Chapter 220: "I Wonder, Are You as Strong as Me?"

Chapter 220: "I Wonder, Are You as Strong as Me?"

The Profound Void Ancestor had reached the Refinement Void stage.

For Refinement Void cultivators, secluding themselves for cultivation for several decades, or even nearly a century, was not an uncommon occurrence. Especially on the Xuantian Continent, there were hardly any opportunities for Refinement Void cultivators.

Without heavenly fortune, the only way for Refinement Void cultivators to improve their cultivation was to seclude themselves for an extended period.

There were no other means or methods.

Without heavenly fortune, the difficulty of improving one's cultivation through solitary cultivation was unimaginable.

"Yes."

The Xuantian Sect's Profound Void Ancestor couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as he stroked his beard, "Before coming here, I had already inquired and understood everything."

"So, I have two requirements for my position."

"The first requirement is that it must be interesting enough, not boring, to ensure that I can maintain high enthusiasm throughout this long period of work."

"The second requirement is to minimize work as much as possible."

"I, the Profound Void Ancestor, have cultivated for a lifetime, but at the end of my cultivation journey, I realize that the pursuit of immortality is like a mirage, an illusion."

The Profound Void Ancestor's expression became complex as he sighed, "The lifespan of a Refinement Void cultivator is 5,000 years. In theory, this lifespan should be enough to explore the world."

"But if we want to live longer, we must dedicate these 5,000 years to relentless cultivation, striving to break through to higher realms before our lifespan runs out, thus extending it."

"However, after breaking through to the next realm, if we want to extend our lifespan again, we must once more spend a significant amount of time cultivating tirelessly."

"Day after day."

"Year after year."

"Until one day, we realize that our remaining lifespan is insufficient for further cultivation to break through to the next great realm. Only then do we suddenly awaken to the fact that our pursuit of immortality ends here, and we are left with only a few decades of lifespan."

"Only then do we realize that our entire lives have been spent cultivating and breaking through, constantly seeking heavenly fortunes in various secret realms, and we haven't even lived for ourselves once."

"We can travel hundreds of miles in an instant, appearing as immortal beings in the eyes of mortals."

"But we've long forgotten what it's like to measure the land with our own feet."

"In the end, we discover that our utilization of lifespan is even less efficient than that of mortals. Our lifespan may be long, but the majority of it is spent in seclusion, cultivating."

"The pursuit of immortality, the pursuit of immortality..."

"Only at the end do we realize that everything is an illusion, and the pursuit of immortality has no end. Above Refinement Void is Body Fusion, but what lies beyond Body Fusion?"

"Unless..."

The Profound Void Ancestor's expression grew complex as he looked towards the direction of the Heavenly Palace, "Unless one can achieve what Chen Qiu did, advancing from Nascent Soul to the peak of Divine Transformation in just one year. Such a Peerless Celestial Talent is truly worthy of walking the path of immortality."

"As for us, it's pointless to continue. We'll never reach the end, so what's the point of continuing?"

". . ."

The Sect Leader of the Xuantian Sect twitched his lips, momentarily at a loss for words. He felt that the Profound Void Ancestor had gone a bit too far in his realization, to the point where he had lost all ambition and was ready to waste away the rest of his life.

He didn't know how to respond to this.

"That's right!"

The Profound Void Ancestor suddenly laughed, "I may have strayed a bit, almost forgetting to mention the position I've chosen. I intend to apply for a position called 'Heart Demon Removalist'."

"The primary responsibility of this position is to listen to the customer's true feelings and then provide affirmation, helping them eliminate their inner heart demons and face themselves correctly."

"It's quite simple."

"I've already inquired about it, and this position only requires me to sit there and listen. I can also hear a lot of gossip, and all I need to do is affirm the customers. Not only is the work interesting, but it's also effortless. I plan to sign up for a thousand years."

"It's almost noon."

"There, the workplace is right across from the pavilion, in that wooden house. After noon, the current Heart Demon Removalist in that wooden house will have worked for a hundred years and is ready to retire. Then, it will be my turn to take over."

"Of course, I'm not sure if I'll be hired."

"But with my cultivation level, I believe it should be easy for someone at the initial stage of Refinement Void to get hired."

It was evident in his eyes.

A glimmer of anticipation and excitement flashed in the Profound Void Ancestor's eyes, indicating that he was ready to embrace his new life.

Meanwhile, the Sect Leader and the elders of the Xuantian Sect, sitting beside him, remained silent with complex expressions. They had thought that after meeting their Profound Void Ancestor on the Vast Continent, they would have some confidence in navigating this unfamiliar land.

But who would have thought...

The Profound Void Ancestor had sent himself to a retirement home.

Their primary purpose in coming here was to see the Profound Void Ancestor off.

However, at that moment, a customer had just entered the wooden house across from the pavilion, and a wooden plaque with the words "Heart Demon Removal Institute" hung at its entrance.

"Please take a seat, Fellow Daoist."

Inside the wooden house was a dimly lit and cramped space. A girl wearing a veil, with a stiff smile on her face, greeted the elderly man who had just entered.

Her name was Ling Yue.

A pleasant-sounding name, but it carried a hint of complexity.

However, she had another name that was more widely known—the Holy Maiden of the Xuantian Continent's Xuantian Sect, possessing the merit of heaven repair and a thousand merits!

After obtaining nearly a hundred billion merit points, she resolutely arrived at the Vast Continent, ready to witness this new world with her own eyes. But as soon as she landed, she was engulfed by a terrifying crisis. In a panic, she rushed into a nearby Heavenly Hall and became a "Heart Demon Removalist," signing a century-long contract with the hall.

Today was the day the contract would end.

The customer before her was her last client. After helping this client overcome their heart demon, she would finally be free.

No one knew.

No one knew how she had spent the past century in this position, whose main task was actually singular: to sincerely affirm the client's actions as correct, allowing them to achieve a harmonious internal logic and smoothly pass through their heart demon tribulation in the future.

For example, a cultivator from a prestigious righteous sect, who had been taught from a young age not to slaughter mortals, might one day, due to special circumstances, kill thousands of weak and elderly people. This is a case of disharmony between knowledge and action.

Some people with extreme temperaments would desperately search for justifications, beautifying their wrongdoings and blaming others for their actions, thus harmonizing their internal logic.

However, some people with less extreme temperaments might become increasingly confused and unable to calm their minds for cultivation, let alone face the heart demon tribulation. This is when she would step in.

Indeed, this was a job where she could hear all sorts of gossip, but it was not an easy task.

"Hmm."

In the dim light, an elderly man in a cloak sat silently in a chair, his voice hoarse as he said, "I've killed many people, and I feel this hurdle is difficult to overcome. I have a premonition that I will die in the next heart demon tribulation."

Heart Demon Tribulation!

A type of heavenly tribulation, not limited to thunder tribulation, but also including wind and fire tribulations, and heart demon tribulations. Among these, only the heart demon tribulation completely ignores spiritual energy and protective spiritual treasures, relying solely on one's own strength to resist.

However, heart demon tribulations only appear after the Transcendent Stage. For the Divine Transformation Stage, heavenly tribulations are solely thunder tribulations, without wind, fire, or heart demon tribulations.

Heart demon tribulations are quite understandable.

For instance, if you feel deeply guilty towards someone, and that guilt intensifies, then during the heart demon tribulation, the illusion of that person will become more powerful.

"And then?"

Behind the desk, Ling Yue, wearing a veil, breathed a sigh of relief. Eliminating the heart demon of a killer was relatively easy and not a big deal. It seemed that her last job before retirement would be a breeze.

That was good.

"But there's one person I can't forget, no matter what."

After a brief pause, the old man continued in a hoarse voice, "I'm at the early stage of the Transcendent Stage, and I've lived for over three thousand seven hundred years. When I was sixteen, I was just a small-time cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refinement."

"All I knew was how to cause trouble on the streets."

"Back then, I had a childhood sweetheart, and we loved each other. When I was nineteen, I was ready to officially marry her and bring her home, but I found out that she had already been married to the son of a wealthy family."

"I was furious."

"Everyone in the village laughed at me, mocking how my little bride had been defiled."

"In my anger, I left the village and ventured out alone. During my journey, I was fortunate to encounter many opportunities, and in less than twelve years, my cultivation reached the late stage of the Golden Core. By then, I had long forgotten the shame of my youth and even the woman's appearance."

"But then, on the streets—"

"I met that woman again. She was almost thirty, and she still had a charming aura, with only the cultivation base at the peak of Qi Refinement."

"Memories of my youth flooded back, and a surge of lust rose from within."

"I abducted her and brought her to my cave, where I ravaged her mercilessly. I felt like I had found long-lost happiness. I realized she couldn't speak, only pleading with hand gestures, but I ignored her and continued."

"After ravaging her to death, I found a Foundation Establishment Pill carefully packaged in her embrace, along with a letter."

"The letter expressed concern for my well-being, saying that without a Foundation Establishment Pill, I couldn't enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, so she had left the village to find me."

"And I..."

The old man's voice began to tremble. "She still cared about me. It wasn't her fault, but I, like a beast, ravaged her to death. This has tormented me for years!"

"Hmm," Ling Yue, behind the veil, paused for a moment before speaking in a soft, crisp voice, "It's not your fault. Blame the wealthy family for the forced marriage. You should return to seek revenge."

"Your woman died because of them. Only then can your heart demon be calmed."

"Yes... Yes..."

The old man's expression became increasingly dazed. "That's what I did. When I learned the truth, I was devastated. I immediately returned to the village and slaughtered everyone, including the wealthy family."

"But then I discovered—"

"I was actually the illegitimate son of that wealthy family, and she was their illegitimate daughter. The reason they forced the marriage was to keep us apart."

"All the opportunities I encountered later were secretly arranged by my father out of guilt."

"After that wealthy family took my woman, they didn't let anyone touch her, and her body remained pure."

"My father truly loved me."

"But I accidentally killed the woman I loved, my father, and my family."

"This hurdle has become even more insurmountable."

"Hmm," said Ling Yue, her face hidden behind a veil, before falling into silence. After a long while, she spoke softly, "It's not your fault. It's your father's fault for hiding the truth from you. You did the right thing, there's nothing wrong with that. If I were in your position, I would have done the same."

"But but I didn't know any of this at the time. I even... I even..."

"You... killed all the women of that wealthy family?"

"No, I killed the head of that wealthy family."

"..."

After a long pause, Ling Yue exhaled heavily. Her eyes, devoid of emotion, rested on the back of the chair as she looked up at the ceiling. In truth, her inner emotions made her want to say, 'Why don't you go die, you beast?'

But she couldn't.

It would violate professional ethics and go against the rules of heaven and earth. Her job was to acknowledge the customer and help them eliminate their heart demons, not to argue with them.

She spoke softly again, "It's okay. It's human nature. When people are angry, they might do things that others find hard to understand. But that doesn't mean you're wrong."

"On the contrary, you're right."

"Because if they hadn't made you so angry, you wouldn't have done such a thing."

"It's not your fault, it's theirs."

Her words hung in the air.

The old man's entire demeanor seemed to have calmed down significantly. He then stood up, took out a bag of spirit stones from his chest, and placed it on the table. "Thank you. I've never spoken about this to anyone before. Now that I've said it, I feel much better."

"I probably won't die in the next heart demon tribulation."

"..."

Ling Yue, expressionless, watched the old man's departing figure without saying a word. This was her job, and many times, she felt like she was going crazy.

Every time she had to affirm the actions of these beasts, she felt no different from eating a pile of feces.

Just then—

She suddenly felt the heavenly power that had bound her disappear, and her entire body softened as she plopped down on the chair. After a long, long time, she finally stood up, walked out of the wooden house, and took a step forward!

She was finally free!

For a hundred years of service, she had earned a total of six thousand medium-grade spirit stones, which wasn't a small amount. Compared to "Little Two," it was twice as much, but she swore that she would never take up the job of a heart demon removalist again in this lifetime.

At this moment—

There were only ten days left until the Heavenly Palace Restraints disappeared.

"Huff."

Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the Heaven Sovereign Throne, exhaled a breath of turbid air and looked at the constantly flickering thunder arc in his hand, a slight smile on his face.

During this time, he had cultivated one hundred Divine Transformation techniques to the Great Perfection stage. He then used these hundred perfected techniques as nourishment to enhance the power of his Thunder Summoning Technique.

At this moment, his Thunder Summoning Technique had reached an extremely exaggerated level after countless methods.

He couldn't wait to break through to the Transcendent Stage and test the power of his Thunder Summoning Technique.

He knew that after experiencing the strengthening of the Heaven Sovereign Fortune and other enhancements, the power of his Thunder Summoning Technique should have reached a whole new level, but without testing it, he wasn't entirely sure.

Chen Qiu then turned to look at Ao Tian and the others, "I'm about to face the Transcendent Tribulation. You all go to the miniature world first."

During this period, he couldn't enter the miniature world, but he could establish a connection with it and recall Ao Tian and the others. Otherwise, with so many people around, who knew how powerful his Transcendent Tribulation would become.

"Alright."

Ao Tian, with a complex expression, looked at Chen Qiu, "Brother, are you sure you don't need me to help you break through the Transcendent Stage?"

He had originally changed his address to Chen Qiu as 'Qiu Ge,' but Chen Qiu insisted on changing it back, saying it sounded awkward. So he listened to the advice and continued with the previous address.

Although his address remained the same, his attitude when speaking to Chen Qiu was now much more cautious than before, as his strength was evident.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and casually said, "After this matter, you can break through to the Transcendent Stage. With so many people here, it might not be easy for you to get through the Transcendent Tribulation."

Without waiting for Ao Tian and the others to say anything more, Chen Qiu immediately recalled them all into the miniature world and began circulating his cultivation method, setting up the Spirit Gathering Array to prepare for breaking through to the Transcendent Stage.

Before leaving the Xuantian Continent, the Mock Heaven Sect had visited almost every well-known family to pay their respects. Other things aside, they were sure to have no shortage of spirit stones.

Soon—

The unusual spiritual energy fluctuations within the Heavenly Palace also surprised a group of Refinement Void cultivators who were cultivating at the entrance of the Heavenly Palace.

"He's going to forcefully break through the Transcendent Stage!"

A Refinement Void mid-stage cultivator's eyes flashed with surprise, "This guy dares to openly face the Transcendent Tribulation here. Normally, people would find an uninhabited place for the Transcendent Tribulation."

"The Transcendent Tribulation is already immensely powerful!"

"If we just stay here and let the Transcendent Tribulation engulf us, the power of the Transcendent Tribulation will become even greater. By then, won't Chen Qiu be easily struck down?"

"..."

"..."

The Heaven Axe Sect Leader, expressionless, glanced at the cultivator who had spoken and then shot off into the distance without saying a word.

(End of Chapter)As the Buddhist monk in his robes finished his prayer, he too vanished into a stream of light.

The other Refinement Void Apex cultivators also dispersed.

In the blink of an eye, the area in front of the Heavenly Palace was completely clear.

Their presence here would indeed amplify the power of the Refinement Void Tribulation, but the tribulation would also lock onto them. Although their cultivation was not weak, Chen Qiu possessed a 12th-rank Nascent Soul, and with 2.9 billion sin points, the Refinement Void Tribulation he triggered was already more powerful than usual. With their involvement, the tribulation's might would only increase.

By then, regardless of whether Chen Qiu was struck down, their chances of survival would be slim.

More importantly—

They were here to compete for the Heaven Sovereign Throne. If Chen Qiu were to be struck down by the tribulation, the throne would simply vanish into thin air. Who would they take the throne from then?

If it weren't for the throne, would they have lost their minds, coming here for no reason to kill Chen Qiu?

At this moment—

The sky above the Heavenly Palace was gradually covered with thick, dark clouds. The rumbling hidden thunder reverberated through the heavens and earth, and the faintly visible thunder arcs in the air caused many people's bodies to tingle.

Far away from the Heavenly Palace, Young Master Qi stood barefoot in the air, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the signs of the forming tribulation above.

The tribulation had yet to take shape, but it was already causing people's bodies to tingle. One could imagine how terrifying its power would be!

This tribulation was far more powerful than the one he faced when breaking through to Refinement Void.

"Killing such a Peerless Celestial Talent does make one feel a bit apprehensive."

Young Master Qi's gaze drifted towards the direction of the Heavenly Palace, his eyes flashing with hidden killing intent. Suddenly, he grinned, and it had to be said that the power displayed by the unformed Refinement Void Tribulation was indeed intimidating.

The might of the Refinement Void Tribulation was often proportional to a cultivator's foundation and past experiences.

A normal Peak Divine Transformation cultivator would never encounter such a powerful tribulation when breaking through to Refinement Void.

A 12th-rank Golden Core, a 12th-rank Nascent Soul, and a 12th-rank Divine Transformation Field, with the boost from the Heaven Sovereign Throne, became a 13th-rank Divine Transformation Field.

Twelve milestone tasks, one for annihilating a clan, one for reaching the Dao, and one for accumulating 400 billion merit points.

To be honest, Chen Qiu's miracles were countless. Facing such a Peerless Celestial Talent was indeed intimidating. If one couldn't completely crush and kill them, allowing them to escape, it might not be long before they returned in a stronger state.

The potential of such a talent was extremely terrifying.

Even he, as the third young master of one of the strongest families in the Vast Continent, felt a hint of apprehension when facing such a talent.

But what of it?

Young Master Qi's eyes simultaneously showed apprehension and anticipation as he rubbed the "Virtue Defense Token" in his hand. Even if Chen Qiu was a Peerless Celestial Talent, what of it? Wasn't he one too?

He was not yet a hundred years old in cultivation age, but he had already reached the Refinement Void Apex. Wasn't he a Peerless Celestial Talent?

Additionally, with his family background, his foundation was no weaker than Chen Qiu's, and it was likely even stronger. After all, Chen Qiu had always been in the Lower Continent, and even if he obtained all the opportunities there, they were still limited to that continent.

Different continents had different limits on opportunities.

Furthermore, he looked at the entry engraved on his Nascent Soul.

Entry Name: Spirit Treasure True Monarch.

Entry Rank: Pink.

Entry Effect: For every Spiritual Treasure of the same cultivation rank you carry, your spell power will receive a small boost, with the magnitude of the boost depending on the rank of the Spiritual Treasure.

This pink entry was almost the source of his entire combat power.

In all his storage rings, he carried nearly a hundred Inferior Refinement Void Spiritual Treasures.

This was his foundation.

"I heard you're also a Spell Cultivator."

Young Master Qi could no longer contain his anticipation, his body trembling with excitement as he muttered, "I wonder if you're as strong as me?"

Once he obtained the Heaven Sovereign Throne, it would be his. No one would dare to kill him; he was the third young master of the Qi family, and anyone who dared to harm him would face the full retaliation of the Qi family.

All he needed to do was to use the most powerful means to instantly kill Chen Qiu when the restraints of the Heavenly Palace disappeared. He didn't need to worry about the rest.

He wasn't afraid, even though Chen Qiu's Divine Transformation Field was a 13th-rank.

His own Divine Transformation Field was an 11th-rank, and although he would be at a disadvantage, he wouldn't be absolutely suppressed. This weakness in the field could be compensated for by his overwhelming cultivation.

"I think something's not right."

The Sect Leader of the Heavenly Axe Sect, who was hovering in the distance, remained silent for a long time before rasping, "The power of this Refinement Void Tribulation seems a bit excessive."

"Are you afraid Chen Qiu will be struck down?"

"No, I suddenly feel a bit worried. If Chen Qiu can survive this level of Refinement Void Tribulation, then after ten days, when the restraints of the Heavenly Palace dissipate, it might not be impossible for him to strike us down too."

"With so many of us at the Refinement Void Apex, we shouldn't fear a Refinement Void Initial Stage cultivator."

The Sect Leader of the Heavenly Axe Sect fell silent, hovering in mid-air without saying a word. Although it made sense, he couldn't shake the unease in his heart. Perhaps it was because Chen Qiu hadn't shown a hint of desperate despair these past few days.

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End of Chapter

Chapter end