34: The Nine Cauldrons project was forced to a halt!

At the Dao Inquiry Altar, the cheers were like a tsunami, resounding endlessly.

Lin Hao and Lin Yun, supporting each other while standing bathed in blood, were deeply imprinted in everyone's hearts. Fighting a Life Soul Realm opponent and winning while two Realms lower! Such a feat was rare even throughout the history of the Nine Provinces Dao Inquiry Conference!

"The Lin Family of Qingzhou... they are truly about to soar!" "That Sword Cultivator, that Body Cultivator... they are simply monsters!" "And that kid with the Pupil Technique who had a bye, he probably isn't simple either!"

Countless gazes focused on the two staggering yet upright figures, filled with shock, admiration, and even a trace of fear. On the high platform, the giants from various major forces had scorching eyes, calculating how to recruit at least one of these three into their sects.

The name of the Three Heroes of the Lin Family, at this moment, truly resounded throughout the Nine Provinces!

Acting Clan Head and Elder rushed to the arena immediately, helping the exhausted Lin Hao and Ye Chen down. They fed them precious Medicinal Pills as if they were worthless, and used their own Qi to help them dissolve the medicinal power and stabilize their injuries.

Lin Yun, who had a bye, also stepped forward quickly. Seeing the miserable state of his two brothers, his eyes turned slightly red, his fists clenched, and he said in a low voice: "Brother Hao, Brother Chen, leave the rest to me!"

Lin Hao managed to pull out a smile and patted his shoulder: "Be careful." Ye Chen grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth: "Beat them up!"

After a short but efficient healing session and the respite brought by the bye, the three of them recovered quite a bit. Especially Lin Hao and Ye Chen; having experienced a life-and-death battle, their potential was greatly stimulated. Although their injuries were not fully healed, their aura became more condensed, and there were faint signs of a Breakthrough.

Next round, sixty-three to thirty-two! The drawing of lots began!

The light screen flowed, and fate was randomly arranged once again.

When the matchups appeared, the whole arena was in an uproar again.

Lin Hao was matched against a female cultivator from Haizhou who controlled Weak Water and used a technique that was extremely gentle and lingering; her cultivation was at the Fourth Stage of the Life Soul Realm! Ye Chen encountered a Demonic Path Genius from the Demon Domain, shrouded in black robes with an unfathomable and strange aura; his cultivation was at the Peak of the Fourth Stage of the Life Soul Realm! And Lin Yun, his opponent, was none other than Zhao Kuo from the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion of the Central Province, who had previously held a grudge against Ye Chen! His cultivation had actually broken through to the First Stage of the Life Soul Realm in this short time! Apparently, he had used some secret technique or Medicinal Pill to forcefully improve it.

"This Luck... is the Lin Family having bad Luck? Two more Mid-Stage Life Soul Realm opponents!" "That Zhao Kuo clearly used pills to get there, his Foundation is unstable, but he's still in the Life Soul Realm nonetheless!" "It seems the Lin Family will stop here..."

The spectators discussed noisily. Facing strong enemies consecutively, Luck did not seem to be on the Lin Family's side.

Only Lin Dao, in the Quiet Room of Qingzhou, had cold eyes. Through the System's Luck perception, he clearly saw that the disaster aura entangled around the three of them fluctuated slightly for a moment before the draw.

"Interfering with the draw? What a despicable tactic." He snorted coldly, pouring in Luck from afar again to stabilize the state of the three.

The arena battle restarted!

Facing the Weak Water female cultivator, Lin Hao fell into an extremely passive situation as soon as the battle started. The opponent's technique was gentle, and the power of Weak Water was pervasive, capable of eroding Qi, delaying movements, and containing Divine Soul attacks. His sword speed and movement techniques were greatly restricted, as if he had fallen into a quagmire. He had sharp Sword Intent but found it difficult to unleash it fully, and could only struggle to support himself with his clear Sword Heart, looking for that one-in-a-million opening. The battle was extremely agonizing.

Ye Chen's battlefield with the Demonic cultivator was the complete opposite, extremely explosive! The Demonic cultivator's methods were strange, turning into black mist, appearing and disappearing, with various curses, poison barriers, and demonic fire at his fingertips. Ye Chen roared repeatedly, his holy body's blood burning to the limit, his punches fierce, but he kept hitting empty air, and instead, he was left covered in wounds by the opponent's various insidious methods, feeling extremely stifled. He needed to use absolute power to tear through this strange demonic atmosphere!

And the arena of Lin Yun and Zhao Kuo attracted the most attention—it was full of drama.

"Hahaha! Lin Family trash! Finally, you fell into my hands!" Zhao Kuo was smug, with a sick excitement and resentment on his face, "Let's see how I handle you! Kneel down and beg for mercy, maybe you'll suffer less!"

A long saber appeared in his hand, shimmering with light and clearly of a very high grade. With the pressure of the Life Soul Realm, he slashed at Lin Yun! The blade light was brilliant and the momentum was terrifying, but in the eyes of true experts, it appeared floating and weak, flashy but without substance.

Lin Yun's expression was calm, even carrying a trace of pity. His Starry Sky Annihilation Pupil opened slightly, having long seen through the essence of the opponent's strong exterior but weak interior.

His figure flickered like a ghost, easily avoiding the seemingly powerful blade light.

Zhao Kuo was stunned, then flew into a rage, his saber technique becoming more frantic: "Dodging? Let's see how long you can dodge!"

The blade light was like a tide, but it couldn't even touch the corner of Lin Yun's clothes.

Lin Yun strolled like he was in a leisurely courtyard, weaving through the blade light. Occasionally, his eyes would flash slightly, and Zhao Kuo would appear in a momentary trance, his saber technique becoming chaotic as a result.

"Bastard! You're using a Demonic Technique!" Zhao Kuo yelled, his face flushed red.

There was booing from the audience.

"This Zhao Kuo is really a straw bag! His Life Soul Realm cultivation was fed to the dogs!" "A loser who relied entirely on Medicinal Pills to pile up his cultivation!" "Is that kid from the Lin Family toying with him?"

On the high platform, the Marquis of Zhenhai's face turned iron-green, wishing he could go down himself and drag his embarrassing son off.

Lin Yun felt it was enough and didn't want to waste any more time. He spotted an opening when Zhao Kuo was exhausted and catching his breath, and the starlight in his eyes suddenly brightened!

"Phantom Star, Bind!"

Zhao Kuo only felt a blur before his eyes, as if he were instantly bound by countless starlight chains, unable to move! He was terrified to the extreme!

Lin Yun stepped out and lightly imprinted a palm on his chest.

Pfft! Zhao Kuo flew backward like a broken kite, the blood he spat out drawing an arc in the air, before he slammed heavily outside the arena and passed out.

Clean and neat, without even breaking a sweat.

The whole arena was silent, and then erupted into roars of laughter. This was perhaps the most one-sided and ridiculous Life Soul Realm "confrontation" of this conference.

Lin Yun walked off the arena expressionlessly, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

On the other two arenas, the battles had reached a white-hot stage!

Lin Hao had added several more wounds to his body, his aura slightly chaotic, but his eyes were getting brighter and brighter. The opponent's pervasive Weak Water power was instead helping him hone his Sword Intent, giving him a deeper understanding of "Wind," especially the penetration, tearing, and pervasive characteristics of "Wind"!

"Wind is not just fast... Wind can also erode bones... Formless and impermanent, pervasive!"

He suddenly stopped his movement, no longer just dodging. His long sword made a clear and long sword hum! On the sword body, it seemed that countless microscopic wind blades were rotating at high speed!

"Take my sword, Wind Erosion!"

He stabbed out with his sword, no longer a single sword light, but transformed into a wisp of invisible and intangible breeze, yet containing the ultimate piercing and erosive Concept, silently penetrating the layers of Weak Water defense, stabbing straight at the female cultivator's brow!

The female cultivator's face changed drastically, and she tried her best to mobilize the Weak Water to resist, but she felt that the protective Weak Water was being rapidly "eroded" and disintegrated by that wisp of "breeze"!

Swish!

The breeze brushed past, a spot of crimson exploded between her brows, her eyes full of disbelief, and her body fell softly to the ground. Although she was not dead, her Divine Soul had been severely damaged by the Sword Intent, and she lost her ability to fight.

Victory!

On the other side, Ye Chen was made extremely irritable by the Demonic cultivator's various strange methods, his body surrounded by black gas, having been hit by several curses and virulent poisons. If not for his strong holy body, he would have already been defeated.

"You rat hiding your head and showing your tail! Get out here!" He roared, no longer trying to capture the opponent's true form, but smashed his fists hard against the ground!

Boom!!!

The entire arena shook violently! The terrifying power spread and oscillated crazily through the ground!

The Demonic cultivator who turned into black mist was caught off guard and was forced to reveal his true form by this indiscriminate terrifying shock, staggering!

"Found you!"

Ye Chen's eyes shot out fierce light, regardless of the curse and poison power erupting in his body, like a mad bull, he rushed in front of the opponent instantly! Blood and that wisp of Chaos Luck condensed on his fists, like two blood-colored suns!

"Bull Breaks the Realm! Break for me!"

Both fists came out together! The space seemed to be shattered!

The Demonic cultivator used various defensive Demonic Techniques in panic, but in front of Ye Chen's angry outburst containing a trace of law-breaking power, they shattered like paper!

Bang!! Crack!

The sound of teeth-aching bone cracking and explosion sounded at the same time!

The Demonic cultivator screamed, his chest completely collapsed, and he flew backward like a broken sack, passing out in the air, life or death unknown!

Victory!

Tragic! But still a victory!

All three Advanced to the top thirty-two!

The miracle was still continuing!

The cheering almost lifted the sky!

However, just as Ye Chen won and his mind relaxed slightly, a sudden change occurred!

The various curses, demonic poisons, and that wisp of dormant disaster aura in his body, which had been suppressed by his holy body's blood and Chaos Luck, seemed to have found a Breakthrough and erupted violently!

Blech!

Ye Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of pitch-black blood that smelled foul, his face instantly turned gray, his body swayed, and strange black-purple patterns appeared under his skin!

"Brother Chen!" Lin Hao and Lin Yun, who had just left the arena, changed their faces drastically and rushed over to support him.

"Poison curse outbreak!" On the high platform, Acting Clan Head and Elder were also terrified.

The whole venue gasped!

"It's the Demonic cultivator's dark hand!" "What a vicious method! Even if you win the game, you must destroy your opponent!" "What a pity! Such a Genius, is he going to fall here?"

In the Quiet Room of Qingzhou, Lin Dao's eyes turned cold, and he instantly locked onto the erupting power of the disaster poison curse!

"System! Highest priority! Purify! Suppress!"

[Ding! Consumed 30,000 Authority Points! Activating the highest level of Luck purification and life recovery!]

A deep purple Luck, majestic to the extreme and containing infinite vitality and purifying power, descended from afar, washing into Ye Chen's body like a waterfall!

The rampant demonic poison curse and disaster aura, in front of this overwhelming Family Luck, seemed to meet their nemesis, emitting shrill hisses, and were quickly purified and dispersed!

Ye Chen's gray face recovered its ruddy color at a speed visible to the naked eye, the black-purple patterns under his skin faded quickly, and although his aura was weak, it stabilized.

"So... so dangerous..." Ye Chen panted, still feeling lingering fear.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But after this commotion, Ye Chen's state dropped sharply, and it would be difficult to return to his Peak in a short time.

And at this time, the next round of drawing lots had already begun.

Thirty-two to sixteen!

When the light screen froze, everyone's hearts tightened.

Lin Hao was matched against a young Daoist from the Heavenly Province, who possessed an Innate Dao Body and had reached the Fifth Stage of the Life Soul Realm! The opponent's aura was ethereal, as if in harmony with the Dao, and was so powerful that it was despairing! Lin Yun encountered a Protector from the Buddha Domain who practiced the Vajra Indestructible Body and was at the Peak of the Fourth Stage of the Life Soul Realm! His Physical Body strength was monstrous! And Ye Chen, who was in a very poor state, his opponent was actually—that Imperial Dynasty general who had been forced back by Lin Hao's desperate sword earlier! He had actually Advanced too, and his injuries seemed to have recovered better, with a cultivation of the Fourth Stage of the Life Soul Realm! He looked at Ye Chen with complex Battle Intent in his eyes.

Desperate situation!

This Luck was extremely bad! It was as if an invisible hand wanted to crush the Lin Family to death here!

There was an uproar on the high platform, and some even began to doubt the fairness of the draw.

Lin Hao took a deep breath, gripped the sword in his hand, and his eyes were as sharp as before. Lin Yun silently wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth (the assistance in suppressing Ye Chen's injuries had consumed a lot), and the light flowed in his Starry Sky Annihilation Pupil. Ye Chen swallowed a large handful of Medicinal Pills, forced himself to stand straight, and grinned: "Damn, it seems like I can't stop without beating up a few tough nuts!"

The three looked at each other and smiled, without any fear.

Just as they were preparing to step onto the seemingly doomed arena—

Rumble—!!!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure that surpassed all living beings erupted without warning from the depths of the Central Province Imperial City, instantly covering the entire Dao Inquiry Altar!

The sky suddenly dimmed! It was not dark clouds, but all light seemed to be swallowed! A sense of fear, as if disaster was imminent and the end of the world was coming, gripped everyone's heart!

Even the great experts of the Spirit Tribulation Realm on the high platform were terrified and stood up one after another!

"This... this is... the aura of the Dao Tribulation Realm?! No... even stronger!" "What happened in the depths of the Imperial City?!" "A peerless fierce thing born? Or... has an unimaginable existence descended?!"

In the midst of chaos and panic.

A cold, angry, yet supremely majestic old voice, like thunder from the Nine Heavens, exploded in the depths of everyone's Soul:

"What kind of monster dares to disturb my Imperial Dynasty's Forbidden Ground! Stealing the Soul of the ‘Nine Provinces Tripod’!!"

The Nine Provinces Tripod?! The Supreme Divine Artifact that suppresses the Luck of the Central Province?! Its vessel Soul was actually stolen?!

This news was even more shocking than the aura of the Dao Tribulation Realm! It was simply earth-shattering!

The entire Imperial City was in chaos in an instant!

Countless incomparably powerful auras rose from all over the Imperial City, like a disturbed swarm of bees, rushing towards the direction of the Forbidden Ground!

The Dao Inquiry Conference was forced to be interrupted!

All the arena light screens extinguished instantly, and a powerful space Restriction covered down, temporarily imprisoning all participants and spectators on the spot, forbidding them from acting rashly!

"The Imperial Dynasty is under martial law! Everyone, stand by on the spot! Anyone who violates the order will be killed without mercy!" The voice of the prince from before sounded, filled with unprecedented anxiety and killing intent.

Lin Hao, Ye Chen, and Lin Yun were stunned by this sudden earth-shattering change, looking at each other.

However, on a level they couldn't see, Lin Dao, through the System, clearly saw—the disaster aura that had been entangled with the three of them was now, as if summoned by something, becoming unusually active, and faintly pointing towards the direction of the Imperial City's Forbidden Ground!

"So... the target from the beginning was not the conference itself, but... the Nine Provinces Tripod Soul?!" Lin Dao's eyes burst with terrifying brilliance.

"What a feint! What a Disaster Priest!"

"But this muddy water is not so easy to wade!"

He sensed that deep in the Imperial City's Forbidden Ground, several Dao Tribulation Realm, and even stronger auras had already collided violently!