Four Regions Tremble! Sovereign of the Source Realm!

Above Tianyuan City, a golden curtain of light suddenly exploded into view, spreading across the sky and nearly blotting out the heavens. At that moment, a voice rang out in the minds of every living being in the Source Realm:

[Source Realm Announcement]

[Notice: Congratulations to "???" for completing the "Apex of Ten Thousand Races" achievement! As the first being in Source Realm history to attain this achievement, this announcement is hereby made to all under heaven. Let the ten thousand races celebrate together!]

In an instant, the entire Source Realm fell silent. Then, all four regions were shaken!

Endless Sea, Deepsea Royal Court.

Within an enormous coral palace, a Naga queen with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish suddenly opened her eyes. She drove the trident in her hand heavily into the ground, making the entire palace tremble.

"Taiwan Novel Network: remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network. Smooth and convenient, visit anytime."

"Apex of Ten Thousand Races?" Her voice was low and imposing as it echoed through the empty hall. "I have lived for two thousand years, yet I have never seen this achievement!"

The attendants beside her were all kneeling on the ground. No one dared respond.

The Naga queen slowly rose to her feet, her crimson hair hanging to her waist like seaweed.

She walked to the palace window and gazed through the thick seawater at the lingering white light in the sky. That dazzling line of text was reflected in her pupils.

"Witnessed by heaven and earth..."

She murmured, "Even heaven and earth have been stirred. This person's strength has likely surpassed the ninth rank!"

She fell silent for a moment before turning and issuing an order. "Send word: all clansmen fighting abroad are to immediately pull back their lines. Before we uncover this supreme expert's background, no one is to provoke any faction!"

Northern Border, Frostwolf Plateau.

A Frostwolf King as massive as a small mountain lay sprawled atop a cliff frozen solid for ten thousand years. Its silver fur whipped wildly in the wind.

It opened a pair of ice-blue eyes and looked southward, releasing a deep growl from its throat.

The announcement in the sky lingered in its mind for a long time.

"Apex of Ten Thousand Races..."

The Frostwolf King's voice was rough and heavy, like boulders rolling down a mountainside. "I am only half a step away from the tenth rank, yet I still dare not call myself the 'apex.' Just what is this mysterious being?"

It rose, shook the ice and snow from its body, and howled toward the heavens.

That wolf howl spread across the entire Northern Border. Every Frostwolf that heard it raised its head and answered.

For a time, wolf howls rose and fell across the plateau.

The Frostwolf King stopped howling, and a trace of wariness flashed through its eyes.

"Withdraw our territory. Do not take the initiative to attack." It ordered the wolf pack behind it, "Before we identify this supreme expert, no one is permitted to cross the border."

A young Frostwolf asked in confusion, "King, the tiger clan is weak. This is the perfect time for us to expand. Why should we retreat?"

The Frostwolf King lowered its head to look at it, then raised a paw and smacked it into the snow.

"You dare question my decision!?"

"Whine... N-No, I wouldn't dare..."

Southern Frontier, Moltenfire Abyss.

Crimson lava surged without end, and the rising heat distorted the air.

At the deepest point of the abyss, a sleeping fire dragon slowly opened its eyes. The light from above was reflected in its vertical pupils.

It yawned and exhaled a plume of black smoke.

"Apex of Ten Thousand Races..."

The fire dragon's voice was lazy and hoarse, as though it had not fully awakened. "That legendary achievement... a being actually managed to attain it. The one at the apex of the ten thousand races shall be the Sovereign of the Source Realm..."

"Heh heh, those ancient races have ruled for far too long. They probably stopped recognizing that rule ages ago..."

"But it has nothing to do with me anyway."

The fire dragon grumbled and closed its eyes again. "Whoever it is, just don't come bothering me."

With that, it fell back into a deep sleep.

Western Desert, Golden Holy City.

Within a palace forged entirely from gold, an old man in white robes sat cross-legged.

His face was kind, his eyes half-closed, and a faint golden radiance surrounded him.

When the announcement appeared in the sky, his aura paused for an instant.

And so,

Every living being in the holy city sensed the change.

"Sovereign of the Source Realm..."

The old man's voice was calm as still water, revealing neither joy nor anger. He opened his eyes, and what seemed to be a starry sky flowed within them. "Heh heh, I would like to see whether this Sovereign of the Source Realm can bear such a title."

A golden being made of light appeared beside him and asked in a low voice, "Master, should we investigate?"

The old man shook his head and closed his eyes again. "No need. Since the other party intends to hide, we will not be able to find them no matter what we do. But before long, they will certainly reveal themselves."

At the same time.

Human territory, the imperial capital of Skywatch City.

Inside the Heaven Pavilion's council hall, which symbolized humanity's highest authority, more than a dozen elderly men sat around a massive round table.

They were humanity's highest decision-makers.

Every one of them was an eighth-rank expert. Every one represented humanity's strongest combat power.

Yet at this moment, these normally lofty figures all wore grim expressions, their faces solemn.

At the end of the round table, a white-haired elder slowly spoke. "You all saw it?"

No one answered.

Because there was no need to answer.

Everyone in the Source Realm had seen that announcement.

The white-haired elder was named Zhou Tianyan. He was the chief elder of the human Heaven Pavilion council and the strongest known human expert at present.

At the peak of the eighth rank.

Only one step away from the ninth rank.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of joy on his face.

"Apex of Ten Thousand Races."

When Zhou Tianyan spoke those four words, his voice carried an indescribable bitterness. "Among the ten thousand races of the Source Realm, fewer than a handful have reached the absolute peak in tens of thousands of years. Now another has appeared. The Source Realm may be about to change."

A middle-aged general in armor beside the round table said in a deep voice, "I have ordered the armies in all directions to strengthen their patrols. If the surrounding foreign races make any unusual move, they will report it immediately!"

"I fear that by the time there is anything to report, it will already be too late."

Zhou Tianyan lightly tapped his fingers on the tabletop, producing dull knocks. "The birth of a supreme expert among another race may not affect us directly, but the chain reaction it triggers alone could doom us beyond redemption!"

An old woman in black robes sighed. "Humanity is already weak, constantly being suppressed by the surrounding foreign races. Now an Apex of Ten Thousand Races has appeared. No matter which race they belong to, our days will only grow harder."

"Could it be..." A younger council member hesitantly spoke. "Could this Apex of Ten Thousand Races be from humanity?"

Several bitter laughs sounded around the round table.

Zhou Tianyan shook his head without speaking, but his expression already said everything.

Impossible.

Humans were inherently frail in body. That was an indisputable fact.

Among the ten thousand races of the Source Realm, humanity ranked near the bottom. They had survived all these years not through strength, but because the territory they occupied was too barren—so barren that those foreign races could not even be bothered to waste troops occupying it...

The odds of an Apex of Ten Thousand Races coming from humanity were lower than the odds of finding a divine artifact on the street.

"We should first consider how to respond."

Zhou Tianyan sighed and said in a grave voice, "In my view, we should currently retract our territory and pull the border back to the Southridge region... If necessary, we may have to abandon the entire southern region!"

The council hall fell into a long silence.

Abandoning the south.

That would mean humanity's current territory would shrink by one-third.

And it would be the richest third of their land! They already lacked the resources to nurture a ninth-rank expert. After this, there would be even less hope...