Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 163 The Fighting Saint Ape
Originally, Li Yao planned to wait until he had fully digested his understanding of the Great Dao before undergoing his tribulation, but now that he had emerged from seclusion, he might as well break through.

"If we are stronger, we can face any unexpected situations during our trip to Zishan with composure."

Li Yao left the Yao Guang Holy Land, stepped on the Xingzi Secret, and quickly traveled tens of thousands of miles away.

"boom!"

A massive tribulation of lightning suddenly appeared, with bolts of lightning as thick as mountains crashing down, carrying immense divine power and shattering the void.

"when!"

The four-colored immortal furnace soared into the sky, meeting the boundless thunder. The furnace lid opened wide, and the furnace mouth unleashed a terrifying suction force, drawing in all the thunderbolts and drawing them into the furnace mouth.

The rolling thunder, like a celestial river cascading down, flowed into the furnace.

Boiling flames intertwined with thunder, the thunder fueling the fire, and the combined power of thunder and fire unleashed terrifying fluctuations.

Inside the furnace, the two pieces of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold were quickly melted and softened by the thunder and fire, turning into a flowing crimson liquid.

The celestial furnace trembled, and the crimson liquid merged into the furnace wall.

The Four-Colored Immortal Furnace began to grow, although the scale of growth was not significant, it did indeed become larger.

"boom!"

The celestial furnace radiated celestial light, and the suction force erupting from its opening grew even stronger, drawing in the rolling thunder uncontrollably and leaving Dao principles on the furnace walls.

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"...

The sound of metal clashing rang out, as if an invisible hammer was striking the four-colored celestial furnace, shaping it.

Below, Li Yao stood leisurely with his arms crossed. He, who should have been undergoing tribulation, was looking at the immortal furnace in the sea of ​​thunder with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

As the weapon that was intertwined with his life, he could clearly feel that the Immortal Furnace had become much stronger after being infused with Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold.

The newly integrated Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold, upon coming into contact with the already awakened Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold, also began to awaken, thus greatly increasing the activity of the Immortal Furnace.

The terrifying lightning tribulation lasted for a day, and then a humanoid lightning bolt descended. It took Li Yao a lot of effort to deal with it.

Having broken through to the second level of the Sendai Heaven a year ago, this is already the second tribulation he has overcome.

Such frequent breakthroughs in realm made the people of Yaoguang Holy Land feel as if it were a dream.

This is the Sendai Secret Realm, not the Dao Palace or the Four Extremes Secret Realm.

Li Yao is constantly breaking people's perceptions, just like a mythical epic.

"No emperor of antiquity was more like him."

Everyone felt that this was no longer just an adjective, but a true description of Li Yao.

"I've reached the fifth small step in the second stage of the game." Li Yao clenched his fist, feeling the powerful divine energy within his body, a feeling that he could destroy the world with a mere gesture.

At this moment, he was terrifyingly powerful, and his combat strength had reached the pinnacle of this realm.

"Now, I have finally stood at the pinnacle of this world."

The suppression of heaven and earth has not yet disappeared, and the supreme saint is almost the most powerful existence in the world, comparable to a living fossil.

If, at the third minor stage of the second immortal realm, even though he had entered the realm of divine prohibitions, he was at most comparable to a supreme saintly lord, and defeating him would be very difficult. But now, he can truly defy a supreme saintly lord.

Because this time, it wasn't just him who grew; the Four-Colored Immortal Furnace also became much stronger. The proportion of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold increased, making the Immortal Furnace more active and able to unleash even greater power.

With the combined effect, his combat power naturally increased dramatically.

Unfortunately, his reputation is now so great that many people give him a wide berth, which makes it difficult for him to even make a move.

Ye Fan is still the best. Before the curse was broken, people were convinced that he had no future and recklessly hunted him down. Even after the curse was broken, people still seemed to subconsciously think that he could not achieve great things, and they still provoked him. Opponents kept emerging one after another.

Unlike Li Yao, who was considered by everyone to be the most likely to attain enlightenment, and thus avoided being provoked, he had no rivals.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the fifth day after surviving the great calamity, a letter arrived from the Jiang family, confirming the time for attacking Zishan: seven days from now.

After receiving accurate information, Li Yao began preparations.

The Dragon Pattern Cauldron suppresses profound secrets and should not be used lightly. Every time it is used, preparations must be made in advance.

At the heart of the formation, Li Yao unleashed a black-gold sacred cauldron, then took out a massive amount of source energy and placed it within the formation.

"Buzz!"

The endless source began to burn, releasing a massive amount of essence, which converged at the center, the location of the Black Gold Sacred Cauldron, along the pre-carved array route.

"boom!"

A dazzling light shot up, and overwhelming divine power spread. The Black Gold Sacred Cauldron began to revive, like an ancient sage reappearing.

The Black Gold Sacred Cauldron is a great sacred weapon, forged by a supreme saint seventy thousand years ago. Now, with a massive amount of essence being infused into it, it is beginning to recreate its former divine power.

The array patterns emerged, intertwining into dazzling beams of light, like divine chains of the Great Dao, and began to detach from the Dragon Pattern Cauldron, instead wrapping around the Black Gold Sacred Cauldron.

Before the Dragon Pattern Cauldron is returned to its original position, the Black Gold Sacred Cauldron will continue to suppress this formation in place of the Dragon Pattern Cauldron.

Li Yao beckoned, and the dragon-patterned cauldron that had been floating on the dome began to fall, carrying with it a divine might as vast as the ocean.

When it fell from the dome and landed in Li Yao's hand, the Dragon Pattern Cauldron had shrunk to the size of a fist, but its imposing presence and weight remained unchanged.

With a flash of light, the Dragon Pattern Cauldron disappeared and fell into Li Yao's Sea of ​​Bitterness.

"Until the Dragon Pattern Cauldron is returned to its original position, you will remain here to guard this place. If your energy is depleted, replenish it," Li Yao instructed the nine Supreme Elders behind him.

"Yes," several senior elders replied, clasping their hands in greeting.

Seeing this, Li Yao didn't give any further instructions. Those who could guard this place were all absolutely loyal to Yao Guang, and this wasn't the first time they had done something like this.

Of course, when it comes to resources and foundations, no amount of attention is too much. So, in addition to the nine people in the open, there are many other powerful individuals in the shadows. Even if there is any oversight, others will notice it immediately.

……

Northern Territory.

This place is now incredibly bustling, a gathering place for all sorts of people. Since the incident at Zishan, a steady stream of people have come here, all hoping to be among the first to know the aftermath.

That was originally the case, but now, besides the Zishan incident, there is another eye-catching event, which has even surpassed the Zishan incident in terms of popularity.

Today, a grandmaster from a family of Source Arts masters will face off against a Source Arts prodigy named Gu Feng in a grand showdown. The gathering of heroes will shake the entire divine city.

The news had already spread, and countless people were waiting, making a special trip to the divine city to witness this grand occasion.

This is another major battle of source arts since Dong Yaoguang and the Tuoba family master, and the world is paying close attention.

"I heard that this battle of source arts will be a life-or-death struggle, is that true?"

"I've also heard about it. A master of Source Techniques revealed this information, which indicates that it will be extremely dangerous."

"The young people of the ancient Yuanshu family have long claimed that they will crush Gu Feng in Yuanshu. It seems that this is not an empty boast. They really want to fight to the death!"

Many people are talking about it, and everyone is looking forward to this showdown.

"Who knows what will be cut out this time? There will most likely be some unexpected treasures. Both sides are really angry."

"The stake alone is 1.5 million catties of pure source, which is even bigger than the stake in the bet between Dong Yaoguang and Master Tuoba!"

On this day, the vast divine city had only one topic, which everyone talked about, and even the impending Battle of Purple Mountain was ignored.

Soon after, the location for the Source Technique duel was announced: it would be held at the Yaoguang Stone Pavilion, and would officially begin in one hour.

The entire city was in an uproar, with countless people rushing towards the site, eventually blocking all roads and making it impossible to move forward. The Yaoguang Stone Archway was overflowing with people and completely surrounded; the vast majority were blocked and not allowed to enter.

"This is too exaggerated. It's comparable to the Yuan Tianshi of yesteryear. The streets were deserted as everyone rushed to witness this earth-shattering battle."

"Back then, when Master Yuan made a bet with the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, there weren't this many people. It's astonishing."

Everyone was talking about it, all of them shocked by the scene before them.

"What's so special about this? You youngsters probably haven't witnessed the scene when Dong Yaoguang made his last move." An older figure scoffed, unconcerned.

"When Dong Yaoguang was gambling on stones, I had not yet been to the Holy City. I wonder if you could explain the scene to us, senior?" A young man next to him heard the old man say this and hurriedly asked for his knowledge, extremely curious about the scene at that time.

"Of course, of course, back then..."

……

When the people of Yaoguang learned that this place would be the main battlefield, their faces turned green; nothing could be worse than this.

Fortunately, the Holy Lord had already inspected his own gambling stone shop. Although there had been some additions over the years and some rare treasures might have flowed in, it was unlikely that any earth-shattering treasures like the Qilin Immortal Medicine Seed would appear again.

Thinking this way, the people at Yaoguang Stone Workshop immediately felt much better and no longer had that urge to bang their heads against the wall.

Many people were crowded in front of the Yaoguang Stone Archway and could not get in. Since there were too many people, they had to be allowed in selectively.

It can be said that those who can enter Yaoguang Stone Workshop today are all people of great importance; the saying "no ordinary people come and go" is now a reality.

The young scions of the major families and the elders of the major sects are not considered big shots today, because there are even quite a few sect leaders among those who have entered the Yaoguang Stone Workshop.

In a palace in Yaoguangfang, Li Yao stood on the top floor, from which he could see the entire stone archway at a glance.

"Holy Lord, given your mastery of Origin Arts, does the Stone Pavilion possess any extraordinary treasures? If so, I will arrange for someone to purchase them as a guest."

Behind him, Liu Yang, the powerful figure in charge of Yaoguangfang, clasped his hands in a salute.

"Ha, do you think everyone else is stupid?" Li Yao was speechless, feeling that this was completely self-deception.

"Even if they knew, no one would dare to say anything," Liu Yang said domineeringly.

The Holy Land of Yao Guang has the ability to silence the world's mouths, but it can make them dare not openly discuss matters concerning Yao Guang.

"No need. If we do it this way, no one will dare to gamble on stones at Yaoguang Stone Workshop in the future," Li Yao waved his hand.

“Your Majesty is farsighted; I was short-sighted.” Seeing that his Majesty had already made a decision, Liu Yang did not insist.

"Don't worry, although there are still some rare treasures in the stone workshop, none of them are particularly extraordinary. It's good that they cut out some rare treasures, as this can also encourage others to gamble on stones in the stone workshop," Li Yao said.

Although this is the realm of cultivation, the principles remain unchanged. Casinos are not afraid of customers winning; on the contrary, sometimes they are the ones who most hope that customers will win big. Only in this way will other people come to gamble here.

Stone archways are one of the important sources of income for the Holy Land, earning millions of catties of resources every year. If a good reputation can be established, there will be no worry about not earning resources in the future.

Before long, both sides of the bet arrived, causing a sensation.

Yaoguang Stone Archway has a long history. The ancient building is magnificent and tall, and under the sunlight, it has a sacred glow.

Each stone garden is not monotonous; it is filled with ancient trees, dense and lush, making it feel like a primeval land if you venture in uninvited.

Standing in the palace, Li Yao immediately spotted a boy and a young man beside him. The young man had a dark complexion, was strong and powerful, and had thick eyebrows and big eyes, making him look particularly simple and honest.

With just one glance, Li Yao saw through the boy's disguise. It was none other than Ye Fan, who had changed his appearance. And the person next to him was none other than Li Heishui, the grandson of Li Heng, one of the Thirteen Great Bandits.

After the two sides met, they each made some tough remarks, and then the betting began.

The Tianzihao Stone Garden is home to many priceless stones, and more have been added over the years.

Both parties agreed to select three unusual stones for a bet, since everyone makes mistakes, and this was a safer option for both sides, allowing them to demonstrate their true abilities.

Next, both sides demonstrated the terrifying power of the Origin Arts lineage to everyone. They were not only good at gambling on stones, but could also use Origin Qi to unleash heaven-defying offensive techniques.

The members of the Yuanshu family were the first to make a move, secretly attacking Ye Fan several times with terrifying intent, but they all failed and did not pose a threat to Ye Fan.

"puff!"

Ye Fan did not hold back. The expression on the face of a Source Technique disciple who was sneering at him suddenly froze. His internal organs were turned into pus and blood by the power of the dragon vein in this place. Although his external cavity was intact, his life force was exhausted, and he fell straight to the ground.

"Wow!"

The Stone Garden was in an uproar. The Source Technique killed people invisibly, which terrified them. It was so terrifying!
"Not only do you know the ancient secrets of the Source Technique, but I do too. If you want to kill, I'll play with you!" Ye Fan was not afraid at all. Facing Nangong Qi and the others, he said, "Do you want to continue? I'll play to the end. I also have a great killing technique that I haven't used yet!"

The onlookers all backed away. The duel between masters of Origin Arts was so terrifying that it could take lives without anyone noticing.

People finally understood why, when Master Yuan once roamed the world, even the great holy lords were helpless against him. Although his cultivation methods differed from the orthodox ones, he still possessed astonishing abilities.

“You…” The few surviving disciples of the Yuanshu Ancient Family turned pale and all retreated.

Nangong Qi and the others looked grim and cold, and said nothing.

"You four old geezers teamed up against Gu Feng, have you no shame?!" Li Heishui roared.

"It's alright, let them use whatever methods they have, I'll take them on!" Ye Fan was very calm, looking down at the four Source Technique Grandmasters with disdain.

In a battle of source techniques, this kind of offensive tactic is generally not used unless the two sides have a long-standing grudge, in which case such a fierce attack would be employed.

A fierce battle of source techniques left both sides hesitant to make a move, resulting in a stalemate. In the end, several powerful figures intervened, carving out an array platform to isolate a separate world, allowing both sides to continue cutting stones.

Both sides reaped good results from the first two strange stones, with a combined yield of over 700,000 jin of source material, making them evenly matched.

Next, the third piece was cut, first by the Source Technique Master Nangong Qi. Stone chips flew everywhere, and one-third of the blood altar was cut open, revealing a young girl.

Liu Yang's blood rushed to his head, and he almost tripped. He cried out in grief and indignation, "The Blood Altar actually contains a goddess, and an ancient king at that!"

"Alright, stop acting. I've already seen through the Goddess Stone. The reason I didn't cut it open back then was because it involved a powerful figure, and I didn't want to confront him, so I didn't touch it," Li Yao said.

This is the truth. When he was cutting the stone several years ago, the reason he didn't touch the Blood Altar was that he didn't want to attract the attention of the Victorious Fighting Buddha. After much consideration, he finally left the Blood Altar in the Heavenly Stone Garden.

Liu Yang clutched his chest, recovered, and gave an awkward smile.

Their own Holy Lord had just said that there were no rare treasures in the Heavenly Stone Garden, but then they cut out the Primordial King. In order to avoid embarrassing the Holy Lord, they came up with this trick to divert attention, but little did they know that they had seen through it.

Sigh, he's so eager to improve!
In the center of the field stood a divine source unlike any other. It was not dazzling; it seemed to be forged from countless stars, or like the divine radiance of the bright moon gathered together, soft and hazy.

It is crystal clear and sparkling, attracting people's attention. The first time you see it, you will feel that it is different from others and is no less than the source of the gods. It has a holy power flowing through it.

However, the mysterious source seed is not the most attractive thing; the goddess among them is the focus, attracting everyone's attention.

First, screams erupted in the stone garden, followed by a deathly silence, and then a tsunami-like cacophony. Everyone was stunned.

No one could remain calm at this moment of witnessing a miracle. The goddess being carved out of the stone seemed like a fairy tale, bringing to life a legend from hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Within the crystalline source stone formed by the moonlight, there was a delicate, beautiful face that looked as if it were asleep, completely still.

Her purple hair was smooth and shiny, obscuring half of her face, but it couldn't hide her stunning beauty. Her skin was exceptionally radiant and fair.

It appears to be carved from mutton fat jade, unlike flesh and blood, giving people a dreamlike feeling, making them think that it is a masterpiece of heaven, rather than something made of flesh and blood.

Everyone was stunned, confirming that this was not an illusion; the goddess had really appeared!
"Is this... real? It feels so unreal!"

"A vibrant young girl, an ancient king!"

He was definitely an ancient king, because in that era, there were almost no beings exactly like humans, but those who were were definitely royalty.

Everyone noticed that this stunningly beautiful woman was not very old; in fact, she looked somewhat immature, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

"Holy Lord, what's inside the other source stone?" To ensure there wouldn't be any problems this time, Liu Yang asked first.

Li Yao remained silent for a moment, and just before Ye Fan drew his sword, he spoke softly: "The Holy Emperor's own son—the Holy Prince!"

(End of this chapter)