Chapter 399: Unprecedented

Priam took a deep breath as a dense stream of knowledge flooded his mind. It wasn’t nearly as colossal as the information he had bought from the System; it was clearly just a fundamental introduction. That knowledge only represented the first level of Manifestation.

Possibly, his current rank was acting as a limiter. As he advanced, he would unlock higher levels and receive the subsequent parts of the knowledge.

Priam remained motionless for a while, absorbing and processing every detail. Within two hours, he had already assimilated the entire basic structure and understood how it essentially worked.

’Hmm... basically, it works like a type of absolute dimensional inventory. With this, I won’t need to rely on a spatial ring for anything anymore,’ he muttered in his thoughts. ’As for devouring living beings... it’s better to avoid it as much as possible unless it’s an extreme life-or-death situation. In the future, I’ll have all the Manifestations. If no ordinary Celestial can use more than one type, and I start showing off this ability now, things will get dangerously strange.’

The stronger Priam became, the more he realized how necessary it was to be careful about revealing his trump cards. Once he entered the inner sect, practically any significant action could reach the ears of the Sovereigns’ Heralds.

He still didn’t know exactly who or what those entities were, but the title alone made it clear that they weren’t his allies. Showing more than was strictly necessary was basically asking to be hunted down.

The Sovereigns knew that he was an anomaly infiltrating this world. Priam was still far too weak to resist if he were discovered—and the tragic end of the Sovereign Goddess from the past served as a constant reminder of what happened to those who attracted attention too soon. Even she, who had already reached the level of a Sovereign, hadn’t survived.

Awakening from his analytical trance, he quickly moved toward the gathering point of his army.

He saw that the battle was almost over, so he hurried. Upon reaching the middle of the army, he selected the six most outstanding people and sent them a mental message. Discreetly, Priam approached them and gave each of them a Celestial Mark.

With that, he completed his eighteen Celestials.

An hour later, the entire planet had fallen into absolute silence.

All the combatants stood completely still. The flood of Specters had disappeared entirely.

The eruption had finally come to an end. The Celestial Event was over.

Only at that moment did everyone finally notice Priam in the skies. The army’s eyes turned toward him. Shortly afterward, the thousands of disciples collapsed onto the ground in unison, completely drained of energy and strength.

He sighed as he looked at those people.

A little over ten thousand core disciples had fallen. A mortality rate of around twenty percent—an incredibly low and miraculous number compared to the sect’s expectations, especially considering that no one had anticipated the emergence of an unpredictable third wave.

For several seconds, a deathly silence reigned.

Until the skies across the entire planet were torn apart from end to end.

The dark, freezing mist was dissolved by the radiant light of a new sun, and the grave-like cold gave way to a gentle, restorative warmth. Bathed in the divine radiance, the blood-covered disciples slowly opened their eyes, feeling the light soothe their exhausted souls.

It was the most beautiful beginning to a new day they had ever seen in their lives.

Spatial rifts began appearing in the sky overhead.

In a beam of light, Mishnar emerged alongside several Leader Elders. Right afterward, another gigantic portal tore through the fabric of space, revealing the imposing figure of the sect’s Grand Elder, accompanied by several Inner Elders.

Both groups arrived practically at the same time. However, when they looked down at the ground and saw the forty-two thousand surviving disciples... the expressions on their faces showed indescribable shock.

Their auras became chaotic. Seeing those disciples was the most shocking surprise they had ever witnessed in their lives. Especially... because they knew the final result.

Mishnar was the first to break out of her stupor. As shocking as the scene was, she was already, in a way, getting used to the things surrounding Priam.

She gently descended to the ground, landing directly in front of Priam—the only individual still standing in the middle of a sea of exhausted bodies.

Mishnar’s gaze briefly shifted toward the corner where her son, Inigo, lay helplessly on the ground before returning to Priam, and she let out a long sigh.

In the skies, the Grand Elder waved her hand, channeling a comforting white mist that spread in all directions. The divine energy bathed the fallen disciples, restoring some of their strength and speeding up the recovery of their wounds.

Feeling her vitality return, Nise struggled to her feet and activated the information inscription. When she looked at the ranking, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

*1st Priam – Ironweald Sect – ????????*

*2nd Dandara – Ironweald Sect – 9.8 Billion points*

*3rd Lumiere – Ironweald Sect – 6.6 Billion points*

*4th Shione – Ironweald Sect – 6.3 Billion points*

*5th Flaris – Ironweald Sect – 5.9 Billion points*

*6th Sallya – Ironweald Sect – 4.7 Billion points*

*7th Daraen – Ironweald Sect – 4.6 Billion points*

*8th Inigo – Ironweald Sect – 4.4 Billion points*

*9th Moruo – Ironweald Sect – 4.2 Billion points*

*10th Zeytin – Ironweald Sect – 4.1 Billion points*

Gradually, the disciples began getting to their feet and checking the list. Only then did it sink in: the Ironweald Sect had completely dominated the top ten positions in the entire universe.

Not only that—all forty-two thousand survivors occupied the highest positions on the ranking. In the Top 100, an unbelievable eighty-seven positions belonged exclusively to Ironweald disciples.

And at the very top, Priam’s name stood out in sublime fashion. Unlike every other participant, his name glowed with a magnificent iridescent hue, shimmering like a rainbow itself.

"What? Where are Boss’s kill points?" Dandara murmured in confusion, frowning as she stared at the list.

The others, who had been celebrating their positions in ecstasy, took a moment to notice that bizarre detail. When they did, they were completely dumbfounded.

At the top of the list, beside Priam’s name, there was no number at all. There were only distorted lines in a blood-red hue, whose meaning no one could understand.

"Could it be... that he reached the maximum limit?"

Everyone’s hearts raced at the same time. Priam’s numerical value had simply disappeared. The only plausible explanation was that his score had exceeded the System’s own counting capacity, or that it was numerically impossible to measure the absurd number of points he had accumulated.

It was something unprecedented in the history of the universe—and something that would hardly ever happen again.

"You... congratulations to all of you for becoming Inner Disciples."

Mishnar’s voice echoed with an extremely rare emotional weight. She looked at Inigo lying in the distance and took a deep breath, trying to contain the turmoil of emotions in her chest.

As she looked at those two thousand members of her 11th Branch, she could barely process the magnitude of their achievement.

Most of them were young Sages who had joined the sect only a few years ago, reaching the Sage Realm in record time—a legendary feat that probably not even the greatest sects in the Northern Region could rival.

And now, they had all been promoted to the inner sect simultaneously. More than that, they had left an indelible mark on the history of the entire universe.

"All of you," the Grand Elder’s solemn voice resounded from the skies, interrupting everyone’s thoughts. "There is no time to waste. Even exhausted, the top ten must head into the abyss immediately and enter through one of the channels."

Priam and the other nine selected individuals nodded, excitement shining in their eyes.

"On the other side, there are no enemies," the Grand Elder continued in a grave tone. "It’s a barren and desolate wasteland, a fragment of a lifeless world. However, beneath that barren soil lie countless ancient treasures waiting to be excavated."

She paused briefly, her voice becoming deeper.

"But that isn’t the real objective. At the center of that dimension, there is a single ancient structure. The true prize is hidden inside. If you manage to make your way through it, you may be transported to one of the thousands of chaotic spatial fragments, where Paragon Magic Arts and treasures from other worlds have been sealed away. Practically everyone who has managed to enter that structure has come out with priceless rewards. However, accessing that place is extremely complicated, and there are no guarantees of success."

She took a deep breath before concluding:

"The countdown has already begun. You will have exactly 30 days—720 hours—to explore the region. As soon as the time runs out, you will be automatically expelled."

Priam nodded in agreement and turned toward the nine companions beside him.

Moruo, the 9th-place finisher, was a young Sage who had joined the outer sect around the same time as Priam, becoming part of his faction.

Ironically, he had been one of the members who tried to betray Priam in the past. However, on the day of the first Faction Dispute, when Priam gave the traitors an opportunity to confess, Moruo was the first to admit his mistake and offer his own life to pay for his sin. (Chapter 181)

His genuine remorse earned him Priam’s forgiveness—and that decision proved to be worthwhile. Moruo became the most outstanding member of the faction among the ordinary soldiers, displaying unwavering dedication and loyalty. Later, Priam even turned him into a Celestial.

As for Zeytin, the 10th-place finisher, she was a tall and slender Holy Sage wearing gleaming silver armor; she specialized in defense.

As the leader of the Holy Sages, she had a pure and selfless character, being the first to extend a hand and try to help Priam when he defended the sect’s fortress against the Corrupted Beasts in the past. (Chapter 216)

Initially, her talent was considered below average by the sect’s standards. However, after receiving Priam’s resources and teachings, she proved through sheer hard work that determination could overcome innate talent. Today, she stood as one of the most crucial figures in the faction’s army structure. She had also become a Celestial.

"Let’s go."

Priam signaled to the group. The nine immediately got to their feet and, together, marched toward the abyss.