Immortal Supreme: Sovereign of the Grand Dao-Chapter 322: The Time Has Come

VOLUME THREE: THE MARTIAL EMPEROR SECRET REALM, AWAKENING OF THE MORTAL EMPEROR

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The day had finally arrived.

Across all five continents, crowds gathered at designated locations.

These were the entrance points to the Martial Emperor Secret Realm, the legendary dimension that opened once every five hundred years.

This time might be the last. Ancient records suggested the realm was fading, its power weakening with each opening.

If true, this would be the final chance for countless cultivators to seek the treasures within.

The rules were absolute. Only those below the Martial Emperor Realm could enter. Anyone who had broken through to the Emperor stage would be rejected by the realm’s barriers, no exceptions.

Because of this restriction, many geniuses across the world had deliberately suppressed their cultivation.

They’d reached the threshold of breakthrough but refused to take that final step. They waited, enduring the discomfort and risk, all for this one opportunity.

On the Northern Continent, snow fell continuously. It always did here. The entire landmass was locked in eternal winter, covered in ice and frost that never melted.

One of the major entrance points was located here, in the Frozen Vale. Thousands of cultivators had gathered, their breath forming white clouds in the frigid air. Despite the cold, excitement burned in their eyes.

Among the crowd, discussions centered on one topic. The Rising Dragon Rankings.

Three months ago, the Three Mysteries Pavilion had released the rankings. This mysterious organization existed across all five continents, operating information networks that reached every corner of the world. Their intelligence was always accurate, their assessments always precise.

The Rising Dragon Rankings listed the top one thousand geniuses under the age of thirty who had not yet reached the Martial Emperor Realm. These were the rising stars, the future pillars of the cultivation world.

But more than just a list of names, the rankings revealed something else. Something that had shocked everyone.

The top three hundred participants from the Grand Martial Arts Tournament had received Qi Luck.

All continents of the mortal emperor realm held the tournaments. It wasn’t coincidence it was held before the opening of the secret realm.

It was intricately connected to the Martial Emperor Secret Realm exploration.

This secret realm was very ancient and is tied to the fate of the Mortal Emperor World.

It is this connection that made it very important the various forces of the continent.

If a tournament is held just before the realm opens, the world will bestow upon the top three hundred, Qi Luck!

This wasn’t ordinary fortune or simple blessing. It was tangible, measurable destiny energy that would guide them to opportunities within the secret realm.

The Qi Luck manifested in different forms depending on rank. Those ranked lower possessed Serpent Luck, a small spiritual serpent made of golden light that coiled around their souls. It was the weakest form but still valuable.

As the ranks increased, so did the quality. Snake became Python. Python became Flood Dragon. Flood Dragon became True Dragon.

But the number one ranked genius possessed something unprecedented. A Twelve-Clawed Golden Dragon of Qi Luck. The largest, most powerful fortune any mortal could possess.

That genius was Arthur Hartfield.

"The Twelve-Clawed Dragon," someone in the crowd whispered with awe. "I heard it’s as large as a mountain. That level of Qi Luck will guide him straight to the greatest treasures."

"Of course he got first place," another person replied. "He won the entire tournament without even trying. Defeated everyone like they were children. According to the reports."

"But look at who else made the top ten. Those monsters are all here too."

The crowd’s attention shifted to several figures standing apart from the masses. These individuals radiated power that made ordinary cultivators instinctively keep their distance.

At different locations around the world, different figures stood out among even the other elites. Their auras alone marked them as extraordinary.

In the Northern Continent was a young woman with flowing silver hair that seemed to shimmer with frost. Her eyes were pale blue, cold and analytical. She wore robes of white and blue, the colors of the Frozen Sky Palace, one of the Northern Continent’s supreme sects.

Her name was Yue Lingshuang. Ranked seventh on the Rising Dragon Rankings. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She possessed a Tier 8 Heaven Grade Martial Spirit called the Eternal Ice Phoenix. The spirit granted her absolute control over ice and cold, allowing her to freeze anything she touched. Even space itself could be frozen if she pushed her power to its limits.

Yue Lingshuang’s gaze swept across the crowd with disinterest. Most of these people were beneath her notice. Only a handful of individuals here could be considered her rivals.

’The secret realm will separate the wheat from the chaff,’ she thought coldly. ’Those without strength will die. Those with strength will claim the treasures they deserve.’

Her Qi Luck took the form of a Nine-Clawed Ice Dragon, coiled protectively around her soul. It would guide her to ice-attribute treasures and locations aligned with her cultivation path.

In the Eastern Continent stood a young man with crimson hair and eyes like burning coals. He wore red and gold robes embroidered with flame patterns. His very presence seemed to raise the temperature around him.

This was Yan Zhurong, ranked ninth on the Rising Dragon Rankings. He hailed from the Blazing Sun Sect, a force specializing in fire cultivation.

His Martial Spirit was a Tier 9 Heaven Grade Phoenix of Eternal Flame. The highest tier possible in the Heaven Grade category. The phoenix granted him flames so hot they could melt spiritual treasures and burn through defensive formations like paper.

Yan Zhurong crossed his arms, his expression confident. He knew many powerful opponents would gather there.

’Competition makes victory more meaningful,’ he thought with a slight smirk. ’If I obtain the Mortal Emperor’s inheritance here, surrounded by the continent’s strongest geniuses, no one will be able to question my qualifications.’

His Qi Luck was an Eight-Clawed Fire Dragon, wreathed in eternal flames. It pulsed with power, eager to guide him to opportunities.