The more powerful one’s divine sense, the more powerful one’s deduction and inference abilities would become. These were of utmost importance for alchemy, puppet creation, formation setting, and formation cracking.
Ling Han’s eyes moved about slightly as he stared at the formation. As time went on, the speed at which his eyes moved also increased—this was because he was following and remembering all the changes in the formation. After he remembered them, he would start to analyze the patterns that governed their movement.
If he entered the Black Tower and performed comprehension under the Reincarnation Tree, one day’s worth of comprehension would be equivalent to an entire year’s outside. Thus, he would naturally be able to crack this formation in an extremely short amount of time. However, the time limit meant that this formation could be cracked in under two hours. There were rewards at stake, and he was confident that he would be able to crack this formation without any external help.
His mind was already whirring, and a smile quickly tugged at the corners of his mouth.
‘There are 36 transformations, and there are also seven areas designed to trick people. If one enters those places, they’ll definitely be trapped.
‘I’m ready now.’
Ling Han walked into the stone labyrinth.
He headed left for a while, and then right. He appeared especially relaxed, and he passed through the stone formation in only around an hour. Another large hall appeared before him.
Shao Sisi, Du An, and the others who had set off before him had all arrived here already. Even Xia Wuque had already arrived. Prodigies were prodigies, after all, and they were outstanding even in the field of deduction.
However, part of the reason was because the formation had been relatively simple. As such, it hadn’t been able to separate the skills of the prodigies apart. If the difficulty of the formation had been increased dramatically, perhaps differences in completion time would reach several or even dozens of years.
The hall before Ling Han also had a stone tablet.
Ling Han nodded in greeting to Shao Sisi and the others first, and then he walked up to the stone tablet, and said, “I’ve passed, so where is my reward?”
“Brat, remember to call me senior!” the stone tablet said angrily.
Ling Han took this opportunity to ask, “What should I refer to senior as?”
Shao Sisi and the others all perked their ears up. They were also keen to learn about this large tomb’s origin. Being able to construct a tomb among the stars and planets was far too astonishing.
“Haha! Back in the day, I had galloped across the universe and been invincible for a generation! You people can refer to me as the Invincible Paragon Saint!” the stone tablet said.
‘So shameless!’
Everyone shook their heads in their minds. They acknowledged that this person had been supremely powerful when alive. However, it was a bit over the top for him to call himself invincible.
The world was vast, and powerful beings were as many as the clouds. Who could be truly invincible?
Moreover, even Saints couldn’t escape death. If one were invincible… could they overcome the great dao of heaven and earth?
“Oh, so it’s Senior Invincible,” Ling Han said. However, there wasn’t a shred of respect in his voice, and this made the Invincible Paragon Saint feel extremely vexed.
“Bunch of brats. Back in the day, my might— forget about it. A real man doesn’t boast about his past achievements.” The Invincible Paragon Saint humphed, and said, “Take it, it’s your reward.”
Ling Han looked over, only to find another vial of pills on the ground.
“What is it this time?” he asked.
“Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill,” the Invincible Paragon Saint said.
“Again?” Ling Han said with a grimace. His expression was one of great displeasure.
To most people, alchemical pills were incredibly rare and precious. In fact, high-level alchemical pills would even trigger fights and potentially lead to deaths. Such occurrences weren’t rare. However, Ling Han was the Alchemy Emperor. After receiving the corresponding pill recipes, what pills couldn’t he refine?
Thus, he “despised” alchemical pill rewards the most. In addition, this was actually the Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill again!
“Wrong, wrong, wrong.” The Invincible Paragon Saint repeated the word “wrong” three times to emphasize his point. “This isn’t the same Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill as last time. Rather, this Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill can provide one with one star more power than the previous Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill.”
“Although you emphasized your point, and although you spoke in riddles, this still doesn’t change the fact that it’s simply a Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill. It’s merely of a slightly higher quality.” Ling Han shook his head in disappointment.
He was an alchemist, so he was naturally aware that “lame” alchemists would end up with alchemical pills of differing levels—even when refining the same cauldron of pills. Some pills would reach the standard 10 stars, while other pills would only reach eight, seven, or even just five stars.
Of course, such kinds of “lame” alchemists made up 99% of the alchemy world. In fact, this was nothing surprising. It was just that Ling Han’s expertise in alchemy was already too high, so he couldn’t help but look down on such kinds of ordinary alchemists.
“I’ll take them back if you don’t want them.” The Invincible Paragon Saint was even more displeased than Ling Han.
Ling Han hurriedly put the pills away. These were for free anyway, so why wouldn’t he take them?
“What’s the next trial like?” he asked.
The Invincible Paragon Saint humphed, and said, “You want me to give you special treatment with that attitude of yours? In your dreams!”
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, “Everyone treats you with respect, and only I’m different from the ordinary. Isn’t this enough reason for you to open the back door for me?”
“…” The Invincible Paragon Saint was speechless for a moment. Then, he sighed. “I suddenly realized that you’re more of a sh*tty brat than I initially thought!”
Chapter 1119 - Deciphering a Sword Strike
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ling Han’s face involuntarily darkened. Why did the stone tablet suddenly curse him? Could they still communicate in a civil manner?
Shao Sisi and the others all covered their mouths and laughed. They truly admired Ling Han’s courage.
Although this Invincible Paragon Saint had died long ago, with only a wisp of his will remaining, there were clearly countless astounding formations spread throughout this large tomb. Moreover, this will could control and manipulate these formations that were powerful enough to contain Heavenly Body Tier elites.
Thus, none of them dared to show any disrespect before the stone tablet. They were all afraid of his might.
This had nothing to do with whether one was prodigious or prideful. In the cultivation world, strength was all that mattered. If one didn’t possess enough strength, what right did they have to be proud?
However, Ling Han was able to speak freely before this Invincible Paragon Saint. This caused the others to label him as reckless in their minds, though they also couldn’t help but feel admiration for his courage.
Most importantly, it seemed as if Ling Han was to the Invincible Paragon Saint’s liking. Otherwise, the Invincible Paragon Saint would’ve directly killed him instead of calling him a sh*tty brat.
“Since you begged me, I’ll be kind and tell you.” A soft glow radiated from the stone tablet, and the Invincible Paragon Saint said, “The third trial requires you to decipher a sword strike.”
“Decipher a sword strike? How does that work?” Ling Han asked.
The Invincible Sword Saint became a little impatient, and he said, “You still don’t understand? You have to decipher a sword strike, and i
f you succeed, you’ll pass the trial. If not, then you can p*ss off.”
“Is there a reward for passing this trial?” Ling Han continued to ask.
The Invincible Paragon Saint was almost rendered speechless. ‘Can’t you act more like the prodigy that you are? Why are you always thinking about rewards? A person shouldn’t be too focused on material benefits!’
“Sigh, forget about it. It’s useless even if I ask.” Ling Han shrugged his shoulders, and continued, “It’s definitely going to be Purple Pattern Mountain River Pills again. They’ll only be of slightly higher quality at best and elevate one’s power by three stars.”
The Invincible Paragon Saint had just been about to speak, yet his words were forcefully shoved back into his mouth. That was indeed the reward for passing the third trial.
‘F*ck… Those pills can elevate your power by three stars. That’s extremely impressive if you’re battling against someone at the same cultivation level as yourself. Yet, you’re still not satisfied?’
However, as a senior, how could he debate such matters with a junior?
“P*ss off. Hurry up and p*ss off. I feel angry just looking at your sh*tty face!” he said in irritation.
“Calm down, I still need to wait for someone.” Ling Han sat cross-legged on the floor, and he also placed the Asura Demon Emperor back into the Black Tower. He was going to wait for Shui Yanyu to arrive. Although the labyrinth wasn’t dangerous, Ling Han would remain worried for as long as he didn’t see her arrive.
“Sh*tty brat!” the Invincible Paragon Saint murmured. “You definitely can’t be that person. Otherwise, I’ll feel extremely vexed!”
Shao Sisi and the others didn’t wait with Ling Han. Instead, they entered the third level of the tower to challenge the “deciphering sword strike” trial.
After waiting for another hour or so, Ling Han finally saw Shui Yanyu arrive.
This seductive beauty’s face was filled with disappointment. Although she had successfully passed the labyrinth, she had exceeded the two-hour time limit.
Although she wasn’t a first-rate prodigy at the Scarlet Heaven Academy, she was at least talented enough to be called a prodigy. In this large tomb, however, she discovered that she was merely holding Ling Han back. See, hadn’t Ling Han been waiting for her just then?
“Wife, what unnecessary thoughts are running through your mind?” Ling Han embraced her lightly, and comforted, “Many people only experience success later in their lives. Moreover, as long your husband is powerful enough, I can find you all kinds of natural treasures. Perhaps you can eat them and instantly become a Saint!”
Shui Yanyu rolled her eyes at him. Did he know how to comfort people? Wasn’t this hurting her confidence even more?
“Hehe, sh*tty brat, your thoughts are quite fanciful,” the Invincible Paragon Saint suddenly said. “Do you think that natural treasures that can instantly elevate one to the level of Saint are as common as cabbage? Do you think you’ll be able to get your hands on them?”
Ling Han’s interest was piqued, and he asked, “Are there really Godly treasures that can instantly transform one into a Saint?”
He had only said that to comfort Shui Yanyu. Had he genuinely guessed right?
“Heaven and earth are so vast. What kinds of treasures don’t exist?” The Invincible Paragon Saint sighed in emotion, and said, “Heaven and earth have birthed things so poisonous that even Saints will drop dead upon coming into contact with them. On the flipside, heaven and earth have also birthed things so wonderful that even mortals can shoot to the sky in a single step.”
“Judging by what you’ve said, talent and whatnot are of no importance compared to pure luck,” Ling Han concluded.
“You’re not entirely wrong,” the Invincible Paragon Saint said. “However, such fortunate people only appear once every several trillion years! Moreover, even if one obtains a supreme medicine that allows them to instantly become a Saint, the cultivation that they receive isn’t a result of their own comprehension. They’ll need billions upon trillions of years to understand and achieve mastery of these comprehensions. If they’re less talented, perhaps they’ll never be able to improve another inch for the rest of their lives.”
Ling Han smiled, and said, “I’m confident that I can become that fortunate person. In fact, one supreme medicine mightn’t be enough!”
Although the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Maiden and Helian Xun Xue were both relatively talented, there was only a sliver of hope that they could become Saints. Moreover, he still had his parents as well as Liu Yutong and his other lovers. He couldn’t just sit on his hands and watch them age and die, right?
So be it if there was nothing that he could do. However, since there was a ray of hope, he had to fight to grab onto it no matter what. He had to obtain these supreme medicines to raise the strength of those around him.
In fact, it was the Rain Emperor, Ding Ping, and the others who were incredibly talented cultivators. Moreover, they were resolute and determined in addition to being talented, and as long as they didn’t die, it was extremely likely that they would become Saints one day.
The Invincible Paragon Saint almost spat blood. ‘Such kinds of supreme medicines only appear once every several trillion years. Obtaining one will cost one several lifetimes of fortune, yet you actually want a few?’
“I’ll give you my admiration if you’re genuinely able to obtain a supreme medicine. If you can obtain two… I’ll change my surname to yours!”
“Heh, no need to follow my surname. I already have a son.” Ling Han chuckled as he rejected his offer.
The Invincible Paragon Saint was rendered speechless. This person was truly shameless.
“P*ss off, p*ss off. Otherwise, I won’t be able to resist the urge to kick you in the face!” he said impatiently.
“Hold up for a moment. What’s the next trial like? Can we two complete it together?”
“Yes, yes, it’s only deciphering a sword strike anyway. You’ll receive a reward as long as you can decipher it within a set time.” The Invincible Sword Saint appeared especially irritated, and he continued, “I know that you care about rewards the most. So, there’s no need to ask anymore.”
There was a look of disdain on Ling Han’s face, and he said, “It’s going to be another Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill anyway. It’ll probably elevate one’s power by three stars at most.”
“S-sh*tty brat!” The Invincible Paragon Saint was so ticked off that his “face” was almost twisted out of shape.
Ling Han chuckled, and said, “I really do wish that senior can reward me with something else.”
“…” The Invincible Paragon Saint gritted his teeth—if he still had teeth—and spat, “F*ck off!”
‘How boring. I haven’t even passed the third trial yet, yet I already know that the reward is merely another Purple Pattern Mountain River Pill. Sigh…’
Ling Han grumbled in his mind as he held hands with Shui Yanyu and climbed the stairs to the third level.
There were numerous people standing here. There were those at the Mountain River Tier, those at the Sun Moon Tier, and even those at the Heavenly Body Tier. Ling Han was slightly astonished by this sight. Shouldn’t the first trial have eliminated most of the people? How were there still so many people here?
Up ahead, a person that was formed from light was currently performing the same sword strike over and over again. However, this sword strike appeared to adhere to some true meaning of the great dao. Each strike was tremendously mighty and seemed able to suppress heaven and earth.
‘We have to decipher this sword strike?’
Ling Han watched the sword strike carefully. This strike wasn’t especially complex, and its might came from its resonance with the great dao. It drew on the Regulations of heaven and earth, appearing extremely mysterious every time it was performed.
‘We’re timed starting from when we enter, right? It’s just that we’re all timed differently depending on when we entered.
’ This realization made Ling Han feel even more strange.
‘Is this really a tomb?’
Chapter 1120 - Learning from the Sword Strike
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ling Han felt that if he were to die one day, he definitely wouldn’t set up so many trials and whatnot in his tomb.
He felt that it would make much more sense if the trials here were being used to select disciples for the Majestic Heaven Sect.
However, they weren’t, and they were instead trials left by a dead person.
‘Hmm? This Invincible Paragon Saint isn’t thinking of recruiting a disciple, is he?’
This was extremely likely. Otherwise, what was the point of setting up so many trials?
However, why couldn’t he say it straight up? There was almost no doubt that he was a Genesis Tier Saint. Even if he wasn’t, he was still at least an Eternal River Tier elite.
One had to realize that the Majestic Heaven Sect only had a single Eternal River Tier elite as well. However, even if it were only the Majestic Heaven Sect that was recruiting disciples and not he himself, all the young king tier prodigies in the neighboring galaxies were still especially eager.
Meanwhile, the situation here suggested that a Genesis Tier Saint was going to find a disciple after his death. People would definitely fight tooth and nail for this opportunity.
‘Hang on…’
Ling Han shook his head in his mind. If the Invincible Paragon Saint made his intentions clear, it was likely that the Heavenly Body Tier elites here would go around killing everyone else—if almost everyone else was dead, wouldn’t their chances of success increase significantly?
If a Genesis Tier Saint wanted to take a disciple, they naturally wouldn’t favor those at the Heavenly Body Tier over others. Instead, they would care more about one’s potential. In other words, they would try to find someone who was most suited to following their path.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 575