From the Metropolis to the Strongest in the Cosmos

News of Li Yang’s death initially circulated in a small circle, but then it began to spread.

It wasn’t just the higher-ups of the Eternal Saint Hall; even the geniuses from Li Yang’s own cohort had heard the news.

”Li Yang is dead?”

「Lianyun Mountain Range」

Lan Yu received the news and was stunned.

He had already come to terms with Li Yang surpassing him. His mindset had shifted, and he was ready to treat Li Yang as the next rival he had to overcome!

But then, he suddenly received the news of Li Yang’s death.

Lan Yu wasn’t sure what to feel. With Li Yang gone, he would logically be the top genius, second only to Mixed Void, but he felt no joy at all.

’Li Yang, I refuse to believe you’d die so easily.’ A glint appeared in his eyes. ”I’m going to defeat you, fair and square.”

He wanted to defeat Li Yang honorably, not for their rivalry to end so abruptly.

...

The news continued to spread. At first, many refused to believe it. But as time passed—one year, two years... five years...

A full ten years passed with not a single trace of Li Yang in the Lingyue World.

This time, even those who had refused to believe were finally forced to accept that Li Yang was dead.

If nothing had happened, Li Yang would never have stayed in one place for over a decade.

Throughout the Human Race, countless powerful experts discussed the matter, lamenting Li Yang’s fate.

For such a peerless genius, who had only just begun to reveal his world-class Talent, to be gone just like that... dead in the Sharpening Space.

...

「Yangyuan Empire」

The Yangyuan Emperor sat silently in his palace.

’Ten years have passed. Has Li Yang... really fallen?’ The expression on the Yangyuan Emperor’s face was unreadable.

Even if he had held out some small hope before, by now, basically everyone believed Li Yang had perished.

WHOOSH!

Just then, the Deity Flame appeared and said respectfully, ”Emperor, Yuan Lan is outside the palace again, petitioning for you to release Tian Luo.”

With Li Yang in the picture, even though Tian Luo had received a fortuitous inheritance that would allow him to become a Dual Pantheon Deity in the future, the Yangyuan Emperor had still sided with Li Yang without hesitation and had no intention of releasing Tian Luo.

However, after the news of Li Yang’s ”death” spread, Yuan Lan had come several times to petition for Tian Luo’s release.

The Yangyuan Emperor had ignored him the first two times. This was the third.

This time, however, the Yangyuan Emperor hesitated.

’Before, when faced with a peerless genius like Li Yang, sacrificing Tian Luo—even one destined to become a Dual Pantheon Deity—was an easy choice.’

’After all, Tian Luo had targeted Li Yang during the genius selection trials. Their relationship was one of life and death. Once Li Yang became powerful, he would likely have moved against Tian Luo.’

’Of course, he would side with Li Yang.’

’But now that Li Yang had fallen, should he really keep a future Dual Pantheon Deity locked up?’

’Among his subordinates, the strongest were Deities who had mastered three laws; he only had five such Tri-System Deities.’

’Let a future Dual Pantheon Deity like Tian Luo languish in the Third Prison forever?’

’He had once said he would release Tian Luo upon his breakthrough to the Divine Realm. And with his new inheritance, that breakthrough was now a certainty.’

’Should he wait until Tian Luo actually made that breakthrough? Looking at it now, that seemed completely unnecessary.’

The Deity Flame dared not speak, awaiting the Yangyuan Emperor’s decision.

After a few seconds, the Yangyuan Emperor ordered, ”Release Tian Luo.”

Ultimately, the Yangyuan Emperor decided to release Tian Luo ahead of schedule.

For a being like the Yangyuan Emperor, self-interest naturally came first.

Before, when Li Yang showed immense Talent, he had sided with him completely.

He had already become a laughingstock over the incident with Sword Mark becoming an Emperor. To prevent a repeat of that embarrassment with Li Yang, he had done everything in his power to get on Li Yang’s good side.

His subordinate forces were stationed on Earth; he had even established numerous cooperative agreements to help Earth’s development. All of this, clearly, was done to curry favor with Li Yang.

This way, in the future, even if Li Yang became an Emperor, their relationship wouldn’t be like the one he had with Sword Mark.

That was why, even after Tian Luo obtained his fortuitous inheritance, he had still sided completely with Li Yang and kept Tian Luo imprisoned.

But now, with Li Yang’s ”death,” everything had changed.

’What was the point of keeping a future Dual Pantheon Deity imprisoned?’

Thus, the Yangyuan Emperor’s decision changed in an instant.

Hearing the Yangyuan Emperor’s command, the Deity Flame replied immediately, ”Yes, Emperor.”

’He sighed inwardly. Back during the genius selection trials, Li Yang had been on the rise when Tian Luo forcefully had him eliminated, preventing the Yangyuan Empire from recruiting him. This had enraged the Yangyuan Emperor, who had immediately imprisoned Tian Luo.’

’Of the two geniuses, one—Tian Luo—was imprisoned, while the other—Li Yang—entered the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall, his power growing continuously as he rose meteorically! Their fates were as different as heaven and earth.’

’And now, in such a short time, their fates had completely reversed. Li Yang was dead in the Sharpening Space, while Tian Luo had received a fortuitous inheritance, was guaranteed to become a Dual Pantheon Deity, and would become one of the most powerful experts in the Yangyuan Empire.’

...

The Yangyuan Empire’s prisons were divided into nine levels. The Third Prison was for holding the relatively weak.

Just then, a young man entered the Third Prison, laughing heartily. ”Haha, Tian Luo! I’ve come to see you again. And I’ve got some good news.”

”Oh? And what good news would that be?” a young man asked coolly.

This young man’s skin was entirely blue. He had strange antennae sprouting from his head and a tail growing from his back. A faint, black mystical pattern traced across his face, and his eyes were purple... It was none other than Tian Luo.

Though he was in prison, Tian Luo showed no signs of despair. Instead, he was cultivating calmly.

’Back when Li Yang entered the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall and he himself was thrown into the Third Prison, Tian Luo had thought he was finished. He had expected to die in that prison.’

’But heaven had not abandoned him. In a corner of the Third Prison, he had stumbled upon a fortuitous inheritance!’

’With that inheritance, he could become a Dual Pantheon Deity without any bottlenecks. However, it also came with a limitation: he would never be able to break through beyond that.’

’But from his previous perspective, becoming even an ordinary Deity had been his greatest wish. The chance to become a Dual Pantheon Deity was far beyond his wildest dreams, so of course, he accepted the inheritance without a moment’s hesitation.’

’Afterward, he had spread the news, hoping the Yangyuan Emperor would release him.’

’However, Li Yang’s progress in the Human Race’s Eternal Saint Hall was astonishing. He had even been hailed as a peerless genius, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in tens of billions of years.’

’Compared to Li Yang, even with his great inheritance, there was no hope of release. Even if he became a Deity, he would remain imprisoned, perhaps for countless eons.’

’At that point, Tian Luo had begun to hope with all his being that Li Yang would fall, that he would die before he could reach his full potential.’

’Only Li Yang’s death could secure his freedom.’

’He had prayed for it, and once again, the heavens had smiled upon him!’

’Just a few days later, the news of Li Yang’s ”death” had actually arrived!’

’And now, ten years later, Li Yang’s death was finally confirmed!’