This is a place like a blank scroll.
Here, Lu Yi, for reasons unknown, was suddenly struck with inspiration.
Holding his Spring and Autumn Brush, with a stroke, a horizontal, a left-falling, a right-falling, he poured out a world of unparalleled beauty.
Birds suspended in the air, golden carp swam, a hundred flowers bloomed, trees stood tall, beasts roared, mortals tilled the land, and so on, a hundred forms of diverse shapes, ever-changing, eluding comprehension.
After this painting was completed, Lu Yi's entire aura transformed, his imposing presence soaring upwards wildly, step by step.
This painting, "A Hundred Forms of the World," was Lu Yi's masterpiece, achieved over forty to fifty years, drawing upon his enlightenment in the Sea of Origin.
It condensed forty to fifty years of his dedication. The moment he could truly paint a complete and vibrant world was the moment he could genuinely glimpse the possibility of achieving a perfect Golden Core.
...
On the other side!
A lotus of twelve petals, reaching a thousand feet high, erupted from the ground, firmly supporting the earth. It was the Twelve-Petal Cyan Lotus.
The lotus petals dangled, verdant and dewy, swaying in the breeze, each petal shimmering with its own unique aura.
The Twelve-Petal Cyan Lotus floated up and down unconsciously, like the most mischievous sprite, appearing and disappearing.
Among the crowd, Chu Jiayi was the most serene. She simply sat quietly beneath the Twelve-Petal Cyan Lotus, yet an ethereal aura emanated from her.
Grass, trees, and lotuses were the ways of nature, and also the laws governing the universe.
Chu Jiayi had meditated here for three days and three nights, comprehending the seventh step of Venerable Lotus Birth's twelve steps.
...
Zhu Hongzhang's situation was unique, entirely different from the other seven.
He was only thirteen or fourteen years old, his mind not yet fully mature.
However, despite his youthful appearance, his strength was by no means weak. Coupled with the numerous treasures he possessed, he had secured the first position in the grand competition.
Once his mental maturity catches up, he will be fearless against any cultivator of the same cultivation realm.
Zhu Hongzhang lacked extensive combat experience.
Therefore, he was currently engaged in a series of frantic battles against various opponents in a beast-fighting arena.
After hundreds, even thousands, of battles, a hint of world-weariness, incongruous with his age, appeared in Zhu Hongzhang's eyes.
...
Wu Tao sat cross-legged atop a sword mountain.
The Chuxi Sword unsheathed itself, transforming into a streak of light, and circled above Wu Tao's head.
After an unknown period, an exceedingly brilliant sword energy erupted from the Chuxi Sword.
At this instant, this brilliant sword energy pierced through the barriers of heaven and earth, vanishing into the firmament in a flash.
At this moment, Wu Tao felt his spirit and mind coalesce into an immortal sword, standing tall between heaven and earth.
Or perhaps it was as if he had merged with the vastness of the cosmos, perceiving all things in creation, the infinite universe.
...
Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er, all eight, had gained immense benefits from the Sea of Origin.
However, the profound mysteries of the Sea of Origin extended far beyond this.
The most potent aspect of the Sea of Origin was its capacity to carry a significant portion of the world's Law Power.
And Law Power was a force that cultivators in the Nascent Soul, Purple Mansion, and Divinity Transformation stages encountered daily in their practice.
Thus, the Sea of Origin offered immense advantages to cultivators of the Nascent Soul, Purple Mansion, and Divinity Transformation stages.
Unfortunately, the Law Power within the Sea of Origin was ultimately finite.
Although the major ruling powers possessed their own small worlds and controlled their respective Seas of Origin, these were all under the command of Purple Mansion stage ancestors.
The highly exalted Purple Mansion stage ancestors could not possibly delay their own cultivation for the sake of some junior Nascent Soul cultivators.
However, Foundation Establishment stage and Core Formation stage cultivators entering the Sea of Origin would not deplete the Law Power.
This was one of the reasons why Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er were able to enter the Sea of Origin.
Of course, besides this reason, there was another crucial one: Zhu Hongzhang was a direct descendant of the Purple Mansion stage Grand Ancestor Zhu Hongshenye.
Therefore, Grand Ancestor Zhu Hongshenye was willing to open the Sea of Origin this time, allowing Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er to enter.
In other words, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er, the seven of them, were fortunate to have Zhu Hongzhang with them.
This was also why the sect leaders of the nineteen major ruling powers reacted so drastically when the Sea of Origin appeared.
The host, Zhu Shenzi, the sect leader of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, was also consumed by anxiety and uncertainty.
Following this experience in the Sea of Origin, Wu Tao, who had previously mastered only three pseudo-divine abilities, quickly acquired four more within a short period, now possessing seven pseudo-divine abilities.
Compared to his state just a few days prior, he had undergone another significant transformation.
...
After the grand competition concluded successfully, rewards were distributed according to rankings.
Inner disciples ranked outside the top eight hundred received no rewards.
Inner disciples ranked from eight hundred and above, but below the top eight, each received three hundred low-grade spirit stones, a top-tier magical artifact, and one hundred sect contribution points.
The eighth-place reward included thirty mid-grade spirit stones, a secret technique, a bottle of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, one low-grade Earth-tier spirit material, and one thousand sect contribution points.
The seventh-place reward included fifty mid-grade spirit stones, two secret techniques, a bottle of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, two low-grade Earth-tier spirit materials, and one thousand five hundred sect contribution points.
The sixth-place reward included sixty mid-grade spirit stones, three secret techniques, two bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, two mid-grade Earth-tier spirit materials, and two thousand sect contribution points.
The fifth-place reward included eighty mid-grade spirit stones, four secret techniques, three bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, three high-grade Earth-tier spirit materials, and two thousand five hundred sect contribution points.
The fourth-place reward included ninety mid-grade spirit stones, five secret techniques, three bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, five high-grade Earth-tier spirit materials, and three thousand sect contribution points.
The third-place reward included one hundred mid-grade spirit stones, six secret techniques, one divine ability talisman, the qualification to select one damaged treasure from the treasury, three bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, three low-grade Heaven-tier spirit materials, and three thousand five hundred sect contribution points.
The second-place reward included one hundred and twenty mid-grade spirit stones, seven secret techniques, two divine ability talismans, the qualification to select two damaged treasures from the treasury, three mid-grade Heaven-tier spirit materials, and four thousand sect contribution points.
The first-place reward included one hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones, nine secret techniques, five divine ability talismans, the qualification to select three damaged treasures from the treasury, five bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage, three high-grade Heaven-tier spirit materials, and five thousand sect contribution points.
In addition, Zhu Hongzhang, who won first place in the grand competition, was granted permission to cultivate within the Taiyi Immortal Cave.
The Taiyi Immortal Cave was a blessed treasure trove of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, and even elders in the Core Formation stage generally did not have the qualifications to enter.
...
Wu Tao reaped significant rewards from this grand competition.
One hundred mid-grade spirit stones were equivalent to ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. Six secret techniques would further enhance Wu Tao's offensive capabilities. He could also select a damaged treasure and receive three bottles of pills that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation stage.
The three low-grade Heaven-tier spirit materials were essential treasures for condensing divine abilities once he entered the Core Formation stage.
Not only that, but his own sword intent had also been elevated to another level.
...
At this moment, in the magnificent Taiyi Immortal Palace atop Qionghua Giant Peak, eight figures stood. Each of these eight stood in the hall with extreme reverence, their heads bowed, appearing cautious and apprehensive.
If the cultivators who had previously witnessed the ceremony saw the faces of these eight, they would be immensely astonished, for these eight were precisely the top prodigies who emerged from the grand competition.
These eight were Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er.
Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er, due to their outstanding performance, were specifically summoned by the sect leader, Zhu Shenzi.
Within the entire Taiyi Immortal Sect, only elders had the qualification to enter this Taiyi Immortal Palace, and even elders could not step into this Taiyi Immortal Palace without receiving orders.
Zhu Hongzhang, Yan Yan, Wu Tao, Mo Wen, Chu Jiayi, Ximen Jingxue, Lu Yi, and Xue Rou'er, all born and raised within the Taiyi Immortal Sect, naturally understood this.
Therefore, since arriving at the Taiyi Immortal Palace, except for Zhu Hongzhang, each of them stood obediently and respectfully, without the slightest deviation, not even uttering a single word.
They had completely lost the arrogant, heaven-defying, and fearless spirit they possessed in the small world.
Even Zhu Hongzhang, a direct descendant of a Purple Mansion stage Grand Elder, now stood properly without speaking, in the presence of outsiders, to avoid any awkwardness.
After waiting for a considerable time, a hint of impatience began to appear on Zhu Hongzhang's young face.
If not for the company of these individuals, he would have slipped away long ago and would not be waiting so patiently.
Although Zhu Hongzhang maintained an appearance of waiting that no one could fault, his mind was swarming with thoughts, and he secretly despaired.
"Old Man Zhu, why is he like this? He's taking way too much damn time. How long will he drag this on before he shows up..."
"Standing around like this, when will it ever end."
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