leading to a significant deduction in points.
"Let's check my ranking." Zhao Xing opened the Star Mirror.
[Current Ranking: 4,295]
"Still in the 4,000s? Are the top 4,000 competitors all possessing Solar Dao Fields and multiple Grand Divine Abilities? Are they all peerless geniuses?"
"This tournament is seriously competitive." Zhao Xing shook his head in disbelief.
He had already given it his all, even with the Green Venom Empress boosting his performance.
At his peak, he had nearly reached the Top 3,000, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through.
This was mainly because the Green Venom Empress had a cooldown period, and once it entered cooldown, his efficiency in Dao Domain Realm demon zones would plummet.
Against stronger Dao Domain Realm enemies, directly using Five Finger Mountain was actually the fastest solution.
"This tournament is packed with powerhouses."
"After all, there are so many different combat schools—Mutation Techniques, World Techniques, Dao Fields, Parasite Techniques, Life Formation Techniques… I still have a lot to learn, and I have a long way to go."
"Many of these geniuses reach Lesser Divine Ability Realm in just a few hundred years, then spend a thousand or two thousand years specializing in divine abilities."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but marvel at the sheer number of talents in the Red Star Empire, especially in this tournament.
"Could it be that the reincarnated Reincarnation Realm cultivators of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom all migrated to the Red Star Empire?"
But regardless, he was already guaranteed to pass the third round.
With over 4,000 points, even if he did absolutely nothing for the next year, he would never drop out of the Top 150,000.
"Forget it, I won't fight for ranking anymore."
After multiple failed attempts to push higher, Zhao Xing decided to shift his focus.
He turned his attention to rescuing hostages.
"From now on, I'll save as many as possible."
"So far, the number of people I've saved is still lower than the ones I've accidentally killed—that won't do."
"If, during the Primordial Realm's disciple selection, some freak sees my record and assumes I'm a lunatic, then takes me as a disciple… that would be a disaster."
"No one wants a crazy mentor."
"Even if I ended up with someone like Gong Fa, I'd be miserable."
What Zhao Xing didn't know was that his repeated use of the Green Venom Empress had already caught the attention of Five Venoms Emperor.
Thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.
[Third round assessment complete. Zhao Xing of the Northern River Star System, your ranking in the Man Ya Star System, Self School Combat Division is…]
[Congratulations! You have advanced to the fourth round. The fourth round will be held in the Primordial Realm.]
[Upon exiting, you will immediately head to the Primordial Realm to prepare for your final test.]