Seeing the palace maidâs face turning a bit red, Li Cheng hurriedly interrupted, âNo need, I will be in seclusion here for some time. Thank you for your troubles!â
Leaving a strand of his Divine Sense in the Bamboo Garden, Li Cheng then took out Blunt Empty Residence and placed it in the bedroom before entering it.
Outside the Bamboo Garden, the palace maidâs face was full of astonishment. She touched her delicate face, wondering about something.
The Blunt Empty Residence had grown significantly larger.
On one side of the dwelling was a lake and that hemispherical giant Divine Stone; behind the residence lay the skeletal remains of Ao Jiugai, with the Fell Dragon Grass sprouting and growing anew within its framework.
Ao Jiugaiâs form was now two hundred zhang in size, still busily gnawing at the surrounding Chaos.
âSenior Ao, after devouring those ten superior Divine Veins, it seems youâve undergone quite the transformation!â Li Cheng appeared beside Ao Jiugai and said with a smile.
Ao Jiugai nodded, âIndeed, in the future bring more! I feel that the Original Divine Qi within me is undergoing a transformation. Once itâs successful, I reckon even when you reach the Divine King Realm, it will be a great nourishment for you!â
By implication, while the transformation was taking place, no Original Divine Qi would be provided.
âOh? How many more superior Divine Veins are needed to trigger the transformation?â Li Chengâs eyes lit up.
âAbout a dozen or more! I know itâs not easy to get them, just do your best. Even if you canât find any, it should be successful within a millennium,â said Ao Jiugai.
Li Cheng nodded, taking the matter to heart.
It was definitely impossible to buy superior Divine Veins since, even if any were for sale, they would have long been snatched up by the major powers.
To acquire them, one must either search or rob.
Beneath the capital of a Divine Dynasty, there were at least seven or eight.
However, the thought of plundering a Divine Dynasty was just that, a thought. Without enmity or reason, he couldnât commit such a dishonorable act, and with his current level of cultivation, it would no doubt be suicide.
âIâll do my best!â
After responding, Li Cheng sat down in the small courtyard beneath the Heaven Origin Divine Tree and activated the Demon Suppressing Four Spirit Seal.
Three months had passed, and all the Essence Blood had been refined. The Four Spirit Seal had reached completion.
âItâs time to try merging the four seals into one!â
The last attempt to merge the seals had failed, possibly because the seals were not complete, or because the Azure Dragon Seal was not the true Azure Dragon Seal. Now, with all the seals complete, it was highly probable that the attempt would succeed.
The East Wood Azure Dragon, North Water Xuanwu, South Fire Zhuque, and West Metal White Tigerâthe Four Seals were floating around Li Cheng. As he willed it, the Four Seals slowly rose above his head.
Contrary to Li Chengâs expectations, unlike last time, the seals did not repel each other, yet they were also unable to draw close, let alone merge into one.
After a brief contemplation, Li Cheng immediately utilized Enlightenment!
During the state of Enlightenment, Li Cheng instantly understood that the inability to merge was due to the lack of the Earth element!
The Four Spirits were each associated with Wood, Water, Fire, and Metal and could not achieve balance, so how could they merge?
Li Cheng, himself, was the key to the merger!
Li Cheng adjusted his state, as he seemingly transformed into an endless expanse of Earth, with the Four Seals floating above the boundless Earth. Gradually, the power between the Four Seals and himself circulated endlessly!
Suddenly, the boundless Earth contracted and, together with the Four Seals, was drawn into the Dantian!
Li Cheng opened his eyes wide, âSuccess!â
At this moment, the Four Seals had become a seal enveloped in white light, its four sides adorned with bas-reliefs of the Azure Dragon, Zhuque, Xuanwu, and White Tiger, with a statue of himself sitting cross-legged above, and a blank space below.
Though blank, it contained endless mysterious patterns. Upon closer inspection, it appeared as if various Laws were inscribed within it.
Without waiting for Li Cheng to observe further, this unified seal suddenly released a tremendous power, quickly merging into the Dantian, and was absorbed by the Divine Child.
Simultaneously, Li Cheng had a breakthrough!
The early stage of Divine Monarch!
âThe merger of the Four Seals also aids in cultivation?â Li Chengâs eyes showed surprise as he recalled the merging process.
Previously, in the state of Enlightenment, he had seemed to transform into the Earth itself, which contained rich Divine Qi. During the merger, that Divine Qi also joined in, causing his cultivation to soar!
Thinking of this, Li Cheng immediately sensed his surroundings and, indeed, the concentration of Divine Qi within the Blunt Empty Residence had decreased significantly!
In other words, during the merger, he had instantaneously absorbed most of the Divine Qi from the Blunt Empty Residence!
âTake it easy, the concentration of Divine Qi within the Blunt Empty Residence is astounding. The Divine Qi from nearly two hundred li in radius coming together is almost as potent as a strand of Original Divine Qi; if you keep absorbing it at this rate, be careful not to burst!â Ao Jiugaiâs voice came through.
Li Cheng inwardly smacked his tongue, strictly speaking, it wasnât him who absorbed it instantaneously, but rather the unified seal that absorbed it and then nurtured him in return.
Therefore, the crisis mentioned by Ao Jiugai simply did not exist.
With a single thought, the Demon Suppressing Four Spirit Seal dispersed again, transforming into four seals floating around Li Cheng.
The next moment, the seals merged once more, and indeed, it brought an enormous amount of Divine Qi.
However, this time it wasnât nourishing him in return, all of it was contained within the Big Seal.
Li Cheng sensed and understood that every time the Four Spirit Seal merged, it would absorb a vast amount of Divine Qi within it. If he were to launch an attack using this, coupled with the various Laws contained within, its power would naturally be extraordinary.
âWith the merging of the four seals, I should be invincible within the Divine Monarch Realm. Once this matter is settled, Iâll go find that one⦠Dark Dragon Demon Monarch!â
While Mansion Venerable had not yet arrived, Li Cheng went inside the shell of the Chaos Divine Turtle. He was only 984,000 threads away from reaching five percent in the Space Law. Last time, when he was in the True God Realm, he gained insight right here, and in one session of Enlightenment, he could comprehend more than 60,000 threads of Space Law.
Now that his cultivation had stepped into the Divine Monarch Realm, one session of Enlightenment would presumably allow him to understand seventy to eighty thousand threads.
While consolidating his cultivation, Li Cheng began another session of closure for Enlightenment.
After a full year, Li Cheng felt the Divine Sense he had left in the Bamboo Garden being touched and thus ended his closure.
During that year, he had used Enlightenment sessions over 360 times, but he had understood an entire 30 million threads of Space Law!
At this moment, he had reached 99 million threads of Space Law, already becoming a Space Law Envoy!
Outside, only a little over three days had passed.
When Li Cheng left the Blunt Empty Residence, he felt that the Spatial Veins between heaven and earth became extremely clear, allowing him to use Instantaneous Movement and Divine Spirit Steps at will!
The Divine Spirit Steps were actually an advanced version of Immortal Spirit Step.
[Current remaining Enlightenment opportunities: 10,278 times.]
After glancing at the remaining number of Enlightenment sessions, Li Cheng nodded in satisfaction. Once his disciples arrived in the Divine Realm, he would settle up again, and surely there would be no shortage.
As he stepped out of the Bamboo Garden, he saw a palace maid waiting respectfully at the side, âMaster Li, the emperor summons you!â
In the Imperial Garden, Emperor Xuankong was dressed in a brocaded robe, emitting a noble and majestic aura.
âYou may all leave,â Emperor Xuankong ordered upon Li Chengâs arrival.
In no time, only the two of them were left in the garden.
âIs the Mansion Venerable about to arrive?â Li Cheng asked.
Emperor Xuankong nodded, âMansion Venerable is easy-going and, like you, is also an Ascender, so thereâs no need for you to be too formal. Treat him like an elder, thatâs fine!â
Although he said that, Li Cheng could still see that Emperor Xuankong was somewhat nervous; after all, the Mansion Venerable was a Divine Venerable powerhouse. Even if he was approachable, as a Divine Emperor he couldnât help but be tense.
âUnderstood, Your Majesty. May I ask which Immortal Realm did Mansion Venerable ascend from?â Li Cheng asked curiously.
âHeh, it hasnât been long since we last met, young friend. Have you forgotten this old man already?â
Suddenly, a warm voice rang out.
Li Cheng was stunnedâBlunt Empty Venerable!
The next moment, the figure of Blunt Empty Venerable appeared before them.
With white hair and beard, his body seemed to be enveloped in a white glow, truly the epitome of a sage-like immortal.
Emperor Xuankong respectfully bowed and saluted, âGreetings, Mansion Venerable!â
Li Cheng, recovering from his surprise, also bowed, âJunior Li Cheng, greets Senior Blunt Empty!â
Li Cheng had not at all expected that the Mansion Venerable of Land Puppet Mansion would be Blunt Empty Venerable!
The head of a mansion was also the supreme authority of a mansion, controlling one of the one hundred and eight mansions in the Divine Realm.
In the past, he had a brief exchange with Blunt Empty Venerable three times, the third being when he saw a Divine Soul he had left behind. And now, at last, he was seeing the man himself!
Blunt Empty Venerable wore a warm smile, stepped forward, and helped Li Cheng up, âTwo hundred million years, and at last, this old man gets to see the Ascender from Kunlun!â
âI always knew you were exceptional, but I didnât expect to have still underestimated you!â
Li Cheng smiled, âSenior overpraises me!â
Blunt Empty Venerable helped Emperor Xuankong up as well and then said to Li Cheng, âI am aware of the situation and have made arrangements. You donât need to worry.â
To the side, Emperor Xuankong was dumbstruck; Li Cheng and Mansion Venerable already knew each other!
Collecting himself, Emperor Xuankong looked at Li Cheng, his eyes filled with a hint of reproachâas if to say he had unnecessarily given him a heads-up.