Terran Guardian - Chapter 3734

Chapter 3711 The Way of True Martial Arts

A few breaths later,

Shen Changqing was directly suppressed.

Although he held out slightly longer than when facing Li Chenyuan and other eighth-tribulation half-saints, that was all.

Facing a sixth-tribulation half-saint,

the difference was still obvious.

Now, Shen Changqing truly witnessed just how vast the difference was between a half-saint at the ninth tribulation.

While there was a difference between the lower three tribulation half-saints, it wasn’t too significant.

Someone with the foundation of the Eternal Life Demon God could rival, or even defeat, a second-tribulation half-saint with the cultivation of a first-tribulation half-saint.

But the gap widened considerably at later levels.

Even without using other supreme treasures, Shen Changqing’s strength was comparable to a true second-tribulation half-saint.

However—

before the sixth-tribulation half-saint, the Nine Mountains Venerable, he had no chance of fighting back.

Next,

Shen Changqing faced an opponent at an even lower level.

A fifth-tribulation half-saint was suppressed after thirty breaths!

A fourth-tribulation half-saint was suppressed after a quarter of an hour!

A third-tribulation half-saint, after a bloody battle lasting an hour, ultimately perished!

A second-tribulation half-saint, the outcome was mixed!

While Shen Changqing was no match for the powerful second-tribulation half-saints, he could defeat some of the weaker ones.

For the rest of the time,

Shen Changqing immersed himself in the fourth layer of space, fighting and battling with numerous half-saints.

Now, with the Great Tribulation not yet upon him and immortality not yet manifested, further improvement in cultivation was virtually impossible.

Whether in terms of cultivation level or divine soul, Shen Changqing had reached the pinnacle of the Immortal Emperor realm, as had his physical body.

Although   ,

given the opportunity, he could advance further and reach the level of physical sainthood,   physical sainthood was far from easy.   That final half-step was like an insurmountable chasm, even more difficult than an ordinary Immortal Emperor breaking through to half-sainthood.   Currently, the only way to improve his strength was to hone himself with other half-saints.   In this way,   he could also perfect his own Dao by learning from the Dao of other half-saints.   Shen Changqing currently possesses a considerable amount of semi-saint essence. Rather than keeping it unused, it’s more practical to further enhance himself.   In each battle, Shen Changqing’s mastery of various divine abilities becomes increasingly seamless, and his grasp of the power of various Great Daos deepens.   Among these,   Shen Changqing even experimented with the power of the Karmic Fire Dao.   Although the opponents evolved from the Seven Profound Divine Towers do not possess the concept of karma, even without karma as nourishment, the methods of the Karmic Fire Dao are still extraordinary.   …   ”Boom!”   Xiao Yangzi, expressionless, raised his hand and unleashed a sword strike. The Heaven-Piercing Sword Qi cleaved through billions of miles of void, leaving behind an unhealable abyssal rift.   Seeing this, Shen Changqing took a step forward, his right fist slamming towards Xiao Yangzi.   This simple and unadorned punch contained the power of ten thousand Daos. One could see the vastness of Buddhist light, the burning of karmic fire, and the chilling aura of swordsmanship, seemingly possessing endless variations. However, these variations instantly vanished, transforming into the simplicity of the Great Dao.   The two forces collided instantly, shattering the sword aura and annihilating all paths.   In a flash, Shen Changqing was pierced through the sword aura, but the power of his punch also tore through layers of void, its residual force landing on Xiao Yangzi.   The latter’s body trembled, his figure halting as he took a step back, his flesh seemingly cracking.   But the next breath,   Xiao Yangzi’s figure dissipated.   A beam of immortal life light descended, completely healing Shen Changqing’s injuries.   He stood motionless, savoring the power of that punch.   After an unknown amount of time, Shen Changqing finally exhaled a breath of turbid air, a smile appearing on his face.   ”Observe the myriad paths of sentient beings, and understand your true self!”   ”My fist is my path!”   ”This path can be called the True Martial Path!”   Shen Changqing smiled.   At this moment,   he had finally found his true path, the path to immortality that would lead him to the demise of a half-saint.   This path is neither the Karmic Fire Path of the Great Sage of Crossing Calamity, nor the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Path he once mastered, nor Lu Qingzhou’s Mountain and Sea Sword Path, but the True Martial Path.   Observe the myriad paths of sentient beings, and glimpse your true self within   this Great Path! Then, use your true self as a furnace, and the myriad paths as fuel, and you will ultimately obtain this True Martial Path!   Shen Changqing understood.   At this moment, he had truly found the path to breaking through to the Half-Saint realm. Although the True Martial Path   he currently   possessed was only in its embryonic stage, it was sufficient for Shen Changqing.   His current strength was significantly improved compared to before.   Back then, when facing Xiao Yangzi, a Half-Saint of the Three Tribulations, Shen Changqing was no match and could only hold out for a short time before being defeated.   But this time was different.   Although Shen Changqing still ended in defeat, at the moment of defeat, he truly injured Xiao Yangzi.   Although Xiao Yangzi’s strength was not particularly strong among the many Half-Saints, and his performance was not outstanding when competing for the share of the Longevity Immortal Mine,   one thing was undeniable:   Xiao Yangzi’s strength was definitely not simple.   The fact that the opponent could reach the Third Tribulation Half-Saint realm was enough to explain everything.   To injure a Third Tribulation Half-Saint with the cultivation of an Immortal Emperor realm demonstrates the formidable power of the True Martial Dao.   Then,   Shen Changqing moved his divine sense and directly entered the first layer of space.   His previous enlightenment in the fourth layer was because he hadn’t fully digested the insights gained from the newly formed Dao. Such opportunities are fleeting; if missed, it wouldn’t be so easy to comprehend it again.   Now,   Shen Changqing had grasped the rudimentary form of the True Martial Dao. Next, he would go into seclusion for a period to completely master the power of this Dao.   Within the first layer of space,   time flowed a hundredfold.   Shen Changqing sat cross-legged in the void like an ancient divine mountain, with numerous illusory rivers of Dao appearing behind him, evolving into cosmic galaxies, revealing the rise and fall of all things.

Sword power manifested as boundless mountains and seas!

Gods and Buddhas sat cross-legged in the heavens—

and among the many illusory rivers of the Great Dao, a solid river of the Great Dao appeared faintly. Compared to the other illusory rivers, this river of the Great Dao seemed small, yet it gave an undeniable sense of power.

Time passed slowly, and Shen Changqing remained motionless.

Perhaps ten thousand years!

Perhaps a million years!

Perhaps a hundred million years—

on this day,

the solid river of the Great Dao suddenly surged, its terrifying power piercing through the void of the first level. All the remaining illusory rivers of the Great Dao were instantly shattered and annihilated before such power.

“Boom!!!”

The True Martial Great Dao stretched across the void, its overwhelming power vast and boundless.

After a long time,

the river of the Great Dao disappeared.

Shen Changqing opened his eyes.

“The True Martial Path is complete!”

“Now, all I need to do is wait for the Great Tribulation to arrive, for Immortality to manifest, and I can step into the Half-Saint realm to reach the pinnacle of Immortality!”

At this moment, Shen Changqing had already sensed the barrier to Immortality, but because the Heavenly Dao concealed it, Immortality was not revealed, so he could not truly take that final step.

In fact,

if it were the Great Tribulation period now, Shen Changqing could break through to the Half-Saint realm on the spot.

However—

in order to truly take this step, Shen Changqing also spent a long time in seclusion.

Three million years outside.

Three hundred million years inside the Seven Profound Divine Tower.

This year.

If calculated by actual age, Shen Changqing has cultivated for exactly one billion years.

One billion years of cultivation.

He has the qualifications to reach the pinnacle of Immortality.

Such a cultivation speed, placed in the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm, is not unprecedented, but it is definitely among the top tier.

…

Inside the Boundless Palace.

Shen Changqing, dressed in a purple Daoist robe, sat in the main seat, with several Supreme Elders and the Nine Peak Master Elders beside him.

Each peak was now reporting on the changes that had occurred during this period, and Shen Changqing listened silently without saying a word.

Over millions of years, the Xuantian Dao Sect had undergone changes, but without much turmoil.

Now, the Xuantian Dao Sect’s reputation had spread far and wide, and many forces in the two hundred mid-level Immortal Domains understood that the Xuantian Dao Sect was the undisputed hegemon.

No force dared to challenge it.

Under these circumstances, naturally, no one dared to provoke the Xuantian Dao Sect.

Only after the last person finished speaking did Shen Changqing speak: “I’ve calculated the time; the next Heavenly Dao Battlefield should open in less than ten million years, right?”

“The Sect Master is right. The Heavenly Dao Battlefield will open in another nine million five hundred thousand years.

Currently, there are many cultivators in the Divine Heaven Domain. If the next Heavenly Dao Battlefield opens, the Divine Heaven Domain can at least advance to a high-level Immortal Domain.

If everything goes smoothly, advancing to a top-tier Immortal Domain is not out of the question!”

Yang Daoxu said, his expression also showing some excitement.

Top-tier Immortal Domain!

Behind these four words lay a vast amount of cultivation resources. Don’t be fooled

by the mere line separating a high-level immortal domain from a top-tier one; that line represents an insurmountable chasm.

If it were the Xuan Tian Dao Sect hundreds of years ago, truly controlling a top-tier immortal domain wouldn’t have been so easy.

But things are different now.

Besides its sect leader, the Xuan Tian Dao Sect boasts four powerful half-saints, a force powerful enough to dominate an entire immortal domain.

Even before the cataclysmic upheaval, some weaker top-tier immortal domains only had a handful of half-saints.

With the Xuan Tian Dao Sect’s current strength, even if the Divine Heaven Domain truly ascends to a top-tier immortal domain, it’s not impossible for them to maintain their current position.

Furthermore ,

even if the Xuan Tian Dao Sect loses complete control of the Divine Heaven Domain, the benefits the sect would receive from its ascension to a top-tier level would be far greater than they currently possess.

In any case, an immortal domain’s advancement would be more beneficial than harmful to the local forces.

The other peak masters nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Clearly…

They all agreed with Yang Daoxu’s statement.

Shen Changqing nodded in agreement: “While that’s true, there are still some obstacles for the Divine Heaven Domain to advance to the top-tier Immortal Domains.

Before the Heavenly Dao Battlefield opens, the sect needs to improve its strength as much as possible to prepare for the upcoming battle.

I intend to make another trip to the Divine Sun Domain. Any geniuses in the sect who are at the Immortal King or Ancient Immortal Realm can accompany me. If they can leave their names on the Heavenly Dao Divine Stele and receive blessings from the Heavenly Dao, it will greatly benefit the sect!”

These words

caused many people to tremble, and then their faces lit up with joy.