Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

The audience was completely silent!
Everyone stared at Zhou Ling with astonishment and disbelief.

If Zhou Ling's use of the Purple Cloud Emperor's Appearance was already quite shocking...

That would allow them to easily break through Tao Yue's water curtain ripple formation with the help of the sword formation, which would be a deterrent.

This gave them the feeling that a Nascent Soul cultivator was dealing with a Golden Core cultivator with ease.

It could even be said to be effortless.

No one expected that this prodigy from the Qingyang Immortal Realm would be so terrifying.

One Purple Heaven Emperor's Appearance directly defeated Du Huan.

Without any rest, he directly broke through Tao Yue's fourth-order mid-grade magic array.

With such strength, it's no wonder he's ranked first on the list of prodigies.

Yan Yutian also frowned slightly. His expression, which had been relaxed, became serious at this moment.

Whether Zhou Ling used the Purple Heaven Emperor's Appearance or the Five Phases Sword Formation, he displayed extremely terrifying power.

Mastering any one of them would allow him to secure a place on the list of prodigies.

What is most shocking is that this person remained calm and composed after defeating Du Huan and Tao Yue in succession.

It's completely impossible to tell its depth.

It gives people an unparalleled sense of power and pressure.

He is already feeling a lot of pressure.

Not only him, but Feng Lan also frowned slightly.

I originally thought that even if Tao Yue won this battle, it would be an unfair victory.

But unexpectedly, the defeat was so complete.

They had absolutely no power to retaliate.

It seems that Zhou Ling's ability to kill a fifth-tier demon king wasn't solely due to the warships of the Five Spirits Immortal City.

Their own strength should not be underestimated.

Zhou Ling's ability to become the number one on the Prodigy Ranking indicates that his personal strength is definitely not low.

Tao Yue, who struggled to his feet, looked at Zhou Ling with disbelief on his face.

At this moment, he still couldn't understand why his invincible Water Curtain Ripple Formation seemed so vulnerable when it encountered Zhou Ling.

Those sword energies seemed to pierce through the water curtain with ease, recklessly breaking through the defenses.

As he felt the array plate, his face turned ashen.

The fourth-tier mid-grade array plate is already 30% damaged, and it will take quite a while to repair it.

This also shows how terrifying the Five Elements Sword Formation of Zhou Ling was.

He even had a feeling that if it weren't for the competition, Zhou Ling could kill him at any time.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

What kind of monster have I provoked?

"What, you're still not convinced?"

Seeing Tao Yue's uncertain expression, Zhou Ling spoke coldly and warmly.

He'll break through any number of these fools who try to defeat him using formations.

Since magic arrays are created by cultivators, they must have certain weaknesses.

With the help of [Intermediate Analysis], I was able to see the flaws in the fifth-order magic array.

Therefore, they naturally have no fear.

Looking at Zhou Ling, Tao Yue didn't say anything more. His expression was quite dejected. He took out a jade token, handed it to Zhou Ling, and said helplessly, "There are two thousand military merits inside!"

Although he was furious, he knew he was no match for Zhou Ling.

Naturally, they dared not provoke him again. If they set up another magic array and he broke through it, it would be dangerous.

Zhou Ling accepted the jade token with a joyful expression and put it into his pocket. Then, his gaze couldn't help but fall on Feng Lan below the competition stage, whose expression seemed to be quite indignant on Tao Yue's behalf.

In his opinion, the two women should both be part of Tao Yue's group, and he then smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Feng, are you interested in having another match?"

"Those two guys were too weak; they weren't even warming up."

He planned to see if he could earn some more military merits from Feng Lan.

Earning two thousand military merits so easily is just too easy.

It feels a bit addictive.

Now he's hoping more talented individuals will challenge him.

"hiss!"

"hiss!"

"hiss!"

Upon hearing Zhou Ling's words, the cultivators present couldn't help but gasp.

Two cultivators who were ranked in the top ten of the Prodigy Ranking were actually spoken of so poorly by him.

This isn't even a warm-up; it's like killing someone by attacking their spirit!

This will make it impossible for Du Huan and Tao Yue to survive in Tianxia Immortal City in the future.

How can they still have the face to call themselves geniuses?
Moreover, after two battles, they will continue to challenge Feng Lan, who is ranked third and has already entered the fourth realm of swordsmanship.

That's incredibly arrogant.

However, considering that Zhou Ling is ranked first on the list of geniuses.

Having just defeated Du Huan and Tao Yue in succession, he might actually have that kind of strength.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I must admit that I underestimated you!"

"However, if you're interested, I'm happy to oblige, but not now!"

Looking at Zhou Ling, Feng Lan's clear eyes revealed a deep look as she spoke softly.

From Zhou Ling's sword strike just now, she could tell that Zhou Ling had already entered the fourth realm of swordsmanship.

Moreover, it is an extremely rare Five Elements Sword Dao.

That's definitely not a small amount of strength.

She was also very interested in giving it a try.

However, given her personality, she naturally wouldn't want to take advantage of Zhou Ling under these circumstances.

"Once you get through today, I won't be playing along anymore!"

Zhou Ling shook his head and then ignored Feng Lan.

He jumped off the competition platform.

"Brother Zhou, I admire you to the core!"

Qi Jianzhi immediately came over and greeted Zhou Ling with a big smile.

Zhou Ling's terrifying combat power had completely exceeded his expectations.

With his cooperation, my chances of passing this trial are absolutely secure.

He then handed him a jade token and said with a smile, "This is Du Huan's one thousand military merits!"

"Thank you, Brother Qi!"

"I'll repay you your five hundred military merits later!"

Zhou Ling took the jade token and said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Du Huan and Tao Yue had already slunk into the main hall.

"Let's go, let's go register too!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

The important thing is to report for duty today.

The contest with Du Huan and his group was just an unexpected interlude.

The two then walked into the main hall together with Dean Gong.

Dean Gong remained calm throughout. Based on her understanding of Zhou Ling, she knew that these peerless geniuses would find it difficult to defeat him.

That's almost impossible.

So there's nothing to worry about.

Many other cultivators along the way greeted Zhou Ling with great respect.

This was somewhat unexpected for Zhou Ling.

The original intention was to teach Du Huan and his men a lesson and earn some military merits along the way.

Unexpectedly, this earned the complete trust of the cultivators heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

He also politely returned the greetings with clasped hands.

His consistent approach is to be kind to others and make many friends, which naturally makes life easier.

As for provocative people like Du Huan, they certainly cannot be tolerated, unless it were a sacred place of the Dao Court.

In full view of everyone, he crippled both of them.

If you dare to step forward and provoke others, then you must be prepared to pay the price.

Soon, the three entered the main hall.

The main hall was also furnished with rows of prayer mats, and dozens of cultivators were already sitting on them.

Zhou Ling and the other two also sat down on three futons on the right side.

"Brother Zhou, according to my information, there will be two Nascent Soul cultivators leading the team to the Sword Qi Great Wall for this trial!"

At this moment, Qi Jianzhi whispered to Zhou Ling, "There's a Nascent Soul cultivator leading the team!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes.

Not only were there Nascent Soul cultivators leading the team, but there were also two of them.

This clearly demonstrates the importance the Dao Alliance attaches to this trial.

It is also necessary to ensure the safety of the disciples undergoing the trial.

After all, being able to enter the list of geniuses means being selected from hundreds of thousands of cultivators.

It's extremely difficult, but we still need to ensure sufficient safety.

"Usually, it was always one person leading the team, but I don't know why there are two this time!"

Qi Jianzhi smiled at Zhou Ling.

He paused, then added, "Perhaps it's because they're placing even greater emphasis on this prodigy!"

Zhou Ling nodded.

In his view, it would be best to have a Nascent Soul cultivator leading the team, but it wouldn't matter if they didn't.

After all, it's a trial at the Sword Qi Great Wall, so risks are inevitable.

If there were no risks, the trials would be meaningless.

While they were chatting, cultivators began to enter the main hall one after another.

Inside the main hall, two or three hundred monks sat on the prayer mats.

Most of them were stationed at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Those who participate in the Trial of the Prodigies are the top thirty cultivators on the Prodigies Ranking.

Soon after, two astonishingly powerful and robust cultivators entered the main hall.

The cultivators who had been discussing quietly all fell silent.

Upon seeing the two of them, Zhou Ling couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators leading the team were actually old acquaintances of Zhou Ling.

The man in front of him was his senior colleague, Chen Zhenglei from the Inspection Division.

The other person was also an acquaintance, Liu Zhengjia from the Zixiao Sect.

Liu Polei's third uncle.

Upon seeing Liu Zhengjia, Zhou Ling frowned.

If this person is leading the team, that would be a real problem.

The Lingxiao Sect and the Zixiao Sect have now completely broken off relations.

The people of the Zixiao Sect were hoping that their Lingxiao Sect Master would get into trouble as soon as possible.

Especially the cultivators from the Liu family.

Fortunately, the other person was Chen Zhenglei. With him there, Liu Zhengjia probably wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"It was actually my uncle who was leading the team!"

Upon seeing Chen Zhenglei, Qi Jianzhi couldn't help but show a look of joy.

As the two walked up to the main platform of the hall, Chen Zhenglei glanced at everyone and said solemnly, "This time, Liu Zhizheng and I will lead the team to the Sword Qi Great Wall."

“The cultivators who are going to the garrison can leave first after registering. They will meet at Qingyu Square three days later at 11:00 AM.”

"The cultivators who went to the trial will stay behind and be divided into teams!"

After he finished speaking, the cultivators who went to the Sword Qi Great Wall to participate in the garrison took out their identity jade tokens.

Inside the main hall, a ripple of blue light flickered, sensing the aura of the jade tablet.

After registering their information, the monks stationed there left the main hall one after another.

"Dean Gong, please wait outside for a while. We'll be staying at Lingxiao Courtyard for the next few days!"

Zhou Ling said to Dean Gong.

Dean Gong nodded, then got up and left the main hall.

Before long, only thirty cultivators from the Heavenly Pride Ranking and two Nascent Soul cultivators remained in the main hall.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators naturally saw Zhou Ling as well.

Chen Zhenglei remained calm.

Liu Zhengjia glanced at Zhou Ling, then ignored him.

"Alright, you are all cultivators on the Prodigy Ranking who are participating in this trial."

"Let me briefly explain the situation of this trial to you!"

Chen Zhenglei continued, his gaze sweeping over the twenty cultivators.

"There are no rules for this trial. The main thing is to deal with the alien races. The cultivator who kills the most alien races will get the most points."

"As for the situation of the alien races, they will be converted into different points according to their different ranks."

"When you receive the jade token, you can earn points by dripping the essence blood of the alien race you killed into the jade token."

"And your ranking based on the points you earned in this trial will also appear inside the jade tablet."

"Of course, alien races are not easy to deal with."

"Therefore, once you reach the Sword Qi Great Wall, you must follow the instructions."

After a slight pause, seeing that everyone was listening attentively, Chen Zhenglei continued, "Alright, let's start dividing into teams now."

"This time, you thirty people will be divided into two teams. One team will be led by me, and the other team will be led by Liu Zhizheng."

"Those on my team are on the left, and those on Liu Zhizheng's team are on the right."

As the sound faded, Tao Yue and the others took the lead and walked towards Liu Zhengjia's right.

Tao Yue's family had a good relationship with the Liu family, so it was safer for them to stay with Liu Zhengjia.

Zhou Ling and Qi Jianzhi headed in the direction of Chen Zhenglei.

Seeing Zhou Ling walk towards Chen Zhenglei, several others immediately followed.

However, Yan Yutian, Feng Lan, and others were all on Liu Zhengjia's side.

Of the thirty people, eighteen went to Liu Zhengjia's side.

Seven of them are among the top ten on the list of prodigies.

Of course, the main reason is that everyone saw Yan Yutian and Feng Lan and stood over there.

After all, among these prodigies, the two of them are more highly regarded.

Although Zhou Ling had just decisively defeated Du Huan and Tao Yue, many people still chose Yan Yutian and his group.

Of course, a few people also chose to team up with Zhou Ling and his group.

These thirty individuals, who have become the cream of the crop, are naturally exceptionally capable.

Each of them has their own perspective, and it's impossible for one to simply follow Yan Yutian's lead.

It was simply because we were heading to the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Therefore, following a cultivator with greater strength naturally provides greater security.

"Chen Zhizheng, there are eighteen of us on my side. It seems that our city patrol division is destined to win this trial!"

Seeing this, Liu Zhengjia laughed and said.

This time, the Dao Alliance leadership specially arranged for two people to lead the teams, each leading one of the trial cultivators.

Let's see which team suffers fewer casualties and gets more points in the end.
This can also be seen as a power struggle between two forces at the highest levels.

"Haha, that's not necessarily true!"

"Going to the Sword Qi Great Wall isn't about having more people; it's not necessarily more useful!"

Chen Zhenglei smiled and said.

He didn't care about this situation.

With Zhou Ling there, he believed that even though their team was outnumbered, they wouldn't be defeated.

Having worked with Zhou Ling twice, no one understood Zhou Ling's role better than him.

"Alright, we'll see!"

Liu Zhengjia laughed heartily, then glanced at Zhou Ling with a meaningful look.

Zhou Ling, however, kept his eyes down and paid no attention to the other person.

"Now that you've divided into teams, go back and make full preparations. Three days from now, we'll head to the Sword Qi Great Wall!"

Then, Chen Zhenglei spoke to everyone.

Then, everyone took their leave one by one.

Zhou Ling and Qi Jianzhi also walked out of the main hall.

Dean Gong was waiting outside.

"Brother Zhou, it's my treat, let's go to the Four Seasons Restaurant for a meal!"

Qi Jianzhi smiled and said to the two of them.

Zhou Ling had no interest in this kind of socializing and was about to refuse.

"My uncle-in-law is going later too, let's go and make a reservation first!"

Qi Jianzhi added.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling nodded.

The three of them then left the main hall. (End of Chapter)