NABC Chapter 2083 Half-Step Heavenly Monarch
Chapter 2083 Half-Step Heavenly Monarch
Chapter 2083 Half-Step Heavenly Monarch
"What exactly is inside the Heavenly Mandate Palace? That it would still periodically recruit geniuses even after it shattered and fell into the void?"
Chen Fei couldn't help but ask, his curiosity completely piqued. He never expected that this seemingly ordinary trial ground, the Heavenly Mandate Palace, would actually be connected to another behemoth that had once rivaled the ancient Heavenly Court: the Heavenly Mandate Heavenly Court.
It may seem that the Heavenly Court of Destiny only lasted for three thousand years against the Ancient Heavenly Court, but it should be noted that the Ancient Heavenly Court ruled the primordial continent for countless millennia, and its foundation and power were simply unimaginable.
Having withstood the ancient Heavenly Court for so long, even in its eventual defeat, the power of this Heavenly Court of Destiny was unfathomable. The trial grounds it left behind were by no means ordinary.
Cao Feiyu glanced at Chen Fei and said with a smile, "As the core of the Heavenly Mandate Palace for selecting top geniuses, its internal affairs are the most important and the most sought-after..."
Cao Feiyu paused, her gaze deepening, and slowly uttered two words: "It is destiny!"
"Destiny?" Chen Fei was taken aback, somewhat puzzled, as the term was too vague.
"That's right, destiny, or rather, a predetermined opportunity recognized and bestowed by the rules of the Heavenly Mandate Palace."
A complex smile appeared on Cao Feiyu's face, a mixture of longing and apprehension. "If you can gain the approval of the Heavenly Mandate Palace and pass its trials, it says you can cultivate to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm..."
"You will be able to break through the bottleneck and reach the peak of the Tai Cang Realm without having to find and refine the corresponding spiritual materials, just like those demonic cultivators."
"No need for rank-specific spiritual materials? One can forcibly cultivate to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm?" Upon hearing this, Chen Fei's eyes widened slightly. Since when could cultivators be like demonic cultivators, not needing rank-specific spiritual materials?
Demonic cultivators sacrifice their personal integrity and sensitivity to the rules of heaven and earth, thereby exempting themselves from the requirements for high-ranking spiritual materials.
But the Heavenly Mandate Palace was able to bypass this step and directly grant cultivators the destiny to break through to the peak?
Is it destiny's will?
"but…"
Just as Chen Fei's thoughts were racing, Cao Feiyu suddenly changed the subject, her smile fading as she shook her head, "The destiny within the Heavenly Mandate Palace is not omnipotent, nor is it without a price."
Cao Feiyu's voice turned cold, "First of all, the destiny it can bestow is at most to help cultivators break through the bottleneck of a small level."
For example, even if you cultivate from the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm, it won't allow you to directly cultivate from the initial stage to the peak, nor will it allow you to skip major realms.
"Secondly, and most importantly, the trials of the Heavenly Mandate Palace are extremely dangerous."
Cao Feiyu emphasized, her eyes filled with caution, "Failure often means death and the annihilation of one's soul. It is said that the success rate is extremely low."
From the perspective of the Heavenly Mandate Palace, your death within indicates that this tribulation was destined to be yours, and that your own fate was insufficient to bear that destiny. Therefore, even though the Heavenly Mandate Palace was the place where geniuses were selected in the past, the trials within will not show the slightest leniency.
"at last……"
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei and said, word by word, "Even if you successfully pass the trial and obtain the destiny bestowed by the Heavenly Mandate Palace, its effectiveness is limited. The Heavenly Mandate Palace's destiny can at most help people cultivate to the half-step Profound Sky Heavenly Monarch Realm, but cannot truly step into the Heavenly Monarch Realm."
"Half-step Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch Realm?" Chen Fei frowned slightly.
In Chen Fei's current understanding, the realm above the Tai Cang Realm is the Xuan Qiong Tianjun Realm, which is the realm of beings capable of refining Tai Cang Xuanbao and establishing their own lineage.
This "half-step" theory sounds like a special state where one is stuck between two major realms.
"Yes, half-step Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch Realm."
Cao Feiyu noticed Chen Fei's confusion and smiled as she patiently explained, "This is a rather special transitional stage. Simply put, it means that you have successfully refined half of the seventeenth-grade low-level spiritual material, comprehended your own life essence and Dao principles, and taken a big step towards the Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch Realm, but you have not yet completely crossed that final threshold."
"It's like having already opened the door to the Xuanqiong Heavenly Lord, with one foot already inside, but the body still outside."
Cao Feiyu used a more vivid analogy: "Therefore, all that is needed is half a portion of the seventeenth-grade low-rank spiritual material as an opportunity and catalyst to make up for the final deficiency, so that one can truly break through to the complete Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch Realm."
Even though he was only at the half-step Heavenly Monarch realm, his strength far surpassed that of the peak of the Tai Cang realm, and he could utilize some of the power belonging to the Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch, though it was not complete or stable.
"I see…"
Chen Fei suddenly realized, but then another question came to mind: "Since the Heavenly Mandate Palace can help people reach the half-step Xuanqiong Heavenly Lord level, why can't it go a step further and directly step into the complete Xuanqiong Heavenly Lord level? Is its power insufficient?"
"Based on some extremely old and fragmentary records, it is speculated that,"
Cao Feiyu pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "It is rumored that within the Heavenly Court of Destiny, there were actually other trial grounds of a higher level that were connected to the Heavenly Destiny Palace. The Heavenly Destiny Palace may have only been an introductory place for selecting and cultivating basic geniuses, with further opportunities after passing through. But..."
Cao Feiyu shook her head, a hint of regret in her expression: "But in the process of the collapse of the Heavenly Court of Destiny, those higher-level trial grounds or inheritances were either completely shattered and annihilated, or their connection with the Heavenly Palace was severed, and they were scattered to unknown corners of the void."
Now, the only remaining, still functional part is this Heavenly Mandate Palace, which primarily faces the Tai Cang Realm. Therefore, its power limit is probably only at the half-step Xuanqiong Heavenly Monarch Realm.
A fragmented trial ground, disconnected from higher levels… Chen Fei's understanding of the Heavenly Mandate Palace became clearer. It remained precious, but it was not omnipotent and had its own limitations.
Upon hearing this, Chen Fei nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "By passing the test of the Heavenly Mandate Palace, we can save a precious sixteenth-rank spiritual material and advance one minor rank."
Such temptation would be immense for any cultivator. Back then, didn't anyone in the sect force or strongly persuade Senior Brother Chu to go to the Heavenly Fate Palace? Did they just let him give it up like that?
In Chen Fei's view, if other cultivators in the Tai Cang Realm knew that Chu Xuanyu had been chosen, they would likely put pressure on him.
Upon hearing this question, Cao Feiyu's smile faded slightly. She gently shook her head, her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions—a longing for the past and a sense of acceptance at having seen through the ways of the world.
"Coercion? Persuasion?"
Her voice remained calm, but there was a hint of deeper meaning in her tone. "Back then, Senior Brother Chu had already reached the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm, and his combat strength was extraordinary. Within the sect, only those at the peak of the Tai Cang Realm could steadily suppress him in terms of strength."
"but……"
Cao Feiyu changed the subject, "Those who have truly cultivated to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm often have a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Heavenly Mandate Palace than we do."
They knew perfectly well that even with their strength, the dangers they faced upon going to the Heavenly Mandate Palace would not diminish simply because of their higher cultivation levels; on the contrary, the unique rules of the trial might even make them greater.
"The difficulty of the trials at the Heavenly Mandate Palace is not static."
Cao Feiyu's expression turned serious. "It will automatically adjust the content and intensity of the trial based on the entrant's cultivation level, age, and even potential. The higher the cultivation level, the more unpredictable and bizarre the trial will be, and the closer it will be to death."
"And more importantly..."
Cao Feiyu lowered her voice, "The Heavenly Mandate Palace has been drifting in the void turbulence for so many years. Although the core formation has barely remained intact, the long years and the environment of the void turbulence have inevitably eroded and polluted it."
Endless void demonic energy, chaotic thoughts, and all sorts of strange things that might be absorbed... are silently altering the Heavenly Mandate Palace.
"As a result, the trials in the Heavenly Mandate Palace today have become bizarre and difficult, full of unpredictable variables and risks, and are probably very different from the Heavenly Mandate Palace in the early days of the Heavenly Court."
Cao Feiyu's gaze deepened, "It's no exaggeration to say that death and annihilation are commonplace. In reality, there are very few people who dare to go to the Heavenly Mandate Palace and gamble on that destiny."
Most of those selected, after careful consideration and thorough understanding, choose to decline. Senior Brother Chu is just one of them.
I see…
Chen Fei remained silent. A place tainted by the demonic energy of the void, where the difficulty of the trials was unpredictable and would automatically adjust, was a place where forcibly sending people in without sufficient talent and combat strength was tantamount to sending them to their deaths.
Those with exceptional talent and combat prowess, such as true prodigies or those with powerful backgrounds, also have other channels to obtain high-ranking spiritual materials.
For example, having the support of powerful forces behind the scenes, or participating in explorations of certain dangerous but relatively controllable secret realms... it's not necessarily necessary to keep a close eye on the extremely dangerous Heavenly Mandate Palace like this.
For true top geniuses and scions of powerful forces, while rare and precious spiritual materials are hard to find, they are not the only way to achieve this.
The Heavenly Mandate Palace is more like a shortcut full of unknowns and death, or rather, it is an opportunity for cultivators who come from relatively ordinary backgrounds but have outstanding talents and dare to risk their lives.
Of course, it could also be the place where he was buried.
"but…"
Chen Fei's heart stirred slightly. "Being able to save a sixteenth-rank spirit material and advance by a small rank is still quite tempting for me."
Chen Fei was well aware of his situation. He had no shortage of cultivation techniques or Dao Crystals, but he lacked rare and precious materials like spiritual materials.
The Martial Arts Arena of the Myriad Realms can be exchanged for top-tier natural treasures, but it cannot be exchanged for rank-specific spiritual materials.
The Heavenly Mandate Palace, though seemingly a dangerous place, held a unique attraction for Chen Fei.
"However, my understanding of the Heavenly Mandate Palace is still too limited, based only on what my senior sister has said."
Chen Fei quickly calmed down from the temptation. If he really wanted to go, he needed to plan carefully, inquire from various sources, and make thorough preparations. There was no need to rush.
Moreover, the Heavenly Mandate Palace can only raise one minor level within the Tai Cang Realm. So, raising one from the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm to the peak of the Tai Cang Realm is actually quite worthwhile.