Zhao King's Manor, Wind River Cave-Heaven. Under a towering tree covered in golden eye-like patterns, a faint hum resonated.
From the tree's heart, an eye slowly opened, emitting dark-gold ripples that spread into the void.
A thousand miles away from the Thousand Illusion Tree, a black-haired young man sat cross-legged on a massive stone slab.
The willpower shockwaves from all directions pressed toward him, yet he remained motionless with his eyes closed, like an unshakable reef amidst raging currents.
Suddenly, the Thousand Illusion Tree stopped shaking. From its heart, a middle-aged man's projection appeared, dressed in the robes of a scholar.
"Emperor, there are only three years left until the Primordial Assembly begins. You still need to reach Beihe Realm Star. It's time to end your training."
"That was fast." Zhao Xing opened his eyes, glancing at his status panel.
[Name: Zhao Xing]
[Realm: Small Divine Ability Stage, Perfection]
[Occupation: Shennong]
[Dao Field: Taiyin, First-Tier]
[Age: 4,210]
[Remaining Lifespan: 2.99 Eras]
[Giant Sun Avatar (Minor): Divine Ability, Sixth-Tier]
[Slaughter Mind Blade (Minor): Divine Ability, Ninth-Tier]
[Mind Bell (Minor): Divine Ability, Sixth-Tier]
[Essence Extraction (Minor): Divine Ability, Fifth-Tier]
[Purple Light Eight Epochs (Minor): Divine Ability, Perfection]
[Three Divinities Destiny Palace (Minor): Divine Ability, Perfection]
[Soul-Heaven Sight (Minor): Divine Ability, Sixth-Tier]
[Divine Fire Turtle Transformation (Minor): Divine Ability, Fifth-Tier]
"Over a hundred years of training… the results are outstanding." Zhao Xing was quite satisfied. Slaughtering Eight-Horned Demon Turtles had significantly improved his willpower-based divine abilities.
As for the Grand Divine Ability 'Five-Finger Mountain,' he had yet to learn it, so it wasn't listed on his status panel.
Zhao Xing waved his hand toward the Thousand Illusion Tree, and in an instant, it retracted its divine ability and rapidly shrunk in size.
In mere moments, it was reduced to half a person's height, resting in Zhao Xing's palm as if growing from his hand.
With a flicker, Zhao Xing appeared at the entrance of Wind River Cave-Heaven.
There, a majestic black dog stood guard. Beside it, a red-haired goat and a black-purple striped cat waited.
"Meow~" The proud Aotian Cat jumped onto Zhao Xing's shoulder, curling up lazily.
The Xiaotian Hound leaped onto Zhao Xing's arm, sniffing the Thousand Illusion Tree, even stretching its tongue to lick it.
"Get lost, stupid dog!" The Thousand Illusion Tree shook its branches, sending the Xiaotian Hound flying.
"Awooo~" Xiaotian let out a miserable yelp, quickly climbing back up Zhao Xing's arm and settling on his right shoulder.
"Baa~~" The red-haired Upside-Down Goat, unable to find a good spot, bleated anxiously.
"Woof woof~" Xiaotian stretched out a paw, mockingly taunting the little red-haired goat.
The Huantian Goat scanned Zhao Xing's body, finding no suitable space. In the end, it jumped onto Zhao Xing's chest, standing firmly.
As long as the surface wasn't at a 90-degree angle, it could stand anywhere!
Zhao Xing chuckled, gently lifting the small goat and placing it next to Xiaotian.
Exiting the cave-heaven, Zhao Xing found a crowd waiting at Zhao King's Manor.
Among them were Liu Tianning, Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, Mi Fu, Ye Yukong, Lu Ying, Xia Jing—almost all of Great Zhou's top officials.
Since the Red Star Empire's once-in-three-thousand-years grand event was approaching, Ji Che had suspended his external inspections, ordering his men to return.
Only Ji Si, Wei Hong, and a few others remained outside.
"Zhao Xing, you finally came out." Long Xiao, dressed in military armor, spoke. "We need to hurry. There are only three years left, and it will take months to reach Beihe Realm Star."
"You're just a little soldier. Why so anxious?" Xia Jing remarked slowly.
"You—!" Long Xiao glared at him.
"Hahaha!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Is everyone here?" Zhao Xing asked.
"All Great Zhou participants have gathered," Lu Ying confirmed. "A total of 312 people."
"Then let's go."
Zhao Xing waved his hand, summoning a realm ship shaped like a lynx.
All 312 people boarded the Lynx-class realm ship.
Once inside, Zhao Xing began reviewing the official details of the Primordial Assembly via his Star Mirror.
[Empire Citizen Zhao Xing, welcome to the Primordial Assembly.]
[The Primordial Assembly consists of four rounds of trials.]
[The first trial takes place at the administrative realm stars of the empire's major high-tier star systems.]
[Your trial location: Beihe Star System, Beihe Realm Star.]
[Registration is now closed. The total number of participants from Beihe Star System: 724.1 billion.]
"Only 724.1 billion?"
Zhao Xing had registered immediately when sign-ups opened.
At the time, within just three minutes, several hundred million people had already signed up.
However, after a hundred years, the final number was only 724.1 billion.
It seemed massive, but the Beihe Star System contained over ten trillion Yin-Yang twin stars, not to mention an uncountable number of realm stars and star continents.
Of course, the number of life-bearing realm stars and star continents was much lower, totaling just over 800 billion.
"The Milky Way itself has over 400 billion stars, and this Beihe Star System is only slightly larger. Its development lags far behind Jing Yan's Beiye Star System."
Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"A registration fee of 10,000 Red Star Coins? Just from sign-ups alone, that's an astronomical sum."
"But compared to the past dozen iterations, participant numbers have been declining."
"Beihe Star System's fiscal deficit keeps growing..."
"Seems like even the empire has reached a bottleneck. No wonder they're in a rush to expand new territories."
Zhao Xing browsed through various financial reports, an ingrained habit from his role as Grand Shennong.
[This Primordial Assembly guarantees absolute fairness and impartiality. All participants will be at the Origin Stage, and external Dao Soldiers, pet beasts, and plant-based troops are strictly prohibited.]
[After the first trial ends, the second trial will begin in 100 years, held across the empire's 28 top-tier star systems.]
[The third trial will commence another 100 years later, in the same location.]
[The fourth and final trial will take place in 100 years, within the 'Primordial Realm.']
The Primordial Assembly consisted of four rounds of selection. Making it to the fourth round meant gaining entry into the Primordial Realm.
However, if one wished to stay and train, they had to pass the fourth round.
"According to the calculations of the 'Dayan Divine Weapon' and past data, out of the 724.1 billion participants in the Beihe Star System, only around 15,000 will pass."
"The competition is fierce."
Out of 724.1 billion people, the Dayan Divine Weapon predicted that only 15,000 would advance!
"But with the event's commencement, many top-tier forces have also arrived at Beihe Realm Star to conduct their own trials. These organizations have much lower entry requirements compared to the Primordial Realm."
For those who wanted to cultivate, there were still many avenues available.
For example, Wanxin Island had also launched recruitment exams in various administrative star systems.
If one couldn't enter the Holy Lands, there were still other options.
In short, Beihe Realm Star was currently bustling with activity.
The 312 participants from Great Zhou wouldn't have made the trip for nothing—even if they didn't pass, it was still a valuable experience.
Three months later, the Lynx-class realm ship entered Beihe Realm Star.
As the center of the Beihe Star System, Beihe Realm Star was considered a top-tier realm star. However, since the entire star system wasn't large, it was only classified as a high-level star system.
Under organized guidance, Zhao Xing and the others descended onto Beihe Realm Star.
Looking up, they saw 72 massive light gates embedded in the realm barrier.
"The 72 light gates serve as the 72 entrances to the trial grounds."
"Which area were you assigned to?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Entrance No. 9." Liu Tianning pointed to the sky. "What about you?"
"Entrance No. 8," Zhao Xing replied. "Who else is assigned with me?"
"Me." Chen Shijie spoke up.
"And me," Xia Jing, Mi Fu, and Ye Yukong also stepped forward.
A total of 23 people were assigned to Trial Zone No. 8.
"There are only about two years left on the countdown. We can enter now to prepare." Zhao Xing stored away the Lynx-class realm ship.
The trial entrances had actually been open for twenty years, meaning Zhao Xing's group was relatively late.
"I wish you all success in passing the trial."
"Move out!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
All 312 people flew toward their respective designated entrances.
Under the vast starry sky, Zhao Xing arrived at a floating platform enclosed in an oval-shaped light barrier.
Mist swirled around him, and behind him was a light gate.
Looking up, Zhao Xing saw a number inscribed on the gate—9510, along with a countdown timer indicating the trial's start time.
"Buzz—"
At the top of the gate frame, a crystal sphere flickered to life.
As Zhao Xing entered, a light projection materialized, and a voice accompanied it.
"I am the artifact spirit of the 'Dayan Divine Weapon.' Your every action is being monitored. Once the trial begins, please refrain from violating the trial regulations. Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to: consuming elixirs, using equipment..."
Zhao Xing remained silent, listening intently.
The message repeated three times before the artifact spirit went silent.
Zhao Xing turned his gaze to his surroundings.
Dense mist obscured everything beyond the platform, making it impossible to see the outside world or determine the trial's content.
The only visible thing was the starry sky above.
Only when the trial officially began would the mist disperse.
Zhao Xing didn't waste time—he closed his eyes, adjusting his state to its peak condition.
Three days before the start of the first round of the Primordial Assembly—
"Buzz—"
From the crystal sphere above the light gate, the Dayan Divine Weapon's artifact spirit appeared once more.
A gentle glow spread across the platform, waking Zhao Xing, who was in meditative cultivation.
"The trial will commence in two days at Chen hour (7 AM). Please prepare accordingly."
Zhao Xing opened his eyes and looked toward the light gate's base.
At that moment, a stone tablet rose from the ground.
On it, a line of gray text appeared:
[Current Remaining Participants: 712 billion]
Since the trial hadn't started yet, the number remained static.
"I must persist until only 15,000 remain to have a chance of passing."
"The longer I last, the better."
The 15,000 figure was merely a prediction by the Dayan Divine Weapon and wasn't entirely precise.
In the highly competitive Beiye Star System, the pass quota was 890,000, mainly due to the higher density of cultivators.
In the Imperial Capital Star System, the first round alone allowed 80 million people to pass, because the spiritual energy environment was superior, producing more geniuses.
To prevent citizens from high-spiritual-energy star systems from registering in weaker regions, the Primordial Assembly required identity verification.
Any individual who had changed their registered residence within the past 3,000 years could only participate in their original home system's trial.
Thus, high-spiritual-energy systems naturally had more difficult trials, as their talents had already undergone extensive training.
Conversely, low-spiritual-energy systems had easier trials, since their participants still had greater untapped potential.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the first trial will feature a 'Thousand Illusion Tree.'"
"I just don't know what tier the one in Beihe Star System will be."
In the Imperial Capital Star System, the Thousand Illusion Tree was at the mid-stage Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm.
Moreover, the floating platforms would slowly drift closer, gradually intensifying the mental shockwaves.
Zhao Xing owned a Thousand Illusion Tree himself, having used it to train extensively over the past century.
Many members of Great Zhou had occasionally trained within Wind River Cave-Heaven, though Zhao Xing never forced them.
The difficulty of the trial was set—even if one prepared ahead of time, those without talent would still be eliminated eventually.
Forcing it served no purpose.
Two days later, the artifact spirit of the Dayan Divine Weapon spoke in a commanding tone.
"The trial begins!"
As its voice fell, the surrounding mist instantly dispersed.
"Buzz—"
In the starry sky ahead, an enormous tree emerged, shrouding the heavens.
It radiated golden light, resembling a miniature sun.
Countless dark-gold leaves covered its branches, each inscribed with intricate eye-like patterns, stretching across the entire sky.
"Rustle—"
The Thousand Illusion Tree swayed its leaves, unleashing a torrent of mental shockwaves that pierced through the barriers, assaulting every trial participant.
Zhao Xing didn't even blink.
"A hundred million miles from the Thousand Illusion Tree… This level of impact feels like a mere tickle."
There was no need to worry about injuries—the barrier was equipped with a recovery formation. If a participant was seriously injured and couldn't endure any longer, they would be immediately teleported away for healing. But, of course, this also meant elimination.
Zhao Xing glanced at the stone tablet beside the light gate and blinked.
Because in just a moment, the remaining participant count had suddenly dropped to six trillion.
"One second… and so many were eliminated?"
"So many people just came to join the excitement."
"Even 10,000 Red Star Coins is still money."
The trial had just started, and the intensity was at its lowest—barely the first stage. Anyone who had undergone even a basic level of willpower training should have been able to endure it with ease.
Yet, despite that, many were instantly eliminated.
"The trials of the Primordial Assembly, whether the first or third stage, are conducted simultaneously. This first test of willpower doesn't distinguish between professions—everyone faces the same challenge."
Cultivators at the Dao Domain Realm were excluded, as they were usually over 10,000 years old, exceeding the age limit. Besides, if a Dao Domain Realm cultivator chose to guard the frontier, even if they were only at the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm, after two to three thousand years, they could earn an entry into the Primordial Realm for further training.
As for Great Divine Ability Realm cultivators, they were exceedingly rare—even among a billion Third Stage cultivators, there might not be a single one who could break through the bottleneck and continue advancing within the Origin Realm. The Primordial Realm sought out precisely these Great Divine Ability cultivators.
"I wonder if the Beihe Star System will have at least 2,000 Great Divine Ability cultivators this time?"
Zhao Xing pondered.
There was no accurate data for reference, so he couldn't be sure.
However, even being a Great Divine Ability cultivator wasn't a guaranteed pass—some abilities simply weren't suited for this particular trial.
For example, even if Zhao Xing had mastered the Five-Finger Mountain Divine Ability, it wouldn't be any use against a test of willpower. If one couldn't withstand the mental pressure, raw strength was meaningless.
"Boom—"
After the first day, the floating platforms began to move forward.
Zhao Xing noticed countless light spots in the distance—these were other participants, though their features were unclear.
The barriers prevented participants from interfering with each other.
"Still over three hundred billion left."
Zhao Xing glanced at the number before closing his eyes again to continue cultivating.
For Zhao Xing, this challenge was effortless, but for others, it was a completely different experience.
The Thousand Illusion Tree's Great Divine Ability—'Thousand Illusion Eyes'—continuously eroded every participant's mind.
By the end of the first day, 54 Third Stage cultivators from Great Zhou had been eliminated.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
Those eliminated were instantly ejected from the trial and relocated to a designated area on Beihe Realm Star.
"The willpower trial… It's really tough."
Qin Feng, the King of Beichen, sighed as he emerged.
Back in the Xuanhuang Realm, he had been among the earliest to break into the Rule Realm. He had also been the one whose wife and brother-in-law were turned into a chicken and a dog by Zhao Xing.
"King Beichen, you got eliminated too?"
A martial general nearby looked at him in surprise.
"Shameful, isn't it?"
King Beichen shook his head.
"Seems like just chasing after raw strength isn't enough. Willpower training is important too."
Another Qi Sect martial general sighed.
At the Third Stage, most cultivators focused on excavating their body's hidden potential, investing most of their efforts into physical and spiritual refinement.
They all knew their willpower was a weak point—but not everyone took the initiative to fix it.
"Normally, if we need protection, we just buy a defensive treasure. Why waste time cultivating something that an artifact can handle?"
"In a team, Qi Sect cultivators always have soul-path companions."
"With Dao Soldiers protecting us, it never seemed like much of a weakness."
"But now… it turns out it's actually really important."
King Beichen sighed.
Being eliminated on the first day was an embarrassment—he had paid 10,000 Red Star Coins only to get knocked out in an instant.
"King Beichen has a point."
Many other martial generals nodded in agreement.
But in truth, most of them were only saying this now.
Without a real need, there was no motivation to train willpower.
A trial was just a trial—but real life was different.
In real-world battles, cultivators had Dao Soldiers for protection—who would waste time training their willpower?
Why take the long and difficult path when there was an easier one?
Of course, there were still a few, like King Beichen, who seriously considered undergoing intense willpower training in the future.
Under the vast starry sky, You Tianqing gazed at the Thousand Illusion Tree in confusion.
"The trial has started? This tree… is the challenge?"
"Strange… I don't feel anything at all."
A thousand years had passed, and You Tianqing's 'Eye of Truth' had improved significantly—though it was still in its early development phase.
As the trial began, an entire day passed, and he felt nothing.
For a moment, he even thought that he had fallen into a powerful illusion—one so seamless that he didn't realize it was happening.
"I should still stay alert."
You Tianqing muttered to himself.
In the same trial zone, Jing Yan frowned.
"The first trial is willpower? This is a hassle."
Back when he was in Transmission World, he had vowed to strengthen his willpower.
However, after returning, he had forgotten all about it.
Now at the Third Stage, his willpower was decent, but not particularly strong.
Against such a vast number of competitors, he had no confidence that he would last until the end.
"If I can enter the Primordial Realm and train for 3,000 years, I might break into the top 10,000 for inheritance rights."
"But my willpower Divine Ability is only at the Fourth Tier… barely above the beginner level."
"Might as well start training now."
Jing Yan decided to use the Thousand Illusion Tree to train his willpower—even if it was last-minute preparation.
Liu Tianning emptied his mind, allowing the Thousand Illusion Tree's pressure to wash over him.
He had cultivated a willpower Divine Ability—'Mirror Heart Lake'—which he had purchased from Wanxin Island.
It was a precursor technique to the Great Divine Ability—'Heart River of Souls'.
Unlike Zhao Xing, Liu Tianning had been training his willpower for a thousand years ever since arriving in the Red Star Empire.
Back in the Xuanhuang Realm, he had suffered the aftereffects of the Straw Puppet Techniques—a problem that Zhao Xing had resolved for him.
Now, even in the cosmic battlefield, Liu Tianning remained fascinated by Straw Puppet techniques.
To avoid repeating past mistakes, he placed great emphasis on willpower cultivation, prioritizing it above all else.
"The mind is like a mirror lake—when ripples appear, I can immediately sense the attack."
Liu Tianning stared at the Thousand Illusion Tree, completely unfazed.
"Mirror Heart Lake has reached perfection, but how do I grasp the Great Divine Ability 'Heart River of Souls'?"
"Zhao Xing's Thousand Illusion Tree seems… different from this one."
Liu Tianning pondered for a moment before deciding to lower his defenses and actively confront the Thousand Illusion Tree's attack.
As the surface of Mirror Heart Lake rippled, layers of illusions emerged before his eyes.
His consciousness remained clear as he walked across the lake, and each step sent out subtle ripples beneath his feet.
He observed carefully, absorbing insights from the experience.
As time passed, the floating platforms gradually drew closer to the Thousand Illusion Tree.
The difficulty of the test steadily increased, and eliminations accelerated.
Beihe Realm Star – Floating Platform No. 82,451
Xia Jing's face twisted in discomfort.
He rubbed his eyes and realized that what he saw was no longer the Thousand Illusion Tree.
Instead, a colossal fish beast appeared ahead of him.
The massive fish opened its bloodstained maw, revealing serrated fangs, dripping with corrosive mucus.
The stench of rotting fish filled his nostrils.
"Damn it! I stopped fearing fish a long time ago. Why does this illusion keep showing up?"
Xia Jing cursed, firming his resolve.
Time continued to flow, and before long, one year and nine months had passed since the test began.
"Boom!"
The 9510th platform advanced once again.
Zhao Xing opened his eyes and glanced at the stone tablet beside him.
[Remaining Participants: 2,150,045]
"Only two million left."
"The Thousand Illusion Tree's mental attack… is getting intense."
Up until this point, Zhao Xing hadn't even needed to use Slaughter Mind Blade to resist.
Simply relying on his own innate mental resilience, he could remain fully conscious.
But now, he had no choice but to activate his willpower divine ability to suppress the intrusive thoughts emerging in his mind.
Otherwise, these thoughts would drive him to voluntarily step out of the light gate, leading to elimination.
"Kill… Kill… Kill!"
A blood-red gleam flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes as he used killing intent to suppress the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
Soon, the urge to retreat completely vanished.
"One year and nine months… I wonder how many people from Great Zhou are still in this."
At the heart of Beihe Realm Star, a grand and majestic palace stood tall.
Inside a gilded hall, the Lord of Beihe, Yang Lin, watched the enormous water mirror projection floating before him.
As the imperial-appointed Star System Lord, Yang Lin was a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse with fifty-six cycles of reincarnation experience.
Yet even he treated the two figures inside the hall with utmost respect.
One was Zuo Qiyu, a Primordial Realm envoy—a Reincarnation Realm Shennong of the Self-School.
The other was a silver automaton, a split-body of the Grand Derivation Godly Soldier, known as Chen Jiu.
The Grand Derivation Godly Soldier was a mechanical divine artifact, and each of its split bodies was classified according to the twelve earthly branches, each possessing different functions.
Chen Jiu, the automaton before them, possessed the full combat strength of an Emperor-level being, earning him the title "Chen Jiu Emperor".
These two individuals were the primary examiners sent by the Empire to oversee the Beihe Star System's assessment.
"It's about time."
Chen Jiu Emperor spoke.
"Lord of Beihe, adjust the spatial dimensions inside the trial ground."
"Understood."
Yang Lin nodded and immediately began the necessary adjustments.
"Envoy Zuo, please increase the Thousand Illusion Tree's strength to the Five Elements Dao Domain Initial Stage."
Chen Jiu then turned toward Zuo Qiyu.
The envoy, dressed in a white robe embroidered with countless plants, had an eerily sinister aura about him.
However, when faced with Chen Jiu Emperor, he simply gave a light nod.
"It is done."
Chen Jiu spoke again.
"Next, we will continue eliminating participants until only 50,000 remain."
At the beginning of the third year, the Thousand Illusion Tree's abilities escalated.
All floating platforms moved within 5,000 miles of the tree.
Then, the tree activated its second great divine ability—Tree Mind Puppet.
Zhao Xing had been meditating cross-legged, but now his legs began to move uncontrollably, as if trying to stand up.
"Hmm?"
He immediately pressed his hands down on his legs, his blood-red eyes glowing even brighter.
The trembling soon stopped.
"Tree Mind Puppet has been activated."
"The nature of the mental attacks has changed."
"The first year was Thousand Illusion Eyes—pure mental impact."
"The second year, Thousand Illusion Eyes created illusions, triggering emotions."
"For two years, the attacks only targeted the conscious mind. But now, they're directly affecting the body—reaching the level of biological instinct."
Zhao Xing took a deep breath, intensifying his Slaughter Mind Blade, but his legs still trembled.
At this moment, his legs seemed to have developed their own will—every muscle fiber in his body screamed at him to flee.
"Mental influence interfering with reality… This is using the Dao of Mentality to manipulate the Dao of Life."
"Now that they've used this technique… The test must be entering its final year."
The closer they got to the end, the stronger the Thousand Illusion Tree's attacks became.
Previously, Zhao Xing only needed to fortify his mind, but now, the tree was bypassing his consciousness, directly influencing his body.
"It's like a martial artist's combat instincts… In life-or-death battles, even before seeing the enemy, their body reacts on its own."
Zhao Xing reinforced his control over his legs, forcibly suppressing the survival instincts attempting to take over.
On another floating platform, Xia Jing suddenly flinched, his legs tensing up.
Then, in a single reflexive motion, his legs sprang backward, launching him straight through the light gate.
In an instant, he was ejected from the trial.
"Damn it! How did I get out?!"
At the same time, from the seventy-two trial entrances, waves of cultivators began appearing outside.
"Sigh… I still couldn't hold out."
"The body moves before the mind can resist… I just couldn't stop it."
"The Dao of Mentality influencing the Dao of Life? I guess my training at Wanxin Island wasn't enough."
"Only around 800,000 people left… I didn't make it, but at least my ranking will be useful for joining other factions."
"No second chances for me… Next time, I'll be too old for the requirements."
Countless cultivators sighed as they exited the trial.
Meanwhile, at the Great Zhou participants' resting area, a new wave of eliminations arrived.
"Your Majesty, of the original 312 participants, only five remain inside."
"They are Grand Shennong Zhao Xing, Grand Marshal King Luohou, Shennong Minister Liu Tianning, Shennong Minister Chen Shijie, and Eight-Rank Dance Master Ji Mengjun."
Ji Che, standing at the other end of the starfield, wore an eccentric outfit, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Five still in the game? Not bad."
He turned to another recently eliminated participant.
"Lu Ying, how did you get knocked out?"
Lu Ying looked embarrassed.
"Your Majesty, I used Void Armament Summon and called upon eight hundred mechanical puppets to guard myself. But just now... those eight hundred puppets carried me out."
"Clearly, I must have issued a wrong command without realizing it."
Ji Che burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! I was just wondering if someone could trap themselves in there to clear the test, but it looks like that method doesn't work either."
To pass the trial, the participants had tried all sorts of creative methods.
But in the end, every method still relied on human control.
Without external treasures to assist, no one could truly trap themselves.
Even knocking themselves unconscious wouldn't work, because losing consciousness meant instant elimination.
"Lu Ying, don't be discouraged. What was your elimination ranking?"
Lu Ying replied, "According to the Star Mirror, I was eliminated at rank 1,360,000."
"That's already an impressive ranking. Even if you can't enter Primordial Realm, you can still join Mysterious Mechanism Hall."
Ji Che reassured him, then waved his hand.
"Alright, Ji Si and I have matters to attend to. Report back once the first-round results are fully out."
"Understood!"
Three years into the trial, Zhao Xing was now only 1,000 miles away from the Thousand Illusion Tree.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Zhao Xing's left hand punched his own face.
His right foot kicked toward his left foot.
"Bang!"
Zhao Xing collapsed to the ground.
At this point, the Thousand Illusion Tree's attacks had escalated to an insane intensity.
Every single cell in his body was screaming at him to run away.
His Slaughter Mind Blade was pushed to the absolute limit, clashing with the tree's power, to the point where he even had the urge to kill himself.
"Ding!"
Inside Zhao Xing's mind, a three-dimensional clock suddenly appeared.
The clock hand pointed to midnight.
In that moment, his killing intent slightly subsided, and his awareness returned to clarity.
"I am Zhao Xing. I am undergoing the first trial of Primordial Realm. It is the end of the third year since the trial began."
By reaffirming his identity, Zhao Xing took a deep breath and regained full control over his body.
He glanced at the stone tablet beside him.
[Remaining Participants: 14,821]
The number froze, and the tablet turned gray.
"Buzz~"
In an instant, all the intense sensations disappeared.
After enduring one final wave of overwhelming mental attacks,
The first trial of Primordial Realm had finally ended.
"Congratulations, Zhao Xing from Fengdu Realm Star, Wuye Constellation. You have passed the first round of screening for Primordial Realm."
A voice rang out from the crystal sphere on the Light Gate—it was Chen Jiu.
At the same time, he sent notifications to all 14,821 participants who had cleared the trial.
"I passed."
Zhao Xing let out a deep sigh of relief.
That final peak attack had been truly unbearable.
Even though he hadn't reached his absolute limit, if it had continued, he probably wouldn't have lasted much longer.
"Now that the first round has ended, you have 97 years to prepare."
"In the last three years, you must set aside time to travel from Beihe Realm Star to one of 28 top-tier star systems for the second trial."
"Best of luck."
A moment later, Zhao Xing felt a massive force push him out.
"Whoosh—"
In the blink of an eye, he appeared above Beihe Realm Star.
"I wonder if anyone from Great Zhou passed."
Zhao Xing scanned his surroundings.
Due to the immense size of the top-tier realm, he couldn't see all 14,821 successful candidates.
"Whoosh!"
Without hesitation, Zhao Xing flew toward his original resting place from three years ago.
"The first round of the Primordial Realm Trial has concluded."
The voice of Lord of Beihe echoed across the entire Beihe Realm Star.
"From the Beihe Star System, a total of 14,821 participants have passed the first trial."
"Boom!"
The entire realm erupted into chaos.
"It's finally over!"
"Quick! Go check the public rankings—see if there are any independent cultivators!"
"All Mysterious Mechanism Hall members, listen up! Immediately find and recruit any mechanists who passed the trial. Offer sky-high prices! Anyone who convinces a candidate to join us will be rewarded 10 billion Red Star Coins!"
"I am Blue Moon, head of Greenfield Merchant Association. Gather all the names and information of the 14,821 successful candidates. Anyone who runs a business—invest in them immediately!"
"Hahaha! My son, Lantis, passed! Reward 1,000 Red Star Coins to every citizen!"
The moment the trial ended, these 14,821 survivors became the center of attention.
Out of 700 billion participants, they had emerged at the top—guaranteed a promising future.
Some wanted to invest, some wanted to recruit, and others were trying to steal talents from rival factions.
Meanwhile, Great Zhou's forces waited anxiously.
The final wave of eliminations and the arrival of the successful candidates happened almost simultaneously.
Right now, they had no idea whether the five remaining Great Zhou participants had cleared the trial or not.
The public rankings would take a bit longer to be released, leaving them on edge with anticipation.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Moments later, Zhao Xing, King Luohou, Chen Shijie, Liu Tianning, and Ji Mengjun appeared at Great Zhou's temporary residence.
"They're here! They've returned!"
The Great Zhou ministers, who had been waiting nervously, immediately rushed forward.
The five of them arrived at nearly the same time.
"Grand Shennong, Grand Marshal… How did it go?"
Lu Ying asked eagerly.
Zhao Xing smiled.
"I passed."
Liu Tianning calmly nodded.
"Barely made it."
Ji Mengjun shook her head with a wry smile.
"I was truly on the edge. I was just three steps away from the exit… If I had hesitated a moment longer, I would've been eliminated."
King Luohou let out a deep breath, his voice heavy with relief.
"I was just one step away from elimination. Right before I lost consciousness, I had already collapsed onto the transmission gate's frame. If the artifact spirit of the Grand Derivation Godly Soldier hadn't judged me as a pass, I would've been disqualified."
Finally, Chen Shijie sighed in disappointment.
"I'm ashamed… I couldn't withstand the final wave of attacks."
Out of five… four had passed!
A wave of joy swept through the Great Zhou camp.
The entire group erupted into cheers.
Zhao Xing patted Chen Shijie's shoulder.
"You did great. There's still another chance. Worst case, you can come back in 3,000 years."
"Yeah…"
Chen Shijie still looked dejected.
"By the way, Old Chen, what was your elimination ranking?"
If a participant cleared the trial, they wouldn't receive a ranking.
Only those eliminated were given a numerical placement.
Chen Shijie hesitated, then spoke.
"When I was eliminated, there were only 16,245 participants left."
Zhao Xing fell silent.
No wonder Chen Shijie felt so regretful.
16,245…
He had been incredibly close to passing.
Chen Shijie had been just half a second away from enduring the final wave of attacks. If he had held on for just a moment longer, he might have passed.
It was truly a shame—so close, yet just short.
It wasn't even a matter of strength anymore. If Primordial Realm had decided to take in just a few more people, Chen Shijie would have made the cut.
Zhao Xing didn't know what else to say. He could only pat Chen Shijie's shoulder before shifting the topic, turning to Liu Tianning.
"Teacher, how far were you from the Light Gate?"
Liu Tianning had said he barely passed, but knowing him, Zhao Xing suspected he was just being modest.
"I barely moved during the last wave of attacks." Liu Tianning smiled.
"You barely moved?" Zhao Xing was startled, then lowered his voice. "Teacher, could it be that your Mirror Heart Lake Divine Ability has reached perfection?"
Mirror Heart Lake Divine Ability was different from Slaughter Mind Blade. Liu Tianning's ability was more defensive, while Slaughter Mind Blade was purely offensive. That was why Zhao Xing had gone out of his way to buy an additional ability—Mind Clock.
"I actually reached completion in the minor divine ability long ago," Liu Tianning admitted. "The reason I didn't move this time was because I had a faint insight into the major divine ability—Mother River of the Mind."
"What?!" Zhao Xing's expression turned strange. "Teacher… did you recall anything else? Like unfamiliar scenes or people?"
Liu Tianning paused. "No. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing, just curious."
For Liu Tianning to gain insight into a major divine ability was a rare event.
This likely had to do with his singular focus on the Path of the True Self ever since entering the cosmic version of cultivation.
On the other hand, Zhao Xing had been burdened with many responsibilities. While he had received benefits from Qing Yuzi's promises and Wu Tian's gifts, his training time had been delayed. He had learned too many things, and in some aspects, Liu Tianning had surpassed him.
Just as they were talking, Lu Ying suddenly approached.
"Grand Shennong," he said. "A lot of people have suddenly gathered outside the manor. They say they want to see you, the Grand Marshal, Lord Liu, and Lady Ji."
"Who are they?" King Luohou asked.
Lu Ying checked the Star Mirror. Since he had rented this place, he was connected to the manor's formation.
"Quite a few. Some are from famous merchant associations in the Beihe Star System. Others are from Wanxin Island, Hunyuan Martial Hall… even representatives sent by the Lord of Beihe."
Zhao Xing chuckled. "They're just recruiters and opportunistic merchants. But we can't outright refuse them all. We need to at least give them some face."
"Lu Ying, arrange for them to enter in order of importance."
"Understood." Lu Ying nodded.
Zhao Xing then briefly exchanged opinions with King Luohou, Liu Tianning, and Ji Mengjun.
"We can ignore gifts from minor factions. Great Zhou's treasury has enough funds; we don't need to owe favors for small amounts of money."
"As for recruitment offers, we'll handle them case by case. We shouldn't sign binding contracts too easily."
"The Lord of Beihe's gifts can be accepted. We're technically under his jurisdiction, so this counts as a reward. With his backing, there's no need to worry about offending others."
After sharing his experience, the four of them went their separate ways to deal with the visitors.
Zhao Xing told King Luohou, Liu Tianning, and Ji Mengjun that they could accept gifts freely, but he himself refrained from doing so.
Aside from the Lord of Beihe Yang Lin's gifts, he rejected everything else.
Zhao Xing had high standards—only the Lord of Beihe's gifts were worth accepting. After all, Great Zhou was operating within the Beihe Star System. Other factions weren't worth the trouble. He wasn't lacking in wealth.
As for recruitment offers, he rejected every single one.
Other than Primordial Realm, there was no second option for him.
By doing this, he left recruiters with the impression that he was prideful yet polite, without outright offending them. Those who came to offer gifts and form connections wouldn't forcefully demand anything in return.
"Many thanks to the Lord of Beihe for his kindness. Please take care."
After seeing off the emissary bearing gifts, Zhao Xing closed the door, declining any further visitors.
Then, he took out his Star Mirror and contacted Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing to check their status.
"I passed." Yu Tianqing replied succinctly.
"I barely made it," Jing Yan said with relief. "I almost got eliminated."
"How many passed from Beiye Star System?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Seven hundred twenty thousand." Jing Yan replied.
"Beyie Star System really is an amazing place," Zhao Xing said.
"The first trial was already this hard," Jing Yan sighed. "I wonder what the second round will be like."
He had started with immense confidence, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Old Yu, did you find the first trial difficult?" Jing Yan asked casually.
"Difficult, I suppose."
"Oh, come on! Why are you pretending? That's not even a question!" Jing Yan scoffed.
Zhao Xing knew that Yu Tianqing was actually holding back.
With the Eye of Truth, the first trial was as easy as drinking water for him.
Back when he was in Transcendent Realm, Yu Tianqing had roamed freely through the testing zones, completely unaffected.
Now, after a thousand years of development, his innate divine ability had only grown stronger. The first trial truly hadn't been difficult for him.
"Alright, I need to prepare for my closed-door training." Jing Yan waved his hand. "See you both in 97 years."
"Jing Yan, Zhao Xing, I'm off as well." Yu Tianqing said.
"97 years later, then." Zhao Xing nodded.
The second round would take place in 28 top-tier star systems within the Empire. Since Beiye Star System and Beihe Star System were close neighbors, Zhao Xing figured he would reunite with Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing in the second round.
"The second trial will divide participants by profession and separate them into combat and support divisions."
"I'll be choosing the combat division. The second trial will require selecting many plant-based troops for battle."
"I need to adjust my next hundred years of training accordingly to enhance my combat power."
"Three key focuses: first, Refining Essence Divine Ability; second, Juyang Straw Puppet Technique; third, the major divine ability Five Finger Mountain."
"If I can master Five Finger Mountain, I'll have a trump card."
"Refining Essence Divine Ability could also be a game-changer, with a chance to create a super-elite soldier."
"Juyang Straw Puppet will be my standard battle force."
With his training plan set, Zhao Xing rented a secluded cultivation site in Beihe Realm Star and began his 97-year-long training regimen.