When his number was called, Li Hao stepped onto the arena and waited quietly.
The surroundings were noisy, with many eyes already on him. After his recent battle with the Holy Son of Bright Moon, the gazes of a million disciples, half-saints, and even saints felt like a gentle breeze. His thoughts drifted to another arena, where he watched a fight he had missed earlier.
It was a battle between whip techniques and hidden weapons, not particularly powerful but very interesting.
"Do you still have the time to watch others fight?"
A gentle voice suddenly sounded in his ear, tinged with surprise.
Li Hao's thoughts returned, and he turned to see his opponent, a twenty-seven-year-old woman with a beautiful face and warm, tender eyes.
"Please."
Li Hao said immediately.
Li Qingyi looked at his calm and composed expression, finding it slightly amusing. "You don't seem to think you'll lose."
"?"
Li Hao was a bit surprised. "If I didn't think I would win, why would I come here to compete?"
That was true, but you're in for a rough time now... Li Qingyi shook her head slightly. Although she didn't plan to use her full strength, this was a selection for the top ten thousand, and she wouldn't hold back.
"Sorry."
She said to Li Hao, then raised her hand, and as the array condensed, she spoke softly.
"Suppress!"
Words followed by action, a single word to suppress.
The power of the law enveloped her, and Li Qingyi intended to use her cultivation to suppress Li Hao.
But the law's power had no effect on Li Hao. With his fully developed divine blood path, the law's power couldn't affect his body, not even requiring a domain to block it.
"Hmm?"
Seeing her attack fail, Li Qingyi's eyes narrowed, realizing that Li Hao was no ordinary opponent, at least possessing the strength of the Dao Law Realm.
At such a level, it was a pity to fall outside the top ten thousand.
She raised her hand, summoning a hurricane that swept toward Li Hao, with sharp, law-infused blades within the wind.
At this level, he wouldn't even make the top hundred... Li Hao watched her attack. Although she was in the Dao Law Realm, she was quite weak. He didn't waste time, casually grasping a strand of wind, which transformed into a sword aura.
As the sword aura condensed, Li Qingyi suddenly felt a premonition of danger, her hairs standing on end.
Her inner literary heart vibrated, allowing her to sense danger in advance. Now, she felt danger from that young man?
Li Qingyi's eyes widened, realizing she had encountered one of those extraordinary talents among the scattered cultivators she had mentioned.
Whoosh!
Her figure blurred, and she instantly used the Return to the Abyss technique to teleport.
When she reappeared, she held a sword, aiming it at Li Hao's back.
But the moment she swung her sword, the sword aura in Li Hao's hand erupted, as if it had been waiting for her.
Li Qingyi's pupils constricted, her sword shaking as if pulled by an unseen force, trying to wrench it from her grasp.
She burst with divine power, releasing her ultimate strength, but still couldn't hold onto her sword. She had to unleash her Dao Domain, and in an instant, twenty-four layers of the domain appeared!
As the domains unfolded, strange phenomena emerged, and the law flowed, finally suppressing the sword aura.
With the "intent" in the sword aura erased, only a strand of wind remained, quickly dissipating.
Li Qingyi felt a cold sweat, her heart filled with shock. Just by casually grasping a strand of wind, he had nearly forced her to use her true abilities?
Li Hao was also surprised. Was she just pretending to be weak?
He had thought she was just an ordinary Dao Law Realm cultivator, but she had suddenly burst with two ultimate strengths.
The divine power ultimate was not uncommon, thanks to the virtue treasure vault in the land of saints. Most geniuses seemed to have mastered it, as they could directly exchange it in the virtue treasure vault, requiring only sufficient virtue, which was easier than cultivation.
But the Return to the Abyss ultimate was not so easy to achieve. Clearly, she was also a prodigious talent.
Earlier, the sword master had mentioned that the competition among the scattered cultivators was intense, and Li Hao had been skeptical. Now, he believed it.
As he marveled, he didn't forget to attack, grasping another strand of wind, this time condensing the softest sword path, not just simple sword intent.
Whoosh!
The sword aura suddenly burst like a dragon emerging from the sea, breaking through her layers of Dao Domains. The softest was also the hardest, slicing through in an instant.
Li Qingyi tried to use Return to the Abyss to dodge, but it was as if she was locked in place. The sword aura came too quickly, and her Dao Domain was like a mirage. Before she could stack more layers, a slight numbness and then a sharp pain hit her throat.
She reached up, dazed.
"What?"
Below the arena, several elegant figures watched in shock, their eyes wide.
In less than two minutes, Li Qingyi had been defeated?
This was their Sacred Land of Literature's genius saintess. Although she hadn't used her specialized literary path, such a quick defeat was simply unbelievable.
Moreover, they could see that the opponent hadn't used his full strength.
Even though Li Hao was a master of the sword, he didn't even draw his weapon, defeating Li Qingyi with nothing more than a gentle breeze.
This sword technique was terrifying!
"Who is this person? His sword technique is frightening. Could he be from the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land, masquerading as a wandering cultivator like Qingyi?"
The young man with the folding fan had stopped fanning himself, his eyes fixed intently on the youth on the stage. He searched his memory but couldn't recall seeing this youth before, unless the other party had also altered his appearance like Li Qingyi.
Apart from them, many of the spectators in the audience noticed the commotion at this particular stage, and they were shocked and bewildered.
Li Qingyi had displayed over twenty layers of Dao domains, creating a spectacular display that drew a lot of attention. But in the blink of an eye, she had been defeated.
"What's going on at that eighth battle stage? Did they just encounter a clash of top prodigies right at the beginning of the competition?"
"Over twenty layers of Dao domains? Good heavens, is this a human being?"
"I've heard that some of the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters in the Holy Lands can achieve this."
"Who is that youth? He actually defeated her without using a Dao domain!"
The area around the battle stage was buzzing with excitement. Many who had been watching other stages also turned their attention here, but the battle had already concluded. They hurriedly asked those around them what had happened.
Li Qingyi heard the commotion from the audience and snapped back to reality. She looked at the youth in front of her, who was calmly watching her, waiting for her to concede.
After all, if he hadn't held back, her head would have already been separated from her body.
Li Qingyi bit her lip, feeling a sense of injustice, but she knew that skill was the deciding factor and she couldn't blame anyone else. She transmitted her voice to him:
"What's your name?"
"Qingfeng."
Li Hao still used an alias. Without the strength to match a quasi-saint, he couldn't reveal his true identity. Otherwise, the vast Thirty-Three Heavens would be no barrier to a saint, who might come after him in a heartbeat, especially one skilled in the art of void traversal.
"Given your strength, making it into the top ten of the wandering cultivators should be no problem. I'll wait for you at the Canglan War. This time, I didn't use my full strength. Let's have a proper match next time!"
Li Qingyi, seeing his calm demeanor, felt a surge of defiance in her heart and transmitted her voice to him.
Li Hao was surprised, "You've already lost, and you still want to fight again?"
Li Qingyi was momentarily speechless, then huffed in frustration and anger, "That's none of your business!"
With that, she turned and left the stage.
Li Hao found the situation a bit odd but didn't bother thinking about it further. After the referee announced the result, he flew back to his original seat and continued waiting for the next battle.
On the other side, Li Qingyi returned to her fellow disciples. The young man with the folding fan immediately asked:
"How much strength did that person use?"
Li Qingyi's expression became serious, losing the playful and carefree demeanor she had shown earlier. She looked at Li Hao, who was walking to another seat, and whispered:
"He didn't use a Dao domain, nor did he use an ultimate realm. His law powers were ineffective against him, indicating he has a Dao body. His sword technique… must have already reached the Dao realm!"
"Dao realm?"
Upon hearing Li Qingyi's words, the others drew in a sharp breath and exchanged glances.
Reaching the Dao realm was a level only half-saints and saints could attain!
One more step forward, transcending the Dao realm, and one could become a saint through the Dao!
Those who could walk the path to becoming a saint through the Dao were generally supreme prodigies, holding high status even among saints, and few dared to provoke them!
After all, compared to saints who achieved their status through incense offerings, those who became saints through the Dao had the ability to enter the mortal world at will without being affected or eroded.
"Will we encounter this person at the Canglan War in a few months? I've heard that the Buddhist Sect has produced two twin Buddha Sons, who are extremely formidable, said to have mastered six ultimate realms. I never expected to find such a prodigy among the wandering cultivators."
"The Bright Moon Holy Son of the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land is said to have the Sun and Moon Divine Eyes, which can see through all illusions and counter numerous killing techniques, making him a formidable opponent."
"It seems this Canglan War will be incredibly intense. I wonder if any of us will be able to secure a spot to represent Canglan."
The others' expressions grew serious. They had initially thought that the wandering cultivators would be on par with inner sect prodigies, but it turned out that there were true prodigies among them, making this competition even more worthwhile.
Li Qingyi remained silent, her mind replaying that one sword strike and the way he had looked elsewhere when he first stepped onto the stage.
She felt a surge of anger.
He had never once thought he would lose, and he hadn't.
It was too infuriating… Li Qingyi glanced at him one more time, then said:
"I'm heading back. I'll return during the top hundred battles to see if anyone can force him to use his ultimate realm."
The young man with the folding fan and the others felt a sense of urgency. The appearance of such a formidable opponent among the wandering cultivators made them want to retreat and train even harder to reach the next level.
As they departed, another figure in the crowd caught sight of the battle. Qiu Wuheng stood among the spectators, observing the entire duel. He noticed the position where the woman had retreated after her defeat, recognizing one of the figures present from a past encounter.
So, she's actually the Holy Maiden of the Wen Clan's Sacred Land? Qiu Wuheng speculated, then glanced at Li Hao, who was calmly sipping tea as if nothing had happened. He felt a bit helpless, realizing that this fishing companion had no idea he had just defeated the Holy Maiden of the Wen Clan's Sacred Land.
However, it was a bit unfair for the Wen Clan's Sacred Land to send someone here to fight. Qiu Wuheng felt a twinge of regret, as this opponent seemed to have held back, not pushing Li Hao to his limits.
He shook his head slightly and turned to leave, determined to intensify his own cultivation to avoid falling behind.
Following his initial victory, Li Hao appeared several more times, casually summoning sword winds to easily defeat his opponents. After his clash with Li Qingyi, Li Hao had garnered significant attention. As he continued to win, many began to see him as a strong contender for the championship, placing bets on his success.
After three days of intense competition, the preliminary rounds finally concluded, and the top one hundred participants advanced. Li Hao smoothly made it to the top hundred, defeating his opponents with ease.
During the break, several factions sent invitations to Li Hao, expressing their desire to meet him. These included the imperial families of various dynasties and some of the most powerful factions.
Many of these invitations offered conditions that intrigued Li Hao. After careful consideration, he chose the invitation from the Canghai Divine Dynasty. The Canghai Divine Dynasty was the largest divine dynasty in the Canglan Realm, with ten semi-saints in its service. It maintained close ties with the Sword Clan's Sacred Land, the Buddhist Clan's Sacred Land, and the Wen Clan's Sacred Land, which could be interpreted as paying protection fees.
These protection fees came in the form of incense offerings. The Canghai Divine Dynasty had built golden temples for the three sacred lands within its territory, where incense was offered year-round, earning the protection of these three sacred lands.
The Canghai Divine Dynasty extended an olive branch to Li Hao, hoping he would become one of their honored guests. They offered to provide incense offerings from ten cities to Li Hao.
These ten cities were massive, and Li Hao knew that if he accepted, it would significantly accelerate his path to sainthood through incense offerings, reducing the time from 300 years to 260 years, a saving of 40 years! In the mortal world, this would be equivalent to 400 years.
This clearly demonstrated the scale of these cities.
The power of incense offerings depended not only on the population size but also on the strength of the believers. The Canghai Divine Dynasty had a vast number of martial artists, and the incense power from their faith was far greater than that from ordinary people.
While winning the Supreme Young Hero Battle would also grant a large amount of incense and immediate sainthood, for those on the path of incense sainthood, incense was their primary source of power. Even after achieving sainthood, they still had an ongoing need for incense, similar to how one absorbs the energy of the heavens. The more incense they absorbed, the stronger they became.
Thus, established saints were extremely difficult for new saints to challenge. This was why, despite the Canglan Realm having dozens of dynasties, only a few saints had been cultivated, as semi-saints or other saintly heirs found it extremely difficult to obtain incense, with the majority of incense power controlled by the saints.
Li Hao accepted the invitation, but in addition to the incense offerings, he also requested cultivation techniques.
Upon receiving Li Hao's response, a secret order was delivered to the Emperor of the Canghai Divine Dynasty in the imperial palace.
"Your Majesty, the young man Qingfeng has also agreed to our invitation and is willing to become an honored guest of our Canghai Divine Dynasty," a burly general reported in a low voice.
The Emperor of the Canghai Divine Dynasty smiled in satisfaction. "Excellent, well done. This young man is extremely powerful. If he becomes our honored guest and represents the Canglan Realm in battle, our Canghai Divine Dynasty will receive a portion of the heavenly dragon qi!"
"Your Majesty, there has been some discussion in the court. Is ten cities of incense too much? We have already sacrificed a significant amount of incense to the three sacred lands in recent years. Now, giving up ten more cities for someone who is only at the Dao Law Realm and not a semi-saint seems excessive," the burly general inquired, puzzled by the Emperor's generosity.
The Emperor of the Canghai Divine Dynasty smiled gently. "The Prince of the Sword Clan's Sacred Land reported that this young man is no ordinary individual. Ten cities are worth it!"
The burly general was taken aback but wisely refrained from further questioning. He added, "Apart from Qingfeng, we have also received agreements from three other exceptionally talented young heroes. One requested incense from five cities, another from seven cities, and the last from twelve cities."
He looked at the Emperor and said, "This time, we are sacrificing the incense from thirty-four cities, which is equivalent to an entire province!"
The Emperor's eyes gleamed. "Even the young man Chiguang has agreed?"
The burly general nodded. "He initially requested incense from twenty cities, but after some negotiation, he accepted additional medicinal pills as compensation. Additionally, he specifically requested that Princess Yunji be married to him."
The Emperor's eyes flickered, and he pondered for a moment before saying, "With his strength, he is certain to represent our Canglan Realm in battle, ensuring us a portion of the dragon qi. Princess Yunji, by marrying such a talented young hero, will bring additional dragon qi to our Canghai Divine Dynasty, which can be considered a blessing."
The burly general bowed his head, saying nothing. Royal marriages were common, and with the Emperor having many children, it was normal for some to be sacrificed for the sake of dragon qi.