Chapter 367: The Eve of the Decisive Battle, Touching the Venerable Realm

"I will leave Li Qingshan and the others to guard the city."

Zhou Chen said indifferently, "I want to temper myself and see what a real battlefield looks like."

The reason he chose to go to the Guixu was that Zhou Chen had a vague feeling, as if something was drawing him there.

Since his fate had improved, Zhou Chen's Luck had also taken a turn for the better.

He could occasionally sense some decent Opportunities.

This time, the feeling was particularly intense.

Bai Chongming was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Fine, then be careful."

"In three days, set out on your own, and we will meet at the Guixu then."

"Alright."

Zhou Chen put away the transmission talisman and turned to leave the city wall.

He gathered Li Qingshan and the others, handing over the defense of Qingyun City to them.

"Elder Li, I'm entrusting Qingyun City to you."

"Rest assured, Young Master Zhou," Li Qingshan said solemnly. "As long as this old man has a breath left, Qingyun City will not fall."

"Good."

Zhou Chen nodded, then activated the xuanyuan ferry and flew toward the Guixu.

—

The Guixu is located at the intersection of the Central Continent, the Eastern Desolation, and the South Sea.

This place was originally a vast sea, but after countless years of change, the seawater had long since dried up, leaving only a bottomless, massive abyss.

The abyss spanned ten thousand miles and its depth was unfathomable.

Standing at the edge of the abyss, one could feel a terrifying suction, as if it wanted to swallow everything.

At the bottom of the abyss, Devilish Qi surged faintly, emitting an aura that made one's heart tremble.

This was the Guixu.

According to legend, it was the place where the vanguard legion of the evil demons and the Quasi-Immortal Realm Demon Lord were sealed.

Zhou Chen stood at the edge of the Guixu, gazing into the abyss.

Even across a distance of tens of thousands of feet, he could feel that terrifying Devilish Qi at the bottom of the abyss.

The owner of that Devilish Qi was at least at the Quasi-Immortal Realm level.

"Quasi-Immortal Realm Demon Lord…"

Zhou Chen murmured to himself.

That was an existence beyond the Venerable Realm, a powerhouse truly standing at the Peak of the Tianxuan Continent.

He wondered if even the Academy Libationer would have a chance of victory when facing a Quasi-Immortal Realm expert.

"However, wealth is found in danger. Since I've come, there's no reason to back down."

Zhou Chen took a deep breath and sat cross-legged at the edge of the Guixu.

There was still one day left before the decisive battle.

He wanted to use this time to adjust his state to its Peak.

At the same time, he also wanted to borrow the power of the Guixu's Seal to attempt a Breakthrough to the Venerable Realm.

Zhou Chen closed his eyes and operated the Great Void Eight Desolations Formless Scripture.

Terrifying Space Law power surged from his body, spreading toward the Seal of the Guixu.

Buzz—

When his Space Law power touched the Guixu's Seal, the Seal suddenly produced a flicker of resonance.

It was a profound feeling.

As if his Space Law power had established some kind of connection with the power of the Seal.

Zhou Chen's heart stirred, and he continued to push his Space Law power.

Gradually, his consciousness began to sink into the depths of the Guixu's Seal.

He "saw" the essence of the Seal.

It was a cage woven from countless Space Laws.

The cage enveloped the entire Guixu abyss, firmly trapping the evil demons within.

This cage was left behind by an ancient mighty being and had existed for tens of thousands of years.

"So that's how it is…"

Zhou Chen had a sudden realization.

The Seal of the Guixu was, in essence, a giant spatial cage.

And the Great Void Eight Desolations Formless Scripture he Cultivated also had Space Law as its core.

There was a certain natural connection between the two.

"If I can fully understand the mysteries of this Seal…"

A sharp light flashed in Zhou Chen's eyes.

He continued to immerse himself in comprehension.

Time passed minute by minute.

The Space Law power within his body began to undergo subtle changes.

The originally violent Space Law power gradually became peaceful and stable.

His understanding of Space Law was also constantly deepening.

Gradually, he touched the barrier for breaking through to the Venerable Realm.

It was an invisible barrier separating the Emperor Realm from the Venerable Realm.

To break through this barrier, one must have a profound understanding of at least three Great Dao Laws.

Zhou Chen had already mastered four Laws to Perfection—the Law of Severance, the Law of Slaughter, the Law of Ice, and the Law of Water.

Theoretically, he had long since met the conditions for a Breakthrough to the Venerable Realm.

But breaking through to the Venerable Realm required not only an understanding of Laws but also an Opportunity.

An Opportunity that would allow these Laws to undergo Fusion and form Dao Principles.

And now, the Seal of the Guixu might just be that Opportunity.

"Five Laws… Severance, Slaughter, Ice, Water, and Space…"

Zhou Chen murmured to himself, "If I can fuse them, it seems I could form a completely new Dao Principle…"

He fell into a deep state of comprehension.

The power of the five Laws within his body began to surge, intertwining and clashing with each other.

But every time they were about to fuse, they would be blocked by an invisible force.

"Just a little bit more…"

"Just a little bit short…"

Zhou Chen frowned deeply.

He could feel that he was already infinitely close to the threshold of the Venerable Realm.

But he simply could not cross this final step.

Time passed unknowingly for a day and a night.

On the morning of the second day, Zhou Chen opened his eyes.

His cultivation still remained at the Tenth Layer of the Emperor Realm Peak.

He hadn't broken through.

"It seems I'm still missing an Opportunity."

Zhou Chen shook his head and stood up.

Although he hadn't broken through, this day and night of comprehension had yielded great rewards.

His understanding of the five Laws had become even more profound.

Moreover, he had vaguely found a way to fuse the five Laws.

It just wasn't the right time yet.

"Perhaps this decisive battle will be the Opportunity for my Breakthrough."

Zhou Chen looked into the distance.

On the horizon, dense clusters of figures had already appeared.

Those were the reinforcements from various major forces.

Jixia Academy, Taixu Academy, Xuan Yuan Academy, Tianji Academy, and even the most mysterious Chaos Academy had sent people.

In addition to the five major academies, the various Holy Lands of the Central Continent, the ancient clans of the Eastern Desolation, the Yao Race of the South Sea, the Buddhist Sect of the West Desert, and the Demonic Path of the North Plains had all sent reinforcements.

By a rough estimate, at least hundreds of thousands of Cultivators had gathered around the Guixu.

This was the largest gathering in the Tianxuan Continent in tens of thousands of years.

It would also be the most tragic battle.

Zhou Chen took a deep breath, waiting for the battle to begin.

—

Guixu, the Allied Forces' Camp.

Hundreds of thousands of Cultivators were camped around the Guixu, stretching for hundreds of miles.

Tents were like clouds, and banners fluttered in the wind.

Inside the central command tent, the strongest experts from various forces were gathered.

Bai Chongming, the Vice Palace Master of Jixia Academy, had now reached the Venerable Realm Ninth Layer.

It seemed he had used some special means, as his cultivation aura was very unstable.

Ling Xiaozi, the Palace Master of Taixu Academy, was at the Venerable Realm Ninth Layer.

Grand Elder Xuanji of Xuan Yuan Academy was at the Venerable Realm Ninth Layer.

Heavenly Secret Child, the Palace Master of Tianji Academy, was at the Venerable Realm Ninth Layer.

Daoist Hunyuan, an Elder of Chaos Academy, was at the Tenth Layer of the Venerable Realm.

There were also the Holy Lords of the Central Continent's Holy Lands, the Clan Chiefs of the Eastern Desolation's ancient clans, the Demon Emperor of the South Sea's Yao Race, the Ancient Buddha of the West Desert's Buddhist Sect, and the Demon Lord of the North Plains' Demonic Path.

However, Zhou Chen did not see anyone from the Taichu Holy Land.

Because the Taichu Holy Land had been attacked by the Jiang Family, its strength was far from what it used to be, and Dao Xuan had also suffered serious injuries, so the various academies did not ask the Taichu Holy Land to send anyone.