Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

"What's the matter? You look like you have something to say," Daniel said, looking at the 5-Element God King.

"Well… actually, for this competition… a few of my kids will be participating. And, um, their strength is… a little strong…" the God King said cautiously.

"I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you could prepare yourself mentally, you know?"

Hearing this, Daniel finally understood what the 5-Element God King was getting at.

So, all this beating around the bush was just to bring up this matter?

After all this buildup for the competition, it seemed this was his real purpose.

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at the effort.

"Alright. I'll let her know. By the way, does this competition have only an age limit?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, exactly. Only those under 200 years old can participate," the God King confirmed.

"Alright then. Some of those youngsters who've ascended from Crossbridge World might be interested in joining," Daniel said.

"That's no problem at all. My competition doesn't restrict strength. As long as they think they're up for it and meet the age requirement, they're welcome to join," the God King replied proudly.

"Oh, right, Lord Daniel. I almost forgot to mention—my kids are all at the God Lord rank," the God King added, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

Under 200 years old and already at the God Lord rank—it was indeed an impressive feat, worthy of being called young prodigies.

Daniel simply smiled, saying nothing.

After all, Rose had already reached the God Lord rank a year ago, and Reed was close behind.

As for their subordinates, a good number of them were at the High God rank.

As for the competition, Daniel thought, let the young ones decide for themselves. If they wanted to participate, it could be a bit of fun.

"Alright, Lord Daniel, I have some other matters to attend to. I'll be off," the God King said, quickly making his exit as if his sole purpose had been to deliver this message.

After the God King left, Daniel realized that for the past few years, he had been so focused on relics and the Star Map that he had paid little attention to outside news.

Recently, Big White had entered another deep slumber. When it woke, it would likely reach the Heavenly God rank, raising the world's ceiling once again.

This likely meant that for the next few years, there would be no new ascensions from Crossbridge World.

As Big White's power continued to grow, a new issue surfaced for Daniel: world ascension.

When a world ascends to its ultimate form, it may collide with the God Realm itself, as seen in the experiment conducted by the Life Temple.

That Mortal Realm's final ascension had directly crashed into the Life Temple, resulting in the temple's destruction.

That was an ordinary world. What about a unique one like Crossbridge World?

What secrets might it hide during its final ascension?

Daniel had to think ahead, especially given Big White's rapid progression.

Fortunately, he already had an idea.

The God King had mentioned before that much of his knowledge about world ascension came from the Greenwood God Realm, an old and well-established realm that also studied the secrets of ascension.

Perhaps after the competition, Daniel could visit Greenwood God Realm with Rose to exchange insights.

Shortly after Daniel's conversation with the God King, news spread throughout Ascension City.

A Young Prodigy Competition was announced.

Anyone under 200 years old could participate, with no restrictions on strength.

The competition offered massive rewards, including rankings.

Exceptional performers could even enter the 5-Element Temple.

One notable feature of the competition was that it categorized participants by world.

If a world produced many top-ranked young talents, that world would receive generous rewards.

Additionally, participants from the same world would not face each other unless there were no other opponents left.

The announcement quickly stirred excitement in Ascension City and across the 5-Element God Realm.

The substantial rewards were irresistible, leading some to regret their timing—those who had just turned 200 lamented their missed opportunity.

Meanwhile, many began preparing to showcase their strength and make a name for themselves.

In Ascension City, many worlds were gearing up for the competition.

The rules' emphasis on world-based categorization ignited fierce ambition. A world with multiple top-ranked participants would earn significant rewards, even additional territory within Ascension City.

This rule spurred many worlds into action, as dissatisfaction with Crossbridge World simmered beneath the surface.

Despite its relatively small population, Crossbridge World consistently claimed prime real estate in every expansion.

This was particularly galling for Brightsun World, one of the strongest Mortal Realms in the 5-Element God Realm.

Brightsun World, a Tier-God level world, had a comparable territory size to Crossbridge World despite its superior status.

After multiple expansions, Brightsun World's area was even smaller than Crossbridge World's.

Resentment festered.

Though Brightsun World avoided direct confrontation, they fueled indirect criticism through puppet worlds to isolate Crossbridge World socially.

This strategy had limited impact due to the protection of the 5-Element Temple.

Now, the competition offered new hope.

Brightsun World immediately selected its top prodigies under 200, focusing only on those at High God rank and above.

They openly declared their intent to push "unworthy" worlds out of the central areas.

While they refrained from naming names, everyone in Ascension City knew their target was Crossbridge World.

Curiously, Crossbridge World remained silent, seemingly oblivious to the brewing tension.

In the meantime, Daniel approached Rose, who was cultivating.

"Father."

"Rose, there's something I need to discuss. Ascension City is hosting a competition for young prodigies…" Daniel explained.

"I see. I'll participate. Some of my subordinates also meet the requirements. Can they join as well?"

"Of course. That's up to you. As long as they meet the age criteria, they're eligible. Oh, and one more thing…"

Daniel almost forgot the reason for his visit.

"This competition will include a few of the 5-Element God King's kids. My request is simple: if you encounter them, make sure they fully understand the disparity that can exist even among God Lords!"

Rose sighed, exasperated but amused. Sometimes her father could be surprisingly… childish.