# Chapter 2167: Stripped Advantages
Lin Feng looked up at the void. Gentle, soft light bathed the platform, enveloping the crowd. On the platform, many enormous stone pillars gradually appeared. The scene shifted dramatically, and a ray of sunlight fell from the sky. The people on the platform finally saw others.
Above them, the spiritual energy was abundant, and there were ancient buildings. Many people surrounded the area, gazing at them as if they had been waiting here all along.
"What is this?" The pupils of the crowd all contracted. Where was this? What place had they ascended to?
Could it be that this was the so-called inner city of Shen Xiao City?
"Welcome to the City of Fate." A voice drifted down from the void, causing the hearts of the crowd to tremble slightly. Lin Feng's eyes sharply focused. The City of Fate—he was certainly not unfamiliar with it. In fact, when he was still in the Small World and his cultivation was still very low, he had already set foot in the so-called City of Fate. That was in the Central Wasteland of the Eight Wastelands.
But now, above, another voice came, welcoming them to descend upon the City of Fate. Was this the City of Fate?
In the void above, an old man's figure slowly descended. Seeing this person, Lin Feng's pupils contracted once more, as if extremely sharp light burst forth. He stared intently at the ethereal old man who appeared in the void—a figure he had met once before, someone who seemed to belong to legend.
The Prophet!
"I still can't see through his realm, and now he seems more real than before," Lin Feng thought to himself, quite shaken. He had actually seen the Prophet here. In the central region of the Nine Heavens Continent, within the inner city of Shen Xiao City, the Prophet's footprints appeared. Then what about the City of Fate and the Prophet that appeared in the Small World?
Could it be that those were merely phantom images of the City of Fate and the Prophet, not real existences?
The Prophet's gaze fell upon the crowd. His smile was gentle as he said to them: "This session of the Nine Heavens Gathering is being hosted by the City of Fate. First, let me talk about this Nine Heavens Gathering. Geniuses from all over the Nine Heavens Continent have gathered here at Shen Xiao City of the Shen Xiao Continent, all for this centennial Nine Heavens Gathering. In truth, the major powers have been tight-lipped about the Nine Heavens Gathering and have not revealed its secrets to you. I hope that those of you participating in and observing the Nine Heavens Gathering will not mention what happens here after you leave. Leave it for everyone to guess. The people outside can also see the scenery here, though they do not know where this place is."
"Understood." Everyone nodded. Only now did they understand that the Nine Heavens Gathering seemed to be the broadest stage of the Nine Heavens Continent. But for those of them participating, perhaps it was just a new beginning.
"I need to tell you all that this Nine Heavens Gathering, as usual, will see many people fall. Even if you are all geniuses of your regions, famous figures across the world, you may still fall on this stage. Therefore, if anyone wishes to withdraw now, no one will force you. For the last time, tell me—does anyone want to withdraw?" The Prophet's calm gaze swept over the crowd as he asked slowly.
No one answered. How much had they sacrificed to reach this stage? For them to withdraw—was that possible? No matter how great the danger, they wanted to step onto this historic stage together with all the other geniuses. Countless eyes were witnessing everything here.
Seeing that no one spoke, the Prophet's smile became even warmer. He said with a smile: "Those who survive will ultimately select one hundred seats. They will obtain the qualification to freely enter and exit the inner city of Shen Xiao City. Of course, I will call it the inner city of Shen Xiao City for now. Later, you will naturally know what that place is."
The Prophet's words sparked infinite imagination in the minds of the crowd. They certainly understood that the so-called inner city of Shen Xiao City was definitely not as simple as they imagined. Perhaps that was the absolute center of the Nine Heavens Continent—the place where the Divine Temple was located.
Like many others, Lin Feng was also speculating about this possibility. After all, even after arriving at Shen Xiao City, he still hadn't seen any trace of the Divine Temple. Yet the Nine Heavens Continent was filled with too many rumors about the Divine Temple. Perhaps only when they reached the inner city of Shen Xiao City would all the answers be revealed.
Only one hundred spots—that was their chance to touch the core of the world. One hundred years, one hundred spots—on average, only one person per year.
"The top fifty—the City of Fate opens its gates to you. If you are willing, you can become a member of the City of Fate, which is what the rumors call a disciple of the Divine Temple. Of course, because this Nine Heavens Gathering is hosted by our Fate Temple, those selected will join the Fate Temple."
"Those in the top ten seats can become direct disciples of the Divine Temple, which is to say, the core of the Divine Temple."
The Prophet's voice made everyone's hearts race. The Nine Heavens Gathering gathered the geniuses of the entire Nine Heavens Continent. Even the Divine Temple was moved. They were willing to take the top ten as direct disciples of the Divine Temple. What people usually heard about as disciples of the Divine Temple were only outer disciples. They would likely have to prove themselves later to determine whether they could become core members.
"Of course, we will prepare rewards for the top three seats. These rewards will be bestowed immediately after the Nine Heavens Gathering ends," the Prophet said with a smile. "And let me remind you all—this Nine Heavens Gathering is not just about combat. Before the combat, the Fate Temple will first test your talent, willpower, and comprehension. Therefore, for those powerful cultivators who have grown relying on strong family resources, you may not have any advantage. This will be a very perfect test. Are you all ready?"
The Prophet spoke calmly, causing light to flicker in the eyes of the crowd. The Nine Heavens Gathering was not just about combat. This made many slightly weaker individuals show sharp expressions. This rule was undoubtedly favorable to them.
Just then, curtains of light cascaded down from the sky. The crowd was astonished to find that a huge cylindrical fortress had appeared before them. Light spun wildly, as if weaving a fictional world.
"The wheel of fate has begun to turn. Those participating in the Nine Heavens Gathering, step forward, walk up the stairs, and sit on those cylindrical pillars," the Prophet said slowly. The crowd looked up at the pillars that had just appeared out of thin air, then stepped forward and descended upon them.
"Next, the Nine Heavens Gathering is about to begin. All of you will enter the castle. Your destinies will condense into life forms, re-existing within it. At that time, you will have absolutely identical conditions—the same physical body, the same soul power, the same realm. All the abilities you possess will be stripped away. Everything will be temporarily separated from your fate bodies. To survive, you must obtain new divine abilities and struggle within. As for the rest, I will not give any more hints. You will discover it yourselves. What you can carry with you are only your most fundamental powers—your awakened martial souls, your comprehension and talent, your will. Now, are you all ready?"
The Prophet spoke slowly, causing everyone to look solemn. They sat on the stone pillars, gazing at the cylindrical fortress before them. What awaited them inside? No one knew.
A sharp light flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, and then he slowly closed them. Among those of them who had come to participate in the Nine Heavens Gathering, there were strong and weak. Some came from famous families, others from humble origins. Some possessed terrifying divine abilities, others had powerful Imperial Weapons. But all of this would be stripped away. Their advantages would no longer exist. Everyone who entered would be the same, starting from the most fundamental point, to test a person.
This was indeed fair. Everyone was at the same starting point.
The light of fate descended from the sky, enveloping all the stone pillars. At this moment, Lin Feng felt as if his life was being stripped away. Suddenly, his body shook violently, and then he found himself on the ground. Looking around, he was no longer on the stone pillar but in another space.
"I can't control my original body anymore. Such a strange power." Lin Feng's eyes sharply focused. He stretched out his hands. This was not his original body. His original body should still be on the stone pillar outside. But what he was controlling now was not his original body—it was this fate body.
"My power..." Lin Feng stretched out his hand. He found that his physical body was now pitifully weak. His realm was also pitifully weak. He had nothing left. All his advantages had been completely stripped away. Not just him—everyone who had entered this castle was the same. They had all been returned to the most fundamental moment of martial arts cultivation. Just as the Prophet had said, what they could carry were only the most fundamental powers—the martial souls awakened at birth, comprehension and talent, will. Everything else did not exist.
"Heavenly Martial Realm." Lin Feng murmured softly, discovering his realm. Weak—pitifully weak, only at the Heavenly Martial Realm. As for why it was the Heavenly Martial Realm and not the Martial Emperor Realm, Lin Feng guessed that for the Great World, they seemed to regard the Heavenly Martial Realm as the starting point of martial arts. Unity of Heaven and Man, entering the Heavenly Martial Realm, being able to fly through the air—this was when they truly touched the power of heaven and earth, when true essence condensed and martial souls materialized.
"Falling from the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm directly to the starting realm—it really is a bit uncomfortable." A smile appeared at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth. However, he believed that for true geniuses, even if all their advantages were stripped away, they could still rise from zero. What the Prophet wanted to see was perhaps this process of rising!