Chapter 1158: The Rise of the New Wave

The eruption from the stone tablet lasted for nearly a month. However, most people emerged from their cultivation state after about seven days. This was because their bodies had reached the limit of their capacity to absorb ancestral qi, and they needed to fully digest what they had already absorbed before they could continue.

Even after concluding their cultivation, the main forces from the three great heavens remained in high spirits, clearly having achieved significant improvements from this opportunity. In the days that followed, their curious and reverent gazes were fixed on the twenty-five lotus platforms atop the stone tablet. These platforms were occupied by the most powerful experts from the three great heavens.

Seven days after the main forces had all finished cultivating, the stone tablet's eruption had continued for a full half-month. During this period, figures on the twenty-five lotus platforms gradually began to open their eyes. Powerful streaks of origin qi soared into the sky like smoke signals, clearly visible for thousands of miles.

Qin Lian opened her eyes on the sixteenth day, and at that instant, a powerful wave of origin qi swept out from her body like a storm. Unconcealable joy welled up on her face. Through this cultivation, her origin qi foundation had surged to three billion! An increase of nearly five hundred million! If this were in the Hunyuan Heaven, Qin Lian would likely need several years of preparation and extensive cultivation resources to achieve such a level. Yet, here in the Ancient Origin Heaven, it took only three months... This illustrates just how rare and significant the opportunities in Ancient Origin Heaven truly are.

Qin Lian gracefully moved, descending from the lotus platform.

"You also managed to raise your origin qi foundation to three billion?" an astonished voice came from beside her. Qin Lian looked and saw it was Dong Ye from the Purple Clouds Heaven. Dong Ye looked somewhat surprised, as her own origin qi foundation was also around three billion, not much stronger than Qin Lian's. Before entering the Ancient Origin Heaven, she had been significantly ahead of Qin Lian, but now, Qin Lian was steadily catching up.

Qin Lian felt a hint of pride but didn't show it. Instead, she cast her gaze toward the lotus platforms still absorbing ancestral qi. "Three billion is nothing," she remarked. "I have a feeling someone might increase their origin qi foundation to four billion this time!"

Dong Ye was startled. Following Qin Lian's gaze, her eyes landed on Zhou Yuan, and she said with an unreadable expression, "You think Zhou Yuan could reach a four-billion foundation?!"

"Why not? Is it impossible?" Qin Lian asked with a faint smile.

Dong Ye retorted impatiently, "As far as I know, even a Glazed Heavenly Sun at its peak struggles to exceed a four-billion foundation. That's a limit."

"Do you still think Zhou Yuan is just an ordinary Glazed Heavenly Sun?" Qin Lian said calmly.

Dong Ye paused. Although she had previously disliked Zhou Yuan somewhat because of Su Youwei, she couldn't deny his achievements since entering the Ancient Origin Heaven. When they first arrived, Zhou Yuan's strength hadn't truly caught her attention, but now? She was no match for him. Zhou Yuan's talent and potential far surpassed anything she could have imagined. Such an extraordinary prodigy was truly like a brilliant sun, capable of eclipsing the radiance of everyone else. Not only her, but even figures like Guan Qinglong were gradually being overshadowed by Zhou Yuan. Her initial reaction to Qin Lian's previous statement had been a knee-jerk rebuttal. However, after calming down, she had to admit that what Qin Lian said was indeed highly probable.

An origin qi foundation exceeding four billion... Such a Heavenly Sun stage expert, such a figure... even in the Hunyuan Heaven, hadn't appeared for many years. Could it be that this time, such a phenomenon would truly reappear in the world?

Amidst Dong Ye's complex emotions, more and more people on the twenty-five lotus platforms began to awaken. When Jiang Jinlin awakened, his origin qi was vast like clouds, accompanied by a long dragon's roar. The origin qi foundation he revealed astonishingly reached 3.7 billion.

However, before Jiang Jinlin could fully rejoice, he felt an even stronger surge of origin qi erupt not far away, drawing countless exclamations of awe. It was Guan Qinglong. A sweep of azure origin qi seemed to dye half the sky a deep blue-green. His origin qi foundation reached 3.9 billion! Everyone looked on in shock. But Guan Qinglong himself sighed inwardly, for he had also tried to break through to four billion but ultimately failed. Clearly, breaching that limit was not as easy as it seemed.

"Guan Qinglong, your ambition isn't small," a cool, detached voice remarked from nearby. It was Jiang Jinlin, who had noticed Guan Qinglong's expression and understood his aim.

Guan Qinglong's expression was calm as he replied, "It is said that in the most mysterious Saint Ancestor Heaven, there are 'Saint Prodigies'... and one of the conditions to become a Saint Prodigy is to reach a four-billion origin qi foundation." He looked towards the distant sky and continued, "Mishan previously mentioned that this generation of Heavenly Sun stage experts in Saint Ancestor Heaven is one of the strongest in tens of thousands of years. If none among our five great heavens can reach that level, the final struggle will likely be exceedingly difficult."

Hearing this, Jiang Jinlin's expression darkened. He was an extremely proud man, but even he felt somewhat helpless when facing the exceptionally gifted Saint Race prodigies.

"Fortunately, our Hunyuan Heaven also has its own destiny..." Guan Qinglong smiled slightly. His gaze turned to the last four lotus platforms still glowing, occupied by Zhou Yuan, Wu Yao, Su Youwei, and Zhao Mu Shen.

Jiang Jinlin glanced at them and said, "While their potential is good, their foundations are unfortunately a bit weaker." Apart from Zhou Yuan, Wu Yao and the other two had shallower foundations. In his view, even with this stone tablet's opportunity, they might still struggle to be of significant use.

"The waves behind push the waves ahead; underestimating them comes at a cost." Guan Qinglong naturally understood Jiang Jinlin's displeasure. After all, being overtaken by younger generations was hardly a pleasant feeling, especially since these four individuals were all from their own Hunyuan Heaven.

Jiang Jinlin snorted coldly. "Then I'll just have to see how formidable these 'waves' can truly be!" He drifted down, landing below the stone tablet.

So, for the following period, while Jiang Jinlin digested the abundant ancestral qi within him, he constantly kept an eye on the four still-glowing lotus platforms.

When the ancestral qi from the stone tablet surged into its twenty-fifth day, three of the origin qi lotus platforms finally showed signs of activity. Wu Yao, Su Youwei, and Zhao Mu Shen opened their eyes almost simultaneously. At that moment, vast origin qi surged between heaven and earth. Above Wu Yao, a dragon shadow hovered. However, upon closer inspection, a faint, elusive aura could be felt brewing within the dragon shadow. Above Su Youwei, black and white suns appeared, yin and yang intertwined, enigmatic and mysterious. Above Zhao Mu Shen, a mysterious beast shadow emerged, seemingly devouring the heavens and earth, with an astonishing aura. Such phenomena immediately left many onlookers dumbfounded.

Moreover, the origin qi fluctuations of all three were rapidly skyrocketing. In just a few breaths, Wu Yao and Su Youwei's origin qi foundations reached the 3.7 billion level. Zhao Mu Shen surpassed them, reaching 3.8 billion, actually exceeding Jiang Jinlin and coming in just behind Guan Qinglong! All three had entered the late Heavenly Sun stage!

Countless gasps of cold air could be heard. It was known that Wu Yao and Su Youwei's original foundations were less than two billion, yet now they had soared to 3.7 billion. Such an improvement was simply terrifying! They had no doubt that if the three hadn't started with relatively shallower foundations, they might truly have reached the four-billion limit by now!

Thus, as gazes fell upon them, they were filled with deep awe and respect. They felt that new leaders were gradually rising.

Jiang Jinlin's expression became somewhat unpleasant. Previously, he had considered Wu Yao and Su Youwei as merely beautiful "vases," but now, these so-called vases were in no way inferior to him. Guan Qinglong's expression was also complex, but mostly it was one of relief and satisfaction. He watched Wu Yao's slender, proud figure. The one who had previously trained so diligently was now finally beginning to reveal her true splendor. He felt that perhaps the first half of the Ancient Origin Heaven's opportunities belonged to seasoned Heavenly Sun experts like them, but from now on, things would change.

Guan Qinglong's gaze slowly turned to the last young figure still seated silently on the nine-colored lotus platform, his eyes complex and holding a hint of anticipation. "What level will you reach this time?"

His answer finally came when the stone tablet's activation reached its full month mark. The figure on the lotus platform, amidst a slight tremor of heaven and earth, slowly opened eyes that had been closed for a full month.