Chapter 165
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Chapter 165: Title
“You make a valid point,” Kirin nodded.
Bai Ze gazed at the central Battleground and remarked, “Recall the figure upon that platform. He may soon reveal what transpired.”
The colossal central stage loomed so vast that even encircled by spectators, they remained far from its heart. Only those nearest could discern the distant silhouette at its core.
Unlike the bewildered crowd, Zhou Si of the Special Bureau’s publicity department—who’d previously conversed with Jiang Nan—possessed fragmented insights. Yet even she now wrestled with confusion, questioning the logic behind Jiang Nan’s inexplicable actions. What advantage could such theatrics possibly yield?
A phantom shiver traced her spine as she recalled death’s simulated embrace. Though never truly lifeless, the visceral memory convinced her mortality must feel precisely thus. Upon reopening her eyes post-"demise," her first trembling thought had been life’s fragile brilliance.
As the crowd stirred awake, murmurs rippled through some while others retreated into pensive silence.
Jiang Nan stood motionless atop the dais until the last whispers faded. “To all extraordinary individuals who endured the Illusionary Battlefield,” his voice resonated across the expanse, “your questions shall be answered.”
“What you endured,” he continued, “was a unique scenario under the Heavenly Law Battleground’s rules—the Illusionary Battlefield.”
“This realm simulates calamitous events, as you’ve witnessed firsthand.” A deliberate pause punctuated his words. “Consider me the Battleground’s caretaker, tending to its… operational nuances.”
“Two purposes guided this trial: to assess your capabilities, and to imprint the coming cataclysm’s terror upon your minds. Let this knowledge fuel your cultivation in these final two months before disaster strikes…”
“Behold—the Heavenly Law Ancient Stone Tablet manifests!”
A jade-like monolith materialized above the stage, its surface crawling with arcane glyphs and unfathomable inscriptions. Simultaneously across Blue Star, golden pillars erupted skyward—at Zhongxia’s Yellow River, Kunlun peaks, and Mount Hua; upon Egypt’s pyramidal apex; where England’s myths placed Avalon—each site birthed mysterious steles.
【This administrator’s playing 4D chess.】
【Illusionary Battlefield? Disaster sims? So they were beta-testing the apocalypse! Jealous!】
【What eldritch relic is this tablet? My eyes ache just glancing at the stream…】
【BREAKING: Global anomalies detected!】
【That stele’s design matches Mount Hua’s from the Awakening of Spiritual Energy! Yellow River’s trending!】
【Tablet prophecies—didn’t Xiao Tianji foresee this?】
【Grind time! Hit Tier Two for Battleground access—no more slacking!】
【Why’s everyone statue-still? Hypnotized by the glyphs?】
【Livestream vs. IRL effects differ? Deja vu…】
【An open Battleground for Blue Star? Talk about ambitious worldbuilding!】
【Thank the heavens for skill-based matchmaking. Imagine noobs vs. big shots—cringe fest avoided!】
【Heavenly Law points? Since when do battle arenas have gacha mechanics?!】
【System, this feels almost too modern.】
【Didn’t the administrator clarify this interface was designed for our adaptation?… Still, being system-bound under different circumstances does resemble those outdated tropes from decades ago.】
【The simulated calamity might occur in two months? That’s perilous—even extraordinary individuals could falter. How would ordinary people stand a chance?】
…
Jiang Nan paid no heed to the streaming commentary, his attention wholly consumed by the Battleground.
After outlining the rules, he prompted the system to project a brief overview. The Heavenly Law Battleground existed solely to prepare for the impending "disaster."
Its core function was to temper extraordinary individuals through trials. Heavenly Law points mirrored "virtue," earned only by contributing meaningfully to the world.
A translucent leaderboard materialized around the central arena, barren of names for now.
Once his explanations concluded, Jiang Nan withdrew. The Battleground shifted subtly in his absence—changes irrelevant to him now.
Though titled Champion, the system dictated he could only be challenged after fulfilling esoteric conditions.
He relinquished the stage to the curious. Bold souls promptly ascended, igniting the first duel.
Observers soon realized proximity to the Battleground granted system-enhanced vision of the clashes. Departing crowds froze, captivated.
“How tedious.”
The nine-tailed fox stretched languidly. With her strength as a low-tier extraordinary individual being too limited, the skirmishes resembled childish play. Mid-yawn, she dissolved into mist, returning to the spirit realm.
Many followed—primarily higher-tier practitioners disdaining trivial contests.
Amid the throng, Ye Linlang vanished sword in arms, reappearing before Kunlun’s ancient Bronze Door. After transferring control of Ji Lang’s form elsewhere, she departed on her own errand.
Two days later.
Special Bureau headquarters.
“Analysis complete?”
“Confirmed. The simulated disaster model predicts the collision pattern between our world and the fragment.”
“Our current capabilities make flawless defense improbable. Heavy losses loom… Higher-tier practitioners remain unavailable, and the spirit realm’s demon lords cannot manifest their true forms beyond the Mountain and Sea Realm…”
“Jiang Nan’s assessment of the simulation’s accuracy?”
“He claims the Illusionary Battlefield portrayed worst-case scenarios. Our reality may prove less catastrophic.”
“Solutions?”
“One path remains: intensify cultivation to amass strength before impact… Our weapons’ collateral damage outweighs their utility.”
“What of the Jiuzhou barrier?”
“At best, temporary containment—like last time. Per Jiang Nan, these Abyssal aura-corrupted monsters differ fundamentally from true abyssal creatures.”
“Abyss demons seek assimilation; these aberrations crave territory. Should defenses crumble, that world fragment foreshadows our fate.”
“…”
“Share our findings globally. This is Blue Star’s crisis—no nation may withhold such truths.”
Zhongxia couldn’t shoulder this alone. The fragment’s monsters defied logic, drawn yet not bound to Spiritual Energy hotspots.
Other nations must mobilize. One lapse could erase civilizations.
No corner of Blue Star would be spared.
Few retained true preparedness. Post-Awakening political upheavals left most countries scrambling.
The UN’s “Disaster Response Manual” emerged under five-nation stewardship—a hollow gesture from leaders barely managing their own chaos.
For two desperate months, Blue Star burned with cultivation fervor. Martial law reigned; dissenters met exemplary punishment.
Then dawned the prophesied day.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the firmament, clarity sharpening with each spreading fracture—a celestial mirror shattering.
The Illusionary Battlefield’s horrors materialized.
Monstrous rain pelted earthward, confounding satellites. From zenith views, Zhongxia’s cities lay ghostly still—streets barren, citizens confined.
Neighborhood patrols deployed detectors, hunting infiltrators.
Meanwhile, Ye Linlang strained against the invading world fragment, diluting its fusion velocity. System analysis revealed its apex threat: an eighth-tier monster lacking Sacrifice’s cheat-like skill.
Ji Lang and Ao Yuan—Blue Star’s mightiest—would perish confronting it. The creature’s cunning matched its power, deploying lesser beasts as expendable scouts.
Its absence owed partly to Ye Linlang’s efforts, partly to the fragment’s narrow entry point barring passage.
At Kunlun, personnel withdrawals followed Ji Lang’s decree to handle all incursions. From her peak, the swordsman moved mechanically—each gesture unleashing guided flashes of sword light.
Precision strikes annihilated descending monsters before they touched sacred soil. Here blazed the uncontested might of a tier seven practitioner.
