Chapter 289: Original Singularity! Name Shakes the Star Sea! First on the Hidden Dragon List!

Chapter 289: The Primordial Singularity! Renowned Across the Starry Sea! First on the Hidden Dragon List! (Only two days left, please vote for me~)

The deep cosmos, silent and dead.

The expanse once sealed by seventeen Domain Lord-level arrays now held only shattered laws and the lingering echoes of dissipated spiritual energy.

Five peerless Domain Lords—five ancient monsters who had once looked down upon countless stars and carved out their own paths—had their life force completely erased from this space-time.

Their fall, manifested as five brilliant yet sorrowful rains of blood, silently heralded the end of a battle that defied the very hierarchy of life.

Qin Feng hovered quietly amidst the corpses and debris.

He had won.

His black-gold spiritual power surged like a raging tide, enveloping his shattered body in a desperate attempt to mend those hideous, gaping wounds.

Yet, this time, recovery proved agonizingly difficult.

Less than half of his head remained; exposed brain tissue was wreathed in ominous black mist and destructive spatial fissures.

The massive, piercing wound in his chest was charred and necrotic at the edges, where disparate yet equally potent Domain Lord-level energies burned like the most stubborn of brands, ravaging his life force from within.

His left arm had been severed at the shoulder, the cut as smooth as a mirror, yet a razor-thin layer of law remained, preventing any flesh from knitting back together.

The injuries were too severe.

The final, desperate strikes of five Domain Lords had poured their life’s work—the laws and paths they had cultivated for countless eons—into Qin Feng without reservation.

The poison specialist’s essence, in particular, had burrowed like a maggot into his soul, gnawing away at his will through his spiritual circulation.

Pain arrived in tidal waves, one after another, threatening to drown his consciousness entirely.

Qin Feng’s vision began to blur and double, yet he kept his gaze fixed on the distance.

There, the silhouette of Outpost 999 of the Thunder Universe City was visible against the starlight. To reach it was to succeed.

He could see his master, the Heaven-Swallowing King, standing tall on the observation deck, the anxious expression of the Thunderstorm King, and the gazes of countless human kin—filled with anticipation, shock, and fervor.

Further away, the beings of the myriad races who had watched as spectators now held only pure horror and dread in their eyes, as if witnessing a demon god emerging from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

He had to make it.

Qin Feng gritted his teeth, his remaining willpower acting as the final fuel.

Dragging his body, which threatened to collapse at any moment, and enduring the dual agony of soul and flesh, the [Crimson Gold Wings] on his back flickered. He transformed into a mournful streak of light, plunging resolutely toward the outpost that represented his salvation.

With every meter gained, his pain intensified, and his consciousness grew dimmer.

The moment his body passed through the outpost’s spiritual shield, that taut, extreme will finally unraveled.

A crushing wave of exhaustion and agony swept over his final remnants of awareness; his body trembled uncontrollably, and his vision plunged into absolute darkness.

"Qin Feng!"

"Quick! Medical support!"

The figures of the Heaven-Swallowing King, the Thunderstorm King, and others rushed forward, their faces etched with unparalleled concern and urgency.

"Wait..."

Qin Feng used his last ounce of strength to squeeze the word from his throat.

He forced himself to hold his breath, resisting the encroaching stupor, and channeled a final wisp of spiritual power to open his subspace storage unit.

Hum—

A massive thunder-cocoon, wrapped in infinite lightning, appeared out of thin air, hovering silently before them.

Having done this, Qin Feng could hold on no longer, sinking into a deep, boundless darkness.

In the final instant before his consciousness submerged, a cold, grand, and emotionless prompt echoed directly within his soul.

[Name: Qin Feng]

[Mission: Path of the End]

[Status: Completed]

[Mission Reward: Singularity of the End]

[Singularity of the End: A theoretically existing supreme foundation, surpassing the 'Eternal Singularity.' Its existence grants the life form a massive, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive improvement in cognitive ability, spiritual quality, physical strength, structural efficiency, learning efficiency, and recovery rates for spiritual and energy reserves...]

[Improvement intensity is approximately one hundred times that of the 'Eternal Singularity.']

[Detected that the target has, through their own efforts, achieved a foundation comparable to the 'Singularity of the End'...]

[Reward replacing...]

[Reward adjusting...]

[You have received the final reward: Supreme Foundation—The Primordial Singularity!]

[Primordial Singularity: Tracing back to the source, returning to the origin. One hundred times the efficacy of the 'Singularity of the End,' and ten thousand times that of the 'Eternal Singularity.']

[...]

The stream of information ceased abruptly.

Qin Feng slept.

In his final haze, he seemed to hear the shouts of his master and the others.

"Qin Feng’s injuries are too severe. Quick! Take him back to the main city of Thunder Universe City immediately and use the highest-grade Life Cradle for treatment!"

"Indeed, the combined killing blow of five Domain Lords is no small matter. These injuries—had it been any other Domain Lord, they would have perished on the spot. It is a miracle he survived."

"Sigh, Heaven-Swallowing, you truly have taken in a good disciple... No, a monster! A monster unseen in all eternity!"

"My human race is about to see another supreme pillar rise!"

"Hahaha—"

Accompanied by hearty, relieved laughter, the Heaven-Swallowing King carefully lifted Qin Feng’s unconscious body, while the Thunderstorm King and Lei San cautiously secured the thunder-cocoon. The four of them stepped into a prepared spatial teleportation array.

With a flash of light, they vanished from the outpost, fleeing toward the depths of Thunder Universe City.

At the same time, a storm of slaughter began to brew in another direction.

The long-suppressed fury of the human race, ignited by Qin Feng’s earth-shattering victory, finally found an outlet.

A massive expeditionary force, composed of many King-level powerhouses, launched a thunderous purge against all strongholds of the Holy Light Race, the Demon Race, and other hostile factions within the 1300th War Zone.

This war of vengeance was so swift and decisive that the two great races were forced into a rout, ultimately having to offer vast resources as compensation just to earn a moment of respite and preserve their remaining territory in the sector.

Of course, Qin Feng knew nothing of this.

He had fallen into a deep slumber.

For the strong, when injuries exceed the limits of the body's self-repair, sleep is the ultimate healing.

As long as the essence remains intact and the soul is not scattered, no matter how severe the wounds, time will eventually smooth them over in the quiet of sleep.

The Heaven-Swallowing King personally brought Qin Feng back to his private estate in Thunder Universe City, deploying countless rare resources to establish a healing array and standing guard himself.

As for the epoch-making battle that occurred before Outpost 999, the news could not be contained.

It spread like an unstoppable cosmic storm, accompanied by a list updated simultaneously by the will of the universe to all intelligent beings. It traveled at the speed of light, reaching every corner of the boundless firmament.

The shock it brought ignited the entire universe.

The Cosmic Sea, in its initial reaches, is a vast expanse known as the "Sanctum Sea."

It is a gathering place for the elites and prodigies of countless civilizations, a cradle for the strong and the gifted, and a brutal battlefield where innumerable dreams have been laid to rest.

Within this sprawling sea of stars, three prestigious rankings are universally acknowledged by all who hold power.

The Marquis List of one thousand, the King List of one hundred, and the Emperor List of ten.

They are known as the "Thousand Marquises, Hundred Kings, and Ten Emperors."

These three lists represent the absolute pinnacle of combat strength within the Sanctum Sea, corresponding to the three great realms of Domain Lord, King-Title, and Emperor-Title.

Those who grace these lists are peerless titans who have carved their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood; whether human or alien, they possess strength that far outstrips their peers and an arrogance born of unparalleled vision.

At this very moment, in disparate corners of the Sanctum Sea, countless powerhouses from these various lists received a message from the Will of the Universe almost simultaneously.

...

In the Scorched Earth Sector, deep within the core of a planet designated "Hellfire-7."

The gravity here is nine hundred thousand times the standard cosmic unit, and the temperature is sufficient to melt most divine metals in an instant.

In a sea of viscous, dark-red glowing magma, a towering figure ten thousand meters tall sits cross-legged.

He has no skin; his body is composed entirely of a black rock with a density exceeding that of a neutron star's core.

Between the fissures of the rock, golden magma flows like his searing blood.

He possesses four thick arms, each more majestic than a mountain range, rhythmically hammering a floating, chaotic-energy-radiating metal embryo with profound precision.

Every strike causes the core of the entire planet to tremble.

He is Marquis Rock-Crusher, a Stone Spirit powerhouse renowned on the Marquis List for his physical might and forging mastery.

His personality is as his name suggests: violent, direct, and a believer only in absolute strength.

Just as he was about to complete his nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-ninth strike, a stream of information surged directly into his sea of consciousness.

Marquis Rock-Crusher’s movements paused slightly, and a flicker of impatience crossed eyes made of pure magma.

He loathed being interrupted while forging, even by the mandatory messages of the Cosmic Will.

Yet, he read it nonetheless.

[Cosmic Hidden Dragon List: Updated]

[Calamity God: Qin Feng]

[Rank: First on the Hidden Dragon List]

A sneer of disdain echoed in the consciousness of the Marquis.

The Hidden Dragon List? Merely a game for little ones who have yet to grow up.

He had not paid attention to this list for millions of years.

However, as he continued to read, a look of gravity appeared in his magma-filled eyes for the first time.

[Latest Combat Records:]

[One: Within the Blood-Stained Forbidden Zone, he reached the summit of the Blood God Tower, surpassing the historical record-holder 'Dao Yi,' stepped into the 'Divine Prohibition' realm within the tower, and refined two hundred thousand blood-jade crystals.]

[Two: Before Outpost 999 of the Thunder Universe City, he fought ten thousand alone, slaying twelve thousand limit-level black hole beings, including sixty individuals named on the Hidden Dragon List.]

[Three: Also at Outpost 999, he single-handedly withstood the joint ambush of five Domain Lords, ultimately slaying all five at the cost of sustaining heavy injuries.]

The ten-thousand-meter-tall rock body of Marquis Rock-Crusher ceased its hammering for the first time.

"Black Hole level... slaying five Domain Lords?"

His voice, like the grinding of a thousand boulders, echoed through the planetary core, laced with an incredulous rasp. "The Divine Prohibition realm... before I reached the Domain Lord stage, I only touched the half-step Divine Prohibition... but compared to this brat's record, it is not worth mentioning."

"What era is this? How have so many prodigies emerged? Are there three prodigies on the Hidden Dragon List alone who have stepped into the Divine Prohibition?!"

"Was it not the case that one didn't appear for millions of years?"

He fell silent.

Those magma eyes stared fixedly at the text on the list, as if trying to crush every word to see the truth behind it.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a scorching breath, which rose in the magma sea like a small mushroom cloud.

"This era... is truly terrifying."

"If he can achieve such feats at the Black Hole level, once he ascends to Domain Lord, will he not be able to challenge us old relics on the Marquis List?"

For the first time, a sense of urgency stirred within Marquis Rock-Crusher.

He glanced at the secret treasure taking shape before him, and his four arms raised the invisible giant hammer once more.

BOOM!!!

This strike was heavier and more violent than any that had come before.

...

The "Dream-Weaver" Nebula, a magnificent expanse woven from pure spiritual energy and cosmic dust.

There are no solid planets here, only countless colorful, varied gaseous clouds and light bands, resembling an abstract painting spanning several light-years.

At the heart of this nebula, within a brilliant stellar core radiating soft, seven-colored light, a nearly transparent humanoid silhouette composed of pure radiance floats silently.

She is the Starlight King, a mysterious powerhouse of the King List whose true form has never been seen.

Her wisdom and strategy are even more feared than her strength.

At this moment, she is immersed in the deduction of laws; billions of information streams flicker across her light-body, each flash representing a deep analysis of the cosmic Dao.

The update of the Hidden Dragon List merged into her vast, sea-like consciousness like a silent drop of water.

She did not experience emotional fluctuations like Marquis Rock-Crusher, but with absolute rationality, she instantly parsed all the information.

The frequency of the light flickering on her body accelerated several times over.

"Qin Feng... Human... disciple of the Heaven-Swallowing King..."

A cold, ethereal voice resonated within the stellar core; it did not travel through a medium but acted directly upon the laws of space, as if the nebula itself were whispering.

"Holder of the Eternal Singularity Dao-foundation, the Bane of Chaos, and the cosmic artifact 'Twin Masks'... and now, added to that, the 'Divine Prohibition' realm, black-gold spiritual power, and the feat of slaying five Domain Lords."

Around the Starlight King's light-body, complex runes composed of light began to emerge. These runes combined and arranged themselves at high speed, forming a massive star map. On this map, the region representing the "Human Race" suddenly flared with intensity, showing a subtle tendency to expand outward.

"A variable."

The Starlight King's voice remained calm, yet the implications were profound.

"A massive variable capable of shattering the current balance of the Sanctum Sea. His growth rate has transcended common logic. If nothing goes awry, once he is titled Marquis, the Marquis List will have no match for him; once he is titled King, he will claim a seat among the top ten of the King List."

"The threat level of the Human Race must be re-evaluated, as must... the potential value of forming an alliance."

The star map of light rotated slowly, and the light points representing top-tier forces like the Holy Light Race, the Mechanical Race, and the Demon Race all appeared dim in the reflection of the new star representing Qin Feng.

"This era may prove to be even more interesting than the last epoch."

The Starlight King's light-body returned to stillness, but deep within the stellar core, the star map deducing the future landscape began to spin frantically, ten thousand times faster than before.

...

The "Forgotten Imperial Tomb," an independent dimension located in the cracks of time and space.

This is the burial ground of the Gaia Holy Empire.

A civilization that once spanned hundreds of billions of galaxies, brilliant to the point of extremity, ultimately dissolved into the dust of history during a war against an unspeakable existence.

In the center of the imperial mausoleum, upon a throne constructed from the bones of countless gods and demons, sat a withered figure.

He wore tattered imperial robes that had long since lost their luster and were riddled with cracks, a crooked crown resting upon his head.

His body resembled a piece of charred, burnt-out wood; his skin was ash-gray, deeply furrowed, and exuded an aura of death and decay.

He was the Cinder Emperor, the final sovereign of the Gaia Holy Empire, and the sole survivor of that world-ending war.

Using forbidden arts, he bound his life to the wreckage of his empire, lingering in agony to this day as a taboo existence on the Imperial Ranking that none dared provoke.

He had not moved for billions of years, appearing as nothing more than a literal statue.

Surrounding him were billions upon billions of transparent, wailing souls of his imperial subjects.

When the message from the Hidden Dragon Ranking arrived, the eternal, unchanging silence of the mausoleum was broken for the first time.

The Cinder Emperor’s eyelids, unlifted for eons, slowly and laboriously parted a sliver.

Within the gap, there were no eyeballs, only two points of ash-gray flame flickering as if about to be extinguished.

He read the record of Qin Feng’s battle.

"Heh..."

A dry, hoarse laugh, like the friction of withered leaves, emerged from the depths of his throat, causing the surrounding wailing souls to falter in unison.

"Divine Prohibition... slaying the superior..."

His voice was intermittent, heavy with the vicissitudes of time and the stench of rot.

"How like him... so much like that... madman... who once drew his sword against the gods..."

His gaze seemed to pierce the barriers of space and time, seeing that distant past, seeing that figure who was equally brilliant and had attempted to reverse the empire's fate with his own strength.

"A new cycle... has it begun again?"

"Such a resplendent era... also implies... that a similarly tragic... Great Annihilation... is soon to follow..."

The Cinder Emperor’s eyelids slowly closed, and the two ash-gray flames vanished with them.

"I hope... this time... you can walk... further than he did..."

The mausoleum returned to its eternal, deathly silence.

Yet, the wailing of the imperial ghosts surrounding him seemed to have dimmed, if only by a fraction.

...

Sector 1800, Abandoned Mining Star Belt.

"BOOM!!!"

Caesar shattered a ferocious Zerg Ultimate Black Hole powerhouse into a mist of blood with a single punch, golden holy blood staining his handsome, resolute face, making him appear like a war god bathed in slaughter.

However, his situation was far from optimistic.

Around him, hundreds of Ultimate Black Hole powerhouses from various races had him completely surrounded, greed and killing intent flickering in every eye.

He, Caesar, the pride of the Holy Blood Angel Legion, once an ally who fought alongside Qin Feng in the Universal Genius Tournament, had also reached the realm of the Ultimate Black Hole.

But his high-profile nature had offended several powerful factions during a treasure hunt, leading to this encirclement.

"Caesar! Hand over the 'Star Core Heart,' and we may spare your life!"

A demon prodigy shouted aloud.

Caesar panted heavily, his chest heaving, his silver armor already covered in cracks.

He had been fighting for three days and three nights, his psionic energy nearly exhausted. Yet, the fighting spirit in his eyes had not waned in the slightest.

"A pack of hyenas who only dare to bully the few, and you think you are worthy of touching a miracle?"

Caesar sneered, his voice filled with disdain.

Just then, the cold message of the Hidden Dragon Ranking update flooded his mind.

Caesar’s expression froze for a moment, then the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled upward, eventually erupting into a heaven-shaking, wild laugh.

"Haha... Hahahahahaha!"

"Qin Feng!"

"You bastard... you bastard! You really are a step ahead of me after all!"

His laughter was filled with hearty, unbridled joy, the pride of a dear friend, and an endless, ignited fighting spirit!

First on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!

Divine Prohibition realm!

Slaying five Domain Lords!

This was the stature befitting the man he, Caesar, acknowledged!

"Since that is the case, how could I, Caesar, be stopped here by a bunch of trash!"

Caesar’s eyes turned blood-red in an instant, and an aura many times more violent than before erupted from his body.

"In the name of the Holy Blood—"

"BLACK RAGE!!!"

With a roar, Caesar’s body began to swell, his silver armor bursting at the seams, and black, destructive veins emerged from beneath his skin, crawling across his entire frame.

His reason rapidly faded, replaced by a pure, violent will born solely for battle and destruction!

"ROAR!!!"

Caesar let out a howl that sounded nothing like a human, transforming into a black bolt of lightning as he charged headlong into the enemy ranks.

A pure, bloody slaughter began.

...

Human Territory, Ultimate Warrior Legion, 7th Army Headquarters.

In a standardized office filled with a metallic texture.

Captain Zhou Zheng had just finished signing the final document and uploading it to the legion’s central database.

This document was the handover procedure for his resignation as Captain of the 7th Army’s 3rd Assault Company, transitioning into an "Honorary Member" of the legion to pursue "Free Exploration."

After hundreds of years of arduous cultivation and warfare, he had finally reached the realm of the Ultimate Black Hole, touching the ceiling of this level.

According to the legion’s regulations, warriors who reached this tier could choose to remain in service or venture out alone to seek the opportunity to break through to the Domain Lord level.

Zhou Zheng chose the latter.

He stood up, stretched his slightly stiff body, and mapped out his future route in his mind.

At that moment, the message of the Hidden Dragon Ranking update entered his consciousness.

When he saw that familiar name hanging at the top of the list, along with the legendary battle record, a wry smile involuntarily appeared on Zhou Zheng’s habitually stern face.

"Qin Feng..."

He whispered the name softly.

"Back in Canaan, I knew you were no mere creature of the pond, yet I never imagined you would reach these heights so swiftly..."

Within Zhou Zheng’s heart, there was no jealousy, only a profound sense of wonder.

He considered himself a genius, for otherwise, he could never have climbed to the rank of Captain within the disciplined and formidable ranks of the Ultramarines.

But between geniuses, there exist chasms as wide as the distance between the clouds and the mud.

He had just reached the limit of the Black Hole stage, still plotting how to break through to the Domain Lord level.

Yet Qin Feng already stood at the pinnacle of the Black Hole stage—the realm of the "Godly Prohibition"—and had begun to slaughter Domain Lords.

"Is this... what a true monster of talent looks like?"

Zhou Zheng shook his head, casting aside the stray thoughts in his mind.

"Everyone has their own path to tread; comparing myself to him would only disturb my own Dao heart. It is enough that I walk my own road well."

He regained his composure and resolve, his eyes filled with a yearning for the future.

Truly, a prodigy born from my Ultramarines chapter!

In Zhou Zheng’s heart, there remained only a sense of heartfelt pride.

...

Within the Human Empire, in a bustling industrial planet of the capital star cluster.

"Master Wang Ming, this is the first prototype manufactured according to your latest 'Mark-7' power armor blueprints. Please, have a look."

In a vast and luminous laboratory, Wang Ming, dressed in a white research coat, gazed at the hundred-meter-tall stellar-class power armor before him. Its sleek lines and aura of violent aesthetics brought a satisfied smile to his face.

After hundreds of years of toil, he, Qin Feng’s uncle, had grown from a lowly engineer on Morningstar into a stellar-class power armor designer renowned across the entire sector.

Just as he prepared to test the prototype, an urgent, holographic news broadcast from the official Imperial channel automatically unfolded before him.

The headline of the news was written in bold, crimson characters.

[Human Hero and First on the Hidden Dragon List, Qin Feng, slays five Domain Lords on the Road of Finality, shaking the universe!]

Wang Ming stood frozen.

He stared blankly at the blurry combat footage recorded by a remote outpost, watching that figure weave through ten thousand enemies to strike down five Domain Lords with his own hands. His eyes gradually grew moist.

He seemed to see, once again, the boy from thousands of years ago on Morningstar—the youth whose foundation was damaged, yet whose eyes remained resolute, refusing to abandon the martial path.

That strong child...

Now, he had grown into a towering tree capable of sheltering the entire human race, a pillar of strength for all mankind.

Gratification, pride, and a surge of emotions flooded his heart.

Wang Ming wiped the corners of his eyes, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

Yet, following the smile, a trace of deep anxiety surfaced between his brows.

He thought of his two sons, Wang Hao and Wang Jie.

They had followed in the footsteps of their cousin Qin Feng, joining the Ultramarines, dreaming of fighting for humanity across the star seas just like him.

But... it had been three hundred full years since any word had come from them.

The chapter's official reply was always, "Currently executing a special mission, unable to communicate."

He knew that on the cruel battlefields of the universe, this often meant... the outlook was grim.

Should he... contact Qin Feng?

With his current status and strength, surely inquiring about the fate of two small soldiers within the legion would be a matter of a single word?

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

After all, they were his own flesh and blood.

Wang Ming opened his personal terminal and found the communication ID labeled "Xiao Feng," which had not been dialed for centuries.

His finger hovered over the virtual button for a long, long time.

"Sigh..."

In the end, accompanied by a long, heavy sigh, Wang Ming closed the terminal.

The child already carried so much upon his shoulders; how could he burden him further with these family matters?

...

This storm swept through every place Qin Feng had once walked.

Canaan Star Martial University.

His former close friends, Xiong Yanfu, Tie Mu, and Shi Potian, were now stellar-class powerhouses, shining in their respective fields.

When they saw that battle report on the alumni network, beyond the initial shock, there was only endless awe and the joy of reflected glory.

"I knew that kid would make it!"

Their former mentors, Gu Yue, Wu Shangfeng, Lin Yue, and Yu Han, were now venerable seniors.

Looking at that glorious record, they wore identical expressions of gratification and complexity.

They were happy because a student they had taught had achieved such an incredible feat.

They were melancholy because they deeply realized that the chasm between ordinary people and true prodigies was so vast that it left one unable to even conceive of catching up.

...

At the core of human territory, the Sea of the Holy Academy, the main campus.

Within a magnificent temple suspended at the peak of the dimensions.

This was the seat of the highest council of the human race.

Inside the temple, light and shadow intertwined, and the laws of the universe wove together like fabric.

Figures with auras as deep as the sea sat upon their respective thrones.

Here, King-level powerhouses were everywhere, possessing only the qualification to listen.

Emperor-level powerhouses were countless, yet they were merely ordinary members of the council.

Even beings of the Saint Realm were as numerous as the hairs on an ox.

And at the head of the council, several blurred figures, seemingly fused with the universe itself, radiated a terrifying pressure that threatened to freeze time and space.

These were the pillars of humanity—Universe Venerables!

There were even supreme existences above the Venerables, at the level of Universe Lords!

At this moment, a targeted meeting regarding "the Demon race's secret research into forbidden weapons" was underway.

The atmosphere was solemn and grave.

Just then, the personal terminals of almost everyone present lit up simultaneously.

It was a high-priority message push from the Will of the Universe.

The Emperor-level powerhouse who had been speaking was interrupted, but he felt no anger, for he knew what this meant.

The entire temple fell into a momentary silence.

Every powerhouse present was reading the newly updated Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Seconds later, the stillness was shattered.

"A black hole entity stepping into the Divine Forbidden, slaying five Domain Lords in reverse... Hiss—"

A sharp intake of breath echoed, coming from a newly ascended Emperor-rank warrior, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief.

"When I was at the black hole level, I stepped into the Divine Forbidden and could defeat a single novice Domain Lord alone, which was hailed as a once-in-ten-thousand-year genius. This..."

"From the Limit Warrior Legion? A disciple of that fellow Heaven-Swallower?

I remember this boy showing his mettle during the Genius Tournament, but I never expected him to grow so rapidly!"

Another veteran Emperor-rank warrior said in a deep voice.

"Refining two hundred thousand blood jade crystals—what kind of concept is that? His foundation must be so profound that it is beyond anything we could imagine!"

Discussions rose and fell, and even those in the Saint Realm turned their heads, casting gazes of intense interest.

Finally, a voice, ancient and majestic, as if containing the fundamental truths of the universe's creation and destruction, emerged from the blurred figures at the head of the hall, slowly resonating throughout the temple.

"This child has the potential to become a god."

Merely six words, yet they served as the final verdict.

The entire temple fell instantly silent.

All the powerhouses, including the haughty Emperor-rank warriors, wore expressions of profound shock.

To receive such an evaluation from a Lord of the Universe was something that the word "genius" could no longer describe.

"Transmit my will,"

The voice continued, "Elevate Qin Feng's clearance to 'First Class.' All human treasuries and secret realms are to be opened to him unconditionally. Spare no cost to aid his growth!"

"Understood!"

Within the temple, all the powerhouses responded in unison, their voices shaking the cosmos.

A meeting originally intended to address the Monster Race had its agenda completely altered by the update of a single ranking.

And at the center of this storm, Qin Feng remained in the deepest reaches of the Thunder Universe City, sleeping quietly, his body and soul undergoing a cataclysmic, unknown, and ultimate transformation under the influence of the "Primordial Singularity."

...

Time flowed in silence; for a sleeping life, it might have been an instant, or perhaps an eternity.

When Qin Feng's consciousness slowly surfaced from the endless darkness and stillness to reclaim his long-dormant body, he felt as though he had dreamt an impossibly long dream.

In the dream, there was endless slaughter, the agonizing pain of a body being torn asunder, the extreme insights gained on the brink of death, and finally, a peace that returned to the ultimate stillness.

Ten years had quietly slipped away.

He opened his eyes.

The first thing to enter his vision was not a familiar sight, but the dome of a grand and archaic hall.

The dome was forged from an unknown dark-gold metal, not adorned with ornate carvings, but with terrifying battle scars that cut deep into the bone.

Each scar seemed to possess a life of its own, with wisps of lightning flickering within them, radiating an aura of absolute dominance and total destruction.

Merely gazing at these marks was enough to feel a terrifying will capable of tearing the soul to shreds.

Qin Feng immediately recognized that these were no mere decorations, but the eternal imprints left upon the material world by the leaking will of a King-rank powerhouse during cultivation.

This hall itself was an ancient battlefield that had witnessed countless peak duels.

He sat up slowly, feeling the state of his body.

The grievous wounds from his memory—those that would have annihilated any living creature, the flesh shattered by the lifelong killing power of five Domain Lords—were now completely healed.

No, they were even more perfect than before.

He could clearly perceive that every inch of his flesh, every bone, and even the depths of every cell contained an unprecedented, surging vitality and power, like that of a newborn universe.

It felt as if his life level had completed an inconceivable ultimate leap during his unconscious slumber.

Pain, weakness, the sensation of dying... all negative states had vanished into smoke.

In their place was an absolute confidence, a feeling of mastery over all things.

He looked around and found himself sitting on a meditation cushion carved from thunder crystals.

The hall was vast and solemn; apart from him, there were only two other cushions in the distance, where two figures sat quietly, their auras as deep and immovable as mountains, as if they had merged with the entire universe.

One figure was burly and majestic, surrounded by an invisible, intangible black hole that swallowed all light and perception—this was his master, King Heaven-Swallower.

The other figure was filled with an explosive sense of power; even sitting still, one felt that billions of wild thunderbolts lay dormant within him, ready to erupt with world-destroying might at any moment.

This was the master of the Thunder Universe City, King Thunder-Storm.

At this moment, the gazes of both King-rank powerhouses were fixed upon him, calm and profound.

"You are awake."

King Heaven-Swallower's voice sounded, as gentle as ever, devoid of any emotional ripples, yet carrying a power that could instantly soothe the heart.

These three simple words seemed to pierce through ten years of time, pulling Qin Feng back from the memories of that brutal bloodbath into reality.

"Master!"

Qin Feng's heart warmed, his excitement evident.

He stood up abruptly, his movements swift and powerful, showing no stiffness from his long recovery.

He bowed deeply to King Heaven-Swallower and King Thunder-Storm; this was respect from the bottom of his heart.

He knew that if not for the protection of these two pillars of humanity, he would have long since turned to cosmic dust under the siege of the myriad races, let alone been able to sleep and heal here in peace for ten years.

King Thunder-Storm looked at Qin Feng, and on that usually stern, lightning-scarred face, a rare smile of approval appeared. He nodded heavily; he did not speak, but the affirmation in his eyes was worth more than a thousand words.

King Heaven-Swallower wore a faint smile and said gently, "Qin Feng, having recovered from such a grave state after experiencing such an extreme life-and-death battle, you must have gained many insights. Your current state is better than ever, so there is no need to be impatient."

He paused, then continued: "There are a few things you should know.

Zhou Yu, whom you saved at the cost of your life, has safely returned to the core territory of humanity with the complete Thunder Emperor inheritance; your mission regarding the Universal Will has been successfully completed.

As for your injuries, they have been fully restored through the combined efforts of myself and Thunder-Storm, as well as your own monstrous resilience.

So, for now, relax, calm your mind, and carefully review the gains and losses of this battle, letting those insights from the edge of life and death settle into the foundation of your own path."

King Heaven-Swallower's tone was full of gratification and satisfaction; he could find no fault in his disciple's performance.

Of course, hidden behind this satisfaction was a trace of guilt—and a sense of wry amusement—that even he had not noticed.

According to his original plan, after taking such a peerless prodigy as Qin Feng as a disciple, the first ten thousand years were meant to be a period of "free-range" growth.

He was to enter the battlefield of the myriad races, personally experience the vastness of the cosmic sea, witness the cruelty and bloodshed of the inter-racial struggle, and find his own direction through repeated tempering.

Only when he hit a wall or felt lost would he, as his master, step in at the right moment to provide the finishing touch, guiding him to gradually realize his own path.

This was the standard procedure for cultivating top-tier powerhouses—steady and effective.

But... who could have expected that in Qin Feng's first official journey to the battlefield, lasting less than eight thousand years, he would not only find his path but also step into the legendary "Divine Forbidden" realm, and casually slaughter five long-renowned Domain Lords along the way!

This speed of improvement was so fast that it defied all reason and completely disrupted the teaching plan of his King-rank master.

This resulted in a rather awkward predicament: although Qin Feng was the legitimate, direct disciple of the Heaven-Swallowing King, the core secret technique that fueled the vast majority of his combat prowess was, in fact, the Nine Spirits Origin Chart created by the Nine Spirits King.

Over the past decade, this irony had been a frequent subject of mockery among his old acquaintances among the kings, who teased him for being a Heaven-Swallowing King who had merely "picked up a ready-made bargain of a disciple."

(End of Chapter)