Focusing his mind, Zhang Ruochen quickened his pace. Despite the suppression, his speed remained astonishing, each step covering several li, swiftly entering the mist-shrouded area.
After dozens of strides, he crossed a hundred li, and the first scale monument of the Imperial Divine Ruler appeared before him.
The monument towered at nine hundred ninety-nine zhang, ninety-nine zhang thick, stretching across the divine jade bridge formed by the ruler, radiating an overwhelming aura of the holy path. Countless holy path rules intertwined upon it, faintly visible.
Standing before the monument, Zhang Ruochen’s mind reeled under its immense impact, as if facing a majestic primordial divine mountain that suppressed all paths of heaven and earth.
“Just the first scale monument carries such formidable pressure. The Imperial Divine Ruler is truly extraordinary, no wonder it can measure an emperor’s cultivation realm,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Without delay, he sat cross-legged before the monument, beginning his meditation.
Each scale monument greatly aided comprehension of the holy path, and he had no reason to waste the opportunity.
The deeper his understanding of the holy path, the further he could progress on the ruler.
Zhang Ruochen wasn’t worried about time, as he had noticed that upon stepping onto the divine jade bridge, the surrounding time flow had shifted dramatically, at a ratio of thirty to one—thirty days here equated to one day outside.
This alleviated any concerns, allowing him to focus fully on his meditation.
Influenced by the monument’s mysterious power, Zhang Ruochen quickly entered a deep meditative state. His spiritual power and holy path rules flowed instinctively, and even his blood qi stirred, gradually strengthening his physique.
Whether one focused on spiritual power, martial arts, or physical body, meditating before the Imperial Divine Ruler promised immense benefits.
At this moment, the guild’s powerhouses closely monitored Zhang Ruochen, their spiritual powers extending toward him.
The Inscription Guild was unique, recruiting only spiritual power cultivators. Even those gifted in both spiritual power and martial arts prioritised the former, including beast cultivators.
“Zhang Ruochen is already the pinnacle below the Supreme Saint. I wonder how much he’ll improve after meditating with the ruler,” one mused.
“How far do you think he’ll reach? Can he match the most prodigious talents in history?” another asked.
“Since the ruler was forged, countless Saint Kings have come to meditate. The most exceptional reached the eighteenth monument, surpassing most Immortal Realm Great Saints and even some Hundred-Shackle Realm Great Saints,” someone noted.
“Given Zhang Ruochen’s achievements, among the greatest in Kunlun’s long history, even if he can’t reach the eighteenth monument, he should at least make it to the sixteenth or seventeenth,” another speculated.
“From his battle with Yan Wushen, he has at least late-stage Immortal Great Saint combat strength. If his mental will is strong enough, the sixteenth monument shouldn’t be an issue,” a voice added.
The guild’s powerhouses buzzed with anticipation, eager to see where Zhang Ruochen would stop.
Zhang Ruochen knew he was being observed but paid it no mind, immersing himself fully in meditation. Waves of holy path insights flowed through him.
One holy path rule after another emerged, slowly widening the Tongtian River within him.
Under the intense pressure, his holy heart contracted sharply, like a furnace refining his robust spiritual power, making each strand stronger in essence.
Simultaneously, his body’s potential was further unlocked, opening its treasures and allowing it to absorb more essence from the Seven-Star Divine Lingzhi Leaf.
Three days passed in a blink, and Zhang Ruochen concluded his meditation, slowly rising.
“The ruler’s aid in enlightenment is remarkable. Just three days at the first monument greatly deepened my holy path insights, adding nearly ten thousand rules. My spiritual power and physique have also strengthened,” he thought, elated.
He knew such gains were partly due to his already high cultivation level.
Without lingering, Zhang Ruochen looked up at the monument, then lightly stomped, soaring like a divine dragon, effortlessly leaping over it.
Having experienced the ruler’s wonders, he was eager for the effects of the subsequent monuments.
Soon, he reached the second monument and entered meditation again.
As time passed, he progressed, leaping over one monument after another.
He spent three days at each of the first ten monuments.
From the eleventh onward, meditation time increased, as the holy path’s complexity grew, challenging even his cultivation level.
Initially, he relied solely on his physique to withstand the ruler’s pressure.
But past the fourteenth monument, his body alone struggled to advance, forcing him to channel holy energy.
According to Bai Qianli, the fourteenth monument corresponded to the early Immortal Great Saint realm.
Reaching it with just his physique was extraordinary, indicating a body comparable to an average Immortal Saint Body.
As the guild’s powerhouses predicted, Zhang Ruochen smoothly reached the sixteenth monument, meditating for seven days.
When he stood, the guild’s experts perked up, wondering if he would continue or stop.
The next monument corresponded to the peak of the Immortal Great Saint realm, a level few Immortal Great Saints could reach.
It wasn’t about strength alone but required a mental will comparable to the peak Immortal Great Saint.
Strength was easier to gain, but mental will was far harder to forge.
With a swift motion, Zhang Ruochen leapt past the sixteenth monument without hesitation, his limit far beyond.
His speed slowed, his body weighed down as if bearing a divine mountain, each step requiring immense effort.
It took a full day to reach the seventeenth monument.
“I hope to perfect the Way of Space here,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
This small world, filled with countless spatial inscriptions and time marks, was ideal for comprehending the Ways of Space and Time, which he had focused on since the first monument.
Their advancement offered the most significant boost to his combat strength.
“He actually reached the seventeenth monument. Truly the greatest below the Supreme Saint, few in Kunlun’s history can compare,” a guild expert marvelled.
“A Saint King with a mental will rivaling a peak Immortal Great Saint, his future is limitless, perhaps a second Saint Monk Xumi,” another said.
“But with the Kunlun Realm’s current state, can we afford to wait for him to grow?” someone worried.
The guild’s powerhouses were restless with awe.
In Kunlun’s history, those reaching the seventeenth monument as Saint Kings, if they survived, became monumental figures.
This time, Zhang Ruochen meditated for nine days before opening his eyes.
“Still a bit short. Perfecting an Eternal Way is incredibly difficult,” he thought, a trace of frustration in his eyes.
The Eternal Ways were far harder to master than he’d imagined.
But he rallied, “If the seventeenth monument isn’t enough, I’ll try the eighteenth.”
“What a Zhang Ruochen, aiming for the eighteenth monument,” guild experts gasped in shock as he leapt.
As he descended, his mind roared, an unimaginable divine might pressing down, threatening to shatter his mental will.
His mind went blank, his thoughts frozen.
Yet, he withstood the divine might, his mental will condensed to an unshakable peak.
His resilience stemmed from facing divine pressure multiple times, forging an indomitable will.
“No wonder it’s a legendary divine artifact, its divine might surpasses many gods,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
It made sense, a divine artifact’s spirit was akin to a god, capable of refining or slaying gods.
Exhaling deeply, Zhang Ruochen moved forward steadily.
The ruler’s divine might, non-aggressive, was perfect for tempering mental will.
This was a rare opportunity.
If he could forge a mental will rivaling a Hundred-Shackle Realm powerhouse, it would greatly benefit his future cultivation.
Each step brought a fiercer impact, like a small boat in a stormy sea, at risk of capsizing.
It took seven days to reach the eighteenth monument.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged, diving into meditation.
Even with his mental will’s strength, he couldn’t linger long.
The guild’s powerhouses, including the spiritual power Great Saint, were speechless, awestruck.
A Saint King at the eighteenth monument was legendary, now unfolding before them.
All held their breath, watching how long he could endure.
His body trembled slightly, his brow furrowed, clearly at his limit.
Yet he persevered, unwilling to yield.
After a day and a half, he could no longer hold on and retreated.
As he did, the ruler emitted a jade-green divine light, enveloping him.
Instantly, he felt at ease, returned to the starting point.
“A day and a half, he broke the record, outlasting the legends,” the guild’s powerhouses were stunned beyond words.
Even in Kunlun’s golden age, reaching the eighteenth monument was earth-shaking, earning a divine audience.
“This must not leak,” a cryptic spiritual voice commanded.
“Yes, Grand Elder,” all responded in unison.
Who would defy the Grand Elder’s order?
“King of the Eastern Region, reaching the eighteenth monument, your gains must be immense. Congratulations,” Bai Qianli appeared, beaming.
His tone was far more respectful, tinged with awe.
“Thank you, Inscription Guild, for this opportunity,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“You’ve done so much for Kunlun, it’s only right,” Bai Qianli replied.
“I have other matters and can’t stay. I’ll visit again if I get the chance,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“I’ll escort you out,” Bai Qianli offered.
Zhang Ruochen nodded, glancing at the divine jade bridge, then headed out.
Leaving the guild, he reactivated the “Formless and Phaseless Thirty-Six Transformations,” resuming his scholarly guise.
Meditating for seventy-two days, his gains were staggering, with over ninety-nine million holy path rules. His space and time rules were one step from perfection.
Other main paths, though less advanced, also grew significantly. His truth rules reached nine hundred ten thousand, close to forming a truth boundary for tenfold attack power.
His palm and fist path rules exceeded nine hundred thousand, reaching heights unattainable for most.
His spiritual power, refined to a stronger essence, surpassed Bai Qianli’s.
His brain achieved immortality, pushing his physique to the Saint King realm’s peak.
In a sense, he was at his strongest, with little room for further growth in the Saint King realm without unique opportunities.
“The ruler’s aid for space and time paths is profound, it may indeed be tied to the Ancestor of Time and Space,” Zhang Ruochen speculated.
As the heir of time and space, Saint Monk Xumi was his master, making the Ancestor his grandmaster.
He was deeply curious about this mysterious figure.
