The First Battle, Painting Half-Saints (Double-length chapter)

Lin Qingying did not wait for Li Hao and Lin Shan Hai, and headed to the Sacred Land first.

She went to the gathering to participate in the competition as a disciple.

After tidying up, Li Hao and Lin Shan Hai leisurely headed off.

Halfway there, the two encountered Zhao Yingzhen and his Shi Huajin, who were dressed in luxurious attire. They were also going to watch the competition together. Although they were Alchemist, such a grand event was extremely lively and only happened once every hundred years, so no one wanted to miss it.

"Old Lin, the competition for the Sword God Battle is fierce this time. Is Qingying confident she can make it into the Top Five?"

After meeting, Zhao Yingzhen asked with a smile.

Lin Shan Hai shook his head and said, "Who can say for sure? The other Saint Child and Saintess are no pushovers Saint Child. There are more than ten of them Saintess. It will be extremely difficult to even make it into the Top Ten!"

The Sword Ancestor Sacred Land has a large number of disciples, with a million Outer Sect Disciple and tens of thousands inner disciple, all of whom are carefully selected Heavenly Prodigy.

The Azure Wave Realm is vast and expansive, home to numerous Dynasty and a population of hundreds of millions. In addition to the Three Great Sacred Lands, there are many other first-rate forces.

Those disciples who can become apprentices in the Sacred Land, even if they are Outer Sect Disciple, have a chance to become Inner Sect in those first-class forces. As for inner disciple, they are all geniuses of the same Heavenly Prodigy, all of whom have at least Ninth Grade Battle Body physique.

Among them, the best are either exceptionally perceptive or have even more outstanding Heavenly Talent, and a few even have special physical constitutions.

In the homeland of the Dynasty, they were renowned top Prodigy, but when gathered in the Sacred Land, they were just ordinary members among the millions of Outer Sect Disciple.

Just like in folk tales, even the most powerful beings in the mortal realm who strive to ascend to heaven ultimately become nothing more than a lowly soldier among 100,000 heavenly warriors.

"Indeed, don't put too much pressure on Qingying. It would be good enough if she could make it into the Top Ten. There are already many Heavenly Prodigy, and now that Sage like to use Reincarnation Incarnation to cultivate, the competition among these young people is even more intense."

Shi Huajin said to Lin Shan Hai.

"Of course, I never interfere with her cultivation. No matter what her ranking is, she's always number one in my heart. Even if she stops cultivating and lives as an ordinary person, I, Old Lin, can still afford to raise a granddaughter," Lin Shan Hai said.

"You're quite open-minded. But Qingying, you don't need to push her. She works harder than anyone else. I heard she's condensed the Ultimate Soft Dao Body. Is it possible that she's the incarnation of that Sage from the Yin Yang School?"

Zhao Yingzhen asked curiously.

Lin Shan Hai's face darkened. "She is not an incarnation of anyone; she is herself!"

Zhao Yingzhen was taken aback, then gave an awkward laugh.

Shi Huajin rolled her eyes at him. Everyone knew that Old Lin doted on this granddaughter, and they depended on each other for survival. Why did he have to bring up something so sensitive?

The group traveled together, and after flying out of the area where the Alchemist lived, they headed to the Saint Mountain of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land.

The Sword Ancestor Sacred Land is divided into regions. Outer Sect Disciple can only live in the peaks outside the Saint Mountain, while inner disciple can cultivate on the Saint Mountain and have the opportunity to listen to the teachings of the Sage's Dao Voice. Saintess and Saint Child have their own exclusive cultivation Saint Peak, where they can gather the Heaven and Earth Energy and cultivate there at a rapid pace.

After flying slowly for thousands of miles, it took them half an hour to reach the foot of the Saint Mountain.

This Saint Mountain is majestic and vast; its towering form can be faintly seen from hundreds of miles away. At this moment, Cloudmist surround its lower half, obscuring the true appearance of its Mountain Summit.

As they approached the Saint Mountain, they could see Myriad Daos light rushing in from all directions, all of them Outer Sect Disciple had come to watch the battle.

In this Sword God Selection Battle, Outer Sect Disciple are not eligible to participate; only inner disciple can compete, ultimately facing elimination and competition alongside the strongest Heavenly Prodigy of the Sacred Land, such as the Saintess and Saint Child.

The initial selection Arena Stage is located on the mountainside. This area is vast, with ten Arena Stage for simultaneous competition.

Only after the Top Hundred are selected will they gather at the Mountain Summit to compete for the final Top Ten under the watchful eye of the Sage.

At this moment, Cloudmist swirled around the mountainside, and in an extremely vast and open area, there were ten enormous Arena Stage, each surrounded by Principle Barrier.

Outside the Arena Stage was the audience seating for Outer Sect Disciple. Such Heavenly Prodigy of Swordsmanship prodigies was a rare learning opportunity for these Outer Sect Disciples.

After the Sword God Battle ends, Outer Sect Disciple will begin a new round of competition for inner disciple positions, and many will emerge victorious.

At this moment, the audience seating outside the venue was divided into various sections and was protected by Noise-Reduction Law, so although some voices could be heard, it did not sound too noisy.

Otherwise, if a million people gather, even if they are all speaking in hushed tones, the resulting crowd will be noisy and chaotic.

In addition to the seats for the Outer Sect Disciple, there are also floating seats in mid-air, offering a better view and allowing them to see the situation on all ten Arena Stage at the same time.

These seats are reserved for Alchemist like Lin Shan Hai, as well as Artifact Refiner within the Sacred Land, and other influential figures within the Sacred Land such as Administrative Steward, Dynasty Enforcer, and others.

At this moment, the Outer Sect Disciple' audience seats below were already bustling with activity, with most of them filled.

Of the thousands of seats floating in the air, only about half were occupied.

Lin Shan Hai led Li Hao, Zhao Yingzhen, and the others to the Alchemist area.

Their arrival naturally attracted the attention of some disciples. Many Outer Sect Disciple had longed to curry favor with these alchemy masters but had no way to do so. Only now did they have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their true faces.

"Look, it's Advanced Alchemist!"

"I've seen that person before. It's Alchemist. I was able to break through to the Undeclining Realm thanks to the Body Forging Pill he refined."

"My Lineage has a junior Alchemist's practically a revered member of our household. Even my father has to be mindful of his feelings. Advanced Alchemist, on the other hand, could easily train a Dao Inquiry Realm expert if he were willing to help!"

"It's not that exaggerated. After reaching the Four Establishments Realm, the effects of elixirs on the body will decrease."

"That's because you're inexperienced. Have you ever heard of the Dao Comprehension Fruit'? Some Advanced Alchemist's pills can produce similar effects. Although they can't guarantee you 'Dao Hearing, they can increase your chances of advancement."

"That's right. Moreover, the most powerful thing about Advanced Alchemist is their network of connections. If you have enough of a relationship, they can ask you to help them refine pills. Even a useless person can be helped to become a powerful expert."

"See those? They're all Advanced Alchemist."

"Is that young man in the middle also one? That can't be right."

"That must be one of their Personal Disciple."

"Nonsense, that's Qing Feng Alchemist. I met him once when I helped deliver medicinal herbs."

"Qing Feng Alchemist? He's Qing Feng Alchemist?!"

Many people were surprised when they heard the name of Qing Feng Alchemist.

Although I've never met Li Hao, the name of Qing Feng Alchemist has become extremely well-known recently. Everyone knows that there is a Qing Feng Alchemist in the Alchemist circle. He has a wide network of connections and has mastered a unique Medicinal Ingredient Refining Method. If you ask him for help in refining pills, you can basically succeed!

Li Hao, Lin Shan Hai, and the others had already taken their seats in the Floating Seats.

"Looks like you've got quite a reputation; even these little guys know about it."

Hearing the Whispers and gasps below, Lin Shan Hai couldn't help but smile at Li Hao.

Li Hao also noticed, but only found it somewhat amusing. It was a bit bizarre that someone who had never refined pills before had now become the renowned Qing Feng Alchemist.

"It's because Qing Feng's purification method is truly irreplaceable; these little guys are certainly well-informed."

Shi Huajin smiled.

"If Qing Feng wants to become Alchemist, I can teach you, and it won't count as taking you as a disciple," Zhao Yingzhen said immediately.

Lin Shan Hai said irritably, "Stop scheming. I told Qing Feng this a long time ago. If he wanted to, he would already have a chance to become Advanced Alchemist."

Zhao Yingzhen was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

Li Hao's gaze fell on the ten Arena Stage. At the edge of the Arena Stage, a large number of inner disciple were gathered. To Li Hao's surprise, the Aura of these inner disciple were all profound and restrained, and the lowest level was the Four Establishments Realm!

Some of them possessed extraordinary figures, standing out in the crowd like the blazing sun. They had even reached the Dao Inquiry Realm, their Aura were deep and restrained, both subtle and sharp.

Li Hao was slightly silent. Even inner disciple possessed the strength of the Dao Inquiry Realm. This was the foundation of the Sacred Land.

In the entire history of the Great Yu Dynasty, apart from the Buddha Master, only True Person Qin was in charge.

As for whether there are any other reclusive cultivators at the Dao Inquiry Realm, that remains unknown. Even if there are, there might only be one or two at most who have reached the top.

The six Dao Law Realm killed earlier in the Imperial Palace were likely the six inner disciple Heavenly Prodigy the Void Sacred Land, all of whom were Dao Law Realm and considered among the best of the inner disciple.

However, there are at least a hundred such outstanding individuals among the inner disciple of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land.

This is the difference between the Sacred Land and the Mortal World Dynasty; their power is like that of a dragon and an ant.

"Qingying is over there."

Shi Huajin pointed and saw three figures standing opposite the ten Arena Stage. Many powerful figures from the Sacred Land were gathered around them, but in front of these three figures stood more than a dozen imposing and outstanding figures, who were like transcendent Xingchen, making people dare not look directly at them.

Even the most outstanding inner disciple, who shone like the Blazing Sun, paled in comparison to these people.

"Those are the three Half-Saint within the Sacred Land."

Lin Shan Hai introduced him to Li Hao.

Li Hao glanced at the three Half-Saint, second only to Sage. Although the gap between Half-Saint and Sage was enormous, compared to those in the Dao Inquiry Realm, Half-Saint possessed overwhelming and absolute dominance.

The three people were a man and a woman, both of whom appeared to be middle-aged. There was also an old man whose Aura was ethereal and restrained, yet he resembled a Divine Mountain that seemed both near and far, standing there as if rooted to the Heaven and Earth, majestic and unmoving.

The mere aura emanating from him was enough to make Li Hao feel an immense sense of oppression.

His mind was heavy, and he vaguely sensed that with his current strength, even if he could easily suppress and kill Dao Law Realm, the outcome of a fight against this Half-Saint would be uncertain, and he would most likely be defeated.

Half-Saint have long lifespans, and most of them possess Extreme Realm. They are only half a step away from becoming Sage, and they are already considered top Heavenly Prodigy of their time. Defeating them in adversity is basically as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"You can just watch this Preliminary Selection from here. If you don't want to watch, you can go back."

Before the ten Arena Stage, a burly, imposing middle-aged man with shoulders that seemed capable of lifting Heaven and Earth spoke calmly to the dozen or so Saint Child and Saint Daughter Top Ten.

Upon hearing his words, the expressions of the dozen or so people were relatively calm. Some stood quietly, their robes fluttering, wanting to see just how far these elite inner disciple had gone.

Others simply bowed slightly to the three Half-Saint before turning and leaving, too lazy to linger.

For many Saint Child and Saint Daughter, their competitive focus is primarily on other Saint Child and Saint Daughter, while they have little interest in the lower-ranking inner disciple.

In the end, they'll just become stepping stones for them anyway.

"The Bright Moon Saint Child didn't come; he must be in Seclusion."

"He probably plans to show up again during the Top Hundred Battle. He doesn't care about this level of battle; coming here would just be a waste of time."

"We haven't seen each other for thirty years. I wonder how far he's gone now. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens to him this time."

Several familiar Saint Child and Saintess, when mentioning a certain Saint Child, all had a hint of fighting spirit in their eyes.

There are many Saint Child and Saint Child and Saint Daughter, but some of them are extremely famous, such as the Bright Moon Saint Child.

"There are quite a few rising stars this time too. Don't just focus on the Bright Moon Saint Child and let the other little ones catch up."

A graceful Saintess, her face veiled in a light mist, her eyes like Autumn Water, glanced at a figure in flowing white robes beside her.

Upon hearing her words, the gazes of the other Saint Child and Saintess also shifted to Past; some narrowed their eyes slightly, while others remained indifferent.

"I heard that the Bone Reflection Mirror test showed he's not even twenty-seven years old yet, making him one of the youngest among us, right?"

A tall, handsome young man with striking eyebrows and bright eyes said with great interest.

"After all, he is Sword Saint's Direct Disciple of Bright Moon Saint Child, he probably has the same skills as the Bright Moon Saint Child thirty years ago."

"Another Saint Child said calmly."

They chatted casually and without any pretense, revealing their self-confidence and composure, and showing no concern for offending or provoking anyone.

After all, in this Sword God Battle, they could all be rivals.

Moreover, although they are all Saint Child, there is only one spot available for those who want to receive the Incense from the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land and become the new Sword Saint. They are each other's enemies unless one of them is willing to withdraw from the competition.

Hearing the discussions of these people, Bian Ruxue, dressed in white, remained silent and ignored them, simply gazing at the ten Arena Stage in front of her.

She didn't intend to leave, but wanted to see the best among the inner disciple. The strength of those top inner disciple was not much inferior to that of the Holy Saint Child and Saint Daughter. Some of them had even broken through after the last Saint Child and Saint Daughter election and might now possess the power of the Saint Child and Saint Daughter.

Although the possibility is extremely low, it's not impossible.

On the other side, Lin Qingying was also gazing calmly, showing no interest in the discussions around her and not participating at all.

She knew that everyone around her was her opponent, and her only companion was the sword in her hand.

Soon, after the casual conversation, more than a dozen Saint Child and Saint Daughter left one after another, leaving only five to remain and observe quietly.

These Saint Child and Saint Daughter were extremely eye-catching. As they left, many disciples in the audience noticed them and began to whisper among themselves.

Meanwhile, the inner disciple waiting in preparation for their turn in front of the Arena Stage also sensed this and immediately felt a sense of contempt. However, they knew that this was something they couldn't do anything about; their opponents were the Saint Child and Saint Daughter, far stronger than them.

However, a few of them turned cold in their eyes.

Before long, the audience seats gradually filled up, and the Floating Seats also became nearly full.

The Preliminary Selection of the Sword God Battle also began at this moment.

There are two challenge rules for the Preliminary Selection: one is a two-on-one duel, and the other is Arena-Holder Defense. If the champion defends his title for ten rounds, he can directly advance to the Top Hundred and skip the other competitions.

The Arena-Holder Defense Battle is for those confident in their strength, while the Random Match give other inner disciple a chance to Sparring.

With three Half-Saint in charge, the selection process began after the rules of the Sword God Battle were explained.

They gathered the disciples' Waist Tag together and randomly distributed them in the Void using the Principle.

The disciples who chose to Arena-Holder Defense Battle have already arrived at the central Arena Stage.

In the past, the Sword God Battle and the Arena-Holder Defense Battle were often more eye-catching, and the top disciples of the Inner Sect would choose this convenient method.

"Wow, Mu Feng is the first one to step onto the stage for the Arena-Holder Defense Battle."

"He's one of the top talents among the Inner Sect Heavenly Prodigy, so it's quite normal for him to choose to defend his title this time."

"He asked me to refine Dao Condensation Pill a while ago, Qing Feng, you even came to help me, remember?"

Zhao Yingzhen said to Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded, he vaguely remembered it.

"So, the usual rules, what are you betting on? I'll go first: the intermediate-level Pill Formula, the Pure Fire Pill, which can purify the pill toxins in the body. However, there will still be a little pill toxin residue left, but it's very small compared to other pill formulas."

An old man spoke, his face beaming.

Shi Huajin smiled and said, "Alright, I'll give you one too. Intermediate Pill Recipe Purple Gold Pill, which can enhance physical strength. One pill can increase it by about 50,000 jin, and only three pills are effective."

"I'm not familiar with him, so I'll just give him a basic Pill Formula," Lin Shan Hai joined in.

The others also successively chose their own Pill Formula, and then began to select the number of rounds to bet on and the odds.

Li Hao listened from the side and noticed that they had drawn up extremely detailed betting rules, which were even somewhat similar to Texas Hold'em.

Tsk, who says people in ancient times didn't know how to have fun? As long as they had enough time, they just didn't go overboard with their games.

"Qing Feng, do you want to come and join us?"

Zhao Yingzhen asked Li Hao.

Li Hao shook his head. "I don't understand these things, so I won't keep you company."

"Go away, don't drag Qing Feng into this," Lin Shan Hai said irritably.

Getting involved in this kind of thing is never a good thing.

The others didn't try to dissuade him further. Li Hao then took out the paintbrush and Drawing Board he had prepared beforehand from the Heaven and Earth Space and began to grind the ink.

If we're talking about who gained the most from this battle, no one could compare to him... Li Hao felt very pleased with himself. After grinding the ink, he set up his Drawing Board and first began to depict the three Half-Saint.

Not knowing how much Painting Dao experience the existence of the Half-Saint Realm expert could provide, Li Hao felt a surge of excitement.

"Qing Feng, what's wrong?"

Shi Huajin noticed Li Hao's strange behavior and was somewhat taken aback.

The other Alchemist also looked over, startled by Li Hao's strange behavior.

Li Hao smiled, "It's such a rare sight, I'll paint it to remember it."

Lin Shan Hai knew that Li Hao was fond of Painting Dao and that he was extremely skilled in Painting Dao, so he smiled and said, "Go ahead and paint, don't disturb him. Qing Feng's paintings are exceptional."

"Oh?"

Everyone else looked surprised, then became interested, thinking they would wait until Li Hao finished drawing to see.

Li Hao then began to devote himself wholeheartedly to painting.

The three Half-Saint stood together, and Li Hao observed and painted at the same time. However, painting for the powerful was not easy. The reason why Li Hao was so experienced in Painting Dao was mainly because he needed to concentrate on observation. But as he observed the three Half-Saint, his own Divine Power was also being depleted, as if he were exploring a maze.

The Aura of the Half-Saint was restrained and profound, making him feel as if he were trying to imitate or depict it.

"Um?"

In the distance, the three Half-Saint noticed they were being watched. They looked up and their gazes immediately fell on the Floating Seats, where they saw the boy who had set up his Drawing Board.

Soon, they noticed that Li Hao was surrounded by Alchemist.

"Whose disciple is that, daring to be so disrespectful?" The woman had mature features, and her eyes were deep and cold.

"It might not be an offense. I checked with my Divine Sense, and he's painting for us. I guess he admires us and wants to keep our paintings. And they seem to be quite good."

The burly middle-aged man remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"That's not anyone's disciple. Recently, an Alchemist Alchemist emerged who has mastered the ability to Herb Refining. It should be that young man. He was sitting with Lin Shan Hai. I think his name is Qing Feng Alchemist."

The old man glanced at it, then looked away and said calmly.

"Qing Feng Alchemist?"

The woman's eyes flickered slightly, clearly she had heard of this name before. The coldness in her eyes softened considerably. She scanned the canvas with her Divine Sense and immediately discovered her own reflection on the other woman's Drawing Board, and moreover, her beauty was exquisite...

"Since it was unintentional, let's just let it go."

Her brow relaxed, and she spoke calmly.

The conversation between the three Half-Saint was not concealed, and Lin Qingying and Bian Ruxue, who were standing nearby, heard it. Lin Qingying looked up and saw that Li Hao had indeed set up Drawing Board and was actually sketching Half-Saint. She was speechless and secretly found it a little funny.

Li Hao has been here for almost a year. After spending nearly a year together, she has become quite familiar with him. Apart from painting and Sculpting, he really doesn't do anything else of importance.

Herb Refining.

"Um?"

Bian Ruxue also looked Past and heard the word "painting," and her heart stirred for some reason. She looked towards the Floating Seats.

The Drawing Board obscured her view of the person's face, but for some reason, the Drawing Board gave her a deep-seated sense of familiarity, and her blood seemed to quicken slightly in an instant.