Chapter 433: Three Years

The World Gap.

Meng Chuan put away his table, chairs, and other belongings, then looked up at the scene of purple lightning tearing through the darkness.

"Fifty-three days, fifteen paintings. This took much longer than last time," Meng Chuan whispered. During the painting process, his Essence Soul continuously radiated spiritual light, indicating that the insights gained from painting deeply touched his heart and had a significant impact.

The first time he painted the 'Fifteen Forms of Thunder,' it took twenty-three days. That was because, at a lower cultivation stage, he could discern 'less,' and with less to see, the paintings were vaguer! He only needed to vaguely capture the essence.

This time, however, he could discern 'more,' making the paintings more complex and detailed. The essence of these 'Fifteen Forms' grew increasingly similar to real purple lightning.

"The Fifteen Forms represent different aspects."

"But they are all parts of purple lightning," Meng Chuan understood. "If one day I can integrate all fifteen forms into my saber art, my saber art will be like real purple lightning. With a single strike, I could tear through the River of Spacetime and shatter the darkness. My achievements might then be comparable to Ancestor Cang Yuan."

Is real purple lightning slightly weaker than Ancestor Cang Yuan, or perhaps slightly stronger?

With Meng Chuan's current perspective, he couldn't judge.

However, when comparing its artistic conception with the peerless techniques he had learned from the Star Cluster Building, specifically 'Thunder Realm' and 'Three Lives Saber,' the purple lightning seemed subtly stronger.

"Ancestor Cang Yuan and the powerful experts from other races could reach such a realm. I, Meng Chuan, also have hope." Meng Chuan instantly drew his Demon Slaying Saber, stood on the vast land facing the world's birthing scene, and unleashed a strike.

Sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood. For Meng Chuan, the second painting of the 'Fifteen Forms of Thunder' was his 'axe sharpening.' It deepened his understanding of purple lightning, provided a clearer direction, and showed him where to improve his saber art.

Time flowed by, day after day.

Both the Yuanchu Mountain team and the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven team from Two World Island settled down to cultivate.

This cultivation period lasted for three years!

For three years, the demon race did not send any demon kings into the 'World Gap,' which only made Meng Chuan and his companions more vigilant. The demon race was clearly making preparations in secret; the longer they held back, the more terrifying their eventual move might be.

The human race currently had no countermeasure. Meng Chuan and the others calmly focused on cultivation, knowing that as their strength increased, their chances of handling danger would also grow.

"Rumble."

True Martial King sat cross-legged, a ten-mile radius domain of black and white energy forming around him. The black and white energies chased and merged, transforming into a hazy power that converged at the core of the domain.

Peng Mu, Yun Jianhai, and Meng Chuan occasionally witnessed the power of True Martial Domain, and were secretly astonished each time.

"The True Martial lineage doesn't pursue extremes. Yet, its power is immense and comprehensive," Meng Chuan secretly admired. It was extremely powerful in all aspects: domain, offense, and defense, making it a very well-rounded peerless technique. However, its very comprehensiveness also limited its ultimate power. Truly terrifying peerless techniques in the River of Spacetime, those that allowed Venerables to kill Emperor-level experts, always took an extreme path.

For example, 'Golden Lotus Descends,' which was more profound than the True Martial lineage, combined numerous abstruse principles with a single purpose: power! Only by maximizing its power could it achieve the feat of killing Emperor-level experts across ranks.

The True Martial lineage, being too comprehensive, could only be considered brilliant in human history. Compared to the most heaven-defying peerless techniques in the River of Spacetime, it was still somewhat inferior.

"Impressive," Meng Chuan, Peng Mu, and Yun Jianhai all felt deep admiration for True Martial King. After all, True Martial King was worthy of being remembered in human history, and even the three strongest contemporary Venerables—Qin Wu, Li Guan, and Bai Yaoyue—had learned their peerless techniques from their predecessors.

Suddenly—

Standing on the vast land, Meng Chuan drew his saber and struck.

"Boom."

The saber strike was invisible to the naked eye; only a resounding roar echoed through the heavens and earth, and the world's membrane walls distorted.

Without even using divine abilities, a single saber strike caused the world's membrane walls to tremble and twist, demonstrating its power.

"Law Realm pinnacle," Meng Chuan murmured to himself. "Have I finally reached this stage?"

"Just as I predicted, the suppression from the world's rules is becoming increasingly formidable," Meng Chuan mused.

After three years in the World Gap, Meng Chuan's 'Endless Saber' had broken through to the Law Realm pinnacle.

If he had been in the human world, without the second painting of the 'Thunder Forms' and constant contemplation of the world's birthing scene, it might have taken him five or six more years.

"I became a Marquis Godfiend at fifty-five, and now, about eight years later, at sixty-three, I've reached the Law Realm pinnacle. Normally, progressing from the Law Realm pinnacle to the 'Grotto-Heaven Realm' is much harder. With my current cultivation speed, it should take another ten-odd years to reach the Grotto-Heaven Realm," Meng Chuan thought. "However, that's a normal cultivation path. If I follow the extreme path of 'Endless Saber,' achieving the Grotto-Heaven Realm will be difficult."

'Endless Saber' pursued the ultimate limit of speed.

In human history, no one had been able to break through the world's shackles and reach the 'Grotto-Heaven Realm' in terms of pure speed.

Pursuing the limit! Breaking through the world's shackles?

The difficulty was extremely high.

In the River of Spacetime, there were indeed powerful individuals who could do this, including some formidable Tribulation Realm mighty figures.

Thus, the runes on the 'Blood Blade Disk' and the three peerless techniques—'Thunder Realm,' 'Three Lives Saber,' and 'Thunder Walk'—all contained methods to break through the world's shackles.

"Whether it's the Blood Blade Disk or the three peerless techniques like 'Thunder Realm,' there's only one way to break the speed limit," Meng Chuan thought to himself. "One must take the 'Light Form' as the core, then integrate the 'Split-Wave Form' and 'Yin-Yang Form' into it. Only when these three forms unite can one instantly break through the world's shackles."

The further one cultivated, the more 'forms' needed to be integrated.

For instance, for 'Golden Lotus Descends,' Meng Chuan estimated that it required the integration of five forms: 'Endless Form of Destruction,' 'Unified Form of Destruction,' 'Void Form of Destruction,' 'Light Form of Lightning,' and 'Yin-Yang Form of Life,' to truly master it.

The more profound the technique, the more this held true.

For 'Thunder Realm' and 'Three Lives Saber,' Meng Chuan believed all fifteen forms had to be completely combined. The fifteen forms only represented 'elements'; just as different chefs produce different dishes from the same ingredients.

The same Fifteen Forms of Thunder, integrated through different methods, would ultimately result in different peerless techniques.

"I've already cultivated the pure 'Light Form' to the Law Realm pinnacle."

"Now, the 'Yin-Yang Form' and 'Split-Wave Form' also need to reach the Law Realm pinnacle individually."

"Then, to perfectly combine them... to achieve the three-form unity and break through the world's shackles. Only then will 'Endless Saber' also ascend to the Grotto-Heaven Realm," Meng Chuan mused. "The method for combining the three forms into one is the most difficult."

"On the other hand, 'Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent Movement Technique' doesn't require breaking through the world's shackles," Meng Chuan thought. "It might reach the Grotto-Heaven Realm sooner."

Three years and six months after entering the World Gap, the Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent Movement Technique also reached the Law Realm pinnacle.

Since it didn't need to take an extreme path to break the world's shackles, Meng Chuan estimated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent Movement Technique should reach the 'Grotto-Heaven Realm' in another ten-plus years. As for 'Endless Saber,' how long it would take was uncertain; it might very well get stuck at a bottleneck and be unable to break through.

Meng Chuan had been in the World Gap for three years and eleven months.

"Hmm?"

True Martial King and Peng Mu, who were cultivating, suddenly sensed something and turned their heads to look in a distant direction. Soon after, Yun Jianhai also sensed it and looked. Only Meng Chuan had no sensation at all, practicing his 'Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent Movement Technique' as a phantom-like figure.