Su Chen stood up and took the opportunity to open his Status Panel for a look. His Development Progress had already reached 42%.
Nearly half a year had passed since he last came out of the Flare Realm. Although it couldn't be considered short...
But for his Development Progress to climb so quickly was all thanks to the constantly stacking Development Efficiency. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, it would have taken at least two or three years to reach this stage.
Looking further down, the Fusion of the World-Slaying Manifestation and the Sky-Scar Forger had yet to conclude. The time it was taking was even longer than he had imagined.
Su Chen wasn't in a hurry. This kind of Fusion was only a Fusion of the Professions captured by the Status Panel. His own use of his abilities wouldn't be affected.
Walking out of the Main Building, he strode directly into the Nether Tower. Su Chen took out the Ignition Cinders; they were already dazzlingly bright.
"It will take a certain amount of time for the news to be transmitted back."
As early as a month ago, the Ignition Cinders had already finished charging. Solar Remnants surged out, enveloping him as he familiarly arrived in the Nether Realm.
He was just preparing to perform the Sacrificial Ritual when his expression couldn't help but freeze. He looked towards the distance with some hesitation.
He had already come here several times and was long familiar with the surrounding environment, but at this moment, he couldn't avoid feeling somewhat hesitant. "That thing... when I came here last time, it didn't seem to be there, right?"
At the very end of his line of sight, however, there was a blurry, indistinct shadow. Even with his eyesight, he could only vaguely see it.
The coverage area of this Solar Flame was extremely large. In the past, at the end of his line of sight, let alone any shadows, there was only an endless expanse of purple light.
He narrowed his eyes and looked carefully for a while, confirming that it was indeed a cluster of shadows.
"Could it be an Evil God?"
Within the Nether Realm, Su Chen immediately associated it with those things, secretly astonished. "These guys are truly quite capable."
The Nether Realm and the Physical Realm were two sides of the same coin, but the Nether Realm Space was quite peculiar. The position one entered the Nether Realm from a certain place was random.
Even if one entered the Nether Realm from near a Solar Flame, they wouldn't necessarily appear nearby.
For Evil Gods to be able to find the location in the Nether Realm corresponding to a Solar Flame meant they indeed had some skill.
But finding it was one thing; the Lethality of this Flame towards Nether Realm Creatures was far more terrifying than in the Physical Realm.
Su Chen watched for a moment before withdrawing his thoughts. He operated the Sacrificial Ritual, and the Solar Remnants gradually formed a ring around him, enveloping him within.
...
Within the Flare Realm, several Ancient Kings gathered together. Standing to one side of them was none other than Taixuan Tianyi.
His expression seemed to have grown much more haggard. He was currently under their protection to avoid being eroded by the Flare Realm.
"The Method spoken of by that person named Tai Xuanhong has no issues. The outside world can actually truly contact us."
The Ancient King Sacred Cauldron was quite amazed. They strongly suspected that Tai Xuanhong wasn't the other party's true identity, but for now, they still used this name as a stand-in.
"In that case, he should indeed possess a Method that can allow us to leave this place. Little friend..." The Xuantian Ancient King's gaze shifted, looking towards Taixuan Tianyi. "Does your family truly not have this kind of Method?"
Taixuan Tianyi hurriedly responded, "To pierce through the Solar Flame and converse with the people inside requires an extremely complex Sacrificial Ritual. Perhaps our family possessed it in the past, but now we only have the Method to barely anchor ourselves here left."
"Then are you certain your family has no orphaned branches left outside?"
Hearing these words, Taixuan Tianyi's expression was helpless. Over these past few months, the information he grasped had basically all been scooped out by these old fogeys.
These Bright Moon Tier experts before him also had a rough understanding of what the Taixuan family's current situation was.
That little bit of thought of his fundamentally couldn't be hidden in front of these old fogeys.
He shook his head and said, "We are the main branch. As for the side branches, they fundamentally don't understand the family's secrets. Even if there are some legacies left outside, it's impossible for them to grasp more news and information than us."
The Xuantian Ancient King nodded. His eyes suddenly flickered, and he looked towards the Firmament.
Taixuan Tianyi was half a beat slower. Only upon noticing the commotion did he raise his head to look. What entered his sight was a thick pillar of purple light, falling directly onto the Tower of Spirit.
"This is the Guiding Light of Sacrifice!" Taixuan Tianyi froze on the spot.
"The Guiding Light of Sacrifice?" The Xuantian Ancient King looked over and said with a smile, "Little friend, do you still have things you're hiding from us?"
Taixuan Tianyi jumped in shock and hurriedly explained, "No. This is almost identical to the way I came; it's all Sacrificial Ritual Methods. But it shouldn't be..."
His brow furrowed tightly. "To utilize this kind of Sacrificial Ritual Method, one needs a medium at the very least to anchor themselves here."
Taixuan Tianyi couldn't figure it out. What he used was the blood of a True Radiance Talent. Passed down through a single lineage, it naturally wasn't much different from Taixuan Ye's blood.
One could even say that if the talent was slightly inferior, it would be very difficult to anchor oneself here.
But the person before them, how exactly did they anchor themselves?
Could it truly be a member of my Taixuan family?
Seeing this scene, even he himself began to have Suspicions.
"The same Method as you?" The Xuantian Ancient King was Suspicious. "But when you came, that pillar of light was dim and weak. This pillar of light is dazzlingly bright; why is that?"
"The family's Ritual Grounds are who knows how far from here. Being able to guide me here is already the result of the family sparing no cost. As for why this pillar of light is so dazzling and bright..."
Taixuan Tianyi pondered briefly before explaining, "I suspect it's probably because their Ritual Grounds shouldn't be far from here."
As long as an outstanding talent appeared in their family, they would initiate a sacrifice. Especially after his birth; every so often, once Resources were gathered, they would perform a Ritual Sacrifice to attempt to establish an anchor.
He possessed an unparalleled understanding of the advantages, disadvantages, and details of the Sacrificial Ritual.
"Extremely close distance?" Hearing this, a strange look flashed across the faces of the Ancient Kings present.
"Could it be..." The Vast Sea Emperor's expression was solemn. "This person isn't the fellow from the Abyssal Domain we imagined, but someone from our side..."
As his voice fell, several gazes faintly landed on the Bronze Ancient King.
Double Divine Dawn, 7th-Tier Class-User, young. The possibilities of satisfying these conditions might Be Found Everywhere in the Abyssal Domain.
But in the entire Dust Star Sea, there currently seemed to be only one person!
The Bronze Ancient King's heart also couldn't help but leap.
"Bronze, you've truly hidden yourself deep enough!" The Zhenwu Ancient King immediately spoke up, saying in a deep voice, "Putting on an Act of being trapped here with us, while the greatest benefit is already about to be taken away by you."
The Bronze Ancient King secretly went on guard, but he retorted coldly, "What do you mean by this?"
"Stop pretending!" The Zhenwu Ancient King was utterly unceremonious. "In the entire Dust Star Sea, the only one who satisfies these conditions is your student, Su Chen!"
The Dust Star Sea is the place where they are located? Su Chen?
Taixuan Tianyi finally obtained seemingly useful information from the mouths of these old fogeys, hurriedly committing it to memory.
The Bronze Ancient King sneered. "Has your brain gone muddy? He said the distance was close, not close to us, but close to this place of the fallen. And this place of the fallen isn't the Dust Star Sea."
Hearing this, Taixuan Tianyi hurriedly added, "That's right. What I meant was that it's quite close to this place of the fallen."
"Furthermore..." The Bronze Ancient King pressed further. "Are you trying to say that Su Chen is also a bloodline left outside by the Taixuan family?"
"Even if he is, he only originates from the Crimson Thunder Planet. You all know the relevant data. How could he possibly understand this so-called Sacrificial Ritual Method?"
"Moreover, that person is incomparably familiar with this place and even knows how to contact the people inside through the Flare Realm. Even Taixuan Tianyi doesn't understand it; how could Su Chen know?"
The Bronze Ancient King very quickly found several reasons to refute the Zhenwu Ancient King's viewpoint.
The several of them looked thoughtful. What the Bronze Ancient King said also made sense. If they forcefully associated Su Chen with the descendants left behind by Taixuan, it would appear somewhat far-fetched to some degree.
However, since the name Su Chen had appeared on the suspect list, even if there was only a minuscule possibility, it would be difficult to erase it in a short time.
It was a pity they were temporarily trapped here and couldn't leave. If they were in the outside world, they would definitely investigate thoroughly.
"You don't need to be so agitated." The Zhenwu Ancient King grinned, revealing sinister, sharp teeth. "Whether it is or isn't, wouldn't we know if we just have this kid go in and take a look?"
The Bronze Ancient King's gaze fell upon Taixuan Tianyi. The other party shivered and hurriedly lowered his head. No expression could be seen on his face, but inwardly, he also felt some vague unease.
He didn't think the person inside was Su Chen, but what if there was a One in Ten Thousand chance?
If it truly was, then the trouble would be massive...
Right now, it wasn't that they were completely unable to get out; it was just that they had no way to leave together.
"Speaking of which, if the person inside truly is little friend Su Chen, Taixuan Tianyi really might not be able to achieve victory." The Xuantian Ancient King suddenly interjected.
Over these past few months, they had essentially studied Taixuan Tianyi thoroughly, including his strength and some basic circumstances regarding his True Radiance Talent.
Based on the strength Taixuan Tianyi displayed, compared to Su Chen's performance at the Peak Star Tournament, they were evenly matched.
However, Su Chen clearly used explosive Methods. They didn't know how long he could persist, but they estimated it shouldn't be for very long.
Taixuan Tianyi should be able to hold some advantage, but the gap between an advantage and a victorious advantage was immense, especially in this kind of hand-to-hand combat.
Unable to win?
Taixuan Tianyi was slightly stunned. That Su Chen seemed to have a Double Divine Dawn talent. Being both at the 7th-Tier, and given he probably wasn't very old either, how could he possibly be unable to win?
Over these past few months, although he had acted like a quail, he was still a True Radiance Junior Generation that the Taixuan lineage had poured all their efforts into cultivating.
Even if brought to the Abyssal Domain, he would be quite competitive. How could he possibly be unable to defeat an Outer Realms native, and a Double Divine Dawn at that?
Taixuan Tianyi inwardly disapproved, but naturally, he wouldn't show it.
The Xuantian Ancient King sighed with quite some emotion. "Speaking of which, that student of yours is indeed extraordinary. This Taixuan Tianyi possesses a True Radiance Talent. Su Chen is merely a Double Divine Dawn, and he is only around 24 years old."
A 24-year-old 7th-Tier?
Taixuan Tianyi was slightly stunned. Truly young enough. He was already 35 years old when he advanced to the 7th-Tier. Although it was due to the need to seek out Holy Classes, this 24 years old was simply far too young.
He had probably spent all his energy on elevating his Primary Class Tier. The cultivation Methods in the Outer Realms were insufficient, so they could only try their best to elevate the Primary Class...
The Zhenwu Ancient King didn't care at all. "Regardless of whether he wins or not, professional traits ultimately can't be faked. Even if Taixuan Tianyi can't win, once he comes out to tell us, it will be clear whether it's Su Chen or not."
The Bronze Ancient King was expressionless.
"Let's go." The several of them didn't speak too much on this matter. The Xuantian Ancient King placed a hand on Taixuan Tianyi's shoulder and said with a smile, "Little friend, do you remember what I said last time?"
Taixuan Tianyi nodded repeatedly, "I will enter the Cultivation Sanctum, defeat the person inside, and bring him out, exchanging his freedom for my freedom."
"Correct." The Xuantian Ancient King nodded in satisfaction.
Taixuan Tianyi hesitated several times, but ultimately gritted his teeth and asked, "Will you truly let me leave?"
"Haha." The Xuantian Ancient King chuckled lightly. "Rest assured. We are all Bright Moons; our Words of Weight."
Words of Weight? Taixuan Tianyi didn't really believe it, but right now, there was no other way. He could only take it one step at a time.
Without seeing any movement, the group arrived at the Third Level of the Tower of Spirit.
...
"Where did this person pop out from?"
Su Chen had just arrived at the Cultivation Sanctum and hadn't yet recovered his wits before he saw the Virtual Screen pop up before his eyes.
Several old fogeys had already appeared in front of his door. Aside from them, there was also an unfamiliar face standing before the Ancient Kings, looking fairly young.
Su Chen furrowed his brow tightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the Ancient Kings standing behind someone. Each and every one of these old foxes was expressionless; he couldn't discern their emotions.
Only the Xuantian Ancient King continued to smile, making one unable to resist going up and punching him a few times.
This sudden, unexpected situation left Su Chen somewhat Unable to Make Head or Tail of things for a moment.
And right at this moment, the Xuantian Ancient King spoke, his smile as gentle as ever: "Little friend inside, your brother has arrived. Why aren't you coming out for a chat?"
Hearing this, Taixuan Tianyi, whose heart was quite heavy at this moment, was also quite speechless. What bullshit brother?
"Brother?" Su Chen grew even more Unable to Make Head or Tail of things and didn't respond.
Seeing no movement from the door, the Xuantian Ancient King continued: "This little friend is named Taixuan Tianyi. He belongs to the same clan as you, possesses a True Radiance Talent, and is also a 7th-Tier Class-User. If you come out for a chat, out of consideration for you informing us of the Method to contact the outside world, we will still treat you with courtesy."
Taixuan Tianyi?
Su Chen was surprised. This guy was a genuine member of the Taixuan lineage, and he even possessed a True Radiance Talent. To think they had actually found their way here too.
But his luck seemed to be quite poor. Without a Cultivation Sanctum to guide him, he ran into these Ancient Kings the moment he entered and was subdued.
Where are his family elders? Is there no protection?
Su Chen had many questions. He also captured a key piece of information: this group of Ancient Kings seemed to know he was a 7th-Tier Class-User. Something must have happened when he left this place.
Could they have already learned even more information?
Seeing no movement from the door, the Xuantian Ancient King's smile seemed to retract slightly. "If you are unwilling to come out, I can only have this little friend go in and grab you out."
"When that time comes, the little bit of sentiment between us will be gone."
Grab me? How will he grab me? Su Chen furrowed his brow tightly, still remaining silent.
Combat inevitably involves accidents... The Xuantian Ancient King still wanted to see if he could coax him out, but seeing no movement from the door...
He patted Taixuan Tianyi's shoulder. The latter Sensibly stepped forward and pressed a hand against the Virtual Screen.
Su Chen, meanwhile, looked at the Virtual Screen that suddenly popped up before his eyesβ
"Challenge application received. The challenger is a True Radiance Talent 7th-Tier Class-User. Do you accept?"
A Challenge? Su Chen's eyes narrowed. "This is what the Xuantian Ancient King meant by coming in to grab me?"
He was relatively unfamiliar with many of the rules here, so he had to summon the Remnant Spirit to inquire.
"A Challenge? Someone is challenging you?" The Remnant Spirit was also very surprised. After hearing the general information, it pondered, "True Radiance Talent... Taixuan Tianyi..."
"I roughly understand. They also used the Method of offering a Sacrificial Ritual to the Purple Zenith Pure World Holy Sovereign to find this place."
"Can I refuse this Challenge?" Su Chen didn't care what Method the other party used.