Transcending an entire major realm in mystical combat power—such feats exist only in legends of the stars. Even in the Chaos Star System, where countless Human elites gather, there is no one as terrifying as Andrew Han.
All eyes were raised in anticipation, yet none could find words to speak.
Everyone was struck speechless, unsure how to respond.
Swish!
The red-haired woman was now fully awake, tiptoeing into the starry sky and gazing at Andrew Han from afar: "With a second-stage True Palace foundation at Stellar Palace Tier, able to crush a second-stage Void Rift expert in adversity—he must have a profound background. Could he be a Prince of the Human Supreme Hall?"
She watched Andrew Han, long blade slung across his back, clad in blue battle armor, his black hair radiating gold-red halos. His vast, tranquil form seemed as if it could contain the entire world.
Somehow,
A phrase surfaced in her mind: With sun and moon in hand, plucking the stars—none in this world could compare!
——
Chaos Star System, Cuckoo Star, Sacred Ground.
The so-called Sacred Ground was that colossal mountain, a million meters tall. Over the years, its miraculous effects had become common knowledge, and the people of Cuckoo Star called it the cultivation Sacred Ground.
Atop the mountain,
Layer upon layer of drifting clouds, as if space itself overlapped and swayed, with a Cosmos Union Tier expert stationed there.
"Primeval Highnesses." The Cosmos Union Tier elder of Cuckoo Star was a blue-haired old man, a diamond-shaped gold-silver crystal embedded in his forehead. His aura faintly surged with the vastness of a star-sea, though now he wore a slight, wry smile.
He looked at Serena Huang, then at Andrew Han: "If Your Highness wishes to enter the mountain, how could this old one dare to obstruct you?"
In the blue-haired elder's eyes, for a Primeval Highness to personally suppress a local Void Rift expert on Cuckoo Star was somewhat like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut... After all, that bald strongman was still under a thousand epochs old!
However,
The blue-haired elder did not speak directly, instead making a few veiled remarks, remaining polite and courteous.
"No need for trouble," Serena Huang waved her hand. "He lost two entry quotas to us; why take spots from others?"
The blue-haired elder hesitated: "This..."
"What is it?" Serena Huang raised an eyebrow, a hint of sharpness flashing across her graceful face.
She did enjoy when others looked down on her, only to end up shocked and disheartened, but the blue-haired elder was not among them—he was a Cosmos Union Tier existence.
Their combat power was roughly on par.
Serena Huang thought to herself: Even if she went all out, she could only slightly overpower the blue-haired elder; the fight would be intense, and it would be hard to defeat him completely.
"Your Highness is absolutely right." The blue-haired elder smiled and made a respectful gesture.
After a few polite exchanges, Serena Huang and Andrew Han took their leave, descending straight toward the middle section of the colossal mountain.
......
The million-meter-tall mountain was cloaked in vibrant colors year-round, forming layers of ethereal rings swirling around its slopes—sometimes rising, sometimes falling—like overlapping halos of stars.
Its wondrous magnetic field created a truly extraordinary environment.
Though the mountain ought to have been covered in ice and snow, it was instead bursting with life—the magnetic field's power forcibly altered the local ecosystem.
Touching the mountain's surface, one could sense the concentrated magnetic field, useful for tempering body or soul—or for seeking that trace of the universe's primordial state, and gaining insight.
For Andrew Han,
The tempering effect was optional—the latter was the true key.
"Serena," Andrew Han said as he descended toward the mountain, "could you beat that Cosmos Union Tier elder from before?"
"More or less."
Serena Huang pursed her lips, giving a noncommittal answer.
The wind howled as they continued their descent, drawing closer to the mountain and clearly seeing scattered figures of all colors. Andrew Han stroked his chin, puzzled: "Could a Void Rift-tier genius really slay a Cosmos Union expert against all odds?"
"Of course," Serena Huang glanced at Andrew Han.
"Actually, you don't need to dwell on it. Genius standards are set by the Three Great Halls, using the Flame-Heritage Mountains as the unified benchmark... The Flame-Heritage Mountains are the only correct standard to measure genius; it's not about how many realms you can leap across in battle."
In short,
It's a two-dimensional function that shifts as a genius grows and changes.
Cross-realm kills are easiest at Starlight Tier, harder at Stellar Palace, and hardest at Void Rift. So how many realms a genius can surpass depends both on their tier and their current realm.
But once you reach Cosmos Union Tier,
Everything becomes clear.
"Cosmos Union Tier is when everything solidifies."
Starlight Tier, Stellar Palace Tier, and Void Rift Tier are collectively called the Foundation Three Realms. The focus here is on forging your foundation; once you reach Cosmos Union Tier and solidify, your fate is set.
Serena Huang explained it all clearly.
She was far more experienced than Andrew Han; these details were second nature to her.
"I see."
Andrew Han pondered for a moment. Cosmos Union Tier marks the formal end of the genius phase—and the beginning of a brand new chapter.
After a thoughtful pause, the two descended to the mountain's midsection.
"Everything is so meticulously arranged," Serena observed, her tone light but appreciative.
Andrew Han swept his gaze around, taking in the surroundings.
Each cultivator was allotted a square plot—ten thousand meters on a side—ensuring privacy and focus, free from disturbance.
Black-crystal walls separated each zone, within which vibrant, multicolored trees and exotic flora flourished. Andrew Han and Serena Huang's cultivation areas happened to be side by side.
It was a haven of birdsong and floral fragrance—an idyllic scene.
Yet in truth, no birds sang here. Instead, faint ripples of magnetic energy cloaked the mountain, their subtle distortions mimicking birdsong—an uncanny, ethereal chorus.
"The universe is truly miraculous," Andrew Han marveled inwardly, setting aside his simple long blade and blue battle armor as he surveyed the vibrant landscape.
Nearby, most cultivation zones were already occupied.
At a glance, nearly every plot was filled; there was scarcely any space left vacant. All were immersed in focused enlightenment, racing against time itself.
Only a handful had been shaken by the earlier fierce clash.
Those few eyed Andrew Han with awe and caution, having seen him—while only at Stellar Palace Tier—crush a Void Rift expert. The memory made their very hearts tremble with energy.
Among them were Starlight-tier, Stellar Palace-tier, and even a handful of Void Rift cultivators whose resentment simmered beneath the surface.
Suddenly—
Serena Huang called out softly, "Andrew."
"What is it?"
"It's nothing. Just focus on your cultivation." Serena shook her head gently, saying no more. She drifted back to her own square plot, cleared a patch of ground, and sat cross-legged, letting the silence settle.
In truth, anxiety gnawed at her heart.
Since rising from the Standard Gate, she had seldom met a true equal. Even those who did rival her would eventually be left behind.
Yet when facing Andrew Han, Serena Huang found her confidence wavering.
She sighed, a soft breath lost in the wind.
"The seventh layer of the Flame-Heritage Mountains... it must be my limit," Serena murmured, letting her hair tumble around her ears as she gazed off, lost in thought.
In the neighboring cultivation plot—
Without hesitation, Andrew Han sat down, closed his clear black-and-white eyes, and began to center himself.
For most Primeval Geniuses, this sacred ground was nothing special. Yet for Andrew Han, the faint echo of the universe's original essence was a treasure beyond measure.
"Good thing Serena reminded me," he thought.
No matter—I'll experience it myself first.
With a mind free of distractions, Andrew Han pressed his palm to the mountain, awe welling up inside him.
The magnetic currents within Cuckoo Star, by mysterious design, converged in the mountain's heart. Over countless ages, wind and rain had shaped this towering peak into the planet's unique core—a reservoir of endless power.
[End of batch. Ready to continue with the next lines using the improved style.]