Chapter 942: Chapter 941: The Twelve Heavenly Gates Part 1
The third layer of Mist Rain Town was vast and boundless, as if it had no end.
But if one were to shrink it to the size of a chessboard, it would become apparent that the entire Mist Rain Town was actually shaped like a twelve-pointed star, with each tip seemingly equidistant from the others.
The northernmost tip.
The air was thick with sharp energy, and countless swords and blades could be faintly seen crisscrossing the sky. Ordinary folks would be shredded to bits in an instant upon arriving here, and even peak Earth Immortals had to muster all their strength just to withstand the pressure.
However, the three individuals seated here not only felt no difficulty but seemed to actually enjoy it, as if the sharp energy was but nourishment to them. With every breath they took, the clashing sounds of countless swords resonated, transforming the area into an ocean of blades.
"Truly worthy of being the top Sword Emperor of the Daxia Dynasty, impressive!"
The elderly man missing both his arms opened his eyes.
The elder to the right, with white hair but a youthful face, also turned to look at the man seated in the center upon hearing this.
"Heavenly Blade Absolute Sword, Slaughter’s Redemption, the universe vast and endless, only the Mysterious Yellow remains peerless! Who doesn’t know of the unparalleled blade and sword arts of the two elders of Mysterious Yellow? I dare not accept such undue praise."
The man on the other side had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. Though no longer young, one could still see his past elegance. He sat there so serenely, as if he were in a different world from the sword energy around him.
He was indeed the recognized number one swordsman of the Daxia Dynasty, the Sword Worshiping Emperor!
Like the Flying Horse Dynasty, the Daxia Dynasty also had its own ranking of powerhouses. Despite much debate, no matter which version was discussed, the Sword Worshiping Emperor was acknowledged as one of the top three masters.
His special move, Sin Severing, was also listed among the heavenly ranks of the lethal techniques list. Looking across the Daxia Dynasty, there were only two other moves that surpassed his, albeit by an insignificant margin.
Who would emerge stronger in a contest with the other two, no one could predict.
"Hehe, our blades and swords have not left the sheath for several hundred years, rusty indeed! We can’t compare to you young ones. Especially with the great era upon us, heroes and demons of heaven and earth will all emerge. Who knows who will stand proudly against the tide."
The armless elder Huang sighed with emotion.
The white-haired and youthful-looking Elder Xuan could only offer a bitter smile.
After a millennium of seclusion, the world feared none would expect that when their blades and swords joined forces just recently, someone caught it with bare hands.
Even the two elders of Mysterious Yellow, with their extensive experience, had never seen nor heard of this individual.
Seeing the expressions of the two elders, the Sword Worshiping Emperor did not inquire further, merely stating, "No matter how many will come, we should always remain true to our hearts and face the challenges head-on. Of the twelve celestial gates, nine have already been opened; the remaining three must be close."
The two elders of Mysterious Yellow were brought back to the present by his remark. Elder Xuan laughed heartily, "Sword Worshiping Emperor, with your heaven-sent talent, you’ve broken through the Metal Celestial Gate. Among the remaining eight, there are also hidden prodigies of Daxia’s martial world who have made their moves. However, we will need another three like them, which might be difficult in the short term."
After the twelve celestial gates, it was certain there would be a world-altering fortunate encounter. This was recognized by the experts of the Misty Rain Alliance and the Lake Sea Alliance. But the greater the fortune, the greater the difficulty.
With the temperament of the two elders of Mysterious Yellow, they naturally wouldn’t rush anything. After all, even just sitting outside the gates was vastly beneficial to them.
"Let’s wait and see," said the Sword Worshiping Emperor indifferently.
The Wood Celestial Gate.
Four figures, near and far, seemed as if four separate worlds had converged together. The mere overlapping fluctuations of their aura were enough to paralyze Terrestrial Immortals, scattering their souls and spirits.
"Wood Empress, isn’t your disciple a bit too monstrous? Not only is her lethal technique ranked in the human ranks of the lethal techniques list, but her mastery over the path of wood in martial arts has also reached such an extent?"
A blue-robed Daoist was astounded, observing the fifth shadow at a distance, utterly lacking the demeanor of someone from outside their realm.
The woman referred to as Wood Empress, wearing green, parted her vermilion lips, her voice like jade beads dropping onto a plate, "Ling’er was born with a natural affinity for the martial path of wood. She will surely surpass me in the future."
The other three inhaled sharply. The Wood Empress was a top-class figure among Earthly Realm Martial Emperors. Although she could not be ranked among the top ten masters, she was expected to make the top twenty. To be stronger than her meant being amongst the elite of the top ten.
However, seeing that Mu Ling’er was not even sixty years old yet had mastered the martial path of wood to the peak of perfection, no one doubted the Wood Empress’s words.
In the void, tendrils of vine formed from the power of martial arts continuously struck at the woman in green at the center. Each vine had reached the state of perfection, each powerful enough to contend with the weakest Martial Emperor of the Void Origin Realm.
The woman in green was enveloped in a layer of pure light, but it was already riddled with holes from the vines, and she herself was covered in blood, her aura having waned to its lowest point.
However, the speed of the light’s recovery was gradually accelerating, and the woman’s wounds were noticeably healing.
Including the Wood Empress, the hearts of the four Earthly Realm Martial Emperors were uplifted.
The vines attacked faster and more fiercely, nearly filling the void, causing blood to spatter everywhere. The woman in green’s body was almost like a sieve. The blue-robed Daoist even cried out.
But at that moment...
An indescribably rich vitality suddenly enveloped the woman in green, dragging the surrounding vines into a blend and converting them into her own energy. In a few breaths’ time, the blood flowed back into her body, and her wounds rapidly healed.
"Ling’er, has your martial path of wood broke through?" the Wood Empress asked, unable to hide her joy despite her status.
Mu Ling’er stood up respectfully, "To report to my master, I was fortunate enough to reach the initial stage of eleven percent mastery."
Boom!
As she spoke, behind the five individuals, the void trembled incessantly, and a green light gate slowly emerged.
"Truly a talent of the ages, she has opened the Wood Celestial Gate!"
The three green-robed Daoist priests were startled, delighted, and terrified all at once.
The commotion here naturally couldn’t escape the notice of the other nine corners.
The Water Heaven’s Gate.
A strange middle-aged man with a water droplet flowing on his forehead and a bluish tinge on his lips smiled, "What a Mu Ling’er from the Wood family. Given time, she might well join the ranks of the world’s top ten masters."
Upon hearing these words, several other figures were profoundly shaken.
Because the Heavenly Water Great Emperor had spoken of the world’s top ten masters, not just Daxia’s top ten. With his cautious nature, it was impossible for him to make such a slip of the tongue.
The Fire Heaven’s Gate.
Several scorching breaths, as if they could burn the skies and boil the seas, caused the temperature within tens of thousands of meters to reach an astonishing several thousand degrees Celsius.
"Jicheng, she is your opponent."
The man enshrouded in flames, his features indistinguishable, said.
"Not just Mu Ling’er. In Jicheng’s heart, anyone who has broken through eleven heaven gates is an opponent."
The young man with eyes like golden lanterns was expressionless.
Yan Jicheng, the Kirin son of the Daxia Yan family, reached the Void Origin Realm at the age of sixty-three. His innate talent was unmatched across the ages. Half a year ago, it was he, freshly emerged, who had broken through the Fire Heaven’s Gate and shaken the third layer of Mist Rain Town.
Regrettably, the resident Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor had never left, nor had he deliberately spread the news. Otherwise, Helian Duba’s renown wouldn’t even qualify to carry his shoes.
"The Fire Emperor was once one of Daxia’s ten emperors, but his grandson’s talent surpasses his own by even more. The Yan family is truly blessed by the heavens!"
A short distance away, several people looking at the Fire Emperor and Yan Jicheng, the grandfather-grandson duo, seemed to envision a scene where they could swallow thousands of miles and battle all the enemies under the heavens.
The Light Heaven’s Gate.
"Now, of the twelve heaven gates, only the Dark Heaven’s Gate and Dream Heaven’s Gate remain unopened. Still, according to reports, the Dark Sect, hidden for a thousand years, is resurging. Its young leader, the Dark Night Proton, will soon arrive to break through the Dark Gate. Thus, only the Dream Heaven’s Gate remains."
The speaking woman was in a pure white dress, her features as if meticulously sculpted by the heavens, perfectly set within an oval face. Every furrow of her brow and glance brimmed with emotion, a single look from her could make one’s bones soften.
Her grace and beauty were not inferior to Xi Xianglei of the Divine Sect.
"In Chai’er’s view, who might break through the Dream Heaven’s Gate?"
The refined man beside her laughed.
This trip to Mist Rain Town was of great import, and even he, the master of the Yan family, had personally taken action. He didn’t even know if he would be fortunate enough to emerge again, so he wanted to seize the opportunity to talk more with his daughter.
"There are many heroes in the world, but geniuses capable of opening a heaven gate are as rare as phoenix feathers and Kirin horns. My daughter only knows from the Heavenly Destiny Divine Fortune Teller that the twelve heaven gates must open, but as to who will succeed, it remains uncertain."
The woman’s expression was serene, yet it was this very serenity that wounded Yan Zhenning’s heart, filling him with a bitter taste, but helpless to change it. However, thinking of the task at hand, he quickly suppressed his emotions.
...
Within a tranquil guest room.
The air ceased to flow – no, it was more accurate to say that the air was replaced by Sword Qi, becoming a brief vacuum within the Sword Realm. The figure seated cross-legged on the bed inhaled softly, and countless strands of Sword Qi entered his body.
Hiss hiss hiss...
The next moment, an abnormally sharp colliding sound echoed in the room, like steel needles piercing an iron plate, lasting for an incident. It turned out that the previous Sword Qi was too fast and too concentrated, and only after dissipating did the residual power take effect.
"The power of the Heart Sword has reached two hundred and sixty strands," he said.
After another half-month of strenuous cultivation, Shi Xiaole’s Heart Sword stage had made leaps and bounds, approaching the state of great mastery. But at this step, he also encountered a bottleneck.
He had fully understood the sixth hollow of the Tortoise Shell of the Sword Path, but his current level of cultivation could not light up the seventh hollow. Shi Xiaole estimated that he would have to reach the Void Origin Realm to do so.
Yet even so, he felt content.
It was known that most Void Origin Realm Sword Emperors could only achieve minor comprehension of the Heart Sword, like the former Yellow Jade Sword Emperor. And Shi Xiaole, who had not yet stepped into the Void Origin Realm, was close to mastering the Heart Sword – an unprecedented achievement.
At that moment, Shi Xiaole felt that every move he made could unleash supreme Sword Qi, his strength having greatly increased from before.
After stowing away the Tortoise Shell of the Sword Path and taking a moment to adjust, Shi Xiaole decided to head out to see what was happening. Before leaving the guest room, he checked and found that the previous Void Origin Realm Martial Emperor was not at his residence.
Wandering the streets for several hours, Shi Xiaole suddenly glimpsed three figures, their auras undoubtedly of the Void Origin Realm. They had also noticed him but didn’t stop.
After some thought, he decided to follow them.
The third layer likely held no treasures, as they had probably all been taken by other Void Origin Realm Martial Emperors. Seeing those three in such a hurry, he might as well go see what was attracting them.
About half a 2-hour period later.
A strong attraction came over him, and from afar, Shi Xiaole saw a half-hidden door of light, waves of strange aura emanating from it, enticing one to fall into a beautiful dream.
"Long have I heard of the world’s ten Demon Bones and three Sacred Bones. I did not expect to see one of the three Sacred Bones today – the Selfless Sacred Bone. The last Dream Heaven’s Gate is about to open!"
An elder, gazing at a handsome young man striding forward, an air of stern elegance that seemed to tread heaven and earth underfoot, murmured to himself.
