"Look! Look! Look! Mommy, SHOOTING STARS!" A young boy of five years jumped up and down, shaking his mother's hand with youthful energy, growing curiosity, and innocent astonishment. Alongside his mother, a young farmer's wife, they were mere residents of a tiny-sized planet in the vast stellar region, yet they stared at the skies without being able to look away.
The mother's limpid eyes reflected endless colorful lights crossing through the sky, large and small, and they were all absurdly far away and beyond her imagination. She opened her mouth and breathed out a single word: "Wow."
They weren't the only ones to be drawn by the phenomenal spectacle beyond their sky. Planets throughout the Aeternal Sky Starfield, especially the Everlore Domain, were welcomed by this marvelous display. Some were curious and ignorant, too young, too weak, and too uneducated to comprehend the cause of such an event, but others, oh the others were all unimaginably excited.
It was soon to begin!
The congregation of exceptional experts, true talents, and legendary leaders across their known world—the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region! An event of such grand proportions that the last three Golden Auctions hadn't received nearly as much attention!
Hosted by the Everlore Association, held on their capital planet Ever-Sky, and led by the strongest beings in the world, the Saint Cyclic Renewal Summit was undoubtedly happening! Set to redefine the standards of 'Chosen', the era of their cultivation world was bound to change. It would change in ways that would affect every life, present and future.
Over the next three days, the Everlore Domain became crowded with Voidships! Be it tiny-sized, small-sized, medium-sized, large-sized, or titanic-sized, they were all here. As varying streams of colorful lights, these ships were adorned above them and on their sides spiritual projections designating their mighty forces. An announcement of sorts.
Every established force with the qualifications to enlist a Chosen, independent or otherwise, was present. Those from below could see countless symbols and characters designating Mortal-tier and Mystic-tier forces that originated from every corner of the stellar region.
Those Mortal-tier forces that held the qualifications to participate, to be given the slightest of voices, were not the lowest-ranked bronze forces, but the silver-rank and gold-rank forces. These forces not only had leaders at the Ninth Stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Star Core Phase, and the Tenth Stage of the Astral Core Realm(by stellar region standards), the Mystic Star Phase, respectively, but they had the qualifications to send in Chosen of their own to participate in the Chosen King Competition.
Silver-rank forces were allotted a single entry while gold-rank forces were given two. While Mystic-tier forces, regardless of their rank, led by 'genuine' Ascended beings, were given three slots for Chosen. In determining the qualifications to Chosen, elevated standards will certainly affect lesser forces than those higher. In fact, going into the summit, many of the younger generation of these Mystic-tier forces felt their position was unshakeable.
Only those with a keen mind and grasp of the impact of the two alchemical products, the Ever-Domain Pill and Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill, including the time differential of six thousand years since these standards were set, would understand the world-shaking changes that will certainly unfold.
Those Mortal-tier forces weren't just here to spectate, but try their best not to remain qualified to still have Chosen! A desperate bid amid the raging excitement to secure their spots!
They feared only one result: An exaggerated elevation that only the elite forces could nurture!
Therefore, they needed to show their strength, their accumulation, and their right to participate in the actual discussion and possess a legitimate voice! These forces occupied the Dark Void of the Everlore Domain, gathering their Voidships, their military, their top-notch experts, and fielded them to arrive in an open and flamboyant manner.
Of course, as they wished to show off, how could the strongest forces not feel similar? And if the Mortal-tier forces could be considered extravagant, trying to eke out a justification for their voice to matter, the Mystic-tier forces were overwhelming.
Utterly and completely overwhelming!
Dozens of ships outfitted for war and death, exuding pristinely refined and rich auras from their ships, their projected spiritual symbols, and their elites. They came on full-force without holding back. A measuring contest that could only make those Mortal-tier forces feel beneath the word: Inadequate.
The sharp contrast between the forces justified the differences in their tier.
A silver-rank Sect Master of a force from the Treasured Light Starfield stood at the bow of his ship, exuding his Starlord-level aura with high intensity had instantly stopped upon entering the Everlore Domain. The auras emitted from the ships themselves dwarfed him, causing his eyes to widen, his heart to shake, and his men beside him to become dispirited.
They were like ants wading through a sea of tigers. By happenstance, he saw his rival force at a nondescript corner of the Dark Void, utterly silent, as they hid beneath the shadow of another. When he saw its spiritual projection designating their identity, his heart pounded with dejection!
He Clan!
A Noble Clan of the Aeternal Sky Starfield!
Like scared mice, his once respected enemy that had talked up a mighty game before had been reduced to such a pathetic showing. Swelled with complex emotions, his aura still blaring, he suddenly felt a pulse of spiritual strength that snuffed out his roused aura like a small flame in a rainstorm.
He lifted his head, alongside his armored men who were ready to reveal their brilliance, and his personal disciple, the Chosen of their force, to witness an ever-encroaching shadow that overtook their figure, blotting out the Aeternal Sky Star's light rays. Drowned in almost complete darkness, their eyes widened as the hull projected their only source of light. Spiritual characters!
It read: "Ninth Tempest."
His eyes bulged as he realized that this gigantic-sized Voidship belonged to none other than the World Tempest Starfield's current reigning leader, the Ninth Tempest Palace! He gulped heavily.
In comparison to his medium-sized Voidship, the pride and joy of his life, their dark-green Voidship made him feel insignificant. A tiny speck in a grand sea. However, his heart felt even more tiny from what he saw next. A wake of other Voidships, rivaling and exceeding his own in size, quality, and function. Dozens of them!
Just like his rival, the Ninth Tempest's lead ship and three dozen of following ships reduced him to a corner, parked and forgotten. The experts on the bow of those ships were at minimum genuine Ascended beings! And these Ascended beings were mere followers! Despair began to develop in his heart, infesting his mind with a sense of inferiority.
This redefining of Chosen…
He looked to his young, gifted Chosen of his sect. His personal disciple that he had spent hundreds of years developing in the hopes of doing well in the Chosen King Competition. While he never had the hope of claiming such a glorious title, he now felt like it might be impossible to even participate. These forces had means far beyond theirs.
What voice could he have?
This feeling was not uniquely his, but an infectious splash of reality that washed over all the silver-rank and even some gold-rank forces. Would Mortal-tier forces be pushed out of the competition completely? Would they be…
However, the Chosen's brightly lit eyes were not filled with defeatism and nihilistic beliefs. While those eyes reflected the immensity of the world, it wasn't enough to ground his spirit born of unimaginable challenges. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and recited in the depths of his unyielding heart: "I will…"
"...not underestimate anyone, Senior Sister Lin." A handsome youth said as he stared at the world-quaking gathering of talents and experts. The event hadn't begun yet, but a feeling of pressure couldn't help but envelope his heart. It was Lin Ming!
Beside him, a golden-blonde haired woman of astonishing beauty was observing the various Voidships beyond the atmospheric layer of their Voidship. Lin Xianxei had just reminded Lin Ming of the summit and how it was far from simple.
"The Everlore Association has invited all those on the Immortal Rankings and Mortal Sovereign Alchemists, there's bound to be more than meets the eye to this. We're definitely not here for show, and there could be danger involved." Lin Xianxei once again explained.
Lin Ming's expression grew solemn, looking away from the array of Voidships to locate the center of everyone's attention—Ever-Sky. A large-sized planet with a gorgeous sky-blue surface. It seemed ordinary, not like those exceptional planets with a variety of strange phenomena surrounding it such as the Immortal Yin Planet.
This was explained by Lin Xianxei to be a result of the complete deactivation of all planetary formations and arrays. Yet the planet still looked extremely beautiful, serene, and absolutely amazing to live in. As the capital planet of the Everlore Domain, it was bound to be incredible.
"Mortal Sovereign Alchemists…" Lin Xianxei muttered softly, her eyes glossing over slightly as an image of a silver-eyed man flashed through her mind. He will be here, right?
Lin Ming suddenly felt a thump in his chest, giving Lin Xianxei a look and noticing her absentminded gaze. This was something she did very often recently, her thoughts seemingly occupied by something. He had an uncomfortable feeling as he asked: "Senior Sister Lin, what do you think will change about the Chosen qualification standards?"
"Huh?" Lin Xianxei snapped out of her stupor by that question, her thoughts were forcefully stimulated. This was a question that was on everyone's mind, discussed so often that many mouths have gone dry, and brains stirred into full-blown messes.
What will change?
Lin Xianxei took a deep breath, "Everything; the Chosen qualifications aren't clearly defined, and nothing is set. Thousands of years ago, the King of Everlore set these standards based on a youth he casually nurtured, and everyone eventually was forced to follow it."
"Not clearly defined? What do you mean?" Lin Ming had heard about all sorts of qualifications since his stint as striving for Chosen, such as defeating those three stages above you at certain stages and the Three Chosen Aspects—Human, Spirit, & War. He had to overcome the Three Chosen Aspects Tribulation, facing a Timelord due to his unique circumstances.
Lin Xianxei's eyes closed, "Five hundred years old. That's it. That was the only requirement to participate as a Chosen in the Chosen King Competition. There was nothing else. However, because everyone was only granted a few slots, standards were inevitably established. The youth he nurtured at the time was at the Spatial Resonance Phase, and he could triumph against all those beneath the Realmlord level and fight against genuine Realmlords without losing instantly. While it wasn't too shocking, it became the base standard.
"After the King of Everlore left, the further requirements and things such as the Three Chosen Aspects were developed by the leaders of the starfield to better develop the Chosen culture. However, not many could reach such exceptional strength, so it was lowered almost immediately. Then, over eight hundred years of no one overcoming the first challenge of the competition began. And the standards were changed with King of Everlore's Chosen as the absolute lowest standard allowed.
"This greatly shaped our goals and society until Chosen was commonplace, even amongst silver-rank, Mortal-tier forces. It hadn't changed yet no one was able to claim the title of Chosen King despite thousands of years having passed. Still, the gains and rewards from the competition were enough for many and failure wasn't rampant. We grew complacent. Sadly.
"Now, we've grown far beyond that level. Some Soul Idol Cultivators could fight against ordinary Realmlords with various arts, spells, armaments, and unique methods. For example, Tian Yinwu, a Prince of the Imperial Clan, could fight and defeat a Realmlord at the Sky Ruler Phase. There's a huge difference between fighting and defeating, you should know this."
Lin Ming digested all this and felt his heart quiver. Especially towards the absurd achievements of Tian Yinwu. When he was at the Fifth Stage of the Astral Core Realm, he felt like he had a slight chance of successfully defeating an unsuppressed Realmlord, if he deployed all his trump cards.
"While Tian Yinwu is an abnormal outlier, he's not without those who could contest his achievement, even fighting Realmlords at the Sky Ruler Phase. These are legitimate monsters. I think, for one, defeating a Realmlord at the Light Reflection Phase might be a default elevation of combat requirements." While the stellar region as a whole has been experiencing a continuous decline of results in the Chosen King Competition, the currently established standards were definitely too archaic.
"Defeating a Realmlord at the Light Reflection Phase…" Lin Ming murmured with extreme shock in his heart.
"But with the Neo-Dawn Eclipse Pill's existence," Lin Xianxei said as Lin Ming's eyebrow twitched, continuing: "another layer is added and age relative to cultivation base will definitely factor more importantly now." Considering Lin Ming wasn't fifty yet, this shouldn't be an issue given his cultivation base.
"The most pressing issue isn't the standards of Chosen," Lin Xianxei darkly said in a low tone.
Jolted, Lin Ming gave Lin Xianxei a look, realizing there was something he wasn't aware of. "What is?"
Suddenly, a woman walked towards the duo on the deck, as gorgeous as Lin Xianxei yet far more mature. She exuded a healthy aura and sported an exquisitely tailored robe that accentuated her long legs and exceptional chest, not one bit inferior to Lin Xianxei.
"The most pressing issue is the ranking of forces," Lin Xianxian answered. "The qualifications to have a slot allocated to them. The Everlore Association has the right to change the allocation of forces as they pleased, upholding the King of Everlore's will. Will silver-rank forces be relegated like bronze-rank forces after the eight hundred years of failure? Will Gold-rank forces? Or will it change our ranking structure altogether?" There was far more to it, but she didn't feel the urge to elaborate.
"..." Lin Ming's heart shook once again as he subconsciously glanced at all those silver-rank and gold-rank forces, realizing that they weren't here just for their Chosen, but for themselves.
No wonder…
