Chapter 260: Four Heavenly Monarchs

Your physical body had long since reached the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak.

You could break through to the fifth tier whenever you wished.

But you decided to delay it.

First, breaking through now would trigger the fifth-tier Body Refining Heavenly Tribulation. It could not be concealed and would instantly alert the Void Whale Master in the Deep Sea.

Would that introduce other unexpected variables? Its heightened vigilance might jeopardize your upcoming encirclement.

Second, you wanted to figure out exactly how the Demon Abyss Realm had lured in the Outer Domain Heavenly Demons.

If that method could be replicated, you hoped to trigger it again during your fifth-tier Body Refining Heavenly Tribulation.

To other cultivators, Outer Domain Heavenly Demons were horrors to be avoided at all costs. To you, they were an extraordinarily rare feast that could strengthen your divine soul's origin.

If you completed the fifth-tier Body Refining Heavenly Tribulation early, would you not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Stepping into the fifth tier of body refinement would certainly skyrocket your strength, but it held little meaning for the hunt against the Void Whale Master.

With you, Extreme Sword, Heavenly Monarch Miduo, and Heavenly Monarch Qingcang, the combined might of four human Heavenly Monarchs was already more than enough to overwhelm it. The probability of successfully killing the beast was ninety percent.

The remaining ten percent had nothing to do with strength; it all depended on luck or the will of heaven...

Next, you began your cultivation in the Deity Transformation Stage.

The spiritual vein of Heavenly Sword Peak was at the Fifth Tier Middle Grade, which perfectly satisfied the daily cultivation needs of a Deity Transformation Early Stage Heavenly Monarch like yourself.

Half a year later, you opened your eyes and ended your closed-door cultivation.

'Too slow...'

You frowned. Even with the support of a Fifth Tier Middle Grade spiritual vein, your cultivation in the Deity Transformation Early Stage remained agonizingly slow. You were practically marching in place.

'It isn't an issue with resources. It's the suppression of the Human Realm...'

You pondered this, finally understanding why so many Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm preferred to slumber rather than cultivate.

Under the suppression of the Human Realm, they simply could not improve.

Given these circumstances, choosing to slumber and live an extra few centuries was indeed a sound choice for a Heavenly Monarch.

'If my alchemy steps into the fifth tier and I become a fifth-tier alchemist, I could refine various fifth-tier spiritual pills to assist my cultivation. That should speed things up a bit...'

You thought to yourself. Because of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, Heavenly Sword Peak did not lack fifth-tier precious medicines or spiritual herbs. But without a fifth-tier alchemist, there was no way to maximize their effects, making their contribution to your strength a mere drop in the bucket.

'Cultivation is difficult...'

You sighed in your heart. This cultivation speed made you feel as though you were back in your very first simulation, struggling with a low-grade spiritual root and absolutely zero external resources.

'Take it slow. I can simulate infinitely. Even if I have to grind it out, I'll grind my way to a breakthrough.'

Your heart settled, and you stopped dwelling on it.

...

Alongside your daily cultivation and comprehension of various skills, you also practiced the fourth level of the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art.

There were still many treasures and resources you wanted in the Ghost Realm Trial Field, so naturally, you would not abandon this secret technique.

Even if you mastered the fourth level now, you had already lost the chance to unlock the ultimate trial; the hundred-year time limit had passed long ago.

However, the mastered secret technique would be put to good use in your next simulation.

Furthermore, you could sense that completing the fourth level of the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art would bolster the stability of your primordial soul, serving as another method to strengthen yourself.

'With my current Deity Transformation realm, mastering the fourth level will only take eighty or ninety years,' you thought to yourself, feeling a bit sour. Eighty or ninety years for the fourth level, combined with the time needed for the third level, meant the total time required would absolutely exceed a hundred years.

Did this not mean that even as a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch, without relying on your cheat, you could not meet the conditions to open the ultimate trial?

'The ultimate trial...'

You fell into deep thought. So far, you had gathered very little intelligence regarding the ultimate trial of the Ghost Realm Trial Field. The few details you did have mentioned that the opponents you had to defeat were not limited to contemporary trial-takers.

...

Five years later, you sat cross-legged. The massive fifth-tier alchemical furnace in front of you spun continuously.

A spiritual pressure as vast as heaven and earth emanated from the furnace, while worldly phenomena surged outside.

After an unknown amount of time, the alchemical furnace stopped spinning, and a perfectly round spiritual pill flew out.

'A fifth-tier Spirit Refining Pill!'

A smile appeared on your face as you looked at the round pill.

The Spirit Refining Pill was a precious medicine that only Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs could consume. Even in the ancient era, when world resources were abundant, Heavenly Monarchs could only take them occasionally.

In the near-ancient era, however... to refine such a pill, a fifth-tier alchemist had to personally take action. Furthermore, a unique main ingredient of the Spirit Refining Pill could not be preserved. Its medicinal efficacy was best if consumed within a hundred years of refinement; every century thereafter, its potency would drop significantly. 'Not bad, not bad.'

You were in an excellent mood. Refining this pill meant you were now officially a fifth-tier alchemist.

In the Central Continent Territory, the last fifth-tier alchemist had appeared two or three thousand years ago.

'The speed at which I refined a fifth-tier spiritual pill was much faster than I expected. Is it because I absorbed that portion of the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon's origin?'

You thought to yourself. Originally, you had planned to spend at least several more decades before breaking through to become a fifth-tier alchemist.

How could the level of a fifth-tier alchemist be so easy to reach? Even with all your attributes pushed to their limits, successfully refining a fifth-tier pill should have taken one or two centuries.

'Now that I can refine fifth-tier pills, my cultivation speed should increase quite a bit...'

You nodded slightly. 'There's also my talisman Dao. I feel it's nearing a breakthrough as well...'

Your mastery over the talisman Dao was second only to your alchemy, and it had been stuck at the Fourth Tier High Grade for a long time.

In both this simulation and the last, you had spent centuries in the Heavenly Talisman Sect. That constant exposure had allowed your talisman Dao to progress even faster than your alchemy.

'In a century or two at the latest, my talisman Dao will also step into the fifth tier. By then, I'll be a grandmaster of both alchemy and talismans!'

You were in a joyous mood.

Once upon a time, you could only look up to fifth-tier master-level skills.

Now, you could personally step into that realm—and with two different paths at once.

'Formations, puppets, Divination...'

You fell into deep thought. You were confident in breaking through to the fifth tier in both alchemy and talismans.

But you had absolutely no confidence in the remaining three arts: formations, puppets, and Divination.

Formations went without saying; they were obscure and difficult to comprehend. To step into the fifth tier and become a formation master required a profound level of insight and understanding of heaven and earth.

It was completely out of the question in the short term.

While the Dao of puppets was not as complicated, it was still far beyond your reach at present, with no hope in sight.

The Dao of Divination was even worse. Since the near-ancient era, the world had occasionally produced fifth-tier masters in alchemy, talismans, and puppets.

But a fifth-tier Divination master?

There had not been a single one. Even in the ancient era, the number of fifth-tier Divination masters was incredibly small, far fewer than the Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs of the same period.

...

Your breakthrough to the fifth tier in alchemy caused quite a stir on Heavenly Sword Peak.

A fifth-tier alchemist had always enjoyed an exalted status.

...

In the 646th year, you were 663 years old.

Your Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony was held smoothly. Forces from all over the Human Realm gathered at Heavenly Sword Peak.

The grandeur of the event far exceeded the Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony of Purple-Eyed True Monarch in your previous simulation.

There was a fundamental difference between you and Purple-Eyed True Monarch. Great Snow Mountain could not be ranked among the top powers of the Human Realm. Even if they produced a Heavenly Monarch, they lacked the underlying foundation.

But you were different. You had taken control of Heavenly Sword Peak, the strongest faction in the Human Realm. Countless true monarch cultivators attended your Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony just out of admiration.

On the main peak, Great Cultivator Sanfu attended your ceremony, representing the Heavenly Talisman Sect.

At this moment, Great Cultivator Sanfu was seated above the representatives of Two Bodies and Three Laws. This was a symbol of status, signifying that the Heavenly Talisman Sect stood above Two Bodies and Three Laws, second only to Heavenly Sword Peak.

Great Cultivator Sanfu's heart swelled with emotion. Over the long years of the past, even when the Heavenly Talisman Sect produced a talisman-Dao Heavenly Monarch, they had rarely surpassed Two Bodies and Three Laws in status.

The five major forces of Two Bodies and Three Laws could practically guarantee the birth of a Heavenly Monarch in every generation.

Perhaps this Heavenly Monarch would come from Two Bodies, or perhaps from Three Laws?

But when both sides had a Heavenly Monarch standing guard, the Heavenly Talisman Sect definitely could not match Two Bodies and Three Laws.

And now?

Although the Heavenly Talisman Sect had not produced a talisman-Dao Heavenly Monarch in this generation, they had reached heights never before seen in their history.

'Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan...'

Great Cultivator Sanfu steadied himself, knowing that everything happening right now was because of you.

Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was still alive. Logically, it should have been impossible for the Heavenly Talisman Sect to sit in this position.

'The fortune of our Heavenly Talisman Sect...'

Great Cultivator Sanfu glanced down at the positions of Two Bodies, Three Laws, the Four Chambers, and the other four unorthodox sects. He could feel the gazes of these forces—filled with envy and jealousy.

In secret, these factions often claimed that the Heavenly Talisman Sect simply had too much luck, possessing fortune without the strength to match it.

Great Cultivator Sanfu paid it no mind. In the cultivation world, in the Human Realm, luck was also a kind of foundation.

After all, who told Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan not to take up residence with them back in the day?

...

Below the main peak, on the various side peaks, sat the forces from other territories.

Great Cultivator Fulong, accompanied by True Monarch Chongtian, represented the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty at your Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony.

"Speaking of which, back when Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan operated as True Monarch Golden Face, he had some contact with our Zhou Immortal Dynasty..."

Great Cultivator Fulong could not help but feel a little nostalgic. He had not chosen to attempt the Deity Transformation breakthrough because he saw no hope of success, so his current condition was excellent.

"Mhm..."

True Monarch Chongtian nodded continuously, looking extremely docile.

When the Zhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army had invaded the Wujian Region, a Blood Roc had appeared, carrying the will of True Monarch Golden Face. The event had scared True Monarch Chongtian and Prince Zhennan half to death. "You made an excellent choice back then, avoiding any conflict," Great Cultivator Fulong praised him.

If Prince Zhennan or True Monarch Chongtian had shown even the slightest resistance back then, the consequences would have plunged the Zhou Immortal Dynasty into the abyss.

Although the Emperor of the Zhou Immortal Dynasty claimed to possess combat strength nearing that of a Heavenly Monarch while within the Imperial Capital, he was still deeply terrified of facing a true Heavenly Monarch.

Not to mention that you were not just any Heavenly Monarch. You ruled Heavenly Sword Peak and commanded Extreme Sword. Great Snow Mountain was wiped out at a word. What could the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty do against you?

...

The Deep Sea was incredibly vast, occupying ninety percent of the Human Realm's surface area.

Beneath the Deep Sea, a shadow nearly a thousand zhang long swam through the depths, exuding a horrifying aura. For hundreds of thousands of miles around, sea beasts trembled and shivered in fear.

With a gentle swallow, the Void Whale Master consumed millions of sea beasts.

As the absolute ruler of the Deep Sea, the Void Whale Master hunted at regular intervals, devouring countless deep-sea beasts.

These beasts ranged from the first to the fourth tier. Even a fourth-tier late-stage sea beast king had absolutely no chance of survival once targeted.

As a Rank 5 Void Whale coursing with the True Spirit Bloodline, it did not even need to use its strength to hunt. It merely had to unleash its True Spirit Bloodline aura, and under that bloodline suppression, countless sea beasts would freeze in place, allowing themselves to be eaten.

'Heavenly Sword Peak...' Having finished swallowing millions of sea beasts, the Void Whale Master looked toward the Central Continent.

'Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan's Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony... Heavenly Monarch Miduo... Heavenly Monarch Qingcang... Have they all gone to Heavenly Sword Peak?'

As a Rank 5 Heavenly Monarch, the Void Whale Master could naturally merge with heaven and earth, allowing it to roughly sense the locations of the other four Heavenly Monarchs.

Through its perception, the Void Whale Master discovered that all four Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm were currently gathered at Heavenly Sword Peak.

The Void Whale Master did not find this suspicious. After all, you had just broken through to Deity Transformation and taken control of Heavenly Sword Peak. It was perfectly normal for Heavenly Monarch Miduo and Heavenly Monarch Qingcang to go offer their congratulations.

'Hm?'

Gazing toward Heavenly Sword Peak, the Void Whale Master faintly noticed that the four Heavenly Monarch auras there were blurry, flickering in and out of perception.

'Is the great array of Heavenly Sword Peak activated? The methods left behind by the Sword Lord are truly remarkable. They can even isolate the auras of Heavenly Monarchs,' the Void Whale Master thought.

It made sense. With two foreign Heavenly Monarchs entering Heavenly Sword Peak, it was understandable that Extreme Sword would fully activate the great array.

'One day, when the envoy leads the army of the Demon Abyss Realm to occupy the Human Realm, we'll see if you can still be so relaxed...'

The Void Whale Master mused bitterly. The world tier of the Human Realm had fallen, bringing the Void Whale Clan to the brink of extinction, yet the human race was living so comfortably. This filled its heart with deep displeasure.

'Soon. According to the envoy's intent, once this generation's Extreme Sword passes away in meditation, we can bring in the demon army from the Demon Abyss Realm. When that time comes, everyone will die...' Just as the Void Whale Master was about to return to the depths of the Deep Sea...

Right at that moment.

A terrifying sword intent slashed forward. Without a sound, space was easily sliced open.

'What is this?'

The Void Whale Master was startled. 'Extreme Sword?'

This razor-sharp sword light that could sever anything in its path could only have come from the hands of Extreme Sword.

But how was this possible?

Was Extreme Sword not at Heavenly Sword Peak? Was he not attending the Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony for True Monarch Qingyuan?

The Void Whale Master abruptly looked forward.

There, with black hair wildly dancing and a sword-shaped brand on his brow, stood Extreme Sword. Wielding an ethereal longsword, he had already unleashed a strike at it.

"Extreme Sword, what are you doing?"

An inexplicable sense of unease washed over the Void Whale Master. Although it was no match for Extreme Sword, surviving was not an issue while in the Deep Sea. But immediately following the sword strike, a monstrous surge of vitality and blood swept over, sealing off the Void Whale Master's retreat.

A burly, towering figure strode forward, every step he took causing the very space to shudder.

"Heavenly Monarch Qingcang?"

The Void Whale Master's heart grew cold, and it quickly looked to the left.

A Golden Body Buddha stood there, his Buddhist light filling the space for thousands of miles. The Void Whale Master felt a crushing pressure on the level of its divine soul.

But it was not over yet.

The Void Whale Master suddenly raised its head and looked at the sky.

Above the clouds stood a man dressed in green robes.

You stood with your hands clasped behind your back.

You gently flicked your sleeve.

Hum—

Boundless mountain and sea mana intertwined, transforming into a hazy realm that heavily suppressed everything below.