Chapter 1108: The Five-Hundred-Year Grand Competition; The Dao Protector (I)

Fu Chaosheng's smile broadened as he studied Luo Chen. "Fellow Daoist Luo, you won't hold it against me if I ask you to return the favor, will you?"

Luo Chen returned an awkward smile. Han Zhan had long suspected that Fu Chaosheng expected something in return for all the goodwill he had shown, but Luo Chen had not expected him to broach the subject so openly. For a merchant, Fu Chaosheng seemed remarkably uninterested in bargaining once the opportunity presented itself.

Since the man had chosen to be so direct, however, Luo Chen could hardly refuse without first hearing him out. "Of course. Why would you even ask? Just tell me what you need. If it's something I can do, I'll help however I can."

Fu Chaosheng cursed inwardly. If it's something you can do? What a safe choice of words!

He had already learned from their brief encounter years ago that Luo Chen was not a simple man, gullible and ignorant of worldly affairs. His knowledge might have its limits, but when it came to dealing with people, he was every bit as savvy as the seasoned merchant Fu Chaosheng was.

He put away his smile. "This isn't about me directly. One of my granddaughters needs protection for a while, and I want you to keep her safe."

What now? You want me as a bodyguard? Luo Chen frowned. "What level is her cultivation?"

"About the same as yours."

Luo Chen's expression grew even more serious. "If she's at my level and comes from a Holy Land, she should be more than capable of protecting herself. And with your position in the sect, you could call on any number of experts. You've also spent years building connections throughout the Northern Sea. You could probably find a middle-stage Sage if you really wanted to. So why would you need someone like me, who only recently reached the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Even as he asked, he was already finding ways to back out without offending Fu Chaosheng.

Fu Chaosheng sighed and asked quietly, "Have you heard of the Heaven Origin Grand Competition?"

The Heaven Origin Dao Sect held the Heaven Origin Grand Competition once every hundred years, and the major powers of all Five Territories sent representatives to witness the rise of its younger generation. It was a spectacle that few sects could ever hope to match. Still...

"Of course. But I'm an outsider, so what does that have to do with me?"

"Then have you heard of the Mirage Dragon Pocket World?"

Luo Chen shook his head. Fu Chaosheng seemed to have expected this and began explaining the history of that pocket world in detail.

In ancient times, archaic beasts ruled the Mountains and Seas Realm, while humanity survived in scattered settlements and remained largely helpless against them. That changed only after the Five Great Holy Lands arose and led humanity through a war that lasted ten thousand years. Countless archaic beasts were slain or restrained, while the survivors were driven into the wilderness. After paying an immeasurable price in lives and resources, the Holy Lands managed to carve out the Five Territories and secure the richest lands for human cultivation.

Later generations called that conflict the Ancient War Between Humans and Demons, even though humanity's original enemies were archaic beasts. The name arose during the later stages of the war, when many weaker archaic beasts turned to demonic cultivation in hopes of advancing more quickly. As the practice spread, they gradually abandoned their old path and began regarding themselves as demons.

Even now, many demonic beasts within the Mountains and Seas Realm could choose at the fourth tier whether to assume human form and follow the path of demonic cultivation or shatter their demon cores and return to their ancestral, archaic bloodlines. In fact, Black King had been forced down the latter path after losing his demon core, leaving him no choice but to embrace his archaic heritage.

Of the Five Great Holy Lands, the Heaven Origin Dao Sect had sacrificed the most during the war and emerged with the most glorious victories. When the war ended, it claimed the finest region in the Mountains and Seas Realm: the Central Continent!

Unlike the other four territories, the Central Continent was a land of peace and abundance. It suffered neither the endless demonic beast hordes that ravaged the Eastern Wilderness and Northern Sea, nor the poisonous mists and Gu worms that plagued the Southern Frontier. At the same time, its natural resources also far surpassed those of the barren Western Deserts. Yet the Central Continent was not the only prize the Heaven Origin Dao Sect claimed after the war. The Mirage Dragon Pocket World was another.

"The Mirage Dragon was one of the most powerful beasts of the ancient era. It could swallow clouds, breathe out mist, and create illusions of the sun, moon, and stars. It even carried a massive independent space inside its body. Even after it died, its power remained in the Central Continent and caused disaster after disaster. The experts of our sect wanted to destroy the corpse, but our founding sect master refused. Instead, he turned it into a secret realm. That's how the Mirage Dragon Pocket World came to be."

Fu Chaosheng paused briefly before continuing, "The pocket world eventually developed wonders of its own. By drawing on the Mirage Dragon's power, Sages can merge their spirits with heaven and earth and gain insight into the Power of Laws."

Luo Chen looked startled. "Wouldn't merging your spirit with heaven and earth put you at risk of being assimilated by the world?"

"Weren't you doing the same thing just now?" Fu Chaosheng asked.

"Not exactly," Luo Chen replied. "I happened to resonate with the true fire inside me. I used its connection to heaven and earth to glimpse the truths of the world without directly merging with them."

Fu Chaosheng smiled. "Then the Mirage Dragon's power works much like your primordial true fire. As the name suggests, it was a master of illusions, powerful enough to blur the line between illusion and reality. That allows cultivators inside the realm to touch upon the Power of Laws. And because the Mirage Dragon had its own pocket space, that space remains separated from the outside world. The barrier greatly reduces the risk of your soul being absorbed by heaven and earth."

Luo Chen opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. After devouring Netherfire's true fire, his own true fire had begun cycling between life and death, and it was precisely that transformation that had allowed him to enter such a state. Yet he had stumbled upon it entirely by chance, while the Heaven Origin Dao Sect had long ago refined the same experience into an inheritance that could benefit generation after generation of disciples.

"Even within my sect, this is one of the greatest opportunities anyone could hope for. Countless people dream of entering, but only a few ever get the chance. The Mirage Dragon's power is limited, and after each use, it takes several centuries to recover even a little. For that reason, our sect has fixed the opening interval at once every five hundred years."

Since the Heaven Origin Grand Competition was held every hundred years, the Mirage Dragon Pocket World opened during every fifth competition. The usual centennial contest became a far fiercer struggle, as the reward awaiting its victors surpassed anything offered in an ordinary year. After all, what artifact, treasure, pill, or spirit medicine could compare to the chance to unite one's spirit with heaven and earth and glimpse the mysteries of the Great Dao?

The sect held separate competitions for Initiates, Adepts, and Sages, but those who truly stood a chance of entering the pocket world were almost always early-stage Sages. As Fu Chaosheng explained, Adepts lacked both the strength to contend with the illusory beasts inside and the cultivation needed to make full use of the opportunity. Middle-stage Sages were powerful enough, but long years of cultivation had reinforced the barriers around their Purple Mansions and dulled their affinity with heaven and earth.

As for late-stage Sages? The sect's late-stage Sages had, to some extent, all participated in a grand competition after advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm. Those unfortunate enough to have missed the pocket world's previous opening were now too old to compete with their juniors for the opportunity. Therefore, early-stage Sages were far better suited for this event.

"Since the Ancient War ended three thousand or so years ago, our sect has held six of these five-hundred-year competitions. The rules have changed over time, but by now, they're firmly established. Only cultivators who formed their Nascent Soul within the past hundred years, along with those who haven't yet reached the Nascent Soul Realm, are allowed to enter the Mirage Dragon Pocket World.

"The pocket world is extremely dangerous. While you're merging your spirit with heaven and earth and trying to comprehend the Great Dao, illusory beasts can attack you, and other participants may try to interfere. That's why everyone is allowed to bring one Dao Protector who meets the same restrictions."

He looked directly at Luo Chen. "And you're the person I want to protect my granddaughter."

With that, the purpose behind Fu Chaosheng's request finally became clear. Luo Chen still could not be certain that the man had told him everything, but at least he now had a general idea of what the five-hundred-year competition involved.

Luo Chen met Fu Chaosheng's expectant gaze. "Why me?"

"Why not?" quipped Fu Chaosheng. Then, in a more serious tone, he continued, "I've built many connections over the years, and I've considered several people for the role. But none of them are as suitable as you."

He knew Luo Chen's past thoroughly, and he could recount each achievement as though describing treasures in his own collection. At Coldlight Island, Luo Chen had escaped unscathed despite being surrounded by enemies who outnumbered him and surpassed him in cultivation. He had later swept through the Three Oceans Defensive Line and slaughtered countless powerful demonic beasts, and his exploits had spread the name Devil Lord Azure Yang throughout the Society. Most astonishing of all, he had killed Flying Cloud in the Land of Fallen Devils despite the difference in their cultivation!

"And you accomplished all of that while you were still an Adept. I won't say no one will ever surpass you in the future, but you have certainly surpassed anything anyone has done in the past."

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