352: Seeing Qiao Zimo Again

"Senior! The top ten competition is over! The top five competition will only begin two days from now!" The maid reminded him softly.

Xiao Zhuo's steps paused almost imperceptibly, then he waved his hand nonchalantly: "No matter, then take us to the guest rooms to settle down first!"

"Yes! Senior!"

Nie Qianji watched Xiao Zhuo and his group depart on the boat, the shock in his eyes still lingering. He unhesitatingly pulled out a communication jade slip, his fingertips rapidly tapping with spiritual light, sending out an urgent message containing key information such as "mysterious expert," "miraculous skills," and "suspected to surpass Grand Unity."

Still feeling it wasn't enough, his figure swayed, and he transformed into a stream of light, breaking through the air and heading directly to the Penglai Elder Council to report in person.

Xiao Zhuo and the two others rode the small boat and soon arrived at a large courtyard nestled amidst Immortal spiritual mist.

The courtyard was surrounded by numerous elegantly styled independent guest rooms. This place clearly held special status, as a top-grade Immortal Vein had been specially diverted here. The dense Immortal Qi was almost liquid, making the cultivation environment several times superior to many areas in the Holy Land.

This was precisely the top-tier guest compound prepared for the participating Prodigies and their accompanying Seniors.

Wang Xianzhi and his/her siblings' rooms were connected, and coincidentally, the rooms next to them were all empty.

Those Geniuses who failed to enter the top hundred had already lost the qualification to receive rewards and had left this sorrowful place early, leaving their guest rooms vacant.

Xiao Zhuo then casually moved into the empty room next to Wang Xianzhi.

The maid respectfully saw the three off and then departed.

Xiao Zhuo had already meticulously checked their current cultivation progress when he was treating them.

Wang Xianzhi had reached the Middle Tribulation Crossing Stage, and after he condensed his Nascent Soul, he was even more solidified at the Peak of the Middle Stage.

Wang Xianyu had also steadily stepped into the Middle Tribulation Crossing Stage.

After months apart, The Two Little Ones felt especially close upon seeing Xiao Zhuo again and immediately followed him into his room.

Wang Xianzhi seized the time to ask about new confusions encountered during his Cultivation, while Wang Xianyu, with a hint of delight, directly filled the purple sandalwood table in the room with the dishes she had carefully researched and prepared.

Her storage ring had been imbued with a subtle time Restriction by Xiao Zhuo, which could greatly slow down the passage of time for food, maintaining the dishes in their best state.

Some dishes that had been prepared long ago were now brought out, each one steaming hot as if just out of the pot, with a rich aroma filling the air.

"Young Master! Quickly try Yu'er's newly concocted dishes!"

"This is 'Osmanthus White Flame Bird,' made with Immortal fowls and a secret recipe from the Bright Moon Immortal Palace's spiritual osmanthus!"

"And this, 'Fermented Rice Immortal Glutinous Dumplings,' made with Penglai's unique thousand-year Immortal Glutinous rice!"

Wang Xianyu smiled like a blooming flower, introducing them as if enumerating her family treasures.

Xiao Zhuo walked to the table, picked up his jade chopsticks, and tasted a little of each dish, his eyes showing appreciation: "Not bad! The heat is precise, and the spiritual essence is harmonized. Yu'er, I see your talent and skill in culinary Dao are perhaps even above your Cultivation Aptitude! Haha!"

Wang Xianzhi also ate heartily, laughing as he ate: "Young Master may not know, Yu'er knows you love delicious food, so along the way, whenever we passed through a large city, she would definitely go to the most famous restaurants there to learn, just to concoct new dishes for you to try!"

Wang Xianyu's secret was exposed by her brother, her pretty face flushed red, and she gave Wang Xianzhi a 嗔怪 look.

Xiao Zhuo had naturally long sensed the girl's vague attachment, but his heart was set on the Great Dao, aiming for the Peak of Myriad Realms, pursuing the Realm of supreme freedom.

Romantic entanglements would only become a hindrance on his path to ascension.

In his heart, The Two Little Ones were always just Juniors he had taken in on a whim.

Two days passed in a flash.

During these two days, Xiao Zhuo focused on sorting out and answering the Cultivation difficulties that the two had accumulated during this period.

Now that his Realm had climbed to Peak Great Luo, his vision and insight were already incomparable.

He casually refined and modified the Thunder Shock Induction and Spirit Nurturing Art again, making them more aligned with the Great Dao and closer to perfection.

Although the two Cultivation Techniques, after modification, had not yet touched the threshold of Divine-Grade, they were already firmly at the Peak of Saint-Grade!

If such Cultivation Techniques were to fall into the outside world, they would be enough to stir up a bloody storm of contention in the Immortal-Demon Realm.

The Two Little Ones knew that entering the top ten was their current limit, and it would be difficult to make a qualitative leap in a short time, so continuing to compete held little meaning.

After discussion, they decided to give up the subsequent competitions and wait for the grand competition to conclude, only to enter the legendary Penglai Immortal Pond to Cultivate.

The Penglai Immortal Pond was renowned throughout the Immortal-Demon Realm, and Xiao Zhuo had also heard of it. He was quite interested in its mysterious effects of activating hidden Physiques and improving Aptitude and Foundation, so he had no objection, it was merely a matter of staying a few more days.

In his opinion, for The Two Little Ones to achieve such accomplishments before the age of two hundred, surpassing many veteran Prodigies over five hundred years old to enter the top ten, was already astonishingly talented.

Wang Xianzhi had even faintly touched the threshold of his own Dao, possessing extraordinary potential.

The resources in his hands were enough to support their stable growth, without the need to contend for such an empty reputation.

On the morning of the third day, Xiao Zhuo, the refreshed Two Little Ones, and Cloud, who had just been returned by the Holy Land Spirit Beast Park, stepped into the Holy Land Plaza amidst the astonished and scrutinizing gazes of countless passersby, to watch the final few matches of the grand competition.

Since Wang Siblings forfeited, the remaining eight peerless Prodigies would fight in pairs.

Eight into four! Four into two! Until tomorrow's final!

The moment Xiao Zhuo stepped into the plaza, his gaze suddenly narrowed.

On one of the four huge floating arenas, adorned with flowing runes, a man with flowing purple hair, a feminine face, yet a burly figure, instantly captured his attention.

"Qiao Zimo?" Sealed memories flowed through his mind like water.

After parting ways in the Myriad Ages Evergreen Realm, this person had vanished as if evaporated from the human world, with no news.

Although Xiao Zhuo felt that his fate was exceptionally tough and he should not have perished, he had once sent the Blood Palace to search for him, but to no avail, and thus no longer worried about him.

He never expected to see him again in this Immortal Realm Holy Land, on this arena where Prodigies contended!

The Soul Locking Seal connection between them had long been completely severed.

Qiao Zimo's asura demonic body was already not inferior to ordinary Divine Physiques, and his talent was extraordinary, but he had languished in obscurity in his early years, a pearl covered in dust.

Now, upon seeing him again, his Cultivation had actually reached Mahayana Peak!

What was even more striking was that his originally pure demonic Physique aura had undergone some mysterious transformation, subtly exuding a peculiar charm where divinity and demonic nature intertwined and balanced, making his power even greater than before.

The link was broken, and the fate was over.

Xiao Zhuo's mind shifted slightly, and he let it go.

Meeting by chance, each has his own Opportunity, no need to disturb further.

Four arenas simultaneously erupted with earth-shattering battles!

Immortal light and Divine Abilities crisscrossed, Dao Principle runes collided, stirring up ripples of space.

The crowds of Prodigies watching around surged, the sound waves shook the heavens, and they frantically cheered the names of their supported Prodigies.

Qiao Zimo's name also frequently rang out in the cheers, apparently having accumulated considerable popularity.

Battles in the Mahayana Realm were naturally like child's play in Xiao Zhuo's eyes. He mostly took this good Opportunity to calmly guide The Two Little Ones beside him.

His gaze was like a torch, precisely analyzing the profound mysteries of Divine Abilities, the power of Domains, and even the nascent Concepts and Dao Principle prototypes understood by the eight top Prodigies on the arena, who had just begun to grasp them.

"Look, the sword-wielder, his Sword Intent and the Law of Metal have condensed into one, subtly connecting with the Dao of Geng Metal's 肅殺, with a sharp edge fully revealed."

"That woman controlling ice crystals, her Dao of Ruthlessness has reached Minor Achievement, and within her Ice Domain, all things freeze, greatly hindering her opponent's movement."

...He pointed out one by one, noting that among the eight people on stage, five had already understood the direction of their own Dao Principle and clarified their future path, which was the true Aptitude of a Prodigy!

Among them was Qiao Zimo, whose aura was indistinguishable between divine and demonic.

The growth rate displayed by this person surprised even Xiao Zhuo slightly.

In the three hundred years after the Myriad Ages Evergreen Realm, what kind of astonishing Opportunity did he obtain to rise from obscurity, advance rapidly to Mahayana Peak, and even comprehend a Dao Principle unique to himself?

This kind of encounter and Heart-Nature was truly rare.

If there were no major setbacks, with this momentum, his Immortal Ascension in the future would surely make him an outstanding True Immortal, and the Golden Immortal Realm could also be expected. As for Grand Unity and even Great Luo, that would depend on his Luck and fortune.

The four battles were all thrilling, watching them made the spectators' blood boil, and cheers and applause rose and fell.

Even Wang Siblings watched with dazzled eyes and continuous flashes of admiration, deeply impressed by the strength of the eight Prodigies on stage.

"Young Master!" Wang Xianzhi looked at Xiao Zhuo with burning eyes, asking with a tone of seeking confirmation, "These eight can be called the strongest Prodigies of this generation in the Immortal Realm, right? I see that five of them have a harmonious and flawless aura, with Dao Principle infused into them, probably having reached the Mahayana Realm's limit! If they were to face a True Immortal, would they also have the power to fight?"

Xiao Zhuo heard this, first nodded slightly, then gently shook his head: "You see correctly. These five indeed have deep Foundations, have touched the Peak threshold of the Mahayana Realm, and have initially understood their own Dao Principle. Their future is boundless, and they deserve the title of 'Prodigy.' However..."

His tone paused slightly, carrying a hint of insight into the essence: "The distinction between Immortal and mortal, how can it be trivial? No matter how strong a Mahayana is, they are ultimately still mortal, have not undergone the baptism of Immortal Tribulation, have not generated Immortal Qi, and have not formed an Immortal Physique. Facing a true True Immortal, even one who has just entered the Immortal rank, within ten moves, they would be completely suppressed, with no chance of Luck."

"Immortals are truly that powerful? The gap is so vast?" Wang Xianzhi gasped, his face unable to hide his shock.

"The chasm between Immortal and mortal is an insurmountable gap, absolutely not an exaggeration," Xiao Zhuo said with a touch of emotion.

Wang Xianyu, holding Cloud, leaned closer, her big eyes sparkling, asking with full curiosity and admiration: "Young Master! Then when you were in the Mahayana Realm, could you contend with a True Immortal?"

In her mind, Young Master was almost omnipotent.

"Me?" Xiao Zhuo laughed dumbly, deep starlight seemed to flow in his eyes, but he only gently shook his head, saying no more.

His mind stirred, and past glorious years appeared.

In the Mahayana stage, he could slay True Immortals suppressed by Heavenly Dao rules without falling into a disadvantage.

By the Quasi-Immortal Realm, he had even cut down an incomplete True Immortal Dragon corpse with his sword!

However, to truly fight head-on with a fully intact True Immortal in the Mahayana Realm... Xiao Zhuo had a scale in his heart: at that time, even if he exerted all his strength and used all his means, he might be able to maneuver and save his life with various trump cards, but to speak of victory, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Just as the three were talking about the arena, Nie Qianji flew from the sky towards Xiao Zhuo's side.

"Daoist Friend Wang! The Holy Lord requests your presence!"