Temporary Residence at Heavenly Sword Mountain:

A young man in white, his figure as graceful as a Jiao Long, soared and flipped in mid-air.

Suddenly, he drew his sword sharply, and the sword's buzzing resonated across the sky, lingering for a long time, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Senior Brother Wu Hen, your Swordsmanship has advanced again. Truly, it can be said to have reached a level that amazes gods and weeps ghosts!"

At this moment, a young man in cyan clothes flew over from the sky and bowed to Jian Wuheng, who was practicing sword skills.

Jian Wuheng sheathed his sword and responded indifferently, "So it's Junior Brother Ye Xing. How come you have time to come here?"

"I just returned from outside and saw the rainbow phenomenon from Senior Brother Wu Hen's side, so I came here out of admiration. I hope Senior Brother Wu Hen doesn't mind!"

Ye Xing smiled politely and replied.

After speaking, seeing that Jian Wuheng showed no displeasure on his face, he tentatively asked, "Senior Brother Wu Hen, I also brought news of someone you would definitely be interested in!"

"Who?"

Jian Wuheng's expression remained unchanged as he tersely asked a question, his brows full of arrogance.

"Li Chen!"

Upon hearing the name "Li Chen," Jian Wuheng's face instantly darkened, and his eyes narrowed slightly, as if a murderous intent was flashing within them.

"What news?"

Ye Xing replied, "Senior Brother Wu Hen may not know yet, but the Independent Cultivation Field has ended, and Li Chen is at the top of the list. He consecutively defeated Zhenmeng, Li Xuewei, single-handedly overcame Chu Qing, and within three rounds, defeated Du Mao, Zhao Heng, and Ye Lan, all of whom are top ten experts. His fame has soared, making him the unprecedented prodigy of the independent cultivator world in a century!"

Listening to Ye Xing's account, Jian Wuheng nodded and squinted his eyes as he smiled, "Interesting, but in front of me, he's still an unworthy buffoon. When the finals begin, I will personally defeat him in front of everyone. Let Ling Shuanghua of the Cloud Sea Sect see who the real powerhouse is!"

...

The preliminary rounds ended with Li Chen entering the finals with a top-ranked position forcefully.

Lian Hongshang ranked twenty-seventh and also smoothly advanced to the finals.

After three days of rest, the finals commenced. Instantly, the entire Tianmang Mountain was enveloped with a murderous fighting spirit.

The main peak in Tianmang Mountain is called Heavenly Dragon Peak.

Atop the peak, there is a platform called the Ascending Dragon Platform.

On the platform, positions are arranged in sequence from highest to lowest, a total of ninety-nine positions. The highest ranked is first place, arranged sequentially, and the lowest is ninety-ninth place.

Anyone who can secure a position on this Ascending Dragon Platform, whether a Sect Disciple or a Loose Cultivator out in the wild, means they have reached new heights, with a boundless future ahead.

Perhaps, they might even have the chance to stand proudly under this sky, becoming a supreme master overlooking others, standing at the peak of the entire Mainland.

However, securing a spot is not an easy task.

One must know, anyone who advances to the finals is a Heaven's Chosen Son, a phoenix among men, and none are easy opponents.

"Chen, I've heard that Jian Wuheng is a petty vengeful person, and Jian Chenn is also his clansman. On the Ascending Dragon Platform, he will definitely target you specifically, so you must be cautious!"

Lian Hongshang's clear eyes were filled with ripples of worry.

Having stayed in Tianyuan City for a period, she had heard quite a bit about Jian Wuheng's legendary deeds. This person, since his debut, had never been defeated, recognized as the number one in the young generation, absolutely not to be underestimated.

Li Chen responded with a faint smile, "Hmm, I know!"

Presumably, Jian Wuheng already hates him to the core by now. It's not only because of Jian Chenn, but also because Ling Shuanghua publicly rejected a marriage proposal and used him as a scapegoat, significantly fueling the enmity.

Moreover, even without these grudges, a battle between him and Jian Wuheng is unavoidable.

After all, there can only be one champion in this Immortal Sect Martial Arts Competition. Jian Wuheng wants it, and so does Li Chen.

The Loose Cultivators arrived early at the venue, all without organization and each with high pride. Compared to the neatly arranged Sect Disciples, they were like a ragtag bunch.

However, as Li Chen walked among them, everyone instinctively stepped aside.

After all, he was a supreme figure in the independent cultivator world, not someone they dared to offend.

Li Chen glanced around and saw several familiar figures.

Zhenmeng, Li Xuewei, Ye Lan, Zhao Heng, Chu Qing, Du Mao were all among them.

When Li Chen exchanged blows with them, he never went too hard, mostly stopping when necessary. As a result, their injuries were not severe, allowing them to continue participating in the contest for the Ascending Dragon Platform.

"Li Chen brother, you've arrived!"

The one speaking was Zhenmeng.

He was a rugged man, straightforward in nature, naturally not one to hold grudges, and was, instead, full of admiration for Li Chen.

Li Chen slightly nodded, acknowledging the gesture.

Immediately, he cast his gaze onto Li Xuewei, Ye Lan, and the others.

"Everyone, I apologize for any offense before, I hope you'll understand!"

Du Mao, Li Xuewei, and the others had a decent impression of Li Chen, and they all returned the courtesy.

However, Ye Lan snorted arrogantly.

This couldn't be helped, as Li Chen had flattened the peak beneath her neck with a slap in front of the crowd. It still hadn't fully recovered, and how could she not hold a grudge? Not attacking Li Chen on the spot was already showing him good temper.

Li Chen didn't pay any mind to this.

At that moment, a dwarf Taoist boy approached and bowed slightly to Li Chen.

"I've long heard of Immortal Master Li's great name. Meeting you today, you truly live up to your reputation, it's truly an honor!"

Hearing the name "Immortal Master Li" again, Li Chen was slightly startled, his eyes sharp like a knife as he carefully examined the person before him.

"Who are you?"

The dwarf Taoist boy introduced himself, saying, "I am Qingming, and like Immortal Master Li, I come from the same place, known as Prince Qingming!"

Li Chen nodded slightly, faintly smiling as he said, "Ah, an old acquaintance, an honor, indeed!"

Prince Qingming was a renowned figure in Japan's history, holding a status equivalent to Zhang Daoling of Huaxia.

However, he wasn't as fortunate as Zhang Daoling to ascend in flight. Instead, after his death, he used a secret technique to attach his divine soul to a statue.

This time, taking advantage of the Immortal Sect's opening, he reincarnated, defeating Miyamoto Sakura, Shui Ze, and Huo Wu, three Divine-level Masters, using the identity of the dwarf Taoist boy, seizing an Immortal Token, and entering the Cultivation Realm.

"Fellow Taoist Li Chen, what are your thoughts on the Ascending Dragon Platform battle?" Li Xuewei spoke.

Unlike Ye Lan, she was also defeated by Li Chen but held no grudge, and even had a good impression of him.

"Oh, do you have any thoughts?"

Li Chen didn't understand her intent, and sensing there was more to her words, he didn't directly answer but casually asked back.

Li Xuewei smiled and said, "You must already know the rules of the final match. One thousand people will battle for the ninety-nine spots on the Ascending Dragon Platform."

"Those sect and aristocratic family disciples can easily form a group with strong ties, forming a powerful force. Compared to them, we independent cultivators fight alone, scattered like sand."

"Because of this, each major competition only sees a few lucky independent cultivators stay on the Ascending Dragon Platform. Some years experienced complete defeat by sect and aristocratic family disciples ganging up. I think we should unite this time to make a name for independent cultivators!"

After hearing Li Xuewei's words, Li Chen suddenly understood that she sought an alliance.

He didn't oppose this idea.

After all, his opponent was Jian Wuheng. If someone could help fend off those annoying flies, why wouldn't he welcome it?

So he immediately agreed to the proposal.

Zhenmeng, Du Mao, and the others had no objections. It seemed they had already communicated beforehand.

Ye Lan, Chu Qing, Zhao Heng, who harbored slight hostility towards Li Chen, also set aside their prejudices at this critical moment.

At this moment, their identities were the same. They were independent cultivators, looked down upon by sect and aristocratic family disciples, and this concerned their vital interests.

While they discussed specific details, someone suddenly exclaimed.

"The Taoist is here, the Taoist is here!"

Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the front.

Li Chen and Lian Hongshang also looked over.

His expression became slightly serious upon seeing the incoming people.

Two people arrived on cranes, one was an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, clearly a person of great attainment.

The other was a middle-aged man carrying a sword, his face resolute, eyes bright with strong determination.

Li Chen guessed the identity of the elder but couldn't be sure yet.

However, he could accurately identify the middle-aged sword cultivator.

Because he was: Yuann Tiangang!

...

The true climax is about to begin, and some of the pitfalls dug earlier must be filled.

Moreover, it won't be long before our Li Chen classmate might return to Earth.

Adorable and proud Xue'er has been waiting in the sidelines for several months, probably getting impatient.

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