The crowd's gaze sharpened upon seeing the white-robed youth. After a moment of appraisal, gasps erupted from the throng.

"It's the Blissful Demon Buddha from the Buddhist Civilization!"

"What!! That unparalleled prodigy??"

"I can't believe this person has come too. This individual is renowned throughout the Buddhist Civilization, the reincarnation of the foremost disciple under the Ancient Buddha King!"

"Such a figure would actually come here!!"

A clamor swept through the outer fringes of the crowd, but it lasted only a moment before it was violently silenced under Bai Tian's frown, extinguishing instantly as if frozen, rendering the area utterly quiet.

The white-robed youth appeared composed, an elegant smile playing on his lips. He offered a slight bow to Bai Tian, then opened his palm. A dense golden light slowly manifested within it. This light gradually ascended from his palm, about the size of a dragon's eye, perfectly crystalline and dazzling, the surface a rich, burnished gold, encircled by a faint aura of pale gold that exuded a subtle fragrance, penetrating the spirit.

"This is an Ancient Buddha Sarira, a peerless treasure comparable to a Dao Artifact. Ingesting it can extend one's lifespan by a hundred million years, or it can serve as a primary material for forging a Dao Artifact. It bears the secret runes of the Great Perfection Law, making it priceless. For a Divine being, consuming it can instantly achieve Great Completion, offering hope of stepping into the Divine Emperor realm!"

Upon hearing the white-robed youth’s description, everyone present was inwardly shaken, their eyes fixed on the crimson-gold Ancient Buddha Sarira. They were astonished that such a treasured artifact was being offered as a gift. If the donor were not utterly confident in the upcoming competition, they would never have dared to make such a grand gesture!

It was important to remember that the Divine realm was distinctly superior to the Half-God and Pseudo-God stages. In those earlier realms, once enough divine power was accumulated, breakthrough only required enhancing the physical body. In the Divine realm, however, every stage presented a formidable barrier, necessitating comprehension of the Heavenly Laws for gradual advancement. Advancing from a Low-Tier Divine to a Peak Divine was divided into four arduous steps, each as difficult as scaling the heavens.

Yet, this tiny Sarira could grant an immediate breakthrough, its effect no less significant than instantly molding a Half-God Emperor-level powerhouse!

The implications of this were far more profound than merely assisting in reaching the Peak Divine stage. The breakthrough process itself saved countless years of lifespan. With that time, comprehending the creation and workings of the universe would hardly be difficult, thus effectively aiding the recipient in achieving the realm of a Half-God Emperor.

Previously, the other contenders who presented treasures had subtly changed their expressions upon seeing this white-robed youth. These peerless geniuses, who viewed the world with such sweeping vision and contempt for all others, now regarded the white-robed youth with a discernible flicker of apprehension.

Following the white-robed youth, several other young individuals came forward, each bearing rare and coveted treasures. There was also one young man who merely presented a Low-Tier Divine Artifact as a token gesture, likely realizing, after witnessing the array of powerful figures already present, that he stood no chance of claiming the top position, and thus chose to reserve his better preparations to avoid needless waste.

Once the presentation of treasures concluded, the many artifacts were carried into the palace chambers behind. Bai Tian looked down upon the assembled crowd, his expression cold, yet imbued with a majesty as unmoving as a great mountain. He spoke in a deep voice, "Since all you worthy nephews have made your preparations, let the competition commence!"

Dong~~

As the words fell, the sound of an ancient bell echoed, reverberating across the mountaintop.

"The first match: Hei Yu Shang of the Dark Empire's Night Sky Hall, versus Zi Xue of the Samsara Shrine!"

A white-haired elder stood in the void above the entire assembly, speaking gently, his light voice carrying to every ear present.

Swish! Swish!

From the competitors' seating area, two figures suddenly shot out, landing upon the first battle stage. They stood tall and imposing, their expressions severe, looking up at their opponent, their gazes meeting in the air, sparking intense friction.

"I trust everyone is familiar with the rules of engagement. Now, we invite the Virtual Connectors and the main screen!" The white-haired elder raised his hand. Sounds of breaking air arose nearby as several figures rushed over, carrying numerous small, white-gold chests, each about a foot in size, in addition to a rolled-up LCD screen.

These individuals moved with practiced efficiency, quickly unfolding the scroll-like LCD screen. This screen was three-dimensional, visible from all angles, and under some mysterious energy, it automatically suspended itself in mid-air, displaying an empty battle stage.

The people opened the white-gold chests, carrying two towards Zi Xue and Hei Yu Shang, handing them the VIP-grade special effect virtual helmets, then smiled and retreated.

"To prevent accidental harm and to test the innate talents of the two, let the battle begin!" the white-haired elder said with a smile.

Zi Xue snorted coldly, donned the intricately engineered virtual helmet, and sat down cross-legged. He felt a slight numbness spread over his skin, and the next moment, he found himself on a specially prepared stage. This was a unique virtual helmet; the chip within contained only this single virtual world of the arena.

Once both had put on their helmets, the 3D scroll-screen floating above the crowd immediately displayed two figures—naturally, Zi Xue and Hei Yu Shang. However, at this moment, both were clad in simple, light-gray roughspun clothing and held no weapons.

"Please select your weapons!" a cold system prompt echoed in the virtual world.

"Sword!"

"Spear!"

Both Zi Xue and Hei Yu Shang spoke with chilling indifference, their eyes locked on their opponent, seemingly intent on piercing through every aspect of the other.

As their words concluded, a weapon materialized out of thin air on the ground before each of them. After the weapons appeared, the system prompt sounded again: "The match begins!"

Zi Xue gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes fixed on Hei Yu Shang. Suddenly, his pupils turned crimson, and a mysterious purple pattern surfaced between his brows. His purple hair surged upward, and with a single step, the ground beneath him cracked and sank, the shattered stones trembling under the immense pressure emanating from him.

"This is the famed 'Purple God Art' of old!"

"Judging by this display, his cultivation is clearly not shallow."

"Who will win?"

The countless young disciples of the Bai family watching from the periphery, along with the Divine Emperor powerhouses seated in the VIP section, all focused their gazes, observing these two peerless geniuses rarely seen in millions of years.

Behind the mountain peak, perched on the edge of a lonely cliff, sat a young woman in white. Her legs dangled over the precipice, facing the fierce gale that whipped through her unbound hair, causing her robes to flutter wildly.

She looked into the distance with an expression of deep melancholy.

Blue sky. White clouds.

She stared blankly for a long time before slowly lowering her head, murmuring softly, "You, in the end, did not come..." As she finished speaking, she bit her lower lip with her pearl-like teeth, and two crystal tears slipped down her cheek, carried by the breeze into the valley below the cliff.

...

In a distant, chaotic expanse of time and space, a spacecraft entirely composed of ice, resembling white crystal, hung suspended.

In the main hall of the vessel, Venerable Bai Ya gazed out at the exterior with a solemn expression, his fingers counting silently as if performing a complex divination. His brow was deeply furrowed, and a subtle, dark killing intent flickered in his eyes.

Beside him, Ye Chen paced back and forth, his face etched with anxiety. If Old Man Green Talisman and the others could see him now, they would be utterly terrified. From the early days on Earth until this moment, they had never witnessed such agitation in Ye Chen. For this cold and steady man to display such urgency indicated the severity of the situation.

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

The more Ye Chen thought, the more murderous intent boiled within him. "Zi Shen, Yan Mo, if I don't make you two bleed within three feet of your lives one day, then I, Ye Chen, have lived in vain!" He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked audibly. "The teleportation runes of the Nameless Grotto-Heaven are useless, all other summoning runes are defunct. This place is a completely sealed space. Damn it!!"

He was desperate!

According to Venerable Bai Ya's assessment, in this chaotic spacetime, if one accidentally fell into a zone where time flowed a thousand times faster than the outside world, a few hours inside would translate to several months outside!

"Wait for me!"

"You must wait for me!"

Ye Chen stared out beyond the white crystal hull, his eyes tinged with red. With a sudden, violent roar directed at the heavens, a sound filled with ferocity and rage that echoed throughout the entire white crystal ship, tinged with a hint of savagery and malice.

Just then—

Swish!

Outside this chaotic spacetime, a passage suddenly tore open. The previously violent temporal wind blades calmed down. This passage was formed from golden light, like a spotlight shining in from the outside, striking the white crystal ship and enveloping its hull.

Venerable Bai Ya's eyes lit up immediately. He leaped out of the spacecraft without hesitation, raising his arms and shouting, "I am in a hurry! Quickly open a passage to allow me to depart!"

"Are you Elder Bai from the Yan God Empire?" a commanding voice echoed from outside.

Venerable Bai Ya’s heart tightened, and the excitement on his face quickly vanished. He composed himself: "That is indeed me. Who are you?"

As his voice faded, four figures materialized at the entrance of the golden passage, standing within the golden light. Their outlines were blurred and indistinct. Only the leading voice could be heard chuckling, "It is indeed Bai Ya! Heh heh, you are usually so mighty, yet look at your current plight. I advise you to surrender now, or else, if we join forces and pay a small price, we will surely scatter your soul and make you vanish from this heaven and earth, even preventing the collection of your faith!"

Venerable Bai Ya's expression shifted slightly, yet he responded with angry laughter, "So it is you few young whelps! Zi Shen, Yan Mo, you two are ministers of the Empire, yet you dare collude with foreign factions! Are you not afraid that Lord Yan Emperor will find out and throw you into the Yan Realm prison to become nourishment for the Yan Realm?!"

"Hmph!" The figure on the left sneered. "The events of today were plotted by me for a long time. Even the Samsara Holy King could not have divined this. You must know, there are five Divine Emperors present here. No matter how strong the Samsara Holy King is, forcing his way through the destiny of five Divine Emperors simultaneously to spy on us would be taxing. Moreover, we carry Heaven-Fixing Needles; this space is completely sealed. No matter what happens, the outside world will not know!"

Ye Chen, listening from inside the ship, instantly recognized the voice—it was Zi Shen, who had once tried and failed to kill him. To find his deeply hated enemy appearing so unexpectedly right before him made him clench his fists. Blood vessels swelled in his eyes, and a sky-piercing killing aura erupted from him, making him wish he could charge out and tear the man to pieces to quell the hatred in his heart.

At that moment, Venerable Bai Ya suddenly laughed coldly, "A few young whelps like you? You're eight hundred lifetimes too green!" He turned, swiftly retreated into the spacecraft, and the entire white crystal vessel instantly sped away towards the depths of the turbulent time storm.

"Trying to flee?"

"The struggle of a trapped beast!"

"Surrender now!"

The figures at the entrance of the golden passage sneered. Each produced a spacecraft and piloted it, pursuing the white crystal vessel into the depths of the time storm.