Ancient Godly Monarch

AGM 542 – Seclusion

Ye Kongfan’s fist crackled with lightning. Earlier he was already ready to accept Qin Wentian’s challenge yet a senior from his sect interrupted him. Could it be that they think he, Ye Kongfan, couldn’t gain victory against Qin Wentian if they fought on the same level?

Before this, he had always assumed that as a Heaven Chosen from the Violet Thunder Sect, he was illustrious and outstanding yet he didn’t expect that when Qin Wentian barged into his resisdence, killing his men and challenging him, he found that he was actually fearful to fight Qin Wentian if their cultivation bases were limited to the same level.

Staring at that departing back of Qin Wentian, the crowd couldn’t help but be awed. He said that he would welcome all challenges from any Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns from the Violet Thunder Sect a month from now. Now, he was no longer just challenging Ye Kongfan alone so simply.

“Coward.” Yet another voice rang out. Ye Lingshuang disdainfully stared at Ye Kongfan, “Aren’t you proud to proclaim yourself as a chosen of the Violet Thunder Sect, a genius of the Qi King Manor? Aren’t you extraordinary since birth with an innate physique and born with a powerful bloodline? Yet you don’t even dare to stand on the battle arena of our royal clan and don’t even dared to admit the despicable acts you have done? The pride and prestige of our Ye Country has completely been thrown away by you. This is an utter humiliation.”

After speaking, she flicked her sleeve and led the two army camps away while silently marveling at her royal father’s calculations and intelligence. The Qi King truly didn’t wish to wage a war now if not, he would definitely have already shown up just based on the ruckus they caused.

Everyone understood the truth of this matter in their hearts. The Qi King wasn’t willing to gamble with the Human Emperor, he rather swallow the humiliation today and wait until it was beyond a doubt that the Human Emperor has passed on before making his move.

If not, he would definitely have commanded his troops to storm the royal palace and seize the position of Emperor. Yet, the Qi King did not do so. Upon seeing the arrival of Ye Lingshuang, everyone surely knew that the Human Emperor was doing this to force the Qi King to battle, wanting to salvage the situation while he still has a breath of life left. The Qi King evidently didn’t wished to gamble his life against the Human Emperor and hence, he had chosen to tolerate this temporarily. From another perspective, it could be seen how formidable the Qi King was. He had the capacity to endure this instead of giving in to rage that would inadvertently bring risk to his plan.

However to Qin Wentian, the Human Emperor’s decision today showed that his intelligence was on a higher level. The action of him commanding Ye Lingshuang and Shi Xuan to bring their troops here to aid him, wasn’t this also a form of loosening the reins so he can hold the control better? His actions gave off a false presentation to everyone – that he, the Human Emperor was going to die soon, the reason he made this decision was because he wanted to force the Qi King into fighting while he still had a breath of life left.

And not long later, the crowd ebbed away like the tides of the ocean. The constellations in the air disappeared alongside with the stifling pressure they brought. Silence was everywhere in the Qi King Manor, Ye Kongfan’s expression flickered between sinisterness and malevolence, his mind was still as chaotic as before. Evidently, he had been affected by the words of Qin Wentian and Ye Lingshuang. He had always thought he was extraordinary yet he didn’t dare to accept Qin Wentian’s challenge on the royal battle arena. If news of this were to spread out, how could he still have the face to call himself a chosen?

“Kongfan, cultivation brings about different circumstances for everyone. As a Heaven Chosen of our Violet Thunder Sect, why is there a need to doubt your own capabilities just because of a single sentence from him? He wishes to fight you only after you restrict your cultivation base because he’s not sufficient to win against you. He is merely trying to anger you so you would accept the challenge on his terms. However, if you calm down and take a step back, it’s obvious you can kill him with the ease of flipping a palm over. Why is there a need to lose your cool and allow his sinister plot to succeed?”

In the air, the old man from the Violet Thunder Sword Sect spoke, “Based on your strength, you can insta-kill him a month later in front of the various kings and dukes. Severing his head, reaping his life away. By then every doubt you have that was caused by them would dissipate into the air like smoke, Qin Wentian will be nothing more but just a dead man.”

Ye Kongfan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the old man from the Violet Thunder Sect. He nodded as he replied, “A month later shall be his death date. However, since he publicly issued a challenge to the Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns of our Violet Thunder Sect, if no one shows up a month later, we will definitely become the laughing stock of the Royal Sacred Region.”

“Why would the Violet Thunder Sect care for the provocation techniques of a junior? What qualifications does he have to challenge our Violet Thunder Sect? If all of our disciples went in response to his challenge, what does that make us? Wouldn’t that be lowering our own status?” The old man coldly snorted as Ye Kongfan remained silent. Although there was logic in what the old man said, it was obvious that the old man had no confidence in the members from the younger generations of the Violet Thunder Sect.

The truth must definitely be that after the old man witnessed Qin Wentian’s combat prowess back then, he wasn’t confident that their members would be able to win against him when fighting at the same level. Most probably, unless it was those perverse, absolute geniuses whose name shook the Royal Sacred Region, no one else could win against Qin Wentian if they fought on the same level. Those monsters were the symbol of this era, their strength was unfathomable. Naturally they would be more than sufficient to deal with Qin Wentian.

Three days later, the news that Qin Wentian, a disciple of a Battle Sword Sect issuing a challenge to Ye Kongfan, circulated around the entire country. Everyone in Ye knew of this, and this was naturally by virtue of someone helping to spread it in the shadows. The factions under the command of the Human Emperor still possessed a great deal of influence and a minor matter like circulating news was nothing to them at all.

Not only that, there were even rumors that the Human Emperor sent his troops to protect Qin Wentian of the Battle Sword Sect, giving his silent approval to Qin Wentian storming the Qi King Manor, killing their members. After that, Qin Wentian challenged Ye Kongfan to a fight on the royal battle arena yet Ye Kongfan didn’t dare to accept. And later on, Qin Wentian then challenged the entire Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns in the Violet Thunder Sect with the time set a month from now. Yet the Violet Thunder Sect remained silent, they didn’t even dared to reply.

This news undoubtedly stirred up a great wave of commotion with many people attempting to investigate Qin Wentian’s background. Who the hell was this guy, on what grounds could he be so arrogant to the point of causing the Violet Thunder Sect to shy away from battle, bringing utter humiliation condemning them.

And eventually, the results of their investigations revealed the events regarding Qin Wentian when he was in the Xuan King City. The Xuan King City was the place where he first appeared in. He caused a ruckus and slayed many experts from the major powers there before being brought away by the Battle Sword Sect in a domineering fashion. After that, he escorted Ye Lingshuang back, and became the foster son of the Human Emperor and the most shocking thing of all was that the Holy Maiden of the Medicine Sovereign Sect was actually a pair of lovers with him.

Not only that, the reason why Qin Wentian would humiliate Ye Kongfan was because Ye Kongfan had spread malicious rumors to sully the Holy Maiden’s reputation. Qin Wentian stormed the Qi King Manor in a rage, calling Ye Kongfan a coward because he didn’t dare to restrict his cultivation base and fight against him in the royal battle arena and because he’s such a coward, Qin Wentian replied one month from now, he didn’t need Ye Kongfan to restrict his own cultivation and he even publicly proclaimed a challenge to all the Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns of the Violet Thunder Sect.

Qin Wentian only had a cultivation base at the fourth-level of Heavenly Dipper and his trump card was that could call upon the power of an extremely tyrannical bloodline. But Ye Kongfan was someone at the seventh-level and similarly, could call upon the power of a domineering bloodline as well. The calamity lightning bloodline augments his strength, causing Ye Kongfan’s attacks to be extremely tyrannical. This act of challenging someone three levels above him was undoubtedly a case of Qin Wentian courting death. The people of Ye applauded Qin Wentian for his courage but silently shook their head at his stupidity.

But no matter what, after this news was circulated, the fame of the Battle Sword Sect instantly skyrocketed while the Violet Thunder Sect had no place to hide their faces. As part of the famed nine great sects, was there really no one in their sect that could win against Qin Wentian at the royal battle arena if they suppressed their cultivation bases to that of Qin Wentian’s? And in the future, even if Qin Wentian was killed a month later when he fought against Ye Kongfan at his full strength, the reputation of the Violet Thunder Sect would similarly be sullied. In that circumstance, victory was only to be expected and not a glorious matter.

In terms of presence, the Violet Thunder Sect had already lost.

Qin Wentian spent these few days in closed-door seclusion, ignoring all matters of the external world. He naturally knew how powerful Ye Kongfan was, hence he wanted to raise his strength as much as possible within this span of one month.

The Star Gathering Platform was none other than the cultivation grounds specially constructed for the Human Emperor. Right now, Qin Wentian was sitting right in the center of that platform and cultivating. Within the Star Gathering Platform, there were a total of nine gigantic stone pillars embedded. These stone pillars were created from natural blocks of Yuan Meteor Stones and contained terrifying amounts of astral energy within. There was also a formation inscribed on the platform allowing the concentration of astral energy to be many times faster. Right now, Qin Wentian was sitting on top of the formation, basking in the resplendent light of boundless astral energy.

Qin Wentian’s four astral souls were all absorbing the gathered astral energy with frantic speed as he quietly sat there in cultivation. After a period of time, he reached within his robes and took out a medical pill before ingesting it and continued on with his cultivation.

The name of this medical pill was known as the Star Gathering Pellet, its purpose was to strongly boost one’s affinity to sense astral energy, as well as increasing the speed of astral energy absorption for the consumer.

Before he went into seclusion, Mo Qingcheng gave him plenty of supportive-type medicinal pills that has no side effects. An example was the Star Gathering Pill, Blood Burning Pill etc. These pills could allow him to better cultivate and bring him a step closer to unleash the potential of his bloodline.

In response, Qin Wentian passed the two Constellation Mandate Fruits that he obtained earlier which has the ability to cause one’s heart to palpitate, to Mo Qingcheng.

After consuming the pill, Qin Wentian didn’t stop to rest. He took out the Great Terra Fruit and consumed it. After digesting that, he retrieved the Earth Mandate Fruits and swallowed them as well. An instant later, he felt his affinity to the great earth increased exponentially, he could sense the pulsation movement of the earth much more clearly than ever before.

These benefits also applied to Di Tian who was still currently in the Royal Tomb of Grand Xia. The two true-self don’t distinguish themselves apart, and could share the insights or other various benefits gained by either.

Right now in the royal tomb, Di Tian stood there in silence. His aura now was totally composed and there was a sense of harmony to it. He had an ancient halberd in his hands and was unceasingly striking out with it, feeling the difference in power when using different halberd attacks while trying to boost the overall strength of his attacks.

Ever since Qin Wentian stepped on the path of the grass hut and comprehended the swords, Di Tian was also contemplating on the intricacies of the new knowledge gained from the insights. Qin Wentian knew that his actual current standard was only at max at the seventh sword strike. For the eighth to fourteenth sword strike, although Qin Wentian understood the principles behind them, he had no way to achieve that based on his current level. If he could somehow step into the realm of the eighth to fourteenth sword strike, his attack power would instantly skyrocket.

A halberd strike followed by a halberd strike, with no sound nor presence. When the halberd landed, the air around it trembled furiously from the impact, from invisible fluctuations of a terrifying energy as space began to fragment around it.

This attack was named Ruptured Space. Terrifying laceration energy contained within each of his attacks while erupting forth with overwhelming might in a single instant, instantly grinding his opponents into pieces. In fact, this was an application of his second-level insight in the Mandate of Force, void vibration, infused into one of his earlier self-created halberd attack, ‘Fractured Void.’ Now, his comprehension has reached the level where he could stack the will from his Mandate of Demons within, allowing his attacks to burst out with even more power. However, this form of stacking was the most rudimentary form and was far from the level of the eighth to fourteenth sword strike.

Qin Wentian continued on with his practice, slashing out one halberd strike after another practicing the self-created stances for his Great Dream Halberd Art – Earthsplitter, Falling Star and Fractured Void but obviously, the power behind his attacks was on a completely different level compared to before.

Trying out again and again, evolving his stances, Qin Wentian strived to seek perfection.

After some days passed by, Qin Wentian was still cultivating on the Star Gathering Platform while Di Tian continued to refine and improve his halberd attacks and meditate on the fusion of Mandates in the Royal Tomb.

In the Ye Country, the atmosphere became increasingly tense but even when the deadline drew nearer, none of the members from the Violet Thunder Sect accepted the challenge. It seems that they are waiting, just like what the old man said, after Ye Kongfan killed Qin Wentian, every doubt cast before would all dissipate like smoke into thin air.

And in the twinkling of an eye, over twenty days had passed. The astral energy in Qin Wentian’s body soared to an unprecedented crescendo like huge tidal waves so tall that they could even reach the heavens. Sounds of rumbling echoed from within his body as all his Yuanfu expanded.

In the Royal Tomb, Di Tian sad on the ground with a look of pondering flashing past his eyes. No matter what he tried, he still had no way to reach that realm of the eighth to fourteenth sword strike. This was especially true considering he wanted to create a new attack, the difficulty was insanely high!