Chapter 196: Proving the Dao, Gaining Immortality

"Bai Xi, there isn't even a scrap left?"

Chen Zheng, crushing the weak, blasted Bai Xi into a wreck and then used the true fire of the character "Lian" to sear him to death, a scene that left Yun Jin, who was outside the treasure vault, utterly astonished.

She knows Bai Xi, aware that he has deeply immersed himself in the Realm King realm, and when he duels a peer of the same realm, a single move often defeats the opponent.

His magical power is overwhelmingly unmatched; even without ten trillion horses, he still possesses seven to eight trillion horses.

Yet a figure like that was erased by Chen Zheng in an instant, the action seamless, as if an experienced butcher had slaughtered a chicken.

Chen Zheng is perhaps too powerful, isn't he?

And just how many people must he have killed to master such fluid, effortless killing technique?

She was shocked, yet also puzzled.

And what did Bai Xi's unfinished words before death, "I am the Creation Immortal King…", mean? That also left her bewildered.

But for now she said nothing more.

Because with Bai Xi's death, the six remaining direct disciples of the Nine Tripod Immortal Patriarchs inside the treasure vault fled like a startled rabbit, racing toward the vault's exit to escape.

Yun Jin now stands at the treasure vault's exit, on the path the six must pass.

A ruthless glint flashes in her eyes as she summons an Eternal Divine Blade fragment and slashes fiercely at the six charging out, unleashing a flash of snow‑white blade light that whitens the world, but vanishes in an instant.

Looking again at the six, they have all been cut at the waist, their bodies split into twelve headless sections that fall to the ground, dead beyond death.

Their immortal bodies are of no use, because their souls were instantly erased by this fragment of a divine artifact.

Meanwhile, Chen Zheng has absorbed everything Bai Xi left behind, his magical power surging instantly to reach ten trillion horses.

Bai Xi's numerous divine abilities, including the Great World Technique, have become his.

This technique ranks highly among the Three Thousand Dao, offering cultivators immense benefit in mastering space, worlds, and the cosmic Dao.

For example, a Longlife third‑tier Cave Heaven cultivator who has practiced the Great World Technique will have a self‑created Cave Heaven sturdier than others', and will manipulate external space more easily and subtly than peers of the same realm.

Yet Chen Zheng makes no study of this Three Thousand Dao; after absorbing all of Bai Xi, he ransacks the treasure vault like bandits raiding a village.

At the same time he searches for the Creation Artifact fragments.

Thirty‑five superior Dao artifacts, collect!

Over ten thousand inferior and medium Dao artifacts, collect!

Hundreds of thousands of treasures, collect!

Thousands of heaven‑level pills and Immortal Pills, collect!

All kinds of mountain‑piled refining materials, semi‑finished magical weapons, ores, spirit medicines, divine technique manuals, cultivators' Golden Cores and Nascent Souls, and so on, collect!

In the blink of an eye, everything in the treasure vault is gathered into his sack.

Even the shelves and storage boxes are taken away; when he returns to the Exquisite Fortune Land, they can be used to store items.

But Chen Zheng fails to locate any Creation Divine Artifact fragments.

It is said that long, long ago, the Creation Immortal King possessed a set of thirty‑three heavenly treasures, which were the Creation Divine Artifacts.

What are Creation Divine Artifacts?

Above supreme Dao artifacts are celestial artifacts.

Celestial artifacts are divided into inferior, medium, superior, supreme, king‑grade, and saint‑grade.

Above all celestial artifacts lie the Creation Divine Artifacts, equivalent to the supreme Immortal King.

In those days, the Creation Immortal King's thirty‑three heavenly Creation Divine Artifacts shook countless worlds like the sands of the Ganges, suppressing a chaotic era that no one could resist.

Unfortunately, later the Electric Mother Celestial Lord summoned the Immortal Gate's Void Shadow, shattering the thirty‑three heavenly Creation Divine Artifacts, scattering countless fragments across heaven and earth.

One fragment, by chance, was obtained by Kun Peng, and later seized by Chen Zheng on Coiling Dragon Star.

Bai Xi also possessed a fragment, not obtained by himself but inherited from an ancestor who was a king beast raised by the Creation Immortal King in the Beast Garden, later escaped to the lower realms, and after death passed the Creation Artifact fragment down through generations.

Bai Xi spent tens of thousands of years studying the fragment without success, deeming it useless, and exchanged it to the Nine Tripod Immortal Patriarch, who brought it back for research, yet still could not discern its purpose.

Later the Nine Tripod Immortal Patriarch placed the Creation fragments into this treasure vault for safekeeping.

Chen Zheng remembers these matters clearly.

Yet within this treasure vault there is no trace of the fragments, not even anything resembling a Creation fragment.

"The Nine Tripod Immortal Patriarch doesn't have it, Bai Xi doesn't have it, and the Nine Tripod Xuan's treasure vault doesn't have it either. Could that Creation fragment still be in the White Emperor Trade Association's treasure vault, never traded to the Nine Tripod Immortal Patriarch? Looks like we'll have to go to the White Emperor Trade Association later to find that fragment."

While Chen Zheng ponders, he arrives at the Pure Yang Sea, the last place he hasn't yet plundered.

【25】 With a splash, he plunges down, entering the water, his body erupting with raging true fire of the character "Lian", beginning to refine the sea, causing the seawater to bubble and boil as the water level drops wildly.

With a splash, he sank in, entered the depths, and his whole body burst forth with blazing 'refine' character true fire, beginning to refine this sea, refining it until the seawater gurgling boiled, the water level plummeting wildly.

His magical power climbs continuously as the water level falls.

Eleven trillion Xuan‑Yellow fiery horse power… twelve trillion…

In the blink of an eye, the Pure Yang Holy Water in the sea is completely exhausted.

His magical power reaches sixteen trillion horses, not far from the peak Realm King's few tens of trillions.

"Not bad."

A satisfied smile spreads across Chen Zheng's face as he leaps from the dried seabed to the outside of the treasure vault, handing a storage bag to Yun Jin and laughing, "Dao friend Yun, those who see it get a share; take these items."

The bag contains the massive amount of ores and refining materials he looted from the treasure vault, worth about one to two trillion Pure Yang Pills.

"Young Master Chen, no reward without merit…" Yun Jin feels a surge of joy, yet does not reach out to take it, intending to refuse.

"Without you leading this time, it wouldn't have been so smooth; just take it… hmm? The one who caused me trouble has indeed arrived."

Chen Zheng forces the storage bag into her hand, about to have her lead him back to the White Emperor Trade Association to plunder its treasure vault and search for the Creation fragments, when he suddenly seems to sense something, his gaze flickers toward the distant entrance he entered from.

Above the sky beyond the cauldron‑shaped palace, four young gentlemen fly in, each hovering in mid‑air.

One of the gentlemen is Young Master Qi.

The other three are the three good brothers Young Master Qi recruited in Joyful Valley, namely Young Master Zhen, Young Master Qi, and Young Master Kun.

Behind these three senior youths, each is accompanied by a guard‑like figure, each exceedingly formidable, all of the Realm King realm.

Having a sect of Patriarchs of the Realm King realm serve as guards is unimaginable in today's Xuan Huang Xuan Xuan Huang Da Shijie Shijie Xuan Xuan Huang Da Shijie Shijie, yet in the cultivation Great World, especially among the top twenty great trade associations, it is quite common.

As soon as the four young masters arrived above the entrance of Jiuding Xuan, Qi Shao casually asked Qi Young Master, "Qi Young Master, the kid you said who possesses a supreme treasure—did he come here with Yun Jin into this Jiuding Xuan?"

Not bad.

Qi Young Master nodded, looking down at the land, his sharp gaze sweeping over city after city, and said: "But I can only confirm that the kid has entered Jiuding Xuan; as for exactly which city he is in now, I don't know."

If that's the case, then I will, based on the portrait you gave me earlier, calculate where that kid is, seize the supreme treasure on him, and make him kneel to apologize to you.

Qi Shao smiled confidently, reached out with his right hand into empty air, and a portrait appeared in his hand, depicting a person—none other than Chen Zheng, lifelike.

Qi Young Master shook his head and said: "Qi Shao, don't waste your effort; that kid simply cannot be divined—not even Wu Guanji, a Hun Dong realm expert, can trace his tracks. Better wait a moment; when Wu Guanji brings the Wuliang Hengsha to envelop the entire Jiuding Xuan, we'll be able to catch that kid like a turtle in a jar."

Why go to such lengths?

Qi Shao's face showed a look of everything being under his control, and he said arrogantly: "Wu Guanji's inability doesn't mean I can't. My Great Tribulation Fortune Technique has been cultivated for a full eighteen thousand years, refined to perfection. What is tribulation fortune? It is controlling calamity and fate! Even a Daluo Jinxian of the immortal realm cannot escape tribulation!"

Hearing this, the other two young masters beside him nodded in deep agreement.

Zhen Shao praised: "Qi Shao's Great Tribulation Fortune Technique is indeed extraordinary; whoever he wants to calculate, he can calculate."

Kun Shao licked his scarlet lips, excitedly saying: "Qi Shao, quickly unleash your Great Tribulation Fortune Technique! Once we deal with that kid, I still need to return to Huanxi Valley. I heard the monks of Huanxi Sect have captured a batch of female demon gods from the Tianmo Realm; there must be some beauties among them. I want to buy a few and bring them back, to ruthlessly harvest and supplement myself in front of countless people."

Qi Shao nodded calmly: "Good."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and Chen Zheng's portrait lay flat in midair before him.

Then his fingers flickered rapidly, like plucking a guitar, shooting out rune after rune that landed on the portrait, forming a rectangle, like an abacus.

"As long as I move the Tribulation Fortune Divine Disk, I can instantly calculate where that kid is hiding and control his fate." Qi Shao was about to turn the abacus before him.

But just then, a fiercely intense black cannonfire came from nowhere, piercing the air and blasting toward Qi Shao's chest.

Wherever the cannonfire passed, all qi, void, vacuum, and everything else collapsed, as if the ancient heavenly sovereign had fired a world-destroying cannon, making the universe tremble and leaving Qi Shao no way to evade.

Boom!

Without any doubt, Qi Shao was hit by the cannonfire, piercing through his chest and then striking the King Realm guard behind him; the two couldn't even utter a scream before their bodies and souls were annihilated like rotting wood, reduced to nothingness, no longer existing in the world.

What?

Qi Young Master, Zhen Shao, Kun Shao, and even the two King Realm guards remaining beside them were all stunned by this sudden turn of events.

They couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, a cannonfire appeared from nowhere and blasted Qi Shao to death in a single shot.

But in the next instant, the five of them reacted, their faces drastically changing as they unleashed their fastest escape arts, hurrying to flee far away.

Since that cannonfire could kill Qi Shao and his King Realm guard, it could kill them too.

If they didn't flee now, they might also die.

But just as the five began to move, another cannonfire tore through the air and came crashing down.

Everyone finally saw clearly: the cannonfire was coming from the bend of the entrance below Jiuding Xuan.

The killer who slew Qi Shao was inside Jiuding Xuan.

Knowing that was useless; the cannonfire was too fast, too fierce—so ferocious it was beyond description—so that in the span of a few thoughts, it struck the target again.

This time it struck Zhen Shao and his guard; in their terrified eyes, they were obliterated in an instant.

Don't kill…

Kun Shao was so frightened his soul left his body, he let out a scream, but halfway through he was hit by another cannonfire from within Jiuding Xuan, and together with his guard behind him they died beyond death.

Wu Guanji, Father, save me…

The last surviving Qi Young Master had already pissed himself in terror, crying for father and mother as he desperately ran toward the Zhenjun Tower, but it was of no use; another cannonfire came and took his life.

Thus, all seven were wiped out.

Inside Jiuding Xuan's world, Chen Zheng put away the Great Tribulation Ancient Cannon and called to Yun Jin: "Hurry and take me to the Baihuang Chamber of Commerce."

His just having slain seven people and the commotion of their dying moments had already stirred up countless people of Jiuding Xuan in the cities below, causing the crowd to murmur in suspicion and uproar.

It might even alert the law-enforcement forces of the great cultivation world, drawing countless experts to hunt us down; we must quickly leave Jiuding Xuan and go to the Baihuang Chamber of Commerce to find that fragment of fortune.

You actually killed my family's young master—you deserve to die, you deserve to die!

A terrifying great roar suddenly came from outside Jiuding Xuan, shaking the heavens and earth; the world where Chen Zheng and Yun Jin were located trembled like glass and shattered.

The two were instantly exposed to the great cultivation world.

At the same time, above their heads, an infinite, enormous black hole coalesced, enveloping all directions, causing heaven and earth to lose color, sun and moon to lose light, as if the entire universe were being swallowed whole by a cosmic black hole.

On the black hole hung a pair of eyes, ancient and icy, staring fixedly at Chen Zheng, like a terrifying fiend locking onto prey, its killing intent shaking the world.

"It's Wu Guanji of the Zhenjun Tower, an eighth-layer Immortal Life Hun Dong realm expert!" Yun Jin recognized the origin of those eyes, her face draining of color in shock.

The master of the Brocade Mansion, namely her mother, is a Hun Dong realm expert; she knows full well how terrifying such a cultivator is—something a King Realm cultivator cannot resist.

Below Hun Dong, all are ants.

Moreover, at this moment, she and Chen Zheng have already been enveloped by the Hun Dong of the Withered Glory True Lord, like birds in a cage.

Don't panic.

Chen Zheng's face showed no fear; he grabbed Yun Jin's small hand, pulled her along as he stepped forward, his whole body transforming into the symbol of transcendence, emanating an aura that surpassed everything, forcibly ignoring Wu Guanji's Hun Dong laws and charging out.

This… even Hun Dong cannot trap Master Chen?

Originally, having been taken by Chen Zheng's hand, Yun Jin still felt a maiden's shyness, but seeing Chen Zheng bring her instantly into the outside world, her shyness vanished at once, replaced by shock.

She knew this was no time for shock; Wu Guanji would soon catch up, so she hurriedly told Chen Zheng: "Hurry back to the Brocade Mansion; my mother fears not that Wu Guanji."

I have killed not only that Qi Young Master, but also the young masters of the three great chambers of commerce—Zhenyu Tower, Tian Di Guild, and Ri Yue Treasure Pavilion; your mother cannot stop them. However, my business is none of yours; I will first send you back to the Brocade Mansion.

Chen Zheng shook his head, not waiting for Yun Jin to speak, and swept her away with lightning speed toward the Brocade Mansion.

The Xuanhuang Great World.

Chen Zheng's true body returned to the Linglong Blessed Land.

As for Su Xiuyi, I don't know what happened, but she was not lured out by Taiyan Tian.

He wasn't disappointed either; once his cultivation grows strong, he'll go to the Huangquan Demon Sect to drag out Su Xiuyi—it's not too late.

As for his clone being hunted by Wu Guanji, he isn't anxious; once he achieves the Immortal Life Secret Realm, his clone will advance in cultivation in sync, gaining the power to slay Wu Guanji.

At this moment, he sat upright in the great hall atop Righteous Qi Peak, closing himself off, using the Three-Life Stone to absorb the Creation Qi from the fragments of creation for cultivation.

Each time he extracted a portion of the Creation Qi, he would rest for a day, restoring the mind and spirit depleted by forcibly controlling the Three-Life Stone.

The sun rose and the moon rose, and time passed day after day within the cultivation.

With each passing day, his magical power grew three points stronger; after half a month, it rose from sixteen trillion to forty trillion.

Another few days passed.

The magical power reached fifty trillion.

"Almost done."

On this day, Chen Zheng whispered softly.

As his words sounded, a massive portal suddenly appeared in the sky above Righteous Qi Peak, like a great sun hanging in the void, startling the hundreds of thousands of disciples and Elders within Linglong Blessing Land.

"It is the Heavenly Realm Gate; Supreme Elder is assaulting the Longevity Secret Realm!"

"Supreme Elder has not yet entered Longevity, yet he can slay the Nine Tripod Immortal Sovereign; once he steps into the Longevity Secret Realm, even the strongest Mixed Cave cultivators may be annihilated. Our Linglong Blessing Land will truly become invincible, crushing the hypocrites of the Taiyi Sect!"

The crowd looked up at the heavens, seeing that the portal, though tightly shut, emitted a wave of earth‑shaking, sky‑rending mysterious aura, making them shiver and revel.

A cultivator of the Tenfold Divine Power, Defying Heaven, Changing Fate realm must blast open the Heavenly Realm Gate to enter the Longevity Secret Realm.

Only by opening this gate can one draw the pure Yang Qi pouring from it, achieving the immortal god who consumes Qi.

Divine Power cultivators in the world number as countless as the sands of the Ganges; those who can open the Heavenly Realm Gate are exceedingly rare.

This gate is like a heavenly rift, preventing countless cultivators from advancing, leaving them to sigh at the sea and die of old age.

Yet everyone in Linglong Blessing Land knows that for a defying‑heaven existence like Chen Zheng, the Heavenly Realm Gate poses no obstacle.

Sure enough, a voice rang out from Righteous Qi Peak—Chen Zheng's voice—simply the word "Open," calm and vast.

In an instant, under the gaze of all, the so‑called Heavenly Realm Gate thundered open.

The Heavenly Realm Qi and the Great Dao principles within the portal streamed down like the waters of the Milky Way, pouring into Righteous Qi Peak and into Chen Zheng's body.

He stepped into the Longevity Secret Realm.

"From the time I forged the True Demon's ten‑thousand‑eon unbreakable body until now, it has been over nine months. In these nine months, I have endured countless hardships and finally entered the first tier of Longevity, the Ten Thousand Longevity Realm."

Inside the great hall, Chen Zheng's face showed emotion, a taste of bitterness turned sweet, while he carefully experienced the changes brought by stepping into the Longevity Secret Realm.

First, his magical power more than doubled, reaching 120 trillion Ma, twenty trillion more than a cultivator who just entered the eighth tier Mixed Cave realm of Longevity.

His Longevity Yuan also hit a terrifying figure: 360,000 years.

The True Demon Primordial Spirit also grew stronger, hinting at a merging of flesh and spirit.

Once flesh and primordial spirit fully fuse, one will ascend to the second tier of Longevity, the Immortal Body realm, but ascension still requires massive reserves of Qi and primordial energy.

Moreover, his body is now taller, more upright, more heroic, more domineering; his blood is extremely tyrannical, surging wildly in his vessels like the rolling torrent formed by the great trend of the Demonic Path, crushing everything and devouring the eight wildernesses.

Not exaggerating, a single drop of his blood dropped into the universe could compress a star with a diameter of billions of li.

Even if he stands still, allowing the Nine Tripod Immortal Sovereign, Bai Xi, and two Realm Kings among the Three Saints of Ascension to besiege him, they could blast him for thirty‑six thousand years, yet none could break his defense.

Because his flesh's strength already rivals the supreme Dao artifacts that only Mixed Cave cultivators can forge.

A humanoid supreme Dao artifact!

The great artifact is complete!

He also fashioned a silk thread shaped like the character "Draw" and threaded it into the Heavenly Realm Gate above his head, increasing the draw amount; now he can draw the Qi of one hundred billion Pure Yang Pills each day.

What does that mean?

It should be known that after the Ascension Sect endured the ancient calamities, it has accumulated only seven to eight trillion Pure Yang Pills to this day.

Yet now Chen Zheng needs only seventy to eighty days to draw the entire stock of the Ascension Sect.

If the Three Saints of Ascension learned of this, they would surely be terrified to the point of losing control of bodily functions.

Besides the draw amount, the "Divide" character in his cultivation also rises with his realm, changing from previously one‑to‑two to now one‑to‑four.

In other words, Chen Zheng can now additionally condense two extra duplicates; together with the duplicate from the cultivation world, plus his original body, there are four Chen Zhents.

Four Chen Zhents, however, do not greatly increase his combat power.

Yet if Chen Zheng lets the three duplicates self‑detonate, they could explode any Mixed Cave strongman.

Even a ninth‑tier Void Immortal would be affected.

"I wonder which calamity character appears this time?"

After experiencing the breakthrough's changes, Chen Zheng calmed his joyous thoughts and checked the deep part of his mind's Sheep Skin Scroll.

He saw on the Sheep Skin Scroll a crooked new calamity character, which was "He".

"He, what does it mean?" Chen Zheng rose to the throne above the great hall, stroked his chin, and pondered.

(End of chapter)