424: Chapter 424 The Opportunity of the Ninth Dao Platform

Zi Yan poured all her strength into this spear strike. The blazing golden light was like a rising scorching sun, accompanied by a searing heat wave that rushed over!

In all fairness...

Zi Yan's strength was extremely formidable, enough to rival Sword Thirteen of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and her offensive was fierce.

Unfortunately, she had run into Ji Taichang.

Ji Taichang slashed out with his sword once again. Green radiance and white light swirled around—it was the power of the Creation Green Lotus Dao Seed and the Taiyin Body, mixed with blinding arcs of lightning, incomparably sharp.

In the blink of an eye, the two clashed dozens of times. Sword Qi flashed, spear light filled the sky, and they collided continuously, producing explosions like claps of thunder.

Even though Ji Taichang did not use his Double-Pupil Immortal Eyes, he still held an overwhelming advantage. He battered Zi Yan until blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, forcing her to retreat repeatedly with several bloody wounds added to her body.

“Cough, cough...”

Zi Yan clutched her unremarkable chest and coughed up a few mouthfuls of congested blood, her gaze toward Ji Taichang filled with shock and wariness!

She had exhausted all her methods, yet she couldn't even touch the hem of Ji Taichang's clothes. Instead, she had been repeatedly injured and was completely suppressed!

The gap in strength between the two sides was massive!

To think there is such a powerful young expert in Tianlan Province?

Zi Yan was the Zi Yan, a Prodigy of her generation. She believed that even if she wasn't the strongest of the younger generation in Tianlan Province, she was at least in the top tier. Yet now, she had suffered a major setback at the hands of Ji Taichang.

“Fellow Daoist, your strength is formidable. I have lost.”

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and stared intently at Ji Taichang. “I am Zi Yan of Holy Heaven Island in Tianlan Province. May I know your honorable name, Fellow Daoist, and which lineage you hail from?”

Seeing Zi Yan concede so gracefully, Ji Taichang also put away his green wind sword.

“Ji Taichang, a True Disciple of the Benlei Sect in Liefeng Immortal Prefecture.”

“Liefeng Immortal Prefecture??”

Zi Yan's bright, watery eyes widened in utter disbelief!

Just a Sect from a small Immortal Prefecture, yet it could actually nurture such a powerful and terrifying Prodigy??

Ji Taichang picked up the ancient book on the Dao platform. Sweeping his gaze over it, he turned to look at Zi Yan.

“This is an Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique, the Nine Heavens Thunder Art. I can make a copy for you, but the condition is that Holy Heaven Island must take action for me three times. What do you think?”

An Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique!

Zi Yan's heart jolted, filled with both shock and joy!

A Cultivation Technique of this level was rare even across the entire Tianlan Province, and would be a Sect-protecting Legacy even within Holy Heaven Island!

With an additional Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique, Holy Heaven Island could not only nurture a batch of experts but also pass it down as part of their foundation, allowing Holy Heaven Island to maintain its strength and prosperity. The benefits were immense!

After the initial pleasant surprise, Zi Yan quickly calmed down.

Trading three actions from Holy Heaven Island for an Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique seemed like a very good deal.

But what if Ji Taichang asked Holy Heaven Island to crusade against a Forbidden Zone of Life, or attack some terrifying Sect lineages? Wouldn't Holy Heaven Island be finished then?

Zi Yan took a deep breath and replied, “Fellow Daoist Ji, I am only a Disciple of Holy Heaven Island. I cannot agree to your terms unilaterally. At the very least, Aunt Qiu must agree.”

“Furthermore, even if Holy Heaven Island is willing to act for you, it must be under the premise of ensuring our own safety and not violating the morals of Holy Heaven Island. It is impossible for us to be at your beck and call.”

The corner of Ji Taichang's mouth curled up slightly.

“Rest assured, I won't make things difficult for Holy Heaven Island.”

Obtaining an Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique for free and copying it for Holy Heaven Island in exchange for a powerful ally was a very worthwhile deal!

Holy Heaven Island was a hegemon of Tianlan Province. As long as they were willing to step forward, the Shen Family would certainly not dare to act rashly.

Unless Young Master Shen Anlin was absolutely determined to snatch Luo Yulian back.

Ji Taichang put away the ancient book, stepped back onto the iron chains, and dashed toward the ninth Dao platform.

Zi Yan licked her rosy lips and immediately followed!

The eighth Dao platform already had an Immortal Venerable-grade Cultivation Technique. Once they reached the ninth Dao platform, wouldn't they soar to new heights!

Crack!!

Just as the thought arose in Zi Yan's mind, a sheet of lightning lit up on the iron chains. The terrifying pressure was like a Heavenly Tribulation descending, causing her body to stagger and her hair to stand on end.

“Hiss—what powerful lightning!”

Zi Yan's expression changed slightly as she gasped in a breath of cold air.

The lightning leading to the ninth Dao platform was exceptionally violent and terrifying, its difficulty more than several times greater than that of the eighth Dao platform!

The further forward they went, the more terrifying the lightning became.

Even though Zi Yan summoned several Magic Treasures to protect herself and circulated her immortal energy to the limit, she was still struck until her body trembled, and black smoke billowed out as soon as she opened her mouth.

Her skin, which was originally as white and tender as tofu, was charred black, making her look somewhat comical and disheveled.

Zi Yan turned her head to look at Ji Taichang, and her eyes instantly widened as her mouth fell slightly open in a daze.

She saw Ji Taichang's eyes swirling with a mysterious and terrifying immortal light. The lightning falling from the sky was swallowed up instantly!

He strode forward on the iron chains, completely unaffected!

“Is this his true strength?”

“What kind of pupil technique is that? So strong!!”

“Ji Taichang... is he really a Genius nurtured by the Benlei Sect of Liefeng Immortal Prefecture?”

Zi Yan's brain buzzed with shock; she was truly frightened.

She had only advanced less than two Zhang, while Ji Taichang had already walked over a hundred Zhang, getting closer and closer to the ninth Dao platform!

“Mother was indeed right. There is always someone better, and the heavens beyond the heavens. The Immortal Realm is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. My meager talent and strength are not worth being proud of at all...”

Zi Yan could not help but mutter to herself, feeling thoroughly dejected.

She knew she could not compete with Ji Taichang.

Yet her eyes were also filled with stubbornness. Unwilling to retreat, she gritted her teeth and struggled forward.

While she was still struggling bitterly amidst the sky-covering lightning,

Ji Taichang had already ascended the ninth Dao platform!

What appeared before his eyes was an incredibly blazing and gorgeous sphere of lightning. Vaguely, a large number of minute lightning symbols could be seen flickering within, as if containing the Origin of all lightning in the heavens.

The aura radiating invisibly from it caused even Ji Taichang to feel a tremor in his heart!

Without hesitation, Ji Taichang strode forward, grabbed it, and refined it in an instant!

Boom!!

Ji Taichang's robust frame shook violently. The sphere of lightning in his hand instantly merged into his body, filling his entire being in an instant, causing his body to tremble slightly and his long hair to stand on end.

Almost at the same time,

the entire bronze ancient palace began to vibrate. The originally faint light instantly burst forth, and lines of lightning lit up one after another. Accompanied by the continuous awakening of an aura as terrifying as a vast ocean, the entire Small World shook!

Pei Yuening and the old woman both tensed, sensing a terrifying aura that made their skin crawl.

“This is... an Immortal Venerable Magic Treasure!!”

The old woman's pupils dilated in shock, and a stormy wave arose in her heart!

“No, wait... This Magic Treasure is severely damaged, its artifact spirit has perished, and its power has already dropped to the Immortal Lord level!”

She stared intently at the bronze ancient palace and quickly discerned some clues.

Yet, her gaze remained incredibly burning.

A heavily damaged Immortal Venerable Magic Treasure was still far more precious than an ordinary Immortal Lord Magic Treasure. If they could enlist the help of those top Artifact Refining Sects, there might still be a possibility of repairing it!