Indeed, Tang Jie had advanced while they were being pursued by the bone dragon.
Tang Jie had only been a step away from advancing, and unlike others, he had already done it once, so he had already resolved all the challenges and trials involved. All he was lacking was accumulation. Thus, Tang Jie had been seeking the right moment where he could erupt and reach Celestial Heart in a single go.
This would be a perfect advancement and make his future path smooth and easy, without any bottlenecks or thresholds, so smooth that it was scary.
Was it possible that all that was needed to enter Violet Palace after reaching the peak of Soul Transformation was just a little accumulation? And, after reaching the peak of Soul Projection, could entering Immortal Platform be just as simple?
This newborn body was perfect and had no obstacles in its way. All that was needed was to treat it with care and ensure that there were no mishaps.
This time, Tang Jie had found the opportunity for this perfect advancement. As danger descended, Tang Jie had used it to stimulate all the power in his body, thereby breaking through Mortal Shedding and entering Celestial Heart.
This could be considered Tang Jie’s “limit break”, but even as a “limit break”, it had his own unique twist to it, thick with the scent of conspiracy.
This was where the Ghost March Ship’s sudden acceleration had come from, this new power letting it go all-out one last time.
Thus, even without the bone dragon’s damage, it was bound to have a short life.
Tang Jie opened the Void Stone, taking out a Ghost March Ship from the void: Maraji’s old ship.
Once he shifted the sliver of his Divine Soul from his old Ghost March Ship to the new, the exchange was complete.
Tang Jie hadn’t been strong enough for this before, but once he advanced to Celestial Heart, it was no longer a difficult task.
Meanwhile, the bone dragon was once more starting to raise its massive body, and the Nine Nethers River once more became turbulent.
“Hurry and go!” Tang Jie shouted upon seeing this.
Shaking off the shock from the dragon’s size, they fled.
To be safe, Tang Jie had the boat travel along the shadowed region so that if this guy gave chase again, he could at least evade. This Nether fiend was so enormous and heavy that once it started slamming down, it couldn’t change directions.
But once that terrifying Nether fiend saw the Ghost March Ship fleeing into the distance, it stopped paying them any attention. The Ghost March Ship was just a fly to it, and it had simply swatted at this fly out of annoyance. Since it hadn’t hit, it would just let the fly be, so long as it wasn’t buzzing around its ear.
As they distanced themselves from the bone dragon, everyone sighed in relief.
With a scary guy like that blocking the way, they could only go around, which wasted a lot of time. To save on the black grains, Tang Jie couldn’t constantly use them, so by the time Tang Jie arrived, some other ghost ship had gotten to the Death God weapon first.
This wasn’t strange, but it meant that as time passed, more and more Death God weapons would be discovered, and Tang Jie wouldn’t be able to get them all, as he was all by himself.
“Some things are just unavoidable,” Tang Jie couldn’t help but sigh.
The three Ghost Kings wondered what exactly Tang Jie meant by that, but Tang Jie soon regained his composure and had everyone searching for the next Death God weapon.
Even though he had the black grain that let him sense the existence of Death God weapons before everyone else, by the end, Tang Jie could sense fewer and fewer and obtained fewer of what he could sense. Moreover, once these Death God weapons had a master, they would cut off the connection, preventing him from sensing them any longer.
After finding another four Death God weapons, Tang Jie was unable to find any more.
But this time, Tang Jie shattered only two out of the four, making the remaining two turn into Severing Hooks and produce Nether Attendants to stand at his side, adding two more powerhouses to his force.
Most importantly, the Nether Attendants’ ability to travel to the mortal plane was of use to his future plans.
The date of the Nine Nethers eruption was drawing closer and closer…
——————————————————————
Plush!
In the Hall of Divine Conference, Tang Jie suddenly threw up blood.
The blood splashed onto the tilestones, giving off a crystalline luster.
Each drop was like a gorgeous red gem, and it exuded a fragrant aroma.
A bird smelled the scent and flew into the hall, drinking a drop of this blood. Its body instantly began to grow larger and taller, exuding a formidable strength. This bird had gone all the way to the peak of Mortal Shedding, only one step away from Celestial Heart.
But it wouldn’t get this chance, for a moment later, it exploded.
The blood of an Immortal was a supreme treasure, but it was not something mortal creatures could endure.
One bird after another flew into the hall, pecking at his blood and exploding into clouds of gore.
Tang Jie quietly watched, neither stopping their actions nor saving them.
For him, all creatures within this world had become no different from the grass, trees, and dirt. All actions were one’s own choice to take, and all fortuitous opportunities came together with danger.
If one could not endure the danger, the opportunity would become a death sentence that would result in only death.
“Only death…” Tang Jie muttered, a chilling light in his eyes as he gazed at that pile of flesh and blood.
“Master!” a deep voice shouted.
Er Hu, also known as Wang Posha, entered the hall.
He was one of the few who could directly enter the Hall of Divine Conference without passing a message first.
Ignoring the carnage, he kneeled in front of Tang Jie and said, “The disciple pays respects to Master.”
“Any news from Blood River?” Tang Jie slowly said.
“Yes, the Flame Celestial Sovereign sent word that he’s essentially found where Blood River and the others are hiding.”
“Hmph, more likely that they’ve finished with their trap,” Tang Jie casually said.
Unsurprised, Er Hu said, “Nothing in the world can hide from Master’s piercing gaze!”
“Is that so?” Tang Jie whispered.
He opened his hand and looked down at his palm lines.
The palm lines were like blades, slicing fissures through the world.
Er Hu looked at Tang Jie in confusion.
After some thought, he said, “Master is rather strange today.”
“Oh?” Tang Jie chuckled. “Did you see it, or sense it?”
Er Hu was taken aback by the question, after which he replied, “I saw it.”
Tang Jie shook his head. “You are the Child of Fate, favored by fortune, so how can you focus on appearances?”
Er Hu was confused. Tang Jie pointed at his heart. “You must learn to strike right at the Origin Heart.”
“‘Strike right at the Origin Heart’?” Er Hu said in shock.
He pondered the question, but after a while, he shook his head. “Your disciple senses nothing. I’m afraid I’m not suitable to be a Child of Fate.”
“It’s just that the moment hasn’t come,” Tang Jie replied.
Er Hu had no idea what Tang Jie was talking about, and Tang Jie changed the topic. “How are your Martial Ancestor and Third Martial Uncle doing?”
This naturally referred to Ling Xiao and Xiao Biehan.
Er Hu answered, “Martial Ancestor and Martial Uncle have both displayed their power in the cultivator war, killing many renowned enemies.”
Tang Jie ruefully shook his head. “Silly, I’m not asking about that.”
Er Hu froze for a moment, and then he realized what was being asked. “I recently met with Martial Ancestor, who said that while walking the border of life and death in all these battles, he was able to comprehend much, and he managed to find the solution to many questions he previously found intractable. The same is true for Martial Uncle. He said that the Rosecloud Domain has never had an opponent like the Blood River Domain before, and his vision has been broadened, as have his thoughts on cultivation, so he is no longer bound by the rules. The two of them have both made great strides in cultivation, and it won’t be long until they make the attempt at Immortal Platform.”
Tang Jie said, “Go and tell them that there’s not much time left. They must be ready for the attempt before the final battle with the Lord of the Blood River.”
“Why is that?”
“Don’t ask questions you ought not to ask,” Tang Jie replied. “Right, how is my wife?”
“Everything is going well,” Er Hu replied.
After that night spent under the Spring and Autumn Scroll, Xu Miaoran had become pregnant.
But once one became an Immortal, it took not ten months for one’s offspring to grow, but three years. In these three years, Xu Miaoran needed to put all her energy into nurturing the children. This was the only way to create two geniuses.
The Spring and Autumn Scroll had told him this. Tang Jie had given the cause and asked for the effect, with the Spring and Autumn Scroll completing the process. Three years was the necessary price for this process.
Thus, after confirming she was pregnant, Xu Miaoran had returned to Horizon Ocean Pavilion. There was the Jewel Heaven, within which was the Immortal Spring of Creation, which was most beneficial to the nurturing of life, both for the mother and the child. It was one of the main reasons Horizon Ocean Pavilion produced so many talented individuals. And for various reasons, Tang Jie didn’t want Xu Miaoran to remain here, so he sent her back. On the day of their parting, Xu Miaoran was in such a state that tears had completely soaked her clothes. The Child of Fate had not sensed anything, but husband and wife shared a deeper connection.
Tang Jie took out the Mountain River State Diagram.
He gave it to Er Hu and said, “Go and give this to Miaoran.”
The Mountain River State Diagram contained Tang Jie’s small world, rich in resources and possessing endless uses.
But now, Tang Jie was having Er Hu give it to Xu Miaoran.
Er Hu looked at Tang Jie in shock. “Master, what has happened?”
Tang Jie simply waved him off.
Er Hu didn’t dare to object, withdrawing with the diagram.
As Tang Jie watched him leave, he suddenly threw up another mouthful of blood.
This blood was a stunning red, and it seemed to exude a tyrannical air.
A tabby cat walked over and licked the blood.
A moment later, it roared like a tiger.
Tang Jie’s eyes were once more clear and indifferent.
He took out the Myriad Yin Yang Furnace and the Sovereign Blade, placing them before him, and then let the fear within his heart consume him…