Chapter 256: Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan

The tribulation clouds scattered. A brand-new Heavenly Monarch aura emerged, rising above all living beings to look down upon the Human Realm.

"It's a success!"

"True Monarch Qingyuan has stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage!"

"A Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch... True Monarch Qingyuan now leads our Heavenly Sword Peak. With Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword here as well, doesn't that mean our sect has two Heavenly Monarchs standing guard in this generation?"

The disciples of Heavenly Sword Peak were ecstatic. Over the course of several centuries, they had thoroughly accepted your presence.

Naturally, they looked upon your breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage with boundless reverence and awe.

"Even with the interference of an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon, the outcome is good..."

Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword breathed a sigh of relief. The other Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm might assume you survived an Annihilation Tribulation tainted by an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon only by relying on the heritage left behind by the Sword Lord.

But Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword knew his own sect's limits. He knew Heavenly Sword Peak possessed no such foundation. The Origin Cave Dwelling connected to the source of the Heavenly Sword, but it couldn't affect an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon either.

You had triumphed over the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon relying entirely on yourself.

Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword looked toward the Origin Cave Dwelling.

After surviving the Five Elements Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, you had returned to the Origin Cave Dwelling. Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword didn't interrupt. He knew well that a cultivator who had just stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage needed time to stabilize their realm and familiarize themselves with the power of a Heavenly Monarch.

Compared to the Nascent Soul Stage, a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch could easily touch the limits of the Human Realm's power, triggering a backlash from the world itself.

This worldly backlash could cause severe injuries at best, or shave off one's lifespan at worst.

Therefore, familiarizing oneself with Deity Transformation Stage power was the first thing every newly advanced Heavenly Monarch did.

Keeping that power suppressed below the Human Realm's threshold to avoid the world's hostility was their top priority.

...

"Elder Qingyuan... has become a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch..."

At the Heavenly Talisman Sect, Great Cultivator Sanfu and the other two great cultivators felt the brand-new Heavenly Monarch aura radiating from Heavenly Sword Peak, their spirits surging.

Even though they had long prepared for this, they couldn't contain their excitement when the moment finally arrived.

This was a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch.

"Even though Elder Qingyuan has ascended to Heavenly Monarch, our Heavenly Talisman Sect must never rely on this connection to act recklessly in the outside world."

Great Cultivator Sanfu steadied his nerves and looked at Chaos Talisman Grand Cultivator and Grand Cultivator Xinfu. Many disciples in the Heavenly Talisman Sect had interacted with you, and some had even received your guidance and sermons.

Now that you had become a Heavenly Monarch, those disciples would inevitably let it go to their heads. They might stir up trouble outside, making enemies on the strength of this relationship.

Great Cultivator Sanfu understood human nature all too well. Even he had felt a surge of arrogance upon confirming your breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage, briefly feeling contempt for the other top-tier factions.

But he had quickly adjusted his mindset. You were you, the Heavenly Talisman Sect was the Heavenly Talisman Sect, and he was himself.

You hadn't received much benefit from the Heavenly Talisman Sect, nor were you a great cultivator they had nurtured from childhood. There was indeed a bond between both sides, but it wasn't that deep. If they really messed around and angered you, the sect would likely burn through whatever goodwill remained.

Naturally, Great Cultivator Sanfu knew exactly what to do.

"Understood. I will pass down the orders immediately."

Chaos Talisman Grand Cultivator stood up at once, planning to give a stern warning to the sect's disciples—especially those who had interacted with you.

Grand Cultivator Xinfu steadied himself, looked at Great Cultivator Sanfu, and sighed. "If Uncle-Master Hanfu and Uncle-Master Chifu knew in the afterlife that Elder Qingyuan reached the Deity Transformation Stage, I wonder what they would think..."

...

Extreme Dao Pavilion.

Heavenly Monarch Qingcang's face was dark, and he finally let out a sigh. Your breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage meant the Human Realm's quota for Heavenly Monarchs was full; no other Deity Transformation Stage expert could be born in this era.

As for the Extreme Dao Pavilion... their last hope had been shattered.

Originally, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang planned to exert his utmost effort to help his own disciples push for Deity Transformation after you failed your breakthrough.

If a disciple of the Extreme Dao Pavilion became a new body cultivation Heavenly Monarch before he died, they could take the initiative to bow their heads to Heavenly Sword Peak and admit their faults, perhaps lessening their punishment.

After all, if your breakthrough failed and your body died and the Dao perished, then no matter how massive your backing was, you would still be dead.

But now...

Heavenly Monarch Qingcang realized that the Extreme Dao Pavilion might enter its darkest era for the next ten thousand years.

A sudden wave of regret surged in his heart. If he hadn't made such demands back then, or if he had simply refused to see you by claiming he was in deep slumber, would Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword have still taken action later on?

If he hadn't seen you, he at least wouldn't have offended you so severely.

...

Western Desert, Mituo Hall.

The Golden Body Buddha looked thoughtful. "What kind of methods did the Sword Lord leave behind to resist the interference of an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon?" Without the protection of a Heavenly Monarch at the Deity Transformation Middle Stage or above, a Nascent Soul Stage true lord had practically zero hope of surviving an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's meddling. In the Golden Body Buddha's eyes, your survival of the Annihilation Tribulation was only possible through the Sword Lord's power.

"Forget it. None of this concerns me."

The Golden Body Buddha cast another glance toward the Central Continent. "For the next two thousand years, the Central Continent Territory should be ruled by Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan."

With Heavenly Sword Peak completely submitting to you, the numerous top-tier factions of the Central Continent would inevitably have to live at your mercy.

As for Heavenly Monarch Qingcang? That body cultivation Heavenly Monarch probably wouldn't even dare step out of the Extreme Dao Pavilion now.

He was never a match for Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword to begin with, and now with you added to the mix, one wrong move and he might truly become the first Heavenly Monarch to be slain in the recent ancient era.

...

At the edge of the Deep Sea, upon a massive island spanning ten thousand li.

A green-faced figure gazed into the distance toward Heavenly Sword Peak in the Central Continent.

"Emissary, what do we do now? Do we still follow the plan..."

From beneath the Deep Sea beside him, the Void Whale Master spoke, questioning the green-faced figure.

According to the Demon Abyss Realm's original plan, once they nurtured another Rank 5 Heavenly Monarch and prepared for a few hundred years, they could attempt to usher demonic creatures into the Human Realm and launch their invasion.

But now? True Monarch Qingyuan had stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage. At least in the short term, nurturing another Rank 5 Heavenly Monarch was impossible.

"We will continue to wait. At least until Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword passes away in meditation and Heavenly Sword Peak loses its Heavenly Monarch standing guard..."

The green-faced figure pondered for a long time before speaking slowly.

As long as Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword lived, he could wield the Heavenly Sword foundation of Heavenly Sword Peak, posing a significant threat to the Demon Abyss Realm.

This was especially true now that Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan was also on Heavenly Sword Peak's side.

Of the five Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm, only the Void Whale Master had explicitly defected to the Demon Abyss Realm.

If they launched an invasion now, they would face fierce resistance from the Human Realm.

"The Human Realm... Heavenly Sword Peak..."

The green-faced figure's gaze was calm. To conquer the Human Realm, the Venerable behind him wouldn't mind waiting another millennium or two.

The Demon Abyss Realm was at its absolute peak, and some of the higher-tier demons enjoyed vast lifespans far exceeding those of human cultivators at the same realm.

... Origin Cave Dwelling.

You sat cross-legged, carefully examining the changes in your body.

Compared to before your breakthrough, neither your mana nor your divine sense could be mentioned in the same breath.

A Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch's mana originated from their primordial spirit. The primordial spirit was also the core of a Heavenly Monarch, the resting place of their divine soul.

Compared to a Nascent Soul, a primordial spirit was a qualitative leap. A single wisp of primordial spirit power was enough to crush thousands, even tens of thousands, of wisps of Nascent Soul power.

'My current divine sense can encompass an area of a hundred thousand li...'

You marveled inwardly after testing it.

A normal Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator's divine sense could only cover a radius of five to six thousand li.

Before your breakthrough, when your divine sense shattered its limits, it barely exceeded ten thousand li.

And now? Your divine sense could easily encompass a radius of a hundred thousand li.

'A normal Deity Transformation Early Stage Heavenly Monarch's divine sense only covers about sixty to seventy thousand li. The fact that I can cover a hundred thousand li is partly due to my advantage in soul strength, but mostly because I absorbed that Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's demonic incarnation.'

A smile graced your face. The pure soul power transformed from that demonic incarnation had massively bolstered your innate divine soul. 'A hundred thousand li!'

You were in excellent spirits.

To put it in perspective, the Blue Star from before your transmigration was only twenty to thirty thousand li in diameter. Your divine sense's range could fit fifteen Blue Stars inside it.

A divine sense range surpassing your peers meant you held the initiative. Whether attacking or retreating, you would always have the absolute upper hand.

Moreover, a powerful divine sense meant a devastating divine sense attack. With your current divine sense and soul strength, if you unleashed a full-powered soul attack, other Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs would likely have to brace themselves and block with everything they had.

'Breaking through to the Deity Transformation Stage extends one's lifespan by a thousand years. I am currently six hundred and forty-three years old. Having maxed out Nascent Soul level life-extending items, I have another five hundred years left to live, plus the thousand years from reaching the Deity Transformation Stage.'

'My current remaining lifespan is a thousand and five hundred years, and that's not even counting the consumption of Deity Transformation Stage life-extending items.'

'If I max out on Rank 5 Deity Transformation Stage life-extending items, my remaining lifespan will approach two thousand years...'

Your heart pounded with excitement. The longer your lifespan, the more you could exploit each simulation. With such a vast lifespan, even a pig would manage to reap some gains.

'If I pair this with deep slumber... Actually, slumber is useless to me...'

You thought to yourself. Other Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs used deep slumber to suppress their lifespan's drain, often living nearly three thousand years.

However, during slumber, one could do nothing. They could neither cultivate nor comprehend various arts, which obviously offered no benefit to you. You weren't afraid of exhausting your lifespan; you were only afraid of having no gains or breakthroughs before it ran out.

'Merging with heaven and earth...'

You looked into the distance. After fully stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage, you naturally merged with heaven and earth. Your perception expanded infinitely, allowing you to faintly sense the auras of Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs in other territories.

'That Buddhist Heavenly Monarch in the Western Desert... that Rank 5 Void Whale in the Deep Sea...'

Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue had passed away in meditation, and you had stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage to become a new Heavenly Monarch. The layout of the five Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm remained unchanged.

'Five Heavenly Monarchs... is this the current limit the Human Realm can endure?'

A sudden thought struck you. If you chose to end the simulation right now and inherit your Deity Transformation Stage strength into reality...

In reality, Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue had not yet passed away in meditation. That would result in six Heavenly Monarchs appearing in the Human Realm. What would happen then?

You fell into brief contemplation. The most likely outcome was that nothing would change.

Now that you held a Heavenly Monarch's perspective, your understanding of the Human Realm was different. The so-called limit of the Human Realm's endurance was only relative. It didn't mean the Human Realm could strictly only endure five Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs.

Rather, it meant that birthing a sixth Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch would be incomparably difficult.

The hope was infinitely close to zero. But inheriting your Deity Transformation Stage cultivation wasn't a progression from one step to the next; it was manifesting it out of thin air, skipping the breakthrough process entirely.

'In this simulation, I must gather secret arts for concealing my aura. It'll save me from being detected by the other Heavenly Monarchs the moment I inherit my Deity Transformation Stage cultivation in reality...'

You thought to yourself.

The status aura of a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch wasn't impossible to hide. You had seen several inherited secret arts capable of concealing a Heavenly Monarch's status aura on the reward list of the Ghost Realm Trial Field.

The reason the four current Heavenly Monarchs of the world revealed their status auras was due to a certain tacit understanding. If they didn't reveal their auras and allowed the others to pinpoint their general locations, which Heavenly Monarch would dare to enter deep slumber?

...

'When I was crossing the Annihilation Tribulation, if that Outer Domain Heavenly Demon was man-made, who could have done it? Heavenly Monarch Qingcang?'

You shifted your gaze toward the Extreme Dao Pavilion. Among the Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm, if there was anyone who wanted you to fail your Deity Transformation Stage breakthrough the most, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was definitely ranked first.

Now that you had stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was probably too scared to even step out of the Extreme Dao Pavilion, terrified of facing a joint assault from you and Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword.

'Does Heavenly Monarch Qingcang even have that kind of method?'

You were somewhat skeptical. What kind of existence was an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon? A powerful creature wandering between grand realms, born from boundless desires.

'Then was it the demons of the Demon Abyss Realm? They drew in the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon because they didn't want to see me reach the Deity Transformation Stage... In the fifth simulation, Purple-Eyed True Monarch broke through at this exact time. It really was the work of the Demon Abyss Realm...' You looked thoughtful.

'There are absolutely still Demon Abyss Realm strongholds in the Human Realm. I just don't know where.'

You looked out at the outside world and speculated inwardly.

...

'My current strength...'

You began to inspect yourself. After stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage, you naturally sensed the suppression coming from the Human Realm.

As long as you used power exceeding the Human Realm's limits, you would suffer a backlash.

But it was merely a backlash. As long as they were willing to withstand it, a Heavenly Monarch could still unleash their full power. It was just a matter of how steep a price they paid.

'Although I've only just entered the Deity Transformation Stage, my soul received the nourishment of the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's demonic incarnation, vastly increasing my innate divine soul foundation. My soul strength exceeds expectations... Add in the golden talent Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move... My true combat strength is roughly equivalent to the Deity Transformation Middle Stage.'

This immense strength filled your heart with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

It meant you now stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Human Realm. Even if you weren't invincible within it, you could at least roam free and unfettered. No one could threaten your life.

'And if I use the True Dragon Transformation on top of that...' You beamed with vigor. After stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage, your divine soul and mana had undergone a qualitative transformation. You could now fully withstand the pressure of the True Dragon Transformation, no longer limited to maintaining it for a mere ten breaths like during the Nascent Soul Stage.

While in the True Dragon Transformation state, your physical body, divine soul, and mana would surge once again, making you fully equivalent to the stronger existences among Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarchs.