Ten Life Palaces hung in the sky.
Each Life Palace radiated eternal brilliance, illuminating the heavens and earth.
"He opened ten Life Palaces and surpassed the extreme limit!"
Countless Li Lineage disciples stared at the sight before them, their expressions filled with shock and their eyes glazed over.
Nine Life Palaces were the ultimate number in the world, and the limit for many peerless prodigies.
As everyone knew, nine Life Palaces were also the mark of a special physique and synonymous with talent.
Some people struggled their entire lives to break through the ninth extreme limit; even opening nine Life Palaces was an unattainable dream!
Opening ten Life Palaces was the same as breaking the ultimate number of nine and reaching the forbidden domain!
That was the legendary Emperor Forbidden Domain, which allowed one to fight above one's cultivation level, disregarding the shackles of physique and bloodline!
The Li Lineage disciples present were all breaking into a sweat on Li Xunyuan's behalf.
This was the ultimate clash between spear and shield.
If the divine son's Heaven-Severing sword strike failed to break through the Heavenly Hegemon Body's defense at once,
Then what awaited him would be Holy Son Cangtian's killing blow!
In a duel between prodigies, every decision led to a vastly different outcome, and the process was fraught with peril!
Hum!
Li Cangtian formed a hand seal, his purple hair flying through the air as a full ten immortal beast manifestations gradually appeared behind him.
Boundless Creation Qi cascaded down, piercing heaven and earth, and nine immortal beast manifestations gradually merged into one!
In the end, only the indistinct phantom of a creature with a dragon's head, a snake's tail, a tiger's claws, a phoenix's wings, qilin armor, and a black tortoise's back remained between heaven and earth, shielding Li Cangtian at its center.
Dao rhythm suffused the immortal beast's shadow, while purple immortal flames ten thousand feet high and purple lightning surrounded it, making him look like an emperor who ruled the world!
Just as the many disciples thought, as long as he blocked this strike, Li Cangtian would have dozens of ways to defeat his opponent with ease!
No matter what physique his opponent possessed, he was eighty percent confident.
Clang!
Immortal-Severing Sword Art, first form, Heaven-Severing!
Using his fingers as a sword, Li Xunyuan pointed across the distance. The winds and clouds in the sky shifted, and a funnel-shaped vortex that blotted out the sky and sun appeared overhead.
Boom!
A peerless sword ray tore through the vortex in the clouds and pierced down from beyond the nine heavens, as though cleaving heaven and earth in two!
Between heaven and earth, incomparably terrifying laws of the sword dao intertwined, while boundless chaotic Sword Qi surged, engulfing the world!
The Heaven-Severing sword strike!
It arrived in an instant!
Li Cangtian's pupils abruptly contracted. What he saw was an ultimate sword ray capable of cleaving open the heavens, condensing the profound essence of heaven and earth and piercing through the primordial universe as it rapidly expanded in his vision.
The bone-chilling Heaven-Severing sword intent carried an invincible presence that declared its wielder unrivaled and suppressed the ancient past, the present, and the future.
An extremely bad premonition abruptly arose in Li Cangtian's heart.
Crack!
In a single instant, the hegemon body dharma idol divine ability he was so proud of crumbled like rotten wood before a crushing force.
Boom!
The instant the Heaven-Severing sword light touched Li Cangtian's body, it abruptly drew back its power and reversed direction. The sword bent like a fully drawn bow and whipped into him as swiftly as lightning.
Bang!
A sound that made scalps tingle rang out. Li Cangtian's figure immediately shot backward like a cannonball, finally crashing heavily to the ground below the arena.
Pfft!
The terrifying force made Li Cangtian cough up mouthfuls of blood, and his face turned as pale as paper in an instant.
Hum!
Li Cangtian had just begun struggling to his feet to fight again when, in the next moment, the cold sensation against his forehead... sent his heart sinking to the bottom of a valley.
He dared not make another rash move.
"You've lost!"
Li Xunyuan stood with his sword, its cold tip pressed against Li Cangtian's forehead. His red robes fluttered, and his bearing was peerless.
The sword had been formed from the vital essence of heaven and earth and was not solid.
But the terrifying sword intent capable of Immortal Severing and Emperor-Slaying made Li Cangtian's scalp tingle and sent a chill through his entire body.
"I lost..."
Li Cangtian raised his head and looked at the red-robed youth so close before him, his expression somewhat bitter.
All of a sudden, the figure before him gradually merged with that unrivaled, peerlessly graceful figure in his mind.
That bearing and those features were far too alike!
Maybe, perhaps, probably, it was more or less certain to be him!
With just one sword strike, he had broken through Li Cangtian's Hegemon Body Phenomenon and easily suppressed him...
This was the most desperate and powerless battle Li Cangtian had fought since he began cultivating.
Although he had not had time to use all his divine abilities and unleash his full combat power, was the same not true of his opponent?
Life Palaces, sacred body, bloodline divine abilities-that guy had not used a single one of them!
Even so, his opponent had effortlessly shattered his Black Tortoise Hegemon Body's defense with one sword strike.
If the two of them unleashed their full power and fought a true battle of life and death, Li Cangtian's masculine sixth sense told him that he would definitely be the one lying flat!
"I... lost!"
Li Cangtian breathed out a turbid breath and openly admitted his defeat.
At that moment, his state of mind inexplicably relaxed somewhat, his Qi and blood flowed freely, and his mind grew clear. The feeling was strange.
"In life, there should be wins and losses; only then can one see things through to the end!" Li Cangtian smiled freely.
Then he gave his robes a gentle shake and, before the watching crowd, knelt on one knee to Li Xunyuan. "Cangtian greets the divine son," he said respectfully. "From today onward, I am willing to follow at your side!"
A true man knew when to take things up and when to let them go, and he should also honor his agreement.
When the Li Lineage disciples watching nearby saw Li Cangtian kneel in submission, they all turned to stone where they stood. The scene fell so silent that a dropped pin could have been heard!
Everyone looked at Li Xunyuan with unparalleled shock, while towering waves rose in their hearts.
Li Cangtian was no ordinary person. He was the ninth holy son of the Longevity Li Family, and he had even opened ten Life Palaces and awakened the rare divine physique, the Heavenly Hegemon Body.
Yet such an unrivaled prodigy, with heaven-defying talent and a noble status, had been suppressed by the divine son with a single sword strike. It completely overturned everyone's understanding!
What did peerless grace look like? What did invincibility look like? This was the very model!
"I want to become the divine son's dao companion! Even if it means becoming a Li Lineage holy maiden and breaking through three realms in one day, I'm willing!"
A slender young woman with skin fairer than snow gazed at Li Xunyuan with alluring eyes, wishing she could swallow him whole.
"That girl's gone lovestruck again. She's already out of her mind, sigh!"
A breathtakingly beautiful young woman sighed.
"Do you even know how to become one? When it comes to becoming his dao companion, it'd be better to let this young lady do it!"
Immediately afterward, a close older-sister figure with a shapely figure retorted with a perfectly serious expression.
Not only was he handsome, his strength was ridiculously great. The divine son was the very image of the perfect prince charming in the hearts of the young women.
As for Pavilion Master Qingxiao, his eyes also showed amazement as he marveled at Li Xunyuan's formidable combat power.
With his cultivation realm, he naturally knew that Li Xunyuan had not used the power of his sacred body or his bloodline divine abilities, and had not even bothered to activate his Life Palaces.
Even so, he had suppressed Li Cangtian with one sword strike. As expected of the divine son appointed by the Ninth Ancestor, he truly was monstrous enough!
That sword strike just now should have been the first form of the Immortal-Severing Art, right? Pavilion Master Qingxiao thought to himself.
The Immortal-Severing Art was the Ninth Ancestor's innate divine ability, and with his discerning eye, he could still recognize it.
The Three Forms of Immortal Severing!
They were Heaven-Severing, God-Slaying, and Immortal-Killing!
Rumor had it that when the divine son was born, the sky displayed six manifestations unique to the Ancient Sacred Body. It seemed things were not so simple!
Pavilion Master Qingxiao's gaze flickered, and he could not help sighing inwardly.
Sure enough, one should not casually question the clan elders' decisions. There was a reason that rule had been passed down since ancient times!
"Get up. From today onward, this divine son has your back!"
Li Xunyuan raised his palm beneath him, and the spirit sword in his hand shattered into a sky full of starlight. At the same time, a gentle force helped Li Cangtian to his feet.
Then Li Xunyuan touched a finger to his forehead and used the recovery skill Miraculous Healing Hands.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the vast life essence between heaven and earth came rushing over like rivers and seas, then began pouring wildly into Li Cangtian's body.
His hair was consequently tinged with a golden glow of life, and his injuries, along with the spiritual power he had consumed earlier, were restored in an instant!
He returned to his peak condition!
"Thank you, divine son!"
Feeling that his body had been restored to its original state, Li Cangtian was astonished and immediately cupped his fists in salute.
This was the first time he had encountered such a method, and he could not help admiring the divine son's vast abilities-he could get his hands on all sorts of heaven-defying arts!
"No need for formalities. Come with me!"
Li Xunyuan smiled faintly and, under the respectful and admiring gazes of the surrounding disciples, turned and left with Li Cangtian.
On this outing, he had happily gained a hegemon body follower who had opened ten Life Palaces, as well as a weapon that suited his hand. All in all, it had been quite good.
The Immortal Pavilion truly was a treasure trove, worthy of its reputation!