EFB Chapter 2187 Breakthrough, Peak of the Tai Cang Realm!
Chapter 2187 Breakthrough, Peak of the Tai Cang Realm!
Discussions and exclamations surged through the crowd like a tidal wave.
The outcome of this battle is destined to spread to every corner of the Danchen Sect at lightning speed, becoming a topic of conversation that all disciples will enjoy for a long time to come.
Amidst the bustling crowd, Chen Fei seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter and stares. He floated back to his original position.
Cao Feiyu stood there quietly, like a solitary ice lotus blooming proudly atop a snow-capped mountain. But as Chen Fei approached, the ice in her clear, cold eyes, like a deep pool, melted away, revealing a touching ripple.
She looked at Chen Fei, at his calm and composed face, and a gentle smile involuntarily curved her lips.
That smile was like the warm sun shining on a snow lotus.
The two stood side by side, without any extra intimate gestures or even much verbal exchange. Yet, their natural closeness and unspoken understanding aroused envy in countless disciples around them.
Some people envy Cao Feiyu for having such a Daoist partner, while others marvel at Chen Fei's extraordinary strength and willingness to risk everything for his beloved.
Of course, there were also many Huang Shanfeng disciples with complicated and unspeakable gazes, especially Liu Ruxu. Looking at Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu standing side by side like a perfect couple, and then thinking of her senior brother Xu whose Dao heart had been injured, she felt both heartache and bitterness.
One hour later.
With the conclusion of the final ranking battle, the Dan Chen Sect Inner Sect Competition has finally come to an end.
The process was so exciting and the result so stunning that it far surpassed anything seen before.
Li Jue's merciless Heavenly Blade, Cao Feiyu's Heavenly Sword Technique, Xu Ziqian's unparalleled domineering Divine General Body, and the astonishing ancient weapon Po Jun are all worthy of being recorded in the annals of the sect competition, becoming legends that later generations will talk about with relish.
However, all these brilliances were ultimately overshadowed and surpassed by a figure in a green robe.
Chen Fei.
This name, like the most dazzling star, rose rapidly in this competition, shining brightly and overshadowing all the other geniuses of its generation.
With undeniable strength, he defeated top talents one after another, and finally won the championship, which was well-deserved.
Elder Qingxu stepped forward, his aged yet profound voice, containing a trace of mysterious power, clearly resounding throughout the entire summit of Daowen Peak, suppressing all the noisy discussions.
"quiet."
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a calming power, instantly silencing the bustling martial arts arena. All the disciples, whether or not they were participating in the competition, respectfully looked towards the high platform.
"This competition has now come to a successful conclusion." Elder Qingxu's gaze swept across the crowd, lingering briefly on Chen Fei, Cao Feiyu, and others, before continuing, "After joint deliberation by all the elders, the final rankings are as follows..."
"The leader, Cuiping Peak, Chen Fei!"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless gazes focused on Chen Fei, filled with envy, respect, and admiration. Chen Fei remained calm, bowing slightly in greeting, showing little excitement.
"Second place, Huang Shanfeng, Xu Ziqian."
When Xu Ziqian's name was mentioned, Elder Qingxu paused slightly and glanced at the Huangshan Peak disciples' area in the distance.
"Third, Cuiping Peak, Cao Feiyu."
A smile appeared on Cao Feiyu's cool and aloof face, and she bowed in return.
Next, Elder Qingxu announced the other rankings. But at this moment, most people's attention was no longer on the later rankings. All eyes were fixed intently on the three jade boxes that had suddenly appeared in Elder Qingxu's hand.
The jade box is neither gold nor wood, and its material is unknown. Its surface has a warm luster, which isolates it from the outside world.
Even so, the moment these three jade boxes appeared, everyone felt that the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) was faintly converging towards the jade boxes, and mysterious patterns were flowing on their own on the boxes, exuding an indescribable天地韵味 (heaven and earth charm).
"These are the rewards for the top three in this competition," Elder Qingxu's voice rose slightly, tinged with solemnity, "Sixteenth-grade top-rank spiritual materials."
"Whoosh!"
Although it was expected, when Elder Qingxu clearly uttered the words "sixteenth-grade top-quality spiritual material," the entire audience still erupted in uncontrollable gasps of amazement and envy.
Countless gazes became incredibly intense, as if they wanted to burn through the three jade boxes.
"Chen Fei, step forward." Elder Qingxu looked at Chen Fei.
Chen Fei stepped forward from the crowd, and under the watchful eyes of countless envious people, walked up to the high platform, came before Elder Qingxu, and bowed once again.
Elder Qingxu looked at Chen Fei, his admiration deepening. He handed the jade box in the middle to Chen Fei.
Chen Fei accepted the jade box with both hands. It felt slightly heavy and warm to the touch, and he could clearly feel the strange energy inside that did not exist in the present world and was constantly changing and leaping.
"Thank you for the treasure, Elder."
Elder Qingxu nodded and then looked at Xu Ziqian: "Xu Ziqian, step forward."
Xu Ziqian leaped onto the high platform and accepted the jade box, but his face wasn't as happy as one might expect. Obtaining a sixteenth-grade top-rank spiritual material was part of the plan, but being crushed by Chen Fei like that was completely unexpected.
Immediately afterwards, Cao Feiyu gracefully stepped onto the high platform and accepted the jade box.
The bestowal of three sets of top-grade level 16 spiritual materials once again sparked astonishment and heated discussion among the audience. Countless disciples were envious, but even more expressed their recognition and admiration for the opportunity that Chen Fei and his two companions had received.
After all, their strength deserves this reward.
Elder Qingxu encouraged the disciples a few more times, and then he and the other elders used their escape light to disappear from the high platform.
The Inner Sect Competition has officially concluded.
The crowd began to disperse slowly, but the discussions grew louder and louder.
Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu walked down the high platform side by side, and under the gazes of the crowd, some with awe and others with envy, they flew towards the direction of Cuiping Peak.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the two of them, casting long shadows.
However, while some shone brightly, others were heartbroken. Xu Ziqian's injuries and mental state would likely require a considerable amount of time to recover. As for Li Jue, he held his sword, watching Chen Fei's departing figure, his fighting spirit undiminished, but rather burning even more intensely.
Today's defeat may well be the motivation to rise again in the future.
The sect competition is both an end and a new beginning.
Although the competition has ended, the waves and ripples it caused are spreading at an astonishing speed to every corner of the Dan Chen Sect, and are growing stronger and longer.
In the following days, whether it was the busiest sect market, the mission hall, or the relatively quiet transmission pavilion and discussion platform, or even the caves and mountain paths where disciples of each peak practiced daily, almost everyone was enthusiastically discussing the same thing.
The recently concluded inner sect competition, and that figure in green robes who appeared out of nowhere and crushed all opponents to win the championship.
"Have you heard? Senior Brother Chen Fei of Cuiping Peak fought against a group of heroes all by himself without moving an inch."
"I've not only heard about it, I was there myself. You didn't see the scene. Senior Brother Xu Ziqian was pretty fierce, right? He withstood the Heavenly Blade, shattered the Divine Sword, and even summoned the ancient weapon Po Jun. And what happened? He was suppressed by Senior Brother Chen Fei with nine palms."
"The annihilation of the Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body, the control of the Eternal Void Time Array, the insight and harmony of the Undying True Suchness Spiritual Light Mirror... Goodness, so cultivation techniques can be integrated like this? I used to think that it was true that you can't bite off more than you can chew, but now it seems that we can't understand the world of geniuses."
"Senior Brother Chen Fei was keeping a low profile before, but we didn't expect him to be this strong. How much of his strength do you think he was hiding? How much of his power did he use when he fought Senior Brother Xu?"
"I think it's at most 50%. Didn't you see that he was calm and composed the whole time?"
"Senior Brother Xu is in real trouble this time. It will probably take him a long time to recover his Dao heart."
"Who can argue with that? They were advancing triumphantly, their momentum unstoppable, and they were about to reach the summit when Senior Brother Chen Fei slapped them down from the clouds. Anyone would have suffered a blow to their Dao heart in that situation."
"Speaking of which, why was Senior Brother Chen Fei so...decisive in dealing with Senior Brother Xu? I heard it might be related to Senior Sister Cao Feiyu?"
"He was so angry for the sake of a beautiful woman! I never expected that Senior Brother Chen Fei, who is so calm and collected, would also have such a passionate side."
"Senior Sister Cao is so lucky..."
"Senior Brother Chen Fei and Senior Sister Cao are a perfect match, both talented and beautiful, truly the envy of others."
"But then again, given how powerful Senior Brother Chen Fei is, do you think he'll attend the Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects in two months?"
"The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects?"
This topic, once raised, immediately stirred up new waves of heated discussion.
The Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects is a grand event encompassing countless sects of the Immortal Dynasty. Those who can participate are all the most outstanding geniuses within their respective sects' Taicang Realm, truly the cream of the crop, monsters among monsters.
Compared to that level of grand event, the Dan Chen Sect's inner sect competition was practically a small-scale affair.
"Although Senior Brother Chen Fei is strong, the Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects... that is a place that gathers all the geniuses of the Immortal Dynasty. Although Senior Brother Chen Fei has the fusion of three inheritances, even if he obtains a spiritual material of a certain rank, he will only have just broken through to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm. He is probably still far from those true monsters, right?"
"I also think it's unlikely. The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects is not as simple as an inner sect competition. The competition is fierce and the methods are endless. Senior Brother Chen Fei's advantage is not obvious."
“Senior Brother Chen Fei has unlimited potential, but if he goes now, he may not be able to achieve a good ranking. Instead, he may suffer setbacks and affect his Dao heart.”
“That makes sense. Perhaps we should take some time to reflect and refine our understanding of the techniques before making any further moves.”
That's not how you say it.
Someone immediately retorted, "The Grand Tournament of Ten Thousand Sects is a grand event of the Immortal Dynasty. Even if one cannot achieve a high ranking, being able to participate, exchange ideas and discuss the Dao with geniuses from all sides, broaden one's knowledge and horizons is itself a tremendous opportunity. Countless geniuses want to go but are not qualified."
“That’s right. Senior Brother Chen Fei is exceptionally talented and should hone his skills on a grand stage. Staying within the sect will prevent him from truly experiencing the vastness of the world. Even if he is no match for other prodigies, witnessing their abilities will greatly benefit his own cultivation.”
"If Senior Brother Chen Fei really goes, how far do you think he can go? Top 1,000? Top 500?"
"The top 1,000 should be fine, right? After all, Senior Brother Chen Fei's strength is undeniable. The top 500... it's hard to say. The Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition is full of hidden talents."
"Hey, I don't think so. With Senior Brother Chen Fei's skills, I think he has a chance to make it into the top 300. Don't forget, he might not even be using his full strength yet."
"Three hundred? You're being too optimistic. That's a collection of the most outstanding talents from the entire Immortal Dynasty. I estimate that making it into the top one thousand would be extremely difficult."
"No matter what, if Senior Brother Chen Fei really goes, I will definitely find a way to watch the battle. Such a grand event cannot be missed."
The debate over whether Chen Fei would participate in the Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects, and if so, what ranking he would achieve, continued to escalate throughout the Danchen Sect, becoming the hottest topic after the competition itself.
Some felt that his skills still needed to be honed, so going wouldn't be very meaningful. Others, however, believed that this was a rare opportunity and they had to seize it.
Many more people are curious and expectant: what kind of brilliance will this young prodigy, who has just caused a great stir in the inner sect, shine on the grand stage of the entire Immortal Dynasty?
Amidst the turmoil outside, discussions about the Grand Competition, exclamations of admiration for Chen Fei, and speculations about the Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Sects surged like a tidal wave throughout the Danchen Sect.
However, as the center of all this storm, Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu quietly slipped away after everyone had been watching, returning to Cuiping Peak, a relatively peaceful place for cultivation.
Cuiping Peak is a place of verdant peaks, shrouded in clouds and mist, with a clear spring gurgling in the air.
Behind the main hall at the summit, there is a secret chamber protected by multiple arrays. The spiritual energy here is far richer than that of the outside world, making it a treasure trove for secluded cultivation on Cuiping Peak.
At this moment, the stone door of the secret chamber slowly closed, completely isolating it from all the noise of the outside world.
The interior of the secret chamber was quite spacious and simply furnished, except for a Yuan-gathering array in the center. Strands of pure, milky-white Yuan energy rose from the core of the array and the nodes of the earth veins, filling the chamber.
The walls and floor are engraved with complex array patterns, which have multiple functions such as protection, calming the mind, and gathering spiritual energy.
Cao Feiyu, dressed in white, sat cross-legged on one side of the Gathering Yuan Formation. She first placed the jade box, a reward from the Grand Competition, in front of her. The moment the jade box opened, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth fluctuated violently.
Without the slightest hesitation, Cao Feiyu formed a hand seal, and the Heavenly Sword Essence within her body slowly circulated, transforming into streams of chilling sword intent that enveloped the spiritual material of her rank.
The pure sword essence, like the most skillful carving knife and the gentlest furnace fire, began to slowly penetrate and refine this sixteenth-grade top-quality spiritual material.
As the refining process progressed, Cao Feiyu's aura gradually became colder and sharper, with faint sword-shaped phantoms appearing and flowing behind her, and a point of icy blue light flickering between her brows.
Chen Fei sat cross-legged on the other side of the formation. He did not immediately begin refining his reward, but instead quietly observed Cao Feiyu's condition for a while.
The Immortal True Light Mirror quietly activated, and a clear spiritual light flashed in his eyes. He knew the trajectory of the sword energy flowing in Cao Feiyu's body, the progress of the refinement of the spiritual materials, and even the slightest fluctuations in her soul.
Seeing that her breathing was steady and the refining process was going smoothly without any obstacles, Chen Fei nodded slightly and was completely relieved.
Immediately, his gaze fell on the jade box in front of him, and he reached out to open the lid.
"Buzz!"
The moment the box was opened, the space around Chen Fei rippled gently like water. A fleeting illusion of being in endless void, losing all sense of direction, flashed by.
Chen Fei looked at the high-quality spiritual material with a calm expression. Unlike Cao Feiyu, he did not slowly refine and absorb it using his own cultivation techniques.
For someone who possesses the domineering and unparalleled technique of Devouring Heaven Divine Forging, there is no need for slow refining.
Chen Fei stretched out his right hand, his five fingers spread wide, and gently grasped the ball of void source crystal.
The ever-changing spiritual material, drawn by an invisible force, took flight and entered Chen Fei's mouth.
The moment the spiritual material entered the stomach
"boom!"
It was as if a miniature void had exploded within Chen Fei's body. Endless and incredibly violent spatial power, mixed with extremely pure primordial energy, surged wildly towards his limbs and bones like a bursting dam.
Wherever it passed, even the most resilient meridians, tempered by the Dao Ruins Return to Truth Body, felt waves of tearing, swelling pain. Their bones creaked under the strain, and the mysterious annihilation patterns beneath their skin flickered wildly, autonomously operating to eliminate the most destructive spatial turbulence.
Chen Fei remained expressionless, and the cultivation path of the Devouring Heaven Divine Forging technique was already running like a furnace.
"Buzz!"
A terrifying suction force, capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, was born from the depths of Chen Fei's dantian and instantly swept over his entire body.
The violently colliding spatial forces and primal energies were forcibly restrained and drawn back before this domineering and unparalleled devouring power, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.
The phantom of the furnace forged by the Devouring God faintly appeared in his dantian, frantically swallowing and refining the massive amount of energy that had gathered. The pure primordial power was stripped out and integrated into his flesh, meridians, bones, and internal organs.
Chen Fei's accumulated knowledge was already quite profound. The fusion of three top-tier techniques made his foundation incredibly solid, and his understanding of the essence of power far surpassed that of his peers.
At this moment, the invisible barrier that stood between the late and peak stages of the Tai Cang Realm began to tremble violently, emitting a shattering sound that only Chen Fei could hear.
The energy surged like a tide, wave after wave, crashing against the barrier.
Chen Fei remained calm and composed, with the Undying True Light Mirror hanging high in his sea of consciousness, reflecting all his own changes and precisely guiding the direction of every bit of energy.
The Devouring Heaven Divine Forging technique was operating at full power, strengthening the physical body and accommodating more power. The array patterns of the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture faintly appeared within the flesh and blood, resonating subtly with the origin of space, accelerating the refining and absorption.
It is unknown how many waves of energy had accumulated, until the heavenly figure and Chen Fei's soul and flesh completely merged.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar, so powerful it seemed to split the heavens and earth, echoed within Chen Fei's body, and the solid barrier shattered in response.
The pinnacle of the Tai Cang Realm! (End of Chapter)