Library of Heaven's Path

by Little Merger

Traversing into another world, Zhang Xuan finds himself becoming an honorable teacher. Along with his transcension, a mysterious library appears in his mind. As long as it is something he has seen, regardless of whether it is a human or an object, a book on its weaknesses will be automatically compiled in the library. Thus, he becomes formidable. “Emperor Zhuoyang, why do you detes

58. 1825

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1825 - Sovereign Chen Yong Isnt Dead? - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1825 - Sovereign Chen Yong Isnt Dead? Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1825: Sovereign Chen Yong Isn't Dead?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was a sealed room filled with all kinds of seals that isolated the space from the rest of the world, hindering even one's Spiritual Perception from passing through.

Peng!

With a loud smack on the table, a middle-aged man with sharp eyebrows stood up wrathfully, shouting, "That scoundrel! This is no different from a revolt!"

A younger Otherworldly Demon scanned the crowd and furiously bellowed, "The three Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe have always looked after one another, but that b*stard actually disregarded the rules and colluded with the humans to kill Sovereign Chen Yong! That wretched traitor of the Spirit Tribe! As proud citizens of the Spirit Tribe, we must come together to overthrow this nonsense!"

If Zhang Xuan was there, he would definitely have been able to tell that this Otherworldly Demon was the student of his that had infiltrated the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Liu Yang!

At this very moment, he had assembled a group of 'patriotic warriors' to expose Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing's crimes.

Around a month ago, Sovereign Chen Ling had returned to the otherworldly battlefield and announced to the whole world that Sovereign Chen Yong had been assaulted and killed by the experts of mankind. In an attempt to save the latter, he and Sovereign Chen Xing had ended up sustaining severe wounds, but they had been unable to affect the outcome.

Back then, everyone in the Spirit Tribe had taken his words for real, but not too long later, as human cultivators began entering the Subterranean Galleries, another rumor began floating around. It was said that Sovereign Chen Ling had colluded with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in order to get rid of Sovereign Chen Yong so that he could usurp the latter!

Initially, everyone had thought that the rumors floating around were a ploy from mankind in order to spark discord within the Spirit Tribe. However, as Sovereign Chen Ling began to take control of Sovereign Chen Yong's troops and massacre the latter's commanders, they swiftly sensed that something was amiss.

And just two hours ago, the appointed successor of Sovereign Chen Yong had suddenly gathered them together and recounted the happenings to them. Everything fitted together like pieces of a puzzle in an instant, and the realization of the truth filled them with rage.

It was due to the unity of the Three Sovereigns that the Spirit Tribe had instilled fear into mankind for many years. Of course, this unity was built upon a fragile balance of power, but it had served them well for tens of thousands of years. Yet, all of a sudden, one of the Sovereigns had colluded with the humans to turn against one of their own. Even among the lawless Otherworldly Demons, this was an unforgivable act of betrayal!

"Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing are incredibly powerful cultivators who ranks among the top of all Ancient Sages alive. What difference does it make even if we have learned of their treachery? There's no way we stand a chance against them!" One of the Otherworldly Demons shook his head and poured a bucket of cold water on the riled-up crowd.

He could understand the feelings of those who were gathered there, but no matter how severely wounded Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing were, they were still Blood Reincarnation realm consummation experts. They were not opponents whom a bunch of Great Sages like them could deal with!

The reason that the standing of the Three Sovereigns had remained unmovable over the past tens of thousands of years was not just because of their political acuity and the support of their followers; more than that, it was because they wielded the strength to quell any uprisings!

"I understand that as well, but rest assured! All is not hopeless yet! Since Sovereign Chen Yong is still alive, he'll surely return to clear out those traitors. All we have to do is move on his command and take back control of the various divisions so as to maintain internal stability!" Liu Yang said.

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"Indeed! We might not be able to participate in the battle among the Ancient Sages, but we are still able to minimize the losses of the Spirit Tribe through our actions!"

"If things go wrong, mankind could make use of this temporary lapse in our defenses to destroy us. If so, the Spirit Tribe could be ruined!"

A couple of Otherworldly Demons nodded in agreement.

The battle among the Three Sovereigns was already far beyond what they could interfere with, but they could still calm down the armies and populace through their presence and reduce whatever damage would be incurred to the minimum.

Seeing that he had won the support of those present for now, Liu Yang heaved a sigh of relief. "Since we share the same thoughts, I'll consider this alliance formed. As it's an alliance, we'll require a reliable alliance leader to coordinate all of our movements. Otherwise, if we simply move on our own, it could worsen the chaos!"

"I concur! We'll need an alliance leader to lead us all. Since Brother Yang is the successor of Sovereign Chen Yong and boasts the highest cultivation of us all, it goes without saying that he should assume the role of the alliance leader!"

"You are the only one who can help us wrestle back control over the situation!"

...

The crowd clasped their fists.

Other than the Ancient Sages, the person who boasted the greatest rallying ability was indubitably Liu Yang. If not for his popularity among the Otherworldly Demons, Sovereign Chen Ling would have killed him right away. It was in consideration of Liu Yang only being a Sempiternal realm consummation whom could still be controlled and the repercussions that would come with the other party's death that Sovereign Chen Ling had chosen to spare him for the time being.

It went without saying that Liu Yang was indeed the most suitable figure to serve as the alliance leader.

"Since everyone has nominated me, I'll humbly take on the position. That being said, there's one thing that I would like to say that I hope everyone can keep in mind." Rising to his feet, Liu Yang placed a clenched fist on his chest and spoke with unwavering determination. "No matter what we do, it's all for the Spirit Tribe!"

After coming to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was no way that Liu Yang could continue using his original name. Thus, he had become known as 'Yang Liu' instead, and he was the Brother Yang whom everyone spoke of.

Since he did not have much of a reputation on the Master Teacher Continent anyway, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to figure out his true identity just through his reversed name.

What he was doing right now was rallying everyone within his sphere of connections and attempting to wrestle power from Sovereign Chen Ling and the others. This was the mission that his teacher had entrusted him with before entering Sovereign Chen Ling's palace.

"No matter what we do, it's all for the Spirit Tribe!"

The other Otherworldly Demons rose to their feet and chanted passionately.

As expected of the successor whom Sovereign Chen Yong had chosen, he was indeed someone who would become a powerful supporting pillar of the Spirit Tribe in the near future!

"Since we have sealed the alliance, let's settle on our future course of action..." Seeing that he had won everyone over, Liu Yang was just about to set future directions for their alliance when he suddenly fell silent.

With a frown on his forehead, he flicked his wrist.

Hu!

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A Communication Jade Token materialized in his hand. With just a look, his eyes immediately narrowed menacingly.

"Brother Yang, is something wrong?" one of the Otherworldly Demons asked.

Liu Yang was quiet for a moment before he solemnly said, "Sovereign Chen Ling has erected an altar at the center of the capital, and he's going around capturing cultivators above Saint 1-dan to tribute them. According to the intelligence that I've received, there are already more than thirty thousand casualties..."

"Thirty thousand casualties?"

"That beast..."

Hearing such a piece of news, the crowd could not remain calm any longer. They swiftly rose to their feet in anger.

Even with the superior talents of the Spirit Tribe, the number of them who eventually made it to Sainthood was still rather limited. Yet, Sovereign Chen Ling was using their lives as tributes and had even slaughtered over thirty thousand of them in a single shot... Was he insane?

"Brother Yang, what should we do now?"

Everyone in the room quickly turned their gazes to Liu Yang as they waited impatiently for his directives.

"Judging by his actions over the past few days, I reckon that he's intending to offer a tribute to the Spirit God in exchange for the recovery of his injuries and strength!" Liu Yang said.

The crowd nodded silently in agreement.

While there was no concrete news about Sovereign Chen Ling's physical condition, the fact that he had disappeared from public view for some time had raised some speculation about his current condition. If there was little hope of him recovering from his injuries through normal means, his best bet would be to turn to the Spirit God for help.

However, obtaining the Spirit God's blessing came with an incredibly steep cost. Not only did it require the tribute of countless artifacts, one also had to make an offering of fresh blood.

The laws of the world dictated that a gain had to come with a loss. Not even the Spirit God was an exception to the rule!

The very fact that Sovereign Chen Ling had gone around slaughtering tens of thousands of people meant that he was preparing for a major ritual.

"What we have to do now is gather our forces and hinder the ritual. Otherwise, this could result in an irrecoverable blow for our Spirit Tribe!" Liu Yang harrumphed.

"Alright!"

The crowd nodded in agreement.

They had to stop Sovereign Chen Ling at all costs. It would be one thing if Sovereign Chen Ling recovered to full strength, but who knew how many more lives would have to be sacrificed in order for that to happen?

Hong long long!

Just as Liu Yang was about to tear down the restrictions around him to stop Sovereign Chen Ling's tribute, the ground intensely shuddered. Vaguely, the sound of rumbling thunder could be heard in the atmosphere.

Liu Yang dashed out of the room and headed to where the sound was coming from. Soon, he saw a massive influx of energy gathering at the very center of the capital, where Sovereign Chen Ling was preparing his tribute.

If an explosion occurred over there, did it mean that the ritual was a failure?

"What happened?" Liu Yang turned to a nearby guard.

With an agitated look on his face, the guard exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "It's Sovereign Chen Yong... Sovereign Chen Yong isn't dead yet... He has returned!"

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Chapter 1826: Seed of Acquiescence

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Sovereign Chen Yong is really alive?"

"He has really returned?"

The crowd who had followed Liu Yang over exclaimed in astonishment.

They had been a little doubtful while listening to Liu Yang's story, but upon hearing those words from the guard, all of the doubts vanished from their minds.

It seemed like Sovereign Chen Yong was indeed alive! To put it in other words, the story that Sovereign Chen Ling had told the world was fake as well... To collude with the humans to murder a fellow Sovereign, this was intolerable!

"Quick, let's head over!" Liu Yang exclaimed with a hint of joy and relief in his voice.

While others might be unaware of what was going on, he had liaised with Sovereign Chen Yong and his teacher in advance, so he knew what the two of them had prepared.

They had gathered every power that they could rally, and the fact that they were there meant that they had already put together a force that could stand against Sovereign Chen Ling's faction. A battle for supremacy in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was about to begin!

Sou!

Together with the alliance that had just been formed, he flew right toward the center of the capital.

It did not take them too long to arrive at their destination. At the area where the ritual was conducted, a towering pedestal that pierced right into the clouds could be seen. The winding stairs around the pedestal were coated in a sinister stream of fresh blood.

Flags that rose along the winding stairs fluttered angrily amid the tempest, and dark clouds loomed eerily over the sky. A tornado had formed at the center of the pedestal, drawing endless energy into its eye.

At that very moment, Sovereign Chen Ling was floating right above the pedestal, allowing the raging air currents to swirl around him.

Beneath the pedestal was a massive congregation of Otherworldly Demons. As if they had lost their consciousness, they kneeled in a daze before the pedestal, unfazed by the furious air currents battering them. All in all, there were tens of thousands of them. It was clear that they were the tributes.

Laid out several steps ahead of them were countless precious artifacts, medicinal herbs, and ores. Zhang Xuan recognized some of those items as the ones that he had appraised back at Sovereign Chen Ling's palace as Wu Tao.

Standing opposite Sovereign Chen Ling was Sovereign Chen Yong. He looked upon the floor filled with corpses and fresh blood with a crack of anger on his face.

"Sovereign Chen Ling, you colluded with the humans to assassinate me; that's an act of disloyalty! You have chosen to massacre so many of your tribesmen for your own welfare; that's an act of gross self-centeredness. A person as vile as you does not deserve to live. Today shall be your death date!"

He had known that Sovereign Chen Ling was an extreme individual, but who could have predicted that he would actually commit something so ridiculous?

It was one thing for the other party to conspire with the humans to assassinate him, but to capture a hundred thousand of their tribesmen and offer them as tributes... there was no bamboo scroll large enough to detail the weight of his crimes!

"You wish to kill me?" Sovereign Chen Ling sneered with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

If it had been the Sovereign Chen Yong of the past, he might have feared him. However, the other party was already on the verge of death, such that even clinging on to life was a difficulty. Yet, the other party still wanted to kill him? Dream on!

"What about the rest of us then?"

Huhu!

A gust of wind blew across the area, and several more silhouettes appeared in the air. They were Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ancient Sage Allfire, and the others.

"Mo Ling, you treacherous little scoundrel..." Sovereign Chen Ling narrowed his eyes contemptuously. "Sovereign Chen Yong, you actually want to work with someone like him? You must not be aware that he played an integral role in how you ended up in your current state!"

Were it not for Ancient Sage Mo Ling liaising with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Ling, given his limited prowess, would have managed to lay his hands on Sovereign Chen Yong!

"Do you think that such a news makes any difference to me now?" Sovereign Chen Yong harrumphed coldly.

There was no doubt that he hated Ancient Sage Mo Ling as well for scheming behind his back and putting together the plan for his assassination. However, the positions were very clear at the moment. The greatest enemy that he wished to slay right now was Sovereign Chen Ling, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling was someone who would help him to achieve that.

It would be foolish to turn against someone who was his ally at the moment.

"It doesn't make any difference?" Sovereign Chen Ling burst into cold laughter. "You sure have fallen, Sovereign Chen Yong!"

He turned his gaze toward the massive beast standing next to Ancient Sage Mo Ling ,and his face suddenly turned incredibly ugly. "Ancient Sage Allfire, Sovereign Chen Yong was the one who drove you and your tribesmen away from your homeland. I'm sure that you have a bone to pick with him. Do your pride and dignity really allow you to work with your nemesis? As long as you help me, not only will I maintain peace with your Beast Tribe as long as I live, I'll even return your homeland to you and compensate for all the wrongdoing of our Spirit Tribe over the years!"

If it was just Ancient Sage Mo Ling, he would have been confident that he could emerge victorious. However, if his opponents included Ancient Sage Allfire as well, that would make things extremely difficult.

At his peak, Ancient Sage Allfire had possessed strength that was even greater than his. He was an expert that commanded a fighting prowess second only to Sovereign Chen Yong himself. If he had to face Ancient Sage Allfire in his current state, chances were that it would end in his death.

"Like I told you before, we of the Beast Tribe have our own pride to uphold! If I was willing to collaborate with you, I would have long agreed to an alliance!" Ancient Sage Allfire waved his claws impassively.

In truth, before Sovereign Chen Yong came to look for him, Sovereign Chen Ling had knocked on his door many times before, only to be driven away.

Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Ling narrowed his eyes.

He had been thinking that given how severely wounded Sovereign Chen Yong was, the latter would only be able to rally a bunch of weaklings to oppose him. Never could he have expected Ancient Sage Mo Ling to openly betray him and Ancient Sage Allfire to actually submit to the latter...

How in the world did Sovereign Chen Yong manage to do it?

"Sovereign Chen Yong, I concede that you do have some tricks up your sleeves. You are more formidable than I thought. However, if you think that you can kill me just like that, I must say that you are really underestimating me!"

Knowing that there was no point saying anything more, Sovereign Chen Ling exhaled deeply before grandly straightening his posture. "You lot should come out as well!"

Huala!

The next instant, the many Ancient Sages whom Zhang Xuan had met at Sovereign Chen Ling's palace gathered together simultaneously and formed a line. They emanated an incredibly powerful aura that shook the air.

"Something's amiss..."

Taking a look at the crowd, Sovereign Chen Yong and Ancient Sage Mo Ling exchanged glances with one another as their faces turned grim.

The reason that those Ancient Sages had chosen to help Sovereign Chen Ling in the past was because their interests coincided with one another. An alliance built on benefits could not possibly be resilient.

But at that very moment, they were guarding the area resolutely, determined to lay down their lives to protect Sovereign Chen Ling.

When had this group of fellows become so loyal?

"He must have controlled them using some trick," Zhang Xuan said grimly with a deep frown.

Based on his deep understanding of soul arts, he could tell that even though these Ancient Sages still retained their sentience, their consciousness had been taken over by someone else. They had become something reminiscent of a puppet.

If it was just an alliance of benefits among them, they would have been able to undo their partnership by dropping a mixture of threats and tangible benefits. However, the only things that puppets were capable of doing was following orders. It seemed like they would have to go through quite a bit of trouble in order to get to Sovereign Chen Ling!

Most likely, it would be a bitter fight!

"Is he using his soul to control them like puppets? T-this... How is this possible?" Ancient Sage Mo Ling dared not believe what he was seeing.

He had spent his entire life studying souls, and his comprehension of the subject had already reached an incredibly profound level. Despite that, it was still impossible for him to forcefully bend the will of an Ancient Sage.

Yet, the person before him was manipulating so many Ancient Sages that were not much weaker than him. It was a sight that Ancient Sage Mo Ling found hard to believe even when he was witnessing it with his own eyes.

Sovereign Chen Yong suddenly recalled something, and his body stiffened. "It's the Seeds of Acquiescence!"

Looks of confusion could be seen reflected in the eyes of Zhang Xuan and the others. "Seeds of Acquiescence?"

It seemed like the Seeds of Acquiescence were objects that even Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the others were ignorant of.

"They're an artifact left behind by an Immortal's Envoy. They can be planted within one's body, and once they're activated, one must unconditionally obey the commands of the person who planted the seed. Otherwise, if a Seed of Acquiescence explodes, one will die without a shred of doubt!" Sovereign Chen Yong explained.

"Immortal's Envoy?"

"Back then, when my grandfather was killed by Kong shi in a decisive fight, my tribesmen were in an extremely vulnerable position, at risk of being eradicated at any moment. Cornered, they began making offerings to the heavens. After paying a hefty price, they managed to summon an Immortal's Envoy from the upper world to descend to the Master Teacher Continent. In order to control the situation, the Immortal's Envoy planted a Seed of Acquiescence in the body of every single Ancient Sage! My father has one of it in his body as well!" Sovereign Chen Yong explained.

"However, the Immortal's Envoy was eventually taken away by Kong shi, and the effects of the Seed of Acquiescence faded, thus sparing everyone from a calamity. Otherwise, the entire Spirit Tribe could have been wiped out!"

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Chapter 1827: Immortal's Envoy

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Taken away by Kong shi?" Zhang Xuan felt as if he was listening to an exaggerated fairy tale.

To be able to plant something within Sovereign Chen Yong's father... The strength of the Immortal's Envoy must have exceeded even Blood Reincarnation! If Kong shi was able to capture an expert of such a caliber, just how powerful had he been?

It was no wonder that he had been able to strike fear so deep into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that they dared not move for tens of thousands of years. Given his strength, no one would oppose him.

"Even if they are controlled, as long as we go all out, we should be able to defeat them. It's just that..." Sovereign Chen Yong frowned in worry.

"Are you worrying about the origin of the Seeds of Acquiescence?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The Seeds of Acquiescence came with the Immortal's Envoy, and they should have disappeared many years ago. There should not have been any even under the Three Sovereigns' control. Yet, for Sovereign Chen Ling to actually bring them out and even use them at that very moment... Where in the world did he get them from?

What did this signify?

"That's right! The appearance of the Seeds of Acquiescence likely means that... an Immortal's Envoy will appear as well. That's a real Ancient Sage 4-dan expert, capable of shattering dimensions and standing in the midst of a void unharmed. If Sovereign Chen Ling truly has the help of someone of that caliber, we will be completely helpless no matter how many people we have on our side!" Sovereign Chen Yong said.

It might only have been a realm of difference between Ancient Sage 4-dan and Ancient Sage 3-dan, but there was a vast difference in their levels of existence.

One was capable of shattering space and entering a higher dimension whereas the other was doomed to remain there for life. Just from this alone, the difference in their strengths were apparent.

For tens of thousands of years, while the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind had not spawned too many Ancient Sages, there should have been several thousand of them. The strongest among them only boasted strength similar to his, Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, and the only ones who had reached 4-dan were Kong shi and Vicious.

As for the others, no matter how hard they struggled, they were simply unable to overcome that final bottleneck.

If even a single Immortal's Envoy appeared at that moment, putting aside exacting vengeance, it was likely that they would all lose their lives there!

At such a level, no number of people would be able to make up for the difference in strength!

"Calm down! Our world has its own rules. An Immortal's Envoy cannot descend to our world that easily. As long as we move quickly and slay Sovereign Chen Ling, there will be nothing for us to worry about!" Ancient Sage Allfire harrumphed coldly.

He was also fearful of Immortal Envoys, but... the other party had not appeared yet, right?

There was no point worrying over what that had not happened. Once Sovereign Chen Ling was dead, what else could he possibly pull on them?

"You're right!" Sovereign Chen Yong nodded solemnly.

Raising his hand, he was just about to instruct everyone to make a move together when Sovereign Chen Ling suddenly turned his gaze over with a smile on his face.

He could tell that they had been discussing something earlier, but he had chosen to leave them be, not interfering at all. It was either that he was confident of victory or that this was another ploy of his to plant a seed of fear in their hearts.

"Sovereign Chen Yong, do you know why you landed in the current state you are in?" Sovereign Chen Ling asked.

Those words provoked a frown on Sovereign Chen Yong's forehead.

"It's very simple, actually. You just aren't as vicious as me. I admit that I am inferior to you in terms of strength and wits, but I surpass you in terms of callousness. I can sacrifice the lives of countless tribesmen in order to recover from my injuries. I am willing to collude with the humans to have you killed. In fact, I would willingly cast aside my life and soul and serve another just to bring about your death! You don't have the decisiveness I have to do all that is necessary, and that's why you failed to achieve anything significant during your reign!" Sovereign Chen Ling sneered.

"Cast aside your life and soul? What do you mean by that?" Sovereign Chen Yong's eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

He sharply caught onto the anomaly in Sovereign Chen Ling's words. He knew of the former two incidents, colluding with the humans and sacrificing the lives of countless tribesmen, but he had not heard about Sovereign Chen Ling offering his life and soul to serve another!

What did all of that mean?

"That's none of your business. All you have to know is that all heroes have a streak of viciousness in them. If one fusses over the small details, one will never come to be anything great. You lack my callousness, and that's why this battle will definitely end in my victory!" Sovereign Chen Ling laughed heartily before waving his hand imposingly. "Kill them all!"

"Yes!"

Hula!

Hearing the command, all of the Ancient Sages immediately dashed forward to attack Zhang Xuan and the others.

At the same time, Sovereign Chen Ling pressed his fingers downward, and a tremendous strength poured forth from his fingers. In that instant, it felt like the world had approached doomsday.

Peng peng peng peng!

The heads of the kneeling Saint cultivators around the pedestal suddenly burst apart, causing fresh blood to scatter all around the area before dripping down on the stairs. Just like that, the pedestal was dyed with a deeper layer of crimson.

"You..."

Not expecting the other party to be so vicious as to kill so many more of his tribesmen, Sovereign Chen Yong was on the verge of losing his mind. His eyes reddened in fury as he charged straight toward Sovereign Chen Ling, wanting to rip him apart.

Despite the severity of his injuries, he could not have cared less at the moment.

There was only one thought that dominated his heart—either Sovereign Chen Ling would die that day, or he would drag the other party together to hell with him!

Otherwise, the Spirit Tribe would only gradually fall apart under the other party's leadership, possibly ending in utter destruction.

"Your opponent is me!"

Hula!

However, before Sovereign Chen Yong could make a move, an Ancient Sage suddenly appeared before him. With a long staff in his hand, the Ancient Sage swung his weapon right toward Sovereign Chen Yong's face.

It was one of the Ancient Sages who was controlled by a Seed of Acquiescence.

Even though this Ancient Sage had only barely reached the Blood Reincarnation realm, given Sovereign Chen Yong's current physical state, even if he used his full strength, it would be difficult for him to win against the other party.

The staff surged through the air nimbly, leaving many after-shadows in its wake. Reminiscent of a curtain being raised with a stick, the sheer strength behind the movements of the staff caused spatial ripples to collapse toward Sovereign Chen Yong, trapping the latter in place.

Under the Ancient Sage's relentless offense, Sovereign Chen Yong's face turned paler and paler by the second, and even his breathing became slightly ragged.

Had it been in the past, he would have been able to defeat many of such opponents with a wave of his hand. However, all he could do at the current moment was take evasive measures, causing him to completely fall into the other party's flow. Just thinking about how powerless he was at the moment left him deeply stifled.

"Your Majesty, we're here to help you!"

At that moment, a loud bellow sounded from below. Glancing downward, Sovereign Chen Yong saw Liu Yang and the others arriving with countless Otherworldly Demon soldiers.

Boom!

Synergizing their strengths together, their combined might pierced right into the sky and struck the staff of the Ancient Sage, causing it to break apart in the middle.

There was a vast difference between the strength of an Ancient Sage and Great Sage. Under normal circumstances, there was no way that they could even battle with one another; it would be a completely one-sided slaughter.

However, Liu Yang and the others had cleverly put the strength of the ten thousand of them together via a collaborative formation, thus temporarily producing a combined might that could match even a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage.

If one could put the strength of the masses to good use, even an army of ants could bite an elephant to death! A well-organized army would be able to instill fear even in a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage!

Of course, power that could only be amassed through a collaborative formation was bound to have many limitations. As long as a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage was given sufficient time to move around, they would eventually find an opening in the collaborative formation to exploit and defeat the entire army.

"You are courting death!"

Seeing how his weapon had been destroyed by a bunch of Great Sage and Saint cultivators, the Ancient Sage narrowed his eyes in fury. With a deafening roar, he raised his palm and thrust it toward Liu Yang and the others.

As long as the attack struck its target, there was no doubt that Liu Yang and the others around him would be goners!

"Humph!"

But just as the attack was about to strike Liu Yang, a cold harrumph sounded in the air. Following which, a spear shot out of seemingly nowhere.

Puhe!

The tip of the spear impaled the Ancient Sage's hand, causing fresh blood to spill down.

Following which... just as the Ancient Sage thought that the sudden assailant would press on with his attack and kill him, he saw the other party taking out a jade bottle and carefully collecting the blood that he had spilled.

There was a hint of excitement on the other party's face as the other party collected his blood droplets with an earnest look on his face.

"..." The Ancient Sage.

Chapter 1828: Harvesting Blood

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

To Zhang Xuan, it mattered not how many Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe died. What he valued more was their fresh blood.

If he could gather sufficient Ancient Sage blood, it would become easier for him to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage.

As such, after piercing the enemy's palm with his spear, he delightedly began harvesting the other party's blood.

"You're asking to be slaughtered!"

On the other hand, the Otherworldly Demon Ancient sage was on the brink of succumbing to lunacy.

Even though he was bound to obey Sovereign Chen Ling's orders due to the Seed of Acquiescence, he still retained some part of his consciousness. It was already a huge insult for him, a Blood Reincarnation realm expert and one of the few Lords of the Spirit Tribe, to be wounded by a Great Sage, but the other party was even treating him like livestock, choosing to harvest his blood instead of pushing on with his attack or fleeing altogether.

This was a flagrant act of humiliation!

Gritting his teeth furiously, the Ancient Sage turned his attention away from Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang, and the others, and he smashed his other palm right down upon Zhang Xuan.

No matter what, he was determined to strike down this arrogant fellow who dared belittle him!

The strength of a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage was immense, as though countless towering tsunamis pouring forth from the ocean. In the peak of his rage, the sheer might of his offense was greater than ever.

Puhe!

However, before the immense might could crush the young man beneath its prowess, a spear whistled through the air and impaled the attacking palm as well.

Padah! Padah!

Fresh blood gushed out of the impaled spear.

The Ancient Sage yelped in pain as he watched the young man rushing over to carefully collect his fresh blood with a jade bottle in hand. It was almost as if his blood was a commodity so precious that even a droplet lost would be a huge loss to the world.

"..."

With lips quivering in fury, the Ancient Sage drove his zhenqi to seal his veins. Even though his injuries were glaring, no more blood sputtered out of them anymore.

At his cultivation realm, he was more than capable of controlling his physical functions to a precise degree.

"Hmm?"

Seeing that the flow of fresh blood had come to a halt, the young man raised his head to look at the Ancient Sage with an extremely displeased look on his face.

"Brat, how dare you harvest my fresh blood! I swear I shall send you through the gates of the netherworld..." The Ancient Sage glared at the young man savagely as he bellowed vicious words.

Alas, before he could finish his piece, the displeased young man raised his hand, and the spear shot forth once more.

Seeing the spear charge straight toward him, the Ancient Sage immediately moved to evade the attack. But all of a sudden, there was a momentary spatial disorientation, and before he knew it, the spear was already plunged right into his thigh.

Puhe!

Yet another massive hole was punctured into the Ancient Sage.

The Ancient Sage was taken aback. When he finally came to, the young man was already delightfully hopping around with his jade bottle in hand, collecting droplet after droplet of his blood.

"Screw this sh*t..."

To be honest, the Ancient Sage was only a step away from bursting into tears.

It was at that very instant that he realized that the other party could kill him at any moment as long as the other party willed it. However, it was just that the other party chose not to make a move, treating him as a sample to harvest blood instead.

Unable to take it any longer, the Ancient Sage decisively turned tail and fled.

Puhe!

A bloodied hole appeared on his bottom as fresh blood continued pouring out.

After filling the first jade bottle, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to fill a second. Just like that, it did not take too long for him to collect more than ten bottles. Each time the Ancient Sage attempted to seal his wound, a spear would shoot forth to create another hole, causing blood to pour forth once more.

It was almost as if the Ancient Sage was a leaking water pipe that simply could not be fixed!

Eventually, it came a point where the Ancient Sage resigned himself to his fate. He gave up on fleeing and chose to sit down on the spot instead, not moving in the least. His eyes gazed dazedly in front of him, and it looked almost as if he had lost his soul. Blood sputtered out from the dozens of holes all over his blood, splattering all around the area.

Since any attempt to flee would just cause even more pain to him, he might as well accept his fate.

Soon enough, due to losing too much blood, the Ancient Sage collapsed, plummeting from the sky. He was probably the first Ancient Sage who was so pitiful as to die as a result of losing too much blood.

After slaying the first Ancient Sage, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the other battles occurring around him.

Fortunately, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Ancient Sages were also standing their ground. Their tight collaboration produced a formidable force that even Sovereign Chen Yong in his peak would have had to think carefully about facing.

However, the Ancient Sages who were controlled by the Seeds of Acquiescence fought desperately, and they had many aces up their sleeves. As a result, it was still a close fight, and it was hard to tell who would emerge victorious.

Cultivators at the level of Ancient Sages were incredibly difficult to kill. Battles among Ancient Sages could easily last for many days. More often than not, the loser would end up getting away through using some hidden ace, and the winner would walk out of the battle with grievous injuries.

For this reason, Ancient Sages, be it for mankind or the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, were regarded as last resorts. They were mostly used for the purpose of deterrence, and rarely would they get chances to fight.

While an intense battle was underway, Sovereign Chen Ling continued on with the ritual around him. He raised his hands, and all of the artifacts on the stairs around the pedestal simultaneously burst into flames, forming a blazing inferno.

An incredible surge of energy descended from the high heavens and flowed into his acupoints, filling his meridians with power.

With this inflow of energy, Sovereign Chen Ling's wounds began healing at a visible rate. In fact, he seemed to be getting even stronger than before.

"This is bad. We have to stop him! If Sovereign Chen Ling recovers from his wounds, it will make things much trickier for us!" Zhang Xuan frowned.

When they were at their peak, it was true that Sovereign Chen Ling had been weaker than Sovereign Chen Yong, but there was no denying that he was one of the strongest experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Otherwise, he would not have been able to govern large swathes of land in the otherworldly battlefield and tower above ordinary Ancient Sages.

The current Dragonbone Divine Spear could still defeat him easily in his severely wounded state, but once he made a full recovery, it would not be that easy to kill him.

"Break!"

Knowing that he had to act, Zhang Xuan thrust the Dragonbone Divine Spear straight in the direction of Sovereign Chen Ling. The pitch-black spear tore through the surrounding space in order to impale the latter's head, a clear attempt to land a fatal blow to end the battle once and for all.

Seeing Zhang Xuan's actions, Sovereign Chen Yong narrowed his eyes and cried in horror, "Young Master, don't!"

However, it was already too late. Before the spear could reach Sovereign Chen Ling, an incredible force descended from the dark hole in the sky and collided with Zhang Xuan's spear. The next instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if the skin between his fingers was being ripped apart, and fresh blood flowed down from his fingers.

At the same time, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was jolted out off his hand.

Weng!

It pierced into the ground, creating a massive crater beneath it.

In the crucial moment, Zhang Xuan activated his bloodline ability and hurriedly retreated, allowing him to dodge the descending force by a hair's breath. He quickly leaped down to the crater to retrieve the Dragonbone Divine Spear before asking Sovereign Chen Yong doubtfully, "What happened?"

It was a brief collision, but there were slight cracks that could be seen on the body of the Dragonbone Divine Spear. It was clear that it had sustained severe injuries in that short encounter.

Fortunately, for weapons of such tier, as long as they were fed sufficient Ancient Sage blood, they should make a recovery soon enough.

"Young Master, the being connected on the other side of the ritual is a god from the other world. Your act of assaulting Sovereign Chen Ling is viewed as an act of disrespect toward the god, so the god attempted to inflict heavenly retribution upon you!" Sovereign Chen Yong quickly replied.

"An act of disrespect toward the god?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

It was no wonder that the powerful Dragonbone Divine Spear had been jolted away in an instant. Who could have thought that there was such a thing?

But thinking about it again, it kind of made sense to him.

The ritual conducted was a ceremony to make offerings to the gods. Depending on the value of the offerings, the god would reward the individual conducting the ritual. At this very moment of the ritual, both worlds were connected together with a small gateway, allowing the power of the gods to seep into their world. To wreak havoc at that moment was no different from undermining the dignity of the god, so naturally, one would have to be punished due to that.

That explained why no one had not gone straight for Sovereign Chen Ling despite the threat that the latter posed. It turned out that there was such a reason behind it.

"But if we don't stop him, the ritual will be completed, and he will fully recover from his injuries. If things go badly, we might all lose our lives here!" Zhang Xuan said with a frown.

There was no doubt that it was an act of utter foolishness to test the patience of a god, but if they left the ritual be, Sovereign Chen Ling would make a full recovery. That could place them in a dangerous position.

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Chapter 1829: A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"I understand that, but other than waiting, there's nothing we can do given the current situation!" Sovereign Chen Yong replied helplessly as he pushed an incoming Ancient Sage away with a powerful thrust of his two palms.

He wanted to kill that fellow as well, but once the ritual had started, there was no stopping it. Otherwise, that would be viewed as an act of undermining the god, and it could incur the rage of the divinity.

With their strength combined, they might still stand a chance against the recovered Sovereign Chen Ling. However, against a god, the only possible fate that lay before them was death.

"All we can do for now is kill all of these Ancient Sages or render them powerless. That way, even if Sovereign Chen Ling does make a full recovery, he will be completely alone. We will stand a greater chance at victory then," Sovereign Chen Yong said.

"I understand." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Indeed. This was the best that they could do at the moment.

As long as Sovereign Chen Ling did not achieve a breakthrough from the Blood Reincarnation realm after the ritual, with the combined prowess of he, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear, they might still stand a good chance at victory.

Hula!

While the two of them were chatting, an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage charged toward Zhang Xuan.

The weapon that this Ancient Sage wielded was a Judge's Pen 1 . It was an Ancient Sage artifact, too. Piercing through the air, the devastating might that it wielded created the illusion that the heavens and the earth had been flipped over, and an excruciating pain clawed at Zhang Xuan's soul.

It seemed like the Ancient Sage could also tell that Zhang Xuan's cultivation was severely lacking, and the only reason that he was able to participate in this battle was due to the formidable prowess of the spear in his grasp. Thus, the Ancient Sage decided to use soul arts to bypass the might of the Dragonbone Divine Spear and kill him.

Ultimately, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was a weapon that specialized in physical assault. It could defend against physical attacks, but there was very little it could do when it came to soul attacks.

Just as the Ancient Sage hoped, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself plagued with vertigo.

His soul energy was unmatched by those of his cultivation realm, but it was still beyond his means to deal with a soul attack coming from an Ancient Sage and augmented using an Ancient Sage artifact.

"Hehehe!"

Seeing that his strategy worked, the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage raised the Judge's Pen in his hand and flicked it once more.

"Guild leader!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was in a terrible position, Ancient Sage Mo Ling attempted to rush over to offer his support. However, the next instant, attacks suddenly rained down on him one after another, pinning him firmly in place. It seemed like the Ancient Sage that he was facing had sensed his intentions to back up his comrade, so the other party had decisively launched a series of powerful attacks to hold him down.

The same was happening to Sovereign Chen Yong and the others.

They had all seen how Zhang Xuan had managed to kill their comrade with the spear in his hand, and they knew how frightening an opponent he was. Thus, they had decided to coordinate with one another to end his life.

"Die!"

Knowing his allies would not be able to hold Sovereign Chen Yong and the others down for too long, the Ancient Sage sneered coldly as he raised his palm to crush Zhang Xuan's skull.

This was a strike that harnessed the strength to utterly crush one's body and soul. Even if Zhang Xuan had assimilated the blood of a Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage, there was little hope that he would survive the blow.

"Young Master!"

"Guild leader!"

"Master!"

The three Ancient Sages narrowed their eyes in horror. They wanted to charge forward to save him, but they found themselves utterly helpless in the situation.

Just as they thought that Zhang Xuan would really meet his end, a smile suddenly crept onto the lips of the young man. Following which, the spear in his grasp suddenly surged forward.

Puhe!

Before anyone could process what was going on, the Ancient Sage's heart had already been impaled by the Dragonbone Divine Spear. The devastating might that he had gathered in his palm dissipated without causing the slightest damage.

Hula!

Fresh blood spluttered here and there.

Whipping out the jade bottles in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan hurriedly collected whatever blood was scattered around.

"..."

Everyone was stunned. Even the Otherworldly Demon tasked with stopping Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck.

It was through the Dragonbone Divine Spear that the Great Sage young man wielded the strength to stand against Blood Reincarnation realm experts like them. Under normal circumstances, he should have been a goner for allowing a Blood Reincarnation realm expert to get into such close proximity to him. Yet, how did the spear end up piercing through the other party's body?

Was the earlier vertigo feigned?

"That was a close one..."

Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he quickly harvested the fresh blood of the slain Ancient Sage.

He had truly been caught off guard by the other party's soul attack, but due to the Stone of Divine Crusade that he had obtained from the Temple of Confucius, he had managed to recover swiftly.

He had bestowed the Seal of Souls to Lu Chong, but he had chosen to keep the Stone of Divine Crusade with him.

The Stone of Divine Crusade had the ability to devour souls and transform them into pure soul energy to nourish one's soul. Typically speaking, given the prowess of the Ancient Sage's soul attack, he would indeed have been unable to recover in time. However, through absorbing the soul energy using the Stone of Divine Crusade, he had been able to swiftly calm his jolted soul.

After killing the Ancient Sage and harvesting his blood, Zhang Xuan took the Judge's Pen and threw it into his storage ring before whipping out the Stone of Divine Crusade with a flick of his wrist.

Even without the Stone of Divine Crusade, he would have been fine as he still had Vicious serving as his final trump card. Nevertheless, it was still best for him to retain Vicious till he was truly needed.

Lowering his head to look at the Stone of Divine Crusade, he noticed that there was a slight difference with the artifact. It was emanating a faint blue light.

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw innumerable powerful auras drifting within the Stone of Divine Crusades. When he placed his palm on it, he immediately felt a surge of warmth flowing into his soul, as if he had stepped into a hot spring.

"This is concentrated soul energy?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

As a soul oracle, he could tell that what was harnessed within the Stone of Divine Crusade was pure soul energy. Through absorbing this soul energy, one would be able to nourish and enhance one's soul.

He clearly remembered that there had been hardly anything left in the Stone of Divine Crusade the last time he had left it there. Why would there suddenly be such a huge amount of soul energy within it?

"Could it be..."

A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind. He quickly took a closer look around the Stone of Divine Crusade, and he noticed many thin lines slowly gathering around it.

"The souls of the 100,000 Saint cultivators that Sovereign Chen Ling sacrificed have all been devoured by the Stone of Divine Crusade..."

How could Zhang Xuan still remain oblivious to what was going on after seeing that?

Just like the Seal of Souls, the Stone of Divine Crusade had the ability to devour souls and refine them into concentrated soul energy. Such an ability was deemed abominable by orthodox cultivators, so it had been banned on the Master Teacher Continent. It was also partly due to this that soul oracles were deeply hated and feared by the populace.

As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan would not resort to such a technique to raise his cultivation, but who could have known that after Sovereign Chen Ling killed so many of their tribesmen, their souls would inexplicably be consumed by the Stone of Divine Crusade?

With so much soul energy, I should be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.

The idea of using the Stone of Divine Crusade to devour the souls of others was abominable to him, but what was done was done. It happened that he was in dire need of strength, and the concentrated soul energy within the Stone of Divine Crusade was what he needed.

His soul cultivation had long reached Sempiternal realm consummation, and with so much soul energy as sustenance, he could try pushing for a breakthrough to the level that countless dreamed of reaching!

"Let me give it a try!"

Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan instructed the Dragonbone Divine Spear and Vicious to protect his body while he drew his soul out of his glabella.

Tzzzzz!

As soon as his soul came into contact with the Stone of Divine Crusade, the nourishing soul energy within the latter immediately poured into his soul. In an instant, his stagnated soul cultivation began surging forth.

"Something's wrong... I haven't obtained the soul cultivation technique required for me to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage yet!"

Sensing his soul growing larger and larger, to the point that it seemed as if it would pop at any moment, Zhang Xuan's lips twitched in horror.

Too excited over the notion of a breakthrough, he had forgotten that the only Ancient Sage breakthrough methods that he knew of were for zhenqi cultivation. As for those relating to soul cultivation, he had not even read a single book at all!

He had no idea what steps one had to take in order to achieve a breakthrough and what one would experience in the process!

Zhang Xuan immediately turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, "Ancient Sage Mo Ling, do you have any manuals or insights relating to soul oracles achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage? Pass me everything you've got!"

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Chapter 1830: A Soul Breakthrough to Ancient Sage (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Manuals or insights relating to soul oracles achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage?" Hearing those words, Ancient Sage Mo Ling nearly plummeted from the sky.

Aren't you daring!

Without referring to any insights or cultivation techniques, you actually attempted a breakthrough just like that...

Do you think Ancient Sage is just like any cultivation stage where you can easily achieve a breakthrough?

Rendered speechless, Ancient Sage Mo Ling flicked his wrist, took out a pile of books, and flicked them in Zhang Xuan's direction. "Here!"

The soul oracles that had moved to the otherworldly battlefield retained their full heritage, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling himself was an Ancient Sage expert. Naturally, he had plenty of books relating to that topic.

Zhang Xuan formed a massive hand with his soul energy to grasp all of the books before scanning through them swiftly with his eyes. Endless streams of information flowed into his mind and became his own knowledge.

But soon, he shook his head.

Those books did contain the experiences and breakthrough methods of past soul oracles, but they were not of much use to him.

As one who was cultivating the Heaven's Path Soul Art, the path that he had taken was very different from that of the other soul oracles. If he attempted a breakthrough using the conventional methods used by other soul oracles, his cultivation might go berserk.

It looks like I can only depend on myself. Since the first soul oracle was able to find a way by himself to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, I should be able to pave a way out myself! Zhang Xuan thought as he swiftly threw aside everything that he had read and went into a state of inner calm.

Not everything required the experiences and wisdom of the predecessors to point out a way. Eventually, one had to learn to pave one's own way forward as well.

The soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade poured into his soul like a rapid tide, nourishing it. However, too much of anything was a bad thing, and Zhang Xuan's consciousness was starting to blur as a result of the overwhelming influx of energy.

The souls of the 100,000 Saint cultivators formed a congregation of energy so great that it even exceeded the might of Blood Reincarnation realm experts. Even though Zhang Xuan's soul had been tempered by lightning and the Empyrean Heavenly Flame, he still found himself pushed to a corner.

Slowly, hallucinations began appearing right before his eyes.

While the Stone of Divine Crusade was able to wipe away the consciousness within souls and convert them into pure soul energy, it was unable to remove the aura of resentment that lingered within the souls!

Those 100,000 Saint cultivators had cultivated diligently for many years, but their lives came to an abrupt halt just because Sovereign Chen Ling needed some tributes to heal his injuries. It was no wonder that each of those Otherworldly Demons was overflowing with indignation and resentment.

One or two of these souls would not count for much, but when the resentment of over 100,000 souls was combined, the force produced was definitely something that one should stay away from.

"Clarity in the heart, emptiness in the mind!"

Under the influx of resentment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his will was swiftly being corroded. All that was left of him was a hint of clarity that flowed in his consciousness, guarding everything that he stood for.

Having been through the mountain of books and ocean of learning, he had browsed through countless books and assimilated much knowledge. As such, his soul was much 'denser' than that of most 9-star master teachers and even some of the Ancient Sages.

His mind was slowly blurring out, but he was still able to firmly hold onto his core.

Countless memories of slaughter and bloodshed flashed through his mind, and it felt as if he was living countless lives simultaneously. No matter how vivid the experiences were, he was still able to remember the fact that he was a master teacher. He could lose his life, but there were simply some principles and values that he had to guard at any cost.

It was also the same for many experts on the Master Teacher Continent.

Back then, after defeating Vicious, Kong shi had possessed the power and means to destroy the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, he did not choose to do so.

That was because eradicating an entire race was not something that he believed in. He persisted in his faith that enlightenment was the key to progress, and he sought to uphold that belief.

Zhang Xuan had his own beliefs that he was determined to uphold as well.

However, unlike Kong shi, he was not that much of an idealist. It was not to say that he could not relate to Kong shi's vision, but even if he chose to pursue the same vision one day, it had to be built on the foundation that the safety of those whom he sought to protect was guaranteed.

Thus, aside from investigating Luo Ruoxin's whereabouts, his main aim at the otherworldly battlefield was to resolve the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once and for all.

Of course, he would prioritize peaceful means if he felt that they were feasible, but ultimately, he felt that it would be too dangerous for mankind if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was left to do as it pleased.

"My spirit shall be indestructible, and my will shall live on for an eternity... No matter how far I go, I'll never forget my roots. This is the real me!"

Everything that Zhang Xuan had experienced in the past year since he had arrived at the Master Teacher Continent flashed through his mind.

Boom!

The indestructible spirit borne within him gradually seemed to warp into a golden droplet, which swiftly revolved around the accumulating soul energy. Soon enough, the golden droplet built up enough momentum to create a vortex around his soul, and it was growing larger and larger by the moment.

Drip! Drip!

The vortex swiftly compressed the soul energy so tightly together that a liquid droplet was squeezed out of the vortex. A second droplet was soon produced, and a third one... It did not take long for droplets to accumulate and flow through his body, nourishing him.

The liquefying of the soul—this is a mark of a breakthrough to Ancient Sage...

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He knew that he was going to successfully achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage soon.

Due to the intangible and formless nature of souls, it was usually impossible for those who were non-soul oracles and did not possess the Eye of Insight to see them unless one used their Spiritual Perception.

However, the liquefying of Zhang Xuan's soul meant that his soul was losing its intangible nature, taking on the form of a moving fluid.

Of course, this was not liquefying in the truest sense. Rather, it meant that the purity of his soul energy had reached another level, resulting in a qualitative change in its nature.

The liquid-like form of his soul energy would allow him to exert his might more effectively and powerfully.

Faster!

Feeling his soul, which had been on the verge of exploding just a moment ago, calming down, he hastened the transformation process.

Keeping a close eye on Zhang Xuan's movements, Ancient Sage Mo Ling's eyelids twitched a little. "This..."

He recognized the Stone of Divine Crusade in Zhang Xuan's hands, and he could sense the immense, pulsating soul energy harnessed within it. Even he felt deeply tempted by the power contained within it.

Even as a Blood Reincarnation realm soul oracle, he knew that he would be unable to consume that much power at once. Most likely, he would explode before he could even swallow a tenth of it! Yet, the other party dared to tap into such an overwhelming source of energy just for a breakthrough from Sempiternal realm consummation to Ancient Sage.

How in the world could anyone survive that?

Ancient Sage Mo Ling had thought that Zhang Xuan would stop soon enough, but who would have thought that he would simply continue to absorb more and more soul energy? In less than three minutes, almost half of the soul energy created by the 100,000 souls sacrificed by Sovereign Chen Ling had been devoured.

At that moment, his soul had also reached a size of more than a hundred meters tall, making him appear to be a towering giant.

"Liquefy everything and achieve a breakthrough!"

In Ancient Sage Mo Ling's moment of shock, the massive soul suddenly bellowed furiously, and its towering figure began to shrink at an incredible rate.

At the same time, a painting unrolled itself in the air. From within the painting, an ancient aura could be felt pouring out. This ancient aura contained a quality that had vanished countless years ago from the Master Teacher Continent.

Aeon of Ancient Sage!

Under the influx of this aura, Zhang Xuan's soul swiftly grew purer, hastening the liquefying process of his soul.

In less than ten minutes, his soul had returned to his own size. However, the sheer concentration of soul energy packed in his soul felt as if he could tear apart space with just a simple wave of his hand. His entire soul emanated an air of history, reminiscent of an immortal.

"Ancient Sage... The guild leader's soul cultivation has reached Ancient Sage!" Seeing this transformation, Ancient Sage Mo Ling cried in agitation as his entire body trembled.

While the breakthrough method used by Zhang Xuan was different from anything that he had ever seen, the fact that his soul could contain so much power and harness such an aura meant that he had already overcome the bottleneck that hindered him and successfully arrived at a brand new realm.

While the soul oracles at the otherworldly battlefield had preserved their lineage, they simply numbered too few. There were too few people whom they could pass on their arts to!

In fact, Ancient Sage Mo Ling was the only Ancient Sage that the Soul Oracle Guild had at the moment, such that it was no exaggeration to say that he was the one propping up the entire guild!

However, the breakthrough of the guild leader signified a new beginning for the Soul Oracle Guild. Under the leadership of the guild leader, he believed that it was only a matter of time before the Soul Oracle Guild rose to greatness once more!

Hong long long!

Along with the pulsations of Zhang Xuan's soul energy, the sky above began to ripple. Huge swathes of ominous clouds were quickly gathering around, and countless streaks of lightning and balls of flames raged within them. A devastating force was swiftly building up above.

The Ancient Sage Ordeal had arrived!

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Chapter 1831: Ordeal of Lightning Armament

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan looked up into the sky and calmly remarked, "It's even more powerful than the Aureate Body Ordeal.".

Having weathered the many different woes of life, his state of mind had become calmer than ever. Even though a frightening force was building up above him, threatening to crush him, it did not faze him at all.

"Let me give this a try..."

A glint flashed across Zhang Xuan's eyes as a thought suddenly came to his mind. He swiftly brought his soul back into his physical body.

"What's the guild leader planning to do?"

Seeing such a sight, Ancient Sage Mo Ling felt as if his brain was going to explode.

The only thing that had achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage was Zhang Xuan's soul; his physical body was still only at Sempiternal realm consummation! The act of returning his soul back to his physical body meant that he was implicating his physical body in the cultivation ordeal, and this was as good as an act of suicide!

"Is he planning to use the stress from the Ancient Sage Ordeal to temper his physical body and zhenqi so as to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage for those two as well?" Sovereign Chen Yong narrowed his eyes contemplatively.

The reason for him possessing the tremendous strength that he did later in his life was because he had pushed himself past his limits back when he was younger. It was through such tenacity that he had eventually risen to become the strongest expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

However, compared to the Young Master, it seemed like his tenacity really came nowhere close!

Given the Young Master's talent, it was only a matter of time before he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, so there was no need for him to put himself at risk at all. Yet, the Young Master still chose to resort to such extreme means to temper himself and hasten his growth!

To challenge the Ancient Sage Ordeal with a Sempiternal realm consummation physical body and zhenqi was an extremely dangerous act. The slightest mistake could lead to one's death, such that it could be said that the risk was not worth taking at all.

This was really too insane!

Zhang Xuan's actions had successfully caught the attention of everyone present, such that they even subconsciously halted their fights to see what was going on.

Hong long!

As soon as Zhang Xuan's soul returned to his physical body, his zhenqi billowed, and his physical body trembled. Yet another two swathes of ominous clouds were conjured on the spot, and they swiftly merged together with the others.

Heavenly flames and lightning streaks began crashing down furiously upon Zhang Xuan, devouring his entire silhouette.

The flames were black in color, indicating that they were Empyrean Heavenly Flames. Furthermore, they harnessed even greater destructive prowess than what he had faced back when he was challenging the Aureate Body Ordeal. Even Ancient Sage artifacts would swiftly melt before them!

"Aeon of Ancient Sage!"

With a bellow from Zhang Xuan, the painting scroll opened up once more, and Aeon of Ancient Sage swiftly surged into Zhang Xuan's body.

In an instant, it felt as if someone had ignited every droplet of his blood, causing immense energy to emanate from his body to ward off the surrounding heat.

Kacha! Kacha!

Nevertheless, it did not take long before his skin and muscles began to char. Bloodied cracks swiftly crept across his body.

Even though Zhang Xuan was more powerful than normal cultivators, his physical body and zhenqi were only at Sempiternal realm consummation. There was no way that they could withstand such a powerful Ancient Sage Ordeal.

If not for his Heaven's Path zhenqi continuously healing his body over and over again, he would have shattered into innumerable pieces already!

Is it really impossible for me? Zhang Xuan thought as he gritted his teeth to bear with the excruciating pain consuming his body.

He knew that his Ancient Sage Ordeal would be extraordinarily powerful, and just as Sovereign Chen Yong had thought, the reason that he had chosen to return his soul to his physical body was to utilize the pressure from the cultivation ordeal to push for a breakthrough.

As dangerous as such an act would be, he felt that it was also a rare impetus that he could make use of to achieve more breakthroughs. After all, it was not every day that one would encounter such a powerful force.

In the eyes of others, he was someone who faced no bottlenecks in his cultivation, and they felt that it was only a matter of time before he achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage.

If nothing went wrong, he would surely achieve a breakthrough within the next hundred years.

Achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage could definitely be said to be a miraculous feat, be it on the Master Teacher Continent or among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. The ones who had been able to do so in their dimension could be counted on a single hand.

However... Zhang Xuan could not bring himself to wait that long!

He wanted to find Luo Ruoxin and hear the reason from her own mouth, or else it felt like he would lose his mind. He had been forcing himself to remain calm so far, but he did not know how long he could continue doing that.

As such, no matter what the risks were, as long as an opportunity surfaced for him to climb to a greater height, he would grasp it even if the chances were that it would end in his death!

Hong long long!

Lightning bolts and heavenly flames continued assaulting fervently. Zhang Xuan felt as if he was being roasted alive inside a pill cauldron. His body was withering, and his zhenqi was dissipating. He was nearing his limits.

Ancient Sage blood!

Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist to take out a jade bottle before devouring its contents.

Huala!

Gulping down Ancient Sage blood as if it was plain water, Zhang Xuan was able to replenish his depleted energy and sustain himself for the time being.

I need to push on!

The image of the Infernal Blacksaber, Yuan Tao, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage came into Zhang Xuan's mind, and he gritted his teeth in determination.

Since they were able to clear their cultivation ordeals so easily, I can't lose!

With such a thought in mind, he dashed right into the dark clouds.

"This is insane! This is really downright insane!" Ancient Sage Allfire exclaimed as his body shuddered uncontrollably.

Despite being blessed with superior physical prowess, he had not dared dive into the midst of the dark clouds back when he had been facing his Ancient Sage Ordeal.

Given that his master's cultivation was only at Great Sage, was making such a move not as good as committing suicide?

No matter how much power one could gain from achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, it would be meaningless if one lost one's life in the process of doing so!

Si la!

Provoked by Zhang Xuan's actions, the dark clouds in the sky flew into a rage. A massive bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, tearing open a pitch-black crack in space. Following which, the surrounding lightning bolts and flames began to gather around the pitch-black crack, causing the devastating force to slowly assume a corporeal form.

From afar, it looked as if a gigantic saber of mass destruction was floating in the air.

"What is... this? Wait a moment! Could this be... the Ordeal of Lightning Armament? But that can't possibly be! The Ordeal of Lightning Armament is said to be a calamity that only appears when a person attempts a breakthrough to Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm!" Sovereign Chen Yong's face turned pale as his heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

As the number one expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the grandson of Vicious, he had access to books regarding Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm.

It was detailed in those books that in order to reach the Dimension Shatterer realm, one had to undergo the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. It was an ordeal where heavenly flames and lightning bolts were compressed into a corporeal state, assuming the form of divine weapons.

Each of those weapons harnessed sufficient power to shatter the world, such that even he would easily have been sliced in two even if he had encountered it at his peak.

His young master was only attempting a breakthrough to Ancient Sage... so why would such a formidable ordeal be summoned? It did not make sense!

"It's over..."

Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were so terrified that they found themselves completely speechless.

Even though they were unaware of what the Ordeal of Lightning Armament was, they were well aware that the massive saber formed out of lightning bolts and heavenly flames in the sky was not something that they could face given their current strength. In fact, just by looking at the saber itself, they felt their minds falling into disarray from the terrifying power that it harnessed.

Floating above the pedestal of the altar, Sovereign Chen Ling had fearfully halted the absorption of the energy bestowed onto him. At the same time, the dimension rift that had opened as a result of the summoning ritual had closed slightly.

It seemed like there was no one who did not hold some deference toward the devastating force of nature.

An ordinary breakthrough to Ancient Sage wouldn't have brought about such a powerful cultivation ordeal, even for me. However, I attempted to face the Ancient Sage Ordeal with my soul, body, and zhenqi, and I even provoked it earlier by attempting to charge into it...

Even Zhang Xuan was unable to remain calm while standing in the face of such a terrifying force. He felt goosebumps rising all over his body.

Zhang Hongtian and Ancient Sage Yan Qing had told him that the more times one attempted a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, the greater one's accomplishments would eventually be. Back then, Kong shi had challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal a total of three times before eventually choosing to push for a breakthrough on the fourth time.

Yuan Tao had also challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal once, but he had chosen to suppress his cultivation and hold himself back from achieving a breakthrough right away.

Considering that Zhang Xuan had summoned the cultivation ordeal through the breakthrough in his soul cultivation, he should have been facing a single Ancient Sage Ordeal at the moment. However, he had brought his physical body and zhenqi into the cultivation ordeal as well, and that had changed the nature of things.

In short, he was facing the might of three Ancient Sage Ordeals simultaneously. That was also why the Ordeal of Lightning Armaments had been summoned.

If he could overcome it, it would be equivalent to overcoming three Ancient Sage Ordeals simultaneously. It would temper his physical body, zhenqi, and soul, creating an incredibly firm foundation for future breakthroughs. However, if he failed, the curtains would be drawn on him. It would really be the end.

He was really walking on a tightrope. He was, in the truest sense, going all in.

"You might be formidable, but I am a person who has overcome many adversities to come this far. If you think that you are able to can get me with just this, you are about to be proven wrong!" Zhang Xuan roared furiously as he charged toward the massive saber in the air.

Huala!

The moment that Zhang Xuan's fist was about to reach its target, the massive saber also swung down from the sky as well. The immense pressure from just the downward motion of the saber immediately caused Zhang Xuan's hand to crack, causing fresh blood to flow down his arms. His flesh was stripped away, revealing his bare white bones.

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Chapter 1832: Is This the End?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Before the saber could reach his fist, the muscles on his arm had already been stripped away!

No wonder this was the ordeal for Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators. It was truly a fearsome force to behold!

With a furious roar, Zhang Xuan drove his strength to his limits. Harmonizing his zhenqi, physical body, and soul together, the surrounding space immediately turned viscous.

The Ancient Sage Ordeal was not just a test from the heavens on a cultivator, it was also an opportunity for evolution. If one used a weapon to ward off the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the benefits that he gained from it would be significantly reduced. Not only so, it might even trigger a backlash from the Ancient Sage Ordeal, which could possibly make the situation even more life-threatening.

This was similar to how the force of a Leaving Aperture Ordeal increased exponentially the more people there were facing the cultivation ordeal.

It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan did not brandish his Dragonbone Divine Spear, opting to rely on his own strength instead.

Sila!

Without a doubt, a full force attack harnessing the limits of Zhang Xuan's strength was indeed a force to behold. Even an average Great Philosopher realm Ancient Sage would find themself getting bogged down by the attack in a moment's time. However, before the massive lightning saber in the sky, his strength seemed no different than a joke. The sky was torn apart in the blink of an eye, and the next moment, the flesh of Zhang Xuan's upper body was shredded, revealing his ribcage.

Excruciating pain!

Despite his mental resilience, the pressure and pain that he was in had exceeded his limits. He felt his own consciousness blurring, on the verge of extinguishing as though a candlelight in the midst of a storm.

Hu!

His clothes were burned to cinders, revealing a shriveled skeletal frame.

The Ordeal of Lightning Armament was simply too terrifying. It had surpassed the limits of what he could withstand in his current realm.

Not even a single breath had passed from the moment that the saber began descending till his flesh and blood were dissipated... and the saber had not even reached him yet. All of the damage that Zhang Xuan had sustained came solely from the saber's overwhelming aura and the shockwave coming from the momentum of its movement.

If the saber really fell on him, he would surely be killed in a heartbeat.

It seems like I have really screwed up...

This was the thought that had surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind in that moment.

He had thought that he could make use of the opportunity to push for a breakthrough in his physical body and zhenqi cultivation. However, it seemed like he had overestimated his own capabilities, such that the situation had gone out of his control.

But I won't be going down that easily either!

Knowing that he would die without a shred of doubt if he continued holding back, he closed his eyes and willed. The next instant, a body identical to his suddenly appeared right in front of him, and it charged straight up toward the saber.

Clone!

"To think that you still have the cheek to claim that you are the main body when you can't even deal with a measly cultivation ordeal. Don't you feel embarrassed? Watch as I shatter this saber with a single punch!" the clone roared proudly as he faced the massive saber.

Using this brief moment of respite, Zhang Xuan hurriedly took out Ancient Sage blood of Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and gulped it down so as to replenish his zhenqi and nourish his body.

All that was left of the current him was a bag of bones contained within a sack of skin. If not for the overwhelming vitality that he had accumulated from drinking Ancient Sage blood from Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and the miraculous regenerative capability of the Heaven's Path zhenqi, he would have already died.

Under the nourishment of the blood essence, his flesh and bones slowly began to grow back. From the looks of it, it would take several years before he could recover back to his former state. Nevertheless, it was already a huge blessing that he was still alive after facing that terrifying saber, so this was nothing for him to complain about.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward his clone in the sky.

It was little surprise that his clone did not stand a chance against the saber either. However, due to his body being made out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, the clone was able to swiftly reform himself even after he was sliced into two, putting the Ordeal of Lightning Armament at a loss as to how it should deal with him for a moment.

"This is his clone?"

"How did he get such a powerful clone? Will he really be able to survive like this?"

Upon seeing the clone for the very first time, the crowd around widened their eyes in shock.

This was especially so for Ancient Sage Mo Ling. His entire body was trembling in agitation.

Indestructible, that was exactly the kind of body that all soul oracles wanted to lay their hands on! If they could obtain such a body, they would really be able to live for an eternity without fearing anything at all!

"No, it seems like his clone is still too weak after all. He won't be able to block the saber for much longer..."

The massive saber did slow down a little with the interference of Zhang Xuan's clone, but it was still trudging forward in its trajectory. It was just a short moment away from crushing Zhang Xuan's soul into bits.

In that desperate moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly whipped out the Stone of Divine Crusade once more and flicked it toward his clone.

Tzzzzzzzzz!

The clone swiftly grabbed the Stone of Divine Crusade and began absorbing the rich energy harnessed within.

Zhang Xuan had only used up half of the soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade earlier, so there was still another good half left in there for his clone's use.

Devouring the massive amount of soul energy, the clone's cultivation surged by leaps and bounds, granting him greater strength to fend off the descending saber. It almost looked as if the tables were turning in Zhang Xuan's favor as the saber slowed down even more, and it seemed like it was about to come to a halt.

Kacha! Kacha!

At the same time, the clone's soul cultivation shot right up to Sempiternal realm consummation, and it was still marching with imposing momentum toward a breakthrough to Ancient Sage.

The Canvas of Four Seasons opened once more, and the Aeon of Ancient Sage swiftly gushed into his body.

Boom!

In just a few moments, the clone had already shattered the bottleneck limiting him, opening up a new world.

He was able to achieve a much easier breakthrough than Zhang Xuan because he was able to access Zhang Xuan's mind and tap into his experiences, which allowed him to advance his cultivation much more smoothly.

Boom!

As soon as the clone achieved a breakthrough, huge swathes of dark clouds began gathering around the area once more. A fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly flames surged into saber, which had barely come to a halt just a moment ago, filling it with more energy.

"..."

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows leaped up in horror.

It was a spontaneous decision on his part to toss the Stone of Divine Crusade to the clone, hoping that the latter would gain sufficient strength to halt the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. He did not think that the other party would achieve a breakthrough and bring in another cultivation ordeal.

Considering that he and his clone essentially shared a soul, this could be considered as his fourth Ancient Sage Ordeal.

Absorbing the fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly flames, the already massive saber doubled in size. Its dark blade emanated such a terrifying pressure that it tore open glaring scars one after another in the sky. The aura that it emanated was so powerful that not even the Dragonbone Divine Spear would dare stand against it.

The feeling that death was encroaching on him felt more vivid than ever to Zhang Xuan at that moment, causing his hair to stand on end.

"If we allow it to descend, we'll surely die without the slightest doubt!"

Knowing the might of the saber, Zhang Xuan quickly racked his brain for a solution.

The might harnessed within the saber was simply too appalling. If they failed to stop it, they would be disintegrated into nothingness.

Tzzzzz!

Carrying the might to dissipate everything in the world, the saber sliced down on the clone and decisively split him in two.

Even if his clone had reached Ancient Sage, there was no way that he could stand against such a calamity of nature!

Boom!

Nevertheless, the clone swiftly gathered himself together again and again as he desperately pushed against the saber. Despite the immense difference in strength, the clone's tenacity still paid off. The descent of the saber began slowing a little.

Nevertheless, the situation still was not looking good for them.

Knowing that he would really meet his end here at this rate, Zhang Xuan anxiously turned to Sovereign Chen Yong and instructed, "Quick, help me look around and find someone who is on the verge of a breakthrough. It has to be someone who can summon a lightning tribulation!"

"You want to find someone who can achieve a breakthrough right now and summon a lightning tribulation?" Sovereign Chen Yong was stunned, but he knew that his young master had his reasons for doing so. Thus, he quickly turned to issue an instruction to Liu Yang.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liu Yang nodded in response.

He shot a sweeping glance at his surroundings before swiftly grabbing a Saint 9-dan cultivator in the vicinity and infusing a surge of his zhenqi into the latter.

As soon as the surge of zhenqi spread across the Saint 9-dan cultivator's body, the bottleneck that had been limiting him immediately shattered, and dark clouds began gathering once more.

"Great!" Seeing the familiar black mass, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately sent a telepathic message over. "Little Tribulation, is that you?"

Boom!

Hearing those words, the dark clouds staggered. For a moment, it seemed as if the dark clouds were going to run away, but they eventually shook themself and reluctantly drifted over to Zhang Xuan's side.

It was clear that the Ordeal of Lightning Armament was not the same Little Tribulation whom Zhang Xuan usually hung out with. Nevertheless, as fellow cultivation ordeals, he thought that there might be some kind of camaraderie among them such that Little Tribulation could help speak up on his behalf.

"I have a cultivation technique here that can enhance your abilities, and I'll impart it to you right now. However, I need you to block that saber over there for me," Zhang Xuan said.

Following which, he activated the Impartation of Heaven's Will and began a lecture.

He had already seen through the flaws of Little Tribulation a long time ago, and he had thought about how he could offer the latter pointers too. Thus, all he had to do was regurgitate the knowledge that was in his mind.

"This... Is he teaching the lightning tribulation?"

"Are you telling me that the lightning tribulation is his pet?"

Everyone was stunned.

Chapter 1833: Surviving the Cultivation Ordeal

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

They had seen people taming beasts, humans, and artifacts before, but this was the first time in their long lives that they had seen someone tame a lightning tribulation.

Sovereign Chen Yong, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ancient Sage Allfire, and all of the others were rendered utterly speechless.

The scene that was unfolding before their eyes was so mind-boggling that the rational sides of their minds had completely shut down.

Lightning had always been a representation of the wrathful retribution of the heavens. It served to punish the arrogant cultivators who dared defy fate and attempt to reach something beyond what they were. Yet, at that moment, it was actually heeding the commands of a mere cultivator!

How in the world was that possible?

That's... That's my teacher! Liu Yang's heart quivered in agitation.

The means of his teacher were indeed incredible! No matter how desperate a situation was, he would always be able to somehow achieve the impossible and turn the tables around!

Hong long!

After hearing Zhang Xuan's pointers, the dark clouds swayed a little as lightning crackled within them. They could feel that the rate they were able to gather power had hastened significantly. Putting aside the Saint 9-dan cultivator below who had just achieved a breakthrough, the clouds felt that they would not even break a sweat even if they had to face dozens more!

At the same time, the Saint 9-dan cultivator, whose breakthrough had summoned the lightning tribulation, found his face turning completely pale in fright.

Just who in the world did he offend for such a thing to happen to him? There was still a long life ahead of him, and he did not want to be zapped to death just yet!

Paying no heed to the Otherworldly Demon below who was on the verge of tears, Zhang Xuan commanded Little Tribulation, "Help me block the Ordeal of Lightning Armament!"

The cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan had imparted to Little Tribulation was designed in a manner such that it would only make it a more frightening force against the Otherworldly Demons. There would not be make any difference to the cultivation ordeals of human cultivators. This would ensure that the number of experts in the ranks of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would slowly decrease, and with sufficient time, they would not pose a threat to mankind anymore.

Hong long!

Little Tribulation was extremely hesitant to stand against the Ordeal of Lightning Armament, but between the Ordeal of Lightning Armament and Zhang Xuan, the latter was much more frightening to it...

Thus, it clenched its precipitation tightly together as it marched up to the Ordeal of Lightning Armament to confront it.

Seeing that a measly lightning tribulation of a Saint 9-dan cultivator actually dared hinder it, the massive saber swung itself downward and sliced the dark clouds apart, dissipating them into the surroundings.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, Little Tribulation gathered whatever was left of itself together and reformed itself to stand against the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. However, with most of its mass dissipated, Little Tribulation looked like a non-threatening ball of black fluff.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuan slapped his hand on his forehead before turning around to address the crowd. "Is there anyone else who wants to make a breakthrough... Forget it, I'll just do it myself!"

Seeing everyone below averting their gazes from him, Zhang Xuan opened his mouth and began lecturing. "The crux of cultivation lies in the cultivation of character. A righteous heart, a dignified demeanor, a prudent mouth..."

His voice echoed resoundingly across the entire area. The cultivators standing behind Liu Yang tried not to pay attention to the lecture, but by the end of the first sentence, they were already completely absorbed in his teachings. Smiles blossomed on their faces as the complications that had bogged them down previously were suddenly lifted, bringing them a feeling of epiphany.

It was as if all of the knowledge that they had learned was converging together, forming a big picture about cultivation that they had never known about.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

And then, the breakthroughs started. Leaving Aperture realm, Dimension Sundering realm, Macrocosm Ascendancy realm... Dark clouds swiftly congregated in the area and bulked up the weakened Little Tribulation, causing it to swell up quickly as if it had been injected with steroids.

Thunderous claps filled with the surroundings as lightning crackled around frenziedly. It was as if Little Tribulation was parading its newfound powers.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan carried on with his lecture. Within a short ten minutes, there were over two thousand cultivators who had achieved a breakthrough, and over five hundred of them had managed to summon a lightning tribulation.

By that point, Little Tribulation covered the entire capital, and even a single bolt of lightning from it was several hundred zhang 1 thick. All it had to do was drive its power slightly, and the space around it would collapse into a void.

This was the first time that Little Tribulation had felt so much power under its command, and the feeling exhilarated it greatly.

On the other hand, seeing that the little wimp that it could not even be bothered to spare a glance to a moment ago turning into a giant monster before its eyes, the Ordeal of Lightning Armament cowered a little. It brandished its saber to slice down on the massive congregation of dark clouds, hoping to dissipate it.

However, before its attack could land, innumerable hulking streaks of lightning bolts had already rained down on it, causing it to convulse helplessly.

"This actually works as well?"

Sovereign Chen Yong and the others looked as if they had seen a ghost.

To use a lightning tribulation to deal with another... this was really an idea that only Zhang Xuan could think of and pull off.

"You can handle the rest on your own. I'll go and rest a little..." Seeing that the situation was finally under control, Zhang Xuan's clone threw those words at him before returning to the Myriad Anthive Nest.

Even though he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage using the Stone of Divine Crusade, his two attempts at stopping the Ordeal of Lightning Armament had really caused him to incur grievous injuries. He had to return and take a good rest.

Shortly after the clone left, Zhang Xuan also felt energy leaving his body. He had really exhausted himself both physically and mentally this time around, and he plopped onto the ground with a fatigued look on his face.

He would never have been so reckless if he had known that this would happen.

If not for the fact that they were in the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, where there were plenty of cultivators whom he could grab off the street, as well as his good relations with Little Tribulation, he would have bitten the dust there.

Hong long long!

Meanwhile, Little Tribulation and the Ordeal of Lightning Armament continued to pit their powers against one another. Eventually, the latter ended up depleting its energy first, and it began to dissipate away.

As the pressure crushing down on him vanished, Zhang Xuan immediately felt a brand new power sprouting from the depths of his body. This was an energy that could reconstruct him and bring him up to a higher level of existence.

Suppress! Zhang Xuan willed as he quelled that burst of power forcefully.

He could achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage if he wanted to, but that would mean that he would lose this golden opportunity to temper himself and build up a solid foundation. This might hinder from reaching greater heights in the future.

With all that he had been through, he knew that he would require as much strength as possible in order to protect those around him and attain what he wanted.

Hulala!

Forcefully suppressing the sprouting energy, Zhang Xuan's cultivation slowly receded back to Sempiternal realm consummation. Seeing that the mess was finally over, he heaved a sigh of relief.

He turned to Little Tribulation and said, "I'm grateful for your help this time around. You can return now."

Hu!

Little Tribulation glanced at the several hundred cultivators who had summoned it over, and chills immediately ran down the spines of those several hundred cultivators. Fortunately, after a moment of hesitation, it swayed a little before dissipating into the surroundings as well.

When it finally dissipated entirely, Zhang Xuan felt completely depleted. It seemed as if there was not the slightest ounce of strength left in his body.

While this breakthrough had brought him infinitesimally close to Ancient Sage, he had sustained great damage in the process as well. All that was left of him at the moment was his skeletal rack with some flesh and blood that he had just recovered. It was truly a huge sacrifice.

Even if he used the blood essence of Blood Reincarnation realm experts to replenish his vitality, it would still take several years before his body could fully recover.

"Kill him!"

Barely after Zhang Xuan thought that he could take a rest, a vicious glint flashed through the eyes of one of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages siding with Sovereign Chen Ling.

With the thought that he could exploit this momentary opening to eradicate this looming threat, he charged forward and drove his palm right into Zhang Xuan's head.

The commotion that was caused by the earlier breakthrough had been so great that it shook those who had witnessed the sight to their cores. Those standing on Sovereign Chen Ling's side swiftly came to the realization that if they could not get rid of the young man while they had the chance, it was only a matter of time before the young man grew to become an existence that none of them could defeat.

As enemies siding with opposite factions, that would spell disaster for them.

"Young Master!"

Not expecting the enemy to make a move so quickly, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately charged forward to save him. The Dragonbone Divine Spear, which had been watching intently not too far away, also swiftly darted in to protect its master.

However, before anyone could do a thing, Zhang Xuan raised his hand instinctively to defend against the abrupt assault from the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage.

Padah!

It started off with the arm of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage being crushed to dust, and as the might traveled upward, the body of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage abruptly exploded. Even his soul did not manage to make it out alive.

"This..."

Everyone was stunned.

The Ancient Sage who had attempted to assault Zhang Xuan had been at Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm, but he had died from a single palm strike from a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator.

"What?" Zhang Xuan was also taken aback.

Despite the state of his body, he could feel that his strength had grown considerably after undergoing the tempering of the Ancient Sage Ordeal. Nevertheless, as he had not exactly achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he had thought that his strength would, at the very most, be on par with any other Bloodline Continuance realm cultivator. Yet, a casual strike from him in his weakened state had actually brought about the death of a Bloodline Continuance realm cultivator.

"My current strength... It's already comparable to Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage!"

Swiftly taking a look at his internal condition, his body began trembling in agitation.

He had never thought that he would actually obtain strength that could rival Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage experts when he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. It was no wonder Kong shi had chosen to suppress his cultivation so many times before pushing for a breakthrough.

It was indeed highly beneficial to the growth of one's cultivation!

"Kill them!"

The sight of Zhang Xuan killing a Bloodline Continuance realm Ancient Sage with a casual wave of his hand had really scared the remaining Ancient Sages on Sovereign Chen Ling's side out of their wits. Knowing that this was the opportune moment to strike, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately gave the order to attack.

Floating at the top of the pedestal, Sovereign Chen Ling looked at the happenings around him with a livid expression on his face. However, knowing that there was nothing he could do, he hurriedly absorbed the energy that was coming from the dimension rift above to recover from his injuries.

A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan's mind. Wait a moment... if the energy above the pedestal can help Sovereign Chen Ling recover from his injuries, could it possibly have the same effect on me as well?

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Chapter 1834: I Am Sovereign Chen Ling

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan's injuries had been caused by the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. Many of his vital organs, muscles, and meridians had been destroyed, and it was only due to the overwhelming vitality and the Heaven's Path zhenqi in his body that he had been able to prevent his physical state from deteriorating any further.

His very foundations had been destroyed, such that he could not heal himself using ordinary means. In a sense, his current condition was similar to that of Vicious and Sovereign Chen Yong. He could only allow time to do its work and repair his tattered foundations, and there was no way to accelerate the process.

But just because he was unable to do it did not mean that others were incapable of doing so!

The wounds that Sovereign Chen Ling had sustained were even more severe than his, but the other party was still able to recover swiftly through the use of the altar. Was it possible for him to tap into the same power?

"I was nearly killed when I tried to barge into the ritual earlier. It's likely that the deity summoned by the ritual identifies one through one's soul aura and energy..."

An idea suddenly sprouted in Zhang Xuan's mind, and he swiftly began to calculate the chances of pulling it off.

He did not know whether he could use the energy bestowed by the deity of heal his injuries, but just approaching the ritual posed a problem. Earlier, when he tried to barge in to terminate the ritual, a powerful force had nearly wiped him off the face of the world.

Even with the recent surge in his fighting prowess to a level comparable to a Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage expert, he could tell that he would still stand no chance against that powerful force. It would simply end in his annihilation.

In other words, he would have to find other means to bypass the detection of the deity.

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "Disguising as Sovereign Chen Ling! As long as my aura and bloodline are identical to his, such that even the deities are unable to tell the difference between the both of us, I will be able to absorb the energy descending upon the pedestal."

Even if brute force failed, he still had a trick up his sleeve—the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him.

It was something that he could use even after he had turned into a skeleton.

"Let me give it a try!"

Unable to curb his excitement, Zhang Xuan activated the amulet, and he swiftly warped into Sovereign Chen Ling's form. Be it in terms of external appearance or soul aura, there was no way that one could tell the difference between him and the real one.

"Young Master?" Sovereign Chen Yong asked doubtfully.

He had been following the Spirit God all along, so he knew about the existence of the disguise amulet. However, he was a little perplexed as to why the Young Master would suddenly choose to disguise himself as Sovereign Chen Ling.

"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded in response with a slight smile.

With his tall and graceful stature, he discreetly flitted over to the dimension rift in the air.

Weng weng weng!

The ripples of power that had previously kept him away showed no sign of warding him off. Just like that, he managed to slip into the ritual without any trouble.

"As expected, it works!" Zhang Xuan trembled in agitation.

It seemed like the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him was at a higher level than whatever deity Sovereign Chen Ling was summoning. As such, even the deity was unable to see through his disguise.

"Hahaha!"

Standing right beneath the dimension rift, Zhang Xuan absorbed a bit of the energy descending from above. In an instant, his physical body began recovering at a visible rate, and his fatigued spirit was nourished and healed as well.

"At this rate, I'll be able to return to my peak within ten minutes. Perhaps, I might even be able to further my cultivation..." Zhang Xuan's eyes shone brilliantly.

Despite his severe wounds, Zhang Xuan was in a far more advantageous position than Sovereign Chen Ling. Both his youth and the unique nature of the Heaven's Path zhenqi allowed for faster recovery. Even when they were both in the same environment, chances were that he would be able to recover much faster than Sovereign Chen Ling.

Thus, he began devouring the energy ravenously as if a parched traveler who had stumbled upon an oasis.

"You..."

Just moments after Zhang Xuan began absorbing the energy, he sensed a pair of sharp eyes staring heatedly at him. Turning to look, he saw Sovereign Chen Ling glaring at him with a vile look on his face.

The bestowal of the deity's blessing was a sacred formality of the ritual, and making a move at this very moment was absolutely prohibited. Otherwise, if he incurred the wrath of the deity, he would be torn apart. As such, all he could do was glare at Zhang Xuan murderously.

But... watching as that fellow snatched away the energy that was intended for his recovery, Sovereign Chen Ling's heart ached so badly that he could hardly hold his anger back.

How in the world did a sack of bones disguise so impeccably as him, such that even the deities were unable to see through his disguise? Just what in the world was going on?

Can anyone tell me what's going on?

Who am I? Where am I?

"You shameless knave..." Sovereign Chen Ling spat icily.

"So be it. I, Sovereign Chen Ling, have never intended on living an upright life anyway!" Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly.

"You b*stard. I am Sovereign Chen Ling!" Seeing the other party adopting his identity, Sovereign Chen Ling felt as if he was going insane.

"Sure sure, you are Sovereign Chen Ling. Happy?" Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily as he continued gobbling up the surrounding energy hungrily.

It was clear that there was something holding Sovereign Chen Ling back from making a move on him, or else the latter would have already pounced at him. Since the latter was unable to do anything to him, there was no point bickering at all.

Feel free to say whatever you like. I'll just quietly have my meal over here.

Gugugugu!

The energy descending from the dimension rift swiftly gathered around him and formed a massive vortex. It did not take long before they were all absorbed into his body.

His true body hidden beneath the disguise amulet began squirming around as his body reconstructed itself.

His head, shoulders, arms, chests... It was as if he was being reborn with every bit of energy absorbed.

This is a good opportunity for me to alter my meridian network to be the same as Zhao Ya's... Zhang Xuan thought as he began working on his meridians.

A human's biological structure was more or less fixed, such that it would only be possible to make minor modifications under normal circumstances. However, what Zhang Xuan was doing at that moment was rebuilding his body from scratch, so he could modify it freely. As such, the reconstruction of his meridians proceeded even more smoothly than Zhao Ya's operation with the vine of the Dongxu Gourd.

Along with the modification of his meridians, an astoundingly pure killing intent seeped out of his body.

"Is this the purest Zhenqi of Slaughter?"

"Ever since Elder Vicious' death, there hasn't been anyone in our Spirit Tribe who has boasted such pure Zhenqi of Slaughter!"

"Could he possibly be the reincarnation of Elder Vicious?"

"With such a pure bloodline, there's no doubt that he's the true leader of the Spirit Tribe!"

...

The Otherworldly Demons who had listened to Zhang Xuan's lecture earlier and wondered if he was a master teacher had their doubts vanquished in an instant.

How could someone with such pure Zhenqi of Slaughter possibly be a human?

Not even the Three Sovereigns possessed such a pure bloodline!

Huala!

The Otherworldly Demons swiftly got to their knees and lowered their heads, as if they were ushering the arrival of their new leader.

Be it the debt from the impartation of knowledge or the natural deference toward a nobler existence than them, at that very moment, toward the young man in the air who was disguised as Sovereign Chen Ling, they only harbored feelings of admiration and respect.

On the other hand, seeing how his people were bowing down and submitting to that scoundrel, the real Sovereign Chen Ling was teetering on the edge of a complete mental breakdown.

While others might be unaware who this fellow was, he knew very well that the other party was the number one genius of mankind, a master teacher through and through. Yet, for his people to actually worship the other party instead of him... ludicrous!

"You lowly swine! Even at the risk of turning a deity against me, I'll claim your life right here and right now!"

Seeing that the other party was already on the brink of making a full recovery, Sovereign Chen Ling could not bring himself to wait any longer. Despite the risk of incurring the deity's wrath, he swiped his fingers toward Zhang Xuan as if they were claws.

Boom!

Even though Sovereign Chen Ling could not recover as quickly as Zhang Xuan did, he had spent a longer time in the ritual than the other party. By now, his injuries had recovered by around seventy to eighty percent, allowing him to draw forth the strength of a true Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert.

Not expecting the other party to be so impatient, Zhang Xuan scowled in displeasure. "Wait a moment, I'm still lacking two more thighs to a full recovery. Why don't we both heal up nicely before coming to blows?"

Activating the Heaven's Path Movement Art, he dodged the attack nimbly. At the same time, he widened all of his acupoints to devour the surrounding energy as quickly as he could.

In an instant, the rate of his recovery soared.

As he was currently disguised as Sovereign Chen Ling, he could not make use of his clone, weapons, or even Vicious. Thus, it was impossible for him to kill Sovereign Chen Ling. However, it would not be easy for Sovereign Chen Ling to get him either.

"Wait your head!"

Seeing how the other party dared to speak so brazenly even after stealing the energy that he had paid a heavy price in order to obtain, Sovereign Chen Ling nearly went berserk.

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Chapter 1835: The Descent of a Deity (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

That's my power!

I sacrificed 100,000 tribesmen and countless treasures in exchange for this power, so how dare you snatch it away from me! You want to recover your thighs? I'll smash your head into smithereens!

Sovereign Chen Ling looked as if he was convulsing so intensely that he was suffering from a stroke.

The young man before him was truly infuriating! Every word that came out of his mouth made him feel as if he could choke on his own breath!

How can you speak so brazenly despite being a petty thief? Do you have no sense of pride whatsoever?

Grinding his teeth, Sovereign Chen Ling sent yet another powerful palm strike toward Zhang Xuan.

Kacha!

The surroundings turned utterly dark. Sovereign Chen Ling's might was so great that even the heavens seemed to tremor in deference to him.

Zhang Xuan dodged his attack yet again. However, seeing that the other party was getting fiercer and fiercer, hindering him from absorbing the energy and recovering, he finally blew his top. He raised his head and bellowed, "Deity of the higher dimension, this fellow not only disguised himself as me to steal your power, he even dares to make a move on me in your presence. It's obvious that he has a complete lack of respect for you. It's of the utmost importance that you punish him severely!"

Why the heck are you causing such a huge ruckus? Can't you just sit quietly by the side and absorb the energy?

What a wonderful thing it is to enjoy the peaceful silence and immerse one's senses in the wonders of the world!

Don't you think that it's crude to go around killing others?

To think that you are even respected as one of the Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, yet you don't even have the patience to hold yourself still. Horrible!

Seeing the other party speak the words that he wanted to say, Sovereign Chen Ling's body staggered. "Screw you!"

His blood billowed furiously through his organs, leaving him feeling as if he would vomit large mouthfuls of blood at any moment.

You scoundrel, remember your place! You are the one who has come here as a robber... How can you be so shameless as to report me first?

Grasping at his hair frenziedly, Sovereign Chen Ling knew that he would only anger himself further the more he spoke. Thus, he decided to put aside all words and smash his palm right toward Zhang Xuan.

This time, his palm strike harnessed his entire rage, making it several times more powerful than before.

Sensing danger from the palm strike, Zhang Xuan instantaneously moved to dodge the attack. However, he felt as if something was holding his body still, preventing him from moving at all.

"Damn it! I'll just have to go all out!"

Knowing that he might lose his life if he continued taking the matter lightly, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to grit his teeth regretfully as he halted the absorption of the surrounding energy. He raised his palm, but before he could exert his strength, he suddenly felt an intense jolt from above. The jolt rippled downward and shook Sovereign Chen Ling and him as if they were lone boats in the face of an extreme current.

He staggered in the air and nearly plummeted to the ground.

Po!

Under the jolt, Sovereign Chen Ling's attack also dissipated without a trace.

"What's going on?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze upward, the direction where the jolt had originated from.

The dimension rift, which was emanating the energy that had facilitated his recovery, had become even darker and more glaring. Slowly, an arm was slowly reaching out from it.

The intense energy jolt earlier had originated from this arm.

"This is bad... There's really a deity above!"

Given how a mere arm was able to render such helplessness within him, there was no doubt that the being above them had far surpassed Blood Reincarnation realm consummation. Zhang Xuan's face darkened as he hurriedly drove his zhenqi to absorb the energy lingering in the area.

He knew that he would lose his opportunity to absorb the energy and heal up the moment that the deity descended upon their world.

He had mostly recovered, and all that remained were his two thighs. As long as he hurried, he might just be able to make it in time.

Otherwise, even if it was just his two thighs, it would probably take him many years to heal them back to their original state.

Tzzzzzzzz!

The muscles in his thighs recovered at a rate visible to the eye, and before long, one of his thighs was already completely healed.

Seeing how the other party dared to continue absorbing the energy despite the appearance of the arm of the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling grew frenzied.

Of all of the greedy people in the world, there was probably no one who could hold a candle to the young man before him.

If not for the fact that he did not manage to calculate the value of the artifacts properly prior to the ritual, causing the energy bestowed to be far greater than what he needed, there was no way that he would have been able to fully recover with this fellow barging in and absorbing the energy as he liked.

Despite that, he had only recovered by roughly eighty percent so far. He was still some way off from making a full recovery.

On the other hand... the other party had recovered by at least ninety percent!

Sovereign Chen Ling knew that if he continued with his act of aggression when the deity from the ritual was already descending to their world, there was a good chance that he would be killed. Thus, he clenched his jaws hatefully before turning his attention back to absorbing the energy.

"You thief, that's mine!"

But barely after Sovereign Chen Ling started absorbing the energy once more, he suddenly heard an infuriated bellow sounding from the opposite side. Following which, he saw the other party raising his palm and striking it over.

Huala!

A massive current of sword qi whizzed over, encircling him tightly.

"You..."

Alarmed, Sovereign Chen Ling hurriedly stopped absorbing the energy to avoid the attack. However, just as he was about to do so, he realized that the massive current of sword qi was a feint. Despite its imposing appearance, the massive current of sword qi dissipated as if bubbles upon reaching him.

It was just an act to scare him.

Tzzzzzz!

Meanwhile, the other party continued to absorb the energy.

"Damn it!"

Sovereign Chen Ling trembled with rage as he cursed. Taking a deep breath, he opened up the acupoints in his body once more to absorb the energy again when the other party suddenly flicked his finger, and a burst of sword qi shot in his direction.

It went without saying that Sovereign Chen Ling immediately took evasive action to avoid the sword qi... only to find that it was another feint.

That fellow doesn't dare make a move in front of the deity either. He's intentionally preventing me from absorbing the energy to stop me from making a full recovery...

At this point, Sovereign Chen Ling finally understood what the other party was up to.

The fact that the arm of the deity had appeared was an indication that the deity could very well descend upon their world if they continued fooling around in his presence. No matter how brazen Zhang Xuan might be, there was no way that he would really make a move in the presence of the deity for fear of divine retribution.

In other words, the purpose behind Zhang Xuan's actions was not to hurt him but to hinder his cultivation so that he could devour more of the energy bestowed by the deity.

With such a thought in mind, Sovereign Chen Ling's heart was put at ease. He put his full attention into absorbing the energy lingering around the area. However, just as he was getting into the mood, he suddenly felt his hair standing on end. Out of sheer instinct, he reacted in a split second and took a side step.

Puhe!

It was a sharp, chilling sensation. A surge of sword qi had pierced through Sovereign Chen Ling's chest. If not for his powerful instincts, his heart might have been pierced through.

"The heck!" Sovereign Chen Ling was really on the verge of exploding.

Earlier, the other party had been afraid to make a move, using all sorts of tricks to slow him down. Yet, as soon as he started cultivating, the other party immediately flicked his sword qi over for real!

Are you really not afraid of the wrath of the deities?

Are you trying to drag me down together with you?

Filled with rage, Sovereign Chen Ling was just about to dash over to tussle with the other party when the other party suddenly stopped absorbing the energy altogether. The other party lowered his head and clasped his fist toward the deity.

"O great deity, I was simply too enraged at that scoundrel for impersonating me and absorbing your powers. How could a mere thief dare behave in such a preposterous manner? Please permit me to kill him! Otherwise, what will become of your reputation if such matters are simply left to be!"

Astonishingly, the words that he spoke were actually the authentic ancient language of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

Even Sovereign Chen Ling had practiced for a very long time before being able to speak the language.

SI la!

Those words incurred the wrath of the deity within the dimension rift. A vortex formed within the dimension rift, and another hand slowly crept out. With a slight flick of its wrist, Sovereign Chen Ling was slammed into the ground.

Lying weakly on the ground, Sovereign Chen Ling murmured in disbelief, "Deity..."

This was the deity whom he had been contacting all this while, an entirely different entirety from the Spirit God whom Sovereign Chen Yong worshipped. It was with such a trump card in hand that he had dared to scheme against Sovereign Chen Yong.

He had been constantly offering treasures and artifacts to this deity, and in return, he had been granted great strength that allowed him to stand his ground even against the powerful Sovereign Chen Yong.

Yet, the deity whom he had been worshipping actually turned against him just because of a couple of words uttered by this scoundrel!

Was the deity really unable to tell that he was the real one?

Trembling in fury, Sovereign Chen Ling swung his finger in Zhang Xuan's direction, intending to expose the latter's false identity to the deity. However, what he saw was the young man sitting peacefully in the air with his acupoints fully open, absorbing the energy lingering in the area.

His thighs had recovered together with his feet, and all that was left were his ten toes.

"The heck..."

Sovereign Chen Ling felt an ache in his heart, and all that was left in his mind were unspeakable expletives.

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Chapter 1836: The Descent of a Deity (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Shameless, unscrupulous, and monstrously talented... Just when did such a difficult character appear amid the humans?

If this man was left to be, his existence would eventually become the greatest threat to the Spirit Tribe!

Had Sovereign Chen Ling known that there was such a powerful foe among the humans, there was no way he would have schemed against Sovereign Chen Yong. Instead, he would have collaborated with Sovereign Chen Yong to get rid of this threat!

As stifled as Sovereign Chen Ling felt, he soon heaved a sigh of relief.

There should be no reason for that b*stard to continue absorbing the energy once he healed his toes. Then, he would be able to make use of the remaining energy to heal himself.

Once he recovered to full strength, he was confident that he would be able to tear that b*stard into shreds!

With a grim look on his face, Sovereign Chen Ling turned his attention back to absorbing the energy. Just as he had expected, it did not take long for the other party to regenerate his toes. He thought that it was finally time for him to speed up his healing process, but contrary to his expectations, the other party suddenly took out a painting and began frenziedly drawing the surrounding energy into the painting.

Screw this...

Sovereign Chen Ling's body trembled in disbelief upon seeing this sight.

Aren't you one greedy little b*stard?

After having your fill of the energy, you even want to take the rest away with you?

Sovereign Chen Ling felt as if there was a puddle of fresh blood accumulating at the back of his throat, ready to spurt forth at any moment.

That fellow was really getting worse and worse by the moment!

Furthermore, what the heck was with that painting? This energy was bestowed directly from the deity, so what kind of painting could possibly have the ability to store even that?

"Wait a moment... is that Kong shi's Canvas of Four Seasons?"

With a swift glance, Sovereign Chen Ling came to a sudden realization.

The painting had its own independent spatial and temporal laws, such that it could be called an independent world by itself. The only painting that was known to have achieved such a level was Kong shi's Canvas of Four Seasons.

He could tell that the other party had also achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage through tapping into the Aeon of Ancient Sage sealed within the painting.

The other party's arms swayed around frantically, almost as if a Thousand Hands Buddha. The concentration of energy in the area swiftly grew sparser and sparser as it was pumped furiously into the painting. Shockingly, the rate at which the painting was devouring the energy was at least ten times faster than that of Sovereign Chen Ling!

In other words, no matter how he tussled with the painting over the energy, the result was that he would only receive, at most, a tenth of the limited energy remaining!

This energy should have been mine! It's all mine!

Knowing that there was no way he would be able to fully recover from his energy at this rate, Sovereign Chen Ling could not remain calm. He gathered the entirety of his energy and dashed forward.

"You piece of sh*t, I'm going to slaughter you!"

Unfortunately, the gaze of the deity was already upon this area.

Kacha!

Before he could reach Zhang Xuan, the palm from the dimension rift struck down once more, causing Sovereign Chen Ling's body to slam forcefully onto the ground.

At that point, he was truly already on the brink of tears.

Was he going to lose the support of the deity whom he had worshipped for so long over such shady lies of the other party?

Ridiculous!

Seeing the look on Sovereign Chen Ling's face, Zhang Xuan shook his head coldly. "Jeez..."

Of course, it was not that the deity trusted his words. The reason that the deity made a move on Sovereign Chen Ling was because the latter had broken the rules and used his powers recklessly.

The deity is already on the verge of climbing out of the dimension rift to pass judgement upon us, but you still dared to make a move before him. Aren't you simply asking for trouble?

That's why humility is always the way to go! Live a humble life, and trouble won't come knocking on your door!

Doing too much before the deities often has the opposite effect. The trick is to maintain a calm heart... Just take a look at me, aren't I the perfect example?

While praising himself for his distinguished traits, he turned his attention back to his own body, and his eyes shone in delight.

To allow him to recover to his peak from a pile of bones so swiftly, the means of the deities were indeed formidable.

Huhuhu!

Zhang Xuan continued flapping his hands as if a fan to guide the movement of the surrounding energy into the painting. In a short three minutes, all of the remaining energy lingering in the surroundings had already been fully transferred into the painting.

With such a huge inventory of the energy from a deity, even if he were to get injured in the future, there would be very little he would have to be worried about.

In fact, if things went well, he could even use the energy to help Vicious fully recover from his current state.

After all that was done, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze upward and saw that the dimension rift had become even darker. Half of a towering figure had already traveled across the dimension rift to descend upon this world.

At this point in time, he was already certain that the deity was not Luo Ruoxin. The deity had an appearance resembling that of a young man.

In terms of appearance, there was nothing that set him aside from ordinary humans. However, the aura that he emanated was deep and intense. Even without making any moves, his presence caused the space around him to shatter layer after layer. It was as if the world that they lived in was unable to withstand the weight of his existence.

Sovereign Chen Yong sent a telepathic message over to Zhang Xuan. "He's a Dimension Shatterer realm expert!"

"This is the prowess of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

The strength that the deity wielded was so powerful that this world was unable to assimilate his presence into it.

If the world was an ocean, the deity was a droplet of oil. No matter how powerful the oceanic currents were, the droplet of oil would remain a transcendent being floating on the surface.

"Dimension Shatterer realm experts are also known as Immortal's Envoys. Back when Kong shi was still around, someone prayed to a higher dimension in order to summon an Immortal's Envoy onto this world. Who could have thought that history would repeat itself after so many years!"

"It might be due to the emergence of the Temple of Confucius..."

"What does the Temple of Confucius have to do with the descent of an Immortal's Envoy?"

"Rumor has it that the Temple of Confucius is located in a void that seals the passageway between the higher dimensions to our world. The emergence of the Temple of Confucius means that the stopper that prevents any higher beings from descending to our world has been released, thus allowing any Immortal's Envoy to travel to our world!"

"If that's the case, doesn't it mean that the power balance on the Master Teacher Continent is going to be reshuffled very soon?"

"That might not necessarily be so. It isn't that easy for Immortal's Envoys to descend onto our world. Not only will they have to pay a heavy price in the process, they must also suppress their cultivation to a very low level in order to avoid being ejected by our world. It's likely that they will only be able to utilize strength comparable to a Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage cultivator. Of course, that's a strength to behold as well, but as long as we unite together to stand up against them, we should be able to stand our ground against them..."

...

Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Otherworldly Demon Lords swiftly communicated with one another.

The deity who was descending upon their world was an Immortal's Envoy from a higher dimension. If the deity chose to aid Sovereign Chen Ling, they would really be in great danger.

Is this the strength that Luo Ruoxin wields too? Zhang Xuan wondered as he assessed the descending deity intently with his Eye of Insight.

The sight when Luo Ruoxin left played in his mind.

She was an existence that could not be assimilated into the world as well, but there was a major difference between her and the deity that was descending to their world.

It felt like the world had rejected Luo Ruoxin's existence more vehemently than it was rejecting the descending deity's presence.

Did this mean that Luo Ruoxin's strength was even greater than that of the deity who was traversing over to their world?

It took Sovereign Chen Ling a long while before he recovered from that slap. By the time he recollected himself, the energy lingering in the air had already been completely stored into the Canvas of Four Seasons. Knowing that there was no reason to make a move anymore, he gritted his teeth and turned his attention to the deity in the sky.

"O great deity, I am the real Sovereign Chen Ling! He's the fake!"

So as to not lose out, Zhang Xuan quickly argued back. "I am the real one. He's the one who is a poor excuse of an imitation. How dare you even think of lying in the presence of a deity? You must be out of your mind!"

The effects of the disguise amulet far surpassed his imagination. Under its prowess, there was no physical difference that allowed one to distinguish him from Sovereign Chen Ling, such that it was likely that even the deity would be unable to tell the difference between them. Since he had already gone so far, he could try pushing on and see where it would take him.

Hong long!

The dimension rift jolted one last time.

During their discussion, the deity had managed to traverse completely through the dimension rift. Floating in the air, he took a deep breath before opening his beady eyes.

Kacha! Kacha!

The eyes of the deity seemed to be reflected with lightning. A fear-inducing aura was swiftly diffusing outward, and it felt as if the sky would be shattered into pieces under the intensity of his aura.

There was an unnatural vibe to the strength that he emanated, as if he was an anomalous existence that did not fit into the world.

Even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would tremble frightfully before this might, let alone ordinary humans!

"A lower lifeform from a lower dimension actually thinks that he's able to fool me. How preposterous!" The deity harrumphed coldly as he turned his gaze upon the two of them.

The next moment, Zhang Xuan's entire body tensed up amid spasmodic convulsions. It was as if he was surrounded by countless terrifying primordial beasts, causing sweat to rain down his body.

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Chapter 1837: The Submission of Sovereign Chen Ling

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

I might not necessarily lose against him. There's no choice, I'll have to give it a shot...

Given the combined prowess of him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Vicious, Ancient Sage Allfire, and Ancient Sage Mo Ling, even if the deity was a Dimension Shatterer realm expert, they might still stand a chance against him.

Zhang Xuan swiftly recovered from his tension to reveal a face devoid of emotions, making it impossible for one to peer into his mind.

The gaze of the deity alternated between Zhang Xuan and Sovereign Chen Ling, but a moment later, a slight frown appeared on his forehead. "You must have used your own blood essence when praying to the higher dimension. Offer your blood to me, and I'll discern the real from the fake!"

The deity had thought that, given his means and power, he would be able to see through the lies of this bunch of hillbillies. Contrary to his expectation, he was unable to find any loophole despite examining closely for such a long period of time.

There was no physical difference between the two of them that allowed him to distinguish one from the other.

However, there was no way that there could be two Sovereign Chen Lings in the world!

That being said, even though the imposter had disguised themself impeccably when it came to physical traits, there was just no way they would be able to copy Sovereign Chen Ling's bloodline as well, right?

Soon, two droplets of blood were sent the deity's way. The deity swiftly scanned the two droplets of blood with his Spiritual Perception, only to have the confident look on his face collapsing into confusion.

To his disbelief, the two droplets of blood were actually identical to one another as well!

What the heck was going on?

"O great deity, this fellow has impersonated himself as me to make fun of you. We cannot allow such a gross act of disrespect go unpunished!" Thinking that the deity might have found something out from their blood essence, Sovereign Chen Ling stood forward and spoke imposingly.

"Shut your mouth!"

Pah!

The deity threw a slap toward Sovereign Chen Ling once more, causing him to roll across the ground.

The deity was still feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at being unable to tell the two apart when Sovereign Chen Ling thoughtlessly butted in. It went without saying that this was an extremely foolish act!

"I..." Holding his cheek indignantly, Sovereign Chen Ling lowered his head.

"The real Sovereign Chen Ling has offered many valuable artifacts in order to allow for my descent to this world. There's no way the fake will know what artifacts were used and the value of each of them... I want the two of you to write down a list of the artifacts used and their exact values. The one whose list is more accurate is bound to be the real Sovereign Chen Ling!" the deity commanded.

The ritual to summon a deity was extremely strict and pricey. If the artifacts that one offered did not meet a certain requirement, it could lead to a backlash instead. As such, the real Sovereign Chen Ling was bound to know the exact details of the offerings made to him.

"This..." Sovereign Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment before slowly nodding. "Alright then!"

He took out a jade token and imprinted the values of all of the artifacts that he knew of onto it.

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before taking out a jade token to imprint what he knew on it too.

To be honest, he was indeed unaware of the price that one had to pay in order to establish a window with a higher dimension. He had to admit that the deity was indeed extremely sharp, capturing the crux of the matter in an instant.

However, back when he was disguised as Appraiser Wu Tao, he had gone through all of the artifacts. Furthermore, as the souls of the living tributes had been pulled into the Stone of Divine Crusade before being absorbed by him and his clone, he was well aware of the exact numbers and their cultivation realms.

After a moment of contemplation, he jotted down the exact values and numbers onto the jade token.

Taking the jade tokens from both Sovereign Chen Ling and Zhang Xuan, the deity quickly scanned through the contents with his Spiritual Perception. A moment later, he turned to Sovereign Chen Ling with narrowed eyes gleaming with menace.

Seeing that the deity's gaze was on him, Sovereign Chen Ling suddenly had a bad premonition. "Deity, I'm the real Sovereign Chen Ling..."

However, before he could finish his words, the palm of the deity was already descending from the sky.

"How dare you lie to me? You must be sick of living!"

Hong long!

It was as if the world had collapsed onto Sovereign Chen Ling, causing his entire body to freeze on the spot. He could not even escape. A seemingly boundless power loomed above him like a guillotine, threatening to squash him into minced meat.

"No!"

Not expecting that the deity whom he had paid such a heavy price to summon would actually try to kill him, Sovereign Chen Ling was horrified. With a furious roar, he drove his strength to his limits, causing his zhenqi to surge out.

In the blink of an eye, his figure grew more than two zhang 1 tall. The flourishing power of a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert burned furiously within him like an inferno.

Padah!

But the flame was extinguished as soon as it came into contact with the deity's hand. The entire altar collapsed, and Sovereign Chen Ling crashed right into the ground, leaving a huge crater around him.

The might of a Dimension Shatterer realm expert is so powerful! Zhang Xuan's eyebrows leaped up in shock.

He could tell that the deity was not even using his full strength. It was only a simple wave of his hand, but even the Blood Reincarnation realm consummation Sovereign Chen Ling did not stand a chance despite using his full strength.

Was this the gap between a mortal and a deity?

Previously, he had thought that with the combined prowess of him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and the others, they might be able to put up a fight against the deity. However, what he had just witnessed crushed all of such hopes... It would be a futile struggle.

The difference in their strength was so absolute that no number could hope to bridge the difference.

This was similar to the difference between a Great Sage and an Ancient Sage. As beings on different levels of existence, a Great Sage could never hope to match up to an Ancient Sage.

While Zhang Xuan was astounded by the prowess of the deity, some doubts arose in his mind as well. If the deity had chosen to turn against Sovereign Chen Ling, did it mean that the list of offerings that he had jotted down was even more accurate than Sovereign Chen Ling's?

In other words, was Sovereign Chen Ling was unaware of the true value of the offerings to the deity?

Otherwise, why would the deity make a move on him?

The truth was exactly as Zhang Xuan thought. Sovereign Chen Ling was indeed unaware of the true value of the offerings.

He had prepared countless treasures and brought in nearly all of the esteemed appraisers of the Spirit Tribe to value each of these treasures for him. Despite all of his effort, due to abrupt changes in plan, he had been unable to figure out the true value of all of the artifacts. Nevertheless, in his mind, the answer that he had jotted down should have been more accurate than Zhang Xuan's!

How could Zhang Xuan's answer possibly be more accurate than his?

At this rate, even he would start to wonder if he himself was a fake!

Hong long!

Rising up from the massive crater, Sovereign Chen Ling clenched his teeth in fury. He wiped away the fresh blood trickling down from the corner of his lips before facing the deity with unwavering determination.

"It seems like you believe that I'm a fake?"

"Are you still not going to admit it?"

The deity narrowed his eyes as a terrifying surge of power revolved on his palm, ready to break forth and reduce Sovereign Chen Ling to dust at any moment.

"If that's what you have chosen to believe, there's nothing I can say in my defense. I can only say that the other party's ability to disguise himself is too outstanding. However..." Sovereign Chen Ling took in a deep breath as a streak of madness flickered across his eyes. "... I am willing to offer my life up to you. I am willing to serve as your slave and heed your orders for life without the slightest complaint. As for him..."

Sovereign Chen Ling halted for a moment as he turned a chilling gaze in Zhang Xuan's direction. "... does he dare pledge the same?"

Right after saying those words, a droplet of blood essence flew forth from Sovereign Chen Ling's forehead toward the deity.

As long as the deity accepted his blood essence, he would become no different from a contracted tamed beast. He would become a slave who would be at the beck and call of the deity. Even his life and death would no longer be in his control.

"This fellow..." Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

No wonder he had said that Sovereign Chen Yong was not as decisive as him and that he would even forsake his own life... He had thought that Sovereign Chen Ling was referring to the ritual, but who could have known that the latter had already made up his mind to offer his entirety to the deity?

That would explain why he was able to remain nonchalant about the deaths of the Ancient Sage in his faction as well. It turned out that his greatest trump card was the deity from the higher dimension!

By relinquishing all of his freedom to the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling would earn the unreserved trust of the deity in return. As his master, there was no doubt that the deity would side with Sovereign Chen Ling to deal with the rest of them and even mankind at large!

Hula!

The deity reached out and accepted the blood essence. The next instant, he grasped control over Sovereign Chen Ling's will and soul. With just a thought, he would be able to end Sovereign Chen Ling's life in an instant.

After doing all of that, the deity turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan. His eyes no longer reflected calmness but coldness.

Under the gaze of the deity, Zhang Xuan felt his heart squeezing up a little.

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Chapter 1838: The Strength of the Deity

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"You're the fake."

The voice of the deity was resounding, similar to pieces of metal clanging with one another. His tone was impassive but absolute.

Through Sovereign Chen Ling's thoughts, it was already apparent to the deity whom the fake was.

As a being from a higher dimension, it was already a great embarrassment for him to have been played for a fool by someone from a lower dimension. If word spread, he could die of humiliation. There was no doubt that there was already a bundle of rage burning deep in his heart.

"Heh, it seems like I've been exposed!"

The very willingness of Sovereign Chen Ling to offer his soul up to the deity made a fundamental difference in their positions. This was something that Zhang Xuan would never be willing to do. As such, it had also become the greatest opening to his disguise.

With some awkward laughter, he raised his arm and charged forward.

Hu!

The Dragonbone Divine Spear flew into hands, and with a powerful thrust, he pierced the spear right toward the deity.

Tzla!

The strength from Zhang Xuan's body, zhenqi, and soul was focused precisely at the very tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, imbuing it with the strength to shatter even spacetime.

This was an attack that would destroy even Sovereign Chen Ling in a heartbeat, skewering him mercilessly like a helpless deer.

Since his disguise had failed him, he had to make the first move. If he could, by any chance, catch the deity off guard and kill him, that would be for the best.

If he could not kill the deity, at the very least, he would still have the advantage from taking the initiative.

Considering how the deity had taken Sovereign Chen Ling in as his subordinate, as well as the little regard that he had for the beings living in this world, it was likely that there was no room for reconciliation at all. Since that was the case, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to play the good man.

"Pfft!"

Seeing Zhang Xuan's move, the deity sneered coldly. He placed his hands behind his back, not bothering to dodge at all.

Weng!

Before the Dragonbone Divine Spear could pierce into his chest, it was swept away by another current of energy. It was like a wooden sword striking metal armor; it was completely ineffective. Zhang Xuan was unable to push the spear any deeper in.

Seeing such a sight, sweat erupted from Zhang Xuan's every pore.

He had known that the deity was a fearsome figure, but the latter's strength surpassed all of his expectations.

The deity was actually able to ward against his attack with just the basic zhenqi protecting his body!

Kacha! Kacha!

Knowing that the situation was not in his favor, Zhang Xuan hurriedly pulled out his spear as hard as he could, but the space in front of the deity's chest suddenly collapsed inward. Stuck in the midst of broken shards of space, he found himself unable to retract the Dragonbone Divine Spear no matter how he tugged.

Following which, the voice of the Dragonbone Divine Spear echoed in his ears. "Master, I'm injured..."

Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his gaze over and saw some wear and tear on the tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear. There were some cracks on the dragon scales cloaking its surface, and it seemed like crimson blood was trickling out from the cracks.

"He's too powerful. How are we supposed to fight against such an opponent?"

If the deity was already so powerful without making an active move, would they not be obliterated the moment he made a move?

He had thought that he would be peerless among the Ancient Sages now that he wielded the strength equivalent to a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator and had the Dragonbone Divine Spear in his grasp. However, it was obvious that he had been too optimistic.

"We have to make a move as well, or else all of us will die here!"

Seeing such a sight, Sovereign Chen Yong immediately realized that if they did not make a move, they would be massacred like helpless lambs in a moment's time. Thus, he quickly drew his saber and charged forward.

At the same time, Ancient Sage Allfire raised his massive claws. Concentrated flames burst forth from his body, and it seemed as if he would set the entire world alit.

Ancient Sage Mo Ling and the others did not laze around either. They quickly rose into the air and made their moves in coordination with the rest.

The group that was gathered there could already be considered the pinnacle fighting prowess of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Their might combined could impale even the heavens.

Yet, in the face of this formidable might, the deity leisurely raised his hand and flicked his finger.

Po!

A spacetime turbulence immediately stormed ahead, sweeping all of the attacks away with it. In the blink of an eye, the devastating force created by the combined prowess of the group dissipated entirely, as if it had never existed at all.

However, their interference did manage to buy some time for Zhang Xuan to retract his spear and return to Sovereign Chen Yong's side. Nevertheless, the absolute difference in their strengths was a huge blow to the group's morale.

With such a powerful line up, even the peak Sovereign Chen Yong would have been killed in an instant, unable to retaliate at all. Yet, this deity had managed to stop them with just a simple flick of his finger.

It was almost as if they were ants standing before a colossal giant!

Was this the strength that a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator wielded?

It had really exceeded his wildest imagination.

"Not too bad. It seems like the lot of you aren't too worthless." The deity chuckled softly, but there was not the slightest emotion behind his words at all. He glanced down at the group below and said, "Just like him, submit to me, and I can spare your lives. Know that I have little patience for the likes of you, so make up your mind quick."

"You want us to submit to you? Dream on!" Sovereign Chen Yong spat contemptuously.

As the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he was obligated to ensure the welfare of his own tribesmen. If he was willing to bow down to a higher power in exchange for greater power, he would never have landed himself in such a state.

"Oh? Let me see how much those guts of yours are worth then!" the deity uttered coldly before snapping his finger.

There was not the slightest sound, and there was not any attack to be seen. Yet, Sovereign Chen Yong's face suddenly scrunched together in pain.

Boom!

A massive hole was created in his abdomen, and his figure whizzed through the air at a terrifying speed. Fresh blood continuously spurted from the punctured hole, raining crimson droplets upon the world.

He had already been severely injured in the first place, and this strike left him in an even worse position. If not for the hatred and rage in his heart, he probably would not have even made it so far.

He could feel his body approaching its limits, and it felt like all that was required was one last push for his body to come to a complete breakdown.

The astonished Zhang Xuan hurriedly flitted over to Sovereign Chen Yong's side and infused the healing energy that he had put into the Canvas of Four Seasons into the latter's body. However, to his horror, he realized that it was completely ineffective. As if trying to mix oil and water together, the healing energy simply refused to assimilate with Sovereign Chen Yong's body.

Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head and explained weakly, "This energy is molded to suit Sovereign Chen Ling's constitution so as to effectively heal his body. It won't work on anyone else. The only reason that you were able to absorb it is because the disguise amulet alters your body on a fundamental level, thus making you compatible with the energy as well."

At the same time, he took out a pill and swallowed it. A moment later, his complexion finally alleviated slightly.

The power bestowed by a deity could only be received by the person who had initiated the ritual. It was only because Zhang Xuan was able to disguise his body on a fundamental level that he had been able to snatch the energy intended for Sovereign Chen Ling, but Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to do the same.

The Spirit God had only helped him hide his aura so as to conceal the fact that he was an Otherworldly Demon. He was a mere servant, so there was no way that the Spirit God would bestow something as invaluable as the disguise amulet to him.

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned.

He stowed his painting away before turning his eyes back to the deity in the sky.

The deity did not continue his assault after incapacitating Sovereign Chen Yong. He simply gazed down loftily at the crowd below as if a conqueror who had everyone's life and death in his grasp.

It was clear that the deity did not even view Zhang Xuan and the others as a threat to him. They were simply bugs whom he could crush at a whim, so their life and death was inconsequential to him.

The deity turned to the rest of the crowd who had stood up against him earlier and asked, "What about the rest of you?"

There was a moment of silence. A mixture of hesitation and fear rendered them unable to speak.

Seeing that there was no response at all, the deity snapped his fingers once more.

Peng peng peng!

Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the other Ancient Sages were sent flying simultaneously. The immense force made their faces blanch, and blood seeped from the corners of their lips.

"It takes nothing for me to kill the lot of you, and there's nothing you can possibly do that could affect me. This is absolute strength. We live in a world where the strong reign mighty, and the weak can either bow in submission or accept their death. There's no need for your little minds to think so hard; the situation is very clear. There are only two choices before you—death or subordination. Like I said, my patience is limited. I'll only give you one chance to choose. If you make the wrong decision, don't expect me to show you mercy!"

The deity placed his hands behind his back as he spoke with the absolute authority of a tyrant.

It was as if he would behead anyone who dared question him.

"Will you spare us as long as we submit to you?" an Ancient Sage standing behind Ancient Sage Allfire asked meekly.

"Of course! Not only will I spare you, I'll even help you to unite the Spirit Tribe and place the entire Master Teacher Continent under your rule. You'll be in a position of unparalleled authority, standing above all beings except for me," the deity replied nonchalantly.

"This..." Hearing those words, the face of the Ancient Sage swiftly flushed crimson in agitation. There was a moment of conflict as the concepts of freedom and power clashed in his mind, but it did not take long for him to make up his mind. Lowering his head, he kneeled down in servility and declared, "O great deity, I pledge to serve you with my life!"

The reason that he had chosen to help Sovereign Chen Yong was as a favor. If he could help Sovereign Chen Yong return to his original position, his standing in the Spirit Tribe would rise above the others'. However, the appearance of the deity changed everything. With his life at stake, there was no reason for him to persist just for Sovereign Chen Yong.

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Chapter 1839: The Final Trump Card

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"This is the wisest decision you will ever make."

Seeing that his words had brought an Ancient Sage to his side, a slight smile crept onto the lips of the deity as he nodded in satisfaction. He turned to the remaining crowd and asked, "What about the rest of you?"

"I..."

The other three Ancient Sage 2-dan Otherworldly Demons whom Sovereign Chen Yong had recruited trembled in hesitation, not knowing how they should respond.

Victory had been within reach when such a powerful expert suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They could not bring themselves to make up their minds due to the suddenness of the situation.

There was a moment of tense silence before another one of the Ancient Sages turned around and flew toward the deity. "Sovereign Chen Yong, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to help you, but given the current circumstances... I'll repay what I owe you in the next life!"

Sighing deeply, Sovereign Chen Yong looked at the two remaining Ancient Sages and said, "It's a life and death situation. I won't blame you for whatever you choose..."

The two remaining Ancient Sages looked at one another before one of them spoke up. "I have long gotten tired of living in this boring world. If I die at the hands of a deity from a higher dimension, my name will at least go down in history, and my life won't have been a waste. Sovereign Chen Yong, you saved my life many years ago, and my life will remain yours till the very end!"

"The same goes for me. From the moment that I, Ancient Sage Jin Ta, agreed to aid you in your cause, I had already made my mind. I'll either return victoriously or die a valiant death!"

Just like how there were those who feared death, there were also those who persisted in their values in the face of death.

Bloodlust was inscribed in the very genes of the Spirit Tribe, but that did not mean that they were driven solely by it. Just like many humans, they knew of loyalty as well.

"You have my utmost gratitude..." Seeing that those two Ancient Sages were willing to side with him despite their certain deaths, Sovereign Chen Yong nodded solemnly in gratitude.

After that, he turned his gaze to Ancient Sage Allfire to seek the latter's view on the matter.

"What are you looking at me for? I have never feared anyone in this world, be it the heavens or the deities. The only thing I fear is losing myself! So what if he's a deity from a higher dimension? I'll at least scrape off a layer of his skin before he gets me!" Ancient Sage Allfire sneered coldly, revealing his crooked teeth.

It was only a short moment, but he was still indebted to his master for showing a path out for his tribesmen. Be it battle or retreat, he would follow the directives of his master without the slightest hesitation.

"I guess there's no need to ask you two..." Sovereign Chen Yong turned to look at Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Hao Xun, only to meet their firm eyes. Knowing that they had made up their minds as well, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Young Master, what shall we do now?"

"What else can we do other than pit our lives against him?" Zhang Xuan snorted as he raised the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more. "Let's destroy him!"

The Dragonbone Divine Spear charged forth like a majestic dragon, causing many silhouettes to appear all around the area, covering the deity.

"Now!"

Knowing that there was no longer a path of retreat, Sovereign Chen Yong also dashed forward to make his move.

With the strength of the eight Ancient Sages put together, it felt that even the world was going to sink in under their might. The capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe trembled as if an earthquake was rattling the entire place, and all kinds of formations and inscriptions dispersed under the pressure and returned to spiritual energy.

Ancient Sages were existences who could obliterate countless lives with just a wave of their hands, let alone a group of them moving simultaneously.

Surrounded by Zhang Xuan and the others, the deity coldly sneered, "A bunch of ants who don't know their place!"

He raised both of his hands together and pushed them outward. There was not the slightest offensive movement to be seen from him, but mysteriously, everyone's attack dissipated without a trace.

With his attack neutralized, Zhang Xuan immediately pulled out the Book of Heaven's Path.

The next moment, a pair of hands crept out from within to grasp at the deity.

Hula!

As soon as the deity clashed with the pair of hands, his face that had remained impassive all this while suddenly lit up in excitement. "A Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator?"

With just a look, the deity had already seen through the strength that Vicious had wielded at his peak. Just like him, Vicious had also stepped into Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. In fact, the latter had likely been even stronger than him!

For such a formidable expert to be born out of a land with such scarce spiritual energy... this was truly hard to believe!

"You aren't going anywhere!" the deity uttered as he tore the space around Vicious' hands to bind them in place.

Tzla!

Vicious' upper body had been completely collected, but he was still lacking his thighs and feet. As such, his strength was capped at Blood Reincarnation realm pinnacle, a long way away from matching the deity.

"Flaws!"

Seeing that the deity had finally made a proper move under Vicious' offense, Zhang Xuan hurriedly willed the Library of Heaven's Path.

Hula!

There was a slight jolt, but no book materialized.

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

If he could uncover the flaws of the deity, they might still be able to exploit them to pull off a victory. However, if even the Library of Heaven was failing him... how was he supposed to win this fight?

But why would the Library of Heaven's Path fail against him in the first place?

A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind.

Is it because he's not from this world, so the heavens of this world are unable to peer into him?

The deity had come from a higher dimension, which meant that he was not a native of this world. Furthermore, his strength had reached a level where even this world was unable to assimilate him. Could this be the reason for the Library of Heaven's Path being unable to compile a book on him?

"Retreat!"

Without the aid of the Library of Heaven's Path, their chances of victory were nearly null. There was a fine line between bravery and foolhardiness.

As such, Zhang Xuan flicked his spear forward with all his might before leaping back.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's command, Sovereign Chen Yong and the others unhesitatingly launched their most powerful attacks before retreating as well.

Boom!

It was as if a marvelous firework had blossomed in the sky. A violent shockwave ravaged everything within a radius of several hundred meters, leaving no one daring to approach. Making use of this time that they had bought, Zhang Xuan immediately attempted to open a dimension rift with the Dragonbone Divine Spear to flee with the crowd, only to find that the space was as resilient as steel.

It seemed that the deity had seen through his intentions as well, so he had sealed the space within several hundred li.

"How could I possibly allow the lot of you to flee right before my eyes?"

With a light smile on his face, the deity slowly walked toward the group. Every single step that he took seemed to send trepidations reverberating in their souls.

This was simply an inhuman opponent. No matter how they searched, there seemed to be no openings that they could exploit.

Seeing the terror reflected in the eyes of those standing before him, the deity chuckled softly. "Hand the skeleton of that Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator to me, and I'll consider letting you all live!"

"Master, you mustn't let them go!" Sovereign Chen Ling cried out in alarm upon hearing those words.

"Audacious! Who do you think you are to interfere in my decisions?"

The deity shot a sharp glance backward, and Sovereign Chen Ling's figure suddenly flew backward as if a hammer had struck him.

Flinging his sleeves coldly, the deity harrumphed before turning his gaze back to Zhang Xuan. "What do you say?"

He could tell that the person who had the most say in the group was the one who had the weakest cultivation of them all. Clearly, the skeleton also heeded his command.

"You want Vicious?" Zhang Xuan looked at the deity for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You're dreaming!"

Putting everything aside, Vicious had been following him for a long time, and he had saved him on numerous occasions. To give Vicious away to another person just like that... impossible!

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, the deity shook his head in disappointment, as if lamenting the foolishness of a mortal. "Since that's the case, I guess I have no other choice..."

He raised his hand and thrust it toward Zhang Xuan.

In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if the universe was collapsing on him. It was a force far beyond him, and he felt like a speck of dust in its face.

The force seemed to be squeezing his mind and soul out of his body, swiftly plunging him right toward the gates of the netherworld.

"This is it. I can only pray that this works somehow. Let's see who'll have the last laugh!"

Knowing that there was no longer any reason for him to hold back, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth as he willed the Library of Heaven's Path.

Hu!

A book flew out from his glabella and expanded swiftly. In the blink of an eye, it was already several dozen zhang 1 in length and width.

This was his last golden page!

He had been storing it in his Library of Heaven's Path all along, but given how desperate the current situation was, this was the only card that he had remaining.

"What is this?" the deity scoffed.

Not expecting the person whom he was killing to actually resort to attacking him with a book as his final measure, the deity nearly choked on his own laughter. "Do you really think that this worthless book will be able to hurt me? I have never seen such naivety in my entire..."

Kacha!

Before the deity could finish his words, everything around him suddenly turned dark as the book swiftly fell on him.

Splat!

Crushed into the floor, the deity breathed his last breath.

"..."

Utter silence filled the area for a very long time to come.

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Chapter 1840: Sovereign Chen Yong's Pride

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Sovereign Chen Ling's eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. This was utter madness to him!

He had paid a heavy price in order to conduct the ritual to summon the deity, and he had thought that he could unite the Spirit Tribe through the power of the deity and destroy all the voices of opposition. Who could have known that his wildest ambitions were actually quashed by a single book?

He rubbed his eyes again and again, fervently wishing that he was simply seeing things.

A Dimension Shatterer realm against a mere book... How could it have possibly ended in the victory of the book?

As this thought surfaced in his mind, blood spurted out from his mouth once more.

The heck! What in the world is this?

Aren't you supposed to be a being that towers over others, such that everyone in this world is no different from an ant to you?

Aren't you supposed to be a being who governs the life and death of others?

To actually die from being squashed by a book...

Still unable to believe the situation, Sovereign Chen Ling rushed forward to inspect the deity's body, only to see that the latter's head had been cracked open, and his spirit, mind, and soul had already departed from the world. The deity could not have been any more dead than he already was.

Before he knew it, Sovereign Chen Ling's eyes began to blur. Tears had begun flowing down his cheeks.

How could he have been so unlucky?

The dragon blood that he had refined with great difficulty had been stolen, the energy that he had paid a heavy price for in order to heal his injuries had been snatched right before his eyes, and even his trump card had ended up being slaughtered in the blink of an eye.

Nothing had gone well for him ever since he met that b*stard Zhang Xuan!

It was fortunate that the deity had never thought that he would die, so he did not make it in time to crush his soul. Otherwise, he would have departed from the world together with the other party.

Sovereign Chen Yong, Ancient Sage Allfire, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the others looked at one another quietly. They blinked blankly as their minds struggled to rationalize what they had just witnessed.

They had thought that they were really doomed, but who would have thought that there would be such a plot twist at the critical moment?

He had actually brought out a book and squashed the deity as if he was getting rid of a mere cockroach...

That was insane!

At the same time, the two Ancient Sages who had just defected to the deity's side looked utterly despaired. At that moment, they really wanted to bang their heads against a wall and die.

If they had persisted a little longer and chosen to follow Sovereign Chen Yong, they would have risen above the ranks as meritorious subjects who had quelled a coup d'état. However, with their earlier betrayal, such hopes were no longer possible. They had already offended Sovereign Chen Yong through and through. It would not be long before they found themselves without a place among the Spirit Tribe.

The deity was supposed to be an invincible being, yet why was he so unreliable?

The crowd were not the only ones who were flabbergasted by such a turn of events. Zhang Xuan was equally dumbfounded.

To be honest, bringing out the golden page had truly been his last resort. He had thought that the golden page would only be able to block the deity for a brief moment. Who would have thought that it actually wielded the power to smash him to death!

Had he known that the golden page was able to work its wonders even against a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he would have long brought it out and spared himself from much suffering!

It wasn't too long ago that the golden page met some hindrance while trying to get rid of an Ancient Sage 1-dan Otherworldly Demon at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild. Yet, it actually managed to get rid of the deity so easily... Is this one of the effects of the recent upgrade of the Library of Heaven's Path?

Given how the golden page had met with some difficulty trying to kill a Blood Continuance realm Ancient Sage, he had thought that it would not work against the deity. However, everything had proceeded much more smoothly than he had expected. From the looks of it, this probably had something to do with the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn, which had been recently assimilated into the Library of Heaven's Path.

In other words, even though the Library of Heaven's Path was unable to see through the deity, the might of the golden page far exceeded that of the deity!

"Sovereign Chen Yong, I'll leave this fellow to you!"

With the death of the deity, Sovereign Chen Ling no longer posed a threat. Thus, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and walked over to the deceased deity.

If he could forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of the body of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he would be pretty much invincible in this world!

More importantly, it could serve as an important tool for him to ascend to a higher dimension, thus allowing him to find Luo Ruoxin.

As for the conflict between Sovereign Chen Yong and Sovereign Chen Ling... he had already helped Sovereign Chen Yong this far, so he felt that he should leave the rest to the latter.

He felt that this was what Sovereign Chen Yong wanted.

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had chosen to give him the freedom to deal with Sovereign Chen Ling, Sovereign Chen Yong nodded in gratitude. Following which, he turned a cold gaze to Sovereign Chen Ling and uttered, "Sovereign Chen Ling, I have never treated you poorly. Yet, you colluded with the humans and betrayed me. I believe that there's no need for me to explain the outcome that awaits you, right?"

Sovereign Chen Ling looked around him and saw that Mo Ling, Allfire, and the other Ancient Sages had sealed the surrounding space. Knowing that there was no way that he would be able to escape, he exhaled deeply and said, "The winner takes it all. I have nothing to say now that I have lost!"

If he had won, the world would have been his. Since things had failed to go his way... the worst that could happen was death anyway.

Back then, when he made the decision to turn against Sovereign Chen Yong in the hope of becoming the next leader of the Spirit Tribe, he had known that such an outcome was possible. However, he had thought that there was no way that he could have accepted a loss, so he had gone to the extent of resolving himself to offer his soul up to a deity in order to ensure that he would be the last one standing.

Yet, as he faced his defeat, he found himself feeling calmer than ever. Perhaps, it was the realization that everything was really over that finally tamed his ambitious mind.

"I know why you chose to turn against me." Hearing Sovereign Chen Ling's response, Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head. "Ever since the ancient times, the Three Sovereigns have always been headed by the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. However, ever since my grandfather's era, the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling has been in decline...

"Your birth was viewed as the turning point of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. Your exceptional talents caused your clan members to pin all of their hopes on you, and you wanted to meet their expectations. You set your mind to bringing the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling back to its former glory, and you persevered toward that goal... but unfortunately, you met me.

"You knew that you would have to overcome me for the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling to rise to the top once more, so you pushed yourself to your limits. However, you never succeeded. That's why you had no choice but to resort to this. You thought that as long as I was out of the way, you'd be able to rise to the top and make the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling the true leaders of the Spirit Tribe once more. However, this turned out to be the worst move that you have ever made."

Sovereign Chen Ling sighed deeply in lamentation.

Ever since ancient times, the entire Spirit Tribe had always been centered around the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling. This was also why the lineage had been bestowed with the honor of carrying the ' Ling 1 ' character in its name. However, the sudden appearance of Kong shi in mankind and Vicious in the Spirit Tribe had changed everything. The great war that had happened caused authority to be eventually amassed in the hands of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Yong.

As the ones who had been leading the Spirit Tribe for countless years, there was no way that the lineage of Sovereign Chen Ling could accept such an outcome. Resentment had swiftly built up over the years, eventually resulting in such a series of events.

In a sense, this situation could be said to have been an inevitability. It had only been a matter of before everything blew up.

"You can pin any crime on me you want to. I'll be a dead man by then anyway, so what care do I have for the words of others?" Sovereign Chen Ling waved his hand calmly.

"Pin any crime on you?" Sovereign Chen Yong laughed. "You are really underestimating me. I won't do something as petty as that. Not only so, I'll give you one more chance so as to show you that the difference between us has never been something that you could surmount!"

"You'll give me one more chance?" Sovereign Chen Ling scoffed in disdain.

"It's simple. I'll challenge you to a fair duel without allowing anyone else here to interfere. If you can defeat me, you'll be allowed to leave here alive. On the other hand, if you lose, you shall meet your end here!" Sovereign Chen Yong replied.

Since the reason that the other party had chosen to betray him was due to his inability to surpass him, he would drive in the fact that the gap between them was something that the other party would never be able to bridge!

"Are you certain about this?" Sovereign Chen Ling raised his head as he assessed Sovereign Chen Yong with narrowed eyes.

He had already resigned himself to his death, but who could have known that this fellow would be so foolish as to challenge him to a fair duel?

Had it been in the past, there was no way that he could have been a match for Sovereign Chen Yong. However, with the severe injuries that Sovereign Chen Yong had sustained, the one who held the advantage in the battle was indubitably him!

"Have I ever reneged on my words before?" Sovereign Chen Yong replied impassively.

"Sovereign Chen Yong..." Hearing Sovereign Chen Yong's decision, Ancient Sage Hao Xun was stunned.

It would be so much easier to simply slay this kind of scoundrel once and for all. Why would he bother giving the other party an opportunity to make a comeback?

Was this not simply asking for trouble?

"Let him be!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

He could somewhat relate to Sovereign Chen Yong's feelings.

Sovereign Chen Yong was not fond of pointless bloodshed, but one would have to be really naive to think that he was a compassionate man. He was unforgiving toward his enemies, and even more so toward those who dared to betray him. The wounds that his body had incurred could not begin to compare to the pain in his heart!

What he desired was not just Sovereign Chen Ling's death. He wanted to crush the latter's soul entirely and show him despair!

This was his pride as the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe!

"We understand!" Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Hao Xun nodded before taking a step back.

They knew of Sovereign Chen Yong's feelings, but watching as it unfolded before their eyes left them feeling a little melancholic.

In the days that they had spent with Sovereign Chen Yong, they had come to realize just how severe his wounds were. It was really no easy feat for him to have survived up to this point. Another battle at that moment would really spell his end!

Despite knowing that certain death awaited him regardless of victory or defeat, he still stepped forward to fight the battle, all just to uphold the pride in his heart.

Perhaps it was this very trait of his that allowed him to rise as the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe and unite his tribesmen.

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Chapter 1841: Succession

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Boom boom boom!

As the final duel between the two Sovereigns began, countless lacerations appeared in the sky. Amid the massive outpour of energy, one could vaguely see some hints of crimson blood dripping to the ground.

The crowd watched with heavy hearts as Sovereign Chen Yong's face turned paler and paler by the moment as he pushed his tattered body beyond the limits.

He had yet to recover from the grievous wounds that he had sustained from the encirclement of countless experts back at the Temple of Confucius when he faced many more battles, and it had only been a moment ago when he was struck squarely by the deity. It was no exaggeration to say that he was already dried up on the inside.

It was really on sheer willpower that he was still standing.

"Sigh..." Zhang Xuan shook his head as he averted his gaze, unwilling to watch the duel any longer.

Despite the close fight between the two experts, he was certain that Sovereign Chen Yong would emerge victorious and slay Sovereign Chen Ling with his own hands.

A fight to the death between two equal experts eventually boiled down to a clash of willpower, and Sovereign Chen Yong's willpower was definitely greater.

At that moment, Zhang Xuan felt deeply conflicted inside. During his time with Sovereign Chen Yong, he had come to respect the latter as a person. Despite the grudges between mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there was no question that Sovereign Chen Yong was an amazing figure. To be honest, he could not bear to see Sovereign Chen Yong meeting his end.

However, to mankind, Sovereign Chen Yong's demise was probably the best outcome for them. Otherwise, as long as this lynchpin holding the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe survived, mankind would always remain in a perilous position.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the corpse on the ground.

Just like Vicious' body, the corpse of the deity was astoundingly resilient, making it nigh impossible to leave any damage on it. Even though life had already receded from it, it continued to emanate a fearsome aura that kept ordinary humans away from it.

Even Zhang Xuan, who wielded powers equivalent to a Blood Reincarnation realm expert, still felt deeply pressured just by coming close to the corpse.

After swiftly scanning the deity's body, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment.

He had thought that there would be a lot of good items on the deity given that he had come from a higher dimension, but who could have known that the latter would have nothing on him at all?

In fact, there was not even a storage ring to be seen at all.

It's probably because bringing one's possessions across dimensions is either impossible or extremely costly, Zhang Xuan thought as he threw the corpse into his storage ring with a wave of his hand.

While it was regrettable that there were no other treasures to be harvested, the body itself could already be considered as a precious treasure. If he could refine it into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, he would be literally unmatched on the Master Teacher Continent!

Boom boom!

Shortly after Zhang Xuan had finished inspected the deity's body, the battle between the two Sovereigns was also coming to an end. Just as Zhang Xuan had thought, even though Sovereign Chen Ling had recovered significantly from his injuries, he was still no match for the severely wounded Sovereign Chen Yong.

Puhe!

With the flash of a saber, Sovereign Chen Ling's head was lopped in the air. Even as it fell to the ground, one could see disbelief in his eyes.

"H-how could this... be? You are... stronger..."

Those were Sovereign Chen Ling's final words before his eyes slowly closed.

In his final moments, he felt as if everything that he had pursued had been nothing but a distant dream. No matter how much he fought and struggled, even till the very end, he had been unable to surpass the towering figure of Sovereign Chen Yong, not even once.

Putong!

Sovereign Chen Ling's body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Seeing that the Young Master was eyeing Sovereign Chen Ling's corpse with glowing eyes, Sovereign Chen Yong hurriedly moved his wearied body over and said, "Young Master, even though Sovereign Chen Ling has done many misdeeds in his life, he's still one of the Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe. I wish to bury him in the royal mausoleum."

Despite Sovereign Chen Ling's betrayal, he had still been one of the Sovereigns of the Spirit Tribe. In accordance to the traditions of the Spirit Tribe, he had to be buried in the royal mausoleum.

If he allowed Zhang Xuan to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of Sovereign Chen Ling's corpse, the dignity of the Spirit Tribe would be completely shattered.

"I guess it can't be helped!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his head away regretfully.

"Thank you, Young Master!" Sovereign Chen Yong heaved a sigh of relief before sitting weakly on the ground.

As soon as he sat down, he felt every last bit of energy receding from his body, as if water flowing out of a leaking sack. His cultivation rapidly fell, and it seemed as if he was ageing swiftly.

"Yang Liu, come here..." Sovereign Chen Yong beckoned weakly to the successor that he had chosen.

"Your Majesty..." Liu Yang walked up with reddened eyes.

He had not spent much time with Sovereign Chen Yong, but the latter had always treated him earnestly. He was indebted to the latter.

"My end is coming. You are the only successor of the lineage of Sovereign Chen Yong, and I have imparted my complete heritage to you. I shall bestow upon you one final gift!"

As he said those words, he lifted his palm and grasped at Liu Yang.

Hula!

Liu Yang immediately felt the surrounding space freezing on him, leaving him unable to move at all.

As if knowing what Sovereign Chen Yong was going to do, Liu Yang exclaimed in panic, "Your Majesty!"

After trapping Liu Yang in place, Sovereign Chen Yong turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Young Master, may I borrow your Aeon of Ancient Sage?"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out the Canvas of Four Seasons and tossed it over.

Sovereign Chen Yong slowly unrolled the painting and drew out a surge of energy from within. After which, he inched forward a little and placed his palm on Liu Yang's forehead.

Hong long!

All of the energy within his body began pouring into the body of the immobilized young man.

"It's Cultivation Impartation! He knows that his end is coming, and he doesn't wish for the cultivation that he has built up over the span of his life to disappear into nothing, Thus, he wishes to impart everything to his successor!" Ancient Sage Allfire exclaimed.

Cultivation Impartation was the process in which an expert passed on their cultivation to someone else. As convenient as it sounded, the process was extremely complicated and came with major risks.

Firstly, the two people involved in the Cultivation Impartation had to be from the same lineage in order to ensure that there was no clash in their energies. Secondly, the person conducting the Cultivation Impartation had to carry the resolve to die, or else a half-assed attempt would only bring irreversible damage to both parties. Thirdly, the control of energy had to be extremely precise as the slightest degree of error could result in severe consequences.

The cultivation technique that Liu Yang practiced was a simplified version of the Heaven's Path Divine Art. Even though he was unable to change the nature of his energy as freely as Zhang Xuan, he was indeed able to imitate the zhenqi of Sovereign Chen Yong's lineage very closely. This was also the main reason for Sovereign Chen Yong choosing him as his successor in the first place.

If not for that, Sovereign Chen Yong would never have dared conduct a Cultivation Impartation with Liu Yang.

Boom!

Under the humongous influx of energy, Liu Yang's Sempiternal realm consummation cultivation began to loosen. As the Aeon of Ancient Sage flowed into his body, the bottleneck that limited him burst open.

Boom!

Ancient Sage, reached!

Knowing that the Ancient Sage Ordeal would arrive at any moment, Sovereign Chen Yong did not dare waste any time. He continued infusing more and more energy frenziedly into Liu Yang's body, causing the latter's cultivation to soar.

With his cultivation reaching Ancient Sage, Liu Yang's meridians had become significantly wider, allowing him to absorb energy at a faster rate.

Roughly ten minutes later, Sovereign Chen Yong was finally done imparting every last droplet of his energy into Liu Yang's body, leaving him completely dry inside.

Kacha!

At that moment, the lightning tribulation arrived.

Liu Yang swiftly rose into the air to fend off the lightning tribulation.

The process lasted nearly an hour before Liu Yang descended from the sky. Even though he looked a bit ragged, he had managed to overcome his cultivation ordeal without much trouble, thus becoming a full-fledged Ancient Sage.

"I have given you all my power. Slowly assimilate it, and you should be able to easily achieve a breakthrough to the Blood Reincarnation realm within a single month..."

After losing all of his energy, Sovereign Chen Yong looked as if he had aged several decades. His previous regal appearance had been reduced to that of a frail old man who would have trouble lifting even a single hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Yang kneeled on the floor and kowtowed deeply.

Even though the other party was an Otherworldly Demon, at that very moment, he felt as if tears would pour from his eyes.

While it was probably impossible for Sovereign Chen Yong to recover, with his teacher's miraculous medical skills, it should not be too difficult for the other party to live at least a few more years. However, Sovereign Chen Yong's very act of infusing the very last droplet of his energy into him meant that such a hope was dashed as well. Most likely, he would not even survive the day.

"I'll be leaving the Spirit Tribe in your hands... Please, take care of it well in my stead!" Sovereign Chen Yong smiled softly. "From today onward, you will take my place as Sovereign Chen Yong!"

As he said those words, he lifted his wrinkled hand and placed it atop Liu Yang's head. A crown materialized under his touch, emanating a might that none would dare disregard.

This was the symbol of authority for the highest leader of the Spirit Tribe.

Sovereign Chen Yong was not a name but a title. Anyone who inherited the crown would be respected as the great Sovereign Chen Yong.

"I..." Liu Yang's body trembled in agitation.

There were so many things that he wanted to say, but it felt as if something was clogging up his throat, rendering him mute.

"I made up my mind from the moment I challenged Sovereign Chen Ling to a duel..." Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head.

But halfway through his words, a gale of wind suddenly sounded from afar. A figure was flitting swiftly in their direction.

"Sovereign Chen Xing?"

Upon recognizing the figure, a deep frown appeared on everyone's face as their body tensed up warily.

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Chapter 1842: Sovereign Chen Xing

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Sovereign Chen Xing had always taken a neutral position, choosing to side with no one. However, this time, he had paired up with Sovereign Chen Ling in order to assassinate Sovereign Chen Yong. This had already infringed on Sovereign Chen Yong's bottom line.

His original intention had been to deal with Sovereign Chen Ling first before confronting Sovereign Chen Xing, but the abrupt turn of events had made it impossible for his initial plans to come to fruition. Yet, who would have thought that Sovereign Chen Xing would suddenly arrive just when everything was starting to settle down?

Just as everyone was eyeing Sovereign Chen Xing warily, fearing that he would start something, Sovereign Chen Xing suddenly kneeled onto the floor and cried out, "I have come to make up for my sins, Sovereign Chen Yong. This is the lower body of Sovereign Vicious. I gathered it as an apology for my earlier foolishness!"

With a flick of his wrist, two skeletal legs materialized in front of Sovereign Chen Xing. They emanated incredibly powerful auras.

They were the two feet of Vicious.

To think that they had actually been in Sovereign Chen Xing's possession all along!

"Defecting as soon as you see that things aren't going your way? How convenient!" Ancient Sage Allfire scoffed derisively.

He had always had a fiery temper, and he could not stand seeing prideless individuals who switched sides conveniently to latch onto whoever was more powerful.

Despite Ancient Sage Allfire's ridicule, Sovereign Chen Xing's head remained firmly lowered as he echoed his words once more. "I'm willing to accept any punishment that you have for me, Sovereign Chen Yong!"

Given that he was still severely injured from the surprise assault that Sovereign Chen Yong had launched on him back at the Temple of Confucius, the loss of his ally, Sovereign Chen Ling, was a huge blow to him.

Furthermore, he knew that he was the next target on the hit list. Even if Sovereign Chen Yong died at that moment, his successor and allies would make sure to hunt him down to exact vengeance.

"Even with the huge commotion going on in the capital, you remained safely out of sight. You were waiting for the result of the battle in order to find out who you should be sucking up to next, weren't you?" Zhang Xuan remarked with a hint of disdain in his voice.

The fight that had transpired earlier had rattled the entire capital. As one of the three Sovereigns, there was no way that Sovereign Chen Xing would have been unaware of the happenings.

Yet, he had chosen not to appear until the very end, when Sovereign Chen Ling was dead through and through. Very clearly, he had only ever intended to appear once everything had died down.

If Sovereign Chen Ling had been the one to survive, most likely, he would have run over with the exact same treasure in order to beg for mercy.

"I have always been the weakest of the Three Sovereigns. This is the only way that I can ensure the survival of my lineage!" Sovereign Chen Xing replied with his head lowered.

Sovereign Chen Yong shook his head silently. He turned to Liu Yang and asked, "How do you think he should be dealt with?"

Such a question could be said to be a test to assess the capability of his successor.

"He colluded with Sovereign Chen Ling to assassinate you, Your Majesty. That is a blatant violation of the rules that have upheld the peace among our Spirit Tribe for many years. Even if you are willing to forgive him, Your Majesty, the fact that he has placed the safety of our entire tribe at stake warrants punishment. We cannot allow such a thing to pass by so easily!" Liu Yang shook his head. "Otherwise, this incident will diminish the legitimacy of our rules and encourage others to follow his behavior. My view is that we should have him killed, just like Sovereign Chen Ling!"

Rules were mere words. What gave power and legitimacy to the rules was their enforcement.

Each time a rule failed to be enforced, the legitimacy behind it would be diminished. Without rules to hold the masses in place, how were the Sovereigns going to establish their dominance over the entire Spirit Tribe?

Some might even attempt to question the legitimacy of the Three Sovereigns' rule!

Not expecting that things would turn out this way even after he had offered Vicious' lower body, Sovereign Chen Xing's face paled in fear. "Sovereign Chen Yong, I beg you to spare my life... I was beguiled by Sovereign Chen Ling..."

"As a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator and one of the Three Sovereigns, do you truly expect me to believe that you were beguiled by another?" Liu Yang spat contemptuously. "Do you think that the world will accept such a reason?"

As one of the Three Sovereigns, how could Sovereign Chen Xing be shaken by another person so easily?

If that was truly the case, the many years that he had spent cultivating would have been in vain!

Ultimately, all he gave were mere excuses.

The situation was very simple. Sovereign Chen Ling had invited him to make a move, and he had been attracted by the potential benefits that he stood to gain should the operation succeed. After all, if Sovereign Chen Yong die, he would be able to acquire a portion of the authority and resources that Sovereign Chen Yong possessed.

It was just that he had bet on the wrong side and lost, thus resulting in the current circumstances.

"I'll abide by the will of the new Sovereign Chen Yong," Sovereign Chen Yong said as he heaved a sigh of relief. He was gladdened by the fact that his successor was not an indecisive individual.

All along, he had been worried about the repercussions of quelling Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, so he had opted to get along with them peacefully, despite being vaguely aware of the malicious intentions that they were likely to harbor toward him. Had he been more decisive in dealing with Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing, none of this would have happened in the first place.

Knowing that his successor was unlikely to follow in his footsteps comforted him greatly.

Liu Yang nodded and turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire. "May I trouble the two of you to make a move in my stead? I'll repay this favor in the future!"

Boom!

Seeing that the verdict had been made, Sovereign Chen Xing decisively turned tail and ran.

Before he could get very far, a massive inferno descended from the sky, blocking his path, and right behind him, Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were hot on his tail.

It took less than ten minutes for the two experts to slay Sovereign Chen Xing.

In the first place, Sovereign Chen Xing was the weakest of the Three Sovereigns, and he had yet to recover from the injuries that he had sustained at the Temple of Confucius. There was no way that he could have stood a chance against the collaboration of the two powerful Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sages.

"Young Master..." Seeing that the problem concerning Sovereign Chen Xing had finally been resolved, Sovereign Chen Yong finally turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. "I'll have Yang Liu lead the tribesmen toward a peaceful coexistence with mankind. I implore you to show mercy to my tribesmen..."

In truth, what he was most worried about was not the other two Sovereigns but Zhang Xuan.

Given the rate at which Zhang Xuan was growing, he was bound to become another Kong shi in due course. By then, the Spirit Tribe would be completely helpless toward him.

If he willed it, the Spirit Tribe could disappear from history.

Perhaps, Zhang Xuan might still spare the Spirit Tribe while Sovereign Chen Yong was still alive in view of the ties between them. However, once he was gone, there would be nothing left to stop Zhang Xuan from making a move on the Spirit Tribe.

Furthermore, the successor that he had chosen was simply too weak. If Zhang Xuan bore malicious intentions toward him, it would really be the end.

Thus, as long as Zhang Xuan was around, the Spirit Tribe would have to lie low.

The fact that the fate of the entire Spirit Tribe could be dictated by the will of a single man left Sovereign Chen Yong feeling deeply helpless and indignant, but it was impossible to change the situation. No matter how he felt about the issue, he knew that he had no choice but to accept the current situation.

"Rest assured, I don't intend to make a move on the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as long as your tribesmen keep themselves in line," Zhang Xuan said.

To be honest, Zhang Xuan had already achieved his goal of resolving the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once and for all.

Due to his impartation, Little Tribulation had become a frightening adversity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It could be foreseen that the number of Saint 9-dan experts in their ranks would become fewer and fewer, and before long, they would no longer pose a threat to mankind.

Not to mention, the newly-appointed Sovereign Chen Yong was his own student! With this, he would be able to dictate the politics of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and swiftly quell any factions who wished to bring harm to mankind.

Since the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was no longer a threat, there was no need to go to the extremes. Instead, their existence would prevent mankind from becoming too complacent and falling into depravity, thus ensuring the continued prosperity of mankind.

"Thank you, Young Master!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan would hold true to his promise, Sovereign Chen Yong heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly turned to his successor and said, "Hurry up and thank the young master for his benevolence!"

Liu Yang quickly kneeled down. "Thank you, Zhang shi!"

"Enough. There's no need to employ such means on me—I won't renege on the promises that I've made. Now, tell me, how can I contact Ruoxin?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Since the matter regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had finally been resolved, it was time for him to deal with his private affairs.

"If you wish to contact the Spirit God, you have to set up an altar on Thousandleaf Mountain," Sovereign Chen Yong explained.

"Thousandleaf Mountain?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had heard of that mountain the first time that he went to the otherworldly battlefield. It was the tallest mountain over there, piercing tens of thousands of meters into the sky.

"Indeed. This mountain is closest to the heavens, so it's easier to reach the deities by holding rituals there," Sovereign Chen Yong explained. "Yang Liu, I've already imparted the way to conduct the ritual to you. Take the young master there with me. I'll preside over the ritual."

"Alright!" Liu Yang nodded. He turned to the side to issue some instructions to a nearby Sempiternal realm cultivator before picking Sovereign Chen Yong up. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and ushered him respectfully. "This way please!"

"Un!"

Just like that, the group began setting off under Liu Yang's lead.

Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire hesitated for a brief moment before choosing to follow along.

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Chapter 1843: Meeting the Spirit God Once More?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Thousandleaf Mountain consisted of sharp cliffs that rose into the sky, reminiscent of spears planted into the ground.

"It's rumored that Kong shi once fought with a deity in this mountain range, and this was caused by the other party throwing a weapon down," Ancient Sage Mo Ling remarked as they flew through the mountain range.

Zhang Xuan also could not help but be bewildered by the bizarre geography in the area.

It did not take long for the group to arrive at the highest mountain peak. There was a flat plateau of roughly thirty mu 1 large at the peak, and at the very center, there was a circular stone platform with a diameter of three meters. From afar, it looked like a natural altar.

"Is this the place where one can establish communication with the heavens?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Sovereign Chen Yong nodded weakly.

"Do we require any artifacts or the sort to initiate the ritual? I'll make preparations right now," Zhang Xuan said.

Sovereign Chen Ling's altar was surrounded by innumerable precious herbs, ores, and all kinds of rare materials. On top of those, he had even needed to tribute the blood of over a hundred thousand cultivators before he had been able to break open the dimension barrier to summon a deity from a higher dimension. It was unlikely that it would be any easier for him to establish a connection with Luo Ruoxin.

"There's no need for that. The materials required for the ritual have already been prepared," Sovereign Chen Yong said as he turned his gaze to Liu Yang.

Nodding in response to Sovereign Chen Yong's gesture, Liu Yang walked up to the stone altar and waited patiently. Soon, the Sempiternal realm cultivator whom he had instructed prior to setting off there arrived with a storage ring in hand.

Liu Yang took the storage ring and flicked his wrist. A huge bunch of golden flags materialized in the air, and they swiftly took their position around the stone altar.

"Let's begin the ritual." Liu Yang turned around.

The Sempiternal realm cultivator nodded before taking his leave.

This time, the group waited roughly two hours before Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. He hurriedly raised his head, only to see numerous pillars of lights rising from all around. The pillars of light seemed to be drawn to the altar as they swiftly surged over.

"They're coming from the Eight Genesis Temples. Tens of thousands of individuals are praying to the heavens simultaneously, their power of faith converging together to form a formidable force," Ancient Sage Mo Ling remarked in wonder.

"Genesis Temple?"

"Those are the temples that the Otherworldly Demons use to pay respects to their ancestors. Whenever a ritual is conducted, there must be a priest to preside over the ritual to gather the faith of the tens of thousands of Otherworldly Demons together and complete the ritual," Ancient Sage Mo Ling explained. "Only Sovereign Chen Yong has the power to rally tens of thousands of Otherworldly Demons to pray at the Eight Genesis Temples simultaneously. Even the other two Sovereigns would have trouble pulling off something of this scale."

Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

Sovereign Chen Yong had once told him that they had to kill Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing and regain the support of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe before he could help him complete the ritual. From the looks of it, that was indeed the case.

A ritual of such scale was not something that could be completed without the support of the masses.

It was likely that Liu Yang had instructed the Sempiternal realm cultivator to make arrangements for this matter earlier.

As the eight rays of light converged on the formation flags, the stone altar was swiftly coated with a warm color. As if a mirror, after gathering the many rays of light, they were redirected right into the sky.

"It's finally my turn," Sovereign Chen Yong mumbled with a slight smile as he staggered over to the center of the altar, where he sat down cross-legged.

Seeing this, Liu Yang's eyes reddened. He lowered his head as he clenched his trembling hands tightly together.

"I, Wu Chen, am willing to offer my life as an offering to the heavens to ask for an audience with the Spirit God..."

Boom!

As his voice sounded, a ball of fire seemed to blossom within Sovereign Chen Yong's body. It burned furiously, swallowing Sovereign Chen Yong in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

He had thought that the ritual would only require the offering of treasures and the like. He did not know that it would require Sovereign Chen Yong to sacrifice his life.

Even if Sovereign Chen Yong would not survive the night, he was not willing to see the other party sacrifice himself for his sake.

Zhang Xuan quickly rushed forward and shrouded Sovereign Chen Yong with his Heavens' Path zhenqi, bellowing, "Stop the ritual!"

There was no doubt that he wished to see Luo Ruoxin, but he did not feel that it was right for blood to be shed in order to fulfill their relationship.

Refusing to take in the Heaven's Path zhenqi that Zhang Xuan was attempting to infuse into him, Sovereign Chen Yong replied with a smile, "I don't have much time ahead of me anyway. It's my wish to be able to do something for you, Young Master!"

There was such a kind look on his aged face that it almost seemed as if he was standing not amid flames but a warm spring.

It was not difficult for a cultivator to end their life. All it took was a single thought, and the entire process would be devoid of pain and suffering. In contrast, dying from flames was rumored to be the most painful way to die. One's flesh would melt, and one's blood would boil under the intense heat, but the sheer pain that one was inflicted with would constantly keep one from losing consciousness. Furthermore, death would not come swiftly to the victim to relieve them of their suffering. It was almost similar to death by a thousand cuts.

Feeling a crushing pressure in his heart, Zhang Xuan waved his hand in agitation. "I'll find my own way to meet Ruoxin, so there's no need for this anymore!"

Since the other party was unwilling to agree to it, he would just have to destroy the stone altar and the formation flags to forcefully halt the ritual!

He did not want others to sacrifice themselves for his sake, and he did not want to live with such a heavy weight inside of him.

However, before he could ruin the stone altar and the flags, a powerful aura suddenly descended from the sky and cloaked Sovereign Chen Yong.

Cloaked by the aura, the flames burning around Sovereign Chen Yong slowly began to extinguish, and shockingly, a hint of vitality began sprouting in his languishing soul and body!

Hong long!

It was as if an enormous gate had opened up in the world. A towering silhouette appeared right above the altar, emanating an air of inviolable authority.

"Ruoxin?" Zhang Xuan quickly raised his gaze, only to stagger a little from seeing a foreign face. "Who are you?"

The Spirit God who had been summoned by the altar was not Luo Ruoxin but another individual!

Be it the disposition that the other party commanded or the gaze that the other party looked at him with, he was certain that he had never seen the other party before.

"The Spirit God has already returned to where she belongs. I am just her subordinate," the towering silhouette in the sky replied. Lowering her gaze upon Zhang Xuan, she remarked, "You must be Zhang Xuan."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

Without waiting for Zhang Xuan's response, the towering silhouette in the sky impassively said, "Prior to her departure, the Spirit God requested that I offer you any help that you require... I was reluctant, but I eventually accepted her request. Nevertheless, I still want to offer you a word of advice. The Spirit God is an esteemed individual far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals like you. You're better off dispelling whatever thoughts you have toward her, or else you will only be hurting yourself and her!"

Hong long!

Those words carried immense pressure with them. Even though Zhang Xuan wielded strength comparable to a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator, he still felt completely powerless in the other party's presence, almost as if his body was instinctively deferential to the other party.

The person who had been summoned was only manifesting in this world in the form of an avatar, but she was already much stronger than the deity that Sovereign Chen Ling had summoned!

"There's no need for you to involve yourself in our affairs. You just have to tell me who the Spirit God is and where she is at the moment!"

"It seems like you have quite some guts. If you are able to overcome the dimension barrier just like Kong shi, come and find me at the Spirit God Palace, and I'll tell you her whereabouts. Otherwise, don't even dream of it." The towering silhouette harrumphed.

With a flick of her wrist, the silhouette began to fade from the world.

"Hold it for a moment," Zhang Xuan said.

The silhouette lowered her gaze to look at Zhang Xuan once more.

"The Spirit God instructed you to offer me any help that I require, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The silhouette frowned a little, but she eventually nodded in response. "That's right. However, I'll only make a move once, so think it over. Don't waste this precious opportunity."

"I have already made up my mind!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. He pointed at Sovereign Chen Yong and said, "This person over here is Wu Chen, a subordinate serving the Spirit God in this world. He has sustained severe injuries and is on the brink of death. I implore you to save him."

"Young Master..." Hearing those words, Sovereign Chen Yong's eyes reddened a little.

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Chapter 1844: He's My Student

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The extent of Sovereign Chen Yong's injuries was horrifying. Not only were his foundations completely ruined, even his soul had started to dissipate as a result of the overwhelming traumas that he had sustained!

When Sovereign Chen Yong decided to go against the two Sovereigns and exact vengeance, he had never intended to continue living after dealing with them. Who could have thought that his young master would actually grant such a precious opportunity to him?

If he had only acknowledged Zhang Xuan due to his relationship with the Spirit God previously, at that very moment, he had really submitted to the other party at heart.

Even though his young master was unreliable at times, and he would often disregard rules and conventions, he was a person who stood by his principles. No matter how difficult things got, that was one thing that he would never abandon!

Perhaps this was where his true charm lay. It might be why his disciples and tamed beasts willingly devoted their lives to him.

"Teacher..." Liu Yang clenched his fists tightly.

If he had been in his teacher's position, he would never have given away the opportunity bestowed by the deity so easily to save the life of another. It seemed like there was still a huge gap between the two of them.

"It's an honor to have a master like this!" Ancient Sage Allfire also nodded in agitation.

What was most fearsome for a tamed beast was for it to have entrusted their life into the hands of someone who cared not for their wellbeing. But along the way, his master had been shown to be extremely thoughtful and considerate, and he had never forced him to do anything against his will after that either. He would willingly give up his life for such a master!

The same thoughts surfaced in Ancient Sage Mo Ling's mind as well. Everyone who witnessed the scene had some thoughts of their own, and complex emotions rippled in their eyes.

"Young Master, there's no reason to save me. Don't waste such a precious opportunity on me..." Sovereign Chen Yong struggled to shake his head.

He knew how invaluable the favor of a cultivator could be. If Zhang Xuan just asked for power, he might even be able to achieve an immediate breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm! It was a waste to use this precious opportunity on a dying person like him.

"I can decide for myself whether this is worth it or not!" Zhang Xuan said before turning to the silhouette in the sky. "How about it? Since the Spirit God has asked you to help me, surely you won't turn down my request, right?"

"He..." The silhouette lowered her gaze to look at Sovereign Chen Yong before asking with a deep frown, "Are you sure this is your request?"

"I am certain." Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Very well then..."

The silhouette pondered for a brief moment before continuing. "His lifeforce has been severely depleted, such that it's impossible for him to survive in this energy-deficient world anymore. His only chance is for me to take him to the Azure. However, I'll suffer the backlash of the laws of this world if I attempt to breach the dimension barrier and bring someone over... I'll bring his soul over and try to mend it, but there's nothing I can do about his body!"

"That's fine by me." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

As a soul oracle, he knew that the foundation of life lay within the soul. As long as the soul remained existent, it would just take a bit of effort to construct a suitable body for one.

"Alright then."

The silhouette lowered her hand and grasped lightly.

The next moment, Sovereign Chen Yong's head crooked to one side as he breathed his last breath. However, his soul appeared in the grasp of the silhouette before being swiftly sealed by a unique surge of energy.

Boom!

After that was done, the silhouette slowly rose back into the dimension rift as she faded more and more. She was going to breach the dimension barrier and return to her world.

All of a sudden, she stopped for a moment and said, "I finally understand why the Spirit God feels so deeply for you... However, your journey to seek her will be fraught with difficulties. I hope that you can persist regardless of the hardship you face..."

After saying her piece, her silhouette dissipated on the spot, vanishing without a trace together with Sovereign Chen Yong's soul.

"I will..." Looking at the slight traces of light lingering in the area, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

Hu!

The light finally scattered entirely, signaling the end of the ritual.

Zhang Xuan stood quietly on the spot in a melancholic mood.

Even though he had failed to receive exact news regarding Luo Ruoxin, he had come to understand that the journey that he had to walk together with her was fraught with many difficulties... and the very first trial for him was to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm!

Only when he reached that level would he have a chance to ascend to a higher dimension and seek his loved one.

"Master!"

"Guild leader!"

Ancient Sage Allfire and Ancient Sage Mo Ling rushed over and called out.

Zhang Xuan turned around to look at the two of them.

"The Three Sovereigns of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have been eliminated, thus leaving them without a leader at the moment. Even though Yang Liu has been acknowledged as the successor of Sovereign Chen Yong, in terms of experience and cultivation, he's still far lacking at the moment. Why don't we just..." Ancient Sage Mo Ling suggested as killing intent flashed across his eyes.

For many generations, their Soul Oracle Guild had lived among the Otherworldly Demons, enduring hardship and humiliation so that they would be able to eliminate them one day. At that very moment, the opportunity had been delivered to their hands. With their guild leader's capabilities, he should be able to overthrow Yang Liu and easily take his place!

Hearing the words of those two, Zhang Xuan shook his head and chuckled softly before calling out. "Liu Yang!"

Liu Yang immediately rushed up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled on the floor. "Disciple Liu Yang pays respect to Zhang laoshi!"

"Disciple? Zhang laoshi?"

The two Ancient Sages glanced at one another in bewilderment. They could not understand what was going on.

When did Zhang Xuan take in that newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong as his disciple?

"I am Zhang laoshi's direct disciple. I have been under his tutelage since a year ago..." Liu Yang explained with a smile as he drove his cultivation technique back to normal.

Gradually, the killing intent on him vanished, and his height also diminished as well. It did not take him long to return to his original appearance.

"Y-you... You are a human?" Ancient Sage Mo Ling widened his eyes in disbelief.

"That's right!" Liu Yang nodded.

There were no outsiders there, so there was no need for him to hide the truth.

Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire were flabbergasted by this abrupt turn of events.

Sovereign Chen Yong was a wary man, and he had never allowed any spies to get to his side. The lineage of soul oracles had managed to infiltrate the ranks of the other two Sovereigns over the years, but none of them had ever gotten close to Sovereign Chen Yong. Yet, who could have known that the successor whom Sovereign Chen Yong found in his later years would actually be Zhang Xuan's direct disciple?

Did this not mean that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was already effectively under their control?

"Alright, I believe none of you should have any objections anymore. Liu Yang has just been appointed as Sovereign Chen Yong, so there's bound to be many voices opposing his leadership. Thus, I need the two of you to support him for the time being. Quell the voices of all opposing Liu Yang's rule within a month and unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He should be the one and only leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Zhang Xuan instructed firmly.

While Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing had been killed, they still had many subordinates under them. Furthermore, the Lords of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe wielded considerable power in their jurisdiction. Given that Liu Yang had just accepted Sovereign Chen Yong's heritage and had not gained stable footing yet, he would require the support of those two Blood Reincarnation realm experts in order to build his prestige and reputation.

With their assistance, there should be no one in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who would be able to stand against Liu Yang. Soon enough, Liu Yang would become the one and only Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

"Rest assured, we'll surely give our full support to Young Master Liu Yang in uniting the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's go. I need to go into seclusion for a moment. Come and look for me after you have calmed down the rebels and united the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as one!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand.

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Uniting the individual factions of the Three Sovereigns was no easy task, but with their feat of having slain a deity, as well as Sovereign Chen Yong's dying will, they had legitimacy on their side. It should not be too difficult for Liu Yang to garner the support of the general populace.

Watching as the crowd left, Zhang Xuan sat quietly on the spot for quite a while before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest.

Now that he finally had some time on his hand, it would be a good opportunity for him to try refining the corpse of the deity into a Soulless Metal Humanoid.

At the same time, he would give the legs and the feet that he had just obtained from Sovereign Chen Xing to Vicious for him to assimilate. Perhaps, by observing Vicious' recovery, he might be able to figure out a way to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm.

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Chapter 1845: A Month Later

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

With his mind drifting amid the massive corpse, Zhang Xuan's state of mind grew more and more stable. At the same time, his soul was becoming increasingly harmonized with his consciousness.

This was already the twentieth day since he had started refining the deity's corpse.

When he first took the deity's corpse out, putting aside refining it, it had been hard for his soul to even approach it. However, after many days of hard work, his soul was finally able to move freely around the deity's corpse, allowing him to gain full control over it.

"Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators are indeed formidable. There's a fundamental difference in their fundamental constitution from that of other Ancient Sages..."

In his many days of observation, Zhang Xuan had learned that the bulk of a Dimension Shatterer realm expert's prowess originated not from their superior concentration of zhenqi or powerful soul but their formidable physical body. It was due to their physical body that they were able to travel through voids in space without sustaining any damage.

As a cultivator who had practiced the Heaven's Path Golden Body, the resilience of Zhang Xuan's body was comparable to that of Ancient Sage artifacts. However, there was still a huge gap compared to the body of the deity.

During the previous battle, he had been shocked at how the Dragonbone Divine Spear was unable to breach the deity's basic zhenqi defense. However, after studying the deity's corpse, he realized that even if he had breached the deity's basic zhenqi defense, he would not have been able to pierce through the other party's physical body. In other words, there was no way that he would have been able to inflict any damage on the other party.

It was fortunate that he had kept hold of a golden page, which had allowed him to turn the situation around during that crucial moment. Otherwise, things would have ended very differently.

"The meridians of the deity's body actually bear some resemblance to mine..."

Another observation that Zhang Xuan had made was that the meridian network in the deity's body was much more logical than other cultivators in this world. It was actually very similar to the meridians in his body after he had altered them.

Such a meridian network allowed one to drive zhenqi much swifter than usual, which in turn brought about greater fighting prowess for an individual.

...

"The final step... assimilation!"

Another seven days passed. Knowing that the time was ripe, Zhang Xuan began preparing himself for the final step.

Hong long!

Zhang Xuan moved his soul into the corpse's body and destroyed all of the remaining instinctive defensive mechanisms in it one by one.

Hula!

The massive corpse slowly opened its eyes. Zhang Xuan tried to control it a little, and the next moment, he felt boundless strength pouring forth from him.

"Even a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert would die from a single punch from this..." Zhang Xuan could hardly curb his excitement.

He had yet to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, opting to suppress his cultivation at Sempiternal realm consummation instead.

For a Sempiternal realm consummation expert to be able to kill a Blood Reincarnation realm consummation expert in a single punch... there was probably no one who would dare believe such a thing to be possible!

After spending some time relishing in the immense strength provided by the corpse, Zhang Xuan reluctantly pulled himself out from the corpse and returned to his physical body.

"This will be my greatest trump card from this moment on," Zhang Xuan murmured excitedly.

With this, he had nothing to fear anymore!

"Master, I have already assimilated my legs and feet. My current strength is only a step away from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm. With the right impetus, I should be able to achieve a breakthrough right away!" Vicious said.

After entering the Myriad Anthive Space, he had given the legs and feet to Vicious. Over the past month, Vicious had managed to assimilate them entirely, and his cultivation had also risen beyond the level of ordinary Blood Reincarnation realm consummation cultivators.

"I have ten bottles of blood from Blood Reincarnation realm Otherworldly Demons. Absorb them together with the straw garment, and you should be able to regenerate your flesh and push for a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm!" Zhang Xuan said as he passed a couple of jade bottles over.

Fortunately, he had collected plenty of Ancient Sage blood in the previous few battles. It should be sufficient for Vicious to make a full recovery.

"Thank you, Master!" Vicious said in gratitude as he took the jade bottles.

He had intended to assimilate the straw garment a long time ago, but he had found that he was lacking sufficient energy to fully recover his body, so he had chosen to put it off for the time being. With everything in place now, he could finally attempt a complete recovery once and for all.

After passing the jade bottles to Vicious, Zhang Xuan left the other party alone. This was not something that he could help with; the other party had to figure out how he could recover by himself.

Sitting on the floor, Zhang Xuan began to ruminate over his recent gains. Slowly, his aura began to become more and more elusive, transforming from a sharp edge to something simple and unimpressive.

At that very moment, even Blood Reincarnation realm experts would have trouble seeing through his true strength.

"All in all, factoring in my physical body, zhenqi, soul, and my clone, I have undergone four Ancient Sage Ordeals in total. If I wish to achieve another breakthrough, I'll have to make a significant advancement in a certain law of the world or comprehend a skill surpassing that of the Heaven's Path techniques!"

It was because Zhang Xuan's physical body, zhenqi, and soul cultivation had all reached a level comparable to an Ancient Sage that he could brandish strength comparable to Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators despite being only at the Sempiternal realm.

However, none of that was enough for him. He had chosen not to achieve a breakthrough because he wanted to surpass the heavens in the comprehension of one of the laws.

He knew that this was the only way that he could surpass Kong shi's accomplishments and reach the very pinnacle of mankind. He would require at least that much if he wanted to reach Luo Ruoxin.

"But how can I create a skill that surpasses the Heaven's Path techniques?" Zhang Xuan shook his head in distress.

The only way that he could surpass the Heaven's Path techniques was for him to first uncover his own path. Despite his unparalleled talent that allowed him to master any technique in an instant, it was no easy feat for him to create something significant of his own, not to mention that he was aiming to surpass the very top.

He ruminated over the issue for several days, but nothing came to his mind at all. Eventually, he had no choice but to leave the Myriad Anthive Nest and return to the peak of the Thousandleaf Mountain in disappointment.

"Thinking back, more than a month has already passed. I wonder how Liu Yang and the others are faring at the moment..."

After spending more than a month in cultivation, Zhang Xuan felt as if his body had gotten a little rusty. He was just about to go and check on how his student was doing after taking over the title of Sovereign Chen Yong when he suddenly noticed a shockwave not too far away. Following which, two figures swiftly flitted in his direction.

It was none other than Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire.

Over the past month, they had made significant advancements in their cultivation. However, what was most notable about them was the overpowering scent of death flowing from them. With just a glance, it was apparent that they had claimed many lives over the past month.

"We pay our respects!"

The man and the beast kneeled down deferentially and paid their respects.

"How is it?" Zhang Xuan got straight to the point.

"The young master has already successfully quelled the unrest of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Today is the day of that he'll officially succeed the position of Sovereign Chen Yong!" Ancient Sage Allfire said.

"The Otherworldly Demon Lords from various places have also come to the capital to witness the young master's inauguration ceremony. Guild Leader, do you want to head over to take a look too?" Ancient Sage Mo Ling asked expectantly.

"Inauguration ceremony? Very well!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed like Liu Yang had truly grown up. His direct disciple was much more rational in dealing with matters than he thought.

While there was no denying that Liu Yang had Sovereign Chen Yong's mandate and he had also received the latter's Cultivation Impartation, his young age and insufficient cultivation were bound to have caused some dissatisfaction among the top brass of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. There was no way that they were going to easily submit to a young brat who had not proven himself.

Thus, if he had rushed into conducting the inauguration ceremony, not only would he have been unable to rally others to his side, it might even have ended up as a farce, thus diminishing his authority.

However, after quelling the unrest and ensuring that no one dared to challenge his authority anymore, Liu Yang's inauguration would serve as the impetus to truly unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As the only Sovereign remaining, the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would naturally converge around him. With such huge rallying power, no one would dare oppose him.

"As Liu Yang's teacher, there's no way I could miss the inauguration ceremony that pronounces his position as the sole leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Let's go!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

Liu Yang had always suffered from low self-esteem, thinking that he was inferior to his seniors and juniors. However, he had eventually broken out of his shell and achieved something significant. As his teacher, Zhang Xuan was more than proud of him. Of course, it went without saying that he had to go there in person to witness his student's glory.

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Chapter 1846: Assassins

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

That day, the royalty and nobles of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were gathered in the capital, all for the purpose of commemorating the inauguration of the next Sovereign Chen Yong. The streets of the massive city were bustling, bringing an unprecedented vibrancy to the area.

From time to time, there would be an unfathomable expert walking across the wide streets that left any Saint 9-dan cultivators present trembling in fear. These were the Great Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

Experts of that caliber usually dominated large swathes of land with none daring to oppose their domination. Yet, in the capital, they dared not act out of line. The newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong had quelled all opposition against him and united the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as one. All of the major powers and top experts had submitted to him.

If anyone dared cause any trouble... who could know if the person standing right next to them would be a widely feared Ancient Sage who had already submitted to the new Sovereign Chen Yong?

"The newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong is truly a formidable figure unprecedented in the history of our Spirit Tribe. Back then, Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Yong colluded with the humans to injure the old Sovereign Chen Yong. In order to avenge his predecessor, he stood forward and confronted the two of them. Not only did he manage to unravel their scheme, he even destroyed a deity from a higher dimension with a single move, thus giving rise to his reputation of invincibility!"

On the streets, a storyteller waved the fan in his hand as he described the exploits of the new Sovereign Chen Yong with vivid gestures.

"Wait a moment, there seems to be something wrong with your story, isn't there? I was present during the major battle here in the capital a month ago, and I saw with my own eyes that the new Sovereign Chen Yong was only a Great Sage back then. There's no way that he could have interfered in a battle of that caliber back then. It was an unknown Ancient Sage who stood in and killed the deity!" a passerby challenged the storyteller.

It had only been a month since that major battle, and many in the capital had witnessed the sight with their own eyes. What they had seen varied vastly from what the storyteller had illustrated.

The former had been singing praises of the new Sovereign Chen Yong's accomplishments, but everyone who had spectated the battle knew that the person who had stood out the most during the battle was not the new Sovereign Chen Yong but an Ancient Sage whom no one had ever seen before.

Seeing that he had been challenged by one of the listeners, the storyteller asked with a smile, "Do you know who that unknown Ancient Sage is then?"

"I... I'm afraid that I don't really know!" the passerby replied with a shake of his head.

The other listeners also had slightly confused expressions on their faces.

"That man never said his name. In fact, he has not appeared since that day. Could it be that you know who that person is?" one of the listeners asked.

Upon hearing those words, the crowd's ears perked up.

The entire capital was filled with curiosity as to who that mysterious expert was. There was an itch in their hearts that would not be relieved until they finally knew the background of that mysterious expert.

"Of course I know!"

Seeing that he had managed to hook everyone's appetite, the storyteller chuckled softly as he stroked his beard gleefully. He tapped on the copper pot in front of him with his finger rhythmically, as if hinting something.

"Tell us!"

A slightly plump figure wearing a veil flicked his wrist and tossed a couple of Great Yong coins into the copper pot, producing a resounding ring.

Seeing that there was some money, the eyes of the storyteller lit up. He quickly slipped the Great Yong coins into his sleeves before leaning in to explain with a lowered voice, "It's said that the mysterious Ancient Sage is Sovereign Chen Yong's mentor. He's an expert who had long gone into seclusion. It was under his tutelage that the new Sovereign Chen Yong was able to achieve the spectacular feat of uniting the entire Spirit Tribe despite his young age. Not only so, it's said that the mysterious Ancient Sage even tamed Ancient Sage Allfire and made Ancient Sage Mo Ling submit to him. That is also why the two of them are so devoted to protecting the new Sovereign Chen Yong..."

"Sovereign Chen Yong's teacher?"

"Are you sure you know what you're talking about? The new Sovereign Chen Yong has received the heritage of the old Sovereign Chen Yong, so shouldn't his mentor be the old Sovereign Chen Yong?"

Some of the listeners expressed their doubts toward the words of the storyteller.

"Of course not! The old Sovereign Chen Yong is indeed formidable; there's no denying that. However, he isn't qualified to become Sovereign Chen Yong's teacher yet! In fact, I even heard that the old Sovereign Chen Yong even has to bow respectfully and address that person as 'Young Master'!" the storyteller refuted.

"Even the old Sovereign Chen Yong calls him Young Master? Aren't you getting a little too overboard with your bragging? Or do you mean to say that the mysterious Ancient Sage is actually a deity too?" the plump figure wearing a veil scoffed.

"Of course he's a deity! If he isn't a deity, how could he have killed the other deity that has come from a higher dimension so easily?" the storyteller replied matter-of-factly. "For the past tens of thousands of years, other than our Spirit Tribe's Vicious and mankind's Kong shi, have you heard of anyone who wielded such power?"

Everyone was rendered speechless.

Deity.

Just the name itself was a symbol of invincibility.

In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there were only two individuals who had managed to kill a deity.

Yet, an Ancient Sage had suddenly appeared in this era and easily killed a deity... It was hard to believe that the other party was not a deity himself!

"It's because the new Sovereign Chen Yong is a direct disciple of a deity that he has been able to unite our great Spirit Tribe together. It's a mandate from the heavens, the gods are favoring our Spirit Tribe! With such a leader, our Spirit Tribe will only rise higher and higher!" The storyteller became more and more zealous with each word.

"Indeed. It's an honor to be able to live in the same era as the new Sovereign Chen Yong!"

"A future of prosperity and greatness awaits our Spirit Tribe..."

"This is our generation, our era!"

...

The crowd trembled in agitation upon hearing those words.

"Humph! What bullsh*t you are spouting? I say that you are intentionally crafting stories to beguile the hearts of others so as to rally them under the flag of..." the plump man harrumphed coldly.

But halfway through his words, he suddenly felt someone tugging on his clothes.

With a deep frown, he turned around, only to find himself faced with a tall and slender young lady dressed in humble wear. "Let's return!"

Taken aback, the plump man quickly stuffed the final piece of meat into his mouth before reasoning with the young lady. "What? Wait a moment. I came here to gather information, not to eat. Just give me a while more..."

What he was faced with was the icy voice of the young lady. "Senior told me to call you back. If you don't want to head back, you can remain here for all eternity!"

"..."

The plump man shuddered a little fearfully before hurriedly laughing it off. "Hahaha, what are you saying? How would I possibly dare to go against Senior's orders? Let's head over right now! It would be terrible to keep Senior waiting..."

Thus, the two of them took their leave. Under the lead of the young lady, they maneuvered through various alleys before finally arriving at a small courtyard. The young lady pushed the door to the courtyard open and walked in.

A little further from the entrance was a tightly sealed room. This room had been sealed using many unique means, such that it would be impossible for any sound or Spiritual Perception to enter or leave the room.

There were several people sat within the room. From their appearances, they were not Otherworldly Demons but humans.

Faced with the disapproving frown from the young lady seated at the middle of the room, the plump man scratched his head in embarrassment and explained, "Hehe, I just went out to gather some intelligence..."

"What intelligence have you gathered so far? Share it with us!" a young man seated by the side asked with a smile. Behind him was a spear reflecting a cold glint leaning diagonally against the wall.

"Well... it seems like the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong is truly a shrewd individual. Not only did he manage to take down all of his opposition, he even dispatched storytellers all over the capital to spread the news that he has the mandate of the heavens. At this very moment, pretty much everyone in the capital believes that he's someone chosen by the heavens to lead the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to greatness!" the plump man said after pondering for a moment.

"I have heard of this matter as well. The new Sovereign Chen Yong is an extremely astute person. Under his lead, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will surely grow more and more powerful. This will indubitably place mankind in a perilous position!" the young man said with a frown.

He turned to the young lady in the center and asked, "Senior, what are your current thoughts?"

"Given that the new Sovereign Chen Yong is just about to be inaugurated, he definitely needs all kinds of publicity in order to win the loyalty of the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It's within our expectations for him to be spreading news like that!" The young lady tapped her finger lightly on the table.

"However, just as Zhang Yang has said, the unification of the Spirit Tribe doesn't bear well for mankind. Thus... we have to make the first move! If we can assassinate him during the inauguration ceremony, we can spread chaos and discord among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and return them to the pile of scattered sand that they were!"

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Chapter 1847: The Plan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Assassinate?

Everyone's face immediately turned grim.

Making a move on the new Sovereign Chen Yong during the inauguration ceremony was practically a recipe for certain death. All of the strongest experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were gathered there, and if things went wrong, all of them could end up dead!

"Do we have to do it during the inauguration ceremony?" the plump man asked in incomprehension. "Wouldn't our chances at victory be higher if we were to assault him at some other occasion?"

There was no doubt that the defenses around the new Sovereign Chen Yong would be extremely tight during the inauguration ceremony. Was it really suitable for them to do it at that moment?

"There are three benefits to it!"

The person who spoke then was not the young lady seated at the center but the other one who had brought the plump man over. "Firstly, the inauguration ceremony is one of the grandest celebrations of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If our assassination succeeds, all those rumors about the mandate of the heavens would be swiftly unraveled. This will cause the Otherworldly Demons, who have just been rallied together, to swiftly disperse. It will also make it much harder for anyone to unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe once more!"

The plump man nodded in agreement.

If the new Sovereign Chen Yong was killed shortly after all of the rumors about how he had the mandate of the heavens and so on, the effects would indeed be the most pronounced. Fear and panic would swiftly spread throughout the crowd, making the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe weaker than ever!

"Secondly, for the past tens of thousands of years, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has been under the shared leadership of the three Sovereigns. However, all of a sudden, it has turned into a one man show... While the new Sovereign Chen Yong has crushed all of the opposition thus far, and no one dares to oppose him due to the overwhelming strength that he wields... the problem is that he still lacks legitimacy. Not everyone will accept his rule. That's also why he sent storytellers all around the capital to spread the word that he has the mandate of the heavens!" the young lady explained.

"The reason that they are causing such a huge commotion right now is out of fear that the new Sovereign Chen Yong will be unable to gain the support of the populace. As such, this might be our best chance to strike."

"Our best chance to strike?" The plump man was unable to comprehend the leap in logic.

"Those who are opposed to Sovereign Chen Yong's rule will surely be watching the inauguration ceremony as well. If they see someone make a move against the inaugurated Sovereign Chen Yong, there's a good chance that they will be incited to create more chaos. If so, it will be much easier for us to succeed than if we conduct a surprise assault!" the young lady explained.

"This..." The plump man fell into deep thought.

In terms of understanding the minds of others, he was nowhere near those two young ladies.

If they factored that into the equation as well, their chances of success during the inauguration ceremony could very well be much higher.

The factions built up by Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing would not simply vanish just with the deaths of the two of them. Even if the new Sovereign Chen Yong had forced the members of those two factions to submit to him with force, there was a good chance that they would still view the new Sovereign Chen Yong with hostility.

Thus, if someone attempted an assassination on the new Sovereign Chen Yong right before them, they might just be more than willing to lend a hand.

"I'll share the third point!" the young lady sitting at the center of the room said. "I caught sight of Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire hurriedly leaving the capital earlier this morning. The two of them are the strongest experts aiding the new Sovereign Chen Yong at the moment, and as long as they aren't around, our chances of success are fairly high!"

"Those two old farts actually left prior to the inauguration ceremony? Aren't they the protectors of the new Sovereign Chen Yong? How could they leave at such a crucial moment?" the plump man wondered in bewilderment.

"I'm not too certain about the exact reason either, but the chances are that they have left the area to quell some other rebellion so as to ensure that nothing goes wrong during the inauguration," the young lady replied.

"Furthermore, based on my investigations, it seems like there's a segment during the inauguration ceremony that requires the new Sovereign Chen Yong to pay respects to his predecessors. During the process, the new Sovereign Chen Yong must humbly listen to the teachings of his predecessor, so he cannot utilize his Spiritual Perception or zhenqi at all. In other words, this is an ideal opportunity for us to strike. As long as we plan things out well, we do stand a decent chance at success!"

Hearing the analysis, the plump man nodded and replied, "Since that's the case... I'll follow your plan, Senior!"

"Good. Since we have come to a consensus, let's prepare ourselves!"

As she spoke, the young lady seated in the center stood up. She looked at the five faces before her and said, "I know what all of you are thinking... A while ago, our teacher was forced by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to end his life in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters due to his association with the Spirit God.

"We know that it's just a concealment for him to sneak into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but his injuries are simply so severe that it's impossible for him to have recovered in such a short period. However, with the inauguration of the new Sovereign Chen Yong, the unification of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is lying just around the corner. We don't have time to look for our teacher anymore!

"Right now, what we have to do is kill the new Sovereign Chen Yong in the shortest time possible to eliminate this potential threat! This is the only way we can cleanse our teacher of his dishonor to let the Master Teacher Pavilion and the entire world know that our teacher has always been with mankind, and that has never changed at all. At the same time, only as our reputation grows will our teacher be able to find us more easily!"

Since they did not know where their teacher was, they would just have to stand at the most brilliant place possible so that their teacher would be able to find them!

"We understand!" the others replied in unison.

The group that was gathered in the room consisted of none other than Zhang Xuan's six direct disciples.

Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, Yuan Tao, and Lu Chong.

It had been two months since their teacher ended his life at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Fearing that something would happen to their teacher, a month ago, just like most other cultivators, they had descended into a Subterranean Gallery and launched an extensive search. However, they had still been unable to gather any news regarding their teacher despite their best efforts.

However, the investigation did bring the recent changes in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to their attention. They had noticed the threat that was brewing in the otherworldly battlefield and realized that it could be too late if they did not make a move to curb the threat swiftly. Thus, they had chosen to gather in the capital to discuss a countermeasure.

"Since we have a common understanding over here, let's swiftly share our current cultivation realms!" Zhao Ya said. "Ever since our teacher departed, Zheng Yang has been spending his time cultivating in the Hall of Spring and Autumn, and he has already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation. In terms of fighting prowess, he should be on par with most Great Philosopher realm cultivators. There should be nothing wrong with my information, right?"

"That's right," Zheng Yang replied.

When he heard that his teacher had ended his life in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, while he knew that it was just a cover, the thought of the humiliation that his teacher had to bear had nearly driven him crazy.

Thus, he had locked himself in the Hall of Spring and Autumn and cultivated frenziedly. Due to his hard work and his various fortuitous encounters in the Temple of Confucius, he actually managed to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Following which, he spent almost a year within the Hall of Spring and Autumn reinforcing his cultivation, causing his cultivation to rise to Bloodline Continuance realm consummation.

Even though he was still only at Ancient Sage 1-dan, due to his superior cultivation techniques and battle techniques, his fighting prowess would not lose out to the average Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm cultivator!

"Zheng Yang, you and I will be the vanguard for the operation," Zhao Ya said. She then turned her gaze to the other young lady sitting by the other side. "Ruyan, you have also achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, right? While you aren't as powerful as Lu Chong yet, your mastery of poison makes you a frightening opponent. Even Great Philosopher realm cultivators could die to your poison if they are caught unaware."

The young lady whom Zhao Ya was addressing had remained extremely quiet throughout the entire conversation. She was none other than the disciple that possessed the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution, Wei Ruyan.

Despite her silence, everyone knew that she was likely to be the most terrifying of them all in a real battle.

"Un. I'll try to tie down the others to prevent them from supporting Sovereign Chen Yong. If any of them dare approach, my poison shall corrode them inside out. If I need to, I'll even massacre the entire city!" Wei Ruyan remarked nonchalantly.

Even when she spoke of massacring the entire city, there was not the slightest change in her facial expression. It was almost as if she was speaking of crushing an ant.

Back in the Temple of Confucius, she had received her teacher's heritage and the Bodhi Fruit, which had allowed her to achieve a breakthrough in her state of mind. Together with her fortuitous encounter back then, she had successfully pushed for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage a month ago. While she was slightly beneath Zheng Yang in terms of offensive ability, there was no doubt that her poison was an invaluable asset when it came to dealing with multiple enemies simultaneously.

Anyone who dared charge into the area of attack would simply succumb to her poison. This would render the numerical advantage of the new Sovereign Chen Yong's forces absolutely meaningless.

"Alright, I'll be counting on you for that. As for Yuan Tao, we'll be relying on you for defense. When will your second Ancient Sage Ordeal come?" Zhao Ya turned to look at the plump man with a slight frown on her forehead.

Yuan Tao had already challenged the Ancient Sage Ordeal once at the Temple of Confucius, but he had forcefully suppressed it. Till now, his second Ancient Sage Ordeal had yet to come. In other words, despite his incredible potential, he had yet to reach Ancient Sage!

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Chapter 1848: Making a Move

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"I... I'm not too sure either!" Yuan Tao scratched his head in embarrassment.

His seniors and juniors had all reached Ancient Sage, leaving him trailing at the back. This was extremely heart-wrenching for him!

For his cultivation to actually advance so slowly... he was really a shame to his teacher!

"If I knew, I wouldn't have resorted to binge eating to console my wounded soul," Yuan Tao muttered unhappily as he took out a fistful of assorted snacks and stuffed them into his mouth, creating annoying crunching sounds.

Ignoring this glutton, Zhao Ya turned to Lu Chong and worriedly asked, "I think that you might have improved a little too quickly over the past month. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

After Zhang Xuan departed, Lu Chong had reverted to his reticent state. His personality became extremely placid, almost like he was a corpse. Yet, as if he had injected himself with steroids, his cultivation rose by leaps and bounds!

Zheng Yang had managed to reach Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation through exploiting the time acceleration in the Hall of Spring and Autumn, but Lu Chong... he had actually managed to reach Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage!

To reach such a level within the short span of a month... this was truly unbelievable!

Lu Chong shook his head and replied curtly. "I'm fine."

"After reaching Ancient Sage, every single breakthrough requires a massive amount of energy. It's not normal for you to advance your cultivation so quickly. If you fail to reinforce your cultivation properly, a huge problem could very well occur in the future," Zheng Yang added with concern.

If he had to pick a fault with this junior of his, it would be that he was too reticent. He seemed to bottle up so much inside of him that it felt frustrating just to look at him.

If he could just share his problems, they might still be able to discuss it and offer some suggestions. However, this junior of his only stubbornly chose to keep everything to himself and put his all into cultivating. If the other party had never met their teacher, who knew what would have become of him now?

Seeing the looks everyone was shooting him, Lu Chong was silent for a moment before explaining, "Teacher gave me the Seal of Souls."

"Un." The crowd nodded in response.

Prior to his departure, Zhang Xuan had distributed all of the treasures that he had gathered in the Temple of Confucius to everyone.

The Seal of Souls was the insignia of the head of the Soul Oracle Guild, and Lu Chong did not hide the fact that he had obtained this from their teacher.

"Harnessed within the Seal of Souls is the concentrated soul energy derived from 110,000 souls of Saint 3-dan and above cultivators. I have spent the past month absorbing it, and that allowed my soul energy to grow swiftly," Lu Chong explained.

"110,000 souls?"

"And all of them are Saint 3-dan and above?"

Everyone was stunned.

They could not even begin to imagine how stupendously massive that amount of energy was. That explained how Lu Chong was able to advance his cultivation so quickly. With so much soul energy to fuel his cultivation, it would be hard for him not to improve swiftly!

"Prior to entering the Temple of Confucius, our teacher killed 110,000 Otherworldly Demon soldiers and resolved a crisis of mankind. Could these souls have come from there?" Zheng Yang suddenly asked.

As the Combat Master Hall kept a close eye on the situation in the Subterranean Galleries, he was well aware of his teacher's accomplishments there. 110,000 souls from Saint 3-dan and above cultivators could not possibly have come from nowhere, and the only incident that seemed to tally was that.

"That seems to be the case. Teacher didn't absorb anything at all and chose to leave everything to me instead..." Lu Chong nodded as he subconsciously clenched his fists.

He could not understand why his teacher would choose to leave so much energy to him instead of absorbing it for himself. Nevertheless, he vowed to use this gift for meaningful purposes.

Knowing that Lu Chong had gained his strength through proper means instead of forced growth, Zhao Ya heaved a sigh of relief. She pondered for a moment before saying, "Junior Lu Chong, given your cultivation, it would be best if you coordinated with me and Zheng Yang in attacking the new Sovereign Chen Yong. You'll be the main attacker, and the two of us will support you!"

Lu Chong nodded to indicate that he understood.

"As for Wang Ying..." Zhao Ya turned to Wang Ying and said, "Even though you only achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage not too long ago, in the twenty days since arriving at the capital, you should have familiarized yourself with the surroundings!"

"I have already enchanted all of the major buildings and city walls in the capital. They are all on standby, waiting for my command. As soon as the operation starts, all of the buildings and city walls will charge over and plunge the area into pandemonium!" Wang Ying replied with a chuckle.

During their few days in the capital, she had devoting most of her time enchanting everything in the surroundings.

"Furthermore, I have also buried the tree root in the ground. With a thought, I'll be able to transform the entire capital into a desert. Unless one has reached Ancient Sage, they will never be able to escape from the desert!"

Zhang Xuan had given Wang Ying the Berserk Sand Wood previously, and it was a true weapon of mass destruction.

"That's good. Since all the preparations are ready, we shall set forth right now. Once we get to that part of the inauguration ceremony, be prepared to make a move at any moment!" Zhao Ya instructed grimly.

"Yes!" the crowd replied resoundingly as they rose to their feet grimly.

They could die in this battle, but failure was not permitted.

They quickly disguised themselves by altering their physical structure and appearances before returning to the streets. At that moment, the Otherworldly Demons were already making their way toward the square in front of Sovereign Chen Yong's palace.

They swiftly blended into the crowd and followed them toward the square.

By the time they reached the square, it was already filled with countless Otherworldly Demons. Excited chatter could be heard here and there, and everyone waited anxiously for the start of the inauguration.

All of a sudden, there was a resounding clap, and the entire square fell silent. A dimension rift opened up right above the massive square, and an Otherworldly Demon dressed in a majestic, golden robe and an ornate crown came out from within.

With a resounding voice, he declared, "Fellow tribesmen of the Spirit Tribe, I welcome you to my inauguration ceremony. Today marks the day that I succeed the will of the predecessors and am inaugurated as the next Sovereign Chen Yong!"

As he spoke, the new Sovereign Chen Yong slowly descended to the tall platform erected at the very center of the square.

...

At the same time, in a tower a long distance away from the square, Zhang Xuan watched as the towering figure slowly descended onto the tall platform. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief as all of his interactions with Liu Yang flashed through his mind.

Liu Yang had always been an extremely competitive person. He would unwittingly compare himself to his seniors and juniors, but more often than not, such comparisons would just leave him feeling deeply stressed out and anxious. Unable to withstand the pressure back then, he had chosen to depart without saying a word.

Who would have thought that he would chance upon his own fortuitous encounter and eventually rise to such heights?

Once he gained full control over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind would no longer have to worry about them.

"With him around, we'll finally be free from the menace of the Otherworldly Demons," Ancient Sage Mo Ling said with a relieved smile.

The Soul Oracle Guild had endured tens of thousands of years of humiliation and suffering, praying for the slim hope that mankind would one day be free from the threat of the Otherworldly Demons. However, Ancient Sage Mo Ling had never thought that such a day would actually come in his lifetime.

"Indeed. It's finally all over..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

But halfway through his words, he suddenly frowned.

Hu la!

All of a sudden, a ferocious aura rose from beneath and surged right in the direction of the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong.

Following which, a spear and a sword darted forward from two different directions. At the same time, the surrounding space froze in place, hindering the movements of those in the area.

"An assassination!"

Ancient Sage Mo Ling and Ancient Sage Allfire narrowed their eyes, and killing intent flared from their bodies.

They had busied themselves for an entire month in order to build the momentum for Liu Yang's inauguration. Who could have known that some brainless fool would still make a move on this important occasion?

"Master, I'll go kill those dimwits right now!" Ancient Sage Allfire spat as he raised his talons ferociously.

"There's no need to be too anxious. Let's just watch first and decide what we should do next." Zhang Xuan was also taken aback for a moment before a smile crept onto his lips.

"Watch first?"

The two Ancient Sages could not understand how Zhang Xuan could remain so composed.

"Don't worry, this is a trial that Liu Yang should overcome on his own. If he's able to overcome this, he will enjoy unshakable faith among the Otherworldly Demons in the future. On the other hand, if he fails... it won't be too late for us to step in!" Zhang Xuan said as he stood up.

With his eye of discernment, there was no way he could not recognize that swordsmanship and spearmanship. Since that was the case, there was nothing for him to worry about.

...

In the square, as the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong saw the three figures darting in his direction, he could not help but freeze for an instant.

These moves and cultivation techniques... Liu Yang narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

The three surges of the energy coming his way were simply too familiar.

They're from Junior Lu Chong, Junior Zheng Yang, and Senior Zhao Ya!

They... What are they doing here?

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Chapter 1849: A Duel Amongst Fellow Disciples

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Liu Yang was stunned for a moment before he suddenly realized the disparity in his current identity.

He was not Liu Yang at the moment but the new Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! On the other hand, his juniors and seniors were the elite forces of mankind. It was perfectly understandable for them to sneak into the otherworldly battlefield and attempt to claim his life.

Liu Yang's first instinct was to send a telepathic message to the crowd to tell him his true identity. However, recalling that this was a crucial moment of the inauguration ceremony, it would be bad if he gave away anything that risked revealing his true identity. It might potentially ruin all of the careful preparations made by his teacher. Thus, he quickly halted himself.

Soon, however, his bewilderment was replaced with curiosity.

This works fine for me as well! To be honest, I am also eager to know how far the rest of you have come!

Boom!

Thus, Liu Yang turned around and directed a punch right at the soul oracle surging in his direction.

The massive strength from the punch caused the earth to collapse inward. It was almost as if two worlds had collided with one another. In an instant, Lu Chong's soul was hammered right into the ground.

What a powerful fist technique, Lu Chong thought with narrowed eyes.

The only people he knew that possessed such a violent fist technique were his teacher and Senior Liu Yang. Who would have thought that the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong would have reached such a level as well?

No wonder he was able to unite the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe together. The might that he wielded was indeed fearsome!

After knocking Lu Chong back with a single punch, Liu Yang simultaneously raised his fists to knock away Zheng Yang's spear and Zhao Ya's sword.

Even though it was a one against two, Liu Yang did not seem to be in a disadvantageous position at all.

After assimilating the power that the old Sovereign Chen Yong had imparted to him, his current cultivation realm had reached Ancient Sage 3-dan Blood Reincarnation realm advanced stage, not too far away from reaching consummation. While his seniors and juniors had improved swiftly over the past few months, they were still a little lacking compared to him.

Peng peng!

There were two hollow echoes, and both Zheng Yang and Zhao Ya were sent staggering backward.

Huala!

At the same time, the Otherworldly Demon soldiers finally came to and rushed forward to reinforce their new Sovereign.

"Don't make a move without my command!" With a cold harrumph, Liu Yang halted the crowd, who were in the midst of preparing a collaborative formation. At the same time, he swiped at Zhao Ya.

Under the immense force, Zhao Ya felt as if her sword would fly from her grip at any moment.

A frown emerged on her forehead as she narrowed her eyes. She had not thought that the new Sovereign Chen Yong would actually be so powerful as to see through the flaws in her swordsmanship in an instant and attempt to snatch her sword away.

Knowing that their assassination attempt would likely fail if the other party succeeded in knocking away her sword, Zhao Ya roared, "Activate!"

Boom!

Driving her Pure Yin Body to the limits, in an instant, the area within a hundred li of her suddenly became so frigid that it started snowing. It seemed as if winter was setting in.

With the immense pressure that she was under, her stagnated cultivation also overcame its bottleneck and rose to a new level.

Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm!

She had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation back at the Temple of Confucius. With the Bodhi Fruit and ice crystal bestowed to her by her teacher, her cultivation had surged. Even though she did not have the Hall of Spring and Autumn to use, she had still been able to keep up with Zheng Yang's growth.

If not, Yuan Tao would not have been so frightened of Zhao Ya.

Along with the breakthrough, Zhao Ya's sword grew even sharper and more aggressive. In an instant, it appeared that her fighting prowess had increased manyfold. Numerous surges of sword qi flew forth along the movements of her sword, as if a relentless waterfall.

At the same time, Zheng Yang charged forward and drove his spear forward valiantly, forming a streak of light. He moved with a momentum that seemed as if he would impale anything that stood in his path.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan had been calmly watching the commotion so far, but upon seeing this sight, a frown formed between his eyebrows as rage flurried in the depths of his heart.

It was just a short two months of absence, but what had this bunch of wastrels become?

Not only did they abandon all of his teachings, they had even twisted the techniques that he had imparted to them to form something incredibly hideous and disgusting! This was truly embarrassing!

"Heh!"

While Zhang Xuan was still cringing over his students' movements, both Zhao Ya and Zheng Yang's attacks arrived before Liu Yang. In response, Liu Yang thrust his palms forward with crushing might.

Kacha! Kacha!

Zheng Yang and Zhao Ya were knocked backward once more.

"Senior!"

Boom!

Unable to take it any longer, Wang Ying, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao dashed forward to come to their aid.

Yuan Tao charged forward with his physical body to ram into Liu Yang. While he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, he had devoured Kong shi's avatar and undergone an Ancient Sage Ordeal, which had led to his physical body being on par with Ancient Sage artifacts. As a result, the force that he exerted was amazingly powerful.

At the same time, Wei Ruyan utilized her Innate Poison Body to scatter poison all around the area, preventing others from getting close. The surrounding space seemed to warp a little as a result of the overwhelming concentration of poison.

While Wang Ying was not driving her enchanted objects, her cultivation had also reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm. Through her meticulous observation, she was able to coordinate impeccably with the others to strike at every possible opening, thus becoming the most troublesome opponent for Liu Yang to deal with.

Deng deng deng!

The individual movements of the six of them came together to form a whole. Liu Yang found himself unable to stand his ground anymore, and he was forced to retreat again and again.

Even though his cultivation far surpassed the others', the six opponents that he was facing were his teacher's direct disciples. Every single one of them had cultivated the most profound cultivation techniques and battle techniques. If Liu Yang used just the heritage of Sovereign Chen Yong alone, he would really be no match for them.

However, the moment that he chose to use his teacher's heritage, the others would notice that it was him, and the battle would come to an abrupt halt.

Peng peng!

Plagued by excessive thoughts, Liu Yang's reaction ended up slowing a little. He suffered two consecutive blows that knocked him several steps back. He felt a sweetness at the back of his throat as blood seeped out from the corners of his lips.

He had thought that he would surely be able to triumph over the others after inheriting Sovereign Chen Yong's strength and heritage, but who could have known that the others would be so powerful as well?

"This Sovereign Chen Yong is a little weird..."

After numerous clashes, Zhao Ya and the others were starting to realize that something was amiss.

There was no doubt that Sovereign Chen Yong's fighting prowess was far greater than what they had imagined; however... it might just have been her imagination, but it felt like the other party was very familiar with their moves and coordination.

"It doesn't matter whether he's weird or not—we need to quickly take him down. Once the other Ancient Sages come to his aid, we'll really meet our end here!" Zheng Yang exclaimed anxiously.

No wonder the other party had been able to unite the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Despite his young age, his fighting prowess was really not to be underestimated. They had thought that they were already the most outstanding geniuses among the younger generation, but who could have known that despite the young age of the new Sovereign Chen Yong, he was able to fight against all six of them on equal ground?

Could it be that... he was really the disciple of a deity?

Otherwise, how could he possibly be so powerful?

Boom boom boom!

As the seven of them fought, the surrounding air billowed, and frenzied currents whipped up all around. From time to time, one could hear thunderous rumbling. The faces of all of the spectating Otherworldly Demons below flushed crimson with agitation.

This was the first time that they had witnessed such an intense battle among powerful Ancient Sages!

More importantly, the newly appointing Sovereign Chen Yong was even fending off six opponents simultaneously... They had never thought that the new Sovereign Chen Yong would actually be so powerful despite his young age!

Just as everyone was as flabbergasted as they could get, a deep voice suddenly reverberated across the entire capital.

"Enough!"

Upon hearing this voice, the bodies of Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others stiffened, and they quickly backed away.

At the same time, the newly appointed Sovereign Chen Yong also froze on the spot.

Hong long!

A silhouette who had his hands behind his back slowly descended from the sky step by step.

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Chapter 1850: The One Who Is Truly Frightening

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

This figure looked neither tall nor imposing, and the aura that he emanated was nothing special. Yet, his appearance caused the two sides fighting to halt their attacks and freeze on the spot, not daring to move at all.

"What's wrong?"

The crowd in the square were all bewildered by this turn of events.

Had they not been fighting one another to the death just a moment ago? Why would they suddenly stop just because a person said a word?

"That person must have sealed the surrounding space or used some kind of special power to suppress them, causing them to be unable to make a move." An elder amid the crowd clenched his fists tightly as he remarked contemplatively.

He had heard that those who had reached Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm would often use the sealing of space as one of their offensive means to corner their opponents. It was very likely that the figure who had just appeared had used such a method on the new Sovereign Chen Yong and his assassins.

Otherwise, why would both sides suddenly halt their attacks in unison, as if they had planned it in advance?

"If that figure is able to seal the movements of the new Sovereign Chen Yong and the others all at once... just how powerful must he be?"

"Could that person possibly be... Sovereign Chen Yong's deity mentor?"

"Now that you mention it, the silhouette of that figure does seem to resemble the person from that day. During the battle back then, they flew too high, so I didn't manage to get a good look. However, it's very likely him!"

"No wonder he's able to render everyone motionless and incapable of battling..."

...

The crowd widened their eyes in realization as awe filled their gazes.

If they had been skeptical to have heard from the storytellers that Sovereign Chen Yong had a mentor whose strength matched the deities', after seeing such a sight, all of their doubts dissipated.

The might wielded by that person had likely surpassed even their wildest imagination.

"How is it?"

Some of the Ancient Sages hidden amid the crowd communicated via telepathy.

"I can't see through that person's cultivation, but his very feat of halting so many experts simultaneously shows that his strength definitely exceeds the Blood Reincarnation realm!"

"Is it really possible for such powerful experts to exist in our world?"

"Don't forget Sovereign Vicious and Kong shi. Back in their era, our cultivation would have meant nothing to them at all..."

"You're right. The opening of Temple of Confucius and the descent of a deity... it wouldn't be too surprising for any astoundingly powerful experts to appear at this moment. To be able to execute a spatial seal while eluding all of our notice simultaneously, making it appear as if he hasn't done anything at all... I cannot fathom just how powerful he truly is!"

...

Some of the Ancient Sages hidden amid the crowd were in intense discussions with one another. The more they talked about the matter, the paler their faces became.

Just the fact that they were unable to see through the cultivation of the silhouette in the sky was already a major cause of fear for them all.

Of course, there was a chance that they could be overthinking it, but given the spectacular might displayed by that figure during the major battle a month ago, it was inevitable that they would be so fearful.

To be able to kill a deity from a higher dimension just by tossing a random book at him... If that person was able to draw forth so much power just by tossing a book, they could not imagine just what would happen if he threw a sword or a spear at them instead!

...

"Teacher..."

Upon seeing the approaching figure, Liu Yang did not dare move. Just as he was wondering what his teacher was going to do, he saw the latter walking up to Zheng Yang, and without any warning, the latter lifted up his feet and threw a kick right toward Zheng Yang's chest.

Zheng Yang's body cowered in fear at that kick, but before he could even react at all, he was sent flying into the ground.

"Just what the heck were you doing earlier? If you'd stopped that spear by a third of a breath, its might would have increased exponentially! Yet, you just had to rush your way into it! Are you that short for time? Are you rushing to be reincarnated?

"And you! What the hell were you flinging your sword around for? Where's your sword qi? Where's your Sword Intent? Do you really expect to get to your opponent with such a half-assed move?

"As for you, are you a dimwit? Do you think that you are invincible just because your defense is superior to that of others? Using your own chest to block a punch, are you very proud of your valiance? What happened to your fist? Just where in the world has your head gone to? All you know is to ram your way around! Are you a buffalo incapable of thought?

"You bunch of wastrels! Can you even call that a battle? Even if I gathered a bunch of pigs and trained them for three days, they would be able to do much better than the lot of you!"

...

The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more infuriated he became. It was to the point where he was pointing fingers at each of his disciples and berating them viciously.

Did my teachings go in one ear and out the other ear?

It was just a short few days, and look at what has become of your skills. I'd die of embarrassment if anyone found out that you're my direct disciples!

As a proud master teacher, how did I manage to produce a bunch of fools like you lot?

Hearing their teacher's reprimand, the faces of Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others turned red in embarrassment. If there was pit in the ground, they might have dived right in.

They had thought that their teacher would be proud of them after all their training over the past two months, but who could have known that they would still incur his wrath?

However, they knew that what their teacher had said made sense. Even though their cultivation had advanced significantly, they had ended up neglecting their own skills instead, causing their moves to be all over the place.

Otherwise, with each of them putting their strengths together, they should have been able to defeat the new Sovereign Chen Yong with ease!

After berating Zheng Yang and the others, Zhang Xuan turned to Liu Yang and began criticizing him from head to toe.

"You're equally bad as well! Just what in the world were you trying to pull? Cowering indecisively at every move... Is that the kind of Sovereign you want to become? Sovereign my ass! There's a complete lack of soul in your movements! If you'd charged right in to stand against the rest of them earlier, you would've been able to shatter her sword and knock that brat's spear flying easily, thus ending the battle in an instant! You wouldn't have ended up facing so much trouble later on!"

Just a month of absence, and his cultivation had gone completely haywire. He had nearly fumed himself to death.

He should have been a really cultured and patient person, but seeing this group of fellows messing around, he simply lost his cool.

"Teacher, I..." Liu Yang's face flushed red as he attempted to speak, but he was unable to say a thing at all.

Not wanting to waste his breath, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, "Enough. I'll take these fellows away. Continue your inauguration, and come look for me after you are done!"

Hula!

Zhao Ya and the others were immediately thrown into the Myriad Anthive Nest before Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot.

"That was such an epic battle, but in the eyes of that person, it was actually utter nonsense? Such that he lost his patience and interfered in the midst of the duel to offer his pointers?"

"So, the reason he halted the battle was because he found the battle too unsightly and couldn't watch on?"

"But that was such a profound battle! If he couldn't stand watching something like that, wouldn't we be utterly destroyed if we dared make a move?"

...

The crowd beneath trembled in horror, unable to say a word at all.

Just by the scale of the battle between Sovereign Chen Yong and the assassins, this was already an event that was worthy of being recorded and honored as a classic for the next tens of thousands of years. Yet, in the eyes of that deity, it was no different from a bunch of kids playing house!

This fact was extremely hard for them to accept even though they had just witnessed it with their own eyes.

"Leader, are we still... going to make a move?" an Ancient Sage amid the crowd suddenly asked.

"Make a move your head! I didn't even understand the battle that just happened earlier. If we make a move, won't we be smacked to death? Relay my orders! From today onward, no matter what orders Sovereign Chen Yong passes, our lineage will obey them unconditionally, and no one is to voice the slightest opposition!" the leader ordered through gritted teeth.

It might have appeared as though the other party was just making a couple of casual remarks, but through his sharp eye of discernment, the leader could tell that those words were filled with ingenuity. Even just comprehending a small portion of the wisdom behind what had been said would leave one feeling deeply enlightened!

Are you seriously asking me if we should make a move after witnessing that person's vast wisdom in the art of fighting? You dolt! Grow a brain or two!

What we should be doing right now is not moving at all! If you wish to see the crimson moon rise in the north tomorrow, you should remain deathly silent!

The same scene could be seen all around the crowd.

Even though the new Sovereign Chen Yong had quelled his opposition with crushing might, there was no denying that his position still was not stable. There were many people who had wished to exploit this instability to earn some benefits. However, from the moment that the new Sovereign Chen Yong's mentor appeared and sealed the space, keeping both sides frozen on the spot, before bellowing furiously at both sides for the inadequacies in their techniques... Well, there was probably nothing in the world that could dispel their courage as effectively as that did.

They could see a tragic fate awaiting them if they dared rise up against the new Sovereign Chen Yong.

That was truly a terrifying mentor that the other party had.

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Chapter 1851: Zhang Xuan Lectures

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"You bunch of buffoons! Have you forgotten the things that I have taught you over the past year?"

Glaring down at the row of kneeling students before him, Zhang Xuan bellowed wrathfully. Just looking at their faces sent his rage flying over the roof.

If one wanted to advance further in Ancient Sage, one had to continuously temper one's cultivation, energy, and temperament. The continuous process of tempering would induce greater harmony within one's body, and only then would there be a sliver of hope for one to reach Dimension Shatterer realm and advance to a higher dimension.

Yet, this bunch of fellows actually allowed their cultivation to surge on ahead without trying to suppress it in the least... And that wasn't the worst yet.

How could the six of them nearly lose to Liu Yang despite collaborating with one another? This was utterly ridiculous! Just what in the world had they learned over the past year of tutelage?

Could that even be called a collaboration at all?

Even a bunch of pigs would do better than this under my tutelage!

"Teacher, you have taught us that we should value the cultivation of our character above everything else..." Zheng Yang muttered softly, but his words were cut short by Zhang Xuan's dagger-like glare.

"Don't you bring that bunch of nonsense up now! We are talking about your studies here! Your heads sure have ballooned to the skies just because you have reached Ancient Sage!" Zhang Xuan roared furiously.

He turned to Lu Chong and instructed, "You have the highest cultivation of them all. Use your strongest attack on me!"

"Me?" Lu Chong was taken aback. "But teacher, you are only at Sempiternal realm consummation..."

He was already at Blood Reincarnation realm whereas his teacher was still at Sempiternal realm consummation. If he were to fail to control his strength and accidentally injure his teacher...

"Why? Are you underestimating your teacher now that you have gotten a little stronger?" Zhang Xuan snapped at Lu Chong with an impatient tone.

"No, that's not what I mean..." Lu Chong shook his head frantically in response.

"That would be for the best. Cut the crap and make your move!" Zhang Xuan berated.

"Y-yes!" Gritting his teeth, Lu Chong drew his soul out from his glabella and charged at Zhang Xuan.

Just the soul energy that was seeping from him in the surroundings was enough to raise a rampaging storm in the area.

Zhao Ya and the others stared at the scene intently as they readied themselves to step in should it appear that their teacher was in a dangerous position.

There was no questioning their teacher's capabilities and talents, but the gap between Sempiternal realm and Blood Reincarnation realm was simply too big. If their teacher were to get injured due to their carelessness, they would really be heinous sinners.

Just as everyone was worrying over Zhang Xuan, the person-in-question suddenly raised his arm and flicked it casually without sparing a glance over.

Padah!

Before Lu Chong could even react, his massive soul had already plummeted right into the ground. As if a massive boulder was weighing down on him, he found himself unable to move at all.

"Is this the might of a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator which you are so proud of?" Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

"I..." Lu Chong's face reddened as he found himself unable to speak a word at all.

The others also widened their eyes in disbelief upon seeing that sight as well.

They were well aware of the strength that Lu Chong wielded. He was the strongest amongst them, but even he was unable to withstand a casual slap from their teacher...

Was their teacher really at Sempiternal ream consummation?

"Let's not waste time. All of you should just come at me together. Use the moves which you have intended to execute in order to curb the new Sovereign Chen Yong against me!" Zhang Xuan released the pressure on Lu Chong and harrumphed.

"Yes..."

Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others glanced at one another before nodding in unison.

If they were still worried about their teacher's safety previously, after seeing the latter rendering Lu Chong completely powerless in a single move, all of the doubts were dispelled from their minds.

Despite having come so far, it was as if nothing had changed between them and their teacher. He was still berating them and lecturing them on their cultivation. Seeing this constant in their life left them with a mysterious but warm and fuzzy feeling within them.

The six of them gathered swiftly aligned their auras together, causing the surrounding air to billow like rapid tides of the ocean.

Hula!

Zhao Ya was the first one to make a move. Sword qi ravaged the area, sweeping across the surroundings with the ferocious might of a hurricane. At the same time, the other five also made their move as well in coordination with one another, making sure to seal off all blind spots and augmenting her attack to make it much sharper and more frightening.

Standing in the midst of the storm, Zhang Xuan appeared like a lone lighthouse standing in the midst of the stormy seas, on the verge of being swallowed by the furious currents at any moment.

From the viewpoint of an outsider, this wasn't a fair duel at all.

With a nonchalant look on his face, Zhang Xuan suddenly took a step forward.

Boom!

It was as if the enormous waves had been tamed; the currents whipping across the air suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others retreated several steps as they felt a severe jolt in their internal zhenqi, causing their faces to turn pale.

"This is your very first flaw!" Zhang Xuan remarked as he continued walked forward slowly. "Continue!"

Zhao Ya and the others glanced at one another before encircling Zhang Xuan once more again. But before their collaboration could even fully form, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers, and they were sent staggering back again.

This time, they seemed to have sustained even more severe injuries from before.

"Continue!"

Everyone was already on the verge of reaching their limits, but hearing the boiling rage behind their teacher's voice, they could only grit their teeth and carry on.

Peng peng peng!

Each and every single time, they would be knocked back with ease within two breaths. Injuries swiftly piled up on them, leaving them feeling as if they would collapse soon.

It was several dozen rounds later before Zhang Xuan finally halted the sparring session. With a wave of his hand, he shot surges of Heaven's Path zhenqi from his fingertips into the bodies of his students. At the same time, he tossed a jade bottle into the sky and divided the blood essence within it amongst his students.

Boom!

Absorbing the Blood Reincarnation realm Ancient Sage blood allowed the students to swiftly recover their strength as their wounds quickly mended up and vanished. Under normal circumstances, their cultivation should surge forward as well, but for some reason, instead of increasing, it was starting to decline even.

Within less than ten minutes, Zheng Yang's Ancient Sage 2-dan Great Philosopher realm primary stage cultivation had fallen back to Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation, and it was still continuing to plummet.

Zhao Ya's cultivation also fell from Bloodline Continuance realm consummation down to completion...

What was bewildering was that even though their cultivation had fallen, they found that their fighting prowess had advanced instead.

This was especially so for Lu Chong. He had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm primary stage previously, but it had regressed back to Great Philosopher realm after his teacher's tempering. Despite so, he felt that his soul energy had grown much more compact, allowing him to exert even more devastating might in battle.

Not only so, his soul was showing signs of assuming a corporeal form even. If he were to reveal himself, even a Blood Reincarnation realm cultivator would find it hard to believe that it was just a soul standing before him.

"The crux of cultivation lies neither in the speed of your cultivation or the strength you are able to exert. If you fail to build your foundation well, there's no way that you will get far. You would only be building sandcastles in the air." Seeing that his students had vaguely understood what he was trying to do, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and remarked deeply.

Education was about guiding a person down a path that was most suited to him. His students were no longer fledglings who needed to be assisted every step of the way, but they were still prone to steer off the path once they were out of his tutelage..

As such, he chose not to lecture them on their cultivation or force them to walk the same path as him. Instead, what he wanted to pound into them was the fact that cultivation was not something that one could rush within a short period of time.

Patience was the key.

This was similar to how despite being stuck at Sempiternal realm consummation for nearly a month, he didn't rush to achieve a breakthrough. Instead, he waited patiently for an impetus.

"My expectations for you don't just stop at just Ancient Sage. I want you to reach even greater heights!" Zhang Xuan said solemnly.

"If you are unable to even reach Dimension Shatterer realm, there's no need for you to continue following me anymore. Lu Chong, I have given you so much soul energy that would allow you to build up a firm foundation, but you chose to devote all of it to furthering your cultivation. As a result, your soul energy became incredibly loose. Is this what I have taught you? In your current state, if you were to attempt to overcome your bottleneck after reaching Blood Reincarnation realm, you will be reduced by ashes by the lightning tribulation!"

Everyone hung their faces in shame.

They thought that they would be complimented for the swift advancements in their cultivation, but who could have thought that it would actually be their failing instead?

Nevertheless, this matter showed them how much their teacher cared for them, and it left their noses feeling a little sour.

At this moment, something new began to blossom in their state of mind.

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Chapter 1852: The Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Alright, let's stop here today. Cultivate on your own!" Zhang Xuan said.

Beyond Great Sage, there was very little that he could help his students with through lecturing. What was more important was their own talent and hard work.

It was because he had imparted too much to his students that they were losing the ability to create what was uniquely theirs, thus resulting in this farce.

...

After cultivating for a while, Zhao Ya suddenly asked, "Teacher, is Sovereign Chen Yong your student as well?"

The others also directed their gazes over.

They had heard that the new Sovereign Chen Yong had a mentor comparable to the deities, and they had thought that it was a fabricated story for the latter to consolidate his power. Never in their wildest dream did they think that the so-called mentor would actually be their teacher!

"You still haven't recognized him?" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Recognize?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Wang Ying was the first to think of something, and her eyes widened in disbelief. With quivering lips, she asked, "Could it be that... he's Junior Liu Yang?"

For a while, she had been thinking that there was something weird about their battle with the new Sovereign Chen Yong. The latter clearly knew their flaws, and he had been able to exploit them in crucial moments to turn the tables. Such a thing could be attributed to coincidence if it had only happened once or twice, but the fact that it had continued throughout the battle was really something worth contemplating over.

She had been wondering if they had crossed paths with the new Sovereign Chen Yong somewhere somehow, but if the other party was their missing junior, the situation would make sense!

Just that... was Liu Yang not a human? How did he turn into Sovereign Chen Yong of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Not to mention, his disguise was actually one that they had been unable to see through!

Zhao Ya and the others were also stunned by this revelation, and they could hardly believe what they were hearing. They immediately turned to look at Zhang Xuan, wanting to hear the words right from the mouth of their teacher.

"That's right." Zhang Xuan nodded. "He's indeed Liu Yang. It's due to some fortuitous encounters that he stumbled upon that he ended up in his current position. However, you must make sure to never reveal this matter, or else he will face great trouble and danger."

Even though Liu Yang's inauguration ceremony would legitimize his position as the only Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, his power was built upon the pretext that he was an Otherworldly Demon.

If others learnt that he was actually a human, there was no doubt that he would be overthrown in a heartbeat. The situation that had just settled down would be thrown into chaos, and all of their effort would be unraveled.

"He's actually Liu Yang..."

Hearing the confirmation right from their teacher's mouth, Zhao Ya and the others had some mixed feelings on the inside.

They had thought that their teacher was still recuperating, and they had wanted to do something to cleanse their teacher's name. Yet, who could have known that their teacher had already resolved the entire crisis before their arrival?

With Liu Yang standing at the top of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the latter would no longer be a threat to the humans anymore.

Zhang Xuan had his students enter his Myriad Anthive Nest and instructed them to cultivate in there before heading back to the capital.

...

The inauguration ceremony was still ongoing when Zhang Xuan returned to the square.

If there had still been some dissatisfaction regarding the new Sovereign Chen Yong usurping the shared jurisdiction of the Three Sovereigns, after what had happened earlier, there was no one who dared voice their opposition anymore.

"This is our one and only Sovereign, a figure whom none can replace."

"It seems like an era of prosperity is soon going to descend upon our Spirit Tribe..."

Anticipation could be seen in everyone's eyes.

Sitting down on the regal throne, Liu Yang felt his heart beating wildly.

Thinking back, if he had not met his teacher, he would have been an ordinary student in Tianxuan Kingdom's Hongtian Academy. Perhaps, he would not even have reached Fighter 3-dan yet. Somehow, he found himself sitting at the very center of an entire race, becoming the person who governed over the greatest threat to humanity.

Had it been a year earlier, he would never have dared to even dream of something like that.

"If there is no opposition..."

As his heart palpated in agitation, Liu Yang rose to his feet and gazed upon the crowd beneath regally.

"... Today, I shall proclaim myself the Sovereign of the Spirit Tribe!"

...

"Wait a moment? You are telling me that there is a new Sovereign to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and on the day of his inauguration, he announced a ceasefire to the conflict and ordered a peaceful coexistence for the next thousand years?"

"He even requested to establish trade relations with the Master Teacher Pavilion by creating new markets within the Subterranean Galleries?"

"If an official trading market is created in the Subterranean Galleries, there's no doubt that many master teachers will dive right in. Aren't they afraid that we will make use of this opportunity to assault them and eradicate them once and for all?"

"That isn't the most shocking news yet. According to what I heard, the new Sovereign promotes the virtues of teaching, preaching the importance of respect and formalities. He encourages Otherworldly Demons to listen to the lectures of the master teachers, and he pushes for interracial matrimony. It feels like he's really after a peaceful coexistence..."

The surviving Ancient Sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion did not go back to hibernation right after returning from the Temple of Confucius. Instead, browsing through the reports that they had received, they looked as if they had seen a ghost.

When they heard that a new Sovereign Chen Yong had risen to power and united the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they had prepared themselves for a tough battle. However, contrary to their expectations, the new Sovereign Chen Yong had actually proposed so many favorable terms for mankind.

If those plans were put into action, the scales were likely to tip in mankind's favor.

There was a brief moment of silence as the Ancient Sages racked their minds in an attempt to figure out what was going on, but at that moment, an elder suddenly spoke up. "I think that this might have something to do with my senior!"

Yang Xuan.

"The senior you speak of refers to Celestial Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, right?" one of the Ancient Sages asked.

Previously, Yang shi had informed the Ancient Sages that his senior was a Celestial Master Teacher, just like Kong shi, an existence who had been recognized by the heavens.

"Indeed, that's him. According to the intelligence I have received so far, he has been in the otherworldly battlefield for two months now," Yang shi said.

"You can't seriously think that he has resolved the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe by convincing them to make peace with us within just two short months, right?" another Ancient Sage scoffed.

This was a feat that they and their ancestors had worked toward for tens of thousands of years but failed to achieve. For a fellow who had not even reached Ancient Sage to do it within two months...

Do you think that this is playing house?

"Sage Qian is right. Yang shi, aren't you taking this matter too lightly?" Several voices chirped in agreement.

"Whether I am taking this matter too lightly or not, we'll know with a swift analysis." Yang shi did not lose his cool upon hearing that his viewpoint was being challenged. Instead, he calmly looked at the other Ancient Sages before remarking, "I believe that all of you are aware of the name of the newly inaugurated Sovereign Chen Yong, right?"

"The Sovereign's name?" The Ancient Sages lowered their gazes to look at the information that they had received, and one of them replied with a nod, "Yang Liu."

"That's right, his name is Yang Liu... As you might know, my senior has eight direct disciples. One of his direct disciples, who went missing a while ago, goes by the name of Liu Yang."

"Liu Yang?" The crowd glanced at one another. "Yang Liu... Are you suspecting that the new Sovereign Chen Yong, Yang Liu, is Liu Yang?"

"Indeed. Not only are their names similar, the fact that the new Sovereign Chen Yong is rumored to have an exceptionally powerful mentor is also a point that we should be thinking about." Yang shi revealed his conjecture.

"There were six assassins who appeared during the inauguration ceremony, and the descriptions that I have received match Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others. According to an eye-witness' report, they were exceptionally receptive to the words of the new Sovereign Chen Yong's mentor, obeying his orders without any opposition. I can't think of anyone who holds so much sway over the six of them other than my senior!"

The crowd immediately fell silent.

With so much evidence laid out clearly before them, they would really be diminishing their own intelligence if they continued denying the matter.

For Zhang shi to lead his student and single-handedly conquer the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Unbelievable!

Author's Note: The thirteenth arc, [The Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, comes to an end! From the next arc onward, Zhang Xuan shall begin to trace Kong shi's footsteps and rise higher and higher, eventually becoming the World's Teacher. Please look forward to it!

Translator's Note: Wheeeeeeee another arc completed. Yeah, that's all.

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Chapter 1853: The Mysteries of the Ancient Domains

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Unaware that his true identity had already been guessed by Yang shi and the others, Zhang Xuan was currently soaring through the air with his direct disciples following behind him.

It had already been a month since Liu Yang had been inaugurated as Sovereign Chen Yong of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

A new year had just arrived, so the entire capital was filled with joyful bustle.

Over the past month, Zhang Xuan had been offering pointers to his direct disciples, and for a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the days in the Tianxuan Kingdom.

There were no grudges, no responsibilities, and no obligations. There were only the simple interactions between a teacher and his students. Each and every day was passed swimming in an ocean of knowledge, indulging in the simple joys of grasping a new move or learning a new cultivation technique.

After going through Zhang Xuan's systematic training program, the zhenqi of Zhao Ya and the others had been reinforced, becoming much denser than before. This had resulted in a significant surge in their fighting prowess. At the same time, Yuan Tao had successfully cleared his second Ancient Sage Ordeal.

As for Liu Yang, after he achieved a breakthrough to Blood Reincarnation realm consummation, he had successfully placed the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe under his complete control, thus crushing even the last voices of opposition against him.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan's cultivation was still capped at Sempiternal realm consummation. However, his aura felt much more composed than before, and his state of mind was more stable. It seemed like he could push for a breakthrough at any moment as long as he willed it.

Two months of reinforcement had given him a deeper insight into the powers wielded by Ancient Sages, and his fighting prowess had improved considerably. With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, it was no exaggeration to say that he was unrivaled beneath the Dimension Shatterer realm.

Even if he encountered that deity from before, he would not be so powerless as to be defeated in a single move.

As swift as Zhang Xuan's improvements were, there was one person who was growing faster than him—Vicious. With his body becoming complete and the straw garment inducing the growth of his flesh and blood, he had successfully achieved a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm, which meant that he was already able to shatter the dimension barrier of the world.

"While I am able to shatter the dimension barrier to open up a pathway to a higher dimension, my body isn't sufficiently resilient to leave this world yet. At the very least, my cultivation has to reach Dimension Shatterer realm consummation first!" Vicious explained.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

At that moment, Liu Yang suddenly flew over from afar and clasped his fist. "Teacher, I have already looked through all of the books of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I found that the 'deities' that have appeared in the past can't be truly be considered gods or deities. Rather, they are just beings from the Azure!"

During that period of time, Zhang Xuan had not only devoted his time entirely to guiding his students' cultivation. He had also instructed Liu Yang to make use of his authority as Sovereign Chen Yong to gather information regarding the legends of the 'deities' in hopes that he might gather some clues regarding Luo Ruoxin.

"The Azure?"

"Indeed. The Azure is a dimension entirely different from the Master Teacher Continent, and the deity that descended previously came from there as well. As its environment is filled with ample Aeon of Ancient Sage, its environment for cultivation is superior to even the best blessed lands in our world!" Liu Yang explained.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed the ability to communicate with the 'deities', so even though most of the legends going around were just hearsay, there were still some slivers of truth amid them.

Knowing what his teacher was intending to do, Liu Yang hesitated for a brief moment before explaining, "However, it seems like the passageway leading to the Azure has been completely sealed. Any deities who wish to descend to our world must pay a heavy price through a ritual, and it's nigh impossible for us to ascend up to the Azure."

"The passageway leading to the Azure has been completely sealed?" Zhang Xuan asked anxiously.

In truth, he had already guessed as much. It had been a long time since any deities had descended to their world, and ever since Kong shi, there had been no cultivators who had successfully ascended to the Azure.

"You also got me to investigate the matter concerning Kong shi," Liu Yang said. "Based on what I have found, he disappeared shortly after he captured the Immortal's Envoy. Based on the clues I have gathered so far, it's likely that he has gone to the Azure.

"Shortly after Kong shi's departure, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers also left the Master Teacher Continent to stand guard at a certain location. I tried investigating deeper into the matter, but the clues come to a complete halt here. However, I feel that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers know more details about Kong shi's disappearance."

Zhang Xuan nodded slowly.

In this world, there was definitely no one who knew more about Kong shi than the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Their lineage had stemmed from Kong shi, so they were bound to have records regarding the latter.

Zhang Xuan turned to Ancient Sage Mo Ling and asked, "Do you know where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are located?"

He was the one who had contacted the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in order to assault Sovereign Chen Yong. As such, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had no idea where the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were, there was no way that he would not know!

Ancient Sage Mo Ling pondered for a moment before replying, "They should be in the Kunxu Domain."

"The Kunxu Domain?" Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment.

He had heard of plenty of secret domains and the like, but he had never heard of the Kunxu Domain.

"There are many ancient domains on the Master Teacher Continent; I believe that you should have heard of a couple of them yourself. While the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion doesn't extend to these ancient domains, they harness the most primordial energy, which nourishes those suffering from deficient bloodlines!" Ancient Sage Mo Ling explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

The Tianxuan Kingdom was an ancient domain, too. It was in hopes of recovering the Emperor's Bloodline that the Yuan Tao had been sent to the Tianxuan Kingdom to fend for himself. The same went for Zhang Xuan.

"To be honest, I'm not too sure where the entrance of the Kunxu Domain is. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers have guarded that secret extremely tightly. However, what I am certain of is that it has close ties to these ancient domains. I would say that there's a good chance that the entrance to the Kunxu Domain is located in one of these ancient domains!" Ancient Sage Mo Ling said.

He did have channels that allowed him to reach out to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but he had never been to the Kunxu Domain itself. There was no way that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would risk exposing their whereabouts to him after all.

"Hmm, it's located in one of the ancient domains?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He pondered for a brief moment before coming to a decision. "I intend to return to the Tianxuan Kingdom for a moment. Do any of you wish to come along with me?"

To be honest, he felt that there were still some mysteries concerning the Tianxuan Kingdom that he had not unraveled yet. Given how huge the Master Teacher Continent was, he had transcended into the Tianxuan Kingdom. Furthermore, he had even found two students possessing rare unique constitutions there.

Of course, it might just have been a coincidence, but he had a feeling that there was more to it. As such, he intended to start his search from there.

"I have been away for more than a year now. I think it's about time for me to return and visit my father," Zhao Ya said with a smile.

She had departed from her homeland together with her teacher, and over the past year, she had risen to become one of the top powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, as well as a powerful Ancient Sage expert. It was about time for her to return and pay a visit to her family.

"I wish to come along as well!" Wang Ying nodded fervently.

The others also echoed their agreement. They wanted to return to their roots to take a look at the place where they had grown up.

"Liu Yang, you are still needed here for the time being, so you can't come along with us. As for the rest, make preparations. We'll be setting off soon!" Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile.

Even though they had successfully unified the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there were still many reforms that had to be supervised and implemented. If the highest leader, Sovereign Chen Yong, vanished at that crucial moment, there was a good chance that things could go haywire.

As indignant as he was, Liu Yang sighed deeply before nodding reluctantly. "... I understand!"

Zhang Xuan turned to the colossal beast beside Liu Yang and said, "Ancient Sage Allfire, I'll be counting on you to assist Liu Yang by his side."

"Leave it to me!" Ancient Sage Allfire replied heartily.

"Alright, let's go then!"

After settling the matters there, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear and slit a dimension rift in front of him. He took the lead and entered the dimension rift, and the others swiftly followed behind him.

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Chapter 1854: The Young Lady Who Missed Out

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

As the end of the dimension rift was the spatial seal of the Subterranean Gallery. The group stepped across the seal, returning to the Master Teacher Continent. At this point, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more to open another dimension rift.

Roughly ten minutes later, they were already in the sky above the Tianxuan Kingdom.

The capital of the Tianxuan Kingdom felt exceptionally serene. The crowds walking through the streets would never have been able to imagine that the strongest lifeforms in this world were floating right above them.

Descending from the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others walked into Tianxuan Royal City before entering Hongtian Academy. It had been little more than a year since their departure, but the entire place seemed to have expanded quite a bit. In the past, it could only house 40,000 students at most, but with its current scale, even housing 400,000 students would not pose too much of a problem!

"Hurry up! Lu Xun laoshi is conducting a lecture today. At this rate, we won't be able to make it in time!"

"I thought that he has just achieved a breakthrough to 2-star master teacher and still needs to reinforce his cultivation?"

"No matter what he's thinking, it's a rare opportunity for us to listen in on the class of a 2-star master teacher. There's no doubt that his lecture will be extremely beneficial to our cultivation! Back in the day, I listened in on Zhang shi's class, and even though it was only a short half an hour, it left a lasting effect on me!"

"Wait a moment, you've attended one of Zhang shi's classes before?"

"Of course! Little Li, you have only joined the academy this year, so you might not have heard of him before. Zhang shi was the most popular teacher in our Hongtian Academy a year back, and his reputation exceeded even Lu Xun laoshi's back then!"

...

While Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ya, and the others were walking around the compounds of the academy, a group of students suddenly rushed past them.

They had disguised themselves a little prior to entering the city, so it was no wonder that no one was able to recognize them. Plus, they had left Hongtian Academy a year ago, so no one would be expecting them to be there.

Hearing a familiar name, Zhang Xuan remarked with a smile, "Oh? Lu Xun is already a 2-star master teacher? That's quite fast..."

Lu Xun had been the most respected teacher in Hongtian Academy back when he first transcended over to this world. Even Wang Ying and Zhao Ya had wanted to join his classes, just that they had ended up being intercepted by him.

That being said, Lu Xun had only been an ordinary star teacher back then, a huge distance away from becoming a 1-star master teacher. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was already a 2-star master teacher!

Sometimes, it was truly surprising how quickly things changed.

"Teacher, shall we head over to take a look?" Zhao Ya asked with a smile.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

Given that this was the first familiar name that they had heard since returning, it went without saying that they should pay him a visit.

While the two of them had been in conflict back then, that had been resolved in the end. To the current him, those were just interesting memories that he would look back upon from time to time.

Following the flow of crowd, it did not take long before Zhang Xuan and the others arrived in an auditorium. In there, they saw a young man standing on top of a tall stage with a dignified disposition.

He was none other than Lu Xun.

Over the past year, he had cultivated an aura unique to him. He was dressed in a master teacher robe with two shining stars pinned on his chest, indicating that he was a 2-star master teacher.

Had it been in the past, there was no way that one would have been able to find a 2-star master teacher in the Tianxuan Kingdom.

"You lot..."

Just as they were intending to go a bit closer to the stage, a young lady suddenly appeared before them, blocking their way.

With an appearance that hinted that she was in her early teens, this young lady was dressed in a greenish robe. There was a hint of valiance between her eyebrows, bearing some resemblance to the past Zhao Ya.

Perplexed by the appearance of the young lady, the group of them glanced at one another before Wang Ying stepped forward to speak with a smile.

"We heard that Lu Xun laoshi is holding a lecture, so we came over to take a look..."

"If you wish to listen to Lu laoshi's class, you'll have to either flash your Student Token or pay two gold coins. This isn't an entrance fee but a rightful compensation that a master teacher deserves for his service!" the young lady said as she stretched out her hand to demand payment.

"Gold coins?" Zhang Xuan and the others were stunned.

As noble as master teachers were, they needed a means for survival as well. As such, it was customary for them to demand payment for their lectures.

Given that Zhang Xuan and the others had already left Hongtian Academy, there was no way that they would still have their Student Tokens with them. It was not that they were unwilling to pay the fee, but it was just a little difficult for them to do so.

Even the least valuable item in Zhang Xuan's storage ring was a pinnacle spirit stone. Anything beneath that was not even worthy of his notice, let alone the gold coins used in Unranked Kingdoms.

"We don't have any Student Tokens nor gold coins with us... However, I do have a pill here. Will you be able to make an exception for us with this?"

After searching his storage ring for a very long time, he finally took out the lowest grade pill in his storage ring and handed it over.

"A pill?" The young lady widened her eyes in astonishment.

Even the resources that her teacher would usually bestow upon her were simple medicinal balls. Pills were considered a top-notch cultivation resource. They had their unique names, and each of them was incredibly valuable. The group before her were unable to take out any gold coins, but they had pills in their possession?

The young lady took the pill from Zhang Xuan's hand and examined it closely. Slowly, a frown formed on her forehead.

To her eyes, the pill looked perfectly plain and ordinary. It formed a stark contrast to the pills harnessing billowing energy that she usually saw around. It seemed to her that the pill in her hands was just a handful of medicinal herbs clumped together.

"Who do you think you're fooling? Can this be considered a pill? Do you take me for some countryside bumpkin?" The young lady harrumphed wrathfully.

She might have been young, but she had seen pills before! A while back, an apothecary had specially delivered a pill in order to get on her teacher's good side. She had happened to be around when the apothecary presented his pill. As soon as the lid to the jade container was opened, a surge of spiritual energy had immediately rushed out, leaving one feeling incredibly revitalized.

On the other hand, the pill before her was not properly kept in a jade container. Not only so, there was not the slightest spiritual energy that could be felt from it.

Are you honestly calling this a pill? You must be joking!

If you think that you can use this poor imitation of a pill to cheat me of fourteen gold coins, you are sorely mistaken!

Seeing the furious look on the young lady's face, Wang Ying realized that the young lady was unable to discern the true value of the pill, so she quickly explained, "This really is a pill. Furthermore, it's one that can aid your cultivation, so its value definitely far surpasses gold coins..."

"I only want gold coins. I don't need this pill!" The young lady harrumphed indignantly as she tossed the pill back to Zhang Xuan.

"This..." Zhang Xuan had no idea whether he should laugh or cry at this situation.

With his current fortune, even a pill that he randomly picked out of his storage ring could be sold for an astronomical price in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. He was offering it to a young lady instead of the fourteen gold coin entrance fee, but the other party actually thought that he was a swindler.

Hearing that her teacher was being called a swindler, Wang Ying took out another medicinal herb and passed it over. "Since you don't want the pill, what about this herb? It's also quite valuable, so I believe it should suffice to compensate the fee."

It was a 500-year-old Coldstar Grass!

Of course, as the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was no way that she would have gold coins on her.

"You want to pay for the entrance fee with this weed? Don't think that I'm a naive little girl just because I'm young! I'll have you know that my teacher is 2-star Master Teacher Lu Xun! No matter what you say or bring out today, unless you can fork out the fourteen gold coins entrance fee, I'll have to ask you to leave!"

It was one thing for the other party to try to fool her with fake pills, but to think that the other party would try to fool her with some wild grass that she could not recognize too! Feeling insulted, the young lady's face turned livid.

"I..." Wang Ying was rendered speechless.

She had no idea how she could deal with this situation.

With her current identity, everything that could be found in her storage ring was an extraordinary and exclusive item. For her to take out something that was worth fourteen gold coins and recognizable to this young lady... this was really a bit difficult.

"You aren't going to pay the fee? From the looks of it, it seems like you are really here just to cause trouble!" Seeing the conflicted looks on the faces of the group, the young lady was convinced that they were all scammers.

Unable to hold back her rage anymore, she turned around and exclaimed, "Senior, these people here are refusing to pay for Lu laoshi's lesson. Please send them out for me!"

Huala!

The next moment, a young man wielding a spear walked out from a nearby room.

Upon seeing the young man's silhouette, Zheng Yang's body stiffened as his eyes reddened a little. "Mo Xiao, is that you?"

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Chapter 1855: Mo Xiao Wants a Duel

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The young man who had just appeared was none other than the close brother whom Zheng Yang had grown up with, Mo Xiao!

Back then, the two of them had joined Hongtian Academy with gusto, swearing to one another that they would join Wang Chao laoshi's class and become his student. Mo Xiao had eventually succeeded, but due to his poor performance during the assessment, Zheng Yang had lost his place to Sun Shan and ended up becoming Zhang Xuan's student.

Back then, none of them could have imagined that things would turn out like that.

The one who had cleared the assessment was still stuck in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and his name only echoed within the walls of Hongtian Academy. On the other hand, the one who had failed the assessment had risen above the ranks and become the head of the Combat Master Hall. In terms of strength, there were probably no more than a handful of people who could put up a fight against him.

Sometimes, the plans that fate had in store were truly baffling.

"You are..." Hearing his name being called in a very familiar manner, Mo Xiao could not help but frown.

As an Ancient Sage, if Zheng Yang did not want someone weaker than him to recognize him, there was no way the other party would be able to discern his original appearance. As a result, not even the brother whom he had grown up with was able to recognize him.

"I am Zheng Yang!" Zheng Yang said as he dispelled his disguise, revealing his true appearance.

"Zheng Yang?" Hearing that familiar name and seeing that familiar face, Mo Xiao's eyes suddenly reddened.

The two of them had been together ever since they were very young, and they had practiced their spearmanship together. It had only been a year since they had parted from one another, but Mo Xiao had always thought that they would never meet again in their lifetime. He had not thought that they would meet one another again so soon.

After his agitation died down, Mo Xiao asked, "Didn't you leave with Zhang shi? Why would you..."

Based on what he had heard, Zhang Xuan had successfully cleared the master teacher examination, thus becoming the pride of the Tianxuan Kingdom. As for what happened afterward, due to the Tianxuan Kingdom being too isolated from the rest of the world, Mo Xiao did not know too much.

"I happened to be free, so I came back to meet up with you and the others!" Zheng Yang replied with a smile.

He could tell that the other party was curious about what he had been through over the past year, but to be honest, he had no idea how he should begin explaining it. After all, there was no one in the Tianxuan Kingdom who knew anything about the Combat Master Hall or Ancient Sages...

Would the other party understand the significance of these terms if he tried to explain it to him?

"This is great! Given how long you have been with Zhang shi, you should have already reached Fighter 8-dan Zongshi realm by now, right? It has been very long since we last sparred with one another! I'll have you know that I've learned a formidable spear art in the last year, and my cultivation has also reached Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm pinnacle! Let me see how much you have improved over the past year!"

With a flick of his wrist, Mo Xiao retrieved his spear from his back and pointed it toward Zheng Yang with fighting will flaring from him.

He had been unable to find a suitable sparring partner ever since Zheng Yang left, and his hand had been itching for a good opponent. Upon seeing Zheng Yang right before his eyes, how could he possibly allow the other party to get away without a fight?

"Zongshi realm? Tongxuan realm pinnacle? Spear art?" Zheng Yang was not too sure how he should react to this situation. He looked at Mo Xiao for a moment before shaking his head. "Why don't we sit down and catch up with one another instead?"

It had just been year, but those realms felt so far away from him that he could hardly remember them anymore.

"Why? Are you afraid that I'll accidentally injure you? There's no need to worry about that—I'm able to control my strength rather well. I'll hold myself back if I see that you are at your limits. There won't be any problems, so there's no need to worry!" Mo Xiao laughed heartily.

"This..." Zheng Yang scratched his head in embarrassment.

For an Ancient Sage like him to actually spar with a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm cultivator... Wasn't this pretty much bullying?

Noticing Zheng Yang's hesitation, Mo Xiao frowned. "Are you looking down on me right now, or are you afraid that you will be humiliated upon suffering a defeat?"

"That's not it..."

Since Mo Xiao had already put it in such a way, there was no way that Zheng Yang could continue turning him down. Thus, he shook his head helplessly before taking out the weakest spear that he had in his possession.

"Where should we have the battle?"

"Oh? You even have a storage ring! Not bad, it seems like Zhang shi treats you quite well!" Seeing the spear materialize in Zheng Yang's arm, Mo Xiao's eyes glowed in envy. He pointed to the side and said, "My teacher is going to hold a class here, so let's go over to a dueling ring."

"He doesn't have a storage ring either..." Seeing the massive gap standing between the two of them, Zheng Yang shook his head bitterly. Feeling a bad premonition, he sighed deeply before replying, "Let's go then."

They began making their way over to the dueling ring not too far away.

"Let's head over to take a look too!"

Since the lecture over here had yet to begin, Zhang Xuan and the others decided to follow along.

At the same time, seeing that those swindlers were actually acquainted with her senior, the young lady hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to tag along.

Both Zheng Yang and Mo Xiao leaped onto the nearest dueling ring, and they immediately caught the attention of the crowd.

Seeing that so many people had gathered around, Zheng Yang quickly concealed his appearance and aura so that the other spectators would not discern his true identity.

"Mo Xiao is the famed spearmanship genius in the academy. With his cultivation, even the teachers and elders aren't a match for him. Where in the world did that fellow pop out from to dare compete with him?"

"I have no idea. I'm just here to watch the other party get pummeled!"

"Haha! Same here!"

Over the past year, Mo Xiao had made rapid progress under Lu Xun's tutelage. Be it in terms of his cultivation or his comprehension of spearmanship, he was already approaching a level comparable to Zongshi. There would not be too many people in the entire Hongtian Academy who were a match for him, let alone a youngster who had just appeared from nowhere!

On the other hand, Lu Xun had also noticed the commotion, and it did not take him long to figure out what was going on from the discussion among the crowd. Sighing deeply, he looked at the crowd, who were looking at the duel excitedly, and said, "Since they are going to have a duel, I shall use their duel as the topic of my lecture today. I'll talk about the feasibility of certain spearmanship maneuvers in real time battle."

"Woah! That will really be an interesting lecture!"

"Waaa! I love hearing Lu laoshi talking about practical battle concepts!"

"There is no lecture that will enhance one's fighting prowess more than this. I really haven't come in vain today!"

Hearing that Lu Xun was going to lecture about the usage of spearmanship in battle, a huge commotion rippled through the crowd, and the excitement in the room was palpable. Everyone swiftly turned their gazes to the dueling ring.

"Haha, come!"

Seeing that everyone's attention was on him, including his teacher's, Mo Xiao felt more pumped than ever. With a powerful push, his spear whooshed toward Zheng Yang.

Wuuuuuuu!

The speed of his spear was so fast that one could literally hear a sonic boom in the air.

"The attack that Mo Xiao has just made isn't too bad. His movements are decisive, and it follows through smoothly without any unnecessary hesitation, reminiscent of the flowing current of a river. The crux in spearmanship lies in the fluidity of one's movements. Once one has made a decision, one's movements must be lightning fast in order to create a powerful momentum to overwhelm one's enemy. Ordinary Zongshis would find it hard to stand against the attack that Mo Xiao just launched," Lu Xun explained calmly as he nodded in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, as one of the participants of the duel, Zheng Yang was extremely conflicted.

The movement of the spear before him was simply too slow, no different from the movements of a snail. Furthermore, its might was so weak that if he deflected it carelessly, he might end up hurting his friend. This really put him in a spot.

Deflecting it was not an option, but not deflecting it was not a good idea either... What a dilemma!

"Just as I said, the momentum created by Mo Xiao has overwhelmed his enemy, leaving his enemy in utter panic."

Seeing that Zheng Yang was not moving in the least, Lu Xun nodded. "The spearmanship that I have imparted to Mo Xiao is centered around the idea of momentum. Its true might lies in controlling the flow of battle through imposing momentum. In order to train Mo Xiao, I took him to a waterfall and had him withstand the force of the currents for three whole months before he reached his current level. There's no doubt that his opponent is going to l-l-l-l-lose..."

Before he could finish his words, his lips suddenly began quivering uncontrollably.

Mo Xiao's spear struck Zheng Yang's eye squarely, and then...

It completely dissipated.

The spear, that was.

Chapter 1856: The Value of the Pill

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"..."

Zheng Yang felt so embarrassed that he could wither on the spot.

It was in a moment of tough internal conflict that the other party's spear suddenly struck his eye, but that was not the worst.

He had accidentally released a small sliver of a fraction of a hint of his zhenqi due to the aggression, and the other party's spear had simply dissipated.

Mortal-tier weapons were simply too flimsy!

If it had been a Great Sage artifact instead... it would have at least taken a flutter of his eyelid to do the same!

He really should have controlled his strength better in the duel... but then again, he did not even exert any strength at all!

Deng deng deng deng!

With the spear dissipating, Mo Xiao leaped back in sheer horror.

He had aimed for Zheng Yang's eye, thinking that the latter would surely attempt to dodge, but who could have known that the latter would remain completely still, as if a statue? He had really panicked for a moment, but to his astonishment, instead of a tragedy unfolding before his eyes, his spear had become the victim of the battle instead!

It was in that moment that he realized that Zheng Yang was far more powerful than he had thought. Thus, he hurriedly retreated several steps before abruptly twisting his body around to send a kick right over.

The transmission leading up to the kick was extremely smooth, and it was apparent just by looking at it that Mo Xiao had refined this move over and over again in order to achieve perfection. With chilling intent, his leg whipped right toward Zheng Yang's neck.

Kacha!

As if kicking a metal pillar, Mo Xiao's shin splintered from the center.

" Argh! "

With a cry of agony, Mo Xiao collapsed to the ground. His eyes reflected his disbelief as he exclaimed, "Could it be that you have surpassed Zongshi realm to reach Zhizun realm?"

"I..." Zheng Yang's face twitched.

He had not even made a move, but the other party's spear and leg were already ruined. How were they supposed to have a proper duel like that?

"I never thought that you would have reached such a level..." Facing Zheng Yang's silence, Mo Xiao thought that he had guessed correctly, and envy rippled in the depths of his eyes.

When he first heard that his good friend had come under Zhang shi's tutelage, he had felt sympathy for the latter for a very long time. Not too long later, a conflict had happened between Zhang shi and Lu Xun laoshi, and his teacher, Wang Chao laoshi, had made him come under Lu Xun laoshi's tutelage instead.

He had battled with Zheng Yang then, and it was there that he had realized that the latter's spearmanship had already far exceeded his.

Ever since then, he had worked himself tirelessly, hoping to challenge Zheng Yang once more to a duel and best him.

This was also why he had challenged Zheng Yang to a duel so passionately as soon as they reunited with one another. He had thought that his hard work over the year would allow him to defeat the latter with ease, but who could have known that the other party had already reached Zhizun realm, thus pulling his distance away from him?

His attack could not even hurt the other party!

"I..." Zheng Yang intended to explain the matter, but eventually, he simply shook his head.

In Mo Xiao's eyes, Zhizun realm probably meant the very peak of the world. It was only normal for him to think that way.

A this moment, a voice echoed across the room. It was from Zhang Xuan.

"He's already someone from a different world from you."

Hearing those words, Zheng Yang lowered his gaze melancholically. He had been excited a moment ago to see his good friend, but by that point, his joy had already vanished.

It was just a year of absence, but the gap between them had grown so huge that a rift of unthinkable size stood between the two of them. It swiftly dawned on him that the old days were already gone, and there was no way that the relationship between him and Mo Xiao would be the same anymore.

Due to the difference in positions and strength, they no longer had a shared language with one another. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, the rift would only become more and more visible to them until it was shoved right into their faces.

Such was the current situation between them.

Mo Xiao was still wondering whether he had achieved a breakthrough from Zongshi to Zhizun realm whereas the truth was that he had already reached a level that Mo Xiao could not even fathom.

"Along with your growth, you will inevitably part with many friends..." Zhang Xuan continued.

The worlds that Zheng Yang and Mo Xiao lived in had already diverged from one another, and it was unlikely that they would ever intersect again.

It was not that any of them wanted to sever their friendship, but the sheer difference in their strength changed the nature of their relationship. Rivalry had always been a key aspect of their relationship, and there was no way that Mo Xiao could accept an unbridgeable distance between the two of them.

Such a relationship would only crush his confidence and esteem.

Hearing his teacher's words, Zheng Yang shook out of his state and replied with a smile, "Yes, you're right. I have reached Zhizun realm..."

He pulled his good friend from the ground before walking over to Zhang Xuan. "Teacher, may I have the pill that you took out earlier? Mo Xiao is injured, so I would like to give it to him."

"Here."

With a flick of his finger, the pill that Zhang Xuan had given the young lady earlier flew into Zheng Yang's hand.

"Eat this!" Zheng Yang said as he passed the pill over to Mo Xiao.

"Un!" Mo Xiao nodded.

He was just about to swallow the pill when the young lady from before suddenly walked over with an anxious look on her face.

"Senior, I took a look at the pill earlier, and there isn't the slightest hint of spiritual energy in it. It's very likely a fake pill! You mustn't eat it!"

She had taken a look at it, and the pill appeared extremely suspicious to her. What if Mo Xiao ate it and his cultivation went berserk?

"Don't worry, I believe in Zheng Yang. He wouldn't harm me!" Mo Xiao replied with a smile before swallowing the pill heartily.

While the vast difference in their strength did leave him feeling a little disheartened, the trust and feelings that he had for Zheng Yang had not changed at all.

He knew for certain that Zheng Yang would not harm him, and he trusted him so.

"Little Meng is right. Mo Xiao, how can you swallow a pill from another person so recklessly?"

Lu Xun also did not expect his student to swallow the pill given by another person so readily. With a frown on his forehead, he rushed forward and placed his palm on Mo Xiao's body, saying, "I'll check on your physical condition to see if there's anything wrong with that pill!"

Boom!

Barely after his zhenqi surged into Mo Xiao's acupoints, a gush of heat suddenly rushed out from the latter's body, knocking him back.

Peng!

Lu Xun was sent flying before knocking heavily onto the stage, leaving a massive pit in it.

"What terrifying strength..." Lu Xun remarked with narrowed eyes as he struggled to his feet.

He anxiously looked at his student, only to see tremendous energy pulsating around the latter's acupoints. It looked almost as if the young man would burst into flames. An incredible surge of spiritual energy gathered around the young man, forming a massive spiral above him.

Kacha!

In less than three breaths, he had already overcome his bottleneck, and his Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivation advanced into Zongshi realm.

However, it did not stop there.

Zongshi realm primary stage!

Zongshi realm intermediate stage!

Zongshi realm advanced stage!

Zongshi realm pinnacle...

Zhizun realm primary stage!

Zhizun realm intermediate stage...

Even upon reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle, the momentum of his breakthroughs did not halt at all. He continued achieving a breakthrough right to Transcendent Mortal.

Eventually, his cultivation stabilized at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm. Every movement of his was suffused with incredible power, making it feel as if he had just ascended to immortality.

"T-this..." Lu Xun's eyes widened as his body trembled uncontrollably. Looking almost as if he had seen a ghost, he uttered in disbelief, "That pill... is it a grade-6 pill?"

Only a pill of grade-6 and above could possibly contain such pure medicinal energy that it would allow a person to achieve a breakthrough of several realms at once without coming to harm.

"Grade-6?"

The young lady from before suddenly felt her vision going dark.

She suddenly recalled how she had rejected the pill earlier when they offered to pay her with it instead of gold coins... and she had even accused the other party of trying to swindle her.

Had she accepted and swallowed it right away, the person to have made a breakthrough would have been her instead!

"Of course not!" Hearing Lu Xun's words, Zheng Yang shook his head. "How could my teacher possibly have grade-6 pills?"

"It isn't a grade-6 pill? If that isn't the case, how could it allow Mo Xiao to achieve a breakthrough without suffering any side effects? His cultivation still feels incredibly compact; there isn't any feeling of looseness or instability!" Lu Xun argued with widened eyes.

All medicine contained some degree of poison. The higher grade a pill was, the greater medicinal energy it would harness, thus boosting a person's cultivation by a greater degree. However, this came at a price. One's cultivation would be unstable after the breakthroughs, and it was highly likely that it would harm one's body in one way or another.

Was it really possible for a pill lower than grade-6 to achieve such mystical effects?

"Grade-6 pills don't have the ability to simultaneously heal a person's injuries and boost their cultivation significantly. The pill my teacher took out is a grade-8 pill, which is why Mo Xiao was able to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation!" Zheng Yang explained with a smile.

"Grade-8?"

The commotion in the auditorium abruptly hushed as everyone found themselves stupefied by what they had just heard.

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