Almost simultaneously, martial artists sitting in meditation or practicing large-stance drills across the Federation snapped their eyes open, the same proclamation bursting from their lips.

Rays of light, each carrying a distinct flavor, shot from their eyes—the most resolute gaze forged in years of cultivation. The Grand Gathering, after an extensive wait, having reached the zenith of their vital energy, had finally arrived at its commencement!

At this very moment, every soul in the entire Federation was riveted upon the Grand Gathering.

Military rapid destroyers, one after another, departed from every planet in the Federation, carrying diverse martial artists toward Jupiter—the largest of the five major planets and the current domain of the newly emerged Divine Beast practitioners.

The Grand Gathering, conceived by the union of several Divine Beasts, finally unfurled the prelude it had been brewing for many days.

The Grand Gathering required absolutely no promotion; merely the brand established by the reputation of the Divine Beast practitioners themselves was sufficient to incite spontaneous, overwhelming publicity across all media channels daily.

News reporters from every press outlet unleashed their finest skills, meticulously compiling lists of the likely champions, dedicating entire spreads to profiling the various contenders, the venue, and the signature battles that established each martial artist's fame.

This time, the Divine Beast practitioners cooperated more fully than ever before. Even combat footage of master duels, usually impossible for ordinary people to view, was heavily featured, broadcast widely across the network and television.

The sheer aura of impending death, the clashes of flesh and blood, and the power that defied imagination collectively stunned the entire Federation, martial artist and civilian alike.

People finally understood why the Divine Beasts had suggested that this Grand Gathering might produce new Divine Beast practitioners!

Populations from every continent began to rally behind the martial artists emerging from their regions. In the Americas, the Ice Dragon King, Yang Lie, and Kai Tian Brooks carried the immense hopes of everyone on the continent.

The scale of this Grand Gathering surpassed all previous iterations. The once hugely popular Olympic Games and World Cup seemed like mere children's games in comparison.

Beyond the potential battle for a new Divine Beast practitioner, the focus of many younger observers remained locked onto the stage for the Hope Stars.

The Grand Gathering had always served two primary functions: one, to determine the strongest expert alive besides the current Divine Beasts, and two, to crown the strongest among the younger generation, known as the Hope Stars.

The leading candidates for the Hope Stars this time were originally supposed to be Qin Fen and others. However, after Qin Fen, Xue Tian, Shangguan Chuanqi, and Hades all announced their entry into the contest for the foremost expert, the title of Hope Star suddenly became vacant. Observers suddenly noticed an unknown young man named Ma Juntie emerging as the greatest contender for the Hope Star championship. Besides Ma Juntie, another potential champion, a super-new star, was known as Ji Zhen Xuanyi.

News-savvy reporters quickly discovered the common thread between these two: they shared the same master—Qin Fen!

This single, minor detail instantly sparked awe throughout the Federation. Not only was Qin Fen’s own power shockingly immense, but his disciples were also candidates for the Hope Stars in this session!

Instantly, Qin Fen's odds in major underground casinos soared, rivaling those of the current top contenders: the three Constellation Generals of Venus, and the Heavenly Emperor and Ksitigarbha from Saturn.

In the eyes of the underground bookmakers, it was already an extraordinary feat for the younger generation to challenge the established elders. They predicted the ultimate victor of this Grand Gathering would certainly be one of the older martial artists, perhaps even the Heavenly Emperor or Ksitigarbha from Saturn.

Compared to the three Constellation Generals of Venus, the underground casinos placed greater emphasis on two individuals who didn't even bear the title of Constellation General.

The omnipresent publicity surrounding the Grand Gathering created a super-storm that swept into every corner of the Federation. Even the military establishment on Saturn could not escape its arrival.

"After waiting so many days, it's finally here."

Qin Fen stood before the main gate of the military headquarters, gazing upward at the colossal warship overhead. The roaring gale whipped his clothes into snapping flags.

Beside Qin Fen stood Xue Tian, Caesar, Yang Lie, and others, arrayed in a straight line, all looking up at the massive vessel. Network broadcasters captured this scene from high altitude and instantly streamed it online, triggering a flood of viewership. This contingent alone could be called the most magnificent legion of young martial artists in history.

Setting aside the rare Divine Beasts, if this group joined forces, they could undoubtedly sweep the world clean if they chose to.

"Indeed, it's about to begin," Yang Lie turned to look at Qin Fen. "Thinking back on the past, meeting you for the first time... life is truly miraculous."

The group exchanged knowing smiles. They had nearly fought to the death in the Rookie Competition, but through Qin Fen's mediation, they had become comrades, now standing united at this juncture, leaving their peers far behind. This was not solely due to their Martial Dao Hearts; more importantly, they shared genuine, unbreakable camaraderie. Without the purest of hearts, how could the path of the Martial Dao ever be smooth?

"After we finish the Grand Gathering, I hope we all survive," Qin Fen said softly, floating slightly as he addressed the giant warship in the sky. "To fight that true final battle!"

"I will live!" "I will live!" "I will live too!"

Roars of bold confidence pierced the clouds. The ground trembled, kicking up clouds of shattered stone and dust. The young martial artists ascended like rockets, vanishing from camera view in an instant.

"Look! The erupting lava!"

On Mars, a thick, towering pillar of lava shot into the sky. The entire heavens were instantly dyed crimson by the molten rock. It was as if the sky had been split open, relentlessly spewing forth its contents.

Zhuque, Shangguan Shengyu, watched the colossal lava plume with a proud, satisfied smile. "Exiting seclusion at the perfect time. The writing of legend truly begins now! Son, let this world tremble at your emergence."

Shangguan Chuanqi stood atop the torrent of lava, gazing up at the sun, which did not seem to burn his eyes. "The time is right."

With a single step, the lava subsided, flowing back into the volcano. He vanished from the summit, instantly entering the warship that would carry him to Jupiter.

The Legend of Mars, Shangguan Chuanqi, having entered seclusion following his challenge to Zhuque, had finally broken through!

Hades, the Little Underworld King, whose entrance on Earth was marked by a colossal sandstorm in the Sahara Desert, was not on Venus, but had returned to the Sahara. He flew via aircraft to the coast of Tianbei City in Zhongzhou—the location of his very first defeat since rising to prominence.

Beside Hades sat a young man, six-foot-three, with long black hair parted to either side, a smile revealing many of his teeth beneath his lips. "Is that enough yet?"

"Certainly," Hades stared out the window without turning. "Zhang Hao, I don't understand why you are participating. Though you have also modified yourself into an Insect Martial Artist, you are not the one destined for ultimate victory."

Zhang Hao adjusted his glasses. "I merely wish to observe your performance up close. You are my most perfect creation. I hope you do not disappoint me. According to the information I possess, besides the known powerhouses, there is one other person at this Grand Gathering who is unfamiliar to many."

"Another Insect Martial Artist?" Hades raised an eyebrow slightly. Someone who associates with Zhang Hao—a man who dreams of conquering both the Pandora Space and the human world—must surely be similarly deranged, perhaps someone else aspiring to become an Insect Martial Artist?

"Yes," Zhang Hao’s eyes shone with infinite satisfaction. "He is my second perfect creation. I never expected to be fortunate enough to find a second, besides you. He is the disciple of the King of Terror—his true, sole disciple! Sun Jiulong!"

"Eastern?"

"What? Can Easterners not become terrorists?" Zhang Hao chuckled proudly. "I eagerly anticipate the exceptional performance of this madman who has undergone modification with the sole aim of killing Qin Fen."

Click! Hades moved with lightning speed, instantly clamping down on Zhang Hao's throat, turning the fanatic’s neck crimson. He spoke coldly, "Qin Fen, and Qinglong—they are both mine! Anyone who moves against them, I will kill."

Zhang Hao’s face flushed scarlet, and blood began to seep slowly from his nostrils, yet he maintained a composed smile. He managed to force words out with difficulty: "That is a matter between you. It has nothing to do with me."

"Young Master," the elderly Li Jinlong gently patted Hades's arm. The young martial artist, standing at the peak of the current hierarchy, visibly relaxed his grip, releasing Zhang Hao's throat.

Warships tore through the firmament, piercing the atmosphere to soar through the endless void, before once again penetrating Jupiter’s atmosphere and slowly descending toward the spaceport of Qinglong City.

In recent days, the spaceport had seen almost no traffic; in fact, barely a soul was visible. Operations had become almost entirely automated and electronic. Nearly all the strongest martial artists from every region were arriving. Ordinary practitioners were relegated to security or other duties.

Not only the spaceport, but almost no one remained in all of Qinglong City. Except for a minimal essential staff, everyone else had evacuated.

Everyone knew clearly that this Grand Gathering had drawn the strongest cohort outside of the Divine Beasts. They might manage to control their power to avoid collateral damage when fighting the weak, but this time their opponents were not ordinary people. A life-or-death battle allowed for no restraint, and the resulting destruction would be historic.

Forget merely Qinglong City; far greater destructive forces could be unleashed. This would be a battle where miracles unfolded. Those wishing to watch were all utilizing the newest satellite relays for observation.

If one wished to personally experience the most captivating Grand Gathering, they could book accommodation in cities relatively close to Qinglong City, allowing them to feel the earth shake—which itself was considered a form of enjoyment.

Many people feared death, but many others were fearless, willing to risk death just for a glimpse and to personally feel the might of the strongest battles. Cities near Qinglong City were fully booked, and even those farther away were packed, as people desired to experience this grand event from a closer proximity.

The Grand Gathering differed from standard martial arts tournaments. There were no designated rings on Jupiter. Instead, there was a massive open expanse. Any form of restriction was useless against this group of monsters possessing terrifying power; it was better to simply allow them to settle their scores in an environment utterly devoid of constraints.

However, the Hope Stars competition did have a designated arena. It was built upon a massive mountain, the entire slope covered not with earth, but with gleaming steel blades and more gleaming steel blades! The Blade Mountain of the Sacred Martial Hall had been perfectly transplanted to Jupiter to serve as the stage for the Hope Stars.

Anyone aspiring to become a Hope Star needed, at minimum, the qualification and the audacity to stand upon this Blade Mountain; otherwise, they wouldn't even qualify to register.

Qin Fen and his entourage were seated at the edge of the vast arena. The platform here was exceptionally wide; to claim it was beyond sight in one glance was no exaggeration.

As one of the earliest groups to arrive, the area was eerily quiet. The occasional gust of wind, carrying fine dust, subtly hinted at an undercurrent of deadly seriousness.

"Is this the aura generated when the entire world focuses its attention?" Qin Fen tilted his head slightly toward the sky. Despite the presence of only a few dozen or a hundred satellite transmitters pointed at him, he could still feel the sensation of every person on the planet locking their focus onto him.

No one answered Qin Fen's question. Each practitioner had a different Martial Dao and perceived this shared moment differently, resulting in varying expressions and responses.

Yang Lie stared ahead with an icy countenance, appearing utterly unaffected by any gaze. Since Lin Liqiang had staked his life on facilitating his full evolution into a New Human for ten straight days, the aura of Dragon King Yang Lie had undergone a massive, unconscious sublimation. That inherent presence of being the Dragon among all others was exceptionally pronounced.

At that very moment, Caesar frowned slightly, looking up toward a colossal ship flying in the distance.

The Heavenly Emperor! The middle-aged man stepping off the warship. Although they had never met face-to-face, Caesar instantly recognized his identity.

As Caesar, hailed as the Emperor of the Human Realm, his ultimate counterpart could only be the Heavenly Emperor presiding high above—Heaven cannot have two suns; this was an age-old rule.

The auras of the two emperors clashed. The Heavenly Emperor showed a trace of faint surprise and a smile as he looked toward Caesar, nodding repeatedly before leading the contingent of Tianmen experts in another direction.

Qin Fen's eyes instantly shifted focus as well, his gaze, sharper than any blade edge, locking onto Rulai's imposing physique.

In that same instant, Rulai’s body trembled slightly. He glanced with his narrow eyes at Qin Fen’s killing intent-filled gaze, smiled faintly, casually rotated his shoulder once, and continued stepping forward…

The Heavenly Emperor turned his head slightly to observe Qin Fen not far away, clicking his tongue twice. "Truly unexpected. The younger generation has reached this level. If I were in their era, I might not even shine as dimly as starlight."

"They're here!"

Qin Fen suddenly looked up at the sky. Over a dozen massive cosmic warships were descending rapidly, piercing the atmosphere from different directions across the sky. The colossal wind pressure slapped against their clothes, making them snap loudly, and the ground, already swept clean, once again stirred up scarce dust into the air.

Cough... The persistent coughing made his trachea hurt. Today ends here. Tomorrow morning requires an injection, so I will continue in the afternoon.