Chapter 108: Breakthrough! New Calamity Characters, Chen Zheng Turns into Chen Zhen!

It is said that when Heaven and Earth first opened, the Immortal Gate gave rise to three thousand Great Paths, each of which usurps Heaven and Earth's creative forces, invades the mysterious mechanisms of the sun and moon, and thus constitutes the source of the Great Paths.

For example, after Chen Zheng refined the Water Gu Great Demon King on the Forty‑Nine Islands, the Great Cutting Technique he obtained was one of them.

The Pan‑Wu Great Strength Divine Art that Hua Tiandu taught to Wan Luo is also one of the three thousand Great Paths; in fact it is called the Great Origin Technique and ranks among the top ten.

At this moment, Fang Han gave Chen Zheng a jade register that records another of the three thousand Great Paths, named the Great Five Elements Technique, which exhausts the ultimate transformations of the five elements of Heaven and Earth and suppresses any five‑element divine art, also ranking in the top ten.

The value of this technique is virtually incalculable; even if one were to sell all members of the Feather Ascension Sect as a bundle, it could not be obtained.

Yet Chen Zheng obtained this technique simply by giving Fang Han a spot in the outer‑gate assessment.

One must admit, Fang Han is the protagonist with the highest return on investment, virtually unrivaled.

Returning to the topic, the Feather Ascension Sect also has a sect‑defining Great Path called the Great Yin‑Yang Technique.

Although this technique is slightly inferior to the Great Five Elements Technique, it still ranks at the lower end of the top ten, surpassing the Great Cutting Technique by an unknown multiple.

However, the rankings of the various three thousand Great Paths are not absolute.

In the end, it depends on the practitioner.

If one is as stupid as a pig and lacks Chen Zheng's diligence, even acquiring the most powerful Great Path would yield little achievement.

"I accept Junior Brother Fang's goodwill."

Chen Zheng closed the jade register that records the Great Five Elements Technique, placed it on the desk, and smiled at Fang Han: "As your senior brother I cannot let you be at a loss; take this divine art and this pill."

With a casual wave, another jade register materialized, containing the Great Cutting Technique.

At the same time, a Yin‑Yang Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Pill flew out from his sleeve, soaring toward Fang Han together with the jade register.

One pill is enough for Fang Qingxue; taking a second will forfeit the longevity‑boosting effect and can only augment cultivation.

However, for Fang Qingxue, the cultivation‑boosting effect of the Yin‑Yang Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Pill is negligible.

It is better to give Fang Han a pill; after all, he has just advanced to the first level of divine art, and taking it will greatly increase his cultivation.

"Senior Brother Chen, this..."

Fang Han was about to refuse, saying he would not accept rewards without merit, when Yan roared excitedly in his mind: "Fang Han, this is the Yin‑Yang Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Pill; if you swallow it, you can attain the second level of divine art in a short time. Take it quickly! You must also accept the divine art Chen Zheng gave you; his severity means his move is certainly extraordinary!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."

Hearing Yan's words, Fang Han hesitated for a moment, then took the Yin‑Yang Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Pill and the jade register.

After that, the two chatted idly for a while.

Chen Zheng shared some cultivation experience, and Fang Han said he would take the Yin‑Yang Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Pill to train, then took his leave.

"White Emperor Golden Crown Slash, Blue Emperor Wood Crown Skill, Red Emperor Fire Crown Qi, Black Emperor Water Crown Fist, Yellow Emperor Earth Crown Dao—these five attribute divine arts compose the Great Five Elements Technique. When fully cultivated, one can manifest the Five‑Element Divine Thunder, condense the Five‑Emperor Radiant Canopy, rendering all laws ineffective. Not bad."

Chen Zheng flipped through the jade register documenting the Great Five Elements Technique, noted the cultivation mantra and practice route, and then put it away.

There is no rush to cultivate this technique.

First, one must improve one's own cultivation and study the two new calamity characters on the Sheep Skin Scroll.

He first retrieved the White Sun Pill he had purchased in the Exquisite Fortune Land.

Three million of these pills were refined into essence on Jialan Peak, elevating the Void Moon to the Shen Tong Mi Jing.

Now over 190 million remain, which he poured entirely into a three‑legged great cauldron formed by the character "Lian".

Inside the cauldron, raging flames instantly refined the pills into essence, turning into a small river that flowed into his body.

His magical power began to increase.

Chen Zheng also took Wan Luo's golden core, placed it into the cauldron, causing it to hover.

The golden core, fist‑sized and extremely sturdy, remains dazzlingly golden on the surface even if its owner perishes.

Seventeen kinds of radiant divine‑art auras flicker on it, representing Wan Luo's lifelong heart‑blood, seemingly attempting to resist the true fire of the "Lian" character.

Unfortunately, it is ultimately an inanimate object.

Even if Wan Luo were resurrected and suppressed within the true fire of the "Lian" character, it might not be able to withstand it, let alone the inanimate object he left behind.

The golden core can only be refined by the true fire, which dims its golden sheen.

Its outer layer is also melting.

This process is not as swift as refining others; it lasted for a long time.

Half an hour later.

The golden core completely melted, and the seventeen varied divine‑art formations inside seemed to lose their leader, turning into scattered sand, splitting apart and striking in all directions.

Fortunately, the numerous formations were enveloped by flame; otherwise the entire Righteous Qi Peak would have vanished.

"Only the Great Freedom Profound Gold Sword Qi repeats. Also the Celestial Cold Profound Darkness Force, the Ten‑Thousand Waters Divine Secret, the Mountain‑Chain Formation…"

Chen Zheng identified that the seventeen formations included the eight major divine arts of the Feather Ascension Sect.

Also the Golden Bell Protective Aura, the Seven Emotions Great Hand Seal, the Haotian True Fire… among other supreme divine arts.

Moreover, the most intense formation inside is a towering, human‑shaped array, clearly the Pan‑Wu Great Strength Divine Art that Wan Luo cultivated.

It is precisely because of this divine art that Wan Luo's magical power exceeds Lingxiao's by such a margin.

Unfortunately, Hua Tiandu only taught Wan Luo the first seven levels of the Pan‑Wu Great Strength Divine Art; it can only open seven sources of magical power through faith or the energy of war, unable to converge all ninefold into one.

This is not urgent; after subduing Hua Tiandu later, the technique can be completed.

Swish!

Chen Zheng gestured with his hand, and all seventeen divine‑art formations flew out of the three‑legged cauldron, one after another merging into his body.

If other cultivators witnessed this scene, they would likely be scared to death.

Because cultivators below Shentong Wu Chong who attempt this would immediately be unable to endure the conflicting foreign magics, causing their bodies to explode.

Chen Zheng had no such concern; the dark void formed by the character "Ming" in his body inhaled, swallowing all the formations.

Then the black hole sealed, suppressing the seventeen formations so they could not move.

The black hole, like an emperor commanding his ministers, tamed the formations like lambs, daring not to act rashly.

Even the Pan‑Wu Great Strength Divine Art must submit.

And it was scattered.

Then the black hole opened, like a dam bursting, releasing the many scattered Divine Abilities.

With a rumble, Chen Zheng seemed to have taken a mad demon life‑shortening pill, and his internal magical power surged step by step.

Three hundred fifty thousand horses…

Four hundred thousand horses…

In an instant, the Yin‑Yang Realm reached great attainment.

And he broke through the limit, stepping into the fifth level of Divine Ability, the Heavenly Being Realm.

From then on he could be called a True Person, enjoying a lifespan of eight hundred years.

His magical power also reached one million horses, comparable to a cultivator just entering the eighth level of Divine Ability.

And the many Great Formations that had been scattered earlier reassembled, one after another, all bestowed upon his body, strengthening his flesh once more.

His flesh's strength and solidity were now no less than ordinary exquisite treasures, able to tear heaven and split earth with bare hands, and shift great mountains.

He now possessed twenty‑three kinds of Divine Ability.

They were the four types—Ming, Lian, Yi, and Pao—from the Unbreakable Body of True Demon Ten Thousand Eons, plus the Great Cutting Technique that he never cultivated after first learning, plus the Sea Mirage Qi Gong he had slightly practiced last time, and additionally seventeen from Wanluo. Later, by cultivating the Great Five Elements Technique, five more can be added, reaching twenty‑eight Divine Abilities.

It should be known that the more Divine Abilities a cultivator refines, after advancing to the sixth level, Unification Realm, their magical power becomes increasingly overwhelming.

If one can refine ninety‑nine kinds of Divine Ability before the Golden Core Realm, then when condensing the life‑destined Golden Core, they may attain the power of ninety‑nine million nine hundred ninety‑nine thousand Xuanhuang fiery horses.

The Shou Yuan can also approach ten thousand years.

Of course, Divine Abilities are not easy to refine; each requires decades of arduous effort.

For ordinary people, let alone refining ninety‑nine, even thirty or forty is as hard as scaling the heavens.

Moreover, to reach that level, the quality of Divine Abilities must be high; minor Divine Abilities cannot be used to fill the ranks.

In fact, when Chen Zheng was overseas exterminating the Island Lord of Death and the Seven‑Leaf Demon Lord and others, he also obtained many great Divine Abilities from them.

But he despised them outright and was too lazy to waste time refining.

Cultivating on his own could never be as fast as plundering Divine Abilities already refined by others.

Especially when he has seized even more Divine Abilities from others, he must refine them, extracting great Divine Abilities like Sea Mirage Qi Gong from his body, leaving only the most powerful supreme Divine Ability and the Three Thousand Dao.

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This is all afterword.

After Chen Zheng's breakthrough, he pressed on without pause, beginning to study the Calamity characters on the Sheep Skin Scroll.

The two Calamity characters that appeared last time were "Speed" and "Change."

Now that he has ascended to the Heavenly Being Realm, a new Calamity character, "Great," has emerged on the Sheep Skin Scroll.

"Speed, Change, Great— not bad, later I'll ask Jialan to test the power…"

Chen Zheng fell into contemplation.

……

"Tianxing Elder, Rourou Elder, Transmission Elder, you must arbitrate for us!"

"We must execute Chen Zheng mercilessly…"

Ji Hui and more than ten Elders whose limbs Chen Zheng had severed lay limp in the center of the Tianxing Hall, each weeping blood‑soaked cries, lamenting Chen Zheng's crimes.

"Enough."

The Tianxing Elder on the main seat spoke, silencing Ji Hui and the others' clamor.

He looked toward the senior Elders seated around him and asked, "What do you think should be done with Chen Zheng?"

Jiang Rourou didn't even lift an eyelid and said, "I think Chen Zheng should not be punished, lest we chill his heart."

Transmission Elder sighed, "Wanluo intended to kill Chen Zheng, yet Chen Zheng killed them; no wonder the others."

"Alas, Ji Hui's injuries and Wanluo's death, we old ones bear great responsibility; had we intervened earlier, the tragedy would not have occurred."

One by one the senior Elders voiced their stance, all implicitly advocating no prosecution of Chen Zheng, chilling Ji Hui and the others to the point of near fainting.

All because Chen Zheng's displayed combat power and potential were terrifying; as long as he continues to grow in his class, he will inevitably become a figure akin to the "Three Sacred Feathered Saints."

He might even lead the Feather Ascension Sect to brilliance; opposing the Taiyi Sect would not be impossible.

Chen Zheng's minor mistakes are entirely tolerable.

From now on, with a bit of guidance, Chen Zheng will surely reform and remain loyal to the Feather Ascension Sect.

Moreover, the Elegant Immortal of those years was forced out of his sect by the Taiyi Sect; otherwise, the Taiyi Sect would have already unified the vast Xuanhuang world.

This is a precedent.

"Since that is so, then …"

The Tianxing Elder was about to declare the meeting adjourned and have Ji Hui and the others carried away when an ill‑timed voice came from outside the hall: "One hundred deaths are not enough for Chen Zheng; if you shield him, I will crush him myself!"

As the words fell, a man in gray robes, gripping a jade Ruyi, his face cold, stepped out from outside the hall.

"He actually emerged from seclusion."

Many senior Elders' expressions changed.

The cold‑minded man, named Ruyi Zi, was Master Hua Hua Tiandou Du's teacher, an Eternal Giant.

Tianxing Elder frowned, his voice deep as he asked, "Chen Zheng can transcend the third realm and move against the flow, a once‑in‑a‑century unparalleled genius; how could you kill him? Ruyi Zi, have you foolishly closed your seclusion?"

Ruyi Zi snorted coldly, "Is it me who is foolish or you? Tian Du, to cover Chen Zheng's mess, is still refining a Jiazi Great Pill within the Taiyi Sect. As for him, he just returned and bit back, killing Tian Du's people, seizing Tian Du's treasure—clearly a rebellious trait; what use is immortality?"

Without waiting for the Tianxing Elder's reply, Ruyi Zi swept coldly toward the crowd and barked, "The Taiyi Sect has already promised Tian Du that he will enter the Eternal Divine Furnace for cultivation; once he emerges, Tian Du will become the Immortal Secret Realm. Tell me, is the fourth‑level Divine Ability Chen Zheng more important, or the Eternal Giant? Moreover, Tian Du's Pan‑Wu Great Strength Divine Ability has reached its limit; one breakthrough will grant him the second‑level immortal, non‑death body, making him the new supreme head of our sect. Do you intend to oppose the future head?"

Jiang Rourou mocked, "Ruyi Zi, you speak too far; Hua Hua Tiandou Du has not yet become the head, and Chen Zheng has no rebellious bone. Moreover, Chen Zheng is a great Qi‑destiny person…"

Ruyi Zi sneered, "Having a great Qi‑destiny and secrets is perfect; I will seize his destiny, extract his soul, squeeze out the secrets, and share them with Tian Du."

Saying that, he ignored the others, turned and rushed toward the hall's exit, eager to kill Chen Zheng.

"Stop!"

A deep, resonant voice came from somewhere, startling the many great elders, who all rose abruptly and looked toward the hall's exterior, calling out, "Supreme Patriarch."

Ruyizi's face changed drastically; they no longer dared to move a step, lowering their head in salute.

Hum!

A cluster of green light drifted in from outside the hall; there was no one in the light, only a voice, like a decree from the Heavenly Emperor.

"Chen Zheng killed the true heir of the Taiyi Sect; it all started because Wan Luo and Cangbai Zi framed him, Wan Luo also died because of this, and no one may pursue the matter."

After the words, the green light scattered and fell upon the limp elders, including Ji Hui, lying in the hall's center.

Next, everyone was shocked to see that more than a dozen elders, stiff as wooden posts, rapidly grew new limbs.

Ji Hui also reformed a natal talisman, restoring their cultivation.

"Creational Qi—the Supreme Patriarch has actually become the Creator!"

Ruyizi was left stunned and dazed.

The Heaven Punishment Elder, Jiang Rourou, and others all wore faces of utter disbelief.

……

In the palace atop Zhengqi Peak, Chen Zheng knew nothing of what was happening inside the Heaven Punishment Hall; he continued to contemplate the three calamity characters until midnight, when he finally stopped.

He tidied up, left Zhengqi Peak, and flew through the quiet night, his destination Jialan Peak.

Inside the sleeping palace on Jialan Peak.

Jialan's fair arms were wrapped around their legs as they sat on the pink couch, brows furrowed, unknown what they were thinking.

"Who?"

Jialan suddenly sensed someone outside the door.

"Me."

Chen Zheng's calm voice rang out.

Jialan's brows relaxed, heart filled with joy, hurriedly opening the door to welcome Chen Zheng inside.

Boom boom boom…

The entire Jialan Peak began to vibrate rhythmically, as if two people were fiercely clashing on the summit, accompanied by piercing screams.

It shook all night long.

(End of chapter)