Seeing the Sword Master present, all the disciples present were taken aback.
The Sword Master was extremely enigmatic, residing in the Sword Tower year-round. Most disciples, when they visited the Sword Tower to select secret manuals, never had the chance to meet him. They only heard his name, but few had ever seen his face.
At that moment, the Sword Master's voice was clear and calm, each word hitting the disciples like droplets of water striking stone, resonating in everyone's ears.
"Twenty-eight years old?"
"A disciple of the Supreme Sage?"
Once the disciples understood the Sword Master's words, the previous cacophony of debate fell silent once more.
The disciples in the audience were stunned, doubting their ears. The youth on the stage was only twenty-eight years old?!
He had cultivated for less than thirty years, yet his sword skills had already surpassed the Holy Moon Sage Son, and he had defeated him without even reaching the peak of his abilities. He had won purely through his sword skills.
What kind of monstrous prodigy is this?!
Even Ruxue and Qiuhuichen were stunned. Qiuhuichen's eyes widened slightly. Today, he had met this casual fishing companion, who turned out to be a world-class swordsman, and now he found out that the other was even younger than him?
How is this possible?!
During his fishing trips, he often encountered Li Hao. Given Li Hao's age and sword skills, he could only attribute it to relentless practice. But the other seemed so relaxed.
"Twenty-eight years old, isn't that just one year older than Holy Maiden Xue'er?"
"His sword skills have already reached the Dao stage. Reaching the Dao Perception stage at twenty-eight is already incredibly difficult, let alone mastering such sword skills."
"Even with a Dao Heart and Dao Body, which allow for easy enlightenment, it shouldn't be this quick, right?"
The eyes of the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens were filled with shock. They could accept such sword skills if he had practiced for a hundred years, but only twenty-eight years? That was a bit much.
Ruxue was also stunned. Apart from her childhood, this was the first time she had met someone her age who was such a prodigy. However, his strength far surpassed hers. She knew she couldn't even block that one sword strike, which was close to the ideal she pursued in her heart.
On the high platform, the semi-saint elders were moved. The Sword Master's words were never wrong; he must have measured Li Hao with the Bone Reflection Mirror. However, Li Hao's age truly surprised them.
The Sword Saint glanced at the Sword Master, understanding his meaning.
He narrowed his eyes, pondering. Forming a good bond with this prodigy might not be a bad idea.
However, such a prodigy being hunted by a sage and ending up here suggested that the situation was more complex than it seemed.
"Since you are a disciple of the Supreme Sage, today's duel between the two of you should be considered a friendly sparring match. If you have further interest, you can resolve it in the Ultimate Genius Battle, where you can both give it your all."
The Sword Saint spoke, framing the conflict between the Holy Moon Sage Son and Li Hao as a sparring match. This was to salvage the reputation of the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land. Otherwise, if the Holy Moon Sage Son had given it his all and still been easily defeated, it would crush the morale of many disciples.
Hearing his master's words, the Holy Moon Sage Son's dazed expression cleared, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.
He knew what his master was thinking, but he felt frustrated.
If Li Hao were a few hundred years old, losing wouldn't matter much, as he would surely surpass Li Hao by then.
But in this battle, he had given it his all and still lost, and to someone younger than him.
To have to rely on his master to cover for him like this left him feeling ashamed and bitter.
Li Hao understood the Sword Saint's meaning and wouldn't expose him. After all, he was on their turf and had to show some respect.
Beside him, Qingying looked bewildered. She hadn't expected that the person she had picked up by chance was a disciple of the Supreme Sage. It was like finding a gold nugget in the trash.
With the Sword Saint's words, the farce came to an end.
The disciples regained their senses, their expressions varying.
No one knew if the Holy Moon Sage Son had held back, but the fact that his Celestial Law Avatar had been displayed for the first time and he still lost was a testament to Li Hao's strength.
Such a person was destined to shine brightly in the future.
On the floating seats, the alchemists, including Lin Shanhai, were in an uproar.
"Qingfeng is actually a disciple of the Supreme Sage? How did he learn to refine herbs so well?"
"Is he a swordsman or an alchemist?"
"Old Lin, didn't you say his ancestors were alchemists, and you were so confident about it?"
Zhao Yingzhen and the others were also shocked by Li Hao's display of strength. They turned to look at Lin Shanhai, unable to resist teasing him.
Lin Shanhai was speechless. How was he supposed to know such things?
But upon reflection, he remembered that he had asked Li Hao a few times, and the brat had always smiled without answering or denying it.
What a sly little devil!
Lin Shanhai sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat bitter. He had lived for so long and had been fooled by a brat.
However, seeing Li Hao stand up for Qingying, he was deeply moved.
"Given your age, you will participate in the Ultimate Genius Battle, right? I will challenge you again then!"
The Holy Moon Sage Son looked at Li Hao, his eyes dark. He transmitted this message to Li Hao through mental communication. After saying this, he turned and walked away without a backward glance. This battle had deeply shaken him, and he was determined to practice even harder to break through in the coming days.
Li Hao, hearing this, didn't take it seriously. He turned to look at Qingying. His intervention in this battle was partly to help her vent her frustration and mainly to help her reshape her sword intent.
"Your sword."
Li Hao handed the green sword back to Qingying. "If you want to learn that technique, I can draw it out for you later."
Now that the truth was out in the open, Li Hao decided to be straightforward and speak his mind without any reservations.
Lin Qingying, snapping out of her daze, looked at the recently powerful green blade and then at the young man's face. She bit her lip and said, "So, all the comments you made about my physique were just an excuse?"
Li Hao recalled the way he had critiqued her arms and waist, and he couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. "Not exactly. I did consider the aesthetics of it."
Lin Qingying continued to look at him, her lips still pressed together. Her eyes spoke volumes, as if saying, "Do you really expect me to believe you?"
Li Hao cleared his throat and glanced at her abdomen, where the wound had healed. However, the wound on the inside, the one that affected her Dao embryo, was still present.
He asked softly, "Can your Dao embryo heal?"
At the mention of her Dao embryo, Lin Qingying's eyes dimmed, and she shook her head slightly. "The Dao embryo is a innate entity. Once it's destroyed, it cannot be healed."
Li Hao looked up at the Sword Master, who had already joined the Sword Saint and the elders. His eyes flickered. If he asked for help, would the Sword Master be willing to assist Lin Qingying in reconstructing her Dao embryo?
As Li Hao pondered, the Sword Master also turned his gaze toward him and beckoned, "Come over here."
Li Hao was slightly taken aback, feeling as if the Sword Master had read his thoughts. He immediately turned to Lin Qingying. "Let's go. We'll see if the Sword Master can help."
The mention of the Sword Master brought a glimmer of hope to Lin Qingying's eyes. She nodded and followed Li Hao to the Sword Saint and the Sword Master.
"Greetings, Sword Master, Sword Saint, and all the elders."
Li Hao bowed.
Lin Qingying also bowed her head in respect.
The Sword Master looked at Lin Qingying, his smile fading. He sighed and glanced at the Sword Saint, but said nothing.
Though he hadn't watched the entire battle, a Sage's insight into the world allowed him to deduce the events from the smallest clues.
His only response to the Sword Saint's tacit approval was a sigh. He knew the Sword Saint too well to be surprised.
"Senior Sword Master, Qingying's Dao embryo has been destroyed. Could you help her reconstruct it?" Li Hao asked, his eyes filled with hope.
The Sword Master shook his head slightly. "The Dao embryo is an innate entity. Even we cannot help reconstruct it. The only way is to find the Dao Celestial Vine, which can nourish and transform the Dao. However, this vine is extremely rare and is only found under the tutelage of a Supreme Sage. Even a Sage's favor wouldn't be enough to obtain it."
Li Hao was taken aback, and Lin Qingying's face turned pale.
"Senior, who is this Supreme Sage?" Li Hao couldn't help but ask again.
The Sword Master, sensing Li Hao's determination, sighed. "He is the Origin Sage, one of the earliest Sages in the land of the Sages. He has taught thousands and is skilled in nurturing disciples. Three of his disciples have achieved Sainthood. He is now devoted to other pursuits and is rarely seen."
Three disciples have achieved Sainthood?
Li Hao's eyes widened in surprise. This was the power of a Supreme Sage.
Lin Qingying tugged at his sleeve and shook her head slightly. "Don't bother. It's fine. I can still cultivate without a Dao embryo."
Li Hao looked at her, knowing that seeking the elusive Origin Sage for the Dao Celestial Vine was a near-impossible task, especially since even a Sage's favor wouldn't help.
"Although we cannot reconstruct the Dao embryo, I have a cultivation technique that, once mastered, can allow you to condense additional Dao energy within your body. While it's not as powerful as a Dao embryo, it is still stronger than the average person," the Sword Saint said to Lin Qingying.
Lin Qingying's eyes darkened. She had heard of such techniques, but they were no match for a Dao embryo. However, without a Dao embryo, it was the best she could hope for.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he looked at Lin Qingying's abdomen, which was now empty. With his current understanding of the Way of the Sword, reconstructing a Dao embryo would be ideal, but if it couldn't be done, it was better to leave it empty.
He planned to discuss this with Lin Qingying in more detail later.
The Sword Master turned to Li Hao. "I called you over because they want to understand your thoughts."
The Sword Saint's gaze shifted to Li Hao, focusing intently on him. "Given your age and potential, will you participate in this year's Supreme Genius Battle?"
Li Hao had heard about this from Lin Shanhai. It was a competition that involved numerous geniuses from the Thirty-Three Realms. This particular contest was to select candidates for the Sacred Land, while the ultimate goal was to become the Supreme Genius of the Thirty-Three Realms, which would grant the winner enough incense offerings to achieve Sainthood.
Such a significant reward naturally attracted countless participants.
Li Hao had the incense offerings from Great Yu, but he needed to spend three hundred years in the land of the Sages, or three thousand years in the mortal world, to accumulate enough incense to achieve Sainthood.
While Li Hao could take other paths, such as the Ritual Dao to achieve Sainthood, he had grown curious about the possibility of exploring all three paths since he had the incense offerings from Great Yu.
Now that he had reached the peak of the Unity Realm, his divine energy had transformed into pure divine blood. This allowed him to not only achieve Sainthood through the Ritual Dao but also through the Extreme Dao, which Xiao Xiaoxiao had mentioned.
Combining all three paths might be the most complete way to achieve Sainthood.
However, among these three paths, the one that seemed easiest for others—incense offerings—was the most challenging for Li Hao. After all, incense offerings needed to be accumulated over time.
On the other hand, achieving Sainthood through the Extreme Dao was relatively simpler, as it required only that he transform enough souls and karma during disasters.
"I will participate," Li Hao replied to the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint nodded slightly. "If you weren't a disciple of a Supreme Sage, I would have taken you as my disciple and let you represent our Sacred Land. Since you already have a master, you cannot represent the Sacred Land. If you don't plan to return to your original Sacred Land, there is another path."
"A solitary cultivator?"
Li Hao asked.
The Sword Saint nodded slightly. "That's right. In the Supreme Young Hero Battle, each of the thirty-three realms only has ten slots, which means our Canglan Realm will only have ten participants!"
"Besides the three great holy lands, there are also the dozens of dynasties and the top forces within those dynasties. Some people couldn't join the holy lands but are still immensely talented, and they will also get a chance to participate. However, they must go through multiple rounds of trials, and the difficulty is no less than the selection process in the holy lands."
Li Hao nodded slightly, having heard this from Lin Shanhai before.
The three great holy lands each select ten participants, and ten more are chosen from the various dynastic forces, making a total of forty people. They will battle in a free-for-all, and the final ten will represent the Canglan Realm.
"The Supreme Young Hero Selection Battle is coming up and will take place in three months. Our Sword Ancestor Holy Land has already selected our ten participants. Next, we will compete with the Literary Ancestor Holy Land and the Buddhist Sect. If you want to participate, you need to hurry and join a nearby dynasty to compete. Make it to the top ten to secure your spot," the Sword Saint said.
The three great holy lands of the Canglan Realm are the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, the Literary Ancestor Holy Land, and the Buddhist Sect. Among them, the Buddhist Sect is the most powerful.
Li Hao nodded; he had planned to take this path anyway. Many forces had approached him, offering him a chance to compete under their names. He just needed to make it to the top ten.
However, the final battle of the Supreme Young Hero Battle would take place under the watchful eyes of the Supreme Saints, attracting the attention of many other saints. The False Saint would likely see it too.
By then, he must have already ascended to sainthood. If his identity was exposed, he wouldn't fear it. If he could win the battle, he would gain divine blessings, which would be the ideal outcome.
Therefore, his time would be very tight from now on. If he hadn't ascended by the final battle, he would have to withdraw to avoid being noticed by the False Saint, who would be even more ruthless if he acted again.
The last time, it was just an avatar; next time, it could be the True Self.
Thinking of this, Li Hao felt a surge of killing intent, but he suppressed it, keeping it hidden.
"Although your talent is extremely high and you've already reached the Dao of Swordsmanship, don't underestimate this battle. It's far more intense than you imagine. Our Sword Ancestor Holy Land is participating to give them training. The top ten in previous battles were mostly reincarnated saints, some even reincarnated five or six times, with unimaginable abilities."
The Sword Saint earnestly warned Li Hao.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Did the Sword Saint mean that someone like HAOYUE was just there for experience?
Thinking of HAOYUE's strength, Li Hao nodded slightly. If someone like HAOYUE could advance to the top ten, then he should find it relatively easy to win first place.
The Sword Saint finished speaking and didn't say more. According to the rules, the second and third places would now be contested. Lin Qingying, with her Dao embryo destroyed, chose to concede, and the Sword God Battle ended.
The Sword Saint stepped forward and bestowed his disciple with the divine blessings of a kingdom, the reward for the first place in the Sword God Battle.
However, this divine blessing was not enough to ascend to sainthood; it could only form a single incense in the body.
Even so, it was a significant reward, saving over a hundred years of accumulation.
In addition, there were other treasures and divine pills as rewards.
Lin Qingying also received a reward, but the third place reward was much less.
After the rewards were bestowed, the Sword Saint left, and the Sword Lord chatted with Li Hao.
"You're not afraid of causing trouble, are you? This is the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, and you defeated HAOYUE so easily in public. You've embarrassed us," the Sword Lord said to Li Hao, laughing and scolding him.
Seeing his expression, Li Hao was surprised that the elder wasn't angry. "Senior, you're not upset?"
"L HaoYUE lost, and that's that. He destroyed a Child's DAO Embryo and used the young girl to sever his own distractions. Being defeated by you was karma," the Sword Lord said.
Li Hao smiled wryly. The elder had a broad view of these matters.
"Come visit me when you have time, but the Canglan Realm's dynastic forces are already selecting their participants. You're a Supreme Saint, and you defeated HAOYUE so easily in public. You've embarrassed us," the Sword Lord said to Li Hao, laughing and scolding him.
Seeing his expression, Li Hao was surprised that the elder wasn't angry. "Senior, you're not upset?"
"Loss is loss; if his skills were inferior, why be angry? He destroyed the child's DAO Embryo and used the young girl to sever his own distractions. Being defeated by you was karma," the Sword Lord said.
Li Hao smiled wryly. The elder had a broad view of these matters.
"Come visit me when you have time, but the Canglan Realm's dynastic forces are already selecting their participants. You probably won't have much time. You need to hurry and get a spot, or you'll miss this Supreme Young Hero Battle," the Sword Lord shook his head, regretting.
It seemed this young man wouldn't be able to accompany him fishing anytime soon.
As they chatted, Lin Qingying quietly watched the young man chatting and laughing with the Sword Lord. She felt a hint of envy, not for Li Hao's connection with the Sword Lord but for the free and carefree feeling he always exuded.
Except for today when he was angry for her, she had never seen the young man gloomy.
"Was your swordsmanship guided by him?"
Bian Ruxue stood beside Lin Qingying, her eyes also glancing at the young man before quickly returning to Lin Qingying. "Meeting someone to practice swordsmanship with is truly a fortunate thing."
Lin Qingying's eyes flickered, her heart beating a bit faster. She thought of dancing with the sword in the courtyard while he drank tea and laughed. In the past, she hadn't noticed it much, considering everything outside swordsmanship as mere grass and trees.
But now, those grass and trees seemed to have rooted in her heart.
Her lips curved slightly, and she glanced at the Holy Maiden beside her. "Doesn't anyone practice with you? Your master is the Sword Saint."
Bian Ruxue's eyes showed a fleeting thought, but she quickly composed herself. In her childhood, someone had practiced with her, but gradually, they couldn't keep up.
She tried looking back, but saw no one.
The battle ended, and the Sword Lord finished chatting with Li Hao and left. Li Hao followed Lin Qingying back to the Alchemy Academy.
In the courtyard, a peaceful place, Li Hao said to Lin Qingying, "Your DAO Embryo being destroyed might not be a bad thing."
"Huh?"
Lin Qingying looked at him in confusion.
Li Hao explained, "You originally had a Supreme Yin Inherent DAO Embryo, which was very compatible with your original sword intent level. But now, if you can advance your sword intent, you can form a Post-Inherent DAO Embryo, a Sword Intent DAO Embryo!"
"Sword Intent DAO Embryo?"
Lin Qingying was taken aback; she had never heard of such a concept before.
Li Hao had a sudden inspiration, purely derived from his sword path enlightenment.
"The ultimate softness is nothingness!"
"From nothingness, something is born; from nothingness, there is invincibility!"
Li Hao explained, "Once you comprehend 'nothingness,' you can form the post-heaven Dao embryo."
"Nothingness?"
Lin Qingying was puzzled, but the word seemed to spark a glimmer of understanding in her mind.
Nothingness? The ultimate softness is nothingness.
If it's nothingness, then the original Yin Dao embryo, which was supposed to be a hindrance.
Without the Dao embryo, yet having the Dao embryo, the missing part is nothingness!
Lin Qingying suddenly understood Li Hao's idea. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at him.
How could he come up with such an idea?
If it truly works, her strength would increase tenfold, or even a hundredfold, surpassing her former self!
Seeing her expression, Li Hao knew she had grasped the concept. He felt relieved, knowing that if she truly comprehended it, she would transform her body and bones, becoming even stronger.
After Li Hao left the Alchemy Academy, Lin Qingying returned to the courtyard. She met the alchemy Masters, who were all delighted, but she didn't stop them as she had before. Instead, her face was filled with a gentle smile.
She didn't know that Lin Qingying's Dao embryo had been destroyed, only that she had lost her prestige, and Li Hao had taken care of the matter for her.
Lin Qingying and Li Hao shared a deep understanding and didn't plan to tell him about it, to avoid adding unnecessary anger and worry, which would serve no purpose.
Li Hao stayed in the Alchemy Academy for two more days, packing his belongings. He then went to the Sword Cliff to bid farewell to the Sword Master.
Upon learning that Li Hao was going to the capital to compete for a battle slot, the Sword Master didn't try to retain him. He instructed Li Hao to return quickly and promised to find him again in the future.
Li Hao agreed.
As Li Hao left, the Sword Master sighed lightly at the Sword Cliff.
He knew that this departure would mean a long time before they met again.
The Supreme Talent Battle wasn't easy. Li Hao needed to focus on preparation. If he won first place in the future, he would become a Sage, and by then, it would be uncertain whether he would still have such a calm heart.
Becoming a Sage involved not only a realm difference but also a significant change in one's heart and nature. Before and after becoming a Sage, it was like becoming a different person.
What a Sage saw was entirely different from what those below a Sage saw, and sometimes it was even the opposite. The different perspectives naturally led to various changes in thoughts.
"You little mudskippers, I've fished you all, and you've lost your novelty. Considering the days I've spent with you, I won't kill you. Go on, then."
The Sword Master said this lightly from the Sword Cliff.
His voice echoed down the cliff, reaching the dragon demons swimming in the Dragon Pool, who were all stunned and looked up at the figure on the Sword Cliff in disbelief.
The Sword Master was actually releasing them?
This filled them with both surprise and joy, but also a sudden sense of reluctance.
"Great Sword Master, we are willing to listen to your Dao at your feet."
Ao Jie leaped up and hurriedly said to the Sword Master.
The Sword Master chuckled, "I'm going to visit some old friends, and I have no time to stay with you. You silly ones, you're too easy to catch. Don't be so foolish in the future."
Ao Jie almost spat blood. Isn't this you, who has become so cunning? Who can outsmart you?
He grumbled inwardly but didn't dare show it on his face, instead saying, "But we have grown accustomed to it."
"Go, go, go. If you keep babBLING, I'LL peel YOUR SKINS AND DRAW YOUR BONES." The Sword Master said irritably.
Ao Jie jumped in fright, not daring to speak further, and dived back into the Dragon Pool.
The dragon demons whispered among themselves, then all rose into the air, bowing to the Sword Master in unison.
They then transformed into beams of golden light, flying off in all directions.
"Freedom!"
"With our cultivation, we should be able to challenge the Sage Sons when we return to our dragon clan's holy land?"
"Challenge? Who dares defy me? I'll eat them!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! The Supreme Talent Battle is about to begin. The Sword Ancestor is selecting the participants. We can't fall behind!"
One of the dragon demons released its energy freely in the air, knowing that being caught by the Sword Master here was both a calamity and a blessing. At least, the past hundred years had brought tremendous gains, with their cultivation advancing rapidly.
In the lands of the Sages, demons and humans were not mortal enemies. In the Thirteen Realms, some small worlds were entirely inhabited by demons, with humans being the minority, struggling for survival.
Among the demons, there were also many who had reached the Sage Realm. Here, all races vied for glory, with Dragon and Phoenix Clans having Sage Sons and Sage Daughters. Their age limits for participation were calculated based on their life spans, with some demons being thousands of years old, but equivalent to just a few decades for humans.
"The dragon demons below the Sword Cliff..."
Qiu Heng, holding a fishing rod, was slightly stunned as he approached the Sword Cliff.
But he soon understood; without the Sword Master's permission, these dragon demons would never dare leave.
Q IU Heng arrived at the Sword Cliff and indeed saw that the Sword Master was no longer fishing but was gazing at the waterfall ahead.
After inquiring, he learned that the Sword Master was going to visit old friends.
He also learned that Li Hao was leaving the holy land to participate in the capital's selection.
Upon learning Li Hao's whereabouts, Q IU Heng's eyes flickered. He suddenly put aside his intention to continue seclusion and decided to go see Li Hao's battle.
In the previous confrontation with the Moonlight Sage Son, Li Hao hadn't even revealed his ultimate strength. He wanted to see his true power.
In the Canglan Realm, there were forty to fifty dynasties of various sizes and over a hundred top-tier forces.
Even without a background or connections, one could still participate in the battle within a small sect, but it required multiple layers of selection.
The selection process began long before the Sword God War. The major forces within the dynasty skipped the initial screening and conducted their own selection processes within their respective sects, similar to the sacred land selections. After the selected disciples, they would then compete against each other.
The competition venue was located on the Dao Altar of the vast Canglan Realm, the largest dynasty in the Cang Hai Divine Dynasty.
Li Hao, previously a Qingfeng Alchemist, had secured an entry slot through his interactions with the top forces. After temporarily parting with Lin Qingyin and Lin Shanhai, he took the Cang Hai Divine Dynasty's geomancy map and headed to the Dao Altar.
As he approached, he encountered numerous disciples from various sects and schools, as if they were all gathering for a grand event.
While passing through a forest, Li Hao heard the sounds of battle. Using his divine sense, he saw seven or eight Third Immortal Realm warriors being swiftly slain by a man in white. After plundering their belongings, the man in white hastily left.
Where there are many people, there are bound to be disputes and disasters. Li Hao naturally had no intention of getting involved in trivial matters.
He initially planned to leave directly but noticed a faint black aura emanating from the corpses.
Li Hao immediately thought of the path to supreme sainthood, which involves assimilating killing and resentment.
With a flick of his mind, he instantly teleported to the scene, raised his hand, and channeled his divine blood to absorb the black aura.
As the black aura entered his palm, it quickly condensed in his dantian, forming a slightly solidified black aura.
Li Hao faintly sensed that the black aura contained killing and screams, but as his divine blood illuminated with a brilliant light, it eradicated the screams and resentment, leaving only pure killing intent.
Li Hao had a sudden enlightenment.
If incense is the will of faith, then the supreme path is the will of destruction.
If these two opposing wills could be fused and complemented with the Dao Altar sainthood, who knows what they would become.
Sensing someone approaching, Li Hao didn't linger and quickly teleported away.
After traveling several hundred miles, Li Hao resumed his normal flight speed.
He found it somewhat amusing that he was dealing with those resentful auras, yet he felt a bit sneaky. No wonder Ying Xiaoxiao was known as a demon, who, when dealing with disasters, ended up being seen as an omen, originally a symbol of auspiciousness, but now regarded as a harbinger of disaster.
Upon reaching the Dao Altar, it was already teeming with people.
Li Hao used his divine sense to find a familiar face from earlier interactions. The other party was surprised to learn that Li Hao was a Qingfeng Alchemist. After seeing the token from earlier, he immediately invited Li Hao to a seat.
The Dao Altar was vast, capable of accommodating a million people, but there was no noise reduction rule, so the noise was chaotic.
"Qingfeng Alchemist, this is your battle number. The preliminary selection from the small sects has already concluded. Now it's a selection from ten Thousand, from which the top hundred will be chosen, followed by the top ten final battle!"
The slightly plump middle-aged man, an elder of Zhenyuan Sect, had learned about Li Hao's involvement in the Sword God War through a minor channel. He was extremely courteous to Li Hao at this moment.
Being both a supreme alchemist and a world-class swordsman, Li Hao was a disciple of the Holy Sect. Any of these identities warranted Zhenyuan Sect to go all out in their interactions.
"The top thousand spots are the highest we can secure for direct participation in the Zhenyuan Sect," Zhao Xulin said with a smile.
"That's enough. Thank you," Li Hao said.
"Regarding the alchemy, you can find Master Shanhai," Zhao Xulin said, pleasantly surprised.
Li Hao held his battle number and waited quietly outside the venue. The place was bustling with noise, and there were ten arenas operating simultaneously.
Besides the various sects and schools, he also saw many figures in brocade and dragon robes, evidently some royal clans from within the dynasty who had personally arrived.
Compared to the sacred land selection, this scene was slightly more chaotic, but the battles on the arenas were more spectacular, with a variety of techniques and methods, including poison and whips.
While Li Hao was sitting and waiting, he noticed a group of elegant figures sitting together in the crowd.
"Qingyi, these are all nobodies. What's the point of watching their competition? You're even participating personally. If your father finds out, he'll think you're bullying others."
A young man with a white jade hat and a folding fan shook his head, his expression somewhat helpless.
The woman beside him looked innocent, but her eyes sparkled with a lively wisdom. "Senior Brother, don't underestimate them. Some of them missed the sacred land in their early years but still burst with talent and have world-shaking abilities."
"You just watch, but participating is different. You've already secured a spot for our sacred land. If you snatch another one here, it will be exposed, and these dynasties and forces will be displeased."
The young man with the folding fan sighed. This was what he was worried about.
The woman smiled slightly. "I'm just playing around. By the time of the top hundred, I'll let water, and lose to the opponent. Anyway, I don't look like myself now, so no one will recognize me."
The others nearby breathed a sigh of relief. They were genuinely worried that this little miss would snatch a spot from those scattered ones, which would inevitably cause a bad influence on the sacred land.
"2678, battle 9527. Please step onto the arena."
At this moment, a battle on an arena concluded, and a judge loudly announced.
This voice drowned out the discussions below, containing the power of law. The young man with the folding fan smiled. "It's your turn. Don't be too harsh."
"Don't worry, I won't even use our cultivation techniques."
Li Qingyi wore an expression that said, "You can rest assured."
"Your opponent looks very young. Don't destroy their Dao heart."
Another young man, seeing the youth already on the arena, said to Li Qingyi.