From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 311 The Celestial Palace Arrives
Behind the forces that convened the Mountain and Sea Banquet lies a Tomb Immortal!

Chen Xuan used his Heart Cleansing Technique twice to scan the Candle Dragon Eyes, and his gaze swept over a lot of immortal mist. Many of the behind-the-scenes forces from beyond the heavens carried the power of immortals.

Unexpectedly, within those hazy celestial mists, there was a being of the rank of Immortal, spying on the situation at the Mountain and Sea Banquet!
"Which force from beyond the heavens does He come from? Is He an ancient immortal who ascended to heaven?" Chen Xuan asked immediately.

This is a chilling story.

Because the Empress could use the White Emperor Sword to open the heavens and enter the Candle Dragon Eye, could the Immortal in the Tomb on the other side also descend into the Dao Palace in the Great Wilderness?
“The Immortal in the Tomb is very well hidden. As soon as I appeared, He left immediately,” the Empress said.

It was an immortal being whose identity and origin were unknown.

"Immortals in the Tomb..." Chen Xuan pondered for a long time upon hearing this. The Golden Core Immortals in the Immortal Palace seemed to be decaying. Could it be that the extraterrestrial immortals who had ascended and left were also in bad shape?

He didn't think too much about it. After all, immortals were too lofty. If they wanted to do something, there were few people in the world who could stop them. It would be more harmful than beneficial for a minor cultivator to think too much about high-level matters.

"Here you go!" the Empress said, smiling as she handed over a black and gold bamboo slip containing the inheritance, saying, "The Kunpeng Immortal's 'Kunpeng True Scripture,' both volumes are inside. Take it and have a look."

When Kunpeng Immortal disappeared, she extracted some of his memories.

However, since no golden immortal power of the Dao Palace was left behind, this level of immortal trace is not within the scope of the Dao Palace's test.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Xuan's eyes lit up; naturally, he wouldn't refuse the princess's kindness.

The Kunpeng Scripture is the top sage scripture of the Fengqi lineage, and its mystery surpasses that of the Nine-Tailed Scripture of Qingqiu. Many people even believe that the Kunpeng Scripture is the first true scripture of Fengqi.

He quickly memorized this top-tier scripture that he had obtained so easily, and soon discovered that the second half of the "Kunpeng Scripture" also contained some profound mysteries of other fields such as thunder qi, which was truly wondrous.

"Take your time, there's no need to be too distant between us." The Empress raised her chin slightly, quite enjoying the pleasure of being needed by the young cultivator. Then, she added, "I'm only nice to you because you're useful."

"Eating the Empress's food is truly delicious." Chen Xuan couldn't help but feel emotional. Undoubtedly, he was now briefly enjoying the benefits of being the "Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness," no longer just a figurehead, but a true Holy Son.

This is the joy of having a powerful backer.

Those saintly figures like Yu Zhexian and Su Fuyao probably live such idyllic lives every day, without having to worry about scriptures, resources, or unexpected events.

The only thing to consider is how to utilize the inexhaustible resources and strengthen ourselves.

Soon, Chen Xuan finished memorizing the entire "Kunpeng True Scripture," and a phantom image of a Kunpeng seemed to appear in his eyes, vanishing in an instant.

The Empress stared intently at him, and said in surprise, "During the Middle Ages, a man of destiny, Dao Canxuan, was born. I once discussed Daoist arts and immortal scriptures with him, but your comprehension in cultivation seems to be a notch above his."

Legend has it that the "Dao Can Xuan" is a destiny related to enlightenment, with limitless enlightenment that surpasses even the most gifted immortals. Moreover, this enlightenment is not limited to cultivation and is beyond mysteries.

Dao Canxuan, having successfully explored new areas despite the fact that all paths had been exhausted by ancient sages and immortals, achieved a level of fame similar to Chen Xuan's astonishing accomplishments with the Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body.

But the Empress actually thought that Chen Xuan's comprehension in cultivation was even higher than Dao Canxuan's. This evaluation was too high. If outsiders heard it, they would probably be shocked.

"Your Majesty even knows the ancient Chosen Ones? Are you very familiar with each other?" Chen Xuan asked in surprise. Because of the road-opening project, the Empress seemed to favor the "ants" with outstanding comprehension.

"Hmm..." The Empress looked at Chen Xuan with a smile in her eyes for a long time, and said, "We're not very familiar with each other. He's just a useless person... [Dao Canxuan] was later tricked by the Qi cultivators of the Little Plague Palace on his journey to become an immortal and was made into a half-immortal level Destiny Pill."

"Your Majesty is so cold-hearted," Chen Xuan joked.

Clearly, the old tortoise of the Southern Wilderness was right. Useless people have no right to be favored or used by the Empress... [Dao Canxuan] No, Chen Xuan is indeed the only one who received special treatment from the Empress!
“Gods are not indifferent or arrogant; they simply possess absolute clarity at all times, are not swayed by any emotions, and always do the right thing.” Upon hearing this, the Empress frowned slightly and explained earnestly, then said, “Those who cultivate Qi, in the end, are actually no different from the gods and deities of heaven and earth.”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s only a one-word difference between ‘spiritual travel’ and ‘divine spirit’.” Chen Xuan nodded in agreement.

In fact, spiritual travel is still relatively good, since lifespan is not long. However, for true lords and great beings, the seven emotions and six desires are almost gone, and some true lords may truly be heartless and devoid of human nature.

For example, the Purple Sun True Lord, who can travel alone through the Great Void for a thousand years, clearly has a mind that is close to the Dao.

As Chen Xuan conversed with the imperial princess, purple light began to flow from his body, and dazzling lightning appeared, gradually enveloping him.

Within his body, the "Heavenly Mandate Immortal Scripture" and the "Mountain and Sea Immortal Scripture" that had been fused together operated on their own, accompanied by a continuous flow of Daoist rhyme, making him appear ethereal and peerless.

The tribulation lightning arrived just in time!

"You're about to break through to the next realm. How do you feel?" the Empress asked with great concern. At this moment, eight-colored divine light shone from Chen Xuan's body, and dense golden runes appeared, as if they were about to be imprinted into his flesh and bones.

"You're in great shape, everything's going smoothly!" Chen Xuan nodded.

His foundation was so solid that it was unbreakable. When he first entered the cauldron, his physical strength, which he excelled at, was comparable to most peak cauldrons.

Once he has mastered the Eight Qi True Scriptures and achieved a perfect immortal body, he can arrogantly say that there is almost no more perfect cauldron body in the world.

After reaching the sixth level of the Heavenly Realm, Chen Xuan defeated the half-step Tao Hongchen Immortal Seed Little Kunpeng head-on without even using the Heart Fasting Technique.

This means that in terms of physical strength, magical skill, immortal energy, and combat experience, he has caught up with or even surpassed the immortal seed that represents the ultimate state of the cauldron.

Therefore, Chen Xuan's breakthrough at this moment was not difficult at all. He had accumulated enough experience and took that step directly.

There was a bang.

A thunderclap echoed from the sky, and pure Purple Heaven Thunder Qi sensed it, gathering into a vast thundercloud.

"Even the ancient immortals who were once considered 'cauldrons' only reached your current level," the Empress commented with a bright smile, a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"I just haphazardly fixed it and this is what happened. It was just lucky," Chen Xuan said.

His tribulation at the sixth level of the seventh realm was extraordinary. Not only was there a tribulation of lightning in the sky, but small tribulations of lightning were also being conceived within his body. It was extremely frightening. This was a special kind of tribulation of lightning that only appeared in myths and legends.

He never imagined that the princess would praise him so highly, even saying that he had the appearance of an immortal. No one had ever praised him like that before.

It's important to understand that the Empress is different from those mortals who like to comment that certain prodigies have the appearance of immortals. This is because while others have never seen immortals in person, the Empress has indeed seen them, and in great numbers.

"So modest? Let me help you consolidate your cultivation level!" The Empress raised her fist, looking fierce. Chen Xuan became even bolder and dared to joke with her.

But this amused her greatly; he was nothing like the other ants, and he didn't really treat her as the noble daughter of the Heavenly Emperor.

"Okay!" Chen Xuan readily agreed, more than he could have asked for.

He enjoyed sparring with powerful opponents, and with a "safe" immortal expert like the Empress right in front of him, his heart was already burning with desire.

Furthermore, since he broke through to the next realm twice in a short period of time, his realm might be slightly unstable, so it would be good to use the Empress's help to stabilize it.

"You really agree?!" The Empress was slightly taken aback.

"Your Majesty, let's have a chat, but let's stop here. I apologize for the offense!" Chen Xuan said, and a fist crackling with lightning was impatiently aimed at the Empress's waist and abdomen. It was as if he had hit a soft cotton candy. The Empress reacted in an instant and blocked Chen Xuan's punch with one hand.

"Hmph!" The princess was displeased. She finally understood why Chen Xuan had inexplicably made her feel close to him.

This man kept calling her "Your Majesty" so affectionately, seemingly extremely respectful, but in reality, he had no genuine reverence for her whatsoever.

In his eyes, she might be a powerful fellow Daoist, or a senior who deserves respect, but she is definitely not an unapproachable or untouchable deity.

On the Five Directions Land, there are almost no people who treat gods with such equality; it's simply outrageous... Is Chen Xuan also a born god? "Again!" Chen Xuan continued his fierce attack, his eyes burning with fighting spirit like flames.

"You..." The Empress defended herself. At this moment, an even greater illusion arose in her heart for the first time. He seemed to not only feel that he was equal to the gods, but also had a faint sense of superiority over them. He was actually looking down on the Empress.

This discovery left her bewildered; she had never experienced anything so novel and interesting before.

In the Tongtian Corridor under the starry sky, a special kind of gesture and exchange takes place, which is not a contest in the usual sense.

Because the difference in their cultivation levels was so great, Chen Xuan could unleash his full power. He used all his methods except for Xin Zhai. Although the Empress was weak, she could still perfectly contain all his attacks.

This sparring session greatly shocked the Empress. She witnessed all of Chen Xuan's skills. His Five Visceral Martial Immortal Body, which was nearly perfected through the integration of the Eight Qi, was also nearly complete. In addition, he possessed five advanced immortal techniques: Zhenwu, Xingtian, Qingnang, Qinglong, and Qingqiu, as well as various other profound and derived techniques. With all his skills on display, his accumulation at the Cauldron level was truly astonishing.

Soon, Chen Xuan successfully broke through the tribulation and entered a new realm amidst the fierce battle.

At the same time, he was inspired by various things during the battle, and his application and coordination of various techniques became even more refined.

"Your Majesty, please continue!" He was excited and benefited greatly, and immediately decided to spend the last part of the bronze lamp's life on the imperial daughter.

This opportunity for the immortals to offer him guidance is a rare and extraordinary chance.

"Hmph!" The Empress cooperated perfectly, controlling her strength to the point where he was on the verge of breaking through.

Therefore, Chen Xuan had to make each attack slightly better than the last in order to break through the Empress's defenses.

Therefore, this resulted in each of his attacks becoming stronger than the one before, continuously pushing his own limits in combat strength.

"This move will disturb your mind!" Chen Xuan launched a fierce attack, even using the strongest strike of the [Azure Dragon's Wrathful Heaven-Shattering Fist]. Furthermore, he held a sharp jade hairpin between his fists, drawing out a sword light as he slashed towards the Empress's shoulder.

This used to be his favorite killing move, but the enemies he encountered later were not strong enough for him to fight with all his might.

"??" The princess was stunned for a moment. Was this her favorite jade hairpin? Why was it in his hands? What had the mountain spirit done behind her back?

"Tear!"

The princess was a beat slower as a result, and the green fabric on her shoulder was instantly torn open by the jade hairpin, revealing her crystal-clear white skin. However, she reacted quickly, her palm glowing, and immediately slapped Chen Xuan's fist away.

"You're pushing your luck, how wicked!" the princess scolded, her eyes fixed on the jade hairpin in Chen Xuan's hand. He had actually succeeded in using such a personal item to bewitch her.

He went to extreme lengths to break through the opponent's defenses, employing all sorts of ingenious methods in order to become stronger.

Are they really using her as a testing ground? She is the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, whom billions of living beings kneel and look up to!
"Your Majesty, don't let trivial matters distract you. I need to become stronger." Chen Xuan reminded the princess to concentrate and requested, "Please help me wholeheartedly!"

The princess will soon disappear, and he hopes she can contribute her last bit of energy.

Since she was idle anyway, and was rather weak, it was clearly not suitable for her to cause trouble for other immortal spirits.

"Ok."

The princess continued to cooperate, since there wouldn't be a next time for either of them, so she indulged his demands and slight offense at this moment.

But later, she became quite excited because she was surprised to find that every time Chen Xuan racked his brains to break through her carefully woven defenses, she could also gain some experience and inspiration from it.

This kind of low-level exchange also benefited her a lot.

However, the princess felt a little regretful because these valuable experiences and insights were all in her immortal trace, not in the mountain spirit in the mortal world.

"What a thrilling battle!" Chen Xuan thought to himself. At the same time, he seized the opportunity when the Empress was distracted and lost focus. With a fierce close-range shoulder ram, he slammed the Empress into a giant pillar in the corridor like a raging bull.

"Cunning!" The Empress's body trembled violently, but her reaction was still quick. Her palms glowed, and she increased her strength appropriately, sending Chen Xuan flying far away.

The great battle, in which both sides made progress, lasted for several hours.

Chen Xuan continued to break through his limits, but was repeatedly countered by the Empress. He endured the hardships of sparring and combat, and his newly broken seventh level of cultivation gradually became as solid as a rock.

Furthermore, his various complex fighting techniques, honed through the Empress's training, have begun to take the shape of a systematic approach.

Chen Xuan finally ended the sparring session with satisfaction.

The golden immortal power of the bronze lamp was exhausted, and the lamp oil was also running out. The candlelight began to flicker, and this long-awaited trial of the Dao Palace was coming to an end.

"Wow!"

At that very moment, a mural depicting the Ninth Mountain and Sea Banquet rapidly floated up from the area below the Tongtian Corridor.

As you can see, the scene in the mural is quite lively, with over a thousand figures wandering around, including many that Chen Xuan recognizes.

There are also outstanding peak-level furnaces such as Han Shuangjiang, Jiang Muying, and Hua Liuli, as well as divine figures such as the National Preceptor Qingqu.

Furthermore, there were immortal beings and demons who had clashed with the Sparrow King and others. They had already undergone the trials of the Dao Palace and were now sitting behind a jade table in the center.

"Your Majesty, I'm leaving now. Goodbye forever," Chen Xuan said in a carefree tone.

All good things must come to an end, and all are but passersby. This wondrous adventure has come to an end, and I will never meet the Empress again.

"Hmm," the princess nodded slightly, glanced at the bronze lamp with almost no oil left, and then smiled and said, "Let me tell you a few more things about Xinzhai. Some things will not be recorded in history books and will not be passed down."

Just as Chen Xuan was about to nod, he suddenly felt the Tongtian Corridor beneath his feet tremble violently.

"Huh?" He was slightly taken aback and looked around.

Immediately afterwards, the entire Dao Palace shook, the stars in the sky trembled as if they were about to fall, and blood-red lightning intertwined, as if something extremely terrifying was crashing into the Dao Palace's ascension platform outside.

“It’s that Immortal in the Tomb…” the Empress said, her eyes narrowed.

“There’s a reason for this.” Chen Xuan’s expression darkened slightly. “There’s no reason for the celestial beings from beyond the heavens to make a move now.”

At this moment, outside the Dao Palace.

All the Qi practitioners gathered trembled with fear as they looked toward the horizon. A majestic celestial palace, shrouded in colorful light, was rapidly approaching, as if a million mountains were pressing down from the Great Ruins. Many people collapsed to the ground.

Not only the young cultivators on the ground, but even the extraterrestrial beings high above in the Candle Dragon's Eye, all got goosebumps, feeling as if the end of the world had come, and many people trembled uncontrollably.

Even the True Monarch-level beings deep within the mist were alarmed, their faces turning deathly pale.

"The Celestial Palace... has come." An old True Lord of the Demon Clan froze, only his lips trembling slightly.

The most terrifying accident happened.

The Mountain and Sea Banquet was held eight times in a row, and it went smoothly.

But this unprecedented ninth time seemed to have been located by the Celestial Palace, and an unprecedented, enormous gloom loomed over everyone's heads.

(End of this chapter)