OBS Chapter 1362 Ascension Ceremony (Seeking monthly votes!!!)
Chapter 1362 Ascension Ceremony (Seeking monthly votes!!!)
Chapter 1362 Ascension Ceremony (Seeking monthly votes!!!)
The Ascension Tournament was held in the center of Tai Nan Valley, with fourteen blue stone arenas arranged in a circle. Each arena was a hundred feet in circumference, and the ground was engraved with mysterious defensive array patterns. The light blue array patterns were faintly visible in the sunlight. This was to prevent the aftershocks of the cultivators' battles from injuring the spectators.
"Silence!" A powerful shout suddenly boomed from mid-air, like a thunderclap, and the once noisy square instantly fell silent.
As everyone looked up, they saw a crimson sword light slash through the sky. Standing on the sword was a cultivator in purple robes with a cold face and an aura of faint pressure emanating from him. In the blink of an eye, he landed on the high platform in the center of the square.
"It's a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator!"
A rogue cultivator cried out in alarm and subconsciously took a half step back—the oppressive aura was like a mountain pressing down, making even breathing difficult for a Qi Refining cultivator.
"It's Senior Tianxingzi from the Hidden Moon Sect!!" another cultivator exclaimed excitedly, his eyes filled with awe.
Immediately following, six figures descended in succession: a cultivator surnamed Wang from Huangfeng Valley, dressed in a green robe and holding a jade ruyi; a cultivator surnamed Li from Qingxu Sect, dressed in a white robe and carrying a wooden sword; a cultivator surnamed Zhao from the Giant Sword Sect, burly and carrying a giant sword over ten feet long... The Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven major immortal cultivation sects stood on the high platform, and the aura they unintentionally emitted was enough to make the cultivators below dare not look directly at them, and they all lowered their heads.
Han Li stood in the crowd, gazing at the Foundation Establishment cultivator on the high platform, his eyes filled with longing. He murmured to himself, "As expected of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, this aura, this pressure, is truly divine! When will I be able to reach this level?"
Tian Xingzi glanced at the other six Foundation Establishment cultivators. Seeing that they nodded in agreement, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying throughout the entire area through his magical power: "Today is the day when the seven sects of Yue Kingdom are recruiting talents. You are either rogue cultivators or disciples of small families. You have been lying low for ten years, cultivating diligently without stopping. Whether you can step into the immortal realm and defy fate depends entirely on your performance today."
He paused, then pointed to the drawing platform on the east side of the square. "All registered cultivators will draw lots to determine their opponents. Those whose numbers are called and who do not step onto the arena within ten breaths will be considered to have automatically forfeited."
"The Ascension Ceremony begins!" As soon as Tian Xingzi finished speaking, the bell and cauldron on the high platform made a loud "clang," which made the air tremble slightly.
Standing at the back of the crowd, Qin Hao unconsciously touched the Ascension Token in his pocket, thinking to himself, "I hope the plans I've made these past few days have caught their attention."
His eyes swept over the lottery table: "Even if I don't attract attention, with my Qi Refining Level 10 cultivation, plus two top-tier magic artifacts and so many talismans, as long as I'm not too unlucky and run into a 'freak' like Duobao Nu, I should be able to advance. If all else fails, I can use the Ascension Token to go to Huangfeng Valley and I'll be able to get the Foundation Establishment Pill."
With this in mind, he composed himself, focusing his gaze on the nearest arena, and began to observe the cultivators' battles, instructing his AI to record and summarize the experience.
Perhaps because the opponents in the first round were mostly low-level cultivators, the battle was not particularly intense.
On the arena closest to Qin Hao, two rogue cultivators at the eighth level of Qi Refining were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle: one wielded a ring-pommel saber, its blade whistling sharply; the other gripped a steel sword, his swordplay agile and nimble.
After exchanging only five blows, the sword-wielding cultivator pulled out a pale gold talisman from his robes and shouted, "Vajra Talisman!"
The talisman exploded in the air, and a pale golden shield instantly unfolded, like an inverted golden bell, protecting his entire body.
The steel sword struck the shield with a crisp clang, leaving only a shallow white mark that couldn't break through the defense at all.
Seeing this, the sword-wielding cultivator also became anxious and took out a silver talisman: "Golden Arrow Talisman!"
After being infused with magical power, the talisman was thrown, transforming into a three-inch-long silver arrow of energy that hurtled straight towards the shoulder of the sword-wielding cultivator with a sharp whistling sound. The sword-wielding cultivator hurriedly dodged to the side, the arrow grazing the edge of his shield and striking the defensive array patterns on the arena, creating a ripple of spiritual energy.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the cultivator with the knife swung his blade in a counterattack, forcing the cultivator with the sword to retreat repeatedly, and the situation was instantly reversed.
On the high platform, the Wang-surname cultivator from Huangfeng Valley raised an eyebrow, lightly tapped the roster with his fingertip, and whispered to the disciple beside him, "The defensive power of this Vajra Talisman is nearly 20% stronger than that of ordinary low-level defensive talismans, and the patterns are also more refined. It's quite interesting."
His gaze swept over the other arenas, and the smile on his lips deepened—in just half an hour, he had already seen eight duels use Vajra Talismans or Golden Arrow Talismans, an unusually high frequency of use.
“Something’s not right.” The cultivator surnamed Li from Qingxu Sect put down his spiritual tea, his voice filled with doubt: “Where did these rogue cultivators get so many high-quality talismans? And they’re all the same improved version. They must have been made by a talisman-making master from some sect. Judging by the quantity, they must have earned enough spirit stones to pile up into a mountain.”
"Fellow Daoist Li." The Zhao-surnamed cultivator from the Giant Sword Sect sneered, his tone mocking: "Among our seven sects, your Qingxu Sect is the most skilled at making talismans. Aren't you just crying wolf?"
"You're talking nonsense!" The cultivator surnamed Li was furious and slammed his fist on the table. "If they were talisman makers from our sect, would we allow these talismans to circulate in the market?"
The other Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged bewildered glances when they saw that the cultivator surnamed Li did not seem to be lying.
Seeing that he wasn't lying, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. In the end, it was Tianxingzi of the Hidden Moon Sect who summoned the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were stationed in Tainan Valley. Upon learning that the talisman was made by a rogue cultivator, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven sects' eyes lit up.
"Junior Brother Liu, do you know where this person is?"
"Senior brother, this person also participated in the Ascension Ceremony. Look, it's him!"
In an instant, the gazes of the seven Foundation Establishment cultivators all fell on Qin Hao—he was tall and strong, dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with a storage bag hanging at his waist. He looked ordinary, but when they thought of his talent for making talismans, their eyes lit up instantly.
“This young man appears calm and composed, and he has a connection with my Qingxu Sect. I will take him as my personal disciple after the conference,” the cultivator surnamed Li said first, his tone full of determination.
"Hmph, Fellow Daoist Li is far too impatient." The cultivator surnamed Zhao retorted, not to be outdone: "I think this boy is destined for our sect."
“That’s not right. My Yellow Maple Valley is the most suitable for this boy…” The cultivator surnamed Wang also joined the scramble, and the high platform immediately became lively as everyone wanted to take Qin Hao into their possession.
Just as the group was arguing, Qin Hao's number was called. He straightened his Taoist robe, slowly walked onto the arena, and faced a rogue cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, who held a mid-grade flying sword and looked wary.
Before his opponent could make the first move, Qin Hao took out the Golden Blade from his storage bag. The pale golden blade gleamed with a cold light, and after being infused with magic power, a three-inch-long golden blade aura shot out from the tip.
The opponent hurriedly summoned his flying sword to block, but with a clang, the flying sword was deflected by the blade energy. Qin Hao seized the opportunity to step forward, his blade energy aimed directly at the opponent's heart.
"I concede!" The opponent turned pale, knowing he was no match for him, and quickly conceded, turning around and jumping off the stage.
Qin Hao advanced with ease, and the cultivator surnamed Wang on the high platform nodded in satisfaction, whispering to the person next to him, "Although he only has three spiritual roots, he has such talent in talisman making, so he is worth nurturing."
On the other side, Han Li's number was also called. He hurriedly flew onto the stage, frantically trying to summon his Qingfeng Sword, but Qin Hao's voice transmission came through his ear: "Junior Brother Han, don't be nervous. Even a lion needs to go all out to hunt a rabbit. Show your strength at the ninth level of Qi Refining."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!" Han Li took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and took out the Vajra Talisman and the Golden Arrow Talisman. The pale golden shield unfolded, and the silver arrow energy floated in front of him.
Upon seeing this display of power, the rogue cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining on the opposite side paled in shock and waved his hands repeatedly, shouting, "I surrender! I surrender!"
He only had a low-grade defensive magic weapon hanging from his waist. How could he dare to fight against Han Li, who was frantically throwing talismans right from the start? If his magic weapon were pierced by the golden arrow talisman, he would suffer a huge loss.
After saying that, he jumped off the stage without looking back, leaving Han Li standing on the stage, somewhat stunned, before revealing an excited smile—this was his first time fighting against a real cultivator. Although there was no process, he had at least advanced to the next round.
In the following days, an interesting scene unfolded during the Ascension Ceremony.
Qin Hao's opponents were either cultivators below the ninth level of Qi Refining, or people who had suffered heavy losses after a fierce battle in the previous round, and some even received a bye in one round to advance.
The rogue cultivators below the stage were buzzing with discussion: "Have you guys noticed? That big guy surnamed Zhang is incredibly lucky! It's already the sixth round, and he hasn't even encountered a tough opponent at the tenth level of Qi Refining!"
"Luck is also a part of strength. They have improved talismans, so they are not afraid even if they encounter tough opponents. There's no use in envying them."
"What luck? I think there's something fishy going on! Maybe he's a descendant of one of the seven sects' Golden Core patriarchs, and he arranged the competition schedule on purpose!"
"Are you stupid? Do the descendants of the Golden Core Ancestor need to participate in the Ascension Ceremony? The Foundation Establishment Pill is like a boiled egg to them, why would they bother?"
Listening to the discussions, Qin Hao smiled faintly—he was not naive enough to think that such obvious behind-the-scenes manipulation was just good luck.
Clearly, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven sects had noticed him and were secretly letting him win.
"It seems the previous plan was successful. We can leave this Ascension Token for Han Li to use instead."
After three days of elimination rounds, 140 cultivators were left to enter the finals. If they survive one more round, the remaining 70 would be able to join the seven major sects and obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Unfortunately, Han Li was stopped yesterday. His opponent was a disciple of a cultivation clan at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, who wielded two top-grade low-level magic weapons. The Qingfeng Sword couldn't break through his defenses at all. Han Li tried his best to use his last three Golden Arrow Talismans, but he only managed to cause some trouble for his opponent. In the end, he had no choice but to admit defeat, and he was depressed for quite a while because of it.
On the final stage, Qin Hao finally encountered a tough opponent—a young man in brocade robes at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, who was the same person who had bid against him for the Xuan Tie Scale Armor at the auction.
Upon seeing Qin Hao, the young man couldn't help but sneer, "It's you? What a small world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the young man in brocade robes flicked his sleeves, and two jade flying swords flew out from his waist in a row. The swords were wrapped with light blue wind blades and drew out a piercing shriek in the air.
Qin Hao's eyes narrowed, and he calmly activated the Xuan Tie Scale Armor. After injecting his magic power, the dark black scale armor instantly covered the area except for his head.
"Clang clang~~" Two jade flying swords struck the black iron scale armor, stirring up a circle of spiritual energy ripples. The shield only showed a shallow mark, which deflected most of the sword force.
On the high platform, the Wang surname cultivator from Huangfeng Valley paused, his hand holding a teacup, and raised an eyebrow: "A top-grade magic artifact. It seems this kid's success rate in making talismans is not low."
"Judging from the frequency with which this generation of cultivators uses those two types of talismans, this kid should have more than one top-tier magic weapon," Tianxingzi said with a smile.
The young man in brocade robes was surprised to see that the flying sword had not broken through his defenses. He then sneered, "You can't beat me by just relying on defense!" He made a hand seal, and the jade flying sword spun in the air, turning into two sword lights that went straight for Qin Hao's brow.
Qin Hao remained unfazed, taking out two golden arrow talismans from his storage bag with his left hand and infusing them with magic power.
"go with!"
The two golden arrow talismans transformed into two golden rays, accurately striking the two sword lights.
With two crisp clangs, the sword shadows were shattered by the arrow energy, and the two jade flying swords were also shaken off course.
The Qingxu Sect cultivator surnamed Li on the high platform suddenly put down his teacup, his eyes shining: "Such precise control over talismans! It's difficult for an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator to control even one talisman at a time, yet he can control two simultaneously and accurately intercept sword shadows. His spiritual strength is probably even stronger than that of a Qi Refining eleventh level cultivator!"
The young man in brocade robes' expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Qin Hao's talisman to be not only powerful but also so precisely controlled.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't think you're the only one with talismans!" With that, he took out two earth armor talismans from his pocket, forming a double defense.
"I'd like to see if your Golden Arrow Talisman can break through my double defenses!" With that, he activated his Azure Jade Flying Sword, which glowed with a layer of azure light as he slashed at Qin Hao again, the sword force being 30% stronger than before.
Qin Hao smiled faintly, reached into his storage bag with his left hand, and pulled out five golden arrow talismans: "Your defense is no match for mine."
His fingertips glowed with pale golden magic power, and the five golden arrow talismans swirled in the air, transforming into five golden rays that shot towards the five vital points around the young man in brocade robes.
"Hmm, it seems I underestimated this young man. He can actually control five talismans at once. Is it because he has a naturally strong divine sense, or is he supported by some secret technique?" Tian Xingzi said in surprise.
The other six Foundation Establishment cultivators also had their own thoughts upon seeing this scene.
Just as the young man in brocade robes was struggling to deal with the five golden rays, Qin Hao waved his hand again.
The top-tier magical artifact, the "Golden Blade," transformed into a giant blade and slammed down on the young man in brocade robes.
Rumble~~~
A young man in brocade robes let out a miserable scream as his two jade flying swords were severed by the giant golden blade. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
“Qiang Qiang Qiang~~~”
Five golden rays pierced the sides of the brocade-clad youth, and with the slightest deviation, the youth was decapitated.
"I...I admit defeat. Thank you for your mercy, fellow Daoist!"
The young man in brocade robes was quite sensible; he stood up and bowed to Qin Hao from afar.
"Zhang Tie has won this round. Congratulations, young friend. I believe you have a remarkable talent for drawing talismans. How about joining my Qingxu Sect?"
Seeing that the Foundation Establishment cultivators from Qingxu Sect were directly trying to snatch people, the other six sects couldn't sit still any longer.
"Young friend, you'd be better off coming to my Yellow Maple Valley..."
"If you come to my Hidden Moon Sect, I promise that if you fail to establish your foundation after taking this Foundation Establishment Pill, I will find you another one!"
The cultivators present were dumbfounded. They couldn't understand why these Foundation Establishment stage experts from the seven sects would ignore the "geniuses" from the cultivation families at the twelfth level of Qi Refining and instead fawn over a rogue cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining.
"I really envy my senior brother. Not only can he join the immortal sect, but he can also obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill. As for me, I can only waste another ten years. I don't even know if I will be able to get what I want at the next Ascension Conference." While Han Li was happy for Qin Hao, he couldn't help but feel sad and wondered what path he should take next.
(End of this chapter)