Chapter 918: Chapter 640: Great Power Opportunity
After the Divine War, the Sword Realm collapsed across the heavens. Ever since the inception of the New Sky Reconstruction Project, the powerhouses of Tianxia have set out on a journey to find the fragments of the Sword Realm. Now, one of the Four Swords of the Universe Primordial, the Cosmic Light Sword, has already been recovered.
It is now held by the Yaochi Immortal.
Zhou Sword Immortal walks the path of Space Sword Dao, his sword moves mysterious and unfathomable, treating spatial distance as nothing. The Yaochi Immortal, though at the peak of the Seventh Realm, can only unleash a sliver of this space treasure’s power.
Yu Sword Immortal pursues the Dao of Time Sword. It is said that his Great Divine Skills in swordplay can alter the flow of time in a small realm, imprisoning enemies in a tomb of spacetime.
Hong Sword Immortal and Huang Sword Immortal, on the other hand, walk the Grand Yin Sword Dao and Grand Yang Sword Dao; united, they form the Yin Yang Five Elements Sword Formation whose might reigns supreme throughout the ages.
As for Emperor Xuan.
His Sword Dao is quite unique. He does not integrate with natural Daos such as space and time or yin and yang, but rather follows the Heart Sword Dao, pouring all emotions into the sword—a pure sword cultivator.
According to what Eldest Senior Brother said, the path Emperor Xuan treads is akin to the Skill Sanctification realm Lu Chenzhou seeks—the ultimate goal is the Sword Saint.
Heart Sword Dao,
no sword surpasses with sword,
no move surpasses with move.
All the way to the very essence of Sword Dao.
After decades of searching and based on Tianxia’s intelligence, the caves of Zhou Sword Immortal, Hong Sword Immortal, and Huang Sword Immortal have all been located. However, the supreme treasures of Hong Sword Immortal and Huang Sword Immortal have yet to be claimed by anyone.
As for Emperor Xuan and Yu Sword Immortal?
Their caves’ whereabouts remain unknown.
...
"The Huang Sword Immortal’s trial? Fellow Daoist, do you wish to acquire the supreme treasure, the Nine-leaf Sword? That is far too difficult; the trial’s demands on talent and Sword Dao aptitude are extremely high. When it opened back then, there were over a hundred astounding Seventh Realm Sword Immortals from the Three Thousand Realms, and none managed to obtain the Pure Yang Sword in the end. Still, everyone reaped great rewards. I myself used the opportunity to step into the Eighth Realm."
The middle-aged man gazed at Lu Chenzhou with reminiscence. Many in Hanhai Sect had participated in the trial.
Lu Chenzhou learned that,
the Huang Sword Immortal’s trial was divided into two groups.
One was the Heavenly Realm group, which only required cultivation and proficiency in Sword Dao, minimum of the Seventh Realm. The other was the Mountain and Sea Group, which also had age restrictions. These two groups faced different modes of testing; if one passed, one could obtain the Huang Sword Immortal’s inheritance, but the inheritances were divided into Ordinary, Core, and Ultimate.
The ordinary inheritance granted random treasures left behind by Huang Sword Immortal, qualities ranging from Seventh to Eighth Rank. The middle-aged man was extremely lucky, winning an Eighth Rank Sword Dao Cultivation Method and an Eighth Rank rare treasure.
The core inheritance granted one of Huang Sword Immortal’s secret arts. Each of these is Ninth Rank, and reaching their utmost engenders a Sword Dao Great Divine Skill.
Long Yue obtained the "Bright Sun Killing Sword." Born with the Taiyin Sword Body, she paired this secret art with her innate talent—under Yin Yang Unity, her cultivation advanced a thousand miles in a single day.
Finally, the Ultimate Inheritance offered Huang Sword Immortal’s most powerful secret art, the "Extreme Yang Sword Scripture," and the supreme Nine-leaf Sword, along with two Great Power Opportunities that Huang Sword Immortal left for his successor before falling.
"Great Power Opportunities?"
Lu Chenzhou’s expression flickered with surprise.
The middle-aged man nodded and said:
"That’s right. According to the mythology of the Great Wilderness, Huang Sword Immortal was unlike the other Four Great Sword Immortals. Legend has it that, when the Great Wilderness first formed, he was just an inconspicuous blade of grass on Heavenly Yuan Mountain. Allegedly, he accidentally absorbed much divine blood and awakened spiritual intelligence, then—through endless eons, surviving countless Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations—at last proved the Dao to become a matchless plant True Spirit.
After becoming a True Spirit, Huang Sword Immortal refined his shed skin into a treasured sword, took on human form, and followed Emperor Xuan to cultivate the sword. Thus, the supreme treasure, the Nine-leaf Sword, was born. In terms of lifespan, Huang Sword Immortal was nigh divine.
He wandered all the realms, acquiring more treasures and opportunities than the other three Sword Immortals combined. All of this is stored in the cave of Huang Sword Immortal. That the inheritance of Sword Immortals in the Three Thousand Realms did not die out after the Divine War is related to Huang Sword Immortal’s cave opening every sixty years—a jiazi. Though Huang Sword Immortal has fallen, he still fosters new Sword Immortals for future generations.
Among all these opportunities, the most important are the two Great Power Opportunities that Huang Sword Immortal left behind.
They are—Nine-Rank Heaven and Earth Treasures, which can help cultivators of the Third Step survive the most perilous Grand Tribulation upon entry into the Nine Realms, thereby raising their odds of attaining Great Power.
Back then, Han Zhenjun, reputed as the Southern Heaven’s First Sword Immortal and unrivaled in strength in the Southern Boundary Domain, nearly cleared the Ultimate Inheritance Trial. Sadly, he fell short at the final moment. Han Zhenjun tried to overcome the great tribulation by his own power, but failed. Such was fate."
The middle-aged man sighed.
Han Zhenjun was the most dazzling Sword Immortal in ten thousand years, blessed with the bearing of a Great Power, idolized by countless Sword Immortals, and, alongside Kunxu Ancestor, known as the Crown Generation Dual Pride.
Both men had hopes to ascend to Great Power.
Yet the former has already failed.
Kunxu Ancestor, perhaps struck by the blow, has wandered the realms for millennia, seeking Great Power Opportunities, not daring to undergo tribulation lightly.
"Nine-Rank Heaven and Earth Treasures?"
Lu Chenzhou muttered.
These are exceedingly rare.
Even the World’s First Tower, said to possess every treasure under heaven, holds but two, and their exchange value is greater than that of a complete supreme treasure. In reality, for Third Step cultivators, supreme treasures are numerous, but Ninth Rank rarities are scarce. Supreme treasures are not consumables, so over the long years, many have been accumulated and handed down through the generations.
But Ninth Rank rarities—they’re just too rare.
There are only two places where such treasures can be born.
First, the Great Wilderness.
Second, a Great World.
Yet the chances of a Great World producing one are extremely low, and with each birth, that world is depleted and unable to bring forth another for a long time.
Nowadays the Great Wilderness is the headquarters of the Evil Gods and is all but entirely polluted—such treasures rarely emerge anymore.
In the Great Wilderness,
the Ninth Rank rare treasures are also called:
Treasure of Mastering Dao.
"No wonder Kunxu Ancestor would risk his life to accept missions to hunt Demigods. Ascending to Great Power is too hard, and even a senior with thousands of years of accumulation cannot be confident of success."
Lu Chenzhou murmured.
"Indeed. In some respects, our difficulty in advancing to Great Power exceeds that of ascending to godhood. Since ancient times, the Great Wilderness has produced only about twenty Great Powers... In my view, if not for the rules limiting us, every single Great Power would possess the potential for godhood!"
The middle-aged man was a little aggrieved.
At the side, Long Yue said with regret:
"It’s a pity Elder Lu doesn’t cultivate Sword Dao, or with your aptitude, you could surely clear the Ultimate Trial. Too few spear-wielding Great Powers—there’s only Emperor Zhan. But if you want to inherit Emperor Zhan’s legacy, you must pass eight thousand levels of the Star-Picking Tower, and that itself requires Great Power-level strength, without any aid from supreme treasures. How is that possible? Without external help, no matter how strong the Eighth Realm, one cannot budge a Great Power in the slightest. The difference here is ten times as great as that between the Eighth and peak Seventh Realm."
The chief of the Six Sons, Qiu Kuangyi, also said:
"Indeed, throughout history, there is almost always a peerless talent every ten thousand years who manages a Seventh Realm reverse assault on the Eighth Realm Great Power. But Eighth Realm against Great Power?"
He shook his head.
The level of difficulty is comparable to a Great Power slaying a True God—perhaps even harder, for there are some weak True Gods who possess nothing but divine authority, lacking in will.
But those who make it to Great Power?
Are any of them not High Miao in heart?
Are any not iron-willed?
Though Evil Gods like to equate Great Powers with Demigods, looking at their records, in fair one-on-one battle, ninety-nine percent of the time Great Powers win.
Lu Chenzhou smiled faintly.
"Indeed, there are few who walk the path of Spear Dao compared to Sword Dao, and so the road is much harder. Inheriting legacies left behind is even rarer."
His cultivation until now has relied solely on self-innovation.
Ordinary spear skill inheritances hold no appeal for him.
Great Power-level spear skills are out of reach.
Fortunately, he’s long been used to pioneering his own Dao.
The history of the Great Xia Martial Arts Dao is but ten thousand years; with no path ahead, the sages all set out thusly.
Lu Chenzhou returned to Aurora Palace.
He has no interest in swordsmanship inheritance.
But he was interested in the Great Power Opportunities within.
"Mountain and Sea Tower only has two Great Power Opportunities in all. With the strength as number one of the Eastern Extreme Territory, perhaps they’ll be redeemed before long, leaving nothing for me."
"Should I cultivate Sword Dao?"
Lu Chenzhou pondered.
Huang Sword Immortal’s cave would not open for several decades yet.
No hurry for this matter.
...
Several days flashed by in the blink of an eye.
In Ruins Sea, Lu Chenzhou thrusted his spear. The great spear darted like a dragon, enveloped in waves of Dao Essence, gathering into a twelve-colored Divine Lotus within the void.
"Twelve Tribulation Lotus!"
The Divine Lotus blossomed, each petal blazing with eerie green poison flames and blood-red fire, splitting into countless shards, corroding ten thousand miles around.
The blood moon hung upside down,
toxic mist covered the skies,
the petals were unstoppable, actually piercing through the Yaochi Immortal’s magnificent Divine Phoenix Immortal Armor.
In an instant, Yaochi Immortal was turned into a sieve.
Dao of Withering and Flourishing circulated in Lu Chenzhou’s palm, instantly healing Yaochi Immortal’s body to wholeness. He said:
"Thank you, Fairy, for being my sparring partner."
"You’re welcome. That spear was indeed powerful. The Divine Phoenix Immortal Armor is enough to withstand a Second Step expert’s strike, but you broke through it."
Yaochi Immortal inspected the holes around the armor—all of which were rapidly closing under Phoenix Power.
"Haha, I just acted on a whim and fused the Daos of Penetration, Blood Moon, and Severe Poison into the Martial God Spear. That way, on top of the Heavenly Tribulation Destruction Power that was already present, I’ve added more variability, making Tribulation Lotus deadlier and more durable. I only used seventy percent of my strength just now." Lu Chenzhou retrieved the Big Spear with a smile.
"If Military Leader used full force, I’d never be able to withstand it, not even with an Undying Body. Once I achieve the Undying realm, you’ll finally be able to fight to your heart’s content."
Yaochi Immortal joked.
The two returned to Aurora Palace.
Yaochi Immortal had gained perception from Lu Chenzhou’s strike and went into seclusion in hopes of making further progress.
Her current strength drew ever closer to Great Commander Level; only a single step away from comprehending a Sixth Rank Dao.
Lu Chenzhou gazed at the Martial Arts Tree.
[Please name your new spear skill]
"Martial God Spear."
[Martial God Spear: Perfection]
[Divine Skill: Twelve Tribulation Lotus]
[Quality: Thirty Patterns·Middle Grade]
[Level: Top Level (Seventh Realm)]
[Introduction: ...]
"This time, after deducing Martial God Spear up to an Eighth Rank Cultivation Technique, the quality of its Divine Skill advanced from twenty-seven to thirty patterns. Sure enough, innate quality means little—just keep honing your skill. What I fear is complacency, not advancing. Comparing it to the ’Six Nine Profound Transformation’ with its thirty-six patterns, ’Twelve Tribulation Lotus’ has a long way to go."
Lu Chenzhou sensed that, should a thirty-six-pattern divine skill be pushed to the ultimate, it would transcend the category of top divine skills and step into the realm of the divine.
"Lantuo Heart Sutra, Myriad Poison Scripture, Martial God Spear—I’ve created all three Eighth Rank Techniques. Now that the Divine Alliance has been driven from Mystic Sky, I must seize the peace before the storm to break through the Eighth Realm, else if Yan Ming enters the Third Step before me, it will be a serious setback for Tianxia."