The Envoy of the Upper Sect Arrives, A Peerless Furnace Cauldron!

It had finally come to terms with reality.

In a place where even the air was heavy enough to crush the breath from its lungs, resistance was nothing more than a death wish.

As it stepped into the canyon, the Light God Demon Tiger felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

The spiritual energy here was so dense it was practically liquid; any random weed growing on the ground would be considered a spiritual herb capable of inciting a bloody war among soul beasts back in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Feeling the newly formed golden demon core within its body, a strange sense of confidence suddenly welled up in the Light God Demon Tiger's heart.

"Roar!"

It let out a low growl, spreading its platinum wings slightly as it radiated the pressure of a Tier 3 spirit beast.

In its own estimation, it was, at the very least, a divine pet that had consumed an immortal pill and undergone a bloodline transformation.

Even if it had been captured to pull a carriage, among this herd of livestock, it was undoubtedly the undisputed boss.

It took a proud step forward, intending to patrol its future territory and perhaps recruit a few underlings.

However, it had barely walked a hundred paces when a heavy, rhythmic breathing suddenly echoed from a massive cave ahead.

The sound was like rolling thunder, shaking the canyon walls so violently that loose stones rained down.

The Light God Demon Tiger froze, eyeing the pitch-black cave entrance with wariness.

The next second, a colossal cyan head slowly emerged from the darkness.

It was a single-horned giant python, easily over a hundred zhang in length.

The cyan scales on its body were larger than washbasins and covered in ancient, intricate array patterns.

Purple lightning flickered faintly across its single horn, emitting a destructive aura that made the surrounding air feel scorched.

The Tier 3 spirit beast pressure the Light God Demon Tiger was so proud of was like a gentle breeze against a mountain when faced with this giant python; it couldn't even ruffle a single scale.

Late-stage Golden Core peak!

A top-tier great demon, only one step away from transforming into a flood dragon!

The giant python's cold, vertical pupils cast a dismissive glance at the Light God Demon Tiger.

"Where did this little kitten come from? Just brought in and already making such a racket—do you not know the rules?"

The python opened its blood-red maw, its tone dripping with impatience.

It didn't even bother to attack; it simply snorted.

A terrifying gust of wind, reeking of decay, slammed into the Light God Demon Tiger like a Category 12 hurricane.

"Bang!"

The Light God Demon Tiger didn't even have time to react before its massive body was sent flying by the blast of air.

It tumbled through the air a dozen times before slamming heavily into the canyon wall, leaving a deep crater in the rock.

It crawled out of the pit, disheveled and covered in dust, its platinum feathers matted with dirt.

The pride and confidence it had just built up were blasted into nothingness by the python's single snort.

It huddled on the ground, trembling, not daring to even lift its head for fear that the terrifying giant python might get angry and swallow it whole.

Outside the Sky Screen, the jaws of the Douluo crowd hit the floor.

Huo Wushuang rubbed his throbbing temples, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

"It was... taken out in one sneeze?"

"Just what kind of monster is that snake?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a bitter smile.

"In the Renegade Immortal World, never judge strength by size or volume."

"That giant python is likely just a slightly higher-grade transport beast for the 72nd Branch Sect of the Primordial Immortal Court."

On the screen, the Light God Demon Tiger was huddled obediently in a corner, not daring to make a sound.

Just then, the formation above the canyon activated once more.

Two figures riding flying swords descended from the sky.

They were young cultivators dressed in cyan Daoist robes.

Judging by the cloud patterns on their garments, they were clearly outer disciples of the 72nd Branch Sect.

The two looked to be in their early twenties, yet their cultivation had already reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Condensation stage.

"Senior Brother Li, have you heard?"

The slightly chubby disciple on the left stowed his flying sword, his face brimming with excitement.

"The sect has really gone all out for next month's outer sect tournament!"

The youth known as Senior Brother Li nodded, a flicker of fervent light flashing in his eyes.

"Naturally, I've heard of it."

Senior Brother Li smoothed the long hair at his temples, his tone permeated with the arrogance of one who considered victory already in his grasp.

"This grand competition is a centennial celebration held specifically to welcome the inspectors from the main sect."

"As long as one can place in the top ten, they will receive a Foundation Establishment Pill and be granted permission to enter the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion to select a cultivation technique."

The slightly chubby disciple swallowed hard, lowered his voice, and leaned in secretively.

"Senior Brother Li, while the Foundation Establishment Pill is precious, it pales in comparison to the reward for first place."

"I heard a slip of the tongue from a deacon uncle in the Discipline Hall while he was drunk."

"It is said that the champion of this competition will be granted a chance to meditate at the Enlightenment Cliff of the main sect!"

Upon hearing the words "Enlightenment Cliff," Senior Brother Li's body jolted violently.

His face, which had been relatively calm just a moment ago, was instantly flooded with an expression of near-fanatical worship.

"Is that true?!"

Senior Brother Li grabbed the chubby disciple's arm, his voice trembling.

"That is the holy ground of the main sect!"

"Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, the founder who established our Primordial Immortal Court sat by that cliff for half an hour."

"When the founder left, he merely glanced casually at the cliff face."

Senior Brother Li took a deep breath, his tone filled with awe.

"Just a single glance!"

"The founder's gaze left an indelible sword mark upon the cliff face."

"It is said that within that sword mark lies a trace of the original intent of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth that the founder comprehended back then."

"If a low-level branch disciple like us could be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of that sword mark..."

"Even if I only comprehended one-billionth of it, it would be enough for me to walk sideways across the Vermilion Bird Planet!"

The conversation between these two outer sect disciples was clearly transmitted across the entire Douluo Continent.

At this moment, whether it was the high and mighty Pope Bibi Dong, the reclusive peerless Douluo Qian Daoliu, or the hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, all were left with blank minds, utterly stunned by these words.

On the playground of Shrek Academy, Tang San's legs went weak, and he nearly lost his footing.

The state of mind he had always been so proud of collapsed completely in the face of this "founder."

"Sat for half an hour, glanced casually at a cliff face..."

Tang San muttered, his face dazed.

"A mark left by a single glance becomes a supreme treasure used by the Primordial Immortal Court to reward the winner of their grand competition?"

A trace left by merely a glance!

It was enough to make these cultivators, who could toss fireballs and fly on swords at will, fight like madmen to possess it!

Was that founder even human?

What kind of taboo existence was he?!

On the dirt playground of Shrek Academy, the wind swept through the treetops, carrying away a few fallen leaves.

Tang San's lips turned slightly pale as he stared at the Sky Screen in mid-air, unable to speak for a long time.

Oscar, standing beside him, was already trembling so hard that his teeth were chattering.

He hunched his shoulders, his voice thick with tears: "How are we supposed to fight this... a mark left by someone just looking at something is a treasure for the first-place winner."

"If the person himself were standing here, I'm afraid our entire Douluo Continent couldn't even withstand him taking a breath."

Hearing Oscar's defeatist words, Ning Rongrong, whose eyes were still red, felt a sudden surge of anger.

Having been pampered in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect since childhood, her temper was naturally willful and spoiled.

Although she had been terrified by the images on the Sky Screen just moments ago, the pride in her bones could not stand to see such weakness in others.

Ning Rongrong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, turned her head, and glared fiercely at Oscar with her large eyes.

"Shut your mouth!"

With her hands on her hips, her young mistress temper fully on display, she scolded him unceremoniously: "You're a grown man, yet you're scared to this state the moment you encounter a little trouble. What kind of ability is that?"

"Even if the Renegade Immortal World is powerful, the Sky Screen might not necessarily pick you!"

"None of us from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are as disgraceful as you."

"If you keep crying and shaking the morale of our troops, do you believe that this young lady will have you thrown out of the academy right now?"

After being scolded by Ning Rongrong with such sharp, biting words, Oscar shrank his head back, awkwardly shut his mouth, and didn't even dare to draw a full breath.

Zhu Zhuqing stood to the side, her cold gaze sweeping over Oscar. Although she said nothing, her eyes were filled with a similar sense of disdain.

In her view, while fear was a natural human reaction when facing a desperate situation, losing one's fighting spirit was the most pathetic thing of all.

The shock in the hearts of the people from Douluo Continent had yet to subside when the image on the Sky Screen began to move slowly, following the figures of the two outer sect disciples.

Senior Brother Li and the slightly chubby disciple stepped onto their flying swords, transforming into two long rainbows as they flew toward a range of rolling mountains below Beast Taming Peak.

As the perspective pulled back, a mountain so massive it was suffocating gradually revealed itself to everyone.

This was the outer sect area of the 72nd Branch of the Primordial Immortal Court.

The lower half of the mountain was densely packed with countless gray stone houses.

These stone houses were arranged like a honeycomb, stretching all the way to the edge of the horizon.

The two men glided slowly at a low altitude on their flying swords.

In the open space below, dozens of outer sect disciples wearing cyan Daoist robes had gathered.

They stood in a circle, seemingly watching something.

As the image zoomed in, two young disciples in the center of the circle were engaged in a fierce battle.

The thin, gaunt youth on the left clutched a yellowed talisman in his hand, chanting under his breath.

The yellow talisman transformed into a fireball the size of a human head, which slammed toward the scarred man opposite him with a wave of scorching heat.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed the scarred man's eyes. He did not dodge; instead, he reached behind his waist and drew a short iron sword.

He injected his internal spiritual power into the blade and swung his wrist with force.

A crescent-shaped cyan wind blade shot out from the sword.

The wind blade moved with incredible speed, instantly slicing through the incoming fireball. Its momentum undiminished, it swept directly across the gaunt youth's right shoulder.

"Ah!"

The gaunt youth let out a miserable scream as his entire right arm was severed at the root, rolling onto the muddy ground.

Blood sprayed out like a fountain, staining a large patch of earth red.

The scarred man walked forward expressionlessly and kicked the gaunt youth to the ground.

He searched the man's robes, found a medicinal herb emitting a faint fragrance, stuffed it into his own storage bag, and turned to leave without looking back.

None of the dozens of surrounding disciples had spoken up to stop the fight from start to finish, nor did anyone step forward to help the youth with the severed arm.

They simply watched the conflict with indifference before dispersing, as if this were nothing more than a trivial, everyday occurrence.

This scene made the viewers on Douluo Continent feel their scalps tingle.

In the high-level Spirit Master academies, while students did spar, they always stopped before things went too far.

Even during the elite selections of Spirit Hall, it was extremely rare to see such a cruel scene where someone would hack off another's arm in public just to snatch a medicinal herb.

What was even more chilling was the coldness in the eyes of those surrounding cultivators.

The slightly chubby disciple stood on his flying sword, looked down at the carnage below, and curled his lip casually.

"The centennial grand competition is almost here, and these guys in the outer sect are getting more and more vicious."

"They'll even kill their own fellow disciples for a few low-grade spirit stones and a few ten-year-old herbs."

Senior Brother Li stood with his hands behind his back, facing the cold high-altitude wind, his expression devoid of any fluctuation.

"The Cultivation World has always been like this—the weak are prey to the strong."

"If you don't fight, if you don't snatch, what will you use to trade for cultivation resources?"

"What will you use to gamble for that sliver of hope to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Senior Brother Li's tone was very flat, carrying an air of inevitability.

"Let's go, don't concern yourself with these trivial matters."

"Once we hand in our report at the Mission Pavilion, I still have to go back into seclusion to refine my sword techniques."

"I must secure that spot to meditate at Enlightenment Cliff during this grand competition."

As they spoke, the light on their flying swords flashed, and they prepared to accelerate away from the area.

The people of Douluo Continent endured a month of time in endless anxiety and anticipation.

Throughout that month, the image on the Sky Screen remained fixed on the endless, rolling immortal mountains of the Primordial Immortal Court.

Although no more heart-stopping battles occurred, just watching those outer sect disciples fight to the death over a few glowing stones was enough to make the Spirit Masters of Douluo feel a chill in their bones.

Finally, the centennial celebration of the 72nd Branch had arrived.

At noon on this day.

On the main square of the Primordial Branch, tens of thousands of disciples wearing brand-new cyan Daoist robes stood in neat, orderly formations.

Even the few Nascent Soul stage Grand Elders, who usually remained in seclusion for years, had come out early, standing behind the purple-robed Sect Master and gazing at the sky with respectful expressions.

The square was eerily quiet; one could not even hear a single cough.

There was no rain of flowers filling the sky, nor any ostentatious display of golden lotuses springing from the earth.

In the void above the firmament, only a muffled "hum" resonated.

An ancient bronze gate manifested out of thin air.

As the gate slowly pushed open, an aura of primordial antiquity poured out from the gap, causing the spiritual energy of the entire Vermilion Bird Planet to resonate in response.

A young man dressed in a plain robe stepped out from within with a calm expression.

He looked no different from a failed scholar of the secular world, wearing a gentle smile on his face and radiating not a shred of oppressive pressure.

Yet, following beside this youth was a strange beast only the size of a water buffalo.

The beast possessed the head of a dragon, was covered in dark golden scales, and trod upon rolling thunderclouds beneath its four claws.

The moment it stepped out of the bronze gate, it let out a lazy snort.

BOOM!

A terrifying pressure, originating from the depths of an ancient bloodline, swept across the entire Luoxia Mountain Range like a bursting flood.

In that instant, millions of birds and beasts within the mountain range uncontrollably rolled their eyes and collapsed, fainting dead away in the forest.

Even the giant one-horned python in the Spirit Beast Ravine of Beast Taming Peak, which was on the verge of transforming into a jiao, was so frightened that its entire body went limp.

It buried its massive head deep into the mud, its scales trembling uncontrollably, while a whimpering sound of supplication escaped its throat.

Douluo Continent, core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Azure Bull Python, Da Ming, suddenly gasped, his massive body instinctively retreating into the depths of the lake.

"A True Dragon bloodline!"