The gatekeeper’s face was expressionless, standing atop the thick earth. The surging power of the sea domain gathered ceaselessly, as if everything in this sea was entirely under its control.
Water and earth combined, the clear seawater turning into viscous mud, releasing a terrifying suction that gripped the Boat of Truth beneath Zhang Ruochen’s feet.
At the same time, yellow sand filled the sky, dancing like countless elves, enveloping Zhang Ruochen from all directions, resembling the gaping maw of some primordial beast ready to swallow everything.
“Thick Earth Below, Burying All Things.”
The gatekeeper’s emotionless voice rang out.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly sense that the rules of heaven and earth were almost entirely controlled by the gatekeeper, giving him the illusion of facing the entire world.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and Zhang Ruochen acted immediately. One hand reached out, summoning nearly a million spatial rules. His palm became the heavens and earth, each palm line a towering mountain range, his five fingers transforming into five divine mountains that propped up the converging yellow sand.
“Break.”
Zhang Ruochen let out a low shout.
A powerful spatial force erupted, turning into an invisible spatial storm that swept in all directions.
“Crack.”
No matter how resilient the yellow sand was, it was now completely torn apart and shattered, transforming into streams of earthy yellow airflow.
However, these streams did not dissipate. Instead, as if alive, they intertwined, filling the void and enveloping the sea domain where Zhang Ruochen stood.
“Rumble.”
Violent lightning burst from the interwoven airflow, accompanied by clusters of silver flames, exuding an extremely terrifying aura.
“With the support of the Truth Form, the gatekeeper has indeed become difficult to deal with. My techniques are noticeably suppressed. If the gatekeeper wielded the ‘Star Sea Boundless’ Truth Form, I’m afraid none of the Temple of Truth’s divine disciples could cross the ninth sea domain,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
He was still unfamiliar with Truth Forms. Even when he faced Yu Wenjing, he had used the *Secret Canon of Time and Space* to forcibly tear apart the Truth Form, unable to fully appreciate its mysteries.
Now, Zhang Ruochen opened the heavenly eye at his brow, releasing powerful spiritual energy to carefully probe the Truth Form conjured by the gatekeeper.
He not only aimed to defeat the gatekeeper but also hoped to glean the secrets of the Truth Form, to see if he could condense one himself.
Though difficult, with thirty-nine ten-thousandths of the Mysteries of Truth and his profound attainments in the Path of Truth, success was not impossible.
Inevitably, Zhang Ruochen and the gatekeeper fell into a stalemate, clashing intensely and continuously.
On the shores of the Sea of Truth, Archangel Michael watched Zhang Ruochen, his eyes flickering with intrigue. He was more concerned than others about whether Zhang Ruochen could cross the ninth sea domain.
After all, having just completed his own crossing, many would naturally compare him to Zhang Ruochen. Zhang Ruochen’s success or failure would significantly impact his reputation.
If Zhang Ruochen successfully crossed the ninth sea domain, Michael’s achievement would seem trivial, especially since Zhang Ruochen hadn’t condensed a Truth Form and would need to break established rules.
“There’s no need for the Archangel to take Zhang Ruochen seriously. He’s doomed to fail the ninth sea domain and can’t compare to you, Archangel.”
“The so-called invincibility below the Great Saint is futile in the Sea of Truth. Without a Truth Form, even a Great Saint would be stopped here.”
“Zhang Ruochen is too arrogant. It’s about time he tasted defeat.”
…
A group of cultivators from the Heaven Realm faction spoke, as if they could already see Zhang Ruochen falling into the Sea of Truth.
Archangel Michael said nothing, merely watching the situation on the sea. The world was full of geniuses, but few were as inscrutable as Zhang Ruochen.
Many things, when it came to Zhang Ruochen, defied conventional judgment.
“Chen Jing, Zhang Ruochen’s in a bad spot. I’m ready to take your Heavenly Maiden Feather Robe any time,” Qie Huairou said with a gleeful smile.
Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden remained unruffled, calmly replying, “No rush. It’s too early to conclude. I think you should get the Flying Immortal Flute ready first.”
“Very confident, aren’t you? Don’t be too shocked later,” Qie Huairou teased.
Though Zhang Ruochen could still withstand the gatekeeper’s attacks, the longer it dragged on, the worse it would be for him. Without a major breakthrough, falling into the sea was only a matter of time.
As Zhang Ruochen battled the gatekeeper, Qing Sixue, Feng Yan, and Xiang Chunan also reached the checkpoint of the ninth sea domain.
Watching Zhang Ruochen’s intense battle, Feng Yan frowned slightly, saying, “Big Brother hasn’t condensed a Truth Form, which puts him at a great disadvantage here. Otherwise, he’d have defeated the gatekeeper long ago.”
As a divine disciple of the Temple of Truth, he had received secret teachings but couldn’t pass them to Zhang Ruochen.
“Second Brother, don’t worry. I believe Big Brother will win,” Xiang Chunan said.
Qing Sixue added, “Brother Ruochen is an extraordinary person. He’s bound to achieve extraordinary feats.”
With that, Qing Sixue steered her Boat of Truth toward the light curtain, eager to challenge the gatekeeper.
Crossing from the first to the ninth sea domain on her first attempt, Qing Sixue was undoubtedly a legendary figure.
Seeing this, Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan didn’t hesitate, following suit, equally eager to face the gatekeeper of the ninth sea domain.
In an instant, three gatekeepers materialised before the light curtain.
Like the one Zhang Ruochen faced, they all stood atop thick earth, controlling heaven and earth.
Feng Yan’s expression grew solemn. He clasped his hands, and countless Truth Rules surged from his body, interweaving with the rules of heaven and earth to form a hazy starry river world. Each star was composed of intricate characters, embodying the truths of the world.
“Junior Brother Feng Yan has condensed a Truth Form so quickly, and it’s ‘Star Sea Boundless’ no less…”
The four divine disciples of the Temple of Truth beside Feng Xi widened their eyes, unable to believe what they saw.
The Feng family already had a rare genius in Feng Xi. Now, with Feng Yan emerging, it seemed this era was destined for the Feng family’s rise.
Feng Xi’s high status in the Temple of Truth stemmed from her condensing the “Star Sea Boundless” Truth Form, comparable to the ten divine disciples.
Once her foundation was solid and her strength reached their level, she could likely cross the ninth sea domain and join the ranks of the ten divine disciples.
“He hasn’t disgraced our ancestor’s three heads and six arms,” Feng Xi murmured.
Seeing her brother’s growth filled Feng Xi with pride.
Suddenly, her eyes flashed with shock, “How could…”
Her gaze locked onto Qing Sixue, noticing a Truth Form behind her, an even vaster “Star Sea Boundless” than Feng Yan’s.
“This person is a divine disciple of our Temple of Truth? Why have I never seen her?” Dongfang Qingyu’s eyes showed astonishment.
Nie Xiangzi was equally puzzled. Given his status, he should know all the divine disciples of the Temple of Truth.
A thought struck him, and he mused, “She must be a secret disciple of some major figure in the Temple of Truth.”
He believed there couldn’t be another case like Archangel Michael, so Qing Sixue must be from the Temple of Truth.
Dongfang Qingyu’s eyes flashed with shock again, “What’s going on? That burly guy is a divine disciple too?”
Behind Xiang Chunan, a vast starry sea world emerged, no smaller than Feng Yan’s.
Seeing this, the cultivators gathered on the shore could no longer remain calm.
“When did ‘Star Sea Boundless’ become so easy to condense? Three people at once?”
“Besides Feng Yan, who are those other two? Does the Temple of Truth have these divine disciples?”
“Could three people cross the ninth sea domain together this time?”
…
Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qing Sixue reaching the ninth sea domain’s checkpoint was already astonishing. Now, all three displaying the “Star Sea Boundless” Truth Form left people speechless.
Archangel Michael’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within. The Heaven Realm had gone to great lengths to secure the secret method for him to condense a Truth Form, and he had only managed “Thick Earth Below.”
Now, three random individuals had condensed “Star Sea Boundless,” a major blow to him.
For now, whether Zhang Ruochen could cross the ninth sea domain was secondary. Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qing Sixue had already overshadowed his achievement.
Any divine disciple who condensed “Star Sea Boundless” would be a priority for the Temple of Truth, their future achievements boundless.
For a moment, the attention of many cultivators shifted to Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qing Sixue, with fewer focusing on Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was unaware of this and had no time to care. His focus was entirely on battling the gatekeeper and comprehending the Truth Form.
His holy energy reserves were vast, with no fear of depletion.
He wasn’t truly suppressed by the gatekeeper, always managing to counter its powerful attacks with ease.
“Though all holy paths are suppressed, the Path of Truth, Time, Space, and my perfected Sword Path are less affected. If I cultivate the ancient paths to perfection, they should be entirely unaffected,” Zhang Ruochen speculated.
To cross the Sea of Truth, it was best to rely on one’s own strength. Using external tools would increase the gatekeeper’s power, making the crossing harder.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen hadn’t used any treasures, including the Ancient Abyss Sword.
After a thousand exchanges, Zhang Ruochen had gauged the gatekeeper’s capabilities and gained a clearer understanding of the Truth Form.
If he wished, he was confident he could condense the “Emperor Heaven Above” Truth Form.
But with his personality, how could he settle for such an ordinary Truth Form?
Zhang Ruochen exhaled softly, a sharp glint in his eyes, murmuring, “Time to end this. Let’s test the Spatial True Domain I’ve just condensed.”
As he spoke, nearly a million spatial rules surged from his body, forming a strange domain a hundred zhang in diameter.
Within this Spatial True Domain, everything was under Zhang Ruochen’s absolute control, a battlefield tailored for him.
The Path of Truth had Truth Forms, the Path of Fate had Gates of Destiny, and the Path of Space naturally had its own specialty, the Spatial True Domain.
The Spatial True Domain was an advanced form of a spatial domain, but condensing it was extremely difficult, especially the top-tier version, which was near impossible.
At least, among the disciples of the Space Temple Zhang Ruochen had encountered, almost none had condensed a Spatial True Domain, or they never had the chance to use it.
With his attainments in the Path of Space, Zhang Ruochen could have condensed a Spatial True Domain long ago, but he wasn’t satisfied with an ordinary one, delaying until now.
After all, the Path of Space was his primary holy path, tied to his future achievements. It had to be perfected, not half-hearted, to avoid future regrets.
After the battle outside the imperial city, Zhang Ruochen had vanished for a time, precisely to condense the Spatial True Domain.
The Spatial True Domain was one of his trump cards for crossing the Sea of Truth.
As the Spatial True Domain formed, the sea within a hundred zhang became utterly calm, and even the gatekeeper’s Truth Form was restrained.
This was because Zhang Ruochen’s Spatial True Domain was of the highest tier, while the gatekeeper’s Truth Form was relatively ordinary. Even with the advantage of the terrain, it couldn’t compete.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen reinforced the Spatial True Domain with Truth Rules and Mysteries of Truth, easily counter-suppressing the Truth Form.
Unlike Truth Forms or Gates of Destiny, the Spatial True Domain was invisible to the naked eye, only perceptible when within it.
“Destroy.”
Zhang Ruochen extended a hand, pressing forward gently.
A force capable of annihilating heaven and earth surged, enveloping the gatekeeper’s space.
“Boom.”
A vast expanse of space collapsed instantly, revealing a dark, void space.
Simultaneously, the gatekeeper and its Truth Form disintegrated, turning back into streaks of holy light that merged into the light curtain.
Zhang Ruochen retracted the Spatial True Domain, standing calmly in the Boat of Truth, gazing at the light curtain ahead, as if waiting for something.
“It seems I truly can’t obtain more Mysteries of Truth. My only option now is to challenge the tenth sea domain,” Zhang Ruochen sighed softly.
The ninth sea domain was so difficult to cross, yet there was no reward of Mysteries of Truth. It was impossible not to feel disappointed.
But disappointment was useless. Could he go to the Temple of Truth and demand Mysteries of Truth?
“Look, Zhang Ruochen has defeated the gatekeeper!”
With a cry of shock, the cultivators on the shore shifted their gaze back to Zhang Ruochen.
“He actually succeeded. How did Zhang Ruochen do it?”
“From start to finish, he never revealed a Truth Form. Even the shackles of the Sea of Truth couldn’t restrain him. Truly terrifying.”
“Crossing the ninth sea domain without relying on a Truth Form, Zhang Ruochen is the first in the history of the Celestial Court.”
“Could Zhang Ruochen really cross the tenth sea domain and ascend the Mountain of Truth? Are we witnessing a miracle today?”
