Chapter 779: The Rules of the Spirit Ranking Battle

Outside the city.

On a high mountain, a hundred-zhang Stone Stele stands tall.

The Stone Stele is entirely ash-gray, appearing to be a solid object.

But if one probes carefully with Spirit Sense, one can discover that this stele is actually constructed from materialized, dense energy.

On ordinary days, this Stone Stele is as plain as any common stone stele.

Today, however, billowing smoke is emerging from the Stone Stele, rising toward the sky.

That thick smoke is no ordinary mist, but is condensed from the powerful force of the Earth Vein.

The clouds in the sky are instantly shredded the moment they touch this force.

As the smoke rises, a powerful fluctuation, thick as the might of heaven, spreads in all directions, clearly perceptible within a radius of a thousand miles.

"The Earth Vein force is surging; the Spirit Ranking Battle has begun!"

In the city closest to the Earth Vein Stele, numerous talented Cultivators from all over Youzhou, upon sensing this energy fluctuation, fly out of the city one after another, heading toward the Earth Vein Stele.

"The Spirit Ranking Battle has begun."

Inside the guest room space, Wen Ya slowly opens her slightly closed eyes.

She has just stepped out of the room.

From another room, Long Er walks out, looking at Wen Ya excitedly.

"Sister Wen Ya, I sensed the fluctuation of the Earth Vein force."

"Is the Spirit Ranking Battle about to start?"

Wen Ya smiles and nods, "That's right, let's go."

Having said that, she opens a Space Channel.

A moment later.

The two appear outside the guest room.

Long Er looks at the guest room nearby and says to Wen Ya, "Sister Wen Ya, why hasn't Daoist Friend Wan come out yet? Could it be that he hasn't sensed the fluctuation of the Earth Vein force?"

"Let's hurry and notify him."

Wen Ya is taken aback, "Didn't you always have a big opinion of Junior Brother Wan? Why are you suddenly being so thoughtful toward him?"

Long Er's expression falters, "I was just angry at the time; we are both from the Beast Taming Sect, how could I possibly hold a grudge?"

Hearing this, a strange look flashes across Wen Ya's face.

Not holding a grudge?

This is the first time she has heard these three words from Long Er.

How vindictive Long Er is—if others don't know, how could she not know?

Once, when a Beast Taming Sect Disciple saw her, he merely sighed and said, "What a beautiful and majestic dragon, if only I could ride it once, how wonderful that would be." She ended up secretly retaliating several times in the time that followed.

Although that disciple ultimately kept his life, his injuries were so severe that his foundation was seriously damaged, and he lost the possibility of continuing to improve his cultivation.

If that doesn't count as holding a grudge, then what does?

However, she doesn't dwell on it.

After shaking her head, she doesn't continue to press the matter, taking out a Sound Transmission Talisman to send a message to Wan Guiyuan and Lu Xiu respectively.

A moment later.

Spirit Light flashes before the door of the guest room where Wan Guiyuan is staying, and two figures appear before the two of them.

Seeing the two appear together, Wen Ya is startled; she hadn't expected Lu Xiu to also be in Wan Guiyuan's residence.

But she doesn't ask further, looking at Wang Jianqiang, "Daoist Friend Wan, the Spirit Ranking Battle is about to begin, we should head to the Earth Vein Stele."

Wang Jianqiang smiles and nods, "Many thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister Wen Ya."

In fact, he and Mu Lingxi had already sensed the fluctuation of the Earth Vein force earlier.

It was just that the two had important matters yet to finish, so they did not come out immediately.

Having just sped up to finish the work at hand, Wen Ya's message happened to arrive, so they went with the flow and left the guest room space.

Wen Ya nods.

Afterward, the four leave the inn and fly toward the outside of the city.

Wen Ya flies at the very front.

Originally, Long Er was by her side, but after flying not far, she discovers with surprise that Long Er has somehow fallen a zhang behind her, walking side-by-side with Wan Guiyuan and Lu Xiu.

The three are talking about something.

The usually proud Long Er is actually chatting heatedly with the two, with smiles appearing on her face from time to time.

This makes her unable to help but feel curious.

Not only does Long Er not harbor resentment toward this Wan Guiyuan, but it seems she has already become friends with him.

When did this happen?

This Wan Guiyuan is truly a strange person to be able to make the vindictive Long Er change her opinion of him so quickly!

Truly not simple.

She does not interrupt the conversation between Long Er, Wan Guiyuan, and Lu Xiu.

Long Er is as close to her as a sister.

She has never restricted the other's freedom.

If Long Er wants to make friends, as long as the other party is not a bad person with impure motives, she naturally will not interfere.

Not long after.

The three arrive at a high mountain and see that Earth Vein Stele.

At this moment, the Earth Vein Stele is already completely submerged by the Earth Vein force rising in billows like wolf smoke.

The dense Earth Vein power rose continuously into the sky; such tyrannical fluctuations made one's heart and spirit tremble involuntarily.

Wang Jianqiang watched the surging Earth Vein power, making a judgment in his heart regarding its might.

An Integration Initial Stage Cultivator would find it very difficult to withstand the impact of this Earth Vein power; as for those above the Integration Initial Stage, he had not personally experienced the power of that level, so he was not yet clear on it.

As for those below the Integration stage, they would surely die upon contact.

"Let us wait on the side for now."

"This eruption of Earth Vein power will last for an entire day; during this period, all the Cultivators participating in this Spirit Vein Battle will arrive."

"Taking advantage of this time, you can observe your opponents for this event."

Just as Wang Jianqiang was sizing up the Earth Vein power, a faint voice reached his ears.

He turned his head to look at Wen Ya and revealed a sunny, upright, and gentle smile toward Wen Ya, "Many thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister Wen Ya."

"Regarding the rules of this Spirit Vein Battle, although I have searched for some information, it is incomplete after all. Senior Sister has participated in the Spirit Ranking Battle before, so you must be very clear about it; could I trouble Senior Sister to inform me?"

Wen Ya raised her hand to brush aside a strand of fine hair from her forehead and nodded gently, "Naturally, I can."

After speaking, her voice paused, and then she said slowly, "The so-called Spirit Ranking Battle, simply put, is a battle for the contention of Fortune Power."

"Fortune Power?"

Wang Jianqiang's expression shifted.

Wen Ya nodded, "People have destiny, and all things in heaven and earth also have destiny; these destinies can be collectively referred to as Fortune Power."

"The so-called contention for Fortune Power is not about contending for individual destiny, but about seizing the destiny of heaven and earth."

"Normally speaking, the Fortune Power of heaven and earth is formless and intangible, and cannot be actively acquired, but there are no absolutes in anything."

"The Earth Vein is the essence nurtured by heaven and earth, which can influence the Fortune Power of heaven and earth. The Earth Vein Stele was born from the convergence of the Earth Veins of Youzhou and can also be seen as the place where the Fortune Power of Youzhou gathers."

"The Earth Vein Stele undergoes an anomaly every hundred years; during the period of the anomaly, a large amount of heaven and earth Fortune Power will gather within the Earth Vein Stele."

"The form of existence of this Fortune Power within the Earth Vein Stele will no longer be formless and intangible, but will condense into a special existence known as the Fortune Spirit, becoming something that can be seized..."

"Cultivators slay the Fortune Spirit to seize the Fortune Power..."

"One year later, the thirty people who have seized the most Fortune Power will be transported into a special space within the Earth Vein Stele to conduct the final battle, determine the rankings, and form the new Spirit Ranking."

After hearing Wen Ya's narration, Wang Jianqiang and Mu Lingxi suddenly understood.

Immediately following this, Mu Lingxi seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes lit up, "Since one can plunder the heaven and earth Fortune Power of Youzhou within the Earth Vein Stele, does that not mean that even if one does not enter the Spirit Ranking in the end, as long as one obtains some Fortune Power, one can use it to enhance one's own destiny?"