The Power of Dao Venerables

Meanwhile, in a vast desert spanning countless miles with seemingly no end in sight; life seemed to be missing in this desolate land filled with a deathly aura. There were very few traveling cultivators walking around, and they seemed to be dying of starvation and dehydration. This was strange because usually cultivators wouldn't need food and water to survive.

Most of these few cultivators were malnourished; reduced into skin and bones. They were gasping for air. They struggled to walk due to fatigue.

Suddenly, one man about 7 foot tall seemed to gain life as he shouted, "Look! There is someone here! She must have just entered the desert! Let's absorb her cultivation base!"

Suddenly, the few cultivators around this vast land seemed to gain life when they heard the tall man and looked towards a black-robed girl with long flowing black hair. She wore large, circular black jade earrings and her face was hidden behind a black opaque veil.

The cultivators ignored their fatigue as they crazily rushed towards the woman like beasts who have not eaten for years.

The woman looked at the cultivators rushing at her from all sides as she let out a snort, "Hmph! I just descended here and a bunch of barbaric beasts are already trying to make me their meal."

Her snort was so powerful the cultivators rushing at her immediately felt a sense of terror as they tried to flee. But alas, the cultivators vanished into air. They were sent back to the Primordial Void from just one snort!

The woman snorted again as she said, "How boring! Dead from one snort! Is everyone in this world so pathetically weak? Hmph!"

Within a dark cave, a massive white tiger suddenly opened its eyes. This tiger was so big even worlds were smaller than atoms compared to its eyes!

"Damn it... that aura. A Dao Venerable? Hmm... even worse. It's that damned old devil Black Moon Sovereign! Why is she here?! Didn't even bother hiding her aura. I hope she does not stir up any trouble. Ah, I should probably stop dreaming. Tsk!"

Back at the Soaring Dragon Peaks, within the village Zhou Fengren was in. He sent out a casual, simple sword strike at Tian Xiang. But this was the most terrifying force in the world. Even Godkings wold be reduced to nothing before this strike! It will return one back to the Primordial Void when hit with this strike.

Chen Tao and Shi Bing were absolutely horrified.

Shi Bing thought, 'Master! Isn't this test too much?!'

Chen Tao shouted, "Damn! That's the power of a Dao Venerable! He's going to reduce that little guy into nothing!"

Tian Xiang stood fearless before this attack. He thought, 'What a crazy old master! Why did I accept him? That strike will probably kill me, but how about my family? The village waiting for me to rise towards the skies and to ascend past the heavens! What about the curiousities I have not satisfied?! I may be a child, but I am not a child of death!'

A flash of Sword Qi appeared within the little boy's eyes as he let out a strike capable of cutting through everything!

Yet it was useless before Zhou Fengren's sword strike. It dissipated immediately as Zhou Fengren's sword light kept coming at him.

A voice echoed inside Tian Xiang's head. This was the same voice he heard in his dreams. "Fear not. Channel every inch of every power towards your Sword Dao. Feel the essence of that old geezer's strike. Summon my power, and see for yourself the limitless might of the Sword Ancestor!"

As Tian Xiang heard this, he did as what the voice inside him said. This voice helped him before, and he trusted that it would help him again.

He channeled every ounce of his power to his Sword Dao. He put his comprehension talent to use and tried to comprehend the mysteries of the strike in front of him. He barely managed to grasp its essence, but he channeled all what he learned towards his Dao anyway.

The voice inside him echoed again, "Good! Now watch... this is the power of the Sword Ancestor! This is you at your peak! Remember!"

Tian Xiang's body seemed to have been taken over as he moved his hand to display a terrifying sword strike. It had a hint of the power of a Dao Venerable, equally as terrifying as Zhou Fengren's sword strike.

Both attacks cancelled each other out as the being possessing Tian Xiang seemed to have disappeared as he collapsed right after.

Shi Bing and Chen Tao were completely shocked by this!

'That madman knew this! That must have been an essence left behind by the Sword Ancestor before he reincarnated. Such a small portion of it is so powerful! As expected of the Sword Ancestor - so careful to leave behind an essence of himself before he reincarnated!' thought Chen Tao.

'So master knew all along,' thought Shi Bing.

Zhou Fengren boisterously laughed as he said, "Hahahaha! I knew that Old Idiot left behind an essence of himself here. Mhm, this Venerable shall stay here and train his two disciples before proceeding to the tournament starting soon. I will see that Yellow Dragon brat too."

In a flash, weeks passed as the Five Worlds Tournament was about to start. Countless cultivators were flocking towards the Yellow Dragon Empire as it shone brightly within the night.

Zhou Fengren and his two disciples left the village already, as its inhabitants were sad to see their little prodigy go; but they were also happy to see him finay starting to grow up.

Zhou Fengren, Shi Bing and Tian Xiang were walking through the woods back into the Yellow Dragon Empire.

Zhou Fengren spoke while as he was walking, "Ahh! I hope this tournament will be interesting. Hm, maybe this Venerable will even be able to pick up a few more outstanding disciples! Hehehe!"

Meanwhile, within the Mu Clan Manor, Mu Guiying had an evil smirk on his face as he said, "Hahahaha! I will finally teach that damned geezer a lesson. Think he's all tough and acting arrogant - he will prostrate before me when the Yellow Dragon takes me as his disciple!"