The leader of Yaoxing Society, Qu Tong, might possess Shuangquan Shou, one of the Eight Miraculous Techniques. Shuangquan Shou was incredibly powerful, capable of altering both the body and soul. It was highly likely that Feng Baobao's soul had been refined by this technique.
Even if we disregard its effect on the soul, its regenerative capabilities were already impressive. Xiao Xiao's severed arm was completely restored, and Lü Liang, who had been reduced to a husk, not only fully recovered but also became a handsome man. Such abilities are far too valuable to pass up.
With this "angel's blessing" ability, one could even retire and live comfortably. In fact, if such an ability were to be used to open a hospital specializing in cosmetic surgery, the entire plastic surgery industry could be rendered obsolete.
Of course, that's just a joke. With Shuangquan Shou, there would be no need to open a hospital for money. Just look at Yaoxing Society's empire—most of it was built on the contributions of others. Qu Tong's subordinates controlled a number of powerful extraordinary beings, including Na Ruhu's teacher.
Na Ruhu, one of the two Haojies (Heroic Masters) among the One Master, Two Haojies.
"Mr. Gai Nie, please." Upon reaching the entrance to the back mountain, two Daoist monks from Longhu Mountain verified Daniel's participant credentials and allowed him to pass.
That's right—this time, Daniel had adopted yet another disguise. Since he used the name Wei Zhuang at Ma Xianhong's place, this time he was using the name of his senior, Gai Nie.
There were two paths to Longhu Mountain's back area. One was the normal path, meant for spectators, while the other was reserved for participants. Of course, any extraordinary beings confident in their abilities could also take the latter route.
After entering the back area, it didn't take long for Daniel to encounter a cliff about ten meters wide. A rope hung in the middle, and a number of extraordinary beings were preparing to cross it. Even non-participants often tried to test their skills by crossing the rope.
"Lu Linglong." Daniel immediately recognized the woman with long pink hair among the group. She was Lu Linglong of the Lu family, one of the Four Great Families. Given that Lu Jin controlled the Tongtian Lu, Daniel had been keeping an eye on them. More importantly, he had a favorable impression of Lu Linglong.
Despite being a descendant of the prestigious Lu family, Lu Linglong lacked the arrogance typical of many from such lineages. Instead, she was lively, approachable, and steadfast in the face of enemies. Compared to her counterparts like Lü Liang from the Lü family or Wang Bing from the Wang family, she was in a league of her own.
Although she hailed from the Lu family, Lu Linglong hadn't trained in the family's martial arts or learned the Tongtian Lu. Instead, she practiced the Xingming Shuangxiu technique of the Quanzhen sect.
The advantage of the Xingming Shuangxiu technique was its resilience. Even when besieged by the enemies of All Truth, Lu Linglong never fell, thanks to this dual cultivation method. While the Quanzhen sect wasn't as renowned as the Zhengyi branch, it was far from lacking in powerful practitioners.
"Look, there's a handsome guy. Go introduce yourself," one of Lu Linglong's friends encouraged her, drawing attention to Daniel. Though he had altered his appearance, his charm remained intact, on par with figures like Zhang Lingyu and Zhuge Qing.
"Hello, I'm Lu Linglong from the Lu family. Are you here to participate in the Luo Tian Dajiao as well?" Lu Linglong wasted no time in introducing herself directly.
"Gai Nie, a wandering practitioner," Daniel responded, not minding getting acquainted with her. He didn't dislike descendants of prestigious families; what bothered him were the greedy and corrupt ones.
"Lu Linglong of the Lu family, huh? I should thank your great-grandfather, Lu Jin, this time."
"Thank my great-grandfather? Why?" Lu Linglong was confused by Daniel's statement.
"Of course, for the Tongtian Lu, one of the Eight Miraculous Techniques."
"You talk as if you're certain you'll win first place," an extraordinary being nearby grumbled. Many participants were here specifically for the chance to obtain the Tongtian Lu, a rare opportunity to acquire one of the Eight Miraculous Techniques.
Several prestigious families and sects, reluctant to directly compete for the technique, had sent representatives to spectate. After all, Tongtian Lu was a miraculous art for mastering talismans, making it highly sought after. Were it not for the fact that Lu Jin was the one offering it and that the competition was being held at Longhu Mountain's Luo Tian Dajiao, sects focused on talismans, like the Shangqing branch of Mount Mao, would have fought fiercely for it.
Even the Lü family's Lü Ci refrained from sending anyone. Despite his flawed character, Lü Ci respected strength. This contrasted with Wang Ai, who, despite claiming disinterest in the Tongtian Lu, had still sent his grandson, Wang Bing, to compete.
"Good luck to you, then," Lu Linglong responded lightly. She didn't react much to Daniel's claim—after all, the Tongtian Lu was a family heirloom. Even though they were offering it as a prize, it didn't mean they were giving up all their copies of it.
The real reason none of the Lu family's descendants had mastered the Tongtian Lu was that none of them had a talent for talisman cultivation. The Eight Miraculous Techniques were extraordinary, but they weren't techniques just anyone could master.
This was especially true for techniques like Fenghou Qimen (Wind-Empress Dunjia), Shenji Bailian (Divine Machine Refinement), and Tongtian Lu—they all required a natural aptitude. Even Qiu Rang had learned Shenji Bailian, but the gap between him and Ma Xianhong was vast.
As Daniel and Lu Linglong conversed, several extraordinary beings successfully made it across the cliff, either by walking the rope or jumping across. Even non-participants didn't mind showing off their skills.
"Let's go," Lu Linglong's group began making their way across the cliff. Among them was Zang Long, a rotund man. Daniel remembered him well—Zang Long was the guy who wiped his hard drive clean out of devotion to Lu Linglong, a rather shameless but devoted admirer.
Though Zang Long was an extraordinary being, he wasn't particularly brave. In the end, Lu Linglong, growing impatient, simply tossed him across the cliff. Thanks to her Xingming Shuangxiu training, Lu Linglong was quite strong.
As Zang Long was thrown across, he giggled in a daze, muttering "Linglong, Linglong" over and over until one of his companions, exasperated, smacked him awake.
"Zhang Chulan." After Daniel had safely crossed the rope, he spotted Zhang Chulan, Feng Baobao, and their group arriving.
"That's Zhang Chulan?" Lu Linglong and her friends were immediately intrigued, curious to see the person who had caused this entire competition to be held.
"Is that really Zhang Chulan?" Lu Linglong's companions were dumbfounded by what they saw. Zhang Chulan, rather than confidently walking or jumping across the cliff, was crawling across in fear, a sight that was laughable among extraordinary beings. Even ordinary people might have the guts to walk across.
The sight of Zhang Chulan crawling left Xu San and Xu Si red-faced with embarrassment. Had no one been watching, it might have been fine, but with people in front and behind them, there was no avoiding the shame.
Compared to everyone else, Zhang Chulan's method of crossing was utterly humiliating. Other extraordinary beings made the jump with ease, and one couple even threw their daughter across before jumping over to catch her, much to the mother's displeasure.
Another person used a trained hawk to fly across the chasm—whether this was an innate ability or a learned skill was unclear.
"Jia Zhengliang of the Jia family and his Yuwu Shu (Object Control Technique)," Daniel's eyes gleamed with interest at the sight of the newcomer. The Yuwu Shu was one of the abilities he coveted most.
The Yuwu Shu was reminiscent of Marvel's Yondu and his whistle-controlled arrow, but it surpassed that technique, as Yuwu Shu could control multiple objects simultaneously, depending on the user's strength.
Jia Zhengyu was already renowned in the extraordinary world for controlling three Zhulong Cones at once, earning him high status with Feng Zhenghao. Jia Zhengliang, however, could control twelve Zhuxian Flying Daggers, giving him the nickname "Twelve Slayer Blades."
The Yuwu Shu was an extremely rare ability, even among the Jia family. Few members could successfully master it, which was why Jia Zhengyu was held in such high regard. In ancient times, those who mastered Yuwu Shu were considered sword immortals, capable of slaying enemies from miles away. Unfortunately, not even the talented Jia Zhengliang had reached such heights.
Mastering Yuwu Shu was incredibly difficult, especially in the modern world, where distractions were plentiful. Few had the patience or focus to spend the ten-plus
years needed to fully develop the skill. The key to Yuwu Shu was the long-term attachment of one's Qi to an object, transforming it into a weapon over time.
Mastering one or two objects was already impressive, but Jia Zhengliang had managed to control twelve flying daggers, a testament to his exceptional talent and years of dedication. Had his older brother not brought disgrace to their family by ambushing someone and been sent back to Jia Village by Feng Zhenghao, Jia Zhengliang wouldn't have had the opportunity to sneak out.
Though Yuwu Shu was challenging to master, it wasn't a problem for Daniel, not because his talent was better than Jia Zhengliang's but because he possessed Shenji Bailian. With this miraculous technique, Daniel could bypass the most difficult aspect of Yuwu Shu—there was no need for long-term attachment of his Qi to an object. He could instantly produce weapons infused with his Qi, and in large quantities.
Had the Jia family known about Shenji Bailian, they would have been incredibly tempted by it, as it would solve the greatest difficulty they faced in passing down their Yuwu Shu technique.
"You must be Zhang Chulan. Wow, you're amazing. I need to write this down," Zang Long greeted Zhang Chulan as soon as he crossed the rope, immediately whipping out his tablet to record his observations.
"All intelligence, huh?" Daniel glanced at the tablet and immediately understood its contents. Zang Long, despite his unremarkable appearance, had gathered quite a bit of information on the participants of this year's Luo Tian Dajiao. In battles where strength was evenly matched, having intel on your opponent could give you a significant edge.
"This time, you're wrong." Daniel knew Zhang Chulan's true capabilities, and anyone underestimating him based on appearances would be sorely mistaken. Zhang Chulan, though unassuming, was incredibly smart.
And his strength was not to be taken lightly. A mere ten-meter gap was nothing for Zhang Chulan. Had Daniel been in his shoes, he wouldn't have been able to pull off such a clever act.
Zhang Chulan's ability to remain dormant for ten years, hiding his powers and refusing to cultivate, was a testament to his mental fortitude. Most people with such extraordinary abilities wouldn't be able to resist using them or training in secret.
Before the Luo Tian Dajiao, there were rumors that Zhang Chulan possessed the Qi Body Source Stream, but once he earned his nickname as "the shameless one," those rumors were quickly forgotten.
"Let's go. Time is running out."
"Zhang Chulan!" Upon arriving at the competition grounds, the Feng siblings approached Zhang Chulan. As soon as Feng Shayan spotted Feng Baobao, her expression darkened.
The feud between Feng Shayan and Feng Baobao ran deep. Feng Shayan, a naturally gifted extraordinary being, had excelled among the younger generation of the extraordinary world. But whenever she encountered Feng Baobao, she found herself at a disadvantage. Her powerful spatial abilities were useless against Feng Baobao.
"Hello, you two. Feng President is here as well, I see."
"Now, it's time to draw lots," announced the Old Heavenly Master. As Feng Zhenghao, Lü Ci, Wang Ai, Lu Jin, and the other members of the Ten Elders arrived, the drawing process for the competition began.
"This drawing is definitely rigged," Daniel thought with a smirk. While watching the anime, it hadn't been as obvious, but being present at the event made it clear. None of the powerful extraordinary beings were matched against each other.
Had the drawing been completely fair and random, it would have been nearly impossible to avoid pitting strong competitors like Wang Ye, Zhuge Qing, Zhang Chulan, and Feng Baobao against each other in the early rounds.
The first round was an elimination match, designed as a four-person brawl. With so many participants, one-on-one battles would have taken too long, so the organizers decided to speed things up with this format. But none of the strong contenders appeared in the same group, which was highly suspicious.
"If things continue like this, the Old Heavenly Master's plan might fail," Daniel mused, glancing at his match assignment. The competition was divided into two arenas, Group A and Group B, with Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu placed in separate groups to avoid an early clash.
With Wang Ye in the mix, Zhang Chulan's advancement to the semifinals was almost guaranteed. However, there was one wildcard this time—Daniel, who just so happened to be in Zhang Chulan's group.
"It looks like Group B is stacked with powerhouses. This draw is really something," Daniel noted, surprised at the number of strong contenders in Group B, including Wang Ai's grandson Wang Bing and Feng Zhenghao's two children.
"I will conquer the heavens," declared Zhang Chulan dramatically as he stepped into the arena. He was draped in a black cloak, his eyes glowing with determination, exuding an air of confidence that immediately intimidated the three other competitors, who had been planning to gang up on him.
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