C7 Illuminating All Creations

In the Uncharted Territory, Xie Feng and Sushang ventured into Armillary Sphere Mountain. The young girl skipped ahead, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she marveled at her surroundings.

"Master, you're so amazing!" she exclaimed.

"What makes you say that?" Xie Feng inquired.

"You own an entire mountain!" Sushang said in awe, believing that anyone who possessed a mountain must be incredibly powerful.

Xie Feng chuckled, about to respond when the girl's excitement peaked at the sight of a white light descending from the heavens. A surge of spiritual energy followed, invigorating all in its presence.

It was the Heaven Ranking reward.

Xie Feng had anticipated this and accepted the reward with composure.

First Place Reward:

Sun Illumination

Above the reward, ethereal text provided an explanation.

Sun Illumination: A Holy Beast superior to the Ancestral Dragon and the Origin Phoenix, born with the Innate Mysterious Yellow Qi, capable of illuminating the essence of creation!

"The Sun Illumination is a Holy Beast! The Innate Mysterious Yellow Qi it carries is the essence of the Great Dao," Xie Feng reflected. "Ancient texts claim it can imbue weapons with divine power and transform humans into gods."

"In this world's cultivation system, those at the Mahayana Stage are the mightiest, save for the Loose Immortals, and those at the Eclosion Stage are akin to deities. Here, the pinnacle of power is defined by Gods, Immortals, and Saints. With Saints extinct and Immortals endangered, Gods represent the apex of strength."

Contemplating his own progress, Xie Feng, now at the Deification Stage, knew he was three stages shy of reaching Eclosion. Deification meant transforming one's Nascent Soul into a Nascent Divinity, capable of creating an external avatar.

He touched the white light, and a golden radiance spiraled forth—the Innate Mysterious Yellow Qi. To fully refine this Great Dao spirit, he would need time. Deciding to store it temporarily, he planned to first lift the seal within Sushang before focusing on the Qi's refinement.

As for the Sun Illumination...

Xie Feng watched as the light intensified, illuminating the mountain, then abruptly shifted to darkness. Standing with his hands behind his back, he merged with the shadows, and a formidable presence emerged—a profound darkness unlike any other.

Above him, a vast shadow loomed, exuding the aura of a colossal beast awakening from an eternal slumber—a black sphere capable of eclipsing the sky, teeming with vitality and overwhelming fortune. It was a sight to behold, reminiscent of an ancient path of reincarnation, its immense pressure awe-inspiring.

The Sun Illumination, a relic of the primordial era, was a being more fearsome than the Ancestral Dragon and the Origin Phoenix, a Holy Beast transcending legend and erased from history.

In that moment, Armillary Sphere Mountain was shrouded in an infinite darkness that also enveloped Sushang, who, wide-eyed and anxious, whispered, "Master, Master..."

The Heaven Ranking too was plunged into an enigmatic darkness, with the Three Thousand Worlds cast into an indistinct twilight.

On the mountain, a surge of spiritual essence erupted, transforming into a radiant light that spanned the heavens. As it nearly escaped the mountain's confines...

"Hua—"

Sushang heard a faint sound, like a leviathan breaching the surface. A majestic peak soared from beyond, smaller than Armillary Sphere Mountain but glimmering with a verdant light. It circled, weaving a green phantom net that reflected the escaping light back into Xie Feng, propelling his cultivation to new heights.

Bewildered, Sushang sensed the mountain's protective embrace over Armillary Sphere Mountain and her master. As the crisis abated and the phantom net vanished, the green peak retreated. Rubbing her eyes, she couldn't shake the feeling that the mountain bore a resemblance to a turtle...

With the spiritual essence absorbed, Xie Feng's aura climbed relentlessly. He was on the cusp of a breakthrough, leaping from Rank Three to Rank Eight of the Deification Stage—a five-level ascent unheard of in a realm where spiritual energy was scarce and advancement a grueling challenge.

Now, Xie Feng felt revitalized. The Sun Illumination, nestled within him and subdued by his Chaos Holy Body, awaited the day it would become his ace in the hole. And thanks to its unleashed power, the spiritual energy within Armillary Sphere Mountain was now richer than ever, rivaling even the most hallowed of sanctuaries.

The Sun's radiance could illuminate the creation of all things!

Xie Feng's mind wandered back to the moment when the Sun's glow had burst forth, releasing thousands of spiritual essences into the air. His consciousness had been submerged, his awareness of the outside world dimmed, leaving him uncertain whether any energy had escaped.

It was crucial to remember that he was the top contender on the Heaven Ranking. Despite keeping his movements hidden, countless eyes, both seen and unseen, were fixed upon him, coveting the extraordinary rewards of the Great Dao. Now, being marked by others would only invite unnecessary complications.

As he pondered a solution, Sushang hurried over to share the details of the recent enigmatic event. Only after learning that a mountain, bathed in a green glow and shaped like a turtle, had contained the spiritual essences within Armillary Sphere Mountain did Xie Feng breathe a sigh of relief.

"Come on, kiddo, let's go gather some herbs and concoct some potions."

"Okay! Wait, hang on..."

"What's the matter?"

"Master, you still haven't explained what that turtle-shaped mountain is."

"Ah, that would be a green bean."

"A green bean? Master! Your green bean is that formidable?"

"Ha! Just wait until we pick some fruit along the way, then you'll see."

Xie Feng's laughter boomed as he affectionately ruffled Sushang's cowlick. The young girl's round, apple-cheeked face was a portrait of bewilderment and innocence, but she dutifully collected a few apples and scampered after Xie Feng towards the medicinal garden.

...

With that, all the rewards had been distributed.

The Heaven Ranking faded away, resuming its golden hue, and light reclaimed the world.

Boom!

The sonorous peal of a bell echoed.

The celestial tones once again filled the heavens—

"The initial round of the ranking has been declared! Here are three decrees for all to heed!

"First, in three months' time, the second round will be unveiled: the Magic Artifact Ranking!

"Second, should any among the Heaven Ranking's top ten fall before the next round, their place will be filled in succession.

"Third, newcomers to the ranking or those who ascend in position shall receive rewards no less than those of Divine Grade!"

The divine proclamation ceased.

Once more, the masses were swept into a frenzy!

With three months until the next ranking announcement, the second and third decrees of the Heaven Ranking were clear incentives for rivalry!

They were, in essence, an encouragement for bloodshed!

In this new era, the world sought its mightiest prodigy to emerge victorious in the struggle for supremacy!

The allure was irresistible—the promise of rewards on par with the Divine Grade! Divine Grade rewards were already the pinnacle of aspiration in this realm, yet now, to offer something comparable...

Could it imply the Immortal Grade? Or perhaps the Holy Grade?

This was the ultimate enticement!

Many eyes were locked on the ranking list, their bearers secretly strategizing their next moves...