Chapter 1461: Three Years Seclusion
Jiang Chen had already obtained three of the four legendary beasts. Even though the True Dragon and Astral White Tiger were still younglings, he was more than aware of their potential. The speed of their growth was no less than amazing.
Unfortunately, the environment of the human domain was a far cry from that of the ancient times. Many spirit veins had been destroyed in the ancient demonic war, causing energy levels in the environment to dwindle.
It was the main reason why various factions in the human domain could no longer produce worthy successors. The land was no longer fertile enough to develop such talents.
To put it into simpler terms, the human domain was living through an era of great decline. The amount of available qi had dwindled greatly, while various resources were running out. The human race was at its lowest of lows.
This was an unavoidable issue faced by every living being on the land. Thus, Jiang Chen desperately wanted to increase his cultivation levels to head for Myriad Abyss Island.
According to Huang’er’s descriptions, the island should be filled with abundant qi and powerful experts, mirroring the Divine Abyss Continent of ancient times.
A man should always aim for greater heights.
Jiang Chen’s roots were firmly planted in the human domain, but it’d long since become a bottleneck. Breakthroughs would only grow more difficult and infrequent if he didn’t seek greener pastures. A place devoid of qi would ground him from his pursuit of the heavenly dao.
He had to leave!
However, he had to achieve a certain level of strength before leaving, or death would only await him on the path ahead. His foes wouldn't show him mercy just because he was the Celestial Emperor’s son, nor would his journey be uneventful just because of his past knowledge.
All kinds of danger lay in wait on the path ahead. They would appear without warning or reason and be impossible to avoid.
The events of Agarwood Valley were an excellent example. There was nothing Jiang Chen had been able to do against the empyrean experts or the demon lord. Facing them head on would’ve only caused immeasurable hardship or death.
“The Divine Abyss Continent is vast beyond measure. The world map has experienced countless alterations since the ancient times. Perhaps the human domain is the size of a pea. The Southern Celestial tribe was far weaker than us in the ancient era, but now they can easily send three empyrean experts to us. The grimness of our situation has far exceeded my imagination.”
After the ancient war, Boundary Steles isolated the human race from the outside world. Thus, humans knew very little about the situation beyond their territory.
Jiang Chen was blessed with boundless knowledge from his previous life, but as the young lord of Veluriyam Capital, the fate of the human race was in his hands. He couldn't help but feel like a frog at the bottom of a well.
He had to become stronger! Much stronger!
Strength was his greatest desire!
His closed door cultivation lasted for three years, longer than any of his previous stints. Three years in the palace was on par with ten years in the outside world.
“Time flies.” Jiang Chen sighed gently. “Three years have gone by in a blink of an eye, but they haven’t gone to waste.”
He could feel the changes in his body. A powerful energy was circulating inside of him, filling his body with vitality. He seemed to have grown much stronger.
Sixth level! Still a hair’s breadth away from advanced emperor realm…
He had grown immensely stronger in these three years, rising to sixth level emperor realm in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, he’d fell slightly short of his goal. The seventh level was just a tiny step away.
Momentum was a very important factor in cultivation. If one failed to reach one's goals the first time around, the second attempt would be less effective than the first.
However, Jiang Chen didn't take his frustration out on himself. Overzealousness was often counterproductive. It was better to slow down his pace to search for inspiration and consolidate his cultivation. The next breakthrough might arrive sooner than expected.
Seventh level emperor realm was an enormous hurdle. It wasn't impossible for Jiang Chen at the moment as he'd already reached the limits of his current momentum. However willing he might be, he no longer had the requisite stamina.
Any continued effort would only be a waste of time and energy.
Three years was a very brief amount of time in the martial dao world, but to Jiang Chen, it was far too long. Many were waiting for him in the outside world.
After consolidating his level, he began honing his foundation and martial techniques. His treasures and methods also had to be sharpened in accordance to his increase in strength.
“My arsenal of killing devices grows larger and larger. The Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation, an ancient divine bow, the True Spirit Post, the Divine Five Thunderclap Sword…”
They were all tricks up his sleeve, and the more the merrier.
He didn't forget to refine the golden magnetic mountain, Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, or the Earth Bodhisattva Orb either.
They were treasures that grew stronger with their user. For the magnetic golden mountain and the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, all he did was consolidate their growth as he already knew them from the inside-out after constant usage throughout the years.
The Earth Bodhisattva Orb however, he never had uncovered its true might. In other words, it was being squandered in his hands.
The Orb is a peerless earth attribute treasure only being used for child’s play. There was simply too many good items in his possession. The orb was an unrivalled treasure, but he hadn’t had the time to study and fully utilize it.
I’ll have to look for some powerful earth attribute arts to better utilize the Orb. He was actually very fond of it. This was a treasure that could summon earth pulses!
It was the same case when looking at the Primosanct Sect; neither the divine bow or True Spirit Post was anything less than amazing. There was no way that a supreme treasure from an ancient sect unrivalled in certain aspects could be useless.
Jiang Chen wasn’t overzealous. He had a vast repertoire of earth attribute techniques from his previous life, but there were various factors to consider before he could select the most suitable one.
After all, he could only extract a tiny sliver of the orb’s potential. The Earth Bodhisattva Sect primarily used it to power formations, but Jiang Chen was reluctant to do the same. He didn’t want to squander this precious item for such a niche use. If possible, it should be utilized during battle.
“I can now control twenty-five of the flying swords. I have officially begun my grasp of the formation. I can take on even an ordinary great emperor in battle now!”
Jiang Chen's grasp of the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation had improved by leaps and bounds. He was greatly attuned with it and had practiced it ceaselessly from the very beginning.
Upon his breakthrough to seventh emperor realm, the formation would finally reach the realm of perfection. He'd be able to control thirty-six swords then, vastly increasing his power output.
This was the formation's greatest appeal. Every elevation in proficiency allowed one to control even more swords. The mysteries of the formation would grow more complex with increased sword count, vastly increasing its strength and lethality.
Of course, the realm of perfection was merely the halfway point. The great perfection, supreme, and legendary realms would take the formation to the next level.
Unfortunately, these realms were extremely difficult to attain. It was impossible for Jiang Chen at his current cultivation level. Even the realm of perfection was already proving to be a great hurdle.
He was confident that upon his breakthrough to seventh emperor realm, he could easily slay great emperors with the formation if they were caught off guard.
What was proving even more unruly than the formation was the Primosanct Sect’s divine bow. Even at sixth emperor realm, Jiang Chen could only extract a tiny fraction of the bow’s strength. He estimated that he hadn’t even extracted a tenth of its true potential.
He held the bow in his hand and gently caressed his fingers over the simple yet impeccably shaped bow. Its ancient aura left him flabbergasted.
He could feel the bow’s might through his consciousness. It felt like he’d gone back in time and personally witnessed the bow’s dominance and slaughter of countless experts in the ancient era. Such might and killing intent could only honed from the baptism of countless slaughter.
The bow had definitely been an unparalleled treasure in the ancient era. As he caressed the bow, he suddenly noticed that there were words etched onto the inner side of the bow. They couldn’t be discerned through touch alone. By using his Evil Golden Eye in tandem with the God’s Eye, Jiang Chen could finally make out what was etched onto the bow.
They were ancient characters.
“Property of Ling Dan. A divine dragon in the north sea passed away and left its remains behind. Its bones and tendons were used to create this bow, thus the bow shall be named the Holy Dragon Bow…”
Ling Dan?
Jiang Chen suddenly recalled that the founding forefather of the Primosanct Sect, also the person who saved the eight Primordial Stone Golems, was called Saint Dan.
Perhaps Saint Dan and Ling Dan were the same person?