Chapter 253: Outer Domain Heavenly Demon

"Finally..."

Outside the simulation, Zhou Qing let out a long sigh of relief.

Six simulations and two or three thousand years later, he had finally reached this point. He was only a hair's breadth away from stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage.

A Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch was the absolute ceiling of the Human Realm. It had been this way even in ancient times.

'I have a great chance of breaking through to Deity Transformation this time.'

Zhou Qing gathered his thoughts and examined himself in the simulation.

He had also attempted the breakthrough to Deity Transformation in his fifth simulation, though he hadn't expected to succeed; he had only wanted to accumulate experience for the attempt.

At the time, the world's resident Heavenly Monarch was still alive, leaving no vacant position. Since Zhou Qing had not yet reached the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak either, his failure had been doomed from the start.

But this time was different. Centuries of accumulation had allowed him to shatter the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage in three different aspects. He also had the numerous support items he'd acquired from the Ghost Realm Trial Field, along with the Origin Cave Dwelling at Heavenly Sword Peak that connected to the Heavenly Sword's origin.

For the first time, Zhou Qing saw a very real hope of a successful breakthrough.

'I can't be careless. I can't be careless.'

Zhou Qing steadied himself. While his chances of reaching the Deity Transformation Stage were extremely high, they still weren't absolute. Of the Three Trials of Deity Transformation, transforming the Nascent Soul into a primordial spirit and surviving the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation were manageable. Given his foundation, he was confident that passing those two wouldn't be an issue.

The problem lay with the Annihilation Tribulation. As an upgraded version of the Heart Demon Tribulation, no one knew what they would encounter inside it; every Great Cultivator experienced something completely different.

A legendary Great Cultivator who had broken their divine soul's limits would have an extra advantage here, but it was merely an advantage—not a guarantee of success.

For the last century or two in the simulation, Zhou Qing had spent his free time listening to Li Yan play Fourth-Tier High Grade zither melodies. He did this to temper his state of mind and increase his chances of surviving the Annihilation Tribulation.

'It all comes down to what happens next.'

Zhou Qing continued reading the illusory text floating in his vision.

...

[You decide to immediately attempt the breakthrough to Deity Transformation.]

[When the current era's Heavenly Monarch perishes, their personal traces will continue to influence heaven and earth, dissipating only after fifty to a hundred years.]

[No one can pinpoint the exact time. It depends on the fallen Heavenly Monarch, the state of the world's operations at the time, and various other factors.]

[This was also why you rejected Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's suggestion to have Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue pass away in meditation ahead of schedule.]

[If Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation a century or two early, the optimal time to attempt the breakthrough might no longer be ninety years later.] [Only by maintaining the exact conditions of the fifth simulation can you maximize your intelligence advantage.]

[Of course, you cannot be certain that ninety years after Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passes away in meditation is the absolute best time for a breakthrough.]

[But during the last simulation, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch successfully broke through at this exact point in time.]

[If the Purple-Eyed True Monarch had merely been an ordinary Great Cultivator of the Great Snow Mountain, it might have been a coincidence.]

[However, he was later proven to be a pawn of the Demon Abyss Realm. Since they were supporting him, the Demon Abyss Realm would definitely have done everything in their power to help him reach the Deity Transformation Stage. The specific timing of his breakthrough was surely calculated with great care.]

[You don't need to understand the underlying principles; you just need to follow suit.]

...

[You return to your cave dwelling and seek out Li Yan.]

["Yan'er..."]

[You immediately take Li Yan into your arms and bring her to the bed.]

[Before attempting Deity Transformation, you naturally have to extract the first strand of Primordial Yin Qi she has been cultivating.]

[For the sake of this strand of Primordial Yin Qi, you haven't touched this peerless beauty for the five or six hundred years of this simulation.] ["Master..."]

[Li Yan's stunningly beautiful face flushes red, clearly realizing what you intend to do.]

[Half a day later.]

[You successfully extract Li Yan's first strand of Primordial Yin Qi.]

[Within your dantian, your main Nascent Soul and Second Nascent Soul sit cross-legged in the center, surrounded by seventy Tier 5 Dharma Talismans.]

[Around the two Nascent Souls, a stream of energy coils like a silver snake.]

['Primordial Yin Qi!']

[You carefully examine the Primordial Yin Qi. Compared to the Primordial Yin Qi you encountered in previous simulations, this strand seems to have developed its own sentience. Its aura is so incredibly pure that just looking at it gives you the urge to refine it on the spot.]

['What a pity. If given another two to three hundred years, Yan'er might have stepped into the Late Nascent Soul Stage. The Primordial Yin Qi cultivated by then would definitely be of a much higher quality than this current strand.']

[You think to yourself.]

[You have also considered using some sort of forbidden secret art to force Li Yan into the Late Nascent Soul Stage early.]

[However, such forbidden secret arts all come with massive repercussions, which might end up affecting the cultivation of the Primordial Yin Qi.] [Besides, whether she could even successfully enter the Late Nascent Soul Stage remains to be seen. If a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator could be produced through such shortcuts, there wouldn't be so few Great Cultivators in the Human Realm.]

["Yan'er..."]

[You glance at Li Yan, who is sleeping soundly beside you. During last night's intimacy, the two of you were rather wild, to the point that even Li Yan—a Mid Stage true lord—could barely endure it.]

[Your physical body has reached the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak. Had you not deliberately restrained yourself, Li Yan wouldn't have been able to withstand it at all; her delicate body would have fallen apart under you.]

[After resting for a short while, you leave the cave dwelling.]

[Before long, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword appears beside you.]

["Are you sure you want to break through now?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword looks at you solemnly.]

[It has already been ninety years since Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation. In terms of timing, it is indeed feasible to attempt the Deity Transformation Stage.]

["Yes."]

[You give a slight nod.]

[Since the time has come, there is no need to hesitate.]

[With your foundation, if you hadn't been waiting for this specific point in time, you could have broken through long ago.]

["I will open the Origin Cave Dwelling now."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword looks toward the distant main peak of Heavenly Sword Peak.]

[Rumble—]

[Streaks of earth-shattering sword qi weave together. Amid the hazy energies, a passage connecting to a mysterious cave dwelling opens.]

["Do not resist. I am sending you in."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword says.]

[You feel yourself being enveloped by a force of heaven and earth.]

[Your entire body is sent into a mysterious realm.]

['Is this the Origin Cave Dwelling of Heavenly Sword Peak?']

[You look around. It is a valley with a waterfall in the distance. The environment is beautiful, with its only flaw being the complete absence of living creatures.] [It is empty in all directions; you are the only living person here.]

['What a peculiar feeling.']

[You carefully sense your surroundings for a moment, feeling slightly amazed.]

[This realm is different from normal secret realms. It is not independent from the outside world, but is instead deeply integrated into the heaven and earth of the Human Realm.]

['The origin of the Heavenly Sword...']

[You think to yourself.]

[This cave dwelling is connected to the Heavenly Sword's origin, which is why it can influence the Annihilation Tribulation and the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation.]

[The so-called Heavenly Sword origin refers to the core power of the Heavenly Sword left behind by the ancient era's Sword Lord.]

[In the late stages of the ancient era, it was precisely with this Heavenly Sword that the Sword Lord severed the major realm passage connecting to the Demon Abyss Realm. Because this Heavenly Sword achieved a great merit for the heaven and earth of the Human Realm, the threats of the Annihilation Tribulation and the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation are reduced under the protection of its origin.]

['Let's begin.']

[You immediately sit down, adjust your condition, and prepare to break through.]

... [At the end of the Southern Sea lies the Deep Sea.]

[The Deep Sea is vast and boundless, its area far exceeding that of the Human Realm's continents.]

[Endless sea beasts reside within the Deep Sea, and traces of human cultivators can occasionally be found.]

[At the absolute edge of the Deep Sea lies a massive island spanning ten thousand miles. In the center of the giant island stretches a spatial rift, with wisps of demonic qi seeping out from within.]

[Whoosh—]

[Beneath the spatial rift stands a tall figure with a green face, prominent fangs, and wings on its back.]

[The aura radiating from this tall figure is utterly terrifying, though it hasn't quite reached the Deity Transformation Stage.]

["The Venerable has divined all heavenly secrets and confirmed that this period is the optimal time for a Human Realm true lord to attempt the breakthrough to Deity Transformation. Whale Master, are things ready on your end?"]

[The tall, green-faced figure with prominent fangs speaks slowly, looking past the giant island toward a massive shadow beneath the ocean.]

[The shadow is a full thousand zhang in size. Even a casual movement generates a terrifying impact capable of triggering a localized tsunami.]

[This is precisely the sovereign of the Deep Sea, the Rank 5 Void Whale.]

["A junior of my clan has already reached the absolute limit of Rank 4. They are ready to attempt the breakthrough to Rank 5."] [The Void Whale Master responds, sending out ripples of divine soul fluctuations.]

["Excellent."]

[The green-faced figure gives a slight nod before shaking its head. "What a pity..."]

[The Venerable's original plan was to support our pawn in the Great Snow Mountain in stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage, thereby secretly opening the Demon Abyss Realm passage beneath the Great Snow Mountain.]

[That way, when the right moment arrived, the infinite monsters of the Demon Abyss Realm could descend simultaneously from the Great Snow Mountain in the north and the Deep Sea in the south. We would have been guaranteed to occupy the Human Realm in an extremely short time.]

[For some unknown reason, however, a problem occurred on the Great Snow Mountain's end. That Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword of Heavenly Sword Peak suddenly appeared at the Great Snow Mountain, conducted a thorough inspection, and ultimately discovered the clues. He directly leveled the Great Snow Mountain and re-sealed the spatial rift beneath it.]

[This caused the Venerable's scheme to fail, and all the early investments put into the Great Snow Mountain went entirely down the drain.]

[But with Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passing away in meditation, a Heavenly Monarch position has opened up. The Demon Abyss Realm naturally will not give up; we can only place our hopes in the Deep Sea, which we already control.]

[If we can cultivate another Rank 5 Void Whale, then when the Demon Abyss Realm's monsters descend in the future, having two Rank 5 Void Whales leading the vanguard will still be quite useful. It will allow the Demon Abyss Realm to suffer fewer casualties.]

[The Demon Abyss Realm has secretly controlled the Deep Sea for many years. We could have opened the spatial rift passage and descended upon the Human Realm long ago, but we have endured until now in order to occupy the Human Realm at the absolute minimum cost.]

[In this near-ancient era, the status of the Human Realm has plummeted, lowering its appeal to the Demon Abyss Realm. Therefore, we must minimize our losses as much as possible.]

[During the ancient era, over ten Venerables of the Demon Abyss Realm set their sights on the Human Realm. Now, in the near-ancient era, there is only one Venerable who retains any interest in it.] ["Emissary, if the Demon Abyss Realm descends in the future, my clan..."]

[The Void Whale Master speaks once more. The reason it was willing to defect to the Demon Abyss Realm was for the future of the Void Whale Clan.]

[As time flows on, the environmental quality of the Human Realm's heaven and earth will slowly degrade. This decline won't have a massive impact on human cultivators.]

[However, for the Void Whale Clan, with the Kunpeng bloodline flowing through their veins, it will be a catastrophic disaster. A True Spirit Bloodline is incomparably powerful, but it also has strict environmental requirements.]

[Given the Human Realm's current environment, in another hundred thousand years, the Void Whale Clan would likely face bloodline degradation. Their Kunpeng bloodline might even go completely dormant, leaving the Human Realm without a single Void Whale.]

[Because of this, the current generation's Void Whale Master defected to the Demon Abyss race. As long as the Demon Abyss Realm swallows the Human Realm, the Void Whale Clan will also be able to migrate into the Demon Abyss Realm.]

[The heaven and earth environment of the Demon Abyss Realm is far superior to that of the Human Realm; it is more than enough to sustain the Void Whale Clan.]

[As for whether they can adapt... the true spirit immortal beast, the Kunpeng, travels across various realms. If they can adapt to the Human Realm, they can naturally adapt to the Demon Abyss Realm.]

["Rest assured. When the time comes, the Venerable will contact the Demon Kun Sea and have your clan integrate with them. The Demon Kun Clan of the Demon Kun Sea are also descendants of the true spirit Kunpeng; it will be enough for your clan to survive."]

[The green-faced figure says in an indifferent tone.]

["Prepare to have your clansman break through—"]

[Just as the green-faced figure is about to continue speaking, its expression suddenly changes, and it looks toward the Human Realm's continents.] [The Rank 5 Void Whale outside the giant island does the same, gazing across the vast distance toward the Central Continent Territory. "A human true lord is attempting to break through to Deity Transformation. It's Heavenly Sword Peak... is that legendary Great Cultivator making his breakthrough?"]

[The Void Whale Master's voice echoes.]

[As a Rank 5 Heavenly Monarch, the Void Whale Master also possesses the status of a Heavenly Monarch and can integrate with heaven and earth. When a human true lord attempts to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage, the resulting changes in heaven and earth are extremely conspicuous to a Heavenly Monarch.]

["This is bad!"]

[The green-faced figure's expression turns ugly. This exact time frame was calculated by the Venerable to be the optimal node for breaking through to Deity Transformation.]

[If it were any other true lord of the Human Realm breaking through, the green-faced figure wouldn't care too much. The optimal breakthrough node doesn't guarantee a successful breakthrough; it still heavily depends on one's own foundation.]

[But that legendary Great Cultivator named Golden Face... a legendary Great Cultivator already possesses extra advantages when it comes to breaking through to Deity Transformation. Combined with the full support of Heavenly Sword Peak, he will likely be able to utilize that Origin Cave Dwelling.]

[It could be said that True Monarch Golden Face has an extremely high chance of stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage.]

[And if True Monarch Golden Face steps into the Deity Transformation Stage, the schemes of the Demon Abyss Realm will fail once again.]

["I will not allow it. True Monarch Golden Face cannot be allowed to succeed."]

[The green-faced figure looks toward the Void Whale Master outside the giant island.]

["I cannot stop him, and it's too late anyway."] [The Void Whale Master remains silent for a moment before speaking.]

[The location of your breakthrough is Heavenly Sword Peak. Although the Void Whale Master is also Rank 5 and possesses the Kunpeng bloodline, if a true life-and-death battle erupted, it would most likely not be a match for Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword.]

[Not to mention that Heavenly Sword Peak is the legacy left behind by the Sword Lord. Heaven knows what kind of hidden measures it possesses. If the Void Whale Master rushed over there, it would very likely be a trip with no return.]

[Furthermore, this place is unfathomably far from the Central Continent's Heavenly Sword Peak; just traveling there would take a considerable amount of time.]

[The green-faced figure does not reply. Instead, it closes its eyes, evidently communicating with the Venerable.]

[Before long, the demonic qi seeping out from the spatial rift behind it faintly begins to boil. A black stone the size of a fist forces its way into the Human Realm.]

["Is this... a Heavenly Demon Stone?"]

[The green-faced figure catches the Heavenly Demon Stone and sighs emotionally. "That True Monarch Golden Face is doomed to fail his breakthrough."]

["What is a Heavenly Demon Stone?"]

[The Void Whale Master asks curiously. Could this mere stone really cause True Monarch Golden Face's breakthrough to fail?]

["A Heavenly Demon Stone can attract the Outer Domain Heavenly Demons near the realm's barrier. And once an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon approaches the Human Realm, it will naturally notice True Monarch Golden Face attempting to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage. It will split off a sliver of its demonic intent and enter his Annihilation Tribulation..."]

[The green-faced figure speaks slowly, in quite a good mood.]