The Prodigies War

Mountains, rocks, vegetation, lakes, rivers...all turned to nothing amidst the quaking and rumbling.

Space was crumbling and the earth was collapsing with countless shockingly wide cracks. It was as if an unprecedented earthquake had wreaked havoc across the area within a radius of thousands of miles.

Shards of sword qi, filled with terrifyingly cold murderous energy, were still floating in the void. It still hadn’t dissipated after a long time.

Amidst smoke and dust, Lin Xun coughed out loud, glanced around, and his heart sank.

“Am I dead?” The big black bird popped up.

“No.”

Lin Xun recalled the final exchange. When the sword qi collided, Yun Qingbai blocked the blow but he was still hit hard and his body shattered.

Faintly, Lin Xun saw him turn to a ray of illusory light and disappear without a trace.

“Almost!” The big black bird sighed with disappointment.

“I didn’t have high hopes.” Lin Xun was very calm because he knew someone like Yun QIngbai was not easy to kill.

They were only able to force him to abandon everything, make a run for it, and badly wound him because they caught him off guard.

“However, he has sustained serious injuries this time and even if he recovers, it will take a long, long time.” Lin Xun exhaled.

He was exhausted.

He won by a narrow margin in this battle, but it made him realize that if he were to face off against Yun Qingbai in his peak state, the outcome might be entirely different.

The reason for that being that his cultivation was two levels below Yun Qingbai!

If they were at the same cultivation level, Lin Xun had absolute confidence that he could kill him!

“Should we chase after him?” asked the big black bird.

Lin Xun shook his head. They had lost their chance to kill him. Once a shrewd and skilful character like Yun Qingbai escaped, it would be near impossible to find him again.

“Let’s go back to the Stupa Tower.” Lin Xun decided.

He needed to digest the battle, especially to accurately evaluate Yun Qingbai’s current strength.

“Okay.” The big black bird nodded.

He also knew that Lin Xun had a huge advantage in the battle.

Namely, when they ran into Yun Qingbai, he was at the critical moment of refining the innate talent and power of Ancient Buddha Son, making him unable to draw upon his full strength.

Secondly, Yun Qingbai never imagined that the clone of Ancient Buddha Son had been placed under a mysterious spell by the big black bird.

This was done with the intention of targeting the true form of Ancient Buddha Son, so that when he merged with the power of his clone, he would run into a disaster.

Who would have thought that the real body of Ancient Buddha Son had already been killed by Yun Qingbai? Because he swallowed the innate power of the clone, he indirectly received the big gift they originally prepared for Ancient Buddha Son.

This was precisely the reason why Yun Qingbai had coughed up blood and been wounded badly when the big black bird uttered a secret chant in the Stupa Tower.

In short, a series of combined coincidences pushed Yun Qingbai into an extremely passive and distressing situation, forcing him to flee.

If it was a head-on confrontation, the big black bird also reckoned that Lin Xun had little chance of killing his enemy.

But this might change in the future.

Yun Qingbai was heavily injured and had only a faint breath of life left. During his recovery period, if Lin Xun managed to seize the time to make a breakthrough, he could completely transform his strength!

……

Half a day later.

Lin Xun and the big black bird returned to Stupa Tower.

Fighting back his sleepiness and fatigue, Lin Xun arranged a dao rune forbidden array around the tower and went into closed-door cultivation.

After all the running about, the big black bird was so exhausted that he retired to sleep in his big black pot.

“Yun Qingbai, the number one on the Genius Golden rankings, is being hunted by Demon God Lin!”

In the outside world, similar news spread like a storm, causing a sensation in Root Mountain Realm and very quickly shaking the entire Upper Nine Realms.

It also set off great disturbances!

Someone marveled, “After four years of silence, as soon as Demon God Lin emerged in the world, he defeated Underworld Son and then suppressed Ancient Buddha Son. And now, he forced Yun Qingbai to flee for his life!”

“Doesn’t this prove that Lin Xun is already worthy of being at the top of the Genius Golden Rankings? But he is only at the third longevity tribulation, isn’t he?” someone exclaimed in astonishment.

“This can’t be true! Yun Qingbai is invincible. Like the sun in the sky, shining upon the universe. How can a firefly like Lin Xun compete with him in terms of brilliance?” scoffed someone, refusing to believe in the news.

“Where are the people of Omega Sword Sect? Why are they not coming forward to explain this matter? Could it really be true that Yun Qingbai is being chased down by Demon God Lin?”

The news stirred up many heated discussions across the Upper Nine Realms.

Regardless of whether the news was true or not, it massively boosted Lin Xun’s reputation and catapulted him to fame. No one in the world wasn’t aware of his name.

……

In the Abysmal Water Realm, there was an isolated island in a black sea.

“Ah—!”

A roar filled with anger and hatred resounded like a rolling thunder.

The sea violently quaked and raged with hundred-foot waves, and the fierce beasts lurking in the depths of the sea were all terror-stricken and fled in panic.

Only after a long while did the voice fade.

On the isolated island, Yun Qingbai sat slumped on the ground, hair disheveled, breathing labored, face terrifyingly livid, and eyes bloodshot.

Upon a closer look, his body was like cracked porcelain, covered with numerous horrible, bloody scars.

The extent of the injuries was far beyond Yun Qingbai’s imagination!

The impact of being interrupted from refining the innate power and talent of Ancient Buddha Son damaged his dao foundation.

Moreover, the secret spell of the big black bird inflicted severe internal injuries to him to the point of damaging his cultivation!

Worst of all, when he clashed with Lin Xun’s sword qi, he failed to block the blow with even his sword arts that he had always been most proud of. Consequently, that shattered his body and severely damaged his spirit!

How could the prideful and arrogant Yun Qingbai swallow this defeat?

Ever since he started cultivating, he had won every battle and advanced triumphantly on the cultivation path. When had he ever suffered such failure?

It was the greatest shame!

Only after a long moment did Yun Qingbai manage to calm his emotions, and his mind returned to its usual resolute and steady state.

His swordsmanship would not be struck down like that.

To be able to rise above his peers and now dominate the top of the Genius Gold Rankings, he was not an ordinary genius.

His talent, mind, talent and foundation were all among the strongest in the world. If he failed to recover from this one setback in his life, then he was not Yun Qingbai!

“The day I return is the day your soul will be gone from this world...” Muttering, Yun Qingbai donned an indifferent expression, but his brows were surrounded by killing intent.

……

A few days later.

Lin Xun woke up from meditation, his eyes clear and tranquil.

After defeating Yun Qingbai, though he did not manage to kill him, the experience transformed his state of mind.

After all, he won in his first confrontation with Yun Qingbai!

Although there was an element of luck, luck was also a type of strength!

He predicted, “In fewer than three days, I will make a breakthrough.”

In truth, back when he was at Tragic Death Land, his cultivation had already reached the state of perfection, and he only needed an opportunity to ascend to the next cultivation level.

He had a strong feeling that he was close to a breakthrough.

Shua!

Three days later, he appeared above the Three Thousand Stupa Tower.

As his aura spread outwards, black tribulation clouds rolled across like a tide, producing a terrifying atmosphere that would induce fear in anyone.

He stood tall overhead, his black hair fluttering and his expression calm as never before.

The nine longevity tribulations were divided into the three calamitous tribulations and six challenging tribulations.

He had already overcome the first three calamitous tribulations in one go, and now, he was about to face the fourth longevity tribulation, also known as the Seven Emotions Challenge!

All living beings possessed seven emotions and six desires.

The seven emotions referred to joy, anger, anxiety, thought, sorrow, fear, and fright, which reflected the state of mind and affected a cultivator’s cultivation.

The fourth longevity tribulation was precisely the tribulation of seven emotions!

Rumble—

The sky dimmed, the earth dulled, and everything fell into a state of silence. The depths of the tribulation clouds obscured the sun, and the sky growled with thunder.

Then, magnificent lightning flashed down like whips, emitting an earthshaking destructive power and plunging the world into chaos.

But in Lin Xun’s black eyes, there was not a ripple of emotion.

Kacha!

A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the sky like a spear as it struck down with an ear-splitting sound.

At the same time, Lin Xun, who was motionless, suddenly raised his head and met it head-on!

“Someone is undergoing tribulation!”

On a mountain of bones, a tall figure narrowed their eyes and peered into the distance.

There, tribulations clouds roiled, thunder raged, and lightning danced wildly. It was like the coming of doomsday.

“Seven Emotions Challenge! But this tribulation is terrifying. I have never seen one in my life. It seems like a fierce, heaven-defying character is making a breakthrough!”

The tall figure had long, fiery-red hair, sharp eyes, and an imposing and tyrannical bearing.

When he noticed the scene, with a flash, he sped towards the area where the heavenly tribulation was striking down.

“Huh?”

At the same time, in front of the Sword Saint skeleton standing like a pillar between heaven and earth, a woman bathed in ice and snow raised her head and looked into the distance.

“That’s where the Three Thousand Stupa Tower is. Someone actually chose to challenge a tribulation there. Are they not afraid of being targeted?”

The woman wore a blue dress that highlighted her slender and graceful figure. Her long silvery hair billowed like a waterfall around her stunningly beautiful face.

She thought for a minute before her figure fluttered away like a fairy in the snow.

“What a magnificent scene!”

“Go, let’s go take a look.”

Cultivators across different areas of Stupa Land were alarmed one after another. Their eyes flickered up, and they all rushed towards the Three Thousand Stupa Tower.

Cultivators often choose a safe place to overcome a tribulation to prevent others from interfering and putting them in danger.

However, someone was actually bold enough to choose the danger-ridden Stupa Brahma Land to overcome the longevity tribulation. How would this not attract attention?

Lin Xun was unaware of all this. He was focused on defying and conquering heaven, his black hair whipping about and dao light surging around his body!

Arrows of dazzling lightning flashed down, providing the perfect backdrop to his divine being-like silhouette. It was a breathtaking spectacle!