Chapter 244: Chapter 201: Longevity of 1000 Years, Convergence of 7 States!
"A gathering of heroes, masters convening."
"Such a rare occasion, why not watch more attentively?"
Chen Jichuan noticed Wang Yan’s peculiar expression and reminded him.
"Oh."
Wang Yan responded awkwardly, feigning interest as he turned to observe the battle between Li Qingshan and Meng Qi over the Beiyin River.
Yet, he found it utterly dull.
His thoughts were entirely fixated on Chen Jichuan and the golden lights sealing heaven and earth.
Watching closely, his emotions surged, leaving no room to pay attention to the fight between Li Qingshan and Meng Qi!
"Unaware of blessings while basking in them."
Chen Jichuan sighed inwardly, choosing to say no more. He closed his eyes, turned his gaze within, and focused on his cultivation.
His Qi Refinement remained at the Eighth Layer.
His Spiritual Cultivation showed no progress.
Only in the cultivation of Life Dao had he grasped the secrets of advancing to the Second-order.
Thus,
Chen Jichuan used the "Innate One Qi Demon-locking Bone-shrinking Great Method" to seal off the masters of the Six Great Sects, partly to temper Li Qingshan and Wang Yan as sparring opponents.
Yet, these individuals were no match for him and served little purpose.
On the other hand, he also sought to create a spectacle and attract Central Earth’s Seven States’ top experts to come to him, saving the trouble of seeking them out individually and gathering the world’s finest here.
In this interim,
Prior to the assembly of these masters, Chen Jichuan seized the idle moment to again sense his soul shadow, attempting once more to capture it.
He awaited the Yuezhou pinnacle experts, prepared to challenge the heroes in a grand battle that would elevate him to the Second-order and achieve the Soul Refining Realm!
"Life Dao Second-order."
"Refine the Seven Spirits."
Chen Jichuan anticipated this with fervor.
Focusing on cultivation, he remained motionless as his Qi-blood surged within him, running like mighty rivers—with a thunderous roar.
Time passed unnoticed.
Suddenly, Chen Jichuan’s mind stirred.
A hazy moment revealed a spectral shadow weaving through his Qi-blood and physique.
"Soul shadow!"
Chen Jichuan was elated, swiftly deploying all his Ming Strength, dark strength, Transforming Strength, and Gang Strength to corner and seal the shadow for refining.
Yet, this soul shadow was exceedingly slippery; as soon as Chen Jichuan made his move, it attempted to flee. When forces and Qi-blood encircled it, the shadow slipped through the smallest gap before complete enclosure.
Once,
Twice,
Thrice,
Each attempt ended in failure.
Yet Chen Jichuan did not falter; instead, he persevered, growing stronger with each setback.
While cultivating, he also kept an eye on the battle over the Beiyin River. Whenever Li Qingshan, Wang Yan, Wang Tuan, and Sun Zhenshan faced defeat, he intervened to rescue them.
One by one, the four rotated into battle.
When exhausted, they would sit down to rest for several hours, reflecting on the duel, cultivating briefly, and returning refreshed for another round of fight.
Chen Jichuan’s divine power was awe-inspiring; even the hundred-plus Void Realm and Nether Void masters from the Six Great Sects of the North Shore, as well as ten Void Nether experts, didn’t dare to act recklessly.
Occasionally, someone made an attempt to slip away unnoticed but was either crushed by the golden hand or struck down by sword qi—none succeeded in escaping alive.
From then on, none dared to flee rashly.
It appeared that the Seven-star Sword Saint had no intention of senseless slaughter; he only sought to imprison them as sparring partners.
As long as they fought earnestly, though weary, they would not face death.
"Better exhaustion than death."
Faced with mortal peril, these masters humbled their proud heads.
...
Time continued to pass.
One day.
Two days.
Ten days.
Twenty days.
Before long, a month had gone by.
South and North Bank’s situation had completely reversed.
A month ago, the Southern Bank’s Taixu Sword Sect was dejected, dispirited, with enthusiasm extinguished. Meanwhile, the Northern Bank’s Six Great Sects were in high spirits, undefeated.
But after a month, everything flipped. The Six Great Sects now wallowed in despair, while Taixu Sword Sect flourished, their laughter ringing joyously.
Fortunes change.
All because of one person—
...
"The ’Seven-star Sword Saint’ Wang Shan!"
High above in the air, Lu Li gazed down below where an area of golden light unveiled a Heaven and Earth Net. Peering through the light, his eyes landed on the youthful swordsman sitting cross-legged on the Southern Bank, whose attention had drawn every nearby gaze. Lu Li’s pupils contracted slightly.
His gaze lingered on the youthful swordsman for a long time.
It then shifted to the white-haired man beside the swordsman, noticing the spear resting next to him. At the first glance, Lu Li identified it instantly: "That’s the Ancestor’s Reincarnation Spear!"
Lu Li clenched his fists.
Suppressing the urge to act, his sights soon fell on the armored female swordsman battling on the Beiyin River.
His focus lingered on her armor.
Though it had undergone secondary refinement, slightly differing from its legendary depiction passed down through generations within the Xingyi Sect, Lu Li still recognized it—
"The Reincarnation Armor!"
Reincarnation Spear, Reincarnation Armor.
These weapons and armor originally belonged to Xingyi Sect’s founding Ancestor, the Northeast King Lu Fanchen, but were lost into ’Seven-star Sword Saint’ Wang Shan’s hands during Lu Zheng’s era eight hundred years ago, subsequently being integrated into the Taixu Sword Sect. Later, pieces fell into the hands of Wang Yan, bearer of the Heavenly Tribulation Sword, and Li Qingshan, wielder of the Five Elements Spear.
With the Taixu Three Ancestors fading into obscurity, this set of armor and weaponry also disappeared.
Now reappeared, accompanied by the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird—
"Wow!"
Lu Li’s hands shook as he abruptly unfurled three scrolls that swayed in the wind. The scrolls depicted three lifelike figures, identical to the youthful swordsman, white-haired man, and armored woman below.
"The ’Seven-star Sword Saint’ Wang Shan!"
"The ’Five Elements Spear’ Li Qingshan!"
"The ’Heavenly Tribulation Sword’ Wang Yan!"
"It’s undoubtedly the Taixu Three Ancestors who unified the Seven States eight hundred years ago!!!"
Lu Li surveyed the scrolls, then the individuals below, radiating a dazzling gleam in his eyes.
Scrolls.
Armor and weaponry.
The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird.
These elements unequivocally confirmed the young swordsman, elder, and armored woman below were the legendary ’Taixu Three Ancestors,’ who once led Taixu Sword Sect to unify the Central Earth.
Yet compared to rediscovering the Reincarnation Armor and Spear, what stirred Lu Li’s excitement most was: "A thousand years! These three have lived over a thousand years! If I could capture them and force out their secret techniques, then—"
Lu Li’s thoughts raced with fervor.
But as his gaze returned below, it was as though an icy torrent doused him, chilling him to the core.
Golden light blanketed heaven and earth.
One man held dominion over all.
Merely sitting there was intimidating enough to restrain Yuezhou’s Six Great Sects, ten Void Nether masters, and 120 Void Realm experts into immobility.
Such strength.
Though perhaps not yet at Emperor Yong or Sword Ancestor’s level, it wasn’t far from the Supreme realm.
Despite his curiosity, covetousness, and envy for the Taixu Three Ancestors’ longevity secret, Lu Li dared not act precipitously.
To lose his life for unattained secrets would be a futile venture.
"Better to wait."
"Wait until Xingyi Sect’s experts arrive. Then act together."
"Moreover, the resurgence of the Taixu Three Ancestors and their impressive display has already spread beyond Beiyin River in just a month’s time, engulfing all of Central Earth. Other sects are bound to respond. Patience is key; it’s unwise to stick out prematurely!"
Lu Li’s thoughts sharpened.
With that reasoning, he refrained from moving forward and instead retreated ten miles, opting to wait for the storm to converge.
...
Indeed.
As Lu Li had anticipated.
Whether it was the appearance of the Taixu Three Ancestors or the golden light imprisoning ten Void Nether masters and 120 Void Realm masters, both were enough to shock Central Earth.
The Xingyi Sect reacted swiftly, arriving first.
Following them,
Qil State’s Liangyi Mountain and Yunzhou’s Sun-shooting Divine Mountain also hastened to Beiyin River.
Lingnan Three States’ sects, delayed by Qinling’s obstruction, arrived slower.
But still within days—
Gai State Taixuan Temple.
Zhanzhou Great Sun Vajra Temple.
Yongg State Huangtian City.
The Void and God Realm experts from these three grand sects also gathered.
For the first time,
Central Earth’s greatest figures convened over Beiyin River.
Taixu Sword Sect, once ruling the world for 400 years, had fractured, leaving the remaining powerhouse sects to rise anew:
Xingyi Sect.
Sun-shooting Divine Mountain.
Taixuan Temple.
Great Sun Vajra Temple.
Huangtian City.
Each of these venerable sects was deeply rooted, unrivaled in their respective regions with tangled networks of influence impossible to uproot.
Even if seemingly extinguished, they only needed a brief opportunity to emerge stronger.
Except for those struck by exceedingly dire misfortune.
Like the Golden Wild Goose Sect.
Eight to nine hundred years ago, they once competed with Liangyi Mountain for control over Qil State but lost to the rival sect. Just when their dominance was secured, Taixu Sword Sect rose abruptly and snatched Qil State prematurely from them.
When Taixu Sword Sect declined, Liangyi Mountain seized the advantage and regained Qil State.
The Golden Wild Goose Sect lagged behind, pushed out of Qil State, and forced into Yuezhou, where their survival became a constant struggle.
Still,
Leaning on ancestral foundations and reserves, the Golden Wild Goose Sect remains one of Yuezhou’s Seven Great Sects.
Sects like these are akin to weeds; they survive fires only to thrive when given the chance.
These factions typically manage their territories while clandestinely vying for influence, orchestrating intrigue across the provinces.
But now,
The reappearance of Wang Shan, Li Qingshan, and Wang Yan shook the heavens, driving the whole realm mad in pursuit of the elusive secret of eternity.
Prompting these powerful sects to rise in unison, uniting their finest to the gathering.
For this journey, only one objective existed—
...
"The Taixu Three Ancestors!"
"The eldest, Li Qingshan, is now 1,095 years old."
"Wang Shan is 1,078 years old. Wang Yan is 1,071 years old."
"Over a thousand years!"
"Who in this world lives beyond a thousand years?!"
"If we can capture them, we can uncover this mystery!"
Countless martial artists dedicate their lives to mastery for varied pursuits: wealth, power, justice, transcendence, or eternal life.
Before the emergence of Supreme beings like Emperor Yong or Sword Ancestor, few aimed at the ultimate goal of Shattering the Void.
But their advent pushed countless martial artists toward this pinnacle of ambition—transcending the void and glimpsing the world beyond Qinling.
Similarly,
Prior to the resurgence of the Taixu Three Ancestors, thoughts of eternal life through martial arts rarely surfaced.
But their thousand-year legacy ignited fervor among today’s martial artists.
A lifetime devoted to martial pursuit:
Even those who don’t seek eternal life crave the possibility of a millennia-long existence.
Throughout history, the longest lifespan capped at 300 years; even those consuming Undying Grass only reached 500 years at best.
Living a thousand years?
Who wouldn’t yearn for it?
"The Taixu Three Ancestors must possess secret techniques that prolong life substantially."
"And more than that."
"Wang Shan’s incredible strength proves that the technique doesn’t hinder cultivation."
"Wang Shan was already the strongest back then and has sustained seven to eight hundred years further; his current prowess isn’t surprising."
"If we obtain it, perhaps any of us might reach the Supreme realm!"
In Pengshan County, outside the Beiyin River.
High above.
More than ten figures gathered, with Xingyi Sect’s Lu Li speaking first. His stance was blatant, without pretense, targeting the Taixu Three Ancestors’ thousand-year longevity secret.
...