King of Ten Thousand Years

By the time Luo Tian broke through to the Peak of the Ninth Layer,

four and a half days had already passed since the Royal Secret Garden opened.

’There are only two and a half days left before the trip to the Secret Garden ends.’

Luo Tian calculated in his mind.

He now had two choices.

First, he could cultivate peacefully on Profound Spirit Mountain until the end.

Second, he could explore the outside world, seeking greater rewards.

If he stayed on Profound Spirit Mountain,

the cultivation effect was many times better than the outside world, but Luo Tian had just broken through. Trying to charge into the Spirit Sea Realm in such a short time would be too rushed and lack refinement.

Even if he used external forces to barely advance, his foundation would become unstable.

But if he left Profound Spirit Mountain,

he might find considerable rewards, but he could also encounter danger.

Ultimately,

Luo Tian chose a compromise.

’Charging into the Spirit Sea Realm is a stretch, but advancing to the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm is much simpler.’

Luo Tian’s eyes lit up.

The Half-step Spirit Sea Realm only required the nine Qi Veins to merge and initially open the Qi Sea; there was no need to condense a Qi Sea Spiritual Vortex.

With the foundation of Luo Tian’s Qi Veins, this wouldn’t be difficult to achieve.

Luo Tian wasn’t in a hurry to open his Qi Sea.

He still had a massive amount of Five-Colored Spiritual Light on him. It would be a waste of this opportunity on Profound Spirit Mountain if he didn’t use it all.

Leaving the Cultivation Room,

Luo Tian went to the study in the Profound Spirit Hall.

Inside the study, besides Cultivation Techniques, Martial Skills, and Secret Techniques, there were also books on astronomy, geography, unorthodox paths, and various secrets from Ancient Times.

At this stage,

Luo Tian’s Cultivation Technique was sufficient. The Guiyuan True Skill was an Earth Level Middle Grade technique, producing dense and powerful True Qi, and it could be cultivated beyond the Earth Element Realm.

As for Martial Skills,

Luo Tian had nearly maxed out his cultivation of the Celestial Star Sword Technique and the Cloud Traveling Step.

But after careful consideration,

Luo Tian decided to put Martial Skills aside for now.

Swordsmanship and Body Techniques were easy to obtain in the outside world, and the Celestial Book could integrate and perfect them.

Besides, the Celestial Book retained two True Intents—the Sword Mark and the Palm Seal—which would take him a long time to comprehend.

’I might as well choose a Body Refinement Technique.’

Luo Tian had this idea for a long time.

In the outside world, Body Refinement Techniques were relatively niche, and powerful ones were even rarer.

But the study of the Profound Spirit Hall contained many ancient and powerful Body Refinement Techniques.

After searching for a long time,

Luo Tian chose a Body Refinement Technique called the Celestial Furnace Treasure Body.

The Celestial Furnace Treasure Body was created by a Great Power from Ancient Times. It used the world as a furnace to temper the body like a Divine Treasure, ultimately cultivating it into a Supreme Treasure Body.

According to the introduction,

the theoretical power of this technique approached the Celestial Level!

However,

only the first part of this Body Refinement Technique had been created. It could only be cultivated to the High Tier of the Spirit Sea Realm, as the subsequent parts had not yet been perfected.

’The subsequent parts haven’t been perfected? I love these kinds of techniques!’

Luo Tian laughed heartily.

The power of this Body Refinement Technique was close to the Celestial Level.

If it were a complete Celestial Level Technique, the remaining Five-Colored Spiritual Light on Luo Tian definitely wouldn’t have been enough to acquire it.

But since it was just an incomplete fragment of a technique, the cost was drastically reduced.

Immediately,

Luo Tian took the Celestial Furnace Treasure Body technique.

BUZZ!

The Five-Colored Spiritual Light on Luo Tian plummeted, dropping to less than a tenth of what he had before entering the mountain.

Even so, it was still more than the total Five-Colored Spiritual Light of an average genius.

’I should use up some more.’

Luo Tian began to browse through some ancient texts in the study, looking for secrets.

He focused on two main topics.

First, information about the ”Divine Vein.”

Second, information about ”seeking refuge.”

Before long,

Luo Tian found content related to the Divine Vein.

According to the ancient texts, the Divine Vein was a continuation of the lineage of Innate Divine Demons from the Primordial Era when the world was first created.

A Divine Vein Master was also known as a Son of God.

After the era of gods and demons ended, the Divine Vein became the strongest Martial Vein in the Cosmos across the Ten Thousand Realms.

’A Son of God!’

Luo Tian’s heart trembled.

The Divine Vein was indeed the world’s strongest Martial Vein aptitude.

’But why is my Divine Vein incomplete?’

The ancient text provided an answer.

”After the Primordial and Ancient Eras, the ’Innate Spiritual Qi’ sank and transformed into ordinary Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, which grew increasingly thin. The Divine Vein could not adapt to this drastic change in the world and gradually degenerated.”

”In the ages that followed, complete Divine Veins vanished. At most, a few Incomplete Divine Veins would occasionally appear, possessing only a fraction of a true Divine Vein’s power.”

Reading these secrets, Luo Tian couldn’t help but be amazed.

The origin of the Divine Vein could actually be traced back to the world-creating Primordial Era.

It was due to the drastic changes in the world that the Divine Vein gradually degenerated.

In other words,

Luo Tian’s Incomplete Divine Vein was not an isolated case.

This ancient text had a more detailed classification of Martial Veins.

Among the four-tier classification of Celestial, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, the Celestial Tier Martial Vein was still a top-tier Martial Vein.

Above them,

there were also Holy Veins and Divine Veins.

”The Holy Vein is the strongest Martial Vein, having adapted to the great changes in the world, and it dominated the Middle Ancient Period.”

”When the Divine Vein is absent, the Holy Vein reigns supreme!”

Seeing the description of the Holy Vein, Luo Tian couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

It turned out that

in recent times, the Holy Vein was the strongest Martial Vein.

Divine Veins had vanished; even if they occasionally appeared, they were incomplete and didn’t display their true power.

However,

Luo Tian had never heard of a Holy Vein appearing on the Dongchen Continent.

Luo Tian wanted to research methods for completing a Divine Vein, but there were almost no related records in the Profound Spirit Hall’s study.

After all, the Divine Vein was something out of myths and legends.

Afterward,

Luo Tian found content related to ”seeking refuge.”

The ancient text explained that

the current Cosmos contained the Ten Thousand Realms, countless planes, and innumerable racial civilizations and glories.

In the vast, boundless great world, human civilization was but a drop in the ocean.

The planes where the Human Race resided were often invaded by Alien Races, sometimes even facing the crisis of extinction.

Even within the Human Race, super-factions fought over territory.

To seek refuge,

some factions or individuals from larger planes migrated and hid in smaller planes.

Some went even further, directly creating a small world or Secret Realm Space for refuge to continue their clan’s bloodline, or simply to use as a paradise hidden from the world.

’So the world is this vast, and humanity faces such a great crisis.’

It was a real eye-opener for Luo Tian.

This further ignited his fighting spirit, making him want to reach the Peak of Martial Arts and see more of the world.

Ning Xueyao’s background was related to seeking refuge.

Since his father, Luo Xiao, had brought Ning Xueyao back, his own origins might also be related to seeking refuge.

Because,

Luo Tian had never met anyone from his grandfather’s generation or older, nor had he ever been to the Luo Family’s ancestral hall.

He just didn’t know why Ning Xueyao needed refuge.

As Luo Tian was lost in thought,

a graceful, fairy-like figure in a snow-white dress entered the study.

The Five-Colored Spiritual Light on Xia Bingyue was extremely dim.

”Are you preparing to leave Profound Spirit Mountain?”

Luo Tian asked.

”Yes.”

Xia Bingyue was also looking through related ancient texts.

At this moment,

only Luo Tian and Xia Bingyue were left in the study.

A man and a woman, alone together. It was very quiet.

On second thought, Luo Tian decided to be frank with Xia Bingyue. He didn’t want her to be shackled by the burden of ”promising herself to him.”

Deep in his heart, the image of that graceful, elegant, and picturesque young woman, her every frown and smile, was impossible to erase.

Three years of admiration and constant companionship were not so easily forgotten.

Back in Lingyun County, when Luo Tian had confessed his feelings with a gift, Ning Xueyao had not rejected him.

Luo Tian could tell from the letter she left that Xueyao hadn’t wanted to involve him, and had drifted away to pursue her own destiny.

”Miss Xia, there’s something I need to make clear to you...”

Luo Tian began.

Meeting Xia Bingyue’s beautiful, ice-clear, and ethereal eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

”Mm.”

Xia Bingyue glanced at him before returning her gaze to the ancient text in her hands.

”I already have someone I like. Therefore, Miss Xia, you don’t need to feel bound by that promise.”

Luo Tian said, steeling himself.

THUD!

The ancient book in Xia Bingyue’s hands suddenly slipped and fell to the floor.

”You...”

Xia Bingyue froze. A look of stunned surprise appeared on her exquisitely beautiful, icy face. Her expression was complex, tinged with a hint of loss and emptiness.

Luo Tian’s frank confession was a huge blow to her pride.

Especially since,

she had finally managed to open her heart and begin to accept this young man, even considering him her future husband.

When Luo Tian had unleashed his True Sword Dao Intent to save her from peril,

their swords had resonated with each other.

Xia Bingyue’s heart had been inexplicably moved, feeling a sense of closeness and warmth.

She had never expected that

just as she was beginning to develop a flicker of affection for him, he would be so blunt.

”Fine.”

Xia Bingyue’s face turned icy cold as she forced out the single word.

After that,

she didn’t spare Luo Tian another glance and turned to leave.

Luo Tian noticed that the young woman in his sight seemed frail and delicate, looking all the more lonely and forlorn.

Luo Tian subconsciously activated his Qi Observation Skill, and his expression changed.

Above Xia Bingyue’s head, a layer of gray energy swirled around her Destiny Chart’s pillar of qi, shrouding it like a shadow.

”Miss Xia, I see an aura of calamity on you. You must be careful. It would be best not to leave Profound Spirit Mountain.”

Luo Tian said quickly.

”Thank you for your concern, but I’m leaving now.”

The Five-Colored Streaming Light on Xia Bingyue had grown extremely dim.

SWOOSH!

She was moved outside the mountain by the invisible power of Profound Spirit Mountain.

Luo Tian took out his Five-Colored Jade Pendant and called up an image of the entrance to Profound Spirit Mountain.

Fortunately,

there was no sign of enemies from the Qiu Yue Kingdom outside Profound Spirit Mountain.

With Xia Bingyue’s strength, in the vast Royal Secret Garden, she should have no problem protecting herself as long as she didn’t fight head-on, even if she ran into Zheng Wei and his group.

Luo Tian returned to the Cultivation Room, preparing to charge into the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm.

The Ancient Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi on Profound Spirit Mountain was at least twenty times richer than the outside world’s.

In just half a day,

the True Qi within Luo Tian’s nine Qi Veins was consolidated to its absolute limit, becoming incredibly condensed and powerful.

According to his original plan,

Luo Tian had been prepared to consume a Jade Spirit Pill to break through this barrier.

But in the Secret Garden, there was no need for the pill at all.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was too dense, and the True Qi in Luo Tian’s Qi Veins was strong enough.

He only took a few sips of Profound Spirit Liquid.

Luo Tian’s body filled with power, his energy overflowing.

Then,

he gathered the True Qi from the nine Qi Veins in his body, converging them at his Dantian in his lower abdomen.

WHOOSH! HISS!

The nine Qi Veins were incredibly thick, and the powerful, vigorous True Qi continuously gathered at a single point in his Dantian.

There were many different Magic Techniques for opening the Qi Sea.

Powerful Magic Techniques could create a vaster Qi Sea, capable of holding more True Qi.

The Guiyuan True Skill came with its own Magic Technique for opening a Qi Sea. The Qi Sea it created was far superior to those from other Earth Level Cultivation Techniques of the same tier, allowing it to hold more than twice the amount of powerful True Qi.

Time passed.

A black hole seemed to form inside Luo Tian’s Dantian, madly absorbing the True Qi pouring in from his nine Qi Veins.

WHOOSH! FWOOSH!

The dense Ancient Spiritual Qi of Profound Spirit Mountain surged in, drawn by his Divine Vein, accelerating the opening process.

It only took a few hours.

Within Luo Tian’s Dantian, a mysterious, pitch-black Qi Sea Space had formed.

The Qi Sea Space was like a dry riverbed, frantically absorbing True Qi and constantly expanding.

After a full day,

the Qi Sea in Luo Tian’s body took shape. The True Qi from his nine Qi Veins now circulated around it endlessly.

’The Qi Sea has opened. I’ve advanced to the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm.’

Luo Tian was elated.

The moment he advanced to the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm,

his Guiyuan True Skill also reached the Third Layer Peak, and his True Qi became even more vast and powerful.

His overall strength and foundation had risen to a new level.

Now,

with his Guiyuan True Qi alone, Luo Tian had the strength to crush a prodigy at the Spirit Sea Realm First Layer.

Not to mention, he also had Martial Skills at Perfection and a powerful True Intent.

Even without his Divine Vein, he could look down on his entire generation.

Luo Tian believed that now, in the entire Royal Secret Garden, there was no genius who could truly threaten him.