Centennial Commemoration, Serendipitous Critical Strike [Two-in-One Big Chapter!]

Black Zither's words caused a huge uproar in the Black Ring Group, and almost everyone logged on one after another.

[Little Mist: You mean, the Apostle True Person Baoguo died at Xiao Ran's hands? He was stronger than the average Golden Core cultivator; I thought it was Lingzhou Yue Dong who did it!]

Black Zither sneered.

[Primate: With me in charge, why would I let Lingzhou Yue take action?]

[Body Severing: I initially thought he was just talented, but he actually possesses this much strength. It seems Xiao Ran will soon be recognized by the Dao Alliance as one of the new generation's prodigies... It seems the prodigies of this generation are generally very strong.]

[Gentleman: We're still a long way from the previous generation.]

[Rumor: So you were the prodigy of the previous generation! Keep bragging, and your identity will be exposed.]

[Gentleman: Only the weak hide their identities. Did the Mad Hunt ever hide his?]

There was a moment of silence in the group chat.

Mad Hunt said nothing.

Before long, the Stated Dao was asked of Primate.

[The Stated Dao: How much of it has been integrated?]

Black Zither stared intently at the seal script of Stated Dao, seemingly waiting for his reaction.

[Primate: The connection between the stone tablet and the souls of the million citizens was severed by Xiao Ran midway, resulting in only 80% fusion rate so far.]

[Little Mist: Did Xiao Ran do this too? A stone tablet for a million people can even sever their souls?]

[Primate: It's not that you underestimated Xiao Ran, it's that I overestimated you, Little Mist.]

[Little Mist: Sorry, my investigation wasn't thorough enough. He hid too well; he almost got burned to death by lava without uttering a sound.]

[Gentleman: Perhaps this is also a kind of world-saving heart that transcends his own limits. After all, with Lingzhou Yue by his side, he had no need to hide his strength.]

Stated Dao seems to have been observing Xiao Ran silently without offering any comment.

[The Stated Dao: To devour the Great Netherworld and merge with it to eighty percent without harming three million citizens—even I couldn't do that.]

Black Zither felt a sudden warmth in her heart.

[Primate: I only copied the inscription. Xiao Ran got hold of the stone tablet. I originally intended to use the lives of the people of Flamefree City to blackmail him, but at that time, Da Ming was driven mad by his Art of Resonance, so I could only flee to recuperate.]

[The Stated Dao: It's alright. As long as we've verified the function of the stone tablets, that's enough. There are still seven stone tablets left; we have many more opportunities.]

[Primate: Hmm.]

[The Stated Dao: Send a copy of the inscription to Yao and let her try to decipher its meaning.]

[Rumor: Okay, I'll give it a try.]

[Gentleman: Senior, don't you want to take a look?]

[The Stated Dao: When the nine steles are united as one, we will see it for ourselves.]

The atmosphere in the group inexplicably became more excited.

Although she still doesn't Stated Dao's identity, Black Zither has a gut feeling that, regardless of gender, age, beauty, wealth, or strength, this person is the savior in her heart.

[Body Severing: It seems we all need to start taking action separately.]

[The Stated Dao: Let's prepare ourselves first.]

[Mad Hunt: This boring world has finally become interesting, but... since this Xiao Ran is so troublesome, why not just kill him and be done with it?]

[Stated Dao: You want to test Lingzhou Yue's strength, don't you? Her peak has passed; she's no match for you now. Find another target.]

[Mad Hunt: What a waste of her talent! She actually chose to fall into such a state. I thought she would be the only person in the world who could become an immortal, but I never expected her to fall so low.]

[The Stated Dao: In this Dharma Ending Era, everyone has their own path to walk. Perhaps in her eyes, we are the ones who are going astray.]

[Primate: Whether it's the right path or a wrong one, from this day forward, there is no turning back.]

[No Money Get Lost: Perfect timing, business hasn't been good lately, I've been waiting for this day forever.]

[Rumor: So, what will Xiao Ran do?]

[Primate: This kid might not be an enemy after all. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to solve the maze and find the stone tablet so quickly. If I had been any later, and Li Wuxie had already killed Da Ming with his sword, my plan would have been ruined.]

[Gentleman: This boy has a heart for saving the world. Although he doesn't have a ring, with proper training he can be of use to me. He's at least a hundred times stronger than True Person Baoguo. Besides, I'm not afraid of my identity being exposed, so leave the recruitment work to me.]

[Body Severing: Then you'd better hurry. The Dao Alliance might strike first. With Xiao Ran's performance, he'll soon be recognized as a prodigy, and he might even have a place in the Heaven's Chosen Assembly in Chaos City next month.]

[Gentleman: There are too many factions and corrupt elements within the Dao Alliance, but we have already paved a path, and those with a heart for saving the world will make their own choice.]

[Primate: Very well, after you capture him, bring him to the Apostle's headquarters. Before befriending someone, first gain their trust; I have something to say to him.]

[Gentleman:...]

[Primate: Do you have a problem with this?]

Gentleman waited for a long time, Stated Dao remained silent.

Even Dao Ke Dao, whom the senior Mad Hunt respected, had no objections, Stated Dao how could he dare to have any?

Gentleman: No.

[The Stated Dao: Because the dragon's form is appearing for the first time in the Dharma Ending Era, hunters throughout the Cultivation World will be mobilized. Be extra careful.]

[Primate: Hmm.]

Zongzhi Mountain.

Sword-Wielding Mountain.

Hot Spring Cliff.

The sea of clouds meets the horizon.

Xiao Ran soaked in the warm, clear pool, constantly refreshing the Black Ring Group.

There's a lot of information here.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that Primate had a kind of emotion towards the Stated Dao of, that transcended mere admiration and even physical attraction...

Who is the one Stated Dao?

Is it really that assertive?

The pool water splashed onto Xiao Ran's face.

Besides him, Chunwa and Qiuchan were also learning to doggy paddle in the pool.

One person hugged a hollowed-out watermelon as a swimming ring, and while crawling like a dog, ate all the peach petals in the pool.

Four chubby little legs splashed water everywhere, spraying large amounts of water all over Xiao Ran's face.

These past few days.

The Chunwa and Qiuchan kept the Vegetable Garden and Orchard neat and tidy, leaving not a single ripe fruit.

Chuyan lay on Hundred Herbs Peak, unconscious and constantly having nightmares, which were interspersed with embarrassing dreams.

When Xiao Ran returned, he had just woken her up. Her face was flushed with shock, and she ran off to Flamefree City without saying a word.

As for Master, he seemed to have injured his body due to excessive consumption of the Tidal Power, and was taken to Hot Spring Valley for recuperation by Martial Aunt Yinyue.

After finishing his trivial matters, Xiao Ran returned to Sword-Wielding Mountain.

After tending to the fields and harvesting Valley Wheat, they brewed several thousand kilograms of warm wine to await fermentation, and finally came to the Hot Spring Cliff to relax.

The two girls were plump and healthy, like two parasites. They thought Xiao Ran would come back to barbecue and hot pot, so they came swimming with him.

As it turned out, Xiao Ran really was just taking a bath...

They learned a lesson from this: Xiao Ran would only barbecue when his Uncle Ling Zhou was around.

What a filial son!

"Junior brother, everyone outside is saying you're a savior, why don't you take some money back? Even if you're saving people for free, surely some people will give you eggs and candied hawthorns, right?"

Xiao Ran leaned against the pool and brushed for a long time. When no one in the Black Ring Group spoke, he looked up and responded.

"You've said so much, but the main point is still about candied hawthorns, right?"

"Nonsense!"

The two girls immediately came over, looked around, and asked in what they thought was a very quiet voice:

"And dragons, I heard that dragons have been appearing in the skies above Flamefree City. Have you seen any dragons?"

"What does a dragon look like? I really want to see a dragon! Can you take us to see one?"

Want to try our Dragon Service?

Xiao Ran glanced at the two little girls' chubby bodies, which resembled silkworm cocoons, and laughed, "Let's talk about it when they grow up."

The two girls were stunned for a moment, then angrily pinched Xiao Ran's cheeks.

One person sculpted one side, flattening Xiao Ran's handsome, long face.

"Grown up? We're your senior sisters, please watch your manners!"

"Apart from our bodies, in what way are we smaller than you?"

Xiao Ran pulled the two rascals apart.

I'm talking about the body!

The Chunwa and Qiuchan shook their heads in unison, clearly disappointed in their junior brother who had forgotten his senior sister after making such a great contribution.

"You stingy brat, I'm not playing with you anymore!"

"Let's go to Flamefree City to find the little loli Chuyan!"

Xiao Ran waved his hand.

"Go ahead, go ahead."

After the two girls dressed and flew away in a flash, Xiao Ran finally had a moment of peace.

I scrolled through the chat history of the Black Ring Group again.

There's too much information.

There are a few points that Xiao Ran should pay attention to.

First.

Only now did he realize how wise it was to hide his strength from Little Mist!

If the Resonance Power were exposed too early, the Primate would have made a better plan in advance, so that the National Teacher would not have been lost and the stone tablet would not have been taken away halfway, almost delaying the important matter of Devouring the Underworld.

Xiao Ran concealed his strength, originally believing that the Primate were targeting him, but that was not the case.

Fortunately, he had concealed his strength beforehand, disrupting the enemy's plans and saving the three million people of Flamefree City. He also obtained the stone tablet afterward.

This is a huge profit! Second.

The Black Ring Group's core plan was indeed to use the stone tablet and the Everlasting Spring Art of multiple people to forcibly devour and control the Wraith, achieving a state of unity between humans and the Netherworld.

Although Primate may resemble dragons, they seem to have already transformed into human form, and the principle is the same.

During the process of devouring the underworld, the brains of millions of people are actually used as interference servers. If the operation is precise, at most, it will cause some nerve damage and memory loss. There are no heinous acts such as killing people and massacring cities that Xiao Ran had previously thought.

The Flamefree City lost thousands or tens of thousands of people due to early infighting or the evil deeds of cultivators.

The tone of "listening to the Stated Dao" seems to express considerable appreciation for the Primate's concern for the lives of ordinary people.

Before this incident, he had also reminded Primate in the group chat that saving the world shouldn't mean destroying it...

This shows that although this group of people used extreme methods, they were not actually a group of bloodthirsty madmen.

Fourth.

Mad Hunt had been clamoring to kill him, but it turns out his focus wasn't on him, but on his Master.

Is he the only person in the Dharma Ending Era who might become an immortal?

As expected, Master's talent has been wasted!

Fifth.

Gentleman is coming to see him.

Fortunately, they only wanted to recruit him; whether they would use force or not remains to be seen.

Anyway, at least no one wants to kill him anymore.

Xiao Ran breathed a long sigh of relief.

Carefully consider Gentleman's words.

Traversing the abyss, annihilating immortals and slaughtering gods... Did these people really want to save the world? Judging from his words, immortals and gods still exist? Xiao Ran was shocked, unsure whether it was true or not.

The Dao Alliance doesn't seem to be the monolithic entity it's portrayed to be; it has its share of corrupt elements. Otherwise, Huangfu Qun wouldn't have placed so much importance on the independence of Zongzhi Mountain.

Sixth.

The Body Severing seems to suggest that the Dao Alliance may appoint Xiao Ran as one of the new generation of prodigies.

The selection of the Dao Alliance's prodigies takes place every few hundred years, and the timing is not fixed. Generally, when seven prodigies are gathered, the Heaven's Chosen Assembly will be held in Chaos City.

"A prodigy?" Xiao Ran thought to himself. "I've only been a disciple for less than a month. I really don't want to be some kind of prodigy."

It's more like licking someone's boots.

Xiao Ran didn't want to stand out so early.

Unfortunately, the light was too dazzling...

This time.

The Primate's goal was to devour the Great Netherworld. He did not confront the enemy's true form directly, but only barely defeated True Person Baoguo. He managed to sever the connection between the stone tablet and the soul and save Flamefree City by swallowing the Blood Burst Pill.

His strength is not yet sufficient to stand on a stage like the Heaven's Chosen Assembly.

However, because of this world-saving event and the talent he has shown, he may very well be forcibly pushed onto the stage by the Dao Alliance.

In addition to investigating the matter, Huangfu Qun told him that the Dao Alliance holding a meeting to discuss his reward.

Xiao Ran then gave a brief report to Huangfu Qun and asked Huangfu Qun to inform Li Wuxie—

The stone tablet is with him.

The subtext is clear: the Dao Alliance can have it, but it all depends on how generous the rewards are...

When Xiao Ran presents the reward to his Master, won't a huge wave of Filial Piety Points come his way? Besides that...

It is foreseeable that both the Dao Alliance and Gentleman will try to win him over, and the Dao Alliance will definitely pursue the Primate.

The future situation is very chaotic, and I am in the center of the chaos, caught between multiple forces.

Although there are no immediate safety concerns, he doesn't want to be at the mercy of others.

We must strengthen our capabilities!

Based on current strength.

Even with first-order Resonance, second-order Resonance, and Qi Refining Cultivation Level, one can only defeat a Golden Core cultivator.

Third-order Resonance seems a long way off.

The Blood Burst Pill is also gone.

The Broken Sword that Suo Cheng inherited seems to be a powerful weapon, but it will take time to reforge it properly, and it probably won't be needed for a while.

Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivation Level package requires 1000 Filial Piety Points.

Thinking this, Xiao Ran glanced at the system.

After buying the Life-Saving Blood Pack for the Qi Refining Realm, I still have 211 Filial Piety Points left.

We need to intensify our efforts to take advantage of promotional offers...

But this will take time.

"Sigh!" Xiao Ran sighed.

Since he got the system after going up the mountain, time has flown by. He really wants to take a break, go on a trip with his Master, and maybe he can get more loot...

Mad Hunt's words suddenly reminded Xiao Ran.

Master is very strong!

We can't just focus on Filial Piety Points; we also need to make good use of our Master.

The Art of Resonance actually came from an original incomplete copy that his Master had taken out, which allowed him to buy the Heaven Tier Technique from the system Shop at a friendly price.

Now, his Master has left the Bone of the Blood Moon inside him.

However, the Master used the Bone of the Blood Moon to drive the Tidal Power, actually pulling a city of three million people back from the abyss to the human world...

Such power cannot be wasted! Currently, Xiao Ran is using the Bone of the Blood Moon to Resonance with his Master's location, but he is unable to extract this power for his own use.

Is there a Cultivation Method that allows one to borrow the Bone of the Blood Moon from afar? With this shameful thought in mind, Xiao Ran continued his aimless browsing in the system Shop.

Suddenly.

One Cultivation Method caught his attention.

[Serendipitous Critical Strike: Level unknown. There is a certain chance of unleashing a critical strike Spiritual Pressure far exceeding the cultivator's Cultivation Level. It requires extremely high Spiritual Power reserves from the cultivator, but a single misstep could drain their strength and lead to death. Price: 666 Filial Piety Points.]

You might land a critical hit, or you might be drained of your Spiritual Power and stamina and die...

Why does this feel like the pills produced by Martial Aunt Yinyue? No wonder the level is unknown and the price is only 666!

To unleash a critical strike, the practitioner of this skill must have an extremely high reserve of Spiritual Power.

Spiritual Power reserves refer to the thickness of Spiritual Power in the Qi Sea.

For example, even though they are all cultivating Qi Refining, the Spiritual Pressure they exert when using their Cultivation Method is similar. However, some people have a greater amount of Spiritual Energy, which allows them to sustain their energy for longer periods, giving them a significant advantage in both offense and defense.

Xiao Ran Balanced Five-Elements Endowment and has a stable Pill Wall, indicating potential. However, due to a lack of specialized cultivation, his Spiritual Energy reserves are currently quite limited.

Fortunately, he has two safeguards.

First, he has Life-Saving Blood Pack, so he is not afraid of being drained of his Spiritual Power and physical strength and dying.

Secondly, if the level of this Cultivation Method is very high and the driving force of the concentrated critical strike is strong enough, it may trigger the Bone of the Blood Moon fused in the bloodline, forcibly drawing back the Master's power to unleash a critical strike.

Xiao Ran thought to himself, "Anyway, my Master's power is as solid as a mountain, so taking a little bit won't be a big problem."

Even if something goes wrong by accident, he can still treat his Master and perhaps even earn Filial Piety Points.

666 Filial Piety Points! Xiao Ran frowned.

Um...

Brilliant!