Chapter 1301 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1301: Victory!
Naruto didn't know this man formed from the Essence of Divine
Flame. However, there was something very familiar about him, and then Naruto recalled some of the things that had occurred in the land of Divine Flame.
The enormous eye there had been surrounded by raging fire, as if it had been the soul of the sea of flames.
Naruto 's eyes flickered, as he came to the conclusion that this man was most likely… the same man whose enormous eye existed in the world of Divine Flame.
He was the same almighty expert from ancient times who had been imprisoned on Planet South Heaven in the Ninth Mountain and Sea by… Dao Namikaze !
In the same moment that this man appeared, back in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, beneath the surface of Planet South Heaven, the world of Divine Flame quaked as all of the Divine Flame there erupted out, setting the entire world aflame.
The enraged roaring there was echoed in the Eighth Mountain and Sea by the man standing in front of Naruto , forming a resonance.
"Dao Namikaze , you must die!", the man howled. It was as if the obsession which fueled this man's soul could never be eradicated. The projection of Dao Namikaze which had been summoned by Lord White began to tremble with both rage and enmity as he took a step forward. The sea of flames rumbled and churned as the man therein waved his hand, causing crashing flames to surge out like waves across the sea, directly toward… the projection of Dao Namikaze .
Naruto 's mind was reeling, and as he narrowed his eyes, they began to glow with brilliant light. Off in the distance, Lord White was completely shocked. No matter how he considered the matter, he would never have imagined that the stream of Dao Namikaze 's divine will would not instantly eradicate Naruto , but also… that Naruto would have an astonishing soul hidden on him!
Both that soul and Dao Namikaze exploded with astonishing energy that was not the energy of a Dao Sovereign, but actually exceeded that! It was… the energy of a Paragon!
RUUMMMMBLLLLLE!
A massive eruption of sound shook the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea. The eyes of Dao Namikaze 's projection glowed with a strange light as he strode forward, brandishing that gigantic staff and then smashing it down toward the middle-aged man.
The man roared, eyes flashing with enmity as he performed a doublehanded incantation gesture and then raised his hands up into the air, summoning a massive flame head, which grinned as ferociously as an evil spirit. With an unyielding roar and unmatchable madness, it shot forward in an attack that contained tens of thousands of years of hatred.
When they slammed into each other, the entire starry sky shook, and a massive shock wave swept out in all directions. When it hit Naruto , blood sprayed out of his mouth, and he staggered backward. As for Lord White, he was also seriously injured, and coughed up blood as he was shoved away.
However, even as they both fell back, even as the man in the flames began to fight with Dao Namikaze , both Naruto and Lord White ground to a halt and then instantly charged toward each other.
Their battle was not over. Despite the fact that both of them were like oil lamps on the verge of flickering out, even though both of them were seriously injured… they would still fight!
RUMBLE!
As they closed in on each other, the glow of magical techniques rose up, and the ripples of divine abilities spread out. The power of the Mountains and Seas was unleashed by both sides, and they even collided physically. In an instant, they exchanged thousands of volleys.
Their injuries worsened, and both of them were coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The bloody wounds which covered their bodies were a sight to see; not even the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation that Lord White possessed could keep up.
After a moment, echoing booms rang out as the two of them fell back. They were spattered with blood, and their faces were twisted into vicious expressions. Lord White was gritting his teeth, and from the look in his eyes, he was throwing caution to the wind. He had already used virtually every technique and method he could think of, but was unable to take down Naruto . In fact, it was even possible to say that Naruto was… the most powerful opponent he had fought in his entire life!
"On this day, you will die!" he roared, hair flying about in disarray. He suddenly made a grasping motion, summoning nine pitch-black swords!
As soon as the nine black swords appeared, they began to emanate intense, acrid fumes. At the same time, countless vengeful ghosts began to swirl around them, letting out inaudible screams.
"With life comes death, with death comes life! Curse power can kill with a word, and its highest level is… Death Curse Magic!" Lord White's eyes gleamed with madness. As far as he was concerned, this Death Curse Magic was even more terrifying than the Three Daos and Three Magics of the Mountain and Sea Scripture. In fact, the Death Curse was something that even he, the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, had only unleashed once before in his entire life.
That was when he had become a Mountain and Sea Lord. In that battle royale, he had used this magic in a critical moment to secure victory. However, the price he paid… was that from that moment on, his cultivation base was eternally stuck at the 5-Essences level. Any progress beyond that would be extremely difficult.
Right now, he was using the curse magic a second time!
He didn't hesitate at all; changing his mind was something that he would never tolerate. The madness in his eyes grew more intense as he waved his hand; a droning sound then filled the air as one of the nine black swords shot toward him and stabbed him in the chest!
When the sword stabbed into him, Lord White let out an intense roar. At the same time, his divine sense erupted out explosively. Next, a second sword, a third sword, a fourth, and a fifth sword all stabbed into him one after another, one for each of his limbs. At this point, Lord White's divine sense was raging upward nonstop, to the point where even Naruto was shocked.
As of this moment, Lord White's divine sense was close to thirty percent that of a Paragon!
Things weren't over though. The sixth sword, seventh sword… and finally the eighth and ninth swords all stabbed into Lord White. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his flesh was a mangled mass of gore. Blood began to ooze out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and yet, his divine sense had reached a pinnacle; it was now at fifty percent of that of a Paragon!
The terrifying divine sense erupted out, shaking the starry sky. At the same time, Lord White's face twisted in an insane smile as he looked at Naruto and then said, "Death Curse!"
Instantly, his divine sense exploded out, materializing into an astonishing curse, a complex, pitch-black magical sealing symbol which shot toward Naruto . The curse power's foundation was divine sense, so the stronger the divine sense was, the stronger the curse would be.
And now, Lord White, in exchange for being stabbed through by the nine black swords, had increased his divine sense to the equivalent of fifty percent of a Paragon's divine sense. Because of that, to those at the 5Essences level, this Death Curse… was invincible!
Intense rumbling echoed out as it closed in on the grim-faced Naruto , whose eyes shone with a strange light. As the curse neared him, he took a deep breath and then… erupted with divine sense!
RUMBLE!
Naruto 's divine sense swept out across Heaven and Earth with mad intensity.
RUMMMMBLLLE!
He instantly went all out, fighting back with his own divine sense, which was at forty percent of the level of a Paragon.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
Blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth, and oozed out of his eyes, ears, and nose. He was shaking violently, and yet, his divine sense still managed to hold up against the Death Curse. Off in the distance, Lord White coughed up a huge mouthful of blood, and his eyes filled with disbelief. He could sense how strong Naruto 's divine sense was; it was clearly powerful enough that it could resist his Death Curse!
"This is impossible!" he cried. Unable to believe what was happening, he threw his head back and roared. The Death Curse Magic was not something he could sustain for very long, and if it didn't hit its target, the resulting backlash was something he wouldn't be able to endure.
It was in this very moment that, atop the Eighth Mountain, Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, was shaking violently. The battle between Naruto and the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea was acting as an enormous catalyst to him!
In fact, his aura was now radiating off of the Eighth Mountain with increasing intensity.
However, Lord White was too preoccupied to notice that. As the saying goes, once you start riding a tiger, it's not easy to get off. He began to laugh maniacally, then took a deep breath and performed a doublehanded incantation gesture, after which he slapped his own forehead.
"Mass Cloning! Focus the Joss Flame power of the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, utilize it to… transform!" As Lord White's voice echoed out like thunder, a ghost image suddenly sprang up as he transformed from one person into two. Those two became four, and then eight, and then sixteen….
Naruto 's pupils constricted as Lord White rapidly created more than a hundred clones, each one of which emanated terrifying ripples and then… all began to self-detonate.
The power of those self-detonations bolstered the Death Curse Magic. Lord White's divine sense grew even more powerful, resulting in the magical sealing symbol growing rapidly larger and even more pitch black.
"DIE!" roared all of the collapsing versions of Lord White, clone and true self alike.
However, in the moment that the Death Curse Magic crushed Naruto 's divine sense and was just about to land on him, he closed his eyes.
"The Dao is in My Heart. The Will is in My Eyes…
"I Shall Possess the Mountains and Seas… Seal the Heavens
Incantation!" In the critical moment of this decisive battle, in the last insane attack, Naruto unleashed his Seal the Heavens Incantation!
The power of the Mountains and Seas rumbled down, and the will of the Mountains and Seas merged with Naruto 's divine sense. The starry sky then erupted with power, with Naruto as the center of it all!
The starry sky collapsed and the void shattered. The Eighth Mountain and Sea shuddered, and the incoming Death Curse Magic was suddenly beaten back. Fissures spread out across the surface of the pitch black magical symbol, until finally, the combined power of the Seal the Heavens Incantation and Naruto 's divine sense caused it to shatter. Cracking sounds rang out as it exploded into countless pieces!
BOOM!
The Death Curse Magic collapsed into numerous magical symbol fragments which swept out towards Lord White, instantly piercing into him.
Lord White let out a miserable shriek as the backlash power instantly withered him. Vast quantities of his blood were evaporated, and the shadow of death instantly enveloped his mind. However, there was nothing he could do to fight back; in fact, he could hardly even struggle.
"No, I am Lord White, I am the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, I can't die here…." Even in that moment, however, his body began to collapse, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
As of this moment, Naruto knew that he had secured victory. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, his consciousness began to fade. The victory he had just won had been a very, very difficult one!
Chapter 1301: Victory!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1302Chapter 1302: Critical Juncture….
It was a heavy price to pay, and despite how strong Naruto was, he still ended up being seriously injured. His consciousness was fading, and blood oozed out everywhere. Just when he was about to move to consume Lord White's Mountain and Sea Incantation, his mind reeled, and he turned to look at Lord White.
In that moment, Lord White was collapsing, hovering on the verge of death. However, an aura that was not of the Mountain and Sea Realm suddenly emanated out from him. It only lasted for a moment, but it managed to propel Lord White toward the rift that connected the Seventh Mountain and Sea with the Eighth. In the blink of an eye, he was on the verge of entering the rift.
Things had been going hazy for Naruto , but now he forced his head to clear. Without the slightest hesitation, he then took a step toward Lord White; he absolutely could not allow him to escape!
This had been a bitter battle, and Naruto was well aware that the victory he had eked out had come by chance, and definitely had not been a certainty from the outset. If the two of them fought again, he was not convinced he would be able to win again.
As Lord White neared the rift, killing intent boiled in Naruto 's eyes.
He then stretched his right hand out toward Lord White and made a grasping motion.
It was none other than the Star Plucking Magic!
He was using the absolute last scrap of energy that he had left to unleash this magic. Rumbling could be heard as Lord White suddenly began to tremble. He was already half-covered with fissures as Naruto latched onto him and began to drag him back.
It was in that moment that the shattered and bleeding Lord White suddenly opened his eyes, within which could not be seen even a trace of madness or despair. In fact, they were icy cold to the point where… they shone with merciless clarity.
Apparently, everything he had just done had been an act. His true intent had been to wait for Naruto to get so close that he couldn't evade the next attack.
"In the end… you're still just a bit too immature," Lord White said quietly. As of this moment, the feeling he gave off, both in terms of his energy and his words, were completely different from moments ago. He was not possessed. No… this was the true him!
The Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea!
His eyes were icy cold as he extended his right hand and performed an incantation gesture. Then he grabbed out in Naruto 's direction, causing the starry sky to tremble as an indescribable, shocking power erupted out.
Despite his complete calm, blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his face went ashen. Perhaps he had been keeping the true nature of his personality hidden beneath the guise of insanity, but as for his injuries… they were very real. He had been seriously injured almost to the breaking point, and this attack was powered by the last bit of power he had.
He only had enough energy to make this one final attack. However, the way he had lured Naruto in, and his intense desire to kill him, showed how profoundly sinister Lord White was, and how adept he was at scheming!
He might be on the verge of lapsing into unconsciousness, and he might have run almost completely out of energy, but he could still eke out a victory in the end!
Naruto 's face fell, and bitterness welled up in his heart as his Star Plucking Magic was destroyed by Lord White's grasping attack. Blood oozed out of the corners of Naruto 's mouth, and his vision swam. He had no power to fight back, and as the attack closed in and became clearer, an unyielding gleam appeared within Naruto 's eyes.
However, all of a sudden, a loud squawk echoed out from within Naruto 's bag of holding. At this critical juncture, a multi-colored beam of light suddenly flew out, which was none other than… Lord Fifth!
Lord Fifth looked extremely pleased, and even let out a domineering squawk.
"Every time there's a critical moment, Lord Fifth takes the field to turn the tables!" the parrot howled, flapping its wings. "Hahaha! Lord Fifth has a fever, and there's only one cure! I've been waiting for this day for a very, very long time." All of a sudden, the Demonic cultivators from the Ninth Sea popped out.
It was a grand scene as they settled into formation… and prepared to sing.
"Come, come, sing together with Lord Fifth!"
The parrot's shrill voice echoed out in all directions, as did the completely shocking seafood song.
"I'm a seafood dish, I'm a seafood dish…."
As the seafood song echoed out, indescribable ripples appeared, which shot in the direction of Lord White's attack. When they slammed into each other, Lord White's attack shattered, transforming into infinite motes of light which slowly dissipated. It was at this point that the seafood song began to reach a climax.
"… I was a bad kid when I was young, I'm a little seafood dish! Lalalalala! Seafood dish. Dobedobedoooo. Little seafood dish! Hey you, in the white robe, come, come, sing along with Lord Fifth!" Suddenly, the parrot flapped its wings, looking almost infatuated. Within the rift, Lord White's eyes went wide, and he stared in complete and utter shock, his mind becoming a complete blank.
As the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, he held a position of supreme respect. He had assumed there was nothing he hadn't seen in his life… but he had never seen a parrot like this, who left him feeling completely overwhelmed. Then he heard singing that was so horrible it was impossible to even describe.
Even more astonishing was that after the parrot spoke, and as the singing echoed out, Lord White almost couldn't stop himself from joining in to sing along. It was a sensation that left him feeling as though his head would explode.
Before he could do anything, the ripples caused by the singing rumbled into the rift, inundating Lord White. He suddenly shivered, and then opened his mouth and began to sing.
"I'm your little, dear little seafood dish…. AAAAGGHHHHHH!" Lord White only sang half a verse before he began to scream miserably. His eyes were wide with fear as he realized that his wounds were too serious, and he was beginning to lose consciousness. At this point, he knew that he would not be able to kill Naruto , so he gritted his teeth, causing that same aura from before to erupt out, the power that was not of the Mountain and Sea Realm. It wrapped him up and then dragged him into the rift.
Even as he vanished, he shouted out one more time in rage, "I'll be back!"
"Hey!" the parrot said, glaring. "Why are you leaving? Fudge, can't you give Lord Fifth some face?" The parrot's heart was actually thumping in complete fear, and now that Lord White was fleeing, it secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Letting out another angry squawk, it put the seafood dishes away and then puffed out its chest and looked back at Naruto .
Naruto 's aura was already recovering, but he was still incredibly weak. Looking at the parrot, he chuckled, then glanced back at the rift, eyes flickering murderously.
It had been a difficult battle, even more difficult than Naruto could have anticipated. Although it seemed like he and the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea were evenly matched, Naruto knew that he was weaker by just a bit.
"I couldn't quite kill him…." he thought, sighing. He had gone all out with every bit of power that he could, and right now, his face sank with that realization. However, his eyes continued to flicker with cold killing intent.
He knew that Lord White was also seriously injured, and that it would take him some time to recover. When he did, he would return to the Eighth Mountain and Sea, whereupon their battle would continue.
Unfortunately, Naruto was not convinced that he would be able to come out on top next time.
A sense of crisis began to well up inside him, and he suddenly looked off into the distance, eyes glittering.
"When I used the Demon Sealing Hexing magic, Lord White blurted something about the Dao of Lord Li….
"I need to get my hands on the legacy of Lord Li as soon as possible.
Only then will I be able to get a bit stronger before Lord White returns.
Only then… will I be able to cut him down!"
A while back when he had been igniting his Soul Lamps, his divine sense had spread out explosively, filling the Eighth Mountain and Sea. At that time, he had caught sight… of Patriarch Reliance!
He took a step, and was off in the distance. Although his mind was a bit foggy, he forced himself to hang on, and let none of that state show on the outside. Inwardly, his defeated Eternal stratum was slowly awakening again.
"A month," he murmured. "I need a month before I'll recover fully." He frowned as he realized that although he needed a month, Lord White would surely recover more quickly than that.
The Eighth Mountain and Sea had already begun to rejoice. Although people weren't able to actually see the battlefield, they could sense that the pressure from the Seventh Mountain and Sea had vanished from the starry sky.
As that happened, the Seventh Mountain and Sea's cultivators' faces went ashen, and their expressions were that of horror. Although they didn't want to believe it, there was only one explanation for the reason why the aura of their Mountain and Sea Lord had vanished.
Their Mountain and Sea Lord… had been defeated in battle!
It didn't take long for that realization to sweep across the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea. Their morale instantly dropped, and their fighting spirit plummeted.
Contrariwise, the Eighth Mountain and Sea cultivators were bursting with power and excitement. Roaring, they went on the offensive, and instantly, fierce fighting broke out. This time, the ones to be beaten back over and over were not the cultivators of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, but rather, the Seventh!
Booms echoed out as the fighting once again resumed!
On the Eighth Mountain, Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth
Mountain and Sea, was no longer trembling, but was calm. Apparently, his eyes were on the very verge of opening….
Naruto sped away. The red-haired old man and the other nearby hundreds of thousands of cultivators had long since backed up to an even further vantage point. The shocking battle they had witnessed left them trembling, and they simply watched as Naruto left.
They could sense that he was weak, but none of them dared to try to test him out….
Not even the red-haired old man had the courage to do so. He wouldn't attack Naruto unless his injuries were even worse than they were, or perhaps he was unconscious.
As Naruto left, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After reaching a point some distance away, where no one could see him, he stopped, blood oozing out of the corners of his mouth. He quickly consumed some medicinal pills, then closed his eyes and rotated his cultivation base.
In the same moment that Naruto closed his eyes, an intense sensation of deadly crisis suddenly welled up in him. He turned his head to see a young man stepping out of thin air.
As soon as he recognized who the young man was, Naruto 's eyes gleamed with an intense light.
The young man looked excited, but kept his distance. When he realized he had been spotted, he clasped hands and bowed.
"Brother Uzumaki, at long last we meet again. Thank you for giving me this chance. I've been waiting a very, very long time for this. I never imagined that in such a short period of time, you would… become so strong!"
This newcomer was none other than… Ji Dongyang!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1303Chapter 1303: Possessing and Consuming!
"Should I call you Ji Dongyang, or should I call you… the Ji Clan
Patriarch?!" As Naruto looked at Ji Dongyang, his eyes narrowed, and his heart filled with vigilance. The sensation of deadly crisis continued to grow, to an extent that it was even clearer than when he had been fighting Lord White.
After all, Naruto was now at his absolute weakest, and the fact that Ji Dongyang was making his appearance right now proved one thing: he had been waiting and watching for quite some time. It would have been impossible for him to come across an opportunity like this based on chance alone.
One thing that led Naruto to suspect Ji Dongyang's true identity was how he had been able to follow him and spy on him for such an extended period of time without being detected. Therefore, Naruto had given voice to his guess as to who this person really was.
Furthermore, Ji Dongyang had slipped up and revealed a bit of vital information, perhaps because of his excitement at finally gaining the opportunity he had been waiting for. If he knew the truth, that Naruto had guessed who he really was based on a single sentence, he would be completely flabbergasted.
Ji Dongyang gaped for a moment, then chuckled and realized it didn't matter that Naruto knew who he was.
"Nowadays I prefer to go by Ji Dongyang, but in the past I was known as… Ji Tian!"
The instant the words left Ji Dongyang's mouth, Naruto 's pupils constricted. Ji Tian was none other than the Ji Clan Patriarch, a powerful expert from the same era as the first generation Patriarch of the Namikaze Clan. In the struggle for the Lordship of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, he had come out on top.
"There's no need to try to buy time to heal. Your injuries are too serious to recover from in a short period of time. Even I would have to worry about Lord White, considering the level of his battle prowess. In fact, if I fought him, I would definitely lose.
"As for you, you've made me very, very happy….
"Deciding that you would be my ninth life was definitely the best choice I could have made…. Come now, Naruto , become one with me.
Become my ninth life. Then I will restore things to how they once were, taking the Ninth Mountain and Sea to fight back against the 33 Heavens and to resist their return.
"Sacrifice yourself, and you will help not just me, but the entire Mountain and Sea Realm! I can even promise you that I will take good care of the Namikaze Clan….
"Everything that is yours… will be mine." Ji Dongyang laughed heartily, and his eyes sparkled. However, he still didn't get close to Naruto . The battle he had just witnessed from a distance had left him completely shocked.
Naruto 's face was very grim, but he didn't respond. He merely hovered in place, looking coldly at Ji Dongyang.
Naruto didn't move, nor did Ji Dongyang do anything rash. They stared at each other for about ten breaths of time, after which Ji
Dongyang frowned, then suddenly took three steps toward Naruto .
As those three steps fell, Naruto 's eyes flickered with killing intent, and he began to stride toward Ji Dongyang. That sudden movement caused Ji Dongyang's heart to tremble with surprise, and without even thinking about it, he fell back.
However, in the moment that he retreated, Naruto suddenly did the same thing, and in the blink of an eye, was far off in the distance.
Ji Dongyang's eyes flickered coldly, and he gave chase, sighing inwardly with relief. As he closed in, he extended his right hand, performed an incantation gesture, and pointed out. Instantly, a black stream of light shot toward Naruto .
Naruto also sighed inwardly. He knew that dealing with Ji Dongyang would be difficult; for him to have reached the level he had indicated that he was the type of person who tested the waters before making a move. Obviously, he was an extremely cautious person.
Furthermore, Naruto was not in a position to be wasting energy. His injuries were very serious, and he had only just begun to recover. Frowning, his eyes flickered as he waved his hand toward the black beam of light, shattering it.
A boom echoed out, and the backlash caused blood to ooze out of his mouth. Behind him, Ji Dongyang laughed softly.
"Brother Uzumaki, don't be so anxious. We still have plenty of time left. Your injuries are severe, and I'm patient. I'll just wait until you can't hold out any longer and pass out.
"Of course, you can always turn and fight if you want. I can guarantee that… before you manage to kill me, you'll lose consciousness. So you should really consider… whether or not you want to fight me." Ji Dongyang's eyes glittered as he looked at Naruto for a moment, then performed an incantation gesture with his right hand, causing ten beams of black light to shoot toward Naruto , each one filled with Karmic power.
Naruto didn't do anything in response, other than shoot off with increased speed. In the blink of an eye, he had increased the distance between them and was shooting, not in the direction of the Heavengod Alliance, but rather… toward the rift connecting the Seventh and Eighth Mountains and Seas!
He was now following exactly the same path Lord White had when he had fled.
Naruto moved with incredible speed, shooting past the red-haired old man and the other cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, who looked on in shock.
Ji Dongyang was hot in pursuit, face flickering in surprise. He had already made plans for what to do, regardless of whether Naruto attacked or not. If he didn't attack, he would force him into fighting. If he fought, then he would run him ragged. However, he had never predicted that Naruto would actually choose to enter the rift.
If he did that, he would be teleported to the Seventh Mountain and Sea. Doing that would put him in a situation of extreme peril, but it seemed Naruto felt the chances of survival were slightly better there.
Of course, the danger would be the same for Ji Dongyang. His chances of surviving… would be small. After all, if he went to the Seventh Mountain and Sea, his clone would be two Mountains and Seas away from his true self, adding latency to his reaction time, which could end up proving fatal.
Thus, his original plan had been to possess Naruto while in the Eighth Mountain and Sea. However, when the Seventh Mountain and Sea invaded, and Naruto had chosen not to leave, he had to delay his plan.
"Dammit!" Ji Dongyang's face flickered, and rumbling sounds echoed out as he pushed forward toward Naruto with greater speed. Even as Naruto closed in on the rift, killing intent flickered in Ji Dongyang's eyes, and he reached out and made a grasping gesture. Countless Karma Threads swirled out to form a huge hand which grabbed toward Naruto .
However, the hand was slow, and Naruto was already halfway into the rift. He seemed to be on the verge of escaping, and in this most critical of moments, Ji Dongyang had no time to think, no matter how cautious he wished to be. If he hesitated for even a moment, Naruto would vanish. Gritting his teeth, he surged with cultivation base power, and in conjunction with power from the Ninth Mountain and Sea, his energy spiked, and the majesty of a Mountain and Sea Lord erupted out.
The extra power came in the blink of an eye, and he transformed into afterimages as he shot toward Naruto , who was now eighty percent into the rift.
"Possession!" Ji Dongyang howled. His body seemed to be melting, and his soul was on the verge of flying out to possess Naruto . However, in that very instant… just as he was opening his mouth to spit out his soul, Naruto suddenly turned back, a derisive expression on his face. His mouth twisted into a cold smile, and from the look on his face, it seemed he had no plans whatsoever to flee. In fact, it appeared that everything had been a ruse to lure Ji Dongyang into a trap!
This was a tactic that he had just picked up from Lord White.
Ji Dongyang's eyes went wide.
"The Wolf Consumes All!" Naruto roared. Naruto truly did have only a tiny scrap of energy left inside of him, and the question had been how to use that scrap. And yet, this last bit of energy would be able to decide whether he won or lost against Ji Dongyang.
What he did was use that scrap of energy to stimulate Greed's life force Essence, which existed within his Dao Fruit. Instantly, the image of an enormous, Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering Heavenly Wolf appeared behind him, which threw its head back and howled!
Even as Ji Dongyang attempted to possess Naruto , the wolf attempted to consume Ji Dongyang!
One was attempting to possess, the other was attempting to consume, and it was impossible to determine who would succeed. Ji Dongyang's soul pierced into Naruto , all the way to his sea of consciousness, and simultaneously, Ji Dongyang's body transformed into life force quintessence which was consumed by the Heavenly Wolf.
Rumbling could be heard as Ji Dongyang vanished. A tremor ran through Naruto as an explosive power rose up from within him, propelling him away from the rift, whereupon he vanished.
Neither Naruto nor Ji Dongyang had any desire for any further consuming or possessing to play out in front of the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea. Both of them simultaneously teleported away. In the blink of an eye, they were gone, to reappear once more in a remote corner of the starry sky of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
Naruto looked like a corpse as he floated there, his body occasionally emitting pulses of life force. Occasionally, rumbling could be heard, and at the same time, the injuries he had sustained in his battle with Lord White healed up, the result of the restorative powers gained by Naruto from consuming the life force of Ji Dongyang.
At the same time, his internal injuries were also healing rapidly!
However, there within Naruto 's sea of consciousness, a Heavenshaking, Earth-shattering battle was unfolding between the powers of consuming and possessing! The struggle had reached a critical moment, and whoever lost would definitely die!
Furthermore… it was certain that the price paid by one of them dying, would help the other party to grow stronger.
Ji Dongyang, in his craftiness and malevolence, had waited for this very specific moment to attack Naruto , when he was extremely weak in terms of cultivation base and divine sense. Therefore, if all had gone according to plan, Ji Dongyang would have been able to possess him with relative ease.
Ji Dongyang had prepared for a very long time for this one moment of possession. He had studied Naruto extensively, and was aware of his fearsome divine sense and extraordinary cultivation base. He knew that he was the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, which, although terrifying in some ways, actually fueled his obsession. He had waited ohso-patiently to possess Naruto , and just when he thought Naruto would escape his clutches and that everything had been for naught, the moment he had waited for had arrived; Naruto fought Lord White and ended up being in an extremely weak state.
That had been a moment of extreme excitement!
However, in all of his careful planning, there was the one area… in which he had slipped up.
Despite the fact that he had gone to the extent of following Naruto into the 33 Hells, he had not been able to follow him into the necropolis therein. In that moment of extreme crisis when everyone was sucked into the necropolis, he, like the Chief Dharma Protector of the
Heavengod Society, had chosen to flee. Therefore, he had no idea about everything that had occurred with Greed.
Therefore, he had no idea about the very power which Naruto drew upon at the last moment, the life force Essence of Greed. Greed's Essence could consume everything, including Ji Dongyang's life force and his soul. Even the possession power he had unleashed was consumed!
"NO!" Several days later, something like an illusory howl of rage echoed out inside of Naruto . A tremor ran through him, and his eyes opened.
As for his mouth, it had the same smile of derision that it had before.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1304Chapter 1304: Old Turtle Reliance!
At the same time, massive rumbling sounds echoed out from the Ninth Mountain. The whole mountain trembled as a will awakened, spreading out to fill the entire Ninth Mountain and Sea.
An enormous eye appeared above the Ninth Mountain, which seemed to burn with fires of rage. However, the flames soon died down, and within the pupil of the eye, the image of an old man became visible. He was sitting there cross-legged, a grim expression on his face. After a moment passed, though, he suddenly started laughing.
"I'm not sure whether I should thank you or hate you…." the old man murmured.
"The fact that I did not succeed comes as no surprise, and yet is also contrary to expectation…. Had I succeeded, I would have no longer been myself. That strand of my will which usurped my true self would have become unprecedentedly powerful. I could have instantly transformed from being the weakest of the Mountain and Sea Lords, to being in the position to challenge Ksitigarbha.
"However, although the failure has lost me that chance, now that the strand of will has been destroyed, I… have finally regained full control of my faculties." There was an ancientness to the man that seemed to suggest that he had been asleep for a long time, but was now awakening.
" Naruto …." he murmured, looking thoughtfully off into the distance. After a long moment passed, he closed his eyes once again.
Meanwhile, back in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Naruto opened his eyes as something like the rumble of thunder echoed out inside of him. At the moment, his injuries had recovered almost completely.
Ji Dongyang's possession had failed, and in fact, he had ended up being consumed by the life force Essence of Greed. He actually ended up becoming a wellspring of power to fuel the recovery of Naruto 's wounds. In fact, Naruto liked to think that Ji Dongyang had delivered himself up as an aid to his recovery, instead of a real attempt at possession.
It wasn't that Ji Dongyang hadn't made his move at the correct time, or that it was not a critical point for Naruto . Rather, in a divine sense battle for possession, the slightest mistake could lead to death, and Ji Dongyang had made just such a mistake.
Naruto 's eyes shone with a brilliant light as he recalled what had occurred in the divine sense battle. Finally, his eyes glittered, and he flickered into motion and vanished.
He did not spend any more time pondering the matter of Ji Dongyang. Although he had come out on top in the battle of possession, Naruto had still been in danger. He had never liked the Ji Clan to begin with, but after what had just happened, he was certain that he would meet with Ji Tian again one day, and settle things once and for all.
"Time is of the essence right now. The Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea will definitely be returning. Before he does, I need to get stronger. That's the only way to secure victory!" Naruto appeared in the starry sky, a thoughtful look on his face as he sent his divine sense rumbling out. In a short period of time, it spread out to cover the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea.
Everything that existed in the Eighth Mountain and Sea was now visible to him in his mind. He saw cultivators fighting in battles. He saw countless corpses and ruins. He also saw a certain something far off in a remote corner of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
It was a huge land mass that almost looked like an island. There were mountains and rivers, cities and sects, mortals and cultivators all existing on that piece of land hanging in the starry sky. It seemed to be floating completely aimlessly among all of the mountains which existed there. On that huge land mass was a certain mountain that held an eternal place in Naruto 's mind. It was… Mount Daqing.
Beneath the land mass was an enormous turtle, who supported it on his back. He was currently yawning lazily as he floated along, a smile on his face. Then he began to hum a little tune which echoed out in all directions.
In the instant that Naruto 's divine sense swept over the turtle, the turtle shivered and stopped humming. His turtle eyes went wide, filling with a look of disbelief. He suddenly turned to look out into the starry sky and then… let out a miserable shriek.
"That divine sense… dammit! It's you! You little bastard! Ahhhhhhhh. The Patriarch fled all the way here and y-y-you… you actually found me!"
That turtle was none other than Patriarch Reliance.
His previously good mood suddenly turned wretched. He had just been feeling incredibly comfortable and at ease, but now he was shaking, overwhelmed with frustration, sadness, madness, and irritation.
In order to get away from Naruto , he had left Planet South Heaven and gone to Planet East Victory. Then he had fled to the Ruins of Immortality, and had finally pierced through the barrier between the Ninth Mountain and Sea to the Eighth. He had assumed that he would never see Naruto again in his life. How could he ever have imagined that he would actually… be found yet again?
"Dammit, DAMMIT!" roared the turtle, eyes bulging. "You intolerable bully! The Patriarch can't deal with this anymore!" A very uneasy feeling had risen up in his heart; Naruto 's divine sense seemed so powerful it could cause him to explode. He threw his head back and let loose a long cry, causing rumbling sounds to echo out as his speed increased tenfold, and he shot off into the distance.
He felt truly wronged, and couldn't think of any sin he had committed to earn him this fate….
"Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! The League of Demon Sealers is full of bastards! All bastards, I tell you!
"All those years ago, that psycho didn't think that beating me up by himself was enough, so he had to find a whole group of psychos to help beat me up. Bastards, bastards, BASTARDS!
"Fine, if you want to beat me up, I don't care. But you went so far as to seal me!? I refuse to give in! The Patriarch refuses to give in!" Even as Patriarch Reliance sped along, he roared out his grievances.
It was at that point that a bright light could be seen flickering on top of his head, where a young woman was seated. Laughing softly, she patted Patriarch Reliance's head and said, "Calm down, Patriarch. Isn't it a good thing to reunite with old friends?"
"Good thing, my ass! The League of Demon Sealers is full of bastards.
That little bastard is a bastard among bastards!" Utterly discomfited,
Patriarch Reliance took a deep breath, causing the starry sky to tremble. Boundless energy of Heaven and Earth poured toward him and was sucked in, whereupon he exploded with even greater speed, turning into a bright beam of light that shot off into the distance.
In another distant location, Naruto 's eyes glittered.
"Gotcha," he said, snorting coldly. He was so familiar with old turtle Reliance that he couldn't be any more familiar. They had even fought each other more than once in the past.
"Let's see how you try to escape this time!" Naruto took a step forward, then vanished. When he reappeared from the teleportation, he was far off in the distance and immediately saw the panic-stricken Patriarch Reliance fleeing.
"Don't even dream of running, you old turtle!" he roared in a frightening tone.
"There's no need to see me off, you little bastard!" shouted Patriarch Reliance, trembling. He even went so far as to spit out some of the quintessence of his soul to unleash even greater speed, piercing through the void.
Naruto 's expression was very serious, but a hint of laughter could be seen in his eyes. Every time he recalled what had occurred between him and this old turtle, it all seemed as if it had happened only yesterday.
His time in the Reliance Sect was something very precious to Naruto , and those years had somehow turned into his most idyllic memories.
Now that the turtle was fleeing with even greater speed, Naruto gave a cold harrumph, then extended his right hand and made a grasping motion as he unleashed the Star Plucking Magic. Instantly, the turtle's little tail was grabbed.
Rumbling sounds echoed out, and Patriarch Reliance's scalp felt like it was about to explode. The sensation of having his tail grabbed filled him with rage. A brutal gleam appeared in his eyes, and he turned his massive body around with stunning agility. Then, a vicious expression could be seen as he opened his mouth to gobble Naruto up.
"I'll give you some good fortune, you little bastard!"
"Mm-hmm," Naruto didn't even try to dodge to the side. He simply hovered in place. Patriarch Reliance's gaping maw lurched to a stop, and a grieving, maddened look appeared in his eyes.
" Naruto , you little bastard, we're going to fight to the death, right here, right now!" he roared. His energy spiked, and it looked like he really was going to go all-out in a battle to the death.
Naruto 's expression was very serious, but then suddenly, his jaw dropped as he realized that although Patriarch Reliance seemed to be infuriated, and just on the verge of fighting to the death, the truth of the matter was that he was actually backing up. This felt very familiar to Naruto , and he suddenly recalled that bizarre body cultivator back in the Ninth Sea, who had done the exact same thing. Patriarch Reliance and that body cultivator were actually very similar in this regard. 1
Patriarch Reliance was instantly on the run again, and had already put quite a distance between them. He was going all out… to flee! Furthermore, a complacent gleam had already appeared in his eyes.
"So, the little bastard doesn't quite measure up to the Patriarch in terms of intelligence. Haha! He thought I was going to fight him to the death, but it turns out my real plan was to run away!" Even as Patriarch Reliance was rejoicing in the midst of his escape, and was beginning to feel quite pleased with himself, a boom rang out, and the void up ahead of him shattered. A huge rift opened up, and a tempest burst out, blocking Patriarch Reliance's path.
Patriarch Reliance's beady eyes went wide, and he quickly changed directions. However, it only took a moment before the same thing happened, whereupon he changed directions again.
Naruto , of course, was right on his tail, leisurely following him around and waving his finger, causing the starry sky to distort and shatter. Patriarch Reliance's heart was beginning to pound in shock, and he suddenly howled, "How come you're so powerful, you little bastard? Psycho! The League of Demon Sealers is full of psychos!"
All of Patriarch Reliance's paths were blocked. Finally, he waved his tail, and suddenly everything around him began to tremble. Apparently, he had been building up his power, and was now about to burst out in one final attempt to free himself.
However, even as he powered up, he unexpectedly didn't flee, but instead charged Naruto . Inwardly, he was so arrogant that he actually believed himself powerful enough to personally handle Naruto .
Roaring, Patriarch Reliance closed in on Naruto . "Hmmmphhh! The Patriarch is the smartest yet again! When you think I'm going to fight to the death, I flee. Then, when you think I'm going to flee, I decide to stake my life!"
Seeing this new development caused a strange expression to appear on Naruto 's face. It was definitely true that he was having a hard time keeping up with Patriarch Reliance's train of thought. Just when he seemed to be on the verge of escaping, he would attack. Naruto smiled bitterly and then extended his hand. Rumbling sounds could be heard as a huge illusory hand appeared, which grabbed viciously toward Patriarch Reliance.
A boom echoed out as the hand grabbed onto Patriarch Reliance and began to squeeze. However, Patriarch Reliance let out a roar, causing golden light to glitter out from his body, shattering Naruto 's illusory hand.
"Hah! The Patriarch is invincible!" he roared. "Are you scared yet, Naruto , you little bastard?!" He glared at Naruto , the whiskers on his face floating about in bizarre fashion, making him look very intimidating.
Naruto fought the "bizarre body cultivator" back in chapter 1072. If you recall, he even had a turtle shell…. ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1305Chapter 1305: Legacy Door!
Naruto sighed at the sight of the blustering Patriarch Reliance, and suddenly felt a headache coming on. "I never smacked you on the head when you were little, did I?"
Unfortunately, Naruto 's words only served to rile up Patriarch Reliance even more. His eyes turned bright red as he apparently remembered something, whereupon he roared, " Naruto you little bastard, I'm going to end things between us right now! Take THIS!"
Howling, energy surging, Patriarch Reliance began to move his relatively stumpy legs in a special pattern. His eyes began to glow brightly as, unexpectedly, his Chakra and blood began to flow in a unique way, as if he really were going to go all-out in a fight to the death.
However, what actually happened was that an enormous teleportation portal popped into existence around him. In the blink of an eye, it activated, teleporting Patriarch Reliance away.
Even as he vanished, his smug laughter echoed out, along with the following words: "The Patriarch is out! Don't bother to come looking for me ever again, I'm sick of you!"
Naruto could only imagine how pleased Patriarch Reliance must be with himself at the moment. A strange look on his face, Naruto took a step forward and then vanished.
In another stretch of the starry sky of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Patriarch Reliance's massive form suddenly appeared, along with ringing laughter.
"I, the Patriarch, am intelligent, dashing, extraordinary, and completely invincible! Did that wimpy little Naruto really dare to try to compare himself to me?" Patriarch Reliance looked extremely proud, as though he were standing at the pinnacle of all intelligence, looking down at everyone else far, far below.
However, even as he was sighing emotionally, a dry cough could be heard coming from off to the side.
Patriarch Reliance gaped in astonishment.
"Hallucinating," he said. "I must be hallucinating. How come that cough sounded so much like that little bastard?" Heart thumping, Patriarch Reliance looked to the side to find Naruto right there next to him. His eyes widened.
In terms of size, Naruto was like nothing compared to Patriarch Reliance's enormity. But that didn't stop him from reaching out, grabbing one of Patriarch Reliance's whiskers, and then flinging him out through the starry sky, sending him spinning round and round.
Then, a huge boom could be heard as he landed not too far off in the distance.
Patriarch Reliance roared in rage, then shot back toward Naruto , mouth wide open to devour him. But then Naruto snorted coldly, and Patriarch Reliance let out a yelp and closed his mouth.
"Aaaahhhhhh! I'm going crazy! Dammit! Dammit! I can't fight you, can't run away from you, can't even eat you! The League of Demon Sealers is full of bastards! I'm going to kill all of you people!" Patriarch Reliance's roars transformed into sound waves that rumbled out through the starry sky. At the same time, he backed up at top speed, shaking his back slightly.
"Disciples of all generations of the Reliance Sect, get out here and kill this guy!" When Patriarch Reliance shook his back slightly, it was like an earthquake as far as the Five elemental Nations was concerned. Almost immediately, hundreds of people flew out, after which they stared at Naruto in astonishment. It was hard to say who did it first, but after a moment of gaping, they began to clasp hands and bow to him.
"Greetings, Junior Patriarch!"
"It's the Junior Patriarch? Greetings, Junior Patriarch…."
These people actually recognized who Naruto was. After all, Uzumaki
Hao had encountered this group of people back in the Milky Way Sea on Planet South Heaven. Back then, Patriarch Reliance, believing himself to be a profound schemer with incredible foresight, had publicly acknowledged Naruto 's Patriarchal status, all in an attempt to divert his suspicions. 1
When Patriarch Reliance saw all of the cultivators clasping hands and bowing to Naruto , the rage in his heart burned hotter than ever. Now, instead of trying to consume Naruto , he tried to crush him with his head.
By this point, he knew that he wouldn't be able to escape. Naruto was so fast that it left him sighing, so the only thing he could do now was ram Naruto with his body, which at this moment seemed as big as a planet whizzing through space.
"Stop fussing," Naruto said with a frown, then smacked out with his right hand.
An intense slapping sound echoed from Patriarch Reliance's head, and he was sent staggering backward. Angered to the point of madness, he roared, "Who's making a fuss? I'm perfectly calm! Y-y-you… you tyrant!
"In all my years of roaming the Mountain and Sea Realm, the worst thing that ever happened to me was running into you bastards from the League of Demon Sealers. You people are so unreasonable!" Patriarch Reliance appeared to be on the verge of tears. By now, he could sense how powerful Naruto was, and his heart was pounding as a result. However, he still didn't want to give in. Eyes burning with decisiveness, he opened his mouth and roared, causing innumerable magical symbols to flicker all over his body. Apparently, he was attempting to break through the seals on his body.
Rumbling could be heard as a massive energy burst out, something that caused even Naruto 's eyes to widen.
"Back then, the people from the League of Demon Sealers had to team up to seal him," Naruto said softly. "It seems Patriarch Reliance really is remarkable." With that, he slapped his hand out again.
A boom rang out as Patriarch Reliance was once again sent spinning. At the same time, his enraged roar echoed out.
This time the sound was multiple times louder than his previous shouts. It transformed into a roaring windstorm that swept out. Simultaneously, a huge, terrifying image was projected behind him.
"You and me are going at it to the death!" he raged. "You piss me off so much! SO MUCH!" The countless, densely-packed magical symbols flickered brightly, looking almost like a huge net covering Patriarch Reliance.
However, Patriarch Reliance's energy spiked, and the golden magical symbols began to separate from him and float out into the starry sky, as the shocking energy on Patriarch Reliance grew even stronger.
As the starry sky rumbled and shook, Naruto 's eyes shone with a strange light. This was not his first time getting into a showdown with Patriarch Reliance. However, on the previous occasions, his cultivation base had not been powerful enough, and he hadn't pushed Patriarch Reliance into such a corner. Now, the old turtle had no options left, and was really going crazy!
Naruto 's eyes flickered as he performed an incantation gesture with his right hand and then pointed at Patriarch Reliance.
"Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!"
Instantly, Patriarch Reliance ground to a halt. At the same time, the golden magical symbols floating around him blazed with light and then pressed back down onto him. Patriarch Reliance went stiff, and his eyes widened as he glared furiously at Naruto . However, there was simply nothing he could do against the Demon Sealing Hex.
"Now that's a good boy," Naruto said, stepped forward and patting Patriarch Reliance on the head. Patriarch Reliance glared at him angrily, but was incapable of even moving, and could only make slight whimpering sounds.
Naruto felt a bit bad, so he looked at Patriarch Reliance and said,
"Patriarch, I have my own problems to deal with. Just stop struggling. You know, even becoming my mount wouldn't be too embarrassing, right? Look, how about this? Just let me get Lord Li's legacy, and then if you don't feel like coming along with me after that, you can just go on your own way."
Patriarch Reliance looked up in thought, and even Naruto could tell that he was planning something. However, he ignored that and flickered into motion, appearing down on Patriarch Reliance's back. The hundreds of cultivators that had flown up all continued to bow to him respectfully from a distance, not daring to get near him.
Naruto looked around before stepping forward to appear in one of the low-lying areas in the Five elemental Nations , on the shore of a lake. Guyiding TriRain was standing there looking very charming, and as Naruto approached, she smiled.
Their gazes met, and they laughed happily.
"I haven't forgotten about my promise to you," he said. "I will help you become a sea one day."
"Oh, I've already become a sea," she replied, covering her smile with her hand.
Startled, Naruto looked out at the lake, and then looked at Mount Daqing off in the distance. Finally, he nodded thoughtfully. Then he suddenly sank down into the ground, moving downward into the depths of the Five elemental Nations . Down and down he went, sending his divine sense ahead to lock down onto a certain position at the very bottom of the Five elemental Nations , where it actually met with Patriarch Reliance's back. There… was a door!
However, as Naruto got close to it, Patriarch Reliance's body suddenly shuddered as he violently cast off the Eighth Hex. At the same time, a violent energy began to build up.
Rumbling could be heard as the golden magical symbols seemed to once again be on the verge of being cast off.
The lands trembled, a sensation Naruto could clearly experience considering how far down he was. Frowning, his right hand flashed with an incantation gesture. This time, the wave of his finger unleashed the Seventh Demon Sealing Hex. Patriarch Reliance once again roared, body trembling. However, Naruto 's Seventh Hex formed a resonance with the hex inside of him, and once again he was stabilized.
"Don't get so excited," Naruto consoled calmly. "I'm just here to take the legacy. After that you can go. I've known for years that you were here in the Eighth Mountain and Sea and still never came looking for you to be my mount." With that, Naruto took a step forward toward the door.
A faint light surrounded the door, and as Naruto neared it, he could sense familiar fluctuations. It even seemed as if something were calling to him!
Those fluctuations were those of the League of Demon Sealers, and the calling seemed to send his Demon Sealing Hexing magic into sudden motion. In fact, the ancient Demon Sealing Jade inside of his bag of holding was also vibrating.
"Definitely the League of Demon Sealers…. In that case, I wonder… what generation Demon Sealer Lord Li was?!" A strange light shone in Naruto 's eyes as his previous speculations were confirmed by at least seventy percent.
However, even as Naruto neared the door, and the sensation of a resonance grew even stronger, Patriarch Reliance once again began to struggle mightily, as if he had been pricked. As he roared, the golden magical symbols once again began to shake, as if… they were just about to collapse.
Even more shocking was that a powerful aura was rising up within Patriarch Reliance. Unexpectedly… it was similar to the Dao Realm, and it was rising rapidly!
1-Essence. 2-Essences. 3-Essences Dao Lord….
Amidst all the rumbling, Naruto frowned. If he couldn't get Patriarch
Reliance to calm down, it could affect his attempt to acquire the legacy.
"Patriarch, calm down. Be a good boy." Naruto stamped his right foot down, shattering the connection between Patriarch Reliance's shell and the land mass above it. As that happened… a pitch-black turtle shell was revealed, as well as numerous shocking spikes which were imbedded therein!
Furthermore… something else was visible on the turtle shell, off in the distance. It was… something that had slowly been twisted over time as Patriarch Reliance had grown up. It was… a line of writing.
As soon as Patriarch Reliance realized what was happening, he roared in fury and embarrassment: "Hey, don't look at that!"
Naruto got called Patriarch by the cultivators in the State of
Xiao/Zhao back in chapter 647 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1306Chapter 1306 (Click to show "spoiler" title)
Chapter 1306: Third Generation Demon Sealer!
Patriarch Reliance was intensely angry and embarrassed. Shaking, he roared as he attempted to cast off Naruto 's Demon Sealing Hexing magic. It was possible now to see how enraged he was because of the characters written on his back….
Naruto gaped in shock as he studied the line of characters which had been warped and faded over time as Patriarch Reliance grew up. Soon… a strange expression appeared on his face.
" Naruto 's turtle…." he read. His eyes went wide, and he cleared his throat. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then he thought about what had happened with his Wooden Time Sword and Stepdad Ke's terracotta soldier, and gradually he understood. 1
Everything that had happened back in the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect had seemed illusory, but the truth was… by means of the divine ability of the Demon spirit Night, it was actually real. As of this moment, Naruto felt completely shaken.
"So it turns out that the turtle I saw in that pagoda in the Ancient Demon
Immortal Sect really was the young Patriarch Reliance?" Even as Naruto pondered the matter, Patriarch Reliance roared in rage.
"I figured it out a while ago, Naruto you little bastard! Long, long ago I somehow ran into you, and y-y-you… you actually had the audacity to carve words into my back!"
The expression on Naruto 's face grew more wry as he realized that, in addition to the turtle's pride, the main reason Patriarch Reliance didn't want to become his mount could very likely be… the words he himself had carved onto his back.
Perhaps if someone else had become the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer and had tried to make him a mount… then Patriarch Reliance wouldn't have refused so vehemently.
Naruto 's thoughts were in a jumble. As of this moment, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Dao of Time and grasped onto some ideas regarding it, but at the same time clear enlightenment evaded him.
Naruto cleared his throat and said, "Ahem. Listen, Patriarch, being stubborn isn't a good personality trait, you know."
Ignoring the roars of Patriarch Reliance, he performed an incantation gesture with his right hand and then waved his finger a few more times.
Instantly, Demon Sealing Hexing magic was unleashed, landing on Patriarch Reliance and causing him to shiver. The golden magical symbols surrounding him flared with bright light, completely suppressing him.
In that moment, Patriarch Reliance was immobilized, hovering in the starry sky and unable to do anything except whimper, which caused an intense feeling of unfairness to well up in his heart.
Naruto flashed into motion; in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the door, and then he stepped into it. As he did, the fluctuations of the League of Demon Sealers inside of him exploded out.
The call and resonance grew to a shocking level, and Naruto 's mind reeled. At the same time, the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, the Body Hexing Magic, was unleashed. Next was the Seventh Hex, Karmic Hexing. After that was the Sixth Hex, Life Death Hexing. Finally came the Fifth Hex, the Inside Outside Hex.
For the first time, the four Hexing magics… solidified within Naruto 's mind!
They transformed into four magical symbols which shone with brilliant light. As they floated there in Naruto 's mind, his vision began to swim. A moment later, though, it cleared, and he was inside the door!
He saw… a strange world!
It had a yellow sky that spread out in all directions. The clouds were black, and roaring sounds could be heard therein, as the occasional flickering shadows of enormous beasts about could be seen moving about.
No plants or vegetation could be seen on the ground, which was pure white and stretched as far off as the eye could see. It gave a peculiar impression that nothing here was real. Off in the distance was an enormous statue of a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged in meditation. It was so gigantic that despite being seated cross-legged, the man's body reached as high as the sky, seemingly bracing up Heaven and Earth!
Although the statue didn't seem to be very far away, when Naruto sent his divine sense out, he found that despite its current level and the level of his cultivation base, he was unable to even touch the statue. Apparently the statue was much farther away than it actually seemed.
Just looking at it, he could see that both of the statue's hands were locked in incantation gestures, and that a slowly rotating magical symbol floated above each hand. Furthermore, roiling mist could be seen at the statue's forehead, pulsing with a boundless life force that could shake Heaven and Earth.
After looking around at his surroundings, Naruto was shaken. These lands, this world, everything here was clearly vastly different than what was on the outside. Everything seemed so different that the feeling of unreality seemed even stronger than before.
After a moment of thought, he looked back at the statue with an even keener gaze than before.
"Lord Li…." he murmured softly. Almost as soon as he laid eyes on the statue, he had been able to tell… that this was the former Mountain and Sea Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, Lord Li!
Although Naruto had never seen him before, his heart was telling him that this statue depicted none other than Lord Li!
His heart was filled with mixed emotions as he looked at the statue. Lord Li was a legendary figure in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, a person who represented the former glory of a bygone era.
Back when he was alive, Patriarch Namikaze and Patriarch Ji had both been subservient to him, as well as the Archdemons, plus Ke Yunhai and his contemporaries as war generals. Because of all of that, the Ninth Mountain and Sea, while not the most powerful force in the Mountain and Sea Realm, was most assuredly not viewed as being weak.
"Lord Li returned life to the Heavens…." Naruto murmured, recalling something that Ke Yunhai had told him. 2
After a while, Naruto took a deep breath, then clasped hands and bowed deeply to the statue of Lord Li. As the Crown Prince of the Namikaze Clan, and having been born and raised in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, it was only proper for him to pay respects to the former Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea!
After offering formal greetings, Naruto looked back up and then gaped in shock.
He had no idea why, but now that he looked at the statue, it didn't look like a middle-aged man, but rather, a woman. Although she wasn't spectacularly beautiful, she seemed kind and gentle.
Naruto looked more closely, and suddenly, the statue seemed to be a man once again. It was really difficult to tell the difference.
Naruto pondered thoughtfully. According to the legends, Lord Li's true origins were shrouded in mystery. However, even more mysterious was he himself. No one actually knew whether he was a man or woman; in fact, not even people who had been his closest companions truly knew.
Even as Naruto frowned, the entire world suddenly filled with a sound like murmured whispering. It floated about, filling Heaven and Earth, brushing past Naruto 's ears.
"In the past… I gained enlightenment regarding all living things, and returned life to the Heavens….
"The Sublime Spirit Scripture. The Heaven Severing Scripture. The Dao Divinity Scripture…. What has been passed down in the world are only fragments. The three scriptures, when combined, become… the Mountain and Sea Scripture.
"The Mountain and Sea Scripture has nine volumes, and each one of the Lords of the Nine Mountains and Seas has one of those volumes….
"Then there are the three great Doyens, who have passed down their legacy for tens of thousands of years, all for the sake of the destined holder of the Scriptures….
"Heaven and Earth are everlasting, the starry sky is boundless. I come from a distant place, and am not a cultivator of the Mountain and Sea Realm…. However, because a fragment of my obsession remained unquenched, I desired to borrow these skies to live….
"My obsession then resided in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and I gained enlightenment of the Dao of Nine Seals. I encountered the Second Generation Demon Sealer, and was redeemed. I learned of the difference between what is correct and what is incorrect, and I became… the Third Generation Demon Sealer!
"As a Demon Sealer, I eventually walked the path of a Paragon. I looked into the past to observe the First Generation, Nine Seals. I came to understand his Dao, and to know him as a person. Eventually I achieved my dream regarding the Daosource…. I pursued the Dao of reality, and walked the Aeon Span which covers all living things….
"Here I leave some divine will, on the back of a sly devil, as a remembrance for the League of Demon Sealers…. The legacy that I shall pass on is not the Mountain and Sea Scripture, it is not an ordinary cultivation method, it is not Karma magic. I shall not bestow it upon some almighty expert, nor upon someone connected to me by destiny. I shall pass it on… to the League of Demon Sealers!
"This has launched a new era, and fulfilled my ultimate desire." When the undulating voice reached this point, everything began to tremble, and the magical symbols floating above the statue's hands suddenly exploded with Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering light.
Naruto trembled as the words and the magical symbols caused his Demon Sealing Hexing magic to fluctuate thousands of times more powerfully than before. The magical symbols formed from the manifestation of the four great Hexing magics in his mind suddenly made him realize what the two magical symbols held by the statue were. They were… two great Hexing magics of the League of Demon Sealers!
"One is the Hexing magic of the Second Generation Demon Sealer, the other is… the Hexing magic created by Lord Li, the Third Generation Demon Sealer!" Naruto gasped as he came to understand the full meaning of the words spoken to him so long ago by the Demon Sealing Jade.
"The First Generation is the Ancestor," he murmured, "the Second
Generation is the Inheritor, the Third Generation is the most powerful!"
A tremor ran through him as he took a step toward the statue. However, even as he did, the magical symbol in Lord Li's left hand flew out, radiating dazzling light as it then merged into the ground. 3
At the same time, Heaven and Earth distorted. The black clouds roared, and the sky screamed. The lands quaked as numerous primordial beasts appeared up above, roaring as they flew toward Naruto . Everything in Heaven and Earth seemed to radiate a hostility targeted specifically toward Naruto .
Naruto 's foot paused in mid-stride; as soon as he stopped, rumbling sounds filled the sky, and the land directly beneath his feet began to sink down. At the same time, the lands far away began to stretch up, as if Heaven and Earth were merging together to form a sphere, collapsing and closing in on itself!
And Naruto was about to be crushed inside!
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
The clouds collapsed, and the primordial beasts howled as they attempted to escape. And yet, many of those beasts were crushed to pieces, creating a rain of blood that fell down onto the ground. The Heavens above also began to distort as if to connect with the rising portions of the Earth. Everything was shrinking, and massive pressure weighed down. Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood as he looked around, his eyes flashing.
"Is this a test? Or is this how the legacy is passed on?" He looked around, but couldn't immediately find any method of escaping this place.
While all of that was happening, while Naruto was on Patriarch Reliance's back attempting to gain the good fortune of the legacy, an incredible power was exploding out in the rift between the Seventh and Eighth Mountains and Seas, shattering the void and causing Essence power to lash about chaotically.
All of that was happening because of Lord White!
His face was grim and twisted with pain as he sat cross-legged within the void, healing himself. Occasionally he would growl as layered scales appeared all over his body, which would then disappear moments later.
His aura was gradually growing stronger, and his injuries were healing rapidly. Every so often his eyes would open, and they would radiate with hatred and indescribable killing intent.
"Another month, and then I'll be completely healed. Next time I encounter him, he's dead!
"I know all his tricks now, so next time… he shall die!"
Rumbling sounds echoed out as Lord White closed his eyes, covering up the killing intent. However, a murderous aura continued to radiate out, filling the entire area, causing an explosive windstorm to surge around him.
Chapter 1306: Third Generation Demon Sealer!
You might remember how Naruto buried the Wooden Time Swords in chapter 592 and then one of them came back in chapter 742 as the precious treasure of the Solitary Sword Sect. And of course, the terracotta soldier waited for Naruto in the Namikaze Clan Ancestral Land for many years. The " Naruto 's turtle" line is from chapter 584 ↩ Ke Yunhai mentioned something about what Lord Li did back in chapter 597. The matter was also mentioned again in chapters 579, 587, 589 and 841 ↩ The line about the First, Second, and Third Generation Demon
Sealers comes from chapter 490 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1307Chapter 1307: Hex Enlightenment
Within the world of the door on Patriarch Reliance's back, everything was turning upside down. Heaven and Earth were connecting, becoming an enormous sphere. Inside that sphere, Naruto felt incredible pressure weighing down on him, causing cracking sounds to echo out as if he were about to collapse.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as everything shrank down at rapid speed. Originally, he couldn't even see the ends of this Heaven and Earth, but in the next moment, the border was visible only 5,000 kilometers away.
The shrinking of Heaven and Earth would apparently be completed within the space of a few breaths of time.
Either he would successfully pass the test and acquire the legacy, or… he would die here, undeserving of the League of Demon Sealers. Although there were no spoken words to explain this, the shocking sight of the destruction of Heaven and Earth made it very clear what was happening.
Naruto 's eyes were bright red as Heaven and Earth shrank down rapidly. He had little time to think, and in fact, the edges of the sphere were now only 3,000 meters away. The speed with which they were moving was unthinkable, and the rumbling sounds completely inundated Naruto .
Pain stabbed through him, and the sensation of death reached an indescribably intense level. Just as Naruto seemed to be on the verge of being eradicated, his eyes suddenly snapped open, and they glowed with enlightenment!
"My obsession resided in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and I gained enlightenment of the Dao of Nine Seals. I encountered the Second Generation Demon Sealer, and was redeemed. I learned of the difference between what is correct and what is incorrect, and I became… the Third Generation Demon Sealer! Within the words spoken earlier by Lord Li, there were two specific words that were the key!
"Correct and incorrect!"
The Hexing magic of the Second Generation Demon Sealer had something to do with what is correct and what is incorrect. If you combine the so-called correct and incorrect with what is happening right now, then you could actually replace them with two other words!
"Real and unreal!" Naruto 's eyes glowed with bright light. As the pressure weighed down on him, a thousand thoughts ran through his head, and suddenly, his eyes flickered.
Suddenly, Naruto said, "The Second Demon Sealing Hex, Real-Unreal Hexing!"
In that instant, Heaven and Earth rumbled, and the sphere they formed completely covered him. They would not tolerate resistance, and yet, Naruto did not struggle or fight back.
RUMBLE!
Heaven and Earth had become one!
Naruto 's mind reeled as he realized that he couldn't feel his body. It was as if it had been destroyed in that moment in which Heaven and Earth became one. Only his soul existed, floating there as he looked around blankly. Then he looked down and saw that his fleshly body was nowhere to be seen. The sphere formed by the combination of Heaven and Earth had turned into a tiny dot, which was now beginning to expand. It grew larger and larger, and gradually, primal chaos could be seen inside of it.
It had a Heaven, and an Earth. There were living beings and creatures, all mixed together. As it grew larger, it became endless, and then everything separated.
Part of it sank down to become land, and part of it floated up to become the sky….
Primordial beasts could be seen everywhere, flying about in the sky, crying out with piercing screeches that echoed about. Soon, trees became visible on the land, which grew tall and mighty.
Mountain ranges rose up, and rivers appeared. Somehow all of it seemed intensely real to Naruto .
"Do you understand?" asked a placid voice. A man appeared out of thin air to stand in front of Naruto .
It was none other than the man carved in the statue, Lord Li!
When he looked at Naruto , though, Naruto got the sensation that Lord Li wasn't actually looking at him. It was a very odd feeling.
"The Second Generation Demon Sealer's Hexing magic is that of the real and unreal…." Lord Li continued, "After searching for the legacy of the First Generation Demon Sealer's original Hexing magic, he gained enlightenment of the Real-Unreal Hexing.
"What is real is unreal. What is unreal is real. With a single thought, what is unreal can be taken as real, and what is real can be taken as unreal…."
Naruto took a deep breath, and his eyes gleamed with enlightenment. This was not his first time encountering such a thing. Back when he fought the 5-Essences Xiao Yihan, he had seen the boy unleash the Essence of reality.
After looking around one more time, he slowly closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged. He then sent his divine sense out to seek enlightenment in Heaven and Earth, to find that spark of understanding of the Real-Unreal Hexing that had flashed through his mind moments ago.
Time passed, although he wasn't sure how much. Finally, his eyes opened, and a smile could be seen on his face. Naruto extended his hand. Although it was illusory, it seemed real, and yet, at the same time, was real, and seemed illusory. Gradually, his entire arm, and then his whole body, experienced the same type of transformation. Naruto let out a long sigh.
"Real becoming unreal," he murmured. "Unreal becoming real. It's simply a type of transformation…. The Real-Unreal Hex can turn real things illusory, and vice versa. What a powerful Hex…. In fact, only Paragons could truly control it." He looked up at the projection of Lord Li which had been standing there this entire time. Rising to his feet, he clasped hands and bowed.
"Many thanks, Senior. I understand now." As soon as he said that he understood, the image of Lord Li seemed to suddenly become more lifelike, and he smiled.
"That is the Second Generation Demon Sealer's Hexing magic. As for mine… it is very different. I will show it to you. As for whether or not you will be able to understand it, well, that is up to you.
"Let me ask you a question. Do you truly understand the difference between what is real and what is unreal?" With that, the image of Lord Li looked deeply into Naruto 's eyes, then suddenly vanished.
Only his voice remained behind, floating about gently before fading away: "My obsession has ended, and I shall now pursue the path of my true self. If you and I are connected by destiny, then we might meet again. Or perhaps… that will only come after countless eons."
Naruto frowned, looking around him once more. Unfortunately, he could find no traces whatsoever of the Hexing magic to which Lord Li had referred.
"The Third Generation Demon Sealer's Hexing magic…." he thought, looking somewhat confused. Finally he closed his eyes and began to seek enlightenment of his surroundings.
Time passed. Several days later, Naruto opened his eyes, and yet still had no idea of what to do. The only thing that he could sense was that the world he was in seemed like something from ancient times.
Also, he could confirm that this place… was not illusory, but was indeed real.
He looked down and could see that he had no body, only a soul. After considering the matter for a moment, he began to fly, to examine the land, the sky, and the vegetation….
More time passed. A month. Naruto was starting to get anxious because of the passage of time, which he could clearly sense. According to his speculations, the passage of time in this world was no different than that in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"I need to figure out a way out of here. Based on how much time has passed, Lord White of the Seventh Mountain and Sea will most likely have fully recovered by now!" Naruto sent his divine sense out to search for an exit.
However, another whole month passed, and he still had no idea what was going on. More anxious than ever, he waved his right hand, summoning a divine ability. Everything began to tremble, portions of Heaven and Earth collapsed, and yet no exit could be seen.
Apparently, this place was a trap, and he was now stuck here permanently.
One month. Two months. Three months…. Naruto was starting to go mad. Booms rang out constantly as he attempted to free himself. He unleashed the Demon Sealing Hexing magics, and yet, none of that did any good.
He howled, demanding for Lord Li to appear, but Lord Li had long since left. There were primordial beasts in the world, but considering how much Naruto was raging, none of them dared to show their faces.
Despite Naruto 's deepening anxiety, time passed relentlessly.
A year. Three years. Six years….
Naruto watched time passing by, lonely and also worried about his Grandpa Uzumaki. However, there was nothing he could do except experience the stabbing pains in his heart.
"Six years have already passed…." he murmured bitterly. He could only hope that his own judgement regarding the passage of time was somehow incorrect, and that time moved differently here than in the outside world.
However… ten more years passed. Naruto could feel his soul aging, and his body trembling. Because of that, he now had the feeling that his previous speculation had indeed been correct, that time here and time in the outside world… passed at the same speed.
A hundred years went by, and Naruto had become calm. Except, that calmness was a facade. Deep in his heart, he was worried about his
Grandpa Uzumaki, the Ninth Mountain and Sea, Hinata, and especially the
33 Heavens and the other two terrifying forces approaching the Mountain and Sea Realm. The worry in his heart was impossible to dispel.
"What's going on…?" he thought bitterly. Throughout the hundred years which had passed, he had tried everything he could think of, but nothing worked.
500 years later, Naruto was truly calm.
After that much time had passed, whatever happened on the outside world was over and done with, and could not be changed.
Most of the time, he wasn't even conscious. He spread his divine sense outwards ever further, and would go for long periods without retracting it.
1,000 years passed. Then 1,500. Then 5,000….
Eventually, Naruto lost sense of the passage of time. Whether it was 50,000 years or 100,000, he didn't really know. He was no longer truly conscious. The only thing that remained behind were the tiny strands of thought that were diffused throughout the world.
He had seen the world transform, had seen animals live and die, had seen the grand passage of time. He had even seen humanoid creatures come into being. They hunted the wild beasts, gradually learning their habits, and eventually began to develop. Naruto sent his thoughts out into the world, whereupon the living beings learned how to practice cultivation.
More time passed, although it was impossible to tell how much. The cultivators of the world grew more numerous, and their cultivation level grew higher. They began to war with each other, and the resulting dead were innumerable.
More time passed. After the wars passed, life flourished again, and everyone prospered. Then there was war again, and after that, prosperity. It happened over and over again until one day a hail of fire descended from the sky above.
The world burned, transforming into ash, as if everything that had been built up was being knocked over and was now starting over from scratch. Naruto was not conscious, and yet his thoughts were everywhere, observing everything.
Life appeared again, prospered, and then devolved into war. Again, everything was destroyed by fire from Heaven. It was like a cycle.
Naruto no longer thought of things in terms of the passage of time, but in terms of cycles.
One cycle after another, over and over. Naruto saw endless life and death, endless joy and sorrow. He was like a visitor, or a passerby, until it reached the point that he didn't even know what it was that he was watching. The cycles continued until the 10,000th cycle arrived.
When the 10,000th cycle was destroyed by fire from Heaven, when everything was destroyed, the world didn't vanish. Instead, it continued to burn. Rumbling sounds could be heard as everything shook and shattered. Naruto 's thoughts, which had been scattered throughout the world for so long, suddenly began to converge back together.
As the world was destroyed, he slowly began to regain lucidity….
It was as if the cage he had been trapped in for such a long time, was collapsing.
The rumbling lasted for a long time, until Heaven shattered and Earth collapsed. When everything was gone, Naruto finally… opened his eyes!
There he was in the world of the door on Patriarch Reliance's back.
However, the sky had vanished, and the land was nothing but a void. The only thing that existed was the statue of Lord Li, smiling at Naruto , seemingly asking him a question.
Do you really understand?
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1308Chapter 1308: Searching For The Present Life!
Naruto was looking at the statue, and yet his eyes were blank, lacking even the slightest spark of focus. He had experienced 10,000 cycles of destruction by fire from Heaven, cycles which had contained innumerable years.
If you took one of those cycles and split it into 10,000 parts, then perhaps the amount of time he had lived in the Mountain and Sea Realm wouldn't even count as one of those parts. To him, it was almost as if… the Mountain and Sea Realm were illusory, and everything he had experienced in the world of cycles was the real life.
What was real? What was unreal? He knew, and yet could not distinguish clearly between the two.
Naruto was as confused as ever, his eyes were completely without focus. Everything about him was still wrapped up within that world, unable to return. Before, he had believed that he understood the RealUnreal Hexing, but apparently, that was of no assistance to him now.
If nothing interfered, Naruto might sit there cross-legged until his fleshly body withered and his soul faded away. Then, he would be completely and utterly dead.
Because… he could not find what was real within the unreal.
He would remain lost in the sands of time, unable to find his present life.
Days passed, and his body began to slowly wither. His complexion grew pale and old, and his life force began to fade. His eyes remained as blank as ever.
Seven days later, he looked like little more than skin and bones. His soul was beginning to disperse, and his life force was growing weaker by the moment. He was like an oil lamp just on the verge of going out forever.
Half a month passed…. The flame in that oil lamp was sputtering, as if it would wink out at any moment. Although it still burned, it was growing weaker. Eventually, on the twentieth day after Naruto returned, the flame of his life force went out.
And yet, in that moment in which death loomed, Naruto 's body suddenly shivered. As the flame went out, a gleam of struggle appeared in his eyes.
That struggle was very, very weak, and yet it caused the flame of his life force to spark slightly. Then, the struggling increased. A sound rang out inside of Naruto , a roaring that caused his body to sway gently. Veins of blood seeped into his eyes; he was awakening!
The struggle lasted for three more days. During that time, he never stopped trembling. The flame of his life force continued to burn, and his soul began to boil. His eyes gradually grew more and more focused.
Three more days passed. It had now been a total of twenty-seven days since Naruto returned. Gradually, sound emerged from his mouth, shaky and unclear, and yet, it was clearly his voice.
"I… am… Uzumaki… Hao!"
He began repeating the same thing over and over. Clearly, it was a strain. He was only saying four words, and yet it caused his entire body to shake violently. Soon, as he repeated the words, they grew clearer and more distinct!
"I… am… Naruto !
"I… am Naruto !"
In the end, he could finally say all of the words in succession.
"I am Naruto !"
In that moment, his mind filled with rumbling sounds. It was like Heavenly thunder that caused his entire world to tremble. At long last, a spark of focus could be seen within his eyes.
That spark indicated that his consciousness… had returned!
When that happened, the statue of Lord Li remained exactly the same as before, and yet somehow, his smile seemed to contain approval. The magical symbols above the statue's hands suddenly flew toward Naruto and then merged into his forehead.
The first to enter him was the Second Generation Demon Sealer's Hexing magic, the Real-Unreal Hexing!
As it merged into him, his entire body was filled with rumbling sounds.
"This is the real and the unreal. Find the unreal within the real, find the real within the unreal. When you can do that, then you… have acquired the Second Demon Sealing Hex!
"Within the countless years of illusory life, you managed to find that drop of reality in an ocean of the unreal. Henceforth, the Real-Unreal Hexing… will pose no confusion for you!"
Rumbling filled the magical symbol as the state of his consciousness grew stronger. Then he began to pant as the second magical symbol merged into his forehead.
"This is my Hexing magic, which I have come to call… Present-Ancient Hexing!
"Time is incalculable. Heaven and Earth are limitless. Gain enlightenment of the years which have passed since ancient times.
Observe the Heavens being destroyed. Experience catastrophe after catastrophe. Return to the ancient to seek the present….
"You have done this, and thus you qualify to acquire my Third Demon Sealing Hex!
"There is one huge regret I have in my life, and that is… I was not destined to combine the nine hexes. In the past, I was able to deduce that at some time in the future, the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer would be able to converge the fate of the entire League of Demon Sealers, to reverse victory into defeat, to gain enlightenment of all of the other eight hexes, and then create the Ninth Hex….
"That person… would be someone even I would look up to… the ultimate pinnacle!
"Nine Hexing magics, beyond compare in all the Heavens!"
The regret-filled voice echoed out in Naruto 's mind and body like thunder, although he was the only one who could hear it. His body was no longer trembling, and his eyes were open. And yet somehow, as he looked up, it almost looked like… he was opening his eyes again!
His opened eyes were now completely clear and focused. Within his mind, memories of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, the Eighth Mountain and Sea, and the Mountain and Sea Realm suddenly exploded out. They grew more and more profound, filling him, until the boundless time of that other Heaven and Earth were gradually suppressed. Soon, his old memories were his everything!
Naruto said nothing. He simply felt the six Hexing magic symbols that floated in his mind. They were the Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, Fifth, Third, and Second Hexing magics!
Now, all he lacked were the Fourth and First Hexes!
Once he gathered those two great Hexing magics, then he would be able to create… that which was fully of him, the final Ninth Hex!
After a long moment passed, Naruto looked at the statue of Lord Li, then slowly rose to his feet. Mixed emotions could be seen in his eyes, including sorrow and reminiscence.
"Lord Li, Third Generation Demon Sealer," he murmured. "How incredible…." This had been one of the most challenging experiences of his entire life. Although it might have seemed a simple thing, the level of difficulty involved was something only he could understand.
It was something more terrifying than death. Death… was merely an end. However, losing oneself, forgetting everything you cared about, everything that mattered to you, was something that could be counted as the most bitter torment for a cultivator.
Similarly, being lost in an illusory world, and being unable to find true life, could be considered a profound form of grief.
"The real and the unreal. The present and the ancient…. I understand now," Naruto said softly as he looked at the statue of Lord Li. Finally, he raised his hand and waved it out in front of him.
Instantly, the pitch-black illusory world around him shattered, transforming into innumerable fragments. At the same time, the statue of Lord Li also collapsed into bits and pieces!
A huge boom rang out as the entire world fell apart.
However, after it shattered, things didn't dissolve into a haze. Instead… a yellow sky appeared, with black clouds and white land. Off in the distance, the statue was still visible.
Strangely, a magical symbol floated above the statue's right hand, and yet its left hand… was completely empty. That magical symbol was actually the entire sky up above!
Now it was clear what was truly real!
The second world which he had experienced… had been illusory and unreal!
Rumbling could be heard as Lord Li's smile, while seemingly unchanging, seemed to suddenly contain profound surprise, and then praise.
"You understand," said a voice, echoing out softly throughout the world.
In that instant, the magical symbol floating above the right hand vanished, as did the magical symbol up above in the sky. They both transformed into beams of light which shot down toward Naruto and merged into him.
Naruto didn't dodge or evade. He allowed the two glowing magical symbols to approach, merge into him, and then cause the Second and Third Hexes within him to become absolutely complete!
All of a sudden, it occurred to Naruto to ask a question. "If I hadn't seen what was unreal about that second world, and instead left through the door after returning, what would I have seen?"
"I don't know," the voice replied softly. Although it seemed weak, the reality was that it was coming from very, very far away.
As the voice got further and further away, the boundless life force mist on the statue's forehead flew down toward Naruto , enveloping him, nourishing his body.
It only took a moment for him to recover from his withered state. His soul was more powerful, and his divine sense experienced additional growth. Now, his divine sense was not forty percent of that of a Paragon, but rather fifty percent.
In the briefest of instants, he reached his ultimate peak!
However, Naruto wasn't paying attention to those physical transformations. Instead, he was pondering the question he had just asked. After a while, he chuckled hoarsely as he realized that there was no explanation. Since that was the case, there was no point in continuing to seek an answer.
He clasped hands and bowed once more, then turned. However, he
didn't leave yet. Instead, he summoned his 33 Soul Lamps, which began to swirl around him.
Naruto looked at his second Soul Lamp. His voice cool, he said,
"Extinguishing Soul Lamps in the Ancient Realm consists of Seven Desolations…. The First Desolation is that of the illusory. For me, that shouldn't pose any problem now. I should be able to extinguish all of the first five lamps… as easily as flipping over my hand!"
"Second lamp, extinguish!" The instant the words left his mouth, his second Soul Lamp winked out, as if it had been blown out with an invisible breath of air!
Green smoke appeared, and before anything illusory could even appear, Naruto breathed it in through his nose. Rumbling filled his mind and body.
His cultivation base exploded up, his divine sense increased, and his fleshly body grew stronger. Although it wasn't a complete redoubling, he was still growing much stronger.
A windstorm sprang up around him, raging through the world, even as his eyes came to fall upon his third Soul Lamp.
"Third lamp, extinguish!"
RUMBLE!
His third lamp went out, and the First Desolation of delusion began. However, because of his new ability to find the real within the unreal, and the unreal within the real, to return from the ancient and seek the present… this Desolation collapsed with a single blow!
From ancient times until now, when Allheaven Dao Immortals extinguished Soul Lamps, they involved one shocking battle after another, and required extreme caution. There had never been a situation like Naruto 's, in which he completely crushed the Desolations. They were like rotten logs which could be smashed instantly!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1309Chapter 1309: Cultivation Base, Erupt!
In the instant that his third Soul Lamp was extinguished, the others flickered as though a wind had passed by.
"The Seven Desolations…." Naruto said coolly, closing his eyes. He could sense the rumbling within him, the explosive rise of his cultivation base, and the increase of his divine sense by ten percent!
Right now, his divine sense was equivalent to sixty percent of that of a Paragon!
"If I extinguish the other thirty Soul Lamps, then my divine sense will be three times as powerful as a Paragon's! Even if it's only three times as powerful as a 7-Essences Paragon, that's still a terrifying level of power." Naruto 's eyes opened, and they shone brightly. He took a deep breath as the rumbling sounds continued to echo out within him. Everything about him was still growing stronger, his cultivation base, his fleshly body, and his soul.
"To me, the Ancient Realm is no longer just a waypoint. Instead… it is a time of unprecedented transformation!" He swished his sleeve, causing a wind to spring up in all directions. He sent his divine sense out into the area, and could sense that he was now sixty to seventy percent more powerful than before!
"And I can get even stronger!" he said, eyes glittering. He looked at his fourth Soul Lamp, and then inwardly instructed it to be extinguished!
As the flame vanished, green smoke rose up, which rushed into Naruto 's nose, causing further intense rumbling sounds. His cultivation base shot higher, causing a wind to spring up that filled the entire world.
His divine sense grew again, rising from its previous level of sixty percent all the way to seventy percent!
His fleshly body issued cracking sounds, and his soul felt as if it would burst out from inside of him. Scintillating light shone out from his eyes, as if they had become the source of all the light in the world.
The First Desolation of the Seven Desolations created illusory visions that were completely meaningless to Naruto . They couldn't shake him in the slightest.
This might be the Ancient Tribulation of an Allheaven Dao Immortal, but it was incapable of comparing with Naruto 's experience regarding the real and the unreal, nor could it contend with the Naruto who had searched through infinite time to find his present life!
A single look on his part could cause all illusions to shatter as if they had never even existed. They were smashed into smithereens!
When his fourth Soul Lamp was extinguished, Naruto 's energy rocketed up. At the same time, just as he was about to extinguish the fifth lamp, a furious roar echoed out from the fourth lamp. The air distorted, and a huge hand became visible. It pierced through the rift between the illusory and the real, stretching out to grab Naruto .
"DIE!" roared an enraged voice. Naruto was not unfamiliar with this voice or this hand. The owner of that voice was none other than… that entity which Naruto had encountered before, which hid in the Ancient Tribulation clouds, and had come to hate Naruto deep within its bones during the First Desolation.
It had been waiting for Naruto to return to the Desolation of Delusion, but could never have imagined that he would do so having experienced such transformations. Furthermore, there was only one more Soul Lamp left, and once it was extinguished, the First Desolation would be completely concluded. It would have no other chance to do anything to Naruto after that, so right now, it was incredibly anxious. Therefore, all it could do was attack now to prevent Naruto from extinguishing that lamp.
"I've been waiting for you for a while now," Naruto said as the huge hand bore down on him. He extended his right hand as quickly as lightning. In fact, it moved so quickly that it looked like his hand was still at his side, when in fact it had already grabbed onto the huge hand which was trying to grab him.
That hand was much, much smaller than it had been back when he was transcending his Ancient Tribulation, or when he had been inside the First Desolation. It was now only about three meters wide, and currently it had ground to a halt, completely immobilized by Naruto , unable to budge at all.
A flustered and exasperated roar echoed out, a roar that even contained disbelief. Naruto snorted coldly, then waved his right hand, causing his cultivation base to burst with power. Cracking sounds rang out, accompanied by a miserable shriek. Naruto then jerked back on the hand he was holding, causing a shadowy figure to be yanked out of the fourth Soul Lamp.
It was like a dragon formed of black mist, which twisted and jerked as it was pulled out. A cry of alarm could be heard as Naruto clenched down with his right hand. Rumbling sounds could be heard, and the mist began to shrink. It was almost as if Naruto 's hand had become a black hole. In the blink of an eye, he had sucked all of the mist into the palm of his hand.
"Do you want to live, or die?" Naruto asked coolly, looking coldly down at the mist within his palm. The foggy ball churned and seethed until a terrified face came to be visible within. It looked surprised, shocked even. However, it seemed to still be holding onto its dignity, and Naruto 's words caused it to let out an unyielding, hate-filled roar.
"You really want to die?!" Naruto began to close his hand into a fist, causing cracking sounds to ring out. The black mist appeared to be on the verge of shattering, and a miserable shriek rang out. All of a sudden, under the pressure of imminent death, the entity within the mist finally chose to submit.
"Too late," Naruto said, clenching his hand down hard. A boom rang out, and the mist collapsed as easily as a wet log. An anguished roar of despair rang out, filled with curses, as black strands floated out between the cracks of Naruto 's fingers. They looked like vipers as they shot toward Naruto himself.
Naruto 's expression was the same as ever as he waved his sleeve, causing the black viper-like strands to shatter, transforming them into ash.
At the same time, the final Soul Lamp of his First Desolation, the fifth of his 33 Soul Lamps, suddenly went dark.
When that happened, Naruto inhaled the green smoke, which caused his eyes to shine with a strange light. He threw his head back and roared; rumbling could be heard as his cultivation base rose up explosively, his soul surged within him as if it wanted to burst out, and his divine sense expanded rapidly!
His divine sense now swelled past seventy percent and reached… eighty percent of the level of a Paragon!
When Naruto sent out divine sense that was eighty percent of that of a Paragon, the surrounding world began to shake on the verge of collapse.
Naruto took a deep breath, and his eyes shone brightly. His current state was far beyond his previous peak, and as of this moment, he was completely confident in being able to secure victory over Lord White!
He rose to his feet and quickly absorbed all of his Soul Lamps, then turned and stepped out of the world. He emerged from the door, and was back on Patriarch Reliance's back. The first thing he heard was Patriarch Reliance roaring angrily, and then he saw an enormous head lurching toward him. An acrid odor blasted against his face as a huge mouth opened as if to consume him.
Of course, it was Patriarch Reliance, who had long since freed himself from the Hexing magic Naruto had laid upon him. He had been waiting for Naruto to reappear, and as soon as he did, reflexively tried to consume him.
Naruto 's expression was the same as usual. He completely ignored the mouth, vanishing from Patriarch Reliance's back and reappearing out in the starry sky. Patriarch Reliance's mouth snapped down onto nothing, whereupon he swiveled his head and roared at Naruto . " Naruto , you little bastard, you're nothing but an intolerable bully!" Naruto looked back at Patriarch Reliance and smiled.
"Alright, enough is enough," he said. "Quit it with the act. You're free to go. However, if I need you, you'd better come." Naruto actually felt strong emotions regarding Patriarch Reliance. Flicking his sleeve, he turned to leave.
However, Patriarch Reliance didn't seem ready to give up. Roaring, he charged toward Naruto .
"Hey, get back here!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Patriarch Reliance regretted them. He began to shiver, and then began to curse himself inwardly for being so muddle-headed. However, considering that he had already let the words slip, he couldn't just back down. That would be far too embarrassing. Therefore, he continued to act as angry as before. But then, Naruto stopped in place, and Patriarch Reliance began to tremble.
Naruto turned back to look at Patriarch Reliance, a contemplative expression on his face. "Oh? You don't want me to leave? Could it be that you really do want to become my mount?"
Patriarch Reliance instantly began to tremble. His entire facade and demeanor was just about to crumble away, when he realized that Guyiding Tri-Rain was standing there on his back, giggling. Feeling embarrassed, he cleared his throat, and tried to sound wizened and profound as he said, "Well, no matter what you say, I'm still your Patriarch. Therefore, before leaving, you should at least kowtow to me. If you don't, well, hmph."
Patriarch Reliance had to force himself to not tremble, and in fact, it took all the courage he had just to say those words. Glaring at Naruto , he slowly began to back up.
Naruto chuckled. He could tell exactly what Patriarch Reliance was thinking at the moment, and considering how good of a mood he himself was in, he simply clasped hands and bowed.
"Keep safe and sound, Patriarch. May I take my leave now?"
"Hmmphhh! Take thy leave!" Patriarch Reliance instantly felt very pleased with himself, and suddenly had the feeling that there must be something about him that the little bastard Naruto feared. Instantly, his confidence increased.
Naruto 's smile didn't change, but suddenly his cultivation base rumbled to life, and his divine sense spread out. Patriarch Reliance was so frightened he instantly shuddered intensely, and his eyes went wide. Without even thinking about it, a fawning expression appeared on his face.
"Hahaha, hahaha, I was joking! Naruto , young friend, you… you go ahead and take off now…." By this point, Patriarch Reliance didn't care that Guyiding Tri-Rain was secretly laughing. His scalp was numb, and he just wanted Naruto to be gone as quickly as possible. He was also cursing his careless remark from earlier.
With that, he backed up, instantly transforming into a beam of colorful light that shot off into the distance, reviling himself inwardly that he couldn't use more power to put distance between himself and Naruto even faster.
Naruto watched Patriarch Reliance leaving, a soft gleam in his eye. He had to admit that Patriarch Reliance was the source of many fond memories. From Mount Daqing to the Reliance Sect, all of them were precious parts of his past.
After a long moment, Naruto turned away. At that point, a bleakly murderous air sprang up around him, and his gaze turned as sharp as a blade. Then, he began to head toward the rift between the Eighth and Seventh Mountains and Seas.
"Lord White," he said softly, "this time, you will definitely meet your end!" With that, he vanished.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1310Chapter 1310: Let Me Help You!
Naruto currently had divine sense with eighty percent of the power of a Paragon. Because of that terrifying level of divine sense, his divine abilities and magical techniques now vastly exceeded their previous level.
When you added in the fact that he had extinguished five Soul Lamps, acquiring boundless power, it ensured that Naruto 's battle prowess, although not quite on the 6-Essences level, still surpassed Lord White's. He was now at the peak of the 5-Essences level, less than half a step away from being equivalent to the 6-Essences level!
With the exception of Ksitigarbha in the Fourth Mountain and Sea, no one in the Mountain and Sea Realm who was under the level of Paragon could now pose a dangerous threat to Naruto in battle. That incredible sensation of power filled him with self-confidence, and at the same time enabled him to feel something that existed within the Mountain and Sea Realm… the Essence of Heaven and Earth.
Naruto appeared silently out in the starry sky. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion, causing a huge vortex to appear. As it spun soundlessly, Naruto reached in, as if he were attempting to grab something.
But then his brow slowly furrowed, and after a moment passed, he
slowly pulled his hand back.
"Still can't do it, huh…? Sakura's soul dissipated into the Mountain and Sea Realm, but given the current level of my cultivation base, I still can't pull it back together….
"It seems I need to have a deeper understanding of Essence." He closed his eyes for a while to feel the transformations in the starry sky around him, then proceeded along. The vortex slowly faded away, as if it had never existed.
"Essence…." he murmured. The next time he appeared, he was near the rift. This time, because of his vastly more powerful divine sense and its effects on the void, no one could detect his return, not even the redhaired old man, let alone any of the other cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea.
"Even without entering the Dao Realm, I can still come to understand Essences….
"Because of the Hexing magic of the League of Demon Sealers, and the Allheaven Dao Immortal blood in my veins, my path of cultivation is different from that of others….
"Cultivation like mine is something very rare, or perhaps… even something that has never been seen before.
"My true cultivation base is in the Ancient Realm, with five extinguished Soul Lamps. However, my battle prowess… is already greater than that of the Mountain and Sea Lords.
"My Essence of Divine Flame came from elsewhere, and is not truly mine….
"My path of cultivation… is the type in which reliance on others is not an option. I must walk… in my own way.
"Essence…. Essence…." Naruto 's eyes shone with a strange light as he proceeded along toward the rift. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped inside. Instantly, the starry sky became a hazy void.
In the moment that he entered the rift, the red-haired old man and the other three Dao Realm experts with him all shivered. Their eyes opened, and they looked over at the rift.
"Strange, I just felt some fluctuations from the rift…."
"It was almost as if… someone just entered it?"
"Impossible. Unless it was the exalted Lord White, or that… that man who… no, impossible. Even that man… would not be able to pass by us unseen."
The red-haired old man and his fellows all frowned, but quickly calmed down and forgot the matter. It wasn't that they couldn't put more thought into what they had just sensed, but rather, that they didn't want to. This Mountain and Sea War had not lasted for particularly long, but not even the previous wars described in the historical records had been as bitter, and those records went back for centuries upon centuries. Although similar wars had been fought, none could quite compare to this one. And by this point, the cultivators of both armies were exhausted.
That was especially true of the small group who had witnessed Naruto 's battle with Lord White. They felt especially haggard.
Inside the rift, Naruto proceeded along calmly. He was in no hurry. As far as he was concerned, there was no more danger for him in this war, and what occupied his thoughts most was his future.
"I wonder… what my Essences will be…?" He suddenly stopped in place, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Nine Demon Sealing Hexes…. Nine Essences. Is that really the limit of the Paragon Realm…?
"If so, and I am able to use all of my Demon Sealing Hexing magics as Essences… well then, when that happens, I, Naruto … will become the most powerful Paragon in existence!
"In fact, I will already have become a Paragon when I get seven Essences, and right now I've already mastered six Hexing magics, which means six Essences." Having reached this point in his train of thought, Naruto 's eyes shone with unprecedented brightness.
He had found his path!
This was… his unique path of cultivation!
"When I combine the Nine Hexes into one, that will also be when my nine Essences combine with each other, then in that moment… as the Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, I will also… be able to break through from the Paragon Realm into the Daosource Realm!" It was as if his eyes had been opened. His face lit up with a smile, and his expression was one of anticipation.
"To me, the Dao Realm is actually not very important, considering I can step into it any time I want. I originally thought that passing through the Ancient Realm would be the easy part, but it turned out that it is actually the true basis of allowing me to continuously grow stronger.
"When I combine the Nine Hexes, and the Nine Essences fuse together…." Naruto then looked down at his bag of holding, where Sakura's discarnate soul was.
"At that time, I should be able to put Sakura's soul back together…. I owe her far too much." Naruto sighed, clearing his thoughts and looking off into the void ahead of him. He could sense that, not too far off, a figure was moving rapidly toward the exit of the rift. Based on how fast this person was moving, it would only take about a day for him to emerge into the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
"Lord White…." Naruto said coolly. "You're going a bit too slow. Allow me to help you out a bit."
He sent out his divine sense, which was eighty percent as powerful as a Paragon's. The entire void within the rift began to tremble with terrifying fluctuations as Naruto , eyes shining with bizarre light, reached his right hand out, grabbed down, and then jerked it back.
At the same time, he flew backward, seemingly towing something behind him. Since he hadn't ventured in too far to begin with, he immediately arrived at the rift's exit.
The figure that Naruto had detected speeding through the void was a man in a long white robe. His expression was both grim and proud.
That man was none other than… the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, Lord White!
His cultivation base had been completely restored, and had even made some advancement. His eyes glittered brightly, seemingly containing the sun, moon, and stars swirling around inside of them. His energy was surging, and his aura was bursting with power.
Although he didn't seem to be moving very quickly, every step he took caused him to flash along with incredible speed. His mouth was twisted with a cold smile, and killing intent gleamed in his eyes.
"This time, it won't matter whether you're there waiting at the exit or not, I'm going to strike you down!
"Actually, I hope you are waiting for me. That way killing you won't waste too much of my time. Then I can slaughter the rest of the Eighth Mountain and Sea to accompany you in death!
"As for the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, he's a sacrifice that I prepared for the 33 Heavens. Offering up a Mountain and Sea Lord will definitely ensure that the 33 Heavens will descend!
"Furthermore, I've determined the location of your home, the Ninth Mountain and Sea…. Don't worry, I'll make sure to exterminate everyone in your entire clan and bloodline!
"If you really do have the guts to sit waiting for me at the entrance, your fate will be the same as if you had fled. After all… there is nowhere for you to run, and nowhere for you to hide, in all Heaven and Earth.
"You. Shall. DIE!
"The 33 Heavens are coming!
"I feel bad for the Mountain and Sea Realm. But this… is the fate of the Paragon Immortal Realm!" Lord White's eyes glittered, and his energy surged. He was completely self-confident, especially because of the two streams of light which swirled around him. One contained a short sabre, the other, a short sword. Both were precious treasures that, despite appearing to be ordinary in nature, were so powerful that even Lord White was leery of them.
In addition to all that, the mark of a green leaf could be seen on his forehead, flickering with scintillating light. It emanated the fluctuations of the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation, ensuring that a powerful life force flowed through him constantly.
Considering what he already knew about Naruto , and his current preparations, Lord White was completely confident!
That was not even to mention the glittering mark which could be seen on the back of his hand. That mark depicted an evil spirit, grinning maliciously.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as Lord White continued along at top speed.
However, even as he was brimming with self-confidence, a huge boom rang out from the void up ahead of him. Everything seemed to shatter and churn, as though some terrifying entity were moving toward him with indescribable speed.
Lord White's eyes went wide, and his face fell with shock. Shaken, he prepared to dodge to the side. After all, he had opened up this path, so generally speaking there shouldn't be any danger here. What was happening now left him deeply shaken.
"What is that?!"
Even in the moment that Lord White started in shock, and the void up ahead of him shattered, a huge hand appeared, barreling toward him with irresistible force and indescribable speed. In the blink of an eye, it was directly in front of him.
No amount of resistance or struggling on his part did any good, nor did he even qualify to try to dodge. Before he could do anything, the hand grabbed onto him.
As soon as it touched him, his eyes went wide with disbelief and shock. Based on what he could sense, that hand was formed from divine will, a terrifying divine will that caused him to cry out in alarm and babble incoherently.
"Paragon!
"It's Paragon Sea Dream!
"No, wait, this isn't Sea Dream's aura…. She couldn't be here! The 33 Heavens already sent people to pin her down!
"If it's not Sea Dream, then who is it? Who could it be!?
"There couldn't possibly be a second Paragon in the Mountain and Sea Realm!" Indescribable astonishment gripped Lord White's heart, and before he could even consider the matter further, the huge hand began to drag him forward.
RUUMMMMBLLLLLE!
The entire void shook violently. Normally speaking, it would have taken a full day for Lord White to reach the exit of the rift at the speed he had been maintaining. But right now, it only took a few breaths of time before the huge hand dragged him… all the way out into the Eighth Mountain and Sea!
RUMBLE!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1311Chapter 1311: Crushing!
Naruto emerged from the rift before Lord White by about ten breaths of time. Although the red-haired old man, his fellows, and the other cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea off in the distance were all swept over by a wild blast of air as soon as he appeared, sending all of them tumbling backwards, they still didn't immediately detect Naruto .
"What's happening?"
"This… this…." The red-haired old man and his fellows had looks of shock on their faces as they were shoved backward. Rumbling could be heard coming from the rift itself. And then the rift… all of a sudden seemed to be on the verge of collapsing completely.
Fissures spread out in all directions, and it began to break apart, causing widespread astonishment among everyone present.
What happened next, though, virtually blew the minds of all the observing cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea. Each and every one watched with their own eyes as their own Mountain and Sea Lord, Lord White… flew out of that collapsing rift.
Before any of them could get excited, they gasped with disbelief. That was because it was very clear from their vantage point that Lord White… was not flying out of the rift on his own. Instead, he was struggling and shouting, and a look of fear and shock could be seen on his face.
From the look of it… he was actually being dragged out by some huge, invisible hand!
"This…." all of the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea looked on in utter shock.
Lord White was roaring in anger, but deep inside he was flabbergasted. Even as he struggled, his voice rang out for all to hear.
"Which Paragon is it? Paragon Sea Dream? It must be you!"
Even as Lord White blustered, a calm voice suddenly echoed out. "It's not Paragon Sea Dream. It's me!"
Ripples spread out from the collapsing rift, and Naruto appeared for all to see.
" Naruto !"
"I can't believe it's him! This… he…."
"He was only missing for a month. I can't believe he's even stronger than he was before!" The red-haired old man and his fellows gasped in shock, and Lord White's pupils constricted. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Impossible!" A tremor ran through Lord White. The huge hand that had just grabbed him had vanished, and he could now move again. Without even thinking about it, he backed up, looking at Naruto with complete disbelief.
"Lord White, we meet again," Naruto said with a slight smile, looking calmly at Lord White the entire time. "You were going too slow, and I didn't feel like waiting for you, so I decided to help you out a bit."
Although Naruto 's words were spoken with a smile, they caused Lord
White's scalp to feel as if it were about to explode. An intense sensation of deadly crisis exploded up within him, the most intense feeling he had ever experienced in his entire life, and it was caused by none other than Naruto !
Lord White still almost couldn't believe that the Naruto he had faced a month ago, who had caused him to feel fear, but not deadly crisis, was this same person. It was as if he had completely transformed. Lord White felt as if he were dreaming, as if the scene playing out in front of him was a hallucination.
"Impossible…." It almost seemed as if the word 'impossible' was the only word he could say, over and over again. It went to show how completely shocked he was, how this scene was so unimaginable that it almost couldn't happen even in a dream. How could Naruto have experienced such a terrifying increase in power?
He would never be able to forget the despair and shock he had felt at having that huge hand grab him. That was the divine sense of a Paragon, which completely exceeded his own. He had previously assumed that the original plan had gone awry, and that Paragon Sea Dream had appeared. But now that he realized the sense of crisis was caused by Naruto , he truly wished that all of this could be nothing more than an illusion. In fact, he would rather Paragon Sea Dream be the one who had arrived.
His confidence was now completely shattered, and all his preparations were now completely useless.
Even worse was the fact that the rift behind him was collapsing, causing him to gasp. Now Naruto 's plan was obvious; considering that he was cutting off the path of retreat, he obviously planned… to cut Lord White down once and for all!
That was why Naruto had entered the rift to begin with!
By destroying that rift, he made it impossible for the Lord of the Seventh
Mountain and Sea to retreat, trapping him in the Eighth Mountain and
Sea. Even if he wanted to flee, there was nowhere to flee to! The graveyard-like Eighth Mountain and Sea would become his final resting place!
Lord White began to shake, and the sensation of deadly crisis within him grew even more intense, until it felt like raging waves battering at his mind. Without even a moment of hesitation, Lord White transformed into a beam of white light that flashed toward the collapsing rift.
Although entering a collapsing rift like that gave him only a 50/50 chance of surviving, as far as he was concerned, that was better than staying put!
He could well predict that if he did not pick that 50/50 chance, then the only thing waiting for him was a 0/100 chance!
RUMBLE!
In the very moment in which Lord White fell back, Naruto snorted coldly and waved his hand. Heaven and Earth rumbled, and the starry sky trembled, as his divine sense spread out, crushing down onto Lord White.
Lord White let out a miserable shriek, and blood spattered everywhere. Then, the rift behind him collapsed completely, cutting off even that 50/50 chance he had to survive!
" Naruto , you push people too far!" Lord White's eyes were completely bloodshot as he spun around, threw his head back and roared. His hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture, causing an ancient scripture to materialize behind him.
"The Mountains have three Daos, Man-Mountain, Earth-Mountain, Heaven-Mountain!" Lord White held nothing back as he unleashed his divine ability, revealing how incredibly terrified he was at this moment.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
Three Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering mountains appeared, which crushed toward Naruto , the Man-Mountain from the front, the EarthMountain from below, and the Heaven-Mountain from above. The power of those three mountains was enough to slay celestial beings and destroy gods!
Rumbling could be heard as the three mountains smashed toward Naruto . Before he had extinguished five Soul Lamps, facing this magic had been very difficult, and he had been forced to rely on the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao to create a surrogate which had died in his stead.
Right now, though, Naruto 's eyes were shining brightly, and his expression was very calm. The wave of a finger caused the ManMountain to shudder and then collapse into pieces. Without stopping, Naruto waved his finger down, and then up.
It was as if he could buttress all creation, as if… in all Heaven and Earth, he was the most respected of all beings!
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
The Earth-Mountain shattered, and the Heaven-Mountain collapsed. The starry sky shuddered as rubble blasted out in all directions. Blood sprayed out of Lord White's mouth, and an expression of terror and madness appeared on his face.
"You're no match for me anymore." Naruto said coolly, speeding toward Lord White. As he did, the pressure of the starry sky began to weigh down, as if the power of the Mountains and Seas itself was Naruto 's aura. Everything shook, and Lord White fell back, blood spraying out of his mouth.
—–
Note from Er Gen: The past four chapters have 11,000 Chinese characters!
Note from Deathblade: This is an unusually short chapter, coming in at only about 1300 words. The reason is that the past four chapters were all posted in a single day by Er Gen in a drive for monthly vote tickets.
As you can see from the above comment, those four chapters came in at a total of 11,000 Chinese characters. Usually chapters are 3,000 Chinese characters, so he came very close to completing 4 full chapters, but fell a bit short on the last one of the day.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1312Chapter 1312 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1312: Lord White Turns Outsider!
"The Seas have three magics, the Commoner's Magic, the Minister's Magic, and the Emperor's Magic!" Lord White roared. Three natural laws descended that seemed to supercede all other natural laws, affecting all minds as they crushed down onto Naruto .
A strange light shone in Naruto 's eyes as he waved his hand, summoning the Paragon Bridge. This Paragon Bridge was different than the bridges he had summoned before; the towering will of a Paragon swirled around it as it fought back against the three Sea magics, which subsequently shattered.
Naruto 's face paled a bit, but almost immediately recovered. Then he frowned.
"It seems my biggest weakness now is this body of mine," he murmured inwardly. Although his fleshly body had experienced growth when he extinguished his Soul Lamps, that growth was not incredibly significant. His fleshly body had already almost reached its total limit, and could not really make any more progress without a complete breakthrough.
Considering how much energy he had built up in preparation for the breakthrough, once it occurred, his fleshly body would rapidly increase in power afterward.
However, before the breakthrough, all of that energy was essentially useless.
"The Dao Realm fleshly body requires… the blood of ancient Gods." He then thought back to that trial by fire in the Nine Seas God World, and the words spoken to him by the old man who had passed on the three exterminating fist techniques.
"Ancient God blood…." Then he recalled that back in the Windswept Realm, Yuwen Jian from the Seventh Mountain and Sea had told him that there were ancient Gods where he came from.
Even as these things flashed through his mind, blood was spraying out of Lord White's mouth from the backlash of his attack. His hair turned white, and his body withered. His entire aura weakened in the blink of an eye, and his Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation immediately exploded into action.
However, he was bitterly aware that he had nowhere to flee to, no path of escape. The only tiny chance he had to survive was to go all out and fight to the death.
Lord White threw his head back and laughed maniacally, performing a double-handed incantation gesture and simultaneously spitting out some blood. He did not use his Death Curse Magic, which Naruto had already overcome in their last battle. Naruto 's divine sense was now as powerful as a Paragon, so using the Death Curse Magic against him would do little good.
Gritting his teeth, Lord White waved the index fingers of both hands toward Naruto . Instantly, the sabre and the sword that were swirling around him flared with red light and black smoke, which seemed to connect up into the 33 Heavens beyond the limits of the starry sky. It was like a Devilish flame that caused the Mountain and Sea Realm to rumble, and a power of expulsion to rise up.
However, even as that power of expulsion appeared, Lord White threw his head back and roared, Suddenly, a crown-like object appeared atop his head, flickering with dazzling light that instantly caused the Mountain and Sea power to settle down.
That crown was the symbol that marked him as a Mountain and Sea Lord. With it, he was able to stifle the expulsion power of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and thus allow him to temporarily borrow power directly from the 33 Heavens!
"DIE!" he howled. The sabre and the sword hummed in unison, radiating intense killing intent as they shot toward Naruto !
Lord White knew that although the sabre and sword were powerful, they were not enough to kill Naruto . Laughing bitterly, eyes aflame with madness, he decided to go all out in one final attack. This was an attack that would end with either Naruto dead, or himself!
He raised his right hand up high, and the evil spirit totem tattoo on it seemed to come to life. Its eyes blinked open, causing an intense, vile aura to fill the starry sky.
Barely audible was the sound of roaring coming from the 33 Heavens beyond the limits of the starry sky, which pierced through the barriers to settle onto the battlefield where Naruto and Lord White were fighting!
That roar did not come from Dao Namikaze , who had appeared during their last battle!
It came from some other spirit!
Naruto 's expression flickered, and a strange light appeared in his eyes. After a moment of thought, he turned somberly to face the sabre and sword, and then reached out and made a grasping gesture. Instantly, the sabre and sword began to vibrate.
The short sabre then began to shine with dazzling light, and then suddenly dissolved into a liquid which spread out to avoid Naruto 's grasp. Then it transformed into the outline of some gigantic beast.
It was a vicious lizard, covered with innumerable spines that glittered with cold light. The lizard roared as it attacked Naruto .
As for the short sword, it also dissolved, turning into a Silver Dragon, which howled as it charged forward.
Naruto snorted coldly, looking away from Lord White to the incoming lizard and Silver Dragon. In the same moment, his divine sense exploded out, turning into a crushing power that weighed down on the starry sky.
Everything distorted as a huge rift was torn open. The gigantic lizard trembled and then let out a bloodcurdling scream as it was torn to pieces.
As for the Silver Dragon, the exact same thing happened to it. It didn't even qualify to fight back, and was instantly shredded.
The sabre was destroyed and the sword was crushed!
They were precious treasures that Lord White had prepared specifically to use against Naruto . But now, Naruto had divine sense that was eighty percent as powerful as that of a Paragon's, which caused the void to distort and the starry sky to crush down.
Naruto waved his sleeve, sweeping away the fragments of the sabre and sword, dispersing them.
In that same instant, Lord White howled, a sound that could shake Heaven and Earth. Simultaneously, the roaring coming from the 33 Heavens beyond the starry sky caused everything to shake.
The vicious spirit on the back of Lord White's hand grinned ferociously. Even as Naruto turned his attention to it, it materialized into an evil ghost, which didn't attack Naruto , but rather, turned and burrowed into Lord White's body.
Lord White spasmed, then threw his head back and roared.
ROOOAARRRR!
His body began to grow, and in the blink of an eye, he was 30 meters tall, then 300 meters. His eyes were crimson, and radiated madness. Apparently, his mental faculties were crushed in that instant, and he went completely mad.
Numerous spines grew out of the pupils of his eyes, and scales rapidly spread out over his skin, giving him a completely shocking appearance. His face twisted with pain as he beat his chest with his fists. At the same time, his spine extending, causing a huge tail to appear, which was covered with viscous bodily fluid.
Two brutish horns sprouted out of his head, and his aura exploded out to a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering degree.
That aura was definitely not the aura of the Mountain and Sea Realm, but rather the aura of the Outsiders from the 33 Heavens!
This was not the first time Naruto had seen something like this happen. Back when he had fought Marquis Lu, something similar had occurred. However, the energy Lord White was giving off now was beyond compare to what he had seen before.
And yet… there was no power of expulsion from the Mountains and Seas. That crown still glittered on his head, which apparently caused a peculiar willpower to fill the area, isolating him from the Mountain and Sea Realm, so that it couldn't even sense him!
Clearly, Lord White's status had something to do with why this was happening!
"Die, Die, DIE!" Lord White roared. Apparently, Lord White had some strange connection to the 33 Heavens, a connection that Naruto could sense. Although this caused him to frown slightly, it was not some huge shock.
After his fight with Marquis Lu, it was easy for Naruto to come to the conclusion that Lord White must have a similar magic at his disposal. Of course, the price involved was incomprehensible, so much so that Lord White wouldn't use it unless it was his only chance at survival. In fact, that heavy price was also why he had chosen to flee during their last battle.
But now, the rift was gone, and Naruto 's power left him in complete despair. He knew that today… he had a 0/100 chance of surviving unless he went completely all out!
ROOOAARRRR!
Lord White turned into a black beam that shot toward Naruto with incredible speed, piercing through the starry sky. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Naruto , stretching out his claw-like hands toward him.
RUMBLE!
His claws shredded the starry sky with destructive power. Although that explosive power did not equal the 6-Essences level, it was immeasurably close.
As the claws neared, Naruto 's eyes flickered, and his divine sense roiled out. The power of eighty percent of a Paragon's divine sense crushed down onto Lord White, instantly causing him to grind to a halt, trembling.
In that instant, Naruto 's right hand lifted up, and the copper mirror appeared, transforming instantly into the Battle Weapon. This version of the Battle Weapon was vastly sharper than before, and looked different as well. The murderous aura which surrounded it was greater, and the blade glow which flickered out shoved Lord White back thirty meters, howling.
A gaping wound appeared in his chest, but strangely, no blood flowed out from it. Roaring madly, he charged in again, whereupon Naruto snorted coldly and sent his divine sense crushing down once again.
A boom rang out as Lord White was once again halted in place by the terrifying pressure from Naruto . Try as he might to fight back, it was useless, and he was left trembling.
Naruto 's eyes flashed, and he took a step forward. The Battle Weapon slashed through the starry sky, sending out dazzling light that seemed to rend the starry sky.
Massive power slashed down onto Lord White, cutting him cleanly into two pieces. Yet again, no blood sprayed out, although he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
However, what was truly bizarre was that the two halves of his body wriggled and transformed into two versions of Lord White, which then charged madly toward Naruto from two different directions.
Naruto frowned, sending divine sense out and attacking with the Battle Weapon again. However, the only result of his slashing attack was that there were now four Lord Whites!
"Won't die and can't be killed?" Naruto 's eyes flashed coldly as he put the Battle Weapon away and then performed an incantation gesture and pointed out. Immediately, the Paragon Bridge rumbled out, emanating the power of the 6-Essences level, which completely shattered the four Lord Whites into a pulp.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
However, even as they shattered, Naruto 's frown deepened. There in front of him, the countless dust-like fragments formed back together, and this time, there weren't four Lord Whites, but rather… dozens!
"Die, Die, DIE!" All of the Lord Whites howled and charged at Naruto from all directions.
Chapter 1312: Lord White Turns Outsider!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1313Chapter 1313 (Click to show "spoiler" title)
Chapter 1313: If You Dare Kill Him, The War Starts!
Naruto looked at the multiple versions of Lord White, his eyes flickering with scintillating light.
"Can't be killed and won't die. Is that because of your life force?" Naruto suddenly waved his hand, summoning the copper mirror once again. This time, however, he didn't form it into the Battle Weapon, but instead reached his left hand deep into the mirror itself!
The copper mirror was like a black hole that completely swallowed up his hand. At the same time, the mirror trembled, as if some enormous power was stirring within. Roars and howls echoed out, the mere sound of which caused the faces of the numerous versions of Lord White to flicker. Furthermore, the area which had previously been cut off from the Mountain and Sea Realm by Lord White was now showing signs of collapsing.
"Demon Weapon Lonelytomb…" Naruto said softly, eyes shining, "the time has finally come for you to truly appear in the world!" Based on the level of his current cultivation base, he was able to sense that… he could at long last completely and fully pull out the fragment of the mirror he had acquired in the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect, as well as that which was inside of it, Demon Weapon Lonelytomb! 1
Furthermore, this was not the incomplete Demon Weapon which he had pulled out in the last fight with Lord White. This was… the complete, authentic Demon Weapon Lonelytomb!
The world inside the copper mirror was something no one on the outside could see. Deep within the mirror was an ancient battlefield, filled with so many broken corpses that they were heaped together like mountains. In the middle of all of that was a seething black mist, inside of which was a long black spear that radiated brutal madness.
It also pulsed with an intense murderous aura, which caused rumbling sounds to echo out. It was as if the number of souls killed by this spear throughout the years literally couldn't be counted….
All of a sudden, an enormous hand reached down out of the Heavens of that world, which was none other than Naruto 's hand. It pierced through the black mist and wrapped around the Demon Weapon Lonelytomb.
An intense drone of excitement exploded out of the spear, as if it could sense the fluctuations of the League of Demon Sealers. It had been waiting for far more than 10,000 years… for a cultivator from the League to come release it into the world once more!
The hand wrapped around Demon Weapon Lonelytomb and then pulled it up into the Heavens….
Out in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Naruto 's hand slowly emerged from the copper mirror, which was trembling and emanating dazzling light that spread out in all directions.
There was also a vast quantity of black mist which roiled out, filling the entire area with a towering murderous aura, as if countless discarnate souls were screaming and wailing in anguish.
Rumbling sounds could be heard as Naruto 's hand emerged, clutched within which was a long black spear. At long last, Demon Weapon Lonelytomb… had returned to the Mountain and Sea Realm!
It was nine meters long, completely pitch black, and surrounded by swirling black mist and the images of countless vengeful spirits. The murderous aura it emanated contained shocking pressure that made everything rumble. It was as if all the life in the starry sky was being sliced to pieces to be consumed by the newly-arrived Demon Weapon Lonelytomb!
Even more shocking was that after consuming that life force, the Demon Weapon's murderous aura grew even stronger. It needed more, it thirsted for more, causing Heaven and Earth to shake violently.
The dozens of versions of Lord White began to struggle violently, expressions flickering with astonishment and shock.
"An undying, unkillable life force…?" Naruto said, lips twisting into a cold smile. He took a step forward, and Demon Weapon Lonelytomb transformed into a black bolt of lightning that shot out.
It was only a spear, but when it stabbed into the forehead of one of the Lord Whites, it pierced directly through him, withering his body. In the blink of an eye, he shattered into pieces, his life force completely and utterly consumed by Demon Weapon Lonelytomb.
The Demon Weapon, which had previously been pitch black, all of a sudden had a blood-colored glint to it that even bordered on violet!
In the same moment, the rest of the versions of Lord White finally managed to shake off the Hexing magic, and began to scatter, fleeing in all directions.
"You can't escape," Naruto said coolly. He didn't pursue them, though. Instead, the bloody glow surrounding the Demon Weapon transformed into a beam of blood-colored light, which sped out into the starry sky. The starry sky trembled as the barrier erected by Lord White shattered. Instantly, the power of the Mountains and Seas could sense the presence of an Outsider, and as a result, the entire Mountain and Sea Realm began to shake violently.
Atop the Nine Mountains, the Xuanwu turtles in the nine celestial ponds threw their heads back and roared. The Mountains and Seas shook, and all of the Mountain and Sea Lords could suddenly sense the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm!
"Outsiders must be executed!" These words rumbled out into the minds of all of the Mountain and Sea Lords. On the Ninth Mountain, Ji Tian's eyes shone with a strange glow as he looked in the direction of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
On the Eighth Mountain, Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, was shaking violently. His hands were quivering, and a shocking aura was erupting up within him as his eyes slowly opened!
In the Sixth Mountain and Sea, countless cultivators were massed together into a huge army that was marching forward into a rift that connected to the Fifth Mountain and Sea. It was not just in the Eighth Mountain and Sea that a Mountain and Sea War was being fought, nor was the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea the only traitor!
There was another traitor… the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea!
War had broken out in the Fifth Mountain and Sea, and the two Lords of those respective Mountains and Seas were both bursting with power. Although they had not yet begun to fight, they were now facing off.
It was in that moment that they heard the voice of the Mountain and Sea Realm.
The entire Mountain and Sea Realm was shaking, and countless faces flickered with shock. An astonishing power was building up, converging on Naruto 's location in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, and then crushing down onto the fleeing Lord White.
That was Naruto 's entire goal. He wanted to sever the power that
Lord White was able to wield because of his status as the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, that allowed him to block the will of the Mountains and Seas. Once his Outsider aura spread out and was detected, killing him would be a very simple task.
In fact, Naruto didn't even need to attack at this point. The power of the Mountain and Sea Realm would kill Lord White for him!
Amidst rumbling sounds, Lord White let out a miserable scream as the will of the Mountains and Seas descended. However, even as he was about to be shredded out of existence, the starry sky shook as a massive pressure descended from the 33 Heavens up above.
At the same time, a huge golden net appeared, which covered the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. Beyond that net could be seen numerous land masses stacked up like a pagoda. Clearly visible on the first land mass, the one nearest to the Mountain and Sea Realm, were mountains and rivers, as well as a group of cultivators with stern, arrogant expressions on their faces.
This was the 1st Heaven of the 33 Heavens. Similar scenes could be seen playing out on the 2nd Heaven, the 3rd Heaven, and all of the other various land masses that were stacked higher up. Furthermore, it appeared as if the cultivators there had just begun to gather, and that it would most likely take many years for them to finish massing their forces together.
After all, each and every one of those Heavens was comparable in size to the Mountain and Sea Realm itself!
Beyond that huge golden net, was a figure clad in golden battle armor, floating above the 1st Heaven, staring down at the Mountain and Sea Realm. Suddenly, he cried out in a furious voice. "Mountain and Sea Realm, if you dare to kill someone from our 1st Heaven, then the war will begin early!"
That figure looked like a cultivator, except that his body was covering in scales, and a long tail stretched out behind him. Two vicious horns sprouted from his head, and his eyes were icy cold.
"Allow him to return, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened. The Mountain and Sea Realm will then have years to prepare. The war between us is coming, and it will end with the eradication of either the Mountains and Seas or our 33 Heaven!
"Do you want that war to start now, or years from now? All rests on a single sentence from you, the Mountain and Sea Realm!"
Massive rumbling accompanied the voice, which pierced into the
Mountain and Sea Realm and exploded out in the Eighth Mountain and Sea. However, the echoing voice could also be heard by all cultivators in the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.
In fact, any cultivator in the Mountain and Sea Realm who looked up would be able to see the huge net spreading out up above, and the 33 land masses beyond it!
The entire Realm was completely stunned!
Although rumors about the 33 Heavens had long since begun to spread, and many people knew about them, as of this moment, everyone was astonished to be able to hear the words spoken by the golden-armored Outsider from the 1st Heaven.
It was brazen intimidation!
He was openly threatening the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm; if it dared to slaughter Lord White, then the result would be the premature outbreak of a war of eradication!
Naruto was shaking, and brilliant light flickered within his eyes. He had never imagined that killing Lord White would provoke such a reaction from the 33 Heavens, to the extent that they were willing to wage war ahead of schedule!
Suddenly, the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm froze, and ceased in its attempt to kill Lord White. At the same time, the remaining versions of Lord White all merged back together into his original form. His face was pale, and he was trembling, but the fact that he had just escaped with his life caused his eyes to shine with incredible joy, even elation!
The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm was silent. The Xuanwu turtles on the Nine Mountains grew quiet. None of the Mountain and Sea Lords spoke. All cultivators, regardless of whether they were fighting on the battlefield or were in a location of peace and quiet, were completely shaken, and stared up in confusion at the starry sky above.
None of them were ready for such a war, and in fact, most of them hadn't even been aware that a war was coming.
And yet… the 33 Heavens, despite not being fully prepared, had already begun to gather forces. If they still needed years to prepare, then so did the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Naruto was also silent. This was a decision that had to do with the survival of the Mountain and Sea Realm itself. His first inclination was to let Lord White go, and avoid an early outbreak of war.
After all, he hadn't made adequate preparations to fight against the 33 Heavens right at this moment.
A cold snort rang out from the 33 Heavens, and a huge black hand pierced down through the golden net. It descended to the Eighth Mountain and Sea, grabbed Lord White and then slowly pulled him up.
The decision had been made. The Mountain and Sea Realm didn't dare to attack, didn't dare to start the war early. That was a war which would decide the fate of all lives in the Realm, and no one was confident enough to start it yet.
However… that was when something completely unexpected happened!
It was around chapter 619 that he acquired that mirror fragment in the
Ancient Demon Immortal Sect ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1314Chapter 1314 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1314: FIGHT!
Note from Deathblade: I rarely do this, but I'm going to suggest a soundtrack for this chapter. Click here for the music, then have fun reading!
The hand which had grabbed Lord White and was pulling him up out of the Mountain and Sea Realm suddenly became entangled by some invisible power which forced it to grind to a halt. An enraged roar then echoed out from the 33 Heavens to fill the ears of all cultivators down below.
"Mountain and Sea Realm, what are you doing?! Do you truly dare to start the war early!?"
All of the Mountains and Seas were completely shaken. Even the cultivators of the Seventh and Eighth Mountains and Seas who were locked in combat, as well as those in the Sixth and Fifth Mountains and Seas, all went quiet.
Fighting ceased, and all hearts felt enormous pressure weighing down on them. And yet, the main feeling was that of confusion.
All of a sudden, an ancient and icy voice echoed out through all of the Mountains and Seas, filling the minds and hearts of all cultivators. "All ye in the Mountain and Sea Realm… I am the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, its spirit automaton…."
Each and every cultivator in the Mountain and Sea Realm could hear the voice as clear as crystal.
"Oh so many years ago, there was no Mountain and Sea Realm in the Vast Expanse. There was only the Paragon Immortal Realm, standing tall and eternal within the flow of time. It led the 3,000 Lower Realms, and all of its cultivators were Immortals….
"But then… catastrophe struck….
"The 3,000 Lower Realms… rebelled. Other foreign powers threw the Immortals into chaos, slaughtered the Imperial Lords, and exterminated the Dao bloodlines. The Paragon Immortal Realm fell….
"Paragon Nine Seals… created the Mountain and Sea Realm, forging new lands to keep the memory of the Paragon Immortal Realm alive. That is how the Mountain and Sea Realm came to be…." The voice of the Mountain and Sea Realm echoed out, filled with a strange power that suffused the entire Realm and poured into the ears of all cultivators. Even as the Mountain and Sea Realm spoke, the cultivators saw images in their minds. Visions.
Within those visions were images of the true events from the past. They were images that seemed to spring up from the very souls of the people who saw them, drawn up by the voice which filled their minds.
Within those visions, the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm, regardless of the level of their cultivation bases, be they Qi
Condensation or Dao Realm, could clearly see the Paragon Immortal Realm of yesteryear. They saw the peace and tranquility there, and then they saw the 3,000 Lower Realms rebelling. They saw the terrifying foreign powers invading the Paragon Immortal Realm. They saw… the Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering war which resulted.
They saw countless cultivators dying miserable deaths. They saw many who, in their last moment of life, would shout that they would live for the Immortal World, and that they would die for the Immortal World. Then those cultivators chose to self-detonate and end in mutual destruction with their enemies.
The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm saw the blood of their ancestors in the visions. They witnessed the glory of the Paragon Immortal Realm, and its fall. They witnessed the countless corpses and brutal carnage that stretched out into the starry sky.
Everyone began to tremble as the voice of the Mountain and Sea Realm slowly faded into the background. What filled their minds were the images that had been hidden in their blood and in their souls, images that revealed to the trembling Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators, their true origins.
They understood. As of this moment, everyone understood!
No one doubted whether the images might be illusions. On an instinctive level, they knew that their visions were real. It was as if these images were memories, memories of their ancestors that were embedded in their souls and in their blood. From generation to generation, those memories were passed down, indelible and impossible to wipe away!
It was as if they could hear the shouts of their ancestors coming from within their own blood.
"Never forget! We are the people of the Paragon Immortal Realm!"
"Fix our former glory into your hearts!"
"Our children and grandchildren, all generations, must forever remember that our true enemies are the 33 Heavens, and those beyond the 33 Heavens!"
"They are our enemies now, and will be our enemies to time indefinite!"
A massive roaring sound exploded out into the minds of all the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm. The visions left them trembling, their eyes bloodshot, their blood and souls surging not only with the memories passed down by the ancestors but also… with their rage and madness.
What bitterness!
They saw the collapse of the Paragon Immortal Realm, they saw countless deaths, they saw the starry sky become a sea of blood, and they saw the vicious brutality of the rebels.
Death… endless death….
Eventually, the visions began to change. After seeing countless almighty experts from the Paragon Immortal Realm give up their lives for the sake of family and homeland, they saw Paragon Nine Seals create the precious treasure that was the Mountain and Sea Realm. He knew that he would die in the process, but he didn't care. To stop the war, to protect his home, he created the Mountain and Sea Realm.
He took the broken remnants of his people and placed them into the Mountain and Sea Realm. There, they multiplied and became many, and eventually life once again thrived. Gradually, a new Immortal World came to be.
However, the war was not over!
Everyone was trembling, even Naruto . He already knew about all of these matters, but he had never seen the visions. However, his eyes were bloodshot, not because the rage and hatred of his ancestors, but rather… because he did not wish, and was not willing, to allow his own people to wade through the same sea of blood he was seeing in the visions.
Eventually, the voice of the Mountain and Sea Realm once again echoed out, seemingly sighing, seemingly reminiscent, and yet filled with obsession and towering hatred!
"Most of the 3,000 Lower Realms were destroyed. In the end, only 33 remained. They sealed the Mountain and Sea Realm, and they… are the 33 Heavens which hang over all our heads.
"On this day, the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea has rebelled, as has the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea. After the passage of countless years, that most ancient of wars, is starting again….
"And it will be a war of complete extermination…."
As the voice rang out into the minds of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the visions changed once again. This time, they saw the battles which had been fought recently in the Eighth and Fifth Mountains and Seas!
They saw cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm killing each other, and they saw the rebellion of the Mountain and Sea Lords!
When the cultivators from the other Mountains and Seas saw this, their eyes were shot with blood. As for the cultivators from the Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Mountains and Seas, their minds felt as if they were being struck by lightning. All of the cultivators on the various battlefields were struck mute.
They began to shake, and their eyes filled with grief. All of them felt like screaming from the bottoms of their hearts:
Wrong! We were wrong!
There should never have been any Mountain and Sea Wars. Even if their own Mountain and Sea Lord rebelled, they would not!
They were cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and they all carried the blood of their ancestors. Their enemies were not the people of the Mountain and Sea Realm, but rather, the 33 Heavens!
One cultivator after another began to cough up blood, and many even shed bloody tears….
The cultivators from the other Mountains and Seas were filled with bitterness, and couldn't even speak. Everyone was unprecedentedly quiet. As of this moment, the visions, coupled with the somehow familiar feeling rising up in their blood, caused the hatred for the 33 Heavens which existed in their souls to become incomparably clear.
Finally, at long last, they understood everything.
"I am only a spirit automaton. The decisions about whether or not to fight, and when exactly to fight, are not mine to make. Therefore, I hereby request that all cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm tell me what you wish to do.
"Do we fight now? We are not ready, but then again, neither are our enemies. Or… do we wait? Years from now, both sides will be prepared, and then we can fight.
"All of you… tell me your wish." After the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm finished speaking, it went completely silent.
The entire Mountain and Sea Realm was quiet. Everyone stood there silently, thinking, contemplating whether or not to fight.
If they fought, they would have the advantage. If they did not fight, they could spend more time preparing.
The right to decide did not lie with the will of the Mountain and Sea
Realm, nor with the 33 Heavens. Instead, it lay with the people of the
Mountain and Sea Realm itself. The silence caused the people of the 1st Heaven up above to suddenly grow very nervous. Even the Outsider in the golden armor felt his heart pounding.
He could never possibly have imagined that forcing the Mountain and Sea Realm's hand in this way would have such a result. Based on his understanding of the people of the Mountain and Sea Realm, he had been convinced that they would choose to wait and prepare. But now… he wasn't sure.
"Dammit!" he growled, his heart racing. The 33 Heavens were in no way prepared, which was in fact, one of the main reasons why they had incited internal friction by means of the Sixth and Seventh Mountains and Seas. They wanted the Mountain and Sea Realm to be in chaos. Then, they could spend years preparing, and by the time the two mysterious forces backing them arrived to wage war, they would fight alongside them in an ultimate and final battle.
However, even as the golden-armored Outsider stood there, shaking inwardly, a voice suddenly rang out in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"Fight!"
That voice crackled like thunder, ringing out from within the Fourth Mountain and Sea to fill the starry sky. It was only one word, but it then gave rise to a chorus of responses from that same Mountain and Sea!
That voice belonged to none other than… the Lord of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Ksitigarbha!
It was one word, one completely domineering word, filled with ultimate decisiveness!
An explosion of voices filled the Fourth Mountain and Sea, joining Ksitigarbha's voice. The Fourth Mountain and Sea was going wild, and the cultivators there began to roar at the top of their lungs.
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
Next, the Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea threw his head back and roared.
"Fight!"
After that, people began to cry out in the Third Mountain and Sea and the Second Mountain and Sea. Killing intent exploded out, shaking the starry sky.
"Fight!"
Next, an ancient voice suddenly echoed out from within the First Mountain and Sea.
"Fight!"
The entire starry sky, the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, was aboil. Countless voices joined together from all parts of the Realm. As they echoed about boundlessly, they were joined by a voice from the Ninth Mountain and Sea, which belonged to none other than Ji Tian!
"Fight!"
As the Mountain and Sea Realm shook, Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, who sat atop the Eighth Mountain, fully opened his eyes. When he did, power exploded out that shook the starry sky, and caused the Heavens to tremble. Shining light like the stars emanated out from his eyes as he slowly rose to his feet. Then, his voice booming like thunder, he spoke a single word.
"FIGHT!"
Chapter 1314: FIGHT!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1315Chapter 1315 (Click to show "spoiler" title)
Chapter 1315: Lord White Falls, The Battle Commences!
"Win or lose, we'll fight!"
"Since they're not ready either…we have to strike now!"
"It's just war, isn't it?! Even though we don't know how long it will last, it'll happen eventually anyway; we might as well get on with it!"
Numerous shouting voices rose up from all parts of the Mountain and Sea Realm. As they echoed out, Naruto remained silent, and yet, his eyes flickered with an intense desire to do battle.
"Perhaps after some preparation I could focus even more of the Mountain and Sea Realm's power," he thought. "However… by that time, the two other terrifying enemies will have arrived.
"Since that's the case, why not fight now? If we can wipe out the 33 Heavens before the other two forces arrive… perhaps victory won't be an impossibility!" Naruto 's eyes glittered. Now was not the time for silent contemplation. He looked up into the starry sky at the goldenarmored hand which was still holding Lord White. He did not cry out that he wanted to fight, but instead, sent his divine sense roaring out, bursting with power equivalent to eighty percent of that of a Paragon.
If the war was starting, then Lord White could be of significant aid to Naruto 's Eternal stratum. Therefore… he could not be allowed to escape. Naruto 's divine sense rumbled toward him….
The golden-armored Outsider from the 1st Heaven had an expression of shock on his face. The reaction of all the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm caused him to subconsciously fall back, simultaneously trying to drag Lord White out of the Mountain and Sea Realm. However, it was in that same moment that Naruto 's divine sense closed in.
Naruto 's divine sense transformed into an enormous blade capable of sundering the Heavens, which then slashed viciously at the arm, moving at incredible speed.
"You're like a grain of rice fighting back against the sun and moon!" the golden-armored Outsider said with a cold snort. Dazzling golden light then began to shine off of his hand, as if he was simply going to ignore Naruto 's divine sense, and would continue to extract Lord White.
However, even as his words echoed out, Naruto 's blade of divine sense smashed into the golden light, which instantly distorted, and then began to tremble, apparently on the verge of shattering!
"That's…." the golden-armored Outsider shouted in alarmed disbelief. His eyes had gone wide and his mind was reeling.
Naruto 's divine sense blade pierced the golden light and then made contact with golden-armored Outsider's enormous arm. Cracking sounds echoed out as the golden armor shattered, revealing a long scaled arm.
The arm trembled as Naruto 's divine sense blade bit into it. The arm was apparently not even qualified to resist; in the blink of an eye, it was completely severed!
Naruto 's eyes glittered with killing intent as he stared at the severed arm and then shouted out in a thunder-like voice, "All invading Outsiders shall DIE!"
A massive roar echoed back in response from the 1st Heaven. The golden-armored Outsider's eyes went wide as the pain from his severed arm exploded out in his body. His heart began to thump as he realized that Naruto had accomplished this using only his divine sense; such a level of power left him completely terrified.
"Paragon!" shouted the golden-armored Outsider. "That's the power of a
Paragon. Y-you're… you're a Paragon!"
The other Outsider cultivators from the 1st Heaven all gasped, and their faces flickered.
Back in the Mountain and Sea Realm, the severed arm's hand slowly loosened its grip on Lord White, who turned to face Naruto with complete shock and despair on his face.
"All who betray the Mountain and Sea Realm shall DIE!" Naruto hefted Demon Weapon Lonelytomb, then blasted toward Lord White as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the spear stabbed into Lord White's forehead.
A miserable scream echoed out, and complete disbelief could be seen in Lord White's eyes. He stared blankly at Naruto for a moment before his head completely exploded, followed by his entire body!
The Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea was dead!
As Lord White died, the crown that he had worn began to fall. Cracking sounds could be heard as it then shattered into innumerable pieces. Simultaneously, Lord White's palace on the Seventh Mountain was transformed into ash, as if it had been crushed by an enormous hand!
The only thing that was left behind there in the starry sky was a solitary crown, which floated down to rest atop the Seventh Mountain. There it waited… for a new Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea to appear!
In the celestial pond atop the Seventh Mountain, the Xuanwu turtle's eyes glowed with a white light. Apparently, the connection that had sealed it to the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea was now gone.
Boundless power of the Mountains and Seas began to spread out from the crown, filling the Seventh Mountain and Sea. At the same time, all of the cultivators who had been born in the Seventh Mountain and Sea could feel that power, and also could tell that…
Now that the Lord had lost his position, everything under Heaven was up for grabs!
Meanwhile, back in the Eighth Mountain and Sea…. In the moment that Lord White died, his corpse transformed into vast quantities of Chakra and blood, some of which was then absorbed by Demon Weapon Lonelytomb. However, most of that power actually transformed into strands of white mist, which Naruto then absorbed through his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Furthermore, in the spot where Lord White had died, a green leaf appeared, which began to emanate resplendent light, as if a magical technique were forming. In that same moment, Naruto 's Eternal stratum began to operate at full power, pulling the leaf toward him. A moment later, he completely absorbed it.
Naruto 's entire body trembled, and he felt a boundless life force erupting out within him. Although his fleshly body didn't experience a breakthrough, the sudden buildup of energy left him shocked.
He had the intense premonition that, if he used God blood to achieve a fleshly body breakthrough, then the power of his fleshly body would exceed that of a Dao Lord, and step directly into the Dao Sovereign level!
In fact, he could also tell that his 6th Soul Lamp… was apparently on the verge of being extinguished!
Even as Naruto cut down Lord White, the shocking sounds of battle began to rise up in the Mountain and Sea Realm. Naruto could also sense the fluctuations of a towering power rising up from the Eighth Mountain. As of that moment, Naruto knew that his Grandpa Uzumaki… had finally awoken.
At long last, the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm once again spoke!
"Fight!" It was a single word, but the instant that it rang out, the nine Xuanwu turtles on the nine Mountains all threw their heads back and roared. Next, both the sun and moon of the Mountain and Sea Realm blazed with intense, dazzling light!
Shocking rumbling sounds echoed out as nine beams of light shot up from the Nine Mountains, then slammed into the golden net up above. The net instantly began to shake, and then… started to collapse!
As the net collapsed, the 1st Heaven of the 33 Heavens, regardless of whether or not it wished to… began to descend!
Now, what could be seen beyond the starry sky was not a boundless expanse, but rather, an enormous land mass.
The 33 Heavens shook as countless streams of powerful divine sense exploded out. Shocking ripples also emanated out from the 1st heaven as a cold, ancient voice rang out.
"War! Since the Mountain and Sea Realm desires this war to come early, well then… we shall fight!" As the voice echoed out, countless roaring sounds rose up from within the 1st Heaven. Next, figures could be seen emerging from the 2nd Heaven, the 3rd Heaven, from all of the 33 Heavens; more people wished to join in the battle!
However, even as that happened, the sun and moon of the Mountain and
Sea Realm sent two beams of radiant light shooting up into the 33 Heavens, toward the spot where the 1st Heaven and the 2nd Heaven connected!
RUMBLE!
The two beams of light instantly pierced through that connection, apparently cutting the 1st Heaven off from the other 33 Heavens. Immediately afterwards, another huge net appeared, completely enveloping the 1st Heaven and separating it!
The other figures descended from beyond the 1st Heaven were temporarily halted in place. Enraged roars could be heard, and the 33 Heavens began to shake as the voices of countless cultivators echoed out. Back in the 1st Heaven, all of the Outsiders maintained their silence. However, it didn't take very long before they began to fly off of the land mass and charge toward the Mountain and Sea Realm!
The war… was really beginning!
The battlefield was not one location within the Mountain and Sea Realm, but rather… the entire Realm!
The Outsider cultivators from the boundless 1st Heaven scattered out in various directions. These Outsiders from the 1st Heaven were vicious in appearance, and looked nothing like ordinary cultivators. They looked more like beasts, beasts which radiated shocking murderous intent.
At the same time, all of the lands in the Mountain and Sea Realm were springing into action. Soon, the fighting had already broken out in full force.
The Seventh Mountain and Sea was almost instantly transformed into a sea of flames. Few cultivators had been left behind there, ensuring that the Outsiders from the 1st Heaven met little resistance. Instead, most of them focused on fortifying the area to serve as their base.
Clearly, the 1st Heaven had been preparing for this invasion for years! A similar scene was also playing out in the Sixth Mountain and Sea!
The fighting immediately intensified. However, there had already been wars playing out in both the Eighth and Fifth Mountains. Although the forces present in those wars had sustained casualties, each front currently contained the combined power of two Mountains and Seas. Furthermore, because of what Naruto had done in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, the fighting there had not been as intense, and thus the armies there were still relatively intact.
Now that the true war was beginning, all of the cultivators there fought back enthusiastically, and the booming sounds of battle echoed out.
As for the other Mountains and Seas, there had been no fighting going on. The only thing they lacked was time to organize themselves. However, the Outsiders from the 1st Heaven were equally unprepared, so chaotic fighting immediately broke out.
In the First Mountain and Sea, the Echelon cultivator Dao-Heaven took the lead in the fighting, and as for all the other sects and clans there, they had no other choice than to join in.
It was the same in the Second Mountain and Sea and the Third Mountain and Sea. The only exception… was the Fourth Mountain and Sea!
Chapter 1315: Lord White Falls, The Battle Commences!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1316Chapter 1316: Outsider Paragon!
The Fourth Mountain and Sea had been preparing for a very, very long time. Perhaps it would even be appropriate to say that they were always in a state of preparation. Almost as soon as the Outsiders arrived, the starry sky of the Fourth Mountain and Sea began to rumble. Numerous buildings appeared, which seemed to be Yama King palaces from the underworld. In addition, a boiling Yellow Springs appeared, sweeping across the Heavens.
Before the Outsiders could even start fighting, miserable screams rang out as heavy casualties were inflicted. They couldn't even set foot into the Fourth Mountain and Sea!
Countless enraged cultivators charged out from the Fourth Mountain and
Sea, roaring in rage. "DIE!"
Most unusual of all, however, was not the Fourth Mountain and Sea, but rather… the Ninth Mountain and Sea!
Almost in the same instant that the Outsiders arrived there, a beam of dazzling light shot out from some unknown region, sweeping out to cover that entire Mountain and Sea. It completely passed over the cultivators, but as for the Outsiders, they were instantly shredded to pieces.
The war between the Mountain and Sea Realm and the 33 Heavens had now fully erupted!
At the same time, the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm spread out to cover the whole Realm, crushing down onto the Outsiders. They roared as cracking sounds emanated out. In that moment, their fleshly bodies, their cultivation bases, everything about them was suppressed. Almost instantly, their battle prowess was reduced to sixty percent!
That was one terrifying aspect of the Mountain and Sea Realm. It wasn't just a place for the Immortal World to gradually recover. After all, it had been created during a time of war, and therefore, everything about it… was designed to be used in warfare!
"Mountain and Sea Realm!" An enraged roar could be heard coming from the 1st Heaven as an emaciated figure appeared, whose every step caused the Mountain and Sea Realm shake.
The aura of a Paragon emanated out from his body, spreading out in all directions to shake everything!
Apparently, the pressure coming from the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm had little effect on this figure. When he first appeared, he was very skinny, but as he neared, he grew larger. In the blink of an eye, he was 300 meters long, then 3,000 meters, and soon… he was fully 30,000 meters tall!
He bore the appearance of some fiendish beast, covered with scales, with a long tail stretching out behind it. He even had a horn sticking out of his head, which radiated a spectacular energy.
Furthermore, black flames flickered around him, and his eyes were bright red. Everywhere he looked, the starry sky twisted and distorted. With a single glance he surveyed all the living beings beneath him, and with the exception of the one entity he actually feared in the Mountain and Sea Realm, his gaze only momentarily lingered on two others!
One of those entities was in the Fourth Mountain and Sea, while the
other was in the Eighth Mountain and Sea!
One was Ksitigarbha, and the other… was Naruto !
The reason he took Ksitigarbha so seriously was because of how his energy surged so mightily there within the Fourth Mountain and Sea. His glory bordered on that of a Paragon, and was enough to shake the highest Heavens, to spread shock throughout the Mountains and Seas!
The reason he took Naruto seriously was because of how he had just slaughtered Lord White. After all, Lord White… was an Outsider from the 1st Heaven, one of this beast's people!
"Trifling Mountain and Sea Realm!" said the enormous 30,000-meter creature. "The forces of the 1st Heaven, where my people reside, are enough to wipe you all out by themselves!
"The time has come, my generals. Imperial Lord Mandilo, Exalted Devils, the time has come… for a sacrifice of blood!
"Sacrifice the blood of the Immortals of the Mountain and Sea Realm to the Heavens, and offer up their ghosts. Take all life in this place… and transform it into ash!" His voice echoed out to fill the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.
In response to his words, countless Outsiders flooded out from the 1st Heaven behind him, radiating killing intent as they spread out into the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Whether it was in terms of cultivation base or ability to slaughter, this second wave of Outsiders far exceeded the first. They were clearly the elite and most powerful fighters.
Booms rang out in all directions, shaking the Mountains and Seas as even more fierce fighting erupted!
Furthermore, there were three figures which slowly emerged, three Outsiders. It was impossible to tell if they were male or female, as they were completely covered in scales. Their eyes glowed red as if with fire, and the leader among the three was fully 3,000 meters tall, and surrounded by flames, as well as shocking fluctuations, fluctuations that could be second only to that of a Paragon.
He was… an Imperial Lord!
A Quasi-Paragon!
Behind the Quasi-Paragon were two other Outsiders, also with glowing red eyes and cruel grins. Their cultivation bases also shook Heaven and Earth; they were clearly equipped with the power of six Essences!
One of them wore golden armor, except that the armor on one of its arms was completely destroyed. This was the Outsider who had attempted to take Lord White away. As soon as he appeared, his eyes locked onto Naruto in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, and they flickered with killing intent.
These two were not Paragons, nor were they Imperial Lords. However, with six Essences, they stood at the pinnacle of power, and any one of them could unleash a complete catastrophe onto any battlefield.
The 1st Heaven of the 33 Heavens was the first land which sealed the Mountain and Sea Realm. For tens upon tens of thousands of years, it had served as the first barrier that prevented cultivators from the Mountain and Sea Realm from escaping, and therefore, it was no surprise that it housed powerful beings like this!
The hearts of tens upon tens of thousands of cultivators in the Nine Mountains and Seas were completely shaken. Everyone looked up into the starry sky to see the Paragon up above in the 1st Heaven.
His aura was terrifying to an indescribable level as it spread out through the Mountain and Sea Realm!
His energy could shake Heaven and Earth, as if a single thought on his part could eradicate any living creature he laid eyes upon.
Such powerful divine sense caused even Dao Realm experts to tremble as if… they were facing something completely without equal.
"Paragon…."
"That's… the power of a Paragon…."
"The 33 Heavens…. Just how many Paragons do they have…?"
Even the Mountain and Sea Lords were shaken. Despite the blessing of power from the Mountains and Seas, everyone was still so shocked that they almost lost their will to fight.
The 30,000-meter long Outsider Paragon suddenly extended his right hand and then shoved it out toward the Mountain and Sea Realm. Instantly, the starry sky filled with rumbling sounds, and began to peel and shatter.
Paragon power erupted out, surging toward the Fourth and Eighth Mountains!
Shockingly, he was first sending out his divine sense to try to eradicate his two greatest threats!
"Remember that thou hast been exterminated by Eegoo. That is my true name, which endures unchanging no matter how many tens of thousands of years has passed!" As the Outsider Paragon's hand descended, Heaven and Earth shook violently.
The Mountain and Sea Realm trembled, and its cultivators could sense a shocking pressure emanating down from the starry sky, a pressure which easily shoved aside the power of the Mountains and Seas, and then shot directly toward Naruto .
Contained within that pressure was a will of extermination that clearly intended to shred him into pieces, to destroy him in body and spirit.
Naruto 's pupils constricted as an intense sensation of deadly crisis welled up within him. That sensation of crisis sent his cultivation base aflame, and he knew that if he could not ward off this Paragon's attack, then he… would be killed beyond the shadow of a doubt!
Thankfully, Paragon Eegoo's power was not focused completely on attacking Naruto . Instead, it was split into two parts, one of which was focused on destroying Naruto , the other of which… was speeding down toward the Fourth Mountain and Sea, toward a spot deep within the countless Yama King palaces, toward a patch of pitch-black dirt in the underworld, where an enormous 3,000-meter tall statue sat there cross-legged.
That statue… was none other than the Lord of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Ksitigarbha!
He was the most powerful of the Mountain and Sea Lords, and also… the most powerful person in the Mountain and Sea Realm under the level of Paragon!
Innumerable souls perpetually flew around the statue. After all, the
Fourth Mountain controlled the underworld of the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, and therefore, the Lord of the Fourth Mountain and Sea was also the Mountain and Sea Realm's Lord of the Underworld!
Even as the crushing power of the Outsider Paragon closed in, the statue's seemingly eternally closed eyes suddenly snapped open. Cracking sounds could be heard, and fissures spread out all over the surface of the statue as it slowly raised its right hand, then viciously jabbed out with its finger.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
Massive rumbling sounds echoed out as Ksitigarbha's body collapsed layer by layer. As it shattered and dissipated, the pressure from the Outsider Paragon suddenly lurched to a halt, incapable of proceeding.
The statue dissipated, and Ksitigarbha's true form was revealed. He was an ancient old man, tall and clad in a long yellow robe. As he stood there, a shocking energy pulsed out of him, and he raised his right hand to perform an incantation gesture. Instantly, the Fourth Mountain and Sea began to tremble, and the sound of chanting scriptures began to emanate out from the Yellow Springs up above in the starry sky, and the countless Yama King palaces. Simultaneously, Joss Flame power began to converge upon Ksitigarbha.
A boom echoed out as the Outsider Paragon's pressure was crushed by Ksitigarbha's finger jab. At the same time, Ksitigarbha's face paled a bit, although it quickly recovered. Then, his eyes began to shine with a strange light as he suddenly looked up, and then raised his right hand into the air.
"To be struck, but not strike back?" he said coolly. "That is not the Dao of Ksitigarbha." His voice thrummed with a strange cadence, and as the words left his mouth, he pushed his hand up into the air. Immediately, the Yama King palaces and the Yellow Springs, coupled with the boundless Joss Flame power, rumbled up, transforming into an enormous hand which shot up into the starry sky toward the Outsider Paragon, as if to grab him!
It didn't matter that he had a powerful cultivation base, or that he was a Paragon. Since he struck out at Ksitigarbha, how could Ksitigarbha not strike back? He would answer with his own attack, for the time had come to draw swords!
"Hmm?" The Outsider Paragon's eyes widened as he looked down at the Fourth Mountain. "He himself wields the power of a Dao Sovereign… but by converging tens of thousands of years of Joss Flame, he can actually unleash… the might of an Imperial Lord…."
Even as the Outsider Paragon was reeling in shock, back in the Eighth
Mountain and Sea, the Paragon's might was still bearing down on Naruto . Eyes shining brightly, Naruto raised both hands wide into the air, summoning the Paragon Bridge. His divine sense also exploded out with eighty percent of the power of a Paragon. Heaven-shaking, Earthshattering power slammed into the Paragon's pressure, fighting back against it.
When they slammed into each other, a massive boom rang out like a clap of thunder. The starry sky trembled, even darkening because of the blinding light of the Paragon Bridge. At the same time, numerous figures could be seen walking across the bridge, from whom terrifying auras could be sensed!
The Outsider Paragon was completely and utterly shocked.
He had to admit that he had underestimated the Mountain and Sea Realm. He had originally anticipated being able to eradicate both opponents at the same time, only to find that one was more shocking than the other!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1317Chapter 1317: Killing Intent of a Paragon!
The sudden appearance of the Paragon Bridge completely shocked the Outsider Paragon; in fact, he recognized it! Back when the great catastrophe occurred, he had not been at the Paragon level, and thus did not play a large role in what happened. However, he had seen this very bridge before, when it was crushed by an attack by the all-powerful Nine Seals and his Mountain and Sea Realm.
Even thinking about that bitter war left him trembling. Although Nine Seals had long since been destroyed in body and spirit, when this Outsider Paragon thought about him, he was left shaken.
He didn't understand it back in those days, but later came to the realization that if Nine Seals had felt like abandoning the Paragon Immortal Realm, no one could have prevented him from leaving.
In fact, the two terrifying forces who fought in the war years ago would not have been capable of such a feat, not without unleashing their Ancestral Souls. However, the price to be paid for such an act was so high that even those two powers would be hard-pressed to bear the costs. 1
It was with mixed feelings that Eegoo looked at the Paragon Bridge, and the figures on it. Those figures were shocking, but what was even more astonishing to him was the power of Naruto 's divine sense.
However… even the fact that Naruto 's divine sense was eighty percent as powerful as his own didn't cause his mind to reel.
What did that, what caused him to begin trembling, what caused his eyes to suddenly widen… was that he had just sensed something within Naruto 's divine sense…. He had sensed… familiar fluctuations!
Those fluctuations left his heart pounding and his mind spinning!
"Nine Seals…. Those are the fluctuations of Nine Seals. This man… is Nine Seals' successor!" Eegoo felt as if infinite lightning bolts were slamming into his mind. He raised his hand, sending Paragon power to blast away the gigantic hand summoned by Ksitigarbha. Then, killing intent flickered within his eyes as he turned his attention to the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
There was no way that he… would permit another Paragon Nine Seals to appear!
9-Essences Paragons like that were vastly removed from his own level as a 7-Essences Paragon. Although both were called Paragons, the difference between them… was even more dramatic than the difference between 4-Essences Dao Sovereigns and 6-Essences Dao Sovereigns!
"This kid must die! If I don't kill him, then the possibility exists that he will become the second Nine Seals. He could… potentially exterminate all of the 33 Heavens!" The Outsider Paragon's mind was spinning as he extended his hand and made a vicious pinching gesture toward the Eighth Mountain and Sea. The power of his cultivation base exploded out, the full might of his Paragon power!
The Eighth Mountain and Sea trembled, and all the cultivators there, including the Outsiders, began to bleed from their eyes, ears, noses and mouths, as they felt intense pressure weighing down on them.
Apparently, this Outsider Paragon was even willing to sacrifice the lives of his own people in order to wipe out Naruto . He was attempting to crush the starry sky of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, and all living things therein!
However, it was at this point that a beam of white light shot out from within the Ninth Mountain and Sea. It split the starry sky like a white waterfall as it rose up, whistling through the air toward the 30,000meter-tall Outsider. When it reached his hand, it exploded, instantly sending the Outsider Paragon's hand rebounding backward!
"I've been waiting for you!" The voice belonged to that of a woman, and it was as cold as ice. It was none other than… Paragon Sea Dream!
Outsider Paragon Eegoo looked up, and his eyes swirled with killing intent. "Sea Dream! You've managed to stay alive by means of a secret magic all these years, but your Essences have been destroyed. Your cultivation base is like nothing compared to back then. If you force yourself to fight, it will only hasten your death. If you had avoided resisting us, then I would have let you be. After all, the destruction of the Mountain and Sea Realm has nothing to do with you. And yet, you still dare attack me?!"
Paragon Sea Dream appeared off in the distance, slowly striding forward. Her voice cold, she said, "Back when I achieved my Dao, you were nothing more than an ant.
"Later, when I was a Dao Sovereign, I encountered you, dying, whereupon you dropped to your knees and pleaded with me to prevent you from getting sucked into the cycle of reincarnation.
"After I became a Paragon, you didn't hesitate to run your clan into the ground, all so that you could acquire a Celestial Emperor Flower. Why? To fawn on me in the hopes that I would give you the magic you needed to break through to the Dao Lord level.
"And now you, a member of the Drakewyrm Tribe, dare to bare your Namikaze s in front of me?"
The Outsider Paragon's face flickered in response to Sea Dream's coolly spoken words. Every sentence that came out of her mouth seemed to dredge up bad memories in the Outsider, causing the killing intent in his eyes to intensify.
"If you want to die," Eegoo said, "then I'll fulfill your desire!" The
Outsider Paragon knew that, thanks to Sea Dream's interference, killing Naruto was now an impossibility. Furthermore, despite the words of contempt he had spoken toward Sea Dream, he still feared her.
After all, when he was still just a child, Paragon Sea Dream had been one of the Paragons of the Paragon Immortal Realm. She had an incredible standing, and could unleash shocking magical abilities so far above his own as to be utterly incomparable.
Rumbling could be heard as the Outsider Paragon attacked, and he and Paragon Sea Dream began fighting in the starry sky far up above the Mountain and Sea Realm!
Their battle caused the entire world to tremble, the Heavens to flash with colors, and the starry sky to grow dim.
In almost that same moment, the Outsider Imperial Lord's eyes flickered away from Naruto and focused onto the Fourth Mountain. Snorting coldly, he transformed into a beam of light that shot in that same direction!
His target was Ksitigarbha, who was able to wield the power of an Imperial Lord!
As he neared, Ksitigarbha looked up, and the boundless Joss Flame power transformed into a huge vortex, which shot toward the Outsider Imperial Lord, instantly enveloping him.
Shocking booms rang out as the two of them began to fight!
As for the remaining Outsider Dao Sovereigns, their eyes flickered with brutal gleams.
One of them, the one in the golden armor, slowly said, "This kid from the
Eighth Mountain and Sea is mine!"
The other one laughed, then closed his eyes, whereupon his body twisted and distorted, becoming five separate streams of green smoke that shot in five different directions through the void.
The destinations of those streams of smoke: the First, Second, Third, Eighth and Ninth Mountains!
Their targets were not ordinary cultivators, but rather… the Mountain and Sea Lords of those very mountains!
Shockingly, he was using his own power to simultaneously fight against five Mountain and Sea Lords!
Rumbling sounds echoed out from those five mountains as powerful magical techniques suddenly exploded into being.
The golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign was the one who had already clashed with Naruto , just moments ago. He licked his lips, and killing intent swirled in his eyes as they locked onto Naruto 's position within the Eighth Mountain and Sea. He wasn't sure why his own exalted Paragon leader specifically wanted Naruto dead, but he didn't care. Considering that his cultivation base was at the Dao Sovereign level, cutting down someone at the 5-Essences level, even if they were at the peak, would not be very difficult.
The thing he cared about the most was that Naruto had killed his Junior Tribesman Lord White, someone who had made heroic contributions to the 1st Heaven!
Because of all Lord White's services, the tribe had already arranged for his bloodline to be awakened upon his return, which would enable him to rise to the level of a true Dao Sovereign. They had even made preparations to appoint him as a tribe Elder.
But before that could happen, he had been cut down right in front of the golden-armored Outsider.
This Outsider wanted nothing more than to kill Naruto , and that desire was growing stronger. The only thing he needed to be mindful of was Naruto 's terrifying divine sense, but by this time, he had already taken precautions against it.
Grinning, he strode forward, then slashed out at the starry sky, which shattered apart as he bore down on the Eighth Mountain and Sea, bursting with killing intent.
"So, how do you want to die, kid? I'll let you decide."
Sinister laughter rang out as the Outsider Dao Sovereign picked up speed. From a distance, he looked like a golden shooting star, piercing through the starry sky in Naruto 's direction.
A strange light appeared in Naruto 's eyes; his blood was already pumping. His cultivation base erupted as he strode forward. One step. Two steps. Three steps…. In the blink of an eye, the Outsider Dao Sovereign was upon him, but by that time, he had already taken seven steps.
When the seventh step landed, his energy spiked, increasing exponentially. At the same time, his divine sense shot out, and the Paragon Bridge rumbled down. Then, Demon Weapon Lonelytomb suddenly appeared in his right hand!
The power of Naruto 's fleshly body converged on the spear, along with energy from his cultivation base and magical techniques. That rumbling power seemed to freeze the starry sky, and the killing intent became completely focused.
"Not bad…." the Outsider Dao Sovereign said, pupils constricting. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and roared, sending out monstrous sound waves. Astonishingly, the image of a giant appeared behind the Outsider Dao Sovereign. The power of six Essences also erupted out, forming a tempest. At the same time, a statue appeared in his hands.
That statue depicted a lizard, and as soon as it appeared, a strange aura erupted out which began to suppress Naruto 's divine sense!
It took only a moment for his divine sense to drop from eighty percent of the power of a Paragon, to half of that!
Then, the windstorm began to fight back against the power of Naruto 's spear.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
Massive sounds tore at the starry sky. After extinguishing five Soul Lamps, Naruto could unleash incredible power that was only a hair away from the 6-Essences level. However, when facing a true 6Essences cultivator, that simply wasn't enough!
As his divine sense was suppressed, the feeling of deadly crisis in his heart grew more intense.
The Paragon Bridge collapsed, and Demon Weapon Lonelytomb recoiled backward. Blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth as the backlash hit his cultivation base, scattering it. His fleshly body was slashed viciously, sending blood and gore flying about.
The Essence tempest surrounding the Outsider Dao Sovereign weakened a bit. Although he had been capable of suppressing Naruto 's attack just now, he had been forced to go all out to do so. That was especially because of the bizarre Demon Weapon Lonelytomb, which caused him to frown.
He took a step forward, flickering to appear in front of the seriously wounded Naruto . Eyes glittering with a cruel light, he didn't attempt to kill him, but instead opened his mouth wide and lunged toward Naruto 's head.
"I'll eat you and absorb your power!" Bizarre light shone in the eyes of the golden-armored Outsider. However, in the same moment that his jaws were about to latch onto Naruto , Naruto 's eyes suddenly flickered. Although his injuries had seemed severe, the combination of the Eternal stratum and the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation transformed into something like an undying, unkillable secret magic! He recovered almost instantly!
Then, he clenched his hand into a fist and began to punch the Outsider Dao Sovereign!
Life-Extermination Fist!
Bedevilment Fist!
God-Slaying Fist!
BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
Those three fist strikes slammed into the Outsider Dao Sovereign, who had never expected that Naruto would have a secret magic that would enable him to recover so quickly. His eyes went wide, but he was too slow to avoid Naruto 's successive blows.
Blood sprayed out of his mouth as he was sent tumbling back. Enraged, he was just about to counterattack, but unfortunately, he was not familiar with Naruto 's fighting style. Once Naruto won the initiative… he never let go!
The Ancestral Soul is something that comes up in both Beseech the Devil and Renegade Immortal, mostly toward the latter parts of both stories ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1318Chapter 1318: Battling a Dao Sovereign!
It didn't matter who Naruto was fighting, once he seized the initiative, that opponent would definitely have to pay a heavy price.
It was the same with Lord White, and with all of the people Naruto had fought before.
People who knew a bit about him would be aware of this, and would do everything they could to avoid losing the initiative… not even once!
Even in the moment that the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign's rage flared, and he prepared to counterattack, Naruto 's eyes gleamed brightly, and he waved his finger, unleashing the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!
Although using this Hexing magic on someone with a cultivation base far higher than his own would lead to a powerful backlash, Naruto ignored the blood that oozed out of the corners of his mouth and unleashed it anyway. Immediately, the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign lurched to a halt in midair, face flickering!
Then, Naruto 's energy ignited, and the copper mirror flickered out, transforming into the Battle Weapon, which Naruto slashed down viciously!
As the rumbling sounds echoed out, the Outsider Dao Sovereign felt a sensation of intense crisis explode up inside of him. He could sense that even though he was a Dao Sovereign, he was still only an inch away from death.
He had been prepared for Naruto 's divine sense, and had quickly suppressed it. However, he had never imagined that Naruto 's proficiencies would include things other than divine sense!
The current attack which was being leveled against him seemed as shocking as a lightning bolt from the Heavens.
"Dammit!" howled the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign. Ignoring whatever injuries might result, ignoring the pain of the organs inside his body being crushed and his Chakra passageways shattering, he burst out with power to lunge backward by three meters!
The glittering glow of a blade then passed right by him!
Meanwhile, on top of the Eighth Mountain, another shocking battle was beginning. An illusory figure shot past the celestial pond, and as it did, it glanced down at the Xuanwu turtle, grinned coldly, and waved a hand. Instantly, the Xuanwu turtle's howls shook the entire Eighth Mountain.
The figure's pupils constricted slightly, but it shot past the celestial pond nonetheless, heading directly toward the temple beyond. As it neared, it approached the door and prepared to barge in. And yet, almost immediately, it fell back.
In that moment, the door exploded into pieces that spiralled out like countless sharp blades, transforming into an explosive rain that surged toward the illusory figure.
Then, a tall man emerged from within the shattered remnants of the temple door. He wore a breathtaking suit of armor, and as soon as he emerged, he unleashed a fist strike that could shake Heaven and Earth. The void in the area suddenly solidified, forcing that illusory figure to actually appear in person. It was none other than the Outsider Dao Sovereign who had split himself into five incarnations.
The person who had forced him to appear was, of course, none other than Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea!
"So, it turns out you really were telling the truth, Senior Outsider," murmured Grandpa Uzumaki, clearly speaking only to himself. "I awoke from slumber on the very day my grandson rose to prominence, the same day… that the starry sky shattered and the 1st Heaven descended.
"It looks like he planned this entire situation all along…. Or perhaps the Namikaze and Uzumaki Clans are just one piece of the bigger picture…" When he looked up at the Outsider, his eyes flickered with killing intent, and he began to run forward.
"What armor is that?!" the Outsider said, face falling. "Dammit… that armor… what is it with that armor?!" He once again backed up in retreat, but he wasn't as fast as Grandpa Uzumaki. The Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea shot forward and unleashed a punch!
A boom rang out as the Outsider tumbled away like a kite with its string cut, blood spraying out of his mouth. He flew back for 5,000 kilometers before finally grinding to a halt, his face flickering with shock as Grandpa Uzumaki once again appeared directly in front of him.
"Dammit, you think I'm afraid of you or something?!" the Outsider Dao
Sovereign growled through clenched teeth. Suddenly, he began to grow. In the blink of an eye, he was 300 meters tall, with a long tail that shattered the starry sky as it whipped toward the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
Similar battles began to play out on the First, Second, Third, and Ninth Mountains. Compared to the battles being fought on the first three of those mountains, the one on the Ninth Mountain was especially strange.
The Outsider's clone was simply hovering above the mountain, not moving. In front of him floated a huge eye, and the two of them were staring at each other as they fought a battle of divine will!
Furthermore… it appeared as if the Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, Ji Tian was actually… attempting to possess the Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone!
At the same time, countless battles had broken out within the Nine Mountains and Seas. The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were fighting back savagely against the Outsiders. Virtually all of the Dao Realm fighters had appeared, and massive booms filled the entire
Mountain and Sea Realm. Almost the entire Realm was a battlefield now!
The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm continued to bolster the people with power, simultaneously maintaining the barrier that separated the other 32 Heavens from the 1st Heaven. The 1st Heaven was now trapped, unable to receive any aid from the other Outsiders.
It was also continuing to maintain the pressure that pervaded the Mountain and Sea Realm, ensuring that any Outsider below a six Essences Dao Sovereign was significantly weakened!
The battle raged, causing both roars and screams to echo out into the vast expanse.
Back in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Naruto 's Battle Weapon glittered like the sun and moon as it slashed toward the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign.
Blood sprayed out of the Outsider's mouth as the armor covering his chest shattered, and a huge wound appeared. A will of extermination poured into him, provoking an enraged roar. However, fear welled up in his heart; if he hadn't paid an extreme price to avoid the attack just now, thus losing the initiative, he would definitely have been killed.
Naruto frowned, then waved his hand, causing numerous mountains to appear. A rift was torn open in the void, and the Blood Demon emerged, roaring, and the Essence of Divine Flame converged and shot toward the Outsider.
However, all of those things were distractions. The true killing blow was coming from Naruto 's left hand, from which exploded the power of the Mountains and Seas!
He was the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and at this moment a sliver of the power of the Mountains and Seas descended towards him, then transformed into a huge hand which grabbed out toward the Outsider Dao Sovereign.
Naruto then transformed into a beam of light, hefting the Battle Weapon and then unleashing another attack. All of this conformed with Naruto 's style of fighting… always attack!
As the hand formed from the power of the Mountains and Seas descended upon the Outsider Dao Sovereign, his eyes widened. Suddenly, all of the scales on his body rose up, and he let out a howl. The scales then shattered, transforming into a windstorm of 6-Essences energy which exploded toward the power of the Mountains and Seas.
Booming sounds rang out as the Mountain Consuming Incantation, the
Blood Demon, and the Essence of Divine Flame all shot forward. Naruto 's eyes flickered with killing intent as he then waved his left finger.
The Seventh Demon Sealing Hex!
Instantly, Karma Threads appeared atop the golden-armored Outsider's head. They rapidly formed together into a sealing mark, which then crushed down onto him. At this point, Naruto performed another incantation gesture, unleashing the Sixth Demon Sealing Hex.
The Sixth Hex was the Life-Death Hexing, which caused a gray magical symbol to appear on the Outsider's forehead. Then the magical symbol exploded, sending blood spraying out of his forehead. At the same time, however, a gleam of ridicule appeared in the Outsider's eyes.
That look caused Naruto 's heart to flicker with fear. Simultaneously, the Outsider Dao Sovereign spoke two words in a sinister voice!
"Self Essence!" Almost immediately, the six streams of Essence power within the tempest merged together into one. A black sea of flames then rumbled out in all directions.
The tiny bit of power from the Mountain and Sea Realm faded away within the black sea of flames. The mountains melted, and the image of the Blood Demon dissipated. Then, the black flames took shape into an enormous creature, something like a lizard, which howled as it charged toward Naruto .
It was a moment of critical danger. Roaring, Naruto viciously attacked the flame lizard with his Battle Weapon. Naruto was like a bug compared to his gigantic opponent. However, his powerful Battle Weapon instantly slashed down onto its head, slicing it open!
A shriek rang out. However, this black flame lizard was formed from the Essence of Self, and was so powerful that it was only seriously injured and not killed.
The black flame lizard roared, ignoring the intense pain it was feeling as it attempted to consume Naruto .
Naruto 's eyes flickered, and the Battle Weapon vanished. In its place appeared Demon Weapon Lonelytomb, which he violently hurled out. Demon Weapon Lonelytomb transformed into a beam of Demonic light which pierced directly into the black flame lizard.
The lizard shuddered, staring at Naruto for a moment before it suddenly exploded. However, that explosion caused a mountain of black flames to charge toward Naruto like 10,000 horses, instantly inundating him.
Even as the flames enveloped him, Naruto 's eyes flashed from the sensation of intense deadly crisis. In that moment, the Lightning Cauldron suddenly flickered into being above his head. Electricity danced, and he suddenly switched places with a 5-Essences Outsider not too far off in the distance.
That 5-Essences Outsider appeared exactly where Naruto had been, and didn't have time to react before the black sea of flames consumed it. A bloodcurdling scream lingered in the air as it was completely destroyed.
At the same time, the Outsider Dao Sovereign coughed up a mouthful of blood as Naruto 's Seventh and Sixth Hexes inflicted more damage.
"Dammit!" he roared in extreme frustration. He was clearly far more powerful than Naruto , and yet after losing the initiative, he had suffered setback after setback.
Even as he roared, he flickered into motion. The black sea of flames recoiled into itself, once again turning into a lizard, although it was much weaker than last time.
The black flame lizard threw its head back and roared, then eyed Naruto with a deadly gaze as it charged forward in attack.
Naruto sighed inwardly, knowing that he had lost the initiative.
Without the slightest hesitation, he shot backward, unwilling to tangle any further with this Outsider Dao Sovereign. Based on the current level of his cultivation base, turning an extended battle into a victory would be very difficult.
Even though his Hexing magic could suppress his opponent temporarily, now that he would be expecting it, the Hexing magic wouldn't be of much use. The best way to use the Hexing magic was in a surprise attack; furthermore, the backlash for using it against someone so powerful was something he could only endure one or two times. More than that would leave him seriously injured.
As he retreated, the Outsider Dao Sovereign threw his head back and let out an enraged roar as he gave chase. He wanted to kill Naruto more than he ever had before. Furthermore, the humiliation he felt from having nearly died just now ensured that he would not underestimate Naruto .
Quite the opposite, in fact. He was now more vigilant than before. By now, magical items were swirling around him which would prevent Naruto from using the Eighth Hex on him.
"Think you can just leave?" the Outsider Dao Sovereign roared, eyes gleaming with killing intent. As one of the two Dao Sovereigns of the 1st Heaven, he had an incredibly high position. If he couldn't kill Naruto , it would be a complete and utter embarrassment!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1319Chapter 1319: The Reserves of the Mountains and Seas
The battle between the 1st Heaven and the Mountain and Sea Realm was now fully underway. There was no longer a massive field of stars stretching out above the heads of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Instead, it had been replaced by an enormous land mass, which was like a roof of black clouds that blanketed everything. In some areas, lightning could even be seen dancing about, and occasional peals of thunder would echo out in all directions. The land mass stretched out to cover the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, exerting intense pressure down onto it.
Paragons were fighting!
In the starry sky that separated the 1st Heaven and the Mountain and Sea Realm, the 1st Heaven's Paragon was fighting a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering battle of life and death with Paragon Sea Dream.
Paragon Sea Dream wanted to take the fight to the 1st Heaven, whereas the Outsider Paragon wanted the shockwaves of their battle to hit the Mountain and Sea Realm. The fierce fighting between them shattered the starry sky, and caused massive winds to sweep through the void.
Daos were shattered, and natural laws destroyed!
Second only to the Paragon battle was the fighting in the Fourth
Mountain and Sea, where Ksitigarbha was fighting the Outsider Imperial Lord Mandilo. The Fourth Mountain and Sea was like a sea of flames as rumbling echoed out between the Yama King palaces and the Outsider's black flames. After converging boundless Joss Flame, Ksitigarbha was on equal footing with the Outsider Imperial Lord!
Of the four most powerful cultivators from the 1st Heaven, two had already been pinned down. Of the other two, the Dao Sovereigns, one had split into five clones in an attempt to kill the great Mountain and Sea Lords. However, to do that was turning out to be easier said than done, and he had also come to find himself in a tight spot.
That left only the golden-armored Dao Sovereign, whose battle with Naruto had become one of the pivotal fights in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
At the same time, other Dao Realm experts from the 1st Heaven were fighting the Patriarchs of the various sects and clans of the Mountain and Sea Realm. Fierce fighting was unfolding everywhere, and the battlefields stretched without limit. Furthermore, Outsider Chosen had also joined the fighting, vicious grins on their faces as they fought, with seemingly no one capable of resisting them.
But then the Chosen from the various sects and clans of the Mountain and Sea Realm joined the fray to fight back.
Massive booms echoed out, and the Mountains and Seas all shook.
In the First Mountain and Sea, Dao Realm battles were being fought like everywhere else. At the same time, Outsiders and Mountain and Sea cultivators of various cultivation Realms were all engaged in bitter combat. On one battlefield was an Outsider cultivator in a black robe. His skin was covered in black scales, with one white scale visible on his forehead. He had an Ancient Realm cultivation base, and yet his battle prowess put him even higher than that.
"Paragon Immortal Realm? They can't even stand up to a single blow. If we had known this, we wouldn't have needed to rely on all 33 Heavens. Our 1st Heaven alone would have been enough to dominate them. And now, the third among the seven bloodlines of the Drakewyrm Tribe, the most powerful bloodline from Drakemount, will definitely accumulate the most kills in this battle!" No matter where this Outsider Chosen went on the battlefield, no one was capable of fighting back against him, causing his arrogant sneer to widen. However, it was at this point that a white beam of light shot toward him from off in the distance.
"You sure can talk big!" shouted a voice from within the beam of light. A cold snort echoed out as a white-robed young man became visible. It was none other than the Echelon cultivator from the First Mountain, DaoHeaven. As he neared, he unleashed an explosive attack, causing the Outsider Chosen's face to flicker and then turn very serious.
On the Second, Third, and Fourth Mountains… in fact, in all of the Mountain and Sea Realm, similar scenes were playing out.
In the Fourth Mountain, the shockwaves blasting out from the battle between Ksitigarbha and the Outsider Imperial Lord filled a wide area. However, there were still Outsiders pouring in to fight with the cultivators of the Fourth Mountain.
Among the army of cultivators from the Fourth Mountain and Sea was a woman who stood there calmly, surrounded by a host of guards, fellow cultivators tasked with protecting her. She was not spectacularly beautiful, but rather, was cold and cheerless. However, starlight sparkled in her eyes as she constantly sent orders out to the forces on all of the fronts of battle in the Fourth Mountain and Sea. She was singlehandedly coordinating the entire war effort, drawing upon the power of the Fourth Mountain and Sea to its very limit.
This woman who was in charge of all the strategy and tactics was none other than… Hinata!
Not only did Ksitigarbha have a profound cultivation base, he was also an amazing teacher. After taking Hinata in as his apprentice, he had instructed her well, and her cultivation base had advanced by leaps and bounds. Furthermore, she had also revealed unusual talent in strategy and tactics.
In the Seventh Mountain, most of the cultivators had followed the orders of Lord White to invade the Eighth Mountain and Sea. However, some people had chosen not to fight, and among them was the Echelon cultivator Yuwen Jian!
Currently, Yuwen Jian was roaring as he fought madly against the Outsider Chosen who had invaded the Seventh Mountain.
In the Ninth Mountain and Sea, the Namikaze Clan, the Li Clan, and various other great sects and clans had all mobilized and joined the fighting. Sun Hai and Namikaze Yu, along with all the other famous Chosen, were all soaked in blood as they fought fierce battles.
As of now, the power of these Chosen was the most spectacular thing in the Mountain and Sea Realm, next to those of the Dao Realm.
Naruto 's father was the Clan Chief of the Namikaze Clan, and yet could not leave Planet South Heaven. However, the planet's spell formation was in full operation, and any Outsiders who dared encroach upon the area were destroyed.
The war was not going as badly as many people had predicted it would for the Mountain and Sea Realm. In this explosive early onslaught, things were not going smoothly for the 1st Heaven. The power with which the Mountain and Sea Realm was fighting back left the Outsiders completely shocked.
However, any optimism was temporary at best. After all… there were 33 Heavens, and this was merely the power of the 1st Heaven. Of course, the 1st Heaven was among the more powerful of the various 33 Heavens. When you added together all of the Paragons in the 33 Heavens, there were only five. Even still, that made the 33 Heavens shockingly powerful.
Most importantly, although there were only five Paragons, when it came to Dao Realm and Ancient Realm cultivators, the 33 Heavens completely outnumbered the Mountain and Sea Realm by several times, making them far more powerful.
However, the reserves available to the Mountain and Sea Realm were not limited to what could be seen at the moment. After all, the will of the Mountains and Seas, as well as Paragon Sea Dream, had been well aware all along… that the war with the 33 Heavens… was unavoidable!
How could they possibly not make advanced preparations!?
As the fighting broke out, powerful ripples began to spread out from the Three Great Daoist Societies of the Nine Mountains and Seas as they began to build up power!
In addition to all of that, among the 33 Heavens, there was a Realm which was both guarded against and also viewed with importance… the 34th Heaven… the Windswept Realm!
After slipping away from the Mountain and Sea Realm, and thus being freed from the sealing and restrictions there, the Windswept Imperial Lord, the same one who had fought Sea Dream years ago, most definitely would have had the chance… to become a Paragon!
Even as all of these other events were playing out, in the First, Third, and Fifth Mountains, there were three areas which were somewhat set apart from all of the fighting going on around them. Three ancient temples floated in the starry sky. Each one of those temples had a signboard above its main gate, upon which words could be seen, written in calligraphy as bold as dancing dragons and phoenixes.
Sublime Spirit Temple!
Dao Divinity Temple!
Heaven Severing Temple!
Within each of the three temples sat an old man and a young man!
The old men looked like statues, and the young men looked like Chosen!
Within those three temples, the three seemingly young men all began to kowtow to the old men, and then speak.
"The Mountains and Seas are in chaos. Please, begin the fighting!"
"Master, as a first generation Echelon cultivator, I have been sealed until this moment. Master, please remove the seals and allow me to fight!"
"Our Heaven Severing branch exists for the express purpose of fighting this war. Doyen, please remove the seals for me!"
The three old men did not respond. It was as if they… were awaiting further orders.
Within the Ninth Mountain and Sea, on Planet South Heaven, the Li Clan spell formation sent powerful ripples out in all directions. At the same time, on the peak of a distant mountain, an old man in a white robe stood there silently, looking up into the sky at the enormous land mass that was the 1st Heaven. A strange light flickered in his eyes.
"And thus the war begins…." he murmured. That old man was none other than Shui Dongliu.
Rumbling sounds echoed out through the Eighth Mountain and Sea as Naruto shot along like lightning. The Lightning Cauldron floated above his head, dancing with electricity as he suddenly switched positions with an Outsider.
Behind him was the enraged golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign, whose eyes were bright red. Normally speaking, he would be fast enough to be able to catch up with Naruto . However, Naruto was using Form Displacement Transposition. Even the powerful ripples which blasted out through the starry sky, throwing everything into chaos, did not affect him at all.
Actually… a chaotic battlefield was the perfect place for Naruto to
slip along like a ghost!
Wherever he went, there were living things that he could switch places with, leaving the pursuing golden-armored Outsider completely befuddled.
Naruto was scheming as always. He actually could have gotten further away from the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign, but instead, he kept within a fairly set distance. That ensured that the chase continued, and the Outsider didn't divert his attention to other places on the battlefield.
"Can you do anything other than run away!? Well, we'll see how long you can keep it up!" The Outsider Dao Sovereign's black flame lizard suddenly roared, dispersing into a sea of flames that swept forward at incredible speed.
Within that sea of flames were innumerable magical symbols, whose flickering caused the flames to increase their speed dramatically. Naruto quickly teleported away, just barely avoiding the searing heat of the flames.
An unsightly expression appeared on his face. The battle prowess of a Dao Sovereign helped him to see how lacking he was in certain areas.
"What a pity. If I could make a breakthrough with my fleshly body, then my battle prowess would definitely be enough to fight a Dao Sovereign, even if I haven't extinguished any more Soul Lamps." Naruto teleported again, and a cold laugh rang out from within the flames. Suddenly, the Outsider Dao Sovereign appeared in the flames, his body rapidly growing until he was 3,000 meters tall, a giant looming up into the starry sky.
He stamped his foot down into the flames, and a black lightning bolt appeared in his hands. Scales once again spread out across his body, and his tail grew longer. Two horns protruded from the top of his head, and the void around him twisted as intense pressure radiated out.
"You killed my Tribal Brother, and now, I'll destroy you in body and spirit!" The golden-armored Dao Sovereign roared and took a step forward, unleashing some unknown divine ability upon Naruto .
Naruto fell back, and rumbling sounds echoed out as the two of them shot through the starry sky of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
"I could lose this guy if I really wanted to. But then he would just start fighting somewhere else…." Frowning, Naruto sighed inwardly. "I might not be able to kill him, but… I could trap him, or seal him. And that wouldn't be impossible, especially in the right place, at the right time….
"We're in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, which is also the location of the Heavengod Alliance…." Naruto 's eyes flickered as he suddenly thought of the perfect place!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1320Chapter 1320: Returning to the 33 Hells!
The 33 Hells!
The place Naruto planned to go was none other than… the 33 Hells!
After the 1st Heaven descended and the Mountain and Sea Realm exploded into war, he came to the realization that the Paragon's blood in his Dao Fruit was boiling. That also gave him the sensation that his cultivation base, his enlightenment, his everything… was on the verge of advancing by leaps and bounds!
Actually, that feeling wasn't limited to just him. All of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm felt the same thing. It was as if… the arrival of war prompted the Mountain and Sea Realm… to unleash years of reserves which had been built up for the purpose of empowering its people.
However, that also caused Naruto 's heart to sink. He well knew that the fact the Mountain and Sea Realm was doing this meant… this war would be extremely difficult.
"Live for the Mountains and Seas, die for the Mountains and Seas!" Naruto 's eyes flickered with determination. He had no idea what the future would bring, nor what his life would be like later on.
Even more of an unknown was what would happen to his family and friends throughout the course of the war. Would they survive…?
He was not a person who fundamentally liked fighting and killing. He just wanted to have plenty of money and be able to live a peaceful and wonderful life with his family and beloved partner.
It was a simple dream, but to make it into a reality was no simple thing.
Naruto understood himself, and knew the truth…. He was not some wildly ambitious person. His ideals were not far-reaching, nor did he have aspirations to shake Heaven and Earth.
His Dao and his heart were both focused on freedom and independence, on avoiding being constrained or held back.
He held no unquenchable thirst to constantly acquire a stronger cultivation base. In fact, if he had anything that could count as a true obsession, it would be his simple desire to be rich.
In this life, he had simply gone with the flow and found his own type of happiness. He loved conning people, and he loved collecting promissory notes…. To him, that was happiness. But when the 1st Heaven descended, all of those beautiful ideals were swept out of sight because of the Outsiders. When Naruto saw the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm fighting and dying, his heart grew dark and quiet.
The pain he was experiencing made all of his dreams seem like childish fantasies. It was as if he had awoken, or perhaps… grown up.
"If the Mountains and Seas did not exist, then what would be the point of my own, solitary, existence…?" Determination flickered within Naruto 's eyes. It was a sudden and intense determination and hope that his cultivation base could become even more powerful.
It was not because he wanted to become rich, nor because of his simplistic ideals. Instead, it was because… of his home!
The Mountain and Sea Realm was his home….
His home had been invaded, and his people were already fighting and soaked in blood. He was the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, and the successor of Paragon Nine Seals. He… had to get stronger!
"I can't even kill an Outsider Dao Sovereign…." he thought, eyes glowing coldly. Without a moment's hesitation, he shot as fast as possible into the Heavengod Alliance.
His divine sense had been suppressed, making it impossible to send it ahead to scan his destination. However, that did nothing to prevent him from unleashing lightning-like speed.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
He became a scintillating beam of light that shot along, followed close behind by a sea of flames. The 3,000-meter tall Outsider strode along, pursuing him relentlessly. Considering his status and battle prowess, to be unable to kill Naruto was a complete humiliation.
That was especially the case considering he had personally witnessed Naruto cut down his Junior Tribal Brother. Because of that, his hatred soared to the Heavens.
They shot along, piercing through the starry sky, shattering the void. Wherever they passed, shocked Outsiders and Mountain and Sea cultivators alike got out of the way and didn't dare to approach.
Booms rang out as the 3,000-meter-tall giant unleashed magical techniques that were bizarre, completely different from the type seen in the Mountain and Sea Realm. Occasionally, he would transform into a beast which lunged at Naruto , gobbling up everything in its path, or slashing at him with razor claws that seemed to appear out of thin air.
Most shocking of all was his long tail, which he swept around in a completely domineering fashion. It shattered the starry sky, sending shockwaves out that left Naruto completely shaken.
Blood oozed out of the corners of Naruto 's mouth, but he managed to nimbly avoid the blows. Even still, he could feel his cultivation base growing unstable.
More than ever, he could sense… the slight gap that existed between himself and the Dao Sovereign level, a gap that could prove fatal…however small it might be!
"Drakewyrm Earthfire; Heavens Forget!" Seeing that the numerous attacks he had unleashed were incapable of even touching Naruto , the 3,000 meter tall Outsider's eyes flashed with red light as he roared, performing a double-handed incantation gesture that instantly caused the roaring sea of flames beneath his feet to rise up and transform into the form of an enormous Earthfire lizard, which opened its mouth and spat a column of flames out toward Naruto .
The flames moved with indescribable speed, instantly surging over Naruto . Even as blood sprayed out of his mouth, the meat jelly appeared.
It let loose a torrent of curses as it transformed into a defensive barrier that protected Naruto from the scorching flames. Although it hovered on the verge of melting, it managed to hold out until the end of the attack. Afterward, Naruto guiltily sent the meat jelly back into his bag of holding, then gritted his teeth and continued on.
"Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" the Outsider raged. Unwilling to give up, he continued to chase Naruto .
With enraged shouts echoing behind him the entire time, Naruto eventually reached the territory that had once been the Heavengod Alliance. After speeding along, he soon reached the location of the entrance to the 33 Hells.
It was a pitch black region that seemed capable of consuming anything and everything, a region which emanated an aura of rot that caused the Outsider Dao Sovereign's eyes to flicker.
"This aura…." he thought, heart trembling.
Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment before charging in. Although the
33 Hells hadn't actually opened, as soon as he entered the area, Greed's life force Essence stirred into action and began to spread out.
Instantly, powerful ripples sprang up in the void, distorting everything, as if the opening were just about to begin. Naruto suddenly stopped in place, then turned around with cold eyes to look at the Outsider Dao Sovereign outside of the region of pitch black.
"You've been chasing me for long enough. If you want to fight, well then… let's fight here!" Naruto 's voice echoed out, filled with deadly antagonism. Then he wiped the blood from his mouth, and the murderous gleam in his eyes grew even more intense.
The 3,000-meter tall Outsider looked on with flickering eyes, then snorted coldly. The aura in this area was bizarre, but considering the level of his cultivation base, he didn't hesitate to step in and charge toward Naruto .
Naruto reached out with his right hand, and Demon Weapon Lonelytomb appeared. Without any hesitation, abandoning all thoughts of fleeing, he charged forth and began to fight the 3,000-meter giant.
Booms rang out as they exchanged thousands of blows in the blink of an eye. Naruto summoned numerous mountains, the Blood Demon, his mastiff, and the Paragon Bridge.
Demon Weapon Lonelytomb screamed as it stabbed through the air, and Naruto unleashed his three fist strikes, each one more dreadful than the last.
The Outsider also performed incantation gestures. Its scales lifted up, and a windstorm sprang into being. Essence power exploded out, transforming into incredible pressure. The black flames surged, forming into a black flame lizard that roared as it tried to consume Naruto .
Rumbling echoed out, and blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth as he was battered backward relentlessly. As for the Outsider Dao Sovereign, his face flickered as Demon Weapon Lonelytomb stabbed a bloody gash into his chest.
Although his wounds healed rapidly, Naruto , despite being injured more severely, was actually healing even faster. Naruto 's eyes flickered with starlight as he transformed into a meteor which shot dazzlingly through the starry sky. As he closed in, the Outsider performed a double-handed incantation gesture, then waved his hands, causing the black flame lizard to butt out with its head.
A boom could be heard as the meteor shattered. However, even as that happened, Naruto in azure roc-form shot out like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the lizard and appearing directly in front of the Outsider Dao Sovereign.
The Outsider's face flickered, and just when he was about to fall back, azure-colored talons slashed out with the strength to shatter metal and stone.
"Looking to die?!" the Outsider Dao Sovereign said, eyes gleaming with ferocity. He allowed Naruto 's roc claws to dig out his right eye, ignoring the resulting pain as his own right hand shot out to grab viciously onto the roc.
A boom rang out as the azure roc was crushed. However, no blood and flesh exploded out, only countless motes of light. Meanwhile, a figure was speeding off into the distance.
"DIE!" screamed the Outsider as Naruto fled. A blood-colored light rose up from the Outsider as a boundless aura of death converged upon it. Astonishingly, this was Death Curse Magic!
A boom could be heard as a sealing symbol appeared in front of Naruto . Blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth as he was forced back. He uncontrollably coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood as his chest began to rot and his life force faded. A powerful aura of death began to consume him.
"You took my eye and killed my Junior Tribal Brother. Don't worry, after I kill you, I'll refine your blood to find everyone related to you, and kill them all!" The 3,000-meter Outsider flickered into motion, lifting his right hand up to transform the sea of flames into a huge statue which struck out toward Naruto with its palm.
That palm caused the aura of death that permeated the area to roil and emit rumbling noises, the starry sky to tremble, and the Heavens to fade.
However, it was at this point that Naruto 's mouth twisted into a derisive smile. The Outsider suddenly felt a profoundly uneasy feeling spring up in its heart, but before it could do anything, a gigantic rift suddenly appeared in the void beneath Naruto 's feet.
As soon as that rift appeared, Naruto shot inside.
The 3,000 meter giant shivered as a sensation of deadly crisis rose up in its heart. That sensation came from within the rift itself, wherein in the Outsider could sense… the fluctuations of a shocking aura.
He had the premonition that if he entered that rift, he would be facing some deadly situation. Without any hesitation, he turned to leave.
However, even as he did, Naruto reached out with his right hand, unleashing the Star Plucking Magic. Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Outsider Dao Sovereign was viciously dragged backward.
The Outsider's eyes burned with rage, and he unleashed all the cultivation base power he could muster to break free. Even as he fell back, breaking away from Naruto 's Star Plucking Magic, Naruto 's derisive smile grew wider.
"Form Displacement Transposition!" he said softly.
Rumbling could be heard as he and the Outsider Dao Sovereign switched places. The Outsider was still moving backward, but now, he was moving backward into the rift. Although his face fell and he stopped almost immediately, he was still some distance away from the exit!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1321Chapter 1321 (Click to show "spoiler" title)
Chapter 1321: Grandfather and Grandson Reunite!
"YOU!" The Outsider Dao Sovereign's face fell immediately. He had no idea where he was, but he could sense that the aura of death in this place was indescribably powerful.
He could also tell that within the aura of death was a type of powerful sealing. And yet, even that wasn't the most frightening thing. Most frightening of all was that he could sense dozens of auras in this place that were terrifying even to him!
Each and every one of them was equivalent to a Paragon's!
Furthermore, those auras were filled with chaos, with greed, with a hunger for anything living, as if they were lying in wait for his qi, blood, and cultivation base.
Suddenly, he realized what this place was, and his heart was battered by waves of intense shock. "The 33 Hells!"
He knew what the 33 Hells were; a place where Paragon Nine Seals had sealed other Paragons long ago. In fact, the 33 Heavens had long since carried out detailed investigations regarding the 33 Hells, and had come to the conclusion that… to the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm, it was a place where good fortune or great catastrophe were equally possible. However, to anyone not from the Mountain and Sea Realm, it was a place of certain death!
As of this moment, he felt as if he had become food to be devoured by these 33 Hells!
"NO!" he roared in rage. He shot forward in an attempt to fly out of the opening. But how could Naruto be willing to let him do so? He had set this entire situation up to trap this Outsider, and had gone to great lengths to lure him inside. How could he possibly let him emerge?
"With the exception of the successor of Paragon Nine Seals," said Naruto , "or someone else with his approval, no one can use this place to increase their cultivation base. This Outsider Dao Sovereign… is definitely going to die in there!" His eyes glittered as Greed's life force Essence exploded out within him. The 33 Hells suddenly trembled. A dense mist poured out, and the sound of clanking iron chains could be heard, along with angry roars.
Naruto waved his right hand, summoning the Paragon Bridge. As it crushed down, Greed's life force Essence exploded out. Not only did the mist within the rift grow thicker, but the ground at the base of the stone stele therein also split and cracked, and an enormous gravitational force sprang up.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign's face flickered with astonishment, and he let out a roar of fury. He was now shaking, going all out with every bit of power he could summon to try to escape. However, an iron chain whipped through the air, wrapping around him. Then, the mists churned, as if a giant were approaching, and simultaneously the Outsider was dragged in.
The shocking gravitational force pulled on the Outsider, making it impossible for him to flee. He stared with wide eyes as the rift slowly began to close. Madness flickered in his gaze, as well as a towering, venomous hatred.
"NO!"
Even as he roared, rumbling sounds echoed out as a blood-colored light sprang up. It was a shield that emanated the aura of a Paragon. With that protection, he was able to break free from the giant's iron chains and shoot up into the sky.
However, even as he neared the rift… it closed up!
RUMBLE!
The Outsider Dao Sovereign roared, and his eyes shone with fear as he looked back down into the mists below him. Apparently, the mists themselves weren't affected by the gravitational force. As he looked, he suddenly realized that a pair of greedy-looking eyes had appeared therein.
What caused him to tremble even more than before was that he could sense that after this world had been closed off from the outside… it was as if the entire place had awoken. A voice suddenly spoke out as if from far beneath the ground, accompanied by laughter that filled with hope and yearning.
"Flesh and blood… a soul… a cultivation base….
"If I consume him, I can extend my life for another 10,000 years….
"It's been a long, long time since I tasted a Dao Sovereign…."
Massive rumbling could be heard as the trembling Outsider Dao Sovereign roared, pouring all of the power he could, even his life force, into the blood-colored Paragon shield.
His eyes were bright red as he battered the Heavens he saw above him, hoping to break open an exit and flee before he was consumed.
Outside of the 33 Hells, Naruto 's face was pale. He wiped the blood from his mouth, then flickered into motion. After leaving the 33 Hells, he looked back at the pitch black region, and his eyes flashed coldly.
"Hopefully the Outsider Dao Sovereign will be killed by this place and become nothing more than fertilizer for it. Then, when I come back later, I can absorb that power to help me to get stronger…. If he isn't killed, at least he'll be trapped for a while." When he thought about the bloodcolored shield the Outsider Dao Sovereign had used, and the intense aura it had emitted, it was clear that it was a protective item gifted by a Paragon.
"Even if he can figure out a way to escape, it won't happen any time soon. By that time, I should be prepared to cut down a Dao Sovereign in battle." Naruto 's eyes glowed brightly as he turned away from the 33 Hells. Now that his divine sense was no longer being suppressed, he sent it out to fill the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea.
What he saw were cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm fighting fiercely with the Outsiders from the 1st Heaven. Because of the previous war between the Seventh and Eighth Mountains and Seas, the cultivators were familiar with battle, and had concentrated their attacks on two fronts.
Other than those two fronts, the other main battle was being fought… on the Eighth Mountain itself!
The Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea and one of the five incarnations of the Outsider Dao Sovereign were fighting back and forth, shaking the entire Eighth Mountain. As the ripples of magical techniques spread out, Naruto almost immediately caught sight of his Grandpa Uzumaki beating back the Dao Sovereign clone over and over.
"Grandpa…." he thought, vanishing. When he reappeared, he was on a battlefield filled with cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea, and Outsiders from the 1st Heaven. As soon as he appeared, his cultivation base surged, and his divine sense swept out. Fully half of the nearby Outsiders let out miserable screams as their heads exploded.
Naruto snorted coldly, then vanished again. This time, he appeared
on a battlefield with cultivators of the Eighth Mountain and Sea. Again, his divine sense swept out, provoking miserable shrieks as one Outsider after another exploded.
Such a vast number of deaths instantly filled the Outsiders' hearts with shock and fear. However, Naruto didn't even pause. He vanished again, reappearing at the peak of the Eighth Mountain.
The moment he appeared, his grandfather was unleashing an attack backed by the power of the Mountains and Seas. The Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone coughed up some blood and fell back. However, Naruto appeared just behind him, eyes flickering with killing intent as he clenched his fist and punched out with the God-Slaying Fist.
Rumbling booms echoed out as the clone's face flickered. He had no time to evade, and the fist strike struck him directly on the back. Half of his body instantly shattered, and he let out a miserable shriek. He shot away from Naruto , his body healing, but his aura severely weakened.
When he turned back and saw Naruto , his face fell.
"If you're not dead, then what happened to Long Linzi?"
"Oh, so his name was Long Linzi?" Naruto replied coolly. He took a step forward, and as he did, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Naruto 's grandfather, approached. After seeing it was Naruto , he breathed a sigh of relief, and his eyes shone with love and reminiscence.
Years had passed, but he had never imagined that his young grandson would grow up to be like this.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign's face fell again, and a gleam of disbelief flickered in his eyes. He was well aware of Long Linzi's true battle prowess, and although it was somewhat weaker than his own, he was now split into five parts. On the other hand, Long Linzi had attempted to kill this very same person without splitting himself apart. Therefore, Long Linzi had been able to use all of his battle prowess.
And yet, he had been defeated!
By this point he could sense that Long Linzi's aura had vanished. This caused the clone to gasp, and without the slightest bit of hesitation, he began to flee. Too many miscalculations had been made in this attack.
He had underestimated this Mountain and Sea Lord…. In fact, his clones were suffering setbacks all over the Mountain and Sea Realm. Worst of all was this Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, who had successively defeated him again and again.
As for the cultivator who had just appeared, the actual level of his cultivation base seemed low. However, he had defended himself against the attack of a Paragon, and not even Long Linzi had been a match for him. The Outsider Dao Sovereign clone could think of only one thing to do, and that was to flee.
"Did I say you could leave?" growled Grandpa Uzumaki. He stamped down with his right foot, causing the starry sky around the Outsider Dao Sovereign to distort as a huge sealing mark appeared.
At the same time, Naruto extended his right hand, performed an incantation gesture and pointed out with his finger. It was the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex! Although Naruto had not been a match for Long Linzi, this was merely a Dao Sovereign's clone, and killing him would be as easy as flipping over his hand!
As soon as Naruto waved his finger, the clone stopped in place, a shocked look on his face. Simultaneously, Grandpa Uzumaki looked over in surprise at Naruto and said, "Eee?"
Naruto waved his finger again.
It was the Seventh Demon Sealing Hex, Karmic Hexing!
Rumbling could be heard as blood sprayed from the Outsider's mouth. His Karma was thrown into chaos, prompting a miserable scream. Next was the Sixth Hex, which caused a gray sealing mark to appear on his forehead. Then a boom rang out as the mark shattered, disintegrating his head. However, he wasn't dead yet. He quickly recovered, but was even weaker than before.
After that came the Fifth Hex, the Inside-Outside Hex. Cracks spread out all over his body, and a bloodcurdling scream rang out as the clone collapsed into pieces.
Things weren't over yet, though. Even as he collapsed, Naruto unleashed… the Second Hex!
Real-Unreal Hexing!
Even as his collapsing body began to re-form, and he fled off into the distance, all of the shattered remnants of his body were transformed from being real… into something unreal!
A wretched shriek rang out in the moment before he died. Everything about him transformed into ash; this Outsider Dao Sovereign clone was absolutely no match for Naruto !
Naruto 's battle prowess might not be on par with Ksitigarbha's, but he could still be considered a peak expert in the Mountain and Sea Realm!
"Well done!" Grandpa Uzumaki said, laughed heartily. The love in his eyes was clear as he looked at Naruto .
Naruto turned excitedly, clasping hands and bowing as he said,
"Hao'er offers greetings, Grandfather!"
Grandfather and grandson looked at each other, and their hearts filled with emotions and memories that would be difficult to describe without using many, many words. Eventually, Naruto asked about his Grandpa Namikaze .
After a moment of silence, Grandpa Uzumaki sighed and said, "He… is not in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"I complied with the instructions given by Senior Outsider, and successfully became the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
Unfortunately, I've been asleep ever since then. However, your Grandpa Namikaze is a born warrior, with latent talent exceeding even your father's. Senior Outsider took a liking to him, and gave him some very important responsibilities…."
After a moment of silence, Naruto looked at his grandfather and asked, "Who is this Outsider you refer to?"
Chapter 1321: Grandfather and Grandson Reunite!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1322Chapter 1322: Arriving in the Seventh Mountain!
"He calls himself… Shui Dongliu," Grandpa Uzumaki said slowly.
As soon as Naruto heard that name, his jaw dropped, and his eyes filled with a strange gleam. He stood there quietly for a moment as numerous connections were made in his mind. All of a sudden things seemed much clearer. He nodded.
"Grandpa, I sent Grandma and the Uzumaki Clan ancestral mansion to the Ninth Mountain and Sea. Unfortunately, the 1st Heaven descended right afterwards; furthermore, the Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea and I have a beef with each other…."
"The Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, Ji Tian? How dare he!" Grandpa Uzumaki's eyes flashed with coldness. "After I take care of things here in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, I'll go to the Ninth Mountain and Sea, and if Ji Tian is devoted to the Mountain and Sea Realm, then I'll go easy on him. Otherwise…." Killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Naruto instantly felt a little bit better. He could sense from the cultivation base fluctuations that Grandpa Uzumaki was even stronger than Lord White, being more than half a step into the 6-Essences level.
The only reason he hadn't been able to immediately vanquish the
Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone was because he had just awoken and was still clearing his head. However, he was already reaching the point of being able to unleash the full power of his cultivation base.
Grandpa Uzumaki looked at Naruto , and although he wasn't sure exactly why Naruto didn't want to return to the Ninth Mountain and Sea, he could tell that his grandson was someone who exceeded the Mountain and Sea Lords within the Mountain and Sea Realm. "You've grown up, and you have an astonishing cultivation base," he said. "The Mountain and Sea Realm is unstable now, and all cultivators have their own missions to accomplish. You follow your heart and do whatever it is you need to do!
"Don't worry about the Namikaze Clan in the Ninth Mountain and Sea," he said. "The Eighth Mountain and Sea… is already in ruins. I'll gather the survivors and go to the Ninth Mountain and Sea. That is where we will take our stand against the Outsiders."
Naruto stood there silently for a moment before clasping hands and bowing deeply to his grandfather. He looked off in the direction of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, and from what he could sense in his blood, he knew that the Namikaze Clan cultivators were not in any great danger at the moment. Feeling somewhat at ease, he turned and transformed into a beam of light that shot off into the distance.
His destination was the Fourth Mountain and Sea. Leaving the Ninth Mountain and Sea behind, his purpose was to bring Hinata home. Now that war had broken out, he was feeling… more and more uneasy.
That unease had begun to grow as soon as the 1st Heaven had begun to descend.
Back on the Eighth Mountain, Grandpa Uzumaki stood there looking at Naruto making his way off into the distance. A loving expression could be seen on his face, and also… traces of how profoundly he hated having to part with his grandson.
"Senior Outsider once said that when the Mountain and Sea Tribulation arrives, everything will be transformed into dust…." he said softly. "However, there is something special about the Ninth Mountain. It will eventually become the only mountain left….
"He even said that he wasn't sure if any of the Mountains and Seas would survive the catastrophe. He said that all he could do was search for a certain… hope.
"Apparently the hope he was talking about… was Hao'er." Looking away from Naruto , he sent his divine sense out, and quickly caught sight of some Outsiders. Eyes flickering with icy killing intent, he sprang into motion.
Naruto sped along through the starry sky of the Eighth Mountain and Sea. Soon, he reached the rift where he had fought Lord White. By now, that rift had collapsed, leaving behind only faint traces.
Naruto hovered there, eyes flickering as he took a step forward. Although he seemed to be just strolling along, he was actually walking in a circle. He moved faster and faster, until the Essence of Time began to emanate out. The void distorted, and the starry sky was affected. Soon, a blurry vortex appeared, which spun around and around as it grew.
It went from 30 meters, to 300 meters, until eventually, Naruto could be seen only as ghost images. Innumerable copies of Naruto could be seen as the vortex rumbled out to 3,000 meters.
As the power of time travel exploded out, many people from the Eighth Mountain and Sea sensed what was happening. It was at around this time that a rift suddenly appeared within that vortex!
This was none other than the rift which had connected the Seventh and Eighth Mountains and Seas.
In almost the exact same instant that the rift appeared, the countless reflections of Naruto which were spinning around the vortex transposed, once again forming a single version. Then, he stepped into the rift and vanished.
After he disappeared, the vortex faded away, and soon… the rift quickly vanished, and the starry sky returned to normal.
Within the rift that connected the two Mountains and Seas, Naruto was a beam of bright light that moved with speed far exceeding Lord White's. In virtually the blink of an eye, he was already on the other side.
Soon, he could sense the aura of the curse power which was unique to the Seventh Mountain and Sea. Without the slightest hesitation, he burst out through the exit portal.
Almost immediately, a cold snort echoed out.
"Someone has appeared. It seems my calculations were correct. These Mountain and Sea Realm aboriginals really are trying to escape from the Eighth Mountain and Sea through here.
"Well, now that you're here, don't try to run." Almost immediately, the magic of a divine ability rumbled toward Naruto , and black flames instantly surrounded him.
As soon as he saw the flames, he could tell that this was an Outsider's magical technique, backed by the cultivation base of a Dao Lord. Although powerful experts of that realm could rock their surroundings with the mere stamp of a foot, to Naruto , they were like insects that could be killed as easily as flipping over a hand.
His eyes flickered coldly as he suddenly sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the black flames through his nose and mouth. Then he looked around, even as gasps rang out in reaction to what he had just done.
The rift entrance to the Seventh Mountain and Sea was very near the
Seventh Mountain, and the entire area was littered with corpses. Eight Outsiders were present, and shockingly, their cultivation base fluctuations were that of the Dao Realm. Clearly, they were lying in wait to slaughter anyone who appeared here. But now, after seeing Naruto simply inhale the Essence flames that the Dao Lord had unleashed, they all gasped, and their faces fell.
That was especially true of the Outsider Dao Lord, whose eyes went wide. Mind reeling, he immediately fell back, but in that same instant, Naruto appeared directly in front of him, reached out, grabbed him by the throat, and threw him to the side.
His scales shattered, and his flesh and blood turned into a gory mass. A bloodcurdling scream echoed out as he was completely shredded into pieces.
Immediately, the other Outsiders began shaking all the way down to their tails, and instantly tried to flee, using all the power they could muster.
"Dao Sovereign! He's a true Dao Sovereign!"
"I thought Ksitigarbha from the Fourth Mountain was the only true Dao
Sovereign in the Mountain and Sea Realm! But he's fighting with the
Imperial Lord! He can't be here at the same time! Who is this guy!?"
"Dammit, we just ambushed a true Dao Sovereign!" The eight Outsiders were completely taken aback. Filled with terror and shock, scales shivering and tails shaking, they tried to flee.
However, Naruto sent his divine sense out, a single thought that filled the entire area. Instantly, the Nascent Divinities of all of the 1-Essence and 2-Essences Outsider Dao Realm experts were shattered. Their minds were wiped away, leaving behind soulless corpses which toppled down out of the starry sky.
As soon as Naruto 's divine sense swept out, he saw everything in the Seventh Mountain and Sea floating in his mind, and the seemingly endless amounts of Outsiders present.
He saw numerous black cubes floating in the starry sky of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, the largest of which were 30,000 meters wide, and the smallest of which were only a few hundred meters wide. The Outsiders were pouring in and out of these cubes; apparently, they were some sort of military stronghold.
Black flames surrounded the cubes, and lightning crackled on their surfaces. The starry sky around them was also distorted, as if the cubes were organized into some sort of spell formation!
The Seventh Mountain and Sea should have been occupied by cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm. However, what was visible now were mostly Outsiders. Few native cultivators could be seen, and the majority present were dead. Most of the cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea were actually in the Eighth Mountain and Sea. The ones who had remained behind were for the most part low level, making it extremely easy for the Outsiders to occupy the place.
Naruto 's face was grim, and his fury toward the Outsiders only continued to grow as he discovered that they didn't even spare the mortals; to them, it didn't matter if someone was a cultivator or not, anyone from the Mountain and Sea Realm was guilty!
Of the four great planets in the Seventh Mountain and Sea, three were already shattered and in ruins. Because of that, the curse power that normally filled the Seventh Mountain and Sea was now in complete chaos.
"Lord White, even death can not atone for your crimes!" Naruto growled, eyes bloodshot. As he examined the situation with his divine sense, he noticed that there was a force of over 10,000 Outsiders attacking the final planet, the largest planet of the Seventh Mountain and Sea.
There were still tens of thousands of cultivators left alive on that planet.
Those fighters were the last remnants of the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea….
Even in the brief moment in which his divine sense swept over the planet, Naruto could see many cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea choosing to self-detonate instead of being killed. In the last moments before they died, the words they shouted echoed within Naruto 's divine sense.
"Live for the Mountains and Seas, die for the Mountains and Seas!" Booms echoed out around that group of tens of thousands of cultivators as they fought to defend the planet and all the lives on it.
Among those cultivators, Naruto caught sight of… the Seventh Mountain's Echelon cultivator, Yuwen Jian!
Yuwen Jian was completely soaked in blood, and had been severely injured. Despite that, he roared in rage as he fought against the enemy. He was a body cultivator, and the weapon he wielded was the very same valuable treasure he had taken from Naruto years before. He was currently surrounded by a host of enemies with whom he was desperately fighting. 1
Currently, a Dao Realm Outsider was laughing coldly while shooting toward Yuwen Jian in a beam of light. Even as he closed in, Naruto snorted coldly, causing his divine sense to vibrate. Instantly, the Dao Realm Outsider who was attacking Yuwen Jian let out a miserable shriek and then exploded, killed instantly!
At the same time, Naruto took a step forward, vanishing as he headed towards the fighting.
Naruto loaned a battle axe to Yuwen Jian, which he kept (without permission) when they parted ways in chapter 1151 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1323Chapter 1323: War Requires Spirit!
Of the four planets which orbited the Seventh Mountain, three were destroyed, and had become nothing more than fields of swirling rubble and dust hanging in the starry sky
The only remaining planet was the one known as Tiger Cage. 1
Currently, Yuwen Jian and the tens of thousands of cultivators who were the broken remnants of the forces of the Seventh Mountain and Sea were there on Planet Tiger Cage, fighting a deadly battle with the Outsiders.
The fighting was bloody and bitter, and occasionally the booms of selfdetonation rang out. Sky and land were both as red as blood, and the vicious and maddened Outsiders were fueling divine abilities with their own life force, causing black seas of flame to scorch everything in their paths.
Massive fissures were spreading out across the surface of the planet, and the cities and life forms there were all trembling. To them, it was as if the end of days had come.
Even the sky seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, and as the cultivators and the Outsiders fought, the only thing they seemed to have in common was that they were all engaged in a life-or-death struggle!
Yuwen Jian was actually not the strongest cultivator among the tens of thousands of survivors. However, because of his status as an Echelon cultivator, his words carried much weight, and he was currently leading a large group of cultivators into battle.
He was soaked in gore, to the point where it almost seemed like he was clothed in blood itself. His skin was crisscrossed with wounds, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. He looked completely and utterly fearsome.
However, beneath that fearsomeness lurked sadness and despair.
"Live for the Mountains and Seas, die for the Mountains and Seas!" Yuwen Jian threw his head back and laughed, and in response, the cultivators at his back let out mighty roars. Murderous auras sprang up; they might be fighting a losing battle, but they would still kill as many Outsiders as they could.
There was no path of escape…. In the Seventh Mountain and Sea, all the areas which formerly pledged allegiance to Lord White had already fallen into enemy hands. The cultivators had watched as three of their planets were destroyed, and countless lives were sacrificed. The Seventh Mountain and Sea was relentlessly taken over by the Outsiders, and the local cultivators could do nothing but fume in rage.
Now, the only reason they had left to live was to fight. Even if they only had one breath left to breathe, they would use it to kill one more Outsider!
A boom rang out, and Yuwen Jian coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was facing a coldly sneering Dao Realm Outsider, who bore down on him as fast as lightning. The Outsider's right hand flashed with an incantation gesture, and black flames spread out to form a huge mouth which shot out to consume Yuwen Jian.
Yuwen Jian laughed bitterly. When he had faced Dao Realm Outsiders before, there had always been Dao Realm experts of the Seventh Mountain and Sea to lock them down. But now, all of those Dao Realm experts were either dead or seriously injured. Yuwen Jian was staring extermination in the face! His eyes flickered with madness as he glared at the Dao Realm Outsider and prepared to self-detonate.
The other cultivators under his command also stared with bloodshot eyes and prepared to follow him in self-detonation. The self-detonation of a single cultivator wouldn't do anything to a Dao Realm expert, but if ten of them detonated, or a hundred, or a thousand, it would be a different story!
The massive accumulation of force in such an explosion was power that would shock even a Dao Realm expert.
The Outsider's eyes widened, and he frowned. Just when he was about to take defensive measures, a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering divine sense suddenly exploded out.
It was a divine sense bursting with killing intent, hatred, and madness, and as it erupted out across the battlefield, the Dao Realm Outsider's eyes went wide, and he shouted in alarm.
"Dao–" All he could utter was a single word before his head exploded and his body shattered. In almost the same instant, numerous other Outsiders on the battlefield screamed miserably, expressions those of terror as they subsequently exploded.
From far up above in the starry sky, the battlefield almost looked like a field of blooming flowers of blood….
The surviving Outsiders were shocked and terrified. They immediately tried to escape the planet, leaving the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea standing there in shock. However, their hatred could not be diminished, and they immediately attacked the fleeing Outsiders.
Yuwen Jian was trembling, but had no time to think, and immediately joined in the slaughter.
It was at this point that a new figure appeared on the battlefield. It was
Naruto , who had just teleported in. Immediately, he extended his right hand and made a vicious clawing motion.
The power of the Mountains and Seas erupted out. Although it wasn't a vast amount of the power, not even enough to fight Dao Sovereign experts, any of the Outsiders under that Realm would be crushed as easily as dried twigs!
Rumbling sounds echoed out as an enormous illusory hand appeared in the starry sky. Boundless ripples emanated from the majestic hand as it clawed down toward the Outsiders.
The starry sky trembled, and numerous rifts were slashed open. In the blink of an eye, the area in the starry sky occupied by the Outsiders was completely crushed!
RUMBLE!
Miserable screams and roars of rage alike were suddenly cut off. A moment later, the huge hand vanished, and all that remained was drifting ash.
The battlefield went silent, and the cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea looked around, stunned. Yuwen Jian turned his head, and through the crowds he spotted Naruto .
" Naruto …." he said, a smile breaking out on his face. Unfortunately, it was a smile that was bitter and even hollow.
Even though more than 10,000 Outsiders had just been killed, no cries of joy rang out, and no excitement could be seen. The cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea simply stood there quietly.
When they turned to face Naruto , there almost didn't seem to be any life in their eyes, as if their souls were already dead.
They well knew that the number of Outsiders currently in the Seventh Mountain and Sea was completely incalculable. Despite having won a victory in this battle, the next battle… would likely result in the complete extermination of the Seventh Mountain and Sea.
They silently clasped hands and bowed to Naruto , then began to disperse to carry their fallen comrades away, and to expunge the area of the sordid blood of the Outsiders.
Everything was as still as death….
As Naruto looked around at the listless cultivators, he felt as if his heart were being stabbed.
Yuwen Jian grimaced from the pain of his injuries as he approached Naruto . Then he looked around at all his comrades, and bitterly commented, "They're like this because we have no hope. Naruto , do you really think that we can… win this war?"
He seemed confused, and from the way he asked the question, it almost seemed as if he were inwardly searching for some way to pull himself together and rise to the situation. Even if whatever he found was a false hope….
Naruto had seen war before, but he had never experienced anything like he had just now. His heart hurt, but he was infinitely moved. He looked around at the tens of thousands of cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, and he saw how exhausted they were. He saw how despair had taken hold in the depths of their hearts, and he saw how much they hated the Outsiders.
He suddenly felt the urge to speak. Although he wasn't sure what he should say, it was as if there were a voice deep inside of him desperate to cry out, to rally the people around him.
"Fellow Daoists of the Mountains and Seas! I am Naruto , Echelon cultivator from the Ninth Mountain and Sea!
"I don't know for sure whether or not we'll win this war. But what I do know is that as we speak, Paragon Sea Dream is fighting the Outsider Paragon, right up there!" As he spoke, his voice began to grow impassioned, and he pointed up toward the heights of the starry sky.
"I also know that the Lord of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Ksitigarbha,
is fighting the Outsider Imperial Lord!
"All of the other Mountain and Sea Lords are fighting with incarnations of an Outsider Dao Sovereign. Furthermore, just moments ago, I managed to trap their other Dao Sovereign in the 33 Hells. If he doesn't die there, then at the least, he'll be unable to emerge for some time!
"Another thing I know is that as of this moment, I, Naruto , am the only cultivator who can fight at the Dao Sovereign level that is currently not fighting!
"I don't know whether or not we can secure victory in this war. But… the Mountain and Sea Realm will not be overthrown easily!
"We are the descendants of the Paragon Immortal Realm, and we have lasted all the way down to this day. We are the Mountain and Sea Realm, and the war has only just begun. How could we possibly lose hope now?!"
Even as Naruto looked out at the cultivators of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, his heart bursting with powerful exhortations, a fierce fight was raging above Planet South Heaven in the Ninth Mountain and Sea. The Li Clan spell formation covered the entire planet, ensuring that any Outsiders who approached were destroyed before they could set foot on Planet South Heaven.
The sky rained with the blood of the Outsiders. Of course, that blood was filthy to the point that it could harm cultivators, and even devastate the earth. Therefore, it was not allowed to touch down onto the ground, but was dissipated into a mist before the very eyes of the cultivators of Planet South Heaven.
Standing atop a distant mountain was Shui Dongliu, who was staring up into the sky, a perpetual look of sorrow in his eyes.
At some point, an ancient ship had come to appear off to the side, floating there in the air. It was a ship that no one could see, almost as if… it didn't exist.
An old man sat cross-legged at the prow of the boat with his back to the world, as if he had forsaken all Heaven and Earth.
If Naruto were here, he would instantly recognize this ship and this old man. He had boarded this same ship back when the 10th Wang Clan Patriarch had stolen his Dao foundation, leaving him on the brink of death.
The ship had taken him on a dream-like voyage through the Mountain and Sea Realm, a voyage which had opened Naruto 's eyes to the wider world. 2
Whether it had been intentional or not, the old man on the ship had healed Naruto 's injuries, and given him a bit of life force that had enabled him to keep living for a time.
Right now, that very same ship was floating in midair in front of Shui Dongliu.
Shui Dongliu stood there at the peak of the mountain, and the old man on the boat sat there with his back turned to the world. Although their eyes had not made contact, it clearly seemed as if they were looking at each other.
Suddenly, an ancient voice could be heard as the old man on the ship spoke. "Is all this necessary…? Your hope has always been doomed to fail."
This was apparently the first time this man had ever truly spoken, and his voice seemed to echo out from the depths of time itself. As he spoke, the ship upon which he sat seemed even more illusory than before.
Shui Dongliu didn't respond. Instead, he continued to stare off into the distance.
After a long moment passed, the old man on the ship sighed. Then he and the ship slowly faded away.
In almost the same moment that the ship and the old man vanished, Shui Dongliu suddenly turned his head. Someone was approaching him silently from behind, a young man in a black robe. His expression was calm, and his features extraordinary, but he had an astonishing murderous aura roiling off of him. He was none other… that the person who had taught Naruto the time-walking technique…. Slaughter! 3
He looked coldly at Shui Dongliu, and killing intent flashed through his eyes.
"I pondered the matter for some time…. I should have dispersed, so why was I brought back? It wasn't until seeing you that I understood.
"One time. I'll help you… only one time!" With that, Slaughter looked deeply at Shui Dongliu, then vanished into thin air.
Shui Dongliu stood there thoughtfully. The entire time, he hadn't spoken a single word. Soon, the sun set, night fell, and the moon shone, casting a long shadow behind him.
"Deliver the people, lose the world," he murmured softly. "Lose the people, deliver the world…. The choice has long since been made." A strange, anticipatory light slowly began to gleam in his eyes.
"The Mountain and Sea Realm is at war, and now the spirit of the people must rise!"
I'm sure some of you will remember Planet Tiger Cage. It has been mentioned three times in the story, in chapters 301, 322, and 979 ↩ Naruto 's time on the ship with the old man occurred starting in around chapter 683. I didn't realize it early on in ISSTH, but it seems likely that this old man on the boat is a character from Er Gen's other novel Beseech the Devil, a guy whose name is something along the lines of Old Man Extermination. Please note, I said "likely" because it's only my speculation, I didn't even check on the Chinese internet. ↩ Previous times Slaughter appeared include chapters 1122, 1142, and 1205 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1324Chapter 1324: The Agreement of Planet Tiger Cage!
Back in the Seventh Mountain and Sea, the previously listless eyes of the cultivators began to flicker with light as passion stirred in their hearts.
They suddenly recalled the image of Naruto slaying the Outsiders with one blow; couple that sight with what he had told them just now, and a certain title began to ring out in their minds and hearts.
Dao Sovereign!
What Naruto had done, and what he had said, made it clear to these cultivators exactly how strong he was in battle. Battle prowess like that would be vitally important in the Mountain and Sea Realm's war.
There were too many things that these cultivators didn't understand, and the terrifying power of the 33 Heavens was something they didn't even want to think about. They were in such despair that they would cling desperately to even the slightest scrap of hope.
As of this moment, hope was now kindling in their eyes. To them, a cultivator like Naruto represented the absolute pinnacle of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and if he said that he hadn't lost hope or faith, then they believed him!
"It is we of the Mountain and Sea Realm who called for this war," Naruto continued. "Therefore, this… is not a war being waged upon us by the 33 Heavens. No, this is us… waging war on the 33 Heavens!
"We will break open those 33 Heavens so that the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm can look up and see the true starry sky above our heads!" As Naruto spoke, the light in the eyes of the surrounding cultivators grew brighter.
However, words alone were not enough. As Naruto looked out at the crowds around him, a wild notion suddenly sprang up inside him.
He knew that what he was seeing right now was not an isolated incident. Whichever Mountain and Sea one went to right now, one would surely find similar thoughts of despair running through the hearts and minds of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Perhaps the degree of despair would be different in different places, and perhaps some people could suppress the despair and turn it into killing intent. But some would surely tremble in fear and lose their will to fight. If that happened, then the war… truly would be a hopeless one.
As he realized how difficult this war would be, he suddenly gained understanding of a simple truth. War… needed heroes, and at the same time, did not!
The reason it needed heroes was because they could rouse the spirits of their comrades!
Simultaneously, the reason heroes were not needed was because… a single person can never determine victory in a war. Even with someone as powerful as Paragon Nine Seals… the people were delivered, but the world was lost.
War required unity. A people needed unity!
It was only by means of unity that the cultivators of the Mountains and Seas could rise up. Only with a burning spirit… could they fight back against all odds, and have the fortitude to fight to the death with the 33 Heavens.
"There's something I need to do…." he murmured softly. Usually, he didn't think of himself as the Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm. That was something that would happen in the future, not at this moment.
"Perhaps that's the wrong attitude," he thought. "If there is no future… then there will be no Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm…." Naruto 's eyes flickered as he looked up into the starry sky toward the 1st Heaven. The crazy idea that had just occurred to him just now was growing stronger. Taking a deep breath, he decided to let the notion percolate for a while.
With that, he turned and headed out across Planet Tiger Cage with Yuwen Jian.
Behind him, the spirits of the cultivators seemed to have lifted. As they watched Naruto leaving, sparks of fire appeared in their hearts and began to burn steadily.
One could well imagine what would happen as those sparks burned hotter and brighter. The hearts of those cultivators would ignite, and eventually, the same thing would happen throughout the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. In the end, either they would be burnt by those flames, or the enemy would!
Cracks and crevices covered the surface of Planet Tiger Cage…. All of the lands were covered with rifts that were only growing larger and wider with time. As of this moment, the planet seemed to be teetering on the verge of collapse.
Apparently, the carnage of the war in the Mountain and Sea Realm was focused initially on the Sixth and Seventh Mountains and Seas. As Naruto looked around at Planet Tiger Cage, his eyes flickered with the desire to kill.
Furthermore, his rage toward Lord White still lingered, despite the fact that he had already cut him down.
"Now that I think about it, there is still one more traitor among the Mountain and Sea Lords," he thought. Heart filling with icy coldness, he looked off into the distance for a moment, then turned to Yuwen Jian.
"Brother Yuwen, back in the Windswept Realm, you mentioned that the Seventh Mountain and Sea has… God blood?" Although Naruto was planning to merely pass through, there were still some important things here for him.
God blood was something critical for making breakthroughs with the fleshly body. After his recent breakthroughs, his current fleshly body level had actually become an encumbrance. If he could make a breakthrough, then based on the foundation he had built up, he would experience an incredible rise, and immediately reach the level of a Dao Sovereign.
At that time, considering the level of his cultivation base and his terrifying divine sense, he would truly be equipped… with the power of a Dao Sovereign!
After acquiring the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation from Lord White, he had made major progress with his Eternal stratum. Even still, he could tell that his fleshly body needed to become more powerful before he could be confident in facing the Flesh and Blood Desolation, which was the Second of the Seven Desolations of Ancient Realm Soul Lamp extinguishing.
The crazy idea which had come to him required that he have battle prowess truly equivalent to the Dao Sovereign level. Only then could he be confident enough to make that idea a reality.
"Of course we do!" replied Yuwen Jian. "In the Vale of the Godgrave. However, it's already been occupied by the Outsiders….
"Brother Uzumaki, if you want to go, then I can take you there!" Yuwen
Jian's eyes gleamed brightly. 1
"Not yet," Naruto replied softly. "I have a bit of unresolved Karma on this planet. Brother Yuwen, please wait while I take care of something." With that, he took a step forward and then vanished.
Yuwen Jian hovered there silently for a moment, his eyes burning with a will to fight.
"We're both in the Echelon," he thought, "but Naruto has already reached the point where everyone looks up to him. And yet I… still haven't passed through the Ancient Realm. It's hard to say how long this war will last. I must step into the Dao Realm!" Yuwen Jian's eyes shone with a flicker of determination.
As Naruto flew along above the lands of Planet Tiger Cage, he felt an aura spreading out from inside of him. It came from deep in the recesses of his cultivation base, where there existed a white diamond-shaped object!
"Planet Tiger Cage. Choumen Tai…." Naruto murmured. He had never forgotten about that Immortal's corpse which had fallen out of the sky back when he was on Planet South Heaven. That Immortal was none other than Choumen Tai, and they had come to an agreement that Naruto would return his legacy to Planet Tiger Cage. 2
At that time, the gift given to him by Choumen Tai had been like a precious treasure. Now, it was relatively insignificant. However, Choumen Tai had mentioned that by returning his legacy to his home on Planet Tiger Cage, Naruto could acquire some good fortune.
Of course, Naruto didn't care too much about that. After all, there was little good fortune that he could acquire now that would be of much help to him. Based on Choumen Tai's cultivation base level back, there was nothing he could bestow upon Naruto now that would be of any use.
Naruto had come, not because of any potential good fortune, but rather, to keep a promise.
As he proceeded along, he cast his senses inward to observe the fluctuations of the diamond inside of him. Soon, a mountain appeared up ahead….
It was cracked and crumbling, but hadn't fallen apart completely, and when Naruto scanned it with divine sense he found an Immortal's cave which had long since been abandoned. Layers of dust covered everything in the Immortal's cave, but deep within its recesses was a spell formation. At the very center of the spell formation was a small column of inky jade the size of a hand. On top of that column was a diamond-shaped slot.
As soon as Naruto got close, his own chest began to radiate light as the diamond-shaped legacy bestowed upon him years ago by Choumen Tai suddenly flew out.
It moved with incredible speed as it flew through the cracks in the side of the mountain, entering the Immortal's cave, lowering itself down toward the spell formation and settling into the diamond-shaped slot.
Naruto didn't follow the white diamond. Instead, he hovered outside the mountain, watching. Moments later, his jaw dropped.
"This…." His eyes flickered as he took a step forward and then suddenly appeared inside of the mountain. Having scanned the mountain with divine sense, he was certain there was nothing unusual lying in wait. Considering the level of his divine sense, there would be few things in existence which could conceal anything from him. Earlier, his divine sense had revealed that the spell formation was emanating fluctuations that seemed to indicate it was searching for an appropriate apprentice upon whom to bestow a legacy.
But now, after the diamond sank down into the slot, the spell formation immediately altered. Instead of preparing to deliver a legacy, it was… summoning something!?
Naruto hovered outside of the spell formation, face darkening. As he studied the spell formation, he could sense the power of summoning, something that was completely ignoring the 33 Heavens above and was instead stretching out to some unknown location.
This was Naruto 's first time seeing a spell formation like this, and was definitely his first time seeing anything which could pierce through the seal of the 33 Heavens.
Because that diamond-shaped legacy had fed him power for so many years, it also contained a bit of his own aura. Furthermore, that bit of aura appeared to be transforming the summoning power in some way that even Naruto didn't understand.
"This is no legacy…. Choumen Tai, who exactly are you?!" Naruto 's eyes flickered, and he let out a cold harrumph. Although what was happening was unexpected, considering the level of his current cultivation base, he could simply destroy the spell formation if he wanted to. That might be a violation of his previous oath, but the current Mountain and Sea Realm could ill afford an unknown and unexpected hazard.
He had come here because of his promise, to repay Choumen Tai for the good fortune he had bestowed. But now, his face was grim. He would rather incur Karma and sully his oath, than permit this spell formation to cause any harm to the Mountain and Sea Realm!
He reached his hand out, causing a massive burst of power to build up. Just as it was about to blast down onto the spell formation, a voice suddenly spoke out in Naruto 's mind.
It was a voice filled with a pleading tone. It was… Choumen Tai.
"Please allow me to have some hope…. Please, I have no desire to hurt you or do anything to harm the interests of the Mountain and Sea Realm. Please… allow me my hope….
"The person I want to resurrect, he…. is my master….
"Years ago, he sent me away into the cycle of reincarnation. I experienced many, many things. Eventually I awoke and remembered my home, and who I was back then. I remembered that he… had extinguished his own soul fire.
"I want to resurrect my master. That is my sole purpose in life. Please, allow me to have my hope…. If you do… I can help you in this Mountain and Sea War!" 3
Nothing Choumen Tai said moved Naruto at all. He sent his cultivation base power out, and the spell formation began to emit cracking sounds as the summoning was interrupted. However, it was at that point that Choumen Tai said one last thing, which caused Naruto to suddenly stop.
"I, Choumen Tai, pledge on my own life, that if you preserve this spell formation, I will devote my life to the Mountain and Sea War!" Naruto 's eyes narrowed. "How can you help?" he asked.
When Choumen Tai responded, his voice seethed with manic determination. "I can help you… to seal a 7-Essences Paragon, and make that person your puppet!"
Yuwen Jian actually mentioned this place back in chapter 1151 ↩ Naruto met Choumen Tai in chapter 301 ↩ The fact that Choumen Tai wanted to resurrect someone was mentioned by Shui Dongliu in chapter 692. And now I would like to share some details from beyond ISSTH, which I don't think counts as spoiler information, but does involve elements from his other books. By this point in the original release of ISSTH, many fans had come to the conclusion that Choumen Tai is actually a character from Beseech the Devil. Diamond-shaped marks play a significant role in the cultivation in that novel, which was one piece of evidence that points to such a conclusion. If he was a character from Beseech the Devil, then it would be likely that his master was also a character from that book. Many people guessed that his master was none other than Su Ming, the main character of Beseech the Devil. Again, this was merely speculation, based on information up to and including this chapter. ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1325Chapter 1325: Naruto 's Heart….
Naruto was quite shaken. Even after leaving Planet South Heaven and traversing the Mountain and Sea Realm, he had never forgotten the kindness Choumen Tai had shown in blessing him with good fortune, nor the agreement they reached regarding Planet Tiger Cage.
He had always planned to return Choumen Tai's legacy to Planet Tiger Cage. However, he could never have imagined that the so-called legacy was actually a sham. It had all been a ruse.
Naruto hovered there silently. He could accept being swindled, but he couldn't accept the existence of a spell formation like this, not if there was even a chance that it could harm the Mountain and Sea Realm. He was responsible for the Mountains and Seas, and had already borne witness to the tragedy of war. Furthermore, that warfare had already changed him.
He had grown up.
Therefore, his first reaction upon seeing this spell formation was not to be concerned about the Karma he would sow if he broke his oath and destroyed it.
However… at the same time, Choumen Tai's words had moved him. In fact, his mind was spinning, and his eyes glowed with bright light.
"I, Choumen Tai, swear an oath upon my soul that if anything I have said is untrue, then… no matter if I live or die, I will never again see my master!" The madness in Choumen Tai's voice was growing, and the sincerity of his determination made his pleas seem even more intense.
In fact, as he spoke, Naruto could sense the vague fluctuations of a powerful oath, and could also detect Karma building up within the mountain peak and the spell formation.
All of that indicated that the words spoken by Choumen Tai were true.
Naruto said nothing at first. He was not a cold and ruthless person, and Choumen Tai had bestowed good fortune upon him in the past. If he could choose, he would rather not destroy the man's hope. Furthermore, he had sworn an oath upon his soul.
"How is it that you can do such a thing?" Naruto asked.
"It doesn't matter how I can do it," replied Choumen Tai. "Just point out a 7-Essences Paragon, and I'll take care of the rest!" From the sound of his voice, Choumen Tai seemed to be throwing caution to the wind. A Heaven-defying technique like that would surely come at a heavy price, a price too difficult to even comprehend.
"Whenever or wherever you are, as long as I still live, all you have to do is catalyze this sealing mark… and you can perform the sealing!" A mysteriously-glowing magical symbol floated out from within the mountain to hover in front of Naruto .
The symbol flickered and danced, and constant fluctuations rippled about inside of it. It was actually impossible to see clearly, and numerous transformations existed within it. Naruto eyed the magical symbol for a moment, and then his eyes flickered with determination. He waved his sleeve, gathering up the magical symbol and then looking at the mountain for a long moment before turning to leave.
Naruto could now tell that the reason why Planet Tiger Cage still remained intact within the Seventh Mountain and Sea, the reason why it had not been destroyed, was not because of Yuwen Jian and the other cultivators with him. More importantly… it was because of the spell formation inside this mountain, and the remaining power of Choumen Tai, which protected the entire planet.
Because of that power of protection, even though the surface of the planet was riddled with cracks and crevices, it still remained in one piece, as the spell formation protected both the mountain and the planet.
Naruto took a step, and was already far off in the distance. "Just what sort of entity could inspire one of its servants to be so devoted, to become completely obsessed with resurrecting it…?"
Even as he left, a blurry figure appeared within the middle of the spell formation. It was Choumen Tai, and he seemed to be fading away. He was staring into the spell formation itself, trembling, eyes filled with anticipation and reminiscence.
"For the sake of others, you closed your eyes for all eternity…." he murmured. "After I returned, I could never find you…." Choumen Tai's voice seemed to be filled with grief as he slowly sat down in the spell formation.
"Please return… my master…."
As Naruto made his way off into the distance, he found that the meat jelly had emerged from his bag of holding at some point. It was perched on his shoulder, looking back at the mountain. Then the parrot flew out, landed on his other shoulder, and also looked back.
It was a rare occasion when these two living treasures weren't making a ruckus.
The meat jelly sighed and said, "Perhaps to that entity, Choumen Tai eventually ceased to be simply a servant. Naruto , do you think that one day, if you meet your end, I'll be like Choumen Tai, and do everything I can to try to resurrect you? Ai. That is a question very worthy of consideration…. Fifth Bro, what do you think?"
Naruto stopped in place. The meat jelly's words just now were definitely the type to make one feel touched, but to hear them coming out of the meat jelly's mouth was quite strange.
"Lord Fifth was actually pondering a different question…. If Lord Fifth ever meets his end, Naruto … would you feel sad? Would you try to resurrect me?" The parrot looked over at Naruto , its expression very serious.
"Yes!" Naruto replied softly. The parrot and meat jelly had followed him for so long that in his heart, he no longer viewed them as simple servants.
"Well, Lord Fifth won't die and can't be killed, so you'll never have that chance. Hahaha!" The parrot laughed heartily, but as it laughed, a trace of sorrow and grief could be seen in its eyes. However, it quickly passed, and the parrot quickly reverted to its usual simple-minded state.
Naruto didn't say anything further. A knot had taken root in his heart… an uncomfortable notion that he didn't dare to contemplate or ponder. The reason being that he wasn't sure which side to pick.
He had an inkling of the Karmic cause of the war of the Mountain and Sea Realm, that it was actually being fought because of… the copper mirror!
If he simply handed the copper mirror over… could the war be ended?
It was a question Naruto didn't dare to consider. His family lived in the Mountain and Sea Realm, as did his friends, his Masters, and all other living things…. But on the other hand, the copper mirror had been with him from his earliest days in the Reliance Sect. It had accompanied him and allowed him to grow from being a mere scholar to his current pinnacle.
As for the parrot, although Naruto pretended to not care very much about it, the truth was that after all these years, he had become very attached to it, and could never bear to part with it.
"Do I forsake the parrot," he thought, "or forsake the Mountain and Sea
Realm…? Perhaps the only choice I can make… is to forsake myself."
Naruto sighed inwardly. This was the question he didn't wish to ponder, because he knew that one day, he would be forced to make that decision. Who knew what cruel realities he would need to face when the time came to choose?
"I have to get stronger!" he thought, his eyes glowing brightly. He took a deep breath as he forced himself to stop thinking about that painful question. Then, he transformed into a beam of light that shot off into the distance.
The meat jelly sat silently on his shoulder, and although the parrot seemed completely oblivious to anything, it was uncharacteristically quiet as it transformed into a multi-colored streak that flew into the copper mirror in Naruto 's bag of holding.
Naruto continued along quietly, sighing the entire time as he contemplated the enigma that was fate. As of this moment, he was consumed with worry for his family and a deep yearning to reunite with Hinata.
Eventually, he made his way back to Yuwen Jian, who was sitting there cross-legged waiting for him. Instead of wasting time with words, Naruto simply looked at him and uttered a single sentence.
"Take me… to the place you mentioned, the Vale of the Godgrave!"
Yuwen Jian's eyes shone with a bright light. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and rose to his feet. Naruto flicked his sleeve, and the two of them transformed into bright beams of light that shot off into the starry sky at top speed.
Normally speaking, Yuwen Jian would never be able to keep up with Naruto , so Naruto lent him some energy, and they proceeded along to the location Yuwen Jian indicated.
"I need to get stronger, that way I can slaughter my own path out of the enigma of fate!" There was something murderously bleak about Naruto now. His previous air of youth and naivete had been wiped away, and the only thing that remained was the grief and pain that came from seeing tragedy play out in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
The Seventh Mountain and Sea was now almost completely in the hands of the Outsiders, who continued to pour in, filling the starry sky with their pitch black cubes. Increasing pressure radiated out in all directions.
Soon, Naruto and Yuwen Jian appeared in the southeastern part of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, in a location that was very quiet. Off in the distance was an area full of hundreds of black cubes. They floated about in the starry sky, lightning dancing across their surfaces. It was just possible to see the images of Outsiders passing into and out of the cubes.
They almost seemed to be forming a spell formation….
"The Vale of the Godgrave is up ahead," said Yuwen Jian. "It's a spatial rift within which rest the ruins of an ancient battlefield. Countless strands of divine will exist inside, which can kill you before you even notice them….
"The Vale of the Godgrave is one of the most dangerous places in the entire Seventh Mountain and Sea. The last time I went in, I only managed to travel a short distance. By chance, though, I managed to get a drop of impure God blood. Even that was enough to instigate an incredible breakthrough in my fleshly body!"
Yuwen Jian was under the protection of Naruto 's divine sense. As they hovered there in the starry sky, no one other than perhaps a peak 6-Essences Dao Sovereign or a 7-Essences Paragon would be able to detect their presence. "After the 1st Heaven descended, this was the very first place to be occupied by the Outsiders!
"I suspect that quite a few of the Outsiders have already gone inside.
Presumably they are also interested in getting God blood…."
Naruto looked calmly off into the distance. He could sense the fluctuations of powerful experts coming from many of the black cubes. Furthermore, the spell formation formed by the cubes contained shocking power in and of itself.
The area surrounding the Vale of the Godgrave was completely filled with Outsiders. Although there were no 6-Essences experts there, there were definitely 5-Essence experts. Naruto had already identified four with his divine sense.
And that didn't count any Outsiders who had entered the Vale of the Godgrave, which was beyond the scope of what Naruto could survey with divine sense.
Naruto turned to look at Yuwen Jian and said, "Brother Yuwen, this place is clearly very dangerous. I think you should wait for me here…."
Yuwen Jian hesitated for a moment before determination gleamed in his eyes and he shook his head.
"The 33 Heavens aren't even sparing the mortals in this war. Clearly, they plan to wipe us all out…. They want to exterminate the bloodlines of all living beings in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"As the saying goes, if the nest is overturned, none of the eggs survive!" Yuwen Jian clenched his hands into fists. "I need to get stronger! I need to have a cultivation base breakthrough! I have a body refinement magic which can use God blood to sacrifice some life force in exchange for a hundred years of a Dao Realm fleshly body!
"I, Yuwen Jian, am an Echelon cultivator. Even if I can only live for a hundred years after stepping into the Dao, I have to live up to my place in the Echelon!" Yuwen Jian's eyes shone brightly, and his pupils seemed to flicker with flames.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1326Chapter 1326: Entering the Vale of the Godgrave!
"Brother Uzumaki, I'd like to request… that you let me go with you into the Vale of the Godgrave!
"Don't let me be a burden; you can even ignore me. I only request… that you get me inside. Once there, we can part ways, and I'll go off on my own to search for my good fortune!
"This is my choice, so whether I live or die has nothing to do with you, Brother Uzumaki. I won't infect your Karma. I, Yuwen Jian… just want a chance to search for my path of good fortune!
"If I live, fine. If I die, fine…. I was born in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and I grew up in it. I'll give my blood, my cultivation, everything about me… to repay that debt!" Yuwen Jian's bitter smile was tinged with madness. The things he had seen and experienced recently in the Seventh Mountain and Sea were hundreds of times more tragic than what Naruto had seen so far.
He had witnessed three planets destroyed, and had watched as innumerable lives were ended. He saw one sect after another exterminated, wiped out by the Outsiders.
He had even seen people being eaten alive.
Out of all his family, his clan, and his sect… he was the only survivor.
Therefore, he now lived for revenge!
Naruto looked silently at Yuwen Jian for a moment, then turned to leave.
"Just keep up," he said. Then he transformed into a beam of light that shot off into the distance. Clearly, he was choosing, not to sneak in, but to fight his way through in broad daylight.
After all, this was the Mountain and Sea Realm, not the Outsiders' 1st Heaven!
RUMBLE!
The instant Naruto charged forth and began to fight, Yuwen Jian rapidly began to grow larger in size. Apparently there was a bit of God blood inside of him, pumping through his veins, leading to a shocking growth in fleshly body power. Astonishingly, it took only an instant for Yuwen Jian to turn into a huge giant that took a step forward, following Naruto into the fray.
Two men, two Echelon cultivators, two beams of light, shot forth like unsheathed swords. Rumbling sounds echoed out as the two of them stabbed into the Outsiders' spell formation.
Naruto 's cultivation base was so powerful that only Dao Sovereigns could hope to stand up to him. In the moment that he began to fight, vast numbers of Outsiders began to pour out from the black cubes and charge toward him in attack.
At the same time, shocking fluctuations began to emanate from the cubes as streams of divine sense sped forth to attack him.
Further off in the distance were three Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering 5-Essences auras that instantly veered toward Naruto to block his path.
Naruto gave a cold harrumph. Killing intent flickered in his eyes as he looked at the hosts of the incoming Outsiders, with their vicious expressions and murderous auras. Waving his sleeve, he summoned the Paragon Bridge, which crushed down onto them.
Instantly, bloodcurdling screams rang out, and the starry sky around Naruto shattered. This one single attack crushed everything in its path.
No less than a thousand Outsiders were instantly smashed, their fleshly bodies shattered, their Nascent Divinities destroyed.
All of the other Outsiders who witnessed this gasped, and their faces fell. Instantly, they began to back up in shock.
"Dao… Dao Sovereign!"
"Dammit! In the Mountain and Sea Realm, Dao Sovereigns are supposed to be as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns. How could there be one here!?"
"Why haven't the two exalted Dao Sovereigns from our 1st Heaven come to stop this person!?"
The shocked Outsiders were so terrified that they didn't dare to get any closer. In fact, they backed up to let him pass. As for Yuwen Jian, even though he had an incredibly high opinion of Naruto , and had even seen what he did earlier to the Outsiders attacking Planet Tiger Cage, witnessing this left him shocked.
Looking at Naruto 's back as he led the way, Yuwen Jian realized that although he wasn't necessarily physically imposing… there was something spectacular about him.
It was as if… the war for the Mountain and Sea Realm… might not necessarily end with them being wiped out!
However, even as the Outsider cultivators backed up, the streams of divine will emanating from the hundreds of black cubes came together into a shocking convergence that blasted toward Naruto .
This amalgamation of divine will was so powerful that even Dao Sovereigns who encountered it would likely shy away in fear. It transformed into an enormous face which filled the starry sky and lunged toward Naruto as if to consume him.
"So what if you're a Dao Sovereign, screw off!" The voice which shouted out was not the voice of a single Outsider, but rather the conjoined voices of hundreds of them!
The sound of it echoed out, rocking the starry sky, causing the void to tremble, and crushing down with a will of complete defiance.
"Scram!" screamed the conjoined voices of the Outsiders. As for all of the other Outsiders who were observing from off to the side, their eyes began to glow brightly as they waited for Naruto 's momentum to be broken, and for him to be forced backward.
Naruto 's expression was calm, but his eyes flickered coldly. It was at this point that his own divine sense exploded out toward the face converged from divine will.
His divine sense transformed into a huge fist which punched out viciously!
BOOOOMMMMMM!
The fist slammed into the face, shattering it into pieces, and causing a boom to ring out that shook Heaven and Earth.
Cracking sounds rang out as fissures snaked out through the starry sky. They were like dragons shooting out in all directions, and when they hit the Outsiders, screams rose up. There was no chance for the Outsiders to flee, and many of them were instantly ripped apart.
At the same time, miserable shrieks echoed out from the hundreds of black cubes. Rumbling sounds could be heard as each and every one of the black cubes shattered, and the Outsider cultivators inside were eradicated.
From a distance, the scene which was playing out was completely and utterly shocking!
More gasps could be heard as the surviving Outsiders fell back even further, so terrified of Naruto that they were shaking. Before they had come to the Mountain and Sea Realm, they had viewed themselves as above everyone, and looked down derisively at the Mountain and Sea Realm. They couldn't wait for the chance to start slaughtering the Immortals for fun.
But after seeing Naruto 's terrifying performance, memories from their ancestors were slowly being unlocked inside of them, memories that had been sealed within their bones, hidden within their souls.
Memories of how their ancestors had been conquered by the Paragon Immortal Realm.
Naruto 's face was cold as he looked around. Due to the sheer number of Outsiders present, it would be difficult to kill them all, even with the current level of his cultivation base. However, as he glanced about, all of the Outsiders upon whom his gaze fell backed up, trembling.
He snorted coldly, advancing again, and no one dared to get in his way this time. They all fell back to make way for him. However, as he passed by, they would form ranks once again behind him. It was almost like Naruto was surrounded by a huge circle of empty space.
Despite the fact that he was clearly surrounded, the ones who were terrified were the Outsiders, not him.
Yuwen Jian followed directly behind Naruto . The scene which he was watching unfold in front of his eyes had his blood pumping.
Glancing around coldly as he proceeded along, Naruto eventually caught sight of a dilapidated altar up ahead. It looked ancient, as if it had survived through countless years of time, leaving it corroded and falling apart.
It wasn't complete; only about seventy percent of its original structure remained. And yet, the starry sky around it rippled and distorted, emanating fluctuations that contained incredible pressure.
Gradually, it became obvious that this altar… was an entrance, leading to some other dimension beyond.
It was clear that previously, the altar had not been out in the open like this. Various restrictive spells and other obstacles had obviously been in place. However, after the Outsiders arrived, they had cleared the area, leaving the altar hovering out in the open in the starry sky.
In front of the altar were three Outsider cultivators with grim faces. They hovered there, staring at Naruto , emanating fluctuations of the 5Essences level.
Although they were a far cry from a Mountain and Sea Lord, they were close to the level of the boy Xiao Yihan.
They looked on with flickering eyes as Naruto approached. The one in the middle had a horn jutting out of his head, and if you looked closely you could see that it wasn't black, but violet.
He took a step forward, and then it became clear that he did not have the same murderous aura that the other Outsiders did. He clasped hands and bowed to Naruto , saying, "I am Long Daozi, of the Dao Tribe of the 1st Heaven. Greetings, Dao Sovereign Uzumaki."
Naruto looked back coldly. The fact that this person knew who he was came as no surprise. In the initial moments of the invasion, he had clashed with the Outsider Paragon Eegoo of the 1st Heaven. Although most people in the Mountain and Sea Realm had not been able to see what happened, the Outsider experts certainly were watching, and had seen the events unfold.
The violet-horned Outsider's eyes shone with a strange light as he slowly began to speak. "Dao Sovereign Uzumaki, based on your cultivation base and powers of perception, you are certainly aware that the Mountain and Sea Realm… cannot possibly win this war. Even if the 1st Heaven isn't a match for the Mountain and Sea Realm, there is a 2nd Heaven, and a
3rd Heaven, and in the end, 33 Heavens. There is no hope for the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"Although we 33 Heavens wish to destroy all life in the Mountain and
Sea Realm, we also respect the powerful experts here. Fellow Daoist Uzumaki, if you would agree to follow the orders of the 1st Heaven, to join us in our campaign, then I can guarantee the safety of you and your clan, and can promise that you won't be harmed.
"A wise man submits to the circumstances. Fellow Daoist Uzumaki, surely you understand the truth of that old saying.
"Not only can your clan be saved, but anyone else you wish can join us as well. The 1st Heaven won't kill them. All you need to do is become a Dao slave of the 1st Heaven.
"Compared to freedom… what meaning is there in death?"
In response to his words, Yuwen Jian remained silent. Although he trusted Naruto , the offer made by this Outsider was something that would stir even his heart, albeit only a bit.
After all, he had no clan left. He had nothing. However, back when his clan and sect had still existed, if he had been given this choice, he couldn't be sure what he would have chosen. That line of thinking caused a spark of fear to rise up within him.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1327Chapter 1327: Nothing More Than a Demonic Beast!
"Trying to seduce me… into being a turncoat?" Naruto asked coolly. His expression was calm, but a flicker of derision could be seen in his eyes. "You don't qualify to try something like that."
Only an Outsider who was out of the loop would talk to Naruto in such a way. If this person had been Paragon Eegoo, who was aware of who exactly Naruto was, he would never have uttered such words.
Back in the days of the Paragon Immortal Realm, even when the entire world had crumbled into pieces, its people, despite being broken and dying in the Mountain and Sea Realm, refused to bow their heads in compliance to the 33 Heavens. If that was the case back then, how much more so would it be the case now, when the Mountain and Sea Realm had grown strong, and was carrying on the legacy of the Paragon Immortal Realm!?
To bow one's head in compliance would be a betrayal of one's people, one's home, and one's everything…. To become a Dao slave, where life and death were not under one's own control, where one had no freedom… what would be the point of being alive?!
When Yuwen Jian heard Naruto 's response, he suddenly felt very calm.
As for the violet-horned Outsider, he gazed deeply at Naruto for a moment, then laughed softly, as if he wasn't very surprised. Then he and the other two Outsiders stepped back to make way.
"If that is your wish, Dao Sovereign Uzumaki, and considering that we can't stop you, then we will permit you to enter the Vale of the Godgrave. Please, go ahead." The violet-horned Outsider smiled and gestured for Naruto to walk past.
Yuwen Jian breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure he felt from these three 5-Essences Outsiders made him realize how insignificant he was. Although he felt relieved, he gritted his teeth petulantly and told himself that even if it was more risky, he had to get into the Vale of the Godgrave.
However, just when Yuwen Jian was about to proceed forward, he realized that Naruto hadn't moved an inch.
A strange expression had appeared on Naruto 's as he looked at the three Outsiders, and he began to laugh.
"Did you three practice your cultivation wrong and turn into retards? Or were your brains always defective?" He suddenly took a step forward, and when his foot landed, his energy surged wildly, as if a giant had stomped down onto the starry sky. It was like the crashing of an ocean of waves!
"This is the Mountain and Sea Realm, not the 1st Heaven! Everything here belongs to the Mountains and Seas, not you people. Just because you're standing around here, doesn't mean I need your permission to come and go, does it?"
The three Outsiders' hearts began to quiver. It felt as if mountains were crushing down onto them, as if the Heavens were suppressing their hearts. Their faces fell and they quickly backed up.
"You think that when I show up, you can just 'step back and make way' for me?
"The Mountain and Sea Realm and the 1st Heaven are at war. As for you three… what makes you so confident that I won't just kill you?" Naruto threw his head back and laughed. Then he took three steps forward, each one of which caused him to erupt with extraordinary power. The sheer towering majesty was almost impossible for onlookers to take in, and the pressure he emanated crushed down with infinite force. A tempest sprang up, sweeping in all directions, and crushing might bore down onto the three Outsiders.
The mere upsurge of energy caused everything to shake violently, and the three Outsiders' minds were reeling as blood sprayed out of their mouths. The scales on their bodies even began to explode as they fell back a great distance.
" Naruto , how dare you!"
"If you only stuck to killing some of our lesser tribe members, then whatever… they aren't in the Dao Realm, so they don't count as successors in the 1st Heaven. But if you kill us Dao Realm experts, your clan will definitely be placed on the 33 Heavens' list of clans to be exterminated!"
"You're going to get your whole clan exterminated, Naruto ! Do you really dare to attack us?!"
"Pipe down!" Naruto said coolly, his energy crushing down with a booming sound. The three 5-Essences Outsiders trembled, and one experienced a complete explosion of all the scales on his body, after which his entire tail shattered. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and when Naruto took a fifth step, he screamed and exploded.
A majestic 5-Essences Outsider was crushed like a twig by Naruto 's divine sense and cultivation base power!
Only two remained! The violet-horned Outsider was holding out better than the other, who coughed up a mouthful of blood as his flesh was shredded.
Even as he let out a despairing howl, Naruto took a sixth step.
RUMBLE!
The Outsider's body twisted, as though some enormous hand were squeezing down on it. It was crushed into a pulp, completely dead. With six steps, Naruto had killed two powerful enemies, to shocking effect.
The violet-horned Outsider's face was pale, and he let out a howl as he suddenly began to grow. His appearance completely changed; astonishingly, what now appeared in front of Naruto was a 3,000meter long black lizard!
His long black horn glowed with violet light, and he looked boundlessly fierce. This was the true form of the Outsiders from the 1st Heaven!
They looked less like cultivators and more like… animals!
At the most, they were like Demonic beasts!
The 3,000-meter long lizard roared mightily as flames burst out from his body. However, instead of charging Naruto , he fled in the opposite direction at high speed.
"I guess I gave you too much credit," Naruto said, eyeing the lizard coldly. "You're just an animal, and yet I tried to explain things to you as if you were a cultivator." With that, he took a seventh step.
The instant that seventh step descended, Naruto 's energy reached an indescribable level. The power of the Mountains and Seas rumbled out, filling the entire area. It was as if the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm had been driven away by Naruto and his power!
The only thing present was Mountain and Sea power, with none of the Realm's will. It was as if that power… was under the complete control of Naruto 's will!
His will was… superseding the Heavens and replacing the Dao!
"Superseding the Heavens and replacing the Dao? This… this is impossible!" The violet-horned lizard was filled with terror and shock. What he was seeing was so impossible that he couldn't think, and his heart filled up with complete despair.
All of a sudden, he experienced a vision. Images rose up, the memories of his ancestors which were concealed in his blood. He saw his ancestors in one of the Lower Realms beneath the Paragon Immortal Realm. He saw them… acting as mounts for Immortals.
In the end, that was the last thing he ever saw, as Naruto 's surging energy superseded the Heavens and replaced the Dao. It became an explosive will of destruction that, in the blink of an eye, completely crushed the gigantic lizard's soul out of existence!
BOOM!
He was completely and utterly eradicated!
The other surrounding Outsiders gaped in shock at what they had just witnessed, and trembled as they stared at Naruto in complete and utter terror and disbelief.
"Scram!" Naruto said, glaring at them. He was well aware that, considering the vast number of Outsiders present, it wouldn't be an easy task to simply wipe them out, not even with the aid of the power of the Mountains and Seas.
Right now, these Outsiders were completely shaken, so the best thing to do wasn't to kill them, it was to plant a seed inside of them.
That seed was a seed of terror, a seed that would eventually topple their hearts!
His voice was like a cudgel that swept out and slammed into the hearts and minds of the Outsiders. It was like a bolt of lightning that destroyed their courage and wiped away their will to fight. Fear of Naruto overwhelmed them, and screams could be heard as they scattered, fleeing in uncoordinated chaos.
—–
Note from Deathblade: This chapter is a bit short because it was the fourth update of the day by Er Gen, and on Mid-Autumn Festival at that!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1328Chapter 1328: Vale of the Godgrave!
Yuwen Jian watched blankly as all of this happened. He gazed at the spot where the three Outsiders had just died. He looked at the other Outsiders, who were fleeing madly in all directions. Finally, he looked back at Naruto .
Naruto 's expression was grim as he eyed the retreating Outsiders, and then took a step toward the altar.
Yuwen Jian hesitated for a moment before saying, "You know, it might waste a bit of time, but we could still kill at least thirty percent of these fleeing Outsiders."
Naruto turned and replied, "Killing people isn't as effective as killing hearts! The key to war is not just victory in battle. It lies within the spirit….
"They've lost their courage, because I crushed their hearts. Without spirit, these Outsiders will become the first stepping stone in raising the morale of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm."
Yuwen Jian revered Naruto , but still had an opinion to express. "Only one victory, or an impressive display by one powerful person… is probably not enough to make that happen."
"You're right. And that's why I need to get into the Vale of the Godgrave as soon as possible, to get that God blood." Naruto stepped onto the altar and looked up into the starry sky, and the giant land mass that was the 1st Heaven.
In that moment, a flickering flame of madness could be seen in his eyes.
"Let me ask you a question," Naruto murmured softly. "Imagine what would happen if the Outsiders from the 1st Heaven looked up and saw their entire world shattering into pieces and then falling down out of the sky. After that, do you think that their spirits, their hearts, and their courage… could remain intact?" His words were spoken in a quiet tone, but the meaning behind them was astonishing enough to rock Heaven and Earth!
Yuwen Jian gasped. "You…." He felt almost as if he had been struck by lightning, and could hardly speak.
Naruto closed his eyes. "The key to winning a war… is destroying your enemy's spirit! To these Outsiders, the 1st Heaven is their home, and their spirit…." With that, he vanished into the altar.
Yuwen Jian was trembling, not from fear, but from excitement and anticipation. Naruto 's words echoed in his mind, and he could truly imagine what it would be like if he was in the middle of fighting the Outsiders, then suddenly looked up to see the 1st Heaven crumbling into pieces and falling out of the sky. To him, it would be something completely exhilarating and galvanizing.
In sharp contrast, the Outsiders would find it… an utter catastrophe!
The Vale of the Godgrave!
It really was a shattered portion of an ancient battlefield. That was the only thing which existed there. Not even the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm could be detected. It was as if the only thing that existed in this place was an all-pervasive will to fight.
In almost the exact same instant that Naruto entered the dimension, he heard the sounds of countless voices echoing in his ears like thunder.
"FIGHT!"
It was a voice belonging, not to any individual entity, but rather, the dimension itself, and the powerful will to fight that had existed in this place for countless years.
It was like an undying soul throwing its head back and howling, consumed with the desire to slaughter its way through the Heavens, the starry sky, and all lands.
If Naruto 's divine will were not as strong as it was, being at eighty percent of a Paragon's, that will to fight would have incited him to instantly attack something. But now, it was simply a slight stimulation that hardly affected him.
However, as soon as Yuwen Jian appeared, he began to shake, and his face drained of blood. Naruto waved his hand, and Yuwen Jian recovered. After looking around, he turned to face Naruto .
"Brother Uzumaki, I can do this myself!" With that, he clasped hands, and then sped off in another direction, eyes gleaming with determination and decisiveness. Naruto watched Yuwen Jian leave the area of protection he had offered, and could see both the difficulty with which he did so, and also the mad desire within his soul that drove him to such lengths. Naruto sighed.
Yuwen Jian had his own path to follow. Naruto understood that, and thus would not intervene. He turned his head and looked off into the distance.
The soil here was black, and littered with countless corpses.
Some had already petrified into stone, while others were still in a state of decay. In fact, the further one proceeded into the depths of the valley, the more slowly things seemed to be rotting and decaying. The Vale of the Godgrave was ring-shaped, with the outer areas being safer, and the danger increasing the closer one got to the center.
If that were all there were to it, it might not be a big deal, but thunder boomed in the air up above, and countless lightning bolts crashed down, almost like a rain of lightning. And yet, what boomed loudest in his ears was not thunder, but rather, that echoing call to fight in battle!
This place was like a Heaven-shaking and Earth-shattering sea of lightning, within which could be seen shadowy figures fighting each other. Normally, the rain of lightning which was pounding down would destroy everything beneath it, but in this case, the battle was so aweinspiring that the effects of the lightning were negligible, whereas the intensity of the combat wreaked havoc upon all Heaven and Earth.
In one location, Naruto spotted an enormous giant made of lightning, which crackled with boundless electricity as it strode to and fro fighting invisible enemies.
Further off, he saw war chariots flying about. As the lightning fell, it pierced through the chariots, and yet they passed through the sheets of lightning as if they weren't even there.
There were cultivators too, locked in magical combat, the sound of which transformed into a call to battle that caused everything to tremble.
On the ground could be seen enormous, 3,000-meter long beasts, as well as cultivators wearing crude, ancient robes. There were also mighty mountains and rivers which seemed to be in a constant state of flux, rising, falling, and changing course with every passing moment.
Most disturbing of all were the illusory cities that popped in and out of existence, a sight that filled the heart with shock.
However, what was more surprising than all of that was what existed in the very center of the valley. After sending his divine sense out to cover everything, Naruto was able to see that there in the center… were two mountains!
Except, they weren't actually mountains, but giants! Each giant was fully 300,000 meters tall, with rough skin that was covered in complex magical symbols. Most notable were the stars which could be seen on their foreheads.
Those stars were gray, as if they had lost all life force. Even still, the corpses of these two giants had not rotted away, but instead, had transformed into mountains.
Apparently, some sort of magical technique had been used on them, shrinking them down to only a portion of their true size.
As soon as Naruto saw the two giants, and the rest of the dimension, he immediately thought back to the Ruins of Immortality in the Ninth Mountain, to that enormous tree he had seen… and the land mass beneath it… which was the corpse of a giant! 1
The feeling Naruto got from the aura of that corpse was very similar to the feeling he got from these two giants. The only difference was the disparity in size.
"Are these… Gods?" Naruto flickered into motion, entering into the world of lightning. He walked along casually, expression calm. With every step he took, endless amounts of lightning crashed down, and yet none of it even touched him.
The illusory war chariots sped toward him with a towering desire to fight, but Naruto didn't dodge. He let them come, and they passed right through him.
As he walked along, he saw shocking beasts roaring, giants swinging their fists, and countless other creatures and beings.
He saw corpses beneath his feet. At first most of the corpses were petrified stone, but more and more rotting corpses appeared, until everything was a mass of putrefying flesh.
Soon, he was passing through from the outer region of the Vale of the
Godgrave into the central area. None of the illusory entities here had
any effect on him.
Neither did the explosive pressure, which felt like nothing more than a cool breeze to him.
Occasionally he would stop in place to observe the illusory fighting going on around him. Often, his eyes would then flicker as if he had gained new enlightenment. After a few days passed, Naruto was in the central region of the Vale of the Godgrave, where he caught sight of a corpse.
Although it was buried in the ground beneath his feet, the entire area was being struck by so much lightning that some of the skin had become visible. It was a giant, at least 30,000 meters tall.
Naruto knelt down and smacked the ground with the palm of his hand. A boom echoed out, causing the soil in the area to disintegrate and reveal the enormous corpse.
He placed his right hand on top of the giant's head, and in the blink of an eye, the giant's face turned crimson. A moment later, it then turned pale as a drop of blood flew out of its forehead and into Naruto 's hand.
He looked thoughtfully at the golden drop of blood.
Finally, he shook his head and said, "Too many impurities. Not pure blood." With that, he put the golden drop of blood away and proceeded along. Eventually he reached the very center of the Vale of the Godgrave. This area could be considered a restricted area for cultivators, a place where very few people could ever enter.
Seven days passed, during which time Naruto traveled to many places within the Vale of the Godgrave, searching high and low until he had collected fully a hundred drops of impure blood.
He had even inspected the two gigantic corpses, from which he extracted some high quality God blood. However, all of that was not enough to experience the breakthrough he was aiming for.
On the other hand, Yuwen Jian had found his good fortune, and his fleshly body was currently experiencing Heaven-shaking, Earth-toppling transformations.
Naruto searched even longer, but couldn't find any more God blood. His face darkened, and he felt disappointed, but at the same time, suspicious.
"I refuse to believe that the Outsiders would have the Vale of the Godgrave so heavily locked down, and yet not send any of their forces inside. There must be Outsiders in here, with the ones on the outside acting as Dharma Protectors.
"Well then, where are they?" Naruto flickered into motion, flying up into the air until he reached a high point where he could look down on all the lands below.
What he saw caused him to tremble, and a strange light to shine in his eyes. What he saw was that the lands that comprised the Vale of the Godgrave were actually about the same size as the giant upon whose back had grown the enormous tree in the Ruins of Immortality in the Ninth Mountain and Sea.
In fact, the Vale of the Godgrave was actually a bit larger than that….
However, what was most shocking to Naruto was that the shape of the land itself… resembled a face!
The highest mountain was the nose of that face, and the deepest valley was formed by the mouth!
Furthermore, in the forehead position, eight stars were visible, very faint, but still flickering with light! Each one of those stars was emanating fluctuations that caused Naruto to tremble. 2 "That's it!" he said, eyes shining brightly.
Naruto saw the corpse in the Ruins of Immortality back in chapter
865 and 866 ↩ This footnote contains some spoilers regarding Renegade Immortal. Yes, these are the same ancient Gods referred to in RI. In that novel, the cultivation system is based on stars, and an 8-star God would be somewhat analogous to the Dao Lord or Dao Sovereign level in ISSTH
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1329Chapter 1329: Breakthrough!
From such an incredibly high position, Naruto could now look down and see the Outsiders. There were three 5-Essences experts among them, surrounded by hosts of other Outsiders. Furthermore, they were not milling about chaotically, but rather, had gathered in three specific areas.
By chance, those three areas happened to be locations on the head of the God, where the stars existed!
Naruto spotted Yuwen Jian in another part of the Vale of the Godgrave, trudging along toward a lightning-filled area, where something like a corpse could be seen.
That corpse was profoundly ancient, and if one looked closely enough, one would see that it was actually… the finger of a God!
Perhaps that was the location of Yuwen Jian's good fortune.
Naruto looked away from all of that for a moment. Everything he had seen in this dimension left him profoundly shaken.
This world, this Vale of the Godgrave, was actually a head! The head of a God!
Despite only being the head, Naruto could tell that it was even larger than the corpse he had encountered back in the Ruins of Immortality in the Ninth Mountain and Sea. That in and of itself left Naruto deeply shaken.
"This… is one of the Outsider… Gods?" His eyes shone with a strange light as he looked down at the enormous land mass which was formed by the head. All of a sudden, he saw images in his mind, a vision of these so-called Gods, seemingly as tall as the Heavens, whose enormous bodies were virtually impossible to fight back against!
In their hands, planets could be crushed to pieces, and the mere brush of their fingers could wipe cultivators out of existence!
Such unequalled power was completely shocking to Naruto , causing the thought of doing battle with beings like this in the future to become even more agonizing than before. At the same time, he refused to be cowed so easily, and felt his heart surging.
"Who cares about these Gods?!
"They can still perish, which means that winning the war against them is still possible. They aren't invincible!" Naruto 's eyes flickered brightly, and his energy rose up, creating a vortex around him which swept out through Heaven and Earth.
"If I can absorb the power of the God's blood right here and now, then I can achieve a fleshly body breakthrough. I can rise from the peak of the Ancient Realm into the Dao Realm!" Back when he had completely extinguished all five Soul Lamps, the Chakra and blood which he had built up became stuck in a fleshly body bottleneck, making a breakthrough impossible.
However, once he did achieve a breakthrough, that power would explode out and push him explosively into the Dao Realm.
Naruto had been waiting for a long time for this day to arrive. He took a deep breath, and without any further hesitation, made a beeline for the enormous God's forehead, toward the first star thereupon.
In that location, a huge lake could be seen!
Naruto flew like a meteor, causing rumbling sounds to echo out, distorting Heaven and Earth as he passed along. Wind screamed and thunder crashed. Nothing, be it illusory or corporeal, could do anything to hinder his progress.
He pierced through every obstacle, and a brief moment later, he was in the air above the vast lake. Not pausing for a moment, he shot down into the lake itself.
Almost as soon as he entered the water, a massive rumbling sound could be heard. The surrounding land shook violently, and the mountains vibrated as all the lake water shot up into the air, forming something like a column that rose high up into the air and then dispersed into a mist.
Now a crater could be seen down below, deep and filled with faint, flickering light. However, that light was profoundly ancient, and contained an indescribable power of Chakra and blood.
A strange gleam shone in Naruto 's eyes as he shot down toward the center of the crater and then sat down crosslegged. Then he stretched his hands out to either side and slapped them down onto the ground.
RUMBLE!
The ground quaked violently, and the sludge at the bottom of the lake vibrated for a moment before transforming into ash. Numerous crevices appeared in the land, most noticeably beneath Naruto . In the center of that crevice could be seen the light of… an enormous… star!
That star actually spread out to cover the entire area of the lake, and emanated an incredibly ancient aura which began to speed toward Naruto . His hair whipped around him, and his clothing flapped wildly. At the same time, a bright light appeared in his eyes as he experienced the sensation of his fleshly body power rising rapidly.
"So it really has been here all along!" Naruto lifted his hand up and then chopped it down into the ground. The power of his cultivation base exploded out as he shot, spear-like, down toward the star.
As the ground trembled, Naruto frowned and then snorted coldly. The parrot flew out, transforming into the Battle Weapon, which he stabbed down. As he did, the Battle Weapon extended, piercing further down into the earth.
The ground was shaking with unprecedented intensity, as if a soundless roar were echoing out through Heaven and Earth. After Naruto pulled the Battle Weapon back up and emerged out of the soil, a drop of golden blood rose up through the gap to float in front of him.
As the blood drop rose up, the land sank and withered, as if it had lost some of its life force. As for the star, it seemed to grow dim.
Naruto looked at the golden drop of blood and took a deep breath. Then, without any hesitation, he reached out, grabbed it… and shoved it into his forehead.
RUMBLE!
As soon as the golden blood touched Naruto , it coursed into him, filling him with sounds like rumbling thunder. His expression twisted, and he began to tremble as his body experienced Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering transformations.
His heart rate increased dramatically, and his blood pumped rapidly through his system. Even his bones emitted cracking sounds. It was as if he were being reborn, as if his flesh and blood were twisting around each other to pump out more power.
Amidst echoing rumbles, Naruto threw his head back and let out an astonishing howl. At the same time, his body grew, and his Chakra and blood surged. The land around him trembled, and far off in the distance, both Yuwen Jian and the Outsiders could sense a shocking aura which stirred their souls, coming from the direction of Naruto .
"This… is the feeling I was going for…." Naruto 's eyes were bright red, and a vicious expression could be seen twisting his face. However, a gleam of excitement was visible in his eyes as he felt the level of this fleshly body increasing, and sensed the indications of an imminent breakthrough.
His bones were transforming, becoming stronger and more resilient!
His flesh and blood were experiencing constant advancement, and a terrifying level of power was surging through him. It was a mad power that could destroy vast swaths of land; every beat of his heart sounded like the crash of thunder.
"Still need some more…." By this point, he had grown to nearly thirty meters tall, making him look like a mountain. Every inch of his flesh exuded a terrifying power.
There were even magical symbols which bulged out all over his skin, radiating an ancient air as his body's energy rocketed up.
A strange light gleamed in his eyes as he suddenly used the tiniest scrap of cultivation base power, not to teleport, but to leap up into the air. The ground beneath his feet shattered and collapsed in on itself as Naruto shot like lightning toward the location of the second star.
It only took a moment for him to bear down on what was a convergence of masses of Outsiders, who were arranged in formation around a violethorned 5-Essences Outsider.
The second star was actually located in a vast plain. The Outsiders had obviously been here for some time, and had excavated a huge pit, at the bottom of which the violet-horned Outsider sat cross-legged, absorbing the thin strands of blood-colored Chakra that were seeping up from the dirt.
As he absorbed the blood-colored qi, he slowly became more powerful, and an aura similar to Naruto 's was even beginning to build up within him.
It was at this point that rumbling sounds filled Heaven and Earth, and a blur shot through the air at an indescribable speed, heading directly toward the pit in the middle of the plain.
It was none other than Naruto !
When he landed, the ground shattered, and countless shocked Outsiders were hit by a powerful shockwave.
Rumbling sounds rose up, along with miserable shrieks, as the shock wave swept over the Outsiders, instantly reducing over a thousand of them into ash.
Further out, the Outsiders who were able to avoid the brunt of the blast coughed up blood, having sustained serious injuries. Some were even sucked down into the collapsing ground.
Naruto 's expression was tranquil. Intense pressure radiated off of his thirty-meter frame as he completely ignored the dying Outsiders around him. A red glow could be seen in his eyes as he turned his head to look at the violet-horned Outsider sitting off to the side.
Even as he turned his head, the Outsider's eyes opened, and without a moment of hesitation, he ceased absorbing the blood-colored Chakra and shot backward in retreat.
"Think you can just leave?" Naruto said with a cold laugh. In the moment that the violet-horned Outsider fell back, Naruto suddenly shot forward at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Outsider, who suddenly found Naruto 's hand gripping his neck.
Even as the Outsider bellowed in rage, the power of Naruto 's cultivation base and fleshly body exploded out through his hand. The Outsider tried to fight back, but his resistance was like a rotting weed against Naruto 's blow. Naruto disregarded it completely, and clenched down with his hand.
The Outsider didn't even have a chance to speak.
A boom could be heard, and the violet-horned Outsider's eyes bulged. Then, his entire body exploded, and all of the blood-colored Chakra which he had absorbed spread out, then bored into Naruto .
Naruto lifted his right foot up into the air and then stamped it down. A boom echoed out as the land shattered, and a drop of golden blood flew up. He quickly grabbed it and pushed it into his forehead.
This was his second drop of God blood, and it was not ordinary God blood, but rather, soul blood!
As it was absorbed into Naruto , he threw his head back and roared. His entire body, including his bones, his flesh and blood, and his internal organs, vibrated violently. At this moment, his Ancient Realm fleshly body… broke through!
Intense reverberations echoed out that could shake Heaven and Earth. Naruto 's fleshly body power skyrocketed to such an extent that traces of numerous natural laws became visible around him.
They were spreading out from his body, and they directly affected the world around him.
"So, this is a Dao Realm fleshly body?" he said, eyes glittering. He took a deep breath as his body grew once more, this time to 300 meters!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1330Chapter 1330: Dao Lord Fleshly Body!
"I can still get stronger!" Naruto suppressed the energy of Chakra and blood building up inside of him, not permitting it to fuse with his fleshly body. Instead, he looked off into the distance, his eyes gleaming with a bright light.
As he shook his body out to limber it up, cracking sounds echoed out. A terrifying fleshly body power emanated out from him, and Naruto could sense that he was already several times stronger than before.
Ignoring the surviving Outsiders in the area, he once again leapt up into the air. The ground beneath him shattered, swallowing up the Outsiders like a giant mouth. Miserable screams echoed out, but then vanished almost immediately. In the blink of an eye, Naruto sped through the air toward the location of the third star.
This place was a tall mountain, and as soon as Naruto landed there, it shattered and collapsed. A huge crater opened up below, and a drop of golden blood flew up. Naruto grabbed it and, without pausing for a moment, absorbed it and then shot toward the fourth star!
He appeared a moment later in the fourth area, where a swamp stretched out in all directions. As soon as he appeared, he slapped his hand down toward the swamp.
The swamp was instantly destroyed, and the God blood concealed deep down below was extracted, shooting into Naruto 's forehead.
Naruto threw his head back and roared, and rumbling sounds could be heard as he grew even taller, instantly reaching 600 meters. His fleshly body now radiated incredible power; he could tell that he was now at the level of a Dao Lord!
"Dao Lord fleshly body!" Naruto licked his lips. The good fortune he was acquiring here was incredible; it was power that could rend the Heavens and crush the Earth! It was as if he were being completely reborn! To him, the Vale of the Godgrave was a place to completely reach a higher level!
He took a deep breath, which caused wind and thunder to scream, and everything to darken. With that, he stamped his foot down, and as the land was destroyed, he suddenly appeared at the location of the fifth star.
There were also Outsiders here, and they seemed prepared to face a powerful enemy. Their cultivation bases exploded with power, sending the entire area into chaos, exerting incredible pressure with a wide array of magical techniques and divine abilities. Numerous shocking shields surrounded a wizened 5-Essences Outsider, who was sitting there crosslegged, absorbing vast quantities of Chakra and blood. As he did so, his gaunt frame radiated an increasingly terrifying power.
Even as Naruto closed in, rumbling sounds could be heard as the Outsider's fleshly body suddenly broke through to the Dao Realm!
Only the best of the best among the Outsiders had been sent into this place to acquire the good fortune of God blood, to increase their fleshly bodies to incredible levels.
The Outsider experienced the fleshly body breakthrough at almost the same moment that Naruto arrived. When Naruto landed, the ground shattered, blasting away in layers as a boundlessly domineering air spread out. All of the Outsiders' divine abilities and magical techniques were shattered as a massive windstorm kicked up. Miserable screams rang out as the vast majority of the Outsiders, unable to stand up to the power, were killed.
Naruto turned and reached a claw-like hand out toward the wizened Outsider. However, in that same moment, the Outsider opened his eyes, which shone with brilliant light. He shot backwards, simultaneously unleashing a fist strike to meet Naruto 's palm.
A boom rang out. Naruto 's expression was the same as ever, but the Outsider coughed up a mouthful of blood, and a shocked expression appeared on his face. He immediately began to retreat at top speed.
Naruto 's eyes flickered coldly as he looked at the fleeing Outsider. Having sensed the level of his opponent's fleshly body, he chuckled coldly, then unleashed his own fist strike!
The Life-Extermination Fist!
This version of the Life-Extermination Fist was completely different than the one he had been able to unleash before. Instantly, all of the life force in the surrounding 30,000-meter area was sucked away.
A 30,000-meter area became a field of death!
The Outsider let out a wretched shriek, and attempted to fight back. However, his life force was inexorably sucked away. Soon, the entire area had absolutely no life force in it, almost as if the natural laws in the area had been changed, as if… life was incompatible with this area!
All of the pressure of this field of death weighed down onto the Outsider; rumbling sounds could be heard as he let out a bloodcurdling scream, and then exploded!
As he exploded, his Chakra and blood dissipated. However, the bits of God blood within him shot toward Naruto , boring into him as if he were the lodestone of all God blood.
Rumbling echoed out from inside of him as he grew even taller, and the power of his fleshly body increased until it was very close to the 4Essences level. Then he flickered, shooting like lightning toward the location of the sixth star.
As Naruto sped along, this part of the Vale of the Godgrave began to collapse, as if he were taking away whatever power it was that supported the head, as if the existence of this part of the dimension was now completely meaningless.
Rumbling could be heard as the collapse spread. By that time, Naruto was at the location of the sixth star.
Here could be seen another huge lake, except that instead of water, it was filled with lightning!
As Naruto neared, the power of that lightning exploded out, converging together and surging toward him as if to overwhelm him.
"Eee…?" Naruto said. Eyes flashing, he looked at the lake of lighting, and did nothing to avoid it. Instead, he plunged into the middle of it all. Rumbling could be heard as the lightning slammed into him. He shook his arms and legs, and the lightning collapsed.
However, it seemed endless, slamming into him relentlessly, over and over again. Naruto snorted coldly, then clenched his right hand into a fist and unleashed a fist strike onto the ground directly beneath the lake of lightning.
It was not the Life-Extermination fist, it was the Bedevilment Fist!
The Bedevilment Fist had been unleashed onto the land!
The ground trembled, and crevices spread out. Naruto 's eyes flickered with a red glow, and his cultivation base rotated madly. Combined with the power of his fleshly body, it put his energy… at something past what Lord White had been. In fact, it was no weaker than Ksitigarbha. This was the power of… a 6-Essences Dao Sovereign!
Rumbling rose up, and the ground collapsed. A gigantic crater appeared that was far larger than any of the previous craters, and the lake of lighting was completely swallowed up!
Since the troublesome lake of lightning was attempting to block his progress just like the land was, Naruto decided to wipe them both away simultaneously!
The lake of lightning faded away, and Naruto lifted his right hand, causing a golden drop of blood to rise up from the lands below, which he grabbed.
Almost as soon as he touched the golden blood, a roar of rage suddenly seemed to echo out from down below.
Naruto 's eyes flickered. Even as the roar echoed out, he pushed the golden blood into his forehead. A tremor ran through him, and the signs of an imminent breakthrough once again erupted out.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as Naruto grew to a size of, not 600 meters, but 1,200 meters. He threw his head back and roared, causing all light to dim. Ignoring the roar of rage directed against him, he shot toward the area with the seventh star.
That location was covered by a dense forest, much of which had already been felled by the more than 10,000 Outsiders in the area. Moments ago, all of them had been in the midst of kowtowing in the direction of a huge crater, in the middle of which was an aged Outsider with dull scales. He sat there cross-legged, constantly absorbing the bloodcolored Chakra from the ground.
As of this point, his relentless absorption seemed to have drained the area of at least ninety percent of the Chakra there.
In the same moment that Naruto destroyed the lake of lightning, this Outsider Patriarch's eyes snapped open, and they radiated with ancient and boundless cruelty. Suddenly, he said, "Sacrifice!"
As the words left his mouth, the surrounding Outsiders unhesitatingly… unleashed their cultivation bases in order to self-detonate!
The self-detonation of over 10,000 Outsiders created a towering force, which then transformed into a blinding light that obliterated everything in a 5,000 meter radius. At the same time, much of that power was absorbed by the Outsider Patriarch by means of some unknown technique.
Naruto arrived in almost the exact moment that all the Outsiders selfdetonated. The blast itself would have seriously injured him were it not for the fact that his fleshly body had just experienced a breakthrough into the 5-Essences level.
Even as Naruto closed in, a figure shot up from within the blast of the self-detonations, slamming a fist into Naruto 's chest.
Naruto lurched to a stop, a strange glow in his eyes. However, he didn't retreat, but instead advanced, slamming forward in an attack. A muffled grunt rang out from the mouth of the shadowy figure who had just attacked him, and Naruto laughed coldly as he went in for another attack.
Massive crashing booms rang out as the two of them exchanged hundreds of blows. Soon, the shadows which cloaked the figure began to slip away, revealing the Outsider Patriarch.
By this point, however, he didn't seem as old as he had before. He had more life force, and his fleshly body power, which was at the Dao Lord level, when combined with this 5-Essences cultivation base, made him similar to a Dao Sovereign!
"No wonder you chose the Seventh Mountain and Sea…. Lord White turned traitor, plus you planned to use this place… to produce three experts on the level of a Dao Sovereign." Naruto 's eyes flickered with the realization that, if he hadn't come here for the same purpose as these Outsiders, and arrived just in the nick of time, then they would have succeeded in their efforts, which would have been a catastrophe for the Mountain and Sea Realm.
The Outsider Patriarch's eyes flickered with killing intent, and yet inwardly, he was afraid, and backed up. He knew that he was not a match for Naruto , and therefore, since he couldn't get any more God blood from this area, he decided that he might as well just leave.
Even as he began to back away, killing intent flared within Naruto 's eyes, and he flickered into motion towards the old Outsider.
The Outsider Patriarch laughed derisively as he raised his right hand up into the air and made a ripping motion, causing a huge rift to be torn open in the sky. "If I feel like leaving, nobody but a Paragon can stop me!"
Instantly, he shot toward that exit rift at top speed.
At the exact same time, a power of emptiness suddenly erupted out from him. It was none other than Essence power!
"Essence of emptiness!" the old Outsider said slowly. "Heaven and Earth are not real. Nothing under a Paragon can stop my teleportation magic." With that, he began to fade away into the rift.
A moment later, Naruto 's attack reached him, and it passed directly through him.
"Well, isn't this interesting," Naruto said, eyes flickering. He attacked again, but this time he performed an incantation gesture and then pointed up toward the Heavens.
"Demon Sealing Hexing magic, hex this dimension! Eighth Hex!
"Seventh Hex!
"Sixth Hex!
"Fifth Hex!
"Third Hex!
"Second Hex!
"Let's see how you get away now!" The entire dimension was shaking in response to the wave of Naruto 's finger. It was at this point that the Outsider Patriarch's face completely fell.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1331Chapter 1331: God Curse!
The Eighth Hex ceased all movement in the dimension. Everything went still and quiet. As for the Seventh Hex, it sealed the dimension's cycle of Karma, freezing it within all memories.
The Sixth Hex locked down life and death, replacing reincarnation, making the entire dimension like a tree without roots.
The Fifth Hex threw everything into chaos. Inside became out, the universe twisted, Heaven and Earth went dark, and all light faded!
The Third Hex caused the river of time in the dimension to slow to a halt. Time had no boundaries, no limits, no end, and yet the flow of time was stopped.
The Second Hex caused the emptiness to become reality!
Amidst massive rumbling sounds, the Outsider's face fell, and his body was forced out of its illusory state. The entire dimension went quiet as Heaven and Earth were sealed.
As he appeared in the flesh, the Outsider was shocked to find that he couldn't move. He was only able to hover there, motionless, his heart overwhelmed with fear as he looked at Naruto .
"What magical technique is this…? This isn't full Essence, but it contains the power of Essence. Furthermore… if this becomes true Essence, then this person… he'll… he'll….
"He has the foundation of a Paragon! His fleshly body is already at the
5-Essences level, and with a cultivation base foundation like this… he….
"If this kid isn't stopped, he's definitely going to become a Paragon!"
Even as the Outsider reeled in astonishment, Naruto advanced with lightning-like speed. As he did, he extended his index finger, which stabbed into the Outsider's forehead. Despair and rage boiled up in the Outsider's eyes, and then, his life force was exterminated.
In the moment that the flame of his life force was snuffed out, the Outsider's true form became visible in front of Naruto : a 3,000-meterlong lizard.
The lizard radiated an aura of death, but that couldn't cover over his incredible ancientness. It was impossible to tell how many countless years this Outsider had lived, and yet, even as his lizard body trembled, a drop of golden blood appeared on his forehead.
Within that golden blood were flecks of black, which were vile impurities from the Outsider himself. Naruto waved his hand, causing the golden blood to begin to burn. After the impurities were expunged, the golden blood flew toward Naruto and fused into his forehead.
Rumbling sounds could be heard as Naruto grew taller. Although the growth wasn't very dramatic, the power his fleshly body radiated was more terrifying than ever. Everything around him distorted, as if the natural laws were being expelled. At the same time… a burst of 5Essences fleshly body power erupted from within him.
"Almost at the 6-Essences level!" Madness gleamed in Naruto 's eyes. 6-Essences was the peak of the Dao Sovereign level. For a long time, Naruto 's fleshly body had been one Realm higher than his cultivation base. However, it had eventually become stuck between the
Ancient Realm and the Dao Realm. Without God blood, that was a difficult gap to bridge.
But now, if he were to be able to reach a Dao Sovereign fleshly body in one fell swoop, Naruto 's battle prowess would be virtually incomprehensible. He would be in a position to actually tangle with Paragons!
As of this moment, he truly was the most powerful expert in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Naruto took a deep breath as he released the dimension from the grips of the Hexing magic. To seal an entire world in this way was not something he could sustain for more than a few breaths of time. Even still, it was something completely Heaven-defying.
Naruto could now clearly sense that his cultivation base and battle prowess were far beyond what they had been when the war had started. He was now incredibly powerful!
Rumbling sounds could be heard as Naruto shot toward the region of the final star.
This area was different from all of the other areas.
It was not a mountain peak, not a plain, not a lake, but rather… an enormous statue!
A boundless mist covered the statue, which depicted a middle-aged man, standing atop a star. He was dignified and imposing, with a river of stars in his right hand, and a barbaric and domineering aura.
As Naruto closed in, the statue's aura suddenly erupted into chaos, causing the mist to churn. At the same time, the statue's eyes suddenly turned golden.
The statue's eyes radiated explosive light, and its voice was matchlessly cold and sinister as it said, "Those not of the God Clan may not possess God blood! Anyone who steals God blood will be cursed for all time by the Gods, and will be exterminated!"
A majestic divine will erupted from the statue, a wave of hatred that swept out in all directions, enveloping everything, including Naruto .
Naruto 's face fell as the divine will swept over him, distorting everything in the world. It was as if the power of time travel were being unleashed, as if everything were becoming illusory. In the blink of an eye, everything became clear again, and the world from before was gone.
There was no statue, no Vale of the Godgrave, no… Mountain and Sea Realm!
Stretching out in front of him was an endless starry sky, within which floated an enormous, shocking land mass, so large that it seemed comparable to the starry sky itself.
Thousands of other smaller land masses floated beneath that main enormous land mass, upon which a war was raging. The flames of combat burned, and the sounds of fierce fighting rang out. Divine abilities thundered, giving rise to massive waves of sound.
"This…." Naruto 's mind was reeling as he looked at the huge continent. Although this was his first time seeing it in this specific way, there was a voice calling out from within his blood telling him that this was… the Paragon Immortal Realm!
Rumbling could be heard, and Naruto spotted a giant. It was huge, almost as big as the entire land mass, and behind it were more giants, all striding forward.
The giants were so terrifying that the single sweep of a fist could slay a thousand cultivators, and the wave of a finger could destroy the Heavens and extinguish the Earth.
The land masses that were the Lower Realms shattered one after another, but at the same time, the Paragon Immortal Realm was trembling violently. Fissures of destruction spread out, and yet the Paragon Immortal Realm continued to fight back violently.
God blood rained out of the heavens as the giant Gods were felled. Naruto 's mind was reeling as he saw one of the Gods, who had eight stars on its head, suddenly turn to look at him.
For some reason, this God's facial features seemed familiar. Naruto 's pupils constricted, and his mind rumbled as he realized… that it was the exact same God whose head made up the Vale of the Godgrave.
"God Curse…." murmured the 8-star God, killing intent flickering in his eyes. He suddenly veered out of the ranks of his fellows, bursting through the surrounding cultivators to head in Naruto 's direction. Naruto was some distance away, but because of the enormity of the God, it was almost impossible to see him clearly with one glance. For someone that huge, it only took one step to reach Naruto !
He strode across the entire starry sky to appear right in front of Naruto . A screaming sound could be heard, like a wild wind that caused heavenly bodies to tremble…. And that was merely the God raising its hand. Its index finger extended, causing powerful ripples to spread out in all directions as it pierced through the starry sky.
Rumbling sounds echoed out from the boundless destructive power emanating out from that enormous finger. It completely filled Naruto 's field of vision, cutting off the starry sky, cutting off the entire world.
An intense sensation of deadly crisis exploded up within Naruto , a sensation which seemed completely realistic. It didn't matter than Naruto had his Real-Unreal Hexing; to him, this felt absolutely real, and not false!
"But… that's impossible!" he thought. "What magical technique is this? This can't be real! This is an ancient war, and even if I was sent here somehow, it would be as an observer. My real body couldn't be here!" Naruto 's face flickered, but there was no time to consider the situation at length. As the finger closed in on him, he shot backward, unleashing the full power of his cultivation base and fleshly body.
Unfortunately, all of that was useless!
In the critical moment, Naruto then performed an incantation gesture and unleashed Demon Sealing Hexing magic!
He didn't utilize all of the Hexes, but rather… the most powerful… Third Hex!
Present-Ancient Hexing!
The Dao of Time was unleashed, causing Naruto 's body to blur. He suddenly seemed to fade into the river of time, and the incoming finger passed through him.
A boom rang out, and blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth. He felt himself weakening to the point where he was about to collapse into pieces. However, the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation helped him recover, and he fell back at top speed, eyes glittering.
"It's real, and also not real… illusory, and yet not illusory. It's a dreamscape! If you die in a dream, you can die in real life!" Having received inspiration in the nick of time, he suddenly extended his hand. Without any hesitation, he performed an incantation gesture to unleash Karmic Hexing, then touched his own forehead.
Instantly, his Karma Threads appeared. Among the hosts of threads, he found one that looked different than the rest, the one that had appeared after absorbing the God blood, the Karma Thread connecting him to this God!
The God might be dead, but because of the connection of this Karma, he was still able to unleash his Daoist magic.
Naruto grabbed ahold of the Karma Thread, and was just about to rip it apart, when the God suddenly looked at him. He had no time to attack, so instead, he opened his mouth and roared in Naruto 's direction!
The roar of a God!
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
The roar shattered everything between the God and Naruto . An incredible power of extermination roared toward him, inundating him. In that same moment, Naruto snapped the Karma Thread.
RUMBLE!
Everything went dark. Time passed. Eventually, things grew clear again, and Naruto was no longer in that ancient starry sky. He was back in the Vale of the Godgrave.
The golden light in the eyes of the statue had faded away, and yet, an unyielding roar could be heard echoing about as the statue collapsed.
Naruto 's face darkened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was rapidly recovering, but even simply thinking about the danger he had just been in left him trembling.
"Not willing to let me steal the God blood huh…?" Naruto looked at the shattered statue, and could sense that the God blood which had been there before was now gone. That very blood was what had been used to fuel the divine ability which had transported him back to ancient times.
Naruto began to chuckle coldly, then waved his sleeve. Killing intent sprang up in his eyes.
"Well, even without the eighth drop of God blood, I can still… acquire a
Dao Sovereign fleshly body!"
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1332Chapter 1332: Extinguishing the Sixth Lamp!
Naruto 's voice echoed out into the crumbling remains of the dimension. Because the region that held the eighth star had collapsed, the entire world was falling to pieces.
The land sank in, and an enraged roar filled the air. Lightning continued to crash constantly, as if the end of days had arrived.
As for Naruto , he floated there slowly in the air, neither touching the land nor rising high up into the sky. His hair floated around him, and his clothes rippled. At the same time, a bizarre light shone within his eyes.
"It's time to converge… the Chakra and blood that I built up when extinguishing my Soul Lamps!" He swished his sleeve, then tapped his right index finger onto his chest.
That motion seemed to open up a stoppered hole of Chakra and blood inside of him. Rumbling echoed out, along with a furious sea of Chakra and blood power that exploded out ferociously.
His physical frame, which was now hundreds of meters tall, looked even more majestic than before. At the same time, his fleshly body power rose rapidly. Although it didn't experience the same increase it had when absorbing God blood, it was still incredibly powerful.
His heart began to beat faster and faster. His bones became stronger and more resilient. His flesh and blood buzzed with power, and increasingly intense rumbling sounds filled him.
As of this moment, the level of his fleshly body increased yet again, passing into the mid 5-Essences level.
Naruto 's eyes flickered as he lifted up his right hand again, this time pressing down onto his forehead. Rumbling could be heard as the second wave of Chakra and blood hidden within him burst out, filling him completely and causing his fleshly body power to rocket up.
"Still not enough!" He performed an incantation gesture with his right hand and then pressed down onto his dantian. Chakra and blood power erupted out, surging through him. He grew larger and larger; by now, he was nearly 1,800 meters tall, and was terrifying to behold.
By now, his fleshly body was in the late 5-Essences level.
"I still have two batches of reserve power to unleash," he said, eyes shining brightly. He had Chakra and blood built up from five extinguished Soul Lamps, and so far, had unleashed three of those batches. Now, it was without any hesitation that he performed an incantation gesture and pushed down on the top of his head.
Rumbling sounds echoed out, and Naruto 's vision swam. At the same time, an incredible power of Chakra and blood exploded from the top of his head. As it filled his body, he threw his head back and howled. He grew taller, reaching 2,100 meters in height. He was trembling, his flesh and blood felt as if it would split apart, and his heart seemed to be on the verge of exploding.
Heaven and Earth twisted, and the air around him trembled as a violent aura expanded out.
As of this moment, Naruto 's fleshly body strength was equivalent to the peak of the 5-Essences level. He was only a step away… from being at the 6-Essences Dao Sovereign level!
Once that happened, and he combined his fleshly body power with that of his cultivation base, his explosive battle prowess would put him at the peak of the Dao Sovereign level. Although he couldn't be considered half a step into the Paragon level, he would be very close to that!
"Last one!" he roared. Performing a double-handed incantation gesture, he simultaneously pushed down onto his chest and dantian. All of his power was unleashed, and it surged through him like an ocean.
He was now 2,400 meters tall. At the same time, his skin ripped and tore, causing blood to shower down. Pain blasted through him, and were it not for his incredible willpower, he would definitely be unable to endure.
He let out an intense howl as he reached 2,700 meters in height. The sensation of power that completely filled him left Naruto convinced that if he faced Lord White right now… he could defeat him with a single punch!
One punch could shake the starry sky. One punch could shatter heavenly bodies. One punch… could kill Mountain and Sea Lords!
Heaven and Earth were filled with rumbling sounds, and the dimension shook violently. Naruto could now sense… a Dao!
It was the Dao of power, a Dao of Heaven and Earth, something that he could just barely touch….
However, he was still in the 5-Essences level. He was able to sense that his fleshly body was still not in the 6-Essences level. Were it in the 6Essences level, he wouldn't just be touching that Dao, he would be holding it in the palm of his hand!
Only with power like that could he stand in the presence of a 7-Essences Paragon and be qualified to remain alive. In fact, he might even be able to strike fear into the heart of such a Paragon!
"I can't believe a 6-Essences fleshly body is so difficult to attain…. However, the words already left my mouth. I'm definitely going to acquire a peak Dao Sovereign fleshly body!"
RUMBLE!
As the Chakra and blood power coursed through him, Naruto 's body experienced continuous growth. By this point, he was fully… 2,997 meters tall!
It was a gap of only three meters, but that gap was like the difference between Heaven and Earth. That small gap of three meters would be as difficult to cross as the preceding 2,997 meters! 1
"Ancient Lamps, come forth!" Naruto eyes shone with a gleam of madness as he waved his sleeve, causing the air around him to vibrate as 33 Soul Lamps suddenly appeared.
5 were extinguished, 28 were burning. The light cast upon Naruto made him look like an Immortal Divinity. He swished his sleeve, eyes coming to rest on the 6th of the Soul Lamps.
"I've already passed the First of the Seven Desolations. Next is the Second Desolation, that of the fleshly body. I should be at the point of being able to extinguish this 6th lamp!" Eyes gleaming with determination, and not hesitating for even a moment, he waved his hand toward the 6th Soul Lamp.
"Extinguish!"
His divine will erupted, and rumbling sounds could be heard as the 6th Soul Lamp went out. Instantly, vast quantities of green smoke appeared, which Naruto instantly absorbed.
In the moment that the smoke entered his body, he began to shake. He suddenly felt as if his body were corroding. However, the intense withering sensation caused Naruto to smile.
There was pain, but he had experienced worse pain than this in the past.
Usually, the Seven Desolations were something that would be passed with extreme caution in secluded meditation, with a Dharma Protector on the outside. However, as he experienced the twinge of pain, Naruto became quite confident in being able to breeze through the first tribulation within the Second Desolation.
His fleshly body was so incredibly powerful that the Fleshly Body Desolation couldn't shake it at all. His body continued to corrode, and his marrow vanished. It was as if there were a black hole inside of him sucking away at him, causing him to constantly wither.
However, the withering didn't bother him at all.
By this point, the dimension around him was crumbling completely. The lands were shattered, Heaven and Earth destroyed. The Vale of the Godgrave was falling apart. Naruto took a deep breath; the withering of his flesh could do absolutely nothing to harm the power of his cultivation base and fleshly body. He reached his right hand out and made a grasping motion, grabbing onto Yuwen Jian. Then, he flickered into motion, crossing through the air to suddenly appear outside the Vale of the Godgrave, in the starry sky of the Seventh Mountain and Sea.
Almost as soon as he appeared outside, the power of tribulation rumbled down, which was none other than the fleshly body Dao Tribulation that came when one's fleshly body stepped into the Dao!
However, there was something strange about the tribulation. Because of the war between the Mountain and Sea Realm and the 1st Heaven, or perhaps because of the mere presence of the 1st Heaven, the Dao Realm Tribulation didn't come!
Naruto frowned, pondered the situation for a moment, but then put the matter aside. Because of his current fleshly body, transcending tribulation wouldn't be difficult for him anyway, not even with the Second Desolation inside of him.
Behind him, the altar that was the entrance to the Vale of the Godgrave cracked and then fell apart. The dimension which contained the Vale transformed into nothing more than ash.
Yuwen Jian was unconscious, but he pulsed with the aura of God blood.
Even more noteworthy was that his index finger was now different than it had been before, and contained terrifying fluctuations.
"So that is the good fortune he sought," Naruto thought. Looking away, he flicked his sleeve, vanishing along with Yuwen Jian. When he reappeared, he was back on Planet Tiger Cage. After delivering Yuwen Jian to the cultivators there, he left. With a final glance at the planet, he flashed out into the starry sky.
He could clearly sense the terrifying fleshly body power inside of him, which vastly exceeded what he could unleash before. As he traveled along through the starry sky, he clenched his hands into fists, and everything around him trembled as powerful ripples spread out.
"The Desolation will continue for a bit longer… then it will end." Based on Naruto 's current trajectory, it was obvious that his destination was the Fourth Mountain and Sea.
He had a burning desire to see Hinata. After he did, he would then attempt to accomplish something that would rock the Mountain and Sea Realm, as well as all of the 33 Heavens!
If he succeeded, the spirit of the Mountain and Sea Realm would rise, and his name would spread throughout the 33 Heavens. Then, everyone would know that in the Mountain and Sea Realm, there was a cultivator named… Naruto !
He looked up into the starry sky, then proceeded along, a beam of brilliant light that shot off into the distance. Soon, he was closing in on the barrier that separated the Seventh and Sixth Mountains and Seas. To Naruto , that barrier wasn't even worth mentioning. He pierced through, almost immediately finding an exit, which he blasted through to enter the Sixth Mountain and Sea.
This was his first time in the Sixth Mountain and Sea, and although he was not familiar with the place, there was definitely an aura here that was very familiar. That was… the aura of Outsiders!
Similar to the Seventh Mountain and Sea, the Sixth Mountain and Sea had been almost fully occupied by the Outsiders.
As he entered this Mountain and Sea, Naruto 's body withered up even more, and he looked even more gaunt. However, his battle prowess was no less than before, and in fact, was increasing. The end of the Desolation was approaching!
When that happened, his fleshly body power would erupt, and he would fully enter the Dao Sovereign fleshly body level!
By now, he wasn't even paying attention to the Desolation. He sent his divine sense out into the starry sky, and could almost immediately detect countless black cubes. There was still fighting going on here, most especially in one particular region, where a truly bizarre conflict was underway.
There could be seen a middle-aged man in a long violet robe. A shield of red light swirled around him, and his eyes were closed. His face was pale, as if he had been seriously injured, and he sat there cross-legged and completely motionless.
Outside of the shield which protected him was an Outsider, who was currently attempting to break down the shield. Assisting the Outsider was an old man. The old man's expression was tranquil, but when he looked at the other man inside the shield, his eyes flickered with avarice.
Naruto recognized this Outsider. It was one of the incarnations of that Outsider Dao Sovereign!
And this version was clearly a clone!
As for the old man assisting him, he was emanating a remnant of the power of the Mountains and Seas, ensuring that Naruto could instantly identify him.
This man was a traitor, just like Lord White had been. He was… the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea!
2997 meters is 999 zhang. The final gap is only 1 zhang ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1333Chapter 1333: Was I So Wrong?
The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea looked at the violet-robed man behind the shield and coolly said, "Lord Wu, you must surely know you can't succeed. Why keep trying?" 1
Off to the side, the Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone smiled, and a flicker of derision appeared in his eyes.
The violet-robed man inside the shield, Lord Wu, didn't respond. His eyes were tightly shut, and his face was pale white. Based on the cultivation base power swirling within him, he was obviously trying to achieve a breakthrough.
Earlier, he had been fighting with the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and
Sea, and the two of them were evenly matched. But then the Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone suddenly appeared and, when he joined forces with the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, they were just too powerful. Lord Wu had been forced to put his own status as Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea on the line; he had shattered his Mountain and Sea crown to create the shield which was currently keeping him safe. Then he took advantage of the brief respite from the fighting to attempt to force a breakthrough.
He knew that the only way to be able to continue fighting would be to break through from the 5-Essences level to 6-Essences. If he couldn't… then the Mountain and Sea shield he created would eventually fail, and he would be at their mercy.
Now that he was inside the shield, he had few options. In fact, he was trapped, and the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea and the Outsider Dao Sovereign clone had far too many methods of slowly refining him.
In fact, that was exactly what they were doing right now. Black flames emanated off of the clone, surrounding the shield. The raging inferno caused cracking sounds to ring out; Lord Wu was slowly being refined into a medicinal pill.
The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea laughed. "You might have destroyed your Mountain and Sea crown, but you're still a Mountain and Sea Lord. After refining you into a Mountain and Sea pill, I'll consume you and once again be able to wield the power of the Mountains and Seas!"
As soon as the 1st Heaven descended, he had been stripped of his status as a Mountain and Sea Lord. However, if he could consume Lord Wu, then he would once again be able to unleash Mountain and Sea power!
When Lord Wu continued to ignore him, the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea gave a cold snort. "Stubborn fool!"
Lord Wu's eyes snapped open, and he glowered at the old man. "I might be a stubborn fool, but that's better than being like you… a traitor to the Mountain and Sea Realm!"
During the course of their battle, it had become clear that the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea was not an Outsider, but rather, was a cultivator of the Mountains and Seas!
When the Lord White of the Seventh Mountain and Sea defected, that was a completely different matter. He was an Outsider in disguise, who had plotted and schemed his way into his position. The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, however, was a complete and utter traitor!
"Traitor?" The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea stood there quietly for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. It was a sinister laugh, filled with madness and obsession. "That's right, I am a traitor. So what?!
"Considering my latent talent and good fortune, if I hadn't been born in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and hadn't been held back by my status and bloodline, then I could have long since stepped into the 6-Essences level. In fact, I might even be a Paragon!
"I've practiced cultivation for 33,000 years. I'm a Mountain and Sea Lord at the peak of the 5-Essences level. Yet what does that get me?
"The Mountain and Sea Realm is sealed by the 33 Heavens, cursed. Held back! The highest cultivation base is the peak of the 5-Essences level. Was turning traitor for the purposes of increasing my cultivation base really so wrong?
"Cultivators practice cultivation for themselves. Who cares about one's family and one's people? Everything can be cast aside in the pursuit of a great Dao. To further my cultivation, I cast off all past Karmic ties!
"Besides, the Mountain and Sea Realm… can't possibly win this war. A wise man submits to the circumstances. Can you really find fault with my choice?" As the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea spoke, his voice grew louder and louder until he was shouting. It was almost as if he wasn't speaking to the violet-robed Lord Wu, but rather, himself.
The Outsider clone stood off to the side, laughing, and the scorn in his eyes grew deeper. Apparently, that scorn was directed, not just at Lord Wu, but also at the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea.
The Lord Wu looked at the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, the pain in his heart visible on his face. "With our home gone and our people gone," he said, "what is the point of existing?"
He had known the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea for ten thousand years, and had considered him a close friend. And yet, this was how things were ending.
"You say we're sealed, and that's true," he continued, "but that doesn't mean we're without options. Look at Ksitigarbha! He's the perfect example!"
"Ksitigarbha? He controls reincarnation. The Fourth Mountain is unique. That's the only way he can sidestep the sealing of the 33 Heavens, by means of the power of reincarnation. Considering he has his own Dao, he can even step into the Daosource!
"In all of the Mountain and Sea Realm, who can do that besides him?
Nobody! Not a single person can step into the true Dao Sovereign level!
"Well, there are those old-timers, but their Chakra and blood is on the decline, and they can only explode with power by harming their longevity. What good is that?!
"As for me, I will leave the Mountain and Sea Realm. I will become a cultivator of the 33 Heavens. I might lose my position and my freedom, but… at least I will have a great Dao!
"It won't take long. In a few thousand years, when the Mountain and Sea
Realm is gone, I will still be here. At the very least, I'll be a true Dao Sovereign, but if luck is with me, I might be a Paragon! I will definitely have an important place in the 33 Heavens!" The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea began to laugh loudly.
Lord Wu could only look on bitterly. No matter how rapidly his cultivation base rotated, the gap separating him from the 6-Essences level was too great.
Actually, this was not the first time he had faced such a situation. It was over 10,000 years ago that he had first reached the point of being able to break through. However, despite trying on multiple occasions to do so, he had always failed.
Even now, when everything was at stake, when he was stuck in a corner, he was still unable to force his cultivation base past that point. The sealing of the 33 Heavens was always there, radiating invisible pressure, which of course was why they were so arrogant.
The Outsider clone laughed heartily, a laughter filled with cruelty and scorn. He loved being able to watch two Mountain and Sea Lords in such a mutually destructive scenario. One had turned traitor, the other was trying to break through. He just loved it!
In the past, Immortals had always seemed so aloof and remote. But now, he could cause them to live or die on a whim. It was a wonderful feeling, and he couldn't get enough of it.
Laughing, the Outsider Dao Sovereign's clone turned to the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea and said, "All cultivators who capitulate to the 33 Heavens will be qualified to make cultivation base breakthroughs. Fellow Daoist Cang, perhaps it won't be too long before you're on equal footing with me. 2
"Finish refining this man and then consume the resulting Mountain and Sea pill. Help us to wipe out the rest of the Mountain and Sea Lords. That will earn you quite a bit of merit."
The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, Lord Cang, took a deep breath. Then, it was with excitement and other mixed emotions that he clasped hands and bowed to the Outsider.
More cracking sounds could be heard as rips and tears spread out across Lord Wu's shield. He then began to laugh bitterly as he realized that he had failed once again.
"Like I said, there is no way you can succeed," Lord Cang said coldly. "What a stubborn fool. Other than Ksitigarbha, nobody in the Mountain and Sea Realm can become a true Dao Sovereign!" With that, he swished his sleeve, apparently ready to begin consuming Lord Wu.
However, even as the words he had just spoken continued to echo out, a cold voice suddenly spread through the starry sky.
"You think that Ksitigarbha is the only one who can become a true Dao Sovereign?"
The voice came as a complete surprise to Lord Cang, and even the Outsider clone, neither of whom had sensed anyone approaching. The Outsider Dao Sovereign's jaw dropped, and he turned his head.
Lord Cang's eyes went wide. Cultivation base rumbling, he spun around.
Even Lord Wu suddenly looked up.
The gazes of all three immediately locked onto a figure who was approaching through the starry sky.
It was a handsome young man in a long green robe, with flowing hair. He almost didn't look like a cultivator, but rather, a scholar. In fact, if he were wearing a scholar's traveling case, people would most likely think he was on his way to the Imperial examinations.
It was none other than Naruto !
As he approached, no ripples spread out into the starry sky. And yet, naturals laws were wiped clean as he passed, and an indescribable pressure radiated off of him.
He almost seemed like an enormous ocean, backed by huge waves which could crush down on anything.
The first one to recognize him was the Outsider Dao Sovereign, whose face flickered as he said, " Naruto !"
In the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, the only person he feared, other than Paragon Sea Dream and Ksitigarbha… was this very person. Naruto !
Back on the Eighth Mountain, one of his other clones had been killed by the combined efforts of Naruto and the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.
As for Lord Cang, this was his first time ever laying eyes onto Naruto .
After sensing the fluctuations of Naruto 's cultivation base, his eyes narrowed. "Peak of 5-Essences?"
Although Naruto was not a Mountain and Sea Lord, he still had the power of the Mountains and Seas on him. And despite his lack of Essences, Lord Cang's senses were telling him that Naruto was at the peak of 5-Essences.
In the moment that Naruto appeared, the Outsider's eyes flickered with killing intent, and he could sense the towering murderous aura emanating off of him.
It was a murderous aura that no one else would be able to detect, a murderous aura that came into being because of… Outsiders!
The only way someone could emanate such a murderous aura was… to kill countless numbers of Outsiders!
"Are you looking to die!?" the clone said. Leaping into action, he performed an incantation gesture, sending a black sea of flames out, filled with Essence power. It became a huge black flame python, which lunged toward Naruto , maw gaping wide.
"If you were here in your true form, I might be worried," Naruto said coolly. "But you're just a clone. You think you can stand in my way?" With that, he waved his arm.
It was a casual gesture, but when his cultivation base rotated and his fleshly body power was unleashed, shockwaves spread out into the starry sky. The huge flame python seemed to slam into an invisible obstacle; it let out a miserable shriek and then completely exploded.
The clone's face fell, and his heart began to thump. However, he didn't back down. Instead, he flickered into motion, the scales on his body rising up and transforming into a windstorm. Lightning crackled and danced, thunder boomed, wind screamed, and rain went wild. A sea of flames roared up, and the power of emptiness raged, causing his body to turn illusory and merge with the powerful, killing attack.
The power of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning transformed into four vicious dragons. At the same time, the black flames turned into a face which shook the starry sky as it bore down on Naruto .
Lord Wu's surname is a character which, although a real Chinese surname, also means "wizard." Incidentally, this is the only time that he is actually referred to by name in these next few chapters. The rest of the time he is referred to as "the violet-robed man" or "Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea." Er Gen does this pretty often with minor characters.
In order to make the narrative flow a bit more smoothly, I'm going to use Lord Wu in most places, instead of the other two ways of referring to him. ↩ Lord Cang's surname is a real Chinese surname which can also mean "blue-green" or "cold." This is also the only time he is referred to by name, but to make things smoother I'm going to do the same thing with him as with Lord Wu. (see above footnote) ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1334Chapter 1334: Dao Sovereign!
Lord Cang could sense the pressure radiating off of Naruto . This was also the first time he had ever seen this Outsider Dao Sovereign clone act in such a way. Therefore, he immediately joined him in the attack.
His heart was thumping; he knew that he couldn't afford to underestimate Naruto , who left him in complete fear and trepidation.
Without the slightest hesitation, he performed an incantation gesture, causing Essence power to erupt out. All five of his Essences were unleashed, the most powerful being the last, the Essence of light!
What was drawn upon was not the brightness of light, but rather, the speed of light! As the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, what he had always excelled in was speed!
He closed in rapidly, waving his hand, causing his Essences to transform into divine abilities. Colors flashed in the sky, the stars trembled, and an enormous Essence hand appeared, which grabbed at Naruto .
Both he and the Outsider were holding nothing back in their attack upon
Naruto . They even used magical items. As for the Outsider Dao Sovereign, each and every one of his scales was just such a magical item, filled with shocking power that, when combined, could destroy heavenly bodies.
The former Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea had magical items in the form of two pearls, both of which were crimson. They swirled around him, transforming into two red meteors that shot forth, emanating incredible pressure.
Rumbling echoed out as these two powerful experts simultaneously tried to kill Naruto . Meanwhile, Lord Wu sat anxiously behind his shield.
However, Naruto 's expression never changed from its usual calmness. He eyed the two approaching enemies, then smiled. All of a sudden, he found himself thinking about how he had entered that ancient illusory world within the Vale of the Godgrave, and had seen that enormous God, who had roared at him in fury.
"The roar of a God…." he murmured softly. As the Outsider and the old man closed in, his eyes suddenly shone with a strange gleam, and he opened his mouth. All of a sudden, the power of his fleshly body exploded out, unimpeded by either the Second Desolation or the power raging from the extinguishing of his Soul Lamp.
ROOOAARRRR!
A mighty roar erupted from Naruto 's mouth. However, no sound could be heard. Apparently… his voice was too loud for there to be sound, so loud that no natural law could affect or resist it. The starry sky shattered, and the Heavens seemed to be on the verge of vanishing. In fact… this sound completely exceeded the level that could be heard by either cultivators or Outsiders.
A shockwave ripped out, shredding the void as Naruto let out a roar that originated in ancient times, but echoed out in the present.
In the blink of an eye, innumerable ripples appeared, distorting the void in front of him, transforming into a tempest that sent everything shaking as it slammed into the Outsider Dao Sovereign and the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea.
BOOOOMMMMMM!
The Outsider clone coughed up a mouthful of blood. He felt as if he were about to be ripped apart, and he screamed. However, that scream was completely drowned out by the powerful roar, forcing him to revert to his lizard form, which was thousands of meters long. That was the only way he could make a stand, and yet, he was still shoved backward relentlessly.
As for Lord Cang, he was even less equipped to deal with the roar. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his flesh and blood were instantly mangled, to the extent that his legs were shredded to pieces. Even the bones were transformed into nothing but ash.
It was only thanks to the incredible speed with which he retreated that he was able to escape as he did. Had he been any slower, he would have lost more than only his legs.
Violet-robed Lord Wu sat behind the shield, mind spinning, eyes wide. He could do nothing but stare at the valiant and terrifying Naruto , at the utterly bedraggled Lord Cang, and at the wretched Outsider Dao Sovereign clone.
It was also in this moment that the clone's magical items, the scales, all cracked and shattered into ash, completely destroyed.
The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea's two pearls were also shattered, and transformed into a red powder that instantly faded away.
"6-Essences… Dao Sovereign!" The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea felt his mind spinning. All thoughts of his injuries faded away, and he didn't even notice his magical items being destroyed. His mind was battered by enormous waves of shock as he stared at Naruto .
He simply couldn't imagine how any cultivator could unleash such shocking and terrifying power unless they were a 6-Essences Dao Sovereign.
As he shook, he couldn't help but recall the words he had just spoken about 6-Essences Dao Sovereigns. And yet, here he was facing just such a person!
"This is impossible. Impossible! The Mountain and Sea Realm is sealed. Ksitigarbha used the power of reincarnation to bypass the seal, but other than him, nobody can break through it…."
The Outsider clone was also trembling as he looked at Naruto , his eyes flickering with terror. He was even considering whether or not he would have the confidence to take down Naruto with his true form.
Such power was virtually unimaginable. Compared to what he remembered of Naruto back in their encounter in the Eighth Mountain… he was now at least ten times more powerful.
"How could this be possible!?"
Even as these three powerful figures were reeling in shock, Naruto 's face suddenly went pale, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, not because he was injured, but rather, because the Second Desolation tribulation had reached a critical point, and was about to conclude. Once it concluded, his fleshly body… would truly enter the 6-Essences Dao Sovereign level!
It seemed that his attack just now had drawn on his fleshly body's power, thus giving the Second Desolation an exploitable opening. However, Naruto didn't care. His fleshly body was so powerful that he could still control the tribulation even when attacking. Not even the power of extermination from his sixth Soul Lamp's Desolation could cause much of a problem.
"Sorry, I'm not a Dao Sovereign yet," Naruto said coolly.
In that moment, the Outsider Dao Sovereign's eyes flickered. "He's injured! Attacking like that actually injured him. If we keep going, we can worsen the injuries! He will die today!"
The former Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea had been in a state of despair, and had lost the will to fight. However, after seeing Naruto cough up some blood, his eyes flickered, and hope once again burned inside of him. Without any hesitation, he shot forth in attack.
Lord Wu of the Fifth Mountain and Sea suddenly let out a powerful roar as he attempted to break out of the shield to assist Naruto .
However, it was in that moment that Naruto smiled coldly. Instead of backing up, he took a step forward, clenching his right hand and unleashing a fist strike upon the Outsider clone.
Rumbling could be heard as the Life-Extermination Fist sucked up the life force of everything in the area, then slammed into the Outsider, who then tumbled backward, his body on the verge of collapsing.
Naruto licked his lips in anticipation. Because of how he had just unleashed his fleshly body power, the Desolation inside of him once again surged. However, a mere thought on his part suppressed it down to almost nothing.
"It's almost over," he said. Laughing, he turned, flexing his hand as he suddenly appeared in the path of Lord Cang.
The old man's expression flickered, and his eyes went wide. He had no time to unleash a divine ability, nor any time to fall back. Biting his tongue, he spit out some blood, which transformed into a blood mist. Inside that mist could be seen countless vengeful spirits which screamed as they charged Naruto .
However, Naruto 's fist passed right through them, almost as if it existed in a different time and space. Filled with a will of Bedevilment, the fist appeared directly in front of Lord Cang.
With one fist, Heaven and Earth were shattered!
The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea's entire body exploded, leaving behind only his head, which let out a miserable howl as it fled in the opposite direction.
"I'll let you live for the moment," Naruto said softly. "I want you to see for yourself that in the Mountain and Sea Realm… it's not impossible to become a Dao Sovereign!" With that, he looked up into the sky, then raised both hands aloft, as if he wished to embrace the stars.
Then he took a deep breath, causing a wind to kick up, and the entire Mountain and Sea Realm to tremble!
It was in that moment that the very last scrap of the Second Desolation faded away. Naruto had completely extinguished his 6th Soul Lamp, pushing his flesh and blood into that last, final step.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
Naruto began to grow larger. 30 meters. 300 meters. 600 meters!
900 meters. 1,200 meters. 1,500 meters….
Massive rumbling sounds could be heard. The majesty of what was happening caused Lord Cang to be rendered completely speechless, and the mind of the Outsider Dao Sovereign to reel in shock.
The entire Mountain and Sea Realm was shaking, as if it were bearing witness to something that hadn't happened for countless years. The appearance… of a second true Dao Sovereign!
It might only be a fleshly body Dao Sovereign, but that was a Dao Sovereign nonetheless!
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE….
Naruto rapidly increased in height. 1,800 meters. 2,100 meters. 2,400 meters. 2,700 meters!
It kept going and going. As he grew larger, his aura rocketed up, filling the Sixth Mountain and Sea and even stretching out into the adjacent Mountains and Seas.
As of this moment, the Nine Mountains were shaking!
As of this moment, the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies were shining radiantly!
As of this moment Naruto was rising from 2,700 meters all the way to 2,790 meters! Then 2,910 meters! Then 2,997 meters… only three more meters!
3,000 meters!
3,000 meters. The true Dao Sovereign level!
It was in that moment that the nine Xuanwu turtles all began to howl. The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, which had spread out to fill the entire starry sky, began to stir. Everyone who was fighting in the war, regardless of which side they were on, could sense that something consummately powerful was in the Sixth Mountain and Sea!
"From now on, I, Naruto , am a true Dao Sovereign!" Although Naruto spoke softly, his voice cracked like thunder. He stood there, 3,000 meters tall, skin covered with magical symbols, radiating infinite power!
He clenched his fists, almost as if… he were grabbing onto the starry sky, grabbing onto… destiny!
Grabbing onto Heaven and Earth!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1335Chapter 1335 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1335: Hinata, I'm here!
The Nine Mountains and Seas were shaking. The nine Xuanwu turtles in their celestial ponds were howling, and the will of the Mountains and Seas, which had formerly been spread out in all parts of the Mountain and Sea Realm, was now converging upon Naruto !
At the apex of the starry sky were two figures locked in combat. One of them wore white robes, and was none other than Paragon Sea Dream. Her face was ashen, but as she performed her incantation gestures, shocking, explosive power was unleashed upon her opponent, the Outsider, 7-Essences Paragon Eegoo.
Even after all the time that had passed, they were still fighting!
However, as soon as Naruto 's entered the true fleshly body Dao Sovereign level, Sea Dream's eyes began to shine with a strange light. As for Paragon Eegoo, his face completely fell.
"This is impossible! Ksitigarbha was able to break through because of his mastery over reincarnation. But Naruto , he…. Dammit! He's Nine
Seals' successor! The future Lord of the Mountains and Seas!"
"Oh, you didn't know?" Sea Dream said coolly, preventing the Outsider Paragon from breaking free of combat.
At the same time, back in the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Hinata was there, coordinating a deadly counteroffensive against the Outsiders. All of a sudden, her heart trembled, and she looked in the direction of the Sixth Mountain and Sea. After a moment, a warm smile broke out on her face.
There was another battlefield in the Fourth Mountain and Sea, where a spectacular, astonishing fight was underway between Ksitigarbha and the 1st Heaven's Imperial Lord!
That Imperial Lord's cultivation base was clearly the most powerful of anyone except for the Paragons, being at the peak of the 6-Essences level. He was half a step into the Paragon level, and yet Ksitigarbha was also completely extraordinary. The wave of his hand could cause numerous underworld palaces to descend. His incantation gestures unleashed the mighty power of reincarnation. The Yellow Springs which flowed beneath his feet made it seem as if he could control all life or death.
He was able to fight the Imperial Lord on equal footing, although that was mostly because of his control of external forces, and because he had the home field advantage. Even still, it was obvious why for countless years Ksitigarbha had been known as the most powerful person in the Mountain and Sea Realm!
As of this moment, Ksitigarbha could also sense Naruto 's explosive Dao Sovereign energy coming from the Sixth Mountain and Sea. Even as the Outsider Imperial Lord's face flickered, Ksitigarbha's eyes gleamed, and he threw his head back and laughed uproariously.
It had been years since he had noticed how extraordinary Naruto was, and at that time he had chosen to sow good will with him. He had taken Hinata as his last and final apprentice, and she had not let him down. In the end, she had proven to be a rare genius when it came to strategy and tactics, and had been appointed as the commanding general of the entire Fourth Mountain and Sea. And then Naruto had gone and become a true Dao Sovereign.
Ksitigarbha's boisterous laughter made the Imperial Lord's mood sink even further.
Meanwhile, back in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, on Planet South Heaven, Shui Dongliu was still standing on that mountaintop. Suddenly, he turned his head in the direction of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, and a smile broke out on his face.
"At long last the day has arrived. Dao Sovereign fleshly body…. Perhaps there is hope in this Mountain and Sea Realm war after all…." Sighing, he flicked his sleeve. "Mountain and Sea Realm, begin analysis and replication!
"What a pity nothing like this happened back in the first war. If it had, perhaps the Paragon Immortal Realm would not have been defeated so tragically…."
Back in the Sixth Mountain and Sea, the 3,000-meter-tall Naruto threw his head back and roared. Mountain and Sea power descended, filled with will of the Mountains and Seas, which swirled around Naruto and then bored into him.
It was probing him, analyzing him, a sensation which Naruto found very strange, and yet did not interfere with. Instead, he simply looked down at Lord Cang of the Sixth Mountain and Sea and the Outsider Dao Sovereign clone.
The clone's face was ashen, and his scalp was tingling. Without the slightest hesitation, he began to fade away in escape. He knew that he was no match for Naruto now. Naruto 's terrifying power left him in complete despair.
"Dao Sovereign fleshly body. Dammit! That's even more difficult to attain than a Dao Sovereign cultivation base. How… how did he do this?
Wait. There's God blood aura. He absorbed God blood!" The clone was almost gone. Trembling, he realized that even if he were here in his true form, he still wouldn't be a match for Naruto .
After all, Naruto 's full power wasn't just reliant on a powerful fleshly body. His cultivation base, his magical techniques and divine abilities, all of them were terrifying.
However, just when the clone thought he was about to escape, Uzumaki
Hao's eyes flickered, and he raised his right hand in a grasping motion. A rumbling sound could be heard as the void around the clone shattered and caved in, as if a giant, invisible hand were crushing him!
" Naruto , the 33 Heavens will exterminate your entire clan! We'll wipe out everyone in the Mountain and Sea Realm!" A miserable shriek rang out, filled with unending hatred, as the Outsider Dao Sovereign clone was completely obliterated.
Naruto ignored his cries, turning instead to look at Lord Cang.
"Dao Sovereign…." the man said bitterly. He had a hard time even uttering the words, considering what he himself had said just moments ago, that it would be impossible for another Dao Sovereign to appear in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
And yet, right now he was standing directly in front of none other than a Dao Sovereign.
He suddenly felt completely at a loss. For the sake of his own cultivation base, he had betrayed his home and his people. And now, that all seemed… like a mistake.
In his bitterness, Lord Cang closed his eyes and asked himself if everything he had done had been worth it. No answer came.
In almost the same moment that he closed his eyes, Naruto extended his right hand and waved his finger toward the head that was all which remained of Lord Cang. A boom echoed out as that head was crushed out of existence. The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea was completely and utterly dead.
Off to the side, Lord Wu emerged from within the shield. It was with mixed emotions that he watched Lord Cang die. Finally, he sighed.
"What a waste…." he said, shaking his head. Then he looked at Naruto , clasped hands and bowed deeply.
"I am the Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea. Greetings… exalted Dao Sovereign!"
Just when Naruto was about to respond, he said, "Eee?"
He suddenly realized that the will of the Mountains and Seas had ceased to suppress the invading Outsiders, and instead was completely focusing on him.
It was as if the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm was inside of him… replicating his fleshly body!
It wasn't a complete and perfect copy, but rather, about eighty percent pure. When it was finished, it dispersed, then once again spread out to cover the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. Suddenly, each and every cultivator of the Mountain and Sea Realm suddenly… began to experience fleshly body transformations!
In that brief instant, all of the cultivators' fleshly bodies experienced a complete redoubling of power!
It didn't matter the level of their cultivation base or fleshly body. This advancement had nothing to do with their own power. It was a blessing from the Mountain and Sea Realm, like a massive field of influence, within which all the cultivators' fleshly bodies were completely changed!
The characteristics of Naruto 's fleshly body were now being passed on to all of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm.
As of that moment, the countless cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm on the numerous battlefields suddenly gaped in shock. They could sense the sudden change, and were instantly enlivened.
Even Lord Wu, who was standing directly in front of Naruto , suddenly trembled as the blessing strengthened him too.
"Is that the power of the Mountain and Sea Realm?!" Naruto thought. A tremor ran through him, and as for Lord Wu, he stood there gaping for a moment before excitement rose up in his heart.
Naruto was equally excited. He knew that this transformation was the key, not just to fighting this first battle with the 33 Heavens, but also the final war with the two foreign powers.
"Am I the only one who can do this? Is it because I'm the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm? Or because I'm the successor of Paragon Nine Seals? Or… is it because of my Allheaven Dao Immortal blood?" Naruto 's eyes glittered. There was no immediate explanation. Looking down at Lord Wu, he clasped hands, then slowly shrank in size back to that of an ordinary person.
They did not spend time in idle chatter. Lord Wu immediately headed to the nearest front of battle. As a Mountain and Sea Lord, he had his own important responsibilities. Naruto also had his own matters to attend to, and transformed into a beam of colorful light that shot off into the distance.
He sped along toward the Fifth Mountain and Sea, unobstructed. He could pass through the barriers between Mountains and Seas even when he was in the midst of the Desolation tribulation. There was no need to even mention what he could do now that he had a Dao Sovereign fleshly body. Within the Mountain and Sea Realm, his fleshly body was definitely at the absolute peak!
A single step took him through the barrier, and he appeared in the Fifth Mountain and Sea, where bitter fighting was underway. However, because of the blessing bestowed by the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, which came from Naruto 's Dao Sovereign fleshly body, the gap between the Outsider cultivators and the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm was ever shrinking.
Naruto could tell that with his current fleshly body power, he could crush and ignore natural law. He could alter the starry sky and even bend space and time.
"So this is what a 6-Essences Dao Sovereign is like, huh…." he murmured. "One Essence beyond this is the Paragon level." It was as if his own body were a starry sky, with his organs being the heavenly bodies. It was like an endless cycle.
It was as if, even if Heaven and Earth were to be destroyed, he would not be!
It was as if, even if Heaven and Earth were to wither away, he would not!
Stepping into 6-Essences made one's longevity equal to the Heavens!
Stepping into the true Dao Sovereign level made you incomparable!
Naruto didn't tarry in the Fifth Mountain and Sea. He sped along, and was soon nearing the Fourth Mountain and Sea.
As the barrier approached, his mood rose and fell constantly. At long last… he was approaching the Fourth Mountain and Sea. At long last… he would be able to see Hinata again.
Back when everything started, when he left the Ninth Mountain and Sea, how could he ever have imagined that the road would stretch to this extent? War had begun, the 1st Heaven had descended, and the Mountain and Sea Realm had been thrown into chaos.
At the same time, he could never have imagined that with fleshly body power like this, he would be able to traverse the Nine Mountains and Seas as easily as if he were walking across the courtyard of his residence.
"Hinata, I'm here…." he murmured. A single step, and he was across the barrier. He was in… the Fourth Mountain and Sea!
Chapter 1335: Hinata, I'm here!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1336Chapter 1336: Reuniting As Planned
The Fourth Mountain and Sea controlled the cycle of reincarnation in the Mountains and Seas. Everyone who died in the Mountain and Sea Realm would enter the Yellow Springs, which became the river of reincarnation that led to the Fourth Mountain and Sea. There, the newly arrived spirits would be guided into the cycle of reincarnation, where they would eventually find a new home.
There were many myths and legends regarding the Fourth Mountain and Sea. It was a mysterious place, one that most people could never fully comprehend. The only thing most people knew was that the Mountain and Sea Realm's peak expert resided there.
His name was Ksitigarbha!
He was the Lord of the Fourth Mountain and Sea. He controlled the underworld, and he controlled reincarnation. Even among Mountain and Sea Lords, he held a preeminent position. And that was because essentially… he controlled the lives of everyone in the Mountain and Sea Realm!
The Fourth Mountain and Sea was an important node which allowed the Realm to form a complete cycle.
This was Naruto 's first time coming to the Fourth Mountain and Sea, and as soon as he entered, he could sense a very faint, and yet very pure, aura of death.
Or perhaps it would be better to say that it was not an aura of death, but an aura of Yin.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The starry sky and the vast expanse seemed the same, and yet if you looked closely, you would see that the whole world appeared to be gray.
Naruto looked around silently, then sent his divine sense spreading out to cover the entire Fourth Mountain and Sea. However, there was one region in particular in which two powerful beings were fighting bitterly.
That was the location where Ksitigarbha was fighting the Outsider Imperial Lord. Naruto 's divine sense immediately provoked a reaction from both of them. As for the Outsider Imperial Lord, he reacted with rage, and he clearly wished to break free from the fight to try to slaughter Naruto .
However, Ksitigarbha prevented that. Furthermore, he spoke in a completely calm tone that brimmed with self-confidence.
"So, you're Naruto !" the Outsider said.
"Fellow Daoist Uzumaki," came the voice of Ksitigarbha, "I can handle this Outsider!"
Naruto smiled. When war descended, flowers would bloom on all parts of the tree, not just on one branch.
Furthermore, one person alone could not change the entire war. No, that required a group effort.
Naruto clasped hands and bowed toward Ksitigarbha, then focused his divine sense on where the cultivators of the Fourth Mountain and Sea were battling the Outsiders.
Millions of Outsiders could be seen, as well as millions of cultivators from the Fourth Mountain and Sea. What was being fought was a spectacular and unprecedented battle.
Naruto saw Hinata there, surrounded by rings of guards. She hadn't been injured in the slightest, and in fact, was constantly sending orders out to all parts of the battlefield. Because of that, the cultivators of the Fourth Mountain and Sea occupied the clear advantage on this front.
Although he was a vast distance away from Hinata, when Naruto looked at her, she could sense it. She turned her head and looked off into the distance, and somehow, her gaze met his.
In that moment, Naruto 's heart trembled. As he looked at Hinata, numerous memories rose up within him. There was the time on Mount Daqing, when they had met for the first time. Then the time in the
Reliance Sect when he had given her the Cosmetic Cultivation Pill. In the Black Sieve Sect's ancient Blessed Land, he had found her, trembling and helpless.
Outside of the Black Lands, where Choumen Tai had descended from the sky, the two of them had killed the Ji Clan Quasi-Array cultivator, and when they parted, tears had welled up in her eyes.
Naruto would never forget any of those things.
In the Rebirth Cave, when he was dying, Hinata took care of him, even sacrificing her own life force for him, all to give him a chance at another life. Even if her own soul dispersed, she was willing to pay that price for him. She even allowed herself to be imprisoned in the Black Sieve Sect.
During their Red Wedding, Naruto held her in his arms, watching her fade away. He cradled her as she passed into death, and the entire time, she only cared about her dream of marrying him.
Naruto trembled as the memories flitted through his mind like wind and lightning, causing his whole world to shake.
He had come to keep his promise. He had come! 1
He had promised to find her, even if he had to travel to the furthest reaches of the Mountain and Sea Realm. No matter what dangers he faced, he would find her and would once again stand at her side.
She promised to wait for him. If a life or a lifetime was not enough, then she would wait for him through all lives and lifetimes.
Other than his parents and sister, there was no one in his life for whom he would do so much. There was no woman whom he would worry so much about, nor anyone that could occupy such an eternal place within his heart.
Although he didn't realize it at the time, back on Mount Daqing, when he saw her, the desire had already been planted within his heart… to be with her forever, through all lives and lifetimes.
Elder Sister Xu….
She was not spectacularly beautiful, but in Naruto 's eyes, in his world, she was the most beautiful thing in Heaven and Earth. She didn't have a complicated heart, and the source of that was not any lack of intelligence, but rather, the fact that she liked things to be simple. And so did he. When he was most tired, most exhausted, simplicity was a quiet harbor within which to rest his soul.
Her smile, her voice, her eyes, everything about her, were firmly rooted in his heart, and made him smile.
"I know in my heart that the person I fell in love with is not just a fond memory, but you," he murmured. "The real you. I know… that I love you." With that, he took a step forward.
Unbeknownst to him, someone had appeared behind him at some point, a shadowy figure clad in a long black robe. That figure was now watching him make his way off into the distance.
It was none other than Slaughter.
When Slaughter saw how Naruto looked at Hinata, a flicker of reminiscence appeared in his eyes, as if he were considering some matter from the past. As if he was being reminded… of himself.
As Naruto walked forward, the world vanished. Heaven and Earth faded away. Natural law dispersed. Only one person remained. His wife, Hinata.
He had come from afar, passing through each of the great Mountains and Seas. He had proceeded along through the starry sky, step by step, and was now walking onto the battlefield. There were Outsiders who were in his path, but it wasn't because they were trying to stop him; rather, he happened upon them as he proceeded toward the heart of the fighting.
A destructive power surrounded him that caused any Outsiders who approached within 30,000 meters of him to scream and explode.
Naruto paid them no heed. He proceeded along, surrounded by shouts of astonishment. As the Outsiders fell back from him, a strange scene developed on the battlefield.
With every step he took, he was surrounded by empty space, as the Outsiders fled from his presence.
The cultivators of the Fourth Mountain and Sea looked on with vigilance. Even though Naruto 's arrival caused the death of the Outsiders around him, they were still cautious.
There were only two people who had different reactions. One was the Echelon cultivator of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Lin Cong. The other was, of course, Hinata.
Lin Cong stood in the crowd, wearing a gray robe. As he thought back to everything that had occurred in the Windswept Realm, he sighed. A wry smile could be seen on his face, and mixed emotions filled his eyes as he sighed. 2
"So, he finally came."
Hinata was smiling radiantly. She stood there in the army of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, in the command pavilion, watching as Naruto approached. She remembered everything that had occurred, just as he did. Those memories could not be wiped away from her because of her reincarnation.
She had always believed that one day, her beloved companion, her husband, would come from the distant Ninth Mountain and Sea to find her. It didn't matter how long it took or how far away he was. It wouldn't even matter if a war was being fought. Nothing would be able to stop him.
He would definitely come.
And now, he had.
Hinata bit her lip and took a step forward, much to the shock of the surrounding cultivators from the Fourth Mountain and Sea. Some of them wanted to stop her, but as Naruto neared, they suddenly lost the ability to control their cultivation bases.
The battlefield went quiet, and soon only Naruto and Hinata were there, looking at each other, slowly drawing closer.
Time seemed to slow down. The Outsiders and the cultivators of the
Fourth Mountain and Sea both watched as Naruto approached. Hinata stepped out of the command pavilion, and the two of them… were soon standing together.
"I've come," he said, reaching out to grasp her hand. This was his wife, and his lifelong love.
"Yes," she replied, her face flushing a bit. It took a bit of courage on her part, but she resisted the urge to look down shyly. Instead, she allowed her joy to radiate out, and she looked into Naruto 's eyes and smiled. This was indeed the happiest moment she had experienced since being reincarnated.
When Naruto saw Hinata smile, he couldn't stop himself from smiling. His hands tightened around hers, and hers around his. It was as if neither of them wished to ever let go.
However, they both knew that the time they could spend with each other was short. No matter what they wished inside, they would have to let go. Hinata had her duties, and Naruto had his mission.
This was not the time and place. If only things could go back to how they were before, before the deadly war broke out in the Mountains and Seas….
Naruto sighed.
Hinata looked around at all of the cultivators from the Fourth Mountain and Sea, and the Outsiders, and slowly loosened her grip. "I can't go with you right now….
"Wait for me…. If the day ever comes when this war ends, then we… can go home together." Hinata suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest to hear his heartbeat.
After a long moment passed, she looked up at him and said, "I'll wait for you, and you wait for me. We'll both be on the lookout for each other."
Hinata bit her lip, then pulled away from Naruto 's embrace and returned to the command pavilion.
As Naruto looked at Hinata, he realized that there was something different about her from before. Much like himself… she had grown up, she had become mature.
Naruto 's heart was calm. Hinata had her duties, and he… had his mission. After looking at her deeply one last time, he waved his hand, sending a bit of divine will swirling out to surround her. He took a deep breath, and then looked up into the sky at the vast land mass up above that was the 1st Heaven.
Gradually, the warmth in his eyes faded away, to be replaced by icy coldness!
The air around him grew icy, and his aura, sharp and dangerous.
"There's something I have to go do," he murmured. "Something… that will lift the spirits of everyone in the Mountain and Sea Realm!" Rumbling sounds could be heard as he suddenly shot up into the air, leaving the battlefield. He became a streak of light like a shooting star, passing out of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, up into the vast expanse above. He was now heading toward the 1st Heaven, which had superseded the starry sky of the Mountain and Sea Realm.
He was going to destroy the 1st Heaven!
Few people noticed how he was flying up into the sky. However, it was certain… that a massive, storm would soon shake Heaven and Earth!
A storm was coming, a storm which would be caused by none other than… Naruto !
Here is a quick breakdown of all the Hinata references. Mount Daqing: chapter 1. First Cosmetic Cultivation Pill: chapter 12. Black Sieve Sect Blessed Land: chapters 151, 152. Killing Ji Clan cultivator: chapter 306. Hinata sacrifices her life force for Naruto : chapter 689. Naruto learns Hinata is being held by the Black Sieve sect: chapter 694. Red Wedding: chapter 772 ↩ Naruto fought and killed Lin Cong in chapter 1105. Of course, they reconciled later, and when they parted ways in chapter 1151, Naruto gave him a Cosmetic Cultivation Pill to deliver to Hinata ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1337Chapter 1337: Destination: First Heaven!
Naruto was a blur that shot from the Fourth Mountain and Sea up into the starry sky, toward the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. Not a single regret could be found in his heart. He was completely determined, maddened, enlivened with the idea of enacting the rise of the Mountain and Sea Realm!
He was attempting to do something that could shake Heaven and Earth!
He was attempting to destroy the 1st Heaven, the home of the invaders. He was attempting to set the blood of the Mountain and Sea Realm aboil. All of the cultivators locked in battle would be able to look up and see… the destruction of the 1st Heaven!
Some people might think that an act like that would have little meaning, and couldn't compare to Naruto slaughtering Outsiders on the field of battle using his cultivation base. However, the truth of the matter was that this plan… was utterly and profoundly meaningful.
Currently, the people of the Mountain and Sea Realm were in the midst of despair. After having been suppressed for tens upon tens of thousands of years, they had then been invaded. They had long since lost the dignity they had once had during the days of the Paragon Immortal Realm. In that age, its cultivators had been valiant, but when complete and utter catastrophe struck, it was as if their Dao hearts had been shattered. After the initial catastrophe, they were then completely sealed by the 33 Heavens, stifling any recovery that their Dao hearts might have experienced.
After two such mighty blows, their valiance waned, and they didn't dare to take the fight to their enemy….
For a people to rise up, their spirits needed to be kindled. And it was the same when the time came for a homeland to ascend.
Naruto knew that he was only one person. Even if he became a Paragon, the course of such a monumental war was something he couldn't change on his own. He needed to stir the minds and hearts of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm. He needed to awaken within them… the valiance that had once existed in the Paragon Immortal Realm!
Back in those days, there had been a saying. "Any who assault the
Immortal World will be put to death!"
When Naruto destroyed the 1st Heaven, similar words would once again be heard in the Mountain and Sea Realm. "Any who assault the Mountains and Seas will be put to death!"
The Mountain and Sea Realm was on the brink of annihilation. Looming directly behind them was a bottomless chasm. There was nowhere to retreat meant that the only thing to do now was rise to prominence!
Naruto 's eyes shone with a bright light. His mind, his thoughts, his cultivation base, everything about him was completely focused. He was like a shooting star, like a flaming torch, like a brilliantly shining lamp!
He was a lamp that did not seek to illuminate the starry sky of the Mountain and Sea Realm, but rather… sought to kindle the spirits of the cultivators therein!
Kindle a fire that would exist forever and never be extinguished!
He rose higher and higher, flew faster and faster. He was a beam of light, scintillating brilliantly, the center of all attention! The first people to notice him were the cultivators of the Fourth Mountain and Sea.
They stared blankly at Naruto as he rose up, and at first, no one was really sure what he was doing. However, as he picked up speed, the people down below realized that he was heading… not toward the starry sky itself, but toward the spot where the starry sky ended, toward that which weighed down upon the hearts and minds of all Mountain and Sea Realm cultivators.
The 1st Heaven!
"What… what is he doing…?"
"He's heading toward the 1st Heaven!"
"This… this…." Gasps could be heard from within the huge army of the Fourth Mountain and Sea. Every moment, more and more cultivators' faces flickered with astonishment and shock.
Hinata stood atop the altar, trembling, her head tilted up to look at Naruto climbing up into the sky, charging toward the Heavens. A strange flicker could be seen in her eyes, which slowly turned into a bright glow. Although she was worried, she suddenly felt an incredible sense of pride.
This was the love of her life. Her man!
The forces of the Fourth Mountain and Sea were soon in a complete uproar.
"He's heading for the 1st Heaven!"
"He's going up to… destroy the 1st Heaven!"
"But… can he do it?"
Equally shaken were the Outsiders, who stared blankly at Naruto , almost unable to believe what they were seeing.
Also in the Fourth Mountain and Sea were Ksitigarbha and the Outsider Imperial Lord, who were fighting fiercely, causing rumbling booms to echo out. Ksitigarbha's eyes suddenly began to shine brightly as he realized what Naruto had in mind.
The Outsider Imperial Lord gaped, and his face flickered.
At the same time, Paragon Sea Dream was fighting with the Outsider
Paragon Eegoo. They also noticed what Naruto was doing; Paragon Sea Dream's face broke out into a wide smile, and Paragon Eegoo's face fell.
At this point, Naruto reached such an incredible speed that he was like an arrow, backed by Mountain and Sea power to shoot rapidly toward the 1st Heaven.
However, only the cultivators of the Fourth Mountain and Sea could see him. He was currently too far away from the other Mountains and Seas for anyone there to spot him. However, as he flew along, his eyes glinted, and he suddenly waved his right hand. Suddenly, a ball of light flew out. This was none other than his own Supernova Magic, which immediately began to suck in all the light around it, and thus grow even brighter. 1
He wanted all of the cultivators in the entire Mountain and Sea Realm to witness what he was doing.
One little sun was not enough, so he waved his hand, and dozens of little suns appeared. There were more than a hundred of them swirling around, shining with increasingly scintillating light.
"Still not enough!" Naruto growled. As he continued to shoot toward the 1st Heaven, he performed a double-handed incantation gesture, then waved his hands out in front of him, causing more little suns to appear.
100, 300, 500, and soon, Naruto was surrounded by 1,000 little suns!
1,000 little suns, absorbing Heaven and Earth, sucking in all the light of the starry sky. They rapidly grew larger and more dazzling, until Naruto himself actually looked like a sun!
Majestic light shone out, to the point where the cultivators of the Third and Fifth Mountains and Seas could look up into the sky and see a new sun!
The cultivators in the Third Mountain and Sea were in the midst of fighting the Outsiders, and yet everyone looked up in shock.
"What's that…?"
"A sun? That's not possible. But it really does look like an actual sun or moon…."
At the same time, cultivators in the Fifth Mountain and Sea looked up and gasped in disbelief.
"Wait, no…. there's a person inside!"
"Impossible!"
The Outsiders were equally taken aback.
Up in the starry sky, down beneath the 1st Heaven, Naruto was surrounded by 1,000 spheres of light. His expression was one of unswerving determination as he came to the conclusion that 1,000 little suns wasn't enough. He needed more. He threw his head back and roared, pushing onward with greater speed and yet simultaneously waving his hand, causing another 1,000 little suns to appear!
2,000 little suns were shining radiantly. They were now densely packed together, each one of them emanating blinding light. However, from a distance away, the light of those 2,000 small suns merged together… to make them look like the glow of one enormous sun!
Rumbling sounds echoed out as the 2,000 little suns swirled around
Naruto . He flew higher and higher, away from the Mountain and Sea Realm, growing ever closer to the 1st Heaven. Soon, the cultivators in the Second and Sixth Mountains and Seas could see the brightly shining sun up above.
Although it currently looked like little more than a dot of light, within the pitch blackness, it was extremely conspicuous!
In the Second Mountain and Sea, the cultivators and Outsiders were fighting a particularly bloody battle, and the reek of gore had permeated the entire Mountain and Sea. The vast army of cultivators had suffered setback after setback, and the roars of the Outsiders filled the entire starry sky above them.
However, even as despair wrought at the hearts of the cultivators, in the moment when they had no hope, and were bitterly convinced that they were going to lose the battle, all of a sudden, a bright dot of light appeared up above. That light became the only thing the cultivators of the Second Mountain and Sea looked at.
"That's…"
"That dot of light. Heavens! Considering how far away we are, that dot of light must actually be enormous!"
"What's going on…?" The cultivators of the Second Mountain and Sea were completely abuzz!
Although they couldn't actually see Naruto , somehow they could all sense that within that light was someone emanating an incredible willpower, and utter determination!
The Sixth Mountain and Sea was equally in an uproar.
"That light is heading in the direction of… the 1st Heaven!"
"Considering how far it is away, the fact that we can see it moving up means that its true speed… must be mind-boggling!"
Although the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea had been killed, the violet-robed Lord Wu of the Fifth Mountain and Sea was now fighting in the battle, and at long last, the cultivators were able to launch successful counter-attacks against the Outsiders.
Lord Wu was the first one to look up into the starry sky. His jaw dropped, and he instantly began to tremble.
"It's him…. He's going… to destroy the 1st Heaven?" His eyes began to shine, and suddenly a surge of indescribable excitement rose up within him.
Soon the other cultivators of the Sixth Mountain and Sea caught sight of the light up above, and they were completely shaken. Although not everyone could immediately discern where that dot of light was heading, people quickly began to deduce the truth.
"He's heading toward the 1st Heaven?"
Even as the cultivators in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Mountains and Seas were staring fixedly at the dot of light, it suddenly grew twice as bright as before!
Along with the eruption of brightness, the light also grew in size. That was because the number of little suns surrounding Naruto had increased from 2,000 to 4,000!
"There's a person inside that light!" By now, virtually all of the experts in the great Mountains and Seas were able to discern what was happening. Their hoarse exclamations were heard by those around them, and soon everyone's minds were spinning.
It was at this point that the cultivators in even further Mountains and Seas could see that high up above the Nine Mountains and Seas, there in the starry sky… was a sun!
Although it wasn't the true sun, by now, everyone could see it….
A sun above the Mountain and Sea Realm!
In the Seventh Mountain and Sea, Yuwen Jian suddenly opened his eyes. He had been sitting there in meditation, but when he heard the exclamations ringing out, he looked up into the sky and then suddenly felt as if he were being struck by lightning.
He couldn't quite see who it was inside that light, but… his intuition told him exactly who it was! "It's Naruto . It's definitely him! He's going to lift the spirits of an entire people by destroying the 1st Heaven!"
Shaking, he shot to his feet, panting excitedly, eyes burning with anticipation.
Naruto created the Supernova Magic in chapter 942. He used it in battle a few subsequent times, notably when fighting Guru Heavencloud in chapter 1159 and when fighting the giant in the Divine Flame world in chapter 1179 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1338Chapter 1338 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1338: Dao Tribulation Comes!
The dot of light couldn't illuminate every inch of the starry sky, and yet… as of this moment, it was visible to all cultivators from the First to the Seventh Mountains and Seas!
In the Seventh Mountain and Sea, Planet Tiger Cage was in an uproar. It was the same in the First Mountain and Sea. There, Echelon cultivator Dao-Heaven stood in the midst of his army, looking up at the brilliant dot of light, and was completely shaken, as was everyone around him.
From the First Mountain and Sea all the way to the Seventh, the cultivators were looking up at the brilliant dot of light as, all of a sudden, it erupted with even further brilliance!
Massive rumbling sounds echoed out as the dot swelled in size by double!
It was in that moment that the number of little suns surrounding Naruto increased from 4,000 to 8,000!
8,000 little suns, radiating intense light. Although that light couldn't match the light of a real sun, it was the most dazzling heavenly body visible!
The cultivators were in an uproar, and the Outsiders were shaking inwardly as intense feelings of foreboding rose up inside of them.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign who had split apart into numerous incarnations was shaking, and his eyes shone with astonishment as he stared at the light. The Outsider Imperial Lord who was fighting Ksitigarbha also felt his heart pounding.
It was the same with the Outsider Paragon Eegoo.
In sharp contrast, Ksitigarbha, Sea Dream, and the various Mountain and Sea Lords seemed to be suddenly inspired, and burst out with all the power they could muster to prevent any of their Outsider opponents from breaking free of the battle.
Roars echoed out, and booms filled the air. When the number of little suns around Naruto increased to 8,000, the cultivators in the Eighth Mountain and Sea could finally see the sun up above!
Cultivators and Outsiders alike felt as if the battle going on in the Eighth Mountain and Sea was like a giant millstone crushing down onto them. But then, the cultivators noticed that bright light, and their jaws dropped.
"What's that?"
"How could there suddenly be a spot of light? Hold on… it's rising up into the sky at incredible speed!"
"Could it be some sort of magical item? It looks like it's heading toward… the 1st Heaven?"
As the crowds burst out into a commotion, Naruto 's grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, suddenly shivered. He looked up, and when he saw that light, his eyes suddenly flickered in surprise.
"Hao'er's aura…. That's Hao'er…." He threw his head back and laughed uproariously at the sudden feeling of joy which swept through him. As he continued to watch the dot of light rising up, his eyes began to gleam with anticipation.
Suddenly, the number of little suns around Naruto once again increased dramatically. No longer were there 8,000. Instead, there were 10,000. The light of 10,000 little suns merged together as they rocketed toward the land mass up above. At long last… the light became clearly visible in the Ninth Mountain and Sea!
Pill Demon saw it, and the members of the Namikaze Clan saw it. Naruto 's parents saw it, and his Grandma Uzumaki and her people saw it. Fatty, Might Guy, Fan Dong'er, Sun Hai, Namikaze Yu, and everyone else he knew… all cultivators of the Ninth Mountain and Sea could see it.
The flames of war burned just as hot in the Ninth Mountain and Sea as everywhere else, and the fighting was just as bloody and bitter. However, as soon as that light became visible, the people who were familiar with Naruto … could sense that it contained his aura!
"That's… that's Naruto !"
"Heavens! How… how is this possible? Wait, how come looking at that light suddenly makes me think of Naruto ?!"
"Could it be that it's really Naruto !?"
The crowds were exploding into a huge commotion. On Planet South Heaven, Shui Dongliu stood atop that mountain peak, still looking up into the sky. Suddenly, he began to laugh, a laughter filled with happiness and anticipation.
"It seems I picked well…. He who shall counter the tribulation… Naruto ." A warm expression could be seen on Shui Dongliu's face as he continued to laugh, and stand there, waiting.
As of this moment, all of the cultivators in all of the Nine Mountains and Seas were watching.
At the same time, Naruto was drawing ever nearer to the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. He was now approaching the highest point in this region of space, and his speed caused rumbling to echo out as he closed in.
His eyes burned with determination as he got closer and closer!
However, even as he neared the 1st Heaven, the figures of a vast number of Outsiders suddenly appeared, flying out from it to meet him. In addition to that, numerous shields sprang up to protect the land mass.
This land was the home of the Outsiders, so it went without saying that they would have protections in place for it. More and more Outsiders kept approaching, bent on stopping Naruto .
Naruto 's lips twisted into a cold smile. Just when he was about to attack, he suddenly frowned. Simultaneously, the Outsiders who had just flown out suddenly fell back into retreat. That was because, all of a sudden, the explosive power of Dao Tribulation had appeared!
This was Naruto 's Dao Tribulation, his fleshly body Dao Tribulation!
The tribulation had appeared before but hadn't fully descended. Instead, it had been hidden away, which as far as Naruto could tell was because the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm had helped him to get rid of it.
But now, here it was again. That could only mean… that this was tribulation, not from the Mountain and Sea Realm, but instead, from the 1st Heaven!
"It is its own world, with its own life forms," Naruto murmured.
"Naturally, the 1st Heaven has a will just like the Mountain and Sea
Realm. Tribulation is caused by a disturbance in Karma. It saw the Tribulation Karma which was sown upon me, and therefore, took it upon itself to ensure that there was a reaping?" He understood, and yet wasn't afraid. Instead, he began to laugh.
In his life, he had transcended Heavenly Tribulation on numerous occasions. Each one of those occasions had been of incredible difficulty, and yet now, he was completely confident that he could crush this instance of Heavenly Tribulation as easily as a dried out log!
Rumbling could be heard as Tribulation Clouds built up, massing together in front of Naruto . The rumbling of Tribulation Lightning could be heard as countless lightning bolts suddenly shot toward Naruto .
Virtually all of those lightning bolts appeared to be humanoid in shape, and filled with power that could destroy the Heavens and extinguish the Earth. As they closed in, they transformed into a sea of lightning that spread out wide in all directions, completely enveloping Naruto and his 10,000 suns. Down in the Nine Mountains and Seas, all of the cultivators could see what was happening.
"Not good! The 1st Heavens is a complete world, with its own Tribulation power!"
"If that dot of light is Naruto , then he's going to be defeated…."
"Dammit, could it be that the 1st Heaven is really impossible to fight!?" Cultivators were crying out in alarm all throughout the Nine Mountains and Seas. They were nervous, anxious, worried, and all of those feelings arose because of Naruto .
Of course, there were some people in the crowd who looked on coldly.
After all, all sorts of people existed within the Mountain and Sea Realm. Naturally, there were some who believed that once disaster struck, everyone would die!
There were even some sects and clans who actually weren't going all out in the fighting, but were instead hiding their true strength, looking for an opportunity to escape from the Mountain and Sea Realm. In fact, there were even some people who were secretly planning… to surrender to the 33 Heavens.
However, those people were in the minority. The vast majority of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were unyielding. They had their dignity, and would never give in! Those cultivators were the ones who were nervously looking up into the starry sky.
The Outsider Imperial Lord who was fighting Ksitigarbha suddenly began to chuckle with scorn.
"Tribulation Karma has been sown, and yet he dares to try to trifle with our 1st Heaven? He's definitely courting death!"
Similar words were uttered by Paragon Eegoo to Paragon Sea Dream. The Outsider Dao Sovereign clones who were battling the Mountain and Sea Lords were the same. All of them were sighing in relief.
Some people were anxious, some people were derisive. However, it was in that very moment that Naruto , facing the boundless Tribulation Lightning, suddenly raised his hand. Eyes gleaming, he performed an incantation gesture and pointed out.
"Hex!"
Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!
Rumbling could be heard as the power of his fleshly body exploded out. His cultivation base surged, and the Eighth Hex was unleashed, backed by the power of the Mountains and Seas. Instantly, everything began to shake violently. As Naruto waved his hand downward, all of the Tribulation Lightning in the starry sky suddenly stopped moving.
Seventh Demon Sealing Hex!
Naruto waved his finger again, this time unleashing Karmic Hexing, severing the Tribulation Lightning's Karma, and then swishing his sleeve.
Fifth Demon Sealing Hex!
Inside-Outside Hex!
Go back from whence you came!
Naruto waved his sleeve, and instantly, all of the Tribulation
Lightning swiveled, changing directions to shoot toward the very Tribulation Clouds they had emerged from, moving at a speed which defied imagination!
Massive booms rang out as the countless Tribulation Clouds collapsed into pieces. It was a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering sight as the Tribulation Lightning bolts smashed into the clouds, completely and utterly pulverizing them!
This sight provoked a collective gasp from cultivators and Outsiders alike. Eyes went wide and jaws dropped in disbelief.
"What?!" exclaimed the Outsider Dao Sovereign incredulously.
All of the Outsiders were completely and utterly shaken by Naruto . That bright spot of light was now nothing less than a complete nightmare for them!
It was at this point that enraged howls could be heard from the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. More Tribulation Clouds roiled out, converging together into one gigantic cloud mass that seemed bent on completely eradicating Naruto !
Massive pressure emanated out from the Tribulation Clouds, which surrounded Naruto and caused the starry sky to shake. As the enraged howling continued, it was possible to see an enormous claw taking shape inside of the Tribulation Cloud.
That claw was pitch black and covered with scales, like the claw of a lizard!
After all… this Tribulation was not from the Mountain and Sea Realm, but rather from the world of the 1st Heaven.
The claw was covered with boundless Tribulation Lightning, the intensity of which vastly exceeded that from before. The claw shot toward Naruto , and as it did, more and more Tribulation Clouds converged in the area, causing the Tribulation to become even more majestic and boundless than before.
Naruto 's expression was the same as ever, and his eyes shone with a bright light. Without pausing for a moment, he shot toward the Tribulation Cloud and the lightning-covered claw. As he neared, he suddenly spoke in a voice which sounded like booming thunder.
"Did I say you could converge here? Disperse!"
Massive rumbling could be heard as the Second Demon Sealing Hex appeared. Real-Unreal Hexing erupted out toward the Tribulation Cloud, transforming what was real into what was unreal, and transforming the unreal to the real! All Naruto had to do was think!
As of this moment, he changed the Tribulation, which was real, into something unreal. The converged Tribulation was instantly dispersed!
Chapter 1338: Dao Tribulation Comes!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1339Chapter 1339 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1339: 10,000 Star Detonation!
As of this moment, all eyes were completely fixed upon Naruto !
Even as the words left his mouth, he flicked his sleeve, unleashing the Second Demon Sealing Hex. Rumbling sounds filled Heaven and Earth, and the starry sky trembled. Simultaneously, the land mass that was the 1st Heaven was also shaking, as were the previously awe-inspiring Tribulation Clouds!
The gigantic lizard claw, and its boundless Tribulation Lightning, suddenly became illusory, and began to fade away. Moments later, the seemingly infinite Tribulation Clouds also… began to fade away.
After becoming illusory, all Naruto had to do was speak a single word, and his will caused everything to transform from being real to not! To the shock of cultivators and Outsiders alike, as of this moment, Naruto 's fleshly body Dao Tribulation… was over! It had been concluded using a method none of them had ever seen or heard of before.
"Impossible!" The Outsider Imperial Lord fighting Ksitigarbha suddenly let out a miserable howl. He simply couldn't believe what he was seeing. As far as he was concerned, it was a complete impossibility, and yet, here it was occurring right in front of him!
He suddenly burst into motion in an attempt to go stop Naruto , but in response, Ksitigarbha laughed coldly, causing underworld palaces to descend and the Yellow Springs to sweep out. The river of reincarnation surged, making it completely impossible for the Outsider Imperial Lord to do anything.
Elsewhere in the starry sky, a similar situation was occurring with Paragon Sea Dream. She went all-out with her cultivation base, even incurring serious injuries to herself, to prevent the maddened Outsider Paragon Eegoo from breaking free. Eegoo bellowed in rage, eyes burning with killing intent as he sent divine sense roiling out to crush Naruto , and yet he couldn't get past Sea Dream.
"Sea Dream, I don't want to kill you! Don't walk into your own death!"
"Don't make me laugh!" Sea Dream responded, yet again obstructing his path.
The Nine Mountains and Seas, which moments ago had been completely silent, suddenly burst out into a huge commotion. The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were crying out and cheering, their voices merging together into a sound wave that surged out in all directions. As for the Outsiders, they were completely shocked, and yet, their will to fight was not reduced, and they continued to do battle.
And yet… everyone, including the Outsiders, was still watching Naruto as he closed in on the 1st Heaven.
He shot onward at top speed, surrounded by 10,000 little suns which radiated intense light.
Closer and closer!
Countless Outsiders flew out from the 1st Heaven and charged toward Naruto . Numerous scintillating shields were set in place.
However, as the Outsiders approached, Naruto 's hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture; then he stretched his hands wide and clapped them together violently, sending a burst of cultivation base power out directly into the Outsiders, and directly toward the 1st Heaven!
"Suns, detonate!" he roared. Instantly, the 10,000 suns surged into action, flying directly toward the Outsiders and the shields protecting the land mass that was the 1st Heaven!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
10,000 suns all detonated!
Each and every one of those little suns had been bolstered by Naruto 's cultivation base power, and as such, their combined power was completely and utterly shocking. A massive explosion rippled out that shook lands and rocked mountains, that destroyed Heaven and Earth, that directly ripped apart the starry sky!
A terrifying shockwave then began to spread out in all directions.
That shockwave was so huge that it was visible even in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, and it filled all hearts with shock.
The vast numbers of Outsiders who had flown out to stop Naruto , regardless of their cultivation bases, were swept over by the shockwave caused by the detonation of 10,000 suns. Bloodcurdling screams rang out as their bodies were transformed into ash. Even the Nascent Divinities which attempted to flee were completely eradicated.
Rumbling could be heard as the shockwave then slammed into the shields protecting the 1st Heaven. In the blink of an eye, the shields began to shatter bit by bit. They immediately began to repair themselves, but were clearly weakened. However, in the end the shields were too strong; even the detonation of 10,000 suns could not completely destroy them. And yet, a tiny opening had appeared.
That was all Naruto needed. He waved his arm, and the Battle
Weapon appeared, transforming into a black beam that stabbed directly into that weak spot, preventing the shields from recovering.
All of this happened so quickly that no one could react. Naruto moved as fast as lightning, sweeping the Battle Weapon out so that a huge rift was torn open in the shield, and the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. Then, he stepped through that rift… to the surface of the 1st Heaven!
By this point, the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm had been whipped up into a frenzy. As for the Outsiders, their faces were ashen and filled with dread.
The Imperial Lord roared, the Paragon howled, and the Dao Sovereign's incarnations were trying unsuccessfully to merge back together.
In the instant that Naruto set foot into the 1st Heaven, he bolstered his voice with his cultivation base and cried out, "Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!"
In response, all of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm joined their voices together in response. It almost seemed planned, but it wasn't.
The first to respond was the Fourth Mountain and Sea. The cultivators who clustered around Hinata were already chomping at the bit. The 1st Heaven hadn't been destroyed yet, but Naruto 's sudden explosive success had kindled the spirits and souls of all of the cultivators there.
Once the 1st Heaven was actually destroyed, that spark which had been lit would explode into an inferno.
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!" The shouts of one cultivator after another in the Fourth Mountain and Sea rang out, like the bellowing of war horns calling everyone to a final battle. As they did, they charged forth, smashing into the surrounding Outsiders.
Soon, such cries filled the air throughout the Fourth Mountain and Sea. The eyes of all cultivators were shining brightly, and everyone felt as if they were bursting with incredible power.
Soon, all of the voices in the Fourth Mountain and Sea joined together into one mighty call.
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!"
Naruto was using one simple phrase to bring all of the Nine Mountains and Seas into one united Mountain and Sea Realm!
As the voices echoed out in the Fourth Mountain and Sea, similar cries rose up in the Third and Fifth Mountains and Seas. Massive waves of sound were crashing out, and were joined by the Second, First, Sixth, and Seventh Mountains and Seas!
All voices cried out, filled with passion and inspiration.
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!" That one phrase embodied the spirit of the Mountain and Sea Realm. There would be no retreat. Enough was enough! They had been suppressed to the limit, and now was the time… to give voice to their rage!
They did not agree to be exterminated. They did not agree to die. They did not agree for the Mountains and Seas to vanish. This was the voice of a people who did not agree to back down.
This was the voice… that marked the awakening of a people!
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!" Finally, the voices could be heard in the Eighth Mountain and Sea and then… the Ninth Mountain and Sea. All of the Nine Mountains and Seas, the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, was filled with one unified voice!
The ordinary Outsiders trembled. The Dao Sovereign was shocked. The Imperial Lord was shaken. The Paragon was flabbergasted!
As of this moment, the people of the Mountain and Sea Realm were using their battle cry to tell the Outsiders: We are not to be underestimated! You might have suppressed us for tens upon tens of thousands of years, but we are still… the Mountain and Sea Realm!
Chapter 1339: 10,000 Star Detonation!
—–
Note from Deathblade: This chapter is a bit shorter than normal, coming in at around 1400 English words instead of the usual 2000 or so. Er Gen made no comment about that in his chapter release, although he did do four updates on that day, this being the second.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1340Chapter 1340: To Exterminate this World!
At the very end of the starry sky, within the 1st Heaven, Naruto looked around… at a world that was very different from what he had imagined. He saw mountains and rainbows, plains and oceans.
The spiritual energy here was abundant, ten times more so than in the Mountain and Sea Realm. In fact, there wasn't just spiritual energy, there was abundant Immortal qi, making the entire place seem like a celestial paradise.
Luxuriant vegetation covered the surface of the land, and a blue sky stretched out in all directions. Cities and other edifices were everywhere, although they floated about in the air instead of being constructed on the ground. Immortal mountains could be seen, as well as waterfalls of stars that seemed to connect Heaven and Earth.
The edifices were all exquisitely constructed, and gargantuan. They were ancient, filled with a boundless sense of time and history. Statues could be seen, and precious materials were available everywhere.
"So, this is the 1st Heaven…." Naruto thought, feeling a bit shocked. Suddenly, a cold light flickered in his eyes, and his cultivation base erupted. Fleshly body power surged out, and he began to grow taller; in the blink of an eye, he was 3,000 meters tall!
He had a Dao Sovereign fleshly body which could shake Heaven and
Earth, and taking a mere step could shake lands and rock mountains. When his cultivation base power spread out, the Paragon Bridge appeared, radiating a pressure of extermination that caused the sky to flash with brilliant colors.
There were hordes of Outsiders here guarding the 1st Heaven, and yet none had very high cultivation bases. It was with complete shock that they all looked toward Naruto .
An ancient voice suddenly spoke from off in the distance. "Who are you?! What are you doing?!"
Clouds and mist roiled together to form into a huge face that stared at Naruto .
"I'm Naruto ," he replied softly, "from the Mountain and Sea Realm. I've come today to exterminate this world!" With that, he clenched his hand into a fist and punched down toward the ground.
That single fist strike caused the entire world to shudder and crack as the power of extermination spread out.
It was none other than the Life-Extermination Fist!
The power of that blow caused the lands of the 1st Heaven to shake. The shaking wasn't violent at first. It was like the shaking caused when a mayfly alights onto a leaf. However, at the same time, all of the plants and vegetation nearby on the surface of the land instantly withered and died!
It was as if the life force had been sucked out of them! A gray shockwave spread out from Naruto 's fist, and everywhere it passed, things withered!
The Outsiders' faces fell when this happened, and the ancient face was filled with shock. However, before it could say anything, Naruto swished his sleeve, and a boom could be heard as the mist-face collapsed.
Naruto 's eyes were now shining with a cold glint. To him, no cultivators lived here, only animals. From what he could tell, virtually all of the Outsiders in this world, including the ones with the power to take humanoid shape, were all just lizards!
Although the buildings and the environment looked like the Immortal World, Naruto knew that it wasn't. This place… was more like an animal den.
"Animals like you want to exterminate the Mountain and Sea Realm?" Naruto shook his head, then unleashed another punch toward the land beneath his feet, then pulled his hand back and punched again. The second punch was the Bedevilment Fist, and the third was the GodSlaying Fist. As the lands trembled, the Paragon Bridge crushed down, causing cities and edifices which floated in the air to shake violently and list to the side. Then, Naruto 's divine sense spread out, filling the entire world. His will superceded the will of the world itself, crushing down, unleashing unmitigated destructive power.
He was a windstorm, causing mountains to crumble wherever he passed. The lands disintegrated, and the rivers flowed backward. Oceans roared, and vast crevices opened up, causing cracking sounds to fill the air as they spread out. It was as if countless dragons were burrowing out through the soil, shaking the entire world.
Naruto took a step forward, appearing in front of one of the floating cities. He looked at it for a moment, and then his eyes flickered with determination. This was not the time for mercy and kindness. He suddenly recalled the destroyed planets within the Mountain and Sea Realm, and how the viciously grinning Outsiders hadn't even spared the mortals.
"How animalistic, but then again, you really are just animals!" His right hand clenched into a fist, and he punched out. Rumbling sounds echoed out, along with bloodcurdling screams, as the enormous city was completely destroyed.
Naruto 's divine sense had long since confirmed that within the 1st Heaven, all of the Outsiders were lizards. Furthermore, as a species, none of them lacked cultivation bases in the way that mortal humans did. No, all of these lizards, from birth, had the power of a cultivation base.
Because of that, there was no question as to whether or not to wipe them out.
He took a step forward, and as he did, he exterminated everything he saw. The land turned gray as the life force was sucked away, and the feeling of death spread out everywhere.
Gradually, Naruto could detect a howling sound coming from deep within the land, something that originated, not from any Outsider, but from the will of the world itself!
It could sense his determination to kill everything, which was why it had sent the Tribulation Lightning against him. Now that he was here in person, it was doing everything it could to try to expel him.
The power of expulsion grew stronger, and yet, Naruto didn't care at all.
With his Dao Sovereign fleshly body, divine sense that was eighty percent as powerful as a Paragon's, and the cultivation base of an Allheaven Dao Immortal, although he couldn't completely disregard such expulsion power, he could definitely fight back against it!
Rumbling could be heard as cities collapsed and statues were destroyed. Countless Outsiders let out miserable shrieks as their scales exploded and they were annihilated. Naruto was like a god of death, wreaking destruction and slaughter wherever he went.
Suddenly, a roar echoed out, which came from none other than what had previously manifested as the face of an old man. It was an enormous, ancient lizard, which shot toward him from off in the distance. The power of a 5-Essences cultivation base rippled out, and yet before he could even get close, Naruto gave a cold harrumph, and the lizard lurched to a stop in midair, blood spraying out of his mouth. Naruto hadn't even waited for it to get close before unleashing a fist strike!
A boom rang out as the ancient lizard was completely and utterly destroyed!
Cries of misery could be heard ringing out from all corners of the world. There was a constant stream of pleas for mercy, as well as curses.
Naruto looked at the sky and the land, then waved his hand, sending out Divine Flame. "You suppressed us, you sealed us, and you invaded us. If you want to assign blame… blame Heaven and Earth for being cruel, or blame life for being unfair."
Wherever the Divine Flame passed, destructive power burned everything away.
The Blood Demon roared, and wherever it went the screams of lizards would echo out.
Mountains and rivers were demolished, the skies shattered, and numerous buildings and cities fell out of the air. More and more cracks and crevices snaked out across the lands, which shook and began to collapse.
From the position of the 1st Heaven itself, what was happening wasn't very clear. However, down in the Mountain and Sea Realm, it was obvious!
Any cultivator of the Mountains and Seas could look up at the 1st Heaven, which had supplanted the starry sky, and could hear the booms echoing out, and see the dust and ash spreading out. In fact, there were even chunks of rock and rubble which were beginning to fall down.
With every boom, the lands shook. There were even entire sections which began to crumble, deforming the landscape. The cracks spread out, and there were even some vast slabs as big as asteroids which began to fall down.
"The 1st Heaven is about to collapse!"
"It's really… really going to be destroyed!"
"It's Naruto . It's him!"
"He attacked the 1st Heaven with the purpose of completely destroying it!"
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!" The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were going wild, and their eyes gleamed with determination. Their wild shouts, their killing intent, and their will to fight caused the Heavens to grow dim.
The Outsiders were trembling in shock as they saw their home shattering into pieces. All of a sudden, their will to fight was replaced with utter dread and terror.
One side was empowered, the other side was demoralized. The balance of battle was instantly overturned!
The sounds of fierce fighting rang out as the cultivators of the Nine Mountains and Seas began to fight back with a vengeance!
The Imperial Lord howled, the Paragon raged, the Dao Sovereign was in a frenzy. And yet, there was nothing they could do to stop what was happening!
The Heavens were collapsing!
The Earth was shattering!
The spirits of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were rising. The inextinguishable spark of faith that burned within their hearts had been kindled by Naruto , and now, it was beginning to burn brightly!
In the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Patriarch Reliance was floating above a battlefield filled with mountains of Outsider corpses. He was looking up into the starry sky, at the crumbling land mass that was the 1st Heaven.
After a moment of silence, he began to laugh loudly.
"That's my disciple! The Ninth Generation Demon Sealer! Naruto ! Incredible!
"I ran from you for years, unwilling to be restricted, unwilling to become someone's mount. But now, you little bastard, what you've done, and what you've said have convinced me…
"Henceforth, I am willing to be Naruto 's mount!
"I, the Patriarch… am completely willing, and will never have any regrets!" Patriarch Reliance threw his head back and howled, then shot up into the starry sky. Now that he had made his decision to be Uzumaki
Hao's mount, he would fulfil the ancient agreement. He would be the Dao Protector of the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer without the slightest hesitation. Therefore, he flew up into the air to go meet Naruto .
Guyiding Tri-Rain was there on Patriarch Reliance's head, giggling with happiness. She had been waiting for this day for a very, very long time….
At the same time, a middle-aged man could be seen standing atop Mount Daqing, there on Patriarch Reliance's back, also looking up into the starry sky. He was suppressing the fierceness of his own gaze, but if he weren't, it would be completely shocking.
He did not emanate the fluctuations of the Dao Realm, nor the Ancient Realm. He was not an Immortal, nor some type of spirit. In fact, he appeared to be mortal, without any cultivation base fluctuations at all.
And yet, he seemed incredibly dangerous.
Astonishingly, that middle-aged man was none other than Dong Hu!
"I, Dong Hu, have been taking care of this treasure for my entire life. It was not destined to be mine, which means that I have been preparing it for someone else. I realized that many years go, but by then, I had already become the spirit of the treasure…. But what does that really matter?"
Back in the very beginning, there were four boys who had been taken by Hinata to the Reliance Sect: Naruto , Wang Youcai, Fatty, and Dong Hu!
After all of them were separated, Hinata entered the cycle of reincarnation, Wang Youcai lost his eyes to gain ultimate enlightenment, Fatty gained numerous wives and concubines, and Naruto made a meteoric rise.
As of this moment, Dong Hu was standing on Mount Daqing, there on Patriarch Reliance's back as he charged up into the starry sky!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1341Chapter 1341: The Dao Sovereign Escapes!
Naruto was battering the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. Massive cracks and fissures were spreading out, and it was hard to tell how much longer the 1st Heaven would be able to hold together. Meanwhile, down in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, rumbling sounds echoed out from the region of the 33 Hells.
Then, the starry sky seemed to shatter as a huge rift opened up. A bedraggled figure trudged out, a figure who radiated both madness and venomous hatred.
He immediately coughed up a massive mouthful of blood, after which flames of insanity ignited within his eyes. Then he threw his head back and let out a piercing howl.
" Naruto , I hereby swear to wipe out your entire clan!"
It was none other than the golden-armored Outsider Long Linzi who Naruto had lured into the 33 Hells, one of the Outsiders' two Dao Sovereigns!
Currently, not a scrap of golden armor could be seen on him. He was in very sore straits, and was clearly fatigued. However, his energy level was no less than before, and in fact, he was slightly stronger. It was impossible to tell what torments he had endured within the 33 Hells, nor how he had managed to escape. However, the price he had paid was clearly unimaginable.
Were that not the case, he wouldn't be so consumed with resentment.
As soon as he appeared, his divine sense spread out, whereupon a tremor ran through him. He heard the shouts and cries coming from the cultivators of the Eighth Mountain and Sea, as well as his fellow Outsiders, and looked up into the sky. Then, he saw his home, the land mass that was the 1st Heaven, beginning to crumble.
What filled him with more fury than ever was that he could clearly sense the aura of Naruto , whom he hated with a passion and couldn't wait to tear apart with his teeth.
" Naruto !" he growled, throwing his head back letting out a mindbogglingly powerful roar that filled the entire Eighth Mountain and Sea. All cultivators and Outsiders felt their minds trembling as Long Linzi transformed into a beam of bright light that shot up into the air.
Paragon Eegoo was still in the middle of battling Paragon Sea Dream. He hadn't been very anxious earlier, but was now considering paying any price, no matter how severe, to break away from the fight. However, as soon as he sensed Long Linzi's aura, his eyes began to shine with a strange light. The Imperial Lord who was fighting Ksitigarbha had the same reaction. The Dao Sovereign incarnations breathed sighs of relief. Then all 3 of these Outsiders let loose powerful streams of divine will, which sent ripples out into the void.
"Kill Naruto ! Stop him!"
"Regardless of the price, he must be cut down!"
The shocking level of their divine will spread throughout the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, causing all cultivators to sense it. Those cultivators' faces instantly flickered, and anxiety sprang up in their hearts. Naruto had become the symbol of their spirit, the spark that fueled the flames in their eyes.
If the 1st Heaven truly fell, then that spark would grow into an inferno which could inundate Heaven and Earth. But… if the 1st Heaven didn't fall, and if Naruto died, then those flames would not do a lick of damage to anyone except themselves.
Countless numbers of cultivators watched anxiously as everything shook. As for Long Linzi, he knew exactly what his mission was. The safety of his homeland, and his enmity toward Naruto , became one, filling him with an explosive madness that caused him to disregard even his own safety.
" Naruto !" Long Linzi let out a mighty roar as he shot with incredible speed toward the 1st Heaven. As he neared, the land mass up above continued to break apart. There were even some places along the borders that were falling. Scattered fragments of stone were falling down through the starry sky, which were then set aflame by the friction of entering the region of the Mountain and Sea Realm. Soon, the starry sky was like a sea of flames.
Everyone watching was filled with complete and utter shock. Long Linzi even began to burn his own life force, causing flames to burst out around him as he shot toward the 1st Heaven.
In the same moment that he was about to set foot into the 1st Heaven, Naruto was hovering there in midair, looking at the mass of flames around him. Miserable shrieks rang out in his ears as the lands cracked and crumbled. Cities fell in ruin, and numerous buildings collapsed. Mountains became plains, and plains became rifts and valleys.
He could sense the power of expulsion coming from the world, as well as the bitterness of the world's will as it howled in grief. Inwardly, Naruto sighed, then suddenly looked off into the distance.
A moment later, his eyes came to rest on Long Linzi, who had just burst into the 1st Heaven like a lightning bolt. This was his home, where he had grown up and practiced cultivation. He had many wonderful memories of this place, and everywhere he looked he could see places where he had spent time.
But now, looking around caused him to tremble, and his vision to turn red as if with blood. He wanted to say something, to shout out, but no sound would come. He began to pant, and the feeling of fury and madness within him was completely overwhelming.
"Y-you… you maniac! I can't believe you're willing to destroy my people, my tribe, all the cities… the entire world! We might be at war, but how could you go so far!?" Long Linzi's maddened eyes were completely bloodshot, and were even shedding tears of blood. His heart felt as if it were being stabbed. In all directions, he only saw destroyed cities, and countless numbers of his people dead or dying.
He smelled the blood of his fellow tribesmen, and could see piles of corpses and ruins….
" Naruto !" he roared. Filled with hatred and madness, he transformed into a beam of light that shot toward Naruto , causing everything to shake.
"So you do understand that there are limits to the wars of cultivators.
Mortals should be left alone." Naruto looked scornfully at Long Linzi.
Voice cool, he said, "I'm not sure about all of the other cultivators in the Mountains and Seas," he continued, "But I live by the motto… an eye for an eye, blood for blood!
"Today, the extermination of the 1st Heaven is only the beginning!" Naruto 's voice was as cold as ice as it echoed out. At the same time, he clenched his right hand into a fist and then punched out toward Long Linzi.
He was 5,000 kilometers away, but he still unleashed the LifeExtermination Fist!
A will of extermination exploded out, sucking in all of the life force in the area, the life of the 1st Heaven. That fist strike shook lands, rocked mountains, and caused colors to flash in the air as it rumbled forth.
Long Linzi's eyes widened. Although he was completely enraged, he was still in command of his senses. As soon as Naruto attacked, his heart began to thump. Even though the power of the fist strike came purely from Naruto 's fleshly body, it still filled him with a sensation of intense danger.
Without any hesitation, he performed a double-handed incantation gesture and then pointed toward Naruto . Instantly, Essence power exploded out, becoming a six-colored vortex that slammed into Naruto 's fist strike.
RUMBLE!
Heaven and Earth were trembling, as was Long Linzi as he staggered backward, blood spraying out of his mouth. Naruto also fell back, and although every step he took was upon the air itself, the ground below quaked in response, and after a few steps, it exploded.
The ground collapsed for 3,000 meters in all directions as a huge hole appeared in the earth. Rocks and rubble fell down toward the Mountain and Sea Realm as a crater was opened up that pierced through the entire 1st Heaven.
In fact, if you looked down into that breach, you would be able to see the Mountain and Sea Realm down below.
That was how Naruto fought: borrowing the force of an attack against him to unleash his own bombardment.
Long Linzi roared, and his hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture, causing six Essences to erupt out. They instantly transformed into six ferocious lizards, which radiated fearsome wills of extermination as they charged Naruto .
Naruto 's eyes flickered, and he laughed coldly. His right hand flashed with an incantation gesture, and then he waved it out, summoning the Paragon Bridge. When the Paragon Bridge descended onto the six
Essence lizards, a massive rumbling boom echoed out as everything was destroyed.
Long Linzi looked at the shattered lands that were his home, and screamed. Then, laughing bitterly, he began to burn his life force to explosively increase the power of his cultivation base. In the blink of an eye, he pierced through the air to appear in front of Naruto . His hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture, and flames leapt out to form a gigantic mouth which lunged toward Naruto .
Naruto had no time to dodge. He simply watched as the black mouth of flames bit down onto him.
Black flames raged as everything was ripped open: the sky, the land, and the air. But then, rumbling sounds could be heard as the black flames collapsed, and Naruto walked out, holding the Battle Weapon.
He didn't pause for even a moment before charging Long Linzi. The
Battle Weapon was incredibly powerful, but was also quite draining. Although Naruto was careful with how he drew upon his cultivation base, when the time came to attack, he never hesitated. And now, the Battle Weapon was slashing down toward Long Linzi.
In that instant, however, a tremor ran through Long Linzi, and he suddenly threw his head back and howled. Blood sprayed out of his mouth as his body unexpectedly split apart like a cicada shedding its carapace. Shockingly, only one of those bodies was hit by the Battle Weapon!
The other body fell back in full retreat, black light flickering around him. Although his aura had diminished, he was completely uninjured.
"How many times can you attack like that?!" Long Linzi roared, a windstorm kicking up around him.
Naruto frowned, performed an incantation gesture with his left hand, and then pointed toward Long Linzi. It was the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, and yet, as soon as the Hexing magic was unleashed, Long Linzi threw his head back and roared.
"Mother of lizards, will of the 1st Heaven, safeguard me!" as Long Linzi roared, a shocking will arose from within the crumbling 1st Heaven. It instantly descended upon Long Linzi, fighting back against the Hexing magic, completely negating it in shocking fashion!
Naruto 's eyes narrowed, but he didn't hesitate. He put the Battle Weapon away and then clenched his fist to unleash the Bedevilment
Fist.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1342Chapter 1342: Earth Shatters!
Long Linzi was sent tumbling backward with a boom. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, but a vicious expression could be seen on his face as he began to perform an incantation gesture. However, even as he did so, Naruto snorted coldly and transformed into an azure roc.
As the roc closed in, talons ripped through the air toward Long Linzi.
Even as those talons closed in, rumbling sounds echoed out from Long Linzi as he abandoned his humanoid shape and transformed into a black lizard. Roaring, he swept his tail through the air, shattering it as it bashed into the roc.
The azure roc shattered, and blood oozed out of the corners of Naruto 's mouth. However, he didn't slow down. Instead, his right hand clenched into a fist and he punched Long Linzi directly in the chest!
This was none other than the God-Slaying Fist!
It converged his will with the will of Heaven, turning into a fist strike that could exterminate everything!
Massive booms rang out as the fist absorbed half of the life force of the entire 1st Heaven, unleashing both a spirit of Bedevilment and a will of God-Slaying. Long Linzi screamed miserably as he was sent tumbling backward. His flesh and blood were mangled, his scales shattered. He slammed into the ground, which quaked as a huge crater opened up!
As that crater crumbled open, Naruto once again began to grow in size until he was 3,000 meters tall. Then he took a step forward, leaping into the crater and slamming another fist toward Long Linzi.
However, as the fist was unleashed, Naruto frowned. Long Linzi body was somewhat blurry, and he even let out a cold snort.
"Not real?" Naruto murmured, his expression calm. However, his right hand didn't slow down, but instead sped up as it rocketed toward the illusory figure. The full power of his fleshly body and his cultivation base backed the fist strike as it passed through the illusion and slammed into the earth behind it.
The resulting boom shook the entire land mass. Several massive craters formed that penetrated all the way through to the other side of the land mass, sending massive amounts of rubble tumbling down toward the Mountain and Sea Realm.
As for Naruto himself, he followed the collapse of the crater down, evading the vicious tail strike which swept out from Long Linzi.
As the tail screamed past his head, Long Linzi roared viciously, then changed tactics, reaching out with his hands to grab Naruto .
"You don't need to come after me," Naruto said coolly. The Lightning Cauldron suddenly appeared above his head. Lighting danced, and he turned in the direction of Long Linzi, instantly switching places with him via Form Displacement Transposition.
The moment they switched locations, Naruto unleashed his divine sense, which was eighty percent as powerful as a Paragon's.
A boom could be heard as it crushed onto Long Linzi, shoving him downward. Divine sense that powerful should have been enough to seriously injure him, and yet an enormous statue suddenly appeared behind him, which surrounded Long Linzi and also resisted the divine sense.
As it fought back, it pushed aggressively toward Naruto . Just when Naruto was about to counterattack, a sacrificial power suddenly rose up from within the Fourth Mountain and Sea.
That sacrificial power caused Long Linzi to grow rapidly, and also increased the level of his cultivation base. He then threw his head back and howled as he shot toward Naruto at top speed.
Naruto frowned. He could tell that the Outsider Imperial Lord who was fighting with Ksitigarbha in the Fourth Mountain and Sea could not extricate himself from the fight. Instead, he had unleashed this secret magic, taking some of his own cultivation base and imparting it upon Long Linzi.
Rumbling echoed out as flames erupted around the incoming Long Linzi. Then he performed an incantation gesture, and the huge statue's eyes opened. It glared at Naruto with a look like death itself, completely locking down the area surrounding him.
"Die!" howled Long Linzi, barreling forward to slam his head into Naruto .
Naruto 's right hand shot up, and the meat jelly appeared. Knowing exactly what Naruto wanted, it simply sighed and transformed into a wide rubbery membrane.
A mighty thwacking sound echoed out as Long Linzi slammed into the meat jelly and was then propelled backward, the force of his blow dispersed. Trembling, Long Linzi let out a roar, and yet, it couldn't drown out the cry of pain that rang out from the meat jelly's mouth.
"OWWW! That hurt like hell! Lord Third gives up! I give up!" The meat jelly rapidly shrank back down, transforming into a beam of light that shot back into Naruto 's bag of holding.
As for Long Linzi, the backlash sent stabs of pain throughout his body, setting his Chakra and blood aboil, and temporarily freezing up his cultivation base.
Naruto 's eyes flickered. Even as Long Linzi fell back, he extended his right hand and waved his finger to unleash the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex.
Long Linzi lurched to a stop; they were no longer in the 1st Heaven now, but rather, underneath it. Therefore, Long Linzi could no longer benefit from the blessing of the will of the 1st Heaven, and thus, the Demon Sealing Hex immediately succeeded.
Almost as soon as Long Linzi lurched to a stop, the Battle Weapon appeared in Naruto 's hand, which he slashed out.
"Let's see how you escape this time!" he said. Killing intent flickered in Naruto 's eyes.
This slashing blade was moving too fast for Long Linzi to be able to defend against. No escape magic could be used, and he was also locked in place by Naruto 's Hexing magic.
However, it was at this point that, in another part of the starry sky, the Outsider Paragon who was fighting Sea Dream suddenly let out a powerful roar, causing a blood-colored light to shine from its body.
Instantly, a similar blood-colored light began to shine from Long Linzi. Apparently, some sort of strange connection had sprung up between the two of them!
"Blood Symbiosis?" Sea Dream said coldly. "Eegoo, you really dare to unleash this magic while fighting me?" She immediately attacked the Paragon. However, because of the blood-colored light, Naruto 's attack was already doomed to fail. Long Linzi vanished, reappearing off in the distance a moment later. Meanwhile, Naruto 's Battle Weapon slashed a massive rift into the void.
Off in the distance, Long Linzi glared at Naruto , his lips twisting into a smile. However, instead of heading toward Naruto again, he turned and shot toward the Mountain and Sea Realm. Naruto simply watched him go, eyes cold.
" Naruto , since you dare to exterminate the 1st Heaven, I'll just start exterminating cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm! Let's see… whether or not you choose to save them!" Long Linzi was already coughing up blood, and in a completely bedraggled state. Roaring, he shot toward the Mountain and Sea Realm, hoping to force Naruto to stop attacking the 1st Heaven!
You want to wipe out the 1st Heaven? I'll slaughter your Mountain and Sea cultivators! Let's see which of us is the most ruthless, and who gives in first!
The maddened Long Linzi rapidly picked up speed.
"Do you care more about this dying land mass than the living cultivators of the Mountains and Seas? What's your choice, Naruto ?"
Naruto 's pupils constricted. The effective power of his cultivation base was already past the 5-Essences level, and was fully in the 6Essences level. However, Long Linzi was at the same level. Although there was some difference between them, that difference wasn't vast. Furthermore, Naruto 's most powerful asset, his divine sense, was something his opponent was already equipped to defend himself against.
Most relevant was that he had received blessings from an Imperial Lord and a Paragon. Because of all those terrifying enhancements, he had numerous ways to avoid death. Were that not the case, he would already be dead, cut down by Naruto 's Battle Weapon.
An unsightly expression appeared on Naruto 's face. Suddenly, he transmitted a message. "Choumen Tai, can you turn this Outsider Paragon Eegoo into a puppet?"
Choumen Tai's ancient voice immediately echoed back in response. "To guarantee success, it must be done when the Paragon is personally attacking you. I only have one chance to pull it off, and in this situation the likelihood of success is less than thirty percent."
In all of Naruto 's calculations, he had never anticipated that Long Linzi would escape from the battle at such a critical moment. Now that he thought about it, it most likely had something to do with the Outsider Paragon.
Only that Paragon would be able to save Long Linzi and then use him to pin Naruto down.
Naruto had no choice. Rationally speaking, he should just continue to attack the 1st Heaven. However, his heart wouldn't let him do that.
Sighing softly, he was about to make his choice when his eyes suddenly widened. Looking down toward the Mountain and Sea Realm, he saw a bright beam of light shooting with incredible speed… directly toward Long Linzi!
"Patriarch Reliance…." Naruto thought, completely shaken.
It was none other than Patriarch Reliance, howling as he flew along at top speed.
"Hey, you wimpy little lizard, Patriarch Reliance is here to put you in your place!" Patriarch Reliance roared, suddenly growing even more gargantuan in size as he barreled toward the Long Linzi.
At the same time, a tremor ran through Patriarch Reliance, and rumbling sounds could be heard as innumerable magical symbols appeared all over him. When Patriarch Reliance wasn't attacking Naruto , those magical symbols could actually bolster the power of his cultivation base. Furthermore, the fluctuations of sealing marks being released suddenly emanated out.
Patriarch Reliance's biggest secret was something that no one except for
Naruto knew about. He had been alive since the days of the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect. When he and Naruto had clashed in the past, the cultivation base power he had unleashed was already in the Dao Realm. There was even a brief moment once where he had emitted the fluctuations of a Dao Lord.
Patriarch Reliance was one tough cookie, and the fact that he was now on a collision course with him filled Long Linzi with fear. Now, thanks to the interference of Patriarch Reliance, he was unable to engage in any form of slaughter in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
Naruto laughed loudly. Now, it was without any hesitation that he shot back toward the land mass that was the 1st Heaven. To the grief of the will of the 1st Heaven, rumbling could be heard as more cities fell, and more statues were destroyed. Mountains and rivers vanished, and the entire land mass began to show signs that it was going to fall completely!
Chunks of rubble began to drop down as fissures spread out across the entire land mass. Rumbling sounds could be heard as huge sections of land began to tumble down.
All of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm watched as the land mass that was the 1st Heaven began to shatter into pieces!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1343Chapter 1343 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1343: Heaven Collapses!
Spirits were stirred!
As of this moment, all cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm felt their spirits rising in unprecedented fashion!
"Mountain and Sea Cultivators, fight to the death!" In all of the Nine Mountains and Seas, the cultivators were whipped into an excited frenzy. They immediately launched vicious counterattacks against the Outsiders. At the same time, their hearts were filled with anticipation. Anticipation… at the thought of the Heaven which loomed over them falling to pieces.
They were waiting. Each and every one of the Mountain and Sea cultivators was waiting!
They were waiting… for Heaven to collapse!
Afterward, that Heaven would never again block the gazes of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm as they looked up into the sky. Layer by layer, the sealing of the 33 Heavens would be destroyed, and the Mountain and Sea cultivators… would be able to look up into the true starry sky, and see the true Vast Expanse!
It would be just like in the days of the Paragon Immortal Realm, when they were valiant and indomitable in spirit!
The Outsiders were in a daze, trembling as they looked up at the shattering land mass that was the 1st Heaven. For the first time, they truly felt fear, fear and dread regarding the Paragon Immortal Realm which had existed deep in their blood, and was now gradually seeping out.
Countless Outsiders were shaking in fear, and although they were still fighting, still struggling against the Mountain and Sea cultivators, that was only because they still held hope that… the land mass above would not collapse!
The Imperial Lord roared, and the Paragon raged. Wild colors flashed in
Heaven and Earth, and massive rumbling sounds could be heard. The 1st Heaven was shaking violently, and more pieces were beginning to crumble away!
The will of the world that existed in the 1st Heaven let out a scream of boundless grief, as if it were dying….
Shockingly, corpses were now falling down through the cracks that spread throughout the 1st Heaven. There were also the crumbled ruins of buildings, and even large swaths of entire cities.
The whole world was completely shaken!
"NO!" Despondent howls rang out from several different locations among the Mountains and Seas, where the incarnations of the Outsider Dao Sovereign were.
Those various incarnations had been fighting the Mountain and Sea Lords, but now they were trembling and losing the will to fight. Their eyes were bright red, and in their madness, tears of blood were seeping down.
That was because they had just caught sight of a city falling down out of the sky. Only about half of it was left intact, and that city was actually the personal fiefdom of the Outsider Dao Sovereign in the 1st Heaven. It also… was the home of many of his relatives!
But now, the city was collapsing, and thus, one could imagine the fates of all of those relatives.
" Naruto !" howled the incarnations of the Outsider Dao Sovereign, which then went all out, paying any price, even burning their life forces to try to break out from being pinned down by the Mountain and Sea Lords.
Of course, the Mountain and Sea Lords weren't in the same position as the Outsider Dao Sovereign, and weren't willing to burn their life forces. In the brief moment of hesitation in which they tried to decide what to do, the Dao Sovereign's incarnations burst free.
Beams of burning light shot through the air to converge together into a unified figure, which was the complete Dao Sovereign!
Although his incarnations had been severely injured, and two had been cut down by Naruto , burning his life force quickly returned him to his peak. Throwing his head back and howling, he shot toward the 1st Heaven, brimming with hatred and madness.
As of this moment, all Outsiders could see what was happening, and were shaking in anticipation of their Dao Sovereign preventing their home from being destroyed!
Tears of blood streaked down the Outsider Dao Sovereign's face as he shot through the air toward the 1st Heaven. However, in almost the exact same instant that he took to flight, massive, jaw-dropping rumbling sounds echoed out from the 1st Heaven, shaking the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. The noise was so loud that cultivators and Outsiders alike felt as if their eardrums would burst at any moment. All of them stopped fighting and looked up toward the 1st Heaven.
What they saw was a massive crack splitting the entire land mass, as a chunk that comprised nearly ten percent of the entire structure… suddenly begin to split off, accompanied by grating sounds as loud as thunder.
A massive chunk of the overall land mass, a piece large as the starry sky of any of the Mountains and Seas, slowly… began to sag down!
As that chunk slowly tilted to the side, all buildings and structures atop the land mass crumbled. However, it was also possible to see areas where the chunk was still connected to the main land mass.
It was in that moment that Naruto appeared. He raised his right hand and unleashed a fist strike. To the shock of everyone, that blast… cut all connections with the main land mass.
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
A full ten percent of the entire land mass began to fall down toward the Mountain and Sea Realm. It was incredibly enormous, so big that it seemed capable of crushing anything beneath it. However, it was then that the will of the Mountains and Seas swept out, shredding the lifeless chunk into countless clouds of rubble, which exploded out into the starry sky like blooming flowers and then slowly floated downward.
The Mountain and Sea Realm went completely silent. The Outsiders stared with wide eyes.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign was trembling, and then let out a miserable howl filled with despair, hatred, and even… regret!
Whether he regretted splitting himself into multiple incarnations, or regretted marching out to battle, and the war itself… only he could know.
Then, rumbling sounds echoed out as a second chunk of the land mass began to split off. Then a third, a fourth, and a fifth….
Seas of flame raged in the starry sky, illuminating the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. By now, the land mass was completely riddled with massive cracks. One chunk after another began to break off and fall down toward the Mountain and Sea Realm.
A long moment passed, and then the loudest boom of them all echoed out, a boom which rocked the whole Mountain and Sea Realm, and the entire 1st Heaven.
BOOOM!
It was like a sudden clap of thunder that roared out into the starry sky, and even caused the Mountain and Sea Realm to vibrate…. Then, gasps began to rise up into the air.
The 1st Heaven… was completely collapsing!
All cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm could see that it was completely and utterly broken into countless pieces.
Rubble fell down, as if the 1st Heaven were a mirror which had been shattered. Not a single piece of land was qualified to remain floating up above in the starry sky….
All of the shattered, crushed and broken remnants fell down out of the sky.
Heaven collapsed!
That collapse was only a collapse of the 1st Heaven, but as of this moment, it was a huge blow to all Outsiders within the Mountain and Sea Realm. They were trembling violently, and none of them could even speak. Their eyes were filled with blankness and despair….
Their home was gone….
Their home, which had flourished for tens upon tens of thousands of years, was now gone….
Their fellow tribe members were gone….
In the past, countless relatives had lived quiet lives up in the 1st
Heaven, but now they were gone. The 1st Heaven was destroyed, shattered into pieces. Cities, rubble, and corpses fell down like rain. Everything… was no more.
Despair washed through the Outsiders, and they no longer had any will to fight. They were trembling, and terrified….
In sharp contrast, the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were enlivened, and completely ready to do battle!
Chapter 1343: Heaven Collapses!
Note from Deathblade: This is another short chapter. Er Gen said that he felt this was the proper place to end it, and it was also one of his fourupdates-in-a-day times when he was campaigning for monthly vote tickets.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1344Chapter 1344 (Click to show "spoiler" title)
Chapter 1344: Another Encounter With World Essence!
Naruto had truly done something that shook Heaven and Earth…. A mighty act!
He could not illuminate every inch of the starry sky of the Mountain and Sea Realm, but he could cause light to shine within the eyes of all cultivators there, to gleam within their hearts and their divine will!
That light was the spirit of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the rise to prominence of an entire people!
He destroyed the 1st Heaven to crush the hearts of the Outsiders, and to give hope to the Mountain and Sea cultivators, to stir their hearts!
We can do it!
We can still secure victory!
Rumbling echoed down from above, and at the same time, the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm roared. Their impassioned cries swept out like tempests; not even the sounds of the 1st Heaven's destruction could drown them out!
"The 1st Heaven… is collapsing!"
"The 1st Heaven… is no more!"
"He did it! Naruto … actually did it!" People were shouting and crying, and their tears glistened under the flickering light of the flames overhead; the light their eyes shone with was that of hope, of inspiration, and of determination.
Within the Seventh Mountain and Sea, on Planet Tiger Cage, the cultivators were all trembling with excitement. Their hearts had been dead, but now that the 1st Heaven was collapsing, it was as if they had been resurrected.
In the Nine Mountains and Seas, the cultivators on all of the battlefields had been repressed for far too long. Now that the 1st Heaven had collapsed, they erupted out, exploded, and their rising spirits filled the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.
" Naruto , Naruto !" It was hard to say who said it first, but soon everyone was chanting his name. All of the voices in the Mountain and Sea Realm joined together into a thunderous cry.
The sound of their conjoined voices rose up through the starry sky, until even Naruto could hear them.
" Naruto , Naruto !"
" Naruto , Naruto !"
The Mountain and Sea Realm was astir in a way it had never been before. The cultivators were bursting with excitement, and as for the Outsiders, they were trembling in despair and utter terror.
Although they didn't completely understand, they could sense that the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were different than they had been before. They were more valiant, more unyielding, and more terrifying!
It was as if a unified people was finally rising up!
It was as if the Mountain and Sea Realm had been a sleeping giant that anyone could humiliate freely. But now, that giant… had opened its eyes. It was… awake!
That awakening caused Heaven and Earth to flash with colors!
That awakening caused the starry sky to be completely shaken!
The crumbling 1st Heaven up above was like a sacrificial offering which was now awakening the Mountain and Sea Realm!
In the Ninth Mountain and Sea, everyone in the Namikaze Clan was cheering. Namikaze Xiufeng couldn't be more excited as he watched Naruto , his heart bursting with intense pride. He wanted to shout out to all cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm, " Naruto is MY son!"
All of the Chosen who Naruto had dealt with in the past, be it Fan Dong'er or Ji Yin, couldn't help but be swept up in the excitement. Although they had some mixed emotions, they weren't thinking about the things that had happened in the past. In their eyes, they saw… a blazing sun, lifting the spirits of the people…. Naruto !
In fact, there were even some cultivators who looked over at those Chosen and suddenly realized that owing Naruto money might actually be something that one could be proud of….
If Naruto asked, there would be hosts of people who would elatedly write promissory notes for him….
To be connected to him by Karma could be considered good fortune!
Hinata was smiling, Namikaze Yu was smiling, and Uzumaki Li was smiling. A smile could even be seen on the face of Li Ling'er. As of this moment, all cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm felt something different inside of them that hadn't been there before.
On Planet South Heaven, Shui Dongliu watched the Mountain and Sea Realm rise up, watched hope appear, and he threw his head back and laughed.
"With this spirit, then… even if the Mountains and Seas are defeated, then as long as a single cultivator remains alive, then the spark will burn, and the bloodline of the Mountains and Seas will be passed down for all eternity!" Shui Dongliu laughed heartily, a laughter of pure happiness. He knew that as of this day, victory and defeat… were not important.
Up in the starry sky, Naruto hovered there, looking down at the entirety of the Mountain and Sea Realm. At the same time, the cultivators down below were looking up through the shattered remnants of the 1st Heaven at Naruto .
Naruto felt as if he should say something, so he thought for a moment, then spoke. "I am a Mountain and Sea cultivator!"
He bolstered his words with his cultivation base and divine sense, causing them to echo out, starting with the Fourth Mountain and Sea, then spreading to the Third, Second, First as well as the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth.
Gradually, everyone in the Mountain and Sea Realm was shouting the exact same thing!
"I am a Mountain and Sea cultivator!"
"I am a Mountain and Sea cultivator!"
"I am a Mountain and Sea cultivator!" The sound rolled out as each and every cultivator shouted from the bottoms of their heart, shouted words that contained their lives, their wills, and their pride!
Even more shocking was what happened next. There on Planet South Heaven, Shui Dongliu threw his head back and lifted both hands up into the air. In response, the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm began to boil and rumble explosively. Massive amounts of the energy of Heaven and Earth, which had been stored up for years, now spread out through the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, boring into the bodies of all cultivators.
One by one, people began to roar as they experienced cultivation base breakthroughs!
They had been suppressed for far too long, but now, the seal of the 33 Heavens was weakening. Now that the Mountain and Sea Realm had been stimulated, the cultivators began to soar!
Henceforth… the 33 Heavens… were now 32 Heavens, and their seal had lost one of its layers!
As the rumbling sounds echoed out into the ears of the Outsiders, they shook, and began to edge backward. They no longer had any will or faith to fight whatsoever.
Even the Outsider Dao Sovereign Long Linzi who was fighting Patriarch Reliance was shaking.
"Perhaps… we were mistaken. A Mountain and Sea Realm like this, the continuation of the Paragon Immortal Realm itself, is something… that we cannot subjugate… that we cannot destroy…."
The Outsider Imperial Lord fighting with Ksitigarbha also began to shake. His cultivation base put him on the cusp of being a Paragon, and therefore, he could see even more of what was happening. He could see the Mountain and Sea Realm awakening, and he could see its aura slowly rising up from deep within.
Outsider Paragon Eegoo, who was fighting Paragon Sea Dream, felt intense bitterness in his heart. As a Paragon, he could see the entirety of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and understood everything that was happening. He could also sense that terrifying aura rising up, the pride which had been passed down all the way from the Paragon Immortal Realm.
The Immortals from the era of the Paragon Immortal Realm had been valiant, proud without being arrogant. They had been powerful, but not cruel, and had thus subjugated numerous Lower Realms, sweeping across all Heaven and Earth, dominating the starry skies!
It had been a very, very long time since Paragon Eegoo saw an aura like this, and yet… here it was on this day. Yet again, he felt that aura taking root.
"This kid might not love fighting," he thought, "and he might not understand troop movements and formations. Nor does he excel in the art of war, or of military campaigns. However he… has mastered the quintessence of war!
"Ordinary people think that war is about subjugation. Some more intelligent people realize that it is about death and destruction. However… the truly wise know… that war is about destroying the spirit of your enemy….
"Any given world, and any given people, have a spirit that leads to the most terrifying kind of willpower. Back in the days of the Paragon Immortal Realm, that spirit was suppressed, and that willpower altered, forced to hole up here. It was sealed up, not just by the 33 Heavens, but by the people themselves.
"But now, everything has changed…. That kid, must die!" The Outsider Paragon's eyes flickered with cold light.
It was at about this time that bitter laughter could be heard not too far away from Naruto . It was the Outsider Dao Sovereign, who had now converged his incarnations back together, who had burned his life force to try to prevent the 1st Heaven from collapsing. However, he had acted too late. Now, his mind was completely shaking. Rumbling sounds echoed out as he shot murderously toward Naruto , raving in madness.
"You destroyed my home, and you destroyed my people!" he shrieked as he closed in at top speed. "You wiped out everything that was ours, Naruto !"
"You wiped yourselves out," Naruto said calmly. He was just about to launch an attack, when all of a sudden, he turned to look at the collapsing 1st Heaven.
He could sense… the aura of Essence!
"World Essence!" he thought. Eyes glittering, heart surging with elation, he thought back to the World Essence of the Windswept Realm. The enormous land mass that was the 1st Heaven also had Essence, although it vastly exceeded the Essence from the Windswept Realm. After all, this had been one of the few surviving, unbroken remnants of the 3,000 Lower Realms.
Therefore, it was only natural… that this place had World Essence! 1
World Essence was a supreme Dao, a complete Dao based on an entire World. As such, different worlds had different types of World Essence!
Years before, Naruto had experienced numerous deadly situations, all to acquire the World Essence of the Windswept Realm. After acquiring it, he had been able to unlock his Allheaven Dao Immortal bloodline, and had even been able to plant the Allheaven Dao seed within the blood of the entire Namikaze Clan!
That World Essence had affected Naruto in a profound way. In fact, later on, the only reason why he eventually rose to the heights he had, to be able to slaughter Dao Lords and Dao Sovereigns, was because of his Allheaven bloodline. And that… was because of the Windswept Realm's World Essence, the Traitorous Sutra of the Rebel Dao!
As of this moment, Naruto was completely shaken. He could sense the Allheaven Dao Immortal blood inside him boiling, as if it were consumed by incredible thirst. He suddenly had the intense premonition that if he could get that World Essence, then he might have a chance to further awaken his Allheaven Dao Immortal blood!
He could even sense that the World Essence of the 1st Heaven was something very different than the Windswept Realm's Traitorous Sutra of the Rebel Dao. If he could gain enlightenment of it, the results would be extraordinary!
It could help cultivators gain enlightenment of great Dao relics of
Heaven and Earth.
The 33 Heavens had tolerated the Windswept Realm only because of its World Essence which they coveted.
Right now, as the land mass that was the 1st Heaven collapsed, it was possible to tell that this World Essence was far more powerful than the Windswept Realm's. Furthermore… it was now seeping out through the shattered cracks that riddled the 1st Heaven.
Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment. He flickered into motion, avoiding the Outsider Dao Sovereign to suddenly appear in the location of the World Essence.
When that happened, an intense Essence aura rumbled out toward Naruto . His mind suddenly grew a hundred times clearer, and he became a hundred times more agile. The feeling of a great Dao, of a powerful Essence, was even more explosive than before.
Most importantly, his powers of deduction were now vastly beyond what they had been.
Even his bloodline experienced strange transformations, signs of absorption and change!
Chapter 1344: Another Encounter With World Essence!
World Essence was a fairly important part of the Windswept Realm arc, and was mentioned many times. The most relevant chapters were
1147–1149 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1345Chapter 1345 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1345: Hexing Magic Essence!
As soon as Naruto sensed the World Essence, he began to absorb it. The World Essence around him began to move, and then became visible for all to see.
Countless motes of light, emanating soft glows, floated out from the 1st Heaven and spread out to fill the entire area. From a distance, it was possible to see one hundred thousand of them, forming together into the shape of a lizard.
As for Naruto , he was located where that lizard's heart would be, where the World Essence was most dense!
At this point, the Outsider Dao Sovereign gasped, then cried out, "World Essence!"
The Outsider Paragon fighting Sea Dream saw the lizard-shaped World Essence, and his eyes filled with grief.
Not all worlds could give birth to World Essence. However, if one did, if that resulting World Essence was given enough time, it could actually become… a real living being!
All of the cultivators and Outsiders could see what was happening, although not everyone understood it.
Of course, thanks to the events which had occurred in the Windswept Realm, the Echelon cultivators from the various Mountains and Seas knew exactly what they were looking at, and their jaws dropped. It only took an instant for them to realize that this was World Essence.
Naruto 's heart was pounding. Based on the level of his current cultivation base, being able to sense this World Essence filled him with an intense desire to acquire it. Furthermore, he knew that World Essence was extremely precious, especially to him.
He was currently in the very middle of all of the World Essence, and every breath he took caused vast amounts of it to flow into him. His thinking grew quicker, his powers of deduction stronger, and even his willpower seemed to increase. It was if he were becoming more at one with Heaven and Earth.
It was at this same point that the Outsider Dao Sovereign, eyes red, life force burning, suddenly had a strange feeling. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion or not, but after seeing Naruto begin to absorb the World Essence, he almost thought he could hear the World Essence screaming.
This was the Essence of his home, the homeland of his heart, the mother of lizards!
" Naruto !" he roared. He flickered into motion, shooting into the World
Essence in an attempt to stop Naruto . However, as he closed in, Naruto 's eyes flickered, and he dodged to the side, clearly not interested in tangling with the Outsider Dao Sovereign. Instead, he went all-out to continue to absorb the World Essence.
When he couldn't dodge to the side, he used the Lightning Cauldron and Form Displacement Transposition to put distance between the two of them as he continued to absorb the World Essence. As for the Outsider Dao Sovereign, considering that Naruto wasn't of a mind to do combat, there was little he could do.
After all, although it might seem as if they were on the same level in terms of battle prowess, the truth of the matter was that Naruto was now just a bit stronger than the Outsider Dao Sovereign!
Were it not for the fact that the World Essence seemed unstable, as if it might fade away at any moment, then Naruto would definitely have already attacked and killed him, and then continued the absorption process later.
Unfortunately, there was no time for that. His body flashed as he dodged a black sea of flames, after which he took in a deep breath, causing massive amounts of World Essence to rumble toward him.
As the World Essence shrank down, miserable screams echoed out that could be heard nowhere else except in the minds of the Outsiders.
It was as if the World Essence was begging its people, begging all lizard cultivators, to help it!
Throughout the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Outsiders were trembling, and expressions of grief could be seen on their faces. However, there was nothing they could do….
Naruto continued to absorb the World Essence, and his eyes began to glow with increasing brightness. He almost looked like a sun, radiating a dazzling, boundless light of understanding.
He could clearly sense his thoughts racing faster than ever before; he could detect things that he had never been able to detect before, and could also feel the indescribable enlightenment of a Dao.
It was as if the great Daos of Heaven and Earth were all there in front of him, and all he had to do was pick one and attempt to understand its fundamental nature. Then… it would be able to grow into an Essence which belonged solely to him.
This was not like the Divine Flame, which was an external entity, and not his own!
What he was able to do now actually came from his experiences back in the Windswept Realm. There, he had laid the foundation by coming to enlightenment regarding 3,000 great Daos. That became the sowing of Karma, and today he was able to reap it!
"Understanding Essence…." he thought, his eyes flashing.
"I don't need to gain enlightenment of any outside Essence. 3,000 great Daos. 3,000 Essences. Nobody can have all 3,000…. I only need enlightenment of nine Daos!
"Those nine Daos aren't anything I need to jealously attempt to acquire from others, but rather, things which exist inside of me…. There are definitely no Essences more suitable to me than the Nine Demon Sealing Hexes!
"I came up with this idea before, to use the Demon Sealing Hexing magics as my Dao Realm Essences. If each one of the Hexes can be an Essence, then… when I get all nine Hexes, I will have nine Essences. And that is when I, Naruto … will step into the pinnacle of the Paragon level!" Naruto 's eyes were shining brightly, and his heart was pounding. As of this moment, he didn't hesitate at all. He went all out with every scrap of power he could muster to gain complete enlightenment of… the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!
Body-Spirit Hexing!
In the instant that Naruto made his decision to seek enlightenment of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, rumbling sounds filled his mind as all of his mental faculties focused completely on that Hex!
His mind filled with a roaring like the crash of endless thunder as he analyzed the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, focused on it, broke it apart and dug into it!
He contemplated why the Hex could cease the movement of the cultivation base, and he pondered how it could even control Essence. He analyzed why the Hex was even capable of locking down Nascent Divinities!
He even analyzed how the Eighth Generation Demon Sealer… created this particular Hexing magic!
Without the World Essence, it would have taken Naruto a very, very long time to do something like this, and would have required constant research and contemplation. But now, the World Essence almost seemed to make time move differently; it was as if 10,000 years passed by for Naruto with a single thought, benefiting him with all of the understanding he would come to in such a time!
As he continued to analyze and ponder, screams echoed endlessly within the minds of the Outsiders, and they knew that the motes of light that were the World Essence were being uncontrollably absorbed by Naruto .
In the blink of an eye, 30,000 motes of light had been sucked into him.
His powers of deduction became more profound, and he could analyze things faster. His eyes gleamed so brightly that anyone who could actually see him would be shocked.
It was at this point that an aura of enlightenment began to rise up from him, to merge with Heaven and Earth, as if he were becoming one with the world!
This type of enlightenment was something that all cultivators dreamed of. It was… Dao enlightenment!
"NO!" screamed the Outsider Dao Sovereign, eyes flashing with madness. Suddenly, his body collapsed, spreading out into the starry sky to form a crimson sea of blood, upon which raged black flames.
The red and the black mixed with each other, turning into violet. This was apparently some sort of spirit dissolving grand magic; the Outsider Dao Sovereign was willing to abandon his fleshly body and his Dao foundation, to burn all of the power of his Nascent Divinity, to turn into a sea of flames that swept magnificently toward Naruto .
Naruto did nothing to dodge or evade. His eyes shone with a strange light as the sea of blood surged toward him. Then, he waved his finger.
That wave of a finger didn't unleash the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, and yet a powerful ripple spread out, causing the sea of blood to lurch to a stop. However, it took only a moment to recover. Rumbling sounds echoed out as violet waves roared, sending blistering heat out toward Naruto , along with the power of extermination.
"DIE!" screamed the Outsider Dao Sovereign from within the sea of blood, causing a massive pressure to erupt out, spreading out in all directions and then crushing down onto Naruto .
This insane attack by the Outsider Dao Sovereign converged all of his willpower, and burned his cultivation base away in exchange for an attack that caused even Naruto to feel a twinge of fear.
A boom could be heard, and blood oozed out of the corners of Naruto 's mouth. His entire body was on fire as he staggered backward. And yet, he seemed to be completely ignoring that fact; a blankness could now be seen in his eyes, a blankness that came from deep and profound contemplation.
It was almost as if he didn't see the danger which was right in front of him.
"DIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" The sea of blood transformed into a huge face, which was none other than that of the Outsider Dao Sovereign. He glared at Naruto with intense hatred, howling as the sea of blood suddenly began to swirl, emanating an even more terrifying aura than before as it shot toward Naruto .
Naruto sat within the sea of flames, frowning, his eyes filled with the gleam of augury.
"No, it's not just a simple Hexing magic," he muttered. "The Essence… is hidden within the Hexing magic…?" Suddenly, Naruto 's eyes glittered.
"I need more World Essence!" Completely ignoring the sea of blood bearing down on him, he suddenly took a step forward.
As his foot descended, the entire world seemed to superimpose upon itself. Then it split apart, as if he had walked into a different dimension, as if he were no longer within the Mountain and Sea Realm.
He was now outside of the sea of blood, which crashed onto his former position with a loud rumbling sound. At the same time, more of the World Essence surged toward Naruto .
10,000. 20,000…. In the blink of an eye, he had absorbed more than half of the World Essence!
His mind was now roaring, and his powers of deduction exploded, as he mentally broke apart the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, until finally… he saw the Essence of the Hexing magic!
"Space…." A tremor ran through him.
Chapter 1345: Hexing Magic Essence!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1346Chapter 1346: Essence of space!
Naruto saw countless dimensions of space, all of them different sizes. Some were blurry, others were clear. They transformed into countless threads, threads that Naruto was very familiar with; every time he unleashed the Eighth Hex, these threads would appear, bind whoever was the target of the magic, and seal their cultivation base as well as their Nascent Divinity.
Originally, Naruto had assumed that the threads were natural laws of Heaven and Earth. But now that he could see them clearly, he understood that they… were definitely not natural or magical laws!
They were dimensional spaces!
Numerous dimensional spaces superimposed over each other and then exerted pressure onto a cultivator to seal their cultivation base and Nascent Divinity!
"Yes! This is how to truly lock someone down! Shackle the cultivation base with numerous dimensional spaces! In fact, it might be less appropriate to call it locking them down, and more appropriate to call it… a sealing!" Naruto 's mind was reeling, and his eyes shone with a strange light as the surrounding World Essence continued to pour into him.
The entire starry sky shook, and the Outsider who had transformed into a sea of flames seethed as he once again bore down on Naruto . However, instead of slamming into Naruto , he passed right through him.
It was as if Naruto was now hovering, not in the Mountain and Sea Realm, but in some other dimensional space. The only thing which remained behind was a shadow, an image which everyone could see but not touch!
As of this moment, Ksitigarbha's heart was pounding. The Outsider Imperial Lord he was fighting felt his mind trembling, and he gasped as he looked toward Naruto with complete astonishment.
It wasn't just them. Paragon Sea Dream and the Outsider Paragon Eegoo were also shocked.
The Mountain and Sea Lords, as well as the other Dao Realm experts of the Mountain and Sea Realm, all felt as if their minds were filled with crashing lightning as they realized… that they could sense the aura of Essence on Naruto .
Naruto 's expression was calm, but the glow of augury in his eyes radiated dazzlingly, and the World Essence around him roared as he absorbed it with complete abandon.
60,000. 70,000. 80,000!
Mere moments later, Naruto had absorbed more than 80,000 motes of light. Furthermore, he had entered a state in which something new was now floating in his mind…
Essence formed from space!
Why did the world have space, and what exactly was it?!
With the help of the World Essence, Naruto was able to analyze the subject, and to seek enlightenment of it. As of this moment, he had reached an unprecedentedly high peak. Rumbling could be heard as boundless light shone out from him to spread through the entire starry sky.
As of this moment, all cultivators and all Outsiders were completely shaken.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign was doing everything he could think of, but was incapable of even touching Naruto . All he could do was watch as Naruto hovered there in the starry sky, and then closed his eyes.
He was now truly gaining Dao enlightenment!
"What is space…?" Naruto murmured. The sound of his voice echoed out, causing the starry sky to shake. Although his eyes were closed, in his mind, he could see numerous dimensional spaces, spreading out in all directions, stretching out over such a vast area that they seemed limitless.
"Length… is space….
"Height… is space….
"Breadth… is also space….
"Size, can also be an expression of space…." Among the countless dimensional spaces, he saw that they could be described in terms of length, height, breadth, and overall size. And yet all of that seemed to be only a portion of what space was. Those were all… descriptions of space.
However, Naruto still didn't understand everything clearly. There was something he was missing, something he hadn't grasped. His brow furrowed as he subconsciously continued to absorb more World Essence power.
He needed to increase his powers of augury and understanding… to gain enlightenment of the true meaning of the Essence of space!
As of this moment, he had completely forgotten about the sea of flames, about the Mountain and Sea Realm, about the war. He was completely and utterly immersed in Dao enlightenment.
The rest of the world was completely shaken. Both the Mountain and Sea Realm and the Outsiders had been in an uproar, but now they were silent. Even the Imperial Lord and the Paragon said nothing.
At long last, the Outsider Dao Sovereign who had been trying every method possible to kill Naruto finally had no choice… but to stop unleashing his magic.
It was pointless….
As Naruto sought Dao enlightenment, the area around him distorted, occasionally expanding, occasionally contracting. Sometimes it would bulge upward and downward, and sometimes it would sweep out to the left or right.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign was trembling in his form of the flame sea. He couldn't affect Naruto at all, and in fact, was prevented from even getting close to him. The closer he got, the more unstable the void became, until destructive rifts even began to open up. In the end, he simply fled.
Currently nothing in existence could get close to that area, with the exception of Naruto , who was now gaining enlightenment of the Essence of space.
Naruto 's body was also in a distorted state of transformation. Rumbling could be heard as he expanded, then shrunk. In one instant he was as tiny as a mustard seed, in another, as huge as the Heavens!
The Outsider Paragon looked at Naruto with mixed emotions, and then bitterly muttered, "The Essence of space…. From ancient times until now, numerous almighty experts have sought enlightenment of it. However, those who succeeded are as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns…."
Sea Dream's eyes shone with a strange light as she watched Naruto , and a smile slowly broke out on her face.
Everyone simply watched as Naruto hovered there with his eyes closed, the same as ever, seeking enlightenment. As of now, his state exceeded that of the Eighth Generation Demon Sealer when he actually created the Eighth Hex. At that time, he had only needed to understand the initial aspects regarding length, height, breadth, and size. With that, he had been able to create the Eighth Hex.
On the other hand, what Naruto was contemplating was beyond that. He was contemplating the very Essence of space!
That was an Essence filled with endless possibilities, and Naruto wanted to know all of them!
Normally, that would be virtually impossible, but with the aid of the World Essence, it was quite the opposite. Currently, rumbling sounds echoed out as Naruto continued to absorb more World Essence like mad.
By this point, Naruto had absorbed roughly ninety percent, 90,000 motes of light!
He only continued to absorb them faster and faster. At this point, his augury and contemplation of enlightenment had reached the pinnacle. The final 10,000 motes of World Essence light were sucked into him, whereupon his mind felt as if it had been split open by a massive boom that was so loud it was impossible to describe.
Amidst the rumbling, his eyes snapped open, and although an abstruse gleam could be seen therein, there was nothing else that was vastly different. And yet, at the same time, the contrast between the blackness of his pupils and whites of his eyes was more distinct than ever!
His eyes now sparkled in a way that seemed to indicate that they were filled with a great Dao of Heaven and Earth.
"So, that's the Essence of space…." he said, smiling slightly. He could feel the Essence of space fading away within him, and could also sense his enhanced powers of augury and deduction dissipating. He sighed.
In almost the same instant that Naruto 's eyes opened, the instability in the surrounding void faded away. Furthermore, his body returned to the Mountain and Sea Realm. When the maddened Outsider Dao Sovereign saw that, his sea of flames form seethed, and he shot toward Naruto .
"Space… is nothing more than countless threads, formed together into a pattern. The patterns formed by those threads… are space!" Naruto shook his head, then waved his hand, causing a circle to appear beneath his feet.
"I am currently within space," he said, looking down. Then he smiled as his enlightenment deepened. As for the sea of flames that was the Outsider Dao Sovereign, it appeared to be on the verge of consuming Naruto , but to the Dao Sovereign's utter shock, he realized that the flames were stuck to the outside of the thread that formed the circle!
"Th-this… this…." The Outsider Dao Sovereign's heart was battered by waves of shock, as were the hearts the other Outsider Dao Sovereign and the Paragon.
"Space! He actually gained enlightenment of the Essence of space!"
Naruto 's expression was calm as he looked at the circle formed by the thread, within which he stood. Then he smiled. "As for these threads… doesn't the Essence I have gained enlightenment of consist of more than just the threads themselves?
"Within these threads are length, height, breadth, and size. They are limitless, and that is space…. They are flat, but actually…." He waved his right hand, causing a thread to stretch out from the circle, and then pass over him. In the blink of an eye, the circle of threads was no longer flat, but had transformed into… a sphere!
"With an additional thread, it is no longer a circle, but a sphere, like a world…. It's too bad my enlightenment is insufficient, and I can't sustain it for very long." Even as Naruto murmured to himself, the sphere collapsed, and he sighed lightly.
"In my eyes, the world is just a canvas." Naruto looked up at the shocked Outsider, who was still a sea of flames. Then Naruto waved his right hand, causing the flames to suddenly lock into place. Then they began to transform; no longer were they surrounding Naruto , but instead, they were now spreading out to form a static image of flames within the starry sky, like a painting!
Then he waved his hand, and four threads appeared, surrounding the flames, almost as if they were a picture frame.
"This, is space," he said, his eyes flickering with a cold light.
Rumbling could be heard as the sea of flames trembled. Inside, the Outsider Dao Sovereign was howling bitterly. The fire seemed to be on the verge of slipping out of the shackles, of bursting out from within the threads that held it. And yet, it could not. Finally, the flames converged together, transforming into a lizard of fire. It began to butt its head against the threads, and yet that did nothing. It… could not free itself. It was completely sealed within what Naruto had created… the picture frame.
The starry sky was like a canvas, and anyone who could control the Essence of space could use their hands like a brush. With a few strokes, threads could be formed together into an outline. What was within that outline… was space.
If that canvas was folded, the subsequent cracks that were created were dimensional rifts. Furthermore, if the canvas could be formed into a sphere, then that space would be… a world.
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1347Chapter 1347: A Cold Glow in the Eyes!
Naruto chuckled and suddenly raised his hand into the air, slowly clenching his fist in the direction of the painting within which hung the Outsider Dao Sovereign. It was as if he were crumpling a piece of paper into a ball; the canvas he had just created instantly transformed into ash.
The Outsider Dao Sovereign within let out a miserable cry, and was then completely destroyed.
The task left Naruto 's face slightly pale, and inwardly, he sighed. Because of the World Essence of the 1st Heaven, he had gained enlightenment of the Dao of the Eighth Hex's Essence, which was even stronger than Naruto had imagined it would be. Although it was very draining, it only served to make him more convinced that his idea of using the Hexing Magics as the basis of his Essences was the correct course.
"Unfortunately, considering my current cultivation base, I can only use this magic once per month." That limit to the usefulness of the magical technique was the only thing that Naruto was disappointed in. It was based completely on the level of his cultivation base and the Essence power he could wield.
After all, his true cultivation base was actually in the Ancient Realm, with six extinguished Soul Lamps.
"With the Essence of Space, I can seal the 6-Essences level. That's my limit. If I were fighting an Imperial Lord, losing would be a possibility. And as for a Paragon…." Naruto shook his head. He was well aware that everything was dependent on the rise of his cultivation base, and his control of more Essence power.
In fact, his enlightenment of the Essence of Space could be likened to a vastly deep pit, at the bottom of which was a tiny lake. Eventually, though, that deep pit would become… a boundless sea of stars!
Furthermore, enlightenment of the Essence of the Eighth Hex was just the first benefit Naruto had gained from the World Essence. There was also a second!
And that was… transformations to his blood!
Naruto could clearly sense that, after absorbing the World Essence of the 1st Heaven, his Allheaven Dao Immortal bloodline had experienced a strange change. Although that change wasn't large, it was a fundamental one that could shake the Heavens and topple the Earth.
He wasn't sure exactly what that change entailed, but he could sense that his Allheaven bloodline… was vastly different.
He now knew that there was some completely extraordinary and astounding secret locked within the Allheaven bloodline, something that could perhaps raise him to unprecedented heights.
After that change occurred, his Allheaven Dao Immortal blood would experience another awakening, and he had the intense premonition… that he would reach an unbelievable level.
Perhaps that level was a Realm that had never been seen before!
As for what that Realm was, Naruto didn't know, but he did know that if he wanted to elicit such an awakening in his Allheaven blood, then he needed to absorb more World Essences.
After the World Essence of the 1st Heaven had been completely absorbed, a slight sliver of awakening could be detected.
In almost the exact same instant that Naruto finished absorbing the World Essence, and his Allheaven Dao Immortal bloodline showed signs of another awakening, something happened back on Planet South Heaven. Shui Dongliu's eyes suddenly flickered, and a tremor ran through him.
"Ever since that kid changed his fate, I've been unable to see his future," he murmured. "However, I have the feeling that he… has the chance to become… something above and beyond everything else… To reach the supreme Realm! 1
"Perhaps, something even higher than that…. Perhaps he can become that which was legendary even in the Paragon Immortal Realm, that which people put faith in from the beginning of creation until now… the Immortal!
"In the Vast Expanse that is the starry sky, there is the God and the Devil, but no Immortal…." Shui Dongliu was trembling, and a look of keen anticipation and focus could be seen in his eyes as he peered out into the starry sky toward Naruto .
"The Immortal…. From the moment that word came to be, no person, no entity, has ever become the true Immortal…. The Immortal stands alongside the God, is on equal footing with the Devil…. Eternal in the starry sky!
"The uninformed think that the two great powers are coming because of a precious treasure. One of them seeks the return of the God, the other wishes to resurrect the Devil….
"However, the truth is that their purpose is not limited to those things. They wish to stop… the birth of the Immortal!
"By seizing the power unleashed by the birth of the Immortal, and combining it with that of their precious treasures, they can at long last accomplish their true ambitions!"
Out in the starry sky, floating in the vicinity of Naruto , was something no one could see. It was a ship, upon which an old man sat cross-legged, staring silently at Naruto . Mixed emotions could be seen in his eyes, as well as the gleam of enlightenment.
Not too far off in a different direction was Slaughter, dressed in a black robe, hovering there like an unsheathed sword. Although he was surrounded by a profoundly murderous aura, no one could sense him as he remained in place, studying Naruto thoughtfully.
At the same time that Naruto gained a bit of enlightenment regarding the transformations to his bloodline, and a spark of anticipation rose up in his heart, something happened down in the Mountain and Sea Realm, where everyone was still reeling in shock from the sight of Naruto destroying the 1st Heaven and absorbing its World Essence.
An astonishing, deafening roar rose up from the direction of the Fourth Mountain and Sea, and at the same time, a power like that of a Paragon suddenly erupted out. Simultaneously, Ksitigarbha bellowed, and yet was incapable of preventing a certain figure from bursting out from the Fourth Mountain and Sea.
It was none other than the Outsider Imperial Lord!
He was at the peak of the 6-Essences level, half a step into being a Paragon!
Originally, Ksitigarbha had been able to pin him down, but clearly he was now benefiting from the aid of the Outsider Paragon, who couldn't break free from Sea Dream, and had apparently decided to help the Imperial Lord to break free. Now that Imperial Lord was bursting with his peak level of power, taking advantage of the fluctuations caused by the appearance of Naruto 's Essence to break free from Ksitigarbha and charge forth in attack.
He was a sea of flames that shot through the void like a meteor, bursting with intense cultivation base power as he closed in on Naruto .
Naruto 's eyes glittered, and he momentarily glanced off in a different direction, which was none other than the location where Paragon Sea Dream was fighting the Outsider Paragon. Unfortunately, he was currently unable to transmit any information to Sea Dream, so he looked back at the Imperial Lord and then, instead of retreating, advanced.
The Outsider Imperial Lord looked completely awe-inspiring, and his eyes were bursting with mad killing intent. Based on the fluctuations of his cultivation base, he was completely going all-out with his Essence power. The sea of flames transformed into a vortex, and after that, materialized five successive vortexes, each one larger than the one before it.
Six vortexes could be seen, all of them emanating Essence power that shook the starry sky and caused all onlookers to gasp.
This terrifying power exceeded that of a Dao Sovereign; it was the most shocking level of power that existed beneath a Paragon's.
The power within any one of those vortexes was more than half of that of a Dao Sovereign, and in fact, two vortexes together could easily crush that level. When you added six of them together, the Essence power they emanated would enable the Imperial Lord who wielded it to crush any Dao Sovereign!
This was the power of an Imperial Lord!
Even Ksitigarbha, who could rely on the river of reincarnation and the sea of the Yellow Springs, who had countless Yama palaces from the Fourth Mountain, and who could draw upon the Joss Flame power of innumerable dead souls, would not be able to fight back against the Outsider Imperial Lord in this state.
In this situation, the reality was that the Outsider Imperial Lord now had enough power to wipe out Ksitigarbha. As he charged forth at top speed, he didn't rely on any magical technique or other tricks. Instead, he drew upon terrifying Essence power as he prepared to completely crush Naruto .
Extending both hands, he then clapped them together viciously. Rumbling sounds could then be heard as the first of the vortexes passed through him and shot toward Naruto .
As Naruto closed in, his hands flashed in a double-handed incantation gesture, summoning numerous mountains. He transformed into a huge azure roc, and then shot like lightning toward that incoming vortex.
A massive boom echoed out as the vortex collapsed, and Naruto 's mountains shattered. At the same time, his azure roc form continued to speed toward the Outsider Imperial Lord. At the same time, the second vortex screamed forth to appear directly in front of Naruto .
The resulting boom sent colors flashing through the sky and caused the stars to shudder. Naruto 's azure roc form collapsed, and he appeared in his normal form, clenching his right hand into a fist and unleashing a fist strike!
The vortex trembled, and then cracking sounds rang out as it collapsed into pieces. Naruto 's face was ashen, and he backed up a bit. It was at that point that the third and fourth vortexes closed in. The destructive power of extermination erupted out as the full power of an Imperial Lord was unleashed.
Naruto 's face flickered. His fleshly body power was now thrumming at its peak, and his cultivation base exploded out. The Paragon Bridge appeared, and Divine Flame blasted out as he unleashed three successive fist strikes!
Life-Extermination Fist!
Bedevilment Fist!
God-Slaying Fist!
Three fist strikes were joined by the crushing Paragon Bridge and the rumbling Divine Flame. The third vortex collapsed, and at the same time, Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood. Then he fell back, relying on the strength of his fleshly body to bear the brunt of the terrifying fourth vortex and its Essence power.
A boom rang out, and blood sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth as he tumbled backward like a kite with its string cut. The direction in which he fell seemed to be in accord with the Outsider Imperial Lord's plan. Unexpectedly, it was the direction leading toward where the Outsider Paragon was fighting Paragon Sea Dream.
Naruto 's face fell, and he was apparently on the verge of trying to change directions when the Outsider Imperial Lord snorted coldly. Killing intent raging, he sent the fifth vortex flying forward in shocking fashion.
Naruto 's eyes glittered as his Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation worked like mad to heal his injuries. At the same time, he raised his right hand and unleashed Demon Sealing Hexing magic. Rumbling could be heard as streams of Hexing magic shot out, bolstered by the power of the Mountains and Seas as they bore down on the fifth vortex.
Seventh Hex, Sixth Hex, Fifth Hex, Third Hex, Second Hex!
His Eighth Hex had become Essence, but the other five Hexing magics turned into sealing marks which absorbed the power of the Mountains and Seas, causing them to grow in size to 3,000 meters as they neared the fifth vortex.
As they slammed into the vortex, they were wiped out one by one, and Naruto coughed up successive mouthfuls of blood. He fell back again, the backlash power wreaking havoc upon his body. However, the fifth vortex also collapsed.
At the same time, deep within his eyes was something that no observer would be able to detect, a cold, grim anticipation.
Shui Dongliu initially talked about Naruto "changing his fate" in the events in the Immortal Ancient Daoist Rite temple in chapter 819 ↩
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1348Chapter 1348 (Click to show "spoiler" title) Chapter 1348: Enslaving a Paragon!
When the fifth vortex collapsed, its attack power blasted out in all directions. Within the blood that sprayed out of Naruto 's mouth were chunks of internal organs, and he was yet again sent tumbling backward toward the Paragon battlefield. By now, he was only about 30,000 meters away!
"Today, I'll kill you as a sacrifice to the 1st Heaven!" roared the Outsider Imperial Lord. His eyes were bright red as he strode forward, sending the sixth and final vortex rumbling forward!
From the fact that Naruto could withstand the attack of the fifth vortex, it was possible to see how powerful he was. He was already far beyond the level of a 6-Essences Dao Sovereign. However, when facing an Imperial Lord who was halfway into the Paragon level, he didn't quite seem to be able to match up.
The sixth vortex was the most majestic of them all, and it was currently causing the starry sky to twist and distort. All laws of nature and magic were ripped to shreds as the vortex shot toward Naruto . As it bore down on him, his eyes were bright red. He lifted his hand, summoning the Battle Weapon. The meat jelly appeared, forming a suit of armor, and the mastiff became a cape. Naruto threw his head back and roared, rapidly growing to a height of 3,000 meters. At the same time, the Battle Weapon grew longer, and its appearance more fearsome.
Naruto didn't fall back. He knew that there was no avoiding this attack. Therefore, he hefted the Battle Weapon and then slashed it out toward the sixth vortex!
"Cleave!" he bellowed. The Battle Weapon shone with brilliant light, becoming a dazzling beam that slashed down into the sixth vortex. Massive rumbling sounds echoed out as the entire vortex was completely cleaved in two!
However, Naruto paid a steep and bitter price as a result. The Battle Weapon vanished, the armor shattered, and the meat jelly let out a miserable scream. The Blood Mastiff howled in anguish, and the parrot was left shivering in pain. As for Naruto , his body shook violently as most of his bones were shattered. At the same time, nearly half of his flesh exploded into a cloud of gore and blood.
His consciousness went dim, and he almost looked like a skeleton. In addition to all that, he was sent spinning backward toward where the Paragons were fighting, until he was less than 3,000 meters away!
The Outsider Imperial Lord stilled his cultivation base and then looked up with a vicious smile.
"Now, you're dead for sure!" The words spoken did not come out of the mouth of the Imperial Lord, but rather, came from behind Naruto . The speaker was none other than… Outsider Paragon Eegoo!
His booming voice was laced with rage as he suddenly broke away from Sea Dream and shot toward Naruto . Sea Dream could only keep him locked down to a certain extent, and 3,000 meters was within that area!
Naruto was now within that 3,000 meter distance. However, it was at this point that a slight smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if… he had been waiting for just this moment!
Ksitigarbha's face drained of blood, and Sea Dream frowned, as if she found the situation very strange. However, there was no way to change what was happening, and definitely no way to stop it. The Outsider Paragon and Imperial Lord were joining forces to try to kill Naruto !
Obviously, not even the Imperial Lord was confident in being able to slay Naruto on his own. Therefore, he chose the most simple and direct way to deal with the situation, which was… force Naruto close enough to the Paragons, force him into that 3,000-meter range in which the Paragon would have a chance to make a move!
Naruto appeared to have completely lost the initiative in the fight, having been forced back step by step until he was in a position of extreme danger. In fact, the Outsider Imperial Lord, fearful of Naruto 's Lightning Cauldron, had even prepared a special technique just to counteract it.
Therefore, he couldn't help but wonder why it was that Naruto still hadn't attempted Form Displacement Transposition.
And then the Imperial Lord saw the slight smile on Naruto 's face, and suddenly felt his heart thump. His face flickered as a sense of deep foreboding suddenly welled up from the depths of his heart.
However, he couldn't think of where the problem lay. Why would Naruto be smiling in the middle of such a deadly, critical situation?
"Is it his Essence of Space? Impossible! Not even Essence could be used to defend against the attack of a Paragon!
"Then what could it be…? What is making this kid smile!? He even seems like he's been waiting. Just now, it seemed like I was forcing him to get closer to the Paragon battlefield, but now, it seems almost like… he was heading there on purpose!
"Something's wrong. Something's definitely wrong!" The Outsider
Imperial Lord's face flickered, but no matter how he considered the problem, no answer revealed itself.
Although the Outsider Paragon couldn't see Naruto 's smile, as a Paragon, he had lived for countless years. How could he not have noticed the indications that Naruto had done this on purpose? However, even he wasn't sure exactly why Naruto was confident enough to do that.
"Well it doesn't matter what trick you're trying to pull, nobody can get this close to a Paragon… and survive!" Paragon Eegoo snorted coldly. He was completely confident, a confidence born from the mere fact that he was a Paragon.
He strode forward, clenching his right hand into a fist and then slamming it down toward Naruto !
Paragon power exploded out; this fist strike was strong enough to destroy, not just Naruto , but the void itself. It was as if it would destroy the starry sky and completely obliterate the entire area in which Naruto existed!
The power of a Paragon could suppress Essence, could dominate anything and everything. Paragon Eegoo was completely confident that, with the exception of an 8-Essences Paragon, no one could possibly have a hope of saving Naruto .
In fact, even if there were an 8-Essences Paragon, that person would have to be in the immediate vicinity to have the time to do anything.
He was sure that on this very day, Naruto … would die!
It took only the blink of an eye for the power of the Paragon's fist to cause blood to spurt out all over Naruto 's body. The starry sky around him shattered as an indescribably shocking power rumbled toward him.
The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were crying out in alarm. In contrast, the Outsiders were overjoyed. They hated Naruto for destroying their homeland, and yet they feared him. Therefore, to see what was happening now left them elated.
The Mountain and Sea Lords were all stunned, and had various expressions on their faces. Grandpa Uzumaki was trembling, and it seemed as if tears of blood were about to pour down his cheeks. In the Fourth Mountain and Sea, Hinata's face was ashen, as if everything had lost meaning to her.
Ksitigarbha stood there, taciturn, and back in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, all of the Chosen were gaping in shock. They simply couldn't imagine a situation in which Naruto actually died!
Namikaze Xiufeng threw his head back and howled. All of the members of the Namikaze Clan were crying out in grief and rage. And yet, none of them could do anything.
Sea Dream was the only one who reacted differently. The same frown could be seen on her face, but she made no move to interfere. In fact, when she looked at Naruto , a thoughtful expression appeared.
The power of a Paragon was crushing down toward Naruto , and the void around him was shattering. An unprecedented sensation of deadly crisis rose up within him, and even as the Heaven-shaking, Earthshattering power bore down on him, he turned to face the enormous form of Outsider Paragon Eegoo.
He almost seemed to be studying his opponent.
The Outsider Imperial Lord's heart was now filled with anxiety, as though there were a voice inside of him screaming that something was very wrong!
However, having thought everything through, he sent his divine sense out, and couldn't detect anything suspicious in the area.
It was in that very moment, when Naruto seemed to be on the verge of completely collapsing, that he laughed. Despite his shattering body, he laughed in a way that seemed to defy Heaven and Earth.
Within his laughter was a power that few people would be able to comprehend, but as soon as Paragon Eegoo heard it, his face filled with disbelief. In fact, the astonishment and terror visible in his expression… exceeded what had appeared there when the 1st Heaven had collapsed!
"You…." he said hoarsely. He suddenly raised his right hand in front of him and fell back at top speed.
This scene caused all of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm to gape in shock. The Outsiders were stunned. Ksitigarbha's eyes went wide, and Paragon Sea Dream was panting, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Clearly, what she found unbelievable wasn't the fact that the Outsider Paragon was fleeing, but rather, something else!
In almost the same moment that the Outsider Paragon began to flee in alarm and frustration, Naruto 's hoarse voice floated out.
"You can't escape, Paragon Eegoo."
When the Outsider Imperial Lord heard those words, his mind reeled, he stared in complete incredulity, and even began to shake.
The idea of a Paragon fleeing like this was simply unimaginable. Paragon Eegoo even seemed terrified, an expression that the Imperial Lord had never seen on the face of a Paragon.
"This… this…." he thought, trembling. Without even thinking about it, he began to edge backward. All of a sudden, he realized that Naruto was wrapped up in far too many secrets; terrifying, incomprehensible secrets.
Even as Naruto spoke, Paragon Eegoo let out a miserable shriek. This was the first time he had ever lost his composure in this way, and the first time he had ever been completely terrified. In fact, this was the first time since becoming a Paragon that he had truly feared for his own soul. "Who are you!? You're not a cultivator from the Mountain and Sea Realm! Who are you!?
"I, Eegoo, a Paragon, refuse to surrender!
"You… just who are you exactly!?" Paragon Eegoo's shrill voice echoed out, backed by the cultivation base of a Paragon, to fill the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. The starry sky trembled, and the Mountains and Seas shook. Countless cultivators and Outsiders all coughed up blood.
No one could see clearly what was happening except for Paragon Eegoo, Sea Dream, and Naruto . What was visible to them was a shadowy, misty form in front of Naruto . It was impossible to see what exactly was inside that mist, but it radiated a sensation of indescribable terror.
Then, gray threads began to spread out from the mist toward Paragon Eegoo, moving at incredible speed as they began to wrap him up!
Then they started boring into him, transforming into magical symbols that flickered on his skin, although they were invisible to virtually everyone.
No voice emanated out from the mist in reaction to the screams of Paragon Eegoo, only more gray threads. It was almost as if they were locking down his Karma, making it impossible for him to escape. At the same time, an increasing number of flickering magical symbols appeared on him!
"Come to me," Naruto said with a faint smile, his voice somehow completely awe-inspiring. "Henceforth, I am your master, for all eternity…." His body was rapidly healing thanks to the Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation, and a strange light could be seen in his eyes.
As the words left his mouth, Paragon Eegoo shivered, and then slowly plodded back toward Naruto .
To everyone watching, it was a completely bizarre sight!
The Outsider Imperial Lord's mind was spinning, and his face was as pale as death. Without the slightest hesitation, he began to retreat. He was filled with complete and utter terror of Naruto , and wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible!
Chapter 1348: Enslaving a Paragon!
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1349Chapter 1349: The Unyielding Soul of a Paragon
Paragon Sea Dream's eyes flickered as she looked at the misty figure in front of Naruto . Waves of shock battered her heart; not even she would ever have imagined that Naruto would be able to call upon assistance such as this!
He could actually turn a Paragon into a puppet!
Enslave… a Paragon!
Although Eegoo was only in the 7-Essences level, that was a level that was considered powerful even in the days of the Paragon Immortal Realm. In those days, there had been one 9-Essences paragon, one 8Essences Paragon, and one 7-Essences Paragon which was Sea Dream herself.
The current 33 Heavens had five Paragons, and although Sea Dream couldn't be sure of the exact cultivation base of each and every one, she did know that they had no 9-Essences Paragons. If they did, then the war would have broken out much earlier. In fact, the 33 Heavens had been holding back for that specific reason.
As such, a 7-Essences Paragon would clearly be an immense asset on the battlefield. If Naruto could turn one into his slave, then it meant the war with the 33 Heavens… wasn't a hopeless struggle!
"A full 7-Essences Paragon is comparable to the combined power of five of the Heavens!" Sea Dream was panting. Despite the level of her willpower, and how incredibly long she had lived, even she was shaken, and a gleam of anticipation appeared in her eyes.
Ksitigarbha had the same reaction, and his eyes were shining with a strange light. The sudden reversal in events left him both shocked and yet intensely excited.
As for the other Mountain and Sea Lords, their hearts all surged with excitement, with the exception of Ji Tian, who sat there reticently.
Then, there was Shui Dongliu. Startled, he slowly lowered his right hand. Were it not for this sudden change, he would have been forced to intervene. By now, it was clear that Naruto was absolutely critical to the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"That is good fortune which belongs solely to him…." Shui Dongliu murmured, a wide smile visible on his face.
At the same time, cultivators in other parts of the Mountain and Sea Realm were able to deduce what was happening, and they began to go wild with joy and disbelief.
"Enslave… a Paragon!?"
"Heavens, Naruto actually… actually figured out a way to enslave a Paragon!" As the cries rang out, even the Mountain and Sea cultivators who weren't able to see exactly what was happening were shaken, and could hardly believe what they were hearing.
As for the Outsiders, their blood connections made it much easier for them to discern what was happening up in the starry sky. The terrified cries of their Paragon caused expressions of despair to appear on their faces. Although they might otherwise have gained desperate strength from their grief and rage over the loss of their homeland, at this moment they had lost all hope and were doomed!
They could sense the Imperial Lord fleeing, and could hear the screams of the Paragon. When you added in the fact that their home had been destroyed, the shadow of defeat instantly enveloped their hearts.
They… had been defeated.
Thoroughly and utterly defeated. They were defeated, and had nowhere to retreat to. The invasion of the 1st Heaven had turned into a complete disaster!
Before invading, they had scorned and disdained the Mountain and Sea
Realm. But now they had to admit that, even if the Mountain and Sea Realm were weaker than it was now, the 1st Heaven would never have been able to overcome it.
This was where the Paragon Immortal Realm lived on, the same Paragon Immortal Realm which had once been the Higher Realm, far above them!
Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Outsiders trembled and began to fall back in retreat. However, the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm had the exact opposite reaction. Exuberant shouts rang out as their blood began to boil.
The 1st Heaven had collapsed, and the spirits of the Mountain and Sea cultivators had risen up!
Seeing a Paragon on the verge of being enslaved gave them hope! At long last, the slumbering Mountain and Sea Realm was opening its eyes. It was awakening!
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!
Up in the starry sky, Naruto 's eyes shone with a strange light as he looked at Paragon Eegoo slowly approaching him. At the same time, his Green Emperor's Eternal Incantation was rapidly healing him.
It was then that an unyielding roar erupted out of Paragon Eegoo's mouth. He had finally managed to suppress the terror inside of him, and his unyielding heart was now bursting with power.
"I am a Paragon!" he howled. A tremor ran through him as he tried to fight back against the gray threads which had him bound up. Then, he ground to a halt and stared at the misty figure in front of Naruto .
Although he had stopped moving toward Naruto , he was trembling, and then blood began to spurt out all over his body. However, he remained in place, unmoving.
He turned to look at Naruto , and a blazing pride erupted out from inside of him. "I've practiced cultivation for tens upon tens of thousands of years. I have a longevity the same as that of Heaven and Earth. I am a Paragon, subjugator of countless worlds, worshipped by innumerable living beings. How… could I possibly let you enslave me!?"
He was shivering, and blood oozed out all over him, and yet he remained in place, relying on his life force and his very dignity to resist the illusory figure in front of Naruto that was attempting to enslave him.
His right hand trembled as he lifted it up and waved his finger viciously toward Naruto , and yet that simple movement caused his face to go deathly pale as he discovered that the gray threads were interfering with his cultivation base, making it impossible for him to unleash its power.
That grayness, and that figure in front of Naruto , caused his heart to be filled with terror.
Suddenly, he chuckled bitterly, and then threw his head back and let out a bitter howl.
"I am Eegoo. I watched the destruction of the Paragon Immortal Realm. I helped the 33 Heavens rise to prominence. I witnessed the sealing of the Mountain and Sea Realm. I fought in this bloody battle to wipe out all life in the Mountain and Sea Realm!
"I've lived for tens upon tens of thousands of years! I have practiced cultivation to the level of a Paragon!
"I am a Paragon. Paragon Eegoo!" The deafening sound of Paragon Eegoo's bitter laughter pierced out to fill the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, and even higher up into the 32 Heavens above.
Ripples filled the starry sky, which was caused by the attempts of the other 32 Heavens to break through the barrier and enter the Mountain and Sea Realm.
"Heaven can't make me bow, Earth can't make me drop to my knees, and the starry sky can't make me lower my head. My will is the Dao of the Heaven, and my body is limitless in the Vast Expanse!" Paragon Eegoo roared as his body rapidly grew in size. In the blink of an eye, he was 3,000 meters high, then 15,000 meters, then 30,000 meters!
As a 30,000-meter giant, he looked like a deity. Naruto 's pupils constricted as he sensed the unyielding will of this Outsider Paragon, a willpower that apparently could not be wiped away by either Heaven or Earth. Suddenly, the gray threads of Choumen Tai's magical technique began to unravel.
To enslave a Paragon might sound easy, but the truth was that all Paragons were blazing suns within Heaven and Earth. They represented the convergence of luck and destiny… and thus could not easily be made slaves!
Their willpower, their thoughts, and their hearts, surpassed the Heavens!
Rumbling sounds could be heard as more and more of the gray threads began to snap. Deep in his heart, Naruto couldn't help but admire this Paragon's willpower, his fighting spirit, and his unyielding heart.
With all of that, he truly deserved the title of Paragon!
It was at this point that the blurry figure in front of Naruto let out a cold snort. Suddenly, ten times as many gray threads as before exploded out, then a hundred times more than that. They began to wrap around the 30,000-meter-tall Paragon in an even more complicated fashion than before. It took only a moment before the Paragon was not only back under control, but also beginning to kneel toward Naruto .
"I refuse!" Paragon Eegoo shrieked. Blood oozed out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and he was shaking violently. And yet, he remained standing, as if not even the vast Heavens and Earth could force his legs to bend.
Cracking sounds rang out, and blood sprayed out of his mouth. And yet, he still didn't bend a knee. A vast quantity of scales appeared all over him, each one of them radiating intense ancientness. He seemed to be on the verge of transforming into an ancient and archaic lizard!
However, the gray threads continued to bore into him, causing magical symbols to appear, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Naruto was visibly moved, but remained silent, mixed emotions playing out in his eyes.
"If the Mountain and Sea Realm and the 33 Heavens weren't at war… then this Paragon would truly be deserving of worship by all life." Naruto sighed, and then addressed Paragon Eegoo directly.
"If you will support the Mountain and Sea Realm, then I will spare the lives all of your people from the 1st Heaven!"
Paragon Eegoo shivered, and despite the pain coursing through him, the look in his eyes was as unyielding as ever. He even began to laugh.
"The Mountain and Sea Realm will definitely be exterminated. As long as only one of my people remains alive in the end, then years from now, we will make a comeback!
"I am Eegoo! I am a Paragon now, and I will be a Paragon in death!
"You want me to submit? You want me to be your slave? The only slave you will have is my body, not my soul!" As he laughed uproariously, the signs of an imminent self-detonation appeared.
There was no madness in his eyes, only endless pride. He would rather die than bow his head and lose his dignity!
Rumbling could be heard as destructive fluctuations began to emanate out from him. However, because he could not unleash the power of his cultivation base, the destructive blast would not sweep out into the Mountain and Sea Realm to wreak mass destruction. He would only be able to harm himself. But that way, even if he died, his body would be useless to Naruto .
Even as Naruto frowned, Choumen Tai's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. "Paragons can't be forced to submit unless you erase their souls."
"Then erase his soul!" Naruto said decisively, staring at Paragon Eegoo.
In the moment that he opened his mouth, the gray threads which bound Paragon Eegoo suddenly turned black, and began to emanate a strange light. It turned into a destructive power that poured into Paragon Eegoo, a power of soul annihilation. In the very moment in which he was about to self-detonate, massive rumbling sounds echoed out as some unknown method was used…
To erase his soul!
Muffled rumbling could be heard as the threads faded away. The blurry figure in front of Naruto now seemed weak beyond compare. Finally, a faint voice spoke. "I've fulfilled my promise…. I shall sleep now, until the moment when my master is resurrected…. I hope that you can keep your end of the agreement…."
Gradually, the weak voice faded away into nothing.
The blurry, misty figure also vanished. In the same moment, Paragon
Eegoo's body shivered, and his eyes went completely and utterly blank.
The ripples of self-detonation faded away, and he lowered his head as he knelt in front of Naruto .
Vol. 8 : Chapter 1350Chapter 1350: Full Scale Counterattack!
What was kneeling was the body of a Paragon, not the soul.
However, that act of kneeling caused all of the Outsiders in the Mountain and Sea Realm to go deathly quiet. Their minds went completely blank, as blank as death.
With the exception of the professional soldiers or the especially warlike individuals, most of the Outsiders, regardless of which tribe they came from, were fighting for their homes, their people, and especially for more cultivation resources.
Therefore, the collapse of the 1st Heaven caused the minds and hearts of all the Outsiders to tremble. They were left blank and terrified, and filled with regret. Their home… was gone.
Their fellow tribe members were dead….
There was no point to the war anymore. Given enough time, their thirst for revenge would eventually spur them to hold nothing back in fighting. However, before that could happen, their Paragon had been enslaved, a huge blow that crushed their will and reduced their morale to the freezing point.
Off in the distance, the fleeing Imperial Lord suddenly stopped and forced himself to look back. What he saw was the towering 30,000-meter tall Paragon kneeling in front of Naruto , and his mind reeled.
"Defeated…." he muttered in a hoarse, despairing voice. The events leading up to the destruction of the 1st Heaven had caused him to fly into a rage, and even put his life on the line in a mad attempt to intervene. Although most of the other Outsiders had been at a complete loss, he had been quick to regain control of his thoughts and jump on the offensive.
But then he watched their Paragon be enslaved, and he was filled with bitterness. He even regretted his decision to flee, and felt guilty. With all the complicated thoughts assailing him, all the Outsider Imperial Lord could do was chuckle bitterly.
A strange expression could be seen on Sea Dream's face as she looked at the enslaved Paragon. Although she was excited, she couldn't help but sigh. She was also a Paragon, someone who stood at the pinnacle of Heaven and Earth, so she knew how difficult a task it must have been for that mysterious figure to force Eegoo to yield.
In sharp contrast to the Outsiders were the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm. After a brief moment of silence, they exploded out with an exuberance that could shake Heaven and Earth. It started in the Fourth Mountain and Sea and quickly spread all the way to the First and Ninth Mountains and Seas. Soon, the voices of the entire Mountain and Sea Realm were crying out in a powerful voice.
"Victory belongs to the Mountains and Seas!"
"Victory belongs to the Mountains and Seas!"
"Victory belongs to the Mountains and Seas!"
It was impossible to say who said it first, but soon those words rang out throughout the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. Everything began to shake as orders were delivered to begin fighting back against the Outsiders.
In all of the Nine Mountains and Seas, the cultivators counterattacked!
Few of the remaining Outsiders possessed a will to fight. Their eyes were blank, and they trembled in fear. The 1st Heaven was destroyed. Their home was gone. Their tribe members were dead. Their Paragon had been enslaved. Everything that had happened filled them with complete despair.
When the Mountain and Sea Realm began to fight back, and the excited battle cries rose up, Naruto looked at the kneeling 30,000-meter-tall Paragon, and his eyes filled with a complicated expression. He sighed.
Then, he clasped hands and bowed deeply.
That bow was a bow toward the unyielding soul of the Paragon. For a moment, he felt pity that Eegoo's soul had been erased, but then the complex look in his eyes was replaced with coldness. When experts were enemies, they could respect each other, but they could never back down!
Sometimes, the only option was death!
One party died, or the other died. In war, pity could not be tolerated, nor could compassion, and especially not weakness. Besides, this battle… was only the beginning.
"In any case, I don't need your soul. I just need your Paragon body.
Although that makes your battle prowess slightly lower, you're still a
Paragon!" Naruto flickered into motion, flying up to land atop the 30,000-meter Paragon's head. Now that he had control of this body, a mere thought on his part could make the Paragon puppet do anything he wished.
In the same moment that Naruto landed on the head of the Paragon puppet, the puppet slowly rose to its feet, energy surging out in all directions.
As of this moment, Naruto was completely shocking in every aspect.
Not only did his cultivation base place him at the highest level in the
Mountain and Sea Realm in terms of battle prowess, now that he had a Paragon puppet, he was at the absolute pinnacle.
However, none of that could compare to what Naruto himself now symbolized. After destroying the 1st Heaven, and enslaving a Paragon, he… was now the symbol of the spirit of the Mountain and Sea Realm!
His eyes glittered as he turned to look at Sea Dream, toward whom he immediately clasped hands and bowed. Looking at her caused him to feel quite regretful and apologetic. Voice soft, he said, "Senior Sea Dream, back then… I was ignorant and naïve. I was only thinking about myself, not the Mountains and Seas. Senior, I hope that you aren't too deeply offended by what I said."
With that, he clasped hands and bowed again. Just as he had said, years ago he hadn't cared much at all about the Mountain and Sea Realm, which led to his altercation with Sea Dream after the events in the Windswept Realm.
Now that he thought back to that time, he realized that he had indeed spoken a bit too harshly. 1
Sea Dream smiled slightly, which was something she rarely did. It made her look like a beautiful, blooming peony flower. Warmth and kindness filled her gaze as she looked back at Naruto . To her, he was merely a member of the younger generation, a child really.
"You just go take care of whatever it is you need to," she said.
Naruto nodded, and without any further hesitation, sat down crosslegged and closed his eyes. Then, he sent out some divine will, causing the Paragon puppet's eyes to shine, almost as if they were Naruto 's.
After sending his divine will into the Paragon puppet, it was like his own body, completely under his control. At the same time, it emanated the terrifying aura of a Paragon.
Of course, Naruto himself had divine sense that was eighty percent as powerful as a Paragon's, which ensured that he could easily unleash eighty percent of the power of Paragon Eegoo. With a single step, the Paragon puppet stepped across the starry sky to appear in front of the Outsider Imperial Lord.
"Acknowledge alliegance, or perish!" Naruto said through the mouth of the Paragon puppet. The voice crashed out, echoing throughout the Mountain and Sea Realm.
The Imperial Lord laughed bitterly as he looked at the Paragon puppet version of Eegoo standing in front of him, a Paragon who had once been one of his own people. His eyes gleamed with madness, and even a desire for death. If Paragon Eegoo would rather die than yield, then as an Imperial Lord, he would not make the same mistake he had before in backing down.
"You destroyed my home! You killed my people! And now you think I'm going to acknowledge alliegance to you? Even if I perish, I'll turn into a vengeful ghost that will curse your Mountain and Sea Realm for generations to come!" The Imperial Lord threw his head back and laughed, unleashing the explosive power of his cultivation base and causing six vortexes to appear behind him.
A strange expression appeared on Naruto 's face as he stared at the Imperial Lord for a moment, then said, "You words seem very righteous, very unyielding, and very hateful…."
The thunderous boom of Naruto 's voice caused the Outsider Imperial Lord's energy to suddenly falter.
Without waiting to engage in any more rhetoric, Naruto sent the
Paragon puppet's hand out, and immediately, the starry sky around the Imperial Lord was shattered. The Imperial Lord's body began to vibrate, and blood sprayed out of his mouth. He fell back, waving his hand to send countless magical items flying out. The six vortexes behind him shot through him toward Naruto , who sent the Paragon puppet's fist flying out in a fist strike.
"It seems you've forgotten that the invaders in this war came, not from the Mountain and Sea Realm, but from the 33 Heavens!" As Naruto 's voice echoed out, the fist crushed the void and shattered the starry sky. All of the magical items were reduced to powder, and the six Essence vortexes were destroyed. Then the blow landed on the Outsider Imperial Lord, whose legs exploded. Having escaped death, he once again fell back in retreat.
"This war wasn't the idea of the Mountain and Sea Realm, it was yours!" How could Naruto possibly let this Outsider off the hook? His words crashed out like thunder, causing the Imperial Lord's mind to tremble, as he realized that Naruto 's words, despite being difficult to accept… were true.
This war really had been instigated by the 33 Heavens, and they really were the invaders.
"Yeah, well so what?!" howled the Imperial Lord. "We haven't even destroyed the Mountain and Sea Realm yet, but then you went and wiped out our people!? You're the ones who exterminated our home first!" No longer concerned about whether what he said made sense, he transformed into his true form, a gigantic lizard thousands of meters long and covered with raging black flames. Then, he charged toward Naruto and the Paragon puppet. "The Mountain and Sea Realm is definitely going to be wiped out!"
"As for whether the Mountain and Sea Realm will be wiped out," Naruto replied coolly. "I can't say for sure. But what I do know is that you… are going to die, right now!" With that, the Paragon puppet's hand performed an incantation gesture, then waved out, causing the full power of a Paragon to explode out, sealing the entire area like a cage and then crushing down with incredible pressure.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Imperial Lord began to shake. Blood oozed out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and the black flames which covered his body were extinguished. His scales exploded, and he screamed bitterly. Then, the pressure caused his entire body to explode as he was completely killed!
After killing the Outsider Imperial Lord, Naruto felt weak; personally controlling the Paragon puppet was quite draining. As he sat there on the Paragon puppet's head, his eyes suddenly snapped open, and he looked down at the Mountain and Sea Realm. A bit of divine will sent the Paragon puppet down into the Mountains and Seas. Wherever it appeared, the Outsiders who saw it were filled with despair. Some felt insanity, some felt bitterness. They were now fighting a hopeless fight and apparently… there was nothing they could do about it.
They were the invaders, but now they were feeling what it was like be the invaded. That… was the double-edged sword which is war.
"This first battle with the 33 Heavens can now be concluded!"
The most powerful Outsider remaining from the 1st Heaven was Long Linzi, who was fighting with Patriarch Reliance. As of this moment, he trembled and began to flee. Snorting coldly, Patriarch Reliance immediately gave chase.
The Outsiders from the 1st Heaven were in complete chaos.
Naruto spoke some harsh words to Sea Dream in chapters 1151 and
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