Chapter 235: A Heart's Departure, The Embryo's Form

Chapter 235: A Heart's Departure, The Embryo's Form

"Everyone, you should all be well aware of what my eldest brother's innate talent and divine abilities represent."

In the vast hall, not only were the top warriors of the Sun Yue Alliance gathered, but also Yu Chengkong, Jiang Tunhai, and others.

Ji Jingqiu's ascension to the top of the Ancient Road officially declared the "uniqueness" of the Sun Yue Alliance.

Even those who were forbidden warriors like Yu Chengkong had to look up to Ji Jingqiu's back.

Inside the grand hall, after hearing Senluo's words, everyone's expressions became solemn.

They had all been on the Ancient Road, and now, as they were about to leave, their thoughts gradually turned to the outside world.

"Even the Ancient Road has been invaded by the Dark Sea, how much better can the outside world be?" Senluo said in a low voice, directly addressing the hidden worry that had always been on everyone's minds.

Most of them were core members of their respective forces, and they had already heard rumors that the Nine Provinces might be on the verge of destruction, with the migration of the Ten Thousand Clans imminent.

"I suggest that our alliance, even when we leave the Ancient Road, should remain intact. Divine Sojourn is just the beginning. If we want to shed the label of the younger generation and formally take over the reins, we must at least reach the Heaven-Man Realm. During this period, we can maintain the flow of information and resources."

Hearing Senluo's suggestion, everyone was not surprised, as they had already guessed it before coming.

"A cross-force organization in its infancy..." someone whispered.

This situation had occurred in the past, but it was often difficult to sustain for long, lacking a crucial centripetal force, and people's hearts easily scattered.

But this time seemed different.

The key reason was not because Ji Jingqiu had ascended the Ancient Road, but because of the Mind Flame Ten Thousand Lamp Technique! The importance of this technique grew as the Dark Sea's invasion intensified.

The various factions in the Nine Provinces were not without means to suppress the deceptive mist and dark mist, and Yama Float was even considered an 'expert' in this regard, but the cost was extremely high, and it couldn't be mass-produced or popularized."

"A good suggestion," Yu Chengkong said, his eyes flashing, "I won't hide it from you all, the Southern Wilderness Province has been showing signs for a while now. In the most severely affected areas, there have even been large-scale outbreaks of 'mind plagues'."

Upon hearing this, the warriors from the Southern Wilderness Province all changed color.

The intelligence they had was far less precise than Yu Chengkong's, and they only had a rough idea.

The deceptive mist was just one of the most direct signs of the Dark Sea's invasion, and the disasters it brought were far more than that. Similar disasters included unquenchable whispers and mind plagues.

Mind plagues, in particular, erupted silently and in various forms. For example, someone might wake up one day and, without any warning, become an entirely different person.

The Dark Sea's methods were cunning and ever-changing, penetrating every corner, leaving no room for defense.

"Although Ji Jingqiu's Heart Lamp grows weaker with each passing, it still provides a place of refuge, and that's enough," Yu Chengkong said in a low voice.

Ji Jingqiu's Heart Lamp was the strongest centripetal force for their group.

"I've witnessed the methods of Buddha's Homeland, and they are far from being as heaven-defying as Ji Jingqiu's Heart Lamp," Jiang Tunhai said solemnly. "In the face of an uncertain future, forming a defensive alliance will indeed benefit us in many ways."

Everyone felt a chill. Did this mean that Ji Jingqiu had the potential to establish a force even more powerful than Buddha's Homeland?

Or perhaps...

They would become the next Buddha's Homeland? In the end, Senluo's proposal was unanimously approved.

Everyone was open to keeping a backdoor option and didn't mind getting closer to Ji Jingqiu.

Even if some of them were rival forces in the outside world, it didn't affect their personal alliances.

At the level of first-class civilizations, absolute enmity was rare, and internal factions were ultimately driven by interests.

As the three-month deadline approached, the warriors returned to the Nine Provinces.

They had not waited for Ji Jingqiu, and the 'harvest' left for him was taken back by Feng Wu.

This 'harvest' brought back by Feng Wu caused a stir, especially the three Celestial Herbs, which were highly sought after.

These Celestial Herbs alone sparked a heated debate within the Nine Palaces.

If it weren't for the fact that their owner was Ji Jingqiu...

Nine Palaces.

In a grand palace suspended in the sky, leaders from various factions of the Nine Palaces gathered briefly to discuss the recent movements of the Great Crimson Heaven Palace and Crimson Heaven Palace.

After the news of Ji Jingqiu's ascension to the top of the Ten Thousand Year Monument spread.

These two factions' recent activities had become quite dramatic.

A middle-aged man sighed, "In recent years, the Crimson Heaven Palace and the Great Crimson Heaven Palace have gradually drifted away from us, but in this generation, a Ten Thousand Year Monument champion has emerged."

Some nodded, while others remained silent.

In the past, the Crimson Heaven Palace had allied with the Great Crimson Heaven Palace to counter the Dragon Seal and Heaven's Origin Palaces. Later, the conflict expanded to internal struggles within the Nine Palaces.

Although the situation was generally stable, secret battles never ceased, and even Heaven-Man Realm-level 'losses' occurred.

Now, with Ji Jingqiu's emergence from the Great Crimson Heaven Palace, it was evident that the true 'heart' and 'virtue' of the future would be directed towards him.

"Have you all been in high positions for so long that you can't see the bigger picture?"

The elders were left speechless.

The elder closed his eyes and said, "Focus your thoughts on the present, which is to leave the Nine Provinces, not to rush into internal conflicts."

The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier quickly added, "The Heaven's Origin Palace has contacted a secondary universe plane, and they are willing to accept us, but we'll need to contribute during the universe invasion war."

The elder frowned and scolded, "This can only be a backup plan! Our ancestors came from the Great Universe, and naturally, we should prioritize returning to our ancestral land!"

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly, but in the end, he nodded in agreement.

Returning to the Great Universe would require the willingness of a civilization to guide them.

This was an incredibly difficult task.

The process of negotiation and resolving interest disputes would take far more than a century.

The elder closed his eyes and said, "I've noticed that Qi Yunfei has been particularly active recently, and with his personality, it's likely not just because of Ji Jingqiu."

"Investigate the important movements of the Crimson Heaven Palace and the Great Crimson Heaven Palace in recent years. If my suspicions are correct, we should naturally seize this opportunity."

"He is the one who will carry on the legacy of our faction, and it is only right that he receives this honor."

"Also, I've heard that Qian Chong from the Great Crimson Heaven Palace has recently acquired a method to restrain the deceptive mist. Investigate this matter thoroughly, and it wouldn't hurt to build good relationships and expand our connections."

An elder imparted his wisdom, and the group eagerly listened, for his seniority and strength were highly respected within their ranks.

...

...

In an ancient temple, bathed in the glow of a green lamp, Ji Jingqiu sat in meditation, detached from the world's turmoil. With the help of the Ancient Path Will, he cultivated the embryonic form of the Sacred Embryo, comprehending the Heavenly Heart Realm.

【The embryonic form of your Sacred Embryo has already taken shape. You must quickly return to the Great Universe to stabilize your realm. Once you break through the Shackles Realm, you can attempt to forge the Sacred Embryo.】

【Once the Sacred Embryo is formed, even in the 'Ebb' stage of the Great Universe, you should be able to communicate with the will of a planet or harness the power of certain dimensional universes.】

"The Ebb stage?" Ji Jingqiu asked, "Is harnessing the power of dimensional universes a matter of borrowing their strength?"

【Indeed, the Eight Sufferings power you previously harnessed is a similar case. As for the 'Ebb' stage, the Great Universe can no longer accommodate the strongest beings. However, long ago, its splendor was built upon the subjugation of the myriad heavens and myriad realms.】

The Ancient Path Will suddenly warned,

【The method of borrowing strength you used earlier must be employed with caution. What you have borrowed is the power of faith and vows! Excessive exposure can lead to a sudden mutation in your divinity, potentially forcing you onto an irreversible path, becoming one of those chaotic evil deities, and the process cannot be stopped.】

Ji Jingqiu's expression turned solemn.

...

...

Chaotic Evil Deities...

He had heard this term from La Jian before.

La Jian referred to the deities of the Federation as evil gods, claiming that once they lost the suppression of the Four Divine Lords, they would gradually be controlled by the faith and vows of the masses, causing their consciousness to descend into ignorance and chaos.

But wasn't the power he had borrowed the power of the mind?

After a moment of contemplation, Ji Jingqiu decided to seek guidance from the Ancient Path Will regarding the profound nature of the Primordial Divine Ability.

Upon truly experiencing the Primordial Divine Ability firsthand...

The Ancient Path Will was astonished,

【The power contained within this divine ability possesses an extremely high level of personification, and it seems to be connected to a world I have never heard of, making it difficult to fathom!】

"Elder, this divine ability has the capability to differentiate. In your current state, can you plant it within my body to combat the erosion of the Dark Sea on the Ancient Path?"

Ji Jingqiu's heart stirred, contemplating a possibility.

The state of the Ancient Path Will was evidently different from the past, having changed significantly, becoming more "humanized" like La Jian.

"Elder, are you truly the Ancient Path Will, or the remnant consciousness of the deities?"

【...I was once the pure Heavenly Will, but now I have 'awakened'. You can say I am the past them as well.】

Ji Jingqiu inquired further, "Is there a way to guide a deity lost in chaos and ignorance back to the right path? Or... is it possible to make a deity fall into humanity?"

【It's simple. Reduce their divinity, and they will naturally transform towards their human side, but this will also inevitably lead to a significant reduction in their power.】

Ji Jingqiu's heart trembled slightly, wondering if this meant that the power of the Ancient Path Will was also diminishing.

He gradually withdrew from the Heavenly Heart state, regaining his humanity but also becoming weaker.

Was this the inevitable outcome of the path of divinity? Ji Jingqiu pondered for a moment before asking delicately, "Will there be another Ancient Path in the future?"

【The likelihood is very low. When the day comes that the Tridivisioned Floating Earth invades, I will burn all the planes of the Ancient Path, attempting to open an escape route for the Nine Provinces' sentient beings. So, you must strive to enter the Divine Human realm as soon as possible and return here.】

Ji Jingqiu nodded lightly.

He felt that the future might not be as bleak as it seemed.

He recalled the Ancient Path Will's previous words—although the Imperial Heaven deities had perished, as long as the Imperial Heaven itself had not completely perished, it would not lead to the extinction of the Path.

【This divine ability is profound, but it holds little use for me.】

【You should stabilize the state of your Sacred Embryo's embryonic form. In a few days, I will send you away.】

Ji Jingqiu sat quietly in the ancient temple, meditating and resting for several days.

He not only perceived his own state but also contemplated his next destination.

His immediate task was to return to the Great Universe, stabilize the Sacred Embryo's embryonic form, break through the Shackles Realm, and advance to the Embryo Breath Realm.

This would be his top priority.

Before that, he had one more matter to attend to—the "gift" left by He Shuai.

He Shuai had left a message, stating that if Ji Jingqiu could fulfill a small request, he would be granted access to a specific set of coordinates, where he would find a gift personally prepared by He Shuai himself.

And this small request was—

To be ranked third before the Eternal Monument.

Ji Jingqiu managed to exceed this modest request.

He began to plan his next steps.

Ji Jingqiu patted the World Devouring Snake coiled around his wrist, resembling a crimson rope.

This little fellow was living a much better life than him, constantly eating and sleeping, and most importantly, making progress and breakthroughs! During Ji Jingqiu's cultivation of the Heavenly Heart and the formation of the Sacred Embryo's embryonic form, the Ancient Path Will had specially fed it several incomplete dimensional planes, claiming that it would help lay a better foundation for its current stage. Now, it had once again fallen into a deep slumber to digest and absorb them.

It was also said that this little fellow's roots had subtly detached from its original Void Bloodline, indicating the potential for further advancement.

However, Ji Jingqiu was unsure of the specifics, as everything depended on fate.

After returning to the Great Universe, Ji Jingqiu planned to pay a visit to Xue Zu, the older brother of his own son.

Finally, the day arrived for Ji Jingqiu to depart from the Ancient Path.

As Ji Jingqiu was about to leave, the Ancient Path Will suddenly spoke up,

【Since you have been recognized by the Suspended Ancient Temple lineage, I bestow this ancient temple upon you.】

A minuscule object, as tiny as a mustard seed, floated before Ji Jingqiu, eventually merging into the back of his hand.

【I have refined this object into a portable world. You can use your mind as a guide to enter and exit at will, and it can be considered a portable storage space, though it holds no other mystical properties.】

【If you find it unsuitable, you can seek a Divine Human cultivator in the outside world to move it out and truly establish it in the Great Universe.】

Ji Jingqiu was deeply moved and expressed his gratitude once more.

【There's no need for thanks. After all, you are... the last master of the Imperial Heaven.】

...

...

On this day,

Ji Jingqiu embarked on his journey of "returning home in glory, a glorious homecoming."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end