Chapter: 2167 - Realm Form Initially Takes Shape
Writing has been quite headache-inducing lately. Last night, I spent the entire time organizing some earlier content and fixing a few bugs, which is why there was no update. For example, the Black Heart Demon Lord had survived one Eon Calamity (mentioned during the Moon God Mountain battle, but there was a mistake in a later passage that has now been corrected).
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Passing through the light curtain, the black Truth Mountain came into Zhang Ruochen's view. Its vast, overwhelming aura struck his mind with an immense impact, completely different from the feeling he had when gazing at it from the shore of the Truth Sea.
Before even truly setting foot on it, Zhang Ruochen felt an enormous pressure. His Sacred Soul and the Celestial River both trembled, on the verge of collapsing under the strain.
Truth Mountain was immensely majestic, towering ten thousand miles high, piercing the clouds. Countless rules coiled around it. Facing it was like confronting the supreme truth of heaven and earth. Even a god would likely feel awe in its presence.
"It seems the rewards from the Truth Divine Temple aren't so easy to obtain. Crossing the ten layers of sea is just a foundation. Whether I can ascend Truth Mountain is the real key," Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Many people believed that the greatest difficulty in obtaining the Truth Divine Temple's reward was crossing the ten layers of sea, unaware that ascending Truth Mountain was far harder.
Zhang Ruochen was convinced that the so-called "ascending Truth Mountain" meant more than just reaching its base; perhaps one had to reach the summit.
Bearing the immense pressure, Zhang Ruochen fully controlled the Truth Boat and finally drew close to Truth Mountain.
With a shift of his body, Zhang Ruochen left the Truth Boat and landed on a smooth reef.
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen felt his Saint Qi stagnate, its circulation becoming extremely slow. Even the Celestial River seemed to solidify. No matter how strong his power, he couldn't unleash it.
Zhang Ruochen tried to release his Space True Domain but failed. Here, all the sacred paths he had cultivated were completely suppressed.
Thus, he couldn't move even an inch, let alone climb to the summit.
"Is it because I haven't condensed a Truth Realm Form?" A realization dawned in Zhang Ruochen's mind.
Since this was a trial set by the Truth Divine Temple, the Way of Truth was naturally crucial. It was no wonder that, starting from the ninth layer of the sea, the foundation for crossing was to condense a Truth Realm Form.
To resist the suppression of Truth Mountain, an ordinary Truth Realm Form was clearly insufficient.
Although Zhang Ruochen had found a path, he couldn't condense a superior Truth Realm Form in a short time.
Frowning slightly, Zhang Ruochen thought, "I've already set foot on Truth Mountain. Am I supposed to give up here?"
"Unexpectedly, after the establishment of the Heavenly Court, the first Saint King to cross the ten layers of the sea isn't a divine disciple trained by our Truth Divine Temple."
Just then, a slightly contemplative voice sounded.
At the same time, golden mist rose from the sea, engulfing Truth Mountain, making it impossible even for gods to peer inside.
Zhang Ruochen immediately looked up toward the summit.
At some point, a towering figure had appeared at the peak, like a god or demon, seemingly illuminating all heavens. The rules of heaven and earth revolved around him.
Although the figure emitted no powerful aura, Zhang Ruochen could sense that he was undoubtedly a god.
Bowing respectfully, Zhang Ruochen said, "Junior Zhang Ruochen pays respects to Senior."
"Your ability to cross the ten layers of the sea is truly extraordinary, but whether you can obtain the reward of our Truth Divine Temple depends on your own skill," the towering figure said.
Zhang Ruochen quickly replied, "Please guide me, Senior."
Since there was an opportunity, he had to strive for it no matter what.
"The reward of the Truth Divine Temple is at the summit. Before that, you must meet two conditions. The first is to condense the 'Starry Sea Without Shore' or even the 'Universe Boundless' Truth Realm Form," the towering figure said.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's eyes narrowed. It was exactly as he had predicted.
Even among the divine disciples trained by the Truth Divine Temple, few had condensed the "Starry Sea Without Shore" Truth Realm Form, and none had achieved "Universe Boundless." Asking him, who had never received secret teachings, to condense a superior Truth Realm Form was truly too difficult.
Condensing a superior Truth Realm Form was no easy task. Even with the secret methods of the Truth Divine Temple, it couldn't be done in a short time.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen wasn't without confidence in achieving this, but he needed enough time.
Unfortunately, time was what he lacked most. The Central Imperial City was in imminent danger, and he couldn't stay here indefinitely.
"If you are willing to join the Truth Divine Temple, I can accept you as my disciple and teach you the secret method to condense a Truth Realm Form," the towering figure said.
If it were anyone else, they would have been ecstatic and agreed without hesitation.
After all, a god appearing on Truth Mountain was no ordinary figure, likely holding a high position in the Truth Divine Temple.
Becoming a disciple of such a god would bring far better treatment than that of ordinary divine disciples.
But Zhang Ruochen fell silent. If he truly wanted to join the Truth Divine Temple, he wouldn't have waited until now.
He still had many things to do. Joining the Truth Divine Temple might add many constraints, preventing him from acting as freely as he did now.
After a moment's pause, the towering figure spoke again, "Crossing the ten layers of the sea is no small feat. I'll give you a chance."
With that, ten divine lights descended from the summit, appearing before Zhang Ruochen as ten divine stones.
Looking at the ten divine stones, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. He looked up, but the towering figure at the summit had already vanished.
The meaning was clear: he was to use the Sundial to cultivate here for ten years.
During the Luo River battle, Zhang Ruochen had activated the Sundial to counter Yan Wushen's evil incarnation. The Sundial's secret had evidently been exposed then.
"With the unique environment of Truth Mountain and my possession of forty-nine ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica, ten years might give me hope of condensing a superior Truth Realm Form. I'll give it a try," Zhang Ruochen decided.
No matter what, cultivating on Truth Mountain for ten years would bring him immense benefits. There was no reason to refuse.
Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Ruochen took out the Sundial, embedded the divine stones, and eagerly began comprehending the Way of Truth.
The more Truth Rules he cultivated, the more it would help him condense his Truth Realm Form.
On the shore of the Truth Sea, many cultivators looked disappointed. Truth Mountain was shrouded in golden mist, and they could no longer see Zhang Ruochen's situation.
"Sister, do you know what reward the divine oracle mentioned?" Feng Yan asked curiously.
Feng Xi shook her head. "The divine oracle was personally issued by the Hall Master of the Truth Divine Temple. Very few know the details. Master might know, but he refuses to reveal it."
Feng Xi speculated that a reward capable of making even gods envious might be a large amount of Truth Esoterica. After all, even among gods, only a few possessed Esoterica, let alone the Esoterica of an eternal path.
In the past, the thirteen Great Saints who ascended Truth Mountain had all received a considerable amount of Truth Esoterica, becoming Truth Envoys. Before becoming gods, they could rival gods.
After becoming gods, they all became towering figures, shaking the myriad realms.
But on second thought, Feng Xi felt it wasn't that simple. If the reward were the same, why would the Truth Divine Temple issue such a specific divine oracle?
"I wonder when Big Brother will return from Truth Mountain. I'm waiting to go drinking with him," Xiang Chunan muttered.
He didn't think too much about it, as if nothing was more important than drinking.
In a short time, the news that Zhang Ruochen had crossed the ten layers of the Truth Sea spread like wildfire in all directions, causing an uproar.
Even many gods began to pay attention to Zhang Ruochen.
The leading figures of the Saint King realm from various realms all felt immense pressure, clearly sensing that the gap between them and Zhang Ruochen was widening.
First there was Yan Wushen, and now Zhang Ruochen. Being born in this era was both a blessing and a curse.
Of course, at this moment, most people were concerned about what reward Zhang Ruochen would receive from the Truth Divine Temple.
Zhang Ruochen was already invincible below the Great Saint realm. Would he become even stronger after receiving a reward that could make gods wary?
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
The number of cultivators gathered at the Truth Sea had significantly decreased. No one knew what was happening with Zhang Ruochen on Truth Mountain, so there was no need to wait there forever.
Moreover, whether Zhang Ruochen would even appear on the shore of the Truth Sea afterward was still uncertain.
Xiang Chunan, Feng Yan, and others, however, hadn't left. They were patient, knowing that no matter where Zhang Ruochen appeared, he would surely come to find them.
At the edge of Truth Mountain, Zhang Ruochen was fully immersed in cultivation. Behind him was a hazy world, filled with surging Five Elements Chaos Qi and countless flickering points of light, like tiny stars.
This world seemed small but gave an endless feeling, constantly expanding.
The moment the Sundial stopped, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes. The hazy world behind him trembled, manifesting billions of characters of various forms, perfectly interpreting the truth of the world.
A faint smile appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. "Done. Using the phenomenon of the Five Elements Chaos Body as a foundation, I've finally condensed my own Truth Realm Form."
Since he hadn't mastered the secret methods of the Truth Divine Temple, the Truth Realm Form he had condensed was distinctly different from ordinary ones—truly unique.
Under normal circumstances, even if he manifested his Truth Realm Form, most people wouldn't recognize it, mistaking it for the phenomenon of the Five Elements Chaos Body.
In fact, that assumption wasn't wrong. The hazy world behind Zhang Ruochen was a fusion of his Truth Realm Form and his body's phenomenon, containing many indescribable mysteries.
As a result, Zhang Ruochen's Five Elements Chaos Body had undergone some changes, becoming stronger, enough to crush parts of an Indestructible Saintly Body.
With his Truth Realm Form, Zhang Ruochen felt a great relief. The suppression from Truth Mountain was significantly weakened.
"My Truth Realm Form, though different from ordinary ones, should be no worse than 'Starry Sea Without Shore.' I've met the first condition. I wonder what the second condition is?" Zhang Ruochen pondered.
Looking up, he gazed at the summit but didn't see the towering figure.
After a moment's thought, he waved his hand to put away the Sundial, then stood up and began climbing.
On Truth Mountain, space was completely frozen, making flight impossible. He could only climb on foot.
At first, Zhang Ruochen moved quickly, but after reaching a certain height, his pace gradually slowed. It felt as if an ancient divine mountain were pressing down on him, making his steps unbearably heavy.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but Zhang Ruochen finally reached the mountainside. He nearly collapsed, unable to take another step.
"Being able to condense a Truth Realm Form on your own is truly impressive. Now, if you meet the second condition, you can reach the summit and have a chance at that reward," the voice sounded again.
Zhang Ruochen looked up and saw the towering figure once more. "May I ask, Senior, what is the second condition?"
"Great Perfection of the Saint King Realm," the towering figure replied succinctly.
A strange light flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He knew what Great Perfection of the Saint King Realm meant—it was to cultivate a full hundred million rules, just like Yan Wushen.
Everyone knew how difficult it was to achieve this goal.
Even Yan Wushen had only succeeded by walking an extremely perilous path.
Throughout the history of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realms, it was rare for even one Great Perfection Saint King to appear in an Eon.
In a sense, reaching Great Perfection in the Saint King Realm was even harder than becoming a god.
Legend had it that a Great Perfection Saint King could rival a Great Saint in the Hundred Shackles Realm.
Zhang Ruochen's Sacred Dao rules were close to a hundred million, only tens of thousands short, but he didn't know how long it would take to cultivate them.
"This time, I'll give you twenty years. If you fail, it means you are not destined for that reward," the towering figure said indifferently.
As his voice faded, twenty divine lights descended from the summit.
Zhang Ruochen didn't rush to collect the divine stones before him. Instead, he asked, "Senior, how is the situation at the Central Imperial City of the Kunlun Realm?"
"Is the matter of the Kunlun Realm more important than your own great opportunity?" the towering figure countered.
Zhang Ruochen hesitated for a moment. "Opportunities are important, but the Kunlun Realm holds people and things I care about. I cannot ignore them."
The figure was silent for a moment before saying, "Rest assured, the Central Imperial City is safe for now. If something does happen, I can send you back."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen felt relieved. "Thank you, Senior."
With that, he had no more worries and could focus on comprehending the Sacred Dao on Truth Mountain.
Twenty years to reach Great Perfection in the Saint King Realm seemed like a fantasy, but how would he know it was impossible without trying?
Throughout his journey, no matter what he faced, Zhang Ruochen had never backed down.
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