Chapter 525: Chapter 514: Sword Cultivator Father
The Thousand-Year Ranking is a grand event in the Canglan World, with countless geniuses emerging from there. Ten years before the next ranking, cultivators from various parts of the Canglan World cease their seclusion and rush to Central State.
One day, a cold and stern man, full of murderous intent, emerged from the Dark Forest, known to the cultivators of the Canglan World as the Land of Death. He muttered a name under his breath, and with each repetition, the killing aura around him intensified.
"Lin Shen, that Ye Sheng has already become your Heart Demon. You must kill him, otherwise the Heavenly Dao is hopeless."
"I know." Lin Shen, with fierce determination in his eyes, said resolutely to the transparent man beside him, "This time, I will not lose again. Ha, how can the Dark Blue Ice Flame compare to my Black Netherworld Fire?"
With that, a pure black flame erupted around him, as if it intended to devour everything.
The transparent man frowned at the sight of the black flames, but said nothing.
What Lin Shen didn’t know was that after he subdued the Black Netherworld Fire, his luck had greatly diminished, and the Heavenly Dao no longer favored him as before. However, possessing the Black Netherworld Fire allowed him to move freely in the Dark Forest and attain things that ordinary people wouldn’t dare dream of. This is what they call ’every gain has its cost’!
But ultimately, it is the Heavenly Dao that rules the world. Was it really right for Lin Shen to have lost its favor?
However, he would never admit he was wrong. Lin Shen believed that the path of cultivation was inherently against the heavens. What fault was there in striving to enhance his power? What fault was there in eliminating the Heart Demon in his heart? The journey of cultivation was long, and getting rid of Ye Sheng was just the first step.
"The Thousand-Year Ranking?" Lin Shen murmured softly, then looked towards the direction of Central State.
"Be careful, the Heavenly Tribulation is coming." In the Canglan World, Wuwan Sea, two maturing merfolk surrounded a rock, on which stood a young man in a tight outfit, handsome and stern, carefully eyeing the long sword in front of him.
The two merfolk were none other than Ye Sheng’s Contracted Beasts, Little Blue and Little Hai. The young man looking at the long sword was Ye Sheng himself, as the three prepared for the imminent Heavenly Tribulation which had been attracted by the long sword.
Usually, only spirit weapons of living beings can draw a Heavenly Tribulation. The lowest grade for such spirit weapons is a High-Level Spirit Artifact, but the sword in front of Ye Sheng had reached the level of an Immortal Artifact. However, if it failed to transcend this tribulation, it would not awaken spiritually and would remain at best a Half-Immortal Artifact.
Ye Sheng gritted his teeth as he watched the terrifying aura in the sky, setting up a defensive array. This Heavenly Tribulation must not go wrong; this was the most successful sword he had forged for his father. It must awaken spiritually, as he could not allow the sword to remain unevolved forever.
A father deserves the finest sword!
"Boom..." The terrifying Heavenly Tribulation finally descended, and besides them, a man and two beasts, there was no one else in the surrounding sea area.
A year later, Ye Sheng sailed through Wuwan City on the Spirit Boat he crafted. What he didn’t know was that his father, Ye Qiu, had also just boarded a Spirit Boat heading to Central State.
"This killing god has finally left."
"Tsk tsk, in these forty years, he’s challenged all the powers in our Wuwan City!"
"Not even 300 years old and already in the Body Integration Realm, he might indeed make it onto the Thousand-Year Ranking."
"I admit he’s very powerful, but Central State is where talents abound. Have you forgotten? Whether it’s Qing Mountain Sect, Wuji Sect, Ten Thousand Buddha Sect or his own Tianyan Sect, or whether it’s the Feng Family, Ji Family, Jiang Family, etc., all of them had Cultivators of Divinity Transformation by the age of 100 who made a name for themselves in the Thousand-Year Ranking back then. Now, 500 years later, they might have already reached the Mahayana Realm."
"You’re right, the God of Slaughter is indeed formidable, but compared to those Heaven’s Chosen Sons, he still falls short. Maybe in the next generation, he might make a name for himself!"
The cultivators in Wuwan City murmured among themselves, feeling that although Ye Qiu was powerful, he still wasn’t a match for those nurtured by Major Sects and big families.
What they did not know was, there exists a kind of person who excels at proving others wrong, and Ye Qiu was one of them.
However, while others sought fame for wealth and status, his sole wish was to find his son.
Ye Sheng thought the same, so upon learning about the Thousand-Year Ranking, he also hurried towards Central State with all his might.
Lin Shen was also on his way there, sensing that his grievances with Ye Sheng would finally be settled on this so-called Thousand-Year Ranking.
"Come take a look, the last Divine Beast Phoenix, guaranteed to push you into the Thousand-Year Ranking."
"Immortal Artifacts, Immortal Artifacts, top-grade Immortal Artifacts for a cheap sale."
"Immortal Pills, Immortal Pills, buy one Tribulation Crossing Pill and get one free."
Ye Sheng walked on the streets of Liu Xian City, amusedly watching all these vendors, finding their cries laughable.
Initially unaware, he observed that most merchants were either from the Void Refining Stage or the Body Integration Realm, thinking they differed from those in the Lower Realm, almost getting duped himself.
It was later he realized that all merchants followed the same tactics; it was just that their reputation was loud.
Like the one selling the phoenix, which was merely a bird possessing a very diluted phoenix bloodline, nowhere close to being a real phoenix except that both were birds. The one selling the Immortal Artifacts was the same; perhaps it once was of Immortal grade, but now the spirit dissipated, and the base was damaged, possessing no combat value. Although the materials were rare, re-forging was also problematic, making it an impractical possession. Not to mention the Immortal Pills; while there might be Tribulation Crossing Pills, they surely wouldn’t be hawked openly on the streets—each one could fetch a sky-high price at auction, buy one get one free? Only fooling children.
However, while Liu Xian City had many who sold fakes, there were also not a few who sold genuine items, after all, it was the largest city in Central State.
But the main event would still be after the Thousand-Year Ranking. The largest auction in the Canglan World would hold a grand auction here, where true Immortal Artifacts and Immortal Pills would appear.
While Ye Sheng was enjoying his walk, Ye Qiu appeared on another side of the city, also the station of the Tianyan Sect, but he was denied entry. If not for his quick actions, he might have been forced to stay out.
"Master." After Ye Qiu escaped, Lin Shen came out from behind, his expression and Master Wu’an’s almost identical, even possibly more severe.
"What happened back then? How did you get a Heart Demon? And why did you trap Ye Qiu together with your ancestors?" Master Wu’an asked with an expressionless face, his tone not suggesting any blame towards his disciple for harming his sect mate.
"It was Ye Sheng. He took advantage of the item given by master uncle Ye Qiu and snatched the opportunity that was mine." Lin Shen unapologetically said, not even considering that Ye Sheng was the first to find that bamboo house.
Maybe he still thought that the opportunity was rightfully his; after all, it seemed fated to lead him there if not for Ye Sheng...
Lin Shen clenched his fists; how did he end up like this?