Showdown

Chapter 251 Showdown
Li Xian's gaze swept over the dozen or so people in the room.

Apart from Chu Yunji, an unparalleled prodigy who was on par with him, Yi Yuanshi, and Zhou Yuchen, and Yun Wuxiu, the current crown prince, the remaining dozen or so people were all extraordinary individuals.

Or they are young prodigies who cultivate to the Golden Core stage and become famous throughout the region.

Or they are masters who have reached the pinnacle of certain industries.

At the very least, they would all hold the title of princess, making them true members of the imperial family in the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.

This appears to be a sign of respect for Li Xian, this Daoist master, but on the other hand...

"The Boundless Immortal Dynasty... truly has an abundance of talented people."

Li Xian smiled.

"With the arrival of the Daoist Master Li, our Boundless Immortal Dynasty will naturally fulfill its responsibility as the host and make Daoist Master Li feel at home."

Yun Wuxiu smiled and gestured with her hand.

He led Li Xian into the main hall of the courtyard.

After he was seated, he continued, "Let me introduce Li Daozi..."

"No need, I know almost everyone here."

Li Xian said, "I don't need to say much about Fairy Chu. Not to mention the Boundless Immortal Dynasty, everyone in the Eastern Continent knows her. She has only been practicing the Dao for a little over 160 years and has already become a True Monarch. If we take into account the benefits of her magic treasures, she could probably kill Gu Qianfan, the number one rogue cultivator in the world, in Dengxian City, just like me."

"Li Daozi, you flatter me."

Chu Yunji responded calmly.

However, he did not deny Li Xian's well-known reputation for her, or her achievement in killing Gu Qianfan.

She might be slightly inferior to Yi Yuanshi...

However, with the many treasures he possesses, he still has the strength to suppress Gu Qianfan.

In addition, there's his own talent...

Even though Li Xian was the Daoist disciple of the Upper Sect, she felt that she was qualified to be on equal footing with Li Xian.

"This one, Yun Guantian, was born into a noble family and remained unknown for the first three hundred years, organizing various books in the royal library. But after condensing the Golden Core, he finally unleashed his accumulated talents and soared to great heights."

Li Xian looked at the other person: "In just three hundred years, he broke through the realm of spiritual refinement, became a True Monarch, and then after a hundred years of consolidation, twenty-two years ago, he fought a powerful Ninth Realm Demon King and killed him, thus becoming famous throughout the world!"

The significance of this battle is in no way inferior to Li Xian's killing of Gu Qianfan, the number one rogue cultivator in the world.

At best, he was a Demon King of the Ninth Realm, not comparable to Gu Qianfan, the number one rogue cultivator in the world who created his own magic and elevated his exquisite magic to the Ninth Heaven.

"A little bit of empty fame, not worth a laugh."

Yun Guantian humbly raised his glass.

Li Xian smiled and then turned to the third person: "This one, Xiao Zhanfeng, although he comes from a humble background, has brought surprises to everyone who knows him almost every now and then since his debut. He has grown all the way, experienced thousands of battles, big and small, and made a great name for himself in the Boundless Immortal Dynasty, until he became a senior True Monarch! Your path to success is basically the legendary path in the hearts of all cultivators!"

"The road to legend... no matter how legendary, no matter how many battles one has fought, it can't compare to Li Daozi."

Xiao Zhanfeng said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Everyone here is an outstanding individual.”

Li Xian did not name the others one by one and introduce their great achievements.

Compared to these individuals, the remaining ones can also be considered geniuses, including one or two True Monarchs, but for him at present, there is no need to focus on them.

After praising them a few times, he changed the subject: "However... compared to the supernatural abilities you all possess, I am more interested in Crown Prince Yun Wuxiu."

"I?"

Yun Wuxiu smiled and said, "I spend most of my time assisting my father in handling state affairs, so I don't have much time to cultivate. Although I have obtained a lot of rare and precious materials because of my status as the crown prince, and have raised my cultivation to the peak of the Refining Spirit stage, my meager skills are no match for yours."

"That's not necessarily true."

Li Xian said, "Sixty years ago, His Highness the Crown Prince was assassinated by a master hired by the Seventeenth Prince, who was a challenger. That master was said to be a former disciple of the Wuji Star Palace. His cultivation was so high that he was renowned even among True Monarchs. However, after entering the Crown Prince's residence, he disappeared without a trace without causing any trouble."

He smiled and said, "Killing a renowned True Monarch is not difficult, but to do it silently... Your Highness's strength is at least at the peak of the Eight Marks, and I wouldn't be surprised if you had the strength of the Nine Marks."

"Nine Marks?"

Yun Wuxiu laughed heartily, "Li Daozi is really flattering me. If I had the strength of the Nine Marks, I would have already undergone tribulation. Why would I have waited until now?"

He explained, "Although what you mentioned is a scandal of my royal family, and theoretically should not be known to outsiders, since Li Daozi asked, I might as well explain it clearly. At that time, the Imperial Eunuch Leng was a guest at my residence when the assassin sneaked up and just happened to run into the line of fire."

"Leng Xingzhu?"

Li Xian was somewhat surprised: "Your Highness Yun Wuxiu actually compared yourself to Leng Xingshu... Doesn't that mean that you were already as capable as him a year ago? Now that a year has passed... it seems that Your Highness the Crown Prince is also determined to undergo the tribulation in the physical body in order to achieve it in one step."

For a primordial spirit immortal to reshape their physical body, they not only need a thorough understanding of their own Dao body, but also need to consume an unprecedented amount of resources.

Even if you give someone who doesn't fully comprehend the mysteries of creation, the five elements, yin and yang, life, and the soul a material comparable to a top-tier Dao artifact, they might not be able to create a human immortal body.

This is truly costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.

Therefore, all those who consider themselves exceptionally talented will choose to undergo the tribulation in their physical body, thus saving a significant amount of time.

"This... I was just using a metaphor, there's no real comparison, so Li Daozi, please don't laugh at me."

As Yun Wuxiu spoke, she secretly gave Xiao Zhanfeng a wink.

"This is no joke; it's a person's confidence..."

Just as Li Xian was about to speak again, Xiao Zhanfeng, who had received a signal from his eyes, suddenly spoke up: "Li Daozi, you just praised me for walking a legendary path. Actually, after thinking about it carefully, I found that our paths are very similar."

"Ok?"

Li Xian's gaze shifted to this prodigy ranked fifth on the pre-set list of the strongest Dao Realm cultivators.

Before he could speak, Xiao Zhanfeng continued, "Although Li Daozi's career has been short, he has experienced quite a few major battles."

He quickly said, "From the very beginning, when the Heavenly Fiend Demon Sect slayed the Asura Dao Child, to the first time in Ascending Immortal City, he fought three opponents at once, defeating Tantai Yue of the Great Yu Immortal Dynasty, Guan Canghai of the Boundless Star Palace, and Song Xuanyan of the Radiant Sun Immortal Sect, laying the foundation for his unparalleled talent, then in the Heavenly Light Secret Realm of Rolling Cloud Mountain, he fought against a thousand opponents, preventing thousands of sixth-realm cultivators from making any progress, and then he even fought against the number one rogue cultivator, Gu Qianfan, making his name known throughout the world..."

At this point, he sighed with emotion: "Every victory of Li Daozi was earned through hard work and real battles."

What are you trying to say?

Li asked directly.

"I said that my path is very similar to that of Li Daozi. Along the way, we also relied on one great battle after another to sustain ourselves through war, which is how we achieved what we have today."

Xiao Zhanfeng looked at Li Xian and said in a humble tone, "However, my achievements are limited to the small territory of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty. I am completely clueless about which experts exist outside the Boundless Immortal Dynasty. Now that a Daoist Master of such a high sect as Daoist Li has come in person, I hope that I will have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from Daoist Li..."

Before Li Xian could reply, Yun Wuxiu angrily shouted, "Zhanfeng, Li Daozi is an envoy from the Upper Sect and my honored guest. How dare you speak so presumptuously? Apologize to Li Daozi at once!"

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. If Li Daozi feels it's inappropriate, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Xiao Zhanfeng also turned to Li Xian at the right time and bowed apologetically.

And Mr. Li...

He first looked at Xiao Zhanfeng, then at Yun Wuxiu...

I quickly understood.

"It seems His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't like this topic."

Li Xian said something.

Upon hearing this, Yun Wuxiu's expression stiffened slightly.

It seems that Li Xian did not expect that he would still hold onto this point.

Chu Yunji, however, frowned as he looked at Li Xian, who seemed to be pressing him, and said, "Li Daozi, Your Highness is different from us. Your Highness does spend most of his time governing the country, formulating national policies, and benefiting the people. He has not spent too much energy on cultivation, combat power, or ranking."

"Ok?"

Li Xian didn't find anything unusual about Chu Yunji's cultivation and combat strength, but the mention of his ranking...

"Fairy Chu is very well-informed. You already know about our news before it has even spread."

He turned his gaze to Chu Yunji.

His words caused a slight change in the expression of this beautiful woman.

Because her mentioning this matter undoubtedly proves that they know what Li Xianlai of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty is doing.

Li Xiandu had not yet revealed his purpose, yet they already knew the cause and effect. What does this mean?
The Great Luo Immortal Sect's base in the Boundless Immortal Dynasty had long been heavily infiltrated.

As a result, they were able to clearly hear the information exchanged between Li Xian and a very small number of people, such as Dongming Zhenren.

Their initial advantage has been lost.

"Haha, the main purpose of our banquet today is to welcome Li Daozi and wash away the dust of his journey. How did we end up going off-topic?"

At this moment, Yun Wuxiu clapped his hands with a smile, attracting everyone's attention: "Come, come, I'll have a banquet started right away, please let Li Daozi have a good taste of the special delicacies and immortal wines of our Boundless Immortal Dynasty..."

Li Xian glanced at the crown prince.

Soon, something else came to mind.

Chu Yunji's casual remark about "ranking" was probably not entirely unintentional.

Coupled with today's spectacle...

It might be interpreted as a warning.

In an indirect way, tell him that this is the territory of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.

There is nothing here that the Boundless Immortal Dynasty does not know.

Li Xian rubbed his temples.

"As expected, I'm not good at these subtle, subtle exchanges..."

He then gestured to Yun Wuxiu, saying, "Your Highness, there's no rush to start the banquet. Now that you know, things will be easier."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Xiao Zhanfeng: "Didn't you say that your achievements are limited to the Boundless Immortal Dynasty and that you're already thinking about going out to broaden your horizons? Actually, within the Boundless Immortal Dynasty, you still have a lot of room for growth. At least, according to the information we have, there are four people ahead of you."

"Li Daozi..."

Before Yun Wuxiu could say anything, Li Xian spoke first: "Just now, Fairy Chu said that Your Highness has spent your time governing the country and benefiting the people? But, what makes you qualified to be the Crown Prince? Isn't it because your talent for cultivation is far superior to that of other princes and princesses? You understand that this is your core competitiveness, and you also understand that having great power in your own body is more important than power."

He declared decisively, "Therefore, the reason that formulating national policies would harm cultivation is untenable." "Li Daozi... firmly believes it."

Hearing Li Xian's words, which were almost as if they were already out in the open, Yun Wuxiu stopped arguing and smiled: "If you've achieved your cultivation, then so be it. As long as Li Daozi is happy, that's all that matters. After all, you've come from afar as a guest, so we should make you feel at home."

"Is that so?"

Li Xian quickly responded to this seemingly innocuous rebuff: "Since His Highness the Crown Prince has already acknowledged it, then on the upcoming list of the strongest Dao Realm cultivators, His Highness the Crown Prince will be ranked second. That is, the Crown Prince will temporarily take the top spot, followed by Leng Xing Shu's second son, and then Fairy Chu. What do you say?"

"The Supreme Ranking of the Dao Realm?"

Upon hearing Li Xian mention the name of the list, Yun Wuxiu, Chu Yunji, and the others fell silent for a moment.

However, most of the people in the room had never heard of this list, and they couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.

What kind of list is this?

"I don't know, but... Leng Xingchu? Leng Jianzheng is the number one Dao Realm cultivator in our Boundless Immortal Dynasty. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for this Daoist Li to mention His Highness as number one?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there? After all, he is His Highness the Crown Prince... Even if he is not as strong as Leng Tianjian, I would agree with ranking him first on any list based on his hard work and dedication to my Boundless Immortal Dynasty over the years."

Some people reacted quickly and vaguely realized what was going on.

"Wait a minute, something feels off. In almost all the previous rankings, His Highness the Crown Prince's name was never included. Even if it was, His Highness the Crown Prince was ranked sixth on the Star Ranking of the Radiant Sun Immortal Sect, not in the top five. But this ranking puts His Highness the Crown Prince at number one... If this gets out, how much discussion and hype will it cause?"

"No wonder Li Daozi kept focusing on His Highness the Crown Prince's strength as soon as he arrived... Is he trying to use this as a gimmick to promote this ranking?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has his reasons for not revealing his cultivation level, but now this Li Daozi from the Great Luo Immortal Sect has leaked this information... His intentions are sinister."

None of the people present were fools; their thoughts were racing, and their gazes toward Li Xian were filled with hostility.

At this moment, Xiao Zhanfeng suddenly spoke up again: "Li Daozi, you just said that the Crown Prince should temporarily take the top spot, but then you said that His Highness the Crown Prince should be ranked second. This is somewhat contradictory. Is His Highness the Crown Prince ranked first or second?"

"Oh, I told you, he's just temporarily taking the top spot."

Li Xian carefully explained: "Because this list is still being compiled and has not been officially announced, I will temporarily assume the first place. However, I am not a member of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty after all. Once the list is confirmed to be correct, I will leave. After I leave, His Highness the Crown Prince will naturally be able to remove the word 'temporary' and become the new number one."

Upon hearing this, the whispers and discussions that had been taking place seemed to be paused, suddenly falling silent.

After understanding what was meant, many people even showed a hint of anger in their eyes.

Especially Chu Yunji...

He even developed a sense of disgust towards Li Xian.

Li Xianxian relentlessly pursued the Crown Prince, almost forcing him to be included on the list, and even used the gimmick of temporarily taking the top spot to attract attention.

As a result, after His Highness the Crown Prince somewhat reluctantly acknowledged this statement, he then claimed to be number one.

The Crown Prince, Leng Xingchu, and even her were all pinned down by him!?
especially……

What do you mean by saying that once he leaves, the Crown Prince can remove the word "temporary" and become the new top scholar?
This means that His Highness the Crown Prince wants to be number one...

Or rather, if anyone else in the Boundless Immortal Dynasty wanted to become number one, they could only wait for him to leave?

"Li Daozi directly placed himself in first place, which shows his great confidence."

This fairy Chu couldn't help but say.

Yun Guantian also slowly spoke up: "For a list to gain enough influence, sensationalism is not advisable. The most important thing is to have enough credibility so that others can believe in the ranking... Li Daozi is also a very important figure. To create such a baseless list without investigation would make those who don't know the truth think that Li Daozi is spreading rumors, which would damage the prestige of Li Daozi and even the Great Luo Immortal Sect."

"Completely unfounded? How could it be completely unfounded! I trust my own judgment; these data are basically correct."

As Li Xian spoke, he glanced at him and asked, "Does Your Highness Yun Guantian think there's a problem with the Crown Prince's ranking, or with the rankings of Leng Xingchu, Chu Yunji, and the others?"

"I won't say much about the others, but it's a bit inappropriate for Li Daozi to put himself first on the list he set up himself."

Xiao Zhanfeng said frankly.

"I think this ranking is appropriate and authoritative. Although I am currently in first place, this ranking is ultimately a ranking of the strongest. Only the strongest among the strongest deserve the title."

As Li Xian spoke, he glanced at Xiao Zhanfeng and said, "We can't let some people who claim to be exceptionally talented and famous throughout the world, but are actually lacking in strength, take their place. That would not be in line with the original intention of setting up this list."

Why are you looking at me like that?

Xiao Zhanfeng sneered: "So you think I have unparalleled talent and a great reputation, but no real strength?"

"Do not."

Li Xian glanced at him and said, "Don't misunderstand."

He glanced at everyone in the room and said, "What I mean is that everyone here is still a bit lacking in strength, so I can only reluctantly take over as the first place for now."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room momentarily froze.

The smile on Prince Yun Wuxiu's face vanished.

Chu Yunji, who considered himself no less capable than Li Xian, stood up abruptly: "Li Daozi, we respect you as the Daozi of the Great Luo Immortal Sect and have prepared a banquet to entertain you, yet you humiliate us like this. This is far below the dignity of a Daozi of a superior sect!"

"Hahaha,"

Xiao Zhanfeng laughed loudly: "Before I went to the banquet, I learned that I was going to meet the Daoist of the Immortal Sect who had recently killed Gu Qianfan, the number one rogue cultivator in the world, and then fought against the famous Daoist of the Immortal Sect. I was full of expectations and wanted to know how the Daoist of the Immortal Sect was different from us. But when I actually met him and saw his words and deeds, I was really disappointed."

Yun Wuxiu picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, and said nothing.

In fact, this scene was somewhat anticipated.

I never expected it to appear in this form.

Li Xian waited quietly for everyone's reaction.

After a long while, until Xiao Zhanfeng had finished laughing, he slowly said, "I am somewhat surprised by your reaction. I would say that Daoist Tianyuan is the best in the world, and I believe you would not object?"

Li Xian's sudden change of topic left everyone in the room puzzled.

After a moment, Yun Guan Genius said, "Daoist Tianyuan single-handedly stopped the Nine Heavens Holy Land's ambition to conquer the world. He single-handedly suppressed a sect and deserves the title of the number one in the world."

“Then, I am naturally worthy of saying that I am the number one in the Dao Realm of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.”

Li said calmly.

Yet his tone contained an undeniable firmness.

The town's Yun Guantian, Xiao Zhanfeng, and the others paused slightly.

"so……"

At this moment, Crown Prince Yun Wuxiu had no choice but to speak: "Does Li Daozi mean... that you alone can suppress my Boundless Immortal Dynasty?"

Li Xian did not reply. Instead, he gathered his magical power and waved his hand, directly condensing magical characters in the void.

"This is the initial ranking of the strongest in the Dao Realm."

He glanced at the crowd and said, “I will make this list public. The list will be officially released three months later. During this period, anyone who has any questions about the list can come to me for consultation.”

"doubt?"

Xiao Zhanfeng suddenly stood up: "I have a lot of questions right now, please let Li Daozi answer them for me. I think I deserve to sit in that first place..."

"stop!"

Li Xian gestured, interrupting Xiao Zhanfeng's words: "Calm down, don't act impulsively, think clearly about whether you have the right to come looking for me again."

After saying that, he chuckled and said, "Things have progressed more smoothly than I expected. The goal has been achieved. Farewell, everyone."

He turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Chu Yunji frowned, about to say something more, but Yun Wuxiu shook her head slightly.

Instead, he summoned the Chamberlain and said, "See Li Daozi off for me."

"Yes."

The Grand Master acknowledged the order and quickly left with Li Xian.

After sensing that Li Xian had left the formation, Chu Yunji asked in confusion, "What's wrong with this Li Xian? He was so aggressive. What does he want?"

Yun Wuxiu did not answer, but instead looked at the list.

The list contains a considerable number of people, a total of 108.

Each of them was a renowned figure in the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.

The weakest among them are all at the Refining Spirit Realm.

They encompassed almost every industry and aspect of the entire Boundless Immortal Dynasty.

"The Dao Realm Supreme Ranking... This is an attempt to wipe out this generation of our Boundless Immortal Dynasty in one fell swoop."

Yun Wuxiu said.

"To wipe them all out?"

Chu Yunji was somewhat puzzled.

"It is to cultivate an invincible momentum."

Yun Guantian said, "When cultivators undergo tribulation, in addition to lightning and flames, they will also face the tribulation of inner demons. Sometimes, the tribulation of inner demons is even more terrifying than the tribulation of lightning. Many people are already thankful if they can withstand it. Many powerful figures from the Demon Sect have the ability to withstand the tribulation of lightning, but they fall victim to the erosion of inner demons... However, the tribulation of inner demons is not without its drawbacks."

He took a deep breath: "It is said that if a cultivator, when facing a tribulation of inner demons, does not simply resist or break through it, but is able to forcefully sever it with their own conviction, they can forge a strong heart and touch upon a deeper power... With this strong heart, future breakthroughs will be twice as effective..."

"Invincible aura!? The heart of a strongman!?"

Chu Yunji's heart skipped a beat.

Her cultivation time was ultimately too short, and her strength had not yet reached its limit, so no one specifically mentioned these things to her.

"Li Xian, this Li Daozi with unparalleled talent, is trying to step on our Wuliang Immortal Dynasty to build his invincible power."

Yun Wuxiu also spoke up.

"This……"

Chu Yunji was speechless for a moment.

"Truly... what audacity! He completely disregards everyone in our Boundless Immortal Dynasty, treating us all as stepping stones for his own purposes..."

Yun Wuxiu smiled, but his eyes gradually narrowed: "Such arrogance...aren't you afraid...that you'll be defeated, and all the invincible power you've painstakingly built up will ultimately benefit someone else?"

(End of this chapter)