Volume 1, Chapter 490 – Competitive Spirit

Shi Lan did not linger long in the Haotian Domain. After leaving Leiyun Temple, she directly opened a spatial passage to the Central Heaven Domain.

Opening a spatial passage within the Lingyang Realm consumed so little system energy for the current Shi Lan that it was hardly worth mentioning. Wasting precious time on travel was clearly not worthwhile.

After arriving in the Central Heaven Domain, she did not hurry home. Instead, she made a detour to Wuyang Prefecture. She wanted to see Wu Lingkong.

After returning from Yunlai Immortal Palace, she had gone straight to the Qiongluo Realm, then made another trip to Huang Ze’s mausoleum, after which she entered seclusion. More than two years had already passed since the two of them last met.

Once she tempered the True Martial Undying Body to perfection, she would cross into another world again. When that time came, there was no telling when she would be able to return.

…

…

When Shi Lan arrived in Shenfeng City, Wu Lingkong was in seclusion, preparing to break through to the Heavenly Astral Realm. For an ordinary person, that speed was already astonishingly fast.

“This girl has been cultivating more and more bitterly in recent years. She rarely goes out anymore.”

Wu Minglie sighed. Looking at Shi Lan in the distance, he understood very well the pressure his daughter felt.

If he had a friend before his eyes whose speed in breaking through realms was like that of ghosts and gods, he would not be able to bear that kind of stimulation either.

At Shi Lan’s rate of cultivation, perhaps when the two met again one day, they would have to greet each other with the etiquette due a Human Emperor. How could anyone remain calm in the face of such a disparity?

The speed of breaking into the Heavenly Astral Realm varied from person to person. Opening the body’s fatal acupoints allowed no carelessness whatsoever, for one’s life was at stake. Taking half a year or even a year was perfectly normal. Shi Lan did not want to disturb Wu Lingkong’s seclusion, so after leaving behind several bottles of Immortal Pills, she turned back for home.

After returning home, she immediately entered the Qiongluo Realm, took out the world source crystal, and began another period of seclusion.

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…

…

At the border of the Chengtian Domain, Yunshan Gorge.

As time passed, the many fortress passes that had been destroyed in the demon calamity had gradually recovered their vitality, and countless banners of the Demon-Suppressing Army stood fluttering in the wind.

After the demon calamity, many disciples of the great clans and aristocratic houses withdrew from the Demon-Suppressing Army one after another. Some of the martial artists who had gathered because of the Martial Summons Order also gradually dispersed.

Although several of the Demon-Suppressing Army’s high generals had returned, there was still a clear gap in succession within its ranks.

To restore its strength, the Demon-Suppressing Army activated a great number of Demon-Suppressing Tokens and recruited tens of millions of young martial artists from the nine great Domains, all hoping to distinguish themselves, in order to replenish its fresh blood.

To sharpen these newcomers’ combat strength, and at the same time to warn several great clans in the Demon Domain that had grown somewhat restless recently, the Demon-Suppressing Army would from time to time leave the passes and head into the Demon Domain, using war to forge a blood-and-iron army as quickly as possible.

Aside from the Demon-Suppressing Army, among the many powerful factions that had once gathered from all over because of the appearance of Langya Grotto-Heaven, powerful experts would also enter the Demon Domain from time to time, killing great demons and using their blood and qi to nourish their bodies.

With people constantly coming and going, Yunshan Gorge, this major border stronghold, actually seemed even more prosperous than before.

Amid the noise of the bustling market, a somewhat lean figure slowly walked into the town, dragging behind him a great bronze-colored crocodile. Its scales gleamed with a chilling sheen, its body was more than ten zhang long, and it was covered in scorched black marks. Clearly, it had been tempered by some powerful true fire.

A large patch of scales on its head had also been shattered, and its skull had been crushed by brute force.

The passing martial artists and soldiers of the Demon-Suppressing Army merely glanced at it, then looked away.

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Items like storage rings, apart from the children of great families, could only be possessed by martial artists above the Myriad Phenomena Realm. Most martial artists dragged demon beast corpses into town like this. The sight was far too common in Yunshan Gorge and did not draw much attention.

“The latest Heavenly Prodigy Ranking is out again!”

At the far end of the long street, a loud shout instantly silenced the bustling avenue. It was immediately followed by a wave of heated discussion that shot into the sky, and quite a few martial artists sprang up and rushed straight toward the source of the voice.

The current Heavenly Prodigy Ranking combined all three races into one. Its prestige was obviously immense, almost tugging at the hearts of the younger generation of all three races.

Since the earlier upheaval in the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, the speed of its changes had also slowed considerably. More often than not, it was updated only once every year or more.

“Who’s first?”

“Do you even need to ask? It’s still Shi Lan. Among the younger generation of the three races today, who can surpass her? At just a little over twenty years old, she can already rival the mightiest Emperor-level experts.”

“Shi Lan is from our Chengtian Domain, an outstanding talent who came out of the Demon-Suppressing Army!”

“What about Gao Linyuan?”

“Ranked sixth. He’s improved again compared to last year.”

“Who is this Qinglan? I’ve never seen the name before. She’s actually ranked fourth, and she’s from the demon race too…”

“Judging by the portrait, she’s quite a beauty…”

“What does it matter if she’s as beautiful as an immortal? For all we know, her true form could be some kind of demon or monster.”

“Tang You’s ranking has risen again. He’s broken into the top thirty!”

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“Fairy Lanmeng’s ranking has gone up too!”

“Our human race has six new names on the list. Out of the hundred prodigies, our human race now holds thirty-eight spots!”

Standing outside the crowd while dragging the great crocodile, the tiger-eyed young man stared at the two words ‘Shi Lan’ at the very top of the ranking. Excited, he clenched his fist, his expression brimming with vigor.

‘One day, my name will be on that ranking as well!’

“Qinghu!”

The shout from behind startled the young man out of his daze. Turning toward the sound, he saw a familiar figure.

The lively, clever young girl stood not far away, her smile bright and radiant.

“Runjia.”

Shi Qinghu answered, then turned back to continue scanning the ranking until his gaze finally stopped at the very end.

[Ling Yu’an, twenty-three years old, mid-stage Myriad Phenomena Realm cultivation.]

A mid-stage Myriad Phenomena Realm cultivation. Looking at it now, it no longer seemed quite so unattainable.

“Hey! Did you find the thing you were looking for on this trip?”

The young girl trotted over to Shi Qinghu’s side and gave him a light shove.

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Shi Qinghu shook his head slightly, then turned and left against the flow of the crowd, dragging the great crocodile behind him.

He had come to the border partly to temper himself, and partly to search for the essence blood of powerful creatures so he could build up his own Dao foundation.

The Nine Spirits Foundation-Casting Art required nine layers of Dao foundation. At present, he had only completed two.

It was not as though Yunshan Gorge sold no powerful demon bloodlines. The essence blood of Demon Kings in the Myriad Phenomena Realm was everywhere, and even the essence blood of Heaven Demons appeared from time to time.

But Shi Qinghu had not taken a liking to any of them. The first two layers of Dao foundation his elder sister had built for him were far too powerful. If the blood essence he used from this point onward was too low in grade, it would have no small impact on his future cultivation.

At the very least… it had to be the essence blood of an expert at the level of a Demon Emperor…

“What exactly are you looking for? Why don’t I go ask my brother for you? He might be able to help.”

There were far too many people coming to look at the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, making movement extremely inconvenient. The young girl simply leaped onto the great crocodile’s back and sat down on an undamaged patch of scales.

“My brother only just became a Centurion in the Demon-Suppressing Army not long ago. He still knows a bit about the Demon Domain.”

“I want the essence blood of a Demon Emperor.”

Shi Qinghu’s footsteps paused slightly as he replied with a faint smile.

With his current strength, if he entered the Demon-Suppressing Army, he would at least be a commander of a thousand. The reason he had never joined was partly because there were too many restrictions, and partly because he feared the inspection of the Demon-Suppressing Token might uncover the bloodline connection between him and his elder sister, which in the end would bring her some trouble.

Ever since he left home to temper himself, he had severed all ties with his family. Fortune and misfortune alike would fall on him alone.