Unrivaled Comprehension: From Mortal to Immortal King

Snowflakes fell in a flurry, covering the ground and hiding the bloodstains beneath. 

The Painted Scholar spoke, "The Battle of the Hundred Clans is a reward mechanism set up by the Heavenly Dao in the dimensional battlefield. There are too many races in the battlefield, and the constant skirmishes led to frequent destruction of entire tribes. At one point, several tribes were wiped out daily. If it continued like that, the battlefield would collapse, and the other races would be extinguished. So, the Heavenly Dao intervened and established the Heavenly Dao Golden List, ranking the hundred tribes and rewarding them with core ancient cities every three thousand years."

Lin Jiufeng nodded, "I know about the Heavenly Dao Golden List. In the first battle, humanity suffered heavy losses, only ranking 90th."

The Painted Scholar nodded. "That time, humanity was surrounded on all sides, and internal betrayal led to the failure of the Nine Provinces Lamp. Other tribes joined forces and took advantage of humanity's weakness. In the end, humanity barely managed to hold on, winning ten core ancient cities, but after that, we never truly rose again."

"Since then, humanity has been on the brink of extinction several times, but the core ancient cities granted by the Heavenly Dao kept us alive, preserving our last hope," the Painted Scholar continued.

Lin Jiufeng asked, "What is the use of these core ancient cities?"

The Painted Scholar's gaze turned toward the core ancient city of humanity, now sitting quietly in the snowstorm. The protective Four Saints Formation had disappeared, leaving the city covered in white.

"The only purpose of these core ancient cities is to prevent those ancient beings in the dimensional battlefield from wiping out the tribes easily," the Painted Scholar said solemnly. "As time passed from the first to the hundredth Battle of the Hundred Clans, hundreds of thousands of years have passed. The top tribes have powerful ancestors, each on the brink of ascension, immensely powerful. Take the Ancient King Tribe, for example; there are thirteen renowned ancestors among them. If they targeted humanity, even with all our struggles, we would have no way to resist."

Lin Jiufeng understood. "So, the Heavenly Dao's core cities stop these terrifying beings from interfering, which is why the thirteen tribes formed an alliance. Otherwise, exterminating humanity would be simple."

The Painted Scholar nodded and walked toward the core ancient city, his hands behind his back. "The alliance of the thirteen tribes was blocked, giving us some time. Soon, the Battle of the Hundred Clans will begin, and these tribes won't have the time to focus on us."

Lin Jiufeng followed, asking, "I heard that the top 100 tribes must participate. That's why the Purple-Blue Ancestor King was so certain we would join, right?"

The Painted Scholar nodded. "Exactly. The top 100 tribes must participate. Even if we aren't in the top 100, we still have to join. To rise again and stop humanity from constantly being on the edge of collapse, we need to gain enough Heavenly Dao Essence."

Lin Jiufeng asked curiously, "What is the use of Heavenly Dao Essence?"

"Heavenly Dao Essence helps you comprehend the Dao, improve your cultivation, and provides immense spiritual energy to your tribe. It has many benefits. Our goal this time is to stay in the top 100 tribes," the Painted Scholar explained.

"When does the Battle of the Hundred Clans start?" Lin Jiufeng asked.

"A month from now," the Painted Scholar answered.

"How many people from humanity are participating?" Lin Jiufeng asked again.

"Currently, only three," the Painted Scholar said after a brief pause, sounding somewhat helpless.

Lin Jiufeng was stunned. Hesitantly, she asked, "These three people are… the Painted Scholar, the Sword God Emperor Liu, and... me?"

The Sword God Emperor Liu emerged from the void, smiling. "Congratulations, you're right!"

Lin Jiufeng was at a loss for words.

No wonder many of the tribes were dissatisfied. Humanity's strength was truly lacking.

The Painted Scholar explained to Lin Jiufeng, "Humanity has only just shaken off its previous decline. The younger generation has only been cultivating for twenty or thirty years, so they can't participate in the battle. That's why we must step in."

Lin Jiufeng asked curiously, "How is the Battle of the Hundred Clans held?"

"The battle takes place in an ancient battlefield, a vast area isolated by the Heavenly Dao. The participating tribes can send up to 100 members. Each person has a jade token representing their points. By killing others and taking their jade tokens, you can absorb their points. At the end, the tribes are ranked according to their points," the Painted Scholar explained.

"If that's the case, aren't we at a disadvantage with just three people?" Lin Jiufeng frowned.

"There's no choice. Once we enter the battlefield, we have to be careful and try to gain as many points as possible. As long as we stay in the top 100, that will be enough," Sword God Emperor Liu said.

The three of them continued their conversation as they entered the core ancient city, heading toward the elegant courtyard they had stayed in before.

Outside, the cold wind howled, and snow piled high.

Inside, it was spring, with vibrant greenery.

Lin Jiufeng and the Painted Scholar sat down together to discuss the Battle of the Hundred Clans.

"Can anyone participate in the Battle of the Hundred Clans?" Lin Jiufeng asked curiously.

"Not anyone. If your cultivation exceeds the level of Human Immortal, you won't be able to enter the battlefield," the Painted Scholar shook his head.

"Human Immortal?" Lin Jiufeng asked in confusion.

At this point, Sword God Emperor Liu spoke, "After you pass the eighteen Forbidden Winds and Fire Tribulations, you will embark on the path to immortality. The road to immortality is treacherous, and you need to overcome three stages: Human Immortal, Mortal Immortal, and Transcendent Immortal. After completing these three stages, you will reach the highest realm of the human world, known as the Immortal of the World, or Godhood."

Lin Jiufeng was amazed. "I had no idea there were so many stages after the eighteen forbidden tribulations."

Human Immortal, Mortal Immortal, Transcendent Immortal, and Immortal of the World! These were stages Lin Jiufeng had never heard of before. He looked at the Painted Scholar and asked, "Are you a Human Immortal?"

The Painted Scholar smiled faintly and nodded. "I suppose so."

"He is at the peak of the Human Immortal realm. If it weren't for the Battle of the Hundred Clans, he would have already broken through," Sword God Emperor Liu added.

"I can wait until after we enter the battlefield to break through, helping to shoulder the pressure from the top-tier experts. You two can focus on cultivating while we are in the battlefield," the Painted Scholar said.

"How long will the Battle of the Hundred Clans last?" Lin Jiufeng raised an eyebrow and asked.

"One hundred years," Sword God Emperor Liu replied.

"One hundred years?" Lin Jiufeng was shocked. "A hundred years away? Don't you worry about humanity while you're gone?"

"No, the time flow inside the Heavenly Dao-controlled battlefield is different from the outside world. One hundred years inside the battlefield equals only one year outside. During that time, the core cities granted by the Heavenly Dao will protect the people, so we don't need to worry about humanity's safety," the Painted Scholar explained.

"Also, once we enter the battlefield, we can quickly comprehend the Dao. The battlefield is a remnant of an ancient war, with many legacies and opportunities left by previous generations," Sword God Emperor Liu added.

"Three thousand years ago, during the last Battle of the Hundred Clans, a Red-Clad Maiden represented humanity," the Painted Scholar suddenly said.

"Who?" Lin Jiufeng looked at the Painted Scholar in surprise.

The Red-Clad Maiden?