The Ethereal Divine Palace, to be precise, was not located on the Ultimate Continent.
The Ethereal Divine Palace resided in a void, jointly constructed by the domain lords of the Five Regions and the leaders of the Four Pinnacle Forces.
In the past, the disciples’ competitions and various events of the Nine Great Forces were almost exclusively held in the Ethereal Divine Palace. After all, the Ethereal Divine Palace was built by the combined efforts of the leaders of the Nine Great Forces, and its defensive capabilities were beyond imagination.
Furthermore, the Ethereal Divine Palace held a special status. Major affairs concerning the Ultimate Continent were almost all deliberated within the Ethereal Divine Palace.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Ethereal Divine Palace was the central nexus and connective tissue for all the forces on the Ultimate Continent.
Buzz!
Accompanied by a humming sound, a figure appeared outside Falling Moon City. This person was none other than Li Xuan, who had emerged from his seclusion.
"Young Master, there are hardly any Spirit Masters left in this city. It seems they have all gone to the Ethereal Divine Palace," the Heavenly Dao Brush's voice echoed in Li Xuan's mind.
Li Xuan nodded slightly upon hearing this and then asked, "How does one travel to the Ethereal Divine Palace?"
The Heavenly Dao Brush replied, "That's simple. Young Master, you only need to speak your intention to compete to the heavens. At that time, the Ethereal Light will transport you to the location of the Ethereal Divine Palace."
"Ethereal Light? This method is truly ingenious!" Li Xuan exclaimed in surprise. He wished he had asked the Heavenly Dao Brush outside the cave earlier.
The next moment, Li Xuan raised his head and looked towards the sky, saying, "I compete."
Boom!
As soon as Li Xuan's words fell, a white light descended from the heavens, instantly engulfing Li Xuan before he vanished.
In the void, beneath the starry sky.
A colossal palace loomed into Li Xuan's sight.
Li Xuan estimated that this palace was roughly the size of Earth, where he had undergone soul training in his past life.
The only difference was that on Earth, land occupied only about thirty percent of the surface. This palace, however, was a complete entity.
"Early Innate Realm, Class C Palace." As Li Xuan appeared, a disciple guiding newcomers glanced at him and spoke.
Li Xuan looked up and saw four small palaces to his right: Class A, B, C, and D. They were called "small palaces" only in comparison to the behemoth main palace.
Beyond them, larger and smaller palaces of various sizes stood tall.
Li Xuan estimated that such a Class C palace could accommodate nearly a million people.
"So many people? This Human Ranking does indeed have a threshold," Li Xuan said, stunned by the scene inside the palace.
Within the vast palace, although not a million, there were nearly three hundred thousand people. Each participant occupied a space of nearly two zhang, indicating the immense scale.
And if all four palaces were similarly crowded, the number of contestants would be astronomical.
"The Ultimate Continent is, after all, the center of the Nine-Dimensional World, so having so many participants is normal. And to be ranked among so many people, the value of such a ranking can only be imagined," the Heavenly Dao Brush's voice resounded in Li Xuan's mind.
Li Xuan nodded slightly, acknowledging that the crème de la crème, sifted from such a multitude, would indeed hold significant weight. However, the intensity of the competition, even for Li Xuan, stirred a surge of excitement.
"Brother, may I ask your esteemed name and which force you hail from?" As Li Xuan found a corner to sit down, a figure approached him with anticipation and asked.
Li Xuan was momentarily taken aback, then clasped his fists and returned the greeting, "I am Li Xuan, a mere rogue cultivator."
"No affiliation?" The man frowned upon hearing this, his originally eager expression cooling slightly.
"None," Li Xuan replied. Seeing this, Li Xuan realized the man intended to forge connections with disciples of the Nine Great Pinnacle Forces and said with a wry smile.
"Wasted effort." The man pouted, then without another word, turned and headed towards newly arriving contestants.
"Seriously!" Li Xuan was speechless.
"These people are like this. Their origins are not low, but they appear insignificant before the Nine Great Pinnacle Forces. And being able to befriend some prodigies can be of great help to them in the future. Since you have no background, naturally, people like them would look down on you," a man sitting beside Li Xuan said with a smile, glancing at the departing figure.
"Were you also approached?" Li Xuan asked curiously, looking at the man.
The man chuckled wryly, "My force is negligible, so the result was no different from yours."
Li Xuan smiled and said, "Don't these people know that being strong in oneself is the best?"
"But sometimes, a powerful background is also a form of strength. If one is a disciple of the Nine Great Pinnacle Forces, even if their strength is somewhat lacking, no one would dare provoke them," the man sighed.
"The human relationships and worldly affairs in this world are truly difficult to decipher. I am Li Xuan, and may I know your name, brother?" Li Xuan said with a smile.
The man nodded, "My name is He Yi."