Chapter 466: Aftermath |
"With just this, I've spent two thousand portions of Faith Essence..."
After the thrill of splurging, Su Chen clicked his tongue in wonder. Based purely on price, these four items should have only cost one thousand nine hundred portions of Faith Essence.
However, only the Water Spirit Current was purchased internally within High Firmament. The rest all came from the Abyssal Domain, which required an additional 10% transportation fee. This immediately added over a hundred portions of extra expenditure.
"It really isn't cheap..." Su Chen sighed, but being able to buy them at all was already very good. If it weren't for the fact that one would develop 'resistance' and couldn't use them indefinitely, the prices for these things would probably skyrocket into the heavens.
"No, if they could actually be used indefinitely, the Great Heavens wouldn't sell them externally at all." Su Chen shook his head, briefly calculating the time.
The Perfect-Grade Eldritch Source Power and the Hidden Essence Shadow would arrive quickly; they would be delivered in two months. The Grand Vow Crystal, however, would take a little over three months.
This was likely because the distance from High Firmament to the Great Heavens was different from the distance to the Buddha Land.
"I still have a little over one thousand Faith Essences left. Should I buy some speed-type Morning Star Embers to prepare for the Flash-Shadow Body..." Su Chen pondered briefly, but ultimately held back for now.
There was an order of priority to things. Although the strength of the Flash-Shadow Body was somewhat lacking, he had already achieved his goal. Even if Tong Zhuo thoroughly researched him before facing him again, he wouldn't mind.
"I still have to wait for the Job Entry of the Nine Hells Thunder Evolution to be completed. This profession is the next focal point. If I need to imprison some kind of thunder spirit or something similar, I definitely can't go out to get one myself. Perhaps I'll still have to rely on purchasing."
He was still somewhat considering the long term. Saying that he thought three steps ahead for every step he took might be an exaggeration, but since he had already formulated a general plan, he definitely had to follow it.
"Once the Job Entry for the Nine Hells Thunder Evolution is complete, if the abilities are similar to what I expect..." Su Chen pondered. He opened his Status Panel and took a look. The Profession Development Progress had already reached 14%.
The potions of High Firmament were quite effective, leading to a slight increase in his Development Efficiency. When he first arrived in High Firmament, it was only at 9%.
The Untainted still hadn't produced any results from their research on the Azure God Blood. There were pros and cons to this. The pro was that he temporarily didn't have to worry about how to acquire those incredibly precious materials.
The con was that, without a clear requirement given, he constantly worried whether it would eventually demand some organ from a Radiant Sun entity.
When metamorphosing Divine Dawn talent, the bone marrow of a Morning Star was used. True Radiance required the bones of a True Radiance. For this Azure God talent, if it required parts from a Radiant Sun... then he would truly be at his wit's end.
"However, I can still improve my Development Efficiency through Job Entries..."
Just as he was about to enter a state of development, someone arrived outside his hall looking for him. The holographic screen popped up, revealing Chu Lingyuan, who looked both exhilarated and anxious. "Junior Brother, do you have a moment?"
"I do..." Su Chen nodded and opened the hall doors. Chu Lingyuan hurriedly walked in. Su Chen could clearly see that quite a few people were already standing outside the hall.
They were all Sect members, their faces flushed and expressions exhilarated, constantly scrolling through the holographic screens before them.
This news hadn't spread yet when he returned, but it had likely started fermenting by now.
Chu Lingyuan arrived before Su Chen and called out "Junior Brother" again. He seemed to want to speak but swallowed his words several times, before finally saying with a bitter smile, "You've truly given me a massive surprise. Our Bronze Heaven has firmly established its footing this time."
"Isn't establishing a firm footing a good thing? Why do you look so worried, Senior Brother?" Su Chen invited Chu Lingyuan to sit on a large stone. The mimicry in his hall was always set to a dark forest scene, surrounded by towering trees in all directions.
"A good thing is naturally a good thing, but our foundation is ultimately insufficient. What if someone harbors malicious intentions toward you?" Chu Lingyuan lowered his voice, sounding rather powerless. "I'm afraid the Sect won't be able to protect you."
"You are overthinking things, Senior Brother." Su Chen shook his head. "This High Firmament is somewhat different from our Bronze Sect. One thousand seven hundred years ago, Frost Heaven secretly plotted against Jade Sea Heaven's Star Seed, Shu Angxiao, poisoning him with Profound Ice Poison."
"After the Dao Sovereign personally intervened and confirmed it was Frost Heaven's doing, he directly took action and plucked that Heaven away. Everyone who knew of the plot was executed on the spot. Even the Morning Stars who were unaware could only wait to die in isolation. Afterward, no Star Seeds or Moon Seeds were ever selected from Frost Heaven again."
"The Heavenly Lord at the time had absolutely no knowledge of the matter, but in the end, he could only die of depression."
"Three thousand five hundred years ago..."
Su Chen cited several examples in a row, finally concluding, "On average, only every one or two thousand years will a few individuals lose their minds and drag their entire Heaven down with them due to excessive personal grudges."
"That ruthless?" Chu Lingyuan was startled inwardly upon hearing this, unable to help but say, "Just because of one or two people, they would implicate an entire Heaven?"
"Indeed. High Firmament is too complex. Only by doing this can the various Heavens—from top to bottom, and bottom to top—consciously maintain restraint in the face of conflict." Su Chen nodded, then added:
"Of course, the root causes of such incidents are thoroughly investigated and recorded in the annals for people to review. If someone is framed, their innocence will be proven."
"The Dao Sovereign is truly bold." Chu Lingyuan couldn't help but sigh. He couldn't resist looking at Su Chen. Seeing how familiar his little Junior Brother was with these matters, it was likely that Su Chen had carefully researched such cases of internal conflict before taking action.
A person's energy is limited. Since arriving in High Firmament, Chu Lingyuan had been so busy that his feet barely touched the ground. He truly wasn't very clear on these types of matters.
Since the Dao Sovereign possessed such thunderous methods, and furthermore, Su Chen had merely claimed first place without forging any life-and-death grudges with others, he finally felt at ease. He nodded and said, "As long as you know what you are doing, then that is good."
"Tsk, top of the ranking, the absolute top..." Chu Lingyuan continuously sighed with emotion. This truly defied common sense, but he wasn't completely ignorant of Su Chen, knowing that this little Junior Brother possessed numerous secrets.
The two chatted for a moment when Chu Lingyuan suddenly projected a holographic screen. He glanced at the information on it and said in surprise, "Qi You is here... to deliver congratulatory gifts?"
"Oh right..." Only then did Su Chen remember. "Several Morning Stars from the other Heavens will probably come as well."
He gave a rough recount of the items Qi You and the others had promised him on the spot.
"Hiss~" Chu Lingyuan's eyes gleamed as he listened. "They are all excellent items. The Dragon Blood Pool can boost the requirements for many body-tempering professions, and there is also that Sangwu Tree..."
"Those guys treated us coldly before, but seeing our Bronze Heaven undergo a changing of the guard, they flocked over like a swarm of bees."
Chu Lingyuan shook his head helplessly, but then said excitedly, "Junior Brother, how about we go together?"
"No..." Su Chen shook his head repeatedly. "I can't handle such scenes. I'll have to trouble you with it, Senior Brother."
Can't handle it... Chu Lingyuan couldn't help but chuckle. "You... you..."
Since Su Chen wanted to hide and find some peace, he naturally wouldn't expose him. "However, the many Sect members outside the hall probably won't leave without seeing you."
"They must be very excited."
Chu Lingyuan could understand. After all, their horizons had been broadened far too much since arriving in High Firmament, and many people had suffered severe blows to their confidence.
Su Chen's feat of defeating ten opponents in a row might not have been very comfortable for the other Heavens, but for the Bronze Sect, it couldn't just be called a shot in the arm—it was simply a potent, miraculous medicine.
"Yeah." Su Chen nodded and followed Chu Lingyuan outside.
At this moment, even more people had gathered outside the hall. Seeing Su Chen emerge, they nudged one another, raising their heads to cast intense, burning gazes toward him.
Chu Lingyuan stepped aside. Su Chen swept his gaze over the surroundings. Among the crowd were quite a few Vice Hall Masters and the like, all casting fanatical gazes at him, yet it was terrifyingly quiet.
Meeting everyone's gazes, Su Chen pondered for a moment before a smile suddenly tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I still remember, on the Holy Hall Ranking, I was in second place, and Brother Shen was in first."
Shen Yi'an, who was standing in the crowd, froze. His expression grew colorful. He had actually forgotten about that.
Su Chen was indeed still in second place. Shortly after defeating Wei Zhenghong, the preliminaries for the Peak Star Tournament had begun, so no one paid attention to the Bronze Sect's internal rankings anymore.
The crowd gathered around was also momentarily stunned, but then burst into uproarious laughter. They understood Su Chen's underlying meaning—High Firmament was nothing more than this.
They also knew very well that Su Chen was an isolated case and couldn't represent the overall strength of the Bronze Sect. But weren't Tong Zhuo, Du Yunfei, and the others also special cases within their respective Heavens?
"Hahaha..."
Outside the Core Zone, Qi You listened to the laughter echoing from afar, his expression calm. It was only when he saw Chu Lingyuan that a smile appeared on his face. "Junior Brother Chu... I trust I haven't disturbed you."
"Senior Brother Qi..." Chu Lingyuan stepped forward, his gaze landing on the massive metal container behind him. "What are you saying? Whenever Senior Brother Qi visits, our Bronze Heaven welcomes you."
Qi You chuckled softly. "Junior Brother Su's ascent to first place on the Star Potential Ranking with peerless might is a joyous occasion for our High Firmament, and also a joyous occasion for Bronze Heaven."
"My Master specifically ordered me to deliver this Jade Cleansing Platform, as well as this Spirit-Stabilizing Seal, as congratulations."
Spirit-Stabilizing Seal? Chu Lingyuan's eyes widened in shock. He had heard Su Chen mention the Jade Cleansing Platform, but this Spirit-Stabilizing Seal...
The value of this item was even higher than the Jade Cleansing Platform. It was specifically geared towards mental professions. Within its area of effect, the danger level of any professional activities that might impact the spiritual entity would be significantly weakened.
"Thank you, Heaven Lord Tang," Chu Lingyuan said solemnly.
"You are too polite." Qi You chuckled. "You and Bronze Heaven were personally welcomed by my Master and me. There is naturally a bond of friendship between us."
Just as he finished speaking, another rainbow bridge descended beside the two. Qi You restrained his expression and said, "It seems the congratulatory gifts from the other Heavens have arrived as well."
...
High Firmament could truly be said to possess real-time communication. Furthermore, the Star Potential Ranking was a matter of great importance, and the various Heavens all had specific rewards for changes in the rankings internally.
The news of Su Chen reaching the top spread throughout the entirety of High Firmament in barely a few hours. Everywhere, people were shocked and seeking confirmation.
"How is this possible? A faction from the Outer Realms actually managed to cultivate a figure capable of overwhelmingly suppressing everyone below the Morning Star level across the Eight Heavens of High Firmament?"
"What the hell were Tong Zhuo, Du Yunfei, and Zhong Yue doing, letting someone from a newly arrived Heaven claim first place?"
"..."
There was even no shortage of people suspecting some sort of insider dealing or foul play. Some also sought out those who had observed the battle on-site for details, but the vast majority of people had only seen it blurrily.
It wasn't until the Martial Proof Hall uploaded all of Su Chen's battle scenes that this discussion finally died down, and they instead went to examine the footage carefully.
...
Within Eternal Dragon Heaven, Zhong Yue stared at the frozen scene before him. On one side was Tong Zhuo, his face filled with horror, the manifesting dragon phantoms around him shattered and scattering in all directions.
On the other side, naturally, was Su Chen, his skin glowing with a blood-gold hue, his fist having punched through the void, causing even the nearby ripples to freeze in place.
The battle scenes recorded by the Martial Proof Hall weren't just for simple viewing. One could even immerse themselves in the perspective of one of the combatants to experience the overwhelming might of the battle.
"...It is no injustice that you lost." A gravelly voice suddenly rang out. A robust figure stepped out from the frozen silhouette of Tong Zhuo.
"Master..." Zhong Yue kept his head lowered, unable to resist asking, "Just how did this Su Chen accomplish this?"
"This physique of his... is even more terrifying than mine when I harmonize with three beasts, activate the Myriad Beast Form, and even employ the power of True Radiance."
The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven shook his head. "I don't know. But his foundation is tyrannical. That speed-type Sacred Class that erupted suddenly, as well as this defensive Sacred Class that turns his skin blood-gold... their intensities are no weaker than top-tier, and perhaps even superior."
"The Dust Star Sea... the Bronze Sect... could they cultivate such a person?" He seemed to be asking Zhong Yue, yet also questioning himself.
After a moment, he shook his head and said, "But since Qi You has already paid a visit and delivered gifts, there shouldn't be any issues. Besides, even at their peak, it would have been very difficult for them to cultivate someone like this, let alone in their current withered state..."
"What do you mean?" Zhong Yue didn't understand.
"Nothing." The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven pondered. "The nurturing methods of the Great Heavens, the modification methods of the Machine Domain, or the blessing of planted seeds like the Longevity Root or the Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree... they should be able to achieve this level."
"Or even, if one gathered seven types of Sacred Classes designed to squeeze out potential, they might perhaps display a fraction of such splendor."
"There are so many methods that could create a guy like Su Chen." Zhong Yue was stunned.
"So many?" The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven swept a faint glance over him. "If the nurturing methods of the Great Heavens are infused with too many Nether Realm Creatures, the person will turn into an out-of-control madman. The modification methods of the Machine Domain won't cause one to change, but piling up too many metallic creations is detrimental to advancing to Morning Star."
"As for the Longevity Root, the Seven-Branch Wondrous Tree, and the like... adding up the entire Abyssal Domain, only two or three people possess them."
"And as for seven Sacred Classes that squeeze out potential..." The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven shook his head. "They would drain him dry in an instant."
"This person is too young. He must have encountered some fortuitous encounter. However, I estimate that he shouldn't be able to sustain this kind of extreme explosive output for very long. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to put in the effort to trick Tong Zhuo into taking the bait."
Zhong Yue pursed his lips and couldn't help but say, "I underestimated my enemy at the time. If I had engaged in a careful, protracted fight..."
"Even in a careful, protracted fight, you are not his match," the Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven stated decisively. "The only one who can fight him is Tong Zhuo. Tong Zhuo's Trinity Form holds a massive advantage. Now that Su Chen's speed-type Sacred Class has been exposed, Tong Zhuo likely won't be fooled next time."
"If he still slowly whittles him down like this, he might be able to win, but it would be meaningless."
Zhong Yue's expression instantly dimmed, and he lowered his head.
The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven shook his head inwardly and said, "But this might not necessarily be a bad thing."
Hearing this, Zhong Yue couldn't help but look over. The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven said faintly, "He has the True Radiance talent. If his goal is not to become a Dao Sovereign, he will amount to nothing more than a part of High Firmament's foundation."
"If his goal is to become a Dao Sovereign, then he must undergo the Azure Deity Metamorphosis. You should know the difficulty of that."
Zhong Yue nodded, but couldn't help asking, "But what if he succeeds in his Azure Deity Metamorphosis? With his current strength, I'm afraid no one will be able to compete with him."
"He is only at the eighth rank." The Heavenly Lord of Eternal Dragon Heaven furrowed his brows. "Who can say what the future holds? If you find something akin to a Longevity Root, he won't be your match either."
"When a Morning Star tempers their fire, each fire is a world of its own. Coupled with Class Traits, it will be an entirely different scenario."
Zhong Yue pursed his lips, clearly not taking the words to heart.