CHAPTER 747: CHAPTER 471: THE DAO SKETCHER

Within the depths of Taihang Mountain.

Dragon City, magnificent and awe-inspiring, with a tiger perched on the plateau.

Today, at the Wanxiang Dao, dragon flags flutter in the wind, using the mountains as stages to construct a natural martial arts tournament arena.

One by one, the great grandmasters and sect leaders arrived, serving as judges to witness the birth of the new leader of the Tiger Faction and to establish connections with the new "Mountain Lord."

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Four figures exuding the terrifying aura of a Heavenly King descended among the mountains, led by the Absolute Saber of Taihang.

The other three were the Yellow Feathered Eagle King, the Ape Buddha·Zhenru Master, and the Wolf King, all Heavenly Kings of the Elephant Form Sect.

The Mountain Lord Wu Long also took his seat, smiling as he said, "Thank you, all esteemed seniors, for coming to witness the transition of our Tiger Form leadership."

The Absolute Saber of Taihang looked solemn, "Wu Long, how confident are you in ascending to Heavenly King this time? Do you need assistance?"

Wu Long laughed, "I’ve done everything I should; I feel about sixty percent sure. Success or failure hinges on this. Seeing so many geniuses emerging from our Tiger Form, especially the Da Xia’s top genius, even entering the Dao is fine, haha."

Despite his words, there was a hint of bitterness in Wu Long’s tone. Compared to exceptional geniuses, his journey to this day was truly not easy, and he naturally did not want to perish before achieving his goals.

"You will definitely succeed!" The Eagle King took out a box and handed it to Wu Long. Upon opening, inside was a Heavenly Grade Treasure Medicine·Protective God Grass. "This item can slightly increase the success rate of ascension to Heavenly King. I originally wanted to use it but didn’t. I’ll give it to you, we’ll be waiting for you among the Heavenly Kings."

Wu Long quickly replied, "This is too precious."

The Eagle King smiled, "The Wanxiang Dao shares glory in unity. With Tiger Form being able to cultivate a genius like Lu Chenzhou, the future is bound to make you the leader of all Elephant Form Dao sects. It’s only right to help each other."

The Ape Buddha smiled, "I have a personal note of insights from when I broke through to Heavenly King. Martial Friend Wu can refer to it."

Looking at the offerings from everyone, Wu Long understood that these top-level experts’ true intention was Lu Chenzhou. With such a trajectory, Lu Chenzhou is sure to succeed the Absolute Saber of Taihang one day and become a Daoist Master!

With their status, they naturally wouldn’t deliberately curry favor with Lu Chenzhou. However, fostering good relations with the Tiger Form beforehand was indeed a form of indirect investment, benefiting their sects in the future.

At this moment, the four great grandmaster candidates had already taken the stage: Lu Chenzhou, the Sword Embracing Tiger, Hu Wangzun, and Bai Shanh.

Hu Wangzun was a bald middle-aged man.

With a tiger’s back and bear’s waist, standing about a zhang tall and at End Realm cultivation.

Bai Shanh, however, was a rare female Tiger Form grandmaster, with well-proportioned and powerful muscle lines. Most notably, she had a head of silver hair, elegant like a white tiger.

Her End Realm cultivation was second only to Wu Long’s. Before Lu Chenzhou rose to prominence, she was the strong candidate for the new Mountain Lord.

Bai Shanh had long been a professor in the Tiger Form Faction, teaching many outstanding students and maintained a low profile.

She contemplated deeply.

"It seems that he has already ascended to the End Realm. If I were to fight with all my might, I might not withstand ten of his moves. But if we only use Tiger Form Fist, the outcome is still uncertain. After all, my ’Mountain Lord Inquiry Fist’ has long reached Perfection."

The Sword Embracing Tiger’s heart was also filled with fighting intent.

"Every time I spar with Brother Lu, I benefit immensely. I cannot miss this opportunity!"

His strength was not enough to contend for the Mountain Lord’s Throne.

Indeed, he was just there to make up the numbers!

Wu Long loudly declared, "The trial of the Tiger Form Dao involves the achievement in Tiger Form, so only Tiger Form Faction Boxing or self-created Tiger Form techniques are allowed. Divine Weapons cannot be used, nor can burst secret techniques be employed, not... "

As his voice fell.

A strong wind swept through the mountains, causing the earth and sky to tremble, only to see a figure of a sleek, black giant tiger coming with the wind, its tiger power sweeping over, commanding all beings!

It was precisely the [Xuan Jun] from the Heavenly Heart World!

In Wu Long’s palm, a pitch-black square seal astonishingly emerged, with the central carving of a black giant tiger image.

The token of the Dao Lineage·Mountain Lord Seal!

"It seems that each Dao lineage should have a way to control the Heavenly Heart Mark. In comparison, the Xuan Jun Mark is not considered strong; its projection in the human world feels just at the quasi-Heavenly King level. If one could wield the [Grey Dragon Seal], channel the Power of Grey Dragon, most Heavenly Kings would not be its match. Of course, the strongest is the [Tai Chi Diagram]. If it could descend to the world, it should possess Absolute Peak combat strength, which is the trump card of Daoist sects!"

Lu Chenzhou internally pondered that if he could master the Mountain Lord Seal, it should also help him deduce the Tiger Form Fist.

Wu Long said, "The trial is simple, defeat all opponents with Tiger Form, obtain the [Xuan Jun]’s approval, and successfully refine the [Mountain Lord Seal] to become the sect leader!"

On the stage.

Among the watching Heavenly Kings, transmissions and discussions occurred.

The Eagle King: "Rumor has it that Lu Chenzhou hasn’t used Tiger Form Fist for a long time, hopefully he won’t lose to White Girl."

The Wolf King: "Indeed, we should have reminded him earlier to practice the Tiger Form Fist. While spear skill is important, fist technique is also fundamental. In the future, when he progresses to supreme realm, he can also condense a second Divine Power Seed, greatly enhancing his combat strength."

Li Jin remained silent with a smile.

These two Heavenly Kings had been in seclusion for years, only emerging due to the unveiling of the Heavenly Person List, and weren’t entirely familiar with Lu Chenzhou.

...

The match began, and in the battle against the Sword Embracing Tiger, it was a foregone conclusion. Lu Chenzhou, with his End Realm cultivation, could crush him even barehanded. The Sword Embracing Tiger lost, looking melancholic.

He reached the grandmaster stage earlier than Lu Chenzhou...

Yet, Lu was close to becoming a Heavenly King.

While he remained at the Initial Realm.

On the other side,

Hu Wangzun was also easily eliminated by Bai Shanh, who, with a strong fighting spirit, stared at Lu Chenzhou like a mother tiger.

"Would Martial Friend Lu like to rest?"

"No need? How about you?"

"I don’t need it either, come fight!"

Bai Shanh’s momentum surged like a rainbow, with a vast qi-blood of over seventy thousand instantly manifesting, transforming behind her into an elegant and cold hundred-zhang White Tiger Outer Appearance, clad in silver armor!

The Great Grandmaster’s Po is [Outer Appearance].

After the Heavenly King, it is collectively referred to as [Dharma Form].

She took a step forward, human and tiger as one, like a breeze disappearing in front of Lu Chenzhou, and when she reappeared, her jade-like tiger-shaped claws were striking towards the back of Lu Chenzhou’s neck, the blood-filled mouth of the White Tiger Outer Appearance also snapped over.

It is indeed the Mountain Lord Inquiry! Since it was a Tiger Form Fist clash, Lu Chenzhou did not use other extraordinary means to overwhelm this woman. However, he shifted his form, disappeared with Shrinking Ground into Inches, and the jade claws missed their target.

Her gaze sharpened; with one glance, she could tell that Lu Chenzhou’s "Mountain Lord Inquiry Fist" had also reached Perfection.

How long had he been cultivating? She spent sixty years in arduous training from a young woman to an old granny to reach Perfection!

Is this the gap in innate talent?

Truly cruel!

Both had Perfect Level "Mountain Lord Inquiry Fist," and although Bai Shanh’s qi-blood was higher, Lu Chenzhou’s level of Dao was higher, and for a moment, they were unable to break each other’s moves.

Primarily because Lu Chenzhou was intent on exchanging Tiger Form insights. Otherwise, if he used the Immortal Armor, the battle would have ended immediately. In the journey of three people, there must be a teacher; Wan Tiangong was weaker, but it didn’t prevent Lu Chenzhou from gaining enlightenment on the Chaos Dao from him, and hence achieving Unity of Heaven and Man.

His endurance was immense, and in the blink of an eye, he had exchanged hundreds of blows with Bai Shanh, leaving the lady in utter distress.

She knew Lu Chenzhou’s endurance was astonishing.

If it came down to this, she would undoubtedly lose!

"Forget it, let me try the move I’ve just comprehended. I’ve spent thirty years on it!"

Bai Shanh suddenly changed her "Mountain Lord Inquiry Fist" technique. After executing "Mountain Lord Sealing God," the muscles in her arms suddenly swelled, almost bursting her training clothes.

The tips of her five fingers shimmered with strands of Dao Yun, and she and the White Tiger swung their claws together.

The impenetrable fist force was brutally torn apart. With a sharp pain in his chest, Lu Chenzhou was astonished to find five deep blood marks appearing on his bones. The mysterious light clinging to them was still preventing the wounds from healing. He initially thought it was a trivial trial, not expecting to encounter someone who could injure him, which was a pleasant surprise.

Lu Chenzhou couldn’t help but transmit to Bai Shanh.

"Fellow Daoist, what kind of Dao is this?"

"I don’t know either, I named it [Rupture]. It should belong to the Space Dao, able to bypass many defenses and directly affect the opponent’s body. Essentially, I used the fist technique to disturb the space on your chest, cutting it apart; your flesh was just collateral."

Bai Shanh did not keep it to herself, perhaps because Lu Chenzhou’s desire for knowledge was too strong, activating her long-standing teacher’s instinct, and she couldn’t help but explain.

Lu Chenzhou’s expression was sincere.

"Thank you!"

This trip was worthwhile.

He carefully felt the Dao Yun within it, believing that if integrated into his martial arts, it would undoubtedly be very useful.

He ignored the wound and charged forward.

"Continue, White Fellow Daoist!"

Regardless, he wanted to comprehend this Dao.

Bai Shanh frowned:

"You’re injured and still want to continue? Your strength isn’t limited to this; there’s no need to keep letting me win."

"Such a minor injury is not worth mentioning."

"Very well."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A white and black figure twisted and turned among the mountains, the Boundary Tiger and White Tiger Outer Appearance clashing together.

On the platform.

The Heavenly Kings were speechless.

For a moment, they couldn’t understand Lu Chenzhou’s intention. With their vision, they could see Lu Chenzhou should have absolute strength to win the match.

Only Li Jin seemed to understand.

"This kid is too eager to improve. He must be trying to learn from Bai Shanh’s move, deliberately holding back."

He could see that in Lu Chenzhou’s spear skills over the years, there were shadows of other geniuses and even enemies.

As the old king put it, Lu Chenzhou’s learning ability is terrifying; even the Dragon King may not match him.

He always managed to progress rapidly in combat!

Gradually, the other Heavenly Kings also saw it.

"This kid is actually mimicking Bai Shanh’s move. This move is indeed ingenious; it directly targets the essence of space, ignoring many defenses, even more powerful than penetration."

"Yes, penetration, in the end, is about focusing on a point, breaking the surface with force. But Bai Shanh’s move ignores many defenses. In theory, even a Great Grandmaster can penetrate the Demon Emperor’s Demon Energy Barrier and directly affect the body. These young people are truly impressive."

"Lu Chenzhou wants to learn in one fight what others might comprehend over years or even decades? Impossible!"

The old Heavenly Kings were not optimistic; reaching their level, none were ordinary, each possessed exceptional insight, but even after watching for so long, they hadn’t grasped the essence of Bai Shanh’s move. Learning it would take hundreds of fights, continuous study.

The next moment, the eyes of the Heavenly Kings widened. They saw Lu Chenzhou raise his fingertip, surrounded by swirling mysterious light. He gently pointed into the void, where Bai Shanh’s slapped right palm, a bizarre... vortex of flesh appeared out of nowhere.