Chapter 244: My Master

["The fourth layer..."]

[The subsequent content of the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art surfaced in your mind.]

[The difficulty of cultivating the fourth layer exceeded that of the third, but you still had plenty of time left in this simulation.]

[You would have no trouble mastering the fourth layer.]

["This secret art is truly remarkable. I wonder what kind of figure that Heavenly Monarch was—the almighty expert who opened the Ghost Realm Trial Field."]

[A sense of yearning welled up in your heart.]

[Very few records regarding the origins of the Ghost Realm Trial Field's creator had been passed down. It was only known that they lived in the same era as the Sword Lord, and that the brilliance of their existence had been completely eclipsed by him.]

[At the end of the ancient era, the Sword Lord was simply too dazzling, rendering other almighty Heavenly Monarchs of the same level dim by comparison.]

['To even possess the Sword Lord's Manuscript... did they know the Sword Lord?']

[You thought to yourself. So far, you had never heard of any supreme faction possessing the Sword Lord's Manuscript. If any did, it was likely only Heavenly Sword Peak, keeping it secret from outsiders.]

[Year 360, you were 377 years old.]

[Your expression was solemn as you stared at the Tier 4 Top Grade alchemical furnace before you, which measured dozens of zhang across. An inexplicable aura circulated endlessly within the furnace.]

[Ever since your array techniques stepped into the Fourth Tier High Grade and provided insight into your alchemical skills, you had begun attempting to refine tier-five pills.]

[In the past thousand years, the Human Realm had not seen a tier-five alchemical heavenly master.]

[The last alchemical heavenly master lived over three thousand years ago, originating from Pill King Mountain, one of the Five Side Sects.]

[Swish—]

[Various medicinal powers intertwined and fused within the alchemical furnace. Faintly, a perfectly round, large pill began to take shape.]

["Condense!"]

[Your eyes lit up. You did not hesitate to unleash the body cultivation divine ability, Eruption, gaining a temporary boost to your divine soul to increase your chances of condensing the pill.]

[But in the next moment, the embryonic pill within the furnace seemed to suffer a mishap, collapsing from the inside out.]

['A failure?']

[You looked at the ruined waste pill inside the furnace and fell into deep thought.]

['The reason for this failure is my insufficient control over the fusion of the medicinal properties...']

[You thought to yourself, 'My divine soul strength completely meets the standard, but I am still lacking control over the fusion of medicinal powers...']

[There were two ways to solve this problem.]

[The first method was very simple.]

[As long as you stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage and merged your spirit with heaven and earth, your control over all things in the world would naturally vastly improve. Becoming a tier-five alchemical heavenly master would then happen naturally, as water flows and a channel is formed.]

[The second method was to continue your comprehension until your control over the fusion of medicinal powers met the required standard.]

['Hm?']

[Just as you were summarizing the gains and losses of this alchemy session...]

[You suddenly sensed the aura of Great Cultivator Sanfu approaching your immortal cave.]

[After a moment of thought, you realized why.]

[During your refinement of the tier-five pill just now, you had already reached the final condensation stage.]

[Refining a tier-five pill triggered worldly phenomena far exceeding that of a tier-four pill. Even though you had set up a Fourth Tier High Grade array in advance to isolate it, a small portion had still leaked out.]

[However, this small wisp of celestial phenomena would, at most, make outsiders think you were refining a Fourth Tier High Grade pill.]

[The Fourth Tier High Grade isolation array you had arranged was not entirely useless; it could still suppress the vast majority of the alchemical phenomena.]

[You opened the immortal cave's array formations, allowing Great Cultivator Sanfu to enter.]

["Elder Qingyuan."]

[Great Cultivator Sanfu was very respectful toward you.]

[The person with the highest status in Sky Talisman Mountain right now was Great Cultivator Sanfu. Even Chaos Talisman Grand Cultivator, who had stepped into the Late Nascent Soul Stage before him, could not compare.]

["I sensed fluctuations in the celestial phenomena from your dojo just now. Have you successfully refined a Fourth Tier High Grade pill, Elder?"]

[Great Cultivator Sanfu asked tentatively.]

["I managed to refine it by a stroke of luck."]

[You glanced at Great Cultivator Sanfu and did not deny it.]

[Over the years, you had continuously used the abundant resources of the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven and the Lingxu Blessed Land to refine Fourth Tier High Grade pills.]

[It was simply that the array had isolated it, so the celestial phenomena revealed to the outside only matched the intensity of refining a Rank 4 Lower Grade or Rank 4 Middle Grade pill.]

[Your identity as an alchemical master was no secret in the Heavenly Talisman Sect.]

[Now, after centuries of bitter cultivation, it wasn't too jarring that your alchemical skills had finally taken that step, elevating you to a Fourth Tier High Grade alchemical grandmaster.]

["Congratulations, Elder Qingyuan, for personally mastering two grandmaster-level skills. In our Heavenly Talisman Sect's recent millennia, you are absolutely the first to achieve this."]

[Great Cultivator Sanfu immediately offered his congratulations.]

[Even in the Central Continent Territory, the center of the Human Realm, true monarchs who had mastered two grandmaster-level skills were extremely rare.]

["My talisman crafting hit a bottleneck, so I happened to have been delving into alchemy over the past few centuries. I was lucky to achieve some success..."]

[You said with a smile.]

[While mastering two grandmaster-level skills was exceedingly rare, it was not unheard of.]

[Of course, two grandmaster-level skills were currently considered the absolute limit for true monarchs in the Human Realm.]

[To go further and master three grandmaster-level skills? Since the start of the near-ancient era, over a span of a hundred thousand years, it was said that only a single person had achieved such a feat.]

[And even for that person, whether they had definitively mastered three grandmaster skills remained unconfirmed.]

[Four grandmaster skills? That was completely unprecedented; such an existence had never even been heard of during the ancient era.]

[For someone at the Nascent Soul Stage to master four grandmaster skills would be far rarer than even a legendary Great Cultivator.]

[This was no longer a question of talent, but of time.]

[A Nascent Soul Stage true monarch only had a lifespan of a thousand years. Even if they stretched it to the absolute limit by relying on every possible life-extending treasure, living to fourteen hundred years of age was the absolute ceiling.]

[Where would they find the time to comprehend so many grandmaster skills?]

["Since you have ascended to an alchemical grandmaster, Elder Qingyuan, would you like to hold a grandmaster celebration? We can invite fellow Daoists from all over. Rest assured, all the congratulatory gifts from the celebration will belong entirely to you."]

[Great Cultivator Sanfu suggested at once.]

["That works."]

[You thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.]

[The celestial phenomena from your tier-five pill refinement had leaked, and Great Cultivator Sanfu was certainly not the only one in the Heavenly Talisman Sect to sense it.]

[Even without holding a celebration, your status as a Fourth Tier High Grade alchemical grandmaster would spread.]

[Under these circumstances, it was better to simply admit it openly.]

[During your fifth simulation, you had genuinely made a fortune by hosting various celebrations.]

[Although you were no longer lacking in resources now, you hadn't forgotten your original intentions.]

[Besides, you wouldn't need to expend any time or energy on this celebration. The Heavenly Talisman Sect would handle everything single-handedly; you only needed to collect the gifts when the time came.]

[You also knew why Great Cultivator Sanfu was doing this. It was simply to use this celebration to elevate the Heavenly Talisman Sect's influence once again.]

[In this era, True Monarch Golden Face was pressing down so heavily on the Great Cultivators and even the Major Supreme Factions of the Central Continent Territory that they could hardly breathe. At a time like this, the Heavenly Talisman Sect gaining another alchemical grandmaster and announcing it publicly would naturally boost their prestige.]

["I'll go make the arrangements right away."]

[Great Cultivator Sanfu immediately stood up and left.]

[Soon, the news of your identity as an alchemical grandmaster spread.]

[With the Heavenly Talisman Sect operating behind the scenes, the grandmaster celebration was successfully held.]

[The Major Supreme Factions from the Central Continent Territory, including Heavenly Sword Peak, all sent representatives to attend.]

[Even hegemonic factions from other regions sent emissaries.]

[As the most widely spread profession in the Human Realm, alchemy wielded tremendous influence.]

[Moreover, not only were you an alchemical grandmaster, but you were also a talisman grandmaster, and you had the Heavenly Talisman Sect standing behind you.]

[During the celebration...]

[Core Formation true persons and Nascent Soul true lords sat in their respective seats, savoring the spirit fruits and spirit wines.]

["I never expected Great Cultivator Qingyuan to be this incredible, actually ascending to the level of an alchemical grandmaster."]

["I heard that Great Cultivator Qingyuan joined the Heavenly Talisman Sect just over three hundred years ago, and he was already a talisman grandmaster back then."]

["Great Cultivator Qingyuan is too low-key, and he has a kind disposition. I haven't heard of him having any enemies."]

["Indeed. Most of the Great Cultivators in the Central Continent have enemies. Great Cultivator Qingyuan has excellent character."]

[The numerous true persons and true lords chatted and gossiped, their focus naturally centered entirely on Great Cultivator Qingyuan.]

["Ah, wouldn't it be wonderful if the Human Realm had more amiable true lords like Great Cultivator Qingyuan?"]

["Indeed. Those bandit cultivators on the wanted list, especially True Monarch Golden Face, use methods that are far too overbearing. The top Great Cultivators rarely make a move outside these days, all because they're afraid of running into True Monarch Golden Face."]

["Do you have a death wish? You dare to gossip about True Monarch Golden Face out in the open? Didn't you see the intelligence provided by the Four Great Chambers of Commerce? That True Monarch Golden Face is very likely a Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster! Everything you just said could be divined!"]

[An Early Nascent Soul Stage true lord turned pale and immediately dared not speak another word.]

[Half a year later, the celebration ended. The congratulatory gifts you received through this event were quite impressive in both quantity and quality.]

[Year 370, you were 387 years old.]

[You sat cross-legged within your immortal cave and pinched your fingers in calculation.]

['Around this time, the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expedition has already begun. The Wujian Region and several surrounding major domains have formed an alliance to resist the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's invasion at the Sky Rift Grand Canyon...']

[You thought to yourself.]

['Wujian Region... Wujian Hall... Reincarnation Stone...']

[Your gaze grew deep and profound.]

[The Reincarnation Stone was the supreme treasure of Wujian Hall. In the fifth simulation, you had once sensed the Reincarnation Stone and experienced the Reincarnation State of Mind.]

[At that time, you didn't feel there was anything overly special about the Reincarnation Stone. But with your current insight and experience, you could vaguely sense that it was extraordinary.]

['Perfect. I will drive away the Zhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary force for Wujian Hall, and then take the Reincarnation Stone as my reward,' you thought to yourself.]

[Furthermore, you were quite interested in the four types of True Spirit Bloodline beast king demonic cores in the possession of True Monarch Chongtian from the Zhou Immortal Dynasty.]

[Beast kings with the True Spirit Bloodline were exceptionally rare in the Human Realm, and their demonic cores were even more so.]

[Demonic cores were not like essence blood or fur; every beast king with a True Spirit Bloodline possessed only a single demonic core.]

[Over the years, you had also collected two types of True Spirit Bloodline beast king demonic cores. Combined with the four in True Monarch Chongtian's hands, you could fire up the furnace again to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[The Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill could slightly assist in breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage. You didn't need it yourself, but you could save it for Li Yan.]

[In this simulation, if you were fortunate enough to step into the Deity Transformation Stage, you would try your best to nurture Li Yan.]

["Little Peng."]

[Naturally, it was impossible for you to personally rush over to the Wujian Region. Neither Wujian Hall nor the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty was worth expending that kind of time.]

[The tasks you needed to focus on right now were cultivating your Body Refining realm to the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak and mastering the fourth layer of the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art.]

[Therefore, such trivial matters were naturally left to the Blood Roc.]

[The Blood Roc possessed a True Spirit Bloodline and had even cultivated to the Rank 4 Mid Stage.]

[By tapping into its own bloodline, the Blood Roc's strength was practically invincible among those at the Mid Nascent Soul Stage, bordering on the level of a Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.]

[It was more than capable of resolving the Zhou Immortal Dynasty and fetching the Reincarnation Stone along with the four True Spirit Bloodline beast king demonic cores for you.]

[Of course, to ensure the matter was absolutely foolproof, you permitted the Blood Roc to act under your name.]

[The Zhou Immortal Dynasty was, after all, a hegemonic faction in the Eastern Wilderness Domain, guarded by more than just one Great Cultivator. If you wanted them to abandon any thought of resistance, you could only suppress them with your terrifying prestige.]

[Whoosh! A blood-red roc shadow soared through the high skies of the Eastern Wilderness Domain.]

['I'm finally out.']

[The Blood Roc was in a cheerful mood. Although it was your spirit pet, spending long periods by your side often left it feeling a deep-seated terror originating from the very depths of its bloodline.]

[It was an instinctual dread.]

[Now that it finally had the chance to come out, and was even running an errand on its own, the Blood Roc was naturally in high spirits.]

[In front of you, it was merely a mount. It was just Little Peng.]

[But out here, it was a Rank 4 Mid Stage beast king with a True Spirit Bloodline that looked down upon the Human Realm.]

[Even Great Cultivators could not match its speed, much less kill it.]

['This time, I must properly complete the task Master assigned me.']

[The Blood Roc thought to itself, continuously flying in the direction of the Sky Rift Grand Canyon.]

[At the Sky Rift Grand Canyon, the cultivator army of the Zhou Immortal Dynasty stood in a standoff against the allied army formed by the Wujian Region, Daluo Domain, and Baidi Domain.]

[In this simulation, due to the lack of your interference, the Wujian Region alliance was currently in a losing position and retreating.]

[At the rear of the Zhou Immortal Dynasty's forces, Prince Zhennan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, followed by a row of true lords standing behind him.]

['In a few decades at most, we will be able to tear through this defensive line and charge into the heart of the Wujian Region. From there, using the Wujian Region as the center, we will influence multiple surrounding major domains. With a few millennia more, we can completely transform this entire territory into the domain of my Dazhou Immortal Dynasty...' Prince Zhennan thought to himself. This expedition against the Wujian Region was a decision made by the upper echelons of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty. The so-called demand for the Reincarnation Stone was nothing more than a smokescreen, an excuse used to mobilize their cultivator army.]

[Prince Zhennan was in a good mood, a smile revealing itself on his face.]

[Right at this moment.]

[An incomparably terrifying aura drew near.]

[Prince Zhennan's expression shifted slightly as he looked toward the source of the aura.]

[He saw a blood-red roc as large as a mountain flying toward them with an unstoppable momentum.]

['A Rank 4 Mid Stage beast king? And with a True Spirit Bloodline?']

[Prince Zhennan's heart jumped in shock. By borrowing the providence of the immortal dynasty, his strength was slightly greater than an ordinary Mid Nascent Soul cultivator, but it absolutely could not compare to a beast king of the same tier possessing a True Spirit Bloodline.]

[The True Spirit Bloodline held limitless potential. A beast king possessing a True Spirit Bloodline could essentially sweep through human cultivators of the same tier effortlessly.]

[Prince Zhennan watched as that blood-red roc stopped high above the battlefield, resting atop the clouds.]

[After a moment of thought, Prince Zhennan led the immortal dynasty's true lords to fly up and meet it.]

["Greetings, Peng King. May I ask what brings you here?"]

[Prince Zhennan kept his posture quite low as he spoke, unwilling to invite any unexpected variables.]

[Avian beast kings were inherently adept at speed, and this one possessed a True Spirit Bloodline on top of that? He estimated that even a Great Cultivator would be helpless against it.]

["I have come under my master's orders to tell your Dazhou Immortal Dynasty to retreat."]

[The Blood Roc looked down from above at Prince Zhennan and the group of immortal dynasty true lords.]

['Master's orders?']

[Prince Zhennan was startled inwardly. To be able to subdue a Rank 4 Mid Stage True Spirit Bloodline beast king as a spirit pet? Just what kind of existence was its master? Which Great Cultivator of the Human Realm was it?]

[Prince Zhennan's expression turned ugly. With a Great Cultivator intervening, he realized that this expedition had likely reached its end.]

[However, as a true lord of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty, facing a Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator would only elicit awe, not send him fleeing in terror.]

[The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty was also guarded by Great Cultivators—and more than just one.]

[Within the imperial capital, the Emperor of the immortal dynasty even possessed strength approaching that of a Heavenly Monarch.]

["Might I ask who your master is, Peng King? When we return, we must make a report to His Majesty..."]

[Prince Zhennan steadied his nerves and asked.]

["My master's name is Golden Face," the Blood Roc said, looking down with an indifferent tone.]