"Whoa!"
At Mu Chen's words, an uproar of astonishment instantly erupted across the Reception Platform!
After the shock came a sense of unbelievable absurdity, followed by rapidly rising fury.
"What did you say?" A youth in a brocade robe, his features somewhat effeminate, was the first to step forward. His aura had already reached the early Divine Soul Realm.
He stared at Mu Chen, his lips curling into an icy smile. "I didn't quite hear you. Say that again?"
"Those with a seed quota, hand over your marks." Mu Chen repeated himself patiently, even adding, "Save yourselves some suffering."
"Ha!" Another youth, dark-skinned and built like an iron tower, laughed in sheer fury. The muscles in his arms bulged, his aura wild. "Kid, do you even know what you're saying? Stealing marks? From all of us?"
"Just because you're a core disciple?"
There were sixteen youths with seed quotas present. Every one of them was at least at the late Spirit Wheel Realm, and quite a few had reached the Divine Soul Realm!
In an instant, anger flashed through their eyes. Their auras began to rise, locking onto Mu Chen.
The other onlookers swiftly backed away, clearing a larger space. Their eyes gleamed as they prepared to watch a good show.
Anyone who dared to be this arrogant either possessed terrifying strength or was a complete fool. They would soon see which.
Tang Qian'er instinctively moved half a step closer to Mu Chen. She knew he was strong, but she was still a little nervous.
The sparrow on Mu Chen's shoulder lifted her tiny head. Her black, beady eyes glanced at the dozen or so aggressive figures before them, then she lowered her head again, bored.
To her, those surging spiritual energy fluctuations did not even amount to a breeze brushing her face.
Mu Chen looked at the young faces before him, some furious, some sneering, some eager to fight. His smile grew wider.
So this was the joy of showing off?
"Of course it's because of my strength."
The next instant.
"Bzz-"
An indescribably vast fluctuation spread from his seemingly slender body without the slightest warning!
An earth-shaking aura erupted, spiritual energy soaring into the sky!
It was like an ancient iceberg suddenly rising beneath a calm sea. Even the single corner it revealed filled their entire field of vision and subdued the whole ocean!
The air across the entire Reception Platform abruptly grew thick and heavy!
The seed quota holders who had been gathering their spiritual energy to strike all underwent a drastic change in expression!
"Urgh!"
"What is this...?!"
The effeminate youth closest to Mu Chen bore the brunt of it. His whole body tightened, as though he had been plunged into an ocean ten thousand fathoms deep. Terrifying, invisible pressure crushed him from every direction!
He frantically drove the spiritual energy within him. Emerald light flickered violently across his body, yet it was like a candle flame in a gale, wavering between light and darkness, on the verge of going out.
With a muffled grunt, he involuntarily staggered back seven or eight steps, then fell to his knees. His face instantly flushed crimson, his eyes filled with horror.
The towering, powerfully built youth roared in fury. An earthen-yellow glow rose over his body, his muscles bulging as he tried to withstand the pressure head-on.
But he lasted only a single breath before his legs abruptly buckled, his kneecaps groaning beneath the unbearable burden.
That invisible weight forced him down onto one knee. Veins bulged on his forehead and his teeth clenched tight, yet he could no longer stand!
Without exception, all the seed quota holders reeled beneath the terrifying pressure that had suddenly descended. Some stumbled backward, some knelt, some lay prostrate-not a single one could remain standing!
And it was not just them.
Though none of the gifted young onlookers were being targeted, they still felt their breathing catch. It was as though a boulder had settled on their hearts. Their blood churned, and their spiritual energy circulated sluggishly.
The weaker ones turned pale and staggered backward.
Across the entire Reception Platform, a falling pin could have been heard.
Only that invisible yet undeniable pressure remained, flowing slowly like a tangible tide, suppressing every stir of agitation and resistance.
"The... Heaven Reaching Realm?!"
The elderly figure of light stared, dumbfounded, wondering whether something had gone wrong with his senses!
He had received countless groups of young newcomers. Reaching the Heaven Fusion Realm was already the absolute limit, so how had someone at the Heaven Reaching Realm appeared?
How was he supposed to handle this? There was no precedent! He had better report it first!
At those words, the seed quota holders were shaken to their very cores. They looked at Mu Chen as though he were a monster.
The Heaven Reaching Realm!
It was the last of the Three Heavens Realm stages, a height that many small clans' patriarchs and regional overlords could never attain even after striving their entire lives!
Yet this black-clad youth before them, who looked about their age or perhaps even younger, had already stepped into that realm?
How was that possible?! How could such a freak exist?!
Standing beside Mu Chen, Tang Qian'er counted the gap between them. Four whole major realms...
He was too strong-so strong that even looking up to him required courage.
"Don't overthink it. No matter what, you'll always be my big sister Qian'er." Sensing the change in her mood, Mu Chen reached out and rubbed her head, reassuring her.
Indeed, even without any resources to aid him, relying solely on his own cultivation and two months of steady accumulation, he had naturally broken through the shackles of the Heaven Transformation Realm and officially entered the Heaven Reaching Realm.
He had even reached its late stage!
"Since you're unwilling to hand them over, I'll just take them myself."
Perfect. Time to try out his newly acquired divine ability.
False World, True Realm: Future-Taking Body!
With a thought, the divine ability activated.
In Mu Chen's perception, the world had changed. He had entered a false world that belonged to him alone!
Time accelerated, reaching the moment when "he" obtained the seed quota holders' Spirit Seals.
Taking from the future in advance!
To the outside world, it was merely an instant's blur.
The differently colored marks that had been shimmering on the foreheads of the immobilized seed quota holders suddenly dimmed in unison, without any warning, dropping to level one!
The mark on Mu Chen's forehead flashed faintly, then its radiance receded and it returned to normal.
He had already taken their marks!
Tang Qian'er was stunned as well. She had been the closest, yet she had not seen anything clearly.
Mu Chen raised his hand, curled his index finger, and gently tapped the little head of the sparrow on his shoulder, rousing her from her daze.
The sparrow gave a disgruntled chirp, wriggled, and pecked his cheek. Her black, beady eyes were full of curiosity!
Even she, the Nine Nether Sparrow on the verge of breaking through to the Supreme Realm, had failed to grasp what had just happened!
Mu Chen ignored her. His gaze swept over the people sprawled on the ground, amusement in his voice. "Many thanks."
With that, he spared them no further glance. Turning to Tang Qian'er, who was still somewhat dazed beside him, he said, "Let's go. There's nothing left for us here on the Reception Platform."
The pressure abruptly vanished. The seed quota holders felt their bodies loosen, only to stagger, fall onto their backsides, or collapse limply. Every one of them was pale as paper, their auras feeble.
Their eyes were blank. They felt only that the marks on their foreheads had been emptied, while their bodies felt as though they had suffered a savage beating.
What exactly had happened?
There had been no casting process, no spiritual energy fluctuations, no contact. They had not even seen Mu Chen make a single move!
What... what kind of method was this?!
How had their marks simply been taken away?
Before you continue