The Grand Cosmic Realm — the very center of all worlds.
An incomparably majestic mountain towered above all else.
This sacred mountain stood like an eternal monolith, stretching beyond ten thousand feet into the sky. Around its base, endless immortal lights and divine brilliance coiled like galaxies — starlight circling in sacred rhythms.
Above, the chains of universal law wove together in the sky, and a majestic sea of Hongmeng purple energy drifted like celestial clouds.
The summit was buried beneath layers of primordial chaos.
Only countless rays of golden brilliance burst outward from the mountaintop — divine and resplendent — as if ancient gods meditated and reigned there.
This was the Divine Peak of Daluo.
A century ago, this very peak witnessed the ascension of a supreme existence — the one who became the Dao Emperor Lian.
Now, atop the Daluo Divine Peak...
A young man clad in black sat in meditative lotus posture.
Each breath he took unleashed waves of radiant solar essence. The Great Sun's divine energy warped the void itself as the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth rushed toward his body like tidal waves, only to be returned the next moment, undisturbed.
The heavens and earth resonated with him — his will merged with the cosmos.
This youth's name… was Shen Lian.
Ten thousand years ago, he transmigrated into this vast fantasy universe.
Since then, Shen Lian had endured a thousand lifetimes' worth of tribulations — clawing his way from obscurity into the annals of cosmic legend.
He trampled sacred ancient lands beneath his feet and shattered Immortal dynasties.
He battled myriad races across the starry heavens, drenched the skies in enemy blood, and emerged from countless trials undefeated.
He crushed peerless geniuses, overwhelmed arrogant paragons, and obliterated entire generations.
His talent stood unrivaled in all realms.
A century ago, he fought alone against the Seven Quasi-Emperors of Jihai, standing atop the sea of realms.
Even in a universe poised against him, he reversed fate, annihilated three thousand lower realms, and slew the seven Quasi-Emperors. As a mere Quasi-Emperor then, he overpowered the reigning Great Emperor of the Realm Sea, ascending beyond mortal comprehension.
That day, a new name echoed through the Heavens:
Emperor Lian.
His ascension shook all of existence.
Heaven and earth dared not look down on him.
The sun, moon, and stars bowed in acknowledgment of his supremacy.
> "For ten thousand years, I was unmatched. My cultivation advanced unhindered, and I swiftly reached the Emperor Realm,"
> "Yet now, a hundred years after attaining the Great Emperor realm... I remain stagnant. No path reveals itself beyond this."
On the summit, Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes. There was disappointment in his gaze.
Though he had grasped the might of the Great Emperor Realm, he found no path beyond it.
To find answers, he traversed every universe and timeline, even daring to battle future versions of himself.
But no matter the timeline, the outcome remained unchanged.
He was still... a Great Emperor. No more, no less.
"Has my destiny been sealed? Is this truly the end?"
He gazed upward, sighing beneath the endless sky.
If the Emperor Realm was truly the final destination, then eternal stagnation would be more painful than death.
Suddenly—
[Ding! The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Realms has issued you an invitation. Will you accept?]
[Friendly Reminder: Accepting the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Realms invitation grants you access to exclusive system rewards!]
A crisp, unfamiliar voice rang out in Shen Lian's mind.
"Hmm?"
His eyes narrowed.
A system?
He'd read of such things in tales during his former life — mystical Gold Fingers, cheat abilities, plot-altering game-changers.
But such systems were often no more than fragments of cosmic will — tools to nurture Chosen Ones and enrich the underlying Heavenly Dao.
To his current eyes, these so-called "systems" were mere toys.
Had it appeared ten thousand years earlier, Shen Lian might have revered it.
Now?
He smirked.
Still, its timing intrigued him.
He unleashed his divine sense, extending it across all heavens and realms.
Golden runes of the Great Dao rotated within his pupils, illuminating the hidden truths of the cosmos.
He sought the origin of the voice — past and future, birth and death — to trace who or what dared play tricks on him.
And yet—
"...Nothing?"
Even he, Emperor Lian, could not discern the source.
This meant only one thing: the being or system behind it… was on a level above his current comprehension.
His eyes sparkled.
"Interesting."
For one who saw through all, such mystery was rare.
He had crushed divine beasts, shattered immortal sects, and slain gods.
Yet now, something stood beyond even his gaze.
"Fine. Let's see what this 'Battlefield of Ten Thousand Realms' truly is."
He accepted.
If it was an enemy, he'd crush it with thunderous might.
If it was fate… then let him challenge fate itself!
[Ding! Congratulations! You have joined the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Realms!]
[Detected: Host is a Nine-Star Combatant, Early Stage — eligible for initiative combat authority.]
[Detected: Host is of the Human Race. You may choose to represent the Deva-Human Alliance.]
Shen Lian's eyes glinted as a glowing screen unfolded before him.
Only he could see it — a cosmic interface.
Each panel displayed a different world — alien, surreal, catastrophic.
Each one depicted humans on the brink of extinction — cities in ruin, rivers running red, and skies ablaze.
He watched as a Supreme Dark Immortal emerged from a forbidden zone, devouring hundreds of millions to push his power beyond limits.
He saw Outer Demons arrive in an ancient Xianxia world, massacring humanity to harvest fate energy.
He saw worlds where self-proclaimed Immortals enslaved humans, turning them into vessels, Gu worms, and tools.
Panel after panel scrolled before his eyes — a multiverse steeped in blood and betrayal.
His expression hardened.
These were no illusions. They were real alternate universes — parallel worlds outside his current cosmic boundary.
"So that's it…"
"The universe I rule is but one among many. These... are different timelines, different Earths."
"And this system allows interdimensional traversal — breaking through the barriers of cosmic separation."
"Hah…"
He chuckled.
This was exciting.
In his world, he had reached the peak.
But beyond his world… new challengers awaited.
He saw in one panel a Prehistoric World — dominated by the Lich Tribes, where the human race was cattle.
The Lich rulers could barely withstand his might, but at least they qualified as worthy opponents.
Then, suddenly—
His gaze froze.
On a blue planet… Earth.
His Earth.
It was under siege.
The skies were falling. Cities crumbled.
Alien invaders swept through human armies with ease. Resistance faltered.
And the humans…
They were dying.
"Earth…"
Shen Lian stood up, his aura shaking the Daluo Divine Peak.
"So this is the battlefield I've been summoned to…"
And with a step—
He descended toward the battlefield of Ten Thousand Realms, where the fate of Earth and the cosmos would collide.