Chapter 332: Immortal Dao Is Eternal, but Not Your Eternity

Chapter 332: Immortal Dao Is Eternal, But Not Your Eternity

The martial arts tournament continued.

Soon, it was Qi Yuan's turn.

"Contestant No. 06, Qi Yuan... take the stage."

With that announcement, Qi Yuan stepped onto the arena.

In the box, the Canary quickly waved her little fists, holding a glow stick in one hand, cheering with joy.

"Qi Yuan, go for it!"

At that moment, the Canary became Qi Yuan's cheerleader.

Xu Tiehua, who had just left the arena, suddenly tensed up, watching Qi Yuan intently.

To be honest, he had only regarded Qi Yuan as a fellow student at the martial arts school, with no thought of comparing himself to him.

But now, Qi Yuan had entered the national tournament through a special channel, naturally making Xu Tiehua take him more seriously.

He wanted to understand what made him so special.

The strong disdain to compare with the weak, but if they are on the same level, the desire to compete becomes intense.

"Xing Yu, who do you think will win this match?" Xu Tiehua asked.

Xing Yu glanced seriously at the arena: "Qi Yuan's opponent is Xie Heng, the 'Rushing Hand.' He once made it into the top hundred of the national tournament and is not far from the martial limit. His chances of winning are high."

Xing Yu analyzed rationally.

Wang Shiqiao shook his head: "Qi Yuan will win."

With the head count, Qi Yuan wins.

No need to think about it.

"Haha, your opinions rarely differ.

Never mind, let's just sit tight; it'll probably be over in a few minutes..."

Xu Tiehua's words came to an abrupt halt; the orange in his hand fell to the ground, and his eyes showed shock.

At that moment, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

At the same time, an electronic voice rang out.

"Contestant No. 06... Qi Yuan wins!"

"It was an instant kill!" Xu Tiehua was utterly shocked.

Wang Shiqiao's body stiffened slightly, a fanatical expression on his face.

Indeed... it must be him.

A sense of defeat welled up in Xu Tiehua's heart: "Such strength must be the martial limit!

How young is he? He's only been training in martial arts for... a few months, and he's already at the martial limit.

The gap between people... how can it be so vast?"

Qi Yuan's victory was certainly joyful.

But seeing Qi Yuan so strong was even more disheartening than being eliminated in the first round himself.

He had trained in martial arts for so long, yet only barely touched the threshold of the national tournament.

And now, Qi Yuan, in less than three months, had left him far behind.

Seeing this, Xing Yu's expression also softened, but she still smiled and said, "Senior Xu, if your martial arts results aren't going well, you can just go back and inherit your vast wealth and noble title.

That is something... even the champion of the martial arts tournament cannot compare."

A look of envy appeared in Xing Yu's eyes.

The champion of the martial arts tournament, in her view, was nothing more than a big-time internet celebrity.

It would probably take a long time to monetize that honor and accumulate a fortune of hundreds of millions.

And as for a fortune of hundreds of millions, both she and Xu Tiehua already had it.

Xu Tiehua even had a noble title that almost all people of Great Qin coveted.

Hearing Xing Yu's words, Xu Tiehua breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better, but he still said, "Without relying on family background, I am far inferior to Qi Yuan."

"Isn't family background also a manifestation of strength?" Xing Yu said beside him.

For some people, the starting line is the finish line that many cannot reach even after a lifetime of effort.

The subsequent martial arts tournament was quite dull.

Without the trash-talking segment, everyone was very restrained.

Even when knocked down on the arena, they dared not utter harsh words.

At most, they would say a harmless 'I'll be back.'

Anyway, this edition of the martial arts tournament was the most civilized.

However, the intensity of the matches was not weak; many instant kills occurred.

Especially Zhang Yang, who achieved instant kills against all his opponents.

Qi Yuan also did the same, easily achieving instant kills.

Soon, the second day of the martial arts tournament matches arrived.

However, this time... unusually, twenty-one contestants entered the finals.

With pair matches, this meant that one person would inevitably get a bye.

At this moment, everyone's attention was on the draw.

Qi Yuan also looked expectant: "My luck has always been good. How about giving me a bye?"

The numbers on the big screen were still spinning.

The Canary smiled lightly: "Isn't your robot Zero One best at hacking? Have it secretly tamper with it, and everything will be fine."

"Cheating is bad, immoral, but well, you've reminded me of something." Qi Yuan said thoughtfully.

Back in the Flowing Wind Realm, he used to threaten the Heavenly Dao every day for no reason.

In the end, the threats succeeded.

Now, he also wanted a bye.

So... should he continue threatening the Heavenly Dao?

"Hey, you up in the sky, don't you want to say thank you to me?

After all, I've made many contributions to the civilization and harmony of your world. Can't you open a backdoor for me?" Qi Yuan said softly to the sky.

The Canary smiled: "Asking the Heavenly Dao for a backdoor—isn't that also cheating?"

"No, it's different." Qi Yuan turned his head.

This wasn't him cheating; it was merely the Heavenly Dao grateful to him, repaying his kindness.

To repay Xu Xian’s kindness, even the White Snake offered her own hand in marriage.

What was so wrong with the Heavenly Dao granting him a little back-door privilege?

At that very moment, the numbers flickering upon the screen froze in place.

A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Qi Yuan’s eyes: "As expected, threatening the Heavenly Dao actually works. I... drew a bye.

Alas, it seems that from now on, whenever I have nothing better to do... I ought to threaten it a bit."

Qi Yuan was quite pleased; drawing a bye was far better than taking the stage to fight.

If he threatened it a few more times, perhaps he might just coast his way straight into the grand finals.

To lie back and watch others compete, slacking off while completing game quests—who wouldn't enjoy that?

Having secured a bye in the first round, a second bye naturally followed.

But there would be no bye for the third round.

For only six competitors remained.

Perhaps Qi Yuan’s threats to the Heavenly Dao had indeed borne fruit, as he sat out the first two rounds, only to cross paths with the Northern Crane, Han Xianyun, in the third.

Without a moment's hesitation, Han Xianyun surrendered.

This spectacle drew a collective wave of complaints from the audience.

"Shill!"

"There is absolutely an inside job!"

"That lad’s luck is far too absurd!"

"Not only does he get byes, but his opponent just throws in the towel!"

"That was the Northern Crane, Han Xianyun, for goodness' sake!"

"He must be some second-generation heir here just to experience how the other half lives."

"He is truly handsome; I desperately want to bear his children."

"Hey, brother, mind your manners. In broad daylight and public view, don't go spilling your seed where you sit."

By now, Zhang Yang had just concluded his own battle, his gaze sharp and piercing as it fell upon the private box where Qi Yuan resided, burning with an intense will to fight.

He returned to his own box to rest, for in one short hour, the final showdown would commence.

The rules of the ultimate battle were simplicity itself: a three-way melee where the last man standing upon the stage would be crowned champion.

The moment Zhang Yang stepped into his box, staff members immediately gathered to tend to his recovery and care.

"Brother Zhang, congratulations in advance; the championship is bound to be yours this time!" a short man spoke up, his face splitting into a sycophantic grin.

He belonged not to the martial arts circles but hailed from the military compounds, a mere lackey in Zhang Yang's shadow.

"It will be somewhat difficult; Qi Yuan's strength... is somewhat unfathomable. I even have a premonition that given another six months, he might just shatter the very limits of martial arts!" a burly martial artist interjected, his voice heavy with solemnity.

He had witnessed Qi Yuan in action, executing instant kills with effortless ease even when facing those at the absolute peak of martial prowess.

To reach such a degree was something even Zhang Yang would find hard to replicate.

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes, remaining silent.

The short man spoke up once more, "Hmph, even if that brat should somehow stumble into the championship, what use would it be?

Heheh, a while back, the test he passed did indeed catch the eyes of quite a few grand figures within the Martial Arts Alliance.

Those big shots were all treating him like the next Luo Bufan, the very hope of breaking past the martial arts frontier.

But look at things now... heheh, haven't they already cast him aside? Lately, haven't they been running over to Brother Zhang's side non-stop?"

The short man’s tone was dripping with smug satisfaction.

He was speaking the truth.

The display of Qi Yuan's formidable might and talent had initially sent shockwaves through the inner echelons of the Martial Arts Alliance. Yet, that tremor did not last long.

As rumors spread like wildfire, the top brass of the alliance had all caught wind of the path of immortal cultivation.

If one could cultivate immortality, who would still bother practicing mortal martial arts?

Even if one broke through the limits of martial arts, could they truly best a genetic soldier?

What on earth was the point of practicing then?

Consequently, those high-ranking figures had spent the past days hovering entirely around Zhang Yang.

After all, Zhang Yang’s family possessed an immortal destiny.

Hearing the short man's words, a trace of melancholy flickered through the burly martial artist’s eyes, though he soon chimed in, "Indeed. Even if that Qi Yuan claims victory at this tournament, the future still belongs to Brother Zhang.

The Immortal Path... is the only true Great Path."

"Hmph, the future belongs to me, and the present shall surely be mine as well. This tournament's championship is something I must possess!" A sharp, cutting edge gleamed within Zhang Yang's eyes.

The look he cast toward Qi Yuan’s distant box carried a subtle hint of murderous intent.

This martial arts tournament would end with slaughter, end with the crown, serving as a sacrificial elegy for a fading era of martial arts.

In the days to come, there would be no Zhang Yang, the sovereign of martial arts, but rather Zhang Yang, the sovereign of immortal cultivation!

He, Zhang Yang, would not only stand at the zenith of martial arts but would also ascend to the pinnacle of the immortal path.

...

Inside the private box.

Qi Yuan’s expression was entirely serene.

"The zenith of martial arts is far too cold and utterly boring; it is better to be unhinged in martial arts.

Ever since I obtained my mental illness certificate, I have acted more and more as I please. So I say, it is better to be a bit unhinged."

"Agreed. It wouldn't do for you to be too proper either," the Canary murmured, nodding vigorously as something crossed her mind.

She certainly had no desire to return to the days of staring at a blood bead that did nothing but gaze blankly at a door all day long.

She preferred the current version of him, the blood bead whose eyes were filled entirely with her.

Furthermore, she had binge-watched a great many dramas lately.

The male protagonists in those shows would abandon their wives, desert their children, and completely disregard their families all in the pursuit of the great path in their hearts.

Some, despite attaining longevity and possessing the means to elevate their entire households to the heavens, insisted on watching their loved ones grow old and wither away, only to sigh profoundly that a carefree life tinged with regret was the truest form of freedom.

The Canary harbored no fondness for such protagonists.

She did not wish to be the one abandoned; she wished to be the one remaining by his side.

"I have always been a very proper person, alas... I am feeling a bit anxious now. Could I have developed championship anxiety?" As Qi Yuan spoke, he began to sink into a melancholic funk.

"Hmm?" The Canary looked at him, bewildered.

"If I actually win the championship, won't I become a celebrity?

To be perfectly honest, I have never been a celebrity before."

Naturally, the Blood-Robed Sword God did not count.

The Blood-Robe Sword God's fame was great, but he never showed his face.

Qi Yuan, socially anxious, was fine being a faceless avatar, but showing his face as a celebrity, an influencer, was a first—rarely nervous.

"From now on, when I walk the streets, will people ask for autographs, want photos, secretly snap me?

That would be so mortifying—I don't want to lose privacy in my life.

Ah, Canary, tell me, how much should I sell an autograph for?" Today's Qi Yuan was a hardworking Qi Yuan.

Canary: "..."

"What if someone curses me online?" Qi Yuan asked again, worried.

Canary smiled calmly: "Ning Tao will handle it—anyone who speaks ill of Blood Beads will be slaughtered!"

"It feels good to have someone watching over me."

Qi Yuan glanced at Canary, his voice suddenly turning solemn and tragic.

"The finals have begun, and I am about to start my journey.

The wind blows bleakly, the Yi River cold; Qi Yuan goes forth, to return with the cup!"

"Go, Blood Beads! I await your safe return!" Canary was rarely so gentle.

The national finals of the Martial Arts Tournament finally drew to a close curtain.

A hundred breaths later, on the arena, three figures stood at three corners.

Qi Yuan stood in the north, his posture straight, his face calm.

Zhang Yang stood in the south, his eyes blazing with sharp light, faintly revealing a hint of killing intent.

The last one, his face extremely pale, wore a helpless expression.

He looked at the referee: "This battle... I concede."

He conceded directly.

The previous round had drained too much of his energy, and even his injuries had not healed.

He had thought that Qi Yuan and Zhang Yang would be like him.

His friends' descriptions of these two must have been exaggerated.

Who would have thought these two were truly unharmed.

Zhang Yang looked at Qi Yuan, his eyes surging with battle intent: "You're not bad—worthy to be my martial opponent!"

Of course, only in martial arts, Zhang Yang added in his heart.

"I am quite good, but you're a bit lacking," Qi Yuan said, looking at Zhang Yang without any battle intent. "But then again... I like games of this difficulty—easy to clear."

If the path of the Human Dao Martial Lord and Spirit Dao Martial Lord always met opponents like this, Qi Yuan would be overjoyed.

Zhang Yang looked down his nose at him: "Your martial talent is indeed strong, but... in my eyes, it's nothing much.

You have no idea how terrifying your opponent truly is.

Today, I will crush your pride and make you understand what a true strongman is!"

Zhang Yang let out a roar, like a thunderclap exploding.

With his voice, his clothes shattered into strips.

This highly visual scene immediately drew cheers from the entire audience.

"This is... one step away from breaking the martial limit!"

"Zhang Yang is actually this powerful!"

"Too strong!"

All knowledgeable martial artists couldn't help but exclaim.

Even those at the martial limit felt they were no match for Zhang Yang in a single exchange.

"Qi Yuan... is in danger!" Xu Tiehua was anxious inside.

Though he couldn't bear to see his brother drive a luxury car, he wouldn't curse his brother's misfortune either.

Wang Shiqiao said calmly: "Not enough yet."

She looked at the others cheering for Zhang Yang, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.

She had the arrogance of one sober amid a drunken world.

How could Qi Yuan's strength compare to Zhang Yang's?

Could Zhang Yang destroy an army camp with one sword?

Sure enough, from the arena came Qi Yuan's contemptuous voice.

"Is this all you've got?"

Qi Yuan stepped forward, a powerful pressure sweeping over.

Zhang Yang's aura suddenly waned.

His eyes revealed a trace of shock: "This is... Blood Essence?"

A powerful martial artist can overwhelm others with spirit, energy, and presence.

Clearly, Qi Yuan had gone further on the martial path than he had.

At this moment, a sense of defeat arose in Zhang Yang's heart.

He had never lost so miserably before.

But soon, this defeat turned into madness.

"What use is your martial talent? Now... the times have changed!

You can be buried along with martial arts!"

Driven by jealousy, Zhang Yang grew more frenzied, wanting only to destroy the man before him.

At that moment, suddenly, a ball of flame burst forth from the center of his palm.

The entire audience gasped and erupted, filled with deep confusion.

"Immortal Dao... Eternal!"

At this moment, Zhang Yang finally unleashed the power of the Immortal Dao—his ultimate trump card.

"Immortal Dao Eternal is not your eternity."

A resolute look flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes.

"Why need Immortal Dao? I am invincible on my own!"

He threw a punch directly.

The powerful blood-martial aura boiled at that moment.

"You really should see... what martial arts truly is!"

One punch struck—all things born, the four wilds silenced!

Zhang Yang's smile froze, and at that moment his body burst apart, dissolving into a mist of blood.

The entire arena was stunned into silence.

On the stage, Qi Yuan drew a deep breath: "What a thoroughly exhilarating final battle!"

The performance was splendid, sure to win many fans.

(End of this chapter)