Chapter 370: Sitting and Sensing the Vastness of Ancient Times

Chapter 370: Sitting and Sensing the Vastness of Ancient Times

"Mu Qing, Liao Dong, and Luo Qingjue, that makes three Celestial Kings! Is this the start of a new conflict?"

"Hehe, what are you thinking? They are just newly ascended Celestial Kings, they don't represent their respective factions. Besides, these newly ascended Celestial Kings might not even be a match for those Divine Prohibitions."

"True, like Chang Sheng from the Five Virtues Palace, protected by five Great Dao Artifacts, what can a Celestial King do to him?"

"And that Wutian Daoist, who reached Heavenly Man Perfection twenty years ago, with a formidable accumulation and as the founder of a sect, a new Celestial King of a saintly divine system provoked him three years ago, only to be easily dealt with and driven away."

"Yuan Emperor of Sanyuan Cave was quite low-key before, but after emerging from seclusion earlier this year, he opened a Dharma Realm and crossed the Heavenly King Threshold, plus with supreme Dharma protection, it's not difficult for him to surpass ordinary newly ascended Celestial Kings."

Someone hiding in the shadows sneered, "A bunch of Celestial Kings who have been stuck at Heavenly Man Perfection for who knows how many years, finally ascending due to the relaxation of cosmic rules, how can they compete with these people? Who holds the advantage is clear at a glance!"

These words immediately caused many to frown. Even if they admitted that these Divine Prohibitions were indeed extraordinary, they would not accept such a statement.

After all, each faction has had newly ascended Celestial Kings in recent years, some of whom are even their own elders.

Furthermore, at the Celestial King level, there are no weaklings; they can overlook an entire realm.

Someone said calmly, "Don't speak so arrogantly. If it weren't for the good timing, these Divine Prohibitions, no matter how talented, wouldn't be able to break through so rapidly. There have been Divine Prohibitions in history before."

"Even if they are geniuses, they still need to accumulate and build their foundation at the Celestial King threshold. Otherwise, how can they open a Great Dao? A genius like Ji Jingqiu still hasn't broken through."

At this moment.

Despite multiple Celestial Kings gathering in one place, standing apart, and the atmosphere being tense, as if a fight could break out at any second, a large number of Martial Practitioners still surrounded the area.

There was no other reason; they were purely there to spectate.

To put it bluntly, they were unkempt and disheveled, to put it politely, they were unrefined. The Four Absolute Swordsmen, Mu Qing, glanced around and sighed, "In other realms, these young fellows would have run away long ago, fearing that they might get caught in the aftermath and die for nothing. They wouldn't dare stay here to watch."

"Sometimes, I really don't know if the practices of the Yanhuang Federation are right or wrong, but I think... it's pretty good."

Mu Qing's expression was somewhat complex. If the world he came from had such laws, perhaps his parents wouldn't have died by the roadside in their early years.

Luo Qingjue, who had lost his brother, had a cold expression. "A bunch of insects that aren't even Heavenly Men, what does it matter if they die?"

His gaze swept over the surrounding spectators. Although he didn't attack, the ripples in his Qi Aura were almost a disaster for those Martial Practitioners.

The one who stopped him this time was still the imposing man in imperial robes.

"Liao Dong, do you want to fight me?"

Luo Qingjue looked at the imposing man who ruled a small realm, his voice cold and stern.

This man was named Liao Dong, and his ranking on the Xuanji Stele's Celestial King Rankings was even higher than his.

But the key was that Liao Dong was an Independent Heaven King, unlike him, who came from Sanyuan Cave, so he wasn't afraid of him.

"I just can't stand you attacking ordinary people." Liao Dong said calmly, "A noble Celestial King attacking a bunch of juniors to show off, I am ashamed to be your companion."

"I see you're asking for death!" Luo Qingjue said coldly, "Do you really think reaching Celestial King means you can't die?"

In Sanqian Yafuti, with Heavenly Venerables not emerging, Celestial Kings are the rulers of a realm, able to dominate multiple realms, but they can still die.

A large sect that governs dozens of small and large realms can still field two or three dozen Celestial Kings.

For an ancient Daochang like Tian Sheng Lake, which governs more than fifty worlds, this number could easily double.

Generally speaking, the number of Celestial Kings depends on how many worlds and resources a sect can control.

An Independent Heaven King?

Once Liao Dong's world is taken over by Sanyuan Cave, he will see how long this stray dog can survive the Celestial King trials without the nourishment of world power!

At this moment, someone intervened between Liao Dong and Luo Qingjue, breaking their confrontation.

"Gentlemen, although we each serve our own masters, our purpose here should be the same."

This man was dressed in a green robe, standing tall and composed, polite and restrained, but with a hint of madness in his eyes.

"Qi Tian... you're here too?" Luo Qingjue's gaze sharpened. The other party, like him, came from the same True Saint Daochang and held the same level of status.

And Qi Tian's words just now made Luo Qingjue retract his killing intent, his eyes deep and sweeping over Liao Dong.

Has this person also joined the Five Pillars?

He came here because his divine powers had reached a certain level, preparing to challenge Ji Jingqiu before he crossed the Heavenly King Threshold.

But besides that, he was also here to gather information on Ji Jingqiu's current strength for certain people.

But from Qi Tian's words...

Those people didn't just find him?

"Assessing one Ji Jingqiu, it really took a lot of Celestial Kings to mobilize."

A laughing voice came, causing Gu Chensha's eyebrows to lift slightly.

A handsome young man walked into the center, smiling lightly, his figure somewhat slender.

Gu Chensha said calmly, "I didn't expect that Brother Gu would still dare to appear."

The handsome young man named Gu Shou smiled insincerely.

He once had a confrontation with Gu Chensha, but the outcome was unknown to outsiders.

However, from the current conversation, everyone could guess the answer and couldn’t help but look at Gu Chensha with some apprehension.

This person’s ranking on the Xuanji Stele was not high, and he didn’t engage in many battles, making it difficult for the Xuanji Stele to gather data on him.

The key was that Gu Chensha not only pursued the path of Path Opening, but also, due to the flaws in his path, he resolutely chose Self-Sacrifice!

The Heaven King Threshold, how could it be a place for anyone to come and go freely?

One Self-Sacrifice, and the difficulty of breaking through and gaining the recognition of the cosmic Great Dao would skyrocket.

Yet, surprisingly, Gu Chensha managed to break through and enter the Heavenly King realm in a short time!

Qi Tian said in a gentle voice, "Brother Gu, we came here to meet Daoist Ji. Please introduce us."

Gu Chensha replied calmly, "You are too late. Junior Brother Ji is not in Donghuang Heaven now; he has already left."

"Is he really gone, or is he just afraid to meet us?" Gu Shou smiled brightly.

Qi Tian pondered and said, "Brother Gu, rest assured. I can guarantee that everyone here is reasonable and won’t act rashly."

Luo Qingjue suddenly spoke up:

"Didn’t he, Ji Jingqiu, say that Martial Practitioners are not allowed to fight recklessly in residential areas and harm ordinary people, and those who violate this rule will be executed?"

"Then we will force him out! I want to see if he, Ji Jingqiu, can still hide and avoid us!"

Gu Chensha’s eyes instantly turned cold, filled with killing intent.

"You can try."

He said, enunciating each word clearly.

At the same time.

Several figures quietly entered the scene, with two standing behind Gu Chensha, and another standing behind Luo Qingjue and his group.

The latter smiled slightly and said, "Brother Gu, you can’t suppress this situation today. Please introduce us to the person involved."

In the scene, Gu Chensha’s side had only three people, while the opposite side had six.

The Qi Auras clashed, causing black cracks to appear in the void, and the ripples spread far and wide.

Gu Chensha waved his sleeve, absorbing all the ripples, and said calmly:

"If you really want to die, you don’t need Junior Brother Ji to do it. I will kill each of you today."

Luo Qingjue said coldly, "Who do you think you are, Gu? Even Ji Jingqiu, who broke through to Heavenly King, wouldn’t dare say such things!"

Gu Chensha looked him over and said seriously, "Junior Brother Ji, when he broke through to Heavenly King, would probably only need one slash to kill someone like you."

"You..."

"Enough." Qi Tian’s voice grew heavier, and the hint of madness in his eyes began to spread. He said coldly, "The Sanyuan Cave, shouldn’t want to be enemies with the current Yanhuang Federation."

Luo Qingjue suppressed his killing intent and said coldly, "I came for Ji Jingqiu alone!"

Qi Tian turned to look at Gu Chensha and said calmly, "Brother Gu, please show us the way. If he has left, we can find Daoist Ji on our own."

At this moment, Gu Chensha received a message from Ji Anquan, and after a moment of silence, he slowly said:

"Junior Brother Ji has achieved his Great Dao, and he can come and go as he pleases. I don’t know where he has gone. If you don’t believe he has left, I can take you to see where he has been in seclusion these years."

Qi Tian’s eyes flickered, and he smiled, "That’s fine. We have no ill intentions; we just want to see where Daoist Ji is now."

Gu Chensha looked deeply at him. Among these people, only this one was interesting, and even he couldn’t see through him.

"Follow me."

Gu Chensha turned and led the way.

The Heavenly King realm’s characteristic of Omnipresence meant that no matter how far a place was, it was just a thought away.

But for now, everyone followed Gu Chensha obediently.

This was because Donghuang Heaven, as one of the Ascension Platforms, connected to the portals of various realms, and the void was chaotic. A slight misstep could lead them into a void rift, and they wouldn’t know where they would be transported.

Seeing the rare sight of several Heavenly Kings leaving, the onlookers nearby felt a mix of regret and relief.

They had almost thought that these people would ignore the rules and fight.

Someone whispered, "Is Ji Jingqiu really not in Donghuang Heaven?"

"Heh, as long as he hasn’t gone to Sanqian Yafuti, and is still within the universe, with the characteristic of Omnipresence, isn’t it just a thought to return?"

"The wind seems to be changing. Six Heavenly Kings gathering to seek out Ji Jingqiu... Is someone setting a trap?"

"Just watch the show."

...

On the way, in response to Qi Tian’s probing, Gu Chensha, under the instruction of Ji Anquan, revealed some information.

"Junior Brother has been thinking about the path of fate and causality these years."

Just this sentence made Luo Qingjue and others frown deeply.

At the Heavenly King Realm, one could be considered immortal, but Heavenly Kings still faced the limitations of heavenly calamities and needed to transcend them.

Especially those Heavenly Kings without the nourishment and protection of a world’s power, not only had a difficult path ahead, but also experienced constant erosion by the Great Dao, with the intervals between calamities gradually shortening.

For a Heavenly King, Unifying with a World was also a way to find protection within a world.

Because beings at this level were too powerful, they could easily drain a world to enrich themselves, stirring countless fates and destinies, and ultimately being retaliated by the ripples in the River of Fate.

Moreover, opening an Illusory Great Dao and integrating it into the cosmos was an act against nature, and would be targeted by the invisible Great Dao.

In short, while a Heavenly King might seem to be able to roam freely across worlds, they still lacked true freedom.

To initially break free, one must penetrate their own Heavenly Destiny, no longer drifting with the flow of the River of Fate, and no longer being influenced by cause and effect at every moment.

This is the exclusive domain of the Heavenly Venerable.

the heavens and earth will align with their will, all things will follow their nature, their desires will be fulfilled, and what they detest will not reappear.

Furthermore,

the Celestial King possesses the characteristic of Immortality, making it extremely difficult to truly kill them, even when there are several ranks between them.

Only a Heavenly Venerable can use the power of the River of Fate to thoroughly kill a Celestial King who has left numerous means of self-preservation.

What does Ji Jingqiu intend to do, daring to explore his true destiny through the path of cause and effect before even breaking through the Celestial King threshold?

"… Apart from that, my junior brother has focused mainly on exploring the Misty Sea."

At this point, even Gu Chensha couldn’t help but show a complex expression.

His junior brother, Ji, not only possesses extraordinary talent but also has a courage that surpasses the heavens.

No one knows where Ji has reached in these twenty years.

Celestial King?

Long ago, it was no longer Ji's goal.

Gu Chensha slowly said, "Junior Brother Ji believes that the path of the Celestial King in this world is not complete. The reason why one must be nurtured by the power of the world at the Celestial King stage is precisely because the realm is incomplete."

The madness in Qi Tian's eyes subsided, replaced by curiosity and exploration. He stopped, clasped his hands, and said, "For Junior Brother Ji to dare say such things, he must have made some discoveries. I wonder if Brother Gu can share them?"

In the vast universe, Sanqian Yafuti, the five divine systems, various True Saint Daochangs, and countless races and civilizations…

Cultivation systems may have their unique characteristics, but in the end, they often converge on the Great Dao.

Some extremely unique paths, such as those purely technological and mechanical civilizations that Qi Tian has seen, simply cannot reach the final stage.

No matter how extraordinary Ji Jingqiu may be, can he really open a path for all beings?

Gu Chensha nodded, seemingly with no intention to hide anything, making even Luo Qingjue perk up his ears to hear what insights he had.

"It is Seated Oblivion."

Gu Chensha sighed, "Junior Brother Ji believes that the Mental Realm of Fetal Breath cannot carry the Illusory Great Dao of the Celestial King. When the cultivation of the mind lags behind the enhancement of the 'self,' 'Illusion' will appear."

"At the Celestial King stage, if one can achieve Seated Oblivion of the mind, they can fearlessly face disasters and avoid being targeted by the Great Dao, even without the protection of a world."

Upon hearing these three words, everyone fell into silence, feeling somewhat insulted.

Penetrating Seated Oblivion, and then breaking through to Celestial King?

Who doesn’t want that?

This is the proof of the Heavenly Venerable!

"Seeking fame and reputation." Luo Qingjue said expressionlessly.

It's just that he has been favored by the universe, allowing him to penetrate Seated Oblivion at the Heavenly Person stage. Does this boy really think it’s his own ability?

The favor of heaven has likely long since dissipated, and Ji Jingqiu has probably been reduced to his original form.

Gu Chensha did not argue with him.

What Junior Brother Ji has been exploring these past years is a relatively traceable path to Seated Oblivion, the key to which lies in the Misty Sea.

He believes that the Misty Sea, which countless strong individuals avoid, is the crux involving the future Great Dao, and also the key to Seated Oblivion of the mind.

The most crucial point is that Junior Brother has already found the path.

The reason I have re-Self-Sacrificed is to verify one of Junior Brother's conjectures.

Of course,

Gu Chensha naturally wouldn’t reveal these details to these few people.

"We have arrived."

Under Gu Chensha's lead, they came to a courtyard.

Facing them, they saw Yun Jinghe and Luo Yan walking out, seemingly about to leave.

Everyone's gaze focused on Luo Yan's arms.

"This is… a Celestial King reincarnated for cultivation?"

"More than that…"

Everyone’s eyes widened.

The woman in her arms seemed to be the reincarnation of a Heavenly Venerable?!

Those who had seen Luo Yan and the others before, including Luo Qingjue, looked extremely serious.

Previously, there was no one in Luo Yan's arms. Was this person carried out from here?

What kind of place is this?!

Luo Qingjue suddenly looked up. This seemingly ordinary courtyard is where Ji Jingqiu has been in seclusion for twenty years?

The place where a Martial Practitioner spends a long time in seclusion will inevitably leave many traces.

Especially at their level, staying in one place for a long time naturally leaves corresponding Dao Rhythm.

If not intentionally erased, others can easily glimpse the truth from these traces.

One by one, they passed by Gu Chensha, entered the courtyard, and couldn’t help but glance at the Heavenly Venerable reincarnation in Luo Yan's arms as they passed.

The gap between a Celestial King and a Heavenly Venerable may seem like just one realm, but this realm is the difference between heaven and earth.

A Heavenly Venerable, who has penetrated their Heavenly Destiny, can easily crush any Celestial King!

For a Heavenly Venerable to be willing to Self-Sacrifice and cultivate again is simply inconceivable!

Luo Yan and the others stopped at the courtyard entrance, originally preparing to leave, but didn’t expect Gu Chensha to lead this group here.

What is he planning to do?

Soon, everyone in the courtyard found traces left by Ji Jingqiu during his cultivation.

"This is a Sword Mark?"

Luo Qingjue discovered a stone stele with chaotic Sword Marks and couldn’t help but reach out to touch it, trying to comprehend the Blade Intent within.

"Dao Trace?"

Qi Tian saw a blurry figure in the Pavilion, confirming it to be a Great Dao trace.

"Interesting."

Qi Tian followed the Dao Trace to comprehend the Dao Rhythm, trying to find the root of this Dao Trace.

Soon, he found a line of carved words on the pillar of the Pavilion.

"Sitting and Sensing the Vastness of Ancient Times..."

Qi Tian read it aloud, then narrowed his eyes, making no comment.

"What a grand statement!" The handsome young man, Gu Shou, sneered.

What ancient times?

This guy had been in seclusion for at most twenty years. In the eyes of a Heaven King whose lifespan is measured in tens of thousands of years, it was but a blink.

Mu Qing suddenly said, "That Hesheng’s Lifebound Technique includes one called Ancient Blade."

Everyone couldn't help but frown.

If that was the case, this phrase might be Ji Jingqiu’s enlightenment while practicing this technique?

At that moment.

The world suddenly darkened, and something subtle changed.

"This is..."

Qi Tian abruptly turned around, his gaze falling on Luo Qingjue, who was standing in front of the stone stele.

A blade of light flashed, silently.

Luo Qingjue stood still, a Sword Mark appearing between his brows, thin and thread-like, extending from top to bottom. The Sword Mark deepened, slowly moving downward, revealing the organs within his chest and abdomen.

He seemed completely unaware, standing there motionless with an empty gaze.

Everyone watching felt a chill, but no one moved to help.

"Awake!"

The final stern command like a thunderclap snapped Luo Qingjue back to his senses, and he was horrified to find his Dharma Body abnormal.

He was struck by a blade?

When?!

He turned around sharply, and it was Liao Dong who had just awakened him!

The others ignored him and instead fixed their gaze on the Sword Mark on the stone stele.

The madness in Qi Tian’s eyes surged, and he slowly said:

"Seated Oblivion!"

The mental power left in the Sword Mark had to be at least at the Seated Oblivion level to temporarily suppress Luo Qingjue’s mind.

At the same time.

Qi Tian scanned the area. Was Ji Jingqiu truly gone?

If he wasn’t mistaken, this place was Ji Jingqiu’s Inner World. With the advantage of being the host, he could easily use the power of the world to empower this Sword Mark, cutting through Luo Qingjue’s Dharma Body.

Given the Heaven King’s characteristic of Immortality, this blade wouldn’t kill Luo Qingjue.

But if word got out that a Heavenly Person’s Sword Mark had split him open, it would be a huge blow to his reputation!

Qi Tian’s gaze hardened, suspecting it was a trap and that Ji Jingqiu was still hiding in the shadows.

"Let me take a look."

The handsome young man, Gu Shou, stepped forward, his Divine Lord’s consciousness probing the stone stele.

In an instant.

Sensing Gu Shou’s "gaze", the figure walking through the world delivered a single blow.

The blade of light fell, and the sun and moon sank, with a sense of ancient vastness permeating!

Under this blade, the vast changes of the world, the vast starry sky, and the boundless universe were all overshadowed by this blade that spanned ancient and modern times!

In an instant.

Gu Shou’s entire body felt as if it were about to tear apart, his bones trembling.

Everyone’s expressions changed. The Sword Mark seemed to be fully triggered by Gu Shou, the blade’s momentum overwhelming the world, the Dao Rhythm surging like a tidal wave!

At that moment, the world seemed to freeze, with only the blade slowly descending!

One blade, and the world fell silent.

"Ah!"

In a roar of fury.

Gu Shou manifested his True Form, his true body a colossal Blue Dragon, but it was forcibly shrunk and trapped in this space, unable to escape, ultimately being cut in half, exploding in a cloud of blood!

"This time, it’s really Gu Shou without a tail..."

Luo Yan, holding her Master, murmured, feeling a sense of relief.

The Sword Mark she had triggered was in the Pavilion, but the one triggered by the other on the stone stele was far more powerful, surpassing hers by a hundredfold!

When Gu Shou reappeared, his body had already recovered, thanks to the characteristic of Immortality.

His Dharma Body could recover, but the severed dragon tail in front of the stone stele left him with a twisted expression, his killing intent surging, casting a large shadow over the world.

The other few were all solemn.

For a moment, they seemed to see a majestic figure sitting high, overlooking the world and time, with an invincible aura.

One blade fell, and the Blade Intent was vast and ancient, as if from a time long past, coexisting with the world and time.

At the same time, this Blade Intent seemed to carry a sense of decay that was hard to describe.

Gu Chensha’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected all this, but the decay in the Blade Intent made his eyes ripple.

This isn’t Ji Jingqiu’s Martial Intent.

This departure of Ji Jingqiu is related to this matter.

"Sitting and Sensing the Vastness of Ancient Times."

Mu Qing murmured.

This time.

The same words, but everyone had a different feeling.

As if they were in a different position.

Not a group of Heaven Kings examining a Heavenly Person’s Sword Mark,

But a group of Heavenly Persons looking up at a Heaven King’s Sword Mark and Dao Trace.

The madness in Qi Tian’s eyes was suppressed by the vast and ancient intent in the blade, and he was shaken.

Could this person have really found another path to Heaven King?!

Chapter end