The World Cleansing Divine Water was unfamiliar with the layout of the testing ground for Celestial Lords. It only knew that it was a secret realm with many obstacles left behind by the supreme powerhouse who created it. These obstacles could be considered fortuitous encounters. Although one would be rewarded with material items, they would increase oneâs cultivation base or oneâs comprehension of the law.
Duan Ling Tian wandered the testing ground after leaving the valley. He searched thoroughly for the obstacles mentioned by the World Cleansing Divine Water with his Divine Consciousness.
...
The days continued to pass.
After a week, Duan Ling Tian finally met someone.
The person flew toward Duan Ling Tian as soon as he discovered Duan Ling Tianâs presence.
Duan Ling Tian narrowed his eyes. In order to leave the testing ground and obtain a title, one had to kill nine Celestial Lords. Therefore, his guards were up as soon as he saw the person flying toward him.
Soon enough, a skinny young man dressed in a blue robe with golden trimmings came to a stop a distance away from Duan Ling Tian. He was handsome and possessed an extraordinary bearing. It was clear his background was not simple. He said, âI came to invite you to enter an obstacle I discovered. There has to be five people to enter the obstacle.â
âA trial?â Duan Ling Tianâs eyes flashed briefly upon hearing the young manâs words. This was the main objective he had entered the Title Temple. If it were not for the fact that he had to kill nine people in order to leave, he would not be bothered with killing anyone at all as long as they did not provoke him. Moreover, he was also not interested in becoming a titled Celestial Lord. His priority was to find obstacles that would allow him to refine the energy from the Pine Willow Divine Tree and master the Godly Image Phenomenon. With that, his strength would be raised to another level. At that time, he would be able to hold his ground and kill Han Yun Jin, a prodigious disciple of the Heavenly Pool Palace, during the life-or-death battle that had been set to happen after three years in the Prodigy Arena.
Despite being happy, Duan Ling Tian asked indifferently, âWhy should I trust you? Who knows if youâll launch a sneak attack on me once I follow you...â
âMy friend, I understand why youâre guarded. Since we still need to find another three people to enter the obstacles, why donât we maintain a distance from each other during this time?â the blue-clad young man suggested sincerely, clearly not offended that Duan Ling Tian was wary of him.
âAlright.â Duan Ling Tian nodded. As he followed the young man, he maintained his distance and observed the young man. Although he was confident of his strength, he was not certain if they were being monitored in the testing ground. Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not want to use the power from the Five Divine Elements in fear of exploding their existence. If there was truly someone monitoring them, it was likely that person would covet the Five Divine Elements in his body. After all, even a titled Celestial Emperor would covet the Five Divine Elements.
As Duan Ling Tian continued to follow the young man from a distance, he grew certain that the young man in front of him could not be weak due to his extraordinary bearing.
...
After two days.
The young man looked at Duan Ling Tian and asked with a smile on his face. âMy friend, how should I address you? Weâve spent two days together, but I still donât know your name. My nameâs Meng Hao Xuan, and Iâm a prodigious disciple from the Heavenly Sword Mountain, a heaven-grade force in the Solitary Destructive Heaven.â
Solitary Destructive Heaven? The heaven-grade Heavenly Sword Mountain?
Duan Ling Tian would not have paid any mind to the young manâs words if he were from another Devata Realm or another heaven-grade force. However, the young man was not only from the Solitary Destructive Heaven, but he was also from the heaven-grade Heavenly Sword Mountain. After all, he remembered Huanâerâs father was from the Heavenly Sword Mountain in the Solitary Destructive Heaven before he was sent to the Heavenly Pool Palace. Although he despised the Heavenly Sword Mountainâs actions for giving in to the Heavenly Pool Palace, he understood their fear of the Heavenly Pool Palace due to the palaceâs connection to the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Heaven. There was no doubt at all that the Heavenly Pool Palace had the full support of the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Heaven due to the relationship between the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Heaven and the Palace Master of the Heavenly Pool Palace.
Duan Ling Tian replied, âDuan Ling Tian from the Heavenly Pool Palace.â
Meng Hao Xuanâs eyes widened immediately as he asked, âHeavenly Pool Palace? The heaven-grade Heavenly Pool Palace in the Boundless Heaven?â
Duan Ling Tian stared at Meng Hao Xuan pointedly as he said, âPreviously, the Heavenly Sword Mountain sent someone over to the Heavenly Pool Palace, right? Do you still have any doubt as to which Heavenly Pool Palace Iâm from?â
Meng Hao Xuan smiled wryly upon hearing Duan Ling Tianâs words. âIt seems like youâre really from the Boundless Heavenâs Heavenly Pool Palace. Youâre right. The Heavenly Sword Mountain did send someone to the Heavenly Pool Palace... Moreover, that person is my First Senior Brother.â After a sigh, his expression turned frosty as he said angrily, âI donât understand what went through those old menâs minds. It was just the cancellation of an arranged marriage; was it necessary to send my First Senior Brother there to appease the Heavenly Pool Palace? How embarrassing!â
âAre you trying to justify your First Senior Brotherâs action when he took the initiative to break the arranged marriage?â Duan Ling Tian asked as he looked at Meng Hao Xuan.
âI donât deny my senior brotherâs actions, and I donât blame the Heavenly Pool Palace. However, I blame the old men in our Heavenly Sword Mountain for being pushovers,â Meng Hao Xuan shook his head and said, âAlthough the Palace Master of the Heavenly Pool Palace is closely related to the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Heaven, did they really think a Heavenly Emperor of a Devata Realm would really go to another Devata Realm to make a scene over a small matter? And, if the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless really came looking for trouble, did they think the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven was going to just sit and watch without doing anything? Moreover, the Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Heaven might not necessarily be a match for our Solitary Destructive Heavenâs Heavenly Emperor.â
Duan Ling Tian was not familiar with the other Heavenly Emperors of the 81 Devata Realms, but he was rather familiar with the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven. After all, the Heavenly Emperor was the progenitor of the Fog Rain Progeny in the Seven Absolutes Sect in the Saint Province Realm, a mundane realm. âThe Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven is said to have disappeared briefly. When he returned, he killed the person who usurped his throne and regained his title as the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven. Are you talking about him?â
When Duan Ling Tian was in the mundane realm, he had inherited the legacy of the progenitor of the Fog Rain Progeny. From the legacy, he had mastered the Sovereign Heart Sword that helped him to reign supreme in the mundane realm before he ascended to a Devata Realm. He had to stop using the Sovereign Heart Sword because the legacy was incomplete, leaving much to be desired in regard to strength.
Upon hearing Duan Ling Tianâs words, Meng Hao Xuanâs eyes lit up with reverence as he said, âThatâs right. Lord Feng Qing Yang is the current Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven!â
Feng Qing Yang!
Duan Ling Tian felt nostalgic when he heard Feng Qing Yangâs name. He asked curiously, âIs the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven a titled Celestial Emperor?â
âI donât know. Iâve not heard anything about that before. He might have a title, and he might not have a title; I really donât know.â Meng Hao Xuan shook his head. âHowever, the Heavenly Emperor normally addresses himself as the Fog Rain Hermit to the public.â
âThe Fog Rain Hermit?â Duan Ling Tianâs eyes widened imperceptibly as his heartbeat quickened. It seemed like the Sword Saint, Feng Qing Yang, still remembered the Fog Rain Progeny in the Seven Absolutes Sect even though he was now the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven. Otherwise, why would he refer to himself as the Fog Rain Hermit?
âWhen I have the time, I should really visit Senior Feng Qing Yang. After all, it was all thanks to his legacy that I had a relatively easy time in the mundane realm.â Duan Ling Tian had always been a grateful person. He wished to thank and apologize to Feng Qing Yang. âIâm certain Senior Feng Qing Yang didnât expect the legacy he left in the mundane realm would bring him so much trouble just because I inherited it. He even had to escape into the Asura Hell. Thank the heavens he managed to escape from the Asura Hell. Otherwise, Iâll never be able to live with myself for the rest of my life.â
Duan Ling Tian had always felt guilty about Feng Qing Yang having to enter the deadly Asure Hell because of him.
At this moment, Meng Hao Xuan asked with a smile, âMy friend, you seem very interested in our Heavenly Emperor? Is it possible that youâre also a Sword Celestial?â
In the Solitary Destructive Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor, Feng Qing Yang, was revered by at least 90% of Sword Celestials. After all, Feng Qing Yang was widely acknowledged as a peerless Sword Celestial. In their opinion, there were no Sword Celestials in all 81 Devata Realms who were a match for their Heavenly Emperor. When they found out he was trapped in the Asura Hell, most people did not think he would survive. On the contrary, the Sword Celestials believed he would return eventually. As expected, he did return and even killed the person who usurped his throne, reclaiming his title as the Heavenly Emperor of the Solitary Destructive Heaven.
âI used to be but not anymore.â Duan Ling Tian shook his head. When he first ascended to the Spirit Overarching Heaven, he had relied on the Sovereign Heart Sword that he inherited from Feng Qing Yang. However, as his cultivation base improved, he gradually neglected the Sovereign Heart Sword.
âMy friend, our Heavenly Emperor is a legend in the Solitary Destructive Heaven...â Meng Hao Xuanâs voice grew excited as he recounted Feng Qing Yangâs feats and achievements to Duan Ling Tian.
Duan Ling Tian listened attentively; he was always interested to learn more about Feng Qing Yang.