The Divine Roll was published by the CIA’s Special Case Department to list all the Immortal Level Overlords in the world.
The United States of America’s Central Intelligence Agency was formed in 1947, however, the Special Case Department had a much longer history than that.
This department was co-funded by the dominating families during the American Revolutionary War. Its purpose was to investigate elements of the supernatural, such as Vampires and Werewolves.
The organization had changed over time and eventually became the Special Case Departments. The department played a pivotal role during the two great wars and their influence also reached a zenith during that time. It was the Dark World equivalent of the United Nations.
Therefore, the Special Case Department used to be called the International Association for Managing Super Humans, or, I.A.M.S.H.
It was considered the largest Special Case Department in the world and started publishing the Dark Roll and the Divine Roll a hundred years ago.
There was no internet at that time, so the rolls were broadcast using encrypted radio channels. The Dark World had existed hundreds if not thousands of years and had developed their own methods of communication. However, ever since the Americans invented nuclear weapons and became the dominant power of the world, the Immortal State warriors retreated backstage and so did the Special Case Department. They were eventually annexed by the CIA and their new boss decided to close the Divine Roll.
However, no one had ever thought that sixty years later, the Divine Roll would be reopened.
“The reopening of the Divine Roll proclaims the dawn of a new age. The biggest player in this new age will definitely be Chen Beixuan!”
The Observer wrote in his post.
The news of the reopening of the divine roll took the world by storm.
Many ancient and powerful family clans across the globe: Western Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia looked to China where the only member of the Divine Roll presided.
Those who were listed on the Divine Roll were the absolute rulers of the world, or at least it used to be the case. Even the kings and queens of mighty nations had to treat them with extreme reverence. Things had changed ever since the mortals gained the secret weapon the Nuclear bomb.
Many people wondered if the re-opening of the Divine Roll meant that history was about to repeat itself and the Immortal State overlords were going to retake what they lost to technology?
“Chen Beixuan!”
The name reverberated in many people’s minds.
He had risen to fame across the globe and became a shiny beacon of might and power that attracted the attention of the public.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan had returned to Jin City with Sister An. After spending a few days with his family, he rushed to the Green Dragon Grand Array and started seclusion cultivation.
A few months later…
Yukishiro Sa stood right before the North Qiong Pavilion, marveling at the storm of energy shrouded over the magnificent structure. Yukishiro Sa had become much more elegant and graceful in her appearance. Her glowing complexion and silky skin made her look like the Goddess of Blizzard.
She strapped a long Azure blade on her back, which hummed rhythmically with Yukishiro Sa’s breath. The blade continuously drew Spirit Qi into its sheath and then Yukishiro Sa channeled the Spirit Qi into her own body. The flow of Qi had made a bond between the girl and her blade, making them closely attuned.
Yukishiro Sa hadn’t allowed herself to slack off even one day ever since Chen Fan showed her the Sword Art of Azure Flower. By now, she had reached the peak of Internal Force cultivation. Her piercing gaze had gained the same deadly intent as a mighty swordmaster.
“Tong Shan, Master has been in there for more than a month. Do you think everything is OK?”
Yukishiro Sa turned around and looked at Tong Shan.
Tong Shan stood unflappably like an iron pagoda.
By now, he had grown to be three meters tall and his presence emanated suffocating intimidation to the people around him. He was at least ten times stronger than Yukishiro Sa and his power would even make Azure dragon and Andrew feel embarrassed for themselves.
Seeing Tong Shan didn’t answer, Yukishiro Sa shook her head and lamented: “Whatever, I forgot you are just a robot.”
After she said that, she looked back at the North Qiong Pavilion as the worry and concern multiplied inside of her mind.
Shrouded by wild whirling energies, the North Qiong Pavilion had become a Temple of the Storm God. Yukishiro Sa could feel the Green Dragon Grand Array had drawn half of Jin City’s Spirit Qi here and channeled it into the North Qiong Pavilion through a funnel cloud above the structure. The Spirit Qi condensed inside the funnel clouds into liquid and dripped down from the bottom of the funnel.
“We barely got to say hi to him after he had gone missing for a year. Then he rushed to seclusion cultivation. Something is not quite right…”
Yukishiro Sa couldn’t help but start overthinking it.
Yukishiro Sa had abandoned her family in Japan and Chen Fan was all she had. So she cared about Chen Fan as much as she cared about herself.
Tong Shan remained silent, so the two waited quietly.
While they were waiting, Wang Xiaoyun, Chen Huaian, and An Ya visited them from time to time. Wang Xiaoyun returned Zhong Hai as soon as she realized that she wouldn’t see Chen Fan for a while, but Chen Huaian stopped by almost every other day.
One day, two days, three…
Ten… twenty… thirty…
Three months later, at the end of another uneventful day, even as Yukishiro Sa was ready for bed, she noticed the funnel cloud was increasing its size at an incredible rate.
One hundred meters, two hundred, three hundred.
In the end, the top of the cloud had reached a kilometer, bigger than the Green Dragon Grand Array and covered the entire East Mountain. If not for the Illusion spell, people in Jin City would have thought that there was a terrible storm brewing in the mountain.
“It is…”
Yukishiro Sa rounded her eyes in disbelief as a miraculous sight unfolded itself before her.
“KOM!”
A scintillating beam of azure light pierced through the roof of the North Qiong Pavilion, into the eye of the swirling funnel. The light grew brighter by the second, painting the funnel cloud with its azure glow.
Looking from afar, the cloud looked like a giant umbrella.
“Condense Qi into the cloud that stretched out a hundred meter… ”
“This would be a textbook example of the power of the Immortal State, except for the cloud had reached a kilometer in width instead of a hundred! Does that mean master reached beyond the Immortal Stat and had become the so-called Earth Level Deity?”
Yukishiro Sa was so shocked that words simply got stuck in her throat.
The Azure cloud remained in the sky for a good fifteen minutes before it finally subsided.
After a while, even the swirling energy outside of North Qiong Pavilion disappeared and returned the peace and serenity to the valley. Already, Yukishiro Sa sensed a drastic reduction in the concentration of Qi in the Green Dragon Grand Array. A lot of the Spirit herbs had started to wilt.
“Kacha!”
The door of the pavilion cracked open.
“Come in.”
A clear and crisp voice came out from within.
“Yes..”
Yukishiro Sa could no longer hold back her shock and surprise and rushed into the Pavilion with Tong Shan. They saw Chen Fan standing alone in the large empty room, with his back facing the door, staring at a painting of the girl in a violet outfit.
“Master, were you successful?” Yukishiro Sa asked in a trembling voice.
“I have worked day and night ever since I have been reborn, now I have finally reached the Divine Sea level.” Chen Fan exclaimed.
His voice was filled with countless moments of frustration and perseverance.
“I entered Ethereal Enlightenment three months ago, and it took me another three months to enter the Divine Sea. Such are the difficulties in cultivation!”
That being said, the lack of Spirit Qi dictated the enormity of challenges to cultivators. Therefore, if not because of the previous knowledge Chen Fan had as the North Mystic Celestial Lord, he wouldn’t have even been close to the Divine Sea.
The three stages of the Qi Refinement Phase were: Foundation Establishment, Ethereal Enlightenment, and Divine Sea.
The Divine Sea was the final stage before Chen Fan reached the Connate Spirit phase. Only after reaching Connate Spirit, did Chen Fan’s Immortal Cultivation finally start. In the world of Immortal Cultivators, those who couldn’t make it to the Connate Spirit were forbidden to call themselves Cultivators.
“Hooo!”
Chen Fan turned around abruptly and locked his gaze on the girl.
Yukishiro Sa covered her mouth to stifle a cry and lowered her eyes. Chen Fan’s eyes were like two swirling whirlpools that threatened to suck her soul in. Yukishiro Sa dared not to hold his gaze for too long.
Such was only a taste of the power of a Divine Sea cultivator.
Once one had reached the Divine Sea level, his Soul Energy and Divine Soul would have strengthened to such an unimaginable degree that they would gain solidity in the world of reality. By now, Chen Fan wouldn’t even need to lift a finger in order to kill a Martial Artist. One glare that was fused with his Soul Energy would have melted his opponent’s defense.
“Plus, what made Divine Sea stand out was more than just the Divine powers that came with it.” Chen Fan cracked a smile and said. Then he grunted something under his breath.
“Arise!”
Yukishiro Sa watched as his Divine Soul in the form of a translucent apparition appeared right on top of Chen Fan’s head. Other than it’s otherworldly texture, the appearance of the Divine Soul was exactly like that of Chen Fan. Slowly, a light came up from within the apparition and made it look like a lit-up crystal statue.
“Shu!”
The Divine Soul shot up and through the roof of the building. It didn’t seem to slow down even after it had reached the zenith of the Green Dragon Grand Array. It kept on soaring until it was above the Dharma Array and disappeared into the sun.
“It reminds me of the legend about the immortal sage who travels the world using his Soul and spirit.”
Many such stories appeared in Yukishiro Sa’s mind. Most of them were mythical tales and legends from Daoism and Buddhism about ghosts and spirits.
Soul Projection!
It was a common ability among the Perfected Cultivators and Grand Onmyoji.
Both Lord Susano and Yamamizuki Sho had the Soul Projection ability even before they became Demon Gods. They could travel the physical and the astral world in the form of an apparition.
That being said, their abilities were limited by various conditions such as the time of the day. They were often called the Yin deity since they could only project their soul in the night. Only the Earth Level Deity, such as the legendary Eight Immortals in Chinese folklore would have the ability to protect their soul at any given time.
However, the Eight Immortals existed only in works of fiction, and no such abilities appeared in any history canons.
“I am afraid that the Master has finally become a real deity.”
Yukishiro Sa murmured in disbelief.
Chen Fan’s Divine Soul traveled across the entire Jin City and finally returned to its corporeal body.
Once the apparition disappeared, Chen Fan rose to his feet, eyes glinting.
“I have reached the Divine Sea and completed my first phase of cultivation. From today on, I would no longer be weighed down by my mortal coil. I can live even without a body.”
“I have finally gained the power to dominate the earth!”
Chen Fan heaved a sigh and looked into the distance without any emotion or feelings in his eyes.