Chapter 7 - 29

Chapter 568 Limit Breaker

An older man with long white hair tied loosely in a bun, a long white beard, and wearing a plain black robe–looked at the trespasser before him. His pure eyes, which seemed to contain the entire world, calmly looked at the young man before him.

"A clone?" the older man said in a deep voice. Then, his eyes seemed to penetrate an infinite distance to see a young man sealed underneath a mountain.

"Finally found a perfect 9 Extremity Dao Foundation. Although he cannot reach the absolute peak power of 5-Root, it is still 5-Root."

"Who are you?" asked Di Tian's clone with vigilance. "And what do you mean you've been waiting for me?"

He did not understand the words coming out of this person's mouth. Di Tian used a massive amount of luck to reach this place. Most of these lucks were gathered by Sleepers when both Buddhism and the Devil race were destroyed.

Many people swallowed the Qi Luck of these two groups, and his Sleepers took part in the feast. He tried using his luck to counter Heavenly Dao's scheming against him, but according to his calculation, his Luck only allowed for his survival and even his reincarnation.

Otherwise, he might have reincarnated as an animal with no memories or in some Heaven-forsaken world with no chance at survival. In his last reincarnation, Di Tian used a lot of this luck to ensure that nothing unexpected occurred this time around.

And now, he used the remaining to find a fortunate encounter that could help him break the limit of his 9th reincarnation strength and win this generation's, Heaven Will.

The older man did not immediately reply to Di Tian. After observing his real body, he sensed something else.

"Another one?" he muttered as he found the source. Then, he saw a naked young man with gray hair and eyes lying on a bed with another woman. However, the older man's heart skipped a beat as the woman looked straight at him.

'Odd. Why does this person who only has the strength of an Eternal Emperor give me a sense of dread? No, why did she notice me in the first place? And why does she seem familiar?'

After thinking about it for a while, the older man decided not to think about the situation; he did not have time to waste. After a quick check, he saw the grey eyes young man was an unorthodox Nine Extremity Foundation, but he was not perfect and would only have 4-Root Strength at best.

Although commendable for having such a result with an unorthodox method, it was not what he was looking for. However, he sensed another extremity aura from that boy's body and checked.

'3-Root? Forget it.'

Then, the older man searched the entire Endless Void for another Nine Extremity Foundation. He essentially saw almost every secret of the lower dimension but did not find anything. Once he finished, the older man became a little more transparent.

Finally, he laid eyes on Di Tian.

"My name is Empyrean Nine Pillars; you can call me Nine Pillar."

The clone immediately cupped his hands and said: "Young generation, Di Tian, has seen the noble Empyrean."

"I don't have time to waste, so I'll get to the point."

Nine Pillar then explained the concept of the Nine Extremity Foundation to him, including the orthodox and unorthodox methods and the qualifications. However, Di Tian's eyes immediately became bloodshot as he clenched his hand.

"So, you're telling me I did not have to go through all Nine Reincarnations? I could have simply created nine clones to get the power I want?"

He did not care about the so-called Nine Extremity Foundation. All he wanted was the power to revive his wife. And if he did not have to suffer through all these reincarnations, pain, and failures, he could have proven the Dao countless eras ago.

"Don't be mad. The unorthodox method has the highest failure rate of the two approaches, and the difficulty of achieving perfection is a thousand times more difficult.

"Furthermore, Samsara Dao is perfect for the orthodox method, having the highest chance of success through the constant nourishment after each reincarnation.

"And the fact you have comprehended a tiny part of [Existence] made it easier for you to absorb your Cultivation Seed, thus boosting your success rate of achieving perfection."

Unfortunately, Di Tian did not care what Nine Pillar said. For a moment, all he could think about was all the time he wasted; how he could have been holding his wife's body long ago, enjoying her warmth.

Nevertheless, he took a deep breath to reign out his hatred and anger toward the world.

Nine Pilla watched how Di Tian regained his composure. He analyzed that the latter accidentally walked on the orthodox path of the Nine Extremity and even achieved perfection through some level of luck or coincidence.

Nevertheless, he knew this kid's situation should be special to require him to have to reincarnate so often. But, he did not care about that.

"I will tell you my story to understand my purpose in bringing you here," said Nine Pillar before giving a half-minute explanation of his life.

He was born in the upper dimension, and his master, Emperor Red Spear, took him as a direct disciple when he was young. His master had high standards for him, so he immediately told Nine Pillar about the Nine Extremity Foundation with the hope of cultivating it.

And Nine Pillar did not disappoint. After his master paid a hefty price to have an Eternal Emperor preach about [Existence] to him, he managed to comprehend something.

However, his master did not want him to walk the unorthodox path due to the low percentage of success, not to mention Red Spear wanted him to achieve perfection or the power of 5-Root.

At the same time, he could not easily go through the orthodox method in the Eternal Ascension World because of the stricter rules about Samsara. No mortals can keep their memories intact after going through reincarnation.

If they want to keep their memories, an Empyrean or Tier 11 cultivators at the weakest must use their powers to protect the mortal's memories. Furthermore, going through nine reincarnations could have many complications in the upper dimension.

So, his master sent him to the lower dimension to accomplish the Nine Extremity Foundation. He abandoned his cultivation to start over. Then, Nine Pillar tempered his souls, energy, body, Dao Heart, and Willpower to the absolute peak before condensing his Cultivation Seed, or Extremity Seed, as that was the official name.

He joined a powerful Emperor Lineage to gather resources. Because of the restrictions, his master could not help him in this aspect. Then, when it was time, he did not fight for the [Heaven Will] but reincarnated instead.

After Nine Reincarnations, Nine Pillar not only completed his Nine Extremity Foundation but reached perfection with the battle strength of a 5-Root Dao Ancestor. However, Nine Pillar was not satisfied, so on his last reincarnation, he condensed nine clones to cultivate to the peak of the Mortal Realm before absorbing them.

His strength did increase drastically. According to his calculation, he had the battle strength of a 5-Root Dao Ancestor with 4.9% control of the Grand Dao Source.

Regrettably, Nine Pillar was not satisfied. As he felt the limit of the Nine Extremity, he wanted to go beyond it. His master warned him that it was impossible, but he wanted to try. So, he asked his master for him to find a way to remove the limitation of only nine reincarnations.

His master then used countless precious resources in the upper dimension to refine an Immortal Soul Essence for him, allowing him to undergo 81 Reincarnations.

Nine Pillar figured if he could keep condensing his Cultivation Seed and absorb it through reincarnation, he might break the limit. But he was wrong. His battle strength increased to 4.9999% control of Grand Dao Source, but never 5%; he could not enter the realm of the Great Emperor.

Nine Pillar then tried to have each of his incarnations to condense 9 clones each to break the limit, but it was useless. Despite this, he did not give up since he wanted to succeed.

However, his master finally convinced him that it was futile, so Nine Pillar eventually proved the Dao to become an Eternal Emperor. He was among the most powerful Eternal Emperor of the upper dimension, making his master and sect proud.

But Nine Pillar did not care about that. He had become obsessed with breaking the limit of the Nine Extremity. So, after becoming an Everlasting Empyrean, he entered Primordial Chaos to search for a method.

He was prepared to abandon his cultivation and start again once he found it; that's how determined he was. And he did find what he wanted.

Regrettably, a Fiendgod also wanted the thing that would help him. And after a battle, the Fiendgod killed him and even eradicated his Existence, history, and anything related to him.

The only reason Nine Pillar survived for this long was because of a unique treasure he had and because of his intense obsession to find a successor that could break that limit.

He has little to no power left, so he spends most of his time in deep sleep, waiting for someone worthy to find the inheritance he scattered all over the world. But, he did not expect someone to come directly to his door.

Nine PIllar raised his hand, and a purple orb the size of a tennis ball appeared.

"This is a very rare Primordial Chaos Treasure called the Limit Breaker. Its purpose is to remove limitations or restrictions. Fiendgods are restricted by the laws or attributes they are born with. So, they love treasure like this since it can remove their bloodline limits.

"Great Emperors, Empyreans, and even Paragons used this thing to remove the limitation of their talents and achieve higher realms of cultivation.

"There are even rumors that a unique Limit Breaker exists that allows Paragons to reach the realm above. Of course, I think that's pure nonsense."

Di Tian did not understand many of the words coming out of Nine Pillar. However, he understood the concept of removing restrictions.

"You said this thing could remove any restrictions?"

"That's correct." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Does it apply to taboo as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if someone could use this thing to remove the restriction that they cannot partake in certain taboos.

Nine Pillar frowned slightly. "Depends on the taboo."

"The Taboo of Perfection."

The frown on his face became more profound.

"It would depend on the level of taboo."

"What do you mean?"

"Perfection Taboo has many nuanced complications. But, it can be loosely divided into Mortal and Immortal Perfection."

Di Tian acted swiftly and showed Nine Pillar his memory of his wife, asking what level of perfection taboo she was.

"She appeared to be a peak Mortal Perfection."

"So, would the Limit Breaker work on her?"

"Yes," replied Nine Pillar with a deep frown. "But I did not give it to you to revive your loved one. I gave it to you to break the Nine Extremity Limit."

"But- -"

Nine Pillar raised his hand to interrupt him. Then, he pointed at the purple as countless runes appeared above it before fusing with the orb.

"I've put a seal on it so it can only be used to break the Nine Extremity Limit. Otherwise, it won't work."

Di Tian's face became ugly after hearing this, and Nine Pillar secretly shook his head. He suddenly regretted choosing this person. Unfortunately, he waited for so long before he could find a suitable heir.

Nine Pillar did not know how long he could last. But with his awakening, he knew it wouldn't be long.

'I guess I don't need to give him my other inheritances.'

His coffin was extremely precious, but he decided it would be buried with him. Nevertheless, he still had one last thing to do.

"I've studied the Tenth Extremity all my life, and one of the requirements I've determined is to have at least an Emperor Quality Soul."

Nine Pillar waved his hand to manifest a cauldron. "This cauldron should help you achieve an Innate Emperor Quality Soul."

Di Tian had controlled his emotions, hiding his thoughts deep in the back of his mind. So, he respectfully asked: "Is there a difference between Acquired and Innate Emperor Soul?"

He knew Great Emperors would reach such quality after accessing the Grand Dao Source. But he felt that Nine Pillar's words hinted at a difference.

"There is. People with Innate Emperor, Empyrean and even the rare Paragon Quality Soul are numerous times more talented than people who have to acquire it through cultivation."

A higher quality of soul increases comprehension. But people born with higher soul qualities are naturally more gifted than people who acquire them through cultivation.

"Not to mention, they also get a boost after accessing the Grand Dao Source," added Nine Pillar. "I don't have much time. The cauldron will refine your soul into an Innate Emperor Soul, elevating your comprehension beyond your current state.

"Then, you will be able to bear the power of the Limit Breaker and reach Ten Extremity," Nine Pillar said with glowing eyes.

Chapter 569 Di Tian's Woe

Nine Pillar had an expectant look, followed by regret. He knew he would not live to see his dream accomplished. However, he was satisfied with knowing it would eventually be fulfilled.

He glanced at Di Tian before controlling the power of the coffin and using it on the Limit Breaker. He used the coffin to escape with this precious treasure from a Fiendgod. After so long, he knew his enemy was alive and even more powerful than ever.

As such, he decided to take precautions to prevent the Fiedgod from sensing the Limit Breaker and coming after it. Nine Pillar handed the two treasures to the clone before waving his hand. In an instant, Di Tian's clone appeared before the mountain where the real body was.

Meanwhile, Nine Pillar's gaze penetrated the upper dimension to check on his master and sect. And as expected, they were now all gone. He sighed deeply before shaking his head.

He wanted to leave the coffin for his sect. But based on what he learned of the upper dimension, they could not keep such a treasure. So, he decided to disappear with it.

And that's exactly what he did. With his obsession removed, he had nothing to keep tethering him in the world of the living. So, Nine Pillar and the coffin disappeared from this world as if they had never existed.

Myriad Emperor World, Western White Tiger Continent:

Inside the sealed mountain, Di Tian looked at the Limit Breaker before him, deep in thought.

'What should I do? Which is the right choice?' These questions echoed in the depth of his min, occupating all his thoughts.

After synching memories with the clone, he analyzed the situation, realizing he had to make an important choice: absorb the Limit Breaker now or wait later to remove Nine Pillar's seal.

'With Wang Wei as my opponent, I may not be able to win this generation's Heaven Will even with the Nine Extremity Foundation. So, I need the Limit Breaker to prove the Dao.'

He never thought about going to other World Communities to prove the Dao. Every Great Emperor has a special connection to the worlds they prove the Dao to, and he needed that connection to revive Ning'er.

He used materials and laws from the Myriad Emperor World to create her. As such, she has an imprint in his world. An example of the imprint's importance was that she used it to live on for many years as a Spirit.

If Di Tian proves the Dao in another world, the plan he has to revive might fail, or at the very least, become hundreds of times more difficult since he could not access her imprints in the Myriad Emperor World. freēwebnovel.com

Di Tian looked at the purple orb floating before him, his eyes full of complex emotions.

'On the other end, after I prove the Dao and revive her… Will she be my perfect Ning'er or someone who just looks like her?'

Di Tian asked himself how he would feel if it was the latter, and he did not know the answer; he did not want to know. And with the Limit Breaker, he did not have to find the answer.

His Ning'er will be the perfect creature he envisioned and created. Then, everything would be back to normal.

'Maybe, Wang Wei will not reach the Tenth Extremity; maybe, I can still win with my current strength.'

He wanted to convince himself dearly of this truth. After all, a person as powerful as Nine Pillar searched for numerous Yuan Epochs for a method. And he died after finding the answer. So, it is not far-fetched that Wang Wei would fail–especially given the available time.

But he knew better than anything to underestimate an enemy–especially someone like Wang Wei.

Di Tian took a deep to enter a logical thinking state.

'I have two options: find a way to break the Tenth Extremity Limit on my own to use this Limit Breaker on Ning'er, or find another Limit Breaker or something of the same effect.'

As he analyzed the two options, none of them were ideal. Although he was intelligent, Di Tian knew it would not take intelligence to find a way to break the limit. Such a feat would require imagination and ingenuity, something Wang Wei seemed to have in abundance, but he did not.

The second option could cause a problem if his wife were not resurrected on a specific timetable.

'No, I don't have to choose. I can use the Limit Breaker to prove the Dao. Then, gather Ning'er's Imprints but not immediately revive her. Subsequently, I got to the upper dimension to search for methods to perfectly revive her.'

He learned from Nine Pillar how vast the world truly vast. So, he did not think there would be only one Limit Breaker. So, no matter what he had to do or how long it took him, he was determined to find what he wanted.

After making a plan, Di Tian suddenly felt his mind open up as if a group of dark clouds had been dispersed after a storm; he felt the world was brighter and had a new sense of purpose.

Then, a rare smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Without hesitation, he began refining the Limit Breaker to fuse later after he entered the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

Central Qilin Continent, Dao Opening Sect:

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Wu Hong had a slight frown, thinking deeply about what had just occurred. She tried to rack her memories to find who was peeking at her, but she could not remember him.

It was an anomaly that she did not know such a powerful Everlasting Empyrean–especially one living in the lower dimension. And Wu Hong did not feel that the reason she did not know him was due to her missing memories.

'Has this timeline changed so much?'

Too many things occurred that should not have. The Deceiving Heaven Trial never appeared in the previous timeline. Many of the current Heaven Chosen were not as powerful as they were.

That included Tong Ruobing, Xu Shi, and Huo Fenghuang. In the previous timeline, Lin Fan and Ji Song survived until the Heaven Will Battle.

'Forget it. Too many things have changed for me to care. Anyway, the point was to change things for the better.'

"Is something wrong?" asked Wang Wei.

"No, I just felt someone peeping."

"Oh, who was it?"

"A very powerful and talented Empyrean."

"Do you know what he wanted?"

"No, he seemed to be scanning you."

Wang Wei nodded; he did not care much since Wu Hong did not indicate he had something to worry about.

"It's a shame," Wu Hong said with a small sigh.

"What is it?"

"That person would not survive for long. I think it's a shame such a talented individual died."

"He must have been excellent if even you have such high praise of him," replied Wang Wei, who suddenly thought of something.

"An Empyrean just saw us naked, but why did that suddenly arouse me? Am I into exhibitionism?" asked Wang Wei, a little perplexed.

"Let's test it out," said Wu Hong with a smile. She then waved her hand to change the room into a stadium with people made from illusions watching them. Finally, she got on top of him.

Wang Wei looked at the watchers. His eyes lit up before snapping his finger to change the illusion into a modern setting with people and cameras filming them. Then, he got down to business.

A few days later, Wang Wei left the room, refreshed and happier than ever. He went to brew some tea to further enhance his current happiness. Then, He walked toward the main room of the mansion to contact Wang Ju. However, when he took a step, Wang Wei suddenly realized something: he forgot to mention the hooded figure to Wu Hong.

'I let my guard down,' he thought. He was so invested in spending time with her that the hooded figure's power worked on him again. He took a talisman to contact her, but he received no response as she seemed to have already entered deep seclusion.

He shook his head before deciding to be even more careful from now. Then, he proceeded with his meeting with Wang Ju.

"How are things going?"

"Everything is proceeding smoothly as you instructed. We have been keeping an eye on the Alliance and the Sea Race, but nothing as of yet."

"What about the old beggar? Did you find him?"

"Unfortunately, no. However, we did receive news of an innate treasure's aura appearing on the Eastern Continent. Our investigation has suggested that it might have been related to the old beggar."

"So, he succeeded," muttered Wang Wei. Even he could not find the old beggar through divination.

"You don't have to focus too much on him," he ordered. The old beggar will only be vital after he proves the Dao. And by then, no matter where the latter hides, he will find him.

Wang Wei chatted with Wang Ju for a while before dismissing her. Immediately afterward, he received a summon from Li Jun from the trial.

'Somone wants to see me?'

Chapter 570 God King

After pondering about things and reading the information Li Jun sent to him, Wang Wei decided to return to the trial. Before returning, he first checked on his parent's Mortal Dust, the sect, and other things.

He saw someone waiting for him in his mansion after being received adequately with tea and snacks.

"Young master Liang, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Wang Wei asked after sitting down. He could tell the person next to him was a clone, but he did not mind the latter's cautiousness.

"The pleasure is all mine," replied Liang Shixian. "I'm sorry for the intrusiveness; I hope I am not bothering you."

"Not all. I'm always happy to receive guess," added Wang Wei, then the two had small talks about their thoughts on the trial, the other competitors, and what to expect when the Heaven Chosen from the upper dimension arrived.

"Have you heard of the God, or Divine Race?" Liang Shixian finally asked with some embarrassment. He thought Wang Wei would ask him about his purpose, and he would use this question to mention his goal, but the latter seemed to really enjoy talking and receiving guests.

Of course, Liang Shixian knew that was not true; his competitor likely wanted to dominate the conversation. And since he wanted something, Liang Shixian decided to no longer beat around the bushes.

"I've heard of the tragedy they suffered at the hands of the Absolute Beginning Emperor."

"Well, I'm a member of the Divine Race."

"I see. How fortunate for your kind."

"You don't seem surprised."

"I've had my suspicions when I saw the mutation of your soul was incense-related," Wang Wei replied.

"But that could have meant I used an Incense-based Cultivation System."

"I've met people who use incense, and they have a less pure aura than you. Adding the fact the Absolute Beginning Emperor did not completely eradicate Buddhism, it is not far-fetched that some members of the Divine Race survived. So, I've had my suspicions about you but could never confirm it until now."

Liang Shixian slightly squinted his eyes as he analyzed some information from this brief conversation. He theorized that something in the Myriad Emperor World affected the Absolute Beginning Magic, thus allowing the Divine Race to appear again in the world.

He previously did not have any proof and was uncertain. But now, he was sure the person before him was either responsible or knew something.

"You are correct. Before our extermination, we used help from the upper dimension to save many of our kind and sealed ourselves until now. We could not appear outside because of the Absolute Beginning Magic, but recently, we realized that some members could leave."

"I'm guessing the God Race now wants your clan member to prove the Dao in some World Communities to completely unsealed the rest?" Wang Wei asked.

"Correct."

"I'm curious; what kind of God are you?"

"I'm a second generation God, so I"m the God of River and Thunder. But from my cultivation, I'm also the God of Soul."

"Second Generation?" Wang Wei had never heard this term from the secret archives.

"It's understandable if you don't know since this term has only recently become popular after the catastrophe," replied Liang Shixian.

"First generation Gods are the ones born purely from incense and worship. They usually have one attribute or Divinity based on the people worshipping them at birth.

"Meanwhile, Second Generation Gods are born from two Gods mating; they usually inherit both their parents' Divinity."

"Fascinating. Are there any other differences?"

"Yes. First-generation Gods have a harder time cultivating laws not related to their Divinity. In fact, most of them don't even try," Liang Shixian said with a slight sneer.

"Second-generation Gods are more open-minded and not overly limited by their Divinity. Of course, it is also because it is easier for us to understand 'foreign' laws, and it also helps that we usually have two Divinities, making us stronger."

"I can see the conflict such a division would create."

"Indeed," replied Liang Shixian. Second-generation Gods are way more talented and powerful than first-generation. Nevertheless, the first generations are the ones with most, if not all, of the power.

The main reason for this situation was the seal. First-generation Gods are the oldest, and many of them survived the annihilation. Second Generation Gods did not increase their population to a substantial level until after living in the sealed world.

As such, they were younger but with no power; the first generation had many Immortal-Tier powerhouses, but the second generation could not become immortals in the sealed world.

The only Immortal Tier powerhouses they had were the rare second-generation Gods that existed before the catastrophe and survived. But many of them are old fashion and share similar views as the first generation.

Luckily, only second-generations could leave the sealed world, and as soon as someone proves the Dao, the power scale will shift to their side.

"So, why are you telling me all of this?" asked Wang Wei when he realized Liang Shixian did not want to mention the inner conflicts of his race.

"I need your help with something."

Liang Shixian took out a book before handing it to Wang Wei. After inspecting it, the latter read it.

'What a good idea. How come I never thought of that? It's perfect for my situation,' thought Wang Wei.

"You want to create the fourth path of immortality?"

"Correct. Besides the Emperor Path, the Dao Path, and the Immortal Path, I believe a Soul Path is also viable. Just like there are Immortal Venerables, Dao Ancestors, I want to create God Kings."

"Interesting. I like the idea, but why are you coming to me?"

"Because I want your help to help me create that path. I've observed your trials: whether it is the soul or Willpower trial, you excel at both of them."

"I understand why you came to me. I want to know why you didn't create this path on your own?"

"If I could, do you think I would ask you?"

"Of course, you could. Based on your work so far, it's obvious you could create this path after proving the Dao."

Liang Shixian quieted down for a moment. "I don't want to become Emperor."

"Excuse me?"

"It's as you heard, I despise the Emperor Path. Why do I have to compete like Poison Gus stuck in a cave to be the final winner? I refuse to participate in Heavenly Dao's cruel game. So, my goal is to create a path that is above the Emperor Path."

"I understand how you feel and admire your conviction. But you understand your actions are futile, right?" said Wang Wei. "The Endless Void is a place dominated by the Emperor, to the point of strictly restricting the others.

"So, even if you create the Soul Path, no other individuals will be able to become a God King without an Emperor's aid–including you."

"I know. That's why I wanted to use the Deceiving Heaven Longevity Art to deceive Heavenly Dao to allow me to become an Immortal Tier powerhouse."

"You should understand that this is most likely impossible. Otherwise, this scripture would have been too valuable, and Gu Xuan probably would not have survived long.

Liang Shixian sighed aloud. "I'm aware, but I still choose to become a God King with an Emperor's help instead of becoming one myself."

Wang Wei shook his head before commenting. "No matter what you do, the best outcome is for you to become an Insurgent God King capable of killing Eternal Emperors.

"In the end, your Soul Path will probably be between the Dao and Immortal Path regarding strength."

"Not necessarily. The way I envisioned it, God Kings can create Immortal Mansion inside their bodies while also borrowing the Grand Dao Source's power."

"Then, you are delusional. Heavenly Dao will probably restrict the Soul Path, making it separate and incompatible with the other paths. The best you could do was create an Insurgent technique that allows you to have the power of the other paths.

"But such a technique would never be universal or a fundamental aspect of the Soul Path."

"How is that fair?" asked Liang Shixian with slightly clenched teeth.

"It is fair. The Emperor is technically a combination of the three. Great Emperors have powerful souls, can directly control the Grand Dao Source, and their Dao Bodies are immune or have high resistance to most high-level forms of energy.

"And as long as they understand enough about a particular energy, they can search for it in the Source Qi Space and directly use it."

Liang Shixian snorted coldly. "I still refuse to be a performative puppet for Heavenly Dao. I despise the Emperor Path, and nothing will change that."

Wang Wei shrugged his shoulder. He also did not like how the Heaven Will operated. However, he understood that sometimes, you must play the game before making the rules.

Heavenly Dao and Grand Dao above dictated the rules of the cultivation world. But, as long as he becomes powerful enough, he can dictate the rules. Now, if he reaches the top and realizes he cannot surpass these two using their rules, he will then walk his own path.

But so far, he has not found any evidence that proved such. So, there was no need to complicate his cultivation journey or goals because of his displeasure.

"I did not want to dissuade you; I just wanted to point the truth to you to eliminate certain expectations you might have."

Liang Shixian calmed down, "I understand."

"Quick question, do you have a name for the Tier 11 and Tier 12 Realm?"

"Tier 11? Tier 12?"

"The realms after Great Emperor, Dao Ancestor, and Immortal Venerable."

Liang Shixian frowned after hearing this; he never thought about these realms far away from him. Although he suspected they existed, he never learned about them.

"Let's call it God Lord and God Emperor."

"Good name, I supposed," said Wang Wei. In the Dao Language used by all World Communities, the character for Soul can also be translated as God, depending on the context. And adding Liang SHixian's identity as a God Race, it made sense he used such a name.

"Last question: aren't you worried I steal your ideas and leave you out?"

"I've observed you, and amongst all the people here, you have the least amount of Karma. I concluded that you're the type of person who likes to repay his Karma and would not just abandon me.

"And if I'm, I can only blame my lack of ability to judge people."

Wang Wei's facial expression did change much. He knew he did not have much karma due to his Karma Unbound Physique. Nevertheless, Liang Shixian was correct about him: he was a person who paid his debt and also kept his word when not facing an enemy. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

As such, he did not plan to kill Liang Shixian to swallow all the merit of creating the Soul Path. Anyway, he would still receive the majority upon completion.

Chapter 571 The Upper Seeded Players

Wang Wei no longer said anything to Liang Shixian regarding his ideals and goals. He took out the book about the Soul Path and reread it with greater focus.

Liang Shixian did a lot of research on the soul beforehand. He studied incense, different cultivation systems, and spirits; he even traveled to the Ghost Immortal World, which was a world that focused on cultivating the soul to the point of entirely abandoning the body.

From the book, Wang Wei saw that the latter included many studies in the Soul Path, even suggesting that all God Kings abandoned their bodies to achieve an Immortal Soul.

Other methods included fusing Immortal Qi or some other forms of energy with the soul, using a massive amount of incense, cultivating an immortal body before sacrificing it to nourish the soul and turning it into an Immortal Soul, and finally, using other resources like the law to elevate the soul to another level.

After reading everything carefully, Wang Wei frowned: "Why don't you try modeling the soul after an Emperor? If a soul has the quality and quantity of an Emperor, it will become an Immortal Soul."

"I know the easiest way for the Soul Path to become a reality is to have a Great Emperor use their Grand Dao Source to temper a mortal soul. But, as I said, I don't want my path to have anything to do with them."

"And as I said, you will have to rely on them."

"Yes, but I can reduce the amount of influence they have on my path."

"Fine," said Wang Wei as he contemplated. He activated all his spirit particles, acting like a super-computer as he analyzed many things.

"I think I may have a way that used incense," he said a few minutes later.

"Really? What is it?"

Wang Wei did not immediately respond: he took out a highly binding contract before inscribing it with his Divine Sense. Liang Shixian looked at the contract and hesitated.

"Since I come to see you, I'll put my faith in your character. There is no need for the contract."

"I admire your nobility. But, we should never mix business with personal beliefs. The contract is for both our peace of mind."

Liang Shixian thought it would help their future cooperation, so he agreed. However, after reading the contract, he frowned: "Why are all the rules about secrecy? They seem a little too harsh."

He could not reveal any information, and the rules even involved his memories and soul; the contract would prevent anyone from getting information from him–even if it meant killing him.

"The method I came with involved some secrets I do not want to get out before I prove the Dao, hence the harshness. If you want to remove these clauses, it's fine. But, I won't share the method I came up with you until I prove the Dao."

Liang Shixian shook his head as he did not want this; he did not want to wait that long. So, he decided to accept the clause and continued reading. Once finished, he added a few clauses as well:

Wang Wei had to use other means not involved with the Emperor's Path, and the final division of merit would be decided based on the ingenuity method he thought of.

So, after a few debates and back and forth, the two signed the contract with their souls before taking an oath to their Dao. Finally, Wang Wei told him the method he thought of for the Soul Path.

The required secrecy was because this method involved another one of his plans after becoming Emperor that would affect the entire Endless Void. He did not want the information to leak and cause trouble.

With his mouth slightly opened, Liang Shixian looked at him: "You're crazy and ambitious. But I'm glad I chose you."

He had eyes on both Wang Wei and Chu Luo as his partner and chose the former after close observation. Chu Luo had an unapproachable vibe that kept most people at a distance.

"If your plan works, shouldn't there be no need for a Great Emperor?"

"That's possible but very unlikely."

"I figured."

Afterward, the two discussed the plan's possible success and the division of merit. Once everyone was satisfied with the outcome, Liang Shixian left; he had accomplished his primary goal of coming here.

He did not want to leave yet since he still hoped to get his hands on the inheritance despite knowing it was improbable. So, he decided to watch to the end to see if there was an opportunity.

Time passed, and it was time for the combat aspect of the trial. Wang Wei flew to the plaza and saw two podiums facing each other, with six seats. The one on the left with his name on the second seat had the words "Lower Seeded Player," while the other had the title 'Upper Seeded Player.'

Wang Wei shook his head as he could tell Lord Spirit used these titles to raise contradiction and fighting between these two groups. Without saying much, he sat in his position.

Not long afterward, everyone arrived. Chu Luo sat on the first seat, Wang Wei on the second, Ji Langfang on the third, Tong Ruobing on the fourth, Shi Qian on the fifth, and Jingwu Hua on the last.

As for the other participants, they sat on the side of the two podiums.

Lord Spirit manifested with her eerie smile.

"I know many of you have been anticipating this moment for some time. As such, I won't waste your time. Let's begin."

She pointed her finger to the first seat on the other podium.

"The number one seeded player from the upper dimension is Xiao Tiandi, owner of what is considered the best physique for cultivation–the Innate Dao Source Physique."

A light beam came from the sky, descending on the first seat. Then, a young man dressed in ordinary, almost shabby clothes appeared. He glanced at the other group for a moment before closing his eyes, laying on the chair as if he did not care for anything.

Everyone could see dirt and plant leaves on his hair, but he did not seem to mind. These Heaven Chosen were speechless, wondering if this man was naturally arrogant or if he genuinely did not care for anything–even his personal appearance.

Lord Spirit ignored these people's confusion before continuing.

"The second seeded player is Shi Ruolan; she was born with an Emperor Bones, meaning after she reached the peak of the Mortal Realm in cultivation, all she has to do is activate her bone, and Heavenly Dao will lower a [Heaven Will] for her to prove the Dao.

"Moreover, the Heaven Will is specially created as only she can use it, and give her a 10% chance higher than normal to become an Eternal Emperor."

The participants looked at Lord Spirit, their eyes asking if she was joking, but the silence indicated otherwise. Then, one participant stomped his feet on the ground before flying back to his mansion. A few people followed him.

The words "this is unfair" could be heard from them–even from a distance.

Meanwhile, a young woman appeared in the second seat. She had a blue hanfu and short hair–which was quite surprising to many since only monks or nuns cut their hair. And after Buddhism's destruction, the practice has become less prominent–except in a few martial worlds where it is more common for women to cut their hair.

But even then, it is still not as commonly seen.

Shi Ruolan looked at the opposite team and waved her hand in enthusiasm. However, she quickly realized something and stopped. Instead, she became serious and cupped her hands before bowing slightly to them.

The others returned the salute.

"The third place goes to Ao Tianyi," said Lord Spirit. "One of the most talented younger generation of the Primordial Dragon race. For those who don't know, Primordial Dragons are Chaos Lifeforms born from pure or Orderly Chaos Qi; they are a race that does not exist in the Endless Void."

A young man dressed in tight white martial clothes appeared, with two horns on his head. He looked at the opposing team with disdain before looking at the people next to him.

"I understand not being first, but how could I lose to her?"

"Didn't I slap you around the last time we met?" said Shi Ruolan with a gentle smile.

"I had just shed my scale and was still in a vulnerable state; how does that count."

"You dragons always have an excuse for your defeat," replied Shi Ruolan while shaking her head; she decided not to engage with this prideful idiot.

"The fourth place goes to Xi Shangyan, a member of the Celestial Race," Lord Spirit announced. However, everyone was confused–including Wang Wei–since they'd never heard of such a race.

Ao Tianyi sneered even more after seeing these people's reactions.

"The Celestials are a unique race born in the Source Qi Space from Immortal Qi gaining sentience and condensing a body, similar to the spirit race. As such, they have an unparallel talent for the Immortal Path.

"All Celestial races are born with an inactive Immortal Mansion in their bodies; they do not need anyone's help to become Immortal Venerables. On top of it all, 80% of them who decide to become Immortal Venerables are Insurgents.

"And that's because their unique Immortal Mansion can give birth to four types of unique Immortal Qi: Yellow, Profound, Earth, and Heaven. Yellow Immortal Qi grants them battle prowess on par with Third-Class Emperors, Profound Immortal Qi corresponds to Second Class, Earth to First Class, and the potent Heavenly Immortal Qi grants battle prowess on par with Eternal Emperors."

The participants looked at a beautiful woman with black hair and a long golden robe; her beauty was unparalleled, on par, if not surpassing Xu Shi. Not to mention, she had a cold and natural noble aura emanating from her body.

Most people did not care about her beauty as they were still shocked at the fact such a powerful race existed. These Heaven Chosens always knew that Heaven and Earth were unfair, but they did not think it was to this point.

Chapter 572 Longevity Resources

Xi Shangyan looked at the shocked expression on these people's faces and mentally shook her head. Although it looked like the Celestial Race was powerful beyond reason, it was not.

In the Eternal Ascension World, the number of Great Emperor's battle force a faction had did not matter. What dictated the authority of any faction was the number of Paragons or Tier 12 Cultivators they had.

And in this regard, the Celestial Race's innate talent did not help because of the fundamental flaw of the Immortal Path: just because someone was an Insurgent in Tier 10, it did not mean they could become one in Tier 11 or above.

For example, the clan members who cultivated Heavenly Immortal Qi had less than a 5% chance of sublimating it to Golden Immortal Qi on par with regular Empyreans. If they wanted to continue becoming Insurgents, they had to be like everyone else and search for rare and unique Qis in the Source Qi Space—an inherently dangerous place for them despite being born there.

Throughout the history of the Celestial Race, many geniuses have tried to elevate the Immortal Path to a higher level. And it was not just the Celestial Race but also many other cultivators.

There was a brief period of history where a movement to weaken the Emperor Path took place. During that time, many Heaven Defying geniuses of the Immortal Path took place.

And a few noteworthy people are still remembered to this day: the Myriad Qi Immortal Sovereign, for example. He created a method for his body to hold more than one Immortal Mansion.

His goal was to create 3800 Immortal Mansions, a number that symbolized the number of Primary Daos in all existence. In each mansion, he refined a unique and powerful Insurgent Qi.

The Myriad Qi Immortal Sovereign was an unparallel genius regarding understanding and controlling energy. So, after using countless Yuan Epochs and an incalculable amount of resources, he built more than 2000 Immortal Mansions with unique Qi, becoming an Insurgent Immortal Sovereign capable of killing Everlasting Empyreans: not defeat, but kill.

Although he could not erase their existence, he could force them to enter Limbo and revive them. However, in one of his battle against an Empyrean, the latter caught him off guard and destroyed hundreds of the Immortal Mansions inside his body.

Although he defeated his enemy, Myriad Qi realized the weakness or frailty of the Immortal and Dao Path. The Immortal Mansion or Inner World was an apparent weakness for them. Meanwhile, the Imprint of the Emperor Path could only be removed by Dao Wills and some unique treasures.

So, Myriad Qi sacrificed all his Immortal Mansions and Qis to temper his body, eventually opening the Gate of Power and walking on the Body Path.

Another genius of that era was the Heaven Will Immortal King. After acquiring the Heaven Will, he did not become an Emperor but spent years analyzing it to fuse it with his Immortal Mansion and create a unique Qi.

The concept of Heaven Will Qi existed long ago, but few people dared to try it. And the ones that did fail. But, to everyone's surprise, Heaven Will Immortal King succeeded.

The Heaven Will Qi was one of the few Qis that allowed an individual to become an Insurgent from Tier 10 to Tier 12. The only downside was cultivation took almost as much time as the Emperor Path.

The Heaven Will Immortal King could fight and defeat Paragons at his peak. Regrettably, he became dissolute with the Immortal Path because it did not grant him [Eternal] attributes like the Emperor Path.

If an Immortal King or a Dao Ruler died, that's it for them. But an ordinary Great Emperor, Empyrean, and Paragons had so many ways they could revive themselves, not to mention these freaks Eternals, Everlasting, and Boundless.

After voicing his frustration with the Immortal Path and his regrets about not using the Heaven Will correctly, the Heaven Will Immortal King left the world to enter Primordial Chaos and was never seen again.

Many people believe he went to find a way for the Immortal Path to acquire [Eternal Attributes], but most people think he went to prove the Dao in another Source Chaos World.

Xi Shangyan has read the stories of many geniuses similar to these two during the booming era of the Immortal Path. However, the ending of most of them was not satisfactory.

The booming era ended with the conclusion that the Immortal Path had no future; there was no way for it to rise. However, some people did not give up and went to search for the Source Qi–an energy believed to exist at the core of the Source Qi Space.

Source Qi was theorized to be the only form of energy capable of creating an Insurgent on par with a Peak Boundless Paragon. Regrettably, to this day, only rumors of it appearing in some other Chaos Worlds are known.

As Xi Shangyan thought of that period, she could only sigh to herself. That booming period did a lot to raise the status of the Immortal Path, but it also ruined it.

The Emperor Path would not just stay by and watch as the Immortal Path flourished; they counter-attacked. Many Great Emperors from Third to First Class began exploring the Source Qi Space to discover Insurgent Qi and grant them battle prowess above their class.

Meanwhile, Eternal Emperors would also find Insurgent Qi similar to the Heaven Immortal Qi; they would understand it and absorb it into their Dao Body to become immune to it.

As such, an Insurgent Immortal Venerable might defeat an Eternal Emperor. But, in the subsequent encounter, he realized his Qi was useless to the latter, rendering him powerless.

This tactic has been normalized now in the Eternal Ascension World, thus further weakening the Immortal Path.

Because of these hard truths, the Celestial race has long focused on the Emperor Path. Although some factions are die-hard supporters of the Immortal Path, they no longer have much power.

"Our next contestant is the Taoist Priest, Zhang Yucheng," Lord Spirit said. "He is the owner of the 22nd Heavenly Physique, the Myriad Sword Soul Physique, and the 5th Heavenly Physique, the Wuji Tao Body."

The face of the participants was neutral; they were done with being surprised. Furthermore, a few people have been born with two physiques, albeit rare, but it was acceptable.

The only thing noticeable about this upcoming person was how high his physique ranked and how powerful the physiques in the upper world were.

The Lord Spirit shook his head. "You ignorant people. In the upper dimension, having two physiques means you can absorb two Heaven Wills and instantly reach cultivation of 40% Grand Dao Source.

"Of course, there is also the possibility for someone only to achieve 10%."

Wang Wei's lips twitched, and he was not the only one. Many people did not know how to react. So, more people just flew away back to their mansions. Things were getting even more ridiculous.

A young Taoist with a very youthful face appeared. He politely bowed to the Lower Seeded Players before bowing to the others and sitting down, not uttering a word. And everyone immediately returned the salute–including the previously arrogant Ao Tianyi.

Even Xiao Tiandi opened his eyes and nodded before going to sleep.

Wang Wei and the others took notice of this behavior, thus placing even more emphasis on this young Taoist. Wang Wei could even see Lord Spirit looking at the young Taoist with even more respect than the others.

"The final seeded player is Monk Wuzhu, born with the Nine Nirvana Heart: a Longevity Physique."

Lord Spirit paused as he realized these people probably didn't know what he was saying.

"Let me explain. Longevity Resources are one of the most precious resources in the upper dimension. They can appear in the form of spiritual herbs, cultivation techniques, physiques, pills, etc. Their purpose is to grant immortal cultivators one chance at revival without any cost.

"For example, once an Emperor is killed, they must spend countless Yuan Epochs reviving themselves. However, if they had consumed a Longevity Herb, they could instantly resurrect without any resources or time needed.

"So, Monk Wuzhu will have nine unlimited revivals in his life after proving the Dao."

Lord Spirit simplified the incredible power of Longevity Resources since their classification is too many. For example, some only work for a certain Tier. As such, after an Emperor becomes an Empyrean or Paragon, they no longer have the previous revival.

Some longevity resources can work for a cultivator from Tier 10 to Tier 12; those are extremely rare. Some can only work for lower tiers. For example, a Paragon cannot take a longevity resource that only works for Tier 10 and 11.

Nevertheless, no matter the restriction on the Longevity Resources, any of them are precious enough to enact wars with thousands of Emperors, Empyreans, and Paragons.

Monk Wuzhi's Nine Nirvana Heart will work for him even after he becomes a Paragon.

At this point, even Wang Wei wanted to curse out loud; he always believed that fate was unfair, and today, he has the final proof.

A young man with no hair and six dots on his head and forehead appeared before the last seat. Like the young Taoist, he saluted the other sides before saluting his former comrades. And he received the same respect as the Taoist priest.

However, Monk Wuzhi did not appear for long before the sky suddenly changed. Then, lightning began to fall on him.

'Absolute Beginning Magic,' thought Wang Wei with squinted eyes, observing how the situation would play out.

A mysterious power came from Monk Wuzhi's body and blocked the lightning as he watched everything calmly. Meanwhile, Zhang Yucheng seemed to hesitate about something but did not act in the end.

A few minutes later, the lightning stopped falling, and Monk Wuzhi smiled at everyone: "Sorry for the disturbance." Then, he calmly took his seat.

'Danm it,' thought Wang Wei as he noticed something that made him unhappy. He could already predict that things would get messy, and he would be dragged into something he did not want to.

Chapter 573 Lower Seeded Players

Wang Wei could see both Zhang Yucheng and Monk Wuzhi glancing in Feng Heng's direction. Although brief, they could not escape his eyes. And immediately, he knew he would get dragged into the fight between Taoism and Buddhism. And since he had the Future Buddha Scroll, he had already chosen sides.

Countless thoughts flashed across his mind as he pondered how to deal with the situation appropriately. If he did not play his card correctly, he might be used as a pawn before being discarded.

"Now, for the introduction of the Lower Seeded Player," Lord Spirit said. "First is Chu Luo, the Emperor Child that wields the Outlaw Dao of Creation. He is a man who has tempered his Will and Dao Heart through reincarnation itself."

Xiao Tiandi kept his eyes closed, a listless aura emanating from his body. The others, however, looked at Chu Luo. They did not care for his Emperor Child status. In the upper dimension, Blessed Children are too common.

Although it is a statistical anomaly for Immortal creatures to reproduce, there are so many of them, and they have lived for so long that it has become somewhat common.

What they cared about what the fact of his Outlaw Dao and the implications of tempering his mind through reincarnation.

"The second player is the heir of the Dao Opening Sect, Young Master Wang Wei. He is a Dao Overlord, creator of his own Heavenly Physique, and a person of unquantifiable Willpower.

"The man's accomplishment could write a legendary tale. However, his most important quality is his intelligence and ingenuity. I can say without a doubt that he is more intelligent and cunning than all of you here combined. And I mean all of you."

Wang Wei's lips twitched as he sensed the eyes full of killing intent on him. He sighed before taking out a cup of freshly brewed tea and casually drinking it, ignoring everyone else.

The upper-seeded players looked at him with squinted eyes. They knew what it took to be a Dao Overlord. In the Eternal Ascension World, Outlaws would summon a special area to go through their trial. Cultivators must do so before comprehending and using the Outlaw Laws. Otherwise, they won't even be able to enter any cultivation stage that requires understanding and using laws.

In the summoned area, Heavenly Dao will place them under a perfect illusion that recreates their lives. Then, it will use the person's life to scheme against them, and they must find ways to pass the test.

If a cultivator failed, the person would not be able to control an Outlaw Dao.

The main reason for this method was due to how complicated a Karmic Trial could become. In a world full of Emperors, Empyreans, and Paragons, if Heavenly Dao started to scheme against these people, firstly, no one would pass, and these powerful individuals would never allow such a thing.

The trial is of some similar difficulty in both dimensions, so there are a few people who hold the title of Overlord. However, many people wielded Outlaws Dao similar to Chu Luo; they usually had to pay the price to control their Daos and have some limits.

When it comes to the Overlord Title, even a Paragon could not help someone else acquire it. As for creating a Heavenly Physique, some people have succeeded in doing the same in the upper dimension.

But their rarity also makes it a great accomplishment.

'Interesting.' thought Shi Ruolan. Everyone knew Dao Overlords were extremely powerful, cunning, and tactically minded. But to say this person was more intelligent than all of them combined, she did not believe it.

Of course, she also knew that Lord Spirit was just saying these words to rile them up and ensure they fought to their full capability for this trial.

'What's the point of being intelligent? Strength is all that matters,' thought Ao Tianyi. Despite his thoughts, he decided to keep a watch on Wang Wei; he did not want to be schemed against.

Xi Shangyan only glanced at him but did not have any reaction. Zhang Yucheng also only politely looked at him with a neutral face. Monk Wuzhi gave him a smiling nod, and Wang Wei pretended he did not see anything.

Meanwhile, the lower seeded-players had different reactions. Most of them did not know what a Dao Overlord was. However, the intelligent comment got to them, igniting their fighting spirit and desire to prove otherwise.

A few intelligent individuals suddenly began to piece some things together. Recently, news of the essential destruction of the demon race from the Demon Supremacy World has spread throughout other World Communities.

By calculating the time frame of the incident, they realized it was soon after Ye Tuizhi had a conflict with the player from the Myriad Emperor World. And by considering Lord Spirit's insinuation, a few people concluded Wang Wei might have something to do with the downfall of the Demon Supremacy World.

Chu Luo and Tong Ruobing gave Wang Wei an odd look after coming to this conclusion. Ji Lanfang had a powerful intuition as a swordsman, so he felt Wang Wei was definitely involved in what happened in the Demon Supremacy World.

However, Wang Wei ignored them and continued drinking his tea as if he were the only person present. He did not know what these people thought; even if he knew, he would never admit it.

"The third seat goes to Ji Lanfang, a pure swordsman with a flawless Dao Heart who has entered the realm of [One Sword Breaks Myriad Laws]."

'These so-called geniuses might not be as bad as I believe,' thought Ao Tianyi. All pure swordsmen pursue the realm of [One Swords Breaks Myriad Laws]; it is the state where a swordsman can overwhelm all laws or concepts with their swords.

Many people believe that someone could be referred to as a swordsman by entering this realm before proving the Dao. Otherwise, they are sword users, not swordsmen.

Zhang Yucheng looked at Ji Langfang with a slight fighting spirit in his eyes. He also practiced the Dao of the Sword, so he would love to battle a fellow swordsman.

"Fourth place goes to Tong Ruobing, a Master of Talisman Making; she has created an acquired version of the 27th Heavenly Physique, the Source Rune Physique." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

The upper-seeded players finally began to pay attention as they realized their competitors might not be as simple as they previously believed. The Source Rune Physique is considered the best talent for professions like Alchemy, Talisman, Pill Refining, and Arrays.

Any genius with that physique is expected to become a peak powerhouse in these professions, and they could even become masters in all fours. Even if Tong Ruobing has an acquired version of this physique that only worked for Talisman, she was a person with a bright future ahead of her, not to mention a worthy opponent.

"Don't look at me. I did not create the method for this physique. He did," she said, pointing at Wang Wei. "I'm only using his idea."

"You're stealing, not using," replied Wang Wei.

"Wu Ming offered it to me as a gift," she added.

"I'm sure that was voluntary."

"Is something wrong with a lady using her charms to get what she wants? In this patriarchal society, we–weak women–have to do anything necessary to get ahead," said Tong Ruobing with a gentle smile.

Wang Wei rolled his eyes as he learned something new about her: shameless. Meanwhile, these seeded players once again looked at Wang Wei with raised eyebrows.

All they could think was he might become a problem.

"Moving on," said Lord Spirit. "In fifth place, we have Shi Qian, an Immortal Child from the Light Race."

Everyone waited for Lord Spirit to continue, but she did not say anything else. She only shrugged her shoulder as there was nothing she could do. In the grand scheme of things, there was nothing remarkable about Shi Qian.

Her status as an Immortal Child was worthless in the eyes of these upper dimension's Heaven Chosens. Her status as the Light Race is valuable since they have a natural affinity for Karma, an Outlaw Daos. However, this affinity or control of Karma had its limits.

Lord Spirit believed some other people would be better in that spot: Xu Shi or even Liang Shixian, for example. However, he could not arbitrarily change the ranking as he saw fit.

"Our final seeded player is Miss Jingwu Hua: an Emperor Offspring and three-legged golden crow that has once suffered a defeat in a previous Heaven Will Battle at the hands of an Eternal Emperor.

"However, she sealed herself for countless generations, tempering her Willpower in the process to try again. On top of it all, her father left a special reward to ensure she succeeded on the second try."

Jingwu Hua looked at Lord Spirit angrily; she did not expect him to bring out her pain and display it to the public. Moreover, she wanted to know how he knew so much.

The upper-seeded players paid some attention to Jingwu Hua. They understood how scary some Immortals could be once they decided to leave trump cards to their descendants.

In the Eternal Ascension World, it's normal for some mortal who has not started cultivating to suddenly take out a talisman capable of wounding an Empyrean or Dao Monarch. It all depends on how pampered their influential parents are.

'She lost to an Eternal Emperor? Could it have been the Heaven Devour Emperor? That would make much sense timing-wise,' thought Wang Wei. At the same time, he also thought Lord's Spirit seemed to know too much, which could be an issue.

"Lord Spirit, I have some questions," Wang Wei suddenly said, making Lord Spirit's heart jump; she felt things were about to get complicated.

Chapter 574 Unionized

"Young master Wang Wei, what is your question?" Lord Spirit said.

"What is your purpose in bringing these geniuses from the Upper Dimension?"

Lord Spirit frowned. "Of course, to test all the participants and choose the best person to inherit the master's mantle."

"That's what I thought. So, what are you doing to deal with the political ramification of these upper-dimension geniuses' existence and ensure we can do our best for this trial?"

"I'm not following."

"Alright, let me direct. These people's backgrounds are a problem. How do we know they would not retaliate against us after we defeat them? How are we supposed to fight to the fullest of our abilities if we have to worry about the possible revenge from the upper dimension?"

The participants looked Lord Spirit, their eyes saying that this was a valid concern. Suddenly, Ao Tianyi snorted coldly: "You people think too highly of yourself."

Wang Wei glanced at him before looking back at Lord Spirit. "See. If it were not for his background, I would have long used his scale for armor, his muscle for bows, consumed his blood for its vitality, and his flesh for the taste. But now, what I can I do."

Wang Wei felt an intense killing intent locking him; he ignored him before feigning a shocked look on his face. "Oh my god; how stupid of me; I've already offended him. What am I going to do?"

"You should indeed be scared. Do you think the Dao Opening Sect is what it used to be? Our dragon race can easily slaughter it."

"You and I both know as long as the name of our two Boundless Paragon exists, nothing will happen to the Dao Opening Sect," Wang Wei replied casually, making Ao Tianyi red in embarrassment; he did not think the latter knew so much about the upper dimension.

'Interesting,' thought Wang Wei. He noticed four of the upper seeded player react once he mentioned the Boundless Paragon of the Dao Opening Sect. However, Zhang Yucheng and Monk Wuzhi seemed not to care, as if these titles held no weight against them, no, against their factions. So, he took note of this reaction.

Wang Wei then looked directly at Lord Spirit. "See? All I had to is use a little spiritual hint to make him angry, and he began to threaten me with his background. So, how am I supposed to fight them fairly, knowing they might retaliate?

"Although the Deceiving Heaven Longevity Art is an Insurgent technique, and most definitely a Longevity Scripture, it is not worth risking my life and the possible destruction of my faction."

The lower-seeded players and other participants quickly analyzed much information. It made sense that this scripture was a Longevity Resource, hence why even the upper-dimension geniuses were interested.

Subsequently, the possibility of retaliation was a genuine problem. Logically, it made no sense to risk their life for this trial.

"You don't have to worry about retaliation," said Xi Shangyan. "We have our own pride, and so do the factions behind us."

"But how do I know of this?" replied Wang Wei. "I've only met you today."

"Young Master Wang Wei, you can be reassured regarding this," said Monk Wuzhi. "You have my words, and the words of Buddhism, that no one will retaliate against you and the others."

"Monk Wuzhi, I'm sure Buddhism's reputation is enough to guarantee our protection. But this is the lower dimension; Buddhism has no reputation as a basis for us to judge. And we cannot just go by your words."

Monk Wuzhi frowned, along with the others next to him. Xiao Tiandi still had his eyes closed, while Ao Tianyi was trying extremely hard to control his anger. At the same time, he tried to detect how he was so easily spiritually influenced without noticing.

"So, what exactly do you want?" said Lord Spirit with slight anger.

"Dao Oath. I want them to swear an Oath not to Heavenly Dao but to Grand Dao itself that their faction will not retaliate against us–directly and indirectly. I don't want any loopholes."

"Nonsense," roared Ao Tianyi. Grand Dao Oath was the most restrictive oath; it was one not even Paragons could break.

"Who are you to demand such a thing of us?" said Zhang Yucheng with a sneer.

"Young Master Wei, it appears your request was too much."

Wang Wei sipped his tea calmly. "By your response, it seems all of you already planned to get this inheritance by any means–even fouls one."

"This has nothing to do with retaliation," said Shi Ruolan. "No cultivator likes to be restricted. And taking an oath for such a trivial matter, it's even worse."

"Sound like excuses to me."

"And what will happen if they don't swear?" asked Lord Spirit, staring straight at Wang Wei.

"Nothing will happen. I won't participate in this trial, but I'm only one inconsequential individual."

Lord Spirit had veins appear on his forehead as he already knew what the latter was planning. And as expected.

"I will also forfeit," said Chu Luo.

"Count me in," added Ji Lanfang, who was drinking from his gourd after seeing Wang Wei casually drinking his tea.

"I will support my fellow countrymen," said Tong Ruobing. Shi Qian hesitated as she did not want to bring trouble to her parents by offending these upper dimensions big shots. However, she agreed reluctantly, thinking how she would become enemies with her fellow lower-dimension peers if she did not pick their side.

Of course, Jingwu Hua also agreed, followed by the other participants like Xu Shi, Feng Heng, Liang Shixian, Huo Fenghuang, etc.

"See, Lord Spirit. With all of us forfeiting, you can choose one of them as an inheritor. Well, they are a better fit if you consider their talents and birthplace."

Lord Spirit became quiet.

'My divination was correct,' thought Wang Wei. 'Gu Xuan does not want to give his inheritance to people of the upper dimension for some reason.'

A few minutes of silence then ensued. Then, Lord Spirit said: "You can all dismiss. I will contact you after negotiating the logistic of the current problem."

Everyone quietly packed their things before flying to their mansions. As soon as Wang Wei arrived, Wang Wucheng appeared before him.

"What you did there was dangerous. And you also revealed yourself to these faction's eyes."

"It's not as bad as you think. They already noticed me because of the Dao Overlord Title. All I did was revealed my intelligence as an [Overlord]."

"What about your soul? You've revealed yourself with that spiritual hint."

"I don't believe for a moment that Lord Spirit or Gu Xuan could hide the result of these trials from these people. And even the lower-dimension participants who were on my side would gladly sell my information."

On top of everything, Wang Wei did not think these people would come along. So, they must send people or have other methods to investigate his information back in the Myriad Emperor World. As such, they will know his soul is unique.

"Did you observe anything from them?"

"Zhang Yucheng has displayed some hostility towards me–even though he tried very well to hide it. He and Monk Wuzhi are definitely here because of Feng Heng, and I will probably get dragged into their confrontation.

"As for the others, they appeared to also be here for another mission besides getting the inheritance. And that mission seemed to involve observing us."

"Now that you mention it, they seem not to be happy once all you forfeit."

"Yes. They reacted as if they wanted us to display our strengths and abilities. It appears they want to assess us, but the real question is why?"

"I can't think of anything, but I'm sure you will figure it out," said Wang Wucheng. "By the way, what did you mean by what you said about our founding fathers?"

"Didn't I tell you about their disappearance and possible death?"

"No. I think I would have remembered if you had said such an important thing."

Wang Wei then remembered he told Wang Wucheng about his encounter with Empyrean Black Heart during his Outlaw Trial. But, he was not detailed in his encounter, so he did not mention he learned of the founders' disappearance.

"Well, now you know."

"Don't take something so important so lightly," replied Wang Wucheng with a serious face.

"It's as I said. Our founders have reached the pinnacle of cultivation. And two of them can revive themselves as long as their names remain in the annals of history. So, it is only a matter of time before they revive themselves."

"Even so, I think this the kind of information that the others should know."

After saying that, Wang Wucheng left to see Origin One. Wang Wei shook his head as he also headed back to the sect. He wanted to learn more about Gu Xuan as he felt the latter was not simple. He hoped he could gather more information about him and know better how to deal with the upcoming storm.

The night of this event, two shadows secretly entered different mansions habited by the upper seeded-players. Meanwhile, Ao Tianyi activated a formation in a secret room inside his mansion.

Chapter 575 Worldwide Changes [Gift Bonus Chapter]

(Thanks to Heaven Will Daoist for the gift.)

---

"Tian'er, how are things going?" said a deep voice from the formation. Immediately, Ao Tianyi's arrogant demeanor changed into a more respectful one.

"Father, this is what happened."

Ao Tianyi told everything that had occurred since he arrived. The participant's reactions, what everybody said, what he said, and even some basic analysis of the situation.

"I guess this should be expected of a Dao Overlord. *Sigh* The Wang Clan is truly blessed," replied Ao Jing. He could not help but reminisce about what he read of the Wang Clan's achievement in the Eternal Ascension World.

And if the clan did not break up and even fought in the upper dimension, their accomplishment might have been even higher.

"Father, what do you think I should do?"

"You might not have a choice but to swear."

"What! Why?"

"You must accomplish both your missionsâ€"especially bringing back the Deceiving Heaven Longevity Art."

"Isn't it just a lowly Insurgent technique?" Ao Tanyi then remembered something.

"Even if it was a Longevity technique, is there a need to go through all this troubleâ€"especially since it's probably of the lowest level? Couldn't our dragon race take it from Gu Xuan's hand?"

Ao Jing paused for a moment before sighing. His son was the future leader of the Primordial Dragon Race, so he should start learning the world's secrets and how to deal with them. So, he said:

"You are correct that this scripture is of the lowest level. However, it has tremendous potential. So, the Patriarch wants it."

Ao Tinayi squinted his eyes. The dragon race's patriarch was one of the Seven Ruling Paragons of the Eternal Ascension. So, he knew it was a big deal for the latter to want something.

"So, why didn't the patriarch take it from Gu Xuan? Isn't he just a Dao Monarch?"

"Gu Xuan has disappeared from the face of the world. He is most likely hiding inside the Lawless Zone, and he's been using a proxy to communicate with us for this trial.

"On top of everything, he appears not to want anyone in the upper dimension to get their hands on the scripture. So, you must get it no matter what."

Ao Tianyi frowned even deeper. "Father, why does it seems this mission is not as simple as it seems? Why do I have to observe these Heaven Chosens?"

He did not understand why he had to gather information on the lower dimension's Heaven Chosens, focusing on the Myriad Emperor World.

"*Sigh* I guess there is no point hiding things from you since you are now involved. Great changes are about to take place in the Eternal Ascension World. There are rumors of the end of the Two Suns Seven Moons Era is approaching, and the return of the old era."

"These rumors have existed ever since the era began. Why would that matter now?"

"Yes, normally, these would just be rumors of a bunch of unsatisfied individuals. However, some changes have taken place recently that have alerted the rulers."

"What changes?"

"Heavenly Dao has begun to move. It has seal access to the lower dimension. Currently, Empyreans cannot even send in a projection. And with each day, the sealing is becoming more powerful.

"According to calculation, it's only a matter of time before the seven rulers can not only interfere in the lower dimension, they might not even be able to see anything from there."

Ao Jing did not tell his son that even the two supreme rulers might become blind to the ongoings of the lower dimension.

"Is this why the patriarch sent me on this mission?"

"Yes. The patriarch calculated that the rise of the Myriad Emperor World might be the cause of Heavenly Dao's actions. So, he wants you to gather information on the Heaven Chosens to detect the people responsible for leading this new era.

"As for the Deceiving Heaven Longevity Art, the patriarch deduced the changes of the Myriad Emperor World might be the prelude to something else. So, he wanted another Longevity Scripture as insurance for the future."

"I see."

"So, if Gu Xuan wants you to swear the oath, do so."

"I will," replied Ao Tianyi with slightly gritted teeth. "What about Zhang Yuchen and Monk Wuzhi?"

"Don't get involved in their conflict. They probably have no desire for the inheritance. So, as long as you stay out of their way, there should be no problem."

"As you wish, father."

"Alright, do your best."

Ao Tianyi closed the communication array before heading to rest. But before he reached his destination, he sensed someone outside his mansion. He used his Divine Sense to determine who it was.

'Her? Interesting.'

Then, he went to open the door.

Zhang Yucheng's Mansion:

"Master, this all that happened," he said to an array.

"This Wang Wei will be a problem as I expected," said a cold and indifferent voice. "You know your mission?"

"Yes, eliminate Feng Heng and prevent him from spreading Buddhism."

"Act fast, as you do not have much time."

"Is something wrong?"

"Heavenly Dao has begun to revolt against my suppression. And it will not let you stay long in the lower dimension," replied Daoist Supreme Unity.

"Master, are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me. Just finish your mission," Daoist Supreme Unity replied in his eternal indifferent voice. Then, he disconnected the communication.

Zhang Yucheng did not mind since he knew his master was always this direct and cold; he was used to it by now. Nevertheless, he was determined to succeed in his mission.

He knew his master was in a deadlock with Maitreya Mother Buddha. But if Feng Heng successfully spread Buddhism in the lower dimension, the luck and incense gathered by the Maitreya Buddha might be enough for her to surpass his master.

'Feng Heng must die. And if that Wang Wei gets in my way, I will also annihilate him.' After making a resolution, Zhang Yucheng went to rest.

Monk Wuzhi's Mansion:

"You know what to do?" said a melodious voice.

"Yes, Great Buddha."

"Remember to use a friendly approach; don't rush or force things. And if things don't work out, it's okay to let it go."

"I will," replied Monk Wuzhi.

"I know I can count on you."

After the communication ended, Monk Wuzhi bowed to the formation before going to cultivate.

Shi Ruolan's Mansion:

She opened the door for someone outside.

"I did not expect to be receiving guess today."

"I"m sorry for the late intrusion."

"No problem. Come in, Miss Xu Shi, right?"

"That's right."

Shi Ruolan led her to the dining room and had her maid serve tea.

"So, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I wanted to know something and figured I had the highest chance of succeeding by asking you."

"Oh, and why would I help you?" Shi Ruolan asked with a smile.

"You can ask me whatever you want."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"It seems that desperation has clouded your judgment," commented Shi Ruolan. "Very well. Let's see what you want to know first."

"I want to know how to revive someone that had their [Existence] injured?"

"Did that person die as a mortal?"

"Does that matter?"

"Of course."

"Yes."

Shi Ruolan thought for a moment. "Existence wounds are severe even for Emperors. However, most Eternal Emperors can heal their [Existence Injuries] by themselves, a few talented ones can heal others, and some extremely talented individuals can even use [Existence Reconstruction].

"That's when they recreate a person's [Existence] and revive them even after being completely erased from reality. However, such a talent has not appeared in a...."

Shi Ruolan suddenly remembered that peerless Empress that incurred fear in the seven rulers.

'She might be capable of this.'

"Whoever you want to revive might require only healing their existence. However, since they are mortals and will probably be dead for a long period by the time you prove the Dao, you might need the ability of [Existence Reconstruction]."

"I see," replied Xu Shi, deep in thought. She knew she had no choice but to prove the Dao in this generation because the longer she took, the less chance she had to revive her husband.

Furthermore, she must be an Eternal Emperor.

"Now, for my payment," said Shi Ruolan with a mesmerizing smile.

Eternal Ascension World, Dragon Nest:

A long dragon with beautiful and noble purple scales suddenly opened his eyes.

'Should I report things now to the Patriarch?'

Ao Jing did not want to, but he knew he had no choice. The current era was simply terrible. No Tier 12 powerhouses of any path were allowed to exist, forcing him to stay in the Empyrean Realm for too long.

On top of it all, he was not happy with the situation of the dragon clan. In ancient times, there were many tribes of dragons: Azure Dragons, Primordial Dragons, Fiend Dragons, and so many more. The dragon clan was united yet independent, with each tribe having its own autonomy.

But now, all dragons had to obey the Patriarch: a blood dragon. If anyone disobeyed him, they would be annihilated.

And this is not the only reason Ao Jing did not like the current era. He was born near the very end of the Golden Age and remembered how prosperous the Eternal Ascension World used to be.

But now, with the seven rulers promoting Heaven Will Emperors instead of Dao Emperors, the Eternal Ascension World was weak both regarding its high-end power and low-end ones.

If he were not for the two supreme rulers, the world would have long been invaded by foreign forces.

After thinking about these things, Ao Jing shook his head before heading to report to the patriarch. He also removed his idea of downplaying some of the information he received; he did not dare to lie to a Paragon.