In the beginning, it was merely formless and vague, yet seemed to be everywhere at once. Then, the infinite concept of Xi transformed into endless heavens, as high as the celestial, and as awe-inspiring as the void. Heaven is the supreme, the Great Emptiness is the ultimate majesty. Sky! All things fell within the scope of this Xi. All enemies lay beneath this Xi. This Xi imparted an invincible feeling. Was this the Heaven-Shaking Single Xi?

Lu Yuan lay on the ground, replaying that instant. A sudden flash of insight struck him, and he asked, "—Is this the Xi-Yi (Intent) of Heaven?"

"—Indeed, Brother Lu, this is the Xi-Yi of Heaven." Gu Qiushui spun a Xi-flower, drawing his long Xi of Changge back into its sheath.

Truly, the Xi-Yi of Heaven! One of the Ten Most Difficult Intents to master.

Lu Yuan was still savoring the Xi-Yi of Heaven, hoping to glean some understanding from it. But how easy was it to grasp the Xi-Yi of Heaven? Recalling that instant in his mind, he sensed the supreme majesty of the Xi-Yi of Heaven, felt the boundlessness of Heaven’s settled intent, and perceived its omnipresence.

But to truly comprehend the Xi-Yi of Heaven—how simple was that?

Forget it, he wouldn't dwell on it for now. To hope to grasp the Xi-Yi of Heaven in a moment was impossible. Even a supreme genius like Gu Qiushui had required a fortuitous encounter and many years to finally forge this fundamental intent of Heaven. The Ten Great Difficult Intents were far beyond comprehension compared to ordinary Xi.

He stood up and exited the small arena.

"—Western Territory's Gu Qiushui wins."

Although Lu Yuan had lost this round, there was nothing to be despondent about. In truth, Lu Yuan was deeply moved. Indeed, this grand gathering of forty thousand geniuses was spectacular! In the Jin State, one could never witness such a multitude of divine techniques. Now, even several of the Ten Great Difficult Intents, such as the Xi-Yi of Heaven, the Sword Intent of Life, and the Sword Intent of Death, had been displayed.

They failed to notice that State Lords like Zhou Zhongyong were secretly branding Lu Yuan as a monstrous anomaly—at such a young age, he had comprehended the realm of Sword Sovereign.

Sword Sovereign! Such a young Sword Sovereign!

After this bout concluded, the match between Fu Ying and Li Qiuhuan followed. Fu Ying’s heavy-backed saber pressed attack after attack, relentlessly pursuing Li Qiuhuan, leaving him no spare room to deploy his Little Li Flying Dagger. The final result was Li Qiuhuan suddenly suffering a physical ailment, hacking up blood violently, granting Fu Ying the victory.

Thus, the final three were Fu Ying, Gu Qiushui, and Xiao Fengxiong.

Next was the battle to reduce the top three to two. This round pitted Gu Qiushui against Xiao Fengxiong, leaving Fu Ying to receive a bye. After a brutal and hard-fought struggle, Xiao Fengxiong emerged victorious.

The final battle, the ultimate contest watched by all forty thousand geniuses, was finally about to commence. This match was between Xiao Fengxiong and Fu Ying.

The small arena was set in the great desert. The sky is vast, the wilderness stretches far, the wind lowers, the grass bows low, revealing cattle and sheep.

A desolate sky, barren earth, scattered with occasional withered grass, and cattle and sheep grazing in the distance—this was the great desert.

Xiao Fengxiong, towering in stature, stood upon the desert floor, appearing exceptionally imposing. He had lived in the great desert since he turned two hundred, and standing there now, a profound sense of familiarity welled up within him. Fu Ying, too, rested a hand on the hilt of his heavy-backed saber and exhaled. The first two centuries of his life had been spent in the desert, where he had once hunted down and thoroughly slaughtered Desert Bandits along winding trails.

The great desert was an environment intensely familiar to both men.

But in this final battle, who would claim victory?

Xiao Fengxiong exhaled deeply, unleashing the Dragon-Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms with a spirit that could swallow mountains and rivers. Instantly, dozens of spiritual dragons materialized and soared in the void. While these spiritual dragons might appear somewhat indistinct compared to the true dragons unleashed by Tianlong Diao, each one possessed the power of a single dragon. This was the "Myriad Dragons Soaring to the Heavens" technique from the Dragon-Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms.

Fu Ying struck out with his heavy-backed saber. This single cut was overwhelmingly potent, a torrent of saber energy surging forth like a great river, perhaps dozens of zhang long, forcefully cleaving through the dozens of spiritual dragons. What a tyrannical strike! Compared to Lu Yuan’s use of Reincarnation, Fu Ying’s saber attack displayed sheer dominance.

Seeing his Myriad Dragons Soaring to the Heavens technique broken, Xiao Fengxiong merely laughed heartily, unconcerned: "—Well met! Here comes 'Dragon Seeing on the Field'!" His body moved like a dragon as his great palms struck directly towards the long river of saber energy, torrents of spiritual power pouring into the current of blade light.

Time dragged on; they had already fought for an hour. Previously, all matches concluded within an hour, with any contest exceeding that time declared a draw. However, this final battle was granted a three-hour time limit. By the end of the first hour, Fu Ying and Xiao Fengxiong had exhausted their ultimate moves, delivering a spectacle of brilliance, yet they remained locked in deadlock.

Two hours passed, and the fight raged on. Although both Fu Ying and Xiao Fengxiong maintained deep reserves of breath and seemingly endless spiritual power, they were now acutely fatigued. In truth, few spectators remained; their combat was so intensely captivating that observers tried to dissect the intricacies of their exchanges, but attempting to analyze them meant falling behind entirely, making comprehension impossible.

Three hours passed, and the battle still raged.

Since the time limit was three hours, the final outcome of this match was declared a draw.

The final battle was over, concluding with unparalleled spectacle, leaving no trace of regret.

Zhou Zhongyong looked at the assembled crowd: "Now that the final battle is concluded, we shall begin ranking the top four hundred from this competition." Hearing Zhou Zhongyong’s words, everyone involuntarily tensed. Which individuals would claim the top four hundred spots? Which would be in the top twenty? Top fifty? Top hundred?

Zhou Zhongyong began reading: "—First place, Fu Ying. Second place, Xiao Fengxiong. Third place, Gu Qiushui. Fourth place, Li Qiuhuan." This ranking was logical; Fu Ying scored highest in environmental adaptation ability, and being one of the last two standing in the final fight, he secured first place.

"—Fifth place, Guo Kan, Sixth place, Fei Dingke, Seventh place, Wang Shitout, Eighth place, Fu Chong, Ninth place, Shi Feixian, Tenth place, Yin Wuji." Lu Yuan’s name was absent from the top ten. However, this was understandable; Lu Yuan ranked over four hundredth in the environmental criterion, which naturally dragged down his score. Moreover, he had killed Mo Zihe, resulting in a deduction, ensuring an even lower ranking.

"—Eleventh place, Wanwan, Thirteenth place, Jing Wuqiu... Fifteenth place, Nie Chougui... Nineteenth place, Lu Yuan."

Lu Yuan finally heard his name. Taking the deduction into account, his ranking was nineteenth? That was quite an excellent placement.

The top twenty had been announced, a group of enviable existences. These twenty individuals would have the privilege of freely choosing which civilization to join—an immense advantage.

Next came the announcement for positions twenty-first to fiftieth. Those in this tier could join a civilization, though without the freedom of choice. Zhou Zhongyong read through the thirty names; the Blood-Clad Man Lu Yuan had defeated, Han Qingbai, and Murong Huangfu, who was defeated by Fu Chong, were all included in this ranking.

Following that were ranks fifty-first to one hundred. Individuals here could freely choose which Sect to join.

Finally, the names of the last three hundred, ranks one hundred and one to four hundred, were announced. This group could join sects within the Central Celestial Dynasty.

When Zhou Zhongyong finished reading the names, the majority of the four hundred cheered wildly. Even if they couldn't join a top civilization, securing a place in the Central Celestial Dynasty was an achievement beyond measure. Before the Water Mirror technique faded, countless nations and sects began celebrating; it was no easy feat—someone had finally made it into the Central Celestial Dynasty.

Many nations, like Jin State, had gone centuries without a single person entering the Central Celestial Dynasty. Recall that there were nine hundred and ninety-nine nations in total, not to mention the Lost Lands, bringing the count to over a thousand. Yet, the quota for the Central Celestial Dynasty was only four hundred. On average, only one person was admitted for every two hundred nations.

Given that the Four Great Powers—Dayong State, Darui State, Dagu State, and Dayi State—consumed a significant portion of the quotas, under normal circumstances, it was rare for even three nations combined to produce one entrant.

Therefore, the nations able to send representatives this time were overcome with elation.

Take Jin State, for instance; the entire nation rejoiced. Huashan Sect, in particular, hadn't had a disciple enter the Central Celestial Dynasty for several hundred years. Now, they had confirmation of one, and ranked nineteenth—a spot granting the freedom to choose which civilization to join! It was utterly exhilarating.

Those ranked just below four hundred, particularly those near the cutoff, vomited blood in anguish. But lamenting wouldn't help; they could only pin their hopes on the Central Celestial Dynasty's assessment two hundred years hence. In two centuries, they would fight the currents again, striving once more to enter the Celestial Dynasty.

Of course, some individuals were even more proactive. These were not competitors in the current assessment but personnel dispatched by the major powers of the various realms. These people now mobilized, seeking out those with profound potential—Xiao Fengxiong, Gu Qiushui, Lu Yuan, Nie Choufeng, and others—intending to offer them resources.

They offered resources solely to establish good rapport.

Those who entered the Central Celestial Dynasty possessed boundless prospects. Establishing goodwill now would yield immense rewards later.

After reading the rankings, Zhou Zhongyong declared: "—Very well, joyful populace, pause your celebrations for a moment. You will have ample time to rejoice upon your return. Next, I shall briefly introduce the major civilizations and sects of the Central Celestial Dynasty to facilitate your integration..."

Upon hearing this, the venue instantly fell silent, so quiet that the drop of a pin could be heard; the previous clamor vanished entirely.

This statement possessed an almost magical potency.

The powers of the Central Celestial Dynasty—how profound and mysterious they were!

Most people had no clear idea how many factions existed within the Central Celestial Dynasty. To them, it was a lofty, utterly enigmatic entity, inscrutable as the firmament above.

Now, however, a select few had the option to join civilizations or sects, making them intensely interested in understanding the nature of the Celestial Dynasty's powers before making their choice.