Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 577 The Eleven Spots Before the End of the Star-Picking Competition (5k)

The sword light surged like a tide, forcing Yuan Shujian into a frantic struggle, his figure gradually becoming disheveled.

[In such close combat, spells were difficult to cast, and the magical artifacts were countered by the "True Martial" sword embryo in Ziwei's hands. In the blink of an eye, three protective magical artifacts had already been knocked down.]

Fortunately, Yuan Shujian possessed profound cultivation and also practiced body-building techniques. Had it been his previous opponent, he would likely have already had his throat pointed at by the sword tip.

[It's already remarkable that he's managed to withstand the Purple Star Sword until now, but he's now struggling to defend himself and is finding it difficult to keep up.]

Suddenly, the Ziwei Sword Technique changed; with three flashes, sonic booms echoed repeatedly.

In an instant, the area within a five-zhang radius was enveloped in chilling sword shadows.

"It's Junior Sister Ziwei's sword domain!"

The spectators all gasped in shock. Previously, anyone caught in this domain, whether struck by the sword shadows, attempting to dodge, or unleashing a magical artifact, would be attacked by a primordial spirit within the sword domain.

In a moment of distraction, the outcome can be decided.

Seeing the situation, Yuan Shujian stopped dodging and his aura suddenly changed. A wave of energy exploded outwards, and his robe burst open, revealing his fair and refined upper body.

Suddenly, golden scales appeared on his arm, rapidly spreading to his entire hand, as he reached straight for the edge of the Purple Star Sword with his bare hand!

The girl in the palace dress, however, seemed to have foreseen this; in an instant, she gracefully retreated, deliberately creating distance between them.

Just as everyone was stunned, Yuan Shujian's form had drastically changed. Except for his head, his upper body was covered in golden scales, and his hands had transformed into sharp dragon claws.

"This is... the Yang Dragon Transformation! Senior Brother Yuan has actually mastered this technique!"

"Impossible! Isn't the Yang Dragon Transformation only attainable upon reaching the Dragon Court Realm?"

"Unless one possesses the Lesser Yang Physique, they can be exceptionally allowed to cultivate this rare physique."

[In your eyes, the bones within Yuan Shujian's body are emitting a faint hum, and golden scales are continuously growing from beneath his skin, covering his entire body.]

[A second "heart" had unexpectedly grown in Yuan Shujian's right chest, a manifestation of his "Lesser Yang Physique." At this moment, his blood and energy surged, his bones throbbed, and his cultivation level surged once more.]

This "Yang Dragon Transformation" technique is like a true spirit manifesting its true form after being severely injured; its power is astonishing. However, Yuan Shujian could not maintain this state for long.

[Yuan Shujian's strength instantly increased more than threefold; his figure flashed and disappeared, suddenly appearing in front of Ziwei.]

The battle was no longer a contest of magic, but a pure physical confrontation. Even with the exquisite skill of the Ziwei Sword Technique, it was difficult to break through that golden scale armor.

[In several exchanges, he was forced back by its fierce power; with each swing of its claws, even the arena forged from celestial metal was slashed, sparks flying and deep marks left behind.]

Although the Ziwei Sword Style was exceptionally skillful, Yuan Shujian gradually gained the upper hand by employing a fighting style that traded blows for blows and used brute force to overcome skill.

Although the girl was showing signs of weakness, her bright eyes remained calm.

A moment later, the presiding elder suddenly appeared between the two, separating them from the fierce battle.

Seeing that the battle was over, Ziwei could no longer hold on. She leaned on her sword for support, but ultimately collapsed from exhaustion of her magical power.

The Five-Colored Peak Elder immediately leaped onto the arena, tenderly picking up Ziwei and carrying her away.

[Yuan Shujian's scales gradually disappeared, restoring his original appearance, but he was also severely weakened, with a pale complexion.]

The elder immediately announced loudly: "Yuan Shujian wins at Dragon Head Peak!"

The disciples erupted in cheers. Ziwei fought valiantly until she fell unconscious, earning everyone's respect.

You slowly withdrew your gaze. This Yuan Shujian was actually holding back; at least, it seemed he still had a heart inside his chest that he hadn't activated, meaning he hadn't fully unleashed his "Lesser Yang Body."

[These two competitions alone demonstrate that the prodigies of the cultivation world possess either extraordinary spiritual roots or physiques beyond the ordinary.]

In truth, whether one is a spiritual practitioner or an ordinary person, one's destiny is already determined at birth.

The word "talent" is like an abyss lying before us.

The final match was between "Sun Miao, the senior disciple of Fangcun Mountain," and "Xie Mosheng of Danhe Peak."

In the previous nine rounds of competition, Sun Miao barely revealed his true strength, advancing in four matches due to his opponents' direct surrender, and easily winning the other five.

However, his opponent this time was no ordinary opponent. Xie Mosheng, from Danhe Peak, who had previously been relatively unknown, had won all nine matches in this competition with overwhelming force.

Danhe Peak has always been renowned for its alchemy skills, even surpassing Huoyun Peak, which specializes in weapon crafting, in past Star-Picking Gatherings.

This is the highest ranking Danhe Peak has achieved in the Star-Picking Gathering in the past four or five hundred years.

In just a few days, Xie Mosheng's reputation within Danhe Peak had risen rapidly.

The two then took to the stage one after the other.

Sun Miao stood tall and imposing, not dressed in ordinary clothes, but with armor covering his left shoulder and a jade crown binding him. His sharp eyebrows and bright eyes exuded an imposing aura. The moment he appeared, thunderous cheers erupted from below the stage, and many female disciples gazed upon him with fervent admiration, as if he were a star.

[Personally taught by the sect leader, possessing unparalleled talent, the senior disciple of Fangcun Mountain, and even predicted by a heretical master to be the reincarnation of "Tianfu Star"...]

Surrounded by a multitude of halos, even just standing still in the arena, he exuded an unshakeable aura.

Xie Mosheng, however, possessed an ordinary demeanor and unremarkable appearance; even standing among the disciples of Fangcun Mountain, he appeared quite ordinary.

He bowed and said, "Senior Brother Sun, please enlighten me."

Sun Miao smiled, his handsome and refined appearance becoming even more striking. "Junior Brother Xie, there's no need for such formalities."

The presiding elder announced: "The competition begins!"

Most of the disciples in the stands were focused on Xie Mosheng, because, in the past, Sun Miao never made the first move.

The Danhe Peak lineage possesses three secret martial arts techniques: the *Danhe Jade Book*, the *True Qi Five Thunder Technique*, and the *Jade Void Wind Refining Technique*.

[Among them, the "Crimson Crane Jade Book" is a sacred classic of alchemy, while the other two are true techniques for the deadly and powerful thunder and wind arts.]

Xie Mosheng, however, integrated the latter two techniques, creating a unique "Wind and Thunder" method.

[It should be noted that the Danhe Peak Wind Technique is actually a wood-elemental magic, originating from the interaction of metal and wood energies during alchemy;]

The Law of Thunder is the supreme of all laws, possessing unparalleled power. It uses wind to amplify the power of thunder, and thunder borrows the might of wind, making it incomparably powerful.

In his previous nine battles, he almost always ended the fight within ten or so moves.

Facing Sun Miao now, he dared not be careless in the slightest, and immediately unleashed his strongest killing move.

[The fire within his lungs ignited from his heart, transforming into wind; the five elements, harnessing thunder and lightning, surged forth!]

In an instant, lightning burst forth from his hands, the azure sparks crackling like a flock of birdsong.

Lightning crackled between his fingers, instantly engulfing the entire arena. A black wind howled from his palms, raging like a tornado and engulfing the entire ring!

A massive black vortex tornado suddenly appeared, spewing lightning and swirling up countless azure wind blades wreathed in lightning. Even the arena, forged of metal, was ripped open with deep, crisscrossing gashes, crackling with arcs of electricity.

The entire arena suddenly darkened, and the deafening roar of wind and thunder, like ten thousand horses galloping, filled the air.

Despite this terrifying onslaught, Sun Miao remained calm and composed. Suddenly, eighteen purple orbs rose above his head, swirling and spinning incessantly.

All the wind blades and lightning bolts that approached him were deflected by the eighteen precious pearls, as if an invisible protective umbrella had been unfurled.

[It's so solid, impervious to wind and thunder!]

[The discerning disciples in the audience immediately recognized it as the secret technique of Qi Yun Peak—the "Nine Revolutions of the Primordial Jade Body."]

This technique is hailed as one of the three great body-refining methods of the righteous path. At its most profound level, it can refine the body's primordial energy into the "Primordial Protective Pearl," which not only provides impenetrable protection but can also be used externally to subdue enemies—a truly wondrous art.

[It is said that if this skill is perfected, one can condense twenty-seven protective beads, at which point traversing the void with one's physical body will be no difficult task.]

Sun Miao has now refined eighteen pills, whereas previously he had only used a maximum of twelve in the competition.

Yet, at this moment, he remained calm and composed, his body unmoved, allowing Xie Mosheng to exert all her strength.

You turn your gaze back to the arena—this is Sun Miao, and it's the first time you've witnessed him in person.

His cultivation level was clearly not just at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Gate realm; it had already reached the late-stage.

What's even more astonishing is that his vital energy and the strength of his constitution are several levels stronger than Yuan Shujian's Lesser Yang Body!

[It is said that all those born under auspicious stars are like reincarnations of true spirits, possessing an innate lineage within their bloodline.]

According to Daoist records, when the previous generation of the Ziwei Star appeared in the world, they inherited the method of the "Ziwei Taihao Lu". Each time they broke through a realm, they were given a scroll of cultivation techniques, which were extremely mysterious.

[Every great calamity is accompanied by the birth of a destined star. Your grandfather had his suspicions; you too were a destined star descended to earth, yet there were no unusual signs at your birth.]

My grandfather often suspected that there might be another unconventional life star besides the fourteen major stars.

[In this era, the number of those born under the destiny star is far greater than before, and those bearing the star's destiny have repeatedly appeared in both the righteous and demonic paths.] [You regain your composure and look at Sun Miao on the arena, wondering what profound skill he will inherit.]

[Xie Mosheng's wind and thunder power surged even more fiercely, and his aura rose steadily, actually breaking through to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Gate realm!]

The raging lightning continuously condensed and manifested in his palm, eventually transforming into a blue-green thunder beast, resembling a giant bull without horns, standing on one leg in the air, its body surrounded by lightning.

[This is the ancient spirit "Kui Niu," whose appearance is always accompanied by violent storms and torrential rain; its roar shakes the heavens, like thunder shattering the sky.]

[Only then did Sun Miao's expression shift slightly. He pointed his fingers and drew in the air, one horizontal line, one vertical line, then another horizontal line, one vertical line, the light and shadow solidifying and intertwining in the air to form a profound formation resembling a chessboard.]

The disciples below the stage were all bewildered, speculating about the nature of this technique. Even the disciples from Qi Yun Peak's lineage looked puzzled, having never seen anything like it before.

On the other side, Xie Mosheng's face was slightly distorted, clearly indicating that he had pushed his cultivation to its limit, and the shape of the Kui Niu in his hand was becoming increasingly clear.

The Kui Niu roared angrily to the sky, its sound echoing for miles around, and suddenly surged forth from Xie Mosheng's palm, crashing towards Sun Miao with the force of wind and thunder!

The disciples with slightly weaker cultivation levels on the viewing platform felt their minds captivated, experiencing dizziness and disorientation, making it difficult for them to maintain their composure.

A crystal-clear light barrier suddenly rose around the arena, isolating it from the outside and protecting everyone.

As Sun Miao's fingertip made the final horizontal stroke, the interplay of light and shadow in the air transformed into a clearly defined chessboard!

In an instant, a massive square enclosure suddenly appeared on the arena between the two, firmly trapping the charging Kui Niu within it. No matter how much it roared and charged, it couldn't move an inch.

[Two illusory star images suddenly appeared above the formation, one dazzling and bright, the other dim and unclear.]

Those knowledgeable in astrology and Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology) can immediately recognize the celestial phenomena.

"On the same birthday, the purple star is reversed; the opposite palace, the Heavenly Mansion star, flows in the same direction."

The dimmed star is Ziwei, while the brightly shining star is Tianfu.

The position of the Tianfu star needs to be determined by the Ziwei star; the two stars are opposite each other and reflect each other.

On the second-floor viewing platform, many elders had already recognized that Sun Miao had actually created something from nothing on the arena, opening up a completely new world!

The Kui Niu seemed to have been banished to another realm, its connection to Xie Mosheng severed. Moments later, the thunder beast dissipated, transforming into wisps of pure energy.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Sun Miao caused the chessboard to vanish as if it had never existed.

Witnessing this scene, Xie Mosheng never imagined that such a profound and domineering technique existed in the world, and blurted out, "What...is this?!"

Sun Miao smiled calmly and replied, "This is my star domain... the Tianfu Star Domain."

"The Tianfu Star Region?" Xie Mosheng murmured in surprise.

Sun Miao, surrounded by eighteen purple orbs that shimmered with light, did not seize the opportunity to attack. Instead, he stood calmly in place, his demeanor composed.

On the viewing platform, Qi Ling frowned upon seeing this. She knew that the Heavenly Mansion Star Domain could not only trap the Kui Niu, but also completely neutralize her True Phoenix Flame.

"The Heavenly Star has descended upon the world... It seems this senior disciple of Fangcun Mountain is not to be underestimated."

On the other side, Yuan Shujian also looked up, a serious expression appearing in his eyes.

[You see, however, that Sun Miao's use of the Star Domain technique was truly out of desperation. Xie Mosheng's lightning-transformed Kui Bull was incredibly powerful, far exceeding expectations; it was likely a killing move that even a late-stage Heavenly Gate cultivator would find difficult to withstand.]

[If he doesn't use this technique, even someone as strong as Sun Miao would inevitably find himself in a rather embarrassing situation if he hastily reacts, which is certainly not what he wants.]

This "Tianfu Star Domain" is clearly not a Fangcun Mountain inheritance, but rather a secret technique unique to Tianfu Star.

After a brief silence.

Xie Mosheng sighed softly, "...I lost."

Sun Miao smiled gently and without flaw, "Junior Brother Xie is already a hero among our disciples. This battle was brilliant."

The presiding elder announced loudly: "Sun Miao wins this battle!"

[This elder of the Punishment Hall, unlike his indifferent expression in the previous two rounds, actually nodded slightly to Sun Miao, forcing a smile of approval.]

Sun Miao remained composed and courteous, maintaining his composure.

A deafening cheer erupted from the audience, with many female disciples unable to contain their excitement, repeatedly calling out Sun Miao's name.

[After the three rounds of competition, many disciples still felt that the competition was not yet over.]

After the presiding elder reported to the sect leader, Nongmu, Nongmu nodded slightly and slowly stepped forward.

"Next, I will announce the top eleven winners of this year's Star Picking Competition."

The sounds of farmers and herdsmen filled the air, and the viewing platform fell into complete silence. All the disciples held their breath, their hearts pounding with excitement.

The sect leader personally announcing the rankings is a tremendous honor for this year's disciples.

["Top three: Sun Miao, Yuan Shujian of Dragon Head Peak, and Qi Ling of Little Green Peak."]

[“The next six are: Feng Qingge from Yaochi Peak, Xie Mosheng from Danhe Peak, Ziwei from Wuse Peak, Ji Heng from Qiyun Peak, Chen Xiao from Qiyun Peak, and Cheng Jin from Qiyun Peak.”]

At this point, Nongmu paused slightly.

The more than 10,000 disciples of the Eighteen Peaks erupted in thunderous cheers, the sound waves sweeping across the entire arena.

These nine are undoubtedly the most outstanding disciples of Fangcun Mountain this year. Every name of the disciples who entered the sect in the past five years will be remembered for a lifetime.

[If these nine individuals do not perish in a hundred years, they will all become truly influential figures in the cultivation world of Yuzhou.]

[The agricultural and livestock sector spoke again, "Tenth place, and eleventh place."]

The disciples from each branch watched intently, holding their breath—these last two spots belonged to the winners of the previous competition.

"Fu Dongcheng, Zhou Jing."

[A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the audience once again, with the Koo Aomine lineage particularly overcome with excitement.]

[Among the top eleven in this year's Star Picking Competition, Xiao Qingfeng surprisingly occupies two spots, an achievement second only to Qi Yunfeng.]

[Nie Qingzhu had already anticipated that Zhou Jing's ranking would be slightly lower than Fu Dongcheng's. Her gaze subtly shifted to you, only to find your expression still calm.]

[Until the voice of the farmer and herdsman echoed throughout the hall once more: "These eleven people will travel to the East Sea in six months."]

[Only after hearing this did you smile; as for the ranking, it wasn't important to you.]

[The agricultural and livestock department announced the end of the star-picking ceremony and then departed with several distinguished guests who had attended.]

The disciples from each branch also dispersed.

With the competition concluded, the next step was for Fangcun Mountain to bestow treasures and rewards upon its top one hundred disciples.

The selection of rewards was not conducted in full view of the public, but rather in the treasury behind the scenes.

[Within the treasure vault are over nine hundred precious items, covering a wide range of categories including magical treasures, cultivation techniques, elixirs, and spirit beasts—a dazzling array.]

The top eleven disciples may choose two items, regardless of type; those ranked below them may only choose one.

[Those ranked in order of their place enter and choose their items. Those ranked lower can only choose from items that have not yet been selected by those who came before them.]

Furthermore, the top eleven participants will receive an additional three million merit points. Merit points circulate within Fangcun Mountain like gold and silver in the secular world, and can be exchanged for anything; their uses are extremely wide-ranging.

[After Sun Miao, Qi Ling, and the other nine have finished their selections, it will be your turn and Fu Dongcheng's turn to enter the treasure vault.]

[Indeed, it was filled with treasures, their brilliance dazzling the eye.]

[You paused briefly, your gaze settling on a set of five magical swords, each shimmering with a five-colored light. On this trip to the East Sea, if you need to engage in combat but cannot reveal your true abilities, this set of five elemental swords, paired with the *Five Elements Escape Technique Sword Manual*, would be quite suitable.]

Although these five swords are low-grade magic weapons, they are sufficient for my needs.

You couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking of Lü Qingyu. Senior Sister Lü, your Five Elements Escape Technique is ultimately neither strong enough nor ruthless enough.

[The second treasure: You glance at an ancient-looking alchemy cauldron, and with a casual wave of your hand, you capture it in your palm.]

[You possess many magical treasures, but you lack one item for alchemy. This is just the right one.]

[You have left the treasure vault. The Star-Picking Gathering has now ended. In six months, you will travel to the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault in the East Sea.]

At that time, the prodigies of the nine righteous sects, the outer sects, and the three demonic sects will gather at this ancient tomb of the Heavenly Emperor, a relic containing countless secrets.

I'm actually quite looking forward to it.

P.S.: Happy Qixi Festival to all the gentlemen and darlings!
(End of this chapter)