The three-year deadline had finally arrived.
Everyone stood up, for today marked the true commencement of the Earth Ranking Battle.
No one knew exactly how the competition would unfold.
With so many participants, could the summit of Taihua Mountain truly accommodate them all?
At present, the peak of Taihua Mountain was entirely sealed off by a barrier. No matter how strong one's cultivation, no one could breach it.
The crowd waited, anticipating the barrier's opening so they could ascend Taihua Mountain and witness the Earth Ranking Battle firsthand.
"Has it started yet?"
"Not sure. Today's the day, but... why is there no movement at all?"
"The barrier is still there—it hasn't vanished. It probably hasn't opened yet."
"If it had opened, wouldn't there be some kind of announcement?"
"Shouldn't the Earth Ranking disclose the specifics of the competition?"
Amid the murmurs, Chen Chang'an also glanced up at the sky.
Would there really be no indication at all?
Wasn't this Earth Ranking Battle being handled a bit too casually?
"Holy crap, he... he just went in!"
"Huh? Where did he go?"
"Look over there! He’s already inside the barrier!"
"Damn, he really got in! But why is he kneeling?"
"What’s going on? No idea."
Suddenly, the crowd noticed that one person had already entered the barrier. However, the moment he stepped inside, he dropped to his knees. No one knew what was happening, but it was clear the man wasn’t faring well.
"Is the Earth Ranking open now?"
"Hahaha, charge!"
"Taihua Mountain, here I come!"
"What the hell? Why can’t I get in?"
"Why can they enter, but I can’t?"
"Idiot, they’re the ones who qualified for the Earth Ranking. You’re not a participant—why would you expect to get in?"
"Seriously? So we can’t even watch the spectacle?"
"Can’t watch? Just look around—isn’t this spectacle enough already?"
"Holy shit!"
"What... what’s happening?"
The moment it became clear the barrier was permeable, a flood of people rushed toward it. Those without qualifications were naturally blocked outside, while all who had passed the stele’s test smoothly entered.
Yet, once inside, without exception, every single one of them fell to their knees.
Not a single person escaped it—tens of thousands knelt simultaneously, creating a scene so grand it was nothing short of breathtaking.
The barrier blocked everything, including the crowd’s perception. Even Supreme Realm experts couldn’t discern what was happening inside.
But judging by the state of those inside, some deductions could be made.
"Seems like reaching the summit of Taihua Mountain won’t be easy."
"I told you—how could Taihua Mountain’s peak accommodate so many people? The test was just the first hurdle. Now, they’re facing the second."
"Exactly. Inside that barrier, there must be an overwhelming pressure—one ordinary people can’t withstand."
"These people charged in unprepared. Of course they’d drop to their knees."
Chen Chang'an turned to Chen Yunxuan and the others with a smile. "You’ve seen what’s happening. Go ahead and give it a try."
Chen Yunxuan and his companions hadn’t rushed into the barrier. Now, hearing Chen Chang'an’s words, they nodded solemnly.
The moment the five of them stepped toward the barrier, they drew the attention of the crowd.
"Look! Those five are finally entering the barrier."
"Do you think they’ll kneel too?"
"Hard to say. I just saw a peak Supreme Realm cultivator drop to his knees."
"But that guy’s already back on his feet—though every step seems agonizing."
Amid the chatter, Chen Yunxuan and his group reached the barrier’s edge. After exchanging glances, they stepped through together.
The instant they crossed, an immense pressure bore down on them.
But because they were prepared, all five withstood the terrifying force.
"Holy shit, they resisted it?"
"As expected of peerless prodigies—all five of them held firm!"
"No one else compares."
"But I’ve been watching—everyone else who stood up is moving painfully slow. The closer they get to the summit, the stronger the pressure. Who knows how long it’ll take them to reach the top?"
"How long isn’t my concern. I’m more curious—how many will actually make it to Taihua Mountain’s peak?"
"Wait—could it be... whoever reaches the summit first becomes the Earth Ranking’s top contender?"
"That... can’t be, right? Isn’t this a battle?"
"You expect them to fight while enduring this pressure and charging forward?"
"No idea. We’ll see."
Inside the barrier, Chen Yunxuan turned to Ye Zhiqiu and the others. "How do you feel?"
"The pressure’s intense, but it doesn’t hinder me much," Ye Zhiqiu replied with a grin.
"Same here."
"Pretty much."
Li Qiye and the other two also felt the pressure wasn’t overly oppressive.
Chen Yunxuan gazed up at the distant summit of Taihua Mountain, then smirked. "How about a little competition? Let’s see who reaches the top first."
Ye Zhiqiu and the others grinned—they’d been thinking the same thing.
"Deal!"
"Then let’s—"
"Damn it, Chen Yunxuan! You sneaky bastard!"
Before Ye Zhiqiu could finish, Chen Yunxuan was already sprinting toward the summit.
"Go!"
Ye Zhiqiu and the others bolted after him, their speed equally astonishing.
"What the hell?!"
"Is the gap really this huge?"
"Everyone else is struggling to move, and these guys are practically flying?"
"Ugh. The difference is already clear. What chance do the others have?"
Witnessing Chen Yunxuan’s group’s speed, the crowd could only sigh in awe. Meanwhile, inside the barrier, Supreme Realm experts flushed with humiliation.
Was the disparity truly this vast?
If they couldn’t even reach the summit, how could they possibly compete?
"Palace Master, has the outcome already been decided?" Hua Wulei asked Chen Chang'an.
Decided?
It couldn’t be that simple.
This was the Earth Ranking—if it were too easy, wouldn’t that be absurd?
"Watch. The pressure will intensify the closer they get. They’ll soon exhaust themselves," Chen Chang'an replied calmly.
True to his words, Chen Yunxuan and the others had charged ahead fiercely, but after covering about a third of the distance, they abruptly halted.
Chen Yunxuan glanced at Ye Zhiqiu and the others catching up, then chuckled. "Now the real challenge begins."
"How do you feel?"
"The pressure’s getting heavier—it’s hard to breathe."
"Same."
"Hah! Now this is exciting."
"Let’s go. I want to see just how much stronger this pressure can get!"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
