Chapter 213: First Place, Qin Feng! Apprenticeship to the Heaven Devouring King! Reaching the Sky in One Step

Chapter 213: First Place, Qin Feng! Apprenticed to the Heaven-Devouring King! A Meteoric Rise!

Just as Qin Feng had composed his mind, preparing to begin this long cultivation journey slated for a century, the anomaly occurred without any warning.

Hum—

In the center of the plaza, upon that incomparably massive inheritance stone stele, the spiritual power imprint area located at the absolute bottom—representing the first form of the Heaven-Devouring Fist Technique—suddenly burst forth with a brilliant, dazzling golden light without any warning!

That golden light was so radiant that it instantly eclipsed the glow of the surrounding nebulae, illuminating the entire plaza with absolute clarity.

Immediately following that, within that flashing golden light, name after name rapidly emerged, flickered, and leaped like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

[Huo Yuan · Zhou Xing District]

[Lei Ze · Tian Shu District]

[Jin Mu · Central Star District]

[...]

...

Looking out, that golden waterfall composed of countless names covered nearly the entire area of the first imprint.

The number of those constantly flickering and leaping golden names, by a rough estimate, had reached a staggering several million at the very least!

This meant that within less than half an hour from the very start of this trial, more than a million genius martial artists had already successfully comprehended the complex killer moves in the first spiritual power imprint—moves that required a thousand minds working at once to execute!

This scene caused Qin Feng, who had just been immersed in his own cultivation rhythm, to open his eyes involuntarily, a trace of undeniable astonishment revealing itself within his pupils.

"So many geniuses."

He murmured to himself softly.

Although he had long anticipated that anyone capable of coming here would be a dragon or phoenix among men.

He still had not expected that the progress of these people would actually be fast to such an extent.

"Their accumulation of spiritual power is far from what I can compare to. What is even more terrifying is that their comprehension is equally extraordinary."

For the first time in Qin Feng's heart, he had the most intuitive and clear understanding of the term "cosmic genius."

These people not only had deep foundations, possessing a vast amount of spiritual power sufficient to support a thousand minds working at once, but their comprehension was also absolutely incomparable to ordinary people.

Otherwise, it would be utterly impossible to analyze and comprehend those incomparably complex moves within such a short period of time.

However, marveling was just marveling; Qin Feng's state of mind did not produce the slightest ripple because of this.

He merely smiled freely and quickly restored his calm.

"If the total amount of my spiritual power had also reached the standard, I estimate that within half an hour, I would likewise be able to complete the comprehension, or perhaps even a bit faster."

He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with self-confidence, "After all, the so-called 'comprehension' here merely represents 'entry-level'—a preliminary mastery of the moves."

"My comprehension is not inferior to anyone else's."

Right at this moment, across the plaza, waves of irrepressible astonishment and clamor rang out.

"Heavens! How long has it been? Not even half an hour, right? There are actually already so many people who succeeded?"

"Look quickly! That one named 'Jin Mu', I've heard of him! He's a top one hundred powerhouse in the Space Cup of the Central Star District!"

"It's over, it's over, the gap is just too large! Right now, I haven't even completely adapted to that spiritual pressure!"

...

All kinds of discussions rose and fell one after another, and the mindsets of many martial artists clearly became anxious and impetuous because of this first wave of screen-flooding.

However, even more people still maintained their silence.

They might have also felt the pressure, but their excellent disposition allowed them to quickly adjust their state of mind, remaining undisturbed by too much external interference.

Geniuses who could hack through brambles and thorns all the way, standing out from billions of people to walk to this step, were, for the most part, individuals of calm will and steadfast dao hearts.

It was only those second-generation martial artists with deep backgrounds who had enjoyed smooth sailing all the way without

Then, without a moment's pause, his spiritual power immediately probed toward the second trace of "Dragon Rising from the Sea."

A surge of spiritual pressure, more violent and agile than before, swept over him in an instant.

Yet a satisfied arc curled at the corner of Qin Feng's lips.

He once again entered that state of cultivation, "carrying a burden while moving forward," continuing to feel this new pressure while simultaneously running the *Canaan Sutra*, frantically refining and condensing his spiritual power.

And as he madly elevated his spiritual power, the energy core within his body also spun with unprecedented efficiency.

Every new droplet of spiritual power condensed triggered a small-scale "spiritual power-energy tide."

The vast spiritual power, in turn, stimulated the energy core, causing it to release purer and more abundant life energy.

This energy, like the gentlest and most potent medicine, washed over his physical body again and again, making every cell tougher and more vibrant!

His spiritual power and his physical body advanced together in this unique cultivation, rising at a terrifying speed!

Thus, Qin Feng pushed upward, layer by layer.

His goal was not to pursue speed in comprehension but to utilize the "pressure" of each spiritual trace to its utmost.

Only when the pressure of the current trace could no longer effectively promote his spiritual cultivation would he quickly comprehend it and then immediately move to the next, seeking a new, stronger "whetstone."

---

Years passed slowly, the starry nebula shifting.

Fifty years had passed, exactly half of this century-long assessment.

At this moment, the layout on the square had become sharply defined.

At the very top, the first echelon consisted of five names shining with dazzling light, their comprehension progress having reached an astonishing eighty-seventh layer!

These five, like five insurmountable mountains, left all other geniuses far behind.

Beneath them, the vast majority of martial artists had their progress concentrated between the seventieth and seventy-fifth layers.

Here, they seemed to have encountered an unimaginable bottleneck, stuck for a long time, unable to move forward.

Qin Feng's name was also among them.

He had just pushed his progress to the seventy-second layer.

Unlike the others, who were "stuck" here, Qin Feng had only just "arrived" here!

Qin Feng was a latecomer who had overtaken the early birds!

The fundamental reason for all this was simple.

Because, not long ago, after fifty whole years of relentless, cost-ignoring, mad cultivation, the number of spiritual power droplets in Qin Feng's sea of consciousness had accumulated to a full ten thousand!

Then, following the secret method in the *Canaan Sutra*, he successfully condensed and compressed these ten thousand brilliant, star-like spiritual power droplets, ultimately forming a crystal-clear, flawless "cup"!

The second limit of the planetary level, the "Cup" realm, was broken by Qin Feng at the halfway point of the assessment!

At the moment the "cup" took shape, Qin Feng's most obvious sensation was that his thinking ability had once again undergone a qualitative leap.

He could now effortlessly achieve "a mind divided ten thousand ways"!

At the same time, his vast spiritual power had grown strong enough to stir a true storm in the real world.

Controlling weapons, moving objects through the air—for him now, it was as simple as breathing.

"Finally, I've broken through to the 'Cup' realm."

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, feeling the "cup" formed by spiritual power in his sea of consciousness, his heart calm.

"Next, I must continuously accumulate the 'quantity' of spiritual power in units of 'cups,' eventually turning cups into a lake, breaking through the third limit, the 'Lake' realm."

"But to pile up spiritual power into a true 'lake,' I need at least hundreds of millions of 'cups' just to barely suffice.

The road is still long!"

Qin Feng closed his eyes again.

While continuing to sense the spiritual pressure brought by the seventy-second spiritual trace and cultivating the *Canaan Sutra*, he also diverted part of his mind to comprehend the more complex killing method mysteries contained within.

---

Time passed in monotonous contemplation and cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, another twenty-five years went by.

Now, a full seventy-five years had passed since the assessment began.

The layout on the square had once again undergone earth-shaking changes.

At the very top, the first echelon—the five peerless prodigies who had led from the start—their names were now firmly "nailed" to the ninetieth spiritual trace.

For twenty-five whole years, they had not advanced an inch, as if an insurmountable chasm existed between the ninetieth and ninety-first layers, impossible to breach.

Beneath them, the second echelon, which had been lingering around the seventies, had, after twenty-five years of hard pursuit, pushed their progress to around the eighty-fifth layer, slowly yet steadily closing in on the first echelon.

And Qin Feng occupied a very special position.

His name shone on the eighty-seventh spiritual trace, right in the blank area between the first and second echelons.

Qin Feng was like a solitary pursuer, having left the second echelon behind by some distance while constantly approaching the five seemingly unshakable mountains ahead.

His name glittered with a brilliant golden light on the stone tablet.

Everyone present could clearly see where Qin Feng stood.

"Who is that 'Qin Feng'?"

"Not sure, never heard of him. But his momentum is fierce—he's already reached the eighty-seventh layer! This is a textbook example of a latecomer overtaking the early!"

"I remember fifty years ago, his name was still lingering around the seventies. I didn't expect he'd caught up to this position now."

"At this astonishing speed, Qin Feng should soon reach the ninetieth layer and stand alongside those five. I wonder if he'll also get stuck at the ninetieth layer like them, unable to advance."

...

Murmurs of discussion rose and fell across the square.

At the same time, the grand spectacle of this protracted small-zone assessment was being transmitted in real-time via holographic live broadcast to the various star regions under the jurisdiction of the Ultramarine Legion.

At this moment, on countless prosperous life-bearing planets, in the viewing halls of countless Ultramarine Martial Halls, trillions of martial artists and ordinary citizens were watching this pinnacle showdown, which gathered the strongest new generation of the entire legion, through enormous light screens.

In the official live-stream room of the Ultramarine Legion, scrolling comments surged like a data torrent, never ceasing.

"As expected of the self-created killing method of the Devourer King, the difficulty is indeed absurdly high! Just to 'get started,' these top cosmic prodigies need to spend a full hundred years!

And judging by this situation, after a hundred years, it's not certain anyone will have fully comprehended it."

"No kidding! That's the Devourer King! An unparalleled existence honored on the 'Ten Thousand Races Battlefield King List'!"

"Speaking of which, I recall that the 'King List' acknowledged by the will of the cosmic origin has only a hundred seats in total, right?

It's ranked purely by strength.

How many seats do we humans occupy on it?"

"I just rotated back from the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield. According to the latest 'King List,' among the total of one hundred titled kings, we humans hold seventy-eight seats! Far ahead of all other peak races!"

"Seventy-eight seats! The Emperor's might, humanity forever!"

……

The barrage buzzed with discussion, gradually shifting from commentary on the match to adoration of the empire’s mighty warriors and pride in humanity’s flourishing strength.

And on that examination square, watched by countless eyes, Qin Feng remained utterly oblivious to the world outside.

He continued to immerse himself in his own rhythm of cultivation. While comprehending the ever-deepening fist intent of the *Devouring Heaven Fist Art*, he also circulated the *Canaan Sutra*, steadily accumulating the foundation of his mental power.

Another five years passed.

The examination reached its eightieth year.

Hum—

With a soft chime, on the inheritance stele, the region of the ninetieth mental power mark once again blazed with a dazzling golden light.

Qin Feng’s name appeared upon it, clear and unmistakable!

At the same time, over the past five years, the second echelon had finally completed their last surge of pursuit.

Several dozen more prodigies had successfully branded their names onto the ninetieth mark.

Thus, the first echelon, originally only five strong, had now formally expanded to several dozen.

They stood together before that legendary chasm, gazing up at the scenery higher still.

For Qin Feng, these five years had likewise been a period of deep accumulation and sudden eruption.

The moment he succeeded in comprehending the ninetieth mark, within his sea of consciousness, the second crystalline, flawless “goblet” finally took shape!

His total mental power had doubled once more!

Without a moment’s pause, Qin Feng immediately plunged his mind into the comprehension of the ninety-first mental power mark.

Boom!!!

The instant his mental power touched that mark, a mental pressure tens of times more terrifying than the sum of the previous ninety—like the weight of an entire collapsing universe—smashed brutally into his sea of consciousness!

Within that overwhelming pressure was no longer mere devouring and destruction, but a higher, more complex supreme will!

At the same time, a torrent of information—vast beyond measure, intricate beyond imagination—like a breached river of stars, flooded wildly into his mind.

Merely to digest and organize the colossal concepts and information flow revealed in that ninety-first mental power mark, Qin Feng spent a full seven days and seven nights!

“Starting from the ninety-first, the difficulty… skyrockets like a cliff’s edge…”

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, a trace of shock and awe in his gaze.

But in his heart, there was no discouragement or fear.

On the contrary, an unprecedented thirst for challenge blazed fiercely within his chest.

He closed his eyes again, and his entire mind instantly sank into the “flow state,” where self and world were forgotten.

While quietly comprehending the profound true essence of the fist art, he also entered the “Imperial Arena” from time to time, battling powerful opponents, repeatedly honing his understanding and application of the *Devouring Heaven Fist Art*.

“The *Devouring Heaven Fist Art*…”

“Its core fist intent lies in ‘devouring heaven and earth, embracing all phenomena.’ Its conception is so lofty it defies imagination.”

“Its defensive posture is perfectly seamless. Any form of technique or energy attack, when it comes, is drawn in and devoured by the invisible vortex formed by its fist intent, ultimately dissolving into nothingness, like a mud ox sinking into the sea, leaving no trace.”

“And its offensive momentum is even more domineering beyond compare. With a single punch, it is like a moving miniature black hole, sweeping everything away. It seems even light cannot escape from the edge of its fist… Such is the terror of its fist intent.”

Within Qin Feng’s mind, insights into this supreme fist art flashed continuously.

Time slipped away once more.

One year later.

Just when everyone thought that those dozens of top prodigies would be collectively trapped before the ninety-first mark until the examination ended—

Hum!!!

On the inheritance stele, the region representing the ninety-first mental power mark, silent for decades, suddenly erupted without warning into a blinding golden light! A solitary name appeared upon it, crystal clear:

【Qin Feng · This Star Sector】

In that instant, it was as if a supernova had been dropped into a tranquil lake, igniting the entire arena—and indeed, the heat of all viewing zones under the jurisdiction of the Limit Warrior Legion!

Because over the past year, those dozens of prodigies hailed as the strongest of this generation had all, without exception, been trapped before the ninety-first mark, with none able to break through.

And this Qin Feng, who had only begun to exert himself in the middle of the examination, rising from behind all the way, had crossed that chasm in just one year!

From this moment onward, the so-called “first echelon” consisted of only him alone!

Yet what astonished—nay, horrified—everyone even more was yet to come.

Right after Qin Feng succeeded in comprehending the ninety-first mental power mark, his forward momentum did not slow in the slightest; instead, it became even more fierce, even more unstoppable!

Another year passed, and the examination reached its eighty-second year.

Hum—The ninety-second mark blazed with golden light!

Qin Feng’s name was branded upon it!

Another year passed, the examination’s eighty-third year.

Hum—The ninety-third mark was lit!

Another year…

From the start of the examination, ninety full years had now elapsed.

At this moment, on that vast inheritance stele, in the uppermost region, from the ninety-first to the ninety-eighth layer, only one name was branded, solitary and alone—Qin Feng!

And his name was now flickering before the final, most difficult ninety-ninth mental power mark, gathering strength, preparing for the ultimate assault!

Looking further down, the region of the ninetieth mark, which once gathered dozens of top prodigies, now boasted a number of names in the tens of thousands.

Further down, between the eightieth and ninetieth mental power marks, roughly a million names had left their mark.

Between the seventieth and eightieth marks, hundreds of millions of names were gathered.

As for the last echelon, their comprehension progress had reached the sixty-fifth mark.

All other martial artists had stalled between the sixty-fifth and seventieth marks, unable to advance further.

Another five years passed.

The examination reached its ninety-fifth year.

The pattern on the stele had not changed much.

Only the number of names on the ninetieth mark had increased by tens of thousands.

But still, no one had succeeded in comprehending the ninety-first layer.

That chasm, for everyone except Qin Feng, seemed insurmountable.

Another three years passed.

The examination reached its ninety-eighth year.

Just when everyone thought that Qin Feng might need to exhaust the remaining time to complete that final step—

Hum!!!

A humming sound, grander and more dazzling than any before, resounded across the universe!

At the highest point of that enlightenment stele, the ninety-ninth trace of spiritual will, representing the ultimate essence of the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique*, was utterly ignited by a blinding, extreme golden light.

[Qin Feng · This Star Sector]

When these five large characters were clearly imprinted atop the stele, the entire plaza, and even the billions upon billions of spectators under the jurisdiction of the Limit War Group, erupted in uncontrollable exclamations of shock!

Even those top-tier prodigies with hearts as firm as iron were jolted from their meditative states, lifting their heads to gaze at that solitary name hanging high above everyone else, their eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and awe.

Because the best among them had already experienced it firsthand.

After comprehending the ninetieth trace, when they attempted to challenge the ninety-first, the difficulty increased exponentially, leaving them utterly helpless, as if reading a book from another world.

They had deeply felt the despair of that insurmountable chasm.

But Qin Feng, against all odds, in just a short span of ten-odd years, not only crossed that chasm but directly pushed through, fully comprehending and entering the gateway of the entire fist technique!

"Freak..."

"What... what terrifying comprehension is this?"

"A student from Jianan Starry Sky Martial University? When did such a monster appear?"

...

Countless gazes—filled with shock, reverence, and even a hint of envy—converged sharply on the rear of the plaza.

Among these gazes were awe, respect, disbelief, and even a trace of barely concealed jealousy.

There, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, the spiritual energy tide around him circulating spontaneously, like the rise and fall of a vast starry nebula. His spiritual will had already manifested outwardly, exuding a terrifying aura that could swallow heaven and earth.

After successfully comprehending the final form of the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique*, he did not stop his cultivation.

In fact, Qin Feng did not even open his eyes.

That inheritance stele, for him at this moment, had lost its value as a "whetstone."

But this century-long assessment was not yet over.

Qin Feng's mind split into two again.

One part of his mind continued to sink into his sea of consciousness, using the two newly formed "cups" as a foundation, tirelessly running the *Jianan Sutra*, polishing and accumulating his spiritual foundation.

The other, larger part of his mind, directly connected through the subspace network, plunged into that virtual world filled with endless battles and trials—the Imperial Arena.

In the ninth-segment ranked match area of the arena, a figure with the code name "Qin" began to appear frequently.

Fight, lose, review, fight again, lose again...

Qin Feng was tireless and indifferent to victory or defeat.

His only goal was to digest and absorb the supreme fist technique he had just learned from the stele—the *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique*—through one high-intensity real combat after another.

Time, in this state of extreme focus—turning a deaf ear to the world outside and dedicating his heart solely to the sage's path—silently passed another two years.

Until, just before the bell that echoed throughout the Pillar of Creation, signaling the end of the century-long assessment, slowly began to toll, Qin Feng finally awakened from that deep meditation lasting ninety-nine years and eleven months, slowly opening his eyes.

In Qin Feng's eyes was a depth, calm, and vastness like the deep void of the universe.

In these final two years, the spiritual power in his sea of consciousness had undergone another round of transformation.

A third crystalline, flawless "cup" had quietly taken shape, forming a more stable and powerful spiritual core structure together with the previous two cups.

And on his personal panel, visible only to himself, two lines of new data clearly emerged.

[Killing Method:]

[*Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique* (Entry Level)]

[Proficiency: 1/100]

[Nurturing Method:]

[*Ten Complete Hands* (Not Yet Entry Level)]

[Proficiency: 3/10]

Qin Feng's consciousness quickly sorted through his astonishing gains over the past century.

First, a massive breakthrough in realm.

His spiritual power, from a mere "three droplets" at the start of the competition, had surged forward, ultimately transforming into the current "three cups."

This meant his total spiritual power had reached a terrifying "thirty thousand droplets"!

This was not just an accumulation of quantity but a leap in quality.

Each transformation of spiritual power brought a geometric increase in thinking speed, learning ability, and the intensity of spiritual interference with reality.

It could be said that his overall strength now, compared to a century ago, had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Second, the continuous strengthening of his physical body.

Over these hundred years, every time he condensed a new spiritual droplet or broke through to a new realm, the vast spiritual power would in turn draw upon the spiritual energy core within him, deeply washing and elevating his physical body time and again.

Now, his physical strength, cell activity, energy ceiling... all life indicators had undergone a qualitative leap.

Third, the great harvest in the realm of killing methods.

That *Heaven-Swallowing Fist Technique*, created by a King-level powerhouse and reaching the limit of seventh-level killing methods, had been fully "entered."

Here, "entry" could not be summarized by the simple "1/100" proficiency on the panel.

It meant Qin Feng had comprehended and connected all ninety-nine spiritual traces of this fist technique, and could use them in high-intensity real combat.

With his current level of fist technique mastery, even in the ninth-segment duels of the Imperial Arena, he could already deliver some quite dazzling performances relying on this absurdly high-grade technique.

Beyond all this, there was one more gain—the biggest, almost an unexpected joy.

That was the empire's strategic nurturing method—*Ten Complete Hands*!

During this assessment, the proficiency of *Ten Complete Hands* had, without any guidance or manual, been "grinded" up by himself from "2/10" to "3/10"!

"The fundamental method of *Ten Complete Hands* is to use spiritual power as a guide to nurture the body and nourish the spirit."

"In this assessment, bound by the rules, I could not move freely."

"So during my cultivation, I tried to force myself to completely abandon physical techniques, using only spiritual power to simulate and enact the essence of *Ten Complete Hands*."

"Unexpectedly, I actually managed to comprehend a deeper path of cultivation."

Qin Feng's heart was filled with emotion and joy.

Before this, to perform *Ten Complete Hands*, he had to use both hands to "work on himself," employing complex physical massage techniques while simultaneously guiding with spiritual power, to achieve the effect of sorting out the body and removing hidden injuries.

As for the part of *Ten Complete Hands* concerning how to directly nourish the spirit, he had never been able to penetrate it.

And during this century-long "sitting still," he had finally fully understood that part of the mystery!

From now on, he no longer needed to use any physical techniques.

With just a thought, he could use his vast spiritual power to directly construct within his body the mysterious runes, precise inscriptions, and complex spiritual circuits recorded in *Ten Complete Hands*.

These "methods" built from pure spiritual power could not only sort out and nurture his physical body more finely and efficiently but also directly act on his sea of consciousness, quickly restoring his expended spiritual power!

"This hundred years has truly been a bountiful harvest!"

A genuine smile finally appeared on Qin Feng's face.

At that moment, the bell that echoed across the sky, announcing the end of the assessment, finally sounded its last chime.

Then, the cold and majestic voice of Luo Yu, the Black Hole-level examiner, once again resounded across the vast Cosmic Square.

"This concludes the official end of the B-778 sub-sector assessment for the Cosmic Genius Tournament."

Her voice paused briefly, then, in an irrevocable and impartial tone, she began to announce the final rankings.

"First place: Qin Feng, from this star sector. Final achievement: Mastery of the *Devouring Heaven Fist Technique*, the ninety-ninth layer."

"Second place: Huo Yuan... the ninety-first layer."

"Third place: Jin Mu, the ninetieth layer."

"..."

"...

Luo Yu's cold and majestic voice, like a celestial decree, echoed across the vast Cosmic Square.

With each name she uttered, it signified a prodigy who, after a century of brutal selection, had successfully emerged from the crowd, standing at the pinnacle of countless billions of their peers.

"Sixth place: ..."

"Tenth place: ..."

When the name for tenth place was announced, Luo Yu's voice fell silent.

She did not continue reading further; only the top ten were deemed worthy of having their names proclaimed before the assembly.

Her gaze, like two tangible bolts of lightning, swept across the sea of countless geniuses below, who still remained seated in meditation.

"These are the top ten of this sub-sector assessment."

"Furthermore, all participants ranked within the top one million in comprehensive potential evaluation have qualified to advance and may proceed to the next round of the 'Major Sector' selection.

Whether you choose to participate or not, please submit your consent application via the subspace network panel on your personal terminals within twenty-four hours.

Failure to submit within the time limit will be considered a voluntary forfeiture of eligibility."

"To all warriors who have qualified, your rewards have been uniformly distributed to your respective personal terminals. Please check and confirm."

Luo Yu's voice remained as icy as ever, devoid of any emotion.

"As for the remaining participants ranked beyond the top one million, your journey in the Cosmic Genius Tournament ends here.

You will receive no rewards, nor will you be able to participate in any subsequent events.

Effective immediately, you may use subspace teleportation to return to your respective star sectors on your own."

These words were undoubtedly cruel to the vast majority of geniuses who had failed to qualify.

A century of arduous cultivation, only to end in emptiness.

Yet there was still a gain: they had learned the seventh-level killing technique, the *Devouring Heaven Fist Technique*. Even if only its surface, it was immensely useful.

Finally, Luo Yu's tone abruptly turned stern and sharp.

"One last point, and the most important one!"

"The seventh-level killing technique, the *Devouring Heaven Fist Technique*, taught during this assessment—regardless of how much you have comprehended, even if it is just a single move or stance—must never be taught or leaked to the outside world in any form.

Should anyone be found to have passed it on, the Devouring Heaven King himself will personally intervene to reclaim the inheritance!"

The words "reclaim the inheritance" were emphasized with great weight.

Everyone present instantly felt a chill that penetrated the depths of their souls.

They had no doubt that a "personal intervention" by a King-level powerhouse would not merely involve erasing the technique from one's memory.

Every person present felt a sudden jolt of fear, etching this prohibition deep into the recesses of their minds.

With the pronouncement concluded, Luo Yu and the other two Black Hole-level examiners vanished as silently as they had appeared, once again fading into the resplendent nebula.

The massive inheritance stele that had stood for a century dimmed instantly, all its golden light and inscribed names fading away, reverting to its original, unadorned appearance, as if nothing had ever happened.

The oppressive atmosphere that had lingered over the square for a hundred years finally shattered completely at this moment.

Some cheered, some sighed, some remained silent, some felt resentment... a myriad of human emotions, each distinct.

Qin Feng, however, paid no heed to the commotion around him.

He sat quietly on his meditation cushion, sinking his mind entirely into his personal terminal.

The moment he connected, a series of system notification tones rang in his mind.

First came a system notice from the "Imperial Trading House - Divine Works Hall."

[Dear Customer Qin Feng, the planetary-grade weapon 'Heavenly Derivative Spear,' which you commissioned a hundred years ago, has been forged.

After final inspection, its quality is perfect and meets all your requirements. This item has been transmitted via the highest-authority subspace channel to your personal subspace storage unit. Please check and confirm.]

With a thought, Qin Feng's consciousness plunged into his vast subspace storage unit.

There, in the center of the storage space, a pitch-black, ancient-looking long spear hovered silently.

It emitted no light, yet it seemed to be the center of the entire space, warping even the light around it.

This was the supreme divine weapon forged over a century, with "Heavenly Derivative Alloy" as its core and the "corpse of a Star-Swallower juvenile" as its main body!

Merely sensing its existence, Qin Feng could feel a strange resonance beginning to stir within his own spiritual core.

Immediately after, another encrypted email, sent by the "Cosmic Genius Tournament Organizing Committee" with the highest authority level, popped up.

Qin Feng opened it. The content was concise, consisting of only three lines.

[Congratulations, participant Qin Feng, for achieving first place in the Limit War Legion's sub-sector assessment.]

[Your champion rewards are as follows:]

[1. Imperial Contribution Points: 10,000,000.]

[2. Qualification to participate in the Cosmic Genius Tournament's Major Sector as a contestant.]

[3. Eligibility to become a disciple of the 'Devouring Heaven King.']

Ten million contribution points—a fortune that would drive any planetary-level powerhouse mad with desire.

The qualification to participate in the Major Sector meant he could compete there against the top prodigies from a million legions across the entire human empire.

These two rewards were within his expectations; though generous, they did not stir much turmoil in his heart.

But when he saw the final reward, he was utterly stunned.

Become a disciple... of the Devouring Heaven King?!

That King-level powerhouse ranked on the "Ten Thousand Races Battlefield King List"?!

(End of chapter)