Chapter 1267 – The Final Stretch
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“He finally crossed 90,00 feet!”
“He’s truly unstoppable. Lin Ming might really mount the summit!”
At this time, if Lin Ming could truly reach the summit, then although many people would be shocked, they would no longer be surprised. Lin Ming hadn’t yet broken through the middle Divine Sea realm when he passed the tribulation at 80,000 feet. But now that he had also made a breakthrough in his cultivation and broke through 90,000 feet, it wouldn’t be strange for him to reach the top.
“I have no idea. Who can say what will happen after 90,000 feet?”
“All legends will be broken by him. Although this is only a possibility, what follows now will be recorded down in history.”
At this time, the atmosphere in the martial field was extremely heated. Many people were wildly discussing amongst themselves.
The Ancient Phoenix Clan’s disciples were all zealously excited. They never imagined that there would be a day that someone from their clan would break apart the myths left behind by an Empyrean Heavenly Palace.
On the Divine Seal Altar, Lin Ming was actually deaf to the waves of cheers erupting around him like an endless tide. He hung onto the jagged stone cliffs 90,000 feet high and slowly adjusted his breathing.
One of his arms gently swayed by his side. With a light crackling sound, his arm that had been shattered by heavenly tribulation slowly restored itself to its original state.
His body also slowly regenerated. Now, Lin Ming’s wounds weren’t considered too heavy. After several more quarter hours he would be able to restore himself to a reasonable state.
“After experiencing this heavenly tribulation, my battle spirit is nearing the blue soul boundary. After my mortal body was baptized, even if my body didn’t have the supreme dragon bone or phoenix blood, my martial talent would still far surpass an ordinary genius’! Moreover, my body’s defensive power has also risen to another level.”
Lin Ming examined his entire body. The benefits in climbing the Divine Seal Altar were reflected in every aspect of Lin Ming. To others, climbing the Divine Seal Altar was a grueling and miserable trial, filled with pain and suffering. But Lin Ming was verifying the Laws gained during his Ninefall. To him, this entire journey was an extreme lucky chance.
Now, his only goal was to reach the top! To climb up without hesitating, putting forth the final dregs of his strength and reaching the peak of the 33rd step!
It was said that if one climbed the ancient Divine Seal Altar, they would be able to take a step into divinity. That was by no means empty talk. By reaching the summit, the triple baptism would bring immeasurable benefits to one’s soul, body, and inner world, helping to fuse together that person’s essence, energy, and divine.
Lin Ming’s current foundation was too shallow. Even if the true ancient Divine Seal Altar were placed right in front of him, he would not be able to climb up it at the level he was at now.
As for this replica Divine Seal Altar, it was far simpler. It had a wisp of the true Divine Seal Altar’s Concepts. This replica was one that completely suited him. How could he not grasp this opportunity laid out before him?
Step by step, trudging forwards, constantly climbing up, Lin Ming’s path was steady and solid!
After 90,000 feet, there was no longer heavenly tribulation, nor was there the power of divinity. All that was here was a strange and phantasmal kind of power.
As Lin Ming climbed up, he felt as if he had been isolated from the world where he had entered a completely different time-space.
In this space, the entire area was flooded with a strange energy. It was something Lin Ming had never felt before.
As Lin Ming climbed up here, he didn’t feel any pressure at all. This caused him to feel extremely strange; by all reasoning, it should become more difficult the higher it was.
“Could it be that this strange space is only an illusion? Did I fall into the maze of an illusory enchantment?” Lin Ming suddenly thought this, but he immediately felt it was improbable.
From the start until now, the tests of the Divine Seal Altar had been permeated with the Concept of the 33 Layered Heavens. A martial artist’s essence, energy, and divine were the three aspects being tested.
As for something like an illusionary magic array, that was something a bit too unorthodox. It was too far off from the source Laws and shouldn’t appear on the 33rd step.
As Lin Ming was thinking that all this was strange, the audience was also confused.
“Isn’t Lin Ming climbing up a bit too easily? It doesn’t look like he’s having any troubles.” A martial artist whispered.
“Don’t be an idiot. Whatever tribulation Lin Ming is experiencing is beyond our imaginations, it’s just that you can’t see it. If you were to stand at his height, you would instantly die a horrible death!”
“That’s right, you think it looks simple, but the dangers are inconceivable. And this is Lin Ming. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be able to stay there for a single breath of time.”
Many young disciples were rapidly discussing with each other, their words filled with awe and respect. When Lin Ming passed through the tribulations at 80,000 feet and 90,000 feet, it had filled many of these young disciples with admiration towards Lin Ming, taking him as their shining idol.
It was indeed easy for Lin Ming to win the hearts and minds of these young martial artists. This was because Lin Ming’s background was the most ordinary out of all these geniuses; he didn’t even come from a World King Holy Land. In terms of potential, he completely outclassed all Empyrean descendants of Vast Universe Heavenly Palace for the last 2 million years. He was truly an inspiration to everyone present.
As these young Linmaniacs stared at Lin Ming, they knew that even if their own background wasn’t the best, there was still the opportunity that they could one day stand on the highest stage of the Divine Realm and become a peak master. Lin Ming was the prime example of this.
“What is at the final 10,000 feet of the Divine Seal Altar?”
Some people asked from the reserved seating section. These high level figures were filled with curiosity towards the mysteries of the final 10,000 feet.
However, the Divine Seal Altar was mostly kept deep within Vast Universe Heavenly Palace and was only occasionally taken out for the First Martial Meeting. And even then, the highest the participants of the First Martial Meeting had ever climbed to was the 32nd step. Thus, no one knew just what lay within the final 10,000 feet, not even the World Kings present.
“I know a bit.” A dark-clothed old man suddenly said, attracting the eyes of everyone in the hall.
“Oh? Elder Zhou, you know?”
“Mm, I’m originally from Vast Universe World and also a disciple of the Wide Universe Holy Lands. Tens of thousands of years ago, my senior-apprentice brother was fortunately chosen to enter into Vast Universe Heavenly Palace. He was also given the chance to climb the Divine Seal Altar, and although he didn’t reach the 33rd step, he still has a good understanding of what happens in the last tens of thousands of feet of the Divine Seal Altar.”
In some great worlds that an Empyrean was located at, there would be some disciples of that world’s Great World King Holy Lands who would have a chance of being chosen to enter the Empyrean Heavenly Palace. Nether Limitless had these thoughts and hoped to enter Demondawn Heavenly Palace. But, after his miserable defeat on the Divine Seal Altar, it was unlikely he would have such a chance. Empyrean Demondawn was a powerful and ruthless Empyrean, and his standards for disciples entering Demondawn Heavenly Palace were much higher than Vast Universe Heavenly Palace’s.
The old man said, “In Vast Universe Heavenly Palace, there are indeed disciples that can climb up the last 10,000 feet. Of course, these disciples are all at the Divine Transformation realm and above. What they experience in the last 10,000 feet is different from person to person, and each one’s experiences are unique. According to what my senior-apprentice brother told me, there are two people that have experienced the same things.”
“Oh? There’s something like that?”
As everyone listened to the old man, their interest was immediately aroused.
“Empyrean Vast Universe may have created this Divine Seal Altar, but there are many situations of the Divine Seal Altar that have surpassed his control. Even Empyrean Vast Universe found this situation strange. He finally speculated that whatever events happen in the last 10,000 feet are dependent on a martial artist’s cultivation methods, lucky chances, experiences, foundation, physique, will, talent, bloodline, perception, and all sorts of other factors combined together, thus the reason why all sorts of unusual and unpredictable things can occur that are impossible to predict. These strange situations are sometimes even accompanied with the emergence of phenomena.”
“Phenomenon!?” Everyone was startled. As long as a phenomenon was involved, it was truly something extraordinary.
“Yes. Moreover, the more potential and talent one has, and the more mysterious and powerful their cultivation methods are, then the more difficult it will be to predict just what will happen when that person climbs the last 10,000 feet of the Divine Seal Altar. Sometimes, there are monstrous geniuses with unprecedented talent who will climb up the Divine Seal Altar’s final 10,000 feet and galvanize the appearance of phenomenon. When Vast Cosmos climbed up the Divine Seal Altar during the Divine Sea realm, he created a record at 70,000 feet. Later, at the Divine Transformation realm, he climbed up the final 10,000 feet of the Divine Seal Altar and caused the appearance of a phenomenon!”
“So that’s how it is… the Divine Seal Altar is truly unfathomable!” Some people couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Yes, it is something that follows the Laws of the world; it already far surpasses our understanding.”
As everyone was speaking, Lin Ming had already climbed up 91,000 feet, but there still weren’t any strange changes around him.
He was extremely cautious. Although there was barely any pressure on him, he still climbed up at a slow and steady speed.
He was well aware that some catastrophe would come sooner or later, and it wouldn’t change whether he climbed slow or fast.
92,000 feet… 93,000 feet!
Gradually, he rose up with steady steps.
Finally, there was only 7,000 feet left. Once he reached the top of the Divine Seal Altar, that would be a baptism and rebirth of his life!
Suddenly, Lin Ming’s mind shook. He could feel a terrifying will wash towards him like a roaring tide.
This will contained endless killing intent, tumbling around like a boiling tsunami!
“It’s here? What is it!?”
Lin Ming was completely focused. This terrifying will became increasingly strong.
The entire sky was swallowed up by this sea of killing intent; even the world lost its color!
“This is…” Lin Ming’s mind tightened. This killing intent was far too horrible. It was the most savage and otherworldly killing intent that Lin Ming had ever faced in his life, a completely incomprehensible aura.
In that moment, Lin Ming felt completely cut off from the world. Even the Divine Seal Altar around him vanished. He suddenly appeared in a vast and starry space, wide and limitless.
In the far off distance, Lin Ming could see a mass of figures flying towards him.
Lin Ming’s eyesight was extremely sharp. Soon, he was able to see what it was. And when he saw just what was flying towards him, his eyes popped wide open.
“That is… heavens!!!!”
Lin Ming’s heart rapidly beat and his pupils contracted.
That was a dragon, a True Dragon!
Not only was there a dragon, but also God Beasts of all kinds.
There was an Ice Phoenix, Fire Phoenix, and even a Dark Phoenix that Lin Ming had never heard about.
Other legendary creatures appeared. A Suan Ni, White Marsh, Kirin…
There were over 200 of these mythical creatures!
These God Beasts constantly grew larger as they came closer and closer. In Lin Ming’s vision, they began as the size of a palm, then became the size of a person, the size of mountains and rivers, and finally several hundred miles large, thousands of miles large, tens of thousands of miles large, nearly as large as a small planet!
Standing on these God Beasts were groups of people. Or rather, it was more accurate to call them an army. They were all standing in orderly formations, wearing gleaming gold armor.
And in front of them were commanders.
On top of each God Beast, there was a commander as well as an army of tens of thousands.
The soldiers in this army all exuded an incomparably terrifying aura. Lin Ming was startled to discover that he was not the match of any single one of these soldiers.
“They are… Divine Lords? No… they are Holy Lords!”
Holy Lords as soldiers!? Several million Holy Lords!?
As Lin Ming clearly saw all of this, he was inexplicably shocked. Many of these soldiers had heads of white hair and their faces were wrinkled with age: they were obviously old. In Lin Ming’s impression, these people were all top figures, masters of their sects, but now, they were all soldiers!
Lin Ming looked at these soldiers standing in front of him with incredulous eyes. As he faced them, it felt as if he were facing the entire universe. There was an indescribable sense of awe that washed over him.
“Empyrean!”
This thought immediately flashed through Lin Ming’s mind. Holy Lords as soldiers, and an Empyrean as the general!
What sort of army was this? He feared that this would require the total gathered strength of the Divine Realm to form. Just what matter could cause all of the masters in the Divine Realm to come out? Could it be…
The great calamity!?
Lin Ming’s mind immediately recalled the great world calamity that the Ancient Elysium Seal spoke of. For some time, he couldn’t say a word at all…