Chapter 1 The Stele Forest
The stele forest on the first level was vast.
This Purple Lightning Sword Stele stood amidst ruins, and the rogue cultivators gathered here were not particularly numerous.
Ling Fan rose and withdrew from beneath this Purple Lightning Sword Stele.
Toad followed behind Ling Fan.
There were also Han Hai, Yang Shili, Lu Benian, and others.
Additionally, many rogue cultivators who failed to comprehend the laws of the Purple Lightning Sword Dao also rose and left, preparing to see if they had a chance to comprehend other sword steles.
Ling Fan paid no mind to these people following him.
He walked through the stele forest, occasionally passing by collapsed stone steles. A strange look appeared in his eyes, and he would pause for some time, as if he could draw power from the laws within these discarded steles.
Toad was already accustomed to this.
Whatever happened to the great boss Ling, it felt natural.
After all, peerless evildoers like boss Ling could not be explained by common sense.
As for the other rogue cultivators, although they didn't know what Ling Fan was doing, they dared not speak out to disturb him.
Soon.
Ling Fan arrived at another stone stele.
The shape of this stone stele was somewhat peculiar.
Thin, long, and piercing straight into the sky, it seemed to be carved from a single piece of rare stone, naturally formed, with no trace of carving.
It was like a pillar reaching the heavens.
Standing there, it exuded a wild and unyielding aura.
And beneath this stele, a group of powerful individuals dressed in the attire of the Ancient Serpent Sect had already occupied it.
Around them were many rogue cultivators, watching eagerly from the periphery of the stone stele, but powerless.
Ling Fan walked over.
Looking at this stone stele that resembled a pillar reaching the heavens, he nodded slightly.
Clearly, Ling Fan was somewhat interested in the laws within this stone stele.
He walked straight towards it.
The rogue cultivators present immediately looked over with curiosity.
"What is he doing?"
"This kid's cultivation is so low. Where did he come from?"
"Doesn't he know this Heaven-Piercing Rod Stele has been occupied by the Ancient Serpent Sect? Unless he's from the Ancient Serpent Sect or recognized by them, he can't go in to cultivate and comprehend. If he goes like this, he'll be killed by the people from the Ancient Serpent Sect. The Ancient Serpent Sect is known for its violent and eccentric temperaments, killing without batting an eye!"
"Hey, hurry up and stop, don't go!"
Some kind-hearted rogue cultivators called out to warn him.
"You guys came with this kid, right? Why don't you try to persuade him? Just watching him go to his death like this."
Seeing that Ling Fan completely ignored their warnings, the rogue cultivators turned to Han Hai, Yang Shili, and the others, hoping they would persuade Ling Fan.
Han Hai and Yang Shili didn't know how to explain.
Should they say that Ling Fan could comprehend the laws on the stele and seize control of it just by looking at it from the periphery?
No one would believe that.
Moreover, they were also a bit uncertain, not having much confidence.
What if Ling Fan only had talent in the sword dao and wasn't skilled in other martial dao laws?
This was also very possible.
After all, were there any omniscient and omnipotent geniuses? Did such people truly exist?
At this moment.
Ling Fan had already approached the stone stele.
And the people from the Ancient Serpent Sect beneath the stele had also noticed Ling Fan.
"Kid, what are you doing? Don't you know this is Ancient Serpent Sect territory? Get lost!"
"Tsk, a waste who hasn't even condensed his core. He's not even qualified to be a dog for our Ancient Serpent Sect. Scram quickly, lest you suffer physical pain."
Some of the powerful figures from the Ancient Serpent Sect immediately snorted disdainfully and berated Ling Fan.
Ling Fan didn't even look at them, treating these people from the Ancient Serpent Sect as if they were air.
This infuriated those from the Ancient Serpent Sect. If it weren't for the prohibition of martial arts on Gu Sheng Cliff, according to their usual style, they would have already attacked and torn this ignorant kid to shreds.
But now, they dared not act rashly.
If they were to act, it could only be by the Golden Serpent Young Master, the true disciple of the Ancient Serpent Sect who controlled this Heaven-Piercing Rod Stele.
But at this moment, the Golden Serpent Young Master was concentrating on comprehending the laws of the stele, and no one dared to disturb him.
Otherwise, with the Golden Serpent Young Master's temper, he would deal with them before killing this kid.
"Hmph, you seeking death. Wait until Senior Brother finishes comprehending, and you'll have a hard time."
The people from the Ancient Serpent Sect snorted coldly.
Ling Fan paid no attention to these fierce individuals from the Ancient Serpent Sect.
His eyes were only on the peculiar stone stele before him, thin and long like a pillar reaching the heavens.
Soon.
Ling Fan closed his eyes.
With his hands behind his back.
As if a meditating monk, he fell into enlightenment.
In his divine sense perception, a colossal stone rod reaching the heavens appeared, touching the nine heavens above and the nine springs below, piercing through heaven and earth. The immensely powerful rod dao laws flowed, filled with a strong will of uprightness, unyieldingness, and the power to cleanse the eight desolate regions.
Ling Fan stood before this Heaven-Piercing Rod, his gaze spanning millennia. As time passed, it was as if he himself had transformed into a stone rod, or perhaps into a part of these immensely powerful rod dao laws, following these laws, fighting against heaven and earth, never ceasing.
...
Just as Ling Fan closed his eyes and concentrated on comprehending these rod dao laws.
The people from the Ancient Serpent Sect immediately began to mock him disdainfully.
"Hoo, did I see wrong? Is this kid trying to comprehend our Heaven-Piercing Rod Stele!"
"What a joke. This Heaven-Piercing Rod Stele, even among the twenty-six martial dao steles on the first level, records extremely top-tier laws. The power of the Golden Core laws recorded within ranks among the top three. This kid is just a mere Giant Spirit Realm, not even in the Core Condensation Realm, a difference of a hundred thousand miles. Does this kind of trash also want to comprehend Golden Core laws beyond his level? Dream on!"
"That's right, this kid is just seeking attention, a complete clown."
"If he can comprehend even a sliver of the rod dao laws, I'll drink his foot-washing water! It's a pity there's no chance for that, hahahaha!"
"Hmph, a waste pretending to be a genius. I hate these show-offs the most. Just you wait, if Senior Brother Golden Serpent doesn't deal with him, I'll make him look good after we descend Gu Sheng Cliff!"
A group of young disciples from the Golden Serpent Sect spoke disdainfully.
These people had low comprehension. Therefore, even after sitting here for several days, they were still unable to comprehend the rod dao laws within this Heaven-Piercing Rod Stele.
Hence, they felt that if even they, disciples of the Core Condensation Realm Martial Venerable of the Ancient Serpent Sect, could not comprehend these laws, it would be a ghost for a mere trash rogue cultivator who hadn't even entered the Core Condensation Realm to comprehend them!
Wouldn't that be a slap in their faces?
They absolutely did not wish to see such a thing happen.
Their sarcastic remarks quickly attracted the attention of other Golden Serpent Sect disciples who were comprehending the rod dao of the steles.
Even the personal disciple of the current sect master of the Ancient Serpent Sect, that Golden Serpent Young Master, noticed.