216: The final staircase
Having defeated the Chaos Body and entered the top five, Liu Qingtian was not blinded by victory. He clearly realized that his success relied seven parts on strength and three parts on Luck and that flash of tactical inspiration.
The moment the Chaos Body's internal structure became unbalanced was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Furthermore, the remaining four individuals ahead possessed an aura of terror that surpassed even the Chaos Body! In particular, the one known as the “Heavenly Mandate Child,” whose entire body was shrouded in the hazy light of Luck, and the other, the “War Immortal,” who seemed to be integrated with the ancient killing intent of the entire Yun Dao Cliff, exerted pressure that gave him the intuition that they might be unbeatable.
At this moment, his injuries were severe, his Demonic Essence was heavily depleted, and his state was less than half of his Peak condition. If he forced a challenge, he would surely lose.
“Fifty years...” He sat cross-legged on the newly acquired dao platform, swallowed a precious healing Medicinal Pill, and began to recover fully. “Fifty more years is enough.”
He stopped looking toward the summit and completely settled his mind, healing his injuries while simultaneously absorbing the gains from his battle with the Chaos Body. That move, "Guixu—Point of Annihilation," sought a sliver of life in desperation and searched for flaws within perfection, pushing the concentration and penetrative power of the Power of Guixu to new heights. This greatly benefited the refinement of his own Dao techniques.
Time quietly flew by during his Cultivation.
The struggle on the Yun Dao Cliff did not cease due to Liu Qingtian's silence; instead, it grew more intense. The top ten seats were constantly being adjusted—some rose, some fell—but the four figures at the very front remained unshakable, stable as bedrock. No Return's figure was also steadily rising in the lower regions; his unique Dao of time and Karma caused many opponents great suffering.
Fifty years of time is half a lifetime for a Mortal, but for these top Prodigies, it was merely the snap of a finger.
When the final agreed-upon moment arrived, Luo Jiuxuan, who had been sitting at the summit motionless for fifty years, slowly opened his Annihilation Dual Pupils.
He did not look at anyone, merely raising his head to gaze at the empty dome.
In that instant, the entire Yun Dao Cliff, and even the vast Void Realm observing the battle around it, shook violently!
Rumble—!
An indescribable great power descended! At the junction of the Yun Dao Cliff and the endless Void Realm, an arena of indescribable magnitude condensed out of thin air!
The entire arena displayed a dark Chaos color, as if forged from the core of ancient stars. Inscribed upon it were countless complex, ancient Dao Markings containing traces of various battle Laws from the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms. From the outside, the arena seemed to be only about one kilometer wide, but every Cultivator who probed it with their Divine Thought was horrified to discover that its internal space was layered, vast, and boundless, with a diameter that astonishingly reached... one light-year!
A mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru; a small space hides a sea of stars!
This was the ultimate battlefield prepared for the true Peak showdown!
At the same time, surrounding this vast arena, countless spectator stands, formed of pure energy and as magnificent and brilliant as a galaxy, rose in layers, extending to the edge of sight. They were large enough to accommodate all observers from the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms, past and future!
“The final battle is about to begin!”
“Quick! Grab a spot!”
“Heavens, this arena... it's actually one light-year wide inside!”
Exclamations and discussions swept out like a tsunami. Countless Cultivators, mighty experts, and even some hidden existences who had long been waiting transformed into streams of light and poured into the massive spectator stands. Instantly, tens of thousands of heads gathered, a mixture of auras, as the gazes of the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms converged here!
Also, the moment the arena formed, the nine figures (including Liu Qingtian) who had been sitting at the summit of the Yun Dao Cliff, along with one figure below who had just endured a bitter fight and barely squeezed into the tenth seat—a total of ten people—were simultaneously enveloped by the light of teleportation.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The ten figures instantly appeared on the vast and boundless arena, standing in ten directions.
These ten people, whose auras were either dominant, ethereal, ancient, or sharp, were all peerless individuals standing at the absolute Peak of the younger generation across the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms!
However, Luo Jiuxuan did not stand alongside them. His figure silently appeared... in the absolute center of the arena.
He still looked the same: half stellar bone, half remaining flesh and blood, his aura of annihilation seeming to merge with this ancient arena. Standing there, he felt like the absolute core of the entire arena, the final destination of the ten thousand Daos.
He did not release any pressure, but when his gaze calmly swept over the figures standing in ten directions, the entire one light-year arena space seemed to solidify for an instant.
Among the top ten, except for Liu Qingtian, the other nine looked at Luo Jiuxuan with extreme solemnity, apprehension, and a hint of unconcealed Battle Intent. They had Cultivated for countless years, ascended the Yun Dao Cliff, and endured bloody battles to enter the top ten. Their goal was this final opportunity to fight the legendary Eighth Realm Supreme's past Incarnation!
Liu Qingtian stood in one direction, feeling Luo Jiuxuan's unfathomable aura, which resembled an Incarnation of the Great Dao itself. His heart was peaceful. Fifty years of accumulation and recovery meant his injuries had long healed, and his state was adjusted to an unprecedented Peak. His comprehension of his Myriad Manifestations Returning to Ruin Dao had also become more complete and transparent during these fifty years of quiet Cultivation.
He knew the final test had arrived.
Whether the agreement of a thousand moves could be fulfilled depended on this battle!
Luo Jiuxuan's gaze finally settled on Liu Qingtian. In his Annihilation Dual Pupils, a faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation seemed to pass.
“The rules remain the same,” he spoke, his voice calm yet clearly resounding in the Sea of Consciousness of every being inside and outside the arena, “You ten may challenge me in rotation. Whoever can withstand a thousand moves without defeat may remain on the arena. Or... you may also choose to attack together.”
His words carried an air of absolute confidence and indifference. It was as if facing these ten top Prodigies gathered from the Myriad Heavens and Myriad Realms was no different from facing a single person.
The spectator stands erupted in an uproar. One person fighting ten Peak Prodigies of the same level? What arrogance! Yet, considering Luo Jiuxuan's identity and past, it made people feel he had the capital to be arrogant.
Among the top ten, the faces of the others, excluding Liu Qingtian, shifted slightly. They knew they could not withstand a thousand moves in a solo challenge. But if they attacked together... even if they won, it would be an unfair victory. Moreover, facing Luo Jiuxuan, even if ten people joined forces, who could guarantee success?
For a moment, the atmosphere on the arena became subtle and tense.
The final decisive battle commenced in a manner that surprised everyone.