Chapter 489: Meeting Acquaintances, Aftermath |
"Having strong spirituality has both advantages and disadvantages," Su Chen muttered to himself. It was precisely because the Spirit of the Vast Sun had strong enough spirituality that it could complete his plan.
But it was also because its spirituality was too strong and its independent intelligence was too high that the situation like before with the Crimson Flame Thunder Sovereign wouldn't occur, where it would immediately become incredibly intimate upon becoming a Chosen.
"It seemed to realize that there was something wrong with the aura emitting from my body earlier, but it didn't seem too angry..." Su Chen pondered.
"That's true. For a Solar Sentience like them, who becomes the Chosen doesn't seem to make any substantive difference. They all have to support it anyway."
"The only danger is falling into the Nether Realm, but there doesn't seem to be any record of a Solar Sentience being corrupted."
Su Chen pushed the door and walked out of the Nether Tower, finally relaxing quite a bit. "In any case, this final loophole has also been plugged. Next, I just need to proceed step by step."
For him, this was not just a process of clearing his name, but also a chance to completely fill in the missing profession information of the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith, thereby promoting its spirituality to become increasingly complete.
"But having complete spirituality might not seem like a good thing for Heavenly Sovereign... I promised him before that I would help him swallow the dragon..."
"I wonder how many Morning Stars will come. For those under five hundred years old, the amount of Morning Fire extracted shouldn't be too much, right?"
What caught Su Chen's attention was the slender figure beside him. Dressed in a plain white martial outfit, her long hair tied behind her back, and with a slender waist, her lovely face, which should have been tranquil, was currently filled with excitement, making him feel somewhat familiar.
"Could that be..." Su Chen's expression turned into one of astonishment.
"Big Brother Su!"
The young girl's voice was filled with joy. With a slight movement of her figure, trailing streaks of cold air behind her, she darted into his embrace in the blink of an eye and hugged him tightly.
Su Chen's hands stiffened slightly, but his expression gradually softened. He patted the young girl's head and sighed with emotion: "Little Pigeon has grown so big?"
Indeed, the young girl before him was precisely Little Pigeon, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
Calculating the time, six or seven years had passed since he left Nanfeng City, which was just about right.
"When did you arrive?" Su Chen exerted a little force and pulled Little Pigeon's arms away.
Little Pigeon stood before him. Although she had been excited just now, she was somewhat embarrassed at the moment. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted around as she said, "We... only arrived a month or two ago."
Su Chen nodded. When he headed to High Firmament, Qing Cang had told him that he had already sent people to Crimson Thunder Planet to pick up some relatives and friends.
"Sister Bai also came, and Baldy..." Little Pigeon was no longer a little girl, and she became increasingly bashful at this moment, only talking about the others.
"Baldy, Old Yuan?" Su Chen reacted, couldn't help but chuckle, and looked up at Qing Cang, about to express his gratitude.
However, he found the other party looking at him with a disdainful gaze. A psionic wave rippled over: "When you left Nanfeng, this little girl was only in her early tens, right."
Su Chen's eyelids twitched violently, and he responded with a cold smile: "Lao Qing, you're at this age, is it really necessary to seize an opportunity to take revenge just because your junior brother is favored?"
Qing Cang's cheeks twitched, and he unconsciously laughed despite himself. "Alright, there's still a group of people waiting for you. They are all acquaintances you haven't seen for a long time. Let this little girl take you there."
"However, that little guy surnamed Xia didn't come. He said that since there's a method to relocate Life Stars, there's no rush for this moment. He's still cleaning out Evil God Cultists."
That little guy surnamed Xia... Su Chen's mouth twitched. "That is indeed Old Xia's personality."
Ultimately, he still said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Watching Qing Cang leave, he followed Little Pigeon aboard the flight vehicle and headed towards another floating island.
Initially, Little Pigeon was still a bit bashful, but she gradually loosened up later, chattering away about many things that had happened after he left.
"...Uncle Sun Pang succeeded Baldy... and became the City Lord of Southwind City..."
"And that bad woman named Jiang He actually became Southwind City's Overseer..."
Taixuan Hong swept the younger generation of the Five Pillars without a rival, and finally perished in the Great Void Realm!
A deep-water bomb suddenly exploded in the tranquil Abyssal Domain, stirring up a thousand layers of waves.
The major factions, as well as high-tier professionals, all had some understanding of the name Taixuan Hong to varying degrees.
The final glory of the Taixuan Remnants had secured the position of the Chosen for the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith, but it was precisely because of this that he was hunted by the entire Abyssal Domain.
There was no shortage of Free Rangers or Bounty Hunters who thought of finding this person to earn a massive fortune.
No one expected that news about this person would spread out in such an unimaginable manner.
No one knew who the initial source of the news was. They only knew it came from the Five Pillars, and the details were incredibly comprehensive.
On a certain forum in the Cosmic Void, a large number of people were already discussing it.
"...blocked in a certain Great Void Realm, yet pinned down the six or seven Radiant Moons who came pursuing him, forcing them to agree to his conditions. Tsk tsk, truly unimaginable..."
"Truly worthy of a family that produced a Radiant Sun. A withered camel is still bigger than a horse. If there had been a few less Radiant Moons going there, he might have really escaped."
"Impressive. A family that has been hunted for so long could actually cultivate a guy who swept the younger generation of the Five Pillars."
"However, I heard that Chang Geming seemed to have voluntarily admitted defeat without fighting."
"So what? Just because he admitted defeat means Chang Geming could actually win? Where's the logic in that?"
"The Five Pillars have really lost face this time. What kind of things are the junior generation they cultivated?"
"Don't speak so soon. Who knows if this news is true or false? I still feel it's too unimaginable..."
The Five Pillars were usually high and mighty. Regarding their negative news, the vast majority of factions were happy to spread it as a topic of conversation after meals.
And not long after, the Five Pillars jointly issued an announcement in the Cosmic Void.
It said a bunch of things, like reminiscing about the past camaraderie of resisting the Final Ruin together with the Taixuan family, suddenly discovering that the Taixuan Lineage was about to be annihilated, and so on. Therefore, after their discussion, they decided to provide protective sanctuary to the Taixuan Lineage.
They didn't explicitly state how they would protect them. After all, this was just an attitude. It was also impossible for them to truly invest too much effort into thoroughly inspecting every faction one by one to see if there were any prisoners from the Taixuan Lineage hidden within.
If they really issued any severe punitive measures, the various factions in the Abyssal Domain would probably be dissatisfied.
Their stance was clear: they would no longer subject the Taixuan Lineage to any persecution. If others wanted to continue doing so, it was best to ensure it would never leak out for a lifetime; otherwise, they would definitely intervene.
If the previous news was just a deep-water bomb, then this news simply blew a hole through the Abyssal Void. This meant that the news of Taixuan Hong sweeping the Five Pillars was true, and pinning down the Radiant Moons was also true.
For a time, various factions more or less issued orders to inspect some resources, such as purchased blood and the like, all of which had to be destroyed.
In the extreme depths of the Nether Realm, it was as profound as night, and the mist was so thick it almost formed a solid substance.
A boundless Great Void Realm was rising and falling uncertainly here. It seemed unstable, trembling continuously. Every rise and fall would set off a boundless Nether Realm tide.
The surrounding Nether Mist constantly invaded it, only to be eradicated by countless Spirit Runes as fine as gossamer at the edges.
Suddenly, streaks of flowing shadows flew out from that boundless Great Void Realm. One of them gradually manifested, with faint, fine symbols flowing around him like a circulating galaxy. It was none other than Daoist Lord Lingxiao.
He frowned tightly. Thousands of purple-gold light patterns seemed to flash in his eyes as he stared at the massive realm below, saying in a deep voice: "The Source Realm probably won't be able to hold out for too long. If we can't prop up the Abyss Pillar, we might not be able to hold it back."
The white-faced little monk beside him was precisely the World-Honored One. However, he didn't seem too worried, saying indifferently: "Even if it can't hold out, it won't collapse for at least ten thousand years. When we find that Taixuan Hong, the problem will naturally be solved."
There was another old man with white hair and a white beard, his body already filled with an aura of decay. His voice was hoarse: "Indeed. The new Chosen might not necessarily be cultivated to the Radiant Sun level. If we join hands, accelerating their spirituality can also provide support."
"This is only one aspect. We also need enough Origin Fire to completely rebuild the Abyssal Void." Daoist Lord Lingxiao shook his head. "How to harvest this Origin Fire is still a problem."
"Hmm..." The figure that seemed like a mass of shadows, wandering uncertainly, suddenly extended a pitch-black arm. The surrounding Nether Mist gathered, unexpectedly forming a pitch-black wandering insect that merged into his body. "News from the subordinates below. Taixuan Hong has been found," he suddenly said.
The other four gazes all looked over. The World-Honored One's expression sank slightly as he asked: "What's the situation?"
"Quite interesting. Truly worthy of being able to escape from my hands. That Taixuan Hong was blocked in a Great Void Realm. He used some methods to pin down the Five Pillars' Radiant Moons, forcing them to agree to his conditions: to protect the Taixuan Remnants and issue a Grand Challenge to the younger generation of the Five Pillars."
"Issued a Grand Challenge to the younger generation? What was the result?" Daoist Lord Lingxiao grew interested.
"Swept the Five Pillars. Chang Geming voluntarily admitted defeat; no one was his opponent," Great Heaven said.
"This kid..." The old man with white hair and a white beard chuckled despite himself.
"Swept the Five Pillars, tsk..." The meaning in the World-Honored One's voice was difficult to discern. "If Taixuan Ye knew, he would probably be able to rest in peace."
"In the end, he detonated the Great Void Realm and died without a burial site."
Daoist Lord Lingxiao paused briefly and sighed softly, "What a pity."
"Are you certain it was indeed him? Why would he suddenly appear in that Great Void Realm when things were perfectly fine?" The World-Honored One's eyes flickered slightly.
Great Heaven nodded: "He had the aura of the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith on him. Less than a few hours after his death, according to the watcher where the spirituality is located, the Spirit of the Vast Sun wailed incessantly."
"Not long ago, the Five Pillars' Radiant Moons jointly brought a junior with passable talent to the place where the spirituality is located, and the Spirit of the Vast Sun granted him One-Dragon Recognition."
"Then there's no problem." The old man with white hair and a white beard nodded.
The World-Honored One also didn't say anything more. Since a new person could be recognized, it meant the selection process had already begun. There was no need to dwell on why Taixuan Hong had appeared in that Great Void Realm anymore.
Great Heaven then said: "Regardless, the position has finally been vacated. Prepare to begin the selection process. Pick a Chosen to prop up the Abyss Pillar first."
The World-Honored One pondered: "In the past, the selection of the Radiant Sun Elect only took place within the various major factions. But now, the scale is unprecedentedly massive. Some rules might be difficult to apply."
"Those are nothing more than detailed rules. The biggest problem is us..." Daoist Lord Lingxiao also pointed out. "After the Chosen is born, the other four pillars absolutely must not be dissatisfied."
"Dao Sovereign is joking." The old man stroked his white beard. "If there was still this possibility before, right now, everything takes a backseat to reforging the Abyssal Void."
"Indeed..." Great Heaven nodded, but his tone suddenly shifted. "However, one sect cannot accommodate two pillars. After the Chosen is born, they must be separated out."
As soon as this statement came out, the other four were somewhat silent. After becoming the Radiant Sun Elect, if nothing unexpected happened, they would naturally become immortal in the future and would naturally gather a massive faction.
Even if it was just a separation for show, over a long time, they would grow alienated and discordant from their original faction. This was something not controlled by anyone.
Great Heaven's figure twisted uncertainly as he continued: "No matter how well we talk now, when the time comes, the other four pillars will definitely feel uncomfortable. It's better to discuss a solution early on."
"This matter..." The World-Honored One rubbed his fingers. Right now, the Chosen hadn't been born, so no one had the motivation to oppose this matter.
After all, the possibility of the Chosen being born in their own faction was only one in five.
The old man said coldly: "A good suggestion. Everyone in your Great Heaven is treacherous. If they are truly born in your Great Heaven, as time goes by, even if you don't want to, the other party will have to detach."
"But my Longevity Pillar has a withered population. Do we also have to separate them out?"
Great Heaven was unhurried: "Meaning to say, you don't agree?"
The old man snorted coldly but didn't speak. Although he had immense confidence in Chang Geming, nothing was certain. It was impossible to argue over something that hadn't happened yet.
If he ended up making a bridal gown for someone else, the loss would be even greater.
"Let's do it this way. The Six Pillars of the Abyssal Void have historically been like this." Daoist Lord Lingxiao took the lead and nodded. The other few naturally had no objections and agreed one after another.
"Actually, we can entirely treat him as ballast. He doesn't necessarily have to be allowed to advance to Radiant Sun. After all, the Abyssal Void is only this big," the World-Honored One suddenly said.
The old man frowned and shook his head: "The situation of the Abyss Pillar is still unknown. We are also crossing the river by feeling the stones. We'll talk about it when the time comes."
The crowd spoke no more. After reaching a decision, they each disappeared into the Nether Realm.
【Forbidden-Tier Cosmic Punishment Thunderfire Body Refining Method upgraded to Master Level. Acquired ability: Cosmic Punishment Manifestation—Massively increases strength intensity, defense intensity, and total physical stamina.】
【Forbidden-Tier Primordial Purgatory Meditation Art upgraded to Master Level. Acquired ability: Purgatory Tribulation—Massively increases mental resilience, intensity, and total capacity.】
In the hall, dazzling lightning glow covered every area. It continuously surged and burst, turning into lightning-tempered blades and axes, and then transforming into a hundred tyrannical dark iron chain flails, crisscrossing and lashing in the air.
The illusory scenes around Su Chen were born and extinguished along with it. Sometimes it was scorched earth cracking open with dark smoke rising like ink; sometimes it was magma surging with crimson streams flowing stealthily...
After a long time, like the tide returning to the sea, they all plunged into Su Chen's body simultaneously.
"Finally 30%..." Su Chen let out a breath, scalding hot.
"Truly worthy of being Forbidden-Tier, the increase is massive... The degree of increase is at least five times that of those ordinary body-tempering and meditation methods from before..."
Su Chen felt the obvious changes in his body. It was rare for him to have a sense of fullness. He estimated: "If I do it one more time, I'll probably be able to catch up to the body formed by the fusion of those nine special Nether Realms."
"And this is still just body-tempering and meditation methods. I wonder what kind of might Ascension Refining possesses."
Su Chen was quite expectant, but then shook his head and said: "It's just that this efficiency is still a bit too slow."
His development progress actually wasn't slow. It had been less than a year since he advanced to the 8th-Tier, yet he had already pushed it to 30%.
But compared to his past efficiency, it was indeed too slow.
"Evolving into an Azure God will probably be a huge hurdle. Fortunately, I have two big treasures on me. I just need to develop the progress to around 50%..."
Glancing at the time, nearly two months had passed since Taixuan Hong's death. The Nether Realm Creature purchased from Great Heaven would probably be delivered very soon.
Su Chen unconsciously rubbed his fingers together. "Even with just the Profound Limit Celestial Light and no accompanying materials, the price in the Black Market would not be less than three thousand portions of Faith Essence. Coupled with those other assorted materials, it's enough for me to use for a long time. Divine Blood, oh Divine Blood..."
Suddenly, a holographic screen popped up before his eyes. It was Chu Lingyuan coming to find him.
Su Chen opened the door. Chu Lingyuan walked over quickly, looking quite excited, and said right away: "High Firmament has sent a notification. The preliminaries for the Chosen of the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith are about to begin."
"So fast?" Su Chen was astonished.