Chapter 532 - 399: Cultivation Breakthrough! The Second Level of the Dao Realm: True Seal Realm! Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster
Xu Qing opened his eyes. He exhaled a turbid breath as countless streams of Sword Qi filled the air around him. The terrifying might of his Carefree Sword Dao suppressed the entire area, so powerful it felt as though the Great Dao itself would collapse under the pressure.
Powerful.
Incredibly powerful, in fact.
His Cultivation had risen.
Xu Qing’s strength had increased significantly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Suddenly,
the Endless Altar began to shake. It was the size of an entire Star Realm, its surface the color of black blood and covered in endless Sacrificial Patterns.
Xu Qing had just broken through. It had taken him less than a minute to advance from the Initial Realm Eighth Layer Heaven to the True Seal Realm Sixth Layer Heaven.
A tremendous leap.
His rate of improvement was simply unbelievable.
However,
Xu Qing had also used up all the True Points he had obtained at the first station. He could not advance any further and had to pass through the first station of the Only True Path to reach the second, where he could acquire more True Points.
ROAR! ROAR!
The next moment,
a dark, misty light surged and quickly condensed into a monster on the Endless Altar. It was a behemoth with the three heads of a dragon, a tiger, and a lion. Standing nine meters tall, it towered over Xu Qing. Its body was pitch-black and covered in countless diamond-shaped scales.
Moreover,
the monster stood on its hind legs, wreathed in rings of black fire that had the power to incinerate both soul and consciousness.
It was certainly not weak.
Its strength was comparable to an existence at the Dao Realm.
BUZZ!
The next moment,
the yellowed sheet of paper appeared once more, characters materializing on its surface. The text was an introduction to the monster before him.
Name: Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster.
Description: A monster created by the Endless Altar. It possesses the Power of the Eighth Realm and has mastered the formidable Mighty Power of a dragon, a tiger, and a lion.
"Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster."
Xu Qing remarked, "What a lazy name."
ROAR!!!
The Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster roared, and a torrent of black energy surged toward the heavens as it charged at Xu Qing.
SPLAT!
Pitch-black blood splattered.
With just a casual swing of his sword, Xu Qing had slain the Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster.
"A little too easy," Xu Qing mused.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
The Sacrificial Patterns on the Endless Altar pulsed with a black-blooded light and swiftly absorbed the Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monster’s corpse. He had passed the first level simply and easily.
’Looks like passing too quickly isn’t a good thing.’
Xu Qing sat down cross-legged and waited quietly. ’Now I have to wait a full day for the second level of the Endless Altar to begin.’
「Time flew by.」
In the blink of an eye, a day and a night had passed.
ROAR! ROAR!
The second level began.
Following the roars, two Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters appeared this time. Their auras were slightly stronger than yesterday’s, but that was all.
Xu Qing paid them no mind.
After all,
although Xu Qing’s Cultivation and Realm had only broken through to the True Seal Realm Sixth Layer Heaven yesterday, his true combat prowess was immense.
Back in the Land of Origin, he had fought one against six and slain six Undying Immortal beings.
Therefore,
the first station of the Only True Path, the Endless Altar, posed no real difficulty for Xu Qing. He just needed to perform as usual and clear one level after another.
SPLAT! SPLAT!
Xu Qing swung his sword, and two flashes of Sword Light flickered past.
Pitch-black blood rained down.
The two Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters were dead.
He passed the second level with ease.
"Too weak."
Xu Qing shook his head. "These Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters on the Endless Altar are so weak, they don’t stir any desire to fight in me at all."
「Time flew by.」
...
Third Level: Four Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.
...
Fourth Level: Eight Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.
...
Fifth Level: Sixteen Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.
...
Sixth Level: Thirty-two Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.
...
Thirty-fifth Level: 17,179,869,184 Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.
...
RUMBLE!!!
Xu Qing stood high above the Endless Altar, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked down. The thirty-fifth level had begun.
At that moment,
nearly twenty billion Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters appeared.
"Huuu..."
Xu Qing took a deep breath, his expression turning slightly grim as he gazed at the vast horde of monsters.
Of course,
it wasn’t that he couldn’t handle nearly twenty billion Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters. With his strength, he could easily deal with them even if their numbers were several times greater.
It was just that...
this was only the thirty-fifth level.
’To pass the trial of the Endless Altar, I have to clear eighty-one levels. It’s only the thirty-fifth, and there are already this many Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters.’
Xu Qing mused, ’As expected of the Only True Path. This first station is already so difficult. I’m afraid that without Power at the Undying Immortal level, there’s no hope of passing it.’
’You could say...’
’the first station is purely for weeding out beings and races that are too weak.’
In fact,
after hunting so many Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters, Xu Qing had discovered that their corpses contained a type of Dao Crystal.
By absorbing these Dao Crystals, one could deepen their comprehension of Great Dao True Intent and the Mysteries of the Great Dao, thereby raising their Cultivation and Realm.
Thus,
on the Endless Altar, one could fight, hunt Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters, and absorb Dao Crystals all at the same time, allowing them to improve their Cultivation and strength as they fought.
This way,
even an existence at the Eighth Realm: Dao Realm would have a chance of passing.
Currently,
Xu Qing had already absorbed a massive number of Dao Crystals. After clearing thirty-four levels and absorbing so many Dao Crystals, he had finally condensed his seventh Dao True Seal.
With that,
without even relying on the Encyclopedia of All Things, Xu Qing had broken through to the Seventh Layer of True Seal Realm.
However,
as his Cultivation and Realm increased, future breakthroughs would become increasingly difficult.
"Annihilate!"
BOOM!
Xu Qing raised his right hand, and the Carefree Sword in his grasp flew out. With a single thought, the Carefree Sword unleashed an indescribably terrifying Sword Aura. It swept forth with unstoppable force, like a scythe reaping grain.
It was over in an instant. Upon the Endless Altar, the entire host of nearly twenty billion Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters was annihilated by Xu Qing’s single sword strike. Before him, mere Eighth Realm monsters were no different from ants; they could be killed with ease. No matter how numerous they were, quantity could not produce a change in quality.
CRACK! CRACK!
With a wave of Xu Qing’s left hand, crystal after crystal emerged from the corpses of the Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters, each a hazy gray color.
"Devour!"
BOOM!
Xu Qing opened his mouth and inhaled. All of the nearly twenty billion Dao Crystals were swallowed in a single gulp, transforming into a vast torrent that he devoured and absorbed completely.
CLANG! CLANG!!!
The ringing of a sword echoed.
Xu Qing activated his Carefree Sword Dao and began to refine and absorb the energy.
However,
even after devouring and absorbing nearly twenty billion Dao Crystals, he was still a long way from condensing his eighth Dao True Seal. It would take much more time.
"Continue."
Xu Qing clasped his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, and waited for time to pass.
Soon,
a full day went by.
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!!!
In an instant,
the thirty-sixth level began.
This time,
as expected, nearly thirty-five billion Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters appeared.
Of course,
whether it was nearly twenty billion or thirty-five billion, numbers meant nothing when facing Xu Qing.
"Die!!!"
Xu Qing’s eyes lifted slightly. With a thought and a wave of his right hand, the Carefree Sword shot through the air once again, just as it had in the previous level.
He had only swung his sword once, but an indescribable Sword Aura ravaged the entire Endless Altar, unstoppably annihilating the thirty-five billion Dragon-Tiger-Lion Monsters in a single blow.
There was no difference at all.
This was Xu Qing’s current strength.
It was, without a doubt, absurdly strong.