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

Chapter 323 Collusion
In the valley of Hulukou, the light of enlightenment soared into the sky, and various heavenly sounds of the Great Dao resounded, magnificent and incomparable, like the chanting of ancient people worshipping gods.

Li Yao sat cross-legged in the void, his body blazing with divine flames. The Great Dao Divine Chains, like the feathers of a true phoenix, enveloped him, tempering his physique and making his life potential even more intense and vibrant.

The True Phoenix Immortal Technique contains endless profound mysteries of the Great Dao. It is both a divine technique for recovery and the only way to temper one's physique.

Cultivating one's physique with this divine technique allows one's life force to approach that of the True Phoenix Clan, reaching a state of eternal indestructibility.

Through the surface of his body, one could see with divine sense that every drop of Li Yao's blood contained endless runes, of great mass, with a divine phoenix hovering within them.

The divine phoenix in the blood is not just for show, but the phoenix pattern of the true phoenix clan's origin, possessing extremely strong rebirth power.

If the body is injured, the Nirvana power within these blood vessels will spontaneously release divine energy to heal the injury.

It can be said that if one cultivates the True Phoenix Immortal Technique to the highest level, it would not be an exaggeration to call him a humanoid immortal phoenix. His vitality would be frighteningly strong, and his ability to protect himself would be greatly enhanced.

With Li Yao's current cultivation level, even without the help of the Creation Domain, his progress in cultivating the True Phoenix Undying Technique is very fast.

Spiritual practice is a form of evolution.

Li Yao, in the Sea of ​​Wheels Secret Realm, cultivates a saint-level Dao technique that is extremely obscure. He needs the help of a heavenly book to achieve rapid cultivation.

However, Li Yao, the Sage King, could innovate and create a new Sage-level Dao technique with just a glance.

With his current level of cultivation, even without the aid of the Heavenly Book, he is exceptionally gifted in practicing Taoist arts, though he is not as talented as those who have cheat codes.

Just like now, even without the help of the Heavenly Book, the cultivation of the True Phoenix Immortal Technique is going incredibly smoothly, without any bottlenecks whatsoever, and he becomes stronger every day than the day before.

Half a month later, Li Yao's life potential underwent another earth-shattering change, completely different from before he cultivated the True Phoenix Immortal Technique.

Longma and Qingshi are best positioned to comment on this.

These days, both the man and the horse have been meditating beside Li Yao, and they know best about his changes, growing stronger day by day.

Such a rapid increase in strength shocked both the man and the horse, as if there were no upper limit, and they were growing stronger without restraint, overturning common sense.

Even the most extraordinary talents of antiquity experience periods of plateau in their cultivation; they cannot maintain a high-speed progression indefinitely.

Although the plateau period for these people is still exaggerated compared to that of ordinary people, it must be different for them personally.

This is completely absent in Li Yao. He has been rising steadily without any slowdown, always at high speed, showing no signs of decline.

This situation is truly astonishing and unbelievable.

While feeling pressured, the man and his horse also felt an immense drive. They had to catch up quickly, otherwise they would fall far behind Li Yao.

"I can no longer suppress my cultivation level during this period of enlightenment; I must break through." Qing Shi and Long Ma rose together, soaring into the sky, leaving this place to undergo their tribulation.

The foundation of the man and his horse was incredibly solid. They had been suppressing their cultivation level all along, and the opportunity they had been waiting for finally arrived. They were about to take this step and reach a higher realm.

Li Yao ignored it and continued to cultivate the True Phoenix Immortal Technique, tempering his body.

He did not cultivate on his own, but his progress in magical power and primordial spirit did not stop, and he was moving towards the Great Sage realm.

When he can no longer suppress his realm, his cultivation will also advance to the Quasi-Emperor realm. At that time, if the two great calamities overlap, even he would probably find it difficult to withstand them.

Therefore, he must strengthen his physique as much as possible when he breaks through his cultivation level. Only in this way can he perhaps withstand the terrible calamity and increase the probability of surviving it.

Sigh! Cultivating too quickly is sometimes not a good thing.

Li Yao finally experienced the troubles of cultivating too quickly.

"boom!"

The ancient Daoist temple trembled, signaling the start of the trial. Twelve gates stood tall in the sky, their massive doors opening wide and showering down countless rays of light.

Upon seeing this, many trial participants soared into the sky and left the Primordial Dojo through the giant gate.

There are no requirements for this trial; as long as you survive the time limit, you've passed.

Many people have gone through life and death several times in the dojo, fighting against other trial participants and local sacred beasts. They are already exhausted. Now that they have finally cleared the dojo, they naturally will not stay any longer.

Not everyone is like Li Yao, who can make the trial participants and sacred beasts retreat on their own initiative. For others, the only way to survive is through continuous fighting.

Initially, there were about three hundred trial participants, including those from the starry sky and those from the Second Holy City. However, it is estimated that less than two hundred of them will be able to leave alive.

It doesn't have as high a death rate as the first level, but it's still terrifying.

The first trial is a selection process in itself. Those who survive to the second trial are all incredibly powerful, yet the mortality rate is still so high. It has to be said that the Ancient Road Trial is not something that ordinary people can pass.

In front of the square of the second holy city of the human race, many trial participants emerged one after another from the twelve gates.

Many people had a look of relief on their faces, as if they had survived a disaster, and they had serious injuries.

Many of the trial participants knew each other, and when they saw each other come out, they happily went up to talk.

The topics of conversation were almost all related to events at the ancient Taoist temple.

Soon, the topic turned to Li Yao.

“That herdsman was incredibly powerful. I saw him from afar and was so intimidated by his aura that I dared not approach and kept my distance.”

"That's right, I saw it too. It's in a class of its own. Just one look at it from afar made my heart tremble."

"Such a person is probably one of the best even if we look at the entire ancient road."

Among the trial participants, some were very open-minded and did not aim to attain enlightenment, but only to temper themselves. Therefore, they did not feel much disappointment when talking about Li Yao.

Those who aim to attain enlightenment, however, remain silent and refuse to discuss it.

Soon, as everyone talked, time passed, and half an hour later, the twelve gates closed, and no one entered or left. Everyone was stunned.

Li Yao did not come out. His strength was obvious to all. Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to perish in the ancient Daoist temple.

"What happened?"

Everyone was shocked; they hadn't expected such a thing to happen.

Commander-in-Chief Yu Han's gaze shifted several times. Remembering the instructions of his predecessor, Commander-in-Chief Yan Yu, he waved his hand and gave the order.
"The time has come; close the temple!"

“There are still two seeded players who haven’t emerged yet. Given Li Yao and Qing Shi’s strength, they shouldn’t have perished. The Grand Commander should use the Dao Mirror to illuminate their immortal light and check if they are dead before making a decision.” An old man, a powerful figure under the Guiding Envoy, stopped him.

"No need. They're probably extremely arrogant and have stumbled into a dangerous place. Otherwise, they would have come out long ago," said Commander Yu Han coldly.

“This is against the rules. In principle, the Dao Mirror must be used to observe and confirm that there are no problems before the gate can be closed. Otherwise, if the Holy Beast King inside awakens and fails to leave in time, it will most likely perish inside,” the old man continued to persuade.

However, Commander Yu Han insisted on giving the order, "Listen to my command and close the temple."

Seeing this, the soldiers controlling the magic array no longer hesitated and shut down the temple.

The twelve portals slammed shut, sealing the world behind them into nothingness.

As for the people inside, what do they have to do with them? Those dazzling geniuses are simply blinding in their eyes, making them envious, jealous, and hateful.

Now things are much better. There are many sacred beast kings in the dojo. Once the dojo gate is closed, according to the agreement, it will be their domain. Until the gate is opened again, the dojo's life and death will be decided by them.

Li Yao and Qing Shi, both top contenders, are likely to face a tough challenge.

Some cultivators aspiring to become emperors were delighted at the sight. Li Yao posed a great threat, and if he were to perish, they could use this opportunity to eliminate their opponent.

As for the possibility that Li Yao will still be alive before the door opens again, that's very small.

They knew something about the Primordial Dao Field, and the native cultivators there were extremely familiar with it. The Primordial Dao Field was established by the protectors of the human race in the ancient past. After they jointly established the Dao Field, they also sent in many ancient beasts. Over such a long period of time, who knows how powerful the ancient beasts inside have become.

Li Yao is very powerful, perhaps even possessing the combat strength of a Saint King, but within the dojo, there are mostly ancient beasts that are at the pinnacle of Saint King level.

In such a situation, how could one possibly survive?

Grand Commander Yu Han departed for the ancestral homeland of the Yan clan.

He did the other party a great favor this time, so he definitely needs to ask for a reward later.

The old man's expression changed slightly as he headed to the city center to inform the guide about the matter.

"What? You said Li Yao and Qing Shi were imprisoned in the Ancient Daoist Temple?" The guide was somewhat surprised, but in an instant, he understood what was going on.

Several months ago, he and the former Grand Commander, Yan Yu, the patriarch of the Yan clan, wanted to host a banquet for Li Yao, but were refused.

This is undoubtedly somewhat embarrassing.

The guide was alright; although he was somewhat angry, he was broad-minded and had no intention of seeking revenge.

He knew Yan Yu of the Yan clan well; he was notoriously narrow-minded, so it wouldn't be surprising if he seized the opportunity to seek revenge.

"Sir, is there anything we should do?" the old man asked.

"What can we do? The Daoist sect is closed, what else can we do?" The guide waved his hand. "This matter is none of our business, let them make a fuss."

Although he had no intention of retaliating, he also wouldn't help Li Yao. After all, he had no connection with Li Yao, and there was no need for him to fawn over him for being so disrespectful.

As for the consequences, even if the higher-ups find out afterward and hold him accountable, this matter will not implicate him; it was all Yan Yu's doing.

He can simply sit high on the platform and silently watch how things unfold.

In the valley of Hulukou, Li Yao, who was practicing the True Phoenix Immortal Technique to temper his body, glanced at the sky and then ignored it.

Even without seeing it with his own eyes, he had already guessed the general idea and knew in his heart what was going on.

The cause and effect have already been set, and once he gets out, he will definitely settle accounts.

As for how to get out, it's very simple. This place can trap the Saint King, but for him, he can smash it with a single punch if he wants to.

Trying to use this to deal with him is a miscalculation.

This also shows that outsiders don't understand Li Yao's strength; otherwise, they would never do such a foolish thing.

"Roar!"

The roars of the beasts shook the heavens, and the Holy Beast Kings, sensing the closure of the Dao Gate, awoke.

They immediately discovered that there were still trial participants in the ancient training ground.

It's practically impossible for such a massive lightning tribulation to go unnoticed.

"boom!"

A terrifying holy aura permeated the air, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Several ancient beast kings soared into the sky, their enormous, mountain-like eyes fixed on the lightning tribulation, radiating boundless killing intent.

The three holy beast kings, namely the Golden Crow King, the Dragon Sparrow King, and the Lion-Tiger King, were eyeing the two seas of lightning with predatory intent, displaying the might of holy kings.

Now that the lightning tribulation has struck, they dare not rush in. They will wait for the tribulation to end before charging in and taking Qing Shi and Long Ma's lives.

They have no affection for these trial participants, who are confined to the training grounds generation after generation, becoming whetstones for honing the prodigies of the human race.

This hatred is etched into their very bones. If they weren't so weak, they would have already stormed out and massacred the ancient road.

They were enormous, blotting out the sky, and each one was incredibly powerful, having traveled a great distance within the Saint King realm.

Longma and Qingshi were both watching the Three-Headed Holy Beast King as they battled through the sea of ​​thunder, but they weren't worried; they were focused on their tribulation.

Although neither he nor his horse knew the exact strength of Li Yao, they believed that the three holy beast kings were no match for him.

During this period, both the man and the horse followed Li Yao to comprehend the Dao. Even the tip of the iceberg that Li Yao had revealed was more powerful than the Holy Beast King.

The three-headed holy beast kings were even more furious, realizing that they, the beasts, were being ignored.

I thought their appearance would surely cause the man and horse great anxiety, but their calm and composed demeanor showed no signs of tension or fear.

"Roar!"

The terrifying roar shook the heavens, and all the beasts in the dojo submitted. Even the sacred beasts were filled with unease, lying prostrate on the ground, trembling in fear.

A murderous intent, like a vast sea, spread across the heavens and earth, locking onto a person and a horse within two seas of lightning.

"Pfft!" "Pfft!"

Qing Shi and Long Ma were injured, their minds were shaken, their divine power was sluggish, and they were severely injured by the lightning tribulation.

The killing intent emanating from the three beast kings was truly terrifying, and my body reacted instinctively.

This has nothing to do with what the person or the horse thinks.

Just like when ordinary people hear the roar of a tiger, a black bear, or other ferocious beast, even if they are far away and have not even seen the beast, the roar alone is enough to make ordinary people tremble with fear and stiffen their bodies.

Li Yao watched from afar, not taking action to deal with the three beast kings, but letting them interfere with the tribulation of the man and his horse.

This is a great opportunity for them to hone their skills. If they can overcome this challenge, it will be of great help to both Longma and Qingshi.

In the blink of an eye, several days have passed, and the dragon horse's tribulation has ended, but the transformation is still in progress.

But the Holy Beast King wouldn't wait until the Dragon Horse's baptism was over.

"boom!"

The Golden Crow King extended a claw, tearing the sky and splitting the earth. The sage kingly way surged, and the holy might astonished the world.

It was an enormous claw, radiating golden light, that slammed down from the heavens like a hurricane, with endless laws of the Dao pressing down and burying the dragon-horse beneath.

If that claw strikes, even if the dragon horse had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough to kill it; no method could save it.

"Hmph, even when you're beating a horse, you have to consider its master. You mere Holy Beast King, how dare you attack me? You're finished." The dragon horse's body exploded, blood splattering everywhere. It couldn't even withstand the pressure of its claws, but it still roared.

"Is that so? Your master is very strong. Let me see what price he will have to pay." King Golden Crow sneered, assuming that Qing Shi was the master of the Dragon Horse. He also glanced at Qing Shi, who was still undergoing tribulation in the distant sea of ​​thunder.

The divine claw continued to press down, unstoppable!
In its eyes, even a mere saint is just an ant, and it doesn't take him seriously.

The other two beasts were the same, completely unimpressed.

But the next moment, a terrifying and chilling feeling emerged in their hearts.

"boom!"

The Golden Crow King was startled and quickly withdrew its claws, retreating ten thousand miles in a burst, watching the dragon horse with trepidation.

There, a layer of dazzling divine light covered the dragon horse.

Its claws were bleeding, a consequence of colliding with the divine light.

(End of this chapter)