Chapter 390: Great Void Displacement

The great battle erupted in the depths of the void.

Wang Ping's Chaotic Immortal Thunder, like the first ray of light tearing through darkness, shot straight at the face of the leading Mid-stage Void God. Wherever that lightning passed, the void twisted and collapsed, leaving a chaotic-colored trace that lingered.

That Void God's expression changed drastically; he desperately circulated the Power of Order, condensing a silver light wall before him.

Boom—

The lightning collided with the light wall, erupting in blinding light. The light wall shuddered violently, its surface covered in countless fine cracks, but it ultimately blocked this strike.

That Void God breathed a sigh of relief, about to counterattack, when he suddenly realized—

Wang Ping's figure had disappeared.

It was not an escape technique, not invisibility, but a true disappearance. His aura, his law fluctuations, his every trace of existence vanished completely in that instant, as if he had never existed.

What?!

That Void God's pupils shrank; his divine sense frantically swept the surrounding void.

None.

Nothing at all.

Just then—

A sword light slashed from behind him.

Cangxuan.

He had already broken through to Mid-stage Void God; his sword dao perfected, this strike was more than ten times stronger than before. Wherever the sword light passed, the void trembled and wailed, as if heaven and earth feared its edge.

That Void God had no time to think; he slapped out a palm with his backhand.

The palm print and sword light collided, both annihilated. Cangxuan was blown back dozens of zhang, but that Void God also had his qi and blood surging, retreating three steps.

Just then—

Wang Ping reappeared.

He appeared to the left of that Void God, within three zhang. The phantom of the Chaotic Tribulation Sword condensed in his hand, and he struck down with a sword.

That Void God roared, mustering all his strength to form a defense on his left. But Wang Ping's sword was too fast—faster than his defense could fully form—so the sword light reached him before it was complete.

Puchi—

The sword light pierced flesh, blood spraying.

That Void God's left arm was severed at the shoulder. Silver origin of order surged wildly from the wound; he screamed and fled backward.

"Withdraw!" he bellowed, "The intel was wrong! They aren't just one Void God!"

Five Void Gods fled in disarray.

Wang Ping and the others gave no chase.

They hovered silently in the void, watching the fleeing silver figures, gradually retracting their auras.

After a long while, Cangxuan sheathed his sword.

"Pity, we couldn't keep one."

Wang Ping shook his head: "No rush. This was just a probe. The real hard fight is still ahead."

Yuliuli cradled her guqin, her face pallid. She had just broken through; her realm unstable, forcing the use of Immortal Sound Divine Ability drained her greatly.

Youying walked up to Wang Ping and whispered, "Will they come back?"

Wang Ping nodded.

"Yes. And they'll come faster."

He gazed toward the direction where the silver light vanished, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"Next time, more than five Void Gods will come."

After returning to the Immortal Palace ruins, everyone rested and recuperated.

Wang Ping sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, regulating his breath to recover. Though the battle was brief, employing Chaotic Immortal Thunder and the Illusion-Reality Transformation divine ability took a heavy toll on him. Especially that sudden disappearance and reappearance secret art, which was the embryonic form of his newly comprehended Great Void Displacement, still immature; each use drained a great deal of his mental energy.

He needed to master this divine ability as soon as possible.

Just then—

A sudden cry came from outside the secret chamber.

It was Jiu'er's voice.

Wang Ping's heart tightened; he instantly rushed out of the secret chamber.

When he reached the center of the ruins, the sight before him left him stunned.

The Jianmu sapling was growing frenziedly.

Originally only about three chi tall, the sapling had now grown to three zhang. Its trunk had thickened severalfold, its branches and leaves lush like clouds, and its root system, like countless giant pythons, madly extended deep underground.

Wherever those roots passed, the ground cracked, rocks shattered, and bottomless fissures spread in all directions.

Jiu'er stood beneath the tree, her small frame trembling slightly. Her eyes were closed, her face full of pain. The Jianmu sapling's growth was intimately tied to the Jianmu power within her; now the sapling ran wild, and she bore immense pressure.

"Jiu'er!"

Wang Ping rushed to her side and scooped her up.

Jiu'er opened her eyes, looking at him, fear and pain filling her gaze.

"Big brother… it hurts… Jiu'er hurts…"

Wang Ping's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

He desperately circulated his Chaotic Power, trying to suppress the rampant Jianmu power within Jiu'er. But that power was too vast, too violent; his Chaotic Power was shaken apart upon contact.

"Let me handle it."

Youying's voice came from behind. She quickly stepped to Jiu'er's side and pressed her hand to Jiu'er's forehead.

Dark light emanated from her palm, slowly seeping into Jiu'er's body. This was the power of the Void laws, a secret art passed down from the Myriad Phenomena Star Observer. Her understanding of Jianmu far surpassed Wang Ping's.

After a moment, the pain on Jiu'er's face gradually faded.

She opened her eyes, looked at You Ying, and gave a weak smile.

"You Ying elder sister…… thank you……"

You Ying gently shook her head, indicating she should not speak.

Then she raised her head to look at the sapling of the Establishing Tree growing frantically, a flash of shock crossing her eyes.

"Its roots…… have touched something."

Wang Ping froze.

You Ying continued: "The roots of the Establishing Tree can penetrate the void, sensing all hidden existence. It must have sensed something, which is why it is growing so frantically."

She looked at the roots extending deep underground, light flickering in her eyes.

"Deep underground…… there is something."

Wang Ping's heart stirred.

He recalled that Tianxian Shangren had once said the fragments of the Immortal Palace were the last stronghold of the Myriad Phenomena Stargazers, and their secrets might be buried underground. But that was only a legend, never proven.

Now, the roots of the Establishing Tree seem to be proving this legend.

"Should we dig it up?" Cang Xuan walked to his side and asked.

Wang Ping fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Dig."

The excavation lasted a full three days.

Cang Xuan opened the way with sword qi, Wang Ping stabilized the surrounding soil layers with Chaos Power, Yu Liuli sensed underground movements with Immortal Sound, and You Ying prevented collapses with Void Laws. The four took turns, advancing bit by bit deeper underground.

Bai Cao Xianzi cared for Jiu Er, while Xuan Gui Zunzhe lay on a stretcher, only able to stare.

On the first day, they dug to a depth of a hundred zhang. Besides hard rock, there was nothing.

On the second day, they dug to three hundred zhang deep. Some broken rune stone slabs began to appear, but they were all shattered and worthless. Yu Liuli once tried to restore the content on those slabs with Immortal Sound Power, but the runes were too ancient, and Immortal Sound Power could not awaken their sleeping memories.

On the third day, when they dug to five hundred zhang deep——

A beam of light shot up from deep underground.

That light was azure, deep and mysterious, containing an indescribably ancient aura. Wherever it passed, the hard rock melted like ice and snow, and the complex runes flowed like living things.

A massive underground palace appeared before them.

The gate of the underground palace was a stone slab ten zhang high. The slab was covered densely with runes; those runes resembled the primordial runes in the law corridor, but older and more profound. In the cracks of the runes, a faint azure light flowed, like the veins of a living creature.

Wang Ping stood before the stone slab, silent for a long time.

He felt it.

Beyond that stone slab lay countless powerful auras—not those of living beings, but of treasures, of inheritances, the final legacy left by the Myriad Phenomena Stargazers thirty thousand years ago.

"This is……" You Ying's voice trembled slightly, her eyes full of shock, "This is the treasure vault of the Myriad Phenomena Stargazers…… the legendary 'Myriad Phenomena Treasure Vault'…… I always thought it was just a legend……"

Wang Ping looked at her.

You Ying took a deep breath and slowly said: "In the legends of the Myriad Phenomena Stargazers, there is a hidden treasure vault that stores their most precious treasures and inheritances. It is said that this vault only opens in the most dire moments, to leave future generations a chance to turn the tide. But for thirty thousand years, no one has ever found it."

She looked at the sapling of the Establishing Tree, her eyes full of gratitude.

"It is the Establishing Tree. The roots of the Establishing Tree have penetrated the void and sensed the existence of the treasure vault."

Wang Ping walked to the stone slab and placed his hand upon it.

Chaos Power surged in, establishing a connection with those runes.

Those runes resonated with his Chaos Power. They slowly flowed, growing brighter and hotter, finally——

"Boom——"

The stone slab slowly opened.

Beyond the gate lay a vast hall.

The hall was a hundred zhang high, a thousand zhang wide, and bottomless. The stone walls all around were densely carved with runes and patterns, recording the history and achievements of the Myriad Phenomena Stargazers. The ceiling was inlaid with countless fist-sized crystals, each emitting a soft light that illuminated the entire hall.

In the center of the hall stood twelve massive stone pillars. Each pillar floated a cluster of light, within which various treasures could be vaguely seen—jade slips, pills, magical implements, materials, cultivation methods, divine abilities.

Yet at the deepest part of the hall stood a huge stone platform. Upon it lay three things.

A jade slip.

A pill.

A long sword.

Wang Ping's gaze fell upon that jade slip.

That jade slip was entirely azure, its surface inscribed with countless tiny runes. Those runes were extremely complex and profound; with his current attainments in formations, he could barely recognize a few.

But just those few characters already shocked his mind and spirit.

"Void…… Great Translocation……"

You Ying walked to his side, likewise looking at the jade slip.

Her eyes were full of shock.

"This is……" her voice trembling, "This is the supreme divine ability of my clan's legend…… Void Great Translocation……"

She turned her head, looking at Wang Ping.

"According to legend, this divine ability can instantly shift an entire space to anywhere. No matter how many enemies, no matter how tight the encirclement, as long as this ability is exercised, one can instantly escape. This is the ultimate life-preserving technique created by my clan's ancestor to counter the Pure World Court."

Wang Ping took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the stone platform.

He reached out his hand and lightly grasped the jade slip.

The moment the jade slip entered his hand, countless pieces of information flooded his mind——

The cultivation method of Void Great Translocation, like a rushing river, surged into his divine awareness. Those runes, those formulas, those insights came one after another, layer upon layer, densely packed and intricate.

He closed his eyes and silently contemplated.

He did not know how long had passed—perhaps the time of an incense stick, perhaps an hour—he opened his eyes.

In his eyes, chaos-colored light flowed, carrying a hint of clear comprehension.

"So that's how it is..."

Youying looked at him, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Can you comprehend it?"

Wang Ping nodded, then shook his head.

"Yes. But it needs time. This divine ability is too profound; with my current cultivation, at least three months are needed to initially master it."

Three months.

Youying fell silent.

Three months later, the great army of the Pure World Court had already arrived.

Wang Ping seemed to see through her thoughts, and gave a faint smile.

"Don't worry. Three months, I can wait."

He put the jade slip into his bosom, turned, and looked at the other treasures.

That pill was golden all over, exuding a rich pill fragrance. Youying recognized it as the Void-Breaking Pill, which can help a Nascent Soul cultivator break through a bottleneck. She whispered an explanation: "Refining this pill is extremely difficult; it requires gathering chaos qi from the void, combined with ninety-nine kinds of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and takes three hundred years to form. Even the Myriad Phenomena Star Observers of that era managed to refine only three."

That long sword was entirely dark blue, its blade inscribed with countless runes. The hilt bore two characters: "Void." It was the Void Sword, the clan treasure of the Myriad Phenomena Star Observers. Youying reached out and lightly touched the blade; the sword emitted a soft hum, as if responding to her bloodline.

"It recognizes you." Wang Ping said.

Youying nodded, tears glimmering in her eyes: "This is the ancestral sword of my clan. Legend says that before the founding ancestor fell, he sealed the sword here, awaiting the return of descendants."

There were also treasures on those stone pillars—cultivation insights, refining materials, holy medicines for healing wounds, and offensive magical devices. Each was worth a fortune; each could save a cultivator a hundred years of detour.

Wang Ping gazed at these treasures, and a feeling beyond words welled up in his heart.

Thirty thousand years ago, before the Myriad Phenomena Star Observers fell, they left all this behind. They knew later generations would need these. They knew the Pure World Court would not give up easily. They knew that someday someone would come here, take these treasures, and continue their unfinished cause.

And that person is him.

"Thank you." He whispered, facing the empty hall, facing those sages from thirty thousand years ago, "Thank you."

Youying stood beside him, likewise performing a silent salute.

After a long while, the two turned and left the treasury.

Behind them, those lights continued to flicker.

Those treasures waited silently, waiting to be taken, waiting to be used, waiting to fulfill their thirty-thousand-year mission.

After returning to the surface, Wang Ping immediately began secluded cultivation to comprehend the Void Great Translocation.

Jiu Er's Building Tree power had stabilized, and the Building Tree sapling ceased its frenzied growth. It now stood five zhang tall, its trunk stout as a barrel, its branches and leaves lush as clouds, its roots dug deep underground, connected to that treasury.

Jiu Er sat beneath the tree, eyes closed, regulating her breath. Her complexion remained pale, but was much better than before. Though the Building Tree sapling's growth caused her pain, it also strengthened her power. For every inch the roots sank deeper, she could feel the flow of heavenly and earthly spirit qi from deeper realms, as if the entire Immortal Palace ruins lay within her perception.

Youying guarded Wang Ping's side, acting as his Dharma protector. She laid the Void Sword across her knees, silently sensing the inheritance contained within the blade. Occasionally, scouts from the Pure World Court tried to approach, but she silently erased them with the Void Principles.

Cang Xuan continued his secluded cultivation, striving for a higher Sword Dao realm. The battle with a Mid Nascent Soul cultivator let him grasp a hint of a new Sword Dao frontier—Sword Intent can shatter the Void, Sword Light can sever karma. In his secluded chamber, sword cries often rang out, shaking the Void within a radius of a hundred zhang.

Yu Liuli was also in secluded cultivation, consolidating her recent breakthrough to the Early Nascent Soul realm. Each day she nurtured her soul with Immortal Sound power; the ancient zither in her hand gradually underwent a new change—faint starlight flowed along its strings, and when played it could draw upon the power of the heavenly stars.

The Mysterious Tortoise Venerable still lay on the stretcher, the Herbal Immortal Maiden guarding him, scolding him while tending his wounds. In that battle the Mysterious Tortoise Venerable was gravely wounded, his origin damaged; without three to five months of rest, recovery was out of the question. Yet he never admitted defeat, daily sparring verbally with the Herbal Immortal Maiden, and thus became a rare source of vitality in the Immortal Palace Ruins.

The Immortal Palace Ruins fell into a rare tranquility.

Wang Ping, in that secret chamber, again and again contemplated the divine ability of Void Great Shift.

This divine ability was far more difficult than he had imagined.

Its principle is to use chaotic power to instantly distort the void, folding up an entire expanse of space and then 'launching' it to the target position. Easy to say, hard to do—like climbing to heaven.

First, one must precisely sense every corner of the entire space. A slight deviation will cause the folded space to collapse, tearing the caster to shreds. When Wang Ping first attempted it, he narrowly avoided being devoured by the collapsing space; fortunately, the chaotic power protecting his body saved his life.

Second, one needs sufficient chaotic power to maintain the space's stability. Insufficient power causes failure mid-fold; excessive power tears the space, causing unpredictable consequences. Wang Ping tried over ten times, each failure due to improper control of power.

Finally, one needs extremely exquisite control; after the folding is complete, one must accurately 'launch' the space to the target position. A slight deviation in direction, distance, or angle will miss the target, or even plunge into the void turbulence. This is the most dangerous step—once fallen into the void turbulence, even a Divine Transformation cultivator would hardly survive.

Wang Ping tried again and again, failing again and again.

The first time, he attempted to fold the space of the secret chamber. As soon as the folding began, the space exploded with a boom, collapsing and covering him in dust and soot. Countless cracks spidered the four walls of the chamber, even startling Youying, who almost rushed in to investigate.

The second time, he attempted to fold a three‑foot square of space. This time it succeeded, but the launch direction went completely out of control, and that piece of space flew straight into the unknown void, its whereabouts unknown. Wang Ping tracked it with his divine sense, only to feel the space‑fragment drifting farther and farther until it vanished at the edge of the void.

The third time, the fourth time, the fifth time…

After each failure he summed up experience, adjusted his method, and kept trying. Sometimes his power control lacked precision, sometimes his spatial perception drifted, sometimes his launch‑angle calculation was wrong. Although the method recorded in the jade slip is detailed, truly cultivating it makes every step a life‑or‑death trial.

After one month, he finally succeeded in accurately folding and launching a three‑foot square of space to a distance of a hundred zhang.

Although it was only three feet square and only a hundred zhang away, this was the first step.

He continued to strive.

In the second month, he succeeded in folding and launching a one‑zhang square of space to a distance of a thousand zhang. This time he deliberately had Youying place a spirit stone as a marker a thousand zhang away. When that mass of space landed precisely above the spirit stone, Youying's face showed a rare smile.

In the third month, he finally succeeded in folding and launching the entire secret chamber's space to a distance of ten li.

When he walked out of the secret chamber, three months had passed.

His eyes were full of fatigue, but even more so of excitement.

"Done."

He looked at Youying and gave a faint smile.

Youying looked at him, her eyes full of relief. She noticed that Wang Ping's aura was deeper than three months ago; evidently, in the course of comprehending this divine ability, his cultivation had advanced further.

"How far can you shift?"

Wang Ping thought for a moment and said, "If I exert my full power, I should be able to shift the entire ruins of the Immortal Palace to a distance of a million li. But it requires time to prepare, and after using it I will be exhausted, unable to move for at least three days."

Youying's eyes lit up.

A million li.

Enough to evade the pursuit of the Pure World Court.

Just then—

A transmission talisman shot out from the void.

That transmission talisman was entirely gold, obviously an urgent rune. Wang Ping took it, extended his divine sense into it, and his expression changed instantly.

The transmission was sent by Yunhao.

The army of the Pure World Court had already reached the outskirts of the Spirit Realm.

Five late-stage Divine Transformation cultivators, ten mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivators, and over a hundred Order Disciples.

This isn't even the worst part.

The most frightening part is that the army is led by a Divine Transformation peak cultivator called the "Grand Inquisitor". That person holds an extremely high position in the Pure World Court; legend says he has lived for three thousand years and personally destroyed three realms. He brought not ordinary Order Disciples, but the Pure World Court's most elite "Pure World Army"—each equivalent to a Nascent Soul peak cultivator and skilled in combined attack techniques.

Yunhao wrote in the transmission: "All sects of the Spirit Realm have gathered, but morale is low. Those late-stage Divine Transformation old monsters mostly stay behind closed doors, unwilling to die. I and a few fellow Daoists are barely holding on, but without reinforcements we can last at most one month."

One month.

Wang Ping gripped the transmission talisman tightly and gazed into the distance.

"It's time to go back."

He turned around, looking at Yinying, looking at Cangxuan, looking at Yuliuli, looking at everyone.

"Everyone, get ready."

"We, return to the Spirit Realm."

Yinying nodded, silently putting away the Void Sword. Cangxuan walked out of the secret chamber, his sword intent already condensed into substance. Yuliuli cradled her ancient zither, starlight flowing across its strings. Hundred Herbs Immortal helped the Black Tortoise Venerable to his feet; though the Black Tortoise Venerable remained weak, his battle spirit blazed like fire in his eyes.

Jiuer rose from beneath the Building Tree and walked to Wang Ping's side.

"Big brother, Jiuer wants to go too."

Wang Ping lowered his head to look at her; Jiuer's eyes were full of determination. The Building Tree sapling behind her swayed gently, as if cheering her on.

Wang Ping remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Good."

He raised his head and gazed into the distance.

There, in the direction of the Spirit Realm, a great battle awaited them.

He was not afraid.

He had the Void Grand Shift, the power of the Building Tree, the Chaotic Immortal Lightning, and these comrades who shared life and death.

Even if the Pure World Court commanded countless troops, he would still dare to fight.

"Let's go."

He said softly.

Behind him, the ruins of the Immortal Palace gradually faded away.

Ahead, the sky of the Spirit Realm was overcast with dark clouds.