Chapter Thirteen: The Forsaken Son of a Noble House—So What!
“Success!”
Huang Liang jumped three feet high, unable to contain his joy and cheered aloud.
The Saintess and the elders all let out a sigh of relief. After passing the ninety-nine stone steps, one could inscribe their name on the Dragon Gate. Reaching the first tenth of a zhang would mark one as a true prodigy on the Dragon Gate rankings.
“My heavens, he really surged upward, and it looks effortless.”
“Leaping nine steps at once! Incredible! A genius, unquestionably a genius.”
“Who spread the rumor that the abandoned scion of the Hou family was useless?”
The plaza erupted in cheers. This was a historic moment, signifying that the Tai Xuan Sect had earned the right to compete in the Hundred Sects Grand Tournament.
“Quiet down, don’t disturb him.”
Yi Fuyao spoke calmly.
Only then did everyone realize that Lin Hao had merely stepped onto the stone steps; he had not yet truly begun to leap the Dragon Gate.
Over ten thousand pairs of eyes fixed intently on the young figure beneath the Dragon Gate. Everyone wondered how far this young man, who bore the hopes of the Tai Xuan Sect, could leap.
Beneath the Dragon Gate, Lin Hao felt the magnetic field of the gate up close. His Supreme Divine Veins stirred more violently within him; his body was being tempered continuously under the pressure of gravity. The eighth Divine Vein faintly showed signs of awakening.
“The gravity of the Dragon Gate nourishes the Supreme Divine Veins. I can even sense a faint resonance with the Heavenly Dao within the gate.”
Lin Hao’s mood was excellent. The Supreme Body was a treasure trove, waiting for him to unlock its potential. He had a strong intuition that when all nine Supreme Divine Veins were fully awakened, unimaginable benefits would follow.
He then raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the ninth zhang area of the Dragon Gate, finally settling on a name that held special meaning to him.
Yes, that was his goal.
He didn’t glance at the area beneath that name.
Only the pinnacle of the ninth zhang was his objective, his sole objective.
Pressure surged like a tide. Lin Hao stretched, flexing his muscles; one leg extended behind, the other bent forward, his body taut like a bow.
At that moment, his eyes shone like golden lamps, resolute and unwavering, his gaze aimed unerringly at the ninth zhang!
“He’s gathering strength.”
Ren Baichuan rubbed his hands excitedly. The entire plaza fell silent; everyone watched, waiting, hopeful.
Whoosh!
Lin Hao moved like a mighty blue dragon ascending, his entire form becoming a streak of light, as if about to pierce the heavens.
Under a barrage of astonished gazes, Lin Hao leapt nine zhang high, pausing at the center of the ninth zhang. His eyes rested upon the name Lin Han.
“Oh my, he has leapt to the ninth zhang of the Dragon Gate!”
In that instant, Tai Xuan Sect exploded with excitement.
Ninth zhang of the Dragon Gate—what did that mean?
Across the entire Great Xia, only four people had ever inscribed their names at the ninth zhang, all unparalleled prodigies from noble families.
The key point: Lin Hao was only at the Meridian Opening stage, while those at the ninth zhang were at least at the Qi Sea stage or higher when they leapt.
Ordinary Meridian Opening cultivators, even under the Dragon Gate’s magnetic influence, could not reach such heights with a mere jump from flat ground.
Today, a minor sect on the verge of being expelled from Yun Chuan—Tai Xuan Sect—had produced a ninth zhang prodigy.
What did that signify?
It was obvious.
“He has reached Lin Han’s position—the same level.”
“Who says the abandoned scion of the Hou family is useless? Who dares call him a born failure?”
“Wait, look! He’s still gathering strength. Suspended in midair, he’s exerting force again!”
“My God, what is he trying to do? Break Lin Han’s record? He’s only at the Meridian Opening stage and cannot fly, yet he leaps and manages to exert force again mid-air. How is this even possible?”
…
At the center of the ninth zhang, it wasn’t over.
Yes, it hadn’t ended.
---
Lin Hao exerted force a second time.
No one knew how he managed it; it defied reason and was beyond what a Meridian Opening cultivator could do.
But he did it.
A torrent of blazing gazes bore down upon him. The elders at the Transformation Origin stage were so moved they were speechless.
Yi Fuyao clenched her fists, hoping for a miracle.
“Lin Hao, carve your name on the Dragon Gate.”
Yi Fuyao urged.
“Alright!”
Lin Hao shouted fiercely; his black hair fluttered in the wind, golden light shimmering around him.
At this moment, he was like a god performing something only gods could achieve.
At the ninth zhang, the Supreme Divine Veins within him roared like dragons coming to life. Pressing down on the Dragon Gate’s gravity, he exerted force again and leapt once more, landing atop the Dragon Gate.
“Damn!”
“What did I just see?”
“He’s standing on the Dragon Gate itself!”
“He’s straddling the Dragon Gate! The Dragon Gate rankings don’t even deserve his nomination.”
…
Tai Xuan Sect was completely shaken, its members ecstatic. Everyone had witnessed a miracle.
Standing on the Dragon Gate was unprecedented, unheard of—even the historical Dragon Gate records had no such case.
“The number one prodigy—he deserves the title without question!”
Ren Baichuan laughed heartily.
“How is this possible? Could the Dragon Gate be malfunctioning?”
Li Kaixian’s face turned pale; he refused to believe his own eyes.
“Li Kaixian, you’ve really outdone yourself, questioning the Dragon Gate. If you don’t believe it, let your son Li Qingchuan try leaping.”
Ren Baichuan mocked, leering close.
Yi Fuyao and some other elders shot Li Kaixian a contemptuous glance.
Embarrassed, Li Kaixian remained silent.
Questioning the Dragon Gate?
They had lowered their intellect just to deal with Lin Hao.
No normal person would utter such nonsense, especially not an elder at the Transformation Origin stage.
What did the Dragon Gate represent? Across all Great Xia and even the entire Cangyuan Realm, the Dragon Gate was the ultimate authority.
Atop the ninth zhang of the Dragon Gate, Lin Hao’s purple robe fluttered. His eyes shone like golden lamps as he gazed up at the heavens. His Supreme Divine Veins surged like mighty rivers, and a breath of Heavenly Dao’s aura seemed to flow from the unseen.
Boom…
Thunder roared as a streak of golden light appeared in the sky above the Dragon Gate.
Roar…
The golden light transformed into a majestic dragon, roaring toward the heavens.
“It’s the Heavenly Dao Dragon Aura!”
Ren Baichuan exclaimed.
“Lin Hao has broken the Dragon Gate’s limit and gained the Heavenly Dao’s recognition. The Heavenly Dao Dragon Aura has descended upon him—this is the Heavenly Dao’s reward.”
Yi Fuyao’s voice trembled slightly. As the Saintess, she knew the Dragon Gate’s records better than most.
Breaking the Dragon Gate’s limit and receiving the Heavenly Dao’s approval—this was a first in the entire Cangyuan Realm. The resulting sensation was unimaginable.
---
With the appearance of the Heavenly Dao Dragon Aura, all 120 Dragon Gates across Great Xia trembled simultaneously as if summoned by a mighty force, roaring without end.
Imperial Capital, Royal Palace.
“What’s happening? The Dragon Gates are reacting. Has a peerless prodigy descended upon the world?”
Great Xia Academy.
“Investigate immediately! Trace the source of this commotion nationwide.”
The Royal Court and the Academy were both alarmed. Moreover, the three great martial clans and the 108 sects were all restless.
The simultaneous resonance of the Dragon Gates was unprecedented. Many knew what it signified.
After all, even when Lin Han inscribed his name at the ninth zhang, such disturbance never occurred.
This indicated the birth of a true peerless prodigy—one even more gifted than Lin Han.
At Tai Xuan Sect, atop the Dragon Gate, the Heavenly Dao Dragon Aura merged into Lin Hao’s body.
A supreme, intangible energy surged through his organs, meridians, every inch of his skin.
This was the Heavenly Dao’s baptism. A single thread of this Dragon Aura could transform an ordinary person, breaking through their cocoon to become a phoenix.
In that instant, Lin Hao’s eighth and ninth meridians fully awakened. His cultivation soared to the peak of the Meridian Opening stage, with one foot stepping into the Qi Sea realm.
In truth, the Heavenly Dao’s baptism granted him far more: his physical strength rose to a new level, his body’s coordination improved, and if he wished, he could open the Qi Sea realm immediately.
However, Lin Hao suppressed this urge. Opening the Qi Sea realm was fundamental for a cultivator and could not be taken lightly. With so many eyes on him, now was not the time.
“The Heavenly Dao’s baptism advanced him two levels at once. Within days, he will break into the Qi Sea realm.”
Ren Baichuan gawked in admiration.
“Breaking the Dragon Gate’s limit and shattering the Great Xia Dragon Gate record, our Tai Xuan Sect finally qualifies to join the Hundred Sects Grand Tournament. Hahaha!”
An elder laughed uproariously, tears nearly streaming. He was a Tianyuan-stage elder who had just emerged from seclusion, as excited as a child.
Boom…
Just as everyone thought this miraculous Dragon Gate leap was over, a new miracle unfolded.
Under countless astonished gazes, the ninth zhang of the Dragon Gate sprouted a tenth zhang.
“Look! The Dragon Gate is growing!”
“Heavens, a tenth zhang Dragon Gate—a new monument!”
“This is a true miracle, destined for the annals of history. I’m so excited.”
“Such a thrilling moment, words cannot express my feelings. Right now, I’m speaking through clenched teeth.”
“Ouch, that must hurt!”
…
Tai Xuan Sect erupted once again. Lin Hao continuously shattered their understanding; everything before them defied reason and cognition, as if in a dream.
Across Great Xia, all 120 Dragon Gates simultaneously grew a tenth zhang.
“Lin Hao, inscribe your name on the tenth zhang.”
Yi Fuyao urged excitedly.
The tenth zhang of the Dragon Gate was even more crystal clear. Lin Hao was the only one to leave his mark on it. No—he was the one who caused the tenth zhang to grow.
Lin Hao’s fingers stretched like a sword, surging with true energy as he pressed down at the highest point of the tenth zhang.
Amid tens of thousands of expectant eyes, Lin Hao’s fingers danced, leaving behind four resolute characters: “Abandoned Scion of the Hou Family!”
On all 120 Dragon Gates across Great Xia, the four characters “Abandoned Scion of the Hou Family” appeared simultaneously.
Carving his name on the Dragon Gate, Lin Hao spread his arms wide and howled to the heavens: “Abandoned scion of the Hou family—so what!”