187: Chapter 187 Kunlun Ao Qin, Battle, Jiuqiu Qingli

Night fell, and the lights in the Yundian Ancient City gradually flickered to life.

Most Disciples from the various factions had already returned to their quarters to rest and prepare for tomorrow's second round of trials.

The Kunlun group stayed in an independent courtyard within the city. The courtyard was filled with dense Spiritual Qi, quiet and spacious, forming a stark contrast to the clamor of the day.

Li Zhongyuan sat alone in his room, eyes slightly closed, with a dark red glow surrounding his body.

His consciousness sank deep into his Sea of Consciousness, and the scripture of the "Asura God-Slaying Art" appeared word by word in his mind. Each rune emanated an ancient and overbearing aura.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, the Asura Origin within him slowly stirred and flowed like a waking giant beast, the power sleeping deep within his Bloodline being awakened bit by bit.

He could clearly feel that every time the Cultivation Technique completed a cycle, the dark red power in his Meridians became more solid, as if a dried-up riverbed were being refilled with living water.

That feeling both made him feel unprecedentedly powerful and caused his blood to surge, a wave of heat spreading from his Dantian to all four limbs and bones.

He seemed to faintly hear the roar of battle drums in his blood, and phantoms of slaughter and conquest appeared before his eyes. Those images were filled with the impulse to kill and conquer, making his entire body tense up involuntarily.

Just then, his door was gently pushed open.

Jiang Changge stepped into the room, robes fluttering slightly, his gait composed.

He glanced at Li Zhongyuan's state, his gaze lingering for a moment on the churning dark red light on his body, then he raised his hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and gently tapped Li Zhongyuan's forehead.

A cool, gentle force instantly surged into his Sea of Consciousness. Li Zhongyuan's body jolted, and the churning heat and illusions of slaughter receded simultaneously. His breathing gradually stabilized, and clarity returned to his dark red eyes.

He looked up at Jiang Changge, somewhat dazed. Before he could speak, Jiang Changge had already withdrawn his hand, his tone calm: "It is normal for your Bloodline Power to be stirred when cultivating this Cultivation Technique for the first time."

"The Asura God-Slaying Art has always been about proving the Dao through slaughter. The more you Cultivate it, the more that Battle Intent and killing intent will resonate with your Bloodline."

He paused, looking at Li Zhongyuan's dark red eyes: "You have not fully activated your Bloodline yet, so that power will be somewhat out of control."

"Once your Bloodline is completely awakened, you will be able to control it yourself. Before that, be careful to maintain balance when cultivating, and do not let that Battle Intent lead you astray."

Li Zhongyuan was silent for a moment, then nodded, attributing the heat he had just felt to his lack of acclimatization during his first time cultivating.

Jiang Changge said nothing more. He raised his hand and lightly brushed through the Void Realm. A fist-sized fire lotus appeared out of thin air, hovering before Li Zhongyuan.

The fire lotus was dark red, its petals layered like burning flames. At the heart of the lotus, a wisp of light as thin as a silk thread pulsed slowly, emanating an ancient and intense aura that made the air in the room slightly scorching.

"This is the Karma Fire Red Lotus, the supreme treasure of the Ashura Clan, and it shares the same Origin as your Bloodline," Jiang Changge said casually.

"Refine it. Its power will increase as your Realm improves. In the future, when your Bloodline is completely awakened, the Karma Fire Red Lotus will become one of your strongest assets."

Li Zhongyuan's pupils contracted slightly. He could feel the power contained within that fire lotus resonating strongly with the Asura Origin inside him.

That longing from deep within his Bloodline made him involuntarily reach out and gently touch the fire lotus.

The moment his fingertips made contact, the fire lotus turned into a streak of dark red light, sinking into his palm and following the Meridians of his arm to merge into his Dantian.

A warm current spread through his body. Unlike the heat felt when circulating the Asura God-Slaying Art, this warm current was gentler and deeper, seeping bit by bit into his flesh and bones.

He closed his eyes to feel it for a moment, and when he opened them again, a flash of light crossed them: "Thank you, Revered Master."

Jiang Changge nodded slightly: "Rest well. You still have trials tomorrow."

After saying this, he turned and left, his footsteps disappearing lightly into the night outside the door.

Li Zhongyuan sat back down on the couch, feeling the power of the Karma Fire Red Lotus slowly merging with his Bloodline. He closed his eyes again and continued to circulate the "Asura God-Slaying Art." This time, the heat was indeed much calmer than before.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, as the sky grew slightly bright, the Cloud Peak battle stage was already crowded with people.

The rules for the second round of trials were more direct than the first phase: opponents were determined by drawing lots, with one round deciding victory or defeat; the winner advanced, and the loser was eliminated.

By this round, there was not much room to hide one's true strength. The Prodigies from the major factions would likely encounter each other, and the real duels began from this moment.

The viewing stands around the battle stage were more crowded than yesterday. Everyone knew that today's trials were the truly exciting part of the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony.

Ancestor Zhou Huaixu took his seat in the main position. His gaze swept across the entire venue, and after confirming that all factions had arrived, he stood up and announced the rules for the second round of drawing lots.

The stewards brought up a huge jade chest containing jade tablets engraved with the names of the Disciples. Two stewards took the jade tablets from the chest and loudly announced the list of matchups.

As one name after another was read out by the stewards, the atmosphere on the battle stage gradually heated up.

The first ten matches proceeded one after another in the morning light.

Although those who appeared were not the Core Disciples of the various factions, the Cultivators who could pass the first round naturally had their own foundations. Spiritual light flowed and Divine Abilities intertwined on the battle stage, still drawing bursts of cheers from the audience.

When the winner of the tenth match stepped off the battle stage, the steward reached into the jade chest again and took out two jade tablets.

He lowered his head to take a look, and his voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present: "The eleventh match: Kunlun's Ao Qin vs. Nine Hills' Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan, Qingli."

The moment the words fell, the murmurs around the battle stage suddenly grew louder.

This combination of names made the Cultivators who were still chatting almost simultaneously sit up straight, their gazes cast in unison toward both sides of the battle stage.

Ao Qin, the Third Prince of the East Sea Dragon Clan, had joined Kunlun.

In the first phase of the trials, he had won the several matches he fought cleanly and neatly, without giving his opponents any chance.

More importantly, he carried the Bloodline of the Dragon Clan, and that innate pressure and Physical Body strength gave him a natural place among his peers.

On the other side, although the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan, Qingli, had only appeared in everyone's view yesterday, as the Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan that had been hidden from the world for ten thousand years, she had struck four times, defeating her opponents with ease each time.

That composure and confidence allowed everyone to see that her foundation was far more than that.

One side was the Fusion of the Dragon Clan Bloodline and the Kunlun Legacy; the other was the heir of an ancient Yao Race family. From any perspective, this matchup was the first true heavyweight duel to appear in the second round of trials.