Chapter 1176: Opening the Heavens!

Chapter 1176: Chapter 536: Opening the Heavens!

Chapter 536

The strongest among them has already condensed the “Bone General” body, possessing the power to split mountains and crack stones with a mere gesture.

Zhen Shan and Purple Lightning, benefiting from the Chaos Essence gifted by Xu Ran, have long broken through their original shackles. Zhen Shan’s entire Evil Qi has been fully restrained, transforming into pure battle intent, able to summon the Heaven and Earth Punitive Power with each gesture, reaching the threshold of a “Bone King.” Purple Lightning, on the other hand, has become more reserved; the Thunder Power on him merges with the Dao of Enlightenment, evolving into a kind of “Educative Divine Thunder,” capable of punishing evil and enlightening intelligence, also touching the threshold of the “Bone King.”

And over thirty years, a legend was born on the Heavenly Ladder seeking the Dao.

A young man named “Cang Shi.”

He was an ordinary human soul left behind after being purified by Holy Light when the Celestial Kingdom descended, naive and ignorant, almost a blank slate. Yet, he possessed a rock-like resilient will.

He was the first to step onto the Heavenly Ladder seeking the Dao, and the one who climbed the highest.

For thirty years, as if it were a single day, he never left the range of the Heavenly Ladder seeking the Dao. When hungry, he would absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi; when thirsty, he would summon Dao Rhythmic Rain to moisten his throat; when tired, he would sit on the steps, comprehending the supreme scriptures.

His figure became an everlasting sight on the Heavenly Ladder, inspiring those who came after him.

Now, he has reached the eight thousand one hundred steps!

Even Zhen Shan and Purple Lightning looked at him with admiration. They had attempted the climb, but stopped around the seven thousand steps, for the Dao pressure stemming from Chaos above was nearly enough to crush their Divine Souls.

Yet Cang Shi continued upward.

His body no longer bore the fragility of a human soul, replaced by a near “Dao-like” aura. His bones displayed a gray Chaos color, like a miniature Dao Monument.

Everyone believed he would be the first to reach the summit, becoming the personal disciple of our master.

And on this day, the Gui Xu Temple, closed for thirty years, produced a creak as its doors slowly opened.

A figure stepped out.

It was Xu Ran.

Compared to thirty years ago, his appearance remained unchanged, but his aura had undergone earth-shattering transformation. If thirty years ago he was a Divine Soldier sheathed, now he was a black hole devouring the galaxy cosmos.

Profound, vast, unfathomable.

Merely standing there, the Dao Laws within the Gui Xu domain seemed to find their cornerstone, becoming more stable and more lively.

He took a step, his figure appearing beneath the Heavenly Ladder seeking the Dao.

He looked up at the figure struggling at the eight thousand one hundred steps, a hint of approval in his eyes.

“Not bad.”

The simple two words, yet seemed to contain the ultimate truths of Heaven and Earth, resonating clearly in Cang Shi’s ears.

Cang Shi shuddered all over, turned back quickly, and saw the figure that haunted his dreams, nearly overwhelmed with emotion, ready to kneel down.

“Disciple Cang Shi, pays respects to the master!”

“You have not reached the summit; you are not yet my disciple,” Xu Ran’s voice was calm, “But your perseverance has earned my recognition. I can resolve one of your confusions. What troubles you?”

Upon hearing this, innumerable beings climbing below cast looks full of envy.

This was direct guidance from the master! One resolution would surpass centuries of hard cultivation!

Cang Shi, trembling with excitement, forcibly calmed his heart spirit and respectfully asked, “Reporting to Master, disciple has been practicing the ‘Primal Gui Xu Incantation,’ reaching the peak of ‘Bone King,’ wanting to condense the ‘Gui Xu Dharma Body,’ yet always feeling the lack of a certain ‘Spirit.’ No matter what, I cannot unite my own Dao with Heaven and Earth, as if… as if this realm is repelling me.”

This was a common confusion for all cultivators reaching the “Bone King” realm. They could sense that while the Gui Xu domain’s Heaven and Earth Laws were stable, it seemed like a closed loop, not allowing any beings to borrow deeper power to reach higher realms.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ran did not answer directly, but asked back, “How do you perceive this Gui Xu domain?”

Cang Shi hesitated, unconsciously looking around.

Mountains, rivers, earth… everything orderly and vibrant, yet for some unknown reason, he always felt this realm lacked a certain “soul.”

“Like… like a perfect cage.” Cang Shi hesitated for a while, finally voicing his most honest thought.

“Well said.” Xu Ran nodded, “It is indeed a cage, remolded by me based on my own great Dao. The Laws here are my Laws; the order here is my order. Naturally, your cultivation of the techniques I created can resonate with this realm, but seeking to use its power, condense a Dharma Body, and touch the divine fire is not feasible.”

“Because this realm is itself a product of the ‘Divine Furnace Realm.’ How can you ignite your own ‘divine fire’ within a ‘divine furnace’?”

Xu Ran’s words echoed like divine thunder in the minds of all High Tier cultivators.

So that’s how it was!

They had always believed their comprehension was insufficient, but it turned out the realm’s limits were blocking their path forward!

Despair began to spread among the crowd. If unable to ignite divine fire here, wouldn’t they have no hope for advancement and the thousand-year promise of the master be a hollow word?

“However,” Xu Ran’s tone suddenly shifted, his voice became high, filled with boundless dominance and confidence, “I can create it, naturally I can… break it!”