Qing Ling could only smile helplessly and bowed to the Da Luo clone.
The other party flipped his hand, summoned the golden divine beads from the green-shirted woman, and handed them to him, saying, "You win, you may withdraw."
Qing Ling said his thanks and exited the Long Xu arena, returning to Granny Hua Geng. He smiled and said, "I have not failed the clan leader's trust and won another match!"
Hua Geng nodded with satisfaction, "Good! Clever thinking."
The praise of 'good' referred to his strength, while 'clever thinking' meant knowing to hide his true strength in the early stages, letting his opponents believe he won by trickery, thus preventing them from being too wary of him.
Only by doing so, by hiding his ultimate trump cards until the very end, could he fight for longer!
Shan Kun the old ape clicked his tongue in amazement, "Good lad, I didn't see you were so deeply hidden. You could easily defeat a Golden Immortal! Xi Shan truly has many talents."
Qing Ling smiled and replied, "Senior praises me too much, I merely took advantage of a trick."
Shan Kun the old ape shook his head and said with a meaningful smile, "Coincidence and deliberate action, I can distinguish between the two. The old ape can tell." He then turned to Hua Geng and said, "This time, this old ape misjudged. Your Xi Shan will likely be in the top hundred again!"
Granny Hua Geng smiled faintly, "Senior still thinks too highly of Xi Shan. Only time will tell after the final results are out!"
As they waited in leisure, the third round of arena battles concluded. Next was the final round of arena battles, which would select over five hundred Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters.
Following that would be the arena defense battles.
The Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters of various clans who secured places in the top thousand in the previous Sacred Sacrifice would gain the continuation of their sacred authority. Only those among the over five hundred Saintly individuals would directly possess their previous Sacred Sacrifice rankings, becoming directly part of the top hundred.
Then, these over one hundred Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters would face challenges from the top five hundred on the arena. As long as they defeated five challengers, they could continue their rankings. The top hundred could also challenge the higher-ranked arenas.
Therefore, if Qing Ling could hold on through this fourth round, he would directly inherit Xi Shan Serpent Clan's eighty-eighth position from the previous Sacred Sacrifice.
After more than ten days, the fourth round of Sacred Selection battles commenced.
This time, Qing Ling's luck was still good. His opponent was still an early-stage Golden Immortal, and he did not encounter any late-stage Golden Immortal experts.
Even if Qing Ling were unaware, he would have guessed that his "luck" was likely not from himself but from some powerful figure of the Dragon Clan.
Shan Kun, a Da Luo Golden Immortal, was an old ape who had seen it all. How could he not see the trick? He kept trying to pry information from Granny Hua Geng, asking her if she still knew any powerful figures of the Dragon Clan.
After all, when the Xuanwu Supreme was summoned back then, Shan Kun the old ape had cowered on Xuanwu Mountain, not even showing his head. If even an ancient Supreme like Xuanwu could be courted by Xi Shan, then there must surely be connections within the Dragon Clan!
He wondered how Xi Shan could always be in the top hundred during each Sacred Sacrifice. It turned out there was someone in the Dragon Palace to facilitate things. This made the old ape even more hesitant to harbor any thoughts of destroying Xi Shan. He only wished to be a good neighbor. If the other party truly became a High Clan through sheer luck, it would be beneficial for mutual assistance.
After all, the Black Lizard High Clan was too powerful, with three Da Luo Golden Immortals and dozens of Golden Immortal Venerables, ranking in the top ten of the Dragon Clan's myriad affiliated races. This was nothing compared to him, who only had one Da Luo Golden Immortal.
Granny Hua Geng also had some suspicions. As for her relationship with the powerful figures of the Dragon Clan, she knew very well that only Qing Ling could be considered to have a connection, and Xi Shan was merely benefiting from it indirectly.
Of course, she would not reveal this. She would only deflect and avoid the topic, continuing to let the old ape harbor his suspicions and maintain Xi Shan's mystique.
Qing Ling's fourth-round match was ranked in the three hundredth-odd place, and he still had some time before his turn. This round was far more intense and dangerous than the previous three.
Even some Da Luo Golden Immortal clones were unable to control the rapidly changing battlefield, almost causing a tragedy.
Qing Ling also witnessed many techniques that he found almost unbelievable. The top hundred Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters in the previous session were mostly occupied by the seventy-two High Clans. The foundation of Da Luo Golden Immortal races was absolutely far superior to that of ordinary Tai Yi races' Sacred Sons and Sacred Daughters, thus such a rule greatly favored those High Clans.
However, other clans were powerless. After all, it was the law of the jungle; they were the weak. It was already a great feat for those High Clans to adhere to the Dragon Clan's rules openly.
Finally, after over a month, it was Qing Ling's turn to compete.
This time, his opponent was a burly man, nearly ten feet tall. This was his form after transformation!
"Western Barrens, Shan Kui Yuan Clan!"
"Eastern Barrens, Xi Shan Serpent Clan!"
The man, over three meters tall, relaxed slightly upon seeing his opponent was only a Heaven Tier. However, he did not let down his guard.
After they exchanged greetings, he unleashed a surge of earth-yellow light all over his body, forming an impenetrable defensive shield.
Qing Ling sighed inwardly, this was going to be a tough opponent, likely troublesome.
With a wave of his red sleeve, he no longer hid his strength and unleashed his more than eight thousand puppet army. They spread across the vast arena, a terrifying swarm of giants. Without mentioning anything else, the sheer momentum was enough to be intimidating.
Even the Da Luo clone referee was stunned and couldn't help but smile, "This little fellow is quite unique."
The middle-aged giant also felt his scalp tingle. Although the strength of each puppet was not extraordinary, they were extremely sturdy. Even if he stood still and let them attack him, it would take a considerable amount of time.
He assessed the situation for a moment and concluded that the enemy's control over so many puppets indicated an extremely strong primordial spirit, and his own aura was not particularly potent, suggesting a race that favored long-range combat over close-quarters fighting.
Kill the leader to capture the bandits!
Although he didn't know this saying, he understood its meaning.
Qing Ling saw the brown pupils of his opponent suddenly flash, and he instantly charged forward. Countless Xuanhuang earth energies augmented him. Along the way, numerous puppets were smashed to pieces, but they could not impede him in the slightest.
He simultaneously retreated, maintaining distance, and instantly summoned the Xuan Tian Vine, which transformed into a verdant wood vine over thirty feet long, coiling towards the middle-aged giant who was charging like a mad bull.
Qing Ling's Xuan Tian Vine was only three feet tall within his Dantian, but its divine ability had already manifested. When summoned externally, its main body could reach thirty feet. Any longer would be a vine phantom, incomparable to its true form.
The Xuan Tian Vine, like a green python, coiled towards the charging middle-aged giant.
The opponent punched the vine away and continued to charge forward. However, to his surprise, the green vine continued to coil, directly wrapping around his waist. The tip of the vine instantly fused with its body, forming a dead loop, restraining him at the waist.
Qing Ling's pupils flashed, and he said, "Shrink!"
The Xuan Tian Vine instantly tightened, constricting the middle-aged giant's waist.
The man panicked. He had initially thought it was an ordinary spirit vine, but he hadn't expected it to be so tough. His Golden Immortal fifth-level mountain strength couldn't tear the vine apart.
The giant, bound by the vine, did not slow down but rather increased his speed. With lightning speed, he arrived beside Qing Ling. His body split into ten, and ten illusory figures combined into a single solid giant, crashing down on Qing Ling.
"Boom~"
A deafening roar filled their ears. The Long Xu arena itself was smashed, creating a crater and sending up a cloud of dust.
However, countless green lights suddenly flashed around the giant, enveloping all directions.
His heart trembled, knowing he had been tricked. He turned to fly away.
But the green vine around his waist pulled, and Qing Ling, who had evaded the opponent's attack, pulled on the vine, preventing the giant from retreating.
In just a short moment, thousands of emerald green giant trees soared into the sky, forming a wooden prison that sealed the sky above, trapping him within.
Simultaneously, the green vine around the giant's waist tightened, and immense crushing force caused him intense pain at the waist.
The giant reached out and pulled, and a monstrous force was transmitted back, causing Qing Ling to stagger and nearly be pulled along.
Qing Ling immediately planted his feet on the gray ground of the Long Xu arena. Thousands of exotic flowers and spiritual herbs instantly grew, and countless giant trees erupted from the earth. Within mere breaths, an area of a thousand miles transformed into a lush, verdant land. He merged his feet with the earth and the plants, as if connecting to the earth in myriad ways, like a thousand grasses and ten thousand trees, unyielding against the torrents.
However, within the wooden prison, earth-yellow light reappeared. The middle-aged giant actually sat down cross-legged, transforming into a mountain. The mountain's body was Xuanhuang, heavy and solid, grounding the earth. The mountain grew taller and wider, and even the Xuan Tian Vine could no longer shrink but was stretched along with it.
Seeing this, Qing Ling quickly spat out a mouthful of vital blood. The vital blood merged into the wooden prison, and the myriad trees immediately displayed great spiritual energy and boundless vitality. For every foot the mountain grew, the trees grew ten feet taller.
The peak of the mountain range pointed towards the sky, but it was obscured by an endless green, unable to see the sun. The higher the mountain grew, the taller the trees became, never escaping this green prison.
However, the mountain's height and width continued to increase without slowing down, while the growth rate of the myriad trees began to decline slowly.
After all, it was only the blessing of a mouthful of vital blood, how could it compare to the power of a Golden Immortal Venerable's true form and Dao manifestation?
Qing Ling sighed helplessly. It seemed he had to use a trump card. If the mountain continued to grow taller and wider, he would likely be suppressed by this Golden Immortal Venerable's mountain-earth Dao power.
Qing Ling extended his right hand and pointed. The Fu Chun divine seal flickered in his Primordial Spirit between his eyebrows. The divine seed Dao seal on his right arm condensed into a point of green light. A single drop was like a green sun, and a Dao pattern of "Life" appeared. With a single finger, life emerged, boundless and vast as the sea.
The Xuanhuang mountain body was instantly covered by countless green trees, flowers, and grasses. Countless flowers and grasses, towering ancient trees grew densely on the steep cliffs and continued to spread towards the mountain peak.
The roots of countless flowers and grasses penetrated the mountain body, almost piercing through it.
The Xuanhuang divine mountain immediately shook violently. Rolling stones thundered down, destroying countless green trees.
Furthermore, the Dao law of earth permeated the mountain body, with layers of thick earth, deep and inexhaustible. For a time, it was once again a stalemate.
Qing Ling was taken aback. Even his divine seed couldn't deal with it. It seemed he was not undeserving of being a Sacred Son of his clan. His understanding of the mountain-earth Dao was extremely profound, and for a while, it was difficult to determine the victor.
However, Qing Ling had no intention of revealing any more trump cards. With a wave of his hand, the remaining over fifty thousand puppets rushed up the mountain, madly pounding the Xuanhuang divine mountain with their giant fists.
In an instant, the sound of booming echoed incessantly. The over fifty thousand puppets tirelessly and painlessly pounded the mountain body. Qing Ling once again summoned endless green trees, flowers, and grasses to cover the mountainside, resisting the falling boulders and the mountain's tremors.
A sneer came from within the giant mountain, "Haha, you little snake, summoning so many ants is merely tickling me."
Qing Ling remained unfazed. Even a tiger fears fleas, and while they can't bite to death, they are certainly annoying.
However, as a member of the Shan Kui clan, his understanding of the earth mountain Dao was too profound. Even with so many methods, he couldn't do anything to him. Moreover, the Xuanhuang divine mountain was still growing taller.
Confident laughter came from within the giant mountain, "Little snake, if you have no more tricks, quickly surrender. Otherwise, this Seven Mountain Stance of mine might just crush you into a pulp."
"Hahaha, a mere grass and wood spirit dares to contend with my mountain range, truly overestimating itself!"
"Then Xi Shan's little snake, your Sacred Selection path ends here."
Qing Ling looked at the divine mountain he had transformed into and said coldly, "I was wondering how to make you lose with difficulty, but now I've changed my mind."
"What do you mean?" The middle-aged man's confused voice came from within the mountain. At the same time, he became instantly vigilant. His previous smugness was a facade, merely to lure Qing Ling into a trap.
But looking at Qing Ling, whose pupils were of different colors, he felt a sense of unease.
Immediately, the ground in front of the mountain broke open, and the seven mountain peaks vibrated, sending dust storms across ten thousand miles. The earth split and trembled. Seven high mountains dispersed around the Xuanhuang divine mountain, forming a formation. The Xuanhuang divine mountain served as the core of the great formation, and the eight mountains intersected, subtly forming a dragon脉 of mountains.
"This was originally my trump card to challenge the top hundred Sacred Sons. You, a Heaven Tier, being defeated by this move is not a loss!"
Qing Ling did not retreat. He simply stepped through the void, slowly walking towards the Xuanhuang divine mountain. His expression was extremely calm, ignoring the opponent's taunts and smugness. He did not attack the seven sub-mountains. As the eight mountains formed their formation, the increasingly heavy gravitational force of the mountains was applied to him.
One mountain after another, thousands of tons of force pressed down on Qing Ling from afar. The over fifty thousand puppets could no longer withstand this gravity and shattered into fragments.
Only Qing Ling walked among the heavenly and earthly mountains.
Beneath him were layers of mountain ranges, ten thousand feet high, with no sight of the earth or rivers, only rolling mountains.
Above him, the phantom images of the mountains formed by the eight mountains converged in the sky. The distance between the heavenly mountains and the earthly mountains shrunk, and the gravity on him grew heavier and heavier.
At the summit of the Xuanhuang divine mountain was the point where the heavenly mountain and earthly mountain overlapped, the extreme of force.
And Qing Ling was walking towards it step by step. The countless mountain ranges he carried on his body could already crush over a thousand Heaven Tier great beasts, but he was only walking with difficulty.
Mountains rose high in the sky, and mountains pointed to the firmament from the earth. In the space between the heavenly and earthly mountains, a young man in red stepped through the void, unhurriedly. With every step he took, a point of green light fell, instantly growing into a towering ironwood, then instantly being squeezed into wood pulp, falling into the void. Transferred by the heavy mountains, even Xi Shan's Iron Geng Tree could not withstand it. Fortunately, with the support of Qing Ling's ten thousand feet of Dantian magic power, he did not collapse under the endless gravity.
In front of him was emptiness, behind him was desolation. Above him were mountains, and below him were mountains. He, a single spot of red, was the center of all directions. With a bow of his head, he observed the heavens and earth, discerning all the mountains.
Below, Granny Hua Geng watched the battlefield with a slightly condensed expression, but she was not too nervous. She knew Qing Ling still had many trump cards yet to reveal, so she was not anxious.
Duxu and Chi Venerable, however, were extremely tense, afraid that Qing Ling, at a disadvantage, would be crushed into a pulp by the heavenly and earthly mountains in the next moment.