Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The incomplete Five Element Dharma Laksana seemed to divide the world into five sections, giving out five different colors: black, green, red, yellow, and white.
Among them, the white area, representing the power of metal, appeared rather dim.
Apparently, the Five Element Dharma Laksana was incomplete.
Ao Xinyan sat cross-legged on top of a sacred mountain, looked at the Dharma Laksana surprisedly, and said to herself, “Has the Group Leader practiced the Four Spirit Treasured Body successfully?”
Ao Xinyan generated a conjuration with her hands. And then, a purple dragon shadow flew from the middle of her eyebrows and swirled around her graceful, tender body in a circle, causing severe air turbulence.
“Ascending Dragon Finger!”
As her finger pointed out, a light column of dragon Qi measuring 3 feet in diameter flew out from her white finger, passed through thin air, and dashed toward the incomplete Five Elements Laksana.
She aimed the dragon Qi at the metal area, the weakest part of the Five Elements Laksana.
Ao Xinyan had practiced to the Ninth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm, and her cultivation had increased remarkably. Therefore, she wanted to test Zhang Ruochen’s strength again.
Zhang Ruochen floated in the air and cast a glance at the dragon Qi flying towards him. A smile appeared on his lips, and he opened his hands to run Five Elements Laksana with all his strength.
“CLANG!”
The dragon Qi clashed with the Dharma Laksana and was shattered in a flash. The column was vaporized into a purple cloud of Qi and dissipated in all directions.
“What a terrific Laksana. It is incomplete, but it is still hard to penetrate.”
Ao Xinyan was eager to use the Divine Dragon Dharma Laksana to combat the Five Elements Dharma Laksana. But she held back, because victory meant nothing to her, not to mention that she did not know whether her Divine Dragon Dharma Laksana could defeat the Five Elements.
She knew clearly that the power over time and space was an ace up Zhang Ruochen’s sleeve. If he demonstrated his power over either, Ao Xinyan would have no chance to win at all.
Zhang Ruochen retracted the Five Elements Laksana and landed on the ground. Looking at his powerful hands, he said to himself, “My cultivation has come to the peak of the Seventh Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm. If I can open up the Blunt Holy Meridian, I can break through to the Eighth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm.”
The Blunt Holy Meridian was the last meridian of the five holy meridians, and it was also the most important one. It ran through a monk’s body, linking all the holy meridians.
As soon as a monk was able to open up the Blunt Holy Meridian, he could integrate Qi with his body and run it as freely as he wanted.
Generally speaking, if a monk could open up the Blunt Holy Meridian, his power would be doubled instantly.
Therefore, a significant gap lay between the Seventh Change and the Eighth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Zhang Ruochen did not want to make a hurried attempt at the Eighth Change. Opening up the Blunt Holy Meridian required a monk to condense his overall power quickly to open the holy meridian in one fling. A gradual approach would not succeed.
Sometimes with the help of the powerful external force, it would be much easier to break through the taboo of the Blunt Holy Meridian.
For example, the reason why Ao Xinyan could open the Blunt Holy Meridian in a flash and reach the realm of the Eighth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm was that she drew support from a divine dragon bone.
Zhang Ruochen continued to practice sword techniques, demonstrate Sword Two, and study “Seperation of Yin and Yang,” the level four realm.
Gathering strength was quite the process!
Meanwhile, he also practiced the 37 sword techniques of Qi Hong’s Tao of the sword, and he made great efforts to transform them into his own sword techniques and integrate all that he had learned.
Qi Hong was a true sword saint’s disciple. He had practiced successfully two Ghost Level Superior Class sword techniques, four Ghost Level Middle Class sword techniques, and five Ghost Level Inferior Class sword techniques.
The two Ghost Level Superior class sword techniques were “Mountains and Rivers Swordship” and “Nine-Star Moon Sword.” They were both extremely mysterious and powerful.
If Zhang Ruochen spent a month absorbing Qi Hong’s understanding of Tao of the sword, he could practice the Nine-Star Moon Sword to mastery.
As to the Mountains and Rivers Swordship, Zhang Ruochen had practiced it proficiently, but the power he displayed was still limited to a small success.
Zhang Ruochen analyzed that the Mountains and Rivers Swordship was more of a power of Holy Road than a kind of sword technique.
In the universe, every bush, tree, mountain, and river was there for a good reason.
And the reason was to embrace the Holy Road.
To demonstrate Mountains and Rivers Swordship, a monk was supposed to perceive the mountains and rivers, have a deep insight into their Holy Road, and then arrive at the required realm.
Most monks did not begin perceiving the Holy Road and fighting for the Half-Saint realm until they had reached the Ninth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm.
“SWOSH!”
A dragon shadow leapt from the distance and condensed into a slender and graceful figure ahead of Zhang Ruochen.
Ao Xinyan crossed her arms and said, “Group Leader, the Kunlun Heir’s Banquet is about to begin. We should go now. If we go there too late, people from the demonic sect may think we are afraid of them.”
Zhang Ruochen stopped practicing sword moves and held the Ancient Abyss Sword flat in his hands. He looked at the sword and said with a self-deprecating laugh, “If I had not promised Ouyang Huan, I would not want to attend the banquet.”
Zhang Ruochen showed no interest in being an Heir of Kunlun’s Field, as well as taking part in the Kunlun Heir’s Banquet. But, he had agreed to duel Ouyang Huan, and thus he had to go there to keep his word.
He attributed it to his immaturity. He was too young and impetuous.
But ardor and impetuosity were the soul of youth.
Faced with Ouyang Huan, another outstanding young man, Zhang Ruochen’s pride would not allow him to cower.
Since he had agreed, so what if he went to the Kunlun Heir’s Banquet?
Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan stepped out of the secluded stone chamber and set foot on the journey together.
Huang Yanchen had already gone to the banquet.
“There are countless geniuses and talents in Kunlun’s Field. I wonder how Saint Lady will organize this banquet,” Ao Xinyan said with corners of her mouth upward, showing her anticipation.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen stopped to gaze in the distance. He said in surprise, “What magnificent work! Is it a truly holy site?”
Ao Xinyan followed his gaze, her pupils dilated in shock.
A gigantic Scroll Mountain towered outside Shentai City.
Yes.
It was a lofty mountain made from numerous piled-up scrolls.
The mountain was over 3,000 meters high. Halfway up the mountain, a white cloud bridge floated in the air, swirling around the mountain of scrolls like a fairyland.
How many scrolls did it take to make such an enormous mountain?
Everyone around the marvelous scene was shocked with admiration.
From afar Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan could see many monks trekking up the Scroll Mountain.
A sea of people packed the mountain’s foot. Monks wearing various clothes were everywhere, and there were some strange-looking people from the half-human clans.
The clanmen from the Elephant-Human clan were tall, standing about seven or eight meters, their legs as sturdy as pillars and their ears as large as palm-leaf fans.
The Fox-Human Clan’s members were mainly women. They wore little, which was quite seductive. Merely a glance could bewitch a man thoroughly.
…
Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan stood at the edge of the Scroll Mountain, unable to get close. So, they pushed their way through.
At that moment, an inner disciple from the Yin and Yang Sect caught sight of Zhang Ruochen and shouted, “Look, that’s elderbrother Lin Yue. He is coming.”
All the people fixed their eyes on Zhang Ruochen with excitement, as if they saw their heart’s idol.
In the last month, Lin Yue’s name had got around. Everyone knew that he was a big shot who had defeated two masters from the demonic sect, and that he even dared to challenge Ouyang Huan.
Therefore, the crowds drew back one after another to make way for Zhang Ruochen.
An the foot of the Scroll Mountain, Zhang Ruochen could feel a mighty Holy Aura emanating from inside the mountain, which dwarfed everyone nearby.
On the mountaintop, Saint Lady’s figure appeared vaguely.
A familiar voice rose from Zhang Ruochen’s right side, “Scroll Mountain was piled up by Saint Lady, who used 397.8 million scrolls. And each scroll was inscribed with Inscription of Array. So, the whole Scroll Mountain is like a huge array.”
Zhang Ruochen turned around and found Huang Yanchen in a tight martial robe standing on his right side. Her long, royal blue hair fell down to her waist.
She was the one who had just spoken.
“How capable Saint Lady is. No wonder the Empress sent her to select nine Heirs for Kunlun’s Field,” said Ao Xinyan.
Huang Yanchen said, “Not only is the Kunlun Heir’s Banquet to select the Nine Kunlun Heirs, but also to investigate how many geniuses and talents of the young generation are hidden in Kunlun’s Field. Let’s wait and see. A number of formidable monks will appear tonight. And, some unknown monks will make themselves known at the banquet.
“There are four classes of seats on Scroll Mountain.
“At the bottom of the mountain are 18,000 seats, called ‘Talent Seats.’ If a monk can hold on to the seat without being defeated by other challengers, he will be considered a talent and have the right to be a distinguished guest for the banquet.”
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the Scroll Mountain and found closely-packed seats at the bottom. Some were situated hundreds of meters high, while others were only ten or twenty.
Each seat was numbered differently.
Obviously, the 18,000 Talent Seats were arranged in sequential order. The higher the seat was, the greater the qualification.
From afar, Zhang Ruochen noticed Si Xingkong and Chang Qiqi contending against many monks for two Talent Seats. Even with their current talent and cultivation, they were fighting arduously, unable to hold on to the seat tightly.
Just for the Talent Seats, the competition was so fierce, let alone for the upper seats.
Huang Yanchen continued. “Above the Talent Seats, halfway up the mountain, are 3,000 ‘Conquer Seats.’ Obviously, Saint Lady plans to take advantage of the banquet to select the 3,000 top conquerors of Kunlun’s Field.
“I think, after the banquet, they will be the only 3,000 monks in Kunlun’s Field who can declare themselves to be conquerors. If other monks do so, they will undoubtedly be mocked.
“But, it’s not an easy job to gain one of the 3,000 seats. A monk must clear 18,000 barriers and blaze his way up, step by step.”
3,000 seats looked like a lot. But compared to all the monks in Kunlun’s Field, very few seats were available.
Even a powerful Saint’s family was not sure to make it to a Conquer Seat.
Huang Yanchen went on speaking. “Above the Conquer Seats, there are 108 ‘King Seats,’ which are close to the peak. Anyone who can hold on to a seat there will be granted the title ‘Young King.’”
