Chapter 278: My Son is a Heavenly Monarch?

[Three hundred and twenty-three years from now, a slaughter will break out in the Southern Sea Territory.]

[It involved as many as five True Monarchs, all at the Mid Nascent Soul stage.]

[The cause of the slaughter was a Primordial Yin Treasure Physique.]

[True Monarch Lishui, a Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, discovered a possessor of the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique on a mortal archipelago in the Southern Sea Territory.]

[For some unknown reason, the news leaked out, attracting three other Mid Nascent Soul True Monarchs.]

[To fight over this Primordial Yin Treasure Physique, the four Mid Nascent Soul True Monarchs engaged in a bloody battle.]

[Ultimately, True Monarch Lishui proved no match for them. Before fleeing, he directly destroyed the possessor of the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique. Caught in the clash between the four True Monarchs, all the nearby mortal islands vanished like smoke and scattered like clouds.]

[This incident caused quite a stir in the Southern Sea Territory at the time, but the four Mid Stage True Monarchs were unwilling to speak of it. After all, the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique was already destroyed.]

[Later, during a full-scale investigation by Heavenly Sword Peak, a descendant of one of the four Mid Nascent Soul True Monarchs voluntarily confessed this information.]

[This intelligence held little value at the time. After all, the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique was gone. What difference did it make even if one knew the exact details?]

[But for you, that was not the case. In this simulation, for example, you could head to that mortal archipelago ahead of time in three hundred-odd years. The moment the possessor of the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique was born, you could take her away and slowly nurture her.]

[With your current status and means, raising a cultivator to the Late Nascent Soul Stage would be incredibly easy, especially since the aptitude of a Primordial Yin Treasure Physique was quite decent.]

['I hope she can be nurtured to the Deity Transformation Stage...']

[You thought to yourself. Cultivating another Primordial Yin Treasure Physique meant adding another sliver of hope; if one didn't work out, perhaps the other would.]

[Shifting your gaze away from the Southern Sea Territory, you began to review the specific gains from this trip to Nether Mountain.]

[The Sword Lord's Manuscript, Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, Myriad Tribulations Soul Stone, Nine-Star Ancient Soul Fruit, Jade of Ten Thousand Souls, Yin-Yang Tower, Source Transformation Fruit, Myriad Void Armor, Top-Grade Primordial Spirit Pill, the Original Stone of the "Zhoutian Book of Changes", the Mysterious Black Jade...]

[As the numerous rewards surfaced in your mind, a smile appeared on your face.]

[These were the total gains for clearing the Ghost Realm Trial Field—no, they were far greater than the usual rewards for passing the trials.]

[Because you achieved the highest possible evaluation in every stage of the trials, the final rewards you obtained were also the most precious.]

[During the previous simulation, Dachun had also cleared the trial field, but his rewards fell far short of yours. At the very least, when the ultimate trial ended, the treasures Dachun selected couldn't even compare to a Primordial Spirit Pill.]

[Yet you obtained a Top-Grade Primordial Spirit Pill, and you could select three treasures at once.]

[With a slight shift in your thoughts, you handed both the Nine-Star Ancient Soul Fruit and the Jade of Ten Thousand Souls to your Second Nascent Soul to refine and absorb.]

[You were just waiting for the Second Nascent Soul to reach its limits before having it merge with the Myriad Tribulations Soul Stone, transforming it into a Second Primordial Spirit.]

[Having done all this, you re-entered the grotto-heaven fragment.]

[In this simulation, your speed in clearing the Ghost Realm Trial Field was incredibly fast. Altogether, it took less than a day, with most of that time spent on the Armored Guardian repeatedly testing your true age.]

[Without that procedural step, you estimated you would have come out in just a few dozen breaths.]

[With a Deity Transformation body, passing trials where the opponents were merely a group of Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators was simply too easy.]

[Inside the grotto-heaven fragment, you returned to your cave mansion and saw Li Yan waiting for you anxiously.]

["Yan'er..."]

[You naturally knew what Li Yan was going to do. You didn't point it out; instead, you looked at her with a smile.]

["Master, I have been reborn..."]

[Li Yan immediately revealed everything truthfully. However, the memories concerning events hundreds of years later had mostly been sealed by you; she would only be able to gradually recall them when her cultivation reached the necessary level.]

[You listened patiently as Li Yan finished speaking. Since you had decided to forge a 'reincarnator' background for her, you naturally wouldn't tell her the truth. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to explain how you knew about things that would happen hundreds or thousands of years in the future.]

["So that's how it is."]

[A look of sudden realization appeared on your face. "Yan'er, you really have stumbled upon a massive fortuitous encounter."]

["Master, in my past life, I was useless and failed to step into the Deity Transformation Stage. But this time, I will definitely change the fate of my failed breakthrough..."]

[Li Yan clenched her small fists and spoke with determination.]

[At this moment, numerous cultivation ideas and thoughts surfaced in Li Yan's mind, especially those concerning the art of sound.]

["Just do your best, Yan'er."]

[You looked at Li Yan, feeling quite gratified.]

[The memories you had replicated for Li Yan originally belonged to her, so they were of great use to her.]

[This didn't mean that casually duplicating an expert's memories and giving them to just any cultivator would yield the same effect.]

[For example, if you replicated the memories of a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch and gave them to a Qi Refining cultivator, would that allow the Qi Refining cultivator to step into Deity Transformation as well?]

[These were two entirely different matters.]

[The most obvious difference was that for a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch, their past cultivation was extremely easy. When stepping from Qi Refining into Foundation Establishment, they didn't even need a Foundation Establishment Pill; they could simply break through directly.]

[So, could a Qi Refining cultivator possessing the memories of this Heavenly Monarch do the same?]

[They definitely couldn't. Their cultivation talent, aptitude, and comprehension were completely different. Things that were incredibly simple and even considered common sense to a Heavenly Monarch were as difficult as ascending to heaven in the eyes of the vast majority of Qi Refining cultivators.]

[In fact, due to this discrepancy, a Qi Refining cultivator with a Heavenly Monarch's memories would instead misjudge themselves, leading to an early demise—such as suffering from Qi deviation during cultivation.]

[As for obtaining the cultivation experience of all stages by possessing the Heavenly Monarch's memories...]

[It was certainly useful, but if one possessed a Heavenly Monarch's memories, they definitely had the backing of a Heavenly Monarch as well. Rather than searching through a Heavenly Monarch's memories, which were as vast as the open sea, to find cultivation experiences suited to oneself, why not directly consult the Heavenly Monarch and receive their guidance?]

[But Li Yan was different. The memories you gave her originally belonged to her. Every step she took in those memories, the details of her cultivation, and the final results—the current Li Yan was capable of achieving all of them.]

[This was the most crucial point.]

[Therefore, granting the memories of high-level cultivators to low-level cultivators couldn't be popularized. Every cultivator was different. Forcibly implanting external memories would only backfire.]

["What do you plan to do next, Yan'er?"]

[You looked at Li Yan and asked.]

["Master, I plan to return to the Foundation Establishment Stage first, and then focus on the art of sound. In my past life, my sound arts were just one step away from Tier 5..."]

["Mm."]

[You nodded slightly, while also feeling somewhat curious. Li Yan had only obtained memories, not the actual realm of the skills. Now that she was re-comprehending the art of sound, would the memories accelerate her progress?]

[Under your watchful gaze, Li Yan immediately returned to her quarters and earnestly began cultivating.]

[Motivated by her 'past life', Li Yan was now brimming with drive for her cultivation.]

[You observed Li Yan for a moment before taking out the Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix.]

[Whoosh!]

[Using the power of the Divine Ability Transformation, you began to refine this drop of Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix.]

['It'll take about twenty years to finish refining and obtain the Heavenly Phoenix Transformation?']

[You received some information from the Divine Ability Transformation, which included the specific time required to finish refining.]

['Not bad.']

[You nodded slightly. Compared to the hundreds of years needed to refine the True Dragon Blood, the time required to refine the Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix was much shorter. This was also tied to the fact that you were already at the Deity Transformation Stage and possessed a Fifth-Tier Body Refining cultivation base.]

[The Divine Ability Transformation originated from a body cultivation divine ability. Naturally, the stronger your physical body, the greater the enhancement it would provide.]

['The True Spirit Heavenly Phoenix roams across myriad worlds. Even in the Upper Realm, it is considered a legend. Who knows how many descendants of the Heavenly Phoenix were bled to refine this drop of Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix...']

[You thought to yourself. Whether it was the True Dragon Blood or the Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, both were refined extracts; they didn't come from actual True Spirits like a real True Dragon or Heavenly Phoenix.]

[The bloodline concentration within them barely met the threshold for blood essence.]

[If it were the true blood essence of a real True Dragon or Heavenly Phoenix, it would be impossible for you to refine it. Such powerful existences could obliterate everything with a mere wisp of their aura, let alone a drop of their blood essence.]

'I wonder what kind of enhancements the Heavenly Phoenix Transformation will bring me.'

[You felt quite expectant in your heart. In any case, the True Dragon Transformation had drastically increased your strength. With the blessing of your numerous talents, it allowed you to suppress and beat a Fifth Tier Late Stage Demon Heavenly Monarch using only Deity Transformation Early Stage strength.]

[You reined in your thoughts, and a secret art surfaced in your mind.]

[It was exactly the secret art from the last three pages of the Sword Lord's Manuscript—the method to condense the Heavenly Sword Seed.]

[As long as you could condense the Heavenly Sword Seed, you would be able to command Heavenly Sword Peak. This would be of great help to your upcoming plans.]

['The Heavenly Sword Seed...']

[Your soul power constantly intertwined, faintly condensing into a sword-shaped seed.]

[This secret art was extremely difficult to practice. For an ordinary Deity Transformation Early Stage Heavenly Monarch, there was almost zero possibility of successfully mastering it.]

[But you were different. You excelled the most in the soul aspect. The feedback you gained from defeating the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon in the previous simulation, combined with the boost from Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move, allowed your practice of this secret art to advance by leaps and bounds.]

['It will take half a day at most to condense the Heavenly Sword Seed...']

[You cultivated for a moment and came to this conclusion.]

[Practicing this secret art didn't require your constant attention; devoting a sliver of your mind to it was enough.]

[Next, you brought out the Yin-Yang Tower and the Myriad Void Armor.]

[These were two High-Grade Profound Heaven Spirit Treasures that suited you perfectly.]

[In the sixth simulation, you basically never used Profound Heaven Spirit Treasures. This wasn't because you didn't need them, but because Heavenly Sword Peak's Profound Heaven Spirit Treasures were almost entirely swords.]

[Since you weren't a Sword Cultivator, you naturally couldn't use them.]

['Myriad Void Armor...']

[You began to refine it with your magic power. Before long, this High-Grade Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure merged into your skin, forming a thin layer of inner armor.]

[This armor could weaken any attack. Whether it was a magic attack, a soul attack, or a physical attack, as long as it landed on your body, the Myriad Void Armor would weaken it by sixty percent.]

[Unless the might of the attack exceeded the limits of the Deity Transformation Stage, it was impossible to destroy this armor.]

['Yin-Yang Tower.']

[You looked at the small tower hovering before you, where Yin and Yang energies intertwined and coiled.]

[This High-Grade Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure belonged to the suppression category. When fully activated, the Yin and Yang energies would flow, heavily restricting even a Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch.]

[Of course, fully activating the Yin-Yang Tower required at least a Deity Transformation Middle Stage cultivation base.]

[Two hours later.]

[You stepped out of the grotto-heaven fragment.]

[With a single stride, you appeared at the Zhou Family estate beside Nether Mountain.]

["Young Master."]

[Seeing you, Dachun immediately ran over. "I just remembered a lot of things. They seem to be from a past life..."]

[Dachun told you many things. The general gist was similar to Li Yan's, truthfully informing you about his rebirth.]

["Mm."]

[You nodded slightly, brought Dachun to the side of Nether Mountain, and then squeezed out a drop of blood essence.]

[This was the blood essence of your Fifth-Tier Body Refining Heavenly Monarch level. To any body cultivator in the world, it was an invaluable treasure.]

[You sealed this drop of blood essence into Dachun's body. With Dachun's current physical state, he couldn't absorb this drop of blood essence at all; it could only be sealed and slowly refined.]

[Watching Dachun enter the Ghost Realm Trial Field, you pondered for a moment before heading to the Zhou Family once again.]

['The Zhou Family...']

[You looked at the Zhou Family before you, feeling deeply moved.]

[In the previous few simulations, you had always been extremely cautious. Especially during the sixth simulation, even though you were a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator, because you had to head to the Central Continent Territory to fight for crucial resources, you worried about forming massive karmic ties that would implicate the Zhou Family.]

[Therefore, you had always tried your best to sever your relationship with the Zhou Family.]

[But in this simulation? You were already a Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch, the strongest combatant in the Human Realm. What karmic ties did you have to fear?]

[You arrived at the main hall of the Zhou Family.]

["Ah Qing."]

[Your mother, Madam Zhou, was the first to notice you. She ran over with a face full of pleasant surprise. "Ah Qing, when did you get back?"]

["Little Brother."]

[Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu also came over. Ever since migrating here from the Gan Kingdom, the two brothers had nothing to do, so they had been staying at home.]

["Where's Father?"]

[You asked.]

["I've already sent someone to look for Dad. He should be back soon..."]

[Your eldest brother, Zhou Wen, said.]

["Little Brother, how are things going with the cultivation world matters you told me about last time...?" Your second brother, Zhou Wu, was very interested in cultivation and couldn't help but ask.]

["If you want to cultivate, you can do so too," you said with a smile as you looked at your second brother, Zhou Wu.]

["I can cultivate too?" Zhou Wu was a bit dumbfounded. Didn't they say cultivating required spiritual root aptitude?]

["As long as I want it, you can."]

[You spoke with a casual tone. At your current level, forging a postnatal spiritual root was merely a matter of lifting a finger.]

[Before your second brother, Zhou Wu, could even react, Zhou Shizhong strode into the hall.]

["Ah Qing, you're back?"]

[Zhou Shizhong said, his voice full of vigor. Because they had left the Gan Kingdom, he had been much happier these past few days.]

[Once the family was seated, you spoke up. "There's something I want to tell you all. Actually, I am a Heavenly Monarch."]

["A Heavenly Monarch?"]

[Zhou Shizhong and the others were stunned. None of them knew what a Heavenly Monarch actually meant.]

["It means the strongest in the Human Realm."]

[You explained patiently, then flipped your hand.]

[Rumble!]

[With the Zhou Family estate as the center, everything within a radius of a hundred thousand li began to tremble. All the spiritual veins were completely altered, and the flow of spiritual energy surged and converged toward the Zhou Family, which was situated in mortal lands.]

[The entire Zhou Family estate began to rise from the ground. Surging spiritual energy roiled, forming a massive floating island as the power of a Rank 5 grand array blanketed and permeated the area.]

["From today onward, our Zhou Family is the strongest cultivation clan in the Eastern Wilderness, and even the entire Human Realm."]

[You looked at your parents and brothers, who were caught in such shock they couldn't react for a long time, and spoke in an even tone.]