Over the next few days, Tianming had to stay in the Nature Arts Hall to cultivate the Ninesilver Astral Art. But was the witty young man willing to have a long-distance relationship with Feiling? Of course not!
He simply brought her to the Nature Arts Hall and called it supervising her cultivation for the purpose of using his hands.
In the Night Reflection Room...
"Ling’er, guide the power from Perpetia through here and here, and finally here. That’s right, keep the energy here and maintain the fullness... Um, I mean maintain this state," said Tianming.
"Big Brother, have you had enough? If you keep doing this, I might be possessed by my demons." Feiling blushed.
Every time he mentioned a position, Tianming would touch it with his hand!
"Ahem, you must practice hard. Don't think about anything else. Let your heart be as calm as a lake. Fortune comes from one’s own accord, got it?" said Tianming.
Pinching her cheek, he added, "Don’t be lazy, young woman! You must be as diligent as I am!"
"Go away," Feiling fumed.
The cheeky bastard wouldn’t stop teasing her.
"Remember that persistence leads to victory!"
After teasing her a little more, Tianming continued contemplating the Ninesilver Astral Art. In the pitch-black space, his weapon was especially bright, like a river of stars lighting up the night.
Over and over again, he flicked the Three-Thousand Starfield. As the starry blue chain uncoiled, a crisp sound filled the room.
"Brilliant Stars."
This was the first move of the Ninesilver Astral Art. Its meaning lay in the word ‘brilliant.’ When this whip strike was demonstrated, its gleam was earth-shattering. The gorgeous galaxy swept across the sky, forming a net of starfields, even absorbing the power of stars and starlight to strengthen itself.
With a whip, the galaxies roiled. The dazzling light zipped past as a starry chain danced across the sky at a frightening speed, creating a fathomless phantom. It appeared as if Tianming controlled a whole starry sky.
"I’ve finally achieved the goal set by the palace lord. It only took me about fifty thousand attempts ."
Over the past few days, Tianming had spent a third of his time contemplating Brilliant Stars. He repeatedly practiced the move with his dark arm, which made it easier. If he had used his right hand, he probably would have broken it.
It took a lot of power to control the Three-Thousand Starfield. The stars contained Astral Ki and an amalgamation of saintly spirit ores and saintly spirit hazards, which could be stacked on top of the Invincible Sword Ki. This was the core strength of the weapon. After fifty thousand attempts, Tianming’s Ninesilver Astral Art had begun to take shape.
Just as he unleashed the final whip strike, Weisheng Yunxi opened the door and entered the room. Although she couldn’t see, she seemed to be able to sense Tianming’s achievements. After all, she was very familiar with her own battle art.
"Have you mastered it?" Weisheng Yunxi stood with a helpless smile on her face.
"Yes, it wasn’t so hard," said Tianming.
"I'm now sure that you’re better than your godfather. Your godfather has also been contemplating an empyrean battle art, but his results are far worse than yours. The Ninesilver Astral Art is just as good as the sword art he’s cultivating. You've managed to achieve a little success after practicing it fifty thousand times. You’d be able to master it in a day if you were an empyrean saint! Tianming, tell me, do you have more than five bane-rings?" asked Weisheng Tianlan.
"Palace Lord, I don't mean to hide it from you anymore. I’m actually a decabane. But please, don't tell the others," Tianming said.
In truth, as more people came to suspect him, the truth couldn’t be hidden. The difference between him and Li Qingyu was too big. The elders who knew about Tianming's progress, such as Weisheng Yunxi, would certainly have their doubts.
"Are you sure?" Although she had suspected, it was still hard to believe.
"The five bane-rings on the left are covered by the dark arm, so you can't see them clearly, but they do exist," said Tianming.
"I can’t even fathom the concept of an octabane, much less a decabane…. Are bane-rings some cheap thing? Why are they constantly springing up like mushrooms?"
With that, she had answered the doubts in her heart. Sure enough, Tianming was stronger than Li Wudi in that respect. As such, many things were explicable.
"Tianming, this matter should be known by me alone. Your godfather's octabane physique has caused a sensation in the Theocracy, not to mention a decabane. The Theocracy isn’t all there is to the Flameyellow Continent. It won’t be good if news of your heaven-defying talent spreads. Both you and Li Wudi need enough time to grow. You must at least have the strength of an Empyrean Saint to control the Theocracy. Only then can you rise in the Flameyellow Continent," said Weisheng Yunxi.
It seemed she had plans to pass the Decimo Dao Palace—and even the realm—to Tianming and his godfather.
"Palace Lord, I know. I’ll personally come clean to my godfather, so he doesn’t suffer too heavy a blow. After all, the number two genius of the Grand-Orient Realm might weep if he’s hit too hard," laughed Tianming.
"Not even he knows?"
"Yes," said Tianming.
"Alright. I’ll try my best to help you keep your secrets. You have too many of them that can’t be disclosed. We wouldn’t want to attract the attention of the powerhouses of the Flameyellow Continent. Fortunately, we’re far away from the heart of the continent and have little communication with them,” said Weisheng Yunxi.
"Thank you, Palace Lord."
In fact, Feiling's god physique and Tianming's bane-rings were hard to conceal. Feiling's body was so conspicuous that even Weisheng Yunxi had detected it. There must be many powerhouses throughout the entire continent who surpassed her.
As for ten bane-rings, it wasn’t as much of an issue. After all, there was only one Li Saint Clan. Not even the people of the Nine Divine Realms would know the significance of an octabane and decabane. Because of Li Shenxiao, an octabane might seem destiny-defying in the Theocracy. However, the people of the Nine Divine Realms would probably be dismissive of it. All he had to do was keep the secret of his Primordial Chaos Beasts.
"The Nine Divine Realms are far from where we are. Generally speaking, they don’t have any interactions with us. Unless one of you becomes a god and the Eleventh Supreme God in the Flameyellow Continent, then develop the realm into the tenth divine realm," Weisheng Yunxi said hopefully.
"That's still a long way from now. I'd better aim for Sky Saint first,” Tianming laughed.
Become a god? Although he had that dream, it was currently out of reach. Who knows what else he would have to experience on his path even before breaking through to Sky Saint! In the history of the entire Flameyellow Continent, there were a total of ten supreme gods. Out of the ten, Xuanyuan Chi had relied on the Demon City to become a god. Would it be his turn to achieve such a legendary feat?
"By the way, has there been any more progress with your Invincible Sword Body?" asked Weisheng Yunxi.
"I’ve managed to integrate two thousand strands of sword ki," he replied.
"That’s unprecedented. It looks like I’ll be able to witness the monumental occasion of you mastering the Myriad-Demise Sword.
"Don’t worry, Palace Lord. That’s no problem at all," said Tianming.
“Then again, what’s the reason behind your increased speed in integrating the sword ki?"
"It may have something to do with my time spent in the tomb. Moreover, I’ve suffered so much I’m now numb to the pain. Instead, it makes me feel relaxed. I have to torture myself with Invincible Sword Ki to feel the rush.”
"You weirdo," Weisheng Yunxi couldn’t help but admit.
In fact, she knew that after the Thousand-Demise Sword, the sword ki grew more and more difficult to bear. Tianming made it sound easy; however, the sound of his screams whenever he entered the sword ki pool demonstrated how hard it was. After experiencing a struggle between life and death in the tomb, he knew to cherish life and protect his loved ones, which required strength above all else. Naturally, it demanded willpower that surpassed everyone as well.
"Tianming, your current strength isn’t bad. You’ve caught up with most of your seniors. However, your secluded cultivation must be matched with actual combat drills for real transformation. The dao palace is almost at war with Autarch Yun. At present, we’re already laying out our plans. I’d like to give you a position in the Dark Hall, so you have a certain military power. You should prepare for battle," said Weisheng Yunxi.
Although her eyes couldn’t see, the expectations she had for Tianming were clear from her expression.
"Palace Lord, I’ve received the protection of the dao palace, and the grace of saving my life. You’ve also given me so much and treated me like your own child. Now that I’ve succeeded, I’ll do my best to contribute to the Dao Palace!" Tianming’s eyes burned with passion.
"That’s all secondary. What’s important is for you to grow up well and become a peerless master in the future. Together with your godfather, you’ll bring peace and prosperity to the people of this realm, so all beings can share in a flourishing nation, not just the Divine Capital. I await the day our home becomes the domain of the gods and the core of the Flameyellow Continent!" Weisheng Yunxi smiled. Although it sounded as if her kindness toward Tianming and Li Wudi had ulterior motives, her actual reasons were selfless.
"Of course!" Tianming took her hand.
"Very good! Young man, when you stand above all, establish the true path of a sovereign and bring blessings to the people. When all are strong, the sovereign is strong. You mustn’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. The people have suffered for tens of thousands of years, and now it’s time to bring an end to these troubled times. I’m an old woman, willing to clear a path for all beings and contribute my all. When the great cause comes to fruition, I’ll retreat, return to the mountains, and enjoy my blessings. We’ll have to rely on you and your godfather to lead the like-minded disciples of the dao palace to create a new Theocracy and bring about a golden age."
Weisheng Yunxi’s smile was filled with a longing for the new era. It was obvious she had great compassion; Tianming truly respected her.