"Is Shang Bingjie really that impressive? You bastard. Do you have any idea what kind of reputation Jichangkong has on my Five Elements Continent? Do you know how powerful he is here in the Five Elements Continent? The Shang family is formidable, but the Xuanyuan Valley and Tianshan aren't exactly pushovers!"
Meng Gang glanced at Teng Ye, letting out a soft sigh. "I've spent so much time with my younger brother here; I naturally know that he, too, is a talent of his generation. On the Five Elements Continent, he must surely be a towering figure, a true hero!"
He paused, then shook his head again. "But the Five Elements Continent is just that—the Five Elements Continent. As far as I know, no Ten Directions Celestial Master has appeared on the Five Elements Continent for thousands of years! A continent that hasn't produced a Ten Directions Celestial Master in millennia can never be considered a supreme continent in the Solar Star Domain. It suggests that any Ten Directions Celestial Masters from your continent who ventured into the Endless Star Domain over the past ten thousand years have likely perished, otherwise, the Five Elements Continent wouldn't be so depleted of successors."
Fearing that Teng Ye and Jichangkong didn't fully grasp the implications, Meng Gang continued his detailed explanation.
"On our Hailan Continent, never mind the Shang family—even my own Sect had a physical body of a Ten Directions Celestial Master directly enter the Endless Star Domain two thousand years ago. That senior from our Sect even sent back news about the situation in the Endless Star Domain five hundred years ago, sharing some insights he'd gained, including new understandings transmitted to our Sect's 'Soul Cauldron.' Because of this, our Sect possesses the secrets to breaking through to the Ten Directions Celestial Realm and knows the direction to strive toward."
"The Shang family is even more formidable. They are the paramount family on the Hailan Continent, one of the eight supreme families in the Solar Star Domain. Rumor has it that every hundred years, the Shang family receives soul-thoughts transmitted from their ancestors in the Endless Star Domain—different ancestors each time! Furthermore, the moment Miss Shang was born, she received a peculiar form of energy sent from their ancestors in the Endless Star Domain. This energy directly remolded her being, granting her a talent far surpassing that of ordinary people!"
"Everyone on our Hailan Continent believes that Miss Shang will be the next Ten Directions Celestial Master for the Shang family! And perhaps even the youngest one! Miss Shang's stage in life is set to be much broader; she is destined to enter the Endless Star Domain. That is precisely why the Shang family will not permit her to become entangled with any young man from the Hailan Continent!"
"My brother, your Five Elements Continent hasn't seen a Ten Directions Celestial Master in millennia. This strongly implies that the previous ones from your continent met misfortune in the Endless Star Domain. In the Shang family's view, things will likely remain the same for the Five Elements Continent in the future. This means you have no hope of breaking through to the Ten Directions Celestial Realm and directly entering the Endless Star Domain with your physical body! Whereas Miss Shang is certain to achieve the Ten Directions Celestial Realm and step into the Endless Star Domain!"
"The Shang family will see you and her as moving on entirely different paths, finding it impossible to walk together in the future. They will never agree. Pressing forward in a forced relationship would be meaningless."
"Meng Gang, are you looking down on me?" Jichangkong asked abruptly after a long silence.
Meng Gang gave a wry smile and shook his head. "It's not about looking down on you, brother. I recognize your potential. But sometimes, whether one can enter the Ten Directions Celestial Realm isn't just about potential! Without guidance from predecessors, grasping the critical moment to break through to the Ten Directions Celestial Realm is far too difficult. Take our Sect, for instance: countless geniuses have emerged over the past millennium. Some even reached the Nine Palaces Celestial Realm by the age of forty, and they received some insights from their ancestors, yet they remain stuck at the Nine Palaces Celestial Realm."
"That does hold some truth. Cao Xuanqi, Asura King, and even your maternal grandfather, Gu Bang, have been stuck at the Nine Palaces Celestial Realm for centuries without anyone breaking through. Oh, and the Xuanyuan of your Jichang family—every generation reaches the Nine Palaces Celestial Realm, yet we've never heard of any generation progressing further. Damn it, is this a curse? Why has our Five Elements Continent lagged so far behind in producing a Ten Directions Celestial Master!" After hearing Meng Gang's words, even Teng Ye found himself somewhat convinced.
Ten Directions Celestial Realm! Ten Directions Celestial Realm!
He muttered the words internally a few times, yet Jichangkong's expression remained serene. He said lightly, "If others cannot, I can!"
"Good lad, confident! Maybe you really can!" Teng Ye praised.
Meng Gang chuckled, saying no more. He likely felt Jichangkong hadn't truly grasped the difficulty of reaching the Ten Directions Celestial Realm.
"Old fellow, I think I need to go back. How about you?" Jichangkong glanced at Teng Ye, then at Meng Gang. "It’s time for us to part ways."
Meng Gang nodded. "I knew this day would come sooner or later. Hmm, I don't plan to leave the Heart of the Sun just yet; I want to find a place nearby to cultivate diligently. You know, thanks to your help, my mental power has fully recovered to its peak. Turning back now would be a waste."
"I don't want to go back so soon either. After the Grand Celestial Aperture reunites, it will split again into several smaller celestial apertures. I need to secure one of those to cultivate," Teng Ye explained.
"That works," Jichangkong considered for a moment. He said to Teng Ye, "If possible, look after Meng Gang a bit. Within the Heart of the Sun, relying on his own power to protect himself might be... slightly challenging."
"Deal!" Teng Ye agreed readily.
"Thank you!" Meng Gang accepted without pretense, chuckling.
Nodding, Jichangkong didn't linger in conversation with the two. After urging them to be careful, he held the Nine Radiance Life Tree and flew straight toward the outside.
Along the path, the three Heavenly Fires cleared the way. Any lurking beings that dared approach were instantly scattered by the might of the three Heavenly Fires, their souls scattered in terror.
Although the Nine Radiance Life Tree was invaluable, after one soul after another was incinerated by the Heavenly Fires, many individuals wisely chose to behave.
This journey presented him with no crises. Perhaps it was due to the strange power imbued in his soul from the Sea of Heavenly Fire, but even the natural disasters within the Heart of the Sun seemed to steer clear of him. On his return journey, he encountered absolutely no resistance or obstruction.
Finally, Jichangkong appeared on the surface of the sun. After identifying the Ark of the Five Elements Continent where his main body resided, his divine soul shot toward it.
Nanyi region.
All the celestial practitioners in Nanyi suddenly sensed the temperature between heaven and earth rising rapidly. Many Eight Trigram Celestial Masters of the Divine Archer Sect looked up at the sky, suddenly noticing that the brilliance of the scorching sun seemed many times more intense than usual.
The damp Nanyi region became extremely arid; many fierce beasts that preferred cool, shady environments could not endure the sudden heat and retreated deep into stagnant pools to escape the unexpected rising temperatures.
On Heavenly Wolf Mountain, the Arrow God Gong of the Divine Archer Sect gazed intently at the sky. He suddenly spotted a colossal body of flame descending from above, hurtling directly toward Fire Flame Mountain. As the fiery mass approached, the entire Nanyi region grew unbearably hot.
"Head to Fire Flame Mountain! A rare external object has descended! We must hurry!" Arrow God Gong concluded after observing the heavens for a long time. He immediately led the experts of the Divine Archer Sect toward Fire Flame Mountain at top speed.
Some powerful figures within the Myriad Poison Sect also sensed the anomaly occurring above Fire Flame Mountain and, without hesitation, made their way toward it as well.
In the entire Nanyi region, any expert of some standing detected that the strange change afflicting the land stemmed from Fire Flame Mountain. Many even saw the massive fiery body plummeting.
In an instant, the celestial practitioners of Nanyi erupted in activity, converging on Fire Flame Mountain from all directions.
Among them were the siblings Zhongli Jingyi and Zhongli Hui of the Chi Yi tribe.
Fire Flame Mountain.
Within a cavern glowing red like a branding iron, Jichangkong—naked, his body searing hot like igneous rock—abruptly opened his eyes!
With a flick of his will, the massive rock blocking the entrance of the cavern was blasted away with overwhelming force.
Outside the cave, the Nine Radiance Life Tree, which should have been in the Heart of the Sun, hovered in the air. Under the influence of his power, it slowly floated over and settled into his palm.
His divine soul returned, and the Nine Radiance Life Tree was secured. Having wandered the sun in spirit within Fire Flame Mountain, he instantly stood up, intending to fly back to Tianshan as fast as possible to deliver the tree to his maternal grandfather, Gu Bang.
Just then, Jichangkong's expression shifted slightly. He released his vast soul aura and realized the vicinity of Fire Flame Mountain was teeming with countless life presences—in the sky, on the ground, underground, beneath the foliage. It seemed every major, powerful celestial practitioner in Nanyi had gathered here.
Among them, he also sensed the auras of Arrow God Gong and the Zhongli siblings.
These individuals had clearly detected the undeniable, peculiar energy emanating from the Nine Radiance Life Tree. From the moment the tree's aura appeared in the Nanyi sky, they had rushed in from all corners of the region. By the time Jichangkong’s soul returned to his body, they had already encircled every corner of Fire Flame Mountain.
Jichangkong paused, and when he realized the entire Fire Flame Mountain was heavily guarded by the celestial practitioners of Nanyi, he knew he couldn't slip away unnoticed.
Given his current realm of power, he naturally held no fear of these Nanyi practitioners. As he grasped the Nine Radiance Life Tree in his palm, he hesitated only briefly before deciding to emerge openly from the cave entrance of Fire Flame Mountain and see which figures in Nanyi dared to obstruct him.
Once this thought formed, he lost his urgency. He stood at the cave entrance, testing the changes in the fusion of his soul and body.
Streams of marvelous power from the Heart of the Sun, originating from his soul, flowed out from the three flame-shaped souls, slowly permeating his physical body. This solar power began to refine his flesh and bone, conditioning his meridians and skeletal structure to adapt to the solar energy, so his future secret techniques would possess the searing, all-consuming power of the sun.
With a thought, three flames materialized before him. The flames flickered erratically yet maintained a distant resonance with his soul.
Earth Fire, Samadhi True Fire, Heavenly Fire—the three flames, each distinct in appearance, carried the intense power of fire. The three flames were miraculously connected to his soul, and the Heavenly Fire even carried a spark of his consciousness—a truly marvelous connection.
After maneuvering the Three Absolute Fires of Heaven and Earth with his mind for a while, Jichangkong smiled slightly, knowing that within all of Nanyi, no one could stand against him anymore!
Jichangkong exited the cave, hovering proudly above Fire Flame Mountain, looking down upon the gathered powerhouses of Nanyi. He boomed, "I am Jichangkong."
: Knocking on walls during decoration downstairs shook the house all day. Head dizzy and swollen...
Apologies, only two chapters today. If the disturbance continues tomorrow, I’ll go write at a friend's place early in the morning. Ugh, my ears are really suffering today. Weakly asking for monthly votes. (To be continued)