Chapter 296: Deity Transformation in Sixty Years

['Right now, a casual strike from me is roughly at the threshold of Deity Transformation...']

[You thought to yourself.]

[In the sixth simulation, you had to cultivate all the way to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak, and only with the backing of "Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move," the True Dragon Transformation, and a host of other foundations and talents did you barely reach that level.]

[Yet now? Having only just stepped into the Late Nascent Soul Stage, you could already manage it with a casual blow.]

[A full-power strike from you would far surpass a casual one.]

['At present, the heavens and earth of the Human Realm hold thirty-two Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs. The quota is already full...']

[You reflected on how, in the ancient era, the rank of the Human Realm's heavens and earth remained intact and could support thirty-two Heavenly Monarchs.]

[For a new Heavenly Monarch to be born, an existing one had to die of old age and pass away in meditation first.]

['There is no rush for now.']

[You had not yet cultivated to the Late Stage Peak, nor had you thoroughly perfected the Deity Transformation Early Stage chapter.]

[In the fifty-fifth year, you were fifty-five years old.]

[True Monarch Tianshuang hurried over.]

["Sword Lord, everything has been investigated and confirmed."]

[True Monarch Tianshuang wore a solemn expression. "Artifact Forging Valley, that Core Formation Tier Force in the Eastern Wilderness Domain, was targeted and seized by True Monarch Chiyun of the Soul Dao Lineage. True Monarch Chiyun made his move because a sizable Flame Crystal Mine lay beneath Artifact Forging Valley..."]

["The Flame Crystal Mine contains extreme yang power capable of tempering True Monarch Chiyun's soul body. Although the strongest member of Artifact Forging Valley was only at the Core Formation Stage, the valley still belonged to the Artifact Dao lineage. To avoid being questioned by the Artifact Dao lineage, True Monarch Chiyun struck ruthlessly and wiped out Artifact Forging Valley completely..."]

[True Monarch Tianshuang spoke rapidly.]

[True Monarch Chiyun had originally carried this out without leaving a trace. When he struck, he deliberately used a heavenly secret wondrous item, making it difficult for even an ordinary Divination Grandmaster to deduce the truth.]

[Moreover, while Artifact Forging Valley barely counted as part of the Artifact Dao lineage, it had few real ties to an auxiliary-branch force of that level. Even if they looked into it afterward, they would not pay much of a price to pursue the matter, and it would ultimately come to nothing.]

[True Monarch Tianshuang had only managed to uncover the truth because he called upon a Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster.]

[That Divination Grandmaster owed True Monarch Tianshuang a massive favor from his youth. Using the clue medium you provided and traveling to Artifact Forging Valley in person, he burned through nearly two hundred years of his lifespan before finally divining the answer.]

[Two hundred years of a Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster's lifespan... Even in the ancient era, Divination Grandmasters were exceedingly rare. Expending two hundred years of such a master's lifespan over a mere Core Formation Tier Force was a foolish extravagance that even the Dharma and Body Lineages would never be willing to commit.]

[Yet to fulfill your order, True Monarch Tianshuang had done it without hesitation, even though he had originally intended to save that Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster's favor for another major matter.]

["True Monarch Chiyun... the Soul Dao Lineage..." You fell into thought.]

[The Soul Dao was one of the Eight Hundred Auxiliary Branches. Over the last several thousand years, the Soul Dao Lineage had grown exceedingly prominent. With two Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarchs presiding over it, it nearly rivaled the four top-tier auxiliary branches of Talismans, Pills, Formations, and Artifacts.]

[Even among the Eight Hundred Auxiliary Branches, there were highs and lows. Some branches had produced Heavenly Monarchs in history, yet had failed to birth a single one over the past several thousand or even ten thousand years. While such branches still possessed Heavenly Monarch-level foundations, they naturally paled in comparison to those presided over by living Heavenly Monarchs of the current age.]

["Where is True Monarch Chiyun now?"]

[You asked.]

["In Soul Capital—"]

[True Monarch Tianshuang hesitated for a moment before answering in a low voice.]

[Soul Capital was the sacred land of the Soul Dao Lineage, located in the Central Continent Territory, and the origin of all soul cultivators in the Human Realm.]

[Legend had it that a Netherworld earth vein lay beneath Soul Capital—the only Netherworld earth vein in the Human Realm—and that the world's very first soul cultivator had been born there.]

["True Monarch Chiyun's master is a Late Nascent Soul Stage Grand Cultivator of the Soul Dao Lineage who holds a very high status in Soul Capital, and is an honorary disciple of Heavenly Monarch Wanhua..."]

[True Monarch Tianshuang explained. Heavenly Monarch Wanhua was one of the two living Heavenly Monarchs of the Soul Dao Lineage in the current age, and he presided over Soul Capital.]

[True Monarch Tianshuang watched you nervously, worried that you might do something rash.]

[As a Late Nascent Soul Stage Sword Cultivator, True Monarch Tianshuang was no fool. From the moment you ordered him to investigate Artifact Forging Valley, he knew you likely had some connection to that Core Formation Tier Force.]

["Is this matter confirmed?"]

[You asked.]

["It is confirmed. Afterward, I invited several other Tier 4 Divination Grandmasters to verify it."]

[True Monarch Tianshuang answered solemnly.]

[Divining that True Monarch Chiyun was the culprit who wiped out Artifact Forging Valley had been the hardest part. The clues were too scarce, and True Monarch Chiyun had used a heavenly secret wondrous item to obscure divination calculations—to say nothing of his status as a Heavenly Monarch's grand-disciple, all of which compounded the difficulty.]

[That was why the Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster had expended nearly two hundred years of his lifespan to divine the answer.]

[Once it was known that True Monarch Chiyun was the one who had erased Artifact Forging Valley, however, simply verifying whether it was true was far easier.]

[With the most crucial clue medium already in hand, the divination became vastly simpler, requiring no lifespan to be expended at all.]

["I understand."]

[You nodded and closed your eyes once more.]

[True Monarch Tianshuang hesitated to speak, then held his tongue and respectfully withdrew.]

[This involved the Soul Dao Lineage and Heavenly Monarch Wanhua... Even if the entire Sword Dao Lineage were bundled together and thrown at them, it could do nothing to True Monarch Chiyun. Never mind that the Sword Dao was merely one of the three thousand heterodox paths; even an ordinary auxiliary-branch force would not dare harbor any designs against the Soul Dao.]

[With two living Heavenly Monarchs presiding over it, probably only the Dharma and Body Lineages in the entire Human Realm could suppress the Soul Dao Lineage.]

[After True Monarch Tianshuang left,]

[You continued to cultivate with your eyes closed.]

[Although you knew who the culprit was and where to find him, even if your current strength was no weaker than a normal Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch's, you still could do nothing against the Soul Dao Lineage.]

[As an illustrious major branch of the ancient era, the Soul Dao Lineage had produced generation after generation of Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarchs, and its sacred land, Soul Capital, held numerous Heavenly Monarch-level foundations.]

[You decided to wait a little longer.]

[In the sixtieth year, you were sixty years old.]

[You suddenly opened your eyes and looked toward the Central Continent Territory.]

[An inexplicable fluctuation surfaced, like a pebble dropping into water and sending out ripples layer upon layer.]

['A Heavenly Monarch has passed away in meditation... Which Heavenly Monarch of the Central Continent Territory was it?']

[You knew to yourself that this fluctuation was the phenomenon of a Heavenly Monarch passing away in meditation.]

['Just in time. I finished perfecting the Deity Transformation Early Stage chapter a few years ago. I may as well break through right now.']

[You made up your mind.]

[Under normal circumstances, one needed to cultivate to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak and wait at least sixty years after a Heavenly Monarch passed away in meditation—when the traces they left between heaven and earth had faded the most—to have the greatest chance of breaking through to the Deity Transformation Stage.]

[But that restriction only applied to normal cultivators.]

[As the Sword Cultivator who had pioneered a brand-new Sword Dao, you were ready to charge into the Deity Transformation Stage the moment you perfected the Deity Transformation Early Stage chapter. The Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak? You were the one who defined the realms of the Sword Dao—what did Peak or not Peak matter to you?]

[As for the traces left between heaven and earth by the fallen Heavenly Monarch? Your sword heart pressed ever forward; such traces could not affect you in the slightest. The only thing that gave you slight pause was the carrying capacity of the Human Realm's heavens and earth.]

[Of course, the most crucial point was that the instant that Central Continent Heavenly Monarch passed away in meditation, your sword heart began to throb with anticipation. From that alone, you knew you could charge into Deity Transformation at any time.]

[It was an instinctual intuition.]

You swept your gaze across your surroundings. The spiritual vein of Myriad Sword Mountain was Quasi-Tier-5. Strictly speaking, this was not the optimal timing for charging into Deity Transformation, but it made little difference to you. If there was not enough spiritual energy, you would simply use your own sword intent to forcibly devour the spiritual energy across millions and tens of millions of li around you.

[Halfway up Myriad Sword Mountain.]

[Ever since you became the master of Myriad Sword Mountain, the other Sword Cultivator true monarchs had moved down to the mountainside.]

["A Heavenly Monarch has passed away in meditation..." True Monarch Tianshuang felt a tremor in his mind, and the other Late Nascent Soul Stage Sword Cultivators on Myriad Sword Mountain looked equally invigorated.]

[The passing of a Heavenly Monarch meant that a new Heavenly Monarch would be born.]

["What a pity..." True Monarch Tianshuang inwardly sighed. Even if a new Heavenly Monarch were to be born, the turn would never fall to a Sword Cultivator. The current Sword Dao inheritance had not even created a Deity Transformation chapter yet—how could anyone break through to Deity Transformation?]

['Wait...' True Monarch Tianshuang suddenly thought of you. 'The Sword Lord might actually have a hope of stepping into Deity Transformation...']

[Before True Monarch Tianshuang could even finish the thought—]

[Boom!]

[A majestic heavenly phenomenon rapidly condensed and spread out in all directions in an instant. A million li, ten million li, a hundred million li—all of it was enveloped by the heavenly phenomenon as every wisp of heaven and earth spiritual energy was tyrannically wrenched inward, surging toward the peak of Myriad Sword Mountain.]

["Charging into Deity Transformation—is the Sword Lord charging into Deity Transformation?"]

[True Monarch Tianshuang was dumbstruck. He was not surprised that you would attempt the breakthrough; among the Sword Cultivators of the Human Realm, none besides you had any confidence of stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage.]

['But charging into Deity Transformation the very moment an old Heavenly Monarch passed away in meditation? Isn't he afraid of being disrupted by the lingering traces of the fallen Heavenly Monarch?']

['And even if he wants to break through, shouldn't he wait for us to invite a Formation Dao Grandmaster Rank master to temporarily elevate the Quasi-Tier-5 spiritual vein beneath Myriad Sword Mountain to a Rank 5 spiritual vein first...?']

['Not to mention all the auxiliary external items needed for charging into Deity Transformation—the Sword Lord hasn't asked us for any of them...']

["The Sword Lord... surely the Sword Lord isn't unaware of these matters, right...?" Beside him, the other Sword Cultivator true monarchs turned deathly pale. The Sword Dao Lineage had waited untold years for your arrival; if you failed your breakthrough and fell simply because they had neglected to inform you,]

[every Sword Cultivator present would be a sinner of the Sword Dao Lineage.]

["All we can do now is count on the Sword Lord..." True Monarch Tianshuang took a deep breath, his eyes fixed tightly on the mountain peak.]

[At this point, they could only pray that even if you failed to break through to Deity Transformation, you would at least survive.]

[Among the Three Trials of Deity Transformation, there was still a chance of survival if one failed at the first trial—transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit.]

[The heavenly phenomenon formed by your charge into Deity Transformation likewise drew the attention of other forces.]

["Myriad Sword Mountain? Charging into Deity Transformation the instant a Heavenly Monarch passes away in meditation—it seems someone has no real hope left. Just an old fellow at the end of his lifespan who can't even wait a few decades..."]

["A mere heterodox path deluding itself into birthing a Heavenly Monarch..."]

[One gaze after another shifted away from Myriad Sword Mountain, not bothering to pay any further heed.]

[Throughout the entire ancient era, the number of cultivators who had charged into Deity Transformation right after a Heavenly Monarch passed away in meditation and actually succeeded... could be counted on one hand. The odds were practically zero.]

["Transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit..."]

[Sitting cross-legged, you looked inward at your dantian. Your Sword Dao Nascent Soul expanded rapidly, reaching its limit in no time at all.]

[Hum—]

[The very first Sword Dao Primordial Spirit in the heavens and earth of the Human Realm was born.]

[Transforming the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit: passed.]

[At this moment, less than half a day had passed since you began your breakthrough into Deity Transformation.]

["Huh?"]

[True Monarch Tianshuang and the other Sword Dao true monarchs froze in a daze. The pause in the Deity Transformation heavenly phenomenon meant that the first trial of Deity Transformation had concluded—but how much time had even passed?]

[Although the Sword Dao Lineage had never produced a Heavenly Monarch to this day, even if they had never eaten pork, they had certainly seen pigs run. They had witnessed plenty of other Deity Transformation breakthroughs.]

[Even the fastest to clear the first trial had taken several months. Less than half a day?]

["The Annihilation Tribulation... the Deity Transformation Annihilation Tribulation..."]

[True Monarch Tianshuang held his breath as black qi billowed beneath the vault of heaven, coalescing into a black demonic pupil that gazed down from on high.]

["What is that?"]

[True Monarch Tianshuang's expression changed drastically as he sensed a faint, taboo, hair-raising aura coiling around the black demonic pupil.]

["An Outer Domain Heavenly Demon! It's an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon—an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon has entered the Sword Lord's Annihilation Tribulation..."]

[Despair welled up in True Monarch Tianshuang's heart. In the ancient era, Outer Domain Heavenly Demons were no secret. Every so often, a genius Late Nascent Soul Stage Grand Cultivator charging into Deity Transformation would suffer an invasion by an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon during the Annihilation Tribulation, ending up where the body dies and the Dao perishes...]

[According to everything True Monarch Tianshuang knew, once an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon entered the Annihilation Tribulation, the tribulation-transcender's chances of surviving dropped to nearly nothing. No matter how terrifying the cultivator's aptitude and talent were, every single one of them failed.]

["It's over..."]

[The other Sword Cultivator true monarchs were plunged into utter despair. Before they could even process the shock of the Sword Lord clearing the first trial of Deity Transformation in less than half a day, they were struck by the heaviest blow imaginable.]

[Inside the Annihilation World.]

[Your sword heart remained eternally unwavering; the inner demons within the Annihilation Tribulation were far too simple for you.]

[After you shattered the final Annihilation inner-demon world, the heavens and earth around you shifted, and you arrived in a murky gray space.]

["Hmm?"]

[Looking around, you found the place somewhat familiar. "An Outer Domain Heavenly Demon?"]

[A strange look crossed your face as you recalled the Outer Domain Heavenly Demon you had encountered while charging into Deity Transformation during the sixth simulation. The situation back then had been much the same as this.]

[Rustle, rustle—]

[A dark, gloomy shadow coalesced with its back to you, exuding wisps of eerie, heart-palpitating aura intertwined with a multitude of negative energies.]

["Jiejiejie, this sovereign is Tuoqing. Little fellow, offer up everything you have—offer it all to the great Heavenly Demon Tuoqing..."]

[The dark shadow let out a bizarre, twisted outer-domain demonic voice that echoed in your ears.]

[Looking at the dark shadow with a peculiar expression, you recognized it as the very same Outer Domain Heavenly Demon that had entered your Annihilation Tribulation in the sixth simulation.]

["Fate really brings us together..."]

[You chuckled and stretched out your right hand, condensing a seven-chi longsword.]

["Come, let this sovereign see..."]

[The dark shadow likewise stretched out its right hand and condensed a seven-chi longsword.]

[Then, the instant you and your opponent slashed out at the exact same time, the dark shadow's expression changed drastically.]

["How can you be this strong?"]

[Horror filled the dark shadow's voice as it clearly felt a terrifying sword intent tearing apart everything inside its body.]

[What followed was an inhumane, one-sided slaughter. Because you wanted to learn the ins and outs of an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon, you did not wipe it out in a single slash. Instead, you severed its four limbs first, studied it for a while, and only then cut it down into nothingness.]

[The black demonic pupil suspended beneath the firmament dissipated.]

[Rolling tribulation clouds gathered in an instant.]

[Drawing your longsword, you wore a solemn expression and slashed upward at the tribulation clouds in the sky.]

[Formless sword light flashed past, cleaving the sky-filling tribulation clouds in two and scattering them early, leaving ten thousand li of clear, cloudless sky.]

[Your aura soared rapidly as you stepped fully into the Deity Transformation level, becoming the very first Heavenly Monarch Sword Cultivator in the heavens and earth of the Human Realm.]

[And also the strongest one.]