Chapter 461 - 380: Three Thousand Years
A flick of the fingers, three thousand years.
In the Mixed Cave Mansion, on the central stone platform, Chen Sheng remained seated cross-legged without moving, his aura sometimes silent like an abyss, sometimes vast like a prison.
Within three feet around him, the space exhibited a subtle distortion, countless particles invisible to the naked eye emerged and vanished within.
At times they transformed into the sharpness of metal, the vitality of wood, at times into the flexibility of water, the intensity of fire, and finally all returned to the weight of earth, then vanished with a barely audible sound, emitting strands of decaying Evil Qi.
These Evil Qi were not chaotic but automatically gathered around him into a profound shadow.
Countless miniature mixed caves and Evil Qi intertwined, reflecting myriad apocalyptic visions, precisely the phenomenon of the "Five Volumes of the End" second volume at Perfection.
"Buzz——"
A low Dao Rhyme humming emanated from within Chen Sheng, the particles around him accelerated their emergence and vanishing, the Five Elements Evil Qi surged like a tide into his brow.
"Mid-stage Void Refining, the second volume of the End at Perfection!"
Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes, gently clenching his palm, a magnificent, ethereal palace appeared out of thin air, exuding a suppressive aura over the universe.
It was the Secret Technique he cultivated, "Heaven in Palm"!
"Transform!"
With a thought, the originally brilliant palace was instantly covered with a layer of pitch-black Evil Qi, countless Demon Patterns and Evil Runes appeared on the palace walls, interweaving with star Runes, exuding an even more terrifying power.
The palace lightly trembled, and the surrounding space was filled with fine cracks, as if about to collapse in the next moment.
"This is the Heaven in Palm enhanced by the Condensation of Evil Volume..."
Feeling the power contained within the palace in his palm, Chen Sheng was satisfied:
"With my current strength, I can rival the Eight Tribulations Void Refining."
With just a thought, Cultivators of the sixth level of Longevity would find it hard to take a step in the palace, even Great Powers of the seventh level of Longevity would be suppressed by him with a flip of the hand.
Thinking thus, Chen Sheng slowly stretched his body, a crisp sound like thunder rolling issued from his bones and joints, each sound carrying the tremor of Dao Rhyme, causing the crystals of Spiritual Qi on the cave’s stone walls to fall with a tinkling sound.
Gazing at the Dao Rhyme notes he had carved on the stone wall over three thousand years, he couldn’t help but sigh softly:
"Indeed, there is no reckoning of time in Cultivation; this session of closed-door meditation is my longest yet, and I’ve gained much!"
His mind churning, he recalled the past three thousand years.
When he first entered the Grotto Heaven, he only intended to meditate for a century, using the Taiyin Origin Pearl to evolve the Great Void Domain. As long as he refined Spiritual Qi step by step, advancing to Mid-stage Void Refining within a century was by no means difficult.
The turning point occurred in the seventieth year.
That day, after refining a hundred-thousand-year-old "Purple Mist Ginseng", suddenly a record from the "Great Power Mixed Cave True Demon Strategy" of "Mixed Cave Swallowing Evil, Nourishing the Body with Evil" flashed in his mind.
Although this Demon Technique was contrary to his path of End, its core principle sparked a new thought regarding the "Condensation of Evil" mysteries in the second volume of the "Five Volumes of the End".
He faintly sensed that this was the opportunity for his breakthrough!
Without hesitation, Chen Sheng directly engraved the Cultivation Technique diagrams of the "Great Power Mixed Cave True Demon Strategy" on the cave’s stone wall with his Divine Sense, juxtaposed with the Condensation of Evil volume diagrams of the "Five Volumes of the End", and began deducing against both diagrams.
As time flew by, by the three-hundredth year, Chen Sheng finally found a breakthrough and mastered the "Second Volume of the End"!
In the two thousand seven hundred years that followed, his Cultivation faced no further obstacles, using the Yin Soul in the harvested Small Thousand World origin as a lead, he continued to cultivate the second volume, finally reaching Perfection.
"But it is also time for me to leave."
Thinking thus, Chen Sheng stepped forward as if strolling leisurely.
Without any earth-shaking mana fluctuations, the bluestone tiles beneath his feet emanated ripples of starlight which steadily carried his figure outside the cave mansion.
In an instant, a familiar low dragon chant resounded through the clouds.
On the cliff platform outside the Grotto Heaven, a Profound Ice Black Dragon stood tall; noticing Chen Sheng’s figure, its dragon eyes immediately glowed with two bright blue lights, quite excited.
"Thank you for waiting."
Chen Sheng chuckled lightly, raised his hand to pat the cold dragon head of the black dragon.
The black dragon contentedly narrowed its dragon eyes, its tail lightly sweeping across the cliff, kicking up a cloud of dust, showing its docility.
With a sharp wave of Chen Sheng’s robe sleeve, countless streams of dazzling starlight erupted around him, surging towards the void like a tide, weaving together in front of the cliff.
In merely a moment, a light bridge woven from starry tracts, a few meters wide, extended out from the void.
"Go!"
With a light command from Chen Sheng, the Profound Ice Black Dragon understood, let out a joyful dragon chant, and with four claws stepping on ice crystal clouds, its dragon form transformed into a jet black stream of light, carrying Chen Sheng straight into the starry light bridge.
As the black dragon’s figure fully merged into the light bridge, the light bridge slowly receded like a tide, eventually transforming into a thread of starlight, dissipating into the void.
...
Several days later, in the "Calm Heart Cave Mansion" on the southwest edge of Dongming City, Chen Sheng sat cross-legged on a Cold Jade Bed.
Having just ended a three-thousand-year meditation, he was completely unaware of the near-three-thousand-year changes in the situation of Chongli Heaven, and planned to gather information from all sides to clarify the subsequent developments.
Suddenly, a light sound came from outside the cave mansion’s Barrier.
Chen Sheng’s brows slightly raised, and his Divine Sense extended—only to see a golden-glittering visit card lying quietly on the stone platform outside the Barrier.
"Visiting me?"
A trace of doubt arose in Chen Sheng’s heart.
Operating in Dongming Prefecture with the identity of "Cyan Nether Wanderer", he had never actively forged ties with any force, so why would any Cultivator go out of their way to visit him?
He flicked a finger, and the visit card passed through the Barrier, landing steadily in his palm.
Upon touch, a sharp Dao Domain seeped into his palm from the visit card, the Dao Rhyme solid and heavy, revealing the Cultivation mark of the seventh level of Longevity.
Chen Sheng’s heart stirred: "An unwelcome guest, they offer respect first and action later?"
No matter what the other’s purpose is, hiding is ultimately not the solution.
Chen Sheng tucked the visit card into his sleeve and raised his hand to dispel the inner layer of the barrier within the cave dwelling, speaking aloud: "Since the friend has already arrived, why not come in for a chat?"
As soon as his words fell, a cyan figure swept through the stone gate of the cave like a breeze:
"I am Gu Quan, greetings Cyan Nether friend."
The newcomer wore a cyan robe, with a gaunt face, his presence stable as a mountain with the seven-layer Cultivation of Longevity, emanating a faint bloody scent.
Chen Sheng fixed his gaze, this face was entirely unfamiliar to him.
Gu Quan was also subtly gauging Chen Sheng, and upon seeing the mid-stage Void Refining Cultivation around him, he immediately understood.
Three thousand years ago, this Cyan Nether Wanderer was merely at the early-stage of Void Refining, yet managed to slay the three demons of Taihuang, disappearing thereafter, now seeing him again at mid-stage Cultivation, he clearly found a hidden place for secluded cultivation.
"Cyan Nether friend’s Cultivation has truly advanced rapidly."
Gu Quan’s tone carried a deliberate compliment, while actually probing the other’s confidence.
Chen Sheng went straight to the point:
"Gu Quan visiting this time, surely not to praise my Cultivation. Speak frankly, for what reason have you come?"
Gu Quan still smilingly replied: "To be honest, my Venerable Master has sent me, wishing to purchase something from you."
Upon hearing the words Venerable Master, Chen Sheng raised his brows, knowing the other was pressuring him, then calmly said:
"What might the item be?"
Gu Quan’s eyes suddenly turned sharp, piercing directly at Chen Sheng’s eyes:
"A Jade Token. Three thousand years ago, when you killed the three demons of Taihuang at Hundian Sea, surely you obtained a Nine-hole Jade Token from their relics."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng immersed his Divine Sense into the Storage Ring, carefully sifting through the relics of the three demons from three thousand years ago.
From Demon Artifact to Cultivation Technique Jade Scroll, and then to scattered Spiritual Materials, he checked them one by one, yet couldn’t find the Jade Token.
He withdrew his Divine Sense, shaking his head frankly: "I did collect the relics of the three demons, but there is no Jade Token as you mentioned, you must be mistaken."
Gu Quan’s smile instantly faded, his eyes narrowing slightly, a flash of cold light passing through his elongated eyes, he directly threatened:
"This item is extremely important to my Venerable Master, if you can’t produce it, you might not make it out of Dongming Province."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
Before Gu Quan could react, his right hand flipped suddenly, a burst of light interwoven with millions of starlight and Evil Qi surged in his palm.
Within a breath, a resplendent palace appeared out of thin air, emanating an overwhelming suppression like the Heaven and Earth Net, descending upon Gu Quan.
"Dare you!"
Gu Quan’s pupils shrank, the coldness on his face froze instantly, replaced by disbelief and rage.
He assumed that although the opponent was formidable, they would consider his seven-layer Longevity Cultivation and his Venerable Master, yet he did not expect this Cyan Nether Wanderer to be so audacious, acting without hesitation!
More shocking was, at the moment the palace descended, he felt the surrounding space completely locked, even the operation within his Grotto Heaven became extremely sluggish.
The wild suppressive force felt like a Divine Mountain pressing down, giving him a sense of despair that he couldn’t resist.
At the critical moment, Gu Quan dared not be negligent, a Thunder Pool flew out from his Grotto Heaven.
Within the Thunder Pool, purplish-golden Divine Lightning boiled and surged, countless Thunder Dragons circled and roared within the pool, the fruits of his ten thousand years of Condensation, the "Burning Sun Thunder Pool."
"Go!"
Gu Quan shouted angrily, and the Thunder Pool suddenly expanded, with Thunder Dragons rushing out and crashing towards the descending palace.
However, as soon as these Thunder Dragons touched the palace’s barrier, the Evil Pattern on the palace’s surface abruptly lit up.
Numerous small Mixed Caves appeared on the walls, generating a terrifying devouring force as they rotated, the leading Thunder Dragons were swallowed entirely by the Mixed Cave, turning into pure energy feeding back to the palace.
The next moment, billions of black Sword Qi shot out from within the palace, the Sword Qi entwined with the will of the end!
"Puff puff puff—"
The Sword Qi fell like a torrential storm, Gu Quan couldn’t withstand it at all, even his Dao Fetus was grazed by several Sword Qi, causing a stabbing pain.
The Thunder Pool trembled violently under the impact of the Sword Qi, its walls covered with cracks, the purplish-golden Divine Lightning inside grew increasingly dim, apparently unable to last much longer.
Trapped in the center of the palace, Gu Quan’s form grew increasingly haggard, his hair disheveled, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, eyes filled with shock and resentment.
"Noisy."
With a face as cold as ice, Chen Sheng gently set down the teacup in his left hand, his right palm suddenly gripping tightly.
The palace violently contracted accordingly, the vast building shrank to three feet square, the internal suppressive force soaring dozens of times.
Gu Quan felt his bones emitting crisp cracking sounds, his Dao Fetus thoroughly suppressed, unable to move even a finger.
He watched Chen Sheng’s figure penetrating the palace’s walls, that Profound Robe figure clearly in front of him, yet it felt like separated by vast waters and mountains, radiating an awe-inspiring dignity that suffocated him.
Chen Sheng’s fingertip touched, piercing like a sharp blade into Gu Quan’s forehead.
Gu Quan wanted to urge his Primordial Spirit to resist, but found it already eroded by the palace’s end Dao Rhyme, unable to muster even the slightest strength.
His Soul Search technique swiftly swept through Gu Quan’s sea of consciousness, memories flooding into Chen Sheng’s mind like tides.
The Venerable Master’s identity, the reason for hunting the traitor...when a memory regarding the "Jade Token" surfaced, Chen Sheng’s brows furrowed abruptly.
"Bai Ze Order, demon saint’s legacy!"