429: Chapter 428 Chen Erniu's Invitation

Azure Cloud Sect.

Qin Changsheng had already arrived here with his External Incarnation, Hu Nan.

Because the Southern Region Golden Core Tournament was about to begin, there were already many Cultivators within the Azure Cloud Sect.

Qin Changsheng did not stay in the Azure Cloud Sect but instead went to the Trial Grounds for this tournament, Qingyun Mountain.

Qingyun Mountain towered into the clouds, the mountain path winding and twisting, with stone steps layered upon each other leading straight into the sea of clouds. The mountain breeze blew gently, and on the surface, it appeared unremarkable, with no trace of abnormality; anyone would simply take it for an ordinary trial mountain.

But Qin Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. He activated the Insight power of his Golden Trait, a faint glimmer flowing through his eyes, instantly piercing through layers of illusion.

In the next instant, the internal structure of the entire Qingyun Mountain was reflected in his eyes.

Inside the seemingly ordinary mountain, densely packed Formation patterns were crisscrossing, covering the entire ancient mountain path. Layer upon layer, hidden in the Void Realm, a massive Pressure Great Array covering the entire mountain peak had already quietly taken shape, buried deep between the mountain rocks and the sea of clouds.

The aura of the Great Array was sinister and restrained, perfectly shielding all Detection, so that even the Sect Elders of the Azure Cloud Sect had not noticed the slightest bit.

This Formation was highly targeted, specifically locking onto Human Race Cultivators. Once activated, a triple gravity Pressure would pour down, imprisoning the Physical Body and sealing Qi, intending to trap all Human Race Prodigies on the mountain path and eliminate them in the first round of trials.

"Yao Race." Qin Changsheng spat out the two words softly, a cold sneer flashing across his eyes.

Although this Pressure Great Array of the Yao Race was very powerful, Qin Changsheng had already extracted the Golden Trait, Reversal.

All Formation, amplification, and Pressure effects could be reversed at will.

The triple Pressure Great Array that the Yao Race had exhausted all their efforts to set up was originally a fatal trap aimed at the Human Race. When the tournament began, he would activate the power of the trait with a single thought, and he could instantly reverse the effects of the Formation.

At that time, the terrifying Pressure would backfire completely, adding entirely to the Yao Race Cultivators. The Human Race Prodigies would not be affected in the slightest, while those Yao Race Geniuses who boasted of certain victory would eventually be crushed and trapped by the Formation they had set up themselves, unable to move an inch.

Qin Changsheng waved his hand and summoned the Heavenly Dao Entry Intelligence.

At the same time, Qin Changsheng also began to search for numerous treasures.

[heart of the demon race: The heart of a Soul Transformation powerhouse of the Yao Race, rumored to have special abilities]

[Holder: None]

[Location: Azure Cloud Sect Treasury]

[Nascent Soul Secret Manual: A Secret Manual detailing how to form a Nascent Soul]

[Holder: None]

[Location: Azure Cloud Sect Treasury]

[heavenly dao fragment: A special treasure that can upgrade a Golden Trait to a Heavenly Dao Trait]

[Holder: Chen Erniu]

[Location: Azure Cloud Sect]

Looking at the prompt on the attribute panel, Qin Changsheng was also somewhat astonished.

He had not expected that this heart of the demon race was actually the heart of a Soul Transformation powerhouse of the Yao Race.

No wonder the Yao Race needed this heart to restore the Luck of the Yao Race.

"Chen Erniu?" Qin Changsheng's gaze looked towards the end.

Regarding Chen Erniu, Qin Changsheng knew him very well.

He was a Reincarnation of a Soul Transformation powerhouse.

His Cultivation and talent were very high.

However, after being afflicted by Qin Changsheng's Slow Cultivation Heavenly Dao Trait, there had been no news of him.

Unexpectedly, this year Chen Erniu had appeared in the Azure Cloud Sect again.

And he had obtained a heavenly dao fragment.

More than an hour later, Qin Changsheng controlled Hu Nan to walk into the Azure Cloud Sect.

This Southern Region Golden Core Tournament was extremely popular. Inside and outside the Azure Cloud Sect, guests gathered. The restaurants and teahouses along the street were noisy, and Cultivators from all Sects were moving back and forth, making it extremely lively.

Just as Hu Nan was walking slowly, preparing to go to the Qingyun Mountain trial site to register, a familiar figure appeared on the second-floor pavilion of the tallest restaurant along the street.

Chen Erniu stood by the railing, his gaze accurately locking onto Hu Nan in the crowd. He immediately smiled, raised his arm, and waved gently at him, signaling for Hu Nan to come up.

Qin Changsheng's gaze paused slightly, then he controlled Hu Nan's body, changed direction, and walked straight toward the restaurant along the street.

Walking up the stairs and stepping into the private room on the second-floor pavilion, a rich aroma of food and wine rushed towards him.

Chen Erniu had clearly been waiting for a long time. A table of sumptuous food and wine had already been neatly prepared, with delicacies and fine spirit wine filling the table, each item exquisite, enough to entertain distinguished Cultivator guests.

Seeing Hu Nan arrive, Chen Erniu smiled, stood up, and gestured with his hand, his tone full of enthusiasm: "Brother Hu, please sit."

He reached out and pointed to the empty seat opposite the wine table, his posture humble, fully displaying the way of hospitality.

"Many thanks for Brother Chen's hospitality." Hu Nan's expression was calm; he bowed in return without changing his expression, then sat down calmly.

Chen Erniu personally raised his hand to pour spirit wine for Hu Nan, repeatedly urging him to drink. His conversation was hearty, and the atmosphere was lively.

The two exchanged cups, drinking several glasses. After three rounds of drinks, the scene was lively but not deliberate.

Hu Nan was the first to put down the wine cup in his hand, looked at Chen Erniu with a calm gaze, and spoke in an open and honest tone: "Brother Chen, there is no need to be so polite; just say whatever you have to say."

"Hahaha! Brother Hu is indeed a straightforward person!" Chen Erniu laughed loudly, restrained the playfulness on his face, and slowly put down the wine cup in his hand: "Waiting for Brother Hu today is indeed because there is one thing I would like to ask Brother Hu for a favor."

"Brother Chen, just say it. If it is within my power, I will naturally not refuse." Hu Nan responded.

Chen Erniu pondered slightly, without any concealment, and stated his request directly: "I want the supreme treasure of this Golden Core Tournament—the heart of the demon race!"

Far outside Qingyun Mountain, Qin Changsheng's mind paused slightly, and a trace of astonishment and deep thought flashed in his eyes.

Others might not know the Origin of the heart of the demon race, thinking it was just a treasure exclusive to the tournament, but Qin Changsheng knew clearly that the so-called heart of the demon race was not an ordinary Spirit Treasure, but the Origin heart of an ancient Soul Transformation powerhouse of the Yao Race, containing thick Yao Race Origin Luck and ancient Dao rhyme.

And Chen Erniu's true identity was the Reincarnation of a fallen Soul Transformation powerhouse, with unfathomable background and mysterious Origins.

A Soul Transformation Reincarnation insisting on seizing a treasure heart left behind by a Yao Race Soul Transformation powerhouse definitely contained secrets.

In an instant, countless guesses emerged in Qin Changsheng's heart.

Could it be that Chen Erniu's past life had an unknown entanglement or Origin with that fallen Yao Race Soul Transformation powerhouse?

Or was he that fallen Yao Race powerhouse?

As his thoughts churned, Qin Changsheng suppressed the doubts in his heart, continued to secretly control Hu Nan, kept his expression calm, looked at Chen Erniu with feigned confusion, and waited for the other party to explain.

Seeing Hu Nan's hesitation, Chen Erniu had already guessed the other party's concerns and immediately smiled and explained: "Brother Hu, rest assured. I have been an eternal enemy of the Yao Race, irreconcilable; we are definitely not on the same path. My request for this heart of the demon race is not to benefit the Yao Race, but because it has great use for my own cultivation."

After speaking, Chen Erniu raised his hand and poured spirit wine for Hu Nan again, his attitude sincere: "You can rest assured, I will not ask for this Opportunity out of thin air or get it for nothing."

As his voice fell, Chen Erniu waved his right hand gently, and a brilliant golden light flashed across the table.

A fragment, gilded all over, with mysterious patterns, and lingering with a faint Heavenly Dao aura, floated out quietly and landed steadily on the wine table. The golden light flowed, the Dao rhyme was long, and it carried a vast Pressure that transcended the mundane.

With just one glance, Qin Changsheng, who was watching from afar, instantly recognized the details of this object, and his mind moved slightly.

This was exactly the extremely precious heavenly dao fragment he had repeatedly used to upgrade his traits!

Chen Erniu said: "As long as Brother Hu can bring the heart of the demon race to me intact during this Golden Core Tournament, this treasure will be offered with both hands and belong to you."

"With Brother Chen's ability, wanting to take the mere tournament treasure should be easy; why not take action yourself to obtain the heart of the demon race?" Hu Nan asked.

Chen Erniu chuckled upon hearing this, shook his head with feigned helplessness, his tone carrying a bit of self-deprecation.

"Brother Hu is joking. I am currently reincarnated and recultivating; my Foundation is not stable, and my strength is still weak; I can't be considered a top powerhouse at all."

"This Golden Core Tournament gathers Prodigies and hidden experts from all over the Southern Region, and even Yao Race elites are participating. There are many experts, and it is extremely dangerous. With my current Cultivation, I have no ability to compete with many powerhouses, so naturally, I don't have absolute certainty to win the heart of the demon race."

His expression was calm, seemingly every word was true, fully showing a sense of weakness.

But Qin Changsheng, far outside Qingyun Mountain, was extremely clear in his heart and did not believe this rhetoric of Chen Erniu at all.

As a Soul Transformation Reincarnation, even if his Cultivation had not fully recovered, his background, vision, and trump cards were by no means comparable to ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, and it was impossible that he could not even control a Golden Core tournament.

Chen Erniu deliberately showed weakness and avoided taking action; there must be an unknown secret plan hidden, and it was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Qin Changsheng's thoughts turned rapidly, and he instantly weighed the pros and cons and had a perfect plan.

He did not expose him on the spot, nodded slightly, and agreed to this transaction.

"Since Brother Chen has difficulties, I will agree to this matter. After the tournament ends, if I win the heart of the demon race, I will send it to Brother Chen."

Chen Erniu was overjoyed, a flash of joy crossed his eyes, and he quickly raised his glass and smiled: "Good! Brother Hu is indeed straightforward, thank you very much for this!"

The two raised their glasses again and drank, seemingly reaching a perfect transaction, treating each other with courtesy, but in fact, each had their own thoughts.

Qin Changsheng had already laid out a perfect calculation in his heart, and from the beginning, he had no intention of giving the real heart of the demon race to Chen Erniu.

He had already thought of a countermeasure. After winning the tournament and getting the real heart of the demon race, he would use the Heavenly Dao Trait to Copy it, copying an identical heart of the demon race with the exact same aura, quality, and appearance.

This copied heart of the demon race would be enough to pass for the real one. No matter how Chen Erniu inspected it, he would not see any flaws, but there was only one fatal flaw.

It would only last for a short month, and after one month, it would dissipate on its own and completely turn into nothingness.

In this way, he could steadily accept this precious heavenly dao fragment, take the Opportunity without any cost, and perfectly deal with Chen Erniu's transaction without revealing any flaws.

Regardless of whether Chen Erniu was racking his brains to get the heart of the demon race to Repair the grievances of his past life or to give the heart of the demon race to the Yao Race.

Qin Changsheng did not need to care.

A short month was simply not enough for Chen Erniu to complete any layout with the help of the heart of the demon race.

When the time limit arrived, the fake heart of the demon race would disappear out of thin air, and all the calculations that Chen Erniu had planned for so long would eventually fall through, turning into a joy in vain.

This seemingly fair transaction, from the moment Qin Changsheng agreed, had a predetermined ending.

...

Three days later, the highly anticipated Southern Region Golden Core Tournament opened grandly as scheduled.

In front of the Azure Cloud Sect, it was already crowded with people, and the noise was overwhelming.

All the large and small Sects and aristocratic families in the Southern Region were present, and countless Golden Core Cultivators traveled thousands of miles to gather here, forming a vast sea of Cultivators. The aura of Qi intertwined, covering the entire world.

Qin Changsheng mingled in the crowd, wearing a simple and plain green robe, his figure calm and indifferent, his gaze sweeping across the scene quietly.

The people he saw were diverse, all top Cultivators of the Southern Region Golden Core Realm, which could be called the most magnificent Cultivator gathering in the Southern Region in a hundred years.

Among the crowd, there were many familiar faces.

There were veteran Golden Core powerhouses who had long been famous and had deep backgrounds, who had sat on the Southern Region cultivation rankings for years, with stable Cultivation and monstrous combat power, and were popular powerhouses in previous tournaments;

There were also newly promoted Prodigies who had just broken through to the Golden Core in recent years and were in the limelight, all of them spirited, sharp, and talented, all of whom were up-and-coming talents cultivated by their respective Sects.

Prodigies gathered from all directions, powerhouses stood like a forest, and the smell of smoke had already quietly permeated.

Sweeping his gaze again, Qin Changsheng soon captured the Yao Race group in a corner of the crowd.

Shen Bing's posture was cold, her temperament icy, and she carried the Pressure of a supreme powerhouse of the Yao Race;

Gou Feng accompanied her, his gaze sinister, scanning the Human Race Cultivators around from time to time, with hidden calculations and arrogance in his eyes.

The two led the team, followed by ten Yao Race elite Golden Core Prodigies, each with a strong aura, ready to go.

And beside Gou Feng, an old man in a black robe with a withered figure stood silently. His aura was unremarkable, appearing to have no Cultivation fluctuations, but there was a faint, elusive Formation Dao rhyme spreading out, extremely hidden.

Qin Changsheng only took one look to know that this person was that Formation Great Master.

Arriving here this time, he must be here to control the state of the Formation at any time, ensure the smooth implementation of the Yao Race's conspiracy, wait for the Human Race Prodigies to fail in the first round, and help the Yao Race steadily win the tournament championship and seize the heart of the demon race.

Time passed slowly. About a quarter of an hour later, the noise on the square gradually subsided.

Two transcendent figures stepped through the air and slowly descended onto the competition arena.

The leader had an elegant Daoist robe, an awe-inspiring immortal bone, a gentle face, and Dao rhyme lingering around him; he was the Sect Head of the Azure Cloud Sect, Immortal Master Moyuan.

Beside him followed a person with a calm and solemn aura and a majestic expression; he was the core Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect, Wen Xuanli.

The two top powerhouses appeared, instantly suppressing the chaos of the whole scene. The entire huge square suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes gathered on the high altitude, waiting for the tournament to officially begin.

Immortal Master Moyuan stepped forward, slowly looked around the audience, and then he turned to Wen Xuanli and said: "Announce the rules!"

Wen Xuanli bowed to Immortal Master Moyuan before stepping forward and saying:

"This Southern Region Golden Core Tournament is open to all Golden Core Realm Cultivators in the Southern Region, with no Sect threshold and no qualification restrictions. Anyone with Golden Core Cultivation can participate and compete!"

"The tournament is divided into two rounds, deciding victory or defeat by strength, and determining Opportunity by the strong!"

"The first round is the Qingyun Mountain climbing trial. The entire trial is based on the Qingyun Mountain path, with a time limit of one hour."

"All participating Cultivators must reach the summit of Qingyun Mountain within the specified time to successfully advance to the second round. Those who fail to reach the summit within the time limit, regardless of their Cultivation level, will all be directly eliminated and will have no chance for subsequent competitions."