The Prodigies War

Lin Xun was dead.

Yun Qingbai regretted the lost opportunity as it was the first time in quite a long time that he had felt such a firm killing intent toward someone, but his opponent had died before he could put it into action.

Even he had to lament how fate loved to play jokes on people.

“Let’s go,” said Yun Qingbai as he shook his head and swiftly left with his hands crossed behind back.

The Omega Sword Sect disciples followed him, also regretting that Lin Xun hadn’t died at their hands instead…

They were delighted that he was dead, but at the same time not fully satisfied.

From this day on, there was less and less talk about Lin Xun in the Upper Nine Realms, until no one mentioned him anymore.

After all, no matter how dazzling he had been during his lifetime, he was now nothing more than a pile of bones that would eventually turn into nothingness..

……

In a lush forest outside the Underworld River Forbidden Zone.

A grass hut had appeared a year after the news of Lin Xun’s fall, with a thriving flower garden and herb field constructed around it.

Every day, a woman dressed in plain white clothes would be hard at work in the flower garden and herb field. Occasionally, she would be lost in thought on the wooden stool under the eaves while caressing a small tripod cauldron.

The woman was bright and beautiful like the moon with a gentle appearance, but she seemed thinner compared to the past.

“Junior Sister Jingxuan, he is already dead. How much longer do you want to wait here?”

Every once in a while, Yan Zhanqiu would appear with a more complicated expression and resentment than the last.

All this just because of Lin Xun?

He didn’t understand, nor did he want to understand!

“The Upper Nine Realms are filled with countless fortunes. You’re wasting away the opportunities to advance your cultivation and deserting your dao by waiting here! Junior Sister Jingxuan, come with me. You still have a great future ahead of you. Don’t waste your prime years for the sake of a dead man!”

Every time, Yan Zhanqiu would try his best to persuade her, only to leave with failure.

He would lose a bit of patience every time and gradually, his visits decreased.

Zhao Jingxuan completely ignored him.

She had never believed that Lin Xun was dead.

……

The years flew by swiftly.

During the second year of being trapped at the bottom of the Underworld River, which was also the third year of the descent of the Supreme Realm, Lin Xun woke from his meditation.

The Blameless Lamp swayed. The cauldron manifested from the All-Wonder Dao Fire was suspended in the air, with an illusory river of light streaming in it.

The shadow of a broken blade could be seen floating within, holy and mysterious.

The hill of divine materials for refining the Broken Blade was no longer there as it had long been used up.

Based on perception alone, Lin Xun knew that the power of the Broken Blade had once again increased by about one tenth.

Although this couldn’t compare to the first improvement, he knew that the more powerful the Broken Blade was, the harder it would be to improve. It was just like in cultivation, the higher one’s cultivation stage was, the harder it was to climb up.

It was already quite good for the blade to be able to increase one tenth in power.

Clang!

Lin Xun retrieved the Broken Blade with a move of his hand.

Compared to after the first refinement, the weapon had become even more translucent, illusory, and holy, concealing a kind of extremely restrained but overwhelming sharpness!

From a glance, it still looked like a piece of glistening, white stream of light, as light as a feather, but its aura was on another level compared to before.

Unfortunately, the Broken Blade still had not developed into its full form.

This made Lin Xun realize that for a long time to come, the weapon would need more than just ordinary divine materials to transform.

Poof!

Lin Xun sliced a bone-deep cut on his own wrist using the Broken Blade, and blood streamed out.

But in just a blink of an eye, the wound healed without leaving a single scar!

This was the restorative power of the Immortality Grand Dao that had reached the Dao Truth stage.

Moooo~

With a movement of Lin Xun's mind, a dragon cry resounded from within him, and he instantly emitted a boundless, majestic might.

It was as if the person sitting cross-legged had turned into a coiling dragon!

He was a dragon!

The ultimate mystery of the Tribulation Dragon Nine Transformations was the metamorphosis into a dragon, which was to transform the nine differently shaped dragons into true dragons, raising the inheritance to a whole new level.

If Lin Xun were to be seen by other cultivators in this state, then they would all mistake him for a pure-blooded descendant of a True Dragon Lineage!

“My cultivation has also reached the peak of the current stage. Now, it’s just a matter of advancing to the breakthrough point and triggering the tribulation lightning,” Lin Xun mused as he felt the changes in his power.

It had been the second year since he was trapped here, and whether it was his martial arts, enlightenment, or cultivation, all had seen a significant improvement.

Even the power of the Broken Blade had increased.

This kind of change was astonishing, but to Lin Xun, it was a natural progress.

His primordial spirit had turned into three, allowing him to cultivate martial arts, enlightenment, and cultivation power at the same time, which saved him a lot of precious time.

At the same time, with the help of the Mind of Cultivator technique from the Qiuniu Heart in comprehending the grand daos, his cultivation of the dao was able to advance by leaps and bounds!

In the cultivation of power, he had many King-grade and divine herbs ready to provide support, which was more effective than cultivating in any blessed land.

The only problem of being trapped here was that he was completely isolated from the world and didn’t know what was happening out there.

“I guess they all think that I’m dead…” Lin Xun sighed at this thought.

The only thing that could solve this predicament was probably to break through to the next cultivation stage as soon as possible!

……

The seasons rotated, and without realizing it, another two years had passed…

After the first few years of intense fighting and killing, the power structure in the Upper Nine Realms had gradually stabilized. All of the burial sites of fortunes that had emerged had been patronized by experts from everywhere.

Many also kept an eye out for the fortune grounds that had yet to emerge.

The entire Upper Nine Realms had entered a relatively quiet period of hibernation.

In recent years, all those who had obtained fortunes and treasures in the midst of fatal competitions were undoubtedly lucky.

Now, they had chosen to enter secluded cultivation to digest the fortunes they had gained, so as to sharpen their cultivation and strengthen themselves!

Powering up was the only way to survive the years to come, as well as to be able to come out on top from the competition among the supreme!

“Junior Sister Jingxuan, did you know that someone in the Upper Nine Realms has already stepped into the fifth longevity tribulation King stage?”

On this day, Yan Zhanqiu came again. He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart as he looked at Zhao Jingxuan, who was sitting quietly under the eaves of the grass hut.

He inwardly cheered himself on and laughed, “It’s a pity that person is not a Supreme King. Nothing to worry about at all.”

Zhao Jingxuan remained silent.

She had been waiting here for three years. The grass hut, the herb field, and the flower garden had been carefully tended to by her, and now had turned into a tranquil and secluded landscape.

However, the person she was waiting for had never once shown up.

“Junior Sister Jingxuan, you’ve been delayed here for two years, Do you know what you have missed?” Yan Zhanqiu took a deep breath and continued, “Right now, Yun Qingbai, Chi Lingxiao, Bai Longting, Lin Xue, Ye Mohe, and the other outstanding supreme characters have all stepped into the third longevity tribulation King stage! But you? Your cultivation stagnates in the King Realm. If you go on to be like this, then you will only fall further and further behind!”

He was heartbroken.

With Zhao Jingxuan’s foundation and talent, she could have reached the second longevity tribulation King stage at the very least if she hadn’t been held back all these years!

Zhao Jingxuan turned a deaf ear and did not utter a word.

Seeing this, Yan Zhanqiu’s expression flickered, and only after a long time did he say indignantly through gritted teeth, “Junior Sister Jingxuan, I may as well tell you that even if Lin Xun is alive, I’ll personally kill him. The person you’re waiting for is destined to be a dead man!”

With that, he swung his hand and left.

Zhao Jingxuan finally raised her head and looked at Yan Zhanqiu’s departing figure with a soft sigh.

If he is alive, then how are you still qualified to be his enemy?

……

“It’s been four years…”

At the bottom of the Underworld River, Lin Xun looked sloppy and only his eyes remained bright and profound.

He sat there cross-legged in a daze.

Four years alone in seclusion, surrounded by dark river water with the company of only a dim yellow lamp.

No one else knew what it was like.

Lin Xun was helpless as the ray of opportunity to advance that he needed had never come.

He had been waiting for two years since he had brought his cultivation to the current peak!

During these two years, his Star Annihilation Heaven Devourer and Immortality Grand Dao had reached the Dao Law stage.

He had also used the Dual System Divine Lotus to grasp the two daos of Yin and Yang, fused them into the Tai Chi Grand Dao, and then brought it to the Dao Truth stage!

In addition to this, his understanding of the Impermanence Slash had also reached the stage of great completion, obtaining a radical change in its power.

At least, his strength had far exceeded four years ago at the start of this seclusion.

Yet, there was still no sign of the opportunity to break through!

On the contrary, Little Silver had welcomed its metamorphosis tribulation not long ago and evolved into a real God Devourer Insect King in one fell swoop.

Speaking of which, it had to be mentioned that back in the Burning Immortal Realm’s Supreme Tower, Little Silver had also climbed the Great Dao Heavenly Staircase on its own and obtained the thirty-ninth rank.

This was why it had been able to follow Lin Xun to the Upper Nine Realms.

However, at that time, in order to become a king, Little Silver had remained silent as if hibernating in winter to make preparations for the King stage.

It was also not long ago that Little Silver had woken up and immediately triggered the Supreme King tribulation, rising through the storms!

While such a huge event still hadn’t been able to change Lin Xun’s predicament, Lin Xun was both helpless and touched at the same time that Little Silver had chosen to accompany him at the bottom of the river despite having the ability to leave.

How could Lin Xun not be touched by this?

But he would still rather Little Silver leave this prison!

“The King-grade herbs have been used up, and there are only four divine herbs left. If this continues, I’ll run out of the supply for my cultivation in less than three months…” Lin Xun furrowed his brows.

These four years, his strength had seen drastic changes, but the consumption was also tremendous.

Especially under this river where there was no energy to draw out at all, he could only rely on the herbs he had collected.

Once these cultivation resources were depleted, his situation would be pessimistic.

“Something must be done!”

After a long time, Lin Xun took a deep breath, and determination flashed in his eyes as he made a decision.