ASER - Chapter 162
Chapter 162: The Summit
Who is this person?
Does anyone recognize her?
If you had seen her, you definitely wouldn't forget. If you knew her name, you would surely remember her.
Yuan Shu and the others, watching from below, were all dazzled and captivated, momentarily forgetting even the act of climbing. From their angle, they could only glimpse her elegance as she rose against the wind. But what the audience saw was much more direct; the screen was even specially zoomed in, perhaps clear enough to see her pores.
But it was also because it was so close that they could see even more clearly the glazed color within her pupils, like countless shattered crystal prisms recompressed and stacked, yet not scattered, but reassembled with the perfect cut angles of a diamond.
From her eyes, you could see all the refractive angles of this world, and also glimpse her mystery and versatility.
She was like an enigma.
The audience was captivated. Xiao Jin herself was stunned for a moment, thinking: Why do I find this person familiar? Is it the clothes, or the person? But that's impossible. If it were someone she had met, she would remember them even if they were turned to ash.
But... why did her brother have such a strange expression?
Xiao Mieluo was indeed surprised and uncertain. When he first came to observe the Lushan Trials, he had thought that this person's appearance would be revealed sooner or later, because the ultimate end of aptitude was to return to one's true self. Moreover, Lushan's aptitude assessment was so rigorous, testing to the very core. Yet, under the restriction, this Chen A'Diao's appearance hadn't reverted. Xiao Mieluo had privately wondered if what he saw that day was the disguise, and this was her true face, or if she had a special permanent passive talent that allowed her to maintain a disguise without needing to activate it with energy.
But regardless, he wasn't too concerned. He had only briefly compared her appearance to that of her biological mother and noted some slight resemblance.
He hadn't expected it.
So abruptly, he suddenly saw another face.
A face that had matured somewhat compared to the girl underwater that day, as if some immaturity had faded, replaced by a sharper aura gained from understanding worldly affairs and being touched by authority.
So, what the first generation once said, "Prodigies in this world can transcend the mundane; upon encountering the wind and the mortal world, they undergo a transformation equivalent to a hundred years," was true.
Could it be that the next time they met, this 18-year-old girl would truly have become a woman of unparalleled elegance?
After a moment of stunned silence, Dantai Sheng suddenly flipped and landed on the back of a Thousand Bird. What did women matter? What kind of woman hadn't he seen? Neither Xu Ye nor this unknown woman could block his path!
He was the Seventh Prince, born into the imperial family. He was destined to step on everyone's heads and ascend to the Ninth Heaven!
Dantai Sheng's will was firm, and it indeed attracted several Thousand Birds into his body.
Spiritual aptitude flourishing!
But, he also saw the woman above, standing on the platform of the Fifth Level, looking down. Was she looking at him?
That gaze was truly flippant, so flippant that Dantai Sheng, who had been taught since childhood to compose his mind and cultivate his character, instantly flared with anger. But he quickly realized that this gaze might not be directed at him.
She was looking past him at someone else. Perhaps it was Wanqi Jian'ai below, or Cao Juanzhi who had grabbed a vine after falling, or Ge Qian who had been pierced through the throat and fallen into the water?
Perhaps all of them, perhaps none. She merely looked down, her red lips moving slightly: "The Jianmu Tree lives for a thousand years, but human lives are fleeting. How can they compare?"
"In the mortal world, three years can witness romance and beauty, ten years can see transformation, and a hundred years bring great change. My dear brothers below, if you don't come up soon, I shall proceed first."
This voice was also a little different, seemingly familiar, but because her body had been remolded and her foundation restructured, she was somewhat unaccustomed to it, so her speech was a bit slow and hoarse.
The voice was highly distinctive; one would remember it upon hearing it. It was very moving and transcendent. Even when mocking, it sounded elegant and artistic. Anyway, the four of them were stunned for a moment.
Actually, their first reaction at that moment was: This person is not A'Diao.
Why would they think of A'Diao? Mainly because the impression A'Diao gave was too strong. Such a prodigy with an intense and extreme personality, from a family of good-looking people, yet incongruously possessing a plain appearance, always made people feel a sense of contradiction. Although after seeing her more often it became less of an issue, this sudden appearance... seemed a bit similar.
Plus, A'Diao hadn't appeared yet.
Fortunately, this suspicion was immediately dispelled after hearing her words.
She emerged spectacularly, stepping on your heads to rise.
Aren't you angry?
No, no, not angry at all. Instead, they felt... they couldn't let her look down on them.
Such a transcendent and stunningly beautiful fairy, how could I let her leave me so far behind?
Even Cao Juanzhi, usually brimming with a romantic aura and professionally adept at charming women, genuinely revealed his edge. With a low shout, his body's spiritual aptitude flared, and the nurturing stage that had already reached his bone marrow erupted.
His skin, flesh, and organs had been nurtured, his bones too, all concentrated in the marrow. Nurturing these three areas provided a far greater boost to spiritual aptitude than those like Baili Xianyun, who had only nurtured up to their bones.
Spiritual aptitude erupted from these three sections.
The Thousand Birds were fickle; they followed whoever had stronger spiritual aptitude. Thus, several Thousand Birds rushed into Cao Juanzhi's body.
Whoosh!
He instantly surpassed Dantai Sheng and touched the Fifth Level!
Damn! Even though his sudden counterattack hadn't suppressed the Seventh Prince, Young Lord Heir Cao suddenly perked up.
One spectator couldn't help muttering, "Is this considered a focus in talent?"
The Cao family: "..."
Surpassed by the son of a subordinate? How could this be!
Dantai Sheng gritted his teeth, and his marrow nurturing also erupted...
As he also touched the Fifth Level, Wanqi Jian'ai behind him shed his usual sorrowful frailty. His gaze sharpened, a fierce vitality suddenly surged, and a brave power swept through his body. He stomped on the tree trunk, leaped three segments like a pouncing tiger or leopard, then did a backflip to grab a Thousand Bird by its neck, flipping over and hooking its neck.
"Get me up there!"
At that moment, there was no trace of the facade of being the 'number one weakling under Wanqi'; he was incredibly fierce and rugged.
So, they were all pretending?
Anyway, spurred on by the peerless beauty, they all erupted.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The celestial plate of the Fifth Level was struck, and then the three of them shot up almost simultaneously, and with tacit understanding, all rushed towards A'Diao, who was about to summon the Thousand Birds.
The Fourth Heaven had a total of 100 Thousand Birds, and the Fifth Heaven had 200. Although the Thousand Birds were said not to look down, they could move freely upwards. Currently, only these four had reached the Fourth Level, so the 300 Thousand Birds were either absorbed by them or still present.
There were still 230 left.
They were all whistling as they flew towards this unknown woman.
How could this be?
Cao Juanzhi hesitated for a moment, then followed his instincts: For such a powerful genius, only by defeating her would she look at you differently. Truly powerful female cultivators wouldn't bother with weak simps.
So!
The three of them, without needing to coordinate, tacitly joined forces to besiege A'Diao. But the suppressive force of the Fifth Heaven was too strong.
Just as they were about to attack, they saw A'Diao turn around.
Her turn was clearly much lighter than their sudden attack. With a light flick of her sleeve, like a wisp of wind, she stirred the terrifying suppressive force and said elegantly and indifferently, "Young Masters, you don't think I was just talking to you, do you?"
"By the way, don't your knees hurt? Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable?"
This gentle and soft manner seemed like genuine concern for others, but it was also cold and aloof. That particular air was truly potent.
Tuoba and the others vaguely felt that this incredibly awesome fairy had a bit of Song Ling's temperament—that kind of resilient, spirited, and calculating coldness, yet with an active point of attack.
Before she finished speaking, the terrifying suppression of the Fifth Level truly made the bones of Dantai Sheng and the other two creak, and then... Thud!
All three of them knelt.
But she was still standing.
This person was too strong.
The people below felt their knees ache just watching, because they themselves had knelt their way up the second and third levels.
Song Ling was near the Fourth Level. She wasn't under much pressure yet, just conserving her strength and preparing for the Fourth Level. But looking up, she pondered: This woman is? Could it be? But the change in style is a bit drastic... Yet, could it be more drastic than the difference between A'Diao and Zhao Ritian?
She was perceptive. Since she couldn't tell from the appearance, Xu Ye surely could.
If it was A'Diao, then her current appearance must have been inherited from either Chen Ran or Xie Yuqing.
Indeed, Song Ling noticed something amiss from Xu Ye's expression—Xu Ye also seemed to find this person unfamiliar.
Oh right, it seemed this woman's appearance wasn't in the same style as Chen Ran or Xie Yuqing. Chen Ran was refined and handsome, Xie Yuqing was a top-tier 'green tea spirit,' but this woman's facial features were too divinely striking.
Forgive her for using such a term, but anyway, she didn't quite resemble an ordinary person; rather, she possessed a beauty akin to that of a non-human, otherworldly being.
If it wasn't her, then where was A'Diao?
At this moment, Toilet quietly asked A'Diao: "What's going on? The spiritual aptitude unification was successful. From now on, you just need to keep filling it up, and your aptitude will be greatly enhanced. This is a total grassroots-beats-the-rich-beauty, maximum highlight moment! Why do I feel like you're still pretending?!"
"Shouldn't you be making a stunning entrance, overflowing with a domineering aura, and harvesting Mental Power? Why are you pretending to be Song Ling + Qu Jiangnan?"
"My little evil dragon, you're not suited for this goddess temperament type!"
You're a drama queen who's 100% affected even when taking the 'green tea' route!
Toilet really wasn't used to it!
Unfortunately, the cold and highly aggressive celestial fairy now only replied to it privately: "You know jack shit!"
Toilet: "..."
There were only four hours left until the end of the assessment.
Thump! Kneeling before an unknown woman, his knees in agony, Dantai Sheng was the most pained, because he felt his dignity had been greatly defiled.
"Insolent! Who on earth are you?! To be so..."
People in this world, when they have money, might like to talk to you about feelings; when they have feelings but no money, they'll talk to you about money. Anyway, they want everything.
Dantai Sheng also fit this fundamental human nature. When he could suppress others with his aptitude, he hoped everyone would acknowledge he rose through aptitude. Once his aptitude couldn't suppress them, he became 'insolent'!
However, she didn't say anything, already turning and leaping backward, but with one sentence, she severely struck Dantai Sheng, and... them.
"Those qualified to make me act insolently are not you."
You are not worthy.
The words were held between her lips and tongue, and then as she descended, the Thousand Birds frantically darted towards her body.
They paid no attention to Dantai Sheng and the other two at all.
The scum birds were really heart-piercing; they knew whose aptitude was more terrifying.
So, there was no need to fight in the fifth stage; absorbing birds was the real business.
At this moment, Dantai Sheng and the others realized that the 'few' she had mentioned earlier really weren't them.
Then who was it?
They all subconsciously looked down.
It seemed to give her prestige, or perhaps her words had truly provoked the real targets below.
The sea surface surged with turbulent waves, and then... two balls of golden light shot out successively from the water at the north and south ends of the Jianmu Tree. One person shot out, lightly tapping the tree's root network with their feet, leaping into the air. Water droplets streamed down their body, their graceful figure in a robe that tore in the wind. Stepping on the leaping water droplets, it was as if they could soar to the Ninth Heaven with such minute force.
Light, graceful, like floating flowers falling with affection, dressed in vibrant red.
But the Thousand Birds descended.
Descended again?!!
And in their descent, they split and shot towards two ends, one towards this red-clothed woman and the other towards the opposite end...
As the red-clothed woman swept up onto the back of a Thousand Bird, she spoke.
"The resurgence of Spiritual Energy has allowed a commoner like me to rise against the wind. A powerful expert has already taken a step ahead above. I, Nie Yuanyuan, a humble person, am not as composed and hidden as you. I'm off."
"Ninth Highness, please proceed as you wish."
After she finished speaking, she rode her bird upwards, while everyone was still shocked by her words. The Seventh Prince, Dantai Sheng, was struggling to stand up from the Fifth Level platform, but the suppression was too terrifying, making it difficult for him to concentrate. Yet, hearing the female voice from below still shocked him.
The smart screen was also being its usual quirky self, even zooming in on his dumbfounded expression and playing another scene on the side.
At the end of where that flock of Thousand Birds had flown.
A person had emerged from the water, standing quietly on its surface.
Pale, frail, as if he would fall with a gust of wind. A nineteen-year-old youth standing tall, dressed in a prince's robe of gold with blue trim. It had always looked so loose, and it still did. But when twenty-odd Thousand Birds whistled towards him, that scene was truly... breathtaking.
Boom!!!
The Thousand Birds entered his body, his spiritual aptitude amplified, yet he wasn't in a hurry to go up. Instead, he fed a Thousand Bird to Ge Qian, whom he was carrying, to repair his wounds. Only then did he ride a Thousand Bird and soar into the sky, following Nie Yuanyuan, crossing the first, second, and third heavens at a terrifying speed, and soon even reached the Fourth Level.
"It's actually the Ninth Prince, Dantai Ke."
"And he's carrying someone."
"It's Ge Qian!"
"I get it! Fu Jiao and Ge Qian are actually Ninth Highness's men. He's the real... big fish behind the scenes?"
"Seventh Highness's expression is so awful."
Ordinary people only dared to discuss up to this level, but people like Jiang Zhou could grumble about it in private chats.
The Dean of Yunzhou sighed: "Of course, it's awful. You say the imperial family doesn't know? That seems unlikely. After all, the princes' resources are provided internally by the imperial family. If you say the two of them developed by 'farming in the wild' on their own, who would believe it?"
Jiang Zhou thought to himself: Farming in the wild is something only our A'Diao can do. These princes, who have been lying down waiting to be fed since birth, are they even worthy?
The Dean of Yunzhou: "If they knew, then he (Dantai Sheng) was just a pawn placed in the open. The Ninth Prince is the imperial family's true trump card."
Jiang Zhou: "They're probably trying to fool Lushan, afraid Lushan would pull some tricks to suppress Dantai Ke first. Now that the aptitude test is over, the martial combat is purely based on strength, and the outcome can likely be settled. Only then did they reveal it. Tsk tsk, such palace scheming!"
The Dean of Yunzhou saw his disdainful expression: "Among all the candidates, isn't Chen A'Diao from your school the best at scheming?"
Jiang Zhou denied it to the death, "Who said that? Our A'Diao is very simple and kind-hearted. She's always forced into it, it's self-defense... Speaking of which, where is our A'Diao?"
That's right, where is A'Diao?
They were only slightly puzzled for a moment before their attention was quickly diverted.
"But don't you think Nie Yuanyuan is the most terrifying? Where did she pop out from? I've never noticed her before."
Some people, even if they ranked in the top thirty, surpassing countless prodigies of a nation, were overlooked due to the 'circle effect.' The audience saw the most outstanding and dazzling few among the top thirty and subconsciously ignored other top individuals in this elite circle. Coincidentally, these people were also happy to be overlooked.
Some people, by pretending to be a pig, really became a pig.
But these two were different.
A'Diao knew from the beginning that these two, like her, had delved deep into the Jianmu Tree. It was just that the three of them, out of consideration, hadn't probed or interfered with each other, nor did they know each other's identities.
Watching the two below surge upwards against the odds, A'Diao, who had already absorbed fifty Thousand Birds, was still attracting more with all her might.
Every bird was a ray of light.
She was growing stronger at a terrifying speed!
Seeing the Thousand Birds descend twice, the Lushan teachers felt like they were being slapped in the face, but they weren't annoyed. Instead, they were excited, completely losing their usual pretentious composure, and just shouted to themselves: "Heavens, three!! There are actually three people who made the Thousand Birds descend from the Fourth Heaven for them!!!"
Thousand Birds, what's wrong with you? Have you lost all your principles?
Many spectators frantically refreshed the ranking list, only to be stunned to see that Nie Yuanyuan's and Dantai Ke's scores on the overall ranking were only in the one or two hundreds.
???
"They hid their scores! At least their Bloodline and Mental Body scores were hidden!"
"Big fish, big fish!"
"Look, they've passed the Fourth Level... the Fifth Level! They're going to compete with that person for the Thousand Birds."
It wasn't just competition. When passing the Fifth Level, where the Jianmu Tree's branches and leaves were lush, the Ninth Prince, Dantai Ke, rode the wind upwards, his voice leaving a faint remark: "If one cannot even reach the Fifth Level, how can they be called a prodigy of Tang Song?!"
"I'll wait for you all above."
Only someone like a prince would dare to say such words. Anyway, A'Diao wouldn't say them, and Nie Yuanyuan merely smiled after hearing them.
Did such words have any meaning?
No, because the prodigies' self-esteem was too strong; even their parents couldn't suppress it. They didn't need a prince's encouragement. Dantai Ke wasn't an ostentatious person either. He said this not to encourage the prodigies, but to remind those prodigies who followed him.
The Seventh Prince was just his shield; he was the imperial family's true heaven-defying genius. To follow him, one couldn't be without some ability.
It was unknown how many people longed to become followers of the imperial family's strongest prodigy prince, but they were indeed provoked.
From the moment this unknown woman rose against the wind, they had profoundly felt the gap between themselves and her.
Swish! Shen Huajing, Xiong Chumo, Duanmu Qingyang, Chu Daise, Baili Huayue, Ge Qian, Mo Yuwo, Mu Hunya, Qiao Liushui, He Sijian, Xie San, Zhao Foshou, Shi Qing, Xia Sanlu, Hu Zhegu, Liu Shiqi, Wen Shaoyao, Yan Fengbai, and others basically all reached the Fourth Level.
All things considered, Lushan's assessment was truly rigorous and precise. After several rounds of assessment and repeated screenings, these individuals ranked in the top thirty of the overall leaderboard lived up to their rankings and didn't give those below them many opportunities to counterattack.
In fact, the only ones who had truly counterattacked so far were Song Ling, Han Zhuo, Xu Ye, and the 'master of charming women,' Cao Juanzhi.
Others were very few, but a watershed would be reached between them at the Fourth Level.
They leaped out!
Spiritual aptitude fully erupted, Thousand Birds flew in... Who could ride the wind and rise?
Among this group, Shen Huajing was the quickest to be caught by a Thousand Bird beneath her, but when she turned her head, Mo Yuwo was actually faster than everyone else.
The two of them leaped up the fastest, rushing towards the Fifth Level, and soon touched the suppressive celestial plate.
But behind them were actually Xia Sanlu and Xiong Chumo.
A lewd person and a lazy fatty.
"It's you? You're usually so lewd, yet you're actually this formidable!? Then why did you marry into her family?" Xiong Chumo killed the conversation as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Your talent is so formidable, aren't you also thinking of opening a barbecue shop at home? If one can lie down, who would want to come out and strive?" Xia Sanlu said sarcastically.
The two exchanged glances, both disdaining the other, but with tacit understanding, they quickly leaped onto branches and each hugged a Thousand Bird.
Birdie, birdie, if you don't come to me, I'll come hug you!
Thousand Birds: "!!!"
Simultaneously, Shi Qing, Liu Shiqi, and Mu Hunya, four of them, pursued closely... They were slightly faster than others, but not by much. Duanmu Qingyang, Xie San, Zhao Foshou, and others were not anxious at all, just watching these people hurriedly grab Thousand Birds.
Those from prominent and powerful families all knew what Thousand Birds were.
If spiritual aptitude was present, the Thousand Birds would come on their own; there was no need to capture them.
As these people rushed towards the Fifth Level, they released their spiritual aptitude, spreading it deep into their bone marrow, and then incorporated areas like meridians that had not yet been nurtured into the spiritual aptitude zone. After completing these steps, they would wait for a Thousand Bird to enter their body, bind it, and then nurture it within their body.
Maximizing benefits.
Not rushing things.
Originally, this step was correct, but... a fight broke out in the sky above the Fifth Heaven, the region between 5000 and 6000 meters.
Why did the Ninth Prince, Dantai Ke, call people up to the Fifth Level?
Because he needed people to go up and fight!
His goal was not just to reach the Seventh Level, but also to take first place.
Nie Yuanyuan and that woman of unknown identity were his formidable enemies.
So, as soon as Dantai Ke went up, he began to chase her, intending to stop her from absorbing Thousand Birds, but they were still over a hundred meters away from her.
Don't underestimate over a hundred meters in the Fifth Heaven; the suppression was too terrifying. Hadn't they seen that Dantai Sheng still hadn't stood up from the Fifth Level platform and couldn't even summon Thousand Birds?
He had to stand up first before he could ride the wind and fly.
But this gritted-teeth persistence was soon struck down; he felt... the sound of fierce attacks.
Looking up, he happened to see Nie Yuanyuan and Dantai Ke above, both extending their hands and summoning spiritual light.
"Under the restriction, using the Thousand Birds that entered their bodies to project spiritual aptitude for ranged attacks!"
"Impressive!"
The Lushan teachers exclaimed, as two beams of spiritual light shot up from below, bombarding A'Diao.
A'Diao's figure turned, dodging the two beams of spiritual light, and suddenly, riding a Thousand Bird, she tried to dart into the dense leaves of the Jianmu Tree.
If she got in, it would be very difficult to catch her again.
Nie Yuanyuan immediately went around from the other side to intercept... And Dantai Ke, this person, also had considerable foresight. He didn't seize the opportunity to climb up while Nie Yuanyuan was intercepting A'Diao. Instead, he stuck to the strategy of taking down A'Diao first and also flew down—they were jointly forcing this woman of unknown identity into the Fifth Level platform area.
Because at this moment... the large group was all on the Fourth and Fifth Levels!
They were all riding Thousand Birds too.
"They're coming down!"
Someone exclaimed, but not everyone dared to make a move against her, until Dantai Ke said coldly: "Her foundation was broken and just recently mended. Her unified spiritual aptitude is thin; she's incapable of ranged attacks."
With one sentence, Dantai Sheng, Cao Juanzhi, and the others were stunned. So that was it?
They could also perform ranged attacks with spiritual light, but because they thought the other party could too, they were unwilling to waste spiritual aptitude. They hadn't expected...
But why did Dantai Ke know her so well?
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have needed to consume so many bone marrow light spots, only for your spiritual aptitude to be so weak when it emerged."
"Isn't that right, Chen A'Diao!"
Everyone: "!!!"
Song Ling and the others were stunned: "?"
Could it be that only Dantai Ke in the entire arena saw through it?
Even Toilet was shocked.
There were times when Chen A'Diao's disguise was seen through in a second?
Dantai Ke's tone was icy, his eyes calm, as if he had long seen through her tricks. How did he see through them?
By analyzing the data on the leaderboards, analyzing the aptitude possessed by this newly emerged unknown figure. Although this aptitude had already surpassed A'Diao's previous limits, he used a process of elimination based on baseline talent.
Let me ask, among the 13,000 people, how many could match the explosive power of this woman's aptitude?
At the very least, their baseline aptitude had to be among the top one hundred in the rankings. Otherwise, even if someone ranked lower deliberately hid everything—from ABC aptitudes to Bloodline and Mental Body aptitudes, not revealing their scores—the disparity could still be glimpsed in regular duels. After all, underwater, they had to compete for bone marrow light spots. Constantly pretending to be a pig would make one a pig and result in losses. Therefore, this person must be within the top one hundred.
The list of those within the top one hundred wasn't hard to check. Considering who hadn't appeared yet, considering the current performance and positions of others, and using comprehensive elimination, with brains of their caliber, they quickly locked onto Chen A'Diao.
As for her speech style and conduct, Dantai Sheng and others might think this arrogant and forcefully confrontational peerless beauty was definitely not A'Diao, but he didn't guess based on that—he based it on the hidden nature of A'Diao as a person.
Having observed from behind the scenes the storms A'Diao stirred up with her antics, he had long seen through A'Diao's aptitude problem.
How did someone whose aptitude was less than 100 at Danzhou Academy make a comeback? Finally, adding the score for Mental Body aptitude.
He ultimately reached a judgment similar to that of Kyoto's Dean—this Chen A'Diao's foundation was broken.
Top one hundred, broken foundation, still underwater continuing to repair the foundation with a large number of bone marrow light spots—only one person met these conditions.
This person must be Chen A'Diao!
This person was too uncanny, unparalleled in wisdom and strategy, and even with a broken foundation, possessed such terrifying aptitude. It was hard to imagine what she would become in the future once her foundation was mended.
When Dantai Ke saw her erupt and rise against the wind deep within the Jianmu Tree, his heart pounded with fear, and he quickly made a decision—target her!
And so it came to this moment... After forcing A'Diao down to the Fifth Heaven, Dantai Ke, now the imperial family's number one prodigy, shed his former frailty, and his pale fingers swiped!
"Blockade her!"
Dantai Sheng used to be isolated. Later, after being driven to foam at the mouth by A'Diao, he realized he needed to unite with others, and so a group of prodigies who had also foamed at the mouth attached themselves to him.
But Dantai Ke was different. This person had hidden too deeply, like a ghost. In fact, the one hiding underwater and coordinating with Fu Jiao to ambush A'Diao might not have been Ge Qian; it could very well have been him.
But did he only have Ge Qian and Fu Jiao as powerful subordinates?
Fu Jiao was crippled miserably, and Ge Qian was recovering from heavy injuries. At this moment, with Dantai Ke's order, Ge Qian swiftly rode a Thousand Bird and shot out spiritual light.
A'Diao, her identity exposed, had an ugly expression. As she immediately dodged, Shi Qing and Wanqi Jian'ai suddenly attacked A'Diao from behind. Swish, swish, two beams of spiritual light shot down...
Seeing her surrounded by three people, Dantai Ke didn't glance at Dantai Sheng and the others, only leaving behind a sentence, "Seventh Imperial Brother, the overall situation is paramount."
Dantai Sheng's expression changed drastically; he understood Dantai Ke's meaning.
—Now, Dantai Ke was the imperial family's greatest hope for a strong entry into Lushan. If he didn't cooperate, if he acted petty, then any future reprimand from their Father Emperor would be his responsibility.
Dantai Ke was forcing him to obey; otherwise, it was a pit he would have to jump into himself.
Damn it!
What a Ninth Brother, so deeply scheming. No wonder he could lie dormant for so long. Dantai Sheng had no choice but to decisively turn and join the camp attacking A'Diao.
Cao Juanzhi was a very interesting person. He was quite shrewd; he basically sided with whoever had the advantage. In essence, he had no specific target, but such people often didn't suffer losses. Anyway, he now obediently changed direction... while saying with feigned tenderness, "Miss A'Diao, I didn't expect you to be such a peerlessly beautiful lady of outstanding talent. Unfortunately, I, Cao Juanzhi, am forced by circumstances, so please forgive my offense..."
Saying "forgive my offense," but damn, his moves were ruthless, striking vital points with every step.
At this moment, A'Diao was besieged by at least five people, and all of them were top-tier prodigies!
Seeing A'Diao besieged, Song Ling and Xu Ye would definitely help. These two were also very strong and had already ascended to the Fifth Heaven, joining the fierce battle in the sky.
On the other side, when Han Zhuo saw Song Ling join... Xie San loved to fight the most. The pressure of the Sixth Level was too great, so he wasn't in a hurry to sprint. Moreover, he was keenly aware that Dantai Ke represented the imperial family. Dantai Sheng was already powerful, and with Dantai Ke added, if the Dantai imperial family truly re-established dominance in Lushan, then an unrelated imperial family like the Xie family wouldn't be far from extermination.
From the beginning, Xie San's goal was not Lushan!
He had a mission. His eyes flashed, and he shouted, "Sister Song Ling, don't worry! Even if I'm not in your heart, no matter what you want to do, I'm willing to risk my life for you!"
Song Ling: "?"
At this time, Zhao Foshou, who had climbed to the Fifth Level, also jumped out and shouted infatuatedly, "Miss Xu, ever since I saw your peerless face in the Bloodline Pool, I've been intoxicated by you! Although I'm fat, stupid, lazy, and lecherous, I have a sincere heart! Don't worry, as long as your shoes touch solid ground, I'd rather let you step on my sincere heart. Even if it shatters, it won't be glass, but soft, tender love, ahhh!"
Xu Ye: "?"
One, a direct descendant of an unrelated imperial family; the other, a direct disciple of a super-strong Daoist sect. Two super simps, very professional, shouting while frantically attacking Dantai Sheng and the others.
Confessing while fighting.
The audience was dumbfounded, but most observant people could see it—the unrelated imperial families and Daoist sects were unwilling to let a terrifying prodigy like Dantai Ke enter Lushan and reinforce the imperial family's power. They had to suppress him.
Now, Chen A'Diao was the best choice, so they could only help.
But they couldn't help too obviously.
So they could only become simps.
Seeing this situation, the Duanmu family, represented by Duanmu Qingyang who already had an alliance with Xie San, was in a similar position. Originally vexed by the Crown Prince, if the imperial family became much stronger, would an imperial marriage decree be issued tomorrow?
But Duanmu Qingyang really couldn't stand their simp mode, so she found another way, merely saying coldly to Chen A'Diao: "That dog thief Zhao Ritian carries a marriage contract and ruined my reputation. But given that our two families have been friends for generations and the marriage contract hasn't been annulled, and he isn't dead, my Duanmu family is not one to break faith. Since you are his partner, you should also call me Sister Duanmu Qingyang."
Seeing Chen A'Diao's true appearance, she knew why that dog thief Zhao Ritian loved the new and loathed the old.
Heh! His taste was indeed sharp.
However, she also knew that the imperial family's situation was currently excellent, and the next step was to suppress the powerful and influential, as well as the unrelated imperial families. Arranged marriages were the most common method.
The Crown Prince, the Seventh Prince, or the Ninth Prince were all possibilities.
She would rather, like Xie Jingyu, form a marriage alliance with the Zhao family, creating a fake CP to get by. At least the Zhao family's atmosphere was liberal. But the imperial family... that was a huge pit. If she entered, she'd be ruined, trapped in the palace birthing a football team of babies, and could forget about having her own future in this lifetime.
So, even if Zhao Ritian was a dog thief, she had to 'hang his dog head' in front of everyone.
Therefore, Duanmu Qingyang, hailed as the Pearl of Kyoto, even came out with the high-sounding 'sisters' talk.
With this development, a bunch of people emerged to help A'Diao. Plus, Mo Yuwo, for some unknown reason, was also helping. The fierce battle between other unrelated groups... but the fighting on the Fifth Level was too brutal. Anyone who went up was drawn in; there was simply no way to avoid it.
A flock of Thousand Birds battled in the sky.
At this time, Nie Yuanyuan and Dantai Ke paid no attention to the disputes below. They simply disengaged and, like king against king, went to compete for the Thousand Birds circling above the Fifth Level, heading straight for the Sixth Level!
Meanwhile, A'Diao was trapped among the group of prodigies, caught in a melee.
The first person to make the Thousand Birds descend was schemed against and forced into such a fight? And it even triggered such a massive melee.
Perhaps, this was their dual purpose.
These two were awesome!
Or rather, Dantai Ke was awesome.
He seemed to have anticipated this situation. A glint flashed in his eyes as he seized the opportunity to fuse with the Thousand Birds.
Chen A'Diao was ruined by the excessive hatred she had attracted in the past, coupled with her formidable personality and scheming. She had stood out too early and posed too great a threat, so now she had become a target, which in turn benefited Nie Yuanyuan and the other.
Now, the two latecomers had surpassed the others, having fused with 90 and 120 Thousand Birds respectively.
While A'Diao only had sixty, and was in danger of being killed in the siege.
Only a few minutes had passed from her glorious appearance to this reversal of fortune.
Fifth Level, more people climbed up.
Yue Xingxi and two young men. These three were students from three famous schools, with considerable reputations, but they had kept a very low profile in the Kyoto area. They had hidden their scores throughout several rounds of assessment and never participated in the battles of these prodigies. But now, they had no choice; in the fifth stage, they had to reveal their true aptitude.
Until the Fifth Level, a counterattack!
But as soon as their counterattack succeeded, they were drawn into the massive melee.
Yue Xingxi looked up and saw the peerless woman surrounded by the melee.
She didn't know Chen A'Diao and had no connection with her, but looking at the melee... wasn't this scale too large? Spiritual light and erupting spiritual aptitude were everywhere, and at the very top, two awesome prodigies were attempting to break through to the Sixth Level...
She wanted to avoid it, but the scale of spiritual aptitude was too strong. All the remaining Thousand Birds on the Fifth Level rushed towards them. To obtain enough Thousand Birds to charge the Sixth Level, they could only join in.
That's right. Initially, Xie San and the others joined for selfish reasons, but the people who came up from below were completely helpless—they were bound and had to participate.
"Sixth Level, open for me!!"
Dantai Ke, with the appearance of a royal super pretty boy, was incredibly powerful. His spiritual aptitude was as strong as if he were covered in golden armor. His nurturing level had actually reached the stage where all his meridians were open, and he was just one final step away from the ultimate nerve lines.
Therefore... the celestial plate of the Sixth Level trembled. He was breaking through.
About to... break through!
Om!!!
When he pierced a slit, the dense clouds and mist above the Sixth Level poured down, clear, cool, and bone-chilling. A smile touched Dantai Ke's lips.
He was about to succeed.
As long as he was the first to break through to the Sixth Level, he would monopolize the Thousand Birds there, and then he would have a great hope of breaking through to the Seventh Level.
No one in this world could stop him from rising!
Those restless powerful figures intending to defy his Dantai imperial family, the three unrelated imperial families who feigned compliance while refusing to hand over military power, the academy alliances that each did things their own way, and those Daoist sects that took advantage of the Spiritual Energy resurgence to make their own plans and defy control.
In the future, anyone who doesn't bow their head will die!
Golden light erupted from Dantai Ke's body as he brazenly tore open a ray of heavenly light.
Nie Yuanyuan narrowed her eyes and released her body's spiritual aptitude, but temporarily avoided Dantai Ke's spearhead.
In terms of innate talent, she was not superior to him. But he was, after all, the primary prodigy the imperial family had cultivated these years. He was somewhat stronger than her, and had many followers. A direct confrontation would not be beneficial, so she yielded.
Outside the examination grounds, members of the imperial family were not present, but important officials within the royal system were all smiling.
The dominance of the imperial family was set.
They even specifically glanced at the Five Ducal Mansions, the Daoist sects, and also specifically at the people from Lushan.
They found them all to be very indifferent.
Heh!
Just as they were sneering, suddenly.
On the screen, amidst the melee below, someone suddenly said in a low voice.
"After all this effort to create an opening, Your Highness and everyone else have worked hard."
"Leave the rest to me."
Such a polite and refined tone. Then, this person crossed their hands, and om! Their body's spiritual aptitude was released, spreading outwards to the left and right as their crossed hands opened.
Complete spiritual aptitude, not strong, but it was meticulous. It wasn't crudely formed into spiritual light for ranged attacks. How refined was it?
She used it within her body, forming an eight-layered rotating array disk. The golden threads were slender yet incomparably exquisite, each curve entwined with microscopic totems and characters.
When it activated.
Om!
The depths of the Jianmu Tree's roots also emitted light; that terrifying suppressive spiral barrier activated.
The large disk below, with the seven layers of disks above it, formed exactly an eight-layered disk.
And the small rotating array disk on her body was also exactly an eight-layered spiritual aptitude array disk.
Was this a coincidence?
But they looked exactly the same.
What was the effect?
The effect was that, under the enhancement of the suppressive force from the eighth layer at the base, the suppressive effect across the entire field tripled!
Triple, what kind of concept was that?
Everyone, regardless of which heaven they were currently in, vomited blood and plummeted wildly downwards!
The strong ones were still holding on, but their kneecaps were creaking.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Everyone knelt!
Beneath the oval barrier, the awesome Lushan Swordsman looked up, raising an eyebrow: "I didn't expect someone could actually discern the secret of the eight-layered disk. Old Mountain Head's little playful trick has really run into someone cunning."
To be evaluated as 'cunning' by a super swordsman resurrected from three hundred years ago, it wasn't a matter of character, but of ability and intelligence.
Cunning thoughts, exceptionally calculating.
Everyone in the arena knelt. Only Nie Yuanyuan and Dantai Ke were still holding on... but they were also miserable, because they were attempting to break through to the Sixth Heaven, and the pressure from above tripled... Vomiting blood!
Retch!!!
Only one person was unaffected, because she carried an identical array disk and adopted a reverse suppressive direction, largely neutralizing it.
But then!
Was her purpose to scheme against these people? To scheme against Song Ling and the others along with them?
No, no, no. This person, even if she harmed others, would definitely benefit herself. So she... looked towards the tear in the Sixth Heaven.
The vast spiritual aptitude accumulated from the large-scale brawl in the Fifth Heaven felt heavy, and from that opening, a dense flock of Thousand Birds flew out.
100 in the Fourth Heaven, 200 in the Fifth Heaven, but 700 in the Sixth Heaven.
The three heavens contained all 1000 Thousand Birds. Because the Seventh Heaven was the peak, and the Sixth Heaven was set up to break through to the Seventh Heaven, the remaining Thousand Birds were naturally all in the Sixth Heaven. This was also why Dantai Ke had schemed for A'Diao and the others to be caught in a melee in the Fifth Heaven, while he seized the opportunity to press Nie Yuanyuan and sprint for the Sixth Heaven.
Originally, all the benefits would have been his.
But now... who had schemed against whom?
"You are not Chen A'Diao! Who on earth are you?"
"Chen A'Diao couldn't possibly possess such strong spiritual aptitude!"
A'Diao slightly spread her hands. While everyone else was suppressed, prostrate, or vomiting blood, she ignored everyone, and used everyone.
Clearly possessing exceptional talent, no weaker than Nie Yuanyuan and the other, yet she repeatedly showed weakness after erupting, fell into the trap of being besieged, which was equivalent to abandoning the two hundred-odd Thousand Birds from the early stage, offering them up to the others, making them work for her.
But she was the ultimate capitalist; what she wanted was the 700 Thousand Birds.
Now, the dense flock of divinely striking Thousand Birds finally flew towards her.
And she, suspended in the vast sky, wielding the profound rotating disk, was like a true child of prodigy surviving under terrifying suppression.
The audience was stupefied by this reversal. Even a group of family heads were bewildered, and older prodigies like Xiao Jin were still speculating. But the people from the academy alliance were formidable; after all, they were the highest IQ group in pure academics.
"Damn, I get it!"
"I get it!!"
Jiang Zhou suddenly jumped up, "The eight-layered purgatory murals at the four stairwell entrances of the ABC aptitude assessment! The runes on them, and the pillar totems from the Bloodline assessment! And the seven-layered heaven setting at the top of this Jianmu Tree, plus the eighth-heaven setting beneath the Jianmu Tree—added together, that's the true principle of the Jianmu assessment's suppressive disk!"
"She grasped the secret of the disk, plotted for the Thousand Birds of the Sixth Heaven, but struggled because there were too many strong contenders and it was hard to scheme. So she resorted to this trick, using herself as bait, exploiting the Ninth Prince's psychology, using his plans to instigate a melee, making everyone contribute their spiritual aptitude, and then borrowing the Ninth Prince and Nie Yuanyuan to break the slit in the Sixth Heaven—to lure the Thousand Birds down!"
"Finally, she erupted, achieving a threefold suppressive effect, but she herself neutralized the suppression, making it easiest for her..."
"Now, the seven hundred Thousand Birds of the Sixth Heaven are hers!"
"So cunning, so vicious! Is she Chen A'Diao?"
At this moment, Dantai Ke, vomiting blood, questioned coldly: "You are not Chen A'Diao! Chen A'Diao's foundation was broken; her mended spiritual aptitude cannot be this strong, strong enough to create a complete eight-layered suppressive disk. So you disguised yourself as her, exploiting my fear of her... Who on earth are you?!"
A'Diao, this peerless beauty, curled her lips into a smile, "Of course, I couldn't possibly be that cunning, shameless, and plain woman, Chen A'Diao. However, it's true that I knocked her unconscious and buried her in the Nurturing Pool. Only you all are so easily fooled to actually believe it. But no matter."
"Does she even deserve a peerless appearance like mine?"
"You don't need to look at me like that. Those who accomplish great things don't sweat the small stuff. Thank you all for sending me to the high clouds..."
"These 700 Thousand Birds, I shall gladly accept."
Her words could infuriate people to death. Even Song Ling and the others contributed a large amount of Mental Power.
And while Dantai Ke and Nie Yuanyuan appeared indifferent on the surface, their emotional fluctuations were truly significant, with seven or eight million units of Mental Power surging casually.
Watching this woman, with her fairy-like appearance, manipulate people's hearts and about to gather all the final benefits... and the 700 Thousand Birds were also about to fly into her body like moths to a flame.
Suddenly, from the dense branches and leaves deep within the Jianmu Tree to the side, a terrifying spiritual aptitude erupted!
Two clusters.
Spiritual aptitude far exceeding A'Diao's filled the sky, like pillars of light...
In an instant, the vast, dense flock of Thousand Birds changed direction, avoiding A'Diao, and whistled towards those two pillars of light hidden deep within the leaves.
At that moment, Dantai Ke frowned, Nie Yuanyuan was expressionless, but the others were shocked.
The audience was once again stupefied.
This was...
The other two, the most terrifying big fish.
They had coldly watched Dantai Ke and the other two battle, hiding until the very end.
Even at this moment, they hadn't revealed their true forms, but clearly—they had won.
An interception, a perfect interception.
And they were so terrifying that they could still intercept under threefold suppression. How terrifying must their aptitude be?
So terrifying, yet so forbearing?
Heavens... what a game they played.
This woman... was probably going to vomit blood.
At this very moment, everyone's hearts were in their throats, and that peerless woman watched the 700 scum birds she had schemed so hard to get—
—abandon her. Her expression... she actually lowered her brows and gave a faint smile.
"So cautious, still unwilling to reveal yourselves now."
"Are you afraid I still have a trump card?"
"However, your caution is correct."
She suddenly reached out, her slender, beautiful fingers parting the vines on the side of the Jianmu Tree trunk, revealing a pair of enormous pupils within.
The twin pupils of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin Pagoda.
It was still there.
And this location was so secret, yet she had known it from the very beginning.
"What I want, if others don't give it to me, I'll snatch it."
"What I've snatched, others try to snatch again."
"Dream on!"
With that said, spiritual light flared in her pupils, and the twin pupils of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue also released a terrifying might.
Boom!!!
It pushed her solidified Mental Body in her brain region.
What 700 Thousand Birds? Was that what she wanted most?
It was one of her ultimate goals, but she also wanted to use the activation of the Jianmu Tree's eight-layered disk to awaken the willpower pressure of these Thousand-Hand Guanyin's twin pupils.
Previously, at the base of the Jianmu Tree, while passing through the barrier below, her solidified Mental Body had actually been pushed. She was shocked when she passed through it alive at that time, but she also sensed that the power within this barrier was seemingly familiar—those eyes.
Before entering the Thousand-Hand Guanyin Pagoda for the test, the teacher had reminded them not to look for too long.
She had heeded the advice then, but only now did she understand that it was willpower pressure, and it could promote the melting of her solidified Mental Body.
This was too awesome. A strengthened Mental Body was equivalent to her strongest trump card.
But it was too dangerous; her will could easily be directly crushed.
What to do then?
Then find others to share the impact. It's a group attack, right? The principle of a group attack is to distribute... This Guanyin statue Jianmu Tree was not a living entity, after all; its energy was limited. For a group attack, the power would inevitably be distributed.
So everyone bears it together... faints together, and then I, possessing a solidified Mental Body, will melt it.
Anyway, I profited. Although you suffered a loss... it's fine, because I profited.
Boom!!!
A terrifying willpower pressure assaulted them.
Everyone, including the two people hiding in the dense foliage of the Jianmu Tree... was almost entirely hit by the group attack.
Dizziness, dizziness, dizziness!
Still want to eat birds? Eat shit!
Everyone faint together for me!
Under the powerful pressure, A'Diao's brain region, being closest to the twin pupils, received the greatest impact. But her brain region... the solidified part made a cracking sound.
A piece broke off.
Previously, it had always shattered in small pieces. Now, a piece was directly cleaved off, splashing waves when it fell into her mental sea.
What happened was, her Mental Body's strength soared, and her own aptitude naturally soared as well!
The 700 Thousand Birds... they turned around yet again.
This time, they were very focused, heading straight for the most awesome and most insidious peerless beauty.
After melting, A'Diao's Mental Body soared, doubling!
She sobered up in an instant, then watched the large flock of Thousand Birds enter her body... But she also knew it was impossible to take them all, because the others' dizziness also had a time limit.
For example, Nie Yuanyuan and Dantai Ke woke up very quickly, and as for the others hiding in the foliage, they woke up even faster.
Quick, quick, quick!
Birdies, come quickly, come quickly into mama's embrace.
I'm Diao, your Mama Diao!!
Fifteen seconds. The two in the bushes woke up earliest. As soon as they opened their eyes, they intended to interrupt the woman in front's bird-fusing process, but they saw she had already devoured over four hundred Thousand Birds and was releasing terrifying spiritual light from her entire body. The two were stirred but restrained themselves, immediately holding back.
The situation was decided.
She had transformed.
Whoosh! Ten-meter-long golden wings unfurled, silver hooked claws tore at the air, splitting clouds, as she soared upwards into the sky!
The wind was wild and unrestrained. Everyone was left behind by her. The Sixth Level, clang!!!
Broken open!
Shattered brilliant light, wings of refined red-gold radiance, tore through the rolling clouds and miasma,
Upwards from the Sixth Level!
At that moment, what were the few peerless prodigies thinking?
First, she knew there were still big fish behind, and had prepared a backup plan.
Second, her backup plan was the eyes of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue. But it was hidden; how did she know?
The answer soon became apparent.
How intelligent were these few? Referencing the position of the Guanyin statue's eyes, they almost had a sudden enlightenment.
The Kyoto Dean thought of it, "The 15 spatial points at the bottom of the Nurturing Pool. We originally thought they corresponded to the numbers of 15 zones. Now it seems the intersection point of the lines forming the three-dimensional figure from their coordinate points—is precisely where Chen A'Diao is currently located."
The President of Kyoto University said thoughtfully: "It's located in the three-dimensional space of the Jianmu Tree's Fifth Level. So she caused trouble on the Fifth Level. She clearly had the ability to charge the Sixth Level first, yet she showed weakness, making her spiritual aptitude seem very weak... leading the Ninth Prince to guess she was Chen A'Diao, completely exploiting Chen A'Diao's dark history... Insidious. Poor Chen A'Diao, who knows where she's buried at the bottom of the water."
Everything matched up.
Damn it, this was her plan from the very beginning.
This person never intended to take the brute-force route in the fifth stage. If a skill-based approach was possible, she would absolutely not confront head-on!
But she was correct. Because in terms of aptitude, she might not be as prodigious as Dantai Ke and the others, and she was also at a disadvantage for achieving spiritual aptitude unification late, plus she lacked a stable faction. She couldn't win by brute force, especially with two super big fish still hidden.
She could only win by strategy.
From 6000 to 6666, a height of 666 meters, but the suppressive force was so strong that spatial particles infinitely settled in this layer.
This was the most difficult layer. Above it was the summit, the Seventh Heaven.
But she took a shortcut—she lured the Thousand Birds down at the Fifth Level, accumulating momentum to charge the Sixth Level.
So at this moment, she was still approaching the Seventh Heaven with the force of soaring straight up.
On the screen, all the spectators held their breath, as if once they breathed, the vast world inside would jolt, as if with their breath, the terrifying prodigy frantically attempting to break through to the Seventh Level would reveal her demonic true form.
But thankfully... she reached out her hand.
At the final moment of touching the Seventh Level, she glanced down and deactivated all the suppressive disks.
The threefold suppression ended.
And she... with a swish, leaped onto the Seventh Level.
The summit, she had arrived!
In the Fifth Level space, at 20 seconds and 23 seconds, Dantai Ke and Nie Yuanyuan woke up respectively.
Later, everyone woke up as if from a dream, only to find that the remaining three hundred Thousand Birds were being absorbed by the two hidden in the bushes, as well as by Dantai Ke and Nie Yuanyuan who were outside.
However, those with strong Mental Power aptitude also had an advantage.
Shen Huajing and Song Ling were among the fastest to wake up, second only to those few prodigies above.
They reaped the benefits.
But...
Were they happy eating it?
Especially when a familiar tone came from overhead.
"Work hard, ex-wives. I'll be waiting for you at the summit."
"By the way, I am indeed your most beloved A'Diao."
"Hahahahahaha!!"
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