Chapter 1442: Fourth Level of Dao Spirit Realm
That strike was an accumulation of power Su Ming had gathered all along the way. Once he absorbed the cultivation bases and life force from hundreds of cultivators, he had struck with an astonishing power that could instantly kill a Dao Paragon!
Perhaps that strike would not be enough to pose a threat to a Great Dao Paragon, but to Dao Paragons, that explosive power could destroy their lives. It was especially for the bald man, who had been injured because he had been fighting against Xu Zhong Fan for a long time and who had clearly not treated Su Ming as a threat. Once he saw Su Ming, he immediately closed in to fight for the kismet, but in the end, he had only lost his life.
Su Ming's fight against the bald man was held in the air above the stone. The moment when the bald man's body and soul were destroyed, the battlefield instantly fell into silence. All the people looked at Su Ming in shock, and even Xu Zhong Fan came to an abrupt halt. With disbelief, he stared at Su Ming.
The pupils of Dao Han shrank, and a storm surged up in his heart.
If that was how the two of them reacted, it was even worse for the other two Dao Paragons from One Dao Sect. They sucked in a sharp breath, and when they looked at Su Ming, great shock showed up on their faces.
Neither of them expected that the third prince, who appeared to only be in the third level of Dao Spirit Realm… could instantly kill a Dao Paragon. The shock brought by such an event was too hard to describe with words.
The impact of it on the cultivators from One Dao Sect was also incredibly strong.
Dao Han's eyes shone with a glint, and he immediately shouted, "Seven Moons Sect, kill them!"
The moment he spoke, the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect felt their spirits rise. While roaring, they charged forward to fight against those from One Dao Sect.
Su Ming lifted his right hand. Immediately, the blood moon behind him phased through his body and appeared in front of him. Then, once Su Ming formed a seal and pointed forward, the blood moon exploded and turned into a blood-red sea that charged towards the cultivators of One Dao Sect.
Behind the red wave was Su Ming and the three white dogs by his side. They charged at the cultivators from One Dao Sect, and wherever they went, the Brand on Su Ming's right hand would absorb everyone.
Usually, when he touched a cultivator from One Dao Sect, that person's body would immediately shudder, and as they screamed shrilly, their bodies would instantly wither. Wisps of white smoke containing their life force and cultivation base would come out of their bodies, and since Su Ming was moving too quickly, those wisps looked to be chasing after him to be continuously absorbed by his right hand.
As more white smoke appeared, from the distance, it looked like Su Ming was surrounded by wisps of white smoke, and behind him were mummies littered all over the place!
"Kill them!" Su Ming growled.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his killing intent towards One Dao Sect had already reached a monstrous degree. This sect had come causing trouble for him time and again, and the battle right then allowed Su Ming to vent some of the anger in his heart, but this amount of slaughter was far from enough.
When Su Ming growled, the ten thousand something cultivators from Seven Moons Sect immediately roared with him.
"Kill them!!"
The cultivators from One Dao Sect were forced back, and more and more of them died. The two Dao Paragons felt their hearts pound in fear. A moment later, they cast each other a glance and instantly moved back, intending to leave.
But the next second, three white dogs flew out to stop them. As for Xu Zhong Fan and Dao Han, they did not pay attention to the two Dao Paragons, but instead brought with them the cultivators of Seven Moons Sect to launch an even more powerful charge against the rest of the survivors.
In the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the army of One Dao Sect was torn to pieces. There were less than two thousand of them left, and they scattered like panicked birds. As for the two Dao Paragons from One Dao Sect, one of them had managed to flee, but the other one had his cultivation base sealed, which filled him with despair, and as he screamed shrilly in pain, he turned into one of the mummies under the effect of the Brand on Su Ming's right hand.
"Third prince!"
"Third prince!"
The ten thousand something disciples from Seven Moons Sect looked at Su Ming with excitement while standing on the stone. When cheers rang out, Su Ming's voice echoed in the air.
"Call me Su Ming."
"Su Ming!"
"SU MING!!!"
Amid the thunderous cheers, the twenty altars on the rock were all activated. Su Ming immediately noticed that even if someone else activated the altars, as long as he was nearby, he could absorb the fragrance that spread out.
While Su Ming absorbed the fragrance from the twenty altars, his hair moved without wind. His level of cultivation instantly broke through the wall to the next level, and the fourth overlapping Dao Spirit in his third eye completely manifested!
It was no longer blurry or transparent, but a completely corporeal entity, just like the other three Dao Spirits. At the instant that happened, it merged with Su Ming's other three Dao Spirits, and at that moment, he finally reached a breakthrough in his level of cultivation, and from the third level of Dao Spirit Realm, he reached the fourth level of Dao Spirit Realm!
The increase in the number of Dao Spirits caused Su Ming's cultivation base to increase exponentially, and a piercing glare shone in his eyes. Previously, when he wanted to kill a Dao Paragon, he would have to get hurt during the process. If he did not have the white dogs by his side either, it would have been very difficult for him to absorb a Dao Paragon.
Yet right then, if he had enough time, even without the white dogs around, Su Ming could go and absorb a Dao Paragon.
His cultivation base erupted with a bang, and the whirlwind it formed swept out in every direction before heading to the nine heavens. A brilliant glare shone in Su Ming's eyes.
Once he reached the fourth level of Dao Spirit Realm, not only did the Feng Shui compass' speed increase, he could also make the Space Whip erupt with an even greater power, which almost closed the gap in strength between him and Dao Paragons!
"There are nine echelons of sky in the second layer, and we are already in the third echelon. The sect master should be above us. We have to make haste and get there!"
When Dao Han's voice echoed in the air, it reached the ears of all the cultivators around him. After hearing them, the eyes of the ten thousand something disciples filled with fire and madness.
If there were only one or two people involved in a battle, it would cause them to be nervous. If there were ten or eight people involved, they would search for a way to numb themselves to the feeling of anxiety and uneasiness. If there were one hundred people involved, they would become completely numb. But if there were thousands or tens of thousands of people involved, they would snap out of that apathy, and it would turn into excitement and hot-bloodedness.
That was the case for the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect at that moment. If they could continue winning without stop, their hot-bloodedness would boil even further in their bodies.
When Dao Han's voice echoed in the air, he heard the ten thousand something cultivators in the area roar at the same time.
"Kill them!"
Dao Han did not say more and swiftly flew up. The ten thousand something cultivators flew together with him to charge upwards. Su Ming too moved after them. When the Feng Shui compass beneath his feet brought him up, the three white dogs followed him and charged upwards as well.
They rushed forward, and wherever they went, as long as the opponents were less than one thousand, be they from One Dao Sect or Asura Clan, once they saw the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect, their faces would immediately change, and they would avoid them.
Su Ming could not pay attention to Asura Clan, but he was determined to vanquish One Dao Sect, and his determination grew stronger when the final white dog returned. With the four of them, while Su Ming was not invincible in the second layer, he was strong enough to pose a great threat to whoever decided to stand against him.
Chapter 1443: Shocking Dao Paragons
Under Dao Han and Xu Zhong Fan's lead, the ten thousand something Seven Moons Sect cultivators charged above. Wherever they went, there would be endless slaughter. Booming sounds rose up, causing the world to seem to be under the plague of powerful tremors.
Then, a huge stone platform appeared above their heads. It was one million feet tall, and there were tens of thousands of cultivators on it, fighting against each other. They were composed of Asura Clan, One Dao Sect, and the army of cultivators led by Seven Moons Sect's great sect elders.
However, it was clear that Seven Moons Sect was at a disadvantage. They were being forced back bit by bit, causing the battlefield on the stone platform to turn into a warzone primarily for One Dao Sect and Asura Clan to fight against each other.
When Dao Han brought his ten thousand something cultivators to the area, they immediately attracted the attention of the other cultivators on the platform. Then, as those gazes were directed at them, the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect immediately cheered with their spirits rekindled.
"Kill them!" One Dao Sect roared, and Asura Clan too had clearly made their decision just then.
They immediately stopped fighting against One Dao Sect and charged towards the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect. It was obvious that the two wanted to first suppress those from Seven Moons Sect.
After all, if they were to assess the situation based on who had more advantages, then Gu Tai, with his Seven Moons Sect, had some advantages in hand while he was in the second layer within the shattered dimension.
The instant the three sides engaged in a chaotic battle and the sounds of battle rose up, Dao Han's eyes shone. He flew out and delivered a message into Su Ming's heart.
"This is the sixth echelon. Above us is the seventh, eighth, and ninth echelons. Each echelon has a platform larger than the previous one. The sect master is somewhere there. I don't know exactly in which echelon he is located, but we will stop the others in this place. You… have to go there quickly!"
When Dao Han finished speaking, he brought the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect to charge into the armies formed by One Dao Sect and Asura Clan. Right after, booming sounds surged into the sky.
Su Ming lifted his head and cast a glance at the area above him. Through the endless space, he could vaguely see an even larger platform above him, but it was quite far away from him. If he wanted to go there, he would need some time.
Without any hesitation, he moved, and instantly brought the four white dogs with him to charge towards the seventh echelon, but right when Su Ming flew out, two people flew out simultaneously from Asura Clan and One Dao Sect. In the blink of an eye, they closed in on Su Ming. One of them was a man and the other woman, and they were both Dao Paragons.
Once they flew out, the sky howled, and they rushed up from the ground like two shooting stars going against gravity to crash into space. They were so quick that the moment they approached, they had already brought forth their cultivation bases and divine abilities.
The Dao Paragon from One Dao Sect was an old man, and his expression was dark and sinister. When he attacked, the area around him glittered with what looked like stars, as if a sky had appeared out of nowhere around him. Every single one of the stars were refined by his divine ability.
The woman from Asura Clan appeared to only be twenty years old, but the cold glare in her eyes, and the feeling of age about her made it clear that she was an old monster as well. The moment she flew out, she swung her hand, and a string of bells appeared on her wrist. The sound of them echoed clearly in the air.
Immediately, countless phoenixes the color of rainbows surrounded her, as if they had been led out of the void. Then, with piercing shrieks, they charged towards Su Ming.
A freezing glare shone in Su Ming's eyes. Immediately, two of the four white dogs charged towards the woman from Asura Clan. The eyes of the other two shone with fierce glares, and they instantly closed in on the incoming old man from One Dao Sect. Booming sounds immediately shook the sky and earth, and those sounds turned into waves of impact that pushed out in every direction, as if there was a violent gust of wind howling in the area.
The pupils of the old man from One Dao Sect shrank, but he was not the first one to be shocked by the white dogs beside Su Ming. While he retreated swiftly, Su Ming appeared behind him with the Feng Shui compass beneath him.
When he lifted his right hand, he pushed his palm flat against the old man, who turned around swiftly. Killing intent shone in his eyes, and he brought his left hand up as well. Immediately, countless stars manifested in front of him and charged towards Su Ming.
Booming sounds rose once more at an astonishing volume. Blood trickled out of the corners of Su Ming's mouth, but he did not retreat. Instead, he moved forward. As for the old man from One Dao Sect, he had a hint of shock appear on his face. He knew clearly that he had lost about one-tenth of his cultivation base in that attack just then, but the cultivation base he lost did not scatter into the air. It had instead been absorbed by the third prince.
This event immediately caused him to become wary. When he saw that Su Ming had drawn close to him without caring about his own injuries, the old man's eyes shrank. He was just about to fall back, but the two white dogs had closed in on him from the sides.
Another astonishing bang shot up then, and ripples distorted the air. With shock in his eyes, the old man coughed up a mouthful of blood and tumbled back swiftly. Behind him was Su Ming, chasing after him with an aloof expression.
The old man's heart filled with shock once more. The exchange of blows just then had allowed him to notice that about two-tenths of his cultivation base had been sucked out. If he added what he lost earlier, he had already lost three-tenths of his cultivation base.
Because of that, shock and terror showed up on his face when he saw Su Ming draw close to him. At that moment, he no longer had the leisure to care about his status and immediately fell back.
Hence, to others, it looked as if the old man was terrified of Su Ming and was hastily retreating. It was immediately noticed by the woman from Asura Clan, and grave look appeared on her face. If something abnormal occurred, then there had to be something wrong. If a Dao Paragon was pursued by a cultivator in Dao Spirit Realm, there was definitely something wrong, because this matter was simply too inconceivable and beyond comprehension!
Su Ming cast a cold glance at the swiftly fleeing old man. When he shifted his gaze to direct his attention to the woman from Asura Clan, who had witnessed the entire affair, she instinctively took a few steps back. Even though she was a Dao Paragon, when Su Ming looked at her, she remembered the shocked expression on the face of the old man from One Dao Sec.
Su Ming did not continue chasing after the old man. When he looked away, he brought the four white dogs to his side and charged upwards. Right then, no one dared to stop him. A strange atmosphere immediately filled the battlefield, because all the cultivators had seen Su Ming chase down the Dao Paragon from One Dao Sect.
The woman from Asura Clan did not try to stop him from leaving. As for the old man from One Dao Sect, he had already retreated ten thousand feet away from where he had previously been. His face was pale and his expression sullen. However, he could only watch Su Ming leave into the distance. Only when he saw Su Ming leave the area did he let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
While the old man felt aggrieved, when he remembered Su Ming's terrifying divine ability, he immediately made his decision to never easily provoke the third prince if he ran into him in the future.
'This person… is too strange. Those three-tenths of power I lost did not just disappear, but were completely absorbed. I will need to spend at least one thousand years before I can replenish them.'
The old man felt slightly bitter in his heart, but that bitterness quickly turned into a thought that shocked him.
With the four white dogs in tow, Su Ming charged upwards in a long arc. When the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn had passed, he saw the huge platform belonging to the seventh echelon above him.
There were also tens of thousands of cultivators on that platform. They were fighting against each other and preventing all the people from the other party from rising into the sky, to where the eighth echelon was.
The instant Su Ming appeared, some cultivators immediately saw him. They threw multiple divine abilities at him, and the four white dogs surrounded him, creating a layer of white light that caught all the divine abilities. When booming sounds shot up, Su Ming leapt up with not a single hair on his person harmed. He did not immediately head to the eighth echelon above him, but instead, swept through the place, spilling blood all over the ground.
He only killed cultivators from One Dao Sect. As for Asura Clan, unless they took the initiative and attacked him, Su Ming did not even spare them a single glance. With the four white dogs surrounding him, he moved through the place with the ease of a hot knife slicing through butter. All the life force and cultivation base from the people he killed were absorbed by the Brand on his right hand.
The Space Whip howled and let out loud bangs around Su Ming. Every single time Su Ming cracked the whip, all the cultivators around him would fall into a daze as if they had lost their souls, which allowed Su Ming to charge through at a faster speed.
He continued doing so until a gaze that was as electrifying as lightning landed on his person from the crowd in the distance. Su Ming came to a swift halt upon feeling it and released his grip on One Dao Sect cultivator's neck. He did not pay any attention to the now mummified corpse collapsing to the ground, but turned his head around to look towards the spot where the gaze came from—the battlefield where tens of thousands of cultivators were fighting.
He saw a young man with a handsome face dressed in a huge yellow robe. While standing there, he was protected by other cultivators, but in his right hand, he held a helmet with two ferocious horns. His long hair fluttered in the wind when his gaze met Su Ming's on the battlefield.
"Brother!" The young man had a smile on his face. When he spoke faintly, his voice landed in the battlefield and traveled to Su Ming's ear.
Su Ming's expression remained the same. The second prince had yet to become a Dao Paragon, but he was already at the fifth level of Dao Spirit Realm. He was only a step away from becoming a Dao Paragon, but that one step was definitely not easy to take, which was why the Phala was incredibly important to him.
"It's been many years since we last met, my dear brother," the young man in the huge yellow robe said in a murmur, and the four old men by his side instantly cast their gazes on Su Ming.
Those four old men were all Dao Paragons!
"Our eldest brother is in the eighth echelon, based on the original plan, I was supposed to let you head to the eighth echelon, but since you and I met in this place… Once I saw you, I suddenly changed my mind. What say you… to a fight between us?"
A dark light shone in the young man's left eye, but his right eye was murky as if there was a vortex contained in it. When he looked at Su Ming, his words echoed in the battlefield, and immediately, the cultivators between the two of them were all pushed away by a force they could not fight against.
Immediately, a path was cleared between the two princes.
Chapter 1444: Battle Against the Second Prince
At the instant the path appeared, the four old men beside the second prince took a step forward, turned into four long arcs, and charged towards the four white dogs beside Su Ming.
The four white dogs possessed the presence belonging to Dao Paragons. When Su Ming slaughtered his way into the platform, he had long since been noticed by the four old men. When they drew close, the eyes of the four white dogs shone with a fierce glare. They too charged out.
Booming sounds surged into the sky. They were the loud, intense sounds created by the fight between the four white dogs and the four Dao Paragons.
At the same time, the second prince lifted his chin slightly. There was a slight hint of arrogance on his face, and he put the helmet in his hand to the side. With a swing of his arm, he turned into a long yellow arc that charged towards Su Ming.
Su Ming's expression was calm. He cast a cold glance at the incoming second prince. Since the start to the end, he never said a single word, but at that moment, when he lifted his right hand, the Space Whip immediately caused the world to change, as if countless stars had filled the space around him. Once all those stars connected with one another, they turned into the shadow of a whip whose one end was in the sky, and the other end was in Su Ming's right hand.
The Feng Shui compass manifested under Su Ming's feet as well. He took a step forward, and he was so fast that he instantly crashed into the second prince in the empty space formed after the tens of thousands of people scattered outwards.
The second prince formed a seal with his right hand and pointed forward. A dragon's roar immediately came from behind him, and it sounded incredibly astonishing. The air distorted, and a huge yellow dragon appeared with a roar that could make the world tremble. It phased through the second prince's body and appeared in front of him to swallow Su Ming.
Su Ming brought his right hand up and swung his arm. The world immediately rumbled. The Space Whip shone before it cracked down on the yellow dragon. The moment the yellow dragon roared, the shadow of the whip swept it up.
When Su Ming swung his arm, the yellow dragon that charged towards him was forced to change its direction. It went charging past him on the right, and from a distance, it looked like Su Ming had shot past the yellow dragon to lift his left hand and punch the second prince.
Booming sounds instantly shook the sky, and the second prince's robes fluttered. In the face of Su Ming's punch coming towards him, he brought his right hand up and responded with a punch of his own.
The two of them had hundreds of feet between them. Their punches both landed in the air, but both brought forth a loud bang that was deafening to the ears.
As the loud bang echoed in the air, an impact swept out in every direction. It landed on Su Ming, forcing him back hundreds of feet, and it also landed on the second prince, making him take a dozen steps backwards.
"As expected of my younger brother… you are worthy of me bringing out my true power!"
The second prince's eyes shone. When he moved back, he brought his right hand up and seized the air behind him. The helmet immediately flew to him. Once the second prince caught it, he put it over his head. At the instant he wore the helmet, a shrill and ferocious roar tumbled out of his mouth.
At the same time the roar appeared, the second prince's body grew. His robes were torn, and he was reduced to a bloody mess, but he grew to be one hundred feet tall. When he let out another shocking roar, banging sounds came from his body, and he grew from one hundred feet tall to three hundred feet tall. His robes had long since disappeared to reveal green skin, and a black set of armor had appeared on his huge body!
The armor was astonishing to behold. It covered most of his body, and when it was matched with the helmet, it caused all the people who saw the second prince to feel as if they were looking at an ancient evil deity.
Once the three hundred something feet tall second prince let out a roar, powerful waves spread out in the world. They landed like violent gusts on Su Ming, blowing against him and causing his robes and hair to dance. A dark light lit up in Su Ming's eyes.
At that moment, the second prince took a huge stride and charged towards Su Ming. When he drew closer, he lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the sky. A huge long spear appeared out of thin air. He held it in his hand and threw it at Su Ming.
A huge crack was torn open, and it looked like the long spear had been the one to do it. When it drew close to Su Ming, the third eye at the center of his brow opened. All four of his Dao Spirits opened their eyes, and Su Ming sucked in a deep breath. Once he lifted his right hand, a very ordinary looking axe appeared on his palm.
That axe was the one that Su Ming had used every single day to chop wood at the old man's place. When he left, the old man had gifted him the axe.
While standing in his spot, Su Ming lifted the axe. At that moment, there was only a dull look in his eyes, as if there was no life in them. Neither the second prince's reflection nor the long spear with the monstrous killing intent could be found in his eyes. There was… only a log of wood!
The moment the long spear drew close to Su Ming and caused his robes and hair to flutter while charging straight at his chest, Su Ming lifted his axe-wielding right hand and brought it down slowly. The downwards swing of his axe was alike the millions of times he had practiced. It was as if the long spear was just a log of wood before his eyes and he could cut it in half.
When the axe was brought down, the entire world seemed to have frozen. Even everyone's breathing and gazes seemed to have been made still. Only the axe's trajectory as it was brought down touched the long spear. The spear was cut in half right before Su Ming, and its two halves instantly rushed past his sides.
The next moment, the second prince appeared right in front of Su Ming. He lifted his right hand, and when he brought it down, he straightened his palm and tried to push his hand flat against Su Ming's head, but it collided against Su Ming's lifted right hand.
The entire world seemed to have returned to its previous mobile state then. As sounds of breathing could be heard in the air, all the people's gazes gathered on Su Ming and the second prince.
The two of them stood next to each other. One of them was tall, and the other short. One of them had his right hand pressing down, and the other had his right hand pushing up. Their palms had come into contact with each other.
When their gazes met, Su Ming appeared as calm as ever, and the second prince did not say a single word either.
After several breaths passed, a glint appeared in the second prince's eyes.
"Our fight seems to have benefitted our eldest brother. This is not good…"
As he spoke, the second prince lifted his hand and took three steps backwards. With each step he took, his body shrank. Once he took all three steps back, he was no longer three hundred something feet tall, but had returned to his previous size and was dressed in the yellow robe. He took off the helmet, then looked at Su Ming with a smile.
Su Ming did not speak. He only stared at the second prince before him while paying special attention to his right eye.
"Should I call you second prince… or Di Tian?" Su Ming asked faintly.
The moment he spoke, the vortex in the second prince's right eye was torn apart and revealed a vague figure. However, right when it appeared, it was enveloped in the vortex once more.
The second prince smiled faintly, but he did not say anything.
When Su Ming took a step towards the sky, the four white dogs fell back from the fight to turn into long arcs that went after their master. Right before the eyes of the tens of thousands of cultivators on the stone platform in the seventh echelon, they charged into the air above them.
When Su Ming disappeared, the second prince shuddered, and blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth. The smile on his face was no longer around, but instead, a dark look showed up in its place. He brought up his right hand slowly, revealing that a large portion of the skin there had withered away…
"As expected of my youngest brother, once most beloved by our Lord Father…" the second prince said softly. When he turned around, he walked into the distance. Once he sat down cross-legged, he closed his eyes and began meditating.
"But the battle of Arts between us has just started. We will meet again in the ninth echelon."
Su Ming charged forward, and with the four white dogs, he instantly reached the eighth echelon. The entire process only lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. When he saw the incredibly huge platform in the distant sky, Su Ming also saw… a large tree trunk at the center of it!
The trunk was about one million feet thick, causing all those who saw it at first glance to be shocked by the gigantic tree. The trunk was rather withered, and when anyone lifted their heads to look, they would not be able to see the end of the tree. It was as if everything they could possibly see in their field of vision was just the tree's trunk.
This was the Tree of Dao Verification, which was born in the eighth echelon, and whose trunk extended straight into the ninth echelon, located at the end of the sky.
Right then, Gu Tai sat under the tree, and right across from him was the meditating eldest prince. In another direction was an old woman. She was also sitting cross-legged.
There were tens of thousands of cultivators surrounding the area, and they were made up of the people from the three sects. At that moment, they were all seated and none of them moved.
Su Ming's arrival did not cause the cultivators to show any sort of changes. It was as if they did not see him. However, when Su Ming's gaze landed on the eldest prince, his pupils shrank slightly. He was not looking at the eldest prince, but the old man with the white hair levitating above him. The eldest prince's body was a mere illusion. Wisps of white smoke caused the top of his skull and the eldest prince's to be connected together.
As for the old woman, Su Ming found the second prince's presence on her. It came from a helmet that was exactly the same as the one used by the second prince.
The helmet was held in the old woman's hand. Together with Gu Tai and the eldest prince, they formed a tripartite balance of forces.
"Gu Tai, we cannot tell who will win in the fight for the entry to the third layer," an ancient voice said faintly from the illusory old man levitating above the eldest prince. "You are indeed the best here in terms of level of cultivation. Even if I am a Great Dao Paragon, I still cannot help being suppressed by this place.
"However… Fellow Daoist Ye Luo has the armor formed by the scalp of the Evil Deity, and it can neutralize the mighty pressure in this place. Because of it… it'll be impossible for Seven Moons Sect to be the first to step into the third layer."
When the old man's voice echoed in the air, the old woman opened her eyes and looked at Gu Tai.
Su Ming approached the area slowly and stopped behind Gu Tai. Then, he looked at the old man and old woman with a chilly gaze.
"Why don't we refrain from interfering with the matter of who will be the first to enter the third layer? How about we just let the three princes fight for the right on their own?" the old woman asked hoarsely.
Gu Tai then opened his eyes slowly to reveal a hint of fatigue.
Chapter 1445: Each With His Own Method
"There are ten thousand altars, and each of us has occupied three-tenths of them. The difference in number is just in the hundreds, and it's difficult for us to differentiate who will gain the upper hand in a short period of time…
"Say, why don't we change our method? Whoever… among the three princes first steps into the ninth echelon and lights up the thousand storey altar, he will naturally be the first to enter the third layer," the illusory old man from One Dao Sect who was levitating above the first prince and seemed to be connected to him said faintly.
The old woman narrowed her eyes slightly and replied in a languid manner. "It's not bad. This idea is plausible, or else we can only be stuck here until time is up, and then all the disciples from every sect and clan will step into the third layer at the same time."
Gu Tai pondered over it for a moment before he looked at Su Ming, who was by his side.
Su Ming's gaze landed on the huge ancient tree. After a long while, he nodded.
Gu Tai was silent for a moment before he sighed in his heart. However, with Seven Moons Sect's ability, they could already be considered to be successful for achieving their current result in their fight against One Dao Sect and Asura Clan. At the very least, the fight had reached a state where all sides appeared to be equal in power. As for who would be the first to enter the third layer in the end and successfully obtain the Phala was no longer something that was connected to the sects and the clan. The main deciding factor lay in the three princes.
Naturally, the three princes would not be the only ones who would enter the third layer. The other disciples from the sects and the clan would also follow them.
"Alright, then!" Gu Tai said resolutely.
At the instant he said those words, the old woman stood up and pushed the helmet in her right hand down against the ground. A large amount of green fog instantly appeared from the helmet, and its amount grew with each passing moment. In just a few breaths, a figure manifested in the fog, and once it gained corporeal form, the second prince appeared before their sights.
After coming, he took off his helmet. When he smiled at Su Ming, he lifted his head, then looked at the ancient tree stretching into the sky. There was an enchanted look on his face.
The first prince had also opened his eyes at that moment and stood up slowly. The illusory old man above the top of his skull swung his arm and cut off his connection with the eldest prince, then moved back.
"Then the sects and the clan will just serve as overseers to ensure that this battle of Dao Verification is fair. No outsider is allowed to help, such as the four white dogs. He isn't allowed to bring them in," the old man said faintly.
Gu Tai's expression was calm. He did not say anything.
"I agree to this." The old woman from Asura Clan nodded when she heard it.
"Then let's do that!"
At the instant the old man from One Dao Sect spoke firmly, the first prince's eyes sparkled. He instantly leapt up and stepped on the ancient tree before turning into a long arc.
When he left into the distance, three balls of fog instantly spread out. They immediately turned into three old figures who activated their power of Dao Paragons. They pushed the first prince forward, and in a flash, he traveled nearly three-tenths of the tree's length.
The second prince by the side smiled coldly. He moved and also stepped on the ancient tree. Like fog, he surrounded the tree and instantly charged upwards. At the same time, a thick wave of power of Qi enveloped his body, and it grew instantly. Countless runic symbols shone on him, and each time they did, they increased the second prince's speed exponentially. He swiftly left into the distance, and his speed was on par with that of the first prince.
Gu Tai's expression was incredibly sullen, and he spoke with a cold smile. "You have Dao Spirits protecting the eldest prince, and then you have Asura being added to the second prince's body to strengthen him. This is what you call fair?"
"At the very least, this is not receiving any outsider's help. Dao Spirit Protection is One Dao Sect's Secret Art. You can't limit him from casting Arts, right?" The old man from One Dao Sect smiled faintly.
"Having Asura strengthen his body is just a form of utilizing talismans. It can also be seen as an Enchanted Treasure, so it's also not considered as receiving outside help."
When the old woman said those words, Gu Tai's expression turned even darker. He lifted his right hand and patted his storage bag. A ball of black fog immediately appeared on his hand. Just as he was about to speak, Su Ming shook his head. He flung his right arm, and the Feng Shui compass manifested under his feet to instantly bring him into the distance.
The Feng Shui compass might move quickly, but he would not be able to overtake the first prince and second prince while they were using their divine abilities. It made the old man from One Dao Sect and the old woman from Asura Clan narrow their eyes for a moment before their expressions returned to normal.
They could tell that with Su Ming's speed, he might be able to gain an advantage if it was a contest that lasted for a long period of time, but the distance right then could not be considered to be long. The difficulty in overtaking the other two was too great for Su Ming.
Gu Tai's expression was incredibly dark. Just as he was about to speak, Su Ming's eyes sparkled while he was charging up the ancient tree. He struck his storage bag with his right hand, and a log of wood the size of his palm appeared on his hand. It was the huge Sacred Wood he had obtained in Harmonious Morus Alba.
With the wooden log in hand, Su Ming pushed down on it with his other hand, then spoke flatly.
"Bigger!"
When that word appeared, the log of wood instantly grew to become one hundred feet long. One end shot to the ground beneath Su Ming and landed right next to Gu Tai and the other two with a bang. The power of the Sacred Wood caused the platform at the eighth echelon to shudder, making the old man and old woman's expression to change swiftly.
They immediately noticed that the other end of the Sacred Wood was swiftly lengthening, pushing Su Ming upwards while he stood on it. With an indescribable speed, he charged upwards. This scene left the people in the area momentarily taken aback.
Gu Tai's eyes shone with surprised delight. As for the others, especially the old woman, their expressions changed. They wanted to stop Su Ming, but Gu Tai did not let them.
"Fellow Daoists, you're right. No outsiders are allowed to help them. Dao Spirit Protection, having Asura strengthen one's body, or using other forms of Enchanted Treasures is all allowed," Gu Tai said while laughing.
At the same time, the disciples from the sects and the clan who were chosen to step into the third layer turned into long arcs that approached the area and charged up the tree.
Su Ming stood on the rapidly ascending Sacred Wood whose actual size was more than one million feet in length. At that moment, it grew in a seemingly infinite manner to push him upwards, and in just the span of around a dozen breaths, he caught up to the second prince.
The second prince's body was huge, and there were runic symbols shining on it. At that moment, as he continued going up quickly, he saw Su Ming standing on the rapidly ascending Sacred Wood. This scene caused his eyes to shrink.
The Sacred Wood's growth instantly pushed Su Ming's body so high up that he overtook the second prince and got close to the first prince, who was above him. At the instant their expressions changed, the Sacred Wood under Su Ming's feet disappeared.
When he put it away, he used the propelling force provided previously by the Sacred Wood to turn into a long arc which left swiftly into the distance. When the Feng Shui compass manifested under his feet, his speed increased exponentially again. He overtook the first prince and became the person leading the race on the ancient tree that reached the heavens.
Chapter 1446: Ninth Echelon
With his own method, Su Ming swiftly overtook both princes. The moment he was above them and lifted his head, he saw the ninth echelon!
That place could indeed be known as the sky. It was a huge stone platform of a grand total of one million lis. In fact, it was no longer quite appropriate to call it a stone platform. It should be known as a continent, and when those under it lifted their heads to look above, they would naturally treat the continent as the sky!
It was a piece of land serving as the sky!
The ancient tree went right through the center of that land serving as the sky, and then extended right above the continent. Su Ming could not see that place, but he could imagine the size of the ancient tree and its indescribable power. He could… even indirectly sense the tree's former glory!
It was once a huge tree of the world that reached the sky. It stood above the nine heavens and nourished the world. A butterfly was born on each of the nine branches of that tree, and nine other continents were derived from them to form the complete outline of that world. It was what allowed cultivators of Boundless Dao Realm to appear in that world!
If Emperor Xuan Zang had not entered that world, then perhaps… that world would still be as majestic as before!
Su Ming stared at the land serving as the sky as well as the ancient tree that caused his heart to tremble. At that moment, he remembered the Sacred Wood he had brought out. While the Sacred Wood was found in Harmonious Morus Alba, at its earliest days, it had floated in the endless universe beyond. Su Ming had once thought about its origins, but had never obtained an answer.
It was only at that moment that he suddenly had a very strong feeling… that perhaps, when the world crumbled in the past, some tiny branches had fallen off the tree and scattered into the universe. One of them had then become the Sacred Wood.
It was only Su Ming's guess, and he did not have concrete proof.
At that moment, he sucked in a deep breath. The Feng Shui compass under his feet shone, and he became even faster. With his advantage of being in the lead, what Su Ming needed to do at that moment was to gain a solid grip of that advantage and then continue expanding it.
The first prince was about tens of thousands of feet behind him, and his expression was incredibly dark. The Dao Spirits of the three old men behind him swiftly rotated, and then, the first prince opened his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, and at the instant he did so, the entire world moved with a bang, as if the first prince had turned into a huge black hole right then and there. In an instant, he absorbed all the aura in the world, causing the air to distort and ripples to spread out. He then let out a deep roar.
When his roar shook the sky and earth, the first prince's speed instantly increased exponentially. He moved in a flash and appeared less than one thousand feet behind Su Ming. Right when he appeared, blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth, but judging by the brilliant spark in his eyes, he could execute this sort of shift one more time.
It had to be known that the place around them was a void. It was the area around the ancient tree, and there was a huge repelling force. It could disrupt the power of cultivation bases and lock down the world. All divine abilities would become much weaker there, and it was even more so for shifts, which was a power that allowed people to transport themselves across distances. In that place, Arts like that were completely suppressed.
Which was why even though the first prince had used Dao Spirit Protection and borrowed its power to shift, the task had still been a little difficult for him, and it was especially so since they were getting closer to the ninth echelon. The repelling force only grew stronger near it.
Almost at the same time the first prince shifted, the second prince's eyes shone in a chilling manner, and a dark, sinister smile suddenly appeared on his lips. He did not cast any Arts in an attempt to seize the position of being the first to step into the ninth echelon. Instead, he just maintained his own speed and watched the events that transpired above him.
'Big brother is headstrong and self-opinionated, having him deal with my younger brother is the best way for me to gain all benefits for myself while they fight against each other!'
The second prince was a sinister man. At that moment, while he smiled coldly, he had already gone through quite a number of diabolical ideas in his head.
The first prince was about to catch up, but Su Ming's expression was calm. While he was already close to the ninth echelon, he would not be able to get there within a short period of time. No matter what, he would need the time for half an incense stick to burn to get there.
His speed did not change, but a hint of ferociousness had appeared on his face, as if he wanted to do everything he could to maintain his advantage, but he also seemed to have already reached his limit and unable to speed up any longer. At that moment, the first prince was about one thousand feet behind him.
He then roared again, and the aura in the area swiftly surged into him. He shifted again, and this time, he overtook Su Ming and appeared thousands of feet in front of him. The first prince coughed up blood, but when he lowered his head, a ferocious and smug smirk appeared on his lips.
Su Ming's expression was dark, but he could no longer speed up, and instead, he became slower. In just about ten breaths, the distance between him and the first prince had already widened to about ten thousand feet. On the other hand, the distance between him and the second prince below him had closed up to less than one thousand feet.
The second prince narrowed his eyes slightly. That was something he did not expect. At that moment, while he was busy wracking his mind to concoct a different plan, his expression suddenly changed, because Su Ming was no longer chasing after the first prince desperately. He started becoming slower with each passing moment and seemed to want to stop the second prince from progressing.
'Damn it, I overlooked his power. With his current level of cultivation, even if he borrowed external power to help him, it's impossible for him to maintain that speed for long. He knows that he won't be able to catch up to our eldest brother and intends to interfere with my movements. His goal is very clear. Even if he can't be the first to step into the ninth echelon, he will hold me back and make sure that he will step into the ninth echelon with me.
'Once he holds me back and stops me from progressing, he will also gain an upper hand. It'll still be better for him than to be last!'
At the instant that thought appeared in the second prince's head, Su Ming closed in on him. He lifted his right hand and formed a seal, and the light from his divine ability immediately surged into the sky. Booming sounds echoed in the air, and he engaged in a fight against the second prince.
"DAMN IT!!"
The second prince's expression became even darker. He originally wanted to watch Su Ming and the first prince get entangled in a fight so that he could be the one who would benefit from the situation, but right then, his actions had helped the first prince, and this caused a tidal wave to immediately go on a rampage in his heart.
While fighting against Su Ming, he could no longer think about any other plans. When he saw that the first prince was getting closer to the ninth echelon, the second prince swiftly lifted his right hand and struck his chest. A loud bang shot up, and at the instant he drew close to Su Ming, his body broke down on its own.
When Su Ming phased through it, he turned his head around only to see the second prince's body turn into a large amount of fog that contorted into a humanoid beast with a pair of horns on its head. With a burst of speed that far surpassed his previous speed, he instantly charged upwards.
In the blink of an eye, he widened the distance between him and Su Ming and charged towards the first prince. In his eyes, due to his level of cultivation, it was already decided that Su Ming would be the last. Right then, what he needed to do was to fight for the advantage of being the first to enter the ninth echelon against the first prince.
At that moment, the second prince no longer held anything back. He instantly closed the distance between him and the second prince, and when he drew closer, killing intent shone in the eldest prince's eyes. He had been paying attention to the fight between the second prince and Su Ming, and he also saw how Su Ming's speed had been slowing down, so he could tell that Su Ming had used his full strength earlier.
"Second, do you truly insist on fighting against me in this place?" the first prince immediately said, and his voice thundered in every direction.
"This is…"
Just when the second prince was about to speak, the first prince's eyes shone, and he no longer charged forward. Instead, he turned around and lifted his right hand to throw a punch at the second prince. Immediately, the three guardian spirits around him charged to attack.
A smile appeared at the corners of the second prince's lips. He was not at all surprised by the turn of events. When the first prince's divine ability closed in on him, he lifted his hands and pushed his palms flat at the air in front of him.
A huge shadow, which was about one thousand feet tall, appeared around him. It was a huge humanoid beast with a pair of horns and used its body to crash against the first prince's divine ability.
Booming sounds echoed in the world, which caused the ancient tree to tremble. The first prince and the second prince continuously clashed with their divine abilities while they still maintained their speed of going upwards.
Su Ming was about ten thousand feet beneath the two of them. He watched the scene coldly with a hint of a cold sneer at the corners of his lips. He had indeed used all his power to activate the Feng Shui compass beneath him; however… he had yet to activate his four wills. The power of those wills surpassed divine sense, and they were Su Ming's final trump card.
While he maintained the distance of ten thousand feet away from the others, Su Ming kept his attention on his distance to the ninth echelon. Later, to make sure that the first and second princes were no longer wary of him, he made sure that he gradually slowed down, and by then, he was already twenty thousand feet away from them.
The first and second princes' fight reached its most crucial point. The two of them fought against each other and brought forth their full power, trying to outdo the other and become the first to step into the ninth echelon.
They were three hundred thousand feet away from the ninth echelon… then two hundred thousand feet… and then, one hundred thousand feet… Booming sounds rang out in the area.
When they were fifty thousand feet away from the ninth echelon, intense rumbles resounded through the air. The guardian spirits around the first prince shrank swiftly, and when he sucked in a breath, he swallowed everything around him. A large number of runic symbols were reflected off his pupils. He shifted and launched his final charge.
The second prince let out a cold harrumph. All the fog on him instantly expanded with a bang. As he continued moving forward, his body also instantly grew bigger. With these two methods, his speed became on par with that of the first prince. While the first prince shifted and the second prince's charged forward, they were forced to attack each other to interfere with the other's movements once more.
Right then, when they were merely tens of thousands of feet away from the ninth echelon, Su Ming had his four wills erupt from his body with a bang. They fused into the Feng Shui compass beneath his feet. His hair moved without wind, and when his robes fluttered swiftly, Su Ming looked to have turned into a shooting star that instantly charged forward.
He was so fast that his speed was difficult to describe with words. The four great wills surrounded him, and his power grew by a lot. Right then, he was fifty thousand feet from the top, thirty thousand, ten thousand…
Like a sharp arrow fired from below, he tore through space!
In an instant, a loud howl that shook the sky stunned the two fighting opponents. The first prince and second prince were only thousands of feet away from the ninth echelon right then. When the two of them lowered their heads, their expressions changed.
With a loud bang, Su Ming moved past them on the side, and in the next breath… he reached the ninth echelon while moving along the ancient tree. Then… he appeared right in the ninth echelon!
Chapter 1447: Ancient Zang's Dao Sect
The ninth echelon was located at the peak of the second layer. If anyone lifted their heads and looked, they would find that there was no sky above them, only a boundless space. That space resembled the universe, causing Su Ming to feel a little dazed at the moment he looked over.
The ancient tree that penetrated the ninth echelon stretched straight into the vast space above. Its very top could not be seen, only a huge trunk that seemed to have lifted up space and kept the ground in place!
The tree was so huge that it was difficult to describe it with words. In the ninth echelon and beneath the tree was an altar. There were one thousand steps leading to it.
The altar was gigantic, but due to it being located under the ancient tree, it looked insignificantly small, giving others a feeling that it was a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
At the instant Su Ming saw the altar, he did not stop. He charged straight to it. At the instant he landed on the altar, the first and second princes appeared behind him. Their expressions were very sour, and it was especially so for the second prince. There was even great killing intent on his face.
He believed that everything should belong to him and not his younger brother. He believed that he should be the one who benefits from other parties fighting against each other and not one of the two parties fighting!
"You're asking for death!" the second prince snarled and instantly charged towards Su Ming.
The first prince also had monstrous killing intent burning in his eyes, but compared to Su Ming, he hated his second brother even more, because in his eyes, if the second prince had not fought against him, he would have long since succeeded in being the first to arrive.
Right then, he might also be rushing forward, but most of his killing intent was directed at the second prince.
When both of them turned into long arcs and used their fastest speed to charge at the altar where Su Ming stood, Su Ming lifted his right hand with his feet planted firmly on the altar and pushed the jade slip in his hand against the petrified ancient tree!
The petrified tree could not hope to compare with the ancient tree that reached the sky, but it was also thousands of feet tall. Right then, its petrified status completely disappeared, causing the tree to instantly return to normal. When the first and second princes drew closer and stepped on the altar, a huge pillar of light shot up with a bang from the altar and charged towards the sky. In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the sky as if it wanted to compete against the ancient tree in a contest of height!
Right when the pillar of light appeared, a loud rumble containing a power that no cultivator could hope to fight against erupted, and it formed an invisible barrier in front of the first and second princes. It bounced them back, and they coughed up blood. When they were forced back, they glared at Su Ming, who had turned his head back and was watching them with a cold glare, with ferocious expressions.
Su Ming was in a pillar of light. When it rose into the air, a presence that was equivalent to the thousand-step altar being activated for the first time instantly surrounded Su Ming and fused into his body, causing his power to continuously rise at that moment. His fifth Dao Spirit… swiftly appeared in his third eye at the center of his brow.
It might have been just a shadow, but when it was fully manifested, Su Ming's power would reach the fifth level of Dao Spirit Realm. However, while the power from the thousand-step altar was great, it was not enough for Su Ming to immediately form his fifth overlapping Dao Spirit. It could only be in the state of a shadow.
When the altar was activated, Gu Tai's laughter rose into the air of the eighth echelon. His voice was loud and clear. He might not have been able to see what was happening in the ninth echelon, but right then, the ripples in the second layer served as no interference to the cultivators of Seven Moons Sect. All the people in that echelon were not newcomers, and they could naturally tell just who… had activated the altar in the ninth echelon!
"One Dao Sect, Asura Clan, thank you for letting us win!"
When Gu Tai's laughter echoed in the air and the faces of the old man from One Dao Sect as well as the woman from Asura Clan became sour, the pillar of light from the ninth echelon shot into the vast space above it. Gradually, a huge vortex appeared. It surrounded the towering ancient tree and swiftly rotated.
It revealed parts of the ancient tree that were previously hidden, allowing all those who lifted their heads to see the parts of the ancient tree that were now uncovered were filled with marks that were terrifying to behold. Its branches were full of cracks.
The feeling the ancient tree gave off made was of it being covered in wounds, but there was an incredibly dense life force within it. It was so great that it was difficult to describe with words. That life force moved along the rotations of the vortex, then spread out with a bang. It then formed a mighty pressure that descended onto the second layer, but even all the cultivators in the first layer could sense that mighty pressure.
At the same time, a powerful suction force came from the vortex that surrounded the ancient tree. That suction force focused only on the altar where Su Ming was, making him slowly rise into the air while standing in the pillar of light.
The first and second princes watched all of it with their eyes burning with ferocious rage. Su Ming's eyes were also on them until he turned into a long arc that charged into the space above through the vortex.
That was where the third layer was!
The instant Su Ming disappeared into the vortex, the dozen something disciples from Seven Moons Sect who were chosen to enter the third layer and were swiftly scaling the trunk between the eighth and ninth echelons were surrounded by the suction force, then immediately yanked into the ninth echelon before they turned into long arcs that charged into the vortex in the sky.
When all the disciples from Seven Moons Sect vanished, the first and second princes charged to the pillar of light at the same time. This time, they were not bounced back by the light. Instead, once they waited for a few dozens of breaths, they were also sucked into the vortex in the sky. They were followed by… the disciples who were chosen to enter the third layer by their sect and clan!
"The victor has yet to be decided."
There was a huge meadow within a dark world in Asura Clan, and nine huge statues stood around it. Those statues were all ferocious and malicious ghosts. They had a pair of horns on their heads and were entirely green. They were the exact same as the second prince after his body had grown bigger.
There were cultivators sitting at the top of the nine statues' heads. They were nine old men with ancient faces. The person who had spoken was one of them.
At the center of the nine statues was a sludge with bubbles coming out of it. As the bubbles burst, wisps of red smoke rose up. A person could also be seen sitting cross-legged in the sludge.
Their gender could not be told, and since they were buried in the sludge, it was also impossible to tell their age, level of cultivation, and face. Also… that person was headless!
"We of Asura Clan will definitely win this battle over the Phala. With this puppet helping us, the second prince will surely succeed. Even if he isn't the first to step into the third layer, he will still have a great advantage over the others," another person from among the nine said flatly.
"That's right, this headless corpse was brought back by Progenitor Xiu Luo when he ventured out during one of his many journeys. There is astonishing power contained in its body, and based on the Progenitor's estimations, it has the power equivalent to three worlds, which means that this person has the presence of three worlds on him!
"He has also been refined by Progenitor Xiu Luo to this date. Also, thanks to Great Dao Paragon Yin Yue's sacrifice of sending a portion of her soul into that body so all of its aspects would improve. It has gained power equivalent to a Great Dao Paragon and can stand over all Dao Paragons, so he can be considered to be the third Great Dao Paragon of Asura Clan, right behind Seniors Qing Han and Yin Yue, even though it's just a puppet!"
"Enough, we need to bring forth our power to guide the second prince. With Great Dao Paragons Yin Yue and Qing Han helping us, we have to be ready to be Relocated into the third layer!"
Once the nine people finished speaking, they closed their eyes. Immediately, the nine statues shone with a dark light. They fused into the sludge, causing a large number of runic symbols to appear in the sludge. Even the rising red smoke had runic symbols contained in it.
At the same time, nearly identical voices echoed faintly in One Dao Sect.
"The battle of Dao Verification, especially during the times when the competition between the successors is nigh, will no longer be dependent on an individual cultivator's power, but the power of an entire sect."
The sky and earth had been separated from each other in One Dao Sect, as if someone had intentionally made sure the sky was isolated from the earth. There were three huge statues standing in three directions, surrounding the world belonging to One Dao Sect. The second statue had countless cracks that should have caused the statue to shatter to pieces. Right then, there was light shining on it.
"Great Dao Paragons cannot step into the third layer. This is a part of its laws. These laws were personally set by the Emperor of Ancient Zang himself. Even though we don't know why he did so, he surely had his own reasons for it…
"But the Emperor of Ancient Zang has died many years ago. The existence of his laws have become a kismet that gathers on the royal family, causing the laws to exist eternally… but it is precisely because of this that some loopholes have appeared.
"These loopholes can be utilized, and Great Dao Paragons can descend in the third layer for a short period of time. This is also why… we of One Dao Sect will win hands down in this battle of Dao Verification!
"One Dao Sect… has always practiced and obeyed the Art of Kismet that is the exact copy as the one practiced by the royal family, since the creator of One Dao Sect was… the Emperor of Ancient Zang!"
There was supreme majesty in the speaker's voice. When it echoed in the air, it caused the world to tremble. Countless cracks appeared in the sky, and when lightning crackled in them, they illuminated the world. When it was lit up, the faces of the three statues that had been standing in that world for an innumerable number of years were also revealed!
They were three faces of supreme majesty, and they were all the same. They were of one person, and that person… was the Emperor of Ancient Zang!
"Fellow Daoist Sen Mu, fellow Daoist Lin Dong Dong, I cannot leave One Dao Sect, and Progenitor Chi Yang is in isolated training. We cannot bother them. Right now, we only have the two of you left… who will go?"
"It's naturally me, Lin!"
A voice that seemed to have come from the world beyond echoed faintly in One Dao Sect.
Chapter 1448: Third Layer of Dao Verification
The Tree of Dao Verification was in the third layer, which was from the world spoken in the legends of Ancient Zang. It was in the tunnel, right where the final barrier was before they could enter the world to where it had belonged before…
At the instant Su Ming stepped into the third layer, he saw wasteland. It looked as if someone had used powerful divine abilities to destroy it. There were ruins everywhere and thick waves of death.
The area was not big, and its borders could be seen. If anyone cast their gaze around, they would find that the ancient Tree of Dao Verification that had penetrated the land through its center stood tall on the ground. There were scarcely any leaves on the tree crown, but the complicated mess of branches covered the sky. Anyone who lifted their heads could not see the sky, just endless branches.
The tree had a sense of age, which made Su Ming's heart tremble violently the moment he saw it. Those tremors came very suddenly. Su Ming even had a feeling that something that had always been in his soul was waking up at that moment.
Because he sensed… a hint of Ecang's presence in the tree! Or rather, the past Ecang had a hint of that tree's presence!
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath while one thought took over his mind. When the Emperor of Ancient Zang brought the tree back from that world, quite a large portion of it had crumbled. Some of its branches turned into the Sacred Wood, and some branches… had given birth to lives, though the reasons behind it were unknown.
Su Ming stared at the tree and sensed the ancient air surrounding it. At the same time, he also sensed the dreary and dismal air. Perhaps others would not be able to sense the latter, but perhaps because of Ecang… Su Ming could sense it clearly.
The Feng Shui compass appeared under Su Ming's feet. He turned into a long arc that charged to the tree. When he had sensed the dreary presence from the tree, he also saw a big fruit and a small fruit growing at the very top of the tree crown that had replaced the sky. The big fruit shone with a dark light, and it was the size of a baby's head.
The small fruit was the size of half a fist. At that moment, it was shining with a gentle, orange-yellow light. A thick, sweet fragrance spread out from it and filled the world.
Su Ming was the first cultivator to step into the third layer in the battle of Dao Verification. Even though he only had the advantage of dozens of breaths, if no external power interfered with him, then with that advantage in hand, he would already be halfway to victory.
As he charged forth in a long arc, in just a few breaths, he had already drawn close to the ancient Tree of Dao Verification. His eyes shone when he noticed that there was a powerful, mighty pressure in the third layer. It would only dwindle slightly when he touched the ancient tree.
Which meant… that he could not fly to the Phala. Such an act would be a sign of disrespect, and it was not allowed by the Tree of Dao Verification. If Su Ming wanted to obtain the Phala, there was only one way for him to do so—he could only climb up the tree!
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He leapt up from the ground and stepped on the Tree of Dao Verification. Without a hint of hesitation, he rushed up, and the closer he got to the tree crown, the stronger the sweet fragrance became. As Su Ming breathed it in, he could sense that his cultivation base growing so much that it felt as if it was about to boil.
The feeling of his cultivation base boiling caused Su Ming to notice that even his Dao Spirits had begun showing signs of receiving nourishment. The fragrance around him was the exact same as the one he absorbed in the first and second layers, and it was even thicker than before.
But the higher he climbed, the stronger the mighty pressure became. If it was not because of the fragrance providing him nourishment, Su Ming would have definitely been four- or five-tenths slower than what he was showing right then.
While Su Ming charged up the tree, several figures appeared on the ground. They were all Seven Moons Sect disciples. When they appeared, they lifted their heads and looked at Su Ming climbing the tree. Determination immediately appeared on their faces, and they rushed towards the tree. Once they sat down and began meditating under the tree, resolve lit up in their eyes.
Their goal for going there was to help Su Ming gain as great of an upper hand as possible over the others. This was the task given to them by the sect, and it was something they had to accomplish. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves, they had to make sure that they accomplished their task!
To succeed, the sect had given them a large amount of benefits. Even though it would be difficult for them to make use of them themselves, their descendants and their families could receive better treatment from the sect in the future.
Those people gritted their teeth and closed their eyes at the same time. Patches of purplish red instantly appeared on their bodies…
The advantage of dozens of breaths passed in the blink of an eye. By then, Su Ming was already forty thousand something feet up the Tree of Dao Verification. Even though he was still far away from the tree crown, he had gained a huge upper hand over the others by arriving where he was right then.
At that moment, several long arcs charged up the third layer. The two people in the lead were the first and second princes. Once they arrived in the third layer, the first thing they saw was Su Ming. Killing intent shone in their eyes, and the two of them turned into long arcs that charged to the Tree of Dao Verification.
But right when they closed in on it, the six Seven Moons Sect disciples sitting under the tree opened their eyes, and their bodies exploded with a bang.
Their levels of cultivation were not high, but they had prepared for it for a long time, which was why when they exploded, an astonishing presence burst forth from their bodies. That presence spread out with a bang and formed a pillar of light that surrounded the Tree of Dao Verification. It surged into the sky and even surpassed the spot where Su Ming was. In an instant, it covered a height that was nearly one hundred thousand feet.
The Tree of Dao Verification within those one hundred thousand feet was surrounded by the pillar of light, preventing anyone outside the light from touching the trunk. If the other princes wanted to obtain the Phala, they could only do so by flying up while withstanding the tree's mighty pressure. They would have to go up one hundred thousand feet before they could touch the trunk and reduce the oppressive force from the mighty pressure.
The six Seven Moons Sect cultivators would normally be unable to create such a problem. In truth, the ones who provided the power for the pillar of light that was one hundred thousand feet in height were ten Dao Paragons from among the great sect elders of Seven Moons Sect. Without affecting their own cultivation bases, they had prepared for the instant release of power and subsequent explosive force for many years.
It could not last for long, however. The pillar of light would only stay for about thirty breaths, but those thirty breaths would help Su Ming gain an even greater advantage.
The moment the pillar of light appeared, the first and second princes drew close. Once they touched the pillar of light, booming sounds echoed in the air, and the two princes were swiftly bounced back.
"That accursed Seven Moons Sect!"
Powerful killing intent appeared in the second prince's eyes. He immediately turned into a long arc that charged to the sky, clearly intending to face the mighty pressure head on and cover the one hundred thousand feet, but when he had only flown twenty thousand feet, his expression changed. The mighty pressure from the sky made him feel as if he had lost most of his cultivation base. He lifted his head swiftly and cast a glance at the one hundred thousand feet pillar of light. Based on his calculations, he could at best fly up thirty thousand feet.
The distance of one hundred thousand feet was a ravine that was difficult for anyone to cross. They could only wait for the pillar of light to disappear on its own. Both the first prince and second prince knew clearly that it was impossible for the pillar of light to last for long. At most, it could only last for a dozen something breaths.
However… they had already lost dozens of breaths, and if they had to lose another dozen something breaths right then, their chances of obtaining the Phala in the third layer would be slim to none.
Su Ming had already scaled the height of nearly fifty thousand feet, and he was still climbing up. This scene immediately caused resolve to appear in the eyes of the first prince. He originally did not want to use his trump card so quickly. After all, even Great Dao Paragons could not stay for long in the third layer. It was a method he intended to use at the most critical moment.
But right then… the development of matters had already forced him to use it!
The first prince lifted his right hand. When his eyes sparkled, he struck the center of his brow swiftly and sat down cross-legged. He then formed a seal with his left hand and pointed at his Dantian Region.
Loud booming sounds immediately came from his body. As they echoed in the air, his expression contorted, as if he was enduring intense pain. At the same time, his cultivation base erupted with a bang, and it surpassed the power of those belonging to Dao Paragons. It was even greater than that of a Dao Paragon. It stirred up the power of the world around him and instantly caused the weather to change.
A loud bang shot up, and the first prince immediately closed his eyes. At that moment, his cultivation base increased again… and it reached a breakthrough. Then, from a Dao Paragon, he became a Great Dao Paragon!
At the instant he became a Great Dao Paragon, the first prince opened his eyes slowly. There was an ancient look in the sparkle in his eyes… as if he was no longer the first prince at that moment, but someone else.
There was a chilling air in that ancient look in his eyes. He… was indeed no longer the first prince, but the Great Dao Paragon of One Dao Sect, Lin Dong Dong!
Lin Dong Dong had used the method for his consciousness to descend on the first prince by using the blood as a guide. With One Dao Sect's Art of Kismet as well as the changes of the laws in the third layer, which was practically of the same origin as Ancient Zang and One Dao Sect, Lin Dong Dong could temporarily occupy the first prince as if he had Possessed him.
When he got up, Lin Dong Dong had a cold sneer on his lips. He moved… and did not even bother breaking that pillar of light. Instead, he walked up the air.
Breaking the pillar of light would also benefit other people, so he would naturally not do something like that. When he charged forward, he withstood the mighty pressure from the sky and instantly went up fifty thousand feet. When he continued charging forward, Su Ming cast him a look from the pillar of light and also rushed up.
The two of them were separated by the pillar of light. One of them was inside, and the other outside. Their speed also reached a sort of balance. After all, Lin Dong Dong was outside, so the mighty pressure weakened him, while Su Ming had the fragrance providing him nourishment. The mighty pressure was also much weaker on him, which was why as the two of them rose continuously, the balance between them was never broken.
The second prince's eyes shone with a brilliant light while he was on the ground beneath them. When he lifted his right hand, nine jade slips immediately appeared on his hand, and he pushed them against the ground.
The nine jade slips spread out and formed a Rune that was about ten feet big. When they shone rapidly, their light grew to a piercing degree and enveloped the entire Rune. Then, the second prince's voice echoed in the air with an anxious tone to it.
"Sect of mine, help me!"
Chapter 1449: Precise Calculations
Almost the moment the second prince spoke, the nine jade slips crumbled to pieces at the same time. At the instant they turned into powder… an ancient presence spread out from the Rune.
Once it appeared, a headless figure manifested from the jade powder in the third layer!
"Break that pillar of light!" the second prince cried out without hesitation.
He was already very far behind. If he still had to spend time wondering whether he should break the pillar of light, then even if he rose to the air right then, he would never be able to catch up to Su Ming and the first prince.
However, once he broke the pillar, he would end up benefiting the first prince. Yet even so, to the second prince, this was the only way, and the destruction of the pillar would definitely start from the bottom before reaching the top. With that being the case, he might still be able to buy himself some time in his disadvantageous situation.
At the instant he spoke, the headless figure in black swiftly moved to the pillar. When it lifted its right hand, the shadow of a huge battle axe appeared in its hand, and it swiftly brought it down on the pillar of light!
With it, the world roared. The pillar of light shuddered, unable to withstand the force. It shattered, and blood trickled down the corners of the ten great sect elders' of Seven Moons Sect mouths. Their eyes also flew open.
When the pillar of light in the third layer began shattering, it did so from the bottom. The second prince took a swift step forward and let out a piercing cry from his lips.
"Bring me up!"
When he said those words and approached the ancient tree, the headless figure had already closed in on him. It grabbed the second prince and took a step forward onto the Tree of Dao Verification. As the pillar of light around them shattered, it brought the second prince up. In the blink of an eye, they traveled ten thousand feet.
At that moment, Su Ming was already ninety thousand feet up the ancient tree. When he lowered his head to look down, he saw the headless figure, and his heart shuddered. The first glance… at that figure caused the image of his eldest senior brother to appear in his head!
But as of right then, he did not have time to think about it. The pillar of light was shattering. The first prince had clearly been replaced by someone else while beyond the pillar, and the headless figure who showed power equivalent to a Great Dao Paragon had also appeared below him. At that moment, they were rapidly reducing the advantage Su Ming had won earlier.
In the blink of an eye, the destruction of the pillar of light reached Su Ming, and soon, the first prince charged to the trunk of the ancient tree. Judging by his posture, it was clear that he wanted to attack Su Ming when he drew close to the ancient tree.
The headless figure underneath had already closed most of the distance. The second prince was less than twenty thousand feet away from Su Ming.
It was no surprise that the two princes were so fast. Both of them had Great Dao Paragons helping them, which left Su Ming at a disadvantage when compared to them.
If it was anyone else, they would only have two choices right then. One of them would be to reduce their own speed and give up on their upper hand, which would allow them to avoid being killed. After all, be it the first prince or the second prince, their main focus was still the Phala.
The other choice was to head up regardless of the cost and fight for being able to lead the race, maintaining the advantage that might have already become insignificant. But Su Ming… did not choose either of those two options. Instead, he turned around swiftly and looked at the first prince, who was standing beyond the crumbling pillar of light with a cold, arrogant look mixed with a hint of derision.
A myriad of thoughts raced in Su Ming's head. During that instant, he did something that the second prince below him did not expect, and one that even Lin Dong Dong did not imagine he would do…
Su Ming lifted his right hand, and the Space Whip appeared. At the instant the pillar of light shattered completely, the Space Whip charged at the first prince. Su Ming had chosen to take the initiative to attack!
When the Space Whip appeared, Su Ming also brought his left hand up. The axe showed up in it, and he cut down at the first prince!
The world rumbled, but the first prince had a mocking smile on his lips. Even though he had to withstand an incredibly mighty pressure right then, he was still confident that he would not be affected by Su Ming. The Space Whip closed in, and the first prince brought his right hand up to point at it. Immediately, a lotus appeared on his finger. That lotus instantly shattered to turn into a lotus storm that collided head on into the Space Whip.
At the same time, the first prince brought his left hand up and pushed against the axe swing Su Ming had sent towards him. The area instantly looked as if it had been sealed and frozen, causing Su Ming's axe swing to look as if it had landed on water. Ripples stirred up, but the attack could not affect the frozen world.
"You overestimate yourself!"
The first prince's contemptuous attitude had been transferred to his voice. At the instant he spoke, he charged to Su Ming, but when he drew close, Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He let go of the Space Whip and pushed the Brand on his palm at the incoming first prince!
Since it was set in stone that the first prince would attack him once the pillar of light shattered, Su Ming would rather make sure that the first prince's attacks were within his control, which was why he had taken the initiative to attack. It was all… for the sake of making the first prince draw close to him, just like what he was doing right then!
When Su Ming pushed his right hand forward and the first prince drew closer, the two of them clashed. The first prince's expression changed swiftly, and booming sounds instantly shook the sky and earth. Su Ming's Brand had absorbed some of the first prince's power before letting out all the power it had accumulated along the way. Even though it was not at the level of a Great Dao Paragon when it burst forth from his hand, it had long since surpassed the full power of a Dao Paragon.
If this was any other normal situation, such a strike could only take a Great Dao Paragon aback, but they could still face it easily. But right then, they were in the third layer, and Lin Dong Dong had been flying for one hundred thousand feet. He was withstanding a lot of mighty pressure, and hence, that strike… instantly became the deciding key to the fight, especially since it had also absorbed some of Lin Dong Dong's power just then!
Loud bangs resounded in the air. When Lin Dong Dong's expression changed, he came to a stop. At the same time, Su Ming coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell off the Tree of Dao Verification.
But right when the mighty pressure from the sky descended on him, the Space Whip he had previously thrown caught him. It wrapped around his body, and as if someone from above had yanked it up, the Space Whip instantly brought Su Ming up!
The Space Whip Su Ming had thrown was not aimed to strike the first prince. It had been just a feint. The Space Whip's true target was the trunk above. When it reached it, Su Ming controlled the weapon to wrap its body around the tree. Then, when he was forced off the tree, the whip would pull him up.
The first prince had lost the initiative to attack. Even if he tried to stop Su Ming… the Brand on his right hand had absorbed Lin Dong Dong's power and struck back with extraordinary power. It was enough to cause his heart to tremble.
Su Ming had predicted that brief pause in the first prince's movements. He had managed to tell that the first prince would not be able to continue trying to stop him, and the second prince was still ten thousand something feet away from him.
Su Ming's timing was impeccable. If he had been slower in any of his actions, once the second prince drew close, even if Su Ming could stop the first prince from attacking him, he would not be able to stop the second prince.
Yet right then, be it the first prince or the second prince, they could only watch the Space Whip yank Su Ming up. However, Su Ming had also paid a price for his actions. Be it the blood he had coughed up from the attack or the mighty pressure that had descended on him when he was forcibly yanked up without touching the trunk, both made Su Ming feel as if he was about to break down.
Fortunately… the further he went up, even if he did not touch the trunk, Su Ming could smell a thick, sweet fragrance. He absorbed it swiftly and repaired his body, which was on the verge of breaking down.
All of that might have seemed to have happened over a long period of time, but in truth, it had transpired in the blink of an eye. When Su Ming was brought up by the Space Whip, he rose about fifty thousand something feet into the air. Blood poured out of his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. His entire body looked about to crumble. But with one move, he returned to the Tree of Dao Verification. Upon taking hold of the trunk, he instantly charged up the tree.
Beneath him, the first prince's eyes shone with killing intent. He charged up the trunk as well.
A surprised glint appeared in the second prince's eyes. The things Su Ming did right then might have made it seem like he was in danger, but in truth, precise calculations were behind every single one of his moves. This shocked the second prince, and he suddenly thought that he should really get to know… his younger brother again!
'He actually managed to retain his advantage in this situation…' A grim look appeared in the second prince's eyes, and the words in his heart were echoed in Asura Clan.
The sludge in the middle of the nine statues within Asura Clan had become flat and had turned into a mirror. It displayed… everything that the second prince saw within the third layer.
The nine people in the area had also seen Su Ming pull off his astonishing stunt. What it showed them was not Su Ming's level of cultivation, but his calculativeness and resolve!
This was what caused the expressions of the nine people to turn grim.
"We've… underestimated the third prince!"
"Yes, even if we were in such a disadvantageous situation… we wouldn't be able to come up with such a plan in a short period of time, and he had even managed to calculate the second prince and Lin Dong Dong's reactions…"
"Hmph, One Dao Sect used such a method? Only they would be able to do such a thing like sending a Great Dao Paragon over. We might have been able to manipulate the rules, but… they could already be considered to have changed some of the rules. Yet right now, One Dao Sect is definitely the same as us. They have to… reevaluate the third prince."
"He's a cultivator destined to become a Great Dao Paragon, and he even has such a shrewd mind… He's actually more terrifying than most Great Dao Paragons!"
"No one said that the princes aren't allowed to die during the six-thousand-year competition between the successors… One Dao Sect inherited the Art of Kismet, so they are definitely the ones who are the most willing to do such a thing… Once the third prince dies, it would mean that One Dao Sect has robbed his kismet…"
The nine people suddenly stopped speaking. Instead, they cast each other a glance, and a smile appeared at the corners of their lips.