Chapter 196: Chapter 196: The Grand Event Begins
Geniuses from all over the Cosmos were preparing to enter the Virtual World and step onto the Path of Deities.
On Earth, Li Yang was also waiting for the final countdown.
By his side were Zhou Yao and the others.
The Path of Deities was, of course, located in the Virtual World. It could be accessed directly from any location where the Human Race had established its virtual network.
"Zhou Yao, the competition is about to start. Please take care of things at home for me..." Li Yang said, holding her.
The first stage, the selection for the Path of Deities, would take five years, all of which would be spent in the Virtual World.
He had truly neglected his family a great deal for the sake of his cultivation.
"Li Yang, I know you’re doing all this to fight for Earth, and there’s nothing we can do to help."
Zhou Yao gently hugged Li Yang, listening quietly to the beating of his heart, her own heart aching for him.
She knew about the Yuanlan Clan’s plot against Earth. The planet was now developing rapidly, and every single human had become a Cultivator, training with excitement and fervor.
They didn’t know about the Yuanlan Clan, nor did they know that Earth could be annihilated in little more than a decade.
Nearly all the pressure rested on Li Yang’s shoulders. Heaven only knew how much he was enduring.
All she felt for him was a deep, aching sympathy.
Holding him, Zhou Yao suddenly said, "Li Yang, I’m pregnant."
Li Yang froze. Then, his eyes lit up with overwhelming excitement. "I’m going to be a dad?"
Before, with the Yuanlan Clan looming over Earth and the planet itself facing annihilation, he hadn’t been confident in their future. He hadn’t dared to have a child with Zhou Yao, afraid their child would have to live in constant fear.
But now that he had mastered the second form of the Hexagram Spear, his potential was great enough for him to join the Yangyuan Empire. He no longer had to worry about the threat from the Celestial Net.
So, naturally, Li Yang no longer had any reservations...
"Mhm," Zhou Yao said with a smile, her eyes also filled with joy.
"This is wonderful."
Li Yang knelt and pressed his ear to Zhou Yao’s stomach. He felt as if he could really hear a tiny heartbeat.
’My child.’
Li Yang couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. ’I’m going to be a father?’
In that moment, Li Yang’s hopes for the future burned brighter than ever.
’This time, I have to give it my all and get into the Eternal Saint Hall!’
’If I join the Yangyuan Empire, I won’t be afraid of the Celestial Net, but we’d only be on equal footing! But if I join the Eternal Saint Hall, then not just the Celestial Net, but even the Yuanlan Clan would never dare to make a move against Earth.’
Li Yang vowed to himself.
For his child, for his family, he would give this talent selection his absolute all!
...
Time continued to pass. Amid the anticipation, the Law Realm talent selection—a competition spanning the Three Thousand Star Continents of the Human Race and countless galaxies—finally began!
"Brother."
Li Yang glanced at Shen Xuan.
A glow lit up Shen Xuan’s face. "Li Yang, I’m ready. How about you?"
Li Yang smiled. "I’m ready too."
The two brothers exchanged a look, their eyes filled with confidence.
FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
The moment the competition began, the figures of the countless registered Law Realm Cultivators who were in the Virtual World all vanished without a trace!
"The selection for the Path of Deities has begun!"
"Three thousand steps, filled with countless opportunities! The opportunities on those steps are even greater than the ones inside a Divine Empire. It’s exciting just to think about it!"
"Anyone who can distinguish themselves here is an absolutely heaven-defying genius! As long as they don’t fall, even the weakest of them will almost certainly become Deities in the future!"
In an instant, an unknown number of people were watching.
The ones paying the closest attention were the various factions and powers.
"Watch the rankings closely! The Path of Deities is the most direct reflection of a genius’s Talent. The Eternal Saint Hall will only accept a small portion of the contestants in the end. There will still be a large number of geniuses with extremely high Talent!"
"Keep an eye on the rankings! Every time the Eternal Saint Hall holds its selection, the various powers go into a frenzy trying to recruit these geniuses. If we’re too slow with our invitations, we’ll lose out completely."
...
Although the Path of Deities was set to last a full five years, everyone was watching intently from the moment it began.
Every faction placed immense importance on recruiting geniuses!
The geniuses recruited by the Human Race Saint Hall were, at a minimum, capable of becoming Deities in the future!
They looked down on anyone with less potential.
But that was merely their high standard. Below the Divine Realm, there were Star Lords and World Masters... These terrifying existences were titans in their own right, no matter where they were! No one dared to underestimate them!
Therefore, any genius who had just started to make a name for themselves would undoubtedly receive invitations from various powers right away.
Even if your own faction was powerful, if you were too slow to act, you would be left with nothing as the genius would be snatched away by other factions.
...
Back on Earth, many people were also watching, their hearts filled with excitement and anticipation.
The news broadcasts were even displaying Li Yang’s and Shen Xuan’s rankings live.
"Li Yang and Shen Xuan are Earth’s strongest geniuses! They’ll definitely achieve high rankings!"
By now, the people of Earth were becoming more and more knowledgeable about the Cosmos.
The public had also been educated about the talent selection for the Eternal Saint Hall, so they were fully aware of how powerful the organization was.
It was the supreme power of the entire Human Race, spanning countless planets. Even immortal Deities were powerless before it.
From Earth’s perspective, a single Star Lord could easily wipe them out, to say nothing of a World Master, let alone the immortal beings of the Divine Realm.
They could hardly imagine the true extent of the Eternal Saint Hall’s power.
But even so, they desperately hoped for Li Yang and Shen Xuan to succeed.
...
While the people of Earth watched, Li Yang was looking at his own watch.
Li Yang (Golden Moon Empire, Milky Way Galaxy)
Path of Deities Step: 1
Rank: 199,988,888,888,888
He now found himself standing on a massive step, upon which streaks of light flashed.
There was no one else in sight; he was completely alone.
’Is this the Path of Deities?’
Li Yang carefully sensed his surroundings.
Waves of fluctuations washed past him, just like the ones he had felt before in Lombart’s palace.
’Space Law, Thunder Law!’
As he focused, Li Yang could clearly feel the fluctuations of two Laws. He could vaguely perceive other fluctuations as well, but he couldn’t identify them.
"Comprehension of Space Law and Thunder Law detected. You may now choose from Space and Thunder Law-related Cultivation Techniques and Law Imprints!"
As Li Yang was concentrating, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
The surrounding fluctuations rapidly vanished, leaving only those of the Space Law and Thunder Law.
At the same time, strange orbs of light began to appear.
There were also various attack imprints! For example, a three-foot-long gleam of sword light, a three-foot-long saber aura, a lightning-bolt mark, and more.
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