Chapter 392 - 214: A Swift and Resolute Race to Start the Tribulation (2)

Chapter 392: Chapter 214: A Swift and Resolute Race to Start the Tribulation (2)

Xuzhuang did not hesitate, saying with an easy air, "I already cultivate a wide variety of arts and have no desire to add to my studies. If I manage to achieve some success one day, it will not be too late to learn innate divination then."

In truth, he had privately asked Bitu if he could teach him innate divination. Bitu was naturally willing, but had also said that Nascent Soul Cultivators were different from Primordial Spirit True Men, who could comprehend the Great Dao and commune with heaven and earth. Even if one had extraordinary comprehension and could master divination, relying on it too heavily might do more harm than good.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Xuzhuang did not rush to learn the art of divination. His progress had been relentless, and now he was on the verge of completion. He was just a single step away from reaching the third layer and perfecting his Nascent Soul. Discarding the extraneous to seek the true essence—pursuing the Primordial Spirit Dao was his absolute priority.

Daochen Zhenren nodded slightly. Xuzhuang’s progress naturally hadn’t escaped his Dharma Eye. He smiled. "It seems I’ve delayed your cultivation, Junior Brother."

Xuzhuang quickly bowed. "Senior Brother, you overstate things."

Daochen Zhenren gave a slight wave of his hand. "Junior Brother, are you prepared? Today, I will disperse the great mist of the South Sea and open the Nanzhan Treasure Continent!"

Xuzhuang’s expression grew solemn. "I am ready to receive your decree at any time, Senior Brother."

"Good," Daochen Zhenren said in a deep voice. "Time waits for no one. Today, the Upper Truth Hall will issue a decree for eight elders to take my talismans, travel through the night to surround the Nanzhan Treasure Continent, and lay down a grand formation."

"At dawn tomorrow, I will personally preside over the formation to disperse the South Sea mist and allow the disciples of our Tai Su Orthodox Sect to enter and gather herbs!"

Xuzhuang hadn’t expected Daochen Zhenren’s decision to be so swift. He quickly cupped his hands in acknowledgement.

Without another word, Daochen Zhenren pointed into the air. The shape of a vast, wild continent hidden within a boundless mist appeared. Immediately, eight glittering points of light lit up in succession, encircling the entire continent.

"Though not as vast as Dongsheng, the Nanzhan Treasure Continent is a continent nonetheless," Daochen Zhenren said. "According to my calculations, we will need to set up eight array flags to surround it and maintain the formation. These eight array flags will serve as eight array gates."

Daochen Zhenren’s gaze fell on him as he asked lightly, "Junior Brother, you promised to guard one of the array gates for me. You haven’t forgotten, have you?"

Xuzhuang replied, "You may rest assured, Master. I will not fail my mission."

Daochen Zhenren’s expression didn’t change as he said sternly, "Junior Brother, you must not be careless. The task I’m giving you is far from simple."

Xuzhuang listened respectfully as Daochen Zhenren pointed to an array gate outside the Nanzhan Treasure Continent, one that faced Dongsheng and was separated from the Divine Continent only by the sea. "Though we of Tai Su are taking the lead," he said, "it is not my wish to exclude our fellow cultivators from this opportunity."

"This array gate is one I have opened specifically for all the world’s cultivators. In other words—"

It was a Gate of Life, lacking any power to trap or kill.

Hearing this, Xuzhuang had an inkling of what was coming. His gaze sharpened as he looked toward that Gate of Life.

Daochen Zhenren gestured to the various array gates and said slowly, "I have made arrangements at each gate. As long as enough cultivators are stationed within them, they can withstand even an overwhelming assault—unless a Primordial Spirit True Man attacks personally."

"Only this Gate of Life, being wide open, will surely attract all manner of ghouls and demons who wish to pry."

"However, that is no issue. This gate is intended as a passageway for the world’s cultivators to enter."

"But cultivators from the Demon Sect? Them, our Tai Su will not allow." For the first time in front of Xuzhuang, Daochen Zhenren revealed a grim, forbidding side. "I want you to personally guard this gate, Junior Brother," he said coldly, "and block any and all Demon Dao cultivators who approach it."

’Just as I thought.’

Xuzhuang took a deep breath and replied in a heavy tone, "Yes. I will obey the Master’s decree."

"Good." Daochen Zhenren nodded slowly, his expression softening slightly. "I will also arrange for people to assist you, Junior Brother. Is there anyone you would like to request?"

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t you tell me last time that I was to guard a gate alone, Senior Brother?"

"And I just finished warning you not to be careless," Daochen Zhenren said with a chiding laugh. He explained, "Yu Du of the Yuxiao Sect has brought a group of his disciples and offered to guard one of the array gates for our Tai Su Orthodox Sect, so our manpower shortage has eased slightly."

"The Gate of Life is critical. I know you are confident, Junior Brother, but you still need people to provide support."

"Rest assured, Senior Brother," Xuzhuang replied. "I am not an arrogant or conceited person..."

Daochen Zhenren feigned doubt, asking, "Are you sure?"

"The sect’s grand plan is what matters most. You can set your mind at ease, Senior Brother," Xuzhuang said. "As for who will assist me, I will defer to your judgment."

"Very well." Daochen Zhenren said slowly, "Regarding the matter of Nanzhan, I have a few more details to go over with you..."

Xuzhuang listened intently, a hint of surprise showing in his eyes. Only after Daochen Zhenren had finished did he slowly nod and say, "Yes, I will follow the Master’s instructions."

Daochen Zhenren nodded slightly, then his voice suddenly deepened. "True Disciple Xuzhuang, receive the sword!"

Xuzhuang solemnly straightened his robes, raised his hands high as if to receive an offering, and said with great gravity, "Disciple receives the sword."

Daochen Zhenren flicked his duster, raised two fingers before his chest in a Sword Technique, and shouted, "Out!"

An auspicious cloud suddenly rose from above his head. From within the immortal mist, a sword hilt emerged. The moment the blade left its sheath, a flash of cold light filled the room, so piercing that Xuzhuang couldn’t help but shut his Dharma Eye.

He then felt a slight weight in his hands, and the Magical Power throughout his body surged as if stimulated. A moment later, Sword Qi began to generate on its own, naturally transforming into Tai Su’s sword qi of substance and formlessness.

Though his eyes were closed, Xuzhuang was still aware. ’This is...’ he thought.

’...the legacy Magical Sword personally forged by Jade Longevity True Monarch, passed down through the generations to protect the Sect Leader’s Dao—the Tai Su Void Sword!’

Xuzhuang couldn’t resist clenching his hands, wanting to feel the blade of the Tai Su Void Sword, only to realize he had made two fists. He snapped his eyes open, lowered his hands, and looked at his palms. As expected, they were empty.

"It is done." Daochen Zhenren’s voice came from above. "Now that you have received the sword, the Gate of Life is entrusted to you, Junior Brother."

With no time for further thought, Xuzhuang cupped his fists in a salute. "I will not betray the trust you have placed in me, Master."

Seeing his solemn expression, Daochen Zhenren nodded gently. "Go, then."

On that clear afternoon, eight streaks of light shot up from various locations within the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, soaring straight into the cloudy sky. As if by unspoken agreement, they all headed south.

Several hours later, the world suddenly opened up before them. Their eyes were met first with a vast, churning turquoise sea. As their gazes traveled to the horizon, they saw a dark line stretching from the peak of the Celestial Vault down to the ocean’s surface. It was a thick bank of mist, like a bold stroke of heavy ink brushed across a canvas where the water and sky were one.

The group continued onward and soon drew near the great mist. Faintly, they seemed to hear the rumble of thunder and the howl of hurricanes from within, like the wailing of ghosts and gods. They couldn’t help but exchange glances, their expressions turning grave.

Yun Hengshi extended his Spiritual Sense, only to find it vanish the instant it touched the mist. He couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.

The great mist of the South Sea certainly lived up to its reputation. This ability to devour Spiritual Sense was one of the dangers that cultivators feared most.

But there was no reason for them to retreat. Yun Hengshi cupped his hands toward the others. "Senior Brothers, let us part ways here."

They were all elders of the Tai Su Sect, traveling on the Master’s decree. They knew their tasks. After bidding each other farewell, they became streaks of light and departed in different directions.

After the others departed, Yun Hengshi gritted his teeth and plunged into the great mist alone. He hadn’t gone far when the world grew dark and his sense of direction became scrambled. He nearly flew straight into a storm of crackling lightning that writhed like a serpent a thousand zhang long.

Not daring to be careless, Yun Hengshi took out the talisman given to him by the Master and activated it. A stream of Tai Su Genben True Qi, refined by a Primordial Spirit True Man, flowed through his body. The formless could not approach, and the formed could not harm him. Only then did he feel at ease.

He flipped his hand over, and a Dragon-Seeking Ruler appeared in his palm. Its needle spun for a moment before settling on a single direction. Without a second thought, Yun Hengshi flew onward. After an unknown amount of time, he spotted an island suspended alone within the thick mist.

’This is the place.’ Yun Hengshi’s gaze fell upon it, but instead of relief, his heart sank. The island was shaped like a crescent moon, with a pool of seawater nestled in its curve.

A ferocious beast with menacing bone spurs, fins like sharp swords, and a tangle of sharp claws and teeth was resting there. Half its body was submerged in the water, the other half sprawled on the island.

A savage aura radiated from it. Though it couldn’t quite compare to a Nascent Soul Third Level Cultivator, it was not far off.

’This truly is a wild land, for a ferocious beast like this to still be growing here...’

Yun Hengshi studied the beast for a moment, then secretly pinched his fingers together to calculate the time. His gaze hardened. ’I can’t afford any delays. It seems I’ll have to eliminate this menace.’