Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Luo Xiu ascended the high platform alongside the two fairies.
"Uh... Princess Luo, why don't you go first?" Luo Xiu courteously extended his hand toward Luo Xian.
With a dimpled smile and a playful tone, Luo Xian said, "I might as well go first. Otherwise, I'm afraid Taoist Ao will test another Ultimate Boundary Melting Path, and I'll lose the courage to perform my test."
A short while later, after approaching Daoxuan Spirit and having a brief exchange, Luo Xian stood before the Daoxuan Bronze Bell.
Her fist struck out, and the bell tolled melodiously.
It rang eight times!
The entire area immediately erupted into an uproar.
Standing to the side, Luo Qingxian watched Luo Xian's back with a look of pride.
When Luo Xian returned to Luo Qingxian's side, she said to Luo Xiu, "Taoist Ao, it's your turn now."
Luo Xiu steadied himself and stepped forward.
Back at their original spot, Luo Qingxian remarked, "As expected of Aunt Xian. Her degree of Fusion Path in the Embrace Qi Realm has actually reached Level Eight."
Luo Xian's gaze, however, was fixed on Luo Xiu, her face full of anticipation. "I just wonder what level Taoist Ao will reach."
Luo Qingxian gave her a strange look. "I find it hard to imagine that the great Emperor Xian is so concerned about someone."
Hearing this, Luo Xian rolled her eyes at her and said, "Aunt Xian is also thinking of your future."
"Thinking of me?"
Luo Xian smiled. "It's about time you found yourself a Dao companion. Though Taoist Ao is still young, age is hardly an issue for cultivators."
"Besides, with his talent, he is more than worthy of you, the Plateau Saintess. Xian'er, when you encounter a genius like him, you mustn't miss the opportunity."
Luo Qingxian fell silent. At that moment, she couldn't help but think of the man she had met in the Lower Realm. Whenever she thought of him, she would remember dealing with the spring poison in the Golden Roc Nest, causing her to blush.
Initially, that incident had almost become a dark shadow in her heart. But after learning that the man was the reincarnation of the Azure Emperor, she found herself, deep down, quite glad it had happened.
"Aunt Xian, actually, I..."
Luo Xian spoke earnestly, "I know. The one in your heart is Tian'er, but he's already in the Lower Realm... Alas, Xian'er, people have to move on."
Luo Qingxian said no more. But Aunt Xian has the Azure Emperor in her heart too, doesn't she? She hasn't moved on either.
Although the Azure Emperor and Emperor Xian were known as brother and sister, only a select few knew they were not related by blood in any way.
* * *
At this time, Luo Xiu was naturally unaware that the two women were discussing his "lifelong prospects" behind his back.
"Senior, we meet again," Luo Xiu said with a polite smile, looking at the Daoxuan Spirit before him.
Daoxuan Spirit remained expressionless, seemingly just an emotionless tool.
"Taoist Ao Debiao, please begin the test."
Luo Xiu asked curiously, "Speaking of which, at this very moment, is there also one of you on the Daoxuan Squares of the other levels?"
Daoxuan Spirit replied, stone-faced, "Yes. This humble Daoist will be on every level's Daoxuan Square to guide cultivators through the Fusion Path test."
Luo Xiu grinned. "Alright, I get it. In short, you're a permanent NPC."
Daoxuan Spirit did not understand the meaning of "NPC," but lacking any concept of "curiosity," he paid it no mind.
"Taoist Ao Debiao, please strike the Daoxuan Bronze Bell with the full power of your current realm to begin the test."
Luo Xiu walked straight up and stood before the bronze bell. He inhaled, tensed his abdomen, exhaled, and mobilized all the strength in his body. With a single punch, the melodious toll of the bell echoed throughout the square.
After a moment, Daoxuan Spirit's voice resounded through the void. "Ao Debiao, Level 9 Fusion Path. He has reached the Pinnacle Extreme Realm of the Embrace Qi Realm, meeting the standard to enter the next level."
"Additionally, as Ao Debiao achieved Level 5 Fusion Path on his first test, he is awarded a mysterious reward."
"Furthermore, as Ao Debiao is the first to reach the Embrace Qi Ultimate Boundary, he shall receive a divine-grade reward."
* * *
As for achieving the Ultimate Boundary Melting Path yet again, Luo Xiu himself didn't feel strongly about it. What he cared about was that he had now obtained two more chests!
One Golden Chest and one Purple Gold Chest.
"My two fairies, we should proceed to the next level," Luo Xiu said, paying no mind to the astonished gasps of the cultivators in the square as he walked straight up to Luo Xian and Luo Qingxian.
Luo Xian looked at the monstrously talented Taoist before her with a strange expression, praising him sincerely. "Truly worthy of the name Taoist Ao. I never expected you to reach the Ultimate Boundary Melting Path even in the Embrace Qi Realm."
Luo Xiu smiled back. "Princess Luo's Level 8 Integration is also very impressive."
* * *
On the third level, the Meridian Connecting Realm.
Luo Xiu once again tested at Level 9 Fusion Path, consequently obtaining two more chests. As for Luo Xian, she tested at Seventh-level Fusion, which also shocked the entire crowd.
"The two of you, it is time for the fourth level."
"Alright."
* * *
On the fourth level, the Vajra Realm.
Luo Xiu did not disappoint, once again testing at the Ultimate Boundary!
Having achieved the Ultimate Boundary Melting Path four times in a row, Luo Xiu himself found it surreal and couldn't understand why. Everyone cultivated the same way, in the same realms, so why was his Fusion Path at the Ultimate Boundary while others' were not?
What he didn't know was that the reason for all this was that he had cultivated on Ghost Valley Mountain since childhood, under the tutelage of Guijian Chou. Since ancient times, has anyone who hailed from Ghost Valley not been an earth-shatteringly monstrous talent?
* * *
Subsequently, from the fifth level's Grandmaster Realm, the sixth's Gathering Spirit Realm, the seventh's Core Formation Realm, the eighth's Nascent Soul Realm, the ninth's Void Refinement Realm, to the tenth's Mahayana Realm... Luo Xiu was like Guan Yun Chang passing through five gates and slaying six generals—unstoppable. He tested at the Ultimate Boundary Melting Path every single time!
As a result, the great name of Ao Debiao truly resounded throughout the entire Divine Oracle Cave Heaven. It reached the point where even the Celestial Realm cultivators on the eleventh and twelfth levels were paying attention to this name.
"Ao Debiao, a talent of the Ultimate Boundary! We must find this person outside the Divine Oracle Cave Heaven!"
"This child has the makings of a Great Emperor! He cannot be missed!"
"We must find Ao Debiao himself and invite him to join our sect! The Old Ancestor will personally take him as a disciple and teach him all of our Unique Arts!"
"Even if we can't get him to join our sect, we must still befriend him!"
* * *
"Hey, hey, did you hear about the major event that happened in the Divine Oracle Cave Heaven today?"
"Of course I heard! Who hasn't?"
"This Ao Debiao is simply a freak of nature!"
"I really can't imagine which major sect or great power in the real world could produce such a monster!"
"From Body Refinement to Mahayana, every single bloody realm was at the Ultimate Boundary Melting Path!"
"And I heard his real age isn't even twenty."
"A Mahayana Realm cultivator under twenty... Damn it, I suddenly don't want to be a cultivator anymore!"
"You really can't compare one person to another!"
* * *
For a time, cultivators from all corners of the Three Thousand Worlds of the Upper Realm were abuzz with discussions about "Ao Debiao." But Ao Debiao himself was unaware of any of this, nor did he care.
At this moment, Ao Debiao was accompanying two beautiful fairies through the vast, uninhabited region of the Mahayana Realm.
Luo Xian said, "Taoist Ao, this uninhabited region is known as the Ferocious Land, and the Law of 'Prohibition of Arms' doesn't apply here. Fierce Beasts roam freely, and danger lurks everywhere. You should travel with us; that way, we can look out for each other."
Luo Xiu nodded with a smile. "That sounds good. It's on my way anyway. I also need to find a certain medicinal herb in the Ferocious Land."
Cave Spirit Xiao Yu had already told Luo Xiu that the Life-Forfeiture Flower he was looking for was in the Ferocious Land on the tenth level.
Compared to the gentle and generous Luo Xian, Luo Qingxian remained as cool and aloof as ever. She asked, "You came to the Mahayana Realm to seek the Divine Mountain as well?"
Luo Xiu frowned. "What Divine Mountain?"
Luo Xian explained, "I heard that several decades ago, a Divine Mountain suddenly descended upon the Ferocious Land of the Mahayana Realm, but to this day, no one has been able to ascend it to seek their fortune."
Luo Qingxian then added, "According to my investigation, that Divine Mountain is the same Ghost Valley Mountain that disappeared from the Divine Oracle Cave Heaven thousands of years ago."
"This Ghost Valley Mountain has an extraordinary origin. It's said that it was a training ground brought into the Divine Oracle Cave Heaven by a certain Heavenly Emperor from the Celestial Realm."
"Ghost Valley Mountain?!" Luo Xiu's eyes widened upon hearing this, thinking he must have misheard.
Seeing his reaction, Luo Xian grew curious. "Taoist Ao, you know of Ghost Valley Mountain?"
Luo Xiu was momentarily speechless. Know about it? That's the understatement of the century!
Of course, this was all assuming the Ghost Valley Mountain they mentioned was the same one he had grown up on. But considering what Luo Qingxian had just said... this Ghost Valley Mountain had suddenly appeared several decades ago. Recalling that the Ghost Valley Mountain on Earth had also mysteriously vanished several decades ago, Luo Xiu felt that this mountain was most likely that one.
* * *
It's the end of the month, my dear brothers and sisters! If you have any tickets, please don't hold back. Throw them all at Little Wind; I'm ready for the onslaught! Every recommendation ticket and monthly ticket is a divine-grade reward to me. Thank you!
Lastly, I hope all the amazing readers who enjoy this book can share and recommend it so more people can discover it. The more readers there are, the more motivated I am to write!
Thank you all so much