Gu Yuan’s figure flashed, turning into a bolt of lightning, vanishing from his original spot and instantly appearing before Yi Shan.
*Clang!*
A crisp sound of drawing a saber echoed.
Yi Shan’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at Gu Yuan, who had suddenly appeared before him. Before he could react, a thunderous roar sounded near his ear, and his vision went black. When his sight returned, the phantom projection of mountain peaks and ranges on his body had been cleaved apart by a brightly shining saber, crackling with lightning and vibrating at high frequency.
The saber stood at his neck, its sharp aura slicing through his tough skin, causing fine streams of blood, tinged with earthy yellow spiritual light, to slowly flow.
Yi Shan’s lips trembled as he spoke, “So fast!”
A whistle sounded.
“Gu Yuan wins!”
The referee announced the result of the match.
On the referee’s stand, everyone was somewhat surprised, not expecting Gu Yuan to unleash such speed and saber technique.
“Well, I truly didn’t expect Gu Yuan to possess such swift saber skills. I originally thought he was just a brute-force fighter based on his physique.”
A middle-aged man remarked with surprise.
He then turned to a man dressed as a saber wielder and asked, “Saber Maniac, what do you think of Gu Yuan’s saber?”
Saber Maniac raised his head, revealing the weathered face of a middle-aged man. He glanced at Gu Yuan, who was walking off the stage, and then casually said, “His saber is about ultimate burst, unlike mine.”
Hearing Saber Maniac’s assessment of Gu Yuan, the others showed expressions of astonishment. This was because Saber Maniac was known for his high self-regard, believing that very few martial artists in the world were worthy of his attention.
It seemed Gu Yuan was someone to keep an eye on, they thought.
Gu Yuan returned to his seat. Wu Gui in front of him winked and gave him a thumbs-up.
Gu Yuan shook his head and chuckled. Only Wu Gui could act like this during a competition.
He waved his hand at Wu Gui and closed his eyes to adjust his state.
Meanwhile, Yi Shan left the arena through a different passage. This was the fate of losers; one defeat, and everything collapsed.
Match after match concluded, and more participants were eliminated. The originally packed contestant seats now had large empty spaces.
Time had already reached six in the evening.
“Today’s matches are now concluded. Thank you for watching, and please tune in again tomorrow at the same time.” The host’s voice boomed throughout the venue.
Approximately 80 matches had been held today.
Some contestants, like Xuanyuan Tianxia, could finish their battles in mere minutes, while others could drag them out to twenty, thirty minutes, or even longer.
Gu Yuan and a few others left the arena together. Except for Gu Yuan and his group, none of them had participated in matches today; their turn would be tomorrow.
After bidding farewell to his companions, he returned to his dormitory alone. He prepared a dinner of fierce beast meat, rich in qi and blood energy. After eating, he began his usual cultivation.
However, there was one thing Gu Yuan couldn’t quite understand. While practicing the cultivation technique of the Chaos Demonic Ape Visualization, Gu Yuan always felt a will, or rather a sensation, being transmitted from within the visualized Demonic Ape.
It felt like a summons, calling for Gu Yuan to interact with it. Gu Yuan was hesitant, unsure, so he decided to temporarily cease practicing the Chaos Demonic Ape Visualization for the time being.
Gu Yuan stopped cultivating and opened his eyes, his expression a mixture of confusion and a hint of caution.
Even though he wasn’t practicing the Chaos Demonic Ape Visualization now, the will or transmitted information in his mind seemed to be growing stronger, making it difficult for Gu Yuan to focus on his cultivation.
What was going on? Gu Yuan wondered. Could it be that some supreme being from the heavens was influencing his cultivation through the Chaos Demonic Ape Visualization?
Damn it, this…
Before he could even finish thinking, his mind was flooded with countless martial insights, so much so that it felt like it was about to explode.
He saw a divine being, filling the boundless cosmos, slowly assume a perfect, flawless stance.
A majestic aura, like a vast ocean surging and erupting, rose from within him, spreading to the furthest reaches of infinite time and space!
One man shattered great kalpas and attained enlightenment across myriad worlds.
An immensely grand voice resounded, echoing through all heavens and myriad realms.
“Enlightenment, enlightenment……”
A blurred voice rang out. Gu Yuan couldn’t quite make out the words, as if something was obscuring them.
It felt like an instant, yet like an eternity. The figure in white suddenly stood up, stepped forward, and threw a punch, striking the very origin of the myriad daos upon what appeared to be the river of time!
*Buzz buzz buzz~~*
The sound of dao resonated. A grand and solemn chant, as if performed by all gods, immortals, demons, Buddhas, and daos, exploded in the hearts of every living being:
“I am the Lord of Martial Dao, Gu Shaoshang!”
Gu Yuan’s heart trembled violently. Countless pieces of information were forcibly poured into his mind, his soul suddenly expanding several times over from this influx of knowledge.
Gu Yuan took a long time to recover. He looked at the peerless white-robed figure, who seemed to carry him on his back, and murmured, “Ancestor of Martial Dao, Gu Shaoshang…”