Chapter 420 - 190: Tempering True Skill Upon the Homeland; Three-Five Sin-Slaying Divine Monarch, How Dare You Tread Upon My Domain

Chapter 420: Chapter 190: Tempering True Skill Upon the Homeland; Three-Five Sin-Slaying Divine Monarch, How Dare You Tread Upon My Domain

The clamor of voices finally died down as the crowd dispersed.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; crows flew south under the night sky. Within the Ji Residence, every lamp was lit, illuminating the grounds.

Ji Xiu brought over two stools. After the influential figures and old friends from the county had left one by one, he was just about to chat with Xu Longxiang beside him.

But the first words out of the old man’s mouth made him jump, his eyes wide.

’You can’t be serious, can you?’

But seeing Xu Longxiang’s solemn expression, which showed no sign of joking, Ji Xiu’s heart sank.

A Realm Gate!

One had to understand that in the entire Jiangyin Prefecture, there had only been one other case in decades—the one in East Canghai. That incident had even alarmed the Titled existences in the Cangzhou Protectorate, who had prepared for a major threat.

Even so, that had only been a mirage. It vanished without a trace after his Ancestral Master, Wang Xuanyang, shattered Chaotic Heaven Lake, proving to be a false alarm.

And now this old man was telling him that the Earth Dragon Cave, a place where he used to patrol and hunt...

...had actually produced a genuine ’gate,’ one that was about to stabilize and channel the Spiritual Mechanism of Heaven and Earth?!

Ji Xiu had only ever read about such a spectacle in the archives; this was the first time he’d ever heard of it happening in reality.

"Correct."

"But..."

"Is this not also an ’opportunity’ for you?"

Xu Longxiang nodded slightly, then added another sentence.

’An opportunity?’

Ji Xiu was slightly taken aback.

Xu Longxiang, however, straightened his spine, pumping out a great surge of Qi and Blood. For a moment, the faint image of an Ancient Dragon Elephant appeared, revealing the imposing spirit of the Armor Demon-Vanquishing.

It stemmed from the same source as Ji Xiu’s own True Martial Profound Skill, which he had only just begun to grasp and which was still extremely faint.

In that instant, Ji Xiu’s heart pounded like a drum, a revelation striking him to his very soul. He immediately understood the message the old man was trying to convey!

"Master, are you saying that the appearance of a Realm Gate in the five-hundred-li Earth Dragon Cave is actually a golden opportunity for me to break through to a Qi Cultivation Grandmaster?"

Ji Xiu’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

Xu Longxiang nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"If you want to fully grasp the truth of the True Martial World Demon Suppressing Profound Skill and cultivate a Qi Sea Weather, you must fight against the Immortal Soldiers and Divine Armor, the Demon Fiends and Divine Demons of the Outer Dao."

"But the Realm Gate guarded by my Dragon Elephant True Sect has long been fortified with countless barriers. Even experts of the Upper Three Realms would face immense suppression and be annihilated by me the moment they stepped through."

"So, without a compelling reason, no more foolhardy Outer Dao followers will dare to invade."

"If I were to find a breakthrough opportunity for you, I would have to risk sneaking you in. We would undoubtedly become a public target in that demonic world. To be honest, it would be quite risky."

"However..."

"Your hometown here is different."

Xu Longxiang looked toward the Earth Dragon Cave, his tone firm.

"A brand-new Realm Gate is often a strategic point that the Military Families will fight to the death over."

"Even the Immortals, Pure Lands, and other Celestial Dao Lineages—those who have temporarily ceased hostilities with the Great Xuan Territory—will, upon discovering a Realm Gate within their jurisdiction..."

"...try every means possible to annex the mountain counties on this land we stand on, in order to supplement their Qi Number and Spiritual Mechanism in the unseen world."

"Thus, friction between Magic Soldiers and Daoist Soldiers will be inevitable."

"And if it’s not the Immortals or Pure Lands, but instead a great world of the Divine Dao like the Central Yellow, the Abyss Ruins, or the Celestial Humans—worlds that are chaotic and disorderly, or perhaps a Realm Universe with a strict hierarchy..."

"...then war is certain to break out!"

"Once large-scale Divine Dao Armored Warriors, or Demons, or vassals enslaved by the Celestial Humans break through the gate..."

"...won’t they be the perfect nourishment for your path to the Dao?"

Hearing this, Ji Xiu’s heart grew heavy with worry.

"But Master, doesn’t the opening of a Realm Gate usually bring catastrophe and immense suffering?"

"The entire Anning County couldn’t even withstand the previous Divine Dao catastrophe. If we face another ’calamity of the Realm Gate’..."

At these words, the old man laughed heartily and stood up. It was as if his organs, his Flesh, Bone, Skin, and Membrane, had all been ignited, turning him into a blazing furnace in the night sky. His hair and beard instantly whipped into the air.

"That’s for other places."

"But with me standing guard here, even if there are beings from the Upper Three Realms—even the likes of Divine Monarchs and Celestial Monarchs from the Central Yellow Heaven, who are above Dharma Guardian Generals..."

"...if they dare to set foot here, they will not escape being slaughtered and annihilated by me!"

"What am I afraid of?"

"I’m afraid of scaring those Outer Dao abominations away! Otherwise... how will you achieve your Dao!?"

These words made Ji Xiu’s blood surge, and his eyes gleamed.

Sitting on his stool, he never would have imagined that his journey to becoming a Grandmaster didn’t require him to trek over mountains and cross prefectures to reach the Dragon Elephant True Sect. Instead, it was...

Right here in front of him!

With this realization, he immediately pulled over Old Yao, whom he had previously promoted to Steward of the residence, and questioned him in detail about the Earth Dragon Cave.

Unaware of Xu Longxiang’s identity, Old Yao, who had been grinning from ear to ear at Ji Xiu’s return, immediately began shaking his head like a rattle drum upon hearing that Ji Xiu wanted to enter the Earth Dragon Cave.

"Boss, for the past two days, a white mist has risen from the depths of the Earth Dragon Cave. It’s not peaceful there..."

"I heard from the bosses of the mountain towns and Hunting Manors under our shop’s purview that within that swirling white mist, they can vaguely see shadows ’wearing armor and wielding sharp weapons.’ They’re moving about frequently, killing mountain beasts and Spirit Monsters, which has made everyone hesitant to go deeper."

"I also heard that some of the towns and manors have made contact with those Armored Warriors. They received some benefits, and there hasn’t been any wanton slaughter. They just spread the names of those people..."

’Names?’

Ji Xiu’s eyes narrowed.

"The disaster of the previous divine calamity is still fresh in their minds. How could they forget so quickly?"

His tone was grave.

’A centipede dies but never falls down. The human heart is always the easiest to tempt, especially when profit is on the line!’

In response, Old Yao hesitated, a difficult expression on his face. His voice was somewhat timid.

"Boss, it can’t be helped. Those mountain towns and Hunting Manors live off the mountain. Although the Ji Residence is the General Leader, if they want to make a living, they can’t avoid the Earth Dragon Cave."

"Right now, the Earth Dragon Cave is occupied by those Armored Warriors. If you don’t side with them... I’ve heard that anyone who isn’t approved by them vanishes without a trace the moment they step into the white mist."

"Boss, do you remember Liang Cheng from the Hunter’s Manor, the one who swore a blood oath with you?"

"That Martial Artist, relying on his abundant Qi and Blood, went into the mountain forest alone, hoping to uncover the secrets of those ’Armored Warriors.’ He never came back..."

Old Yao’s face was etched with worry for Ji Xiu’s sake.

After hearing this, Ji Xiu’s brows knitted even tighter, the initial joy of his triumphant return home slowly fading.

"Then do you know what ’name’ they are glorifying?"

Old Yao scratched his head.

"Because our county learned its lesson, any attempts at incitement or proselytizing are shut down by the grand halls, the businesses, and the masters at the County Yamen as soon as they reach the county seat."

"But some rumors still leaked out..."

"I hear it’s something like the ’Three Five Evil Slayer Divine Monarch’?"

A Divine Monarch!

A tremor went through Ji Xiu’s heart. Beside him, Xu Longxiang’s expression also grew grave.

Previously, when he encountered the ’Spirit Summoning and Saint Manifesting General’ worshiped at the Grand General Altar, he had come into contact with the cultivation system of the Central Yellow Heaven.

Those beings who walked the path of the Divine Dao’s investiture, the Dharma Guardian Generals, were equivalent to the ’Qi Cultivation Grandmaster’ level, but they were far more powerful than ordinary Martial Artists.

And the level above that...

...are the Sealed Monarchs, Celestial Monarchs, or Divine Monarchs!

These figures often possess Divine Techniques and are comparable to the Titled Martial Dao!

Further up are the Holies and Emperor Monarchs, but those were too far removed for him to have any contact with for now.

Even though Xu Longxiang had just given him a shot of confidence.

But to be faced with a ’Sealed Monarch’...

...was definitely not something to be taken lightly!

"It seems a ’Divine Monarch’ presides over the domain on the other side of this Earth Dragon Cave’s Realm Gate."

"A being who has reached that level... can already bestow titles upon Mountain Deities, Earth Deities, and County Gods to infiltrate other realms."

"If my guess is correct."

"Those ’mountain towns’ and ’Hunting Manors’ outside your county seat have likely already been taken over by Spirit Monsters from the mountains—’Rural Monster Deities’ that have been granted titles by the Divine Monarch and turned into puppets."

"Moreover, these divine subordinates have the extraordinary ability to gather the spirits of the dead and add them to the ranks of Divine Dao soldiers to wage war."

As Xu Longxiang spoke, a chill ran through Ji Xiu’s heart.

At the same time, when he thought of the remains of ’Ye Wenjiang’ buried in the Earth Dragon Cave... a sudden, bad premonition struck him.

"Master, Elder Ye’s remains from his fall a Jiazi ago are still there..."

"Let It dare."

Xu Longxiang rose from his stool.

At that moment, every inch of his blood and bone seemed to carry the dense, killing aura of late autumn. Though his voice was calm, it possessed a force capable of crushing a Divine Peak, leveling mountains, and breaking cities.

"If ’It’ truly dares..."

"I don’t mind showing It."

"How a Martial Artist slaughters a god!"