Chapter 891 - 597: Returning Once More, Immortal Ancient Continent!
"Puh—!"
Inside the cave abode, Qin Zheng suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turned pale, and the Qi Mechanism he had been struggling to sustain could no longer hold, rapidly plummeting.
It was still too much of a strain!
Using the damaged Great Dao Sky Abyss Bow to forcibly fire a shot that could kill a Dao Ancient powerhouse also required him to bear a terrifying recoil!
Upon careful reflection, the reason he did not suffer recoil the last time was because that arrow was autonomously shot by the Great Dao Sky Abyss Bow, not controlled by him.
But regardless, being able to summon the Great Dao Sky Abyss Bow and shoot such a terrifying arrow was already an unexpected surprise.
Confirming his ability to use this lethal Treasure already was a great joy for him, and in comparison, the recoil issue could be ignored.
As Qin Zheng breathed and adjusted, the characteristic of "Eternal" rapidly healed his injuries, and after about three days, his wounds fully recovered, allowing him to act again.
According to his own estimate, given his current state, he could probably shoot three arrows consecutively without dying. After the third arrow, life or death would depend on how strong the recovery ability of "Eternal" was.
However, with the shock of this second arrow, the Dao Ancient powerhouses of the Nine Provinces should not dare to emerge and probe for a short while.
As long as he waits for his advancement to Dao Ancient, or for the Three Pure Ones to exit seclusion, the threat from the Nine Provinces Daoists would be almost nullified.
The Ancient Clan that could arrive at any moment is the greatest threat now!
The Heavenly Abyss Ancient Clan couldn’t stop it back then, and in their current state, it’s even more impossible. Only if the Three Pure Ones advance to Extreme Ancient, or he advances to Extreme Ancient, can they stop other Ancient Clans from descending.
Thinking of this, Qin Zheng’s mind sank into his Heart Sea, looking at the Merit Scroll.
The Extreme Ancient Essence Blood given by the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Ancestor—and the memory he obtained from refining it—he hasn’t checked yet. Now that things are temporarily stable, he can examine this memory to see if he can judge the strength of other Ancient Clans.
With this thought, he communicated with the scroll.
The next moment.
Hua—!
Intense light enveloped his entire vision.
"The Gate of the Great Path is about to open."
A voice resounded, heavy, envious, and complex.
When Qin Zheng’s sight returned, he saw himself inside a spacious and bright bamboo house, a middle-aged man wearing green clothes with greying temples was standing with his back to him, gazing out the window.
Qin Zheng followed the gaze.
Outside the huge wooden window, twelve great suns stood in the sky, emitting fiery red light, painting heavens and earth crimson.
Above the twelve great suns, a faint outline of a gate was slowly appearing, though still vague and white, like clouds gathering by coincidence.
"The Gate of the Great Path?"
Qin Zheng’s heart stirred.
This is evidently the Immortal Ancient Continent, and those twelve great suns are the twelve ’Tai’ Realm powerhouses.
Yet this so-called ’Gate of the Great Path’ is something he has heard about for the first time, and seen for the first time, if the ill-defined outline counts.
"The manifestation of the Gate of the Great Path means that the Dao Fruit condensed in this era is about to be released. This time, who among the ’Tai’ will be able to seize the Dao Fruit and transcend this world?"
The middle-aged man sighed deeply, turning around to look at Qin Zheng, showing encouragement in his eyes: "Star’s talent is very high, if you can advance to ’Tai’ before the Gate of the Great Path manifests, you will have a chance of transcending."
The Heavenly Mechanism Clan Ancestor is called ’Star’, just as the Heavenly Abyss Clan Ancestor is called ’Yi’.
Qin Zheng instantly understood.
"I won’t transcend."
Star shook his head, saying stubbornly yet sincerely: "I’ve heard that after transcending, one leaves this world. If I transcend, then Dad, Mom, and you, Elder, I will never see again."
"Hahaha."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, gently stroking Star’s head, speaking with a tone of affection: "When Star grows up, you’ll understand the meaning of transcendence."
After saying this, he led Star to the center of the bamboo house, in front of a mystical stone tablet carved with countless characters, and spoke: "Today I’ll teach Star the Divination Skill."
Qin Zheng witnessed, from an observer’s perspective, the process of the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Ancestor learning to predict heavenly secrets, and as the middle-aged man said, the Heavenly Mechanism Clan Ancestor’s talent was so high that he comprehended everything immediately.
After finishing learning the Divination Skill, the two returned to the bamboo house window, gazing at the twelve standing suns in the sky.
"The ’Tai’ is already very strong, why still desire transcendence?"
Star asked, somewhat puzzled.
The middle-aged man smiled and said: "Because the Great Path is always evolving to become ’greater’, if you do not relentlessly pursue greater strength, you will become increasingly ’small’ under the contrast of the Great Path."
"Perhaps after countless eras, newborns will be born as ’Tai’, then do you think ’Tai’ will still be strong?"
After hearing this, Qin Zheng reflected deeply.
Though the notion of newborns being born as ’Tai’ is exaggerated, as the Great Path keeps expanding, realms stronger than ’Tai’ will emerge over time, making ’Tai’ no longer the strongest.
Star vaguely understood, even though he thought not being the strongest was inconsequential, he did not say it aloud; he could feel the Elder’s strong hope for ’Tai’ and ’transcendence’.
"Elder, when the Gate of the Great Path manifests, what does the Dao Fruit released look like?"
Star changed the topic, asking curiously.
The middle-aged man heard this and fell into deep thought, walking to the bamboo window, gazing up at the faintly outlined Gate of the Great Path, quietly saying: "Dao Fruit is formless, except for the ’Tai’ who obtains it, no one knows what it looks like."
"However..."
The corners of the middle-aged man’s mouth slightly curved: "Our clan excels at divination; though I cannot see the shape of the Dao Fruit, I can know its attributes ahead of the ’Tai’."
"The attributes of the Dao Fruit?"
Star spoke in anticipation.
Qin Zheng too cleared his mind, waiting for the next words.
"Yes."
The middle-aged man nodded, gazing at the outline of the Gate, smiling lightly: "This era’s Dao Fruit is related to ’virtue’."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zheng’s heart stirred, instantly connecting it to his Merit Scroll.
Until now, he hadn’t seen a Treasure whose rank was higher than the Merit Scroll, could the Merit Scroll be the Dao Fruit of this era?
If that’s true, then why haven’t the twelve ’Tai’ on the Immortal Ancient Continent succeeded in obtaining it?
Could it be that the conflict was so fierce that they even shattered the Immortal Ancient Continent, and ultimately, the twelve ’Tai’ couldn’t decide the winner, causing the Dao Fruit to fall into the endless dimensions below the Immortal Ancient Continent, achieving him?
Thoughts surged in Qin Zheng’s mind.
Then he saw the middle-aged man’s expression suddenly change, quickly walking to the mystical stone tablet in the center of the bamboo house, chanting and gesturing while divining something.
Until moments later.
The middle-aged man suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, instantly aging, staggering to the ground, full of terror in his expression, mumbling to himself: "The Immortal Ancient Continent will fall, and all twelve ’Tai’ will die!"