The Great Ruler: Raising From Liu Domain

Maha Continent was also ranked among the Super Continents of the Great Thousand World. Vast and boundless, rich in resources, this continent enjoyed an extremely prestigious reputation throughout the entire Great Thousand World.

Of course, one could tell from its name who the ruler of this continent was.

As one of the Five Ancient Clans, the Maha Ancient Clan had been a supreme power since the Ancient Era. Even after that great war, the Maha Ancient Clan had never been driven from its throne.

In this regard, the Maha Ancient Clan far surpassed many top tier super powers, such as the destroyed Ancient Heavenly Palace.

The current Clan Leader of the Maha Ancient Clan was Maha Tian, a Saint Grade Middle Phase expert. Aside from those peak Saint Grade experts, he was unquestionably among the finest of the second tier of powerhouses in the entire Great Thousand World.

However, unlike the previous Clan Leaders of the Maha Ancient Clan, Maha Tian had been somewhat unfortunate.

When he had first ascended to the position of Clan Leader, he witnessed the rapidly rising Endless Fire Domain and immediately conceived the idea of annexing it. Doing so would allow him to intimidate both the clan and the outside world while establishing his authority as clan leader.

Such actions were perfectly normal for any major power.

Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target.

Who could have imagined that Xiao Yan, a fellow who had risen from a Lesser Plane, would turn out to be such an extraordinary figure? In the end, he forcibly shattered Maha Tian’s ambitions. Not only did Maha Tian fail to establish his prestige, but he ended up in a miserable state and became a stepping stone for the Endless Fire Domain.

For a long period of time afterward, both Maha Tian and the Maha Ancient Clan became subjects of ridicule.

However, no one had expected Xiao Yan’s growth speed to be so astonishing. The title of Flame Emperor quickly became one of the most revered names among the top experts of the Great Thousand World, which unexpectedly reversed Maha Tian’s reputation.

After all, Maha Tian had once publicly claimed that he and the Flame Emperor had fought to a draw.

Although no one believed it at the time, as the years passed, the truth of that battle gradually faded into history, leaving behind only rumors. Since Xiao Yan had never bothered to publicly refute the claim, Maha Tian gradually managed to turn public opinion around.

In fact, as the fame of the Flame Emperor continued to soar, Maha Tian, who had once been endlessly mocked, found his own reputation rising as well. Coupled with the fact that the Maha Ancient Clan had developed better than the other Four Ancient Clans, surpassing them in both foundation and the number of peak experts, all these factors combined to establish the Maha Ancient Clan as the foremost among the Five Ancient Clans.

Even Maha Tian himself probably had not anticipated such a result.

Ancient City was not one of the main cities of Maha Continent, yet its fame surpassed even that of the Maha Ancient Clan itself. According to legend, the city had been constructed by the Immortal Emperor, and every session of the Ancient Gathering was held here.

On a mountain range outside Ancient City, Liu Bai stood atop a peak and gazed toward the distant horizon, where countless streams of spiritual light filled the sky.

Compared to the Clan Martial Competition of the Buddha Ancient Clan, this Ancient Gathering was clearly on a much grander scale.

After all, the Ancient Gathering had no participation threshold whatsoever. As long as one belonged to the Great Thousand World, one was qualified to participate.

“I’m afraid more than half of the Great Thousand World’s super powers have gathered here, haven’t they?” Jiu You stood beside Liu Bai in a deep colored long dress. Her graceful figure stood proudly in the wind as she looked at the scene and sighed.

Liu Bai smiled faintly and said, “This concerns the ownership of the Primordial Immortal Body. Who wouldn’t be tempted?”

Among the Five Primitive Celestial Bodies, each of the Five Ancient Clans possessed one. Unfortunately, over the past tens of thousands of years, no one had managed to gain the recognition of these Celestial Bodies, leaving the Great Thousand World unable to truly utilize such powerful treasures.

The Primordial Immortal Body was somewhat understandable, since it had originally belonged to the Immortal Emperor, while the Maha Ancient Clan merely safeguarded it. There was no direct connection between the two.

However, the remaining four Celestial Bodies had all belonged to members of their respective clans. For example, the Endless Light Body of the Buddha Ancient Clan had once belonged to Ancestor Buddha. Yet despite all these years, not a single member of the Buddha Ancient Clan had obtained its recognition.

That was rather excessive.

After reflecting on the matter, Liu Bai brought Jiu You and the others forward as streams of light and landed before the city gates.

The moment they approached, Liu Bai sensed an ancient fluctuation emanating from the city walls. As the fluctuation spread, he could even feel the spiritual energy within his body becoming tranquil.

This immediately surprised him.

“Such methods are probably only possible for someone like the Immortal Emperor, who could command the power of the world itself.”

Upon hearing Liu Bai’s muttering, Jiu You glanced at him, but she herself sensed absolutely nothing.

There was nothing she could do about that. Presently, Jiu You had not even reached Immortal Grade, much less the ability to perceive the power of the world. In the entire Great Thousand World, only Saint Grade experts could likely sense such things.

Entering the city, their view suddenly opened up.

Ancient stone paved streets stretched endlessly before them. The roads were crowded with people, and every single individual emitted faint yet powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

The arrival of Liu Bai and Jiu You naturally attracted many gazes. Handsome men and beautiful women always drew attention wherever they went.

Soon afterward, however, those gazes flickered with astonishment.

Clearly, they had recognized Liu Bai’s identity.

Liu Bai was not surprised in the slightest.

After all, his reputation throughout the Great Thousand World had become enormous. Especially after personally slaying a Heavenly Demon Emperor, his fame was no weaker than that of the Flame Emperor or the Martial Ancestor in their earlier days.

As the two continued forward, they eventually arrived at the city’s center and discovered that a massive crowd had gathered in a plaza before them.

“Huh? What place is this?” Jiu You curiously stretched her neck forward.

At the center of the plaza stood a gigantic crystal wall upon which numerous clear images flickered.

Seeing this scene, Liu Bai immediately understood and smiled.

“Come on, let’s take a look too.”

As they approached, they listened to the surrounding discussions and learned that this crystal wall was the betting venue used during every Ancient Gathering, known as the Ancient Gathering Betting Board.

The figures displayed upon it were all the competitors considered most likely to win this session of the Ancient Gathering.

Anyone who favored a particular contestant could place a bet directly on the board.

It was essentially the same as gambling from his previous life.

“This looks fun. Should we place a bet too?” Jiu You looked at the various figures, introductions, and betting amounts with great interest.

The contestant with the highest betting total was naturally Maha You.

After all, he possessed the home field advantage. He had long been famous, was the younger brother of Maha Tian, the Clan Leader of the Maha Ancient Clan, and enjoyed advantages in timing, location, and support.

As such, the betting amount beneath his name far exceeded everyone else’s.

“If you enjoy it, then go ahead and have some fun.” Liu Bai smiled.

In his eyes, this was practically free Sovereign Spiritual Liquid. However, given his current status and position, personally participating in betting would be somewhat inappropriate. If Jiu You wanted to play around, though, there was absolutely no problem.

Jiu You carefully examined the information displayed and then turned toward Liu Bai.

“Among all these people, who do you think has the greatest chance of obtaining the Primordial Immortal Body?”

“Well, there is one person I think highly of. As for whether he can actually succeed, you can ask him yourself.”

As he spoke, Liu Bai looked in a certain direction.

There stood a familiar figure who was also observing the crystal screen.

“Mu Chen?”

Jiu You’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled Liu Bai along as they walked over.

At this moment, Mu Chen was also looking at his own betting amount. Compared to Maha You’s astonishing figure of twenty billion Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, his mere one billion Sovereign Spiritual Liquid appeared somewhat pitiful.

This also proved that very few people believed he could become the final victor.

“What? Looking at the amount wagered on you, does it make you feel any anger?”

The familiar voice startled Mu Chen awake, and he immediately saw Liu Bai and Jiu You approaching.

“Senior, Miss Jiu You!”

Mu Chen was delighted to see the two of them and quickly greeted them.

Liu Bai nodded and glanced at the surrounding gazes before smiling lightly.

“Well? Do you have the confidence to slap all these people in the face?”

Mu Chen smiled calmly, a trace of confidence appearing on his face.

“Of course!”

Although the outside world did not believe he could emerge victorious, Mu Chen had never needed the approval of others. He possessed more than enough confidence to keep moving forward.

“Good. I was planning to place my bet on you.” Jiu You smiled gently as she looked toward the area where bets were being accepted.

Before Mu Chen could respond, however, another voice suddenly interrupted.

“I think Miss Jiu You should be a bit more cautious.”

The three turned toward the source of the voice and immediately saw a familiar figure.

It was none other than Maha You, the man ranked first on the betting board!

Arriving before the three of them, Maha You displayed a trace of pride on his face, but he still respectfully cupped his fists toward Liu Bai and said,

“Maha You greets Lord Liu Bai.”

Although Liu Bai was much younger than him, Liu Bai’s strength, status, and position were already comparable to those of Maha Tian, the Clan Leader of the Maha Ancient Clan. Naturally, Maha You did not dare show any disrespect.

Liu Bai nodded to him, paying little attention to the tension between him and Mu Chen.

At his current level, such petty rivalries no longer held any meaning. If he personally intervened now, it would simply be bullying the younger generation and would only damage his own reputation.

Maha You naturally would not seek trouble for himself. He shifted his gaze to Mu Chen and said with a faint smile,

“Well? Interested in playing a little game?”

Mu Chen looked at him deeply and replied calmly,

“What? Planning to use tricks outside the competition? It seems your Maha Ancient Clan doesn’t have much confidence in winning. Then again, that’s understandable. After all these years, not a single one of you has ever obtained the Primordial Immortal Body.”

Maha You frowned, but did not become angry. Instead, he sneered.

“It isn’t a matter of confidence. The Maha Ancient Clan is simply using this opportunity to tell everyone that the Primordial Immortal Body can only belong to us. Others would do well not to make meaningless sacrifices.”

“Belong to you?” Mu Chen mocked with a smile.

“If the Immortal Emperor knew that your Maha Ancient Clan harbored such unrealistic fantasies, I wonder whether he would regret his decision back then.”

Maha You ignored the mockery and stared directly at Mu Chen.

“Mu Chen, if you’re willing to give up competing for the Primordial Immortal Body, our Maha Ancient Clan will provide compensation that satisfies you.”

Truthfully, before the invasion of the Feind Race, Maha You had never taken Mu Chen seriously and had never considered him a worthy rival.

However, during the battle at the Extreme Western Border, Mu Chen had displayed combat power capable of contending against a Profound Demon Emperor and had even slain several Demon Emperors. That battle had made him famous.

Yet in the face of Maha You’s temptation, Mu Chen immediately gave his answer.

“Ten billion Sovereign Spiritual Liquid. I bet on myself to win.”

Under countless astonished gazes, Mu Chen decisively made his wager.

Meanwhile, Maha You watched with a gloomy expression, the killing intent in his eyes no longer concealed.

“My turn. Twenty billion Sovereign Spiritual Liquid. I bet on Mu Chen to win!”

Before anyone could recover from their shock, Jiu You tossed out a Universe Ring and placed her own wager.

Her action immediately triggered a chain reaction. Several gamblers with bold hearts gritted their teeth and also placed bets on Mu Chen.

It was not because they had great confidence in Mu Chen.

Rather, if even Jiu You, who stood at Liu Bai’s side, dared to stake twenty billion Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, then why shouldn’t they take a gamble as well?

If they won, their wealth would instantly double.

The sight made Maha You grit his teeth, but he did not dare offend Jiu You. With a cold snort, he turned and left.

“Tsk tsk. I thought he’d bet on himself too. Looks like there won’t be a chance to win even more.” Jiu You said somewhat regretfully.

Liu Bai chuckled softly.

“You really think the Maha Ancient Clan would engage in a losing business?”

“Who do you think is controlling a betting operation of this scale, openly established in Ancient City?”

Jiu You’s beautiful eyes widened in realization.

“So the betting market itself belongs to the Maha Ancient Clan!”

Liu Bai said nothing more. After bidding farewell to Mu Chen, he headed toward the courtyard reserved for the Great Thousand Palace within Ancient City.

Likewise, as one of the Five Ancient Clans, the Buddha Ancient Clan also possessed its own residence within Ancient City, where Mu Chen was staying together with his mother.

Ever since deciding to compete for the Primordial Immortal Body, Qing Yanjing had secretly made many preparations.

Among the most important was inviting out the reclusive Buddha Xuan.

After all, they understood perfectly well the Maha Clan’s attitude toward the Primordial Immortal Body. If Mu Chen intended to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth, he had to be prepared for the possibility of an all out war against the Maha Clan.

Fortunately, both Qing Yanjing and Mu Chen were relieved that Liu Bai would also be participating in this Ancient Gathering.

If matters truly reached the point where battle became unavoidable, Liu Bai would become their hidden trump card.