Six months later.
Chen Jiuyang's cultivation had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and he could advance to the Void Returning stage at any time.
During these six months, the Dragon Country had seen significant changes.
However, none of it had anything to do with Chen Jiuyang. He remained diligently at Ping'an Bookstore, occasionally dallying with his several consorts.
On this day, April 2nd, Chen Jiuyang prepared to visit Meteor Immortal Cliff again to break through his cultivation stealthily.
Before leaving, he overheard his consorts discussing Zhu Zhaoming.
The first to speak was Ji Lengyue: "A very powerful person has appeared in Fengcheng, named Zhu Zhaoming. In just half a year, he has cultivated to the Earth Realm of martial arts, stirring up trouble."
The second was Qin Rouyu: "The young master of the Misty Rain Sect, Chen Jianqiu, sought the opportunities on Zhu Zhaoming and was severely injured by him. Our alchemy room has been extremely busy. I wonder how powerful Zhu Zhaoming is to have injured Chen Jianqiu so badly."
The third was Yao Zixuan: "Chen Jiuyang, what is your cultivation level? My master said that if your strength can match Zhu Zhaoming's, you will hold our wedding."
Chen Jiuyang looked at Yao Zixuan and said with a smile, "It's simple to marry you, but here's the problem: what cultivation level do I need to have for you to accept me and tolerate your other sisters?"
Yao Zixuan glared at Chen Jiuyang and turned away.
Chen Jiuyang opening a small bookstore here was indeed convenient for his interactions with his consorts.
Chen Jiuyang murmured to himself, "Zhu Zhaoming has already reached the Earth Realm... In that case, let's see which faction he will join in this life to illuminate the path."
In his previous life, it was because of Zhu Zhaoming that the Five Great Sacred Lands went to war with the Chongming Sea. Then, Emperor Yan seized this opportunity to shatter the Human King system, bringing the Guardian system to the forefront. Following that, demons were about to emerge from Meteor Immortal Cliff, intending to occupy a region and contend for the Great Emperor Ancient Path.
"Moon Immortal, I need to go out on business for a few days. Please guard the shop alone during this time. If your other sisters come over, don't argue with them, alright?" Chen Jiuyang said.
He was not afraid of Lin Yuexian encountering danger, as he had left sufficient countermeasures for each of his consorts to ensure their safety.
"Oh." Lin Yuexian, though somewhat reluctant, agreed.
Then, Chen Jiuyang activated 'Boundary Crossing' and directly teleported to the outside of Meteor Immortal Cliff. At this moment, there were already over a hundred thousand people gathered there, with a vast, densely packed marketplace stretching as far as the eye could see.
However, Chen Jiuyang only glanced at it before diving into Meteor Immortal Cliff.
He quickly traversed the endless blood rain zone and arrived at a safe area to begin his breakthrough.
While Chen Jiuyang's cultivation advancement was not as simple as eating and drinking, it was a familiar process.
The majestic tribulation lightning once again descended upon Meteor Immortal Cliff. The lightning did not target Chen Jiuyang but struck the coffin sealing 'Shi Le,' reinforcing the seal.
Within Chen Jiuyang's spiritual sea, eighty-one laws began to shine even more brilliantly and crystal-clear. Chen Jiuyang's physical body also underwent a complete transformation, with the flow of Dao charm in every movement.
Before ascending to immortal cultivation, all power was for one's own Dao, the application of law power, and then returning to simplicity, refining laws to the extreme to become the origin Dao, speaking words that manifest as laws, with infinite wondrous uses.
Most importantly, after Chen Jiuyang advanced to the Void Returning stage, his combat power was further enhanced, and he gained the Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth.
Normally, ordinary Void Returning stage cultivators could only master one law and possess one Dharma Aspect Heaven and Earth.
Chen Jiuyang, however, possessed eighty-one Dharma Aspects Heaven and Earth. It took him a full five days to fully unleash these eighty-one Dharma Aspects Heaven and Earth, allowing the power of laws to extend smoothly.
This terrifying power directly raised Chen Jiuyang's magical power to the level of the Dao Integration stage. Chen Jiuyang, at the Void Returning stage, could directly contend with Dao Integration stage cultivators.
This also made Chen Jiuyang begin to feel the difficulty, as the amount of spiritual energy required to fill these eighty-one Dharma Aspects Heaven and Earth and laws was immense.
Chen Jiuyang's physical body also completely transformed into a special Dharma Body, possessing a sense of eternal indestructibility.
This was already a sign of semi-immortalization.
Strictly speaking, these were signs that should only appear at the Mahayana stage, yet they manifested in Chen Jiuyang at the Void Returning stage.
There were still two major realms between them: the Dao Integration stage and the Tribulation Crossing stage.
"With my current combat power, with all eighty-one Dharma Aspects manifested, I am likely even stronger than in my previous life. However, this will surely attract the attention of those old monsters..."
"No, I must continue to lie low."
Chen Jiuyang did not become complacent.
"However, the next phase will be a slow process of refinement... The Dharma Body transformation of my physical body signifies that the strength it can withstand has reached its limit, and my spiritual sea has reached its limit."
"I need to expand my spiritual sea to smoothly advance to the Dao Integration stage..."
This was a happy predicament.
The Tribulation Crossing stage after the Dao Integration stage involved heavenly tribulations. It was one thing to refine laws with a human body, but it was also necessary to completely refine them into a human Dao and be utilized. Heaven and Earth would not tolerate it, hence the descent of tribulations.
But this... was also a minor matter. Chen Jiuyang speculated that by the time he reached the Dao Integration stage, his physical body would no longer be affected by the heavenly tribulations of the Tribulation Crossing stage, meaning it would be a matter of slow refinement.
After replenishing his state, Chen Jiuyang then got up and headed towards the outside of Meteor Immortal Cliff.
At this time, the interior of Meteor Immortal Cliff had many terrifyingly large fallen alien races, whose bodies were like mountains, more so than last time.
Those were all demons.
"Are the demons starting to act to contend for the Great Emperor Ancient Path..."
"They shouldn't be able to stir up much trouble..."
The fate of the demon race in this life was also predetermined. In his previous life, Emperor Fu Zhao had appeared, and humanity had gained another Human Emperor.
"However... one cannot be too sure..."
Chen Jiuyang left Meteor Immortal Cliff and returned to Ping'an Bookstore in Fengcheng via 'Boundary Crossing.'
He once again became that unremarkable small bookstore owner.
However, Chen Jiuyang did not completely focus on cultivation; instead, he refined pills madly.
To expand his spiritual sea, slow cultivation was not as fast as taking elixirs.
A Void Returning stage cultivator was considered a top elder even within the Immortal Alliance.
Upon reaching the Dao Integration stage, one would be an ancestor, referred to as a Grand Elder.
And at the Tribulation Crossing stage, one would be a Grandmaster...
He had only been gone for three to five days. During that time, his several women had visited once. Judging by Lin Yuexian's mood, there seemed to have been no fighting.
The day after Chen Jiuyang reappeared.
A young man with an imposing demeanor, dressed in extraordinary attire, and accompanied by a large group of cultivators, descended outside Ping'an Bookstore.
This immediately alerted the entire street and the Six Gates.
Wasn't this the Feathered Ascension Sect, which managed the cultivation world of Fengcheng?
The person leading them was none other than the young master of the Feathered Ascension Sect, a cultivator with heavenly spiritual roots, who had cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage by the age of thirty! He could be called a prodigy!
He walked to the bookstore entrance, looked at Chen Jiuyang, and said coldly, "You are Chen Jiuyang. You had better break off your engagement with Yao Zixuan..."
Before he could finish speaking.
A sword light attacked, directly shattering all the magical artifacts on his person. His imposing demeanor suddenly turned that of a beggar, and his body trembled: "Such terrifying sword intent."
"Scram."
A single word echoed faintly from within the bookstore.
At that moment, everyone in Fengcheng knew that in the old district of Fengcheng, there was a young prodigy cultivating in seclusion, who had opened a bookstore named Ping'an and defeated the young master of the Feathered Ascension Sect with a single sword.
This person's name was Chen Jiuyang, and his cultivation was at the Nascent Soul stage.