Chapter 133: The Celestial Prodigy Token

Chapter 133: The Celestial Prodigy Token

But, no problem!

He wasn't afraid of strong opponents; he was afraid of not being able to stir his fighting spirit!

At this moment, he felt his fighting spirit surging, and he relished the sensation. His blood was boiling, and he eagerly anticipated his next encounter with Chen Qiu.

Zhao Dezhu, the Seventh Prince, sat cross-legged on a pile of withered leaves, emanating a powerful fighting intent as he continued to watch the projection in the air from the Shadow Stone.

The Sea Tribe launched a massive attack.

Nearly thirty thousand Lightning Dragons, each carrying an incredibly terrifying aura, smashed towards the Sea Demons below. With this single strike, all the Sea Demons were reduced to ashes.

".

The Seventh Prince's fighting spirit suddenly weakened significantly. His mouth unconsciously widened, and his eyes flashed with a hint of disbelief and awe. How was it possible that in such a short time, Chen Qiu's Lightning Summoning Art had improved both in the number of dragons summoned simultaneously and their intensity by yet another level?

Just a few days ago, he could only release a few thousand dragons at most, and it would take time to accumulate enough for tens of thousands. But the previous strike had unleashed thirty thousand dragons instantaneously.

This attack...

...far exceeded the destructive power of a Golden Core Second Stage cultivator.

Using the term 'invincible among peers' to describe Chen Qiu would be an insult to him.

But soon!

The initially dejected Seventh Prince's spirits lifted again, and his body surged with intense fighting intent. After all, these were just a bunch of Foundation Establishment Energy Cultivators, mere cannon fodder Sea Demons. Even if he went there himself, he could finish them off, it would just take longer than Chen Qiu.

Of course, Chen Qiu's progress was faster than he had imagined. The plan he had formulated would need to be adjusted, but it wasn't a big issue. He believed he could quickly come up with a new strategy to counter this move.

With his fighting spirit restored, the Seventh Prince confidently continued to watch.

And then he saw—

Nine Golden Core Sea Demons, two of them at the Fourth Stage, and three at the Third Stage. On the sea surface, there was even a Sea Demon with the terrifying cultivation of the Fifth Stage.

In the blink of an eye!

These nine Golden Core Sea Demons simultaneously charged towards Chen Qiu. Additionally, three more Sea Demons, who had hidden themselves, appeared behind Chen Qiu and launched an attack on his back, targeting his Golden Core.

Twelve Golden Core Sea Demons surrounded him, and below, there was another Fifth Stage Sea Demon ready to join the fight at any moment.

This was almost certainly a deadly situation.

If he and Chen Qiu switched places, it would still be a deadly scenario. Forget about him; even a Fifth Stage cultivator would struggle to survive in this situation.

"Excellent."

The Seventh Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, finally getting the chance to witness Chen Qiu's long-distance escape technique. He had gathered all the information on Chen Qiu but had hardly seen any evidence of a long-distance escape technique. He only knew of a short-distance teleportation Body Technique used in combat.

He was extremely skilled in long-distance escape techniques.

Chen Qiu was definitely inferior to him in this aspect.

Immediately after,

He witnessed Chen Qiu, standing in the midst of a storm, holding the Celestial Omnipotent Umbrella high in the sky, not even bothering to look at the Golden Core Sea Demons rushing towards him. Instead, he stared absentmindedly towards the sea, as if daydreaming, a gentle smile on his face that could captivate countless young ladies.

Then.

Hundreds of thousands of Lightning Dragons, each carrying an oppressive pressure, smashed down from the dark clouds. This was one of the most awe-inspiring scenes he had ever witnessed in his life.

From start to finish.

Chen Qiu's body in the air didn't move an inch, only his robe fluttering in the storm.

His tall, unmoving figure, the howling robe.

His dazed and lazy expression, the Sea Demons' fierce faces.

The stark contrast in the scene elevated its artistic value to the pinnacle.

The Seventh Prince didn't even realize he had stopped breathing, his eyes fixed on the projection in the air, red-rimmed and unblinking, until the next moment when hundreds of thousands of Lightning Dragons arrived as expected.

The entire world seemed to freeze for an instant.

The Sea Demons were blown into the air, and the raging sea below carried countless Sea Demon fragments, slowly receding to reveal an enormous inland sea.

The battle was over.

The Shadow Stone's projection also ended.

The Seventh Prince, sitting on the ground, began to breathe heavily, and the fighting intent on his body suddenly dissipated. There was no way to fight; if he had a slim chance of winning in their previous encounter, this time, there was none.

He had always felt that life was uninteresting, as no peer of his generation could keep up with his growth rate.

But now,

For the first time, he experienced the helplessness that those he had crushed had felt. Chen Qiu's growth rate was something he could never catch up to in this lifetime. Perhaps their battle in the Talent Realm was the only time in this life when their strengths were on par.

From then on.

When facing Chen Qiu, he no longer had the qualification to draw his sword; he could only look up in awe.

Overwhelming loneliness and helplessness enveloped him, and he didn't even bother with the sword that had fallen by his side. His entire being was lost and dazed as he stumbled towards the direction of the capital.

"Your Highness, the Seventh Prince."

The maid behind him picked up the fallen sword and hurriedly followed, whispering, "Are you not practicing the sword today?"

"No more practice, not ever again."

The Seventh Prince, completely lost and dazed, stumbled towards the capital, his eyes filled with uncertainty about the future. He didn't know what to do next, and he questioned whether practicing the sword was still necessary.

Whether it was the Golden Core Second Stage, the Fourth Stage Golden Core, or even the Fifth Level Core, they were all equally insignificant in Chen Qiu's hands, easily crushed by his casual grasp.

Although Chen Qiu was at the same cultivation level as him, why was his strength so much greater?

In the first half of his life, he had suffered from not having a peer of the same generation who could keep up with his cultivation speed, leaving him without a worthy opponent.

After finally meeting Chen Qiu, he felt that he had found the rival he had been searching for, one who could be both a friend and a foe, just like the storytellers described, where two people would often exchange insights, grow together, and eventually reach the pinnacle as a team.

But today, he realized that in Chen Qiu's eyes, there was no difference between him, a so-called Heavenly Pride, and a random passerby.

This disparity almost instantly shattered his Dao heart.

At that moment, at the headquarters of the Heavenward Sect, the sect leader sat in the Sect Leader's chair, gazing at this scene within the Shadow Stone, his expression dazed as he sank into deep thought.

Chen Qiu's growth rate far exceeded his imagination.

It was too fast.

Almost every day, there was a noticeable change.

His strength increased significantly every day. If it was an opportunity that occasionally caused a significant increase in strength, then Chen Qiu's strength was increasing significantly every day. Could it be that Chen Qiu had opportunities every day?

The Great Xia had its constraints.

It was impossible to achieve Nascent Soul.

This news was public knowledge, except to mortals.

Suddenly, he felt that if there was only one person in the Great Xia who could break through this constraint and achieve Nascent Soul, it would probably be Chen Qiu.

And at that moment—

Chen Qiu and the others had already arrived at another city in the Sea Province, called Flying Fish City, one of the 365 main cities of the Great Xia. As soon as they entered the city, they were stopped at the city gate.

He had forgotten to wear his mask.

As a result, many cultivators gathered but dared not approach, fearing to offend him. Instead, they hid at a distance, using Shadow Stones to continuously aim at him.

"..."

Fat Dragon's lips twitched slightly, "I have a strange feeling about this."

The scholar, on the other hand, looked around with envy. He had thought that the former number one sword cultivator of the Great Xia, the White-Robed man, had not died and had reappeared in the world. He assumed that his story would be circulating among the common folk, and the storytellers would definitely mention him.

However, after secretly visiting several teahouses, he found that all the storytellers were unanimously talking about Chen Qiu, and none of them mentioned him.

Wasn't he once the number one sword cultivator of the Great Xia?

Did he have no reputation at all?

Before Chen Qiu could make any move, he suddenly sensed a powerful cultivator at the Fourth Stage Golden Core approaching rapidly from within the city towards him. In an instant, the cultivator stopped in front of him, his face filled with a smile, and he looked at Chen Qiu with an embarrassed expression, rubbing his hands together.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, I am the current City Lord of Flying Fish City. It is an honor for Flying Fish City to have you here."

"My daughter really likes you."

"Could you please leave a piece of your calligraphy?"

As the saying goes, one should not hit a person with a smiling face. Naturally, Chen Qiu had no reason to refuse. He rolled up his sleeves, took the brush and ink from the City Lord of Flying Fish City, and smiled lightly, "What should I write?"

"Just write the four characters 'Strongest City Lord'."

"Is your daughter the City Lord?"

"No, she isn't."

The City Lord of Flying Fish City coughed lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed, "My daughter has high expectations of me, and she wants to motivate me. If I could have a trace of your aura as authentication in the calligraphy, it would be even better."

"Alright then."

Chen Qiu did not refuse. He immediately took the brush and wrote the four characters 'Strongest City Lord' with flowing strokes, like a dragon and snake dancing. Then, after leaving a trace of his aura on it, he smiled and returned the calligraphy to the City Lord of Flying Fish City.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

The City Lord of Flying Fish City, filled with gratitude and excitement, walked ahead, "Come, Fellow Daoist Chen, I'll personally guide you to the best inn in Flying Fish City. I know which one it is."

He led Chen Qiu and the others to an inn within Flying Fish City.

The City Lord of Flying Fish City then transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the City Lord's mansion, quickly returning to his study. He carefully mounted the calligraphy and hung it on the wall of his study.

Only then did he lean back in his chair, gazing at the four characters 'Strongest City Lord' in his study, unable to contain his pride and laughter.

So cool!

In a few days, when his old friends came to his study, they would probably be jealous to death.

Chen Qiu was the hottest figure in the Great Xia at the moment, not only a peerless Spell Cultivator of Heavenly Pride but also a step away from becoming the number one Spell Cultivator in the Great Xia. It was unheard of for Chen Qiu to leave his calligraphy for anyone.

He was the first.

And the only one.

The face he had gained was enormous.

As the City Lord of Flying Fish City gazed at the four characters 'Strongest City Lord' mounted on the wall, imagining the envious expressions of his old friends, he sat in his chair, laughing so hard that he couldn't close his mouth.

Suddenly, his smile froze on his face.

And slowly faded away.

His slightly eccentric demeanor instantly vanished, and his entire body shot up, hands braced on the table, his eyes flashing with shock and disbelief as he stared fixedly at the four characters on the wall.

His throat rolled slightly.

He carefully took out a brocade pouch from his storage ring and withdrew a slightly yellowed piece of paper. He looked at the handwriting on the paper, then looked up at the handwriting of the four characters on the wall.

Looking down, then looking up.

Looking up, then looking down.

After a few quick comparisons, the Flying Fish City Lord suddenly felt his body go limp and fell back into his chair, his eyes widening in shock as a disbelieving thought came to mind. After a few breaths, he sprang up like a carp and rushed to the wall, quickly removing the four characters that were framed and hung there.

He carefully placed it in the deepest part of his storage ring, treating it with great care.

In the empty study, the Flying Fish City Lord's voice trembled with shock.

"Damn it!"

"This is no joke!"

At that moment, within Flying Fish City, Chen Qiu and the others had already left the inn, wearing masks. They found a rather decent brothel and rented a private room to continue listening to Qu Qi's performance.

After working so hard, it was a rare opportunity to take a break, and they wanted to enjoy some entertainment.

However, this time, they didn't seek the company of the girls.

They sat in the private room, eating snacks and drinking wine, listening to the melodious songs coming from the second floor. It was quite a pleasant experience.

Chen Qiu sat on a soft sofa made of fox fur, picked up a peanut and put it in his mouth, savoring the lingering fragrance. He turned his head towards Fat Dragon and smiled, "I've put that demoness in your Little World."

"With a Fifth Level Core cultivation, it should be enough for you."

His warehouse was filled with many items, including a large Spiritual Treasure capable of restraining a Golden Core cultivator's Divine Sense and cultivation. It required the cultivator to be suspended in the air in a large character shape, ensuring that they couldn't use their cultivation or Divine Sense to attack others.

If he remembered correctly, this item was found in the storage ring of a Golden Core Artifact Cultivator.

"Brother Qiu." Fat Dragon stood up with a serious expression and looked at Chen Qiu, speaking each word with care, "Special thanks, really. In the future..."

"Alright, alright." Chen Qiu waved his hand with a hint of impatience, "You should sit down too. You're a scholar, but you're not that much better than us."

After a brief pause, Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes and spoke softly, "I want to take a look at the depths of the Boundless Sea. I feel that there should be a flame lotus similar to the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus beneath the Boundless Sea, just like the one below the Endless Desert."

The scholar shook his head, "Brother Qiu, this is a bit too risky. There are Nascent Soul cultivators in the depths of the Boundless Sea. You might not be able to return."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu sat on the sofa in silence for a while, then nodded in agreement. He also felt that it was a bit too risky, but he had a strong feeling that there should be something similar in the depths of the Boundless Sea. Although he didn't know what it was, he was certain it was a valuable treasure.

After relaxing in the brothel for a while, they returned to the inn to continue their cultivation.

Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on the bed, circulating his cultivation method to consolidate his Second Level Core cultivation. His current cultivation progress had reached 80.2% of the Golden Core Stage Second Layer.

As soon as midnight arrived, ten Celestial Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pills would be delivered. After absorbing these ten pills, he could break through to the Golden Core Stage Third Layer.

Soon...

Midnight arrived, and Chen Qiu, who had been prepared, immediately swallowed one of the Celestial Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pills. He closed his eyes and diligently cultivated, focusing on his cultivation method.

However, he didn't notice that the Celestial Prodigy Token he had casually thrown into his Little World was emitting faint, slow pulses of milky white light.

This Celestial Prodigy Token was the one Chen Qiu had picked up from a Heaven's Pride who had passed the Demon Race's inheritance during their invasion.

Its material was extraordinary, but neither Divine Sense nor Spirit Qi could penetrate it, so he had left it in the warehouse of his Little World.

Five hours passed.

Outside the window, the sun had risen high in the sky, and the lively cries of street vendors filled the air, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes once more. He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and laughed lightly.

His cultivation had broken through again.

- Cultivation: Golden Core Stage Third Layer (15.2%).

After reaching the Golden Core Stage Third Layer, a single Celestial Golden Core Cultivation Pill could only increase his cultivation progress by 3%. At this rate, it would take at least several days to break through to the Golden Core Stage Fourth Layer.

"Hmm, it's a bit long."

Chen Qiu smiled as he stood up and tidied his robe. He stretched lazily, jumped off the bed, and picked up the teacup from the table, ready to embrace a new day.

Who said that cultivation progress in the Golden Core Stage was slow, like being trapped in a prison, and breaking through each minor realm was as difficult as ascending to heaven?

He didn't think it was that bad.

From the initial breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage to reaching the Third Layer, it had only taken him a few days.

Under the effects of the Celestial Golden Core Cultivation Pills, even with such a rapid cultivation speed, his aura showed no signs of disorder. As long as he consolidated his cultivation realm during the day, he would be completely stable.

But at that moment...

The Celestial Prodigy Token in his Little World suddenly burst into blinding light. Chen Qiu, who had just jumped off the bed, instantly turned into a white light and disappeared from the spot. The teacup in his hand fell straight to the ground, shattering into several pieces, and his entire person vanished without a trace.

At the entrance, Fat Dragon and the others noticed the commotion and rushed in, seeing the shattered teacup and the spilled tea on the ground. Their faces paled as they trembled and asked, "Where's Qiu?"

After a moment, the scholar stood in Chen Qiu's room, reconstructing the scene of Qiu's disappearance. He frowned and said, "At this time, Qiu should have just finished absorbing the medicinal properties of the Cultivation Pill. He then stood up, picked up the teacup, and suddenly encountered trouble. The teacup fell to the ground."

"We didn't sense any Spirit Qi fluctuations."

"It's unlikely that he was abducted."

"With Qiu's strength, even if it was a powerful cultivator at the peak of Golden Core Supremacy, it's impossible to abduct him without making a sound. The most likely scenario is that Qiu was suddenly forced into some kind of mystic realm."

Fat Dragon agreed with the scholar's reasoning, but he still had some concerns. "Have you ever seen a mystic realm that can suddenly force someone to enter like this?"

"No."

The scholar shook his head firmly. "But there are many things I haven't seen before. I've never heard of anyone being able to advance from a wandering cultivator to a Golden Core Supreme within a few dozen days."

"Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"We'll wait in the room for a few days. No matter what mystic realm it is, I believe Qiu will be able to return safely with his strength."

At this moment, Chen Qiu was standing in the center of a green stone plaza, frowning as he surveyed his surroundings. The plaza was about the size of a mountain peak in the Mock Heaven Sect, with no one in sight. The green stones on the ground were covered in moss, giving it an ancient feel.

Countless clouds and mist enveloped the plaza, obscuring both vision and Spirit Sense.

Just a moment ago—

As he jumped down from the bed, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and he found himself here. The Celestial Prodigy Token he had taken from that Demon Race Celestial Prodigy was also floating beside him, having flown out of his Little World.

It swayed slightly up and down, emitting a faint milky white glow.

At this point, he was well aware that the Celestial Prodigy Token had brought him here, but he had no idea where he was.

In front of him was a panel shrouded in mist.

"Name."

". . ."

Chen Qiu looked around the plaza but found nothing noteworthy. He gazed at the mist-covered panel and remained silent for a while before speaking softly.

"Chen Qiu."

This place was probably a mystic realm, and the only way to return seemed to be passing through this realm. However, he had no idea about the difficulty of this realm.

He had successfully advanced to the third layer of the Golden Core Stage earlier this morning.

He hadn't chosen his upgraded Cultivation Pill yet.

He didn't plan to choose it now.

By waiting, if he encountered a difficult crisis, he might have a chance to gamble on a Cultivation Pill that could resolve the crisis. It was because he was choosing a Cultivation Pill at that time that he managed to survive the encounter with the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect Leader.

After he spoke his name, the mist-covered panel began to change slowly.

"Celestial Prodigy Name: Chen Qiu."

"Sect Name and Position."

"Mock Heaven Sect Leader."

"Heavenly Dao senses the Mock Heaven Sect Leader, Chen Qiu, carrying the Celestial Prodigy Token. Automatically registering him for the 'Heaven's Pride Path' that will open in a year."

"This mystic realm is the preliminary screening realm before the opening of the Heaven's Pride Path."

"All Celestial Prodigies with the Celestial Prodigy Token will enter this realm at the same time and will be unable to contact the outside world."

"Only by passing this mystic realm will one be eligible to participate in the Heaven's Pride Path a year later. The ranking in this realm will evaluate the Celestial Prodigies from a comprehensive perspective, dividing them into Human, Earth, and Heaven ranks, from low to high."

". . ."

Chen Qiu looked at the mist-covered panel before him, and his heart understood the situation. The item he had taken from that Demon Cultivator Celestial Prodigy was called the Celestial Prodigy Token, and he had stored it in his Little World.

This Celestial Prodigy Token clearly didn't seem like something that could exist in the Great Xia Nation.

At least, he had never heard of a Celestial Prodigy Token in the Great Xia Nation.

He had never heard of the Heaven's Pride Path either.

After about two incense sticks of time, a loud rumbling sound suddenly came from below the center of the plaza, and Chen Qiu felt his body restrained by the power of heaven and earth, unable to move.

Then, a crack appeared in the center of the plaza, and a sloping staircase emerged from the ground, quickly extending into the sky.

Soon, the end of the staircase pierced through the mist and disappeared before him, continuing to extend at an incredible speed.

After a while, the staircase finally stopped extending.

Another mist-covered panel appeared before him.

"First Stage: Heaven-Reaching Stage."

"In this stage, all participating Celestial Prodigies cannot use external objects or their own Spirit Qi. They must rely on their physical strength and willpower to climb to the top of the staircase within an incense stick's time."

"Those who fail will be eliminated and expelled from the mystic realm."

Then, the power of heaven and earth that had restrained him dissipated, and he could move freely again, but he was unable to summon the Spirit Qi within his body.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end