by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Like a volcanic eruption, the power within Xiang Shaoyun's body surged.
Completion-phase, first-stage Astral Realm versus Transformation Realm's presence.
No, that was still far from enough. He was still completely no match.
"If the first stage is not enough, I'll try the second stage! Go!" Xiang Shaoyun yelled as his nine stars erupted with power. All his energy converged together while his 365 acupoints shone brightly within him, creating a scene akin to the Milky Way. Power was being pumped through his meridians without stop, forcefully enlarging his nine stars, and with it, he started growing in strength.
Hmm? He's breaking through right here? How brave! the old man's face twitched as he thought to himself.
Bang!
Second-stage Astral Realm!
After reaching the completion phase earlier, Xiang Shaoyun did not stop. As if he had gone mad, he unleashed all the energy he had been suppressing all this while and charged straight into the second-stage Astral Realm before stopping. It was also at this moment that he felt the pressure on him weakening. Both his hands pushed on the ground as he tried standing back up again.
"Even after a breakthrough, you are still a mere second-stage. You won't be able to do much. Just stay down," said the old man as he increased the pressure on Xiang Shaoyun.
Once again, Xiang Shaoyun was pressed down into the ground. The pressure on him was extremely terrifying, and not even someone at the fourth or fifth stage of the Astral Realm would be able to endure it.
Xiang Shaoyun was only a brand new second-stage Astral Realm cultivator. Even if he was strong enough to fight those above his level, he could at most fight a fourth-stage cultivator. If he tried his best, he might even be able to face a fifth-stage cultivator. But to be victorious against his current opponent, it would be harder than reaching the heavens.
Too weak. Still too weak! Will I never be able to straighten my back? One must never abandon one's spine, but facing absolute strength, the so-called spine is so weak! Xiang Shaoyun thought in indignation.
While he was on the brink of giving up, he suddenly thought of something. Wait, if this room is testing how one can resist the pressure from the presence, so long as I comprehend the power of presence, won't I be immune to it? Yes, that must be it! This room not only tests one's willpower and strength, but it also tests one's comprehension power!
At this thought, Xiang Shaoyun focused his mind on figuring out how to comprehend the power of presence.
Chapter 60: Born to Be King
The intensity of one's presence was in a sense a symbol of one's strength. It was also a sort of mental power. If one was not sufficiently strong, yet had had the chance to occupy a ruling position for an extended period of time, one would still have a sort of presence—the presence of a king.
That was similar to Xiang Shaoyun's past. As a tiny Basic Realm cultivator, he had large and powerful forces at his disposal, and that had accorded him the presence of a sovereign. At present, Xiang Shaoyun had sunk into his state of visualization. Scenes from his past flashed by in his mind, reminding him of all the top experts he had met before. All of them were far stronger than him, yet they still had to obey him.
The so-called presence can be the presence of inspiration, or the presence of a king, or even a presence of a weakling. It is incorporeal yet omnipresent, something originating from the mind, transmitted through one’s being... Slowly but surely, Xiang Shaoyun comprehended the power of presence through his gift of visualization.
Do I, Xiang Shaoyun, have the presence of the weak, or the presence of the strong? Or the presence of the fearless? No, I once reigned above many others. With a wave of my hand, I graced my subjects with my presence, akin to a god. I was born to be a king. That is the mandate of heaven, for me to become an overlord! I am with the presence of a king! Who can suppress me? An unprecedentedly tyrannical light shone in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes. At the same time, an august presence rose from within him. His mental power seemed to have broken through a certain limit, greatly raising his spirits.
As his presence rose, Xiang Shaoyun slowly got back on his feet. He stood with his back perfectly straight, completely ignoring the old man's suppression.
"I am the king. How then, can you suppress me? Scram!" Eyes glowing with an odd radiance, Xiang Shaoyun looked straight into the old man's eyes. It was almost as if two beams of light were being shot straight into the old man's eyes.
When the old man felt Xiang Shaoyun's oppressive gaze, his body shivered, and the pressure subjecting Xiang Shaoyun slowly dispersed. He could vaguely see an outline of purple qi drifting behind Xiang Shaoyun, which gave Xiang Shaoyun a presence of utmost majesty.
"H-how is this possible?" the old man cried out in alarm. He had never encountered any Astral Realm cultivator who could actually withstand his presence. At most, they would be able to survive, unlike Xiang Shaoyun who had instead beaten his presence into retreat.
More importantly, he could clearly sense the presence of a king on Xiang Shaoyun. It gave him the urge to kneel down and instantly offer his obeisance to Xiang Shaoyun. This was the same type of pressure a person would feel when facing someone who had been in a ruling position for a long time, a pressure that made him flustered like a nervous peasant meeting his king.
"Bring it on, old fart! What do you take me for? I am born to be a king, and I am destined to reign above all others, to awe the nine heavens and the ten worlds with my presence. Those who dare disobey shall all die!" Xiang Shaoyun declared, completely revealing his tyrannical side, the presence of a natural-born king in full display. An incorporeal might twirled around him, making all who faced him feel like kneeling before him.
"Impudent! You dare to scold me?" The old man was furious.
"So what if I scold you? Once upon a time, a person like you was not even qualified to be my attendant. What are you good for? I am only at the second stage of the Astral Realm, yet I am already able to break your so-called presence. What do you have that you can be proud of? By the time I reach the Transformation Realm, I can kill you with just one finger. Before a member of the younger generation like me, what can you be proud of? Do you know what's more pathetic? Even at such an old age, you are not even at the King Realm yet; stuck at a level that is neither here nor there, you don't even have the courage to take that one step forward. How pathetic!" Xiang Shaoyun took a step forward and berated the old man.
The kingly presence innately ingrained in him gave him an immeasurable pride, as if he was the son of a god, his presence too imposing for anyone to resist. The old man was so pressured he took a step backward, his body trembling without stop.
"W-what do you know?" the old man replied in a flustered manner. He could not understand why he was suddenly flustered, but he felt as if Xiang Shaoyun had dug out his deepest secret. It completely shattered his confidence, but he also felt too helpless to even get in tune with his anger anymore.
"A king is destined to soar through the heavens and earth, to rise above the nine skies, to overlook all living beings, to have a heart large enough to contain the world, to establish a connection with the natural world, to allow one's mind to freely roam the world, to traverse the nine skies and ignite one's fate star, to conquer stars, gods, worlds, and everything..." Xiang Shaoyun started speaking, each of his words shocking beyond belief. He shook the very depth of the old man's heart.
The old man stared at Xiang Shaoyun, yet he seemed to have entered a certain state of comprehension. Hit by a sense of enlightenment, he started muttering to himself, "To soar through the heavens and earth, to rise above the nine skies, to overlook all living beings, to have a heart large enough to contain the world..."
"A king should be equipped with the aura of kings. What are you waiting for? Focus your essence energy, sense the natural world, and step into the King Realm!" Xiang Shaoyun took a step forward and increased his voice. At the same time, his presence grew even stronger, and his words stabbed into the old man's mind.
> Bang!
The final barrier in the old man's mind was thus completely shattered by Xiang Shaoyun.
Abruptly, the old man had a sensation that he was having an out-of-body experience as an incorporeal mental power rushed out of the limit room straight to the sky above. His stars started pulsing madly, absorbing the spiritual energy around him without stop. An energy storm formed as a result, and the storm eventually formed a connection with the nine skies above, tearing the space apart to finally reach a certain hidden star.
This was an indication that one's mental power had been sent to the nine heavens, igniting the star, and starting the process of breaking through into the King Realm. Outside the limit room, Yang Gaochuan was the first to sense the change. His body shivered as he said, "What is going on? The spiritual energy is congregating here. So rich...and pure...h-has Old Peng broken through?"
The overseer beside Yang Gaochuan also trembled. A shocked expression appeared on his face. "Palace master, are you saying Old Peng is finally going to take that step?"
Yang Gaochuan did not reply. Rather, he rushed away and said to the overseer, "Come with me. We can't allow Old Peng to be disturbed!"
At the same time, many people at different corners of the Martial Hall Palace had sensed the oddity. Numerous elders and overseers started rushing toward the Hall of Limits. The first to arrive was the vice palace master, Qing Xiuhe. When he saw Yang Gaochuan there, he quickly saluted the palace master and asked, "Palace master, what's going on here?"
"I'm not sure myself, but for now, place the Hall of Limits in lockdown. Any intruder will be punished!" Yang Gaochuan said loudly. Every single person in the Martial Hall Palace heard that command, and it halted the steps of the others who were still on the way to the Hall of Limits.
"Everyone, return to your stations and await your orders." Qing Xiuhe immediately acted on the command. Since both the palace master and the vice palace master had given their orders, the elders and overseers all understood that something major must have happened at the Hall of Limits.
Chapter 61: Old Man, You Are Indeed Useless!
Sixth limit room.
A huge volume of spiritual energy converged, nearly emptying the spiritual energy from the air in the area. Even the vicinities of Wu Town were affected. A number of Transformation Realm cultivators in town glanced in Martial Hall Palace's direction at nearly the same moment.
"Who in the Martial Hall Palace is breaking through? The breakthrough is actually causing such a big scene."
"Look, the power of stars is congregating in the sky above the Martial Hall Palace! Someone is igniting a fate star!"
"What? Isn't that a sign of someone breaking through into the King Rank?"
"Perhaps the Martial Hall Palace master has gained new insights and is currently breaking through?"
...
The official name for the King Realm was Skysoar Realm, the realm after the Transformation Realm. Those at this realm could start borrowing the power of the stars and would gain the ability of flight, which allowed them to freely roam the sky. A human reaching this realm was akin to a carp turning into a dragon. This was also when a cultivator would understand the true meaning of cultivation.
A King might not appear in a small town like this even once in a hundred years, and today, a new King appeared in the Martial Hall Palace. This caused the experts of Wu Town to be filled with both shock and envy.
Many people also quickly rushed to the Martial Hall Palace wishing to bear witness to such a historic moment and—most certainly—an extremely rare sight. They hoped they would be able to gain insights for their own cultivations through witnessing the birth of a King.
But they had barely approached the Martial Hall Palace when they found the palace in strict lockdown. The many elders were standing guard, and not a single person was allowed to approach. Thus, none of them dared to casually approach the palace. If any of them happened to disturb the birth of a King, it would create a grudge that would only be solved with death.
Within the sixth limit room, the old man was indeed in the midst of breakthrough. The energy he had accumulated over many years erupted, working in tandem with the external spiritual energy to allow his soul to soar into the sky. At the same time, the stars within his body stirred as they pulled in the power of the stars from the nine skies above in hope of igniting his fate star.
The old man had long reached the critical juncture of his cultivation, having reached the point where he could emerge as a King. Alas, he had never been able to take that final step forward due to his own mental issues. His desire for strength had not been firm enough, and that had slowly eroded the fight in him over the years, pushing the prospect of breakthrough further and further from him.
After all, igniting one's fate star was no easy feat. If one did not deal with the follow-up properly, the cultivator might suffer a backlash instead. The backlash could cause something as minor as a drop in strength or something as major as the eruption of one’s stars.
That was why many experts were stuck at this realm. Nobody dared to casually attempt to break through into the King Realm.
Up beyond the nine skies, the old man's consciousness and astral energy were approaching his fate star. He was only a tiny bit away from igniting his fate star, elevating himself into the next realm, and becoming a higher existence.
But during the final push, the old man started lacking power. His body started trembling, and his consciousness and astral energy started slackening. If this failed, the old man stood to lose even his life. Unfortunately, a breakthrough was something nobody could help him with. He was the only one who could help himself.
"Old man, you are indeed useless! If you can't even reach a realm as low as the King Realm, how can you dream of suppressing this young master?" Xiang Shaoyun's voice rang out like a sudden thunderclap.
It was a taboo to disturb anyone in the midst of breakthrough. Yet for some reason, Xiang Shaoyun's mocking had instead helped. His words infuriated the old man, stimulating the final bit of fight left in him.
"Bastard! You are my star, and this is my life! Burn!" The old man pushed out his final bit of willpower, and with a roar, he seemed to invigorate his mental power and astral energy. With a push, he finally reached his star.
Swish! Swish!
Suddenly, four beams of starlight tore apart the sky above them and descended into the sixth limit room, carrying with them a large quantity of astral energy of incomparable purity. The four stars within the old man's natal chart reacted accordingly and absorbed the new astral energy. His entire body started shining with a resplendent radiance like a star, bathing the entire sixth limit room in light.
The light was so bright Xiang Shaoyun couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He could only vaguely sense that the old man's strength was growing at an explosive pace.
"Looks like the old man has been stuck at this realm for many years. With this breakthrough, he will most likely arrive at second-stage Skysoar Realm directly," Xiang Shaoyun muttered to himself.
For some reason, after he comprehended his own power of presence, the presence of a king, he gained the ability to see that the old man had in fact reached the completion phase of the Transformation Realm. In fact, the old man had reached the point where he could already break through to the next realm.
That was why Xiang Shaoyun made a gamble and decided to give this old man some help by provoking him into a breakthrough. Although Xiang Shaoyun was currently still weak, his understanding of the different realms was unparalleled in Wu Town. That was mainly due to the fact that he was of a completely different station compared to the people here.
After a certain amount of time, the astral energy in the sky gradually faded before vanishing. As for the astral energy within the sixth limit room, the old man’s body fully absorbed it. Calm returned once more.
Bang!
The old man flew up through the roof of the room. Hovering in the sky, he roared with laughter, "Haha...I've ente
red the Skysoar Realm! Haha!"
The emotions the old man suppressed all these years were unleashed like a volcanic eruption. Everyone in the Martial Hall Palace saw the figure high above the sky, and all of them cried out in surprise.
"It's Elder Zhen Peng! He has reached the King Realm! This is worthy of celebration!"
"It is Elder Zhen Peng! He is one of the few living elders from two generations ago. He has actually managed to break through today! The heavens have blessed our Martial Hall Palace!"
"Hahaha! Our Martial Hall Palace finally has our own Skysoar Realm expert! It has been way too long!"
"It's not that long, right? I mean, just 10 years ago a vice palace master had broken through as well."
"But that person was unable to stay at our Martial Hall Palace! Elder Zhen Peng is different. He will be staying to protect our Martial Hall Palace! If I can gain even a bit of guidance from him in the future, it will be even better."
...
"Congratulations, Elder Zhen Peng for breaking through into the King Realm," Yang Gaochuan's voice rang out as he saluted the figure up in the air. Even though he was the palace master and had been as strong as this elder prior to this, right this moment, he had to pay this elder the respect he deserved.
Perhaps in the Nine God Provinces as a whole, a King Realm expert wasn't a particularly powerful existence. But here at a small town, a King Realm expert was strong enough to dominate everyone and everything.
The other elders also saluted Elder Zhen Peng. "Congratulations, Elder Zhen Peng for the breakthrough."
The overseers and disciples did the same. None of them dared to slight the elder. Even outside the Martial Hall Palace, congratulatory messages were ringing out without stop.