Chapter 268: Ferocious God Qin Feng! Climbing to Third on the Hidden Dragon List! Name Shakes the Star Sea

Chapter 268: The Fierce God Qin Feng! Ascending to Third on the Hidden Dragon Ranking! Renowned Across the Sea of Stars, Shaking the Empire!

The aftershocks of the shattered Starry Array still surged within the frigid vacuum of space, where dissipating energy particles coalesced into a magnificent yet lethal nebula, slowly rotating like a splendid monument left behind by the joint strike of over a hundred Black Hole-tier experts.

Jin Chi hovered at the center of this chaotic tempest, an unadulterated fire of fury and murderous intent burning within his golden pupils.

Directly across from him, at the periphery of that turbulent nebula, Qin Feng stood in silent repose.

The blue-gold Limit Power Armor he wore exuded a stark, sacred aura of iron and blood; its intricate energy veins brightened and dimmed like respiration, pulsing in flawless resonance with the Eternal Singularity Dao Foundation inside him.

Across the armor's surface, the faint scorch marks left from enduring the lethal light of the array's core were mending at a visible pace, smoothing over to reveal the formidable self-healing capabilities of the Black Hole-tier secret treasure, the Heavenly Evolution Armament.

He held the Star-Devouring Spear firmly in his grasp, its shaft dark and brooding as if capable of swallowing all light, save for the very tip of the blade, where a single star-like point of singularity energy constantly collapsed and reborn, radiating an intimidating, terrifying fluctuation.

"Qin Feng!"

Jin Chi's roar did not travel through a medium, but instead used immense spiritual force to strike directly at Qin Feng's soul.

The wrathful strike of a Limit Black Hole-tier being was enough to shake the soul of an ordinary Black Hole-tier expert, plunging them into momentary disorientation.

Yet, Qin Feng's spiritual sea of consciousness, having integrated the digitalized characteristics of the Mechanical Race, had long since become as indestructible as diamond, its quality elevated to a brilliant gold-crimson.

Jin Chi's roar vanished like a mud ox entering the sea, failing to shake him in the slightest.

Qin Feng offered no reply, only slowly raising the Star-Devouring Spear until its tip pointed distantly at Jin Chi.

It was an answer that required no words.

Battle!

Boom—!

The vacuum of space was instantly ignited!

Jin Chi moved.

He employed no complex secret techniques; this demon race powerhouse, who had immersed himself in the Black Hole tier for millions of years, had long honed his physical body into the most terrifying weapon of slaughter.

With a flap of his wings, his form turned into a streak of golden lightning that tore through the cosmic backdrop—not through simple flight, but through an incredible acceleration powered by countless miniature formations condensed within his golden feathers.

This was the ultimate manifestation of speed and formation mastery combined.

In a mere fraction of an instant, he crossed the vast expanse and materialized before Qin Feng.

Those golden talons carried a terrifying power capable of rending heaven and earth, as five pitch-black fissures were dragged from the void by the wind of his claws; that was space torn apart by sheer physical might, and any matter falling into it would be banished to an unknown dimension.

The wrathful strike of a Limit Black Hole-tier powerhouse was sufficient to obliterate any ordinary peer of the same rank.

However, the moment Jin Chi moved, Qin Feng moved as well.

He was even faster than Jin Chi!

Buzz!

The crimson-gold wings upon his back erupted with resplendent light.

No retreat, no evasion.

Facing Jin Chi's earth-shattering claw, Qin Feng chose the most direct and dominant response—a head-on clash!

"Inch-Glimmer!"

Without any world-shaking fanfare, the pinpoint of singularity energy at the tip of the Star-Devouring Spear, which was constantly being born and destroyed, suddenly erupted.

A beam of light refined to the absolute limit, seeming to contain all the illumination from the dawn of the universe, struck out at a speed surpassing thought to defiantly meet Jin Chi's talons.

This was a duel of pure speed and power.

When the golden claw collided with the singularity light, time and space seemed to freeze for a fleeting moment.

Immediately following, a silent yet far more terrifying tempest of energy than a supernova explosion swept outward.

The nebula formed by the aftershocks of the Starry Array was as fragile as a child's sandcastle before the wake of this collision, instantly washed away and annihilated into a stream of foundational particles.

From that single strike, both figures recoiled violently.

Jin Chi stabilized his form in the void, an unbelievable shock appearing within his golden pupils for the very first time.

He looked down at his own golden talon; upon that claw, which was capable of crushing a Black Hole-tier secret treasure, a tiny white dot had actually appeared, and an extreme force of penetration and annihilation was attempting to drill into his body, held at bay only by the maximum exertion of his spiritual force to prevent greater damage.

What alarmed him even more was Qin Feng's speed.

"How is this possible?!"

A torrential wave of shock surged within Jin Chi's heart.

He was a descendant of the Golden-Winged Peng lineage, naturally attuned to speed; at the Black Hole tier, when it came to pure velocity, he was confident he ranked among the foremost of all living beings in the Myriad Races Battlefield.

Yet in the clash just now, the speed he took such pride in had failed to gain any advantage before Qin Feng, and had even... subtly fallen behind!

"Those wings..."

Jin Chi's gaze locked dead onto the crimson-gold wings behind Qin Feng, the flames of greed burning fiercely within his mind.

Black Hole-tier secret treasures were divided into various grades.

Low-grade Black Hole-tier treasures were standard issue for most Black Hole-tier experts.

Mid-grade Black Hole-tier treasures were already quite precious, enough to make veteran powerhouses fight to the death over them.

High-grade Black Hole-tier treasures, however, could be called strategic-level resources!

Each one possessed incredible power, enough to grant a qualitative leap to a Black Hole-tier expert's combat strength, becoming part of the heritage of a weaker race.

For an ordinary Limit Black Hole-tier being, possessing a single high-grade treasure was already a supreme stroke of fortune.

As for top-grade Black Hole-tier treasures, those were legendary existences, matters of chance that could not be sought out, requiring extremely rare resources and the hand of a master smith.

The golden claws Jin Chi used himself were merely mid-grade Black Hole-tier treasures.

Yet the spatial fluctuations displayed by those crimson-gold wings on Qin Feng's back when activated, along with the incredible speed they granted him, allowed Jin Chi to make an instant judgment—this was absolutely a high-grade Black Hole-tier treasure!

And an exquisite piece entirely focused on speed!

It suited him perfectly!

Such a treasure actually resided in the hands of a human junior who had only recently ascended to the Black Hole tier!

The Human Race was truly wealthy and powerful!

Jin Chi's eyes turned red with envy.

"Kill him, and seize those wings!"

Greed instantly overrode his shock, and Jin Chi launched his attack once more.

This time, his offensive was even more wild.

"Golden Peng Rends the Heavens!"

Jin Chi let out a high-pitched cry, which transformed into a tangible soul strike that swept toward Qin Feng.

Simultaneously, his form dissolved into tens of thousands of afterimages amidst his high-speed movement, each afterimage executing a claw strike that could tear the sky apart.

In an instant, the entire space where Qin Feng stood was blanketed by golden claw shadows; above and below, in all four directions, past and future, every route of evasion was completely sealed off.

This was his famous signature technique, a lethal move that perfectly combined speed, power, and illusion.

Facing this inescapable net of an attack, Qin Feng's expression remained as calm as still water.

The blue-and-gold power armor casing his form erupted with a brilliance yet more magnificent, as the Eternal Singularity foundation, the Dual Masks, and the first spirit of the Nine Mysteries Primal Chart—a threefold amplification—were driven to their absolute zenith at this very instant!

A vast, matchless torrent of power geysered forth from within his body.

He made no attempt to discern which of the manifestations was Jin Chi’s true self.

For there was no need.

"Break!"

A single word tore from Qin Feng's lips, yet the Star-Devouring Spear in his grip began to dance with a savagery that far eclipsed even Jin Chi’s own furious assault.

He deployed no subtle techniques or intricate forms, but instead unleashed the fatal strike known as Inch of Radiance over and over, hurling it toward every horizon with the swiftest velocity and the mightiest force he could muster!

Swoosh!

In an instant, tens of thousands of beams saturated with the power of annihilation erupted outward with Qin Feng at the epicenter, the velocity of each individual ray reaching a staggering, unthinkable fifteen times the speed of light!

This was the crushing of ingenuity through sheer might, the triumph of the unadorned over the refined!

Let your transformations number in the thousands; I shall shatter them all with a single spear!

Rumble—!

The entire void was utterly transformed into a domain of destruction woven from golden claw-shadows and singularity beams.

Space itself lost all meaning within this realm, repeatedly shredded, annihilated, and reconstituted.

With every passing fraction of a second, hundreds of millions of energy collisions transpired.

The creatures who had only just fled to a safe distance to witness the battle grew pale with horror at the sight, retreating once more in frantic desperation.

The mere aftershocks of a combat of this caliber were sufficient to tear the vast majority of them to ribbons.

At the absolute center of the destructive domain, Jin Chi’s silhouette was forced out from the raging tempest of energy, the golden iron plumage upon his form grown dull and marred by an intricate lattice of tiny white spots—the scars left behind by direct impacts from the Inch of Radiance.

Though his formidable physical body and iron plumage defense had spared him from grievous injury, the relentlessly eroding force of annihilation still caused his psionic energy to churn and wrought a massive toll upon his mental fortitude.

The shock in his eyes had now climbed to its absolute peak.

If his initial astonishment had been born of Qin Feng's speed.

Then this time, what struck deeper terror into his heart was Qin Feng's strength!

"What... what manner of terrifying foundation is this!"

Jin Chi roared inwardly.

With every single collision against those singularity beams, he felt as though he were striking a primordial black hole with his bare hands.

That was not a strength any ordinary black-hole level entity could possess; it was a pure output of force far more terrifying than many extreme black-hole level powerhouses he had ever encountered!

He could not comprehend how a human prodigy who had only just stepped into the black-hole tier could command such preposterous might.

This power had already reached a level that defied all reason.

"Kill him! He must be killed!"

The greed in Jin Chi's heart was now entirely supplanted by a freezing dread.

If a monstrosity of this scale were permitted to grow, he would inevitably become the nightmare of the entire Demon Race in the days to come!

"Golden Feather Slaying Sword!"

Jin Chi held back no longer; he threw his head back and let loose a long howl as every single golden iron feather on his body stood on end, before completely detaching from his form in a single instant.

Billions of golden feathers coalesced within the void into a divine golden broadsword that spanned heaven and earth, its blade rippling with ancient, weathered runes of the Demon Race, diffusing a terrifying aura capable of suppressing eternity and severing all creation.

This was his ultimate trump card, a supreme strike unleashed at the cost of damaging his own natal plumage!

Faced with a sword-strike capable of threatening his very life, Qin Feng drew a deep breath, the battle intent within his twin eyes burning to its absolute crest.

This would be the moment to test his current ultimate combat capacity!

He brought the Star-Devouring Spear level across his chest, the Eternal Singularity within his body revolving frantically at an unprecedented velocity, the thirty-percent foundational boost provided by the Dual Masks stacking flawlessly with the doubling effect of the Nine Mysteries Primal Chart’s first spirit, causing his entire aura to surge upward by leaps and bounds, as though it possessed no ceiling.

Upon the surface of the blue-and-gold power armor, there even manifested the faint, blurred phasm of an Emperor looking down upon all living things.

"Inch of Radiance: Heaven Devourer!"

Qin Feng poured everything he had ever learned, all of his strength, and the entirety of his will into this single thrust.

The tip of the Star-Devouring Spear no longer emitted light, but instead transformed into a pure, absolute 'nothingness.'

All light, all energy was sucked into its vortex, resembling the final end of the universe itself.

The very next instant.

The divine golden sword and the spear tip that had returned to 'nothingness' collided with ferocious impact.

There was no sound, and there was no light.

The cosmos at this moment felt as though its mute button had been pressed.

With the point of collision as the center, an expanding spherical domain of 'absolute nothingness' manifested out of thin air; wherever the domain swept, all matter, all energy, and all laws were entirely erased.

Only after persisting for several full seconds did this void domain slowly dissipate amidst a violent tremor of space, revealing the two figures within.

Jin Chi hovered in place, his aura withered and frail, the plumage upon his body sparse and devoid of luster; it was evident that executing that secret technique had exacted a massive toll upon him.

As for Qin Feng, the light of the ultimate power armor upon his form had also dimmed considerably, and the hand gripping the Star-Devouring Spear trembled slightly, making it clear that his consumption had likewise been immense.

A tie!

A clash that shook heaven and earth had ultimately concluded with both sides evenly matched.

Jin Chi stared at Qin Feng with a complex gaze, killing intent and apprehension intertwining within him so deeply that for a time he was at a loss for what to do.

If he continued the fight, he had no confidence in detaining his opponent, and it might well end in mutual destruction.

Right at that moment, however, Qin Feng abruptly stowed away the Star-Devouring Spear and let out a burst of hearty laughter.

"Hahaha..."

"Jin Chi! Your strength is decent; you count as the strongest opponent I have encountered since my ascension to the black-hole tier!"

"If opportunity permits in the future, I shall execute you then! I will not keep you company any longer today!"

While the laughter still echoed through the void, Qin Feng's silhouette had already moved.

From beginning to end, this battle had lasted less than a single minute.

To Qin Feng, this had indeed been a test.

He required an opponent of sufficient might to precisely calibrate his true combat capability after integrating the Dual Masks and mastering the first spirit of the Nine Mysteries Primal Chart.

Now, the results were clear.

He already possessed the capital to clash head-on with a true extreme black-hole level entity without falling into a disadvantage!

This outcome left him highly satisfied.

Since his objective had been achieved, there was no purpose in continuing the entanglement.

The Path of the End mission issued by the Will of the Universe was his paramount priority at present.

This road of flight had only just begun!

Qin Feng could foresee that over the long journey ahead, extreme black-hole level entities like Jin Chi would certainly not be rare, and there might even appear existences that were far stronger still.

With formidable foes lining the road ahead, this was destined to be a path of blood and fire, fraught with unimaginable hardship!

Yet, the road to invincibility had never been a smooth path strewn with blooming flowers.

Mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and a landscape carpeted in thorns were the true medals of the strong.

Qin Feng had long since grown accustomed to it.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

His thoughts clearing, Qin Feng hesitated no longer.

He unleashed the remaining power within his body without reservation; the engine of his Limit Power Armor roared, the crimson-gold wings upon his back erupted in brilliant light, and he even altered the use of his ultimate technique, "Inch of Radiance," no longer employing it for attack but exploding it behind him as the ultimate source of propulsion!

With a triple layer of acceleration combined, Qin Feng's figure instantly transformed into a stream of light that pierced the sea of stars, erupting at a terrifying, unprecedented fifteen times the speed of light as he fled into the deep expanse of the universe.

"Do not run!"

Jin Chi roared in fury, instinctively preparing to give chase.

With a flap of his wings, he likewise turned into a golden streak of light; however, after pursuing for a mere moment, he came to a halt, his face grim and darkened.

Jin Chi gave up.

For Qin Feng's speed was simply too fast; that explosive, consequence-damning limit speed was something he could never hope to match.

Even though he exerted every ounce of his strength, the distance between the two of them continued to widen rapidly.

Staring at that streak of light which swiftly vanished at the edge of his vision, moving so fast that even light itself could not catch it, Jin Chi's expression became unsightly to the absolute extreme.

"If this fiend is not eliminated, he will surely become a catastrophic bane for my Demon Race in the future."

Jin Chi spoke through clenched teeth, squeezing out every single word.

He recalled the brief yet incomparably perilous battle just now—Qin Feng's utterly domineering strength, his limit-breaking speed, and his indestructible Dao heart, every single aspect of which made his own heart tremble with dread.

"After this battle, his ferocious name will spread throughout the Battlefield of Myriad Races, and I fear he may even rank among the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List... To possess such talent at just over five thousand years of age is simply too terrifying!"

...

The boundless, deep expanse of the universe was cold and desolate.

The streak of light that Qin Feng had become dragged a long, gorgeous trajectory across the pitch-black backdrop.

As he journeyed at limit speed, he divided a portion of his mind to inspect his own status.

Within his field of vision, a three-dimensional star map manifested directly by the Will of the Universe was slowly unfurling.

This star map was vast and boundless, containing countless galaxies, and upon this map, a route shimmering with golden light was clearly marked out; the starting point was the Twin Rivers he had just left, while the destination was the outermost outpost named "Thunder Cosmos City."

This was his [Road of Destination], a prescribed, unalterable death route from which he could not deviate.

At the same time, another rule of the mission was noted upon the star map: each year, he would receive a single opportunity to conduct an inter-galactic teleportation, but the destination could only be an adjacent galaxy.

This rule was of paramount importance to Qin Feng.

One had to know that even the most ordinary spiral galaxy typically possessed a diameter of over one hundred thousand light-years.

With the limit speed of fifteen times the speed of light that Qin Feng was currently erupting with, trying to cross a galaxy purely by flying would require a duration of nearly seven thousand years.

Not to mention that between galaxies, there lay boundless deep space stretching for hundreds of thousands of light-years at every turn.

Without that annual inter-galactic teleportation, he feared he could walk this path for millions of years without ever reaching the end.

Qin Feng silently closed the star map, his gaze becoming increasingly resolute.

Ahead lay an inescapable dragnet, a layer upon layer of deadly intent laid down by countless top-tier geniuses and veteran powerhouses.

Yet he was entirely without fear.

He also never forgot to keep track of the time.

From the moment he had seized the Thunder Cocoon at Mount Lei Xiang, triggering the hunt by the myriad races, to his subsequent entry into the Twin Rivers for secluded meditation to break through, and up until now, a full two thousand years had already passed.

His total age had also reached just over five thousand years.

A span of five thousand years was a long, epic saga for mere mortals, but for Black Hole-level powerhouses whose lifespans were measured in units of "ten thousand," it was nothing more than a fleeting snap of the fingers.

To possess combat power sufficient to clash directly with a Limit Black Hole-level entity at just over five thousand years of age—such a rate of growth, when looking across the entire history of the Human Race, and even the history of the myriad races, could be considered absolutely unique.

Just like that, Qin Feng's figure completely merged into the profound darkness, turning into a meteor that no one could capture, vanishing into the furthest reaches of the deep universe.

It was also not long after he departed.

Deep within the cosmos, that invisible tome manifested by the Will of the Universe, which recorded all information regarding the Battlefield of Myriad Races, suddenly burst forth with resplendent radiance.

The light flickered as laws resonated in harmony.

At this moment, whether within the bustling Divine Kingdoms of the cosmos, upon the barren trial stars, or on the peril-strewn frontlines of the battlefield, countless powerhouses from various races felt a sudden premonition, raising their heads one after another to cast their consciousness toward that illusory tome.

"The Hidden Dragon List has shifted once again."

Within a mechanical divine kingdom composed entirely of data streams, the cold electronic eye of a Mechanical Grand Duke flickered with a crimson light.

"Hiss—the commotion this time is no small matter; a change has actually occurred within the top three!"

Upon an ancient elven tree teeming with the breath of life, an elven elder stroked his long beard, a look of astonishment surfacing in his eyes.

"Qin Feng? Who is this Qin Feng?! To think he has leaped straight into third place on the Hidden Dragon List?!"

Within a demon lair filled with brimstone and fire, an Abyssal Lord let out a roar of disbelief.

"What?!"

Such exclamations of shock rose and fell simultaneously across every corner of the Battlefield of Myriad Races.

The gazes of countless powerhouses locked firmly onto the latest edition of the Hidden Dragon List issued by the Will of the Universe.

At the very top of the list, the rankings that had remained stable for tens of thousands of years had undergone a violent upheaval; a brand-new name, radiating a piercing golden light, aggressively forced its way into the third position, forcefully shoving the original third place down to fourth.

[Fiend King · Qin Feng]

[Race: Human Race]

[Ranking: Third Place on the Hidden Dragon List]

[Latest Achievement:]

[At the exit of the Twin Rivers, he faced alone the 'Astral Array' laid down by the Demon Race's Limit Black Hole-level being, 'Jin Chi,' in conjunction with over a hundred Black Hole-level powerhouses, taking a direct strike from the core power of the array entirely unscathed.]

[With a single strike before the array, he severely wounded Ye Luo, the son of the Stone Emperor (formerly ranked 927th on the Hidden Dragon List), who then fled in defeat after self-detonating several Black Hole-level secret treasures.]

[He successively broke through the Undead Array of the Necro Race, severely wounding the Necro Race genius, Death Knell (formerly ranked 939th on the Hidden Dragon List) with a single blow, causing Death Knell to flee in defeat.]

[He pursued and executed two renowned, veteran Black Hole-level powerhouses of the Necro Race.]

[He forced back a hundred Black Hole-level beings single-handedly.]

[He fought a frontal battle against the Limit Black Hole-level powerhouse 'Jin Chi,' ending in a draw. He moved with ease, clearly holding back.]

[Evaluation:]

["I have no intention of fleeing just yet! Today, this Qin intends to engage in a slaughter, using all of you to test my spear!" — These words were spoken by Qin Feng as he broke the array.]

[The Fiend King Qin Feng possesses the posture of invincibility.]

[His ferocious name began at the Twin Rivers; he is illustriously fierce, exceedingly murderous, and drives forward with absolute force.]

[His style of conduct is incomparably domineering, bearing the standard temperament of a genius from the Human Race's hawk-faction war bands.]

……

The Devouring Heaven Cosmic City, a majestic fortress named after the king-level powerhouse "Devouring Heaven King," stands as one of humanity's most crucial bastions on the battlefield of ten thousand races.

It is itself a supreme treasure, suspended in the depths of cosmic void, its walls seemingly forged from black hole matter, devouring all light and energy, exuding an eternal and domineering pressure.

The City Lord's Mansion is the absolute core of this grand city. Deep within the mansion, there is no splendor of gold and jade, but rather a simulated starry sky.

Real stars, moved here by supreme power, serve as ornaments; a brilliant Milky Way flows slowly, acting as a stream in the courtyard.

At the end of the starry river, a throne carved from the core of a complete neutron star hangs high.

Upon the throne sits a figure.

His form seems ordinary, yet he appears as the center of the entire universe. Simply sitting there, he causes the surrounding spacetime to warp subtly, as if even the laws of reality bow to him.

He is the master of Devouring Heaven Cosmic City, the pinnacle king-level existence of humanity—the Devouring Heaven King.

At this moment, the Devouring Heaven King has just ended a seclusion lasting tens of thousands of years. His aura is restrained to the utmost, save for his eyes, which, when opening and closing, reveal terrifying visions of universes being born and dying, seas of stars turning to ruins.

Beneath the throne, within the simulated starry sky, six figures stand silently.

Their forms vary, yet their auras are equally unfathomable. Each one is capable of suppressing an entire star domain, truly standing at the upper echelons of cosmic power.

The leader, clad in crimson battle armor, with the phantom of a Qilin divine beast roaring behind him, is the Devouring Heaven King's eldest disciple, a marquis-level powerhouse—the Fire Qilin Marquis.

Beside him stands a woman with a fiery figure and healthy, powerful bronze skin. Her crimson hair blazes like flames, her eyes sharp and wild—she is the second disciple.

The third disciple is a burly man wrapped in fine lightning, muscles knotted with explosive power. Simply standing there, he causes the surrounding space to crackle with electric arcs.

The fourth disciple is a young man with black hair and black pupils, his expression cold, his aura restrained, like a peerless divine weapon sheathed in its scabbard—silent until it strikes.

The fifth disciple is a woman with snow-white hair, dressed in a plain white gown, her temperament as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice, starkly contrasting with the domineering, fiery auras around her.

The sixth and final disciple is a somewhat simple-looking fat man, always wearing a kind smile, but the occasional glint in his eyes proves he is far from harmless.

These are all the Devouring Heaven King's personal disciples, aside from Qin Feng, each a powerhouse who dominates their own domain.

"You've all come. It's rare for our master and disciples to gather like this."

The Devouring Heaven King's voice rang out, calm and gentle, yet carrying a majesty that pierced the depths of the soul.

His gaze slowly swept over the six disciples, tinged with a hint of satisfaction. These were the pillars he had personally nurtured, the backbone of humanity.

The Fire Qilin Marquis and the others bowed respectfully.

"Master, your divine skill has reached perfection. Congratulations," the Fire Qilin Marquis said in a deep voice.

The Devouring Heaven King waved his hand, about to speak, when suddenly, he and all his disciples felt a resonance. They looked up in unison toward the simulated starry sky above.

"Oh?"

A trace of surprise flickered in the Devouring Heaven King's eyes.

In that void-like "sky," an invisible, supreme will descended.

This will was vast, impartial, ancient, and devoid of emotion—it was the cosmic will that maintained the entire battlefield of ten thousand races.

With the arrival of this will, a massive book formed from light and law materialized as a phantom. Its pages turned without wind, finally stopping at one page. Golden characters flowed like living creatures across the page, coalescing into a brand-new ranking.

[The Hidden Dragon Ranking]!

"The Hidden Dragon Ranking has changed again?"

The sixth disciple, the fat man, narrowed his eyes with interest. "This time, the commotion is significant enough to stir even within Master's domain."

"It's a drastic shift in the top ranks," said the fifth senior sister, her voice cold as snow, her gaze locking precisely onto the highest position.

Everyone's eyes, almost simultaneously, were drawn to the newly appeared name.

It was a name written in dazzling golden script, ranked at—third!

[Fierce God Qin Feng]!

For an instant, the simulated starry sky within the City Lord's Mansion fell into a brief silence.

The faces of the six senior disciples showed complex expressions—shock, surprise, and heartfelt admiration.

"Junior Brother... he already has the combat power of a Limit Black Hole?"

The third senior brother, wreathed in lightning, spoke first, his voice like thunder, filled with disbelief.

He knew well that between the Limit Black Hole level and the ordinary Black Hole level lay an insurmountable chasm, one that most Black Hole-level experts could never cross in their lifetimes.

And their junior brother—how long had it been since he entered the battlefield of ten thousand races?

"Far more than just Limit Black Hole combat power,"

the fourth senior brother, with black hair and black pupils, said coldly, though his admiration was hard to hide. "Look at the battle record: 'Fought the Limit Black Hole expert Golden Wing to a draw, but with ease, holding back.' This shows Junior Brother's true combat power likely surpasses the ordinary Limit Black Hole level, at least in survival and speed, placing him among the elite."

"His luck is truly remarkable—deep blessings, deep opportunities. He obtained a cosmic treasure just four thousand years after entering the battlefield? I've roamed for a million years and haven't even seen a shadow of one."

The fiery second senior sister pursed her lips, a hint of envy in her tone.

She was straightforward, saying whatever came to mind.

"Haha, Second Senior Sister, it's not all luck,"

the simple sixth junior brother said with a smile, smoothing things over. "It's mainly due to the struggles among the major races; otherwise, you would have had chances to compete for many cosmic treasures. Junior Brother obtained the [Twin Masks] this time by fighting through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and he even triggered a death-difficulty mission from the cosmic will. The danger involved likely far exceeds our imagination."

"I was just expressing my feelings,"

the second senior sister snorted, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily lifted.

She was naturally pleased that her junior brother was so accomplished. "Still, I have to say, that kid is a monster."

"Ahem,"

the Fire Qilin Marquis coughed twice. Even his usually steady face showed a hint of helpless amusement. "Speaking of which, the protective talisman I gave Junior Brother earlier could unleash a Black Hole-level strike. At the time, I was worried he might hurt himself with something too powerful. Now it seems I underestimated him—his strength has grown far too quickly."

He recalled the scene when he first met Qin Feng at the Pillar of Creation.

Back then, though Qin Feng had already shown the demeanor of a peerless prodigy, in the eyes of a marquis-level powerhouse like himself, he was still a junior in need of protection.

Thus, he bestowed a self-made protective talisman, its power limited to the Black Hole level—enough to save his life without risking self-harm from misuse.

But who would have thought that in such a short time, Qin Feng's strength would far exceed the talisman's scope?

"Four thousand years, from Star System level to Limit Black Hole,"

the fifth senior sister, with her snow-white hair, summarized in a cold voice.

This time span sent a powerful shock through all the prodigies present.

Which of them wasn't a once-in-a-billion-years genius of humanity?

Yet even they had taken at least ten thousand years to progress from Star System to Black Hole level.

And from Black Hole to Limit Black Hole, it often took hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.

Four thousand years—a speed that would make any genius despair.

"From Thunder Phase Mountain to Twin Rivers, he truly carved a bloody path,"

the Fire Qilin Marquis finally remarked with deep emotion.

As the senior disciple, he paid the most attention to Qin Feng and knew best the perilous journey Qin Feng had endured.

The pursuit of the Ten Thousand Races Kill List, the encirclement of Hidden Dragon List prodigies, the bloody battle at the Twin Rivers... Qin Feng had been dancing on the edge of a blade to reach where he was today.

Upon the throne, Devouring Sky King listened quietly to his disciples' discussions, a faint smile always lingering on his face.

His profound gaze seemed to pierce through endless time and space, catching sight of the young figure fleeing at breakneck speed through the deep cosmos, his eyes filled with satisfaction and appreciation.

"Enough, stop discussing here,"

Devouring Sky King spoke, his voice soft yet silencing all chatter, "Back in your day, weren't you all on the Hidden Dragon List?"

"Master, that's different,"

The fifth senior sister, with hair white as snow, showed a rare hint of a smile, her cold demeanor melting like ice and snow, "Except for the senior brother who once dominated the top spot for a time, the rest of us struggled at the bottom of the Hidden Dragon List. We can't compare to the younger junior brother, who soared straight to third place with such momentum."

This drew a wave of good-natured laughter from the group, lightening the atmosphere.

Though shocked by Qin Feng's rapid progress, they felt more joy than anything else.

Devouring Sky King shook his head with a smile, dropping the subject, and his expression turned serious. "Alright, I called you all here today to discuss an important matter."

Seeing their master's grave demeanor, the six disciples immediately composed themselves, bowing respectfully.

"The Island of Deathly Fall will open again in ten thousand years."

At these words, all but Fire Marquis among the disciples changed expression slightly.

The Island of Deathly Fall was one of the most renowned and perilous forbidden zones on the battlefield of ten thousand races.

It held boundless opportunities, controlled by the peak races, opening once every million years.

With opportunity came risk; the death rate on the Island of Deathly Fall was terrifyingly high, and even Domain Lord-level experts risked falling within.

"This time, the rules remain the same: only those at or below the Domain Lord level may enter."

Devouring Sky King's gaze fell on his third, fourth, and fifth disciples. "Third, Fourth, Fifth—you three are all Domain Lords. I've secured a precious entry slot from the human high command. Which of you wants to go?"

The thunderous Third, the dark-haired, stern Fourth, and the white-haired, cold Fifth exchanged glances, their eyes rippling with thought.

The allure of the Island of Deathly Fall was immense; no Domain Lord could ignore it.

Yet each had their own considerations.

After a moment of silence, the thunderous Third was the first to clasp his fists. "Master, I've recently made an appointment with several friends from Cloud Ink Cosmic City to explore a newly discovered ruin. The timing conflicts; I'm afraid I won't make it."

Then the dark-haired Fourth spoke, "Master, after a fierce battle with an alien race, I gained some insights and plan to enter a long seclusion to break through my bottleneck. I fear I won't be able to attend this expedition to the Island of Deathly Fall."

Finally, even the fifth senior sister, usually the most diligent in cultivation, shook her head slightly.

All three Domain Lords had given up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Devouring Sky King looked at them, as if expecting this outcome. "You all... then I can't very well send Qin Feng."

He sighed and continued, "In ten thousand years, whether Qin Feng's foundation will be fully perfected and he can ascend to Domain Lord is still uncertain. Even if he, a prodigy, succeeds, he'll only be a novice Domain Lord. Entering the Island of Deathly Fall wouldn't be seeking opportunity—it would be cannon fodder. Besides, I have more important plans for his future."

Devouring Sky King's words were filled with his regard and strategic planning for Qin Feng.

Though the Island of Deathly Fall was tempting, it might not be the best path for Qin Feng.

Just then, a cool voice rang out.

"Master, since the three senior brothers have other matters, let me go."

The speaker was the fifth senior sister, her hair white as snow.

"Oh?"

Devouring Sky King looked at her.

The fifth senior sister remained calm, saying indifferently, "I've also gained some insights from my recent cultivation. But I only need a short seclusion to digest them. Ten thousand years until the Island of Deathly Fall opens—the timing is just right."

Devouring Sky King gave her a long, deep look, then slowly nodded.

"Mm... very well."

...

Meanwhile, in another human stronghold of equal renown, Thunderclap Cosmic City, which stood in distant view of Devouring Sky Cosmic City.

At the heart of the city lord's mansion lay an ocean of endless thunder.

Billions of lightning bolts converged here, turning into liquid, sometimes docile as water, sometimes wild as dragons.

In the center of the thunder sea, upon a throne forged from the purest lightning, sat a majestic figure.

He was the master of Thunderclap Cosmic City, a close friend of Thunder Emperor, and also a King-level—Thunderclap King.

Before Thunderclap King floated the phantom of the Hidden Dragon List.

Below him, within the thunder sea, stood two disciples bathed in lightning, their auras vast as abysses—both powerful Domain Lords.

"Master! Look! Qin Feng... Qin Feng has reached third on the Hidden Dragon List!"

One disciple, voice trembling with excitement, pointed at the name on the list, unable to hide his joy.

"Severely wounding Yeluo in one blow, then defeating Mourning Bell, and holding his own against Golden Wing... such combat prowess is astonishing!"

The other disciple praised sincerely, "It seems our plan truly has hope! We can bring the little junior sister... bring her back safely from the Thunder Cocoon!"

The little junior sister, Zhou Yu, was trapped in the Thunder Cocoon. The plan was extremely complex, involving the Thunder Battle Group's fire seed recovery project.

The final decision to pin hopes on Qin Feng had come after extensive discussions and debates.

Upon the throne, Thunderclap King slowly opened his eyes, within which countless bolts of lightning seemed to be born and extinguished.

He looked at the dazzling name on the list, and even his usually stern face broke into a genuine smile.

"Mm, it should be fine."

His voice rumbled like thunder, but carried a note of relief, "The task triggered by the cosmic will this time is too difficult. The original plan within the clan was to adopt a more conservative approach, slowly working over hundreds of thousands of years.

But... the Limit Battle Group overrode all objections, strongly recommending Qin Feng, even risking a huge stake in a gamble..."

Thunderclap King paused, then sighed, "It seems the Limit Battle Group truly has its unique methods in nurturing prodigies. This move was not wrong."

"Excellent!"

The two Domain Lord disciples were overjoyed.

Thunderclap King smiled, then his expression turned serious as he warned, "But don't tell your senior brother about this.

Otherwise, with his fiery temper, he wouldn't care about political games or clan rules.

If he learns that the clue to the little junior sister lies with a Black Hole-level kid, he'd likely rush to Qin Feng and forcibly seize the Thunder Cocoon.

That would break the rules set by the cosmic will and ruin all our plans.

If it angers the strong from other peak races and leads to a massive fight, in the end, it would be Qin Feng's opportunity that suffers."

"Rest assured, Master. We understand the stakes."

The two Domain Lord disciples immediately bowed, their expressions solemn.

They knew well what kind of person their senior brother was—a true madman who acted solely on instinct, never considering consequences, and whose strength had reached the King level, almost rivaling their master Thunderclap King.

If he learned of this, he would surely turn everything upside down.

Thunderclap King nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the Hidden Dragon List, his eyes growing distant and profound.

...

The Limitless War Group's frontline military garrison within the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races.

This place lacked the grandeur of a cosmic city, offering only cold metal and a chilling, somber atmosphere.

Savage starships lay quietly berthed within the void, resembling slumbering leviathans of iron and steel.

Inside the command deck of one of the capital starships.

Zhou Xiong, the Black Hole stage powerhouse who had mentored Qin Feng many times and witnessed his rise, was chatting idly with several captains under his command.

Yu Han was also among them.

Suddenly, a vast wave of willful intent swept across the entire garrison, causing everyone's movements to freeze.

"A fluctuation of the Cosmic Will?"

"The Hidden Dragon Ranking has been updated!"

The crowd summoned their personal terminals one after another, linking into the Cosmic Will Network to check the latest standings.

When that familiar name appeared in the third-place position with an overbearingly peerless demeanor, the entire command deck fell silent.

Yu Han stared blankly, blinking his eyes vigorously to confirm that his sight was not deceiving him.

The next second, he slapped his thigh fiercely and cried out in sheer shock:

"Damn! This kid is that ferocious?! To fight a Limitless Black Hole to a draw with room to spare, and might have even held back?"

His voice was filled with disbelief, as though he were gazing upon some miraculous divine feat.

The surrounding captains broke into a clamor, their discussions erupting all at once.

"Qin Feng? The legendary Chief who came out of our Limitless War Group?"

"Exactly him! How long has it even been?"

"This rate of progress..."

Excitedly leaning in toward Zhou Xiong, Yu Han nudged him with an elbow and chuckled, "Commander, this kid... seems to be even stronger than you now."

Hearing this, Zhou Xiong did not grow angry; instead, he laughed in helpless resignation: "You always have too much to say."

Gazing at Qin Feng's battle record on the light screen, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, solace, and most of all, a deep, heartfelt pride.

"His progress is simply too fast,"

Zhou Xiong's voice carried a hint of profound emotion, "It is more than just being stronger than me. With his current combat power, I doubt I could last a single strike before him.

That is Jin Chi of the Limitless Black Hole stage, a veteran powerhouse famous for millions of years, a scourge the human race racked its brains over but failed to eliminate, yet in the end, he could do nothing against Qin Feng."

Zhou Xiong took a deep breath, a touch of reverence coloring his tone: "Furthermore, look at the battle analysis; it mentions the Nine Spiritual Meta-Chart. I also once received the inheritance of this secret art originating from the Nine Spiritual King, yet after ten thousand years of bitter cultivation, I failed to even achieve the first layer, whereas Qin Feng has already mastered it..."

At this point, Zhou Xiong's voice grew somewhat dry.

"This is... this is the prodigy we watched grow with our own eyes!"

From his initial debut at the Morning Star, to his rising prominence at Canaan, to his absolute dominance over the masses in the Cosmic Genius War, up until today, aweing the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races.

They felt like witnesses to history, watching with their own eyes how a once-dim star had, step by step, burst forth with a brilliant radiance that made the entire universe look askance.

Zhou Xiong clapped his shoulder heavily, a gratified and proud smile blooming upon his face.

It was a smile that belonged to an elder, to a guide who had shown the way.

...

The news of Qin Feng ascending to the third place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking was like an unprecedented cosmic storm, not only kicking up tempestuous waves on the frontlines of the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, but also transmitting back to the vast heartlands of the Human Empire at the speed of light.

The Empire's propaganda machine roared to life with unprecedented efficiency.

From the Imperial Capital Star, to the various prosperous cosmic nations, down to the remote resource planets, almost every media channel simultaneously reported this soul-stirring news using the largest and most eye-catching layouts.

The Canaan Star Sky Martial University, the supreme institution that had nurtured countless elites of the human race, erupted into complete boiling fervor.

In every corner of the campus, massive holographic light screens played carefully edited and artistically enhanced reports on a continuous loop.

"Sensational News! Our school's legendary graduate, Imperial Chief Qin Feng, has created another glory on the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races! One man, one spear, standing alone against the Star Array deployed by a hundred Black Hole stage powerhouses of the Demon Race!"

"Breaking the array and slaying enemies amidst a vanguard of millions! Slaughtering over a hundred alien Black Hole stage powerhouses! With an invincible posture, striking a Limitless Black Hole head-on without defeat!"

"Beneath the sea of stars, among trillions upon trillions of living beings, our human prodigy Qin Feng has forcefully ascended to the third spot of the Hidden Dragon Ranking! The name of the Fiend God strikes awe into all races!"

Similar reports blanketed the sky and covered the earth.

Even on the distant Morning Star, the place where Qin Feng had first risen, people witnessed these blood-boiling news items through the subspace network.

Within the metropolitan sectors, broadcasts from holographic light screens were everywhere.

Countless youths viewed Qin Feng as the idol and goal they would chase for the rest of their lives.

Of course, these reports possessed a massive element of exaggeration for the sake of propaganda effect.

For instance, the reports claimed Qin Feng had slain over a hundred Black Hole stage powerhouses, but in reality, the ones Qin Feng killed with his own hands were merely those two veteran Black Holes of the Necroid Race who had lacked the time to flee.

Admittedly, with the strength Qin Feng displayed at the time, he did indeed possess the capability to slaughter every single Black Hole stage being present one by one, save for Jin Chi and a few top-tier prodigies.

Yet that would have required a vast amount of time and energy, and moreover required a prerequisite—trapping them all.

The reality was that once the array was broken, if those Black Hole stage powerhouses were intent on fleeing—especially those prodigies born of pinnacle races who held numerous trump cards in their hands—they would scatter like birds and beasts, escaping toward all directions, leaving Qin Feng stretched too thin to possibly hunt them all down to extinction.

Propaganda was propaganda, and reality was reality.

But no matter what, behind the exaggerated achievements lay an unquestionable, rock-solid, terrifying combat power.

Breaking an array alone, heavily wounding two great prodigies, clashing head-on with a Limitless Black Hole, and ascending to the third place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!

Any single one of these feats would be enough to make a name echo across the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races.

And when these were concentrated upon a single individual, the shock it brought was peerless.

Across the Empire's countless star sectors, within the garrisons of major war groups, and in every place where a human martial artist resided, a brand-new legendary title began to pass from mouth to mouth.

The Fiend God, Qin Feng!

(End of Chapter)