Chapter 579: Thirty-Six Places of Opportunity

Chapter 579: The Thirty-Six Places of Boundless Opportunity

"A thousand days from now, the Lord of the Firmament Return shall descend, and that day shall mark the dawn of the Great Unification of the Immortal Realm."

Within the eyes of the Second Master of the High Council, a fire named ambition burned with absolute intensity.

The Lord of the Firmament Return had ascended to a higher realm within the Boundless Void, and upon his return to the Immortal Realm, the entire realm would bow to his supreme authority.

In the eyes of the Second Master, even the Sole Palace would have to prostrate itself in submission.

Given his close bond with the Lord of the Firmament Return, he would undoubtedly become the one true sovereign below one, yet standing above hundreds of millions.

"Senior Brother, what joy is there in remaining hidden when one could instead sit high upon the throne of kings?"

"The world knows of the Great Sun, and all are aware of the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Suns, yet who among them has ever heard of me, the Proud Sovereign of the Heavens?"

The Second Master murmured softly to himself.

He had transmigrated into this world at the tender age of six, established his Foundation at thirteen, attained the Primordial Core at twenty, formed the Divine Infant at thirty, and crossed into the realm of the Yin Spirit before his thousandth year.

He had slain the Patriarch of Ten Thousand Demons and toyed with the Ancient Primordial True God, basking in an era of boundless glory.

...

After an untraceable passage of time, the true spirits of the Lord of the Firmament Return and the Sovereign Dragon Turtle finally stepped into the Boundless Void.

"Is this truly the Boundless Void?"

The Lord of the Firmament Return surveyed his surroundings with measured caution, his heart quickening with a faint, surging thrill.

He had already attained the Realm of Laws, grasping the very principles of the cosmos within his palm.

To him, this Boundless Void appeared vastly different from how the common collective perceived it.

The Sovereign Dragon Turtle kept his head lowered, his demeanor steeped in profound wariness: "Lord of the Firmament Return, one must exercise the utmost caution within the Boundless Void; the powerful entities residing here are beyond count."

The Lord of the Firmament Return nodded, his expression turning equally solemn.

"To think that we, too, were merely frogs at the bottom of a well."

Just moments ago, he had sensed three entities far mightier than himself sweeping past their position.

And within the Cosmic Spirit Ocean, there was no telling how many more monstrous powerhouses lay dormant in the shadows.

"The Cosmic Spirit Ocean can temper the true spirit, and with your vast strength, My Lord, you might well possess the chance to ascend to the one-hundredth tier," the Sovereign Dragon Turtle remarked.

His own strength was meager; during his previous venture into the Cosmic Spirit Ocean, he had been forced to a halt at a mere fifty tiers.

"How many tiers comprise the Cosmic Spirit Ocean in its entirety?" the Lord of the Firmament Return inquired.

The Dragon Turtle shook his head, a look of deep reverence washed over his face: "None can say for certain, but those capable of penetrating the one-thousandth tier are all Lords of the Creation Realm."

Hearing this, a sharp, piercing light flashed within the eyes of the Lord of the Firmament Return.

The Creation Realm?

It was not entirely impossible for him to set foot into that very realm in the grand canvas of the future.

He was brimming with newfound confidence.

Yet in the very next breath, a sudden bucket of freezing water doused his rising spirits entirely.

"The Lord of the Non-Buddhist Realm from the Palace of All Saints approaches! All shaven-headed monks, clear the path immediately!"

A majestic, booming voice resounded through the expanse.

Upon hearing this vast, echoing proclamation, the various Lords gathered outside the Cosmic Spirit Ocean hastily parted, carving out a wide and unobstructed highway.

The Lord of the Firmament Return cast his gaze toward the commotion, only to see an endless sea of Buddhist light and golden radiance flooding the horizon.

Five terrifying corpses of ancient Buddhas had been transformed into steeds, pulling a magnificent golden cloud chariot.

Though the souls of these five formidable Buddhas had long been extinguished, their residual remains still bore testament to just how terrifyingly supreme they had been during their lifetimes.

Every single one of these five Buddhas had been vastly superior to the Lord of the Firmament Return when they drew breath.

"The Palace of All Saints is a colossal faction within the Boundless Void, backed by a Lord of the Creation Realm.

The Lord of the Non-Buddhist Realm is the disciple of the Palace Master, and he harbors an eternal hatred for monks; we must absolutely avoid offending him." The Sovereign Dragon Turtle tugged at the Lord of the Firmament Return, pulling him back into the retreating crowd.

Within the Boundless Void, formidable factions of all kinds held sway.

Those backed by a Lord of the Creation Realm could already be considered genuine titans.

Of course, the true behemoths of this realm were those who possessed the backing of a Dao Lord.

"A true man should live exactly like that," the Lord of the Firmament Return sighed in admiration, staring intently at the Lord of the Non-Buddhist Realm who sat enthroned within the cloud chariot.

"The Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm are vast and boundless, yet when weighed against other universes and planes of existence, they remain far too fragile," the Sovereign Dragon Turtle lamented with a heavy sigh. "The Immortal Realm possesses no future, whereas the other cosmic planes hold boundless destinies. The chasm between us is simply too vast."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Lord of the Firmament Return with a look of utmost gravity: "It is my profound hope that you, My Lord, will reshape the future of our Immortal Realm in the days to come."

"May it be so," the Lord of the Firmament Return replied.

Up ahead, the Non-Buddhist Lord advanced like an authentic deity of the heavens; every Lord lining the path retreated in haste the moment his shadow drew near.

After all, the Lord of the Non-Buddhist Realm was already a Lord of the Myriad Things Realm, to say nothing of his status as the disciple of a Creation Realm master.

Only after the Lord of the Non-Buddhist Realm vanished into the depths of the Cosmic Spirit Ocean did the remaining Lords begin to file inside, one after another.

Standing off to the side, the Lord of the Firmament Return found himself lost in a complex web of thoughts, feeling very much like an insignificant bystander.

Half a day drifted by in silence.

The Lord of the Firmament Return finally emerged from the depths of the Cosmic Spirit Ocean.

His face was pale, and his steps faltered heavily: "A pity. On this first day, I only managed to penetrate the twentieth tier."

The Sovereign Dragon Turtle hastened to console him: "On my first attempt in the past, this old fool only managed to reach the tenth tier."

"Even so, the benefits are indeed immense," a sharp gleam returned to the eyes of the Lord of the Firmament Return.

He required half a day of rest and meditation to recuperate before he could venture into the Cosmic Spirit Ocean once more.

Right at that moment, a casual, indifferent voice drifted over to them.

"Are you two newcomers? Where do you hail from?" A Lord clad in a uniform black robe materialized before them, tossing out the question with a careless air.

Sensing the vast, overwhelming aura emanating from the stranger, the heart of the Lord of the Firmament Return tightened instantly.

Recognizing the newcomer, the Sovereign Dragon Turtle spoke up immediately: "It is his first time entering this place. We hail from the Immortal Realm."

"The Immortal Realm?" the robed Lord murmured to himself, as though a sudden recollection had struck him. He pressed further, "Not the Nanke Universe?"

"No, it is not," the Sovereign Dragon Turtle replied in haste.

Curiosity stirred within the heart of the Lord of the Firmament Return: "Fellow Daoist, might I ask why you seek the Nanke Universe?"

"There is no harm in telling you. The Dao Lord of the Nanke Universe vanished without a trace, and the Lords of that universe have similarly disappeared from the Boundless Void altogether. This has become an enigma for the ages, and many a great faction desires to unearth the truth behind it," the robed Lord explained casually. "Hence, whenever I spot a fresh face, I make it a point to inquire."

Naturally, he did not bother asking just anyone.

He only approached those who clearly looked like easy targets to intimidate.

"So that is how it is," the Sovereign Dragon Turtle acknowledged softly.

In truth, a faint spark of intrigue had ignited within his own mind.

For his own disciple, Hongyun, hailed precisely from that very Nanke Universe.

Of course, he would never speak of these matters.

The Realm Lord finished his question and vanished.

The Azure Sky Realm Lord and the Dragon Turtle Venerable exchanged a glance but said nothing more.

……

Meanwhile.

Within the Cosmic Spirit Sea.

Countless layers deep.

Qi Yuan’s gaze was complicated.

“So this is my true spirit?”

“This tempering is rather interesting.”

After reaching the Yin God, Qi Yuan’s strength increased with great difficulty.

In this Cosmic Spirit Sea, he ceaselessly tempered his true spirit, and his power grew swiftly.

This tempering continuously integrated his essence, energy, spirit, and will into one.

All things—divine sense, divine soul, divine powers, ultimate truths, rules, and even the physical body—were forged and engraved upon the true spirit.

“The Fourth Layer of the Yang God is to abandon everything, even the true spirit.”

“To possess all, then abandon all, in pursuit of the extreme.”

“The more one possesses, the stronger one becomes after abandonment.”

“I can step into the Fourth Layer of the Yang God at any moment. If I were to abandon everything… how strong would I be?”

Of course, Qi Yuan would never abandon anything.

He would not walk the path of true spirit annihilation.

“Three thousand layers.”

“All as one, the sole true spirit—yet it is not the end.”

Qi Yuan, clothed, continued forward.

He passed an old man with three heads.

The old man sat with eyes closed, tempering himself, his expression sometimes pained, sometimes relaxed.

As if sensing something, he glanced toward where Qi Yuan stood.

Then, upon seeing Qi Yuan wearing clothes, his calm, well-like eyes revealed shock.

When he saw Qi Yuan step into the 3001st layer,

he murmured, “The vast cosmos is full of wonders—there is actually a living being that grows clothes.”

Ignoring the old man’s mutterings, Qi Yuan pressed deeper. “There are fewer and fewer people.”

At first, he encountered a living being every so often.

But now, after walking another three thousand layers, he had met fewer than ten.

At the six-thousandth layer, an old man suddenly appeared, naked, with a crazed look in his eyes. Seeing Qi Yuan, he asked, “Have you seen my underwear?”

Qi Yuan glanced at the mad old man and replied seriously, “You don’t need to wear underwear.”

“Don’t need to?” The old man’s face showed confusion, as if he wanted to ask more.

But Qi Yuan had already stepped into the next layer.

In the time that followed, his true spirit grew ever stronger and ever purer.

“What exactly is this place of opportunity?”

“In just this short while, I feel my true spirit has more than doubled in strength.”

With his true spirit doubled, Qi Yuan’s power had also more than doubled.

“I used to think the Fourth Layer of the Yang God was invincible.”

“Now… I feel that Black Heaven is actually… just so-so?”

Once, Qi Yuan had fought and clashed with Black Heaven repeatedly.

Admittedly, he was at a disadvantage.

If not for his master Ruan Yixi giving him a branch of spring,

his true spirit would surely have been extinguished.

But now, with his power increased, he felt that facing Black Heaven, he would no longer be so desperate—at least, his true spirit would not be annihilated so quickly.

“I am constantly growing stronger, while the Fourth and Fifth Layers of the Yang God remain stagnant. How can they compare to me?”

Confidence welled up again in Qi Yuan’s heart.

He had once thought the Fourth Layer of the Yang God was unbeatable, that he could not even glimpse it.

But his power was growing exponentially.

Can an ant defeat a tank?

What if that ant were larger than the universe? What if its body filled the past, present, and future?

Finally, after who knows how long,

Qi Yuan arrived at the deepest part of the Cosmic Spirit Sea.

The 9999th layer.

Here, only his solitary figure remained.

“Is this the limit?”

He looked ahead and saw only a sea.

The most ordinary sea.

“So, this Cosmic Spirit Sea… is also what is called the Fourth Layer of the Yang God?”

His eyes perceived much useful information.

The superpower he had awakened after becoming a Yin God could also merge into all things.

Through these two abilities, he learned that the Cosmic Spirit Sea was actually a divine artifact manifested from the Fourth Layer of the Yang God.

However, this artifact was different from the Gate of Myriad Variations.

“Are there other places of opportunity?” Qi Yuan’s gaze was complex, filled with anticipation.

“Who created the Cosmic Void Realm, and why leave so many places of opportunity?” Qi Yuan pondered.

Just then, his gaze sharpened.

He saw what seemed to be a drifting bottle in the sea ahead.

With a wave of his hand, the drifting bottle fell into his grasp.

Suddenly, a message surged into Qi Yuan's true spirit.

"Later comer, if you traverse all thirty-six sites of opportunity and make your true spirit one, then come to the Cosmic Spirit Sea to receive my inheritance."

"A Dao Lord?" Qi Yuan was astonished.

The hidden information his eyes perceived showed that the one who left this drifting bottle was a Dao Lord.

"Could it be that a powerful Dao Lord, wishing to break the limit of the fifth layer of the Yang God, created the Void Realm of the Universe?"

Qi Yuan speculated thus.

"Then this Dao Lord is terrifyingly strong."

If the other sites of opportunity were like the Cosmic Spirit Sea, all formed from the fourth layer of the Yang God.

Then that meant that in this Void Realm of the Universe, there were altogether thirty-six treasures formed from the fourth layer of the Yang God.

The fourth and fifth layers of the Yang God are not even on the same timeline.

Being able to find thirty-six treasures formed from the fourth layer of the Yang God is extremely difficult.

After all, even someone as clever as Qi Yuan currently possessed only one, the Myriad Disparities Gate.

...

The Cosmic Spirit Sea.

The fat old man craned his neck, gazing at the Cosmic Spirit Sea ahead.

"Strange, how many layers did that fellow actually go to?"

"Could it be that he is stronger than me?"

He stood on the three thousand seven hundredth layer, looking forward.

But he did not find Qi Yuan's figure at all.

"His talent is stronger than mine... that is normal."

"Still, I must be cautious... after all, not everyone wishes for a genius to appear."

Behind the Myriad Transformations Society, there were many Dao Lords supporting it.

But not all Dao Lords wished for the society's research to succeed.

For some Dao Lords, being omniscient and omnipotent within their own lineage and universe was already good enough.

Not all Dao Lords wished to break these cycles.

Therefore, the Myriad Transformations Society also had many hostile forces.

Their research was not smooth sailing; they even encountered assassinations.

Outside the Void Realm of the Universe, it was difficult to assassinate a Kai Tian realm master.

But here in the Void Realm of the Universe, one could not rely on the rules of lineage or universe; all had true spirits.

Fighting was more direct and simpler.

Just then, suddenly, he received a message, and his expression shifted slightly: "He returned to the Myriad Transformations Society?"

Without any hesitation, he returned to the Myriad Transformations Society.

Space shifted, and the fat old man appeared again.

He saw Qi Yuan at a glance.

He immediately broke into a broad smile: "You fellow, you made me go for nothing."

He naturally assumed that Qi Yuan had not gone into the Cosmic Spirit Sea.

Otherwise, why hadn't he encountered him?

"Qi Yuan, this is Senior Sufeng," introduced the Blowing North Realm Lord. "Didn't you want to enter all the sites of opportunity? Perhaps Senior Sufeng can help you."

"Really?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Of course." The fat old man patted his chest. "I have three Dao Lord true scriptures in my hands. If you can help me adapt and perfect them, I guarantee you can enter the remaining three sites of opportunity."

"Three Dao Lord true scriptures for three sites of opportunity—what about the other sites?" Qi Yuan asked.

"What other sites?" The fat old man was puzzled.

"Doesn't the Void Realm of the Universe have thirty-six sites of opportunity?" Qi Yuan said.

The fat old man was taken aback: "You mean all of them—the entire Void Realm of the Universe?"

"Yes."

The fat old man looked at Qi Yuan with a strange expression: "You really dare to think."

"Daring to think is not a mistake, and confidence is not a mistake," Qi Yuan said.

"If you become the master of the Myriad Transformations Society, perhaps... you might have a chance to enter twenty-nine sites of opportunity. As for the remaining seven, don't even think about it—even if you were a Dao Lord, it wouldn't work," the fat old man said without hesitation.

A Dao Lord could indeed do it.

But a Dao Lord cannot enter the Void Realm of the Universe.

"How can I enter the remaining seven?"

"The remaining seven are controlled by the White Profound Palace and the Black Profound Palace. These two palaces... are not friendly to the Myriad Transformations Society."

The Dao Lords behind the White Profound Palace and the Black Profound Palace are the kind who dislike change.

"Unless you can beat them into submission."

Possible? Impossible! The fat old man thought to himself.

(End of chapter)