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

Chapter 281 The First Divine General (Bonus Chapter for 3000 Monthly Tickets in June)

Thus, the Ancestral King Teng Qing, who dominated the ancient era and was one of the strongest beings under the Heavenly King, perished!
Within the Pure Land, all races were terrified, never expecting that the Lord of Yao Guang would be so domineering, killing a Saint King at the ninth level in such a way!
Some races that had decided to negotiate with humans became even more determined, secretly warning themselves never to become enemies with humans.

Admittedly, the Lord of Yao Guang may not necessarily make it to the end, but judging from the current situation, the probability is at least very high.

That's enough. After all, at the Great Emperor realm, who dares to say that others can definitely achieve it? Only family members would have such confidence.

But whether that was true confidence or self-deception is hard to say.

Just like the Emperor's son, apart from the die-hard loyalists of the Immortal Emperor, there are very few people who still firmly believe that he can go all the way.

The night was quiet, the breeze was gentle, but the shattered flesh and bone fragments made the scene horrifying. Li Yao stood proudly, his blue robes fluttering, without a trace of blood, captivating the soul.

This was a shocking scene. Seven ancient kings and the ancestral king Teng Qing were shattered and killed by one person, which horrified many people and made their souls tremble.

Too much happened that night; a total of eight ancestral kings perished, setting the stage for a bloody prelude to tomorrow's grand gathering of all races.

Ignoring everyone's gaze, Li Yao began cleaning up the battlefield on his own.

He accepted everything, including the remains and weapons of the saints. These items were priceless treasures to ordinary cultivators, and he certainly couldn't let them go.

But despite this behavior that was beneath his dignity, no one felt it diminished his prestige; Li Yao's figure remained as imposing as ever.

Even collecting spoils of war looks so cool, that's what the female cultivators present were thinking.

Having done all this, Li Yao returned to the Pure Land amidst the admiring gazes of countless people.

There was not much conversation. At this moment, everyone had experienced great ups and downs, and their emotions were truly turbulent and uneasy.

Everyone knows this is not the end, because the real spectacle has yet to begin.

The fall of the eight ancestral kings was merely the prelude to the grand event.

Tomorrow will be the grand gathering of all races, when even more ancestral kings will descend from among them.

Can the Lord of Yao Guang single-handedly fight against all the heroes of the world?!

Many people feel uneasy and somewhat fearful when they think about this issue; it feels like each day is an eternity, and they have never felt that the night is so long.

On a mountain peak in Yaochi, Li Yao sat alone, with Xia Mingxiao beside him, whom he had summoned to this place.

With a casual wave of his hand, the corpses of the eight Ancestral Kings slain today, carrying an overwhelming killing intent, appeared before Xia Mingxiao.

"What does that mean?" He had a guess in his mind, but he was very puzzled.

"Take it and devour it. Isn't this what you need?" Li Yao said casually.

"Why is that?"

Xia Mingxiao's mind raced as he pondered why Li Yao had done this, and whether there was some hidden agenda.

"Don't be so confident. What do you, a mere King, have that I would even care about?" Li Yao sneered.

Silence fell on the mountaintop. Xia Mingxiao did not move. His impression of Li Yao was still based on the past, and he was afraid that the things Li Yao gave him might be poisoned.

"As my future first divine general, your cultivation progress is too slow." Seeing that Xia Mingxiao insisted on an answer, Li Yao made one up on the spot.

This is perfectly in line with his actions.

Xia Mingxiao's calm pupils contracted, and he could no longer maintain his composure.

Damn it, who is your number one general?

That was made up by people from the Holy Land; he doesn't believe it...

Then, Xia Mingxiao silently collected the saint's remains.

He didn't want to be so pathetic, and he wanted to leave, but the Ancestral King's essence... was too tempting.

If you test him with this, he definitely won't be able to withstand the test.

Fine, I'll give this guy a chance. If I can win him over, then it wouldn't hurt for him to become the number one general.

Although it was somewhat unambitious, after witnessing Li Yao's miracle, Xia Mingxiao knew that he probably wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

Decision one failed, decision two is hopeless, and continuing with decision three will inevitably lead to becoming a clown, a future retired tour... and a place in history is definitely out of the question.

Rather than that, it's better to have some self-awareness.

Since he began cultivating the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, he has been secretly absorbing the source of power, but even when he was tomb raiding, he could only absorb some source power at the king level.

The tombs of saints are extremely difficult to find, and have never been tasted, let alone those of saintly kings.

Moreover, these corpses are all those of recently fallen Ancestral Kings, including Saints and even Saint Kings. Their primordial power is incredibly strong. If one were to devour them all, one's primordial power would increase dramatically, and one's strength would also greatly improve.

He had never experienced such a rich spiritual practice before!
Of course, this is not a short-term project. With his cultivation level, it would take him a long time to slowly absorb and digest it.

Conservatively estimated, if he were to devour the essence of the three saints and the five saint kings, his cultivation would be pushed to at least half-saint level, or even truly enter the fourth realm of immortals.

Such a significant gift is truly hard to refuse.

With mixed feelings, Xia Mingxiao left the mountaintop. After stopping his self-criticism, he felt a long-lost sense of relaxation, and his state of mind changed once again.

After descending the mountain, he met the spirited Heavenly Prince, whose five-colored divine rings had been reassembled and were hanging behind his head.

The Emperor's son was surrounded by many ancient beings, all of whom were determined to fight the human race to the bitter end.

This time, he didn't hide his gaze; he stared at the other person with naked, greedy eyes.

The Emperor's heart tightened, and following his senses, he saw once again that look that he loathed.

This gaze felt even more detestable to him than that of the Holy Prince, igniting a surge of anger within him.

The Holy Prince's gaze was still one of provocation, regarding him as an opponent, while Xia Mingxiao's gaze was that of someone looking at prey, wanting to devour him whole, pluck out all his fur, and swallow him whole.

It's like a pheasant being roasted over a fire...

The Emperor was furious, but thinking of the Ancestor Queen and the two Ancestor Queens clad in silver armor, he suppressed his anger and turned to leave.

That burning gaze was fixed on him, and even with his back turned, he could still sense it clearly.

"Damn it, is it because of the Lord of Yao Guang? He's so confident!" The Emperor Prince guessed in his heart, because last time, the other party's gaze was very restrained, and after he noticed it, he immediately shifted his gaze and composed himself.

This time, however, she didn't hold back and showed it openly, not afraid of him seeing it at all.

He believed it was the Lord of Yao Guang who gave the other party the courage.

"I'll let you be happy for a moment. Let's see if you're still happy after tomorrow," he thought angrily.

The Emperor's son's guess was correct; it was a lucky accident.

Xia Mingxiao used to be very secretive, wanting to develop his skills quietly, afraid that others would find out that he was the successor of Ruthless Man.

But now things are different. His mindset has completely changed. Since he is destined to be the number one general, why should he hide?
No one would think that he was born with a penchant for hiding, right?
They were all young, and who wouldn't want to be dashing and carefree? It's just that he didn't have a choice before, and he couldn't attract too much attention, so he kept a low profile.

But things are different now. Since you want me to be the number one general, then if I'm bullied, shouldn't you stand up for me? Otherwise, why should I submit to you?
People's circumstances determine their choices, and their environment shapes their character. Since they are no longer following the same path, both their choices and their character will inevitably change.

Or perhaps, this is Xia Mingxiao's true nature—unrestrained and ruthless.

Li Yao, who was on the mountaintop, noticed the clash between Xia Mingxiao and the Heavenly Prince, but he didn't take it to heart. Instead, he began to cultivate and comprehend the Dao.

The fact that he killed eight Ancestral Kings in one night gave him profound insights, especially Ancestral King Teng Qing, who was simply the perfect whetstone.

The insights that would normally take half a month to process were completely digested after this battle.

Li Yao immersed himself in the Heavenly Book Space and began to complete the True Phoenix Treasure Technique.

Vast essence surged into the Heavenly Book, and the True Phoenix Treasure Technique began to be completed.

As if a god were writing, phoenix patterns began to appear on the page that originally recorded the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, which was a completely new free-form technique.

Soon, the second move of freehand fighting appeared in his mind.

"True Phoenix Immortal Technique!"

It's not an offensive technique; it's still a recovery-type free-form martial art.

Li Yao was not surprised. The True Phoenix Clan was also very strong, but the most famous of them was still Nirvana.

Although there are offensive techniques in the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, healing techniques definitely make up the majority.

His vital energy surged once more, the Creation Domain opened, Li Yao's perspective broadened, and he began to comprehend the True Phoenix Undying Technique.

The night was exceptionally long. Even as cultivators, they felt incredibly exhausted due to their inner fear and anxiety. But even so, they still hoped that the night would end slowly, even if it was agonizing.

But putting everything else aside, it was just an ordinary night, and naturally it couldn't last forever.

Finally, the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness, and daybreak arrived. Golden light ended the night and shone into the Jade Pool.

The golden sun bursts forth with radiant light, and the pure land is shrouded in ethereal mist. Against the backdrop of various fairy-tale scenes, it resembles a celestial abode, transcending the mundane world.

As one of the top three continents in the Northern Region, Yaochi Continent is a place that gathers the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Yaochi Holy Land is the center of this continent, so it is naturally even more extraordinary, especially in the early morning, when it gives people an incomparably peaceful feeling.

Yet, on this very morning, people's hearts were heavy. Dawn had broken, which meant that the grand gathering of all races was finally about to begin, and the powerful Ancestral King was about to descend.

At the summit, Li Yao sat cross-legged. The morning glow shone down, making him appear ethereal, one with heaven and earth, untouched by any dust.

With his mind returning to its original state and through his insights into the realm of creation, he achieved a level of mastery over the True Phoenix Immortal Technique.

The True Phoenix Immortal Technique, while also a recovery-type free-form technique, differs slightly from the True Phoenix Nirvana Technique.

True Phoenix Nirvana is an active, free-form attack that requires the user to perform, using the True Phoenix Divine Flame to heal injuries.

The True Phoenix Immortal Technique is more like a passive skill; it will self-heal as long as there is an injury. Furthermore, this technique can restore one's life force.

Tempering the body with the True Phoenix Immortal Technique can gradually strengthen the source of life, making one an indestructible being, and even the primordial spirit will benefit, leading to immortality!
Both of these free-style techniques are primarily focused on recovery, so they can be combined and executed like the True Dragon Fist and the Divine Dragon Tail Swing, to unleash even greater power.

"Now, unless they kill me outright, it'll be hard for me to die even if I want to." Li Yao felt a little happy.

He has no shortage of offensive methods, including the True Dragon Fist and the Divine Dragon Tail Swing, the White Tiger Claw and the Roar of the Tiger, the Seven Secrets and various Emperor-level divine arts.

No matter the situation, he has the magic to handle it all; he's practically an all-around warrior.

Of course, they are not lacking in survival skills either, with the "Zhe" Secret Technique and True Phoenix Nirvana being sufficient, but compared to their powerful attack capabilities, their survival skills are definitely incomparable.

Now, the True Phoenix Nirvana and the True Phoenix Immortal Technique have completely filled this gap.

In particular, the passive characteristic of the True Phoenix Immortal Technique is simply perfect.

Although he was powerful, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be tricked. Both the "Zhe" Secret and the True Phoenix Nirvana were active recovery techniques.

If one is caught off guard and ambushed, it's possible that there won't be enough time to unleash the Secret Word and True Phoenix Nirvana. But now, with the True Phoenix Immortal Technique, there's no longer any worry.

Compared to last night, he has evolved again, becoming even stronger. If people knew this, they would definitely exclaim, "Absolutely impossible!"

Because his evolution this time was not just a little bit, but a sudden and significant increase in power.

This is practically cheating; it will completely shatter the enemy's mentality.

Li Yao rose with the morning glow, the golden sunlight shining on him, making him appear like a god.

Now, he is the center of everyone's attention. All night long, countless people have been watching him, and when they see him get up, they can't help but freeze in shock.

People know that there will be a great storm to come, and last night was just the prelude. All races that do not believe that the Great Emperor Wushi is still alive will come to the Yaochi Holy Land, where there will surely be a great collision.

Everyone felt heavy-hearted. Even though Li Yao had displayed great power, it only made them more worried.

Last night was just a test, and it was already so terrifying. Today, it will only be more terrifying than yesterday, without a doubt.

Finally, accompanied by the long tolling of the divine bell, signifying the arrival of a powerful ancestral king, the identity of the newcomer in this world is self-evident.

The leaders of the various sects went out to greet them, even though they were unwilling to face it, they all knew very well that this was something they could not avoid.

The Ancestral King of All Races responded coldly to the welcome from the various religious leaders.

"Is it really necessary to go to such lengths? What do humans have to offer in negotiations with all other races, just the Lord of Yao Guang?" The Ancestral King's cold voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

On the horizon, accompanied by the morning light, six imposing figures strode forward, their armor gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight.

This was not the end. Behind the six Ancestral Kings, several more figures arrived quickly.

"Since everyone is here, let's go inside and take a look."

The fifteen Ancestral Kings arrived one after another, their auras blending together, like the ancient blue sky pressing down, nearly doubling the number compared to last night!
“Let’s go in and see how strong the lineage left behind by the Great Emperor of the Human Race is,” said an Ancestral King.

The visitors were not friendly. Although they did not display the same divine power as the ancestral kings of yesterday, the combined aura of the fifteen ancestral kings was so powerful that people could hardly stand and almost had to prostrate themselves in worship.

Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom. With fifteen Ancestral Kings, could the Lord of Yao Guang still stand tall among the heroes as he did yesterday?

Even though they were very confident in the strength of the Lord of Yao Guang, this was not a fair battle, and it was foreseeable that these fifteen Ancestral Kings were not all of them; it was merely a clash.

In the sky, the Immortal Tear Green Gold Pagoda stands in the small world, seemingly real yet illusory, with green light hanging down like mountains, surging with chaotic energy, displaying the power of the ultimate Dao.

"The aura of an ancient emperor... Is this the Immortal Tear Green Gold Pagoda left behind by the Western Emperor? I really want to hold it in my palm and examine it closely." One of the Ancestral Kings looked up and then sneered.

Undoubtedly, this was a provocation, or a show of force, and the effect was naturally very good. Everyone who heard this couldn't help but be shocked, wondering if the myriad races were going to attack the Holy Land and seize the Imperial Weapon in the future.

One of the Ancestral Kings was somewhat wary and reminded the other Ancestral King to say less, because if the Western Emperor Pagoda were to collapse, even they would be reduced to ashes.

The Ancestral King, however, was unimpressed and said arrogantly, "They can do as they please. Outside the Jade Pool, there are two imperial weapons aimed at this place. As long as the Western Emperor Tower makes any move, it will unleash its imperial might."

Was it a genuine attempt to dissuade them, or was it a pretext to imply that two imperial weapons were aimed at this location?
No one knows the answer to this question, but it is indeed something to be wary of. So much so that the fifteen Ancestral Kings ignored the Western Emperor Tower and pointed and talked in the Jade Pool, which made people dare not speak out against them.

Because if the ultimate divine power were to truly erupt, it would be an absolute catastrophe.

The clash of ultimate divine powers has a price no one can bear, and its impact extends far beyond the Northern Region!
The pressure on people's hearts is as huge as a mountain, almost suffocating them.

(End of this chapter)