Chapter 692: Meeting

The Blazing Sun Vice-Curator was slightly puzzled by this, while the Azure Dragon Vice-Curator beside him looked surprised.

Both of them knew that as beings who controlled time and space, the White Bird Curator and Emperor Wanxing could see through the mists of the future, leaving no room to doubt their decisions. As time unfolded, it would become clear that they were ultimately correct. In the presence of such beings, any other Seventh-Tribulation experts who dared to become adversaries would be meticulously outmaneuvered and defeated.

The best way to counter foresight is to become inscrutable oneself. For example, the leader of the Primal Realm, whose numerous primordial spirit avatars can act independently, travel anywhere in the universe with a single thought, and self-destruct at any time—that's inscrutable! Similarly, no matter how much Meng Chuan is suppressed, he is destined to reach that stage.

"In this era, the only ones with a chance to reach the Eighth-Tribulation realm are myself, Wanxing, and this Meng Chuan," the White Bird Curator quietly remarked. "Though historically, only one Eighth-Tribulation expert emerges from hundreds of Half-Step Eighth-Tribulation experts, at least Meng Chuan shows promise." If Meng Chuan succeeds, he will be an Eighth-Tribulation Primordial Spirit.

The White Bird Curator constantly endured agonizing torment to his primordial spirit; even with his formidable power, he felt helpless. He had spent his entire life striving to reach the Eighth-Tribulation realm, finding it incredibly difficult, and now his hopes were even more distant. Only external assistance could alleviate his suffering. While he knew how to seek out a few Eighth-Tribulation experts from the physical body lineage, he couldn't find a single Eighth-Tribulation Primordial Spirit expert to meet!

Even though Meng Chuan's chances of becoming an 'Eighth-Tribulation expert' were slim, any glimmer of hope made it worthwhile for the White Bird Curator to make his move. Bestowing three treasures was such a 'move,' an investment in his own future.

Three days later, at Nebula Palace.

The Third Branch of the White Bird Pavilion held a grand celebration to honor the addition of a new Deputy Inspector, 'City Lord Dongning.' All core high-ranking members of the White Bird Pavilion were in attendance: the Curator, two Vice-Curators, three Librarians, five Inspectors, and numerous Deputy Inspectors. The pavilion members attending the celebration found this entirely natural.

"Lord Dongming." "Lord of Shadows." "Palace Master of the God of Cookery." Meng Chuan was the busiest; he couldn't afford to slight any of the White Bird Pavilion's high-ranking members who had come specifically for the celebration, as it would be disrespectful. Besides the three Seventh-Tribulation experts, there were also the Inspectors: Mountain Lord Moye, Demonic Heart Cult Master, and Ape Demon Monarch. Meng Chuan naturally sought to get acquainted with them. Even the Lord of Shadows and his disciple, who rarely appeared, attended this celebration, which was a gesture of goodwill. For instance, when 'Lord Qinshan' became a Deputy Inspector previously, only the main members of the White Bird Pavilion's Third Branch attended the celebration.

"Lord of Shadows." Meng Chuan also spoke privately with the Lord of Shadows for a few moments.

The Lord of Shadows was a shadow being, whose appearance was hard to discern. He had such a low profile that he seemed to have no presence even when seated. He had once fought alongside the White Bird Curator, and his current cultivation level was no less than that of a peak Seventh-Tribulation expert, but his physical body had never broken through, and he had not yet undergone the Seventh Heavenly Tribulation. Many within the 'Physical Body Tribulation Realm lineage' intentionally postpone their tribulation, as the longer they wait, the more ample their accumulation, and the greater their certainty of success.

"Seeing you is like seeing the Curator in his youth," the Lord of Shadows remarked, uncharacteristically raising his wine glass and drinking with Meng Chuan. Soon, Meng Chuan moved on to greet other powerful beings.

"Second Brother, when will you undergo your tribulation to become a Seventh-Tribulation expert?" the White Bird Curator asked, seated at the head table with the Lord of Shadows beside him. "You always said that fighting Seventh-Tribulation experts as a Half-Step Seventh-Tribulation expert brings greater pressure. But you haven't made a move in the past ten thousand years, so why haven't you undergone the tribulation yet?"

"I'm not in a hurry, but you seem to be," the Lord of Shadows chuckled softly. "I'm still far from my lifespan limit; breaking through ten thousand years before then will be enough."

"Do it as soon as possible. I fear I won't be able to withstand Wanxing," the White Bird Curator whispered, his voice audible only to the Lord of Shadows.

The Lord of Shadows' expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, and he looked at his friend: "You..."

"I'm not suited for prolonged battles," the White Bird Curator nodded slightly. "Of course, Wanxing cannot discern my true condition. Only the Realm Ancestor and you know about my injuries in this River of Spacetime. I need help now."

"Alright, my physical body will break through within ten years, and the Heavenly Tribulation will likely descend in about a hundred years," the Lord of Shadows nodded solemnly, realizing his friend needed him again.

"Ten years?" the White Bird Curator looked at the Lord of Shadows. "Isn't that too soon? One must not be careless during a tribulation."

"I've already comprehended three Seventh-Tribulation physical body techniques; I was just trying to create a stronger one," the Lord of Shadows replied. "From now on, leave the troublesome matters of the White Bird Pavilion to me. Unless absolutely necessary, you don't need to act."

The White Bird Curator also breathed a sigh of relief. The three Librarians were merely his collaborators; they could occasionally act, but constant assignments would be troublesome. The only ones he could truly command at any time, besides the Blazing Sun Vice-Curator and the Azure Dragon Vice-Curator, was his close friend, the Lord of Shadows. Their friendship had been forged step by step, from their weaker days until they both reached the Seventh-Tribulation realm.

Although the celebration gathered thousands of members, the conversation between the White Bird Curator and the Lord of Shadows went unnoticed by others.

As the central figure of the celebration, Meng Chuan found himself surrounded by a bustling crowd. Seventh-Tribulation experts, Half-Step Seventh-Tribulation experts, numerous peak Sixth-Tribulation experts, and even some top-tier Sixth-Tribulation experts came to speak with him privately.

"Brother Dongning, congratulations," Cang Li said, walking alongside Lord Fengyu. Although they weren't members of the Third Branch and hadn't received an official invitation, as White Bird Pavilion members, they wouldn't be turned away for attending. "Brother Cang Li, Lord Fengyu." Meng Chuan greeted them. He had spent some time with them in the Valley of Spacetime. While he didn't particularly like Lord Fengyu, Meng Chuan greatly admired Cang Li.

"Speaking of which, Fengyu and I used the Void Three-Leaf Flower even earlier than you, yet neither of us comprehended spatial rules, while you did," Cang Li said with a smile. "It makes Fengyu and me feel the gap between us."

"With deeper accumulation, Brother Cang Li and Lord Fengyu are also certain to comprehend spatial rules," Meng Chuan replied with a smile.

"City Lord Dongning." Other Sixth-Tribulation experts approached to congratulate Meng Chuan.

"We won't disturb you any further; we'll take our leave," Cang Li and Lord Fengyu said, seeing the situation, and departed.

"Let's gather again sometime," Meng Chuan replied, having no choice but to continue conversing with other Sixth-Tribulation experts.

Cang Li and Lord Fengyu quietly departed amidst the festivities.

"Cang Li, even though consuming the Void Three-Leaf Flower didn't lead you to comprehend spatial rules, you did comprehend a fourth Sixth-Tribulation rule," Lord Fengyu remarked. "Your accumulation is so profound that you could comprehend a Seventh-Tribulation rule at any time. Moreover, in my Phoenix Clan's ancestral land, you received the 'Fire Source Legacy' left by our ancestor. In the future, you are bound to be much stronger than this Dongning."

The Fire Source Legacy was the Phoenix Clan's most powerful inheritance, a tradition established by the Phoenix Ancestor after becoming an Eighth-Tribulation expert and enduring long eons. Historically, only a handful of Phoenix Clan members had learned this legacy due to its extremely high threshold; even some powerful Seventh-Tribulation experts within the Phoenix Clan couldn't grasp it. When Cang Li visited the Phoenix Ancestral Land, he comprehended part of its mysteries just by glimpsing it from afar. In less than ten years, he fully mastered the legacy, demonstrating his exceptional compatibility with it. His profound accumulation, mastery of the Fire Source Legacy, and youth made the Phoenix Clan value Cang Li immensely, leading them to pour resources into his development.

Cang Li gently shook his head. "Fengyu, don't you understand what it means for all high-ranking members of the White Bird Pavilion to attend the celebration for a Deputy Inspector?" To possess such strength after only five thousand years of cultivation, and as a Primordial Spirit Tribulation expert at that, Cang Li sighed. "Dongning is destined to be a prominent figure in the River of Spacetime."

Lord Fengyu nodded slightly, then added, "You will be a prominent figure too." Cang Li smiled, his expression also brimming with confidence.

In Cangyuan Realm, within a Seventh-Tribulation secret treasure world.

The wind howled, ruffling his white hair. Meng Chuan stood on the vast land, looking up at the dark sky, where a giant eye had already appeared—it was the Eighth-Tribulation secret treasure, the 'Heavenly Punishment Diagram.' "Now that I've reached the peak Sixth-Tribulation realm, I can try to deal with Emperor Peng again," Meng Chuan said. With a wave of his hand, a clump of blood appeared before him—blood taken from Emperor Peng's true body, which was imprisoned outside the realm.