Chapter 692: Black Gourd and the Voidwalker
Translator: Radiant Translations Editor: Radiant Translations
Xue Ying looked around him. The entire Xu Empire was disordered. The laws and the arrays of the empire might have diminished the aftereffects from the battle which happened in the sky, yet many cultivators had personally seen the 'undefeatable and peerless' Paragon Emperor Xu killed by a single sword-wielding black-robed teenager!
'The five of them are quite far from me.' Xue Ying used karma to locate them. The closest Paragon was more than 1.5 trillion kilometers away. With speed they were traveling at, none would be able to disturb him in this short period.
"Sou."
Xue Ying turned into a stream of light. He flew back to the Ancient Shrine and entered the inner hall.
Looking up at the highest spot where the stairs led to, the Black Gourd remained glowing crimson and emitted a wave that warped the surrounding space. The outer perimeter had white fog rolling about. Such power should have persisted for several epochs.
'There are no more Paragons nearby. Even though there are still powerful existences within the Xu Empire, they should not be able to stand straight within the inner hall.' Xue Ying was sure of this since Chong-Shi Forefather was forced to kneel the moment he passed through the entrance boundary. Even if the powerful existences in Xu Empire were stronger, there was a limit to how strong they could get.
"Hu…"
Xue Ying let out a long breath.
He let his true deity heart regain its usual calm and prepared himself mentally for the second round of climb. Previously, he was forced down the stairs. But even if they did not interrupt him, could he reach the end? Even if he climbed to the end, could he take that Black Gourd? He did not have the certainty of accomplishing it.
Extending his senses, 'Spectre Prefecture Master' of the five Paragons was teleporting non-stop as he rushed towards the Sky Fire Palace. He did not rush to the Xu Empire: 'Knowing that their combat power is lacking, they are prepared to work together?'
Xue Ying lightly chuckled. He did not treat them as threats.
Taking a single step.
"Dong!"
When he stood on the first step, it was akin to stepping on his soul. A boom resounded in his true deity heart. Xue Ying who had experienced it before did not panic. After calming the shudder in his true deity heart, he took the second step.
Step by step…
He was moving up continuously.
Indeed, no powerful existences dared to interrupt him. None dared even to enter the Ancient Shrine. They knew that the two Paragons of Xu Empire had died, and that fear sufficed to deter anyone from coming.
...
As he continued climbing higher and higher, he got closer to the Black Gourd. The distorted void ripples were also striking on his body. The heat was growing every moment, and the assault on his soul was getting stronger. In the face of this, Xue Ying gritted his teeth and continued trudging up the stairs. Gradually, Xue Ying began feeling everything was blaring in his senses, yet he was clear that the booming sounds were happening within his soul; it remained peaceful in the actual world.
Incomparable hotness! The booming sounds were endless!
Xue Ying started swaying as he climbed, yet he persevered on. 'Heart like a blade'. His willpower poured through his entire true deity heart, allowing him to continue despite swaying in his steps. He would stop for a respite every once in a while before continuing.
Finally, he reached close to the Black Gourd.
All of a sudden–
The crimson glow on that Black Gourd vanished. The terrifying heatwave also disappeared. Following that, it flew into Xue Ying's embrace.
'This?' Xue Ying was slightly dazed as he hugged that Black Gourd: 'I got it just like this?'
He thought of many possible difficulties.
He was worried that the Black Gourd would be too hot. He was wondering if he could take it from the Mirage.
He was afraid that a more frightening shockwave would emanate from it.
In reality, the Black Gourd had simply flown into his bosom when he walked in front of it.
'This Black Gourd?' Xue Ying hugged the Black Gourd. He tried extending a strand of luminous sun force into it, yet at that juncture when it touched the Black Gourd, the luminous sun force contacted an incomparable blaze that burned the force to nothingness.
"Brat, this Black Gourd isn't something you can control whenever you want." A relatively piercing voice was heard. Even though the voice was higher in pitch, it sounded melodious like a piece of music.
At the same time–
A faint illusory figure appeared in front of Xue Ying.
Xue Ying hugged the gourd while looking at this imaginary figure in alarm. He was a lifeform that had a unique appearance and a unique adornment. Everything about him gave Xue Ying the feeling of extraordinary. He formed a humanoid figure with the robe he was wearing sticking close to his body like skin. The gown was primarily silver and gold.
He had green skin. Even the hands that he revealed were green.
His hair which hung down was silver and were tied in several pigtails. His brows were silver and felt like two swords. Three golden horns were growing from his head. His eyes were gold.
This was a lifeform which Xue Ying had never seen before in his life. It was okay since such appearances would appear in some unique clans.
But this illusory figure gave a unique feeling to Xue Ying. Despite being an illusory figure, an aura was still emitted from him. This aura was different from what he had felt in his life. It was a rare kind of suppression unlike Monarch Green's aura which made others pay allegiance to him, and neither was it Pang Yi's aura which made others feel closer to him. Instead, it was a kind of 'emptiness' that gave him a feeling like he was part of the void–vast and utterly void.
He was akin to the sky, a sky higher and broader than any others.
"The fireball within this Black Gourd is on the same level with the Sun Star of this cosmos regarding power. You can treat it as holding a Sun Star inside." That silver-haired golden-horned man beamed, "And you are trying to control it foolishly? Even your Rulers could not do so."
Xue Ying was stunned.
What?
The terrifying temperature emitted from the Black Gourd previously was because it had a 'fireball' within that was on the same level as the Sun Star?
What was the Sun Star? Every single epoch had a Sun Star and a Moon Star! They were the core of the cosmos, and even Rulers would die if they dared to enter it. Regarding power, the Sun Star and Moon Star far eclipsed that of the Rulers.
"It, it…" Xue Ying hugged the Black Gourd in front of him. He lowered his head and glimpsed at that gourd with disbelief that a terrifying existence on the same level with the Sun Star was hiding within.
"You cannot even control it, so what makes you think you can refine it?" The silver-haired golden-horned man said.
Xue Ying was obediently listening.
So what if his teacher had visited two other cosmos? He had already met such terrifying existence that could place a presence on the level of Sun Star into the Black Gourd.
"I've been forced to leave home and drift across many cosmos." The silver-haired golden-horned male chuckled, "Suddenly, I sensed that I have not a single disciple at all. That is when I decided to accept several of them. Thus, I painstakingly refined six gourds without paying heed to the price. The six gourds had been thrown by me into six different cosmos, with many trials set up by me. Only those who passed all trials can become my disciple and part of the Voidwalker."
"Voidwalker?" Xue Ying felt puzzled at this moment.
"The Voidwalker is a form of unique cultivation system. It is different from your cosmos system. Naturally, you can always cultivate it. Those of the Voidwalker has a harsher time cultivating, which was why I set down many trials. There are very few Voidwalkers in the entire universe, and that is why I left behind six gourds which are meant to be your 'protective treasures'. I hope that they will protect you when you are still weak." The silver-haired golden-horned man shook his head, "But according to my judgment, if there could be even one amongst the six disciples I have chosen reaching my level, I'll be pleased about it."
"Don't be anxious. You aren't a disciple of mine yet."
"I've come to your cosmos during the fifth epoch, discovering that that old man, Tian Yu has created this cosmos. Furthermore, there had been a very talented cultivator which emerged from this cosmos before who could even barge into the Staring Ground left behind by that old man Tian Yu. It seems the cultivators of your cosmos have great potential. That's why I left behind an inheritance too."
"I've placed a star map over the Six Heavenly Wheel which was refined by that 'Ancestor Devil'. Those who could pass through the Three Devil Palaces' trials and are young enough could obtain that star map located in the treasure cove. I've placed a total of 12 star maps within." The silver-haired golden-horned man said, "Only those who got the star map could be allowed into this world."
Xue Ying finally had an answer.
He was puzzled since the absolute arts left behind in the Deity world and Abyss were not many despite having Ancestor Devil and Lake Heart Island master present! Why were there so many in this world?
It seemed Ancestor Devil did not leave the star map.
It was this 'Voidwalker' who placed it in his treasure cove, and it was him that refined one of the six 'Black Gourds' that was so powerful. However, it seemed that this 'Voidwalker' was forced to leave his home? He had even recognized that forefather who created the Starting Ground, 'Forefather Tian Yu'? Forefather Tian Yu was also the creator of this cosmos?
So many secrets made Xue Ying dumbstruck.
"Acquiring the Black Gourd is only the first trial." The silver-haired golden-horned man chuckled, "I will transmit a cultivation technique to you. Relying on this technique, you will be able to control the black Gourd. You have to succeed in five years; that's the second trial! As for the third trial, it will be for you to think of a way… and I say again–you have to think of a way yourself without asking others how to refine this Black Gourd in a million years."
"Once you passed all three trials, you will get to go to the inheritance ground to receive the inheritance."
"If you fail, this Black Gourd will return to its original location and wait for the next brat with great potential. I have left a total of 12 star maps for this!"
The silver-haired golden-horned male smiled.
At the same time, his figure turned into many characters that tunneled through the forehead of Xue Ying.