Chapter 524: Returning to the Eight Scenic Palaces! Conversation with Xuan Du

Chapter 524: Returning to the Eight Scenic Palaces! Conversation with Xuan Du

In the boundless and endless Chaos Sea, worlds are born and perish almost every moment.

After the demise of a world, fragments of its rules linger, drifting in the Chaos Sea, eventually gathering in a special place.

At this moment, deep within this special place, a figure sits cross-legged, and with each breath, countless rule fragments transform into a torrent, being absorbed and expelled by this figure.

Inhale!

Exhale!

With each breath, this figure's aura becomes more powerful than the last.

Just then—

Hum!

A golden light suddenly appeared.

"Pfft!"

A figure clad in a golden-patterned black robe suddenly fell from the void, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

The torrent of rules between heaven and earth dissipated, and the figure who had been meditating opened his eyes, turned his head, and spoke, "Do I need to leave?"

Qin Zheng's face paled as he shook his head and replied, "You continue your cultivation. He didn't pursue me."

The myriad avatars nodded, then closed their eyes again, immersing themselves in cultivation as the torrent of rules reappeared.

Qin Zheng turned to look back at the direction he came from, his eyes filled with disbelief and deep concern.

The Heavenly Emperor was too powerful!

Even in the final moments, with the combined strength of Yang Jian and Sun Wukong, empowered by Xuan Du Great Master, and Guang Chengzi, who controlled the complete Slaying Deity Sword Formation, the three mighty beings were unable to suppress him!

Instead, they were nearly killed, and the storm of power that erupted from the Heavenly Emperor was so terrifying that even Qin Zheng was severely injured on the spot.

What realm had the Heavenly Emperor reached now?

Qin Zheng's thoughts raced, and with a wave of his hand, four swords with a chilling killing intent appeared, along with an array floating above them.

In the moment when the storm swept over, he felt an incredibly powerful aura lock onto him, and an intense life-and-death crisis erupted in his heart.

Qin Zheng knew that the Heavenly Emperor was about to make his move, so he quickly activated the Virtue Technique, anchoring the myriad avatars, and directly crossed the void, leaving the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Just before his departure, the Slaying Deity Sword Formation burst out from the depths of the Chaos Sea, entering his inner realm, and then followed him to this new world.

This was Guang Chengzi, a Creation powerhouse, abandoning the idea of continuing the fight with the Heavenly Emperor, and instead sending the Slaying Deity Sword Formation into his body, preserving his final trump card.

Qin Zheng stared at the sword formation before him, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

After a few breaths, he organized his thoughts, then lifted his hand to refine the sword formation. With the complete Slaying Deity Sword Formation protecting him, unless the Heavenly Emperor himself arrived, even a Creation powerhouse would be unable to threaten him.

He then flipped his palm and took out the Azure Heaven Mirror, erasing his aura traces, and isolated this space, ensuring no trace of his presence remained in this world.

After completing these steps, he summoned the Mystic Jade Tower of Heaven, which was slightly dim, and Qin Zheng finally calmed his mind, beginning to heal his injuries.

During this process, he also divided his consciousness, examining the Virtue Scroll above his heart sea and the Polluted Orb within the Azure Heaven Mirror.

[Qin Zheng]



[Cultivation Technique: Yuan Shi Golden Scroll, Dao Scripture of Purity]



[Treasures: Great Dao Tree, Azure Heaven Mirror, Slaying Deity Sword Formation, Three Treasures Jade Scepter, Mystic Jade Tower of Heaven, Purple Lightning Hammer]



[Merit Crystal: 578,600]



[Current]



[.]



[Polluted Orb discovered, a source of corruption and chaos. It can be purified with 870,000 Merit Crystals to obtain a rare artifact, Great Dao Dew, 876 drops.]



[Note: Purification will yield 876 drops of Great Dao Dew.]



[.]



After this battle, having killed ninety percent of the heavenly soldiers and generals, his accumulation reached an unprecedented level.

Although he now had only about six hundred thousand Merit Crystals remaining, it was enough to purify the corresponding amount of Great Dao Dew, seemingly insufficient for the one thousand drops required to ascend to the Legend Realm.

However, when purifying the polluted qi within Guang Chengzi's body, he had already consumed five hundred thousand Merit Crystals, obtaining five hundred drops of Great Dao Dew.

Adding to his current accumulation, it was already enough to ascend to the Legend Realm!

The reason Qin Zheng didn't ascend to the Legend Realm on the battlefield was twofold. Firstly, the Heavenly Emperor's strength was too overwhelming, and even if Qin Zheng ascended, he couldn't change the outcome unless he reached the Creation Realm.

Secondly, there was someone in the Eight Scenic Palaces who wanted him to enter the Pure Light before ascending to the Legend Realm, clearly with some arrangement in mind.

Qin Zheng's mind raced with thoughts, and after calming his chaotic thoughts, he settled down to fully recover from his injuries.

Time passed, and ten years felt like a fleeting moment.

As Qin Zheng opened his eyes once more, his entire being was filled with a perfect and complete aura, and all his injuries were completely healed.

With a thought, he stored the Slaying Deity Sword Formation within his inner world and then reached out to grasp the Azure Heaven Mirror. With this, the space he had separated from the world was once again connected to the heavens.

"How much longer until you reach the Legend Realm?"

Qin Zheng turned to his Ten Thousand Path Body and asked.

In the ten years he had spent recovering, the Ten Thousand Path Body had not stopped cultivating for a moment. With his unique physique and the special environment of this inner world, he had rapidly approached the Legend Realm.

The Ten Thousand Path Body opened his eyes and, after a few moments of thought, replied, "Keep going like this, and in another ten years."

Qin Zheng nodded. It was not surprising that the Ten Thousand Path Body, chosen by the Virtue Scroll, would reach the Legend Realm in another ten years.

He turned his thoughts to another one of his avatars and was surprised by what he saw.

This other avatar had previously been some distance away from the Primordial Unity Realm, but now it had reached the Profound Origin Boundless Realm and was in its later stages.

Within a hundred years, it would reach the Legend Realm!

Perfect! Perfect!

In a hundred years, he and his two avatars would all step into the Legend Realm!

Qin Zheng's eyes flashed, and he turned back to the Ten Thousand Path Body, continuing, "Focus on your cultivation, and contact me if anything happens."

He could sense his avatars at any time, and they could also communicate with him whenever needed.

Seeing the Ten Thousand Path Body nod lightly, Qin Zheng grasped the Azure Heaven Mirror and connected with the Daoist Monastery in the Eight Scenic Palaces. A dense power of space enveloped him.

Even the Heavenly Emperor, as powerful as he was, could never set foot in the Eight Scenic Palaces unless he reached the Beyond Shore.

The Beyond Shore Bodhimanda was an absolutely safe place!

A colorful light flashed, and by the time his vision cleared, he had appeared on a misty mountain peak.

In the distance, a Daoist sat cross-legged, his aura calm and serene like that of an ordinary person. He was also looking at Qin Zheng.

This Daoist seemed familiar; he was the same one who had been in the Purple Gold Furnace, also undergoing refinement.

Qin Zheng's mind lit up, and he immediately understood the identity of the Daoist before him. He took a step forward and respectfully said, "Junior Qin Zheng pays his respects to Senior Xuan Du!"

Xuan Du smiled and nodded, speaking, "There's something I want to discuss with you, so I brought you here. Is that alright?"

"It's fine."

Qin Zheng shook his head.

During the previous battle, this Daoist had also intervened. Since he had left, this Daoist should know what had happened, and he could ask him about it.

Xuan Du nodded and continued, his expression becoming more serious, "I originally thought that the Heavenly Emperor only wanted to rule one world and reach the Beyond Shore."

"I never imagined that his ambitions were greater and even more absurd than I thought!"

Qin Zheng's expression turned solemn, and he blurted out without thinking, "Does he want to rule the entire Chaos Sea?"

When he had first helped Master Guang Chengzi remove the polluted aura, several legendary powerhouses from other worlds had appeared, and they had all been corrupted by the polluted aura.

It wasn't hard to guess that these were all the Heavenly Emperor's doing, that he had invaded other worlds and forcibly corrupted their Dao Realms' powerhouses!

Xuan Du nodded, saying, "I don't know what deal he made with the pollution, but his goal is to completely pollute the Chaos Sea, thereby crossing the Beyond Shore and transcending in one go!"

Please...collect...chapter...6...9...!

Crossing the Beyond Shore and transcending in one go!

Qin Zheng's pupils contracted at Xuan Du's words.

The Beyond Shore was the most powerful realm in the Dao Realm, far beyond the Legend and Creation Realms. One could say that reaching the Beyond Shore meant becoming the supreme existence in the Chaos Sea!

But reaching this realm was also filled with unimaginable challenges.

This Heavenly Emperor wanted to cross the Beyond Shore and transcend in one go; it was truly shocking!

"How is that possible?!"

Qin Zheng frowned and exclaimed.

Even if the entire Chaos Sea was polluted, what benefit would it bring to the Heavenly Emperor's cultivation? How could it allow him to cross the Beyond Shore and transcend?

Xuan Du pondered for a moment and sighed, "During the ancient war, the Heavenly Emperor sided with the pollution but did not succumb to its invasion, retaining his sanity and purity."

"But during the recent battle, it was clear that he had merged with the pollution. It seems he has cultivated some kind of technique or established a connection where the stronger the pollution, the deeper his foundation becomes."

"When the entire Chaos Sea is polluted, the invasion of one world will become unprecedentedly terrifying, and his foundation will become shockingly powerful."

"Crossing the Beyond Path and achieving transcendence is also a possibility."

Qin Zheng fell silent upon hearing this.

Within the Chaos Sea, there existed countless Great Worlds, including the Nine-Star Grand World, which was equivalent to the Thirty-Three Heavens, where the Beyond Path Dao Lineage had left its legacy.

The fact that the Heavenly Emperor had already taken action proved that he had the confidence to face the countless Dao Realm powerhouses within the Chaos Sea!

What realm had he reached?

Qin Zheng's heart was filled with doubt, and he immediately asked Xuan Du, the Great Master, who stood before him.

"He is currently in a peculiar state. In terms of realm, he has reached Creation Perfection. However, if we speak of strength, he is probably no weaker than some of the weak Beyond Path cultivators!"

Xuan Du slowly spoke, then added, "It should be related to the pollution."

Qin Zheng's heart trembled.

Being no weaker than some weak Beyond Path cultivators meant that he was also at the Beyond Path level!

No wonder even with Xuan Du's secret assistance and Guang Chengzi's activation of the complete Slaying Deity Sword Formation, they were unable to do anything to their opponent, and were ultimately counter-killed.

So, the opponent's strength was equivalent to the Beyond Path!

The fact that he was able to activate the Virtue Technique and escape at the last moment must have been due to some additional fortune.

Qin Zheng's mind was filled with thoughts, and he heard Xuan Du speak again, "In the previous battle, the Heavenly Emperor did not come in person; it was merely one of his Avatars."

The heavy burden in his heart suddenly increased.

Xuan Du looked at Qin Zheng, whose expression was grave, and smiled slightly, saying, "You don't need to worry too much. The Chaos Sea is boundless, but there are still those who can restrain him."

Qin Zheng raised his head and looked at Xuan Du.

Xuan Du continued, "When the Beyond Path cultivators left in the past, they each left behind a method. Now that he has stepped out of the Thirty-Three Heavens and intends to invade the myriad worlds, he has naturally angered many powerful beings."

"In the past, these powerhouses did not interfere with the Thirty-Three Heavens because when they left their own Great Worlds, their strength would be weakened, and confronting the Heavenly Emperor might have put them at risk of falling."

"However, now that the Heavenly Emperor has stepped out of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the situation is different. They will also take action to suppress the Heavenly Emperor to prevent the Chaos Sea from truly being polluted."

Qin Zheng's heart eased upon hearing this, but he still asked solemnly, "Can they completely deal with the Heavenly Emperor?"

With the Heavenly Emperor's strength being equivalent to the Beyond Path, even with the support of the methods left behind by the Beyond Path cultivators, it would be difficult for a group of Creation Perfection powerhouses to subdue a being with Beyond Path strength.

Xuan Du slowly shook his head and said, "Of course, they cannot defeat him, but they can temporarily trap him and prevent him from escaping."

"As long as someone can reach the Beyond Path before he breaks free, they can completely suppress him and simultaneously eliminate the polluted Qi in the Chaos Sea."

Qin Zheng's gaze slightly condensed as he looked at Xuan Du and said, "Senior Xuan Du, you should be able to reach the Beyond Path before that, right?"

Xuan Du had once transcended the Beyond Path but was too hasty, failing to pass the Tribulation of the Dao and almost falling. Fortunately, the Eight Scenic Palaces protected him, and the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace helped refine the tribulation force within his body.

Once the tribulation force within his body is completely eradicated, he will be able to ascend to the Beyond Path level!

Xuan Du lightly shook his head and continued, "My situation is special; I might be able to reach the Beyond Path in the next moment, or I might never be able to. Don't place your hopes on me."

After saying this, he looked at Qin Zheng with a serious expression and said, "But you, have the hope to reach the Beyond Path before that!"

"Me?"

Qin Zheng's eyebrows rose slightly.

He did not doubt his ability to reach the Beyond Path, but he had not yet ascended to the Legend Realm and was still far from the Beyond Path. Even with the Virtue Scroll by his side, it might take an extremely long time.

Why did this senior disciple of the Great Sage Tai Qing believe that he could reach the Beyond Path before the Heavenly Emperor broke free?

Xuan Du lightly nodded, not offering any explanation, and smiled slightly, "Do your best to reach the Beyond Path, and you may be able to save the lives of the beings in the Chaos Sea. That would be a merit greater than the heavens!"

Qin Zheng's heart trembled upon hearing this, and he forced himself to remain calm, nodding in response, "I will do my best."

What did this Great Master Xuan Du know?

Was he hinting at Qin Zheng with his mention of 'merit' just now?

Qin Zheng's mind was filled with thoughts.

Xuan Du spoke again, "I secretly brought back their true spirits to the Eight Scenic Palaces. After a hundred years of nurturing, they will be able to be reborn."

"I've kept you for a moment; you should now go to where you need to be and not keep your teacher waiting."

Qin Zheng nodded, gathered his thoughts, and after bowing to Xuan Du, he activated the Azure Heaven Mirror and took a step away from this mountainous area.

As he watched Qin Zheng's departing figure, the Daoist's eyes revealed a dark and desolate vision of the world.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end