Chapter 1225: Thirty-Three Heavens
Zhang Ruochen's attainments in the Sword Dao, even when compared to the most top-tier Sword Dao prodigies, were in no way inferior. The Sword Dao rules he cultivated were more numerous and thicker than his Palm Dao rules.
Strands of Sword Dao rules gathered together like a spiderweb, connecting into a single expanse, coalescing into a sacred sword over ten zhang in length.
A Sword-Shaped Sacred Image.
It was not human-shaped again.
It was well known that the Sacred Images condensed by the vast majority of cultivators were giant human figures identical to themselves.
Even sword cultivators were like this.
Very few sword cultivators could condense a Sword-Shaped Sacred Image.
"Continue."
Zhang Ruochen separated his Fist Dao rules and condensed a third Sacred Image.
The third Sacred Image was still not human-shaped, but a vast and mighty Sacred River, floating above Zhang Ruochen's head. It looked very much like a real river, with the sound of rushing water audible.
"Could this be the legendary Luo River?"
Zhang Ruochen was very clear that being able to condense a Fist Dao Sacred Image was entirely thanks to the "Luo Water Fist Art." The "Luo Water Fist Art" was a fist technique created by Luo Xu from his insights into the Luo River, and it must contain the true essence of the Luo River.
A mere river could form its own Sacred Dao rules—how could that not be astonishing?
"In the future, I must return to Demon Ridge and see the Luo River for myself," Zhang Ruochen murmured to himself.
Xiao Hei's eyes were wide as saucers, staring at Zhang Ruochen as if he were a demon or monster. "What the hell is going on? Zhang Ruochen, what have you done? How did you condense so many Sacred Images?"
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane was also badly frightened, extremely curious about what kind of terrifying existence the human on its back was.
Every time a Sacred Image was condensed, the Four-Winged Silver Light Crane felt as if another mountain had been added to its back. Fortunately, its cultivation was profound; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to fly at all.
"I don't know what's happening either."
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and hesitated to continue condensing Sacred Images, worried that cultivating incorrectly might cause unpredictable effects in the future.
"Aren't you knowledgeable? Are there any other beings who can also cultivate multiple Sacred Images?" Zhang Ruochen asked Xiao Hei.
"No."
Xiao Hei shook its head vigorously, not knowing what was happening to Zhang Ruochen.
However, it quickly changed its tune, saying, "This Emperor has seen some legends in an ancient text. It is said that in the extremely distant past, some mysterious beings could cultivate multiple Sacred Images and condense multiple Sacred Sources."
"What kind of mysterious beings?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Beings not within the Five Elements," Xiao Hei said.
The Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.
All living beings and all things in the world are within the Five Elements and are also part of the Five Elements.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I cultivated the Five Elements Chaos Body, which means I am still within the Five Elements and have not transcended beyond them. How do you explain this?"
Xiao Hei laughed out loud, saying, "Those are just legends. This Emperor doesn't really believe any being can truly transcend the Five Elements. Even if they could, it would probably only be possible for a God."
"Don't overthink it. Cultivating an extra Sacred Image means you can condense an extra Sacred Source. It might have some impact on your Sacred Dao cultivation, but the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages. The opportunity you've obtained is not something any being can get."
Zhang Ruochen then exchanged some more ideas with Xiao Hei, all about the transition from Half-Saint to Saint.
After all, Zhang Ruochen had always been exploring on his own, lacking guidance from a master teacher, only learning some methods for cultivating Sacred Images and condensing Sacred Sources from books.
After the exchange, Zhang Ruochen began cultivating Sacred Images again.
The Sacred Dao rules of the Sword Dao, Palm Dao, and Fist Dao had all coalesced into Sacred Images. Next were only the Way of Time and the Way of Space.
The Sacred Dao rules of the Way of Time and the Way of Space were formless and invisible, and the Sacred Images they condensed were also formless and invisible, invisible to outsiders, visible only to Zhang Ruochen.
The Time Sacred Image and Space Sacred Image had no specific form, only somewhat resembling two massive vortexes.
Xiao Hei seemed to sense something, its cat eyes wide and round. It took out a Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact from its Space Ring and threw it towards where the Space Sacred Image was.
"Crackle."
The moment the Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact approached the vortex of the Space Sacred Image, it was pulled in.
An invisible force erupted, squeezing the Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact into various shapes, finally turning it into a fist-sized iron ball that fell to the ground.
"A Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact is incredibly hard, yet it was squeezed into an iron ball."
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane trembled with fear, terrified that the mysterious Sacred Image would pull it in too and squeeze it into a ball of flesh.
Xiao Hei was somewhat surprised and took out another Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact, throwing it towards where the Time Sacred Image was.
"Bang."
As soon as it approached the vortex of the Time Sacred Image, the Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact exploded, turning into a cloud of metal powder.
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane's two pairs of wings trembled violently, and it spoke in a human voice: "Two great kings, can you please stop messing around? If you keep this up, I will definitely be crushed to death by those two forces."
"Shut up and keep flying towards the Divine Dream Marsh."
Xiao Hei smacked the Four-Winged Silver Light Crane on the head with its claw, making it squawk in pain, and it dared not interrupt again.
"You can even cultivate the Time Sacred Image and Space Sacred Image. Zhang Ruochen, are you trying to defy the heavens?"
Xiao Hei had always considered itself invincible, but after witnessing the Time Sacred Image and Space Sacred Image, it was left speechless.
Not to mention at the same cultivation level, where Zhang Ruochen could crush any opponent.
Even Saint realm beings several levels above Zhang Ruochen would probably have a considerable headache facing the Time Sacred Image and Space Sacred Image.
"Immovable Wisdom King."
Zhang Ruochen raised both hands, and between his hands above his head, a dazzling golden light burst forth.
Looking up from the ground, it was like a blazing sun had appeared, its light shining on the mountains and rivers below, coating the leaves in the mountains with a layer of golden radiance.
"Is there no end to this? You can even condense a sixth Sacred Image." Xiao Hei let out a strange cry.
As the Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image condensed, the Four-Winged Silver Light Crane felt as if a hundred thousand great mountains were pressing down on it. Its body was uncontrollable, plummeting straight to the ground.
"Boom."
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane crashed into a forest, smashing a large crater, sending flowers, grass, and trees flying up from the soil.
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane was a sixth-rank upper-level Barbarian Beast, capable of contending with a ninth-step Half-Saint, and was a local overlord in the Fallen God Mountain Range. Carrying a great mountain would have been easy for it.
But now, it was pinned to the ground by the Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image, already unconscious.
The Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image was finally human-shaped, identical to Zhang Ruochen, as tall as the nearby mountains, radiating golden light and carrying a strong Buddhist charm.
The nearby Barbarian Beasts, sensing the aura of the Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image, were all trembling with fear. Knowing that a supreme powerhouse was nearby, they cowered in their caves, not daring to show their heads.
"Could the 'Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture' have some connection with the Ten Thousand Buddha Path?"
A strange look appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
He had always known that the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" was the highest secret scripture of the Imperial Zhang Clan, only cultivatable by each generation of Bright Emperor.
The previous generation Bright Emperor had studied as a disciple at the Liangyi Sect. By that logic, the Sacred Bright Central Empire should have been on good terms with the Taiji Dao.
How could the supreme scripture of the Sacred Bright Central Empire have a connection with the Ten Thousand Buddha Path?
Zhang Ruochen felt puzzled, thought for a moment, then shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. He could look up the Zhang Clan's ancestral records in the future to find the reason.
Including the Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image, Zhang Ruochen had cultivated a total of six Sacred Images.
The Sacred Qi within Zhang Ruochen's body circulated rapidly. He raised one arm and pressed it towards a mountain peak thirty li away.
The Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image also raised a giant hand, following the trajectory of Zhang Ruochen's palm seal, and pressed it down on the mountain peak.
"Rumble."
A great mountain was leveled to the ground.
Only a pile of earth and a giant palm print pit remained.
The Four-Winged Silver Light Crane had already woken up and raised its massive head, but upon seeing this scene, it fainted again from fear.
Xiao Hei stood nearby, holding the alchemy furnace, and said solemnly, "Zhang Ruochen, the Sacred Image you cultivated is very extraordinary. This Emperor once saw a cultivator who practiced one of the Six Great Strange Books, the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription,' and condensed a Heavenly Demon Sacred Image. Compared to your Sacred Image, it was somewhat inferior. The technique you practice—could it also be one of the Six Great Strange Books?"
"No."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, saying, "However, it might have some connection with one of them."
"Which one?" Xiao Hei asked.
"Why should I tell you?"
The "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" was the highest secret of the Imperial Zhang Clan. Zhang Ruochen would not tell any being about anything related to it.
It wasn't a matter of trust, but a rule set down in the Zhang Clan's ancestral teachings.
Zhang Ruochen had read records about the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture," which contained fragments mentioning one of the legendary Six Great Strange Books, the "Thirty-Three Heavens."
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen speculated that the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" might have some connection with the "Thirty-Three Heavens."
The "Thirty-Three Heavens," "Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription," "Divine Fall Scripture," "Qiankun Martial Secrets," "Eight-Nine Mystic Art," and "Innate Dao Method."
These Six Great Strange Books were truly epoch-making, undoubtedly the most top-tier techniques among humanity. Behind each one lay countless myths and legends.
A cultivator, even if they only obtained one or two fragmentary scrolls of the Six Great Strange Books, would display combat power far exceeding other cultivators at the same cultivation level.
Of course, as they have been passed down to the present, most of the Six Great Strange Books exist only as fragmentary scrolls, with no complete texts.
For example, the Liangyi Sect's town-sect secret scripture, "Taiji Innate Dao," was only a part of the "Innate Dao Method."
"Forget it if you won't tell. This Emperor doesn't want to know anyway."
Xiao Hei possessed partial volumes of one of the Six Great Strange Books, the "Divine Fall Scripture," and believed it to be an invincible technique, looking down on all others. It had no interest in the technique Zhang Ruochen practiced.
"The Sacred Image you cultivated is indeed very strong, but if that girl Hanxue cultivates the Divine Fall Sacred Image, she will definitely surpass you." Xiao Hei said quite smugly.
Xiao Hei very much hoped Hanxue would return from the Underworld sooner. If her combat power surpassed her master, Zhang Ruochen, that would be a real show, and it would laugh until it rolled on the ground.
Xiao Hei extended its claw and slapped the unconscious Four-Winged Silver Light Crane, trying to wake it up to continue serving as their mount.
But the Four-Winged Silver Light Crane was terrified of death and absolutely refused to carry them anymore. It told them they had reached the edge of the Primitive Secret Realm and only needed to go a bit further to enter the Divine Dream Marsh.