During the third bout of the fourth stage of the Devata Realms’ Battle of the Geniuses, the 75 participants who passed the second bout did not need to participate in the third bout.
The remaining 225 participants would fight among themselves for the remaining 25 places. This meant that only roughly 10% of the participants would be able to advance. Hence, the third bout was longer compared to the first and second bouts. Moreover, there were a few participants among the 225 participants who were not any weaker than some of the 75 participants who were exempted from the third bout of the fourth round of the Devata Realms’ Battle of the Geniuses.
The third bout of the fourth round of the Devata Realms’ Battle of the Geniuses was not particularly exciting as well. As such, it did not take long before many of the Heavenly Emperors began to leave the venue. Upon seeing that, many young geniuses followed suit and left as well.
Feng Qing Yang and Ding Fu, the Heavenly Emperor of the Primeval Heaven and also the host of the Devata Realms’ Battle Geniuses had left as well.
On the contrary, not one of those from the Title Temple left. No matter how boring the matches were, the Title Temple was the creator of the event after all. Those from the Title Temple branches might even be punished by the main Title Temple for leaving.
Upon seeing this, Tang San Pao said to Duan Ling Tian, Su Li, and Ling Jue Yun. “The matches are boring… Let’s return to cultivate. We’ll return once the bout ends or when we’re needed here…”
Duan Ling Tian, Su Li, and Ling Jue Yun had no objections. Before they left with Tang San Pao, they had asked Zhang Tian You and the others to call for them once the third bout had ended. Although they did not need to participate in the third bout, they had to present for the fourth bout.
Zhang Tian You, Wang Ting, and He Jian Yi did not leave. Although Duan Ling Tian, Tang San Pao, Su Li, and Ling Jue Yun found the matches boring, the trio found the matches interesting. After all, those who were fighting in the third bout were naturally much stronger than those in the first two bouts. By observing the fights, they might learn something. Hence, how could they let go of such a good chance and leave?
Most of the young geniuses who had left the venue were part of those 75 participants who had advanced to the fourth round. In fact, out of 75 participants, only twenty or thirty of them had left.
…
“See you later,” Duan Ling Tian said to the others before all of them returned to their respective wooden houses.
After entering his wooden house, Duan Ling Tian lay on the bed and closed his eyes to meditate; in his hand, he held the Supreme Powerhouse’s Divinity. It did not take long before he fell asleep. Although it was not necessary for celestials to sleep, they could easily sleep by cutting off their senses from the world. Needless to say, unlike some humans who could even sleep through earthquakes, their surroundings had to be quiet since the slightest noise could make the defenses kick in and jolt them awake.
Shortly after he fell asleep, he entered a dream where he was in a place of nothingness except for a figure casting the profundities from the law of space.
After some time had passed, Duan Ling Tian discovered he was no longer in a place of nothingness. He now saw the figure standing unmoving on a seemingly endless mountain range.
“The Mastery Dao?”
Then, Duan Ling Tian watched as the figure extended both his arms. Following that, the space around the figure began to distort and ripple. In the beginning, it was just space close to the figure. However, it gradually spread to the sky above and the ground below.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As soon as the horrifying force that distorted the space came in contact with the ground, the mountain the figure stood on collapsed immediately, reduced to rubble and debris. When it touched the clouds in the sky, they vanished as well.
‘The range of his Mastery Dao is really vast. Mine only covers a radius of five meters…’ Duan Ling Tian thought to himself.
The Territory Profundity from the law of space was similar to Duan Ling Tian’s Mastery Dao. However, its offensive strength could not compare to the Mastery Dao as well. The person who cast the law of space’s Mastery Dao was a god in that particular space.
“Hmm?”
After a few moments, Duan Ling Tian discovered the figure had begun to move again. This time, a sword appeared in its hand before it began to demonstrate various astonishing moves along with the law of space.
As Duan Ling Tian continued to watch, the feeling like something was amiss gradually grew in his heart when he saw the figure’s sword techniques slightly resembled his master’s Destructive Sword Dao. It confused him that the figure seemed to know what he knew.
The feeling like something was amiss was so strong that Duan Ling Tian quickly jolted away. Then, he hurriedly brought the Formation compass out so he could speak to the World Cleansing Divine Water in his Little World.
“Sister Water, there’s something strange with the Supreme Powerhouse’s Divinity. It seems to understand my Sword Dao…” Duan Ling Tian said before recounting what he had seen in his dream. In fact, this was not the first time he had noticed something like that, but it had never been so obvious before. He could no longer hold back his curiosity so he decided to speak to the World Cleansing Divine Water that was the most knowledgeable among the Four Divine Elements.
“That’s normal…” The World Cleansing Divine Water was not surprised by Duan Ling Tian’s words at all. “The Supreme Powerhouse Divinity is a priceless treasure after all. It appears when a supreme powerhouse perishes. Not only can it help one to deepen one’s understanding of the law, but it also holds a small trace of a supreme powerhouse’s will…”
“Although it contains a trace of the will from a supreme powerhouse, it’s not a living thing. Its actions are instinctive. Learning your Sword Dao can be considered as an example. It will also instinctively continue to comprehend your Dao, which will be helpful to you. After all, although it’s just the divinity and the will of a supreme powerhouse, they still belonged to a supreme powerhouse, a peak existence. Therefore, its ability to refine your Dao will surpass yours even if the supreme powerhouse didn’t form and comprehend such a Dao when he or she was alive. After all, all the Daos share a root…” the World Cleans Divine Water explained, clearing Duan Ling Tian’s confusion.
Duan Ling Tian nodded. As it turned out, the Supreme Powerhouse’s Divinity still contained a trace of the will from the supreme powerhouse who had perished.
Following that, Duan Ling Tian took a look at his family and friends and found they were all deep in their cultivation. With that, he severed his Little World’s connection to the outside world again before he slept again. After all, the figure in his dream was a great teacher.
…
Although the third bout of the fourth stage of the Devata Realms’ Battle of the Geniuses was rather long, it still ended within a month after 25 out of 225 participants had been selected to proceed to the next bout.
“Duan Ling Tian, the fourth bout of the fourth stage of the Battle of the Geniuses will commence in three days. Similar to the previous rounds, those who were eliminated would have ten chances to challenge those who made it…”
Upon hearing Zhang Tian You’s message, Duan Ling Tian jolted awake.
Over the next three days, he did not sleep. Instead, he cultivated to calm the restless Celestial Origin Energy in his body. After all, whenever he slept and comprehended the law of space using the Supreme Powerhouse’s Divinity, his Celestial Origin Energy would circulate on its own. In the end, it only took him half a day to calm his Celestial Origin Energy.
Duan Ling Tian cultivated and thought to himself at the same time, ‘I must rank first in the Devata Realms’ Battle of the Geniuses. I have to obtain the Exploding Element Celestial Fruit! With the Exploding Element Celestial Fruit, I can save a few decades of cultivation to become a Ten Directions Celestial Emperor.”
Although Duan Ling Tian was now a Nine Palaces Celestial Emperor, which was just a stage below a Ten Directions Celestial Emperor, it was difficult to progress at this stage. Just to become a Ten Directions Celestial from a Nine Palaces Celestial Emperor was much harder compared to a One Basic Celestial Emperor becoming a Six Combos Celestial Emperor or a Seven Stars Celestial Emperor. Even for someone with heaven-defying talents who possessed plenty of cultivation resources and superior cultivation like Duan Ling Tian, it was not an easy task to break through. Usually, even geniuses would take a few hundred years at least to become a Ten Directions Celestial Emperor from a Nine Palaces Celestial Emperor.
“Among the participants of the Battle of the Geniuses, the strongest so far has strength comparable to a Five Star God of War. This means their cultivation base is that of a Nine Palaces Celestial Emperor at most. In the history of all the Devata Realms, there aren’t many who became Ten Directions Celestial Emperors before the age of 1,000. Those who managed such a feat had undoubtedly consumed the Exploding Element Celestial Fruits or other Celestial Fruits with similar effects.”
There were 81 Devata Realms, after all. It was only a matter of course that there were other Celestial Fruits with effects like the Exploding Element Celestial Fruit.
…
After three days, Duan Ling Tian sent a message to Su Li before leaving his wooden house. Since Su Li did contact him, he knew Su Li must still be in his wooden house.
After Su Li left his wooden house, he said, “I lost track of time while cultivating and forgot the fourth bout will start today…”
“Let’s go…” Duan Ling Tian said with a smile. Then, as the duo walked to the venue, a smile appeared on his lips as he wondered out loud, “I wonder how many challenges we’ll receive this time…”
