Myriad Daos of the Heaven

On the first step of the Extreme Celestial Tier!

A lone figure stood there.

Everyone could see his body trembling, sweat pouring down and soaking his clothes.

His face was as pale as a sheet, utterly devoid of color.

His eyes were closed, his face contorted in an expression of agony.

Clearly, he was enduring unimaginable torment.

By now, many had already passed the two-thirds mark of the Extreme Celestial Tier.

The surrounding cultivators even erupted in cheers.

They were cheering on the geniuses from their own families and Sects.

In the eyes of the world, this was a race before the Celestial Dao. Those who took the lead naturally deserved the cheers and attention.

For they would become the darlings of the Celestial Dao, their future accomplishments beyond imagination.

Moreover, once one set foot on the Extreme Celestial Tier, there was no retreat, only moving forward. The trial would only end when one truly reached their limit.

Those who managed to pass the one-third mark of the Extreme Celestial Tier would be teleported to the Six Paths Illusion Realm.

Failure to do so meant only death!

Thus, the Extreme Celestial Tier was a cruel and bloody path with no turning back.

This was the Celestial Dao’s brutal method of selection among the Ten Thousand Spirits, taking only the finest.

A true case of natural selection—survival of the fittest!

No one dared to set foot on the Extreme Celestial Tier without some confidence that they could pass the one-third mark.

At present, some had reached the two-thirds point of the Extreme Celestial Tier.

But others, unable to withstand the pressure of the Celestial Dao, had their bodies explode, turning into a mist of blood that stained the Celestial Tier red.

Even so, the sight of bodies exploding into a mist of blood was so common that the crowd was used to it, showing little emotional reaction.

"Look! The one at the very front is that mysterious cultivator from the Eastern Land! His speed has been constant ever since he stepped onto the Extreme Celestial Tier, as if he’s resonating with the Celestial Dao. I heard he’s the number one genius of the Eastern Land’s Ancient Sect, a man named Tang Han!"

"Mhm, and behind him is the number one genius from the Northern Plains, Suotu. He’s only three steps behind Tang Han. Incredible!"

"Huh? Isn’t that the white-robed nun from the Western Desert? She’s actually in third place! Rumor has it she’s a reincarnated Bodhisattva. She’s truly extraordinary."

"In fourth is Zhou Fang, the Young Master of the Creation Sect, followed by Ye Rou. The Central State isn’t dominating this time, but that’s only because our top young expert, Xuanyuan Qingyi, already entered the Six Paths Illusion Realm. She’s a Princess of the Royal Race, the First Pearl of Human Emperor City. They say her Human Emperor Bloodline surpasses that of her ancestors and that she has a chance of following in the Human Emperor’s footsteps."

"As for the weakest, the Southern Continent, all of their people are outside the top twenty. Heh, even if they make it into the Six Paths Illusion Realm, they’ll just be prey for others. This generation, the Southern Continent hasn’t produced a single Extreme Genius. They’ll just drag the rest of the Mortal World down in the Six Paths Illusion Realm."

...

Qing Xun, Blood Hand, Mo Yu, the Bald Man, the Two Beauties of Yunshui, and the others were all ranked near the very back, becoming objects of widespread ridicule.

Naturally, many cultivators from the Southern Continent were present. Listening to the crowd’s chatter, their expressions turned ugly.

Of the Five Domains of the Human World, the Southern Continent was the weakest. It had always been so, and everyone was used to it.

But this time, they were just absurdly weak.

Not a single one of them had managed to break into the top twenty!

This time, Supreme figures from the Southern Continent had also crossed domains to attend. Though they remained hidden from the masses, they could all easily perceive one another.

At this moment, in a space that appeared completely empty, floated five of the most powerful Supreme figures from the Five Domains of the Human World.

None of the surrounding cultivators could see them.

The Supreme figure from the Central State’s Huangfu Family sneered. He looked at Xuanqing, the Supreme figure from the Southern Continent’s Heavenly Sword Academy, and said mockingly, "Xuanqing, you old ghost. Your Southern Continent is pathetic, unable to produce even a single decent genius. I think the Southern Continent has no reason to exist. The Four Domains are enough for the human world!"

"Indeed. Your new generation can’t measure up. The Southern Domain has no worthy successors. If all the Southern Continent’s cultivators are hunted down and killed in the Six Paths Illusion Realm, then the Southern Continent will have no future. You might as well be absorbed into the Four Domains. In the great changes to come, we can offer you our protection!"

A Supreme figure from the Central State’s Creation Sect chimed in.

The two Supreme figures from the Western Desert and the Eastern Land, whose domains bordered the Southern Domain, did not speak, but both nodded in agreement with the words of the Supreme figures from the Huangfu Family and the Creation Sect.

Xuanqing, the peerless Supreme figure of the Heavenly Sword Academy, was also Zuo Feng’s master.

His expression was calm as he swept his gaze over the other Supreme beings. His eyes finally landed on the two from the Huangfu Family and the Creation Sect. "I seem to recall someone making a Great Saint of the Huangfu Family run naked out of a casino. And wasn’t there someone who dared to kill the attendants of the Creation Sect’s Young Sect Master? That person is still alive and well. Are the geniuses of our Southern Continent really something you lot can fathom?"

You don’t expose someone’s secrets, and you don’t hit them in the face. Yet Xuanqing had just brought up the hottest, most sensitive topics.

And all of it was related to Jiang Jichen, who hailed from the Southern Continent.

Sure enough, as Xuanqing spoke, the expressions of the two Supreme beings from the Huangfu Family and the Creation Sect changed, turning incredibly grim.

It was safe to say that Huangfu Xiaoni’s huge loss at the casino and subsequent naked run had become a source of immense humiliation for the Huangfu Family. Jiang Jichen had been placed at the top of their kill list.

As for Zhou Fang of the Creation Sect, having his attendants slain by Jiang Jichen yet not daring to retaliate, it left the members of the Creation Sect feeling utterly frustrated and disgraced.

"Are you talking about that ant of a boy who’s being rejected by the Celestial Dao? The one who’s still on the first step while everyone else has already passed the two-thirds mark of the Extreme Celestial Tier? Ridiculous! What’s the use of a genius who is destined to die under the Celestial Dao?"

The Supreme figure from the Huangfu Family spoke with disdain.

"My Creation Sect is one of the ruling powers in the Six Paths Illusion Realm. Even if that brat doesn’t die under the Celestial Dao’s judgment, there’s no way he’ll survive in the Six Paths Illusion Realm. Besides, he’s a wanted criminal in the Heavenly Dao Realm."

The Supreme expert from the Creation Sect added.

The other Supreme experts nodded, all agreeing with the sentiments of the figures from the Huangfu Family and the Creation Sect.

Xuanqing’s expression was indifferent. His gaze fell upon the first step of the Extreme Celestial Tier, on the figure enduring immense pain. His voice was light as he said, "Some things are better left unsaid until after he’s dead. To say them now is a bit premature. Aren’t you afraid of eating your words?"

"Eating our words? Ridiculous!"

"Xuanqing, you old ghost, you’re getting senile!"

"Sigh. For someone rejected by the Celestial Dao, he’ll be lucky to make it even fifty steps!"

...

The group of Supreme Realm figures all joined in, their voices laced with mockery.

And just as their mocking laughter echoed, Jiang Jichen took his first step since setting foot on the Extreme Celestial Tier.

In truth, the surrounding cultivators had long since ignored his presence, believing he was a dead man walking and not worth any attention.

Their gazes were all fixed on the front of the pack, watching the Supreme geniuses who had advanced the farthest.

Jiang Jichen, a presence ignored by all, took his first step alone, in silence. He felt that every movement was incredibly heavy, as though he were trying to push a great mountain forward.

But in reality, Jiang Jichen was not as pathetic as everyone imagined. If he were to use the power of his Golden Body Third Realm, this resistance would be no issue at all.

He could have easily swept through the first few thousand steps of the Celestial Tier with unstoppable momentum.

’But what about after that?’