Chapter 2145: Seventy-Two Days of Dao Comprehension
Gathering his focus, Zhang Ruochen quickened his pace. Even under suppression, his speed remained extremely fast. With each step he took, he crossed several miles, and in the blink of an eye, he entered the area shrouded in white mist.
Taking dozens of steps forward in succession, Zhang Ruochen crossed a distance of a hundred miles. The first scale marker of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler appeared before his eyes.
The scale marker stood nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang tall, ninety-nine zhang thick, spanning across the divine jade bridge formed by the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler. It emitted an immensely vast sacred dao aura, with countless sacred dao rules interwoven upon it, appearing and disappearing indistinctly.
Standing before the scale marker, Zhang Ruochen's mind and spirit felt a tremendous impact, as if facing a majestic ancient divine mountain. All the myriad daos of heaven and earth seemed to be suppressed beneath it.
"Even the first scale marker possesses such powerful pressure. The Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler is indeed extraordinary, no wonder it can measure the cultivation realm of an emperor." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen sat down cross-legged before the scale marker and began to engage in comprehension.
Each scale marker of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler was of great help in comprehending the sacred dao, so he naturally had no reason to waste such an opportunity.
Moreover, the deeper his comprehension of the sacred dao, the farther he could go on the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler.
Zhang Ruochen was not worried about wasting too much time, because he had already discovered that from the moment he stepped onto the divine jade bridge formed by the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, the flow of time around him had changed.
And this change was astonishing. The time flow ratio reached thirty to one, meaning that thirty days here equaled only one day in the outside world.
This undoubtedly eliminated Zhang Ruochen's concerns about the time, allowing him to relax and focus on comprehending the dao.
Influenced by the strange power of the scale marker, Zhang Ruochen quickly entered a deep state of dao comprehension. His spiritual power and sacred dao rules involuntarily began to circulate, and even the blood energy within his body vibrated, slowly strengthening his physical body.
Whether one primarily cultivated spiritual power, martial arts, or the physical body, coming to comprehend the dao before the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler would inevitably bring great benefits.
At this moment, many powerful figures from the Inscription Master Guild were closely observing Zhang Ruochen's situation, extending strands of spiritual power.
The Inscription Master Guild was very special. It recruited only spiritual power cultivators. Even if there were geniuses who cultivated both spiritual power and martial arts, they primarily focused on spiritual power, with martial arts as a supplement. This applied even to barbarian beasts.
"Zhang Ruochen is already the strongest expert below the Great Saint realm. After using the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler to comprehend the dao, I wonder how much more he can improve."
"What do you think, how many scale markers can Zhang Ruochen reach? Can he match those astonishingly talented prodigies in history?"
"Since the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler was forged, countless Saint King realm cultivators have come here to comprehend the dao. The most monstrous one reached the eighteenth scale marker, surpassing most Undying Realm Great Saints, and even some Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints could not match him."
"Given Zhang Ruochen's current achievements, even across the long history of the Kunlun Realm, he ranks among the very top. Even if he cannot reach the eighteenth scale marker, he should at least be able to reach the sixteenth, or even the seventeenth."
"Judging from Zhang Ruochen's battle with Yan Wushen, he possesses at least the combat power of a late-stage Undying Great Saint. As long as his spiritual will is also strong enough, reaching the sixteenth scale marker should be no problem."
...
The powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild discussed among themselves, all eagerly anticipating Zhang Ruochen's performance, wanting to see at which scale marker he would ultimately stop.
Zhang Ruochen, of course, knew that many powerful figures were spying on him, but he paid it no mind. His mind and spirit were completely immersed in dao comprehension, with a vast amount of sacred dao insights flowing through his heart.
One after another, sacred dao rules were derived, slowly widening the Heavenly River.
Under the effect of the powerful pressure, Zhang Ruochen's sacred heart contracted violently, as if transforming into a furnace, repeatedly refining the abundant spiritual power contained within, making the essence of each strand of spiritual power stronger.
At the same time, the potential of Zhang Ruochen's physical body was further excavated. The treasures of his body were unlocked, allowing him to accommodate more of the essence released by the Seven Star Divine Lingzhi Sun Leaf.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Zhang Ruochen ended his dao comprehension and slowly stood up.
"The effect of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler in assisting dao comprehension is truly astonishing. I only comprehended the dao for three days before the first scale marker, yet my insights into the sacred dao have greatly improved. My sacred dao rules have increased by nearly ten thousand, and my spiritual power and physical body have also become stronger."
Zhang Ruochen felt quite delighted in his heart.
Of course, he also understood that such a great harvest was also closely related to his own high cultivation realm.
Without lingering here any longer, Zhang Ruochen raised his head, looked up at the scale marker, then lightly stomped his foot. His entire body leaped up like a divine dragon, easily jumping over it.
Having personally experienced the wonder of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, Zhang Ruochen naturally looked forward even more to the effects of comprehending the dao at the subsequent scale markers.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen arrived before the second scale marker and once again entered a state of dao comprehension.
As time passed, Zhang Ruochen continued to advance, leaping over one scale marker after another.
For the first ten scale markers, he spent three days comprehending each.
Starting from the eleventh scale marker, the time spent on comprehension began to increase. Clearly, the sacred dao had become too profound and complex, and even with Zhang Ruochen's cultivation realm, it was not easy to fully penetrate.
At the very beginning, Zhang Ruochen relied entirely on his physical body to resist the pressure of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler.
However, after passing the fourteenth scale marker, relying solely on his physical body became extremely difficult, and Zhang Ruochen had to release sacred qi.
According to Bai Qianli, the fourteenth scale marker corresponded to the early stage of the Undying Great Saint realm.
Being able to reach this scale marker relying solely on the physical body was already extremely difficult, indicating that his physical strength was barely comparable to an ordinary Undying Saintly Body.
As the powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild had predicted, Zhang Ruochen smoothly reached the sixteenth scale marker and calmly comprehended the dao there for seven days.
When Zhang Ruochen stood up, all the powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild perked up, wanting to see if he would continue forward or stop here.
The next scale marker ahead corresponded to the peak of the Undying Great Saint realm. Even among Undying Great Saints, only a very few could reach it.
Of course, this did not mean that one had to possess strength at this level. The key was to have a spiritual will comparable to that of a peak Undying Great Saint.
Power was easy to obtain, but tempering the spiritual will was extremely difficult.
"Shua."
Without any hesitation, Zhang Ruochen directly leaped over the sixteenth scale marker. His limit was definitely not here.
However, his speed had clearly slowed down. His body felt incredibly heavy, as if carrying a divine mountain on his back. Every step he took required a great deal of effort.
It took him an entire day to walk step by step to the front of the seventeenth scale marker.
"I hope that before this scale marker, I can cultivate the Way of Space to perfection." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
This small world contained countless space inscriptions and time imprints, making it most suitable for comprehending the Way of Space and the Way of Time. Therefore, from the first scale marker, Zhang Ruochen had focused on these two paths.
Comparatively, improving his mastery of the Way of Space and the Way of Time would provide the most obvious boost to his combat power.
"He actually reached the seventeenth scale marker! Truly worthy of being the strongest below the Great Saint realm. In the long history of the Kunlun Realm, there are not many who can compare with him."
"At the Saint King realm, he already possesses a spiritual will comparable to a peak Undying Great Saint. Zhang Ruochen's future achievements will be immeasurable. Perhaps he has the hope of becoming a second Xumi Saint Monk."
"But given the current situation of the Kunlun Realm, I wonder if we can wait until the day Zhang Ruochen fully grows."
...
The powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild could not calm their minds.
In the history of the Kunlun Realm, anyone who could reach the seventeenth scale marker of the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler at the Saint King realm, as long as they did not die young, eventually became an extraordinarily important figure.
This time, Zhang Ruochen comprehended the dao for a full nine days before leisurely opening his eyes.
"Unfortunately, I'm still a bit short. The difficulty of cultivating an Eternal Dao to perfection is truly too great." A hint of helplessness flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
He had to admit that cultivating an Eternal Dao was far more difficult than he had imagined.
But in the next moment, Zhang Ruochen regained his confidence. "Since the seventeenth scale marker won't work, then I'll go comprehend the dao before the eighteenth scale marker."
"What a Zhang Ruochen! He actually wants to challenge the eighteenth scale marker."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen leap into the air, many powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild showed expressions of shock.
The moment he landed from the high altitude, a booming sound echoed in Zhang Ruochen's brain. An unimaginably vast divine might was exerted upon him, as if it would crush his spiritual will.
For a moment, Zhang Ruochen felt his mind go blank, his thoughts ceasing to function.
But no matter what, he ultimately withstood the impact of the divine might. His spiritual will was condensed to the extreme, as firm as a rock, unshakable.
The fundamental reason was that Zhang Ruochen had faced the pressure of deities more than once, which had forged an indomitable will within him.
"As expected of a legendary divine artifact. Its divine might surpasses even that of many deities." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Thinking about it, it was actually quite normal. The artifact spirit of a divine artifact was itself equivalent to a deity. Otherwise, how could it possess the terrifying power to refine and kill gods?
"Hu."
Letting out a deep breath, Zhang Ruochen took steady steps, walking forward unhurriedly.
The divine might released by the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler had no offensive nature, making it most suitable for tempering the spiritual will.
For Zhang Ruochen, this was a rare opportunity.
If he could use this to temper a spiritual will truly comparable to that of a Hundred Shackles Realm expert, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to his future cultivation.
With every step he took, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual will endured an impact of divine might, and it grew increasingly fierce. It was like a small boat sailing on the vast ocean, facing the pounding of monstrous waves, always on the verge of capsizing.
It took Zhang Ruochen seven days to cover the hundred-mile distance and arrive before the eighteenth scale marker.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Ruochen immediately sat down cross-legged, seizing the time to comprehend the sacred dao.
Even with his current level of spiritual will, he could not stay here for too long.
At this moment, the powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild were speechless, all plunged into deep shock, including the Spiritual Power Great Saints.
Reaching the eighteenth scale marker at the Saint King realm was a legend, and now, that legend was unfolding before their very eyes.
Everyone held their breath, wanting to see how long Zhang Ruochen could cultivate here.
Anyone could see that Zhang Ruochen's body was trembling slightly, his brows deeply furrowed. He had clearly reached his limit.
Yet even so, Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth and persisted, unwilling to give up easily.
Only after a day and a half did Zhang Ruochen find it impossible to continue. He had to stand up and retreat.
The moment he retreated, the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler released a beam of jade-green divine light, enveloping him.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen felt his body and mind incredibly relaxed, having already returned to the very starting point.
"A day and a half! Zhang Ruochen actually broke the record. He cultivated for an even longer time than those legendary figures."
All the powerful figures of the Inscription Master Guild were dumbfounded, shocked beyond words.
Forget a day and a half. During the most glorious period of the Kunlun Realm, if any cultivator could reach the eighteenth scale marker, it would shake the world and earn them an audience with a deity.
"This matter must not be spread outside."
After a brief silence, a cryptic strand of spiritual power was transmitted into everyone's minds.
"Yes, Grand Elder."
All the powerful figures responded in unison.
The Grand Elder himself had given the order. Who would dare to disobey?
"Eastern Domain King was able to reach the eighteenth scale marker. It seems he must have gained a tremendous harvest. Congratulations." Bai Qianli appeared, his face full of smiles.
Compared to before, Bai Qianli was now noticeably more polite, and there was even a hint of reverence in his eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I should be thanking the Inscription Master Guild for giving me this opportunity to comprehend the dao."
"You're too kind, Eastern Domain King. After all you have done for the Kunlun Realm, this is only right." Bai Qianli quickly said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I cannot stay long. I will take my leave now. I will visit again when I have the chance."
"I will see the Eastern Domain King out. Please." Bai Qianli said.
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly, took a deep look at the divine jade bridge formed by the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, and then walked out of the small world.
After leaving the Inscription Master Guild, Zhang Ruochen once again used the "Formless and Faceless Thirty-Six Transformations," transforming back into the appearance of an elegant scholar.
This time, having used the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler to comprehend the dao for seventy-two days, Zhang Ruochen's gains were unimaginably enormous. The sacred dao rules within his body exceeded ninety-nine million. The Space Rules and Time Rules were each only one short of reaching perfection.
The other main sacred daos he cultivated had not improved as much as Space and Time, but they had still been greatly enhanced. Among them, the Truth Rules had reached nine hundred and ten thousand. As long as he condensed the Truth Realm Form, he could unleash a tenfold increase in attack power.
Furthermore, the Palm Dao Rules and Fist Dao Rules had also surpassed nine hundred thousand, reaching a height unattainable by ordinary people.
Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power had been tempered, its essence becoming stronger, surpassing even Bai Qianli.
Additionally, Zhang Ruochen's brain had successfully undergone immortalization, truly cultivating his physical body to the extreme below the Great Saint realm.
In a sense, Zhang Ruochen was now in his strongest state. Without a special opportunity, it would be very difficult for his strength at the Saint King realm to increase significantly.
"The Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler's help in comprehending the Way of Space and the Way of Time is so immense. It really might be related to the Time-Space Human Ancestor." Zhang Ruochen speculated.
The Time-Space Controllers were a lineage passed down through generations. Xumi Saint Monk was considered Zhang Ruochen's master, and the Time-Space Human Ancestor was Zhang Ruochen's master's master.
Zhang Ruochen was filled with curiosity about this mysterious master's master.