Chapter 522: Demonic Saint Passage Shadow

Black Dragon Star.

Meng Chuan, dressed in black with white hair, walked through the city, observing the familiar buildings. Black Dragon City remained as prosperous as ever, a hub where many cultivators from the Skypeak River System gathered daily for numerous transactions.

"It's been thirty-two years since I arrived at Black Dragon Star," Meng Chuan mused.

Thirty-two years might not seem like a long time. However, he had spent most of that time cultivating within the Myriad Flowers Realm, meaning the actual time elapsed was significantly longer.

"Thanks to the Myriad Flowers Realm, I've actually been on Black Dragon Star for over 310 years," Meng Chuan thought with a sigh. He had cultivated for over a century in his homeland, and now he had spent more than three centuries in seclusion on Black Dragon Star. If not for the treasure trove from Senior Pang Ming, Meng Chuan wouldn't have been able to cultivate so freely here.

On Black Dragon Star, he had access to the best cultivation conditions. Over the years, he had participated in numerous treasure auctions and visited many merchants, consistently purchasing treasures both to enhance his strength and to aid his cultivation.

In terms of both strength and treasures, he was now far more powerful than when he first arrived on Black Dragon Star.

His state of mind had also undergone significant changes. Over three centuries of solitary cultivation had allowed Meng Chuan to experience the magic of time. As time flowed, he had become more settled, more patient, and free from arrogance or impetuosity.

"Ultimate techniques are truly difficult," Meng Chuan murmured, his brow furrowing slightly.

He had been cultivating on Black Dragon Star for over 310 years. In fact, by his thirty-ninth year of cultivation, his ultimate technique, "Endless Blade," had advanced to the late Cavern Sky Realm. By his eighty-third year, "Endless Blade" had reached the perfected Cavern Sky Realm. As an ultimate technique at the Venerable level peak, its profundity and power were only slightly inferior to a normal perfected Heaven-Earth Realm technique. Simply by relying on "Endless Blade," Meng Chuan could exhibit the power of a late Emperor. Combined with the unique properties of his physical body after devouring the 'Primal Stone,' he could even contend with a perfected Emperor. Killing ordinary Emperors across cultivation levels was naturally effortless for him. This was also the widely recognized combat power of the strongest Venerables in the vast outer realm.

However, "Endless Blade" had since encountered a bottleneck.

In his 205th year of cultivation, Meng Chuan had comprehended a subsequent Emperor-level saber technique for "Endless Blade." After executing it, he realized that this move was only a few tens of percent stronger than the perfected Cavern Sky Realm "Endless Blade." This level of power was not what an 'Emperor-level ultimate technique' should possess. At best, it would only reach the level of techniques like "Thunderfire Body Refinement Art" or "Dark Lightning," distinctly different from true Emperor-level ultimate techniques. Meng Chuan abandoned that direction.

Up to the present in his cultivation, for the continuation of "Endless Blade," Meng Chuan had explored three different paths, creating three saber moves. The most powerful of these was only 80% stronger than the perfected Cavern Sky Realm "Endless Blade."

"The breakthrough from a Venerable-level ultimate technique to an Emperor-level ultimate technique represents another qualitative leap."

"If a Venerable-level ultimate technique is slightly inferior to a normal perfected Heaven-Earth Realm technique,"

"then an Emperor-level ultimate technique, even when newly created, far surpasses a perfected Emperor in strength and can rival a Tribulation Realm mighty figure," Meng Chuan understood this clearly. "Once it reaches the perfected Emperor level, it possesses the power of a Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figure, comparable to adult pure-blooded dragons and phoenixes."

What he had currently explored was still far from that level.

Emperor-level ultimate techniques proved to be incredibly challenging for Meng Chuan.

"It's too difficult."

"For the continuation of 'Endless Blade,' the paths I've explored all seem excellent and perfect to me. But the most powerful one only increased its strength by 80%. Clearly, something is wrong," Meng Chuan thought to himself. His current discernment couldn't definitively determine if it was an ultimate technique. However, the power couldn't lie! Such moves simply weren't qualified to rival a 'Tribulation Realm mighty figure,' so they couldn't be Emperor-level ultimate techniques.

Creators of Emperor-level ultimate techniques were far rarer than pure-blooded dragons or phoenixes. Meng Chuan himself knew this path would be exceedingly difficult.

He also had patience.

"Even if the Demon Race World and Cangyuan World truly form a 'Demon Sage-level world passage,' I'm confident I can defend it," Meng Chuan thought, full of conviction. "With 'Endless Blade' combined with the Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique, I'm confident I can handle all the Demon Sages of the Demon Race, even if they unite."

The Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique had also made significant progress over these years.

After obtaining "Sword of No Self, No Form," Meng Chuan cultivated for twenty-three years, and his "Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique" reached the Heaven-Earth Realm. In his ninety-sixth year, the "Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique" reached the mid Heaven-Earth Realm. In his 205th year, the "Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique" reached the late Heaven-Earth Realm. This speed was considered prodigious even among Emperors; normal Emperors would progress at the pace of Emperor Xinghe or Empress Xuanyue.

Meng Chuan had long ago comprehended all five diagrams of "Sword of No Self, No Form." Although he had fully grasped it, "Sword of No Self, No Form" was a unique technique created by Senior Huang Yong. Even with his complete comprehension, Meng Chuan was still a tiny bit short of 'perfected Heaven-Earth Realm.' Only the creator could truly bring a technique to its full, perfected potential. Moreover, the Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique had a profound concept, a higher level than "Sword of No Self, No Form," making it even harder to reach the perfected Heaven-Earth Realm.

Even in the outer realm, while there were many Emperors, those who reached the 'perfected Heaven-Earth Realm' were exceedingly rare. Meng Chuan's progress with the Cloud Mist Dragon-Serpent movement technique had also slowed considerably at this stage.

"One thousand years."

"I'll set a deadline for myself: one thousand years! If I can't create an Emperor-level ultimate technique within a millennium of cultivation, then I'll give up," Meng Chuan secretly decided.

Cultivation also required self-awareness. It would be foolish to stubbornly cling to a path that proved impassable for an entire lifetime.

A thousand years was a long enough time! If he couldn't create it in that long, then even several times that amount of time would still yield a very low probability of success.

Powerful figures like Ancestor Cang Yuan didn't even create Venerable-level ultimate techniques, yet they still became mighty Seventh Tribulation Realm figures, didn't they? Of course, if he succeeded, he would soar to prominence.

"I've comprehended 'Thunder Star Child,' the mysteries within the flesh and blood of the Dark Peacock Seventh Tribulation Realm mighty figure, and 'Three Lives Saber.' I vaguely know the next directions for those. But how should 'Endless Blade' be improved next? How exactly should I integrate the mysteries of lightning to reach the Emperor level?" Meng Chuan pondered as he walked.

Ultimate techniques represented the pinnacle, perfection itself. Even a slight deviation meant a difference of thousands of miles.

"Where is the discrepancy?"

Meanwhile, outside Black Dragon City, at the summit of a towering, three-thousand-li-high mountain peak.

Old Ancestor Black Dragon gazed down at the distant, bustling Black Dragon City with a complex expression. After a long moment, he looked out towards the void beyond the realm, vaguely sensing through the star array some sinister and terrifying forces entrenched in various locations outside the array.

The silver-haired woman and four other figures stood respectfully behind him; they were all Old Ancestor Black Dragon's followers.

"Those lunatics from the Black Devil Hall have arrived, including three Fifth Tribulation Realm mighty figures," Old Ancestor Black Dragon slowly stated. "They've set their sights on Black Dragon Star."

"Old Ancestor, what should we do?" asked Cang Yu, the silver-haired woman leading the group.

"They must have deduced that I'm rapidly approaching death, which is why they've come to ambush," Old Ancestor Black Dragon said indifferently. "Rest assured, those madmen from the Black Devil Hall are targeting the cultivators on Black Dragon Star. This place gathers twenty to thirty percent of the cultivators from the Skypeak River System, and the treasures they possess are astonishing. They want to devour everything here. However, they won't be willing to fight me to the death, so protecting you few won't be a problem for me."

The followers exchanged glances.

A male follower pressed, "Old Ancestor, why didn't you inform some of the powers on Black Dragon Star about the Black Devil Hall in advance, so they could leave early?"

"News spreads quickly," Old Ancestor Black Dragon calmly replied. "The Black Devil Hall has been secretly monitoring the surroundings for a long time. If the top powers were to flee swiftly, it would only cause the Black Devil Hall to launch their attack prematurely. Then, the remaining cultivators would find it even harder to escape."

"Now, I only hope that as many of these cultivators as possible can survive," Old Ancestor Black Dragon said, looking on. "Seeing them, I see my past self, carefully cultivating and striving to survive."

"Old Ancestor, with the Black Devil Hall targeting us, how can they survive?" the silver-haired woman pressed.

"According to my plan, about eighty percent of these cultivators, strong or weak, should be able to survive," Old Ancestor Black Dragon said calmly. "The rest I can't control; it's up to their fate. What I can do is ultimately limited."

"The Black Devil Hall wants to completely strip this place bare, but eighty percent might escape? They'll probably be furious," an ugly servant remarked.

"I'm letting them try to devour it. If they can't, whose fault is that?" Old Ancestor Black Dragon sneered. "Want to start a war? I'm an old man close to death; why should I fear them?"

Just as Meng Chuan returned to his residence after a stroll around the city, a puppet attendant came to visit him.

"Venerable," the puppet attendant approached, speaking very courteously. "Black Dragon Star will be completely closed today, barring all cultivators. Venerables, you are required to depart from Black Dragon Star today. As a courtesy for asking you to leave early, we are refunding half a unit of Outer Realm Prime Crystal."

Looking at the Outer Realm Prime Crystal, which had been cut in half, before him.

Meng Chuan and Venerable Qing Gu's expressions subtly changed.

"Black Dragon Star is closing? We must leave today?" Meng Chuan immediately sensed that something was amiss.