Chapter 2150: Immortal Heaven

An hour later, Zhang Xuan walked out of the library.

As expected of the Imperial City Master Teacher Academy, although it looked unremarkable and its profession was far less glamorous than that of the Master Teacher Continent, resembling more of a second-hand training center, the books inside were no fake.

From Lower Deity to Upper Heavenly God, there were cultivation techniques and combat skills, and they were numerous. After reading them all, the Heaven's Path Technique had naturally formed.

Unfortunately, there were no techniques for God Kings.

Thinking about it, one could understand. Every God King held an extremely high status, considered top-tier in the Divine Realm, and was closely related to bloodline... Their cultivation techniques were naturally inherited from their families or major powers, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to obtain them!

"Breaking through to God King is still far off; it will probably take a few days. Let's not think about it. First, thoroughly consolidate my cultivation and try to break through to the peak of Upper Heavenly God..."

Knowing that cultivation required steady progress and could not be rushed, Zhang Xuan stopped dwelling on it.

Although his cultivation was slow now, he had been working hard. As long as he had the determination, he would surely go further and further, without inferiority or confusion!

"First, get some Mid-Grade Divine Origin Pills... preferably... Upper-Grade!"

Everything else was illusory; improving cultivation was the most important.

After breaking through to the Heavenly God realm, his Mid-Grade Divine Origin Pills were exhausted. Without much consolidation, if he relied solely on absorbing spiritual energy from the air to advance, it would take who knows how long—too slow for him.

Moreover, the effect of Mid-Grade pills was no longer as good as before. After becoming a Heavenly God, the medicinal power gradually declined. Soon, like the Lower-Grade, they would be unusable.

Upper-Grade would be best, but he didn't know where to get them.

"The Mingyuan Trading Company nearby sells Mid-Grade Divine Origin Pills. As for Upper-Grade, they are contraband in the Imperial City, not so easy to buy..." Teacher Fan Zhe said without holding back.

The Imperial City of Netherworld, among the Nine Heavens, was one of the largest cities. Its trading capacity was naturally incomparable to a small place like Yeming City.

Mid-Grade Divine Origin Pills, which were unavailable in the latter, could be easily bought here in large quantities.

Mid-Grade Divine Origin Pills were effective for Heavenly God experts. In the Imperial City, Heavenly God experts were as numerous as oxen hair. If such pills were not allowed for sale, it would easily cause backlash.

Obtaining Upper-Grade Divine Origin Pills was not so easy.

However, since the limit of Mid-Grade hadn't been reached yet, he would try them first.

Declining Teacher Fan Zhe's invitation to stay for a meal, Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang headed toward the nearby trading company. With over forty thousand divine coins on hand, they should be able to buy quite a few.

Soon, Sun Qiang came over with a smile, handing over a storage ring. Zhang Xuan took a look—close to four hundred pills.

Under normal circumstances, one hundred divine coins could purchase one mid-grade Divine Origin Pill, because the latter was not as abundant as the low-grade ones, and since they were buying in large quantities, the price would be somewhat inflated.

"Young master, should we rent a quiet room for you to take the pills and cultivate in peace?"

Handing over the medicines, Sun Qiang asked.

"Quiet room?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "No need. We have little money left; let's save it."

"Then... shall we return to our lodgings?" Sun Qiang asked, puzzled.

The young master was so diligent in cultivation; he had expected that upon obtaining the pills, he would eagerly begin. Yet he was thinking of saving money... Returning to cultivate was possible, but it would waste considerable time.

"Of course not. Wait a moment..." Smiling slightly, Zhang Xuan took out the mid-grade Divine Origin Pills he had just bought and poured them into his mouth bottle after bottle.

In the blink of an eye, he had emptied over ten bottles, more than a hundred pills.

Sun Qiang was just wondering when he saw the young master's recently broken-through cultivation visibly rising: early-stage Low-Grade Divine, mid-stage Low-Grade Divine...

In less than two breaths, he had reached the peak of Low-Grade Divine.

After swallowing another bottle of pills, Zhang Xuan stopped and shook his head helplessly. "It seems faster than I imagined..."

He had thought that mid-grade Divine Origin Pills could at least help him break through to High-Grade Divine or mid-grade Divine, but now it seemed he had overestimated.

His cultivation had only just been piled up to the peak of Low-Grade Divine before it stopped, with no further effect.

No wonder. When he cultivated the Heavenly Dao technique, the power within him was already pure, and ordinary spirit stones or Immortal Origin Pills had little effect. Now that he was cultivating the Tian Ruo You Qing technique, which surpassed the Heavenly Dao, the requirements for purity and quantity of spiritual energy were naturally higher!

Clearly, ordinary mid-grade Divine Origin Pills had completely lost their effect.

Perhaps only the high-grade Divine Origin Pills, which Divine Kings could take, could better stimulate him and allow him to enter a higher realm.

"But... just like with low-grade deities, to impact higher cultivation levels, the soul and body cannot be neglected..."

At the Divine realm, one could control a portion of heaven and earth's power, and the body and soul must also be strengthened simultaneously.

Otherwise, during battle, the pressure from heaven and earth's feedback would be unbearable, causing immediate collapse.

Only...

The books in the Master Teacher Hall had recorded many techniques and martial skills for improving cultivation, but none for the soul and body.

To advance, he would have to find other ways.

These thoughts and cultivation took no more than three breaths. Recovering, he looked ahead and saw Sun Qiang with eyes wide open, looking utterly incredulous.

"Young master... have you finished cultivating?"

The young master cultivated very quickly, at a speed that was enviable and even jealousy-inducing, but... how could he be even faster after arriving in the divine realm?

Before, he still needed to go into seclusion, even if it wasn't for long—an hour or two at least. Now, it was completely unnecessary. It felt like the speed of breakthrough was limited only by the speed of taking pills; as long as he could take medicine faster... breakthroughs kept pace!

Could it be that the divine realm was different from the lower realm?

Did one need to swallow pills quickly to advance faster?

Resting his chin on his hand, Sun Qiang conceived a bold plan.

Zhang Xuan didn't explain, instead asking, "Did you find out anything about the techniques I'm cultivating? Are there any methods or treasures for strengthening the physical body?"

"..." Sun Qiang's eyebrows twitched; he felt like killing someone.

Your cultivation took only two or three breaths—what was there for me to inquire about? If others heard that, they'd really think I wasn't doing my job...

"I'll go right now..." he said, looking dejected, but then suddenly remembered something: "Oh, young master, that Zhuo Feng has been following us all along, saying he wants to repay you. As a general of the Nether Soul Imperial City and a mid-grade celestial deity expert, he should know quite a bit about tempering the physical body!"

Zhuo Feng was that silver-armored general, of high status, certainly more reliable than an outsider like him going out to gather information.

After all, the young master's strength had already broken through to the celestial deity realm. The channels for inquiring about cultivation methods at this level were bound to become fewer and fewer.

"Let him in!"

Zhang Xuan said.

Before long, Zhuo Feng arrived.

"Master Zhang!"

This man had not only saved his son but also helped him break through, giving him hope. The debt of gratitude was too great to repay; how could he just walk away?

"Mm, I'd like to ask you something..." Zhang Xuan said.

"Please speak, Master Zhang!"

Zhang Xuan said, "I want to train my physical body and temper my soul. Do you know of any methods or avenues? If there are, and they are reliable, then consider our debts of gratitude settled, and neither of us owes the other anything!"

"This..." The other party's request was so simple that Zhuo Feng hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are many methods for body training in the divine realm. I know some, but they are mostly for gods to cultivate. As for the celestial deity level... I do know of one, but... the other party may not agree."

"Oh?"

"The best place for body training is the Undying Lava Pool! There, not only is there indestructible lava, but also spiritual energy that allows for rapid recovery. It's the most suitable place for tempering the physical body. However... the Undying Lava Pool suddenly went extinct forty years ago. The Undying Emperor, His Excellency, never took action to repair it, and it has remained as it is ever since!"

Zhuo Feng said.

"Undying Emperor?" Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat. "One of the Nine Emperors?"

In the Fallen Sky City of the Upper Firmament, he had once seen the tombstone of this Undying Emperor. At the time, he didn't understand the divine ranks and classifications, thinking it was just an ordinary god, and didn't pay much attention.

Now, hearing this name from the other's mouth, he couldn't help but ask!

The Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors, the strongest in the divine realm, unmatched by anyone—dead... even having seen the tombstone with his own eyes, he found it hard to believe.

"Indeed!" Zhuo Feng nodded. "However, he keeps a low profile and hasn't appeared or been heard from for decades."

"Decades?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Didn't the Heavenly Sovereign Emperor fight him?"

"They did fight, but where the battle took place, and whether it actually happened, no one knows... I heard a rumor that... when the Heavenly Sovereign Emperor came to challenge him, the Undying Emperor didn't even meet him and conceded defeat... Anyway, it involves an emperor, so it's better not to discuss it!" Zhuo Feng lowered his voice and transmitted his words.

If it weren't for the fact that this man was the benefactor who saved his child, he certainly wouldn't have said so much.

These tidbits hadn't circulated much outside, but as a mid-grade celestial deity in a high position, he had heard some things.

"Didn't even meet him..." Zhang Xuan stiffened.

He had originally thought that the tombstone of the Undying Emperor he saw in Fallen Sky City might be fake, but hearing this, he couldn't help but believe it more than half.

Could an emperor die?

And one who was called the Undying Emperor?

Decades ago, the spiritual energy of the divine realm receded, leaving only cities behind, and the Undying Emperor vanished...

What exactly happened?

"This Undying Emperor you mentioned... which of the Nine Heavens does he govern?" he couldn't help but ask.

He had heard detailed introductions about the Nine Heavens and had read relevant books. He knew about several great emperors, but he wasn't sure which faction this one belonged to.

"The Undying Emperor governs the Spirit Origin Heaven, also called the Undying Heaven. It borders the Nether Soul Heaven and lies due south of the divine realm! It encompasses five rivers and three marshes, covering an unknown vast area. I once had the fortune to visit the Undying Imperial City, but I only wandered outside the main city. I heard the main city was very prosperous, but I don't know the specifics. It seems that decades ago, it was taken away by the Undying Emperor..." Zhuo Feng said.

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

He had known about the Spirit Origin Heaven before, but he hadn't expected it to be the domain governed by that Undying Emperor, that is, the so-called Undying Heaven.

If he had known it was called Undying Heaven, he would have realized long ago that it was related to the Undying Emperor.