Below Heaven, All Are Straw Dogs

"Little ones, are you all ready?"

The Sky-Pacifying Master looked at the crowd, his features kind, a smile like that of a neighborly elder spreading across his face.

Everyone's gaze was firm; no one spoke. Silence was the best affirmation.

"Haha, then let's be off."

The Sky-Pacifying Master opened his mouth with a laugh, and in the next instant, everyone was swallowed into his belly, vanishing from the hall.

Beyond the Dark Continent lay an endless, profound deep space.

Standing in that deep space and looking toward the Dark Continent, one would find—

The vast, boundless Dark Continent was nothing more than a tiny speck of light in the face of the deep void.

And beyond that deep space lay the even more boundless All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

At this moment, in a minuscule corner countless millions of miles away from the Dark Continent, several dozen masters, over a hundred immortals, and as many as ten thousand Peerless Prodigies had already gathered.

Peerless Prodigies were rare—perhaps not one could be found in a hundred million people—but compared to the boundless worlds, they were not so rare. After all, every world could produce at least one, and worlds were as countless as grains of sand. Time never stopped for anyone, and life flowed on endlessly. With so many factors intertwined, Peerless Prodigies no longer seemed so exalted or so scarce.

It was precisely because he recognized this that Lu Yuan set his own goal: to break through to the Supreme of the Cosmos at every realm. If he couldn't achieve it, he would rather linger for a thousand or ten thousand years than compromise.

And the benefit of this was that among these ten thousand Peerless Prodigies, Lu Yuan was the most eye-catching.

For Lu Yuan, having a background or not didn't matter at all. As long as he was willing, countless major powers would open their doors to him at any time, offering the highest treatment.

Even hostile forces wouldn't be willing to kill Lu Yuan outright. Instead, they would choose to persuade, convert, tempt him with countless offers, and only reluctantly kill him when all options were exhausted.

Right now.

Everyone was staring at a spatial rift not far away, shimmering brilliantly. The light spilling out from within was extremely eerie, like a two-dimensional painting.

"Everyone, same rules as always. Once you enter the Divine Ruins, life and death are not counted. If you're afraid, don't let your juniors go in. Otherwise, when they die, don't throw a tantrum and try to strike at the younger generation."

A master from the Vast Continent spoke up.

"Naturally. Entering the Divine Ruins, life and death are left to fate, each relying on their own ability. I also hope that when a certain continent suffers heavy casualties, some people won't be unable to accept it."

A crone from the Bright Continent said dryly. As she spoke, her gaze kept falling on the direction of the Dark Continent's camp.

At those words.

The Sky-Pacifying Master sneered, "Ji Yuanyi, I recall that the last time the Divine Ruins opened, the heaviest casualties were on your Bright Continent, and the one who couldn't accept it was also you. What, are you reminding yourself?"

"Hmph! Sword Wine Old Ghost, trading barbs is meaningless. Let's see the real deal in action."

The crone said with a fierce glare.

"Alright, everyone, time is pressing. Let the little ones go in quickly. I can see they're already itching to go."

A master from the Primordial Continent spoke up.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the many masters and immortals, all the prodigies rushed toward the spatial rift in a scramble.

Within the Qingling Star Travel prodigy camp.

Lu Yuan transmitted his voice to the group, "Once inside the Divine Ruins, use the Virtual Realm to contact each other. Gather around me as the center immediately. Don't bother with anything else."

"Understood."

All twenty-three prodigies of Qingling Star Travel nodded, raising no objections.

At this moment, they were very humble.

Because they had no choice but to be humble.

Back home, each of them was the top prodigy of their respective sects, looking down on all their peers.

But here, anyone you grabbed at random was no worse than them.

Everything they had once been proud of now seemed utterly insignificant.

In their hearts, tension and fear even began to stir.

Perhaps only by staying close to Lu Yuan could they feel at ease.

After all the prodigies had entered the spatial rift.

The many powerful figures didn't idle either. Each took out their own cultivation grounds, placing them directly in the void, and began to converse. Yet, subtly, they still split into five camps, representing the five continents.

Dark, Bright, Vast, Primordial, Divine Martial.

"The little ones this batch aren't bad. Lu Yuan of the Dark Continent, Nangong Muyue of the Bright Continent, Ye Tian of the Vast Continent, Lin Wuyou of the Primordial Continent, and Ye Gucheng of the Divine Martial Continent—all are invincible prodigies surpassing the level of Prodigy Supreme. They can be considered a tier of their own.

The second tier is Prodigy Supremes, the third tier is first- and second-layer Limit Breaking Prodigies, and the fourth tier is a few Supreme Heavenly Saint little ones hidden among them.

Heh heh, interesting, very interesting. I just wonder who will take first place and earn the title of Number One Prodigy Supreme."

A master who had lived through ancient times stroked his beard and said.

He had witnessed the opening of the Divine Martial Heavenly Ruins countless times, but only this time gave him a sense of brilliance.

Then, another master spoke up.

"That aside, if these five little ones—Lu Yuan and the others—grow up, their future achievements might surpass ours. With their talent, even the Primordial Heaven Court would be scrambling to take them in. The Immortal Court and the Divine Court would be easy for them to enter. I just hope these five little ones don't get lost inside the Divine Ruins. That would be a terrible waste."

"Oh? Two little ones are about to clash so soon. Young people indeed, quick to let their blood run hot."

At the center of the five major camps hung a massive image.

The scene within it was none other than the interior of the Divine Martial Heavenly Ruins.

Yellow sand filled the sky, while a dying sun and a blood moon hung overhead.

Lu Yuan stood amidst the endless desert, surveying his surroundings. This was his first time entering the Divine Martial Heavenly Ruins, a famed arena where prodigies clashed.

But before Lu Yuan could examine things for long—

A sinister voice rang out from behind him.

"Lu Yuan, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon. Have you figured out how you want to die?"