Chapter Fifty-Two: The Rules of the Selection Tournament

The middle-aged man had infused his own cultivation into his voice as he spoke to the tens of millions of young people gathered in the Grand Plaza of the Palace of Myriad Treasures. Having spoken at such length in one breath, he was feeling somewhat fatigued and used the opportunity presented by the crowd’s discussions to rest for a moment.

After a brief respite, the middle-aged man raised his hand, signaling for silence.

“Children, quiet now!”

The plaza grew hushed once more. The man continued, “I sensed much confusion in your hearts just now, and I cannot blame you for it. Earlier, I neglected to address one issue, so allow me to elaborate now. When I spoke of the titles and ranks for this year’s selection, that was what perplexed you most.”

“That’s right!”

“Yes, exactly!”

…The young people who had come to participate in the selection today were utterly bewildered by this issue. Those with well-connected families, or who had researched past tournaments, sensed that the ranking system announced today—Sovereign, Four Emperors, Four Kings, Twenty-Four Dukes, Forty-Eight Marshals—differed from previous years. Some wondered:

“Could it be that my information was incomplete?”

Those from humbler backgrounds, upon hearing these titles, found them grand and stirring, their blood surging with excitement.

The middle-aged man continued, “Children, these ranks and divisions I speak of today—none of you have heard of them in previous selections.”

“That’s true!”

“Yes, we’ve never heard of such titles before—never!”

…

At this point, the Grand Plaza of the Palace of Myriad Treasures was abuzz with chatter.

Seeing this, the man raised his voice: “Children, quiet! Settle down!”

At his command, the crowd instantly fell silent.

He continued, “Indeed, your confusion is justified. Perhaps ninety percent of you are perplexed by these new ranks I’ve announced today, while ten percent are here for their very first selection and do not question them as much. This is only natural.”

The thoughts in everyone’s hearts were voiced by the man, and tens of millions of expectant eyes fixed upon him, yearning for answers.

He said, “Children, I wish to ask you a question.”

All present in the Palace of Myriad Treasures wondered what question this dignified man would ask, waiting patiently.

The man spoke, “Children, do you know what an ant is?”

“Yes!” came the unanimous reply. In their eyes, ants represented the lowest, weakest of all beings.

The man said, “Children, the image of an ant in your minds may well be as the most humble and fragile of creatures. This is understandable; I once thought the same. But my views have changed.”

Everyone was curious about his differing opinion. Was it not so?

The next words truly opened their minds.

“When I was young, I thought as you do, but that was a mistake. In the bottom of a well, a frog sees only a sliver of the sky. You know how big that sky is, don’t you? Unless one is a fool, everyone knows. Back then, I was like that frog at the bottom of the well. But after I grew up and spent hundreds of years traveling beyond the Lujiashan Star Domain, my understanding of the world changed entirely. In the universe, beyond our Lujiashan Star Domain, there are countless vast domains. Our lives, within these star domains, are even more insignificant and vulnerable than the ants we see. Perhaps, to you, an ant is already pitifully weak, but have you ever considered that, to an ant, there are still tinier beings, invisible to the naked eye, which are as powerless before it as the ant is before us? In our minds, our domain is our world, and we are like ants. Yet, in the endless universe, these immense star domains are but ants within the cosmos. Now, in your hearts, is the universe not a transcendent existence?”

“Yes!”

A thunderous chorus shook Lishui City to its very core.

The man was moved by this great sound, his voice rolling forth and silencing all:

“Wrong! Children, you are mistaken again!”

These simple words left everyone bewildered. What did he mean?

He continued, “Children, in the presence of an existence beyond the universe, even the universe itself is as feeble as an ant.”

This pronouncement sent a wave of shock through all present, making them feel truly small and fragile.

He went on, “The rules of our Lujiashan Star Domain have remained unchanged for thousands of years. From today, many of these rules must be revised. We require better discipline, better order, for only then can our domain grow stronger. Now, with many star domains waging war across the cosmos, if we do not forge a better path to strength, we will soon become their prey. Some of you may wonder what this has to do with the titles: Sovereign, Four Emperors, Four Kings, Twenty-Four Dukes, Forty-Eight Marshals. I tell you now—it is of the utmost importance. We will devote ourselves to cultivating these gifted young candidates. The Supreme Healer’s Hall has issued new rules: henceforth, all high positions in Lujiashan will be held by the capable. Starting this year, one year after the selection, every disciple of the Twelve Palaces will participate in the Star Domain Grand Tournament.”

Upon hearing the words “Star Domain Grand Tournament,” the young people were at a loss; it was an entirely new term.

The man explained, “The so-called Star Domain Grand Tournament is the final contest where all young cultivators of the Twelve Palaces of Lujiashan Star Domain compete. One year from now, in this tournament, the ranks and titles you earn today will determine the new generation of rulers. They will wield supreme authority. Thus, those who are named Sovereign, Four Emperors, Four Kings, Twenty-Four Dukes, and Forty-Eight Marshals today will have a chance to compete in the Star Domain Grand Tournament. Now, each of the Twelve Palaces will have their own Sovereign, Four Emperors, Four Kings, Twenty-Four Dukes, and Forty-Eight Marshals selected. Next year, from these, the Star Domain’s Sovereign, Four Emperors, Four Kings, Twenty-Four Dukes, and Forty-Eight Marshals will be chosen. Do you understand now?”

“We understand!”

Tens of millions of young voices responded in unison, though only they themselves knew whether their understanding was genuine.

“That is all for the changes to the new rules. Now, for the arrangements of the second round: The second round will proceed in separate divisions. Each contestant has one day for their event; each event has three consecutive days of competition. For the events you don’t participate in, those are rest days. Thus, if you compete in only one event, you may rest eight days during the others. If you compete in three, you’ll have two rest days after one day of competition. This is to allow those competing in multiple events time to recover and adjust. The competition will continue until all those remaining from the first elimination round have taken part.”

After explaining the second round, the man moved on to the third.

“The third round is the final. The survivors from the second round will enter the finals, where we will select the strongest among you for honors. In each event, the Young Supreme will be allowed to choose any three treasures from the Palace of Myriad Treasures. The Four Emperors and Four Kings may each choose two. Each of the Twenty-Four Dukes and Forty-Eight Marshals may pick one. Each of these fifty-one will also receive one thousand Soul Silver Coins and one month of cultivation in the Gathering Essence Pool.”

The rewards set the young participants’ hearts ablaze.

“This year’s new rules are truly generous!”

“Who could disagree?”

…Those who understood the value of such prizes were left utterly astonished, mouths agape.

The plaza was abuzz with excited discussion until the man raised his hand, restoring quiet once more.

He continued, “Children, in this selection you must rely solely on your own strength. At no time may you use your battle beasts, for many of your beasts are stronger than you, some possessing unique abilities. The prohibition of battle beasts is a central aspect of the new rules.”

Once again, the plaza erupted with discussion.

“Ah! I was counting on my battle beast—now I’m in trouble. Why can’t we have them? The conditions are getting stricter each year.”

Young cultivators from the Battle Palace fared better, but others instantly lost half their confidence.

Lin Xueyou remarked, “I had been looking forward to seeing Brother Shengqi’s spectacular performance. Looks like I’ll be disappointed yet again.” No matter the occasion, Lin Xueyou always seemed carefree, as if the competition meant nothing at all.

Lu Zhengtian said, “Don’t worry, I’m here. Let’s see who dares act recklessly before me—I’ll let them taste the sharpness of my spear.” He was brimming with confidence, clearly intending to protect his close friends and two sisters during the first round. The group admired his loyalty.

Lu Xuemei advised, “Brother, let’s be careful. We can’t afford to be careless.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After finishing his explanations, the middle-aged man turned to the elders and other middle-aged men beside him, saying, “Let us begin!”

With his words, several hundred people moved in unison, their hands forming seals at lightning speed. In the span of a few breaths, the seals were completed; every group of twenty-eight pressed their seals in the same direction. All at once, eighteen identical gates of space appeared around the Palace of Myriad Treasures. The young people watched this display with envy, for each of these seal-casters was of the Return to Origin stage or higher.

When all was prepared, the middle-aged man spoke again, “Children, from this moment on, you will face trials of life and death in many different environments. If any among you do not wish to participate, you may withdraw now. Once you pass through these gates, there is no turning back; your only path is forward.”

A small portion of the crowd began to waver.

“Children, this year’s total number of participants is ninety-eight million. In this month’s first round, eighty-eight million will be eliminated; only ten million will remain. Within those varied environments, life and death will be your own responsibility.”

As his words faded, a wave of sighs swept the crowd.

“This is far too cruel!”

“Too terrifying…”

“I’d rather cultivate for a hundred years and try again next time.”

…After many such murmurs, even before the contest began, several million had departed. Those who remained strode forward, one after another, into the gates of void that dotted the plaza.