“What is the fastest speed in the universe?” Island Lord Fallen God asked.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Naturally, the speed of light.”
Island Lord Fallen God pondered for a moment, neither confirming nor denying, and said, “If so, your Radiant Merit Armor, which can burst to one percent of light speed, is already a top-tier speed below the Divine Realm. How can that be considered slow?”
Zhang Ruochen, puzzled, asked, “Is the speed of light not the fastest?”
“At your current level, light speed is the fastest, but it’s not the fastest for escaping. Space is!”
Zhang Ruochen fell into deep thought.
Island Lord Fallen God continued, “As a master of space, it’s improper to ask me for life-saving techniques!”
“Though I’m a master of space, I’ve only had the *Secret Canon of Time and Space* to cultivate, and I’ve been groping my way through it. My understanding of the spatial path is still quite shallow.”
Before a Supreme like Island Lord Fallen God, Zhang Ruochen dared not claim any profound mastery of space.
Island Lord Fallen God nodded, acknowledging Zhang Ruochen’s humility. “Space is profound and ever-changing. Relying solely on self-exploration is indeed too difficult. Watch closely!”
With a flourish, Island Lord Fallen God extended a wrinkled finger and pointed into the void.
The surrounding space trembled slightly.
“What did you see?” Island Lord Fallen God asked.
With the light of truth flowing in his pupils, Zhang Ruochen said, “In the space, there seemed to be rivers, or perhaps ridges, rising and falling, both flowing and eternally still. What is this?”
“This is the spatial vein!”
Island Lord Fallen God withdrew his finger. “You possess the Mystery of Truth, which indeed makes your cultivation path easier. But as a master of space, why not use the Mystery of Space to sense it? Without employing your spatial powers, how can your mastery of space improve?”
Zhang Ruochen, slightly embarrassed, said, “Grandmaster, please do it again!”
Island Lord Fallen God tucked his hand back into his sleeve, shaking his head. “For other cultivators, I might give three, ten, or more chances. But for you, only one. You have immense talent and insight, yet you don’t always apply it. You need a push. Now, sense the spatial vein yourself.”
It seemed there was no room for argument.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, ceasing to use the power of truth and instead mobilizing the Mystery of Space, carefully sensing the subtle changes in the surrounding space.
Island Lord Fallen God’s voice sounded in his ear. “Space is not a flat sheet of paper, nor is it unchanging. It has countless veins, countless folds, and can twist, collapse, fracture, or become illusory.”
“Some places have space that is indestructible. Others can be easily torn by Great Sage-level cultivators.”
“As a master of space, you must not only know how to tear space or leap through it but also understand why you can tear it, why you can leap through it.”
“You must also learn to protect and control space, making it so stable that even deities cannot tear it, so fully under your command that no one can lock it.”
Island Lord Fallen God spoke at length about the mysteries of the spatial path, some of which overturned Zhang Ruochen’s understanding of space.
Zhang Ruochen entered a state of deep contemplation, occasionally releasing his spatial domain and true spatial domain to shake the surrounding space, searching for traces of the spatial vein.
After an unknown amount of time, it was as if a pair of eyes appeared within Zhang Ruochen’s body. The moment his true spatial domain was released, shaking the space, he faintly glimpsed the existence of the spatial vein.
He lunged forward, his body momentarily weightless. When he opened his eyes, he found himself hundreds of miles away.
“This is… spatial shift?”
From a distance came Island Lord Fallen God’s laughter. “A spatial shift is achieved by piercing the spatial vein and crossing the spatial barrier.”
Zhang Ruochen’s talent and comprehension undeniably lifted Island Lord Fallen God’s heart, which had been weighed down for a hundred thousand years.
Island Lord Fallen God said, “Typically, only deities can sense the spatial vein using their divine souls. For you to achieve this at the Great Sage level with the Mystery of Space is remarkably clever!”
If Xiao Hei were here, it would be astonished. Despite considering itself a peerless genius, it had never earned Island Lord Fallen God’s praise during its training on Fallen God Island. It always thought the Island Lord’s standards were too high, that no cultivator, no matter how exceptional, could impress him.
Island Lord Fallen God continued, “In the world of deities, they can use divine energy to infuse the spatial vein, forging a spatial star path. This is a path only deities can tread, each step spanning 129,600 miles. And that’s just for ordinary deities. This is called the Divine Step.”
As he spoke, Island Lord Fallen God took a slight step.
His figure vanished from its original spot.
He reappeared 129,600 miles away, waving to Zhang Ruochen from afar. “Grandmaster will wait for you here. When you can reach me in one step, we’ll head to Saint Monk Xumi’s place of nirvana.”
Zhang Ruochen was inwardly shocked.
His current spatial great shift, even in the weaker space of the starry sky, could only cross a few hundred miles at a time. Within a great world, affected by ley lines, saint veins, arrays, and other natural or artificial interferences, the distance was even shorter.
To cross 129,600 miles in one step, how many spatial great shifts would that require?
Calming his mind, Zhang Ruochen earnestly sensed the spatial vein’s existence, repeatedly attempting the Divine Step, far more advanced than the spatial great shift.
Deities could perform the Divine Step because they possessed powerful divine souls and abundant divine energy to reinforce the spatial vein.
Lacking a divine soul and sufficient divine energy, Zhang Ruochen had to use his saint soul and the Mystery of Space in place of a “divine soul,” and spatial rules and saint energy in place of “divine energy.”
Over the following period, though he failed repeatedly, Zhang Ruochen’s understanding of the spatial path deepened, and the spatial rules within him grew rapidly.
One day, Zhang Ruochen attempted the Divine Step again.
After taking a step, he felt the surrounding space compress, pressing against his demigod body until it trembled. He couldn’t breathe, his skin sank inward, and his organs contracted.
When the immense pressure finally dissipated, he was overjoyed to find himself near Island Lord Fallen God.
In that moment, he felt an indescribable exhilaration, as if he had already stepped into the Divine Realm.
One step, 129,600 miles.
Success!
Finally, success!
However, his saint energy was heavily depleted.
The sensation of being squeezed by space was excruciating, as if his body were being torn apart.
Zhang Ruochen shared his experience with Island Lord Fallen God. “Grandmaster, though I succeeded in performing the Divine Step, I can only manage a few steps. And the speed is quite slow, perhaps not as practical as the ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armor.”
“Where’s that ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armor? Let Grandmaster see it,” Island Lord Fallen God said with a smile.
Zhang Ruochen took out the armor.
Island Lord Fallen God glanced at it, a flash of divine light in his eyes. The armor emitted a sizzling sound, transforming from indestructible solid to strands of merit energy, dissipating into the void.
Though Zhang Ruochen sensed something amiss, watching the priceless ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armor vanish before his eyes left him stunned.
What was this?
This was the ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armor. With it, Zhang Ruochen could rival the speed of saint ships crafted by Supreme Realm Great Sages in short bursts. It had saved him from countless dangers.
With it, he could gain a speed advantage, defeating stronger opponents.
Even if sold, it would fetch a fortune in divine stones.
Yet such a treasure had dissipated in his hands, an utter waste.
“Got any more?” Island Lord Fallen God asked.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, his emotions mixed. “No more ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed ones. Only thousand-times, two-thousand-times, and five-thousand-times ones.”
He spoke the truth.
Even if he wanted to lie, he couldn’t!
The ten-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armor was only awarded to cultivators ranked in the top ten of the Saint King Merit List. Zhang Ruochen’s was seized from a Paradise Realm cultivator.
“Show me the five-thousand-times one too,” Island Lord Fallen God said.
Zhang Ruochen gave a wry smile. “Grandmaster, the Radiant Merit Armor is a treasure. What a pity to destroy it.”
“No pity! Though I’m known as a Supreme of arrays, I’m also skilled in crafting. Such trinkets, I can make with a wave of my hand. Show it to me,” Island Lord Fallen God said.
After destroying the several five-thousand-times-sonic-speed Radiant Merit Armors Zhang Ruochen had, Island Lord Fallen God nodded with satisfaction and stepped forward. “Catch up to Grandmaster. If you can’t, I’ll toss your other armors and supreme saint artifacts into the void.”
Zhang Ruochen understood that Grandmaster was cutting off his retreat, forcing him to hone his ability to achieve unparalleled speed without relying on external items.
The speed gained from the Radiant Merit Armor, after all, wasn’t truly his own.
“Grandmaster just escaped the Temple of Destiny. In the Kunlun Realm and Heavenly Court, there must be countless important matters awaiting him. Deities from all realms likely seek an audience. Yet he’s spending his energy on me, clearly with great expectations. How can I let him down?”
In moments, Island Lord Fallen God had taken seven or eight steps, reaching a million miles away, beyond Zhang Ruochen’s sight with the truth.
Zhang Ruochen hurried to catch up.
One step, two steps, three steps.
After just three steps, his saint energy was nearly exhausted.
But he didn’t stop. Holding a divine stone in each hand, he absorbed their energy to replenish his saint energy. Simultaneously, he used his mental power to draw in the spiritual and saint energy of the heavens and earth, continuously absorbing it into his body.
Still, it couldn’t keep up with the consumption, forcing Zhang Ruochen to take saint medicine.
Though he barely sustained his saint energy, his demigod body couldn’t withstand the constant spatial compression. After a few dozen steps, it showed signs of collapse.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen’s body recovered quickly. Even with cracking skin and shattered organs, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
Finally, he caught up to Island Lord Fallen God.
He stopped immediately, fully circulating his cultivation technique to restore his saint energy and consuming the Spring of Life to heal his injuries.
Before his injuries fully healed, Island Lord Fallen God was a million miles away again, forcing Zhang Ruochen to chase once more, caught in a cycle of bodily collapse and recovery.
His saint energy was constantly on the verge of depletion.
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen grasped some techniques to minimize saint energy consumption and avoid spatial compression.
Of course, these only made things slightly easier.
After more than two hundred steps, Zhang Ruochen reached his limit, collapsing in the void, bloodied and utterly exhausted.
Island Lord Fallen God stopped. “Two hundred fifteen steps. Not bad for the Hundred Shackles Realm. If your mental power reaches the sixty-ninth tier and you break into the Thousand Questions Realm, you could push your limit beyond five hundred steps. Then, even against a pseudo-deity, you’d have a chance to escape.”
With a flourish, without any visible action from Island Lord Fallen God, the spiritual and saint energy of the heavens and earth rapidly converged on Zhang Ruochen, like a spring nourishing a desert.
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen’s injuries healed completely, and his saint energy reached its peak.
“Want to continue?” Island Lord Fallen God asked.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Of course, I’ll continue.”
“Good.”
Thereafter, every two hundred or so steps, Zhang Ruochen would reach his limit and collapse.
The path to Saint Monk Xumi’s place of nirvana was unprecedentedly grueling, but Zhang Ruochen’s fighting spirit soared, and he reveled in it. He could clearly feel his understanding of space growing stronger.
His control over his demigod body became more refined.
His mental power, constantly pushed to its limits, grew step by step, approaching the sixty-ninth tier.
After an unknown time, they had left the Kunlun Realm far behind, arriving in a dark, silent starfield where not a single star was visible, as if they had returned to the Dark Triangle Star Domain.
Zhang Ruochen knew the stars hadn’t vanished; the space here was simply too unique to see them.
Looking at Island Lord Fallen God, who had stopped, Zhang Ruochen asked, “Is the Saint Monk’s place of nirvana in this cosmic space?”
Though he was Saint Monk Xumi’s successor, Zhang Ruochen had never met him or called him “Master,” so he still referred to him as the Saint Monk.
Island Lord Fallen God gazed around and nodded.
When Saint Monk Xumi attained nirvana, Island Lord Fallen God was already imprisoned in the Temple of Destiny, so he couldn’t know the exact location.
But Empress Thousand Bones had been there and inherited a vast amount of the Mystery of Time.
With a wave of his sleeve, Island Lord Fallen God made the chaotic spatial veins in the darkness visible to the naked eye.
Then, as if a black cloth were torn away, the space before them collapsed, revealing a grand yet dilapidated ancient temple.
Though Zhang Ruochen could clearly see the temple, he sensed it was impossibly far away.
Out of reach.
As if it existed in a void space.
Island Lord Fallen God was about to step forward when a trace of surprise crossed his face. He smiled. “Your friend has followed us here!”
“My friend? Here?” Zhang Ruochen was astonished.
Who could find this place?
