The third round had concluded, and Zhao Xing was personally welcomed by Qiao Song, Yang Zhuo, and other senior officials of the Northern River Star System.
"Mr. Qiao, General Yang." Zhao Xing bowed in greeting.
Qiao Song had assisted him greatly, while Yang Zhuo was one of the 158 Dao Domain Realm cultivators who had instructed him in the World Techniques within the Self School.
"Hahaha." Qiao Song laughed. "The genius of our Northern River Star System has emerged."
"Mr. Qiao flatters me. I dare not claim to be a genius." Zhao Xing instinctively responded with humility.
"You absolutely deserve it." Qiao Song immediately corrected him. "If you don't, then who does?"
"Out of the 105 people from the Northern River Star System who entered the third round, only 12 were Shennongs."
"And in the end, only two Shennongs passed—the other being Jin Manyun from the Heavenly Timing School's combat division."
Jin Manyun had participated in the Heavenly Timing School's third-round assessment, where securing a Top 500,000 ranking was enough to pass. He had finished in 380,000th place.
In contrast, Zhao Xing had competed in the Self School Combat Division and ranked within the Top 5,000, an entirely different level.
As for the other professions, the Northern River Star System had only seven Grand Divine Ability cultivators who advanced—four martial artists and three mechanists.
In total, only nine people from the Northern River Star System would participate in the final test.
Among them, Zhao Xing, with his Top 5,000 ranking, was the closest to success!
Even Yang Zhuo was astonished. "Zhao Xing, I never expected you to cultivate such a terrifying mushroom species in such a short time—your nickname is well-earned."
He had watched Zhao Xing's entire third-round assessment.
As the third round neared its end, the low-tier Starlands had fewer and fewer demon beasts, making it difficult for participants to differentiate themselves in ranking.
Only the Dao Domain Realm demon beasts in high-tier Starlands provided significant points and opportunities to climb the ranks.
Over the thirty years, a huge portion of Zhao Xing's points had come from his mushroom soldiers.
Among them, the Green Venom Empress had left a lasting impression on Yang Zhuo.
The Green Venom Empress was not limited to aquatic combat—the toxic gas it released could infect any living creature that inhaled it, causing it to multiply using the water essence within the body.
It was precisely because of this killer move that Zhao Xing had once reached a ranking as high as 3,000, before finishing at 5,214.
Had Zhao Xing not specialized in modifying mushroom species, his final ranking might have been around 60,000 or 70,000.
"I appreciate Mr. Qiao and General Yang's guidance." Zhao Xing expressed his gratitude.
It was thanks to Qiao Song's arrangements and Yang Zhuo's training that he had grasped two traces of the Dao of Life over the past century, leading him to develop the Life Rhythm Secret Technique and fully understand the biological structure of the Green Venom Empress.
"Alright, we can reminisce later." Qiao Song said. "Now that the third round of the Primordial Tournament has ended, you must depart for the Primordial Realm immediately."
"There is still 100 years to prepare before the final test begins."
"During this time, the Primordial Realm will briefly open some rare cultivation grounds—their value is beyond measure."
"Understood." Zhao Xing nodded.
Apart from the first round, each passing stage of the Primordial Tournament provided substantial rewards.
Clearing the second round granted the opportunity to observe the collapse of minor worlds and comprehend the Dao manifestations of annihilation stages.
Clearing the third round allowed entry into the Primordial Realm for 100 years of cultivation.
Clearing the fourth and final round meant receiving the mentor reward.
The journey from the Manya Star System to the Primordial Realm would take half a month.
After the third-round assessment concluded, Zhao Xing boarded an official Star Vessel, with Chen Jiu Emperor and Zuo Qiyu leading the expedition.
As soon as he boarded, Zhao Xing saw the other eight participants from the Northern River Star System.
"The Mushroom King has arrived!"
"Brother Zhao, I'm Mu Jingfeng from Gengzi Constellation."
"Wei Wangchuan. Brother Zhao, you're incredible."
"I'm Ma Shuyuan. Greetings, fellow cultivator."
...
Each of the eight participants greeted Zhao Xing.
They were all hailed as geniuses from the Northern River Star System, but Zhao Xing's achievements far outshone theirs.
In the third round, ranking within the Top 10,000 was already extraordinary—and among the nine of them, Zhao Xing was the undisputed standout.
"Greetings, everyone." Zhao Xing returned the gesture.
"Brother Zhao, over here!" Jin Manyun patted a seat beside him, inviting Zhao Xing to sit.
"Thank you, Brother Jin." Zhao Xing nodded and sat beside Jin Manyun.
"Brother Zhao, within the Star Vessel, we've been assigned rest estates. The largest 'Heaven-Class Estate' has been reserved for you. Just head north from the public lounge area."
Jin Manyun, usually aloof, was now surprisingly warm and friendly.
It was primarily due to Zhao Xing's incredibly high ranking.
To put it into perspective, the Self School Combat Division had 28 arenas, including the Manya Star System, and only 150,000 participants had advanced.
Dividing that evenly among the superstar-tier star systems, each system had only 5,357 qualifiers.
Zhao Xing ranked 5,214, meaning that if the Manya Star System were treated as an ancient kingdom, then Zhao Xing was its top Self School Combatant!
He was a genius Jin Manyun could only look up to.
"This 100-year cultivation period in the Primordial Realm is a tremendous opportunity for all of us." Jin Manyun said mysteriously.
"I've heard rumors that even an Emperor-Tier Botanical Garden will be opened."
"Oh?" Zhao Xing was surprised.
Emperor-Tier meant guaranteed Reincarnation Realm potential—was the Primordial Realm really going to open such a treasure trove?
"Hah! The Primordial Tournament occurs once every 3,000 years, and the selection process is incredibly strict. If they don't bring out some great rewards, how would they attract people to participate?" Jin Manyun laughed.
"Even though not everyone who passed the third round will enter the Primordial Realm now, once they see the benefits, they'll definitely want to return after breaking into the Dao Domain Realm."
"At that point, the only way to enter the Primordial Realm would be through military service and earning battle merits."
"And the cost of exchanging battle merits is steep."
"They need to show us a glimpse of the Primordial Realm's riches; otherwise, who would be willing to trade their hard-earned battle merits?"
"That makes sense."
"By the way, Brother Jin, how was your third-round assessment? Was it difficult?"
Zhao Xing and Jin Manyun continued their conversation since they had nothing else to do for the time being. He was still curious about how the Heavenly Timing School's third-round assessment had gone.
"Me?" Jin Manyun waved his hand. "Difficult. But the combat division was nothing special—it was just about killing monsters and rescuing hostages, same as yours."
"The difference was that we had no initial preparation period after arriving on the starting Starland—we were dropped directly into the demon race territory from the beginning."
"The Heavenly Timing Auxiliary Division, though, was pretty interesting." Jin Manyun chuckled. "In 33 years, the task was to trigger a 'Spirit Qi Revival' within a small star system, raising its Spirit Qi Index from 5 to 500 to pass the round."
"Where was the difficulty in that?" Zhao Xing asked.
"The Spirit Qi was hidden within natural disasters, planetary stars, landmasses, and even inside living beings," Jin Manyun explained. "The central sun of the star system had entered its aging phase, and the lunar star had already been split in half."
"The system had a total of 100 million inhabitants, each carrying a different amount of Spirit Qi essence, meaning you had to carefully identify and extract the six fundamental energies of living beings. And you couldn't let anyone die during the process."
"Any deaths would result in point deductions. Some people barely had 33 years left to live, yet you still had to ensure they survived. Tell me, doesn't that sound difficult?"
"That's insanely difficult." Zhao Xing shook his head.
"The Earthly Advantage Auxiliary Division's assessment was even more extreme—they had to transform an entire Fragmented Star Belt into a High-Tier Ring Continent."
"Wait, isn't that almost identical to a past Taigu Hill examination question?" Zhao Xing was startled. He remembered it clearly.
"How can anything Shennong-related be considered plagiarism?" Jin Manyun laughed. "Chaos may take countless forms, but order always follows a similar pattern."
"Hahaha, that's true." Zhao Xing laughed along with him.
Jin Manyun was unlike the typical Heavenly Timing School Shennongs he had imagined—he was surprisingly talkative.
Before long, the two of them became well acquainted.
"Brother Zhao, with your talent, you're definitely getting into the Primordial Realm this time." Jin Manyun sounded envious. "Who knows, you might even become one of this year's Six Holy Sons of the Primordial Realm. If that happens, don't forget to look after your little brother in the future."
"Brother Jin, you're exaggerating." Zhao Xing smiled.
What were the Six Holy Sons of the Primordial Realm?
They were the top-ranked participants from the six divisions of the three Shennong Schools—Combat and Auxiliary divisions from each school.
The Primordial Realm was the holy land of the Shennongs, so while the top-ranking participants of other professions were notable, their prestige wasn't as high.
Only the top-ranked Combat and Auxiliary Shennongs from each of the three schools were universally acknowledged.
Thus, these six top performers were referred to as the Six Holy Sons of the Primordial Realm—a title granted every tournament.
Of them, the Self School's Combat and Auxiliary division champions held the most prestige.
However, achieving first place was easier said than done.
Given Zhao Xing's current battle record, Jin Manyun's prediction was a bit too optimistic.
Still, Zhao Xing was intrigued and decided to check out the rankings for the third-round participants from the three Shennong Schools.
To his surprise, the results were completely unexpected.
"The Self School Combat Division's first-place finisher is Tuo Sen... I've never even heard of that name before."
"The Self School Auxiliary Division's first-place finisher is Ji Jingzhu, also someone I don't recognize."
"The Heavenly Timing Auxiliary Division's first place is Cai Lan—who's that?"
"The Heavenly Timing Combat Division's first place is Yu Qing—never heard of him either."
Looking at the Earthly Advantage Combat and Auxiliary Division rankings, he found even more unfamiliar names.
"If someone took first place in the third round, then their final test score shouldn't be too bad."
"But right now, I don't recognize a single one of these names."
"The names I expected to be at the top aren't even in the top ten—or even the top hundred."
"This kind of discrepancy must be related to that incident, or maybe... it has something to do with me." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
In his previous life, he had never participated in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's Spirit Domain Conference. But in this life, he had taken part, and at a much greater intensity.
The number of Reincarnation Realm reincarnators must have deviated from the norm.
Zhao Xing speculated that this year's Primordial Tournament in the Red Star Empire had unavoidable changes.
"Let's do the math—after the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom event, I was imprisoned in Erliang Slope for 500 years, then waited another 125 years before the Primordial Tournament finally began."
"If someone reincarnated from the Reincarnation Realm, the stronger ones would regain their past-life memories from the very start—including all their cultivation techniques and secret arts."
"Over 600 years of cultivation would be more than enough to reach the third stage."
"I wonder how many Reincarnation Realm true souls the empire's Divine Realm experts managed to pull over to their side?"
Zhao Xing quickly drew a few conclusions—Divine Realm experts wouldn't have gone to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom just to mess around.
There had to be significant benefits involved.
"I came to the Red Star Empire because I asked Elder Qing for help, but the Red Star Empire must have had its own reasons for taking in these people."
"Hmm... the final test might change significantly." Zhao Xing pondered. "With so many foreign Reincarnation Realm cultivators, will they be required to pass the Heart Trial?"
It seemed highly likely.
If they weren't loyal to the empire, then even if they cleared the first three rounds, they might still be eliminated through secretive measures.
The logic was simple—nobody wanted to nurture traitors.
"I wonder how they'll structure the test." Zhao Xing closed his eyes in thought.
But this didn't worry him.
He had a deep sense of belonging to the Red Star Empire—in his past life, this place had been his second home, and his combat strength had been honed within the empire.
As the Star Vessel departed, Zhao Xing and Jin Manyun chatted for a while before going their separate ways.
Back in the Northern River Star System's rest area, Zhao Xing encountered two familiar faces—Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing.
The Northern River Star System and Northern Wild Star System were neighboring regions, and they had both undergone the second and third rounds in the Manya Star System.
Thus, Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing were also on this same Star Vessel.
"Jing Yan, Tianqing." Zhao Xing entered the lounge—after nearly 300 years, the three of them were finally reunited for the fourth round.
"Brother, your Northern River Star System is really pitiful. The public rest area is so tiny, you guys barely have enough seats." Jing Yan sat down and immediately started complaining.
"You're really pushing it." Zhao Xing replied, rolling his eyes. "Your skills are mediocre, but your attitude is massive."
The Northern River Star System only had nine qualifiers—how much space did they need?
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jing Yan grabbed a wine flask and took a deep swig. "Hah, barely made it through the third round by the skin of my teeth—I'll probably get eliminated in the final test."
"But damn, Old Yu ranked in the Top 500—that's insane!"
"Who would've thought that you, of all people, nearly rotted away in prison back then?"
Yu Tianqing simply smiled and took a small sip from his drink.
Zhao Xing was ranked over 5,000th, which surprised Jing Yan but didn't seem too unexpected.
He had spent a long time with Zhao Xing in Moonfall Mausoleum and had witnessed his skills and talent firsthand.
But Yu Tianqing's rise was a complete shock to Jing Yan!
Back then, Yu Tianqing had been locked up in prison by the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom's army simply because he couldn't afford 2 billion Tianyou coins for medical treatment.
If Zhao Xing and Fairy Leyao hadn't rescued him, he would have rotted away in that cell.
Later, when they carried out the Sparks Unit mission, even the gear Yu Tianqing used had been bought with money Zhao Xing lent him!
Yet after arriving in the Red Star Empire, Yu Tianqing had experienced a meteoric rise.
He had fought his way through every challenge, breezed through the third round of the Primordial Tournament, and even placed within the Top 500!
"Hey, watch your words—who do you think you're looking down on?" Zhao Xing laughed. "Even us two scoundrels have a higher rank than you, and you call yourself a prince? Old Yu, beat him up!"
"Uh… maybe we shouldn't," Yu Tianqing hesitated.
Jing Yan's face went pale. "If you're against it, then why are you holding a Mechanist Clamp to my neck?!"
"Hahaha!"
A loud explosion echoed.
Half a month later, the sky gradually became transparent, revealing the outside world.
The Manya Star Vessel, carrying Zhao Xing and the others, slowly descended onto a massive Starland.
"Brother Zhao, look! The other twenty-seven Star Vessels have arrived too! Right next to us is the Nine-Star Star Vessel from the Imperial Capital, originating from the Jingshen Star System. And that one over there—that's the Hongwu Star Vessel from the Yueshen Star System!" Jin Manyun pointed to the surroundings.
Zhao Xing scanned the area. Excluding the Manya Star Vessel he had arrived on, there were twenty-seven other Star Vessels parked across the Starland.
Oddly, the ground was green—flat and incredibly smooth.
The shapes of the Star Vessels differed based on the Star Systems that sent them, but their sizes were roughly the same.
The Manya Star Vessel he was on was shaped like a crescent moon, whereas the Hongwu Star Vessel resembled a blazing sun.
A light flickered.
Emperor Chenjiu and Zuo Qiyu immediately gathered the geniuses from the Manya Star Vessel.
"Everyone, you have now arrived in the Primordial Realm."
"From here on, you will follow the assigned guidance and cultivate in specific areas of the Primordial Realm."
"Remember, you have only been granted a temporary entry period of 100 years."
"Many areas of the Primordial Realm are restricted. If you recklessly trespass into forbidden zones, your qualification to compete will be revoked immediately. So before leaving the Star Vessel, carefully read through the cultivation instructions stored in your Star Mirror."
After Emperor Chenjiu finished speaking, a flood of information was transmitted to each participant's personal Star Mirror.
Zhao Xing retrieved his Star Mirror and opened it. As expected, a large chunk of text appeared.
[Northern River Star System, Zhao Xing, you have entered the "Greenleaf Port."]
"Greenleaf Port? So it's this place." Zhao Xing suddenly understood.
The so-called Greenleaf Port was actually a single leaf of a Peak Emperor-grade vine—the Thousand Star Vine.
A Thousand Star Vine at its peak state was undoubtedly at the level of a Reincarnation Emperor, or perhaps even stronger than a human Emperor by hundreds or thousands of times in terms of raw essence power.
Since the Thousand Star Vine was a void species, only a single green leaf was visible to them, while the rest of the plant remained hidden in the deep void.
"I see now. My cultivation technique, 'Three Realms Void,' typically only delves into the third layer of the void. But this Thousand Star Vine can fold into eighteen void layers. No wonder I can't see its full form—unless someone is a Shennong or an Emperor, they wouldn't even be able to perceive its true body if it deliberately hid itself."
"By stopping at Greenleaf Port, we can use the Thousand Star Vine to travel anywhere in the Primordial Realm." Zhao Xing continued reading through the instructions.
[All tournament participants will be granted a valuable cultivation period of 100 years from the moment they step into Greenleaf Port.]
[The Primordial Realm will open six cultivation sanctuaries exclusively for Shennongs.]
[You are only allowed to train within these six locations. If you intrude upon any other area and disrupt the research or experiments of powerful beings, you will face punishment. For the sake of your future and safety, do not trespass!]
[After 100 years, no matter where you are, you will be immediately teleported out to undergo the final test. Please plan your cultivation time wisely to avoid unnecessary trouble.]
[The six cultivation sanctuaries of the Shennong are as follows:]
1. Hundred Fathoms Void (Certain areas; a sanctuary for comprehending the Dao of Space).
2. Three Thousand Dao Seeds (Certain areas; includes 7 Emperor-grade, 38 King-grade Dao Seeds).
3. Twenty-Four Qi Star System (Fully accessible).
4. Primordial Dao Repository (Certain areas; restricted to divine techniques and secret arts).
5. Thirty-Six Ring Continents (Public cultivation area; private regions are off-limits!).
6. Spirit Abyss (Outer periphery only).
"The Shennong profession gets access to six entire cultivation sanctuaries—damn!"
"Seriously?! Only 100 years?! That's way too short!"
"Every single one of these places has been legendary since childhood, and now we finally have the chance to see them in person—to actually train within them?! Waaaah!"
"I'm crying! Martial Artists only got access to two sanctuaries—the Xuzu Foot Star System and the Ten Thousand Star Sword Tomb!"
"The Mechanists only got one place—'The Heart of the World'. What the hell is that?"
"Never even heard of it."
"The Imperial Homeworld and the Five Emperor Tombs? Wait… is that… real?"
"Forty-eight Auspicious Stars, Thirty-Six Ominous Stars! Damn! If we enter, our Fortune level temporarily spikes to Derivation Thirty-Eight—that's maxed-out good luck!!"
"The Primordial Realm… This is our empire's Primordial Realm!"
As soon as the Star Mirror notifications were sent to every participant, the atmosphere changed completely.
Regardless of how aloof and reserved these so-called geniuses had been before, at this moment, every single one of them was overjoyed.
Could there possibly be a better cultivation ground than this in the Xuanling Star Domain?
For the Shennong profession, the answer was a definite no.
Other professions might be able to name a few comparable locations, but those places were either impossible to find or completely inaccessible to them.
Yet here, everything was completely free!
The only downside?
The time limit was too damn short.
Only 100 years—it made every talented individual want to jump off the Star Vessel immediately and start cultivating right away!
Even Zhao Xing himself felt a strong urge to rush forward. After all, for someone at the Reincarnation Realm, the Primordial Realm was an unparalleled treasure trove!
However, despite the eagerness of all the gathered geniuses, Emperor Chenjiu remained unhurried. He continued his introduction at a leisurely pace, showing no signs of rushing to open the Star Vessel.
Only after repeating the rules three times did he finally activate the entrance to the Star Vessel.
A deep rumbling sound echoed—
Suddenly, thirty-six vortexes appeared in the sky. These were the gateways leading out of the Star Vessel.
"Brother Zhao, where are you headed?" Jin Manyun asked.
"Of course, I'm going to Three Thousand Dao Seeds." Zhao Xing replied.
"I'm heading to the Twenty-Four Qi Star System!" Jin Manyun hurriedly said his goodbyes. "Brother Zhao, farewell!"
"Brother Jin, take care!"
"Fellow Daoists, I'll go on ahead!"
With a series of flashes, everyone transformed into streaks of light and rushed out of the Star Vessel, racing towards their respective cultivation sanctuaries.
The moment Zhao Xing stepped out of the Star Vessel, the ground beneath his feet stirred.
A pale yellow straw puppet emerged from the green terrain.
"Zhao Xing of the Northern River Star System, I am Guide No. 89757," the straw puppet spoke.
"Take me to the Three Thousand Dao Seeds area." Zhao Xing instructed.
"Please place your hand on my shoulder."
Zhao Xing did as he was told.
In an instant, both of them sank into the green ground.
Despite looking like solid land, it was actually the internal structure of the Thousand Star Vine's leaf veins.
These veins were not hollow; instead, they contained flowing sap that enveloped Zhao Xing.
Immediately, time-space acceleration activated.
In just eighteen breaths, Zhao Xing resurfaced.
"We've arrived," the guide's voice announced.
Zhao Xing looked around and found that the twenty-eight Star Vessels were no longer in sight.
The only ones present were a few Shennongs scattered across the area.
"This is the Three Thousand Dao Seeds area. You are only allowed to enter the designated regions for cultivation."
The leaf he stood on floated in the starry sky, yet there were no visible plants around.
However, Zhao Xing remained calm. He briefly sensed the time flow within his body, then walked toward the edge of the leaf and sat down silently, gazing into the distant cosmos.
Approximately one hour later, the sky suddenly began to brighten.
A faint light rose from the eastern horizon.
Like the others present, Zhao Xing lifted his head to look toward the source of the glow.
A radiant "morning sun" appeared.
However, within the sunlight's golden hues, there was an unusual shade of green.
Zhao Xing activated Heavenly Sight of the Soul.
The supposed "morning sun" gradually became clearer.
It wasn't a sun at all—it was actually the canopy of a massive tree!
Murmurs of confusion quickly spread among the gathered Shennongs.
Before long, the whispers turned into gasps of astonishment.
As the canopy rose, its scarlet-red trunk and massive branches were gradually revealed. Something below seemed to be lifting it up.
The tree rose faster and faster, growing taller and taller, soon filling Zhao Xing's entire field of view.
Standing at the edge of the Thousand Star Vine's leaf, he could no longer see the entire tree as its trunk accelerated past the speed of light, shooting straight into the sky.
Finally, after seven days of waiting, the tree trunk had fully emerged above the leaf's surface line.
Its entire form was now fully exposed before everyone.
"My god!"
"What a terrifying presence!"
"It's so beautiful—absolutely perfect!"
"An Emperor-grade Sun Treasure Tree?! Unbelievable!"
The Sun Treasure Tree was now completely unveiled.
Its interwoven roots enveloped the outer layer of a top-tier sun star.
Each individual root gleamed with black-gold brilliance, dazzling under the radiant sunlight.
The roots slowly shifted across the sun's surface, resembling untangling ropes, allowing the sunlight to seep through and illuminate the faces of all the spectators.
Zhao Xing had seen this Sun Treasure Tree many times in his previous life, yet every encounter still left him awestruck.
"There are exactly 800.5 million roots, all growing in a precise pattern, embedding themselves within the outer void of the sun star, completely absorbing its primordial energy… It's basically a plant-based Dyson sphere!"
Zhao Xing sat cross-legged, quietly absorbing the majestic scene before him.
A high-grade sun star could incinerate warriors at the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm.
A top-tier sun star was so extreme that only elite Reincarnation Realm warriors could approach it, while cultivators on the path of sorcery needed to be at least Emperor-level to withstand its might.
The term "Sun Treasure Tree" was merely a broad classification for all plant-based life forms capable of thriving on sun stars.
Examples included Flame Sun Ganoderma, Solar Flower, and Fusang Divine Wood.
"Plant lifeforms typically have fragile roots, yet this Sun Treasure Tree of the Primordial Realm has managed to root itself within a top-tier sun star's outer layer, directly absorbing its primordial energy."
"Not only does this accelerate its growth, but it also allows it to develop extraordinary divine abilities." Zhao Xing marveled.
Everyone knew that the greatest source of nourishment for plant lifeforms was sun essence energy. If one could perfectly absorb a sun's primordial source, the benefits would be limitless.
However, achieving this was nearly impossible.
"5,860 years. This tree has only been growing for a little over 5,000 years, yet it has already reached the mid-stage of the Reincarnation Realm."
By absorbing the primordial energy of a top-tier sun star, it had achieved this level in just over 5,000 years.
Through Zhao Xing's analysis panel, he could see that this derivative species—designated as 'Gengzi No. 38'—had an entire three to four pages of innate abilities.
"Accelerated growth, fully optimized talents, firmly rooted in a top-tier sun star—this Gengzi No. 38 would be considered a world record-breaking phenomenon anywhere else. Yet, in the Primordial Realm, record-breaking feats like this happen all the time."
Zhao Xing didn't linger before Gengzi No. 38 for too long.
After admiring the tree for a few days, he left, continuing his search within the Three Thousand Dao Seeds area.
"Time is short. The Primordial Realm only grants us 100 years of cultivation. If I want to rise above the other geniuses, I can't afford to be greedy, trying to learn everything."
Between peerless geniuses, third or fourth-tier divine abilities were practically useless in battle.
Rather than learning 10,000 techniques at a basic level, it was far better to master one or two at an advanced level.
Zhao Xing had come to Three Thousand Dao Seeds for a specific reason—
To find the Mycelium Seed and study its life structure.
Every Shennong of the Self School needed to choose a personal core soldier species as their ultimate hidden weapon.
And now, Zhao Xing was preparing to strengthen his own personal soldier species.
"I want to cultivate the Green Venom Empress, but the success rate is still too low. It's taking too much time and effort."
"In a real battlefield, where would I have the luxury of so much preparation time?"
"The reason for my slow progress is that I haven't truly grasped the life structure of the Green Venom Empress."
"To increase my success rate, enhance its power, and comprehend the profound Dao of Life contained within Mycelium Seeds, this is the best path."
With a swift motion, Zhao Xing turned into a streak of light, following his guidance to search for the Mycelium Seeds in the Three Thousand Dao Seeds area.
"We're here!"
Under the guidance of Guide No. 89757, Zhao Xing arrived at a region filled with pale blue cosmic dust.
Amidst the blue nebula, a brightly glowing 'star' stood out.
"This is Designation Wuxu Nine, also known as 'Blue Enchantress'—" The straw puppet began introducing.
Zhao Xing raised his hand, cutting it off. He didn't need the guide's explanation.
"I don't need an escort. You may leave."
The straw puppet said no more and stood silently.
Zhao Xing's figure turned into a streak of energy, rushing into the dusty blue nebula.
[Wuxu Nine (Derivative Species)]
Quality: Emperor Grade
State: Peak Stage
Innate Abilities: Void Fracture, Void Stealth, Void Prison, Void Storm, Void Shockwave, Void Solidification, Void Strangulation, Parasitic Spirit Spores, Vision Parasite, Mana Symbol Seed, Mind Burst Seed
"A total of 1,008 innate abilities—this is truly a miracle."
Even though he had seen it before, Zhao Xing was still deeply shocked.
For a single mushroom species to possess over a thousand innate abilities was nearly unheard of. The vast majority were great divine abilities, while lesser divine abilities were only a handful.
"There are even some abilities that the status panel doesn't display." Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Those must be Reincarnation-tier abilities."
After all, this was an Emperor-grade species at its peak, equivalent to an Emperor-level combat power in the Reincarnation Realm. It was only natural for it to have Reincarnation-tier innate secret techniques.
Every Shennong who came to observe it would see something different depending on their cultivation level, and their insights would vary accordingly.
Around Wuxu Nine, there were several Reincarnation-tier powerhouses engaged in contemplation. Many areas were marked as 'Private Cultivation Spaces', strictly prohibiting disturbance.
"This is an absolutely perfect life structure."
At first, Zhao Xing merely observed from a distance. But with just one glance, he was entirely captivated, unable to look away.
The entire Wuxu Nine was a deep shade of blue, its vast array of 1,008 abilities transcending any singular classification.
Rather, it should be called a "Composite Dao Seed."
"Just from the status panel, I can already see Void abilities, Parasitic abilities, Mind abilities, Fire-element abilities... But its core traits still revolve around Void, Parasitic, Toxin, and Life abilities."
One lifeform, countless innate abilities. From a biological perspective, it was practically a monster, something unnatural.
Because having more innate abilities didn't necessarily mean stronger growth—a lifeform's nutritional resources could only support a limited number of abilities.
For example, Zhao Xing's own Thousand Phantom Tree soldier species had only two abilities despite reaching the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm.
Yet here, Wuxu Nine had flawlessly integrated all its abilities.
This was only possible because of the unique conditions in the Primordial Realm.
All Three Thousand Dao Seeds had been artificially cultivated, and the blue nebula dust surrounding them was actually a special nutrient medium.
"The Three Thousand Dao Seeds are purely theoretical soldier species, meant only for comprehension. If they were transplanted into another environment, half of them would collapse, and the other half would undergo unpredictable mutations."
The difference between theory and reality was immense. While the Three Thousand Dao Seeds were perfect for study, they were not suited for actual combat.
"I'll start by observing from this distance."
Zhao Xing chose a fixed position on a fragment of floating rock.
"By examining the entire life structure diagram, I can determine which aspects resonate with me. Then, I'll move closer and activate Microscopic Vision for deeper insights."
Each of the Three Thousand Dao Seeds was like a massive Dao scripture.
To fully comprehend even one of them would take at least 100,000 years.
But Zhao Xing only had 100 years for his cultivation period—so he had to skim through the index and target key areas of interest.
In his 100-year training plan, he had allocated:
30 years to Three Thousand Dao Seeds
30 years to Primordial Dao Treasury
30 years to Hundred Fathom Void
10 years to combat training
As Zhao Xing analyzed Wuxu Nine, his silent guide, Straw Puppet No. 89757, observed him quietly.
Its eyes glowed one yellow, one green, and within them, two faint silhouettes appeared—one was Zuo Qiyu, the Primordial Emissary, the other was a wisp of will from the Five Venom Emperor.
According to the rules of the Primordial Realm, they were not allowed to interfere with the participants' comprehension process.
However, as officials, they had no restrictions on simply observing the candidates up close.
Gu Luohou had tasked Zuo Qiyu and the Five Venom Emperor with training students. The latter had immediately set his sights on Zhao Xing.
After all, Zhao Xing had single-handedly killed a Yin-Yang Dao Domain-tier great demon in the third trial.
"See anything interesting?" Zuo Qiyu asked.
"Nothing special. Just average." The Five Venom Emperor replied indifferently.
"Ha! You're really serious about this kid." Zuo Qiyu chuckled.
Zhao Xing was far from average, yet the Five Venom Emperor had downplayed his talent. Clearly, he didn't want competition.
"Old Poison, if you don't seal the deal, this disciple of yours might not end up with you." Zuo Qiyu smirked. "This kid is a Straw Puppet Master. If I compete with you, who do you think he'd choose?"
The Five Venom Emperor's face darkened. "Can you stop being annoying? I never said I wouldn't take him."
Zuo Qiyu was indeed formidable. As the Primordial Emissary, he was the only one in the Primordial Realm who had mastered Primordial Clone Technique.
In the Dao of Clone Techniques, no other Emperor-tier being could surpass him.
If he truly fought for Zhao Xing, the Five Venom Emperor might not win the battle.
"Annoying? Do you even qualify as a 'person'?"
In the blink of an eye, 10 years passed.
On the surface of the Wuxu Nine mushroom, Zhao Xing stood atop one of its root tendrils, which was as massive as a mountain range.
"What an absolutely flawless life structure. Every single part of it is perfect, whether viewed up close or from afar."
"Even my Essence Breaking Divine Ability can't find a single weak spot to pierce."
This Wuxu Nine Dao Seed was simply too advanced. Even Reincarnation-tier cultivators came here to study it—so for someone at the Great Divine Ability Realm, it was an unfathomable challenge.
Everything about it was perfect, like a textbook where every sentence was a key point.
To fully decipher this mushroom, Zhao Xing had to analyze every inch of it.
Observing its macroscopic structure was manageable—10 years had been enough to gain a general understanding.
But Microscopic Vision Comprehension was like exploring an entirely new universe.
"If you aren't at the Reincarnation Realm, trying to comprehend the Three Thousand Dao Seeds is no different from gambling. There's no real enlightenment involved—it's purely luck-based."
During his early days as a player, he had merely read progress bars as he studied. But now, his perspective was completely different.
"Fine, I'll just browse around. Whatever I learn is a bonus."
Zhao Xing stopped overthinking and began heading towards the region of Wuxu Nine that contained the highest concentration of Dao Domain energy.
The Three Thousand Dao Seeds area was frequented by many members of the Primordial Realm, all engaged in comprehension practices. The regions occupied by Reincarnation-tier experts were off-limits, but the Dao Domain-tier areas had no such restrictions.
After all, the Primordial Realm had a rule: accumulating military merits in the empire could be exchanged for advanced cultivation sessions.
"Whoosh—"
Zhao Xing took flight, with his guide straw puppet following closely behind.
In no time, he arrived at a poisonous miasma zone on Wuxu Nine Mushroom Star.
A tiny pore on the mushroom's surface—insignificant in scale—felt like a volcanic crater to those attempting comprehension here.
However, this volcano was dormant, with only a faint blue mist lingering at its mouth, never dispersing outward.
"Origin Projection!"
Zhao Xing secured an unoccupied spot, then activated his projection technique, summoning his experimental mushroom specimen, which contained seven traces of Dao marks.
Among them, one mark represented the toxin of life.
His fingertips extended several fine magical needles as he split his focus—one part observing Wuxu Nine's toxins, the other refining his experimental specimen.
By cross-referencing the two, he aimed to align the toxin talent of his experiment closer to that of Wuxu Nine.
"The 'Three-One Aqua Dispersal' and 'Five Elements Soul Piercing Needles' of the Green Venom Empress closely resemble Wuxu Nine's great divine ability—'Xuzi Spirit Venom'."
"This venom is terrifying. Once afflicted, even the spiritual energy in the air becomes fuel to amplify the poison. It's no longer limited to water."
"It reminds me of what I told Ancient Physician Tianchen about the Taiyi Heavenly Poison Origin Body."
The Taiyi Heavenly Poison Origin Body was a legendary toxin—capable of spreading beyond water and spiritual energy, even propagating through the void itself.
Of course, it wasn't the strongest poison. Zhao Xing had heard of something far worse—the True Spirit Heavenly Poison.
Even a Reincarnation-tier cultivator performing a Reincarnation Secret Technique couldn't escape it.
Even after rebirth, their True Spirit remained poisoned, with the venom spreading across their new body.
This led to infants being born with congenital illnesses, cursed by the poison before their first breath.
In the medical profession, the True Spirit Heavenly Poison was legendary. Zhao Xing had only heard rumors about it—supposedly, only one Emperor-tier being had ever survived an affliction. Even half-deities had perished to its effects.
Not even revival techniques could counteract it, because the True Spirit Heavenly Poison resurrected alongside its host, ensuring inevitable death upon rebirth.
Twenty years passed.
Zhao Xing rose to his feet, ending his comprehension of Wuxu Nine.
Before him lay a field of mushrooms, each identical to the Green Venom Empress.
"Collect!"
With a flick of his wrist, Zhao Xing retrieved them all, preparing for his next destination—the Primordial Dao Treasury.
Inside the guide straw puppet, the consciousness of the Five Venom Emperor glanced at the results and was genuinely surprised.
"Only thirty years, and his mushroom species' toxin ability has completely stabilized?"
Previously, Zhao Xing's self-developed Green Venom Empress had been unstable during the second trial.
To increase his chances of success, he had to prepare countless mushroom specimens in advance for his Mutation Essence Breaking Technique.
This technique technically belonged to the Mutation Arts, a utility-based method, though its execution had been highly inconsistent.
The Five Venom Emperor remembered that Zhao Xing originally had a one-in-ten-thousand chance of successfully cultivating a Green Venom Empress.
Now, in just thirty years, he had raised that probability to one-in-ten.
A one-in-ten success rate—this was already considered stable!
Whether in competition or real combat, using a mutation technique ten times was an instant process.
Previously, it had taken years. Now, it required no more than one hour—an almost negligible timeframe.
"This boy has made immense strides in toxin talent modification. He's a perfect fit for my path." The Five Venom Emperor was ecstatic.
Initially, he had only been curious about Zhao Xing, with no firm intent to recruit him.
But now, he was seriously considering taking action.
"Take me to the Primordial Dao Snow Region immediately."
Zhao Xing had no idea that the guide straw puppet housed two powerful entities.
He treated it like a mere servant, commanding it without hesitation.
Time was limited—he had only a hundred years and needed to maximize efficiency.
"Follow me."
The Five Venom Emperor, controlling the straw puppet, immediately led Zhao Xing out of the Three Thousand Dao Seeds region.
They then traveled via Void Traversal through the Thousand Star Vine's leaves.
In less than an hour, they had crossed billions of miles and arrived before a vast white city wall.
"This is the Root Law Area of the Primordial Dao Treasury," the Five Venom Emperor, through the straw puppet, began to explain. "Here, you can—"
"Enough, step aside."
Zhao Xing, just like before, cut him off.
He didn't need explanations—just directions.
The Five Venom Emperor was frustrated by the interruption but understood that Zhao Xing had no idea he was inside the straw puppet.
Meanwhile, Zuo Qiyu burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying the Five Venom Emperor's suffering.
"Seems like he's done his homework. Five Venom, you're wasting your efforts."
"Hmph, this is exactly the kind of disciple I like. What are you gonna do about it?"
"Shameless bastard!"
"Rootless mongrel!"
Zhao Xing dismissed the straw puppet and began searching for an entrance.
The massive white wall before him was not an actual wall—it was a Myriad Dao Tree.
During the Xuanhuang Realm Era, he had seen one at Shangluo Dao Academy, but that one was only five hundred thousand years old.
The Primordial Realm's Myriad Dao Tree was so ancient that his status panel couldn't even measure its age.
Only a small section of it was exposed, but it was at least over one billion years old.
"The Shennongs cultivated Myriad Dao Trees as derivative species, modeled after the scholars' internal Dao Trees."
"Their sole purpose is inheritance. The Primordial Realm only grants participants access to the Root Law Area, meaning the highest knowledge available here is divine ability techniques."
This Myriad Dao Tree was the largest in the entire Xuanling Star Domain.
Legends claimed that its Canopy Region contained divine laws for ascension.
However, Zhao Xing had never entered that far, even in his past life—so he couldn't confirm the rumors.
"Swish—"
Zhao Xing locked onto the intricate markings on the white wall and dived straight in.
The green root veins crisscrossing the white surface immediately sank inward upon contact, wrapping around him and pulling him inside.
Then, they flowed rapidly, transporting him to a designated area.
How was the destination determined?
Simple—just speak its name aloud.
"I want to go to the Mutation Arts Area."
Zhao Xing spoke the words aloud.
The space around him quivered, as if touched by liquid, and he was swiftly transported into a green root chamber.
"Plop—"
It felt like he was spat out, and Zhao Xing saw that the guide straw puppet was already waiting for him.
Without paying any attention to the straw puppet, Zhao Xing immediately stated his request.
"I want to learn a mutation technique that applies to mushrooms, vines, trees, and bamboos."
His precise request instantly saved him the trouble of searching.
These four plant-based soldier types were the ones he was most familiar with.
Switching between these four primary plant soldier types through mutation techniques was the most optimal strategy.
His Essence Breaking Divine Ability was too limited, as it only applied to mushroom species. Zhao Xing needed to broaden his skillset.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
Even with his specific request, over ten thousand white root tendrils emerged before him like tentacles, extending toward Zhao Xing.
The tips of these tendrils glowed with white luminescence—this was stored Dao law knowledge.
Zhao Xing touched each tendril one by one, allowing introductions to multiple secret techniques to appear in his mind.
"The four-type mutation techniques all share a similar strength level."
Focusing on multi-type mutation techniques meant sacrificing some raw power in exchange for greater adaptability.
If he only wanted power, then a single-type mutation technique would be better.
"Utility-based techniques tend to share similarities. Since I already have the Essence Breaking Divine Ability, I need to find something that complements it, rather than wasting time learning a completely new one."
His Essence Breaking Divine Ability was already at the ninth level of minor divine abilities. Abandoning it to train something new was unwise, as he simply didn't have that much time.
Zhao Xing spent one year experimenting, searching for a technique that could synergize with the Essence Breaking Divine Ability, creating an effect where one plus one is greater than two.
Finally, he made his decision.
"This is the one—Stem Funnel Divine Ability."
Without hesitation, Zhao Xing grabbed one of the glowing white tendrils, while the rest retracted and vanished.
The Stem Funnel Divine Ability, like the Essence Breaking Divine Ability, also required identifying the core life partitions before altering them.
However, unlike Essence Breaking, which used needle-like tools, the Stem Funnel Divine Ability used a funnel-shaped structure.
"Compared to the Essence Breaking Divine Ability, this technique has a star-tracing targeting function and offers greater stability."
"A living structure is like a pile of soft clay. The Essence Breaking Divine Ability extracts and reshapes individual pieces one by one."
"The Stem Funnel Divine Ability, on the other hand, directly channels material in from one side and refines it out the other—the mold is already pre-set, making the process far more efficient."
The Essence Breaking Divine Ability created mutated plant soldiers with stronger innate talents, but it was far more time-consuming and mentally exhausting.
The Stem Funnel Divine Ability, on the other hand, was designed for rapid mass production of new soldier types.
By combining the two, Zhao Xing could fully realize his war strategy—the Mass Production Army Method.
"Once I master this, I can create elite soldiers when I need them, or flood the battlefield when I need quantity. It will allow me to adapt to any combat scenario."
With his choice finalized, Zhao Xing began a thirty-year-long training process to integrate both techniques.
[You have comprehended the Stem Funnel Divine Ability from the Myriad Dao Tree, reaching Minor Divine Ability Level Three!]
[You have comprehended the Stem Funnel Divine Ability from the Myriad Dao Tree, reaching Minor Divine Ability Level Four!]
[You have comprehended the Stem Funnel Divine Ability from the Myriad Dao Tree, reaching Minor Divine Ability Level Five!]
By the twenty-fifth year of his studies at the Primordial Dao Treasury, Zhao Xing had advanced the Stem Funnel Divine Ability to Minor Divine Ability Level Six.
The difficulty of this technique wasn't high in the early stages, but its content was vast—mastery required familiarity with countless life structures.
Until Level Six, there were no significant bottlenecks.
However, Level Seven was the true threshold—the point where he had to incorporate Void Talent abilities and begin evolving powerful specialized soldier types. This was the transition from quantity to quality.
"This kid is incredibly patient… and he has great potential." The Five Venom Emperor observed with approval.
The Stem Funnel Divine Ability wasn't particularly difficult, but its scope was enormous.
Mastering it required an understanding of billions of variations across four different plant species.
Even though some structures were similar, allowing for simplifications, it was still a massive undertaking.
Training in this technique was exceedingly tedious, and often led to the illusion of "Wait, haven't I already practiced this move before?"
This similarity frequently led practitioners astray, causing fatal errors.
Yet, Zhao Xing steadily progressed, thanks to his status panel.
To the Five Venom Emperor, however, this required extraordinary perseverance and a highly refined analytical mind to continuously verify and correct mistakes.
"Indeed, he's impressive." Even Zuo Qiyu reluctantly admitted his approval.
However, just as they finished speaking, Zhao Xing suddenly stopped.
He had hit a bottleneck and began organizing his thoughts, refining his technique.
At the same time, he opened his Star Mirror, checking for updates on the outside world.
One glance, and he froze in shock.
His Star Mirror inbox contained thousands of unread messages.
"Most of these are from Jing Yan… That guy—"
His friends and family in the Great Zhou Dynasty knew that he was in a critical training period and wouldn't disturb him lightly.
Usually, they only sent updates every ten years about important events.
For example, Emperor Wu and Ji Si had returned to their homeland and were now preparing for war.
Ji Si had also selected her 'Inheritance World'.
Liu Tianning had completed her first training phase under Lord Qianhua of the Shenhua Dao Academy, becoming Great Zhou's first Dao Domain Realm cultivator.
Ji Mengjun, after apprenticing under King Luohou, had also advanced rapidly, and was close to stepping into the Dao Domain Realm.
However, Jing Yan's messages were entirely different—mostly gossip.
"This guy…" Zhao Xing shook his head helplessly.
Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing had both entered the 'Small Thousand Formation Realm', one of the hidden cultivation grounds of the Primordial Realm.
Yu Tianqing had only sent three letters.
Jing Yan, however, had sent over one thousand messages.
Not all of it was useless chatter, though.
One particular message caught Zhao Xing's attention.
[Zhao Xing, today I saw seven contestants being taken away by the Primordial Realm's Emperors. Apparently, they violated the rules.]
[That makes three hundred eighty-five people taken in the last fifty years.]
[Word is, they were all Reincarnation Realm cultivators from past lives, criminals who committed heinous crimes and violated imperial taboos.]
[There was even a Reincarnation Realm cultivator from the Wanhe Beast Tribe, who, even after reincarnating, continued his crimes—devouring over one million imperial citizens! That guy has no fear!]
"The Red Star Empire's selection process has begun?"
Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes.
There was no doubt—this was a cultivation-based political screening.
The Red Star Empire would not accept just any Reincarnation Realm cultivator.
Some individuals had committed too many massacres in their past lives or had harmed the empire's interests. Just being reincarnated did not absolve them.
Not to mention the powerful demon race cultivators who were clearly attempting to infiltrate the empire as spies through reincarnation.
"Impure Land Rebirth? As if it's that easy. If the empire hasn't acted, it's only because it's being discreet. Do they really think they can take advantage of the empire so easily?"
Zhao Xing was not worried about himself. With Qing Yuzi's endorsement, he had long passed the empire's vetting process. There was no chance of being expelled or punished.
However, passing the empire's test was only the first step. He still had to prove himself in the Primordial Realm.
Simply becoming an empire citizen was one thing—but entering the Primordial Realm required demonstrating absolute allegiance to the empire.
[Many cultivators were also eliminated because they got too engrossed in their training after entering the treasure grounds, accidentally breaking through into the Dao Domain Realm.]
[Serves them right. If they can't even control their own cultivation, they deserve to be disqualified.]
[...]
"Take me to the Hundred-Fathom Void."
In his fifty-fifth year of training, Zhao Xing ended his cultivation early in the Primordial Dao Treasury and moved on to his final training ground.
At this point, his Stem Funnel Divine Ability was still at Minor Divine Ability Level Six. Breaking through any further was no longer possible through simple hard work alone.
"Come."
The guide straw puppet led Zhao Xing toward his next destination—the Hundred-Fathom Void.
"The universe manifests countless phenomena, yet all are void."
This phrase described how the Void was divided into multiple layers.
The first layer was the Phenomenon Manifestation Layer, commonly known as Stable Void.
The second layer was the Dao Manifestation Layer, where void turbulence, gravity collapses, and other dangerous anomalies occurred.
The third layer was the Ancient Dao Layer, where primordial Dao sources were buried deep within the void.
From the third layer onward, the concept of depth measurement became more abstract, using a unit called "fathom".
Zhao Xing believed this was the cultivation world's unique way of measuring spatial Dao dimensions.
"The second-layer, at nine fathoms, is the peak of the Reincarnation Realm."
"The Ancient Dao Layer belongs to the domain of gods."
Was the Hundred-Fathom Void truly one hundred fathoms deep? Zhao Xing wasn't sure. Even in his previous life, he had never set foot into the divine realm.
His goal for coming here was simple—to comprehend the Dao of Void, so that when he used mutation techniques, he could temporarily create Void-Type Variants.
"At just three fathoms into the Dao Manifestation Layer, one can already travel between star systems."
"Spells and formations of the Dao Domain Realm must reach this layer to perform long-range teleportation."
"Mechanist formations, such as the Continental Encircling Formation and the Star-Shifting Formation, also rely on these principles."
For Zhao Xing, to push his Mutation Techniques to Level Seven, he needed to enhance his Void Dao comprehension to this level.
Otherwise, he would never be able to create powerful Void-Type Variants.
Without Void-Type Variants, his mutation techniques would be second-rate at best.
The same logic applied to bloodline mutation techniques—if they could only produce weak bloodlines with basic Five Elements abilities but lacked Time-Space attributes, then he would never be considered a top-tier cultivator.
"Lord Beihe's scholar, Qiao Song, once analyzed the third-generation geniuses. He found that at least ten thousand geniuses had mastered Void Dao-related secret techniques."
"Divine abilities on the same level as Yu Tianqing's talent are no longer rare this time."
"I may not be aiming for the title of 'Primordial Saint Son,' but I definitely can't fall behind."
If he didn't stand out, then when it came time to choose a mentor, he would lack presence.
If he ended up with a mediocre Reincarnation Realm teacher, then it would be a complete waste of this opportunity.
Without a powerful master, when the next expansion of Star River Myriad Worlds arrived, he wouldn't even get a seat at the table.
The empire's top cultivators were far too numerous. Without connections, how could he possibly compete?
Even knowing the resource locations of the next expansion was useless if he couldn't access them or defend what he obtained.
"Humm—"
When Zhao Xing arrived at the Hundred-Fathom Void, he saw a black river stretching across ten light-years.
Its outer edges shimmered with brilliant light, while its center was pitch-black and unfathomably deep.
Numerous white wooden boats drifted along its waters, carrying cultivators in and out.
"Which zone do you want to enter?" The guide straw puppet asked.
"Take me directly to the Dao Manifestation Layer, three fathoms deep."
Without immense pressure, it would be too difficult for him to break through his bottleneck in a short time.
The third fathom of the Dao Manifestation Layer was normally reserved for Life-Death Dao Domain Realm cultivators.
As the saying went, "Aim for the highest, settle for the middle. Aim for the middle, settle for the lowest."
Even if he gained only a fraction of insight, it would still be a massive advantage for him at the Divine Ability Realm.
If he stayed in the first or second fathom, he would need years of slow accumulation.
And right now, time was what Zhao Xing lacked the most.
Going beyond the third fathom wasn't even an option—he simply wouldn't be able to comprehend anything at that level.
"Boat, come forth—"
The Five Venom Emperor, controlling the straw puppet, waved his hand.
A semi-transparent boat, seemingly woven from light itself, materialized before them.
Zhao Xing stepped onto it, feeling almost weightless, as if he was standing on air.
Countless figures crossed the black river, resembling souls heading toward the River of Reincarnation.
"Whoosh—"
Standing at the bow of his boat, Zhao Xing scanned the area.
He suddenly noticed two young men in cyan robes aboard a nearby boat.
Sensing his gaze, the two looked back at him.
"The second and third place winners from the previous round—Ji Xingchen and Han Qiye."
Zhao Xing recognized them immediately.
As top contenders in the Self-Combat Division, they were popular candidates for the title of Primordial Saint Son.
The previous round's top ten contestants had been widely publicized.
The first-place winner, Tuo Sen, was undoubtedly the most discussed.
Next in line were Ji Xingchen and Han Qiye.
"I wonder where Xilin and Xiao Xuan from the Manya Division placed."
Zhao Xing had fought against Xilin before and had a strong impression of Xiao Xuan, the Turtle Clan hybrid.
But soon, the other boats vanished from view.
Before him, the void shifted from darkness to dazzling brightness, beginning to twist and distort violently.
"This scene… it's just like when I fell into the Bronze River in the Inheritance Tomb."
Sitting at the bow of his boat, Zhao Xing watched the shifting void.
The light was so faint that even using Heavenly Sight of the Soul revealed nothing but endless darkness.
Nothingness. Absolute void. Darkness without end.
The third fathom of the Dao Manifestation Layer perfectly embodied the true nature of the void.
There was nothing—just emptiness. How was one supposed to comprehend anything?
It was purely a test of innate talent and perception—there were no guides, no instructions.
The Five Venom Emperor watched as Zhao Xing sat down, a subtle smile appearing on his face.
Not bad, not bad.
Many participants had left almost immediately upon entering. What they saw was absolute nothingness and complete darkness, with no clues to follow.
That meant they lacked the talent necessary to comprehend the void.
Now that Zhao Xing was sitting down and could see distorted light, it proved that he had the ability to comprehend and would gain insights from this place.
"Left Envoy, here, take this. You can leave now."
In Primordial City, at a chess-playing pavilion, the Five Venom Emperor casually flipped his hand, revealing a damaged jade talisman, and tossed it to Zuo Qiyu.
"Oh?" Zuo Qiyu raised an eyebrow. "You're really sure? Not going to reconsider?"
"No need." The Five Venom Emperor shook his head. "What I can reach is what belongs to me. Those at the level of the Primordial Saint Son wouldn't even consider me as a master—they might even be ancient beings reborn."
"Zhao Xing, on the other hand, is in the upper-middle tier of talent, with enormous potential. More importantly, his background is completely clean—he's the perfect choice for me."
Zuo Qiyu said nothing more. He simply nodded and vanished from the room.
What the Five Venom Emperor didn't know was that Zhao Xing's background wasn't clean at all—it was too big.
He had the backing of a deity from the Reincarnation Divine Palace, which was why the empire didn't even need to review his history.
At this moment, the Five Venom Emperor had already made up his mind—he was going to claim Zhao Xing as his disciple.
Three more years passed.
When the final assessment was just five years away, Zhao Xing finally left the Hundred-Fathom Void.
"Plans can never keep up with changes."
"Originally, I allocated thirty years for each of the three great training grounds. But I left the Primordial Dao Treasury five years early and spent an extra ten years in the Hundred-Fathom Void."
Upon leaving seclusion, Zhao Xing immediately requested a quiet cultivation residence.
The Five Venom Emperor, still controlling the guide straw puppet, led Zhao Xing to his new training ground, acting like a personal servant.
"I need three Ding Nine combat puppets as sparring partners."
"Also, I want all plant-based third-realm soldier species from all four elemental attributes—wild, not cultivated."
Zhao Xing laid out his demands to the guide straw puppet.
"Can the Primordial Realm provide these training materials?"
"No problem." The Five Venom Emperor responded immediately. "In three days, you can head to the designated training site for live combat exercises. Do you have any other requests?"
Zhao Xing simply waved his hand indifferently, signaling no more questions, and then ignored him completely.
The Five Venom Emperor turned away and chuckled silently.
He, an Emperor, was acting as a servant, and the other party didn't even care.
Of course, Zhao Xing had no idea who he was, but it was still amusing.
"Once he formally acknowledges me as his master, I'll tell him everything. I wonder what kind of expression he'll make."
Three days later, in the custom training ground of the Primordial Realm, on a newly developed life-bearing star.
"Swish, swish, swish—"
Within the star's desert terrain, three Ding Nine combat puppets descended.
Their bodies emitted a cold metallic sheen, towering like small mountains.
Their faces were smooth metal plates inscribed with mysterious runes that flickered with an eerie green glow, as if performing complex calculations.
"Clank, clank, clank—"
The three mechanized puppets, each equivalent to the peak of the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm, were fully equipped with comprehensive combat capabilities and exceptionally high battle awareness.
Each of their hands could instantly transform into various weapons—sometimes extending razor-sharp blades that glowed with chilling light, other times launching dense volleys of steel needles.
In the distant desert horizon, a green skyline appeared, slowly expanding toward the sands.
Beyond that lifeline of vegetation, Zhao Xing's true body stood atop a Soul Tree, gazing down at the three Ding Nine combat puppets in the distance.
"These puppets are highly mobile, with outer shells crafted from a unique metal infused with formation arrays."
"The Ding Nine series is designed for versatility. Using them to test my cultivation results is the best choice."
Retracting his gaze, Zhao Xing landed on the expanding green life force.
Suddenly, vines surged wildly, invading the desert terrain like a flood.
The desert rapidly vanished, replaced by a lush green jungle.
"This custom training ground is 80% land, 20% ocean, with half the land being desert."
"With my current abilities, I can control a vast number of plant-based soldiers and spread them across the entire planet."
"Once I've covered the entire world with vegetation, it becomes my domain—I will be invincible, and the three puppets will be powerless against me."
The Shennong faction's mass-production strategy was terrifying when fully deployed.
If he could blanket the battlefield with plant soldiers, his arena battles would be nearly unwinnable for his opponents.
Using plant-based warriors, Zhao Xing could hide, jump between locations, and force his enemies into a war of attrition.
"While my opponents continuously burn through their spiritual power, my plants will absorb it, transferring the energy through their roots to where I need it underground."
"This kind of long-term attrition battle will ensure their defeat—this is the true power of the mass-production strategy."
A small number of powerful elite troops might be able to break through the battlefield, but most enemies would be completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of plant-based soldiers.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
The Ding Nine puppets quickly analyzed the situation and launched a direct assault on the life force boundary, attempting to locate Zhao Xing's position.
Each of the three puppets had multi-colored gemstones embedded in their frames.
These weren't just decorations—they were energy cores that fueled their power.
One of the Ding Nine combat puppets wielded a retractable whip, its body woven from durable metallic fibers, and the tip was razor-sharp.
During battle, it could move at extreme speeds, its whip slashing through the air like a venomous serpent, tracing brilliant arcs as it severed plant soldiers at their roots.
The second Ding Nine combat puppet had the most unusual appearance. Its entire body seemed to be made up of countless interlocking gears and mechanical components, continuously rotating and shifting, emitting a constant clanking sound.
Its head was a large circular structure, covered in various perception formations. Mounted on its back was an enormous energy cannon, capable of scanning and targeting Zhao Xing's location.
The third Ding Nine combat puppet emitted a blinding beam from its eyes, and wherever the beam passed, everything was instantly reduced to ash. Its destructive power and range were immense.
Working in perfect coordination, the three combat puppets rapidly closed in on Zhao Xing's position.
"Useless. I can change locations at any time."
Zhao Xing and the Soul Tree sank into the ground in an instant, reappearing elsewhere.
When the three Ding Nine combat puppets invaded the location, they found nothing but highly aggressive plant soldiers—Zhao Xing was nowhere to be seen.
The combat puppets attempted to continue scanning and tracking.
"Boom!"
Three mushrooms suddenly detonated around the combat puppets.
All three Ding Nine combat puppets were frozen in place, unable to move for two and a half seconds.
They could only watch helplessly as the remaining explosive shockwaves ravaged their bodies.
"Not bad. Void Solidification combined with a toxin explosion—those years of training weren't wasted." Zhao Xing smirked.
This was a technique he had developed after mastering Stalk Battle Divine Ability, inspired by the Vajra Mushroom, and further refined during his training in the Hundred-Fathom Void.
This was the Void Vajra Mushroom!
"It has the 'Void Solidification' divine ability of the Mo Yun Vine, combined with the explosive power of the Vajra Mushroom."
"First, immobilization. Then, detonation. Far stronger than the original Vajra Mushroom."
The Vajra Mushroom had once been powerful enough to shatter Sirin's life formation, nearly forcing her into a berserk state.
Now, Zhao Xing had upgraded this weaponized plant once again!
"Tracking me? The moment you track me, you get blown up."
A dark grin crept onto Zhao Xing's face.
Outside the planet, the Five Venom Emperor was watching the entire custom training session, and his expression became extremely animated.
"Yes! Absolutely brilliant!"
"You little bastard, you really are something else. I love this move!"
Zhao Xing's insidious plant-based transformation techniques had the Five Venom Emperor thoroughly entertained.
At first glance, some of the mushrooms seemed to be Illusory Star Mushrooms, but the moment Zhao Xing teleported, they would mutate into Void Explosive Mushrooms instead.
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You're meant to be my disciple."
The Five Venom Emperor grinned just as wickedly.
The training session soon concluded, but Zhao Xing had new requests.
"Reduce the planet's spiritual energy index to 10. And from the moment I start combat, have the spiritual energy start dispersing."
Zhao Xing was actively increasing the difficulty for himself.
Because in an environment rich with spiritual energy, the Ding Nine combat puppets were completely unable to keep up with him.
Even the Bing Nine series wouldn't be able to hold their own!
If his guess was correct, the final battle in the Primordial Realm would most likely be held in a low-spiritual-energy battlefield.
So, he needed to start practicing precise spiritual energy management now.
If spiritual energy was limited, then his mass-production strategy would require careful planning, ensuring every single plant soldier was used to its fullest potential.
This kind of request wasn't originally part of the Primordial Realm's provided training services, but after checking the rules, the Five Venom Emperor found that there was no restriction against granting Zhao Xing's request.
So, he personally adjusted the training environment, tailoring it specifically for Zhao Xing.
One year passed.
Zhao Xing began fighting in a spiritual energy environment with an index of 10.
For a Grand Divine Ability-stage Shennong of the mass-production strategy, this was already an extremely harsh condition.
Zhao Xing had to micromanage every unit, ensuring that every plant soldier was used efficiently.
Two years in, Zhao Xing made another request to the Five Venom Emperor.
"Increase the chaos index to 90. Lower the spiritual energy index to 5. Double the dispersal rate."
After a year of fighting under these conditions, even if the Ding Nine combat puppets were increased to one hundred, they still couldn't keep up with Zhao Xing's training intensity.
Three years in, Zhao Xing switched to fighting Bing Nine combat puppets instead.
Time flowed rapidly.
Only one month remained until the final assessment in the Primordial Realm.
The Five Venom Emperor, controlling the guide straw puppet, transmitted a message to Zhao Xing.
"Zhao Xing of the Beihe Star System, your training must stop. There is only one month left until the final assessment. The Primordial Realm has just released the latest preparation details—please check them."
Whoosh—
Zhao Xing extended his green wings, appearing on a starship outside the training planet.
"Set sail. Take me back to the contestant residence." Zhao Xing ordered the guide straw puppet, then took out his Star Mirror to check the notification.
[Zhao Xing of the Beihe Star System, return to the temporary contestant residence within two days to prepare for the final assessment.]
[Your competition zone: Shennong of the Self Faction, Combat Division.]
[Before the competition details are released, you will undergo the final verification process.]
"As expected."
Zhao Xing's gaze locked onto the phrase 'final verification process.'
"Over the past century, over a thousand people have been disqualified—either because their current-life crimes were too severe, or because their past-life reincarnation records showed deep enmity with the empire."
"Now, they're conducting another round of screening. This level of strictness didn't exist in my past memories."
"There are too many Reincarnation Realm cultivators reincarnating from the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom. The empire is likely preparing a soul-examination akin to a 'Heart Inquiry.'"
Zhao Xing closed his Star Mirror, quietly waiting for the upcoming examination.
He was confident that, with Qing Yuzi backing him, everything that had been promised to him earlier would not be suddenly revoked here.
Primordial Realm, Temporary Residence Area, Star City No. 28 under the Shennong designation.
The Emperor of Chenjiu appeared above the city.
With a swift motion, he raised a mechanical disk, emitting a gentle radiance. Instantly, all contestants within the star city fell into a deep sleep.
In the next moment, the Artifact Spirit of the Grand Derivation Divine Weapon, Chenjiu, split into countless phantoms, materializing within each contestant's chamber.
Whenever Chenjiu Emperor appeared, contestants would enter a dream.
The dream's theme centered around historical battles of the empire or grand purges, fully immersing the individual in the experience.
If a contestant chose to betray the empire, acted as a spy, or did anything to harm imperial interests, they would be immediately expelled.
If their loyalty to the empire was deemed insufficient, but not extreme, they would be classified into the 'Reincarnation Group'.
The empire would never raise ingrates, but it also wouldn't outright execute those with temporary misgivings—after all, over time, some might still be won over.
Only those who made extreme choices in the dream would be completely eliminated.
"Shhh!"
Chenjiu Emperor examined each contestant one by one.
In Star City No. 28, eighteen contestants were taken away, while over five hundred were marked for the Reincarnation Group.
Among them was Han Chuchen, who had interfered with the Reincarnation Divine Palace's affairs and ended up in an unlucky reincarnation cycle.
When Chenjiu Emperor arrived at Zhao Xing's room, he was about to observe his dream when, suddenly, a voice stopped him.
"There's no need to check him. Wake him up and assign him to a normal group."
Chenjiu immediately bowed his head respectfully. "Understood."
As the Artifact Spirit of the Grand Derivation Divine Weapon, Chenjiu's status was exceptionally high—higher than even Zuo Qiyu.
Very few individuals had the authority to command him.
Among them, the Red Star Empire's Emperor and that mysterious Godhood Realm ancestor were the only two.
Now, he had just received an order from that Godhood Realm existence.
With a wave of his hand, Chenjiu Emperor allowed Zhao Xing to naturally wake up after half an hour, then swiftly left.
Half an hour later, Zhao Xing woke up.
"Did I just have a dream?" Zhao Xing recalled the dream's events.
"In the dream, I became a border general of the Red Star Empire, defending a star fortress.
Countless monstrous beings besieged the fortress, demanding my surrender—or else I would be wiped from existence.
But I firmly believed the empire would send reinforcements, so I held the line until the very end.
Eventually, support arrived.
Even though the fortress fell, I was still rewarded for my efforts, as I had delayed the enemy long enough."
"Looks like I passed the test."
The final scene of the dream showed him receiving a reward—that was definitely a good sign.
Everything afterward proceeded as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Xing had no idea how many contestants had been participating in the first place, so even if some disappeared, he wouldn't notice.
Meanwhile, in the Yan Shen Star System, Meng Wu received the detailed report.
"3,548 people have been purged.
Ten percent were executed on the spot.
The rest were expelled or detained."
"Over a thousand of them are being sent to my domain for imprisonment?"
Meng Wu scanned the report and let out a cold snort. "So troublesome."
As he continued reading, his expression darkened.
"Eighty-five percent of the Reincarnation Realm contestants were assigned to the Reincarnation Group?"
"For Shennongs, the percentage was even higher—ninety percent?! What a joke."
Meng Wu could understand why Reincarnation Realm cultivators might not immediately feel loyalty toward the Red Star Empire.
After all, compared to their long lifespans, the empire had only existed for a few hundred years—insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
But the fact that Shennongs had an even higher ratio?
That was suspicious.
Meng Wu guessed that some of these Shennongs had infiltrated the Primordial Realm to steal high-level Shennong techniques.
Though he understood the reasoning, it didn't mean he wasn't furious.
"If it were up to me, there'd be no 'Reincarnation Group.' I'd just lock them all up and refine them instead." Meng Wu muttered to himself.
He glanced at the name list—Zhao Xing wasn't among those in the Reincarnation Group.
For some reason, he felt a slight sense of relief.
The empire's greatest gain from the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom wasn't the Reincarnation Realm cultivators.
It was Zhao Xing, who had yet to reach the Reincarnation Realm but had already caused waves across the star systems.
After all, Zhao Xing had once used the Time Pages to blackmail multiple Emperors and was even connected to Qing Yuzi.
Meng Wu had no idea what his teacher's true intentions were or what the bigger picture looked like, but one thing was clear—
If Zhao Xing could accept the empire, then things would be much better.
Meng Wu shouted toward the prison facility.
"Wu Tian, time to get to work! We're about to receive a massive batch of criminals."
"You better train them properly."
"Do this right, and you'll finally be released!"
From within Er Liang Slope, a reluctant voice grumbled,
"Ugh, what a terrible fate."
That same night, after Chenjiu Emperor left, Zhao Xing received a notification on his Star Mirror.
[Zhao Xing of the Beihe Star System, the competition rules for the Primordial Realm have been released. Please review them carefully.]
Zhao Xing immediately opened the message.
[Competition Zone: Shennong of the Self Faction, Combat Division. Remaining Contestants: 150,000.]
[The tournament consists of four stages.]
Zhao Xing's eyes narrowed.
"Four stages? Interesting."
[Preliminary Stage: 2,000 arenas will be set up, with each arena assigned 75 contestants. A total of 150,000 Shennongs will be randomly distributed across these arenas, engaging in free-for-all battles. The final victor of each arena will advance into the Primordial Realm, earning the right to apprentice under a master.]
Zhao Xing nodded. "As expected, the Self Faction's combat division will ultimately only take in about 2,000 people."
"The six divisions of the Shennong occupation will result in about 10,000 or so total entrants."
He continued reading.
[Secondary Stage: 400 arenas will be set up, with the 2,000 qualifiers from the preliminary stage randomly assigned, five contestants per arena. The competition follows a round-robin system—each contestant will battle the other four in their arena. Rankings will be based on win-loss records and accumulated points. The top two contestants from each arena will advance to the Semifinals.]
"A round-robin format allows participants to fully display their strength and avoids elimination due to a single mistake." Zhao Xing nodded in approval.
"Once you've cleared the preliminary stage, you're officially part of the Primordial Realm.
After that, the remaining rounds are just determining what kind of master you'll be apprenticed to and what kind of treatment you'll receive."
"In other words, your performance here decides your future cultivation resources!"
[Semifinal Stage: 80 arenas will be set up, with the 800 qualifiers from the secondary stage randomly assigned. Each arena will have 10 contestants. This stage follows a group ranking system—every contestant will face each other in one-on-one duels. Winners gain points; losers gain none.]
[At the end of the ranking phase, the top two contestants from each arena will advance to the Final Stage—a total of 160 participants.]
"The group ranking system ensures fairness, giving contestants multiple chances to prove themselves."
[Final Stage: A single championship arena will be set up, where all 160 semifinalists will gather.]
[The final stage follows an elimination bracket. Opponents will be drawn at random—losers are eliminated, while winners proceed until the ultimate champion is determined.]
"Seems like the Primordial Realm believes that by the time contestants reach the final stage, their strength levels won't vary much."
"If you can make it to the Finals, there won't be a major difference in allocated resources—the only difference will be the level of master you can apprentice under."
"Even if someone gets eliminated immediately, they'll still have a chance to catch a great master's attention."
"Out of the billions of geniuses in the Red Star Empire, reaching the Final Stage is already an achievement."
"The empire has plenty of resources—setting aside a portion for these 160 prodigies is more than reasonable."
"That means all 160 finalists will receive the same cultivation resources."
"However, mentorship is a different matter. The real reason for the Final Stage is to let the masters of the Primordial Realm observe each contestant closely and select their disciples accordingly."
"Having a master whose cultivation path aligns with yours is crucial—otherwise, even a talented disciple could be led astray."
Zhao Xing exhaled deeply, feeling a surge of anticipation.
"If I can survive the preliminary free-for-all, I'll officially enter the Primordial Realm."
"But apprenticing under the right master is where the real rewards lie."
"Even among Reincarnation Realm cultivators, there's a vast difference between learning under a senior-level, elite-level, or Emperor-tier master."
"If I can place in the top ten, I might even get accepted by a Demi-God as a disciple."
He took a deep breath, steadying his mind.
Zhao Xing stood at the center of his residential chamber.
All contestants' living quarters were specially designed—at the center of each hall was a large teleportation array.
The array was circular, and on the floor, a countdown timer was displayed.
There were only 48 hours left.
"First round of the preliminaries—75 contestants per arena."
"All I have to do is defeat the other 74 and I'll be through."
Zhao Xing stepped into the teleportation circle, crossed his legs, and entered meditative focus.
He emptied his thoughts, fine-tuning his mental and physical state to perfection.
Time ticked away, second by second.
Zhao Xing's biological clock perfectly synchronized with the countdown timer engraved into the teleportation array.
As the final moment arrived, he opened his eyes.
The teleportation array pulsed with radiant light.