Free Web NovelChapter 230: Chapter 229: Something’s Wrong
In the void, Yu Ri stared intently at the ascent of Northern Boundary Mountain, his pupils widening slightly. "That Tang Guang from the Xia Country actually comprehended his own Sword Intent, and he can even use such a powerful Secret Technique?!"
From his god-like perspective, he had a clear view of the entire Northern Boundary and the many events unfolding there. He saw Jiang Qiu have [Fan] and a Warrior disguised as him lead the charge, and he saw the other team led by [Wall]—composed of the Stone Forest Tribe and other South Mountain Range factions—attack another stronghold.
Of course, his attention was still fixed on Jiang Qiu.
He hadn’t expected the Northern Boundary Mountain Demon Clan to have the ability to temporarily power up, nor had he anticipated that [Fan] could accomplish so much on his own!
Having comprehended Sword Intent, Tang Guang would have a very high chance of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm once he left this place. He would become a formidable Sword Dao Grandmaster, nothing like those fraudulent Grandmasters from the Belli Family in North Border City.
The reason a genius of Tang Guang’s caliber, who had advanced so smoothly before, could get stuck for years at the Grandmaster threshold of Sword Intent was precisely because he was *too* much of a genius!
A Grandmaster was a Grandmaster, after all. None who reached the Grandmaster Realm could be considered truly weak. To the vast majority who had yet to reach that level, they were like the boundless heavens above!
However, some reached the Grandmaster Realm through special means, their strength hollow and superficial. The Grandmasters from the Belli Family were a perfect example; rumor had it that Jiang Qiu, while only in the Dharma Realm, had killed them with a single spear thrust.
Then there were others who, after decades of accumulation and countless life-or-death trials, finally comprehended their own Mental Realm. These were the true geniuses. They could undoubtedly crush anyone beneath the Grandmaster Realm; anyone who managed to escape them could be called a peerless prodigy.
Even among such Grandmasters, however, there were varying levels of strength. Some might practice a weapon for sixty years and finally comprehend their own Mental Realm, able to slay enemies in a single exchange. That was considered a success.
But then there were others who sought invincibility, who aimed to be undefeated in the world. Was a Mental Realm born of such ambition so easily comprehended?
What kind of Mental Realm truly qualified as invincible and undefeated? Had anyone ever found the answer?
Even Luo Beixing, the renowned Martial Arts Grandmaster of the Northwest Province—hadn’t he suffered defeat in his youth?
Tang Guang belonged to this latter group. His own undefeated record had compelled him to pursue a Mental Realm of invincibility, yet he had struggled for ages without a breakthrough. But after witnessing Jiang Qiu in action, his state of mind had shifted once more.
A frog who has never left its well will think the stars, moon, and sun are no bigger than the opening above. It might seem that by simply climbing out, it could touch them.
But the moment that frog truly climbs out, it discovers that the sun’s brilliance floods the entire land and sea, and that the moon and stars tower above the highest mountains in the world.
Upon seeing an insurmountable peak, one understands that some goals are simply unrealistic. Only then can one truly grasp what it is they are actually pursuing.
Tang Guang was just such a person.
After arriving in the Northern Boundary, he failed to live up to his reputation as a peerless prodigy for many years. He lacked resources, his tribe was weak, and he was even forced to hunt with a spear at the beginning. For over a decade, he was unworthy of the title "sword genius."
He then saw Jiang Qiu—who had already risen to fame in the Xia Country—continue to build a legendary reputation in the Northern Boundary, his Talent so exceptional that Tang Guang himself had to look up to him.
It was then he understood. The invincibility in the Sword Dao he pursued shouldn’t mean having no one who could challenge him, but rather being invincible within his own heart. It wasn’t about viewing the world’s prodigies as rivals, but about seeking the Dao alone with his sword.
But how could Yu Ri possibly fathom Tang Guang’s state of mind?
’I still don’t understand why I, the great Saint Heir of the Western Church, was the first one to die!’
"With Tang Guang taking action, Jiang Qiu will save a lot of energy on his climb. He might even be able to catch up to [Extreme]." Unwilling to dwell on Tang Guang’s accomplishment, Yu Ri looked away and focused on Jiang Qiu, his eyes narrowing. ’However, you’re not the only one with a chance to catch [Extreme]...’
His gaze shifted, and he saw [Wall] and the other Warriors who had just broken through another stronghold. Things seemed to be going much more smoothly on their end. Many of the native Warriors had even started climbing the mountain with [Wall], leaving the Demon Race stronghold behind, littered with over a thousand corpses.
It wasn’t that this group from the Demon Race was too weak; in essence, they were comparable to the ones Jiang Qiu’s group had faced. The difference was that [Fan] was fighting on Jiang Qiu’s side, posing such a great threat that their stronghold’s Leader had been forced to request that the Great Witch mobilize more power to defend against him.
But the Great Witch’s power was finite. Since he had granted more of the upgrades to the demons facing Jiang Qiu, fewer were naturally available for the ones on [Wall]’s side.
This even affected the progress of the other Celestial Chosen Demons. Their own climbs were barely delayed, allowing the three of them to start their ascents quickly.
Now, as Yu Ri watched, all seven Chosen Ones on the field were advancing toward the white mist that had receded halfway up the mountain. [Extreme] was the fastest; the receding mist seemed to be chasing the very currents stirred by his flapping wings.
Jiang Qiu was in second place. He had reached a point far below the halfway mark, but was still ahead of every other Chosen One except for [Extreme].
After him came [Wall], leading a small cluster of Warriors up the large, flat slope at the base of the mountain. His relative advantage wasn’t very large, as the other Celestial Chosen Demons had all begun their ascents as well.
Unfortunately, the landscape above the halfway point of Northern Boundary Mountain was obscured. All Yu Ri could see was [Extreme] outpacing the receding white mist before plunging headfirst into it. Then, the image was gone.
He had no idea what lay within the white mist, whether the Enlightenment Fruit was at the summit, or even what the summit looked like.
’But this can’t just be a simple climbing race,’ he thought. ’There’s bound to be a fight at the end. Besides, whoever gets up there first will have a natural advantage—setting traps and ambushing enemies, for instance...’
Just as Yu Ri was imagining what methods [Extreme]—who was far ahead and had the most potential—would use to crush his rivals, he suddenly felt a subtle spatial tremor from nearby.
HUMMM...
The strange vibration made Yu Ri’s chest shudder. Though his stiff body remained immobile, he glanced over with his peripheral vision. From a somewhat blurry spot, a hazy figure popped into existence.
Of course, "hazy" was only relative. The instant the figure appeared, Yu Ri recognized them by perception alone.
It was the true body of Tang Guang, the very man who had just been slaying enemies with his sword at the foot of Northern Boundary Mountain!
’How did this guy end up in the void too?’
’Is he dead?’
Yu Ri was filled with suspicion, but unfortunately, he couldn’t speak to him. It seemed the other man couldn’t move either. The two of them stood stiff and expressionless in the void, overlooking the battle in the Northern Boundary.
There were no Laws in the void, so there was naturally no medium for communication between them. They were like two untouchable objects.
But their minds were still active.
The moment Tang Guang stepped into the void, he was just as shocked as Yu Ri had been initially. Upon seeing Yu Ri there as well, he quickly understood one of the unspoken rules of the Chosen One’s contest.
When a Chosen One died, their Soul returned to its true form and gathered here in the void.
’But... what about [Feng]?’
’What about Feng Li, the Great Demon from the Kunlun Demon Clan!’
’Wasn’t he also slain by Jiang Qiu?’
