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Chapter 331: Defeating With Ease, Becoming Canglan's Venerated
🕑 Added 2024-09-15 04:24:26 +0000 UTCWhen his number was called, Li Hao stepped onto the stage, standing quietly and waiting.
The surrounding noise was deafening, with many gazes already falling on him. However, having just experienced a battle with the Holy Son of Haoyue, under the watchful eyes of a million disciples, semi-saints, and even saints, he now felt calm and untroubled. His thoughts drifted elsewhere, watching a duel on another stage that he hadn't finished viewing earlier.
It was a battle using whips and hidden weapons. Though not particularly powerful, it was quite interesting.
"You still have the leisure to watch others fight?"
Suddenly, a soft voice full of surprise rang in his ears.
Li Hao pulled his thoughts back and turned to look. His opponent had already taken the stage. It was a young woman, appearing to be around twenty-nine years old. She was beautiful, with delicate features and a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Please," Li Hao said immediately.
Li Qingyi, seeing his calm and composed expression, noticed that he seemed completely unbothered by the upcoming battle. She raised an eyebrow, finding it a bit amusing. "You don't seem to think you might lose."
"?"
Li Hao was slightly surprised and asked, "Since I've stepped onto the stage, naturally, I believe I'll win. Who would come to compete otherwise?"
That made sense, but running into me, you're out of luck… Li Qingyi shook her head slightly. Although she didn't plan to go all out, this was the selection for the top ten thousand, so she naturally wouldn't hold back.
"My apologies."
She spoke to Li Hao and then raised her hand. As a formation coalesced, she softly uttered:
"Suppress!"
As the word was spoken, the power of the law descended, and Li Qingyi attempted to suppress Li Hao using her cultivation.
However, the law's power had no effect on Li Hao. With his divine blood Dao body fully formed, the power of the law could not affect him in the slightest, not even requiring the use of his Dao domain to block it.
"Hmm?"
Seeing her attack fail, Li Qingyi's eyes narrowed slightly. She immediately realized that Li Hao's strength was not simple; at the very least, he possessed the power of the Dao Law realm.
With such cultivation, it was unfortunate that he had fallen outside the top ten thousand.
She waved her hand, summoning a fierce gust of wind that swept toward Li Hao, with blades of law hidden within.
At this level, he wouldn't make it to the top hundred... Li Hao saw her attack. Though she was in the Dao Law realm, her strength was somewhat lacking. He didn't hesitate further, casually grasping a wisp of wind, transforming it into sword qi.
As the sword qi formed, Li Qingyi suddenly felt a sense of danger, as if her hair was standing on end.
Her literary heart trembled, warning her of impending danger. For the first time, she felt a threat from this young man.
Li Qingyi's eyes widened in shock. Had she really encountered one of those hidden geniuses among rogue cultivators?
Swoosh!
Her figure blurred, instantly teleporting into the void.
When she reappeared, a sword was in her hand, thrusting toward Li Hao's back.
But just as her sword struck, the sword qi in Li Hao's hand erupted, as if it had been waiting for her all along.
Li Qingyi's pupils contracted, and her sword trembled, as if some force was trying to wrench it from her grasp.
She unleashed all her arm strength, unintentionally releasing her extreme divine power, yet still couldn't hold onto her sword. She had no choice but to activate her Dao domain. In an instant, layer after layer of Dao domain appeared, twenty-four in total!
With the appearance of her Dao domain, a myriad of phenomena unfolded, the flow of laws swirling. Only then was the sword qi finally suppressed.
As the "intent" within the sword qi was dissipated, only a wisp of wind remained, which soon scattered.
Li Qingyi was drenched in cold sweat, barely able to conceal her shock. A casual wisp of wind had nearly forced her to reveal her true strength?
Li Hao was equally surprised. Was this opponent pretending to be weak?
He had initially thought she was just a regular Dao Law realm cultivator, but now she had revealed two extreme realms in an instant.
The extreme divine power realm was common in the Holy Lands, thanks to the merits stored in the River of Demise. Many Heaven's Chosen had mastered this realm, as merit could be exchanged directly for it. With enough merit, it was easier than cultivating it.
But the Void extreme realm wasn't so easily attained. Clearly, this opponent was a monstrous talent as well.
Earlier, the Swordmaster had mentioned that the competition among rogue cultivators was fierce. Li Hao hadn't fully believed it then, but now he was starting to.
As he sighed inwardly, his hand didn't remain idle. Once again, he grasped a wisp of wind, this time condensing the essence of the Soft Sword Dao rather than simple sword intent.
Swoosh!
The sword qi shot forth like a dragon leaping from the sea, tearing through her layers of Dao domain. Softness, in its extreme, could also be hard, and the qi sliced through in an instant.
Li Qingyi was about to teleport again, but it felt as though she had been locked in place. Her heart trembled with fear. The sword qi was too fast, and her Dao domain was rendered useless. Before she could add more layers, her throat felt a light sting, followed by pain.
She reached for her neck in disbelief.
"What?"
Below the stage, the refined figures from earlier were dumbfounded. They stared in shock, unable to believe what they had just seen.
In less than two minutes, Li Qingyi had lost?
This was the Holy Maiden of the Literary Ancestor's Holy Land! Although she hadn't used her full strength in literary Dao combat, to be defeated so quickly was simply unbelievable.
Moreover, they could tell that the young man hadn't even used his full strength.
As a sword cultivator, Li Hao hadn't even drawn a sword. He had simply used the breeze to defeat Li Qingyi.
His swordsmanship was terrifying!
"Who is this person? His swordsmanship is frightening. Could he be from the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land, also pretending to be a rogue cultivator like Qingyi?"
The young man with the folding fan had stopped fanning himself. His eyes were fixed on the youth on stage, but no matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn't recall seeing this person before. Unless, like Li Qingyi, he had changed his appearance.
Apart from this group, many other disciples in the audience had noticed the commotion on this stage. They were equally shocked.
Li Qingyi's display of over twenty layers of Dao domain had been too attention-grabbing, attracting much attention. Yet she had been defeated in an instant.
"What happened at Stage 8? A clash between top-tier Heaven's Chosen right during the selection for the top ten thousand?"
"Over twenty layers of Dao domain? My god, is that even human?"
"I heard that some Holy Sons and Holy Maidens from the Holy Lands can achieve that."
"Who is that boy? He defeated her, and he didn't even use a Dao domain!"
The area around the stage buzzed with excitement. Many who had been watching other fights turned to this stage upon hearing the commotion. However, the battle had already ended, and they hurriedly asked those nearby what had happened.
Li Qingyi, hearing the noise, returned to her senses. She looked at the young man in front of her, who was calmly watching her, clearly waiting for her to admit defeat.
After all, if he hadn't held back, her head would have already been separated from her body.
Li Qingyi bit her lip slightly, feeling a bit aggrieved. But she knew that she couldn't blame anyone but herself for her lack of skill. She transmitted a message to him:
"What is your name?"
"Qingfeng," Li Hao replied, still using his alias. Without the strength to rival the False Saint, he couldn't reveal his true identity.
Though the Thirty-Three Worlds were vast, to a saint, tracking him down might only take an instant.
Especially since the enemy was skilled in the ways of the void, their movements through space were incredibly fast.
"With your strength, there's no problem making it into the top ten among rogue cultivators. I'll be waiting for you at the Canglan Battle. I wasn't using my full strength this time, but next time, we'll have a proper fight."
Li Qingyi, despite his calm demeanor, felt a surge of competitiveness and unwillingness to accept defeat. She transmitted these words to him.
Li Hao was a bit surprised. "You've already lost. How will you fight again?"
Li Qingyi froze, her frustration turning into embarrassment. "That's none of your business!"
With that, she turned and left the stage.
Li Hao found her reaction odd but didn't dwell on it. Once the referee announced the result, he returned to his seat to await the next round.
On the other side, Li Qingyi rejoined her companions. The young man with the folding fan immediately asked:
"How much of his strength do you think he used?"
Li Qingyi's expression grew serious, the playful demeanor from before was gone. She glanced at Li Hao as he walked to his seat and quietly said:
"He didn't use his Dao domain, nor his extreme realm. My laws had no effect on him, which means he also has a Dao body. His swordsmanship... it's likely entered the Dao."
"Entered the Dao?"
The others took sharp breaths and exchanged uneasy glances.
Mastering the Dao in one's techniques was something only semi-saints and saints could achieve!
One step further, transcending the Dao, and one could attain sainthood through ritual sacrifice!
Those who could become saints through ritual sacrifice were generally peerless talents. Even among saints, their status was high, and few dared to provoke them.
After all, saints who attained sainthood through ritual sacrifice had one distinct advantage over those who relied on incense—they could enter the mortal world at will!
Saints who became saints through ritual sacrifice could descend to the mortal world without suffering any erosion, whereas incense saints would lose some of their power.
"Will we face him in the Canglan Battle a few months from now? I've heard that the Buddhist Sect has produced two twin prodigies, said to have mastered six extreme realms. I didn't expect such a terrifying figure to emerge among the rogue cultivators."
"I've also heard that the Holy Son of the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land, Haoyue, has divine eyes that can see through all illusions, making him a difficult opponent."
"It seems this Canglan Battle will be incredibly fierce. I wonder if any of us will secure a spot to represent Canglan."
Their expressions turned solemn. What they had thought would be a competition among inner disciples had turned out to include monstrous talents. They were glad they had come.
Li Qingyi didn't speak. She was still replaying that sword in her mind, as well as the way Li Hao had been gazing elsewhere when he stepped onto the stage.
A wave of frustration washed over her.
He had never once thought he might lose, and in the end, he hadn't.
How infuriating… Li Qingyi shot one last glance in his direction, then decided she had no desire to stay any longer. She said, "I'm heading back. I'll return for the top hundred matches to see if anyone can push him to reveal his full strength."
The others nodded, feeling the same sense of urgency. The emergence of such formidable competition among rogue cultivators made them want to retreat and train harder.
As they departed, in another part of the crowd, Qiu Wuhen had also been watching the fight.
He had noticed the group of refined figures, particularly one of them, whom he had once met before.
Was she really the Holy Maiden of the Literary Ancestor's Holy Land? Qiu Wuhen wondered, then turned his gaze to Li Hao, who sat calmly sipping tea. He couldn't help but smile wryly. His fishing companion seemed completely unaware that he had just defeated the Holy Maiden of the Literary Ancestor's Holy Land.
Still, for someone from the Literary Ancestor's Holy Land to compete here was somewhat unfair.
Qiu Wuhen felt a twinge of regret. This match could have been more exciting if the Holy Maiden had gone all out and forced Li Hao to reveal his true strength.
Shaking his head slightly, Qiu Wuhen left as well, feeling the need to intensify his training lest he fall too far behind.
After his initial victory, Li Hao participated in several more matches, each time easily defeating his opponents with a casual gust of sword wind.
Since his fight with Li Qingyi, Li Hao had garnered much attention. As he continued to win effortlessly, many began to bet on him as a top contender for the championship.
Three days passed, and the selection of the top ten thousand had finally concluded, with the top hundred matches next.
Li Hao successfully advanced to the top hundred, winning every match with ease.
During the rest period, many factions sent him invitations, hoping to meet with him.
These invitations included offers from royal families and top-tier forces.
Among them were many tempting offers, but after careful consideration, Li Hao accepted an invitation from the Canghai Divine Dynasty.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty was the largest dynasty in Canglan World, with ten semi-saints in its service. It had connections with the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land, the Buddhist Holy Land, and the Literary Ancestor's Holy Land. These connections were, in essence, protection fees paid through incense offerings.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty extended an olive branch, hoping Li Hao would become one of its venerated experts. In return, they offered him the incense from ten cities.
These ten cities were massive in scale. Li Hao knew that with their incense, his path to sainthood through incense would be shortened from 300 years to 260, saving him forty years of accumulation!
In the mortal world, that would be equivalent to four hundred years!
The scale of these cities was immense.
The power of incense was not only determined by population size but also by the strength of the believers.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty had a large number of martial artists, and the incense from martial artists was vastly more powerful than that from ordinary people.
Although winning the first place in the Supreme Heaven's Chosen Battle would grant him a tremendous amount of incense and allow him to become a saint on the spot, incense continued to be a vital source of power even after achieving sainthood. Like absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, the more incense a saint absorbed, the stronger they became.
This was why long-established saints were so difficult to challenge for newer saints. Most of the available incense was already controlled by these saints.
Li Hao accepted the invitation, and in addition to the incense, he requested some cultivation techniques.
Upon receiving Li Hao's response, a secret message was delivered to the Canghai Emperor in the imperial palace of the Canghai Divine Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, Qingfeng has accepted our invitation and is willing to become a venerated expert of the Canghai Divine Dynasty," a burly general reported quietly.
The Canghai Emperor's face lit up with satisfaction. "Excellent, well done. This young man is incredibly powerful. Now that he's one of our venerated experts, if he can represent Canglan World in battle, our Canghai Divine Dynasty will receive a share of heavenly dragon qi!"
"Your Majesty, there has been some debate in court about offering him the incense of ten cities. Over the years, we've already sacrificed much incense to support the three Holy Lands, and now we're giving away ten more cities. After all, he's only in the Dao Law realm, not a semi-saint," the general asked hesitantly, unsure why the emperor was offering so much.
The Canghai Emperor smiled faintly. "The Sword Ancestor's Holy Land sent word that this young man is extraordinary. He's worth the ten cities."
The general was momentarily stunned but wisely refrained from asking further. He bowed and said, "In addition to Qingfeng, we've also secured three other talented Heaven's Chosen. One agreed for the incense of five cities, another for seven cities, and the last for twelve cities."
He glanced at the emperor. "In total, we've offered the incense from thirty-four cities, the equivalent of an entire province."
The emperor's eyes gleamed. "Has Chi Guang also agreed?"
The general nodded. "He initially requested incense from twenty cities, but after some negotiation, we supplemented the offer with other divine pills. Additionally, he specifically requested to marry Princess Yunji."
The Canghai Emperor's eyes flickered, and after a moment of contemplation, he said:
"With his strength, he will undoubtedly represent Canglan World in battle, securing a share of dragon qi for our dynasty. Yunji, in marrying such a Heaven's Chosen, will be doing her part to secure our dynasty's future."
The burly general lowered his head, saying nothing more. Royal marriages were often sacrificed for the greater good, and it wasn't uncommon for the emperor's children to be used in such arrangements when dragon qi was at stake.
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