Chapter 776: The Powerful Path to Heaven (II)

A cultivator beside the woman chuckled as he said, "Don't belittle yourself. A crude martial brute is still just a crude martial brute. The only reason he's so capable might be that powerful secret treasure he carries."

His words piqued the woman's curiosity. "What secret treasure?"

"Hehe, I only heard about it myself. I have no idea whether it's true. I saw an interesting piece of information on our sect's information network. I have no idea who's deliberately spreading it. That martial artist on the Path to Heaven is named Xiao Yu, and I heard that he obtained an extraordinary secret treasure in some powerful secret realm.

"That secret treasure can strengthen both the spirit and spiritual soul, while also granting its wielder a powerful ability to see through the essence of all things. They say Xiao Yu was only able to awaken his spirit divine ability because of that secret treasure. He must be relying on that secret treasure to break the secret arts on the Path to Heaven so easily."

The man's gaze grew deep as he spoke slowly, his expression difficult to read. A barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of his mouth, and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he stared at Lin Zheyu's back.

"Oh?"

"Is that really true?"

"You shouldn't spread rumors like that carelessly. It could cause trouble."

In Great Wei, the circle of Formation Dao cultivators was not particularly large, especially among the more powerful ones. Nearly all of them knew one another, and even if they were not well acquainted, they had at least met a few times. Thus, when they heard familiar faces discussing the matter, they curiously gathered around.

"He isn't spreading it recklessly. No one knows who posted this information on the various sect and faction platforms of the Spirit Resonance Sphere. You can take yours out and have a look. There might already be related information on your sect's platform. Although no one knows who started spreading it, someone specifically verified the claims concerning Xiao Yu and found that they do carry a fair degree of credibility," another cultivator interjected.

He had not entered the Path to Heaven, so he had witnessed the rumors about Xiao Yu spread and gain traction from beginning to end.

"Interesting, interesting. Looks like someone has a grudge against that Xiao Yu..."

"Spreading this kind of information everywhere really is vicious."

"What do you all make of this?"

"Seventy percent credible, ninety percent troublesome. The fact that the other party is going to such lengths to spread this around clearly means they don't have any good way of dealing with him either."

"Right. It seems that martial artist named Xiao Yu really does have some ability, but that only makes me even more curious..."

At the foot of Forbidden Mountain, as Lin Zheyu began to distinguish himself on the Path to Heaven, climbing to the three thousand and six hundred-meter mark with the body of a martial artist, the rumor began to seem increasingly credible. It gradually spread among the cultivators as well.

Normally, a rumor like this would have been difficult to circulate widely. The cultivation world was filled with all kinds of information, both true and false. More importantly, this particular rumor concerned an obscure martial artist from the Martial Alliance, so few people believed it and even fewer paid it any attention.

But as Lin Zheyu began to make a name for himself on the Path to Heaven, more and more cultivators grew curious about him. Consequently, the rumor that had previously attracted little attention began drawing more and more interest. Even the person secretly spreading it was greatly surprised by how effective it had become.

"This is troublesome..." A sigh sounded. A burly man stood silently among the Immortal Dao cultivators, looking toward Lin Zheyu on the Path to Heaven. As the rumors concerning Lin Zheyu spread, Ji Haozhong had also seen the information.

"I suppose it's only natural. Reaching more than three thousand meters with the body of a martial artist really is astonishing... Even I'm starting to wonder whether you really do have some powerful secret treasure on you," Ji Haozhong murmured.

Still, based on what he knew of Xiao Yu, Ji Haozhong was more inclined to believe that this was Xiao Yu's own ability. After all, that fellow was simply too monstrous. It was hardly surprising for him to display such extraordinary natural talent and aptitude in the Formation Dao as well.

Still, his chances of joining the Directorate of Celestial Observation should be secure this time. With the Directorate of Celestial Observation's name protecting him, there shouldn't be many cultivators who would dare make a move against him in secret... right? Ji Haozhong muttered inwardly.

Even he himself found those words somewhat hard to believe. Xiao Yu had neither a powerful background nor overwhelming strength, so there were bound to be plenty of people coveting that 'nonexistent' secret treasure of his. Even the deterrent of the Directorate of Celestial Observation's name could only suppress the greed of a small portion of cultivators.

Ji Haozhong's feelings were complicated. "Those people from the ancient martial esteemed families really are vicious, using a method like this to deal with Xiao Yu. But with this, they probably won't keep secretly targeting the other martial artists of the Martial Alliance on such a large scale, right? I just hope Xiao Yu can make it through this ordeal..."

He suspected that the people secretly spreading the rumors about Xiao Yu were most likely from the ancient, esteemed martial families. When one's virtue is unequal to one's position, disaster follows; when one possesses a precious treasure, calamity is sure to come. This saying perfectly described cultivators like Xiao Yu, who had no powerful background and whose strength was not yet great enough. Ji Haozhong could only hope that Xiao Yu would catch the Directorate of Celestial Observation's attention this time and find a powerful backer within it. Otherwise, this ordeal would be extremely difficult to survive.

***

Wan Xiaofei stared at Lin Zheyu's figure on the Path to Heaven and could not help exclaiming in amazement. "He broke another formation, and it took him less than half a day! Since when did the Martial Alliance produce a monster like this?"

He can already shine so brilliantly in the Formation Dao with the body of a martial artist. If he switches to cultivating the Immortal Dao, just how formidable will he become?

The corners of Xu Yiru's lips curved slightly as she said with a faint smile, "There's a rumor going around that he possesses some kind of powerful secret treasure. They say the reason he can break the formations on the Path to Heaven so quickly is that he's relying on that secret treasure. What do you think?"

The more she observed him, the more satisfied she became with the Formation Dao natural talent Xiao Yu displayed. Her smile made it clear that she did not take such claims seriously at all.

"Tch... What a bunch of fools. What do they think this place is? Forbidden Mountain prohibits all dharma treasures and external aids. Cultivators can only rely on their own power and use Formation Dao methods to break the formations on the Path to Heaven. If Xiao Yu had really used a secret treasure, Forbidden Mountain would have kicked him off the Path to Heaven long ago," Wan Xiaofei scoffed.

He was certain that any cultivator who had climbed the Path to Heaven and tried to use dharma treasures or other external aids there would understand this all too well.

"What? Did you receive some kind of news?" Wan Xiaofei asked with a smile.

Xu Yiru took out a Spirit Resonance Sphere and tossed it over as she said calmly, "Here. I came across an interesting rumor. It was probably released by one of Xiao Yu's enemies, then spread after gaining traction."

Wan Xiaofei glanced over the information in the Spirit Resonance Sphere and shrugged indifferently. "I see. But with chaotic times approaching and the great calamity about to begin, which cultivator with exceptional natural talent and aptitude hasn't encountered a few fortuitous opportunities?"

Since ancient times, heroes had always been forged by the times, while great figures rose from chaos. The invasion of the demon realm posed an enormous threat to this world. Under the active intervention of the world's will, all kinds of fortuitous opportunities were emerging one after another.

The purpose was to sift through cultivators stage by stage and nurture a group of powerful figures capable of turning the tide. Wan Xiaofei himself, as well as his junior sister Xu Yiru, had both encountered considerable opportunities of their own, so they had long since grown accustomed to such things.

But while they thought this way, the same could not be said for those older experts who had raised their strength through long years of accumulation and vast quantities of resources. Many among them were like Fan Hongwei had once been, ambitious men who wanted to defy heaven and change their fate. They plotted to seize fortuitous opportunities from those favored by the age and make them their own. These people were the main culprits of the rumors being spread about Lin Zheyu.

Wan Xiaofei checked the time and said with a smile, "The Path to Heaven's opening period is over. There are three cultivators who meet the requirements this time, and Xiao Yu has the highest aptitude among them. If he's willing to switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao, he'd possess at least upper-grade aptitude. Let's go. Martial artists may all be stubborn mules, but we should still ask whether he's interested in switching to the Immortal Dao."

He did not take the information he had just seen to heart. It was nothing more than another trial. With the great calamity approaching, the world's will was bestowing all manner of fortuitous opportunities upon the talented cultivators of this world. Yet only those cultivators who endured countless hardships and life-or-death trials could rise above the rest and become true experts.

In the eyes of chosen prodigies like Wan Xiaofei, who had entered the Directorate of Celestial Observation from a young age, a genius like Lin Zheyu from an ordinary faction was no more than a wild kid who had managed to rise from humble roots. Only after he endured countless hardships and trials, survived them, and continued growing stronger would they truly acknowledge Lin Zheyu. For now, it was still far too early.