The same words echoed incessantly within various floating cities and palaces.
Nearly a thousand observing cultivators wished to see the appearance of the person ranked first on the Jade Tablet.
This was because they had already witnessed the brutal battles among the elite disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
Many of their techniques were comparable to what was broadly defined as "true prodigies," and several exceptionally talented disciples possessed combat prowess strong enough to withstand a few blows from ordinary Core Formation stage cultivators without dying.
Astonished by the strength of the Taiyi Immortal Sect's elite inner disciples, these observers were now eager to know what the top-ranked inner disciple looked like.
...
High above.
Twenty people sat upon twenty seats of ten-thousand-year-old cold jade.
Their vantage point was excellent, offering a clear view of the scenes unfolding across the eight continental fragments.
They were all at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, the sect masters of the twenty great dominant forces, and the helmsmen of the entire Kyushu Continent's cultivation world.
Their gazes were currently fixed upon the eight continental fragments.
However, in their hearts, they were somewhat indifferent to the affairs of these younger generations.
The battles that captivated the observing cultivators held no appeal for them.
They conversed amongst themselves, chatting and laughing with an air of complete ease.
...
It was at this moment that the sect master of the Demon Path's foremost sect, the Nine Nether Heavenly Demon Sect, suddenly uttered an exclamation of surprise, instantly drawing the attention of the other sect masters.
As they turned their attention, they all saw, without exception, the name of the first person on the Jade Tablet. However, this name was quite unfamiliar.
But this was to be expected. Given their status, even the names of Core Formation stage elders from the Taiyi Immortal Sect would likely be unfamiliar to them.
After all, how could a true dragon soaring in the sky remember the names of the ants crawling on the ground?
...
Looking at the small inscription at the top of the Jade Tablet, Dugu Jingjue, the sect master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, seated on a ten-thousand-year-old cold jade chair next to the Taiyi Immortal Sect's sect master, Zhu Shenzi, suddenly turned his head and said to Zhu Shenzi, "Brother Zhu Shenzi, your sect truly possesses the deepest foundation in Qingzhou. You indeed harbor hidden talents among your inner disciples."
"According to the rules of your sect's grand martial competition this time, such a rapid rise in ranking is truly astonishing. Something interesting must have occurred..."
"It's a shame we were chatting and didn't witness it. Looking back, it's somewhat regrettable."
The other sect masters' eyes lit up upon hearing this, and they all showed expressions of curiosity.
They were clearly aware of the rules of this grand competition and understood that such a rapid ascent must have involved some interesting events.
It wasn't that these sect masters were genuinely interested in Wu Tao himself.
It was simply that they were all bored, with nothing else to do. A rare occurrence that seemed potentially interesting had presented itself, and they wished to see it.
...
Upon hearing the words of Dugu Jingjue, his long-time rival, Zhu Shenzi displayed a hint of a knowing smile. Without any hesitation, he suddenly pointed forward.
Immediately, a surge of white light erupted, striking the mid-air in an instant.
Unbeknownst to what it communicated with, a series of lights flickered, and a massive void mirror suddenly appeared before everyone.
This colossal void mirror was entirely different from the void mirrors above other palaces and cities.
Not only was it immensely large, but the scenes within it did not depict ongoing battles. Instead, they showed scenes of battles that had already occurred and concluded.
...
"Hum!!!"
After a few breaths, the scene within the colossal void mirror abruptly stopped.
Then, it began to change again. If Wu Tao were present, he would undoubtedly see that the battle he had just concluded was now being replayed within this void mirror.
The shifting images captured the attention of these twenty sect masters, individuals of astonishing status and terrifying cultivation.
Their gazes were fixed upon the void mirror.
The initial scenes did not cause their expressions to change, but as the battle of Dao between Wu Tao and Wang Qingyu concluded, and Wang Qingyu surrendered his defense, being pierced through the chest by the Chuxi Sword, the twenty sect masters showed surprise. Several even let out involuntary exclamations.
"Brother Zhu Shen, your two young disciples are quite amusing."
"Indeed, these two young ones are quite amusing."
...
Zhu Shenzi frowned upon hearing this.
Recalling the scenes he had just witnessed, he nodded, understanding. It seemed that in that final clash of wills and Dao, Wang Qingyu had surrendered in this manner.
With the confirmation of the top eight, the battles for advancement from the top eight to the top four were about to begin.
...
The first match: Xue Rou'er versus Yan Yan.
"Ding ding ding dong..."
The strings of the Nine Heavens Profound Saint Zither were caressed by Xue Rou'er's delicate hands.
A clear, graceful, and soul-stirring melody transformed into a winding, undulating torrent of sound, attacking Yan Yan.
Yan Yan coldly snorted upon seeing this, took out a fiery red cauldron, and with a swing, summoned over a hundred Fire Essence Fire Crows.
Fire Essence Fire Crows were fire spirits born from earth fires after a thousand years of refinement. They were virtually immortal within flames, with each one being comparable to a true fire-attribute spirit beast.
Even for inner disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect with considerable spirit stones, Fire Essence Fire Crows were an extreme luxury, costing a significant amount.
...
Yet, Yan Yan could summon over a hundred Fire Essence Fire Crows in one go, proving himself worthy of being the nephew of the Nascent Soul stage cultivator Feng Junyi.
These fire crows spat flames, and under Yan Yan's spiritual control, they transformed into a torrent of fire, colliding with the winding, undulating torrent of sound.
The flock of Fire Essence Fire Crows pushed back the surrounding sound waves.
...
Xue Rou'er's pupils contracted upon seeing this, and she said, "Fellow Daoist Yan Yan, your skill is impressive."
Yan Yan chuckled proudly.
He said to Xue Rou'er, "Junior Sister, if you wish to surrender, do so quickly, or I will not hold back. "
"Hmph, you underestimate me if you think these petty tricks can defeat me." Xue Rou'er played the zither with both hands, her fingers channeling spiritual energy, producing a piercing, resonant high note that reached beyond the nine heavens.
The variations in melody and notes.
Caused the scattered sound waves to condense and transform, manifesting into a multitude of combat weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, tridents, whips, maces, hammers, guis, pikes, clubs, lances, rakes, and more.
Each of these weapons radiated potent killing intent, their edges gleaming coldly.
Yan Yan's heart faltered.
Because at a glance, the number of these manifested weapons grew exponentially, forming a dense, black mass, seemingly endless.
...
Yan Yan increased his spiritual energy output, and countless Fire Essence Fire Crows flew out from the cauldron, forming a sea of fire.
The temperature of the entire continental fragment suddenly rose by nearly half.
Over a thousand fire crows, varying in size, danced wildly in the air, clashing with the manifested weapons.
Flames seared, and weapons clashed.
Strangely, whether a weapon was melted by a fire crow or a fire crow was slain by a weapon, one would tumble within the sea of fire and be reborn from the flames after a moment, while the other would continuously condense within the sound waves, immediately recovering its original numbers. Both seemed inexhaustible.
Yan Yan's eye twitched, and he formed a hand seal. With a series of movements, he conjured a massive three-legged Golden Crow, which flapped its wings in the air.
The illusory image of the three-legged Golden Crow appeared, its wings spread wide, obscuring the sky.
It then stretched its neck, let out a long cry, and attacked.
Due to the immense size of the three-legged Golden Crow, even before it descended, it exuded an overwhelming pressure, like Mount Tai bearing down, making it impossible to evade.
As the incantation stopped, the three-legged Golden Crow swooped down.
A gust of fiery wind roared down, like a hurricane sweeping across, kicking up dust from the ground near Xue Rou'er.
Xue Rou'er had no time to think. With one hand, she patted her storage bag, and the remnant ancient treasure, the Ice Scar Stone, shot out from the bag.
...
The Ice Scar Stone shimmered briefly before transforming into an ice mountain over thirty feet in size, which hurled fiercely towards the three-legged Golden Crow in the air.
A deafening roar sounded between the ice mountain and the three-legged Golden Crow. The Ice Scar Stone struck the Golden Crow as if hitting solid rock, only causing the airborne three-legged Golden Crow to pause slightly before being repelled.
The three-legged Golden Crow continued its charge towards Xue Rou'er without faltering.
A sharp glint flashed in Xue Rou'er's eyes, and the Nine Heavens Profound Saint Zither emitted a hum. The zither's intent surged, and the numerous sound waves instantly merged into one, forming a sound wave blade fifty to sixty feet long.
Then, a high-pitched note resounded again. The sound blade transformed into a pale white light, slicing directly towards the descending three-legged Golden Crow.
"Bang!"
With a flash of white light, it cleanly bisected the three-legged Golden Crow.
The next second, Yan Yan's expression paled slightly, and he then let out a muffled groan, seemingly having suffered a minor setback.
...
"The primordial remnant treasure, the Nine Heavens Profound Saint Zither, is indeed extraordinary, capable of shattering my spiritual energy manifestation of the three-legged Golden Crow!"
Yan Yan stared intently at Xue Rou'er, speaking each word deliberately.
"As I expected, you are far inferior to your uncle!" Xue Rou'er murmured to herself, as if she hadn't heard Yan Yan's words.
Seeing Xue Rou'er's disdain, Yan Yan became enraged and laughed out of sheer fury.
Without a word, Yan Yan abruptly patted his storage bag. Suddenly, a flash of fire appeared, and the remnant ancient treasure, the Sun Flame Jade Immortal Mirror, appeared in his hand.
"Heh heh! I only revealed one-tenth of my strength just now, and you're already so arrogant. In the next strike, I will make you taste defeat and show you my true abilities!"
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