The Heavens: One World, One Superpower

Zhuofeng is desolate and ordinary; looking around, there is no sign of any beautiful or extraordinary scenery.

Instead, the land was barren, overgrown with weeds, and littered with ruins.

Ji Ziyue said, "It is said that the lineage of Zhuofeng was cut off for five hundred years. Every year, the height of the mountain will decrease by tens of meters, so that it has become a low peak from tens of thousands of meters before.

Su Chen asked, "Can a mountain peak really shrink?"

Ji Ziyue nodded and said, "Therefore, some people say that the 108 mountains are all extremely powerful divine weapons."

Su Chen said, "I see."

A divine light descended from the sky, transforming into an old man. He had white hair, was thin, and dressed simply, like an ordinary old farmer, with an unremarkable demeanor.

He is the sole successor of Zhuofeng, and his name is Li Ruoyu.

Li Ruoyu asked, "Have you come to become disciples of Zhuofeng?"

Ji Ziyue nodded and said, "I hope Senior will grant my request."

Li Ruoyu said, "This is the first time in so many years that someone has wanted to join Zhuofeng. You need to think this through carefully. Zhuofeng's lineage has been severed. If you stay at Zhuofeng, you won't be able to learn any divine skills or secret manuals."

Ji Ziyue said, "The moment we stepped into the Tai Xuan Sect, on a whim, the will of Heaven guided us to Zhuofeng."

Li Ruoyu looked at Su Chen and asked, "You too?"

Su Chen said, "My intuition tells me that there is an immense opportunity at Zhuofeng."

Li Ruoyu's lips twitched, and he thought to himself, "I've guarded it for over three hundred years, and recently I've finally sensed the flow of Daoist energy on Zhuofeng, and its inheritance is about to manifest. Your intuition alone surpasses my three hundred years of waiting. Is this the special quality of a genius?"

He said, "In that case, you will be disciples of Zhuofeng from now on."

Ji Ziyue asked, "Aren't there any requirements?"

Li Ruoyu smiled and said, "When Zhuofeng was at its peak, the nine-step Heavenly Ladder there was a test that new disciples had to go through. It was protected by wind, fire, thunder and lightning. But now, as long as you sincerely join the peak and stay true to your original intentions, there is no need for testing. After all, no one has joined for many years."

Ji Ziyue said, "In the future, Zhuofeng will once again show signs of prosperity."

Li Ruoyu said, "The way of Heaven is ever-changing, following the natural course. Prosperity is decline, and decline is prosperity."

Ji Ziyue's eyes lit up, and she said, "What you say makes perfect sense, senior."

Li Ruoyu said, "My name is Li Ruoyu."

Ji Ziyue and Su Chen respectfully bowed to Li Ruoyu as disciples, saying, "Greetings, Master Li."

Li Ruoyu touched Ji Ziyue and Su Chen's foreheads and passed on some cultivation methods.

Ji Ziyue and Su Chen then settled down at Zhuofeng.

Although the area is in ruins, many buildings in the core area have been preserved.

It was usually quite desolate, but after Su Chen and Ji Ziyue moved in, it became much more lively.

"System, draw today's items."

[Item draw in progress today. Successful draw. Please choose one of the following three items.]

[Ancient Phoenix Bloodline: From Hua Yunfei, Xingfeng of the Tai Xuan Sect]

[The Source of Primordial Qi: Originating from the Bronze Immortal Palace of the Tongyou River in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness of the Big Dipper]

[The Secret of the Character "Lin": Originating from the Ancient Mine of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable in the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness]

"The ancient phoenix bloodline is good, but it is not enough for me to choose. Both the Xuanhuang Mother Qi Source Root and the Linzi Secret are far better than this thin bloodline."

"The Primordial Origin of Primordial Qi is extremely precious, but taking it will lead to death. The treasure left behind by the Ruthless Great Emperor is not for me."

"The 'Lin' Secret Technique, allows one to step into the realm of divine restrictions, becoming invincible across realms, and is the number one secret technique for divine sense defense. It's you."

"System, select the third item, the 'Lin' character secret."

[The character "临" is being drawn; the draw was successful.]

The Primordial Ancient Mine in the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness was sealed off by the Supreme Killing Array, Chaotic Mist, and Spatial Rifts.

There are nine supreme lairs nearby, and forces such as the Corpse Emperor and the Qilin Ancient Emperor are also in the vicinity.

There is a colossal bronze palace, entirely black, thousands of feet high and hundreds of feet wide, like a sleeping prehistoric beast.

The endless Dao patterns of annihilation and the divine runes of prohibition flowed and turned, untouched by the passage of time.

The outer hall contained endless corpses, and a bronze stele stood there, inscribed with fragments of the "Nirvana Heavenly Technique" and the general outline of the Lin character secret.

The central hall contains nine golden divine runes, forming a permanent divine forbidden zone. Anyone who steps into it will have their cultivation level suppressed, their karmic ties severed, and their divine sense thrown into chaos. Within this divine forbidden zone lies the origin of the "Lin" secret technique.

The inner hall is the mausoleum of the Celestial Venerable of Nirvana. There is a stone platform on the platform, with the complete Dao seal of the Secret Character Lin engraved on it. Fragments of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold and Primordial Life Stone are inlaid on it.

At this moment, all the secret passage patterns on the stone platform disappeared.

A divine soul appeared, exclaiming in surprise, "Where has the Dao seal I left behind disappeared?"

With a wave of his hand, another Dao seal appeared, landing on the stone platform, waiting for the destined one.

A divine character, "临" (Lin), appeared in Su Chen's mind, radiating boundless Daoist charm.

In an instant, he was overwhelmed by the information contained in the Daoist rhyme and couldn't help but close his eyes to comprehend it.

At this point, the six secret Daoist inscriptions of "Lin", "Shu", "Zu", "Qian", "Xing", and "Shu" were already floating in his mind, and he had mastered six of the nine secrets.

Only the three secrets of "soldier", "fight", and "all" remain to be mastered.

Seeing Su Chen meditating with his eyes closed, Ji Ziyue wondered to herself, "What secret technique is he trying to comprehend?"

A sense of Daoist energy emanated from Su Chen, gradually permeating the surrounding environment.

The leaves rustled and moved without any wind.

The green grass grew rapidly, reaching above Su Chen's head.

New buds sprouted from a dead tree twenty meters away.

Nine large black crows on the dead tree were engulfed in flames.

A stone bow flew from the depths of the forest and landed in Ji Ziyue's hands.

Ji Ziyue's eyes widened in disbelief. She exclaimed, "What kind of secret technique is he cultivating? It's terrifyingly powerful!"

A divine light landed beside Ji Ziyue, and Li Ruoyu said, "The cause and effect of Zhuofeng has begun to fluctuate, and the Daoist rhyme is flowing out from inside the mountain. It's all because he is practicing a mysterious technique."

Ji Ziyue asked, "Is the cause and effect in flux?"

Li Ruoyu said, "That's right. Influenced by this Daoist aura, the Zhuofeng inheritance will be born three years ahead of schedule. Quickly sit down and concentrate your mind to carefully comprehend the Zhuofeng Daoist aura and receive the Zhuofeng inheritance."

Ji Ziyue immediately sat cross-legged on the lush, overgrown grass.

Li Ruoyu followed closely behind. Here, the cause and effect were stirred the most, and the Daoist rhyme gushed out like a spring.

A golden light flew out from Su Chen's sea of ​​suffering and landed in Ji Ziyue's hand.

At the same time, a voice came faintly: "Hold the Bodhi seed and comprehend the Dao deeper within the mountain peak. I have activated the inheritance of the All-Character Secret."

Ji Ziyue immediately gripped the Bodhi seed tightly.

A cool sensation emanated from the Bodhi seed, flowing throughout my body, and my mind became exceptionally calm.

The divine soul now frequently gains insights into the Dao and principles that it could not comprehend in the past, like surging waves crashing in one after another.

She eliminated all distractions and focused on comprehending the Daoist essence emanating from the Zhuofeng Mountain.

Zhuofeng's natural way is paramount.

It does not pursue ornate and mysterious styles, nor does it seek to flaunt its brilliance. Instead, it emphasizes concealing one's strength, remaining unassuming, and returning to one's natural state.

They may appear ordinary and weak, but in reality, their foundation is solid, and the higher their mental state, the stronger their combat power.

At this moment, the Daoist energy surged and permeated the entire Zhuofeng Peak. A large number of plants and trees, influenced by the Dao of nature, began to flourish and grow vigorously.

Spiritual energy gushed forth from within the mountain like a spring, instantly forming a colorful mist.

The Zhuofeng Mountain is also rising at a visible rate, increasing by tens of meters per second, and the rate is getting faster and faster.

This miraculous scene attracted the attention of everyone in the Tai Xuan Sect.

They all exclaimed in shock, "What's going on? Something strange has happened to Zhuofeng!"

"Plants and trees grow, mountains rise higher, and endless spiritual energy surges forth."

Has the legacy of Zhuofeng reappeared in the world?

"Sure enough, Zhuofeng was once one of the top three main peaks, and now it has finally turned its fortunes around and ushered in its peak period."

An elder of the Sendai level flew into the sky and said, "The Zhuofeng inheritance has reappeared in the Taixuan Sect. No one is allowed to approach or interfere. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."

He unleashed beams of divine light, isolating the area surrounding Zhuofeng Peak to prevent anyone from disturbing Li Ruoyu as he received the mountain's inheritance.

Although the Way of Nature is extremely precious, Ji Ziyue listened to Su Chen's words and did not try to comprehend it at all, letting these precious Daoist principles slip by.

If a cultivator at the Sendai Realm were to see this, they would all sigh with regret. This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. The Daoist essence is surging out in almost tangible form. If one were to capture it, one could save hundreds of years of arduous effort.

Li Ruoyu, standing to the side, shut out all senses and absorbed the Way of Nature without missing a single detail.

His aura began to rise steadily.

From the Four Extremes, it was elevated to Dragon Transformation, and then from Dragon Transformation it was elevated to Sendai.

And its foundation continues to deepen and grow.

The Bodhi seed in her hand emitted a golden light, and Ji Ziyue finally sensed a different kind of Daoist aura fluctuation.

All things return to one, the whole resonates, from the most clumsy comes the most transformative, and ten times the frequency is the same.

All the powers of the physical body, essence, primordial spirit, divine consciousness, supernatural abilities, and the laws of the Dao surged simultaneously across the entire domain.

Soon, the divine script character "皆" appeared in Ji Ziyue's mind, alongside the secret script character "组" that Su Chen had taught her.

It radiates boundless light within the sea of ​​consciousness.

At this moment, Su Chen's body sent out three avatars.

The essence of perception is used to disrupt the cause and effect of this place, thereby drawing out the lineage of Zhuofeng.

Meanwhile, the three incarnations focused all their efforts on comprehending the secret inheritance of the character "皆" within the mountain.

The three avatars comprehended simultaneously, causing their speed to surge. Although they lacked the assistance of the Bodhi Seed, Su Chen's divine sense was incredibly powerful, and his talent was extraordinary. He possessed the Undying Divine Phoenix Body and the Azure Heaven Overlord Body, making him naturally close to the Dao.

After sweeping across the waves of the Way of Nature, we finally captured the essence of the Dao in the secret of the character "皆".

As they rapidly comprehended the divine script "皆" (meaning "all"), it gradually appeared in the minds of the three avatars, becoming increasingly solid and radiating boundless divine light.

The elderly incarnation frowned: "No, the All-Encompassing Secret and the Way of Nature are two sides of the same coin. Only by cultivating the Way of Nature to its ultimate level can one activate the All-Encompassing Secret at will."

Through his contemplation of the secret of the character "皆" (jiē), he realized that the fundamental principle of the secret lies in the Way of Nature.

The Way of Nature is fundamental, and the Secret of All Words is a combat technique that erupts when the Way of Nature is cultivated to its ultimate level, and heaven and earth become one with oneself.

He immediately transmitted his voice to Ji Ziyue: "To comprehend the Way of Nature, the secret of the Words and the Way of Nature are interdependent and indispensable."

Ji Ziyue felt a chill run down her spine as she simultaneously comprehended the Way of Nature.

The Daoist energy surged into her body like a tide.

This great outburst of Taoist energy lasted for three days and three nights.

The three of them finally absorbed the Way of Nature and the secret of the character "皆" into their bodies.

Returning to Su Chen's body, he opened his eyes and said, "No wonder Ye Fan couldn't unleash the full power of the All-Encompassing Secret after obtaining it. It turns out he overlooked the Dao of Nature of Zhuofeng and didn't understand that the Dao of Nature is the true key to the All-Encompassing Secret."

Li Ruoyu's gaze was deep and unfathomable as he said, "It seems that you two have both comprehended the legacy of Zhuofeng, including that secret technique."

Su Chen clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Master Li."

Li Ruoyu said, "All of this is due to fate."

He looked at Ji Ziyue and said, "This clumsy bow is the fundamental Dao artifact of Zhuofeng, so let me handle it."

Ji Ziyue immediately handed the ordinary-looking bow and arrow to Li Ruoyu. Before she knew it, nine more bows and arrows had appeared beside her.

She also handed it over to Li Ruoyu.

By this time, Zhuofeng had changed dramatically.

The mountain returned to an altitude of tens of thousands of meters, receiving the stellar power drawn by the Zhou Tian Star Array. The three of them stood on the mountaintop, as if they could reach out and touch the stars in the sky, which was quite spectacular.

The concentration of spiritual energy varies at each level of the mountain, with the higher the level, the more concentrated the spiritual energy becomes.

The mountaintop seemed to be surrounded by a sea of ​​spiritual energy, where even a Saint-level expert would experience rapid growth in cultivation.

The trees on the mountain have changed. Ancient trees reach for the sky, and spiritual plants are everywhere. In just three days, a large number of plants with extraordinary spiritual energy have grown.

Li Ruoyu said, "With the reappearance of the Zhuofeng lineage, we can recruit new disciples and restore Zhuofeng's former glory."

At this moment, the masters and elders of the various peaks of the Tai Xuan Sect flew into Zhuo Peak and landed in front of Li Ruoyu.

A powerful cultivator at the second level of the Sendai realm stepped forward and asked, "Ruoyu, now that the legacy of Zhuofeng has reappeared, should we open our gates wide and recruit new disciples?"

Li Ruoyu clasped his hands and said, "Sect Master, that's what I mean too. Zhuofeng has been dormant for too long, it's time to pass on its legacy."

The sect leader said, "Very well, very well. In that case, select the best disciples from the 107 peaks and send them to my humble peak. At the same time, open the gates wider and expand the number of disciples on my humble peak."

He looked at Su Chen and Ji Ziyue and asked, "Who are these two children?"

Li Ruoyu said, "They are the disciples I accepted a few days ago, they can be Senior Brother and Senior Sister of Zhuofeng."

The sect leader nodded and said, "Not bad, excellent aptitude, seems to possess a special physique." His eyes faintly shone with divine light, seeing through Ji Ziyue and Su Chen's physiques.

He said, "However, I see that this little girl possesses the void laws of the Ji family. Could she be a descendant of the Ji family?"

Ji Ziyue said, "Junior Ji Ziyue, my father Ji Yanzhi, the head of the Ji family, greets Sect Leader Zhang."

Zhang Shuping stroked his beard and said, "You really are a member of the Ji family. In that case, we can't accept you into the Tai Xuan Sect. Otherwise, if the eldest daughter of the prestigious Ji family were to join the Tai Xuan Sect, wouldn't the Ji family become a laughingstock in the Beidou cultivation world? Make a vow that you will never reveal the Zhuofeng inheritance, and I will let you go."

Ji Ziyue knew this was perfectly reasonable. As the legitimate daughter of the Ji family, she couldn't possibly join another sect; otherwise, the Ji family would be ridiculed. A prestigious ancient family, whose ancestors were once emperors, now joining a sect that wasn't even a holy land—it would be utterly laughable.

She had no choice but to swear, "I, Ji Ziyue, will never reveal the Zhuofeng inheritance to a second person, otherwise my cultivation will not advance an inch, and I will die and my cultivation will be destroyed."

Zhang Shuping nodded, looked at Su Chen, and asked, "May I ask who you are, young friend?"

Su Chen replied, "Sect Master, I am Su Chen, just an ordinary cultivator. I do not have the extraordinary background of Zi Yue. Please rest assured, Sect Master."

Zhang Shuping smiled and said, "Really? A few days ago, the Tomb of the Azure Emperor was discovered. Rumor has it that a young man stole a replica of the Sun God Furnace from the Jiang family and also cultivated the Undying Heavenly Art of the Ruthless Great Emperor. Now the Jiang family is known throughout the cultivation world, and your appearance is clearly drawn on the wanted poster."

Su Chen's lips twitched. He hadn't expected the Jiang family to be so ruthless, issuing a decree throughout the land to arrest him.

He said, "It's all just rumors. On our way to Tai Xuan Sect, Zi Yue and I overheard some demons from the Dao Palace Secret Realm saying that there's an elder named Zhou Xinghe from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm on Star Peak who arranged for them to abduct young boys and girls to refine some mysterious pills called Innate Origin Pills to improve their physique. I wonder if the Sect Master knows anything about this?"

Zhang Shuping frowned and asked, "Xinghe, is this true?"

An old man stepped forward from behind him and said, "Sect Master, there is absolutely no such thing. This boy must be malicious and slandering this old man."

Ji Ziyue said, "I have a recording stone here as proof." She took out a piece of jade and released the images of the demons pointing out Zhou Xinghe.

Sweat beaded on Zhou Xinghe's forehead as he said, "How could I, a dignified elder of Xingfeng, commit such a despicable act? Please, Sect Master, see the truth."

Zhang Shuping said, "Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we go to the Discipline Hall."

Zhou Xinghe replied, "Yes, Sect Master."

Immediately, someone escorted Zhou Xinghe to the Discipline Hall.

Zhang Shuping looked at Su Chen and said, "Similarly, whether you have cultivated the Ruthless Great Emperor's Undying Heavenly Art or not, let me examine you and I will know."

Su Chen said, "Thank you for your fair enforcement of the law, Sect Master. However, I cannot let you examine me. I, Su Chen, have never entrusted my life to others."

Zhang Shuping sneered, "It seems you really have cultivated the Undying Heavenly Art."

Su Chen looked at Ji Ziyue and smiled, "Ziyue, we'll meet again someday. I'll come back to find you and propose marriage to the Ji family then." He then transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Shuping unleashed a torrent of divine light, which transformed into countless powerful swords that charged towards Su Chen.

Su Chen activated the Xingzi Secret Technique to its fullest extent, simultaneously unleashing his body's incredible speed, instantly traversing tens or even hundreds of miles, flying towards the southernmost region.

But a surging divine light was chasing after him from behind, its speed no less than his, and it was about to catch up with him very soon.

Su Chen shouted, "Sect Leader Zhang, we have no grudge against each other, why resort to violence?"

Zhang Shuping said, "The ruthless lineage is intolerable to the world, and their crimes deserve to be punished."

Su Chen laughed loudly: "If you're so capable, go to the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land and say those words to the Ruthless Great Emperor."

Zhang Shuping was shocked and exclaimed, "What? You're saying the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land is the Ruthless Great Emperor?"

Su Chen said, "That's my master."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Shuping turned around and rushed back towards Tai Xuan Sect.

People in the world only know that there is a Desolate Lord in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, but they do not know about the existence of the Ruthless Great Emperor.

At this moment, a gigantic finger appeared in the sky and pointed at Zhang Shuping from afar.

Zhang Shuping then turned into a blood mist, his soul vanished.

At the same time, a voice rang in Su Chen's mind: "My disciple, do not spread my name, or I will surely kill you without mercy."