The tea tasting and dao discussion gathering between the king tiers eventually became a platform for Ling Han and his companions to flex their strength. Xu Ran and the Notionless Saint also stepped forward one after another, easily defeating any king tier who challenged them.
They were also rank two king tiers!
Only when the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Maiden stepped forward did the king tiers feel that normality had returned. This was because there was finally a rank one king tier among Ling Han’s group!
Among the six king tiers, a whopping four of them were rank two king tiers, while one of them was more so a rank three king tier. This was truly a formidable force.
“It’s extremely likely that they’ll all qualify to enter the Star Sand Martial Arts Academy. At least, it won’t be a problem for those five of them.”
“That’s right. If even rank two king tiers don’t have the right to enter, then the rest of us won’t even stand a chance.”
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief. However, would king tiers lose their confidence so easily? They immediately steeled themselves and rediscovered their confidence. After reaching the Eternal River Tier, they would have been dragged back to almost the same starting line. There wouldn’t be a huge gap between rank one and rank two king tiers.
In other words, they still had a chance. Moreover, if they could reach the pinnacle level of the Heavenly Body Tier or Eternal River Tier, that would definitely be even more impressive.
Of course, the difficulty of doing so would naturally be manyfold that of reaching the pinnacle level of the previous major tiers. In reality, only very few people could reach the pinnacle level of the Heavenly Body Tier after failing to reach the pinnacle level of the Sun Moon Tier. Similarly, few people could reach the pinnacle level of the Eternal River Tier after failing to reach the pinnacle level of the Heavenly Body Tier.
This was more so the case with Genesis Tier Saints. If someone genuinely managed to reach the pinnacle level of the Genesis Tier, they would definitely be the ruler among Saints. They would be a supreme king tier who could defeat anyone in their way.
However, rank five king tiers had only ever existed in the legends. They had never appeared in real life.
Anyhow, it wasn’t long before the gathering of king tiers came to an end. Most of the king tiers also exchanged their current addresses at the conclusion of the gathering. They weren’t planning on adventuring to faraway places during this time, and they would instead quietly wait for the Star Sand Martial Arts Academy to begin recruitment. In any case, there were only 20 or so years until this time arrived. To them, 20 years would pa.s.s as quickly as the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Ling Han and the others had only arrived this early because they were worried that the Star Sand Martial Arts Academy might begin its recruitment earlier. After all, the planned timeline of 100 years had only been conceptual, not precise.
They settled down in a nearby city, refining pills and cultivating as time quietly crept by.
More and more king tiers arrived on Wood Figure Planet, some of them wanton and seeking battles everywhere—the Rain Emperor was one of them. Among these king tiers, some of them performed impressively, and thus became renowned throughout the area.
For example, the Rain Emperor had received the t.i.tle of “Fists Demon”. This was because he only used his fists during battles, relying on his domineering battle style to obliterate his opponents. He was much like a frenzied demon.
However, what caught Ling Han’s attention was the fact that Gu Daoyi had also arrived. He had become a brilliant rising star, attracting the reverence and following of countless people. According to rumors, even king tiers had submitted to him, willingly becoming his followers.
Just this fact alone was enough to send shock waves through Wood Figure Planet.
Those were king tiers! They were high and mighty beings who could look down on everyone else! Yet, they had actually become someone else’s follower? This was evidence of Gu Daoyi’s charisma and profound power. Otherwise, how would king tiers have submitted to him and become his followers?
No one knew what rank king tier Gu Daoyi was. However, right now, he was the most dazzling rising star on this planet. His might and renown were far above those of anyone else.
Meanwhile, Empress Luan Xing had also become famous.
This was because she had defeated Zhu Yue in a single strike. Some king tiers had come over to challenge her upon hearing this, yet they had all been suppressed by her in a single strike. And thus, she was given the t.i.tle of “King Tier a.s.sa.s.sin”. There were two layers of meaning behind this t.i.tle. Firstly, this represented her tremendous power. Secondly, this described her breathtaking charm. The king tiers who witnessed her beauty would all be enchanted by her, willing to become her loyal subjects.
If there were someone who could rival Gu Daoyi’s popularity, that would be Empress Luan Xing.
Right now, everyone was eagerly antic.i.p.ating a battle between these two renowned king tiers.
“Gu Daoyi, huh?” Ling Han recounted the events of the Medicine King’s Cave to Empress Luan Xing. A serious expression appeared on Empress Luan Xing’s face as she heard the story of Gu Daoyi.
He had originally been an elite of the Celestial Realm. Just this fact alone would be enough to stun everyone in the Immortal Realm.
After living nine lives and burying his nine previous bodies, he had finally used these to nurture the Divine Fetus of his 10th life. Even in the Celestial Realm, such a Divine Fetus would be tremendously rare and top-notch. Moreover, those with a Divine Fetus would also possess heaven-defying talent.
“Are you certain that he buried his nine previous bodies and nurtured a Divine Fetus for his 10th life?” Empress Luan Xing asked, appearing slightly emotional. In fact, even her slender body was trembling.
“I’m certain!” Ling Han answered with a nod. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s definitely practicing the Nine Deaths Heaven Art!” Empress Luan Xing said with certainty.
“How do you know?”
Empress Luan Xing paused for a moment as if recalling something. After a long while, she replied, “The ancient ancestor of the Nine Snake Tribe obtained a cultivation technique in an ancient site. It was because of this cultivation technique that they were able to become renowned throughout the Celestial Realm. This cultivation technique… was the Nine Deaths Heaven Art!”
“What?!” Ling Han was astonished. “Then how come Gu Daoyi is also practicing the Nine Deaths Heaven Art? Is he also a member of the Nine Snake Tribe?”
Empress Luan Xing shook her head, and said, “Impossible! At that time, every single member of the Nine Snake Tribe left the Celestial Realm, not leaving a single tribe member behind. Gu Daoyi definitely inherited the Nine Deaths Heaven Art after entering the ancestral grounds of the Nine Snake Tribe.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps he’s grasped even more of the Nine Deaths Heaven Art than I have. After all, I only inherited this cultivation technique from my bloodline. However, my bloodline has equally limited my mastery and understanding of this cultivation technique.
“Moreover, the ancient ancestor of the Nine Snake Tribe didn’t attain Great Accomplishment in the Nine Deaths Heaven Art, either. Thus, even if my bloodline awakens, I still won’t reach the pinnacle level of the Nine Deaths Heaven Art.
“So, I definitely have to return to the ancestral grounds of the Nine Snake Tribe to personally read the scripts of the Nine Deaths Heaven Art.”
Ling Han was astonished, saying, “In other words, the bloodline of the Nine Snake Tribe isn’t inherent, but rather a result of practicing the Nine Deaths Heaven Art?”
Empress Luan Xing smiled warmly, replying, “No bloodline is inherent. It’s only because the ancestor of a tribe has practiced or created a powerful cultivation technique and fused it into their bloodline that they’re able to pa.s.s it down generation after generation. However, the larger the generational gap, the thinner this bloodline becomes.”
Ling Han pondered for a moment before asking, “If you obtain the complete Nine Deaths Heaven Art, will your cultivation level climb more rapidly?”
“Certainly,” Empress Luan Xing answered with a nod. “Burying nine previous bodies to birth the 10th Divine Fetus is the highest-ranking secret technique of the Nine Deaths Heaven Art. I only know of the existence of this technique, but I don’t actually know how to practice it. If I can absorb the power of the Divine Fetus, my Nine Snake Body will definitely evolve into its most perfect form.”
Ling Han immediately clapped his hands, saying, “Then we definitely have to capture Gu Daoyi and force him to hand over the Nine Deaths Heaven Art and Divine Fetus!”
“You seem even more enthusiastic than me?” Empress Luan Xing asked with a smile.
Ling Han’s expression became serious, and he said, “Of course! I want you to reach the Genesis Tier as soon as possible!”
The empress faltered for a moment before coming to her senses. Ling Han was eager to bed her! Yet, he had actually said that with such seriousness. However, she liked that.
***
Since he couldn’t make love with the empress, he would conquer the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Maiden first. They were all his wives, anyway, so he couldn’t treat one better than the other. Moreover, this violent woman had even experienced widowhood for him for 10,000 years. It was probably time for him to reward her.
Ling Han entered the Black Tower after refining some pills. Right now, the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Maiden was under huge pressure. Thus, she would cultivate under the Reincarnation Tree whenever she had time. This was so that she could catch up to everyone else’s footsteps. Otherwise, it was possible that she might even fail to enter the Star Sand Martial Arts Academy.
“Wife, I’ve come to deliver some alchemical pills for you.” Ling Han found an excuse to talk to her. Otherwise, if this violent woman became stubborn, she would ignore even him.