Chapter 2484 Heaven, Earth, and Mythic Rankings

Wasting no time, Lin Xun set out at once.

He had barely stepped out of the inn when—

Roar!

A deafening roar erupted from the depths of the universe, shaking all of Taiyi City. Even the ancient city walls trembled under the impact.

Boom!

Moments later, beams of divine restriction light surged into the sky from within the city, forming a brilliant curtain of radiance that enveloped the entire city in protection.

Lin Xun’s expression shifted slightly in astonishment. His gaze immediately turned toward the distant darkness deep in the cosmic void. There, an immense, majestic shadow had emerged. It resembled the figures of gods and demons in legends, towering tens of thousands of feet tall, striking upon stars and standing proudly above the heavens.

At this moment, the divine phantom was writhing violently, as though trying to break free from some ancient seals. The universe shook with every movement, cracks spreading across the void, releasing terrifying waves of destruction. The aura it exuded far surpassed even that of an Ancestor or a Path!

Yet in Lin Xun’s eyes, this divine demonic figure...was merely a manifestation of will projected from the pitch-black world that resembled a curtain of night! In other words, what appeared in the cosmos was nothing more than an illusory will.

Even so, its power transcended the Emperor Stage! Lin Xun couldn’t help but take in a sharp breath. What kind of terrifying existence was this? How could it wield such terrifying might?

“It's happening again. The Dao Ruins have been growing increasingly unstable. Strange phenomena like this have been occurring more frequently. Fortunately, Taiyi City hasn’t been affected....”

The passersby around him remained relatively calm. It was clear that this was not their first time witnessing such an event.

“I heard a mysterious forbidden seal within the Dao Ruins has started to loosen,” someone murmured. “A terrifying creature sealed from the last epoch might be breaking free.”

“That’s just a rumor. I’ve heard others claim a great fortune is about to surface in the Dao Ruins. It is supposedly tied to a ferocious sword from the previous epoch,” another said confidently.

“Yes, I’ve heard that as well. The sword has yet to be unearthed, but the sword intent that has leaked from it has already formed blood-soaked visions like mountains of corpses and seas of blood, piled with the remains of gods and demons. It’s extremely eerie and chilling.”

Through their discussions, Lin Xun pieced together what was happening. In recent days, strange disturbances had erupted again and again in the Dao Ruins. The chilling cries of a ferocious sword echoed from within, giving rise to bloody visions that buried even gods.

Many powerful cultivators who witnessed these scenes believed the phenomenon was likely connected to a sword buried deep within the Dao Ruins. Additionally, roars like the one just now continued to echo and divine and demonic wills thrashed violently, as if struggling against some sealing force, attempting to break free and emerge into the world.

All of this cast a shadow over Taiyi City. Because the city lay so close to the Dao Ruins, any catastrophe born from it would sweep through Taiyi City first.

However, for the powerful characters, this change within the Dao Ruins hinted at something else: An earthshaking fortune was about to emerge!

In no time at all, the Dao Ruins’ disturbance had become the hottest topic in all of Taiyi City.

After learning this, Lin Xun couldn’t help but frown. If these anomalies were indeed tied to the last epoch, then once they fully erupted...the consequences would be unimaginably dire!

In the depths of the cosmos, the towering phantom that was over tens of thousands of feet tall, resembling a god or demon, continued to thrash for more than half an hour before letting out a bitter, frustrated roar. Then, all at once, it dissipated and vanished.

“You see, the Dao Ruins are unimaginably dangerous. Ordinary Emperors don’t even dare to set foot beyond the boundary. Only true fearsome figures have the courage to enter and seek fortune there,” someone sighed.

The Dao Ruins had not only become increasingly abnormal, but were also teeming with unimaginable Emperor-level spirits, making it a land of great peril. Of course, for the tough characters, it was also a place teeming with unimaginable opportunities.

Lin Xun didn’t dwell on it. He turned and made his way directly to the eastern part of the city. Taiyi City was grand and magnificent. Its massive walls stretched like mountain ranges, tall, thick and radiated a powerful sense of grandeur.

The eastern district of the city had been cordoned off as a restricted area, accessible only to Emperors and above. Here stood one of the nine Battle Stele of the Domains that had survived since the last epoch.

When Lin Xun arrived, he saw a stone stele enveloped in swirling primal chaos energy. It towered three thousand feet into the sky, imposing and awe-inspiring. It exuded a chaotic, primordial aura and stood tall like a pillar supporting the heavens, pulsing with unique laws.

The Battle Stele of the Domains!

It was said that nine such steles existed across different Immortal Heavenly Passes, each having survived the destruction of the previous epoch. The material from which they were forged remained a mystery, but they possessed an extraordinary property. They could connect with the power of order in the entire Great Thousand Battle Domain.

Throughout the ages, countless immortals had coveted these steles and tried to claim them. However, to everyone’s surprise, not even immortals were able to budge them an inch!

At this moment, near the Battle Stele of the Domains, several figures could be seen. Some were standing in silence, others were seated cross-legged in meditation. Streams of dao light flowed gently around their bodies, clearly showing they were immersed in sensing and comprehending the stele’s power.

In truth, Lin Xun instantly felt the energy it emitted. Subtle, invisible waves were rippling through the air, covering the entire area.

As he carefully attuned himself to the fluctuations, he found that each one was unique with different dao will power. Some were domineering and cold, others wild and unrestrained, some fierce and unruly, while others were gentle and serene like drifting clouds....

They were all different.

Lin Xun immediately understood that these were the lingering auras of the dao wills left by cultivators who had left their names on the Battle Stele of the Domains over the countless ages. It was no deep or unfathomable secret, but just a manifestation of residual aura. Even so, by simply comprehending and sensing it, these auras had remarkable benefits on one’s cultivation.

No wonder so many cultivators were unwilling to leave after arriving at Taiyi City. Even setting aside the opportunities within the Dao Ruins, just cultivating near this battle stele alone could help them temper their dao and refine their cultivation to a new level...

In this area, apart from those already immersed in meditation and comprehension, there were also many new arrivals like Lin Xun.

“There are three rankings on this stele: Earth, Heaven, and Mythic.” An elder in a luxurious robe said leisurely, explaining to those gathered around him.

“To leave your name on the Earth Ranking means you are a dragon among men, a phoenix among women. Your talent is one in ten thousand, and you must have reached at least the sixth realm Emperor Stage.

“To leave your name on the Heaven Ranking, you must be a rare-heaven-blessed genius. Across the vast universe and myriad planes of the Great Thousand Worlds, such cultivators are few and far between. They are born extraordinary and favored by the heavens themselves.

“In other words, they are almost all peerless beings who have embarked upon the Supreme Path. Each one wields unimaginable might that can shake the heavens and suppress the earth.”

His words stirred a chorus of exclamations.

Just qualifying to leave a name on the Earth Ranking required one to be at the sixth realm Emperor Stage.

And the Heaven Ranking? Only supreme Emperors were eligible!

The difficulty of meeting such conditions was staggering.

Then the elder in the luxurious robe smiled and went on, “Merely having the qualifications doesn’t guarantee success. Whether one can truly leave a name depends on their strength, talent and potential.”

“Then what about the Mythic Rankings?” someone couldn’t help but ask. Others turned their eyes toward the elder as well.

The elder took a deep breath, raised his gaze to the highest point of the Battle Stele of the Domains, and said, his eyes gleaming, “Since ancient times, it’s been said that anyone who can leave their name on the Mythic Ranking must be invincible in their generation, and with a presence that stuns the ages. Someone who has the foundation to transcend the Ancestral Realm!

“Such cultivators are worthy of being called overlords of a world and the pinnacle of cultivation!”

The crowd fell into stunned silence before a wave of gasps broke out.

“Although what the old man said is a bit exaggerated, he’s not wrong. The three great rankings, Earth, Heaven, and Mythic represent completely different paths.” The green sparrow commented, “A guy like you will probably make it onto the Mythic Ranking.”

Having followed Lin Xun all the way from Origin City to Taiyi City, the green sparrow had long since witnessed his terrifying and monstrous cultivation. It wasn’t the least bit worried about Lin Xun being unable to leave his name on the Mythic Ranking. The only uncertainty was how high his name would appear on the list.

“I’ll go see for myself!”

A man in a silver robe stepped forward. Dao light bloomed beneath his feet, forming glowing dao patterns on the ground as he walked. His entire body seemed ablaze with power. When he reached the Battle Stele of the Domains, his aura had surged its peak. He placed a palm on the surface of the stele.

Buzz—

A rain of mysterious light fell like dancing petals. The stele rumbled, and its surface rippled with obscure, ancient dao light.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. This silver-robed man was an eighth realm Emperor. Although he was not a supreme Emperor, his cultivation was undeniably terrifying.

Moments later, a light golden rain bathed the silver robed man.

“He left his name on the Earth Ranking!” declared the elder in the luxurious robe. The golden light was proof that the man had successfully imprinted his will upon the Earth List.

The crowd stirred with excitement and envy.

Despite that, the silver-robed man shook his head bitterly, clear disappointment on his face. “I’ve never set foot on the Supreme Path... As expected, the gap is just too great...”

With that, he turned and left alone, His departing figure had a faint, desolate air.

“Why can’t we see the actual rankings?” someone asked.

The elder responded casually, “Only the person who leaves a name can see their ranking. Others have no way of knowing.”

After a pause, he added, “Take that fellow daoist just now. He has a cultivation of the eighth realm Emperor Stage and he left a mark on the Earth Ranking, but if I’m not mistaken, his ranking is likely outside the top ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand?” someone exclaimed in disbelief.

Even Lin Xun was surprised.

Outside the top ten thousand?

Didn’t that mean that, over the ages, at least ten thousand cultivators with at least sixth realm Emperor Stage cultivation had left their names on the Earth Ranking?

That was an astonishing number!

“It’s simple. These rankings have existed since the beginning of the ancient era, over 1.8 million years ago. Even with such harsh conditions, after countless generations, the number of names left behind has naturally grown.” The elder in the luxurious robe explained, “In truth, being able to leave your name on the Battle Stele of the Domains is already an extraordinary feat. The number of Emperors who failed to leave their names is far greater!”