121: Tianling Island Twelve Religions

More than ten days passed in a flash.

At dawn, as the first ray of sunlight shone on Yuhua Peak, Han Li, in the Cultivation Chamber, slowly opened his tightly shut eyes.

For more than ten days, Han Li had basically not left Yuhua Peak.

He had been Cultivating Qing Yuan Skill and Azure Wood Earth Emperor Skill.

The progress of both Cultivation Techniques had also greatly improved.

In less than half a month, under intense Cultivation, Han Li advanced Qing Yuan Skill by one stage.

With a thought, Han Li opened his panel.

Azure Wood Earth Emperor Skill (59%)!

Qing Yuan Skill (Profound 1%)

“I wonder how many more stages I can advance…”

Looking at the panel, Han Li slowly exhaled.

In less than half a month, his growth surpassed several months of arduous Cultivation before.

The advantage in his spiritual Soul was also very obvious.

In addition to Qing Yuan Skill advancing a stage, his various martial arts also made considerable progress.

Although his focus was on Qing Yuan Skill, he could still allocate some time to Cultivate other martial arts.

Han Li had not yet started Cultivating Heavenly Evolution Divine Art; time was pressing, so he could only temporarily get a basic grasp of it.

He barely reached 3% completion.

After the Nine Provinces Tournament, he would have more time to Cultivate it.

Looking inward at his Dantian, within the vast Dantian, two types of True Qi coexisted.

The Azure Wood Earth Emperor True Qi only occupied one-tenth, while the rest was True Qi Cultivated from Qing Yuan Skill.

Having reached the Profound level, the quality of Qing Yuan Skill's True Qi had once again improved by one stage, but it was still far inferior to the True Qi Cultivated from Azure Wood Earth Emperor Skill.

Although the hundredfold gap was gone, there was still a several dozen-fold gap.

The gap in Cultivation Technique grades was too large, and this could not be changed.

The highest-grade Cultivation Techniques determine the ultimate Peak that can be Cultivated to.

Qing Yuan Skill, at its Peak, could only be Cultivated to the Yuanshen Realm.

Azure Wood Earth Emperor Skill, on the other hand, could be Cultivated to the Supreme Paragon Realm without issue.

Their potential was also different.

The gap would only grow wider unless he Cultivated other Cultivation Techniques and then improved Qing Yuan Skill.

However, Han Li naturally had no need to pick up sesame seeds and lose watermelons.

Improving Qing Yuan Skill could also improve Azure Wood Earth Emperor Skill.

Breaking into a Divine-Grade martial art was unlikely, but it could still reduce many stages.

“Time is almost up, it’s time to move.”

Standing up, Han Li's figure moved, and he directly stepped out of the Cultivation Chamber.

Looking at the rising sun in the sky, Han Li instantly transformed into a golden light and headed towards Qingyuan Palace… At Qingyuan Palace, in front of the main hall, when Han Li arrived, Baili Changqing, Yan Qingfeng, and several other Disciples had basically all arrived.

The Grand Elder was also among them.

Han Li looked at them, their gazes met, and then he came before Baili Changqing and the others.

Looking at Han Li, Baili Changqing also nodded and greeted him.

“Junior Brother, this time, you must perform well. With your strength, you should be able to get a good ranking.”

Looking at Han Li, Baili Changqing said.

“Senior Brother, I can’t guarantee that. I’ll do my best,” Han Li said with a smile.

“Don’t hide it. I heard that you can even repel the Grand Elder.”

Baili Changqing said with a chuckle.

“Hmm?”

Hearing this, Yun Xi and the others' gazes instantly turned to Han Li.

Han Li repelled the Grand Elder?!

Is that possible?

The Grand Elder had entered the Peak of the Acquired Realm many years ago, and his strength was far from what an ordinary Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artist could compare to.

“Senior Brother, where did you hear that? How could I possibly repel the Grand Elder?” Han Li flatly denied it.

“Senior Brother told me that the Grand Elder sought you out for a spar. You, kid, I can’t even see through your depth anymore,” Baili Changqing said with a smile.

“That must have been a misunderstanding,” Han Li shook his head.

“Junior Brother’s aura is indeed very strong. I’m afraid it’s comparable to the strength of the Pinnacle Realm,” Yan Qingfeng nodded from the side.

Han Li didn't speak and simply shut his mouth.

The other few, however, stared intently at him… After waiting for a moment, the Sect Leader, Wu Wuji, and the Grand Elder also appeared one after another.

Looking at Han Li and his group, the Sect Leader said, “The Nine Provinces Tournament is about to begin. I hope you all can put on a splendid performance and sweep away Qingyuan Sect’s previous decline. The Sect will not treat you unfairly. Those who achieve a top ten ranking will be rewarded with 100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.”

“100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!”

As soon as the Sect Leader spoke, Han Li and the others’ eyes instantly lit up.

This reward could be said to be quite generous.

100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, a number that made even Han Li feel very tempted.

This display of generosity was more than just lavish.

Excitement appeared on the faces of several people.

The Sect Leader also smiled and continued, “If any of you can enter the top three, you will receive a reward of one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.”

The Sect Leader once again dropped a bombshell.

“One million Spirit Stones!”

“Sect Leader, what about first place?”

Baili Changqing asked excitedly.

First place… The eyes of the other few looked at Baili Changqing, their mouths twitching.

You really dare to dream. Without a Third Realm Cultivation, how can you win first place?

Moreover, even for a top ten ranking, it would probably require a Third Realm Cultivation to even have a chance.

The Sect Leader looked at Baili Changqing, then swept his gaze over Han Li and the others.

A flash of light, and an item resembling a golden brick appeared before everyone.

It looked like a golden brick, with profound runes carved on it, and the aura it emitted was extremely terrifying.

“Dao Artifact!”

Han Li’s pupils contracted.

From this Magic Treasure, which resembled a golden brick, Han Li sensed the aura of a Dao Artifact.

“This Magic Treasure is called Shaking Heaven Seal! It is a Low-Grade Dao Artifact. Those who can achieve first place, in addition to the one million Spirit Stone reward, can also obtain this Shaking Heaven Seal.”

The Sect Leader’s voice rang out.

Everyone’s eyes flickered as they all looked at the Shaking Heaven Seal in the Sect Leader’s hand.

“Whatever ranking you achieve, you will receive the corresponding reward. It’s up to you,” the Sect Leader’s voice rang out, and then, under everyone’s gaze, he put away the Shaking Heaven Seal.

“This reward… is indeed generous!”

Han Li’s heart pounded, but he also knew that this reward was not so easy to obtain.

The hope of getting first place in the Nine Provinces Tournament was too slim.

The strongest Cangjian Palace in the Nine Provinces, its Disciples were all incredibly powerful, and there were probably more than one Disciple with Third Realm Cultivation.

The gap between the Innate Pinnacle Realm and the Innate Second Realm was enormous.

It might even reach the level of someone like Tang Sanzang. Against such an opponent, Han Li had no confidence at all.

Let alone winning, even fighting to a draw would be extremely difficult.

“Those who can enter the top fifty will also receive a reward of ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.”

The Sect Leader’s voice rang out again.

Han Li and the others also sobered up.

The rewards were generous, and they naturally wanted the Shaking Heaven Seal, but the key was that they had to have the strength for it.

“The Nine Provinces Tournament concerns the Sect’s honor and reputation. You are all Geniuses of the Sect. I hope you can achieve good results this time,” the Grand Elder’s voice rang out.

Everyone nodded.

“Alright, no more idle talk. You all know the rules of the Nine Provinces Tournament. Let’s set off now,” the Sect Leader said.

The Grand Elder then waved his hand, and a top-grade Spirit Treasure appeared before everyone.

A flash of light, and it transformed into a hundred-zhang enormous flying ship. Han Li and the others successively stepped onto the flying ship.

Subsequently, Wu Wuji and the Grand Elder also stepped onto the flying ship.

Activating the flying ship, the hundred-zhang enormous flying ship instantly broke through the Void Realm and soared towards outside the Sect.

In front of Qingyuan Palace, the Sect Leader stood with one hand behind his back, watching the flying ship depart.

It wasn’t until the flying ship completely disappeared from sight that the Sect Leader turned and vanished… The Nine Provinces Tournament was held in Tianling City.

This was a city with a long history.

It was a city in the Nine Provinces, close to the Wu Dynasty’s capital.

And this city was also a very special place, unlike other cities, Tianling City was built on an island, also known as Tianling Island.

Tianling City, its scale, was also much more magnificent than that of an ordinary county city.

Like the Wu Capital of the Wu Dynasty, it belonged to a directly administered city.

Its scale and magnificence could rival the Wu Capital.

The former Wu Dynasty even intended to establish Tianling City as the capital of the Wu Dynasty, but Tianling City was located by the sea, in a remote corner, which was not conducive to governing the Nine Provinces, and it was surrounded by water on all sides, so it was not chosen as the capital of the Wu Dynasty.

However, even so, it did not affect its prosperity.

Tianling City was also one of the important cities of the Wu Dynasty, directly controlled by the Wu Dynasty. The reason for this was that the island of Tianling City was rich in spirit mines. It was rumored that in the entire Tianling City, the total number of large and small spirit mines was about one hundred.

This number was quite astonishing.

It produced countless Spirit Stones, far more than other provinces.

And the reason was that it was rumored that there was a super Spiritual Vein within the island of Tianling City, which was why there could be as many as one hundred large and small spirit mines.

One Tianling Island was equivalent to a super treasury of the Wu Dynasty.

The imperial court naturally would not allow any force to covet this place.

Of course, although no forces were allowed to exist, this was only in name.

There were certainly forces within it, and these forces were basically all forces within the imperial court.

Such as aristocratic families and clans.

However, there were definitely no Sect forces.

This was beyond doubt.

They could establish industries, but as for other things, they shouldn’t even think about it.

And the consequence of reaching out indiscriminately might be complete eradication, not only confiscating all industries, but also wiping out the Sect.

The power of the imperial court was unfathomable; it just depended on whether they would get serious.

Without the power to suppress everything, it could not become a hegemon… The flying ship advanced through the Void Realm. Standing by the side of the flying ship, the Grand Elder suddenly appeared.

Han Li turned his head and looked at the Grand Elder beside him: “Grand Elder, is there something you need?”

“These are the profiles of Geniuses from other Sects in the Nine Provinces Tournament. You can take a look to be prepared.”

The Grand Elder handed over a Jade Slip. Han Li was stunned looking at the Jade Slip in his hand, then quickly recovered and nodded.

“Alright, thank you, Grand Elder.”

“You are fighting for the Sect, there’s no need to say such things,” the Grand Elder said with a smile.

“Han Li, this time, I hope you can fight with all your strength. Our Qingyuan Sect has not achieved a top ten ranking for several consecutive tournaments. Consider this my personal request to you, how about it?”

The Grand Elder looked at Han Li and said.

Looking at the Grand Elder’s serious gaze, Han Li was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

Seeing Han Li nod, the Grand Elder patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Of course, I won't demand anything from you. Just do your best. This Nine Provinces Tournament has many powerful Geniuses. Fight with all your might; even if you fail, it doesn't matter."

"Understood, Grand Elder." Han Li nodded.

"Good, you can look at the information then. I won't disturb you anymore." The Grand Elder smiled, then turned and left.

Han Li looked at the Jade Slip in his hand, his gaze sweeping over mountains and rivers, then he turned and entered the room behind him… "It seems this battle won't be easy!"

In the room, Han Li opened his eyes. All the information the Grand Elder gave him was already assimilated into his mind.

The Nine Provinces Tournament, including Qingyuan Sect, had a total of twelve top Sects.

Each Sect dispatched ten Disciples, which meant one hundred and twenty Disciples.

Among them, the lowest Cultivation Realm was Xiantian Second Realm Martial Artists.

And there were twenty-eight Martial Artists in the Peak of the Acquired Realm.

Among these, Cangjian Palace was almost entirely composed of Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artists.

They accounted for more than a third.

Han Li knew the might of Cangjian Palace, but this information still caused him a considerable mental shock.

An entire roster of Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artists—among the twelve top Sects, only Cangjian Palace could achieve such a level.

The other great Sects were all significantly inferior.

Among them, there were also two Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artists from Tianxuan Sect and Golden Spirit Sect.

As two of the three great Sects, these two top Sects could only send one Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciple.

If his Senior Brother had not broken through to the God Realm, then he would likely have been Qingyuan Sect's only Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciple participating.

Breaking through to the God Realm naturally placed him outside this category.

If a God Realm expert were to act, it would be a pure dimensionality reduction strike.

"The most formidable is still Cangjian Palace!"

"Tai Xuan Sect is also not weak, with six Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciples…"

Crushing the Jade Slip, Han Li looked out the window.

From the information, the strongest great Sect was undoubtedly Cangjian Palace.

Next was Tai Xuan Sect!

This could also be analyzed from the number of Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciples.

And now, Qingyuan Sect, in this Nine Provinces Tournament, didn't have a single Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciple. This was truly bringing up the rear!

Among the twelve top Sects, they were completely at the bottom.

However, fortunately, Wu Wuji had broken through to the God Realm. This could reverse the situation in terms of top-tier combat power.

However, the development of a Sect still needed to be viewed comprehensively, not just by the presence of top-tier combat power, unless it could reach a qualitative change.

Just like Cangjian Palace, whether it was top-tier combat power or Disciples, their standard far surpassed that of other top Sects.

The all-around strength of Cangjian Palace was undeniable, allowing Azure Province to become the most stable province among the Nine Provinces.

The number of Disciples was also the highest among the twelve top Sects, totaling a hundred thousand.

In terms of influence and all other aspects, it was undoubtedly number one.

With top-tier combat power holding the fort above, and Genius Disciples constantly emerging below, there was no gap in talent. If it wasn't glorious, then there would be a problem.

In his mind, Han Li focused on remembering the information of these twenty-eight Peak of the Acquired Realm experts.

As for the others, Han Li merely glanced at them.

Among those of the same Realm, with his current strength, he was enough to sweep aside everything.

However, against Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artists, Han Li had no certainty.

After breaking through to the Xiantian Second Realm, Han Li had not yet clashed with an Peak of the Acquired Realm expert.

His encounter with the Grand Elder was merely a test.

His Physical Body was his greatest advantage.

His own strength could reach one million two hundred thousand jun, and unleashing martial arts would make him even stronger.

However, the other Genius Disciples were not to be underestimated.

Everything would only become clear after clashing with an Peak of the Acquired Realm expert.

The information was merely a rough estimate in his mind.

There was also a huge gap between different Peak of the Acquired Realm experts.

For example, Tang Sanzang, the Buddhist monk he had once met.

So far, he was the most abnormal Peak of the Acquired Realm expert he had ever seen.

"I wonder if this monk has broken through to the God Realm yet…" Looking at the sky, a thought emerged in Han Li's mind… On an unnamed desolate mountain in the Southern Continent, a golden light descended from the sky, and a young monk holding a purple-gold staff and wearing a golden Buddhist robe appeared.

"Why do I suddenly have a premonition? Could it be that this journey will be difficult?"

Tang Sanzang frowned, reaching out to perform a divination, but for a long time, he couldn't figure anything out.

"To be able to disturb my state of mind, it seems it cannot be underestimated. I must be fully prepared." Tang Sanzang looked at the Void Realm, his expression solemn, and with a flash of his figure, he instantly disappeared from the desolate mountain.

—

A day passed, and the flying ship traveled through a thousand-zhang sea of clouds in the Void Realm.

The destination of the Nine Provinces Tournament was getting closer and closer.

Han Li and his group also came to the corridor.

"We'll arrive in another half an hour. Tianling City is an important city of the Wu Dynasty; you must not cause trouble, understand?"

The Grand Elder's voice came, and Han Li and the others nodded.

Gazing into the distance, piercing through the sea of clouds, Han Li could already see the boundless blue ocean.

Tianling City was surrounded by sea on all sides, and this endless ocean was the sea leading to other continents.

The East Sea!

Thousands of rivers flow eastward!

The Five Continents were separated by the four oceans: East, West, South, and North Seas.

Tianling City belonged to the coast of the East Sea.

Within the territory of the Wu Dynasty, a thousand li into the East Sea belonged to the Wu Dynasty's borders.

And the other three seas were located in the other three directions of the Southern Continent, not belonging to the Wu Dynasty's territory.

After all, the Wu Dynasty did not rule over the entire Southern Continent; the other three seas were separated by more than a hundred and eight thousand li.

Even at a thousand zhang in the sky, Han Li could smell the ocean.

Blue seawater flowed, churning up surging waves… As the flying ship moved forward, Han Li could vaguely see the outline of a super island appear.

It was like a continent.

Tianling City!

It was also the largest island of the Wu Dynasty, Tianling Island.

As they continued forward, the outline of Tianling City became clearer and clearer.

Tall buildings stood, densely packed.

Roads extending in all directions crisscrossed the entire island.

Approaching Tianling City, Han Li could feel the change in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the Void Realm.

It instantly surged several times over.

The closer they got, the stronger the Spiritual Qi became.

"A hundred Spirit Mines, it seems it's not an empty boast!"

Waves of emotion surged in Han Li's heart.

The others, looking at the huge island presented before their eyes, also showed surprise.

In the sky near Tianling Island, Han Li could vaguely feel the Formations covering the Void Realm.

An anti-flight Formation!

And not just one.

Layers of Formations alternated. Visually, nothing could be seen, but in Han Li's spiritual will and Soul, everything could be clearly perceived.

It was like a dense spider web, covering the sky above Tianling Island.

"If these were activated, even a God Realm expert would probably be severely injured…" Han Li clicked his tongue.

From his spiritual Soul perception, these widespread Formations possessed terrifying power.

They looked like nothing, but once one intruded, the consequence would be to suffer a combined attack from thousands of Formations.

"I wonder if my Devouring Heaven and Earth can pass through. It should be fine, right…"

A thought flashed through Han Li's mind.

His Kun Peng Transformation Art was not just a speed technique, but a method that integrated spatial mysteries, giving rise to a Divine Ability. He could also unleash the power of this ultimate martial arts.

Activating Devouring Heaven and Earth could ignore Formation restrictions.

Han Li had already tried this when he first mastered it.

However, whether he could pass through the Formations above Tianling Island, Han Li had no certainty.

Of course, he was just thinking about it; he naturally wouldn't try it unless it was a desperate situation.

Even a God Realm Supreme couldn't withstand it, let alone him.

Even a small mistake could be fatal!

The flying ship arrived near Tianling Island, then descended from the sky.

It landed on the edge of the island. After putting away the flying ship, the Grand Elder and Wu Wuji led the way towards Tianling City.

Han Li and his group followed behind.

It was his first time in such a place, and Han Li was somewhat intrigued.

Stepping onto Tianling Island, he could more clearly perceive the powerful Spiritual Qi within the island.

This was even better than the Spiritual Qi areas of Qingyuan Sect.

"If I could plunder all the Spirit Stones and Spirit Mines on the island, I'd be rich…"

A thought popped into Han Li's mind.

But it was just a thought.

Tianling City was a directly administered city of the Wu Dynasty, larger in scale than a commandery city.

The imperial forces stationed there were even more unfathomable.

And the City Lord of Tianling City was a God Realm Supreme, a first-rank official of the current dynasty.

Acting here would be no different from courting death… Entering Tianling City, a scene of prosperity unfolded before their eyes, with a sea of people.

Looking around, there was a dense mass of people moving about.

The main street was wide enough to accommodate twelve carriages abreast.

It was very spacious.

The entire Tianling City had twelve main streets.

As for other streets and alleys, they were countless.

The scale of a directly administered city was extremely grand!

Even a commandery city couldn't compare.

It was also the only city that could contend with the Wu Capital.

If not for its geographical location, this place might have been the imperial capital.

Following the Grand Elder and Wu Wuji deeper, half an hour later, Han Li and his group arrived at a luxurious mansion in the city's outskirts.

It covered an area of five hundred mu.

And this was just Qingyuan Sect's temporary residence.

The other top Sects were also basically in the nearby areas, and the residences of each Sect were not too far apart.

Gazing into the distance, Han Li could see other residences.

Each residence was covered by a layer of Formation, preventing prying eyes.

Although this place was in the outskirts of the city, it wasn't deserted. The nearest market was only about ten li away.

Entering the residence, artificial mountains and water features stood inside, and the decor was extraordinarily lavish.

And this residence was also an asset of the Qingyuan Sect.

It was only used as a lodging for Disciples during the Nine Provinces Tournament.

Normally, there were dedicated people in charge of the residence, which contained dozens of courtyards, making it quite spacious.