Chapter 455: Reaching the Summit in One Step! (Seeking Monthly Tickets for 12,000 Words)

Emperor Sword Mountain was originally a place of utmost tranquility. This time, to test his disciples, Yun Wumian had captured some outsiders and thrown them onto Emperor Sword Mountain as "obstacles." Finding spirit race members wasn't difficult, but finding exactly one hundred spirit race cultivators at the Fifth Stage of True Immortal Realm would be somewhat time-consuming. Therefore, he directly seized an entire spirit race tribe.

Utilizing his Immortal Kingdom domain, he suppressed their cultivation to the Fifth Stage of True Immortal Realm, which was much more convenient.

And at this moment, the spirit race tribe elder, a Seventh Stage Immortal Lord Realm expert, was actually sitting across from a Sword Abyss junior disciple at a table. This could not help but surprise him.

At the same time, Gu Yan had already stepped into Emperor Sword Mountain.

After entering, he didn't linger. Guided by an inner sense, he flew straight towards the central area.

As he approached the central area, he saw spirit race figures soaring from the lush forest, each standing with sharp and imposing postures, coldly staring at him.

Gu Yan remained expressionless, merely slowly drawing his Heaven Academy disciple sword from the void.

Clang!

Accompanying a crisp sound, a black stone landed, echoing clearly on the Go board.

"Eat!"

Li Hao said softly.

This move, taking advantage of the spirit race elder's unexpectedness, broke open his formation, biting off a piece.

If the opponent wanted to fill the gap, it would require an extra step, but he wouldn't give the opponent such an opportunity.

"Hmm?"

The spirit race elder's eyes narrowed slightly, glancing at Li Hao, then furrowing his brow as he continued to place his stones.

As they filled the board step by step, Li Hao's offensive gradually penetrated deeper into the opponent's formation, aiming to completely dismantle their strategy.

"Truly a formidable young man…"

The spirit race elder sighed softly.

Li Hao smiled, raised his hand, and placed another stone.

Pffft.

Blood splattered as Gu Yan, sword in hand, walked towards the teleportation array in the central area.

Behind him were nearly a hundred spirit race figures, all heavily injured and scattered in defeat, some with torn robes, others with broken limbs.

Gu Yan, however, only had slightly soiled cuffs.

Stepping into the teleportation array, he arrived at the second level, facing fifty demon race cultivators at the Sixth Stage of True Immortal Realm!

"Demon race" was a general term, encompassing a variety of species, including bull demons, dragon demons, cat demons, and more.

Each demon race had different abilities, making it even more of a test of comprehensive combat skills when surrounded by them.

At this time, there were not many disciples on the second level, meaning each person had to deal with even more demon race cultivators.

Gu Yan didn't choose a roundabout shortcut but continued to wield his sword and head towards the central area.

Clack!

A black stone struck the vital point of the formation, dominating the overall momentum. The possibility for the spirit race elder, playing white, to recover was now very slim.

However, the spirit race elder seemed unwilling to give up, still using white stones to press forward step by step.

Beside them, the middle-aged spirit race member, arms crossed, watched this scene and merely shook his head slightly, sighing softly.

As the battle on the Go board grew more intense, Li Hao's stone-placing speed also slowed down. But the advantage he had accumulated earlier ultimately allowed him to smoothly break through the opponent's formation.

With a stone placed to solidify the situation, Li Hao also breathed a sigh of relief.

The spirit race elder's gaze also shifted from the Go board back to Li Hao, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"For someone of your age to possess such Go skills is truly rare in this world."

The spirit race elder praised.

Li Hao humbly replied, "Not at all, not at all. Senior's Go skills are profound and far beyond my reach."

The spirit race elder smiled slightly, neither accepting nor denying the compliment, and said, "I have, after all, lived for too long. Some things, even if one doesn't want to understand, one inevitably will."

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the Go board, and he asked, "Now, it's my turn to play, isn't it?"

Li Hao nodded.

The spirit race elder picked up a black stone from the Go bowl, held it between his fingers for a moment, then suddenly placed it elsewhere on the board.

Boom!

A crisp, loud impact resounded, forcefully striking Gu Yan's body and sending him flying backward.

At this moment, he was already standing on the third level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

Here, there were twenty demon race cultivators at the Seventh Stage of True Immortal Realm, and currently, a full twelve of them surrounded him.

These demon race cultivators were clearly not true Seventh Stage True Immortals either, but their cultivations were suppressed to this realm. Therefore, they were even more terrifying than ordinary Seventh Stage True Immortal Realm demon race.

"Sword Abyss prodigy? Hmph, although we can't kill you, destroying your Dao Heart is also a form of revenge. Our race is not a tool, how could we allow you humans to use us at will?!"

One of the demon race members said, the Celestial Phenomenon behind him revealing a huge purple python, its scales like molten lava, appearing extremely menacing.

"Suppress him!"

The other demon race members also roared.

They were not as easy to deal with as the spirit race. Being inexplicably captured and brought here, they could only vent their anger on these disciples.

As the celestial power of many demon race members surged, displaying powerful auras, Gu Yan's expression also turned serious. He wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and in the depths of his eyes, a sword-shaped black flame seemed to ignite.

Sword Dao Origin, Sever!

A jet-black sword Qi suddenly slashed out, containing the Third Stage of Sword Dao Origin realm power, instantly cleaving open the demon race member who charged forward first, tearing apart his massive body directly.

The youth, wielding his sword, was like a awakened black flood dragon, swiftly pouncing forward to kill.

"Hmm?"

Li Hao's expression shifted upon seeing the spirit race elder's move.

The location of that stone…

"A formidable young man indeed, but ultimately lacking in experience…"

The spirit race elder chuckled. The previous formation had been broken by Li Hao, but now, with his move, the situation reversed, forming a counter-encirclement!

A game within a game.

Li Hao now understood. The opponent's step-by-step following moves were actually subtly laying out another Go game. Now, the sharp blade he had inserted into the opponent's formation was instead trapped within it.

The tip of the blade had no room to maneuver, becoming a dead end.

But, fortunately, the handle of his blade remained outside, allowing him to continue maneuvering with it.

Seeing Li Hao struggle, the spirit race elder smiled, unhurriedly shrinking Li Hao's maneuvering space on the board.

Li Hao frowned, deep in thought, each stone placement becoming exceptionally difficult.

Beside them, the middle-aged spirit race member remained calm, already seeing that Li Hao was a trapped beast, with no escape.

After all, this young man was already somewhat inferior to his master in Go skill. Having been set up earlier, escaping now was almost impossible.

As they placed more and more stones, cold sweat slowly appeared on Li Hao's forehead. He extended his handle to maneuver, but it only caused him to lose more, and he couldn't attend to other areas at all. If he were to abandon them, once the opponent's momentum was complete, they could turn around and directly devour him.

Boom!

Two blood-red sharp claws pressed down from above, carrying immense power. Surging celestial power, combined with some kind of origin Dao rhythm, covered the sword light, directly slamming the youth into the mountain below.

The mountain body shattered, and the youth crashed in like a meteorite, then shot back out.

Beside him, two other demon race members revealed their massive forms and were about to pursue.

But a figure suddenly appeared in the void, blocking the two demon race members, then looked at the youth who was on the verge of collapse.

The youth had displayed the power of his Ancient Immortal bloodline, but he was still defeated. However, being able to use True Immortal Realm Third Stage cultivation to traverse Emperor Sword Mountain up to the third level and fight for so long on this fourth level was already remarkably terrifying.

"Child, go back."

The elder in the void pulled the youth up from the rubble, channeling a surge of power into him to help him regain consciousness, then said softly.

Although heavily injured, Gu Yan understood what had just happened. A hint of struggle appeared in his eyes, but it eventually turned to silence. Only the sharpness in his eyes intensified.

Fighting his way out of the twelve demon race cultivators on the third level, reaching this fourth level was already his limit.

He didn't insist on enduring any longer, slightly cupped his fist to the elder in the void, then turned and left Emperor Sword Mountain.

"You've lost."

As a stone was placed, the spirit race elder said to Li Hao.

Li Hao looked at the clearly defined situation of black and white stones on the board, remained silent for a moment, then nodded:

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"Guidance is too much to say. Why don't you watch us play two more games and see if you can understand where you lost."

The spirit race elder chuckled.

He had quite a good impression of this young man, but he wouldn't guide the other's cultivation. However, in terms of Go skills, he was happy to offer some pointers.

Li Hao nodded and stood up to give way.

Beside him, A'ling looked at Li Hao. Although Li Hao had ignored her earlier, she didn't feel any dislike for this young man.

Perhaps it was his delicate features and clean, sincere eyes, or perhaps it was his focused look at the Go board, as pure as a child's heart. She transmitted her voice, saying:

"Don't be discouraged. To be able to play Go with Grandpa for so long, you're already very impressive."

Li Hao glanced at her, as if only now noticing this girl. Her beauty slightly brightened his eyes. He smiled and nodded.

At the same time, on the fourth level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

Yue Xi, in her luxurious attire, was also unable to withstand the joint attack of three demon race cultivators at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm. She could only call for help.

As an elder teleported over and sent her out of Emperor Sword Mountain, only unwillingness remained in her heart.

In this battle, she had exerted almost all her strength, using many trump cards and secret techniques, but in the end, she was still defeated.

Just three demon race cultivators at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm were enough to overwhelm her.

Upon leaving Emperor Sword Mountain, Yue Xi saw her Fourth Senior Brother, Xu Jianming, already present on a hill.

A sense of comfort suddenly arose in her heart. She landed there and asked, "Senior Brother, you didn't climb to the top?"

Xu Jianming had just finished regulating his breath and recovering from his injuries. Seeing this Junior Sister of his, who was strong-willed to the bone, he smiled helplessly and said, "I'm not as good as those guys. The ancient demon race is indeed rarely matched in the same realm."

"You fought with an ancient demon?"

Yue Xi knew that her Fourth Senior Brother was at the Seventh Stage of True Immortal Realm, and couldn't help but ask, "Were you on the Fifth or Sixth Level?"

"Sixth Level."

Xu Jianming sighed.

A trace of envy appeared in Yue Xi's eyes. He wasn't far from the Seventh Level. She said, "There are still two years, Senior Brother, don't give up."

"Mm."

Xu Jianming nodded, then saw a figure flying over in the void ahead and smiled, "Junior Brother is here too."

Yue Xi was slightly taken aback, and immediately turned her head to look. She saw Gu Yan in black clothes flying over.

However, Gu Yan's robes were stained with a lot of blood and somewhat tattered, clearly having gone through fierce battles.

Yue Xi's eyes focused on him, but she didn't easily speak.

Xu Jianming was quite forthright and asked, "Junior Brother, which level did you reach?"

Gu Yan glanced at him. Perhaps due to his recent setback, the coldness on his face slightly softened. He said, "Fourth Level."

"Whoa, you two are both at the Fourth Level?"

Xu Jianming laughed, "Not bad, not bad. It's a pity that this time is too short, otherwise, if you two put in more effort, you might really have a chance to climb to the top."

Gu Yan asked, "Senior Brother, what about you, which level?"

"Sixth."

A flicker crossed Gu Yan's eyes, but he said nothing.

Yue Xi suddenly asked, "When you were on the Fourth Level, how many demon race cultivators did you encounter?"

"Six."

Gu Yan said.

Yue Xi's expression subtly changed. She had only encountered three and was already defeated.

The fingers in her sleeves clenched slightly, but she said nothing more.

Gu Yan also didn't ask further. If he encountered six, then this Senior Sister of his probably only faced at most four.

However, he didn't set his sights on chasing after her.

"Third Senior Sister and Fifth Junior Sister haven't come out yet. Oh, and Seventh Junior Brother."

Xu Jianming looked towards Emperor Sword Mountain in the distance and said, "Eldest Senior Brother must have reached the summit long ago. If I could reach the Sixth Level, then Second Senior Brother must have gone up a long time ago as well. I just don't know if Senior Sister can make it."

Wei Hongye was at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm, fighting against a Ninth Stage True Immortal Realm Ancestral Dragon, the outcome was uncertain.

Only then did Yue Xi think of Li Hao, that fellow who joined the sect with her. He still hadn't come out?

Her expression subtly changed, staring fixedly at Emperor Sword Mountain, her fingers clenching even tighter.

Moments later, two figures flew out, precisely Wei Hongye and Murong Qingwu.

The two of them came out almost together. Seeing the three people waiting here, and that Lu Wuchen and Ji Qingxuan were not present, was within their expectations. But realizing that one person was missing surprised them.

"Hmm?"

They were both a little surprised.

Xu Jianming, seeing them return, revealed a regretful expression and said, "Senior Sister, you didn't make it?"

"That Ancestral Dragon is indeed powerful. Originally, Fifth Junior Sister and I planned to join forces, but Elder Zhou Qingyun, who guards that level, said that it could only be one-on-one challenges. We both lost."

Wei Hongye sighed.

Xu Jianming looked at Murong Qingwu, and said with emotion, "Fifth Junior Sister truly lives up to her title as Sword Star Descended. She started later than me, but now she's already ahead of me."

"It's because you don't work hard enough."

Murong Qingwu pursed her lips and smiled, then inquired about Yue Xi and Gu Yan's situations.

Gu Yan hadn't expected that this seemingly lively girl could actually reach the Seventh Level. His expression changed slightly, and thinking of the previous sparring appointment, a hint of sharpness appeared in his eyes. He walked to the side, sat down cross-legged, and focused on comprehending the previous sword Dao insights.

"There's still one missing… It's Seventh Junior Brother, right? He hasn't come out yet."

Wei Hongye asked in surprise.

Xu Jianming was also puzzled, saying, "Could something have happened to him inside?"

"I didn't see him on the Seventh Level. He must still be below, probably trapped in some predicament."

Murong Qingwu didn't think much of it. She didn't have a deep impression of that Seventh Junior Brother, but she was quite impressed with this Calamity race and the Innate Sword Immortal Body.

"Maybe."

Wei Hongye nodded, not thinking too much further. She said, "Don't just stand around idle, there are only two years left, everyone work harder."

None of them communicated much further, and they each went to cultivate.

At this time, Emperor Sword Mountain gradually returned to calm.

Although there were still disciples challenging on each level, their numbers were gradually decreasing. Many disciples had already discovered their limits.

There were no shortcuts to reaching the summit. Even if they teamed up together earlier to muddle through, they still had to line up and challenge individually later on.

At the summit, nine figures stood here.

"Eldest Senior Brother."

Lu Wuchen climbed to the summit, saw Ji Qingxuan, who was already drinking tea in front of the thatched hut, and went forward to greet him.

Ji Qingxuan nodded slightly. At this moment, Abyss Master Yun Wumian was already meditating quietly by the solitary cliff on the other side of the thatched hut. No one dared to rashly approach and disturb him, so they all gathered around the tea table in front of the thatched hut.

"Not bad, was it easy enough?"

Ji Qingxuan patted Lu Wuchen's shoulder and said with a light smile.

Although Lu Wuchen was usually taciturn, he now rarely showed a slightly embarrassed smile, and said, "That Ancestral Dragon is still a bit tricky. The dragon body is too domineering, and my sword only barely managed to break through it."

"The Ancestral Dragon race is born with the Ancestral Dragon Body, it's normal for it to be domineering, it's second only to the Ten Great Immortal Physiques."

Ji Qingxuan nodded, glancing towards the outside of Emperor Sword Mountain. "That Innate Sword Immortal Body Junior Brother has also reached the Fourth Level. His performance is very good. Hopefully, he can work harder. If he can seize the opportunity to get an Emperor Sword slot this time, it will greatly shorten the distance between him and us."

Lu Wuchen was slightly taken aback, glancing towards the outside of the mountain, and when he saw the black-clothed youth meditating with his eyes closed on that hill, a hint of melancholy appeared in his eyes.

He actually felt a sense of pressure from being chased after step by step.

Looking back at this Eldest Senior Brother, Lu Wuchen couldn't see any jealousy on his face, and couldn't help but feel even more respect, and said:

"Eldest Senior Brother, you are fighting on the border, is the situation there still okay?"

Ji Qingxuan shook his head slightly, a hint of solemnity appearing between his brows. "The ancient demon race is ferocious. In recent years, the techniques researched by various sects have leaned towards soul-based methods, which are slightly more resistant to them, but in same-realm battles, they are still at a disadvantage."

Lu Wuchen remained silent, and said, "When I reach the Immortal Lord Realm, I also want to go and practice my skills."

Ji Qingxuan glanced at him, a smile appearing on his face, "Don't be impatient, for now I will shoulder these tasks. What our human race lacks is not just soldiers, but a truly top expert who can lead the human race to rise."

Speaking of this, his gaze fell outside Emperor Sword Mountain, "Perhaps, hope lies among them."

Lu Wuchen was slightly taken aback, and immediately felt that this Eldest Senior Brother's figure seemed to become infinitely tall and great. He nodded in silence, saying nothing more.

Time quietly flowed.

Several days passed.

Xu Jianming, waking up from his cultivation insights, looked around, but still didn't see Li Hao's shadow. He couldn't help but feel a thump in his heart, and immediately took out his sword token.

Disciples of the same sect could sense each other's sword tokens.

He used the sword token to search for Li Hao's sword token.

Li Hao's sword token was originally given to Xi Yan, so that she could freely enter and exit various places, but by the time she became familiar with all the places, she had already returned the sword token to Li Hao.

At this moment, the location sensed by the sword token was right in front of him, Emperor Sword Mountain. But what made Xu Jianming somewhat stunned was that the sword token was only staying on the first level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

Xu Jianming was a little dumbfounded. So much time had passed, and that Junior Brother of his was still on the first level?

Half a month passed.

Yue Xi woke up from her insights and challenged Emperor Sword Mountain again.

Other disciples also challenged one after another. After initially stepping in and testing their limits, many disciples regarded Emperor Sword Mountain as their training ground to hone their sword skills.

After all, if they encountered danger, elders would be there to help in time. Such a training paradise was extremely rare.

Moreover, the celestial power within Emperor Sword Mountain was abundant, making it an excellent place for cultivation as well.

This time, the challenge was even greater than before. Without too many other disciples helping to share the burden, they had to face even more demon race cultivators alone.

But Yue Xi also had the arrogance of a genius in her heart. She didn't think this was bad, but rather felt that other disciples taking away demon race members prevented her from properly testing herself in a fair and square manner.

This time, she fought her way to the fourth level, facing five demon race demons at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm. After a long and arduous battle, she barely managed to win.

Time flew by.

Half a year later.

Wei Hongye, Gu Yan, Murong Qingwu and others challenged successively.

Wei Hongye and Murong Qingwu were still defeated, falling before the Ancestral Dragon on the Seventh Level.

But Gu Yan suddenly fought his way to the Fifth Level!

Moreover, facing the three ancient demons at the Sixth Stage of True Immortal Realm on the Fifth Level, he actually defeated them all, making it to the Sixth Level in one go, before finally being defeated.

Faced with Gu Yan's leapfrog progress, the others were shocked and also realized that Gu Yan's soul might have already broken through the extreme limit, condensing soul meridians, otherwise he wouldn't have been so relaxed facing the ancient demons.

In these six months, there were also two more disciples of other elders who climbed to the Seventh Level and went straight to the summit, obtaining slots to comprehend the Emperor Sword.

And on the first level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

By the edge of a distant valley, Li Hao was playing Go with the spirit race elder.

In their mutual sparring, Li Hao occasionally won a game.

The spirit race elder's Go skill was comparable to that of Elder Wang, but their styles were different. Moreover, the opponent showed no leniency on the Go board. The games Li Hao managed to win all carried a hint of luck, seizing upon the opponent's carelessness.

"You kid, aren't you going to challenge it?"

As a game of Go ended, the spirit race elder looked at Li Hao and couldn't help but laugh.

In their casual chats during the past six months of playing Go, they had grown somewhat close and familiar with each other. He found this unconventional Sword Abyss disciple rather interesting. Other disciples were all striving to cross the river, while he was drifting along with the current.

"There's still plenty of time, no rush, no rush."

Li Hao said with a smile.

It was rare to encounter someone with Go skills surpassing his own. How could he easily miss this opportunity?

This was a rare cultivation opportunity. Normally, finding such an opponent to play Go with was difficult.

The spirit race elder chuckled silently, but didn't try to persuade him further. Their race had been caught and brought here, and they had no good feelings towards Sword Abyss. Although he didn't dislike the young man before him, it was still difficult to say they were close in any way.

Li Hao collected the Go stones and yielded his seat to the middle-aged spirit race member, while he replayed the game to analyze the reasons for his recent defeat.

In the past six months, his Go experience had also accumulated significantly. If he could comprehend the Twelfth Dan Go Heart here, that would be even better.

Another half year passed in the blink of an eye.

A year had passed since the Emperor Sword Challenge began. Emperor Sword Mountain had become deserted. Many disciples were outside comprehending things.

Only when they made breakthroughs and progress would they come to Emperor Sword Mountain to put their skills to the test in actual combat.

On the Seventh Level of Emperor Sword Mountain, Li Tiemu and the old woman came here to accompany Zhou Qingyun.

They took turns guarding the Ancestral Dragon battle on this Seventh Level. Only they had the strength to intervene in time and save disciples from the Ancestral Dragon.

"Your disciple will soon reach this level. Innate Sword Immortal Body, it's truly outrageous!"

Zhou Qingyun couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

The three of them looked from the sea of clouds in front of them to the hill below the mountain, at that black-clothed youth.

"In just one short year, he can fight back and forth with ancient demons at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm. He has also cultivated the Slashing Wilderness Technique to the Third Stage. If his own cultivation wasn't only at the Fourth Stage of True Immortal Realm, and the celestial power gap was too large, he could defeat ordinary Ninth Stage True Immortals."

The old woman's voice also carried emotion. The Slashing Wilderness Technique was one of the many top-tier sword Dao techniques of Sword Abyss Tower. Choosing that youth, and having him master it, was truly remarkable.

"Fourth Stage of True Immortal Realm, already showing signs of being invincible within the True Immortal Realm. Ancient Immortal bloodline is one of the few that can rival Emperor Race bloodline, truly living up to its reputation."

Zhou Qingyun said.

Li Tiemu had a smile on his face, but there was worry in his eyes.

Time was too short. For geniuses, what they lacked most was not cultivation resources, but time!

In terms of cultivation resources, major powers could compensate. He had secretly given Gu Yan 50,000 celestial stones to help him cultivate to the Fourth Stage of True Immortal Realm within a year.

Currently, Gu Yan was not lacking in celestial stones for cultivation, nor was he lacking in celestial pills. Coupled with the celestial power density here, there was still a chance to continue to break through to the Fifth Stage of True Immortal Realm within a year!

Such a speed of advancement was absolutely terrifying. When his celestial power doubled, challenging the Ancestral Dragon might not be impossible.

However, it was not stable enough. No one was confident that he could definitely win.

Seeing Old Man Li's concerns, the old woman shook her head and said, "You're really greedy. Hongye has already reached the summit, Qingwu also has great hope, and you're still not satisfied?"

Old Man Li smiled wryly and said, "But Hongye is almost three thousand years old in soul age. This time in the Southern Domain Assembly War, we can't just rely on her to charge into battle, right? Although she has very high talent, it's still somewhat weak if we want to rely on her to lead our sect to improve its ranking."

"It seems you want to bet your treasures on that Sword Immortal Body. That's also true. If there were a three-year period, he would most likely get a slot."

Zhou Qingyun nodded, his eyes suddenly shifting, and said, "But with his talent, Abyss Master is also paying attention to him. If he really doesn't make it this time, it's not impossible to make an exception for him. After all, privileges are originally meant for geniuses."

Li Tiemu nodded slightly. He already had such thoughts in his heart. If that kid really didn't make it in time, he would risk his old face and ask Abyss Master to make an exception.

"That little girl of the Calamity race, it's most likely too late. She's still struggling on the fifth level. Her soul is not strong enough, and soul cultivation is not something that can be achieved in a day."

The old woman said.

Li Tiemu nodded. He had also paid attention to Yue Xi, that little girl. Apart from Gu Yan, her talent was already quite terrifying. This time, she was just out of luck.

"Speaking of which, what about that Dao Heart Nine Ring kid?"

"He's on the first level."

Mentioning Li Hao, Li Tiemu couldn't help but smile wryly. Although his main focus was on Gu Yan, he had also paid some attention to Li Hao and Yue Xi. But Li Hao was on the first level of Emperor Sword Mountain, doing nothing but playing Go with the spirit race.

He deeply admired Li Hao's social skills, but that kid's casualness also left him at a loss for words.

After all, he had Dao Heart Nine Rings, and his state of mind was definitely flawless. Forcibly ordering him to do anything might break his Dao Heart instead.

"First level?"

Zhou Qingyun and the old woman were taken aback, both looking at Li Tiemu in surprise.

"That kid doesn't seem to intend to compete for a slot. Maybe he realized from the beginning that he couldn't compete this time and gave up in advance. I don't know whether to call him optimistic or too carefree."

Li Tiemu said helplessly.

Zhou Qingyun and the old woman exchanged a glance, both speechless.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, two years were about to pass, and the Emperor Sword Mountain trial was nearing its end.

In this last month, many disciples who had been in secluded comprehension woke up one after another and fiercely fought on Emperor Sword Mountain, striving to use this opportunity to hone their practical combat experience.

"Look, Senior Sister Qing has climbed to the summit!"

"Finally made it, haha, Senior Sister Qing challenged on the Seventh Level for a year, and finally defeated that Ancestral Dragon!"

"Unexpectedly, in the last month, Senior Sister Qing actually got that slot, amazing!"

On a certain mountaintop, many disciples cheered.

Murong Qingwu glanced over. She knew that Senior Sister Qing. She was at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm, and it wasn't too strange for her to reach the summit now.

She took a deep breath, drew her sword and rose, heading towards Emperor Sword Mountain.

Beside her, Yue Xi also suddenly stood up, also heading towards Emperor Sword Mountain.

Xu Jianming, seeing their figures, sighed lightly. He was also challenging the Ancestral Dragon, but the battle earlier this month made him deeply realize that he had no hope.

"Cultivating with you guys is really torture."

Xu Jianming sighed bitterly. In less than two short years, Yue Xi actually rushed to the Sixth Level, and that Sword Immortal Body Junior Brother was even more outrageous, also challenging the Ancestral Dragon like him.

In less than two years, he was caught up by these newly entered Junior Brothers. His mood was complex, a mixture of feelings.

As someone reached the summit, many disciples seemed to be stimulated and flocked to Emperor Sword Mountain.

The frantic climb began again.

On the Sixth Level.

Yue Xi was fiercely fighting with the ancient demons at the Eighth Stage of True Immortal Realm. Madness appeared in her eyes, and her attacks were all ruthless, forsaking self-defense.

"Courting death!"

The ancient demon was also enraged and attacked fiercely, wanting to kill this woman before the Sword Abyss elder could intervene.

Yue Xi desperately swung her sword, celestial power surging throughout her body. A silver-white mark of calamity appeared on her forehead, the mark belonging to their race.

Only one month left, and she hadn't even seen the Ancestral Dragon yet. If she didn't get an Emperor Sword slot this time, she would have no chance at all.

Kill!

Yue Xi attacked with all her might.

As many disciples challenged, another person climbed to the summit, causing an uproar among the disciples.

"It's Senior Brother Sun, he also defeated the Ancestral Dragon!"

"Glory to our Qinghe Courtyard!"

"Wait, there's another one?"

At the summit, a figure of breathtaking beauty flew out, hair disheveled. She tidied her hair with her slender hand, tucking it behind her ear, then looked back, only to feel that the scenery of this world was truly vast.

"Qingwu."

A figure flew over, precisely Wei Hongye.

Seeing that Murong Qingwu had also climbed to the summit, joy appeared on her face.

"Senior Sister."

Murong Qingwu also had a smile on her face.

Her reaching the summit caused an uproar outside the mountain. Many disciples recognized her identity.

On the hill, Gu Yan in black clothes opened his eyes and glanced towards the summit.

Thinking of the previous sparring appointment, a gleam appeared in his eyes, and he slowly stood up.

…

Seventh Level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

Gu Yan once again stood before the Ancestral Dragon, gazing at the majestic Ancestral Dragon, a determination never seen before appeared in his eyes.

Silver threads of celestial power appeared all over his body, the power of his ancient celestial race bloodline being activated. His sword Dao had already comprehended the Fourth Stage of Origin, a level that only Immortal Lords could comprehend, but he had already mastered it in the True Immortal Realm Third Stage!

Now, at True Immortal Realm Fourth Stage Completion, approaching True Immortal Realm Fifth Stage, he challenged the Ancestral Dragon again.

"Young man, you are not my match."

The Ancestral Dragon's voice was deep and carried impatience, "Don't waste your efforts!"

What responded to it was dazzling sword light.

Boom!

As an earth-shattering battle unfolded, beside them, Li Tiemu, Zhou Qingyun, and the old woman all silently appeared to the side, watching the battle.

Li Tiemu's expression was extremely solemn, and even a little nervous. This battle was extremely important to Gu Yan. There were only a few days left before the end. If he failed again, it would be almost impossible to pass.

Accompanied by the surging, violent tide of swords, the Ancestral Dragon also erupted with divine might, letting out deafening roars, shattering the sword tide and engaging in close combat with the youth.

Soon, the power of Ancestral Strength and the violent physical body suppressed the youth once again.

However, in this chaotic tide of swords, a vast and ancient sword intent suddenly revived.

Under that extreme pressure, the youth's roar soared to the sky, accompanied by an ancient and vast sword Qi. The Ancestral Dragon's physical body was actually cleaved, sending scales flying everywhere.

Li Tiemu, Zhou Qingyun, and the old woman all saw this scene, their pupils shrinking, extremely shocked.

"Ancient Celestial Bloodline awakening? Is that Sword Immortal Body's Divine Awakening?!"

They were all shocked by the youth's transformation, never expecting that in a desperate situation, his bloodline would further erupt with even more terrifying power.

And the situation of the battle changed as a result.

A few minutes later.

A black-clothed figure climbed to the summit.

This scene was noticed by many disciples outside Emperor Sword Mountain, immediately causing an uproar of exclamations.

Many disciples were no strangers to that black-clothed youth, having heard about him through word of mouth, knowing that he was the monstrous Innate Sword Immortal Body.

However, he had only just joined the sect, and his cultivation was only at the True Immortal Realm Fourth Stage. He could actually reach the summit?!

"My god, am I seeing things? Is that guy Gu Yan?"

"It's him, True Immortal Realm Fourth Stage defeated the Ancestral Dragon? How is that possible!"

"This is too outrageous. I'm at True Immortal Realm Eighth Stage, and I can't even break through the Ancestral Dragon's physical body, how could he do it?"

Some Heaven Academy disciples were also shocked, their faces horrified.

At the summit of Emperor Sword Mountain, Ji Qingxuan, Wei Hongye and others saw the youth climbing up and were all taken aback, then somewhat surprised.

"You're up too?"

Murong Qingwu saw that this Junior Brother had actually caught up with her pace, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes, and she then fixed her gaze on him.

Gu Yan's robes were tattered at the moment, looking like he had gone through a fierce battle, but his expression was very calm, and his whole body's celestial power also had a kind of light and ancient feeling. He only nodded slightly to Ji Qingxuan, then raised his eyes to look around, wanting to see where the Abyss Master was.

"Truly monstrously talented."

Wei Hongye, seeing this Junior Brother's arrogant and proud demeanor, felt both helpless and a little emotional.

He had only just joined the sect, yet he had caught up with these old fellows who had been cultivating diligently for many years. This talent was truly incomparable.

By the solitary cliff behind the thatched hut, Yun Wumian was also paying attention to this youth.

In the past two years, he had observed this youth's every challenge, and his progress was frighteningly fast.

Such intelligence aroused a bit of love for talent in him.

If this time he failed, he had even considered making an exception for him, but he hadn't expected this kid to be so competitive.

At this moment.

On the Sixth Level of Emperor Sword Mountain, Yue Xi was defeated.

Her expression was dim, the gap in soul power making her extremely difficult in front of the ancient demons, constantly being suppressed.

At this time, she returned to the hill, and hearing the surrounding exclamations, she couldn't help but be stunned.

She looked up in all directions, but didn't see that Junior Brother's figure.

"He…"

Xu Jianming looked complicated and replied, "Junior Brother has already reached the summit."

Yue Xi only felt a buzzing震荡 in her brain, reaching the summit?

That Junior Brother who joined the sect later than her had actually already reached the summit?!

She hadn't even passed the Sixth Level!

For a moment, her fingers clenched fiercely, not even noticing the blood seeping out.

Her just fallen footsteps suddenly turned around and headed towards Emperor Sword Mountain again.

Xu Jianming was not in the mood to pay attention to her at this time. His own heart was also a bit chaotic. Being surpassed so quickly by a newly joined Junior Brother made him feel quite ashamed.

As the end approached, the challenges of Emperor Sword Mountain became even more intense.

Yue Xi challenged several times in a row. Although she fought desperately, she was still suppressed by the ancient demons on the Sixth Level.

In the blink of an eye, the last day arrived.

Li Tiemu's voice came from the summit of Emperor Sword Mountain, today was the last day of the trial.

This final announcement made all the disciples stop immersing themselves in cultivation and either rush to Emperor Sword Mountain or watch others climb from the hills.

Yue Xi stood on the Sixth Level, hearing this voice that spread throughout Emperor Sword Mountain. The blood in her whole body seemed to burn, and her heart was also beating violently. The last day.

If she missed this slot, the gap between her and that Junior Brother would directly widen, and she would never be able to catch up, not even able to touch his shadow!

It couldn't go on like this, absolutely not like this!

I want to win, I want to go up!

I want to climb up!!

Light appeared in Yue Xi's eyes. Even she herself didn't realize that a certain power in her bloodline was quietly radiating.

The Calamity Race, bringing disaster, was not without reason.

At the same time, the core power of bringing disaster was to move the origin of the Heavenly Dao.

At this moment, a trace of the Heavenly Dao Origin power surged in. She didn't notice it, only a voice repeatedly echoed in her mind: I want to win, I want to climb up!!

She exploded with all her strength, swinging her sword to slash out. That sword condensed a trace of the Heavenly Dao Origin's majesty, carrying the aura of calamity, making the ancient demon who was about to attack harshly shrink its pupils and hurriedly evade.

Yue Xi's hair flew, and her tall body seemed to become like a soul body. Her sword strikes became faster and faster, until she cleaved open even the ancient demon's soul!

…

First Level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

Li Tiemu's voice came from the summit.

Li Hao, who was immersed in playing Go, seemed to have not heard it, until the clothes beside him were gently tugged, only then did he turn his head in confusion.

"It's the last day, after finishing this game of Go, you should leave."

Beside him, the spirit race woman A'ling said.

Li Hao was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that time had actually passed so quickly.

He looked at the spirit race elder opposite him, who stroked his beard and smiled, "Young man, the path of Go is long, you and I are destined. If there is a chance to meet again in the future, come and play Go again."

Li Hao came to his senses. He felt a little regretful in his heart, and said, "Thank you, Senior, for your companionship these past two years."

The spirit race elder was taken aback, then laughed loudly, "It is I who should thank you for letting me see that the human race also has such interesting beings."

Li Hao smiled. Although he had not been able to comprehend the Twelfth Dan Go Heart in the past two years, his understanding of Go Dao had improved significantly, and his experience was already full. He only needed to wait for the comprehension of the Go Dao state of mind to step into the Twelfth Dan of Go Dao!

After a long while.

This last game of Go ended.

Li Hao lost.

Li Hao stood up, slightly cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "Junior bids farewell."

"This is a token of my spirit race, a spirit talisman. If you hold this talisman, if you have matters in the spirit race domain in the future, the spirit race will treat you as one of their own, and you can also seek some simple help from the spirit race."

The spirit race elder's fingers划破虚空, tore through space, took out a celestial talisman emitting a glimmer of spiritual light from within, and handed it to Li Hao.

Li Hao was slightly stunned, reaching out to take it, then thought for a moment, grabbed two Go stones from the Go bowl, and used the attributes of the Qiankun Diagram to bestow his own power upon them.

"There are imprints I left behind on these. Please accept them, Senior. If there's a chance in the future, I can follow the imprints to find Senior again."

Hearing Li Hao's words, the spirit race elder was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

According to what the young man said, wouldn't these be things used for tracking? Who would be a fool to carry them around? But this young man gave this as a farewell gift and said it with a sincere face.

He laughed and said, "Alright, then I'll accept them."

Li Hao nodded, then bid farewell to them again.

Seeing the direction Li Hao left in, the spirit race elder called out, "You want to go to the second level?"

"Mm, going to the summit to take a look."

Li Hao turned his head and smiled slightly, then bid farewell again, before Void Return teleporting away.

Hearing Li Hao's words, the three people who had just been smiling and felt that this young man was naive and adorable were all stunned.

Going to… the summit to take a look?

And at this time, Li Hao, having bid farewell to the spirit race elder and the other two, had used the Origin of Space in combination with Void Return Teleportation, directly rushing towards the central area.

There were no disciples here, only spirit race patrols in the central area.

Li Hao's arrival was silent, directly passing through these spirit race members. By the time he stepped into the teleportation array, the numerous spirit race members guarding here only noticed him, only seeing the back of the youth before he disappeared in the teleportation.

As the teleportation ended, Emperor Sword Mountain Second Level appeared before Li Hao.

The teleportation location seemed to be random. He followed the guidance of the central area in his heart and rushed over.

When he arrived at the central area, many demon race members immediately appeared.

"There's still a human?"

"Kill him!"

Various demon races revealed their true forms, their bodies large and ferocious, pouncing towards Li Hao.

Li Hao's long robe fluttered, his hair flying in the wind, his speed not diminishing at all. His fingers came together like a sword, and he casually slashed out.

The void of heaven and earth seemed to be severed, cracking like a mirror.

Many demon races had just approached the edge of the crack, and they felt the terrifying power of the void fault, stopping in their tracks, and looked in horror at the young figure passing through the demons.

The figure of him forging ahead alone was condensed in their pupils.

Third Level, Fourth Level…

Until he reached the Fifth Level.

When Li Hao teleported out, he felt a familiar ancient demon scent in the void.

He looked around with interest, released his aura, and at the same time flew towards the next teleportation point.

Soon, near the teleportation point, three ancient demons at the Sixth Stage of True Immortal Realm emerged from the void.

"True Immortal Realm Third Stage?"

Feeling Li Hao's aura, the three ancient demons were all surprised. Not many guys at True Immortal Realm Third Stage could reach here.

They recognized Li Hao's Heaven Academy disciple robes, and a ferocious look appeared in their eyes. They knew that the end of this trial also meant their death date. Abyss Master might spare other races, but he would definitely not be lenient towards their ancient demon race.

If they could drag someone down with them before they died, it would also be a profit.

The three ancient demons exchanged a glance, their minds connected, wanting to quickly kill this human race member, so that he wouldn't even have time to call for help!

And when Li Hao saw the three ancient demons, his eyes also lit up slightly, and he licked his lips.

嗖!

In just a brief crossing of paths, the void seemed to solidify. Merely the power of the Origin of Space made the three ancient demons' figures pause slightly. Then, the sword Qi that Li Hao waved his finger and shot out instantly pierced through their bodies.

Li Hao knew the body structure of ancient demons like the back of his hand. At the moment of slicing through, the soul also followed and killed.

In an instant, before screams could even be uttered, the three ancient demons perished.

Li Hao could kill True Immortal ancient demons even in the Saint Realm. Now that he had become a True Immortal, and mastered many celestial techniques, it was even easier.

As the three ancient demons died in the blink of an eye, Li Hao raised his hand and collected their corpses into the Heaven and Earth space. This was delicious food material.

Then, Li Hao stepped into the Sixth Level…

Long after Li Hao disappeared, another disciple came to the Fifth Level, carefully arriving at the teleportation point, but did not see the ancient demons.

The disciple was shocked and secretly delighted, and immediately took the opportunity to slip into the teleportation array.

When he arrived at the Sixth Level, the area here was even smaller. The teleportation array leading to the Seventh Level was not far away. The disciple sneaked forward, but found that the ancient demons on the Sixth Level did not come out to attack him.

At the same time, on the Seventh Level of Emperor Sword Mountain.

The Ancestral Dragon looked at the young man who drifted over in front of him. Seeing the young man's relaxed and leisurely appearance, his eyes narrowed slightly.

This young man did not restrain his aura, he was at True Immortal Realm Third Stage, and also the lowest cultivation person who had stood before it so far.

But the other party was wearing Heaven Academy disciple robes, enough to see that he was a genius.

"Hmph, just sent away one True Immortal Realm Fourth Stage, and another Third Stage came. Do you really think my place can be passed by anyone?!"

The Ancestral Dragon was a little annoyed, glanced around, and saw that those three old guys had escorted that little girl away, and now there was a gap in guard duty.

No one was guarding, and this kid delivered himself right in front of it, it was simply courting death!

"Die!"

Being imprisoned and used here for two years, the Ancestral Dragon had long been holding back a burst of anger in its heart.

At this moment, it directly displayed its huge Ancestral Dragon body and pounced towards Li Hao.

Compared to the Ancestral Dragon's huge body, Li Hao was like a speck of dust floating in the heavens and earth.

As the roaring wind brushed his face, and the terrifying dragon might descended, Li Hao slightly raised his head, a hint of intrigued observation on his face.

This was the Ancestral Dragon?

Whoosh!

Facing the huge dragon claw suppressing down from the clouds, Li Hao also took out the true treasure long sword equipped for Heaven Academy disciples.

嗖!

He raised his hand, seemingly casually wielding his sword and slashing out.

But this sword strike was one of the Ten Great Celestial Techniques, Azure Sky!

One Sword Azure Sky!

At the same time, on his forehead, the mark of the Nine Flowers Immortal Seal faintly reflected, and then quickly disappeared.

And the dragon claw that pressed down, and the majestic dragon Qi, were suddenly reversed. The entire sky seemed to steam, and the clouds suddenly shook and shattered, affecting thousands of miles. The whole world seemed to become quiet!

When the sword momentum swept past, the sword mark appeared, splitting open on the Ancestral Dragon's body.

"Ancestral Dragon Body… is nothing more than this."

A clear young man's voice with a smile came out.

The huge dragon body fell, and the peerless figure of the youth slowly flew past from the sword mark on the fallen dragon body, leaving behind a head of flying black hair, walking towards the teleportation array leading to the summit.

Boom, the entire Seventh Level of Emperor Sword Mountain shook violently, smoke and dust filled the air, covering the huge dragon eyes of the Ancestral Dragon, filled with shock and despair.

And the young man's figure had already disappeared into the teleportation array.

Summit of Emperor Sword Mountain.

In front of the thatched hut, all the disciples who had climbed to the summit were waiting here, some pacing back and forth, some seemingly gazing at the distant sea of clouds, but in fact, their hearts were somewhat excited and thrilled.

The Emperor Sword Mountain trial was about to end, which also meant that Emperor Sword Comprehension slots would soon be distributed to them.

Among the crowd, Ji Qingxuan, Wei Hongye and others gathered together, their expressions concerned.

Here, Li Tiemu was holding a tall woman in his arms. Her beautiful face was pale at the moment, and her clothes were also tattered. It was Yue Xi.

"Little Junior Sister, is she alright?"

Wei Hongye's face was full of worry. From Master Li Old Man's mouth, she learned that this Little Junior Sister had actually forced her way through all seven levels of Emperor Sword Mountain, which really surprised her. But seeing Yue Xi's unconscious state at this moment, she was full of worry.

Li Tiemu slightly shook his head. He had witnessed this disciple's battle with the Ancestral Dragon. It was almost to the point of burning out.

If it weren't for the power of the Calamity Race bloodline awakening, making the Ancestral Dragon wary and unwilling to get injured, she probably wouldn't have been able to pass the Seventh Level.

"Let Abyss Master take a look later."

Li Tiemu said.

At this time, the movement of teleportation emerged in the void celestial path outside the summit, ripples spreading.

Feeling this scene, everyone looked over.