Chapter 590: Chapter 565: The Path of Immortal Tao and the Ancient Martial Path
Dozens of days passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the selection officially began.
The Taiyi Palace Master, along with the people of the Taiyi Palace, arrived at a vast square.
In the middle of the square, thirty-six enormous battle platforms were arranged.
The battle platforms were covered with Formation Patterns, robustly immortal; they were refined by the strongest beings, and even existences at the first step of creation could hardly damage them in the slightest.
Around the square, there were many stands for spectators.
The Taiyi Palace Master led the group to a section of the stands.
"Shang Yixing, your Taiyi Palace is also participating in the selection? With just a few of you, don’t kid yourselves," a discordant voice sounded.
Lu Yan looked toward the source of the voice and saw a group wearing blue robes embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars.
The group numbered a hundred people.
A few youths gazed at them with contempt.
Whereas several elders appeared to be smiling genially, seemingly in tacit approval.
"They’re from the Star Palace," a Tianjiao of the Taiyi Palace spoke.
"Dammit, flies buzz around no matter where you go," a youth from the Taiyi Palace complained irritably.
"Brother Linghu, what’s the deal with this Star Palace?" Lu Yan asked a young man beside him, who turned out to be Linghu Changri.
The Taiyi Palace Master had obviously worked things out with Linghu Changri, so he had already let go of his grudges against Lu Yan. Linghu Changri explained, "This Star Palace, just like our Taiyi Palace, is an archenemy..."
Through Linghu Changri’s explanation, Lu Yan understood.
The Star Palace, too, was a Pseudo-Zhenyi Force, and their territories bordered those of the Taiyi Palace. The two had been at odds since ancient times, fighting incessantly over planets and resources.
Especially after the cultivation ebb, the strife over resources had grown even more brutal, often erupting into killings.
As for the younger generation of Tianjiao from both sides, they were naturally competitive. Encounters were bound to lead to fierce battles.
"Alas, in recent years, our Taiyi Palace has been in decline, with the younger generation constantly being overshadowed by the Star Palace," sighed Linghu Changri.
"Even if there’s no one from the Taiyi Palace selected, your Star Palace won’t be much better off. Do you really think you will have someone selected?" a youth from the Taiyi Palace retorted mockingly.
"Hahaha, sorry to disappoint, but my brother Xing Yu from the Star Palace has already been chosen by the strongest as one of the thirty-six seed participants, and will take charge of one of the platforms," a disciple from the Star Palace laughed heartily.
"What?"
"Xing Yu was chosen as a seed participant?"
The Tianjiao of the Taiyi Palace were all shocked.
In particular, Shang Yixing’s eyes flashed with a glint of coldness.
He and Xing Yu were archenemies, and they had fought many times, with him often ending up on the losing side.
Though Xing Yu was a bit stronger than him, he wasn’t that much more powerful to be counted among the thirty-six seeds.
"My brother Xing Yu, with his astonishing talent, succeeded in creating his own magic a few years ago. With his self-created technique, his combat strength surged, making him one of the thirty-six seed participants, as he rightfully should be," a disciple from the Star Palace said smugly.
"Creating his own magic successfully," Shang Yixing clenched his fists tightly together.
Anyone who could create their own magic was exceptionally monstrous.
The Taiyi Palace Master’s face remained calm, showing no emotion, but a glint of coldness flashed in the depths of his eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came.
Just then, two silhouettes appeared in The Sky’s Vault above.
A breath-taking aura, majestic and insurmountable, emanated from the two.
True One State!
The scene instantly fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Before the presence of the True One State, not even beings at the third step of creation dared to act rashly.
"Seed participants, it’s your turn to take the stage," one of the majestic True Ones spoke. His voice was deep and resonated in everyone’s ears.
This middle-aged man was the Ruler of Desolate Heaven, the second strongest in the boundless starry sky.
Swish swish swish...
Instantly, silhouettes flickered, and thirty-six figures landed on the thirty-six battle platforms.
There were men and women, members of the Human Clan, as well as other races, each exuding an extraordinary demeanor, their presence reserved and unfathomable.
"Xing Yu!"
The people of the Taiyi Palace focused on a young man in a blue robe adorned with stars.
This person was Xing Yu.
With a heroic stature and strikingly handsome features.
But what was most captivating were his pupils, which shimmered with tiny stars.
This person was born with Star Pupils.
"This Xing Yu is an Initial Body, and moreover, a rarely seen Star Doctrine Initial Body," Linghu Changri explained softly.
"Star Doctrine," curiosity stirred within Lu Yan.
In the Origin Continent, it was rare to find someone who cultivated the Star Doctrine.
Only in the starry sky, where stars abound, can the cultivation of the Star Doctrine truly flourish.
"The rules, I believe everyone is clear on them, but I will restate them here. Anyone can challenge the participants on the stage, there are no limits on the number of challenges. If you lose, you may continue to challenge other platforms. If you win, you may take their place and become the new platform’s master. However, you must also accept challenges from others,"
"However, after each battle, there will be time for you to recover, ensuring that each fight is at your peak condition, to avoid being worn down through continuous fights."
"Once you are selected for the final spot, not only will your force gain benefits, including the privilege to choose territories on the Origin Continent, but you yourself will also receive focused training during the following period and obtain immense opportunities. So, give it your all,"
"Now, the challenge begins."
The voice of The Ruler of Desolate Heaven rang out again.
"I’ll be the first to try."
After the words of The Ruler of Desolate Heaven, a clear voice sounded, and a young figure leapt forward, landing on one of the battle platforms.
"Lin Wuxu, you are a top-notch genius of the Immortal Tao Path and I, Yang, have long wanted to experience your prowess,"
said the challenger, a young man surnamed Yang, his aura surging, surrounded by a Magic Long River Phantom, above the sky’s Vault, a Magic River materialized, spanning the cosmos and the stars.
This was a powerful Initial Body.
"An Initial Body has not become a seeded contestant. It seems the geniuses of the Tao Realm are of high quality, and also, Lin Wuxu is a genius of the Immortal Tao Path?"
Lu Yan’s heart suddenly filled with intense curiosity.
The path of Immortal Tao is unique to the boundless stars; on the Origin Continent, no one walks this path.
The creatures of the Origin Continent follow the path of ’ancient martial arts’.
The oldest Martial Arts path, also the first path of cultivation to appear.
The Immortal Tao path’s realm names are in fact derived from the Immortal Clan.
They refer to the Immortal Realm as True Immortal and Immortal King.
As for the Tao Realm, it is called the Cosmos Realm, also known as Immortal Emperor.
Of course, once creation is reached, all paths converge again.
The members of the Dragon Alliance, such as the Dragon Alliance Master, Emperor Qing, and the Formation Ancestor, originally followed the Immortal Tao path.
Lu Yan had long heard of this path but had never seen it before. He instantly focused his gaze intently.
"Please!"
Lin Wuxu cupped his fists, his powerful aura also spreading out.
From his body emerged numerous points of light, like the stars themselves, dense and numbering over two thousand.
"Is this the infusion of the cosmic orifices reaching as high as two thousand in number? Truly astonishing,"
someone exclaimed.
"Cosmic orifice infusion."
Lu Yan’s mind stirred.
The Dragon Alliance was based on the Immortal Tao path, and before coming here, Lu Yan naturally had made a detailed study.
The Immortal Tao path, in the Immortality Realm (True Immortal, Immortal King) does not cultivate rules, and in the Tao Realm, it’s not the laws that are cultivated either.
They ponder the profound secrets.
The profound secrets are actually a special evolution of laws, an extension of laws, which can be understood as a kind of branch, and is not as powerful as laws.
But there are many of them.
The Magic Rivers of law in the heavens and earth are few and far between, just so many.
However, profound secrets are innumerable.
One law can evolve into countless profound secrets.
Profound secrets are also part of the constitution of the world.
The Immortal Tao path focuses on the profound secrets. Though a single profound secret is far inferior to a law, what if there are tens of thousands, even millions or billions?
So many profound secrets woven together have a power that is in no way weaker than that of the laws.
And after they cultivate to the Tao Realm, based on these profound secrets, they evolve a small world within their bodies, known as the ’True Self Cosmos.’
When the cultivation reaches a profound level, they can even merge the True Self Cosmos into their body orifices, causing a surge in their own strength.
This is a cultivation path completely different from the ’ancient martial arts’ path.
But it also leads directly to the final destination.
The saying that all roads lead to Rome is the reasoning here.
Upon the battle platform, the auras of two Tianjiao escalated to their peaks, clashing and confronting each other.
In the end, the challenger, the young man surnamed Yang, could not hold back any longer and was the first to attack. Like a bolt of lightning, he rushed at Lin Wuxu, the domain of thunder spreading around him, attempting to envelop Lin Wuxu.
Lin Wuxu, naturally, would not easily fall within the opponent’s domain.
He burst forth with power, the points of light within him becoming even more brilliant, with two thousand converging to deliver a strike.
This strike shattered the void itself, as if the power of thousands of worlds was rolling out.
Boom!
The young man surnamed Yang’s domain violently trembled, unable to extend forward, continuously shrinking and retreating instead.
The expression on the face of the young man surnamed Yang changed, becoming extremely solemn. He was surrounded by the phantom images of laws and borrowed a massive amount of power from the Magic River, attacking forward, clashing head-on with Lin Wuxu.
Boom boom boom...
Two figures exchanged blows on the battle platform, moving at an extreme speed, and in a blink, dozens of moves had passed.
Suddenly, one of the figures was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the battle platform, sliding along its surface until coming to a stop just at its edge, spitting out several mouthfuls of fresh blood.
It was the young man surnamed Yang, after all.
"Do you wish to continue the fight?"
Lin Wuxu asked, expressionless.
"I admit defeat,"
the young man surnamed Yang shook his head, stepped off the battle platform, took out Healing Pills to consume, and began to heal.
But he would not give up just like that.
Although he was no match for Lin Wuxu, it was uncertain if others on the remaining battle platforms were as formidable as Lin Wuxu. He might still stand a chance.
"This battle, Lin Wuxu wins,"
The Ruler of Desolate Heaven declared, then continued, "Lin Wuxu, you may now meditate and recover. Until you are back at your peak, no one may challenge you."
"Thank you, senior,"
Lin Wuxu cupped his fists and also consumed an elixir to start recuperating.
"The challenges on the other battle platforms may continue,"
The Ruler of Desolate Heaven said.
