Chapter 27 A skill to contend with the heavens, a struggle against fate...
In the darkness, vines intertwined, poisonous mist spread, and heavy blows were blocked by the vine wall, but then suddenly resounded after a crack was torn open.
Another burst of spiritual energy crushed the arm-thick vine.
Li Qingyun clapped his hands together, and with a crisp sound, the surrounding poisonous fog was instantly blown away.
Li Qingyun, who was directly opposite, had a serious expression.
These are all moves he knows, but when he actually uses them, they are not as skillful as the illusion.
It's as if the person opposite you isn't actually an enemy, but a future version of yourself who has mastered all the skills and is waiting for you to pursue them.
Or perhaps, that's just my ideal image of myself in battle.
After all, how many people in this world can truly master all the skills they've learned?
marvelous.
Li Qingyun channeled her energy beneath her feet and leaped forward again, mimicking the feint from before as she activated her spiritual power.
Another large patch of vines was crushed out of thin air. Li Qingyun stepped over the layers of wooden walls, and finally his fist landed on the fake face.
"...That's interesting."
Li Qingyun brushed the bruise on her face with her finger, instantly restoring it to its original state: "Continue."
The battle is far from over.
After several more rounds, this time the illusion passed through thousands of threads hidden among the leaves, and a kick came straight at Li Qingyun's heart.
"continue."
"You know what to use."
He smiled in a mocking manner.
The methods Li Qingyun truly possesses are far more ruthless than his soft and vulnerable appearance suggests.
Without needing to say more, Li Qingyun mobilized the spiritual power within his body, causing thousands of light points to fall into his palm and converge into a green whip. The Primordial Ginseng within the Mustard Seed Space continuously flickered, providing support for his body. This allowed him to activate a unique secret technique while simultaneously mobilizing his spiritual power to fight.
“…Come here,” Li Qingyun suddenly said.
Xiaoyun had just been kicked to one knee, but she stood up again with a cold face. She didn't bother to brush the dust off her chest. Her soft hair had become loose from the fall, and a small tuft of black hair hung down in front of her left eye, but it couldn't hide the murderous intent in her eyes.
He suddenly looked up, his eyes now gleaming with murderous intent, and said again, "Come here!"
After speaking, the sinister look on Li Qingyun's face was concealed, replaced by a calm expression of confidence.
This is his signature skill, and also an innate ability of the Wood Spirit Clan—attracting attention.
This move can ignore the difference in cultivation level, causing the victim's mind to be seduced and develop a strange yet strong sense of affinity towards the caster.
He had used this move once before when fighting Lian Wushuang, but unfortunately Lian Wushuang had a barrier-breaking magic weapon that could block the temptation at the mental level.
But now, this is an illusion, and illusions can't provide any powerful weapons to resist temptation. All we can do is accept our fate!
The person opposite, "Li Qingyun," was indeed tempted by this move. A light green tinge appeared in their eyes, and their gaze became lifeless as they slowly walked towards Li Qingyun.
"Tch." Li Qingyun scoffed. Just now, this person was so arrogant, but he still managed to win them over.
When only two palms' width apart were left between the two, Li Qingyun raised her hand and attacked the illusion with all her might.
The whip, imbued with spiritual energy, failed to strike the enemy.
Li Qingyun's pupils shrank sharply, and she retreated immediately, but it was too late. She was sent flying several meters away by the illusion.
It turns out that this trick also failed to work on the fake Li Qingyun!
Li Qingyun seemed to be smiling faintly: "Arrogance will surely lead to defeat."
"What?!" Xiaoyun was still in shock at the fact that her signature move had failed again.
Meanwhile, the illusion on the other side began to comment on the move: "Hmm, a natal technique, its power is less than 30% of what I expected. However, given that your innate foundation was destroyed, it is already quite remarkable that you were able to execute it. To have 30% of its power is already rare."
Then, the fake one said in an infuriating tone, "Go on, bring out everything you've learned. Do you intend to keep them as treasures to yourself? These few moves alone are not enough to beat me."
This time, Li Qingyun did not launch an attack in anger. Instead, she stood there for a moment, pondered, and gradually calmed down.
What exactly are you?
The fact that Li Qingyun was able to ask this question actually meant that she already had some guesses in her heart.
But even the truest truth still needs to be proven before it's considered complete.
The illusory "Li Qingyun" still wore the same faint smile that the real person wouldn't: "Didn't you guess it? I am you."
"You in your most extreme state."
"Only by defeating me can you pass this test of strength."
Then, the illusion waved its hand, using the most contemptuous method to entice Li Qingyun to attack.
If that's the case, then why bother with any more nonsense?
Li Qingyun redirected her spiritual power again, attacking herself on the other side.
...
Heavenly Sword Sect, Reception Platform.
Chang Yubai remained as leisurely and carefree as ever, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands, looking quite content.
Of course, while enjoying the view, they also turned their heads away to avoid the stares from the old sparrows.
He should just listen and not get caught up in the middle of the conversation.
Every elder or monk who tried to meet his gaze was met with a twitch at the corner of their mouth as he dodged.
Finally, Luo Songping couldn't hold back any longer. Relying on their initial acquaintance, he tried to ask, "Young Chang, why don't you go and fight the prodigy?"
There's no limit to the number of people who can go up the Dengwen Ladder at once, and with so many rooms in the Baidai Building, there's plenty of room for Chang Yubai to pick one and play around in.
But this person, despite his impressive cultivation, refuses to go up. Could it be that a mere rogue cultivator looks down on the Heavenly Pride Ranking jointly established by the four major sects?
This is utterly upside down!
Chang Yubai: It's not that complicated.
He simply didn't want to do it again after he'd already done it; it wasn't interesting.
Moreover, his name, Chang Yubai, was so conspicuous that it left a deep impression on people. Years later, when Li Tiansheng was on the list and investigated, he discovered that there was a guy with the same name as him a hundred years ago. That was quite something.
He didn't want to increase Long Aotian's suspicions about him.
Chang Yubai: "My teacher once said that when you are out and about, you should keep a low profile."
Heavenly Sword Sect Elder: "..."
What kind of reason is that!
It's one thing for weak cultivators to keep a low profile, but what's there for a high-level Martial Realm cultivator like you to keep a low profile for!
How many people in this world can truly stump you!
Besides, haven't they already painstakingly explained all the benefits of the Prodigy Ranking? Aren't you tempted yet?
Can you really hold back?
How did you do that?
Or is it precisely because of this mindset that one can become a genius?
The Heavenly Sword Sect members, who had been overthinking things, were utterly shocked.
However, in the end, they didn't speak up as boldly as Rakusho Hei.
Talent is something that belongs to the individual, and it's certainly not something they can control.
Luo Songping could only chuckle awkwardly, "Oh, that's a pity."
"If you can become the top of the High Martial Realm rankings, well, it won't just be the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect who will treat you as an honored guest. In another ten years or so, perhaps the Heavenly Pride Rankings will spread to the outer regions. At your age, there will be absolutely no one younger than you. At that time, the entire Guanwu Sect will put you first."
"Oh well, it's your own choice after all."
Luo Songping attempted to lure her away by feigning retreat, as he was truly unwilling to let such a prodigy escape.
Besides, what's the point of their Prodigy Ranking anyway? It's because it's updated in real time!
How can we really just leave geniuses unattended?
Chang Yubai nodded: "I know."
That's why he sent Xiaoyun to fight against Tianjiao and get a government job.
Hearing his words, perhaps there was room for negotiation? All the cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect pricked up their ears.
But the next sentence shattered their worldview.
Chang Yubai: "But for me, it's not enough."
Luo Songping: "What? Young man, one shouldn't be too greedy!"
He thought Chang Yubai felt the reward wasn't enough.
But Chang Yubai shook his head: "I mean, the list isn't enough."
"I will be promoted."
He wanted to advance, but he had already been on the list of geniuses in the high-level martial arts realm once, so there was no need for him to compete for it again.
But to the elder, these words sounded like a dream.
If it weren't for Chang Yubai's talent, everyone would probably have already fallen asleep, pretending they hadn't woken up yet.
Rakusho Hei: "...Did I hear that right?"
Chang Yubai: "I'm not wrong."
So, is that a promotion in the end?
At just over a hundred years old, being at the High Martial Realm isn't enough for this person to boast about; does he really want to break through to the Xuanwu Realm in one fell swoop?
Luo Songping dared not comment.
Chang Yubai was not lying. After leaving Leizhen Valley, he realized that the cultivation level of the High Martial Realm was not enough. There were still many, if not many, true strongmen in this era.
At that time, he was thinking about taking Xiaoyun home. On the way home, he would not encounter many experts who could easily defeat him, so he had nothing to fear and did not care much about the realm.
But his home was gone.
He's going to take Xiaoyun on a journey.
He wanted to take Xiaoyun to see the mountains and rivers, to travel to every corner of the Guanwu Continent, just like his master had seen when he was cultivating his skills.
This requires him, as the leader, to possess strength comparable to the strongest in a region.
After years of neglecting my cultivation, now is the perfect time to break through.
Thinking of this, he looked up at the sky.
Xiaoyun's report card hasn't been released yet, and the trial isn't over. He thought that perhaps Xiaoyun was stuck on the test of confronting her false self.
In his previous life, Chang Yubai suffered a lot in this battle. At that time, Chang Yubai was still arrogant and domineering. Standing opposite him was a cold and indifferent version of himself, which made him very frustrated. He just wanted to vent all his pent-up anger.
He later realized that this was actually an illusion deliberately provoking him, trying to make him break through his limits in anger, drive his spiritual power to unleash the strongest state of his moves, and thus determine the level of his strength.
But this bastard likes to lie, saying that you have to win to end it, but afterwards he told him that all he had to do was use all the moves. It's a scoring system, how could it possibly make things difficult for the challenger!
Chang Yubai, however, was aiming for a quick victory. Since he could only leave after winning, he simply advanced from the fifth to the sixth rank on the spot, overwhelming the illusion with his superior cultivation level and easily leaving. The only problem was that he was the center of attention for quite some time after the results were announced.
—Didn't you sign up for Level 5? How dare you lie to me?
It's one thing to lie, but to report it as a sign of weakness is another! Are you kidding me?!
This act resulted in him being fined 10,000 spirit jades as punishment, and he was also publicly criticized for a month as a warning to others. Apart from his master, no one believed that he had made a breakthrough on the spot. It was infuriating!
Chang Yubai, who once boasted: "Baidai Building definitely made a lot of dirty money through this trick! Absolutely!"
Master Qingyun appeased the child with just one sentence: "I will reward you with 100,000 yuan."
Chang Yubai immediately became obedient.
Who would turn down money?
now……
Chang Yubai couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He was curious about how Xiaoyun would escape the illusion.
Based on his understanding of his master, he knew that his methods would not be gentle.
...
Although he knew that all the stats he had in the illusion were maxed out, he would still feel strained in a real fight. Li Qingyun might be able to reach this level on his own, but for now, he hadn't even touched that level.
If you cannot fully unleash your true self and fight the illusion at your limit, you will undoubtedly be defeated!
This is how Li Qingyun's increasingly strenuous attacks are portrayed.
But the illusion revealed that the little devil on the other side was still laughing, and even becoming more and more excited.
This is utterly absurd!
Li Qingyun is definitely overly excited right now.
After many years, he felt the pain again.
It wasn't the beatings and scoldings inflicted on him by the maggots in the desolate land; those maggots couldn't bear to damage the material, and before they died, they didn't even have time to do anything to him.
It wasn't the pain from the backlash when he ambushed Lian Wushuang, because that wasn't his current life essence, so even if he was injured, it wouldn't damage his core.
But this time he was going to fight his own all-out self, a self that would never hold back, with all his moves coming at him like a deluge, each one a painful blow.
He thought of the day he reshaped his origin, when the Nine Heavens Tribulation suddenly arrived and relentlessly bombarded him; that was the kind of pain that gnawed at his very bones!
He still remembers forcing his eyes open at that time, afraid that if he closed them, he would never wake up again.
But he was still alive. The thunderbolts struck his soul again and again, but they could not extinguish the vibrant life force that naturally arose within him.
Yes, vitality.
Just as Chang Yubai once metaphorically described, there is a fertile land in his spiritual sea that can withstand thunder and rain. No matter how strong the wind and rain blow, tender shoots will still break through the soil and grow, bringing a green vitality.
Wildfire cannot burn it all; the spring breeze brings it back to life.
His land sprouted new seedlings time and time again, bringing new spiritual energy to fill the void in his body.
This is the first turn of the Yuanjue, the turning of life, endlessly regenerating.
This is also the foundation of his cultivation. With this fertile ground, he will never have to bow his head to the heavens, and he will always be able to overcome all difficulties.
Even if the person standing opposite you is another version of yourself, does that version also have a fertile field inside it?
Do we also cultivate and fertilize day after day, just to nurture endless vitality?
This is a unique bond between him and Yuan Jue!
It turns out that from the very beginning, he was supposed to be the one to cultivate this manual.
It turns out that all that hard work these past few days was just like the blind men touching an elephant, a misguided approach.
"The secret technique... that's how it should be used!"
Suddenly, his spiritual power surged forth, and countless points of light swirled around the space.
"Can you overcome heavenly lightning?"
Li Qingyun said dismissively.
I think you can't.
Bang--
It actually used a continuous stream of spiritual energy to burst the opponent apart.
The surrounding darkness began to dissipate, the endless returned to the finite, and the original appearance of the trial cabin was gradually restored.
After Li Qingyun waved to retract the overflowing spiritual power, he stirred up a gust of wind on the spot.
The air currents swept by, and a few seconds later, the robes gradually fell down.
He actually achieved enlightenment and advanced to the fourth level of the Initial Martial Realm!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
