Chapter 1179 - 537: Throne (Part 2)

The rift in the firmament slowly mended under the influence of chaotic Dao resonance, isolating the last gleam of starlight from the outside world. Gui Xu Domain returned to its ancient and unchanging gray hue. Yet the hearts of all living beings could no longer return to the past. Their eyes had once reflected that radiant and perilous star river, which was hope, as well as an intangible spur.

"Cang Shi." Xu Ran’s voice echoed again.

"Disciple is here!" Cang Shi, who had just stabilized his cultivation in the Divine Fire Realm, stepped out from the pinnacle of the Ladder of Inquiry, his body like lightning, appearing before Gui Xu Palace instantaneously and kneeling on one knee. The aura on his body had already undergone a radical transformation, strands of divine fire flowed naturally, subtly distorting the surrounding space. However, the reverence and devotion he showed towards Xu Ran was even greater than before.

"Since you have ignited the divine fire, you are the first being in Gui Xu Domain at the divine level, and a title must be bestowed." Xu Ran’s gaze fell upon him, as if penetrating the source of his divine fire, "With the will of stone, you ascend the Ladder of Heaven, draw the light of the star river, and ignite your own Dao. Today, I confer upon you the title of ’Celestial Stone Divine Monarch’, as my first Divine General."

"Disciple Cang Shi, thanks the master for the title!" Cang Shi bowing with excitement, the four characters ’Celestial Stone Divine Monarch’ seemed to contain a certain authority of heaven and earth, resonating with his divine fire, instantly stabilizing his newly achieved realm as firm as a mountain.

Xu Ran nodded slightly, his gaze turning to Zhen Shan on the other side. At this moment, Zhen Shan was seated on the divine fire realm bones left by the Calamity Monarch, his war intent and the way of punishment intertwined into a domain of blood and iron, the might of the bone king displayed in full, evil qi soaring to the heavens.

"Zhen Shan."

"Subordinate is present!" Zhen Shan abruptly opened his eyes, two beams of tangible murderous light flashed and disappeared, he rose to salute, the bone throne beneath him resonated as if echoing with him.

"You control punishment and must suppress enemies from all directions. You must refine this ’Throne of Calamity’ well, and once your task is accomplished, I shall name you ’Prison Suppression Bone King’, as the chief of my war division."

"Zhen Shan shall not disappoint the master’s trust!" Zhen Shan’s voice resounded powerfully, filled with boundless war fervor.

The crisis transformed into a conferring of titles, two newly advanced powerhouses like two pillars supporting the heavens, causing the fate of the entire Gui Xu Domain to surge drastically. The countless previously-called prisoners below could no longer be called prisoners, they were "Returning Ruins Dao Soldiers", and as they gazed at the three figures beneath the firmament, unprecedented fervor burned in their eyes.

Master Xu Ran, profound as the abyss and sea, inscrutable.

Celestial Stone Divine Monarch, divine fire newly ignited, exuding majesty on all sides.

Prison Suppression Bone King, war intent towering, unrivaled in slaughter.

This is the future of their Gui Xu Domain!

"Purple Lightning." Xu Ran finally glanced at the Right Envoy.

"Subordinate is here." Purple Lightning stepped forward, expression stern.

"You are responsible for tallying the spoils of the White Bone Star Pirates and inputting them into the treasury. From now on, perfect the merit system, establishing the three tiers of ’Dao Soldier’, ’Dao General’, and ’Dao King’. All beings of Gui Xu Domain are Dao Soldiers. Those who ascend three thousand steps on the Ladder of Inquiry will be promoted to Dao General, entitled to magical artifacts and elixirs. Those who ascend six thousand steps will be elevated to Dao King, eligible to enter Gui Xu Palace to hear my teachings and receive divine techniques."

"As for those skeletal ship remains..." Xu Ran’s gaze moved towards the mountain of broken bones and metal, "Using the core dragon bone as the foundation, blending scores of star pirate bones, gathering power from the entire domain, I want you to oversee the construction of a vessel capable of traversing the starry sea...the ’Returning Ruins Ark’!"

Returning Ruins Ark!

These four words caused Purple Lightning’s heart spirit to tremble, instantly comprehending Xu Ran’s grand blueprint. The master intends not only to break through the cage but to lead all of them into conquest across the starry sea!

"Subordinate, obeys the command!" Purple Lightning’s voice trembled slightly due to excitement.

With the issuance of one decree after another, the entire Gui Xu Domain moved. A historic, fervent wave of construction and cultivation commenced from this moment.

The sinister white bone star vessel, once a tool for plundering and destruction in the hands of the Calamity Monarch, was being dismantled and reshaped under Xu Ran’s blueprint, becoming a cornerstone for Gui Xu Domain’s rise.

Hardened bones were refined into standardized bone blades and bone spears, distributed to Dao Soldiers with merit. Metals imbued with the Law of Death were cleansed of evil by Purple Lightning using divine thunder, forged into solid armor. The soul fire essences of tens of thousands of star pirates were refined into batches of ’Soul Essence Pills’, becoming the supreme elixir for Dao Soldiers to break through bottlenecks.

In front of the Merit Hall, daily crowds thronged. Dao Soldiers used records of ascending the Ladder of Inquiry, proofs of cultivation breakthroughs, or victories in the martial arena to exchange for coveted cultivation resources.

Weaklings earn resources through effort and grow stronger.

The strong consolidate their status through merit, receive better resources, and become even stronger!

A virtuous cycle filled with enterprising spirit was perfectly established in Gui Xu Domain.

Time flowed like sand through fingers amid this fervent preparation for war.

In the blink of an eye, another decade passed.

A decade has seen changes in Gui Xu Domain exceed that of the past thirty years combined.

Thanks to the vast resources and clear system for advancement, the overall strength of Gui Xu Dao Soldiers has risen by more than one tier. The once ’Bone Soldier’ physiques are now the minimum standard; the majority of elite soldiers have condensed ’Bone General’ bodies. Among them, hundreds have emerged touching the threshold of ’Bone King’ status, known as ’Hundred King Generals’, they are the most core combat strength under Prison Suppression Bone King.

Celestial Stone Divine Monarch Cang Shi, having refined the divine fire essence of the Calamity Monarch, progressed rapidly in cultivation, now firmly at the early stage pinnacle of the Divine Fire Realm. He frequently performs methods at the pinnacle of the Ladder of Inquiry, the light of divine fire illuminating all directions, leading countless Dao Soldiers to enlightenment, his merits immeasurable.

Prison Suppression Bone King Zhen Shan, having thoroughly refined the ’Throne of Calamity’, fully integrates war intent and the way of punishment within, able to activate the Punishment Law of a whole region with a mere gesture, his power imposing, now truly at the pinnacle of the Bone King, only a chance away from igniting divine fire.

And that much-anticipated ’Returning Ruins Ark’ has also formed its prototype under the day and night efforts of countless craftsmen and Purple Lightning’s unreserved resource investments.

It hovers quietly in the central sky above Gui Xu Domain, like a dormant ancient behemoth. Its body appears gray-white, the color resulting from the fusion of chaotic Dao resonance and endless bone essence. Inscribed on the ship’s body are the scriptures of ’Primal Gui Xu Canon’, forming a natural guardian grand array. It lacks the sinister and evil of the white bone star vessel but possesses an ancient and heavy feel, like a moving continent, filled with the aura of suppressing everything.

On this day, Xu Ran emerges again.

Ten years passed without any appearances from him, he was secluded in the deepest part of Gui Xu Palace all this time. No one knew what he was doing these ten years but when he appeared, the Dao Laws of the entire Gui Xu Domain emitted an affectionate hum.

His aura, more inscrutable than ten years ago. If he was a black hole ten years ago, now he is the cosmos in which the black hole exists. Boundless, without beginning or end.

His cultivation startlingly stepped out of the Great Perfection of the Divine Furnace Realm toward the crucial step into...the realm of Half-Step Daoist Monarch!

The Divine Furnace Realm is about opening a world within the body and forging a divine furnace. The Daoist Monarch Realm, however, involves imprinting one’s own Dao thoroughly upon the world one opened up, making this world possess its own unique ’Heavenly Heart Imprint’!

Xu Ran has successfully condensed a nascent form of the ’Heavenly Heart Imprint’ of ’Gui Xu Dao’.

"Salute the master!"

Celestial Stone Divine Monarch, Prison Suppression Bone King, Right Envoy Purple Lightning instantly appeared before him, saluting respectfully.

Xu Ran glanced over the three and nodded slightly.

"Cang Shi, your divine fire is stable. Zhen Shan, your throne is realized. Purple Lightning, how fares the ark construction?"

"Reporting to Master!" Purple Lightning stepped forward with a tinge of fervor and pride on his face, "The Returning Ruins Ark, its main dragon bone is complete, array core imprinted, only the final step ’Spirit Activation’ remains for it to be truly accomplished!"