Chapter 453: The Origin of the Six Pillars, Completing the Sky-Scars |
"No way, you collect fees on this end too?"
Looking at the pop-up instructions, Su Chen couldn't help but be stunned, having thought that only the seller would have to pay extra fees.
"Eating from both ends." Su Chen was speechless. "It's still the platform that makes the money, collecting fees while lying down."
He complained inwardly for a while. Not long after, someone from the Office of Law came to pick up the goods.
After receiving the notification, Su Chen arrived at an empty area. He impressively saw a middle-aged man wearing white jade-colored close-fitting armor looking around.
The armor wasn't bulky. The shoulders, waist, and shin guards were inlaid with jade pieces, and the edges were outlined with flowing cloud patterns using gold threads as thin as hair. It should be standard equipment from the Office of Law.
"Here to pick up the goods?" Su Chen approached. The other party's gaze had already turned over. After lingering on his face for a moment, the man cupped his hands and said, "Office of Law—Xiang Bai, here to pick up the Jade Body Tree seedling."
The overt duty of the Lingxiao Office of Law was to be responsible for rewarding the good and punishing the evil.
However, because the various heavens basically governed themselves, they would only step forward when grievances spanning across different heavens occurred, and this kind of situation was extremely rare.
Su Chen reached out and handed over the Jade Body Tree seedling. After the other party took it, the metal armor on his arm receded layer by layer. His palm pressed against the Jade Body Tree seedling, and his pupils gradually glowed.
At the same time, a holographic projection appeared before his eyes. The images on it shifted, eventually freezing on an amber-like small tree.
This seemed to be some kind of profession that needed to be used in conjunction with an external database. Su Chen watched with quite some novelty.
"Verification complete." Xiang Bai placed the Jade Body Tree seedling in the metal case, cupped his hands again, and said, "Star Seed Su, farewell."
"Take care." Su Chen watched the other party step onto a rainbow bridge and leave before turning around to return.
......
At the edge of Lingxiao. There were only a few star fortresses here, surrounding a central Star Gate, quite far from the core.
At a certain moment, the Heavenly Gate suspended in the center suddenly expanded, and dense milky-white clouds and mist emerged from within. Following that, warships filed out in a continuous stream, as distinct as the Jing and Wei rivers.
"So this is the Abyssal Domain..." There were also three figures flying out in the flesh, enveloped in air bubbles. They were impressively the three Ancient Kings: Bronze, Xuantian, and Star-Firmament.
The Ancient Xuantian King's gaze was deep. Reflected in his pupils was a bright expanse in the distance, the direction where Lingxiao was located. He could only vaguely see a vast and majestic scene.
"There's actually no Starfire?" The Ancient Star-Firmament King was somewhat astonished. "What method do they use to expel the Nether Mist?"
"It's not that there is no Starfire." Yuan Shuo shook his head and explained, "They seem to have thoroughly integrated the Starfire into a certain area using a more profound method, achieving the effect of possessing the might of Starfire without it being visible."
"Worthy of being the Abyssal Domain." The Ancient Star-Firmament King couldn't help but sigh.
The Ancient Xuantian King said sincerely, "Yuan Shuo, I will engrave the grace of borrowing your path in my heart."
Yuan Shuo shook his head. "Given the many years of friendship between you and me, not to mention, constructing the Heavenly Gate also required a lot of help from the two of you."
"However..." Having said this, he sighed again. "You two must be extremely cautious. This Abyssal Domain is even vaster than we imagined, and its various methods are unimaginable."
"I was greatly shocked just one day after arriving in this Lingxiao. Not to mention methods for Star Amber to undergo metamorphosis into Divine Dawn, they even have methods for Divine Dawn to undergo metamorphosis into True Radiance."
"There are even methods for Divine Dawn to undergo metamorphosis into True Radiance?" The Ancient Star-Firmament King was evidently a bit surprised, and couldn't help but say, "That's true too. If that Taixuan Hong can do it, how could the Abyssal Domain possibly not be able to?"
"Hmm..." The Ancient Bronze King's gaze focused slightly, and he switched to transmitting mental fluctuations. "Kong Ming is even more formidable than we imagined. For that Taixuan Hong to be able to defeat him, the several pillars of the Abyssal Domain seem to unanimously believe he has the Azure God talent."
"In the Flare Realm, he must have concealed his own talent."
"Is that so?" The Ancient Star-Firmament King revealed surprise in his eyes, thoughtful. "Since the Abyssal Domain has reached a consensus, it should be the case."
They hadn't seen Taixuan Hong with their own eyes anyway; they only relied on the reflection of the Flare Realm, so it wasn't impossible.
In addition, they subconsciously felt a sense of awe towards the Abyssal Domain now. The Ancient Star-Firmament King quickly accepted the Ancient Bronze King's words, while the Ancient Xuantian King looked thoughtful but didn't say anything either.
"Furthermore..." Yuan Shuo urged again, "The matter of Taixuan Hong has far-reaching implications, and there are very many people plotting against him. The few of us have rarely come into contact with him."
"We were all elevated through special means, and our strength is a notch lower than those Radiant Moons of the Abyssal Domain, so it's best if you two don't specifically mention this person later, otherwise..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the people of Xuantian and Star-Firmament both understood his meaning and solemnly complied. "Thank you for the reminder."
"This isn't really a secret; you two should hear about it later." Yuan Shuo waved his hand and sighed again. "Parting ways this time, I wonder when the three of us will meet again."
The three factions didn't have many conflicts in the Dust Star Sea, and their relationship was pretty good. There was somewhat some genuine sentiment in these words.
The Ancient Xuantian King was silent for a long time, and said sincerely, "Yuan Shuo, this Lingxiao probably isn't that easy to gain a foothold in either. Take care of yourself."
"Just do my best. The Dao Sovereign treats me quite well and granted me a portion of Profound Limit Celestial Light, which is the method for Divine Dawn to undergo metamorphosis into True Radiance. I plan to use it for Su Chen; he will soon undergo metamorphosis into True Radiance."
Yuan Shuo specifically mentioned this and said free and easily, "I have calculated carefully. In this way, I can guarantee that the legacy will not be extinguished for thousands of years. This is all I can do..."
"Su Chen..." Upon hearing this, Star-Firmament felt deeply convinced. "This child has boundless prospects. With his talent elevated now, it is also a fortunate matter."
The Ancient Xuantian King's eyes flickered, but he also agreed.
The necessary groundwork had all been laid. The Ancient Bronze King didn't say anything more and watched the two descend into their respective fleets and gradually disappear into the Starry Expanse, pondering in his heart:
"In this way, as long as Su Chen's own concealment method doesn't have any problems, no one will connect him with Taixuan Hong again."
Although True Martial had joined Great Heaven, Huang Pan had personally watched Su Chen defeat Kong Ming and had already formed a preconceived notion that Taixuan Hong must possess the Azure God talent.
Even if True Martial told him something about Divine Dawn undergoing metamorphosis into True Radiance later, Huang Pan probably wouldn't really believe it.
.........
"This Abyssal Domain was unexpectedly a whole in the past." Su Chen flipped through Taoist Wood's articles. He had already been reading for more than ten hours with great relish, not feeling the slightest bit fatigued.
This Taoist Wood dabbled very extensively. Not only did he research matters regarding professions, but he also frequently published miscellaneous discussions.
What he was reading now was—"The Origin of the 'Six Pillars'"
When the Taixuan family still existed, the reason why these factions possessing Hao Ri were called the Six Pillars, rather than the Six Roots, Six Kings, or the like, had a reason.
"...A pillar acts as a support, and what it supports is the Abyss..."
Countless ages ago, the Abyssal Domain was a unified grand entity faction, and all Six Pillars were subordinate to it. The specific name is unknown, but it's currently referred to as the "Abyss".
"Tsk tsk, a whole entity. Was it governed jointly by six Hao Ri, or was there someone above Hao Ri, surpassing Hao Ri?"
Su Chen muttered for a while and continued reading. "...When the Abyss existed, the Nether Mist did not exist..."
Hmm?
His whole body shuddered, and he read even more carefully. According to this Taoist Wood.
The Nether Mist only appeared after the Abyss fell, and the destruction of the Abyss was inextricably linked to the Nether Mist.
"...Tracing back to the Abyss..." Su Chen murmured. Since arriving in this world, he had always been curious about the origin of this Nether Mist, and whenever he arrived at a new place, he would always look for new clues.
Here in Lingxiao, he had finally traced some origins. He pondered, "If there were no Nether Mist, it would be almost the same as the universe of my previous life. The ruling scope of this Abyss must be boundless, even more terrifying than it is now."
"...After the fall of the Abyss, the years were difficult to record. One by one, Hao Ri were born, and after a long time, the Six Pillars finally re-aggregated to form the Abyssal Domain!"
This was a miscellaneous discussion and could be called an unofficial history. It was unclear about exactly how the Abyss was destroyed and how the Nether Mist was born.
"...The Abyss was so terrifying yet it could still fall..." Su Chen's thoughts wandered and then converged. He returned to the main page. Just as he was about to continue browsing, he heard Zhou Yunyang's voice ringing outside the hall.
"Martial Uncle Su, someone from the Office of Law is here to deliver something."
"It's arrived." Su Chen put away the token and went out to receive the goods.
The three Morning Star Artifacts belonged to different sellers, but the person delivering them was the same. His figure was burly and imposing, and he was also wearing white jade close-fitting armor. He handed over three boxes of different lengths and sizes, his voice deep and resonant.
"Please inspect the goods."
Su Chen opened them one by one. A hammer, a sword, and a saber, all of which had some nicks and cracks on them.
Su Chen reached out and brushed his hand over them, clearly feeling the resistance of the spirituality.
"If there are no problems with the goods, just sign for receipt here." The other party waved his hand, and a holographic screen appeared. Su Chen glanced at it; it was all things like points of attention, and then he signed.
The holographic screen dissipated, and the other party reminded him again, "Also, these three are all for returning the materials. The draining time cannot exceed half a month. I will come to pick them up in half a month."
"Okay." Su Chen nodded, then called Zhou Yunyang over. "I'll deposit the things with him then. Just find him."
Zhou Yunyang hurriedly paid his respects. The other party swept a glance over him, nodded, and said, "Noted."
"These guys from the Office of Law report directly to the Upper Three Heavens, and every single one of them is very arrogant..." Only after the other party left did Zhou Yunyang speak grumpily.
Su Chen chuckled. He didn't even have many scruples and extracted the fragmented spirituality from the weapons on the spot, then tossed them to Zhou Yunyang. "When he comes looking for you, just give the things to him."
"Right, I'm going into secluded cultivation next. Please tell the others not to disturb me, Deacon Zhou."
"That's it?" Zhou Yunyang hadn't reacted yet before watching Su Chen's back disappear.
"Eight Sky-Scars, finally complete..." Returning to the hall, Su Chen felt a genuine sense of satisfaction as he experienced the Sky-Scars transformed from the fragmented spirituality.
"With all eight Sky-Scars active, I wonder if I can defeat that Tong Zhuo." Su Chen calculated. The reward for reaching the top was five hundred Spirit Essences, and he was naturally covetous of it.
"If that guy has already gathered seven Holy Classes, the might of the Azure God talent, combined with that Lingxiao Creation Refining Method..."
Eight Sky-Scars, coordinated with Mystic Tools, was equivalent to the augmentation of eight Morning Star Artifacts. With his previous experience, Su Chen could roughly imagine it.
But he truly hadn't dealt with a guy of Tong Zhuo's caliber. Even Kong Ming was far inferior to the other party.
After calculating for a while, Su Chen couldn't help but shake his head. "No, even if I can win, I can't fight. After using eight Sky-Scars, I still need eight 9th-Tier weapons to compensate."
The value of 9th-Tier weapons was also not cheap. Within Lingxiao, depending on the materials consumed, the price ranged from fifty to one hundred.
For eight 9th-Tier weapons, taking a median, it would still cost around five hundred Spirit Essences, which was almost the same as his harvest from reaching the top. Then what the hell was there to fight for?
"The Cinders will arrive in three months, and by then, the other things can be sold off one after another. Hopefully, the World-Slaying Manifestation can finish shaping as soon as possible."
Gulping down two mouthfuls of the Bronze Sect's potions, flaming lightning surged around Su Chen.
As for now, he naturally had to wait with peace of mind for the talent "metamorphosis to complete" while progressing the development of his professions.
.........
The location of Upper Firmament Heaven. The doors of a magnificent hall slowly opened, and a burly figure walked out from the gap in the doors. His figure was fully three meters tall, his muscles knotted and solid, surrounded by clouds and mist.
"Junior Brother Tong Zhuo." A gentle voice sounded. "Congratulations on initially harmonizing with the Lingxiao Creation Refining Method."
Tong Zhuo took a deep breath, and the surrounding clouds and mist sank into his nose and mouth. He swept a careless glance over. "Qi You? The master has orders?"
Hearing the other party's completely impolite address, Qi You frowned, and said indifferently, "Not long ago, Zhong Yue invited Yan Cixiu and Lu Jinsheng, who are in the top ten of the Star Rankings, to visit a small Return-to-Void realm, and it seems they gained a lot."
"The master deduced that he should be looking for the method of 'Azure Deity Metamorphosis'."
"He wants to undergo metamorphosis into an Azure Deity?" Tong Zhuo suddenly looked over, his gaze sharp and severe, and then sneered, "Reckless. The low success rate of that 'Azure Deity Metamorphosis' is known to everyone."
"Even if he's lucky enough to successfully undergo metamorphosis, does he have the guts to fight for the position of Dao Sovereign?"
Qi You remained noncommittal to this, only saying, "The master said that Eternal Dragon Heaven's momentum is rising day by day, and it's hard to guarantee that there won't be a day when three Radiant Moons stand together."
"The position of Dao Sovereign is still far away, but at least before you and Du Yunfei advance to Morning Star, none of you should be picked off by him."
Tong Zhuo said coldly, "No one can shake my position. Even if Zhong Yue undergoes metamorphosis into an Azure Deity, it won't work. As for Du Yunfei, I can't guarantee that."
"Having your word is enough." Qi You nodded, and only then asked, "How far are you from Morning Star?"
"I only lack Spirit-Flesh Unity. As fast as one year, as slow as three years." A sharp gleam appeared in Tong Zhuo's eyes. However, he looked up and frowned slightly. "Bronze Heaven is here?"
Qi You looked over. At this moment, it just so happened that the stationed area of Bronze Heaven was operating above, and some figures could faintly be seen at the edge.
"They arrived a few months ago." Qi You nodded.
"How is it?" Tong Zhuo inquired.
"Primarily focused on winning them over." Qi You said, and Tong Zhuo immediately lost interest. "Then there's no threat."
He asked again, "Has Taixuan Hong been found?"
"Not yet." Qi You shook his head. "But it is said that this person defeated Kong Ming head-on."
"Oh?" Tong Zhuo clicked his tongue in wonder. "For the Taixuan family to reach this state and still have someone pop out who can catch the eye, it's a pity..."
......
Buzz—
[The Morning Star Embers you purchased have arrived at Lingxiao and are expected to be delivered within half a day. If you cannot receive the goods, please designate a delivery location or select a new time.]
The token suspended outside his body vibrated abruptly. Su Chen opened his eyes, and the surging elemental power around him surged into his body like weary birds returning to their nests.
"Phew... It's finally arrived." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Calculating the time, the metamorphosis can also be ended."
Thinking of this, he took out a solidified green sphere and crushed it in his hand. The sphere suddenly dissipated into streams of data light that enveloped his whole body.
Following that, streams of data light were also drawn out from his body, intersecting with them.
A blood-gold color gradually permeated his entire body. It was precisely the Light of True Radiance. The light slowly expanded, gradually passing through the palace.
Within the pillar of blood-gold light, Su Chen raised his arms and said with deep emotion, "Is this the True Radiance talent? It's truly a brand-new sensation."