After hearing Arch-Elder Zen’s explanation, the Progenitor of Bloodlines sighed. “It’s no wonder why you allowed the skies to change and have so many Semi-Progenitors. It seems that we have to thank that little fellow who broke through the Upper Three Gates. If not for him, we would not have learned about all these secrets.”
“This has nothing to do with him. Even when the Sixth Mainland invaded our territory, you never truly entered the Neoverse,” Arch-Elder Zen said.
“How many slots are there?” the Progenitor of Bloodlines asked.
“Only ten,” Arch-Elder Zen reluctantly answered after looking at the other six.
“Understood. We want five,” the Progenitor of Bloodlines stated.
Arch-Elder Zen instantly refused. “Of these ten, two belong to the Technocracy, three to the Astral Beast Domain, and five for our Human Domain. Now that your Sixth Mainland is here, we are willing to offer up two of our slots, but no more.”
“Even though the Technocracy and Astral Beast Domain had been waging war against you, they still have places on this list?” the Progenitor of Secret Arts exclaimed.
Arch-Elder Zen sighed. “Aside from the racial differences, part of the reason why we wage war is to compete for more slots on this list. This list belongs to the entire Fifth Mainland, not just our Human Domain. However, we hold the majority of the slots. So, Progenitors, please understand our position: we can give up two slots at the most.”
The Progenitor of Combat was incensed and roared, “We three are helping you defend your Fifth Mainland, and yet you’re only giving us two slots? Do you know who you are speaking to?”
Arch-Elder Zen raised his head. “This concerns the profits of the entire Fifth Mainland, and thus, it cannot be decided by just the seven of us. The Technocracy and the Astral Beast Domain also have their own Semi-Progenitors. Do you want all of us to fight it out with each other?”
The Progenitor of Bloodlines was surprised. “Your mainland still has more Semi-Progenitors? This seems to be the Fifth Mainland’s greatest secret, and only now are we learning of it. If time had continued to flow by, then it is indeed possible for the Fifth Mainland to produce a Progenitor without us knowing about it. It seems that we have these monsters to thank.”
Arch-Elder Zen felt rather stifled. The Human Domain had always acted with a low profile. Even if they had known where the Neohuman Alliance was based out of, they still would not go all out to eradicate them. This was because they had always been afraid of the Neohuman Alliance’s retaliation. Progenitor Hui’s scheme had been well thought out, but deviations were bound to occur. The Human Domain did not want to take on the burden of more risks, so they had never gone all out against the Neohuman Alliance. However, at this time, it seemed that another anomaly had appeared.
One could only lament such a life.
“How you decide to divy up the slots is up to you, but no matter what, we will take four slots. You all can leave now. As for the people currently in the Outerverse, those who wish to stay may do so, and we will treat them fairly. However, the Outerverse will be placed under our Sixth Mainland’s jurisdiction.” The Progenitor of Bloodlines seemed to have run out of patience and no longer wished to speak to Arch-Elder Zen and the others.
The seven powerhouses all left. For the moment, they did not have to worry about the breach, but the Progenitors’ words remained in their minds.
There was simply no way to distribute the slots with the addition of the Sixth Mainland.
The seven discussed the matter for several days before reaching out to the Astral Beast Domain’s Skymender as well as someone from the Technocracy. In the end, everyone agreed: since sharing the slots was not easy, the eligible participants would compete for the slots themselves.
After reaching that conclusion, Arch-Elder Zen went to the breach and spoke to the three Progenitors. “We have discussed the matter, and we simply cannot just give away the slots. At the moment, the observation list has more than twenty people, and with those of the Sixth Mainland added in, there simply will not be enough spaces to go around. So…” Arch-Elder Zen paused and looked at the three Progenitors. “Let them compete for the slots with their own strength. We have decided to host a competition, and the top ten will win the right to go to that place and seek their own fates.”
The three Progenitors looked at each other, and the Progenitor of Secret Arts was the first to agree. “Very well, a fair competition to choose the top ten it is. Remember your words, as you cannot go back on them, even if all top ten are from the Sixth Mainland.”
“We definitely will not,” Arch-Elder Zen confidently replied.
At this moment, the three Progenitors laughed, as they had the Daosource Three Skies.
Arch-Elder Zen joined in laughing because he was thinking of Shang Qing and the top talents who had fought atop the golden screens in the Mountain and Seas Zone.
Each side was completely confident in their own people, which formed the foundation of this competition.
Arch-Elder Zen then let the Hall of Honor publicly announce this decision. The time for the competition had not been determined yet, but the number of people who could participate was not limited. Everyone and anyone was allowed to participate. The top members of the Hall of Honor along with the nine overseers were all publicizing this martial competition as an event to ‘unite the Human Domain’ in a bid to boost the morale of the entire Human Domain.
During the competition, live footage of the competition would be broadcasted throughout the entire universe, including the Sixth Mainland’s newly assigned area. The purpose of this competition was to show everyone the strength of the new generation, which was the reason behind its name—ZENITH.
The universe was simply too fragmented. It held the Human Domain, the Astral Beast Domain, and Technocracy. As for the Human Domain, there was the Outerverse, Innerverse, Cosmic Sea, and Neoverse. In the future, they would have to face an invasion from those horrendous creatures, and only by consolidating the strength of the entire universe would they be able to repel the outsider forces. This competition was the first step towards unification, though it definitely would not be the last.
It was important to first allow everyone to be comfortable with the idea of uniting.
In the past, the three domains of the Fifth Mainland had hosted the Tournament of the Strongest, but many people had considered it child’s play. However, this time, ZENITH would be the ultimate stage for the Human Domain’s youths, and it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete for a chance that could improve their chances of eventually becoming a Progenitor. This could be considered a true life or death battle.
Hosting ZENITH would not be a simple task as it concerned more than just the Fifth and Sixth Mainlands. First, they had to spread coverage throughout the entire Astral Beast Domain.
The Astral Beast Domain and Human Domain were often locked in war, and even if Skymender and the Celestial Beast Empire agreed to this competition, it would not be easy to spread network coverage across the entire Astral Beast Domain. Such a thing required time, as did relocating the people from the Outerverse.
Overseer Bu Laoweng and his grandson Tian Shao were the ones most affected by these changes.
Arch-Elder Zen had unwillingly given the Outerverse to the Sixth Mainland, and these two people were suffering the most from this decision.
“Grandfather, since we’ve lost the Outerverse, then does it mean that we no longer control the Great Eastern Alliance? Doesn’t this mean that the Hall of Honor’s decision to let you take charge was just a farce?” Tian Shao grumbled to the image of Bu Laoweng that had appeared on his gadget.
Bu Laoweng indifferently replied, “Don’t panic. There are countless people from the Sixth Mainland. Even if they want to move to the Outerverse, it will take them time. The exact amount of time is uncertain, but it will be a hundred years at the minimum. For now, the Hall of Honor has to move everyone from the western region of the Outerverse into the Innerverse, which will take a long time as well. All of this time will be enough for you to gather the accomplishments that you need.”
Tian Shao heaved a heavy sigh of relief. “Then I’ll begin packing and making my way to the Outerverse.”
“Remember this: you are going on my behalf, so you cannot throw the Hall of Honor’s face aside. Still, at the same time, you cannot be too insolent. Although Lu Yin was captured by the Neohuman Alliance, his influence still pervades the entire Outerverse. This is especially true as he has Yuan Shi as well as Eversky Island as his backers. Leon’s Armada is no weakling either, so try to avoid any direct confrontations. There are many factions within the Great Eastern Alliance that are only members in name, so you can make good use of those people,” Bu Laoweng stated.
“Grandfather, I already know all of this.” Tian Shao paid little heed.
Bu Laoweng frowned and continued, saying, “Make sure to remember that not only do you need to accomplish things out there, but you also cannot afford to make even a single mistake. That place is your stepping stone for climbing up the ranks within the Hall of Honor, and you cannot fail at the first step. Don’t squander my many years of hard work. Originally, this was all intended for your father, but he passed away too soon. If not for the creation of the Great Eastern Alliance, I wouldn’t have been able to give you this position even after another thousand years of hard work. Now that this lucky opportunity has fallen in your lap, do your best to succeed.”
Tian Shao nodded resolutely. “Don’t worry, grandfather.”
Bu Laoweng still felt rather uneasy, but for the moment, he was unable to leave the Neoverse. He could only send someone else to keep an eye on Tian Shao. However, in a wasteland like the Outerverse, there wasn’t likely to be anyone who would dare to cause trouble for his grandson.
…
The interior of Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum was dark, and there was no sun there. Just as the name suggested, this place was a sealed space.
It covered an exceptionally vast area. After all, it was the grave of a Progenitor.
The chaos caused by the guardian giant meant that everyone lost track of each other soon after entering. Hui Santong continued to fly away on his golden shooting star trails. He had initially intended to keep an eye on Xia Jiuyou, but he had already lost him. As for Lei Nü, she kept her eyes trained on Hui Santong at all times. The people from the Hall of Honor were not familiar with Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum, and she had decided that Hui Santong was her best option to tail.
Hui Santong felt rather speechless when he turned around and saw that Lei Nü was still following him.
This woman is planning to follow me to death, huh?
“Second Honor Chosen, can’t you find your own way?” Hui Santong could not stand it anymore and spoke up.
Lei Nü maintained her silence as she continued to follow him.
There was a dark dome above them and a black mountain range below. Each mountain peak looked like a sharp blade, which was rather disturbing. There were also strange bubbling noises coming from a river running below them that was also black.
Hui Santong asked Lei Nü to leave several more times before finally deciding to attack her. However, he was unable to defeat her, and Lei Nü was not too harsh with her fists as she simply continued to follow him. Hui Santong felt utterly suppressed at this time.
Xie Xiaoxian was feeling the exact same thing as Shu Jing followed her.
“Hey, I can’t have any sense of security with you staring at my skimpy clothes like that. Go and ogle someone else!” Xie Xiaoxian said with displeasure.
Shu Jing frowned. “My apologies. I won’t attack you so long as you don’t attack me.”
Xie Xiaoxian was rather infuriated, and she decided to simply stop moving. Suddenly, bones appeared from her hands that took the shape of spikes, and they pierced the ground beneath her as they started drilling a hole. Shu Jing was stupefied and asked, “What are you doing?”
Xie Xiaoxian gave a sly smile. “Don’t you like following me? Keep up! Anyways, I won’t be going anywhere.”
Shu Jing was flabbergasted.
The Neohuman Alliance was definitely more familiar with Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum than the Hall of Honor’s participants. And from what Lu Yin could tell, the Neohuman Alliance seemed to have as much knowledge as the Seven Courts.
Silver confidently headed in a certain direction, though he never stopped talking to Lu Yin. “Captain, there’s plenty of good stuff here in Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum, but there are three things that stand above everything else. There’s Progenitor Chen’s secret technique, the Root of Intelligence, and the chance to experience a Progenitor’s enlightenment. Right now, we’re headed towards the place of enlightenment, and-”
Suddenly, Silver stopped talking.
Lu Yin maintained his zombie-like expression and continued following Silver.
Silver turned around and looked at Lu Yin. “Captain, have you truly been remodeled, or not? I really can’t get a read on you any longer.”
At this moment, a streak of lightning shot over their heads. It was Ku Lei.
Silver looked up and said, “Is the Ku family’s inheritor stupid, or is he just completely arrogant? Doesn’t he know that there are guardian giants here?”
As Silver spoke, a horn sounded from afar, and it echoed throughout the entire mausoleum.
The horn had come from a certain direction, and it was where a tribe of guardian giants lived. This sound caused all of the giants in Progenitor Chen’s Mausoleum to bellow and rush out from their village and stare up at the sky.
Ku Lei turned into a streak of lightning and flew further away. He narrowly avoided a club swing and looked to the left, where a giant was charging at him. In response, Ku Lei could only slap down with a hand.
Ku Lei’s expression grew icy cold as he pointed at the giant: Finger Tap.
