Chapter 246: Watching the Storms Rise

The meeting in front of the Giant Axe Temple proceeded extremely quickly.

First, Luo Feng gave a general introduction to the emergence of the Duan Dong River inheritance and the trials required to obtain it.

Afterwards, after discussion by the founder of the Giant Axe Temple and a group of Universe Venerables, the candidates for this contest over the Duan Dong River inheritance were quickly selected.

This team consisted of one Universe Venerable, nine Universe Venerables, and 103 Immortal Gods, the majority of whom were geniuses from the Human Race, though a few slots were also allocated to several trustworthy groups within the Hong Alliance.

It is worth mentioning that Zhou Yang's son, Zhou Yi, also occupies one of those 103 Immortal slots.

Zhou Yi has been cultivating for nearly twenty thousand years.

Due to his outstanding talent, his status as a member of the Primordial Secret Realm, and the abundant resources supplied by Zhou Yang and his son, his cultivation path has been smooth sailing.

At this point, Zhou Yi had already become, after Zhou Yang and Luo Feng's generation of geniuses, a leading figure among the younger Human Race geniuses, having earned the title "Realm Heart King" on the Outer Domain Battlefield thousands of years ago, so his selection for this team was not surprising.

However, thinking of his only son makes Zhou Yang feel a slight headache.

Zhou Yi's progress in cultivation did not require much of Zhou Yang's attention, but his personality was excessively unrestrained.

For example, more than three thousand years ago, after returning from the Outer Domain Battlefield, Zhou Yi took the title of senior brother of the Reincarnation Chaos Monument lineage and began taking disciples on behalf of his master.

This resulted in Zhou Yang not even appearing himself, yet his name now had a dozen or so Universe Level Registered Disciples.

At the time, this caused a considerable stir in Chaos City, since becoming a disciple of a Universe Venerable, even a Registered Disciple, is extremely coveted yet unattainable.

Moreover, being a Registered Disciple of the Lord of Reincarnation, who ranks among the top Human Race Universe Venerables, naturally made others envious!

Some Universe Venerables even quietly sent messages asking Zhou Yang whether he truly intended to accept disciples, hoping to send a few outstanding disciples from their own clan to study under him.

They were not actually intending for their people to learn anything from Zhou Yang, merely seeking to use the chance to draw closer to him.

During that period, Zhou Yang was immersed in studying the Gully Stone Carving of Wanku Gorge, and only then learned of Zhou Yi's mess, promptly summoning him and giving a harsh reprimand.

Although Zhou Yi's behavior was later curbed, the dozen or so Registered Disciples already guided to become disciples of "Zhou Yang" could not be expelled, and were tacitly placed into the Reincarnation lineage, temporarily cultivated under Zhou Yi's guidance.

Nevertheless, with Zhou Yi's Seal King Immortal-level law perception, he could easily guide some Universe Level youngsters.

Of course, compared to his cultivation progress, Zhou Yi's "achievements" in other areas made Zhou Yang's forehead veins throb.

It is unclear whether his grandparents instilled some "special" ideology in his childhood, but this kid is far more proactive than Zhou Yang in matters of affection.

Almost every time he goes adventuring, this kid brings back one or two "Red Beauty Confidants".

By now, his numerous "Red Beauty Confidants" lined up could probably encircle the entire Mingyue District in a big circle!

As for the offspring those Red Beauties bore him, they are so many that they give Zhou Yang a headache.

Zhou Yi is quite proud of his "great achievements".

"Dad, you just go out and adventure, I'll shoulder the responsibility of strengthening the family; after all, I'm the sole heir of our family's fourth generation!"

Nevertheless, despite the headache, he is his own son, and before departure Zhou Yang sent a solemn message: "The Universe Sea is fraught with danger; on this journey you must strictly obey the commands of Penggong Lord, and not act recklessly. If you happen to fall, even if I reverse time to revive you, some of your special opportunities cannot be preserved."

This Hong Alliance squad quickly set out under Penggong Lord's leadership, but since they departed from the Original Universe, it would take an estimated several hundred years to reach the Tomb Ship. While the Universe Sea and many forces of the Original Universe were raging over the Duan Dong River inheritance, at the Core of the Cosmic Vessel, Zhou Yang continued his own journey.

With the numerous maps Luo Feng previously obtained from the secret chamber within the Black Pattern Stone Pillar space, Zhou Yang's route to the Core of the Cosmic Vessel has been greatly optimized; although it takes slightly longer, safety has vastly improved! Thus, for daily travel, Zhou Yang only needs to release a doppelganger to command the Palace Supreme Treasure.

Meanwhile, his main body and the other doppelgangers remain in the Time Acceleration Zone of the New Universe, fully cultivating to improve.

Now the New Universe's time acceleration limit has reached nearly 10,500 times.

Even the Small Universe of the Universe Strongest, whose time acceleration zone for junior clan members' cultivation normally operates at this rate.

Above the New Universe, Earth, and East Sea Stone Island.

Countless figures of Zhou Yang, clad in various armors and robes, either walk, sit, or even lie down.

These are Zhou Yang's powerful doppelgangers.

Each doppelganger is focused on its own cultivation.

Some doppelgangers continue to deduce and comprehend the profound "Chaos Secret Pattern", aiming to swiftly integrate it fully, grasp the sliver of Chaos Law's conception within, and thus cross the "threshold" of the Chaos Law.

Some doppelgangers study the "Dustless" Divine Sword and the numerous powerful secret patterns on the Peak Supreme Treasures, aligning them with the Treasure Refining Inheritance passed down by the Recluse and their own pattern insights, seeking to use them as references to forge higher-level Secret Techniques.

Meanwhile, his main body has devoted all its energy to researching the "Life Record".

"The flow of secret pattern diagrams and the flow of treasure refining corroborate each other, and my will has already broken through to the Universe Strongest level; my research speed on the Chaos Secret Pattern has noticeably increased, so complete mastery should be near."

Zhou Yang murmurs in his heart, "Once I fully master the Chaos Secret Pattern, I should be able to comprehend a sliver of the 'Complete Chaos Law'; then, with that sliver, I can break through to True God, and the subsequent path to becoming an Eternal True God or even a Chaos Sovereign will become much easier."

"And before that, I need to raise my Divine Power to a higher tier; achieving a hundred thousand times the 'Perfect Level' would be ideal, but at minimum a third-tier Divine Power of over ninety thousand times is required."

"Then, with the law aspect using that sliver of Chaos conception and the Divine Power aspect at least ninety thousand times the third-tier Divine Power, breaking through both simultaneously should instantly elevate my combat power to an extremely high tier!"

Zhou Yang couldn't help but daydream.

However, while daydreaming, he also harbored some vague concerns; whether from the law path or the Divine Power path, the ultimate goal is to drive his Divine Kingdom to evolve into a Small Universe.

Yet for Zhou Yang, he has no Divine Kingdom at all. Or rather, when he broke through from Realm Lord to Immortal Level, he skipped the Divine Kingdom step, directly using the boundless energy of his inner world as a foundation, forcibly piercing Chaos to create a New Universe.

Since he already has a Universe, how will he promote the evolution of the Divine Kingdom when he later seeks to break through the True God realm?

Should the New Universe be further "upgraded", or will it "collapse" due to conflicts in cultivation systems? Lacking any precedent, his heart naturally trembles with anxiety.

Of course, despite his worries, Zhou Yang cannot hesitate.

After all, the path of cultivation must be forward without any fear or retreat! "Thinking about this now is premature; perhaps later my heart will naturally gain insight."

"Continue cultivating, the doppelgangers keep researching the Chaos Secret Pattern, and my most potent consciousness—the main body—will focus on perceiving the 'Life Record'; may the Life Record be strong enough to support my ascent to the third-tier Divine Power."

Zhou Yang let out a gentle sigh, then fell back into deep contemplation. (End of Chapter)