Chapter 814: Gather

At the Central Sovereign Heavenly Emperor Hall, a man was standing on the palace balcony, gazing into the distance. He was three meters tall, wearing a golden robe, with a long cape trailing five or six meters behind him.

He was the strongest and most perfect supreme prodigy the human race had seen in a thousand years.

In his time, countless people had been crushed under his overwhelming power. Many barely breathed in his shadow, and countless others lost all hope to compete with him, surrendering their fighting spirit in despair.

But after countless years, the sharp edges of this supreme prodigy had been smoothed by time. The absolute confidence and fierce sharpness still lay deep within him, but no longer shone as brightly as before. His face now showed maturity and calmness.

He had learned to think with his heart, rather than... solve everything through brute force.

Central Sovereign Heavenly Emperor Jin'que spoke. "What we call wisdom, scheming, and calculation is really just trying to use small advantages to overcome greater ones. At its core, it shows insecurity and a denial of one's true strength.

"When a top-tier expert stops relying on his own strength and instead spends time and effort plotting and scheming, it means his edge has already dulled. He may still achieve something, but he will never again charge forward like before, moving swiftly and unstoppable."

Behind him stood a man in white robes, looking to be in his early forties. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, you haven't lost the sharpness expected of a supreme prodigy. You have simply learned to use your power more efficiently and wisely."

Heavenly Emperor Jin'que replied calmly, "Only when one's power is lacking does efficiency and wise use matter. Would you waste time reasoning with someone you could erase with ease? Or bother analyzing the actions of a being far beneath your level of existence?"

He looked ahead, where mist swirled around rising and falling palaces. Figures could be seen riding flying ships or strange beasts, coming and going. Among them were those who understood space and controlled time.

In theory, these were all his subordinates who should obey his orders. But in reality... he barely had any control over them.

Jin'que said, "If you find yourself trying to understand another's words and actions, trying to read between the lines, it means only one thing: that person is already on the same level as you. Or worse, your power is no longer enough to fully suppress him. Either way... it means you have grown weaker."

The man in white spoke with firm conviction. "Your Majesty, I am certain that your cultivation has only stalled temporarily. This is the final darkness before dawn. At the same time, it is a gathering of strength, preparing for the moment when you will shine across the world.

"Once this buildup is complete, what awaits you is the highest glory. When that time comes, all humanity will resoundingly chant your name. You will ascend to the supreme throne, becoming the twelfth decision-maker who guides the destiny of our race."

"The final darkness before dawn... but this darkness seems to have lasted too long," Jin'que mused. He paused for a moment before continuing, "Or perhaps... someone has darkened the sky to stop me from seeing the true light. They don't want my brilliance to illuminate the world, nor my human race's supreme renown to once again echo throughout the cosmos."

As Jin'que's most trusted confidant, the man in white immediately grasped what he meant. Even as a Heavenly Emperor, he bowed slightly and said, "No one can stop your growth."

"

Heh

, Jiu Yue, you do know how to flatter," Jin'que said with a faint smile.

He gazed at the many cloud-wreathed palaces of the Myriad Astral God Hall and the Celestial Lords and Generals coming and going.

After a long pause, he suddenly said, "Tell me... don't you think there are too many people in the Myriad Astral God Hall?"

Jiu Yue was silent for a full breath before honestly replying, "There aren't too many people, but many occupy divine posts, draw on fortune, yet refuse to follow orders."

"Fortune," Jin'que murmured, gazing into the distance. "Central Sovereign... Sovereign Heavenly Emperor. What a fine title."

He paused before continuing, "And what a perfect plan. To use the entire race's fortune to help me take the final step..."

A faint golden light shimmered around him. "If these things were mine to begin with, yet others have occupied them for all these years... then now, it's only rightful for me to take them back... don't you think, Jiu Yue?"

"That is entirely reasonable," Jiu Yue answered with utmost respect.

But he knew his master wasn't really speaking to him. As the greatest supreme prodigy of the human race in a thousand years, as the Sovereign Heavenly Emperor, entrusted with great responsibility by countless Supremes to maintain balance, he was simply... convincing himself.

No, he didn't need to be convinced. He had already made up his mind long ago. A man like him would never let anyone else sway his decisions.

Because he firmly believed: he was the embodiment of will and absolute order, the path to absolute truth, and his decisions were the final law.

"Fortune... The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations..."

***

At the Divine Martial Emperor Palace, dozens of contestants were settled in different areas of the grand building. As one of the top contenders in the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War, Li Pin naturally enjoyed the best living quarters here.

At this moment, during his cultivation, Li Pin held the Heart of Space, fully immersing himself in a state of "absolute emptiness."

Space, at its core, was the most fundamental concept—existence itself. It carried all power. Only with space could matter and energy manifest their traits of existence. Without space, nothing could exist. Just like without time, nothing would move or flow.

Compared to matter and energy, space and time were the most original and basic forms. Matter and energy at least had something tangible to refer to, but space was too abstract. Even with the Heart of Space in hand, Li Pin struggled to grasp the true nature of this power.

Though he wielded the Ruoxi Sword and commanded the Luminous Ark, using these tools was one thing; mastering the powers of time and space was another entirely. It was like the difference between flying in an airplane and soaring freely under your own power. The difficulty was worlds apart.

Even with the Heart of Space aiding him and the ability to consult other Sacred Monarchs' understandings and experiences with space's power, Li Pin emerged from seclusion empty-handed.

***

That day, while Li Pin was immersed in comprehending space, Sasha came and woke him.

She reminded softly, "It's time for the final ranking of the contestants in the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War."

Li Pin felt a slight heaviness in his heart. "Has it really been that long?"

As expected, mastering the essence of space is no easy task. At this pace... I might really need hundreds of years to fully grasp it.

After a moment, he gathered his thoughts and asked, "Has Emperor Ara come out of seclusion?"

"Yes," Sasha replied. "The Divine Martial Emperor has already sent word. Since the final phase is approaching, he asked me to inform you. As the final trump card, it's your turn to step up."

"Then let's go," Li Pin said.

With that, he headed straight for the main hall of the Divine Martial Emperor's palace.

Before reaching the hall, he sensed something unusual. When he fully entered, he saw not only dozens of contestants gathered, but also several dozen figures standing around, watching and sizing up the participants.

All of these observers were, without exception, Sacred Monarchs who had comprehended the power of space. They were the high-ranking leaders of their respective factions.

Among them stood Ji Shun, the White Emperor of the Sacred Flame Hall.

"Origin," Ji Shun greeted Li Pin with a smile.

That simple greeting quickly drew the attention of everyone present.

One by one, the Heavenly Emperors and Sacred Monarchs shared their thoughts through spiritual resonance.

"So, this is Tyrant Origin? The ace who single-handedly wiped out four Tyrants from the Bloodblade Squad's Third Unit?"

"They say he reached this level in just three hundred years of cultivation... Is that really true? If it is, I honestly wouldn't want him to join the Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War. It would be such a shame if anything happened to him."

"I've heard his name more than once over the past hundred years. It's finally a chance to see him in person."

"There's always someone stronger out there. No need to glorify his achievements too much. With the right opportunities, anyone can rise quickly and create miracles."

Despite the number of people communicating, the spiritual resonance kept the atmosphere calm and orderly.

Sasha's voice echoed in Li Pin's mind. "Fourteen Heavenly Emperors had arrived in the arena. Besides the Divine Martial Emperor and Ji Shun of the White Emperor, there are Tai Yi from the Omni-Merchant Guild, Bi You of the Heaven Ordainment Sect, Ganges of the Endless Divine Mountain, and Hollow of the Astral World Research Institute. All of them will accompany the contestants to the tournament battlefield."

Li Pin nodded.

He had only recently reached the level of Tyrant and hadn't yet fully recognized all the Cosmic Radiance experts. But since Heavenly Emperors stood at the very threshold of the Supreme Realm, he could identify them clearly.

The Divine Martial Emperor smiled and said, "Since Origin is here, let us begin."

As he spoke, his gaze fixed on one of the contestants.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Li Pin's eyes followed.

A figure dressed in white sat alone to the side, quietly flipping through a book.

"Emperor Ara," Li Pin called out.

This man, who stood a level above Yue Shu and Xuan Chengming, had been the undisputed number one prodigy before Li Pin arrived. He lifted his head slightly and closed his book.

But instead of replying, he said calmly, "Li Pin, don't rush. Let's take it one step at a time."

Then he turned to the Divine Martial Emperor. "Where's Yao Ji? Send her to see me."

He paused briefly. A faint but unmistakable pride, mixed with the sharp edge of a supreme prodigy, radiated from him. "I know she's a direct disciple of the Supreme... but I want to know. On what basis does she take my place in the 'Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations' battle as the lead commander?"