Chapter 271: A Glimpse of Eternity

Chapter 271: A Glimpse of Eternity

"Huff."

Chen Qiu, seated cross-legged on the Mystic Heaven Throne, exhaled deeply. Regardless of anything else, the provincial shackles had finally been lifted, and his range of movement had significantly increased. He could now roam freely in other parts of the Vast Continent and even explore the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm.

It had been a long time since he last visited the Mystic Realm.

He missed it a little.

However, with his current strength, the opportunities in the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm of the Vast Continent were mostly beyond his reach. Moreover, most mystic realms restricted entry to those above the Body Fusion Stage, making it challenging to find one suitable for him.

He gazed at the characters "Heavenly King" engraved above his dantian. It was originally meant for the Sole Emperor, but since he had claimed the title in the fastest time across all rank continents, he became the Heavenly King.

Chen Qiu had some hidden doubts about where the kings of other states had gone. Why did he become the Heavenly King just as the Sole Emperor Contest began?

"Heaven-Bestowed Name": Heavenly King.

"Name Effect": You can freely travel to any lower-ranked continent in this series and ignore provincial shackles. You can also travel to a continent one rank higher in this series.

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu looked at the effect of this heaven-bestowed name. He actually wanted to compare it with the effect of the Sole Emperor, to see which was stronger. At least, this heaven-bestowed name's effect seemed redundant to him.

He once obtained a supreme red entry called "Inorganic Person," which also allowed him to freely travel to any lower-ranked continent in the series.

For example, in the Vast Continent, he could only travel to lower-ranked continents within the Vast Continent.

This effect was repetitive.

The additional ability to travel to a higher-ranked continent meant that he could now freely travel to the Heaven-reaching Continent if he wished.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully. This effect seemed beneficial. During the throne contest, due to the provincial shackles, he couldn't go anywhere else, not even to the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. He could only stay in the Celestial Palace and cultivate, which was effective but a bit boring.

With this heaven-bestowed name, he could finally take a stroll.

Decision made.

He stood up, brushed off the non-existent dust from his clothes, and turned to Xiong Gao, who was standing guard nearby: "Gather everyone. I'm taking you all out for a walk."

He planned to visit the Heaven-reaching Continent and then return to continue his cultivation. It was essential to balance work and rest; he couldn't stay in the Celestial Palace all the time.

After that, he looked at the remaining rewards for becoming the Sole Emperor.

"A Thread of Celestial Talent's Fortune."

An old friend, nothing much to say. It's a consumable that is often used, and the more, the better.

"A Thread of Kill Move's Fortune."

Also familiar, he had obtained it before. Its effect was to enhance the quality of killing techniques. Under the effect of the green entry "Regular Guest of Proclamation," it became two threads, and after using it, the quality of his Body Fusion killing technique rose from ninety to ninety-two.

Not bad.

The first time he obtained a thread of Kill Move's Fortune, he was quite excited, but now he felt nothing. After all, the difference between ninety and ninety-two wasn't that significant.

But Chen Qiu looked at the characters "Heavenly King" engraved in his dantian with some doubt. Was that it? This Sole Emperor's opportunity seemed a bit weak, just a thread of Kill Move's Fortune and a thread of Celestial Talent's Fortune, which didn't match the title at all.

Forget it.

Chen Qiu didn't think much about it. Instead, he sent all the Mock Heaven Sect disciples, including the Heavenly Axe Sect Leader, into the little world. Then, with a thought, he felt as if he had pierced through a thin membrane, and his body disappeared from its original spot in the blink of an eye.

"Where is he?"

In the instant the provincial shackles disappeared, the Dragon Clan's main branch leader, who had been waiting for a long time, led his trusted followers and rushed in. But the usually clear aura of his clan members suddenly vanished.

In the entire Mystic Heaven State, not a single clan member could be found.

The Dragon Clan leader, who had prepared gifts, stood in the air above the Mystic Heaven State, his eyes blank, not knowing what to do for a moment. The entire Mystic Heaven State felt emptier than before.

Although he couldn't find Chen Qiu, he still sent people out to inquire about the relationship between these Dragon Clan members and Chen Qiu.

"Can't find him."

In the moment the provincial shackles disappeared, a large number of people from other states rushed into the Mystic Heaven State almost simultaneously. Among them were those who came to witness the excitement, those who wanted to see Chen Qiu's brilliance, those searching for their missing young masters, and those bringing gifts to express their gratitude.

Among them was Bai Jia's eldest daughter and her entourage.

The elder who served as Bai Jia's eldest daughter's protector shook his head helplessly: "I can't find Chen Qiu's aura for the time being. His concealment skills are quite impressive. I'm at the Great Ascension Stage, yet I can't even detect his aura."

"Let's wait."

Following the old master's instructions, the two of them brought 5 million spirit stones as a gift. According to the old master's intention, this number could have been higher, but the family had been a bit tight-fisted lately, and they couldn't come up with more spirit stones.

These 5 million spirit stones were not taken from the family but from the old master's own pocket. They were prepared as a dowry for the young miss, but given the situation, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to marry. Since the young miss admired Chen Qiu, the old master decided to use it as a gift to fulfill her wish.

"No rush."

Bai Jia's eldest daughter didn't mind. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity: "Let's go and find out what Chen Qiu did in the Mystic Heaven State. Did he eat anything special? I'm curious about how a monster like Chen Qiu lives and what his tastes are."

At this moment—

In a relatively remote city in the Heaven-reaching Continent, in a bustling area of a restaurant, Chen Qiu stood by the window, looking down at the city below with a serious expression, scanning each person on the street.

A moment later.

He couldn't help but sigh: "This continent seems to have very few normal people."

He had long heard that the Heaven-reaching Continent was a polluted continent, mainly producing entries related to physical mutations. But today, he finally witnessed it firsthand.

In the entire city, who would be considered normal!

Even someone like him, with one head, two eyes, one nose, and two ears, was already considered a rare sight.

The roadside herb vendor had three heads, each facing a different direction, shouting and haggling with different customers simultaneously.

The porter who had just entered the city, carrying a pole with unknown contents, seemed normal at first glance. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that the pole was made of human bones.

He soon sat down on the street and began shouting, and the basket on his pole was filled with weapons he had crafted from his own bones, emphasizing their extreme hardness.

There was also a brothel owner with multiple cows growing from his body and a flower girl with numerous mouths covering her body.

"Huff!"

Chen Qiu couldn't help but take a deep breath, tilting his head and lightly rubbing his temples. For a moment, he didn't know how to evaluate this continent. He had come here with the intention of relaxing and traveling.

Recently, he had been feeling tense and a bit tired, so he wanted to unwind.

But seeing this scene before him, he felt that it was difficult to relax, and he became even more tense.

Were these still humans?

They already resembled the ancient evil clan to some extent.

However, the people in this city seemed to have gotten used to this state, and they didn't find anything unusual about each other's appearances. Instead, they occasionally gave strange looks to those with normal bodies. As the world became more chaotic, what was once normal became the oddity.

"I think it's fine."

Fat Dragon smiled and nodded, "It's like visiting a zoo, quite interesting. And that woman over there, covered in tentacles, I wonder if those tentacles can grow indefinitely. If they can, she could set up a stall and sell grilled squid or something."

"Fresh and with zero ingredient cost."

"Indeed."

The scholar nodded calmly and said, "For you, coming here is like coming home. This place is quite suitable for you."

"It's not just suitable for me," Fat Dragon said with a serious expression. "This continent is extremely suitable for dual cultivation. Many people here possess the 'Nine Ox Strength' and 'Nine Yin Strength' entries. These two entries are prerequisites for most dual cultivation entries, indicating that there must be numerous powerful dual cultivation practitioners on this continent."

This was the perfect combination of time, location, and people.

Dual cultivation wasn't something that was widely accepted, and its biggest drawback was the low upper limit. However, on this continent, that problem was perfectly resolved. The probability of randomly obtaining the 'Nine Ox Strength' series entries was significantly increased.

"Let's go, let's explore the city."

Chen Qiu led the way downstairs, followed by Fat Dragon, Xiong Gao, and the group from the Heavenly Axe Sect. Since they had come, they might as well take a look around; otherwise, it would be a wasted trip.

Their group, with their normal physiques, stood out as oddities in the entire city. However, wherever they went, the shop owners treated them with great respect. After some inquiries, they learned that most of the powerful cultivators on this continent used illusion stones to hide their abnormalities. Their group, with their extraordinary auras and non-ordinary clothing, was naturally mistaken for such powerful cultivators, hence the respectful treatment.

Compared to these powerful cultivators...

The people in this city were relatively normal, just with some extra body parts. Many top-tier cultivators, when their illusion stones were removed, no longer resembled humans, and the term 'human race' hardly applied to them.

"How much for this?"

On the street, Chen Qiu squatted in front of a stall, picked up a hairpin from the display, and asked the vendor with a smile. With his 'Omniscience' entry, he could see the detailed information of all heavenly treasures and artifacts.

This hairpin was quite good, a Nascent Soul-grade spirit treasure, but it was in a dusty state. Once the dust was removed, it would unleash its full power.

It was mistakenly placed among some ordinary trash, and the vendor didn't seem to know its value.

Chen Qiu was about to take advantage of this oversight.

Although this spirit treasure wasn't of much use to him, and the profit from this oversight was negligible, he couldn't help but feel happy about finding such a bargain. He wasn't concerned about the exact amount he would gain.

Currently, he had seven to eight million spirit stones on him, enough for half a year of cultivation.

"Ten thousand spirit stones."

The vendor looked up at Chen Qiu with a calm expression and then put on an air of a sage, smiling enigmatically, "My friend, you have a keen eye. Since it's your destiny, this treasure should be yours."

"Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones, mind you."

". "

Chen Qiu, who was about to take advantage of the oversight, twitched his lips slightly. This item was only a Nascent Soul-grade spirit treasure, and ten thousand high-grade spirit stones were far beyond its value. The price was so ridiculous that he didn't even feel like haggling.

Regarding the vendor's pretentious sage-like demeanor...

Chen Qiu could only feel helpless.

These were all old tricks. Every young man new to the cultivation world believed that they would encounter their own destiny, seeing every ordinary person as a hidden master. For example, a butcher selling meat or a beggar on the street, if they spoke in a profound and mysterious manner, they could easily convince these young cultivators to spend their first fortune.

Perhaps it was because Chen Qiu didn't look very old.

The vendor had mistaken him for someone from a prestigious background but new to the cultivation world.

Just then—

"Hahahahahaha!"

A burst of mad laughter suddenly echoed through the bustling street. A young man in tattered clothes was walking erratically, his gaze unfocused and his eyes wild as he roared incessantly.

"I am the Heavenly Will itself, hahahaha!"

"You all looked down on me, but from now on, even asking you to fetch my shoes would be an honor you don't deserve. It's so satisfying, hahaha!"

The man seemed completely insane, lost in his own world.

The vendor followed Chen Qiu's gaze and saw the same deranged young man. He smirked and casually said, "Fellow Daoist, it seems like you're new to 'Open Source City'. That man is a lunatic who's been like this for many years."

"He used to be a woodcutter, making a living by chopping firewood. His parents wanted him to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage early, so they randomly chose a term entry in hopes of changing his fate. They put in a lot of effort, but this family is just an ordinary mortal clan with no background or strength."

"After much effort, the man finally broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, but during that breakthrough, it's said that he randomly chose three of the worst term entries, and they were completely incompatible with his own. That's when he went insane."

"His parents passed away not long after, unable to bear the grief of their son's madness and the physical toll it took on their bodies."

"The house they left behind was occupied by his cousin, who kicked him out. From then on, the lunatic was essentially an orphan, without parents or recognition from relatives. He roamed the streets of Open Source City, and when hungry, he would kneel at the entrance of restaurants, hoping for some food. The restaurants would usually give him some, after all, it's a chance to earn virtue points, and who would refuse that?"

"This man..."

The vendor sighed, "It's better not to have too many expectations for yourself. Always thinking about changing your fate can lead to a devastating fall if it doesn't happen. Just accept that you're an ordinary person, and you'll live a longer life, even if you don't become stronger."

"Forget it, I won't scam you. This hairpin is just a worthless mortal object. I dug it out of a pit and had it appraised; it's not special. You think it's special because I secretly rubbed white light powder on it. In the sunlight, it faintly flashes with weak white light, making it look like a valuable treasure covered in dust."

"Today is my last day at the stall. After many years, I feel a bit guilty. I always thought I'd be struck by heavenly lightning for my deeds. I planned to retire after one last big sale, but seeing this lunatic made me sigh. I decided to accumulate some virtue points on my last day."

Fat Dragon looked at the vendor with an expressionless face, "You've been scamming people all your life, and now, at the last moment, you find your group, and she's the same age as me. How come you don't feel guilty about her?"

.

Chen Qiu ignored the vendor and narrowed his eyes, looking at the deranged man approaching him. Driven by curiosity, he had spent 100,000 virtue points to view this man's term entry.

He wanted to see what term entry this man had chosen during his Foundation Establishment Stage breakthrough that led to such despair.

What he saw was shocking.

The term entry this man chose after breaking through the Foundation Establishment Stage wasn't some useless entry; it was a pink entry!

Term Entry Name: Eye of the Storm

Term Entry Level: Pink

Term Entry Effect: For every ten members of other races you kill, an eye will grow on your body.

The term entry he randomly obtained during the Qi Condensation First Level was a white entry.

Term Entry Name: Eye of Eternity

Term Entry Level: White

Term Entry Effect: For every eye you devour, you will gain ten times the cultivation speed, ten times the power of spells, ten times the physical strength, and ten lower-grade spirit stones within ten days.

Only two term entries, but they formed a perfect combination.

If, before this, the young man had been from a poor family, making a living by chopping firewood, and his parents had struggled, then after breaking through the Foundation Establishment Stage, he would soon break through to the Golden Core Stage.

Even if his background and experience limited him from achieving a high-grade Golden Core, even the weakest Golden Core would be enough to lift his family out of poverty.

In other words,

The young man didn't despair and collapse because he randomly chose three useless term entries during his Foundation Establishment Stage. Instead, he randomly obtained a perfectly compatible entry that could elevate him to great heights, and in his overwhelming joy, he went insane, becoming completely deranged.

In moments of extreme sadness or joy, anyone can go insane.

This wasn't surprising.

Chen Qiu looked at the deranged young man with regret. After a lifetime of hardship, when fortune finally smiled upon him, offering a chance to turn his life around, he couldn't grasp it. Even if he didn't become a powerful figure, he could have at least improved his family's life. But instead, he ended up in this state, which couldn't help but evoke a sigh.

Many people have a strong ability to adapt to hardship, but when their lives improve slightly, they often don't know how to handle it.

This is what the elders call a 'life of hardship.'

As Chen Qiu wandered through the Heaven-reaching Continent, soaking in the local customs and culture, in the Fourth Rank Continent, the Jiang Taiping Continent, Young Master Ling Shiqi of the Ling Pavilion was about to go mad with rage.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Inside the Ling Pavilion.

Young Master Ling Shiqi, who was originally preparing to travel to the Second Rank Continent to meet Chen Qiu, was shocked to learn that his Heavenly King position had been taken. Someone had become the Sole Emperor faster than him. He couldn't believe it; how could anyone be faster than him? His situation had been special.

But the facts were undeniable, and thinking about it now was pointless.

Through the Ling Pavilion's intelligence network, he learned that the one who took his throne was none other than Chen Qiu.

"Chen Qiu, Chen Qiu, it's that damn Chen Qiu!"

With a twisted expression, Young Master Ling Shiqi raged in his study, smashing things around him. People from high-rank continents couldn't casually travel to lower-rank continents unless they had special means. Now that he had lost his Heavenly King position, he would need to use some tricks to visit lower-rank continents.

At least for the time being, there was no way down.

In the past, with his position as the Heavenly King, he had never considered these matters, and even if he encountered such an opportunity, he would have simply overlooked it. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his Heavenly King title could one day be taken away by someone else.

"Son."

Inside the study, a middle-aged man with a calm and composed demeanor sat beside him, speaking casually, "Calm down. You are the most outstanding Celestial Pride of Ling Pavilion in recent years. A top-tier Celestial Pride not only needs to surpass others in strength but also in character."

"The elders have already discussed this. This person seems to have a fated rivalry with you."

"Your Heavenly Dao Edict has been taken by Chen Qiu, and your Heavenly King title has been seized by him. The daughter of the Bai Family Patriarch, whom you've always admired, is currently in Mystic Heaven State, actively seeking Chen Qiu to offer her congratulations."

"The final conclusion is that Chen Qiu must die. If Chen Qiu doesn't die, your future opportunities will likely continue to be taken away by him."

"This is fate."

"One of you two must die."

"How?"

Ling Shiqi's eyes reddened as he turned his head towards his father, "My Heavenly King title has been taken, and I can't go down to confront him. How can I kill him? I remember the Bai Family has the means to freely travel to lower-tier continents. Can we ask them to handle this matter?"

"No need."

The middle-aged man looked at his son, paused for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled, "Son, you're so angry you're not thinking straight. Have you forgotten that you possess the top-tier Rainbow Entry 'Void Targeting'? You only need to know a person's name and appearance to launch an attack regardless of distance."

"But Chen Qiu is only at the initial stage of Body Fusion Cultivation."

"As the most outstanding Celestial Pride of Ling Pavilion, you've already reached the initial stage of the Great Vehicle Stage in your thirties. This major realm difference is hard to compensate for with other methods. It is said that Chen Qiu is a Divination Cultivator, not particularly skilled in defense. You only need to launch a full-power attack from a distance to easily take his life."

"I've obtained a Shadow Stone with Chen Qiu's appearance. I think you don't need me to teach you what to do next, right?"

The Great Transcendent Stage is the realm above Body Fusion Cultivation, and the primary offensive method in this major realm is still the Body Fusion Killing Technique.

Other realm-specific methods serve as supplementary.

Each major realm has its unique methods, which is why it's so difficult to fight across realms. Without heavenly means, how could one possibly overcome the exclusive methods of the other's realm?

"Hmm."

Seeing his son gradually regaining his composure, the middle-aged man smiled with relief, "Your father has been at the Tribulation Ascension Stage for a long time. It's estimated that in a hundred years, I'll make my final attempt to transcend and become an Immortal Emperor, ascending to the Fifth Rank Continent. Ling Pavilion will be in your hands from now on."

"Making mistakes is not a big deal. No one's life is without errors."

"On the path to becoming an Immortal Emperor, minor obstacles are not to be feared."

". "

At that moment, in the Third Rank Continent, the Heaven-reaching Continent, at the Bai Family Manor, the Bai Family Patriarch sat in the ancestral hall, playing with a Shadow Stone in his hand, his eyes closed, silent for a long time.

The five palm slaps he had received earlier were a humiliating disgrace, and he needed to find a way to get some revenge.

Perhaps to salvage his damaged reputation, the wedding proceeded as planned. Ling Shiqi hadn't revealed the effects of his Heavenly Dao Entry Group, but he had disclosed the capabilities of the Rainbow Entry 'Void Targeting' that came with it.

A deadly attack that ignores distance.

Perfect.

Now that Ling Shiqi's Heavenly King title had been taken, he likely harbored even more resentment towards Chen Qiu. Unable to personally seek out Chen Qiu in the lower-tier continents, this 'Void Targeting' skill might become crucial.

Chen Qiu's reputation was too well-known, and he didn't pay much attention to his appearance, so finding a Shadow Stone with his image wasn't difficult.

It was estimated that Ling Pavilion would soon obtain Chen Qiu's Shadow Stone and allow Ling Shiqi to launch a full-power attack from a distance. With Ling Shiqi's initial Great Mounting Stage cultivation, this attack would be hard to defend against.

Unlike Ling Shiqi, who was from a prominent family and extremely cautious about his appearance, there were no Shadow Stones with his true face leaked. He always wore a mask when going out.

". "

The Bai Family Patriarch sat in his chair with his eyes closed, playing with the Shadow Stone in his hand, deep in thought. He was considering whether to give this Shadow Stone to Chen Qiu.

Indeed, almost no one possessed a Shadow Stone with Ling Shiqi's true face, but he did.

He was only worried about one thing.

Even if he gave this Shadow Stone to Chen Qiu, Chen Qiu might not be able to pose a significant threat to Ling Shiqi due to their vast cultivation gap. If it was later discovered that he had leaked Ling Shiqi's true appearance,

The Bai Family would be completely finished.

Once this Shadow Stone was sent out, if the matter was ever investigated, and the Bai Family was found to have turned against Ling Pavilion, it would lead to another bloody storm.

But as a man, he couldn't just do nothing after receiving five palm slaps. He struggled to overcome his inner turmoil.

PS: I originally planned to take a break today, but after submitting my leave request and lying down, I suddenly felt better, so I got up and started writing again. Please forgive any typos, and I'll fix them later.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end