Chapter 648

At this time, his expression held a hint of a smile, saying that he and this Time Wheel Immortal Sovereign still shared a thread of karmic affinity.

The second patriarch of the Tongshan Dao Lineage, Ruyizi, had not yet attained the Dao when he once received a layer of time secret art from this ancient immortal, named the 《Nine Revolutions Ruyi Time Wheel Sutra》.

Afterwards, that secret art was obtained by Zhang Jian, and has since become part of his current first-rank Eternal Dao Law, the Ten Thousand Heavens Spacetime King Diagram.

The two briefly conversed, and the Time Wheel Immortal Sovereign at this time pointed to the Nine Interstices of Time Tower.

"Dao Sovereign, this time your entry into the Nine Interstices of Time Tower will be for sixty thousand years; after sixty thousand years, this deity will open the Time Wheel Divine Tower for you, though by then this deity may perhaps no longer be the guardian of the Nine Interstices of Time Divine Tower! Who knows?"

The Time Wheel Immortal Sovereign's face bore a hint of tranquil color.

He appeared to have already prepared himself for the deprivation of his immortal office.

Zhang Jian's face merely gave a faint smile.

This is a fair transaction.

However, he should have no problem; although he lacks hundreds of millions of external merit, in reality it is not much different, as the previous capture and suppression of the Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign, guarding the Demon Subduing Valley, and rescuing the Realm-Stabilizing Divine Artifact of the Ninetieth Heavenly Realm have brought him abundant external merit.

During these tens of thousands of years, he will leave several incarnations outside, finally attempting to make up for the lacking external merit.

However, should this matter be exposed, the Time Wheel Immortal Sovereign would likely face some punishment.

Of course, the likelihood of exposure should not be high.

The Time Wheel Immortal Sovereign condensed an immortal seal in his palm, which instantly fell into the vast Nine Interstices of Time Tower; in an instant, a gray-white divine light burst forth from within, forming a circular passage, and Zhang Jian stepped into it.

Upon entering the circular passage, that familiar feeling welled up in Zhang Jian's heart.

It was as if the flow of time's measurement passing through this place was suddenly stretched, increasing the ratio of time's flow speed.

Zhang Jian likewise wields authority over spacetime, and can clearly sense the changes within.

After the amplification reached nearly a ten-to-one ratio, this time flow speed gradually stabilized.

Zhang Jian's gaze swept over the surroundings; without needing much inspection, he could determine that the cultivation environment here is superior to the Qi-Glowing Secret Realm of the Kunlun Heavenly Realm.

Although the time flow speed is amplified, this place still possesses a considerably strong innate spiritual mechanism, and innate essence and qi can aid cultivation.

Although Zhang Jian has reached this level, the effect of these innate spiritual mechanisms and innate essence and qi is limited.

Yet it is still far better than the Absolute Spiritless Land.

After checking that the surrounding cultivation spacetime had no issues, Zhang Jian settled his mind and gradually focused his thoughts on cultivation.

Sixty thousand years, amplified by a factor of one to ten, will reach six hundred thousand years.

This is nearly as long as four to five yuanhui.

Zhang Jian has several cultivation plans in mind.

The first is naturally to perfect his own cultivation, besides bringing his cultivation to the eighty-first yuanhui, then refining his Dao-heart, primordial spirit, eternal will, and even his Dao Sovereign body to peak condition to aid cultivation.

The second is to elevate all the first-rank Eternal Dao Laws within his body to second-rank, and a few innate divine abilities to third-rank Eternal Dao Law level; this is a goal he hopes to achieve.

Additionally, to completely refine the top-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Qiankun Diagram, deeply refine the top-grade innate spiritual treasure, the Innate Four Symbols Divine Needles, and also begin refining the Four Sea Pearls and the Innate Wood Source Divine Talisman.

Next, to further temper his two personal spiritual treasures.

The third is to cultivate various methods convenient for breaking through calamities, or to refine calamity-breaking magical implements, in preparation for that unknown heavenly realm journey.

Zhang Jian immediately began to focus his mind, completing each cultivation goal one by one.

However, the first goal can actually be carried out simultaneously.

Especially since he possesses the Yuanshi Jade Pearl, such a Yuanshi immortal root; the process of refining this treasure, each time assisted by the 'Yuanshi Perspective', allows Zhang Jian to perceive that his absorption and exhalation of cultivation, tempering of his Dao body, will, and primordial spirit can all be greatly accelerated.

This Yuanshi Jade Pearl is absolutely not merely granting him the 'Yuanshi Perspective' and giving birth to the Wuji Bright Clouds so simply.

Only seen beneath the River of Time, layers of boundless Wuji Bright Cloud light surged up around Zhang Jian; within the cloud light, as if the mountains and rivers of the myriad heavens' universes dimensions were arising and ceasing, a treasure pearl rose and ascended, illuminating the universe heaven and earth.

The sensation of this treasure to Zhang Jian is then the ultimate version of the Righteous Spirit Flame.

However, compared to the Righteous Spirit Flame, its 'performance' is vastly superior.

Especially since it can also allow him a glimpse into the mystery of the Yuanshi rank.

Such Yuanshi rank, combined with the heavenly and earthly imprints he obtained from numerous innate spiritual treasures and earthly treasures, seems to have vast heavenly mysteries gradually flowing into the depths of his primordial spirit, to be received by it.

In this process, on his Human Emperor Dao Fruit's auspicious clouds, he absorbed the rolling innate essence and qi from the depths of the void, and the innate spiritual mechanism merged into the eternal immortal light.

The cultivation of the five-in-one Dao Sovereigns are all gradually increasing.

However, midway, feeling that the innate spiritual mechanism and innate essence and qi within the Nine Interstices of Time Tower were insufficient, Zhang Jian immediately took a portion of heavenly and earthly divine objects from the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram and laid out a great formation to amplify the heavenly and earthly spiritual mechanism, accelerating cultivation.

……

Eighth Layer of the Upper Realm of the Heavenly Realm

In the vast Qingxia Immortal Realm, countless immortal clouds drifted faintly.

In the immortal realm, after nearly two hundred thousand years, the Qingxia Dao Sovereign finally received a transmission from his manifested body on campaign.

Upon the Cloud Terrace, a strand of azure immortal light manifested a vast, boundless desolate heaven and earth.

At this time, from the immortal light, 'Qingxia Dao Sovereign' could see numerous heavenly soldiers and divine generals patrolling between heaven and earth, as if gradually grasping control of a vast and magnificent heaven and universe; on the celestial dome, torrents of heaven and earth fortune poured down into numerous immortals and gods, even into the bodies of heavenly soldiers and divine generals, countless immortals and gods resembling a world-shaking mighty army sweeping heaven and earth, awe-inspiring.

"Congratulations to this Sovereign, for sweeping across all realms and spacetime, and again seizing a heavenly domain for the Heavenly Court; the rarest is still being able to seize part of the authority and control, my LanTai Dao Palace forces shall therefore rise even higher!"

'Qingxia Dao Sovereign' smiled with eyes full of joy.

Expedition, pioneering—what does it mean but to expand territory, to thus gain great fortune and great virtue to continuously escort and safeguard one's cultivation?

Only by possessing more fortune and virtue can one avoid calamity descending upon the body and dwell at ease and leisure.

"One battle's success, ten thousand bones withered; this battle also does not know how many immortals and gods have perished, myths turned to flying ashes and vanished smoke!"

In the immortal light, came the sighing voice of Qingxia Dao Sovereign.

At this time, on her beautiful countenance lay some traces of vicissitude, but this thread of vicissitude, as it merged with the vast great fortune, gradually dissipated, and her Dao-heart calmed.

"After this battle, I reckon this Sovereign is not far from the Third Great Calamity of Annihilation!"

'Qingxia Dao Sovereign' bore a smiling face.

In the azure immortal light, Qingxia Dao Sovereign's manifested body laughed and said.

"This too can be counted as fortune and misfortune interdependent; after all, there is some gain!"

Qingxia Daoist nodded slightly and continued.

"There is also the matter of Ayu's impending journey..."

She looked somewhat worried.

"Should I try to follow him?"

Qingxia Daoist pondered briefly, rejected the suggestion, and said calmly.

"Since Father Emperor already knows of Ayu's existence, he will surely protect him; we need not gild the lily!"

"Moreover, Ayu has grown up and has his own thoughts; let him gain experience on his own!"

"As a Daoist, he should also stand on his own and achieve great accomplishments!"

Qingxia Daoist's expression carried a faint smile.

"This little fox is even more cunning than you imagine; you need not worry about him. On the contrary, Taiyin has been utterly silent these days, and I am somewhat worried about what she is doing!"

Qingxia Daoist nodded.

"That person could help Taiyin escape the surveillance of my Lantai Dao Palace; I fear his status in the Heavenly Court is also extraordinary, truly a cause for concern!"

Qingxia Daoist sighed.

"I fear Taiyin's return will come sooner than you or I imagine; I must break through quickly, or else there will be trouble!"

Qingxia Daoist's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"She wishes to return, but it will not be so simple; I will do my best to devise a way to snipe at her and delay her return!"

Qingxia Daoist nodded slightly.

……

Nine Heavens Time Tower within

At this moment, Zhang Jian's body flowed with a layer of dense purple-yellow immortal light; the dense purple-yellow immortal light circulated behind him, bursting forth in a great circle of magnificent omen, while a faint earth-yellow seal phantom condensed above his head.

The earth-yellow seal bore a heavy, profound aura.

This was the omen born when Zhang Jian advanced his cultivation, primordial spirit, Dao-heart, and Daoist body to a certain extent.

It symbolized that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck.

Zhang Jian knew that if such an omen fell into the ancient Three Teachings, it might be a phantom of a blue lotus, red lotus, white lotus, or a sarira.

It represented that the first stage of Daoist cultivation had been perfected.

But he did not follow the traditional core path of the Three Teachings.

Therefore, the bursting Daoist omen and Great Luo omen were not the traditional Three Teachings' phenomena.

Red lotus, white rhizome, blue lotus leaves—the Three Teachings were originally one family.

Yet that vast, boundless, immense radiant cloud, Zhang Jian's bodily omen remained extraordinarily remarkable, not to mention the stellar-like immortal light above his head, as if countless galaxies were reflected, clear and wondrous.

Moreover, there was a supreme, noble aura of a divine sovereign.

In a moment, Zhang Jian opened his eyes, and the bodily omen vanished instantly.

He calculated with his fingers and immediately knew that the outside world had passed over twenty thousand years, while he had cultivated in the tower for more than one and a half yuanhui, that is, nearly eighteen thousand years.

Eighteen thousand years of time, and he had finally perfected the five-in-one cultivation, primordial spirit, Dao-heart, Dao-body, and eternal will, one by one.

Now he could feel his cultivation surging, his eternal will like an eternal blazing sun.

If he could undergo another tribulation of annihilation refining, he could advance further.

Zhang Jian knew that each time he experienced a tribulation of annihilation, the Daoist's eternal will, eternal immortal light, primordial spirit, Dao-heart, and even the Daoist body would undergo a transformation, and thus his strength would invisibly widen the gap.

Zhang Jian pondered briefly, but did not immediately undergo the second tribulation of annihilation; instead, he prepared to wait until his various Dao laws were reintegrated.

Thus undergoing the tribulation would be more assured.

The second tribulation of annihilation differs from the first.

According to Zhang Jian's knowledge, he no longer needs to undergo the Seven Tribulations of Annihilation.

He only needs to enter the depths of the myriad heavens' void, oppose the will of the tribulation of annihilation; if successful, he can naturally break through to the second stage of Daoist.

And if he fails, it is no longer a fall.

At most, it is severe injury.

As punishment, the next tribulation will be counted as the third tribulation of annihilation, with difficulty greatly increased, possibly making breakthrough impossible forever.

As for how to oppose that will of the tribulation of annihilation, Zhang Jian already has confidence.

Moreover, with the aid of the Yuanshi Jade Pearl, Zhang Jian believes it will not be a problem.

……

After perfecting the five-in-one cultivation, Zhang Jian listed his entire eternal Dao law in sequence, began to integrate them one by one, relying on his comprehension of the myriad heavens' great Dao laws; for him, these were not difficult.

As a top student, this is also where he excels most.

Naturally, his primary target is the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram, this innate immortal law.

Next is the innate divine ability Nine Transformations Chaos Blue Lotus Generation Great Law.

Next are the many first-stage eternal Dao laws: Golden Lotus Hidden Breath Law, Harmonizing Creation, Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Embryonic Membrane Great Array, Earth Emperor Eight Trigrams.

Zhou Tian Star Chart, Myriad Heavens Time-Space King Chart, Infinite River Chart, Suirenshi Burning World Law, Haoran Fire, Dream Roaming the Grand Void Great Law, Nine Dragons True Classic, Blue Lotus Purifying Soul Law Mantra, Nine Underworld Life-Death Golden Chapter, Little Myriad Heavens Reincarnation Law, Taiyin Refining Form Great Law, Dongdi Nine Yang Splitting Immortal Law, etc.

For him, time is still sufficient.

Zhang Jian calmed his mind, began to optimize the structure of the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram, and re-ascended the foundations—the various mainstay immortal laws.

This is an extremely tedious process.

……

Zhang Jian merely immersed all his thoughts in the perfection of Dao law.

Starting from the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram, when he elevated this natal immortal law to the second stage, Zhang Jian began to complete the innate divine ability Nine Transformations Chaos Blue Lotus Generation Great Law, then Harmonizing Creation, Nine Underworld Life-Death Golden Chapter, Earth Emperor Eight Trigrams, Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Embryonic Membrane Great Array, Infinite River Chart, Suirenshi Burning World Law.

After elevating this portion of eternal immortal law to the second stage eternal Dao law, Zhang Jian stopped.

He slightly deduced the passage of time, only to realize that nearly five hundred thousand years had unknowingly passed.

That is to say, nearly fifty thousand years had passed outside.

The time left for him was not abundant.

Zhang Jian raised his hand, and the flowing innate Yin-Yang Annihilation Divine Light in his hand dispersed.

This was the second-rank Eternal Dao Law he had finally cultivated.

After a slight adjustment, Zhang Jian immediately summoned without hesitation the projection of the Chaos Primordial Ocean sensed by his Dao Lord Primordial Spirit.

The vast and boundless Chaos Primordial Ocean phantom descended, instantly enveloping his Dao Lord Primordial Spirit; Zhang Jian felt his Dao Lord body forcibly shifted and merged into a vast, mighty annihilation Chaos world deep within the Chaos Primordial Ocean.

This vast world was filled with endless destructive energy, wave after wave of terrifying annihilation calamity qi sweeping across the heavens and earth, carrying the mighty power to destroy the myriad heavens' void.

From it further evolved various great annihilation omens, surging in from all aspects of the Dao Lord's fivefold unity, destroying the Dao Lord's eternal cultivation, primordial spirit, Dao heart, Dao body, and even eternal will.

The aura of the great annihilation penetrated everywhere.

Zhang Jian felt that at this moment his eternal cultivation, primordial spirit, Dao heart, Dao body, and will were all plunged into the terrifying annihilation calamity, and his fivefold unity Dao body also decayed in the annihilation will.

His cultivation withered, his Dao heart languished, and his primordial spirit, Dao body, and will were stained with intense purity.

In the distance, a surging torrent of the great annihilation Dao rules rushed forward like a flood.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian's expression remained unchanged, only his surrounding purple-yellow dragon-shaped immortal light flowed out and instantly collided violently with the boundless annihilation power.