Shuro unleashed the Fire Law Escape Technique, and his fist stirred up a wave of energy, breaking through the dense air, rotating, carrying immense force, and directly targeting Alan's back.
Qi and blood flowed through Shuro's meridians simultaneously, and just as his fist was about to hit Alan's back, Shuro's eyes flashed with red and white light, and his Qi and blood burst forth, erupting with nearly a hundred thousand pounds of force.
The seven rounds reappeared, and Shuro's power surged once again, with even more potential to tap into.
From the eruption of Qi and blood, to the fist wave about to hit Alan's back, it took less than a finger snap's worth of time. However, Shuro then found that neither his body nor his fist could move forward even half an inch!
Alan held a hand seal in his hand, turned his head to the side, and stared at Shuro playfully, enunciating each word slowly: "Galaxy Profound Weight Technique!"
Hum!
The air trembled! To the naked eye, the space within three steps of Alan seemed to be twisted, like ripples in the sea, with waves swirling and rippling. Shuro's fist wave was trapped within the whirlpools and ripples, trembling, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
At this moment, it was too late for Shuro to try to break free.
"Now you should know the difference between us. Not to mention you and Luis... So, as a newcomer, you should have the consciousness of a newcomer."
The young cultivator glanced lightly at Shuro and, without pausing, pounced toward Lee.
Lee clenched his fists tightly, ready to fight desperately. Faithe's face was pale, but she also stepped forward, her eyes filled with determination. Just having reached the second stage of Foundation Establishment, her power was far inferior to Alan's, but her gaze was incredibly resolute.
Alan noticed the thoughts of the two, and his hand seals moved again. Space distorted once more, and in the air, whirlpools emerged, trapping Lee and Faithe within.
Lee was one thing, but Faithe's figure was already incredibly graceful. Bound by the invisible force of the air, her proud figure was fully revealed.
Alan, after all, was a young man who had just descended the mountain for the first time. Seeing this scene, his mind wavered, and he was stunned, unable to react.
A series of surprised voices sounded from behind.
Alan turned his head, but was still a beat too slow.
"What! How is this possible!" Alan's eyes revealed shock.
He saw that the young man, who had been trapped under the "Galaxy Profound Weight Technique," had somehow torn apart the whirlpools and ripples in an almost impossible manner, breaking free. His entire body was enveloped in two completely different lights—rippling water in front of him and soaring flames behind him—as if he were an incarnation of water and fire combined.
"The Galaxy Profound Weight Technique is a technique of the Upper Eighth Grade. Could his technique be of the Upper Seventh Grade?" Just as Alan was surprised, Shuro had already pounced.
At this moment, Shuro finally understood a trace of the true essence of the Seven Law Escape Technique.
This was a combined enhancement technique.
The Seven Law Escape Technique consisted of seven laws, with the lowest level of power when only one law was used. However, if two laws were fused, the power would be enhanced, and the grade would also increase accordingly. Fusion of three laws would further raise it by one level, and so on.
Just now, trapped under the "Galaxy Profound Weight Technique," Shuro, seeing that Alan had unexpectedly involved Faithe as well, felt anger rising in his heart. Qi and blood erupted simultaneously, though he didn't break through the whirlpools of air, his subconscious triggered the Water Law and the Fire Law.
After the Water Law and the Fire Law broke through each other's opposing defenses in the air, they unexpectedly merged into a sphere of water and fire on Shuro's forehead. The power contained within that sphere erupted violently, breaking through the Galaxy Profound Weight Technique.
In the blink of an eye, Shuro was already in front of Alan.
His fist carried two completely different atmospheres, seemingly complementing each other. The power within had already exceeded a hundred thousand pounds.
In an instant, the two had exchanged twenty punches, each punch landing squarely, clashing forcefully!
The surrounding air was torn apart by the punches unleashed by the two, with water and fire surging, killing intent filling the sky. The entire small building trembled violently in the clash between the two!
Although Alan's cultivation and strength surpassed Shuro's, by at least three stages, Shuro's true strength had already reached the third stage of Foundation Establishment, and his use of high-grade techniques instantly reversed the battle situation!
Shuro was no longer holding back. The battle experience of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign, repeatedly winning against stronger opponents and challenging higher levels, unfolded in his mind like an open scroll. Gradually, amidst Shuro's domineering tactics, a hint of unpredictability emerged, making it difficult for others to defend against.
Alan became increasingly flustered as the fight went on. Although sparring among fellow disciples in the sect could be intense, he had never encountered an opponent like this before. Not only was Shuro domineering, but he also played his cards unexpectedly, showing no mercy with each move. This made Alan sense a strange and fearful aura.
Death?
Suddenly, he remembered Apollo, whom Shuro had mentioned being killed by him earlier. His heart skipped a beat, and in his panic, his movements slowed down, retreating repeatedly, looking increasingly disheveled!
Luis's pupils constricted, a coldness appearing between his eyebrows. Even the normally melancholic youth was taken aback. He had never expected the secular youth to fight Alan, one of the top ten in the current generation of Cui Zhu Peak, to a draw, and even gain the upper hand!
Although everyone believed that Alan would not be defeated, it was an undeniable fact that with his cultivation at the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment, he was being completely suppressed by someone at the first stage. This was a loss of face that couldn't be denied.
Seeing Lee's smug expression, Luis blushed, squeezed his hand seal, and secretly used a technique.
Finally, the melancholic youth spoke up, "That's enough."
As soon as he spoke, the air in the building seemed to be swept by a hurricane, violently shaking. Both Shuro and Alan were affected by it, being forcibly pushed apart by the air.
Something's not right.
Shuro glanced at the youth and then back at Alan. He had already unleashed all his strength but could only suppress his opponent, resulting in a stalemate.
It seemed that while high-grade techniques had their advantages, the key to victory or defeat lay in realm and strength. If only I had stepped into the second stage of Foundation Establishment, the outcome would be different.
Shuro pondered silently, noticing Alan looking at him with a mix of surprise and suspicion, his forehead sweating, betraying a hint of nervousness.
"Luis is interested in this kind of minor dispute too, huh?" Luis smiled playfully, flicking his fingers. "Once known as one of the Ten Young Masters of Tian Nan, now he can only flaunt his power among us ordinary disciples of the main peaks. How pathetic."
Him?
Shuro looked at Hua Xin, recalling the conversation he overheard earlier in the Wind Rising Hall.
Diego, who managed to break into the ranks of the Ten Young Masters of Tian Nan in the Immortal Path Realm, had displaced Hua Xin, the Empty Void Mountain's former member of the Ten Young Masters. This Hua Xin, the melancholic youth in front of him, always seemed to be immersed in a faint melancholy. Although Shuro, who had experienced hardships since childhood, found Hua Xin's melancholy somewhat affected, compared to Alan and Luis, Shuro naturally had a better impression of him.
At this moment, Shuro felt that the atmosphere in the building was somewhat off. His gaze fell on Luis, who was playing with his fingers. The fingertips were like jade, faintly wrapped in golden light.
Suddenly, Luis's index finger retracted, and his middle finger, like a bent iron spear, flicked violently. The air in front of him "cracked" and revealed a door, from which countless spear shadows shot out, spinning and transforming into fire, wind, and lightning, like projections from afar, directly aiming at Hua Xin.
This Luis also had some tricks up his sleeve.
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Seeing Luis's powerful and mysterious technique, Shuro wasn't surprised.
Although Luis's character was mediocre, when he displayed such techniques, he barely met Shuro's expectations of a disciple of the sect.
Although the Empty Void Mountain was far from the level of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign's Immortal Court, it was still one of the top seven major sects in the Southern Heaven Region, so they should have some skills.
"Hollow Four Calamities Finger, third layer?" Hua Xin's back was facing Luis, but he could judge Luis's technique from the sound of the air movement alone.
"Even a tiger would not bully a fallen dragon." Turning around, Hua Xin's faintly melancholic expression disappeared, and he suddenly waved his robe sleeve. "Break for me!"
The robe sleeve roared like a strong wind, far from being a two-foot sleeve, it was clearly a ventilation cave! In the depths of the "cave," a hurricane was brewing, almost blowing the small building away!
Except for Hua Xin and Luis, everyone in the building stood firm in a posture like standing stakes, afraid of being swept away by the hurricane. Shuro held Faithe, while Lee and Lewis hugged each other tightly, face to face.
"Small Universe Sleeve... Fourth layer!" Alan muttered softly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Strange, how could Brother Hua lose to Diego?"
Although Luis's Hollow Four Calamities Finger was imposing, it hadn't even approached within three steps of Hua Xin before being swept away by Hua Xin's Small Universe Sleeve.
"Humph." Luis's face turned ugly, and sparks flickered in his eyes, about to make another move.
Applause rang out.
"It's so lively here. It seems that everyone is confident about the Enlightenment Conference in two days. Hehe, the Sect Master's request isn't high, just a few more people who can comprehend the bronze tablets, to enhance the reputation of our Empty Void Mountain. It all depends on your performance."
At the entrance, Qin Jia Tian smiled and spoke.
Including the melancholic Hua Xin, everyone had a funereal expression.
"Greetings, Big Brother." Hua Xin bowed first and then walked out with his head down.
Next was Luis, his face filled with a pleasing smile as he bowed deeply before quickly leaving.
"The bronze tablets... even top-tier geniuses like the Ten Young Masters may not be able to comprehend them. Big Brother, don't tease us." Berta walked to the door, stuck out her tongue playfully, and ran off like a bird.
In the blink of an eye, all eleven Foundation Establishment stage disciples were gone, leaving only Shuro's group of four and Qin Jia Tian.
"They all seem to be afraid of Big Brother. I wonder what position Big Brother holds in the Empty Void Mountain?" Shuro asked.
"So you've noticed they're afraid of me too. As the future disciples of the Empty Void Mountain, shouldn't you flatter me a bit?" Qin Jia Tian looked at Shuro with a half-smile, teasingly.
Shuro laughed.
He had long felt that Qin Jia Tian was quite extraordinary, always giving off a somewhat incompatible aura with the immortals, yet somehow still exuding an air of nobility and elegance.
"Their nature isn't bad, it's just that, except for Hua Xin, they haven't experienced life and death trials. Seeking enlightenment in the immortal path requires real-life and death trials. For them, the real-life and death trials will only begin in two days." Qin Jia Tian said.
"Life and death trial? Understanding the Enlightenment Sea?"
"Yes, in the true essence of the Dao, everything is between life and death. In the first life and death trial, you encountered them. I don't know if it was fortunate or unfortunate for them." Qin Jiatian smiled faintly, changing the subject: "I came here tonight specifically to answer your doubts. I'm sure you must have many questions."
Shuro thought for a moment. "Let's start with the Enlightenment Sea then. About the Tian Nan Immortal Dao Realm, the Void Mountain Realm, and the ranking of the disciples, such as the Ten Young Masters and the Ten Old Masters."
"You have a problem. It seems you don't like to say thank you."
"You tricked me before, planning to lure me into the Void Mountain Realm, and I didn't hold it against you."
"Only by entering the sect can one inherit the Dao Fire, I'm sure you're aware of that. It was a mutual agreement, so there's nothing to argue about."
The sun rose from the bottom of the Yin River, and this was Shuro's third day in Warden City.
Faithe draped herself in a newly bought fox fur cloak, leaning lightly against the railing, toes tiptoeing, heels raised, her long and taut thighs connected with her pert buttocks to form a captivating curve, leaving many disciples of the Void Mountain Realm staring blankly, turning into pig heads.
Shuro sat cross-legged beside Faithe, absorbing the sun's energy. The sun in the Yin River was white with a hint of gray, rising from the west, just as Qin Jiatian said that night, the underworld of the Yin River was an upside-down world.
"Chuan'er, are you sure you want to go to the Enlightenment Sea?"
"Of course."
"But, didn't Qin Jiatian say yesterday that the Enlightenment Sea is extremely dangerous, with hidden dangers? Every year, thirty percent of the disciples perish in the Enlightenment Sea."
"Qin Jiatian..." Shuro glanced at Faithe playfully, seeing Faithe looking serious but with a hint of a smile hidden in her eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to watch. Even if I want to enlighten, I don't have the qualifications. So there won't be any danger."
At this moment, the bell rang from the center of Warden City.
After nine chimes, Warden City fell into turmoil and madness.
"Auntie, I'm going now. Lee, Lewis, take care of Auntie for me."
Shuro maintained his sitting posture, but his body seemed to be like cotton in the wind, lightly drifting across the railing and falling towards the drill ground in front of the buildings. Most of the disciples of the Void Mountain Realm had already gathered. In addition to the eleven peak disciples from last night, there were three more teenagers, whose identities were the same as Shuro's, as substitutes.
"Wow, you have quite the attitude, making everyone wait for you like this." The girl with the green crown, Berta, from the Bamboo Peak, sneered. Since that night, she had been at odds with Shuro, showing a clear hostility.
Shuro couldn't be bothered to deal with her, looking straight ahead and walking past her.
"Senior Xia, have you eaten yet?"
"Senior Hua, did you sleep well last night?"
Shuro greeted several neutral disciples with a smile, and they were quite surprised that Shuro knew their names. They immediately thought that Qin Jiatian must have told Shuro. At this time, Damei Shitai, Sister Hongyin, and Qin Jiatian also came out of their respective small buildings.
Berta, who was ignored, felt itching with hatred, and Lewis patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, even if he enters the Void Mountain Realm in the future, he will only be an ordinary inner disciple. You are a peak disciple, so you will have the opportunity to regain face."
"But his relationship with Qin Jiatian seems quite unusual. It's hard to imagine that someone like Qin Jiatian, Sister Hongyin, who are real Dan Realm masters, would know a secular martial artist."
"So, it's even more certain now that he entered the Void Mountain Realm relying on his connections. With Qin Jiatian covering for him in Warden City, but once he returns to the Void Mountain Realm, he can only rely on his own abilities to climb up. Junior Sister, you were already ahead of him, and your talent is not bad. It's not difficult to deal with him."
Although Lewis and Berta tried to keep their voices down, Shuro still heard them. After stepping into the Foundation Establishment stage, Shuro's senses surpassed those of ordinary Foundation Establishment first-stage cultivators, able to see bee markings and hear ant fights.
Lewis was indeed a grudge holder. In a few words, he stirred up Berta's resentment... silly woman.
Shuro shook his head silently.
Having endured hardships since childhood, coupled with the memories of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign, Shuro's temperament was far more mature than his peers. Lewis's scheming was just child's play in his eyes.
"Alright, get ready to set off." Damei Shitai said with a serious face, raising her right arm, and dozens of black lights flew out from her palm, black talismans the size of fists, sticking to everyone's foreheads with a "pop pop" sound.
"These are Travel Talismans. They can speed up the journey and save energy." Qin Jiatian transmitted his voice.
"Talisman? They should be quite valuable." Shuro touched the talisman on his forehead and asked through voice transmission.
"Not even top-quality, they're not worth much. If you want them, I have a hundred here, just ten Yin coins each." Qin Jiatian's immortal-like face showed a touch of shrewdness.
"Huh? With these Travel Talismans, you still need to take a boat to Warden City. Hehehe, I see." Shuro glanced at Sister Hongyin not far away with a meaningful look.
Qin Jiatian blushed and quickly returned to his normal expression.
"Quiet! Close your eyes, if you don't listen, if you are frostbitten by the Yin wind and blind your eyes, don't blame me!" Damei Shitai shouted loudly, giving Shuro a glance that was barely noticeable.
"Close your eyes, these Travel Talismans are specially made for the Yin River, using the Yin wind to travel. The Yin wind is harmful to us cultivators, so we must close our seven apertures tightly." Qin Jiatian transmitted his voice.
Shuro nodded and closed his eyes.
After a short while, the sound of the wind came to his ears, whistling and whistling, bringing a trace of chill. The wind grew louder and colder, and Shuro knew that he was being carried by the Yin wind, traveling at high speed.
Shuro was very curious, but he couldn't open his eyes. He knew the harm of the Yin wind, and even with the cultivation of the Nine Deaths to Reborn Technique, he couldn't be sure if his eyes could withstand the freezing of the Yin wind.
Gradually, Shuro felt an itching sensation in the center of his brow, as if something was about to emerge. In the next moment, his brow felt scorching hot, as if a blazing fire was burning inside.
A fine crack split open from Shuro's brow, and a white light shot out from the slit, then disappeared.
Shuro was secretly surprised. Although his eyes were closed, he could already see the surrounding scenery.
Suddenly, Shuro remembered something. A month ago, the Nine-Dragon Sovereign had helped him activate his Heavenly Eye, something called "One Eye to the Sky."
"Could it be because of the Nine Deaths to Reborn Technique that the 'One Eye to the Sky' was preserved until today and awakened by the Yin wind?" Shuro pondered.
Looking around, Shuro saw the Yin wind roaring, enveloping everyone and rushing forward like lightning. The surrounding scenery was reduced to twisted shadows, making it difficult to distinguish whether they were in the sky or underground. One could imagine how fast they were moving; even Damei Shitai had her eyes closed.
But when Shuro's gaze fell on Qin Jiatian, he couldn't remain calm.
Qin Jiatian, who usually exuded an ethereal aura, was now staring foolishly at Sister Hongyin, occasionally stroking his beard and murmuring something as if critiquing her.
Suddenly, Qin Jiatian seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head to stare at Shuro.
He circled around Shuro twice, from left to right, from top to bottom, then sneered and returned to his original position. Gradually, he regained his transcendent and ethereal demeanor.
"This Qin Jiatian is definitely a talented actor! Who exactly is he?" Shuro couldn't help but recall what Qin Jiatian had explained last night about the classification of disciples in the immortal sect.
The disciples were mainly divided into five levels in the Void Mountain Realm: Outer Disciples, Inner Disciples, Peak Disciples, True Lineage Disciples, and Dao Masters.
Outer Disciples were generally secular martial artists. Only those who successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of thirty could enter the ranks of Inner Disciples. For top-tier sects like the Void Mountain Realm, there were thousands of Outer Disciples. If they failed to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty, they could only become guardsmen.
Inner Disciples had to be at the Foundation Establishment stage, under thirty years old, and possess extremely high potential. The level of potential was generally distinguished by comprehension and the grade of true qi. There were eight or nine hundred Inner Disciples in the Void Mountain Realm.
Next were Peak Disciples, who had to be at the Foundation Establishment Completion stage. The Void Mountain Realm had seven major peaks, each with forty to fifty Peak Disciples. Lewis and others were Peak Disciples.
True Lineage Disciples were selected from Peak Disciples and had already established their own lineage. Each peak had eight or nine True Lineage Disciples, sometimes fewer, sometimes more. The melancholic Hua Xin was a True Lineage Disciple.
Although there wasn't much difference in cultivation level between True Lineage Disciples and Peak Disciples, True Lineage Disciples had passed the assessment to establish their own lineage, showing even greater potential than ordinary Peak Disciples.
As for Dao Masters, they had to be at the True Dan Realm. The identity of a Dao Master surpassed all other disciples, with many privileges such as inspecting secular young martial artists, participating in the central hall meetings with peak masters, instructors, and elders, etc.
Sister Hongyin and Qin Jiatian were Dao Masters. According to Qin Jiatian, throughout the history of the Void Mountain Realm, the number of Dao Masters had never exceeded thirty. From this, one could see the difficulty of cultivation.
Although the base number was large, the higher up, the fewer. It was no wonder that experts like Andrea and Damei Shitai, who were Nascent Soul realm powerhouses, could make a name for themselves in the southern immortal realm; their scarcity contributed to their fame.
But... was Qin Jiatian really just a Dao Master?
Staring at Qin Jiatian, who stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering, and his long hair lightly swaying, Shuro shook his head, not continuing to ponder further.
The most important thing at the moment was to find the treasure left by the Nine-Dragon Sovereign.
Although Shuro already had enough power to crush John, Warden City's significance now lay not only in this but more importantly, Shuro wanted to understand the true purpose of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign's visit to the Southern Domain.
"Nine-Dragon Sovereign, what treasure have you left for me? I am really looking forward to it."
Not far away, in the southeast of Warden City, a region filled with sinister energy emerged.
Soon, Shuro saw it clearly.
A surge of sinister energy emanated from a place where towering monuments rose into the sky like swords. There were stone monuments, iron monuments, bronze monuments, silver monuments, and even golden monuments, each emitting an aura in ascending order of strength.
Among them, the most powerful aura, which almost occupied half of the monument sea, came from a towering jade monument.
A large mass of purple clouds gathered above this monument. The clouds seemed to never dissipate, covering the monument. Occasionally, when the sinister energy surged with a gust of wind, the clouds would be blown away for a moment, only to quickly gather again.
Only above the jade monument, there was not a trace of clouds. The boundless clouds were forcefully parted by the sinister energy, creating a gap.
When Shuro saw the words on the monument, ripples formed in his heart.
In the center of the jade monument, three large characters were written: Bruno!