Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 89 The Turmoil in Quanzhou
The eight forbidden realms that can be accessed through secret methods are never perfect. Although they are all eight forbidden realms, there are significant differences between them.

Li Yao can only enter the Eight Forbidden Domain when he triggers the All-Encompassing Secret, which is very different from standing in the Eight Forbidden Domain on his own without relying on any secret techniques.

Although they are both in the forbidden realm, the difference in their combat power can only be described as worlds apart.

There are countless cultivators in the world, each one different. They are all at the same realm, but their combat strength varies.

Right now, he's probably only at the weakest of the Eighth Forbidden Realm, capable of bullying the weakest cultivators in the same realm.

Even so, it's already quite exaggerated. In the Yao Guang Holy Land, many Dragon Transformation Elders are probably no match for him.

"It's time to return to the Holy City."

As his strength grew, his fear of the ruthless lineage diminished.

With Sunrise Island and Sunset Mountain behind him, he doesn't need to worry about any old monsters attacking him. As for the younger generation, Li Yao said they are all his younger brothers.

Yao Guang is indeed very strong, but he hasn't reached his peak yet. His cultivation level is at most at the first or second level of the Four Extremes Secret Realm.

With such cultivation, Li Yao could easily crush him. If the Supreme Saint lineage was truly ignorant of its own limitations and wanted Yao Guang to fight him, then he wouldn't mind directly shattering Yao Guang's Dao Heart.

It can be said that he is now invincible on the surface. Only those who resort to underhanded tactics can pose a threat to him.

Even if someone resorts to underhanded tactics, Li Yao isn't particularly afraid. With his current cultivation level, activating the Xingzi Secret Technique would make him absolutely unparalleled. As long as no one sets up a trap beforehand, even a powerful figure can be escaped by his speed.

The world has not yet begun to recover, and it is impossible for the old monsters of the Ruthless lineage to emerge from the divine source. Their highest combat strength is only at the Saint Lord level, which is why Li Yao dares to be so confident.

The resources he currently possesses, converted into pure energy, amount to approximately nine million units. Such a vast amount of resources would take even the Heavenly Book a while to digest, so Li Yao does not plan to travel between cities in the short term.

Moreover, he can gamble on stones in the Holy City, as long as he restrains himself a little and doesn't gamble to the point that the major holy lands and ancient families can't stand it.

If you spend all your time at the jade gambling den, people will definitely get fed up and want to mess with you. But if you're more moderate and only go once every few months, the major holy sites and ancient families won't hate you to the bone. At most, they'll just not welcome you.

Having made up his mind, Li Yao moved like lightning, stepping on the Xingzi Secret Technique and heading towards the Holy City.

He is currently in the western part of the Northern Region, and at his speed, it will take him less than ten days to travel from the central holy city of the Northern Region.

Six days later, Li Yao arrived in Quanzhou. As its name suggests, the city was picturesque, with many rivers and lakes, quite different from the desolate landscape of other parts of the northern region.

Quanzhou is not far from the Holy City of the Northern Region. A Dragon Transformation level expert could arrive in about half a month by flying at top speed. If it were Li Yao, it would be even faster, taking about four days.

This oasis spans five or six thousand miles, and its central city is called Spring City. It is very beautiful and quite famous throughout the entire northern region. The city has many clear and bright lakes, and the ancient trees on the shore are reflected on the lake surface, creating a mirror world that is breathtakingly beautiful.

Although Li Yao would no longer travel to various oases to gamble on stones, he would still stop at any oases he encountered on the way to the Holy City.

After all, it's just a side job. If I'm lucky, I can catch tens of thousands of kilograms of ore. If I'm unlucky, it's okay. It's just a waste of a little time.

Not long after Li Yao entered Jinan, he sensed something was amiss.

In Jinan, the streets are lined with aquamarine trees, their branches lush and their leaves a dreamy sky blue, even the trunks sparkle like blue crystals.

The streets were bustling with people, a truly vibrant scene. However, Li Yao's powerful divine sense detected numerous powerful individuals shortly after he entered the ancient city.

There are many Dao Palace secret realms, as well as four extreme secret realms. He even discovered two elders at the Dragon Transformation level.

Li Yao walked along the ancient street and encountered many powerful cultivators along the way.

“Something’s not right. Something’s very, very wrong. Quancheng is so prosperous that it’s easily ranked among the top 200 oases in the Northern Region. There’s even a major power that’s rooted in this oasis.”

"However, there should absolutely not be so many powerful cultivators here!"

Suddenly, Li Yao's heart skipped a beat. He saw a familiar face—Li Rui!
He was dressed in a blue robe, possessing an extraordinary temperament and a restrained heroic spirit. Occasionally, a glint of light would flash in his eyes, adding a touch of majesty to his already handsome appearance, making him look like a deity sitting cross-legged on an altar.

"It's been over a year since I last saw him, and his demeanor has changed drastically!" Li Yao muttered to himself. However, for some reason, he felt something was off, as if he saw a different person in Li Rui!

"Why is he here too? Has something big happened in Jinan?" Li Yao wondered.

On the Eastern Wilderness, Li Rui is undoubtedly a top-tier expert among the younger generation. In particular, more than a year has passed, and his cultivation level has increased from the third level of the Dao Palace to the fifth level of the Dao Palace. Clearly, he has been diligently cultivating throughout the year.

Although he was only a candidate for Holy Son, Li Rui's talent and strength were enough to rival those of some Holy Sons from major powers.

The appearance of Li Rui, along with the other experts he had seen earlier, all pointed to the fact that something major must have happened in Quanzhou.

"brush"

Li Rui suddenly quickened his pace, striding rapidly towards the end of the street. On the other side of the street, a beautiful figure appeared. Yao Xi, like a newly blossoming lotus, swayed gracefully and walked lightly towards him.

She was tall and slender, with a captivating and alluring figure, like a peerless enchantress. Her beauty was breathtaking, and at the same time, she possessed a pure and holy aura, with radiant skin and an otherworldly charm that was not to be profaned. She was the epitome of beauty.

“No, something must have happened, otherwise why would they all appear in the same city…” Li Yao became even more certain of his guess.

He moved closer discreetly, wanting to find out what was going on.

"Senior Sister." Li Rui walked up to Yao Xi and said with a faint smile, his expression neither humble nor arrogant.

Yao Xi's eyes, as delicate as distant mountains, twitched involuntarily. Her heavenly voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Junior Brother Li, you are only a candidate for Holy Son, not yet a Holy Son. Therefore, please address me as—Your Highness, Holy Maiden!"

Her expression revealed helplessness, and she was extremely disgusted by Li Rui's appearance.

"Everyone can call you Senior Sister." Li Rui's expression, which had been neither humble nor arrogant, suddenly turned somewhat aggrieved.

"He is him, and you are you. For the past year, why have you been constantly imitating Li Yao and hanging around in front of me? You don't do it yourself, but you insist on becoming someone else. Don't you find that ridiculous?" Yao Xi's voice was already filled with anger.

Li Yao: ...

He felt like he had heard some incredible gossip.

Li Rui, imitate him!

No wonder Li Yao felt extremely strange when he first saw Li Rui. He felt very familiar with him, but he just couldn't remember who he was.

So, it was him all along!
"No, buddy, this is a bit outrageous." Li Yao couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to complain.

In reality, there was nothing between him and Yao Xi. At most, the Holy Maiden was trying to win him over because she saw his great talent.

Li Rui's actions made it seem as if Yao Xi was in love with him. No one cared whether it was true or not; they just wanted to gossip.

It's estimated that rumors have already spread throughout the Holy Land, no wonder Yao Xi was so rude to Li Rui!

Li Yao almost laughed, thinking that Li Rui might have some talent, but his understanding of girls' psychology was probably not as good as his own, someone who had never had any deep or subtle conversations with women.

Yao Xi swayed gracefully, like a blooming fairy flower, and stepped over Li Rui without giving him any face.

Given her shrewd and diplomatic nature, it's rare for her to treat someone like this, which shows just how unpopular Li Rui is with her.

Li Rui did not chase after him. He only murmured unwillingly, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible, and only Li Yao, with his powerful spiritual sense, could hear it.

"That shouldn't be the case. My imitation this time was already very close. I practiced for more than three months, and the other junior students all said it was good enough to fool the real thing..."

Li Yao brandished his knife, and he was truly impressed. He even felt an urge to step forward, pry open Li Rui's head, and see what was inside.

How can someone be so slow-witted!
I didn't find out anything about the matter, but I did get a piece of gossip that was related to me.

Li Yao shook his head speechlessly, turned and left, without having much contact with the people of Yao Guang Holy Land.

Then he stopped passersby and asked them if anything major had happened there, but all the passersby shook their heads, saying they didn't know.

It was almost noon, and he found a place to eat. At his current level, eating was just about indulging his appetite.

Li Yao ate while observing the conversations of the others, but unfortunately, he still found nothing. The place seemed peaceful, and nothing unusual was happening.

Finally, after a hearty meal and drinks, he wandered around the city, visiting dozens of jade gambling shops and buying dozens of source stones.

Source is what he needs most. Although he has a lot of source now, it will only be enough for a short time.

The Heavenly Book can be used in two modes: a luxury mode and a beggar mode. Li Yao felt that he was currently in the beggar mode.

If used freely, the Heavenly Book could drain all of his energy in a very short time.

As night fell, Li Yao checked into a restaurant.

Originally, according to his plan, he should have left this place, but now that something must have happened in Quancheng, Li Yao naturally had to stay and see.

Furthermore, in order to make it easier to gather information, Li Yao did not leave the city to open a cave for cultivation, but chose to live in the city so that he could know as soon as the news spread.

Although he couldn't cultivate, Li Yao didn't waste any time. In the past six months, he had accumulated too many resources. Since resources were useless to keep, he naturally had to make use of them.

The situation in Jinan is changing rapidly. Li Yao estimates that this is only the early stage, and the real powerhouses have probably not yet appeared.

At this moment, he needs to make himself stronger as soon as possible. When the winds of change come together, if you want to transform into a dragon, you need to have the strength.

With 100,000 jin of source material thrown down, Li Yao entered the realm of creation.

A scene appeared in his mind, in which he transformed into a handsome and dashing young man, currently activating the "Word of Movement" technique and unleashing the ultimate speed in the world.

Li Yao remained calm. He had entered the realm of creation countless times and was already used to it.

Time was incredibly precious in the realm of creation, and he dared not waste a moment. Once inside, he began to diligently experience and comprehend it.

The Secret of the Word "Xing" is unparalleled, especially since it is being used by the carefree Celestial Venerable himself. Li Yao is constantly inspired, and his understanding of the Secret of the Word "Xing" has become even deeper.

Things he didn't understand before suddenly became clear. With the same level of cultivation, if he were to use the Xingzi Secret Technique again, his speed would be at least several times faster.

Moreover, the power of the Word "Xing" secret is not just about speed. When this secret is comprehended to a certain extent, it can ignore all obstacles in front of you.

Even if there are many arrays in front of you, you can use the "Travel" technique to walk on flat ground and ignore the arrays.

Of course, there are limits to this. Right now, Li Yao is using the Xingzi Secret Technique, which can probably only ignore the grand formation set up by the Supreme Elder. He can ignore the formations set up by powerful beings to a certain extent, but he cannot be completely unaffected.

Soon, the sixty breaths were over, but Li Yao was still so engrossed in the profound meaning of the Word "Xing" that he could not extricate himself.

With the improvement in his understanding of the "Xing Zi Mi" (a secret technique), Li Yao felt that his comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth had deepened.

Although the Xingzi Secret is not a cultivation technique, as a forbidden secret art of the Carefree Celestial Venerable, its explanation of the Great Dao points directly to the origin, often allowing one to see the most core rules through the fog.

Li Yao's cultivation was increasing. Originally, when he broke through the third level of the Four Extremes Realm, he felt that he would need at least a year to break through to the fourth level.

But now his understanding of the rules of heaven and earth has reached a new level, his cultivation has greatly increased, and the time for breakthrough has been shortened instantly. From more than a year to now nine months, he is confident that he can break through.

Li Yao did not continue to deduce other divine arts, because he knew that trying to do too much at once would be counterproductive. Although he had already grasped the essence of the Word of Movement, he still needed some time to digest it.

He has learned it, but he has only learned it; he hasn't fully mastered it or made it his own.

He needs some time to consolidate his understanding and thoroughly grasp the profound meaning of the "Xing Zi Mi" (行字秘), turning it into his own interpretation.

The next day, Li Yao continued to stroll around Quancheng and was surprised to find that there were even more cultivators in the city today, and none of them were ordinary people.

He saw many extraordinary young people, each with profound cultivation. Such individuals would undoubtedly be considered geniuses among their respective factions.

The local cultivators in Quancheng also noticed something was amiss. Recently, many powerful individuals had appeared in the city, which was clearly no small matter.

"Those are disciples of the Water Palace! My God, each one of them is like a dragon, with a powerful aura. They actually came to Spring City!" someone exclaimed.

The Water Palace is a powerful force in Quanzhou. Within the Quanzhou territory, they are the law, and their words are law.

This force is among the top 500 in the Northern Region, on par with the Xuan Tian Palace.

Li Yao was also drawn in and looked over. He saw a group of young people riding on green-eyed golden-eyed beasts, walking on the water. Each of them had an extraordinary temperament.

Especially the young man who was leading the group, around twenty years old, was handsome and had an extraordinary temperament. He was surrounded by the power of water, like a water deity.

"At the fifth level of the Dao Palace, at such a young age, with such cultivation, he should be the most outstanding prodigy of this generation in the Water Marsh Palace," Li Yao estimated.

Soon, the crowd became agitated again as another group of young cultivators entered through the city gate, causing an even greater commotion this time.

"People from the Holy Land of Myriad Beginnings have also arrived. Those two young people are surrounded by divine radiance, like young gods and goddesses. Who are they? We've never seen them before," someone whispered among themselves.

"The Purple Mansion Holy Land has also arrived, led by two young people, who are absolutely peerless geniuses."

"What's going on? Why are all these young prodigies emerging one after another? Could it be that they're preparing to compete with each other?"

"Isn't it too early? These geniuses are almost all in the second secret realm of the human body. Even the most extraordinary ones have only just stepped into the third secret realm."

"It's mostly because of the tribulation half a year ago. When a peerless genius was undergoing tribulation, these holy lands couldn't sit still, so they sent their own geniuses out to experience it as well."

Everyone was astonished. Prodigies from various holy lands were emerging one after another. The Eastern Wilderness was about to become quite lively.

At this time of year, these young talents attract everyone's attention, with people curious about their combat prowess and wanting to see how far they've come.

Over the next two days, this small city of Jinan became completely bustling with activity.

"The Jiang family has arrived too!"

The city of Quancheng was shaken. There were many forces in the Northern Region, but the ancient Jiang family stood above all others. Only the immortal Yaochi Holy Land could be considered its equal.

In the sky, savage beasts roared as hundreds of strange beasts charged forward, each carrying a powerful knight whose iron armor gleamed. The sky itself rumbled under their trampling.

Li Yao was also watching. Among the hundreds of people, he saw a young man covered in armor riding on a savage beast. He radiated divine light and was as majestic as a god-king.

This young man is extraordinary; he is the only young prodigy he has encountered who has already broken through the Four Extremes Secret Realm in three realms.

The other two are Yao Xi, whom we saw earlier, and the Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion Holy Land!

Yes, the Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion Holy Land also broke through the Four Extremes Secret Realm without anyone knowing, and her cultivation level crushed that of the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion Holy Land.

In the sky, the hundreds of knights charged past and landed on the distant horizon.

The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air, mist drifted, and flower petals danced in the air. A group of girls in white, like fairies on water, appeared in this world.

"I didn't expect people from Yaochi to come too..."

The crowd gasped in surprise. Now, the two most powerful holy lands in the Northern Region had both arrived.

"boom"

It was as if a thousand troops were galloping, and dozens of ancient chariots were crushing across the sky, rumbling as they came, making the heavens tremble.

"Another holy land, also full of young masters!"

"Woo..." The horn blared loudly, deafeningly.

The clouds in the sky were shaken apart, and a huge golden warship flew in, hundreds of feet long, its golden light dazzling and spectacular.

(End of this chapter)