Chapter 167: Steady Yourself First!

Boom!

The thunder roared even more intensely; high above in the firmament, terrifying human-shaped figures were even seen confronting that one person head-on.

Every move and every stance of the figures imprinted upon the heavens was unimaginably powerful, easily capable of turning a Great Power into ash.

It made a group of people shudder.

There were even figures at the level of ancient fossils who asserted that the terrifying lightning could severely injure a Saint Master-level figure.

Yet, before that one person, all attacks were disintegrated.

Before that person, whose entire body radiated divine light, it seemed no difficulty could make them stop.

Every terrifying attack was received by them with a single hand in an understated manner.

That terrifying humanoid creature, capable of making a Saint Master-level figure bleed, was easily pierced through by a single punch from that mysterious person, and blood-like lightning splashed high into the air.

This scene was peerlessly domineering, yet it also chilled the hearts of the crowd; such a violent and terrifying person was simply unheard of and unseen.

"Is it a God King who has already reached Great Accomplishment?"

"Or perhaps an invincible king who has already severed the Dao?"

Many figures whispered, constantly guessing the identity of that person.

"Too strong, truly too strong, strong to the point of being incomprehensible."

"He has not been injured even now; this Heavenly Tribulation is completely ineffective against him. What kind of peerless figure is this? Could it be an Ancient Great Emperor reborn?"

"What kind of Heavenly Tribulation could reach such a level?"

"Is this the Heavenly Tribulation that only belongs to figures at the level of a young Great Emperor in legends? It is too terrifying."

The crowd exclaimed in shock, but what shocked and amazed them most was not the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation, but that the person within the tribulation was strolling as if in a courtyard, easily destroying all the lightning; all the myriad lightning bolts cast upon them could not harm them in the slightest.

"This is someone breaking through on their original foundation, drawing down the Heavenly Tribulation, but what kind of person can remain unscathed amidst such a Heavenly Tribulation of world-testing?"

Figures at the level of old-generation living fossils felt horrified.

In the cultivation realms, once one breaks through, they are met with Heavenly Tribulation; this is something usually only the heaven-gifted among their peers can achieve.

But even for these top heaven-gifted peers, crossing the tribulation is not easy; even peerless figures comparable to an Ancient Great Emperor in their youth usually do not find crossing the tribulation easy.

Because that is the world's test for the individual; even figures at the level of an Ancient Great Emperor will have corresponding lightning capable of injuring them—the stronger the person crossing the tribulation, the stronger the Heavenly Tribulation.

But now, that person subverted their imagination, completely different from what they had imagined.

Myriad lightning bolts poured down from the firmament, yet could not harm that person in the slightest.

This did not look like crossing a tribulation, nor like a test; it looked more like a leisurely stroll.

Rumble!

This caused the lightning from the firmament to pour down even more heavily, and as the humanoid figures intertwined, several more figures fell within the lightning.

Some figures of the older generation sensed the aura of that person within the Heavenly Tribulation and their expressions changed instantly.

"How can this be? It is not the Heavenly Tribulation of a Severing Dao King, nor the Heavenly Tribulation of a Great Accomplishment King; it is actually just the seventh small step of the Second Layer of the Immortal Platform Realm..."

Not only were many of the younger generation unable to believe it, but even the older generation was dumbfounded.

"Strong to this extent, yet they have not even severed the Dao..."

Someone exclaimed again, but the aura of the corresponding realm breakthrough could not be faked; the person within the lightning was indeed only at the seventh small step of the Second Layer of the Immortal Platform Realm, yet the lightning from a small realm breakthrough was terrifying to this degree.

Five-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Chaos Heavenly Tribulation, Five-Colored Divine Light, Yin-Yang Heavenly Tribulation, Wood-Element Heavenly Tribulation...

All kinds of lightning, legendary for being extremely terrifying and powerful, poured down in that area, yet it was difficult to harm that person in the slightest.

"Could it really be an Ancient Great Emperor who has awakened and started cultivating again?"

The crowd could not believe it, and some even compared this terrifying Heavenly Tribulation to the legendary King Body, Divine Body, and Twin Kings body, only to find that they had never seen such terrifying lightning at the same realm.

"Is it only to this extent?"

Amidst the vast lightning, Zhang Xuan, bathing in countless bolts of electricity, sighed softly under the Heavenly Tribulation.

Endless electricity surged and flashed madly between heaven and earth, yet it had no way to harm him in the slightest.

When he stepped into the God Forbidden domain in a state of unawareness, his cultivation naturally crossed a small step, reaching the seventh small realm of the Second Layer of the Immortal Platform Realm.

Furthermore, he could maintain the state of the relevant God Forbidden; crossing the tribulation amidst the lightning in this state, Zhang Xuan truly felt a sense of "wishing the sky had no handle, wishing the earth had no ring."

Everything before him became so easy; no existence could confront Zhang Xuan head-on, and the terrifying humanoid lightning within the tribulation was killed by him with a single hand.

"No wonder the Ancient Great Emperors were invincible; under the God Forbidden domain, it is truly mysterious and peerless!"

Zhang Xuan sighed softly beneath the infinite lightning, and amidst the shocked and terrified gazes of countless people, he opened his mouth and inhaled.

High above in the firmament, the countless lightning bolts poured down, then grew smaller and smaller, until by the time they reached his mouth, they had transformed into a pellet-like Thunder Pill, flashing with infinite lightning.

This terrifying pellet, capable of injuring a Severing Dao King, was swallowed by Zhang Xuan with a light gulp, instantly entering his abdomen.

In an instant, Zhang Xuan's entire abdomen seemed to be flashing with light, making a group of old monsters and ancient fossils twitch their brows wildly.

And in that very instant, countless apertures within Zhang Xuan's body flashed with light, absorbing the power within the Thunder Pill.

At such a time, the Heavenly Tribulation also completely subsided, without the slightest ripple.

"It is a pity that it cannot be maintained for too long; in my current state, I must eventually fall back."

Zhang Xuan let out a small sigh, though he also felt inexplicably refreshed.

Having had the experience of stepping into the God Forbidden domain once, wanting to enter it again would not be as difficult as it was initially; having reached his realm, his strength and cultivation were already unimaginable and surpassed the ordinary.

Zhang Xuan was immersed in it for a moment; by now, his realm had not broken through much, but it was already incomparable to before.

Just one instance of God Forbidden made Zhang Xuan feel that all the secret realms in his body were connected as one, his overall state integrated and unified; that feeling was incomparably free.

It was only a thin line stronger than the Eight Prohibitions, but Zhang Xuan felt that in his current state, even against his former self at the same realm, killing him would be very easy and not too difficult.

When one's skill is a line higher, the reality is higher beyond measure.

"If I could always remain in such a realm, there would truly be endless gains..."

Zhang Xuan sighed, though he was not overly regretful.

With the Nine-Orifice Stone Man backing him up, although that state was different from God Forbidden, it possessed the same incredible power.

He could even reverse-transmit his insights after comprehending the Divine Prohibition here to his other selves, and the Nine-Orifice Stone Man in the Shenmu World faintly possessed the posture and sensation of the Divine Prohibition as well.

The Nine-Orifice Stone Man also remembered this peculiar posture, and Zhang Xuan even felt that before long, the Nine-Orifice Stone Man would frequently enter this state.

Only an Ancient Great Emperor can reside in the Divine Prohibition realm for a long time to contemplate Mysterious Techniques and grasp Creation.

It is difficult for Zhang Xuan's current strength and state to maintain this realm for long, but because the Nine-Orifice Stone Man is located in the Shenmu World and is uniquely favored by heaven, it can achieve this within twenty years, so its grasp of various states is far superior to ordinary people.

Once the Nine-Orifice Stone Man reaches Great Accomplishment, it can basically contend with an Ancient Great Emperor, and going a step further to achieve the status of Great Emperor will not be too difficult.

Therefore, it can also grasp and handle this state exclusive to Great Emperors.

"This harvest is truly huge; a wave of super evolution has arrived!"

Zhang Xuan could not help but sigh, feeling joy from the bottom of his heart.

He glanced at the many figures surrounding him below who dared not get too close, smiled softly, and took a step forward; a golden light path spread out beneath his feet, then spanned a distance of dozens to hundreds of miles, and before long, he returned to Shencheng.

Along the way, countless old monsters marveled.

Zhang Xuan did not take it to heart; if it were at the beginning, he would have worried about his strength and realm being exposed, inviting misfortune or attracting terrifying figures to target him.

But now, with Zhang Xuan's strength and realm, he can thrash a large crowd of people.

After stepping into the Divine Prohibition realm, Zhang Xuan is confident that as long as no Saint appears, no one in his current realm and stage can kill him directly; no matter what, they would leave him enough reaction time to either run away or directly counter-kill.

"Moreover, for me now, the most difficult and troublesome threshold of Zhandao has been passed, and what follows will be true, rapid progress."

Having passed this threshold, many things that were originally troublesome no longer need to be handled as they were before.

"I previously planned to use the clumsiest method to directly absorb the Origin of the Great Accomplishment Saint Body to forcibly pass the current stage, or even achieve the status of Saint."

"That method was not impossible, but it would have had significant hidden dangers; now, I can choose a calmer and more composed method and approach."

Zhang Xuan thought of the Strongest Bloodline Optimization Fluid; he is now only two steps away from the Zhandao Realm, and it will be very easy to reach a higher and further point.

"Now, I can break through these two stages quickly on my own without needing the corresponding bloodline optimization fluid."

"And after I succeed in Zhandao, using the Strongest Bloodline Optimization Fluid will allow me to advance by leaps and bounds, reaching the threshold of becoming a Saint in the fastest time."

Zhang Xuan's gaze was bright and spirited; he sat cross-legged in the top-tier inn, and that huge Stone Coffin lay horizontally before him.

"At that time, I will use the Origin of the Great Accomplishment Saint Body to let me accumulate enough foundation in the shortest time and soar into the sky."

Becoming a Saint is a very difficult matter for anyone, and one must be extremely cautious.

For the many figures in the current environment of heaven and earth, it is something they wouldn't even dare to imagine.

After all, cultivating to the Immortal Second Realm in this environment is quite difficult, and even then, it is only something that figures from various Holy Lands and great clans can achieve.

And they must be quite formidable figures within those Holy Lands.

Yet Zhang Xuan is already fantasizing about things after becoming a Saint at this very moment.

Sitting cross-legged in the top-tier inn, Zhang Xuan sighed softly: "After working hard for so long, I can finally manage to enjoy myself a little."

Zhang Xuan's thoughts were still turning, while the Nine-Orifice Stone Man in the Shenmu World stayed in that world, growing quietly.

Inside its body, not only were unique secret realms like the Dao Palace and Wheel Sea from the Zhetian World gestating, but the Eight-Nine Profound Art from the Yishi Zhizun Shijie was also quietly brewing within its body; that was something Zhang Xuan had infused into the stone man when he refined it earlier.

"Looking at it this way, I don't know if I'm raising a Sun Wukong or a Yuan Hong."

Zhang Xuan shook his head at this, but the joy in his heart was not fake.

Regarding the Eight-Nine Profound Art, the Nine-Orifice Stone Man's progress in contemplation was much slower; even with the blessing of heaven and earth, the speed could not be considered very fast.

"This should be because the Nine-Orifice Stone Man originates from the Zhetian World; it can more easily contemplate the many methods of the Zhetian World as heaven and earth gestate it, but it is slower to contemplate the methods of the Yishi Zhizun Shijie, as there is no precedent."

Of course, the Nine-Orifice Stone Man's slow contemplation of the Eight-Nine Profound Art is only in comparison to the progress of the Swallowing Heaven Demonic Art and the Indestructible Heavenly Art; in reality, the Nine-Orifice Stone Man's speed in contemplating the Eight-Nine Profound Art is still much faster than Zhang Xuan's.

Zhang Xuan's original plan was to connect the two worlds through the Chat Group after enlightening his other self, and then swallow a bit of spiritual light from within the Nine-Orifice Stone Man into his body; in this way, even if the Nine-Orifice Stone Man were to gestate an invincible physical body and primordial spirit, it would never give birth to any consciousness itself.

Under such circumstances, no matter what, Zhang Xuan would not be usurped by the Nine-Orifice Stone Man.

But now, as Zhang Xuan has taken over the Nine-Orifice Stone Man and possesses the wisdom and spiritual light of such a heaven-born and earth-nurtured spiritual object, many methods can be improved and changed.

"A bit of spiritual light placed inside the Nine-Orifice Stone Man can be considered absorbed and enlightened by me, but it is not transmitted back through the world; it remains in the Nine-Orifice Stone Man's body, maintaining this state, and with the help of the Nine-Orifice Stone Man's unique comprehension..."

The time spent in the Shenmu World is not yet very long, but the surface of the Nine-Orifice Stone Man has already begun to glow with a golden luster, which is a special manifestation of the Eight-Nine Profound Art.

Zhang Xuan felt it carefully and compared it with himself in detail.

"This cultivation speed is much faster than mine; it's not just because of talent and comprehension. The methods of Yishi Zhizun focus on understanding and controlling the rules of heaven and earth, and the Nine-Orifice Stone Man itself is nurtured by heaven and earth; when it wants to comprehend relevant rules, heaven and earth will help. Cultivating the Eight-Nine Profound Art is simply like having divine assistance; I really have raised a Sun Wukong."

Sitting cross-legged above Shencheng, Zhang Xuan also began to circulate the Eight-Nine Profound Art, and his cultivation speed and rhythm were also extremely fast.

After all, who doesn't know how to copy homework? With the explanation of the Heavenly Venerable and the Nine-Orifice Stone Man demonstrating in front of him, it couldn't be simpler.

"I won't ask for too much; I'll cultivate to the Zhandao Realm and then go out for a stroll. By then, I will have a certain ability to protect myself; it's better to be steady when dealing with people."

Just as Zhang Xuan was preparing to continue cultivating silently, a five-colored divine light suddenly shot into the sky and plunged directly into where Zhang Xuan was.

Kongque Wang, who had the face of a youth but deep eyes and had lived for thousands of years, saw Zhang Xuan still sitting here with a relaxed and natural expression, and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Senior, it's good that you are fine. I just came out of seclusion and heard that a change occurred in Shencheng, and a terrifying figure beyond imagination had arrived here."

(End of this chapter)