Chapter 297: Chapter 281: Millionfold Return, Sacred Tier Cultivation Technique! (4K)_2
Xia Ningxue defeated an opponent from the third layer of the Unity Realm and also advanced to the third round.
Only Yu Xuanji from the Hidden Dragon Temple, having entered the Unity Realm not long ago and encountering the number one power from Zhong Zhou, the Pavilion Master of the Star Pavilion, in the second round, lost without any suspense.
"The Hidden Dragon Temple indeed produces bodies with the Literary Sage potential. In the last Zhong Zhou Conference, your temple's master, Shangguan Zhao'er, had the Body of the Literary Sage and entered the top sixteen. At that time, she was not at her peak and met the then Pavilion Master of our Star Pavilion, hence failing to go beyond the top sixteen.
Given time, with your talent, ascending to the Immortal Realm is only a matter of when, not if."
Even after defeating Yu Xuanji, the Star Pavilion Pavilion Master did not underestimate her.
Yu Xuanji's Body of the Literary Sage held tremendous potential and the possibility of ascending to the Immortal Realm.
In time, those who ascended to the Immortal Realm might meet again. Since you can't avoid them forever, the Star Pavilion wouldn't easily offend the other.
Yu Xuanji just nodded, then returned to the midst of the people from Xia State.
Her participation in the Zhong Zhou Conference was not to compete for rankings but to witness the powerful from various states and increase her experience.
The second round ended, with three individuals from Xia State entering the top three hundred.
After the second round ended, Lu Changsheng continued discussing the Sword Dao with Xia Ningxue.
He was on the verge of integrating the four sets of sacred-tier Immortal sword techniques—Divine Sword Thunder Commanding Art, Divine Sword Fire Commanding Art, Divine Sword Commanding Wind Art, and Divine Sword Commanding Water Art—into one sword technique.
"My accumulation in the Sword Dao is almost sufficient, but I still need time to create the swordsmanship. However, the Zhong Zhou Conference is about to enter the third round, and there's not much time left for me. If nothing unexpected happens, I will meet Sun Jian from the Thousand Swords Manor in the top thirty-two."
Lu Changsheng now needed time to create a swordsmanship technique that surpassed the sacred tier, to be confident in facing Sun Jian from the Thousand Swords Manor.
If he has spare time to advance his realm, that would naturally be better.
However, Lu Changsheng temporarily couldn't see how to acquire this bit of time.
While studying the Sword Dao with Xia Ningxue, Lu Changsheng didn't forget to continue mentoring his disciples.
If mentoring returned more advanced cultivation techniques and elixir pills, Lu Changsheng would be even more confident in this Zhong Zhou Conference.
"Wait... There's a turning point!"
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng sensed that his eldest disciple, Lin Qingzhi's aura had risen from the seventh to the eighth layer of the Void Refinement Realm, achieving Great Accomplishment in the realm.
Lin Qingzhi had managed to breakthrough during the Zhong Zhou Conference period!
Lu Changsheng could now impart mid-tier Immortal-grade cultivation techniques to disciples with Great Accomplishment in the Void Refinement Realm and reward them with ninth-grade elixir pills, ninth-grade talismans, and mid-tier Immortal artifacts among other treasures.
This also meant a higher probability of receiving higher-tier treasures and techniques in return for mentoring.
"Qingzhi, come to me."
Lu Changsheng called over his eldest disciple, Lin Qingzhi, and imparted to him the eleventh chapter of the Supreme Purity Limitless Technique.
[Ding, you have imparted the mid-tier Immortal-grade cultivation technique Supreme Purity Limitless Technique (Chapter 11) to your disciple Lin Qingzhi, and received one million times return reward: the sacred-tier cultivation technique Taiqing Heavenly Scripture.]
The Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator had this time given back a technique that surpassed the Immortal tier!
"Hiss..."
Lu Changsheng was extremely excited.
At last, he had a cultivation technique that surpassed the sacred tier!
This technique was not swordsmanship but a mental cultivation technique!
The Taiqing Heavenly Scripture was a supreme skill not of this world!
Should one master this technique, its power would be boundless, unimaginable!
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng's face fell and he frowned.
The Taiqing Heavenly Scripture, a supreme skill surpassing the sacred tier, was not something Lu Changsheng could fully comprehend in a short time, even though he possessed an Innate Taoist Body.
Talents like Sun Jian from Thousand Swords Manor spent thousands of years to cultivate their sect's defending skills to Great Perfection.
Even with the faster cultivation speed of the Innate Taoist Body, it was impossible to cultivate the Taiqing Heavenly Scripture to the Great Perfection state in less than a month; he could at most get started with it.
The Taiqing Heavenly Scripture at the beginner level might not be more powerful than the twelfth layer of the Supreme Purity Limitless Technique at Great Perfection.
Time, what Lu Changsheng lacked was the time to cultivate.
"What's wrong, Master?"
Lin Qingzhi saw the changing expressions on Lu Changsheng's face, from excitement to furrowed brows.
"It's nothing. Go back to your training."
Lu Changsheng calmed his mind.
In this grand assembly at Zhong Zhou, I have done my best. Even if I truly cannot match Sun Jian, as long as I make it into the top thirty-two, then Lu Changsheng will have lived up to the ancestors of Mount Shu.
After all, so long as Lu Changsheng continues to cultivate, he will ascend to the Immortal Realm sooner or later. This cannot be forced.
Lu Changsheng continued to practice swordsmanship with Xia Ningxue.
Seven days later, the third round of the Zhong Zhou grand assembly began, and the three from Xia State successfully entered the fourth round.
Only a little over one hundred people remained in the fourth round.
"I'm in the same half of the bracket as that kid Lu Changsheng. If he makes it into the top thirty-two, he'll encounter me. As long as he meets me, I will definitely cripple his cultivation,"
Seeing Lu Changsheng advance to the fourth round and frequently practicing the Sword Dao with Xia Ningxue, Sun Jian of Thousand Swords Manor had an even colder gaze.
Xia Ningxue, with her Lingwa Holy Body, looked down on their Thousand Swords Manor's supreme swordsmanship, yet she cultivated the Sword Dao together with Lu Changsheng, truly showing him no respect.
The fourth round ended, leaving just over sixty people.
By the end of the fifth round, there were only thirty-two people left.
Lu Changsheng, Xia Ningxue, and Monk Wu Le, three cultivators from Xia State, made their way through, incredibly all entering the top thirty-two.
Xia State had three individuals in the top thirty-two, a number second only to Zhong Zhou, which ranked first!
Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue's realms weren't among the highest at the Zhong Zhou grand assembly, yet they possessed the strength to fight across higher levels, each defeating five opponents. Even powerhouses at the seventh layer of the Unity Realm were beaten by Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue.
The two of them were also quite lucky. Upon entering the top thirty-two, they did not encounter any powerhouses above the eighth layer of the Unity Realm, let alone peak Unity Realm experts.
Monk Wu Le was an extraordinary monk from the Immeasurable Temple from twenty-five thousand years ago. Cultivating the Decay and Prosperity Divine Skill with the Power of Faith of billions of beings in Xia State, his cultivation was unfathomably deep.
Already being on par with peak Unity Realm powerhouses such as Sun Jian, Wu Yue, and Zhang Qinglong, it was not surprising for him to make it into the top thirty-two.
The elders and disciples from the three great sects of Mount Shu, Inquiry Immortal Pavilion, and Immeasurable Temple were overjoyed.
Making it into the top thirty-two of the Zhong Zhou grand assembly was already an outstanding achievement.
The people of the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion were even more surprised.
The best result Inquiry Immortal Pavilion ever achieved in the Zhong Zhou grand assembly was the top eight, by Fairy Qingxia a hundred thousand years ago.
Xia Ningxue hadn't reached the realm of Fairy Qingxia and was only at the fifth layer of the Unity Realm, yet her achievement in the Zhong Zhou grand assembly was about to match that of Fairy Qingxia.
If she defeats two more opponents, Xia Ningxue could achieve the best result in the Zhong Zhou grand assembly for the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.
Penglai Fairy looked at Lu Changsheng with even more admiration in her eyes.
The Spirit Sword Physique Penglai Fairy had fallen in the third round.
Yet Lu Changsheng had made it past the fifth round and successfully entered the sixth round of competition, becoming one of the top thirty-two sect powerhouses of this Zhong Zhou grand assembly.
She sighed softly to herself.
If only Xia Ningxue hadn't been more outstanding, perhaps she could have become Dao companions with him.
"Temple Uncle-Master, why do you look so worried when Changsheng has made it into the top thirty-two?"
Big Senior Brother Li Changye noticed that the brow of Mount Shu's Temple Uncle-Master, Situ Kong, was tightly furrowed, and he couldn't help but be puzzled.
Situ Kong's expression was grave, "Although Changsheng has made it into the top thirty-two, his next opponent is Sun Jian from Thousand Swords Manor. Sun Jian is a peak Unity Realm powerhouse and the Manor possesses a divine swordsmanship that transcends sacred tiers.
Sun Jian has a grudge against Changsheng, and if he decides not to show mercy and cripples Changsheng's cultivation, then Changsheng might end up a mortal and forever lose his chance at the immortal path."
"What Temple Uncle-Master says is true," Li Changye agreed with Situ Kong's analysis, and he too was worried. He turned to speak to Lu Changsheng, "Junior Brother, obtaining the top thirty-two for our Mount Shu is already quite an achievement. Sun Jian may be harsh in his next moves against you. It might be better for you to forfeit now. Compared to ranking, Mount Shu values your safety more."
"I know there are dangers, but I still want to give it a try,"
Lu Changsheng's resolve was firm.
He had many life-saving measures; if he saw the situation going south, he could escape.
This opportunity to compete with a peak Unity Realm powerhouse at the Zhong Zhou grand assembly was a rare chance, and Lu Changsheng wanted to measure the gap between himself and the strongest cultivators of this world.
With seven days remaining before the start of the sixth round, Lu Changsheng continued to practice the Sword Dao with Xia Ningxue.
Suddenly, Lu Changsheng's heart began to beat vigorously and more powerfully.
[Ding, your Yin Yang Dual Cultivation Skills have reached the third layer, returning a reward: Cultivation Space (seven hundred years).]
[Seven hundred years in the Cultivation Space is equivalent to seven days in the outside world. Only the awarded individual can enter the Cultivation Space, and they cannot leave or take disciples until their cultivation is complete.]
"Hmm!?"
Lu Changsheng was stunned, then quickly overjoyed!
What he needed most was precious cultivation time!