[A True Monarch's lifespan exceeded a thousand years. If they consumed life-extending items, they could often live to be eleven or twelve hundred years old.]
[Three hundred and fifty? For a True Monarch, that wasn't even their prime.]
["Sky Rift Canyon..."]
[With a thought, your magic power condensed into an illusory map before you.]
[Sixty million li north of Wujian Region lay a perilous natural chasm named Sky Rift Canyon. It was said to be an ancient battlefield where human cultivators fought the monsters of the Demon Abyss Realm.]
[The massive canyon, spanning thousands of li, was created by a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch. A single strike had torn through heaven and earth, obliterating an untold number of monsters.]
[Sky Rift Canyon was named for this very strike.]
[Now, Sky Rift Canyon would serve as the frontline battlefield for Wujian Region to repel the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army.]
[Over the past twenty years, Wujian Region had continuously massed troops at the canyon, intent on stopping the immortal dynasty's cultivator army right there.]
[While keeping an eye on the front lines, you devoted yourself to cultivation, striving to elevate your Divination skill to Tier 4 as quickly as possible.]
[Aside from comprehending Divination, you also attempted to merge the path of Tier 4 puppets with your array techniques.]
[Your array techniques had also reached Tier 4. While controlling Tier 4 puppets, you were entirely capable of using them to lay down arrays, unleashing even greater combat power.]
[A Tier 4 array grandmaster could lay down formations seamlessly, adapting to the actual environment to create entirely new arrays. This proved highly beneficial for perfecting your grand puppet array.]
[With your current divine sense, you could simultaneously control six Rank 4 Lower Grade puppets.]
[If six Rank 4 Lower Grade puppets joined forces,]
[they could rival a normal Mid Nascent Soul stage cultivator.]
[If these six Rank 4 Lower Grade puppets formed a grand array, it would be enough to suppress a normal Mid Nascent Soul stage cultivator.]
[Year 343. You were 360 years old.]
[The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army arrived at Sky Rift Canyon.]
[Wujian Region, Baidi Domain, Daluo Domain, and several surrounding ordinary domains deployed thirteen Nascent Soul True Monarchs here. Accompanied by the Wujian Hall Master—a Mid stage True Monarch—they launched the first wave of interception strikes against the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army.]
[Wielding a high-grade offensive Spirit Treasure, the Wujian Hall Master took the initiative to charge into the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's circle of True Monarchs.]
[He heavily injured an early-stage True Monarch of the immortal dynasty before retreating completely unscathed.]
["The Wujian Hall Master is truly risking his life..." Hearing this news, you sighed inwardly.]
[Even for a Mid stage True Monarch, diving into a group of early-stage True Monarchs carried risks. Not to mention, the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's foundation remained unknown. If they had prepared hidden methods, the Wujian Hall Master would have likely been trapped.]
[Of course, since he dared to do so, he definitely had a certain level of confidence. Perhaps he even carried Wujian Hall's Rank 4 Mid Stage beast king with him.]
[If he encountered any danger, directly releasing this Rank 4 Mid Stage beast king would be equivalent to suddenly fielding two Mid Nascent Soul stage combatants.]
["The Mid stage True Monarchs from Baidi Domain and Daluo Domain haven't made a move. They're just watching..."]
[Browsing the latest battlefield intelligence, you found no reports of the Mid stage True Monarchs from those two super domains taking action.]
[You weren't surprised.]
[The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty hadn't sent out all their experts either; Prince Zhennan hadn't even shown his face.]
["Prince Zhennan..."]
[Your expression turned solemn. This first-rank prince of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty personally possessed the strength of a peak Mid Nascent Soul stage cultivator.]
[Coupled with the augmentation of the immortal dynasty's providence and his official position, the combat power he could exert was likely equivalent to two or three peak Mid stage True Monarchs joining forces.]
[The cultivators of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty inherently carried the dynasty's providence, allowing them to unleash combat power exceeding their own realms.]
[This was the very reason the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty reigned as one of the three great overlords of the Eastern Wilderness.]
[It was said that the emperor of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty had merged with the dynasty's providence, possessing a terrifying combat power approaching that of a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch.]
[However, such power could only be maintained within the imperial capital.]
[Once outside the capital, it would wane. And if he left the dynasty's borders entirely, it would drop drastically.]
[This was also the weakness of the immortal dynasty's cultivators.]
[Their entire foundation depended on the immortal dynasty.]
[Once they left the dynasty's territory, their strength would sharply decline at best, or they would be beaten back to their original forms at worst.]
[The reason the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty was so obsessed with expansion was to acquire more territory and gather even more of the dynasty's providence.]
[If the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty could one day unify the Eastern Wilderness, then under the unprecedented augmentation of the dynasty's providence, the emperor's strength would likely be indistinguishable from a true Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch.]
[Year 353. You were 370 years old.]
[Under the pressure of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty, Wujian Region birthed a new Nascent Soul True Monarch.]
["A Nascent Soul True Monarch from Corpse Raising Mountain?"]
[You looked toward Corpse Raising Mountain with a slightly peculiar expression.]
[Over these past years, the cultivators of Corpse Raising Mountain had been living rather miserably.]
[Among the major factions in Wujian Region, who didn't know about True Monarch Yinxiao's conflict with you?]
[Even True Monarch Yinxiao himself obediently hid inside Corpse Raising Mountain's Tier 4 grand array, not daring to step outside.]
[There was even less need to mention the subordinate Corpse Raising Mountain cultivators below him.]
[Furthermore, during wartime, the cultivators of Yanghu Mountain were subjected to mandatory conscription by Wujian Region.]
[Under both internal and external pressures, a High-Grade Gold Core true person from Corpse Raising Mountain actually succeeded in breaking through to Nascent Soul, joining the ranks of True Monarchs.]
[You didn't pay it much mind.]
[By now, you had long stopped taking Corpse Raising Mountain and True Monarch Yinxiao seriously.]
[So they birthed an early-stage True Monarch? Even if they birthed three or five, it wouldn't stop your killing intent.]
[You continued to monitor the war intelligence from Sky Rift Canyon.]
[Over the past ten years, under the desperate resistance of Wujian Region, Baidi Domain, and Daluo Domain, they had finally managed to bog down the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army at Sky Rift Canyon.]
[To achieve this, the two sides had engaged in dozens of high-intensity clashes.]
[On Wujian Region's side, an early-stage True Monarch from Chiwu Sect lost his physical body, forcing his Nascent Soul spirit form to flee back.]
["True Monarch Chongtian..."]
[You looked at the war intelligence.]
[In recent years, the Mid stage True Monarchs from Baidi Domain and Daluo Domain had also made their moves in succession, joining the battlefield.]
[On the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's side, several Mid stage True Monarchs had taken action as well. Among them was True Monarch Chongtian.]
[True Monarch Chongtian's strength was terrifying. The moment he appeared, he severely wounded an early-stage True Monarch from Baidi Domain.]
[That Nascent Soul True Monarch from Chiwu Sect who lost his physical body had also fallen at True Monarch Chongtian's hands.]
["Just as I thought. In the fourth simulation, True Monarch Chongtian didn't appear near Taiyuan Region for no reason..."]
[You mused inwardly. Combining this with the current intelligence, True Monarch Chongtian was inextricably linked to this immortal dynasty expeditionary army.]
["True Monarch Chongtian..."]
[Your heart stirred slightly as you pondered his motives for attacking that True Spirit Bloodline beast king in Taiyuan Region during the fourth simulation.]
[True Monarch Chongtian was a peak Mid stage True Monarch. He definitely harbored thoughts of breaking through to become a Late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator.]
[And for a Mid stage True Monarch attempting to reach the Late Nascent Soul stage, the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill was a highly renowned auxiliary item.]
[Did True Monarch Chongtian slay that Blood Roc just to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill?]
[If that was truly the case, had True Monarch Chongtian already collected the spirit essence great pills of the other four True Spirit Bloodline beast kings?]
[Your heart pounded with excitement.]
[The spirit essence great pills of True Spirit Bloodline beast kings could only be chanced upon, not sought.]
[At the very least, there were no such spirit essence great pills on the list of treasure resources provided to you by Wujian Region.]
[Five years later. You were 375 years old.]
[In the main sect hall of Jiuli Valley, you and True Monarch Beiheng were bidding each other farewell.]
[By now, the war against the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's expeditionary army had thoroughly unfolded.]
[As a True Monarch within Wujian Region, True Monarch Beiheng couldn't very well make excuses and continue hiding in Jiuli Valley.]
[Nascent Soul level factions like Jiuli Valley and Chiwu Sect had settled in Wujian Region and enjoyed various benefits distributed by Wujian Hall, so they similarly needed to bear numerous responsibilities.]
[With the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty invading, it was understandable that True Monarch Beiheng didn't want to face the dynasty's first wave of attacks.]
[Wujian Hall hadn't coerced them either.]
[But now that the war had entered a high-intensity phase, True Monarch Beiheng naturally had to follow Wujian Hall's deployment orders.]
[True Monarch Beiheng was different from you. Jiuli Valley had been established in Wujian Region for nearly ten thousand years; they had long been inextricably linked with Wujian Hall.]
[You had only joined Jiuli Valley for a little over two hundred years and had no attachments. You could leave or stay whenever you pleased.]
["Fellow Daoist Qingyuan, while I head to the battlefield, I'll leave the Jiuli Valley sect in your hands..."]
[True Monarch Beiheng looked at you and spoke earnestly.]
["Rest assured."]
[You nodded slightly.]
[With a Mid stage True Monarch like you holding down the fort, it was no exaggeration to say that Jiuli Valley was absolutely foolproof.]
["Also..."]
[True Monarch Beiheng fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "If I unfortunately die in battle, you may take anything you wish from Jiuli Valley's treasury, fellow Daoist. I only ask that you protect Jiuli Valley's legacy..."]
[The frontline battlefield was unpredictable.]
[With Mid stage True Monarchs looming overhead, the chances of an early-stage True Monarch perishing were indeed quite high.]
[As a body cultivation True Monarch, True Monarch Beiheng possessed powerful life-saving abilities, but even he couldn't guarantee he would definitely survive.]
[In the event he was targeted by the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's Mid stage True Monarchs, dying in battle wasn't an impossibility.]
["You speak too gravely, fellow Daoist..."]
[You thought for a moment before speaking up, "I have a few Rank 4 Middle Grade talismans here. I wonder if you'd be interested in buying them, fellow Daoist?"]
[You had spent hundreds of years alongside True Monarch Beiheng and had a good relationship with him; naturally, you didn't wish to see him perish.]
[That was why you planned to sell him a few dharma talismans.]
[The dharma talismans nourished within your dantian were no different from normal talismans.]
[It was just that once they landed in the hands of other cultivators, their power couldn't be further increased through nourishment.]
["Rank 4 Middle Grade talismans?"]
[True Monarch Beiheng's eyes lit up.]
[Rank 4 Middle Grade talismans required a Rank 4 Middle Grade talisman grandmaster to draw them.]
[They were on par with the methods of a Mid Nascent Soul stage True Monarch.]
[If True Monarch Beiheng could keep a few Rank 4 Middle Grade talismans on his person, it would absolutely bring a qualitative leap to his survivability on the battlefield.]
[Even if faced with an attack from a Mid stage True Monarch, relying on the Rank 4 Middle Grade talismans, True Monarch Beiheng could at least hold on for several dozen more breaths to await support from his side's Mid stage True Monarchs, even if he couldn't retreat completely unscathed.]
[Following a discussion, you brought out three Rank 4 Middle Grade dharma talismans for True Monarch Beiheng.]
[In exchange, True Monarch Beiheng paid you several body-refining great medicines that were highly beneficial for Rank 4 Early Stage body refinement.]
["To sell me such protective treasures... I wonder if it will affect you, fellow Daoist?"]
[A thought suddenly struck True Monarch Beiheng. He could naturally tell that you didn't bring out the dharma talismans purely to trade for body-refining great medicines.]
[It was more so for his safety on the battlefield.]
[True Monarch Beiheng felt secretly moved.]
["Rest assured. I still have two or three talismans of this quality..."]
[You said with a smile.]
[In reality, there were a full fifty dharma talismans in your dantian that had reached Rank 4 Middle Grade quality.]
[Even after selling three, you still had forty-seven left.]
[With the magic power quality of your Mid Nascent Soul stage, nurturing new Rank 4 Middle Grade dharma talismans would only be a matter of a few decades.]
[Year 363. You were 380 years old.]
[Jiuli Valley, Tier 4 spiritual vein dojo.]
[Li Yan's figure was dreamlike and ethereal as she played a Tier 4 musical score.]
[You sat cross-legged, quietly listening to the heavenly zither music, while your mind comprehended the Divination skill.]
[Under the influence of the Tier 4 zither music, your state of mind achieved unprecedented tranquility, and your understanding of the Divination skill reached its peak.]
["Divination..."]
[You looked up at the sky. Silently, your lifespan began to rapidly drain away.]
[With two to three hundred years of accumulation, coupled with comprehending the three Tier 4 Divination legacies gifted by Wujian Hall,]
[you finally grasped the opportunity to step into the Tier 4 Divination skill.]
[And to step into the Tier 4 Divination skill even more smoothly, you naturally began to sacrifice your lifespan.]
[Ten years.]
[Thirty years.]
[Sixty years.]
[It wasn't until you had sacrificed sixty years of your lifespan that your Divination skill finally crossed into the Tier 4 realm.]
[Your gaze became boundlessly profound, as if you could see the fates of all living beings and the omnipresent web of heavenly secrets.]
["So that's how it is."]
[You watched a withered leaf detach from a branch and flutter down.]
["So that's how it is."]
[You reached out your hand, and the withered leaf brushed against your skin.]
["So that's how it is."]
[You watched the withered leaf land on the ground, akin to the endpoint of the fates of all living beings.]
["Is this a Divination grandmaster?"]
[You sighed softly. In your eyes now, all living beings were just like this withered leaf. From growth to falling, it was merely the beginning and end of their fate.]
[During this process, you could intervene and alter the withered leaf's falling trajectory, which meant changing its predetermined fate.]
[The same applied to cultivators.]
[The life essence of a Nascent Soul True Monarch was tremendous. If you forcefully altered it, you would pay a price such as a shortened lifespan. However, for a Core Formation true person or even a Foundation Establishment cultivator—especially the latter—altering their fate posed little difficulty.]
[To successfully step into the Tier 4 Divination skill, you sacrificed sixty years of lifespan and conducted a profound divination.]
[As for the subject of the divination... it was naturally whether True Monarch Chongtian had the spirit essence great pills of other True Spirit Bloodline beast kings on him.]
[In this simulation, if you wanted to attempt breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul stage, you definitely needed to prepare numerous auxiliary breakthrough items.]
[And the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill was one of the absolute best auxiliary items.]
["The spirit essence great pills of four True Spirit Bloodline beast kings..." Your heart grew exceedingly fervent.]
[The hexagram image you divined revealed that True Monarch Chongtian did indeed have four True Spirit Bloodline beast king spirit essence great pills on him.]
[He was only short the final main ingredient—the last True Spirit Bloodline beast king spirit essence great pill—to gather all the main and auxiliary ingredients needed to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter