Chapter 822: Seven Wills
The primary objective of this trip was to find out more about the seven thrones’ origins and whether they could form the state of cycles after merging, then upgrade to the will of cycles, to resist Chu Chaoyun.
After opening the letter, Xiao Chen read it carefully. His expression kept changing. The letter detailed some of the Evil King’s experiences and comprehension on the martial path.
However, it spoke more of a desire for the great Dao. As an absolute expert of the Ancient Era, he stood at the highest level. However, the higher one went, the more they would revere and fear the world. The more one understood, the more insignificant one would feel.
The Evil King expressed in an extremely certain tone that there was definitely a higher realm above Sovereign Martial Emperor. The peak of the martial way did not stop at his level.
However, the Evil King could not make that breakthrough. The people who managed to break through had all disappeared mysteriously.
As for the seven thrones, the letter contained very clear records. They were actually a Cultivation Technique the Evil King obtained from the Mirage Immortal Palace called the Cycle Arts.
The cultivator needed to comprehend seven wills—ma.s.sacre, ruin, destruction, despair, pain, death, and grief—and then comprehend the true meaning behind them. After merging them, one would successfully cultivate the Cycle Arts.
The strength of the Cycle Arts far surpa.s.sed that of any current Heaven Ranked Martial Technique. Every time one will was successfully comprehended, it would turn into a throne.
Since the Evil King left behind seven thrones, he had successfully comprehended seven wills. However, he had not managed to merge them, which meant that he had failed at cultivating the Cycle Arts.
According to the letter, a tool was still needed for the seven thrones to merge. Furthermore, this tool was still in the Mirage Immortal Palace.
For the sake of finding that tool and becoming an existence surpa.s.sing that of a Sovereign Martial Emperor, the Evil King had activated a forbidden land within the Mirage Immortal Palace that he could not clear.
This was where the letter ended; there was nothing more after this. However, Xiao Chen could make a rough guess at what happened after this.
The Evil King must have failed and somehow managed to escape extreme danger. He incurred an injury that he could not recover from and died suddenly.
Xiao Chen folded up the letter and could not stop frowning. There was no trace of the glory of a Sovereign Martial Emperor in the letter at all.
This letter was replete with reverence for the great Dao, the pursuit of the martial way, and the unknown future. There was also indescribable loneliness.
It gave Xiao Chen a better understanding of a Sovereign Martial Emperor. Ten thousand years ago, the strongest Sovereign Martial Emperor since the Ancient Era had been unrivaled, a person who was peerless in the Kunlun Realm.
The Azure Emperor had probably been even lonelier than the Evil King. Xiao Chen wondered if his reverence for the great Dao had been as intense as the Evil King’s?
The great Dao was filled with difficulties. Was there really a peak? For the first time, such a doubt appeared in Xiao Chen’s heart.
Xiao Chen stopped entertaining these useless emotional thoughts for now. Then, he organized the information he obtained from the letter.
As he had expected, the seven thrones could merge, and the merger of the seven states was indeed the state of cycles.
This state surpa.s.sed a higher-level state—it was a supreme state that pointed to the great Dao.
However, merging the thrones required a tool. For now, Xiao Chen did not know what the tool was. All he knew was that it was in the Mirage Immortal Palace.
The Mirage Immortal Palace had not appeared for many years already. Even if it appeared, with Xiao Chen’s strength, he would not be able to protect himself even in the periphery.
In the end, all these problems led back to the original solution—quickly advancing to Martial Sage. Without a Martial Sage cultivation, thinking about all these was moot.
Xiao Chen hoped that when he returned to the Supreme Sky Sect, there would be news from Ying Qiong. Otherwise, he would have great difficulty advancing to Martial Sage within a year.
It had only been two years since Xiao Chen came to the Kunlun Realm. Along the way, his cultivation increased rapidly, rising from Martial Monarch to peak half-Sage. However, he was still slightly behind the geniuses of the other races.
The other races aside, the three Holy Scions had already been peak half-Sages for more than three years.
Xiao Chen tidied up everything. He did not intend to remain in the Primal Chaos Domain and was ready to take the transportation formation back to the Central Province in the Tianwu Domain. He would make further plans after arriving in the Tianwu Domain.
Just as Xiao Chen opened the doors, urgent footsteps resounded in the corridor. A waiter of the inn, who appeared to be an ordinary man, ran towards him.
“Might I inquire if this sire is Young Master Xiao Chen of the Supreme Sky Sect?” the waiter asked when he arrived closer.
When Xiao Chen checked with his Spiritual Sense, he verified that this person was indeed just an ordinary person who had not even condensed a Martial Spirit. He replied calmly, “That would be me. Did someone send you to deliver a message?”
The waiter did not state his business immediately. He maintained his smile and said, “Indeed, someone asked this little one to bring a message. However, Young Master Xiao Chen, can you verify your ident.i.ty first?”
“This is my ident.i.ty medallion in the Supreme Sky Sect. It should be enough.”
Xiao Chen handed over his ident.i.ty medallion. He felt rather suspicious. He wondered which large faction could find him so quickly in the Primal Chaos Domain.
The waiter checked and concluded there was no mistake. Then he said, “Haha, it is indeed Young Master Xiao Chen. Miss Ying Qiong sent us to deliver a letter to you. Please take a look.”
Xiao Chen felt excited as he accepted the letter to take a look. After a while, he revealed a smile on his face. Finally, he had word of the Flaming Sun Fruit, Heavenly Dragon Flower, and Three Sage Gra.s.s.
When he looked up, he saw that the waiter had already taken his leave without him realizing it. He burned the letter and rushed down the stairs.
Xiao Chen, why are you smiling so happily? What does the letter say? Ao Jiao asked curiously from the Immortal Spirit Ring.
Not stopping his steps, he smiled faintly and replied, “We are not returning to the Supreme Sky Sect yet. We will go straight to the Profound Domain and find Ying Qiong. She already collected all three main ingredients of the Breaking Sage Pill.”
Ao Jiao giggled, That is indeed worth being happy about. Congratulations!
Xiao Chen kept smiling and did not speak further. Just as he was about to reach the first floor, his expression changed slightly. Suddenly, he moved back a little and hid in the stairway.
What’s wrong?
“Nothing.” Xiao Chen smiled gently and explained calmly, “Just met an old friend. Remember Zong Zhenghao, the loose cultivator who won the bid for the broken Thunder Wood Sword in Hunluo City’s Flouris.h.i.+ng Heaven Pavilion? He is currently on the first floor.”
Ao Jiao’s expression changed. She asked, What’s wrong? Are you afraid of him causing trouble?
Xiao Chen’s lips curled up as he said, “Afraid of him causing trouble? I am going to look for trouble with him now. I should have dealt with him already in Hunluo City. It is time to retrieve the remaining part of the Thunder Wood Sword.”
In the first floor of the inn, Zong Zhenghao exuded a baleful aura. He wore robes of sackcloth and ate expressionlessly. It seemed like he had not led an easy life recently.
Compared to Hunluo City, this Primal Chaos Domain was chock full of experts. The harshness of this environment surpa.s.sed that of Hunluo City. The evil loose cultivators of all five major races gathered here.
With Zong Zhenghao’s peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage cultivation, gaining status as he had in Hunluo City was impossible.
After Zong Zhenghao exited the inn, he left the city. Along the way, he frowned a few times but did not say anything. He simply kept walking until he reached a desolate area outside the city.
“After following me for so long, isn’t it time to reveal yourself?”
Zong Zhenghao released all his baleful aura and revealed a murderous intent in his eyes. He unleashed all his Heavenly Sage Laws and started absorbing Spiritual Energy continuously.
He instantly raised his aura to its peak as he spoke expressionlessly to the front.
“Whoos.h.!.+”
A figure flashed in the air. Then Xiao Chen landed firmly on the ground. He smiled gently and said, “Your eyes are very good. Do you still remember me?”
“You?”
Doubt flickered in Zong Zhenghao’s eyes. He quickly checked his memory, and the doubt vanished. A look of greed replaced it as he said, “So, it is you. Are you here to deliver the Myriad Heaven Divine Fist to me? Sorry to trouble you for that. Even after I ran to the Primal Chaos Domain, you still followed me over.”
“Sorry, I’m here for your life.”
Xiao Chen took out the seventy-two Universe Flags and formed hand seals, quickly activating the formation laid within them. The flags flew out swiftly and stabbed into the ground.
Instantly, a formless barrier separated the area around them, within a radius of five kilometers, from the outside world, guaranteeing that Zong Zhenghao had no way to escape.
Zong Zhenghao’s expression did not change at all. He watched Xiao Chen’s actions coldly, and the greed in his eyes thickened. He said, “Universe Flags. These are things that can no longer be found. Brat, you really have a lot of treasures on you.
“Hehe, you’ve come just at the right time for me to have a great feast. I haven’t managed to get anything in the Primal Chaos Domain these days.”
Zong Zhenghao’s figure flashed, and an overwhelming baleful aura spread out. As he punched, the black Heavenly Sage Laws behind him formed a demonic shadow that made him look extremely sinister.
The acc.u.mulations of older-generation Martial Sages in cultivation were extremely horrifying. With more than a hundred years of cultivating, even if they were lacking in Cultivation Techniques or states, the vast and pure cultivation of the younger-generation geniuses could not make up for the difference in experience.
If Zong Zhenghao had run into another genius half-Sage, with his peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage cultivation, he would probably have defeated the genius. Unfortunately for him, he met with Xiao Chen.
When facing this punch with its overwhelming aura, Xiao Chen did not move back at all. He circulated the Myriad Heaven Divine Fist, Deities Descending, and counterpunched.
“Bang!”
The demonic shadow behind Zong Zhenghao shattered while he went flying back a hundred meters. His Qi and blood surged, and he had a strange expression.
When Xiao Chen fought with the old man with the family name Liu, he had gained a much clearer understanding of the strength of a peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage. Deities Descending could definitely overwhelm the other party.
Without giving the other party much time to be shocked, Xiao Chen drew his Lunar Shadow Saber. Instantly, thunder roared, and the immortal will of thunder surged out.
By punching Zong Zhenghao back, Xiao Chen suppressed Zong Zhenghao’s momentum. Then Xiao Chen unleashed the might of his will, forcing Zong Zhenghao’s momentum to plummet further, not giving him any chance to make a comeback.
Xiao Chen launched move after move of the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique, attacking continuously.
“Rumble…!”
Before the constant thunder and the pressure of the will, Zong Zhenghao started to show openings after a hundred relentless attacks.
Move after move, Xiao Chen did not fear clas.h.i.+ng head-on. Zong Zhenghao had his trump cards, but so did Xiao Chen. His Dragon Subduing Slash firmly suppressed the other party.
This counter instantly shattered Zong Zhenghao’s trump cards. This was especially so for the last move—Double Dragons Playing with Pearl. Unable to dodge this move, Zong Zhenghao suffered a body blow.
Furthermore, the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique was no weaker than a Heaven Ranked Saber Technique. Xiao Chen used it freely as he pleased, clearly very well practiced with it. He wielded it like an ordinary Saber Technique, executing it continuously without pause.
After another hundred moves, Zong Zhenghao could no longer endure the internal injuries he acc.u.mulated and thought about fleeing. As for Xiao Chen, he had attained a Rank 2 Sage Body, so he was obviously in better shape than Zong Zhenghao.