From the third to the ninth level, Li Sheng adapted slightly and then swiftly defeated them, facing no difficulty at all. Crushing through to the tenth level, a shadow identical to him appeared, with a heavenly-level divine seed floating behind it. The doppelgänger attacked first, transforming into a divine ability, and the terrifying pressure made Li Sheng's heart tighten. He quickly used the same divine ability.
On the empty arena, two fierce tigers, each over ten feet long, roared and clashed violently. Every attack from the doppelgänger—each pounce, tail swipe, and bite—was executed flawlessly. It seemed to use only fifty percent of its strength yet could withstand Li Sheng's full power. The precision of its control and the application of its divine ability were taken to an extreme, exuding a sense of violent beauty.
Despite identical divine abilities and explosive power, a significant gap remained. This battle made him feel uncomfortable, as he was completely suppressed without any ability to counter. As time passed, his situation became increasingly perilous, dancing on the edge of a blade. After enduring for several breaths, Li Sheng had no choice but to abandon the fight; the disparity was too great. Continuing would mean risking his life, which would compromise his mental state.
Upon exiting the arena, Li Sheng did not leave but began to cultivate right there. He pressed a technique crystal to his forehead; it instantly vaporized, transforming into a cool mist that entered his mind. Within his sea of consciousness, a figure wielding a long sword continuously slashed, and Li Sheng conjured a spiritual long sword, mimicking its movements, from the force application to the connection of techniques.
Li Sheng absorbed the nutrients like a sponge, immersed in it for an entire day. As the technique crystal gradually depleted, his understanding of the Extreme Force Realm deepened. When the last piece of the technique crystal was consumed, the spiritual sword in his hand slowly dissipated, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Extreme Force Realm, achieved!"
For the next six days, apart from refining pills and combining martial arts, Li Sheng spent all his time in the Hundred Battle Arena, advancing through to the nineteenth level. His technique realm reached the second stage of the Subtle Realm, increasing his strength by about fifty percent compared to seven days ago.
After leaving the Black Tower, Li Sheng arrived at the spirit vein area, where all fifty gathering rooms were fully occupied. Among them, several disciples had reached the fifth realm, while the rest were around the eighth realm. Li Sheng nodded in satisfaction, feeling quite pleased.
At that moment, Bai Ye approached with a serious expression. "Senior brother, something has happened to senior sister!"
"Something happened to senior sister? What's going on?"Li Sheng's expression changed.
"Senior sister killed the son of the Southern Town King and the seventeenth prince of the Great Flame, and now several masters from the Great Flame are pursuing her; her whereabouts are currently unknown!"Worry glimmered in Bai Ye's eyes.
"Masters pursuing... whereabouts unknown... and the Great Flame royal family again!"Li Sheng's expression darkened; his disgust for this so-called royal family had reached its peak. Treating millions of common people as resources for cultivation and now bullying his senior sister was simply too much!
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Given his senior sister's usually gentle nature, she would not provoke trouble; surely, it was the other party who angered her, forcing her to take drastic action. "The Great Flame will eventually be eradicated, along with that so-called Hongyu Sacred Ground!"Li Sheng's face was filled with anger.
Bai Ye sighed, and the following words chilled his heart. "Senior sister's identity as a demon cultivator has been exposed; her situation is now extremely difficult... Unfortunately, her recovery time is still short; she has only just entered the sixth realm and can't help much..."
"This... truly, what one fears often comes to pass..."
"Junior sister, I have to go out for a while; I'll leave the matters within the sect to you. If any demons attack, notify me using the mystic stone."Li Sheng instructed softly.
"Senior brother, are you going to rescue senior sister?"Bai Ye looked up, her eyes flickering with an indescribable meaning.
"Yes!"
"Senior brother isn't afraid of becoming an enemy to the world?"
"I am afraid, how could I not be..."Li Sheng shook his head and laughed.
"Then why go?"Bai Ye asked with amusement.
"You know that I am kind-hearted, not fond of conflict; as long as I can cultivate to a point where no one dares to bully me, I will be satisfied, with no great ambitions... There are few close to me, I can count them on one hand, so I naturally must cherish them. Otherwise, when I am invincible in the future, yet alone in sharing that joy, how lonely it would be..."
"Then I wish senior brother to be invincible in the world ahead of time; take care on your journey."Bai Ye rolled her eyes but felt a warmth in her heart.
Li Sheng nodded, turning to leave.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, extending to the eastern horizon. On the way, Li Sheng split off a strand of mental energy to probe into the mystic stone space.
The walls recorded three pieces of news.
The first: The Great Flame's ancestor, Yan Shengjing, joined forces with Hongyu and neighboring countries to form the Seven Star Alliance, re-entering Lingchuan Prefecture to harvest all calamity-level demons.
The second: A demon cultivator emerged in the world, first striking down five Spirit Nourishing Realm experts, one pseudo-master, and over a hundred Blood Transport Realm practitioners. This included the son of the Southern Town King and the seventeenth prince of the Great Flame, who were chased by three masters to the Longyin Marsh, with their whereabouts unknown.
The third: Numerous geniuses have entered Lingchuan Prefecture, aiming to capture the demon cultivator woman.
These three pieces of news made Li Sheng's mood fluctuate again, and he quickened his pace.
Longyin Marsh spanned thousands of miles, filled with toxins and treacherous terrain, located over four thousand miles from Qingling Sect.
Half an hour later, a bolt of lightning struck the perimeter of Longyin Marsh.
In the dense forest, Li Sheng frowned; it was still over ten miles to the marsh, yet the rotting aura made him feel uncomfortable. He moved forward, and as he drew closer, the stench in the air grew more pungent.
Along the way, the trees grew in a strange manner, twisted and menacing. When nearing the marsh, Li Sheng slowed his pace, for ahead at the entrance stood over a hundred people gathered.
These individuals were dressed in flamboyant attire, exuding extraordinary aura. A glance was enough for Li Sheng to guess their identities.
"Are these the geniuses from the Genius List?"
Li Sheng paused for a moment, then moved forward. As he approached, the crowd merely glanced at him and lost interest.
Not rushing to enter, Li Sheng saw this as an opportunity to gather information. He then spotted a somewhat plump, good-natured youth and walked up to him.
"I'm Li Dalong. Nice to meet you, brother. Do you have any news about that mysterious demon girl?"
"Why, you little skinny brat, you want to capture a demon? Be careful not to get drained by her!"
"Oh? Why is that?"Li Sheng asked, perplexed, wondering what his senior sister had done this time.
"I heard that the demon girl is nine feet tall, wide nine feet, and has a fierce appearance, devouring anyone she encounters, especially liking delicate-looking fellows like you!"
"Uh..."Li Sheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry; what kind of nonsense was this? His senior sister, while not stunning, was gentle and elegant, certainly easy on the eyes.
"Could it be that Lingchuan Prefecture has birthed a second demon cultivator?"Li Sheng speculated to himself.