In fact, Qi Stones of this level only existed in rumors. No one here had ever seen one in their lives because they were too precious and too potent to be used like them.
What did a salaryman have to do with a ball of dark matter? It would be a waste on the likes of him, rather causing a disaster than bringing him superpowers or any of that nonsense.
The official placed the 9th grade Qi Stone in the slot and the entire array lit up like a heavenly phenomenon. Everyone by the side watched with awe and fascination, their expressions filled with reverence for something they had never seen before.
"Activate the array!" One of the officials roared, and this command was instantly carried out. Immediately, beautiful blue energy wafted into the body of Ao Shangtian, its thickness so strong that even the most common layman could see it.
One thing about Qi was that it was only visible to those who could use it. So those fancy cultivation fights that occurred in the skies were simply two retards shouting overpowered technique names and pointing fingers at each other while explosions happened to the average man.
Yet this time, even a dog and cat could see it. That was how potent it was.
The moment the energy entered Shangtian's body, he trembled a little, yet the little lad did not seem to be in trouble. Rather, the officials showed expressions of shock while Lingtian laughed arrogantly.
Dante and Akihiko frowned, while Lilith displayed killing intent. As for Kiyoko, her smile became cold.
Shangtian remained like this for about three minutes until his eyes blazed open, a brown light shining from them.
The image of a Primordial Giant wreathed in earth, wind, fire, and water formed behind him, roaring in an elemental voice as the world was created by its whim.
Beside it was the form of a muscular man with bronze skin who wielded a giant axe that seemed imposing enough that one wouldn't doubt its ability to cleave the universe in half.
On the other side was a fellow covered with wounds all over, but his body radiated endless vitality that even surged into the surroundings, healing the ailments of many normal people.
These three images intertwined with each other, rolling over until they formed a single yet disjointed image that crawled into Shangtian's back. At this moment, the lad opened his eyes and absorbed the rest of the energy from the 9th grade Qi Stone, making multiple breakthroughs as he entered the first realm of cultivation.
Shangtian turned around to boast to his father and show off, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw a sharp pair of nails about to gouge his heart from his chest.
Lilith had struck immediately, aiming to kill this little shit before he could develop into a threat to her son!
Lingtian's face changed as he roared with fear, using all his power to appear before Shangtian and block the attack for his son with his body. Lilith ripped deep into his back, making Lingtian cough a huge wad of blood, but he managed to carry Shangtian away.
He then turned to glare at Lilith, with bloodied teeth, hatred in his eyes. "You evil woman, you dare attack an innocent child?"
All eyes turned to Lilith, many with hidden disdain and disgust towards the woman. However, she didn't seem to care as she retracted her claws and simply looked disappointed that she had failed, no sign of remorse to be found.
"So what? That little dog will harm my son in the future, so killing him now is protecting my baby boy. Why shouldn't I end his dog life?"
Many were left speechless by her reply. Many mothers in the crowd couldn't help but nod inwardly in agreement as they held their children closer. If they knew that a new talent appeared that would harm their little ones, they too might strike if they had the power.
Of course, the men shook their heads, still disdaining her. To them, it was better to let the young ones fight it out. By acting like this, wasn't she admitting that she felt her son was inferior and would be unable to make a name for himself?
Well, both sides had a point, and the difference had to do with how both sexes dealt with matters and saw the world. Women did not see the need for posturing or accolades, rather wanting things solved simply if it would harm their families, while men preferred to solve things honorably and through masculine ceremony that was pivotal to keeping their gender strong.
Both Dante and Akihiko shared the sentiment that they shouldn't interfere in the personal fights between the younger generation as that would be up to them, which was why they hadn't made a move, while Kiyoko was ambivalent. She agreed with both opinions and had been unable to make up her mind on what to do.
Lingtian frowned. "You and that sister of yours are crazy witches! Do you ever stop to think of the consequences of your actions?!"
Lilith sneered. "Do not compare me to Big Sis, she is far stronger and wiser than me. She also taught me to act however I want in life, because she has my back."
Lingtian wanted to cough blood. This bitch and her sister were a menace to the Pangu Alliance, doing whatever they wanted without obeying the unspoken rules.
In contrast, Dante was more level-headed since he was a Clan Master, but he too had a bad habit! This habit was...
Panting like a dog, he had to tighten his legs to hide his boner. "Babe, you are so sexy when you're evil!"
Lilith smiled at Dante. "When our son is done, we can celebrate your favorite way, Dear."
Dante cheered like a young boy being told he would get a new game, making Akihiko slap his forehead in shame while Kiyoko laughed. Lingtian simply scoffed and backed away carefully.
He had sustained an injury to protect his son, and if he couldn't face off against all four of them before, he certainly couldn't do so now. However, they seemed to have lost interest in him, as they didn't want to go too far without assured results.
Next was Eva, who stood on the array with an arrogant expression. Her sweet little face that was growing into the unparalleled beauty she would become softened the heart of all onlookers and made them want to spend their lives protecting her.
Akihiko smiled and threw a 9th grade Qi Stone over as well. The officials were already numb, so they placed it in the slot and activated the array. The Qi entered Eva's body as she trembled slightly, surprised that this thing was so potent.
It took her four minutes to activate her Martial Spirit, and her Heavenly Manifestation was quite moving.
In the center, a ball of searing white light glowed, while to her left was a woman of unparalleled beauty that looked like Amaterasu with white angelic wings. On her right was a woman who sat on a floating throne while legions of Angels bowed to her. She looked just like Eva, but with a cold and divine disposition.
Seeing this, the faces of everyone changed. Lingtian especially regretted not bringing the other Clan Heads over so that they could attack and slaughter this little bitch.
She seemed like she would be a threat to his son!
Shangtian himself drooled when he gazed at Eva, deciding to defile her when he became stronger so that he could dominate her. He wiped his drool and smiled confidently, excitedly awaiting the day he could make that wench crawl under his crotch like a dog, haha!
Akihiko showed a shocked look while Kiyoko was not sure whether to be happy or sad, Dante's eyes glowed with a pleasant light while Lilith seemed excited.
"Niece, you truly are powerful!" Lilith praised Eva as the girl absorbed the rest of the energy from the 9th grade Qi Stone and also made rapid breakthroughs. Once she was done, Eva smiled and bowed to Lilith with respect.
"Thank you, Auntie, but Draco is much better than me." Eva replied, honestly.
Lilith smiled and did not take it to heart. She had long been fond of Eva, looking forward to the day she would marry her son and become her daughter too. She was genuinely happy to see Eva so talented, as it meant that she could protect her son if anything went wrong.
Reading her thoughts, Kiyoko couldn't help but roll her eyes. When would Lilith finally open her eyes and realize her son was probably a dragon among men... err, a python among boys?
Draco himself wrung his lips. Damn, why did this woman have to downplay his strength? Did she think he was a sick cat that anyone could bully?
Seeing her son's dissatisfaction, Lilith panicked. "My love, I don't mean it that way, you're naturally the strongest and most handsome boy in the world. No one can match you!"
Hearing this, Draco couldn't help but smile despite himself. Harrumph, now she was talking sense! This father would shock the world as he had done many times before, causing all affiliated parties to cough at least three wads of blood!
Seeing that she had placated her son, Lilith breathed out a sigh of relief. Dante shook his head, worried that Draco might become a spoiled brat, with how his mother didn't dare make him unhappy due to her fanatical love for him.
As such, he stepped forward and arrogantly pointed forward. "Brat, if you can't even surpass the two that came before, quickly hide behind me and do not bring disgrace to our Lucifer Clan!"
Dante began to sweat as he felt an intense look from Lilith that could likely kill, but he had to play bad cop lest the boy be led astray. Draco easily saw through their antics and shook his head, unwilling to play pretend family with these two mirages.
When he met the real ones, he would see for himself whether they fit the bill of what was being presented here, and whether or not they deserved to continue living on this Earth.
When he got on the stage, he entered the array. Just like his fellow Clan Heads, he too threw over a 9th grade Qi Stone, which made Draco curl his lips. Given that it looked like an Aether Crystals, he reckoned he could start shitting out a few in this world and become rich in seconds, not even factoring in his Refinement that still existed.
Suddenly, Draco's eyes widened.
Heyyy, if he analyzed items in this Martial Arts World, couldn't he replicate them in the normal one? After all, even though this world might seem Eastern in nature, it was still factually based in the Western Fantasy world.
That was something worth pondering and pursuing on later floors. For now, he watched as the 9th grade Qi Stone was slotted in and the array was activated. Power quickly began filling Draco's body in a way that made him shake a little, but not that much.
Unlike the others, it took a full five minutes before the Heavenly Manifestation of his Martial Spirits appeared around him.
To the left was a man so handsome that the woman felt their thighs drench immediately. He flapped his black angelic wings and smiled wickedly, making many fallopian tubes work overtime as they pumped eggs into the womb, ready for fertilization.
To the right was a red-skinned man with tight muscles but a compact body as well as two horns. His manifested wings of Hellfire scorched the entire area. The eggs that had been forced out by the first apparition were sent right back, hiding in the ovaries with fear, as they instinctively knew that this being was their worst enemy.
In the center was a black-scaled dragon with red eyes that gazed upon the world with disdain and pride. It flapped its wings and roared out loud, making everyone in the arena fall to their knees in obeisance and fear, except the Clan Heads and their wives who were at the highest realm, as well as Eva and Shangtian who seemed to be immune.
Draco then absorbed the rest of the energy in the Qi Stone and felt his energy smash through invisible barriers in his body, which was a novel feeling for him, before opening his eyes and coming down the stage.
His mother looked at him with shock and worry, shock because she had never expected such power from her son and worry because she felt she would no longer be able to protect him if he grew too strong too quickly.
Dante simply gazed at Draco with a smile, but inwardly, he was reeling. Shit, his son was a fucking monster! Wait, not a monster, the boy was an ancient beast!
Akihiko and Kiyoko were also pleasantly surprised, sharing looks of uncertainty. Both their daughter and their nephew were so outstanding... they knew what this meant.
All four parents shook themselves out of their stupor as they gazed at Lingtian in the corner, who was smiling ferociously. "Good, good, good! It seems like the peace treaty we signed is for naught, since you have hidden yourself well this time."
Lingtian then turned to the officials. "Announce the results of the three."
The officials, who sensed the deadly tension in the air, couldn't help but sweat and obey. They shakily took out three scrolls that were printed by the array, something which fascinated both Draco and Eva.
"For Young Lord Shangtian, he had used a 9th grade Qi Stone to awaken the 12th grade Martial Spirits, Primal God, Undying King, and Primogenitor. He then broke through to the 6th level of the first realm, Muscle Tempering."
Many gasps were heard in the crowd as Shangtian raised his head with arrogance. Martial Spirits were graded from the 1st grade (which was the lowest) to the 12th grade (which was the highest).
As for the cultivation realms, there was Muscle Tempering, Tendon Refining, Blood Pulsation, Bone Cleansing, Flesh Hardening, Qi Condensation, Sublimation, Crystallization, Formation, and finally, Integration.
All the realms up to Qi Condensation had 10 smaller stages while Sublimation and above were classified into 'early', 'middle', 'late', and 'peak' of that realm.
As for the average people who had come here today with their children, most wouldn't even know what came after Blood Pulsation due to how low their area was and how ignorant they were. Many also had never even heard of 12th grade Martial Spirits, as the highest they knew were 8th grade.
Had someone appeared with that, they would have been treated as a true prodigy across the ages. But now...
"For Young Miss Eva, she had also used a 9th grade Qi Stone to awaken the 12th grade Martial Spirits, Light Angel, Light Goddess, and Heavenly Goddess. She then broke through to the 5th level of the first realm, Muscle Tempering."
Akihiko and Kiyoko smiled at that, while Lingtian showed an ugly expression. Shangtian didn't understand, so he asked his father. "We both awakened 12th grade Martial Spirits, but I broke through higher than her, so why do they look so smug?"
Lingtian calmly explained. "Yes, you both awoke the same tier of Martial Spirits but within the same tier, there can be a gap of quality due to the Martial Spirit or the compatibility with the user. Because she likely has higher compatibility than you, she used more energy to fortify her Martial Spirits, which left her less to absorb for her breakthroughs. This means in terms of foundation, she has a slight advantage over you."
Shangtian's face became ugly, then he displayed a shamed expression. "I'm sorry for letting you down, Father."
Lingtian smiled and rubbed his son's head. "Come off it, my son. They clearly have been planning some tricks all this while, for it is impossible for this generation to bear three prodigies at the same time, when there should only be you. Let them enjoy their fake victory for now."
Shangtian nodded and seemed much better. He then regained his confidence, knowing that only he was the true prodigy of this batch, and he would naturally surmount and surpass those fakers!
The official then took the final scrolls, then read it out slowly while his eyes bulged.
"For Young Master Draco, he used a 9th grade Qi Stone to awaken the 12th grade Martial Spirits, Dark Angel and Horned Demon. H-he also awakened the... the 13th grade Martial Spirit, the Black Dragon! He then broke through to the 3rd level of the first realm, Muscle Tempering."
There was an uproar in the crowd as everyone was shocked. 13th grade Martial Spirit? But how? Such a thing only existed in legends, that every 5`,000 years, one Son of Heaven would be born with a 13th grade Martial Spirit reserved for only him.
Looking at the calm Draco who stood there arrogantly, many throats could not help but swallow deeply. They were witnessing the birth of an absolute legend!
As for Lingtian and Shangtian, both went pale, not believing the circumstances. Now, it was better to say that they couldn't afford to believe it.
The implications were disastrous for them!
Dante and Lilith were overjoyed, while Akihiko and Kiyoko seemed thoroughly pleased, but still worried deep down. Akihiko tapped Dante and whispered to his best friend, which made the mans' face harden as he glared at Lingtian.
Lilith seemed to pick on the vibe as a ferocious expression appeared on her face, and she manifested sharp claws from her nails. Since she had already dealt some damage, why not see it out to the end?
Lingtian noticed the mounting killing intent and paled. He grabbed Shangtian and fled the arena, using his strength to leap high into the air and take off using his Qi. Lilith was about to follow when Akihiko stopped her.
"It's a trap. Lingtian came here knowing that we're both here, yet he came here alone and with no backup? Impossible! No matter how strong we are, we cannot one-shot him, so he would always have a chance to lead us out the city, and likely into an ambush." The soft-looking man explained.
Lilith nodded and stopped the chase, while Draco and Eva shared a look. With their massive Control range, they could see that Eva's dad was on the mark as Lingtian regrouped with six other adults in a nearby valley.
Damn, that Pangu Alliance sure was despicable!
