Chapter 552: The Man of the Millennium, Dong Wanjun

Chapter 552 -467: The Man of the Millennium, Dong Wanjun

However, the Zhengyang Sect and Yingshan Academy had no such scruples.

Perhaps their very natures—the Zhengyang Sect as a pure Jianghu sect and Yingshan Academy as an academy—made them more inclusive.

After all, anyone who picks up a blade can claim to be part of the Jianghu. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

By the same token, anyone who is literate can call themselves a scholar.

The barrier to entry was much lower than for the Buddhist and Daoist factions.

After all, not everyone could accept ascetic cultivation and a shaved head.

But the Celestial Profound Sect and the other three academies, who were in similar situations to the Zhengyang Sect and Yingshan Academy, also began to stir with ideas.

As long as they absorbed enough of the sealed experts…

In a few years, it would be as if they had several more Divinity Grandmasters of their own.

At that point, who would care about principles?

They could unify the world with absolute power, and who would care if their members were truly scholars or not.

Left with no choice…

The Buddhist and Daoist sects, and even the great clans, were all dragged into this war for talent.

In comparison,

Bai Yuan kept a low profile.

He wanted to recruit people, but his resources were far too limited compared to those great sects and clans. Even if he tried, he had almost no chance.

Rather than waste his efforts, it was better to farm more enhancement points.

And break through to the Divinity realm as soon as possible.

Besides, he had allies. As long as the Dragon Tiger Sect and the Xiyue Sect could recruit people, it was as good as him recruiting them.

…

For a time, all the major powers entered the fray.

Even though Xuankong Temple was in a league of its own, it still worried about being ganged up on.

Furthermore, that Sect Leader Song was indeed lucky and had recruited several sealed experts.

Xuankong Temple had no choice but to continue cooperating with the Zhengyang Sect.

After all, the Buddhist path was too particular. The sealed experts might not be willing to join, not even as lay disciples.

Therefore, they could only act through the Zhengyang Sect.

The days passed, one by one.

In the blink of an eye, another half a year had gone by.

Below the Great Wall.

A cavalry detachment, a full thousand strong, came galloping over.

The soldiers on the Great Wall’s ramparts watched the cavalry approach, their eyes filled with pride.

Celestial Eagle Guard.

This was the name of the cavalry unit, but the real reason the Northern Garrison Army, men accustomed to grand scenes, felt such pride was that the Commander of the Celestial Eagle Guard was Bai Yuan.

No large-scale battles had occurred at the Great Wall for a year.

The Demon Sect seemed to have no intention of fighting again.

But it was precisely at this time that Bai Yuan refused to stand down, leading his thousand-strong cavalry through the Northern Plains as if it were an uninhabited land.

He slaughtered the Northern Barbarian Race and the Demon Race until they scattered in terror at the mere mention of his name.

The Northern Garrison Army had defended the Northern Territory for so many years, but when had they ever felt so vindicated and proud?

Thus, only the bravest warriors were qualified to join the Celestial Eagle Guard and hunt alongside Bai Yuan.

Yes, hunt.

The prey, however, wasn’t fierce beasts, but demons—and greater demons at that.

Bai Yuan rode at the very front, astride a white horse.

The Great Wall’s walls were not like those of an ordinary city, so its gates were very small, only allowing a single horse and rider to pass through at a time.

Bai Yuan pulled on the reins.

The white horse slowed, its hooves clopping as it walked through the gate of the Great Wall.

Just as he passed through the wall,

he saw Yang Fangyu beaming at him.

Bai Yuan took off his helmet.

“What is it?”

He knew Yang Fangyu all too well; that expression always meant there was news.

Yang Fangyu’s smile grew even wider.

“General Dong has broken through.”

“What?!”

The normally calm Bai Yuan revealed a shocked expression, which then turned to elation. “Really?”

‘Old Dong was already at the Mind Illumination realm. Doesn’t this breakthrough mean… the Divinity realm!’

‘That was too fast.’

Dong Wanjun could even be considered the fastest person to break through to the Divinity realm in a thousand years.

Yang Fangyu’s eyes were also filled with amazement. “It’s absolutely true. A message has already arrived from Ling Province.”

“Let’s go!”

Bai Yuan stripped off his blood-soaked battle robe, took an outer coat from a nearby soldier, and with a flick of his reins, galloped away.

Watching Bai Yuan disappear in an instant,

Yang Fangyu couldn’t help but shout anxiously, “Hey, you brat! Wait for me!”

…

「Three days later.」

Bai Yuan and Yang Fangyu arrived at Shenfu Mountain.

At this moment,

everyone on Shenfu Mountain wore a proud expression, and from time to time, people would talk about the former Peak Master of Wan Jun Peak.

Bai Yuan walked up Wan Jun Peak.

There, he saw Dong Wanjun standing before Wan Jun Hall, gazing into the distance. Beside him sat Murong Tian in a wheelchair.

The ancient-looking Murong Tian chuckled and pointed at Bai Yuan.

“See? I won after all.”

Dong Wanjun pursed his lips. “Fine, fine, fine. You win.”

Hearing Dong Wanjun concede, Murong Tian laughed even more heartily.

“COUGH, COUGH…”

“How satisfying.”

‘In the Divine Mansion Sect, Dong Wanjun was the peerless Peak Master who overshadowed all twelve peaks. In the Northern Garrison Army, he was the invincible Grand General. Yet now, he had been bested by an old man like me.’

As Murong Tian laughed, he was filled with emotion.

‘Master, you never would have expected this, would you?’

‘The Divine Mansion Sect is large, but in the context of the entire Xuan Yang, it isn’t actually that big.’

‘The Divinity realm… a place for god-like figures.’

‘I’m afraid even our Founding Ancestor never imagined it.’

‘And now, Dong Wanjun has actually become a Divinity Grandmaster.’

Murong Tian let out a long sigh. “Master would surely be pleased if he saw this.”

Dong Wanjun gave a knowing smile.

“He’d probably be scared to death.”

Bai Yuan and Yang Fangyu walked up to them, having overheard the entire conversation between the two old men.

“Ahem, Master, Martial Uncle, I’ve returned.”

Murong Tian looked at Bai Yuan.

The more he looked, the more he liked what he saw. This was the Shenfu Sect Master he had personally chosen all those years ago.

‘Perhaps he too could become a Divinity Grandmaster in the future.’

‘At that time, the Divine Mansion Sect would have two Divinity Grandmasters, putting it on par with those ten-thousand-year-old major sects.’

“Not bad. Your master and I had a bet on how many days it would take you to return. I said three days at most, but your master thought you were too playful and would take at least five.”

“…”

Bai Yuan was speechless.

‘These two old men certainly have a lot of free time.’

Only then did he properly size up Old Dong.

At this moment, Old Dong gave off an unfathomable aura, as if his entire being was about to merge with his surroundings.

The Divinity realm was the path to the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.

Human strength was ultimately finite, but the Power of Heaven and Earth was infinite.

A Divine Communication Powerhouse could mobilize the Power of Heaven and Earth, which was how they could use god-like abilities such as the Dragon Tiger Sect’s Palm Thunder.

The power of lightning was the might of the heavens, yet a Divine Communication Grand Celestial Master from the Dragon Tiger Sect could borrow this Thunder Power to exterminate demons and devils.

Old Dong had now stepped into such a realm.

But then, Bai Yuan sensed something was wrong. “Master…”

Old Dong waved his hand. “I know what you’re going to say. I was indeed a bit too hasty and damaged my foundation. I’m afraid I have no hope of reaching the Martial Saint Realm in this lifetime.”

Bai Yuan fell silent.

He had seen Big Beard’s breakthrough before.

Right after his breakthrough, Big Beard’s aura had been far more powerful than Old Dong’s was now.

Old Dong had clearly used some method that consumed his potential.

“No need to worry. Since I’ve done it, I have my reasons. If I hadn’t entered the Divinity realm now, I’m afraid I never would have been able to in this lifetime.”

Of course, Bai Yuan understood.

Although Old Dong was much older than him, in terms of time spent at the Divinity Communication Barrier, he was still as young as a child.

Therefore, for Old Dong to break through normally, it would have taken at least another ten years.

But the current situation simply couldn’t wait.

Once the world’s fortune was completely carved up by the sealed experts, he would have no choice but to prove his Dao through brute force. Even Big Beard had been stuck at this stage for a century, so Dong Wanjun would have had almost no chance of success.

That was why Dong Wanjun was willing to consume his foundation to break through.

As for the illusory Martial Saint Realm,

Dong Wanjun felt that the matters at hand were more pressing.

Otherwise, if he couldn’t even pass the Divinity barrier, he wouldn’t even be qualified to talk about becoming a Martial Saint.

“Congratulations, Master.”

Bai Yuan bowed deeply.

Although Old Dong’s breakthrough was flawed, it was a genuine breakthrough nonetheless.

What’s more, after becoming a Divinity Grandmaster, one’s lifespan increased to at least six hundred years.

‘He’ll have plenty of time to find a way to make up for the damage. It’s better than being stuck at the Mind Illumination realm until he dies.’

‘In comparison, I should be more worried about myself.’

Old Dong gave Bai Yuan a deep look.

“Xiao Yuan, I can sense that there isn’t much of the world’s fortune left. You must be faster.”

“Yes, Master.”

Bai Yuan understood, of course.

‘Time waits for no one.’

‘In the current climate, if I can’t break through to the Divinity realm, then no matter how heaven-gifted my talent, I’ll have to live my life with my head down.’