28: Chapter 28 The Foundation of Prodigies: A Hierarchical Ranking of Disdain

Core area of the Sunset Forest.

Usually a Forbidden Ground infested with Yao Beasts, today it was terrifyingly quiet.

Even the wind in the air seemed to have solidified.

Eight terrifying figures sat cross-legged in the Void Realm.

Although they did not deliberately release their pressure, the aura that seemed to merge with heaven and earth still made the Yao Beasts in the forest below tremble.

These were eight Nascent Soul Ancestors!

These top-tier experts, rarely seen on ordinary days, were acting like gatekeepers today, positioned in eight directions to protect the opportunities for their juniors.

In the camp of the Great Qin Empire, a Nascent Soul Ancestor wearing a python robe slowly opened his eyes. His gaze, sharp as a torch, swept over the young Prodigies below and finally fixed on the direction of the Heavenly Sword Sect. His tone carried undisguised admiration:

"The Heavenly Sword Sect is truly blessed. This child, Jian Nanxin, has a bone age of only twenty-three, yet his Sword Intent has reached Perfection. If he takes another step forward, I fear he will touch that legendary Sword Heart Clarity, right?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding Nascent Soul Ancestors also nodded slightly.

In the Southern Region, Cultivation Techniques are divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

The vast majority of Sects and imperial houses could pass down their Legacy for thousands of years if they possessed a single Advanced Profound Rank Cultivation Technique as their Sect-protecting treasure.

And Earth Rank? That was a legendary divine object!

Only the Heavenly Sword Sect possessed an incomplete Intermediate Earth Rank Cultivation Technique, the 'Green Lotus Sword Song'.

It was precisely by relying on this Cultivation Technique that Jian Nanxin was able to suppress a generation in the Southern Region at the age of twenty-three, earning him the title of Little Sword Saint.

"Senior is too kind."

Below, Jian Nanxin carried an ancient sword on his back and bowed slightly.

He was neither humble nor arrogant. With every movement, the surrounding air emitted faint tearing sounds.

That was Sword Qi.

Without needing to be deliberately activated, the aura leaking from his Physical Body alone could tear the air.

Such a Foundation made the eyes of the princes from the Great Qian, Great Han, and other nations twitch, and the desire to compete in their hearts instantly cooled by half.

"This is too strong... Is this the power of an Earth Rank Cultivation Technique?"

The Prince of Da Qian clenched his fists, his eyes filled with jealousy.

Although he also cultivated the 'Tyrant Emperor Art', an Earth Rank Low-Grade Cultivation Technique secretly passed down by the royal family, compared to Jian Nanxin, he was like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

Just then.

"Hum—!"

A streak of purple light tore through the air, and Ying Yue'e landed in the arena with Su Feng.

Great Qin had finally arrived.

However, when everyone's gaze fell upon Su Feng, the atmosphere became somewhat strange.

Which of the Prodigies present wasn't at least at the Late Golden Core Stage?

And Su Feng was only at the Mid-stage Golden Core.

Moreover, he was too clean.

He lacked the sharp, exposed Sword Qi of Jian Nanxin, and he lacked the domineering Imperial Qi of the Prince of Da Qian.

In the perception of the Nascent Soul Ancestors, Su Feng was like a cup of plain water—unremarkable, and the fluctuations of his Cultivation Technique were extremely weak.

"Princess Ying, is this the external helper your Great Qin invited?"

The Prince of Da Qian had been feeling stifled by Jian Nanxin, but seeing Su Feng, he immediately found a sense of superiority.

The intelligence networks of the Five Nations and Three Sects covered the Southern Region; they naturally knew about the news regarding Su Feng.

Although Su Feng's origin was mysterious and he might be the descendant of some hidden expert, when it came to Foundation, those present still looked down on the Su Family.

The Prince of Da Qian shook his head and sighed, seemingly out of kindness.

"Princess Ying, you are confused. This place is the ruins of a Soul Transformation expert; what matters is Foundation and roots."

"Although this Fellow Daoist has cultivated to the Mid-stage Golden Core, which is no small feat, his aura is restrained to the point of nothingness. I fear he is cultivating some kind of Profound Rank Cultivation Technique focused on health preservation, right?"

"Such a technique might be useful for longevity, but in this shura field where we compete for the Dao's Opportunity..."

The Prince of Da Qian curled his lips into an elegant smile.

"Once you enter, I fear you won't even be able to withstand the pressure of the first round. Princess Ying, take my advice and let him stay outside to guard the gate, lest he throw his life away for nothing and damage the prestige of your Great Qin."

These words contained not a single dirty word.

Yet every word was heart-stabbing.

Not only did it demean Su Feng's strength, but it also mocked Great Qin's judgment.

The surrounding princes revealed playful smiles.

Even the Nascent Soul Ancestors high in the air only glanced at Su Feng indifferently before withdrawing their gazes.

In their view, a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator practicing a Profound Rank Cultivation Technique was indeed not worth paying attention to.

Only Wu Qin of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty stared fixedly at Su Feng.

Although she also couldn't see through Su Feng's Cultivation Technique, she had seen that terrifying Formation with her own eyes.

"Profound Rank Cultivation Technique? Heh."

Wu Qin sneered in her heart.

"A bunch of idiots."

"However... Su Feng, the Formation is an external object. If we talk about your own Aptitude and the Foundation of your Cultivation Technique, I don't believe you can compare to Jian Nanxin, who possesses an Earth Rank Legacy!"

Facing the mockery of the Prince of Da Qian.

Ying Yue'e actually changed her usual gentle demeanor and gave the other party no face at all.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

"Who Great Qin sends is up to us; is it your place to nitpick?"

The Prince of Da Qian's expression changed. He wanted to lash out, but was pulled back by his guards.

In the end, he could only glare fiercely at Su Feng.

Su Feng, on the other hand, merely brushed a speck of dust from his sleeve and ignored him completely.

The number one Prodigy of the Southern Region, Jian Nanxin, whom everyone had just praised, only had an Intermediate Earth Rank Cultivation Technique, and an incomplete one at that.

And he himself was cultivating a Top-Grade Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique, which was already at the top.

If it weren't for the fact that he had children to raise at home, Su Feng could simply sit at home sunbathing and be invincible in the Southern Region.

These geniuses they spoke of were nothing but frogs in a well.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin to activate the Secret Realm."

The eight Nascent Soul Ancestors began to throw Spirit Stones into a Formation, simultaneously forming seals to activate it.

This Secret Realm, according to calculations, was a place of Legacy left by a Soul Transformation expert for those destined to find it.

Therefore, only the most top-tier forces in the Southern Region could participate in the division.

"Rumble—!"

As the eight Nascent Soul Ancestors joined forces, tens of thousands of Top-Grade Spirit Stones turned into rolling spiritual liquid and injected into the Formation.

The originally calm Void Realm suddenly distorted violently, emitting a dull, low roar that seemed to come from ancient times.

Immediately after, the earth cracked.

A massive stone monument, a hundred feet tall and made entirely of unknown green ancient jade, slowly rose from the ground.

The monument was carved with obscure, difficult-to-understand runes, and every rune emitted a heart-palpitating pressure.

That was not just the fluctuation of spiritual power; it was an exposition of the Dao itself.

"Is this... the means of a Soul Transformation expert?"

The Golden Core Prodigies present all felt difficulty breathing at this moment, and even felt an urge to worship deep within their Souls.

"Listen well."

The Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Sect looked at the stone monument, his expression solemn, his voice spreading throughout the field:

"This is the Dao Seeking Stele. It is the first barrier of the Secret Realm and the first standard for screening successors."

"Testers must press their palms against the stele and circulate their Cultivation Technique with all their might."

"The stele will conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on your bone age, cultivation, and Aptitude!"

"The evaluation result is based on the color of the light pillar: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple!"

"Red means elimination, Cyan is passing, Blue is excellent."

"If you can trigger a purple light pillar... it means you have the potential to impact Soul Transformation, and the probability of obtaining the Legacy is extremely high!"

Once the rules were announced, the whole place was in an uproar.

"Purple? Impact Soul Transformation?!"

The Prince of Da Qian and the others looked at each other, seeing the desire and pressure in each other's eyes.

In the Southern Region, Soul Transformation was a legendary existence!

Who didn't want to be the one to break the ceiling?

"I'll go first!"

With a clear whistle, Jian Nanxin suddenly opened his eyes.

He took a step, and his figure, like an unsheathed peerless sharp sword, instantly appeared in front of the green stone monument.

No nonsense.

"Hum—!"

The Intermediate Earth Rank 'Green Lotus Sword Song' within Jian Nanxin's body roared into action!

At this moment, the heavens and earth changed color.

Only to see that with him as the center, the Spiritual Qi within a hundred meters seemed to be cut and reorganized by some kind of extremely sharp energy.

Illusory green lotus flowers bloomed at his feet, and within each lotus flower, there contained a terrifying Sword Intent that made one's scalp tingle!

"Phenomenon! This is the heaven and earth phenomenon that only appears when an Earth Rank Cultivation Technique reaches Major Achievement!"

The Nascent Soul Ancestors in mid-air were moved.

Wu Qin's pupils also shrank, and she tightened her grip on the dragon slaying sword in her hand.

Is this the Foundation of the number one person in the Southern Region? It is indeed terrifyingly strong!

"Open!"

Jian Nanxin let out a low drink and pressed his palm heavily onto the stone monument.

Boom!

The stone monument shook violently, and a pillar of light shot into the sky!

Red... Orange... Yellow... Green...

The color changed rapidly, almost without stopping, and in the blink of an eye, it broke through the Cyan passing line.

Immediately after, blue light flourished!

Finally, in the eyes of countless people who were terrified and shocked, the light pillar completely turned into a noble and dazzling purple!

The purple light was as thick as water, even dyeing the surrounding illusory green lotus flowers with a layer of eerie purple edges.

The runes on the stone monument flickered wildly, emitting clear sword chimes, as if cheering for the arrival of a peerless Sword Immortal.

"Purple!! It's actually really purple potential!!"

The whole place was boiling!

"Bone age twenty-three, Late Golden Core Stage, innate Sword Body, plus the Intermediate Earth Rank 'Green Lotus Sword Song'..."

"This kind of Aptitude is probably catching up to those Prodigies in the Central Plains?!"

"As expected of the number one person in the Southern Region! This Secret Realm Legacy belongs to him!"

The Prince of Da Qian watched with bloodshot eyes, both jealous and desperate.

This gap, like a natural chasm, made him not even have the courage to catch up.

Jian Nanxin withdrew his hand, looking at the brilliant purple light, his expression still cold and arrogant.

"Next, Wu Qin of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty!"