NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 227: Claiming the Top Spot
Chapter 227: Claiming the Top Spot
Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.
Xu Lian returned to his residence, allocated his points, added resources, allocated more points, added more resources… repeating this process four times, he advanced to Transcendent 9th Stage.
The top genius of the second sequence was only at Transcendent 8th Stage.
A month had passed, and even if they had advanced to stage 9, they would still be no match for him.
Winning the top spot was practically a sure thing.
Leaving his residence, he headed straight to the training grounds.
The place was packed, even more so than during the last training session. Even some of the elders who usually had nothing to do had come to watch. Was it because of his outstanding performance during the last session?
“Master, Law Enforcer Elder, and all the elders,” Xu Lian greeted as he approached, bowing first to Elder Cheng Pu, then to the Law Enforcer Elder and the other elders.
Elder Cheng Pu, known as the “Phantom Walker”, had once taught him escape techniques. The Law Enforcer Elder was the ancestor of the female genius he had defeated in the last training session… so he had to pay his respects.
Elder Cheng Pu and the Law Enforcer Elder nodded with smiles, while the other elders also offered some friendly words of encouragement.
Gu Xiangzhen smiled and said, “Junior brother, your performance in the last training session was remarkable. You climbed from rank 45 to rank 5, which shocked many elders. Today, they’ve come specifically to see how you perform.”
Xu Lian replied, “Then I’ll have to put on a good show. I can’t let the elders leave disappointed.”
The tens of thousands of disciples looked on with envy. To be so young and yet be able to talk and joke with the powerful elders – having connections really made a difference…
The geniuses of the second sequence began to arrive one by one, also paying their respects to the elders. However, they weren’t as composed as Xu Lian. As members of the younger generation, even if they were geniuses, they still felt a certain pressure in the presence of these powerful elders.
The Sequence Hall Elder, an old woman, arrived. She just nodded to the elders without saying much.
Xu Lian and the Second Sequence Geniuses quickly returned to the waiting area and sat on their meditation pillows, ready to enter the stage.
“Xu Lian,” the old woman called.
Xu Lian stood up and walked towards the arena. He was used to it – he was always the first to be “chosen”.
The second sequence geniuses were also used to it. They knew that the Sequence Hall Elder would always call Xu Lian first. After all, the weight of the laws of the Divine Kingdom was too heavy, and with the Goddess of Time behind him-the highest achiever among the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands-Xu Lian was undoubtedly the most valuable young genius of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land. Even the first sequence could only play a supporting role.
The old woman pointed to the genius ranked fourth, designating him as Xu Lian’s opponent.
However, Xu Lian didn’t want to waste any time. “Elder, I’d like to challenge the top-ranked senior directly. Is that possible?”
The fourth rank genius who had just stood up could only smile wryly and sit back down.
The old woman’s gaze fixed on Xu Lian. “The top-ranked genius reached Transcendent 8th Stage during last month’s training session.
Are you sure you want to challenge him?”
Xu Lian nodded. “In the past month, I’ve made a breakthrough and reached Transcendent 9th Stage. That’s why I want to challenge the highest ranking senior directly.”
Transcendent 9th Stage?
Everyone was stunned. Last month, he was only at Transcendent 5th Stage. How had he advanced four ranks in just one month? Even if the Goddess of Time herself had been guiding him, such progress was unheard of!
The old woman was shocked as well. “In that case, Zi Jin, step forward and accept Xu Lian’s challenge.”
The top genius stood up, feeling an immense pressure. Xu Lian had advanced four levels in one month, surpassing him. Was this even human?
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”…
After only five exchanges, the top genius couldn’t hold out any longer. Xu Lian’s cultivation was one rank higher, and his combat techniques were superior. There was no point in continuing. He conceded defeat and handed over his identity token to Xu Lian.
And just like that, Xu Lian claimed the top spot in the second sequence of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.
It was even easier than he had anticipated… and this while he still had ten progression points left unused.
The old woman said, “According to tradition, the highest-ranking genius of the second sequence has the opportunity to challenge the lowest-ranking genius of the first sequence. If you succeed, you’ll be allowed to participate in the training sessions of the First Sequence. If you fail, you’ll remain in the second sequence. Do you want to challenge the lowest ranked genius of the first sequence?”
Xu Lian remembered when the Heavenly Mystic Holy Lord had taken him to the arena in the second layer of the small world and pitted him against the lowest-ranked genius of the first sequence. What was his name… Yu Xuan?
More than half a year had passed. He wondered if Yu Xuan was still the lowest ranked genius in the first sequence.
“I will accept the challenge,” Xu Lian said.
His goal was to sweep through all the young geniuses and become the Holy Son. Of course, he had to participate in the first sequence’s training.
The old woman struck the air several times, opening a spatial passage. “Go.”
Xu Lian jumped into the passage.
As he did so, he couldn’t help but compare the difference between ordinary mighty experts and top-tier ones. The Heavenly Mystic Sacred Lord could casually summon him to the second layer of the small world with a wave of his hand, while the Sequence Hall Elder had to open a spatial passage to send him there.
Emerging from the passage, he found himself standing on a bloodstained arena… It seemed that the Sequence Hall Elder’s aim was quite accurate.
He gazed curiously at the wild lands of the second layer, hearing the sounds of battle and the roar of wild beasts in the distance. The Geniuses of the First Sequence were probably fighting with the beasts.
After a short wait, a figure jumped over the mountains and quickly arrived at the blood-stained arena. Obviously, they had received orders to come and accept Xu Lian’s challenge.
Yu Xuan looked surprised. “Last time, you couldn’t even withstand a single blow from me. I never expected that you’d climbed to the top of the Second Sequence in just a few months.”
Xu Lian was also a little surprised. “I didn’t expect that after all these months, you would still be the lowest ranked one in the first sequence.”
“…” Yu Xuan’s face darkened. “The first sequence is completely different from the second. Every genius here is among the best of the best. It is incredibly difficult to move up even a single rank!”
Xu Lian smiled. “Difficult for you, perhaps. But now that I’m here, let’s see how I defeat them.”
Yu Xuan said, “First, you’ll have to defeat me. Only then will you have the right to participate in the first sequence’s training.”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
Xu Lian left an afterimage behind as he instantly appeared in front of Yu Xuan.
He started with a golden Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land!
This was followed by a Golden Imperial Capital!
Then, the Demon Suppressing Cave!
Next, the Calamity Finger!
And finally, the Seal Light Sword Wheel!
Yu Xuan was completely overwhelmed… From the very first move, he was on the defensive. Despite his best efforts, he had no chance to counterattack. He was forced to retreat step by step until he was cornered in the arena, barely able to block the onslaught.
His arms went numb, followed by his entire body. Blood spilled from his nose and mouth.
“Stop!” he shouted, unable to take it any longer.
Xu Lian didn’t stop. He manifested thirty-three small worlds, each one crashing down like a shooting star!
“Stop! I admit defeat!” Yu Xuan was on the verge of collapse.
Only then did Xu Lian stop smiling.
Yu Xuan looked at him as if he were a monster. “What kind of fighting techniques are these? We’re both at Transcendent 9th Stage, and I’ve even mastered a heaven-grade fighting technique, yet I’m no match for you. How is this possible?”
“Nothing is impossible,” Xu Lian replied, not wanting to explain.
Yu Xuan wiped the blood from his nose and mouth, shaking his numb arms. “You have defeated me and earned the right to participate in the first sequence training next month. Good luck. I’ll be watching to see how far you can go in the first sequence.”
“Just wait and see,” Xu Lian said, not wasting any more words. He jumped back into the spatial passage and returned to the first layer of the small world.
Appearing back at the training grounds, the second sequence geniuses and the tens of thousands of disciples were curious – had he won or lost?
The elders with their keen senses already knew the result. The old woman smiled and said, “He won.”
As expected, the crowd erupted in astonishment. Xu Lian had defeated a first sequence genius!
Although it was only the lowest ranked genius in the first sequence, it was still shocking. After all, for the younger generation, First Sequence was practically an invincible legend!
In the history of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land, there were very few instances where someone from the second sequence had defeated a genius from the first sequence. It was an almost unheard-of feat.
Xu Lian had no interest in watching the other second sequence geniuses compete. He left the training grounds and was about to call O to take him away when the scenery suddenly changed and the world spun around him…
Xu Lian sighed. He felt like a “puppet” being constantly moved around.
He found himself at the entrance of a grand hall, surrounded by mist. A beautiful woman stood at the entrance, smiling and gesturing for him to enter. This was undoubtedly the residence of the Goddess of Nine Heavens.
Xu Lian curiously examined the woman’s strange clothes. “What is this all about?”
The woman smiled. “Exotic fashion.”
Well, they really knew how to mix things up… Xu Lian stepped into the hall, curious to see what the Goddess of Nine Heavens would look like in exotic clothes.
Upon entering, he was genuinely stunned. As expected, someone so beautiful would look good in anything.
The Goddess of Nine Heavens blinked. “What do you prefer, the imperial consort’s dress from last time or this exotic outfit?”
Xu Lian thought carefully. “The imperial consort dress was slightly better. It felt more immersive.”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens rolled her eyes. “Do you want to be an emperor or something?”
Xu Lian replied, “What man doesn’t?”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens glared at him. “In just two training sessions, over two months, your cultivation has risen from Great Grandmaster 8th Stage to Transcendent 9th Stage, a full major rank. Are you truly a once-in-a-generation genius?”
Xu Lian said, “Of course. Otherwise, how could I dare to think of becoming your Dao companion?”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens rarely showed seriousness, but now she did. “Even if you are a once-in-a-generation genius and become the Nine Heavens Holy Son, your chances are slim. Your cultivation time is just too short. My senior brothers who are nearing the Sovereign level have cultivated for thousands, even tens of thousands of years longer than you. How do you plan to defeat them?”
“They’re currently locked in a stalemate, all striving to break through to the Sovereign level. Once one of them succeeds, they’ll become the Nine Heavenly Holy Son, and I’ll have no choice but to become their Dao Companion”.
Xu Lian frowned. “Let’s hope they stay in this stalemate for a few more millennia. Don’t let them decide things too quickly. Once my cultivation catches up, I’ll compete with them for you.”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens smiled ambiguously. “The world is unpredictable and rarely goes as you wish. You’d better not set your heart on me or you might end up regretting it for the rest of your life.”
“…” Xu Lian felt a pang in his heart. Was she twisting the knife?
The Goddess of Nine Heavens paused and then said, “Actually, there might be a way.”
Xu Lian instinctively asked, “What way?”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens’ eyes gleamed. “Give me the laws of the Divine Kingdom that are imbued in you. If I master the laws of the Divine Kingdom, my strength will be equal to that of my senior sister. I’ll take control of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, push my senior brothers aside, and reserve the position of Nine Heavenly Sacred Son for you.”
So, it all came back to the Divine Kingdom’s laws… Xu Lian took out his purple jade token. “O, I want to go home.”
The Goddess of Nine Heavens’ expression froze, and she glared at him in annoyance. “You are so ungrateful.”