Chapter Seventy-Seven: On the Eve of Battle

Although Ye Qiu wasn’t sure about his own cultivation realm, he had a vague suspicion—he might truly be a master, only one who knew nothing of combat. Simply put, he was like a high-level player who had reached the max level but hadn’t learned any combat skills, focusing instead on life skills, equipped with divine gear and full armor—a godly character in every way except actual fighting ability. It sounded rather intimidating, yet in reality, he lacked any true combat power, and this was Ye Qiu’s greatest frustration.

Imagine reaching the highest level and not acquiring a single fighting skill—could anything be more absurd? In fact, Ye Qiu couldn’t even confirm his own cultivation. To be honest, he’d never practiced any immortal arts. He usually spent his days reading, writing, practicing zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and occasionally snacking on a few immortal peaches, apples, or grapes.

Was it really possible to become invincible just by eating like that?

Alright, it did sound preposterous and was impossible to explain. Ultimately, it could only be attributed to the books Ye Qiu had immersed himself in. Now, the situation was such that he seemed to be the first immortal of this era, with Yue Chan the second, and Liu Jianchen the third.

So, if the Chaotic Heaven hadn’t collapsed, and another immortal appeared in the future, would the first one to ascend—himself—be erased?

Ye Qiu felt both anxious and fortunate. The collapse of the Chaotic Heaven had come just in time.

“Heh… Didn’t I say so? Blessings and misfortunes always go hand in hand! The collapse of Chaotic Heaven might not be such a bad thing after all. See, isn’t this proof enough?”

Ye Qiu felt a surge of happiness inside, though he didn’t show it. He glanced calmly at the elders before him.

Feigning nonchalance, he said, “You should be grateful. With the collapse of the Chaotic Heaven, the curse no longer exists. From now on, you can appear openly in every corner of the world.

“However, you may have avoided the curse, but you won’t escape this calamity. Because of your presence, Heaven’s Dao cannot erase so many at once, so it chose to self-destruct, shattering the barrier of the void.

“The void creatures are now invading the Great Wilderness on a massive scale. The Great Wilderness is about to face a war of life and death, and no one can escape it.”

What lay beyond the void? No one knew. Currently, only a few creatures wandering on the periphery were invading the wilderness. Perhaps, deeper in the void, there were even more terrifying beings, yet to be discovered, far more dreadful than anything outside the ring.

No, the void was the so-called ‘beyond the ring’—a general term for everything outside the Great Wilderness, which included the void.

“Senior, what should we do next? Please, guide us…”

At once, all eyes turned to Ye Qiu, sincerely seeking advice.

In the Great Wilderness, age or seniority meant nothing; strength alone determined who was called ‘senior.’

Even those ancient monsters from mysterious lands had to bow their heads and respectfully call Ye Qiu ‘senior.’

Hearing himself addressed thusly, a sense of satisfaction filled Ye Qiu. Exhilarating…

To be able to posture like this today—he could die with no regrets.

Wait…

What now?

How was he supposed to know what to do?

Ye Qiu was instantly at a loss. While he’d guessed at the cause and effect, he truly had no idea how to handle the situation.

“Hmm… Draw up a battle line, use the wilderness as the boundary, and engage the void creatures in a contest.

“Destruction precedes creation. Without hardship, no one can truly grow. Perhaps… this is not a disaster, but an opportunity.”

“Huh?”

“An opportunity?”

Yue Chan’s brows furrowed as she vaguely guessed Ye Qiu’s intention, her heart aghast. Was this man truly so audacious?

“You want to use this war, this baptism of blood, to test every living being in the Great Wilderness? To usher in an era where only the fittest survive?”

Her words stunned the crowd, and the place was instantly abuzz with shock.

Survival of the fittest? In such a harsh, unforgiving environment, it would certainly temper people’s minds and force rapid growth, but… it was simply too cruel.

No one could guarantee their own survival, and none dared claim they would live forever.

Ye Qiu shrugged. “It’s your choice, not mine! I didn’t make the rules—reality is just that brutal.

“Whether you want to or not, the outcome is the same. Even if you refuse to take part, those void beings won’t spare you.

“So… I’m not forcing you, nor do I want to. People must learn to grow through adversity. What you do is up to you…”

Ye Qiu didn’t waste more words and turned his gaze back to the mysterious black eagle above the void. Since Ye Qiu had shouted it back earlier, it hadn’t made another move toward the Great Wilderness.

Their eyes met, and it seemed as if they had reached a tacit understanding—neither would interfere, leaving their people to fight. The losing side would simply be wiped out…

Truth be told, this was the largest gamble Ye Qiu had ever witnessed. The thought of it was thrilling.

“Heh… Seems I really do have the fate of a main character!”

He laughed at himself, ignoring the presence across the way. The tavern where he stood was directly opposite the void overlord, so as long as he remained there, the void giant wouldn’t dare make a move.

Ye Qiu’s words shook everyone to their core. The ordeal was so harsh that many with fragile hearts collapsed on the spot.

“No, I don’t want to die! I still have so many dreams to fulfill—I can’t die just like this…”

“You coward! If you don’t want to die, stand up and keep fighting! It’s do or die now. If you fear death, then kill your enemies—drive them out of the barrier…”

A heated debate broke out among the crowd. The various powerhouses watched for a long time but still hesitated to make a decision.

At that moment, Yue Chan stepped forward, her gaze resolute. “I—Celestial Palace will join the battle!”

“What!”

“Celestial Palace will join? But… Celestial Palace is all women, and even they dare to fight?”

Yue Chan’s declaration left everyone speechless, as if they had been slapped in the face.

If a group of women dared to fight, what excuse did these men have to shrink back?

With Yue Chan’s words, many others declared their willingness to fight, even going so far as to drag everyone from their sacred lands to the front lines.

Windpool Sacred Land, Shaking Light Sacred Land, Great Luo Immortal Realm, Supreme Sect—almost all the renowned sanctuaries in the wilderness vowed to join the battle.

“Damn it, I’ve had enough! If it’s a fight they want, then let’s fight! My Divine Capital will join. Anyone who cherishes their life and fears death has no place with us—we won’t tolerate cowards…”

“My Sword Domain will join, too! Isn’t it just a war? Who’s afraid? Only through battle can the strongest geniuses be forged.

“Just as the senior has said—destruction before creation. What legacy? It’s all dust in the end. Let’s fight…”

In that moment, all those in power declared their intent to fight.

Even those old monsters who had been watching in silence nodded quietly. Led by an elder from the Immortal Mountain Sanctuary, they stepped forward and addressed Ye Qiu, “Senior, this calamity was brought about by us, so we must be the ones to resolve it. We old monsters are willing to join the fight…”