8mi Chapter 19 Enemy from the Sky
Chapter 19 Enemy from the Sky
Xiong Zhou raised his hand, and the blood-red dandelions blooming on the dust formed from the ten-thousand-foot-tall divine corpse slowly began to coalesce, condensing into a golden fluff ball, radiating a divine aura that never faded.
In a daze, countless afterimages were reflected, forming a dreamlike and fantastical phenomenon that radiated beyond the ancient battlefield.
As Xiong Zhou reached out from high above, the golden dandelion fell into his palm, transforming into wisps of pixelated edges, and the panel information unfolded.
Name: Seed of Immortality
Level: Fourth level of Qi Refining (severely incomplete)
Category: Bloodline-related Special Resources
Description: The flesh-and-blood dandelion seed, gold, was transformed after absorbing an unknown amount of ancient blood.
special:
1. Favored by Abundance: Carrying the aura of abundant power.
2. Spiritual abominations: These are entities formed from the distortion of legal principles, or those abhorred by all spirits of heaven and earth.
3. Ancient Refinement: Allows the absorption of ancient blood of the same origin to gradually repair deficiencies.
4. Undying Pattern: Contains an undying Dao pattern so damaged it's almost unrecognizable.
Xiong Zhou held the golden dandelion in his hand, thoughtfully re-examining the entire ancient battlefield.
"A special bloodline resource, ancient blood?"
"It's incredible that I was able to obtain such an extremely rare and special resource in the True Disciple Ranking Competition."
"Is the distribution of resources to true disciples at the first level of Qi Refining already underway since the ranking competition began?"
Xiong Zhou had no choice but to think it over.
For all the true disciples who have already expanded their cultivation techniques to [Lv.4], the vast majority of the resources available at the fourth level of Qi Refining can be perfectly utilized without causing serious waste.
The remnants of this enormous divine corpse, which Xiong Zhou utilized, turned out to be a special bloodline-related resource.
"It's a pity that this kind of special bloodline resource can only be effectively used by descendants of bloodlines corresponding to this ancient blood."
"It's not that I can't use it by force, but the effect after refining might only be less than 10% of what it was."
"These resources weren't allocated to me by the sect; they're for... that immortal holy body!"
A sudden surge of inspiration echoed in Xiong Zhou's consciousness, bringing back memories of a sunny, cheerful, and energetic guy.
The power belonging to the Abundant Authority was also flowing, allowing Xiong Zhou to temporarily enter a special perspective.
At this moment, he seemed to see the entire Azure Sky Realm. In this instant, he truly saw the Undying Holy Body standing on a city wall, and he also saw this true disciple realize something, look in the direction of Xiong Zhou himself, and nod slightly to him.
"Crack...bang!"
A subtle sense of fragmentation resonated within the inner world, causing Xiong Zhou to emerge from this delicate state.
At this moment, wisps of dust from the ten-thousand-foot-tall divine corpse condensed into characters before Xiong Zhou's eyes.
[Chain Mission 1: Break Through the Enemy's Encirclement (Completed)]
[Members of the Mountain and River Squad will receive base points for Round 1 based on their performance in Round 1.]
[Chain Quest 2: Ancient Relics]
[Task Review:]
Xiong Zhou, a disciple of the Mountain and River Squad, cheated by taking advantage of Bai Yu Yuanjun's power to gather abundant authority in the Azure Sky Realm, wiped out the ancient battlefield, and extracted a fragment of special resources from a spiritual abomination.
Task Description:
Based on the incomplete, unique resource's undying Dao patterns, search for ancient blood from other locations in the Azure Sky Realm to complete it.
Xiong Zhou looked towards the heavens and complained, "No, this is already quite obvious, isn't it? How can the senior brothers and sisters in charge of the Heavenly Realm be so blatant in interfering with the ranking competition of true disciples at the first level of Qi Refining?"
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The Void Sea, beyond the Azure Sky Realm.
The rugged-looking senior brother, carrying a long staff, immediately smiled.
I was so angry I laughed.
The senior disciple in charge, standing outside the boundary, pointed at Xiong Zhou from afar and said, "Listen to this, everyone, listen to this! What do you mean we're blatantly interfering with the ranking competition for true disciples at the first level of Qi Refining?"
"The second part of the chain quest—all this trouble was caused by this guy building a seven-tiered altar, summoning the sect's most dangerous creature, and cheating to complete the first part of the quest!"
"How can someone so blatantly spout such double standards?!"
The senior disciple was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, his blood rushing to his head and his face turning red.
"It doesn't matter if we can't break through the encirclement for now, even though we're following the 'plot' we planned. As long as we can hold out until Junior Brother Chen Fan completes the second stage of the mission, this ancient battlefield will be destroyed by Junior Brother Chen Fan as well."
"At that time, the True Disciples team trapped in place will automatically complete the task and enter the next stage of the task. Junior Brother Chen Fan, who obtained the remains of the divine corpse, will also be able to start the third stage of the task. In this way, the 'plot' will not deviate from the main storyline and will continue in its entirety, while all the True Disciples brothers and sisters can demonstrate their abilities in appropriate positions."
The senior student's finger, which was pointing at Xiong Zhou, was trembling.
"This junior brother Xiong Zhou, who holds the power of abundance, is no ordinary true disciple; we must strike hard."
"I propose that his authority over heaven and earth in the Azure Sky Realm be sealed away!"
The female Taoist priest, dressed in a blue robe and with a delicate face, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Senior brother, your dislike for Junior Brother Xiong Zhou's double standards is probably only half true."
"The main purpose is to seal this junior brother's authority over heaven and earth, to prevent him from causing trouble again and accidentally destroying the Azure Sky Realm, right?"
"It should be. Just now, Senior Brother said that he was responsible for the ranking competition of the true disciples of the first level of Qi Refining, and that he would have to eat the long staff raw after the incident. This has already been recorded by the Tai Li Heavenly Net. Junior Brother Xiong Zhou's amazing performance is bound to cause him some worry."
The burly-faced senior brother, carrying a long staff, paused for a moment.
He glared at the female Taoist priest, who was wearing a blue robe and had a delicate face.
Isn't this already obvious?
Do we need to put him back on the stage and whip his corpse again?
That's just too disgusting!
Now that's bad. If any junior brothers or sisters look through the past records of the first level of Qi Refining on the Tai Li Tian Network in the future, where will he put his face?
The rugged-looking senior deacon grunted in a muffled voice.
His face was dark, and he said, "Everyone, let's vote."
"Just as I said, if Junior Brother Xiong Zhou doesn't seal it, this year's True Disciple Competition for the first level of Qi Refining might not even be able to continue."
The six Tai Li stewards exchanged glances, completed the procedural reporting through the Tai Li Heavenly Network, and each made their own decisions.
Apart from the senior brother, who held a bronze bell and exuded an ethereal aura, he chose to abstain.
The remaining five Tai Li stewards all voted in favor of sealing Xiong Zhou's power over heaven and earth.
Just as the elder brother, whose face was still dark, said, this junior brother Xiong Zhou was too good at handling things; he was practically a master of getting things done.
They have presided over so many sessions of the True Disciple Competition of the Mortal Realm and the Second Realm, and their life spans hundreds of years. This special situation is something they have never seen before.
If they don't seal this junior brother's authority over heaven and earth, they are afraid that the Azure Sky Realm will collapse before it can hold out until the True Disciple Grand Competition ends. This realm, whose upper limit is still only the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Holding a bronze bell, the senior deacon, exuding an ethereal aura, nodded slightly upon seeing the voting results.
He said softly, "In that case, let's manipulate the power of the Void Sea to temporarily seal Junior Brother Xiong Zhou's authority over heaven and earth."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ethereal senior brother deacon made the first move.
The small bronze bell slowly enlarged in the void sea, projecting the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, grass and trees, evolving ancient human history, and reflecting the image of agriculture, animal husbandry, the unification of the world, and peace and prosperity.
"boom!"
Strands of light originating from humanity are drawn here, accompanied by glimpses of ancient human history, forming a long, illusory river.
The senior disciple gently struck the bronze bell, and the unseen prayer transformed into a faint, ancient sound, causing a thin membrane on the "Azure Sky Realm" that was closely attached to the "Qi Refining World" to emit a faint golden glow and exude an undying aura.
In an instant, gazes came from all directions, and several gazes that were clearly more profound, unpredictable, and indescribable than those of ordinary Qi Refining Level 6 cultivators were cast from the nearby "Qi Refining World".
An aged voice rang out, a deathly murmur echoing near the Azure Sky Realm: "I... sensed the aura of an undying Dao pattern!"
A dragon emerged from the void, roaring loudly, "The indestructible Dao Pattern—this is my true dragon opportunity, Nangong Qi's! Attaining sainthood is within reach!"
An old woman riding a toad let out a hoarse laugh: "The indestructible Dao patterns... this must be my destiny!"
Hundreds or even thousands of figures at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, or at the same level, appeared together outside the Azure Sky Realm, their eyes filled with covetousness.
However, this covetous gaze immediately changed upon seeing the six Tai Li stewards and the attire they wore.
The astonishment, surprise, and shock that had been revealed in the vicinity of the Azure Sky Realm receded like a raging tide.
A short, elderly man wielding an iron hammer twitched his beard and turned to leave, muttering, "What bad luck! What terrible luck! It's actually those idiots from the Tai Li Immortal Sect, so focused on cultivating both body and spirit!"
The echoing murmurs receded instantly, shrinking into an aged, painted mask, and vanished swiftly: "This old Taoist priest will not keep you company any longer! Farewell, everyone!"
The old woman jumped off her mount, carrying the giant toad in one hand, and swiftly retreated back to the "Qi Refining World." "Grandma, I suddenly realized my granddaughter will be home from school soon. Fellow Daoists, farewell..."
Nangong Qi cursed and swore, dragon energy overflowing from the dragon's five orifices and rising from its horns: "Damn it! It's those idiots from the Tai Li Immortal Sect again, so focused on cultivating both body and spirit! How come you're always there wherever I, the Dragon Lord, appear!"
However, instead of running away, the dragon stood still and began to loudly curse at the six Tai Li stewards, displaying a sense of impotent rage.
The senior steward, who had shrunk the bronze bell again and was holding it in his palm, ignored Nangong Qi's insults and instead nodded knowingly.
He said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Nangong, we meet again."
"This must be the 100,009th meeting in nearly a million years."
"We, the six deacons of Tai Li, are truly destined to meet Fellow Daoist Nangong."
Nangong Qi's voice grew even louder, his dragon whiskers bristling, his dragon eyes bloodshot: "Pah!"
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"
"Who told you that in nearly a million years of dragon worship, you bunch of idiots only appear once every ten years on average!"
"Even if there is a connection, it's an incredibly tragic one!"
"An absolutely, absolutely, absolutely tragic fate!"
Nangong Qi's voice suddenly became aggrieved, and tears seemed to well up in his dragon eyes.
"I, the old dragon, have worked diligently under the arrangement of the Ancient Dragon Palace, regulating the laws of heaven and earth in a region and clearing the meridians of heaven and earth in a continent. I have been doing this for millions of years."
"When his term ended, he had reached the peak of the sixth level of the Divine Refinement Realm and wanted to find suitable resources to leap over the Dragon Gate, transform into a true dragon, and become a true saint."
"But why is it that whenever I sense an opportunity that resonates with me, it's always you six idiots?!"
"Why?!"
"Heaven is unjust!"
The six Tai Li stewards exchanged glances, shrugged simultaneously, and looked helpless.
There was nothing he could do; the old dragon had just stepped out when he encountered the six of them on a sect mission.
As stewards of the Tai Li sect, they couldn't possibly abandon their sect's mission and hand over the Qi-refining resources they already possessed to this old dragon's claws.
This can only be blamed on the old dragon's bad luck.
Looking at the six Tai Li stewards who remained silent and unwavering, Nangong Qi reached out his dragon claw to wipe away the tears welling up in his eyes.
He sighed softly, "This time, it is an indestructible Dao pattern. Even if it is incomplete to the point of being almost nonexistent, it is still an indestructible Dao pattern. For races like ours that need bloodline leaps, it will still have some reference value."
"I don't want to get into unnecessary arguments with you bunch of idiots..."
"Considering the karmic ties between me and the six of you spanning over a million years, surely you'll allow me to study this and learn from its underlying principles?"
The six deacons of the Tai Li Immortal Sect exchanged glances again, activated the Tai Li Heavenly Net, and began the procedures.
A few breaths later, the senior brother in charge of the bronze bell nodded to Nangong Qi.
"Fellow Daoist Nangong may wish to comprehend this, but you will have to wait for some time."
"This realm has become the venue for the ranking competition of the first level of Qi Refining in our sect. Even though the Ancient Dragon Palace is an important ally of our sect, it is forbidden to enter it and interfere with the progress of the ranking competition."
"After the competition concludes, you will have time to study the Undying Dao Patterns. This matter will be handled impartially by the Tai Li Heavenly Network."
Nangong Qi immediately changed his expression, revealing a smile; his face changed swiftly.
He rubbed his dragon claws together and chuckled, "Well, as a dragon from the Ancient Dragon Palace, surely I can observe from the sidelines, right?"
"I promise I will not do anything to interfere with your sect's grand competition; I just want to take a look at the indestructible Dao patterns that exist there."
The six deacons exchanged glances again and began to go through the procedure again.
After a few more breaths, the senior brother in charge of the bronze bell nodded again.
Seeing this, Nangong Qi couldn't wait to jump above the Azure Sky Realm. His dragon body coiled around the world, and his dragon eyes widened as he looked down.
"what?"
"You actually used sealing techniques specifically to target a true disciple at the first level of Qi Refining?"
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On the seven-tiered altar inside the small town gate.
Xiong Zhou stared blankly at the inner world, at the Saint's Path sealed by chains of Daoist runes, and at the Abundant Authority located within the Saint's Path.
"Senior deacons, are you guys sore losers?!"
"They actually banned my account!"