Chapter 1142: Celestial Battlefield

"Meiyin, what's special about that person named Yun Che?" the blue-robed girl asked the young girl beside her, not long after they had flown away. Her tone was cautious because she knew very well that the girl she held by the hand would not act without reason, and it was extremely rare for her to voluntarily approach anyone.

"Big Brother Yun Che, he's very strong, and also a little strange," the young girl replied.

"Very strong? Strange?"

"I should say, he's much stronger than you appear to be, Sister... much, much stronger," the young girl said with a slight tilt of her head, deep in thought, yet her words were full of certainty.

The young girl's words were not only baffling but also highly unconventional, normally something that would simply be dismissed with a laugh. However, the blue-robed woman's moon-like brows furrowed slightly, and she harbored no doubt: "It seems either his talent is extraordinary, or the profound art he cultivates is unique."

"Hmm... but there's no need to worry. His profound energy is quite weak after all. Although his actual strength seems very high, he couldn't possibly threaten someone at the Divine Spirit Realm, much less you, Sister. It's just that his strangeness... I can't quite put my finger on it. That's why I find him so odd."

The young girl thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Oh! He kept staring at my eyes just now, and for a long time."

"He dared to look directly into your eyes?" This time, the blue-robed woman's face showed several times the surprise she had earlier: "Could he be a psychic anomaly? Yun Che... let's keep an eye on him for now."

"No!" The young girl shook her head. "Sister, the one you need to pay more attention to is the person named Huo Poyun."

"Him? Why?"

"Because his bloodline, profound veins, and soul are all very strange. Although his strength is at Level Seven of the Divine Spirit Realm, his underlying foundation is much higher. It's definitely not an ordinary divine blood inheritance; he must have been infused with many 'divine components,' and also some 'dragon components.' So, he's much stronger than what you perceive, Sister. Perhaps he could even pose a slight threat to you," the young girl said very seriously.

To anyone, the difference between Level Seven and Level Ten of the Divine Spirit Realm, even if not a chasm, is certainly an insurmountable gap. Especially coming from the mouth of a fifteen-year-old girl, such a statement would normally be dismissed as a joke. Yet, the blue-robed woman fell silent, then nodded slightly: "I see. It seems this year's Profound God Convention truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers."

Had the young girl's words reached the ears of Huo Poyun, Huo Rulie, Yan Wancang, and others, they would have paled in shock. The secrets within Huo Poyun, which were his and even the entire Blazing God Realm's greatest mysteries, were laid bare and clear as if imprinted on his face under the young girl's gaze.

Time slowly passed, bringing the Profound God Convention closer step by step. The Eastern Divine Region grew quieter, with countless profound practitioners from its nine thousand star realms eagerly awaiting the event. This was the Eastern Divine Region's highest-tier and most prestigious profound event, and this particular session was the most special in history. Simply being qualified to participate was an honor for most profound practitioners and sects, and achieving a good ranking, even just in the preliminaries, would be a supreme glory that could illuminate one's entire life.

The glory could even elevate the status of the star realm itself within its respective level.

Finally, that day arrived. As the sky trembled, the resonating voice of the Eternal Heaven sounded, echoing across the preliminary battlefield and every corner of the Eastern Divine Region.

"After a mere seven hundred years, the Profound God Convention is upon us once more. This session of the Profound God Convention differs from previous ones; it will not only showcase the prowess of the Eastern Divine Region's current young generation but also potentially determine the Eastern Divine Region's future."

"This Profound God Convention is limited to the Divine Tribulation Realm. A total of fifty-one million three hundred and twenty thousand participants have entered the preliminary battlegrounds, representing all outstanding young profound practitioners from the Eastern Divine Region outside of the King Realms."

While fifty million might seem like a vast number, it's actually a minuscule proportion compared to the trillions of profound practitioners across the Eastern Divine Region's nine thousand realms. Yet, every single one of these fifty million qualified participants is an absolute genius, capable of making a name for themselves, especially within the lower and middle star realms.

For example, in the Snow Song Realm, reaching the Divine Tribulation Realm before sixty years of age qualifies one to enter the highest-tier Ice Phoenix God Hall.

"This Profound God Convention differs from previous ones in both scale and competition format. The preliminary battles will use the Eternal Heaven Pearl as the battleground..."

Although the phrase "using the Eternal Heaven Pearl as the battleground" had been known for three years, hearing it again still filled all participating profound practitioners with unconcealed excitement. This was undoubtedly one of the main reasons countless profound practitioners had desperately cultivated over the past three years, achieving the Divine Tribulation Realm at any cost to participate in the Profound God Convention. They sought no ranking, only the chance to absorb the aura and laws of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, as it was a rare and immense opportunity encountered only once in millennia.

After all, in ancient times, the Eternal Heaven Pearl existed on the divine level... even beyond that of True Gods.

However, the subsequent announcement from the Eternal Heaven felt like a bucket of cold water poured over them.

"...All participating profound practitioners will be projected into the world within the Eternal Heaven Pearl. Everything they carry will be perfectly replicated, and aside from not truly dying, there will be no difference from their real bodies."

The participating profound practitioners were stunned. "Using the Eternal Heaven Pearl as the battleground" actually meant being projected into its inner world, not physically entering it... And if it was just a projection, then what use was sensing its aura and laws?

What followed further chilled the hearts of countless profound practitioners.

"In the first round of the preliminary battles, all participating profound practitioners will be randomly projected into one thousand preliminary battlefields. All battlefields will have an equal number of participants, and from each battlefield, only ten individuals will ultimately emerge victorious; all others will be eliminated!"

*Whoosh*—Like a clap of thunder, the Eastern Divine Region erupted in commotion.

One thousand preliminary battle zones, with only ten winners from each zone and everyone else eliminated... This meant that, on average, only one out of every five thousand participants would emerge victorious in these preliminaries! In the end, only ten thousand profound practitioners would succeed from all battle zones, while over fifty million others would be completely eliminated! This elimination rate was beyond exaggerated; it was simply brutal.

While the elimination rate for the first round of preliminaries in previous Profound God Conventions was also significant, it was at most one out of a hundred, nowhere near as extreme as this.

"Because of the Divine Tribulation Realm limit, only fifty million profound practitioners qualified for this Profound God Convention, and every single one of them is a genius... For the first round to eliminate four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine out of five thousand? This is too cruel!"

"To be reduced to only ten thousand in a single round, this, this, this..."

"As expected, this Profound God Convention isn't truly for all strong individuals, but for the absolute pinnacle of the Eastern Divine Region's young generation. While the others are undeniably geniuses, they are merely serving as foils," sighed an elder who had experienced several previous Profound God Conventions.

"It seems we'll all be eliminated in the first preliminary round," Mu Hanyu said with a sigh, looking at his junior disciples.

It wasn't self-deprecation on his part. Among the Ice Phoenix Divine Sect disciples participating this time, he and Mu Feixue had the highest profound energy, but they were only at Level Eight of the Divine Tribulation Realm. While such cultivation was top-tier in the Snow Song Realm, it was nearly impossible to rank even in the top one hundred thousand, let alone the top ten thousand, in this Profound God Convention.

"This Profound God Convention is truly strange; it's completely different from previous ones described in rumors, with only ten thousand winners in a single round... I feel like we're just here to make up the numbers," an Ice Phoenix disciple said with a wry smile.

"Don't think too much about it. The Profound God Convention used to be held once every three thousand years. Our ability to participate is already a great opportunity. Consider this the highest-level trial of our lives. Although we are destined to be eliminated in the first round, even if eliminated, there will still be rankings... Don't bring shame upon yourselves or our sect! Give it your all!" Mu Hanyu said sternly.

"Alright! Senior Brother is right!" The Ice Phoenix disciples responded in unison, their fighting spirit burning fiercely as they awaited the brutal preliminary battle that was about to begin.

"It's finally starting," Huo Poyun said, looking up at the sky, his eyes burning with a soaring fighting spirit. His goal was to rank among the top one thousand. While the preliminary elimination rate was extremely brutal for others, for him, it was far from his target.

"Brother Poyun, good luck," Yun Che said sincerely. As for himself, he didn't care about the battlefield or the competition format. Let alone one in five thousand, even if it were one in five, he would still be eliminated in the first round.

Amidst the commotion in the Eastern Divine Region, the voice of the Eternal Heaven paused slightly. Then, countless beams of white light descended from the sky, enveloping the participating profound practitioners.

The surrounding world turned utterly white. Soon, the white light completely dissipated, and the aura of their surroundings subtly shifted, indicating they had clearly arrived in another world. Moreover, it wasn't their true bodies that had arrived, but complete projections.

A thought appeared in their minds:"Ninth Battle Zone."

Yun Che opened his eyes and looked around. This place also appeared to be an ancient city, with crumbling ruins everywhere. The sky was greyish-white, and the land was parched, a desolate, abandoned city. It wasn't the same as where he had been earlier, but it was very similar.

His gaze swept into the distance. About ten miles away, a huge barrier was clearly visible. This barrier seemed to cover the entire abandoned ancient city, preventing anyone from leaving the area. This was the inner world of the Eternal Heaven Pearl... the Ninth Battle Zone among the thousand preliminary battlefields!

And since he was here, he was no longer his true self, but a projection.

Yun Che assessed his body and the flow of his profound energy. There was nothing amiss; he couldn't even detect that he was merely a projection. He extended his left hand and clearly sensed the presence of the Sky Poison Pearl and the Heaven Smiting Sword. Even the items within the Sky Poison Pearl could be freely retrieved. As expected of a projection from the Eternal Heaven Pearl, it was indeed incredibly perfect.

Around Yun Che, figures appeared one after another in the dissipating white light. They too surveyed their surroundings and their upcoming opponents, some with solemn expressions, others with faces full of doubt, and some brimming with confidence, but no one made any rash moves.

Yun Che glanced around; all the faces were unfamiliar. With a thousand battle zones and random teleportation, and given how few people he knew, it was certainly not easy to find a familiar face. Furthermore, he did not sense any aura weaker than his own.

After all, Divine Tribulation Realm Level One, the baseline for participation... was at the very bottom of all fifty million profound practitioners.

Therefore, without a doubt, when the gazes sweeping the surroundings fell upon him, they all turned to disdain and contempt, some even accompanied by faint smiles.

Not long after, the vast voice of the Eternal Heaven resonated from above:

"The area you are currently in is the 'main city' of each preliminary battle zone, and it is an absolute safe zone. No profound beasts will appear or invade here, and everyone's profound energy will be confined within their bodies, preventing them from attacking others."

"Once you leave the main city area, that will be your battlefield."