The Transmission Tower, Eighth Floor.
Bowe floated at the center of the eighth-floor pavilion, surrounded by countless red and blue spheres, each suspended in the air.
Inside each sphere, historical images flickered.
Countless threads extended from within the spheres, merging into Bowe's body.
It was hard to tell how long he had been absorbing the energy, but suddenly, the Five Elements Dao imprint on Bowe's forehead disappeared, replaced by a new imprint symbolizing the Dao of Time and Space.
The Tongshi Mirror floated in the distance. Zhixin, as the spirit of the mirror, watched this scene from within the mirror.
As the spirit of the Tongshi Mirror, Zhixin naturally possessed the ability to recognize all Dao methods.
At a certain point during the absorption, the blue sphere began to turn red from the outermost layer, and the threads quickly shot toward the center where Bowe was.
"Whoosh!"
Zhixin controlled the Tongshi Mirror and, just before this unique red light struck Bowe, placed the mirror in front of him.
"Vroom!"
The red light was immediately reflected by the Tongshi Mirror, swept back, and returned to the original light sphere, faintly accompanied by an unwilling roar.
The Tongshi Mirror trembled as Bowe's body shook. He opened his eyes from his meditation.
"Master, you saved me again."
"It was the Tongshi Mirror that saved you." Zhixin shook his head.
As a divine artifact of the Academy, the Tongshi Mirror's first ability was its law recognition—any spell under its gaze could not escape, revealing its essence. If used to disguise something, it would be the strongest disguise in the world.
The second ability was to rebound attacks, and it could even rebound divine power unchanged.
"Bowe, you cannot continue like this, you will die." Zhixin said sternly. "The power of the Tongshi Mirror also has a limit. It's getting more difficult for you to pass through a True Spirit Tribulation, and if the strength of the True Spirit Tribulation surpasses the Tongshi Mirror's power, you will die sooner or later."
"Difficult? That only proves that I'm on the right path." Bowe pondered. "To break the limitations of scholars, I must take extraordinary actions. I'm triggering the True Spirit Tribulation from every historical timeline, and each time I survive one, I get one step closer to the Divine Realm."
Zhixin fell silent, as Bowe's cultivation had already surpassed his understanding.
Initiating the True Spirit Tribulation and using the Transmission Tower to traverse through historical timelines, triggering the True Spirit Tribulation at different times, no past Elder of the Academy had ever done this.
"Master, watch this."
Bowe reached into the Tongshi Mirror and pulled out a rabbit beast from the Origin Realm, holding it in his arms.
Bowe gently stroked the rabbit beast, and in the blink of an eye, the white rabbit vanished, erased without a trace.
Zhixin's pupils shrank.
Because Bowe had violated a very serious scholar taboo: the killing of life.
It was said that killing a living being would incur cosmic punishment upon the scholar, causing life to swiftly fade and their talent to disappear.
The higher the life level of the being killed, the faster the fade.
If Bowe had killed a semi-divine being of the same level, he would have immediately perished after killing it.
But now, Bowe showed no change.
"Did you…" Zhixin couldn't help but be shocked.
"Yes, Master, I am very close to breaking the limitations now." Bowe smiled and nodded.
"To what extent?" Zhixin asked urgently.
"Below the Reincarnation Realm, I can erase life without any consequences."
Zhixin was struck with immense shock, having never encountered such a situation. Could Bowe really be breaking the scholar's limitations?
If a scholar could break their limitations, with the scholar's omnipotent talent, how high would the Academy reach?
"Is it because it is the key to breaking the limitations that the sages hid it in the Eighth Law Realm?" Zhixin muttered. "There must be another reason."
Bowe's gaze fell on the light sphere. "I triggered the True Spirit Tribulation, and apart from the True Spirit Tribulation, there is also divine power attacking me. Did you hear that roar, Master?"
"No," Zhixin recalled, but didn't sense anything.
Bowe didn't explain further. He merely looked up at the starry sky, lost in thought. "Master, if I'm not mistaken, the Ninth Law Realm spoken of in the Academy's legends is the Ninth Floor of the Transmission Tower. And I have already found the hope to enter."
Zhixin's gaze also shifted upward, but all he saw was darkness. "Where is this hope?"
Bowe flipped his hand, and a book appeared, its cover filled with stars, with lines of gray cracks intersecting it—an ancient book.
The Xuanling History Book!
Bowe said, "The Eighth Law Realm of the Academy holds one-third of the fragments of the Xuanling History Book. After I captured the starry historians of the entire Xuanling Star Domain, I took the opportunity presented by the Transmission Tower to obtain some of the fragments from various major forces."
"I currently have about half of the Xuanling History Book fragments from the Five Emperors era to the present."
"Just half, and it's probably still not enough." Zhixin shook his head. "The remaining part is in the hands of the superpowers. You will never get it. Even if you go under the guise of research, places like the Primordial Heavenly Palace or the Reincarnation Divine Temple may let you visit to view it, but they won't allow you to bring it back to the Academy."
"I discovered a secret after opening the Eighth Law Realm." Bowe said, "I only need to obtain half of the Xuanling History Book, and then copy the remaining half using the Tongshi Mirror. I'll break the Tongshi Mirror as a trade-off, and urgently open the Ninth Realm."
"As long as I ascend to the Ninth Floor, what I hold will be the true one, and what they hold will be fake."
"What?" Zhixin was stunned. This was the first time he had heard this secret.
"Every timeline, all-encompassing, omniscient. At that time, I won't need the Tongshi Mirror, and I won't even need the Transmission Tower." Bowe spread his arms and closed his eyes. "This is the method I've thought of for a scholar to achieve divinity."
In the Xuanling Star Domain, inside a barren planet near the Black Sky Barren Domain.
"Splash~"
A black palace suddenly emerged from the molten river inside the planet, quickly merging with the surrounding lava.
In front of the grand hall stood a stone tablet with four large characters engraved on it—Shadow Holy Hall.
As the Shadow Holy Hall appeared, a young man dressed in dark armor with gravel scattered across his shoulders opened his eyes. He put away the token in his hand, stood up.
He stood up, as if a sword was drawn from its sheath. As the tip of his sword swept past the silver threads of his collar, it even left fine ripples in the space around him.
"Whoosh!" A man in a black robe emerged from the Shadow Holy Hall, his attitude very respectful. "Greetings, Bamboo Sword Master. Have you summoned the Holy Hall for a task?"
The Bamboo Sword Master had maintained a 100% mission completion rate in the Shadow Holy Hall, so his treatment was very high. He had the privilege to summon a branch hall of the Holy Hall for meetings.
The Bamboo Sword Master had not taken action for a long time. Throughout the entire 2nd Era of the Wasteland Domain, he had been isolated, seemingly trying to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Divine Realm in seclusion.
"I've taken on the task of the Li Huo Divine Sword," the Bamboo Sword Master said lightly. "Please provide the information from the Holy Hall."
"Understood." The man in black robe cupped his hands and waved his hand, causing an image to appear on the upper layer of the lava.
"The employer's offered reward is the Li Huo Divine Sword. The task is to capture a Shennong from the Empire's Original Realm. The target must remain alive and be handed over to the employer."
"His name is Zhao Xing, and he has risen within the past ten thousand years." The black-robed man continued. "He was originally a member of a native kingdom that ascended from the sinking Luo Wasteland, but later he rapidly rose to power, even involving a secret matter. If you are interested—"
"I am not interested. Get to the point." The Bamboo Sword Master interrupted, as a sword Dao semi-god, he had no interest in anything other than achieving godhood.
He didn't care about the rules set by the superpowers of the Xuanling Star Domain, so who Zhao Xing was or what his background was, none of that mattered to him.
"Understood." The black-robed man stopped wasting time and said directly, "It is known that the target broke through to the Reincarnation Realm over a hundred years ago—"
"Just recently broke through the Reincarnation Realm?" The Bamboo Sword Master furrowed his brows and interrupted again. "Is that all? How could they offer a divine artifact's price for someone like him?"
"The target is a cultivator of the Primordial Avatar." The black-robed man explained. "And upon just breaking through, he already possesses an Emperor-level internal world."
"I see." The Bamboo Sword Master finally understood. It was easy to kill a Primordial Avatar cultivator, but capturing one alive would be difficult.
The Primordial Avatar could switch places with the main body at any time. Furthermore, such a genius would likely have protection.
Even if he had just broken through the Reincarnation Realm, offering such a price was completely reasonable.
"Currently, he is exploring the Yanxing Ancient Road. During his exploration, he uncovered a group of relics from an unknown era, which he sold to the War God Hall—"
"We can confirm that the target has now entered a place called the 'Bai Han Realm.' It is rumored that there is a semi-divine Shennong's cave dwelling there. However, it seems there has been some unexpected development."
"Unexpected development?" The Bamboo Sword Master asked.
"Originally, the Empire's Heavenly Master's Mansion speculated that it was the Shennong Cave, but upon entering, they discovered that it wasn't entirely as expected. The cave also contains a medical Dao trial."
"Can you confirm that his main body is inside?"
"Absolutely confirmed. We didn't use the Fate Master to calculate, but used the perception provided by another Primordial Avatar cultivator to determine the location." The black-robed man explained. "This is irrefutable."
"How long has he been inside?" The Bamboo Sword Master asked. He needed to prepare, because if Zhao Xing had been inside for a long time, he might not be there anymore by the time he arrived.
"Only about a year."
The Bamboo Sword Master nodded. "Get me a spot for the relics and a legal identity disguise. How long will it take?"
The black-robed man remained silent for about three hours before replying, "The fastest would be six months."
"Notify me in six months."
"Understood."
Bai Han Realm, the vast land stretched far and wide, with a huge gateway standing on the plains.
Behind the gate, dark clouds gathered, as if an inky blackness could never dissolve.
"Whoosh~"
Green raindrops fell from the sky.
Zhao Xing stood in front of the gate, looking at the dark clouds and green rain, unable to help but furrow his brows.
"A shadowy figure of a short, white-haired elder appeared as a projection on the gate."
"To obtain the legacy, one must pass through this gate."
"Each trial you pass will reward you with a treasure left behind by me."
"Other than that, there is no other way."
He kept repeating the same words.
Zhao Xing frowned. Due to certain reasons, he had been delayed and arrived half a year late, but he had gained more information in the meantime.
At this moment, in front of the first gate, there were still three Emperor-level beings.
One of them, Zhao Xing recognized.
"Lord Ji Feng, have you tried this trial?"
Ji Feng, the grandfather of Bai Li Yang, and Bai Li Yang was Zhao Xing's partner. Ji Feng's spot had been purchased from Zhao Xing.
"I've tried it." Ji Feng opened his eyes from meditation.
"This is the first trial set by Bai Han Zun."
"But it's different from what the Heavenly Master's Mansion had imagined. The trial of this semi-divine involves other paths."
"Bai Han Zun is skilled in both medical and farming Dao."
Zhao Xing nodded. This confirmed the Heavenly Master's Mansion's initial speculation.
Why was there only a sixty percent chance that it was a Shennong? Because Bai Han Zun was not just a Shennong; he was also an accomplished doctor.
After reaching the semi-divine realm, if there was no breakthrough ahead, it was likely that they would cultivate other paths to seek a breakthrough.
This method of blending the medical Dao and the farming Dao had some similarities.
"Zhao Xing, these trials are a bit strange. Some even say that Bai Han Zun is a demon Shennong." Ji Feng looked at the green rain falling from behind the gate, a look of caution flashing across his face.
"That rainwater is not ordinary rain. It's medicinal."
"Many people fell in the first trial. If you must enter, be careful. Don't inhale the medicinal water. If unnecessary, avoid absorbing spiritual energy within the trial."
Medicinal water? This kind of spell wasn't new.
It was just combining the Cloud and Rain method with a doctor's pill technique. But to be able to trouble so many powerful cultivators of this era, it was indeed quite miraculous.
Ji Feng was the Grand Elder of Moonview Valley; what kind of Cloud and Rain techniques hadn't he seen? Yet, he also said this first trial was troublesome.
"Thank you for the reminder, senior." Zhao Xing cupped his hands and stepped into the gate.
Splash~
Heavy rain poured down, falling from the sky.
Zhao Xing raised his world projection, creating a unique space around him.
"Whoosh~"
The green raindrops fell onto the boundary walls of his inner world. The terrifying force of the Dao continuously collided with the thin barrier, gradually eroding and seeping through.
"My inner world is so powerful, yet it can still be penetrated?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised.
After his primordial space transformed into the inner world, the inner world of the Shennong of his sect was a natural protective barrier.
Therefore, whenever engaging in battle, he would first activate his inner world and then summon his army.
His inner world was strong enough to give birth to god-level primal beings, and yet it could still be penetrated through a thin layer. It was truly unfathomable.
"As expected, this is a semi-divine technique."
Zhao Xing's thoughts moved, and he allowed a droplet of rainwater to enter.
"Whoosh~"
The green droplet fell toward the primal ocean in his inner world.
Zhao Xing carefully controlled it, beginning to analyze its components.
Meanwhile, his true self continued to fly through the rain.
At this moment, the benefits of his cultivation in three paths became apparent.
Zhao Xing had a powerful inner world, and this alone was enough to pass the first trial.
But if he were just a pure Heavenly Timing School Emperor, dealing with the Cloud and Rain trials would be very troublesome. He would only be able to resist with the same Cloud and Rain method.
Competition among the same type of cultivators was difficult to overcome for a semi-divine being.
Thus, Lord Ji Feng, even after progressing halfway, had no choice but to withdraw.
"I feel like the components in this raindrop are somewhat familiar."
After flying for about three days, Zhao Xing suddenly heard a voice.
"Hahaha, I'm about to become a god!"
"What Wasteland Domain, what Demon Tribe, I've solved them all!"
"Jue Ming Emperor, get a hold of yourself!"
"How dare you! Call me Jue Ming Divine Lord!"
Two martial artists appeared ahead.
One of them had already been washed by the rain, and only his golden bones remained, resembling a skeleton.
His golden body aura was tainted with a touch of green.
The other martial artist, an Emperor of the Sword Sect, was in a better state. A sword formation surrounded him, blocking the rainwater.
"It's Jue Ming Emperor and Lan Gong Emperor."
Zhao Xing immediately recognized them. These were two martial artists from the Ancient Kingdom Alliance.
One belonged to the Qi Sect, and the other to the Sword Sect.
"What are you doing? You're going to die!" Lan Ze Emperor cursed loudly, while adjusting his own head.
He had just tried to wake up 'Jue Ming Emperor,' but was slapped away by the latter, causing his head to twist uncontrollably. After he adjusted his head, he started to curse.
"Heavens! Jue Ming, you're going to burn yourself alive! Stop this at once!"
"Lan Gong, in the past I addressed you as Dao Brother. Now that I've become a god, you no longer have any respect. Be careful, or I won't be so polite."
The burning skeleton was completely unaware and instead was dissatisfied with Lan Gong Emperor's attitude.
One was trying to save, the other already mad with magic. Soon, they began fighting in the rain.
However, the heavy rain severely affected their performance. Once their martial techniques left their bodies, their power was greatly weakened. It looked more like a weird dance in the rain.
Zhao Xing silently watched for a while, then continued forward. As he advanced, the influence of the rain grew stronger.
"Each raindrop falling now carries an impact almost equal to an Emperor's strike. The rain hits the ground, creating a poisonous domain."
"Furthermore, this Cloud and Rain method not only combines with the medical Dao."
"The Rain method has created layers of space barriers. It is impossible to use any escaping techniques—it's truly a path where there is no way up to the heavens, and no door to the earth."
Zhao Xing looked at the dark clouds, within which he faintly saw a green sun star and a lunar star suspended.
Looking closely, they were actually two pills rotating!
"Dan 化 Yin and Yang, Cloud and Rain form a realm. With the combination of three techniques, a law domain has been created. The methods of a semi-divine are truly terrifying."
"At the semi-divine level, the techniques manifest as if an entire world is running, forming their own laws. This is the ability of a semi-divine."
"Emperors of the Reincarnation Realm can at most manifest a law domain, but it cannot integrate naturally and form a 'law realm.'"
"Of course, Zhao Xing used a divine object to open his inner world, which, in some sense, allows him to resist the law domain, but still, it cannot avoid being penetrated. His Hunyuan realm technique is not perfected, and the Dao in his inner world is still incomplete."
Zhao Xing thought that, aside from enduring, he had no other way to resist the green rainwater.
He continued on for another half month.
Finally, part of the medicinal effect in the green droplets of rainwater was analyzed.
Most of the medicinal ingredients were extracted from plant life. Zhao Xing had practiced alongside Gu Luo and learned the Primal Spirit technique, which allowed him to study the source of life and its division.
"I understand now."
"The green medicinal water actually contains the ingredients of the Dao Xuan Pill!"
Zhao Xing finally understood why Jue Ming Emperor had gone mad and fallen into some kind of illusion, even though he hadn't sensed any illusion.
The reason was that Jue Ming Emperor was hallucinated by the drug.
"After taking the Dao Xuan Pill, one falls into a false 'attainment' illusion."
"Floating like an immortal, that's what the Dao Xuan Pill does."
"This thing is extremely dangerous. The highest level Dao Xuan Pill even causes semi-divines to become addicted. Their willpower is shattered, and they can no longer cultivate. Their golden bodies gradually weaken, so it is classified as a forbidden medicinal ingredient."
Zhao Xing's eyes flashed with caution. Using the Dao Xuan Pill ingredients to create a law realm, this Shennong of the Heavenly Timing School was undoubtedly a taboo magic Shennong.
"Scatter!"
Zhao Xing repelled the rainwater and stopped his analysis.
About half a year after passing the trial, he finally flew out of the rain curtain.
Suddenly, the sky cleared up, the sun shone brightly, and the ground was no longer full of holes, but a vast green grassland.
"Congratulations, you have passed the first trial."
The voice of Bai Han Zun came from the grassland.
Zhao Xing lowered his head and saw that on the tender grass of the grassland, every blade had the face of Bai Han Zun appearing, shouting towards the dark sky.
Countless blades of grass also formed a much larger face on the grassland.
"You may receive a reward, a choice, a fateful person."
"There are a total of ten trillion blades of grass here, each corresponding to a reward. Among them, seven are the best rewards. Similarly, there are ten million with nothing."
"Whether you can draw the prize depends on your luck."
"Luck is also part of my way of selecting disciples!"
Luck? Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned.
Indeed, looking at the appearance, all the blades of grass seemed identical. Out of the ten trillion, only seven were the best, so what kind of luck would it take to pick one?
"Fate is my fate, this is indeed a test the Heavenly Timing School could come up with," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The Earth Path Sect and the Primordial Path Sect had no sects related to metaphysics, but the Heavenly Timing School did.
For example, the Moonwatch Valley was a place where the "Moon Farmer" sect had tied fate with the way of Shennong.
"Then I'll pick one at random," Zhao Xing casually picked a blade of grass.
"Congratulations, you've drawn the grand prize," Bai Han Zun's voice echoed from the root of the grass in his hand.
Zhao Xing was slightly stunned.
He picked randomly and got the grand prize?
With his 16th rank of fortune, this was only considered mid-level in the Reincarnation Realm. Emperor-level fortune was generally above the 20th rank.
"Boom!"
Just as Zhao Xing was expecting a grand prize, the grass root suddenly exploded.
Along with it came a mocking laugh.
"Where's the grand prize?"
Zhao Xing stared, realizing a moment later that he had been tricked.
The "grand prize" that Bai Han Zun had mentioned was actually a taunt. He had drawn one of the ten million empty ones!
"Damn!"
Zhao Xing cursed inwardly.
But he quickly adjusted his mindset and moved on to the second trial.
The second trial involved entering through a black hole formed by the large mouth on the grassland.
"Looks like this semi-divine also knows the life array techniques."
The space changed, and in the blink of an eye, Zhao Xing felt his feet touch the ground, appearing in another space.
There were many floating islands in this new space. Each island was shrouded by thunderclouds, with stars revolving above them.
"The second trial, the Extreme Star Floating Islands." Suddenly, a face appeared under his feet—it was Bai Han Zun's visage. "Each floating island is undergoing drastic changes, which is a result of the life Dao array I've combined with medical techniques."
"The floating islands are divided into six layers. On the sixth layer, if one forcefully breaks through, the intensity of the changes could kill any Emperor."
Zhao Xing gazed into the distance and saw that the floating islands were indeed divided into layers. There were only three islands on the sixth layer.
"Each floating island contains a version of the Life Dao Chart, which encapsulates all kinds of races from the realm of Ding Zhou. Even if you're not a Shennong, comprehending this will be extremely beneficial, allowing one to understand powerful techniques!"
"If you can reach the sixth layer, you will pass the second trial."
"The best rewards in the second trial are on the three islands on the sixth layer. They are Life Dao Charts at the semi-divine level."
Zhao Xing raised his eyebrows. The Life Dao Chart was a term used by medical practitioners. Through the cruel process of dissecting life, the Dao of the life being was drawn in a complete manner.
To do this, one would need to repeatedly disassemble the life form, but not kill it immediately. For example, if the target was a martial artist, one would first extract the tendons and marrow, dismantle the bones, then heal the target.
A complete Life Dao Chart required the target to endure being tortured for millions of years before finally dying.
"So many floating islands, Bai Han Zun must have dismantled countless golden body cultivators," Zhao Xing thought with a chill in his heart.
He had now seen a true hellish figure—this was the real demon!
"Roar!!"
At that moment, a painful howl suddenly came from ahead.
Zhao Xing quickly looked over and saw a martial artist of the Emperor-level Qi Sect on a floating island in the fifth layer. His golden body aura dissipated, and his body began to swell, transforming into a monstrous creature with spikes and eyes. Only his head remained in its original form.
When Zhao Xing saw the figure clearly, he was shocked.
"Is that... the Heavenly Martial Emperor from the Primordial Heaven Palace?"
Hiss~
Zhao Xing involuntarily inhaled sharply.
The Heavenly Martial Emperor had faced a joint attack from four demon tribe Emperors on the Void Ancestor's Shell without sustaining much injury. But now, he had been turned into a monster by Bai Han Zun's trial?
"Bai Han Zun, can I quit halfway?"
"You tell me," Bai Han Zun's voice sneered. "Heh, you dare come and challenge my inheritance trial without preparing for death?"
"Once you come in, you either live to pass the sixth layer, or die here. There's no other way."
Zhao Xing nodded.
He tried to sense his True Self's Primordial Avatar and found that although his True Self could still sense the Avatar's presence, he couldn't complete a distance jump.
Facing the semi-divine's arrangements, his Primordial Avatar, without the Emperor-level strength, couldn't escape through teleportation techniques.
However, being able to send a message outside already proved how formidable the Primordial Avatar was. After all, here he couldn't even open his inner world.
There was no doubt that this was a much larger law domain, one that isolated space.
His inner world, being a form of space, naturally couldn't be opened.
Yet, he could still vaguely sense the Avatar through space, laying the groundwork for communication.
He immediately instructed his Avatar to warn the challengers outside not to rashly enter the second trial.
Because once inside, it was either death or passing the trial. There were no other options.
The news of the Heavenly Martial Emperor succumbing to the trial and turning into a monster shocked many.
It made those martial artists who had thought they could rely on their thick skin to join the trial think twice.
"How many people have already entered the second trial?" Meng Wu asked after seeing the message, turning to the Mo Shu Emperor beside him.
"Before the warning was sent out, forty-two people had already entered the second trial," Mo Shu Emperor replied. "Among them, twenty-three are Shennong, including the Summer Palace Master from the Four Seasons Palace, the Black Sea Emperor from the Scaled Sea Alliance, the Dog Star Emperor from the Ziwu Heavenly Temple, and the Director of the Divine Blossom Dao Institute, the Thousand Willows Emperor."
"There are eleven warriors, including Tianwu Emperor, Yang Li Emperor, and Hu An Emperor—"
"There are eight physicians—"
"What happened after the warning was issued?" Meng Wu asked.
"Over one hundred people." Mo Shu Emperor replied, expressionless.
Since Fu Zhi Emperor acquired the divine artifact from the Ling Luo Realm, it had sparked immense enthusiasm. Originally, only 100 names for the claws were available, which were barely enough.
People were willing to pay money to buy names for claws, and both the War God Temple and Zhao Xing were happy to accommodate, so many more names for claws were created, far surpassing 100.
"It would have been fine if the warning wasn't issued, but now that it has been, there are even more people." Meng Wu Emperor sighed, "They really have no fear of death."
When the news hadn't spread, not many people showed up, but now, with the news out...
"Divine artifacts drive people mad." Mo Shu Emperor said, "The difficulty of the Bai Han Realm's trials is so great that only a capable semi-god could set them up, so the chances of a divine artifact appearing are high."
The first trial was about the transformation of yin and yang into a realm through cloud and rain. It's clear that Bai Han's strength is tremendous; the stronger the semi-god, the greater the likelihood of possessing a divine artifact.
So, Zhao Xing's warning not only failed to have the desired effect, but it also attracted even more people!
"People die for money, birds die for food. The warning has already been issued. How they choose is up to them." Meng Wu Emperor said with some insight. "No need to worry about them anymore, just keep an eye on their movements."
In the Bai Han Realm, on the first layer of the floating islands, as soon as Zhao Xing stepped in, he felt an invisible pressure accumulate between heaven and earth.
Boom!
The skies cleared, and the yin and yang were separated. Zhao Xing, positioned on the lower level, felt the air around him turn extremely cold.
The transformation array immediately pressed down on him, and waves of cold air began to invade, causing the hair on his arms and jawline to grow uncontrollably.
"Blue Flower mana, mustard seed domain!"
Zhao Xing deployed the mustard seed domain and used Blue Flower mana, immediately nullifying the effects of the cold air.
"The first floating island's transformation is only an external influence. By using Blue Flower and mustard seed domains, I can easily withstand it." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"However, at the fifth layer, even Tianwu Emperor couldn't withstand it, so clearly the transformation array on the extreme star floating islands is getting stronger."
"To avoid being killed by the transformation array, there are only two ways."
"One is to comprehend the life dao diagrams presented on the floating islands. Bai Han also mentioned that powerful secret techniques can be derived from these life dao diagrams, perhaps enabling one to counter the transformation."
"The second is to improve one's own transformation method."
The transformation array, in the end, creates an environment for killing, an induced transformation from external factors.
In the internal battles of the Heavenly Timing School's Shennong, the best way to counter the external transformation array is to use an internal transformation method, i.e., 'shapeshifting.'
"As long as the stability after transformation exceeds that of the external transformation array, it won't be destroyed." A thought crossed Zhao Xing's mind.
He immediately cast "Demon Ape Transformation."
"Roar!"
After a flash of light, Zhao Xing transformed into a black-furred demon ape.
"Normal transformation magic, turning into a demon ape, still isn't enough to counter the floating island's transformation."
The oppressive feeling didn't dissipate. On the contrary, after transforming into a demon ape and removing the mustard seed domain, the coldness increased once again.
"Transform again!"
Zhao Xing's aura changed suddenly, his Blue Flower mana surged and enveloped his body, strengthening the demon ape form. His body grew larger, his muscles and skin tightened, and the surrounding aura turned a faint green.
"By using Blue Flower mana to cast the demon ape transformation, I don't need the mustard seed domain, and I can easily resist the first layer's transformation array."
"If I use the 'Blue Flower Demon Ape Transformation,' I would be roughly comparable to a mid-level Emperor." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Without using Blue Flower mana for the transformation, he would likely be comparable to the peak of a Lord.
The demon ape transformation, enhanced by Blue Flower mana, allowed him to reach mid-level Emperor strength.
"What about the Furen Demon Ape Transformation?" Zhao Xing wondered, attempting his third transformation.
"Roar!"
A violent aura burst from his body. His black-furred demon ape form turned into a pink-furred one, his size shrinking further, but his muscles became even more exaggerated.
"This isn't right, this can't be the third transformation." Zhao Xing clenched his fists. "While the Furen Demon Ape Transformation increases my attack power to the late Emperor stage, it sacrifices defense and flexibility. In countering the transformation array, it's actually weaker than the Blue Flower Demon Ape Transformation."
"The real third transformation should be a fusion of Blue Flower mana and Furen energy, then using the demon ape transformation." Zhao Xing reverted to the Blue Flower Demon Ape form and walked across the floating island.
Each floating island contained a life dao diagram at its center, and it wasn't hard to find.
The first layer of the transformation array was approximately at the early Emperor stage, and Zhao Xing easily reached the center of the array.
Crack, crack, crack～
A flash of lightning flickered.
The cloud layer above the center of the floating island suddenly cracked open, with sunlight shining down, and a canvas began to form.
"The first life dao diagram is of a human at the Emperor level."
Zhao Xing maintained the Demon Ape Transformation, sitting cross-legged as the canvas slowly unfolded. In his eyes, it was as if he saw an ancient martial artist at the Emperor level being dissected in front of him. Every inch of skin, every bone's dao pattern, was revealed in a unique form.
He could even see how the martial artist's qi and blood flowed through every point, how the golden bones were forged, including what body treasures were discovered during the Origin Realm phase.
"A fine level of life display, it not only shows the martial arts but also pure dao manifestation." Zhao Xing couldn't help but marvel. "Although Bai Han is no longer human, his ability to create life dao diagrams is truly impressive."
Normally, even if a martial artist is willing to show everything about themselves, others may not fully understand or appreciate it. But in the form of a life dao diagram, it becomes more understandable.
In other words, Bai Han understands them even better than the person being dissected.
"This is a great opportunity. I can use this to improve the Demon Ape Transformation. With so many floating islands, if I could obtain the life dao diagrams of the Heavenly Timing School's Shennong, the imbalance between the three sects could be alleviated." Zhao Xing focused on studying the diagram.