Zhu Shan's strength is truly unimaginable.

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

In a true confrontation, even if both my true selves joined forces, we probably couldn't win.

Both of Wu Yuan's true selves had progressed extremely rapidly since the Divine Domain stage began nearly ten thousand years ago. Similarly, other Supreme Geniuses also made great progress within the special environment of the Megaverse Crossroads - it was just a matter of how much progress they made.

Let's go!

Wu Yuan soon left, diving into an unremarkable mountain range where his qi refiner self and mana body had been waiting for some time. The storage artifact from Zhu Shan was soon passed to his qi refiner self and deciphered.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self flipped his palm, revealing a divine sword. Its aura was vast and sharp, subtly affecting the surrounding space.

Begin deciphering!

Having done this twice before, the qi refiner self was rather experienced, swiftly claiming ownership of this Space type high-grade Dao Instrument divine sword, branding it with his aura imprint. After deciphering it to a large extent, he employed the essence extraction secret art, and the Samsara Sword began to devour it frantically.

Soon after, all disturbances settled. Only that divine sword remained, now a very ordinary high-grade celestial artifact. Its value had dropped by more than ten thousandfold.

After devouring the third Dao Instrument flying sword, that thread of Dao resonance in the Samsara Sword has grown slightly stronger? It seems to have become more realistic as well.

Wu Yuan thought silently.

It had indeed grown stronger. However, strengthening the Samsara Sword became increasingly difficult over time, so the enhancement was limited. The treasures needed for the Samsara Sword's full manifestation truly exceeded Wu Yuan's imagination - he wouldn’t be able to gather them in a short time.

As of now, I've already inquired with Overlord Xin Ya and Overlord Hou Jue.

Wu Yuan pondered.

Such Dao Instruments are indeed precious - finding more in a short time would be extremely difficult.

I will have to think of another way after leaving the Megaverse Crossroads.

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly. He felt no regrets, having already done his best.

Next, I should focus on claiming a Saintcrest. But it will depend on luck.

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self gently closed his eyes, his heart returning to tranquility.

His qi refiner self continued cultivating in seclusion. Meanwhile, his mana body and ether body departed separately, continuing their adventures in the Divine Domain Worlds.

…

Year after year passed, drawing ever closer to the nine-thousand-year limit.

The closer the geniuses came to meeting the advancement criteria, the more reckless they became, resulting in a rising death toll from relentless battles.

However, no matter how desperate those ordinary geniuses became, they were only competing for spots to enter the Heavenly Domain stage. Those were minor skirmishes.

The ones who truly stood out, capturing the attention of countless Saintdoms across the megaverse, were still the Supreme Geniuses. These extraordinary individuals maintained their dominance, capable of devastating slaughter and unrivaled brilliance. There were nearly a hundred Supreme Geniuses, each a peerless prodigy. Yet even among them, some reigned strongest.

"Zhu Shan! Number One!"

"Absolutely the strongest, far ahead of others. He was already the strongest when entering the Megaverse Crossroads, and after nearly ten thousand years his strength has grown even more," the highest echelons of various Saintdoms sighed with emotion.

Zhu Shan was universally acknowledged as number one, with ninety-nine percent certainty of claiming a Saintcrest.

"Inconstance who comprehends the Great Dao of Destiny is the most difficult to deal with. Apart from a few Supreme Geniuses, hardly anyone can escape his attacks."

"Li Guang, the number one genius of the Immortal Court, dominates the competition."

"Bai Shui, the number one genius of the Abyssal Devil race, is most skilled in domains and restrictions, immensely powerful."

"Wu Yuan, the Eldritch Court's strongest genius after Zhu Shan, is also extremely powerful in direct combat. His rate of growth is the fastest, and he's universally acknowledged as the participant with the greatest talent."

"In terms of pure talent, Wu Yuan should be ranked the highest, even above Zhu Shan."

"Being faster at one point doesn't mean being faster at every step. Whether Wu Yuan or Zhu Shan, they're already top-tier prodigies - almost certain to become Overlords in the future. Discussing differences in talent hardly matters anymore," The Overlords of various Saintdom discussed and exchanged views.

Inconstance, Li Guang, Bai Shui, and Wu Yuan were universally acknowledged to be among the top ten in strength - barring accidents, they would all make it into the final top ten.

As for the other Supreme Geniuses? They might have their brilliant aspects, but in terms of the strength they revealed, they were somewhat inferior. Of course, there might still be Supreme Geniuses hiding their true power, waiting for the final moment to unleash it.

…

"The Eldritch Court is truly prospering in this iteration of the Megaverse Crossroads!"

"First Zhu Shan, and now Wu Yuan - they truly have an abundance of prodigies."

For the current iteration, the performance of the Eldritch Court’s geniuses was indeed superior to the Immortal Court’s geniuses so far.

…

Time flowed slowly, but eventually, the nine-thousand-year mark arrived.

At this moment, Wu Yuan's two true selves each merged with their respective mana/ether body, silently gathering not far apart from each other in a Divine Domain World. Both true selves had ceased killing, waiting for the Divine Domain stage to end.

Hum~

At this moment, an invisible yet immense wave of power suddenly enveloped all fifty-five Divine Domain Worlds, encompassing every surviving participant.

Millions of geniuses were scattered about - some meditating in valleys, others locked in combat, and some soaring through the air. Yet in that instant, they all found themselves completely restrained and motionless, as if time itself had frozen.

Silence fell.

"The Divine Domain stage is complete. The Heavenly Domain stage will now begin," a message echoed simultaneously in the minds of all participants.

Immediately, all participants understood that the Divine Domain stage had conclusively ended.

"You have qualified for the Heavenly Domain stage and will now be transported," another invisible fluctuation carried this brief message into both of Wu Yuan's true selves' minds.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before Wu Yuan could react, the space around him rippled slightly, and both his true selves vanished simultaneously.

Hum~ Hum~

Throughout various regions of the numerous Divine Domain Worlds, qualified participants were teleported away one after another at the same moment.

There were several thousand in total, all of whom had their connections to their respective Saintdoms severed in that instant. The Heavenly Domain stage was beyond the perception of supreme beings.

The Saintcrest? The final bearers of the Saintcrests would only be known to the various Saintdoms when the geniuses returned from the Heavenly Domain stage.

Finally, after all qualified geniuses had been transported, an invisible ripple swept through, and the millions of geniuses remaining in the Divine Domain Worlds were simultaneously teleported away.

However, these millions of participants were not bound for the Heavenly Domain, but instead returned directly to various corners of the megaverse.

They had been eliminated, and their journey on the Megaverse Crossroads had come to an end.

…

"It's over."

"I gained quite a few treasures and got to cultivate in the special environment of the Divine Domain World for nearly ten thousand years. It was worth it."

"Who do you think will claim a Saintcrest?"

"Zhu Shan?"

"Hard to say, and I don't care enough to follow it." Most of the participants returning to various universes across the megaverse were simply grateful to have survived.

"So close!"

"I’d nearly met the requirement to enter the Heavenly Domain stage. Given another hundred years, I definitely would have succeeded." Many geniuses sighed with regret. What had seemed within reach now dissolved into nothing.

"The Heavenly Domain stage is about to begin."

"Who will claim a Saintcrest?" The various Saintdoms paid little attention to those geniuses who had returned. They were more concerned with the outcome of the Heavenly Domain stage.

Who would become a Saintcrest Prodigy? How many Saintcrest Prodigies would emerge? These would only be answered at the very end, capturing the attention of the highest echelons of various Saintdoms.

…

"Wu Yuan, you must succeed." Sovereign Kua Chi was filled with anticipation - for a Sovereign like himself, what greater glory could there be than raising a Saintcrest Prodigy?

"Haha, excellent! Dong Yang made it." Sovereign Bei You was exceedingly pleased: "Ming Jian got in, and to think Dong Yang succeeded as well."

Only four people from the entire Taiyuan Divine Court had entered the Heavenly Domain stage - Wu Yuan, Zhuo Haiyue, High Immortal Dongyang, and Bai Yi.

As for the rest? All had been eliminated, demonstrating just how difficult it was to enter the second stage.

…

Within a mysterious location in the Megaverse Crossroads lay a vast and ancient plaza. Before it was a series of steps leading into an endlessly dark region.

Hum~

An invisible wave swept across the plaza, and several thousand figures appeared. They emitted powerful auras, exchanging glances with one another.

The Heavenly Domain stage?

Both of Wu Yuan's true selves confirmed each other's positions upon landing. Then, they began to spot familiar faces.

Zhu Shan, Inconstance, Bai Shui... Wan Bao, Bai Lian, Gamang, Xuan Rong... all the Supreme Geniuses are here.

Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the gathering. Nearly a hundred Supreme Geniuses had assembled.

In fact, only about one-tenth of all geniuses had truly perished during the past nine thousand years. As for the Supreme Geniuses? Even fewer had fallen, with only three having truly died.

Other than these Supreme Geniuses, Wu Yuan also saw many familiar figures, like Zhuo Haiyue, Bai Yi, and others.

Hm? Master Dong Yang?

Wu Yuan's eyes lit up, both his true selves immediately growing excited.

"Li Xia, no need for formalities. When we return to the Greenridge Macrocosm, we can catch up properly then." High Immortal Dongyang's voice immediately resonated in Wu Yuan's qi refiner self's mind.

Wu Yuan was stunned for a moment - Li Xia? Such a distant name. However, when Master Dong Yang had taken him as a disciple, he had indeed used the alias Li Xia. Tens of thousands of years had passed since then, and even Wu Yuan had nearly forgotten about it. Yet unexpectedly, Master Dong Yang still remembered.

Two thousand eight hundred people in total?

With a quick scan, Wu Yuan immediately grasped the approximate number of participants left.

Compared to the millions of geniuses in the Divine Domain stage, these two thousand-plus individuals could all be considered monstrous prodigies.

Hum~

Above the plaza, countless points of light gathered, forming a white-robed figure. He looked down at them with a calm expression: “I am the Heavenly Domain Emissary, responsible for overseeing the Heavenly Domain stage.

“First, congratulations on entering the Heavenly Domain. When you depart, each of you will receive a generous gift.

“The final bearers of the Saintcrest will emerge from among you."