Chapter 99: Half a Year Passes

Underground in Qianjing, in an ancient ruin thousands of zhang deep.

The originally violent lava river had completely calmed down, turning into dark red solidified magma. The underground Yin thunder and rampaging Sword Qi had long since dissipated under the invisible power of Heaven.

Chu Chang sat cross-legged alone on the stone platform in front of the black-gold bronze gate.

On his lap, the duanchen ancient sword was simple and unadorned, the blade like a pool of autumn water, reflecting his deep eyes that seemed to contain an endless starry sky.

He had been cultivating here alone for a full half year.

Half a year is but a fleeting moment for an ordinary Cultivator, not even enough to stabilize a small Realm during closed-door cultivation.

But for Chu Chang, who had stepped into the Undergoing Tribulation Stage, this half-year of "Quiet Zen" allowed him to completely digest all the Legacy left by the Immortal Taiyizi.

The myriad changes of the Taiyi Light-Splitting Sword Art had been fully integrated into his Chaos Dao.

More importantly, as he stepped into the Undergoing Tribulation Stage, his Primordial Spirit merged with the Laws of Heaven and Earth, and his Divine Sense became all-pervasive.

During this half-year of deep cultivation, he used the residual Immortal Dao charm to reverse-engineer the secrets of Heaven, finally seeing the truth hidden behind the mists of history.

"The Great Yuan Dynasty is merely a Puppet on the surface."

"The so-called underground ruin Seal, the so-called invasion of the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons, and even the fall of Taiyizi back then… all have the shadow of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain behind them."

Chu Chang stroked the blade of the duanchen ancient sword, his voice cold as a knife.

Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, this Sect that claims to be the number one Righteous Path Holy Land in the Tianqian Domain, is actually the biggest vampire in this world.

They deliberately blocked the path to Ascension, treating the entire Tianqian Domain as their "Gu-raising field." Whenever a stunning Genius was about to reach the Soul Transformation Stage and threaten their rule, Ten Thousand Sword Mountain would secretly take action to eradicate or forcibly recruit them.

And those three Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Old Ancestors who died under the Heavenly Tribulation before were just pawns pushed to the front.

In the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Forbidden Land, two old monsters who have lived for thousands of years—the two Grand Elders of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain—are still lurking.

Those are two terrifying existences who have long stepped into the Mahayana Great Perfection, and have even glimpsed the threshold of the Undergoing Tribulation Stage. They use Sect secret techniques to linger on, constantly devouring the Luck of the Tianqian Domain, just to forcibly carve out an opportunity for Ascension in this Age of Dharma Decline.

"Mahayana Great Perfection, is it?"

Chu Chang stood up slowly.

Boom!

The moment he stood up, the entire underground ruin shook violently. The originally incomparably hard black-gold stone platform instantly turned into powder, and countless tiny black spatial cracks were born in the Void Realm, because his Physical Body strength was too strong, and even the Void Realm of this world could barely withstand it.

Undergoing Tribulation Stage.

In this Age of Dharma Decline where even the Soul Transformation Stage is rare, Chu Chang is the only god.

"Today, I will go and break this Ten Thousand Sword Mountain."

Chu Chang took a step.

There was no magnificent escape light, no shocking Aura. A faint ripple appeared in the Void Realm, and his figure instantly disappeared into the depths of the dark underground.

One person, one sword.

Straight to the point, heading to slaughter Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

Ten Thousand Sword Mountain is located in the far west of the Tianqian Domain.

It is a majestic mountain range stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles. The main Peak, "Ten Thousand Sword Peak," is like a giant black sword piercing the clouds, emitting a chilling Geng Metal Sword Qi.

From Qianjing to Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, it is one hundred thousand miles apart.

Chu Chang did not use the Law of Instant Movement to arrive directly, but instead strolled in the Void Realm like a traveler on a spring outing, carrying his sword on his back.

Every step he took spanned thousands of mountains and rivers.

He wanted to hone his Sword Intent to its Peak state along the way.

When he walked to a wasteland in the sky thirty thousand miles away from Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, the originally clear sky suddenly darkened.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"

In the Void Realm, countless sword humming sounds rang out at the same time.

In the wind and sand ahead, more than a dozen figures exuding powerful Auras stood there. These people were all wearing the dark blue sword robes of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, and the lowest cultivation level was the Early Stage of Soul Transformation. The leader had even reached the Peak of the Late Stage of Soul Transformation.

That was the Inner Sect Elder group of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

They had been waiting here for a long time.

"Fellow Daoist Chu Chang, please stop."

The leader, a Late Stage Soul Transformation Elder, stepped forward.

This person's Dao name was "Gu Songzi," his face withered, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He looked at Chu Chang, who was walking slowly on the Void Realm, and a trace of fear and dread that he tried his best to hide flashed deep in his eyes.

The news of that battle in the Great Yuan Dynasty capital, where three Nascent Soul Old Ancestors and their Sect-protecting treasure were wiped out, had long since spread back to Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

Although Ten Thousand Sword Mountain blocked the news, the upper echelon had long been shaken.

"Something the matter?"

Chu Chang stopped, standing in the Void Realm, looking down at this group of people. His eyes were calm without a ripple, as if he were looking at a pile of rocks on the side of the road.

Gu Songzi suppressed the anxiety in his heart, squeezed out a smile, and bowed:

"Fellow Daoist Chu, my three Junior Brothers acted recklessly previously and offended you. It was their own fault that they ended up with their Divine Souls destroyed. My Ten Thousand Sword Mountain expresses deep regret for this."

Chu Chang raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Gu Songzi thought there was room for negotiation and hurriedly continued:

"Now that you have achieved such a great cultivation, there is no one in the world who can match you. The two Grand Elders of my Ten Thousand Sword Mountain have the Dharma Eye, and they know that a peerless Prodigy like you should not waste your time in this Mortal World."

"The two Grand Elders specifically sent us to come and pass on a message."

Gu Songzi took a deep breath and threw out the heavy condition that Ten Thousand Sword Mountain had prepared for a long time:

"As long as Fellow Daoist Chu is willing to let go of previous grudges and join my Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, you will be the third Grand Elder of my Ten Thousand Sword Mountain! Your status will be equal to the two Old Ancestors!"

"Not only that, all the Immortal Artifact fragments and ancient sword manuals in the Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Treasure Pavilion are yours to choose from."

"The most important point."

Gu Songzi's voice became deep and mysterious, carrying a hint of temptation: "Fellow Daoist should have also noticed that the path to Ascension in this world has been severed. But the two Grand Elders hold the only key to opening the Ascension channel! As long as you join, within a hundred years, the two Old Ancestors are willing to share the secret of Ascension with you and ascend to the Upper Realm together!"

Promising a high position, gifting Divine Artifacts, and sharing Ascension.

Such conditions, looking at the entire continent, no Cultivator could refuse.

Even in the eyes of the Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Elders behind Gu Songzi, the conditions offered by the Sect were too generous, so generous that they felt jealous.

"Are you finished?"

Chu Chang spoke lightly.

Gu Songzi was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "What do you think, Fellow Daoist? If you agree, we will escort you back to the Sect…"

"Noisy."

Chu Chang shook his head.

"Is your Ten Thousand Sword Mountain so used to being high and mighty that even begging for mercy is done with such superiority?"

Chu Chang raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers, and slashed forward casually.

"Fellow Daoist, you!"

Gu Songzi's face changed drastically, and he was about to sacrifice his life-bound Flying Sword to defend.

However, it was too fast.

In the face of the Undergoing Tribulation Stage mana, space and time lost their original meaning.

A golden light thread, so thin it was almost invisible, flashed in the Void Realm.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor violent Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

"Click."

Gu Songzi's voice stopped abruptly.

His body, starting from his forehead, had a thin red line spreading downwards, and then his entire person, along with his Soul Transformation Primordial Spirit and the life-bound Flying Sword at his waist, was instantly cut in half.

Not only him, but the dozen or so Soul Transformation Stage Elders behind him didn't even have time to scream before they were all cut in half by this spatial light ray at the same time.

Thump, thump…

More than a dozen incomplete corpses fell like raindrops to the ground below, instantly buried by the wind and sand stirred up by the strong wind.

"The secret of Ascension?"

Chu Chang withdrew his hand, a mocking sneer on his lips.

"If I want to Ascend, why do I need others to share it? If this Heaven blocks me, I will split this Heaven. If this road is broken, I will use your Grand Elders' bones to pave a road."

With a flicker, Chu Chang disappeared into the wind and sand again.

…

…

…

Two days later.

Chu Chang finally arrived at the foot of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

Before his eyes was an endless ocean of Sword Qi.

To guard against Chu Chang, Ten Thousand Sword Mountain had moved out all the Foundation they had accumulated for thousands of years. In the mountains for thousands of miles around, countless sword lights shot into the sky, interweaving into a huge nine-colored sword net in the Void Realm.

[Ten Thousand Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Sect-Protecting Formation].

This Formation is the Foundation of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain. It is rumored that it was laid down by an Immortal in the ancient times, using a large top-grade Spiritual Vein under Ten Thousand Sword Mountain as the source, gathering the Sword Intent of tens of thousands of Disciples in the Sect.

Even if a Body Integration Stage or even a Mahayana Stage Cultivator were to attack, they would be shredded into nothingness by the overwhelming Sword Qi in an instant.

At this time, behind the sword net, tens of thousands of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Disciples were waiting in full battle array.

And in the Void Realm at the very front stood dozens of Nascent Soul Stage and Soul Transformation Stage Grand Elders. Each of them looked solemn, staring fixedly at the black figure walking step by step from the horizon.

"He really came…"

"One person, actually daring to challenge our entire Ten Thousand Sword Mountain alone!"

"Arrogant! This Ten Thousand Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Formation was left by an Immortal. No matter how strong he is, can he be stronger than Heaven?!"

The discussion spread among the Elders. Although some people were clamoring, more people had sweaty palms and their bodies couldn't stop trembling.

After all, the news that more than a dozen Soul Transformation Stage Elders were instantly killed on the Great Wasteland had been sent back by secret methods.

That man is a complete monster.

Chu Chang stood on the periphery of the Formation, looking at the nine-colored sword net that covered the sky and the sun, and the Ten Thousand Sword Mountain crowd behind the sword net who were facing a formidable enemy.

"Too slow."

Chu Chang frowned slightly.

"I gave you time to prepare, is this all you have?"

"Arrogant brat!"

In the Void Realm, a Nascent Soul Late Stage Elder of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain shouted angrily: "Chu Chang! You killed our Sect Elders, and today you dare to attack our Ten Thousand Sword Mountain headquarters! Do you really think Ten Thousand Sword Mountain has no one? With this Ten Thousand Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Formation here, don't even think about stepping into our Ten Thousand Sword Mountain!"

"Is that so?"

Chu Chang smiled lightly.

He slowly drew the duanchen ancient sword.

The moment the duanchen ancient sword was completely unsheathed, the sword humming sounds of the entire world stopped instantly.

The originally violent Sword Qi ocean of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Formation actually began to tremble in front of the sharpness of the duanchen ancient sword, as if it were ordinary iron seeing a king among swords, with a hint of submission.

"Slash."

Chu Chang held the sword with both hands and slashed forward plainly.

This slash had no blessings from any Divine Ability or Spell, just the purest infusion of mana.

But, this is the mana of the Undergoing Tribulation Stage!

Boom!

A golden sword light ten thousand zhang long, like a golden heavenly river, crossed the Void Realm and slammed into the nine-colored sword net.

"Click…"

Just a moment of contact.

The Ten Thousand Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Formation, which claimed to be able to kill Immortals and block all powerful beings, was torn open with a huge gap ten thousand zhang wide the moment it touched the golden sword light, like a fragile mirror.

The violent backlash force passed back along the Formation.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Behind the Formation, tens of thousands of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Disciples who were maintaining the Formation spat out a mouthful of blood at the same time. Those with weaker cultivation had their Meridians shattered directly, lying limp on the ground.

One sword, the Formation is broken!

"This is impossible!"

The Nascent Soul Elder who was clamoring just now had his eyes almost popping out.

However, before he could show an expression of despair, the aftermath of the golden sword light that tore through the Formation had already swept onto him.

He and several other Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Elders were instantly vaporized in the golden sword light, not even a wisp of ash left behind.

Chu Chang withdrew his long sword and stepped into the territory of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

"Call those two old monsters out."

Chu Chang's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every Ten Thousand Sword Mountain Disciple: "Otherwise, after today, there will be no Ten Thousand Sword Mountain in this Tianqian Domain."

"Sigh…"

A faint sigh suddenly came from the ancestral land in the deepest part of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

This sigh seemed to contain endless vicissitudes of time. The moment it fell, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that had originally been violent due to the breaking of the Formation instantly calmed down.

Immediately afterwards, two terrifyingly oppressive feelings rose from under the main Peak of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain.

The strength of this pressure had already exceeded the limits of the mundane world, vaguely condensing into two incomparably huge Dharma images in the Void Realm.

Mahayana Great Perfection!

"Boom!"

The Void Realm cracked open, and two old figures walked out.

The person on the left was wearing a tattered gray Daoist robe, his figure thin as a stick, his eyes cloudy, but every breath he took could cause the Laws of Heaven and Earth around him to resonate; the person on the right had silver hair, a cold face, and his whole body exuded chilling Devilish Qi.

These two were the Grand Elders of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain who had survived for thousands of years:

Ancestor Tiankui, and Ancestor Disha.

"Young man, your strength has indeed exceeded our expectations."

Ancestor Tiankui looked at Chu Chang standing in the Void Realm, a trace of fear flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"At such a young age, you have already stepped into the Undergoing Tribulation Realm. I have cultivated for three thousand years and seen countless people, but I have never seen a Genius like you. You are truly not bad."

"But…"

Ancestor Disha snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with cruel blood light: "You shouldn't have come to my Ten Thousand Sword Mountain to be presumptuous! Although the Undergoing Tribulation Stage is powerful, you have just broken through, and your Foundation is not yet stable. And the two of us have worked together for thousands of years, operating here, and with the help of the residual power of the Sect-protecting Formation, it is not impossible to kill you!"