Yang Qing stood quietly where he was with his eyes closed, silently replaying the battle from earlier in his mind.
Defeating the three beings from Undying Mountain did not leave him overjoyed, even though they had been a full realm above him.
He possessed a Saint Body and Huo Linfei's template. His combat instincts were extraordinary, and fighting beyond his realm was nothing difficult.
What concerned him was that during this battle, he had begun to grasp the rhythm of combat and understand what a life-and-death struggle truly was.
With this valuable combat experience, he would no longer be at a loss should anything unexpected happen in the future.
After some time, Yang Qing opened his eyes and walked over to the corpses of the three Undying Mountain beings, carefully examining them.
"The Supremes really look down on me!" Yang Qing muttered.
The beings from Undying Mountain were not descendants with Supreme bloodlines. They were likely merely servants within Undying Mountain.
That made sense. With such weak cultivation, they could not have been anything other than servants in Undying Mountain.
It was true that the Supremes had set their sights on him, but they clearly did not take him seriously, casually sending three servants to kill him.
Perhaps, in the Supremes' eyes, he was merely an insignificant Wheel and Sea Realm nobody. Sending anyone at all would be enough to crush him.
"It seems this isn't a place where I can stay for long!" Yang Qing muttered.
The Supremes were unlikely to act personally. He had not yet reached a level worthy of their attention.
Besides, his master was no mere decoration. If the Supremes wanted to act, they would first have to get past his master.
Yet the Supremes not acting did not mean Undying Mountain lacked other experts. The Forbidden Zones of Life had existed alongside the world since ancient times; their accumulated foundation was unfathomably deep.
Forget Quasi-Emperors—if they casually sent out a Great Sage, he would have no chance of escaping death.
The Big Dipper Star Domain was not a place where he could remain. Only by stepping into the vast starry sky would he have a sliver of hope.
"In this era, the Academy of Mystics should have emerged, right?" Yang Qing muttered.
There were actually many paths he could choose if he wanted to travel beyond the domain, but the Academy of Mystics was undoubtedly the best choice.
It was said that the Academy of Mystics had an ancient inheritance and opened once every ten thousand years, accepting only the foremost geniuses of the age.
The contention on the Emperor's Road had already begun in this lifetime. Following the Academy of Mystics' traditions, it would most likely open in this era.
Just as Yang Qing was heading for the Academy of Mystics in Central Region, an inexplicable aura suddenly emerged from the depths of Undying Mountain.
"Dead? Did the Saint Body act in secret?"
The murmured voice was extremely low and echoed through the desolate space, waking the other Supremes from their slumber.
To them, killing an ant was no more than a trivial matter. They had never considered the possibility of failure.
But under the present circumstances, they had indeed failed. The three servants they had sent were already dead, and the outcome spoke for itself.
"It wasn't the Saint Body. He is still at Sacred Cliff, but it should have been a method left behind by the Saint Body!" another Supreme said.
The Saint Body was still at Sacred Cliff. The slightest movement from him would immediately alert them.
It was not the Saint Body acting personally, but that did not mean he had not given his disciple something to preserve his life. Killing three servants was nothing strange.
"Then take this a little more seriously. It's only an insect—can it really overturn the heavens?" another Supreme said coldly.
Undying Mountain was not without powerful experts. Sending out any one of them would be enough to sweep across the entire Big Dipper Star Domain.
To be safe, bring an Ancient Emperor Weapon as well. So long as the Saint Body did not act, who in the world could stop them?
And if the Saint Body acted, they would naturally step in to stop him!
Best of all, they could make the Saint Body watch his own disciple die before his eyes while being utterly powerless to do anything.
Only by making the Saint Body perish with endless fury and unwillingness could they erase the hatred in their hearts!
Soon, spatial ripples appeared once more in the depths of Undying Mountain, and several figures flashed away.
When Yang Qing arrived in Central Region, things were exactly as he had expected. The Academy of Mystics had opened more than a century ago.
Having already accepted quite a number of outstanding geniuses of the age, the Academy of Mystics had now become extremely strict in its standards for taking disciples.
Yang Qing did not intend to waste much time, so his choice was straightforward: he would fight his way directly into the Academy of Mystics.
After sweeping through the way before him, three old men appeared in front of Yang Qing, each of them extraordinary.
One wore golden feathered robes, another was dressed entirely in purple, while the last seemed ethereal and unfathomable, carrying an exceptional bearing.
"I never expected a Saint Body to emerge in this era. Are you willing to enter the academy and cultivate?" the old man in golden feathered robes asked.
The Academy of Mystics only accepted the foremost geniuses of the age, and the person before them was undoubtedly one of the foremost geniuses of this era.
Setting everything else aside, the fact that this person possessed a Saint Body already qualified him to join the Academy of Mystics.
"There is no need for me to join the Academy of Mystics. I came here to travel beyond the domain!" Yang Qing said.
His master had already taught him everything that needed to be taught. Continuing to cultivate in the Academy of Mystics would be a complete waste of time.
Moreover, Undying Mountain's experts could appear at any time. The Academy of Mystics could not protect him, and staying here would only mean waiting for death.
The Academy of Mystics possessed an altar leading beyond the domain. Once he entered the vast universe, even Undying Mountain's experts would find it difficult to locate him.
"You came for the Strongest Trial Ancient Road?" the old man in golden feathered robes asked, slightly startled.
The path beyond the domain was a road to heaven, but also an arduous road. Only the foremost geniuses of the age were qualified to embark upon it.
Yet even so, throughout the endless years, most who departed never returned, vanishing without a trace.
"How could the Saint Body be absent from the contention on the Emperor's Road?" Yang Qing gazed beyond the domain.
On his journey to Central Region, he had learned quite a few things. The contention on the Emperor's Road in this lifetime had begun long ago.
This was a brilliant era, where geniuses rose together and monstrous talents ran rampant, all competing for that sole chance to attain the Dao.
Before his time, humanity had no Great Emperor. The Nine Great Saint Bodies Battle the Heavens had together written a dazzling age.
Now, in this era of contention on the Emperor's Road, would it not be a pity if the Saint Body did not take part?
"You are right! I hope you return safely someday!" the old man in purple praised.
At that moment, he could not help thinking of the young man named Ji Xukong, an unparalleled genius unlike any he had ever seen.
After leaving for so many years, had Ji Xukong, with his talent, already advanced triumphantly along the Strongest Trial Ancient Road?
Now that the Saint Body was also embarking upon the Strongest Trial Ancient Road, would he be able to catch up to Ji Xukong's footsteps?
Soon, led by the three old men, they arrived before a Five-Colored Altar.
The three old men activated the Five-Colored Altar together. Eight Trigram symbols flickered, opening a star gate.
Yang Qing stepped onto the Five-Colored Altar, and the Starry Sky Gate slowly began to close. But at that very moment, a terrifying aura suddenly emerged.
"Not good!"
The expressions of all three old men changed drastically. Just as they were about to act, they saw a great halberd cleave through space and crash down.
The great halberd suppressed heaven and earth, emitting a droning tremor. Dragon patterns burst forth, and an inky black dragon soared up, pouncing toward Yang Qing.
The three old men's faces were filled with horror. Such a terrifying aura—the great halberd was clearly an Ancient Emperor Weapon!
"It really came!"
Yang Qing's expression turned grim. Undying Mountain's expert had arrived so quickly. Did the Supremes truly want him dead so badly?
At this moment, he had no other choice. He could only force himself onward and charge toward the Starry Sky Gate at top speed.
The great halberd struck down, hitting the Five-Colored Altar squarely. In an instant, the Eight Trigram runes flashed, and the Starry Sky Gate shut at once.
The great halberd shattered the Five-Colored Altar, but it was ultimately one step too late. Yang Qing had already vanished!
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