On the clear, blue lake surface.
A four-armed man stood quietly. He was only 1.67 meters tall, yet his invisible aura was vast and unfathomable. Especially those four arms, which seemed to be somewhat out of sync with the surrounding world.
"Divine King."
"Divine King."
"Divine King."
Dozens of figures on the lakeshore called out softly, their tones filled with fervor.
Two hundred years ago, the strength of the Divine King was already far beyond theirs.
Now, two hundred years later, the gap had only grown larger.
"Is the Heavenly Gate about to open?"
The four-armed Divine King slowly opened his deep, calm eyes and spoke.
"According to the time of this two-dimensional world, the Heavenly Gate will open in two months," said the leading figure on the shore immediately.
The Heavenly Gate opens once every ten thousand years, and it is the greatest event in this two-dimensional world. Countless powerful beings come to witness it when it happens.
Before the arrival of the powerful beings of the myriad races, only those at the Witch Emperor level had the qualification to compete for a spot in the Heavenly Gate, and only those at the Witch Ancestor level could guarantee reaching the gate.
As for now, with the intervention of the powerful beings of the myriad races, the threshold had naturally been raised significantly.
"Understood."
"In a day, we will set off for Tianshan."
The Divine King spoke slowly.
Tianshan is the tallest known mountain in this two-dimensional world, and every time the Heavenly Gate opens, it appears on Tianshan. Over time, the mountain became known as "Tianshan." (Tian = Heaven, Shan = Mountain, so Heavenly Mountain)
"Yes."
The dozens of figures on the shore immediately nodded.
"Divine King, we..." The leading figure hesitated slightly.
"Don't worry, after everything you've done for me in this two-dimensional world, if I manage to leave this place, I will ask a Strongest One to help repair your root damage as much as possible."
The Divine King looked at the figures on the shore.
These figures were all powerful special beings, and in the cosmic void, they would be considered ancient gods that ruled their own regions.
"Thank you, Divine King."
"We greatly appreciate it, Divine King."
"Serving the Divine King is an honor for us."
The dozen figures relaxed slightly in their hearts. Root damage cannot be fully restored, but it can be compensated for.
As long as a Strongest One is willing to intervene and a price is paid, their losses can be minimized.
Of course, the Strongest One would only act because the Divine King would bring out all the strange artifacts from the two-dimensional world, in which these beings also played a role.
"With the Divine King's strength, who could rival him in this two-dimensional world?" said the leading figure.
The other figures all nodded in agreement.
Though they were all Rank Eleven special beings, they knew they had no hope of leaving, as they were no match for the Divine King in front of them.
As for giving up this chance and waiting for the next opening of the Heavenly Gate? That was a matter for the top nine strongest beings; it had nothing to do with these somewhat mediocre special beings.
At present, the nine strongest beings in the two-dimensional world were of equal standing and would not submit to one another. Even among special beings, this was the case.
"Enough."
"Go and make your preparations."
The Divine King spoke, and the dozens of figures quickly turned and left.
Soon, the wide lake surface was left with only the Divine King.
"In the past two hundred years, I've tried my best to unlock the potential of the Strongest One weapon integrated into my body. In terms of combat power, I've likely reached the upper limit of this two-dimensional world."
The Divine King thought silently.
Unlike the strange artifacts within the two-dimensional world, his Strongest One weapon had been brought in from the outside.
And that made a fundamental difference compared to the myriad races' powerful beings holding strange artifacts.
That difference was that the Divine King's Strongest One weapon had been refined.
The other powerful beings of the myriad races, even if they obtained strange artifacts that were just as powerful as the Divine King's weapon, could not refine them and could only tap into their lowest level of power.
In the two-dimensional world, many of the myriad races' powerful beings couldn't bring out their full abilities, and they were unable to refine strange artifacts.
However, the Divine King's Strongest One weapon had been refined long before he entered the two-dimensional world.
Even though its many powers were suppressed in the two-dimensional world, the Divine King could still use it as an extension of his will and slowly unlock more of its potential.
Furthermore, the weapon was a perfect match for the Divine King, allowing him to maximize his combat strength.
"This time, when the Heavenly Gate opens, I will definitely leave."
The Divine King was filled with confidence. As a perfect Rank Eleven legendary lifeform, he was already one of the strongest beings among the myriad races. On top of that, he had a Strongest One weapon.
With such a huge advantage, the Divine King couldn't fathom the possibility of not leaving.
In a volcano, in front of bubbling magma.
A small, thin elder sat cross-legged, his form like a mass of flames. The surrounding temperature rose rapidly, and even the stone walls began to melt.
"It's about time."
"I've reached my limit."
The elder let out a light breath, and the temperature around him began to drop rapidly. "Time to head to Tianshan."
The elder squinted his eyes slightly. "For this opening of the Heavenly Gate, the only ones who can compete with me are a few old guys. The Divine King is one of them. He brought in a real Strongest One weapon, which will be troublesome."
The elder touched his chin, deep in thought.
Normally, Rank Eleven beings aren't qualified to possess a Strongest One weapon, even if they're perfect Rank Eleven legendary lifeforms.
Even for pinnacle species, Strongest One weapons are considered deep heritage, and if a Rank Eleven being wields one, it might attract a Strongest One to take it by force.
Although Strongest Ones generally disdain bullying the weak, if there's enough profit involved, they wouldn't mind doing so.
Unless the weapon was given to the Rank Eleven being by another Strongest One.
The Divine King was highly valued by the Starry Sky Alliance and was being groomed to become the next ultimate existence. As such, he was given a Strongest One weapon.
"Still, even in this two-dimensional world, what's the point of refining a Strongest One weapon? How much power can he unlock? When the time comes, a few of us old guys can join forces to take care of the Divine King."
The elder thought to himself.
In terms of pure combat strength, the Divine King was definitely stronger than him, and among the myriad races' powerful beings that had descended, the Divine King was likely the strongest.
But the strongest didn't mean invincible.
As long as he wasn't invincible, the Divine King could be dealt with or suppressed.
At least in the elder's eyes, the Divine King posed the greatest threat, and he would certainly become the elder's target.
It could be expected that on the peak of Tianshan, the Divine King would become the target of many attacks.
If the Divine King wasn't dealt with first, Rank Eleven perfect legendary lifeforms like the elder wouldn't dare to go all out.
"Forget it."
"This time, I'll talk to those old friends of mine about how to deal with the Divine King."
The elder smiled. Apart from those Rank Eleven perfect legendary lifeforms at his level, he didn't regard any of the powerful beings of the myriad races.
Beyond the Twelve Ancient Kingdoms.
A hidden faction.
In the two-dimensional world, the Twelve Ancient Kingdoms were the largest factions.
But beyond the Twelve Ancient Kingdoms, there were many hidden factions, and their foundations were no less than those of the Twelve Ancient Kingdoms, all founded by Witch Ancestors.
These factions had long been reclusive, uninterested in outside information and intelligence.
Rumble.
At this moment, deep within this hidden faction.
A terrifying aura surged, and the power of immense blood and vitality shook the surroundings.
"Witch Ancestor."
"I have finally become a Witch Ancestor."
A middle-aged man with an excited expression walked out.
His name was Yan Fu, and he was the strongest being in this hidden faction. After arduous cultivation, he had finally stepped into the Witch Ancestor stage.
In the two-dimensional world, for a native lifeform to cultivate to the Witch Ancestor stage was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. In the past, most of the battles for the Heavenly Gate were fought between Witch Emperors.
As for Witch Ancestors? If one were to be born, they were almost guaranteed to secure a place in the Heavenly Gate.
"I managed to step into the Witch Ancestor stage just in time for the Heavenly Gate's opening."
"What my ancestors could not accomplish, I will."
Yan Fu was filled with excitement.
For the lifeforms in the two-dimensional world, entering the Heavenly Gate was the ultimate goal and the ultimate dream.
But even as a Witch Ancestor, there was no guarantee of entering the Heavenly Gate.
The Heavenly Gate opens once every ten thousand years, but a Witch Ancestor's lifespan is only two to three thousand years. So even for a Witch Ancestor, entering the Heavenly Gate required luck.
Yan Fu's ancestor, a Witch Ancestor, hadn't been so lucky. They became a Witch Ancestor eight hundred years after the Heavenly Gate had opened, which immediately ended their chances of entering.
Deep in the cosmic void.
A mysterious, ancient "scroll" slowly unfurled.
Dozens of Strongest Ones observed the distant "white paper" with solemn expressions.
Inside the two-dimensional world, there were still two months left before the Heavenly Gate would open, but in the main universe, it would happen in just a few hours.
The flow of time in the two-dimensional world was not the same as in the main universe, with a ratio of one hundred to one.
"The Heavenly Gate..."
"When the Heavenly Gate opens this time, it might be our chance to glimpse the essence of that 'white paper.'"
"Yes, if the Heavenly Gate is truly a passage inside the 'white paper' connecting to the outside world, then at the moment of its opening, we might be able to uncover some of the 'white paper's' secrets."
"Perhaps it will help us refine the 'white paper.'"
The Strongest Ones, ultimate existences, waited solemnly.
Two years had passed, and they still knew nothing about the "white paper," so they pinned their hopes on the soon-to-open Heavenly Gate.
"Yu Die, is the Virtual World Heaven and Earth ready?" Xia Qin, the Strongest One, looked over at the nearby Yu Die, another Strongest One.
"Don't worry. When the Heavenly Gate opens, as long as the two-dimensional world inside the 'white paper' leaks even the slightest bit of its aura, the Virtual World Heaven and Earth will capture it. By then, the similarity of the recreated two-dimensional world will be even higher."
Yu Die nodded. Her evolutionary path as a Strongest One came from the Virtual World Heaven and Earth, so she naturally had control over it.
"Good."
Xia Qin, the Strongest One, nodded.
"I wonder what stage that little guy is at now?" Xia Qin suddenly thought.
The "little guy" he was referring to, of course, was Lin Yuan.
Ever since two hundred years ago, when Xia Qin learned that Lin Yuan had reached the terrifying nineteenth stage of the Witch Ancestor, he had placed all of human civilization's hopes in the two-dimensional world on Lin Yuan.
There was no other choice.
Two hundred years ago, the strongest evolver from human civilization, besides Lin Yuan, had only reached the fourteenth stage of the Witch Ancestor.
As Xia Qin's thoughts raced, a voice suddenly echoed.
"Xia Qin, have you thought it over?" A Strongest One from the Starry Sky Alliance sent a message, speaking telepathically.
He was still unwilling to give up on the strange artifacts that the human evolvers had obtained. As long as they could be brought out by the Divine King, the Starry Sky Alliance would take a significant cut.
The Starry Sky Alliance was not hostile to human civilization, so this Strongest One, who had become an ultimate being as a special lifeform, didn't mind if human civilization also profited.
Besides, since the Starry Sky Alliance would take sixty percent, the more human civilization earned, the more the Starry Sky Alliance would benefit.
"We'll see," Xia Qin replied with a smile.
Without Lin Yuan, he might have already agreed to cooperate with the Starry Sky Alliance.
After all, if the strange artifacts from the two-dimensional world weren't brought out, they would be of no use to the species.
Even if the Starry Sky Alliance took sixty percent, leaving human civilization with only forty percent, that was better than nothing.
"We'll see?" The Starry Sky Alliance Strongest One looked at Xia Qin. "Did a perfect Rank Eleven evolver fall into the two-dimensional world from human civilization?"
Two years ago, when Xia Qin had said "I'll think about it," the Starry Sky Alliance Strongest One had been somewhat puzzled.
But now, with the Heavenly Gate about to open and Xia Qin still responding with "We'll see," the Starry Sky Alliance Strongest One wasn't a fool.
He immediately deduced two possibilities.
One, human civilization had already partnered with another faction and handed over the task of bringing out the strange artifacts to them.
Two, human civilization had an evolver in the two-dimensional world with enough strength to compete for a spot in the Heavenly Gate.
The Starry Sky Alliance Strongest One leaned toward the second possibility.
After all, he knew which factions the strongest contenders in the two-dimensional world belonged to.
It was unlikely that human civilization had partnered with them, and even if they had, the cut they would take would be far greater than what the Starry Sky Alliance was offering.
There was no reason for human civilization to seek out a distant partner when there was one close at hand.
"Don't you already know the perfect Rank Eleven evolvers of human civilization?" Xia Qin replied, not revealing any information about Lin Yuan.
The more high-profile one is in the two-dimensional world, the more dangerous it becomes, as it attracts attacks.
The Divine King was a prime example, but because he possessed a Strongest One weapon integrated into his body, even if he faced an ambush, he was confident in defending himself.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The Starry Sky Alliance Strongest One pondered for a moment and dropped the matter.
Even if human civilization did have a perfect Rank Eleven evolver in the two-dimensional world, they couldn't possibly be a match for the Divine King.
Even without the Divine King, it would be hard for them to compete with the other perfect Rank Eleven legendary lifeforms.
In terms of pure combat power, evolvers from human civilization generally had a disadvantage against the powerful special lifeforms at the same level.
Rank Eight evolvers could create inner worlds, narrowing the gap with special lifeforms, but it was only a narrowing of the gap.
Deep underground.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his aura completely restrained, almost merging with the surrounding soil. Yet, within his body, each drop of blood was incredibly thick, and his muscles and organs had been strengthened to an unfathomable degree.
"Witch Ancestor, stage fifty."
Lin Yuan straightened his back slightly, and the sound of his bones shifting was like thunder, causing the air around him to distort.
"Time to head out."
Lin Yuan slowly stood up and gently threw a punch. The terrifying power penetrated dozens of miles, creating a wide passage between where he stood and the surface.
"With my current strength, I wonder how I compare to the Divine King, who possesses a Strongest One weapon?"
Lin Yuan thought to himself. In terms of stage, he was certain that he had surpassed the Divine King, but in terms of combat strength, it was unclear. The Divine King had a refined Strongest One weapon.
No one knew how much power the Divine King could unleash in this two-dimensional world.
"Two hundred years... Ever since I reached the fortieth stage of the Witch Ancestor a hundred years ago, my progress has slowed significantly. It took me a full century to go from stage forty to stage fifty."
Lin Yuan sighed.
The closer one gets to the limit, the harder it becomes to progress further.
"Well, no matter."
"There are two months left until the Heavenly Gate opens."
"It's time to set off."
Lin Yuan stepped forward, and moments later, he appeared on the surface.
"This time, when I head to Tianshan, I'll assess the strength of the other powerful beings. If they're far weaker than me, I'll simply sweep through and enter the Heavenly Gate."
"If there are some who are on par with me in combat strength, I'll give up this chance to enter the Heavenly Gate and wait for the next one in ten thousand years."
Lin Yuan formulated a plan for himself. The longer he waited, the stronger he would become. In terms of advancing in stages, Lin Yuan had Unrivaled Insight, which put him far ahead of the other powerful beings of the myriad races. Even the perfect Rank Eleven legendary lifeforms couldn't compare to him.
So there was no need to risk everything during this opening of the Heavenly Gate.
"I'll head straight to Tianshan."
"No need to stop by the Luo Chuan settlement or the Blood Rain Ancient Kingdom's capital."
Lin Yuan chose his direction and began walking.
Since reaching the twentieth stage of the Witch Ancestor, Lin Yuan had rarely appeared in the Luo Chuan settlement. His strength had grown so much that even a small, careless move could cause catastrophic destruction to the settlement.
As for the Blood Rain Ancient Kingdom's capital, aside from a brief visit in the early years, Lin Yuan had not returned.
Ten days later.
Lin Yuan was about to arrive at Tianshan.
"Along the way, I've sensed the presence of quite a few powerful beings from the myriad races."
Lin Yuan thought to himself. Most of the powerful beings traveled in groups. Over the past two hundred years, there had been many instances of the powerful beings hunting others, so those who survived tended to band together.
Those who didn't travel in groups were usually very confident in their abilities, likely Rank Eleven beings.
Since the myriad races' powerful beings began descending into this two-dimensional world three hundred years ago, fewer than 200,000 remained.
Of the 200,000, only about two hundred were Rank Eleven, down from over three hundred at the start, a reduction of one-third.
Moments later.
Lin Yuan finally arrived at Tianshan.
"So that's Tianshan?"
Lin Yuan stopped, gazing at the towering mountain in the distance, and his expression became slightly more serious.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
70