Beginning of Chaos in Grand Xia

Beginning of Chaos in Grand Xia...

In the realm of Grand Xia, there existed the renowned Nine Ultimate Arts, each harboring its unique power:

Great Solar Universe Art: Favored by those with an affinity for fire, this art burned with the intensity of the sun itself.

Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil: Bai Qing was already knee-deep in mastering this treacherous technique. It was known to be perilous, a tightrope walk on the edge of death.

Heavenly Swordplay: As the name suggested, this art was for sword aficionados, allowing them to refine their swordsmanship to its pinnacle.

Golden Dragon Battle Art: Crafted for individuals with a natural inclination towards metal-based powers.

Stellar Transposition: A technique open to anyone, it held secrets of cosmic movement that could be harnessed by all.

Formless Heart Sutra: Like Stellar Transposition, this art had an open door policy, welcoming all who sought its wisdom.

Seal of Life and Death: Reserved for those who possessed a profound understanding of the forces governing life and death.

Bloodcurse Imprint: Much like the Seal of Life and Death, this art had stringent prerequisites and utilized intricate sealing techniques. Among the group, only Mu Feng qualified for its mysteries.

Thunder God's Slash: Renowned for its devastating single-strike power, but notorious for its voracious astral energy consumption. The art transformed one's strength into thunderbolt might, devastating anything that stood in its path.

"The Divine Stele is no ordinary artifact," Yun Mengyi elucidated. "It has the ability to discern one's innermost self. Instruct the others to approach it, and their resonant ultimate art will illuminate."

Qin Wentian pondered this revelation. "So, the Divine Stele reads the depths of one's heart?"

Yun Mengyi possessed an intricate knowledge of the Divine Stele, earning a brief, contemplative glance from Qin Wentian. He then took the initiative, marching towards the fully reformed Divine Stele.

As he approached, astral light encircled the Divine Stele, enveloping him completely.

Qin Wentian found himself transported to the void, greeted by an oppressive force that bore down upon him. This was not only a physical trial but a challenge to his spirit, will, consciousness, and heart. It felt like both an assault and an examination, where failure could very well result in his demise.

A sudden surge of intense heat engulfed Qin Wentian's body, enveloping him in flames that mirrored Chen Wang's appearance, as if he had transformed into a Flame Divinity War God. The flames raged ferociously, yet Qin Wentian remained remarkably composed, knowing that these flames posed no threat to him.

In the next moment, a ruthless devilish energy coursed through his veins. Thunderbolts crackled ominously as this malevolent force dominated everything around him. From the depths of this wicked power, a devilish sabre took shape, slicing horizontally towards him. Qin Wentian felt the pressure building within him, as though his body was on the brink of rupture. His eyes flickered with a sinister gleam, his sanity teetering on the edge as he seemed poised to plunge into a frenzy of bloodlust.

"Could this be the Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil?" Qin Wentian shivered involuntarily, his thoughts turning to Bai Qing. This was the very technique she cultivated—what immense hardships and torment had she endured to reach her current level?

A variety of energies relentlessly assailed his body, yet Qin Wentian endured, until finally, nine radiant walls, each inscribed with text and images depicting overwhelming power, appeared before him. These images were imprinted into his mind.

Released from the endless void, Qin Wentian drew a deep breath, his entire body soaked in sweat. Yun Mengyi gazed at him, asking, "How many ultimate arts did you witness within the void?"

"Nine," Qin Wentian replied.

Yun Mengyi's expression shifted, and she said, "Considering your connection with the Divine Stele, it's only natural that you could sense all nine arts. What I'm asking is how many of these arts did you actually witness manifesting before your eyes while in the void?"

"Nine," Qin Wentian repeated. "Is there a problem?"

"Monstrous," Yun Mengyi breathed after a brief moment of shock. "Do you realize what this means? It means you have the potential to cultivate all nine of Grand Xia's ultimate arts. However, it doesn't guarantee that all nine are suitable for you. For instance, the Seal of Life and Death wouldn't be appropriate since you don't cultivate the concepts of life and death. The Divine Stele didn't reject you because it found you worthy of the Seal of Life and Death. It suggests that you can cultivate it if you manage to comprehend and harness the energies of Life and Death."

Qin Wentian contemplated her words, nodding in understanding. He then addressed the others. "Feel free to give it a try and see which of the nine arts resonate with you."

Fan Le took the initiative, waddling over to face the Divine Stele. Similar to Qin Wentian, his consciousness was drawn into an empty void by the Divine Stele.

A few moments later, Fan Le's eyes burst open, brimming with excitement. "I've decided on the Great Solar Universe Art and Stellar Transposition. These two seem more suitable for me."

"Your flames are no weaker than Chen Wang's, especially with your Empyrean Flames bloodline. Your future achievements will surely surpass his," Qin Wentian affirmed.

Chu Mang stepped up next. While there were several ultimate arts suited to him, he decided to start with the Golden Dragon Battle Art, Stellar Transposition, and Thunder God's Slash.

Stellar Transposition was a common choice for everyone, as it could make a significant difference in battles. The strength of this art depended on one's talent and proficiency.

Ouyang Kuangsheng made similar selections to Chu Mang—Stellar Transposition and Thunder God's Slash. His affinity for lightning made him one of the most suitable candidates for the Thunder God's Slash.

Yun Mengyi kept her choices to herself.

Mu Feng, on the other hand, chose Stellar Transposition and the Bloodcurse Imprint. He was the only one truly qualified to cultivate the formidable Bloodcurse Imprint Art, excelling in both the Mandate of Blood and the Mandate of Poison.

As everyone made their selections, Mustang and Luo Huan also tried to find suitable arts for themselves. Qin Wentian believed that Mustang, despite his limited talent, could still become significantly stronger.

With everyone's choices settled, Qin Wentian looked up at the sky before stepping forward, approaching the true spirit of the Vermilion Bird Formation. He gazed upon it with a deep longing.

"Do you think Purgatory will ever return?" Qin Wentian's heart ached with sorrow. He dearly missed the Vermilion Bird, the companion that had willingly sacrificed itself for him. It had transformed into a real life form but chose to fuse with the true spirit of the formation world to summon the Vermilion Bird Formation once again.

"It won't be able to return. The Purgatory Vermilion Bird was originally born from the true spirit of the Vermilion Bird Formation. With the entire ancient kingdom transformed into the new Vermilion Bird Formation, it had to merge its essence with the true spirit to enhance its powers. For your sake, it chose to safeguard this place. Fortunately, the transcendent powers are no longer at their peak strength. They can't compete with the ancient nine grand clans. Even if the current Chen Clan were to gather experts to attack this place, they wouldn't break the formation," explained Yun Mengyi.

Yun Mengyi provided her explanation, causing a pang of sorrow to flash through Qin Wentian's eyes. Would the Purgatory Vermilion Bird, transformed into this new true spirit, remain forever unable to return?

It seemed destined to stand as the eternal guardian, protecting the ancient kingdom and its beloved Qin Wentian.

At that very moment, the true spirit let out a bone-chilling screech as purgatory flames rained down even more intensely on the unfortunate members of the transcendent powers. Emotion flickered in its eyes, revealing that despite being part of the true spirit, the Purgatory Vermilion Bird could exert some control over the formation and could sense Qin Wentian's deep emotions for it.

This deepened Qin Wentian's sense of guilt, as though he had somehow failed his devoted companion.

"So, are we all trapped here now?" Qin Wentian inquired of Yun Mengyi.

"It seems that way. You've certainly made quite a few enemies among the transcendent powers," Yun Mengyi replied with a nod.

"Even if I hadn't offended them, they wouldn't have just let me go. To ensure my survival, they must be eliminated," Qin Wentian stated calmly.

As the experts from the various powers had met their ends, their interspatial rings were left behind, now scattered amidst the aftermath of the Purgatory flames.

Now that Qin Wentian and his companions had acquired the ultimate arts, even if these interspatial rings contained nothing remarkable, they were bound to hold valuable Yuan Meteor Stones. Furthermore, most of them were on the verge of breaking through to the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Qin Wentian's mindset had grown even more ruthless and unwavering than before. His sole focus now was to achieve a breakthrough to the Heavenly Dipper Realm. He knew that only with sufficient power could he secure his future.

True to his expectations, the interspatial rings held substantial quantities of Yuan Meteor Stones. Without hesitation, Qin Wentian distributed the stones to his companions, who promptly began their cultivation within the protective embrace of the Vermilion Bird Formation.

The transcendent powers persisted in sending reinforcements, and now, just beyond the formation's boundaries, a multitude of people swirled with tumultuous emotions.

Qin Wentian had ascended to the pinnacle of the Heavenly Fate Rankings, but this achievement had made him the target of the majority of transcendent powers. Not only that, his Vermilion Bird had summoned the fearsome true spirit and fused with it, causing countless casualties among their ranks.

Now they comprehended the reason behind the Purgatory Vermilion Bird's continuous absorption of the ancient luck, even after the legacy had been unearthed – all to gather enough soul power to summon the formation's true spirit. Had this all been a meticulously laid plan by Qin Wentian?

Old Man Tianji hovered in the skies beyond the formation, his gaze inscrutable as he observed the unfolding events. His decision not to confront Qin Wentian earlier had spared him from the formation's wrath, allowing him to leave unscathed.

As the Divine Stele reappeared in Grand Xia and the ancient Vermilion Bird Formation safeguarded the ancient kingdom, those who remained within the formation would undoubtedly become catalysts for change in Grand Xia.

"I truly hope for such a day," Old Man Tianji sighed inwardly, before turning and slowly departing.

The number of experts steadily increased, sent by the various powers who held grudges against Qin Wentian. They encircled the formation, forming an impenetrable ring as they awaited his exit.

Among all the clans, the Chen Clan had suffered the most significant losses. Seven to eight Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns had perished while defending Chen Wang, escorting him out of the formation. Now, the Chen Clan's remaining experts fixated their intense killing intent on the formation.

Initially, they thought that with so many experts from various powers present, dispatching Qin Wentian would be as effortless as squashing an ant. Regardless of his potential, a genius who perished before reaching maturity couldn't be considered a true genius.

Yet, the events had taken an entirely unexpected turn.

The members of the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan and the Mystic Moon Sect gazed at Ouyang Kuangsheng, Bai Qing, and Qin Wentian inside the formation, pondering whether this situation was a blessing or a curse.

The Nine Mystical Palace was equally frustrated. They had deployed numerous Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns this time to apprehend Qin Wentian. They had assumed that capturing him would be a straightforward task once he emerged, but they had clearly underestimated Qin Wentian's talent for causing turmoil. Even if they wished to take their turn with Qin Wentian, they would have to wait behind the other transcendent powers.

Because of Qin Wentian, the situation in the entire Grand Xia had descended into chaos, breaking the uneasy peace that had endured for thousands of years.

In just three months, news of these events spread throughout Grand Xia. Qin Wentian's name echoed far and wide, making him a household name. However, his safety remained uncertain. Trapped within the formation, he and his friends awaited their fate. During these three months, the experts sent by the transcendent powers languished in boredom. Not a single person had emerged from the formation, and it was evident to all that Qin Wentian and his comrades were merely biding their time. But how much longer could they remain holed up? And if they eventually emerged, would they possess the strength to overcome the combined might of so many transcendent powers?