19: Xianhan Dynasty, Tongtian Willow

[After successfully contracting the Liefeng Dapeng, your Realm, which had not broken through for a long time, loosened, and you reached the Peak Foundation Establishment.]

[In the days that followed, you continued to Cultivate.]

[However, because you had another mouth to feed with the Liefeng Dapeng, the Spirit Stones in your hands began to deplete rapidly.]

[Two years later, your Spirit Stones were completely exhausted.]

[However, during this time, because the Liefeng Dapeng successfully entered adulthood, your cultivation was also pulled along, reaching the First Layer of the Purple Mansion.]

[You began to think of ways to get some Spirit Stones.]

[Coincidentally, at this time, Martial King City's decennial Heaven and Earth Arena began.]

[The Heaven and Earth Arena is a grand event for the entire Great Wu Dynasty.]

[Any Cultivator under the age of thirty in the entire Great Wu Dynasty could participate.]

[Reason told you that you shouldn't participate in the Heaven and Earth Arena. After all, at this time, your Dual Cultivation of techniques and Body Refining had reached the First Layer of the Purple Mansion and third-stage Body Refining respectively.]

[Such strength was extremely rare even in the entire Great Wu Dynasty.]

[However, after a long mental struggle, you ultimately chose to participate.]

[You couldn't help it; the rewards of the Heaven and Earth Arena were simply too good.]

[Even the reward for tenth place would be enough for you and the Liefeng Dapeng to Cultivate for a very, very long time.]

[You stepped onto the Heaven and Earth Arena.]

[As far as you knew, in previous iterations of the Heaven and Earth Arena, as long as one could win eight consecutive matches, they could rank in the top ten.]

[So, your goal this time was to win eight consecutive matches.]

[Soon, the first challenger stepped onto the arena stage.]

[This person was Zhang Xiong, the Young Clan Chief of the Zhang Family, one of the Four Great Families of the Great Wu Dynasty. His cultivation was the same as yours, both at the First Layer of the Purple Mansion.]

[Seeing that your very first opponent was so powerful, you felt a bit unsure of yourself.]

[However, the result caught you completely off guard.]

[With just a single palm strike, Zhang Xiong, who was acclaimed as the Zhang Family's Prodigy, spat blood and was sent flying backward.]

[For a moment, the entire venue was shocked.]

[You were also shocked by your own strength.]

[The subsequent second, third, and fourth challengers met the same fate.]

[Every single one of them was a quite famous figure in the Great Wu Dynasty, yet none of them could withstand a single blow from you.]

[You began to feel that something was not quite right.]

[After all, although these people's cultivations were achieved through their own efforts, they were incredibly superficial.]

[On the other hand, yours was obtained directly through the System, making it incredibly solid.]

[But surely the gap shouldn't be this massive, right?]

[Not daring to continue, you hastily withdrew from the arena.]

[However, it was already too late.]

[All the subsequent challengers won at most two matches. Even the Crown Prince Wu Poxiao, acclaimed as the Number One Prodigy of Great Wu, was defeated by Sikong Jian, the Young Sect Master of the Profound Sword Sect.]

[Just like that, you inexplicably became the overall champion of the Heaven and Earth Arena.]

[Although you were very puzzled, you still let out a slight smile upon seeing the champion's reward.]

[Subsequently, having won the Heaven and Earth Arena championship, you were summoned by the Great Wu Emperor.]

[Crisis Awareness triggered, giving you a premonition that this trip to the Great Wu Imperial Palace would likely be fraught with grim peril.]

[But the situation before you left absolutely no room for refusal.]

[The several eunuchs who came to invite you had already faintly formed a surrounding posture. If you dared to refuse, they would probably resort to force in the next second.]

[With no other choice, you had to follow them to the Great Wu Imperial Palace.]

[Half an hour later, you stepped into the palace.]

[You saw a middle-aged man sitting at the very head of the hall, exuding authority without being angry, while an elderly man sat beside him.]

["Elder Li, this is the champion of our Great Wu Dynasty's Heaven and Earth Arena this time."]

["He has only just stepped into the First Layer of the Purple Mansion? However, with Dual Cultivation of techniques and Body Refining, as well as a low-grade spiritual body, he is barely passable."]

["We will let it slide this time. If your Great Wu tries to perform perfunctorily again next time, we will definitely not spare you!"]

[The unconcealed conversation between the two reached your ears, filling you with panic.]

[At the same time, the warning from Crisis Awareness grew increasingly intense.]

[You fainted.]

[When you woke up again, several days had already passed.]

[You found yourself in another imperial palace, though it was completely different from the Great Wu Imperial Palace.]

[You began to observe your surroundings.]

[You noticed that there were several other Cultivators beside you; some had already awakened, while others were still fast asleep.]

["Kid, you're awake?"]

[Looking toward the source of the voice, you saw a short, plump Cultivator looking at you.]

[You hurriedly asked him where you all were.]

[The short, plump Cultivator said, “You actually don't know where this is?”]

[His voice carried a hint of surprise. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he spoke up again to explain, “This is the most powerful dynasty in the entire Eastern Continent Cultivation World—the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.”]

[“While our other dynasties are also called dynasties, we are nothing more than 'servants' under the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.”]

[Every once in a while, the Boundless Immortal Dynasty plunders the most outstanding young Cultivators from various dynasties.]

[And the ultimate destination for these Cultivators is to become nourishment for the Boundless Immortal Dynasty's Reaching Heaven Willow.]

[“The Reaching Heaven Willow?”]

[This name felt somewhat unfamiliar to you.]

[On the other side, hearing your question, the short, plump Cultivator continued, “The Reaching Heaven Willow is closely linked to the Boundless Immortal Dynasty. Legend has it that the Reaching Heaven Willow is an object of the Immortal Realm, a protective talisman left to descendants by an ascended Old Ancestor of the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.”]

[“In moments of crisis, the Boundless Immortal Dynasty can even contact that Old Ancestor in the Immortal Realm through the Reaching Heaven Willow.”]

[The short, plump Cultivator told you a great deal.]

[Once, he too was a high-spirited youth who had shown extraordinary cultivation talent since childhood, the hope of his Family.]

[But until he turned twenty-something, everything changed.]

[The Great Li Imperial Family found his Family, and after giving them many spiritual items, they had the Family hand him over to the imperial Family for nurturing.]

[His Family readily accepted.]

[But who could have thought that the Great Li Imperial Family had absolutely no intention of nurturing him, but planned from the very beginning to offer him to the Boundless Immortal Dynasty.]

[Later, he discovered the conspiracy of the Great Li Imperial Family, but it was already too late.]

[By then, he was already closely monitored by the Great Li Imperial Family, and even leaving his secluded cultivation chamber had become a luxury.]

[Furthermore, the Great Li Imperial Family had promised that as long as he willingly went to his death, they would take care of his Family; if he did not cooperate, they would leave not even a single dog or chicken alive in his entire clan.]

[As he spoke, the short, plump Cultivator began to weep bitterly.]

[“Begin the sacrifice to the Immortal Willow Old Ancestor!”]

[Just then, a cold voice interrupted the short, plump Cultivator's weeping.]

[You, the short, plump Cultivator, and the others were dragged next to the Reaching Heaven Willow for the sacrifice.]

[Ah! Argh!]

[Bursts of miserable screams echoed as the Cultivators offered along with you to the Reaching Heaven Willow were sacrificed alive one by one.]

[However, just as it was your turn, the two Cultivators controlling the sacrificial Formation stopped in their tracks.]