Chapter 408: Chapter 407: Star Realm Divine Residence
In an indescribable location, Ivan stood there fixedly, before him was the Seven Gods Mountain he had arduously sought.
What a splendid mountain peak bathed in divine light!
The mountain was enveloped in orderly, colorful radiance, blurring the lines between reality and the illusion crafted by light and shadow.
Mists surrounded the mountain, and above, clouds soared, all interwoven with colored light.
He glanced back at the defenses set up by the Centaur Race, imbued with profound strength. The golden gate from before had vanished, making exit an issue.
“Forget it, I’ll check out the summit first.”
…
His gaze returned to the peak, where a silhouette could faintly be made out, a statue standing tall, beckoning him forward.
With one step, he set foot on the stairs leading to the summit, sturdy beneath his shoes.
Combat Energy inside him buzzed to life, he felt his spiritual power slightly suppressed, his perception, severely restricted.
He understood; with another step onto the second stair, he instinctively synchronized with the Knight Breathing Method through his nose.
After a brief pause of a second or two, he started climbing the stairs step by step.
The higher he ascended, the more intense the suppression on his spiritual power, but in contrast, his Combat Energy resonated as if awakening, growing even more vibrant.
However, despite the stairway to the divine mountain seemingly featuring only a hundred steps, he had taken three hundred and still couldn’t reach the summit.
Ivan couldn’t help but look back; he was precisely at mid-mountain.
A test?
He wasn’t in a rush; he knew that tests always followed a certain pattern.
Once he had figured out this pattern, he would understand what aspect the steps of the mountain were testing. He put aside all distractions and delved solely into exploring the Breathing Method.
His current Breathing Method was still ‘Bat’s Eyes,’ but it had advanced by untold levels compared to the beginning.
For Breathing Methods prior to the Knight King stage, he had reached mastery.
Soon, he noticed a subtle aspect; the stairs of the mountain seemingly presented a challenge, but in fact, they were aiding in adjusting the rhythm of his breath, causing the Knight Breathing Method to undergo a transformation, progressing to a deeper level.
“So, that’s it. I’ll continue to savor it slowly!”
Time passed quietly, and he knew not how long, but when Ivan came to, he found himself at the summit, the feeling of spiritual suppression gone.
“This is indeed unexpected.”
What struck him was not the passage of time, but the true state of the summit.
Surrounded by this colorful divine light, the summit looked much less majestic than from the base, rather, it appeared unkempt.
It was clear that originally there were seven statues on the peak, now only one remained intact.
The statue was of an Alien Race, with semblance to the Centaur Race, having a human upper body and equine lower half.
Unlike the Centaur Race, the statue bore complete starspots and markings, characteristics of Star Realm creatures. It also had four wings and eight arms, carrying an unstoppable presence that perfectly aligned with the Knight’s Path.
Yet, the statue was covered in worn marks, as if subjected to the baptism of countless years, giving it an antiquated feel.
As for the other six statues, they were severely damaged, some with only four legs remaining, truly a sight of desolation.
Following the guidance in his heart, Ivan stood face-to-face with the only intact statue, looking up, eye to eye, only to see a dark red halo of light suddenly appear above the statue.
The light of the halo cascaded down, enveloping both the statue and him.
Red glows like blood, yet imparts a sense of sanctity.
In Ivan’s eyes, the statue seemed to come alive, standing before him was a highly skilled Knight; the two Knights stood opposite each other, their auras clashing.
Under the impact of the opposing aura, he was like a steadfast rock amidst raging waves, not moving an inch, not retreating half a step.
At that moment, Ivan received an abundance of information.
It turned out that everything originated from the Star Realm, from a primordial creature within the Star Realm, a being that naturally wielded a unique lifeforce called ‘The Light of Justice.’
It self-proclaimed as the ‘Justice Star Ancestor.’
This Justice Star Ancestor’s strength was so formidable, it was like a deity naturally born within the Star Realm.
One day, the Justice Star Ancestor divided its power into seven avatars, each named after the virtues of humility, honesty, compassion, bravery, integrity, sacrifice, and honor.
In the following eras, the Justice Star Ancestor with its seven avatars, eradicated evil and supported the weak, enjoying glory for several epochs.
But no flower stays in full bloom for a hundred days, and ultimately, the Justice Star Ancestor met an invincible enemy and fell in the vast river of the Star Realm.
Before its fall, the Justice Star Ancestor could not bear to see its path vanish, so it used its last ounce of strength to forge multiple sets of legacy statues, distributing them into many nearby worlds.
The Danaila World was just one of them.
Countless years passed, and what had happened during them was unknown; now only one statue named ‘Sacrifice’ remained, holding on to a scant amount of power, waiting for the herald of its legacy.
After many years, Ivan came before the statue to begin receiving the legacy of the Justice Star Ancestor.
Only after he absorbed the information within the statue did he realize the essence of the Knight Breathing Method was a cultivation method from the Star Realm; once cultivated to the Fourth level, the bloodline within one’s body would transform into that of the Star Realm.
The cultivation method and the Star Realm bloodline were undoubtedly one and the same.
The Seven Gods Mountain not only contained the legacy from the Star Realm but also held the power that aids in the transformation of one’s bloodline into that of the Star Realm.
If one couldn’t successfully ascend to the summit of the Seven Gods Mountain, the bloodline would not transition towards that of the Star Realm, and the rise to become a Knight King would remain a tall tale.
At that thought, Ivan broke out in a cold sweat.
Wouldn’t this mean bloodline alteration?
No, no, the River of Star Realm was the source of all things; it could be said that regardless of the world, all beings are derived from the Star Realm bloodline.
A pure Star Realm bloodline should not bring forth any adverse effects.
At this moment, he only regretted his scant knowledge of the Star Realm.
He forced himself to calm down, carefully sensing his mental ocean. The mental suppression eased after he left the staircase, now with little restriction left and no signs of rejection, indeed, there were no adverse effects.
“Besides, bloodline alteration is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if it’s a pure Star Realm bloodline alteration,” he reasoned.
“The legacy of the Justice Star Ancestor includes the Knight King, Legendary Star Venerable, and the Undying Star Lord, all covering up to the Sixth-level Throne. It certainly wouldn’t be right to give up over a mere worry.”
Various thoughts flashed through Ivan’s mind, and with time, his resolve grew firmer.
If heaven offers a boon, not taking it would be inviting misfortune!
Such a legacy from a deity-like being from the Star Realm, he was undoubtedly determined to claim.
However, the complete legacy couldn’t be acquired all at once; there was a prerequisite—he had to perceive the power of the Domain Aura from the statue, which was the bare minimum condition.
Without the aura, one wasn’t qualified to gain the complete legacy, merely grazing past the Path of the Justice Star Ancestor.
Another downside was that previously there were seven types of legacies, corresponding to seven kinds of Domain Auras, allowing one to choose the one most suitable for oneself. But now, Ivan had no choice in the matter; he could only strive to comprehend from the only remaining statue.