Chapter 874: Competition for the Reward
This had never happened in any of the previous Dao Lantern Festivals!
What kind of reward was it?
The bigwigs fell into thought, displaying various expressions.
Cangwu Mountain was known as an ancient divine mountain that only appeared once every hundred years. The Ancient Dao Lantern Tree atop the mountain was also famous because the tree produced Ancient Dao Lanterns Flowers which contained peerless blessings.
A special reward from the second trial of the mountain was absolutely going to be extraordinary.
A bigwig asked, "In the Realm of Limits, you’ll only have a chance to test by giving your all, but how do you determine who performed the best?"
After a brief pause, Granny Jin He said, "Simple, the trial has a time limit, which means that the faster you pass, the better your result."
"However, the Realm of Limits is extremely mysterious, and the number of enemies killed will also affect the results."
"Moreover, the Dao Lantern Festival this time is completely different from the past, and there are likely other hidden mechanisms we aren’t aware of. Regardless, it will not be easy to obtain the special rewards."
The bigwigs shared similar sentiments.
A bigwig suddenly remarked, "In my opinion, your noble sect’s disciple, Ji Xingyao, will certainly be one of the special reward winners."
Granny Jin He’s expression was indifferent as she said, "No one can say who will ultimately manage to grasp a chance like this. Kindly do not speculate my fellow Dao Friends."
It was a silent warning.
After all, she didn't wish for Ji Xingyao to be targeted.
Of course, as someone from the Unsolved Mystery Sword Alms, she was unafraid if trouble did come knocking.
……
The misty gray world continued to spawn ‘cultivators’ resembling ancient sect successors who wielded powerful dao arts and boasted terrifying combat abilities.
Although they displayed no intelligence, they charged forward brandishing various weapons without any fear of death, and were an extremely oppressive force.
Fist-force release!
Lin Xun pushed the Nine Heavenshaking Destructions Art to the limit. His eyes flashed fiercely as his long hair danced around him, making him resemble a demon god blasting through the nine heavens.
Plop plop plop~
‘Cultivators’ were killed one after another. Their bodies exploded into droplets of light that soon merged back into the gray haze.
Meanwhile, Lin Xun rushed forward with all his might using the Hornless Ice Dragon Step.
However, Lin Xun felt an increasing strain as time passed, which began to affect his rate of progress.
"Even the Nine Heavenshaking Destructions Art and the Tribulation Dragon Nine Transformations are unable to achieve the same effect as before..." A grave look emerged from between Lin Xun’s brows.
From his estimation, the strength of the ‘cultivators’ he encountered at this juncture had become comparable to top heaven prides such as Wu Duanya!
"What an insane test, however..."
A trace of helplessness rose from the corners of Lin Xun’s mouth.
He could blame no one but himself for being too strong. After all, it was his absurd strength that made the test so difficult and dangerous.
In fact, Lin Xun strongly suspected that only a small handful of experts would face the same insane test difficulty as himself.
In the beginning, the Combustion Star River dao art could destroy huge swathes of enemies.
Subsequently, however, it was at most able to kill seven or eight enemies.
The situation only changed after Lin Xun brought out the Nine Heavenshaking Destructions Art and the Tribulation Dragon Nine Transformations which allowed him to repeat the same level of dominance he had shown at the start.
However, the situation changed once again.
Despite using his maximum power, Lin Xun was at most able to kill five or six opponents with each attack.
It wasn’t because he had become weaker, but because the new enemies were becoming increasingly powerful!
……
Rumble!
Fist-force burst forth like a blinding torrent of lightning cutting through the void, killing ‘cultivators’ and turning them to dust.
However, more ‘cultivators’ would spawn from the misty gray world, wielding greater strength than their predecessors.
Bang!
It was not long before Lin Xun's fist-force only managed to heavily injure an opponent, who continued to fearlessly charge at him despite the injuries.
"I’ve hit my limit. These guys’ strength is already no different from the likes of Sha Liuchan and Qing Lian'er. The nine Heavenshaking Destructions Art and the Tribulation Dragon Nine Transformations are no longer sufficient."
Lin Xun had long expected this. He immediately changed his combat strategy by drawing the Broken Blade.
Swish!
The almost transparent, snow-white Broken Blade slashed horizontally, instantly killing a dozen ‘cultivators.’
At the end of the day, the Broken Blade was a spirit weapon that possessed peerless power. Moreover, the vicious heaven-defying blade could unleash multiple times its original power through the ‘nameless inheritance of the dao rune array.’
Kill!
Lin Xun continued to advance.
……
An incense stick of time would usually pass with the snap of a finger.
However, it felt exceptionally long during the second trial, and every second felt torturous.
Outside Cangwu Mountain, heaven prides continuously appeared after being eliminated amidst numerous sighs.
Every one of these heaven prides was famous for their strength in different regions of the West Infinity World, and they were usually the focus of attention.
Hence, it was alarming how so many of them had already been eliminated at the second trial.
Many cultivators lamented. "It is indeed different from before. The rate of elimination alone is incomparable to any of the previous Dao Lantern Festivals."
"It’s already been thirty minutes which means half of the allocated time has passed. I wonder if anyone has passed the Realm of Limits."
Even more cultivators were anxiously watching the time, eager to know what was happening inside the second trial.
At this juncture, Ji Xingyao, Yu Lingkong, Sha Liuchan, Qing Lian'er, Zhongli Wuji, Mu Jianting, Li Qinghuan, and other supreme heaven prides were receiving more attention than ever before.
Who would be the first to pass the test?
The crowd was waiting in anticipation to find out.
……
"First place!"
"The only way to obtain the greatest reward is to be the first to pass the test. The treasure that the Old Ancestor has been unable to forget will definitely appear in this test."
In the Realm of Limits, Yu Lingkong glowed with divine light like a proud dazzling sun. Combined with his slender figure and handsome features, it made him resemble a transcendental immortal.
His combat power was also extraordinarily frightening and easily swept through everything in his path. Astonishingly, his combat power was rising as the enemies grew stronger.
"No one can stop me. First place is mine!"
Yu Lingkong’s eyes shone brightly, displaying peerless confidence.
……
"I won’t be missing out on the special reward."
In another Realm of Limits, Ji Xingyao sprinted forward in her white dress. There was a unique sense of serenity and confidence on her beautiful face.
She was also very fast, and her combat methods were extremely elegant while also boasting terrifying power. Brilliant sword light swept forth with unstoppable force, cutting a straight path through the numerous enemies.
……
"Only the top three will get the rewards. Even if I can’t be first, I must compete for one of the top three spots!"
"I don't know what the reward is but there is no doubt that it will be extraordinary. I must obtain it!"
"Everyone else is probably after the top three rewards. However, I believe that I will triumph over them!"
In different Realms of Limits, supreme heaven prides such as Lei Qianjun, Mu Jianting, and Li Qinghuan were doing their best and were determined to win the final reward.
This wasn’t just an opportunity but also an unofficial competition against the other heaven prides.
No one would willingly be left behind!
……
Swish!
The Broken Blade flashed across the murkiness like lightning, dazzling brilliantly while displaying unrivaled sharpness.
Lin Xun was already using his maximum power. He had never been so desperate even in the fight against Half-Step King Lin Taizhen.
‘Cultivators’ were killed one after another, unable to stop Lin Xun’s advance.
"No wonder that old bat Bai Fengliu said the second trial will be an invaluable experience. It is incredibly effective at tempering a cultivator’s strength, and if you manage to pass, your strength will definitely undergo a certain degree of evolution..."
Lin Xun began to understand what Bai Fengliu had told him previously.
He had been maintaining a peak level of combat which forced him to fully dig out his strength and potential. It was undoubtedly a rare form of training.
As the fighting grew increasingly intense, Lin Xun’s control of the Broken Blade grew increasingly skillful. It began to feel like an extension of his body and made him feel complete as he grasped the blade in his hand.
Likewise, the Combustion Star River, the Nine Heavenshaking Destructions Art, and the Tribulation Dragon Nine Transformations had also been further refined and enhanced in the earlier battles.
Lin Xun could clearly feel a significant transformation occurring in his understanding of the martial dao....
Kill!
Later on, Lin Xun threw away all other thoughts and completely immersed himself in the battle, freely displaying his martial dao.
Star-Gather Slash...
Moon-Catch Slash...
Burning Sun Slash...
Silent Emptiness Slash...
The Heavenly Yuan Six Slashes were subsequently displayed by Lin Xun. With a light swing, the Broken Blade produced overwhelming power that swept across the domain with terrifying force.
It was a technique Lin Xun rarely used.
Even against the likes of Sha Liuchan and Qing Lian'er, Lin Xun had held back and not used the Heavenly Yuan Six Slashes.
Of course, it must also be noted that Lin Xun had only mastered the first four slashes, and had yet to learn the last two moves: the Birth Destruction Slash and the Impermanence Slash.
Despite this, the power of this blade art from the Omega Secret Realm was most definitely astonishing.
Eh?
Suddenly, Lin Xun, who was immersed in comprehending martial dao while advancing through battle, snapped awake and dazedly looked around.
There were no enemies left. He found himself all alone in the misty gray world.
"No more?" Lin Xun was stunned. Soon after, he realized might have reached the other side of the Realm of Limits.