The Dao Sect's outer court buzzed with fervor as the morning of the ranking battle dawned, casting golden light across the training grounds nestled within the Great Yan Empire's peaks. Lin Feng, now twelve and at the Yuan Power Realm, Peak Stage, stood among a hundred disciples, his ironwood staff resting lightly against his shoulder. The ranking battle was his chance to ascend to the inner court, a step closer to Lin Dong's legendary path. The Star Sovereign System 2.0 hummed in his mind, its shop, instant mastery, and Breakthrough Points (BP) system a secret he guarded fiercely. His only idol was the Martial Ancestor, Lin Dong, unaware of the Great Thousand World's heroes like Xiao Yan, Zhou Yuan, or Mu Chen.
The Dao Sect teetered on the brink, its prestige eroded by internal greed and the schemes of rival sects like the Nine Heavens Palace and Iron Cloud Sect, who coveted its ancient relics. Lin Feng sensed the tension, though he didn't know their plans to disband the sect would soon unfold, echoing Lin Dong's trials. The system's latest mission pulsed in his mind: **[Mission: Secure Top 3 in the Outer Court Ranking Battle. Reward: 100 BP, Mid-Tier Weapon—Starforge Spear.]** With a BP debt of 50 from his last purchases, Lin Feng needed this victory.
Elder Wu Yun, overseeing the battle, stood on a stone platform, his Form Creation Realm aura commanding silence. "The top three advance to the inner court," he declared. "Fight with honor, or leave in shame." The arena, a vast circle of reinforced stone, awaited, its runes glowing with Yuan Power.
Lin Feng scanned his rivals. Xiao Liyao, her crimson robes blazing, wielded a fiery sword, her strength a mystery capped by Lin Dong's world laws at the Nirvana Realm. Mu Lingshan, serene yet deadly, radiated an aura of hidden power, her ties to Mu Chen unknown to Lin Feng. The third threat was Lei Hao, the bullying disciple Lin Feng had humbled weeks ago. Now at Yuan Power Realm, Late Stage, Lei Hao's eyes burned with vengeance, flanked by his lackeys, Wang Chen and Zhao Li, both minor villains marked by the system as disturbance targets.
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### The Battle Begins
The ranking battle was a single-elimination tournament, with disciples paired by lots. Lin Feng's first opponent was Zhao Li, whose sneering face betrayed overconfidence. The crowd watched as Zhao Li unleashed a barrage of Iron Cloud Palms, each strike heavy with Yuan Power. Lin Feng activated **Starlight Sense**, his perception sharpening, and used **Starshatter Step** to weave through the attacks, his movements a blur of starlit trails.
**[System Shop: Purchased Swift Wind Kick (Mid-Tier Martial Art, 30 BP). Instant Mastery Applied. Debt: 80 BP.]** In a second, the system perfected the technique, and Lin Feng's kick, glowing with starlight, struck Zhao Li's chest, sending him crashing out of the arena. The system chimed: **[Disturbance Neutralized: 10 BP. Current BP: 10 (Debt: 70).]**
The crowd roared, and Xiao Liyao's eyes narrowed with interest. Mu Lingshan remained impassive, but Lin Feng felt her gaze. His next matches were swift, his system-enhanced techniques overwhelming weaker disciples. By the quarterfinals, he faced Wang Chen, Lei Hao's other lackey. Wang Chen's spear thrust with venom, but Lin Feng's **Starlight Veil** deflected the blow, and a single **Iron Star Fist** knocked him out. **[Disturbance Neutralized: 10 BP. Current BP: 20 (Debt: 60).]**
The semifinals pitted Lin Feng against Xiao Liyao. Her flames surged, a blazing phoenix forming around her sword. "You're not bad, kid," she grinned, unaware of her tie to Xiao Yan. Lin Feng, outmatched in raw power, relied on strategy. **[Skill Unlocked: Starlight Mirage. Create a fleeting illusion. Cost: 15% Yuan Power.]** His form flickered, confusing Liyao, and a precise **Starshatter Step** let him land a grazing **Iron Star Fist**. Liyao countered with a fiery slash, forcing Lin Feng to block with **Starlight Veil**, draining his stamina. The match ended in a draw, both advancing to the finals due to a bye.
The final was a three-way battle: Lin Feng, Xiao Liyao, and Lei Hao. Mu Lingshan had withdrawn, her motives unclear, watching from the sidelines. Lei Hao, his face twisted with malice, unleashed a new technique, **Thunder Serpent Strike**, a high-tier martial art likely bought with his clan's wealth. Lightning crackled, targeting both Lin Feng and Liyao.
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### A Starlit Triumph
Lin Feng dodged with **Starshatter Step**, his mind racing. The system pinged: **[Hidden Mission: Defeat Lei Hao in the Finals. Reward: 30 BP.]** Liyao's flames clashed with Lei Hao's lightning, giving Lin Feng an opening. He spent his remaining BP: **[Purchased Yuan Essence Burst (Offensive Skill, 20 BP). Instant Mastery Applied. Debt: 80 BP.]** His fist glowed, unleashing a concentrated blast of Yuan Power that disrupted Lei Hao's attack. Liyao seized the moment, her phoenix engulfing Lei Hao, but he retaliated, knocking her back.
Lin Feng, using **Starlight Mirage**, appeared behind Lei Hao, landing a devastating **Iron Star Fist**. Lei Hao crumpled, defeated. **[Disturbance Neutralized: 30 BP. Mission Complete: Top 3 Achieved. Reward: 100 BP, Starforge Spear. Current BP: 50 (Debt: 80). Cultivation increased to Form Creation Realm, Initial Stage.]** A surge of power reshaped his meridians, pushing him beyond the Yuan Power Realm.
Elder Wu Yun declared Lin Feng and Xiao Liyao the top two, Mu Lingshan taking third by default. "Inner court, prepare yourselves," he said, his eyes lingering on Lin Feng. As the crowd cheered, a dark presence flickered at the arena's edge. Xue Wuya, the Abyssal Monarch's servant, watched, his crimson eyes glinting. "The boy grows too fast," he muttered. "The Love Crystal must be secured before he reaches the Blackwater Forest."
In four years, at sixteen, Lin Feng would meet Zhou Qingyue there, her absorption of the Love Crystal sparking their dual cultivation and his vow to marry her as his first wife in the Great Thousand World. His second and third wives, upper-realm prodigies tied to Xiao Yan and Mu Chen, awaited beyond. The Dao Sect's fall loomed, rival sects closing in, but Lin Feng's victory had marked him as a rising star.
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### Shadows of the Future
That night, Lin Feng gripped the **Starforge Spear**, its silver shaft pulsing with starlight. The system's shop tempted him with new options, but his debt demanded caution. **[Mission: Uncover a Dao Sect Relic Before Its Fall. Reward: 150 BP, High-Tier Martial Art.]** The sect's decline mirrored Lin Dong's era, and Lin Feng vowed to rise amidst its ruins, his system a hidden flame.
As he trained under the stars, unaware of the multiverse's heroes, Lin Feng's path to Zhou Qingyue and the Great Thousand World grew clearer. The Abyssal Monarch's shadow loomed, but his saga was just beginning.