Chapter 271: Chapter271-The Tournament Draws Near, Thoughtstep

The instant Daniel passed through the teleportation gate, the world spun violently around him.

When his feet touched solid ground once more, an entirely unfamiliar world stretched out before his eyes.

There was something indescribably unusual about this place.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

James and Mosi appeared beside him almost simultaneously.

"A secret realm."

James swept his gaze across their surroundings. His eyes lit up, and a smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"And one personally created by a High Oracle-Grade expert, at that!"

"The space here is astonishingly stable... If I am not mistaken, this entire secret realm has been reinforced by layer upon layer of strengthening magic arrays."

"Yes."

Mosi, as sparing with words as ever, gave a brief confirmation.

Realization dawned upon Daniel.

No wonder he had felt that something was strange from the very moment he arrived.

This secret realm was even vaster than an ordinary Great World, and the MP in the air was so dense that it was almost viscous. A heavy, oppressive force permeated the atmosphere, as though an invisible giant hand were pressing firmly down upon his shoulders.

Having only just arrived, Daniel felt slightly uncomfortable at first.

After remaining here for a short while, however, he gradually adjusted to the pressure.

At this moment, all thirty experts from the Canaan Starfield’s Starlight Rankings had gathered in this place!

Daniel looked around.

They stood within a boundless range of mountains, one peak after another extending endlessly into the distance. The landscape was so vast that it seemed to have no end whatsoever.

"Truly breathtaking."

Even Daniel could not help feeling that his horizons had been broadened.

A place even larger than a Great World, with even more abundant MP, had actually been created from nothing by a High Oracle-Grade expert?!

"A secret realm is still not a life-bearing world in the end," James continued explaining. "A life-bearing world contains complete world laws. A secret realm does not."

"If a life-bearing world is compared to a perfectly balanced living organism, then a secret realm is merely an imperfect product that has been pushed to an extreme."

"The conditions required for a life-bearing world to form are unimaginably strict. Unless one reaches the level of an Eternal Sage, no existence can create a life-bearing world out of nothing."

Daniel’s heart stirred slightly when he heard the words Eternal Sage.

He still clearly remembered the human existence he had summoned back when he had forcibly initiated the World War!

That being had been able to roam through the Time River, travel between the past and the future, and wander among the countless universes.

Even now, the mere recollection of such power left Daniel deeply shaken.

"Mosi, your Law of Space will probably be somewhat restricted in this place."

Daniel cast Mosi a glance.

Mosi specialized in the Law of Space and had already achieved a certain level of accomplishment in it. However, the space within this secret realm had been heavily reinforced, so his abilities would almost certainly be affected.

"Mm."

Mosi frowned faintly.

At the same time—

[Ding! You have completed the first-stage mission.]

[Ding! You have obtained the mission reward: Mental State +10,000 points!]

Daniel’s eyes immediately brightened.

[Ding! You have sold Mental State ×10,000 points to the Doom Guild for 1 copper coin. Millionfold Boost activated!]

[Please select quality boost / quantity boost!]

"Quantity boost!"

[Congratulations! You have obtained Mental State +10,000,000,000 points!]

Listening to the notifications ringing beside his ears, Daniel felt immensely pleased.

His mission reward had finally fallen into his hands.

Now that he had accumulated such a massive amount of Mental State, he should be able to leap upward once again.

The moment he broke through, his strength would undoubtedly rise to an entirely new level!

...

All thirty experts from the Canaan Starfield’s Starlight Rankings had now arrived.

Just then, an Oracle-Grade expert from Gold-Grade Mountain slowly walked out from the void.

His steps were steady and imposing, as though each one carried the weight of an enormous mountain.

Every gaze immediately gathered upon him.

"I am Chanelle, a T7 Oracle-Grade!"

Chanelle’s voice was calm and unhurried, yet it rumbled clearly beside every person’s ears.

"The future of the Canaan Starfield has now been entrusted into your hands. You must spare neither effort nor life itself in winning greater benefits for the countless living beings of our starfield."

"A T7 Oracle-Grade! He’s actually a T7 Oracle-Grade!"

The experts on the Starlight Rankings instantly erupted into an uproar.

"Holy shit! If not for this tournament, I might never have had the opportunity to see a genuine T7 Oracle-Grade expert in my entire life!"

"A T7 Oracle-Grade! Even the ancestor of my race only reached T5!"

"This is a universe-level grand event, after all. Gold-Grade Mountain naturally had to dispatch a top expert to oversee matters."

"That’s right. Even if a T8 Oracle-Grade appeared, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising. The various starfields have accumulated grudges against one another for countless years. They cannot afford to let down their guard."

Chanelle continued, "The detailed rules of the tournament will be announced tomorrow. For today, remain here and rest while making your preparations."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure dissolved into the void like ink melting into water, disappearing without leaving the slightest trace behind.

Immediately afterward, a group of Sages from Gold-Grade Mountain stepped forward and began arranging accommodations for everyone.

...

Mountains rose and fell throughout this entire region, and every individual peak served as a secluded place for quiet cultivation.

Since the tournament had yet to begin and its rules would only be revealed the next day, the gathered experts quickly dispersed, each choosing a location to adjust their condition and make their final preparations.

"The tournament is right before us. We must prepare properly."

Daniel looked at the two companions standing beside him.

"I’ll go and familiarize myself with my current state first."

"Big Brother Faustus is right. I’ll go make some adjustments as well."

James nodded.

"Good."

Mosi remained as concise as ever.

This tournament was one in which life and death could be decided in a single instant!

More importantly, it concerned the fate of their entire starfield.

Not one of them dared to treat it lightly.

Daniel casually chose one of the nearby mountains.

These mountains all looked more or less ordinary, and he did not particularly care which one he received. Any of them would do.

A simply constructed building stood upon the mountain, most likely something the Budelica Starfield had prepared long ago for the participating competitors.

Daniel stepped inside.

"My current Rank is only Supreme-Grade, and I’ve been stuck at Level 400 with no way to advance."

Daniel silently considered his situation.

"Right now, I have more than ten billion Mental State points in my hands. If I can break through my Rank, my level should be able to rise along with it."

Having made his decision, he immediately began consuming his Mental State.

[Ding! You have consumed 2,000,000,000 Mental State points. Your Rank has advanced to—Demi-Sage!]

[Ding! You have comprehended Thoughtstep!]

Thoughtstep!

Daniel immediately stopped consuming Mental State.

The way he advanced now was different from before. He had to manually progress step by step.

Fortunately, his Exp Pool had already accumulated an enormous amount of experience!

[Notice: You have consumed experience points. Your current level has increased to Level 401!]

[Notice: You have consumed experience points. Your current level has increased to Level 480!]

[Notice: You have consumed experience points. Your current level has increased to Level 518!]

[Ding! You have not yet broken through your current Rank. You must break through before you can continue leveling up.]

Daniel blinked.

He had soared all the way to Level 518 in one breath.

That was even faster than completing a class-change mission!

Of course, what mattered even more was the immense leap in strength brought about by his Rank breakthrough.

Thoughtstep was extraordinarily powerful.

Daniel had fought against a fair number of Sages by now. Although he could currently instantly kill a Low-Grade Sage, that was not because Sages were weak.

It was because he himself was far too powerful.

He had become so strong that he had already exceeded the ordinary framework of power within this world.

The Sage Rank of an ordinary Mid-Grade Sage was already sufficient to contend evenly against his Divine Domain!

Their Sage Constitutions were extraordinarily special as well. Even when one possessed secret techniques, killing them in a single strike was extremely difficult.

More importantly, Sages possessed Thoughtstep.

No matter what action they took, their speed exceeded ordinary imagination!

Whether it was attacking, defending, reacting, or escaping, their thoughts seemed capable of transforming into action almost immediately.

And now...

Daniel possessed that ability as well.

By using Mental State to break through, he had comprehended Thoughtstep.

This was an enormous and unexpected delight.

His gaze fell upon a withered leaf drifting past the entrance of the building.

With a thought, he silently commanded it.

"Come here."

When Daniel lowered his eyes again, the leaf was already lying quietly in the center of his palm.

There had been no visible movement.

No pause.

No trace of the process between his thought and the result.

It was almost as if, the instant he had formed the intention, reality itself had obeyed.

"So this is... what Thoughtstep feels like!"

Daniel looked at the leaf in his palm, his eyes shining with excitement.

"This is wonderful!"