Chapter 213: Thousand Martial Shadows, Undying Divine Armor

Chapter 213: Thousand Martial Shadows, Undying Divine Armor

Li Xuan watched as Shi Er hung a gold chain around Chi Cat's neck, his mouth twitching at the sight. What a travesty! He had once claimed to know a little about beast taming, and now he was facing the consequences of his half-baked attempts at training Chi Cat.

Li Xuan paid no heed to their antics, knowing that despite their bickering, Shi Er and Chi Cat shared a bond. The cat would torment Shi Er, but it wouldn't do any serious harm.

"Chi Cat, with your large size, you're perfect for manual labor!" Li Xuan shook his head.

Chi Cat grunted twice, looking somewhat dejected. Its massive frame meant that it would undoubtedly be burdened with carrying loads during their next move.

"Great beasts should be adept at both grand and subtle actions, and able to conceal their tracks. You should meditate on this," Li Xuan advised Chi Cat.

Chi Cat nodded to indicate its understanding.

As it nodded, Shi Er, who had been fastening the gold chain around its neck, fell to the ground.

Bang!

Li Xuan feigned ignorance as Shi Er, caught off guard, tumbled to the ground. Shi Er and Chi Cat were truly a pair of bickering companions.

"Chi Cat!" Shi Er's face turned green.

Chi Cat wore an innocent expression.

"Master, Chi Cat is so huge, like a small mountain. If we were to stew it, we could eat for a long time, right?" Xu Yan walked over, marveling.

Chi Cat shuddered in fear, lowering its head and sticking out its tongue, its expression one of appeasement.

"You really are a scaredy-cat. I wouldn't really stew you!" Xu Yan laughed.

Chi Cat's tail swayed, its tongue hanging out like a dog's as it tried to win over Xu Yan.

Li Xuan was left speechless.

Indeed, Chi Cat was a little too timid.

On Canglan Island, all was calm. Chi Cat was in the final stage of its transformation, while Su Lingxiu had begun her breakthrough to the Tongxuan Realm.

"Your disciple, Su Lingxiu, has cultivated the Dan Medicinal Martial Arts you fabricated and broken through to the Tongxuan Realm. Your Dan Medicinal Martial Arts has reached the level of Tongxuan Great Perfection, and your strength is a hundred times that of your peers," a voice declared from the Spirit Platform, where the Golden Book of the Great Dao opened, emitting a golden light.

The Dan Medicinal Martial Arts had also advanced to the Tongxuan Great Perfection.

Su Lingxiu's strength continued to increase as she consolidated her breakthrough and further comprehended the mysteries of the Tongxuan Realm.

Xu Yan was also cultivating his Sword Dao, specifically enhancing the power of the Xun Wind Sword Intent.

Outside Canglan Island, a major event that would shake the Inner Domain was about to unfold.

In the Seven Counties of the Great Yue Nation, rebellion suddenly erupted. The Tianyi Guard and the Shenji Army found themselves besieged in the Zheng Hou Wang Palace. As the palace fell, the remaining four great ducal palaces, led by Duke Hou Wang, turned against them.

The emperor of Great Yue, furious, dispatched the Tianyu Guard and the Royal Palace's peak grandmasters to suppress the four great ducal palaces.

Even though the Great Yue royal family had weakened, their deep roots were not to be underestimated.

However, at this critical moment, the various counties of Great Yue rose in revolt!

The Great Yue aristocratic families announced their withdrawal of support for the royal family, and one after another, high-ranking ministers in the capital rebelled, leading powerful experts to attack the imperial palace.

Adding to the emperor's fury was the discovery of rebels within the palace itself.

At this moment, the Great Yue royal family was undeniably vulnerable.

As one of the three major powers in the Inner Domain, Great Yue's strength and foundation were formidable. Despite being caught off guard and having dispatched most of their elite forces, they still posed a significant threat.

Although more than half of the high-ranking ministers in the capital had rebelled, the depth of the Great Yue royal family's foundation became evident as loyal ministers rallied to their aid. Powerful grandmasters emerged from the imperial palace, turning the tide of the battle.

Among them was an elderly royal prince whose aura was overwhelming, surpassing even that of a peak grandmaster, and approaching the realm of Half-step Heaven's Equal.

Without a doubt, this elderly prince would soon become Great Yue's pillar of strength, a Half-step Heaven's Equal.

The momentum of the rebelling ministers was swiftly suppressed, and they began to falter, facing imminent defeat.

Just then, a domineering blade light slashed through the air, mercilessly cutting down the elderly prince who was almost a Half-step Heaven's Equal!

The blade light continued its relentless path, slaying two more peak grandmaster-level royal guards!

The emperor of Great Yue, who had initially believed victory was within grasp, now wore a look of shock.

"Meng Chong!" he exclaimed, his heart sinking as his worst fears were realized.

Meng Chong's appearance signaled that the rebellion was orchestrated by the Evergreen Pavilion, or perhaps even the Great Wilderness itself! The Great Wilderness intended to overthrow the current regime!

"Kill!"

A Great Yue general roared, brandishing his spear and turning on the emperor.

"Incompetent ruler of Great Yue, it's time to step down! Great Yue is rotten, and the Great Wilderness shall rise in its place!"

"Return to the orthodoxy of the heavens and earth! The Great Wilderness shall stand!"

As the former ministers of Great Yue shouted their support, the royal family retreated step by step. Seeing the tide turning against them, these ministers swiftly changed sides, joining the rebel forces.

On this day, the Inner Domain was shaken to its core.

Great Yue, a nation with a millennia-old legacy and profound foundations, the strongest of the three major powers, had collapsed.

The Great Wilderness was officially established!

From this day forward, the Inner Domain would no longer have Great Yue, only the Great Wilderness!

The slogan "Return to the orthodoxy of the heavens and earth! The Great Wilderness shall stand!" resonated throughout the land.

Cultivators of the Great Wilderness Martial Arts voiced their support, and the various major forces in the Inner Domain turned their attention to the Yan Nation and the Purple Cloud Nation.

The Great Wilderness rose like the sun at noon, reminiscent of the ancient dynasty that once unified the Inner Domain.

After overthrowing Great Yue, the Great Wilderness focused on consolidating its power, stabilizing its rule, and winning the hearts of its people. They also began to freely spread the Great Wilderness Martial Arts throughout their domain.

The method of switching cultivation paths was shared with grandmaster-level warriors who pledged allegiance to the Great Wilderness.

Various major forces within the former borders of Great Yue expressed their support for the Great Wilderness, voluntarily registering their sects with the new regime.

The fame of the Great Wilderness' Two Emperors spread far and wide.

Of course, the Great Wilderness Cabinet was the true power behind the empire, and while the cabinet elders required the appointment of the Two Emperors, it was largely a ceremonial process.

The major forces understood that a true change was about to sweep through the Inner Domain.

They, too, had to contemplate how their legacies would survive in this new era.

It was now clear that cultivation in the Inner Domain was limited to the Half-step Heaven's Equal realm. To break through to the Heaven's Equal realm, one had to enter the Spirit Domain.

However, the Spirit Domain remained a mystery.

For those accustomed to being revered as powerful experts in the Inner Domain, the prospect of descending to the lower rungs of society in the Spirit Domain, or even having to search for a Heaven's Equal cultivation method, was a daunting one.

The Great Wilderness Martial Arts, however, imposed no such restrictions, allowing cultivators to directly reach the equivalent of the Heaven's Equal realm.

This was an incredibly enticing prospect.

The various major forces in the Inner Domain contemplated their paths forward while keeping a close eye on the Yan Nation and the Purple Cloud Nation.

The turmoil in the outside world did not reach Canglan Island.

Meng Chong had returned.

"When a thousand cultivators reach the beginner stage of the Great Wilderness Martial Arts you fabricated, you will obtain the Thousand Martial Shadows," the voice from the Spirit Platform declared as the Golden Book of the Great Dao opened, radiating golden light.

Thousand Martial Shadows!

Li Xuan remained unperturbed, for this development was within his expectations. The number of Great Wilderness cultivators was exploding, with a significant portion transitioning from the Inner Domain's martial arts.

This was especially true in the Great Wilderness region, where almost everyone was embracing the new art.

Naturally, this led to a massive demand for pills.

To meet this demand, the pill-concocting chambers were expanded, and many new apprentices were recruited.

On Canglan Island, some of the pill-concocting chambers had been closed, retaining only the elite apprentices of the Evergreen Pavilion to prepare them for becoming master alchemists.

These apprentices all possessed a certain talent in pill concoction and medical martial arts, and Su Lingxiu had already begun teaching them. Those with insufficient talent in the medical arts would instead focus solely on pill concoction.

"It takes three converts to the Great Wilderness Martial Arts to gain a martial shadow. Is this because their cultivation of the art is not pure enough?"

Li Xuan had noticed a pattern.

For every three inner domain cultivators who successfully converted to the Great Wilderness Martial Arts, he gained one martial shadow.

For every five Master-level cultivators who converted, he gained another.

This seemed to be due to the impurity of their original cultivation methods.

Despite this, the number of cultivators in the inner domain was vast, and even if a hundred converts only contributed one martial shadow, the total number of shadows contributed by the inner domain's cultivators would still be enormous.

Around Canglan Island, on the vast Cang River, small boats drifted with no one visible aboard. These were Li Xuan's martial shadows, enjoying the river as they sailed.

It was no exaggeration to say that even the most stealthy infiltrator would be unable to hide from Li Xuan on Canglan Island, as his martial shadows would detect them long before they got close.

On a peak of Canglan Island, Li Xuan toyed with a jade scepter as he gazed out at the majestic river.

Meng Chong stood behind him, his expression a mix of reverence and excitement.

"You've broken through to the Profound Mystery Realm, and your cultivation of the Undying Golden Body is now unimpeded. Reaching perfection is only a matter of time."

Li Xuan spoke in a calm and measured tone.

Meng Chong listened attentively to his master's words.

His master was about to impart the secrets of the Undying Golden Body's further advancement.

"Physical martial arts focus on the body. I believe you've already experienced the wonders of the Undying Golden Body, and you know the might of a three-zhang golden body."

Li Xuan's voice was gentle and soothing.

"I still have much to understand about the wonders of the Undying Golden Body, and I'm constantly exploring its depths to enhance my strength, especially in the use of the three-zhang golden body."

Meng Chong replied respectfully.

"Excellent! Martial arts have no limits, and one should always strive for deeper understanding and pursue the ultimate truth."

Li Xuan nodded in approval.

He was well aware of Meng Chong's progress, especially in the use of the Undying Golden Body, as the feedback from Meng Chong's cultivation also benefited him.

"Today, I shall impart to you the Undying Divine Armor!"

Li Xuan turned to face his disciple, his expression solemn.

"I will diligently cultivate and strive to comprehend it as soon as possible."

Meng Chong bowed, his voice filled with excitement.

"Beyond the Profound Mystery Realm lies the Divine Intent Realm. While physical martial arts do involve the cultivation of divine intent, it is different from pure martial arts. The Undying Divine Armor has three levels, and the first level corresponds to the Divine Intent Realm. Upon cultivating it successfully, you will attain the first level of the Undying Divine Armor's mysteries and gain the Undying Divine Armor!"

The Undying Divine Armor had three levels, and the first level corresponded to the Divine Intent Realm. Once cultivated successfully, the cultivator would attain the first level of the Undying Divine Armor's mysteries and gain the Undying Divine Armor!

The Undying Divine Armor protected both the physical body and the spiritual consciousness, providing all-around defense.

Even if the armor was breached instantly, it didn't mean that the physical body was left defenseless. Instead, it remained incredibly resilient, providing an additional layer of defense beyond the body.

To injure the Undying Divine Body, an opponent would need to break through both the Undying Divine Armor and possess the strength to pierce the physical body's defenses.

As long as a single attack couldn't breach both the armor and the body, the Undying Divine Body would remain unharmed, and the armor could be instantly restored to maintain its all-around defense.

Unless completely overwhelmed by a single attack, the Undying Divine Armor would not disappear.

This was the true meaning of "undying."

"The Undying Divine Armor is primarily for defense, but its mysteries are not limited to that. You will discover its other applications as you cultivate and attain the Undying Divine Body."

Li Xuan didn't restrict the Undying Divine Armor to solely defensive applications, leaving room for Meng Chong to explore and possibly uncover other uses.

"Yes, Master!"

Meng Chong's heart raced with excitement.

The name "Undying Divine Armor" itself implied immense power.

"Listen carefully. The method of cultivating the Undying Divine Armor's three levels is as follows..."

Li Xuan slowly and meticulously explained the cultivation method for the Undying Divine Armor, imparting the entire technique to Meng Chong.

If Meng Chong could comprehend all three levels at once, his strength would soar, and he would be able to crush even a God-Refining Heavenly Being with a single punch! However, Li Xuan didn't expect Meng Chong to grasp all three levels immediately.

Nevertheless, if Meng Chong could break through the first level of the Undying Divine Armor, he should be able to quickly comprehend the following two levels.

After imparting the Undying Divine Armor technique to Meng Chong, Li Xuan sat in his chair, contemplating the realms and techniques beyond the Divine Intent Realm.

The Undying Golden Body was incredibly powerful, truly showcasing the might of physical martial arts.

Once Meng Chong broke through, his strength would rival Xu Yan's.

Xu Yan's cultivation was pure, but that didn't mean his physical body was weak. His Jade Bone foundation, along with his spirit bone and spirit body, were all extraordinary.

Li Xuan glanced at his sword intent, which had been evolving and growing stronger lately. These changes indicated that Xu Yan had gained new insights.

His strength had increased significantly in a short period.

Moreover, the Triple Mountains and Rivers Sword Intent was no longer what it used to be. It was now sharp and ruthless, capable of destroying all in its path!

The Xun Wind Sword Intent was also improving, and when woven together with the Mountains and Rivers Sword Intent, it became even more lethal, capable of annihilating both body and soul with a single sword strike!

"Xu Yan has achieved great clarity in his Sword Heart, and he seems to be pondering how to cultivate the Sword Heart Realm. Once he understands it, my Sword Dao will break through to the Sword Heart Realm as well."

Li Xuan's heart raced with excitement.

The Sword Heart Realm was awe-inspiring—mountains became swords, waters became swords, and all things in heaven and earth could become swords!

What a profound and powerful sword art that would be!

"Meng Chong's cultivation of the dao of the blade has fallen a bit behind. I should give him some guidance."

Li Xuan pondered.

While Xu Yan was making remarkable progress in the Sword Dao, Meng Chong's advancement in the dao of the blade was relatively slower.

Currently, he had only achieved a minor accomplishment in Blade Soul.

He was still far from the Blade Concealment Realm.

Even if he couldn't cultivate the Blade Concealment Realm, he should at least understand how to reach it.

Li Xuan decided to use the Great Dao Golden Book to further refine the Blade Concealment Realm, lowering the difficulty of comprehension so that Meng Chong could hopefully grasp it soon.

Suddenly, a thunderous rumble echoed across Canglan Island, causing the entire island to tremble.

Trees shattered, and a powerful oppressive force descended.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end