Chapter 1557: The Dao Field
"Look, it really is the Undead Void Divine Son."
"Before, I only ever watched battle projections of him. I never thought I'd see his true body today."
"I once fought against the Undead Void Divine Son's phantom projection. Unfortunately, I couldn't even block a single move from him before being defeated."
...
The arrival of Undead Void caused a huge commotion across this plain.
It wasn't just because of his astonishing identity, but also his formidable strength, which earned him widespread admiration.
The seventh-ranked figure on the Sacred Merit Ranking was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy, with boundless future potential. Wherever he went, he shone like a dazzling star.
Although Zhang Ruochen had fought across the Ancestral Realm, the major worlds of the Heavenly Court that truly paid attention to that merit war, constantly watching the battlefield projections, were only those from the lower-ranked Western Universe.
Powerful major worlds that didn't fear becoming battlefields paid no attention to the merit wars of seven weak worlds. To them, it held little significance.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen's rise to first place on the Sacred Merit Ranking had only happened in the past month or two. The news hadn't spread widely yet. Apart from the proud sons of heaven on the ranking who had specifically investigated Zhang Ruochen's background, most other cultivators had only heard his name and knew he was powerful.
Few knew which major world he came from.
Even fewer knew what he looked like.
Undead Void's injuries had fully healed, and he seemed to have made further progress. Surrounded by a group of cultivators, he stepped out of the Space Teleportation Array one step at a time.
That Truth Divine Temple disciple named Han Shang immediately stepped forward to greet him, narrowing his eyes with a smile. "The Undead Void Divine Son is visiting the Truth Divine Temple for the seventh time to comprehend the Way of Truth. I've always been the one to welcome and arrange things, and this time is no exception."
Undead Void glanced at him. "I remember you. You... what's your name again?"
"Han Shang." Han Shang nodded with a smile.
Undead Void pointed at Han Shang, as if looking at a servant of his own, and chuckled. "Right, that seems to be the name."
"Divine Son, the cloud boat is ready for you. Please follow me."
Han Shang led the way, while the cultivators of the Ruiya Realm followed proudly. Wherever they passed, cultivators from other major worlds stepped back in deference.
The Ruiya Realm, ranked seventy-third among the strong worlds of the Western Universe, had its Divine Son arriving in the Truth Heaven Domain like an imperial prince on tour. No one dared to offend him; they tried to curry favor as much as possible. If a saint could ingratiate themselves with the Ruiya Realm's Divine Son, they would surely become a prominent figure in their home world.
Just then, Undead Void sensed something. He suddenly stopped and looked toward a direction in the crowd, spotting Zhang Ruochen's figure.
Zhang Ruochen, however, had already left with Su Jing and the others to handle the registration.
Han Shang noticed the sharpness in Undead Void Divine Son's gaze and followed it to see Zhang Ruochen's group's backs. He sneered. "They're low-level cultivators from the Guanghan Realm."
"Low-level cultivators? Since when did the Truth Divine Temple classify cultivators by rank?" Undead Void didn't withdraw his gaze, like a hunter eyeing his most prized prey.
Han Shang said, "Rank exists in everyone's heart. A cultivator from a world ranked third from the bottom—what else could they be but low-level? Do they have any status here in the Truth Heaven Domain?"
Undead Void withdrew his gaze, gave Han Shang a deep look, and revealed a meaningful smile before walking forward.
"What does that mean?"
Han Shang couldn't decipher the meaning behind Undead Void's smile.
"Could it be that this Divine Son has taken a liking to those women from the Guanghan Realm? Speaking of which, those women are truly stunning. One or two of them might only be slightly inferior to the nine fairies on the Nine Immortal Beauties Chart."
...
...
After completing the registration, Zhang Ruochen and the others headed to board the cloud boat.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Uncle Jing, where are we going next?"
Su Jing's expression grew solemn. "How about I stay here, and you all go straight to the Truth Divine Temple?"
"Go straight to the Truth Divine Temple? But the Truth Divine Temple cultivator just said we need to queue to enter the temple for cultivation and wait for their summons. He told us to first go to the Dao fields established by the gods of our home world and wait." Zhang Ruochen said.
Su Qingling, Wen Shusheng, and Ling Mi were also visiting the Truth Heaven Domain for the first time and didn't understand the situation here. They were curious why Su Jing wanted them to go directly to the Truth Divine Temple.
Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Su Jing felt even more ashamed. Bitterly, he said, "Since you want to know, I'll tell you."
"In the Truth Heaven Domain, only a god can establish a Dao field, leaving it for cultivators of their own major world as a temporary foothold when they come to cultivate at the Truth Divine Temple."
"In other words, a god uses their formidable power to claim a small territory in the Truth Heaven Domain for the younger generations of their home world."
Zhang Ruochen understood. "So, the Moon God and the Tree God also left their Dao fields here in the Truth Heaven Domain? Can we go there to stay?"
Su Qingling's face lit up with joy. "Are there any inheritances left by the Moon God and the Tree God in those Dao fields for us to comprehend?"
"Yes."
Su Jing gave a definite answer. "It's said that the Moon God and the Tree God inscribed their insights into the Way of Truth in their own ways on the stone walls of their Dao fields. Cultivators from the Guanghan Realm can go there to study the diagrams and texts on the stone walls. While this kind of comprehension isn't as direct as cultivating inside the Truth Divine Temple, it's still an incredibly precious resource."
Ling Mi and Wen Shusheng also perked up, their eyes full of anticipation.
After all, they could only enter the Truth Divine Temple to cultivate for one month. Time was extremely tight, and the chance of comprehending Truth Rules was slim.
But if the Dao fields contained diagrams and texts of the Way of Truth left by the Moon God and the Tree God, even if they couldn't cultivate inside the Truth Divine Temple, they could still study those diagrams in the Dao fields. This would greatly increase their chances of comprehending the Way of Truth.
Su Jing continued, "One hundred thousand years ago, during its most glorious and prosperous period, the Guanghan Realm had over twenty Dao fields in the Truth Heaven Domain. Every month, a large number of geniuses and outstanding talents came here to cultivate. At that time, the Guanghan Realm's prestige was even greater than the Ruiya Realm's today."
"But now, the Guanghan Realm doesn't have a single Dao field left in the Truth Heaven Domain."
When he said the last sentence, Su Jing's heart ached as if torn apart. Every meridian in his body involuntarily tightened. He felt a deep unwillingness, yet also a profound sense of powerlessness.
Everyone present was stunned.
"How can there not be a single one left? Aren't the Dao fields left by gods, protected by their divine power, supposed to be eternal and indestructible?" Mu Lingxi asked.
Su Jing smiled bitterly. "Divine power can only protect a Dao field from decay, but it cannot prevent outsiders from seizing and occupying it."
Zhang Ruochen's heart tightened. "Are all the Dao fields left by the gods of the Guanghan Realm occupied by cultivators from other major worlds?"
"Exactly."
Su Jing shook his head and continued, "The Guanghan Realm only gets three slots to enter the Truth Divine Temple for cultivation every ten years. But some strong worlds get more slots each month than the Guanghan Realm. They noticed that the Guanghan Realm's Dao fields were often vacant, so they occupied them and claimed them as their own. The diagrams and texts of the Way of Truth left by the Moon God and the Tree God have become cultivation resources for other major worlds."
"Over time, when cultivators from the Guanghan Realm come to the Truth Heaven Domain, they don't even have a place to stay. It's utterly desolate."
"There have also been some exceptionally talented young geniuses who felt unwillingness and anger, wanting to reclaim the Dao fields. But the cultivators occupying the Guanghan Realm's Dao fields all come from strong worlds. Those geniuses are even more outstanding, stronger, and more numerous. So... those young geniuses from the Guanghan Realm all ended in failure, only to be expelled and humiliated instead."
Su Qingling, Wen Shusheng, and Ling Mi had always cultivated in the Guanghan Realm and the Shatuo Heaven Domain. They never imagined that once they stepped out, cultivators from the Guanghan Realm would be bullied to such an extent.
"A monumental disgrace, a monumental disgrace! If the gods of the Guanghan Realm knew that their descendants couldn't even protect the Dao fields they left behind, that outsiders had occupied them and they couldn't reclaim them, they would be heartbroken." Wen Shusheng clenched his teeth, his hatred driving him mad.
Ling Mi and Su Qingling also clenched their jade-like hands, feeling the shame and humiliation.
Su Jing said, "That's why I told you to go directly to the Truth Divine Temple. Even if you have to wait outside the temple, don't go to the Dao fields of the Moon God and the Tree God to suffer humiliation. Besides, most of you are women."
In history, a proud daughter of heaven from the Guanghan Realm once tried to reclaim the Moon God's Dao field but was trapped inside and nearly violated. In the end, she had to self-destruct her sacred source, meeting a tragic end. It was said that the Moon God's Dao field was occupied by heretical cultivators from a strong world.
Even Zhang Ruochen, who wasn't originally from the Kunlun Realm, felt anger rising within him. "If we keep swallowing our pride, we'll only be looked down upon even more. Since these Dao fields belong to the Guanghan Realm, then let's fight and reclaim them. I don't believe that every cultivator from those strong worlds has three heads and six arms."
Ling Mi was a calm woman with an ethereal aura. She didn't have much confidence in herself. After all, in the history of the Guanghan Realm, many geniuses more outstanding and powerful than her had emerged, and even they had failed and been humiliated. Reclaiming the Dao fields seemed unlikely for her.
But Ling Mi had full confidence in Zhang Ruochen. Her beautiful eyes fixed on him, she said, "I will follow the Divine Envoy's lead. I believe he can restore the Guanghan Realm's prestige."
Wen Shusheng let out a low roar. "Even if I have to self-destruct my sacred source, I must fight and reclaim our Dao fields. Death to those who occupy the nest!"
Su Jing saw the fighting spirit in everyone and felt his own steady heart stirred. Thinking of Zhang Ruochen's somewhat monstrous abilities, he also gained a bit more confidence.
"Whether you can reclaim a Dao field depends entirely on your abilities. After all, only you have the slots to enter the Truth Divine Temple for cultivation, and only you have the right to fight. I'm afraid I can't help much. You must think carefully: the enemies you'll face come from strong worlds, with formidable strength and overwhelming numbers. If you fail and are humiliated, can you bear that blow?"
"What does failure matter? Even if I have to self-destruct my sacred source and take them down with me, I'll make them understand that occupying the Guanghan Realm's Dao fields comes at a price. The cultivators of the Guanghan Realm have backbone!" Su Qingling said.
Su Jing's lips moved as if he wanted to advise her, but in the end, he said nothing. He led them onto the cloud boat and headed toward the Dao field left by the Tree God.
...
(Today, I must write three chapters. Well, this is me cheering myself on. I'll say it at the end of the chapter first; it always gives me more motivation.)