Showdown

Inside the main hall, Li Wangxian was not discouraged by Father Li's flat refusal. He had already expected this hurdle to be difficult to clear.

But this journey concerned his path of cultivation, and he had to go. Thus, he told Father Li with utmost seriousness, "The road to becoming a Great Emperor has always been fought for, not sheltered into existence. If I want to attain the Dao, I can only temper myself amid mountains of blades and seas of fire, not through secluded cultivation within the church."

"But you're still too young, and your cultivation is still shallow. You can wait until you're older to venture out. You won't miss out on tempering yourself."

Father Li shook his head, unconvinced by Li Wangxian's reasoning.

"I can already kill plenty of Four Extremes cultivators. If I wait another few years and reach Dragon Transformation or even higher, what value will Ziwei still have as a place to temper myself?" Li Wangxian replied with overbearing confidence.

At those words, Father Li faltered and swallowed what he had been about to say.

But he was not so easily persuaded. He quickly countered with examples. "The Taiyin Divine Son Duanmu Ming, Lu Ya of the Golden Crow Clan, Daoist Sanque of the Longevity Temple on Nether Ridge, and Yi Qingwu of Guanghan Palace—all these Heavenly Prodigies are already at Dragon Transformation, and some are even about to ascend to the Immortal Platform. You won't lack opponents in the future."

"Have any of them reached the eight prohibitions?" Li Wangxian asked in return.

"I haven't heard of it, and I imagine they haven't yet. But once they ascend to the Immortal Platform, they should possess the combat strength of the eight prohibitions."

"If they're at Dragon Transformation and still haven't attained the power of the eight prohibitions, they aren't worth mentioning," Li Wangxian scoffed coldly.

"Well..."

Father Li choked on his words, a headache coming on. His son was far too overbearing today!

Although he admired that confidence and knew his son had the right to say such things, the boy really was still too young!

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall grew taut. Father and son stared at one another, neither willing to yield.

"Actually, it's a good thing that the Divine Son wants to venture out and temper himself. But at your age, Divine Son, you really would attract too much attention. It would invite plenty of trouble and make traveling difficult."

Jiang Pa and Elder Lin arrived and hastily tried to smooth things over when they sensed the atmosphere in the hall.

Their tone, however, made it clear that they did not support Li Wangxian's plan either.

After all, venturing out for training at five and a half was truly unheard of, and far too conspicuous. He might gain no tempering at all and instead throw away his life for nothing.

"That's right! Little Wang, you're still too young. Listen to your father. Wait a few more years, until you're older, before going out to temper yourself." Mother Li also arrived to persuade him.

Faced with opposition from everyone in the hall, Li Wangxian felt helpless.

He knew his family truly had his best interests at heart and understood their concerns. But aside from searching for the Taiyin scripture, he also wanted to take this opportunity to temper himself. After all, he had yet to experience a genuine battle since his birth.

His usual battles with the elders amounted to lessons at most. He lacked "real" combat experience, and that was his only shortcoming at present.

"Actually, as far as my age goes, I can use a mystic art to change my appearance."

As Li Wangxian spoke, divine power surged through him. His bones crackled, and his body forcibly grew two or three feet taller, transforming him into a youth who looked thirteen or fourteen.

"But if your mystic art can't change your innate aura, the youthful vitality of your life force will make you easy to see through," Elder Lin countered.

At that, Li Wangxian held up a jade pendant. "I engraved Dao Patterns on this and used Yin and Yang Qi to scramble my aura. Unless someone has an extraordinary heavenly eye, they won't be able to see through me. If you don't believe me, Elder, give it a try."

Elder Lin took out a Bone Mirror and poured divine power into it to investigate. The Li Wangxian reflected in the mirror still wore his transformed appearance; it did not reveal his true form.

Seeing this, Elder Lin's mouth twitched. After only a year of study, the boy's skill at laying formations with Dao Patterns was already nearly on par with his own, honed over more than a thousand years.

Was the Divine Son simply too gifted, or was he, an elder, simply too useless?

In the end, seeing how determined Li Wangxian was, Father Li relented and conceded a step. "Whatever happens, I cannot let you venture out alone."

Joy stirred in Li Wangxian's heart. He knew this was Father Li's bottom line, and he had no objection to having a guardian accompany him. After all, the main purpose of this journey was to find the Taiyin True Scripture, not to begin his trials in earnest.

"Thank you, Father!"

Seeing little Wangxian already preparing to leave, Father Li hurriedly stopped him. "Wait. I didn't say I'd agreed to let you go out for training yet."

*???*

Several question marks popped up in Li Wangxian's mind, but he looked at Father Li with a calm expression.

"Since you're so confident in your combat strength, claiming you can kill plenty of Four Extremes cultivators and dismissing Ziwei's great Heavenly Prodigies, defeat me and prove it!"

Father Li looked at Li Wangxian and spoke calmly.

"All right!"

Li Wangxian accepted without hesitation.

Outside the Sun Church, in a mountain range, Li Wangxian and Father Li faced one another across the distance.

Nearby, all the upper ranks of the Sun Church had gathered as well.

Everything that needed saying had been said. Without another word, Li Wangxian united his body with the Dao and struck first, raising a hand and pressing it against the void. Boundless saint power shot forth, forming a heavenly sun that illuminated the entire world around them.

In a single instant, Sun Saint Power transformed into ten thousand golden rays and engulfed the surroundings. This was saint power, but also waves of the Dao, with a might that could burn the heavens and boil the seas. Wherever it passed, peaks collapsed and the earth sank.

Father Li's expression changed. A single golden ray could pierce a mountain, tear apart the earth, and slay a Four Extremes cultivator. Ten thousand such rays descending together could undoubtedly crush whole swathes of Four Extremes cultivators.

His son was far too astonishing. Even this casual strike rivaled the power of a Four Extremes cultivator unleashing an ancient manifestation.

After all, a manifestation allowed a cultivator to fight across five or six minor realms.

To cultivate a manifestation, one needed at least Four Extremes cultivation, bringing the physique to initial accomplishment, breaking free of the flesh's constraints, and displaying the manifestation's tremendous power. Yet now, with his Dao Palace Fifth Heaven cultivation, Li Wangxian could actually rival the might of a Four Extremes cultivator who had cultivated a manifestation.

How many prohibitions is this? Six, or Seven Prohibitions?

Father Li's heart was anything but calm. His son was truly too astonishing, as though he had been born to shatter every rule held true throughout the ages.

Am I going to be defeated by someone of a lower realm, with my cultivation suppressed to the Four Extremes Realm?

Facing Li Wangxian, who was at the Dao Palace realm, he naturally could not use too high a cultivation level. Otherwise, even a god could not fight a mighty Great Ability at the second Immortal Platform level with Dao Palace cultivation without relying on external means.

Although many thoughts flashed through Father Li's mind at that moment, his hands did not slow. The supremely unyielding Sun Saint Power flowed through his entire body, making him appear like a Sun Deity radiating terrifying divine might.

"Hah!"

Father Li let out a Dao shout, as though splitting heaven and earth apart. Boundless waves of the Dao surged forth and slammed head-on into the ten thousand golden rays.

Rumble!

Like a great river bursting its banks or a mountain flood erupting, their collision shook heaven and earth. Boundless divine energy surged, and saintly light filled the world.

Mother Li frowned. Their very first exchange was already this fierce. Just what were this father and son doing?