Chapter 409: The First Match of the Sovereign Rankings (1/2)

The Sky Peng Sect elder reddened after saying his piece; there was nothing he could do. It seemed increasingly unlikely that any of them here would get the Blood Ganoderma.

Xi Yingchen’s swift display of force was intimidating enough by itself, but Lu Yun’s subsequent bounty to scare off Donglin Taihuang had only added fuel to their mental flames.

None of the powerhouses congregated here were brave enough to strike.

They were in Destiny City. Xi Yingchen was the senior disciple of the city lord and a peak arcane dao expert in his own right. Despite the potential opposition arrayed against him, he remained perfectly calm.

Moreover, Lu Yun’s exposure of Yi Tianling’s crimes backed them into a corner. If any of them made a misstep, they could very well become a target for the rest.

Qing Han was still in the process of breaking through. Her body remained in the bloody cocoon, but her nascent spirit had risen over Lu Yun’s formations. Energy gathered from the land, flowing to her in an enlightening stream of power and knowledge.

Perceiving the void meant understanding creation’s secrets. The Blood Ganoderma couldn’t help her with this part; she could rely on only her own talents.

She had many factors on her side: her cosmic constitution, the starstones she carried, the Dao Flower’s blessing, and the multitude of connate spirit roots within her. On paper, her talent was greater than Lu Yun’s.

The formations around Jadeite Manor lit up upon activation. A dense web of runes and lines wrapped all around the estate in a protective barrier. By the time the onlookers reacted, it was already too late for the hostile powerhouses to do anything.

“We shall see what happens at the Sovereign Ranking battles.” With a final glance at Qing Han, the experts retreated one by one with sneers on their faces.

The factions they hailed from had no shortage of talented geniuses, and most of the world treated the past tournament in Dusk Province as a joke. Five Youth Sovereigns? What were they worth?

This time, many more geniuses hidden behind the scenes would rise to the challenge, and their strength could very well match the two cultivators here today.

Xi Yingchen nodded to Lu Yun upon the departure of the threatening powerhouses, then disappeared as well.

Chu Yingxin glared at Jadeite Manor with a brooding look.

“You dare oppose me, Xi Yingchen? I see you haven’t taken second senior brother’s death to heart.” His expression grew colder as he passed over the kneeling Leng Che.

……

A guardian expert like Xi Yingchen was a superb deterrent to any and all would-be troublemakers. Furthermore, the river of a hundred billion premium crystals still hung over the manor as a stark reminder that the bounty against Donglin Taihuang was yet valid. Anyone who could kill him and bring his spirit to Jadeite Manor would collect a princely sum!

Barely anyone in the world would be brave enough to do so, of course. Killing the Donglin Clan’s number one genius was a surefire way to have one’s entire faction razed off the face of the world.

……

Qing Han took an entire day to finish her breakthrough. Reaching perceived void seemed to enhance her lightness and purity; the filthy disguise she had on was having a hard time hiding that part of her. Whenever she moved, heaven and earth focused on her.

She’d finished just in time, as well—the Sovereign Ranking would begin today.

Whoosh!

An enormous scroll rolled out across Destiny City’s skyline, covering the entirety of its firmament.

The Sovereign Ranking!

Three golden words were emblazoned upon it.

“So there really is such a thing after all!” Everyone lucky enough to see it for themselves was astounded by its glory.

“The immortal dao is a path for the living, and intimately connected to all life. When living creatures require a Sovereign Ranking, the immortal dao will respond to that need.” Within Jadeite Manor, Lu Yun and Qing Han exchanged knowing smiles.

The scroll contained more than just its own name. It was densely packed with the names of all kinds of cultivators… at least thirty million of them! Everyone who’d come to participate was recorded, albeit, only the ones still alive.

Countless experts from all over the world opened their eyes in unison, looking toward Destiny City.

……

North Sea, Levitating Island.

“Although humanity created the dao of immortals, it belongs to all living things. It is different from the human dao of the past.” A golden ape stood upon a cliff, overlooking the sea below. Its keen, glowing eyes were directed at the Sovereign Ranking above, just like everyone else.