A heavy silence filled the vast surrounding. Cultivators from countless sects and clans stood in perfect formation upon floating platforms, their gazes fixed on the celestial figure hovering above them. He was neither a god nor something else, but his mere presence felt heavier than the cosmos itself.
His robes were woven from starlight, flowing as if they contained the echoes of a thousand galaxies. His eyes, deep and unfathomable, held the weight of ages. A simple gesture of his hand was enough to quiet the murmurs of the tens of thousands present.
"I welcome you all," his voice was calm yet carried a power that shook the universe itself. "I am Han Bolin, World Lord of this planet… the Jade Storm Planet."
For a moment, there was stunned silence. Some disciples exchanged glances, as if confirming what they had just heard. Some had known the name of their home, while others—like Shen Yuan—had not. However, his five companions beside him seemed unsurprised, their expressions neutral.
Curious, Shen Yuan and several others extended their divine sense, sending it spiraling through the galaxy in search of their world. In the endless black of space, their perception pierced through the countless stars and planets, finally locking onto the celestial body that was their home.
A sphere of green and blue, swirling with ethereal mist, floating like a hidden jewel in the abyss of outer-space. But what truly stood out was a massive canyon, splitting part of the planet like a deep scar. Within that canyon, unending storms raged, lightning endlessly striking with cosmic fury, as if the heavens themselves had condemned that part of the world to eternal wrath.
The Jade Storm Planet.
Shen Yuan's lips curled into a smirk. A world of storms and chaos… quite fitting.
His divine sense returned, and just then—
"Hmm."
A mere hum from Han Bolin resonated through the entire realm, like the will of the cosmos itself commanding attention. Even Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively turned back toward the World Lord.
Then with a flick of Han Bolin's finger, golden tokens materialized in front of each sect and clan's leading representative. The tokens were hexagonal, carved from unknown divine metal, radiating an aura of authority. Elegant golden patterns wove across the surface, forming a majestic dragon insignia in the center. On its edge, a single word gleamed—
"Leader."
The very air trembled with the power embedded in these simple objects. Some leaders of their respective team gripped their tokens tightly, their eyes burning with ambition, while others remained wary. The more experienced among them knew better than to celebrate too soon.
''These quick to celebrate mongrels, will die first." Shen Yuan thought and looked at them.
Han Bolin's voice rang out once more, calm yet absolute.
"These are Leader Tokens. They belong solely to the main representative of each sect and clan. They will serve as the key to marking territory in Phase One of the competition."
Murmurs spread through the crowd, but Han Bolin continued, his gaze indifferent to their reactions.
"But be warned—being a leader is both an advantage and a curse."
Silence fell once again. The tension in the air shifted. Some who had stood proudly faltered slightly, realizing there was more to this. Han Bolin's next words sent a chill through the crowd.
"If a leader falls in battle, their entire team is eliminated from the competition. Also… that is all the rule that is… killing and trickery… are allowed… after all, both are a part of just any competition."
A second of stunned disbelief.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
The arrogance in many disciples shattered instantly. Those who had smugly taken their leader tokens now looked as if their very souls had been drained from their bodies. A few clutched their tokens with trembling hands, suddenly realizing the immense burden placed upon them.
On the other hand, Shen Yuan's smile only grew wider.
"No rules… no restrictions…"
A lawless competition.
A place where trickery and slaughter were not just permitted, but encouraged.
His purple eyes gleamed with amusement. "Perfect."
Yet, as he savored this moment, his gaze drifted, drawn toward a distant qi platform. His smirk froze slightly, his pupils narrowing.
There, standing in regal arrogance, was a group draped in gold and crimson—the Fengyue Royal Family.
And at the center of it all, their prideful prince, standing tall, as if he ruled the very heavens themselves.
But Shen Yuan wasn't even looking at him.
His attention was locked onto someone else—a figure standing beside the prince.
A man with familiar ashen hair. A face he once trusted.
Bai Chen.
Shen Yuan's expression darkened, his eyes chilling to the depths of the abyss. A wave of suppressed, cold rage surged within him, but instead of acting on it, his lips slowly curled into a deadly, knowing smirk.
Bai Chen, on the other hand, had already noticed him. His face paled slightly, his fingers twitching.
Shen Yuan could see it in his eyes—the flicker of fear.
Because deep down even Shen Yuan knew who cut off his hand 300 years ago, for whom he almost died. Shen Yuan then would just smirk at him coldly and look away.
The prince of Fengyue, however, remained oblivious to the silent exchange between the two. His arrogance blinded him to the danger standing across from him.
Just then—
Han Bolin raised a hand.
"The competition begins now. Don't take too much time, I am bored anyways."
A sphere of darkness erupted from his palm, consuming the entire space in an instant.
For a fleeting moment, all was darkness.
And then—
Reality shifted.
When their eyes opened again, they were in an entirely different dimension.
The surrounding was thick with death, heavy with the weight of a dying universe. The laws of space-time were fractured, causing the surrounding to warp and twist unnaturally. The galaxies of this universe seemed as if they were lifeless, cracked remnants of what was once a thriving cosmos.
Then, Han Bolin's voice thundered in their ears.
"This universe was once home to countless civilizations… but it has long been forgotten. Now, it serves as your battlefield."
The weight of those words sent shivers down the spines of many. Some looked uneasy, but Shen Yuan simply grinned.
The dying universe held no sorrow for him. And why should he? After all he wanted power not to save some other universe. Especially powers like the world lord or Envoy… as an Origin Decent Realm cultivator they possessed the power to obliterate a whole universe and all of its infinitely branching timelines with just a single attack.
All he saw was opportunity.
Without hesitation, he reached into his robes and withdrew a flag—the emblem of the Twin Soul Sect. With a flick of his wrist, a qi platform formed beneath him.
The flag stabbed into the platform, standing tall as his five companions gathered beside him.
The first territory had been claimed.
Shen Yuan smirked, his gaze sweeping across the endless battlefield.
"Now…" he murmured, cracking his knuckles.
"…let the real fun begin."