Archean Eon Art c1-766

by I Eat Tomatoes, Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi, 我吃西红柿

  “Yes.” After Yuchang received the order, he immediately sent an Essence Soul avatar to Nine Trials River Zone to lock onto Meng Chuan’s location more precisely.

  Chapter 673 - In front of the Pill Furnace

  The entrance to the towering Nine Trials Pagoda was 50 kilometers wide.

  Meng Chuan and the turtle-shelled elder walked through the entrance like two tiny dots. “Meng Chuan, you will reach the Nine Trials Pagoda’s interior if you continue moving forward.” The turtle-shelled elder stood in the entranceway and pointed into the pagoda. The pagoda was empty chaos. In the middle was a pill furnace that resembled a hill. “After entering the pagoda, keep moving forward. Reaching the front of that pill furnace means you have survived the first trial.” Meng Chuan nodded slightly. “Walk to the pill furnace?”

  “Don’t underestimate the first trial,” said the turtle-shelled elder with a smile. “In your era, the most powerful people-Hall Lord White Avian and Celestial Thearch Myriad Star—are both half-step Eighth Tribulation Eminences; yet, they have only cleared the fifth trial. As a Sixth Tribulation Eminence… it’s very difficult for you to clear the first trial.”

  Meng Chuan was shocked.

  His homeworld’s Ancestral Master Archean Eon had cleared the fourth trial. As for Hall Lord White Avian and Celestial Thearch Myriad Star, they had only barely cleared the fifth trial.

  “Senior Bei, how many people in our era have managed to reach the fourth trial?” asked Meng Chuan.

  “In this era, most Seventh Tribulation Eminences have been here. Only three reached the fourth trial,” said the turtle-shelled elder. “They are Realm Ancestor, Windthunder Walker, and Palace Lord Medicine.”

  Meng Chuan nodded slightly. There were seven publicly recognized top Seventh Tribulation Eminences. Fiend Eye hadn’t revealed his peak Seventh Tribulation strength after recovering from his serious injuries, so he wasn’t included.

  These seven were Ancestral Magus King, Palace Lady Blood Phoenix, Lord of Shadows, Origin Realm Chieftain, Realm Ancestor, Windthunder Walker, and Palace Lord Medicine.

  “Has Ancestral Magus King never been here?” asked Meng Chuan.

  Back then, there was a period of time when Ancestral Magus King was the strongest Physical Body Seventh Tribulation Eminence. Realm Ancestor was the strongest Essence Soul Seventh Tribulation Eminence.

  Even now, Ancestral Magus King’s faction remained powerful. “He ultimately has something lacking in his cultivation. He only has such strength because he received the opportunity to obtain the legacy left behind by an Eternal existence,” said the turtle-shelled elder casually.

  “What about Guild Master Fiend Eye?” asked Meng Chuan. He had come into close contact with Fiend Eye. Fiend Eye had once stood at the peak of the River of Spacetime a long time ago.

  “He’s also somewhat lacking,” said the turtle-shelled elder. “He’s inferior to Realm Ancestor and the other two’s deep foundations.”

  Meng Chuan sighed.

  The outside world spoke of seven peak Seventh Tribulation Eminences. It was said that Fiend Eye was unfathomable. But in the eyes of the Nine Trials Pagoda’s array spirit… there was clearly a difference in strength. Presently, Realm Ancestor was the oldest Seventh Tribulation Eminence.

  Palace Lord Medicine was the Seventh Tribulation Eminence who kept the lowest profile in the present era. He was the most aloof from worldly affairs. However, he had reached an unimaginable level in terms of medicine and poison. No faction was willing to be enemies with Palace Lord Medicine. Even Hall Lord White Avian and Celestial Thearch Myriad Star were unwilling to anger him.

  Windthunder Walker was a lonely Seventh Tribulation Eminence. He explored ruin after ruin for extended periods and focused on cultivation. This was because he had discovered treasures that other Seventh Tribulation Eminences would fight over when discovered. But as long as he fought, Windthunder Walker had never suffered any losses!

  Celestial Thearch Myriad Star-who was a half-step Eighth Tribulation Eminence-had once clashed with Windthunder Walker because of a legacy treasure. Windthunder Walker ended up walking away as the victor. He successfully fled with the treasures, while Celestial Thearch Myriad Star returned empty-handed.

  In the conflict between Windthunder Walker and Celestial Thearch Myriad Star, it’s said that Windthunder Walker was lucky. After all, Celestial Thearch Myriad Star is an existence that has grasped the laws of time and space… He must have been careless. But from the looks of it, Windthunder Walker is sufficiently powerful to escape from Celestial Thearch Myriad Star along with a treasure. Meng Chuan sighed inwardly. In fact, Ancestral Master Archean Eon had cleared the fourth trial. He was on par with Realm Ancestor, Palace Lord Medicine, and Starlord Windthunder.

  “I’ll remind you again that you are not allowed to use any treasures when challenging the Nine Trials Pagoda. You can only rely on your strength. Otherwise, I have no choice but to expel you and ban you from ever entering again,” said the turtle-shelled elder as he stood by the entrance.

  “Understood.” Meng Chuan cherished the opportunity to enter the Nine Trials Pagoda. According to Ancestral Master Archean Eon’s records, one could search for flaws in their cultivation when they entered the Nine Trials Pagoda. Furthermore, treasures would be given to them if they were outstanding enough.

  ures

  Meng Chuan stepped into the pagoda.

  The pagoda’s interior was empty chaos. The pill furnace in the middle was most eye-catching. As Meng Chuan took his first step into the pagoda, he felt an extremely heavy pressure envelop him.

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Invisible wind blew across Meng Chuan’s body in the empty chaos. Every gust of wind was much heavier than a Supreme Yang Star. Furthermore, it tried its best to penetrate in a bid to strike at every lepton.

  What a heavy pressure. It’s enough to crush an ordinary Sixth Tribulation Eminence to death. Although Meng Chuan was using an Essence Soul avatar, he was ultimately focused on cultivating his Essence Soul. The Essence Soul formulation he created had already taken an embryonic form. In particular, the formulation had undergone a transformation when he traveled 36,500 kilometers on Fiend Mountain.

  His Essence Soul avatar endured the pressure from the impact, but it remained unmoved with an iron will.

  Meng Chuan walked toward the pill furnace one step at a time.

  The wind in the pagoda became heavier, and the impact intensified.

  Wu

  An evil whimper sounded in Meng Chuan’s mind. Illusory, eight-clawed creatures appeared in his sea of consciousness and attacked his mind. Meng Chuan’s consciousness condensed into a human figure, and a saber appeared at his waist. It was a Saber of Will.

  Meng Chuan swung his saber and shattered the illusory, eight-clawed creatures.

  In terms of willpower, Meng Chuan wasn’t inferior to an Essence Soul Seventh Tribulation Eminence. He was naturally not someone that would waver before these external objects.

  Meng Chuan advanced step by step.

  The pressure became greater. The illusory, eight-clawed creatures that entered his sea of consciousness became more corporeal and stronger.

  It’s too difficult to clear the first trial at the Sixth Tribulation realm. The turtle-shelled elder sat at the entrance of the tunnel and watched with interest. It’s probably difficult to find one in a hundred. This Meng Chuan is still too young Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The wind’s pressure became even more terrifying. Meng Chuan felt the world tremble as his Essence Soul quaked.

  Even with his Essence Soul and his formulation’s embryonic form, he couldn’t withstand the impact.

  Don’t tell me I can’t even pass the first trial? Meng Chuan was secretly alarmed.

  Clang!

  As long as he advanced, the wind pressure would only increase. Meng Chuan’s Essence Soul finally collapsed.

  He failed. The turtle shell elder was about to stand up when his eyes suddenly lit up. Eh? Inter
esting Meng Chuan’s collapsed Essence Soul existed in the form of a lepton cluster. It was invisible to the naked eye. After all, they were leptons, the smallest particles possible.

  Countless leptons formed a cluster as Meng Chuan’s consciousness controlled it.

  His powerful willpower controlled the entire lepton cluster. The lepton cluster changed according to his will, flowing and changing like water as it constantly dissipated the impact. It was clearly easier to resist the wind when In the form of a lepton cluster.

  The flowing liquid layer that I previously comprehended for my Essence Soul might be more suitable as a lepton cluster. Meng Chuan continued advancing in the form of a lepton cluster. Only 20% to 30% of the wind’s pressure acted on the lepton cluster, so the burden on Meng Chuan naturally decreased.

  However, as he advanced

  Whoosh

  The evil sound finally materialized into a black, eight-clawed creature—which could be seen with the naked eye-when Meng Chuan was close to the pill furnace.

  The black, eight-clawed creature pounced at Meng Chuan’s lepton cluster form, clashing with Meng Chuan’s consciousness.

  “Kill! Kill! Kill!” Every single one of the black, eight-clawed creature’s tentacles was oily. They emitted an evil aura, stirring up many distracting thoughts. They wrapped around Meng Chuan’s will.

  “Slash!” Meng Chuan’s willpower had hints of virtual indestructibility. He drew his saber and slashed at the black tentacles with his Saber of Will. After slashing 17 times, he completely destroyed the black, eight-clawed creature.

  When it was destroyed, Meng Chuan finally arrived in front of the furnace as a lepton cluster.

  The wind stopped, and the evil whimpering disappeared. Everything returned to normal.

  Whoosh.

  The lepton cluster condensed and restored the black-robed, white-haired Meng Chuan’s form.

  This is only the first trial? Meng Chuan looked at the hill-like furnace in front of him. He felt like he had almost been forced to use all means available to him.

  Chapter 674 - Birth of the Void Trileaf Flower

  “Not bad.” The turtle-shelled elder smiled as he walked over from the distant entrance. With a single step, he arrived beside Meng Chuan. “The Nine Trials Pagoda’s first trial is very difficult for Sixth Tribulation Eminences. For you to clear it… it means that your cultivation foundation is considered one of the best at the Sixth Tribulation realm.’

  Meng Chuan turned his head and said, “That pressure tests one’s defensive abilities. Most top Sixth Tribulation Eminences probably can’t withstand it.”

  The turtle-shelled elder nodded. “When cultivating in the outside world, defensive means are more important than offensive means.”

  “There’s also the attack that affects one’s willpower…” Meng Chuan sighed. “Only when one’s willpower reaches the Physical Body Seventh Tribulation realm’s threshold can one withstand it,” said the turtle-shelled elder. “The first trial doesn’t require you to have a high cultivation realm. If your mind can’t reach the Seventh Tribulation realm’s threshold, how can you possibly have a chance of reaching the Seventh Tribulation realm?”

  Meng Chuan nodded. One’s mind was fundamental. Only with a powerful mind would one’s realm, body, and Essence Soul matter.

  “You have cleared the first trial. The second trial is next.” The turtle-shelled elder smiled as he pointed at the hill-like furnace in front of him. He pointed at the huge rotary disk on the furnace’s main body. “That rotary disk is the entire furnace’s valve. Clearing the second trial entails spinning open the rotary disk valve.”

  “As long as I spin open the valve?” Meng Chuan looked up. The rotary disk valve on the pill furnace was octagonal. Each side had the same length-160 feet.

  Although Ancestral Master Archean Eon had general records regarding the Nine Trials Pagoda, he didn’t mention the details of each trial. Those who could be invited to the Nine Trials Pagoda didn’t need to know the details of each trial. Those who weren’t qualified didn’t need to know the details.

  “That’s right. As long as you open the valve, the entire pill furnace will ignite with raging flames,” said the turtle-shelled elder wistfully. “When the time comes, you will follow the wind tunnel and directly fly into the furnace’s interior. You will then be tested by the furnace’s flames. If you survive it… you will have survived the third trial. It’s fine if you can’t.”

  la

  The third trial is inside the pill furnace. I’ll be refined by the furnace? Meng Chuan secretly muttered to himself.

  At his current realm, Meng Chuan could still discern the truth behind this furnace. Meng Chuan could vaguely sense the profundities of the runes on the furnace’s surface. In fact, he was vaguely certain that the furnace’s might would far exceed his imagination if it was completely unleashed. He had a feeling that his Lepton Undying Body was like dust in front of the furnace’s might. It would dissipate with a single blow.

  Even a hundred of him would be annihilated.

  Just slightly sensing it makes me instinctively feel terrified. I definitely can’t survive the third trial. Meng Chuan knew his limits.

  It was normal.

  For example, top Seventh Tribulation Eminences like Guild Master Fiend Eye and Ancestral Magus King could instantly kill him. However, they could only clear up to the third trial.

  “Don’t even think about the third trial. Becoming a Seventh Tribulation Eminence is the most basic requirement to clear the third trial,” said the turtle-shelled elder with a smile. “Furthermore, there are other tests. Half of the Seventh Tribulation Eminences typically can’t withstand the third trial.”

  Meng Chuan smiled when he heard that. His senses were right. Once the furnace was ignited, its might was far beyond what he could withstand.

  The second trial.

  Meng Chuan’s Power of Essence Soul spread out and enveloped the pill furnace’s rotary disk valve.

  It’s complicated as expected. Meng Chuan sensed the rotary valve and discovered a vast number of runes inside. There were a total of nine layers of countless runes from the bottom.

  The nine-layered runes connected the entire furnace.

  The nine-layered runes on the rotary valve were a catalyst, a key. It was the key to activating the entire pill furnace’s core array formation.

  I can’t understand the entire pill furnace array formation. However, the rotary valve is only a catalyst. The nine layers of runes are much easier to understand than the entire pill furnace array formation. At the very least, I can figure out some clues. Meng Chuan sensed and pondered carefully.

  He immersed himself in his thoughts and combed through the vast nine layers of runes. Only when he vaguely understood their overall composition did Meng Chuan snap out of his adrift thoughts.

  Meng Chuan realized that the turtle-shelled elder had already fallen asleep and was snoring.

  “You’ve been looking at it for more than a year. How’s it going?” The turtle-shelled elder was still snoring a moment ago, but the next moment, he opened his eyes and looked at Meng Chuan. He yawned and asked, “Figured it out?”

  I’ve been looking at it for more than a year?

  Over the past year, many of Meng Chuan’s Essence Soul avatars had spent all their effort on figuring things out, especially the one in Earth Cloud Mystic Realm-which had more than half of his Essence Soul Origins present. In reality, due to the ten-fold faster time flow, it took him more than ten years to comb through everything. “Senior Bei, there’s no time limit in the Nine Trials Pagoda, right?” asked Meng Chuan.

  “As long as your avatar is alive, there’s no time limit,” said the turtle-shelled elder with a smile. “If your avatar dies, it means that you have failed. The next time you come, it will be at least 10,000 years later.” Meng Chuan nodded. “The array formation contained in this rotary valve is complicated. I need more time to activate it.”

  “It’s good that you are confide
nt. Take your time; I have plenty of time.” The turtle-shelled elder chuckled and closed his eyes again. He continued sleeping soundly. Meng Chuan smiled and continued studying the nine-layered runes on the rotary valve. Comprehending the nine-layered runes broadened my horizons greatly. The moment I figure it out is also the moment I grasp the spatial law. Meng Chuan already understood that the key to the second trial was the spatial law.

  Everything depended on the existence of space.

  The spatial law was one of the two major foundations in the River of Spacetime. Its importance wasn’t only reflected by it being the strongest Sixth Tribulation law.

  Grasping a spatial law was one of the thresholds to spinning open the valve. It was only natural.

  Meng Chuan sat cross-legged in front of the pill furnace and studied the nine-layered runes on the rotary valve while the turtle-shelled elder slept beside the pill furnace. In the blink of an eye, 15 years had passed. The actual time Meng Chuan spent cultivating was a lot longer.

  The Valley of Spacetime had 15 layers. White Avian Hall occupied the larger four layers. In one layer of spacetime, an array formation enveloped the area. In one region, spacetime trembled slightly and distorted. A flower vaguely took form.

  Huh?

  Two figures arrived almost instantly. They were White Avian Hall’s Sixth Tribulation Eminences—who were in charge of guarding this layer of spacetime.

  The pudgy figure’s eyes were very small, but his entire body was like a moving world. The pressure he released was immense. He stared at the vaguely discernible flower. He could distinguish the three leaves and the flower’s appearance. “It’s the Void Trileaf Flower.” The pudgy figure’s eyes burned.

  “The Void Trileaf Flower will completely bloom an hour after it appears. It has to be consumed within a day. Otherwise, it will wither and return to spacetime.” Another cyan-clothed female Eminence stared at it with burning desire as well. She had come to the Valley of Spacetime for the Void Trileaf Flower. “By the way, according to the order, who does this Void Trileaf Flower belong to?”