Chapter 191: All Parties Enter the Scene

The number of cultivators on Cloud Net Mountain is far beyond what Tie Lanshan could restrain; fortunately, the Alliance sent people to keep order for them.

Otherwise, how could those heaven‑chosen prodigies from the Alliance's interior willingly submit to others' restraint?

Three months ago, Wang Ping announced a challenge to the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Hundred Nations Alliance, but he couldn't possibly challenge everyone, so most came just to watch the spectacle; the ones who actually made a move were the renowned geniuses from one nation within the Alliance's interior.

Just three days before the challenge date, a huge vessel suddenly flew from the direction of the Black Strange Mountain Range; the vessel was a hundred zhang long and about ten zhang high, flying straight toward the Cloud Net Mountain Range.

On the vessel, at its highest point, a dozen or so vigorous, sharp‑eyed young cultivators were chatting and laughing with great enthusiasm.

"Everyone, this time we're going to have to settle who's superior—I'm taking first place!" said a young cultivator in blue spiritual armor, his face full of arrogance.

"Pah! Zhao Wuji, do you have no shame? Old man Xiao Potian hasn't even spoken, yet you dare claim first place. Don't think that beating an early‑Golden‑Core cultivator lets you treat us as nothing—among us thirteen, who hasn't defeated an early‑Golden‑Core cultivator? This time first place is definitely mine!"

Beside Zhao Wuji stood a young cultivator who was quite young but spoke with arrogant bravado; he was extremely dissatisfied with Zhao Wuji's earlier remarks.

"Hehe, Zhao Wuji, Xiao Potian, you two are the weakest here, yet you're the biggest braggarts!" At that moment, a young cultivator of similar age sitting opposite them gave a hehe cold laugh.

Upon hearing those words, Zhao Wuji and Xiao Potian united against the common enemy, coldly staring at the speaker across from them.

Yet that young cultivator showed no fear in his gaze; Yue Wuxue, younger than them, is now only seventy but has already reached Foundation Establishment perfection, is just one step away from comprehending Dao intent, and with his ten‑pattern natal treasure he can defeat even early‑Golden‑Core true persons—thus his arrogance far surpasses theirs.

"Yue Wuxue, if you're not convinced, let's go out and spar—I won't call myself Xiao Potian unless I beat you until you kneel and beg for mercy!"

Yue Wuxue shook his head and said, "You're destined to be my defeated subordinate; fighting you would be boring. I'm interested in the one called Wang Ping, who killed a late‑Golden‑Core cultivator with a formation—I want to see what he's capable of.

Zhao Wuji gave a hehe cold laugh: "Don't be intimidated; my clan's elder inspected the scene—Wang Ping's ability to fight a late‑Golden‑Core cultivator with a third‑rank forbidden formation is likely due to the extremely high quality of his spiritual power source.

Perhaps he obtained a few top‑grade spirit stones or shards of ultimate‑grade spirit stones by some fluke, causing the forbidden formation to overload and burst forth with power comparable to a perfected Golden Core, enough to slay Huo Yunzi; without the formation, his strength is uncertain, so in this challenge I'll be the first to go up and test his mettle—if he's lacking, I'll have no choice but to trample him underfoot.

After hearing this, the other twelve fell into thought, and someone said, "We shouldn't go too far, after all that person has caught the eye of the War Lord.

Yue Wuxue and Xiao Potian both gave a hehe cold laugh, and even Zhao Wuji snorted, saying, "We're making an open and aboveboard challenge; if he loses, it's his just deserts—would the War Lord really help him out?

At that moment, everyone's expression shifted slightly as they looked toward their left!

There, a huge black flying eagle, comparable in size to their warship, was gradually approaching them!

Swish!

At the very top of the warship, an elderly cultivator appeared suddenly, standing with his hands behind his back.

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji and the others immediately rose, bowed, and greeted, "Greetings, True Lord Yuan Xu!

Yuan Xu indicated they need not stand on ceremony, but kept his gaze solemn as he watched the giant eagle drawing nearer behind them.

Below, Yue Wuxue whispered, "True Lord, what faction is that approaching from behind?

Yuan Xu, without turning his head, said, "Cultivators from the Great Grassland—how interesting! How interesting! It looks like people from the Meteor Sea and the Ten Thousand Great Mountains will also inevitably take part!

The Great Grassland?

The thirteen young cultivators below exchanged glances; they naturally understood what people from the Great Grassland meant. Hearing the True Lord say that people from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the Meteor Sea would also come, their hearts swelled with excitement—this was practically a grand gathering of the Spirit Realm!

Whoever manages to win first place in this gathering could very well truly earn the title of the Spirit Realm's top genius!

For a moment they couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy for Wang Ping—you think you're challenging a Hundred Nations Alliance genius, but in fact you're challenging the geniuses of the entire Spirit Realm.

Events proved True Lord Yuan Xu's guess correct—aside from the Great Grassland, people from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and the Meteor Sea have also arrived!

In an instant, what was originally just a Foundation Establishment cultivator's challenge gathering was, by the arrival of the three other major powers, blown up by countless cultivators into a contest for the title of the Spirit Realm's top genius!

Those geniuses who originally disdained to come here have all scrambled, using various means, to rush westward to the Cloud Net Mountain Range; if such a gathering were missed, any genius would surely regret it for life!

The distortion of the gathering made some cultivators worry for Wang Ping—can he withstand it?

And at that moment, the very person everyone was worried about wore a helpless expression as he looked at the tall, purple‑robed middle‑aged man standing before him with his hands behind his back.

"Xiao Ping, your cave dwelling is no good—you don't even light incense for focus! Sigh, you sit in meditation to cultivate, yet you lack a mat that aids practice—how can that work? Moreover, the spiritual energy in your cave is inadequate; follow me, for my place has a fifth‑rank spirit vein for your cultivation!

The middle‑aged cultivator kept commenting.

Wang Ping gave a bitter smile: "Senior, how could there be such things in the westward direction?

In fact he thought to himself: I cultivate with ultimate‑grade spirit stones and don't draw energy from spirit veins—what use is focusing incense? The Refining Soul Heart Sutra is far more useful.

Of course he only thought that; he dared not show the slightest abnormality on the surface.

The middle‑aged cultivator nodded and said, "So come back with me; with the spiritual energy there, you will definitely enter the Golden Core within three years.

Wang Ping already knew that the person before him was the renowned Nascent Soul‑perfected cultivator who wanted to take him as a disciple.

For some reason he had suddenly appeared on Longevity Peak, intending to take him away—how could Wang Ping possibly agree?

"Senior, you know I have a challenge tomorrow—how could I leave now?

The War Lord said resentfully, "This time it's not just the Hundred Nations Alliance's geniuses; there are also people from the Great Grassland, the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the Meteor Sea, and the monster race—can you defeat them?

Wang Ping replied indifferently, "Let them come to my face first, then we'll talk about fighting.

The War Lord looked astonished and said, "Could you possibly have some artifact capable of imprisoning people?

Wang Ping shook his head and said nothing; toward the War Lord he still retained a minute of caution.

Seeing this, the War Lord smiled faintly; he wanted to see what abilities the disciple he insisted on taking actually possessed, to be able to remain so calm and composed in the face of tomorrow's great battle.