by <unknown>
Even if he could not clear it, just based on his speed in the first 333 steps, it was sufficient to look down on all genius students!
"Yeah. There's really nothing that he can't do, and nothing that he doesn't dare to do. Compared to him, we're all self-boasting geniuses. Such a joke!" A deep shock was also plastered all over Long Tang's face.
"Old Long, I've never denied that I'm a genius. At least that's the case within the territory of the State of Qin. However, the degree of Ye Yuan's genius has already vastly exceeded the domain of genius." Zuo Bugui sighed in admiration.
All this while, only Long Tang could steadily suppress Zuo Bugui's arrogance. But now, his arrogance was shattered by Ye Yuan's performance.
The dazed look in Long Tang's gaze vanished, and what replaced it was incomparable determination!
He shook his head and said, "I'm not talking about his talent, but his heart of a powerhouse! Compared to Ye Yuan, what we lack the most is still the heart of a powerhouse! What a joke. I, Long Tang, have always prided myself on being able to look down on all experts. But in reality, I'm just a coward! Ye Yuan, thank you!"
Zuo Bugui was somewhat confounded by Long Tang's words. However, he could clearly sense some sort of transformation taking place in Long Tang's body.
Like the feeling of . . . enlightenment!
"What are you talking about, Old Long? Heart of a powerhouse? Even though we aren't as monstrous as Ye Yuan, our desire to become strong has never changed all this while right?" Zuo Bugui asked in puzzlement.
Long Tang did not look at Zuo Bugui but stared at Ye Yuan who was halfway up and gave a confusing answer. "Powerhouse? A true powerhouse is not about how strong his strength is but how powerful his inner heart is! Zuo Bugui, after this matter is settled, I'll also challenge the Nine Heavens Road!"
"What?! You want to challenge the Nine Heavens Road? Are you tired of living?" Zuo Bugui jumped in fright as he exclaimed.
However, Long Tang just smiled lightly as if he had seen past life and death. "If I can't even pass through a tiny Nine Heavens Road in the State of Qin, how can I talk about becoming a powerhouse? What qualifications would I have to look down upon this Endless World and ascend to the Divine Realm?"
This place Ye Yuan reincarnated in was called the Endless World.
Endless World was named after the Endless Forest. Because it was truly endless and limitless, separating the Endless World into the North and South domain.
"Mad! Completely mad! No matter how powerful you are, Old Long, are you more powerful than Mo Yuntian? You will die if you attempt the Nine Heavens Road! What will you have to look down on the Endless World if you lose your life?" Zuo Bugui was ruffled.
Ye Yuan was a madman, and now, even the rank one on the Martial Roll of Honor, Long Tang, also went crazy along with him! Just what was happening to this world?
Long Tang, on the other hand, was unmoved. Incomparable resolve could be seen in his eyes.
"Why should martial artists regret death? How can one talk about becoming a powerhouse without the realization of going to die?" Long Tang said casually.
"But even when martial artists die, they have to die with significance! What's the point if you challenge the Nine Heavens Road just to die?"
Zuo Bugui was still unable to figure it out. The way he saw it, the Nine Heavens Road was just a large scale array. Dying inside the array was something utterly meaningless.
"What kind of death holds meaning? Only now do I understand that victory and defeat lie in one thought. Strong and weak . . . also lies in a single thought! Zuo Bugui, you and I are ultimately not from the same world." Long Tang finally looked at Zuo Bugui. The expression in his eyes was something which he had never seen before.
Zuo Bugui was rank two on the Martial Roll. Apart from Long Tang, he was invincible in the academy. Even Feng Zhirou could not defeat him.
Even when facing Long Tang, the disparity with Zuo Bugui was actually not that large.
But now, Long Tang actually said that they were not from the same world? How could Zuo Bugui feel comfortable?
"What you meant is that you and Ye Yuan are people from the same world? Aren't your words too conceited, Old Long?" Zuo Bugui kept away that trademark cynical smile and said somewhat unhappily.
However, Long Tang shook his head and said, "Ye Yuan . . . I'm afraid I have no opportunity to catch up to him in this lifetime. He and I . . . are also from entirely different worlds."
After saying that, Long Tang kept silent and simply watched Ye Yuan halfway up patiently.
Zuo Bugui also fell silent and started to muse.
He felt that some sort of transformation had taken place in Long Tang's body. It was just that he could not understand what this transformation was even after cracking his head open trying to figure it out.
Except . . . could this transformation separate both of them into two different worlds? How was that possible?
Just because Long Tang was going to challenge the Nine Heavens Road?
Why don't I also try taking on the Nine Heavens Road?
Zuo Bugui swiftly rejected this idea. He was indeed strong, but he did not even have 10% confidence for him to challenge the Nine Heavens Road successfully. It was indeed almost certain death!
Although Long Tang was stronger than him, he was not that much stronger. That was to say even if he went, it would be virtually certain death!
Just what did this fellow come to realize?
Such a low survival rate and he still dared to try it? Wasn't this courting death?
Yes. Long Tang had truly been enlightened!
He saw what was called the heart of a powerhouse from Ye Yuan.
Ye Yuan's chances were actually not that great when he challenged Lin Tiancheng. But he went to do it.
Ye Yuan's chances were even much lower than imagined when he went to take on the Nine Heavens Road. But he did it anyway.
Even though he clearly understood that killing fellow disciples would result in the death penalty, Ye Yuan still did it without looking back.
Even though he was clear that the Nine Heavens Road was certain death, he still did it without hesitation.
Breaking the rules, challenging oneself, and surpassing oneself.
This was the heart of a powerhouse!
For a martial artist to cultivate was originally already going against the heavens. Without the consciousness of death, how could one sense the unparalleled Heavenly Dao and reach the paramount Deity Realm?
Why should we rejoice over life, and why should we be bitter about death?
The road of a powerhouse was filled densely with thorns. Even if one did not go and challenge the Nine Heavens Road, there might still be an Eight Heavens Road, Ten Heavens Road.
A person could hide for a moment, but could he hide for a lifetime?
Only by braving forward could one trample all these ups and downs underfoot. Only by continually surpassing oneself could there be a possibility to truly look down on all life under the heavens!
Pursuing good fortune and avoiding disasters were the primal instinct of men. But if martial artists did not sever these instincts, how could they talk about being an expert?
Long Tang could see from Zuo Bugui's eyes that he simply did not dare to give birth to the thought of challenging the Nine Heavens Road. Hence, he said that they were not from the same world.
Long Tang was destined to walk out of the State of Qin; a person who would walk unparalleled throughout the entire Endless World.
But Zuo Bugui was only an expert in the State of Qin. Even if he forced himself to the limits, he would only be an expert in the Tranquil Cloud Sect.
Chapter 96. Illusionary Realm |
Everybody was focused on Ye Yuan, so naturally, no one noticed the transformation which suddenly took place in Long Tang's body. Except for Zuo Bugui.
But even Zuo Bugui could not imagine just what kind of change Long Tang's transformation brought him.
It was until many years
later, Zuo Bugui then heard that Long Tang's martial prowess broke the void, and he ascended to the Divine Realm with the status of the strongest expert in the Endless World. At that time, he finally understood what these words meant back during the days of the State of Qin.
Of course, this was all later on in the future.
Just as Long Tang was conversing with Zuo Bugui, another commotion sprung out from the crowd again.
"Quickly look! Ye Yuan stopped advancing!"
"Yeah. He stopped at the 338th step. It's only been five steps!"
"He scared me to death! I thought that he would continue forth with an indomitable force."
"Are you dumb? This is the Nine Heavens Road, hailed as the death zone for all Essence Qi Realms. How could he possibly continue forth without any resistance? The true difficulty of the Nine Heavens Road starts from the middle 333 steps stage. The vast majority of those Essence Qi Realms who came to challenge the Nine Heavens Road fell at this juncture! How could Ye Yuan possibly fall to the first stage with how monstrous he is?"
"So that's the case! His crossing speed just now was too frightening. It quickly swept me up. Hur hur. Then do you think Ye Yuan can make it through?"
"Absolutely not! If Ye Yuan were at half-step Spirit Condensation Realm, I would feel that he might make it through. But he's only at the Sixth Level Essence Qi Realm! The scariest part of the Nine Heavens Road is still the final 333 steps!"
Just as Ye Yuan landed on the fifth step of the second stage on the Nine Heavens Road, his fierce momentum finally halted.
This action naturally drew everyone's attention. The crowd started clamoring.
The people who were initially stunned by Ye Yuan's advancing momentum suddenly came to a realization at this moment.
This was the death zone for all Essence Qi Realms, Nine Heavens Road! How could it be possible to pass through it smoothly without problems?
When Su Yubai saw this scene, his initial shock turned into wild ecstasy.
"I've long said that he can't possibly pass through! A tiny little Sixth Level Essence Qi Realm dares to tackle the Nine Heavens Road? Conceited! Seeking his own destruction!"
Even though he was filled with wild joy, Su Yubai obviously would not be stupid enough to show it on his face. However, he did not hold back his words at all.
Everybody knew that he wanted to eliminate Ye Yuan anyway, so he naturally had no need to pretend to be some hypocritical good person.
"What Elder Su said is right. This Ye Yuan would rather challenge the Nine Heavens Road than come to the elder's meeting. This is slighting us all! Such an impertinent brat! The way I see it, there's nothing to regret over his death!" an elder echoed.
"Elder Lin's words are unreasonable. Challenging the Nine Heavens Road is the right of every student. Once you pass the Nine Heavens Road, you would enjoy the special privilege of the high sect's core disciple. This was set by the high sect. No matter how powerful the Elders Council is, it's not greater than the high sect's rules, right?" Hu Changsheng raised his eyelids and said coolly.
Like everybody else, Hu Changsheng was also astonished by Ye Yuan's performance. It was just that he did not show it. He kept both eyes lightly closed like an old monk in meditation.
However, Hu Changsheng's talent loving heart was stirred, and he felt great pity for Ye Yuan.
Such a genius might be able to pass the Heaven Rank Advancement test in the future and become the Tranquil Cloud Sect's inner disciple. He might even yield brilliant results in the Ten Nation's Grand Competition and be chosen as a core disciple of the Tranquil Cloud Sect!
But now, Ye Yuan was going to fall on the Nine Heavens Road. How could that not make people sigh regretfully?
And what caused this sort of tragedy to happen was precisely these few so-called elders in front of his eyes who were playing politics!
How could this not make him displeased?
Hence, Hu Changsheng who was always a nice person finally blew his top!
Yes. Even with Ye Yuan's spectacular performance, Hu Changsheng did not think that Ye Yuan could pass through the Nine Heavens Road!
As the deputy dean, he naturally understood much more than the students. The further one went along the Nine Heavens Road, the more challenging it became. Especially at the last 333 steps, the difficulty basically reached an extreme level.
It was impossible for Ye Yuan to pass it with his current realm!
Hu Changsheng's words left that elder who was surnamed Lin dumbfounded. What could he say? That he was bigger than the Tranquil Cloud Sect? Was that not seeking death?
. . . . . .
Presently, Ye Yuan was already on an illusionary trip. He was currently in the pill refinement room at the Divine Realm's Medicine King's Hall.
A pill refinement room so vast that it could be a training room for martial arts, tens of times greater than Feng Ruoqing's refinement room. It could be called extravagant!
Ye Yuan would treat other aspects of himself shabbily with the sole exception of this pill refinement room and things related to it. No matter what he would not treat himself badly or underperform on this aspect.
Because the Alchemy God realm was his life-long goal!
Limitless Cauldron, one of the best pill cauldrons in the Divine Realm. It was formerly Ye Yuan's greatest love.
Apart from that, various pill refining tools and herbal ingredients were all here. Everything here was so familiar.
Ye Yuan spent over 300 years in this pill refinement room!
To Ye Yuan, he was even more familiar with this refinement room than his bedchamber.
There were no mirrors in his pill refinement room, but Ye Yuan knew that he definitely recovered his previous life's appearance.
"Appearance is born from the heart. This illusionary realm is seriously realistic. It can actually completely dig out the things buried within my heart so thoroughly! Even though I know it's an illusionary realm, I still don't wish to wake up!" Ye Yuan sighed emotionally.
After Ye Yuan entered the Nine Heavens Road's second stage, he suddenly felt his head was incomparably heavy. After a bout of dizziness, he appeared in his former refinement room.
Ye Yuan already confirmed that he entered an illusionary realm nearly straightaway.
Illusionary realms might look completely harmless, but it was extremely dangerous. Those students who went insane after challenging the Nine Heavens Road basically lost themselves after failing this second stage.
The average person who ventured deep into an illusionary world would often unable to extricate themselves out from it. They would be swept inside instantly, and finally, lose themselves inside it.
Only someone with a firm heart could free themselves from the illusion world and return to reality. However, this process was tremendously arduous. Even Mo Yuntian who was so powerful back then spent several days before he could awaken.
To talk about a firm heart, the previous life's Qingyun Zi was not that powerful either.
However, he had changed dramatically today and became countless times more mature than the previous life's Qingyun Zi in terms of mentality. In addition, his heart for vengeance was incomparably firm. How could ordinary illusionary worlds mesmerize him?
Without talking about how Ye Yuan himself was a great array master, even if his strength today was lacking and unable to break the array, it was still insanely difficult for illusion arrays to make him fall for them.
No matter how powerful this Nine Heavens Road was, it was nothing but an array formation from the Lower Realms. It was still considered as nothing in Ye Yuan's eyes.
This was also his greatest reliance to dare to tackle the Nine Heavens Road!
Except, seeing through the illusion world did not mean being able to break the illusion world, and it also did not mean willingness to break the illusion world.
This Nine Heavens Road was extremely remarkable, to directly look at the human heart.
Even somebody like Ye Yuan was unwilling to leave j
ust like that after seeing this place filled with cherished memories.
These things had accompanied Ye Yuan for 300 years!
Every blade of grass and every tree was filled with feelings!
With a casual wave, the Limitless Cauldron turned into a remarkably small and exquisite pill cauldron in Ye Yuan's hand. The feeling when his fingers came into contact with the Limitless Cauldron was exactly the same as back then.
Of course it would be exactly the same. Because this illusionary realm was birthed from his inner thoughts!
"If time could rewind, how great would that be . . ." Ye Yuan was overcome with emotion.
Chapter 97. Heart Realm! |
Dong dong dong!
Just as Ye Yuan was lost in his emotions, a knocking sound came from outside the door.
"Are you in there, Yun-er?"
That familiar yet foreign voice sounded out from outside the door. Ye Yuan could never forget this voice even if he turned to ashes. Because it was the voice belonging to his father, Ji Zhengyang.
Zhengyang Zi and Qingyun Zi were only Dao-titles that the outside world dedicated to them. Qingyun Zi and his father were originally surnamed Ji.
In the Divine Realm, any alchemist who reached the realm of Alchemy Emperor would be addressed respectfully with 'Zi.' Directly calling an Alchemy Emperor with his name was a great disrespect and could very well anger the Alchemy Emperor.
And the vastness of an Alchemy Emperor's network was unimaginable to the average person!
Even though he was clearly aware that he was currently inside an illusionary realm, Ye Yuan still shuddered uncontrollably.
Casually firing out a spell, the door to the pill refinement room automatically opened revealing Ji Zhengyang's figure.
Seeing this familiar figure once again, Ye Yuan's eyes immediately became moist.
Ji Zhengyang entered with a faint smile. When he saw Ye Yuan's wet eyes, he could not help but be surprised. "Why is your face covered in tears, Yun-er?"
Ye Yuan who had transformed into Ji Qingyun was fully aware that this was inside an illusionary realm, but he still could not resist explaining.