One Hundred
Buzz!
As the endless light burst forth from the Heavenly River, countless gazes were instantly cast upon the Heavenly River.
The light came suddenly and violently, like a sun buried at the bottom of the Heavenly River suddenly bursting open, turning the entire river surface into a dazzling golden-white.
The cultivators who were busy on the river stopped what they were doing almost simultaneously.
"What is that thing?" a powerful figure asked in surprise.
A man at the Middle Stage Tier 9 Supreme, holding Flood Dragon Token, squinted at the light, his hand instinctively pressing on the spiritual weapon at his waist.
His companion shook his head, equally puzzled. "I wonder, could something extraordinary have emerged from down there?"
The man's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but he immediately frowned as he was suppressed by the aura emanating from the light, and the greed on his face was quickly suppressed before it could surface.
However, some powerful individuals with keen senses stared intently at the light. They vaguely sensed that an extremely terrifying fluctuation was rapidly sweeping in from the depths of the Heavenly River.
The surge of energy rose from the depths of the riverbed, like a colossal beast that had slumbered for millennia rising from the abyss, each inch of its ascent causing the surrounding river water to recede.
Many people stared at this scene, their eyes twitching slightly involuntarily.
Because at this moment, they all vaguely felt an unease, even fear. It was like the terrifying pressure of an emperor's arrival; without words or actions, the mere presence emanating from his very bones was enough to make all things submit.
A young cultivator at the Tier 9 Supreme of Supreme Realm, standing on the periphery, involuntarily took half a step back, swallowed hard, and muttered under his breath, "What is this thing? It's even scarier than those ninety-nine-bead ones from before?"
"What exactly is it?" This question flashed through the minds of everyone present.
And it was under the watchful eyes of countless astonished and suspicious people that the Heavenly River suddenly began to boil.
The entire river seemed to be lifted up from the bottom by an invisible hand, with waves several meters high surging on the surface. White mist rose from the crests of the waves, enveloping the entire area in a hazy mist.
Everyone witnessed at that moment that endless light pierced through the river and shot out.
The rays of light pierced through the hundreds of feet of water from the riverbed, making the entire Heavenly River as clear as glass, and even revealing the hidden reefs and sediments at the bottom of the river in minute detail.
Then, a figure radiating colorful purple-gold light slowly emerged from it.
The figure rose from the riverbed, its speed slow yet carrying an undeniable composure, like the rising sun emerging from beneath the sea.
Zi Yan's figure gradually became clear in the light. She was surrounded by purple-gold light, and the pressure of her Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline was released without reservation, causing the surrounding river water to surge outward.
She stood on a huge halo of light, which rose from the depths of the Heavenly River, so vast it was awe-inspiring, covering an area of ten thousand feet and enveloping the entire river surface in a dazzling purple-gold aura.
The surface of the halo was covered with countless Spiritual Runes that slowly swirled around. Each Spiritual Runes was like a miniature star, hovering and radiating an almost tangible pressure.
This made Zi Yan was standing on it, appear exceptionally small, like a bright pearl being held in a giant hand.
However, when the aperture completely separated from the Heavenly River, it began to shrink rapidly again.
In just a few breaths, the ten-thousand-foot-long halo shrank from the entire river surface to a thousand feet, then a hundred feet, and finally transformed into a light sphere about a hundred feet long, which hovered in front of Zi Yan.
Countless astonished gazes across the Heavenly River were fixed on the dazzling sphere of light in front of Zi Yan.
The sphere of light was entirely composed of interwoven purple and gold, with fine Spiritual Runes flowing across its surface, resembling a Miniature Sun compressed to its extreme.
A moment later, their expressions suddenly changed, because they sensed the fluctuations of the Heavenly River Spirit within that sphere of light.
However, the fluctuations contained within this Heavenly River Spirit were so powerful that they made one's scalp tingle.
The wave emanated from the sphere of light, spreading outwards like an invisible mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts.
Even the combined ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit of the people who Golden Dragon Token seemed far inferior to this single dazzling sphere of light.
The difference is like comparing a small stream to a vast ocean; they're not even on the same level.
"What is this?!" Many powerful figures couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief once again.
Under their astonished gazes, Zi Yan flicked her finger lightly. The movement was so casual, as if she were brushing away a fallen petal from her shoulder.
Suddenly, tiny points of light appeared within the hundred-foot-tall sphere of light ahead.
The points of light danced within like fireflies, their rays weaving and weaving inside the sphere, like a miniature Star Domain encased in a glass sphere.
However, each point of light contained a heart-palpitating fluctuation. Although those fluctuations were far less powerful than the outermost giant Heavenly River Spirit, each one was comparable to the full-force attack of Tier 9 Peak expert.
There were exactly ninety-nine points of light. Many powerful figures stared intently at the sphere of light. When they saw the ninety-nine points of light, their eyes flashed, and then a look of horror suddenly appeared on their faces.
If those ninety-nine points of light are all Heavenly River Spirit, then adding the outermost giant Heavenly River Spirit, wouldn't that mean that Zi Yan possesses a total of one hundred Heavenly River Spirit?!
One hundred Heavenly River Spirit —that's enough to trigger a perfect-level baptism!
When this thought crossed everyone's minds, the expressions of those who had previously undergone the advanced baptism and possessed the Golden Dragon Token changed drastically.
Those who were just moments ago feeling smug about their ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit had their smiles freeze on their faces, like a group of guests showing off their treasures at a banquet who suddenly saw their host bring out a rare and priceless heirloom.
Then their expressions turned serious, and they all looked at Zi Yan.
They had also obtained ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit, so they were well aware of how difficult it was to acquire the hundredth Heavenly River Spirit.
Each of them tried to combine ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit together, attempting to fuse them into a hundredth, but no matter how they tried, they couldn't make any progress.
They even tried arranging the Crystal Stone in various formations, infusing them with different kinds of Spiritual Energy, and using various secret methods to activate them, but the Crystal Stone did not react at all except for occasionally flashing.
They had no way of obtaining it. But judging from the current turn of events, it was clear that Zi Yan had obtained the hundredth Heavenly River Spirit!
"Creak!" One of them turned grim.
He was a young man wearing a dark green robe. His face was originally quite handsome, but now it looked somewhat distorted because he clenched his teeth too tightly.
His hands clenched tightly in his sleeves, his knuckles cracking, and his eyes fixed on Zi Yan with a sinister gaze.
He came from an extremely ancient and reclusive family in the Western Region. He had been preparing for this Heavenly River Baptism for several years. Just to collect ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit, he soaked in the Heavenly River for two whole days and two nights. Only he himself knew how many dangers and fierce battles he had experienced and how many wounds he had sustained.
I thought ninety-nine was the limit, and that the Perfect Baptism was just a vague legend, but at this moment, the woman in the Purple-Gold Dress emerged from the water holding one hundred Heavenly River Spirit.
Although this only means they have one more Heavenly River Spirit than them, the difference between them is like an insurmountable chasm. It is the difference between High-Tier Baptism and Perfect Baptism.
"Lady Zi Yan, you... you have the hundredth Heavenly River Spirit?" In the distance, the North King and Xia Jia were also staring at this scene in utter astonishment.
The two stood on their token boats. The North King's jet-black heavy sword almost slipped from his hand, while Xia Jia stared wide-eyed, her mouth agape. Then, Xia Jia couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with disbelief, as if she were saying, "I didn't see that wrong, did I?"
Zi Yan smiled and nodded, saying without hiding anything, "This hundredth Heavenly River Spirit was created by fusing ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit."
Her voice was clear and composed, carrying across the river so that those eavesdropping nearby could hear it clearly.
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized that this was how the hundredth Heavenly River Spirit came to be.
The owners of those Golden Dragon Tokens all wore complex expressions; some were suddenly enlightened, some were annoyed, and some lowered their heads in deep thought, seemingly wondering why they hadn't thought of it that way.
However, although Zi Yan made it sound simple, they could sense that to perceive this peculiar method, one must engage in extremely quiet contemplation.
The subtle changes in the absorption between those Crystal Stones were so minute that they would be completely undetectable unless one stared at them for a long time.
Moreover, one must ultimately possess absolute courage, otherwise no one would have enough time to collect the other ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit.
Zi Yan's move was undoubtedly a gamble. She was exchanging a High-Tier Baptism that she was almost certain to obtain for a Perfect Baptism that had a high probability of failure and resulting in nothing.
Many powerful figures on the Heavenly River sighed inwardly, wondering if they, even if they knew this method, would have the courage to choose it.
A middle-aged cultivator holding Silver Dragon Token shook his head and whispered to the person beside him, "I wouldn't dare gamble like that. Ninety-nine tokens can be exchanged for a High-Tier Baptism, a steady and reliable improvement, isn't that great? But if I lose the gamble, all ninety-nine tokens are gone, and I can't even keep the High-Tier Baptism. I'd be devastated."
The man next to him nodded, but then sighed, "But they won the bet. Perfect Baptism; to witness it even once in a lifetime is a life well-lived."