Chapter 127: "That's Too Over-the-Top!"

Chapter 127: "That's Too Over-the-Top!"

Within the Talent Paragon Realm, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the raging storm and rain subsided, leaving behind a massive pit where the arena once stood.

This was perhaps the most intense battle the Talent Paragon Realm had ever witnessed in its history.

At this moment, before Chen Qiu—

Countless heavenly materials and treasures were slowly melting under the power of heaven and earth, gradually drawing closer and merging with each other.

Upon seeing this, Chen Qiu didn't hesitate. He immediately threw in a thread of divine providence, and as he did so, all the heavenly materials and treasures instantly glowed with a golden light before continuing to merge slowly.

He noticed that the constantly forming celestial artifact had his rainbow fishing rod as its core.

Without even asking what kind of treasure Chen Qiu needed, the celestial artifact began to forge itself.

Meanwhile, outside the Talent Paragon Realm, in the plaza—

The crowd was silent, so quiet that it seemed like no one was present. Not even a breath could be heard, and everyone stared expressionlessly at the Talent Paragon Realm, which had gradually calmed down.

Some sect leaders who had originally come to mentor the talented youths now had their smiles and contentment wiped away.

Because they suddenly realized—

If those ten thousand lightning dragons struck them, with their Fourth Stage Golden Core cultivation, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

If they tried to resist, there would be no escape from death!

"Huff!"

After a long while, the sound of a sect leader inhaling broke the silence, and the crowd's faces showed shock and disbelief as they began to discuss what had just transpired.

"That's too over-the-top!"

The Warhammer Sect Leader stood there, his body stiff with shock, muttering to himself. When he had seen Chen Qiu facing the Liu Family's Heaven's Pride, he had felt a bit of pity for Chen Qiu, as the opponent was a perfect counter to a Spell Cultivator.

It was just bad luck, not a fault in battle.

But from the moment the battle began, Chen Qiu had completely overturned his understanding of Spell Cultivators.

Can't lock on with divine sense? Then don't lock on.

Your dagger can cause massive damage to bodyguard spirit energy? Get closer first.

Your dagger is the fastest within ten zhang? The Lightning Summoning Art laughed out loud.

Those thousands of lightning dragons directly turned the Liu Family's Heaven's Pride and the arena into rubble, causing him to redefine his understanding of Spell Cultivators and Chen Qiu. From that moment, he was almost certain that Chen Qiu would win the title of Worldly Paragon.

But the tens of thousands of lightning dragons that followed...

Carrying an incredibly terrifying pressure, they turned the entire Talent Paragon Realm into a giant pit, leaving him completely stunned. He had witnessed Qu Qi confidently throwing out numerous bodyguard talismans and artifacts and even activating his bodyguard spell when the lightning dragons approached.

He had protected himself to the teeth.

However, in the face of absolute power, defense was the most helpless option.

Qu Qi was instantly melted, and even his Golden Core was dissolved on the spot.

From the initial worry to the present realization that he might not even be a match for Chen Qiu, he was at the Fourth Stage Golden Core, while Chen Qiu was merely at the First Stage Golden Core. How could he have the ability to fight across four small cultivation realms?

Wasn't it said that the Fifth Rank Celestial Golden Core only enhanced potential and didn't significantly boost combat power?

"Damn it!"

The Warhammer Sect Leader unconsciously drew in a breath of cold air and, holding the communication talisman in his hand, muttered in a dazed state, "Let the Supreme Elder continue his seclusion. The Liu Family's Heaven's Pride... died in the realm. There's no need to go to war with the Liu Family for now."

". . ."

The Heavenward Sect Leader also stood there, his face filled with disbelief and shock. He had witnessed Chen Qiu slaughtering hundreds of thousands of evil tribe members in the Boundless Wilderness, but at that time, the lightning dragons weren't as massive, and it was impossible to trigger the power of heaven and earth.

The ability to trigger the power of heaven and earth was a technique that only a Peak Golden Core Full Perfection cultivator should possess!

The lightning dragons back then didn't have such terrifying pressure, either.

How could his combat power have undergone such a dramatic change right after entering the Golden Core stage? He himself had experienced the Golden Core stage, so how could he not know that while normal people's strength would increase significantly upon reaching the Golden Core stage, it wouldn't increase by that much!

Not to mention—

If he tried to withstand those tens of thousands of lightning dragons, he wouldn't survive.

It was as simple as that.

The sect leaders and family heads in the crowd looked at Chen Qiu, who stood high in the air within the Talent Paragon Realm, with expressions of shock. For a moment, they found it hard to imagine that such a seemingly slender and delicate young man could unleash such terrifying power.

Was he still a Spell Cultivator?

Were Spell Cultivators like this?

However, since Chen Qiu had fought in front of so many people, some had also noticed his weakness.

A sect elder shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Chen Qiu's methods are indeed terrifying, but he also has a weakness, and that's his divine sense. Haven't you noticed that he didn't use divine sense locking from start to finish?"

"This shows that he has poor control over divine sense locking. After all, he has just entered the Golden Core stage. As long as you're fast enough, you might be able to dodge it."

"No." A family head next to him looked at the speaking sect elder in disbelief and pointed at Chen Qiu, who stood in the realm. "Fellow Daoist, are you joking?"

"Do those tens of thousands of lightning dragons need divine sense locking?"

"Where can you run to?"

"Did you see any of the Heaven's Pride escape?"

"Ordinary people definitely can't run away," the sect elder said seriously. "But if your cultivation is at the Third Stage Golden Core or higher and you're proficient in body techniques, you can indeed teleport away instantly and then return after the lightning dragons disperse."

"Chen Qiu's weakness is his divine sense."

"As long as we grasp this weakness, there's a good chance of defeating Chen Qiu at the third and fourth layers of the Golden Core."

His words fell.

This time, no one objected, and those around him exchanged glances, all feeling that the Sect Elder's words made some sense. The Talented Youths couldn't escape, but they could. When the lightning dragons dispersed, they could return without losing.

However...

A third and fourth layer Golden Core cultivator using such means to defeat a first layer Golden Core, and still having a good chance without a guarantee of victory, was a bit embarrassing to spread.

No matter how the crowd discussed it.

Chen Qiu successfully topped the Heaven's Pride Ranking, an undeniable fact and the most valuable, undisputed Talented Youth Champion in history.

In previous Talent Realms, due to the mechanisms, there were always unexpected reasons that led to the elimination of popular champions, causing controversy regardless of who became the champion.

No matter who became the champion, there would always be disputes. Someone would always say that if it weren't for someone's accidental elimination, how could they have become the champion?

Even when Scholar became the champion, there was a lot of controversy.

But...

This time, there was no dispute. No one spoke up to say that if not for something, Chen Qiu couldn't have become the champion.

That overwhelming dominance was already etched in everyone's minds.

There was no room for doubt.

At that moment, inside the Talent Realm.

There was only Chen Qiu.

He curiously gazed at the Celestial Artifact taking shape before him, its main body being his Rainbow Fishing Rod. He never imagined that something he had treated as a simple trinket would turn out to be the highest-ranked treasure among the heavenly materials.

However, if the main body were a short staff, it would feel strange.

No Spell Cultivator's primary spirit treasure is a short staff, right?

Even a sword would seem more reasonable.

After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the Celestial Artifact finally took its final form, with the Rainbow Fishing Rod as its main body, but with a unique twist.

Rather than a fishing rod, it resembled an umbrella frame.

Yes, the Celestial Artifact he crafted was an umbrella, with the Rainbow Fishing Rod serving as its frame, and the other heavenly materials forming the canopy.

In the instant this Celestial Artifact was crafted—

He activated a formula.

"Formula Name": Child of Heaven's Pride.

"Formula Grade": Blue.

"Formula Effect": Within 30 days of advancing from the first layer of Qi Condensation to the Golden Core stage, there is a chance to randomly obtain this formula. This formula is a one-time use and can be consumed to enhance the strength and grade of any one of your spirit treasures.

Instantly,

The formula's characters within his Golden Core slowly faded, transforming into a stream of light that shot into the umbrella, adding a touch of elegance to the already multicolored wooden umbrella. He could clearly sense that the grade of the spirit treasure had increased by a level.

As the Celestial Artifact slowly descended into his hand,

His mind was flooded with various information on how to refine it into his primary spirit treasure and nurture it. For now, he didn't know what this Celestial Artifact was for.

Only when this Celestial Artifact is refined into his primary spirit treasure will its specific use be revealed.

Immediately after—

He felt an incredibly powerful repulsive force envelop him, and in the next instant, he was expelled from the Talent Realm.

The moment he reappeared,

One of the six Royal Family elders with Golden Core Peak cultivation, seated in the center of the plaza, spoke in a clear, hoarse voice, audible to everyone: "The Talent Realm has come to an end."

"The top one hundred Talented Youths, please come forward to receive His Majesty's grace."

".

Everyone present stared at the elder without expression. One hundred? There was only one, and he was standing right next to you.

The Golden Core Peak elder's face remained calm, and after reciting his lines, he used his Life Energy to send a wooden box to Chen Qiu.

"This is His Majesty's grace prepared for the champion of the Heaven's Pride Ranking."

After Chen Qiu received the wooden box, the six elders vanished from their original spots.

The Talent Realm officially came to a close.

However, the crowd around the plaza didn't disperse; instead, they all turned to look at Chen Qiu standing in the center of the arena.

Just as Chen Qiu was about to get up—

"Hey."

A hoarse voice sounded behind him. The Great Xia's Seventh Prince, supported by two eunuchs, limped towards him, his eyes fixed on Chen Qiu as he spoke with determination.

"One day, I will defeat you."

"Yeah, keep it up."

Chen Qiu offered him kind encouragement.

You geniuses just need to work hard, unlike him, who had to think about when to go big, when to go small, and when to pretend he wasn't cheating.

After greeting the Heavenward Sect Leader and others, he released Fat Dragon and the others from the Little World and headed towards the Capital City.

Inside the Capital City,

On Black Tortoise Avenue, Fat Dragon walked alongside Chen Qiu, who wore a face mask, his whole body trembling with excitement. "Brother Chen, you didn't look closely at the Sect Leaders just now; they were all frozen in place, staring at you like you were a monster!"

"They looked at you like you were a freak, hahaha!"

Although he and Scholar were inside the Little World, they had witnessed the entire scene outside, and it was undeniable that Brother Chen had made a name for himself in the Talent Realm this time.

Anyone with an unsteady Dao heart would have had it shattered.

Chen Qiu smiled lightly without saying a word, leaning on the Seven-Colored Wooden Umbrella and walking at the front. He planned to rest for a while and then find a place to refine it into his personal magic weapon, but he found that the umbrella was quite comfortable to use as a walking stick.

It felt incredibly handy.

He was about to take the Scholar to listen to some music, as he had promised the day before. Without any Spirit Stones at the time, he had just received the champion's reward of 20,000 low-grade Spirit Stones, instantly becoming wealthy again.

Feeling a bit weary, he decided to relax by listening to some music.

The 'Spring Breeze Ten Miles Tower' in the Capital City was the most famous brothel in the city.

The girls inside came not only from Great Xia but also from the Hundred Nations, each with their unique charm and a touch of exotic flavor.

There were even some awakened yao clans, distinct from yao beasts.

Each had their own allure.

At this moment, in a VIP room marked with the character 'Tian'...

Seven or eight girls in red sheer dresses were dancing gracefully to the music played by one of them, their laughter filling the room with a sense of prosperity. Fat Dragon was having a great time, laughing heartily and drinking with the girls.

Although the Scholar was a bit reserved, he was also enjoying himself, thanks to Fat Dragon's encouragement.

The Scholar's younger brother sat quietly to the side, munching on peanuts.

Chen Qiu leaned back in his chair, gazing at the Heaven's Pride Ranking.

"Heaven's Pride Ranking."

"Rank 1: Chen Qiu."

That was all.

The Heaven's Pride Ranking had been updated after the Talent Realm ended, and this new ranking would last for an entire year until the next Talent Realm competition.

For this year,

There was only one name on the Heaven's Pride Ranking.

Worldly Paragon.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes in thought, leaning back in his chair and pondering the meaning of the title 'Worldly Paragon'. Becoming a Worldly Paragon didn't seem to come with any rewards or special effects like the Celestial Sage's Mandate Scroll. It appeared to be just a title of praise.

However, since the emergence of the Worldly Paragon was linked to the upcoming turmoil in the world, it couldn't be just a simple title of praise.

Just as the rules within the Talent Realm had stated.

The Worldly Paragon would influence the world's turmoil.

Finally, a moment of respite.

Sitting in the private room of Spring Breeze Ten Miles Tower, even with the alluring and noisy girls dancing before him, Chen Qiu felt an inner peace, as if he could finally take a break.

It was similar to the night he spent in the Endless Ice Plain before breaking through to the Golden Core.

The same feeling of contentment.

Suddenly, he felt as if he had gained enlightenment.

No matter how chaotic the surroundings, if your mind is calm, you will find peace.

Chen Qiu had found his peace.

But the entire Great Xia Kingdom was not at peace. Chen Qiu's Shadow Stone, obtained by overwhelming dominance in the Talent Realm, was replicated countless times and quickly spread to every corner of the Great Xia Kingdom and even the Hundred Nations.

Many families in Great Xia specialized in manufacturing Shadow Stones, and their businesses had been struggling.

However, since Chen Qiu's rise to prominence,

These families suddenly experienced a surge in orders, and some had even started worshipping Chen Qiu, hoping for nothing more than for him to create more commotion. Every time Chen Qiu made a stir,

Their orders skyrocketed, and many people placed bulk orders for Shadow Stones.

Just like the last time when Chen Qiu single-handedly annihilated over a hundred thousand demons, the orders surged, and this time, the increase was even more exaggerated. For the first time, the ordinary Shadow Stone became a best-seller in Great Xia.

Even though Chen Qiu had never been to the Hundred Nations,

His reputation had already spread there.

In a small alley in the Capital City.

An old man, looking dirty and disheveled, sat cross-legged on the ground, devouring a freshly roasted chicken with a blissful expression. Next to him was a black flag with two lines of slightly crooked words embroidered in white thread.

"The flag will end, and the heavens and ghosts will tremble."

"Words unspoken, for fear of chaos in the world."

The voices of passersby at the alley entrance drifted in with the gentle breeze.

"Did you hear about the Heaven's Pride from Fufeng City who suddenly rose to prominence, achieving the Fifth Rank Golden Core and dominating the Heaven's Pride Ranking?"

"Do I need to hear it? I'm almost sick of that Celestial Mandate Scroll. I'm afraid to even think about it."

"Hey, you know what they say, 'Same cultivation, different fate.' I'm also a wandering cultivator, and I've chopped a lot of firewood, but I didn't suddenly rise to fame."

"Don't even think about it. It's painful to dwell on it. That Chen Qiu single-handedly shattered the cultivation hearts of all the Heaven's Pride. What are we compared to that? Especially the Qu Clan, whose only son died in the Talent Realm. I heard that the Qu Clan's Supreme Elder is so furious that he's planning to seek permission from the Supreme Elder to intercept and kill Chen Qiu to avenge Qu Qi."

"That Qu Clan's Supreme Elder is at the Peak Golden Core, Great Perfection stage, while Chen Qiu is only at the Core Formation First Stage. Can he withstand that? Does Chen Qiu have any powerful backers?"

"He definitely can't hold him off! I wonder how things will unfold, but I have a feeling that Great Xia is becoming more and more chaotic, and we might be on the brink of war."

"..."

The voices of the passersby gradually faded away.

The old man sitting in the box, devouring the roasted chicken, suddenly looked towards the alley entrance with a profound gaze, his yellow teeth stained with meat strands, and laughed.

The Fifth Rank Golden Core?

The Fifth Rank Golden Core was unworthy of the title "Celestial Ultimate Golden Core" and the heavenly blessing that accompanied it.

The entire Great Xia Kingdom believed that Chen Qiu possessed the Celestial Ultimate Golden Core, but only he knew that Chen Qiu's Golden Core was actually the Tenth Rank Golden Core! And it was he who had given Chen Qiu that jade scroll.

To be honest, he had never even considered the possibility of Chen Qiu having a Tenth Rank Golden Core. After all, such a core was extremely demanding, and both the Rainbow Formula and the three Nascent Soul bodies were nearly impossible to obtain.

He never expected Chen Qiu to possess the Rainbow Formula.

Tenth Rank Golden Core

The old man's expression gradually became dazed. This was something that even countless top-tier Talents in the outside world didn't have. Who would have thought that this legendary existence would appear in Great Xia?

In his lifetime, he had seen and heard a lot.

But he had never heard of any top-tier Talent possessing a Tenth Rank Golden Core; such a thing was almost non-existent.

"Youth is truly wonderful."

After a long while, the old man sighed. Young people have such vigor, and he too had that vigor in his youth. He was also a Child of Heaven's Pride, and anyone who could reach the Nascent Soul stage was a Talent in their youth.

There were too many Talents, as numerous as the stars in the sky.

But those who had a good ending were too few.

After encountering many Talents that you know you could never catch up to in your lifetime, your spirit would be dampened. Once your spirit is lost, you are no longer a Talent.

To become a Talent with supreme ruling power, one must fulfill one condition.

Never suffer a complete defeat at the hands of others.

Once thoroughly defeated, the path of a Talent is cut off. Only a few with extremely resilient personalities, who rise from the bottom after setbacks, can regain their spirit. Most Talents, after a thorough defeat, quietly fade into obscurity.

The next moment—

The old man suddenly started calculating with his fingers, mumbling incoherently with a roasted chicken in his mouth, "I almost forgot, the Talent's path seems to be opening again in a few years. I wonder who the Talents will be this time."

"Must we take action?"

In the Qu Clan's compound, the Supreme Elder looked at the Qu Clan Patriarch, whose face was twisted with anger, and sighed, asking, "Must Chen Qiu be killed?"

"Chen Qiu must die!" The Qu Clan Patriarch's face twisted as he spoke each word with determination. "I only have one son, Qu Qi. Chen Qiu killed my son, and my lineage is gone. Who will I pass the Qu Clan to? He must be killed, or else I won't be able to vent the anger in my heart!"

"But... the others left the secret realm ahead of time. It was your son's decision not to leave."

"I don't care."

The Supreme Elder's mouth twitched slightly, then he continued, "With my remaining lifespan, each time I take action, I consume some of it. You understand this, right?"

"I understand!"

"Then why are you asking me to take action?"

"The Supreme Elder is the guardian of every family, not only serving as a deterrent but also taking action against evil. The Qu Clan provides the Supreme Elder with many resources every year. If the Supreme Elder cannot take action when the Qu Clan is in need, then there's no point in having a Supreme Elder."

The Supreme Elder fell silent. He now understood that with such business acumen, the Qu Clan's development had nothing to do with the Qu Clan Patriarch; it was all thanks to his original body. It was only after his original body stepped down and handed over power, and when he was on the brink of death, that he had crossed over.

Take action?

I only have a year and a half left to live, and you're asking me to take action?

"Alright."

After a long while, he slowly nodded and said, "I can take action, but the Qu Clan has a secret room that you don't know about. I'll take you there first."

"That secret room is a Little World that I found during my travels in my prime. It's a special Little World that can only be entered if one's body is devoid of Spirit Qi."

"This pill is an Aura Scattering Pill. After consuming it, your Spirit Qi will instantly disperse, and you won't be able to absorb any Spirit Qi for an hour. Take this pill first, and then I'll take you there."

"Really?"

A glimmer of joy flashed in the Qu Clan Patriarch's eyes. "My Qu Clan actually has a treasure like a Little World?"

"Of course, it's true."

The Supreme Elder's expression turned solemn. "Do you think I would lie to you? I am the Supreme Elder of the Qu Clan!"

The Great Xia Kingdom was not at peace.

Countless pieces of news about Chen Qiu spread rapidly, both openly and secretly, stirring up hidden undercurrents. Anyone with a keen eye could sense that the Great Xia had suddenly become much livelier, as if it had been this way for some time.

At the very least, the frequency of Celestial Mandate Scrolls appearing seemed too high, unlike before.

But regardless of the outside world, at that moment in the capital city, inside the Spring Breeze Pavilion, Chen Qiu and the others were enthusiastically playing 'Three Ones Card Game', a card game for three people. Normally, only those who had lost their ambition would play this game.

Even those who played this game would be looked down upon.

"Wan San, bet!"

Chen Qiu pushed his cards forward and looked at the disgruntled Fat Dragon and Scholar, smiling, "You two lost again. What do you have to say?"

After a brief pause, he also enjoyed the feeling of not having to worry about anything.

Soon, evening arrived. After strolling around with Fat Dragon and the others for a few rounds, they returned to the inn.

Inside the inn, Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on the bed, took a deep breath, and gazed intently at the multicolored wooden umbrella lying across his knees, preparing to refine it into his life-bound magical treasure that night.

PS: I'll fix any typos later, please vote for this chapter!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end