Chapter 280: Eightfold Realm, Seven Seals Combined, the Ultimate Secret of Heaven and Earth

Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain.

The Black Tortoise Heavenly Tribulation fell.

Carrying an aura of destruction.

Everyone could see that the Silent Extinction Sword God was already powerless; the fact that he could resist up to this point already meant he was very strong.

He proved himself: in the end, heaven and earth are just heaven and earth, all things were born of heaven and earth; mortals cannot defy heaven, and even gods cannot.

It is a subconscious thought from deep within the heart.

Having reached this step.

It is already the limit of limits; the Silent Extinction Sword God has not been defeated, on the contrary, the world acknowledges him.

However, what more people care about is whether Gu Jin Nian will die.

The Silent Extinction Sword God is already beyond help, and he does not get to live another life; he merely renews his youth. In the end, he will disappear and will not cause any major trouble for the world.

But Gu Jin Nian is different.

He is a Great World's fortune bearer, posing a huge threat to the Ten Thousand Clans; his life and death are what the Ten Thousand Clans worry about most.

Boom.

Within Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain.

A terrifying aura Holy Punishment's Light Shooting Upwards, this is the aura of the Eightfold Heaven, emanating from Gu Jin Nian.

"Has he broken through the Eightfold Heaven?"

"Did he truly break through the Eightfold Heaven?"

"Damn! One more step and it's the Ninth Heaven; he possesses the Great World's fortune, perhaps it will truly grant him Heaven's Mandate."

Voices of wills sounded, they panicked, greatly fearing Gu Jin Nian entering the Ninth Heaven; after all, the Great World's fortune rests on Gu Jin Nian, and if he breaks into the Ninth Heaven, he may obtain Heaven's Mandate.

As long as Gu Jin Nian obtains Heaven's Mandate, there will be nothing left to discuss; he could overturn everything, and no one in the Great World would be his enemy.

"It's difficult; the Great World's fortune is far weaker than a fraction of the ancient era's. Our five clans each received portions of ancient fortune; has anyone proven the Heaven's Mandate?"

"Moreover, Gu Jin Nian cultivates the Confucian‑Dao path; he is a saint, and merely relying on fortune is insufficient to become a Heaven's Mandate saint; he still lacks a crucial element."

However, at that moment, a will sounded—it was the Upper Saint, who held a different view, believing Gu Jin Nian cannot become a Heaven's Mandate saint, at least still lacking a key element.

"Lacking what?"

Someone, curious, asked the Upper Saint.

"Insight."

The Upper Saint spoke lightly, revealing the key.

"Insight?"

"What insight? He is already a saint; does he still lack insight? Does he need to become mortal?"

A supreme‑level powerhouse asked; in their view, they lack nothing of insight, for their lives are so long, having experienced countless events—joy, sorrow, partings, reunions, anger, happiness—yet they consider it all the same.

They do not consider insight important, so they listened with curiosity.

"No."

"He is still too young; he knows little, comprehends little; ultimately it's a matter of time."

"Transmuting to mortal is useless; his realm and status make it hard to become mortal, and little time remains for him; he has no time to become mortal."

The Upper Saint spoke, stating the core: regarding transmuting to mortal, he deems it already futile; such matters hold little meaning for Gu Jin Nian. Time is an issue, and more importantly, he cannot obtain true insight.

The suffering of the people—does Gu Jin Nian still not know? "Since Heaven's Mandate cannot be attained, it doesn't matter."

Someone, the king, spoke, sighing in relief.

"It's not that Heaven's Mandate is unattainable; it is still possible, for if he truly attains sudden insight, it would be extraordinary."

"The hope is slim, extremely remote, yet any sliver of hope cannot be seized; Gu Jin Nian truly is somewhat terrifying."

"If Gu Jin Nian does not come to the Intercept Heaven Sect, we will act, giving him no chance at all."

"Full revival."

The Upper Saint spoke, his will steadfast: regardless, Gu Jin Nian must be exterminated, no chance given.

At this moment, if they still hesitate here and there, the unlucky ones will inevitably be them.

"Alright."

"This king has already contacted the Sea Clan; we can join forces, and the East Sea Dragon King has approved our plan."

"The Divine Clan also agrees, but we must still be wary of the Divine Clan; they may betray at any moment."

"The Beast Clan and the Demon Clan have both agreed; this time the Five Clans will unite and must slay Gu Jin Nian."

The Ninth King's wills communicated; they are prepared—if Gu Jin Nian survives this heavenly tribulation, they will find a way to unite and slay Gu Jin Nian, giving him no chance.

"Alright, then let's wait and see."

The wills calmed.

Within Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain.

The seven great seals merged into one.

The ancient gate that evolved, in the mind, appeared grand and sacred, also shrouded in mystery.

Gu Jin Nian chose to push open the door.

What replaced it was a world‑shaking secret.

Inside the Sword Mountain.

Gu Jin Nian opened his eyes; at this moment, his aura and realm underwent a complete overturn, directly stepping into the Eightfold Heaven.

And it was not the early stage of the Eightfold Heaven, but a direct ascent to its pinnacle.

The Great World trembled with his aura; the sun, moon, and stars quivered because of him. His gaze surpasses the sun and moon; his physique is more terrifying than a true dragon— even a single hair outweighs a peerless celestial sword.

The Eighth Heaven.

This itself is an extremely terrifying realm; above it lies the Heaven's Mandate realm, the strongest existence between Heaven and Earth, and if one obtains Heaven's Mandate, one becomes the sole eternity, the ruler of an era.

Gu Jin Nian's realm directly reaches the eighth pinnacle; just one step further, he could sway the world's fortunes.

It can even be said that even now he could achieve this, but the enemies are too many; if Gu Jin Nian were to join any great power now, it would be a disaster for the other four clans.

That is the terrifying aspect of Gu Jin Nian now.

People look at Gu Jin Nian, marvel at this change; the Seven Great Seals united, which must be an unprecedented metamorphosis, yet some doubt that the Silent Extinction Sword God's cultivation exceeds the eighth heaven.

But facing such a heavenly tribulation, even the Silent Extinction Sword God cannot withstand it—how could Gu Jin Nian resist? Clang! At that moment, a peerless celestial sword condensed above Gu Jin Nian's head.

This sword intent, unknown what it contains, once manifested caused the entire world to roar.

A terrifyingly supreme aura spread out, illuminating the world's brilliance.

This celestial sword.

It condenses Gu Jin Nian's essence, spirit, and also the surrounding cosmos, the Dao's breath, and the will of all peoples.

"Kill."

A cold voice issued from Gu Jin Nian's mouth.

An incomparable aura exploded, the celestial sword rose into the air, piercing everything, slashing toward the firmament.

The celestial sword surged ten thousand zhang.

It instantly cleaved the White Tiger Divine Beast on the spot, turning it into countless fragments that scattered between Heaven and Earth; each fragment harbors a certain Dao breath, which, if obtained, can refine the flesh and enhance comprehension.

The White Tiger Heavenly Tribulation was brutally cut down by Gu Jin Nian.

This is inconceivable.

"Such a heavenly tribulation even the Silent Extinction Sword God cannot resist—why can Gu Jin Nian endure it? And a single sword destroys it? This is unreasonable!"

"Indeed, the Silent Extinction Sword God cannot solve it; how did Gu Jin Nian solve it?"

People are curious; they know Gu Jin Nian is powerful, yet his realm is only the eighth layer now; logically such a heavenly tribulation could erase the Silent Extinction Sword God outright, yet Gu Jin Nian casually annihilated it.

To say one is not curious is impossible.

"It has nothing to do with the realm."

"It is the Dao's will."

"The Seven Great Seals merged, gaining Heaven and Earth's recognition; the heavenly tribulation is the will of Heaven and Earth manifested. Now the contest is not the realm but the will of Heaven and Earth."

A great figure spoke, pointing out why Gu Jin Nian could resolve this heavenly tribulation.

Upon hearing this, people suddenly understood and nodded one by one.

However, soon after.

The Vermilion Bird Seal, Black Tortoise Seal, and Qilin Seal all slashed down; this is the heavenly tribulation aimed at Gu Jin Nian.

Ferocious and overwhelming.

Within the Heaven-Piercing Sword Mountain, Gu Jin Nian slowly rose; he was like a divine sword, without a hint of fear, colliding directly with the tribulation, utterly unafraid of these seals.

"Senior, rest well."

Gu Jin Nian appeared beside the Silent Extinction Sword God, speaking slowly, letting the other rest while he faced the terrifying tribulation himself.

"Fine."

The Silent Extinction Sword God said nothing; he returned to the sword mountain to heal his wounds.

Above the firmament, Gu Jin Nian was surrounded by anomalous celestial stars; now he is an eighth‑heaven strongman, arguably the foremost mortal, at least among his contemporaries none can surpass him.

Like a divine mountain, he towers in the hearts of the world's people.

The eighth heavenly tribulation has ended.

And the ninth heavenly tribulation now slowly appears before the world.

"What is this?"

"It's a silhouette!"

"The ninth heavenly tribulation—could it be the Thunder God?"

"Could it be summoning an ancient deity?"

"This final heavenly tribulation will surely be terrifying."

Voices rose from the crowd, their speculation about the previous eight tribulations had terrified them; now this final tribulation made them even more fearful, fearing a thunder tribulation that would destroy the world.

Fortunately, Gu Jin Nian has crossed a pivotal step; the Seven Great Seals have fused into one, clearly giving him a way to deal with such a tribulation.

Hence, they still feel confident.

Yet.

Above the firmament.

A silhouette emerged, grand beyond measure, shrouded by dark clouds, surrounded by thunder palaces that framed it like an immortal deity, evoking dread.

Not only the world's strongest, even ancient strongmen felt awe upon seeing this figure; they do not know its origin nor its nature.

Under the heavenly tribulation.

Gu Jin Nian gazed calmly; in truth he is not afraid of the silhouette, his real worry lies in the secret he just obtained.

The Seven Great Seals merged, forming the Heaven‑Earth Gate; opening this gate reveals the profound principles of Heaven and Earth and the ultimate secret of the world.

Gu Jin Nian did not hesitate; he opened the gate and learned the secret.

【Worldwide Extinction】

Between Heaven and Earth, yin and yang move; yang represents prosperity, such as the mythic ages and ancient splendor—these eras are golden ages. Yet across ages, they slaughter each other for profit and greed.

The dead bear resentment, which is yin; therefore after a flourishing era, the next will decline for a time, even the whole subsequent era may decay.

Just like now.

In the Degenerate Age, forget the Seven Realms; even the Six Realms are considered strong. The Seven Realms appear once every hundred years; a Seven‑Realm strongman in ancient times was still just a threshold strongman, not the truly supreme.

This is the difference of eras.

And in every era, the will of heaven and earth arises as befits the times, commonly called the Heaven's Dao.

The Heaven's Dao has no form; it evolves from the mind.

Above the Heaven's Dao lies the Great Dao; therefore, the Great Dao has no hope.

The Dao consists of fifty; one of them hides and evolves.

Any realm of heaven and earth must undergo the fifty cycles of the Heaven's Dao; after undergoing those fifty cycles, one Dao can transform into the Great Dao, forming a perfect land that can eliminate all resentment in the world, flourish upward, make everyone like dragons, and bring eternal peace.

And in every era, if it proceeds strongly, as long as its decline is not due to resentment, it can pass peacefully; but if its decline is due to resentment, it will affect heaven and earth.

The Heaven's Dao of a certain era will produce its own resentment, resenting the great world.

In other words, the current Heaven's Dao is already the fiftieth.

But whether it is the mythic era or the ancient era, these Heaven's Dao wills all resent the great world, merely because all things contend—some contend little, some contend more fiercely.

For example, in the ancient era, the five tribes nearly exterminated all races; bloodshed and violence made heaven and earth especially gloomy.

This was done to plunder the fortune of heaven and earth, ultimately causing this era to decline beyond remedy.

The will of the Heaven's Dao of the ancient era sank completely, even influencing the Heaven's Dao of other eras, and sharing a connection with the mythic era's Heaven's Dao will, forming this situation.

To destroy the great world and start anew.

They do not wish for a true Great Dao to appear in the world.

Thus arises the scene of final brilliance, reviving the relics and figures of each mythic era, letting them act to exterminate the great world.

Moreover, this is merely a means; the Heaven's Dao wills of the two eras will also affect the minds of the people of this great world.

Gu Jin Nian already knows that the Kong family belongs to those affected; originally, as descendants of sages, they would never be this way, but because they have been influenced, this influence is a kind of judgment and choice.

It makes the Kong family develop the idea of supreme sagacity, using the sage's reputation to grant themselves various privileges.

It benefits them and consolidates the sage's name—why not? But because of this idea, the ultimate result is that Confucianism is no longer Confucianism.

Scholars act for office, scholars act for profit—can such be called scholars?

When encountering problems, they consider not the common people, not the scholar's heart, but their own interests, all gains and losses.

Such simple guidance is actually the supreme method.

It's a pity that they met me, so this method has little effect.

Therefore, a second situation arises: reviving the powerful ones of the mythic era to let them carry out the simplest extermination.

The most terrifying is the third situation.

Once the Heaven's Dao wills reach consensus, they will act together to overturn this great world.

However, these forty-nine Heaven's Dao wills are still observing the great world, setting aside those completely fallen into madness, while the rest remain in observation.

If this era truly continues mutual slaughter, it will be driven to act together.

Only then will it be true great horror, true destruction.

This is the ultimate secret.

At this moment, Gu Jin Nian finally understands why the Ten Palace Kings and the God of Extinction Sword said they could not stop him.

Yes.

They perhaps do not know the exact situation, but they have some understanding.

Fighting against heaven? That in itself is an extremely difficult matter.

What more, fighting against forty-nine Heaven's Dao?

As hard as climbing to heaven.

After all, it's still the ancient era, when the myriad tribes slaughtered each other too ferociously, devoid of any ethics or morality.

However, it is not without a chance of victory.

Confucian Dao.

This is the greatest chance of victory.

Gu Jin Nian also understands why the Confucian Dao lineage has four Heaven's Mandate sages; the eighth realm seems especially meant to suppress this situation.

Peace under heaven relies absolutely not on martial force.

Perhaps today one clan holds absolute martial force, but there is no guarantee that tomorrow another clan will not grasp it.

Moreover, if there truly is a dynasty or a force that rules all under heaven,

even if peace lasts ten years, a hundred, a thousand, what use is it?

In the long ages, the least valuable thing is time; one generation, ten, a hundred may be good emperors, but as soon as a foolish ruler appears, everything ends.

But thought and morality are different; this is not a constraint but an enlightenment.

It lets people's hearts turn toward the light.

Only thought, only the spirit of scholars, can guide the people to flourish upward.

This is truly the eternal opening of peace.

That is to say.

Before Gu Jin Nian lies only one path.

To resolve this trouble, one must as soon as possible enter the eighth realm and become a Heaven's Mandate sage.

Suppress the myriad tribes, reshuffle, write books and transmit the Dao, let the people calm down, then cooperate with the Heaven's Dao to quell the resentment of heaven and earth; only then can everything improve.

But if we continue slaughtering and let the myriad tribes appear, the result will surely be bad.

But if we want the myriad tribes to calm down,

we must enter the eighth realm earlier.

But this is nearly impossible.

I have only cultivated for a few years, after all?

Wanting to enter the final realm is no less than climbing to heaven.

This is why Gu Jin Nian feels melancholy.

As for this heavenly tribulation, Gu Jin Nian had no thoughts and felt no fear.

However.

Whether afraid or not.

At this moment, the heavenly tribulation's dark clouds vanished, a figure appeared, and was reflected in the eyes of countless powerhouses across the world.

She is a woman.

She wore a long robe of magnificent splendor, towering above, her gaze exuding a noble aura that pressed upon all; dragons and phoenixes circled her, and with every breath, myriad things came into being and passed away.

Such an existence is inconceivable.

Her appearance alone is enough to shock the whole world.

She had no terrifying omen, nor any frightening aura; instead, there was an air of calm and serenity.

Apart from this supreme noble aura, everything else feels rather ordinary.

Furthermore, she stood upon the heavens.

Her gaze did not fall upon Gu Jin Nian.

But her gaze slowly fell upon West Zhou Mountain.

She did not speak.

Gu Jin Nian also remained silent; the world was curious, not understanding what this meant.

But then, her voice slowly sounded.

"Give him a chance?"

She spoke.

Looking at West Zhou Mountain, she spoke these words.

And in her gaze,

is curiosity.

also an inquiry.

more so, it is bewilderment.

(End of chapter)