As Zhang Ruochen was deep in thought, Xiang Chunan and Feng Yan also defeated their respective gatekeepers, doing so with great efficiency and apparent ease.
Feng Yan gave a wry smile, “Fine, you guys are impressive. I’ll treat you later.”
Though the difference was mere fractions, he was still a step behind, and could only accept the loss graciously.
“Haha, Second Brother’s treating us, so good wine is definitely on the table!” Xiang Chunan couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
He was a true connoisseur of fine liquor, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten so drunk back then, only to be inexplicably thrown into the Truth Heavenly Domain by his master.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Let’s continue crossing the sea first.”
With that, he steered the Boat of Truth, smoothly passing through the light curtain ahead, entering the eighth sea domain.
Seeing this, Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan didn’t hesitate and immediately followed. Their goal this time was naturally not just to cross the seventh sea domain.
The limit for Saint Kings was seven sea domains, but that only applied to ordinary Saint Kings, and they were certainly not among them.
The eighth sea domain was considered breaking the limit, with the difficulty of crossing the sea increasing exponentially. The horizontal waves became extremely violent, constantly battering the Boat of Truth.
However, Zhang Ruochen stood like an immovable divine mountain, anchoring the Boat of Truth. No matter how fiercely the waves struck, it remained steadfast.
His goal was to cross ten sea domains. If he encountered trouble in the seventh, how could he continue?
The Boats of Truth ridden by Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan experienced slight turbulence but quickly stabilised.
After entering this sea domain, Zhang Ruochen gradually pulled ahead of Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan, taking the lead. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he reached the checkpoint.
The light curtain ahead burst with dazzling holy light, interweaving to form a silver-armoured Saint General, whose body was extremely solid, exuding a vast holy might, its power immeasurable.
The Saint General made its move, fully mobilising the water attribute rules between heaven and earth. The sea surface surged with hundred-foot-high waves, carrying unparalleled holy power, crashing towards Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen remained remarkably calm, drawing a single drop of water from the sea and flicking it with his finger.
Under the influence of holy energy and spatial power, the water droplet instantly transformed into a vast world, enveloping the Saint General and the waves it had summoned.
This world appeared fragile but was incredibly resilient. No matter how fiercely the Saint General struck, it never shattered.
The next moment, the water-droplet world rapidly compressed, and a force capable of annihilating heaven and earth acted upon the Saint General.
“Boom.”
In the blink of an eye, the Saint General’s body shattered, turning back into streaks of holy light that merged into the light curtain ahead.
The sea surface returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Witnessing this, the shores of the Sea of Truth erupted into commotion.
“Zhang Ruochen’s strength is simply too great. He defeated the gatekeeper of the eighth sea domain so effortlessly. It seems he truly has a chance to challenge the tenth sea domain.”
“Naive. Zhang Ruochen hasn’t even condensed a Truth Form. Whether he can cross the ninth sea domain is questionable, let alone dream of the tenth.”
“Exactly. The ninth sea domain is vastly different from the previous eight. Possessing a Truth Form is a basic requirement. Even for Zhang Ruochen, it’s hard to break this rule.”
“The strength of being invincible below the Great Saint may not hold up in the Sea of Truth. Here, Zhang Ruochen is destined to fall short of Archangel Michael.”
…
As many discussed fervently, Zhang Ruochen frowned before the light curtain. As before, passing this checkpoint still yielded no reward of the Mysteries of Truth.
“What’s gone wrong? Could it be that the Sea of Truth no longer contains the Mysteries of Truth? Or is it because I already possess enough Mysteries of Truth?” Zhang Ruochen was filled with doubts.
One of his main purposes for crossing the Sea of Truth this time was to obtain more Mysteries of Truth to better comprehend the Holy Path.
The Mysteries of Truth were profoundly mystical. Even a mere one-ten-thousandth increase could bring about countless wondrous changes.
“If I can’t continue to obtain more Mysteries of Truth, I’ll have to find a way to claim the rewards granted by the Temple of Truth,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
With that, he set sail again, steering the Boat of Truth through the light curtain ahead, charging into the ninth sea domain.
At this moment, the cultivators on the shore paid even closer attention.
“Chen Jing, you’re probably about to be disappointed. Zhang Ruochen has little hope of crossing this layer, let alone reaching the tenth sea domain.”
“Zhang Ruochen insisted on crossing the sea right after Michael passed the ninth sea domain. If he fails, it’ll likely damage his reputation significantly. Not a wise move.”
Qie Huairou shook her head repeatedly.
Like most people, when it came to crossing the Sea of Truth, Qie Huairou wasn’t optimistic about Zhang Ruochen. It wasn’t that she underestimated him or held any prejudice, but rather a matter-of-fact assessment, not believing anyone could break the established rules.
Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden smiled, “Shall we make a bet on whether Zhang Ruochen can cross the ninth sea domain?”
“Sure, what do you want to bet?” Qie Huairou showed keen interest.
Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden thought for a moment, “Haven’t you always wanted my Heavenly Maiden Feather Robe? If you win, I’ll give it to you. But if you lose…”
“I know what you want. If I lose, I’ll give you the Flying Immortal Flute,” Qie Huairou interrupted.
A sly smile flashed in Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden’s eyes, “Then it’s settled.”
“Later, I’ll personally take the Heavenly Maiden Feather Robe off you. Don’t be shy when the time comes,” Qie Huairou teased with a giggle.
Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden said no more, her gaze fixed firmly on Zhang Ruochen. No matter what others said, she always believed Zhang Ruochen would not be stopped by the ninth sea domain.
“Swish.”
Several streaks of light shot out from the Temple of Truth, landing on the shore of the Sea of Truth, transforming into five figures, all clad in Crane Blue Sky Robes, marking them as divine disciples of the Temple of Truth.
The leader was a woman with a graceful figure and long, slender legs. Her face was veiled, exuding an ethereal, otherworldly aura, like a goddess untouched by mortal concerns, making it impossible to harbour any profane thoughts.
She was none other than Feng Yan’s sister, Feng Xi.
Feng Xi held a lofty position in the Temple of Truth. Apart from the ten divine disciples, few could surpass her.
Unlike others, upon arriving at the Sea of Truth, Feng Xi’s first focus wasn’t Zhang Ruochen, but Feng Yan.
At that moment, Feng Yan was at the checkpoint of the eighth sea domain, battling the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper of this sea domain was extremely powerful, not as easily defeated as those before.
But after hundreds of exchanges, Feng Yan finally used the wondrous techniques recorded in the *Nuwa Dao Secret* to shatter the gatekeeper into pieces.
Seeing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Feng Xi’s eyes. This time, Feng Yan hadn’t disappointed her or brought shame to the Feng family.
Crossing the eighth sea domain of the Sea of Truth already placed him among the elite of the divine disciples. After all, even most of the ten divine disciples had only crossed the eighth sea domain.
The vast majority of divine disciples considered crossing the seventh sea domain their limit.
Feng Xi’s high status in the Temple of Truth wasn’t just due to her background but also because she had crossed the eighth sea domain early on and reached the checkpoint of the ninth.
“Feng Yan, junior brother, is truly impressive, surpassing us senior brothers and making us feel ashamed,” sighed a divine disciple behind Feng Xi.
Another divine disciple, Yan Shiju, exclaimed in awe, “Junior Brother Feng Yan is exceptionally talented, cultivating the *Nuwa Dao Secret* to such a level. The Feng family’s three heads and six arms are indeed well-deserved.”
Feng Yan had always held a special position in the Feng family, having inherited the three heads and six arms of their ancestor, Wind God, which drew much attention and placed immense pressure on him to excel in everything.
Though Feng Xi was pleased with Feng Yan’s performance this time, she maintained a calm exterior, saying, “He’s still far from meeting the expectations our ancestor has for him.”
She spoke the truth. Over the years, no junior had ever garnered such attention from Wind God, who personally nurtured him from a young age, a treatment even divine sons couldn’t match.
Shifting her gaze, Feng Xi looked towards the ninth sea domain.
At this point, Zhang Ruochen was nearing the checkpoint of the ninth sea domain.
“The strongest below the Great Saint is indeed formidable. To keep the Boat of Truth so steady in the ninth sea domain and move so swiftly.”
“Speed is useless. Without condensing a Truth Form, he’s doomed to fail the ninth sea domain. Unless Zhang Ruochen joins the Temple of Truth, he’ll be stuck at this level for life.”
“With Zhang Ruochen’s strength, even condensing the weakest Truth Form should allow him to cross the ninth sea domain. What a pity.”
Several divine disciples behind Feng Xi spoke up.
The belief that one must condense a Truth Form to cross the ninth sea domain was a deeply ingrained consensus among all disciples of the Temple of Truth, nearly impossible to challenge.
Feng Xi remained silent, but she had a feeling that Zhang Ruochen’s attempt to cross the sea might yield unexpected results.
“Hm? Who’s that?”
Suddenly, Feng Xi’s gaze turned to the seventh sea domain.
As she looked, she saw a tall, imposing figure punch the gatekeeper of the seventh sea domain into oblivion, simple and brutal, without the slightest hesitation.
This person was none other than Xiang Chunan’s junior sister, Qing Sixue.
It was her first time crossing the Sea of Truth, with no prior experience, yet her speed was astonishing, unstoppable, with barely any delay along the way.
At this point, Xiang Chunan had only just crossed the eighth sea domain, and Qing Sixue had already caught up.
At this pace, crossing the eighth sea domain should pose no difficulty for her.
A glint of divine light flashed in Feng Xi’s eyes as she stared intently at Qing Sixue, murmuring, “At least a Great Saint of the Hundred-Shackle Realm, with profound attainments in the Path of Truth. Why does she seem so unfamiliar?”
Given her status, she was well-acquainted with the Saint Realm geniuses cultivating in the Truth Heavenly Domain, yet she had no impression of Qing Sixue, as if she had appeared out of nowhere.
Yan Shiju said, “I just asked around, and no one knows this Great Saint’s origins, though it seems she was with Junior Brother Feng Yan earlier.”
Hearing this, Feng Xi’s heart stirred, vaguely piecing together some clues.
As Feng Xi had anticipated, Qing Sixue crossed the eighth sea domain with relatively little effort, far more easily than Feng Yan or Xiang Chunan.
“My heavens, four people entering the ninth sea domain at the same time? They’re a bunch of monsters!”
A cultivator couldn’t help but exclaim.
Though many attempted to cross the Sea of Truth daily, such a spectacle was rare.
At the checkpoint of the ninth sea domain, Zhang Ruochen turned, his gaze sweeping over Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan before locking onto Qing Sixue.
Sensing the faint Great Saint aura emanating from Qing Sixue, Zhang Ruochen’s expression shifted, “Chunan’s junior sister is actually a Great Saint, and like Chunan, she possesses profound attainments in the Path of Truth upon arriving at the Truth Heavenly Domain. Who are her parents?”
Previously, Qing Sixue had completely concealed her aura, and Zhang Ruochen hadn’t noticed.
Moreover, given her status as Xiang Chunan’s junior sister, it was hard for anyone to associate her cultivation with the Great Saint Realm.
With Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation and strength, he couldn’t see through Qing Sixue or determine her exact realm.
But one thing he was certain of: he was no match for her now.
After a moment of observation, Zhang Ruochen turned his gaze back to the light curtain ahead.
As the Boat of Truth advanced a little further, the gatekeeper of this sea domain materialised.
The sheer holy might emanating from it was enough to rival the top powerhouses below the Great Saint, perhaps even surpassing them.
More crucially, beneath the gatekeeper’s feet was a vast, solid land, exuding an incomparably heavy and steadfast aura, as if it could encompass all things.
“Truth Form, Thick Earth Below,” Zhang Ruochen murmured.
He had encountered Truth Forms before, back at the God-Sealing Platform, facing divine disciple Yu Wenjing. At that time, Yu Wenjing’s strongest technique was the Truth Form, though it was the weakest, “Emperor Heaven Above.”
More recently, outside the Central Imperial City, Nie Xiangzi had battled Blood Chen Heavenly Lord, unleashing the top-tier Truth Form, “Star Sea Boundless.”
Facing the gatekeeper’s Truth Form, Zhang Ruochen felt a powerful oppressive force, even affecting the flow of holy energy within him.
The Truth Form didn’t just allow a cultivator to unleash multiple times their attack power at will; it was also a formidable offensive technique, unmatched by ordinary means.
At this moment, on the shores of the Sea of Truth, countless cultivators watched Zhang Ruochen, each with their own thoughts.
“With the Truth Form, the gatekeeper can fully harness the power within the Sea of Truth. Only someone with a Truth Form can counter it. Zhang Ruochen is bound to lose.”
“Zhang Ruochen is the heir of time and space. He might break the shackles.”
“Though time and space are among the ancient paths, in the Sea of Truth, they’re still suppressed by the Path of Truth, their power greatly diminished. In short, against a Truth Form, all methods are futile.”
“I’m curious how many rounds Zhang Ruochen can last against this gatekeeper. I hope he doesn’t lose too quickly.”
