The Era of Gods

In just half a year, his cousin had grown to this extent.

“Even if he can’t make it on the list of the Heaven’s Pride, he could be on the list of the Peerless, or even the Deputy List of Outstanding Talents.”

To say he wasn’t envious would be a lie, but more than that, he was happy.

If it were any other major clan, he might have been jealous for having the clan’s allocated resources and the attention of the elders stolen, but in the case of the Lin Family, a minor deity clan, there was no need for him to be jealous. There was nothing to envy, for at their level, the clan basically had no resources to offer, and they had to rely on themselves for everything. They didn’t need to be envious over a trifle. Instead, they had to become even closer.

The family had only the two of them who were promising. Supporting each other, they could go further in the future.

The team of seven from the Dark Moon Higher Education Institution was the last to arrive, making the group complete with ninety-eight people. The remaining two spots definitely wouldn’t fit a team, so they could be ignored. Next, of course, was to grab a spot.

They didn’t set up any team decision-making layers or the like; it wasn’t necessary to complicate things. They were just vying for a spot to be the first to enter. Once inside the Ruins of Myriad, everyone would go their own way, and if there were conflicts, they might even turn on each other, so making these arrangements was meaningless.

He and Wu Zhonglin simply discussed it briefly, then led the team toward the entrance of the ruins.

By now, many teams of various sizes had already gathered near that immense sun, including the other three major forces outside of the HuaXia District.

Ivy League Alliance of High Schools.

Giant Enterprises Alliance.

Aristocracy Council.

As a top force second only to the HuaXia District, the Ivy League Alliance also has five top colleges. The Giant Enterprises Alliance and the Aristocracy Council have only one each. This means that among the four major forces of the Main World, it is the HuaXia District and the Ivy League Alliance that lead, while the Giant Enterprises Alliance and the Aristocracy Council… It’s not that they’re just making up the numbers; after all, each of them has a great divine power. It’s just that they can’t compare to the HuaXia District and the Ivy League Alliance.

The reason they can be rated as one of the four major forces is that they each have a top college, and each possesses a Crystal Wall System that they more or less have actual dominion over.

No matter how small the ruled Crystal Wall System is, or how rich its resources are, even the smallest is a complete system that can give birth to great divine powers.

In other words, each of the four great forces has a great divine power; it is by virtue of having a great divine power that they are ranked as one of the top four forces in the Main World. Without such an entity to preside, no matter how extensive the territory or how many deities there are, it’s not enough to qualify.

The college belonging to the Giant Enterprises Alliance is Eternal Night, ranked fourth. It was founded by the Dominator of the Endless Night, the great divine power, and is the only top college of the Giant Enterprises Alliance.

The top college belonging to the Aristocracy Council is Heaven Mountain, ranked fifth, established by the Master of Endless Light, the great divine power. It, too, is the only top college of the Aristocracy Council.

Beyond this, according to what Lin Xiao knew, the Human Main World seemed to have another neutral great existence that had not created a force and whose whereabouts were unknown.

Outwardly, there are only five great divine powers in the Human Main World, whether there are any in secret is unknown. Lin Xiao speculated there likely weren’t any.

Because the system of deities differs from the system of mythology transmitted from ancient China, if a new great existence were to be born, it would essentially be impossible to conceal. In other words, it’s not very likely that there is an undisclosed great divine power.

Sure, that’s his guess. After all, his own strength is too far from that of a great divine power. Whether there is or isn’t such a force is beyond his conjecture.

A large crowd arrived, and the dozen or so large teams guarding the entrance to the ruins immediately watched them alertly. Lin Xiao made no move. Li Xiushen and Dongfang Piaoxue exchanged glances and simultaneously extended the hands behind their backs:

“Rock!”

“Paper!”

“I win, you go.”

Dongfang Piaoxue triumphantly waved the hand that had displayed paper, and Li Xiushen’s face fell as he clenched his fist and flew out from the crowd, shouting:

“Radiance, Li Xiushen!”

Immediately several figures stepped forward, loudly proclaiming their presence:

“War Throne, Yi Lei!”

“Inferno, Li Jun!”

“Holy Crystal, Li Shengji!”

“Dark Moon….”

As they each declared the colleges they belonged to, the teams around them went from initial curiosity to surprise, and finally to shock—many couldn’t help but open their mouths in astonishment.

After the group finished introducing themselves, Li Xiushen boldly declared in a loud voice,

“We’ll take the spots for tomorrow; anyone who disagrees is welcome to challenge us!”

The surroundings fell into an eerie silence, broken only by hushed whispers and gazes filled with a mix of emotions including envy, disdain, acknowledgement, and challenge.

But overall, the mood was one of acquiescence, as the presence of the top five Super Academies was undeniable, and anyone with a bit of sense knew they couldn’t stand in the way. Even those unwilling to accept it were simply discontent in their hearts, yet they still stepped aside in reality.

It’s worth mentioning that Lin Xiao sensed dozens of exceptionally strong presences here, all True-Body Descend.

Frankly, he admired their courage; they were essentially staking their entire fortunes on this gamble, risking life and death on this single endeavor.

Lin Xiao wouldn’t dare do the same. With the Creation Rubik’s Cube in hand, his growth speed far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even if he didn’t gain much from this chance, it might at most slightly affect his growth speed and delay his appearance on the alternate list of prodigies. This setback would not be as detrimental as it would be for other top elites, who might lose their opportunity and fall behind with every misstep.

Possibly out of some concerns, these True-Body Descend students all kept a low profile, showing no action even if they felt aggrieved.

One after another, large teams parted to make room, but there were still those who truly did not accept this and took actual steps to confront it, such as the joint forces from the five Super Academies of the Ivy League Alliance of High Schools, who boldly stepped forward after hearing their proclamation.

Just like their desire to band together and quickly enter the ruins, the five Super Academies of the Ivy League Alliance held a similar mindset and also formed a coalition. They immediately stepped forward after declaring their affiliations, clearly looking to stir up trouble.

This team of nearly a hundred swept in, led by three figures, showing no sign of weakness in their imposing presence.

Lin Xiao glanced over this team, but his gaze paused when it fell on three figures in the center of the crowd. Among them, he recognized two acquaintances.

He turned his head to look at Wu Zhonglin, who normally appeared gentle but also noticed the familiar faces opposite him, his expression inevitably betraying a hint of discomfort.

The trio opposite was also sizing them up, and soon a surprisingly enthusiastic female voice rang out,

“Wu Zhonglin, please look over here!”

The voice was fervent; it belonged to Aria from the Ivy League Alliance of High Schools, the extraordinarily beautiful foreign young lady who had once avidly pursued Wu Zhonglin during the Super Newcomer Summer Camp.

The man to her left was also a familiar face; Bart, who had been with Aria at the time, was also present. Surprisingly, he hadn’t fallen behind after all this time and had remained core to their respective colleges as they entered the Rank 2 stage.

However, both his and Wu Zhonglin’s gazes quickly moved past these familiar faces, immediately drawn to a young man standing beside the duo. The young man, with a pair of demon horns shrouded in dense demonic energy, commanded their attention, and their faces reflected a serious concern.

Not only was the man displaying great strength, but he was also one of the True-Body Descend—a first for Lin Xiao to encounter a True-Body Descend expert whose power matched his own and the most brazen they had ever seen.

He declared unabashedly in a loud voice,

“We at the Ivy League will take the spots for tomorrow!”

The challenging tone reverberated powerfully, causing Lin Xiao to feel the gaze of countless curious and expectant onlookers turn their way. They were all interested in witnessing a real PK (player kill) between two major forces, including teams from Giant Enterprises Alliance and Aristocracy Council.

Lin Xiao and Wu Zhonglin both frowned slightly, while Li Xiushen clenched his fist and struck it into his palm, saying,

“I recognize this guy; his name is Karl, and he possesses a segment of the true name ‘Archimonde’, inheriting the Demon’s power from the renowned Commander of the Burning Legion, Archimonde. He’s the leading figure of Rank 2 from this year at the Untarnished Authority, rumored to be incredibly powerful, even surpassing the usual extraordinary candidates on the alternate prodigy list. He’s not yet on the prodigy alternate list probably because he hasn’t met a few criteria. He must be aiming for the first place in midterm exam points and the Tomb Guardian spot with this True-Body Descend.”

“If he manages to reach his goal, whether it’s taking first place in points, obtaining an artifact from the All-Embracing Mysterious Storehouse, or securing the Tomb Guardian spot, any one of these achievements would be enough to makeup for his shortcomings and secure him a place on the prodigy alternate list.”

Archimonde!

That was a name Lin Xiao had heard of—legend has it that Archimonde was one of the upper-tier demon lords from the incredibly powerful Crystal Wall Universe of Azeroth, serving as one of the commanders for the Burning Legion, almost attaining Powerful Divine Power.

Azeroth—the world setting from a game Lin Xiao recalled from his past life—truly exists, and it’s a very powerful Crystal Wall Universe.

The famous Titan Star Soul might not be a True God with Powerful Divine Power, but in the Crystal Wall Universe of Azeroth, it commands a position of greatness. So, while its power is not quite at the level of Powerful Divine Power, it surpasses that of mere Powerful Divine power. According to the official terminology of the Main World, this is referred to as ‘Pseudo-Great Divine Power’.

Apart from those representing the four major forces—Radiance, Untarnished Authority, Eternal Night, and Heaven Mountain—founders of the other eight colleges all belong to this tier.

They all significantly transcend the bounds of the mere Powerful Divine power but are not quite at the level of the True God with Powerful Divine Power.

However, it’s not to say that Azeroth is under the jurisdiction of the Untarnished Authority. In truth, the Crystal Wall Universe of Azeroth is too formidable; even the allied forces of the four major powers in the Main World may not be a match for it. There’s also a risk of being counter-attacked, which is why the mighty Crystal Wall Universe was discovered early, yet no major powers have managed to penetrate it. In fact, access for any beings above True God is strictly forbidden, with only those below True God allowed entry under restrictive conditions, and any dealings with higher beings within that universe are strictly prohibited.

As for Karl’s heritage of Archimonde’s Bloodline, it was obtained by his ancestors before the prohibition was established.

Subsequent to the enforcement of the prohibition and the severance of contact between the two universes, the Karl Family, with their lineage from a Burning Legion commander, was subject to strict bans, forbidding any of their descendants, regardless of their power..