The Prodigies War

Ji Xingyao said, ''Good, we’ll set off in ten days."

With Lin Xun in the group, she would have gained a powerful and reliable companion to watch her back on the journey to the Underground River Forbidden Zone.

"Ten days?" Lin Xun frowned.

Ji Xingyao was taken aback before realizing that Lin Xun didn't know much about the Underworld River Forbidden Zone.

She explained, "A chance to enter the Underworld River Forbidden Zone will only appear once every ten days. At other times, the entire Underworld River Forbidden Zone is covered in a layer of strange power that causes misfortune and death to anyone who approaches."

Lin Xun's pupils shrank, surprised to hear of such a strange phenomenon.

In the past, he had experienced many perils while traveling in the Underworld River Forbidden Zone for an entire day and night.

However, he had not encountered any overly strange or unexplainable power.

"It seems that there are still many secrets and taboos that I’m unaware of."

Lin Xun's heart sank due to worry.

The more dangerous and bizarre the Underworld River Forbidden Zone was, the more at risk Toady would be.

However, it didn’t matter how anxious Lin Xun felt. He still had to wait for ten days before they could enter.

"Toady is blessed with luck and has received Burning Immortal Chen Lingkong’s inheritance so he shouldn't die that easily."

Lin Xun could only comfort himself with this.

Ji Xingyao didn't linger for long and left after making arrangements with Lin Xun on where and when they would meet again.

From how she had voluntarily informed him about Toady’s perilous circumstances, Lin Xun knew that she had already let go of the misunderstanding all those years ago and no longer hated him.

Otherwise, there was no need for her to do so.

This was naturally something Lin Xun was happy to see.

……

The Underworld River Forbidden Zone was known as a great danger zone in the Mythic Fire Realm.

Its periphery was covered in vast, primitive mountain forests where ancient trees covered the sky and sun, leaving it shrouded in semi-darkness all year round.

Lin Xun arrived at the outskirts of the mountain forest.

His spirit sense spread out. When it flowed into the primitive forest, he immediately felt an indescribably oppressive and sinister aura that caused his breathing to pause for a moment.

However, it didn’t faze Lin Xun.

As he circulated the Little Divine Meditation Art, his vast spirit sense surged towards the depths of the forest like a tidal wave...

In the process, the oppressive and sinister aura grew increasingly stronger and stranger.

This rapidly increased the pressure on Lin Xun's mind and spirit, causing him to tense up like a drawn bowstring. It took a strong surge of his aura to barely resist it.

Rumble!

Lin Xun's black hair danced around him while dao light flowed around him. His fierce battle intent dashed into the sky like a streak of light and shook the clouds with intimidating force.

It was as if he was fighting a formidable opponent.

If other Supreme King experts saw this, they would be shocked by Lin Xun’s aura. It was simply too strong as if he was a demon god that was lifting the backbone of heaven and earth!

Meanwhile, Lin Xun's spirit violently shuddered as the sounds of gods and demons wailing and saints crying seemed to ripple around it.

His mind-sea was filled with horrifying scenes of white bones piled up like mountains, corpses that could fill a sea, and heaven and earth collapsing as everything was destroyed.

It was destabilizing his mind and attacking his consciousness!

His mind-sea subsequently devolved into a scene of endless blood filled with chaotic buzzing and screaming that sought to swallow his spirit.

"This is!?"

Suddenly, a river of blood with strange and unnatural corpses floating within it surfaced in Lin Xun's mind-sea.

There was a dead Buddha with a hole between his brows, his face eternally frozen in rage.

There was a half-submerged dragon-shaped corpse that was breaking apart inch by inch and seemed to span several hundred thousand feet.

There was a Saint wearing a feathered robe and a crown...

There was a strange beast with runes carved into its forehead...

The only similarity they shared was that they were all dead!

The corpses drifted in the river as if they were traveling to their final destination.

Rumble!

Before Lin Xun could get a clearer look, his mind-sea was struck by a blast of terrifying ice power. It caused an intense pain that made him groan and immediately withdraw his spirit sense.

The visions swiftly faded, disappearing like the receding tide.

Lin Xun found himself drenched in cold sweat. His complexion was slightly pale as dread flashed deep in his eyes.

Was that river of blood the Underworld River?

Only now did Lin Xun properly understand why Ji Xingyao had said anyone who tried to enter the Underworld River Forbidden Zone at this time would encounter misfortune and death.

The bizarre and unsettling power that covered it was something he could not fight against.

Phew~

Sometime later, Lin Xun deeply exhaled and withdrew his aura.

He briefly contemplated his options before dashing into the primitive mountain forest.

Although the mountain forest on the periphery of the Underworld River Forbidden Zone contained many dangers, there was not much of a threat to Lin Xun.

"I’ll cultivate here starting today..."

Lin Xun made his decision.

If utilized well, ten days were enough to raise his combat power to the next level.

The primitive mountain forests were filled with danger, but they were still an excellent place for Lin Xun to refine his martial dao and deepen his understanding of dao arts.

……

The King stage was divided into three segments: the initial stage, the intermediate stage, and the advanced stage.

When cultivated to perfection, the Dao Seed within would also attain perfection, and the time would finally come to face a longevity tribulation.

Only by overcoming the longevity tribulation would the King cultivator be considered to have reached the first longevity tribulation stage. The Dao seed within would also transform and grow a Dao Root!

Dao Roots were also regarded as the roots of heaven and earth. They would take root on the path of longevity and were akin to achieving a new level on the path to immortality.

If one failed to overcome the longevity tribulation, their cultivation would come to a halt and no longer have any hope of advancing.

The outcome was death!

This was the risk every cultivator had to bear to cultivate ‘immortality.’

Admittedly, the King stage had already transcended life and death, and King experts did not fear the erosion of the years due to their eternal spirits and lives. However, all of this was useless if they failed to overcome their longevity tribulations.

At present, Lin Xun's cultivation had reached the perfect initial stage, and he could rise to the intermediate stage at any time.

However, combat power wasn’t determined by cultivation for those of the Supreme King stage.

Or perhaps it would be better to say that no one could properly specify how combat power differed for Supreme King experts.

Because it was an unprecedented cultivation stage that even Saint experts didn’t dare to define in detail!

Three days later.

Seated cross-legged in the mountain forest, Lin Xun’s aura blazed around him like a furnace. It suddenly flared to an even higher peak, releasing a presence that made the surrounding forest shake.

Intermediate King stage!

It wasn’t a difficult cultivation breakthrough and flowed naturally like water to the sea. This was within Lin Xun’s expectations.

Ommm~

A thunderous humming sound rumbled in the darkness of the forest.

Soon after, a group of fist-sized, red, six-winged blood mosquitoes with ferocious auras rushed out from the darkness and made a beeline toward Lin Xun.

Six-winged blood mosquitoes!

Lin Xun opened his eyes, unfazed by the situation.

The six-winged blood mosquito was a terrifying creature that inhabited the primitive mountain forests. Even the slightest of movements would draw their attention, and they were extremely difficult to deal with.

When he first entered the Mythic Fire Realm, he was chased by six-winged blood mosquitoes. The mosquitoes had not only pierced many bloody holes in him but also poisoned him, which left him in a very miserable state.

However, things would be different this time.

Without moving from the spot, Lin Xun stretched out his right index finger and drew a mysterious trajectory in the air.

At the same time, the vigorous power around him circulated in a strange manner and converged toward his fingertip.

Next, he lightly flicked his finger.

In the vicinity, the towering ancient trees, huge python-like vines, and the wild grass and flowers that grew tall as a person were all full of vitality and life as if they could survive ten thousand years.

The moment Lin Xun pointed his finger, however, these ancient trees, vines, wild grass and flowers instantly withered and turned to ashes that drifted off into the air.

Countless springs and autumns passed in an instant as if ten thousand years of history were condensed into a single finger. It was a horrifying sight to behold.

The rapidly approaching six-winged blood mosquitoes also shriveled up as if their life force had been drained and fell to the ground.

The land within a thousand feet radius was now devoid of life, without a single blade of grass to be seen. Everything had been destroyed, leaving the ground bare and barren.

Surprise flashed in Lin Xun’s eyes.

This was the first move of the Great Diffusion Void Breaker Finger, A Moment of Spring and Autumn!

It was a finger that could spin the seasons between spring and autumn, seize luck, and judge over life and death.

It was as if the essence of ten thousand springs and autumns was condensed into a single finger, allowing it to overturn heaven and earth and reverse decay and glory. It was a majestic, boundless power that could crush everything!

Lin Xun had been trying to comprehend it and had just managed to grasp a sliver of understanding. Even so, the power it displayed completely exceeded his estimation!

It was more than powerful and closer to heaven-defying!

This dao art inheritance was obtained from the Fishing in the Starry Sky Painting and consisted of only three moves.

However, each move contained endless mysteries and profoundness so it was an amazing longevity-grade dao art that would shake the entire world.

Omm~

More six-winged blood mosquitoes emerged in the distance and rushed toward Lin Xun. These creatures were difficult to deal with because they were unafraid of death and attacked in endless waves that felt impossible to fully wipe out.

Upon seeing this, Lin Xun drew another arc in the air.

Unlike before, the power of this finger presented an indestructible, majestic, and boundless aura that could destroy everything in its path with overbearing might.

Unsurprisingly, all the six-winged blood mosquitoes were once again erased from existence.

"I used the Fire Dao Law earlier while I employed the Water Dao Law this time. Although their auras are different, there seems to be little difference in raw power...

"I’ve only managed to grasp a sliver of the Great Diffusion Void Breaker Finger’s infinite profoundness. As my comprehension grows in the future, its power should become stronger and stronger.

"However, it also consumes far too much energy."

Lin Xun felt a sense of helplessness. Just two fingers had drained a third of his strength!

Although the dao art was incredibly powerful, its consumption was equally alarming and clearly couldn’t be used in an extended battle.

"I’ll probably be able to use this dao art with ease and display its true power after raising my cultivation to a much higher level."

Lin Xun mused.

In three days, he had advanced his cultivation to the intermediate King stage and comprehended a hint of A Moment of Spring and Autumn. These two achievements undoubtedly provided a clear boost to his combat power.

However, the resources consumed were also rather alarming. In fact, more than five king-grade herbs had been used for his cultivation alone.

This was the Supreme King stage. While it boasted overwhelming battle power, the resources it required for cultivation were also far beyond that of one's peers.

Moreover, Lin Xun’s Supreme King Path was clearly different from other Supreme King experts and required even more cultivation resources.

Fortunately, he obtained a tremendous amount of battle spoils after wiping out the Golden Crow Lineage’s and other great factions’ territories so he didn’t need to worry about this problem for the moment.

Seven days later.

Lin Xun achieved another breakthrough!