Successive Challenges

Xue Feng didn’t consider himself invincible.

Yet, he had held his position for many years without a single challenger.

After all, he ranked thirty-second on the Heaven Tier; aside from the true monsters above him, he rarely encountered a worthy opponent.

Of course, nothing was absolute.

In truth, his ascent to the thirty-second spot was entirely due to his cousin’s divine bone.

The thought filled Xue Feng with a profound sense of shame, for it was not his own.

When his father seized power years ago, Xue Feng was still within the Void Heaven Realm.

He had been completely unaware that his father, unable to restrain himself, had moved against his cousin.

By the time he re-emerged, the Snow Clan had already undergone a drastic upheaval.

His cousin’s divine bone had been extracted by the clan using a secret technique.

Since then, Xue Yue had vanished without a trace, and several years had now passed.

The Snow Clan’s elders had employed every conceivable method to track Xue Yue, but to no avail.

Not a single clue emerged, and even bloodline tracing techniques proved useless.

Consequently, the elders concluded that Xue Yue must have perished.

“Brother Xue Feng, Brother Xue Feng…”

The moment Xue Feng closed his eyes, Xue Yue’s tender young face would appear in his mind and echo in his ears.

The mere memory caused a deep ache in his heart.

He had never coveted the inherited divine bone.

Perhaps his aptitude wasn’t as extraordinary as Xue Yue’s, but innate talent was merely the icing on the cake.

True cultivation to immortality relied fundamentally on determination, perseverance, and accumulated experience.

However, putting that aside, what was done was done, and dwelling on it served no purpose.

After all, his father had left no room for retreat.

Once his grandfather emerged from seclusion or his grand-uncle returned, the Snow Clan would likely face another period of turmoil.

Initially, he had been extremely reluctant to accept the Snow Divine Bone.

However, the artifact had already been removed from Xue Yue’s body.

If it remained without a host for too long, its divine power would dissipate, rendering it useless.

Thus, he had no choice but to accept it.

Upon receiving it, and possessing an incomplete Snow Divine Body himself, the integration proceeded remarkably smoothly.

The divine bone indeed enhanced his cultivation talent, but its impact extended no further than that.

He currently had no desire to enter the Void Heaven Realm.

Once inside, one could only emerge after three years, and with his current peak Golden Core cultivation, it simply wasn’t necessary.

After some deliberation, Xue Feng did not immediately head to the Void Heaven Realm.

Instead, he chose to continue his diligent cultivation.

Meanwhile, in the Void Heaven Realm, the battle concluded with Bai Lan claiming the thirty-second ranked pavilion previously occupied by Xue Feng.

Xue Feng’s name vanished from the first layer of the Sky Pride Ranking, replaced by Bai Lan’s.

This sight naturally fell upon the eyes of the trial-takers gathered outside Sky Pride Pavilion.

“What? She actually won?
In all these years, no one in the Void Heaven Realm has ever successfully challenged the top Heaven Tier rankings!
Today, someone actually succeeded, and they even directly challenged the thirty-second rank!”

The trial-takers in Yellow Sand City erupted into a frenzy.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Yellow Sand City, drawing a massive influx of trial-takers to the exterior of Sky Pride Pavilion.

Bai Lan stood in the arena, feeling somewhat unsatisfied by the battle.

She knew that if Xue Feng himself had been present, the fight would not have ended so easily.

The primary reason for her easy victory was that the avatar’s flaws were precisely what she had targeted.

That avatar hadn’t even unleashed sixty percent of its combat power against her.

If it had fought against others, it wouldn’t have been so straightforward.

“A meaningless battle,” the surrounding Sky Pride trial-takers remarked, shaking their heads in disinterest.

This was entirely different from the clash they had envisioned; Xue Feng’s avatar had lost too directly.

The figures of the crowd vanished one by one, and Bai Lan was directly teleported to the pavilion where Xue Feng had previously resided.

She now stood at the entrance of the pavilion.

The platform on which the pavilion rested floated high in the sky, offering a clear view of Yellow Sand City’s entire layout.

“Heh heh.” Bai Lan gazed at the pavilion before her and let out a strange chuckle.

Then, the main doors opened, and she slowly stepped inside.

Once she entered, the doors closed behind her.

The interior of the pavilion was opulent, akin to a royal palace hall, complete with several side halls.

Xue Feng was no longer present, so there were no personal items inside.

Even if there had been any, they would have been cleared out.

This cultivation palace boasted several functions.

Firstly, a transportation feature existed.

Yellow Sand City was divided into several large regions, and if needed, Bai Lan could use the side hall’s teleportation array to quickly transport herself to any desired area.

There was also a simulated combat room, where one could set up opponents according to their requirements, somewhat akin to creating an avatar to spar against.

Furthermore, a multi-functional cultivation room allowed for the customization of cultivation methods based on individual needs.

For instance, if one desired to improve their cultivation speed, they could increase the gravity within the room.

These functions were incredibly comprehensive, though they were exclusive to Heaven-tier pavilions.

Bai Lan was intimately familiar with this place.

This wasn’t her first visit.

Aside from differences in spiritual energy density, all Heaven-tier pavilions offered identical features.[Reminder: Challenger Long Lingyu is challenging Song Que, the thirty-third ranked on the Sky Pride Ranking. All trial-takers are requested to proceed to the Sky Pride Battlefield to observe the battle.]

Just as Bai Lan prepared to rest, the voice of the Void Heaven Realm’s consciousness echoed in her ears.

Bai Lan paused, startled by the announcement.

‘Long Lingyu?

Him?

Challenging Song Que, the thirty-third ranked?’ Bai Lan pondered with a hint of confusion.

She wasn’t sure of Long Lingyu’s strength, but she knew Song Que.

He was apparently a disciple from a certain saber-wielding faction in the Eastern Continent.

While she didn’t know his specific details, his saber techniques were exceptionally formidable.

Xue Yue had once witnessed him in battle, and even then, he hadn’t been confident in defeating Song Que.

As for now, it was hard to say.

Bai Lan considered it for a moment, but the thought of Long Lingyu’s garrulous nature instantly put her off.

She hadn’t had a proper rest since arriving in the Void Heaven Realm, nor had she found time to inventory the treasures she had acquired.

Thus, Bai Lan decided against observing the battle.

Meanwhile, on the Sky Pride Battlefield, Long Lingyu stood smiling in the arena, as the Sky Prides who had recently departed now returned.

“What’s happening?
Another challenger for the Heaven Tier, and they chose Song Que, that saber maniac?”

“This is getting interesting.
Someone just successfully challenged Xue Feng.
Do you think this challenger will succeed or fail?”

The Sky Pride trial-takers were all at a loss for words.

However, this time, it wasn’t an avatar responding to the challenge.

Deep within a demonic beast valley on the third layer of the Void Heaven Realm, a slender, blood-robed youth, wielding a blood-red saber, was battling demonic beasts.

He moved through the horde like a divine being, slaying every beast in his path.

But just then, a power descended from the heavens, enveloping him.

Before he could react, he was whisked away by the Void Heaven Realm’s energy.

Of course, the moment he was taken, he understood what was happening.

Then, the space of the Sky Pride Battlefield opened, and the cold, stern youth descended from the spatial gate, landing opposite Long Lingyu.

This person was none other than Song Que.

“Heh, it’s his true body.
This just got interesting,” the crowd exclaimed, their interest piqued upon realizing it was Song Que himself.

Song Que scanned his surroundings before fixing his gaze on Long Lingyu opposite him.

“You wish to challenge me?
Have you prepared yourself for death?” Song Que asked, his voice cold as he met Long Lingyu’s gaze.

Long Lingyu, however, did not respond to Song Que.

Instead, he simply looked at him with clear, bright eyes and a gentle smile.

Soon, the Void Heaven Realm’s consciousness declared the battle open.

Brandishing his blood-red saber, Song Que immediately charged towards Long Lingyu.

This man was a battle maniac, and many might not realize that those who cultivated with sabers were formidable.

However, due to the scarcity of saber cultivators and their non-mainstream status, coupled with even fewer comprehending saber intent, the term ‘saber cultivator’ wasn’t commonly used.

Yet, saber cultivators were in no way inferior to sword cultivators.

Song Que, in particular, was an existence who had comprehended the Saber Intent of the Sea of Blood.

The moment he moved, a vast, blood-red aura surged towards Long Lingyu, laden with intense hostility and resentment.

A less courageous cultivator would likely be terrified by such a sight.

However, facing the encroaching Saber Intent of the Sea of Blood, Long Lingyu’s expression remained unchanged, as if in his eyes, all of it was merely an illusion.