“Congratulations! The Host has obtained the legendary Rocksteady Daoist Core!”
On this day, Chu Kuangren did his daily rolls on the Fairy boat.
He was slightly shocked to see his prize. Even with the Lucky Halo, it was unlikely one would get something legendary. He was already insanely lucky to get the Immortal Phoenix last time!
After accepting the Rocksteady Daoist Core, Chu Kuangren did not feel any different. All that came was information about the item.
The Rocksteady Daoist Core, as the name implied, was an immovable, solid Daoist core.
It was quite a useful item. In the spiritual world, it was commonly said that its method was easy to learn, but cultivating it into a Daoist core was difficult.
The Daoist core was crucial to a cultivator. A cultivator with a strong core may not reach great heights, but every cultivator that stood at the very top would possess a strong core.
“Seventh Forefather, do you know anything about Whitelock Sage?” Chu Kuangren asked while they were on the Fairy boat.
The Seventh Forefather appeared, nodding slightly. “Whitelock Sage is well-known, so I know quite a bit about him.”
“He doesn’t belong to any sage orthodoxy, but he appears to preach to the people once in a while and he has accumulated a lot of merit with this.”
“Many powerful cultivators have heard his preachings. Due to that, he has students from all walks of life. It’s quite impressive.”
Chu Kuangren noticed a particular phrase while listening to the Seventh Forefather. “You can accumulate merit just by preaching to the people?”
The Seventh Forefather nodded slightly. “Yes, but only the first preaching has a significant effect. It’s why many newly ascended Sages will preach to increase their merit, but towards the end, it stops.”
“Those like Whitelock Sage are rare. He’s the only one who still preaches from time to time.”
Chu Kuangren nodded. “It certainly is intriguing. Could he be accumulating merits because of a personal failure?”
“Merits work in mysterious ways. But for Sages, it serves little purpose unless it’s some groundbreaking mystical merit. I assume he just likes collecting them.”
“Perhaps.”
Chu Kuangren did not give it any more thought.
…
Whitelock’s preaching grounds lay in a mountain range that was named after Whitelock himself due to his presence there.
Now, Whitelock Mountain was bustling with a crowd of people several times bigger than the Great Sword Tournament.
It made sense. The Great Sword Tournament only appealed to the sword cultivators, but a Sage’s preaching appealed to every cultivator in the world.
That included many Honorables and elite individuals.
“Look, it’s Ao Chang from the Sacred Lands of Serene Wisdom.”
A Fairy boat’s arrival attracted many people’s attention.
The crowd glanced over as a few cultivators from the Sacred Lands of Serene Wisdom got off the boat. Leading the way was Ao Chang.
As a Young Emperor, Ao Chang was more famous than several Honorables. His appearance attracted the attention of many people.
“It’s not just Ao Chang, but Gu Changge and Yuanhong are here too!”
“Even Lin Batian from Zhiyang Valley came.”
Several Young Emperors from various sage orthodoxies showed up one after another, sparking discussions amongst the crowd.
“I didn’t expect the Young Emperors to come and listen to a Sage’s preaching.”
“Aren’t they from the sage orthodoxies? They should already have a Sage backing them, so why do they still come to listen to Whitelock Sage’s preaching?”
“Are you stupid? He who doesn’t accept external criticism will never improve. Who says you can’t listen to other Sages’ preaching just because you have your own?”
“That is fair.”
Hum…
Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared nearby and took the form of a white-robed young man with green hair.
A powerful aura settled around him as sparks of electricity pulsed in the air, shocking many cultivators.
“Who is that? Such a rude entrance.”
“Shh! Quiet. He’s the Thunder Falcon Tribe’s ancient sky pride and Young Emperor, Lei Mingtian. He was the first to get an Emperor’s Essence and he’s stronger than people like Ao Chang!”
“Right, just don’t anger him, no matter what. He’s a tyrant with a Sage’s bloodline.”
Once more, a burst of light as red as blood exploded from the crowd. Under the crowd’s gazes, a young man in blood-red robes slowly walked towards Lei Mingtian.
Their eyes met, and in the next moment, so did their blades.
The man’s appearance left many in shock.
“It’s the Yasha Tribe’s Young Emperor, Spirit Blood Child!”
“Hoho! Of all the Young Emperors in the Azure Dragon Domain, Spirit Blood Child might be the only one who can spar with Lei Mingtian.”
“There was a rumor that the two fought last year, and no one knew who won. But from the looks of this, they don’t seem to get along.”
The cultivators nearby watched the fight excitedly. Meanwhile, some Honorables were curious to see how much these Young Emperors would improve in the future.
“Itching for a fight, Spirit Blood Child?”
Lei Mingtian said coldly.
A crack of a smile appeared on Spirit Blood Child’s devilish face. “It’s been a while, Lei Mingtian. Good to see you’re still as arrogant as ever.”
“If it’s a fight you want, I’ll gladly oblige you to your death!”
Spirit Blood Child’s momentum increased with no signs of backing off.
“Brothers, this is Whitelock Mountain, a sacred place where Sages reside. Please put down your weapons,” Wuchen Zi’s monotone voice suddenly rang out.
Spirit Blood Child’s eyes flickered at the words. Although he showed no signs of stopping, he also did not move forward.
Instead, Lei Mingtian glanced at Wuchen Zi coldly. “Who are you to tell me what to do?”
“I’m simply reminding my fellow brothers. Do you not think it’s a tad too much to be talking to each other like this?” Wuchen Zi was now miffed.
“Oh? Is that so?” Lei Mingtian suddenly lifted his arm to direct an explosive Lightning-based Daoist Rhyme directly at him without another word.
The expression on Wuchen Zi’s face shifted as he channeled his spiritual power to block the attack.
Unfortunately, when their energies collided, Wuchen Zi was forcibly knocked back by several dozen feet and faint electric pulses danced on his body. He was actually injured by the attack!
Lei Mingtian’s power sent the crowd into shock.
Even Wuchen Zi was dumbfounded. They were both Young Emperors, but Lei Mingtian’s power was at least a grade above his!
Gu Changge, Yuanhong, Ao Chang, and the other Young Emperors’ eyes darkened and their faces turned solemn.
“Lei Mingtian’s power is not to be underestimated. He could stand on the same playing field as an Honorable if he wanted to. If I fought him, chances of me winning is low.”
“As expected of the Young Emperor that got the very first Emperor’s Essence. Very few Young Emperors are on par with him in terms of the insights on Dao techniques.”
Ao Chang and some others thought to themselves.
Lei Mingtian’s face had turned even more tyrannical after he had injured Wuchen Zi. “To think that someone like you is a Young Emperor as well. The Primordial Emperor’s Essense is wasted on the likes of you.”
His words were not just aimed at Wuchen Zi as he made a point of also including Ao Chang, Yuanhong, and the others in his insult.
Instantly, the Young Emperors’ faces turned dark. Their eyes brimmed with anger as they glared at Lei Mingtian.
All of their protectors were equally fuming, but this was not their fight. It would paint them in a bad light to interfere in the younger generation’s affairs. Not to mention Lei Mingtian’s protector also had a watchful eye on them.
“That b*stard! I really want someone to come and teach this Lei Mingtian a lesson! It is so infuriating!” One of the protectors cursed into the void.
As for the other protectors, they settled on a bitter smile. They all hated Lei Mingtian but had to admit that the man was powerful. Of all the sky-prides, only Spirit Blood Child could fight with him on equal grounds.
Still, that was the best they could do since they could not give Lei Mingtian a taste of his own medicine.
