Chapter 544: Tian Lunhui

At this very moment, Ghost Insect Demon Child, Saint Child Ji Que, and Shen Ran Phoenix Lady were all frozen in place. Just moments before, they had been flattering each other, smug and self-satisfied. But now, Li Qiye’s achievement was like a vicious slap across their faces.

Right now, the Ghost Insect Demon Child and Saint Child Ji Que couldn’t manage even a smile; their expressions were utterly ghastly. Even the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s face had turned ice-cold.

The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s thoughts, however, were on a completely different matter than the Ghost Insect Demon Child and his ilk. Li Qiye had easily taken sixty steps. This convinced the Phoenix Lady that Li Qiye was destined to be a formidable adversary to her husband for the Emperor’s Throne. ‘No matter what, I must eliminate Li Qiye and remove this great threat for my husband!’

“How did you do that?” Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but be stirred. She wouldn’t have been surprised by any miracle Li Qiye performed, but for him to take sixty steps with such ease still went beyond her expectations.

“A world in a single step, that’s all.” Li Qiye smiled. “I can create the Three Thousand Worlds, so what’s the difficulty in creating a world with each step?”

Lan Yunzhu fell silent at his words. Li Qiye had already opened his twelfth Life Palace. Four Palaces Form Territory, Eight Palace Country Formation, and twelve palaces form a heaven… If he truly reached Great Success with his Twelve Life Palaces, he would possess his very own Azure Heaven. The implications of such an achievement were staggering!

“This isn’t about the depth of one’s Dao Practice, but about the depth of one’s insight.” Having recovered from her shock, the Bishui Empress sighed softly, deeply moved by Li Qiye’s achievement.

After all, the Bishui Empress was a Charm Spirit with an incredibly profound Dao Practice. She possessed Divine Radiance, yet even for her, taking thirty steps without relying on any external aids was a considerable challenge.

Yet Li Qiye had taken sixty steps as if it were a leisurely stroll. Even if her Divine Radiance allowed her to see through more of the mysteries, she knew she could never walk sixty steps with such ease!

Li Qiye then glanced lazily at Saint Child Ji Que and his group. “I was thinking of taking a few more steps,” he said, “but you all only managed about thirty. Wouldn’t it be a bit of a waste for me to walk eighty or ninety? So, forget it. Sixty steps will have to do, I suppose.”

At this point, the faces of Saint Child Ji Que and his companions were as foul as could be. They had wanted to use this opportunity to establish their reputation and reinforce their authority, intending to use Li Qiye as a stepping stone. They never imagined that even with the aid of Emperor Artifacts, they would still lose to him—and lose so utterly.

“Shen Ran Phoenix Lady, is it your turn to challenge me?” Li Qiye asked, no longer bothering to look at Saint Child Ji Que and the others.

The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s elegant eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. She did not answer immediately.

“How about I challenge you in her stead?” Before the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady could speak, Long Zun Tian stepped forward and spoke slowly.

It made sense for Long Zun Tian to accept the challenge on her behalf. As a peerless genius who had been observing from the sidelines for quite some time, he understood that the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady was no match for Li Qiye. Even with the aid of treasures, she would never be able to take sixty steps. That was why he had stepped forward to take her place.

Li Qiye glanced at Long Zun Tian and smiled. “If she has no objections, then neither do I. It won’t be too late for you to challenge me after you manage to walk sixty steps yourself.”

Long Zun Tian looked toward the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady, whose heart sank. At this moment, even she lacked any confidence. Li Qiye’s monstrous, unorthodox abilities were far beyond what she had anticipated.

“Young Madam, please allow me to try. It may be our only sliver of hope.” Even a peerless genius like Long Zun Tian didn’t dare claim he could defeat Li Qiye with absolute certainty. His words also served as a reminder to the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady: if she were the one to try, she would have zero chance of success.

The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady sighed softly to herself before saying to Long Zun Tian, “Then I must trouble you, Elder Long. The honor of the Ghost Race now rests on your shoulders.”

Long Zun Tian gently shook his head. He said nothing, but he smiled wryly in his heart. ‘The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady is so calculating,’ he thought. ‘With those words, she’s forcing me to go all out!’

In the eyes of a genius like Long Zun Tian, the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s scheming and manipulations were ill-suited for Cultivation. For a Cultivator, excessive cunning was a shackle on the path of the Dao.

“Since the honor of the Ghost Race is at stake, how could I possibly be absent?” At that moment, a mysterious voice rang out as a figure drifted onto the scene. Their arrival was magnificent, their mysterious aura filling the space between heaven and earth.

A figure drifted in, seemingly accompanied by the stars themselves. Though he came alone, he projected an air of ineffable mystery. His entire being radiated a cryptic aura. As he walked closer, one got the feeling that he concealed countless secrets, as if he held the Ancient Secrets of all ages, making him completely unfathomable.

“Tian Lunhui!” Upon seeing the newcomer, many members of the Ghost Race cried out in joyous surprise.

The newcomer was none other than Tian Lunhui, one of the Three Heroes of the Netherworld and the successor to the Ten Thousand Ancient Country. It was said that he had entered the Fire God Palace, and no one expected him to have come out so quickly.

A major figure from the Ghost Race was visibly moved upon seeing Tian Lunhui. “It seems he had quite a fortuitous encounter in the Fire God Palace,” he remarked. “Peerless geniuses are truly in a league of their own.”

“If Tian Lunhui can enter even the Fire God Palace, then walking through this pool will be absolutely no problem for him.” The arrival of Tian Lunhui instantly invigorated the Ghost Race. Someone exclaimed happily.

“That’s right! Since entering the pool isn’t a matter of one’s Dao Practice, then with a talent like Tian Lunhui’s, he can surely see through its secrets. He can definitely do it!” In that moment, a great many in the Ghost Race placed their hopes on Tian Lunhui.

Tian Lunhui’s arrival truly revitalized the Ghost Race, allowing them to see a glimmer of hope. The Great Sect Ancestors were not necessarily willing to gamble against Li Qiye, and at this moment, his momentum was overwhelming and his arrogance was soaring.

If they couldn’t win this round against Li Qiye, the Ghost Race’s indignation would be impossible to quell. Even Saint Child Ji Que and the others had been defeated; there was no one left in the younger generation who could challenge Li Qiye. Now, Tian Lunhui’s arrival had suddenly given them hope.

“Lord Tian Lunhui, you have to win! Teach that Human Race ant a brutal lesson and make him understand that our Ghost Race has countless geniuses and can absolutely suppress the Human Race!” someone from the Ghost Race shouted.

“That’s right! Put that fellow named Li in his place and see if he still dares to act so arrogantly!” Instantly, countless Ghost Race Cultivators began to shout in agreement, including even some major figures from the Great Sects.

The Ghost Race had been suffering one humiliation after another recently. First, Li Qiye had slaughtered tens of thousands of their experts, causing them to lose all face. Now, even the successors of Emperor Immortal Gates had been defeated by him in a crushing loss!

The Ghost Race found this humiliation hard to swallow. How could they, with their endless supply of geniuses, be unable to defeat a single, lowly human? Where could they possibly show their faces now?

Now, Tian Lunhui’s arrival had filled them with excitement. His renowned prestige made them all believe that he could absolutely defeat Li Qiye!

“Forgive my impudence in stepping ahead of Elder Long, but how about I be the one to seek guidance from Fellow Daoist Li first?” Tian Lunhui proposed upon his arrival. He carried an endless, mystical aura, and even his speech had a cryptic cadence.

In terms of pure fame, Tian Lunhui might have been considered a tiny bit less renowned than the bearer of the Emperor’s Throne. However, when it came to sheer presence and style, he was in no way inferior. His name was spoken in the same breath as the Emperor’s Throne, and his reputation was certainly not an empty one.

“The new generation always surpasses the old,” Long Zun Tian said with emotion as he looked at Tian Lunhui. “These old bones of mine won’t compete with you young folks. This is your stage.” He then slowly retreated to the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s side.

In truth, the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady also breathed a sigh of relief. This challenge from Li Qiye had placed immense pressure on her. Despite her usual confidence, she had no certainty of victory in this round. Tian Lunhui’s arrival had turned the tables back into a favorable position for her side.

The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady felt a surge of excitement watching Tian Lunhui challenge Li Qiye. She could use this as an opportunity to gauge Tian Lunhui’s true strength, which would help her husband prepare for a future confrontation.

Tian Lunhui looked at Li Qiye and said slowly, “Fellow Daoist Li, your reputation precedes you like a clap of thunder. Seeing you in person today, I must say, your presence is truly admirable.”

“I’m afraid this isn’t the first time we’ve met,” Li Qiye replied lazily, glancing at Tian Lunhui.

This was indeed the case. They had seen each other before, but they had never been formally introduced.

Tian Lunhui didn’t take offense. He simply smiled, his bearing was peerless. He was shrouded in that mysterious aura, as if hiding behind it, making himself completely inscrutable.

“Indeed,” Tian Lunhui said. “But our previous encounters were merely fleeting glances; I have not had the good fortune of a formal meeting with Fellow Daoist Li. It is my honor to finally meet you today and to have the chance to exchange pointers.”

“Then let’s begin. Since you’re challenging me, you can start by walking those sixty steps,” Li Qiye said slowly, not bothering with pleasantries.

“Then I shall ask for your guidance.” Tian Lunhui didn’t dare to be careless. He took a deep breath, stood at the edge of the pool, and fixed his gaze on the water, his eyes instantly flashing with a Divine Light.

At this moment, every Cultivator from the Ghost Race held their breath. Countless pairs of eyes were fixed on Tian Lunhui. Their hopes of defeating Li Qiye and reclaiming some pride for the Ghost Race all rested on him.

Tian Lunhui stared intently at the pool. The light in his eyes flickered, at times as brilliant as the sun, at others as dark as a black hole. One by one, Order Divine Chains began to form within his pupils, weaving themselves into what looked like a Supreme Chapter.

In this moment, it seemed he was using that Supreme Chapter to unravel the Mysteries of the Great Dao hidden within the pool. Without a doubt, Tian Lunhui was in the process of comprehending the water’s Profound Secret.

“Incredible. He is truly worthy of his title as one of the Three Heroes of the Netherworld,” the Bishui Empress said, deeply moved as she watched the Supreme Chapter form in Tian Lunhui’s flickering eyes. “To have reached such a level of comprehension in so little time… even with my Divine Radiance, I feel inadequate in comparison.”

Even Li Qiye couldn’t help but nod, acknowledging Tian Lunhui’s impressive ability. “A peerless genius is a peerless genius,” he commented. “They know how to find the right path and ascend to the peak. One cannot cross this pool with brute force alone, unless they are an existence at the absolute apex—like a True God, or an Immortal Emperor!”