Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 847 - 830: The Road Ahead Is Hard!
The sky over the [East Pole Grassland] was very blue, but Zhouyang and the other six Tier Seven beings gathered here felt cold at heart.
It had been less than an hour since Du Chongyang and the other two ascended, yet the straw figure avatar left behind by Granny Wan had just burned to ashes!
This meant that Granny Wan, the protector of the Hundred Barbaric Races, had just fallen completely.
Within less than an hour, one of the trio who ascended had fallen, leaving Zhouyang and the others present with a chill as cold as ice.
A Tier Six barbaric alien race cultivator, who was brought by Granny Wan to witness the ceremony, was now in tears and kneeled on the ground, his face full of pain and despair.
Tier Seven beings are like the Sea Stabilizing Needles to all races.
With the death of Granny Wan, the Hundred Barbaric Races within the Wilderness Jungle lost their Sea Stabilizing Needle.
Unless another Tier Seven being appears soon, the future of the Hundred Barbaric Races will surely become more and more bleak.
Of course, out of respect for the favors Granny Wan bestowed during her life and her contribution as a pioneer this time, Zhouyang and the other Tier Seven beings would surely not take action against the younger generation of the Hundred Barbaric Races because of Granny Wan's fall.
As time gradually passed, when an hour and a half had gone by, the avatar left behind by Du Chongyang suddenly exploded into dust!
"Immortal Friend Du!"
"Elder Du!"
Feng Wuji and Zhouyang's expressions changed dramatically, and they exclaimed in shock.
As soon as their voices fell, the avatar left by [Master Withered Wood] also shattered!
"This is..."
[East Sea Dragon Saint] and the other Tier Seven beings all had dark expressions, their eyes looking vigilantly at the spatial rift above, revealing a look of awe and fear.
In just over an hour, three Tier Seven beings had all fallen!
This outcome was truly hard to accept for the Tier Seven beings present.
"Why did it happen like this? How did it happen like this? Fellow Daoists Kumu and Du, working together and carrying so many treasures, how could they fall so quickly? Could it be that the road to ascension is destined to be a dead end with no return?"
Feng Wuji muttered in a daze, despair filling his eyes.
Zhouyang's expression was equally unpleasant, dark as if it could drip water.
He wasn't as lost as Feng Wuji, but he had many doubts in his heart as well.
His gaze shifted suddenly towards [East Sea Dragon Saint] and he asked, "Fellow Daoist Hai, Fellow Daoists Kumu and Du's combined strength should be comparable to a mid-Tribulation Crossing existence like you, right? But they only lasted just over an hour before falling, so is the legend about reaching the Upper Realm with late-Tribulation Crossing cultivation really true? Is the strength difference between late-Tribulation Crossing and early-Tribulation Crossing really that great?"
Hmm?
Upon hearing Zhouyang's words, the others were taken aback, then all turned their gaze towards [East Sea Dragon Saint], waiting for this strongest and oldest cultivator among them to answer.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou raises a good question. I, the Old Dragon, will explain it to all Fellow Daoists one by one!"
[East Sea Dragon Saint] swept his gaze over Zhouyang and the others and said in a low tone, "Firstly, if Fellow Daoists Du and Kumu join forces, their strength might not be much lower than mine, the Old Dragon, but when it comes to resisting spatial storms and other disasters, they surely are not as capable as I am, nor any mid-Tribulation Crossing cultivator!"
"Secondly, the legend that one can ascend to the Upper Realm with late-Tribulation Crossing cultivation is indeed true, as it was verified by the strong in this world since ancient times!"
"Thirdly, a late-Tribulation Crossing strong one ascends to the Upper Realm not by sneaking through spatial rifts, a narrow path, but by shattering the void and being pulled directly by the Upper Realm's attraction to ascend!"
"Lastly, the gap in strength between late-Tribulation Crossing and early-Tribulation Crossing is undoubtedly large, larger than the gap between an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator!"
After [East Sea Dragon Saint]'s speech, the Tier Seven beings present did not look any better.
The almost universally accepted point now was that in this "Spirit Realm," it's already difficult for anyone to cultivate to late-Tribulation Crossing.
Even stepping into mid-Tribulation Crossing, over the last ten thousand years, only one [East Sea Dragon Saint] has succeeded.
So the Ascension Technique involving the spatial rift, dismissed by [East Sea Dragon Saint] as a "narrow path," is actually the only route by which the Tier Seven beings in this world can possibly ascend to the Upper Realm.
But the dangers of this route, witnessed by today's gathering of Tier Seven beings, were apparent.
To be honest, seeing Du Chongyang and the other two fail, their confidence in ascending via this route dropped to less than ten percent.
Now Zhouyang recalled that when the Thunder Feather True Spirit spoke of this ascension route, it was mentioned as having a success rate of one to two percent; it was indeed an immature assessment, a speculative claim lacking real test validation.
He couldn't help but recall his master's, [True Monarch Donglai], teaching about the Ascension Technique.
[True Monarch Donglai] had told him when passing this technique that using it with early-Tribulation Crossing cultivation had a thirty percent chance of successful ascension.
But is it really true?
Zhouyang felt uncertain and severely lacking in confidence now.
"Since Fellow Daoist Du and the others have failed, it's clear this path is not easy. If any Fellow Daoists wish to attempt it in the future, there's no need to inform me. I will take my leave first!"
A cold female voice snapped the slightly dazed Zhouyang back to reality.
His gaze followed the voice to see the Ice Beauty [Ice Profound Spirit Saint] speaking the words, then disappearing instantly from the spot, teleporting away.
Witnessing this scene, [Elder Bingyi] slightly smiled at the group and said, "I shall take my leave first, until we meet again, Fellow Daoists."
Then he transformed into a pure white escape light shooting north, vanishing quickly from everyone's sight.
Seeing this, [East Sea Dragon Saint] was also about to bid farewell to everyone.
But at that moment, Zhouyang spoke up first, "Fellow Daoist Hai, there's something I must inform you about. In a few years, I will be retreating to [Donglai Immortal Island] overseas. I hope you can understand, Fellow Daoist Hai!"
Hearing this, [East Sea Dragon Saint]'s eyes flashed with an odd look, then he slightly nodded, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, since you've inherited [Master Donglai]'s teachings, it is only reasonable for you to retreat to [Donglai Immortal Island]. The Old Dragon understands."
"Thank you for your understanding, Fellow Daoist Hai!"
Zhouyang cupped his hands to express gratitude and then remained silent.
Then, the East Sea Dragon Saint also greeted the remaining few people and returned to the East Sea with the Sea-covering Spirit Saint.
With that, only Zhouyang, Feng Wuji, and the Thunder Feather True Spirit were left on the scene, the three Tier Seven existences.
"Feng is not in a good mood and plans to return to the cave dwelling for cultivation. Since Fellow Immortal Zhou has an agreement with Fellow Immortal Kumu, Kurong Valley will be entrusted to Fellow Immortal Zhou in the future. Additionally, since Fellow Immortal Zhou intends to retire to the East Sea, I hope that Fellow Immortal Zhou can take over the responsibilities that Fellow Immortal Du once held!"
Before Zhouyang could say anything, Feng Wuji had already spoken on his own account.
Then he cupped his hands to Zhouyang and left with a face full of desolation.
Seeing this situation, Zhouyang was at a loss for words.
After achieving immortal ascension by crossing the tribulation, he learned from Du Chongyang that Feng Wuji was known for his unrestrained actions and unreliability, and it turned out to be true.
Now, there were only the two of them left as True Immortals among the Human Race, and he had achieved the Dao several thousand years later than Feng Wuji. In theory, Feng Wuji should have taken over Du Chongyang's duties.
But in the end, with just one sentence, Feng Wuji shirked the guardian duties of the Celestial South Continent Cultivation Realm, Donghua Continent Cultivation Realm, and Overseas Cultivation Realm onto him.
Yet, in reality, he was originally from the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm and had spent many years in the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm. If anything happened in these places, how could he not be involved?
This essentially meant that Zhouyang was becoming the guardian of the Human Race in the Spirit Realm, having to protect more than half of the Human Race alone.
What frustrated Zhouyang the most was that he couldn't say anything to Feng Wuji for acting this way.
If words could have changed anything, Du Chongyang and Master Withered Wood wouldn't have been unable to change him all these years.
Now thinking back, Zhouyang felt even more admiration for Elder Du Chongyang.
With Feng Wuji dropping the ball and Master Withered Wood in a long-term state of seclusion, Du Chongyang had almost single-handedly supported the entire Human Race.
Unfortunately, perseverance does not always equal good fortune!
Zhouyang sighed inwardly but maintained a composed expression as he looked at the Thunder Feather True Spirit and said, "I plan to return to the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm. Would Fellow Daoist Lei Yu like to join?"
"Very well, Lei also needs to return to the Broken Cloud Mountain Range."
The Thunder Feather True Spirit nodded slightly, agreeing.
On the journey back, Zhouyang and the Thunder Feather True Spirit shared some insights, revealing to each other the ascension technique obtained from True Monarch Donglai in the Returning Void Stage of the Upper Realm.
Upon hearing that it was transmitted by a Returning Void Stage True Monarch from the Upper Realm, the Thunder Feather True Spirit was very interested, especially grateful for the implicit willingness to take him along for the ascension.
After reaching the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, they parted ways.
Zhouyang's family directly went to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, where father and son continued their in-depth research on the completion of the Profound Sun Treasure Manual, while Xiao Ying returned to the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm to bring Qin Yue'Er and her son to the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, and the family settled on Profound Sun Peak.
The Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect had no objections to Zhouyang's family occupying Profound Sun Peak; they even welcomed it enthusiastically.
Having Zhouyang, a True Immortal in the Tribulation Crossing Stage, residing on Profound Sun Peak was an unparalleled honor for the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, not to mention that Zhouyang was helping to complete the sect's core cultivation technique.
Thus, several years passed, and the news of the Suyun Sect's Ancestor Master, Liu Yunxiang, nearing her end of life reached Zhouyang. He made a special trip with his wife and children to the Suyun Sect to see her one last time and bid her farewell.
At this time, the Suyun Sect had not yet trained a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to succeed Liu Yunxiang, but because Zhouyang still held the title of Honored Guest Supreme Elder of the Suyun Sect, no one would disrespect the Suyun Sect.
The passing of a longtime friend due to the exhaustion of lifespan plunged Xiao Ying into deep sorrow, which led to a prolonged period of depression.
Fortunately, she had the company and occasional comfort of her sister Qin Yue'Er and her daughters-in-law Shen Yu Zhen and Shen Yu Huan, which helped her slowly emerge from grief and depression.
The death of Liu Yunxiang seemed to serve as an enlightening moment for her, finally understanding Zhouyang's painstaking efforts.
After staying on Profound Sun Peak for a few more years, she took the initiative to lead Zhouyang's avatar to Kurong Valley for cultivation, intending to remain there until reaching the Late-Stage Nascent Soul and using the Life and Death Qi of Withering and Flourishing divine technique to slow down the depletion of lifespan.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a century had passed.
Zhouyang spent over a hundred years on Profound Sun Peak, conducting in-depth deductions and studies with his son Zhou Guangcheng, eventually succeeding in completing the missing parts of the Profound Sun Treasure Manual, fully restoring it to the Profound Sun Immortal Scripture.
In this process of deduction and research, Zhou Guangcheng also gained significant insights, successfully breaking through the bottleneck of the Late-Stage Nascent Soul and advancing to become a Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Meanwhile, Zhou Guangzheng, after more than a century of cultivation, indeed advanced successively through the Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul levels to become a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator under the age of two hundred!
A Nascent Soul Stage cultivator under two hundred years old represented the fastest cultivation speed in the history of the Spirit Realm and the youngest Nascent Soul Stage cultivator!
Even though Zhouyang had already learned about this result from Lan Daoist, witnessing Zhou Guangzheng's successful Nascent Soul formation in person left him with a heart full of shock.
As for Zhou Guangcheng, his older brother, he locked himself away for several days and nights, trying to come to terms with the matter. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Before Zhou Guangzheng was born, Zhou Guangcheng always considered himself a cultivation genius, believing that his talent and aptitude were top-notch in this realm.
However, compared to Zhou Guangzheng, who achieved Nascent Soul formation before the age of two hundred, his so-called genius was utterly demolished.
Back then, even with his father Zhouyang's help, he only managed to form his Core close to two hundred years of age and reach Nascent Soul formation after more than eight hundred years.
Yet now, Zhou Guangzheng had become a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator at the age when he himself was still a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator!
Born of the same father, the disparity was so great that it left Zhou Guangcheng feeling rather hopeless.
At this rate, it's highly likely that Zhou Guangzheng would enter the Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortal" realm even before him in the future!
Zhouyang also felt it was impossible to keep his youngest son by his side any longer. Otherwise, not only Zhou Guangcheng, but even he himself might struggle to maintain a stable Dao Heart witnessing the skyrocketing cultivation speed.
Therefore, after bestowing a few life-preserving treasures upon his youngest son, he sent him out to venture into the cultivation realm, suggesting that once he returned, he could take over Qiao Yangming's position at the Great Brightness Immortal Palace.
"When traveling outside, don't mention that you're my son, and don't reveal your actual age; no one would believe you even if you did!"
This was Zhouyang's only advice for his youngest son, Zhou Guangzheng, as he embarked on his journey, his words filled with a kind of helplessness that would leave one between laughter and tears.
