Chapter 2164: Space True Domain
The gatekeeper stood expressionless, his feet planted on the thick earth. The surging and mighty power within the sea region continuously converged toward him, as if everything in this sea area was entirely under his control.
Water and earth combined, turning the clear seawater into viscous mud, releasing a terrifying suction force that gripped the Truth Boat beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet.
At the same time, a vast expanse of yellow sand danced through the air like countless frolicking spirits, surging from all directions to envelop Zhang Ruochen, resembling some ancient ferocious beast opening its bloody maw, intent on devouring everything.
"Thick earth below, burying all things."
The gatekeeper's voice rang out, devoid of any emotion.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly sense that the rules of heaven and earth were almost entirely controlled by the gatekeeper, making him feel as if he were opposing the entire world.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and Zhang Ruochen acted immediately. Reaching out with one hand, nearly a million Space Rules materialized, his palm transforming into a world. Each palm line was a towering mountain range, and his five fingers became five sky-supporting divine mountains, forcefully propping up the converging yellow sand.
"Break."
Zhang Ruochen shouted softly.
A powerful Space Force was unleashed, transforming into an invisible spatial storm that swept across all directions.
"Boom."
No matter how resilient those yellow sands were, they were all torn apart, then completely shattered, turning into streams of earthy yellow energy.
However, these streams did not dissipate. Instead, they seemed to possess life, intertwining with each other, filling the void, and completely covering the sea region where Zhang Ruochen was located.
"Rumble."
Violent lightning burst forth from the net-like intertwined streams, accompanied by clusters of silver flames, emitting an extremely terrifying aura.
"With the enhancement of the Truth Realm Form, the gatekeeper has indeed become very difficult to deal with. All my various methods are clearly suppressed. If the gatekeeper had mastered the Truth Realm Form 'Starry Sea Without Shores,' I'm afraid none of the Truth Temple's divine disciples would be able to cross the ninth sea region," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Zhang Ruochen was still quite unfamiliar with the Truth Realm Form. Even when he had fought with Yuwen Jing, he had forcibly torn apart the Truth Realm Form the latter had condensed using the *Space-Time Secret Scripture*, without truly experiencing its mysteries.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen opened his heavenly eye on his brow, releasing powerful spiritual power as he carefully examined the Truth Realm Form condensed by the gatekeeper.
He not only wanted to defeat the gatekeeper before him but also hoped to glean the secrets of the Truth Realm Form from it, to see if he could condense one himself.
Although it was difficult, with his possession of thirty-nine ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica and his profound mastery of the Way of Truth, the possibility of success was not nonexistent.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen and the gatekeeper fell into a stalemate, continuously engaging in fierce clashes.
On the shore of the Truth Sea, Archangel Michael watched Zhang Ruochen with a flicker of strange light in his eyes. He was actually more concerned than others about whether Zhang Ruochen could cross the ninth sea region.
After all, he had just finished crossing the sea, and many would naturally compare him to Zhang Ruochen. Whether Zhang Ruochen succeeded or failed would significantly impact Michael's reputation.
If Zhang Ruochen successfully crossed the ninth sea region, Michael's achievement in crossing the sea would become insignificant, especially since Zhang Ruochen had not condensed a Truth Realm Form and had to break the established rules.
"Archangel Michael need not take Zhang Ruochen to heart. The ninth sea region of the Truth Sea is something he is destined never to cross, incomparable to you."
"So-called invincible combat power below the Great Saint level is futile in the Truth Sea. Without a Truth Realm Form, even a Great Saint would have to stop here."
"Zhang Ruochen is too arrogant. It's time he tasted this kind of frustration."
...
A group of cultivators from the Heavenly Realm Faction spoke, as if they could already see Zhang Ruochen falling into the Truth Sea.
Archangel Michael said nothing, merely watching the situation on the sea surface. There were countless geniuses in the world, but few he found hard to see through, and Zhang Ruochen happened to be one of them.
Many things, when placed on Zhang Ruochen, often could not be judged by common sense.
"Chenjing, Zhang Ruochen's situation doesn't look good. I'm ready to take off your Celestial Maiden Feather Robe at any time," Qie Huairou said with a smile.
Thousand Star Celestial Maiden was not the least bit anxious, speaking calmly, "Don't rush. It's still too early to draw conclusions. I think you might as well take out the Flying Immortal Flute first."
"Quite confident, huh? Don't be too disappointed later," Qie Huairou said.
Although Zhang Ruochen could still withstand the gatekeeper's attacks, the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. If there was no major turning point, falling into the sea was only a matter of time.
While Zhang Ruochen was locked in fierce battle with the gatekeeper, Qingsi Xue, Feng Yan, and Xiang Chunan had also arrived at the entrance to the ninth sea region.
Watching Zhang Ruochen and the gatekeeper engage in continuous fierce combat, Feng Yan frowned slightly and said, "Big Brother hasn't condensed a Truth Realm Form, which puts him at a great disadvantage here. Otherwise, he would have already defeated the gatekeeper."
As a divine disciple of the Truth Temple, he had already received secret techniques, but unfortunately, he couldn't pass them on to Zhang Ruochen.
"Second Brother, don't worry. I believe Big Brother will win," Xiang Chunan said.
Qingsi Xue also added, "Brother Ruochen is an extraordinary person, capable of extraordinary deeds."
With that, Qingsi Xue steered the Truth Boat closer to the light barrier ahead, eager to challenge the gatekeeper.
Crossing from the first sea region to the ninth on her first visit to the Truth Sea, Qingsi Xue could certainly be called a legendary figure.
Seeing this, Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan did not hesitate and immediately followed, equally eager to fight the gatekeeper of the ninth sea region.
In the blink of an eye, three gatekeepers materialized before the light barrier.
Like the gatekeeper Zhang Ruochen faced, they all stood on thick earth, controlling heaven and earth.
Feng Yan's expression was solemn. He clasped his hands together, and a vast number of Truth Rules surged from within him, intertwining with the rules of heaven and earth to form a hazy starry river world. Each star in it was composed of complex and profound characters, interpreting the truths of the world.
"Junior Brother Feng Yan has already condensed a Truth Realm Form, and it's 'Starry Sea Without Shores'! This..."
Beside Feng Xi, the four divine disciples of the Truth Temple all widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
The Feng Clan already had a peerless genius like Feng Xi, which was rare enough. Now, Feng Yan had emerged, suggesting that the Feng Clan was destined to flourish in this era.
Why did Feng Xi hold such a high status in the Truth Temple? Because the Truth Realm Form she had condensed was 'Starry Sea Without Shores,' comparable to the top ten divine disciples.
Once her accumulation was sufficient and her strength reached the level of the top ten divine disciples, she would have a good chance of crossing the ninth sea region.
At that point, she might also be able to join the ranks of the top ten divine disciples.
"He hasn't disgraced the ancestor's three heads and six arms," Feng Xi murmured.
Seeing her younger brother grow so much, Feng Xi felt very gratified.
Suddenly, a look of surprise appeared in Feng Xi's eyes. "How could this be..."
At this moment, her gaze locked onto Qingsi Xue. She saw that behind Qingsi Xue, there was also a Truth Realm Form, and it was an even more vast 'Starry Sea Without Shores' than Feng Yan's.
"This person is actually a divine disciple of our Truth Temple. Why have I never seen her before?" Dongfang Qingyu's eyes showed astonishment.
Nie Xiangzi was equally puzzled. Given his status, he should know all the divine disciples of the Truth Temple.
After a moment of thought, Nie Xiangzi guessed a possibility. "This person must be a secret disciple of some great figure in the Truth Temple."
He believed that a situation like Archangel Michael's would not occur a second time, so Qingsi Xue must be from the Truth Temple.
Dongfang Qingyu's eyes showed surprise again. "What's going on? That dark and dull fellow is also a divine disciple?"
Like Feng Yan and Qingsi Xue, behind Xiang Chunan, a vast starry river world also appeared, no smaller in scale than Feng Yan's.
Seeing this, all the cultivators gathered by the shore could no longer remain calm.
"When did 'Starry Sea Without Shores' become so easy to condense? Three have appeared at once."
"Besides Feng Yan, who are the other two? Does the Truth Temple have these two divine disciples?"
"Could it be that three people will cross the ninth sea region this time?"
...
The fact that Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qingsi Xue had reached the entrance to the ninth sea region was already astonishing. Now, they had all revealed the 'Starry Sea Without Shores' Truth Realm Form, leaving everyone speechless.
Archangel Michael's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within. Paradise Realm had gone to great lengths to obtain the secret technique for condensing a Truth Realm Form for him, and after great effort, he had only managed to condense 'Thick Earth Below.'
Now, a few random people had appeared, all condensing the 'Starry Sea Without Shores' Truth Realm Form. This was a huge blow to him.
For now, regardless of whether Zhang Ruochen could cross the ninth sea region, Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qingsi Xue had already overshadowed him.
Any divine disciple who condensed the 'Starry Sea Without Shores' Truth Realm Form would be a key training target for the Truth Temple, with limitless future achievements.
In an instant, the attention of many cultivators shifted to Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and Qingsi Xue, with far fewer focusing on Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was unaware of this, nor did he have the leisure to care. All his thoughts were on his battle with the gatekeeper and his comprehension of the Truth Realm Form.
His own Saint Qi reserves were ample, so he wasn't worried about exhausting his power.
Moreover, he wasn't truly suppressed by the gatekeeper. No matter how powerful the attacks the gatekeeper unleashed, he could always handle them with ease.
"Although various Sacred Daos are suppressed, the Way of Truth, Way of Time, Way of Space, and the Great Perfection Sword Dao are not suppressed too much. If I could cultivate an Eternal Dao to Great Perfection, I should be completely unaffected," Zhang Ruochen speculated.
Crossing the Truth Sea was best done relying on one's own strength. Using external forces would correspondingly increase the gatekeeper's power, making it harder to cross.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen had not used any treasures so far, including the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
After exchanging over a thousand moves, Zhang Ruochen had already figured out some of the gatekeeper's secrets and gained a clearer understanding of the Truth Realm Form.
If he wanted, Zhang Ruochen was quite confident he could condense a Truth Realm Form like 'Emperor Above.'
But with his personality, how could he be satisfied with condensing such an ordinary Truth Realm Form?
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft breath, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He murmured, "Time to end this. Let me try the Space True Domain I just condensed."
As he spoke, nearly a million Space Rules surged from within Zhang Ruochen, evolving into a peculiar domain with a diameter of a hundred zhang.
Within this Space True Domain, everything was under Zhang Ruochen's absolute control, effectively creating a battlefield tailored for him.
The Way of Truth had the Truth Realm Form, the Way of Fate had the Gate of Destiny, and the Way of Space naturally had its special features, allowing the condensation of a Space True Domain.
The Space True Domain was an upgrade of the Space Domain, but it was extremely difficult to condense. If one wanted to condense the most supreme Space True Domain, it was even harder than ascending to heaven.
At least, among the Space Temple disciples Zhang Ruochen had interacted with, almost none had managed to condense a Space True Domain, or they simply never had the chance to use it.
Given Zhang Ruochen's mastery of space, he could have condensed a Space True Domain long ago, but he wasn't satisfied with an ordinary one, which was why he had delayed until now.
After all, the Way of Space was his main cultivated Sacred Dao, crucial to his future achievements. He had to make it perfect and not cut corners, to avoid future regrets.
Earlier, after a great battle outside the royal city, Zhang Ruochen had disappeared for a while, precisely to condense the Space True Domain.
And the Space True Domain was also a major trump card for Zhang Ruochen in crossing the Truth Sea this time.
As soon as the Space True Domain was manifested, the sea region within a hundred zhang immediately became calm, and even the Truth Realm Form condensed by the gatekeeper was restrained.
The reason was that Zhang Ruochen's Space True Domain was of the most supreme kind, while the gatekeeper's Truth Realm Form was relatively ordinary. Even with the advantage of the terrain, it couldn't contend with the Space True Domain.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had reinforced the Space True Domain with Truth Rules and Truth Esoterica, easily achieving counter-suppression over the Truth Realm Form.
Unlike the Truth Realm Form and the Gate of Destiny, the Space True Domain was invisible, undetectable by the naked eye, and could only be sensed when one was within it.
"Destroy."
Zhang Ruochen extended a hand and pressed forward gently.
A world-destroying force surged forth, completely enveloping the space where the gatekeeper was.
"Boom."
The space within a large area instantly annihilated, revealing a dark Void World.
At the same time, the gatekeeper and the Truth Realm Form he had condensed crumbled, turning back into streams of holy light that merged into the light barrier.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Space True Domain, standing calmly in the Truth Boat, his gaze fixed on the light barrier ahead, as if waiting for something.
"It seems I really can't get any more Truth Esoterica. For now, I can only try to charge into the tenth sea region," Zhang Ruochen sighed softly.
The difficulty of crossing the ninth sea region was so great, yet there was no reward of Truth Esoterica. It was impossible not to be disappointed.
But disappointment was useless. Could he go to the Truth Temple to demand Truth Esoterica?
"Look! Zhang Ruochen has already defeated the gatekeeper."
With an exclamation, many cultivators on the shore shifted their attention back to Zhang Ruochen.
"He actually succeeded! How did Zhang Ruochen do it?"
"From start to finish, he never revealed a Truth Realm Form. Even the shackles of the Truth Sea couldn't restrain him. Truly terrifying."
"Without relying on a Truth Realm Form to cross the ninth sea region of the Truth Sea, Zhang Ruochen is the first since the establishment of the Heavenly Court."
"Could it be that Zhang Ruochen might actually cross the tenth sea region and ascend the Truth Mountain? Are we about to witness a miracle today?"