At the beginning of the chapter, our main character, Kim, could be seen lost in deep thought.
His gaze was fixed on the distant sky while a strange idea revolved within his mind.
"People always say that creation comes first..."
"But in my opinion, destruction comes first."
Kim slowly pondered to himself.
"Because creation is extremely valuable."
"Creating a life is not easy."
"But destroying it is very easy."
"That is why, in my view, destruction comes first, and creation comes afterward."
However, Kim was not thinking about this merely to philosophize.
He was thinking about his Inner Courtyard—his Small World.
At present, only Death Energy existed within it.
There was no sign of life anywhere inside.
Yet Kim had a feeling that perhaps, in the future, a new form of creation would be born from that very Death Energy.
While thinking about this, he opened his System.
He remembered that the System had told him his Second Reward would be granted after he arrived at the Imperial Ranking Ceremony of the Nine Heavenly Empire.
However, until now, he had not received it.
Kim carefully looked at the System Panel.
A countdown was displayed before his eyes.
[10]
[9]
[8]
[7]
[6]
[5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
As soon as the countdown ended—
[Second Reward Is Being Granted...]
[Reward Successfully Received!]
Kim's eyes widened.
The moment he saw the reward, a strange expression appeared on his face.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
He could not help but mutter.
He had never expected the System to give him such a reward.
But before he could fully understand what it was, the scene shifted.
Within the vast city of the Nine Heavenly Empire...
Two young women were walking down the street while chatting with each other.
The first young woman was named Vanno.
The second was named Dhanno.
Vanno asked curiously,
"Hey, Dhanno, have you noticed something?"
"There seems to be an unusually large crowd gathering for the Nine Heavenly Ceremony this time."
"Everywhere I look, I see disciples from different sects and clans."
"Do you know what's going on?"
Dhanno looked at her in surprise.
"Hey, Vanno!"
"Don't tell me you really don't know?"
"The Imperial Ranking Ceremony of the Nine Heavenly Empire is much more important this year than ever before."
Curiosity immediately filled Vanno's eyes.
"Why?"
Dhanno smiled.
"Because this time, the Nine Heavenly Empire has announced extremely rare and valuable rewards for all cultivators who rank from First Place all the way to the Top Hundred."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"And besides, this competition is only held once every five years."
"That is why talented disciples from all across the continent have gathered here."
Vanno asked excitedly,
"Are only ordinary disciples participating?"
Dhanno shook her head.
"No."
"I heard that even the Princess of the Ice Destiny Empire will be participating in this competition."
"Not only that, many famous geniuses and top talents have already arrived."
"Those who perform well in this competition may receive special opportunities directly from the Nine Heavenly Empire."
"That is why it is considered the greatest stage for young talents."
Vanno looked at the endless crowd filling the streets.
Indeed, the entire city was packed with talented cultivators.
Everyone wanted to become a part of this grand competition.
At the same time, discussions about the rewards of the Nine Heavenly Imperial Ranking Ceremony were spreading throughout the entire empire.
This time, the Nine Heavenly Empire had announced rewards far more valuable than those of previous years.
First, the rewards for those who entered the Top 100 Rankings were revealed.
Any cultivator who successfully entered the Top 100 would receive high-level cultivation resources, a large number of Spirit Stones, and rare cultivation pills.
In addition, they would obtain recommendations from various famous sects.
With such recommendations, they could easily enter prestigious sects as disciples.
This reward alone was enough to excite countless young cultivators.
However, the rewards announced afterward were even more attractive.
Those who reached the Top 50 Rankings would receive special benefits.
They would gain access to rare cultivation techniques.
At the same time, powerful Spirit Weapons would also be awarded to them.
Not only that, but they would also earn the right to enter the Empire's special training grounds.
These were places that ordinary cultivators could never enter.
Furthermore, they would have the opportunity to receive special honors and rewards directly from the Empire.
Because of this, the Top 50 Rankings were considered extremely prestigious.
However, when the rewards for the Top 10 were announced, excitement instantly swept through the entire hall.
Cultivators who entered the Top 10 Rankings would receive a rare Earth-Grade Cultivation Art.
Such cultivation arts were considered extremely rare and were usually possessed only by great clans and powerful sects.
In addition, each participant would receive a rare Beast Egg.
If their luck was good, an extremely powerful spiritual beast could hatch from it.
But that was not all.
The Top 10 participants would also receive a Secret Realm Entry Token.
This token represented an exceptionally rare opportunity.
Countless cultivators could spend their entire lives without ever obtaining such a chance.
At the same time, they would also receive an opportunity to gain personal guidance from one of the Empire's senior elders.
Upon hearing these rewards, excitement shone in the eyes of countless talented disciples.
However, the rewards that attracted the most attention were those prepared for the Top Three.
Those who achieved a Top 3 Ranking would receive an extremely rare Earth-Grade cultivation material.
Along with it, they would also obtain a clue related to a mysterious Ancient Inheritance.
It was said that this clue could lead to a forgotten inheritance or the treasure of an ancient expert.
Furthermore, they would be granted the honorary status of an Imperial Guard.
This was not merely a symbol of honor, but also a representation of special privileges and prestige throughout the entire Nine Heavenly Empire.
And that was not all.
They would also receive a special resource package filled with an enormous amount of cultivation resources.
These rewards were so rare that many young geniuses spent years preparing solely for the chance to obtain them.
Because of this, the current Nine Heavenly Imperial Ranking Ceremony was regarded as one of the most important competitions of the past several decades.
For the Top 2 rewards, the atmosphere became even more intense.
As soon as the rewards for Second Place were announced, the entire hall fell silent.
The cultivator who secured Second Place would receive a rare Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique.
Earth-Grade techniques were normally possessed only by major sects and powerful families.
In addition, the winner would receive several rare weapons.
They would also obtain 10,000 Spirit Stones, a resource considered extremely valuable for any young cultivator.
With the help of these Spirit Stones, a cultivator's cultivation speed could increase several times over.
And that was not all.
The Second Place winner would also receive personal guidance from a Senior Elder.
Upon hearing these rewards, excitement immediately appeared in the eyes of countless talented disciples.
However, when the rewards for First Place were announced—
The entire empire was truly shaken.
The cultivator who secured First Place would receive a Peak Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique!
The moment this announcement was made, a huge commotion erupted among the cultivators, elders, and representatives of various powers.
After all, Peak Earth-Grade techniques were considered extremely rare and valuable.
Under normal circumstances, obtaining such a technique was almost impossible.
But this was only the beginning.
The First Place winner would also receive several rare Imperial Weapons.
Furthermore, they would gain the right to choose a special weapon of their own preference from the Imperial Treasury.
This opportunity alone was priceless.
In addition, they would be awarded 100,000 Spirit Stones.
The sheer amount of Spirit Stones caused countless young cultivators to gasp in shock.
Yet the most valuable reward had still not been revealed.
The First Place winner would receive a Secret Realm Core Token.
This was considered the most valuable and important reward of the entire competition.
It was said that a great opportunity was hidden within this token, one capable of completely changing a cultivator's fate in the future.
And that was not all.
The champion would also gain access to the continent's most famous library and be allowed to select one cultivation technique of their choice.
After the announcement of these rewards, the entire Nine Heavenly Empire was thrown into an uproar.
Countless talented disciples became eager to participate in the competition.
After all, these rewards were not only valuable—they were life-changing opportunities.
Because of this, the Nine Heavenly Empire publicly announced all of these rewards across the entire continent.
They wanted to ensure that no talented cultivator would miss such a rare opportunity.
Afterward, people's attention shifted toward the Imperial Ranking Ceremony itself.
It was said that this competition was held only once every five years.
And in almost every generation, the top rankings were dominated by talented disciples from major sects and powerful families.
This year would be no different.
The Ten Great Powers of the continent were preparing to send their most talented disciples to participate in the competition.
The Ten Great Families were—
First Family — Ice Family
Second Family — Fire Family
Third Family — Yan Family
Fourth Family — Zi Family
Fifth Family — Yi Family
Sixth Family — Luo Family
Seventh Family — Han Family (Association Sect)
Eighth Family — Iron Family
Ninth Family — Li Family (Ditorio Sect)
Tenth Family — Guo Family
Apart from these Ten Great Powers, numerous sects, clans, and independent cultivators from across the continent would also participate in the competition.
Especially for those talented youths who were not affiliated with any major sect—
This competition was the greatest stage to prove their talent.
The Nine Heavenly Empire had already made a clear announcement.
Any qualified cultivator was eligible to participate in the competition.
Meanwhile, Vanno and Dhanno were still chatting as they discussed the Nine Heavenly Empire.
Vanno asked curiously,
"Dhanno, is it true that a huge political struggle is taking place within the Nine Heavenly Empire over the Imperial Throne?"
Dhanno glanced around before lowering her voice.
"Of course it's true."
"This matter is hardly a secret throughout the Empire."
"The current Emperor still sits on the throne, but a fierce competition is taking place within the Imperial Family regarding his successor."
The curiosity in Vanno's eyes deepened.
"Then who will become the next heir to the throne?"
Dhanno shook her head.
"No one knows yet."
"Because at present, three Imperial Princesses and four Imperial Princes are competing for the throne."
"They have already formed their own factions."
"The great families, powerful sects, merchant organizations, and influential forces of the Empire are supporting different princes and princesses."
"The more support someone has, the higher their chances of obtaining the throne."
Vanno was astonished.
"So this isn't just a battle of strength, but also a battle of politics?"
Dhanno smiled.
"Exactly."
"Sometimes political battles are even more dangerous than battles fought with swords."
"If you support the wrong side, an entire family could be destroyed."
The two young women continued walking into the crowd while chatting.
However, neither of them knew that another great secret was slowly about to be revealed.
Meanwhile...
Kim was still thinking about his Second Reward.
When he read the information provided by the System, disbelief appeared on his face.
Because this was no ordinary item.
According to the System—
It was connected to an ancient creature whose existence had almost become a legend.
A creature that had once spread terror throughout the Age of Gods.
According to the System's records, during that era, this mysterious insect constantly devoured countless treasures, rare resources, and energy-rich objects.
It was said that it could absorb not only inanimate objects but even the power of living beings.
Its destructive ability was so terrifying that even numerous gods found it extremely difficult to deal with.
According to the legends, countless wars had been fought in an attempt to stop it.
Yet none of them were able to completely eliminate the creature.
Finally, when the Age of Gods was approaching its end, a mysterious Supreme God appeared.
And it was that Supreme God who sealed the terrifying creature within a forbidden region.
After that, the creature's name gradually disappeared from history.
As time passed, its existence remained only within ancient tales and forgotten legends.
But now...
The System had given Kim a reward related to that very ancient creature.
And the name of that creature was—
Renu God Realm Insect.
An extremely rare ancient beetle-type insect.
A creature whose existence was believed to have nearly vanished in the current era.
Kim had not yet received its complete information.
But just how powerful was this insect?
What abilities did it possess?
Thank You For Reading The Chapter!
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With great excitement, I conclude Chapter 30 here.
Just Wait...
Chapter 31 Coming Soon.
In the next chapter, we will learn—
What are the true abilities of the Renu God Realm Insect, and why was it considered such a terrifying creature during the Age of Gods?