Chapter 250: Heaven Devouring Enlightenment Monument, Tianxuan Covered Bridge! Incumbent Chief!

Chapter 250: Heaven-Swallowing Enlightenment Stele, Celestial Mystic Corridor Bridge! The Former Chief!

Within the boundless sea of flames deep within the mansion, Qin Feng’s consciousness slowly withdrew from the vast and infinite cosmic will. His spiritual world still lingered with the supreme majesty and boundless sensation brought by that scroll of the “Heavenly Book.”

Before him, the panel composed of arcane characters floated silently, each character seeming to contain the ultimate principles of the universe.

“I have seen it.”

Qin Feng’s voice carried a hint of hoarseness, as if just awakening from shock. He calmed his surging spiritual energy and spoke to Huo Linhou beside him.

Huo Linhou nodded, crimson flames dancing in his eyes, as if unsurprised by Qin Feng’s reaction.

He had long grown accustomed to the reverence shown by warriors upon their first contact with the cosmic will.

“Seeing it is good.”

Huo Linhou’s tone was steady and direct, without any hesitation. “This is the foundation of your foothold in the Myriad Races Battlefield.

The cosmic will—you can understand it as the supreme rule-maker and arbiter of this boundless battlefield.

It has no emotions; it only operates according to established laws.”

He paused, organizing his words, and explained the key points to Qin Feng in the most concise manner.

“The cosmic will randomly issues tasks, targeting random beings.”

“Let me give you an example,”

Huo Linhou extended a finger, its tip flickering with a condensed flame, tracing the phantom of a rotating planet in the void. “For instance, if the cosmic will gives you the task of ‘destroy the Alpha-7 planet before you,’

in such a case, it usually assigns a completely opposite task to another being of roughly equal strength and potential—‘protect the Alpha-7 planet.’”

“Thus, you two become natural mortal enemies.

If the task reward is extremely generous, such as a rare cosmic artifact, and the penalty for failure is depriving you of any opportunity to gain fortune for the next hundred years, or even directly deducting some of your resources…

Then, between you, it becomes a fight to the death, with no end until one falls.”

Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed.

This was even more brutal than the final stage of the Cosmic Genius Tournament he had experienced.

Though the rules of that tournament were bloody, they had a clear scope and time limit.

But the tasks of the cosmic will turned the entire universe into a chessboard, with beings from all races as pieces, engaged in an endless series of matches.

“But you can rest assured,”

Huo Linhou, seeing Qin Feng’s concern, added, “In such one-on-one assigned tasks, the cosmic will has a basic principle: it will not cause internal members of the same faction to kill each other.

It will not give you a task to hunt a warrior from the same Human Empire, and vice versa.”

Qin Feng nodded slightly, feeling somewhat reassured.

At least this ensured that within the human race, internal strife would not erupt due to such random tasks.

“Besides that, there is another, more common situation.”

Huo Linhou waved his hand, dispersing the planetary phantom. “The cosmic will may trigger a time-limited event in a specific cosmic region. For example, ‘The Void Thunder Soul will be born in the Thunder Star Domain in seventy-two hours. Collect ten of them to receive the inheritance of the black hole-level secret art, ‘Ten Thousand Thunders Return to Stillness.’”

“Once such an event begins, all beings in that region, regardless of race or faction, become your competitors.

At that time, if you and other human warriors are present simultaneously, you may even fight each other for the highest reward.

After all, rewards from events personally issued by the cosmic will are often extremely precious, far surpassing ordinary resource points.

In past history, the highest rewards have even included top-tier cosmic artifacts capable of reversing the tide of war and laying the foundation for a civilization.”

Listening to Huo Linhou’s introduction, Qin Feng fully understood.

The Myriad Races Battlefield was a “battle royale” game magnified countless times, with crueler rules and more enticing rewards.

And the cosmic will was the supreme, cold-hearted game administrator.

To survive here—and to thrive—one must adapt to its rules, even exploit them.

“As for the rankings you saw,”

Huo Linhou’s gaze shifted to the panel before Qin Feng, which had not yet dissipated. “You can think of them as the cosmic will’s ‘special attention list.’”

He pointed emphatically to the top, which was also the only ranking currently meaningful to Qin Feng.

“The [Hidden Dragon Ranking].”

“This ranking does not look at current cultivation level, only ‘potential.’

All beings below the Domain Lord level may appear on it.

The cosmic will conducts an extremely complex comprehensive evaluation based on your battle achievements, equipment, cultivation methods, nurturing methods, killing methods’ levels and qualities, the background of your civilization faction, and so on, ultimately deriving a potential value.

Across the entire Myriad Races Battlefield, among countless trillions of beings, only the top thousand with the highest comprehensive potential can make this list.”

“Remember, under the gaze of the cosmic will, all your achievements are transparent; nothing can be hidden.”

Huo Linhou’s tone carried a note of warning.

Qin Feng’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

“Then what practical benefit does this ranking bring? Is it merely for fame across the star sea?”

He keenly grasped the core of the issue. “If so, then this ranking is too useless—even disgusting. Publicizing your achievements exposes you to the sight of all potential enemies, with no real benefit, only endless trouble and targeting.”

This was a very realistic question.

“Hahaha…”

Huo Linhou laughed heartily at this, a glint of approval in his crimson eyes. “It’s good that you can think of this.

Many geniuses new to the battlefield are only dazzled by the vanity of making the list, blind to the immense risks hidden behind it.”

“You’re right—exposure is indeed a huge risk. But the cosmic will’s rules are fair; risk and opportunity coexist.”

He restrained his smile, his expression turning somewhat profound. “First, the Hidden Dragon Ranking only reveals your public achievements, such as whom you killed or what tasks you completed. It does not expose your core trump cards, like the specific level of your killing methods, details of your indestructible projection, or hidden abilities of your equipment. It only gives a vague comprehensive evaluation.”

“Second, and most importantly—making the Hidden Dragon Ranking means… your chances of triggering random tasks issued by the cosmic will or being drawn into time-limited events increase significantly!”

“This…”

Even with Qin Feng’s steady temperament, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes, his pupils contracting slightly.

This mechanism was a double-edged sword!

“You understand now?”

Huo Linhou smiled. “It is precisely because of this mechanism that on the Myriad Races Battlefield, countless beings crave battle and slaughter. They madly attack each other, just to create earth-shattering achievements, to make their names resound across the star sea, all for the sake of squeezing into that list of a thousand spots.”

“Because once on the list, it means having ‘priority’ in obtaining top-tier opportunities.

As for those beings who fail to make the list, they have their own way of survival.”

A cruel curve appeared at the corner of Huo Linhou’s mouth. “They will follow those hidden dragons on the list like sharks drawn to the scent of blood.

Thus, once a hidden dragon triggers a regional time-limited event, these ‘companions’ can also be swept into it, getting a share of the spoils—or even, at a critical moment, strike to hunt that hidden dragon and seize all its opportunities.”

Qin Feng suddenly realized.

So that was it.

Making the Hidden Dragon Ranking was both an honor and a death warrant.

You will become a mobile "trigger of fate," drawing countless hunters to circle around you, waiting for the moment you unlock the treasure's gate.

"Of course,"

Fire Qilin Hou added, "this situation is limited only to those beings on the [Hidden Dragon List] who are still in their growth phase.

If their strength rises further, ascending to the [Marquis List], [King List], or even the [Emperor List], they are top-tier existences who have fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood with real blades and real guns. Every word and action of theirs can shake an entire star domain.

Their prestige itself is the strongest barrier; ordinary beings flee from them, and no one dares to approach lightly—that would be pure suicide."

Qin Feng silently absorbed this vast amount of information.

With a thought, he attempted to examine the [Hidden Dragon List].

Instantly, a golden scroll unfurled in his consciousness. It listed names of various forms and races, each followed by their affiliated faction and a brief yet startling description of their achievements.

[First Place: 'Child of the Void' Kitar (Void Clan)]

[Achievement: Single-handedly hunted ten Black Hole-level Zerg lords at the 'Extinction Star Remains,' and directly destroyed a Chaos fleet of one hundred thousand Galaxy-level Chaos Warriors.]

[Second Place: 'Flesh Gospel' Karsas (Khorne Greater Daemon)]

[Achievement: Sacrificed the civilization of the 'Ulan Star Domain,' slew seven Black Hole-level beings, and forged a 'Flesh Divine Fetus' from the flesh and blood of billions of beings in the Ulan Star Domain, greatly enhancing potential assessment.]

[Third Place: 'Golden Lion' Rein (Human Empire)]

[Achievement: Guarded the 'Storm Star Domain' for three hundred years, single-handedly slew invading Black Hole-level beings three times, and repelled seven 'Beast' invasions launched by Black Hole-level Orks.]

...

Qin Feng's gaze swept downward, his mind growing increasingly shaken.

He recognized none of the names on the list, but the achievements behind each name were nothing short of legendary.

Some were peerless prodigies from the Human Empire, but more were monstrous talents from all kinds of bizarre alien civilizations and eerie factions.

"Good, you've already grasped the basic rules of the universe's will."

Fire Qilin Hou's voice pulled Qin Feng back to reality. "Now, when you're not triggered by a mission, spend more time studying the list and learning who the top powerhouses under this starry sky are. It won't do you any harm.

Now, let me tell you about the key points of cultivation here in the Myriad Races Battlefield."

"Alright!"

Qin Feng immediately sat up straight, his expression focused. This was the most crucial matter concerning his own interests.

"First, remember this: within the Devour Universe City and all human race universe cities, the Empire's subspace network can still be used normally.

But once you leave the protective range of a universe city and enter the vast, uninhabited deep space, the subspace network will be completely cut off. As for subspace storage units, they can be used, but at a high cost—I've already paid for five thousand years for you."

"Later, you can buy a spatial ring and only store important resources in the subspace storage unit. That way, if you hide your indestructible projection and use physical destruction to escape like a cicada shedding its shell, you won't suffer too great a loss."

Fire Qilin Hou said solemnly, "The subspace of the Myriad Races Battlefield is the domain of Outer Gods and Chaos Gods, full of unknowns and dangers. The Emperor's might mainly protects the human territories and major universe city strongholds, unable to cover all areas."

"Second, resource acquisition. Within the universe city, the Master has set up many training grounds, such as the 'Devour Enlightenment Stele' on the divine mountain beneath your feet, as well as the 'Heavenly Mystery Corridor Bridge,' the 'Seven Kill Arena,' the 'Weapon Cleansing Pool,' and so on.

If you undergo trials in these places and achieve specific goals, you can obtain rewards left by the Master.

This is one of the few stable and safe ways to gain resources in the early stages."

Fire Qilin Hou shifted his tone: "But remember, the rewards left by the Master are mainly to help you build a foundation. Their quantity and quality are limited—they won't allow you to cultivate all the way to the Black Hole level without worry.

So, the main sources of resources come from only two paths."

"First, go to the various 'opportunity points' scattered across the Saint Academy Sea, marked by countless human ancestors with their blood and lives, and obtain resources there.

Second, hand over the spoils from hunting alien races or exploring ruins to the Empire in exchange for contribution points, and then use those points to exchange for whatever you need. That's about it."

Qin Feng understood.

This was somewhat similar to the model at Canaan Martial University, but the scale and danger level were incomparable.

"Take this."

Fire Qilin Hou flipped his hand, and a black stone tablet shimmering with starlight appeared in his palm, which he handed to Qin Feng.

The tablet was cool to the touch, its material neither metal nor stone, engraved with intricate star map patterns as if containing a condensed universe.

"This is a star map of resource points. Currently, the points glowing are all confirmed opportunity points by the Saint Academy, and you can choose any of them.

Based on the rarity of resources and the danger level of the environment, the difficulty is divided into three levels: 'Normal,' 'Hard,' and 'Hell.'"

Qin Feng took the tablet and extended a thread of his mental energy into it.

Boom—

In an instant, a vast, boundless three-dimensional star map exploded in his mind.

Countless bright spots flickered across the star map, each representing a human stronghold like the 'Devour Universe City.'

These strongholds spread like a great net across a vast sea of stars named the 'Saint Academy Sea.'

Beyond the edges of the 'Saint Academy Sea' lay an even deeper, darker, almost lightless endless void, marked as the 'Endless Sea.'

"The star map you see is mainly divided into two parts."

Fire Qilin Hou's voice sounded at the right moment to explain.

"The area we are in now, and where most human warriors operate, is called the 'Saint Academy Sea.'

This is the range that human forces can radiate, under the unified jurisdiction of the Empire's highest executive body, the 'Saint Academy.'

However, the Saint Academy generally only coordinates the strategic actions of major war groups and issues grand missions targeting the entire race. It usually doesn't bother with prodigies like us out training."

"You must remember that although the Saint Academy Sea is our main activity area, humanity is not invincible here.

In this sea of stars, there are also numerous alien civilizations, powerful races, and countless independent worlds... We only occupy a foothold here thanks to the universe cities scattered everywhere. Battles happen all the time."

Qin Feng's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the darker 'Endless Sea.'

"As for the 'Endless Sea'..."

Fire Qilin Hou's tone grew grave. "There, our human race has only one legendary 'Golden Universe City' as a final lighthouse.

Beyond that, it's all unknown deep space.

Even with the Empire's might, after countless ages of exploration, we still haven't touched the edge of the Endless Sea.

In that darkness dwell countless ancient races and unknown entities not even recorded in the 'Myriad Races Compendium'..."

Fire Qilin Hou paused, lowering his voice further, carrying a reverence that even a powerhouse like him could not hide.

"Legend has it that in the deepest part of the Endless Sea slumber ancient beings that even gods fear."

Listening to Fire Qilin Hou's account, Qin Feng felt no fear in his heart, but instead an indescribable longing.

It was a warrior's instinctive desire for higher peaks and broader horizons.

"Alright, that's the basics. Now, spend some time familiarizing yourself with the universe city, and then you can go train on your own."

Fire Qilin Hou brought the topic back.

"After you choose an opportunity point, remember to report to the 'Saint Academy' through the subspace network. That's the rule, and it's also to give the Empire a final clue to trace if you go missing."

Having finished all his instructions, he looked at this junior apprentice, whose demeanor was composed and eyes resolute, and a hint of satisfaction flickered in his crimson pupils.

"Hmm... as your senior brother, I don't have anything too good to give you."

Fire Qilin Hou pondered for a moment, then took from his storage space a warm jade talisman, entirely crimson and carved with a Qilin pattern.

"Keep this life-saving jade talisman.

When faced with a life-or-death crisis, use your spiritual power to fully activate it. The unleashed force is enough to gravely wound any enemy below the Black Hole level.

As for treasures with greater power, with your current cultivation, you cannot control them. It might not even harm the enemy before it backfires and kills you."

A pure and blazing force emanated from the jade talisman. Qin Feng could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within—once unleashed, it would surely be earth-shattering.

This gift was by no means light.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Qin Feng accepted the jade talisman with both hands, his expression solemn. He bowed deeply and respectfully to Huo Linhou.

This bow came from the depths of his heart.

Huo Linhou stood calmly, accepting Qin Feng's salute.

"Hmm, one more thing. Remember to purchase a Star Sea Beacon."

Huo Linhou's voice rang out again, interrupting Qin Feng's thoughts about the future.

Seeing Qin Feng's slightly bewildered expression, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Forget it. You've just finished the tournament, penniless, with no contribution points. I'll give you a few."

With that, Huo Linhou turned his palm over, and several silver rhomboid crystals, radiating stable spatial fluctuations, floated before Qin Feng.

Inside these crystals, it seemed a miniature starry sky was hidden—deep and mysterious.

"These are Star Sea Beacons. They are fundamentally different from the Empire Teleportation Beacons you obtained before."

Huo Linhou's tone grew serious. He knew that for a newcomer about to venture into the Myriad Races Battlefield, this basic knowledge could mean the difference between life and death.

"Empire Teleportation Beacons use the principle of subspace teleportation.

Within the territory of the human race, His Majesty the Emperor's supreme power suppresses and purifies that subspace, turning it into an absolutely safe 'highway.' You can use it with confidence.

But on the Myriad Races Battlefield, subspace is a hunting ground for chaotic evil gods and other unknown terrors, filled with twisted laws and deadly traps.

Opening a subspace channel recklessly is no different from tossing a piece of fresh meat into a school of hungry sharks—it's suicide."

Qin Feng's heart tightened upon hearing this.

The Empire's subspace protection had already faded considerably the moment he stepped beyond its borders.

"Star Sea Beacons, however, are completely different."

Huo Linhou pointed at the rhomboid crystals and continued, "They don't involve subspace. Instead, through complex spatial arrays solidified within, they use pure energy to directly tear the material universe space we inhabit, enabling point-to-point jumps.

This technique requires an extremely profound understanding and mastery of spatial laws. At the very least, one must be at the Domain Lord level, and a specialist in this path, to create them.

The title 'Domain Lord' largely derives from this—they already possess the ability to preliminarily dominate a physical territory and perform spatial leaps."

Qin Feng reached out and carefully took the Star Sea Beacons.

They felt cold to the touch, yet he could sense the vast and pure energy within, along with the billions upon billions of complex spatial rune structures that boggled the mind.

"Their use is simple."

Huo Linhou's voice continued. "When you are exploring the deep cosmos and wish to return, just activate one, and it will teleport you back to the nearest Cosmic City.

Of course, the prerequisite is that the spiritual-psychic energy field in your area is relatively stable, without strong spatial interference.

If you want to set up a forward base for your next exploration, you can first leave Beacon A at your current location as an anchor point, then activate another beacon to return to the Cosmic City.

That way, next time, you can use the teleportation array in the Cosmic City to go directly back to where Beacon A is located.

But remember, these are consumables. Each one is quite valuable."

Huo Linhou's tone carried a hint of warning. "For martial artists, exploring the Myriad Races Battlefield is like mortals digging for mineral veins in the dark depths of the earth.

You never know whether your next shovel will unearth a brilliant gem or awaken a sleeping ancient beast.

Every step must be taken with caution."

Qin Feng nodded solemnly, committing these earnest teachings to memory.

He carefully placed the Star Sea Beacons into his subspace storage unit.

The moment he did, he noticed that on the interface of this storage unit, which he hadn't paid attention to in a long time, a notification of successful renewal popped up—usage permission: one hundred years.

"Senior Brother..."

A warm current surged in Qin Feng's heart.

"It's nothing."

Huo Linhou seemed to read his thoughts and waved his hand casually. "We're fellow disciples. No need for such formality. Go on. Familiarize yourself with this Cosmic City first before you go on your training. It will do you good."

Qin Feng said no more. He only bowed deeply to Huo Linhou once again.

Then he turned and left this mansion atop the divine mountain, filled with lava and flames.

Walking alone on the streets of Devouring Heaven Cosmic City, Qin Feng's mind could not calm down for a long time.

The life-saving jade talisman, the Star Sea Beacons for emergency spatial travel, the hundred-year usage permission for the subspace storage unit, and the hours-long, unreserved transmission of knowledge...

All of this made him feel the heavy care and recognition from his sect.

"Senior Brother treats me very well indeed," Qin Feng murmured to himself.

This feeling was not a mere exchange of interests, but a heartfelt guidance and mentorship.

From the martial arts teachers at Qiming No.1 High School, to his mentor Yu Han at Jianan Martial Arts University, to his never-met master Devouring Heaven King, and now this senior brother Huo Linhou...

"All the teachers I've encountered along this path have been good, all very responsible."

A faint smile curled at the corner of Qin Feng's mouth.

This sense of belonging, in this perilous and boundless unfamiliar battlefield, gave him a touch of solid warmth.

It kept a soft spot in his heart, which had grown harder from slaughter.

Carrying this feeling, he followed the map's guidance to another landmark atop the divine mountain—the Devouring Heaven Enlightenment Stele.

This was not a single stele, but a forest of thousands of black giant steles of varying sizes and shapes.

They stood silently in the void, each radiating an ancient, obscure, and powerful aura.

Around the stele forest sat hundreds of martial artists, some with eyes closed in concentration, others with brows furrowed. Their auras were dim and indistinct, but without exception, they were all terrifying beings who had stepped into the Black Hole level.

The atmosphere here was solemn and dignified, as if even time and space had frozen.

Following their example, Qin Feng found an empty spot and slowly sat down.

He extended a strand of spiritual power, carefully probing toward the nearest enlightenment stele.

The moment his spiritual power touched the stele, a vast, ocean-like, supremely profound torrent of information, like a breached heavenly river, instantly flooded into his sea of consciousness!

This torrent of information was no longer any killing technique he was familiar with.

"So-called killing techniques start from the most basic power application, then proceed to spiritual power attachment, then to higher-level, extremely complex spiritual-psychic energy field condensation, and finally transform into 'domains.'"

In Qin Feng's mind, his understanding of martial arts flashed by.

The ninth-level killing technique "Sky-Splitting" was the ultimate application of the domain.

Yet the knowledge contained in this enlightenment stele was an entirely new level beyond the domain!

That is a terrifying power born from the essential fusion and qualitative transformation of mental strength and psychic energy—a power capable of directly interfering with the laws of reality—the Arcane Art!

If the Killing Art is the ultimate application of power within the bounds of rules, then the Arcane Art is the beginning of an attempt to write one's own rules.

"This power... is still too advanced for me."

Qin Feng felt as though his brain was about to burst from the endless torrent of profound and arcane information, and he hastily severed his mental link with the Enlightenment Stele.

He let out a long, deep breath, his forehead already covered in a fine sheen of cold sweat.

He finally understood why there was not a single Galaxy-level martial artist here—because this was simply not a realm they could touch at their current stage.

"It seems there are indeed no shortcuts on the path of cultivation."

Qin Feng accepted this truth and no longer forced the matter.

He turned and left, passing through the teleportation array to another training ground within the Devouring Heaven Cosmic City.

The Celestial Abyss Bridge.

When Qin Feng arrived at his destination, even his steadfast heart was shaken by the sight before him.

Ninety-nine colossal bridges, like black celestial dragons, stretched across a brilliant river of stars formed by countless constellations.

Each bridge was forged from an unknown black metal, covered in powerful sealing runes, exuding a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble.

And inside each bridge was imprisoned an alien creature of immense power.

Qin Feng could clearly see that within one bridge, a massive green-skinned brute, whose size rivaled that of a moon, was furiously pounding against an energy barrier, each blow causing violent ripples in space;

In another bridge, a shadowy assassin made of pure darkness flickered into countless afterimages within the cramped space, each movement carrying a chill that pierced the soul;

Further away, in yet another bridge, a hideous Chaos Demon let out a roar that shook heaven and earth, its voice filled with depravity and madness. Just hearing it caused Qin Feng's martial will to waver slightly.

These once-mighty and fearsome beings were now prisoners, trapped within the bridges, endlessly venting their unquenchable fury and insanity day after day.

At the entrance to the bridges, a large crowd of martial artists had gathered.

Like those before the Enlightenment Stele, they were almost all Black Hole-level beings, their auras unfathomably deep.

Qin Feng scanned the crowd and found only one other martial artist at the Galaxy level, like himself.

One after another, martial artists transformed into streaks of light and charged without hesitation into one of the bridges.

Strangely, after they entered, the alien creatures inside continued their mad roars, as if nothing had happened.

And not long after, those who had just entered would reappear outside the bridges—some with calm expressions, others with a hint of contemplation or frustration.

"So this is also some kind of trial ground."

Qin Feng made his judgment.

Without further hesitation, he too transformed into a streak of light and chose the first Celestial Abyss Bridge, which seemed to have a relatively "peaceful" aura, and dove into it.

The scene before him abruptly shifted.

He felt as if he had entered an independent world.

Around him was endless void, where countless purple-glowing particles danced and reorganized in the air.

Soon, these light particles coalesced before him into a colossal, sky-obscuring creature.

The Void Clan!

Information about this race instantly surfaced in Qin Feng's mind.

"The Void Clan's innate talent is akin to a supreme method of cultivation—they can analyze all knowledge in the world and evolve themselves based on the results of that analysis.

This race has almost no fixed weaknesses; they are one of the most troublesome opponents in the universe and also one of its peak races."

The forms of the Void Clan were bizarre and varied; they evolved into the most suitable shape based on the knowledge they first analyzed.

Some imitated humans and evolved into humanoid forms; some imitated cosmic beasts and evolved into massive bestial shapes; others could even analyze mechanical technology to create unimaginable war machines.

Of course, according to Imperial records, those Void Clan members who attempted to create artificial intelligence were, without exception, destroyed by the rebellion of their own creations.

Among all the races of the universe, none dared to apply "knowledge" to the forbidden domain of "creating intelligence" except the Mechanical Clan.

The Void Clan member before him had clearly chosen an evolutionary path combining insect and beast forms.

Its massive body was like a moving mountain range, covered in purple crystalline carapace, with countless limbs as sharp as blades, and compound eyes gleaming with cold, pure destructive desire.

The mental and life-force fluctuations it emitted were infinitely close to the threshold of the Black Hole level!

"So strong!"

Qin Feng's pupils contracted sharply.

Instinctively, he gripped his Star-Swallowing Spear, and the projection of the Indestructible Tower materialized behind him in an instant, golden light illuminating this void space.

But it was already too late.

The moment he completed his defensive stance, the Void Beast moved.

It let out no roar, merely raised a massive claw wreathed in dense purple flames and, with a casual swipe toward Qin Feng's position, tore through the very fabric of the world.

A purple claw mark, ignoring the distance of space and the flow of time, appeared instantly before Qin Feng.

In that moment, his mental power—tempered through countless trials and capable of making billions of responses in an instant—fell into a blank void.

He had no time to react, no time even to think, before his entire consciousness was devoured and annihilated by that purple claw mark.

Instant kill!

The next moment, Qin Feng's consciousness jolted violently, as if waking from an incredibly vivid nightmare.

He found himself once again outside the Celestial Abyss Bridge, his body completely unharmed, not even a trace of mental energy expended.

"Just like in the Cosmic Genius Tournament—I didn't really die."

Qin Feng steadied himself, quickly making a judgment. "And the one I fought just now was probably just a true projection of that Void Clan member, not its actual body."

He replayed that world-destroying claw strike in his mind, filled with awe.

It was not merely a crushing of power but an absolute suppression of realm.

Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside him.

"Sir, are you a newly arrived prodigy at the Devouring Heaven Cosmic City?"

Qin Feng turned his head and saw the other Galaxy-level martial artist he had noticed earlier, who had somehow come to stand beside him.

This martial artist wore a striking green-gold power armor that accentuated his robust frame.

He had no helmet, revealing a face dark as pitch, but his eyes shone as brightly as stars in the night sky, sparkling with friendliness and curiosity.

Seeing him, Qin Feng was reminded of his old friend from the Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University—Nissan.

"Yes."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, composed himself, and studied the other man.

"Haha, I knew it."

The martial artist flashed a set of white teeth and laughed heartily. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mogg, from the Fire Dragon Battle Group. I was the champion of the last Cosmic Genius Tournament."

He extended his hand and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you are this year's Imperial Champion, Qin Feng, right? Lately, your name has been thundering across the Empire's subspace forums."

"So you're the previous chief—I've heard so much about you."

Qin Feng suddenly understood, then extended his hand as well, introducing himself, "I'm Qin Feng."

Their palms clasped together, both sensing the terrifying power within the other, far surpassing their peers.

"Haha, no need to be so formal."

Mog released his grip and pointed behind him at the Celestial Arc Bridge, saying, "Looks like this first trial has stumped you. Don't be discouraged. Every one of those beings on this bridge is a top-tier genius from their respective races. Even the first level is infinitely close to the Black Hole stage, and beyond that are Black Hole-level warriors. For us Galactic-level fighters to be instantly killed here is just a daily occurrence."

"These... are all geniuses?"

Qin Feng was puzzled. "Are they imprisoned here by Senior Devourer King?"

"Imprisoned? No, no."

Mog shook his head, a strange smile curling on his face. "It's more like... a collection, rather than imprisonment."

"A collection?"

The word caught Qin Feng off guard.

"That's right, a collection."

Mog chuckled. "The universe is vast, and history shifts too quickly. Some powerful beings develop peculiar hobbies.

The Devourer King, for instance, loves to collect top-tier geniuses from various eras and mighty races.

Everyone on these ninety-nine bridges is one of his treasures."

As if afraid Qin Feng might not believe him, Mog added, "Such things aren't uncommon among the strong.

As far as I know, in the Human Sacred Academy, there's an extremely ancient Saint-level powerhouse known as 'Saint of Figurines.'

His greatest passion is collecting rare creatures, artifacts of civilizations, and even genetic samples of extinct races... They say his collection hall is larger than a major warzone."

Listening to Mog's tale, Qin Feng's mouth fell slightly open, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Collecting living geniuses from different races as "treasures"...

Preserving extinct races as "figurines"...

"Tsk, the universe is truly full of wonders."

After a long pause, Qin Feng let out a heartfelt sigh.

He felt that the worldview he had built over the past thousand years had been utterly shattered on his very first day in the Myriad Races Battlefield.

Within the Human Empire, it was a greenhouse created by the Emperor, a place of peace free from excessive war.

Even the poorest war band lived infinitely better than on the Myriad Races Battlefield.

Now, stepping onto this battlefield, Qin Feng once again witnessed the vastness and depth of the cosmos.

But on second thought, collecting items or beings that might vanish in the tides of history—or even those of great historical significance—seemed rather intriguing.

(End of chapter)