Chapter 302: In First Place

Outside the Pocket Realm, the Central Plateau of the Domain Gathering was in complete frenzy.

Thousands of cultivators filled the floating stands arranged in layers that rose toward the sky, all eyes fixed on the dozens of gigantic holographic screens hovering above the plateau like windows into another world. The crystalline projections transmitted real-time images from inside the Pocket Realm, capturing dozens of scenes simultaneously. Groups hunting in teams, lone disciples running among the trees, explosions of Qi illuminating the dark forest.

The air vibrated with a mixture of excitement, high-stakes betting, nervous laughter, and gasps of astonishment. This was the most anticipated event every ten years. No one wanted to miss a single second.

At the center of one of the main screens, a gigantic golden list floated, updating in real time.

First Phase Ranking – Accumulated Points

Position 1° – Kyrian (Verdant Sword Sect) 860 points

Position 2° – Huo Ling (Flame Sword Sect) 402 points

Position 3° – Mu Qing (Ancient Forest Sect) 380 points

Position 4° – Jin Lei (Golden Mountain Sect) 359 points

Position 5° – Yin Xue (Shadow Valley Sect) 350 points

…

Position 10° – Wei Fang (Six Poisons Sect) 280 points

Since the first day, the name at the top had never changed.

“Kyrian” remained isolated in first place like an unreachable mountain. The gap to the second place only grew with each passing hour. While the other names rose and fell according to their hunts, Kyrian’s seemed untouchable.

In the common stands, the chatter was deafening.

“Who is this Kyrian?! I’ve never heard of him before!” shouted a young disciple from a minor domain.

“Verdant Sword Sect? That sect that barely makes the top 30? How is this possible?!”

“He must be cheating somehow… no one accumulates points this fast!”

A group of elders from one of the domains argued heatedly.

“Look at the difference! He has more than double the second place! This isn’t normal, it’s absurd!”

Meanwhile, in the VIP sections reserved for the leaders and elders of the fifty domains, the atmosphere was more controlled, yet filled with palpable tension.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect, seated on his floating throne of living wood, watched the main screen with a faint smile of interest. Beside him, the Flame Sword Leader, a man with blazing hair and an aggressive aura, frowned deeply.

“Kyrian… from such a small sect. Interesting. Very interesting.”

Several other leaders turned their gaze toward Feng Yuan, who sat calmly in his reserved area beside Mei Ran. The weight of dozens of powerful gazes fell upon him all at once.

An elder from the Golden Mountain Domain could not hold back and spoke loudly enough to be heard.

“Leader Feng Yuan, where did this disciple come from? The Verdant Sword Sect has never produced someone like this in past Gatherings. This is… unexpected.”

Feng Yuan smiled slightly, maintaining his composure.

“He is a special case. A talent that appeared naturally.”

Mei Ran, at his side, kept a serene expression, but her eyes shone with contained and deep pride. She had already expected Kyrian to stand out, but seeing such an absurd gap still surprised her internally.

Suddenly, one of the main screens shifted focus dramatically.

The image zoomed in on a deep and shadowy ravine. Everyone saw clearly.

Kyrian is facing a Titanic Wooden Serpent at the 4° stage of the Core Formation Realm.

The entire crowd held their breath at the same time.

The colossal serpent attacked with savage fury, its long body lashing and destroying ancient trees as if they were twigs. Kyrian dodged with minimal and precise movements, almost elegant. His sword cut through the air in clean, pale-green arcs, opening deep wounds in the beast’s reinforced bark.

“He… he’s only at the 1° stage of Core Formation!” someone shouted, incredulous.

“How is he fighting a beast three stages above him so easily?!”

The battle continued on the screen. Kyrian ran along the serpent’s body, planted his sword, reached the head, and destroyed the core with a clean and brutal strike. The titanic serpent collapsed into dead wood, releasing a massive amount of green light that flowed into Kyrian’s leaf.

The golden rune jumped to 874 points.

The entire plateau exploded in a wave of exclamations and shouts.

“Monster!”

“He’s an absolute genius!”

“1° stage of Core Formation and already able to kill 4° stage beasts so effortlessly? That’s not human!”

In the VIP sections, the reactions were even more intense.

The Flame Sword Leader narrowed his eyes, the flaming aura around him trembling slightly.

“That boy… his sword intent is pure. How did a small sect like the Verdant One produce someone like this?”

The Ancient Forest Leader chuckled softly, looking directly at Feng Yuan.

“It seems you hid a dragon among fish, Leader Feng. A very large dragon.”

Several other leaders of powerful domains exchanged meaningful glances. Some were already calculating how to approach Feng Yuan after the Gathering. Recruiting a talent like Kyrian would be a huge gain for any fourth-level force.

Feng Yuan merely smiled calmly, offering no further explanation. Mei Ran, at his side, leaned slightly and murmured only for him.

“He’s dominating the phase alone… as expected.”

Feng Yuan nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the screen where Kyrian had already stored his sword and continued advancing deeper into the forest, as if the fight had been nothing remarkable.

“Yes… and this is only the beginning.”

In the stands, the name “Kyrian” was already being repeated by the thousands. Young disciples looked at the screen with genuine admiration, dreaming of one day reaching the same level. Elders commented on the future of the Verdant Sword Sect.

Meanwhile, on the screens, Kyrian disappeared once more among the ancient trees, running toward new distant roars.

The first phase of the Domain Gathering was only on the fourth day. And the name “Kyrian” had already become the center of all attention at the event.

But Kyrian had no idea of ​​this, although he imagined he was in first place, and he knew that wouldn’t change, because he wanted everyone to pay attention to the Verdant Sword sect. These were his last days in that sect, after all.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep