Outside Perching Phoenix Hall, clouds billowed amid radiant mists, and the gnarled, sturdy branches of the Crimson Flame Divine Wood shimmered crimson in the twilight.
As soon as Yun Qing stepped onto the plaza paved with nine-heaven snow jade, he saw a lone figure in black robes embroidered with gold standing beneath the divine tree. His broad sleeves snapped in the wind. It was Yun Huang.
He gazed up at the sky, the contours of his profile cold and distant in the fading light. The pressure surrounding him made space itself warp slightly, as though he were waiting for something-or merely surveying the world that had once been under his control.
"You're here." Yun Huang did not turn. His pale-gold eyes remained fixed on the heavens, his voice as clear and cold as jade chimes striking together.
Yun Qing paused, recalling his earlier words, "You'll know soon enough." Without disturbing him, he slowly walked to a spot beside and slightly behind Yun Huang, then raised his head as well.
Of the two brothers, one was like a blazing sun suspended in the sky, radiating boundless splendor; the other was like an ancient abyss and a towering mountain, still waters running deep. As dusk closed in from every direction, they formed a tableau charged with tension.
No words were needed. An unspoken understanding flowed through the silence. The surrounding Cloud Valor Guards had long since withdrawn into the distance, heads bowed and breaths held, not daring to disturb the tranquility of this little world. Only the wind brushed past their ears.
At that very instant-
"Clang-!"
A distant, magnificent toll, as though it had come from the primordial wilderness, thundered forth!
Without warning, the bell's toll descended from the nine heavens! It blasted its way into the depths of every living being's soul! Bearing a supreme cadence that shook their Dao Foundations, it was as though the Great Dao itself had arrived and the laws of existence were ringing in harmony!
"Clang-!" "Clang-!" "Clang-!"
Nine tolls rang out in succession, each grander and more earth-shaking than the last! Mountains and rivers trembled, and seas of clouds churned!
The tolls spread to every corner of the Heavenly Origin Continent. Whether ancient monsters who had cultivated in seclusion for a thousand years or children just setting foot on the Dao Path, whether within the thriving heartlands of sects or in desolate, uninhabited death zones, every living being's soul shook violently, and all looked up at the heavens despite themselves!
The next moment, beneath countless gazes filled with shock, excitement, and fervor.
High in the nine heavens, purple qi surged across thirty thousand li, and golden radiance spanned three thousand domains! An indescribably vast scroll stretched across the myriad heavens and worlds, like the Heavenly Dao opening its eyes!
Golden light blazed, laws entwined, and chaos aura permeated the air. Before its supreme majesty, even true immortals had to bow their heads!
Upon the scroll, two lines of ancient immortal script imbued with supreme Dao resonance slowly emerged like brands of the Great Dao. Their meaning revealed itself, their voices rang out of their own accord, proclaiming to the universe:
"The list hangs in the nine heavens as the immortal hour arrives; prodigies of myriad domains pay homage to Azure Cloud!"
The instant the verse was complete, heaven and earth resonated!
Radiant clouds blazed, and the voice of the Dao resounded in grandeur!
"The Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List! The Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List is opening!" An ancient monster nearing the end of his lifespan tore through the void in excitement, tears streaming down his aged face. "An age of glory! This is truly a glorious age of great contention!"
"I'll make the list! I must make the list!" Countless young prodigies' eyes shone brilliantly, their blood boiling and their fighting spirit soaring into the heavens.
The entire Heavenly Origin Continent descended into utter frenzy!
In the markets of the Southern Jambu Continent, rogue cultivators abandoned their stalls to cheer; within the secret realms of the Northern Kuru Continent, secluded cultivators who ignored worldly affairs emerged from seclusion; outside the sects of the Western Ox-Ho Continent, disciples crowded around their elders to gaze skyward, all trembling with excitement.
In a tavern in a prosperous immortal city in the Eastern Region, a white-haired elder stroked his beard and explained loudly to the cultivators gathered around him, "Do you know the origins of the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List? This list was ordained by the Heavenly Dao. It has never opened on a fixed date. Only when an age of great prosperity arrives and prodigies emerge in droves does it appear in response to destiny! Anyone who makes the list is certain to have a smooth Dao Path ahead! As the saying goes, 'The Great Dao shines manifest, judging victory and defeat; upon the Azure Cloud path, immortal grace is proven!'"
"But what exactly do you gain from making the list? How does that suddenly make your Dao Path smooth?!" a young cultivator asked urgently.
An old rogue cultivator at the neighboring table answered, "Youngster, the benefits of making this list can defy the heavens! Never mind rewards like ancient inheritances and keys to secret realms-which of those sects and aristocratic clans with deep foundations lack such things? What those great figures value is that, once someone makes the list, the individual receives the Heavenly Dao's favor, while their sect is nourished in turn by providence! Providence-that's the key! The more prodigies who make the list, the stronger their clan's and sect's fortunes become. They can even draw forth the spiritual veins of heaven and earth and shelter an entire territory."
At this, the white-haired elder took over again. Pointing skyward with an air of secrecy, he said mysteriously, "Do you know that 'Yun' at the very pinnacle of the heavens secured its place at the head of the Four Ancient Clans precisely because generation after generation of its prodigies fought their way onto the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List?"
The crowd erupted, the fire in their eyes burning even hotter. This was not merely an opportunity for an individual, but a stepping stone for an entire lineage or sect to rise!
Across this continent, the various powers were entwined like roots and branches. There were the Four Ancient Clans, whose legacies stretched back to primordial times; the Three Daoist Sects, who held the reins of the righteous path; the Two Great Immortal Dynasties, each dominating its own territory; and numerous other powers that could not be underestimated, such as the Demon Realm, the Buddha Kingdom, and the Demon Domain.
And the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List stood above every power in this world, a supreme event governed autonomously by the laws of the Heavenly Dao to select the children of providence!
At that moment, powerful fluctuations of aura erupted within the core territories of the titanic powers that held authority over this world.
In the depths of the imperial city of the Great Xia Ancient Dynasty in Central Province, a middle-aged man wearing a nine-dragon robe opened his eyes, his aura as fathomless as an abyss or an ocean. His gaze pierced palace after palace to reach the heavens. "The Azure Cloud List... Convey my decree. All subjects of Great Xia whose bone age is below three hundred may contend for the list! Order the Crown Prince and the Third Prince to emerge from seclusion at once!"
In the Eastern Region, besides the Yun Clan, there was also the Azure Lotus Sword Sect, one of the Three Daoist Sects. Within its sword tomb, ten thousand swords rang in unison. An elder in hemp robes stroked the ancient sword humming beside him and sighed softly. "The way of the sword shall flourish. Let me see how far this generation's youths can go."
In the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sacred Land in the Western Region, Buddhist chants echoed in waves. A venerable monk with a solemn, dignified countenance pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. The boundless mortal world is also a place to temper the heart. Buddha's disciple, descend the mountain."
In the Demon Race Ancestral Court in the Southern Wilds, dragons roared and phoenixes cried. An enormous figure stood atop a mountain, his voice shaking the wilderness. "Lads! Show those humans the might of our Demon Race's prodigies!"
Beneath the glaciers of the Northern Border, the gates of the mysterious Ice God Palace silently opened, and cold air spread across ten thousand li.
Inside Dongyu Tavern, the young cultivator was overwhelmed with excitement. "Senior! Please stop keeping us in suspense! Just what does it take to qualify?"
"Heh, don't be impatient, lad. Any living being of this world whose immortal age is below three hundred may participate!"
The elder's voice rang out clearly. "The Heavenly Dao will first select over ten thousand of the finest prodigies and bestow Azure Cloud Marks upon them. These brands appear between their brows and serve as their initial credentials for entry. Once the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List truly opens, those without a mark can challenge those who possess one. Victory means seizing their mark! In past events, there has been no shortage of hidden prodigies capable of concealing themselves from heaven's divination who burst onto the scene midway through. Thus, the rankings are not set in stone and can change at any moment through battle or opportunity. Only at the instant the Azure Cloud List officially closes will the rankings be fixed!"
As though to confirm the elder's words, the enormous golden scroll in the heavens did not immediately dissipate after announcing the impending opening of the Azure Cloud List. Instead, its radiance shifted, revealing four colors-yellow, black, azure, and crimson-before abruptly splitting into four streams of light spanning heaven and earth!
Heaven! Earth! Mystic! Yellow!
Before you continue