Chapter 464 - 382: The Number One Cultivator in Central State
Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye.
Since the day he escaped the Starry Cloud Sea with the star chart from his master, Dharma Master Hong Jue, Chen Sheng had changed his appearance to look like an ordinary man, wearing a gray cloth Daoist robe as a Loose Cultivator.
He abandoned the sky-walking technique of the Profound Ice Ink Dragon and cautiously ventured into the heartland of the Central State.
On this day at dawn, as the first rays of golden light pierced through the morning mist in the eastern sky, Chen Sheng’s steps finally halted before a boundless stretch of city walls.
Chen Sheng sighed inwardly:
"What a divine city, its scale can rival that of the Yun State Prefecture City."
A barely noticeable flash of light shone around him; his gray cloth Daoist robe transformed into an elegant long robe of blue silk, and a royal passage Jade Token quietly hung from his waist.
The Jade Token was blue-white in color, its front inscribed with the characters "Royal Heaven," and its back imprinted with the seals of the city defense department, a necessary credential for entering and exiting the city of Royal Heaven.
He followed the flow of people and walked through the city gate, raising his eyes to survey the scene within the city, and once again sighed in his heart:
"Truly extraordinary."
"As I traveled closer to the Central State, the cultivators’ strength noticeably increased."
Chen Sheng’s gaze swept over the pedestrians on the street, comparing inwardly.
In the Dongming State, cultivators in the Seventh and Eighth Layers of Longevity already dominated a region, and those like the Three Devils of the Great Desolate in the Fifth Layer of Longevity could run rampant.
In the Central State, there were still many low-level and mid-level cultivators; though Void Refining and Longevity were still considered Great Powers, they could not act without restraint.
Because here, crouching tigers and hidden dragons gathered, attracting many top-tier cultivators with twelve or more tribulations.
If one were too arrogant, they might be suppressed by a powerful figure emerging from nowhere.
"It makes sense that many powerful figures would gather in the Central State."
Chen Sheng approached a stall selling maps and accepted the "Map of Central State Territory" handed to him by an elder, unfolding it.
A faint Dao Rhyme of space wafted from it—the map was crafted from "Void Beast Hide."
The locations of mountains, Secret Realms, and Sects were all drawn with runes; a gentle touch could project corresponding real scene imagery.
When his gaze skimmed over the words "Two Realms Battlefield" and "Origin Secret Realm" marked on the map, Chen Sheng’s heart understood.
The Central State was the borderland between Chongli Heaven and the Taiyi Realm, where the laws of the two realms collided and fused, not only giving birth to numerous rare treasures but also nurturing many Secret Realms containing the Power of Origin.
More importantly, there was a passage connecting to the Taiyi Realm, through which many Spirit Realm cultivators had to transit via the Central State for training excursions to the Taiyi Realm.
Over time, this place became a sacred land for cultivation and a trade hub in Chongli Heaven, attracting top powerhouses from all over.
"The Taiyi Realm, another Grand Thousand World, is certainly a place I must visit."
A gleam of yearning flashed in Chen Sheng’s eyes, but he shook his head:
"But not now; for the present, Chongli Heaven is more suitable for me; with Integration-level cultivators unable to enter, my safety is fully assured."
Stowing the map into his sleeve, Chen Sheng raised his eyes toward the tallest building in the city.
It was a pavilion standing in the center of Royal Heaven City, topped by a massive observatory with a bronze stargazing mirror installed.
That was the most famous Stargazing Tower in Royal Heaven City—the largest intelligence trading center in the entire Central State.
Whether it be secret sect matters, coordinates of Secret Realms, or bounties and Cultivation Techniques, clues could be found in the Stargazing Tower.
"I should visit the Stargazing Tower first."
Chen Sheng made up his mind and followed the crowd toward the Stargazing Tower.
The blue silk robe he wore stood out amidst the bustling crowd, yet no one dared to glance at him lightly.
In this city filled with hidden talents, an ordinary-looking cultivator might conceal astonishing power.
...
Within the Intelligence Pavilion on the third floor of the Stargazing Tower, the aroma of Spirit Tea mingled with the ancient ambiance of Jade Scrolls.
Hundreds of cultivators were seated behind jade tables, some with eyes closed perusing Jade Scrolls, others whispering intelligence exchanges.
Chen Sheng chose a window-side corner to sit down, holding a "Central State Overview Jade Scroll" he exchanged from the pavilion.
A wisp of his Yang Spirit delved into it.
The information within the Jade Scroll flooded into his sea of consciousness like a tide, from the demarcations of various powers, the latest situation on the Two Realms Battlefield, to the opening cycle of Origin Secret Realms.
In just a quarter of an hour, he gained a rough understanding of the topography of the Central State.
...
On the first level of the Stargazing Tower, some low to mid-level cultivators were in animated discussions:
"Have you heard? The number one cultivator in the Central State—the Celestial Desolate Divine Master is about to cross the tribulation!"
"In a thousand years, it will take place at the Jade Dome Mountain Range, facing the thirteenth Longevity Dao Tribulation."
"The thirteenth Dao Tribulation? Isn’t that the legendary fatal tribulation? No one is known to have survived the thirteenth tribulation."
"But this is the Celestial Desolate Divine Master we’re talking about, the number one under Integration, is there anything impossible? Back in the Day, the Divine Master singlehandedly defeated three twelfth-layer Longevity cultivators in the Black Abyss."
"True, with such strength, perhaps a miracle could indeed happen!"
The surrounding cultivators gradually gathered around:
"I heard that the Divine Master’s ’Celestial Desolate Indestructible Body’ has reached the Ninth Layer, even attacks from an eleventh-layer Longevity cultivator cannot penetrate his defense!"
"And that’s not all, the ’Great Desolate Cauldron’ he wields is the Lifebound Magical Treasure of the Integration Dharma Master from back then, unbelievably sharp!"
"In a thousand years, the Jade Dome Mountain Range will surely be crowded with people; I must make sure to arrive early and secure a good viewing spot!"
...
"The Celestial Desolate Divine Master, the number one in the Central State?"
Curiosity piqued, Chen Sheng immediately set down the Overview Jade Scroll in his hand and made his way to the "High Tier Cultivators’ Records" section deeper within the Intelligence Pavilion.
These Jade Scrolls were embedded with restrictions, requiring a considerable amount of Dao Crystals to view.
Thanks to several Longevity Realm cultivators, Chen Sheng was not short of Dao Crystals, so he unhesitatingly handed over some Dao Crystals and accepted an ink-black Jade Scroll engraved with the characters "Celestial Desolate," delving his Yang Spirit into it once more.
The information inside the Jade Scroll was far more detailed than the cultivators’ discussions.
Celestial Desolate Divine Master’s real name is Yi Tian, originally a Loose Cultivator, who coincidentally obtained the legacy of the Integration Dharma Master "True Master of the Nine Provinces" at an ancient cave mansion.
Thereafter, he swept across regions, from Bright State to Central State, participating in over a thousand battles without a single defeat.
The most earth-shattering battle was ten thousand years ago in the Black Abyss, where he singlehandedly vanquished three twelfth-layer Longevity Great Powers.
From then on, he has been regarded as the number one cultivator in Central State, the undisputed first under Integration, cloaked in legendary aura.
Chen Sheng felt a stirring in his heart: "Void Refining Twelfth Tribulation, Twelfth-layer Longevity..."
Even though his senior brother was a powerhouse of this level, the number of such cultivators was actually scarce, even rarer than the number of Integration Dharma Masters.
Integration Dharma Masters have life spans of up to millions of years, who can accumulate numbers as long as they do not perish.
Whereas Void Refining cultivators undergo a Longevity Dao Tribulation every nine thousand years, failing to cross leads to death, their lifespan at most around twelve thousand years.
Having reviewed the achievements and accolades of the counterpart, Chen Sheng inwardly sighed:
"The number one powerhouse beneath Integration indeed lives up to his reputation."
Of course, what concerned Chen Sheng more was the thirteenth Longevity Dao Tribulation.
According to common knowledge in the Cultivation Realm, Void Refining Realm can undergo up to twelve Dao Tribulations; the thirteenth tribulation was long considered beyond conventional norms, a deadly tribulation!
Being relatively young, Chen Sheng had never experienced a Longevity Dao Tribulation nor witnessed others crossing tribulations.
"I never imagined my first observation of someone crossing a tribulation would be of someone facing the thirteenth Dao Tribulation!"
He put down the Jade Scroll, his heart alight with profound anticipation.