Chapter 312: A Step Towards Tianren

Chapter 312: A Step Towards Tianren

Huang Zhiyan suddenly felt an urge to visit Ji Jingqiu once more.

However, her sect had instructed her to maintain a distance and act solely as a representative of Phoenix Blood Palace. She was to notify the sect if she discovered any signs of the Four Demons' arrival or traces of Ji Tianxing.

Suddenly, Huang Zhiyan's gaze shifted, and her pupils contracted as a familiar face appeared before her.

The multiverse was vast and boundless, and the disciples of the True Saint Monastery were countless.

But the top disciples often had connections with each other, as they might become leaders of their respective forces in the future.

The person who appeared before her was also from the True Saint Monastery, a fellow disciple named Hua Jiu Jie from Wan Jie Shan.

"You, a disciple of Wan Jie Shan, dare to come here?" Huang Zhiyan asked with a peculiar expression.

"I didn't want to come either," Hua Jiu Jie replied helplessly. "But the previous senior brother in charge of this place has mysteriously lost contact. Do you know anything about it, Senior Sister Huang?"

Huang Zhiyan's face remained unchanged, but her heart was slightly tense.

The Tianren Wuzhe from Wan Jie Shan had been killed by Ji Jingqiu right in front of her.

Huang Zhiyan smiled mockingly, "So what if I know?"

Hua Jiu Jie touched his nose, "Although I'm lazy and non-confrontational, he's still my fellow disciple. I should at least make a move to regain some face."

"Is the opponent very strong?"

"When it comes to shaking people, Wan Jie Shan isn't afraid of anyone. Even if they can't shake them off immediately, they can always target those around them." Hua Jiu Jie explained casually.

Huang Zhiyan's eyes showed disdain, "No wonder you're a top disciple of Wan Jie Shan. You've inherited your sect's despicable and unscrupulous ways."

Hua Jiu Jie sighed helplessly, "Is that too much of a stereotype? Moreover, since it's a life-and-death grudge, do we still need to follow the principle of not involving family members? Why not just finish it earlier? If you don't eliminate the root, you're leaving a grudge for future generations."

Huang Zhiyan coldly snorted, "The murderer who killed your senior brother is currently sitting deep within the Heavenly Dao Palace. You can go find him."

Hua Jiu Jie's mouth slightly opened, and he froze for a moment before his expression turned solemn, "When will this cycle of revenge end? It's better to end it now!"

Huang Zhiyan scoffed, "But you wanted to eliminate the root, didn't you?"

Hua Jiu Jie sighed, "Forget it. For a fellow disciple I've never even met, and to make an enemy of a Shenjin who has comprehended Wu Suo Bu Zhi, I still want to live a few more years. Besides..."

He spread his hands, "In a few years, there will be plenty of people looking for trouble with him. If it's not a life-and-death grudge, I won't add insult to injury by kicking him while he's down. That's not being fair."

Huang Zhiyan clicked her tongue, "Shouldn't he be grateful to you?"

"That's not necessary." Hua Jiu Jie spoke seriously, "We are soulmates, with a spiritual connection. There's no need to get close; observing from a distance is fine."

Huang Zhiyan didn't feel like wasting time chatting with this guy. She asked, "How is the situation at the Fifth Ascension Platform?"

"It's not bad." Hua Jiu Jie thought for a moment, "Dao Wan Shan's senior brother has already reached Tianren, and he's currently breaking through his realm. Before I came, I heard that he had already broken through the middle of the Great Heavenly Rank."

"I heard that the Order City has found several Tianming Children to compete with you?"

The Order City Huang Zhiyan mentioned was also part of the True Saint Monastery and was currently competing with Wan Jie Shan at the Fifth Ascension Platform.

Hua Jiu Jie pouted, "This is the Grand Universe, not their Tianming World."

Huang Zhiyan muttered, "The biggest winner of the Fourth Ascension Platform should be the Yin Yang Dao Palace, while the Sixth Ascension Platform is shared by the Qingtian Pavilion and the Five Virtues Palace. The Seventh Ascension Platform is contested by the Holy Temple and the Heaven and Earth Xuanmen, the Eighth Ascension Platform is likely to fall into the hands of the Three Origins Cave, and the Tenth Ascension Platform is occupied by a group of Shifang Teachings..."

"Many forces from the Heavenly Realm have also started to enter the Grand Universe," Hua Jiu Jie added. "For example, the Third Ascension Platform, together with the Beast Sea of the Nine Continents, is being fought over by four forces. But there shouldn't be any suspense, as the Shenjin from the Heavenly Holy Lake who displayed his power might not be inferior to Ji Jingqiu."

Hearing this, Huang Zhiyan coldly smiled, "The Heavenly Holy Lake is being too greedy. They were even planning to cooperate with Ji Jingqiu before, with two Shenjin in one sect. They're not afraid of overextending themselves!"

Hua Jiu Jie's eyes flashed, "What do you mean? Did someone from the Heavenly Holy Lake look for Ji Jingqiu before?"

There was no need to hide this matter anymore, and Huang Zhiyan didn't conceal it either. She nodded and briefly explained.

"Shenhua..." Hua Jiu Jie was lost in thought for a moment, then sighed, "One Shenhua, compared to occupying an Ascension Platform, is such a fair price!"

Huang Zhiyan sighed. Indeed, the price was not high.

The Third Ascension Platform was originally shared by the Phoenix Blood Palace and the Yaochi Fairyland, but the Heavenly Holy Lake insisted on intervening with their Shenjin.

It was said that the Wu Tian Dao Ren had recently threatened their disciples to prepare Shenhua as a ransom.

"By the way, has Ji Jingqiu been in the East Third Huang Star recently?" Hua Jiu Jie suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Huang Zhiyan asked, "Did you just arrive?"

"Yes, I just got here not long ago," Hua Jiu Jie replied frankly. "I went to handle another matter before."

Huang Zhiyan gestured towards the top, "Don't overthink it. That person has been up there, and his aura is getting deeper and more powerful day by day, as if there's no limit."

Hua Jiu Jie praised, "No wonder he's the senior brother I've admired for a long time."

Huang Zhiyan rolled her eyes, almost spitting out the wine she had drunk that night.

"What were you handling before?"

Hua Jiu Jie sighed, "I was acting as a mediator. Didn't you hear about the recent theft of martial arts techniques?"

Huang Zhiyan widened her eyes, "You got involved in that matter?"

Recently, the Yan Huang Federation had encountered some "troubles."

Martial artists from the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti challenged the federation's martial artists, but aside from the outcome, they encountered some unreasonable situations.

The situation was akin to both sides simultaneously unleashing their family's (or sect's) secret techniques, each aiming to defeat the other. The awkwardness arose from the fact that their secret techniques were of the same origin, almost identical.

Despite minor differences in the details, an observant person could instantly tell that the two techniques shared a common root.

This was indeed an awkward situation.

Especially since the secret technique of the Federation side was slightly superior to that of the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti.

In the end, after tracing back to the source, although there was no concrete evidence, the passage of time revealed that the cultivator from the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti had a lineage that had stood for tens of millions of years, while the Federation had only existed for a million years.

The latter accused the ancestor of the Federation's cultivator of being a Dao thief, which the Federation's cultivator naturally denied. The dispute escalated, even drawing the attention of the six major families.

After all, over the years, the six major families had interacted with certain forces from the Three Thousand Yan Fu Ti, and some favors had to be considered.

In the end, both sides became deadlocked, and the situation escalated to a point where it was difficult to resolve.

Hua Jiu Jie felt even more helpless, "It's not that I want to get involved, but it's the intention of my sect."

Huang Zhi Yan frowned, "What do you mean? Are the various sects behind this incident, pushing the waves and helping the flames?"

Hua Jiu Jie spoke frankly, "Yes, some big shots want to test the Federation."

"Test what?" Huang Zhi Yan asked in confusion.

Hua Jiu Jie conveyed his thoughts, "According to unreliable information, some big shots suspect that certain people in the Federation haven't died out and are hiding somewhere. They want to take this opportunity to test the waters."

Huang Zhi Yan nodded.

"It doesn't seem like you're very surprised, Senior Sister." Hua Jiu Jie said.

Huang Zhi Yan's expression remained calm, as their ancestor also suspected that Ji Shuai Ji Tianxing from the Federation was still alive.

Suddenly, both of them glanced at the entrance of the tavern, where several people were passing by. They exchanged a glance but didn't communicate further, and calmly walked past each other.

"They seem to be from the South of the Royal Heaven Continent, and the leader appears to be from the Mysterious Mansion." Huang Zhi Yan spoke softly.

Hua Jiu Jie's eyes deepened, "The South of the Royal Heaven Continent... Back then, when that South Emperor dominated the world, his influence was even greater than that of the True Saint Monastery. Who would have thought that this person was also from the Yan Huang Federation?"

Huang Zhi Yan fell silent.

One Ji Tianxing, one South Emperor, and they had heard that there was a "World Honored One" on par with them...

"This place is truly 'miraculous'. It's no wonder that all the ancestors have set their sights on this place and reached a consensus." Hua Jiu Jie muttered, "I wonder how long this peace will last."

At that moment, the entire Dong 3 Huang Star seemed to resonate, as if a second sun had risen in the heavens, emitting boundless light that was surprisingly not blinding. Everyone could look directly at it without discomfort.

Hua Jiu Jie fell silent for a moment, then sincerely said,

"As long as my brother Ji is here, the Federation will not fall!"

Huang Zhi Yan turned and left. This guy must have had some indigestion issues, as the air around him was filled with a stench.

She didn't want to spend another second with him.

Stepping out of the tavern, Huang Zhi Yan, along with countless others on the street, looked up at the non-dazzling sun. With a calm, almost relieved tone, she exhaled,

"This guy... has finally broken through to the Heavenly Realm."

Over the past few days, witnessing this person's seemingly endless consolidation of his foundation in the Heart Realm had been torturous for everyone.

...

...

At a spaceport.

"Surround and kill?" Kong Li tapped his head, tilted his head, and asked in confusion, "Did I hear wrong, or did you guys say something wrong? Are your brains malfunctioning? You want to surround and kill someone who has comprehended the 'Unreachable' Divine Seal?"

"Nothing is impossible." The white-haired man who had appeared uninvited spoke softly, "Didn't you come here to prove that you're stronger than the Divine Seal of your esteemed palace and more worthy of inheriting the Dao lineage?"

Kong Li suddenly let out a cold laugh, "You've investigated me thoroughly, even knowing my movements. Who's behind you?"

He was from the Five Virtues Palace and had good fortune, so he had a True Saint ancestor. Only half a month ago, he had arrived in the Yan Huang Federation and successfully broke through to the Heavenly Realm after adapting to the rules of the Grand Universe. He was on his way to Dong 3 Huang Star when he was intercepted by this person.

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"We naturally have our origins, or we wouldn't dare discuss surrounding and killing that person. But who exactly it is, it's best not to ask. After the matter is done, we won't know each other." The white-haired man said.

Kong Li glared, "You know me, but you won't let me inquire about you? Am I not at a huge disadvantage?"

The white-haired man shook his head, "I'm the only one who contacted you. I'm from the Heaven and Earth Xuan Gate, my Dao name is Wu Ya. Forgive my intrusion."

"Indeed, forgive my intrusion." Kong Li nodded and said disdainfully, "I've never even heard of this Dao name. How dare such an unknown person come looking for me."

Wu Ya fell silent for a moment, feeling that this person's brain might not be functioning well. He spoke politely,

"In the Heaven and Earth Xuan Gate, the 'Wu' generation is the third generation of disciples."

Any true saint monastery with disciples in the third generation of the Heavenly Realm would naturally have exceptional talent and aptitude.

Kong Li was unmoved, "So what? I'm still the seventy-eighth generation."

His seventy-eighth generation was counted from the True Saint of the Five Virtues Palace.

Wu Ya frowned but continued to persuade him, "For this operation, we have more than a seventy percent chance of success. Are you sure you won't join us and work together on this major undertaking? We really need your innate Five Elements Divine Light."

Kong Li scoffed, "I was planning to find Ji Jingqiu and teach him a lesson, but I'm not planning to die."

Wu Ya was helpless. If it weren't for the need for this person's Five-Colored Divine Light, he would have turned around and left.

He revealed some of the internal details: "This time, there will be many powerful beings from the Grand Universe taking action, and there will be several 'senior experts' overseeing the operation. They say there's a 70% chance of success, but in reality, it's even less than that."

Before Kong Li could respond, their terminals began to vibrate simultaneously, interrupting their conversation.

The two fell silent as they witnessed the magnificent heavenly phenomenon caused by the breakthrough, their eyes meeting in understanding. They remained quiet until the video reached its final second and paused automatically.

Kong Li suddenly grunted and coldly laughed, "Ah, yes, you're very confident. It's like you have a better chance of creating the heavens and establishing the saints."

Before this person's breakthrough, he had already mastered some characteristics of the 'All-Encompassing' features. I see you've prepared quite a show. After the breakthrough, these features will be significantly enhanced, and the coverage area will expand several times, if not tenfold!"

Adding to this, the strength of this individual is equivalent to a 'pseudo-Tian Wang' overseeing the Federation.

Among the warriors from various realms, who dares to mention 'encirclement and extermination'?

They are simply unaware of the consequences.

Wu Ai remained silent for a moment, his deep gaze conveying, "Regardless of whether Mr. Kong believes it or not, we still have a 70% chance of success!"

...

...

Ji Jingqiu lifted his hand and pointed, releasing a pure and pristine rain of light that exuded a sense of great purity, wisdom, and freedom, similar in nature to the clear light of the Bodhi tree. It was as if it reflected the inherent nature of all beings, neither tainted nor pure, neither mortal nor immortal.

Additionally, it carried a vibrant vitality. Ji Jingqiu's heart stirred, and in a moment, his body left the seated Dao field and arrived in a remote mountain area.

The boundless light showered down, and the seeds in the rock crevices before him visibly sprouted and grew, quickly forming a large patch.

"Such vibrant life force..."

Ji Jingqiu pushed the boundless wisdom light to its limit, and Buddha light naturally emerged from his body's orifices. It combined with the power of merit, saintly virtue, and moral force, forming layer upon layer of Buddha light around him, resembling halos.

Some were thick and heavy, others were pale gold like jade, and some were woven with black and white threads. The three halos overlapped, creating a triple barrier.

Ji Jingqiu could sense that something was gestating within these three halos, imbued with the principles of the Dao, resonating with the heavens.

"You don't possess all five virtues, yet you can resonate with the heavenly heart and nurture a supreme Dao artifact?" Helra exclaimed in surprise, "Is this also the wonder of the wisdom light?"

"A supreme Dao artifact?"

"When the five virtues are embodied, one resonates with the heavenly Dao, and can nurture a supreme innate Dao artifact to protect oneself. Each virtue corresponds to a supreme Dao artifact."

Helra explained, "The old peacock in the Five Virtues Palace possesses five sacred weapons, and with them, he can traverse the Five Virtures without fear. In the past, Yan personally intervened, yet he still couldn't defeat him when his five sacred weapons were complete."

"The young man I fought last time hadn't cultivated the true essence, and he hadn't even formed a projection of the supreme Dao artifact."

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but ask, "Who is Yan?"

"He's the one you call the 'Death Demon' in the Federation." Helra replied calmly, "This demon was originally a spirit of a weapon that attained the Dao. Its body is neither alive nor dead, and it's named 'Book of Life and Death,' capable of severing the life force of all beings."

"To be precise, he doesn't control death but rather annihilation, from the perspective of cause and effect and time. In your realm, the Myu Hu lineage, one of the five original pillars, follows a similar path to him."

"Are these supreme Dao artifacts so powerful?" Ji Jingqiu asked, intrigued.

"Their essence is the manifestation of the heavenly Dao, so their power is naturally unmatched." Helra's eyes shone with wonder, "You lack two of the five virtues, yet you can resonate with the heavenly Dao and nurture a supreme Dao artifact. This is a rare occurrence."

"That's how the wisdom light works," Ji Jingqiu explained vaguely.

To be honest, he wasn't entirely clear on how these supreme Dao artifacts were nurtured.

In the end, Ji Jingqiu retracted the boundless light, and the mountain area beneath him was now covered in lush green grass.

Helra couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this boundless wisdom light? Do you know that when your divine form broke through to the Tian Ren realm, a divine sun rose in this illusory sea of suffering above?"

Ji Jingqiu nodded, "I have some understanding. And that wasn't a divine sun but rather the 'true form' of the wisdom light."

Helra's eyes widened with curiosity, "Are you saying that in the future, you'll be able to manifest the wisdom light to the extent of illuminating the sea of suffering?"

Ji Jingqiu shook his head and spoke softly, "All beings possess the Buddha's wisdom and virtue, but due to delusions and attachments, they are trapped in the sea of suffering and cannot attain enlightenment."

"So it's not that a divine sun rose, but rather that the divine sun has always been trapped in the sea of suffering, and it just broke free and manifested momentarily not long ago."

Helra was speechless, and this only made her more curious about the true nature of Ji Jingqiu's wisdom light.

"Are we going back?"

"Yes, it's almost time. Later, I need to meet with the Religious Administration Bureau. Recently, the Ocean of Minds has been a bit turbulent, and the Federation is preparing for a large-scale 'inoculation' of my Heart Lamp seeds."

Ji Jingqiu paused for a moment, then laughed, "It does feel a bit like a vaccine."

"And then? When do you plan to break through to the Tian Ren realm? With your current preparation, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"The Tian Ren realm?" Ji Jingqiu looked up and spoke to himself, shaking his head.

His previous hesitation was to allow the True Spirit Pool and the Inner Realm to merge before the breakthrough, and also to observe the transformation process of his divine form's breakthrough.

Now that the moment had arrived, there was no reason to hold back.

So, he took a step forward, and his thoughts followed suit, causing the heavens and earth to stir with wind and clouds.

"The heavens and I are born together, and all things merge with me."

"This... the Tian Ren realm!"

One step, and the Tian Ren realm was achieved.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end