Ji Xukong stared at Yang Qing in utter disbelief, even wondering whether there was something wrong with his ears.
A twenty-two-year-old Quasi-Emperor? Was he sure this wasn't a joke?
Forget twenty-two—being a Quasi-Emperor at two hundred and twenty would already be utterly unbelievable.
Twenty-two years old! Even if he had begun cultivating in the womb, he would only have cultivated for twenty-two years at most!
What was more, Yang Qing said that he had only cultivated for four years. What could anyone accomplish in four years?
For cultivators, four years was an extremely short time. Some people could not even perfect the Wheel Sea Realm in that time.
To cross the Five Great Secret Realms of the Human Body and cultivate all the way to the final realm was an incomparably difficult undertaking.
On this long road of cultivation, some people became trapped in a particular realm and could not advance another step for the rest of their lives.
Others rose toward the heavens, but they too needed to be tempered by the passage of time, advancing step by step before they could finally reach the peak.
Take him, for example. Though many had praised him as possessing peerless talent, he had still spent more than three hundred years to enter the Quasi-Emperor realm.
Compared to that, a twenty-two-year-old Quasi-Emperor was practically the stuff of myth.
No! Even myths were not this absurd. Not even the reincarnation of a True Immortal could cultivate so quickly.
At that moment, Ji Xukong felt thunder rumbling through his mind, while his Dao Heart, which remained unshaken even if the heavens collapsed, was stirred into towering waves.
"Are you sure you didn't misspeak?"
Ji Xukong took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down as he looked solemnly at Yang Qing.
He believed Yang Qing had no reason to deceive him, but he still wanted one final confirmation.
"To be precise, it hasn't even been four years yet!" Yang Qing said with a serious expression.
Watching Ji Xukong's expression shift continuously, he found it quite amusing.
Ever since he had met Ji Xukong, Ji Xukong had always appeared calm and composed.
It was as though nothing in the world could move him, and his tranquil temperament could soothe all things beneath heaven and earth.
Now, he finally saw Ji Xukong's more human side. So Ji Xukong's expressions could be this varied after all.
"Good! This is truly wonderful!" Ji Xukong said, overjoyed.
Though it was difficult to believe, what did a twenty-two-year-old Quasi-Emperor signify?
It meant that Yang Qing's Saint Body would undoubtedly reach Great Accomplishment in the future.
And was Great Accomplishment Saint Body truly Yang Qing's limit?
Throughout the long ages of history, there had never been such an inconceivably rapid cultivation speed.
No one dared rashly speculate where the limits of such an unprecedented peerless prodigy might lie.
In truth, from the moment he met Yang Qing, a trace of expectation had arisen in his heart.
This era was far too difficult. The various Forbidden Zones of Life were stirring restlessly, and Great Dark Upheavals erupted from time to time.
Nine Great Accomplishment Saint Bodies had emerged one after another, shedding their blood and risking their lives, yet they had still failed to quell the turmoil.
He possessed ambitions that soared to the clouds. In this lifetime, he would Prove Dao and Become Emperor, turning the tide when all seemed lost!
He had complete confidence that he could suppress the world alone and quell the Great Dark Upheaval, but who would ever complain about having too many allies?
If a Great Accomplishment Saint Body could fight shoulder to shoulder with him, then who among the supreme beings of the world would dare emerge?
Therefore, after meeting Yang Qing, he had resolved to spare no cost in protecting Yang Qing's path and helping Yang Qing's Saint Body reach Great Accomplishment.
Now, Yang Qing had actually given him an enormous surprise!
Though this surprise was somewhat frightening, a surprise was still a surprise, wasn't it?
Watching Ji Xukong alternate between shock and excitement, Yang Qing was utterly bewildered. Was this really the calm and composed Void Emperor?
Still, it was understandable. His cultivation speed was indeed somewhat frightening, yet he still felt it was not enough.
It was not that he lacked time, but that his master lacked time. He had to make his Saint Body reach Great Accomplishment as quickly as possible.
Over the following period, Yang Qing cultivated madly while fighting through the nine Emperor Passes.
Before long, news of the Saint Body's rise and his sweeping conquest of the nine Emperor Passes spread through all nine passes, drawing countless gazes.
The Saint Body advanced triumphantly through the nine Emperor Passes. In a short time, he broke through five passes in succession and began contending with the greatest prodigies of the current age.
Prodigies of the demon race, monstrous talents of the Saint Spirit Clan, and powerhouses of the Primordial Royal Clans all became defeated opponents beneath the Saint Body's hands.
After walking this path and enduring one shock after another, Ji Xukong had already become numb.
He could finally be certain that Yang Qing, this twenty-two-year-old Quasi-Emperor, was completely genuine.
Yang Qing's cultivation speed was simply too fast. Even after reaching the Quasi-Emperor level, it did not slow in the slightest.
He had never seen anyone like this. They only needed to cultivate diligently for a while, and their cultivation would break through.
This was the Quasi-Emperor realm!
Setting aside everyone else, even he needed to cultivate diligently for years, or even decades, to advance a single minor realm.
But Yang Qing?
After cultivating for less than a month, he would suddenly break through. Once he passed the Heavenly Tribulation, he would smoothly advance one minor realm.
Then, after less than another month, Yang Qing would break through again and rise another minor realm.
He could not help secretly rejoicing that Yang Qing had entered the Strongest Trial Ancient Road somewhat late and had not competed against him.
Such an opponent was simply too terrifying!
One month ago, his cultivation might still have lagged behind others. A month later, it would catch up, and another month later, it would surpass them.
Moreover, if his cultivation speed were merely fast, it would not actually be a big deal. Competition on the Emperor's Road was not about who cultivated faster.
Generally speaking, when cultivation rose this quickly, there would be no time to temper oneself, and one's combat strength would likely be weak.
Yet Yang Qing had none of those problems at all!
While his cultivation advanced rapidly, his combat strength improved just as quickly. Ji Xukong could even sense that Yang Qing was progressing every moment.
He tempered himself in battle, and the speed at which his combat strength increased was simply unbelievable.
Even while undergoing tribulation and resisting the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation, Yang Qing's combat strength was actually still rising.
Who could withstand that?
Competing on the Emperor's Road?
Compete my ass!
He might as well go back early, wash up, and sleep, lest his Dao Heart collapse!
He could not help wondering: if Yang Qing were not a Saint Body, would he stand a chance against him in this lifetime's competition on the Emperor's Road?
Though he was unwilling to admit it, he felt that Yang Qing had a great chance of Proving Dao and Becoming Emperor before him. Would that not leave him with no hope at all?
Yet he was happy from the bottom of his heart. If Senior Great Accomplishment Saint Body knew his disciple was this outstanding, he would surely be greatly gratified!
Besides, Yang Qing would be someone who fought shoulder to shoulder with him in the future. The stronger Yang Qing was, the happier he naturally was.
"We've finally arrived!"
Yang Qing gazed at the majestic Emperor Pass before him. Divine light blazed in his eyes, and battle intent surged around him.
After sweeping through every challenge and breaking pass after pass, he had finally reached the ninth Emperor Pass after nearly a year.
Over that year, he cultivated day and night without rest, finally breaking through from the first minor realm of Quasi-Emperor to the eighth.
Now, he was only one step away from having his Saint Body reach Great Accomplishment. The ninth Emperor Pass would be his final battlefield.
Once he swept through the ninth Emperor Pass, on this Emperor's Road, he would have no opponents apart from Ji Xukong.
Thus, his choice was straightforward. He took one step forward and stood before the ninth Emperor Pass, his vast voice echoing through heaven and earth.
"The Saint Body is here! Who dares fight me?"
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