Chapter 798: Bloodbath in the Starry Heavens
However, when Xiao Chen looked up at the starry heavens, the infinite number of stars, and the resplendent blazing sun, he realized that all these things would eventually come to an end as well.
In the past, Cui Hao had also been famous and glorious. However, in a mere ten years, he fell into obscurity, his fame faded away with the wind.
What did he, Xiao Chen, count for? Even if he climbed to the peak of the great Dao, when time passed, after several tens of thousands of years, someone would eventually surpass him.
The river rushed on; the waves were merciless. No one could stand at the peak forever. The peak was meant to be surmounted.
After Xiao Chen took in the starry heavens, his eyes cleared and brightened.
I don’t care what people think of me ten thousand years later. I will just do my best in this age, climbing to the peak and fighting to be the best, dying without regrets.
On the second day, the Vice Palace Master came out from the black forest. When he returned, he exuded a heavy blood scent.
The cultivators resting with their eyes closed or idly chatting all turned grave. They knew that their experiential training was truly about to start.
The experiential training of the Heavenly Battle Palace had always been cruel. The Vice Palace Masters would not make a move to help. Everyone had to rely on themselves to deal with the danger they faced.
Of course, an exception was made for Astral Beasts that could instant-kill these cultivators.
Only through this cruel free-for-all without any assistance could one compel their potential to manifest and achieve the objective of the experiential training.
Otherwise, if everyone knew there was no threat of death, they would feel that they had room to maneuver and would fail to bring out their full potential.
“I already killed all the Rank 3 Astral Beasts. I also killed some of the peak Rank 2 Astral Beasts that could instant-kill you all. The remaining is up to yourselves,” the Vice Palace Master said in a grave tone as he eyed the group of fifty-odd disciples.
This trip was not the first time the previous true inheritors undertook experiential training. They had already prepared themselves mentally. They all soared into the air and revealed murderous gazes as they flew into the forest.
Xiao Chen followed the crowd and carefully entered the black forest, starting his first small-scale experiential training in the starry heavens.
The high-ranked Astral Beasts in the forests were all dead already. To Xiao Chen, there was not much danger. In fact, it felt somewhat dull.
However, killing Astral Beasts gave Xiao Chen the opportunity to practice the Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique. He needed to undergo intense battles to accumulate experience and familiarize himself with the new Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique.
Three days later, disciples started getting injured and had no other choice but to withdraw. They dragged their wounded bodies to the Vice Palace Master for treatment.
After that, a large number of disciples would come out of the forest with each passing day.
Most people gained many things. Some of the disciples even managed to find some ores that were no less valuable than the Flame Crystal Rock, making them very happy.
There were also some who were almost dead when they came out, fleeing miserably from Astral Beasts.
By the sixth day, out of the fifty-odd people, only Xiao Chen and Cui Hao remained inside.
Lightning could be seen flashing in the forest on the other side of the black water river. There was also ethereal yellow moonlight. Clearly, Xiao Chen and Cui Hao still had strength to spare.
However, when dusk approached, Cui Hao walked out of the forest with a joyful expression.
When the others asked about it, they learned that Cui Hao obtained two Astral Cores—a large harvest that made everyone envious.
After a total of eight days, a hundred savage purple lightning pythons suddenly appeared in the black forest, rushing into the sky.
As the previous true inheritors watched, the lightning pythons evolved and changed into flood dragons. Then they howled at the infinite starry heavens and released a bright radiance that tore through the sky.
Cui Hao’s expression changed as he muttered, “It looks like his Lightning Tribulation Saber Technique improved again.”
When the lightning disappeared, a white figure appeared above the forest and quickly descended towards where everyone else had gathered. Xiao Chen soon gently drifted down and landed, holding his Lunar Shadow Saber.
When the Vice Palace Master noticed the withdrawn killing Qi in Xiao Chen’s eyes and his calm expression, he got a faint impression of unfathomableness.
After the experiential training ended, the two groups regathered. The other group had already been waiting for some time. Once everyone had boarded, the King Grade warship set off on its return journey.
The trip back to Supreme Sky Star was uneventful. They did not run into any Ghost Race or Corpse Race cultivators. After one day, they arrived safely at Supreme Sky Star.
Xiao Chen collected some Deep Sea Coumarin Grass and the Holy Spring Spiritual Milk that could replenish his Quintessence, before heading to the Heaven Series training room.
He had slightly less than half a month left to his stay in the Heaven Series training room. He did not wish to waste any more of this time.
After resting for a while and entering deep thought, he began taking inventory of his gains from this expedition.
Xiao Chen flipped his hand, and two Flame Crystal Rocks appeared in his palm. One was rather dull while the other had an attractive bright light. Flame Crystal Rocks were very useful to cultivators who cultivated the state of fire. However, they were not very useful to Xiao Chen.
Nevertheless, there was a great chance of comprehending the state of fire if he absorbed them, saving him a lot of effort.
After thinking for a while, Xiao Chen eventually decided not to sell the Flame Crystal Rocks. Perhaps he would be able to use them in the future.
A Flame Crystal Rock was a treasure that could only be found and not sought. Once Xiao Chen sold it, if he wanted to buy it in the future, he would have to spend multiple times the amount he sold it for in the first place.
Next, Xiao Chen took out two white Astral Cores. One was the Inferior Grade Astral Core he obtained from the Black Rock Crocodile, and the other was from the experiential training in the black forest.
After killing more than two hundred Rank 2 Astral Beasts, Xiao Chen finally gained another Astral Core.
The Astral Core contained a horrifying amount of energy. Xiao Chen could clearly feel that if this energy exploded, even his physical body would have difficulty enduring it.
In the starry heavens, Astral Cores could be used for many things. They were not only inlaid into various Spirit Weapons but also served as the energy source for all sorts of warships.
The Astral Core could even be used directly, exploding it to injure one’s opponent. However, no one would waste such a treasure like that.
Xiao Chen glanced at the Lunar Shadow Saber in his hand. The scions of Sovereign Noble Clans or the absolute demonic geniuses would be using Sub-Divine Weapons.
An Junxi’s True Dragon Lightning Whip, Shui Lingling’s purple bow, Yan Shisan’s ice sword, the inherited Holy Weapons of the three Holy Scions, they were all of this level.
A good weapon could raise the strength of a cultivator considerably. An Junxi had not challenged Feng Wuji in the past because he lacked an appropriate weapon.
It is time to upgrade the Lunar Shadow Saber. The Demonic Core inlaid in it is no longer sufficient. I have to change it out for a Superior Grade Astral Core. I also have to replace many of its other materials.
Xiao Chen withdrew his gaze and whispered, “I have to advance to Martial Sage quickly. Otherwise, time would be too tight.”
The resources and materials needed to upgrade the Lunar Shadow Saber into a Sub-Divine Weapon would definitely be astronomical. Advancing to Martial Sage would qualify him to search for these resources.
Xiao Chen’s opportunity to advance to Martial Sage lay in the Breaking Sage Pill. It looked like after he gained a spot for the Heavenly Dew Divine Spring, he had to make a trip to the Ying Clan.
After collecting his thoughts, Xiao Chen took out the Death Throne, which was an absolute treasure that one would have a love-hate relationship with.
Light flashed on his forehead as he stared at the floating throne. After staring at it for a while, he made his decision.
He gathered his vast Spiritual Sense onto the purple Lightning Talisman. Then, an electric light flashed as the talisman entered the world of death filled with black Qi.
Transformed into an incarnation of himself holding the purple Lightning Talisman, Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense looked calmly at the sea filled with boundless black death Qi below.
This scene was almost exactly the same as the one inside the Massacre Throne from before. However, instead of a blood sea, it was black.
“Hahaha! You really dared to come in. This is my world. No one can flee from it.”
The black sea surged, and a strand of black Qi came out, transforming into Wang Can’s appearance. Then he looked at Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense sinisterly.
At first, Wang Can had a boundless arrogance in his eyes and an attitude of unparalleled superiority. But as he prepared to swallow up Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense, he saw the purple talisman in Xiao Chen’s hand.
The mental imprint that Wang Can left behind became alarmed. He immediately revealed horror in his eyes as though he recalled something. Then he quickly dove into the sea below.
Lightning was the most tyrannical energy in the world. It also had the strongest impact on evil mental bodies.
Without this copy of the Immortal Epoch Thunder Talisman that created Divine Lightning, Xiao Chen would not dare to send his Spiritual Sense’s origin into the Death Throne.
Expressionless, he pointed at the mental imprint Wang Can left behind. Then the purple talisman flew forward ferociously and struck Wang Can before Wang Can could enter the black sea.
Sharp miserable shrieks rang out in this strange world. Wang Can flung all sorts of malicious curses of resentment at him.
Xiao Chen did not bother asking anything or listening to anything. He simply used his Lightning Talisman to eliminate the other party from this world.
After looking around and verifying that no trace of Wang Can’s imprint remained, Xiao Chen waved his hand and recalled the Lightning Talisman back into his hand.
However, his expression did not relax at all. Wang Can’s imprint was only a small fry within the world of this Death Throne. The truly terrifying thing lay in the depths of this boundless sea.
This existence was what Xiao Chen feared. In the past, he experienced interminable torture and grilling in the Massacre Throne.
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In the starry heavens, in a King Grade Corpse Dragon Warship, Wang Can paled and vomited copious amounts of black blood. He said somewhat feebly, “Father, that man has erased my mental imprint in the Death Throne.”
The person addressed as Father was the expert with the golden corpse embroidered on the chest of his clothes, the one who fought with Elder Bai that day.
This person smiled faintly without a care and said, “That is for the best. You were not able to subdue the Evil King’s imprint in that Death Throne. After a long time, it would have become a hidden danger.”
Wang Can’s expression changed. He asked, “Father, you mean…?”
The black-robed old man said, “He has the immortal will of thunder, which naturally suppresses mental bodies. He might be able to subdue the death mark left by the Evil King.
“When the time comes, you will be able to obtain the complete Death Throne and become a peerless Corpse King. If you can subdue the Massacre Throne along with it, you will surpass the old and dazzle the new.”
After Wang Can heard that, he could not help but reveal an expression of extreme excitement.