Chapter 509: Chapter 420 Hope_2
We can only wait a little longer.
...
"The Three Immortal Courts control ’Dongning Realm’ and recruit and nurture Upper Immortals born in ’Dongning Realm’ for the sake of the two treasures left behind by Senior Starcloud."
"Yet despite searching for years, they have never managed to find them."
"Back when I obtained the treasure and achieved the External Realm, I wanted to leave ’Dongning Realm’ and cultivate in the Spirit Realm, but was forced back by Upper Immortals stationed outside ’Dongning Realm’ by the Three Immortal Courts."
"They even sent Upper Immortals born in Dongning Realm, carrying great treasures, back to their hometown to deal with me."
"So, I simply decided not to leave."
"Instead, I maneuvered against these Upper Immortals while focusing on cultivation. Only when I became a Heavenly Venerate did I draw my sword and fight my way out of Dongning Realm, all the way to Nine Heavens."
Wang Yan explained the origins and development of her conflict with the Three Immortal Courts to Chen Jichuan.
Chen Jichuan understood everything clearly now.
’Trial Sword Stone,’ and ’Seven Emotions Stele,’ treasures of such magnitude would tempt even an Immortal Venerable—no wonder the Three Immortal Courts had pursued her relentlessly and exhausted every strategy.
Unfortunately, realms like ’Dongning Realm’ were utterly off-limits to outsiders; only the Upper Immortals born in Dongning Realm were free to come and go as they pleased.
Wang Yan had endured patiently, staying within Dongning Realm until she cultivated to the Heavenly Venerate level before leaving. Coupled with the appearance of half-god artifacts in the Immortal Gate World, which diverted a substantial amount of the Three Immortal Courts’ attention, Wang Yan managed the unthinkable—fighting her way to the Nine Heavens’ heart.
The Three Immortal Courts were instantly stunned.
"Golden Light, Taiyin, Guangmu."
Chen Jichuan muttered the names of the Three Immortal Courts.
Even though Wang Yan spoke lightly of it, it sounded incredibly perilous to him.
Inside Dongning Realm, there were Upper Immortals holding great treasures pursuing her; outside Dongning Realm, the Three Immortal Courts were lying in wait. For a First or Second Realm Upper Immortal, this was practically a deadlock.
If Wang Yan hadn’t cultivated to the Heavenly Venerate level within Dongning Realm, even if she became an Eight-Pattern or Nine-Pattern Upper Immortal, she’d still be unable to break through the Three Immortal Courts’ blockade and would eventually die of natural limits within Dongning Realm.
By estimation, Wang Yan had reached Nine Heavens seven hundred years ago; at that time, she was already forty-seven thousand nine hundred years old and had been a Heavenly Venerate for less than two hundred years.
Which meant—
When Wang Yan became a Heavenly Venerate, she only had two to three hundred years left until her natural limit.
"That was too close!"
Chen Jichuan looked at Wang Yan, feeling a bit of residual fear.
Wang Yan, on the other hand, was indifferent. She said with pride, "The Three Immortal Courts can’t do anything to me now. My sword strikes fear into their hearts—over the years, I’ve slain Upper Immortals from the Three Immortal Courts until they are all cowed. Many Upper Immortals have even started defecting. Now, I have over forty thousand years left to live, and sooner or later, I’ll drag the Three Immortal Courts to ruin!"
Wang Yan neither felt bitter nor afraid; on the contrary, she seemed to enjoy herself immensely.
She had turned the Three Immortal Courts into her sharpening stone.
What doesn’t kill her only makes her stronger.
"Good!"
"Once my injuries recover, you battle them in Nine Heavens, while I tackle them in the Immortal Gate World. Together as husband and wife, we’ll annihilate these Three Immortal Courts!"
Chen Jichuan, seeing his wife’s high fighting spirit, felt his own ambitions surging up as well.
Here in Chongming Realm, he could not yet compare to Wang Yan, and his threat to the Three Immortal Courts was limited. However, in the Immortal Gate World, he was unmatched. It would be child’s play for him to ruin their tens of millennia of foundations.
But whether in Nine Heavens or the Immortal Gate World, those plans would need to wait.
The couple had only just reunited and were deeply affectionate; nothing could distract their attention now. Chen Jichuan was also heavily injured and needed time to recover, so Wang Yan stayed to accompany him in the mountain.
Neither cared about the affairs outside the mountain; they spent every day inseparably, talking endlessly.
Forty thousand years apart—the two were eager to make up for lost time.
The joy of reunion was long-lasting; before they knew it, two hundred years had passed.
...
Tuota Peak.
Chen Jichuan appeared weak and bedridden, while Wang Yan’s aura surged ever upward, sharp as Sword Qi, radiating an edge.
After a long while—
Wang Yan’s aura finally calmed down, becoming spiritually restrained.
She rose to her feet, her face full of delight.
"Fifth-Step Tier!"
"The tenth technique of the ’Seven Emotions Magic Sword’ is mastered as well."
Wang Yan approached Chen Jichuan, her eyes shining brightly. "Husband, this ’Enlightenment’ of yours is truly amazing, simply..."
She was at a loss for words to describe it.
Twelve hundred years ago, she had advanced to Fourth Realm Heavenly Venerate. During the first nine hundred years, even while using the Three Immortal Courts as a sharpening stone, her progress had been limited. Her cultivation had remained in the first tier of the Fourth Realm, relying entirely on the ’Starcloud Sword’ and her ’Seven Emotions Magic Sword’ Divine Skill to maneuver among Heavenly Venerates.
Yet in the two hundred years since reuniting with Chen Jichuan, her cultivation had repeatedly broken through—
Second Tier.
Third Tier.
Fourth Tier.
Fifth Tier.
She ascended four tiers in succession, advancing to mid-stage Heavenly Venerate as if breaking through barriers effortlessly. Even among the many Heavenly Venerates atop Nine Heavens in Chongming Realm, she now stood among the mid-tier ranks.
Her greatest weakness had been compensated for.
Take Wanying Venerable.
Or Shanhua Venerable.
Though they bore the title of Immortals in the Immortal Gate World and had lived for twenty or thirty thousand years, their cultivation levels still fell short of Wang Yan’s current status.
Not only did her cultivation improve dramatically—
Wang Yan’s Divine Skills had seen progress as well.
Through the ’Miss Thought Sword’ of the Seven Emotions Magic Sword, she entered the Dao, becoming invincible above and below. With her reunion with Chen Jichuan, the ’Joyful Law Sword’ also underwent breakthroughs.
The tenth technique of the ’Seven Emotions Magic Sword’ was completed effortlessly.
This represented a Second Level of Divine Power. Even among the Immortal Venerables of the Eight Immortal Courts, few had reached such heights.
With Heavenly Venerate Fifth Layer cultivation and the Second Level ’Seven Emotions Magic Sword,’ Wang Yan now possessed strength enough to challenge figures like Yu Ming Immortal Venerable.
This explosive progress within two short centuries left Wang Yan both astonished and elated.
She had never experienced such an exhilarating cultivation journey.
"This is also due to your profound accumulation—releasing everything at once now has allowed for rapid breakthroughs."
"Ascending to the Heavenly Venerate Fifth Layer isn’t your limit; breaking further into the Four Realms won’t be too difficult."
"But achieving the fifth-order might prove much harder."
Over the past two hundred years, Chen Jichuan had performed ’Enlightenment’ on Wang Yan over a hundred times. He understood her cultivation and foundation deeply. After forty-eight thousand years of relentless effort to cultivate to the Heavenly Venerate level, Wang Yan was richly accumulated and extraordinarily experienced. As such, when subjected to ’Enlightenment,’ she was able to unleash immense potential in a short period of time.
The accumulation was like firewood, and enlightenment was the spark.
The more firewood, the brighter the fire burned.
Wang Yan, with her forty-eight thousand years of preparation, was set ablaze, entering a state resembling non-stop epiphany over the span of two hundred years.
Heavenly Venerate Fifth Layer?
This was far from her true limit.
"Yes!"
"With Husband’s help, I have confidence to aim for the fifth-order and transcend life and death!"
Wang Yan’s resolve was unshakable, her eyes brimming with determination.
Previously, such thoughts had seemed out of reach.
After all, for millions of years within Chongming Realm, countless Upper Immortals had come and gone. Many of them ascended to Heavenly Venerate status, but none had ever transcended life and death to achieve the fifth-order.
Bixia Immortal Venerable.
Golden Light Immortal Venerable.
Yu Ming Immortal Venerable.
The Eight Immortal Courts’ eight Immortal Venerables had tread the same path towards the pinnacle of the Heavenly Venerate stage. The Nine Layers Immortal Light transformed into levels of ascension, and all eight had climbed to the summit—yet still fell short of breaking through to True Immortal status.
But they refused to give up, seeking life in death through the True Spirit Seal Immortal Sect, gambling everything on one final chance.
For tens of thousands of years, they pursued relentlessly.
Nine Heavens, Immortal Gate World—all of them fought and schemed, enduring hardships and torments unimaginable.
Achieving transcendence was simply too difficult.
Wang Yan had reached Four Realms near her natural limit and was considered mediocre in potential among Heavenly Venerates. Even her primary aids in cultivation, the ’Trial Sword Stone’ and ’Golden Wind Jade Dew,’ had lost effectiveness once she entered the Heavenly Venerate stage.
The hope of transcending Four Tier was slim at best.
Yet now, everything had changed.
"The fifth-order is rumored to grant immortality, transcending life and death, escaping Samsara as a figure of Great Power."
Wang Yan was filled with longing. If she could achieve eternal life, even if she and her husband were separated again, she would never have to worry about life and death keeping them apart—reunion would always be possible.
"Fifth-order."
"There is hope."
Chen Jichuan was equally expectant.
Relying on the True Spirit Seal Immortal Sect to stave off death carried risks. Chen Jichuan hoped Wang Yan could transcend before her natural limit arrived, instead of gambling on an uncertain outcome at Immortal Sect.
This goal was challenging.
But with ’Enlightenment,’ the chances were promising.
...