The aeon tribulation is a matter of life and death for gods.
Yet it also brings boundless benefits.
It is the power of heaven and earth baptising the god, tempering the physical body, divine soul, and spiritual will.
Precisely because of this, the vast majority of gods cannot reach the Taizhen realm before crossing their first aeon tribulation. Only a peerless prodigy like Shang Hong, who appears once in ten thousand years, can step into this level before the tribulation.
Even figures like Blood Absolute and Huang Tian broke through to the Taixu realm only by borrowing the baptism of the aeon tribulation.
To reach the Immeasurable Realm within one aeon, before the aeon tribulation?
In all Xiu Chen Heaven God’s vast experience, such a figure was unheard of.
Since this junior Zhang Ruochen was so arrogant and even dared to swear upon the honour of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable and the Blood Absolute Ancestor, Xiu Chen Heaven God could find no reason at all to refuse the wager.
Of course, the most important reason was that Xiu Chen Heaven God truly had no choice.
After Zhang Ruochen swore the oath, under the Blood Absolute War God’s strict vigilance, Xiu Chen Heaven God entered the inner space of the sundial and arrived inside that ancient mountain cave.
Its fingers lightly touched the stone wall of the cave.
Instantly, the wall became crystalline and translucent, like divine jade, radiating particles of light.
Sensing the familiar aura within the sundial, the sharp gleam in Xiu Chen Heaven God’s eyes vanished for the first time, replaced by a look of reminiscence. It said, “If not for that battle a hundred thousand years ago, how would I have ended up in this state? Sumeru, I hate!”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “What do you have to hate? Back then, you gods of the Infernal Court besieged the Saint Monk together. Your own cultivation was insufficient, your divine body shattered, your divine source lost. How can you blame the Saint Monk?”
“What does a child like you understand? The things that bald donkey Sumeru did back then were worse than pigs and dogs. Do you think he became a monk for no reason? It was because he knew his sins were too heavy, he could not forgive himself. Hell is not empty, vow not to become Buddha. That refers to the hell in his own heart.” Xiu Chen Heaven God said.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiu Chen with an odd expression, thinking to himself, could it be that the Saint Monk once did something to wrong it?
But that did not add up.
Though it looked indistinguishable from a woman, its character was entirely masculine.
It hardly resembled a resentful woman abandoned after being taken advantage of.
“What are you staring at? It has nothing to do with me. If you want the answer, go ask the Fury Heaven God Venerable in the Destiny Divine Hall yourself.” Xiu Chen Heaven God snorted coldly.
Xiu Chen’s personality was extreme. Zhang Ruochen did not believe a word it said.
Towards the Saint Monk, Zhang Ruochen always felt nothing but reverence.
Yet he also believed that some great event must have occurred back then.
Zhang Ruochen grinned. “From now on, address me properly as Master. Dare to be so fierce again, and I will first use the soul-beating whip to lash you hundreds of times. What are you glaring for? Hurry and fuse. You still want revenge on the Famous Sword God? If he refines the Universe Cauldron, who below Immeasurable will be his match?”
Even knowing it could regain freedom in future, Xiu Chen Heaven God was still filled with resentment. Were it not for the Blood Absolute War God standing beside them, it would truly wish to tear Zhang Ruochen apart with bare hands.
In this ancient mountain cave was a small campfire, the artifact spirit fire of the sundial.
After the battle a hundred thousand years ago, the artifact spirit fire had extinguished. Though it later reignited, it had always remained very faint.
Xiu Chen Heaven God’s body transformed into divine soul mist, converging towards the campfire.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged. Strands of divine soul flew from his body, rushing towards the campfire and merging into the sundial.
“Chi chi!”
The radiance from the campfire grew ever brighter, burning fiercely.
The surface of the sundial, once rough and crude, now revealed crystalline particles. Ancient patterns and markings emerged. At the very centre of the stone disc appeared a graceful, slender imprint, identical to Xiu Chen Heaven God.
Below the sundial had long since become an ocean of time, boundless and endless.
The Blood Absolute War God nodded in satisfaction, feeling exhilarated. He said, “Xiu Chen, this time you have gained greatly. With the sundial as your divine body, your combat power far exceeds before.”
“You are the ones who have truly gained greatly. Even if I regain freedom in future, I will still have to serve your Blood Absolute family for over a hundred thousand years.”
Xiu Chen Heaven God’s artifact spirit body recondensed, flames burning upon it. It snorted, “The injuries this time were too severe. My combat power has fallen from peak Taixu to early Taixu. Even with the sundial as divine body, it is far inferior to before. Only by using the Eternal Heart and Time Divine Liquid to recast a divine source can my combat power return to peak Taixu.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “What is the rush? Mere peak Taixu as a goal? What realm were you in your prime, Xiu Chen? It is only because you are a soul body that limits you, allowing only peak Taixu combat power.”
“With peak Taixu combat power, you faced the Famous Sword God who also has peak Taixu combat power, yet were routed in one strike. Have you thought about why?”
Xiu Chen Heaven God showed no concealment of its contemptuous gaze. It said, “What do you understand? I merely possess peak Taixu combat power, whereas the Famous Sword God has peak Taixu cultivation. Blood Absolute has early Taixu cultivation, but as a Lord God of a Path, he too has peak Taixu combat power.”
“When Blood Absolute’s cultivation reaches peak Taixu, how vast will the gap be compared to now? A child like you, how could you understand such things.”
Zhang Ruochen took out a soul-beating whip. He said, “My meaning is that the Famous Sword God’s advantage is merely a divine sword and vast sword dao profound mysteries. In the application of divine abilities, can he surpass you? Compared to sword dao, the Path of Time also holds some advantages, no? As for divine body, can his physical form compare to the sundial? As for regulus divine patterns and divine qi, they can be accumulated with time.”
Xiu Chen Heaven God glanced at the whip in Zhang Ruochen’s hand, its eyelids twitching. It grew much more polite, no longer sarcastic. It said, “It sounds simple, but the vast sword dao profound mysteries the Famous Sword God masters have already laid the foundation for him as a supreme powerhouse below Immeasurable. Ask Blood Absolute. Did his Path-mastering profound mysteries come easily?”
The Blood Absolute War God’s expression grew grave. He said, “Ruochen, do not underestimate him just because you once defeated him by borrowing Tianmu’s power. This person’s combat strength is not simply a matter of vast sword dao profound mysteries and a divine sword. His talent in sword dao is extraordinary. He has the potential to break into Immeasurable with a single sword.”
Zhang Ruochen was naturally not arrogant. He said solemnly, “One who can be called the foremost sword in the world is naturally extraordinary. I am not yet so conceited as to compare myself to him now. But I believe defeating him is not too difficult for Xiu Chen. Right, Xiu Chen?”
Xiu Chen Heaven God revealed a proud expression. It said, “Give me enough time to regrow my divine soul, accumulate comparable regulus divine patterns and divine qi, and with the sundial’s special power, defeating the Famous Sword God at the Soul Halt realm is not impossible.”
“Of course, if you, Zhang Ruochen, are capable enough to find me profound mysteries of the Path of Time, Path of Killing, Extreme Jade Heaven Path, or five elements earth Path, any one of them, making me Lord God of that Path, defeating the Famous Sword God would be effortless.”
At peak Taixu, there is the saying of the “Three Halts of Taixu”.
Body Halt, Soul Halt, Heart Halt. These are the three great tribulations from Taixu to Immeasurable.
Body Halt: the physical body ceases transformation, regulus divine patterns cannot increase, divine qi stagnates.
Soul Halt: the divine soul ceases to grow.
Heart Halt: the most terrifying. It is said to cause a god to lose the heart of advancement, the heart of enlightenment, the heart of discernment.
Each of the Three Halts is extremely difficult to overcome. Even with extraordinary talent, even aeon-level geniuses may be stuck at one halt for an entire aeon, or forever unable to break through.
Of course, there are legends of “breaking the Three Halts in seven days”.
Though Xiu Chen Heaven God remained only a soul body, it had long since overcome the Three Halts. This was its unique advantage.
The advantage of realm.
“First return to the continental land of the gods to collect the divine soul fragments and the divine qi and divine Path rules of the Shura Great Yi Realm.” When Xiu Chen Heaven God spoke these words, its eyes were filled with resentment.
If not for that strike from the Pure Yang Divine Sword, it was confident it could now exert mid-Taixu combat power.
Zhang Ruochen looked towards the Blood Absolute War God. “Grandfather, how many experts from the Undying Vampire race came? Is Xue Tu with you?”
The Blood Absolute War God knew Zhang Ruochen was not concerned about Xue Tu. He said, “Only I came alone, but Xue Yao and Mo Bosa earlier led a large group of Undying Vampire cultivators here. Come, let us go meet them first.”
“Xiu Chen, return to the sundial for now.”
Zhang Ruochen and the Blood Absolute War God left the void world, transforming into two streaks of divine light flying through the starry space of the Lost Paradise star region.
The Blood Absolute War God said, “Xiu Chen is proud. It will not truly submit. Be wary lest it bite you in a moment of peril. You must realise that though you now control its life and death, able to command it, if you die at an enemy’s hand, it will not die. Instead, it will break free. Using the weak to control the strong is exceedingly dangerous. Xiu Chen once possessed vast divine abilities and mastered countless secret arts. It may yet find a way to reverse control, using the artifact to command the person.”
“Grandfather, rest assured. I will be cautious. In the short term, I will not allow it a divine source. That would make it far harder to control.” Zhang Ruochen said.
“As long as you understand.”
The Blood Absolute War God nodded, then added, “Since you swore upon the Blood Absolute Ancestor, you absolutely cannot violate it. Do you truly have such confidence to reach the Immeasurable Realm within one aeon?”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “The Immeasurable Realm is not so easily attained, but I will strive my utmost. However… this oath was indeed a calculation against it.”
“Cultivating for one aeon may not reach Immeasurable, but suppressing Xiu Chen should not be too difficult. In the worst case, if I cannot suppress it, there is still you, Grandfather. I only said I would release it to freedom. I did not say that after release, I would not suppress it again.”
The Blood Absolute War God laughed heartily, saying no more admonitions. Clearly, his grandson understood everything perfectly.
“Grandfather came to the perilous Dark Triangle Star Region for my sake, did you not?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Blood Absolute War God and the Undying Blood God almost always acted separately. That way, even if one fell, the other could continue guarding the Blood Absolute family.
Yet this time, coming to such a dangerous place as the Dark Triangle Star Region, both the Blood Absolute War God and the Undying Blood God had appeared together. The degree of importance was evident.
