Volume One: The Game of the Controllers Chapter Seventy-Three: The Mysterious Envoy

Above the Tiandou Star, a mass of white mist appeared out of thin air. As for what lay within the cloud, even Zhang Xingfeng, who could command the spatial source power of the Heart of Heaven Realm, had no way of discerning it.

"You youngsters of the Heart of Heaven Realm," suddenly, a deep voice resounded from within the mist. "Ten years from now, Tiandou Star will host an arena. All holders of golden tokens may participate. The victor of the tournament will automatically become a candidate to receive the spirit treasure."

Zhang Xingfeng and Qin Shuang were on Tiandou Star, nearest to the mist, and thus most astonished—especially Zhang Xingfeng. Having fused with the spatial source power of the Heart of Heaven Realm, Zhang Xingfeng was now one with the realm itself; not even the most obscure corner could escape his senses. Yet this voice pierced through all space in the Heart of Heaven Realm, allowing anyone within it to hear clearly, while Zhang Xingfeng had no power to stop it.

"Whoosh..." Zhang Xingfeng and Qin Shuang felt the space before them blur, and in the next instant, to their horror, they found themselves surrounded by clouds.

"Excellent, excellent," the deep voice sounded again amid the mist. "I had not expected such beings to exist in the Heart of Heaven Realm. One has mastered the spatial source power, and the other, their soul has reached the peak of upper-level Divine Being, and their artifact is at the grade of a lower-tier celestial artifact." The voice clicked its tongue approvingly. "With your strength, you two should advance directly, sparing this envoy the trouble."

"Envoy?" Qin Shuang and Zhang Xingfeng were utterly shaken. To create a separate space, immune to Zhang Xingfeng's control, would require at least a Divine King; yet such an individual claimed merely to be an envoy.

They exchanged a glance and instantly understood each other's thoughts. "Qin Shuang was right before—this battle for the spirit treasure must be the work of some Heavenly Venerable."

"Honored envoy... may I ask which Divine King you are?" Qin Shuang ventured. There were dozens of Divine Kings in the Divine Realm, but those unknown to Qin Shuang numbered less than five.

"Divine King?" The voice paused momentarily, then laughed. "When did I say I was a Divine King? You two youngsters, do not speculate."

"Not a Divine King?" Qin Shuang frowned. To open a space in the lower realm without being a Divine King—perhaps only an array master could do it. But could an array escape Zhang Xingfeng's detection?

"Honored envoy," Zhang Xingfeng said, "we do not guess at your status, but why wait ten years to begin the tournament? If I am not mistaken, these ten years will see countless casualties, even among the people of the Heart of Heaven Realm." Zhang Xingfeng understood clearly: only those with tokens could enter the tournament. To obtain a token, one must slay the invading eighth- and ninth-level Immortal Emperors and Demon Emperors. Those emperors, seeking to reduce rivals, would not stand idly by.

Thus, these ten years would surely be the bloodiest in the realm's history.

"Haha! You, as master of the Heart of Heaven Realm, would you not restrict your people from vying for tokens? Let the outsiders fight among themselves." The voice was disdainful, unconcerned about the fate of the realm's top experts.

"Though I have fused with the spatial source power of the realm, its lives do not belong to me. Whatever they wish to do, I have no right to interfere," Zhang Xingfeng sighed. "To restrict them from seeking tokens or tournament entry—such a thing is simply impossible."

"You youngster!" The voice abruptly grew cold and chilling. "Is it your place to lecture this envoy? Do not think that your fusion with the spatial source power makes you untouchable."

"You..." Zhang Xingfeng was about to flare up when suddenly his soul trembled, followed immediately by immense pain in both body and soul.

Zhang Xingfeng struggled desperately. The other seemed to observe his struggle and laughed mockingly, "Having fused with the Heart of Heaven Realm, I cannot kill you outright, but to torment you is quite easy."

"Senior, please stop!" Qin Shuang called out. "Brother Zhang acted for the sake of the realm's lives. After countless years of bitter cultivation, to reach such heights, and yet have one's life toyed with by others—no one could accept this."

"Cannot accept?" The voice sneered. "Even Divine Kings are toyed with by others. If they accept it, why not these Immortal Emperors?" Though the words were harsh, the torment of Zhang Xingfeng ceased.

"You call yourself an envoy, yet perhaps your own fate is beyond your control," Qin Shuang continued. "I do not know your true cultivation, but I am certain that above you, there are those who control your life and death. Surely you understand this feeling."

The envoy’s voice was silent for a moment, then said, "Indeed, but I have chosen to accept it. You... you two, and all lives in the Heart of Heaven Realm, must do the same. Defying fate is not easily done."

"Enough. I have spoken enough. From now, Tiandou Star is sealed, to reopen in ten years. Meanwhile, you two will stay here with me." The envoy spoke domineeringly.

Ten years—for many, even a single retreat by an ordinary Celestial might last longer. Often, ten years is a unit used by cultivators. Yet in the Heart of Heaven Realm, the strongest realm in the second layer of Lin Meng’s universe, life was spent in ceaseless slaughter.

These ten years were more chaotic than the previous century. Those experts who had been deprived of tokens, and those from the realm without tokens, all slaughtered one another to obtain one. Those holding tokens were not idle either, for in the pursuit of the spirit treasure, fewer rivals meant better odds.

On Tianyue Star, Zhang Xingfeng’s home, not a soul dared stir trouble during these ten years, thanks to his reputation. This spared the guests who had followed Qin Shuang there much inconvenience.

Perhaps it was fate; though much blood was spilled among the Immortal Emperors and Demon Emperors, in the end the number of tokens remained unchanged. Few held multiple tokens, and the experts’ plans to reduce competitors utterly failed.

Tiandou Star, once a vast world devoid even of shadows, had now become the marvel of the Heart of Heaven Realm.

Over three million Immortal Emperors gathered here, with the weakest among them being eighth-level. Such a concentration of power would intimidate even ordinary Divine Beings.

The gravity on Tiandou Star was immense. Even these top beings of all realms were greatly constrained. Gone were the days when a single strike could destroy a planet; now, even blasting a pit dozens of meters deep was a luxury.

In the sky, the cloud mist still floated. No one could discern its mysteries, nor guess that countless battles of the past ten years had all stemmed from a single utterance within it.

"Haha, youngsters, you arrived in time. These ten years, you surely enjoyed yourselves!" The envoy's deep voice rang out again, shocking every heart.

"Enjoyed?" Everyone could only smile bitterly. The past ten years had indeed been eventful.

"Very well, I must tell you, not everyone is qualified to enter the arena," the envoy said, his tone laced with mischief. The three million below shuddered.

Not everyone qualified? Wasn't possessing a golden token enough?

"Having a golden token is the first prerequisite," the envoy explained. "The second is to pass two tests of mine."

Tests? The weakest here was an eighth-level Immortal Emperor—who would fear tests? Almost all dismissed the envoy’s words.

"My first test: whoever can stand for more than one hour under my gravity control," the envoy declared. In that instant, Tiandou Star's gravity doubled again.

"This test is simple," the envoy said easily. "Here, seventh-level Immortal Emperor is the minimum to survive. Each hour, every three minutes, I will double the gravity."

"Whoosh!" An eighth-level Immortal Emperor suddenly felt the ground sink beneath his feet. Three minutes passed, and the gravity indeed doubled.

Every three minutes, the gravity doubled. After an hour, it would be over one million times greater... The terrifying calculation flashed through everyone’s mind. And this was based on the minimum gravity a seventh-level Immortal Emperor could endure.

(To be continued)