Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294

by Flying Alone 孤单地飞

  Although he had expended a bit of energy battling Baili Teng Yun, he could still fight another battle. Ling Han gave a great leap and arrived on the third tournament stage.

  “Congratulations to Brother Ling for overcoming all difficulties to make it this far,” Li Dong Yue said to Ling Han before his expression grew serious, and he said, “However, as a sign of my respect for Brother Ling, I will try my best in this battle.”

  “Please!” Ling Han drew his sword and displayed a sword move in response.

  Li Dong Yue gave a long hiss and prepared to use his Little Tianyuan Hands, charging towards Ling Han in attack.

  Although he was bare-handed, after learning this martial arts technique, once he began circulating Origin Power, his hands would be like finely forged iron, as firm as rock. Even sharp blades had no hope of causing injury to his hands–or at least the ordinary iron sword Ling Han was wielding had no hope of injuring his hands.

  “Ding, ding, ding, ding,” as the blade and the flesh of hand clashed, clanging noises continuously echoed out, and there were fiery sparks flying about from the point of contact between the hand and the blade.

  Li Dong Yue was in the ninth layer of Element Gathering Tier, so he exceeded both Baili Teng Yun and even Ling Han in prowess. Thus, after exchanging a few blows, Ling Han could actually feel numbness spreading through the hand he wielded his sword in. However, he had already learnt the Body of Dead Tree ability from the Indestructible Heaven Scroll, so this kind of damage did not affect him in the slightest.

  Ling Han shook his head. Such a clash of brute force would be non-conclusive unless one of the fighters had a power advantage or both fighters were evenly matched. Even if his body was tough and indomitable due to the Body of Dead Tree skill he had learnt and thus avoided damage from the tremors caused by clashing with Li Dong Yue, it was still absolutely pointless. He used the Shocking Electricity Sword Arts, and his two flashes of Sword Qi continuously danced, instantaneously turning his disadvantageous position back around.

  But the name of Li Dong Yue was not famous from his talking big. He had managed to form three flashes of Qi, and as his palms flew in an attack, it was obvious that his power was of a terrifying level. He had lost to Qi Yong Ye and Jin Wuji previously simply because those two were even stronger than he was!

  His Little Tianyuan Hands was also a Yellow Grade high level martial arts technique, so Ling Han did not possess an advantage in terms of the grade of martial arts technique. In terms of power, he was weaker than Li Dong Yue by a single layer of cultivation level, so faced with Li Dong Yue’s full power attacks, Ling Han gradually fell into a disadvantage. [1]

  “What’s the matter? Technically, Baili Teng Yun should be stronger than Li Dong Yue, right? Ling Han had an easy time against Baili Teng Yun, but why is he having such a tough time against Li Dong Yue now?”

  “Could it be that Baili Teng Yun had not tried his best just now?”

  “That’s definitely the case. Otherwise, how would the current situation be possible?”

  “I really am curious now. What kind of background does this Ling Han have? Why is it that all his previous opponents had deliberately allowed him to win?”

  All of the spectators were puzzled and extremely curious.

  Meanwhile, Ling Dong Xing was frowning deeply. His son had defeated Baili Teng Yun, so he should have been like an irresistible force, continuing his advance to obtain the third place. Yet why was he in a disadvantage now against the “weaker” Li Dong Yue?

  A hint of a smile appeared on the corners of Ling Han’s lips. Looks like he would have to increase his abilities.

  With a wave of his long sword, four flashes of Sword Qi simultaneously appeared!

  “Pu!”

  This time, all spectators choked. All of them were completely struck dumb.

  Four flashes of Sword Qi, he actually had four flashes of Sword Qi!

  One has to understand that possessing four flashes of Sword Qi could be considered as a minor accomplishment. Such a person would deserve the name of a ruler, signifying that he could be invincible among those of a certain cultivation level!

  A seventeen-year-old ruler!

  Ling Dong Xing was both astonished and elated. He turned to Liu Yu Tong and asked, “Han’er has managed to form four flashes of Sword Qi, did you already know about this?”

  “En!” Liu Yu Tong nodded. In truth, Ling Han had already managed to form four flashes of Sword Qi when he had only been in Body Refining Tier. But this guy had not wanted to reveal his true talent and display his full prowess all this while. Thus, every time he revealed a bit more of his power, it was always enough to give a shock.

  “Very good!” Ling Dong Xing heavily slapped his thigh, excitement filling his face. “This stupid brat even kept his old man completely in the dark. See if I won’t teach him a good lesson when we get back!”

  Liu Yu Tong hid a smile. She knew that Ling Dong Xing felt only joy now. How could he bear to reprimand Ling Han.

  “No wonder his previous opponents had forfeited. This guy has apparently managed to form four flashes of Sword Qi!”

  “He could be named a ruler among those of the same cultivation level already!”

  “I had never really imagined that such a genius would actually emerge from within our Da Yuan City!”

  “That’s true. Among the thirty six cities of Rain Country, the martial arts level of our Da Yuan City has always been below average. But now there actually appeared a genius that has formed four flashes of Sword Qi from within our midst. He is indeed a source of pride for our city!”

  When these four flashes of Sword Qi appeared, it generated a shock that spread through the whole area. Even the clash of the titans between the Fourth Prince and Jin Wuji had paled in comparison as more and more people were drawn over, fighting to get a look at the indomitable might of four flashes of Sword Qi.

  Li Dong Yue’s face was full of bitterness. He had worked so hard on his cultivation these three years. Originally, he had thought that he would be able to get the first place in the Da Yuan Tournament this time. But he never imagined that his dreams would be shattered by the Fourth Prince, causing him to realize that he had fallen behind those in his age range. And now, in a generation younger than his own, there actually appeared a freak that had successfully formed four flashes of Sword Qi, causing his confidence to suffer a severe blow.

  However, he immediately pulled himself together. As long as he managed to enroll into Hu Yang Academy, then his prowess would definitely be able to advance by leaps and bounds, and he’d be able to catch up to the Fourth Prince and Jin Wuji.

  ‘This person has a close relationship with three Black Grade alchemists. Moreover, he’s also managed to form four flashes of Sword Qi. Why don’t I readily forfeit, and do him a favor?’ Li Dong Yue thought. ‘The others have all done him favors, so if I don’t, it might not look good.’

  When he thought this, he immediately retreated, clasped his hands and said, “Brother Ling is indeed a genius to be able to form four flashes of Sword Qi at the mere age of seventeen! I am really deeply impressed by your achievements! There is no need to continue the battle, I forfeit!”

  ‘Damn!’

  All of the spectators were depressed. This was the first time that they had seen a genius with four flashes of Sword Qi, and you actually won’t fight for a bit longer, letting them enjoy watching to the fullest… why did you forfeit so soon?

  Chapter 74

  Translator: _Dark_Angel_ Editor: Kurisu

  Still, Li Dong Yue forfeiting was only to be expected.

  After all, there had been many previous fighters who had forfeited even without any obvious signs of impending loss, so everyone was somewhat prepared that this kind of thing would happen again. Additionally, Ling Han could form four flashes of Sword Qi, which granted him invincibility amongst those of the same cultivation level, even if his cultivation level was still a bit low.

  “Thank you for the match!” Ling Han
said, clasping his hands in a polite gesture. Yet he couldn’t help pondering, would all his opponents let him win all the way to the first place?

  As the battle between Ling Han and Li Dong Yue’s battle had concluded, everyone turned their attention back to the duel between the Fourth Prince and Jin Wuji. Both of them were young geniuses who were studying at Hu Yang Academy, so their respective ability was quite even. There wasn’t really too big of a gap in power between the two of them.

  But when Qi Yong Ye started to use the Son of Heaven Fist Technique, Jin Wuji immediately fell into a disadvantage.

  When the Son of Heaven appears, all shall bow!

  This was a kind of aura domination, and only a Prince like Qi Yong Ye would be able to cultivate this technique. Even if Jin Wuji learnt the same technique, it would still be useless. He did not possess the royal heritage necessary to tap into its potential.

  ‘Rumor has it that stealing the divine weapon of a nation would allow the manipulation of that nation’s power. It would not only speed up the rate of cultivation, but could also be used against one’s enemies, increasing your own battle prowess. Looks like the rumors aren’t false. Just a mere Prince, and he possesses such power,’ Ling Han nodded to himself.

  The power of the nation is an ability that is equivalent to four flashes of Sword Qi. According to the slang of Rain Country, this would be the standard of a ruler.

  If the Da Yuan King were to use this fist technique, he’d probably be able to reach approximately the level of seven flashes of Qi since he is a real noble lord. For the true ruler of the nation…. he’d probably have the power equivalent to ten flashes of Qi, at the level of completion.

  However, Qi is only the first step in martial arts. One still has to go through ‘Ray’ before being able to reach the highest level, ‘Heart’. Thus, cultivation ultimately still depends on the effort of the individual martial artist,’ Ling Han thought, yet he had to admit–to be able to manipulate and make use of the power of a nation at the low level of Element Gathering Tier and increase his individual battle prowess to a new level was already impressive enough a feat, even if it was just the tiniest part.

  ‘Based on Qi Yong Ye’s current ability, he is practically half a foot into Gushing Spring Tier. Perhaps my little female attendant would be no match for him either. After all, she has just formed the second flash of Sword Qi, so she still has no way to rival the might of a ruler that he possesses.

  If it was me, I’d definitely need to use Lone Wolf’s Blood to upgrade my power to the ninth layer of Element Gathering Tier. Otherwise, I would need to depend on the self-recovery ability of the Indestructible Heaven Scroll and slowly wear him down. With the Body of Dead Tree ability that I have now, my defenses are not something that a martial artist in Element Gathering Tier can break through!

  I had better stick to using Lone Wolf’s Blood. Indestructible Heaven Scroll is my real trump card. I should avoid using it if I can.’

  While he had been thinking pensively, the battle between Qi Yong Ye and Jin Wuji was nearing its conclusion. The Son of Heaven Fist Technique granted Qi Yong Ye the battle prowess of a ruler and allowed him to completely dominate Jin Wuji. As long as Jin Wuji himself had not yet formed four flashes of Qi, he couldn’t possibly be a match for Qi Yong Ye.

  There’s nothing to be done. Qi Yong Ye had the advantage of a good, noble background, and this was something even Liu Yu Tong could not compare to.

  “Peng!”

  By the time Qi Yong Ye threw his eleventh punch, Jin Wuji could no longer resist and was directly flung away. With an “Ao~”, he spat out four consecutive mouthfuls of blood, half-kneeling on the floor, no longer able to continue the battle.

  “I have lost!” Jin Wuji declared with slight reluctance. Strictly speaking, he had not lost because he was weaker, or because he was less talented. Instead, he had lost because his opponent had a better background than him. How could he not become depressed at this reality?

  “Thank you for the match!” Qi Yong Ye clasped his hands politely in response. Although his victory was due to the Son of Heaven Fist Technique, it could have been possible only if he had learned it successfully. There were so many princes and imperial princes in Rain Country, but how many had actually successfully learned the technique?

  The name of genius, he bore it without guilt.

  However, when the two of them saw that Ling Han had actually arrived on the third tournament stage, they could not help being shocked. Previously, they had been too absorbed in their own battle, and so had not seen Ling Han’s fight with Baili Teng Yun and Li Dong Yue. Naturally, they had no idea that Ling Han was powerful to this extent, or even of the fact that he had formed four flashes of Sword Qi.

  The other Stage Masters had wanted to continue watching the match, but since the duel between the two greatest young rulers had concluded, they began to issue their own challenges to aim for a better placement. Doing favors for Ling Han was one thing, but if they could manage to get a better rank, who wouldn’t want to try?

  Ling Han waited quietly. After half an hour, he would challenge Jin Wuji.

  Currently, the space in his Dantian was still too small, and with the high-powered rotation of the Five Elements Origin Nuclei, his reserves of Origin Power got expended too quickly. After a fierce battle, he had to take alchemical pills to assist his recovery, thus this half an hour’s time was also very important to him.

  Very soon, half an hour had passed and Ling Han leaped onto the second tournament stage to challenge this martial artist that was ranked second in this tournament.

  This fell into the expectations of all the spectators and they all stared with their eyes open wide, unwilling to miss a single moment. After all, this was the first genius in the whole of Da Yuan City who has managed to form four flashes of Qi.

  Jin Wuji had a slightly awkward expression on his face. A few days ago, he was tricked by Ling Han, leading to his public embarrassment. But when he recalled that there were three Black Grade alchemists behind Ling Han, even if he did not abandon the thoughts of revenge, most likely those seniors of his in the Jin Clan would force him to give up such a foolish venture anyway.

  After all, the very worst group of people you could offend in this world would be alchemists.

  However, such a great humiliation, how could he simply let it go just like that?

  ‘Very well, you were the one who challenged me, so I can take advantage of this opportunity to teach you a lesson! As long as I don’t deal you any permanent injury, no one will be able to say anything! This is, after all, a martial arts tournament!’ Jin Wuji thought, his gaze immediately turning sharp.

  “Brother Ling, please offer your guidance!” He clapped his palms together and his two hands immediately dazzled brightly like gold. This was Jin Yang Palms, a Yellow Grade high level martial arts technique.

  Ling Han waved his sword in a sword move, and said, “Please!”

  “Whoosh,” Jin Wuji immediately began a powerful offense. As his palms flew in attack, a resplendent light shone.

  Ling Han gave a wave of his sword, and four flashes of Sword Qi immediately appeared. Since he had already revealed his abilities, then he naturally had no intention to hide his prowess any longer.

  “What, four flashes of Sword Qi!?” Jin Wuji exclaimed in astonishment, his face twitching involuntarily in his shock.

  Four flashes of Sword Qi, that was a ruler of those in the same cultivation level! Even in the imperial city, there were only a rare few who have reached the extraordinary height of possessing four flashes of Qi, and all of them were the absolute powerhouses of the older generation! How could Jin Wuji not be extremely shocked?

  But he immediately realized that though there were some that were gasping and exclaiming in admiration, and some who were waving their arms and tripping over their feet in excitement, there wasn’t a single expression of surprise amongst the spectators.

  Hey, hey, hey. This was four flashes of Sword Qi, do you guys n
ot see this?

  Could it be that it was him who had seen wrongly?

  Jin Wuji could not help the doubts rising in his heart. After all, just how rare was achieving four flashes of Sword Qi? Even if it had appeared in the imperial city, it would be enough to create a giant commotion. Yet the people here actually appeared so calm… of course he would be confused.

  …Naturally, he had no idea that these spectators had already experienced the same shock as he just now, so of course, there would be no such scenes as people watching wide-eyed and flabbergasted, gaping in shock and wonder.

  Thankfully, there was one person who “gave him face” and revealed an extremely shocked expression–and that, of course, was none other than Qi Yong Ye.

  His mouth was partially open in shock, gaping at Ling Han with a completely dumbfounded expression, a faint twitch at the corners of his lips.

  After Jin Wuji recovered from his shock, he still persisted in his attack. So what if Ling Han had four flashes of Sword Qi? Ling Han’s cultivation level was still too low after all. He would definitely not forfeit just because he had been surprised by the revelation of Ling Han’s four flashes of Sword Qi.