NOVPUBChapter 733 -682: It Seems Like I’ve Offended God
Deep within Purgatory, in a region ablaze with fire and submerged in molten magma, the ‘Financial Emperor’ Yi Duxing stood respectfully at the mouth of a cave, bowing deeply to an elderly man with six eyes: “Junior thanks Senior Ge for your assistance this time. My gratitude knows no bounds.”
The elder was diminutive and emaciated, standing at only around 1.4 meters tall. His face indeed bore six eyes, with a massive gold-red eye dominating most of his visage.
Bald with gapped teeth, his hunched figure resembled a decrepit ‘Six-eyed Demon’ nearing the end of its days.
Yet Yi Duxing dared not show the slightest disrespect.
This was because the elder before him, known as ‘Ge Xianshan,’ had been a renowned and peerless master, a Super Divine Envoy-level expert famed across the Five Continents and Six Seas of the Sky Extreme Star over ten thousand years ago!
A millennium later, Ge Xianshan had further ascended to become one of the twelve Longevity-level cultivators confirmed by the Earth Federation.
His cultivation spanned the heavens and the earth, unfathomable and profound. It was rumored he was already close to the Quasi-Abyss level, his combat ability rivaling that of a Demigod.
In his youth, he was handsome and elegant, possessing a refined demeanor. However, after hiding in Purgatory for ten thousand years, his body and bloodline underwent significant mutations.
This transformation was, in fact, a deliberate adaptation to survive in the unique environment deep within Purgatory.
For experts of his caliber, controlling flesh and genetic material was easy. He could restore the standard body of a Tianji Star person in an instant.
“No need for such courtesy.” The six-eyed elder chuckled casually, pretending indifference: “This is merely a transaction. You brought me something satisfactory, and I deployed the Knowledge Barrier for you—nothing more.”
However, a faint unease glimmered in the depths of the elder’s eyes.
While casting the spell was relatively smooth and simple, just as the process neared its conclusion, Ge Xianshan had felt the gaze of an immensely powerful entity from the Heavenly Curtain fixate briefly on him.
That lone gaze caused his Primordial Spirit to tremble violently, his scalp to tingle, and his entire body to break out in goosebumps.
The being withdrew its gaze almost instantly, yet the six-eyed elder still felt unsettled. Even now, his heart pounded erratically, his blood surged turbulently, and an unshakable dread gripped him.
This was clearly his Primordial Spirit and bloodline warning him of an extreme danger.
“By the way!” The six-eyed elder Ge Xianshan asked seemingly offhandedly: “During my spellcasting to sever past knowledge and suppress traces of destiny, I noticed certain anomalies in the Heavenly Curtain. Yi Duxing, when you sought out the Dreamy Heavenly Maiden earlier and she declined your offer, what exactly did she say? Please recount her words verbatim.”
Previously, Yi Duxing had explained that this Knowledge Barrier was linked to the invincible Dharma King from the surface, as well as two Abyssal Clones, necessitating the intervention of a force on the brink of Quasi-Abyss level.
After thorough investigation, the six-eyed elder Ge Xianshan identified no immediate issues. He even employed Stargazing Skills to study the skies, detecting no anomalies. Coupled with the enticing terms Yi Duxing presented, he had agreed to assist.
Now, however, it seemed this ‘Knowledge Barrier’ transaction might have deep flaws.
Regret had begun to gnaw at Ge Xianshan; had he known earlier, he would have enlisted the help of his close friend, a professional Stargazer.
Ge Xianshan himself was not a specialist in Stargazing; his knowledge of the practice was superficial.
The finest Stargazers, capable of tracing star paths and perceiving destiny’s traces, required their Primordial Spirit to deeply merge with the Heavenly Curtain’s root essence.
While these individuals gained divine power to foresee future fates, they also became a part of destiny itself, powerless to condense conceptual force, escape the vortex, or change their own fate.
Yi Duxing found this inquiry somewhat odd but maintained a solemn demeanor as he bowed and replied, “The Dreamy Heavenly Maiden said that while setting up this Knowledge Barrier would be simple, it would bring substantial future troubles, and the reward I offered was insufficient to move an Immortal Venerable to act.
The reward I had presented was a ‘Primordial True Source X Injector,’ infused with flesh granted by the Three Gods of Purgatory. It is the pinnacle of biotechnology developed by our Longevity Association, and even enriches the resources of a Dreamy Heavenly Venerate. Thus, I found her refusal baffling. Shortly after, however, the Pain and Despair Heavenly Maidens abruptly emerged.”
Hearing this, Ge Xianshan’s face twitched ever so slightly; he then gave an impassive nod: “I see!”
He pointed downward: “Go now. The lava lake here is about to rise; any delay, and you’ll have to wait until tomorrow when its tides recede.”
Yi Duxing dared not linger, activating his flight and heading toward the crimson cave exit immediately.
The lava lake was far from ordinary molten magma; it contained a significant quantity of Purgatory Light and also a measure of Root Power.
If a Martial Cultivator’s cultivation hadn’t reached the Tenth Realm or their Martial Intent hadn’t conceptualized, even brief contact with the lake’s substance would trigger uncontrollable aberrations.
After Yi Duxing departed, Ge Xianshan’s complexion darkened instantly.
Just moments ago, he sensed someone gazing in his direction again through the Heavenly Curtain and along the magical connection forged during the spellcasting process.
Ge Xianshan pondered: Who could this be? A Quasi-Abyss entity, a Demigod, or perhaps even a genuine Divine Spirit?
The only certainty was that the entity possessed an incredibly high status in the Heavenly Curtain.
Quasi-Abyss entities were those whose Martial Intent had reached 99% conceptualization—just one step away from the Abyss, though that single step was akin to a chasm.
Demigods had part of their essence aligned with the Abyss layer—be it their Primordial Spirit, physical body, or concept.
These titans all stood far above Ge Xianshan in the hierarchy.
What was the link between them? Was it due to the Knowledge Barrier he had constructed moments ago? This didn’t make sense.
The invincible Dharma King possessed formidable conceptual power but had yet to achieve conceptualization of Martial Intent, still far from Longevity-level cultivation.
Lin Rui’s two sisters were merely Abyssal Clones; even their original bodies hadn’t fully restored genuine Abyss-level strength.
One thing was clear though—he had been utterly entangled in Yi Duxing’s deceit as an Outer Heaven Demon!
The Dreamy Heavenly Venerate, hidden within the collective dreams and subconscious minds of all Tianji Star inhabitants, observed the external world.
This was likely why she had declined Yi Duxing’s proposition–something far beyond his understanding.
Ge Xianshan didn’t even dare let Yi Duxing know of his current predicament.
The cunning and ruthless Outer Heaven Demon would show no mercy. Should he learn of Ge Xianshan’s plight due to a Quasi-Abyss gaze, the demon would likely rally his Longevity Association peers to eliminate Ge Xianshan and investigate the so-called secrets of ‘Longevity.’
Ge Xianshan had even considered silencing Yi Duxing in a fit of rage but refrained.
The Yi Duxing that arrived wasn’t his true self but a clone; even eliminating it wouldn’t resolve the issue.
Ge Xianshan also dared not dissolve the Knowledge Barrier he had constructed himself, for once it dissipated, he would be entirely exposed under the watchful eyes of either a Quasi-Abyss, Demigod, or Divine Spirit.
After some thought, he raised his hand, summoning every item within the cave to gather before him. Using Divine Power, he conjured a Dimension Void to stow them away.
Only one object remained—a blood-red jade bottle shaped like a human heart, cradled carefully in his hand.
This was a potent Abyss Divine Artifact, known as ‘Supreme Divine Heart.’ It was Ge Xianshan’s key to surviving in Purgatory—a device even the Three Gods of Purgatory couldn’t contend against.
Within Purgatory, average ‘Longevity’ cultivators could secure footholds and even become esteemed guests of the Three Gods of Purgatory.
But individuals like Ge Xianshan, whose power neared Quasi-Abyss levels, faced relentless elimination efforts from the Three Gods.
Though the artifact’s conceptual nature clashed with Ge Xianshan’s path, its unique properties significantly augmented his strength.
Ge Xianshan ascended into the air, streaking toward his backup sanctuary 17,000 miles away.
He needed to set up an array immediately to guard against further probing from the Quasi-Abyss entity.
The trouble was, direct confrontation of his Primordial Spirit with such a being might render him incapable of defending himself.
A clash of Primordial Spirits was the fiercest of dangers.
Ge Xianshan now could only hope the entity was merely Quasi-Abyss. If so, he might yet stand a chance.
Should it prove to be a Demigod or Divine Spirit, however, his life would be in severe jeopardy.
Moreover, many knew of his current dwelling. If someone came calling during his Primordial Spirit battle, he might face mortal peril—he had to guard against this eventuality.
※※※※
Meanwhile, Lin Rui sat inside Luo Wangshu’s flying chariot, continuing his observation of the Heavenly Curtain and the Root, tracing the magical vestiges in an attempt to uncover the source of this Knowledge Barrier and discern what was being concealed.
Previously, in front of the ‘East Abyss,’ Lin Rui had to withdraw his Divine Thought, unable to scrutinize too closely. Even now, he exercised utmost caution, as the Divine Sense of the East Abyss had yet to retreat to the heavens.
The other party’s concealment was formidable, with power saturating the Heavenly Curtain and shielding his attempts to visualize and perceive.
Yet Lin Rui sensed the opposing force was like a thin veil—one he could perhaps pierce with just a little more effort.
The problem was that Lin Rui lacked energy and strength at the moment. One reason was his reluctance to use his Pure Concept or Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire under the watchful eye of the East Abyss; another was that his Abyss Source Material and Abyss Source Core hadn’t yet matured enough to sustain his Abyss Concept.
He had no choice but to wait—
Wait for the East Abyss to return to Divine Sleep, and for Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan to finish constructing a grand formation for him.
Bright Sage Master Gong Bonan, besides being a Ninth Realm Emperor Rank in magical arts and a quasi-Divine Envoy-level expert, was also a Grandmaster of formations, far surpassing Wang Tianwu.
The Sage was currently using materials provided by Lin Tianchen to secure the Radiant Holy Altar.
When the altar was completed and Lin Rui ascended, he would maximize the power of Holy Thunder Tribulation Fire and retrieve Lin Tianchen’s True Spirit.
At that moment, he could also investigate the true nature of this Knowledge Barrier!
Lin Rui shook his head slightly, collecting his thoughts, and then saw Luo Wangshu tossing over a jade bottle containing three drops of ‘Divine Blood.’
“This Divine Blood should be free of issues. That individual prides themselves on their magnanimity, as vast and boundless as heaven and earth, admiring storm clouds and embracing rivers. Even if they intended to kill you, they’d do so openly and find an appropriate justification—they wouldn’t tamper with this bottle.”
Luo Wangshu smiled at him: “When will you attempt your Seventh Realm ascension?”
With these three drops of Divine Blood, Lin Rui could ascend today.
