To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

When Xu Changsheng appeared, everyone secretly wondered which one he would choose.

"Choose Chen Suzhen, choose Chen Suzhen!" Xin Rui shouted in his heart.

Not long after Gu Fan joined the Lingxiao Sect, he heard that Xu Changsheng would almost certainly become a true disciple, and that the cultivation technique he practiced was the "Shenxiao Langhuan Golden Book," the same as that practiced by the sect leader Qi Zongyuan.

Decades have passed, and Xu Changsheng's cultivation has long since broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, making him the top disciple vying for the position this year.

But this was the first time Gu Fan had seen Xu Changsheng take action.

Xu Changsheng's gaze swept over them, and the other two participating disciples immediately felt a chill in their hearts, while only Chen Suzhen remained calm.

Just as everyone was speculating, Xu Changsheng suddenly turned to look at a young man in purple robes and said with a smile, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Ji Xuan."

These words were like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples.

There's no other reason than that Ji Xuan wasn't a disciple vying for a position this year, but rather a true disciple from the previous year!

Ji Xuan was dressed in a purple Bagua immortal robe, with a lotus crown on his head. He had a white face and no beard, and his phoenix eyes were as calm as an ancient well. After hearing what Xu Changsheng said, a hint of murderous aura suddenly appeared on his face.

Then, Ji Xuan walked down the stone platform as if nothing had happened.

He didn't leap down; instead, he descended step by step, as if walking down stairs in mid-air.

With each step Ji Xuan took, a bolt of lightning would explode beneath his feet.

On the golden auspicious cloud, all the Golden Core elders quietly looked at Qi Zongyuan.

Before Xu Changsheng, Ji Xuan was almost about to become Qi Zongyuan's disciple, but Qi Zongyuan never gave him permission, a fact known to all the Golden Core elders.

They all thought that the two would inevitably have a battle after they formed their cores, but they did not expect that Xu Changsheng would bring the battle forward.

Once a disciple of the previous generation is defeated, they are not eligible to challenge again!

In the eyes of the Golden Core elders, it was only reasonable for someone who had occupied the position of true disciple for sixty years and received preferential treatment in resources to be defeated by a junior.

"Trying to dethrone me? What a pipe dream!"

Ji Xuan stood in mid-air, stepping on lightning, his eyes meeting Xu Changsheng's. Even as the bell rang, he did not immediately make a move.

After a long silence, Ji Xuan said coldly, "If you admit defeat now, you can suffer less physical pain; otherwise, the thunder in my palm will show no mercy."

Xu Changsheng suddenly smiled, his cold and stern face blooming like a plum blossom in winter.

"You're scared!"

"What?" Ji Xuan frowned.

Xu Changsheng laughed and said, "If you weren't afraid, why would you say such a thing? Judging from your style, you would probably have been struck by lightning long ago."

"Back then, I only received a word of praise from the sect leader, yet you showed no mercy, did you?"

As he spoke, Xu Changsheng patted his chest.

No one could see the burn scar there, a memento left by Ji Xuan, because he had an extremely high talent for cultivating the "Divine Firmament Golden Book" and received praise from Qi Zongyuan.

Afterwards, Qi Zongyuan did not express his opinion, and may not even have known about the matter.

But Xu Changsheng always remembered this scar.

Ji Xuan was furious. In an instant, a lightning spear condensed in his palm and shot it fiercely at Xu Changsheng.

Xu Changsheng's response was also a thunder spear.

The two lightning spears collided, instantly exploding with a thunderous sound, and the area within a radius of ten feet was filled with lightning.

After the first strike, neither of them held back at all.

All the people could see were two streaks of lightning flashing within the barrier, and the sound of thunder could be heard in their ears; it was almost impossible to catch a glimpse of the two figures.

On the cloud above, Qi Zongyuan saw this scene and smiled, a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth.

Xu Changsheng and Ji Xuan actually exchanged blows for a quarter of an hour.

"Goodness, how much magic power must that have?" Meng Wei muttered to himself among the onlookers.

Meng Wei, who also cultivated the "Divine Firmament Langhuan Golden Book," was even more aware of the energy depletion the two had experienced.

Each bolt of lightning required a considerable amount of magical power to strike; if it were him, he would probably have run out of magical power by now.

The lightning stopped, and Ji Xuan's face turned ashen.

"How do you possess so much magical power?"

Although both are at the late Foundation Establishment stage, he has been a true disciple for sixty years and has already begun preparing for Core Formation, so his magical power is naturally extremely strong.

Therefore, Ji Xuan was overjoyed when the two turned into a war of attrition.

Unexpectedly, a moment later, his magical power had been mostly depleted, but Xu Changsheng remained unfazed.

The only response he received was Xu Changsheng's inscrutable smile.

Seeing that Xu Changsheng ignored him, Ji Xuan reached out and summoned a blue magic sword.

A flick of the sword finger across the blade caused a burst of lightning.

On the stone platform, Gu Fan was taken aback when he saw the magic sword.

"This magic sword is far more than just a high-grade magic weapon; it likely incorporates high-level spiritual materials and, with a little refinement, could become a true magic treasure!"

Inside the barrier, Ji Xuan, sword in hand, sneered, "I'd like to see how many sword strikes you can withstand!"

After he finished speaking, lightning surged on the magic sword.

But the next moment, Ji Xuan's expression froze.

Xu Changsheng did not reveal his magic weapon. Instead, he soared into the air, formed a hand seal, and stepped into the Seven Star Step.

In an instant, a large mass of black thunderclouds gathered in the sky, with streaks of silver snakes rolling within them.

Xu Changsheng pointed his fingers like a sword and chanted:

Xu Changsheng pointed his fingers like a sword and chanted:

"Heaven has bestowed its favor upon me, and creation has given birth to thunder."

Upon seeing this, Ji Xuan was filled with disbelief and shouted, "Impossible! How could you possibly unleash a Lesser Heavenly Tribulation!"

At this moment, Xu Changsheng was unleashing the killing move from the "Divine Firmament Golden Book"—Minor Heavenly Tribulation!

Ji Xuan knew the conditions for performing this technique well—not only did he need profound magical power, but more importantly, he needed to leave a lightning mark in his body as a catalyst.

After forming the Golden Core, one needs to draw upon the essence of heaven and earth to refine the Golden Core. The Nine Heavens Thunder Qi is also a kind of essence of heaven and earth. By using a secret technique, one can leave a thunderous mark during the refining process.

But that's something only those who have reached the Core Formation stage can do!

Ji Xuan's mind raced, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned to look in Chen Suzhen's direction.

"The Vast Ocean Profound True Scripture, the Profound Divine Water—you actually cultivated the Thunder Pool for this day!"

A bitter taste suddenly rose in Ji Xuan's mouth.

He naturally knew the cultivation method of Lei Chi, but he never thought of practicing it, because it was simply not worth the effort.

To cultivate the Thunder Pool, one must first gradually refine the Heavy Profound Divine Water within the body, and then use the condensing power of the Heavy Profound Divine Water to compress the lightning.

Each time he refined a drop of the Profound Divine Water, his body felt as if it were carrying a mountain on its back. If he was not careful, the Profound Divine Water would erupt, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Only after refining the Divine Water of the Profound Realm into a Thunder Pool could the condensed power be sufficient to generate a thunderous mark.

Even this lightning mark was temporary.

The Thunder Pool is like a reservoir; once the sluice gates are opened, it will drain away, and the thunder imprint will dissipate.

Ji Xuan suddenly realized why Xu Changsheng's magical power was so strong; it turned out that he had a one-time use Thunder Pool as support.

"You've really gone to great lengths for today's battle."

"Even if you possess the Thunder Pool, unleashing the full power of the Lesser Heavenly Tribulation is wishful thinking. I'd like to see how many strikes you can manage!"

Ji Xuan gritted his teeth, but did not give up. As a true disciple, he had his own pride.

He raised his magic sword high, his pupils reflecting the figure of Xu Changsheng beneath the thunderclouds.

Just then, Xu Changsheng recited the last two lines of the incantation and pointed his sword-like finger at Ji Xuan.

"Thoughts are the laws of Heaven, revealing profound mysteries."

"Minor Heavenly Tribulation!"

The next instant, a thunderbolt descended from the sky.

Ji Xuan summoned a white jade ruyi to protect his head, and bravely unleashed a sword light against the lightning, but the sword light was quickly shattered by the lightning.

After the three bolts of lightning struck, the white jade ruyi shattered with a crack.

Then a bolt of lightning struck down, colliding with the magic sword in Ji Xuan's hand.

Ji Xuan roared to the sky, and the lotus crown on his head suddenly shattered. His black hair fluttered in the wind, and he actually cut the lightning in half with a sword, his figure soaring into the sky!

Xu Changsheng's eyes gleamed, and he pointed his sword at Ji Xuan again, immediately unleashing a thunderbolt as thick as a bucket.

Ji Xuan's soaring figure instantly plummeted to the ground!

The lightning, carrying Ji Xuan, struck the ground, leaving a charred crater about ten feet in diameter. In the center of the crater was Ji Xuan, convulsing and trying to get up.

A ray of sunlight shone on Ji Xuan's face. Xu Changsheng's lightning pool was finally exhausted, and the minor heavenly tribulation was forced to end.

The Lesser Heavenly Tribulation, also known as the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, originally consisted of thirty-six tribulations.

However, with his late Foundation Establishment cultivation, Xu Changsheng could only unleash five bolts of lightning using the Thunder Pool before his magical power was about to be exhausted.

"You lost." Xu Changsheng descended from the sky and said to Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan, supporting himself with his magic sword, stood up tremblingly, though his purple Bagua Immortal Robe was charred black.

"I haven't...lost yet!"

Xu Changsheng frowned, extended his finger and released a bolt of lightning, which instantly struck Ji Xuan's right chest.

Ji Xuan was struck hard and fell backward, revealing a charred scar on his right chest.

"I'm returning that blow to you from back then."

A look of reminiscence flashed in Xu Changsheng's eyes. Only he knew how much he had endured for this day.

"Enough, the battle is over!"

Above the auspicious clouds, Qi Zongyuan solemnly spoke, his gaze sweeping over the two men, and continued, "Xu Changsheng has won, and Ji Xuan has lost his status as a true disciple."

Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan immediately tried to get up, but was stopped by Qi Zongyuan's stern gaze.

"Disciple... obeys." Ji Xuan's lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately chose to bow his head.

......

Xu Changsheng ascended the stone platform of the true disciples, and all around was silent.

It wasn't until Liu Shentong announced that the next disciple would take the stage that the place became as lively as a boiling pot.

With the battle between Xu Changsheng and Ji Xuan preceding them, the subsequent matches became rather dull, with no one challenging the previous generation's true disciple, and even no one challenging Xu Changsheng.

Chen Suzhen was challenged twice more. Although she lost a lot of magical power, she still managed to withstand it. After returning to the stone platform, she ate a lot of qi-replenishing pills.

As for Liu Daoyuan and another disciple from this year's competition, they unfortunately lost and were eliminated.

Of the three people standing at the True Disciple's seat, besides Chen Suzhen, Gu Fan also recognized one other person, Qu Yanfeng, who had been taught fire techniques by Li Kunyuan at Shenji Peak.

This disciple from Shenxiu Peak, simply standing there quietly, resembled a volcano about to erupt at any moment, his fire magic suppressing his opponent so much that he couldn't even lift his head.

"Finally, it's my turn!"

Gu Fan's expression changed, and he stepped off the stone platform.

After scanning the area, Gu Fan cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Senior Sister Luo."

The person Gu Fan chose was named Luo Qingyao, a female cultivator from Qingyun Peak.

Luo Qingyao shrugged helplessly, as if she had expected Gu Fan to challenge her. Like a cloud emerging from a mountain, she leaped out and blinked her eyes, which were like autumn waves.

"Please, Junior Brother Gu, show mercy."