"Even if one travels into the past, can the altered ’past’ still be considered the true past?"
"Even if one travels into the future, can the altered ’future’ still be considered the true future?"
"All moments in time are like water flowing downstream. The past has already emptied into the sea, the present flows beneath our feet, and the future has yet to emerge from its source."
"Past, present, and future are all nothing more than bubbles and fleeting illusions."
"Even Peak Sovereigns cannot completely escape the restraints of the universe’s will and achieve true transcendence."
"And that is precisely what those demi-Supremes seek."
"To transcend, they are willing to pay any price."
"The methods available to us are no more than the tricks of three-year-old children in their eyes."
The moment he finished speaking, another Sovereign anxiously asked,
"Deputy Pavilion Master, are we supposed to do nothing?"
"Exactly! Under the Apocalypse Tribulation, at best, half the Sovereigns here will perish. At worst, every one of us will be wiped out!"
"Do we not even have the right to struggle?"
The Deputy Pavilion Master listened to their questions and pondered for a moment before replying,
"We do."
"We must use everything at our disposal to stop the participants of the three newly risen factions during the Myriad Worlds Tournament."
"The rewards of the Myriad Worlds Tournament are extraordinarily precious. They are treasures created directly by the will of the universe."
"Those who enter the rankings, in particular, will obtain certain crucial opportunities."
"Those opportunities may allow more Sovereign-rank and even Peak Sovereign-level powerhouses to emerge in the future."
"Although we will not declare war, we cannot simply watch those factions grow unchecked."
"If the three new factions occupy most of the positions on the rankings, then as their strength rises and ours declines, our situation will only become more passive in the future..."
The Deputy Pavilion Master swept his gaze across the hall.
"This is something we cannot ignore."
The Myriad Worlds Tournament and the Apocalypse Tribulation had begun almost simultaneously.
The Deputy Pavilion Master understood that the Myriad Worlds Tournament was not an event organized by any individual faction.
It had been generated by the will of the universe itself.
Both the ranking rewards and the rankings themselves contained unimaginable opportunities.
Neither the old factions nor the newly risen ones would relinquish this arena.
On the eve of the Apocalypse Tribulation, the Myriad Worlds Tournament would become the first stage upon which the old and new powers clashed.
The many Sovereign-rank powerhouses of Skyvault Consortium immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
There was indeed very little they could do.
They could not reverse the arrival of the Apocalypse Tribulation, but they could still accumulate as much capital for survival as possible.
The Myriad Worlds Tournament was one such opportunity.
...
A free plane controlled by the Demon King Council.
The light of the teleportation formations flashed continuously as countless members of the myriad races emerged from within.
Under the guidance of the High Gods of the myriad races and the Demon King Council, they were systematically relocated throughout the plane.
At the plane’s Outer Heavens, God King-level powerhouses from the Demon King Council were patrolling.
"John forced us to abandon our homeland and flee our ancestral universe."
The Divine Race High God clenched his fists, bone-deep hatred suppressed within his eyes.
"Once our races regain their strength, we will make him repay this blood debt!"
"Rest assured," the Demon King Council powerhouse walking beside him said calmly.
"The myriad races and the Demon King Council share a common enemy—John."
"We can help your races grow stronger and reclaim the universe that John stole from you."
"For a true man, even a million years is not too long to wait for revenge."
"Mm!"
The Divine Race High God nodded forcefully.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A towering figure suddenly appeared within the teleportation formation.
The human—
John!
"Oh no! The human John is here! Run!"
"Run! Hurry!"
"We’re finished! How did John appear here?!"
Countless High Gods of the myriad races stared at the figure in horror, as though they had fallen into a nightmare.
Those who recognized John immediately screamed, throwing the entire settlement into chaos.
The inhabitants of the myriad races fled in every direction, scrambling over one another like a herd of sheep confronted by a predator.
The human John had already become an inescapable curse.
Wherever he encountered the myriad races, disaster inevitably followed.
He was like the demons of ancient legend whose names alone were enough to stop children from crying at night.
John’s name now possessed that same terrifying power.
John swept an indifferent gaze across the fleeing beings and attacked without hesitation.
"Great Heavenly Sound Art!"
Only after advancing to the High God level had the true, terrifying might of the Great Heavenly Sound Art been awakened.
The divine art connected directly to a cosmic origin power.
It was comparable to Orion Sovereign’s power of the starry river—a form of attack originating from the fundamental source itself.
"John?!"
The Divine Race High God froze.
"He... is John?"
The High God from the Demon King Council also turned toward him, recalling the countless rumors surrounding this man.
Rumors had long circulated within the Demon King Council.
John was the wielder of that mysterious mark.
When he was merely above the Divine level, he had already suppressed members of the Council.
At the demigod grade, he had left the entire Demon King Council helpless against him.
John’s strength had once drawn the attention of the Council’s upper echelons.
They had even considered recruiting him and turning hostility into friendship.
Yet John had looked down upon the Demon King Council and joined Skyvault Consortium instead.
It was said that he had never suffered a single defeat since first appearing in the world.
Never once defeated...
With that thought, the Demon King Council High God secretly contacted the God King-level powerhouse patrolling the Outer Heavens and requested reinforcements.
If John’s strength was truly as terrifying as the rumors claimed, then he was not someone a mere High God could stop.
Only a higher-level powerhouse could intervene.
At that moment—
The ripples of John’s Great Heavenly Sound Art spread across the entire plane at an unimaginable speed.
Regardless of race or form, any living being touched by those celestial sound waves had both body and divine soul erased in an instant.
At the same time, kill notifications surged beside John’s ears like a roaring tsunami.
[You have killed a Demon King Council High God-level powerhouse, Ninth Order. Obtained experience, gold coins, and a large amount of Fame!]
[Ding! You have triggered the Plunder talent. Designated plunder successful: High God Source +52 million!]
[Prompt: Plunder has triggered a ten-thousandfold amplification. High God Source +520 billion!]
[You have triggered Auto Loot. Obtained High God-level items ×30.]
[You have triggered Bonus Loot. Obtained High God-level item ×1.]
[You have killed a High God-level powerhouse of the myriad races, Fifth Order. Obtained experience, gold coins, and a large amount of Fame!]
[Ding! You have triggered the Plunder talent. Designated plunder successful: High God Source +22 million!]
[Prompt: Plunder has triggered a ten-thousandfold amplification. High God Source +220 billion!]
[You have triggered Auto Loot. Obtained High God-level items ×20.]
[You have triggered Bonus Loot. Obtained High God-level item ×1.]
The notifications poured past like an endless waterfall.
John’s expression remained cold.
Suddenly sensing something, he raised his head and looked toward the Outer Heavens.
At that moment—
The figure of a God King-level powerhouse abruptly descended from above.
"John... you are playing with fire!"
The Demon King Council God King had dark skin, with two whisker-like tendrils hanging from either side of his temples.
His eyes were filled with berserk fury.
His divine sense spread outward—
And descended with overwhelming force!