Chapter 826
Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, One-Handed Crush
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Song Changsheng, the instructor of the Wanxiang Palace branch."
"Li Yufeng, tutor of Baidingge Branch".
The two stood facing each other, exchanged names, but did not immediately make a move.
Song Changsheng said with a sigh, "Fellow Daoist Li, seeing you reminds me of someone. You are both people who are blessed with great fortune, but fortune is elusive and difficult to fathom, and even more difficult to control."
The current situation may not be what you want.
Our goals are different, and our pursuits are different, but ultimately, we are all fulfilling the tasks we each bear. How about this: we settle this with a single move, which will save us some time and energy.
Although Ji Shinian had handed the choice to him on behalf of Wanxiang Palace, he was not actually satisfied with third place.
It would be such a waste to give up after finally getting on such a stage.
Given his age and cultivation level, he might never have such an opportunity again. Therefore, he wanted to try his best, even though he would have to face Zhao Yin, the eldest prince of the southwest who had been in power for a hundred years, and the only female young clan leader of the Tianshui Ji Clan in ten thousand years!
Winning the top three in the competition was for the sake of his family, but continuing forward was for his fearless heart that kept climbing.
Therefore, he did not want to waste too much energy on Li Yufeng, which is why he said the above.
Li Yufeng's mission was already accomplished. All that's left is to maintain appearances. There's absolutely no need to fight him to the death; it's pointless.
Let him save some energy to continue his upward challenge; it might even make things easier for him later on.
I just don't know if the other party can understand.
If it weren't for the fact that a Nascent Soul True Monarch could detect the transmission of divine thoughts, he wouldn't have needed to use this method.
Obviously, sometimes not every sentence needs to be said very directly. Perhaps a glance or an unintentional tone of voice can be enough for people to understand.
"Fellow Daoist's words make sense, then let's settle this with one move!"
Li Yufeng readily agreed. He was indifferent to this matter; as long as Song Changsheng continued to challenge him, he would feel more relaxed with each opponent he defeated, so why not?
"Fellow Daoist Li, please go first!" Song Changsheng gestured.
"Then I, Li, will not stand on ceremony!"
Li Yufeng's expression suddenly became serious. Then, he flipped his hand and took out a small jade cauldron. It was pure white, with four legs and two handles, and was enveloped in wisps of mysterious yellow energy.
The Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion is based on the two arts of alchemy and artifact crafting. The "cauldron" is the most frequently used and indispensable magical artifact in their daily lives.
Every disciple of the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion, from the moment they enter the Dao, must take a drop of their heart's blood and use the unique Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion's cauldron-refining method to forge a natal cauldron.
For the disciples of the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion, this precious cauldron is second only to life itself, and must be nourished with their own essence and blood over a long period of time.
A top-quality Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion Cauldron holds a fatal attraction for most alchemists and weapon refiners in the world.
As soon as it appears on the black market, it will attract a frenzy of buying.
Li Yufeng's offering of this precious cauldron, which he cherished as much as his life, represented his attitude towards this battle.
He was indeed the weakest among the semifinalists.
Even though he was just a pushover to "farm points," he knew exactly what kind of responsibility he carried. Whether Bai Ding Ge could make a dignified exit from this Five Academies Competition depended entirely on his attitude in this match.
Li Yufeng swiftly formed hand seals and slammed them onto the jade cauldron in front of him. His magical power surged into the cauldron like a floodgate being opened.
The jade cauldron spun rapidly in the air, its size expanding at an astonishing rate. Profound yellow energy surged forth from within the cauldron, forming a magnificent waterfall that spread across the void, almost filling the entire sky.
He was, after all, a sect genius carefully selected by the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion. Although his strength was not as good as Li Chengye and others, he was not mediocre. His strength was something that ordinary Golden Core cultivators would have to look up to.
With a full-force attack, the momentum was overwhelming. Within the jade cauldron, a terrifying power was brewing, causing even the heavens to change color.
Song Changsheng took a deep breath, his gaze becoming serious. He never dared to underestimate any opponent.
"Suppression!"
With a powerful shout, the jade cauldron, like a meteorite, crashed down towards Song Changsheng's location from thousands of feet in the sky, propelled by the rolling black and yellow energy.
"boom--"
The air in the path is compressed to its limit, producing a violent sonic boom.
Song Changsheng's eyes were like torches as he looked up at the huge jade cauldron above his head. His hands slowly clenched into fists at his sides, and the blood and qi in his body surged like a great river. The sound of the surging was clearly audible to everyone present.
Under the continuous influence of the [Law of Force], the space around his fists became somewhat overwhelmed, making cracking sounds, and fine black cracks spread out like a spider web from the center of his fists.
"Qi and blood surge like a tide, their power shattering the void."
This young man is not a body cultivator, only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, yet he has cultivated the [Law of Power] to its great perfection. This is truly rare. When did the Myriad Manifestations Palace produce such a genius? Why have I never heard of this name before?
Beside True Monarch Yingyue, an old man stroked his beard, his eyes filled with doubt.
"It's strange that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, which knows everything from the highest heavens to the deepest hells, actually has things it doesn't know in this world."
Upon hearing this, the old man laughed heartily and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yingyue, you overestimate us. The knowledge of the secrets of the world is nothing more than the wild words our ancestor wrote down when he was drunk. It was just a drunken joke and should not be taken seriously."
Moreover, the barren borderlands, apart from the ever-watchful demon race, really have nothing worth paying much attention to.
"The last time I crossed the Tianshan Mountains was eight hundred years ago."
The old man said this, but his hands, hidden under his wide sleeves, were urgently calculating something. He wanted to know how such a person had suddenly appeared.
With his cultivation level and expertise in divination, it wouldn't be difficult for him to deduce the past, present, and future of a Golden Core cultivator.
But for some reason, no matter how he tried to calculate, he could never glean any secrets from Song Changsheng; the result was always the same: nothing.
It's no exaggeration to say that even a grain of sand or a drop of water could reveal a glimpse of the secrets of heaven if he wanted to, but he couldn't see any in Song Changsheng!
"How is this possible..." The old man was utterly astonished. This was the first time such a thing had happened to someone at his current level.
"The first person to transcend, has appeared...the borderlands...the southwest..." the old man murmured to himself, his thoughts becoming somewhat complicated.
The Moon Reflection True Monarch, seemingly oblivious to the old man's unusual behavior, calmly remarked, "Eight hundred years? How many eight hundred years can a cultivator like us have?"
Eight hundred years ago, I was merely a student in the academy, and you were already as beautiful as you are today. Now, eight hundred years have passed, yet time has left not a single mark on you. Sometimes I can't help but wonder, even eight hundred years from now, when I pass away on Mount Cangshan, you will still be the same.”
The old man clearly didn't want to discuss this issue with her, and turned his gaze to the sky, saying, "This kid actually wants to withstand this attack with his physical strength; he's quite confident."
Seeing this, True Monarch Yingyue did not delve into the matter further and instead focused his attention on the competition.
Propelled by the overwhelming Xuanhuang Qi, the jade cauldron crashed down, and just as it was about to hit Song Changsheng, he suddenly unleashed a punch that he had been preparing for a long time.
This punch pierced through the spatial barrier and slammed into the jade cauldron.
Song Changsheng's sleeve exploded instantly, turning into powder and revealing a thick arm that was completely disproportionate to his body shape, with explosive muscles bulging high and veins clearly visible.
The shockwave generated at the moment of collision swept across the entire sky, cleansing away the primordial energy in the air and tearing several terrifying rifts in space.
"break!"
As soon as the calm voice fell, the layer of primordial yellow energy covering the surface of the jade cauldron shattered instantly, and it flew backward, its spiritual light dimming.
Li Yufeng's face flushed red, and he almost couldn't suppress the urge to vomit blood. He swallowed it back down just as it reached his lips, and cupped his hands to Song Changsheng, saying, "Thank you for your mercy, fellow Daoist."
If Song Changsheng hadn't held back a bit of his strength at the crucial moment, his precious cauldron would have been more than just dimmed; it might have shattered into pieces.
That would have nearly killed him.
This favor must be kept in mind.
Song Changsheng stood with his fist clenched, a few traces of blood visible on his knuckles, but with his monstrous recovery ability, this injury would heal in the blink of an eye.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you flatter me."
"I hope your wish will be fulfilled, fellow Daoist," Li Yufeng said sincerely.
"Thank you for your kind words, fellow Daoist." Song Changsheng gladly accepted his blessing.
The Grand Tournament has been known for its brutality so far. The only slightly milder matches are Zhao Yin vs. Baili Yuntu and the current match between Song Changsheng and Li Yufeng.
However, cruelty is the norm on the field, and what follows is a real tough battle.
"Song Changsheng, the instructor of the Wanxiang Palace branch, has won the semi-final match against Li Yufeng, the instructor of the Baiding Pavilion branch, earning one point!" Yingyue Zhenjun announced Song Changsheng's victory with her unique, ethereal, and clear voice.
Then, she looked at Song Changsheng and said, "Next, you can choose to continue the challenge, or take a 15-day break."
Without hesitation, Song Changsheng said, "Reporting to True Lord, this junior will forgo the intermission and choose to continue the challenge!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of the Wanxiang Palace crowd watching below varied. This choice was within their expectations, but they did not expect him to be so impatient.
Although defeating Li Yufeng was easy, it also consumed a lot of energy. The safest approach would be to rest for a few days and let Ji Liangyu and Zhao Yin fight first. Regardless of who wins or loses, it will weaken their opponents to some extent.
On the other side, the Song family's cultivators were proud of Song Changsheng and couldn't help but cheer for him.
On such a grand stage, Song Changsheng was able to overpower all the other geniuses and take the top three spots. If this news were to reach the border regions, it would cause a major upheaval.
Its significance is no less than that of Song Changsheng's breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.
From then on, the Song clan members, no matter who they faced, could hold their heads high in the borderlands, and their self-confidence increased significantly.
"In that case, who do you plan to choose as your next opponent?"
With a flick of his sleeve, True Lord Yingyue revealed two identity tokens before him.
"This junior chooses Ji Liangyu as the mentor of the [Tianshui Ji Clan] branch!" Song Changsheng's voice was firm and resolute.
"Fellow Daoist Zixu is aiming for the top spot, isn't he?" Ji Shinian couldn't help but exclaim.
He originally thought that Song Changsheng chose to continue the challenge because he wanted to fight Zhao Yin.
As a renowned prodigy, Zhao Yin possesses countless titles and accolades, attracting numerous challengers every year.
It's not necessary to defeat him; simply being able to fight him represents a kind of strength.
In the general public's perception, losing to Zhao Yin is not shameful; as long as one persists long enough, one can even become famous.
Just like Long Han back then, although he was a loser, he gained fame as a prodigy because of a mere half-move difference, and was talked about with great interest.
But now it seems that this so-called difference of half a move is far too exaggerated.
This also proves that challenging Zhao Yin was undoubtedly the fastest way to make a name for oneself.
Ji Shinian and the others originally thought that Song Changsheng had such a purpose, but in the end they underestimated his ambition.
If you defeat Ji Liangyu, you can accumulate two points and enter the finals to have a showdown with Zhao Yin!
"The next match will be between Song Changsheng, a tutor from the Wanxiang Palace branch, and Ji Liangyu, a tutor from the Tianshui Ji Clan branch!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Liangyu stepped into the void and arrived opposite Song Changsheng. He calmly said, "Since you have chosen to challenge me, then you can stop here. That position is not one you can covet."
"That spot is right there, empty. Since I, Song, am standing here, I have the right to compete for it," Song Changsheng said calmly, summoning the [Jinghong Sword] with a flick of his hand.
"Om..."
A beam of light emanated from Ji Liangyu's palm, and a bronze cone about a foot long, pointed at the top and thick at the bottom, appeared in her hand. The bright sunlight shone on the layer of blue patina, reflecting a faint, cold light.
The moment Song Changsheng saw the bronze cone, his pupils contracted sharply.
This magical artifact was something Ji Liangyu had never shown in the previous battles. It looked ordinary, but he could clearly smell the deathly aura swirling around it.
Throughout his cultivation, he had never seen such a dense aura of death. Just smelling a trace of it gave him a slight feeling of suffocation.
It's no exaggeration to say that this magical artifact doesn't seem to belong to the mortal realm at all. A normal artifact refiner could never create a magical artifact with such a dense aura of death. It feels more like it came from the netherworld.
Clearly, this is one of Ji Liangyu's hidden trump cards.
Together with the unknown magical artifact she used to severely injure Long Han earlier, it just so happens to fit the rules of the competition.
He is now enjoying the same treatment that even Long Han never received.
It is clear that Ji Liangyu is also determined to win this battle!
...(End of chapter)