Chapter 949
The Battle of Geniuses
Upon hearing this, Honghuzi quickly replied, "I was being presumptuous just now; indeed, business is of utmost importance."
"We have now captured a total of 347 star domains, including 16 medium star domains and the rest are small star domains. The Three Saints Sect has dozens more star domains than us, but fewer medium star domains."
Honghuzi gave a general account of the situation.
In ten years, they were able to reclaim so many star fields, and the Taiyi Sect's efforts were immense.
Honghuzi also did his best to help the Blood Demon Palace reclaim the star field, naturally for the purpose of breaking through to the level of Dao Integration.
Lu Li nodded and asked again:
"How many star systems are left to conquer?"
Honghuzi then took out a star map, which was filled with densely packed star fields.
"Young friend, please take a look. There are still more than 300 star regions that we haven't conquered yet. These star regions are quite far away from us, but I have already sent people over to reclaim them."
Lu Li looked at the star map, which clearly marked the star regions belonging to their Blood Demon Palace, as well as the star regions taken over by the Three Saints Sect.
Basically, all the nearby star systems have been captured.
Lu Li asked in confusion:
"Wasn't it said that there were three thousand star fields around? Why are there only so many?"
Honghuzi said with a wry smile:
"It is said that there are three thousand surrounding star fields, but in fact only about a thousand can be considered star fields. The rest are some barren star fields with no value."
Lu Li nodded: "I see."
Just then, a disciple of the Taiyi Sect suddenly ran in from outside the hall:
"Ancestor, something terrible has happened!"
Upon seeing the disciple rush in, Honghuzi's face immediately darkened:
"What's the rush? Can't you see I'm discussing something with Young Friend Lu?"
The disciple said in a trembling voice, "Ancestor Ling has gone missing, and the souls of the other elders who were with Ancestor Ling have all been shattered!"
"What?" Honghuzi's expression changed instantly.
Lu Li's expression also changed.
The Taiyi Sect is now considered the largest vassal force of their Blood Demon Palace in the outside world, and he is also familiar with the situation of the Taiyi Sect.
Ling Xiaozi was one of the two fifth-step Dao Integration cultivators of the Taiyi Sect. Such combat power would be among the top in the Xuanhuang Realm, yet now something has happened to him.
"When did this happen? Where did you lose contact?" Honghuzi asked immediately.
The disciple quickly reported:
"It happened outside the Nine Star Domains. They went to Xingfeng Sect and then the accident occurred!"
Hong Huzi immediately suspected that Xingfengmen was behind this.
But soon, he realized it was impossible.
Even if Chen Beijing personally took action, he wouldn't be able to defeat Ling Xiaozi. If it really was Chen Beijing who made the move, Ling Xiaozi should have sent a message back.
The disciple continued, "..."
“We have already contacted Xingfeng Sect. They said that Elder Ling and the others left after they finished their business, and they don’t know what happened after that.”
Honghuzi asked:
"Is there anything unusual in the nine star regions?"
The disciple shook his head: "No, Xingfeng Sect is currently dealing with the attack from Tianxuan Holy Land and is deploying manpower at the edge of the star field. There are no other unusual actions."
Honghuzi said coldly, "Have Elder Tian go to Xingfeng Sect in person to find out the reason."
Upon hearing this, the disciple immediately nodded respectfully and then withdrew.
Lu Li then spoke up:
"Senior, there's no need to worry too much. Senior Lingxiaozi's soul tablet hasn't shattered, which proves that he's still alive and well. He's probably just hiding away because he's encountered some trouble."
Although that's what Lu Li said, the fact that a fifth-step Dao Integration cultivator suddenly lost contact clearly meant something had happened.
Honghuzi looked at Lu Li:
"Young friend, I wonder if the Celestial Venerable has emerged from seclusion yet?"
Honghuzi believes that Ling Xiaozi's disappearance is likely related to the Three Saints Sect and the Heavenly Profound Holy Land, because in the surrounding star fields, only the Heavenly Profound Holy Land and Li Shijian could possibly have managed to ambush and kill Ling Xiaozi.
Lu Li naturally understood what Honghuzi meant, and he shook his head:
"Our ancestor is currently at a crucial stage in purifying his primordial spirit and cannot leave, but it should be soon. Senior, you can wait a little longer."
Honghuzi's face immediately fell, and he told him to wait a little longer.
At this point, there was no time to wait; if things dragged on, Lingxiaozi might really perish.
But he also understood that it was impossible to ask the Blood Fiend Heavenly Venerable for help based on his own connections.
Lu Li said, "I'll try to contact the ancestor later. Senior, you can send someone to investigate how Senior Ling Xiaozi got into trouble."
Honghuzi nodded helplessly:
"That's all we can do."
In the Xuanhuang Realm, within the Bamboo Heart Secret Realm of the Three Saints Sect.
Chen Feng emerged from a dense bamboo forest, now reverting to his former appearance as Wang Ping.
After sensing the surrounding environment, he quickly discovered something unusual.
Although the primordial energy of heaven and earth in the Xuanhuang Realm is still the same as before, the spacetime here seems to have become unstable.
After a brief moment of observation, Chen Feng discovered that the flow of time here was about eight times slower than that outside.
"The time flow rate has changed from ten times to eight times. It seems that even if the spacetime membrane is not broken, the Xuanhuang Realm will still be assimilated by the spacetime forces of the outside world in time."
Chen Feng could sense that in a few hundred years at most, the Xuanhuang Realm would be completely integrated into the outside universe.
At that time, the beings within the Xuanhuang Realm will still face the crisis of their lifespan fading.
As Chen Feng pondered, a female voice rang out from beside him:
"Senior Brother Wang, you've emerged from seclusion?"
Chen Feng looked in the direction of the sound and saw a female disciple looking at him with surprise and delight.
Chen Feng had never seen this woman before, so he asked, "Who are you?"
The female disciple said, "My name is Mo Qiaoqian, a newly promoted inner disciple of Duantian Peak, responsible for guarding the Bamboo Heart Secret Realm!"
"So it's Junior Sister Mo." Chen Feng nodded.
Mo Qiaoqian quickly said:
"Senior Brother Wang, the Peak Master instructed me to notify you to come over as soon as you emerge from seclusion."
"okay, I get it."
After Chen Feng finished speaking, he walked alone towards the outside of the secret realm. The peak master that Mo Qiaoqian mentioned was naturally Wang Lanyue.
According to his estimation, Wang Lanyue's request to see him was likely related to external matters.
After Chen Feng left, Mo Qiaoqian muttered to herself:
"Senior Brother Wang Ping isn't like the rumors suggest."
Mo Qiaoqian had never met Chen Feng, but there were many rumors about him in the Three Saints Sect.
Especially considering that in his early years, he was a spoiled brat who bullied other disciples in the sect because of his background.
Even the position of a true disciple is obtained through connections.
However, the other party suddenly rose to prominence several years ago, demonstrating extremely high talent in Taoist magic.
Some in the Three Saints Sect have already asserted that if Wang Ping can break through to the Void Refinement stage, he will be a core disciple of the sect on par with Meng Jingxian.
Now that she has met Wang Ping in person, Mo Qiaoqian's first impression is that although he looks ordinary, he has a very special temperament.
As Chen Feng walked through the Three Saints Sect, he could clearly sense that there were far fewer cultivators inside.
Most of the remaining ones are young cultivators; he can no longer see any young geniuses.
Many disciples of the Three Saints Sect greeted Chen Feng respectfully upon seeing him.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Wang!"
"Hello, Senior Brother Wang." Chen Feng did not refuse the warm greetings from these people, and nodded in response to each one.
After passing through several teleportation arrays of the sect, Chen Feng quickly arrived at Broken Sky Peak. As soon as he arrived, Wang Lanyue's voice echoed in his mind:
"Come to my cave."
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng did not delay and immediately headed towards Wang Lanyue's cave.
Wang Lanyue's cave dwelling is located at the highest point of Duantian Peak, a snow-covered peak, and the entire cave dwelling is covered in white snow.
Which Dao-merging cultivator of the Three Saints Sect can enjoy a private cave dwelling?
Chen Feng entered the cave smoothly, without any formations blocking his way.
On the white jade bed inside the cave, Wang Lanyue was sitting cross-legged. When she saw Chen Feng walk in, she opened her beautiful eyes:
"Ping'er, you've finally emerged from seclusion."
But soon, Wang Lanyue seemed to realize something, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes;
"You've broken through to the Void Refinement stage??"
Chen Feng nodded: "Yes, a lucky breakthrough."
Upon returning to the Xuanhuang Realm, he changed Wang Ping's displayed external cultivation level from Nascent Soul to Void Refinement. After all, as a Daoist genius of the Three Saints Sect, if his cultivation level was too low, he would inevitably be the subject of gossip.
Upon hearing this, Wang Lanyue showed no joy whatsoever. She flashed to Chen Feng's side and placed her hand on his body.
Chen Feng immediately felt a surge of Dao Fruit power flowing into his body.
Chen Feng did not resist this force, but allowed it to enter his body.
After a moment, Wang Lanyue finally smiled:
"Fortunately, there's nothing wrong with your foundation. I thought you forced your breakthrough using pills."
The reason Wang Lanyue believed that Chen Feng had broken through using pills was because Chen Feng's breakthrough speed was too fast. Before going into seclusion, Chen Feng was still in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
It's quite exaggerated that he broke through to the Void Refinement stage after only one period of seclusion.
At this moment, Wang Lanyue seemed to remember something and asked:
"How is your cultivation of Taoist magic going?"
Chen Feng did not answer directly, but pointed his finger, and the power of the rules of the Dao of Severance immediately appeared in the field.
Sensing this power of the rules, Wang Lanyue's beautiful eyes widened instantly:
"You've already achieved some success?"
She has achieved minor success in the Dao of Severance, a feat accomplished by very few in the entire Three Saints Sect. Even she herself only recently managed to achieve minor success in the Dao.
But Chen Feng is only a few years old, and he has just broken through to the Void Refinement stage.
To have achieved minor mastery of Taoist arts at such a young age is beyond description; it's downright monstrous.
Chen Feng spoke calmly:
"After breaking through to the Void Refinement stage, I occasionally gained some minor success in the Daoist arts."
Chen Feng entrusted the Dao of Severance to the Immortal Corpse Puppet to comprehend, and he himself was able to fully inherit the Immortal Corpse Puppet's insights and gains, among which he had already mastered the Dao of Severance.
However, in order not to cause too much of a stir, he still concealed his cultivation level.
"Good, good, good! Ping'er's cultivation has not only increased greatly, but his Dao techniques have also broken through to the minor completion stage. If the three ancestors knew about this, they would be very happy!" Wang Lanyue pulled Chen Feng to sit down.
She is becoming more and more satisfied with Chen Feng.
Chen Feng then asked:
"I just came out of the pass and I heard that the boundary wall has been broken through?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lanyue's expression immediately turned serious:
"I called you here today just to talk about this."
Wang Lanyue then recounted the story of the boundary wall being opened to Chen Feng, and most of the information was similar to what Chen Feng already knew.
However, Wang Lanyue told her some secret information that ordinary cultivators could not know.
For example, the three major forces in the Xuanhuang Realm have secretly reached a cooperation agreement, and the Heavenly Venerable level powerhouses have agreed not to attack each other anymore. This is also for the purpose of better developing the external universe.
In addition, the three major powers have mastered the means to transport resources back from the outside world.
Some primordial spirits from various star fields have already been sent into the Xuanhuang Realm.
Upon hearing this news, Chen Feng was surprised.
The people of the Xuanhuang Realm actually have a way to send the primordial spirits from the outside world in.
You have to understand, that's separated by a thin membrane of spacetime; it's easy to get out but very difficult to get back in.
Only his painting was unaffected in its transmission.
Chen Feng then asked:
"Does that sect have any newly promoted Heavenly Venerable experts?"
Since the three major powers already have a way to send the primordial spirit into the Xuanhuang Realm, it is very likely that someone in the Xuanhuang Realm has already broken through to the Heavenly Venerable Realm by refining the primordial spirit.
Wang Lanyue shook her head:
"The Celestial Venerable Realm is not so easy to break through, and there seems to be some problem with the primordial spirits outside."
"What problem?" Chen Feng asked curiously.
Wang Lanyue rolled her eyes at Chen Feng:
“These are not things you should be worrying about right now. I have something else to tell you.”
Hearing this, Chen Feng knew that Wang Lanyue was unlikely to tell him about the Yuanling, so he didn't press the matter further, figuring there would be plenty of opportunities to find out later.
Wang Lanyue continued:
"Although we made an agreement with the other two forces that the Celestial Venerables could not intervene, we stipulated that young geniuses could fight each other."
"There are not many star fields left in the outside world now. Not long ago, the ancestor issued a notice that the remaining star fields in the outside world should be contested by the young geniuses of the three major forces. Whoever can seize them will own them. The Heavenly Venerable level experts will not interfere."
"To encourage geniuses within the sect, the sect has offered a series of generous rewards this time. The one who participates in the most Star Domain Battles will receive three mid-grade Yuan Spirits, and the top ten will each receive one low-grade Yuan Spirit."
Wang Lanyue stared intently at Chen Feng.
The Yuanling is undoubtedly what these Dao Integration cultivators crave most. Although Wang Lanyue has not yet reached the fifth step of Dao Integration, she will need it sooner or later.
All the true disciples in the sect have already been invested in. Wang Lanyue originally wanted to invest in another true disciple.
But now that she has seen Chen Feng break through to the Void Refinement stage, she feels that she, as a junior, has a very good chance of winning a good ranking.
As long as Chen Feng can maintain his position in the top ten, he will be able to obtain a Yuanling.
Chen Feng looked at Wang Lanyue and asked:
"Are there different grades for primordial spirits?"
Wang Lanyue nodded:
"Naturally, the quality of a primordial spirit is related to the size of the star field in which it was born. It is divided into four grades: lower, middle, upper, and extreme. Our Xuanhuang Realm is an extreme grade primordial spirit. The better the primordial spirit that is refined, the stronger the Heavenly Venerable will be."
"I see." Chen Feng looked enlightened.
Wang Lanyue then spoke up: "Would you be willing to go to the outside world?"
Chen Feng nodded without hesitation: "I will go. I certainly won't miss such an opportunity."
Wang Lanyue immediately burst into laughter:
"Okay, you take this!"
Wang Lanyue threw out a token with the words "Broken Sky" written on it.
"With this order in hand, it is as if I am personally present. All the disciples and elders of Duan Tian Peak outside will obey your command!"
Chen Feng accepted the token: "Thank you, Auntie."
His original purpose in returning to the Xuanhuang Realm was to buy time for the Fengmen.
This battle of geniuses presents a perfect opportunity.
As long as he can take over the nine star regions under the identity of Wang Ping, even the Blood Fiend Heavenly Venerable will be unable to intervene due to the rules. (End of this chapter)