https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-455-A-Single-Step-to-the-Top-Part-2-/13451813/
Chapter 455: A Single Step to the Top! (Part 1)
Chapter 455: A Single Step to the Top! (12,000 Monthly Votes) (Part 1)
Emperor Sword Mountain was originally a place of utmost serenity. However, for the sake of the trial disciple, Yun Wumian had captured some members of the Other Clans and tossed them onto Emperor Sword Mountain as "obstacles." Finding the spirit race wasn't difficult, but finding exactly one hundred spirit race members at precisely the Fifth True Immortal Realm was a bit more time-consuming. Therefore, he captured an entire spirit race tribe.
Using his Immortal Kingdom domain, he suppressed them to the Fifth True Immortal Realm, making the task much easier.
At this moment, a Seventh Immortal Lord Realm elder of the spirit race was sitting across the table from a junior disciple of the Sword Abyss, which surprised him.
Meanwhile, Gu Yan had already entered Emperor Sword Mountain.
Without pausing, he followed the guidance of his heart and flew straight toward the central area.
As he neared the center, he saw numerous spirit race figures soaring out of the dense forest, their stances brimming with a cold and fierce aura, all staring at him.
Gu Yan's expression remained unchanged as he slowly drew his Heavenly Courtyard disciple's sword from the void.
Bang!
A crisp sound echoed as a black piece landed on the Chess Board.
"Check!"
Li Hao said softly.
This move caught the spirit race elder off guard, breaking through his formation and creating a gap.
If the elder wanted to fill the gap, it would take an extra move, but Li Hao wouldn't give him the chance.
"Hmm?"
The spirit race elder's eyes flickered as he glanced at Li Hao, then frowned and continued to place his pieces.
As they took turns filling the board, Li Hao's offensive gradually penetrated deeper into the elder's formation, aiming to completely dismantle it.
"Young talent is truly formidable..."
The spirit race elder sighed softly.
Li Hao smiled and placed another piece.
Puff.
Bloodlight blossomed as Gu Yan, sword in hand, walked toward the central Teleportation Array.
Behind him, nearly a hundred spirit race figures lay defeated, all severely injured. Some had torn robes, others broken limbs.
Gu Yan's clothes were only slightly dirty.
Upon entering the Teleportation Array, he faced the second level, where fifty Sixth True Immortal Realm demon race members awaited him!
The demon race was a general term for a variety of species, including ox demons, dragon monsters, and cat demons.
Each demon race had different abilities, and being surrounded by them tested one's comprehensive combat skills.
At this level, there were fewer disciples, so each had to face more demon race members.
Gu Yan didn't choose a circuitous route but continued to advance toward the center with his sword.
Bang!
The black piece struck the heart of the formation, taking control of the main position. The spirit race elder, who played white, had almost no chance of turning the tide.
But the elder seemed unwilling to give up and continued to press with his white pieces.
Beside them, a middle-aged spirit race member crossed his arms, shook his head, and sighed.
As the battle on the Chess Board intensified, Li Hao's pace slowed, but the advantage he had built up allowed him to smoothly break through the elder's formation.
With the final piece securing the victory, Li Hao let out a sigh of relief.
The spirit race elder's gaze shifted from the Chess Board to Li Hao, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"At your age, to have such chess skill is truly rare."
The spirit race elder praised.
Li Hao humbly replied, "Not at all, not at all. Your chess skill is profound, far beyond my reach."
The spirit race elder smiled slightly, not modestly deferring, and said, "I have lived too long. Some things, even if I don't want to understand them, I inevitably do."
He glanced at the Chess Board and continued, "Now, it's my turn, right?"
Li Hao nodded.
The spirit race elder picked up a black piece from the Chess Box, held it between his fingers for a moment, and then suddenly placed it on another part of the board.
Bang!
A sharp sound rang out, and the intense impact sent Gu Yan flying backward.
He was now on the third level of Emperor Sword Mountain.
Here, there were twenty Seventh True Immortal Realm demon race members, and currently, twelve of them surrounded him.
These demon race members were clearly not true Seventh True Immortal Realm beings but had their cultivation suppressed to this realm, making them even more formidable than ordinary Seventh True Immortal Realm demon race members.
"Sword Abyss monsters? Humph, even if I can't kill you, I can still destroy your Dao Heart. My race is not a tool to be used at the whim of the human race!"
One of the Demon Race members spoke, revealing a massive purple python as their Heaven and Earth Dharma Body, its scales resembling molten lava, exuding a formidable aura.
"Suppress him!"
The other Demon Race members also growled.
Unlike the Spirit Race, they were not easy to get along with. Being caught here for no reason, they could only vent their frustration on these disciples.
As the Immortal Power of the Demon Race members surged, exuding a powerful aura, Gu Yan's expression turned grave. He wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, and in the depths of his eyes, a black flame-like sword shape seemed to ignite.
Sword Dao Essence, slash!
A jet-black Sword Qi suddenly slashed out, containing the power of the third realm of Sword Dao Essence. It instantly cleaved through the first Demon Race member who rushed forward, tearing apart its massive body.
The young man, holding a Sword Edge, charged out like a waking black dragon.
"Hmm?"
Li Hao's expression changed when he saw the Spirit Race elder's move.
The position of that move...
"The young are indeed formidable, but their experience is still shallow..."
The Spirit Race elder chuckled. Although Li Hao had broken through the previous formation, it was now reversed and formed a counter-encirclement with this move.
Nested strategy.
Li Hao now understood that the elder's every move was actually setting up another Chess Game. Now, the sharp blade he had driven into the formation was trapped instead.
The blade tip had no place to strike, becoming a dead piece.
However, it was fortunate that the hilt of his blade remained outside, allowing him to continue the struggle.
Seeing Li Hao's struggle, the Spirit Race elder smiled, calmly following and gradually narrowing Li Hao's chessboard space.
Li Hao frowned, thinking deeply, each move becoming increasingly difficult.
Beside him, the middle-aged Spirit Race member remained calm, already realizing that Li Hao was merely fighting a losing battle, with little hope of escape.
After all, this young man's chess skills were inferior to his master's. Having been set up earlier, it was almost impossible for him to break free now.
As more and more moves were made, Li Hao's forehead began to glisten with cold sweat. He extended his blade, but this only caused him to lose more ground, unable to protect other territories. If he abandoned them, the other side would consolidate their advantage and quickly overwhelm him.
Bang!
Two blood-red claws descended, suppressing him with overwhelming power. The surging Immortal Power, coupled with some kind of Origin Dao Resonance, enveloped the Sword Light, directly slamming the young man into the mountain below.
The mountain exploded, and the young man crashed in like a meteor, only to fly out again.
Beside him, two other Demon Race members revealed their massive true forms, ready to pursue and finish him off.
But a figure suddenly appeared in the air, blocking the two Demon Race members and then looking at the nearly lifeless young man.
The young man had displayed the power of the Ancient Immortal Legacy but still ended up defeated. However, to reach the fourth level of the Emperor Sword Mountain with only a third-level True Immortal cultivation and to fight so long here was already quite remarkable.
"Child, go back."
The elder in the air pulled the young man out of the rubble, transfusing him with power to help him regain consciousness, and then spoke softly.
Although Gu Yan was severely injured, he understood what had just happened. His eyes showed a hint of struggle, but he ultimately fell silent, his gaze becoming even sharper.
He had fought his way through the twelve Demon Race members on the third level and reached his limit on the fourth.
He did not push himself any further, yielded to the elder, and then turned to leave the Emperor Sword Mountain.
"You lost."
With his move, the Spirit Race elder said to Li Hao.
Li Hao looked at the clear black and white pieces on the Chess Board, fell silent for a moment, and then nodded.
"Thank you for your guidance, Elder."
"Guidance is too much to say. Watch us play a couple more games, and see if you can understand where you went wrong."
The Spirit Race elder chuckled.
He had a good impression of this young man but would not guide him in cultivation. However, in the Dao of Chess, he was happy to offer some pointers.
Li Hao nodded and stood up to let the elder take his place.
Beside him, Ah Ling looked at Li Hao. Although he had ignored her earlier, she could not bring herself to dislike him.
Perhaps it was because of his clear and sincere eyes, or the focused and pure-hearted way he played chess. She telepathically said:
"Don't be discouraged. Being able to play this long with Grandpa, you're already very impressive."
Li Hao glanced at her, as if seeing her for the first time. Her beauty slightly brightened his eyes, and he smiled, nodding.
Meanwhile, on the fourth level of the Emperor Sword Mountain.
Yue Xi, dressed in luxurious attire, could not hold off the combined attacks of three eighth-level True Immortal Realm Demon Race members and had to call for help.
As the elder teleported her out of the Emperor Sword Mountain, she was left with only resentment.
In this battle, she had poured in almost all her efforts, using numerous trump cards and secret techniques, but in the end, she still lost.
Just three True Immortal Realm Eighth Stage opponents were enough to overwhelm her.
When she left Emperor Sword Mountain, Yue Xi saw that her fourth senior brother, Xu Jianming, was already waiting on a hill.
She felt a sudden sense of relief and landed, asking, "Senior Brother, you didn't climb up?"
Xu Jianming had just finished recuperating from his injuries. Seeing this headstrong little junior sister, he smiled a bit helplessly and said, "I couldn't match those guys. The Ancient Demon Clan indeed has few rivals at the same realm."
"You fought the ancient demons?"
Yue Xi knew that her fourth senior brother was at the True Immortal Realm Seventh Stage, so she asked, "Are you at the Fifth Stage or the Sixth Stage?"
"Sixth Stage."
Xu Jianming sighed.
A hint of envy flashed in Yue Xi's eyes. She was so close to the Seventh Stage. She said, "You still have two more chances, Senior Brother, don't give up."
"Sure."
Xu Jianming nodded and then saw a figure flying through the air. He smiled and said, "Little junior brother is here too."
Yue Xi was slightly taken aback and turned to look. She saw Gu Yan flying over, dressed in black.
However, Gu Yan's robe was stained with blood and was somewhat tattered, clearly a sign of a fierce battle.
Yue Xi's gaze fixed on him, but she didn't speak easily.
Xu Jianming, a bit more straightforward, asked, "Little junior brother, which stage did you reach?"
Gu Yan glanced at him. Perhaps still feeling the sting of defeat, the coldness in his expression lessened slightly. He said, "Fourth Stage."
"Wow, you two are both at the Fourth Stage?"
Xu Jianming laughed. "Not bad, but unfortunately, the time was too short this time. If you had more time, you might have had a chance to reach the top."
Gu Yan asked, "Senior Brother, which stage did you reach?"
"Sixth Stage."
Gu Yan's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.
Yue Xi suddenly asked, "At the Fourth Stage, how many Demon Race members did you encounter?"
"Six."
Gu Yan replied.
Yue Xi's face changed slightly. She had only faced three and was defeated.
Her fingers clenched slightly in her sleeve, but she didn't say anything more.
Gu Yan didn't ask, either. If he faced six, then this senior sister must have faced at most four.
However, he didn't focus his pursuit on her.
"Third Senior Sister and Fifth Senior Sister haven't come out yet. Oh, and Seventh Uncle too."
Xu Jianming gazed at Emperor Sword Mountain and said, "Eldest Senior Brother must have reached the top long ago. If I could reach the Sixth Stage, then Second Senior Brother must have gone up long ago too. I wonder if Senior Sister can pass."
Wei Hongye was at the True Immortal Realm Eighth Stage, and facing the Ninth Stage Ancestral Dragon, the outcome was uncertain.
Yue Xi then thought of Li Hao, the guy who joined the sect at the same time as her. He hadn't come out yet?
Her expression changed slightly, and she stared at Emperor Sword Mountain, her fingers clenching even tighter.
A moment later, two figures flew out, and it was Wei Hongye and Murong Qingwu.
They almost came out together and saw the three waiting here. Lu Wuchen and Ji Qingxuan weren't there, which was expected, but they noticed one person was missing.
"Hmm?"
They were a bit surprised.
Xu Jianming, seeing their return, showed a look of regret and asked, "Senior Sister, you didn't pass?"
"That Ancestral Dragon is indeed formidable. Xiao Wu and I planned to team up, but Elder Zhou Qingyun said we had to challenge it one by one. We both lost."
Wei Hongye sighed.
Xu Jianming looked at Murong Qingwu and remarked, "Fifth Senior Sister, you truly live up to the title of the Heaven-Descended Sword Star. You started later than me, yet you're ahead now."
"Who told you not to work hard?"
Murong Qingwu smiled and then inquired about Yue Xi and Gu Yan's situations.
Gu Yan hadn't expected this lively girl to reach the Seventh Stage. His expression changed slightly, and he thought of their earlier sparring agreement. His eyes sharpened, and he sat down cross-legged to focus on the Sword Dao Spirit Light he had experienced.
"There's still one missing... it's Seventh Uncle, right? He hasn't come out yet."
Wei Hongye asked in surprise.
Xu Jianming also looked puzzled and said, "He couldn't have run into trouble inside, could he?"
"I didn't see him at the Seventh Stage. He must be somewhere below, possibly in a difficult situation."
Murong Qingwu didn't think much about it. She didn't have a strong impression of Seventh Uncle but was deeply impressed by the Yanhuo Clan and the Natural Sword Immortal Constitution.
"Maybe."
Wei Hongye nodded and didn't think further. She said, "We shouldn't idle around. We only have two years, so let's all try our best."
None of them exchanged much more, each going off to cultivate on their own.
At this time, Emperor Sword Mountain gradually returned to peace.
While there were still Disciple Challenges in various levels, their numbers were dwindling as many Disciples had already discovered their limits.
To reach the summit, there were no shortcuts. Even if they had banded together to get through earlier, they would eventually have to face the challenges one by one.
At the mountain's peak, nine figures stood here.
"Eldest Senior Brother."
Lu Wuchen climbed to the summit and, seeing Ji Qingxuan already sipping tea in front of the thatched cottage, greeted him.
Ji Qingxuan nodded slightly. At the moment, Abyss Lord Yun Wumian was meditating alone at the edge of a cliff, and no one dared to disturb him. Everyone gathered around the tea table in front of the cottage.
"Good job, it wasn't too difficult, right?"
Ji Qingxuan patted Lu Wuchen's shoulder and smiled lightly.
Lu Wuchen, usually a quiet person, now showed a rare, slightly embarrassed smile. "The Ancestral Dragon was quite a challenge. Its Dragon Body is too overwhelming, and my sword could only barely break through it."
"The Ancestral Dragon clan is born with an Ancestral Dragon Body, so it's natural for them to be so powerful. They are second only to the Ten Immortal Bodies."
Ji Qingxuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the outer area of Emperor Sword Mountain. "That junior brother with the Natural Sword Immortal Constitution has also reached the fourth level. His performance is very impressive. I hope he can keep it up. If he can seize this opportunity to secure a spot for the Emperor Sword, it will greatly shorten the gap between him and us."
Lu Wuchen was slightly stunned, his eyes scanning the mountain's outer area. When he saw the black-clad young man meditating on a hill, a hint of sigh appeared in his eyes.
He never thought he would feel the pressure of someone catching up to him.
Looking back at Eldest Senior Brother, Lu Wuchen saw no trace of jealousy on his face, which only increased his respect. "How is the situation at the border, Eldest Senior Brother? Is everything under control?"
Ji Qingxuan shook his head slightly, his expression becoming more serious. "The Ancient Demon Clan is ruthless. In recent years, the cultivation techniques researched by various sects have mostly focused on Soul Spirit types, which provide some resistance against them, but in same-realm battles, we are still at a disadvantage."
Lu Wuchen remained silent. "Once I reach the Immortal Lord Realm, I also want to train there."
Ji Qingxuan glanced at him and smiled. "Don't rush. For now, I'll handle these tasks. Our Human Race doesn't lack soldiers but needs a true top-tier powerhouse to lead us to rise."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the outer area of Emperor Sword Mountain. "Perhaps, hope lies among them."
Lu Wuchen was taken aback, feeling as if Eldest Senior Brother's figure had suddenly become overwhelmingly majestic. He nodded silently and said no more.
Time flowed quietly.
Several days passed.
Xu Jianming, having awakened from his cultivation, looked around but found no sign of Li Hao. His heart sank, and he immediately took out his sword talisman.
Fellow Disciples' sword talismans could sense each other.
He used his sword talisman to search for Li Hao's.
Li Hao had given his sword talisman to Xiyian to help her move freely, but once she was familiar with the area, she returned it to him.
The sword talisman now indicated that Li Hao was still on the first level of Emperor Sword Mountain, which left Xu Jianming somewhat surprised. After so long, that junior brother was still only on the first level?
Half a month passed.
Yue Xi awoke from her comprehension and challenged Emperor Sword Mountain again.
Other Disciples also began to challenge the mountain one by one. After their initial attempts to gauge their limits, many of them now saw Emperor Sword Mountain as a training ground to hone their Sword Techniques.
After all, with the presence of Elders to assist in case of danger, such a training ground was extremely rare.
Moreover, the Immortal Power within Emperor Sword Mountain was abundant, making it an excellent place for cultivation.
This time, the challenge was more difficult. Without other Disciples to share the burden, she had to face more Demon Race members alone.
However, Yue Xi, with the pride of a prodigy, did not find this daunting. Instead, she wished the other Disciples hadn't dispersed those Demons, allowing her to face them head-on in a proper trial.
This time, she fought her way to the fourth level and faced five True Immortal Realm Eighth Stage Demons. After a long and arduous battle, she managed to win, albeit with great difficulty.
Time flies.
Six months later.
Wei Hongye, Gu Yan, and Murong Qingwu, among others, successively challenged the Emperor Sword Mountain.
Wei Hongye and Murong Qingwu still failed, falling before the Seventh Level's Ancestral Dragon.
However, Gu Yan suddenly advanced to the Fifth Level!
Facing three True Immortal Realm Sixth Level ancient demons, he defeated all of them and pushed to the Sixth Level before finally being defeated.
Gu Yan's leap in strength left the others shocked. They also realized that Gu Yan's Soul Spirit might have already broken through the Ultimate Realm, forming Soul Spirit Meridians, which would explain his ease in battling the ancient demons.
During these six months, two more disciples of other elders also climbed to the Seventh Level, reaching the summit and earning the right to Comprehend the Imperial Sword.
At the First Level of the Emperor Sword Mountain.
On a distant cliff edge far from the central area, Li Hao was playing a game of Go with an elder from the spirit race.
In their mutual battles, Li Hao occasionally won.
The elder's Go skills were on par with Elder Wang, but their styles differed. Moreover, the elder showed no mercy on the board, and Li Hao's victories were often due to a bit of luck, seizing on the elder's occasional lapses.
"Kid, aren't you going to challenge the mountain?"
After finishing a game, the spirit race elder looked at Li Hao and smiled.
The casual chats during their half-year of Go had made them somewhat familiar, and he found this unconventional disciple of the Sword Abyss intriguing. While other disciples were striving to climb the mountain, this one was content to flow with the current.
"Time is still early, no rush."
Li Hao smiled.
It was rare to find someone with superior Go skills, so he couldn't easily pass up this opportunity.
This was a rare cultivation chance, and finding such a worthy opponent was difficult in everyday life.
The spirit race elder chuckled but didn't press the matter. His clan had been trapped here, and they had little fondness for the Sword Abyss. Although he didn't dislike the young man in front of him, he found it hard to feel truly close.
Li Hao gathered the Go stones and yielded his place to a middle-aged spirit race member, then moved to the side to analyze the reasons for his recent losses.
Over these six months, his Chess Dao experience had accumulated to a significant degree. If he could grasp the twelve segments of the Chess Heart here, it would be perfect.
Another half-year passed.
A year had already elapsed since the Imperial Sword Challenge, and the Emperor Sword Mountain had become quieter. Many disciples were out in the world Comprehending.
They would only return to the Emperor Sword Mountain to test their combat power after making breakthroughs and progress.
At the Seventh Level of the Emperor Sword Mountain, Li Tiemu and the old woman came to accompany Zhou Qingyun.
They took turns watching over the battle against the Ancestral Dragon on this level, ready to intervene and save the disciples if necessary.
"Your disciple will be here soon. His Natural Sword Immortal Constitution is truly remarkable!"
Zhou Qingyun couldn't help but marvel.
The three of them gazed from the cloud sea before them to the young man in black below on the hill.
"Within just a year, he can match a True Immortal Realm Eighth Level ancient demon, and he has cultivated the Zhanhuang Decree to the Third Level. If he weren't only at True Immortal Realm Fourth Level, with the significant gap in Immortal Power, he could defeat a typical True Immortal Ninth Level."
The old woman's voice carried a note of admiration. The Zhanhuang Decree was one of the top Sword Dao cultivation techniques in the Sword Abyss Tower, and it had been chosen by and mastered by that young man.
"True Immortal Realm Fourth Level, and he already has the makings of a minor True Immortal Realm overlord. The Ancient Immortal Legacy is one of the few legacies that can rival the Imperial Clan, and it lives up to its name."
Zhou Qingyun said.
(End of Chapter)
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