Ling Tian Sword God

The Tianyuan Continent was vast and boundless. The Cloud Outland was just a corner of this continent. On this vast continent, like a smoky sea, places like the Cloud Outland could only be called a Desolate Land.

This was because the center of the continent, the Land of Nine Provinces, was the most prosperous center of martial arts civilization on the entire continent.

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

Not only Liu Feiyue and the members of the Cyan Robe Association but also Lin Ya, Xiao Muyu, Shangguan Qiushui, and others, all came to Green Cloud Mountain to see Ling Chen off.

However, after looking around, Ling Chen found that Ling Yin was absent. That girl, who knew where she’d run off to at a time like this.

”Everyone, take care.” Putting Ling Yin out of his mind, Ling Chen cupped his fists to the crowd. These people before him were his former friends. Xiao Muyu and Liu Feiyue, in particular, were practically his confidantes, their bond deeper than that of ordinary fellow disciples.

”Take care,” Liu Feiyue and the others replied, cupping their fists in return.

Without further delay, Ling Chen turned and left after bidding farewell to everyone.

Watching Ling Chen’s retreating figure, Lin Ya couldn’t help but sigh, ”With his talent, perhaps the next time he returns, he might be able to reach that elusive Saint Realm...”

”Saint Path...” Everyone pondered this, a hint of astonishment in their eyes. The Saint Realm—transcending the mortal world. This realm seemed so distant. Yet, for some reason, when they thought of Ling Chen, they felt it was possible.

”Let him pave the way for us in the Nine Provinces Land,” Liu Feiyue said, a gleam flashing in her beautiful eyes. Clearly, she had no intention of staying in the Five Kingdoms for long. When she deemed the time was right, she would leave and head to the Nine Provinces.

Hearing this, the others wore varied expressions. Indeed, if they sought greater development, the Five Kingdoms was not a place to remain long-term.

”Speaking of which, where did that girl Ling Yin go?” Liu Feiyue asked, looking around but seeing no sign of Ling Yin. ”Isn’t she usually very dependent on Ling Chen? Ling Chen is leaving today, so how could she not show up?”

A mysterious smile appeared on Xiao Muyu’s face. ”That girl... I’m afraid she’s secretly pleased right now.”

「...」

Several miles away, Ling Chen was already riding a Qingfeng Jue, flying towards the eastern sky.

On the back of the Qingfeng Jue, besides Ling Chen, there was also a coffin made of cold iron. Naturally, it contained Xia Yunxin’s body.

Ling Chen sat cross-legged on the Qingfeng Jue’s back, restoring his energy with closed eyes, circulating his True Qi through each Zhou Tian cycle. Around his body, threads of True Qi, carrying an intensely sharp aura, flowed like water. Through his spiritual sense, Ling Chen felt the True Qi ocean in his Dantian gradually stabilizing and becoming increasingly pure. Every strand seemed capable of piercing rock.

The qualitative change from a True Qi Essence Pill to a True Qi Spirit Sea was self-evident. If Ling Chen were to unleash all the True Qi in his Spirit Sea now, he could easily pulverize a large mountain.

HISSS!

As his Dantian and True Qi stabilized, traces of impurities were refined out, circulating through his meridians to his right hand. True Qi flames ignited on his right palm, incinerating these impurities into nothingness.

After cultivating for a while, Ling Chen opened his eyes and took out a token.

This was the Void Emperor’s royal decree he had obtained from Shentu Yan.

The Void Emperor’s royal decree was a peerless treasure, sealing a supreme martial art within. Judging by the martial art Shentu Yan had previously displayed, this Void Emperor’s royal decree likely sealed a thunder-attribute martial art.

”Kid, the martial art in this Void Emperor’s royal decree is extraordinary,” the Human Emperor’s voice suddenly sounded in Ling Chen’s mind, just as he prepared to study its mysteries. ”With your current realm, comprehending its profound truths requires you to proceed step by step. Only through gradual comprehension might you be able to use even a fraction of it.”

”Is it that difficult?” Ling Chen said, somewhat surprised. ”Didn’t Shentu Yan comprehend the martial art within? I doubt he spent much time on it.”

”Shentu Yan?” The Human Emperor sneered, his tone laced with ridicule. ”Him? You call that comprehending the martial art? Shentu Yan didn’t even grasp the basics. He was too eager for results; it was his luck he didn’t suffer a cultivation deviation.”

So that’s how it is. A look of realization dawned on Ling Chen. No wonder Shentu Yan, despite absorbing so many people’s cultivation, had failed to unleash much of the martial art’s power from the Void Emperor’s royal decree. It seemed Shentu Yan had truly only scratched the surface.

With a sense of awe, Ling Chen immersed his consciousness into the Void Emperor’s royal decree.

Suddenly, Ling Chen felt as if he had entered a vast starry sky.

The starry sky was boundless. Ling Chen navigated the starry expanse as if he were a fish, weightless, drifting upwards.

This is indeed a peerless martial art, to have formed its own profound spatial dimension! The power of the one who created this martial art was unimaginable; perhaps not even a Saint of Martial Arts could reach such a level. Ling Chen was inwardly shaken.

HISSS! HISSS! HISSS!

In the starry sky, occasionally, an electric current would brush past, striking Ling Chen’s body and causing a numbing tingle.

Ling Chen paid it no mind, moving swiftly. Soon, he saw an exceptionally brilliant, dazzling light ahead. At the far end of the starry sky, massive thunderbolts flashed. From within them, a colossal thunder dragon, many thousands of feet in size, emerged. The dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, tore through the starry sky and suddenly shot towards Ling Chen.

Its claw, an impressive hundred feet across and wreathed in an extraordinarily brilliant thunder light, struck ferociously at Ling Chen’s chest.

The oppressive force felt as if it would tear Ling Chen apart in an instant, obliterating him from existence.

Just as the thunderous dragon claw was about to strike Ling Chen, his figure abruptly vanished, dissipating into nothing.

In that instant, Ling Chen’s consciousness snapped back to the outside world, a cold sweat breaking out over him.

The martial art within the Void Emperor’s royal decree is truly extraordinary. To comprehend this martial art, I must proceed one step at a time.

Ling Chen steadied his mind before carefully putting away the Void Emperor’s royal decree. There was no rush to comprehend the supreme martial art it contained.

Just then, Ling Chen suddenly heard an odd noise from behind him. Startled, he spun around. ”Who’s there?”

Before his eyes, the cold iron coffin began to move on its own. Then, with a BANG, the coffin lid was thrust open.

Seeing this, Ling Chen felt a sudden surge of elation. Could Xia Yunxin have awakened?