Chapter 44: Unveiling the Hidden Truth

Wounded, the Battle God King returned to his seat, quickly healing his injuries. The power of his Battle God bloodline surged within him, restoring him to his peak state and even elevating his cultivation, bringing him closer to the threshold of the Sixteenth Forbidden Realm. The sight made other young kings envious.

Witnessing the immense benefits the Battle God King gained, many of the others were stirred, eager to take action. In no time, several young kings stood up, ready to challenge the Taoyuan Immortal.

But Taoyuan Immortal did not have them challenge him one by one. Instead, he gathered his energy and summoned several identical figures, all with the same strength, cultivation, and appearance, ensuring each challenger would have a fair opportunity to face him.

The battle quickly escalated. Some stood their ground for a long while, some were swiftly defeated, and others hung on by a thread. Among the kings from various factions in the dimensional battlefield, it was clear who was superior and who was not.

For example, the once-arrogant Asura King was defeated in just three moves before Taoyuan Immortal, despite being fully prepared and focused. Had he been the first to fight, he would have fallen just like the Golden Lion King—defeated in one move, without a chance to resist.

The Asura King's face turned ashen with fury, his once-imposing arrogance shattered. It was clear now: he was not as strong as he had believed. In the same realm, many were far more powerful than him.

The Yaksha King faced a similar fate. Despite his desperate evasions, he was defeated in mere moves. There was no suspense, just as with the Asura King.

Though all of Lìn Jiǔfèng's focus was on comprehending the Yin-Yang Dao, a fragment of his spiritual energy remained to observe the battles. He saw the Asura King and Yaksha King suffer crushing defeats.

What caught his eye, however, was the mighty Five-Colored Skeleton King, who managed to exchange over fifty moves with Taoyuan Immortal before being defeated. In recognition of his performance, Taoyuan Immortal rewarded him with ten Immortal Crystals—equivalent to a billion pounds of divine essence. This was a prize that left the others green with envy.

The Asura King and Yaksha King seethed with jealousy, their hatred and resentment intensifying.

Lìn Jiǔfèng also saw Moon Fairy burst into full force, unleashing the Dream Butterfly Clan's Twin Heavenly Maidens' power. With her sister, they combined their souls, fighting Taoyuan Immortal to a standstill for a time. However, after seventy to eighty exchanges, they were overwhelmed, vomiting blood and retreating from the battlefield.

The Asura King was dumbstruck. His partner was that strong?

It seemed that, in this group, he was the weakest.

There were also Snow Maiden of the Sacred Angel Clan and Wu Yang of the Fallen Angel Clan. Both were formidable figures, their wings spread wide as they ascended the divine steps. Surrounded by terrifying energy—one black, one white, and holding sharp blades, they struck relentlessly at Taoyuan Immortal. After a hundred exchanges, they were the most outstanding of the challengers.

The battles continued, with each person using their first opportunity. Some earned bountiful rewards, some left empty-handed, others reflected deeply on their failures, while a few raged in frustration.

But there was one person who had yet to make a move—Lìn Jiǔfèng.

He remained seated in silence, watching without a word. Yet beneath the calm exterior, his heart was fully immersed in his comprehension of the Yin-Yang Dao, which he had begun to integrate into his Chronicle of Time.

Not only had Lìn Jiǔfèng studied the two great divine arts he had comprehended, but he also had the title of Dao Ancestor. His insights into Dao and cultivation methods were yielding remarkable results.

This time, with the Dao Ancestor title, Lìn Jiǔfèng accelerated his progress.

The Yin-Yang Dao.

The Seven Judgments: Break the Horizon.

The Seven Judgments: Mortal Traveler.

All of these were recorded in his Chronicle of Time. Moreover, he had also studied the Chaos Fist and the Thirteen Swords of the Demon Path, which he had previously learned from the Asura King.

Although Lìn Jiǔfèng remained seated and silent, he was incredibly busy. His study of these techniques had propelled his strength to the middle stage of the Thirteenth Forbidden Realm. In fact, he was on the verge of a breakthrough into the later stage.

He planned to challenge Taoyuan Immortal only after reaching the later stage of the Thirteenth Forbidden Realm.

But someone was not about to let him continue his cultivation in peace.

"Little Yaksha King, everyone else has had their turn. You've been watching long enough. It's time for you to face him," suddenly, the Five-Colored Skeleton King sent a mental wave towards Lìn Jiǔfèng, his tone resolute.

At his words, the Asura King immediately chimed in, "You've seen everyone else's challenge. Now it's your turn."

The Yaksha King darkly added, "How comfortable it must be to watch everyone else fail."

Others joined in, their eyes fixed on Lìn Jiǔfèng, eager to see him step up.

Lìn Jiǔfèng frowned. With all eyes on him, he could no longer focus on his cultivation. Sighing, he stood up, turning to face the Asura King with a mocking smile. "Trash is still trash. You fell in three moves. If I were you, I'd just go buy some tofu and throw myself at it. You strut around every day, acting so high and mighty. Who do you think you are?"

The Asura King fumed, growling, "What are you barking about? Maybe you'll last less than three moves."

Lìn Jiǔfèng snorted in disdain, casting a glance at the Yaksha King, and said unapologetically, "What are you laughing at, you trash? He's a big waste, and you're a second-rate waste. Both of you couldn't last three moves if you tried. You've embarrassed the Yaksha Clan."

The Yaksha King's face turned a deep shade of blue, glaring at Lìn Jiǔfèng with clenched teeth. "What did you just say?"

"I said you're trash, can't you understand?" Lìn Jiǔfèng shot back arrogantly, striding forward without a second glance at the Yaksha King.

Both the Asura King and Yaksha King seethed with fury, their eyes burning with venom as they glared at his back. They were eager to see just how long Lìn Jiǔfèng could last against Taoyuan Immortal.

Lìn Jiǔfèng stepped into the center of the hall and faced the body of Taoyuan Immortal.

"Your strength is about the same as the Asura King's," said the Golden Lion King, still nursing his wounds. "The Asura King fell in three moves. You'll be done in four."

Lìn Jiǔfèng didn't even glance at him. "I misspoke earlier. The Asura King isn't the big waste. You are. The Asura King is second-rate, and the Yaksha King is third-rate. The three of you standing together? Just a pile of garbage."

"How dare you insult me! You have no idea who you're dealing with!" The Golden Lion King roared in fury, reaching out to grab Lìn Jiǔfèng.

But Lìn Jiǔfèng's aura flared, sending the Golden Lion King's hand flying. Without a word, he walked up to face Taoyuan Immortal.

The Golden Lion King rubbed his pained hand, glaring at Lìn Jiǔfèng. His eyes were full of malice as he watched him.

Now, standing before Taoyuan Immortal's condensed body, Lìn Jiǔfèng was fully focused, prepared for a sudden strike.

But then, a voice echoed in his heart: "Hmm, you're not a Yaksha, but a human. You're using the Phoenix Clan's Concealment Technique, and your cultivation is only at the mid-stage of the Thirteenth Forbidden Realm, pretending to be at the Fourteenth Forbidden Realm. You've hidden yourself well, young one."

Lìn Jiǔfèng was startled. He hadn't expected to be discovered so quickly.

He calmly responded in his mind, "A small change in technique is hardly something that could fool the eyes of an immortal. It wasn't intentional. It's just that the human race is in a difficult situation, so I had no choice."

Taoyuan Immortal spoke directly: "Your cultivation is at the mid-stage of the Thirteenth Forbidden Realm. I will suppress my cultivation to the same level. If you can last one hundred moves with me, I won't expose you. Otherwise, your true form will be revealed."

Lìn Jiǔfèng frowned but nodded, his gaze firm. "Alright, please, senior, show me your teachings!"

It would be a battle at the same level—the mid-stage of the Thirteenth Forbidden Realm. Even though Taoyuan Immortal was an immortal, Lìn Jiǔfèng had the courage to fight.

In fact, he was not content with just enduring a hundred moves.

He planned to... defeat the immortal!