Chapter 492: Gearing Up and Determined to Win |
During that short amount of time when he tried to contact the Stingy Dragon earlier, Su Chen only had time to briefly outline the general idea to him.
He couldn't foresee what would happen later, so naturally, he couldn't explain things too specifically. He could only rely on this guy's own improvisation.
Fortunately, it didn't create any messy situations for him, and completely treated him as if he didn't exist.
"Although this Stingy Dragon has a rather terrible personality, at least it is somewhat reliable and favors me." Su Chen nodded secretly, deciding that if there was an opportunity later, he should feed it more Faith Essence.
Meanwhile, everyone looked at the extremely imposing Qin Guanyu with varying expressions. Especially those Morning Stars, their faces were more or less a bit unsightly, but none of them acted rashly.
They had already obtained recognition, and battles among themselves were not like before where it didn't matter. Once defeated, it was equivalent to completely losing their qualifications.
Even the great monk Mingxin, whose rank on the Star Ranking was higher than Qin Guanyu's, didn't make any moves.
Of course, no one else acted like Qin Guanyu either, occupying a palace.
This method had already been used once. If they were to plagiarize the idea now, it probably wouldn't produce any effect. After all, this Spirit of the Vast Sun wasn't an idiot.
But if one wanted to seize the position of the Chosen of the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith, cowering wouldn't do. One must dare to do what others wouldn't dare, in order to gain favor.
His figure gradually dissipated, and the other Radiant Suns did the same. The process was complete, and what followed was a long wait. Naturally, they couldn't constantly keep an eye on this place.
"They are quite patient..." Su Chen saw that although the faces of the people around him were not very good, none of them made a move to extinguish Qin Guanyu's prestige.
"This will probably be a protracted battle." Su Chen was rather happy to see this. It wasn't as urgent as when he was clearing the identity of Taixuan Hong. After all, the Abyssal Void could truly discover that Taixuan Hong might not belong to the Taixuan family.
But this time, except for being caught by a Radiant Sun, there were almost no hidden dangers. The longer the time dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for him. When he became the Chosen, it would also appear as a natural success.
The Spirit of the Vast Sun retracted.
Qin Guanyu was quite pleased with himself. As expected... with so many people obtaining the Three Dragon recognition, if he didn't make some noise, it would be difficult to gain any advantage.
His gaze swept over the five metal plates around him, and he estimated in his heart: "With my strength, I might not necessarily be able to securely defeat Mingxin and the others, but similarly, they might not securely defeat me either. I have already established my footing here. The more time passes, the more advantageous it is for me."
"I must quench the fifth stream of Morning Fire as soon as possible to occupy an absolute advantage. I'm afraid I'll have to use some methods..."
Seeing that people from other metal platforms were already leaving, Su Chen also spoke up: "Heaven Lord Tang, I'll head back first."
"Mm, go ahead." Tang Huai didn't even turn his head back, seemingly going to meet with the other Radiant Moons.
None of the people from High Firmament stayed behind. They all chose to go back. Apart from being inside that tower, this place simply wasn't suitable for improving their strength.
And once one entered the tower, one could not refuse the challenges of others. Except for someone with absolute confidence in their strength, no one would do this.
The Heavenly Gate remained open. Everyone walked out of the Heavenly Gate of the Vault one after another, their expressions changing in various ways.
"This kind of competition..." Zhong Yue glanced at Su Chen and couldn't help but speak, carrying a bit of complaint, "It's too unfair. The advantage of the Morning Stars is much greater than ours. Even if the Chosen mainly depends on the Spirit of the Vast Sun, the Five Pillars should at least have some methods."
"Fair?" Tong Zhuo said indifferently: "Junior Brother Zhong, you are a seed of our High Firmament, but Senior Brother Qin Guanyu is the same. Being fair to you would be unfair to others."
Zhong Yue naturally understood this principle. Originally, he just had some complaints, but hearing what Tong Zhuo said, he coldly snorted in his heart and didn't respond to him. Instead, he said to Su Chen: "Junior Brother Su Chen, you have to do your best. I saw that the Spirit of the Vast Sun favored you exceptionally."
Su Chen glanced at him. Tong Zhuo was a hypocrite, and this Zhong Yue wasn't very magnanimous either. He naturally wouldn't fall for the other party's trap, and helpless smiled bitterly: "What hope do I have? It's nothing more than occupying the word 'young'."
"But no matter how young I am, with so many Azure God talents ahead of me, and Senior Brother Qin Guanyu, there's no share for me."
"You can't say that..." Zhong Yue shook his head repeatedly. "It's not guaranteed that you can't undergo the Azure Deity Metamorphosis. There's also the Azure God Rebirth Technique."
"Senior Brother Zhong, stop consoling me." Su Chen sighed. "How could the Azure God Rebirth Technique be completed overnight? By the time I evolve into an Azure God, the Chosen might have already been born."
What a joke, he didn't need to compete right now. Instead, he needed to remove himself from other people's gazes to avoid bringing unnecessary trouble upon himself.
Listening to the two of them here, one advising and the other declining.
Tan Qingzhu muttered continuously in her heart. Under what kind of motivation did Su Chen act to pierce through ten people in a row?
Previously, everyone in High Firmament thought this person was showing off his edge and was bound to stir up a huge commotion. However, since then, he had lived in seclusion, almost vanishing without a trace.
Occasionally, when interacting with others, he was very modest and peaceful. It was truly unfathomable why he pierced through ten people.
Now, facing the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith, he also seemed to have no desire, completely unlike his previous sharpness. Could it truly be as some rumors said, simply because he lacked Faith Essence?
Su Chen saw things quite clearly...
Seeing this, Tong Zhuo felt much more comfortable in his heart. The Azure Deity Metamorphosis was indeed not something that could be completed overnight.
"Sigh..." Tan Qingzhu, on the other hand, shook her head, unable to hide her disappointment. "It's truly too difficult. It feels like it's impossible to avoid those Morning Stars no matter what."
Although she knew she only had a True Radiance talent and the probability of becoming the Chosen wasn't high, she still held some hope when she followed them there.
But after learning that the rules for picking the Chosen was that there were no rules, she completely gave up.
Zhong Yue saw that Su Chen consistently expressed his lack of intention to compete, so he could only change the topic and respond to Tan Qingzhu: "Although they can't be avoided, it's not entirely hopeless."
That's right... Hearing this, although Tong Zhuo didn't speak, he also agreed in his heart. "Qin Guanyu, Mingxin, and the others are strong, but I might not necessarily have to face them..."
His eyes flickered, already starting to plot. "There are only five Azure Deity Morning Stars. The remaining nine are all True Radiances. Eight of them are lower-tier Morning Stars who have quenched no more than three streams of Morning Fire."
"Upon advancing to Morning Star, one inherently has one stream of Morning Fire. My Trinity Form will also be able to display its true might then. It will be incomparable, and they might not be able to defeat me..."
Thinking of this, he covertly glanced at Su Chen, feeling that the previous humiliation of being defeated by him was nothing. Flowing water does not rush; what it strives for is an endless flow.
If Su Chen wanted to join the table, he not only had to evolve into an Azure God but also advance to a Morning Star.
The complexity of the Azure Deity Metamorphosis went without saying. And although the other party had achieved Spirit-Flesh Unity, he had just advanced to the 8th-tier not long ago. He probably had a long time to wait.
But as for himself, he was only lacking Spirit-Flesh Unity. Thinking of this, Tong Zhuo's mood improved even more. "But I still have to complete the Ordained Path. Defeat ten people who have obtained the Three Dragon Phantoms recognition. It's best to complete this at the 8th-tier. After advancing to a Morning Star, I'll go defeat a few more Morning Stars..."
"I need to have people plan this carefully. Perhaps I can pull a few more people over, increase the number of people who obtain the Three Dragon recognition, and then defeat them..."
Around them, the light of rainbow bridges lit up one after another, and everyone left one by one. This time, wanting to become the Chosen, one couldn't afford to take a single wrong step.
Su Chen also returned to Bronze Heaven in a single step, his face showing thought: "These guys all have massive factional resources behind them. To vie for this Chosen position, they will probably design a set of plans."
But there were over ten Azure God talents, not to mention ambitious True Radiances like Zhong Yue. There would probably be a dozen or twenty sets of planning schemes.
"This is truly a super huge vortex." Su Chen just estimated briefly and clicked his tongue. "But right now, probably not many people care about me. I'll go into secluded cultivation publicly first, to save myself from people coming to make trouble."
At the moment, he didn't care about the Chosen matter. Instead, selling the Profound Limit Celestial Light in his hands as soon as possible and exchanging it for Divine Blood was the proper business.
"Martial Uncle Su..." Someone called out. Su Chen snapped back to his senses and responded.
The purchased Nether Realm Creature would take a few days to arrive. After returning to the hall, he began to ponder the new Forbidden Codex Tier Body-Tempering and Meditation methods.
Picking the Chosen for the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith was absolutely no ordinary matter. After the crowd that went to obtain recognition returned, it immediately caused a huge wave.
It was rare to encounter such a grand event. Discussions about this matter were happening within all the Heavens. When mentioning popular candidates, they argued with others until their faces turned red.
"However, the renewal of this Star Potential Ranking is right before our eyes, and superimposed with this matter, I'm afraid it will be exceptionally lively."
"Hard to say. Those who have already obtained recognition cannot fight each other casually. Once defeated, it means losing their qualifications. They probably won't casually participate in this renewal."
"In my opinion, not only will it not be more lively, but it will actually be much more deserted."
"That seems to make sense..."
The news was naturally not limited to the Five Pillars. On that very day, it spread to the Abyssal Domain, triggering the attention of various factions, and some people also faintly spread rumors.
They claimed that the Five Pillars were too domineering. There were also many age-appropriate True Radiances and even Azure Deities in the Abyssal Domain, so why exclude them?
Evil rumors were naturally just evil rumors. The Five Radiant Suns had already reached a consensus, and the other factions in the Abyssal Domain could only curse secretly behind their backs.
A few days later, in the Lingxiao Underworld Domain, Su Chen returned from a Nether-Rift. He went straight to the property he had purchased, sat cross-legged on the ground, and brought up the holographic screen, surrounded by various texts and images.
These were the ones he had retrieved from High Firmament. The new Body Tempering and Meditation Methods—【Primordial Ying Dragon Body-Tempering Method】.
【Chaotic Heavenly Tiger Meditation Method】.
In High Firmament, the threshold for retrieving such Body Tempering and Meditation Methods wasn't high. Not only that, but they were almost all matching sets, capable of resonating with each other and slightly accelerating the operational rate.
Su Chen closed his eyes and followed the instructions.
Crackle—His spine was the first to explode with sound. From the tailbone to the cervical vertebrae, the entire spine vibrated segment by segment.
With every vibration, a streak of Thunder-Fire burst out from the crevices of the bones, spreading along the spine.
Dense dragon scale patterns surfaced under his skin, faintly discernible, like ripples on water, emitting Thunder-Fire Elements that transformed into a coiled dark-gold heavenly dragon.
His Psionic Power also moved accordingly. Thunderous sounds echoed, and as they roared, a black ferocious tiger emerged, echoing the heavenly dragon, rising and falling in succession.
"High Firmament is really something else..." Su Chen sighed with emotion. Having gotten on track and finished re-recording the new body movements, his mind sank.
Outside a certain Nether-Rift, a figure gradually stretched out. It was exactly the clone Su Chen had fabricated using the purchased Nether Realm Creature.
"Phew..." Su Chen adapted to his new body. This was almost a pure Nether Realm Creature. The edges of the body were initially somewhat scattered, but quickly solidified.
"With the cover of the Shadow of the Past, plus the ability rewarded by the Nine Realms of Thunder Evolution, this clone will be infinitely close to a human. There shouldn't be a big problem."
He arrived at the nearby Nether-Rift station. The guards this time were similarly puzzled, but didn't stop him like last time, merely watching him step into the Nether-Rift.
Having previous experience, Su Chen went straight to the "Top Hat" Black Market. Although Duan Ye's communication device was still in the compressed space, he didn't intend to use it again.
Still amiable, he grabbed a passerby. Under his friendly communication, the other party also very enthusiastically helped him activate a hover-elevator.
"...Lu Xu... Heaven-Punishing Hunting Party..." Su Chen walked out of the room, found a secluded place, fiddled with the communication device in his hand, casually connected to the black market network, and searched—Profound Limit Celestial Light.
The result was empty. Currently, there was no Profound Limit Celestial Light for sale.
"It is indeed a rare item. A True Radiance talent is enough to serve as a pillar for some Morning Star or even Radiant Moon factions." Su Chen then searched for historical transactions. This time, quite a few entries popped up.
"3200..."
"3300..."
"3150..."
It was similar to the prices he had checked before. Su Chen thought about it and directly listed it for the highest price among them—three thousand five hundred portions of Faith Essence.
Although this item was rare, people would sell it from time to time. Moreover, besides Zhou Lin, no one else knew that there was Profound Limit Celestial Light in that Great Void Realm, so he wasn't afraid of others making connections.
After listing it for sale, he began to search for some other information he wanted to know—the Sovereign of the Abyss.
An extremely large number of entries refreshed—[The Untold Secrets of the Sovereign of the Abyss!] — 10 Spirit Essence. [Is the Sovereign of the Abyss Truly Above the Radiant Sun?] — 10 Spirit Essence.
[The Mystery of the Abyssal Void's Destruction!] — 10 Spirit Essence!
[...]
Su Chen clicked his tongue. Every single entry on this list was extremely eye-catching, and as information materials, their reproducibility was extremely high, so the price was very low.
Su Chen bought several copies in a row. As a result, after glancing through them roughly, his face turned increasingly dark.
"What is all this stuff?" Su Chen gritted his teeth. The so-called "Untold Secrets of the Sovereign of the Abyss" were actually just some gossip, saying he had several beautiful concubines and the like.
They even firmly claimed that it came from the written records of some Great Void Realm.
"Relying on the fact that there's nowhere to complain to just scam people at will, right?"
Su Chen bought a few more copies, most of which contained no valuable information, making him disappointed.
"—Your Excellency Lu Xu?"
Suddenly, Su Chen's eyes flickered. Two figures, one fat and one short, walked up to him. The short one was stocky and fat, his eyes disappearing when he smiled.
"That's me. Who are you two?" Su Chen put away the communication device, revealing an inquiring look.
"Your Excellency Top Hat invites you over." The tall one was thin, with sunken cheeks, and a muffled voice.
"Top Hat, the master of this black market?" Su Chen thought thoughtfully, glancing at his communication device. No one had inquired about the price of the Profound Limit Celestial Light yet.
With such a good item listed, whether it was real or fake, there should always be someone coming to ask.
"That's right..." The short fat guy rubbed his hands and said with a smile: "Please come with us."
In Five Pillar City, fighting was not allowed, and even the black market was no exception. But there were far too many methods to suppress low-tier professionals.
Seeing the two people flanking him left and right, they probably wouldn't give him a chance to refuse.
"Then please lead the way." Su Chen nodded.
Seeing the other party's calm demeanor, the tall and short pair exchanged a covert glance and led the way in front.
These two seemed to be quite famous in this black market, drawing the sidelong glances of many people.