Chapter 258: Clouds Deep and Unknown

Jiang Jian struggled to stand firm, enduring the severe soul pain, and mobilized the ice-blue micro-light again.

Stopping the chaotic and surging Spirit Breath.

The meridians and acupoints of his limbs and bones also stopped cracking.

"The Purifying World Divine Fire is of too high a rank; I can only mobilize a little."

"These ice-blue micro-lights cannot be maintained for long."

Jiang Jian's expression was cold, sensing his acupoints carefully.

Roughly estimating that with his current state, he could maintain it for at most half a day!

The Star Universe rule backlash brought by the breakthrough failure was too terrifying.

If not for his resilient mind, enduring the huge pain, barely keeping his spirit clear, and activating the ice-blue micro-light to forcibly suppress it.

He would have already had his soul shattered and died on the spot!

Jiang Jian raised his head, attempting to take a step, and immediately felt bone-piercing cracking pain spreading through his whole body!

Blood seeped from his seven orifices, but his expression seemed unaware; expressionless, step by step, he walked toward the array screen on the edge of the isolated island.

By this time.

Deep in Jiang Jian's heart, it was clear and cold, surging with unprecedented clarity.

His thoughts surged rapidly.

In an instant, he thought of two methods!

"The first method, find Shen Shen Qingchan!"

"If her Weaving Fate divine ability is fully unleashed, it will definitely be able to alleviate the soul cracking injury!"

While pondering.

Jiang Jian walked to the array screen and stepped in.

A pulling force came.

A short two seconds.

Jiang Jian opened his eyes, having returned to the edge of the Shengshan, outside the Breakthrough Hall!

For some reason.

The Shengshan at this time was very quiet.

Looking around, white stone buildings stood in great numbers, but not a single person could be seen.

"The world portal has no signs of damage."

"The academy teachers and students from previous cohorts should not have left."

He raised his head and looked above the Earth-Moon stone sculpture.

There.

The massive vortex blocked out the sky and sun, rotating slowly.

Every moment.

It was stirring the vast spiritual mechanism at the extreme reaches of the firmament, beyond imagination.

Previously, the Moon World was in turmoil.

The planetary barrier was under pressure.

Causing all world portals in the nine-layer realm of Chang'an Prefecture to be sealed.

Until now, they had not reopened.

"The pavilion Shen Xi mentioned should be here."

Jiang Jian took a step, and his figure dissipated.

The next second.

Amidst black light, dressed in snow-white robes, he appeared before the pavilion door.

What surprised Jiang Jian was.

This pavilion door was actually open.

Looking inside.

The pavilion was very spacious, with many cabinets placed inside, each cabinet having a number, looking like there was no protection at all.

Clearly.

What was inside was not just his identity device, but also the things of other students.

Jiang Jian was silent for a moment and walked toward the pavilion.

Suddenly.

A harsh creaking sound came.

A wooden puppet walked out of the door, its eyes glowing with ghostly light, blocking Jiang Jian's path.

"The Gatekeeper has ordered."

"Academy students, cultivate to the Spirit Palace Realm before they can take away their identity devices."

Its voice was hoarse, mixed with an unpleasant friction sound.

Jiang Jian's brows furrowed, he stopped his steps, and did not argue with it.

He saw it.

This wooden puppet is a Spirit Palace Realm demon spirit.

It was ordered to guard here and would only execute orders, fundamentally unable to be flexible.

"Where is the Gatekeeper?"

Jiang Jian pondered for a moment and asked.

The wooden puppet shook its body and shook its head: "I don't know."

Jiang Jian was silent for a moment, changed his way of speaking, and asked again: "When did the people on the Shengshan leave?"

This time.

The wooden puppet did not answer immediately, but stepped out, walked to Jiang Jian, and looked at him closely, its ghostly eyes flickering, and asked back: "The people of the Earth-Moon Academy, without exception, have all gone to the Great Zhou Dynasty, why are you here?"

Demon light surged around the wooden puppet, and its tone turned cold.

Clearly.

It had suspicions about Jiang Jian.

Jiang Jian's expression was calm, dissipating the Spirit Breath around his body, and said: "As a pavilion guardian, the data you master should have my bone structure appearance."

His Shenque Shenque Lingyun aura, after recovering to fullness, transformed into micro-light surrounding his body.

Concealing his original bone structure, making it unclear to see.

Ordinary Spirit Palace Realm experts, if they don't use special means, find it very hard to see through his Spirit Breath barrier.

As Jiang Jian revealed his true appearance here.

The wooden puppet was stunned, its tone clearly carrying surprise: "It's actually you!"

Its expression changed, it took out a piece of brocade, and handed it to Jiang Jian.

"The Gatekeeper specifically ordered that if Jiang Jian comes here, give this to him."

As it spoke.

The wooden puppet revealed doubt, "But in my sensing, your cultivation aura is only Spring Fountain."

"Your cultivation shouldn't be Spirit Palace Realm."

The next second.

Jiang Jian took the brocade, did not explain, and said: "Identity device, please give it to me as well."

The wooden puppet frowned tightly and said: "But the Gatekeeper said that academy students can only take away their identity devices after cultivating to the Spirit Palace Realm."

Jiang Jian smiled and said: "According to your statement, the Gatekeeper also said that if I come here, give me the brocade and identity device together."

Hearing this.

The wooden puppet stood where it was, its expression confused, struggling: "The Gatekeeper did say this."

It thought hard, but still couldn't figure out why the omnipotent Gatekeeper would issue completely contradictory orders.

After all.

If an academy student can come out of the Breakthrough Hall.

It represents that they have shattered the Divine Illumination barrier and become a Spirit Palace Realm expert.

If the breakthrough fails, the Star Universe rule backlash comes, enough to make one die on the spot.

His soul was cracked and injured, in urgent need of recovery.

Although returning to Yinshan could allow him to maintain his current state and prevent further collapse.

There was, however, no way to repair the cracks.

By that time.

Even if the meridians and acupoints were fully healed.

He would only be able to face the Palace Realm Hall Masters of the other nine halls of Yinshan with his Spring Realm cultivation, and the disadvantage would be far too great.

"How did you end up in this state?"

The guiding messenger's tone was curious, "Your meridians are half-collapsed, your acupoints are cracked, yet you are still alive—it is truly inconceivable."

Suddenly.

It seemed to notice something.

Its words paused, and its phrasing became cautious.

"How can the foundation hidden in the depths of your Divine Palace be so profound!?"

"Yet you are clearly still in the Spring Realm!"

"Logically speaking, the Divine Illumination barrier should still be there!"

As it spoke, the guiding messenger became even more puzzled.

Jiang Jian remained silent, sitting down on the head of the Long Que, silently recovering his spiritual essence.

His soul throbbed with pain, and his bones ached.

Every moment felt like needles piercing his bones.

He ignored the guiding messenger, his mind becoming even clearer amidst this pain.

He carefully pondered every detail regarding the physician.

A memory quietly surfaced.

It was the conversation from when the physician cut away his soul!

This memory had even been hidden deep in his mind by his own subconscious.

It was only after going to the Enlightenment Hall that he had barely managed to recall it!

The physician had once said something.

"I am taking a piece of your soul, but it is not a payment."

"It is to save more people."

Her words still faintly echoed in his ears.

Making Jiang Jian's gaze even colder.

He even recalled the time he first met the physician.

The physician seemed to know everything about his sister's illness.

He was still young at that time.

Although there was much wariness deep in his heart.

He still made a deal with her.

"So."

Jiang Jian whispered to himself, "She treated me as medicinal material."

"Medicinal material to cure illnesses and save people."

In this instant.

When the breakthrough failed.

That mysterious feeling surged from the depths of his mind.

The Divine Illumination barrier was only a thin layer left.

Like a transparent water curtain, rippling with light.

It felt as if a gentle poke would cause it to collapse and shatter, falling into the Divine Palace.

"My soul was once cleansed by the World-Purifying Divine Fire, there were no abnormalities."

Jiang Jian sensed the Divine Illumination barrier, a guess vaguely forming in his mind.

If the physician had truly done something.

Then there was only one place.

That was the Divine Illumination barrier, thin as a cicada's wing, in front of the Divine Palace.

"Her goal must have been to prevent me from breaking through to the Divine Palace."

"But from beginning to end, the physician never mentioned this matter."

As Jiang Jian pondered, his mind stirred, and he suddenly had another idea.

Ordinary living beings.

Would die immediately if a breakthrough failed.

But here, he had the icy blue faint light, which forcibly suppressed the backlash of the failure.

The Divine Illumination barrier still existed, with only a thin layer left.

But the originally complete Divine Illumination barrier had already fallen into the Divine Palace, becoming the foundation for his third realm!

If he healed his meridians and acupoints and refilled his spiritual essence and energy.

By that time.

Going to blast the Divine Illumination barrier again would be easy!

Perhaps.

He could even rely on the means left by the physician.

To pull out more matter within the rules of the star universe, continuously forming new Divine Illumination barriers, and further improving his Divine Palace foundation!

Only, Jiang Jian was even clearer.

Before that, he had to understand the physician's methods completely before he could attempt to break through again.

"By the way."

The guiding messenger spoke abruptly, its tone strange, "In the past two years, most of the favored ones of the ten halls of Yinshan have ascended to the position of Hall Master."

"Only the favored one of the Seventh Hall remains."

"They are still one step away from becoming Hall Master."

"The battle for the Ksitigarbha position will begin soon."

"In your current state."

"Tsk tsk."

Its form was illusory, a projection appearing on the back of the Long Que, its gaze flickering.

Jiang Jian was silent for a moment and said, "What do you want to say?"

The guiding messenger stared at Jiang Jian and said, "You won't be able to take that black wooden tin staff with you when you die, so you might as well give it to me before you die."

Its expression was very serious, and it did not mean to be joking.

Clearly.

As one of the guiding messengers of Yinshan, it had quite a bit of understanding of the other nine Hall Masters.

In its heart, it had almost concluded.

Given Jiang Jian's cultivation situation.

He would undoubtedly lose in the battle for the Ksitigarbha position!

"Fine."

Unexpectedly.

Jiang Jian's expression was calm, and he agreed directly.

He stood up, looked at the guiding messenger's projection, and said softly, "If I truly die, not only will the Ksitigarbha tin staff be yours."

"Even the Spirit-Guiding Jade of the Tenth Hall, I will issue a personal Wheel-Turning order before I die to give it all to you, helping you regain your freedom."

Hearing this.

The guiding messenger was stunned.

A few seconds later.

It came back to its senses and looked at the young man beside it.

Since when did it start.

The blood scabs on the young man's face had been completely washed away.

Soft golden light flowed around him, interweaving, and the robe he wore transformed into a flowing, magnificent white robe with gold threads.

The previous disheveled state was no longer to be seen.

"Only."

"That day will never come."

On top of the Long Que, the white-robed youth stood alone and spoke in a low voice.

His gaze crossed the mountains and rivers, looking ahead.

There, was an endless blue sea.

(End of chapter)