Chapter 654: Weitian Martial Arts Ranking

Whoo-whoo~

A cold wind blew slowly through, and a series of *crack-crack* sounds rose from White Bone Mountain.

Li Li Xuanyong stood in midair, gave his sleeve a shake, and spirit-beast bone materials tumbled down into the valley below, where nearly three hundred White Bone Human Demons were feeding.

"Second-realm spirit-beast bones are still manageable, but third-realm and above are far too expensive…"

Li Li Xuanyong frowned as he looked toward the center of the valley, where over a dozen White Bone Human Demons sat squatting, clearly different from their outer-ring kin—silver-white all over, with threads of silver filament faintly visible weaving through their joints.

Those dozen-odd White Bone Human Demons were the core Dao Soldiers he had carefully nurtured for nearly three hundred years; silver bone had begun to grow marrow, a sign of an imminent breakthrough to the fourth realm.

They sat cross-legged before a pile of bone materials, barely eating, only occasionally gnawing on a couple of pieces—clearly having lost interest in second-realm spirit-beast bones.

"With the Shan Gong I've accumulated, I could just barely afford to buy a few dozen fourth-realm spirit-beast skeletons, but to raise all my Dao Soldiers to the fourth realm is nowhere near enough…"

Li Li Xuanyong could not help sighing.

Among all disciples of the Weitian Dao Sect, the most complex must be the registered disciples—among them are even powerhouses who have already cultivated the Dharma Heaven, yet entered the sect merely as 'registered disciples' just to hear the Dao Lord's lectures.

He belonged to another kind—a proper registered disciple who, by chance and fortune, had been admitted into the mountain gate, with ordinary talent, ordinary comprehension, and no faction backing him.

He had accumulated Shan Gong for nearly nine hundred years, and this was all he had raised—three hundred White Bone Human Demons—and that was only because he needed to refine the Human Demon Mountain for Daoist Daoist Tongqian.

"Still too poor!"

Having shaken out all the bone materials from his sleeves, Li Li Xuanyong reached out and beckoned; several hundred White Bone Human Demons rose into the air one after another, transforming into streaks of light that wove together,

and in just a few instants, they had become a string of bracelets that fell into his hand.

"I can only put you through hardship for now. Once I've bought that 'White Bone Zhao Xuanyuan Art' from the Scripture Pavilion, I'll definitely purchase a large batch of third-realm bone materials for you!"

Putting the bracelet on, Li Li Xuanyong hurried back; he had not yet come today to refine the Human Demon Mountain.

"Hoo!"

When Li Li Xuanyong withdrew his magic power, his face weary, the sky was already bright. He swallowed a spirit pill and was about to begin Xing Gong to recover when the communication sphere in his sleeve suddenly trembled.

"Hmm?"

Li Li Xuanyong took out the communication sphere to look, and his heart gave an immediate *thump*—the 'Visit Friend' interface inside the sphere was flickering nonstop, and the name flashing on it was one he very much did not want to see:

"Yu Yu Wangxian!"

His heart quailing, Li Li Xuanyong's hands moved quickly; with a light flick of the communication sphere, a sheet of light rose before him, projecting the figure of a Daoist.

That Daoist was broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with large ears and round eyes, a bristling beard like wild grass; even his wide Daoist robe could not contain his immensely powerful frame.

It was none other than the foremost among the current inner disciples, Yu Yu Wangxian—the absolute powerhouse who, upon entering the sect, had comprehended the 'Qianyang Mount Wuji Dao' within the Sea of Divine Patterns; in just over four hundred years since joining, he was about to become the sixth true disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan!

In fact, had the Dao Lord not been in closed-door cultivation, he would have been promoted to true disciple a full hundred years earlier.

"Junior Brother Yu."

Though he addressed him as junior brother, Li Li Xuanyong was exceedingly respectful.

"Senior Brother Li, I have a matter I need your help with!"

Within the light, Yu Yu Wangxian's voice rang out loud as a great bell.

"Ah?"

Hearing this, Li Li Xuanyong's heart gave a jolt, and the smile he had already forced out grew even more rigid:

"Junior Brother Yu, what ability do I have to help you?"

"Will you help or not?"

Yu Yu Wangxian was very direct.

"I…"

Li Li Xuanyong's face was full of bitterness: "Junior Brother Yu, why don't you tell me first?"

"I encountered a 'Wu' in 'Bei Chen Fa Jie'. I had meant to take it down, but I didn't expect there was also a 'Zhu' hiding in the shadows, which at the critical moment struck and immobilized my 'Demon-Slaying Immortal-Slaughtering Sword'…"

"Wu, Zhu?!"

Li Li Xuanyong hadn't even heard the rest before his face had already turned green:

"Junior Brother Yu! How could I possibly help with such a matter?!"

What were Wu and Zhu?

Even Li Li Xuanyong, who rarely left Mount Mount Dongxuan, knew!

They were the terrifying race that roamed the alternate dimensions deep within the Opening Gui Xu, who had once attempted to intercept the Weitian Dao Sect's opening of the Opening Gui Xu!

"Of course you can't!"

Yu Yu Wangxian's figure blurred for an instant, and a terrifying roar that made Li Li Xuanyong's hair stand on end rang out from within the light.

Hiss!

The next instant, the light dispersed, and only Yu Yu Wangxian's voice echoed through White Bone Mountain: "Quickly deliver Senior Brother Daoist Tongqian's White Bone Human Demon Mountain to me…"

"…Yu Yu Wangxian, damn you!"

Li Li Xuanyong had been hopping with rage and cursing before he'd even heard half of it, wishing he could slap that bastard dead through the air, and along with him the version of himself from a moment ago who had picked up the communication sphere.

"…Once I return, I'll transfer you one Da Gong!"

"Ah?"

……

……

"Weitian Dao Sect…"

"Daluo Heaven, Mount Mount Dongxuan…"

"One Xiao Gong can be exchanged for a hundred wisps of Primordial Fire. You have two thousand Xiao Gong, plus one Da Gong…"

……

On the third floor of the bamboo tower, the little mother dragon wriggled her body, glancing now and then at the sunless, moonless night sky outside the window, and now and then at Li Yuan, who was fiddling with the communication sphere.

She did not understand.

He had only been in closed-door cultivation for half a year — how had this native boy leapt to the heavens in a single step and entered the Gulaodao Sect, a sect she had never even heard of before?

"Hoo!" "Hah!"

Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the balcony, eyes closed in meditation. Splitting his focus, one hand turned the bone chain in his grasp while the other held a Tongshi Sphere.

Mount Mount Dongxuan had not cut off the Taixu Divine Realm; the Tongshi Sphere worked here just the same — not only did it work, it even produced an unusual effect.

Hum~

Accompanyed by a soft throbbing hum, Li Yuan entered the Combat Hall. He still sat upon a black stone platform, surrounded by a boundless starry sky.

At first glance, it looked no different from his previous visits to this place.

But the moment he focused his spirit, he sensed something different — in his perception, two non-overlapping starry skies existed before him at the same time.

【Tian Shi Yuan Combat Hall】

【Yanwudiantang】

With but a single thought, Li Yuan already understood the difference between the two starry skies. The former needed no explanation — it was the Combat Hall he had entered before. As for the latter:

"This is the Combat Hall exclusive to disciples of the Weitian Dao Sect; non-Weitian Dao Sect disciples may not enter… One of the ways to obtain Da Gong mentioned in that book of Shan Gong rules — wasn't the Yanwudiantang championship one of them?"

"Good heavens!"

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched.

He had originally assumed the Yanwudiantang championship meant claiming first place among the inner disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan — he hadn't expected it meant claiming first place among all disciples of the Weitian Dao Sect, including the Twelve Mountains of Daluo!

"How could this possibly be done?"

Gazing at that starry sky tinged with a faint golden hue, Li Yuan even felt a laugh bubbling up. He simply willed a thought and connected to the Yanwudiantang.

【The Weitian Martial Competition has not yet begun. Enter the Yanwudiantang?】

It doesn't even cost Yuan Coins!

Li Yuan was somewhat astonished — among all the Tongshi Sphere's functions, this was the only one that required no Yuan Coins.

Hum~

A wisp of ghostly light bloomed from beneath him; in an instant, light and shadow interwove. By the time Li Yuan recovered from that momentary daze, he had already landed in a stretch of barren mountains.

This was the most common type of dueling ground in the Combat Hall — two barren mountains separated by a hundred li, or a thousand li, their terrain and topography identical to the real world.

Swoosh~~

The instant Li Yuan came back to himself, a great swath of text leapt out from the void.

【Yanwudiantang Rules】

【When the Weitian Martial Competition is active, the Yanwudiantang rules are identical to those of the Combat Hall. All Weitian Dao Sect disciples may enter, and non-Weitian disciples may also be invited in. All may duel with disciples of comparable realm to vie for the championship.】

【When the Weitian Martial Competition is inactive, entry is restricted to Weitian Dao Sect disciples, who may freely choose 'Afterimage' duels within independent dueling grounds.】

【Weitian Martial Competition Rankings — Sun, Moon, Star (Not Yet Opened)】

……

"The Taixu Pavilion is still considerate — most of the rules are pretty much the same as the Tian Shi Yuan Combat Rankings."

Reading through them one by one, what interested Li Yuan most was naturally the Weitian Martial Competition Rankings.

These rankings were likewise divided into Sun, Moon, and Star — but what drew his attention was naturally the rewards. Anyone who made it onto these three lists, even if not the champion, could obtain Da Gong.

And beyond Da Gong, simply making the list granted all manner of rewards — including but not limited to Dao Weapons, Dharma Treasures, Spirit Pills, Spirit Plants, and even other secret Gong Fa of the Weitian Dao Sect!

"None of these three lists will be easy to climb."

After studying the rules briefly, Li Yuan couldn't help but frown. The three lists corresponded respectively to 'True Transmission,' 'Inner Disciple,' and 'Other' — in other words, he could only choose to climb the 'Moon List.'

And the Moon List was the Inner Disciple List.

"This list probably can't be counted on."

Li Yuan sighed softly in his heart. He flicked a finger, and the waterfall-like text before him instantly scattered, replaced by an 'Afterimage List' bearing thirty-five names.

They were precisely the thirty-five inner disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan besides himself.

Li Yuan raised his eyes and saw the name at the very top.

【Yu Yu Wangxian】

【…Contemporary inner disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan, cultivates the 'Qianyang Mount Wuji Dao,' Ben Ming Fa Bao 'Refined Demon Slaying Immortal Sword.' In the previous Weitian Martial Competition, ranked ninth on the Martial Moon List…】

"This must be the foremost inner disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan!"

The introductions on the Afterimage List were very brief, but even from these few lines, Li Yuan could discern a great deal.

For instance, that 'Qianyang Mount Wuji Dao.'

A Dao-tier Gong Fa — by rights, a top-tier Divine Skill that should only be transmitted after being promoted to True Transmission!

"Cultivating a Dao-tier Gong Fa and only ranking ninth…"

Li Yuan suddenly felt a touch of nostalgia for the Tian Shi Yuan Combat Hall. A dueling stage of this intensity was simply not one he should be participating in.

He swept his gaze downward. The inner disciple ranked below Yu Yu Wangxian was named 'Yuan Han,' who cultivated the 'West Pole Bai Di Qian Jin Jing,' yet was only ranked sixty-third on the Moon List.

Apart from these two, none of the remaining thirty-five inner disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan had made it onto the Moon List.

But the Gong Fa they cultivated were all Scripture-tier — among them, he even saw one cultivating the 'East Pole Qing Di Chang Sheng Jing.'

"East Pole, West Pole, South Pole… the Five Pole Scriptures — they look like they might be related? Could they have something to do with Dao-tier Gong Fa?"

As Li Yuan read on, his thoughts began to wander.

【Randomly select an Afterimage duel?】

The light and shadow before him shifted. Li Yuan came back to himself, glanced at it, and refused without hesitation:

"No!"

What a joke — he didn't for a moment think those senior brothers who hadn't made the list were weak.

After all, the Weitian Martial Competition encompassed all disciples of the Weitian Dao Sect, yet these three lists only took a hundred people each.

(End of Chapter)