Chapter 14 The Collapse

Within the palace complex, however, an unusual tranquility reigned.

Of the countless half-step third realm experts in the vast sea of spacetime, only a hundred or so, carefully selected, were granted entry into the palace complex. Each possessed extraordinary talent, and now, they were all focused on comprehending the opportunities best suited to them.

"I understand," murmured City Lord Fei Ke, his gaze fixed on the dense array of characters etched onto the palace walls. Following the patterns of the characters, he witnessed the transformations of spacetime, and above spacetime, a hand.

City Lord Fei Ke was a highly accomplished individual in the science lineage! In the spacetime arena, he was eagerly sought after by third realm beings, participating in numerous teams and shining brightly.

In terms of talent, he was considered one of the best among the countless half-step third realm experts across all of spacetime.

Using the research methods of the science lineage, even though he didn't recognize the mysterious characters, he deduced their patterns and inferred a great deal of information, allowing him to decipher more and more of the inscription.

"This inscription contains endless information. With this information, one can transcend the timeline and enter the third realm," City Lord Fei Ke thought, as countless characters surfaced in his mind, spontaneously combining to form a flying bird.

Buzz!

A flying bird divine rune mark appeared on City Lord Fei Ke's forehead, and a wisp of mysterious power that influenced spacetime began to swirl around his body.

City Lord Fei Ke's powerful life form was also undergoing constant transformation, converting into a more terrifying level of power! This wisp of power had already broken through the limit, gradually approaching the third realm.

"Only by condensing a divine rune can one enter the threshold," City Lord Fei Ke exclaimed in amazement. "The ultimate existence is merciful, bestowing the divine rune lineage, greatly increasing our hope of becoming third realm beings."

His accumulation was so profound that after condensing the divine rune, he understood that he was one step closer to the third realm.

In the past, the gap between half-step third realm and third realm was a chasm! Crossing it was exceedingly difficult.

But the divine rune lineage had erected a chain across this chasm. Although the chain was steep, by stepping on it… as long as one continued forward, one could hope to reach the other end and truly become a third realm being.

"To enter the divine rune threshold is already a boundless harvest for me on this trip to the ultimate land," tears welled up in City Lord Fei Ke's eyes. After countless ages, he finally saw hope for his own advancement to the third realm.

"No wonder Wu Ming was able to traverse spacetime before, and kill an invincible half-step third realm expert with a few spear thrusts. It turns out that he had already condensed a divine rune before entering the palace complex," City Lord Fei Ke thought calmly. "He's further along this path than I am. But he's only temporarily ahead. I have hope of catching up."

City Lord Fei Ke continued to study the inscription on the walls. Countless characters surfaced in his mind as he delved deeper into his research.

…

Outside the ultimate land, thirty-five towering existences were constantly watching the situation within. They couldn't probe any of the opportunities within the palace complex through karma or the timeline, but they could observe the progress of these half-step third realm experts.

"Within the palace complex, three half-step third realm experts have already condensed divine runes: Wu Ming, City Lord Fei Ke, and Cloud Wanderer," said Fire Plume Monarch with a smile. "Simply by condensing divine runes, their hopes of becoming third realm beings have greatly increased. Perhaps it won't be long before we have one or two more third realm beings in our spacetime."

"It's not that easy," a black light figure said coldly. "Condensing divine runes only increases their hopes. Really breaking through? Hmph, Fire Plume, you should know how high the difficulty is."

"I wonder what the ultimate existence left this place for," Lord of Crepuscule suddenly said softly. "Just to leave behind a legacy? Now that three half-step third realm beings have entered the threshold, how many beings does he intend to teach?"

Drunken Old Man also said, "Look, even in the outer areas of the ultimate land, those half-step third realm experts who can't find a way out are studying those characters one by one."

"If they study them long enough, they'll gain something."

"In my opinion, the strange objects are fake, the palace complex is fake, and the characters are the foundation! They are the true opportunities left by the ultimate existence."

The thirty-five third realm beings chatted casually. Using the eyes of the half-step third realm beings, they were also probing and studying the characters. Each of them could easily condense a divine rune with their understanding of the characters.

However, for them, condensing a divine rune was meaningless. In the early stages, the divine rune lineage was far inferior to true third realm beings.

As for reaching the middle and late stages?

The third realm beings were also perplexed by the scattered characters alone.

"These scattered characters have limited value when separated. They can be combined, and their combined, complete inheritance… is the most precious thing." Lord of Crepuscule, as the existence with the highest realm present, had already surmised that these characters could definitely form a complete inheritance.

But it seemed that the ultimate existence had no intention of imparting it to them, the third realm beings.

******

The ultimate land had become very peaceful for a time.

The native creatures no longer attacked, and the half-step third realm experts outside the palace complex couldn't get out, so they could only study the characters and strange objects one by one.

The hundred or so experts within the palace complex were even more focused on their opportunities.

Within a hall.

Xu Jingming was observing a row of spears. The 129 different spears held immense appeal for Xu Jingming. Each spear was like a world, worthy of careful study and comprehension.

In a trance.

Xu Jingming seemed to see a blurry figure pick up a spear and wield it.

Scenes unfolded.

It was the blurry, indistinct figure, using each of the 129 spears.

"I can't see clearly, but I can feel the charm," Xu Jingming reached out, and the strange object Heart Spirit Staff naturally transformed, taking on the appearance of one of the spears. Xu Jingming held the spear and began to imitate.

Imitating that charm, Xu Jingming's Heart Spirit Spear Technique caused the entire hall to fluctuate in brightness and darkness. Xu Jingming appeared and disappeared, seeming to vanish completely from spacetime when hidden.

Xu Jingming changed the spear in his hand, turning it into another spear, and began to imitate again.

For the past six months, Xu Jingming had been using the strange object Heart Spirit Staff to transform into the 129 spears, using imitation to understand and comprehend. He could feel that imitation was the most efficient method!

"Swish." Along with the spear in his hand, Xu Jingming transformed into a flame, instantly piercing through most of the hall, appearing at the other end. A look of joy appeared on Xu Jingming's face.

"I understand, I understand," Xu Jingming said with elation, looking at the 129 spears with excitement. He felt that the 129 spears were an endless treasure trove. "These different Heart Spirit Spear Techniques, each one isn't for killing enemies. This isn't a spear technique for killing enemies, but a spear technique for refining the heart!"

"These are 129 types of spear techniques for refining the heart."

"Fire Plume Monarch once created 'Eight Directions Diagram,' and felt that the eighth realm, 'Great Freedom Realm,' was the most perfect. But he was wrong."

"Heart refinement is a path without end!"

At this moment, spear techniques naturally surfaced in Xu Jingming's mind, 129 types of spear techniques being practiced simultaneously, influencing Xu Jingming's heart and will from different angles. At this moment, Xu Jingming felt like he was transforming from a silkworm into a butterfly, undergoing a metamorphosis.

"The core of the Heart Spirit Spear Technique isn't killing enemies, it's refining the heart, refining oneself," Xu Jingming vaguely felt the will of the blurry figure.

If oneself is strong! Then one is invincible! Truly invincible!

Buzz~~~

As Xu Jingming's heart and will underwent a metamorphosis, the 129 spears in the hall resonated, vibrating one after another. Then, each spear shattered, turning into countless characters.

Each of the 129 spears was composed of a large number of characters. They weren't true weapons.

At this moment, the countless characters that the spears had transformed into flew toward Xu Jingming and poured into his body.

"Rumble~~~"

The characters that the 129 spears had simultaneously transformed into numbered over a billion. The massive number of characters poured into Xu Jingming's body in a short period of time, causing Xu Jingming's consciousness to become somewhat muddled.

His thoughts stalled, his brain doing its utmost to receive the character information.

…

As Xu Jingming received the massive character information, the entire ultimate land began to tremble.

"What's going on?"

Most of the countless half-step third realm experts were comprehending strange objects or characters. At this moment, they felt the ultimate land trembling. Then, they stared in astonishment as the boundless land slowly disintegrated.

The distant mountains were also collapsing and disintegrating.

"My strange object, no—" these half-step third realm experts discovered in horror that the strange objects they had competed for were disintegrating.

"These characters are also disintegrating!" They reluctantly grasped the characters, but as the mysterious characters disintegrated with the collapse of the entire ultimate land, they were also dissipating. No matter how hard the half-step third realm experts tried, they couldn't hold onto them. They could only watch them dissipate, as if they had never existed.

Land, mountains, characters, strange objects, everything was disintegrating. Even the palace complex was disintegrating.

"My treasure." Within Xu Jingming's pocket universe, Boatman of the North River watched as his treasured strange objects disintegrated, anxiously and unwillingly. "Wu Ming, the strange objects are disintegrating, the characters are also disintegrating, what should we do?"

Xu Jingming sat cross-legged, but didn't react.

At this moment, all his heart and consciousness were receiving the massive number of characters, and he had no energy to deal with the outside world. At this moment, the strange objects and mysterious characters that Xu Jingming himself carried were also disintegrating.

It was destined that these treasures couldn't be taken out.

After competing for so long, it was all in vain.

"Our bodies are also dissipating?" What horrified countless half-step third realm experts was that the power of the world's disintegration was growing stronger and stronger. Their bodies were disintegrating uncontrollably.

"Ultimate land, we've fought for so long, and in the end, not only do we not have any treasures, but we have to be buried here ourselves?"

"We're all going to die, we're all going to die!"

These half-step third realm experts had no choice but to watch themselves dissipate one by one.

The native creatures, which had been hiding in nothingness, also appeared. These native creatures were all watching the direction of the palace complex from afar. They were also disintegrating, transforming into characters after disintegration. The characters also disintegrated.

Everything was like a bubble, destined to dissipate completely.

The palace complex was disintegrating, and all opportunities were disintegrating.

"Are we going to die?"

City Lord Fei Ke also discovered that the strange objects and mysterious characters he had obtained had disintegrated, and his own body was also disintegrating. He looked reluctantly at the inscription on the walls of the disintegrating courtyard. "The opportunity has passed! There's no chance to comprehend it anymore, but being able to comprehend a portion… is already a great opportunity! In this world, you can't take anything away except knowledge!"

The palace complex was disintegrating, and the bodies of the half-step third realm experts were disintegrating.

"Huh?" These disintegrating half-step third realm experts discovered Xu Jingming in the distance.

Xu Jingming was surrounded by dense, countless characters, which were constantly pouring into his body, being absorbed by him. Moreover, Xu Jingming's body was intact and had not disintegrated.

"He hasn't disintegrated?"

"This Wu Ming hasn't disintegrated?"

Not only did the hundred or so experts within the palace complex see this scene, but the large number of half-step third realm experts outside the palace complex, who had been unwilling to leave, also saw the only expert with an intact body—Wu Ming!

Everything was dissipating, except for Wu Ming!

"He obtained the true opportunity."

"This Wu Ming obtained the great opportunity left behind by the ultimate existence!" At this moment, these experts felt immense envy and jealousy. They longed to take his place.

As the massive character information completely poured into his body, Xu Jingming finally felt his heart and consciousness suddenly relax. He then opened his eyes and carefully observed his surroundings.

The entire ultimate land had already disintegrated by more than half.

Countless creatures had been wiped out.

Strange objects, characters, and the palace complex had all disappeared. In this boundless space, only some of the weapons, armor, and wings of the half-step third realm experts were still floating.

"They're all dead?" Xu Jingming and his avatar in the outer periphery looked at each other from afar. Even Boatman of the North River, who had been hiding in his pocket universe, had also died.