Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation

Chapter 2097 (Raw 2202): Activating the Divine Universe Stele

Qin Zhuolin’s departure was somewhat strange, but it was also logical.

In the first place, Qin Zhuolin was a Geomaster, one that the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter had to treat with respect. He could not possibly remain in Azure Mountain Town.

It was already a feat for Qin Zhuolin to stay here for four years.

As Qin Zhuolin left, Xiao Chen and Sang sent him off with their eyes. They only withdrew their gazes when he disappeared from their vision.

“Xiao Chen, I would like to say something,” Sang said as he looked somewhat seriously at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen nodded. “Speak.”

“I would like to remain here, with the Propping Mulberry Tree.”

Interesting. One wants to leave, and one wants to remain.

“I feel assured with your decision. The people of Azure Mountain Town should be the citizens of the Azure Dragons’ old lands. These people, more or less, have some connection with the Azure Dragon Race. I am actually happy that you want to stay.”

Qin Zhuolin wanted to leave, and Xiao Chen would leave sooner or later.

Azure Mountain Town was not even comparable to a drop of water in the vast Desolate Sea.

Ambition filled Xiao Chen’s heart. He desired to walk to the peak of the martial path. Naturally, he would not remain here.

If all three of them left, no one would care for Azure Mountain Town’s citizens if something happened.

Xiao Chen truly felt happy that Sang could remain here.

“Where do you want to plant the Propping Mulberry Tree?”

Sang pointed to outside the town and said, “Right beside the ancient well. The Propping Mulberry Tree likes the cold, and it can use the underground cold Qi. With the illumination of the blood moon, it would be even more effective. The Propping Mulberry Tree will be able to grow again in less than one hundred years.

“I am one with the Propping Mulberry Tree. If it grows again, it will be of great help to my cultivation.”

It looked like Sang had planned this long ago; this was not a last-minute decision.

“Let’s go.”

The two’s figures flashed, and they quickly arrived by the ancient well. At this moment, the blazing sun hung high in the sky, pouring intense sunlight.

As one stood beside the ancient well, a refreshing cold Qi spread out.

Xiao Chen took out the Propping Mulberry Tree from the Divine Universe Stele. The divine tree sapling in his hand looked ordinary and unremarkable.

It was hard to imagine that this sapling was one of the three great divine trees, the Propping Mulberry Tree.

Sang received the sapling and carefully set it on the ground. Then, he formed a hand seal.

The two saw the Propping Mulberry Tree continuously growing, its roots quickly penetrating the soil. Its lush branches belied the palm-sized trunk.

“Sang, these are for you.”

Xiao Chen generously gave Sang one million of the five million Primeval Heavenly Pills that he extorted from the Eighth Prince.

When Sang saw these, he felt somewhat surprised. However, he did not stand on ceremony, accepting them after expressing his gratitude.

The two could be said to share a deep friendship. They would not partake in civilities over these Primeval Heavenly Pills.

“When are you planning to leave, and where will you go?” Sang asked.

Xiao Chen replied softly, “I won’t be leaving for a while. I also have no idea where to go after this.”

Xiao Chen had already explored most of the secrets of the Azure Dragons’ old lands. Right now, his goal was to advance to the Divine Vein Realm and succeed the Azure Dragon Race’s inheritance and treasures.

However, it was extremely difficult to reach the Divine Vein Realm.

Veritable Personage Realm, Primal Core Realm, and the Cloud Sea Realm. These three represented the peak of mortality, the peak of being a person. Many cultivators got eliminated as they traveled this path step by step. It was already extremely incredible to advance to the Sovereign Stage.

One would have a long lifespan by advancing to the Sovereign Stage, easily living to five thousand years old.

Any world would have its own Heavenly Dao. The Primes of the Kunlun Realm could live for thousands of years as well. That was because their cultivation had already reached the peak for the Kunlun Realm. If they came to the Great Thousand Realms, they could not live for so long.

The two were incomparable.

Right now, Xiao Chen was merely forty-seven years old, and he already reached Small Perfection Sovereign Personage in the Great Thousand Realms.

Even when considering the entire Central Great Realm, among the countless outstanding talents of both Righteous Dao and Demonic Dao in the eight great empires and the four dynasties, such talent was rare.

However, it was practically impossible for one to raise their cultivation quickly after reaching the Sovereign Personage Realm.

That was because one already reached the peak. The sovereign of people was the peak of mortality.

Any further and one would surpass mortality, able to control Divine Energy, and possess an undying body. One would also be able to form a small world with one’s Dao Domain. Many legendary and mythical means would become available, things that Xiao Chen could not imagine.

Many people remained stuck at the Sovereign Stage for hundreds—even thousands or tens of thousands—of years, unable to advance any further. They could only watch as they approached their limits and died.

Xiao Chen wanted to enter the Divine Vein Realm. It looked like there were only three more steps: advancing to Great Perfection Sovereign Personage, advancing to Peak Sovereign Personage, and breaking through to the Divine Vein Realm.

However, each of these three steps was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Even if it looked like Xiao Chen would break through to Great Perfection Sovereign Personage soon, he did not feel very confident. It was already rare to advance to peak Small Perfection Sovereign Personage from peak Holy Venerate in slightly over four years. That already equaled decades—centuries—of effort for others.

The road ahead was long. The worst thing was that Xiao Chen did not know where to go to cultivate next.

If Xiao Chen were in Ancestor Dragon City, it might not be this problematic.

There would be seniors giving advice on every step of cultivation: where to go for experiential training, what resources to provide, and how to nurture disciples. Factions like Ancestor Dragon City had tens of thousands of years of experience; they would not let the disciples under their banner stew in confusion.

Xiao Chen had come to this vast Desolate Sea alone. If not for coincidences and the many fortuitous encounters in the land of the blood moon, these past few years might have been wasted.

For now, Xiao Chen could only remain in this Azure Mountain Town.

Sang saw Xiao Chen’s helplessness. He nodded and said, “You advanced very quickly in the past few years. Your combat experience at the Sovereign Personage level is practically zero. If you have an opportunity, you should engage in more fights to the death with Sovereign Personages. Otherwise, you will have difficulty familiarizing yourself with your accumulations.”

Xiao Chen thought about it and agreed. Although he fought a lot with the Black and White Eggs, they were not true fights to the death.

While Xiao Chen got taught miserable lessons, these were not life-or-death experiences. Since advancing to Sovereign Personage, he only truly fought twice or thrice when he returned to Azure Mountain Town.

To truly make up for his deficiencies in his Saber Dao, he had to undergo continuous battles.

It was time to go on a true experiential training, to fight while treading the line of life and death.

Sang saw Xiao Chen in deep thought and said softly, “Think about it by yourself. The Propping Mulberry Tree is just planted; I need to stand guard here for a while.”

Xiao Chen nodded and returned to the house alone.

After thinking a while, Xiao Chen put away all the distracting thoughts for now. He still had four million Primeval Heavenly Pills and should put them to good use.

“Whoosh!”

Xiao Chen’s figure flashed, and he entered the Divine Universe Stele. There was a blood moon in the vast chaotic space and a grand and ancient Dao Platform beneath it in the center.

The dazzling blood moon shone with a mysterious light, giving Xiao Chen the feeling that it was capable of more than just sending him into the land of the blood moon.

When Xiao Chen landed on the Dao Platform, he gently waved his hand. Immediately, countless Primeval Heavenly Pills landed on the Dao Platform, filling it.

He used five hundred thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills in one go. Even though he got them from the Eighth Prince, he still felt a heartache.

“Whoosh!”

When the Primeval Heavenly Pills filled the Dao Platform, it activated easily without Xiao Chen’s Soul Energy and Veritable Essence Energy.

An endless azure ocean appeared before his eyes, followed by the various Dao Platforms and secret realms of the Divine Dragon Empire.

An incredibly blurry and mysterious totem appeared at the ends of the azure ocean.

Evidently, five hundred thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills were far from enough to make the Kunlun Realm’s Azure Dragon Totem fully appear.

However, Xiao Chen was in no rush to return right now.

He scanned the many Dao Platforms and secret realms. After a while, he fixed his gaze on the secret realm grasped by the Heavenly Dragon Palace’s Third Palace Master.

Xiao Chen could even clearly see the silhouette of the Divine Rank medicinal cauldron he lent to the Third Palace Master in the secret realm.

That’s the one.

With a thought, the many spots of light on the azure ocean sank.

“Rumble...!”

In the next moment, waves roared in the ocean. The surface of the ocean undulated as a Dao Platform rose from underwater.

Xiao Chen shouted, and the ancient Dao Platform under him burst out with bright light and boundless talisman scripts.

Strong spatial energy that could tear stars apart entered Xiao Chen’s body. Using this energy, he leaped into the air and landed on the Dao Platform on the ocean.

“Whoosh!”

After Xiao Chen leaped on that Dao Platform, it quickly sank into the ocean with him.

Back in reality, the Divine Universe Stele flashed with light and entered the void.