The Prodigies War-Chapter 2846 Stronghold

In this battle, Lin Xun had harvested ninety-nine strands of law power. Just like before, each one was damaged and incomplete. It almost felt as though no complete law existed within the Ten Directions Demon Realm.

Even so, he was more than satisfied. After storing the spoils within the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron, he straightened his back, eyes bright with resolve. “Elder, let’s keep going.”

“You don’t plan to rest first?” Li Zhen asked.

“Once we find a suitable base, it won’t be too late to rest then,” Lin Xun replied casually.

Li Zhen could tell that Lin Xun was exhilarated, like a seasoned hunter entering the mountains, filled with anticipation for the next prey.

“Still, it’s best to stay cautious,” Li Zhen reminded.

Lin Xun nodded. Without another word, the two pressed on.

The Myriad Ravines Mountain Range stretched vast and boundless, shrouded in drifting mist. The void was saturated with chaotic strands of law. As they moved forward, neither Lin Xun nor Li Zhen dared to relax their vigilance.

However, along the way, they encountered only small packs of three to five Desolate Law Power Beasts, and none were as terrifying or vast as the horde they faced before.

After traveling tens of thousands of miles, Lin Xun suddenly halted. His gaze locked onto a gray mountain ahead.

“The aura of Heaven Rank Desolate Law Power Beasts!” Li Zhen’s eyes gleamed.

“Yes, and there’s more than one.” Lin Xun’s lips curved faintly, excitement flickering in his gaze. “Besides, that mountain’s terrain is remarkable, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we establish a stronghold here and lay down a grand restriction array, we’ll have a true foothold in this Eastern Demon Realm.”

Nine years!

Whether hunting beasts or dealing with enemies, a secure stronghold was essential.

“If we fight here, I’m worried the battle will destroy this place.” Li Zhen cautioned after a moment’s thought.

“Don’t worry, I’ll lure them out,” Lin Xun replied lightly.

With a flash, the Green Wood Dao Body materialized, turning into a streak of verdant light that shot toward the gray mountain in the distance.

“Elder, let’s withdraw for now.”

At that, Lin Xun and Li Zhen quietly retreated into the distance.

Roar!

Before long, a roar like the fury of heaven erupted from the depths of the gray mountain, shaking heaven and earth. The Green Wood Dao Body burst from the fog, and three monstrous figures were chasing close behind.

The first was a colossal bird, its wings spanning a hundred feet. Its body gleamed as though forged from molten silver, its three heads snarled in unison as an icy, violent aura swept forth, freezing even the air around it.

Behind it was a massive ox-shaped creature with pitch-black hide, and arcs of eerie blue lightning danced across its body. At the rear was a humanoid monster, its body covered in bronze scales and its hideous face twisted with malice.

The combined aura of the three beasts swept through the mountains, and wherever they passed, heaven and earth quaked, clouds were torn apart, and the world itself seemed to bow beneath their ferocity.

As the Green Wood Dao Body was about to be caught, a sky-splitting surge of black dao light cleaved across the heavens. It was a domineering blade qi interwoven with radiant law power.

Clang!

The ferocious bird beat its massive wings, stirring a storm as it managed to block the strike. With a cold snort, Li Zhen swung his weapon.

Boom!

In an instant, countless dark blade shadows filled the sky, cascading like the fall of night. The chilling, domineering blade qi spread for miles as he clashed fiercely with the ferocious bird.

At the same time, Lin Xun’s Green Wood Dao Body spun around and charged upward, striking toward the beast wreathed in arcs of eerie blue lightning. Lin Xun’s true body fixed his gaze on the humanoid beast and launched his assault.

Battle erupted. This time, Lin Xun did not rely on his innate divine talent. He fought with nothing but his own cultivation.

Only then did he truly realize how terrifying the Heaven Rank Desolate Law Power Beasts were. Each of them possessed the might of Heaven Rank laws, and they were ferocious, cunning, and capable of unleashing the profound secrets of law power at will. Their power was even greater than that of most perfect Nirvana Spirit experts.

The pressure on Lin Xun was immense, but it was far from enough to truly threaten him. Moments later, the battle on Li Zhen’s side came to an end first. The ferocious bird’s silver wings were severed cleanly, and its colossal body was torn apart by raging blade qi.

Li Zhen stood there, calm and unmoved, not a scratch upon him. As an elder of the Origin Clarity Pavilion and a cultivator who had reached the pinnacle of the Nirvana Spirit Stage, his strength was far beyond that of his peers. His combat power was fierce, overbearing, and beyond comparison.

His gaze shifted to Lin Xun, but he made no move to interfere. How could he not see that Lin Xun was deliberately using this battle to test the limits of his own strength?

“To fight a fourth grade Heaven Rank beast head-on with only the cultivation of the initial Nirvana Spirit Stage and without even using his innate powers or weapons...this boy truly defies the heavens.” Li Zhen couldn’t help but sigh.

He knew Lin Xun possessed the potential of Eternal Supremacy, and his path was unlike any other under heaven. He was the lotus awaited by the Lord of Fangchun Mountain for countless ages, and he possessed the innate talent Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer.

Even so, seeing Lin Xun fight with strength that surpassed a perfect Nirvana Spirit cultivator, Li Zhen was left shaken to the core.

Boom!

Soon, the humanoid beast that Lin Xun faced erupted with a deafening bang, its body blasted apart by a single punch. Almost at the same time, Lin Xun’s Green Wood Dao Body struck down the lightning beast it had been battling.

Retracting his dao body, Lin Xun exhaled deeply before counting his spoils. The two Heaven Rank beasts he had slain each carried a strand of Heaven Rank law power, one of the fourth grade and the other of the third.

These were priceless treasures for cultivation, yet to his dismay, even these Heaven Rank law powers were damaged and incomplete.

“Here.”

Li Zhen walked over, handing him a fifth grade Heaven Rank law power he had obtained.

Lin Xun accepted it without hesitation. He already knew that for a being like Li Zhen, who had reached the pinnacle of the Nirvana Spirit Stage, ordinary laws no longer held much meaning. He had secretly decided that if he ever acquired a ninth grade Heaven Rank law power in the Ten Directions Demon Realm, he would offer it to Li Zhen without hesitation.

Without delay, the two retraced their path and soon returned to the gray mountain.

“Elder, from today onward, this will be our stronghold,” Lin Xun said, a surge of pride welling in his chest.

Li Zhen nodded.

The Myriad Ravines Mountain Range was one of the three most perilous lands in the Eastern Demon Realm. Establishing a stronghold here meant that there would be no shortage of beasts to hunt. Without wasting a moment, Lin Xun set to work.

A few days later, the entire gray mountain was shrouded in a web of dao restrictions. Though its defensive power was only average, the array could instantly sense any disturbance within a radius of thousands of miles. This was far more valuable to Lin Xun than mere protection.

Inside a stone cave, Lin Xun sat cross-legged in silence. The Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron floated before him, its surface pulsing with light. From within, Wushuang’s clear, sweet voice rang out, “Master, the origin law powers of one hundred and twenty-nine Earth Rank laws have been fully integrated. However, three Heaven Rank laws cannot be merged. They must be refined by you personally.”

“Alright, give me the Earth Rank origin law powers first.” Lin Xun replied calmly.

Buzz!

A fist-sized orb emerged from the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron, blazing like a miniature sun. Brilliant light flooded the cave, and within the orb surged vast tides of origin law powers! Lin Xun drew in a deep breath and swallowed it whole.

At once, he trembled violently. The torrent of origin law power rampaged within him like a wild stallion that had broken free of its reins, violent and unrestrained. Without hesitation, Lin Xun activated his full cultivation, circulating qi through his body as he began to refine it.

Ever since stepping into the Nirvana Spirit Realm, his progress had stagnated at the initial stage and his advancement had been so faint it was almost imperceptible. The reason was simple: he had lacked law power to refine.

Now everything had changed. The Ten Directions Demon Realm teemed with Desolate Law Power Beasts, and from them, he could draw law power without end! At this moment, he was refining hundreds of fused strands of origin law power.

Boom!

His body rumbled like thunder, dao light blazing from every pore. Behind him, an Immortal Halo slowly revolved, bathing him in a sacred, awe-inspiring radiance. As moments passed, his stagnant cultivation began to rise little by little, yet at a pace so swift it could be seen by the naked eye...

His progress was astonishing!

......

Black Stone Desert.

This was one of the three most perilous places in the Eastern Demon Realm. Three figures, Yuan Changtian, Cao Beidou and Yun Tianming, descended into the desolate landscape.

“Although the beasts we’ve encountered so far were only Earth Rank, and their law power may not benefit us much, they’ll be invaluable to our clans and juniors back home,” Cao Beidou said with a smile.

He was in high spirits. The Ten Directions Demon Realm, to him, was like a natural treasure trove. It had endless Desolate Law Power Beasts and thus endless law power. Even if they were incomplete, each law was a priceless resource for Nirvana Spirit cultivators.

“Elder Cao is right,” Yun Tianming agreed, smiling.

“According to the rules of this Immortal Dao Battle, hunting ten first grade Earth Rank beasts equals the merit of slaying one of the second grade. And for each higher grade, the merit increases tenfold. So tell me, how great would the reward be for slaying a ninth grade Heaven Rank beast?”

Cao Beidou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, “Elder Yuan, you’re right, but that’s not how merit is measured. Ten years from now, when the final rankings are decided, the one who slays the most ninth grade Heaven Rank beasts will take first place.” 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Yuan Changtian said calmly, “Of course I know that. But what if two people kill the same number of ninth grade Heaven Rank beasts?”

“Then they’ll see who killed more eighth grade Heaven Rank beasts.” Cao Beidou replied without hesitation.

Yuan Changtian smiled. “Then, by that logic, it’s exactly as I said. Of course, you’re right as well. When the rankings are decided ten years from now, it’ll simply come down to who killed the most ninth grade Heaven Rank beasts.”

At that, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Cao Beidou. “Half an hour ago, after you went off to hunt that Earth Rank beast, what else did you do?”

Cao Beidou's pupils contracted sharply.

Yuan Changtian’s expression remained calm, but his tone carried unmistakable weight. “I don’t tolerate scheming under my command, and I have no patience for those who bully others at my side.”

Cao Beidou stiffened, and after a long pause, he spoke in a low voice, “To be frank, Elder Yuan, I merely passed along Lin Xun’s whereabouts to a few who were interested. I didn’t intentionally keep it from you. I just thought it was too trivial to trouble you with.”