Chapter 73 - Wugang Star!

Above the Wood Kingdom, the clouds were billowing, and spiritual birds flitted among them. Suddenly, as if spooked, they flew swiftly into the distance.

After the birds departed, Zhong Yong carried Zhong Chen through the air, with Mu Qing following closely behind.

“Hmph! That scoundrel Leng Yan will pay back today’s humiliation tenfold,” Zhong Yong cursed angrily, clenching his fists.

“Don’t act rashly. After all, he has Elder Xuan Yi backing him,” Mu Qing, though also furious, was more measured in her response.

“Rest assured, I’m not stupid enough to provoke him directly. But just because I hold back doesn’t mean someone else won’t trouble him. As long as I don’t make a move, they won’t trace it back to me,” Zhong Yong said fiercely.

“Are you planning to use the Five Veins Competition to get your revenge?” Mu Qing asked.

“Yes, I’ve heard that the rules might change this time. It seems the elders have found a space battlefield and intend to open teleportation for them to train there.”

“I know what to do now,” Mu Qing smiled.

“I want to go to the space battlefield and take my revenge personally,” Zhong Chen shouted, his face no longer swollen but full of anger.

Hearing this, Zhong Yong slapped him again, scolding, “Shut up! People your age can bully you, and what about you? You just embarrass me.”

…

With just over a month before the Five Veins Competition, Leng Yan activated the immortal land again, accelerating time for a year to cultivate within it.

Leng Yan’s meridians were resilient and broad, making it much more challenging to advance his realm.

At present, Leng Yan’s strength was largely fixed. Without considering magical treasures like the netherworld ghost banner, he was the top in the unification realm. Even if Leng Yan broke through to the late stage of the primordial qi realm or reached its initial stage, it wouldn’t compare to the unification realm.

The gap between the unification realm and the Heavenly Realm was considerable. Unless Leng Yan reached the late stage of the primordial qi realm, only then might he hold his own against a cultivator in the unification realm.

For now, the increase in strength from advancing his realm wasn’t very significant.

After a month, Leng Yan’s cultivation level had advanced to the late stage of the true essence realm, with his true essence thick and viscous.

Putting away the immortal land, he stepped out of the master’s pavilion. The skies were noticeably busier than before, suggesting there would be many participants on this journey.

“You’re out. Elder Xuan Yi will be here shortly to take you to Wugang Star,” Shui Yunyao said with a smile as she appeared from behind Leng Yan.

“Aren’t you going?” Leng Yan asked.

“Every time the Five Veins Competition occurs, the Demon Sect from the underlands seizes the opportunity to attack the surface. I must stay to fend off their assaults. It’s usually just minor disturbances, not particularly dangerous, so you have nothing to worry about,” Shui Yunyao replied, her white robe fluttering in the breeze, a smile playing on her lips.

“Alright, be careful,” Leng Yan said with a smile.

Suddenly, a burst of flames erupted in the sky above the plaza.

“That’s Elder Xuan Yi’s signal; it’s time for you all to depart,” Shui Yunyao noted, looking up.

“Alright, I’m off. Goodbye,” Leng Yan said, stepping onto the Azure Sky Sword and shooting towards the plaza like a streak of light, missing the momentary blue in Shui Yunyao’s eyes.

At the plaza, a hundred people had gathered-disciples chosen by Shui Yunyao to participate in this year’s Five Veins Competition.

Leng Yan’s arrival quieted the previously boisterous scene, drawing all eyes to him.

At the call of one disciple, “Greetings, Senior Brother Leng Yan,” the entire plaza echoed with the phrase, creating a spectacular scene that stirred pride within Leng Yan.

Power, influence, wealth, lust, and emotion are bonds people can never fully escape. No matter how high one’s cultivation, the heart is always governed by one of these!

Descending from his flying sword, Leng Yan exchanged a few casual words with some disciples before spotting Elder Xuan Yi approaching from the sky.

“Elder Xuan Yi announced to everyone, ‘Proceed to the Tianya Pavilion, where an elder will initiate the teleportation for you. Leng Yan, come with me.'”

Hearing this, Leng Yan, under envious gazes, stepped onto his flying sword and followed Elder Xuan Yi into the distance.

Leaving the plaza, Elder Xuan Yi stood in the Void, his sleeves sweeping out to form a glowing formation in mid-air.

Leng Yan didn’t ask any questions, simply standing in the center of the teleportation formation. As the formation blazed with light, he felt a wave of dizziness and realized he had already left Longmu Star.

Before even opening his eyes, he sensed a surrounding essence power several times denser than before. Leng Yan was confident he had arrived on Wugang Star.

Opening his eyes, he was met with a blue sky, pure white clouds, and flocks of spiritual birds soaring together, their calls merging into a melodious and enchanting song.

In the distance, towering mountains stood majestically. Rainbows spanned the gorges between the peaks, forming bridges over which couples glided gracefully on their flying swords, resembling celestial beings and evoking envy in onlookers.

“What a beautiful place. Is this the Five Elements Sect?” Leng Yan remarked with a smile.

“Yes, this is the Five Elements Sect. Beautiful, isn’t it? However, the immortal firmament continent is a thousand times more splendid. Unfortunately, we can’t return there yet,” Xuan Yi replied, stepping forward from the Void using a Divine Power known as “Teleportation,” comprehended through mastering spatial changes.

With just a thought, one could sever space and traverse multiple planets in an instant.

“Is that so? I believe that one day I’ll get to see the immortal firmament continent,” Leng Yan replied with a subtle smile.

“Ha! Let’s go. I’ll take you to the Five Elements Sect plaza, which is where the competition assembles,” Xuan Yi said, stepping towards the mountain’s peak, with Leng Yan following closely.

Initially, Leng Yan kept pace behind Xuan Yi, but he began to feel an overwhelming pressure weigh him down, as if carrying a mountain on his back.

The steep steps ahead appeared to connect the earth to the heavens. “Is this a test for me?” Leng Yan murmured, “That’s perfect. I want to see how capable I really am.”

After adjusting his posture, Leng Yan resumed his climb at a steady pace, placing each step solidly on the stairs. Meanwhile, Xuan Yi had already reached the mountainside.

Leng Yan remained unhurried. With each step, he could clearly feel the pressure intensifying.

He embraced this challenge, attempting to adapt to the pressure. His true essence began to circulate within him, and the Dragon Emperor’s essence blood, stimulated by the pressure, accelerated its rotation, infusing a subtle vitality into every corner of Leng Yan’s body.

After an hour, Leng Yan had climbed five hundred steps, and now he had to exert all his effort just to move forward by a single step.

Each step required him to pause and recover his strength before he could proceed.

Repeatedly, this cycle continued, and before he knew it, night had fallen. Xuan Yi had probably long joined the other Elders for tea, while Leng Yan had not even reached the mountainside.

In just this one day, Leng Yan had absorbed a third of the Dragon Emperor’s essence blood. A faint azure glow enveloped his skin, with some patterns forming that resembled dragon scales.

“Though it’s tough, it’s all worth it if it enhances my strength. Onward!” Leng Yan reflected on his own transformation, noticing significant changes in his meridians and bones. He realized that with just the strength of his physical body, he could likely crush an ordinary cultivator in the true essence realm, attesting to the frightening degree of his power.

Bending slightly at the waist, his body’s movements were accompanied by the circulation of true essence through his meridians.

With a “thud,” Leng Yan’s foot landed again with a reverberating sound. Yet he felt at ease afterward; if he could withstand the pressure and lift his foot, placing it down would bring a sense of lightness, indicating that his strength had increased once more.

“Is this my limit?” Leng Yan wondered, looking up at the pure white steps stretching to the mountain’s peak. In the dark night, they seemed to go on forever, as all he could see was the midnight darkness.

Sweat trickled down his face as Leng Yan stood exhausted, his legs trembling slightly.

Grasping his knees with both hands, determination filled Leng Yan’s eyes. “1000 steps isn’t my endpoint.”

With that declaration, Leng Yan let out a sudden shout, lifting his right foot forcefully.

However, as he lifted his right foot, the pressure on him intensified, and his right foot remained poised horizontally, locked in a stalemate with the step.

“I will step onto this level, and nothing can stop me!” Leng Yan shouted again, channeling all his strength into his right foot.

Finally, his right foot rose slowly, crossing the plane of the step, and then, as though utterly exhausted, Leng Yan let his right foot settle on the 1,001st step.

As soon as he stepped onto this level, the pressure on his entire body suddenly vanished without a trace.

“Is this a chance for me to rest? Heh, it’s a pity, really. My body has reached its limit and can’t withstand any more of the Dragon Emperor’s essence blood’s transformation. Otherwise, with this pressure acting as a catalyst, I could have refined it all in one go. For now, I have no choice but to suppress it, to prevent the pressure from triggering it and causing me to explode from within,” Leng Yan observed his condition and remarked regretfully.