Chapter 232: Fifth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm

Chapter 232: Fifth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm

October 15, 2024

Inside the government compound.

Gu Qingfeng used his soul power to set up multiple restrictions, ensuring that his breakthrough would not cause any unusual phenomena. Then, he calmed his mind and examined his attribute panel.

...

Name: Gu Qingfeng

Age: 52/6000

Realm: Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm

Martial Arts: Heavenly Pulse Scripture (Second Stage), Celestial Blade (Perfected), Great Wasteland Fist Canon (Perfected), Divine Yang Scripture (Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Chapter), Ancient Celestial Blade (Beginner), Purple Extreme Dao Canon (Perfected), Wind Departure Scripture (Not Mastered)



Enhancement Points: 2124

...

"Enhance!"

Without any hesitation, Gu Qingfeng chose to enhance the Ancient Celestial Blade.

Immediately, two thousand enhancement points were consumed.

A flood of memories surged into Gu Qingfeng's mind, as if he had practiced the Ancient Celestial Blade for countless years. The ancient and profound blade intent permeated his being.

However, due to the soul restrictions and his deliberate control, this blade intent did not escape the government compound.

At the same time, his Dao Palace Spirit was growing.

In a short while, the Spirit had reached its thirty-six-inch limit.

A moment later, Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes, a sense of age-old wisdom momentarily appearing before dissipating.

He then examined his Dao Palace internally, a smile appearing on his face.

"Thirty-six inches, it seems this is the limit for my current Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm. But it is definitely not the limit for the Minor Mastery of the Ancient Celestial Blade. Once I have enough enhancement points, I can directly break through to the Sixth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm in one go!"

Gu Qingfeng had no doubt about this.

When he initially mastered the basics of the Ancient Celestial Blade, he had broken through from the First Stage to the Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm in one breath.

Now, with the Minor Mastery of the Ancient Celestial Blade, breaking through from the Fourth Stage to the Sixth Stage was a reasonable and expected progression.

After all, the true essence power cultivated from the Minor Mastery of the Ancient Celestial Blade was far more powerful than the beginner stage.

...

In the following days, Gu Qingfeng remained in the government compound, overseeing the situation.

As time passed, more and more powerful cultivators arrived.

However, on the tenth day of the Great Sage Secret Realm's opening, the entrance closed. Although the entrance still existed, no cultivators were allowed to enter.

When a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator attempted to force his way in, he was immediately suppressed and killed by the Great Sage's power.

This deterred other cultivators who wanted to enter.

At this point, they remembered that this was a secret realm left by a fallen Great Sage, and even Dao Palace Realm cultivators who dared to intrude met their end. How much more so for mere Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators?

Many newly arrived Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators pounded their chests in regret, wishing they had arrived earlier.

They were so close to entering the Great Sage Secret Realm.

But such was the nature of opportunity; a slight difference could mean the difference between heaven and earth.

...

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' has been attacked by cultivators 215 times!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Yang' has been attacked by cultivators 365 times!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' was ambushed by a Ninth Stage Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator, suffering severe injuries. He activated the power of his False Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body, breaking through to the Perfected stage!"

"Reward: 120 enhancement points!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' fought and defeated a Middle-stage Grandmaster Realm cultivator!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' fought and defeated a Late-stage Grandmaster Realm cultivator!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' killed a Ninth Stage Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' gained enlightenment in the midst of battle, advancing his Celestial Blade True Intent to the Seventh Level!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' suffered severe injuries!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Xuan' once again activated the power of his False Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body, breaking through to the Early-stage Grandmaster Realm!"

"Reward: 200 enhancement points!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Yang' has been attacked by cultivators 688 times!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Yang' killed a Fifth Stage Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator!"

"Your offspring 'Gu Yang' consumed heavenly treasures, breaking through to the Late-stage Grandmaster Realm!"

"Reward: 500 enhancement points!"

"Reward: 100 True Intent Pills!"

"Reward: 100 Divine Blood Pills!"

...

Gu Qingfeng frowned as he read the information on the panel.

Since Gu Xuan and Gu Yang had received the Great Sage's fortune, the frequency of attacks on them had increased significantly.

However, the only good news was that neither of them had encountered any major problems. Despite being severely injured multiple times, Gu Xuan had always managed to recover and even break through to higher realms.

Gu Qingfeng now had some suspicions about the effects of the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body.

At this moment, Gu Qingfeng glanced at his attribute panel. He saw that the remaining enhancement points, which had been just over a hundred, had now surged to over nine hundred.

Immediately, he used these points to boost his cultivation to the Fifth Level of the Dao Palace Realm.

A mighty surge of power awakened within Gu Qingfeng's body, and the strength of his blood and qi was significantly greater than when he was at the Fourth Level of the Dao Palace Realm.

His Dao Palace Spirit had also grown from thirty-six inches to forty-five inches.

This level was the peak of the Fifth Level of the Dao Palace Realm.

"Indeed!"

"A semi-complete Primal Ancient Heavenly Saber should be enough to support me in breaking through to the Sixth Level of the Dao Palace Realm!"

Gu Qingfeng thought to himself.

A smile then appeared on his face.

After breaking through to the Fifth Level of the Dao Palace Realm, his strength had increased considerably. Dealing with the cultivators in the Primal Ancient Realm would now be much easier.

After all, the inheritance of the Great Sage Heavenly Phoenix had already fallen into Gu Xuan's hands. Once the secret realm ended, Gu Xuan would undoubtedly become a target for everyone.

At this time, Gu Qingfeng knew he needed to enhance his strength as much as possible to handle the challenges that lay ahead.

"I've been worrying about the two of you. If you could just be a bit more ambitious, it would be great to break through a few more realms and use the opportunities in the secret realm to directly reach the Divine Transformation Realm!"

Gu Qingfeng murmured to himself as he looked at the information panel.

...

In the Great Sage Secret Realm, deep within a desolate mountain.

Gu Yang and Gu Xuan were both covered in blood, looking ragged and disheveled.

At this moment, Gu Yang stood guard on one side while Gu Xuan sat cross-legged, seemingly recovering from his injuries.

After a long while, Gu Xuan opened his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. His previously pale face had become much rosier.

"Thanks for protecting me, Brother."

"The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body is truly wondrous. You managed to recover so quickly from such severe injuries."

Gu Yang looked at Gu Xuan, who had fully recovered, with a mix of admiration and relief.

Recently, Gu Yang had obtained a supreme treasure left by the Great Sage Heavenly Phoenix, which led to him being pursued by other cultivators. Using the Great Sage's treasure and the backup plan left by Gu Qingfeng, Gu Yang fought and retreated.

Eventually, he encountered Gu Xuan, who was also being chased.

The two of them then fled together.

Half a day ago, they were surrounded by hundreds of cultivators, including dozens of Divine Transformation Realm experts. Despite their numerous techniques, their cultivation levels were too low, and Gu Xuan was critically injured by one of the Divine Transformation Realm experts.

At a critical moment, the Evil-Slaying Saber erupted with terrifying power, allowing them to carve a bloody path to safety.

Following this, Gu Yang followed the guidance of the Great Sage's supreme treasure and entered this desolate mountain.

Though the mountain appeared ordinary, it was actually filled with the essence of the Great Sage's Dao. If one entered without guidance, they could easily trigger the Dao essence and be instantly killed.

Thanks to the protection of the mountain's Dao essence, the two of them had a chance to catch their breath.

Gu Yang then stood guard while Gu Xuan treated his injuries.

Seeing Gu Xuan recover completely in less than half a day, Gu Yang was understandably shocked.

With the severity of Gu Xuan's injuries, most cultivators would either die or be on the brink of death, requiring a long period of recuperation to recover fully.

Gu Xuan smiled. "The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body emphasizes rebirth through purification. If one is severely injured but can still draw a breath, they can recover at an extraordinary rate, and there's even a chance for a breakthrough in cultivation."

"Unfortunately..."

"The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body I possess is artificially cultivated and not a true Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body. The amount of phoenix blood in my body is limited, so it can't be compared to the real thing."

Gu Xuan sighed at the end of his words.

The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body was incredibly powerful, and he had experienced it firsthand.

However, his Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body was only a pseudo version created by the Great Sage Heavenly Phoenix, and it fell short of the true Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body.

Gu Xuan then looked beyond the desolate mountain, his expression serious.

"Brother, do you think this place can hold off those cultivators?"

With his enhanced cultivation, he could sense many cultivators attempting to breach the mountain.

Gu Xuan wasn't sure if the mountain could withstand them.

Gu Yang remained calm. "This place is where the Phoenix Tower guided me. It is where the Great Sage Heavenly Phoenix once meditated, and the essence of his Dao still lingers here.

"Even after the passage of time, the residual Dao essence here should be more than enough to withstand ordinary cultivators."

"Furthermore—"

"If the residual Dao essence here can't hold them off, we'll have to come up with another plan."

Gu Yang said this with a calm demeanor.

Compared to Gu Xuan, Gu Yang's actions were much more composed. Even now, surrounded by numerous cultivators on this desolate mountain, he showed no signs of panic.

His composure stemmed not only from his long tenure in high office but also from another reason: the Great Sage Realm was about to close.

Every cultivator who entered the Great Sage Realm received a message from the Heavenly Phoenix Great Sage, stating that the realm would only remain open for one month.

After one month, all cultivators within the Great Sage Realm would be forcibly expelled.

Gu Yang had calculated that they had been in the Great Sage Realm for about twenty days.

With this in mind, they only needed to hold out for ten more days to leave the Great Sage Realm.

Of course, even if they managed to leave, things would not be that simple.

Now that the Great Sage treasures and legacies were in the hands of him and his brother, once the Great Sage Realm closed, this news would surely spread.

But at this point, there was no turning back.

Therefore, Gu Yang remained calm.

Hearing this, Gu Xuan's expression relaxed.

At that moment, the void trembled.

A myriad of divine lights shot up into the sky, slamming down fiercely onto the desolate mountain. Instantly, the mountain's Dao aura rose, blocking all the divine lights.

The collision of the two forces caused the void to distort violently.

Such a massive disturbance made Gu Yang and Gu Xuan's expressions change.

"Ancient Weapons!"

"It seems they have realized the Great Sage Realm is about to close and want to kill us here!"

Gu Yang's face darkened.

Now, he understood why Ancient Weapons were being used.

These were divine weapons refined by Dao Palace Realm cultivators, each containing terrifying power. If a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator wielded an Ancient Weapon, they could easily defeat enemies of higher realms.

Furthermore, if they unleashed the full power of an Ancient Weapon at any cost, it could unleash attacks on par with a Dao Palace Realm cultivator.

For cultivators of the Ancient World, any Ancient Weapon was exceedingly precious, far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

However, among the cultivators who entered the Great Sage Realm, there were many prodigies from top-tier forces, and it was common for them to possess Ancient Weapons for protection.

At that moment, a towering ancient tower suddenly emerged from Gu Yang's dantian, swiftly ascending above the desolate mountain. In the next instant, a majestic heavenly aura spread out, merging with the mountain's Dao aura.

Instantly, the power of the mountain's Dao aura surged.

All the divine lights that struck were shattered by a terrifying pressure, revealing the forms of the Ancient Weapons inside.

Then, numerous Ancient Weapons began to crack, and before everyone's eyes, they shattered completely.

"Boom—"

The Ancient Weapons exploded, scattering into countless fragments.

"No!!"

Outside the desolate mountain, many cultivators turned pale, their hearts aching as they watched their shattered Ancient Weapons.

They never expected the Phoenix Tower to suddenly appear and, in conjunction with the mountain's Dao aura, shatter so many Ancient Weapons.

Even with their status as prodigies from various forces, the loss of an Ancient Weapon was a painful blow.

"Those two have destroyed the Ancient Weapons of the Shangguan Family! They must die!"

A young man in purple, his handsome face twisted with malice, his eyes filled with killing intent, glared at the shattered Ancient Weapons.

At the same time, when he looked at the Phoenix Tower in the sky, a greedy look appeared in his eyes.

"A Great Sage treasure!"

"Such a treasure should belong to me!"

Shangguan Yu felt a surge of impulse to seize the Phoenix Tower. After all, even as a member of the Shangguan Family, a Sage Family, they did not possess a Great Sage treasure.

If he could obtain one, when the great struggle of the future arrived, achieving Sagehood would be a certainty.

Perhaps, he could even advance to the Great Sage Realm, becoming an existence on par with the Heavenly Phoenix Great Sage.

With this thought, Shangguan Yu glanced at the other cultivators and then spoke to the Divine Transformation Realm cultivators of the Shangguan Family beside him.

"Have the other cultivators enter the desolate mountain and find a way in. If they refuse, they have no right to live!"

Shangguan Yu's expression was cold.

Upon hearing this, the Shangguan Family's experts immediately carried out his orders, approaching the other cultivators.

This action caused considerable unrest.

However, the name of a Sage Family and the pressure from the Shangguan Family's many experts forced some of the scattered cultivators to reluctantly step onto the desolate mountain, their hearts filled with deep resentment towards the Shangguan Family.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end