Chapter 465: Immortal Technique Ranking
Chapter 465: Immortal Technique Ranking
"Focus on your cultivation for three years, and the abundant Immortal Power in the Dream Realm will be enough to bring you to the Fifth Level of the True Immortal Realm!"
At Great Dream Mountain, Great Dream Master said to Li Hao, "By then, your strength will surely improve. After the Ancient Immortal Realm trial ends, the Imperial Clan will grant you rewards, including their secret manuals and the current top ten Immortal Techniques!"
"In the next seven years, I will help you master the top Immortal Technique bestowed by the Imperial Clan, striving to push you to the pinnacle of cultivation."
Great Dream Master gazed intently at Li Hao. Mastering a Supreme Immortal Technique to its peak in just seven years would shock anyone, but she had the confidence to do it.
If she devoted herself to helping this young man, it was not impossible.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. He had heard before that the top ten Immortal Techniques he possessed were already rare relics from ten thousand years ago, long since replaced by newer techniques. The glory and traces of the past had been silently buried in the river of time.
"Senior, can I leave the Dream Realm?"
Li Hao bowed and asked.
Great Dream Master's eyes, filled with expectation, narrowed slightly. "Where do you plan to go?"
"I want to explore on my own."
Li Hao said, "When I have the time, I'll come back to discuss the Dao of Art with you. I hope you will not withhold your guidance."
Great Dream Master was taken aback. Although she also enjoyed the Dao of Art, it was because her lifespan was so long, giving her countless years to cultivate other paths in her leisure.
Moreover, through the Dao of Art, she could comprehend the Primordial Dao of space, time, and the Water Origin among the Nine Sequences. The Dao of Art was also part of her cultivation.
For this young man to want to take this step now was a bit premature.
"Once you achieve a good ranking in the Southern Domain Battle, I will teach you. However, before the Southern Domain Battle, you must focus on the Sword Dao."
Great Dream Master said softly, already interpreting the young man's words as a way to curry favor with her. However, she did not feel angry or resentful, only gently advising him.
Li Hao was speechless. He had hoped to use the Dao of Art to ascend to the Immortal Lord Realm by reaching the twelfth level. By the time the Southern Domain Battle ended, it would be too late.
But he understood her perspective. Continuing the conversation would be futile.
Besides, if he could use ancient demons in cooking to push his Cooking Dao to the twelfth level, it would be a great opportunity.
"Junior takes his leave."
Li Hao bowed.
Great Dream Master was momentarily lost in thought. This young man left with such decisiveness, showing no hint of reluctance.
It wasn't until Li Hao was about to leave the Dream Realm that Great Dream Master recalled his earlier words. The young man truly intended to leave this supreme cultivation holy land of the Nine Depths of the Great Dream!
"Stop."
A ethereal voice echoed in Li Hao's mind, belonging to Great Dream Master. Compared to her previous gentleness, it now carried a touch of authority.
Li Hao's steps paused, and he turned to look back at the palace, but he saw no sign of Great Dream Master.
"Are you really leaving the Dream Realm? Where are you going?"
Li Hao knew that if he said he was going to the border, he might not be allowed to leave.
"Exploring."
He replied mentally, "Wherever it's interesting, I'll go there."
"Wherever it's interesting, I'll go there..." These simple six words made Great Dream Master, sitting in a pavilion on the palace roof, look down at the young man through the railing. Such youthful and spirited words reminded her of someone from long ago.
A young man who had once shone brightly in the entire True World.
The long-buried figure and memories seemed to overlap in her mind for a moment.
The endless ages seemed to converge at this moment, and the echoes from the past, separated by ten thousand years, resonated in her ears.
"Big Brother, where are you going?"
"To where the people are, wherever there are crowds, that’s where I’ll go!"
"Why?"
"I want the whole world to know that my Great Dream Clan can stand tall among the hundreds of races!"
That voice, full of youthful vigor and pride, carried an air of invincibility. And indeed, he did achieve his goal, standing at the peak of the Hundred Clans Mountain, like a Venerable Spirit, radiating a brilliant light that stunned the True World and all its myriad races.
Now...
"Where is it interesting?"
She seemed to be muttering to herself, asking softly.
The young man at the edge of the Great Dream Realm flashed a grin in response, answering in his heart:
"Wherever there are people, that’s where it’s interesting."
The Great Dream Master’s eyes flickered slightly, perhaps because it had been too long since she had responded. Seeing that the young man was not waiting for her to speak, he turned and left.
The Great Dream Master’s gaze immediately focused, and she whispered:
"Wait."
Li Hao paused, turning his head to look back at the palace.
Suddenly, a meteor-like light flashed atop the palace, then streaked down into his hand.
It was a fragment of jade, shaped like a fish.
"This is a Chaos Fish, born through the nine tribulations of chaos, capable of sensing future dangers. Keep it with you."
The Great Dream Master’s voice echoed in Li Hao’s mind.
Li Hao was taken aback. Sensing future dangers? This must involve the essence of time.
But even with his current mastery of the second level of time essence, he dared not claim he could predict dangers.
There was no doubt this was a precious treasure.
Li Hao said, “Senior, you’re too kind. This is too valuable...”
“Take it!”
“Alright.”
Li Hao nodded and quickly tucked it into his robes.
The Great Dream Master almost laughed, giving the young man a withering glance, though she didn’t care if he could see her. She hadn’t realized how many times she had smiled today, more than in the past thousand years. She whispered:
"Go, I’ll wait for you to return."
Li Hao nodded, feeling deeply grateful. On their first meeting, she had given him such a precious gift and didn’t even ask where he was going, allowing him to act as he pleased. This indulgence touched his heart.
He bid farewell to the Great Dream Realm. Outside, the crowd had already dispersed, and even the elders from various sects were gone, clearly knowing that his disciple had been left in the Great Dream Realm and wouldn’t return for three years.
Li Hao didn’t see Old Li, guessing he had probably returned to the Sword Abyss.
He thought for a moment, deciding that greeting everyone again would just lead to more talk, so he found a servant, left a note, and had it delivered.
The note informed them that he was stepping out and not to worry.
Then, Li Hao left the Great Dream Mountain and the continent of the Great Dream Sect.
He arrived in the starry sky, stepping onto the Teleportation Array with practiced ease.
He didn’t choose to go directly to the border but first went to Conscience Pagoda City.
This journey might take three years, so Li Hao wanted to say goodbye to Old Man Han before leaving.
"You’re going, so what? Why tell me, an old cripple?"
On the hill outside the Heart-Questioning Tower, Old Man Han, who fished in the cloud sea, didn’t even lift his eyelids, speaking indifferently when he heard Li Hao come to say goodbye.
Li Hao smiled bitterly, used to his manner of speaking, and simply bowed, saying, "I’ll be going then, and I’ll make you something delicious when I return."
With that, he bowed and left.
"Where are you going?"
Old Man Han suddenly called out, stopping Li Hao in his tracks.
Li Hao was taken aback and answered honestly, "To the border, to fight ancient demons."
"You?"
Old Man Han’s gaze shifted from the cloud sea to Li Hao, giving him a sidelong glance before narrowing his eyes. "Your Nine Depths of the Great Dream, do they really let a precious treasure like you go to the border battlefield?"
"How do you know I’m a precious treasure?" Li Hao asked curiously.
Old Man Han snorted and waved his hand impatiently. "Go if you must. Since they don’t care, why should I?"
Li Hao, hearing this and seeing his dismissive wave, didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and bowed deeply again.
Swish.
Before he could lift his head, he heard a whistling sound. He looked up to see a dark object flying toward him and caught it in both hands. It was a black, extremely old iron plate.
"Don’t lose it, and remember to return it when you come back."
Old Man Han said coldly.
Li Hao could only see the old man’s back, not his expression, but he smiled and gripped the iron plate tightly, tucking it away. "I will!"
He said his goodbye and left.
"Those fools at the Nine Depths of the Great Dream, are they all obsessed with chasing after lost things..."
Old Man Han squinted, gazing at the sea of clouds ahead. Eventually, the frown on his forehead relaxed, and a hint of weariness and a sigh appeared in his eyes.
……
After leaving Conscience Pagoda City, Li Hao boarded the Teleportation Array and leaped to another immortal realm.
Knowing that the border was infested with ancient demons, Li Hao had long prepared himself at the Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect, poring over numerous geomantic maps of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty.
Though these geomantic maps were not easily accessible to ordinary noble families, the Great Dream Nine Abyss was, after all, a Heavenly Sect with extensive connections.
With these geomantic maps, Li Hao was familiar with the routes along the border. This time, he was headed to the Qing River Border, the closest to the Great Dream Nine Abyss, located in the western region of Yan Chu.
Despite being the closest, it still required crossing dozens of vast immortal cities, each sprawling and floating in the void, surrounded by shattered starstone dust.
Li Hao learned from Old Li that Ji Qingxuan and others, including the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower and other Heavenly Sects, were engaged in battle at the Qing River Border.
The Qing River Border stretched for countless miles, vast and boundless.
Legend has it that one of the nine Immortal Emperors, the Azure Emperor, once practiced his swordsmanship here, splitting an ancient immortal's mountain range. The shattered mountain stones fell and floated in the void, forming a river, thus naming it Qing River.
The mountain may be gone, but the river remains.
As he teleported through one immortal city after another, when Li Hao reached the last city before the Qing River Border, he was stopped by a guard beside the Teleportation Array.
"Young man, beyond this point lies Qing River Fallen City!"
The middle-aged guard looked at Li Hao seriously and said, "Once you reach the Fifth Tier of the True Immortal Realm, you can come back. Until then, if you go there, you will either join the military or be considered a traitor among the ten thousand races. There's no turning back. Have you thought this through?"
"Indeed."
Li Hao nodded.
He was familiar with the border rules. The border did not restrict True Immortals from Yan Chu from entering, as the Ancient Demon Catastrophe had severely weakened the Yan Chu Imperial Clan. Relying solely on the military would be too costly, so they did not hinder the spontaneous efforts of righteous young men who came to fight the ancient demons.
However, among those who came, there were also traitors who sought to join the ancient demons or spies sent by the ancient demons to relay information.
Thus, once they reached the Qing River Fallen City, where the border forces gathered, they could only join the military or be executed as traitors!
Seeing Li Hao nod, the middle-aged guard and the other guards beside him showed a newfound respect. They could tell that Li Hao was only a Third Tier True Immortal but was determined to head to the battlefield, a rare display of righteousness.
"Take care!"
The middle-aged guard said solemnly, then took the immortal stones Li Hao handed over and placed them in the Teleportation Array slot. The immortal stones were crushed, and the Teleportation Array activated.
Li Hao was sucked in and, when he opened his eyes again, heard a deep, ancient horn sound, as if blown from an elephant tusk.
The horn blared overhead, deafening and awe-inspiring.
Li Hao looked up to see a vast, desolate landscape, with mottled dark clouds above. Behind him stood a towering ancient wall, stained with countless layers of blood.
The wall, besides the bloodstains, seemed to have dried flesh and animal fur, but they were so layered that it was impossible to distinguish them clearly.
In the distance, dense figures moved through the streets, all dressed in military uniforms, exuding a stern and formidable aura.
Li Hao's eyes became stern as he felt the overwhelming aura of death and battle from all directions, as if the place could turn into a fierce battlefield at any moment!
The air was thick with a pungent odor, but Li Hao recognized that it was not from the ancient demons, but from the human race and other races.
This border city had defended against the ancient demons for countless years and buried countless lives.
"The ancient demons are invading again!"
"The Peacock Army has been summoned, it seems this invasion is no small matter!"
"We should get ready too, just in case we need to join the battle and pick up some leftovers!"
On the streets and squares ahead, apart from the figures who took off with the call to arms, more people remained on the ground, looking up and discussing the situation.
Li Hao's eyes gleamed slightly. Ancient demons invading right after he arrived?
Clearly, this wasn't a coincidence. This place likely suffered frequent ancient demon attacks year-round.
Additionally, Li Hao knew that in the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, the military was divided into five levels, with the strongest being the Chu Immortal Army. It was named after the founding Ancestor and was under the command of the Grand Marshal. Even the Princes would tremble before the Chu Immortal Army, as its soldiers could slay emperors without penalty!
Of course, this "without penalty" didn't mean they could act on a whim. After killing an Imperial Clan member, they had to report to their superiors and get the Grand Marshal's approval. If the Grand Marshal said it was without penalty, then it was. If the Grand Marshal said it was a crime, then it was.
This clearly demonstrated the Grand Marshal's exalted and extravagant position.
Apart from the highest-ranking Chu Immortal Army, the next were the Dragon Battle Army, Peacock Army, Tiger Lion Army, and the Heavenly Wolf Army, which was spread across the various immortal cities of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty.
The Chu King's Order that Shangguan Hong had given Li Hao could summon the Tiger Lion Army.
The Tiger Lion Army was one of the elite immortal armies of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, with generals all at the Fifth Rank of the Immortal Lord Realm or higher.
The Peacock Army was even more formidable, with a hundred soldiers capable of slaying an Immortal Lord and a ten-thousand-strong formation capable of matching an Immortal Lord Perfection.
As for the Dragon Battle Army, it could intimidate heavenly sects and make immortal kings bow.
The highest-ranking Chu Immortal Army was invincible, sweeping through the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty without restraint, with no one able to stand against its might!
Li Hao, upon arriving, clearly had no intention of using the Chu King's Order. He just wanted to keep a low profile and get some ancient demon meat to eat.
At that moment, a dazzling light suddenly shone over.
Li Hao looked up and heard cries of surprise coming from ahead.
He saw a vast, sprawling phantom banner stretching across the sky, like a grand scroll, with three large characters prominently displayed:
"Immortal Technique Ranking!"
Then, a crack appeared in one spot, and a brilliant light shot out.
Once the light dimmed slightly, he could see that the source of the city-wide illumination was a name!
"Ji Qingxuan!"
"Who is this?"
"Good heavens, he actually made it into the Immortal Technique Ranking!"
"To be in the top hundred of the Immortal Technique Ranking is to be ennobled. The top hundred are all great nobles!"
In the square, countless people were amazed, shocked, and murmuring in awe.
Li Hao was also taken aback when he saw the name. It was that Eldest Senior Brother?
He then realized that on this immense Immortal Technique Ranking spanning heaven and earth, there were only a hundred names!
But these hundred names were like a hundred towering peaks, each character enormous and resonating with the Dao, visible to the entire city.
At that moment, Ji Qingxuan's name was at the 99th position, just entering the Immortal Technique Ranking!
But even so, it was enough to shock the entire city.
"The top hundred of the Immortal Technique Ranking rarely change in a decade. Those who enter can rise to high ranks. Who is this Ji Qingxuan?"
"I heard he's a disciple of a heavenly sect."
The square was abuzz with discussions about Ji Qingxuan.
As Li Hao listened to these discussions to understand the situation, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him:
"You new arrivals, come over here."
Li Hao turned around and saw a soldier in black armor, holding a spear, standing in the crowd, gesturing for everyone to gather.
The ones who were transported from the immortal city were not just Li Hao; there were over a dozen others from other nearby border cities, all arriving through the teleportation. Upon hearing the news, they all approached the soldier.
"Those with a Mission Book, please show it. If you don't have a Mission Book and are here to join the army voluntarily, please stand to one side."
The soldier addressed Li Hao and the other dozen people.
Li Hao had sneaked in and didn't have the special token given by his sect, so he quietly stood to one side.
Three men and two women stepped forward from the crowd, each reporting their origins and tokens.
Some were from noble families, sent here to gain experience and slay demons.
Two were disciples of the Heaven Two Sect, who had just completed the wasteland trial in the Ancient Immortal Realm with Li Hao. They didn't manage to rank in the top thousand, so they came here to train their combat power and earn merit.
The soldier greeted these newcomers, led them away, and arranged for their placement elsewhere before turning his attention back to Li Hao and the others.
"Are you here to join the army voluntarily? Given that there have been ancient demon spies who have betrayed important information of the Immortal Dynasties, you can only prove your innocence by killing ancient demons here!"
The soldier scanned Li Hao and the others, his expression extremely cold.
The remaining people, including Li Hao, felt a sense of frustration at this treatment.
"We came here to slay ancient demons, and you still suspect us of being spies?"
"Who would betray the Immortal Dynasties? If the Immortal Dynasties fall, would the ancient demons spare them?"
"How can you know what a spy is thinking? If you could understand, wouldn't you be a spy yourself?"
"… That’s true."
"How many ancient demons do we need to kill to prove our innocence?"
"We came here to kill ancient demons anyway, so it’s not a big deal."
The group discussed among themselves.
The soldier said, "You need to accumulate enough immortal merit here, or bring back three ancient demon heads, to earn the identity token for the Heavenly Wolf Army!"
"If you wish to continue ascending, you will need to pass further assessments. For now, you will join the Wildfire Army. There, you won't be able to learn the Immortal Dao Military Formation to prevent leaks, but there is the Demon-Defeating Formation, which is equally powerful. Additionally, your task is relatively simple: if there are any gaps in the defensive line, you will be responsible for intercepting the demons that slip through!"
Hearing this, the dozen or so people looked at each other, feeling the strict security measures in place.
"Why is it called the Wildfire Army?"
A young man standing next to Li Hao couldn’t help but ask curiously.
The soldier glanced at him, seeing that the young man was staring back without fear, but didn’t get angry. He simply said:
"Because you are all righteous warriors, like the wild grass that cannot be burned out, and the wild fire that never ceases to burn!"
The young man’s eyes widened slightly, muttering, "What a crude explanation."
"The option to leave is still open if you have any objections."
The soldier looked at the group.
The dozen people glanced at each other, and no one spoke of leaving.
The soldier nodded and said, "Very well. If anyone had thought about leaving just now, congratulations, you are already a dead man!"
Everyone was stunned, looking at him in shock.
"This is the border, a battlefield. It’s not a place to come and go as you please!"
The soldier shouted suddenly.
The group’s expressions changed, and they all felt the stern authority of the place. The lightness and carelessness in their hearts gradually subsided.
"Now, come over here to register."
The soldier said with a cold snort.
The group followed, yielding to each other.
"Brother, you’re only a Third Tier True Immortal, and you’re here to slay demons. Your enthusiasm is truly remarkable."
The young man walked with Li Hao and suddenly leaned in to say.
Li Hao was taken aback. He had reined in his Omni Attributes after hearing Yun Wumian’s words, revealing his true cultivation.
"Slaying demons is everyone's responsibility", Li Hao said after a moment’s thought, speaking with a serious tone.
The young man seemed to believe him, looking at him with surprise for a moment before drawing a soundproof barrier and whispering:
"To be honest, I do have a Mission Book. I am a disciple of the Tianyi Sect, here to earn immortal merit for my sect. Stick with me, and I can watch your back if things get dangerous."
Li Hao was surprised and asked, "There are five Tianyi Sects. Which one are you from?"
"That I can’t say", the young man shook his head but then gave a mysterious smile. "But in ten years, when I make a name for myself in the Southern Domain Battle, you’ll know!"
(End of Chapter)
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