Chapter 719: Ascending Immortal Platform

Whoosh!

Within the Desolate Domain, a figure shot out.

At this moment, the end was near; on the open ground in front of the Desolate Domain, disciples from various sects were gathering.

High in the sky, Chu Xiangtian rode an Ancestral Dragon, standing majestically. Behind him, amidst the clouds and mist, were the figures of other Imperial Princes and Princesses. They appeared illusory, flickering in and out of sight, but even these hazy forms, like mere silhouettes, gave people a sense of peerless, heaven-defying talent and a noble aura that could only be looked up to.

Everyone was waiting for the time to run out; only one hour remained.

Zhang Xuanyu had been transferred out of the Desolate Domain. His dharma robe was covered in cracks, the cuffs were torn, and there were traces of blood staining his back and other areas; he looked quite disheveled.

Having struggled for two days in the Twelfth Desolate Domain, he was nearing his limit.

Yet, this challenge was not without its benefits. By sparring and colliding with primitive immortal arts and other immortal laws there, he had gained a great deal. Once he went into seclusion again after the event ended, his strength would see another small improvement.

"It's about to end..."

The artifact spirit of the True Treasure Jade Pendant in Zhang Xuanyu's bosom helped him keep time; less than an hour remained until the end.

He looked at the sea of people outside and heard the familiar, noisy sounds. Having just returned to this place from the edge of a life-and-death crisis, he felt an indescribable sense of relief.

He let out a soft sigh and looked up at the Immortal Stele.

His gaze locked directly onto the tenth position.

Nine... nine... six?

Zhang Xuanyu was stunned. The trace of relief on his face instantly froze, his eyes widened slightly, and he was filled with disbelief.

He had unleashed a secret technique, snapping an immortal bone buried within his body to buy himself another day, and combined with the cultivation of his sect and the immortal laws he had inherited through his own fortuitous encounters, he had burned it all away—yet he still hadn't climbed back into the top ten?

Could it be that the top ten had already become the territory of the Thirteenth Desolate Domain?!

He stared blankly at the ranking, somewhat lost. In his heart, there was a sense of decadent frustration and a touch of bewilderment.

He asked himself, having reached this level in the Twelfth Desolate Domain, he was already approaching his limit.

Unless the opponent was at the Third Level of the Immortal Monarch Realm.

Except for Tian Hongyi, Xing Lan, and Helian Boya Xuejian... Zhang Xuanyu's gaze slowly swept toward the other Heavenly Sects. To climb to the Immortal Monarch Realm within three thousand years of soul-life was a one-in-a-billion peerless monster, let alone reaching the Third Level of the Immortal Monarch Realm. Such people were extremely rare, yet there were ten of them in Yan-Chu?

Nine thousand immortal cities; only one could be born every thousand immortal cities...

The light in Zhang Xuanyu's eyes dimmed, turning into bitterness, and he lowered his head.

At this moment, one figure after another came flying over.

"Senior Brother!"

"Xuanyu!"

"Junior Brother!"

Everyone from the same sect rushed over. Ever since Zhang Xuanyu entered the Desolate Domain again, the news had spread within the sect, and others were paying attention to the matter; after all, it concerned the honor of the entire sect.

At this time, several elders among them looked up at the Immortal Stele one after another, only to see that Zhang Xuanyu's ranking had not changed.

Two days had passed, and he still hadn't reclaimed his position. It was evident that the person ranked tenth was somewhat beyond imagination!

"Xuanyu, don't overthink it. You've already done your best!"

Beside him, Master Xinyu, who was as beautiful and gentle as a mature lady and carried a hazy immortal power, said softly, though there was a trace of unbearable regret in the depths of her eyes.

Things had reached this point; anger and resentment were useless. One could only accept it.

"I want to see exactly what kind of sacred being that tenth-place person is. I know all the monsters from the other two Heavenly Sects, but their rankings don't seem to be among these."

"Unless they have someone else hidden, wanting to challenge the position of the First Heavenly Sect? Hmph!"

"There is one hour left until it ends. His Majesty will come then, and everything will be revealed. Let me see who it is!"

The other elders had coldness in their eyes. It was only a difference of one rank, but the results were vastly different.

If Zhang Xuanyu could also make it into the top ten, then their sect would have produced two top-ten monsters, which would definitely make them famous throughout all nine thousand immortal cities of Yan-Chu!

Even the high-and-mighty Imperial Clan would have to lower their heads and take a look.

"Let's go, let's go back first."

Cui Yuesheng said, turning around to lead the disciples back.

On the giant sword, Lin Qingying, dressed in green, stood at the edge. Seeing the crowd of disciples gathering, she knew that Senior Brother Zhang was also an extremely terrifying figure, but now that he had come out and the ranking on the Immortal Stele hadn't changed, a smile that was hard to detect appeared on the corner of her mouth, and the tightly wound heart in her chest slowly relaxed.

Then, her gaze turned toward the Da Meng Jiuyuan area. Seeing the place surrounded by crowds, which seemed somewhat noisy and cheering, a smile appeared in her clear eyes.

That young man could always bring her surprises, like a bright pearl, dazzling and brilliant.

"It's a pity for Xuanyu. If his water-path origin could have half of Helian Boya Xuejian's, he could have easily entered the top ten at the very least."

At this moment, a steady voice descended. Tian Hongyi, dressed in snow-white clothes, arrived behind Lin Qingying at some point and said calmly.

Lin Qingying withdrew her gaze and couldn't help but look toward the direction of the Bamboo Rain Pavilion.

These days, the most frequent things she heard were her master and many fellow disciples discussing this name: a chaotic being, peerless talent, even the Imperial Clan had been suppressed by him.

She shook her head slightly, neither responding nor asking.

Seeing that the woman seemed to have no interest in the words he had thrown out, Tian Hongyi couldn't help but frown slightly and said:

"Seven years from now, with your rate of progress, you will also have a chance to make a name for yourself at the Southern Region Battle. Sooner or later, you will come into contact with Helian Boya Xuejian and squeeze into our circle. Are you not curious at all?"

Lin Qingying looked into the distance and said calmly:

"Why should I be curious?"

Tian Hongyi was slightly startled and said: "As a cultivator, what all living beings seek is nothing more than reaching the summit, and now we are standing at the summit."

"The summit..."

Lin Qingying's eyes fluctuated slightly. She swept her gaze toward a certain place and saw the increasingly restless cheering and jumping there. A curve appeared on the corner of her mouth:

"Some people are desperately climbing the mountain, while others are leaping from the summit. The scenery you want to show me, someone else will let me see."

"Who?"

Tian Hongyi's eyes turned cold, and he asked immediately.

Feeling the air around them suddenly freeze, the smile and gentleness in the depths of Lin Qingying's eyes instantly converged. She frowned slightly, turned her head to stare at the most dazzling youth in the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, and said:

"I was just speaking casually. The summit you speak of, when you truly see it, you might feel it's nothing special. All living beings... can live just fine without reaching the summit!"

"Your attitude toward cultivation is too negative!"

Tian Hongyi couldn't help but say.

Lin Qingying turned and left, returning to her place of cultivation, without talking to him anymore.

"Hmph, you speak easily, but you work harder than anyone else in cultivation!"

Tian Hongyi looked at the departing Lin Qingying, his face somewhat gloomy.

He had paid attention to her; her time in the sect was very short, but she was desperate and hardworking in her cultivation, extremely diligent. He had originally thought that she was like him, longing to reach the summit and overlook the world, and that in this way, she might have a chance to become his Dao companion, accompanying him on this journey.

But he hadn't expected her to be distant toward him in every way, which made him feel somewhat annoyed.

"That Zhang Xuanyu failed!"

"He's still eleventh!"

"It's about to end, it's too late now. Hao Tian is really going to be tenth!"

At the Da Meng Jiuyuan area, shrouded in the barrier domain, the disciples were all extremely excited, especially the Sword Abyss disciples, including Gu Yan and Yue Xi and others. Their feelings were complex, yet they were also happy.

"You brat, you're really something. That Zhang Xuanyu stayed inside for two days and still didn't surpass you!"

Li Tiemu was so excited that his fist kept pounding on Li Hao's shoulder, wishing he could hold Li Hao in his arms and kiss him a few times. Seeing the old man so excited, Li Hao hurriedly pushed him away to avoid having his saliva sprayed on his face.

"I stayed for three days, he stayed for two. That definitely wouldn't work, unless he broke the fog wall."

Li Hao said.

"You stayed for three days?"

Li Tiemu stared, then couldn't help but say: "The three days you stayed before, were you in the Twelfth Desolate Domain the whole time?"

"Otherwise?"

"I thought you... Good, you brat, you didn't even make it clear, making us worry to death for the past two days. You were probably laughing secretly on the side!"

Li Tiemu was suddenly both angry and furious, but his heart was also pleasantly surprised. His emotions were almost being pulled to the point of death by this kid.

"You didn't ask. Besides, if I didn't stay in the Twelfth Desolate Domain, where else could I stay?"

Li Hao also looked innocent.

Li Tiemu rolled his eyes. He swept his gaze toward other parts of the Immortal Stele. Except for the occasional change in ranking among the nine hundred or so, other places were basically silent.

!

Everyone was basically waiting outside this Immortal Stele, watching the excitement as it neared the end.

"There should be no suspense. The few people ranked behind you didn't go in, and there's no movement from the Imperial Clan either, unless someone like you suddenly killed their way to the tenth from behind."

Li Tiemu said, his voice unable to hide his excitement.

Zhou Qingyun and the old woman were both looking at Li Hao in amazement. Who could have thought that the disciple this old man Li brought into the sect three or four years ago could achieve such a ranking in the entire Yan-Chu Immortal Dynasty!

Top ten, this was the top ten out of nine thousand immortal cities!

An immortal city was not a mortal city; its area was comparable to hundreds of dynasties, its territory was vast, and its citizens numbered more than hundreds of millions.

The geniuses and monsters within were countless, but to be able to stand out among nine thousand immortal cities showed that he had already cultivated to the extreme in every realm.

"To have such strength at the True Immortal Realm, old man Li, how many-flower immortal seal is this disciple of yours?"

Zhou Qingyun couldn't help but ask.

To be able to suppress Zhang Xuanyu and rush to the tenth place at the Ninth Level of the True Immortal Realm was not simple at all.

"How many-flower immortal seal?"

Li Tiemu was startled and couldn't help but turn to look at Li Hao. Only then did he realize that he had never seen Li Hao's immortal seal.

"You kid, could it be a six-flower immortal seal?"

Li Tiemu couldn't help but ask.

Beside him, Gu Yan's eyes moved slightly, but a ray of light appeared in the depths of his eyes as he stared at Li Hao.

Yue Xi and Murong Qingwu were both looking at Li Hao in surprise. Six-flower immortal seal?

Li Hao didn't answer, just smiled without a word.

"Mysterious, you brat!"

Seeing Li Hao like this, Li Tiemu rolled his eyes in annoyance, but he didn't really blame him. After all, it wasn't time for the Southern Region Battle yet, and being able to hide some trump cards would only be better.

"Six-flower immortal seal, even if you go to the Heavenly Palace to apprentice under the Supreme, you could get the status of an official disciple, right?"

The old woman couldn't help but whisper, looking at Li Hao as if looking at a treasure.

Her disciple, Lin Mingrong, was somewhat dazed. She was a three-flower immortal seal, also a phoenix among people, a peerless talent. Her master had once said she could apprentice under that Immortal Emperor Supreme.

Time flowed quietly.

In other immortal sects, cheers erupted from time to time.

Someone had rushed into the top thousand at the last moment, winning this admission ticket, and the whole sect was cheering and dancing for them.

Soon, an hour passed.

Accompanied by a long dragon roar in the sky, a violent sound of a great gong vibrating came from the firmament, covering all the discussions, and they disappeared in an instant.

"The test is over!"

Chu Xiangtian spoke calmly, but his cold voice spread throughout the entire venue.

His realm had already reached the Perfected Immortal Monarch Realm. Except for the overlords at the Immortal King Realm present, almost no one could contend with him.

Even Heavenly Sect elders like Li Tiemu, under the same realm, were not the opponents of this Imperial Clan monster.

"Please, Marshal, help invite all the disciples in the Desolate Domain out!"

Chu Xiangtian suddenly turned around, bowed toward the Desolate Domain, his attitude extremely humble.

"Marshal."

"Which Marshal?"

"Nonsense, the only Marshal who can make Chu Xiangtian so respectful in all of Yan-Chu now is that Grand Marshal who guards the country!"

Outside the Desolate Domain, disciples and elders of various sects were astonished and couldn't help but look toward the depths of the Desolate Domain, but they saw nothing.

Li Hao was somewhat surprised; he didn't expect that General Shangguan was still in this Desolate Domain.

In that case, hadn't his previous performance all fallen into the eyes of him and that old man Yuan?

While Li Hao was pondering, a profound immortal power suddenly vibrated from the depths of the Desolate Domain, like sea waves brushing over one Desolate Domain after another, from the depths of more than thirty layers, straight to the outer edge.

The few disciples who were still struggling in the Desolate Domain were all pushed out.

"Many thanks, Marshal."

A ray of light appeared in Chu Xiangtian's eyes, and he bowed again, saying gently.

Behind him, the dozen or so figures that were hazy like clouds and mist all changed their expressions, hurriedly bowed toward the depths of the Desolate Domain, and greeted the Grand Marshal who guards the country in unison.

At the same time, they swept angry glances at Chu Xiangtian. The other party knew that the Marshal was here, yet he didn't tell them earlier.

Don't look at them as Imperial Princes; there was only one who could inherit the throne. To that Father Emperor, the others were just his offspring.

And offspring could be born just by recruiting concubines, but there had only been that one Grand Marshal who guards the country in seventy thousand years!

They were very clear in their hearts about the weight of the two.

Those who weren't clear didn't even have the chance to come to this Ancient Immortal Realm and had long since been drowned out.

"Please, Ascending Immortal Platform!"

Chu Xiangtian then turned around and said loudly.

As his words spread throughout the venue, in the firmament above the outer edge of the crimson Desolate Domain, clouds and mist suddenly surged. Immediately after, a high platform as deep and black as an abyss slowly descended from the depths of the clouds.

The high platform seemed to be cast from molten iron, with bronze stone pillars on it, emitting an ancient and barbaric aura.

Everyone below looked up, shock appearing in their eyes, feeling that this Ascending Immortal Platform seemed to be an extremely powerful top-tier domain artifact, even possessing a bit of Imperial Might!

Accompanied by the opening of the clouds and mist, it was as if the world was like the beginning of chaos. This Ascending Immortal Platform slowly descended amidst the steaming and boiling clouds and mist, hovering in front of the Immortal Stele.

"Now, I invite the monsters within the top one thousand of the Immortal Stele to ascend the platform!"

Chu Xiangtian rode eight Ancestral Dragons, flew to the high sky above the Ascending Immortal Platform, and said loudly to the world.

His voice rumbled, vibrating for ten thousand miles like thunder.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 720 =====