Hark, the Celestial Hall of Thunder doth summon a conclave of one hundred and eight immortals, their destinies intertwined with the four celestial realms – East, West, North, and South – where a battle of wills shall unfold! This Immortal Consecration marks a new age in the Rotian Starfield, a tradition lost since the shattering of the Celestial Realm itself. Whispers carry tales of the Immortal Sovereign, Qing Shui, imparting ancient wisdom. Furthermore, two venerable houses, steeped in the lore of ages past, and a mystical clan of forgotten origins, pledge their support, offering passage to the Ascendant Pool as prize.

Verily, this Immortal Consecration reaches its zenith! Before the assault on the Allied Star Territory, this grand ceremony shall ignite a fervor for war throughout the Rotian Starfield! Countless families gather upon hallowed grounds in the four realms, overseen by emissaries of the Celestial Hall of Thunder. Each domain shall elect one hundred and eight champions to vie for immortal honors within the sacred halls.

In the Southern Domain of Rotian, upon the fiery world of Di Yan, one of the three primary stars, a dazzling spectacle unfolds amidst the vast emptiness. A radiant aura encompasses a thousand leagues, bathed in ethereal light.

Beyond this shining veil, an endless sea of cultivators stretches into the horizon, for this is the battlefield of the Southern Domain’s Immortal Consecration! Scattered across the void, countless jade stones, each a square foot in size, float serenely. Upon these stones, individuals or small groups sit in quiet contemplation.

These jade seats are a gift from the Southern Domain, prepared for all who wish to witness the immortal contest. Tens of thousands of souls, a mix of high and low born, now occupy the space around the battlefield. Though their cultivation varies wildly, most tread upon the first steps of enlightenment, seeking both to support their family’s champion and to witness the unveiling of celestial powers.

Interspersed among the jade stones are crimson slabs, upon which sit those whose eyes gleam with sharp intensity, their spirits aflame with battle lust. These are the contenders, those who have earned the right to fight for the title, from whom the one hundred and eight will be chosen. These crimson stones number but three or four hundred.

Within the radiant arena, two warriors clash, arcane energies colliding in a dazzling display. Each strike echoes with the thunder of the heavens, captivating the assembled spectators, especially those who are soon to join the fray.

Yet, some among the crowd cast but a fleeting glance before turning away, for this level of combat holds little interest for them.

Zhan Konglie is one such soul. Born into the esteemed Zhan family, he is considered one of their brightest young stars. The family’s expectations for him in this Southern Domain trial are simple: to claim a place among the top ten. He surveys the field and his gaze lands upon a crimson stone where Shen Gonghu sits in serene meditation. As if sensing the attention, Shen Gonghu opens his eyes and meets Zhan Konglie’s stare.

A fleeting smile passes between them before both avert their eyes.

As Shen Gonghu turns away, he looks towards the distant void, his expression tinged with sorrow. He had wished to aid the Venerable Master, pursued by the Yao Clan, but his elders, led by the family patriarch himself, forbade him from intervening.

Though resentment gnawed at his heart, Shen Gonghu reluctantly obeyed, all the while inwardly scoffing at the Yao Clan’s audacity in provoking the Venerable Master, inviting their own doom. Later events, though unexpected, vindicated his belief, as the Venerable Master turned the tables, slaying numerous foes and earning the ominous title of the “Demon Dao Child.”

In the end, during a cataclysmic battle in the Northern Domain of Rotian, the name of Xu Mu reverberated throughout the cosmos! Yet this, in the surface, terrifying reputation did not align with Shen Gonghu’s memory of the man. For a long time, he had pondered previous encounters and he had eventually grown bitter.

With Shen Gonghu’s acumen, some deductions were formed.

“Perhaps Xu Mu is not as formidable as I imagined… Perhaps his cultivation is inferior to my own… Even if he has improved, he will simply be at Yang Shi peak, like myself. Alas.” Shen Gonghu sighed.

His heart mirroring Shen Gonghu’s turmoil, was Zhan Konglie. As Wang Lin was hunted down by the Yao Clan, he gradually experienced enlightenment, immediately replaced with bitter feelings.

“Xu Mu… Alas, it is embarrassing that Zhan Konglie was fooled. It was never that I could not see through his cultivation – it was never concealed from me. He had a fortunate encounter in the Celestial Realm of Thunder to arrive at Yang Shi, rather than him hiding his cultivation! Even now, he is still Yang Shi! I was wrong!” Zhan Konglie sighed, extremely disappointed.

Upon a jade stone behind Zhan Konglie, Zhan Yun sat in meditation. She glanced at Zhan Konglie, and sighed upon seeing his furrowed brow. She understood that her cousin was thinking of the senior expert.

Recently, the name of the senior expert had completely dominated Rotian. Whenever she recalled scenes from the Celestial Realm of Thunder, her heart would be shaken. If the senior expert had not led the group, she would have perished.

Elsewhere, upon a crimson stone, Tang Yanfeng sat cross-legged, his expression gloomy. Seeing this scene, he quietly sneered.

Zhan Konglie, Shen Gonghu, and Tang Yanfeng – these three were renowned throughout the Southern Domain of Rotian as the Three Geniuses of the South!

Among the spectators, besides the numerous families, were also observers in charge of selecting the immortals for the Consecration – three in all, come from the Celestial Hall of Thunder.

Two of these observers were clad in green robes, their expressions stern, and flashes of lightning sparkled in their eyes. The third, an elder whose face spoke of countless years, wore a violet robe and kept his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to all that transpired around him.

The two Thunder Hall emissaries in green held this elder in the utmost respect, and even the patriarchs of several powerful families from the Southern Domain treated the violet-robed elder with deference.
Apart from the three prodigies, patriarchs from various families of the Southern Domain of Luo Tian had arrived, seated upon white stones. These stones, few in number, barely a dozen, marked the places of those whose names echoed with renown. However, the progenitor of the Shen Gong clan and Zhanjia Lie Yunzi were notably absent.

Within the thousand-mile expanse of shimmering light, the duel reached its climax. Radiant bursts of arcane power erupted as the members of the warring cultivators’ families watched, transfixed.

Moments later, one contestant faltered. Stricken by a potent spell, his face grew ashen, blood trickled from his lips, and he retreated swiftly. Seeing his opponent pursue, he sighed inwardly and declared, his voice ringing with resignation, “I yield!”

A joyous laugh resounded from the victor as he spun around, abandoning the chase.

Within the luminous barrier, a figure materialized. Clad in verdant robes, one of the emissaries of the Thunder Immortal Palace stood before them. Lightning danced around him, as if thunder itself roared his arrival. His gaze swept across the assembly before he proclaimed, his voice even and clear, “Li Ye is victorious!”

As the contest for titles raged on outside Earthflame Star in the Southern Domain of Luo Tian, hundreds of thousands of leagues away, Wang Lin’s form coalesced from the void.

His eyes, cold as glacial ice, gazed distantly towards the battleground.

“Li Yuan once said that the title contest in the Southern Domain of Luo Tian would be held on Earthflame Star! And that every participant must possess a qualification token issued by the Domain itself! Without it, one cannot contend. Furthermore, once it begins, it will seal off an area of one hundred thousand leagues! If I am too late…” Wang Lin’s voice trailed off, his tone sharp. With a low growl, he took a step forward. Waves rippled beneath his feet. Two steps later, he vanished once more.

One hundred thousand leagues from Earthflame Star, cultivators sat in meditation, spaced every thousand leagues apart. A vast ring of them encircled the star, forming a potent barrier, denying all passage.

Streams of spiritual power emanated from their bodies, interwoven and linked together, creating a formidable network. Any disturbance in one location would instantly alert the entire formation.

Meng Lin sat cross-legged amidst the stars, his face etched with discontent. As a member of the Meng family of Earthflame Star, he had hoped to witness the clash of immortal arts in this title contest. Instead, his family had ordered him to guard this desolate outpost, fueling his frustration.

He pictured the gloating expressions of his peers upon learning of his assignment and his mood worsened. Even attempting to meditate brought him no solace.

“This contest for immortal titles, especially with the Southern Domain’s three most gifted ones, will be filled with wondrous spells and abilities. To witness them would be of immense benefit!” Meng Lin lamented. His cultivation had been stagnant at the late stage of Infant Transformation for what felt like an eternity, unable to ascend to the level of Soul Transformation. As he sighed, his eyes snapped wide, fixed on a point before him.

Barely a hundred yards away, ripples shimmered in the void, and a figure emerged.

The newcomer was clad in white robes, his black hair dancing without wind. But it was his eyes that captured Meng Lin’s attention, radiating an indescribable light. As their gazes met, Meng Lin’s mind erupted in a cacophony, as if countless thunderbolts detonated within his skull. His nascent soul teetered on the brink of collapse, and his spiritual energy scattered, threatening to break free of his body.

In that instant, he lost all awareness.

Wang Lin drifted past Meng Lin, and it was not until he was far away that Meng Lin recovered. His eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his gaze as he looked around, finding nothing.

“Strange, why did I suddenly feel so disoriented…” Meng Lin scratched his head, unable to understand. He sighed and began to meditate, and to his surprise, it was unlike any meditation he had experienced before. Within moments, he was fully immersed in cultivation.