Chapter 376: Breaking New Ground

Chapter 376: Breaking New Ground

The Saint Ascension Tribulation.

It was a grand and formidable event.

For many cultivators, this was the first time they had directly faced such a high-level tribulation.

After all, in the Era of Decline, no one could achieve sainthood, so naturally, there was no such thing as a Saint Ascension Tribulation.

But no one expected that Gu Yang would break new ground, directly achieving sainthood in the Era of Decline.

Everyone understood.

After today,

Gu Yang's name would surely shake the Ancient Realm.

Even a thousand years from now, his reputation would continue to be passed down.

After all,

he was the first to openly achieve sainthood in the Era of Decline.

As for Gu Qingfeng, many believed he was an ancient powerhouse, and it was impossible for him to have reached this level in just over a hundred years.

Boom!

Boom!!

The tribulation continued to strike down, but Gu Yang's formidable foundation remained unshaken, even against the powerful Saint Ascension Tribulation.

When the final tribulation dissipated, a celestial phenomenon appeared, and a terrifying, profound aura spread out, quickly enveloping the entire world.

...

"Your offspring 'Gu Yang' has advanced to the First Stage of the Sage Realm!"

"Reward: 1200 Enhancement Points!"

"Reward: Near-Imperial Weapon, the Inferno Divine Mirror!"

...

At the moment Gu Yang successfully broke through, text appeared on Gu Qingfeng's information panel.

The enhancement points instantly jumped from over forty-nine thousand to over fifty thousand.

This change

meant that if Gu Qingfeng wished, he could break through to the Empire Aspirant Realm.

Then,

with a thought, Gu Qingfeng summoned a crimson divine mirror into his hand, adorned with intricate and mysterious divine patterns, radiating an incredibly powerful aura.

"A Near-Imperial Weapon!"

Gu Qingfeng's expression remained calm as he looked at the Inferno Divine Mirror.

For him, a Near-Imperial Weapon was merely optional.

However,

while Gu Qingfeng saw a Near-Imperial Weapon as insignificant, it was a different story for the rest of the Gu family.

Throughout the entire Ancient Realm, Near-Imperial Weapons were few and far between.

Gu Qingfeng immediately stored the Inferno Divine Mirror and took a step, instantly appearing on the Imperial Sun Mountain.

At this moment,

Gu Yang had just broken through to the Sage Realm.

The overwhelming power he now possessed left him almost intoxicated.

This level of strength was far beyond what a Half-Saint could match.

Only at this moment did Gu Yang truly understand.

What it meant that all below a Saint were mere ants.

To truly rival a Saint with Half-Saint strength, one had to be a heaven-defying prodigy.

Gu Yang had once achieved this, but it was through the power of the Heaven Vein True Scripture, which forced a boost in his strength.

Otherwise,

matching a Saint would still be far out of reach.

Now,

with his cultivation breaking through to the Sage Realm, Gu Yang's strength had significantly increased.

However,

he could still sense that the shackles of Heaven's Path had not truly disappeared, but remained.

As long as he stayed within the Divine Martial Empire, he didn't need to worry about the suppression from Heaven's Path, and his cultivation could continue to advance.

The difference was,

due to the existence of Heaven's Path shackles,

Gu Yang knew that his cultivation progress would not be as rapid as that of ordinary people.

At this moment,

the void trembled.

A figure appeared within it.

Seeing the person, Gu Yang bowed deeply. "Father!"

"Breaking through the shackles of Heaven's Path and achieving sainthood, well done!"

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, then snapped his fingers, and a crimson mirror appeared, landing in front of Gu Yang.

"This is the Near-Imperial Weapon, the Inferno Divine Mirror. Consider it a gift from your father to celebrate your achievement of sainthood."

"Thank you, Father!"

Gu Yang took a deep breath and stored the Inferno Divine Mirror. A Near-Imperial Weapon was of great significance to him.

But Gu Yang understood.

For his father, such a level of divine weapon was just another thing.

However,

while Gu Yang remained calm, others who witnessed this scene could not help but widen their eyes.

A Near-Imperial Weapon!

Such a treasure was casually handed over, making many strong cultivators envious.

Let alone a Near-Imperial Weapon,

even a Sage King's divine weapon was something they might never possess.

Whoever could wield a Near-Imperial Weapon had the potential to stand at the pinnacle of the Ancient Realm.

With such a treasure in hand,

As long as it’s not a direct confrontation with an Empire Aspirant, he has the ability to fight.

But when they thought about Gu Qingfeng’s identity and strength, the cultivators felt reassured.

A near-Imperial Weapon is indeed powerful.

But given his status, it’s only to be expected.

At this moment,

Gu Qingfeng looked in a certain direction on the Imperial Sun Mountain, his gaze landing on Xiao Jianjun.

The latter felt a terrifying pressure rushing toward him, causing his breathing to suddenly stop, his blood and qi to stagnate, and his body to become immobile.

This sudden change

left Xiao Jianjun in shock.

As the head of the Sword Sect, he had reached the Half-Saint realm and had the confidence to face a Saint.

But now, just a single glance left him struggling to bear it.

Gu Qingfeng’s formidable strength made Xiao Jianjun feel a chill down his spine.

He knew Gu Qingfeng was strong, and that he had single-handedly slain four Demon Emperors.

But rumors are one thing; experiencing it firsthand is another, and only then could he truly understand the other’s might.

Such strength

would likely place him among the top twenty in the Sword Sect’s history.

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly low ranking; the Sword Sect has produced nine Emperors since the ancient times.

The rest of the Sword Sect’s powerful figures, though they haven’t reached the Grand Imperial Realm, have included those who dominated their eras. The number of those whose strength could rival a Half-Emperor is no less than a dozen.

Given this,

Gu Qingfeng’s ranking among the top twenty in the Sword Sect’s history, as seen by Xiao Jianjun, shows the high regard for him.

Before Xiao Jianjun could be too shocked, Gu Qingfeng had already withdrawn his gaze.

The pressure vanished instantly.

Xiao Jianjun then realized that his back was drenched in cold sweat.

"Master..."

Noticing Xiao Jianjun’s unusual state, Gu Shengnu couldn’t help but speak up.

Hearing this, Xiao Jianjun finally managed to regain his composure. He looked in Gu Qingfeng’s direction, his eyes filled with both caution and reverence.

"Your Imperial Grandfather’s strength is indeed as terrifying as the rumors suggest. Even in the long history of the Sword Sect, he would likely rank among the top twenty!

As long as he doesn’t fall unexpectedly, his ascension to the Imperial Realm is a certainty!"

Xiao Jianjun sighed, and he couldn’t help but secretly smile wryly.

Who would have thought

that a disciple he found would one day be the descendant of an Emperor?

However,

this could also be considered the Sword Sect’s good fortune.

If a descendant of the imperial family were to lead the Sword Sect, it would greatly benefit the sect.

Moreover,

Xiao Jianjun was very clear about this.

Once Gu Qingfeng ascends to the Imperial Realm, all his descendants will benefit.

If Gu Shengnu were to awaken a sufficiently strong imperial bloodline, combined with her unparalleled sword bone, her talent could be considered heaven-defying.

"The top twenty of the Sword Sect..."

Gu Shengnu was also deeply shaken.

As a disciple of the Sword Sect, she was no stranger to the sect’s history.

The Sword Sect, having been passed down since ancient times, has produced countless powerful figures. For her imperial grandfather to rank among the top twenty of the Sword Sect is a testament to his formidable strength.

On the other side,

Gu Qingfeng merely glanced at Xiao Jianjun and then ignored him.

With just one look,

he could determine the other’s identity.

After all, with Gu Shengnu present, Xiao Jianjun’s identity was obvious.

Next,

Gu Yang continued to complete the final step of the Heaven Worship Ceremony, while Gu Qingfeng stood by without interfering.

As the ceremony concluded, the Divine Martial Empire successfully ascended to an imperial dynasty, and the former sixth-grade green lotus had transformed into a ninth-grade green lotus.

"Ninth-grade green lotus!"

"An imperial dynasty!"

Gu Qingfeng looked at the ninth-grade green lotus that filled the sky, but the powerful aura didn’t impress him.

The limit of an imperial dynasty is the Sage King realm.

Even the might of a top imperial dynasty’s fortune can only match the strength of a Sage King.

While fortune is mysterious and can influence Heaven’s Path,

the enhancement it provides is limited.

Only when a dynasty reaches the divine dynasty level can its fortune truly rival that of an Empire Aspirant.

"A divine dynasty’s fortune can manifest as a twelve-grade green lotus. Even the weakest divine dynasty’s fortune can rival an Empire Aspirant, and a powerful divine dynasty’s fortune can challenge even an Emperor.

The Taiyi Divine Dynasty, as the pinnacle of divine dynasties, has a fortune that can rival a Half-Heavenly Sovereign—"

"But with the Divine Martial Empire’s foundation, it will take more than a century or two to truly reach the divine dynasty level!"

Gu Qingfeng mused.

Despite the Divine Martial Empire’s rapid ascension to an imperial dynasty in just a few decades, this was the result of forced growth.

The difficulty of ascending to a divine dynasty is hundreds of times greater than that of an imperial dynasty.

Even with forced growth, the Divine Martial Empire will need a long time to truly reach the divine dynasty level.

This is evident from the fact that, since ancient times, the number of divine dynasties can be counted on one hand.

Ascending to a divine dynasty is no easy feat.

However,

Gu Qingfeng was not in a hurry.

The benefits of the Divine Martial Empire's ascension to an Imperial Dynasty are already sufficient for Gu Qingfeng to break through to the Empire Aspirant Realm.

Next,

Even when facing an Emperor,

Gu Qingfeng has absolute confidence.

In this situation, Gu Qingfeng is truly qualified to stand among the absolute peaks of the world.

With his protection, it's not a problem for the Divine Martial Dynasty to ascend to a Divine Dynasty during his lifetime.

And once the Divine Martial Dynasty ascends to a Divine Dynasty, Gu Qingfeng has absolute confidence that his own strength will reach an unimaginable level.

"Everything!"

"Is to prepare for entering the Heavenly Domain!"

With this thought, Gu Qingfeng no longer dwelled on the matter.

Occasional overreach once or twice is fine, but frequent overreach is not advisable.

From now on, the Divine Martial Dynasty only needs to rest and recuperate, and everything will be accomplished.

...

Half a day later.

The Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony ended.

The grand imperial procession descended the mountain, and the other cultivators also left the Sun Emperor Mountain.

At the same time,

The news of the Divine Martial Empire's ascension to an Imperial Dynasty and the Divine Martial Dynasty's ruler, Gu Yang, breaking the shackles of Heaven's Path with the luck of an entire dynasty to forcefully achieve sainthood, spread throughout the Ancient Realm.

All cultivators were shocked by this news.

After all, it is well-known that

In the Era of Decline, one cannot become a Saint.

Now, this ruler of the Divine Martial Dynasty has broken the shackles first, setting a precedent that has never been seen before, naturally shocking all cultivators.

"Breaking the shackles of Heaven's Path... using the luck of a dynasty to achieve sainthood!"

"If Gu Yang can do it, why can't I!?"

In the Taixuan Empire, the ruler, Nangong Zhu, his eyes flickering, his previously calm heart now stirring with desire.

Gu Yang succeeded.

So can he follow suit.

After all,

The foundation of the Taixuan Empire is several times stronger than that of the Divine Martial Dynasty, and the imperial luck is even more substantial.

It's just that Nangong Zhu has never had such thoughts before.

After all, in his view, the principle that one cannot become a Saint in the Era of Decline is unbreakable, and no one, not even an Emperor, can reverse it. If an Emperor were to do so, it would surely invite divine punishment.

Under divine punishment,

Even an Emperor would bleed.

But now, with Gu Yang breaking the shackles of Heaven's Path and becoming a Saint first, it's like opening Pandora's Box, igniting a desire for sainthood in Nangong Zhu's heart.

Moreover,

The more he suppresses it,

The stronger this desire becomes.

Nangong Chuan bowed and said, "The concept of luck has always been mysterious. The Divine Martial Dynasty's method is something the Taixuan Empire might also be able to emulate.

Moreover, according to my knowledge, the end of the Dharma is about to spread, which is the time when the suppression of Heaven's Path is weakest.

Gu Yang's success is likely related to this!"

"What do you mean, Duke Chuan?"

Nangong Chuan's words made Nangong Zhu's expression flicker.

Nangong Chuan said, "In other words, within less than a hundred years, the Da Zheng Prosperous Era might arrive!"

"Is that true?"

"It should be!"

Nangong Chuan nodded.

As a ninth-stage Saint, his perception is far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. Over the years, the changes in the world have become more intense, and Nangong Chuan has vaguely sensed some signs.

If it were a hundred years ago, Nangong Chuan would not have noticed.

"Now, with the demons and evil spirits causing a great calamity, countless lives have perished, and the malevolent energy has shaken the shackles of Heaven's Path, accelerating the arrival of the Prosperous Era.

Although it is said that the end of the Dharma lasts ten thousand years and the Prosperous Era lasts three thousand years, this is not set in stone. Throughout history, there have been cases where the Prosperous Era arrived early.

However, from what we can see now, this Prosperous Era will not be simple. It might even trigger a great calamity that rivals the Primeval Era, or even the Desolate Ancient Era!"

As he spoke, Nangong Chuan's expression became unusually serious.

The end of any era is accompanied by a great calamity.

From the Ancient Era to the Desolate Ancient Era!

From the Desolate Ancient Era to the Primeval Era!

From the Primeval Era to the present!

It has always been so.

The end of each era brings forth a great calamity.

Those who can truly survive the calamity are always a minority.

Hearing Nangong Chuan's words, not only did Nangong Zhu fall silent, but the ministers in the court also looked horrified, as if they had not anticipated this news.

After a moment,

Nangong Zhu took a deep breath.

"According to Duke Chuan's words, I can emulate the Divine Martial Dynasty and use the national luck of the Taixuan Empire to try to break the shackles of Heaven's Path and forcefully achieve sainthood!" (End of Chapter)

Chapter end