Chapter 153: Peace and Joy Compete with the Young Emperor Yuan, All the Geniuses of the World Gather in Lin'an

The arrow resembled a dark streak of light, slicing through the air, stirring up turbulent currents, and skimming the dense wild grass as it arrived in an instant.

It was only when the arrow was nearly upon its target that a deafening, soul-shaking sonic boom erupted!

With a primordial spirit immensely tempered by the Green Mountain Ancient Scripture, An Le was naturally exceptionally resilient. The soul-shattering spiritual force carried within the arrow could not possibly affect him.

However, the most crucial aspect of the young Yuan Emperor's shot was not the spiritual onslaught, but rather its sheer speed and power!

Even though An Le had just steadied his mind, his formidable strength allowed him to react swiftly. Within his internal elixir field, the ancient demon phantom surged, driving his muscles into violent motion as he attempted to shift and evade.

Yet, the speed of the arrow surpassed An Le's imagination.

When it entered a ten-meter radius, the arrow's velocity actually surged once more!

This sudden burst of speed pierced directly through An Le's yet-unmoved form, instantly tearing open a spray of blood. The kinetic force contained within the arrow blew a fist-sized hole straight through An Le's physical body.

With a heavy thud!

The arrow pierced through An Le's shoulder and drove deeply into the ground. The grassland caved in directly, and the intertwining, rampaging auras shredded the surrounding grass into powder, sending pulverized blades flying across the sky!

"Midland human."

From a hundred paces away, the young Yuan Emperor gazed over calmly, a look of profound astonishment crossing his face upon seeing that An Le had managed to dodge the arrow aimed at his vital heart.

For he could sense that An Le's cultivation realm was identical to his own—both stood at the dual fifth realm.

In the eyes of the young Yuan Emperor, across this entire world... within the fifth realm, absolutely no one could evade such an arrow from him!

As an undefeated peer among his generation, the Yuan Emperor naturally possessed this absolute confidence.

Although An Le had failed to completely dodge the arrow, he had successfully avoided the fatal spot. The destructive aura that rampaged into his body was quickly suppressed as it darted about, preventing it from inflicting a mortal blow.

"Interesting."

The young Yuan Emperor chuckled softly, applying sudden force to his leather boots. His figure sprang forward abruptly, yet completely soundless, as if treading and flying across the lush grass.

The distance of a hundred paces was bridged in the blink of an eye.

During this rapid approach, the young Yuan Emperor also drew his massive bow once more, taking aim at An Le and loosing another arrow whose speed was too fast to capture.

The excruciating pain shocked An Le's mind into absolute clarity, his eyes turning gravely solemn.

Although he was within the [Puppet Space], where everything was illusory and even death allowed for rebirth—

Within this puppet space, apart from the ability to resurrect, everything else was identical to reality.

Naturally, An Le sensed his own condition during this brief moment and discovered a few differences compared to the real world.

First, the "Invincible Momentum" could not be utilized within the puppet space. The Invincible Momentum had played a massive role when An Le easily slaughtered the Second Prince Zhao Pei—who stood at the peak of the dual fifth realm and even forcefully broke into the sixth realm.

From the white python to the heavenly dragon, and finally transforming into the golden dragon, An Le's Invincible Momentum had gone through numerous stages, providing an immense amplification to his martial spirit.

Under the influence of the Invincible Momentum, an opponent's martial spirit would invariably be shaved by at least thirty percent, and their inner will could even be awed and suppressed, preventing them from unleashing their full combat prowess.

Conversely, under the enhancement of the Invincible Momentum, An Le's physical body and primordial spirit would constantly remain in their most consummate state. Through this contrast, he could naturally suppress opponents with ease!

However, within the [Puppet Space], the Invincible Momentum could not be invoked. Not only was the Invincible Momentum unavailable, but the amplifying effects of numerous Dao Fruits were also suspended. The bamboo sword Green Mountain, the top-tier first-grade sword Returning swallow, and the second-grade Pacifying Wind were all rendered unusable.

Only the fourth-grade Ink Pond remained unrestricted.

However, for gifted practitioners of the fifth realm, a fourth-grade sword... was essentially standard equipment.

This was undoubtedly a message to An Le: external forces could not be relied upon; victory over the puppet could only be achieved through one's own combat techniques and cultivation.

The profound iron grand bow wielded by the young Yuan Emperor was definitely higher than fourth-grade; judging by its rank, it was roughly third-grade.

Additionally, at the young Yuan Emperor's waist hung a curved saber, and strapped to his back was a bifurcated spear.

The material of the bifurcated spear was pitch-black, reflecting no light whatsoever even under direct sunlight, and its grade was undoubtedly no lower than third-grade. As for the curved saber, though unspheathed, An Le could perceive the terrifying saber qi contained within it and knew its grade was equally extraordinary.

Consequently, An Le felt immense pressure.

The young Yuan Emperor was inherently an entity invincible among his peers in that era, and according to the visions of the Years Dao Fruit, the young Yuan Emperor had even slain seventh-realm experts while remaining in the lower realm!

With An Le stripped of numerous external aids and relying purely on his cultivation application and combat skills, defeating the young Yuan Emperor was a truly daunting prospect.

Fortunately, the puppet space provided a prompt: defeat within the space would not affect the Invincible Momentum.

Such an ethereal concept as the Invincible Momentum was somewhat similar to national destiny and fortune. An Le certainly did not want a simulated puppet clash to compromise his Invincible Momentum, as that was definitely not what he desired.

With a fist-sized hole pierced through his shoulder by the arrow and blood staining his white tunic, this was the first time An Le had suffered such a severe injury, instantly shattering the complacent pride he had harbored along his hitherto smooth path.

With a thought, the sword furnace at the center of his brows opened, and radiant light bloomed behind his meditating primordial spirit.

The Ink Pond instantly transformed into a streak of black light, leaping out from the sword case and hovering before him to collide with the arrow shot by the young Yuan Emperor.

Controlling his sword to intercept the arrow, the innate spiritual Qi enwrapping both exploded violently upon impact!

The formless spiritual Qi fluctuations bent every blade of grass on the grassland, and sharp sword Qi rampaged, scouring the earth and severing countless roots.

Blood continued to stream from An Le's shoulder as he stared with narrowed eyes at the rapidly approaching young Yuan Emperor.

He raised and pressed down his sword finger.

Sword Qi Close!

The Ink Pond's erratic trajectory, knocked off course by the arrow, suddenly stabilized. Accompanied by a shrill sword hum, it lunged forward along the ground.

A flash of surprise and delight crossed the eyes of the young Yuan Emperor as he trod across the grass.

"A Midland genius?"

The bifurcated spear at the young Yuan Emperor's waist instantly leaped forth, snapping together before him with a sharp *clang*. Gripping the pitch-black spear, he thrust it forward.

That piercing speed was like a bolt of black lightning from behind the clouds, striking directly upon the black Ink Pond.

The resulting explosion sounded like a muffled thunderclap long pent-up in the evening clouds!

Even with the integration of the "Sword Qi Close" swordsmanship, the Ink Pond was still driven backward in a frantic spin by that single spear thrust.

An Le also surged forward. Employing the divine deer stance of the ancient demon five-birds, his speed was as swift as riding the wind.

Grasping the rebounding Ink Pond, he clashed directly with the young Yuan Emperor, who advanced across the grass brandishing his black bifurcated spear.

Yet, the instant their blows connected, An Le felt the immense, erupting power contained within the spear—an irresistible, peerless might!

An Le's blood and Qi boiled as he manifested the fierce bear phantom from the ancient demon five-birds, causing his physical strength to surge exponentially. Sword and spear collided, stirring up howling gales across the grassland and scattering a ceaseless shower of sparks!

...

...

Less than a quarter of an hour later, beneath the old locust tree.

A gentle breeze blew.

...

An Le opened his eyes. He reached up to touch the center of his brows; there was no trace of a puncture wound, prompting him to let out a long breath.

After exchanging about fifty blows with the young Yuan Emperor, An Le's brow had been pierced by the black spear, shattering his spiritual mind and resulting in his first defeat in a puppet challenge.

Night had gradually climbed into the high heavens, stars hung bright, and the moonlight shone cool and clear.

With a slight frown, An Le sat beneath the old locust tree and began to reflect upon the fundamental reasons for this defeat. Lacking the Invincible Momentum meant he could naturally exert no psychological pressure on his opponent. While a disparity existed in their weapons, that gap was not vast and its impact during combat had not been as pronounced as he imagined.

Aside from taking an arrow early on that caused his condition to slip, the true reason for An Le's defeat was the disparity in combat experience.

As for their body-tempering and spirit-refining cultivation levels, An Le and the young Yuan Emperor were neck and neck.

"The young Yuan Emperor, so the rumors say, experienced the tragic slaughter of his tribe since childhood, wandering among various grassland tribes and forging his illustrious reputation with the saber and bow in his hands."

"He has killed his way up since youth, honing his personal combat techniques to a terrifying degree."

An Le took a deep breath. This battle sounded a wake-up alarm for him and made him understand the formidable nature of the young Yuan Emperor.

"I merely forced the Yuan Emperor to use his spear; he hasn't even drawn his curved saber yet. The saber qi harbored within that curved saber... once unspheathed, I fear I would be slain instantly."

An Le mused, summarizing the gains from this battle.

Under the augmentation of the [Eternal Prodigy] Dao Fruit and the [Divine-Tongue Sword Physique] Dao Fruit, An Le combed through and sorted out his own swordsmanship during the reflection process.

Although An Le had comprehended the Red Heart and Rivers-and-Mountains sword intents, grasping simplicity and complexity,

When facing the young Yuan Emperor, his sword intent had been suppressed so thoroughly that he hardly had time to manifest and unleash it.

"His combat techniques incorporate a distinct rhythm. From the very beginning, the opponent seized the initiative in tempo... to the extent that he suppressed me until even displaying my sword intent fully became difficult."

"Of course, even if I had unleashed it, victory would have been unlikely. My sword intent is newly born and still harbors many shortcomings."

A sharp brilliance flickered slightly in An Le's eyes.

Originally, he had assumed that the [Puppet] Dao Fruit simply entailed entering the puppet space, slaying the puppet, and then summoning it to finish the matter.

Now, it seemed things were not nearly as simple as he had imagined.

"After all, this is a Dao Fruit transformed from the golden years' essence extracted from the Yuan-Mongol Emperor..."

A smile curved the corners of An Le's lips.

During battles with the puppet, he was able to continuously refine his cultivation methods and combat techniques, uncovering his own shortcomings and rectifying them.

This was precisely the most crucial aspect of this Dao Fruit.

As for the young Yuan Emperor—an entity invincible within the fifth realm—if An Le could defeat him, he would inevitably achieve invincibility within the current fifth realm, attaining a truly consummate fifth realm in both cultivation and combat technique before stepping into the sixth realm!

As for defeat... for An Le, it genuinely carried no adverse impact.

The Invincible Momentum had both pros and cons for An Le; it tended to make him overly preoccupied with gains and losses. In reality, if he were to suffer a defeat, it would deal a heavy blow to his state of mind. Why was Luo Qingchen's Dao heart so fragile? It was precisely because he had attempted to build an Invincible Momentum; the moment that momentum cracked, it shattered into utter disarray, naturally collapsing his Dao heart as well.

However, no matter how many times An Le was defeated within the puppet space, it would not affect him in reality. It even allowed him to experience the taste of defeat, which proved beneficial in tempering his state of mind.

A sudden flash of fervor ignited within his eyes. With a shift of his mind, An Le re-entered the puppet space.

Clouds stretched vast and desolate, the wilderness boundless.

As the wind blew low through the grass, he met the young Yuan Emperor once more.

The moment An Le opened his eyes, sword Qi soared into the Dipper constellation, and the Ink Pond shrieked as it shot forth like a stroke of black ink across heaven and earth.

...

...

While An Le was deeply immersed in profound exchanges with the young Yuan Emperor,

On the Canglang River.

The moonlight hung like a hook.

A grand vessel cut through the waves, tearing the river water apart. The splashed spray collided with the speeding vessel, instantly exploding into a fine mist of river fog.

Figures stood tall upon the grand vessel, their auras intertwining. Every single one of them was a genius from the Falcon Rankings who had journeyed south from the Yuan-Mongol Empire.

They stood at the bow, staring at the glittering river surface and sensing the great malevolence extending from the riverbed—a force that voraciously absorbed blood, Qi, and spiritual minds.

"That Midland genius called An Le slaughtered the grand eunuch of the Great Zhao Emperor by the Canglang River."

A young maiden leaning against the ship's railing let out a gentle, silvery laugh: "Killing a ninth-realm expert from the fifth realm... truly utterly exaggerated. Still, rumor has it he relied on some special Buddhist Dharma treasure to summon a Blood Guanyin."

Beside her, a robust man draped in animal skins and carrying a thick, heavy saber stood proudly at the bow, cleaving through wind and waves with eyes like iron: "Regardless of whether he borrowed a Buddhist treasure, slaying a ninth-realm expert from the fifth realm is a testament to ability. Moreover, this boy has now become the person who converses with the Sage, and the Seventh Mountain has opened because of him. Since we are heading to Lin'an this time precisely for the Seventh Mountain, we must not underestimate him."

"Understood, Big Brother Tielie! You are the number one on our Empire's Falcon Rankings, with cultivation already stepped into the seventh realm. Surely you wouldn't fear a mere fifth-realm cultivator, right?"

"I heard that when the Holy Mountain opens, everyone relies on their own ability to compete for the position of Mountain Master, unlike the Mountain Guardian who depends on the Mountain Master's favor. Naturally, the fifth realm cannot compare to a seventh-realm expert like Big Brother Tielie."

The maiden giggled playfully, full of spirited vivacity.

"There are also older brothers like Wotai, Tuzhen, and Boqi... all in the top ten of the Falcon Rankings, under thirty years of age, and all having entered the seventh realm. Even though that An Le conversed with the Sage and triggered the opening of the Seventh Mountain, he might not necessarily become the master of the Seventh Mountain."

"In Xiao'e's view, the master of the Seventh Mountain will surely be born right among us on the Falcon Rankings."

"Previously, the Sage would never let our Yuan-Mongol geniuses contend for the Mountain Master position. Now, after His Majesty has refined the dragon vein for five hundred years, we can finally compete for the Holy Mountain's mastership. We must put on a good show for the Sage to see!"

The maiden Ge Xiao'e scrunched her nose in stubborn defiance, speaking with a coquettish air.

The one called Tielie, ranked first on the Falcon Rankings, looked at the maiden with a hint of doting indulgence, though he remained silent. Modest though he was, in his heart, he thought much the same.

Suddenly.

The warship shuddered violently.

South of the Canglang River, a formidable aura surged into the sky.

The Great General Ye Longsheng, clad in shining silver armor, sat suspended in the void with his Liquan Spear resting across his knees. The Full River Red at his waist bloomed with sword Qi that pierced the firmament.

On the warship, the geniuses of the Yuan-Mongol Falcon Rankings felt an oppressive weight so immense it nearly choked off their breath. They gazed upward with grave solemnity.

Ye Longsheng, the peerless martial general of the Great Zhao Dynasty... a peak ninth-realm expert, supremely powerful!

Yet, on the northern bank of the Canglang River, Prime Minister Boyan materialized with a gentle smile, holding a feathered fan.

"General Ye, the person who converses with the Sage has appeared, and the Seventh Mountain of the Holy Mountain is about to open. Our Yuan-Mongol is qualified to vie for the Mountain Master position, hence we dispatched our geniuses southward. Between warring armies, emissaries are not executed; General Ye, please grant us safe passage."

Boyan gently waved his feathered fan and smiled.

However, the moment Boyan's words fell, figures of mighty powerhouses such as Li You'an, Zhong Shiji, and Di Zang arose into the sky over the southern bank. Columns of blood and Qi resembling wolf-smoke soared straight into the clouds, shattering the dark mist.

The four of them exchanged glances, directly ignoring Boyan as they conversed among themselves.

"Old Ye, it's rare for Yuan-Mongol to send a flock of geniuses south. Shall we wipe them out?" Zhong Shiji asked with a hearty, booming laugh, his massive frame radiating vigor.

"I'm somewhat tempted. The top ten of the Falcon Rankings account for four of them; I really find myself moved."

Ye Longsheng stroked the Full River Red and chuckled softly.

"Too much chatter. Let Di slay them. The infamy of bullying the juniors—I will bear it!" Di Zang declared coldly, wearing a bronze mask and gripping the Dragon-Slaying Saber.

Li You'an remained silent, merely smiling and shaking his head.

These peerless generals certainly knew a thing or two about intimidating juniors.

Boyan stopped waving his feathered fan, feeling that his complexion had turned somewhat dark. He might have slightly underestimated the thickness of these peerless generals' skins.

Suddenly.

From within the warship cleaving through the waves in the center of the Canglang River, a massive aura erupted.

Two ninth-realm experts from the Yuan-Mongol capital, tasked with escorting the Falcon Rankings geniuses southward, unleashed their auras.

However, what truly caused Ye Longsheng and the others to turn grave was a figure condensed from a single drop of blood, completely ignoring the malevolent power emanating from the bed of the Canglang River.

A single drop of blood transformed into the robust form of the Yuan-Mongol Emperor. His tyrannical aura instantly froze the rushing waters of the Canglang River!

The mere appearance of this blood avatar effortlessly neutralized the malevolent influence originating from the Canglang River.

"The Yuan-Mongol Emperor!"

Ye Longsheng, Zhong Shiji, Di Zang, and Li You'an all narrowed their eyes, their auras intertwining as they faced him with utmost solemnity.

The robust form of the Yuan-Mongol Emperor hung suspended in the high heavens, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed indifferently down at the four of them.

"If the four of you could simultaneously break into the tenth realm, you might barely be qualified to fight Lone. As things stand... you are far inferior."

The Yuan-Mongol Emperor's eyes opened and closed as he spoke indifferently.

"The Seventh Mountain of the Holy Mountain is opening, and Yuan-Mongol is qualified to compete. This is the rule of the Holy Mountain. Let these little fellows cross; another day when the great tomb at Mount Li opens, I shall grant your Great Zhao eighth and ninth realms a few quotas."

"Should any of you ninth-realm fellows dare to touch a single hair on these little ones, when the Mount Li tomb opens, Lone will slaughter every single cultivator from Great Zhao who arrives."

The Yuan-Mongol Emperor's indifferent yet domineering words echoed unreservedly across the sky above the Canglang River.

War intent boiled in Ye Longsheng's eyes as he raised his Liquan Spear high: "Then let us try!"

Zhong Shiji, Di Zang, and Li You'an also narrowed their eyes.

Tension filled the air, auras collided, stars dimmed, and the bright moon was obscured.

After a prolonged standoff.

The four exchanged glances.

Li You'an spoke up: "Since it is indeed the opening of the Holy Mountain's Seventh Mountain, so be it. The juniors may cross the river, and we will not stop them. However... ninth-realm experts crossing the river is unacceptable."

As his words fell.

The blood and Qi of the four roared into action, and terrifying offensive strikes hurtled toward the warship, unleashing their might directly upon the two ninth-realm guards within it.

The complexions of the two ninth-realm experts shifted drastically. They had no choice but to abandon the warship, dashing across the river surface before retreating back to the northern bank of the Canglang River.

The Yuan-Mongol Emperor's phantom glanced down dismissively, unconcerned, and directly dissipated into nothingness.

Both sides had essentially taken a step back.

On the warship, the Falcon Rankings geniuses were unperturbed, their battle intent surging instead.

Tielie, carrying his heavy saber, emitted a blazing light from his eyes: "Sooner or later, when I enter the peak ninth realm, I will surely slay Great Zhao's Ye Longsheng beneath my blade!"

Thud!

The warship landed ashore. The Yuan-Mongol Falcon Rankings geniuses disembarked one after another, pressing forward toward Lin'an Prefecture under heavy pressure and beneath the gaze of numerous powerful Great Zhao experts on the southern bank of the Canglang River.

...

...

In truth, it was not only the Yuan-Mongol Falcon Rankings geniuses who crossed the river southward and hurried toward Lin'an.

In the Xiliang region of the Canglang River, several figures stepped across floating river skulls, crossing the river with Lin'an as their destination.

Beneath the starlight and moonlight, a young Daoist priest carrying a peach-wood sword paced across mountains and rivers, wreathed in ethereal immortal Qi.

A monk clad in pristine white robes bathed in starlight, various Buddhist pharoses manifesting behind him, walked barefoot with solemn dignity.

There was also a young nun whose jet-black hair was held by a purple bamboo hairpin; she looked as enchanting and otherworldly as a Guanyin, drifting gracefully into Lin'an.

Daoist Scions, Buddhist Sons, Young Guanyins...

Geniuses from Yuan-Mongol, Xiliang, the Dali Kingdom, and other realms were all hurrying to arrive.

With the Holy Mountain's Seventh Mountain about to open, talented figures from all factions moved at the wind's call.

Like fish leaping through the Dragon Gate, all the carp swimming in the rivers converged, striving merely to leap over that Dragon Gate and transform into true dragons capable of churning wind and rain.

...

...

Lin'an Prefecture.

The eastern horizon was brushed with a pale fish-belly white, and the radiance of dawn gradually leaped and spilled forth from the horizon.

The grim Sixth Mountain Master carried his pine-wood sword case on his back, descending into the city through the void. He would take An Le outside Lin'an Prefecture to seek out and fix the mountain, establishing the location for conversing with the Sage.

...

...

In the small courtyard of Taimiao Lane.

Beneath the old locust tree.

An Le opened his eyes once more.

Having engaged in a fierce, all-night battle with the young Yuan Emperor, bolstered by the augmentations of the [Eternal Prodigy] Dao Fruit and the [Emperor] Dao Fruit,

An Le had not only forced the young Yuan Emperor to unsheathe his saber, but even drew blood from him!

Closing his eyes to contemplate Green Mountain, upon opening them again, killing intent surged within An Le.

Re-entering the puppet space, he would surely slay the young Yuan Emperor!

...