After Ye Ling successfully took Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian as temporary disciples, he directly carved out a portion of the space-time in the Extreme Martial Domain, severing its temporal flow from the rest of the domain, and then placed Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian within it.
However, unlike teaching Bai Lan, Ye Ling did not impart any of his own ultimate techniques to Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian. Instead, he continuously created powerful enemies for them, subjecting them to endless battles.
The path of martial arts is not about theoretical discussions; everything must be proven through practical combat.
For Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian at their current stage, both had ample room for improvement, and practical combat was the fastest way for them to progress.
Only after they had comprehended certain principles through combat and summarized the most efficient fighting methods would Ye Ling continue to upgrade their training, guiding them to grasp higher levels of martial arts.
Yet, Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian were not unique geniuses like Bai Lan, nor had they inherited much of the Original Martial King's talent. With practical combat alone... Ye Ling had each of them fight for a hundred years.
Within this independent space-time, Ye Ling deliberately froze Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian's perception of time, blurred their awareness of its passage, and used the original text to keep them constantly excited.
Therefore, during these one hundred years of continuous combat, both of them only felt as if they had been fighting for three days and three nights, immensely satisfying and exhilarating.
"It seems I must retract my previous statement. The talent of these two is quite poor. A hundred years of cultivation has only matched Bai Lan's progress in three days… Is the gap between people truly that vast?" Ye Ling muttered to himself as he watched Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian's battles from afar. Da Feng Novel Network
Although Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian had improved significantly from a hundred years ago, their actual combat power having increased more than tenfold, Ye Ling's standards had been greatly elevated after teaching Bai Lan.
Even though Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian were considered geniuses among geniuses, in Ye Ling's eyes, they were still incredibly slow-witted.
However, in this independent space-time carved out by Ye Ling, time was the least of their concerns, and Ye Ling possessed sufficient patience to wait for Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian's transformation.
Over the next few hundred years, to accelerate their progress, Ye Ling no longer solely relied on practical combat for Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian. Instead, he personally engaged them, having Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian fight him together. During these battles, he would correct their mistakes and guide their improvement.
While Ye Ling was teaching Bai Xiao Sheng and Qi Xian, the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering commenced as scheduled.
However, due to the destruction of Cang Yue City from the battle between Qi Xian and Feng Ming, the venue for the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering was relocated to a plain on the border of the Wu Dynasty and the Ling Dynasty.
Perhaps sensing a threat from the Original Martial King, this Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering was unprecedentedly grand, with many top dynasties sending their peerless experts to participate.
Peerless experts from various countries gathered at this location, preparing to engage in friendly combat and vie for the title of "Number One Under Heaven."
On this plain, a hundred temporary arenas were erected. Among the tens of thousands of martial artists gathered here, any random individual plucked out would be on par with Lu You, the Sword Saint of the Wu Dynasty.
It was precisely because of the overwhelming number of masters present that Lu You, the Sword Saint representing the Wu Dynasty, and Ci Bei Ke Fang Si Ming, began to doubt their own lives, feeling the urge to withdraw from the competition.
Bai Lan, disguised as the Cang Mo Swordsman, saw the dejected state of Lu You and Fang Si Ming and exclaimed, "You two need to get excited! We currently represent the martial world of the Wu Dynasty. Don't let people from other countries look down on our Wu Dynasty martial world!"
Lu You, with his white hair and immortal demeanor, smiled wryly at Bai Lan. "Brother King, this Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering is unprecedentedly grand. It's my first time seeing so many masters..."
"Such a magnificent spectacle, I should be excited. Yet, when I realized that a street vendor selling water has more profound inner energy than me, I'm no longer sure if I can even pass the preliminary rounds."
Fang Si Ming, clad in black and wearing a Shura mask, added, "I have always taken pride in my assassination techniques. Even against Lu You, I can kill him with a single blow, to be blunt... But here, the number of people I can assassinate through stealth is less than ten percent."
"And my direct combat ability is inherently weak. In a tournament format like this, my combat power is practically at the bottom."
"Based on my experience, our participation would only be self-humiliation. Withdrawing might preserve some of our dignity."
Lu You nodded. "I agree with Brother Fang's suggestion. Today, I have witnessed that there are always people better than you, and heavens beyond heavens... Even though we are unmatched in the Wu Dynasty, we are still too weak in the Extreme Martial Domain. It's no wonder my master went into seclusion and practiced diligently after returning from the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering. Only today do I understand my master's actions."
"You two, you must have some confidence in yourselves! Pull yourselves together! We're not as weak as you think!" Bai Lan panicked as both Lu You and Fang Si Ming seemed intent on withdrawing, and quickly tried to persuade them.
If it were a normal competition, she wouldn't have cared whether Lu You and Fang Si Ming withdrew or not.
However, this year's Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering, due to the overwhelming number of masters, had temporarily changed the elimination round rules to improve efficiency. Each dynasty would compete as a team, with a minimum of three participants.
Nations with fewer than three participants would not even qualify.
Bai Lan had already confidently assured Ye Ling that she would bring back a first-place title. If she couldn't even pass the elimination rounds, she would have no face to see him.
Lu You advised Bai Lan, "Brother King, I know you're unwilling, but one must face reality... In the Wu Dynasty, you are merely a rising star in the martial world. Even though you've accomplished a few major feats, you still fall short compared to us veterans, let alone the peerless experts from other dynasties."
"Let's give up and return to cultivate diligently. It's not too late to come back for the next session."
Fang Si Ming also said, "I heard that the Ten Thousand Dynasties Martial Gathering does not have a 'tap out' rule. If you are inferior to others on the stage, having your martial arts crippled is a minor matter. If you are killed, no one will seek justice for you. Wang Li Ren, I sincerely advise you not to let desire cloud your judgment."
"You two... you are determined to withdraw, aren't you?" Bai Lan asked, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, seeing that Lu You and Fang Si Ming were unmovable.
She began to ponder what her master would do if he encountered such a situation.
Lu You said, "Brother King, this is for your own good. Let's together... Brother King?"
*Boom!!!*
Mid-sentence, Lu You felt an overwhelming killing intent engulf him. His expression changed drastically, and he looked at Bai Lan in shock.
"If you dare to withdraw..."
Bai Lan's eyes gleamed with ferocity, her killing intent locked onto Lu You and Fang Si Ming. "When we return, I will personally pay visits to your Sheng Wu Sect and Ci Bei Lou."
"At that time, driven by anger, I cannot guarantee that I won't do something irrational!"
Having said that, Bai Lan's killing intent dissipated. She bared her white teeth and asked Lu You and Fang Si Ming with a smile, "So, shall we all regain our confidence, work together, and compete well?"
As Bai Lan's killing intent subsided, Lu You and Fang Si Ming were startled to realize that their inner garments were soaked with sweat.
Just moments ago, under the immersion of Bai Lan's killing intent, they had truly felt as if they were on the verge of death!
Cang Mo Swordsman Wang Li Ren...
His strength was far superior to theirs!
The two exchanged glances, and finally bowed to Bai Lan. "We... will participate."