The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

The leader of the Northern Region didn't say much, but simply raised his hand and waved, and the remaining dozen or so participants from the Northern Region all took a step forward.

On the Eastern Region side, Zhou Yanzhi and Chen Yuanzhi exchanged a glance, both seeing the same answer in each other's eyes.

Zhou Yanzhi gripped the repaired spirit sword, his voice not loud, but carrying a resolute determination.

"If we back down now that Wang Shengzi has fought this far, our lives will be over."

Chen Yuanzhi chuckled, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

"I already escaped death in the first round, so what's wrong with taking another gamble?"

The other disciples from the Eastern Region nodded in agreement, and not one of them backed down.

Wang Long stood in the center of the crowd, taking in the faces that were firm, resolute, or frank.

He turned his head and glanced at Ye Niannu beside him.

Ye Niannu also happened to look at him, her peach blossom eyes showing no hesitation whatsoever.

Wang Long smiled, withdrew his gaze, and looked up at the Eternal Emperor in mid-air.

The Eternal Emperor took in the various expressions on the faces of those below.

A smile slowly crept onto his lips, a smile more genuine than before, tinged with a sense of relief.

"it is good."

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"very good."

His tone was solemn.

"The path of cultivation is inherently about contending with fate and striving for one's own destiny."

"You have come this far because of your talent, your luck, and the choices you have made time and time again in the face of life and death."

"Only by choosing not to retreat today will you be qualified to compete for the unattainable realm of the Emperor in the future."

After he finished speaking, his gaze slowly swept across the crowd, finally landing on the direction of the Eastern Region, on Wang Long, and lingered for a moment.

The Emperor of Immortality withdrew his gaze, raised his right hand, and gently waved it.

"Since no one has abstained, then..."

His voice echoed above the square, clear and composed.

"The third round of the competition shall now begin!"

He raised his hand and gently waved it, and a soft light spread from his palm, rippling across the bodies of every contestant in the square.

"This third trial ground is called the 'World of Ten Thousand Beasts,' an independent space sealed by a powerful being in ancient times. It contains countless magical beasts, ranging in strength from the Saint Realm to the peak of the Heavenly Sovereign Realm, and even... there are beings at the half-step Emperor Realm."

Upon hearing this, a suppressed gasp of astonishment immediately filled the square.

Half-step Emperor Realm!

That was a realm that the entire sect could barely reach after burning through the Puppet Yuan.

Among these contestants, the strongest was only at the late stage of the Supreme Realm. Facing a magical beast at the half-step Emperor Realm, even with the life seed to save their lives, the overwhelming fear was enough to make them collapse.

But the Emperor of Immortality remained calm.

"I don't ask you to kill those high-level magical beasts, nor do I ask you to get a high score. I only hope that you can find your own path on the edge of life and death."

In this world today, the five major domains combined have tens of thousands of Supreme Realm cultivators and thousands of Heavenly Sovereigns, but only a handful are capable of reaching the Emperor Realm.

Only those at the Great Emperor realm can become the pillar of stability in dire straits. Although the Supreme and Heavenly Supreme are strong, they are ultimately a level below in the face of a true cataclysm.

The Eternal Emperor withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the contestants, his tone becoming more solemn.

"The myriad races beyond the realm are eyeing us covetously, and the seal is weakening day by day. Although I and the other Great Emperors can hold it off for a time, we cannot hold it off forever. This world needs a new Great Emperor, a pillar of strength that can hold up the sky in dire straits."

His gaze fell on the direction of the Eastern Region again, lingering on Wang Long for a moment before looking away.

"The path to the Emperor Realm is never one that can be traversed through secluded cultivation; it requires true trials of life and death, and finding that glimmer of opportunity in dire circumstances."

"certainly."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more amiable again.

"As I just said, if anyone feels they cannot handle the situation, they can withdraw now. I will not force anyone, nor will I lower your scores from the first two rounds."

Everyone was very determined and would not back down in the face of battle.

The Eternal Emperor looked at those figures and smiled faintly.

"Okay, very good."

He said "good" twice, his voice carrying a rare hint of satisfaction.

"In that case, let's prepare to set off."

He raised his hand, but instead of tearing through space as he had done the previous two times, he placed his palm down and gently pressed it onto the ground in the center of the square.

hum!

A deep hum came from the depths of the earth, like a long-dormant beast finally being awakened.

The entire plaza began to tremble violently, and the white jade bricks underfoot rippled with spiritual light. This light spread rapidly from the palm of the Longevity Emperor, and wherever it passed, the bricks on the ground lit up, revealing the intricate array patterns engraved beneath them.

The array patterns were a hundred times more complex than any array Wang Long had ever seen. Every line contained profound spatial laws, and every node connected to energy torrents from different directions. They intertwined, nested, and cycled with each other, like a giant spider web spread across the heavens and earth.

The stone pillars around the square also lit up at the same time, and the runes on the twelve pillars lit up one by one, emitting a deep resonance, like twelve hearts beating at the same time.

The array masters on the viewing platform all stood up, their expressions varied.

Song Tiange was the first to recognize the origin of those array patterns. His pupils contracted slightly, and his voice trembled with barely suppressed emotion.

"This is... an ancient teleportation array!"

Ye Wushuang stood beside him, also staring at the array patterns that lit up one by one on the ground, a rare solemnity appearing on her usually cold face.

"The array that allows teleportation to another independent world requires simultaneously breaking through spatial barriers, stabilizing energy channels, and maintaining anchor points for bidirectional teleportation... This level of array has been lost for tens of thousands of years."

She paused, her gaze falling on the figure of the Eternal Emperor standing with his hands behind his back, a hint of emotion in her voice.

"The methods of an Emperor-level cultivator are indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

The leaders of the other major regions also recognized the origin of the formation, and discussions surged like a tide.

"Ancient Great Teleportation Array? It's said that this array can cross world barriers and teleport people to completely independent planes!"

"I never imagined I'd see an array of this caliber in my lifetime..."

"The Emperor of Immortality has truly spared no expense for this trial."

In the central viewing area, the elder of the Qian Yuan Sect, dressed in a dark gold robe, put down his teacup and stared intently at the array patterns on the ground that were lighting up one by one, his expression solemn.

"This kind of formation... even in the Central Region, no one has ever been able to replicate it. Where is the Eternal Emperor sending these children?"

The gray-robed old man beside him also had a solemn expression and spoke in a low voice.

"The Realm of Ten Thousand Beasts... I have seen this name in ancient books. It was used by some powerful beings from an unknown place in ancient times to raise magical beasts. Many of the beast tides that have appeared in our territory today are also related to this world."

"Raising magical beasts?"

The elder in the dark gold robe's expression changed slightly.

"The Central Region... is likely to face a major upheaval."