Inside the guest hall, as Yu Yuanchen recounted the potential game of chess being played by the Plane Will behind the Saint Demon Continent, the atmosphere grew heavy.
The Plane Will was like a cold, calculating chess player perched high above the clouds, while they—the "outsiders"—and even the native living beings, seemed to be nothing more than pieces on a board. This realization inevitably brought a sense of oppression.
Yu Yuanchen's analysis regarding the potential inclinations and cold calculations of the Saint Demon Continent's Plane Will was like a massive boulder dropped into everyone's hearts, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples. The hall fell into silence, the atmosphere remaining somewhat stifling.
Qian Daoliu furrowed his brows, his fingertips tapping unconsciously against the table as he said in a deep voice, "If it is truly as Brother Yuanchen says, and this plane's laws have nearly 'become sentient' and are biased toward the Demon Race, then wouldn't our actions here be fraught with thorns, like walking on thin ice?"
Tang Chen snorted, his knotted muscles tightening slightly, carrying a sense of unyielding ferocity. "To hell with whatever Plane Will! If the heavens are unjust, I shall shatter them with my strength! As long as my power is sufficient, why should I care about anyone else's expression?"
Though he spoke these words, a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes; he clearly understood the danger of being at odds with the will of a world.
Di Tian's massive dragon eyes were also filled with gloom. He sought to become a god precisely to transcend the shackles of a plane, and now that he might have to face a "sentient" Plane Will, his mood was naturally complex.
Gu Yuena was relatively the calmest. Her amethyst-like eyes shimmered with wisdom, and her cool, clear voice broke the silence. "Although the Plane Will has its biases, it is not omnipotent, nor is it without concerns. According to Brother Yuanchen's analysis, it covets the 'legacy' brought by the Demon Race, yet it fears their power, hesitating to act for fear of damaging the precious vase.
Therefore, it has chosen an assimilation strategy of boiling a frog in warm water rather than forceful suppression. This shows that it also has its fears, and its strength may not have reached the truly supreme level where it can manipulate everything at will."
Yu Yuanchen nodded. In his view, the strength of the Saint Demon Continent's Plane Will could be compared to the Abyssal Saint Monarch from Dou San. On its home turf, its combat power might rival a first-level deity, but if it left the abyss, its strength would be greatly diminished.
He continued, "The greatest strength of this Plane Will lies in its control over native laws, which it uses to suppress outsiders. But as long as we do not touch its fundamental interests, do not attempt to destroy this world, or forcibly seize its core 'cake' (such as those Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars), it will likely not fight us to the death.
After all, to it, we are 'passersby' with deep backgrounds (the three of us have divine inheritances, and there is no need to mention Gu Yuena and Di Tian)."
The Plane Will is like a shrewd merchant, pursuing the maximization of profit. The strength they have currently displayed is enough to make it take notice, but because they clearly have backers, their strength has not yet reached the point where they must be eliminated.
As long as they do not overstep, it would be happy to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, perhaps even hoping that they and the Demon Race suffer mutual destruction so it can reap the benefits. What they must utilize is precisely this delicate balance.
His gaze swept over the group, his tone becoming firm. "Therefore, we need not be timid. On the contrary, precisely because of this, we must seize the time to fully utilize the resources of this world to improve ourselves! Strength is the foundation for dealing with all changes!"
He paused, a meaningful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Moreover, if the Plane Will wants to use us, why can't we use the 'stage' it provides? The cultivation methods of the Temple Alliance, the mysteries of the Demon Race's power, and even the secrets of the God Seal Throne of Eternity and Creation are all worth deep exploration. These will all become precious provisions on our future path of cultivation."
The analysis dispelled the gloom in everyone's hearts. Indeed, the path of cultivation is one of going against the heavens, fighting for one's life. If one were to shrink back because of obstacles on the road, how could one speak of transcendence? Having understood this, the fighting spirit in the eyes of Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, and Di Tian was reignited.
With the plan decided, they no longer delayed. Yu Yuanchen waved his hand to withdraw the barrier. A moment later, Yang Zhou, having received the message, hurried over, his attitude remaining as respectful as ever.
When they heard Yu Yuanchen propose that the five of them wished to observe and learn from the inherited classics and cultivation methods of the Six Great Temples of the Temple Alliance, Yang Zhou and the others did not block them.
These individuals were capable of contending with the Demon God Emperor! Their willingness to study the Alliance's heritage, even if only as "reference," meant this was an excellent opportunity to draw closer and perhaps even receive guidance in the future!
As for the leakage of core secrets? In the face of the Alliance's survival, what were these empty names and rules worth? Furthermore, if the other party truly had malicious intent and took things by force, they would have no power to resist anyway.
Soon, under Yang Zhou's highest authorization, the massive machine of the Temple Alliance began to operate efficiently. The masters or core Elders of the six temples were urgently summoned. After learning the reason, although a few from the Conservative Faction had slight objections, they quickly reached a consensus under Yang Zhou's strong pressure and the huge temptation of being "favored by spirit-level experts."
With everything prepared, Yu Yuanchen and the other four began their life of secluded cultivation at Imperial Dragon Pass. Each chose the direction most compatible with their own path, delving deep into the Treasury of Inheritance of the Temple Alliance.
Knight Temple, top floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
Qian Daoliu, dressed in a plain white robe, sat quietly in a silent room filled with ancient scrolls. Floating before him were several jade slips emitting a soft white light, containing the core heritage of the Knight Temple—the General Principles of the Punisher Knight Combat Techniques, the General Principles of the Guardian Knight Combat Techniques, and so on.
His gaze was calm, and his divine sense slowly scanned the information within the jade slips. The light and holiness attributes inherent to his Six-winged Angel Martial Soul had a high degree of compatibility with the beliefs of "guardianship," "compassion," and "sacrifice" championed by the Knight Temple.
"Combining belief with power, and triggering it through specific meditation methods and combat techniques, can actually unleash power far exceeding one's own energy level... Especially after resonating with that God Seal Throne, it can even trigger law power..." Brilliant colors flashed in Qian Daoliu's eyes.
His own Six-winged Angel Martial Soul was already the pinnacle of light and holiness, but it was manifested more in the strength of his talent and his suppression of evil. The knight system's path of perfectly fusing spiritual belief with power, and amplifying and sublimating it through a specific "vessel" (the throne), gave him great inspiration.
"Perhaps... my Angel lineage's heritage can also learn from this method. Instead of relying solely on bloodline and divine trials, I should focus more on the tempering of inner belief and establishing a deeper connection with a certain 'sacred object' (such as the Angel Sacred Sword), to walk my own path of the 'God Seal Angel'?" Qian Daoliu fell into deep thought, his body unconsciously emitting a faint holy light, resonating subtly with the knightly beliefs remaining in the room.
He certainly held great interest in the six God Seal Thrones, especially the mysterious God Seal Throne of Eternity and Creation. But Qian Daoliu had his own pride and would never covet another's belongings. His goal was to use the knight system of this world as a mirror to reflect upon himself; on the day he reached level 100 and became a god, he would personally forge his own "Angel God Seal Throne"! This would be the key step for him to surpass his ancestor and step onto a brand-new path.
Warrior Temple, Martial Arts Hall.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of heavy impacts was incessant. Tang Chen was shirtless, revealing muscles as sturdy as steel, and instead of using his Clear Sky Hammer, he held a standard-issue great axe from the Warrior Temple, weighing several thousand pounds, practicing an ancient combat technique called the "Thirty-six Forms of Mountain Splitting."
The moves were wide and open, heavy and powerful, filled with an indomitable, tragic momentum. Every swing of the axe brought a sonic boom that tore through the air, the pure sense of power making one's heart palpitate.
"Heh! Interesting!" Tang Chen smashed a specially made test stone to pieces with one axe, grinning. "Without relying on a martial soul, the destructive power unleashed by combat techniques that combine only physical strength, qi and blood, and spiritual power is quite impressive! Although the technique is a bit rough, this domineering style of one force conquering ten skills is very much to my liking!"
He put down the great axe and picked up a jade slip recording the "Blood Qi Boiling Secret Method" to examine it. "Burning qi and blood to significantly increase strength and speed in a short time? The price is weakness afterward? Hmm... a method similar to berserk, but it focuses more on the meticulous control of one's own qi and blood rather than completely losing one's mind. It can be used for reference and integrated into my cultivation; perhaps I can create a stronger burst skill."
Tang Chen had a clear positioning for the warrior system. He would not make this his primary path; after all, the Clear Sky Hammer was his foundation. But stones from other hills could serve to polish the jade of his own. The development of physical strength in the warrior system, the use of tragic battle intent, and some simple, crude, yet extremely effective combat techniques were all worth absorbing and using as provisions for his own martial way, enriching his attack methods and accumulating foundation for his assault on level 100.
In addition, he had developed a keen interest in the artifact forging technique mastered by the Temple Alliance. The rumored technology capable of forging divine artifacts made him, a forging genius from the Clear Sky Sect, itch with impatience. He had already submitted an application to the Warrior Temple, hoping to observe the craftsmanship of the Alliance's artifact forging grandmasters.
Magic Temple, Elemental Corridor.
Gu Yuena stood quietly in the center of a dreamlike corridor. The walls surrounding the corridor were not solid, but condensed from the purest elemental energy of various types, like a flowing river of seven-colored light. This was the holy land of the Magic Temple, where high-level mages simulated the elemental plane to comprehend the elemental essence.
She closed her eyes, not using the supreme authority of the Silver Dragon King to control the elemental origin, but instead, like an apprentice learning magic for the first time, she used her heart to feel and to listen.
She "heard" the fire element cheering joyfully, telling of the passion of burning and destruction;
The water element flowing gently, chanting the hymn of life and healing;
The wind element shuttling freely, conveying the mysteries of speed and change;
The earth element whispering steadily, expounding the truth of heaviness and bearing;
The light element chanting holily, spreading the radiance of purification and hope;
The dark element lurking in the quiet, hiding the depth of devouring and concealment...
Unlike her innate ability to command the vast sea of elements as easily as moving her own arm, the mages here used complex incantations, exquisite spell models, and their own spiritual power, like the most precise instruments, to "pry" the elemental power between heaven and earth bit by bit, forming spells with various wonderful effects.
"So... elements can be 'played' like this." A beautiful curve appeared at the corner of Gu Yuena's mouth. Her previous use of elements was more like an emperor issuing orders—direct and efficient. The mage system, however, was like an artist using different "pigments" (elements) and "brushes" (spell models) to paint ever-changing "scroll paintings" (spells).
This way of using elements, which was more meticulous, more creative, and more "fundamental," was exactly what she lacked. She needed these "basics" to solidify her understanding of the elemental essence, allowing her control over elements to move from "instinct" to "thoroughness," thereby walking more steadily and further on the origin power of the Silver Dragon King. She began to try to imitate the models of those low-level spells, using the smallest amount of power to build the most stable structures, experiencing the laws of nature contained within.
Soul Temple, Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts.
Di Tian transformed into a middle-aged man in black robes, walking through a deep valley. The valley was inhabited by countless magic beasts that had been tamed or contracted by the Soul Temple, ranging from ten-year and hundred-year to ten-thousand-year cultivation levels. The air was thick with the scents of various magic beasts and faint spiritual fluctuations.
Summoners of the Soul Temple primarily cultivate Spiritual Power, specializing in communicating with magic beasts, forming contracts, and fighting together. The core of their practice lies in "Soul Resonance" and "Bloodline Connection."
Di Tian released a trace of pure Dragon Might, and all the magic beasts in the valley, regardless of their strength, prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling and expressing their awe for the supreme Dragon Race.
He paid no mind to these low-level magic beasts, instead casting his gaze toward the depths of the valley, where several obscure yet powerful auras resided—the ten-thousand-year Beast Kings patronized by the Soul Temple.
Forming contracts with ants? How boring. Di Tian felt disdain in his heart. Given his status and strength, he found such things beneath him. The main purpose Gu Yuena had sent him here for was to study the "Contract Law" and "Soul Resonance" techniques of the Soul Temple.
The Silver Dragon King lineage aimed to revive the soul beast race, and their future relationship with humans was of the utmost importance. The "Way of Beast Taming" pioneered by Ye Zhilan and Yu Yuanchen emphasized equal coexistence.
While the summoning system of the Soul Temple did include equal contracts, it leaned more toward master-servant contracts. Studying the pros and cons of this system, the compulsion and backlash of the contracts, and how to communicate more efficiently with different types of beast souls—or even guide their evolution—held significant reference value for perfecting the Way of Beast Taming.
Di Tian's powerful Divine Sense swept across the entire valley, carefully analyzing the invisible spiritual connections between the summoners and their contracted beasts, attempting to parse their essence. This held potential benefits for his future command over the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, and even for dealing with enemies who might possess special soul talents.
Alliance Central Grand Library, Top Floor Restricted Chamber.
Yu Yuanchen's figure appeared here. Unlike the other four who focused on a single field, thousands of jade slips, bone books, and scrolls hovered before him! Categorized and classified, they covered all theoretical knowledge, cultivation techniques, combat skills, spells, and secret legends for the six major professions: knight, warrior, mage, assassin, priest, and summoner, from basic to advanced levels!
He did not intend to cultivate all six professions simultaneously; that would undoubtedly be putting the cart before the horse. His path was the Thunder Law, his own road to transcendence.
However, his goal was to "draw from the strengths of many to achieve a comprehensive mastery."
His Divine Sense acted like the most precise scanner, reading and parsing massive amounts of information simultaneously. His brain functioned like the most efficient supercomputer, running at high speeds to deduce, compare, and summarize.
"The combination of a knight's belief and energy is interesting; perhaps it can be integrated into my Thunder Divine Will to enhance the Will Impact of my divine skills..."
"The stealth, burst, and Timing Control of an assassin are truly an art. Thunder also emphasizes speed and burst; the force application techniques and Space Utilization within are worth learning from..."
"The healing and purification of a priest involve the laws of life and light. Thunder also possesses life-giving thunder, nurturing new life within destruction; perhaps I can comprehend a Restoration Divine Ability from this..."
"The elemental model construction of a mage is a microscopic interpretation of the laws. Although my control over thunder is strong, it is mostly at a macroscopic level; this meticulous operation will help me understand the particle nature and wave nature of thunder at a deeper level..."
"The qi and blood burst and will burning of a warrior are simple and direct, a treasure trove for tapping into Physical Body Potential. My Thunder Divine Body might be able to draw from these methods to further develop..."
"The soul contract and resonance of a summoner involve the mysteries of the soul level. The application of Divine Sense could perhaps be made more exquisite..."
Yu Yuanchen was like the greediest seeker of knowledge and the calmest analyst, absorbing every nutrient useful to him from the vast ocean of knowledge of the six major professional systems. His vision and his realm were sufficient to allow him to stand on high ground, pointing directly to the core and avoiding the path of error.
What he had to do was take the Thunder Law as his root and his own divine path as the trunk, grafting and fusing the essence, branches, and leaves of the six systems of this world to make his path more lush and deeply rooted! This would accumulate unparalleled foundation for his future breakthrough to higher realms!
Within Imperial Dragon Pass, the wind and clouds had temporarily settled. Outside the pass, the threat of the Demon Race still loomed like dark clouds pressing down. But inside the pass, five powerhouses from another world were quietly absorbing the nutrients of this civilization in their own ways, their strength and realms undergoing a subtle yet crucial transformation in silence.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan