Chapter 554: The Competition Ends

"I've never had anyone to guide my cultivation. As you've seen, I learn a bit from this, a bit from that, and then figure it out on my own," Ye Liuyun said calmly.

Hearing that, Yu Haotian widened his eyes, stared at Ye Liuyun for a while, then gave a thumbs‑up and praised, "I can only say your talent is overwhelming! If you had a mentor, your cultivation would have already surpassed mine!"

"There's nothing I can do about it!" Ye Liuyun said modestly, then asked, "What exactly is this Guardian God Seal you mentioned?"

Yu Haotian, seeing his genuine confusion, explained, "The Guardian God Seal is a protective phantom forged by blending your own Bloodline Power with other forces."

"Oh, so that's the Guardian God Seal!" Ye Liuyun realized then that the "Mixed Primordial War God" he had cultivated was his Guardian God Seal.

"This Guardian God Seal takes on different forms depending on each person's Bloodline Power. What is yours? Do you know?" Yu Haotian asked curiously.

Ye Liuyun couldn't tell him; his bloodline is the Archaic War God Bloodline. Moreover, after mutation, he's not even sure whether his bloodline is still a War God bloodline.

So he could only say, "I've never known what kind of bloodline I have. No one does. And I lack any corresponding cultivation method, so I have to figure it out bit by bit on my own."

Yu Haotian nodded and didn't probe further. He said, "I sense that your bloodline power suppresses mine. How far it can suppress we'll only know after we fight. Perhaps your bloodline power is also tied to combat; our bloodlines likely share some origin."

Yu Haotian's bloodline is the Frenzied Battle Bloodline, growing wilder with each fight, and its power intensifies accordingly.

And Ye Liuyun's bloodline, according to that man's words, is a War God bloodline, so it's normal that it suppresses Yu Haotian's bloodline.

In fact, Ye Liuyun's bloodline should suppress many other bloodlines, but his power is not yet strong enough to show it clearly.

Ye Liuyun took the chance to ask Yu Haotian many cultivation questions. Though these issues were minor, they cleared many of his doubts and will make his future cultivation smoother.

Seeing Ye Liuyun had many gaps, Yu Haotian patiently explained, not rushing to duel him.

The two of them chatted for half a day, eating and drinking.

They only stopped when Lei Ming, the Earth Demon Dragon, and the two Demon Race members returned.

Shortly after, Long Nv also came back.

Their headbands glowed brighter, the Golden Light more pronounced.

Ye Liuyun was busy grilling meat for them, so the two of them never got a chance to duel.

Yu Haotian had wine, meat, and conversation, so he wasn't in a hurry to fight.

Only after everyone was full and idle did Ye Liuyun and Yu Haotian finally prepare to act.

At that moment, within the Secret Realm, the last of the top‑100 Tokens found its holder; the rankings of the top hundred were now settled.

Inside the Secret Realm, the blood river and corpses on the ground began to vanish, and mountains and rivers gradually sank into the earth.

Ye Liuyun and Yu Haotian stood face‑to‑face, ready to fight, but the cataclysmic changes in the Secret Realm interrupted them.

The entire Secret Realm trembled, making it impossible to stand steady.

All the prodigies rose into the air, observing the Secret Realm's transformation.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil glanced at the floating crowd, roughly three hundred people.

"There are still this many left!"

The situation inside the Secret Realm was far better than Ye Liuyun had expected.

"Good thing we eliminated the Double‑Headed Shadow Snake earlier; otherwise we have no idea how many people it could have killed by now!"

Ye Liuyun also saw Lie Hongxia and Meng Wentian. Though the Golden Light on their headbands was dimmer than Lei Ming's, their fortune was still relatively high compared to others. It seemed they had been busy seizing opportunities these past days.

However, judging solely by headband light, Lei Ming and Long Nv would certainly rank ahead of them. Even Liang Xue's fortune was comparable to theirs.

At this moment, the number displayed by the fortune indicator on their heads was exactly one hundred.

After surveying the Secret Realm, Yu Haotian reined in his aura. "Looks like we'll have to wait for the next round to spar!"

While he was poised against Ye Liuyun earlier, he already sensed that Ye Liuyun's strength was certainly not inferior to his.

"Fine, I'm waiting!" Ye Liuyun, who also looked forward to a duel with the strongest Yu Haotian, replied enthusiastically.

At that moment, the ground of the Secret Realm beneath them had become a platform, slowly rising upward.

The prodigies all descended onto the large platform, ascending with it.

The platform rose nearly a hundred zhang before finally stopping; from that height they were almost level with the highest grandstand.

The Secret Realm remained sealed, but those without a fortune indicator on their heads were instantly expelled by it.

Need not ask; they knew they had been eliminated and would only be spectators for the upcoming martial contest.

At present, only a hundred prodigious youths remained in the Secret Realm, anxiously awaiting the next stage. No one knew what trial lay ahead.

Liang Xue had already restrained the Earth Demon Dragon, separating herself from it in case of emergencies. Ye Liuyun also kept Liang Xue, Lei Ming, and Long Nv close, fearing the Secret Realm would split them apart.

"In previous years, it was basically over by this time, with no further trials."

Seeing Ye Liuyun and the others nervous, Yu Haotian gave them an explanation so they wouldn't worry too much.

"Is that it?" Ye Liuyun thought it a pity; a few more rounds would still boost his strength.

"The points and fortune have been contested; what follows should be the fortune rewards and the inheritance ceremony," Yu Haotian explained.

"Fortune also has rewards? What kind of rewards?" Ye Liuyun asked curiously.

Yu Haotian glanced at the surrounding stone pillars and laughed, "You'll find out soon enough!"

Ye Liuyun followed his gaze, looking around. He would have been fine not to look, but the sight gave him a start.

Some of the statues on the stone pillars had, at this moment, sprouted numerous Souls, now observing the prodigies on the stage.

"They're really alive!" Ye Liuyun thought in astonishment.