Chapter 657

Chapter 657: Becoming a True Immortal or a Saint

"World exploration qualification?"

"Offering the exploration qualification right after the assassination—do they want to try another assassination?"

The members of the student council exchanged glances, and they all thought of the implications.

The council from Zixue Academy either faced significant problems or intended to use Qing Liu Sheng as bait, which could offend many.

Would Qing Liu Sheng accept?

"…"

Yun Ye’s Spiritual Attire shimmered, revealing a notification.

"Hello, Qing Liu Sheng President. Your qualifications and strength have been reviewed and unanimously recognized by the council. We believe that your academy studies can no longer keep up with your growth. Therefore, we have issued an early invitation for multiverse exploration qualification. You may decide whether to explore the multiverse based on your own will. Please note that this qualification is valid for one year unless extraordinary circumstances arise."

"Finally, we wish you success in your studies and a smooth journey along the Immortal Path. — Zixue Council."

Multiverse exploration qualification.

Valid for one year.

They were eager for him to leave the Red Heaven realm.

In fact, after Zhang Jutan’s capture, it was clear from King Yu’s assassination attempt that the Divine Court held considerable power over Zixue.

Moreover, they had decided to abandon that power.

When Zhang Jutan was exposed, the Celestial Empire had already noticed something was off with Zixue Academy. Now with King Yu’s exposure, there was a legitimate reason to investigate.

Yun Ye had also checked the investigation progress using his authority. He had let Zhang Jutan get caught to bring out more clues. If anyone obstructed the investigation into Zixue Academy, it could become problematic.

Sadly, no one stepped in to halt the investigation procedures initiated by the Divine Army and the Heavenly Curtain.

As King Yu’s assassination attempt failed, it thoroughly confirmed that there was a significant issue within Zixue Academy, and the speed of the investigation increased again.

What followed would be a grand cleansing operation, where anyone who could uncover problems would be eliminated.

It must be said, hiding darkness in the Red Heaven realm is quite challenging.

In this era, with the Divine Tool appearing and the Divine Empress controlling the Heavenly Dry Universe to suppress the multiverse, no tricks would fool the Divine Empress in the Red Heaven realm.

Before the higher-ups of the Zixue Council could be removed, they gave Yun Ye the multiverse exploration qualification, allowing them to exert their last bit of influence.

Now, it was up to Yun Ye’s own thoughts—would he use himself as bait to trap the assassins again, or would he play it safe and remain silent?

Zixue Xin looked at Yun Ye.

Did the Wanling Group and the forces behind it have the courage to confront the Divine Court again?

In response, Yun Ye looked up, his azure eyes devoid of emotion, yet a slight smile tugged at his lips as he said to Zixue Xin, “I didn’t expect to be valued so highly. Thank you for this opportunity; I am actually quite looking forward to exploring the multiverse and witnessing all its wonders.”

“Let me go explore the multiverse; I believe the omnipresent Heavenly Curtain will cleanse those with ill intentions.”

Silence.

No words were spoken.

Zixue Xin fell into thought—was this young man genuinely confident, or was it a deliberate ploy?

The Divine Court may not have a prominent reputation among the public, but that is because it’s challenging for them to intervene in the Red Heaven realm.

Most of their power resides in the outer heavens, among the top-level Parallel Universes.

Their deep foundation is such that even the Divine Empress would find it hard to eradicate entirely.

Facing such opponents, caution is the proper approach.

Qing Liu Sheng’s quick decision to enter the multiverse could be seen as an official declaration of war against the Divine Court.

What force dares to challenge the Divine Court?

Is it the Celestial Empire itself?

Or could it be the celestial clans?

At Zixue Xin’s level, she knew many secrets; the entire interference range of the multiverse was basically divided into three major forces.

The first was the strongest power, the New Heaven Celestial Empire, represented by the Divine Empress.

The second was the interest group represented by the Divine Court.

And the third was the invading force represented by the celestial clans.

The New Heaven Celestial Empire aims to carry out the Tomorrow Dao, making a wish again to create a world where everyone thrives in unity within the multiverse.

The Divine Court and other interest groups seek to gather resources to cultivate the Immortal Path, ultimately becoming True Immortals, standing high above.

Finally, the force represented by the celestial clans hopes to break the Divine Monarch’s sealing, return from the void to the Red Heaven realm, and participate in this new grand era.

Each of the three sides has its strengths and weaknesses, attracting different groups to support them. Currently, the New Heaven Celestial Empire appears stronger, but in no more than a thousand years, the Divine Empress will likely fall. At that time, whether the New Heaven Celestial Empire can smoothly transition to the third generation under the interference of the two major factions will be a dividing line that determines the order of the future.

Though a thousand years may seem far off, dark currents are already surging, with various forces beginning to rise.

Among them, the celestial clans’ influence is the most apparent. By mastering Dao Law, they have ties to the True Immortals, making it unlikely for the Divine Court to rival them. If Qing Liu Sheng’s backing comes from the celestial clans, it provides a reason to act against the Divine Court.

The Divine Court is a local force. Though they oppose the Celestial Empire, they cannot allow the position of Celestial Empire leader to fall into the hands of the celestial clans. Compared to the Divine Empress, who will fall in a thousand years, understanding the Divine Court as a rival now might be a wise choice.

“Yes, with the Heavenly Curtain’s protection, no force can act lightly. Qing Liu Sheng President, please notify the student council once you officially begin exploring the multiverse. Exploring the multiverse is different from entering the Approximate Universes; you will need to transit to the Heavenly Dry Universe. I will personally guide you on your first step into multiverse exploration.”

“Alright, thank you, Chief!”

With that, the conversation ended.

Yun Ye yawned as he walked out of the student council building, heading back to his dormitory.

Despite the overwhelming victory over King Yu and the others, it had taken a significant toll on him. He would likely feel fatigued for a while.

Seeing the future summoned a version of himself from that future; although immensely powerful, it also exhausted his potential. The swirling life force, Spirit Sense, and Four Elements had all been severely depleted. Even with the resources granted by his position as President, recovery would require time.

Long Linglong had been waiting for a while. She spoke, "Young Master, I just received a secret signal indicating that the Chairman has ‘urgent matters’ to discuss with you."

"Urgent matters? Did they mention a time?" Yun Ye asked.

"Returning to the Wangyue Garden suddenly would be too abrupt. Young Master, you may continue with your usual activities for now. We’ll have the discussion on Saturday." Long Linglong didn’t know what the meeting was about, but she simply relayed the information, remaining calm and unhurried.

"Understood." Yun Ye nodded. This call was likely related to King Yu’s fall, and he also felt Qing Kong’s call for him.

He was not going to the Wangyue Garden to meet the Wanling Chairman, but rather to speak with Qing Kong.

"Young Master, I have prepared dinner."

Long Linglong asked no questions, simply focused on being a good tool-like maid to avoid getting involved in any trouble.

Yun Ye smiled as he ate, connecting to the Heavenly Curtain’s internal network. Since he was planning to trap the Divine Court, he should do it thoroughly and really call upon the Heavenly Curtain.

…

Wangyue Garden.

A beam of morning light shone into the room.

The young man with green hair and eyes opened his eyes, and the ripples of the twenty-fifth layer of the Azure Sky gradually faded.

“Whew…”

Yun Ye’s understanding of the Whirlpool Dao Law deepened, and he began to sense the power of this technique. Although it couldn’t be called the ultimate Physical Law, it stood at the pinnacle among ordinary people.

Because of its conceptual rules, this Dao had no limits and, like all methods throughout history, could be improved infinitely.

As long as there were resources, he could enhance it endlessly, overlapping completely with the infinite Dao Laws, all while being acquired by Yun Ye.

“Now that both sides of Yin and Yang are complete, the next question is how far I can elevate myself?”

Yun Ye knew that both Dao Laws required countless resources. To meet his needs would require an astronomical figure in resources. Moreover, he was also cultivating the Four Elements Cave Heaven technique, which would inevitably lead him down the path of Opening Heaven and Earth—a bottomless pit of resources.

Given the current situation, without entering the multiverse, he had no chance of gathering such a vast amount of resources. Even if he did enter the multiverse, these crucial resources were still controlled by major powers. If he wanted to snatch them away, he would have to explore new worlds.

To be honest…

How could exploring be faster than robbing?

Without a doubt, Shui Wuge was just as cunning as he was and had probably been waiting for this day.

Who among the major powers wasn’t guilty of countless crimes today?

Shui Wuge’s only question now was whether she could resolve these powers.

With major powers reaching their peak, to be honest, the battlefield of the Red Heaven realm was the only area with an advantage for a full-scale war. How many Masters of Heaven’s Cavern stood with the Celestial Empire in other regions?

And how could ordinary cultivators battle a Master of Heaven’s Cavern?

“So, even though the Celestial Empire has collected the Dao Classics, they can’t spread them carelessly, or else…”

Yun Ye shook his head.

The method of Opening Heaven and Earth could be leaked; it was necessary for exploring the multiverse.

But Dao Law should not be revealed!

The difficulty of cultivating Dao Laws and their Resource Consumption is much lower than that of Cave Techniques. Most Dao Laws focus on self-cultivation and do not face the same drawbacks as the fixed nature of Cave Techniques; they can maintain combat power anywhere without being hindered by distance from their domain.

In fact, Dao Laws could coexist with Cave Techniques, greatly increasing the chances of advancement.

For contemporary cultivators, even granting incomplete Dao Laws is highly attractive—a far more serious issue than the secrecy surrounding Cave Techniques.

It’s no wonder that the celestial clans, even with only a small number of their members entering the Red Heaven realm over nine thousand years, have managed to establish a significant force.

This benefit was visible to the naked eye and provided a shortcut to the highest realms!

Compared to the extremely low success rate of the Cave Techniques, where failure meant death, Dao Law, no matter how harshly demanding, at least wouldn’t lead directly to death from failed cultivation!

Yun Ye stood up, opened a spatial door with both hands, and walked into the basement of Wangyue Garden, which had no passage. The basement was filled with numerous precise instruments. As Yun Ye arrived, they lit up in sequence, and particles began to gather, forming the figure of a green-haired woman.

“Liu Sheng, Mommy misses you so much!”

Qing Kong rushed over and hugged Yun Ye, nuzzling against his face as if he were a fluffy little kitten. She seemed to enjoy it immensely, while Yun Ye could only sigh. This leader of the celestial clans was indeed peculiar, exhibiting behavior that made him suspect Qing Kong might have isolated herself for too long, causing her mind to remain ungrown.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t you miss your mom?”

Seeing Yun Ye indifferent, Qing Kong felt a bit dissatisfied and shook Yun Ye’s shoulder.

“Hmm… not really.”

Yun Ye replied honestly.

“Ah, it seems my child still needs to grow up—completely unable to understand feelings.”

Qing Kong chuckled and continued, “You have done quite well this past month. Your luck has increased significantly compared to before. I also heard that you effortlessly defeated the Ten Seats at the same level. It’s no surprise; you are indeed the disciple I raised, even the supreme geniuses of the Red Heaven realm can’t withstand a single blow!”

“The so-called Ten Seats are just too weak,” Yun Ye said.

“Haha, indeed! Compared to you, they are simply too weak. But that’s just the Ten Seats. What about the First Seat? What about the champions from the five schools? This is just Tengzhou; there’s also the Red Heaven realm and even the outer heavens. The opponents you need to defeat are countless. If you lose due to carelessness, guess how I will punish you?” Qing Kong’s finger was already pointing at Yun Ye’s forehead.

“Mother should trust my strength. In my presence, any unbeatable elder is as fragile as a bubble, all are weaker opponents,” Yun Ye stated.

“Hmm, it’s good to have such confidence. Perfect timing too! The Wanling Group has completed a layout and attracted some annoying beings. You should use the power of the Heavenly Curtain and Wanling to trap them all; that’s the universe you need to head to next,” Qing Kong said with a smile, sending a piece of information to Yun Ye that formed a cosmic map.

In the universe, only regions with established Multiverse Gates allow for precise transmission. If exploring the universe, one must rely on the cosmic map, a special information map that prevents losing direction in the void. Through the guidance of the map, one could reach a fixed location during random transmissions.

“Yes, Mother,” Yun Ye nodded.

Qing Kong could not fully grasp the information of the Red Heaven realm. To her, sending Zhang Jutan in was an action against the Divine Court, without associating it with Yun Ye. However, Yun Ye obtaining multiverse exploration qualification was something she contributed to.

“Just be careful; you aren’t afraid of King Yu with the blue Daoist robe, but some Honored Beings and even Masters of Heaven’s Cavern are harder to deal with. Solving problems won’t be so simple.”

“Now that the Celestial Empire and Divine Court are aware of your True Realm strength, the chances of them sending powerful cultivators to confront you will significantly increase. If things get tough, just activate the blue Daoist robe to return to the Red Heaven. This Daoist robe is quite powerful and will easily escort you back with the right markers.”

“I will, Mother.”

Yun Ye nodded again.

…

In the Heavenly Dry Universe, New Heaven Court.

In the Clear Palace where the Divine Empress resides.

“Splash, splash…”

Mist swirled, and the sound of water continued. A graceful woman with long black hair bathed in the Spiritual Pool, her expression revealing an indescribable fatigue as if she were carrying immense pressure.

After a moment, the black-haired woman stepped out of the Spiritual Pool, her perfect body automatically gathered spirit light, transforming into a light blue gown.

As she walked, a strong force seemed to resist, and Order Chains fought continuously in the void.

Time and space shattered, and countless silver lightning bolts surrounded her, almost invisible but definitely present.

“If it were the era of hidden Dao artifacts, would there be talk of the heavens abandoning the human race?”

“Sheltered by the Cave Techniques for ten thousand years, guarding the Cave Techniques for another ten thousand years.”

“If I collapse parallel worlds and completely elevate the Heavenly Dry Universe, perhaps I could live another ten thousand years and reach my brother’s height. But that’s it; thirty thousand years is the limit. Beyond that, even devouring countless universes won’t help. The span of heaven laws remains absolute rules.”

Shui Wuge gazed at the Heavenly Crown Artifact suspended in the sky of the Heavenly Dry Universe, her expression showing no emotions.

If Cave Techniques had appeared before the Dao artifacts, perhaps they could have become the way to eternal transcendence, creating unbeatable beings among the human race who could suppress myriad beings.

But unfortunately, there were no ‘ifs.’ The Dao artifact was birthed first, achieving True Immortality; they themselves could not be rivaled by the Cave Techniques. After rewriting the span of heaven laws, the Power of Opening Heaven and Earth could not resist aging.

Some might say, “If that’s the case, why not escape the Red Heaven realm? A Master of Heaven’s Cavern could flee, surely they could attain immortality, continuously growing until surpassing True Immortals.”

If one could continue to move outward and reach the edge of the Red Heaven realm, a place that rules cannot touch, then that would indeed be possible.

But unfortunately, even though Monarchs possess immense power to reach the outer universe and even to break free from the Red Heaven realm, their strength ultimately comes from spirit energy, which originates in the Red Heaven realm. Once they leave, even if a Monarch stores immense power of the Royal Path, how far can they truly go?

Not far at all; they can’t even move one or two universes away. Trying to escape the interference range of the span of heaven laws is simply dreaming.

What about the Master of Heaven’s Cavern?

The Master can extract power from the void without fearing loss, so they should be able to distance themselves indefinitely.

Actually, that’s not the case either.

The Master’s cave is fixed in a certain place in the outer heavens, and as one moves further away, their power quickly weakens. The drop in strength is much more significant than that of the Red Heaven’s Master, making it fundamentally impossible to escape the interference range of the Red Heaven realm.

Even the top-level Heavenly Stem Cave Heaven cannot step outside this range, nor can they maintain invincible power while crossing vast distances between universes.

Shui Wuge can intimidate the Red Heaven universe group because the Heavenly Dry Universe continually devours other major universes, turning them into its own tentacles. This early advantage cannot be compared to what later Masters of Heaven’s Cavern could achieve.

Yet even so, there are still limitations; not every world is documented, and not all worlds have been consumed by the Heavenly Dry Universe. Too many things remain hidden beneath the surface.

For this reason, even though she knows that the cultivators coming to attend the Celestial Empire’s grand event have issues, Shui Wuge would not take action lightly; she would only deal with a tiny fraction each time.

Cave Techniques are merely invincible methods for ordinary beings. To achieve immortality in this era, there is only one way—

Dao artifacts!

The Tomorrow Dao Weapon she awakened holds the current symbol of the Tomorrow Dao of the Celestial Empire and has already become a Heavenly Crown Artifact.

In other words, she can directly wish for immortality, or perhaps…

Wish to become a saint!

Of course, the cost would be the complete disappearance of principles, leaving the Red Heaven realm without the oversight of the Heavenly Crown Artifact, with only some regional Dao artifacts remaining.

The Tomorrow Dao Weapon has not suffered any loss; theoretically, the resonance can merge 100%. However, if she wishes to modify the rules, she would meet the same fate as Shui Changdong, who had also wished to alter the rules for the second time—utter destruction, crushed by the principles.

Times have changed. It may seem that the Red Heaven realm has entered the end of the law era, but in fact, its power has significantly increased compared to ten thousand years ago. All Masters of Heaven’s Cavern who opened heaven and earth, all parallel worlds, are regarded as part of the strength of the Red Heaven realm.

Once a wish is made, the radiation range for rule modification will be much larger than in the past, and the burden will be even more terrifying. She is already on the brink of her limits; after a wish, there would be no possibility of surviving even a single day, leaving her unable to gather a second Dao artifact.

“Should I become a True Immortal or a saint? It’s such a difficult choice.”

Shui Wuge sat on the jeweled throne, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

Although she had awakened the Tomorrow Dao Weapon, outsiders seemed to have a misconception that the Tomorrow Dao could only sacrifice oneself to achieve others’ greatness.

All factions assumed she would either perish directly or wish to become a saint, completely disregarding her potential to become an immortal.

The Tomorrow Dao…

Although the teachings focus on the Great Harmony and pursuing ideals, both her elder brother and the past champions embraced the notion that achieving the right goal is the most important thing—methods do not matter.

The weak have no choice; the so-called rules are restrictions set by the strong for the weak.

Her Tomorrow Dao Weapon is derived from the ‘realities of the world,’ viewing the Tomorrow Dao merely as a ruling tool for achieving ideals.

As a more pragmatic Tomorrow Dao, Shui Wuge would not collapse due to trivial matters and would never casually sacrifice herself to support others.

What she aims for is a win-win situation.

After working for twenty thousand years, who should she ask for her wages?

“Is it you, Qing Liu Sheng…?”

Shui Wuge watched as a detailed screen presented Yun Ye’s life before her, every move and action under complete surveillance, until Yun Ye entered a secret chamber to converse with Qing Kong, breaking the monitoring.

Before King Yu’s death, she had not noticed this suddenly emerging genius.

However, with King Yu’s death and Yun Ye utilizing the highest authority of the Heavenly Curtain, she immediately realized, it must be her elder brother’s reincarnation.

But, as a woman who has patiently worked for twenty thousand years, Shui Wuge remained unhurried, carefully observing this boy who seemingly represents her brother’s rebirth.

Then, she confirmed her thoughts; despite the difference in appearance, his speech patterns, movements, and demeanor remained unchanged, identical to Shui Changdong.

This made her completely understand why the Tomorrow Dao could miraculously rise in just a thousand years and topple the ruling Dao.

An unprecedented genius, filled with ideals and unafraid of death, indeed possesses such potential.

“Yang Shi, Farmer, Xiang Ying, Ming Waiyang…”

“And then there’s Shui Changdong.”

“Hmm, if I’m not mistaken, brother’s true name should be ‘Yun Ye,’ right? In the first lifetime, an ordinary farmer, yet he possessed knowledge that didn’t belong to him, a smuggler from other universes, ultimately causing his brother’s death, fading into obscurity, but he still returned filled with infinite hatred after the massacre of his family and village.”

“…Although the Shui Changdong I know shows no trace of hatred or emotion, facing anything is so calm.”

As the master of the Heavenly Dry Universe, capable of using all kinds of Spirit Laws freely, Shui Wuge had indeed been curious about the origins of the Tomorrow Dao and traced its history.

As a result, she discovered many extraordinary people and events. Although their souls and auras were entirely different, their actions and beliefs were strikingly consistent. In just a few hundred years, they had enabled the Tomorrow Dao to achieve the feat of dismantling the Luo Dynasty.

Then they even led the World God to descend, creating Shui Changdong, the figure who directly established the New Heaven Celestial Empire and made a second wish to alter the rules.

These miracles are indeed too many and too coincidental.