Chapter 530: Chapter 436: Ten Thousand Years

In the blink of an eye, a myriad years passed, in the Sword Realm’s Qingzhou, the incense of the Shrine of the Ridge Ancestor has been swirling for millennia, worshippers arriving ceaselessly.

Inside the hall, the gilded statue of the Ridge Ancestor holds an ancient sword, its brow and eyes imbued with the fierce murderous aura from slaying an immortal with a single sword strike millennia ago.

Within the depths of the incense mist, a young boy kneels on the foremost cushion, hands clasped in prayer, murmuring:

"I beseech the Ridge Ancestor to reveal divine presence, to bless this disciple’s examination of literature and law, allowing him to pass."

Outside the hall comes the hawker’s call, the boy suddenly opens his eyes, quickly kowtows thrice with a resounding thud, strides out of the temple doors, hastening along the winding mountain path towards Qingzhou City.

Upon reaching the bamboo grove fork at the mountainside, two dark figures suddenly jump out from the bamboo grove, blocking his way.

The burly man leading them is bare-chested, with bronze skin etched with ferocious knife scars, the short sword in his hand carving a chilling arc in the noonday sun.

"Kid, hand over the money and valuables you have on you!"

The man’s voice resembles sandpaper grating over wood, with a brutish ferocity.

Having been timid since childhood, upon seeing this the boy immediately tenses up, his face instantly drained of color.

He instinctively steps back, his foot caught by a pebble, sending him tumbling backward, consciousness swiftly pulling away, fainting completely.

In the haze, he vaguely hears a gentle voice piercing through the chaos:

"Little brother, wake up, those two thieves have already been chased off by me."

The boy suddenly opens his eyes, pupils constricting then gradually relaxing, his eyes brimming with fear moments ago, now only a deep calm akin to an ancient well.

He sits up, seeing before him a youth in a blue robe, an ancient long sword hanging at his waist, his face handsome, a faint smile at his lips, a hint of the chivalrous air of "departing after the deed is done" between his brows.

The youth hands over a heavy purse, the mouth of the purse reveals the sheen of several pieces of broken silver:

"Here’s your purse, keep it safe. The mountain road is unsafe, shall I accompany you to the foot of the mountain?"

The boy takes the purse, raises his gaze to the youth, his tone calm and unruffled:

"Thank you, brother, for your assistance. May I inquire your esteemed name? I will surely repay the favor if given the chance."

The youth chuckles, raises his hand in a salute, the sleeve of his blue robe brushes through the air, eliciting a wisp of sword wind:

"Yan Wenqiu from Zihua Sword Palace, just a fair encounter, no need for repayment."

...

At the mountain’s foot,

Yan Wenqiu clasps his hands:

"Let us part ways here."

With that, he turns and walks away, the silhouette of his blue robe quickly disappears at the end of the mountain path.

The boy looks at his departing figure, smiles inwardly:

"Yan Wenqiu... has some chivalrous spirit."

Shortly after, the memories of this body flood into his mind, a hint of trance flashes in his eyes, he sighs lightly:

"Circling around, I’ve returned to this realm."

The boy is none other than an incarnation of Chen Sheng, who now descends into various Small Thousand Worlds to reestablish the system of destinies.

...

Another thirty years, at the summit of the Sword Alliance, the fairyland once shrouded in clouds and mist is now overshadowed by ink-colored dark clouds.

Within the clouds, purple-gold thunder roils, each bolt entwined with intricate Dao Principle chains.

On the vast plaza at the peak’s base, it is crowded with cultivators from various forces of the Sword Realm, the elders of the Sword Alliance’s east, west, south, and north branches seated atop the high platform, each solemn yet barely concealing their anticipation.

"It will surely be possible! The Sword Master is a natural sword seed, ascended to the summit of the Sword Realm after thirty years of cultivation, unbeaten, talent no inferior to the Ridge Ancestor!"

"For millennia, none in our realm have ascended, today the Sword Child will surely break this tribulation!"

Thirty years ago, Chen Sheng joined the Sword Alliance, revealing astonishing sword talent, comprehending thirteen volumes of the Sword Scripture within three years, advancing to High Grade Golden Core, defeating the chiefs of all four branches.

Golden Core defeating Nascent Soul, Golden Core defeating Yin Spirit, Golden Core contending with Sword Immortal...

Never leaving the mountain, yet attracting all Sword Immortals in the mortal realm for a challenge, undefeated, invincible in the world, already a legend.

Above the clouds, a figure in white stands with hands behind his back.

Chen Sheng’s moonwhite Sword Robe remains unstained, his ink hair tied only with a wooden hairpin, no Magical Treasure adorning him, yet the thunder above dares not easily strike.

The Sword Intent around him has gathered to an extreme, transforming into a silver-white sword pillar piercing through the heavens and the earth.

Where the sword pillar passes, even space ripples faintly, blocking the pressure of the thunder outside.

"It shall be concluded here."

Chen Sheng raises his eyes to the depths of the clouds, where the array hub of the Ascension Tribulation hides, the imperial Dao imprint left by Taihao back in the day.

A myriad years ago, he once incarnated as "Zhang Ling" to establish a sect in this realm, later ascending to the Heavenly Palace, though laying down Secret Techniques, ultimately found by Taihao.

In anger, the latter set up a Grand Array, evolving into Ascension Tribulation, severing the connection between the Sword Realm and the Upper Realm, rendering subsequent cultivators incapable of ascension.

Initially, it wasn’t a bad thing!

But as time passed, due to the cultivation techniques left by Chen Sheng, Sword Immortals arose one after another, resources in this realm quickly depleted, now it’s a case of too many monks for the porridge.

Chen Sheng slowly raises his hand, five fingers forming a sword, a barely discernible white light condenses at his fingertip.

"Sever!"

With a light command, the point of white light abruptly expands, transforming into a sword Qi traversing the heavens and earth.

"Crack——crack——"

Clear cracking sounds emanate consecutively, the law-clad thunder chains break inch by inch, instantly dispersing into countless luminous points.

Chen Sheng stands with hands behind his back, his white garment flutters fiercely in the wind, he raises his hand, gently swiping it through the void.

A visible ripple spreads out, centered on him, at its core, a celestial gate towering a thousand yards gradually forms.

Beyond the gate, the celestial mountains and floating Immortal Palace of the cloud sea are faintly visible, Chen Sheng’s voice wrapped in Sword Intent, resonates across every inch of the Sword Realm:

"Today, I open the Heavenly Gate in this realm!"

"From this day forth, Sword Realm cultivators who cultivate to the realm of True Immortal may ascend to the Upper Realm through this gate!"

The plaza below the peak erupts in thunderous cheers, numerous elder cultivators shed tears of joy, continuously kowtowing towards the celestial gate.

The young cultivators drew their swords and let out long cries of excitement, as the Sword Light and cheers blended into a sea of revelry.

The elders of the four branches exchanged glances atop the high platform, then rose and bowed respectfully to the white-robed figure in the clouds, their eyes full of awe.

On a cliff, a middle-aged cultivator in the robe of an Elder from the Purple Radiance Sword Palace gazed at that white-robed figure, his brow furrowed with confusion.

He was Yan Wenqiu, who had risen from an ordinary disciple to an Elder in thirty years, yet this Sword Child before him felt inexplicably familiar.

"A born sword prodigy, understanding all the Sword Principles without leaving the mountain, unmatched by the Sword Immortals of the four branches... Where have I seen such a person before?"

Chen Sheng seemed to feel his gaze, turning his head toward the cliff, a slight smile on his lips exactly like the one from thirty years ago.

Then, he stepped into the Immortal Sect, his figure gradually fading into the Cloud Sea behind the door.

In the instant the Immortal Sect closed, Yan Wenqiu’s sea of consciousness suddenly surged with waves, and a phantom of a Sword Manual appeared out of thin air, as he finally recalled:

"It’s him!"

...

Above the sky, at the Peach Banquet, it was the grandest celebration since the new Heavenly Court’s inception a millennium ago.

On the plaza paved with White Jade, rows of purple-gold tables were lined up, with flowery wine from the clouds and rare fruit known as Kunlun snow dates on them.

"Greetings to the Heavenly Emperor!"

"Greetings to the Heavenly Emperor!"

Chen Sheng, dressed in the Heavenly Emperor’s robe with twelve embroidery patterns, the hem embroidered with the Sun, Moon, and stars’ trajectories, walked with the virtual shadows of dragons and phoenixes, his eyes under the hanging bead crown calm yet exuding authority over all realms.

The kneeling celestial officials, centered around the disciples of the Interception Sect, formed a magnificent scene with their Profound Daoist Robes and purple-gold official garments woven together.

The front row figures were particularly striking, all familiar faces from the past.

Li Xuan donned a moon-white Immortal King robe, with a Stabilizing Dao Jewel embedded in his Dao crown, exuding composure amidst the jewel’s gleam.

The Eight Immortals, like Fu Haizi and others, also wore Immortal King robes, exuding renewed vigor, with an aura of dominion encompassing each of them.

Over ten thousand years, the Interception Sect has become the foremost sect of this realm.

After Chen Sheng ascended to the Heavenly Emperor, many of his disciples benefited greatly, leveraging the power of the Immortal King, Li Xuan and the Eight Immortals all crossed the Longevity Dao Tribulation.

Now, the Interception Sect had seventy-two branch altars across the nine heavens and ten lands, and there were Dharma Halls in many Small Thousand Worlds.

Even the believers of the once-suspended mountain turned over to follow them, becoming the core of this realm’s Dao lineage.

Chen Sheng slowly walked up the Jade Tier before the Nine-Dragon Throne, the hanging bead chain gently swaying, as he raised his hand, his voice not loud yet clearly reaching everyone’s ears:

"Rise, ministers. Today, the peaches have ripened; it is the joy of the Heavenly Court. Feel free to drink at your leisure."

"Thank you, Heavenly Emperor!"

The celestial officiants rose and took their seats, the crisp sounds of filled goblets mingling with laughter, as the Jade Pool enjoyed an atmosphere of song and dance.

...

After sipping two cups with the others, Chen Sheng’s figure quietly faded, then the next moment appeared deep within the Emperor’s hall of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The hall was empty, with only the runes on the twelve Dragon Coiling Pillars swirling.

The imperial might around Chen Sheng slowly receded as he gazed at the "Heaven-Severing Seal" suspended at the hall’s dome, contemplating inwardly:

"Ten thousand years of arrangements, and the laws of the nine heavens and ten lands are entirely under control."

This "Heaven-Severing Seal" is the supreme treasure bearing the dynasty’s fortune, forged by Chen Sheng using his own destiny fused with the power of origin from the nine heavens and ten lands.

It’s more fitting than Taihao’s Taihao Suspended Mirror and helps avoid pitfalls!

Over the millennia, Chen Sheng’s footsteps traversed the nine heavens and ten lands, even transforming into countless Small Thousand Worlds, yet he hadn’t found the realm gate left by Taihao.

Thus, his vigilance toward that opponent had never waned.

...

The nine heavens and ten lands form the core of this Middle Thousand World, mastering them yields a third of this world’s authority.

Previously, Chen Sheng estimated the nine heavens and ten lands could support nineteen top-tier Void Refining Great Powers.

Reality proved a bit underestimated, for ten tribulations and beyond count as top-tier great powers.

The fortune of any of the nine heavens and ten lands grants enough support for a twelve-tribulation great power.

"Now that I am reinforced by the fortune of the nine heavens and ten lands, in this realm, my combat strength should be invincible across twelve tribulations, nearly at Integration level."

"But those Small Thousand Worlds do pose some trouble when it comes to being mastered."

Those Small Thousand Worlds are merely dependent on the nine heavens and ten lands, having greater autonomy.

Harvesting their origin isn’t difficult, but incorporating their legal authority into our system takes effort.

Even Taihao, who possessed the realm gate and Taihao Suspended Mirror, couldn’t completely master the Small Thousand Worlds and could only devour them slowly.

Chen Sheng wasn’t in any hurry, having secured the nine heavens and ten lands; his foundation was steady, with the Small Thousand Worlds being lands awaiting collection.

"Take it slowly!"

As the thought settled, he stepped out, disappearing from the Emperor’s hall.

When he reappeared, there was a colorful, seven-colored river crossing heaven and earth before him – the river of origin of this realm.

Previously, his incarnations entered from the Small Thousand World’s origin and could only understand the Dao in the tributaries, struggling to even graze the main stream; now, as the Heavenly Emperor, he finally stood at the headwaters.

At the source, dozens of figures sat crossed-legged; these were core incarnations he spread across various realms, presently embracing the Power of Origin to gain spiritual insights.

Chen Sheng’s gaze went beyond them to the core at the center of the river, feeling as though his Divine Soul was drawn in with just a glance.

That is the Dao, the true Great Dao!

The Void Refining Dao Domain, the Integration Law, the Crossing the Tribulation Great Dao!

The river of origin before him vividly carried the Dao seed of a Tribulation Crossing Daoist Monarch, though incomplete due to the Daoist Monarch’s fall, it still contained countless mysteries.

It evolves the birth and death of worlds, with the Heaven and Earth Laws bowing like subjects before it.

Chen Sheng’s consciousness immersed within, his understanding of the "Dao" deepening rapidly, as he slowly opened his eyes:

"The Great Dao is infinitely profound, with new discoveries each time I look."

"The realm of the Tribulation Crossing Daoist Monarch is too high, the gap too vast, I can’t see the edges, beyond my imagination."