Chapter 488: Ascending the Immortal Terrace
Chapter 488: Ascending the Immortal Terrace
Whoosh!
In the Wasteland, a figure shot out.
The challenge was nearing its end. In the open space before the Wasteland, disciples from various sects gathered.
In the high sky, Chu Xiangtian rode the Ancestral Dragon, standing majestically in the air. Behind him, the misty clouds revealed the faint silhouettes of other Princes and Princesses, their ethereal forms giving off an air of supreme genius, only to be revered from afar.
Everyone was waiting for the time to end, with only one hour left.
Zhang Xuan Yu emerged from the Wasteland, his Dharma Robe covered in cracks, the sleeves torn, and bloodstains visible on his back, looking quite disheveled.
Surviving for two days in the twelfth Wasteland, he was nearing his limit.
However, this challenge was not without its benefits. Battling with primordial immortal techniques and other Immortal Dao Laws, he had gained significant insights. After the challenge, he would enter another seclusion, and his strength would improve further.
"It's almost over..."
The True Treasure pendant in Zhang Xuan Yu's embrace helped him keep track of time. There was less than an hour left until the end.
He looked at the sea of people outside, hearing the familiar and noisy sounds. The sudden return from the brink of life and death brought an indescribable sense of relief.
He took a deep breath and looked up at the Immortal Stela.
His gaze fixed on the tenth position.
Ninth... Sixth?
Zhang Xuan Yu froze, the relief on his face turning to shock. His eyes widened in disbelief.
He had used a Secret Art to snap one of the immortal bones buried in his body, extending his time by a day. He had also exhausted all the Immortal Dao Laws he had inherited from his sect and through other opportunities. Yet, he still hadn't climbed back to the tenth position?
Could it be that the top ten were from the thirteenth Wasteland?
He stared at the ranking, feeling a sense of despondency and confusion. He had pushed himself to the brink in the twelfth Wasteland, and he was almost certain he had reached his limit.
Unless the opponent was a Third Stage Immortal Lord.
Except for Tian Hongyi, Xing Lan, and Boya Xuejian... Zhang Xuan Yu's gaze slowly swept over the other Heavenly Sects. Climbing to the Immortal Lord Realm within three thousand soul years was already a one-in-a-billion feat, let alone reaching the Third Stage. There were almost none, yet Yan Chu had ten?
In the vast Immortal City, it took a thousand Immortal Cities to produce one such genius.
Zhang Xuan Yu's eyes dimmed, a bitter taste in his mouth. He lowered his head.
At that moment, several figures flew over.
"Senior Brother!"
"Xuan Yu!"
"Junior Brother!"
Fellow sect members rushed over. Ever since Zhang Xuan Yu had entered the Wasteland again, the news had spread within the sect, and everyone had been following his progress. After all, this was a matter of the sect's honor.
At this moment, several Elders looked up at the Immortal Stela but saw that Zhang Xuan Yu's ranking had not changed.
Two days had passed, and he had not reclaimed his position, indicating that the one in tenth place was truly exceptional!
"Xuan Yu, don't think too much about it. You've done your best!"
Beside him, Xinyu Master, a woman of exquisite beauty and warmth, with a faint aura of Immortal Power, spoke gently, her eyes filled with a mix of pity and regret.
There was no point in anger or resentment; they could only accept the outcome.
"I want to see who this tenth-place person is. I know all the geniuses from the other Heavenly Sects, but their rankings don't seem to be here."
"Unless they have someone else hidden, trying to challenge the Tianyi Sect's position? Hmph!"
“There’s only one hour left, and His Majesty will be here to reveal the results. Let’s see who it is!”
The other Elders all had cold expressions. It was just a single rank difference, but the outcomes were vastly different.
If Zhang Xuan Yu could also make it into the top ten, then the sect would have produced two top-ten prodigies, and their reputation would soar throughout the entire 9,000 immortal cities of Yan Chu!
Even the lofty Imperial Clan would have to lower their heads and take notice.
“Let’s go back and wait.”
Cui Yuesheng said, turning to lead the disciples back.
On the giant sword, Lin Qingying, dressed in green robes, stood at the edge. Seeing the crowd of disciples gathering, she knew that this Senior Zhang was an extremely formidable figure. However, now that he had emerged, and the rankings on the immortal stele had not changed, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and the tension in her heart slowly eased.
Then, her gaze turned to the Nine Depths of the Great Dream, where a crowd was gathered, and a faint cheer could be heard. Her clear eyes lit up with a smile.
That young man always brought her surprises, like a pearl, shining and brilliant.
“It’s a pity for Xuan Yu. If his water element origin could be half as powerful as Boya Xuejian’s, he could easily enter the top ten.”
At this moment, a calm voice descended, and Tian Hongyi, dressed in snow-white robes, appeared behind Lin Qingying, speaking calmly.
Lin Qingying’s gaze retracted, and she couldn’t help but look in the direction of the Zhuyu Pavilion.
These days, the name she heard most often was the one Master and the many Grandmaster brothers discussed: a primordial being, a talent unparalleled, even suppressing the Imperial Clan.
She shook her head slightly, not responding or asking.
Tian Hongyi, seeing that the woman seemed uninterested in his words, couldn’t help but frown slightly and said:
“In seven years, with your rate of improvement, you will have a chance to make a name for yourself in the Southern Domain Battle. Eventually, you will encounter Boya Xuejian and be part of our circle. Aren’t you at all curious?”
Lin Qingying looked into the distance and said calmly:
“Why should I be curious?”
Tian Hongyi was slightly taken aback and said, “As cultivators, what all beings seek is to reach the peak, and now we stand at the summit.”
“The summit….”
Lin Qingying’s eyes flickered, scanning a certain area. Seeing the increasing excitement and cheers, a smile curved her lips:
“Some people struggle to climb the mountain, while others leap from the summit. The scenery you want to show me, someone else will let me see.”
“Who?”
Tian Hongyi’s eyes turned cold, and he immediately asked.
Feeling the air around her suddenly freeze, Lin Qingying’s smile and gentleness vanished instantly. She frowned slightly, turned her head, and gazed at the most dazzling young man of the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower, saying:
“I was just speaking offhandedly. The summit you speak of, when truly seen, might not seem so significant. All beings… can live without reaching the summit!”
"Your cultivation attitude is too pessimistic!"
Tian Hongyi couldn’t help but say.
Lin Qingying turned and left, returning to her cultivation place without another word.
“Hmph, talking so casually, but working harder in cultivation than anyone else!”
Tian Hongyi watched Lin Qingying leave, his face darkening.
He had noticed her. Despite her short time in the sect, she cultivated with great effort and diligence. He had thought she shared his ambition to reach the peak and overlook the world. In that case, she might have become his dao companion, walking the path of the 1st Rank with him.
But unexpectedly, she kept him at a distance, which irritated him.
…
“That Zhang Xuan Yu has failed!”
“He’s still at eleventh!”
“It’s almost over, there’s no time now. Hao Tian is really going to be tenth!”
At the Nine Depths of the Great Dream, enveloped in the boundary dao domain, the disciples were all extremely excited, especially the Sword Abyss disciples, including Gu Yan and Yue Xi. They were both conflicted and happy.
"Brat, you're really something! Zhang Xuan Yu spent two days in there and still didn't surpass you!"
Li Tiemu was so excited that he kept pounding Li Hao's shoulder with his fists, nearly wanting to hug him and plant a few kisses.
Li Hao, seeing the old man so agitated, quickly pushed him away to avoid getting splattered with saliva.
"I spent three days, and he only spent two. Of course, he couldn't surpass me unless he broke through the fog wall."
Li Hao said.
"You spent three days?"
Li Tiemu's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but ask, "You spent all three days in the twelfth wasteland?"
"Of course."
"I thought you... Well, you brat, you didn't explain clearly. We were all on tenterhooks, worried sick for the past two days, while you were probably laughing to yourself!"
Li Tiemu was both furious and delighted, his emotions being pulled in all directions by this kid.
"You didn't ask. Besides, if I wasn't in the twelfth wasteland, where else would I be?"
Li Hao looked innocent.
Li Tiemu rolled his eyes and scanned the other areas of the immortal stele. Apart from the occasional change in the top nine hundred, everything else was quiet.
Everyone was waiting outside the immortal stele, watching the excitement as the competition neared its end.
"There shouldn't be any suspense. The few people behind you haven't entered, and there's no movement from the Imperial Clan. Unless someone else suddenly surges to tenth place like you did."
Li Tiemu said, his voice tinged with excitement.
Zhou Qingyun and the old woman looked at Li Hao with astonishment. Who would have thought that the disciple Old Li had brought into the sect a few years ago would achieve such a ranking in the entire Yan Chu Immortal Dynasties!
Top ten, that's the top ten in nine thousand immortal cities!
An immortal city isn't a mere mortal city; its size is comparable to a hundred dynasties, with vast territories and countless inhabitants.
The geniuses and prodigies there are innumerable, but to stand out in nine thousand immortal cities is a testament to reaching the pinnacle of cultivation in their respective realms.
"To have such strength at the True Immortal Realm, Old Li, what kind of immortal seal does your disciple have?"
Zhou Qingyun couldn't help but ask.
To suppress Zhang Xuan Yu, who is at the True Immortal Ninth Level, and surge to tenth place, this is no small feat.
"Immortal seal? What kind of immortal seal?"
Li Tiemu was taken aback and turned to look at Li Hao, realizing he had never seen Li Hao's immortal seal before.
"Brat, could it be that you have a six-flower immortal seal?"
Li Tiemu couldn't resist asking.
Beside him, Gu Yan's eyes flickered, a glint of interest in her gaze as she scrutinized Li Hao.
Yue Xi and Murong Qingwu looked at Li Hao in shock. A six-flower immortal seal?
Li Hao didn't answer, just smiled enigmatically.
"Playing the mysterious, you brat!"
Li Tiemu gave Li Hao a disapproving glance but didn't really blame him. After all, it wasn't time for the Southern Domain Battle yet, and keeping some cards hidden was always better.
"A six-flower immortal seal, even if you go to the Heavenly Palace and become a disciple of the Supreme Sage, you could still be a formal disciple, right?"
The old woman murmured, looking at Li Hao as if he were a treasure.
Her disciple, Lin Mingrong, looked dazed. She had a three-flower immortal seal, a phoenix among humans, an unparalleled prodigy, and her master had said she could become a disciple of the Immortal Emperor Supreme Sage.
Time flowed quietly.
Cheers erupted from time to time across the various Immortal Sects.
Someone managed to surge into the top thousand at the last moment, securing their entry ticket, and the entire sect celebrated with joy and dance.
Soon, an hour passed.
A dragon's roar echoed through the sky, followed by a powerful clanging of a great gong from the Heavens. All the discussions were instantly silenced.
"The Trial has ended!"
Chu Xiangtian spoke calmly, his cold voice resonating throughout the entire area.
His realm had already reached the Perfection stage of the Immortal Lord Realm. Apart from the Immortal King Realm overlords, almost no one present could match him.
Even Heavenly Sect Elders like Li Tiemu, who were at the same realm, were no match for this Imperial Clan Prodigy.
"Please assist, Marshal, in bringing out all the disciples from the wasteland!"
Chu Xiangtian suddenly turned, bowing deeply toward the wasteland with an extremely humble attitude.
"Marshal?"
"Which Marshal?"
"Stop being ridiculous. The only Marshal who could command such respect from Chu Xiangtian is the Grand Marshal of the Nation!"
Outside the wasteland, the disciples and elders of various sects were surprised, unable to see anything as they gazed into the depths of the wasteland.
Li Hao was somewhat taken aback, not expecting that General Shangguan was still in the wasteland.
This means that his earlier performance must have been observed by both him and that old man Yuan.
While Li Hao was pondering, a profound wave of Immortal Power suddenly surged from the depths of the wasteland, sweeping like a tidal wave across the wasteland from the depths of over thirty layers to the outer edge.
The few disciples who were still struggling in the wasteland were all pushed out.
"Thank you, Marshal."
Chu Xiangtian's eyes gleamed, and he bowed again, speaking warmly.
The dozen or so shadowy figures behind him, who were enveloped in a misty aura, all changed expressions and hurriedly bowed toward the depths of the wasteland, collectively greeting the Grand Marshal of the Nation.
At the same time, they cast angry glances at Chu Xiangtian, who knew the Marshal was there but didn't inform them earlier.
Though they were Princes, only one could inherit the throne. The rest were merely offspring to their father, the Emperor.
Offspring could be born simply by taking a concubine, but the Grand Marshal of the Nation had been the only one in the past seventy thousand years!
The difference in status was clear to all.
Those who couldn't see this clearly wouldn't even have the chance to come to the Ancient Immortal Realm and would have been long forgotten.
"Please bring the Immortal Terrace!"
Chu Xiangtian turned and declared loudly.
As his words spread throughout the area, the skies above the crimson wasteland's edge were suddenly filled with swirling clouds. From the depths of the clouds, a deep black platform, like a abyss, slowly descended.
The platform, seemingly forged from molten iron, was adorned with ancient bronze pillars, exuding an aura of the Barbaric Age.
The crowd below looked up in awe, feeling that the Immortal Terrace was an extremely powerful and top-tier Realm Artifact, even possessing a touch of imperial might!
As the clouds parted, it seemed as if Heaven and Earth were newly opened, and the Immortal Terrace slowly descended through the boiling clouds, coming to a halt in front of the Immortal Stele.
"Now, please invite the prodigies who ranked within the top thousand on the Immortal Stele to ascend the platform!"
Chu Xiangtian, riding on eight Ancestral Dragons, flew to a high point above the Immortal Terrace and spoke loudly to the Heavens and Earth.
His voice boomed like thunder, echoing for miles.
(End of Chapter)
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