From the Valkyrie to the Endless

In the ancient times when gods existed, the acquired realm could not even be considered the threshold to enter the path of cultivation. Only the innate realm could barely be considered to have entered the first realm of cultivation.

In addition to the gods, in ancient times, hundreds of paths flourished, and the realms of cultivation were complex and varied. Realms one to seven were only a general division of the strength of the strong, representing their level in the world, and their true combat power still had a question mark.

At least in the memory of the true god of the Shadow Clan, terms such as godslaying have appeared. True gods are not invincible and will still fall. Today's era is the best proof of this.

The memories inherited by Shen Qing were quite messy. Even though she was already adept at sorting out her memories, she still had to spend a lot of energy to distinguish and absorb useful information bit by bit.

It was unclear why the sundial had brought her to this era, and it was also unclear where she would go after the twelve years were up. But if one day she could truly control the power of the sundial, she wanted to witness with her own eyes the flourishing age of cultivation and the twilight of the gods.

What a terrifying power it was that caused these powerful gods whose divine radiance shone brightly in the starry sky to withdraw from the stage of history sadly and become extinct. All kinds of sects were cut off one after another, so that people who have inherited part of the divine blood are now able to dominate the world.

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In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

Yuanzhou, the imperial capital.

Inside the magnificent palace, Yang Zongxian sat high on the dragon throne, looking down at the ministers with an indifferent expression:

"When there is something to do, we will start to act, but when there is nothing to do, we will retreat."

The middle-aged man standing at the first position on the left immediately stepped forward, bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, we have received a victory report from Qianzhou. Your Majesty has personally gone to the frontline to supervise the battle. Our army's morale has been greatly boosted. In just a few days, we have recovered 200 miles of lost territory, annihilated more than 100,000 enemies, and captured nearly 200,000 people. The countries in the Northern Territory are now terrified. God bless our Great Xia."

He had a very fair face, a short beard, delicate and bright eyes, and an elegant demeanor. He was wearing a bright red robe embroidered with auspicious cranes and beautiful mountains and rivers. It was the official robe that symbolized the position of Prime Minister of Daxia.

The situation in Qianzhou has quietly changed with the beheading of Zhao Sheng.

Yang Zongxi, with a group of masters from various martial arts sects as the vanguard, divided the 700,000-strong army into four routes, advanced comprehensively, and attacked head-on the coalition forces of the northern countries. In just over ten days, he achieved this astonishing result.

"Got it. When Zong Xi returns victorious, I will personally host a banquet to celebrate his success."

Yang Zongxian smiled faintly and nodded slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "Anything else to report?"

"Your Majesty, there have been some unusual movements in southern Xinjiang. Cases of poisonous insects injuring people have occurred frequently. Officials have gone to investigate, but the tribes in southern Xinjiang are passing the buck to each other, and the culprit has not yet been identified."

"There have been several major cases at Lingzhou Port. It is said that they were caused by conflicts with people from Longquan Fairy Island overseas due to trade, and more than a thousand people died."

Two officials came forward one after another and spoke of two major events.

"Order Southern Xinjiang to give a reply within half a month. If the deadline is exceeded, the mountain will be set on fire and Southern Xinjiang will be leveled."

Yang Zongxian frowned slightly, and after a few breaths of silence, he gave an order: "Send a fleet to Longquan to find out the whole story and report back."

"Retreat without incident."

The court officials dispersed and the Golden Palace became empty in an instant.

A moment later, the Taoist in green stepped into the hall.

"What do you think of the astronomical predictions made by the National Master?" Yang Zongxian leaned back on the dragon throne with a calm expression, as if he was just asking casually and was not concerned about the results of the divination.

"An evil star rises in the north, and there will be great changes." The Taoist in green looked a little solemn.

"Zong Xi has always been smart. He would not take action if he was not absolutely sure. It seems that he must have the confidence to confront me."

Hearing this, Yang Zongxian's pupils turned red, and his smile deepened: "He is my brother, Yang Zongxian, and he carries the blood of my Yang family. If he doesn't make it, I will be disappointed."

"This evil star may not be the Lord."

The Taoist in green looked a little hesitant, and then said, "Daxia is about to fall."

Yang Zongxi is also of the royal blood of Daxia. Even if his own flesh and blood kill each other, Daxia will still be Daxia after Yang Zongxi gains the world. There will be no sign of the country's demise.

"Destroyed country?"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 37 Innate

A sign of national destruction.

Hearing these four words, Yang Zongxian sat up straight, frowning slightly, "Then who do you think the evil star in the north will befall?"

He did not believe much in divination. If one could really rely on it to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune, the Tianqian Dynasty would not have collapsed, and there would not be the Great Xia today.

But the word "national destruction" is still too heavy and it is hard for people to ignore it.

"This evil star is in conflict with the Seven Killings. He is extreme and aggressive, and is the scourge that disturbs the world. I dare not jump to conclusions. Perhaps it is some overly powerful demon that has appeared in the world..."

The Taoist in green no longer had the confidence he had before, but was filled with doubt.

Just a year ago, he had cast a divination and predicted that the fortune of Daxia would last for at least a thousand years. However, the stars had been moving strangely recently, so he cast a divination on a whim, and the divination changed accordingly.

The Purple Star changes its owner, and the earth and the sky are shaken.

The changes in the hexagrams were too strange, and even though he was knowledgeable, he was still a little at a loss.

"Human Demon..."

Yang Zongxian slowly stood up from the dragon chair, looked towards the north, and narrowed his eyes: "I will go to Qianzhou in person, and ask the Imperial Master to take care of things in the capital. If there is anything you are unsure about, you can consult Liu Kunnan."

He didn't want to see another Demon Slayer appear in the world.

Zhao Sheng is dead, and Yang Zongxi's attitude is unclear now. If he is allowed to find a figure like the Demon Slayer and recruit him under his command, the situation will become very tricky.

What's more, Yang Zongxi has been patient for thirty years, and he might still be holding some cards that he is not aware of. This trip is just the right time to test his bottom line.

"Wei Chen takes orders."

The Taoist in green bowed and reminded, "Qianzhou is not like the imperial capital. The situation is unpredictable. I suggest that Your Majesty take a few relics of the Yang clan for self-defense."

"I know it well."

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Qianzhou.

More than twenty miles outside Changling City, inside a ruined temple.

As the night grew darker, the cold moonlight poured down from the sky, slanting into the ruined temple, weaving a hazy glow like fog.

Shen Qing was covered in moonlight, sitting cross-legged on the broken altar, like a jade statue of a goddess, with eyes closed and long breaths that took nearly half an hour at a time, like a whale swallowing and exhaling moonlight, and the faint sound of gurgling streams echoing among the broken bricks and tiles as blood flowed.

woo-

A low whale roar was heard, and Shen Qing let out a long breath. The invisible air wave passed through the broken courtyard wall, brushing the bushes ten feet away from the temple, causing a rustling sound.

"The ninth level of the acquired realm has finally been achieved!"

Shen Qing slowly opened her eyes and felt the power surging in her body again. A hint of joy appeared on her face. Only when her own strength increased could she experience this kind of pleasure from the inside out.

This sense of fulfillment is incomparable to any other gain, and she is getting stronger little by little.

The ninth level of the acquired realm has arrived before the gate of the innate realm. For Shen Qing, she is finally about to touch the threshold of the path of cultivation.

The secret of the innate realm lies in its endless source. Compared with the acquired realm, there is no fundamental qualitative change in power, but in terms of sustainability, it is more than ten times stronger.

If a warrior at the ninth level of the acquired realm is surrounded by an army of a thousand men, he will die of exhaustion after killing more than a hundred enemies. However, a congenital martial artist, relying on his strong recovery ability, can slaughter an army of a thousand men in a mobile fight.

Moreover, after entering the innate realm, one can absorb the essence of the sun and the moon from the void to practice, and the dependence on old medicines is greatly reduced. Relying on slow work, day after day, one can gradually become stronger. This is the biggest difference.

It is not like the acquired realm, where one cannot do without medicinal baths and food supplements.

Xiantian is also the realm where true martial arts geniuses show their talents. In the legends of the martial arts world, there are many who waste thirty to fifty years before finally reaching the Xiantian realm, and then in just a few years, they achieve perfect Xiantian and become rare monsters who become martial arts masters, which is a typical example of late bloomers.

Similarly, it is not uncommon for people to make incredible progress in the acquired realm, but to progress as slowly as a turtle once they reach the innate realm.

After calming the qi and blood in his lower body, Shen Qing took out a map from beside him and slowly unfolded it.

On the map, there was a mark near the border of Daxia, with a few notes next to it.

"We have gathered more than 17,000 soldiers and a number of war horses and weapons."

"The people in the camp are restless, disorganized, and have many mountains and hills. This is a big taboo in military strategy. It is difficult to achieve success. I am afraid that the soldiers will become bandits. Please think carefully and make plans early."

Zhao Yu was very thoughtful. He used the language from his previous life, and his handwriting was so illegible that no one here would be able to recognize it.

Looking at the note, Shen Qing was not surprised. She had already anticipated this situation when she asked Hao Yun and others to gather their old subordinates.

Among these more than 17,000 people, there might be someone who wanted to kill her. Even though she was Shen Lie's daughter, she had no prestige in the army. If it was her dead brother, she might barely be qualified.

The most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart. It is not easy to expect these people to live up to her wishes and it requires a lot of effort.

Shen Qing did not intend to spend this energy. These 17,000 troops were just a stepping stone. She just wanted to use them to lay the initial foundation. She could use them if needed, and it was fine if anyone wanted to abandon her.

Zhao Yu, on the other hand, was able to see this, proving that he had put some time into studying military tactics.

After pondering for a long time, Shen Qing closed her eyes again. She wanted to break into the innate realm here and then rush to the place marked on the map.

With more than 10,000 people, plus some generals with inner strength, they are no longer a small force. The ninth level of the acquired realm is not enough. She must at least enter the innate realm before she can have some confidence to meet these brave generals and soldiers who have been on the battlefield.

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Spring, the 28th year of the Longyuan calendar.

Shen Qing spent his first year in this world in the dilapidated temple.

Nearly a month had passed, and after chewing and swallowing many old medicines, Shen Qing finally reached the state of acquired perfection and began to explore the threshold of the innate.

Once you enter the realm of spiritual practice, you can look inward and gain a better understanding of your own body. This is the first step in unlocking the treasures of the human body.

In the memory of that ancient god, the first level of cultivation is not a threshold that all living beings will go through. The offspring of the true god are already in the second or even third level when they are born.

Some immortal spirits that were born and raised naturally are even more terrifying. As soon as they become psychic, they have already entered the fourth or fifth realm.

The word "xiantian" also means "born", which highlights the origin and the innate talent for cultivation. If the talent for cultivation is strong enough, it is normal to directly cross this realm.

The reason why those innate martial artists have a huge gap in cultivation at this level is precisely because of their differences in talent, which cannot be compensated by hard work.

After adjusting his qi and blood, Shen Qing took out half of a hundred-year-old ginseng and pressed it on the root of his tongue. He sat cross-legged on the altar, and his mind gradually emptied.

The speed at which the qi and blood flowed through the body gradually increased, and the sound of a gurgling stream could be heard again in the ruined temple.

(End of this chapter)