Chapter 239: The True Body Arrives in Person

[ Over the next half month, you attempted the True Dragon Transformation multiple times, gaining a precise understanding of its upper and lower limits. ]

[ The upper limit of this transformation depended entirely on the strength of your physical body and divine soul. ]

[ Even at the Deity Transformation Stage, it could still produce terrifying effects. ]

[ "As expected of a top-tier True Spirit immortal beast!" ]

[ You sighed in admiration, suddenly recalling the drop of Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix from the Ghost Realm Trial Field. ]

[ As a top-tier True Spirit immortal beast on par with the True Dragon, the Heavenly Phoenix Transformation would be of immense help to you as well. ]

[ Year 250. You were 267 years old. ]

[ "The Xuande Grotto-Heaven is about to open." ]

[ You opened your eyes and looked toward the firmament of the Outer Heaven. ]

[ Right now, your main Nascent Soul was cultivating the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art, while your physical body was advancing toward the peak of the Fourth-Order Late Stage. ]

[ "Let the Second Nascent Soul go." ]

[ With a thought, a Fourth-Order Late Stage puppet materialized. Your Second Nascent Soul stepped out and took control of it. ]

[ Your Second Nascent Soul shared your divine soul strength. Possessing this Fourth-Order Late Stage puppet allowed it to maximize its combat prowess, making it equivalent to a legendary Great Cultivator who had broken past the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage in divine soul power. ]

[ Although vastly inferior to your true body, it remained invincible within the current Human Realm. ]

[ In the stellar layer of the Outer Heaven, beyond the Human Realm. ]

[ Enormous stars, tens to hundreds of thousands of li across, stretched out endlessly. ]

[ Before a massive star a full million li across, figures continuously gathered. ]

[ "The Xuande Grotto-Heaven opens once every five thousand years and contains opportunities for Deity Transformation. Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue is within five hundred years of his lifespan limit. I might be able to outlive him and seize the chance to break through to Deity Transformation. I must fight for this opening!" ]

[ A burly figure appeared, concealing boundless vitality. It was none other than the Sacred Body Sect's top-tier body cultivation Great Cultivator Mangu. ]

[ Of course, Great Cultivator Mangu had come with his identity hidden this time. ]

[ Although the Xuande Grotto-Heaven had no master, revealing his true identity would undoubtedly cause him to hold back when fighting. Hiding his identity was different; even if he faced a good friend, he could attack without mercy. ]

[ The top forces of the Human Realm all possessed rough estimates of when the contemporary Heavenly Monarchs would pass away in meditation. Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue, whose limit was approaching the fastest, was naturally known in advance to all the peak Great Cultivators. ]

[ "The Xuande Grotto-Heaven... opened by Heavenly Monarch Xuande of the ancient era..." ]

[ Another figure revealed himself. His gaze was sharp as a blade, and his entire being radiated monstrous sword intent, as if capable of annihilating everything in sight. ]

[ 'A top sword combat Great Cultivator of Heavenly Sword Peak...' ]

[ Great Cultivator Mangu's expression changed slightly. The sword combat Great Cultivator hadn't hidden his identity. Sword cultivators pursued One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Dharmas and disdained hiding who they were. ]

[ In truth, a sword cultivator's methods were simply too recognizable. The sharp aura of a Sword Dao Nascent Soul was difficult to conceal, making it impossible to hide their identity anyway. ]

[ "Are you from the Sacred Body Sect? Or the Extreme Dao Pavilion?" ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator glanced at Great Cultivator Mangu and asked casually. ]

[ "Hahahaha! What if I am from the Sacred Body Sect? What if I am from the Extreme Dao Pavilion?" Great Cultivator Mangu had no intention of exposing his identity. As long as he left no definitive evidence, it would be nothing more than suspicion. ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator's expression shifted, and he looked in a certain direction. ]

[ Yet another figure materialized, faint purple patterns etched between his brows. ]

[ "Purple-Eyed True Monarch?" ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator looked at the Purple-Eyed True Monarch with interest. He was quite curious about this True Monarch's identity, as the man didn't seem to hail from any of the Central Continent's top forces. ]

[ 'A sword combat Great Cultivator?' ]

[ The Purple-Eyed True Monarch's heart sank. The top Great Cultivators of Heavenly Sword Peak rarely participated in the struggles over Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands. ]

[ 'It seems securing the Xuande Grotto-Heaven's opportunities this time will require paying a price.' ]

[ The Purple-Eyed True Monarch knew what to expect. ]

[ Time slipped by. ]

[ Figure after figure arrived. ]

[ Every powerhouse present was a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator, and there was no shortage of peak-tier Great Cultivators among them. ]

[ Most experts had concealed their identities, such as the Hexu Sect's top Great Cultivator, Suqi, and the Myriad Laws Sect's top Great Cultivator, True Monarch Wugan. ]

[ Also present were Great Cultivators from the Top Ten Outlaws Ranking List. ]

[ A blurry figure appeared, his divine soul power completely restrained. ]

[ It was True Monarch Chashi. ]

[ Before True Monarch Golden Face, True Monarch Chashi had held the number one spot on the Top Ten Outlaws Ranking List as a top Great Cultivator. ]

[ His divine soul power was terrifying. When paired with his secret arts, he could distort an ordinary Great Cultivator's perception of time. ]

[ Before True Monarch Chashi, it was exceptionally difficult for ordinary Great Cultivators to even fight back. ]

[ "So many peak Great Cultivators?" ]

[ True Monarch Wugan had also arrived nearby. Sensing the auras hidden in the dark, he muttered, "This opening of the Xuande Grotto-Heaven is close to the time Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue will pass away in meditation..." ]

[ During most openings of the Xuande Grotto-Heaven, there weren't this many Great Cultivators vying for opportunities. ]

[ The opportunities inside the Xuande Grotto-Heaven pertained to Deity Transformation. But if no Heavenly Monarch passed away in meditation, even obtaining those opportunities wouldn't allow one to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage. It would be meaningless. ]

[ Just then... ]

[ Yet another figure arrived. ]

[ He wore a black robe, looking mysterious and profound, with a Black Gold Mask over his face. His aura was restrained, but the invisible oppressive weight of his divine soul faintly distorted the void around him. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face... is here too?" ]

[ True Monarch Wugan's expression grew solemn. During the opening of the Lingxu Blessed Land, he had taken a slap from True Monarch Golden Face head-on. If his sect's foundation hadn't blocked the brunt of it, he probably still wouldn't have recovered by now. ]

[ True Monarch Wugan understood the terror of True Monarch Golden Face better than anyone. ]

[ 'Over the past hundred or so years, True Monarch Golden Face didn't appear during the opening of the Wood Source Grotto-heaven...' ]

[ True Monarch Wugan felt secretly disappointed. He had thought True Monarch Golden Face wouldn't show up for the Xuande Grotto-Heaven's opening either. ]

[ Only the top forces of the Central Continent had the capability to accurately estimate when Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue would pass away in meditation. If True Monarch Golden Face came from another region, it was entirely possible he wouldn't have shown up. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face!" ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face has arrived?" ]

[ The peak Great Cultivators on the scene all turned their gazes toward you. ]

[ As the Human Realm's first legendary Great Cultivator since the Near-Ancient Era, your very existence was so oppressive it left the other peak Great Cultivators breathless. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face? I've been looking for you all these years. I never thought I'd run into you here." ]

[ Thick fighting intent burst from the sword combat Great Cultivator's eyes. The monstrous sword intent he emitted boiled and intertwined, faintly coalescing into a towering peak behind him. ]

[ That was the image of Heavenly Sword Peak. Whenever Great Cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect condensed their sword intent, they used Heavenly Sword Peak as their model. It was said that Heavenly Sword Peak was connected to the Sword Lord of the ancient era. ]

[ It was suspected to have been left behind by the Sword Lord. ]

[ 'It's about the same number of peak Great Cultivators that showed up in the fifth simulation.' ]

[ You swept a glance over them. The black robe and Black Gold Mask on your body were formed purely from magical power; they weren't physical treasures. ]

[ 'With so many peak Great Cultivators drawn here, the probability of a Deity Transformation opportunity is over ninety percent.' ]

[ You felt increasingly certain of this. ]

[ 'A top sword combat Great Cultivator from Heavenly Sword Peak?' ]

[ You took an extra glance at the sword combat Great Cultivator. This was your first time encountering a peak Great Cultivator from One Peak. During your previous two outings, no Great Cultivators from Heavenly Sword Peak had made an appearance. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face!" ]

[ The Purple-Eyed True Monarch looked at you, a trace of killing intent leaking from his gaze. ]

[ Whether it was the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven or the Lingxu Blessed Land, the resources inside were exactly what the Purple-Eyed True Monarch needed. ]

[ Yet you had snatched them all away, forcing him to pay a much steeper price to obtain the corresponding support from the Demon Abyss Realm. ]

[ This resulted in the Purple-Eyed True Monarch falling under even stricter control from the Demon Abyss Realm. In the future, even if he broke through to the Deity Transformation Stage, he would have to obey their orders entirely. ]

[ How could the Purple-Eyed True Monarch not be furious? He had betrayed the Human Realm and defected to the Demon Abyss Realm for the hope of reaching higher realms. But now, held by the throat by the Demon Abyss Realm, he had lost all initiative in negotiations. ]

[ "Hm?" ]

[ You gave the Purple-Eyed True Monarch a glance. ]

[ An invisible ripple of divine soul power flashed, warping the space around you. ]

[ In an instant, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch recoiled as if struck by lightning. A massive purple eye materialized behind him, wreathed in bizarre undulations. ]

[ Hum! ]

[ The Purple-Eyed True Monarch stumbled back several steps. His face went pale, and he stared at you in terror. ]

[ If not for a hidden trump card he'd prepared activating just then, he most likely would have suffered severe divine soul trauma from that strike, which had exceeded the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage. ]

[ "Again." ]

[ You simply glanced at him, and another wave of divine soul power surged forth. ]

[ When it came to the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, you wanted nothing more than to kill him as quickly as possible. In the Lingxu Blessed Land, he had used a Substitution Technique to escape with his life. But now? ]

[ Since you saw him, he had to die. ]

[ "Everyone, if you don't attack now, who will be next after I'm severely injured and driven off?" ]

[ The Purple-Eyed True Monarch scrambled furiously in retreat. Heavy layers of divine soul ripples erupted around him as he pleaded for help from the observing peak Great Cultivators. ]

[ The expressions of the various peak Great Cultivators changed slightly. Your strength was feared by every powerhouse present. If they allowed you to eliminate the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, they would likely be next. ]

[ There was only one set of opportunities in the Xuande Grotto-Heaven. If you remained, none of the other peak Great Cultivators would stand a chance. ]

[ "Strike!" ]

[ True Monarch Chashi stepped forward, calling up formless waves of divine soul power. ]

[ Ever since you arrived, True Monarch Chashi had been observing you. His specialty was also divine soul power, but he was still a distance away from breaking past the Nascent Soul Stage limit. ]

[ Whoosh. ]

[ A small cauldron appeared in True Monarch Chashi's palm. The invisible divine soul strike passed through the cauldron, visibly warping space. ]

[ The small cauldron was a Quasi-Fifth Tier Spiritual Treasure forged by a Heavenly Monarch of the Xuantian Sect in the past. It could amplify divine soul attacks. ]

[ Of course, even with True Monarch Chashi's strength, he couldn't launch many divine soul strikes through the cauldron. The toll the treasure exacted on divine soul power was simply too immense. ]

[ For this opening of the Xuande Grotto-Heaven, True Monarch Chashi had naturally factored you in, which was why he had specifically brought along this Quasi-Fifth Tier Spiritual Treasure. ]

[ Normally, a Quasi-Fifth Tier Spiritual Treasure served as the Xuantian Sect's core foundation. Without a compelling reason, it could not be taken outside. ]

[ Rumble— ]

[ The terrifying divine soul strike, magnified by the small cauldron, exceeded the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage. It tore through space and swept toward you. ]

[ You stood quietly in place. Backed by your Indomitable Will, you easily deflected this divine soul attack of the same level. ]

[ "A Quasi-Fifth Tier divine soul Spiritual Treasure?" You looked at the small cauldron in True Monarch Chashi's palm and furrowed your brows slightly. ]

[ True Monarch Chashi had appeared in the fifth simulation as well, but he hadn't used a Spiritual Treasure of this level then. ]

[ 'It's because of me.' You weren't surprised. ]

[ Since they dared to contest the Xuande Grotto-Heaven's opportunities knowing that a legendary Great Cultivator currently existed in the world, they definitely had some measure of confidence. ]

[ The impact of your actions in the Lingxu Blessed Land had elevated the intensity of the battles over this Xuande Grotto-Heaven opening to a whole new level. ]

[ 'Relying on external force to barely break past the Nascent Soul Stage limits... how could that possibly compare to a true legendary Great Cultivator?' ]

[ You didn't care much. If he were a legendary Great Cultivator who had broken the divine soul limits at the same realm, you would need to treat him seriously. But True Monarch Chashi? Only the sheer power of his attack exceeded the Nascent Soul Stage limits; his mastery and technique were extremely crude. ]

[ 'A strike delivered with a Quasi-Fifth Tier Spiritual Treasure actually didn't affect True Monarch Golden Face?' ]

[ True Monarch Chashi's expression darkened. 'Is this a legendary Great Cultivator who broke the limit in the divine soul aspect?' ]

[ In a one-on-one fight, even with a Quasi-Fifth Tier divine soul Spiritual Treasure, he was absolutely no match for you. At best, he could withstand a few moves and hold out for a little while. ]

[ "Cleave!" ]

[ Great Cultivator Mangu raised his hand, and a massive black axe appeared. ]

[ The black axe was incomparably heavy. Space twisted around it as if unable to bear the weapon's weight. ]

[ Great Cultivator Mangu hoisted the great axe with immense difficulty and swung it violently toward you. ]

[ The black axe was a Quasi-Fifth Tier offensive Spiritual Treasure forged by a body cultivation Heavenly Monarch of the Sacred Body Sect. Powered by vitality, it specialized in obliterating demons and monsters. ]

[ "Hm?" ]

[ You watched the monstrous axe light slashing toward you. ]

[ You could afford to ignore True Monarch Chashi's divine soul strike; after all, your divine soul had surpassed the Nascent Soul Stage limits, allowing you to easily endure it head-on. ]

[ But this axe light threatened to shatter the divine soul. You needed to handle it carefully. ]

[ You raised your right hand. Boundless magical power converged, forming a sea-overturning great seal that smashed into the incoming axe light. ]

[ Several great seals formed in rapid succession, wearing down the heaven-shaking axe light until it was completely neutralized. ]

[ 'My strike using a Quasi-Fifth Tier Spiritual Treasure... was actually...' Great Cultivator Mangu vaguely realized something. 'This True Monarch Golden Face doesn't seem quite as strong as rumored.' ]

[ Your method of blocking the axe light showed Great Cultivator Mangu that you weren't an utterly unstoppable force. ]

[ "Wind!" ]

[ Great Cultivator Suqi made his move. A crystal surfaced between his brows, then silently shattered. It transformed into supremely pure magical power, forming a wind that blasted across a ten-thousand-li radius. ]

[ This was a wind of magical power, faintly surpassing the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage. Great Cultivator Suqi had deployed the Hexu Sect's foundation: the Crystal of Magical Power, which unleashed a gale that eclipsed the bounds of a Nascent Soul. ]

[ As the wind blew, you felt your magical power begin to dissipate, though your divine soul was able to endure it. ]

[ "Solidify!" ]

[ Ocean-like divine soul power gathered in your eyes. Utterly terrifying divine soul ripples interfered with reality, forcefully solidifying the endless magical gale. ]

[ "What?" ]

[ Great Cultivator Suqi's face paled. "What terrifying divine soul foundation." ]

[ Although he had anticipated True Monarch Golden Face's limit-breaking divine soul methods, seeing you solidify a magical wind of equal caliber purely with divine soul power still shook Great Cultivator Suqi to his core. ]

[ "Everyone, attack together, now!" ]

[ Wrapped in strange energies, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch roared again when he saw you pinned down. The illusory purple eye floating behind him grew increasingly real. ]

[ Whoosh! A vertical eye identical to the illusory purple eye behind him suddenly split open on the Purple-Eyed True Monarch's heavily patterned forehead. A massive surge of energy gathered, warping space as it bore down upon you. ]

[ This was the most powerful technique the Purple-Eyed True Monarch could muster. Eclipsing the Nascent Soul limits, he had originally intended to save it for the final struggle over the Xuande Grotto-Heaven's opportunities. ]

[ Following suit, several other peak Great Cultivators attacked, wielding their Quasi-Fifth Tier foundations. ]

[ A Quasi-Fifth Tier foundation was the strongest trump card a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator could deploy away from their sect. As for higher Rank 5 foundations? Unless they faced the annihilation of their sect, they could not be used. ]

[ 'True Monarch Golden Face...' The sword combat Great Cultivator watched you locked in battle against seven or eight peak Great Cultivators using Quasi-Fifth Tier foundations. 'I am no match. Even if I burned my Sword Dao Nascent Soul, I would last only a moment.' ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator didn't join the others in attacking you. As a sword cultivator, he disdained ganging up on a peer of the same realm. ]

[ Of course, having no ties to you, he wasn't going to help you either. ]

[ Further away, the many ordinary Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivators watching the battle were enthralled. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face is too strong. Fighting seven or eight peak Great Cultivators head-on? And they're using Quasi-Fifth Tier foundations! Such power, tsk tsk..." ]

[ "Ugh, those peak Great Cultivators are shameless. They're just bullying True Monarch Golden Face for not bringing a Quasi-Fifth Tier foundation." ]

[ "Regardless, True Monarch Golden Face has proven his might. A legendary Great Cultivator can sweep through all Nascent Soul Stage True Monarchs." ]

[ These ordinary Late Stage Great Cultivators could naturally see that under the combined assault of seven or eight peak Great Cultivators wielding Quasi-Fifth Tier foundations, you had fallen to a disadvantage and likely wouldn't hold out much longer. ]

[ But so what? You were also a Nascent Soul Stage True Monarch. To hold your ground against seven or eight peak Great Cultivators of the same realm for this long—who else since the Near-Ancient Era could have achieved this? ]

[ Even counting the ancient era, how many had reached such heights? ]

[ Rumble... ]

[ Space-warping attacks constantly clashed, and you slowly fell into an absolute disadvantage. ]

[ You swept a glance over the besieging peak Great Cultivators. With a thought, your Nascent Soul spirit body shot out. ]

[ Hum! An even more terrifying wave of divine soul power surged as your Nascent Soul spirit body fled straight downward into the Human Realm. ]

[ "True Monarch Golden Face... is escaping?" ]

[ "Sending his Nascent Soul spirit body out and abandoning his flesh—he must be giving up on the Xuande Grotto-Heaven." ]

[ Seeing this, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch was overjoyed. ]

[ The other peak Great Cultivators also breathed a heavy sigh of relief. They had brought all these Quasi-Fifth Tier foundations solely to guard against True Monarch Golden Face. ]

[ Forcing him back and even making him abandon his physical body was undoubtedly a massive victory. ]

[ "No!" ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator, who hadn't attacked, originally thought the same. But as his divine sense swept across the plunging physical body that had lost its Nascent Soul's control, his expression changed. ]

[ Without your Nascent Soul spirit body's magical power to mask it, the true nature of this physical shell gradually revealed itself to the sword combat Great Cultivator's eyes. ]

[ Before he could think on it further, an even more shocking shift occurred. ]

[ The sword combat Great Cultivator vaguely felt his Sword Dao Nascent Soul trembling. He looked down at the Human Realm and seemingly saw an unfathomable entity rocketing toward them at a terrifying speed. The friction against the Human Realm's space produced ripples that surged relentlessly through the layered void. ]

[ He could almost feel the Human Realm's space constantly warping and shattering beneath the sheer momentum of that unfathomable entity, appearing on the verge of total collapse. ]

[ Boom! ]

[ Finally, that unfathomable entity smashed through the astral wind layer and arrived in the stellar layer. ]

[ A vast distance separated the edge of the stellar layer and the entrance to the Xuande Grotto-Heaven, blocked by massive stars spanning tens to hundreds of thousands of li. ]

[ Yet wherever the sword combat Great Cultivator looked, the gigantic stars blocking the path rapidly detonated and crumbled. A vast, unfathomable aura charged straight toward them, blowing apart every star in its way. ]

[ The next moment. ]

[ A star a hundred thousand li across, located right by the Xuande Grotto-Heaven's entrance, exploded. A figure arrived instantly, looking down from on high at the many stunned peak Great Cultivators. ]

[ The figure wore a black robe, looking mysterious and profound, with a Black Gold Mask over his face. He gently raised a hand, and the Second Nascent Soul—which the peak Great Cultivators had expended so much blood and effort to drive away—merged into his body. ]

[ The crushing aura he emitted felt like heaven and earth collapsing, leaving every peak Great Cultivator present trembling in their hearts. ]