As the Yang Grade powerhouses in the ring were all influential figures of great status, once they made their decision, they would not waver in carrying out their roles.
A stack of bamboo sticks was placed in the ring. After each of the powerhouses had written down their names on the stick, they then placed them into a wooden box.
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Qin Xingchen and the others respectfully set the box in front of Ou Yangming, and at this point, to avoid suspicion, no one else aside from Ou Yangming was allowed to touch it.
Naturally, Ou Yangming was free from this psychological burden, and as such, he pulled out the bamboo sticks from the box without any hesitation. Every time he pulled out a stick, someone would record the person’s name for him.
Although the powerhouses had already experienced many things in life, the gravity of the situation had still struck them with all sorts of emotions. Whenever Ou Yangming pulled out a bamboo stick, these battle-hardened powerhouses would either leap for joy like a child or sigh and chuckle bitterly.
Nevertheless, throughout the entire lot-drawing process, no one had voiced a single word of objection. This was true even for those who were left out in the end, as even though they were frustrated, they did not let it show on their faces.
After all, anyone with half-a-brain cell could tell that Ou Yangming was not to be angered, no matter the circumstances.
Once he had finished drawing lots, Ou Yangming then looked up into the sky and said, “It’s getting late now. I’ll take on one more challenger and we’ll call it a day.”
The powerhouses exchanged odd looks at one another as they mentally complained, ‘Even if a match were to last two hours, we would still have time for two rounds, right?’ Despite that, no one had voiced out their objection. This was true even for the imperial guards posted on the scene. They had purposely kept their eyes close to the situation as they feared the consequences of angering Ou Yangming. As for the audience beneath the ring, no one would even pay a single thought to them even if they had mustered the courage to object.
Ou Yangming then returned to the center of the ring and glared at the powerhouses.
Fortunately, the powerhouses immediately understood his intention, and aside from a middle-aged man with a large stature, the others hastily left as they feared that dawdling around would displease Ou Yangming.
The middle-aged man wrapped his fists together and introduced himself with a smile, “Master Ou, my name is Chen Yixian, and I’d like to take this opportunity to greet you in the stead of my family’s great ancestor and brethren.”
Ou Yangming was slightly startled by this. He exclaimed, “Are you a relative of Chen Dishou and General Chen Yifan?”
Chen Yixian nodded and said, “Yes I am.”
Ou Yangming’s lips curled up into an honest smile. Be it Chen Dishou or Chen Yifan, they were both considered prized individuals to him.
As such, it was no surprise that he treated their relatives differently.
Qin Xingchen and the other powerhouses had a visible change in their expressions. Although they had also investigated Ou Yangming’s background, all they managed to dig out was his hometown and his movements within the capital.
In other words, they had no clue what Ou Yangming had been through in Changlong County, and because of this, they felt an ominous sense of danger when they saw Ou Yangming speaking cheerfully with Chen Yixian.
After exchanging a few more words, Ou Yangming said, “Brother Chen, I’m going to start attacking now. Please be careful.” At his current strength and status plus the performance he had displayed that day, this warning towards Brother Chen was well warranted.
Chen Yixian retracted his smile and immediately turned serious. “Please come at me, Master Ou.”
The moment his voice subsided; his vision abruptly changed.
There was a drastic difference in his surroundings, as everything had vanished, including the ring, the powerhouses, and even the audience. Instead, they were replaced by a massive tiger that inched lazily towards him. Its eyes were eerie and ruthless, and the pressure it exerted was so heavy that it was suffocating. It felt as if the sky had crashed down on him, and it was all he could do to resist bending down.
The color drained from Chen Yixian’s face, and his heart thumped with great trepidation.
After seeing Woo Lejia’s reaction in the ring, Chen Yixian had purposely mentally prepared himself for Ou Yangming’s Spiritual Fist as he could sense that there was a certain potency to it.
However, once he experienced it firsthand, he instantly realized his mistake. Ou Yangming’s technique had gone beyond being potent, as it was essentially an out-of-world experience.
This was especially true when the half-spirit tiger glared at him. He could feel death oozing from its gaze, and the tiger itself had felt authentic.
“ROAR…”
After unleashing a thunderous howl, the multicolored tiger then bent back and sprung forward towards Chen Yixian.
There was a mighty strength behind the lunge, as it felt as if space itself had warped due to its movements.
Back in the ring, Chen Yixian began to move. Under the watchful gazes of the audience, he pulled out the spear behind his back.
The Chen family’s prized Lethal Chokehold Spear shone brilliantly in his hands. However, the cruelty of the spear’s techniques had instilled an irresistible sense of dread and fear within the spectators’ hearts. Nevertheless. their feelings were placated somewhat when they observed Chen Yixian attacking empty air.
After an hour had gone by, Chen Yixian finally collapsed. He was utterly drained of energy, and he lacked the strength to even stand. Despite that, he still maintained an iron grip on his spear.
The spear was his life, and losing it was akin to losing his life!
As such, even though his life was in jeopardy, he still refused to let go.
That was his determination; his tenacity, to protect the things he valued greatly
Ou Yangming pulled back his hands, and with that, the illusion vanished, and Ou Yangming’s eyes gleamed with a newfound respect for Chen Yixian.
Under Ou Yangming’s control of the multicolored tiger during the illusion, Chen Yixian was pushed to the end of his rope early on. Nevertheless, his iron will and unwavering grit had kept him strong. This was especially true near the end, as at that point, his eyes had gleamed with an intellectual radiance, as if he had seen beyond the boundaries of life-and-death.
Although he lacked the inborn talent that Zuoqiu Hongyuan and Wu Hanning were blessed with, nothing was holding him back from surpassing both of them in the future.
Chen Yixian sat cross-legged on the ground, and after giving his thanks to Ou Yangming, he then started his cultivation.
Once an enormous wave of energy had erupted from his body, the audience beneath the ring erupted in an uproar once again.
The other Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses were also delighted by this sight. After all, it proved that Ou Yangming was indeed capable of mass-producing Supreme Great Ancestors!
Chapter 318 - 26 Supreme Great Ancestors
Chapter 318 26 Supreme Great Ancestors
The Myriad Treasure Meet resumed normally. However, from the first day onwards, everyone was already certain that the Yi Pavilion had the first place on lock.
This was all due to a feat of a single individual, a Yin Grade martial artist who had maintained his sole domination of the ring.
Compared to the first few days of the meet, a drastic change had occurred during the later half of the event. Among the most noticeable changes, was that the imperial guards posted on the site had almost doubled in number.
Once again, this was all due to Ou Yangming and the Yang Grade powerhouses who constantly challenged him. They had only one goal in mind, which was to break through into the Extreme Grade. Every Supreme Great Ancestor was a precious resource to the Humans as they represented the pinnacle of the Humans’ potential. As such, to ensure their safety, the
imperial family did not hesitate to expend their resources. Before long, the Myriad Treasure Meet had reached its final day, and during the nine days prior to it, the Humans had gained 23 new Supreme Great Ancestors.
While there were indeed 26 Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses who challenged Ou Yangming to a battle in the ring, not all of them had managed to advance.
Despite that, just the fact that 23 out of the 26 challengers had managed to advance alone was already enough to blow the people’s minds. As such, even though it was a shame that not everyone had succeeded, no one had attempted to blame Ou Yangming for the failures. This was true even for the three Yang Grade powerhouses who had failed. Better yet, not only were they not bitter over their failure, but they had also treated Ou Yangming with greater respect. Although they might have failed to advance, there were still plenty of potential candidates within their families who could succeed!
If there was one takeaway to be learned from the event, it was to never offend Ou Yangming, no matter the circumstances.
Back in the ring and upon realizing who his first challenger of the day was, Ou Yangming immediately broke out in laughter. “So, you’ve finally appeared, huh, Brother Qin.”
Qin Xingchen chuckled bitterly and replied, “My luck might be below average, but as long as I can cross swords with you, it ain’t too shabby, right?” Ou Yangming did not cheat when he drew lots the other day, and in truth, he could not have done it, even if he wanted to, as there were thousands of eyes locked on him. Just as Qin Xingchen had stated, it was indeed his poor luck that was at fault, but even then, it was not too bad, as he had still received an opportunity to face off with Ou Yangming, even if it was in the last day of the event.
Ou Yangming nodded and responded, “About that… After all the battles I’ve done in these few days, I’ve come to realize something.”
Qin Xingchen responded seriously, “Please explain, Brother Ou.”
Qin Xingchen was not the only one who was paying attention, however, as the other peak of Yang Grade powerhouses had also perked up their ears to listen, for fear that they would miss out on anything important.
“The Simulated Spiritual Fist is not absolute. Although it can assist you in breaking through, in the end, the deciding factor for the breakthrough is yourself.” After giving it some thought, Ou Yangming decided to add on, “Unless you have a will of iron, I think it’s best not to waste your shot, as the Simulated Spiritual Fist’s results are most effective on the first try. Subsequent attempts yield greatly reduced chances, and should you fail here, it would greatly impact your future results.”
Qin Xingchen was startled for a moment. However, a determined gleam gradually returned to his eyes, and in the end, he stated, “I understand. Please carry on with the challenge, Brother Ou.”
Ou Yangming nodded. These Yang Grade powerhouses were all intelligent people, and as long as he provided them with all the pros and cons, he trusted that they would make the best possible choice for themselves. In this regard, Ou Yangming was willing to admit his defeat to them.
With a flick of his wrist, a mysterious wisp of energy was unleashed from Ou Yangming’s palms, together with a strong mental power shockwave that instantly enveloped Qin Xingchen.
After honing his technique continuously for nine whole days, Ou Yangming’s understanding of his Simulated Spiritual Fist had reached a whole new level of enlightenment.
By this point, Ou Yangming need not even move a muscle to determine his opponent’s location. Through the use of his mental power, he was able to locate them with pinpoint accuracy, and with how streamlined his usage of his mental power had become, he was able to avoid any wastage as well. As such, his simulations had become much more realistic and natural than before.
Truth be told, however, not even the Supreme Great Ancestors of the imperial family had reached Ou Yangming’s level of mastery of the technique, and this was without even considering his explosive rate of growth. This was mainly due to Ou Yangming’s superior mental power, as they were no match to him in this aspect. Moreover, the Simulated Spiritual Art was not an easy technique to master, as without the assistance of the mysterious Military Fire, Ou Yangming too, would have trouble creating his illusions.
In a sense, the imperial family’s Simulated Spiritual Fist was like a switch that activated the treasure room within Ou Yangming’s body, and once those treasures were revealed, Ou Yangming had shone more brightly than anyone else.
The multicolored tiger appeared once more, and it had backed Qin Xingchen into a desperate situation.
Qin Xingchen was a man of extraordinary grit, and with Ou Yangming’s advice constantly on repeat in his mind, his determination was bolstered even further. He had resolved to never give up against the multicolored tiger, no matter how bad his odds were.
This was the defining trait that had separated the middle-aged Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses from the geniuses like Zuoqiu Hongyuan. After all, it was their iron will and burning passion within their hearts that had gotten them as far as they had.
Moreover, it was due to their blazing passion that these powerhouses were able to spur onwards. Even when faced with perilous circumstances, they refused to break down, and instead, they would find a chance to break through.
Under the multicolored tiger’s constant barrage, Qin Xingchen was finally at his last straw, and he was utterly drained of stamina.
At this point, the only step left for Ou Yangming to take was to retract his Simulated Spiritual Fist. Once the illusion was dispelled, it was finally time for Qin Xingchen to attempt his breakthrough, and at this point, the only one who could help him was himself. Even if Ou Yangming had intended to help him, he was powerless to do so.
After quite some time, a powerful aura began to emanate from Qin Xingchen’s body.
Once again, the audience broke into cheers. Although Qin Xingchen’s ascension had little to do with these average martial artists, the fact that they had witnessed the birth of yet another cornerstone of humanity was enough cause for them to celebrate.
“24! There are 24 of them now!”
“Indeed, it truly is nothing short of a miracle to bear witness to the birth of 24 Supreme Great Ancestors in this meet.”
“Hehe, it might not end there. In case you forgot, we have two more challengers today!”
“Oh yeah, it’s the final day of the Myriad Treasure Meet, right? It’s about time to wrap up the Martial Arts Battle, huh?”
“The results are already certain. The winner this time is indisputable, after all!”
“It’s a shame for her Royal Highness and Young Master Zuoqiu though.”
A wave of voices rang out from within the audience. Some were tinted with remorse, whereas some were passionate, but together, these voices had all raised the atmosphere of the event to a new high.
Qin Xingchen stood up, and upon sensing the overwhelming energy now flowed through his veins, he was overjoyed.
Although he had already half-expected that he would ascend into a Supreme Great Ancestor and made the necessary mental preparations beforehand, once it had actually happened, he immediately lost control of his emotions.
He thanked Ou Yangming profusely, and kowtowed to Ou Yangming so many times that it felt more like an apprenticeship ritual. However, in Ou Yangming’s perspective, he felt that he had hardly done much to deserve such praise. Ou Yangming turned to him and stated, “There’s no need to thank me, Brother Qin.”
Qin Xingchen rose to his feet and said, “I’m going to head back to stabilize my boundary. However, once I’m finished with it, I’ll definitely come to thank you again.”
Ou Yangming chuckled and answered, “Alright, take care till then.”
Throughout the past few days, Ou Yangming had received several invitations from the Yang Grade powerhouses, including those who had failed. However, as Ou Yangming knew not of a cloning technique, there was no way he could accept all of them.
As such, the smart ones had instead offe
red to visit, as doing so would relieve Ou Yangming of his burden.
Qin Xingchen dared not postpone his stabilization, as to both him and his family, the stabilization of his boundary was of utmost importance. Should he accidentally drop back down due to his carelessness, no amount of tears would be able to console him.
With Qin Xingchen gone, the subsequent challengers then took the stage. Under Ou Yangming’s Simulated Spiritual Fist technique, all the remaining challengers had also managed to advance, and once their ascensions were confirmed, the entire building complex instantly erupted with an unprecedented high.
Although the sky was not yet dark, and there was still some time before the official end of the Myriad Treasure Meet, this was of little consequence to both the hosting imperial family and the attending martial artists.
A total of 26 Supreme Great Ancestors were born throughout the span of the event, and to say that it was a miracle was cutting it short.
Originally, the Myriad Treasure Meet was intended to be an event for the major forces to compete for treasure.
However, Ou Yangming had turned it into a celebration for the Yang Grade Class Five powerhouses.
The most lucrative reward from this year’s iteration of the Myriad Treasure Meet was not the treasures, nor equipment, nor the herbs, but rather, the opportunity to advance into the Extreme Grade. Naturally, the most precious resource within the event was the mentor who had guided those lucky winners.
Yes, the Yin Grade young man was the most treasured resource within the entirety of the event.
Under the cheers of the audience, five elderly men then proceeded into the building complex.
Surrounding these five men were an estimated of a hundred imperial guards, and upon making their appearance, they instantly overwhelmed the venue with their aura.
“My god! Are my eyes playing tricks or are they really the Five Imperial Elders?! Isn’t this too much?”
“What nonsense! Can’t you see what has transpired during the course of the Myriad Treasure Meet? Master Ou has created 26 Supreme Great Ancestors! Of course he deserves this kind of treatment from the imperial family!”
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 190
