Chapter 697

Chapter 697: Ming Waiyang

"It seems we are about to walk through the history of the Tomorrow Dao again, one after another, the fourth chief of the Tomorrow Society, Tian Jing, has also appeared!"

"But these are just the four strong contestants from other universities encountering each other at the Fourth Stage…"

"Not only Chief Tian Jing, but even the Fourth Seat, who historically protected the Tomorrow Nation alongside him, has made an appearance, inheriting the Force of Freedom. His strength is comparable to that of a real person, yet he appears at the Fourth Stage. If it weren’t for the challengers being unbeatable elders, he would surely be stopped!"

"Surprisingly, there are indeed quite a few formidable figures at the Fourth Stage. Although their talent is low, throughout history, many legendary figures have manifested opportunities to go against the odds. Some even attained the Dao Classics, but unfortunately, the cultivation difficulty of the Dao Classics is too high; practicing them results in only a defective product, far inferior to Extreme Spiritual Law."

"The Trials of the Heavenly Path for the Fifth Stage is about to begin. Following this momentum, it must be that one!"

"Yes, it’s likely. Shui Chonghuang, a descendant of the Divine Monarch, has a strong yearning for the Tomorrow Dao. Previously, he was seen as a promising candidate to awaken the Dao Artifact. With the recent changes to the Heavenly Path, it seems destined for him to resonate with that person!"

He Shiguang held his breath, gazing at the four contestants, especially Shui Chonghuang, his excitement growing: “Could I really see him? One of the pioneers of the New Heaven, a legend among legends…”

He had rushed back from the battlefield, unsure of what prospects he might have missed. If he couldn’t meet these legendary figures, wouldn’t that be a great loss?

"The Fifth Stage Heavenly Path, cultivation level ‘law realms’, talent ‘genius’, the trials begin."

He Shiguang and many cultivators were all filled with anticipation.

Shui Chonghuang felt the same, staring intently ahead as the White Mist swirled, and a figure in a tricolor chief uniform slowly stepped out.

Everyone erupted in excitement, revealing their enthusiasm; it was indeed that person!

"At the dawn of the New Heaven Era, the practitioner, ‘Ming Waiyang!’"

"Founder of the Tomorrow Nation, the first national chief, his birth signifies that the Tomorrow Dao has achieved remarkable results, transitioning from darkness to light."

"For five hundred years, he tirelessly challenged the Luo Dynasty, but with the aid of surrounding kingdoms, he ultimately faced defeat."

"Yet, five hundred years of accumulation allowed the Tomorrow Dao to experience a leap in evolution, giving birth to the prototype of a law that could sweep across the world."

"Ming Waiyang paved the way for the future; he is the Chosen One of Tomorrow, the beginning of hope’s arrival."

Ming Waiyang was stunningly handsome, exuding an unmatched aura as he walked in, silver brilliance cascading down, his cape billowing in the wind, embodying the presence of a national leader.

The moment he appeared, countless gasps erupted, and broadcasts across the entire Red Heaven realm focused on him. Not only the women, but even the men struggled to contain their excitement and admiration. This Chosen One of Tomorrow truly radiated charm.

Historically, his life was summarized in eight words, remarkably precise and vivid.

"Setting sun like blood; stars fall in the Great Wilderness!"

"He really is the King of Tomorrow! Ah, why didn’t I win!"

Gong Haili lamented, finding it hard to put into words.

As the Chosen One of Tomorrow who established the Tomorrow Nation, Ming Waiyang stands next to the Divine Monarch and Divine Empress in the Celestial Empire. Much like Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms era, he might not be a successful figure, but due to his historical significance and the popularity of his story, he is well-loved by the people.

As a devoted fan, Gong Haili wished she could instantly pull Shui Chonghuang down and take his place; her admiration was that extreme.

"The four-tier Spiritual Law left by the Honored Position and the Force of Freedom, he has truly met his match!"

Shui Chonghuang became serious.

All four champions were at the law realms, even standing at the spiritual realm; it was impossible for anyone to break through to the Mystic Realm in the first year. Facing a real person at this level naturally posed a great challenge!

"Mark of the Reflecting Moon!"

The moment Ming Waiyang made his move, he unleashed his strongest power, a silver moon suspended in the air, a phenomenon enveloping the battlefield, a faint silver light shrouding him as if he were a celestial being.

In the next moment, the power to stop time and space descended, attempting to freeze Shui Chonghuang. Instantly, Shui Chonghuang erupted with all his strength, channeling the power of Spirit Law, "Heaven and Earth are being purified!"

One move to rule them all.

Spirit Law is different from Spiritual Law; it doesn’t come from the intersection of many elements but offers much stronger control. The characteristic of ‘Heaven and Earth Purification’ is to use the power of heaven and earth to erase all physical forms and energies. No matter the situation, it can generally be effective without the need for other Spirit Laws.

The formless power of Heaven and Earth Purification immediately clashed with the Force of Freedom. The power to stop time spread and slowed down, yet it continued to approach Shui Chonghuang.

"The Force of Freedom is equivalent to Heaven and Earth Purification, but its realm is far beyond mine. Even if Chief Ming Waiyang isn’t using his full strength, I’m still not his match…"

A thought fleetingly crossed Shui Chonghuang’s mind.

His advantage lay in his practice of the corresponding Spirit Law. His spiritual body had recorded the energy circulation of Heaven and Earth Purification, enabling its use with both techniques and the Heavenly Path.

It is important to note that the Celestial Empire has been around for twenty thousand years now, and many practitioners could cultivate high-level Spirit Laws like Heaven and Earth Purification. A large number of cultivators had already left their marks on the Heavenly Path, and with many practitioners documenting foundational spirit patterns, the power of Heaven and Earth Purification had dramatically increased.

Moreover, he practiced a normal Spirit Law and did not use Extreme Spiritual Law or Unique Law. In other words…

"Extreme Spiritual Law: Designated Purification!"

"Extreme Spiritual Law: Stop Time!"

Boom!

Shui Chonghuang failed. Ming Waiyang’s body was enveloped in black energy, his pupils turned pitch black, entering a pseudo-Great Disaster Descended state.

In this state, Ming Waiyang’s comprehension and talent skyrocketed, reaching near Unmatched and undefeated levels, with his power further amplified.

Even someone like Shui Chonghuang, a peerless genius in Ming Waiyang’s era, found it difficult to contend with Ming Waiyang using a law realm.

Shui Chonghuang’s figure vanished as he retreated with the power of Spirit Law, trying to buy time, but the freezing power spread quickly, instantly sealing him.

In the last moment, he completed his preparations. With a comprehension level close to that of being Unmatched and undefeated, he had a slim chance of qualifying for the Tenth Seat of Zixue. Naturally, he possessed countless tactics and could not be easily defeated.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!!!!!!"

Shui Chonghuang’s eyes burst with light, his entire being transformed as a hazy spiritual garment enveloped him. He activated the evolution technique: Good God transformation.

Following this, under the precise control of his immense Spirit Sense, the formation patterns lit up, instantly covering a hundred miles of the battlefield.

Spirit Law crystals condensed, glowing with a radiance as dazzling as Shui Chonghuang’s eyes.

In an instant, time and space became chaotic.

The power to stop time was also crafted by techniques and naturally had its flaws. Under the disturbance of time and space, it was affected and collapsed after a brief struggle.

The Force of Freedom could simulate most phenomena, which is both its strength and its weakness, meaning it cannot achieve perfection in any one domain.

In other words, using Spirit Law to simulate stopping time would necessarily surpass the Force of Freedom.

Likewise, if both were four-tier Spiritual Laws, the Force of Freedom would be slightly weaker.

Shui Chonghuang’s technique was far superior to the Force of Freedom. Combined with the peak formations of this current era, he successfully blocked the True Realm Ming Waiyang with his law realm cultivation level.

"Not good, did the Fifth Stage become this strong? Shui Chonghuang won’t stop at the Sixth or even the Seventh Stage, will he?"

Some worried; they wanted to see more thrilling battles, and stopping at the Fifth Stage would be too disappointing!

"Don’t worry, these few are special. How many can receive the gifts of an Honored Position in the law realm? Plus, encountering the Chosen One of Tomorrow proves Shui Chonghuang’s strength; even with a reduced talent, he can still contend with someone in the True Realm."

Someone immediately shook their head.

"It’s quite unbelievable. That Honored Being is no ordinary person, mastering the four-tier Spiritual Law. Her gifts should far surpass those of a regular True Realm practitioner. How could Shui Chonghuang afford to cross two realms and still be a match?"

"Indeed, he should be easily crushed!"

On the internet, many people expressed doubts, and the comments filled the screen.

They were quite clear that, given the same Earth Grade Spiritual Law, the gap couldn’t be so great as to cross two realms!

Shui Chonghuang had only just overcome the inner demons’ trial and stepped into the first transition of the law realm, which was a long way from True Immortal status. The difference between the first and ninth turns of the law realm was at least 256 times, while the Force of Freedom was not a weak technique. Once it reached the perfected Mystic Realm, it would multiply that 256 times by at least a hundred thousand…

What an exaggerated number! One could not bridge such a gap with just a small advantage!

"There are some issues you have overlooked. In reality, Chief Ming Waiyang only inherited half of the power of an Honored Being; the other half was inherited by Yuexin of the Fourth Seat. The power itself has flaws, and many attacks cannot be utilized."

"Second, although Chief Ming Waiyang seems to possess True Immortal level strength, the current projection of Chief Ming Waiyang only has law realm cultivation level and has not entered the Mystic Realm nor the True Immortal status, as a result, he cannot fully exert that power."

"Moreover, the standard for Earth Grade techniques is ‘perfected four-tier Spiritual Laws, along with corresponding Spirit Laws and Physical Laws.’ Do you really think the Force of Freedom is at that level? According to today’s standards, the Force of Freedom is at most at the Mystic Grade level. Furthermore, due to the closed nature of ancient knowledge and the weakness of the Heavenly Path support, it cannot compare to the present."

"Putting all these together, their gap isn’t as large as imagined. Plus, with an exceptionally high-level formation, turning the tide of power is naturally possible!"

"Everyone knows the power of today’s formations, right? Even if it originally only had the strength of an ant, it could be enhanced to destroy heaven and earth!"

Many cultivators laughed online, recalling the times they had made similar mistakes and immediately offered explanations.

"Now I see!"

Some suddenly understood; they had overlooked the factor of the times. The words ‘ultimate law’ had become familiar to them, but ancient times were an era of knowledge blockage, where modifications to various techniques were exceedingly difficult and could not completely adapt to every individual. The concept of ‘ultimate law’ did not exist.

The difference between Ordinary Laws and Ultimate Laws is akin to that between Ordinary Laws and Extreme Spiritual Laws or even Unique Laws.

Fully understanding the essence of the Three Major Techniques allows for the creation of a perfect structure whose power reaches the limits of the existing system, leaving no room for further modifications.

Cultivators of today returning to ancient times could easily battle across realms, as energy-level suppression could be completely overcome.

"Boom!"

"Boom boom!"

Shui Chonghuang fought fiercely against Ming Waiyang with the help of formations. However, what many modern cultivators found hard to believe was that Shui Chonghuang was being pressed down.

As the Chosen One of Tomorrow, Ming Waiyang had a strong grasp over Extreme Spiritual Law and Unique Law, along with fourth-tier spirit energy, which was something Shui Chonghuang could not surpass. After all, Shui Chonghuang was still under twenty, with his understanding of spirit energy just approaching the fourth tier, and he had yet to master it completely.

But Shui Chonghuang remained calm. Although he had many cards still to play, defeating Ming Waiyang could not be achieved through sheer force; the latter was leveraging the power of an Honored Being, which would definitely exhaust his energy sooner than Shui Chonghuang’s. If he did not conserve his strength, he would surely be the one to lose.

"Evil Spirit God: Three Major Techniques Transformation!"

Seeing the battle reaching a stalemate, Ming Waiyang also activated the evolution technique, synchronizing the elevation of his body, soul, and spiritual roots, and the world shifted dramatically.

The sudden surge of power made Shui Chonghuang feel increasingly strained, causing him to cough up blood and suffer injuries. Yet, he persisted, dragging Ming Waiyang to the brink of exhaustion.

Just when Shui Chonghuang thought victory was within reach, Ming Waiyang paused, took a deep breath, and suddenly, boundless spirit energy of heaven and earth appeared out of thin air.

"Qi—Heaven Obeys My Command!"

Ming Waiyang’s expended power restored in an instant, returning to peak condition, though the Evil Spirit God state could not be maintained for an extended period and was immediately dispelled.

"Oh no!"

Shui Chonghuang’s pupils shrank; he had forgotten that throughout history, the wielders of the Ming Rihui Sword were all bestowed the Red Heaven True Immortal Law by the True Immortal Mother!

The Red Heaven True Immortal Law was like a perpetual motion machine, granting its wielders limitless power! How could he match consumption with someone who possessed the Red Heaven True Immortal Law???

"The former Chief unexpectedly possesses such tremendous strength to contend with the talents of our school?"

A member of Zixue was taken aback.

Now, the Red Heaven realm’s fortune was vast and endless, with talented individuals continuously emerging. Though Shui Chonghuang was not as remarkable as Qing Liu Sheng and Tiankai, he was certainly among the top talents and strengths in the Red Heaven realm. If evaluated using the Rebirth Book system, his talent would fall within A+, marking him as a remarkable figure in the entire era.

A prodigy like this would be able to battle beyond their level in contemporary times, yet he was being pressured by the top of the Fifth Stage from ancient times, even appearing to face defeat?

"Chief Ming Waiyang amassed immense power; without this, he would not have been able to sustain Tomorrow Nation for five hundred years despite the siege of multiple nations! For Shui Chonghuang to defeat Chief Ming Waiyang, he must resort to ruthless tactics—Unique Law… or even greater power!"

The Zixue councilor said to the man beside him.

"My child is not limited to this level. The bloodline of the Shui family descends from the Divine Monarch. Although not a direct offspring, they received baptism from the Heavenly Stem Cave Heaven, naturally possessing some Divinity. It is not worth using this power outside the Heavenly Path, but the Heavenly Path is merely a simulation…"

The man smiled.

"Good."

The Zixue councilor nodded, recognizing that winning would lead to even more excitement, affirming Zixue’s training capabilities, which was a good thing.

"Must we bring this to the forefront? Truly, he is the legendary figure who led the Tomorrow Society toward the founding of a nation. Although he leveraged the remnants of ancient Honored Beings, his abilities cannot be denied; in that era, he cultivated to the fourth-tier spirit energy through sheer diligence, mastering the subtleties of every realm!"

"I must extend the highest respect to you, to let you know my family does not tarnish the name of Tomorrow!"

"—Divinity Release!"

"—Divine Spirit Manifestation!"

The power deep within Shui Chonghuang’s soul activated; it was the remnant of the Power of Opening Heaven and Earth, buried deep within the bloodline of the Shui family.

It is said that to open the Heavenly Stem Cave Heaven, it is best to obtain the Shui family bloodline, a gift from the Divine Monarch. Even without opening the Heavenly Stem Cave Heaven, merely using the power of this bloodline as a catalyst could summon the strength of any deity from the Heavenly Stem Cave Heaven.

A beam of light pierced through heaven and earth, and the Heavenly Path responded to this call of divinity, granting Shui Chonghuang the power of an ancient deity.

In that brief moment, Shui Chonghuang reached the realm of Honored Position, with the vastness of the universe falling beneath his command. He lightly waved his hand, and the entire ancient battlefield collapsed under overwhelming might. Ming Waiyang, situated at the center of the attack, could not withstand even a moment and was turned to ash.

In the next moment, Shui Chonghuang evaporated as well; such immense power was unbearable for a non-ordered body, and the outcome of its use was death.

But soon, he reformed; this was still the Heavenly Path, and death would not affect his essence.

"The Trials of the Heavenly Path… I have already failed."

Shui Chonghuang sighed, knowing he could no longer encounter the astonishing figures of the past. He could have defeated Ming Waiyang but underestimated the situation, dragging himself into a realm where victory was impossible, relying solely on the power of his bloodline to forcefully break through.

In the upcoming Trials of the Heavenly Path, the Heavenly Path would lower its evaluation of him. The heroes he might have encountered would now disappear, leaving no opportunities left in the already slim chances.