Since there were a few days of rest before the finals, the matchup list had already been revealed in advance, allowing everyone to know their opponent beforehand.
Zhao Xing carefully reviewed Wu Chuanlan's performance in the previous rounds.
"Wu Chuanlan from the Heya Star System practices a combination of the Life Formation Path and the Extreme Path! During the fourth round of the Primordial Realm's battle royale, he displayed overwhelming dominance."
"He is essentially a fusion of Lu Nansong and Ruan Xingluo. Moreover, in the first three rounds, his mental fortitude, domain control, and even physical defense were outstanding."
"Based on an overall assessment, Wu Chuanlan is undoubtedly a powerful Reincarnation Realm cultivator. His previous life was clearly a Shennong, rather than someone who chose the role purely to enhance their true spirit."
A distinctive feature of reincarnated Reincarnation Realm cultivators was their overwhelming strength and versatility.
For an ordinary genius, mastering a single path in the Origin Realm was already an impressive feat. However, reincarnated cultivators usually mastered multiple paths, having already traveled these roads in their previous lives.
They didn't need to waste time exploring—they already knew the shortcuts.
"Wu Chuanlan is only a little over 600 years old, yet his mastery of both the Life Formation Path and the Extreme Path is incredibly high."
"During the 75-man battle royale, his fighting style was nearly identical to Lu Nansong's—deploying plant-based soldiers to set up teleportation formations deep within the void, instantly eliminating large numbers of opponents upon landing."
"In both the quarterfinals and semifinals, he achieved a flawless victory and demonstrated terrifying offensive power. Using the 'Star Lan Treasure Tree' as the core mother tree, he created two Yin-Yang Dao Domain-level plant soldiers."
Even outside his Life Formation Path and Extreme Path, Wu Chuanlan had outstanding abilities.
"Being able to control two mother trees… He might even temporarily wield a Life-and-Death Dao Domain-level mother tree—"
Zhao Xing felt sweat forming on his forehead. Not out of fear, but because he was mentally simulating his battle against Wu Chuanlan.
Having frequently interacted with scholars, Zhao Xing had also learned a key soul-based technique—Mental Training.
The stronger one's soul, the more comprehensive the data they could gather, and the more realistic their Mental Training simulations would become.
Zhao Xing's Three Divinities Destiny Palace could divide into countless incarnations, supporting massive computations.
His deep knowledge of various cultivation paths and spells made his simulations extremely realistic—but also incredibly taxing.
"Boom—"
Inside his consciousness sea, the simulated battle collapsed. Once again, Zhao Xing found himself crushed under Wu Chuanlan's Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree.
"Huff… Huff…"
Zhao Xing took a deep breath.
"After simulating over 10,000 battles in three days, my win rate is only 40% against his 60%."
"And that's assuming Wu Chuanlan hasn't revealed all his trump cards."
"Clearly, he has more hidden aces. My simulations are incomplete."
"To increase my win rate, my World Law, 'Three Realms Void', must break through further, allowing me to master the next divine ability—'Yin-Yang Boundary.'"
'Three Realms Void' was a technique he learned from Qiao Song and Yang Zhuo, subordinates of the Northern River Lord.
Its advanced form was 'Yin-Yang Boundary'.
"During my special training in the Northern River Star System, I reached full mastery of Three Realms Void."
"In the Primordial Realm's treasure ground—Hundred Fathoms Void—both my Void Dao and Origin World improved significantly."
"But I still need a bit more to truly break through my World Law."
World Laws were formed through a fusion of Origin Projection, Domain Cultivation, and profound insights into multiple Daos.
Only after all three improved could he fully master 'Yin-Yang Boundary.'
"If I can grasp Yin-Yang Boundary, I can use my Origin Projection to fortify my domain—countering the Life Formation Path!"
The Life Formation Path held a natural advantage in World Law battles.
Lu Nansong, for example, could silently teleport his army directly beneath his opponent's feet—leaving them no time to react.
It even allowed him to effortlessly invade enemy domains.
With enough time, Zhao Xing was confident he could break through, but the finals were a one-match elimination format—and he wouldn't get a second chance.
The ultimate test was back-to-back battles with minimal rest time.
"The finals are about to begin. The countdown is at 12 hours. Northern River Star System's Zhao Xing, your opponent is Wu Chuanlan of the Heya Star System. Please prepare accordingly."
Inside the teleportation chamber, a mechanical voice rang out.
Zhao Xing immediately adjusted his state, preparing for battle.
"The finals are starting."
Deep within the Primordial Realm, atop the highest branch of the Thousand Star Vine, a golden-green leaf supported an entire floating city.
Inside the city, 72 cultivators clad in Shennong robes sat together.
The weakest among them was a Reincarnation Emperor—they were the 72 strongest cultivators in the Primordial Realm.
The Shennong Sect had six divisions, and on average, each would only accept 12 new disciples.
Even among the final 160 contestants, they might not recruit all of them.
"Five Venom, who are you planning to take in?"
"Me? I only want one—Zhao Xing from the Northern River Star System. You all can fight over the other prodigies."
The other great figures gathered in small groups, casually chatting.
Five Venom Emperor, however, made his stance clear.
"Give me some face and don't compete with me for him. I rarely take in disciples."
"No problem." Many responded with a nod.
Though Five Venom Emperor wasn't the strongest among the 72, he was a master of toxic plant cultivation.
In dangerous exploration zones, his ability to identify and neutralize deadly poisons was unparalleled.
Even Zuo Qiyu highly valued his collection of rare materials.
Inside the Void Star Arena, two massive satellites slowly descended.
One end held Zhao Xing of the Northern River Star System, rapidly absorbing his tournament-assigned plant soldiers back into his body.
The other end was Wu Chuanlan of the Heya Star System, whose presence was overwhelming—a raging spiritual storm surrounded him, his radiant mother tree illuminating the entire battlefield.
The creation of a Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree was impossible to conceal.
Yet, due to the preparation phase restrictions, neither competitor could see the other's actions.
"I hope Wu Chuanlan underestimates me and doesn't take me seriously."
Zhao Xing gazed at the distant Void Star, as if trying to see through the battlefield to glimpse his opponent's preparations.
One month later.
The satellites finally fell.
Explosions erupted as both competitors landed on the Void Star Arena.
"Hmph—"
The ground sprouted golden bamboo-like plants covered in fine, sharp thorns.
"A fusion mutation of the Holly Bone plant species and the Golden Sun Bamboo?"
"What kind of Life Formation Array is Wu Chuanlan planning to use with the properties of Holly Bone and Golden Sun Bamboo?"
Zhao Xing's mind raced as he analyzed the situation, his heart sinking slightly. Without hesitation, he slammed his palm down, shattering the plant soldier beneath him.
Instantly, he received two key pieces of information:
Bad news: Wu Chuanlan did not underestimate him. He had immediately used an unfamiliar spell.
Worse news: Zhao Xing had only detected one of Wu Chuanlan's plant soldiers.
"Going all out from the start? Revealing his trump card immediately, not even giving me a chance to land—Wu Chuanlan, you really think highly of me."
Three times Zhao Xing attempted to land, but each time, thorned bamboo shoots erupted from the ground.
Wu Chuanlan's Life Formation Array had two effects: teleportation and barrier breaking.
His goal was clear—prevent Zhao Xing from stabilizing his footing.
With no choice, Zhao Xing activated Three Realms Void, creating an Origin Projection fortress in midair.
A floating fortress took shape. However, not all of Zhao Xing's soldiers were Void-type, meaning he could not fully unleash the power of his swarm-based battle strategy.
"Mushroom King, you're strong. If you hadn't met me, you might have reached the Top 50."
"Unfortunately, since you're up against me, this is where your journey ends."
A voice echoed from the formation beneath the ground. The bamboo expanded like a surging tide, overwhelming the battlefield.
By securing the initial advantage, Wu Chuanlan could absorb the remaining spiritual energy on the Void Star Arena, claiming it as his own.
"Wu Chuanlan, it's way too early to decide the outcome!"
The branches of Zhao Xing's Soul Tree trembled as he began setting up his formations in midair to counter the attacks emerging from underground.
He was still airborne, while Wu Chuanlan had secured control of the ground, forming eighteen glowing blue formations.
These mutated plants supported the arrays—the lower layer absorbed immense life energy, while the upper layer radiated destructive power.
The aura emanating from the Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree resembled a massive blue maw, as if preparing to devour the floating fortress above.
[Star Lan Treasure Tree (Variant Mutation)]
Realm: Early-stage Life-and-Death Dao Domain
State: Peak Mutated Form (Duration: 3 hours)
Talents: Hell Needle Prison, Phantom Rosemary, Void Water Lily, Causal Threads, Ice Soul Demon Vine, Nine Suns Dewfire, Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder, Devil Eye Tree Core...
Lifespan: 3 hours
Terrifying.
Zhao Xing stared at Wu Chuanlan's Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree.
It possessed eighteen innate abilities, with two particularly powerful divine abilities standing out:
[Devil Eye Tree Core]—Third-tier Divine Ability.
[Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder]—Fourth-tier Divine Ability.
"Its only weakness is its short lifespan—it can only exist for 3 hours."
The Extreme Path had a strict one-month preparation period, forcing Wu Chuanlan to fuse numerous plant soldiers into a temporary mother tree, preventing it from surviving for long.
Every additional innate ability grafted onto the tree required centuries of refinement to stabilize.
In contrast, the Three Thousand Dao Seeds contained Sun Treasure Trees and Blue Enchantress Flowers, which had been cultivated by Reincarnation Emperors over thousands of years, nurtured in special environments, and refined to stabilize over a thousand talents while extending their lifespans.
Wu Chuanlan, however, had no time to ensure his mother tree's longevity.
"But twelve ke is more than enough. How could Zhao Xing possibly last that long against a Life-and-Death Dao Domain mother tree?"
"He doesn't even know what abilities my mutated mother tree possesses—"
Wu Chuanlan was supremely confident. Zhao Xing wouldn't last even one ke.
A lion hunts a rabbit with its full strength.
Wu Chuanlan immediately activated the two most powerful divine abilities of his mother tree—
He was going to eliminate Zhao Xing in an instant!
"Clang—"
The moment Zhao Xing finished analyzing the mother tree's attributes, an ancient clock materialized in his consciousness sea.
The hands of the clock shifted, pointing toward Zi Hour—but then tilted askew, unable to stabilize his mind.
This was Wu Chuanlan's first divine ability—[Devil Eye Tree Core].
Zhao Xing found himself in a time illusion.
One moment, he was responding to Wu Chuanlan's attack—the next, he was inside the Time Chamber of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
A door opened.
The Great Elder of the Dongyan Ancient Clan, the ruler of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, walked in and stared at Zhao Xing with deep resentment.
"I never thought it would be you. You really made me search high and low."
His cold gaze landed on Zhao Xing as he spoke each word clearly—
"Qing. Yu. Zi!"
Illusion!
Zhao Xing instantly realized what was happening.
Scanning the room, he noticed nine Reincarnation Emperors, including Emperor Hongshan, Meng Wu, and Emperor Lingyuan.
Just as Zhao Xing began formulating a way to escape the illusion, the moment the Great Elder uttered 'Qing Yuzi'—
The illusion shattered automatically.
"Clang—"
The Heart Clock—a technique he had purchased and studied on Wanxin Island—rang again.
The clock hands realigned.
Zhao Xing had freed himself from the illusion's control.
Zhao Xing: "???"
Wu Chuanlan: "???"
When the illusion broke, Wu Chuanlan was momentarily stunned.
His second divine ability—[Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder]—had already descended upon Zhao Xing, but the opponent had already escaped?
"Does the Mushroom King actually possess a mental divine ability? He hid it this well?"
Zhao Xing was equally confused.
What the hell?
Was Lao Qing's name so forbidden that even illusions couldn't contain it?
Could no one in the world even dare to mention it?
Were Divine Realm cultivators really this terrifying?!
But there was no time to think—the Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder was already descending!
Despite its small size, the thunderbolt radiated immense power.
Its three distinct purple, red, and black hues symbolized the Three Great Daos—Yin, Yang, and Mind.
"Treasure Mountain Divine Ability!"
Even though Zhao Xing had escaped the illusion, he did not have time to activate Five Finger Mountain.
His only option was to activate the Treasure Mountain Divine Ability to block it!
"Shi—"
The Treasure Mountain Divine Ability unleashed its nine layers of divine radiance, but they were extinguished in an instant.
It failed to completely block the Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder, but it managed to deflect its trajectory.
The thunderbolt had originally been aimed straight for Zhao Xing's head. If an attack breached the Heavenly Soul Consciousness Sea, it would be considered a loss in the competition.
Now, however, the attack pierced through Zhao Xing's right chest instead, reducing its impact to a medium-level injury.
For a brief moment, Zhao Xing was paralyzed—the spiritual energy vortex within his dantian almost came to a complete halt.
"Hsss—" Zhao Xing sucked in a cold breath, clutching his chest with difficulty. "Damn, that hurts like hell."
Wu Chuanlan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Both of his divine abilities had landed.
Zhao Xing had broken free from the first divine ability's illusion, then endured the Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder—and still had the energy to swear?
"How tough are you!?"
Both of them were stunned.
A Shennong with a body this durable? This was the first time Wu Chuanlan had seen such a thing in the Primordial Assembly.
"A body this strong… Could he be another Gui Boyang?"
Gui Boyang had been a Top 10 contender in the previous tournament, known for his defensive prowess.
Every battle, he would first strip layers of bark and leaves from his cultivated plant soldiers and layer them onto himself like armor.
This technique, called "Supreme Tree Armor," had never been broken through.
However, most people called him "Turtle Boyang" or simply "The Turtle."
The Supreme Tree Armor was even nicknamed the Turtle Shell Armor.
"Big… big… big!"
Wu Chuanlan, still in shock, was suddenly jolted back to reality by Zhao Xing's shouting.
Then came a loud crash.
Zhao Xing, after withstanding both divine abilities, swiftly escaped from the formation's center and rooted himself into the ground nearby.
Wu Chuanlan could no longer attack him so easily.
After unleashing its divine abilities, the Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree had two sections of withered resin, and its leaves turned a dull yellow, clearly entering cooldown.
Wu Chuanlan attempted to teleport and chase after him, hoping to eliminate Zhao Xing while he was still injured.
"Even if he endured the attack, he's still on the verge of elimination." Wu Chuanlan refocused.
After all, he had found it remarkably easy to invade Zhao Xing's projection domain.
"Boom!"
The moment he stepped into the lush forest, an explosion went off.
The Mother Tree's movements slowed as if it were frozen in place, and Wu Chuanlan himself felt his body stiffen.
"A Void-Type Mushroom?"
Wu Chuanlan scanned his surroundings and realized—he had entered a mushroom forest.
Beneath him, mushrooms covered the ground.
Above him, mushrooms were crashing down like a landslide.
In every direction, mushrooms emerged from the void, rushing toward his territory.
They moved with perfect coordination, as if they had lined up in formation to bombard him.
"You—" BOOM!
Wu Chuanlan had just begun to activate his teleportation when a violent explosion erupted.
The spatial energy around him distorted, locking both him and the Mother Tree in place for a brief moment.
"Tracking him means getting blown up."
In Thousand Star City, the Five Venom Emperor, watching the battle unfold, grinned.
He had seen this before—it was the same fate that befell Bing Jiu's War Puppet.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!"
A barrage of explosions detonated all around Wu Chuanlan, tossing him about like a small boat caught in a violent storm.
Moving forward? Explosion.
Retreating? Explosion.
Teleporting? Explosion.
Zhao Xing's mushrooms were everywhere, with no escape.
Trapped within the overwhelming swarm of plant soldiers, the Mother Tree swayed, on the verge of collapse.
Wu Chuanlan tried to retreat—teleport out.
But Zhao Xing was too close.
It seemed like victory was within reach.
However, after several attempts, Wu Chuanlan realized something terrifying—
He was always just a little bit too far away.
Every time he got close enough to attack Zhao Xing, an explosion would send him flying backward again.
"Damn it! I fell into his trap!"
Wu Chuanlan finally understood, but it was too late.
He was poisoned.
The Mother Tree's branches had broken four times, failing to fully resist the toxin's erosion.
His only option was to defeat Zhao Xing before the poison took effect.
Escape? That would only give the swarm more room to spread—making victory impossible!
"You bastard! Die already!"
Wu Chuanlan was furious.
Being toyed with by a swarm-based Shennong—how could he not be angry?
"He looks pissed." Zhao Xing counted the time, shifting his position constantly.
Even though Wu Chuanlan had lost his temper, he was still terrifying—amid the chaos, he still managed to launch counterattacks and destroy Zhao Xing's Soul Tree.
"That's fine. The Soul Essence Heavenly Tree was meant to be destroyed anyway."
"According to my calculations, the moment he destroys the Soul Essence Heavenly Tree… the scales of victory tip in my favor."
Zhao Xing had prepared four different strategies for dealing with Wu Chuanlan.
The other three were meant to end the fight quickly.
But Wu Chuanlan had chosen the most painful one—because he lost his composure.
Even Zhao Xing hadn't expected this.
"Did the poison cloud mess with his brain? Has the Five Elements Soul-Piercing Needle already reached his consciousness?"
Among the mushroom soldiers, Green Venom Queen had definitely been mixed in.
However, Zhao Xing wasn't sure how much poison Wu Chuanlan had actually absorbed.
The Star Lan Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree had strong defenses, unlike the Nine Infant Ten Thousand Laws Mother Tree, which had major defensive gaps.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Time ticked by—ten ke had passed.
Wu Chuanlan's attacks weakened—the poison was taking effect.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing's injuries rapidly healed.
He was now capable of using the Third-Tier Divine Ability—Five Finger Mountain—again.
Still, he remained cautious—Wu Chuanlan's mastery of Life Formation Arrays was too profound.
If he wasn't careful, the attack might miss.
"BOOM!"
At the eleventh ke, Wu Chuanlan launched another desperate attack, activating Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder again.
The entire battlefield was reduced to a charred wasteland—every single mushroom had been obliterated.
But in doing so, his Mother Tree had also collapsed, now half its original height.
At the center of the scorched land, Wu Chuanlan clutched his purpling mouth and nose, while Zhao Xing, standing on an emerald-green oasis, looked at him with curiosity.
"You… you—"
Wu Chuanlan held his breath, trying not to trigger the protective golden light's elimination mechanism, and forced out a sentence—
"You're a damn beast!"
And then, the poison cloud hit his brain.
In an instant, the protective golden light teleported him away.
Final Result: Wu Chuanlan—Defeated! Zhao Xing—Victory!
Zhao Xing advanced to the Top 80!
In the teleportation chamber, Wu Chuanlan's body was detoxified, and his mind cleared instantly.
He recalled the battle and was at a complete loss for words.
After a long silence, he simply shook his head.
"That was a damn dirty play… This guy is way too devious!"
Zhao Xing had just stepped off the competition platform when his surroundings quickly changed, and he found himself back in the teleportation chamber. Wu Chuanlan was already there, sitting on the ground, looking dazed. The moment the toxin in his body was expelled, he snapped back to clarity.
His expression shifted several times before he finally shook his head. "Damn bastard… that was some dirty play!"
Even now, after the battle, Wu Chuanlan couldn't help but curse.
From his perspective, Zhao Xing must have been hiding something earlier.
He had watched Zhao Xing's previous matches and never expected him to endure a coordinated attack from two divine abilities.
Yet, he survived—and won!
And not just that, he used this cruel and drawn-out method to eliminate him?
Just thinking about it pissed him off even more!
"Huh? Zhao Xing from the Northern River Star System won against Wu Chuanlan?"
Inside the Green Leaf City of the Thousand Star Vine, seventy-two great cultivators of the Primordial Realm quickly took notice of Zhao Xing's performance.
"The Great Divine Ability, Demon Eye Tree Heart—an extracted talent from the Demon Eye Tree—yet he managed to endure it? His willpower is exceptionally strong."
"He even withstood the Three Tribulations Heavenly Thunder? His physical resilience is beyond expectations."
"A promising talent."
Zhao Xing's victory surprised many high-ranking cultivators, as Wu Chuanlan's strength was undeniable.
According to their calculations, Wu Chuanlan should have made it to the Top 20.
But he ended up losing to Zhao Xing—a major upset.
Deep within the void of the Primordial Realm, inside a grand palace, two figures sat watching the battle—Red Star Emperor and Gu Luohou.
"That was a rather unfair loss for Wu Chuanlan."
"He triggered Zhao Xing's reverence for a certain name… as well as something about Yuanhai. The illusion collapsed immediately," Gu Luohou remarked.
"Nothing can be done. He was just unlucky." Red Star Emperor shook his head slightly. "We'll just have to make up for it when taking in disciples later."
"Agreed." Gu Luohou nodded.
To these two, Wu Chuanlan's defeat was a trivial matter.
As for Zhao Xing—there was nothing they could do about his illusion resistance.
After all, it wasn't something Zhao Xing could control consciously.
Gu Luohou continued, "His case is a bit unusual. Over the past four hundred years, Zhao Xing has never shown signs of possessing reincarnation memories."
"Every technique he has used so far has a known source."
"And his potential keeps growing, with no sign of slowing down… it doesn't seem like—"
"Doesn't seem like a reincarnator?"
Red Star Emperor lifted his head, speaking the doubt in Gu Luohou's mind.
The latter nodded.
Gu Luohou was well aware of the true nature of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's disaster.
Zhao Xing had claimed to be 'Emperor Tianning', stating that he was a powerful reincarnator, which had attracted numerous reincarnators to him.
Initially, everyone believed it—including the empire.
But now, that assumption was being overturned.
If Zhao Xing were truly a reincarnator, he should have already unleashed all the potential from his past life by now.
Most reincarnators experience a rapid growth phase, thanks to their accumulated experience from multiple lifetimes.
Zhao Xing, however, seemed like he was only just beginning to explore his potential.
He didn't resemble a Reincarnation Emperor at all.
He wasn't even a veteran reincarnator.
Gu Luohou was a demigod, while Red Star Emperor had already stepped into the God Realm.
Even when Gu Luohou asked Red Star Emperor about it, the latter shook his head.
"I don't know either. Perhaps only Qing Yuzi and the Ancestor understand the truth."
Back in the competition arena, Zhao Xing was analyzing his battle.
"Wu Chuanlan put a lot of pressure on me, but my World Law still hasn't broken through."
He wasn't too surprised—after all, breaking through mid-battle is rare.
Most cultivators only reach a breakthrough point after multiple intense battles, hitting the critical threshold and then advancing by chance.
"It's also normal that I haven't fully grasped the Yin-Yang Boundary yet."
If he could master the World Law Divine Ability, even at just the first tier, and apply it to all of his units, it would be a massive power boost.
For a swarm-based strategy, even a small improvement would scale exponentially.
"There are now 80 people left from the original 160. My next opponent is Fairy Youling."
Seeing the name, Zhao Xing actually felt relieved.
Because there was no way he could defeat Fairy Youling.
"Fairy Youling was ranked fifth in the last tournament. She possesses eight great divine abilities, and the most terrifying one is her Parasitic Divine Ability—'Mysterious Spirit Seed Method'—along with her Vision Parasite."
"I think I finally figured out who she was in her past life… The Grand Elder of the Three Treasures Dao Sect."
Zhao Xing casually opened Fairy Youling's performance from the third round, which had been a test of killing and saving lives on the Ten Thousand Demons Continent.
As soon as she arrived on the initial continent, she had woven herself a robe from countless plant materials—a Robe of Myriad Flowers.
Hidden within the robe were seeds, and with that, she set off.
Everywhere she went, countless powerful demons were parasitized.
Their flesh was drained, turning into nourishment.
When she first arrived, she was alone.
By the end of the third round, she had an army of millions.
The longer she fought, the more troops she had!
"After the first ten years, she already had a thousand Dao Domain-level Parasitic Puppets. She was completely unstoppable."
Zhao Xing sighed.
Among the many Shennong playstyles, there were numerous branches—Swarm Strategy, Ultimate Mother Tree Strategy, Ultimate Mutation Strategy, World Dojo Strategy, Life Formation Strategy, Poison Strategy, and Clone Strategy.
But the most terrifying was the Parasitic Strategy.
After seeing that he was matched against Fairy Youling, Zhao Xing immediately gave up all hope of winning.
"I can only hope she helps me break through and master the Yin-Yang Boundary."
Seven days later, the second match of the finals began.
This time, before stepping onto the stage, Zhao Xing didn't bring too many units—only a single group of three thousand, all of which were defensive-type units.
"BOOM—"
A satellite collided with the battle planet, sending dust soaring into the air.
Zhao Xing landed.
The World Law expanded, and both he and Fairy Youling instantly sensed each other's presence.
"Zhao Xing, I heard you play a swarm strategy. Why do you only have this few troops?"
Fairy Youling stood atop a mountain peak, wearing a white Robe of Myriad Flowers, shimmering like moonlight draped over her body.
Of course, Fairy Youling already knew about Zhao Xing.
His Void Mushrooms had tormented multiple opponents, and his victory over Wu Chuanlan had skyrocketed his popularity.
Watching other battles, people often couldn't tell what was happening, as the victor was decided quickly.
But watching Zhao Xing's matches was entertaining.
His matches in both the quarterfinals and semifinals had a distinct style—torturing his opponents.
"I've heard of Fairy Youling's reputation, so I wouldn't overestimate myself," Zhao Xing admitted frankly, "That's why I'm only defending and not attacking. Before I lose, I just hope to experience the intricacies of Fairy Youling's Dao techniques."
Fairy Youling smiled, and in the next moment, Zhao Xing felt a strange sensation—her cheeks seemed to split open, as if two green leaves had grown from them.
"Slash!" Zhao Xing instinctively pointed his finger, and a sharp Qi blade instantly cut off a chunk of flesh from his own cheeks.
"Plop—" The two pieces of flesh dropped to the ground and, shockingly, began to take root and sprout.
Looking again at Fairy Youling, Zhao Xing realized that it wasn't her face that had split open—it was his own!
"Vision Parasite… so powerful!" His mind immediately went on high alert.
He hadn't sensed anything entering his body, nor did he feel his original projection being invaded.
Even when facing Lu Nansong and Wu Chuanlan—both adept in World Laws—he could at least vaguely sense traces of their infiltration techniques.
But against Fairy Youling, he felt nothing at all.
Yet, this wasn't an illusion—it had actually happened.
A seed had appeared inside his Dao body out of nowhere, and it bypassed even the protective divine light of his Treasure Mountain Divine Ability, taking root and growing violently.
"The sinister nature of the Parasitic Path truly lives up to its reputation." Zhao Xing suddenly recalled an incident from his past—when he and Jing Yan had explored an ancient tomb together, and Jing Yan had been parasitized.
The tomb's owner had been dead for countless ages, with no one left to control the techniques, yet Jing Yan was still silently infected.
"Your vigilance is decent," Fairy Youling said, as if she were instructing a junior, "but it's still not enough."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Xing realized something was wrong.
His body was growing hair—not normal hair, but dense, vine-like fibers covering his legs and arms.
In an instant, Zhao Xing completely lost control over his body!
"No matter how much Qi and spiritual energy you circulate, it won't help." Fairy Youling floated closer with an ethereal grace.
"Most people's Parasitic Divine Abilities project a 'Micro Blooming Seed' onto their enemies."
"Mine, however, directly mutates your flesh into plant life."
Zhao Xing looked at the Fairy Youling standing just an arm's length away but did not struggle—because his entire body had already been taken over by the Parasitic Seed.
At any moment, Fairy Youling could trigger "Blooming", completely disintegrating his body.
"Is this similar to the Hou Transformation Technique?" Zhao Xing was no longer concerned about winning or losing. Instead, he focused on comprehending the profundity of her divine ability.
"You could put it that way," Fairy Youling responded in a serene voice, "The Grand Dao of Shennong, the harmony of heavenly timing and earthly advantage, all stem from the same root."
"Parasitic Divine Abilities don't necessarily require physical seeds as a medium. Even if I don't carry any, I can still use Hou Transformation Laws to create plant-based soldiers within flesh-and-blood beings."
"Everything can be parasitized. This truly is a divine ability of the highest order." Zhao Xing couldn't help but marvel.
"Anything else you wish to ask?" Fairy Youling's lips curved slightly.
"May I witness the Mysterious Spirit Seed Method firsthand?"
"Normally, I wouldn't allow it." Fairy Youling smiled. "However, I find your mushroom lifeforms quite fascinating."
Zhao Xing immediately understood what she meant. "After the match, I'm willing to share the life templates of all the mushroom-based beings I've studied."
Hearing this, Fairy Youling snapped her fingers.
The Parasitic Seeds fell from Zhao Xing's body, releasing him from their control.
The next moment, he witnessed her ultimate technique firsthand.
"Swoosh—"
Ironwood Saplings, Celestial Bamboo Cradles, Verdant Thunder Bamboo—one after another, his plant soldiers betrayed him.
They were instantly under Fairy Youling's command.
Mysterious Spirit Seed Method!
Ranked seventh among the Three Thousand Divine Abilities!
The ultimate Shennong technique—completely unavoidable in internal battles!
"Boom!"
The mushrooms exploded, sending shockwaves crashing toward Zhao Xing.
"Buzz—"
Zhao Xing fought with all his strength while immersing himself in comprehending the technique.
After four incense sticks' worth of time, his own mushroom soldiers sent him off the battlefield.
As a golden protective light flashed, Zhao Xing was teleported back to the waiting room.
[Northern River Star System's Zhao Xing, you have been eliminated in the second round of the finals. Please wait for the tournament's conclusion before proceeding to the disciple selection phase.]
The Star Mirror displayed a series of glowing text, but Zhao Xing ignored it completely.
Under the immense pressure from Fairy Youling…
At this very moment, he finally broke through and mastered his second Divine Ability—World Law: Yin-Yang Boundary.
"Thank you."
Zhao Xing had lost, but he wasn't upset at all.
Every time a Divine Ability Realm cultivator mastered a new divine technique, it expanded their potential and solidified their foundation.
The Grand Dao would continue to broaden, and this was precisely why Du Yun had remained in the Origin Realm for so long.
Such opportunities were rare. Even though the teachers of the Primordial Realm could help cultivators break into the Dao Domain Realm, they might not be able to guide someone deeper into their own Dao—because Divine Ability cultivators followed a completely different path.
"It seems that this year's champion in the Self-Sovereign Combat Division will be Fairy Youling." Zhao Xing concluded. "I can't even imagine any technique at this level that could counter hers, let alone resist it."
From 80 to 40, Zhao Xing was eliminated, marking the end of his journey in the Primordial Tournament.
But he didn't waste time waiting. Instead, he focused on consolidating his new realm.
A month later, the final rankings of the Primordial Realm were announced.
The top ten cultivators were:
1. Tuosen
2. Han Qianye
3. Fairy Youling
4. Wu Yanlin
5. Hebis
6. Wei Lan
7. Daoist Su Jiu
8. Daoist Miao Song
9. Kaslo
10. Pu Tianrui
To Zhao Xing's surprise, the final match was not between Fairy Youling and Tuosen.
Instead, it was a showdown between Tuosen and Pu Tianrui.
Fairy Youling had lost to Tuosen in the semifinals.
"The one who was supposed to be first didn't even make it into the top 80 this time."
"Tuosen took the top spot, and Pu Tianrui climbed to second."
"The Yuanhai incident has far-reaching consequences… I don't know if things will still follow the version I remember."
Thoughts swirled in Zhao Xing's mind, but they were soon interrupted by a voice.
Emperor Chen Jiu had arrived in the residential area.
"This year's Primordial Tournament has officially concluded. Congratulations to all the talented individuals who entered the Primordial Realm."
"The Primordial Realm will provide you with abundant cultivation resources."
"Among you, there will surely be those who will one day rise to become figures who shake the Star Domains—"
"For the 2,000 participants of the Self-Sovereign Combat Division, you will be divided into four tiers and soon be taken to meet your respective teachers."
"Once you select your teacher, you will undergo a training period of 2,486 years in the Primordial Realm."
"Beyond the sacred lands previously opened, even more resources and secret realms will become available. How much you gain depends entirely on your own efforts!"