Chapter 479: World-Surpassing, First Stop

This old man was nine chi tall, his hair half-white yet beardless, eyes closed as he sat cross-legged, and even so, an air of majestic authority without anger radiated from him!

Strange, he didn't resemble the divine statue in the great hall, didn't look like the same race of people, more like, someone from the Dayun side...

Just as Li Yuan was carefully sizing him up, the old man suddenly opened his eyes!

With just one sweeping glance, Li Yuan felt his heart and spirit turn cold, as if in the dead of winter he had been thrown into an ice cave, his very soul invited to depart!

And before the old man, a stone tablet rose up, upon which various Rift Sea divine characters appeared: 【Mystic Whale Dao Child: Li Yuan】

【Talent: Peerless Aptitude (???)】

【Divine Endowment: Lower-Middle】

Wait, I forgot to activate the Soldier-Bonding augmentation!

Li Yuan was startled, and inwardly cried that things were bad, but it was clearly too late to activate it now... the Mystic Whale Hammer was still in his hand!

Right in his grip!

"T-three-tiered talent, o-one-tiered divine endowment?"

Beneath the tree, the old man's frame shook once, then again, his face flashing through shock and doubt, before settling into a gray despair:

"H-Heaven has doomed me."

The old man sighed with melancholy, and Li Yuan's heart pounded wildly, also startled—this old man's words were not Rift Sea divine characters, but the official tongue!

The official tongue of the Great Zhou Dynasty, before the Dayun Dynasty...

"L-Li Yuan?"

After that melancholy sigh, the old man's gaze, full of complexity, fell upon him!

Li Yuan's heart chilled slightly, always feeling this old fellow wanted to slap him dead with one palm...

Immediately, without leaving a trace, he tightened his grip on the Mystic Whale Hammer, bowed slightly: "This junior is Li Yuan, paying respects to Senior—I wonder what I should call Senior?"

A living ghost.

Old and young exchanged a glance, each finding the other rather tiresome!

"... This old man, surnamed Zhou, is the previous generation's Rift Sea Mystic Whale Hammer Master!"

Beneath the tree, the old man's chest heaved several times before he could barely speak!

Just as expected.

Hearing the old man's mouthful of official tongue, Li Yuan had already had some guesses, but hearing him now admit and confirm it was still somewhat shocking: "Senior is actually the previous generation's Mystic Whale Hammer Master? Y-you're still alive?"

Li Yuan felt a chill of dread!

The Rift Sea Mystic Whale Hammer had lain dormant in the Divine Weapon Valley for at least a thousand-plus years, so the previous Hammer Master must certainly be a man of the former dynasty!

And he's still alive?

The surnamed-Zhou old man glanced around, his expression wooden: "Do you think this old man counts as being alive?"

"Uh..."

Li Yuan was at a loss for words, and the surnamed-Zhou old man fell silent too!

He clearly didn't want to talk; Li Yuan listened to the sound of incense burning, and still took the initiative to ask about this final trial!

"You want to challenge the final trial?"

The surnamed-Zhou old man almost laughed in exasperation: "On the strength of your three-tiered talent and one-tiered divine endowment?"

"Ridiculous."

The old man surnamed Zhou suddenly grew agitated!

He simply couldn't believe that the one who had passed through trial after trial to stand before him was actually a person of mediocre talent!

"Uh... three-tiered? You're referring to this junior's talent?"

Daoist Li wasn't annoyed either, but seized the chance to ask: "What tier is Senior?"

"Heh!"

The surnamed-Zhou old man smiled without mirth: "This old man's divine endowment, though one-tiered, is upper-middle; as for talent, upper four-tiered."

"Upper four-tiered?"

Li Yuan feigned curiosity, but inwardly had already figured it out!

If Peerless Aptitude counts as three-tiered, then four-tiered would be Thousand-Ages.

tier? "Nearly World-Surpassing!"

The old man surnamed Zhou's face was expressionless, but inwardly he felt somewhat sorrowful!

He had paid an enormous price—even the collapse of his Zhi Shen Jing, his divine soul bound here—as the cost, to wait in this half-alive, half-dead state until now!

And what came waiting was this piece of trash!

With Peerless Aptitude, one could be a true disciple, even a Dao Child, in the Wudadao Sect, but on this path, what does it amount to?

Nearly World-Surpassing, hmm, still Thousand-Ages!

The Peerless-tiered Daoist Li evaluated inwardly, and

as for others' contempt for his talent tier, he cared not a whit!

He cared more about the tiered divisions of this talent!

Peerless three, Thousand-Ages four, if World-Surpassing is five...

"When I bonded the Mystic Whale Hammer and the Life-Nourishing Furnace, my talent was 'World-Surpassing' (upper), in other words, one step short of six-tier?"

Thinking this, Li Yuan grew even more composed!

"A mere four-tiered—with your talent, just how did you manage to make your way here?"

Sizing up Li Yuan, the old man surnamed Zhou felt disappointed inwardly, shook his head, and asked: "Boy, in the outside world today, who sits upon the throne?"

"Hmm?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly, and he answered: "The present Emperor, self-styled 'Qian,' called Emperor Qian, is the twenty-seventh-generation descendant of the Dayun Grand Progenitor!"

"Great Fortune... Emperor Qian!"

The surnamed-Zhou elder's face was dark as water: "Speak to this old man about the outside world as an exchange, and this old man can answer a few questions for you!"

"Please ask, Senior!"

Li Yuan naturally would not refuse!

"Great Fortune, who was its founding Emperor?"

A true old antique!

Li Yuan clicked his tongue inwardly and answered: "Great Fortune's Grand Ancestor, named Pang Pang Wenlong!"

"Pang Pang Wenlong?"

The surnamed-Zhou elder frowned: "Not Gao Gao Feiqing?"

"Gao Gao Feiqing perished!"

Li Yuan turned the thought over in his mind—this elder should be a person born fifteen hundred years ago, who died before the founding of Great Fortune!

With Zhou as his surname, could he be a descendant of the Great Zhou royal house?

"Even Gao Gao Feiqing fell?"

The surnamed-Zhou elder let out a long breath, hesitated for an instant, then still asked: "The previous dynasty's royal house..."

It is said only one branch fled to the sea and disappeared without a trace!

Li Yuan answered!

"Disappeared without a trace, disappeared without a trace..."

The elder surnamed Zhou closed his eyes, and only after a moment did his emotions settle: "Dynastic changes are ever thus—this old man should not have harbored any delusions of luck either... Which sect are you from?"

"Reporting to Senior, this junior comes from Star-Plucking Tower!"

Knowing this person's background, Li Yuan naturally knew how to phrase it: "Star-Plucking Tower has always taken the assassination of the Emperor as its duty..."

"Hmm?"

The surnamed-Zhou elder glanced at Li Yuan, and the grief in his heart dissipated somewhat: "You are quite the slippery one!"

Seeing his mood improve, Li Yuan seized the chance to ask: "May I dare ask Senior, He Yi you are here?"

"You certainly know how to ask!"

The surnamed-Zhou elder smoothed his brow; after not seeing anyone for many years, he too had some pent-up gloom in his heart that needed venting: "This old man, Zhou Ying, born of the Great Zhou royal house..."

Zhou Ying, a branch lineage of the Great Zhou royal house—because his ties to the main line had already grown distant, he bore the name of imperial kin but was not from any great wealthy or noble family!

He was a man fond of martial arts; in his youth he joined the Changhong Sword Sect, and before the age of forty he had already entered the Dao. Later, while traveling the world, he chanced upon the Rift Sea Mystic Whale Hammer at a certain place, and switched to practicing hammer arts!

"When this old man's Wu Gong reached Great Completion, the world was in turmoil. Gao Gao Feiqing was a peerless overlord of his era, wielding the Da Huang Jia Hai Purple-Gold Spear, rampaging across the world with virtually no equal. This old man was one move short and defeated at his hands!"

Speaking of events from a thousand years ago, the surnamed-Zhou elder's voice was calm: "This old man was unwilling to simply die there, so I severed my divine realm and left my divine soul in this place, awaiting one who is fated!"

"What does 'fated' mean?" Li Yuan pressed!

"In any case, it isn't you!"

Zhou Ying snorted coldly, and a sense of melancholy rose in his heart again: "This trial path has three stations in total. This old man replaced the original traces; this place is the first station!"

"Three stations?"

Li Yuan silently noted it down in his heart!

Seeing him in this state, Zhou Ying shook his head inwardly, knowing this lad still harbored some delusions of luck, though of course he was not surprised!

Apart from this place, an absolute genius is a peak genius anywhere; whether in status or identity, they are people above people!

"These three stations should have been left by the Mystic Whale Sect, so they examine Wu Gong as well as talent. To pass the third station, without sixth-tier talent, it is almost impossible!"

Zhou Ying sighed again.

"After the three stations, perhaps there is hope of touching upon the Eight Directions Temple?"

The gap between fourth-tier and sixth-tier is vast, like the difference between a snake and a dragon; back in his day, he exhausted every means and still could not bridge it!

"Sixth-tier?"

Li Yuan was somewhat curious: "Where did Senior obtain this classification of tiers?"

"The three trial stations—each one passed yields quite a few benefits!"

Zhou Ying answered Longhu Longhu Dandan: "This old man replaced the original trial-taker, but must still keep the rules. With your talent, it is not enough!"

Enough or not, Li Yuan did not take it to heart; he only wanted to gather some intelligence first!

"This old man once entered the third station; though I could not pass it, I did obtain quite a few things. Among them, an ancient scroll mentioned 'Heavenly Talent and Divine Endowment'!"

Speaking to this point, Zhou Ying paused slightly: "This old man has answered enough; be off with you!"

The old fellow is deliberately keeping me in suspense!

Li Yuan was speechless inwardly, yet could only go along with his words: "Does Senior have some matter to entrust to this junior?"

"If you can find the Great Zhou remnant bloodline, then what this old man knows will not only be handed over in full, but I can even, bearing the backlash, let you

pass!"

Zhou Ying did not beat around the bush!

"Farewell!"

Find a remnant bloodline of the previous dynasty that vanished over a thousand years ago? Li Yuan had not the slightest interest in this, and at once cupped his hands, preparing to leave!

"Wait!

"

Zhou Ying called to him!

"Fifteen hundred years, the world has utterly changed—not quite, but to find the Great Zhou remnant bloodline, I fear this junior has the will but lacks the power!"

Li Yuan had no interest in this!

"With your talent, this is the only chance to pass..."

"That may not be the case!"

Li Yuan cupped his hands in a salute, and the light and shadow before his eyes vanished in an instant; once the incense offerings were exhausted, the surroundings returned to a deep, heavy darkness!

"The previous generation's master of the Mystic Whale Hammer!"

In the ruined temple, Li Yuan muttered to himself, lowering his head to look at the Sea-Splitting Mystic Whale Hammer in his hand: "You recognize him?"

【Forgot!】

The spirit of the Mystic Whale Hammer answered very crisply!

Li Yuan nearly choked, then asked: "Can this person come out?"

【Bound here by the gods, neither dead nor alive, unable to leave.】

"Is that so?"

Li Yuan thought for a moment, then layered and superimposed all the various hammer weapons in his control—except the Sea-Splitting Mystic Whale Hammer—upon himself!

With the many talents blessing his body, Li Yuan only then took out the incense offerings and lit the incense burner once more!

Only now did he toss the Mystic Whale Hammer into his Weapon Control!

To walk this place, one must hold the hammer spirit in hand; the reason was none other than that without the hammer spirit, the gaze of the stone statue behind him could not light his way forward!

But once inside the temple, naturally there was no such concern!

Hum—

With the various Weapon Control enhancements upon him, Li Yuan felt his body and mind at ease, and then, once again, he saw Zhou Ying!

"Hmm?"

Beneath the old tree, Zhou Ying opened his eyes: "What, having second thoughts?"

Zhou Ying gave a cold laugh, and Li Yuan said nothing, merely looking at the stone tablet before him, upon which text emerged, just as before!

The difference was that the line for talent had changed from "Unearthly" to "World-Shattering."

From the third tier, leaping straight to the fifth tier…

"You."

Zhou Ying seemed to sense something; lowering his head, he saw the dazzling golden light: "World-Shattering?"

Good.

Zhou Ying suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically: "You can actually conceal your talent?"

"Senior!"

Li Yuan did not answer, merely cupping his hands in inquiry: "Now, does this junior have the qualification to pass this station?"

You……

Zhou Ying was greatly shaken inwardly; of course he knew there were martial arts in the world for concealing one's form and hiding one's Qi, but talent was not a martial art!

It was like a mountain—its height was plain at a glance—how could one conceal it?

But he quickly calmed his emotions, nodding with a complex expression: "World-Shattering, World-Shattering… not bad, you have the qualification

to pass this old man's trial!"

Just as he had said, this was the rule left behind by the Mystic Whale Sect; he could not defy it, and if he forced himself to resist, he would surely suffer backlash!

Hum!

Almost the instant Zhou Ying nodded, light flowed across the stone tablet before him, and the various characters shifted: 【Mystic Whale Dao Child, Li Yuan 【Talent: World-Shattering】

【Divine Endowment: Middle-Lower】

【First Station of the Mystic Whale Path】

【Passed!】