I lost.

Bai Shui appeared instantly on a jade platform in the viewing area, her heart both at peace and full of regret.

At peace because she had given her all against Ming Jian, but still lost in the end. She had used every technique at his disposal, yet still couldn't defeat Ming Jian.

Regretful because aside from Ming Jian and Wu Yuan, she was confident she could defeat all the other geniuses.

What a pity. The chance to obtain a Xiantian artifact or even a Saintcrest was now forever lost.

…

"He won!"

"Ming Jian has won this battle, becoming the sixth to break into the top ten." A wave of discussion swept the viewing platform.

Of course, there wasn't much excitement or joy. After all, how many powerhouses did the Taiyuan Divine Court have? The geniuses from various Saintdoms merely marveled at Ming Jian's terrifying strength.

As for whether Ming Jian or Bai Shui won? In truth, most geniuses didn't care much.

"Ming Jian."

"In the end, he truly defeated Bai Shui, and in a fair fight at that."

"His strength is indeed undeniable." The top-tier geniuses on the plaza couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Bai Shui had previously been acknowledged as someone who had a shot at the top five. In this battle between her and Ming Jian, even Zhu Shan and Li Guang thought Bai Shui had the advantage.

Who would have thought the two would fight to such a degree, with Ming Jian emerging victorious in a war of attrition?

"Ming Jian has an Apotheosis root. But something's strange," Zhu Shan's voice echoed in Wu Yuan's mind. "Given how they fought, his mana consumption should have been slightly higher due to having to maintain the sword array, yet his mana lasted longer. Could his mana recovery be faster?

“The Great Dao of Spacetime isn't known to excel at mana recovery," Zhu Shan shook his head slightly, seeming puzzled.

"It is a bit odd," Wu Yuan smiled as he transmitted back.

Mana recovery? The Spacetime Dao Field indeed wasn't adept at mana recovery, but his body refiner self had nearly fully grasped the Law of Life. Between his two true selves, insights into Greater Laws were shared.

Naturally, while his qi refiner self's mana recovery couldn't match his body refiner self, it was still far faster than normal geniuses. It was precisely this advantage that allowed Wu Yuan to keep the Samsara Sword’s Dao resonance a secret and dare to compete in a battle of attrition with Bai Shui.

In the end, he had the last laugh.

…

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's qi refiner self appeared on the plaza, beside Zhu Shan and the others who had already entered the top ten. However, as they were all from different factions, none spoke to each other. They simply waited silently.

The seventh battle began. It was Yan Xiao versus Wen Xing. Both were body refiners with very close strength, naturally fighting ferociously, but it couldn't compare to the spectacular battle between Ming Jian and Bai Shui.

In the end, Yan Xiao emerged victorious, claiming the seventh spot.

The eighth battle of the sixth round pitted Wu Yuan against Yi Ke. This fight, like the first, was almost without suspense.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Yi Ke was very powerful, also comprehending the Great Dao of Five Elements. Among the Supreme Geniuses, he was the only one besides Zhu Shan to grasp this Great Dao. However, he had only fully comprehended the Law of Earth, so he had no advantage in terms of the number of ether bodies. In the end, he was easily defeated by Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan obtained the eighth spot.

The ninth battle was an internal conflict between Abyssal Devil race geniuses. In the end, Yang Qing, who had fully grasped the Law of Fire, emerged victorious to claim the ninth spot.

The tenth and final battle for a spot in the top ten was between the Immortal Court geniuses Qin Yuan and Luan Fu.

Almost all the geniuses thought the fight would be brutal, given how close in strength these two Supreme Geniuses had seemed in previous rounds.

"Luan Fu lost so quickly?"

"Qin Yuan won in an almost overwhelming fashion."

"What terrifying saber techniques. Qin Yuan's saber felt like pure destruction." Shock rippled through the crowd as nearly all the geniuses stared in amazement.

Even Zhu Shan, Wu Yuan, Lie Jin and the other victorious geniuses fixed their gazes on that blood-soaked figure.

Incredibly strong! Qin Yuan wasn’t the most dazzling of the Supreme Geniuses. All this while, his brilliance among the Immortal Court geniuses was far overshadowed by Li Guang. But in this final battle, at the crucial moment where the top ten would be determined, he finally revealed his power and successfully claimed the last spot.

"Immortal Court."

"Qin Yuan." Wu Yuan, Zhu Shan, and Lie Jin exchanged glances, all sharing a tacit understanding.

It was one thing for other geniuses to reach the top ten. But Immortal Court geniuses were different. Both Li Guang and Qin Yuan would be great enemies of the Eldritch Court in the future.

With this, the top ten of this Megaverse Crossroads were finally determined.

…

On the plaza, only ten silhouettes remained. At this moment, all ten prodigies gazed upward into the void.

"Zhu Shan, Jiu Yan, Lie Jin, You Feng, Li Guang, Ming Jian, Yan Xiao, Wu Yuan, Yang Qing, Qin Yuan." The white-robed Heavenly Domain Emissary looked down at them, his voice ethereal yet audible only to the ten geniuses below.

"Congratulations on becoming the top ten prodigies of the Megaverse Crossroads. This also means that each of you will receive a perfectly compatible Xiantian artifact."

A wave of eager gazes swept across the group.

Xiantian artifacts? Even Zhu Shan and Wu Yuan felt a flicker of excitement in their hearts.

Xiantian artifacts possessed limitless power, Even if they couldn't be fully utilized at present, once these geniuses broke through to become sempiternal lifeforms and eventually ascended to Sovereigns, the terrifying might of these artifacts could be truly unleashed.

"However," the Heavenly Domain Emissary continued slowly, "the most crucial task now is to select the Saintcrest Prodigies from among you ten.

“This will be the third trial. This trial will last for a thousand years. Give it your all.

“Should you obtain a Saintcrest, the benefits you receive will far surpass a single Xiantian artifact, truly laying the foundation for an eternal lifespan.” The Emissary's voice drifted ethereally.

“The opportunity lies before each of you. Whether you can seize it depends entirely on your own abilities."

As the words faded away, the Heavenly Domain Emissary waved his hand, and all ten prodigies vanished from sight.

The plaza suddenly turned empty.

"The third trial of the Heavenly Domain Stage will conclude in a hundred years," the Heavenly Domain Emissary spoke again, his voice now echoing throughout heaven and earth.

"During these hundred years, you may cultivate here in seclusion. After a hundred years, the Saintcrest bearers will be determined, and all shall return together." With these words, the Heavenly Domain Emissary vanished.

The entire plaza fell silent for a moment. Then, it erupted into a cacophony of voices.

"A hundred years?"

"What is the third trial? How will it determine who becomes the Saintcrest Prodigy?"

"No one knows." A chorus of discussions arose, with myriad opinions, as no one truly understood what the third trial would entail.

Even in the intelligence gathered by various Saintdoms, there was scant mention of the Heavenly Domain stage. It was as if some mysterious force prevented detailed information about the Megaverse Crossroads from leaking out.

"Who will claim a Saintcrest?"

"Zhu Shan?"

"Zhu Shan may be the strongest, but his comprehension of the Primordial Doctrine is extremely shallow. This Megaverse Crossroads clearly places great importance on understanding the Primordial Doctrine."

"Hmph! Understanding the Primordial Doctrine? Zhu Shan can suppress anyone, regardless of their comprehension. Who could possibly be his match?" The thousands of prodigies continued to argue ceaselessly about who would ultimately claim a Saintcrest.

"Zhu Shan, Lie Jin, Wu Yuan – our Eldritch Court's three great prodigies will take all three Saintcrests!" The Eldritch Court geniuses boasted loudly.

"Nonsense!"

"Zhu Shan? He doesn't understand the Primordial Doctrine, so he's unworthy! Lie Jin? His strength is insufficient, so he's unworthy! Wu Yuan? He might have a sliver of hope, but our Immortal Court's Li Guang and Qin Yuan have the greatest chances." The Immortal Court geniuses retorted.

Due to their personal allegiances, the multitude of prodigies naturally rooted for different participants. However, after numerous debates, most of the geniuses gradually reached a consensus:

Zhu Shan and Wu Yuan were the two participants with the highest hopes of success.

Following them were Li Guang, Ming Jian, Lie Jin, and Qin Yuan – each with their own merits.

You Feng, Yan Xiao, Yang Qing, and Jiu Yan were noticeably weaker, with significantly smaller chances.

Of course, "On the path of cultivation, there's always a glimmer of hope. Anything is possible." This, too, was the consensus among most of the prodigies.

If the outcome were already certain, the Heavenly Domain Emissary wouldn't have needed to waste their time like this.

…

As the multitude of eliminated prodigies continued their debates…

Within an extremely mysterious location within the Megaverse Crossroads stood a vast and majestic temple.

Zhu Shan, Wu Yuan, and the other eight prodigies appeared simultaneously within the temple.

A hall?

Both of Wu Yuan's true selves surveyed their surroundings, noting the temple's ancient and weighty atmosphere.

On the walls of the temple, countless archaic patterns were faintly etched. They exuded an aura of vast antiquity, subtly imbued with a sense of eternity.

How mysterious! Even with Wu Yuan's extensive knowledge, the style of these temple decorations and patterns felt utterly foreign. He had never encountered anything similar.

This architectural style?

Wu Yuan pondered silently.

What exactly is the origin of the Megaverse Crossroads?

The more he experienced, the more perplexed Wu Yuan became. None of this seemed to have formed naturally through the workings of heaven and earth.

In the void above, the Heavenly Domain Emissary appeared silently. All ten prodigies instinctively looked up.

As the Emissary had not spoken, they dared not act rashly.

"Do you see what lies in the distance?" the Heavenly Domain Emissary inquired, pointing towards the far end of the temple. "That is the entrance to the third trial grounds."

All ten prodigies turned to look. At the furthest end of the temple, they saw two massive spatial vortexes – one black, one white. Streams of energy intertwined between them, and both radiated an immeasurably profound aura.

"These two entrances represent two paths, two choices," the Heavenly Domain Emissary explained impassively. "The black entrance symbolizes the path of Laws. It will guide you on how to become an eternal being through the path of Laws. If you meet certain requirements within, you can claim a Saintcrest.

“The white entrance symbolizes the path of matter. It will guide you on how to become an eternal being through the path of matter. If you meet certain requirements within, you can claim a Saintcrest.

“Remember, only two individuals can meet the requirements for a Saintcrest at most for each path.

“And, a maximum of three Saintcrest Prodigies will be selected.

“Make your choices in the order you were ranked in the top ten," the Heavenly Domain Emissary instructed calmly.

Zhu Shan, Wu Yuan, and the others instantly understood. So, at most two Saintcrest Prodigies would emerge from each path to eternity. No wonder the Heavenly Domain Emissary had said there would essentially be no more combat after the previous trial.

To have reached this final step, everyone's strength is already sufficient. The ultimate test likely lies in our potential.

Wu Yuan mused silently.

At this moment, all eyes turned to Zhu Shan. He would be the first to choose, and his choice was crucial.

"The path of Laws," Zhu Shan grinned, entering the black vortex without hesitation.