Chapter 642: The Third Supreme Authority: The Abyssal Ruin

Also a high-level cultivator?

Upon hearing this, the Holy Master of Kongji’s curiosity deepened further.

Though she upheld the ideal of “goodness,” she herself possessed the seven emotions and six desires, and curiosity was naturally among them.

It was merely suppressed beneath her unwavering belief in “goodness,” making it less apparent.

On the other hand, at her current height, few things in the Taiyi Realm could move her.

Yet the arrival of Ning Wanzhu and Ming Yu clearly belonged to that rare category!

When she first saw the two cross the Chaos Sea without relying on the modified world, she assumed these outsiders were among the pinnacle beings in their own world.

But now, according to the outsiders’ own words, they—and even stronger ones like them—

Were far from being considered “pinnacle” in their original world.

If I, too, belong to this so-called “high-level cultivator” tier in their world, yet fall far short of the pinnacle,

Then just how powerful must their original world be?

“Let me put it this way,” Ning Wanzhu carefully chose her words and continued.

“Your cultivation base is indeed above ours.”

“But there remains a vast gap between you and the next realm, which we name ‘Dongzhen.’”

The Holy Master of Kongji nodded slightly, half-understanding, then asked curiously:

“What is cultivation base? What is realm?”

Beings of the Taiyi Realm, through their unshakable beliefs, attract the world’s attention, using the authority forged from the world’s projection as a “key” to comprehend Taiyi Realm’s laws and absorb its transcendent potential to strengthen themselves.

Theoretically, as long as one’s belief is strong enough, one can grow indefinitely until reaching the level of a Return-to-Void peak.

This entire process is broadly summarized as the “Saintly Tier.”

Over the centuries, many in the Taiyi Realm have attempted to subdivide the “Saintly Tier.”

But since a transcendent’s combat power depends entirely on the degree of their authority’s development, the system is far too chaotic, and to this day, the Taiyi Realm still lacks a complete and clear “realm division.”

Generally, within the “Saintly Tier,” one must fight to determine relative strength.

It’s even possible for a transcendent whose total transcendent energy equals that of a Return-to-Void to lose to one whose total energy matches only a Soul Transformation, yet wields a lethal authority.

If forced to categorize, transcendent beings in this world can roughly be divided into three types.

From the moment one steps onto the transcendent path up to the Saintly Tier, equivalent to Return-to-Void.

The "Saint-Ascended" undergo a near-fatal transformation and elevation, equivalent to Union with the Dao or ordinary Tongxuan.

And the Supreme Ones, the “Holy Masters,” a title held by only two beings in the entire Taiyi Realm.

“...” Ning Wanzhu fell silent for a moment.

What is cultivation base?

What is realm?

These are things known to everyone in the Taixuan Realm, and indeed in most worlds—yet now she must explain them again...

It’s rather strange to think about.

The Taiyi Realm, bound by the light of the world, unites many realms and has even brought order to the surrounding domains’ “chaos” and “disorder.”

Yet its internal transcendent system remains extremely disordered...

Several minutes later, Ning Wanzhu still explained to the Holy Master of Kongji what “cultivation base” and “realm” meant.

She showed great interest, listening with intense focus.

Among previous outsiders who came to the Taiyi Realm, she had never met the owner of that withered branch or the half-doll.

She had met a few others, and those beings had described their transcendent systems to her, but since they were far too crude and offered nothing worth learning from, she paid little attention.

But today was different.

Though Ning Wanzhu’s explanations were simple, they struck straight to the core, especially her understanding of “cultivation base” and “realm,” which gave her considerable insight.

“When the Taiyi Realm is no longer harmed by ‘chaos,’ I hope to visit your world.” She spoke from the heart.

“There will be an opportunity,” Ning Wanzhu nodded slightly, then added, “When you truly arrive in our world, an elder might...”

Mid-sentence, she suddenly remembered something and quickly fell silent.

The Holy Master of Kongji merely smiled at this and did not press further.

“Enough idle chatter. I leave this place in your hands now.”

Ming Yu, who had been maintaining the Gao Ta with her own power and said little, glanced at her with surprise, recalling once again Ning Wanzhu’s earlier warning.

A supremely good person...

During their time together, she had sensed no “extremes” in the Holy Master of Kongji.

On the contrary, the Holy Master of Kongji gave her the impression of someone who had seen the world’s trials and now held a serene, all-seeing calm.

“If you truly defeat the Holy Master of Dongming, what will you do?” she suddenly asked.

The Holy Master of Kongji paused, her tone still gentle and calm:

“I will strive to resolve conflicts between all beings, so that struggle and oppression cease.”

“What if someone refuses?”

“Why would anyone refuse?” the Holy Master of Kongji asked, puzzled. “Would any being willingly accept oppression?”

No one wishes to be oppressed—but many wish to oppress others...

Ming Yu was about to say this, but her gaze met the Holy Master of Kongji’s eyes.

Within those pure, translucent pale-gold eyes lay stillness—yet it sent a chill through her heart.

Another day passed.

Inside the Gao Ta, Ming Yu sat before the crystal wall storing the relics of many outsiders, a withered branch floating before her.

Strangely, the branch trembled as if alive.

Thin strands of emerald-green energy—representing the origin of life and creation—were drawn from the void, and the once-yellowed leaves slowly regained their tender green hue under this infusion of creative life-force.

The Strange Branch.

This was the name the Holy Master of Kongji had given it.

Roughly two hundred years ago, this Strange Branch suddenly appeared in the Fuyou Heaven, one of the seventy-two “lower heavens.”

When the Holy Master of Kongji arrived, its dense root system had spread across Fuyou Heaven, nearly draining all its life-force.

She had to expend considerable effort to subdue it back to its dormant state, but the outsider who had cast it was nowhere to be found.

After fruitless searches, she had sealed it away to prevent it from harming the outside world.

“So no connection after all.”

Ming Yu gently extended a finger; ripples spread outward, enveloping the entire branch.

After cutting off its ability to draw life-force and creative origin, she returned it to the crystal wall for continued sealing.

She had originally thought this “Strange Branch” might be linked to Yuan.

After all, it was the only object the Holy Master of Kongji had never seen its owner possess—besides the half-doll.

Though two hundred years had passed...

But Yuan was a Dongzhen; he might still influence the Taiyi Realm’s timeline.

Yet after thorough investigation...

She had simply imagined too much!

This “Strange Branch” had nothing to do with Yuan.

“Any findings?”

A gentle voice arrived as the Holy Master of Kongji and Ning Wanzhu walked in side by side.

After a day’s rest, the Holy Master of Kongji had fully restored her condition.

Now, pale crystalline prisms rotated slowly in her eyes, a vertical white mark glowed on her brow, the ends of her hair shimmered with pure white radiance, and an eight-layered divine halo hovered behind her head.

Adding further solemnity to her already sacred and pure aura.

According to the transcendent system of the Taiyi Realm, the brighter one’s inner light, the greater the chance of attracting the world’s attention.