https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-331-Postnatal-Dao-Embryo-Independent-Cultivator-Challenge-Part-2-Part-2-/13450512/
Chapter 332: Casual Victory, Canglan Elder (Second Update at 8 PM)
Chapter 332: Casual Victory, Canglan Elder (Second Update at 8 PM)
When his number was called, Li Hao stepped onto the Arena and waited quietly.
The surroundings were noisy, with many eyes already on him. But after facing the Holy Son Hao Yue, and with the scrutiny of a million Disciples, Semi-Saints, and Supreme Sages, he felt calm and collected. His thoughts drifted to another battle platform, where he had been watching an interesting fight he hadn’t finished earlier.
It was a battle between whip techniques and hidden weapons, not particularly strong but very engaging.
"Do you still have the heart to watch other battles?"
Suddenly, a gentle voice spoke in his ear, tinged with surprise.
Li Hao's thoughts returned, and he turned to see his opponent already on the platform. She was a nineteen-year-old woman with a beautiful face, her eyes warm and slightly playful.
"Please."
Li Hao said immediately.
Li Qingyi looked at his calm and composed expression, seemingly devoid of any pre-battle tension, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing.
"You don't seem to think you'll lose."
"?"
Li Hao was a bit surprised and asked, "Since I'm here, I naturally believe I will win. Otherwise, why would anyone come to compete?"
That made sense, but you're in for a rough time now that you've met me... Li Qingyi shook her head slightly. Although she didn't plan to use her full strength, this was a selection for the top ten thousand, so she wouldn't hold back.
"Sorry about this."
She said to Li Hao, then raised her hand. As the Array condensed, she spoke softly.
"Suppress!"
Word as Law, a single word to Suppress.
The Law Power enveloped him, and Li Qingyi intended to suppress Li Hao with her cultivation.
But the Law Power had no effect on Li Hao. With his Divine Blood Dao Body at Perfection, Law Power couldn't influence his body, not even requiring his Dao Domain to block it.
"Hmm?"
Seeing her attack fail, Li Qingyi's eyes narrowed, realizing that Li Hao was no ordinary opponent, possessing at least Dao Law Realm power.
Such a realm, yet falling outside the top ten thousand, was truly a pity.
She raised her hand, summoning a hurricane that swept toward Li Hao, with razor-sharp Law Power cutting through the wind.
At this level, it's unlikely you'll make the Top 100... Li Hao observed her attack. Although she was at the Dao Law Realm, she was rather weak. He didn't bother with pleasantries, casually grasping a strand of wind, which transformed into Sword Qi.
As the Sword Qi condensed, Li Qingyi suddenly felt a sense of danger, her hairs standing on end.
Her inner Wenxin resonated, giving her a premonition of danger. And now, she was sensing danger from that young man?
Li Qingyi's eyes widened, realizing she had encountered one of those extraordinary talents among the wandering cultivators she had just mentioned.
Whoosh!
Her figure flickered, and she instantly used Netherwast Teleportation.
When she reappeared, she held a sword, aiming it at Li Hao's back.
But the moment she swung her sword, Li Hao's Sword Qi erupted, as if waiting for her.
Li Qingyi's pupils contracted, her sword edge vibrating, as if a force was trying to pull it away.
Her arm burst with power, inadvertently releasing her Divine Power Ultimate Realm, but she still couldn't hold onto her sword. She had no choice but to unleash her Dao Domain, and in an instant, layer upon layer of Dao Domain appeared, totaling twenty-four layers!
As the Dao Domains unfolded, strange phenomena emerged, and Law Power flowed, finally suppressing that strand of Sword Qi.
With the "intent" in the Sword Qi erased, only a wisp of wind remained, quickly dissipating.
Li Qingyi felt a cold sweat, her heart full of shock. Just a casual grasp of a wisp of wind had nearly forced her to reveal her true strength?
Li Hao was also surprised. Was she playing possum?
He had thought she was just an ordinary Dao Law Realm cultivator, but she had suddenly unleashed two Ultimate Realms.
The Divine Power Ultimate Realm was common in the Land of Sages, thanks to the Mourning River Virtue Treasure Vault. Most prodigies seemed to have mastered this Ultimate Realm, as they could directly exchange it in the Virtue Treasure Vault by accumulating enough Virtue, which was easier than cultivation.
But the Netherwasteland Extreme Realm wasn't so easy to achieve. Clearly, she was also a Monster-level talent.
Previously, Sword Master had said that the competition among Wanderers was extremely intense, and Li Hao had somewhat doubted it. Now, he finally believed it.
As he sighed inwardly, his hands didn't hesitate to strike. He grasped a strand of wind once more, but this time, he condensed the Utmost Softness Sword Dao within it, rather than just pure Sword Intent.
Whoosh!
The Sword Qi suddenly surged like a Jiaolong emerging from the sea, breaking through the opponent’s layered Dao Domains. Utmost Softness is also Utmost Hardness, and it slashed through in an instant.
Li Qingyi was just about to Return to the Abyss to dodge, but she felt as if she were locked in place. The Sword Qi came too quickly, and her Dao Domain was rendered useless. Before she could layer it further, a slight tingling sensation spread through her throat, followed by a sharp pain.
She reached up to touch it, somewhat dazed.
"What?"
Below the battle platform, the few Refined and Elegant figures who had been watching were stunned, their eyes widening in shock.
Less than two minutes after stepping onto the platform, Li Qingyi had actually lost?
This was their Wenzu Holy Land’s Holy Maiden Prodigy. Although she hadn’t used her specialized Literary Dao in the battle, to lose so quickly was simply astounding.
Moreover, they could tell that the opponent hadn’t even used his full strength.
He was a sword expert, yet Li Hao hadn’t even drawn a sword. He had simply used Clear Wind to defeat Li Qingyi with a casual move.
This Sword Art was terrifying!
"Who is this person? This Sword Art is formidable. Could he be from the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary, also pretending to be a Wanderer like Qingyi?"
The young man with the folding fan couldn’t fan himself anymore, his eyes fixed on the young man on the platform. However, he couldn’t recall ever seeing this young man, unless the young man had also altered his appearance like Li Qingyi.
Apart from them, many other Disciples in the audience noticed the Arena and were shocked. Li Qingyi’s display of over twenty layers of Dao Domain, with various phenomena, had attracted much attention. Yet, she had been defeated in the blink of an eye.
"What’s happening at the 8th battle platform? Was there a clash between Top Geniuses right from the start?"
"Over twenty layers of Dao Domain, my goodness, is this human?"
"I heard that some of the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens in the Holy Lands can reach such levels."
"Who is that young man? He actually defeated her, and he didn’t even use a Dao Domain!"
The area outside the battle platform was buzzing with excitement. Many people who had been watching other Arenas also turned their attention here, but the battle had already ended. They hurriedly asked those around them what had happened.
Hearing the commotion outside, Li Qingyi came back to her senses. She looked at the young man in front of her, who was calmly watching her. She knew he was waiting for her to concede.
After all, if he hadn’t held back just now, her head would have already flown off her body.
Li Qingyi bit her lip slightly, feeling a sense of injustice, but she knew that blaming others for her lack of skill was pointless. She telepathically asked:
"What’s your name?"
"Clear Wind."
Li Hao still used a pseudonym. Without the strength to match a Virtual Sage, he couldn’t reveal his true identity.
Otherwise, although the Thirty-Three Realms were vast, a Sage might still find him in the blink of an eye.
Especially a Sage skilled in the Dao of the Void, capable of traversing the void with extremely powerful Body Movement Techniques.
"With your strength, making it into the top ten of the Wanderers should be no problem. I’ll be waiting for you at the Canglan Battle. This time, I didn’t use my full strength. Next time, let’s have a real match!"
Seeing the calm expression on his face, Li Qingyi felt a surge of dissatisfaction and telepathically replied.
Li Hao was surprised and said, "You’ve already lost, so how can you fight again?"
Li Qingyi was momentarily speechless, then angrily huffed, "That’s none of your business!"
With that, she turned and left the platform.
Li Hao found it perplexing but didn’t bother thinking about it further. After the referee announced the result, he flew back to his original seat and continued waiting for the next battle.
On the other side, Li Qingyi returned to her fellow disciples. The young man with the folding fan immediately asked:
"How much strength did that person use?"
Li Qingyi’s expression turned serious, no longer playful or relaxed. She looked down at Li Hao as he walked to another seat and said quietly:
"Dao Domain was useless, Ultimate Realm was useless, and the power of the Law had no effect on him. Clearly, he has a Dao Body. His Sword Techniques… must have already entered the Dao!"
"Entering the Dao?"
Upon hearing Li Qingyi's words, the group drew in a sharp breath, exchanging glances.
What did it mean to master the technique of Entering the Dao? That was a skill only Semi-Saints and Sages could grasp!
Taking one more step, Entering the Dao Transcendence, would lead to Sacrificial Dao Ascension!
Those who could walk the path of Sacrificial Dao Ascension were mostly unparalleled monsters, holding extremely high status among Sages, and few dared to provoke them!
After all, compared to Incense Offering to Sagehood, Sacrificial Dao Ascension had an additional ability: the ability to enter the Mortal World at will!
When those who had achieved Sacrificial Dao Ascension entered the Mortal World, they wouldn't be affected or eroded, unlike those who had achieved Incense Offering to Sagehood, whose incense would be damaged.
"Will we encounter this person at the Canglan Battle in a few months? I heard that the Buddhist Sect has also produced two twin Buddhist Disciples, who are incredibly terrifying. They are said to have mastered the six Ultimate Realms. I never expected such a monster to exist among the Wanderers."
"That Holy Son Hao Yue from the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary is said to have the Sun and Moon Divine Eyes, which can see through all illusions and counter various killing techniques. He's a tough opponent."
"It seems this Canglan Battle will be incredibly intense. I wonder if any of us will be able to secure a spot to represent Canglan."
The group's expressions grew serious. They had initially thought the Wanderers were all at the level of Inner Gate Prodigies, but it turned out there were indeed monsters among them. This trip was well worth it.
Li Qingyi remained silent, her mind replaying the sword strike and the way the opponent had looked elsewhere when he stepped onto the stage.
She felt a surge of frustration.
The opponent had never believed he would lose, and indeed, he hadn't.
It was infuriating... Li Qingyi glanced in his direction, no longer in the mood to stay. "I'll head back first. I'll come back when the Top 100 Battle starts to see if anyone can force him to reveal his Ultimate Realm."
The young man with the folding fan and the others felt a sense of urgency at her words. The appearance of such a formidable opponent among the Wanderers made them want to retreat into seclusion and push themselves to the next level.
As they left, in another part of the crowd, Qiu Wuheng stood, also watching the battle.
He noticed the position where the woman had stepped down, recognizing one of the figures among the group. It was someone he had met before.
Could it be the Holy Maiden of the Wenzu Holy Land? Qiu Wuheng speculated, then looked at Li Hao, who was calmly drinking tea, feeling a bit helpless. This fishing companion of his seemed completely unaware that he had just defeated the Holy Maiden of the Wenzu Holy Land.
However, it was a bit dishonorable for the Wenzu Holy Land to come here and start a fight.
Qiu Wuheng felt a sense of regret. Unfortunately, in this confrontation, the opponent seemed to have hidden her true strength, failing to force Li Hao to reveal his full capabilities.
He shook his head slightly and turned to leave, determined to cultivate more, or he would be left further behind.
Following his first victory, Li Hao appeared a few more times, easily defeating his opponents with a casual wave of his sword.
After his battle with Li Qingyi, Li Hao became the center of attention. Seeing him win one after another, many people began to consider him a strong contender for the championship, placing bets on him.
Three days of intense competition finally came to an end, and the Top 100 Battle was about to begin.
Li Hao advanced to the Top 100 without much difficulty, winning his matches effortlessly.
During the break, several forces sent invitations to Li Hao, expressing their desire to visit him.
Among these were many Imperial Clans from the Dynasties and some top-tier major forces.
Many of the conditions in these invitations were tempting to Li Hao. He carefully considered them, comparing them, and finally accepted the invitation from the Canghai Divine Dynasty.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty was the largest Divine Dynasty in the Canglan World, with ten Semi-Saint Elders. It had connections with the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary, the Buddhist Holy Land, and the Wenzu Holy Land. These connections could also be interpreted as paying protection fees.
The protection fee is Incense. Within the Divine Dynasty, three Holy Lands have built the Sage Golden Temples, where Elders regularly offer Incense, receiving the blessings of the three Holy Lands.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty extended an olive branch to Li Hao, hoping he would become an Elder of the Canghai Divine Dynasty. They offered him the Incense from ten cities.
The scale of these ten cities is enormous. Li Hao had investigated and knew that if he could obtain them, it would accelerate his path to Sagehood through Incense Offering, reducing the time from 300 years to 260 years, equivalent to saving forty years!
In the Mortal World, that would be four hundred years!
This clearly shows the massive scale of these ten cities.
The power of Incense depends not only on the population size but also on the strength of the believers themselves.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty has a vast number of martial artists. The Incense Power from martial artist believers is far greater than that from ordinary believers.
Although winning first place in the Supreme Young Hero Battle would grant a large amount of Incense and allow one to instantly attain Sagehood, for Sages on the Incense Offering to Sagehood path, Incense is their source of power. Even after Ascension, they still have an unending demand for it, much like absorbing the energy of Heaven and Earth. The more Incense they absorb, the stronger they become.
Therefore, long-established Sages are extremely difficult for newly rising Sages to challenge.
This is why, despite there being dozens of Dynasties in the Canglan World, only a few Elders have become Sages. It is extremely difficult for Semi-Saints or other Holy Sons to obtain Incense, as the majority of Incense Power is controlled by Sages.
Li Hao accepted the invitation, but in addition to the Incense, he also requested Cultivation Techniques.
Upon receiving Li Hao's response, a secret order was delivered to the hands of Emperor Canghai in the imperial palace of the Canghai Divine Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, Clear Wind has also agreed to our invitation and is willing to become an Elder of our Canghai Divine Dynasty", a burly General reported in a low voice.
Emperor Canghai smiled in satisfaction and said, "Good, well done. This young man is extremely powerful. Now that he has become an Elder of our Canghai Divine Dynasty, if he can represent the Canglan World in battle, our Canghai Divine Dynasty will receive a Heavenly-Granted Dragon Qi!"
"Your Majesty, there is some discussion in the court about the ten cities' Incense. Is it too much? In recent years, we have already given up a considerable amount of Incense to the three Holy Lands. Now, we are ceding ten more cities, and he is only at the Dao Law Realm, not even a Semi-Saint", the burly General asked, puzzled by the Emperor's generous offer.
Emperor Canghai smiled slightly and said, "The Prince of the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary has reported back that this person is not simple. The ten cities are worth it!"
The burly General was slightly taken aback but wisely did not press further, and he said in a low voice:
"Besides Clear Wind, the other three exceptionally talented Prodigies have also accepted our invitations. One received five cities' Incense, another seven cities' Incense, and the last one twelve cities' Incense."
He looked at Emperor Canghai and said, "This time, we are ceding a total of thirty-four cities' Incense, which is equivalent to an entire province!"
Emperor Canghai's eyes gleamed and he asked, "Chiguang also agreed?"
The burly General nodded and said, "He proposed twenty cities' Incense, but after some negotiation, he accepted other Elixirs as compensation. Additionally, he specifically requested that Princess Yunji be married to him."
Emperor Canghai's eyes flickered, and after a moment of contemplation, he said:
"Given his strength, he will certainly represent the Canglan World in battle, ensuring us a Dragon Qi. Yunji, this child, can add a Dragon Qi to our Canghai Divine Dynasty. Marrying her to such a Prodigy could be considered a blessing."
The burly General bowed his head and said nothing. Imperial Clan marriages were common, and with so many children of this Emperor, being sacrificed for Dragon Qi was quite normal.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
