Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 222 Immortal Martial Platform

Fu Yang's expression gradually changed from confusion to surprise, and then to some fear.

Slowly, his body began to tremble slightly, and his expression showed a hint of pain.

The body sitting cross-legged began to involuntarily emanate a dense fluctuation of spiritual energy, and there was a struggle in its eyes.

Inside the thatched hut surrounding him, some bamboo stools and desks trembled violently due to the spiritual energy emanating from his body, and slowly floated into the air.

The spiritual energy fluctuations on Fu Yang's body grew stronger and stronger, and there were also faint traces of black, icy aura circulating around him.

"open!"

"Break through quickly!"

Fu Yang, his body trembling violently, screamed wildly in his heart, trying to break free from the strange power that was trapping his soul.

However, having already exhausted all his efforts to reach the half-step Golden Core realm, the strange power in the dark abyss that trapped his soul surged in wave after wave, gradually making Fu Yang feel a strong sense of powerlessness.

Despair welled up in his heart, and Fu Yang was already filled with regret.

He was confident in his lifelong expertise in array formations, and in his early years he even studied the legendary Void Harmony Corridor Array set up by the Great Lord of Great Brightness, and made some progress.

Even Fu Yang felt that if it weren't for the attack by the King of Fushan, Wu Shikui, and his group, and if he had another hundred years or so, he would definitely have been able to see through most of the Void Harmony Corridor Formation.

Thus, after discovering that the changes in the Laishui River were related to the entire Yangnao region and the Southern Frontier, he had no reservations and rushed over to find out the reason behind these changes that could affect the overall situation of the region.

The way of formations aims to perceive the most subtle changes in the great forces of heaven and earth, to understand the laws of change, and then to integrate them into one's own formations.

For cultivators, the best way to more clearly and intuitively perceive the changes in the world's dynamics is undoubtedly to free their soul from the shackles of their physical body.

This time, Fu Yang took a risk, using a secret technique to separate most of his soul from his body and slowly invade the Laishui River in the distance.

However, this action has led him to his current desperate situation.

Most of his soul was sucked into an endless dark abyss, where an extremely yin and cold terrifying power continuously eroded his soul.

He had struggled for months, and the power from the dark abyss slowly seeped into his body through the connection between his soul and his physical form.

boom!
As the extremely yin and cold aura emanating from Fu Yang's body increased, a thin layer of frost appeared on the surfaces of the bamboo stools and desks suspended in mid-air inside the thatched hut, and then they were all frozen and shattered!
The thatched hut where he had lived for so long was shattered by the powerful spiritual energy mixed with extreme cold, turning into wood chips and thatch scattered everywhere.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Fu Yang, dressed in a gray-white robe, was completely enveloped in purplish-black ice crystals. The surrounding vegetation was also affected by the cold air, with frost forming on its branches and leaves.

Fu Yang's life force was weakening, and his spiritual fluctuations were becoming barely perceptible.

……

Inside the Blackwater Pavilion in Yunshui City.

In the dim light, Shen Yuan, dressed in an indigo robe and with gray hair, sat cross-legged on a futon, resembling a lifelike wooden sculpture.

He held a black chess piece that emitted a faint glow in his right hand, his palm hovering above the chessboard, his eyes fixed on the dozen or so black and white pieces in front of him.

Rays of light flowed across the crisscrossing lines of the chessboard.

Each chess piece also emitted a strange luster.

All of this was naturally what Shen Yuan saw.

The chessboard is just an ordinary chessboard, and the chess pieces are made of ordinary jade.

His indigo robe trembled slightly, and the mysterious and profound power of the Great Evolution permeated his body.

pat!

The sound of a chess piece falling suddenly broke the silence.

A slight recoil caused his body to tremble slightly, and his face instantly turned pale.

"Ugh!"

Looking at the black piece that had fallen onto the chessboard, Shen Yuan sighed heavily and stood up from the futon.

He walked to the second-floor window with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the shimmering water in the distance, his expression deep and solemn.

After pondering quietly for a long time, he slowly walked down from the second floor. When he arrived at the first floor of the Blackwater Pavilion, he suddenly found Shen Li meditating cross-legged in a corner.

Hearing the noise, Shen Li slowly opened her eyes.

"grandfather."

Shen Yuan nodded with a smile, then sat down in front of him.

How has your spiritual practice been lately?

"Are you about to break through the embryonic breathing stage?"

Shen Li hesitated for a moment and then nodded, saying, "It will take some more time, but Li'er doesn't need innate spiritual energy to break through to the embryonic breathing stage."

This is another benefit of her possessing the Gu Spirit Holy Body.

"I have a question in my mind that I would like to ask Grandpa to answer," Shen Li suddenly said after a moment's thought.

"Speak," Shen Yuan said, getting up and bringing over a teapot to pour tea for the two of them.

Shen Li pondered for a moment, then looked up at him and said, "Grandpa, do you still remember when you first met Old Master Xu?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan froze, glancing sideways slightly as he asked, "Xu Xiu?"

Shen Li nodded.

After pouring two cups of tea, Shen Yuan sat back down in front of him.

Holding a teacup in his hands, he looked out of the Blackwater Pavilion, his eyes filled with memories.

"It's been almost a hundred years since I first met that old guy."

"Back then, our Shen family was just an ordinary farming household."

"Grandpa worked tirelessly every day, farming and fishing, so that your father and your uncle could live a good life."

"I first met Xu Xiu at this Blackwater Pool."

His voice was low and slow, seemingly explaining things to Shen Li, but also sounding like he was talking to himself.

"Back then, that old fellow spent twenty taels of silver to have my grandfather cast a net of fish for him."

"Girl, do you know what Grandpa was thinking back then?"

Resting her chin on her hand, Shen Li, who was listening intently, thought for a moment and said, "Does Grandpa think Old Mrs. Xu is foolish?"

Shen Yuan took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.

"I did think that way, but I also felt that the old guy had ulterior motives."

"However, more than anything, it's because I don't want to take advantage of him."

Shen Li's expression was somewhat strange.

"and after?"

Shen Yuan sorted out his thoughts and said, "Later, a net was cast and caught a crocodile."

"Back then, my grandfather was just a mortal; how could he possibly be a match for a crocodile dragon?"

"The net broke, and the fish got away."

"Grandpa wanted to return the silver to him, but the old man refused and instead took two bluefish."

Shen Li seemed to be deep in thought, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Grandpa, do you remember the details of your subsequent encounters with him?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan snapped out of his reverie and looked at her curiously.

"Girl, do you still think that old guy isn't dead?"

Shen Li didn't speak, but waited quietly for his answer.

Shen Yuan recalled the events again, and his expression suddenly changed.

His brows furrowed as he went through his encounter with Xu Xiu in his mind again, his expression suddenly becoming serious.

Seeing this, Shen Li asked, "Grandpa noticed too?"

She picked up the teacup in front of her and sipped it gently.

"At first, Li'er only thought of him as a knowledgeable senior, a mentor and friend."

"However, over the years, as her understanding of the path of witchcraft has deepened, Li'er has discovered that Senior Xu seems to have an even greater secret."

"His understanding of the path of witchcraft alone is something that ordinary cultivators cannot access."

After listening, Shen Yuan pondered for a moment and then briefly recounted the events that Xu Xiu had experienced on several subsequent occasions.

Based on what Shen Li said, he also noticed Xu Xiu's strangeness.

When they met for the second time, Xu Xiu's cultivation level should have been around the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining.

According to him, his lifespan was nearing its end, and he had no more worldly attachments. He gave the Shen family the Five Elements Breathing Technique because he recognized Shen Wenxing's talent and wanted to create a good connection for himself.

Xu Xiu returned to Blackwater Pool for the third time. All the major immortal sects in Danzhou had arrived, and Shen Wen'an had also joined Qiyun Valley.

The fourth time was when he returned from Qiyun Valley, bringing the Shen family a book made of animal hide that recorded the ways of witchcraft.

The fifth and final time, he returned here and stayed.

Prior to this, Shen Yuan had never connected these things together or thought about them carefully.

If Shen Li hadn't mentioned it today, he probably wouldn't have remembered someone who had disappeared for several years.

"Girl, do you think that old guy has some secret?"

Meeting Shen Yuan's solemn gaze, Shen Li shook her head slightly.

"The fox doesn't know."

"But one thing is certain: this person is very knowledgeable and his knowledge spans ancient and modern times. He is very likely a reincarnated person."

The Shen family's understanding of the basics of the cultivation world is now comparable to that of some long-established immortal sects and clans.

"You mean that old guy is the reincarnation of a Golden Core cultivator, and he has awakened his innate wisdom?"

Shen Li nodded slightly and said, "There is another possibility."

"The soul of a strong person possesses another body."

Shen Li said in a deep voice, "It is recorded in the ancient book on animal hide that there is a certain difference between reincarnation and possession."

"If it is a wisp of golden essence reincarnated from a Golden Core cultivator, regardless of whether he can awaken his innate wisdom, he should not be a useless body without spiritual roots."

"Gold is immortal and supreme. If one is reincarnated and reborn, the power it carries will eventually affect the new physical body."

"Let alone a spiritual body or a holy body, it must at least be a celestial seedling with a superior spiritual root."

"Xu Xiushen has no spiritual roots, so it seems more like he has possessed a body."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned and pondered for a moment before realizing that Shen Li's words made a lot of sense.

“Possession is different; it completely preserves all the memories of the previous life, which is equivalent to living again without any risks.”

"But similarly, regaining one's full power is far more difficult than reincarnation."

"After all, the physical body that is possessed is not one's own, and it cannot perfectly match the soul."

"and……"

Shen Li looked slightly suspicious and said, "There's something that I've never really understood."

"Before the spiritual veins of Yangnao Land are restored, it is very difficult to find someone with spiritual roots."

"But in such a vast land of Yangnao, with hundreds of millions of ordinary people, there will eventually be those with spiritual roots and immortal potential. Why did Xu Xiu choose that particular body?"

Shen Yuan rubbed his palms together, pondered for a moment, and said, "This matter is not difficult to understand."

He thought of the story that Shen Wenxing told him when they met Xu Xiu by the Blackwater Pool for the second time.

In the story, Xu Xiu describes himself as a border soldier from Hancheng in He County who accidentally entered a hidden valley while chasing soldiers from the Western Wilderness.

In the valley, they discovered an "immortal" who eventually bestowed upon them the Five Elements Breathing Technique.

From this, Shen Yuan guessed that the story Xu Xiu told might be true.

However, in the story, he should be the old man trapped in the valley, not the "Hancheng soldier".

In the story, he says that after waking up, the old man disappeared and spent decades cultivating alone in the valley.

It was probably after the possession that a long period of time was spent making the soul and body more compatible.

After a moment of silence between the grandfather and grandson, Shen Li spoke again: "Perhaps he is also one of the players behind this grand game of chess..."

……

Deep within Hidden Dragon Mountain.

The once vibrant valley, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, is now tainted by a dense, gloomy atmosphere. The surrounding flowers and plants have withered, and frost has formed on the dead branches and leaves.

Before the rushing waterfall, Fu Yang, dressed in a gray robe, stood blankly on the boulder, his whole body exuding a sinister aura.

Wow!

A deep yet clear sound of chains suddenly echoed in the void behind him.

Upon hearing the noise, Fu Yang suddenly turned around, his gray-white eyes filled with a violent aura as he stared intently at the void from which the sound of chains echoed.

With a wave of his wide sleeves, numerous array patterns appeared around him.

A massive offensive formation was set up in the void, with streaks of Geng metal flashing within it. From the void, a figure dressed in a black fitted robe and wearing a towering crown was forced out.

The figure slowly emerged, revealing a fair-skinned, beardless, and rather handsome young man.

The young man was carrying a dark iron chain.

One end of the chain was attached to a sickle, and the other end was locked to his right wrist.

The metal energy from the attacking formation surrounding him slammed into him, but it was easily blocked by the black robe.

Seeing that the formation was ineffective against his opponent, Fu Yang was about to make another move when the handsome young man suddenly flew out with his hooked sickle chain, like a terrifying giant python, and in the blink of an eye, he tightly wrapped around Fu Yang's body.

"Come with me, for this is your great opportunity."

The young man's voice was ancient and aged, which contrasted sharply with his appearance.

Fu Yang's body was bound by iron chains and he was struggling violently. Upon hearing the young man's voice, he suddenly calmed down.

In the void, the handsome young man flicked his wrist, pulling Fu Yang's body into the air and making it disappear.

……

Danzhou.

Wushanfang Market.

Shen Wen'an and Huang Lingshan strolled through the market, followed by two young men with extraordinary bearing and exuding a strong aura of magical artifacts.

"Senior sister, are you sure there are good things in this market?"

Shen Wen'an's gaze swept over the stalls on both sides of the road, but he didn't see anything that could tempt him.

Huang Lingshan smiled faintly and said, "Of course, there is. Don't be in a hurry."

As soon as he finished speaking, the elegant young man behind him, dressed in a moon-white robe, chuckled and cupped his hands, saying, "Has Senior Sword Immortal received any news?"

Huang Lingshan glanced sideways but ignored her.

The young man was not angry and continued, "Wushan Market is the business of my Xue family. If there are any good things in the market, the Xue family would definitely know about them."

"I think that Senior Sword Immortal and this fellow Daoist should not waste their time."

"There is nothing in this market that can surpass the Hunyuan Spirit Fruit."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an stopped in his tracks, turned around, and cupped his hands, saying, "The Hunyuan Spirit Fruit is a good thing, but I really don't need it."

"Since the Xue family has made their statement, please allow me and my senior sister to make a proper selection."

"Fellow Daoist Xue, do you perhaps lack confidence in your ability to become the champion?"

The young man in white was taken aback for a moment, then smiled calmly.

"Since you two insist, I will not say more. However, the time is approaching, so I hope you can hurry up."

"Don't end up not being able to choose a treasure that's about the same value as the Hunyuan Spirit Fruit."

Shen Wen'an did not answer, and quietly followed Huang Lingshan forward.

After escaping from the old man in the straw hat some time ago, he spent a few days recuperating at the Thousand-Foot Cliff of Yinjian Peak before following Huang Lingshan to Wushan in Danzhou.

Wushan is a sacred and blessed land that is much larger than Qishan.

However, unlike Qishan, Wushan has only one master, namely the Xue family, who are all Golden Core cultivators.

The Xue family has two Golden Core cultivators, making them a powerful force in the entire Danzhou cultivation world, second only to the three upper sects.

The Xue family was quite adept at business, and besides markets and mines, their most famous business was "Xianwutai".

Huang Lingshan brought him to the Xue family precisely because of the Immortal Martial Platform.

The Immortal Martial Platform is divided into four major areas according to the cultivators' realms.

Every ten years, when the Immortal Martial Platform opens, the Xue family will offer corresponding rare and precious materials, inherited cultivation techniques, and other prizes.

Then, a powerful cultivator is sent out to serve as the defending champion.

All cultivators in Danzhou can pay a certain amount of spirit crystals to challenge the corresponding arena, depending on their own cultivation level. Winning five consecutive matches will allow them to take away the prizes from the arena.

If any challenger is not satisfied with the prize, they can go to the various markets and neighborhoods of the Xue family to find something of equal value as a prize, within a time limit of four hours.

Once a challenger chooses this method, they can only choose a prize in the market, and even if no treasure in the entire market is worth more than the prize set by the Xue family, it cannot be changed.

According to Huang Lingshan, the Xue family has a share in the business of the Immortal Martial Platform from all three sects.

She herself is a champion of the Golden Core Arena at the Immortal Martial Platform.

Every time she appeared, regardless of victory or defeat, the Xue family would pay her a reward of one thousand spirit crystals.

However, no challengers have appeared in the Golden Core Arena for more than ten sessions. Every time the Immortal Martial Arena opens, the Golden Core Arena has become nothing more than a formality.

The most exciting part was the arena for the Fetal Breathing Realm.

After Shen Wen'an paid the registration fee of two hundred spirit crystals, he was waiting for the Immortal Martial Platform to open when Huang Lingshan suddenly received a secret letter and hurriedly brought Shen Wen'an to Wushan Market.

Following behind the two were two direct descendants of the Xue family, mainly responsible for bringing back the items Shen Wen'an had selected in the market.

If Shen Wen'an succeeds in the challenge, the Xue family will step in and buy the items back.

If the challenge fails, the item will be returned to its original owner.

Huang Lingshan and Shen Wen'an have been browsing the market for three hours now, but they still haven't decided what to choose.

The two of them were getting impatient.

However, given Huang Lingshan's status, the two dared not show any disrespect and could only continue to follow her.

The two had reached the end of the street and were about to turn onto another street when Huang Lingshan's gaze suddenly fell on the figure squatting by the roadside, wearing a large black cloak and a special mask.

The cloak and mask were special magical artifacts provided by the Xue family, capable of concealing a cultivator's divine sense.

Renting it for one day costs one spirit crystal.

Under normal circumstances, unless it is a valuable treasure being sold, few cultivators are willing to spend spirit crystals to rent such a magical artifact.

Upon seeing this figure, the two Xue family disciples behind him also frowned slightly.

However, neither of them thought that the items this person was selling could be more valuable than the Hunyuan Spirit Fruit.

Huang Lingshan approached the man, slowly squatted down, and glanced at the items placed in front of him.

Shen Wen'an, also curious, squatted down and picked up one of the strange fragments covered in mud, examining it closely. Just as he was about to reach out and scrape the mud off the fragment, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out.

"Fellow Taoist, please wait."

Shen Wen'an paused slightly in his movements and looked at the stall owner with a puzzled expression.

The stall owner cupped his hands slightly and said, "If you don't intend to buy it, it's best not to touch the mud on it."

Hearing this, Huang Lingshan smiled.

"You're quite an interesting person."

"The goods are naturally displayed for sale, so that we may have a good look at them."

"It's just a little mud, it won't damage your things. How can you see the value of things if you don't remove it?"

Upon hearing this, the stall owner shook his head slightly and said, "These are my rules. If you two are worried about being taken advantage of, you can go and take a look elsewhere."

Upon hearing this, the young man from the Xue family in white behind the two immediately wanted to step forward, but was stopped by the figure in green beside him.

"Brother Xuan, don't be impulsive."

“This person did not violate the regulations of the market.”

Upon hearing this, the young man in white reluctantly withdrew his steps.

Shen Wen'an and Huang Lingshan, who were standing in front of the stall, exchanged a glance and both saw the curiosity in each other's eyes.

The items displayed in front of this mysterious stall owner didn't seem particularly interesting at first glance.

Of the dozen or so items, only two were intact; the rest were either damaged or riddled with cracks, and all were dull and lifeless, like scrap metal.

Shen Wen'an examined the fragment in his hand. His weak spiritual sense penetrated the mud on the surface, but he could not sense any obvious aura.

The reason he chose this fragment from more than ten items was because of the pot-shaped ritual implement in his home.

However, the stall owner wouldn't let him remove the surface mud, so he couldn't confirm whether the fragment in his hand was from the same magical artifact as the ones he had obtained before.

After some thought, he suddenly came up with a solution.

When the corpse of the Golden Core Poisonous Dragon was discovered in the Poisonous Forest, the centipede leader dug out the bottom of the pot-shaped magic artifact from the ground. He had already roughly sketched out the shape of the entire magic artifact in his mind.

Judging from its shape, the fragment in front of me does resemble a certain part of that magical artifact.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the price of this item?"

"Fifty spirit crystals." The mysterious stall owner glanced at the fragment in Shen Wen'an's hand and uttered a price that left the two Xue family members behind him speechless.

A palm-sized fragment that doesn't even seem to possess the spiritual essence of a magical artifact is selling for fifty spirit crystals?
This is no different from robbery.

Huang Lingshan frowned upon hearing the price.

"Can you figure out what this thing is?"

As a Golden Core cultivator, she naturally possessed far more knowledge than the two Xue family members behind her.

Ritual artifacts, especially some from ancient times, do not all exhibit obvious spiritual fluctuations.

Ultimately, it's because the ancient weapon-forging techniques differ greatly from the current ones.

Ancient weapon crafting methods often involved inscribing runes and formations inside the materials to better prevent the spiritual energy of cultivators from leaking out when manipulating the artifacts.

The current method of weapon crafting involves inscribing runes and formations on the surface of magical artifacts, which makes the crafting process easier.

However, similarly, the magical artifacts crafted using current methods are far less powerful than some ancient magical artifacts.

Upon hearing Huang Lingshan's telepathic message, Shen Wen'an shook his head slightly.

He simply felt that the fragment was very likely part of a pot-shaped ritual implement.

But the price of fifty spirit crystals is indeed a bit outrageous.

If what we buy is just an ordinary piece of broken copper, then we'll have lost a lot of money.

"Fifty spirit crystals are too expensive."

He put the fragment back on the stall.

Then he began to examine the other objects.

"What is this thing?"

Shen Wen'an suddenly picked up a thick iron plate that was five inches long and more than three inches wide from the stall.

The iron plate was dark black, slightly cool to the touch, and extremely heavy, weighing several tens of kilograms.

Huang Lingshan took the dark iron plate, examined it carefully for a moment, and then turned to the Xue family members and said, "This is it."

Upon hearing this, the two members of the Xue family curiously picked up the iron plate and examined it repeatedly, scanning it with their divine senses. They only felt that this thing should just be a refining material with no special value.

"Are you sure, senior?"

Huang Lingshan nodded with a smile.

The two men didn't say much. The young man in white turned to the stall owner, showed him a seal representing the direct line of the Xue family, and asked, "What is the price of this?"

The stall owner hesitated for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "Five...five hundred spirit crystals."

"what?"

The young man in white from the Xue family narrowed his eyes slightly, and his body was already exuding the aura unique to cultivators in the Fetal Breathing Realm.

"Knowing who I am, you still dare to ask for an exorbitant price?"

"You want five hundred spirit crystals for this piece of junk? Do you really think the Xue family is a sucker?"

The stall owner was clearly frightened, and a look of struggle flashed in his eyes as he said, "I dare not deceive you, young master. I have sacrificed several close friends for these things. If... if you think they are too expensive, I will not sell them to you."

"you!"

The young man in white glared at him, but was interrupted by Huang Lingshan.

"Even at five hundred spirit crystals, your Xue family still made a profit."

"How about this."

She bent down and picked up the fragment that Shen Wen'an had looked at earlier, then looked at the stall owner and said, "Five hundred spirit crystals, including this fragment."

The stall owner remained silent, his gaze fixed on the Xue family members.

“Since you’ve spoken, senior, let’s do it this way,” another member of the Xue family in blue said with a smile.

A hint of gratitude flashed in the stall owner's eyes. Just as he was waiting to collect the spirit crystals, he saw the Xue family member in blue take out a dark green jade tablet from his pocket, cast a beam of mysterious light into the tablet, and hand it to the man.

"Young master, this is..."

The stall owner clearly didn't know what this meant.

However, a cultivator nearby stepped forward and said, "This is the token of the Xue family's Immortal Martial Platform. If your things are used, you can take the token to the Xue family to collect spirit crystals later."

"If you don't need it, you can have it returned."

"Moreover, from the moment you receive this token, your stall fee in the market will be waived during the waiting period."

Upon hearing this, the stall owner hesitated for a moment before silently putting away the jade pendant.

"Senior, let's go."

The two members of the Xue family bowed respectfully, and the group of four immediately left Wushan Market and headed towards Xianwu Platform.

The Immortal Martial Platform's Fetal Breathing Realm arena is the most popular arena.

For each challenge, the Xue family would spend several days preparing and promoting it.

This timeframe not only gives the Xue family enough time to notify the arena champion to come and defend the arena, but its main purpose is also to attract more cultivators to place bets.

The reason why the Immortal Martial Platform allowed the Xue family to make a fortune and provide enough benefits to bribe the three upper sects to ensure its long-term operation was that, in addition to the registration fees paid by challengers, the betting odds were the main source of income.

Shen Wen'an and Huang Lingshan rested in the guest rooms arranged by the Xue family for more than ten days, and finally the day of his appearance arrived.

Inside the guest room, Huang Lingshan glanced at the ultimatum sent by the Xue family and smiled as she spoke:
"The Xue family really didn't underestimate you."

"These individuals are quite famous on the Immortal Martial Platform in the Nascent Soul Realm."

Shen Wen'an glanced at the ultimatum and discovered that the opponents this time included two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and one Nascent Soul Perfection cultivator.

The other two are cultivators at the fourth level of body cultivation.

"I wish I hadn't come with my senior sister."

"The Xue family must have arranged such a lavish lineup for me because of my senior sister."

Shen Wen'an wiped the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand and made a rare joke.

As a sword immortal and the champion of the Golden Core Realm on the Immortal Martial Platform, the Xue family naturally had some understanding of Huang Lingshan's strength.

This time, she brought Shen Wen'an with her, so the Xue family naturally didn't dare to underestimate her and brought out such a luxurious response team.

Even Shen Wen'an felt that if the Xue family hadn't announced the rules themselves, only one of the five champions would have been one level higher than the challenger.

This time, the Xue family will probably send out five of their strongest Nascent Soul Realm champions to challenge me.

"Your win/loss ratio during the trading session has also been released."

"Senior sister has staked everything on you to win this time. If you lose, you'll be in big trouble."

"Let's go."

With the ultimatum in hand, the two left the guest room and headed towards the Immortal Martial Arena.

The Xue family's martial arts arena was built in a huge valley.

The valley was surrounded by a magic array, which also provided many excellent viewing spots.

Tickets for these stands are also a source of revenue.

After all, for cultivators, when they encounter a bottleneck, watching cultivators of the same realm fight each other can provide a certain chance to find an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Some powerful clans' direct descendants and prodigies are also willing to spend a little money to come to the Immortal Martial Platform to broaden their horizons.

Shen Wen'an was already quite well-known in Danzhou.

However, this reputation was merely a rumor between him and Huang Lingshan, and he had no actual achievements.

Many cultivators from Danzhou did not know much about him when he appeared at the Immortal Martial Platform.

Especially after seeing the five cultivators that the Xue family had arranged to defend the arena, most of the cultivators were not optimistic about Shen Wen'an and thought that he could not possibly succeed in the challenge.

After all, each of the five defending cultivators announced has a winning streak and is already well-known on the Nascent Soul Realm stage.

For this reason, the odds for Shen Wen'an have reached 3 to 1.

Huang Lingshan frankly stated that she had staked everything on this, and if Shen Wen'an succeeded in the challenge, she would definitely make a fortune.

At the entrance of the Immortal Martial Platform formation, Shen Wen'an presented the ultimatum. After verifying his identity, an elder from the Xue family, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, please come in."

"Fellow Daoist, you already know the rules of the Immortal Martial Platform, right?"

"You cannot use talisman arrays that you did not refine yourself, nor can you take any pills or external substances."

"If no one admits defeat but there are casualties, the Xue family will not be held responsible."

"Alright, enough nonsense. I've already told him everything." Huang Lingshan spoke calmly from behind, interrupting the old man's rambling.

The old man from the Xue family chuckled, not daring to show any dissatisfaction, and cupped his hands, saying, "Since Senior Sword Immortal has already explained, then I will not waste my breath."

"Fellow Taoist, please."

He waved his hand to open the formation, indicating that Shen Wen'an could go in.

"Fight hard, and you can have a share of the spirit crystals you win."

Watching Shen Wen'an's retreating figure, Huang Lingshan spoke softly.

She had great confidence in Shen Wen'an, but not absolute confidence that he could succeed in the challenge.

After all, the challenge at the Immortal Martial Platform is a series of battles with no recovery time in between.

Of the five opponents, the two Body Cultivation Realm Fourth Stage cultivators were the biggest obstacles, while the cultivator at the Perfected Fetal Breathing Realm was the trump card.

In a one-on-one fight, Huang Lingshan believed that Shen Wen'an could easily defeat him.

However, if they were to be exhausted after four major battles, and then face the champion who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, the outcome would be uncertain.

Shen Wen'an slowly walked into the great formation, and the formation behind him gradually closed.

On the stands surrounding the valley, cultivators from all over Danzhou cast curious glances at him as he made his appearance.

"This person looks very young; he probably won't even be old enough to break through to the embryonic breathing stage."

"This boy's talent is beyond question. To be chosen by that young sword immortal of Qingluo Sword Pavilion, he must be a genius."

However, I haven't heard of any actual combat achievements, so I'm afraid he lacks some practical experience.

"The opponents that the Xue family has arranged for him this time are all very difficult to deal with. I just don't know how long he can hold out."

"In my opinion, the Xue family is making a fuss over nothing, thinking that this boy came with the Sword Immortal Ling Shan and is paying too much attention to him."

If he can't even last two matches, it would be a bit disrespectful to the Sword Immortal.

“Fellow Daoist, your words are somewhat inappropriate. The Xue family certainly cannot simply hand over their treasures for nothing. A single Hunyuan Spirit Fruit is worth at least two thousand spirit crystals. By using this as a gimmick, we can attract more challengers and earn even more.”

……

The crowd in the stands was buzzing with discussion, while Shen Wen'an on the Immortal Martial Platform stood with his sword in his arms, waiting for his first opponent to appear.

The array on the other side of the Immortal Martial Platform was slowly opened.

A figure wearing half-armor armor, with a ferocious beast totem tattooed on his right shoulder, and wearing fiery red gauntlets strode forward.

This figure was about ten feet tall, with a rainbow-like aura around its body, and one could faintly see the tangible blood flames spreading around it.

With each step he took, a heavy echo reverberated within the formation of the Immortal Martial Platform.

Shen Wen'an looked at him quietly, his brows slightly furrowed.

Throughout his cultivation journey, the strongest body cultivator he had ever encountered was Qi Dashan, who was stationed at Jinghe Market by the Vajra Sect back then.

Qi Dashan is also a fourth-realm body cultivator.

Judging from his aura alone, this person is much stronger than Qi Dashan.

"I am Tong Qing, a rogue cultivator of the fourth realm of body cultivation."

The body cultivator stopped slowly when he was thirty feet away from Shen Wen'an, cupped his hands and spoke.

Its sound was like a resounding bell, causing faint ripples to appear in the surrounding air.

Shen Wen'an frowned.

Is this guy trying to intimidate me right from the start?
"Shen Wen'an, a sword cultivator in the late stage of the embryonic breathing realm."

He calmly cupped his hands in greeting, introduced himself, and then slowly drew his Dragon-Slaying Sword.

"Fellow Daoist, be careful. If you can't hold on, quickly admit defeat."

"My fists are fast and powerful, so please don't harm my fellow Daoist."

Tong Qing grinned widely, speaking with a hearty laugh, his bloodlust growing even stronger.

Shen Wen'an pointed his longsword diagonally at the ground and said calmly, "Same, but my sword is faster."

He wasn't good at wasting words; he was only thinking about how to defeat his opponent quickly so as not to waste more sword energy.

Seeing that Shen Wen'an's expression remained calm and undisturbed, Tong Qing knew that the other party had a remarkable composure, so he stopped talking nonsense.

His internal energy suddenly exploded, and his figure instantly shot out more than ten feet, swinging his huge fist to smash towards Shen Wen'an!
This is how body cultivators always attack.

In a life-or-death struggle, if you let them get close, you've already lost half the battle.

If a cultivator of the same cultivation level were to get close to them, their death would be almost certain.

Shen Wen'an was aware of this as well, but when he saw Tong Qing charging towards him like a terrifying beast, he immediately swung his Dragon-Slaying Sword upwards!
Wow!

The Tide Sword Technique was activated, and wave after wave of water crashed against Tong Qing's burly body.

This move is effective both offensively and defensively when facing other cultivators of the same level, and it never fails.

However, Tong Qing, who was being battered by wave after wave, exuded an unyielding aura. With his powerful physique, he forcefully broke through wave after wave of attacking waves!

"Such a strong physical body..."

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an felt a sense of surprise.

Over the years, his mastery of the Tide Sword Technique has reached a level of consummate skill.

The Tidal Sword Technique he unleashed could easily shatter the scales of a Nascent Soul Realm demon beast with each tidal wave; even cultivators at the late Nascent Soul Realm of the Immortal Path dared not withstand it head-on.

But Tongqing not only withstood the tide, it also surged forward against the tide.

Its physical strength is so great that it can be considered a magical artifact.

Tong Qing was unaware of Shen Wen'an's inner surprise; he himself was so frustrated he felt like he was about to vomit blood.

Body cultivators need to consume a lot of qi and blood to build physical defense.

While he seemed to have easily broken through the waves formed by the Tide Sword Technique, in fact, his blood and qi were churning from the shock of each wave, making him feel very uncomfortable!
With his eyes narrowed and his blood and qi surged, Tong Qing suddenly leaped high into the air!

"break!"

His glove-clad fist slammed down fiercely into the surging wave!
The terrifying fist, enveloped in blood flames, resembled a burning fire, rapidly compressing the surrounding air and forming a red-glowing energy that slammed into the earth!
boom!
With a deafening roar, the ground beneath Shen Wen'an's feet was instantly shattered by this punch containing terrifying destructive power!
His body was also forced to fly back dozens of feet.

Bang!
As Tong Qing landed, amidst the flying rubble shattered by his feet, he unleashed a terrifying speed once more and charged forward.

He had already experienced the power of the Tide Sword Technique, and naturally did not want to give Shen Wen'an another chance to use it.

Shen Wen'an, who had been thrown back dozens of feet, did not rush to use his trump card to deal with him.

As most people in the stands guessed, he had indeed not experienced many battles in his cultivation so far.

At least it didn't involve much close fighting.

This time, I've finally encountered a body cultivator with decent strength. By fighting him for a few rounds, I can figure out his fighting style and gain some experience in combat.

But then he saw Tong Qing rushing towards him, his body radiating a blood-red aura. Shen Wen'an lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure instantly flew into the air.

With his right hand holding a long sword behind his back, and his left hand pointing the sword vertically in front of his chest.

Golden rays flashed, and a three-inch-long golden sword appeared at his fingertips.

The small golden sword emitted a sharp sword light and slowly rotated.

Upon seeing this, Tong Qing below suddenly grinned, revealing a strange smile!

boom!
With a single step, his legs unleashed terrifying power, instantly propelling him into the air as he charged towards Shen Wen'an in the void.

The design of the Immortal Martial Platform seems to have taken into account the fact that physical cultivators cannot use magic to fly.

The array shield above their heads limited their height, ensuring that the physical cultivator's explosive power could directly attack enemies flying in the air during a jump.

But then Tong Qing shattered the earth and pounced forward, and Shen Wen'an's sword finger also moved!

With a flick of his sword finger, the three-inch-long Dragon Soul Magic Sword flew out first!

The moment the golden magic sword flew away from the fingertip, it split into two, then into four...

In the blink of an eye, a dense net of swords formed in front of them!
Two hundred and fifty-six golden magic swords enveloped Tong Qing's body, their sharp blades relentlessly attacking him, leaving him struggling to cope.

Shen Wen'an also hovered quietly in the air, observing his every move.

(End of this chapter)