The Prodigies War

Yuan Zhong cast Tian Ruojing another measured glance. “Then what do you suggest we do to find Lin Xun?”

Tian Ruojing pondered briefly before answering, “He departed with the entire Tianwu Sect two days ago. To track him down now...the chances are slim.”

After a pause, she continued, “However, I have heard that a Dao Deriver cannot depart this world without leaving behind a complete great dao upon the Dao Divine Stele of the four great dao lineages. If we truly fail to find him, then we need only wait by that stele.”

Yuan Zhong nodded slowly. He had not expected a flawless strategy from her, yet her reasoning did not disappoint him. Turning to the Immortal beside him, he said, “Elder Lu, relay today’s intelligence to Supreme Elder Zhu Cheng. With his discernment, he will know how to proceed.”

“Understood.” The Immortal bowed and departed at once.

......

Immortal Pavilion.

As one of the four great dao lineages, the Immortal Pavilion was hidden within a secret realm suspended beneath the heavens of the Dao Derivation Zone.

“Lin Xun...hiding within a second tier sect in the eastern territories...” Zhu Cheng murmured to himself.

As the number one Immortal figure of the Immortal Pavilion and the leader of the seven Heavenly Mandate Apostles of the Gen Department, he stood as a sovereign-like presence within the Dao Derivation Zone.

When he first received the news, a flicker of excitement stirred within him. For over a year, they had searched relentlessly, but they had not uncovered even the faintest trace of Lin Xun. At last, there was a lead. However,But as he finished reading the full report, his brows slowly knit together.

Lin Xun had already fled. Searching for him now would be no different from seeking a needle in the sea!

“We must find him before he attains immortality,” Zhu Cheng said slowly. “Otherwise, once he steps onto the Immortal Path, eliminating him will become far more difficult.”

After a long silence, he made his decision. “Issue my command, mobilize every force of the four great dao lineages. Summon the power of all major factions across the Dao Derivation Zone. Hunt Lin Xun down with everything we have!”

......

That very day, the four great dao lineages, Immortal Pavilion, Divine Court, Demonic Gate, and Yao Sect, sprang into action. The Immortal figures of each sect poured forth, nearly emptying their ancestral halls.

On the same day, the twelve first tier powers and countless second and third tier factions scattered throughout the Dao Derivation Zone also received orders. None dared to show the slightest hesitation. One after another, they dispatched their forces to coordinate with the four great dao lineages. Centered on the eastern territories where the Tianwu Sect had once stood, a vast, net-like manhunt spread outward, sealing the region on all sides.

Such a massive mobilization sent shockwaves throughout the world, stirring up a storm that shook the Dao Derivation Zone to its core. In no time, news of Lin Xun spread like wildfire throughout the world, becoming the most discussed topic among cultivators everywhere.

Even in the desolate wilderness of the eastern territories where few dared tread, groups of cultivators could now be seen roaming in search of him. The magnitude of the operation was unprecedented!

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Ning’an City.

Inside a teahouse, Lin Xun and Qing Heng sat facing one another, faint wisps of steam curling up from their cups.

“Fellow Daoist,” Qing heng said in a lowered voice, his expression grave, “the situation is growing increasingly dire.”

For the past several days, they had remained in Ning’an City, quietly observing the shifting tides of the world. Even here, in this seemingly tranquil city, the name Lin Xun could be heard in nearly every corner.

“A minor recluse hides in the forest, a great recluse hides in the marketplace. Most of the people in Ning’an City are ordinary mortals, and even the cultivators here are largely of a low cultivation level. If we conceal ourselves in a place like this, no one will suspect a thing.” Lin Xun calmly took a sip of tea and smiled. “Besides, I rather like the name of this city.”

Qing Heng’s face was clouded with concern. “If an Immortal were to enter this city to conduct a search, the consequences would be dire.”

Lin Xun handed him a jade slip. “This contains a subtle technique for concealing one’s aura. It can mask your presence and even Immortals would struggle to see through it.”

Qing Heng accepted the jade slip, visibly relieved. After a brief pause, he could not help but ask, “Fellow Daoist, but if we continue hiding here, will it not delay your cultivation?”

Ning’an City was nothing more than an ordinary small town. It possessed neither secluded cave dwellings nor spirit veins. It was incapable of supporting the cultivation of a supreme Emperor Ancestor. Most importantly, when a supreme Emperor Ancestor cultivatesd, it inevitably triggereds dramatic fluctuations in the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Such disturbances would undoubtedly attract attention.

Over the past half month, Qing Heng had not once seen Lin Xun cultivate. It was clear that he also understood that the moment cultivation began, it would inevitably draw attention. Even concealing it beneath layers of restriction arrays would not suffice.

Ning’an City possessed no spirit veins. When a cultivator began absorbing and refining the power of heaven and earth, it would inevitably disturb the celestial phenomena of the surrounding region.

Furthermore,And if the one cultivating were a supreme Emperor Ancestor, the resulting commotion would be even greater! In the eyes of Immortals, even the slightest fluctuation in spiritual energy was enough to reveal a wealth of information.

However, if Lin Xun continued to refrain from cultivating and remained hidden in Ning’an City, they might evade detection for a time. However,But in the long run, who could guarantee that no unforeseen calamity would arise? This was the source of Qing Heng’s unease.

Noticing the worry etched across his face, Lin Xun let out a faint chuckle. “Fellow Daoist, you may not know, but I have been cultivating all along.”

“You’ve been cultivating?” Qing Heng blinked in surprise.

“That’s right.” Lin Xun nodded, offering no further explanation.

Qing Heng stared at him for a moment, then shook his head with a helpless smile. “Very well. Then I need not worry.”

He lowered his head and resumed drinking his tea. Lin Xun said nothing more. He sat leisurely amid the bustle of the teahouse, listening to the endless discussions drifting through the air. His demeanor remained unhurried and composed.

For a Dao Deriver like him, breaking through into the Immortal Stage was never the true challenge. The real difficulty lay elsewhere. To ascend, he had to derive a complete heaven-reaching great dao.

This dao was not his own original path. It had to be derived through comprehending the heavenly dao laws of this Dao Derivation Zone itself. Moreover, though Lin Xun was a Dao Deriver, the body, spirit, and memories he wielded belonged to Qing Feng. Thus, when forging this new path, he was inevitably constrained by Qing Feng’s innate talent and foundation.

In simple terms, Qing Feng did not possess the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer talent, and his natural aptitude was ordinary at best. Moreover, the heavenly dao laws of the Cyclic Derivation Zone differed fundamentally from those of the worlds Lin Xun had once traversed. Under such limitations, Lin Xun had to forge an entirely new path, to derive a heaven-reaching great dao suited to this body and this world.

This was what it meant to derive the dao. Even for those at the Immeasurable Stage, deriving and forging a brand new heaven-reaching great dao was no simple feat.

The seven Heavenly Mandate Apostles, including Zhu Cheng, had been stranded in this world for countless years. Though they stood at the pinnacle of the Immortal Stage, they remained unable to derive a dao path that led to Eternity. Only by deriving a path toward the Eternal Stage could a Dao Deriver leave the Dao Derivation Zone.

However, for Lin Xun, these so-called difficulties were hardly worth mentioning. The reason was simple. Back in the Mortal Transformation Zone, as he defeated each dao manifestation within the Heavenly Cycle Dao Laws, he had simultaneously derived from them great daos that led directly toward Eternity!

Compared to that, deriving from the heavenly dao laws of the Dao Derivation Zone a heaven-reaching great dao that was suited to Qing Feng was hardly a challenge at all. In fact, during the six months before his five dao bodies returned, he had already completed the derivation of a dao path that was perfectly aligned with Qing Feng’s body and aptitude.

Thus, during the half-month he appeared to be idling away in Ning’an City, his five dao bodies had in truth been cultivating without pause.

In the end, Qing Heng did not understand that for Dao Derivers, cultivation did not lie in painstakingly tempering one’s own realm. Its essence lay in comprehending the heavenly dao laws, and from them, deriving the dao itself.

......

One day passed after another. In the blink of an eye, half a year had slipped by.

Throughout it all, Lin Xun remained in Ning’an City. During that time, several Immortal figures had descended upon the city to conduct searches. Of course,But none uncovered the true identities of Lin Xun and Qing Heng.

Only then did Qing Heng finally breathe easy. More than that, over the past six months, Lin Xun had completely healed the damage to Qing Heng’s dao foundation, rekindling his hope for the road of cultivation ahead.

Then, one day Lin Xun was idly drinking wine in a restaurant when he suddenly paused. He set down his cup and murmured to himself, “It’s about time I left.”

Across from him, Qing Heng stiffened and asked, “Leave? Go where?”

A faint smile touched Lin Xun’s lips. “First, I will gather the strength needed to consolidate my dao path. Then I will make a trip to the four great dao lineages. Once the enemies are dealt with...I shall depart this place.”

Qing Heng frowned slightly. “Fellow Daoist, you are still at the Ssupreme Emperor Ancestor Stage. If you act now, would that not expose your identity?”

Lin Xun let out a soft laugh. “You misunderstand. My dao path has already advanced beyond the Immortal Path. What I lack right now...is the power to match it.”

The more Qing Heng listened, the more perplexed he became. If Lin Xun’s dao path had already surpassed immortality, why did his cultivation remain at the Supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage? And what did he mean by lacking power?

Just as Lin Xun seemed about to elaborate, he suddenly rose to his feet and strode toward the door of the restaurant. “From this moment on,” he said calmly, “we shall take Ning’an City as our starting point and make our way to the Immortal Pavilion. The strength I gather along the journey should be sufficient to fulfil what my dao path requires.”

Though Qing Heng could not fully comprehend his meaning, seeing Lin Xun move so decisively, he quickly followed.

Swoosh!

Qing Heng abruptly realized that the secret technique concealing Lin Xun’s aura had vanished. The full might of his Supreme Emperor Ancestor cultivation was laid bare in that instant. Even his presence was no longer restrained. It surged upward without inhibition, shooting straight into the heavens like a blazing pillar of light.

“Fellow Daoist, what are you...” Qing Heng’s face was drained of color.

“This,” Lin Xun replied lightly, hands clasped behind his back as he strode beyond the city gates, “is how one gathers power. Simply follow behind me.”

Qing Heng’s expression shifted again and again. In the end, he gritted his teeth and followed. They had only just stepped beyond the city outskirts when a sharp tearing sound split the air in the distance.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Moments later, figures ripped through the void one after another. A group of cultivators, each radiating the imposing aura of the Emperor Stage, traversed space itself. In only a few breaths, they had already descended upon the outskirts of the city.

They had clearly been drawn by the unrestrained aura of a supreme Emperor Ancestor emanating from Lin Xun.

“It’s him! Qing Feng! The sSupreme eElder of the Tianwu Sect!”

One of the Emperors trembled, his face lighting up with wild elation. To find Qing Feng was to find the Dao Deriver Lin Xun! Wild joys lit up their faces. For a moment, they could hardly believe it.

They had searched for so long, but now, the target just appeared openly before them, without the slightest attempt at concealment! How could they not be stunned?

Lin Xun merely smiled and said leisurely, “I’ll give you a chance. Spread the word and inform the others.” His gaze swept calmly across them. “Otherwise, it will be too late to call for reinforcements.”

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