From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 299 Carrying a Lamp at Night

The man who had entered had a face covered in blood and bulging veins. He roared, and a large, glowing hand slammed down on the Chilong Halberd.

Chen Xuan reacted quickly, wielding the halberd with one arm and suddenly swinging it, shattering the man's palm. Immediately afterwards, the halberd shot out like a dragon, and a gleaming, scaled dragon appeared, piercing through the man's chest.

"what!"

The man in black was instantly struck hard, writhing in excruciating pain, and immediately retreated through the crack in the stone door.

There was a click.

Chen Xuan used his halberd to force open the stone door, stepped out of the small room, and saw a misty corridor appear in his field of vision. It was very wide, but all around it were closed black stone bricks.

The man in black was fleeing when he turned around and shouted. His other hand clenched into a fist, like a martial arts god returning. His fist intent surged and his energy boiled as he slammed it towards Chen Xuan.

boom!
Chen Xuan wielded his dragon-shaped halberd, shattering the fist in mid-air. Then, he used the halberd to pin the purple-clad man's broken body to the wall of the corridor.

"Who are you!" Chen Xuan shouted angrily.

The martial arts demon rulers are the most powerful in the fighting faction. The number of human fighting faction cultivators is pitifully small and extremely rare. Moreover, the more a human cultivator is compatible with martial arts, the less likely they are to cultivate the fighting faction. Most human martial artists who have achieved some success live in seclusion.

At the same time, his eyes were solemn, because he realized that the man in front of him was not a real being, but a product of something like evil spirits or Dao traces.

"He..."

The man in black gasped for breath, a sliver of clarity returning to his previously dazed eyes. He gasped, "Dou Bu, Wuqu Palace, Wu Xuanke..."

Chen Xuan snorted coldly and said, "The Wuqu Palace was destroyed by the demon race long ago!"

During the later stages of the divine catastrophe 100,000 years ago, several young martial arts gods emerged from the Southern Region and Central Continent. They were determined and almost simultaneously attained the status of True Monarch. The dormant martial arts lineages of the human race, such as the Beidou Dojo, Wuqu Palace, Shenquan Sect, and Vajra Sect, all emerged in response to the calamity.

But it was all just a flash in the pan, and the martial arts lineages soon vanished.

The black-clad man before Chen Xuan was merely a manifestation of an ancient Daoist trace, likely a participant from the previous Mountain and Sea Banquet.

"The Wuqu Palace has been destroyed... It has never successfully opened up a martial arts world for humanity in this era of great strife."

The man in black murmured, a trace of sorrow appearing on his face, "The heroes of the human race have lost their spirit..."

Immediately, his expression returned to calm, as if he had realized the task of his own revival, and he spoke:

"Future generations, I, Wu, will test your strength!"

With a loud bang, the black-clad man's eyes flashed with cold lightning, and an incomparably domineering aura emerged from his body, like a martial arts god descending to earth. Six clenched fists appeared behind him, accompanied by images of lightning, golden light, and fist light, which scorched the corridor wall covered with rune traces.

The war broke out.

While protecting the candlelight of the bronze lamp, Chen Xuan fought his enemy. Before him was an extremely powerful opponent, around thirty years old, proficient in martial arts, and possessing astonishing combat strength that was no less than... Hua Liuli!

In the blink of an eye.

Chen Xuan defeated the man in black, turning him into a cloud of air that vanished without a trace.

Although this person is only at the peak of the cultivation stage, he is comparable to the Heavenly Fate Cultivation stage with his mortal appearance. He is unfathomable and a hero of his generation. He even caused a small corner of Chen Xuan's sleeve to be blackened by electricity, which is truly extraordinary.

"May you ascend the Heavenly Corridor, stand atop the high platform, and become the foremost seeker of knowledge..."

The man's voice, gentle yet tinged with a hint of domineering, slowly faded away.

Only a wisp of golden light flew out and merged into the bronze lamp, making the dim flames brighter.

"He's a good martial artist..." Chen Xuan thought to himself. The bronze lamp was bright, with a golden halo spreading out, and a hazy power enveloped his body.

This is a pure energy, very gentle, completely different from the domineering energy accompanying the Immortal Tribulation Liquid. It can be absorbed directly without the need for difficult refining.

"Buzz!"

Chen Xuan had just advanced to a higher realm and should have needed some time to consolidate his cultivation, but at this moment, his cultivation was rapidly increasing without any lingering problems.

"Defeating a stronger opponent may bring other benefits."

He muttered to himself, glancing around the corridor, and then walked to the left.

The Taoist palace is very large, containing a vast universe within.

The first floor is like an underground maze with interconnected corridors.

In Chen Xuan's field of vision, the light spots of Liu Yutian and others were in the same space as him, but were far apart.

"Boom! Boom!"

He walked to the door of a stone chamber on the left, knocked twice, and when there was no response, he pushed the stone door open and looked inside. There was only a stone bed and an extinguished bronze lamp.

No other guests appeared in the stone chamber.

At this moment, his divine soul light spread out completely, but the stone walls nearby were engraved with ancient runes that emitted a faint light. These runes not only suppressed divine power and immortal energy, but also had the mysterious ability to isolate the perception of solar energy and divine soul.

Chen Xuan then turned around, holding a bronze lamp in his hand and carrying a dragon-shaped halberd on his shoulder, and walked along the corridor, looking around with a leisurely air.

The bronze lamps bear a special Taoist mark that cannot be concealed or hidden; they can only be held in one's hand.

Soon after.

Ahead, faint fluctuations of divine power emanated from the stone wall. Most of these fluctuations were absorbed by the dim runes on the stone wall, with only a small amount spreading far away. However, Chen Xuan keenly sensed that other guests at the banquet were engaged in a battle of magic.

Chen Xuan's heart stirred, and he quickened his pace, moving like a gentle breeze as he cautiously traversed the narrow corridor and turned several corners.

In front of a stone chamber, two cultivators with similar auras were engaged in a fierce battle.

"Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Technique!"

"Mysterious Fire Burning Heaven Technique!"

The two figures unleashed the same spell, colliding violently. A sea of ​​fire surged, filling the stone chamber and rushing along both sides of the corridor like a flood.

"Who are you?!" one of the banquet guests shouted.

"Zhongzhou, Huoxia Kingdom, Shenyan!"

"Ah? I also have the surname Shen, and I am the current crown prince of the Fire Cloud Kingdom. Are you an ancient ancestor?!" The banquet attendee exclaimed in astonishment. No wonder the other party used the same true scripture and the same magic as him.

Huoxia Kingdom, an ordinary ancient human kingdom in Zhongzhou, has produced several emperors and true lords in the field of fire magic throughout history.

"Ha! You are merely a half-step into the mortal realm, the Shen family bloodline has fallen to such a state... Since that's the case, I, on behalf of our ancestors, will teach you a lesson!"

A middle-aged man in a crimson robe with a black bird design, his expression furious, with crimson flames burning in his eyebrows and hair, used a magical technique to knock away the banquet guests, and then overturned and extinguished the bronze lamps.

"Wow!"

The body of the Crown Prince of Huoxia Kingdom, who attended the banquet, dissipated and disappeared from this place, thus ending the test ahead of schedule.

Chen Xuan stared intently at the spot where the banquet attendees had disappeared. He slightly opened a layer of his inner peace, dispelling the fog. Under the influence of the Dao Palace's power, the banquet attendees transformed into countless streams of light, passing through the stone wall above their heads and ascending into the sky.

Even if the test fails, there is no immediate danger to life; one will still ascend to heaven for the banquet. However, the seat at the banquet will likely be quite undesirable.

"Who are you?" The middle-aged man in the red bird robe turned around and looked at Chen Xuan, who appeared at the corner of the corridor. His whole body was engulfed in flames, and he regarded Chen Xuan as the next target to be tested.

"Chen Xuan, a disciple of the Southern Wilderness Sect of Yaoguang Prefecture and a guest advisor of the Qingnang Sect of Yunmeng Prefecture!" Chen Xuan casually answered with his two main identities.

Of course, that's a humble way of putting it.

In the eyes of the ghosts and monsters of the Southern Wilderness, he is the Holy Son left behind by the Mountain Ghost Goddess, and in Qingnang Mountain, he is also a direct descendant of the Daoist lineage.

"The lineage of Tu De Qing Nang? So you are a disciple of a great sect. Elite families produce geniuses. You are indeed extraordinary."

The middle-aged man in the red bird robe straightened up and respectfully bowed. Then he muttered to himself in confusion, "But it is really strange that you, a mere cauldron, could pass the tests of the Holy Son and the Mystic Maiden of the Azure Bag."

He was one of the final attendees of the previous Mountain and Sea Banquet, and had witnessed the brilliance of the most outstanding figures of his time.

The Qingnang Daoist Temple boasts a brilliant lineage, having conquered the world several times. Its successive Daoist disciples and nuns were among the most outstanding and charismatic figures in the world.

Undoubtedly, some of the prodigies from the Qingnang Dojo achieved remarkable success in the previous Mountain and Sea Banquet.

"Hmm..." Chen Xuan found it difficult to respond, because the stone chamber he landed in was transformed into a wisp of Dao trace left by a martial arts cultivator.

He had clearly mastered the "Dang Kang True Scripture" of the Qingnang school, as well as a series of immortal techniques called "Mysterious Wind and Spiritual Water Hidden True Chapter," both of which he had perfected.

How does the Dao Palace trial operate?

Could it be that the Dao Palace believes he has mastered the Fighting Immortal Technique [Three Thousand Heavenly Demons' Journey - Xing Tian's Secret Essentials], making him more suitable for the martial arts test of the Fighting Division?
Or was it because Xinzhai was difficult to investigate that a test subject was randomly assigned?
at the same time.

At the other end of the first level of the Dao Palace, the Two Realms Master, Hua Liuli, is facing a major crisis.

"Southern Region, Qingnang Xuan Nu, Pei Zhenyi!" A dignified woman in a magnificent feathered robe appeared, her hair adorned with golden hairpins, exuding natural grace. She appeared to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a red string tied around her wrist and a small bell hanging from it. "Two Realm Lords, Hua Liuli!" Hua Liuli replied, feeling a slight sense of relief. She hadn't encountered an old monster; the other party was about her age, and their cultivation level was also at the half-step Tao Hongchen stage.

Although the opponent was a genius of the Daoist Saintess level, she was not weak either, as she was a Heavenly Fate Mystic Maiden who had entered the world of cultivation halfway through her life!

But soon after, Hua Liuli witnessed the power of the true Xuan Nu of Qingnang, which was terrifyingly strong, and she was beaten up again.

another side.

Chen Xuan stared at Shen Yan, the middle-aged man in the red bird robe, raised the dragon halberd, and said, "Let's have a match."

"Testing your qualifications is our very mission in the process of reviving you."

Shen Yan laughed loudly. The people from Qingnang Dojo couldn't capture this person, so it was his turn. The other party was just a mere cauldron. He said, "You're unlucky to have met me!"

He was not a direct descendant of an ancient lineage, yet he was able to advance to the Divine Realm in his middle age and compete with the successors of those high-ranking families of his generation, which shows his strength.

Although he was merely an avatar derived from the power of the Dao Palace and could not unleash all of his divine power, he was still not someone that a mere cauldron could contend with.

"Wow!"

Shen Yan's entire body was engulfed in raging flames, like a fire god descending to earth. His enormous imperial image filled the entire corridor, and a giant fiery hand, interwoven with crimson runes, slammed towards Chen Xuan.

"Come!"

The great battle broke out. Chen Xuan's dragon halberd ripped through the void, pointing out ten thousand cold stars that shattered the fiery hand. Then, he swooped down like a streak of light, his black hair dancing in the fierce wind, as his dragon halberd swept towards his opponent's legs.

"Hmm, not bad. It's a pity you met me, the God, and didn't get the chance to ascend the Heavenly Corridor to the second level," Shen Yan commented with a smile, intending to use his Divine Travel Realm to defeat the young man opposite him.

However, in an instant, his smile vanished. He reassembled his fiery hand, forming the mysterious Fire King Seal, and unleashed the power of the Fire God, which seemed capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, but he still failed to defeat his opponent.

Chen Xuan wielded the Chilong Halberd, slashing and hacking incessantly, his body radiating divine light as if he were in an empty field.

"You!" Shen Yan was shocked. The Fire King Seal he had formed was comparable to the magic of the Immortals, and it was activated by the Divine Travel Realm. However, it was completely unable to block the opponent's dragon-shaped halberd. Not only was his palm shattered again, but even his legs and the entire Dharma Image were quickly shattered by the opponent.

However, his fire magic did not leave any injuries on the opponent, only slightly burning their skin.

In the end, his opponent completely shattered his Dharma form and smashed him to the ground with a halberd, pulverizing his bones and rendering him powerless to resist.

Shen Yan was horrified. If he were still alive, he would have been killed by the cauldron and struck by the dragon-shaped halberd.

"What kind of monster is this?" he asked incredulously.

The opponent claims to be a successor of the Qingnang School, right? Earth element is characterized by its profound virtue and ability to sustain all things. Most Earth element cultivators possess strong and enduring energy, making them adept at prolonged battles. However, they lack explosive power and lethality, and are generally no match for fire element cultivators.

But at this moment, his opponent not only defeated him head-on, but also swept him away in a clean and decisive manner.

"You are qualified to compete for the final title."

Shen Yan sighed. He thought that even a casual encounter with a descendant of a cauldron cultivator was incredibly powerful, perhaps comparable to one of the few strongest people in his own Mountain and Sea Banquet.

He fell to the ground, his shattered body gradually disappearing, and said: "Generations, please continue forward, ascend the Heavenly Corridor, go to the second level of the Dao Palace, where my generation and the most outstanding people from the previous Mountain and Sea Banquets are located."

Chen Xuan asked in confusion, "Didn't you say that as long as the bronze lamp is kept burning, you'll pass the Dao Palace test?"

“Even if you don’t go to the second level, the bronze lamp will eventually attract the upper-level figures down.” Shen Yan said. The bronze lamp was like a light in the dark night, and all the idle beings in the Dao Palace would flock to it.

"How many floors does the Dao Palace have?" Chen Xuan asked.

"The Ascension Platform of the Dao Palace is insurmountable, and the Heavenly Corridor has no end." Shen Yan spoke, his body rapidly dissipating.

"Thank you, but please die." Chen Xuan swung his halberd, utterly crushing the opponent's last remaining strength.

The golden immortal power he had gained from defeating Wu Xuanke of Wuqu Palace not long ago had been burned out in the bronze lamp and absorbed by him.

Therefore, even if Shen Yan doesn't mention this matter, he will continue to move forward and actively seek out challenges.

"Wow!"

Where Shen Yan disappeared, a golden light carrying the aura of flame flew out, landed in the bronze lamp, and shimmered with pure, gentle energy, which gathered into Chen Xuan's body.

"Could it be that I can break through to a higher realm during the test?" Chen Xuan thought to himself.

Because of his cultivation of the Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body, the energy required for his advancement is dozens of times greater than that of ordinary cultivators.

However, the speed at which the body can circulate the true scriptures and refine energy is limited by one's innate talent and aptitude. Therefore, even if one obtains a high-level spiritual item, one cannot achieve immediate results but can only improve little by little.

For example, if you take a spirit creature and refine it into a elixir, and have someone consume it, can it instantly transform a mortal into a peak-level alchemy vessel?

The result will only be that the body cannot withstand the immense energy and will explode.

"Yan Yushu is truly remarkable. The Six Desires Heaven allows one to disregard the fundamental laws governing the workings of things and directly take this shortcut," Chen Xuan thought to himself.
However, his current innate talent has exceeded ten thousand, comparable to that of a celestial being.

In addition, this golden immortal energy is very special and can be easily absorbed by people.

Therefore, Chen Xuan's speed in breaking through the upper limit of his realm energy is extremely astonishing. If outsiders knew his current state, they would probably be shocked.

"I don't lack fighting techniques for now, what I lack is cultivation level. Every time I break through a realm, my overall strength will increase significantly."

Chen Xuan thought to himself, "Moreover, breaking through from the sixth realm of the mid-stage to the seventh realm of the late-stage is quite a hurdle. I hope everything goes smoothly."

Immediately, he searched for the so-called Heavenly Corridor in the first-floor "maze" while also looking for other ancient figures.

"Hmm?" Soon, he encountered another unusual ancient figure.

It was a wandering pig demon, about ten feet tall, with big ears and a round belly. It probably knew the location of the bronze lamp and was wandering towards Chen Xuan's location.

Based on his accurate intuition, Chen Xuan believed that this should be a difficult enemy to deal with, as he exuded a murderous aura.

Sure enough, they started fighting as soon as they met.

"A mere ant in the human realm? Ha! Is there no hero among the demon race this generation who can rule with might? To allow such a lowly person like you to defile the Dao Palace." The pig demon spoke, carrying a rake-like weapon, his eyes bloodshot.

"Trash talk!"

Chen Xuan raised his halberd and struck, delivering a fierce blow to his opponent, winning quite easily.

"No!" The pig demon cried out in terror. Its limbs were severed, and then its head was smashed to pieces, killing it instantly.

Subsequently, Chen Xuan overcame all obstacles, three, four, five... sixteen in total, sweeping through the path like autumn leaves in the wind.

"Huh? There's a light." As he rounded a corner of a corridor, he saw a faint light appear at the end of the path, indicating that he had finally reached the end of the road.

At the end, a sky-high corridor appeared.

At the end, steps appear, with patterns of dragon scales and phoenix feathers emerging on the stone steps, emitting a faint light. A corridor soars into the air, as if walking along the Heavenly Corridor would allow one to ascend from the mortal realm to the celestial realm.

"Xiao Chen! This is so difficult for me!" Just then, Hua Liuli's weak voice came from the communication talisman.

"What happened?" Chen Xuan responded in his mind, noticing that Hua Liuli was crying. Had she been severely beaten by her "seniors"?
At the same time, he felt a little emotional. Ever since he met Hua Liuli, this chosen one had either been getting beaten up or on her way to getting beaten up, and all she encountered were experts.

"I must ascend to godhood!" Hua Liuli muttered. She had just survived a fierce battle against the Qingnang Xuan Nu, using all her trump cards and fighting until the sky darkened. Her clothes were torn to shreds by the old Xuan Nu before she finally achieved victory.

“Huahua, just let me know if you need anything, and I’ll do my best to help you,” Chen Xuan replied.

Although Hua Liuli is a chosen one, she is essentially following the orthodox path of cultivation, taking one step at a time.

Moreover, although the destiny of the two realm masters made her exceptionally gifted in the Earth element, the Earth element was not prominent in the Southern Region before, so she did not benefit much from it. Only in the last six months or so has she gradually experienced a second spring, and her mentality has become much younger.

"You have no manners and no respect for elders! You should call me Sister Liuli!" Hua Liuli scolded displeasedly. When they first met, the young cultivator addressed her as "senior" respectfully, refusing to even call her "sister" when she kindly asked him to. But now that he has such great abilities, Hua Liuli has gotten used to calling him that. It's really too much.

Then, she asked with concern, "How are things there?"

She tried to use the Qingnang Technique to find Chen Xuan, but the runes on the surrounding stone walls glowed, and her divine power could not extend too far, so she had to give up.

"We just won a battle," Chen Xuan replied, walking towards the distant Tongtian Corridor.

"Huh? Did you encounter the Daoist Qingnang from 100,000 years ago?" Hua Liuli exclaimed in surprise. Chen Xuan was now incredibly powerful; he could have easily slapped her to the ground. Yet, he had only just won the first test?!

Xiao Chen is so unlucky, he failed the Dao Palace's test!

Hua Liuli was furious. At the same time, she suspected that the Qingnang Daoist was either a celestial being or an extremely old, powerful divine being at the level of Wang Linyuan or the Great Kunpeng... Otherwise, Chen Xuan couldn't have encountered such a difficult situation.

"Didn't meet him..."

Chen Xuan walked to the Tongtian Corridor, then stopped, looked up at the dome of the corridor, and said with a focused gaze, "Now we have met... Qingnang Daozi is very young, he should be a person of immortality."

He saw a figure that resembled the ancient Daoist Qingnang.

(End of this chapter)