Li Wudi was currently training in seclusion within Decimo Sacred Hall. That day, the weather suddenly got extremely stormy as the earth shook. Spiritual energy rampaged all over the place as it spewed from the geysers in the ground before being absorbed into the dao palace. It was as if a dragon was pulled forcefully by its neck towards Decimo Sacred Hall.
"What's going on?"
"Something huge is happening. Is it a result of cultivation?"
Many people looked in the Dark Hall's direction with doubt and worry.
"It's said that since ancient times, breaking through to become an empyrean saint requires a near-endless amount of spiritual energy to the point that abnormal weather patterns would manifest."
"It must be Li Wudi!"
"It could only be him. He's breaking through to become an empyrean saint."
"It'll only get rowdier from here on!"
"Only empyrean saints are true saints who can live up to five centuries."
As expected, dark clouds loomed over the sacred hall as streams of spiritual energy kept pouring inside. Within the hall, the cries of a kunpeng could be heard. The Primordial Bloodbane Kunpeng was currently metamorphosing into an empyrean beast.
"Once one becomes an empyrean saint, the body becomes far more powerful. If Li Wudi succeeds at such a young age, he will be at his most vigorous. Meanwhile, Autarch Qian is already aging. Even the Cyclic Mirror isn't able to stop his life force from seeping away."
"Li Wudi is forty now. If he can live for five centuries, that'd make him the equivalent of us when we were in our twenties."
Bai Mo and Ye Yi discussed the event with excitement.
"It's really going to be the end of Autarch Qian, right?"
They looked at each other with confident gazes. To become an empyrean saint was a pivotal bottleneck. Once Li Wudi broke through, he would only be one stage lower than Autarch Qian. However, his Bloodfiend Transformation was more than enough to make up for it. The only uncertainty that remained was the Cyclic Mirror.
"At the very least, we'll have someone on our side who can hold up against the autarch," Ye Yi said. It was certainly a cause for celebration.
"Then the autarch is definitely doomed!" With how much future potential Li Wudi has, there was no way Autarch Qian could compare.
"Autarch Qian has missed his final chance to kill Li Wudi," Bai Mo said.
"That's right. We also have Feng, who has been supporting the formation and cultivating at the same time. With the Soulfiend guiding him, he's improving quickly."
"The young ones these days really are impressive."
Gradually, the commotion caused by Li Wudi's breakthrough grew even fiercer. Even the walls of Decimo Sacred Hall began to crack.
"To think that the hall would crack even though it's reinforced by heavenly pattern formations... I wonder how much more terrifying this fellow will become after one year of explosive growth..."
The rumbling grew even stronger as the hall's doors swayed strongly from the influx of spiritual energy. Soon, a blood-haired man walked out of it. Each one of his steps sent chills down the two elites' spines. It was as if a gigantic beast was coming their way. The sensation of being oppressed by a higher lifeform was discomforting, to say the least.
Behind him, a kunpeng surrounded by a bloody aura stepped out and soared into the skies. The bloody aura caused bloody clouds to manifest around it. Then, a loud thunderous bang startled countless people in the dao palace.
"Did you succeed, Wudi?" Ye Yi anxiously asked.
"Yes. The transformation at the empyrean saint stage is far bigger than I had imagined," Li Wudi said as he stretched.
"Your bloody aura is through the roof. I was very young when the palace lord made her breakthrough. But I can feel that your aura is at least five times denser than hers," Ye Yi said.
"Haha, not bad... not bad..." Li Wudi was quite satisfied with his current transformation. He knew that becoming an empyrean saint wasn't the end of his journey. While his peak cultivation age had passed, he still had at least two centuries left to grow. He could definitely reach heights nobody in the history of the Theocracy had ever touched.
"How's the current situation looking?" he asked.
"Most of the Divine Capital is dealt with. Some surrendered, and the rest were killed. Apart from the autarch, nobody from the Nineshades Clan survived. We made sure to wipe them all out," Ye Yi said.
Even if Weisheng Yunxi were able to awaken from her coma, she would choose to abdicate and let Li Wudi become the next palace lord in favor of a relaxing trip in the future. So, while Bai Mo and Ye Yi were Li Wudi's seniors, they obeyed his orders.
"What about Skyreach River?"
"The hostages have been rescued and are being sent back to the Grand-Orient Realm. However, sending these ten million people back will take quite a few months. I've sent a few of my men to work on it," Bai Mo said.
"What about Tianming's relatives?"
"They've been brought to the dao palace. Your mother has also been here to see you," Bai Mo said.
"Alright."
"Wudi, the autarch should have returned, right? Is he hiding in the Divine Capital?" Ye Yi asked with worry. It had been ten days since the last great battle here, so the autarch should've returned, but there was no sign of him. The worst threats were those that couldn't be heard coming. Even during Li Wudi's breakthrough attempt, nobody had come to interrupt him.
"He seems to be at Richwater City," Li Wudi said.
Richwater City was also one of the Divine Capital's satellite cities. It was quite large, second only in size to Dazzling City and the Divine Capital.
"What's he doing there?"
"I don't know."
"I'll send someone to check," Bai Mo said.
"Alright. By the way, where's Tianming?"
"He should be at the Nature Arts Hall, training Invincible Sword Body at the sword ki pool. He's probably trying to master Myriad-Demise Sword. His Invincible Sword Ki will definitely become even stronger. Since Autarch Qian is still alive, Tianming doesn't want to waste even a second."
"I'll go check on him before heading to Richwater City to visit our autarch then!" Li Wudi said with a fierce glare.
"Shouldn't you wait it out? The more time you have, the closer your strength will be to his," Ye Yi said.
"There's no need. Let me give it a try. I have a feeling this old guy won't just take it lying down. There's no way he'll let things go our way now that his entire clan is wiped out. Perhaps he's up to something sickening at Richwater City."
"Don't die, alright?" Bai Mo warned.
"Of course." Li Wudi then went to the Nature Arts Hall.
......
Sword ki surged within the pool, raging chaotically as it charged towards Tianming. Just like Ying Huo, he had jumped directly into the pool to train the technique. While it was more efficient to do so, it was painful beyond comprehension. Tianming's goal was to achieve Myriad-Demise Sword, and he was fusing every single strand of sword ki in his body.
"There's only nine hundred and eighty left! I need to hold it in! Aaaaaagh!"
"Aaaaaagh!"
The man and bird cried out in pain at the same time. Their shrieks would scare even the most hardened of warriors.
"What kind of freaking battle art is this? I'm never doing this again! Even with my amazing comprehension skills, I still have to be tortured like this!" Ying Huo said as it jumped around in pain.
"Eight hundred and fifty more!" Tianming spent at least half the time he was there in the pool.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"Of course."
"Then why'd you jump inside?"
"I have to keep soldiering on as long as the autarch still lives. The potential disaster he can cause is too large to ignore. Even with my godfather standing up to him, I can't let my guard down. I have to give it my best." He had seen hell at Dazzling Pavilion. He didn't want it to repeat ever again.
"That makes sense. That madman is a freaking lunatic. There's no way he'll just sit still now that all his descendants are dead." Ying Huo sighed before jumping into the pool again, resigning itself to the painful screams once more. "This battle art really makes you taste despair, doesn't it?"
Tianming felt pain all over his body. His expression couldn't turn grimmer even if he wanted it to. He watched as the strands of Invincible Sword Ki tussled about in his body. If not for Prime Tower, his body would've long been torn to shreds.
By now, he could unleash a thousand strands of sword ki from a single fingertip. He could even kill just by looking. His whole body was now just like a sword ki pool, with countless colorful strands of sword ki rampaging within.
"Five hundred more!" The closer he was to his goal, the more he gritted his teeth to muster his willpower. The pain grew exponentially with the strands of assimilated sword ki to the point that his blood seeped into the pool.
"We always have a choice to slack off and back away in fear. But even that luxury is deprived of us when our enemies come looking to kill us. If I endure just this one bit more, I can achieve even more things. I used to be unable to protect Midas. Now, I don't want to relive that pain of being unable to protect my loved ones any longer. That's why I'll take one more strand! One more! With greater power comes greater responsibility! Only the one who races with destruction against time is worthy of winning it all! If we grow complacent, we'll forever be useless no matter what kind of benefits we receive! The only path of heaven is one that is paved through the battlefield of life and death!"He had never felt that his talent was anything extraordinary. Just like others, he had but one life to struggle with. Not to mention, geniuses set themselves against deadly odds far more often than normal people did.
"I want to master Myriad-Demise Sword!" His blood filled the pool, but the glow in his eyes didn't dampen even one bit. He cried out in pain, but that cry was a sign of his unyielding willpower.
Willpower was formless and abstract, but it was the most valuable possession for any man. It was nourishment for Imperial Will. It was the core of his being. His unyielding willpower was to overcome fate by walking the most righteous path and earning the respect of all sentient beings. By wielding the sword of justice, he would not be wronged by the denizens of the world.
"Only a hundred more!"
"Only ten more!"