Lan Si arrived at one of the markets, and he looked around out of curiosity.
This market was located just outside of a mountain valley, and there were nearly identical booths set up at regular intervals. The occasional shopper would walk through and look through one booth and then another.
“This junior needs to use his cosmic ring!” someone shouted loudly. The void split open a short distance in front of the cultivator, and multiple cosmic rings appeared.
Lan Si’s eyes flashed. This was a trading area, so they could ask to use their cosmic rings in this region.
This was perfectly normal for the people from the Neoverse, but for Lan Si and the others from the Innerverse, this was their time seeing such a thing occur. And that wasn’t even mentioning how this was the first time the Innerverse had qualified to participate in the contest at the Astral Tower.
Footsteps sounded from behind Lan Si, and an ugly-looking man with a large bearing appeared. “Bro, you must be from the Innerverse.”
Lan Si turned to look at the man. “Is something the matter?”
The large man grinned and stared at the Arbiter. “I never thought that those rumors would actually be true! So people from some primitive place like the Innerverse actually dare to compete for the Astral Tower’s inheritances? How ridiculous!”
Lan Si’s eyes narrowed, but he decided to ignore the man and continue on his way.
The large man moved his body to block Lan Si’s path. “I’m talking to you! Tell me, what’s your name? Where are you from? Show me some of your skills, and if they’re passable, you can follow me, and I’ll give you some of the resources.”
The big man’s voice was extremely loud, and his shouting attracted a great deal of attention.
The people in this market were all from the Neoverse, and they naturally looked down upon the Innerverse cultivators.
Even though the Neoverse cultivators had not made any moves when the Sixth Mainland invaded.
Lan Si frowned. “Move.”
The big man sneered and set a hand on Lan Si’s shoulder. He then quietly threatened the Arbiter. “Kid, run back to the Innerverse. The Mountain and Seas Zone’s resources aren’t something you guys can touch.”
The man then exerted some of his strength.
Lan Si’s expression remained calm.
The big man exerted more and more pressure with his right hand until his veins started to bulge and the ground seemed to move without any wind. This man was a peak Cruiser, and his physical strength was quite impressive for his realm. Once, he had even trained within a stellar energy storm, which had earned him the epithet of Barbaric Beast. There were not many people who were willing to engage in close-range combat with this man due to his tyrannical strength, as no matter what his opponents did, they were never able to beat him down.
Taunting expressions appeared on the faces of many people throughout the market, and they were anticipating the scene of Lan Si struggling and then falling to the ground.
However, the crowd was soon left stunned.
Lan Si never moved the slightest bit, and he continued to calmly stare at the large man. “Are you done playing around?”
The man’s expression changed; even though he was using his full strength, this person was not showing any sign of discomfort or pain. How was this possible?
The man growled, and the ground cracked open beneath his feet as he sank underground. Ripples appeared in the void, showing that the power level of the man’s attack had already surpassed 150,000.
A Cruiser who was able to unleash an attack with a power level of 150,000 was enough for them to be ranked within the top ten of the Innerverse’s Top 100 Rankings.
However, such an attack was completely useless against Lan Si.
Lan Si frowned, and he stepped past the large man before slowly walking away.
The big man’s body froze in place, and a moment later, he spat out a mouthful of blood as he slowly dropped to his knees. There was an extremely ugly expression on his face, and he wailed in agony before crumbling to the ground, where he panted heavily.
All of the people in the market were stunned; what had just happened?
“Interesting. That’s a very powerful attack that’s based on achieving an impressive level of cultivation in the Overlaying Stacks Path.” There was a man in a corner, leaning half-way against a stone wall, and he was looking at Lan Si with blatant curiosity.
Lan Si looked over at the man, his expression growing solemn. This person was very powerful.
The man slowly walked towards Lan Si, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Let’s get acquainted. I’m Ku Lei.”
Lan Si’s expression changed. “The Seven Courts’ Ku family?”
Ku Lei smiled. “Which of the Ten Arbiters are you?”
“Lan Si.”
Ku Lei nodded. “The Ten Arbiters’ Divine Fist, Lan Si. I heard of your prowess with the Overlaying Stacks Path long ago, and sure enough, those rumors were accurate. Follow me. Although you can’t become one of the Cosmic Five, I can promise that you’ll get plenty of resources. If I remember correctly, during the Sixth Mainland’s invasion, Grayweed Continent’s seventy-two dojos fell. Since you have nowhere to go, you can come to my Ku family.”
Lan Si commented, “There’s no need for that. I’m not interested in the Neoverse.”
He then moved to leave.
Ku Lei blocked Lan Si’s path. “My Ku family isn’t interested in the Innerverse or the Outerverse, but there is one thing that we do know: you were defeated by someone called Lu Yin.”
Lan Si remained silent.
Ku Lei continued on, saying, “Losers don’t have any rights, and you must be very unwilling to accept such a defeat. I can help you get revenge, and if that person comes to the Mountain and Seas Zone, I’ll beat him until he kneels on the ground. That’s a promise that I can make to you—how about it?”
Lan Si looked at Ku Lei, amused. “You’re quite confident.”
Ku Lei arrogantly answered, “This is your greatest opportunity, so take it and rise rapidly.”
Lan Si shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it.”
Everyone in the market with a nearby booth immediately packed up their stuff and left. This person was Ku Lei, and they had all heard of him before. He was the Ku family’s first inheritor, and his temper was horrible.
Ku Lei’s eyes grew cold. “You don’t know how to appreciate my kindness.”
The next moment, a thunderclap rang out, and star energy clashed while the void warped and twisted. Then, a loud bang split the air as lightning shot out in all directions. Lan Si was directly knocked back a hundred meters, and he stared in front of himself in astonishment.
Lightning covered Ku Lei’s body, and a blue light flickered within his eyes as he raised a hand to swat at Lan Si.
Lan Si raised his hand: One Hundred Fifty Stacks.
The two palms struck each other, and the Overlaying Stacks Path clashed against the lightning as a shockwave cut through the mountain range. By now, quite a few people who were off in the distance were looking back in amazement.
As the lightning and thunder faded, a giant crater could be seen at the impact site.
The Mountain and Seas Zone had been reinforced long ago, and it required the power of an Enlighter at the minimum to cause any damage to it.
Quite a few stared at Lan Si in astonishment. This person was actually incredibly powerful, as he was actually able to go up against Ku Lei.
Ku Lei had never considered that Lan Si would be able to stop his attack, but his lips curled up upon seeing this. “An Arbiter, huh? Your power level isn’t bad. Consider my offer carefully, and come find me after you’ve thought things through. My promise still stands.”
The lightning covering his body flickered and then instantly vanished.
Lan Si’s gaze grew sharp, and he raised his hand. His palm had been slightly burned during that exchange. He had actually been injured, and the power of that lightning had been utterly terrifying as it had even disintegrated the layers of his Overlaying Stacks Path, rendering his attack ineffective. Ku Lei.
***
In another place, Jin He had also run into a bit of trouble, and people from Gods’ Origin were blocking his path.
Jin He had a helpless expression as his long hair flowed in the wind. “You people are really annoying.”
Across from him was a youth in an embroidered gown, who shouted, “You actually dare to show yourself here, traitor?”
Jin He picked at his ear with a finger. “Not so loud. I still haven’t reached the level of a traitor yet. Back then, captain left peacefully, and the old farts didn’t stop him.” He then put on a mocking smile. “Or rather, would it be more accurate to say that they didn’t dare to stop him?”
“You’re asking for it!” The few people were all enraged, and they immediately attacked. Their pupils all transformed into runes as they erased a portion of Jin He’s runes lines.
Jin He laughed and did not bother fighting with the people from Gods’ Origin. Instead, he flew off at great speed. “If you guys want to play, then head to the Mountain and Seas Zone’s inheritance area. I’ll play with you there, but I’m afraid that you guys aren’t qualified.”
“Chase this traitor down and kill him!” The small group pursued Jin He.
Nearby, a few people were discussing what they had seen, “Those lunatics from Gods’ Origin are causing trouble for someone again.”
“Speak softly! They might be nuts, but they are freakishly strong, and even a single one of them is very difficult to deal with.”
“After all, they’ve received the inheritance of an ancient civilization, so it’s best to keep your distance from them.”
***
As more and more people appeared on the Mountain and Seas Zone’s continent, the number of conflicts greatly increased.
At the same time, more and more people started forming parties, and although the people from the Seven Courts could not openly participate in the contest at the Astral Tower, they had nonetheless still arrived, and the Hall of Honor did not stop them either.
More and more people from the Neoverse converged at the Mountain and Seas Zone’s continent.
Outside the Mountain and Seas Zone, Azure Mansion had quietly appeared.
Wherever people gathered, the Azure Mansion would appear. This was common knowledge throughout the Neoverse, as Azure Mansion could fly.
News of Azure Mansion’s appearance outside the Mountain and Seas Zone quickly spread throughout the contestants, and many of them grew excited and became anxious to visit them.
It was at this time that God Taiyi entered Azure Mansion.
After the Sixth Mainland retreated, the contempt that he had previously held for the Innerverse had vanished. Each of the Ten Arbiters were an absolute monster, and even if he was more arrogant, he would not look down on the Ten Arbiters.
The Mountain and Seas Zone would only become more chaotic as more people arrived, and the truly important characters had not arrived yet. He did not want to reveal his strength this soon, so he decided to spend his time relaxing at Azure Mansion.
***
In the Cosmic Sect, outside the valley that held the Skystar Jade Wall, a disciple walked up behind Mu Ziying and softly whispered to him.
Mu Ziying nodded and then dismissed the disciple.
“Junior Yao, when we enter the Mountain and Seas Zone, what do you want to choose?” Mu Ziying asked, his voice directly entering Yao Ji’s ears.
Yao Ji was surprised. “Why is Senior Mu asking?”
Mu Ziying calmly explained, “The Innerverse’s Ten Arbiters have already entered the Mountain and Seas Zone, and their Divine Fist has already clashed against the Ku family’s first heir. Also, at least ten people from Gods’ Origin have already shown up. If Junior Yao wants to compete at the Astral Tower, then please be careful.”
Yao Ji muttered, “Senior Mu, just how strong are those Ten Arbiters from the Innerverse?”
Mu Ziying replied, “Very.”
Yao Ji frowned. The Ten Arbiters were ten young powerhouses, and there were far too many youths and freakish powerhouse competing for the Astral Tower’s inheritances this time. “What path does Senior Mu intend to choose?”
Mu Ziying replied, “I’ve already discussed this with Junior Hua Xiao, and we’ll cooperate at that time. Destiny will determine whether or not we can contest for an inheritance.”
Yao Ji said, “I would like to follow Senior Mu.”
Mu Ziying nodded, and did not speak any further on this matter. Although he did not like Yao Ji, when they entered the Mountain and Seas Zone, it would always be better to have more allies to face off against those monsters. Truthfully, he did not have much confidence in their team as the Mavis family, the Hall of Honor’s Honor Chosens, the Seven Courts’ heirs, Burial Garden, and even the Neohuman Alliance would all show up.
During the past contests at the Astral Tower, the Neohuman Alliance would always find some way to enter, and they had actually succeeded at times. Their sect actually had some records of these incidents. Whenever anyone encountered someone from the Neohuman Alliance, very few would manage to survive, so Mu Ziying hoped to find more allies.
It would be great if Lu Yin was willing to cooperate with them, but that was impossible. Lu Yin was clearly trying to become one of the Cosmic Five while Mu Ziying and Yao Ji did not share that ambition. Rather, they were instead more interested in the opportunities that they could find in the Mountain and Seas Zone. These two true disciples did not have any great enmity between them, so it was possible for them to team up. However, if they were going to cooperate, then why not also look for their Grand Senior?
As Mu Ziying thought about this, he looked at the entrance to the underground area; Lu Yin should be heading out soon.
In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.
Yao Ji looked depressed, as Lu Yin had actually managed to spend another ten days within the Skystar Jade Wall, which Yao Ji found hateful.
Mu Ziying was not surprised, as with Lu Yin’s talent, it was not inconceivable for him to stay in there for even an entire month. Wait a moment—just how many stars will Lu Yin be able to simulate when he emerges? Will he have cultivated all the way to ninety nine stars in one go?
There were already more than 200 people within the Mountain and Seas Zone, and almost all of them were elites from the Neoverse.
During the last ten days, people had continuously stirred up trouble for the people from the Innerverse, but the strength of the Ten Arbiters had truly stunned the Neoverse elites, and it left them completely speechless.
The Ten Arbiters’ reputation had spread to the Neoverse long ago, but nobody had actually paid any attention to them. It was only when the Sixth Mainland had invaded that the top youths of the Neoverse’s great powers had come to understand the Ten Arbiters’ power levels. At this moment, the entire Neoverse was learning of the Ten Arbiters’ strength.
