The Fifth and Fourth Appear

In the Demon Ancestor Secret Realm, a complex glint flashed in Dream Demon Ancestor's serpentine eyes.

The Starry Sky Behemoth Alliance was an eternal source of pain for the Monster Race.

Back then, Old Beast God had led the Starry Sky Behemoth lineage away from the Monster Race to become independent. Ever since, it had left a wound in her heart that was difficult to heal.

Now even the Starry Sky Behemoths' younger generation had reached fifth place, a full four ranks above Frost Parasite. The anger in her heart refused to subside.

Tremor Demon Ancestor noticed her silence and slowly spoke. "Starry Sky Behemoths are born with high gene levels, and their imperial bloodline is comparable to a Supreme Treasure of the same rank. He Qiu owes much of his fifth-place ranking to his bloodline."

He didn't finish, but Meng Cha understood.

Bloodline was innate. The Monster Race could never match the Starry Sky Behemoths in that regard.

Rather than envy their bloodline, they would be better off focusing on innate talent, comprehension, temperament, and will—all things that could be honed after birth.

Frost Parasite reaching ninth place was already the limit of a comeback against the odds. To go any higher, one needed the foundation of a powerful race.

Inside the Zerg Queen's palace, the Queen gently set down the Eternal Pearl. Her lovely face showed no emotion.

She wasn't surprised that the Starry Sky Behemoth Alliance had made the top five. In terms of physical strength and affinity for laws alone, the Hill-Ravine Behemoths to which He Qiu belonged had almost no rivals among those of the same rank.

But something else concerned her: of the four names ahead of He Qiu, at least two were likely humans.

At the same time, inside the Demon Beast Alliance Main Hall, Lie Tianzun raised his enormous head and stared at the familiar name on the Sky Screen. "He Qiu is fifth."

His voice was low, as if grinding its way up from deep in his chest.

He had fought He Qiu before. During a trial in the Ancestral God Secret Realm, he had relied on the physical strength of his ancestral bloodline to face He Qiu head-on. In the end, He Qiu had slapped him hundreds of kilometers away.

It was the first time in his life he had been crushed by an opponent of the same rank through sheer physical strength.

Lie Tianzun fell silent for a long time. At last, he merely scraped the ground with his hoof and said nothing.

In Chaos City, when Luo Feng saw He Qiu's name, an almost imperceptible glimmer passed through his eyes.

His Golden Horned Beast clone was also a Starry Sky Behemoth. Its physical strength and gene level were likewise among the best of its rank.

The Golden Horned Beast excelled at devouring and strengthening itself, while the Hill-Ravine Behemoth had the advantage in affinity for laws and overwhelming physical power.

They followed different paths, but both stood at the pinnacle of flesh-and-blood lifeforms.

If he ever faced He Qiu, Luo Feng would like to see how the Golden Horned Beast's Xueluo Power and the gene enhancement from the First Tribulation of the Nine Tribulations Manual would compare to the innate advantage of an imperial bloodline.

On the Sky Screen, He Qiu's battle projection began to unfold.

It showed a star field composed entirely of chaotic energy currents.

In the background, countless unformed Primal Universe stars slowly revolved in the currents. Each was as large as a star and radiated a primitive, violent energy.

He Qiu's winding body coiled through the starry sky, using one of the Primal Universe stars as a throne. His five sharp horns gleamed in the chaotic light.

He had more than one opponent.

Three King-level Immortals from different races, all well-known powerhouses.

But from the very start of the battle, the three were forced onto the defensive.

He Qiu simply gave them no chance to use their individual strengths.

He immediately expanded his body to its largest form, stretching out over a hundred thousand kilometers. The golden runes on every scale lit up at once, and the chaotic currents across millions of kilometers were abruptly drained away. The golden patterns spread outward from his body like an ancient formation.

"Talent—Earth-Space Domain." In the inner hall of the City Lord's residence, City Lord of Chaos nodded slightly.

The Earth-Space Domain wasn't a simple suppression of the surrounding area. It was a dual resonance of laws and physical strength, activated through the Hill-Ravine Behemoth bloodline.

Within the domain, He Qiu's physical strength surged again, while his opponents' use of laws was suppressed to the limit.

Their attacks struck his scales and raised a string of sparks before vanishing without a trace.

He Qiu's counterattack was simplicity itself: a single slap.

No complicated secret arts, no dazzling fusion of laws—just one slap.

His claws carried space laws compressed to the limit alongside the Law of Earth, crushing down with pure force.

The first opponent was sent flying, smashing through two Primal Universe stars before barely coming to a stop.

The second tried to launch a flanking attack, but He Qiu swept him with his tail, instantly pulverizing his entire arm and half his shoulder.

The third was suppressed in the Earth-Space Domain for half a stick of incense. In the end, He Qiu knocked away his weapon with a horn and left him at his mercy.

There was no trickery in this fight.

It was sheer physical domination, bolstered by the amplification of an innate law domain: a head-on clash with life and death taken lightly.

Anyone with eyes could see that only Special Lifeforms who stood at the very top of the life hierarchy or lucky ones blessed with heaven-defying inheritances could stand against He Qiu head-on.

As the battle projection slowly faded, viewers throughout the Primal Universe gained a clearer understanding of the terrifying power of the Starry Sky Behemoth imperial bloodline.

[Starry Sky Behemoth Alliance's He Qiu. World Lord, ninth rank.]

[Law Comprehension: High King.]

[Will: Peak Marquis.]

[Overall Evaluation: S-rank innate talent and comprehension, SS-rank will, A-rank temperament.]

[His comprehension, will, and potential for growth make him worthy of fifth place among the top ten geniuses below the Immortal level in the Third Reincarnation Era of the Primal Universe.]

[Evaluation complete.]

[Reward: Divine Power Burning Secret Technique (First Stage).]

[Reward: Soul-type supreme Supreme Treasure, 'Heart-Piercing Mirror.' (Enhances Soul Attack by one level and guards the soul.)]

[Reward: One True God Level Will Secret Technique.]

When the words "soul-type supreme Supreme Treasure" appeared on the Sky Screen, the entire Primal Universe fell silent.

A soul-type supreme Supreme Treasure! It was the most valuable and rarest type of all Supreme Treasures.

Attack-type, armor-type, domain-type, and palace-type Supreme Treasures were all precious, but soul-type supreme Supreme Treasures were far rarer.

The Zerg Queen's Eternal Pearl was a soul-type supreme Supreme Treasure. Its value was enough to drive any Universe Strongest to madness.

And now, one had gone to a World Lord-level Starry Sky Behemoth.

For the Starry Sky Behemoths, whose physical bodies were already invincible, this was like filling in their only weakness.

At the Starry Sky Behemoth Alliance's ancestral grounds, Old Beast God looked at the reward entry on the Sky Screen. Satisfaction gleamed in his dragon eyes.

He would certainly be the one to use this Supreme Treasure for now. He Qiu was only a World Lord, and it would be a long time before he could use it.

With the Heart-Piercing Mirror guarding his soul and strengthening his Soul Attack, and a True God Level Will Secret Technique to boot, even the Starry Sky Behemoth Progenitor could finally stand tall!

Inside the Zerg Queen's palace, the Queen remained silent for a long time.

Her Eternal Pearl and the Heart-Piercing Mirror were both soul-type supreme Supreme Treasures. She understood better than anyone the significance of such treasures.

An invincible Old Beast God with a soul-type Supreme Treasure as well.

In her long life, she had seen such a combination only a handful of times. Each time, it had belonged to a dominant force in the Universe Ocean.

In the Demon Ancestor Secret Realm, Tremor Demon Ancestor and Dream Demon Ancestor exchanged a silent glance.

Neither of them possessed a soul-type Supreme Treasure. That alone was enough for top opponents of the same rank to seize on their weakness and torment them relentlessly.

On an unnamed planet, Yang Yu continued watching the Sky Screen as he drank.

A soul-type supreme Supreme Treasure for fifth place—that was a decent reward.

"Fourth." He murmured softly, his gaze piercing through layers of space and time. "Four spots left. Hong's second place is all but certain, and Luo Feng's first place is beyond doubt. I wonder which two factions are squeezed in between them."

He set down his wine jug, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

On the Sky Screen, more text appeared.

[TOP 4: Snow Border Alliance's Bing Yan]

In the Snow Border Alliance's main hall, inside the Extreme Cold Palace floating deep within an icy star field, Snow Border True God slowly rose from his throne.

His enormous body, covered in white fur, cast a long shadow beneath the palace dome. Unfathomable emotions churned in his aged beastly eyes.

Among all the Primal Universe's superpowers, the Snow Border Alliance was the most unusual.

It had once been an independent subsidiary alliance, personally led by Snow Border True God, a Universe Strongest. Before the Sky Screen's power rankings appeared, it was no different in essence from the other subsidiary alliances.

But after the Sky Screen's power rankings were released, a drastic upheaval struck the Snow Border Alliance.

Nine Universe Masters left en masse to join the Hong Alliance, and the alliance nearly fell apart.

Sitting alone in the empty hall, Snow Border True God had, for the first time, felt that even the bitter cold was no match for the chill in his heart.

But later, three of the nine Universe Masters who had left quietly returned after establishing themselves in the Hong Alliance. Two scattered races that had remained neutral also came seeking refuge.

The Snow Border Alliance gradually built its numbers back up to more than a dozen Universe Masters.

Though it was nowhere near its peak, it had at least preserved the core of a subsidiary alliance.

Bing Yan was a genius discovered among the bloodlines of the returning races. Snow Border True God had poured all his remaining resources into her.

There was only one reason: he needed someone who could win a spot for the Snow Border Alliance on the Sky Screen's genius rankings.

"Bing Yan. Fourth place."

Snow Border True God's voice was hoarse and low, colored by a stubbornness that refused to die despite countless blows.

He looked at the slender, ice-white figure standing in the center of the hall, pride flashing in his eyes without his even realizing it. "You've placed above even the Starry Sky Behemoth imperial bloodline. You've restored the Snow Border Alliance's honor."

Bing Yan knelt on one knee, her crystalline hair falling over her armor with a faint clatter.

Her appearance was very similar to a human's. She was slender and graceful, and her skin was a translucent pale blue, as if carved from the purest ten-thousand-year-old ice.

Her features were beautiful yet austere. Her ice-blue eyes showed no emotion—not calm, but frozen.

"This disciple has not failed you." Her voice was crisp as ice crystals striking the ground, brief and firm.

Snow Border True God nodded and said nothing more.

He sat back on his throne, his white-furred chest rising and falling slightly.

Fourth place was far beyond his expectations.

He had thought that breaking into the top ten would be the best Bing Yan could manage. He had never imagined she would climb as high as fifth, surpassing the Starry Sky Behemoth imperial bloodline.

In the Demon Ancestor Secret Realm, Dream Demon Ancestor's serpentine eyes narrowed slightly.

Another one had ranked higher than Frost Parasite.

The Snow Border Alliance wasn't even considered a peak race, yet it had produced a genius in the top five.

Snow Border True God had indeed staked everything on Bing Yan this reincarnation era, but her fourth-place ranking was still difficult for Dream Demon Ancestor to accept.

Tremor Demon Ancestor remained silent beside her. He had accepted reality sooner than Meng Cha.

Only one member of the Monster Race, Frost Parasite, had made the list. The remaining spots had nothing to do with them.

Rather than waste their will on envy, they would be better off thinking about how to cultivate the next Frost Parasite.

In the Demon Beast Alliance Main Hall, the Beast Ancestor's tapping on the armrest quickened noticeably.

The Snow Border Alliance had once been a potential ally he had tried to court, but Snow Border True God had ultimately chosen to remain independent.

Now Bing Yan had ranked fourth, a full three places above Blood Fang. The Beast Ancestor couldn't help regretting that he hadn't put more effort into winning over the Snow Border Alliance.

In Chaos City, Luo Feng and Hong sat side by side on a cultivation platform.

For millions of years, the Snow Border Alliance had barely been noticed. Yet it had produced such a dark horse on the genius rankings.

Bing Yan, the Special Lifeform who had made it into the top four, had forged a new path in combining the Law of Wind and the Law of Water—a path even Luo Feng had never imagined.

He realized that the Primal Universe was far vaster than he had thought. Every corner might hide an underestimated opponent.

On the Sky Screen, Bing Yan's battle projection began to unfold.

It showed an extraordinarily magnificent river of ice and stars.

In the background, countless stars' light was repeatedly refracted through ice-crystal prisms woven from the laws of extreme cold and wind, transforming into dazzling auroras that filled the sky.

Bing Yan's slender figure flickered in and out of view amid the auroras. Her method of movement was strange.

She was neither flying nor teleporting. Instead, her entire body turned into a cold wind carrying ice crystals, flowing from one aurora into another. Her path was impossible to track.

Her opponent was an Immortal-level Special Lifeform. It wasn't large, but it was extremely fast, skilled in space laws and mental attacks, and had once hunted down several High King powerhouses on its own.

But against Bing Yan, this experienced hunter was on the back foot from the very beginning.

It couldn't find its target.

Bing Yan's figure continuously split apart and reformed within the blizzard of ice crystals. Every time she vanished and reappeared, she left behind an ice clone. Around three tenths of them carried the fluctuations of her soul, while the remaining seven tenths were nothing but tricks of ice and wind.

Each time the opponent shattered an ice clone with an attack, the ice fragments that burst from it swept back along the attack's path, automatically creating the next wave of misdirection.

When she had gradually worn away her opponent's patience and Origin Force reserves with this method, Bing Yan finally appeared.

She formed a hand seal. The Law of Wind and the Law of Water converged at her fingertips, and an ice-blue spiral storm swept her opponent inside.

Countless ice crystals spun and scraped against one another at high speed within the storm, letting out a grating shriek. Every crystal was a tiny blade, cutting at incredible speed.

Her opponent tried to teleport away, but the storm itself distorted the surrounding space laws and disrupted the teleportation path. Every extra breath it remained trapped inside doubled the cutting force.

At last, the storm abruptly collapsed, freezing her opponent completely and turning it into a lifelike ice statue suspended in the void.

It was an extremely unusual fighting style.

She combined the speed and changeability of the Law of Wind with the drag and freezing power of the Law of Water, giving her an overwhelming advantage in battles of attrition. Then, at the critical moment, she could unleash a domain of extreme cold and kill in a single strike.

Back then, Bing Yan had been ambushed on the Outer Domain Battlefield by a Snow Border Marquis who had turned traitor. An ice clone had taken the fatal blow for her, while her true body silently slipped out of the lifeless blizzard. She had needed only one move to counterattack, freezing the Marquis's head into a block of ice.