Chapter 1931: Three Realms

“What is Eight Honored seeking to do?”

Everyone noticed the Eighth Sword Immortal’s strange actions.

The surging waters of the River of Oblivion had already severed the Ghost-Buddha Realm’s heavens and earth, splitting the battlefield in two.

Hua Changdeng was inside, and Eight Honored was outside.

The power of the newly ascended Ancestor Hua was such that it could even suppress the attacks of Ancestor Apothecary and Beihua. Eight Honored, despite his pseudo-ancestor transformation, was still ineffective. Yet, at this critical moment, he imitated Kui Leihan, sitting cross-legged with closed eyes?

“Enlightenment?”

“What Dao could he possibly comprehend at a time like this? Only by ascending to a God or Ancestor could he even begin to compare with Ancestor Hua.”

“But how would Ancestor Hua give him time? He could be struck down mid-tribulation. Attempting enlightenment now is an absolute provocation—Eight Honored was a step slow, and now he’s slow at every turn!”

“Everyone, don’t forget, the River of Oblivion’s waters even cut off Kui Leihan’s three tribulations. If he can’t undergo tribulation, how will Eight Honored ascend to a God or Ancestor?”

“Wait, there’s hope! Remember, at the very beginning, Eight Honored also summoned three tribulations? He didn’t undergo them; instead, he swallowed them into his body...”

This revelation startled everyone.

However, everyone quickly realized that Eight Honored swallowing the tribulations then wasn’t for undergoing them now. He merely needed to store a portion of that power within his body, and what he swallowed was only a nascent form of the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation, not even a tenth of a full tribulation. Undergoing an ascension to God or Ancestor with that small portion of lightning tribulation would, at best, create a half-ancestor—not even worthy of tying Ancestor Hua’s shoes!

Rumble!

The void, however, erupted.

No sooner had he sat cross-legged than tribulation lightning exploded around Eight Honored, a sea of thunder surging forth—it was precisely the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation he had previously swallowed.

“He’s really undergoing tribulation?”

“Is this truly a method of tribulation? Not enduring lightning strikes, but instead, undergoing a direct baptism within a sea of thunder?”

Under the protection of the River of Oblivion, Hua Changdeng had initially cast all concerns aside. Having just swallowed the Ghost Ancestor, he had to focus entirely on digesting the vast insights of the Dao of Death. This included insights into the soul, reincarnation, and even partial authority over life and death, which belonged to Ancestor Apothecary.

It was too much!

‘Swallowing’ was merely a description. In reality, the ‘two-into-one’ integration process was far from something that could be accomplished in a single gulp. Not only did Hua Changdeng need to absorb the Ghost Ancestor’s massive memories, accumulated over countless eons since ancient times, in a short period. This alone was terrifying enough; mere memories could overwhelm a typical Saint Emperor, causing them to lose themselves and much of their combat power in a short time. Yet, it wasn’t just that; the memories were the minor part. Hua Changdeng’s primary task was to digest the ‘entirety’ of the Ghost Ancestor’s insights into the Dao of the Soul, with the authority over reincarnation being secondary. Ancestor Apothecary’s portion could be prioritized even later, but still required engagement. This ‘two-into-one’ process, if the Ghost Ancestor harbored even a sliver of resistance, would take tens of thousands of years, at minimum. Fortunately, in this collaboration, the Ghost Ancestor had no other choice and cooperated willingly. Hua Changdeng was able to distribute the most critical elements evenly among the countless soul-selves on the Hundred Ghost Altar for simultaneous absorption, which also required a great deal of time. Under the encirclement of various Ancestors, his self-imposed deadline was to complete the reception within half a day, then continue digesting while fighting—using battle to fuel growth and deepen his understanding.

However, none of these were the most crucial points. The most terrifying aspect of the ‘two-into-one’ integration was that the different ‘selves’ had to merge perfectly. Even if the Ghost Ancestor cooperated fully, he was, after all, an independently existing entity who had lived for countless eons. His ‘self’ was too vast, and his ‘name’ too immense. He was so immense that Hua Changdeng, a life form with merely decades of lifespan, even as an Ancestor God, could only barely contain him with power of the same realm. Even a slight mishap, a loss of spiritual control, would lead to the failure of discerning one’s true self, even if the ‘two-into-one’ succeeded. This would result in following the old path of the Demon Ancestor and Suiyin.

But could he interrupt or slow down the process of ‘swallowing’ the Ghost Ancestor because of this? Hua Changdeng had not a shred of hesitation. He had no way back!

Booming...

But just as he had fully committed himself to the integration process, the aura of the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation emanated from beyond the River of Oblivion. Hua Changdeng couldn’t help but lift his eyelids and gaze out. He recalled that the path to ascending to God or Ancestor on the Saint Divine Continent should have been easily severed by his River of Oblivion. He was naturally wary of monstrous talents like Kui Leihan, who feared no death. The Dao of Thought Ancestor, he had already stifled in its infancy. Kui Leihan could ascend, but only after his own integration was complete and he had absolute certainty over everything. Only then could he be allowed to ascend, to jointly oppose the Demon Ancestor, not him. The same principle applied to everyone, including Eight Honored.

When he looked, he saw Eight Honored outside the river, sitting cross-legged in enlightenment, bathed in lightning tribulation, with the rolling aura of the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation emanating from him. Hua Changdeng initially tensed, thinking a new variable had emerged. He had never underestimated Eight Honored; it wasn't entirely impossible that he had found a way to break through the River of Oblivion's blockade. But once his gaze settled, Hua Changdeng's heart slightly relaxed.

“It’s merely the early stage of the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation...”

This was the lightning tribulation Eight Honored had swallowed earlier. To ascend to God or Ancestor with this portion of ‘energy’ was, firstly, insufficient; secondly, even if he forcibly succeeded, he would only become a half-ancestor; and finally, after ascending, he would likely suffer swift backlash and his power would rapidly recede. In short, even if Eight Honored succeeded, he would be but a momentary Ancestor God, a flash in the pan. He might achieve brilliance, but it would inevitably be fleeting. Without the foundation of an Ancestor God’s destiny, his power wouldn’t consolidate. If he were to align with Xu Xiaoshou’s Ancestor God’s destiny, it would be akin to following the old path. In that case, Eight Honored wasn’t even the ‘second’ in a ‘two-into-one’ scenario. How could he possibly contend with Hua Changdeng, who had swallowed the Ghost Ancestor? By the time he completed his tribulation, Hua Changdeng estimated he would have already digested most of the Ghost Ancestor! As for skipping the Ancestor God’s destiny and directly merging ‘two-into-one’ or ‘one-returning-to-zero’... Hua Changdeng, who had become an Ancestor God without prior ascension, felt that the Ten Revered Ones’ ambitions seemed to hold a few threads of hope after all.

After achieving Ancestor Godhood, he understood why the Demon Ancestor, Suiyin, and Ancestor Apothecary had so many plans and were all proceeding step-by-step. Because, it was simply impossible!

Closing his eyes again, Hua Changdeng refocused on the integration process. Yet, he seemed restless, as if overwhelmed by the impact of the Ghost Ancestor’s memories and experiences. Everything was under control. The absolute sense of security provided by the River of Oblivion’s protection made Hua Changdeng open his eyes once more. He stared steadily at Eight Honored, a faint smile on his face. Rarely, he offered a few words of advice to his old opponent, who had ironically helped him achieve his Dao:

“The Celestial Realm no longer exists; there is no path to ascension. Without a destiny to establish your Dao foundation, you will not advance but recede. Eight Honored, follow the path I have laid out for you, and you can still achieve something. Afterwards, you may continue to fight me. But if you continue to rush blindly, only contending for the present moment, I hope that when you take your last step, you will have no regrets!”

Having spoken these words, Hua Changdeng no longer looked, dedicating his full attention to continuing his absorption of the Ghost Ancestor.

However, he had overlooked one crucial detail. Eight Honored, sitting cross-legged and ‘undergoing tribulation,’ wasn’t actually concerned with ascending to God or Ancestor; he seemed to have another objective entirely. The moment Hua Changdeng closed his eyes again, Eight Honored simultaneously opened his, sword intent and lightning sparks erupting from his gaze. He had transformed into a lightning man, a complete embodiment of tribulation release. Normal tribulation undergoers, even Hua Changdeng, required a quiet and undisturbed environment, which he had obtained.

Upon standing, Eight Honored took a single step, entering the waters of the River of Oblivion that horizontally bisected the world before him.

Sizzle—

The lightning of the Ancestor God Extinction Tribulation instantly tinged the entire River of Oblivion gray, shattering the Dao laws of heaven and earth. Hua Changdeng’s eyelids twitched; he had no choice but to open his eyes again. When he looked, Eight Honored was gone, vanished into the River of Oblivion. Simultaneously, ethereal chanting echoed throughout the Saint Divine Continent:

“The Dao also comes from dreams...”

This single phrase, like a sleep-inducing mist, directly invaded the minds of cultivators across the five regions, drawing their spirits into a slumber.

Thump, thump, thump...

Figures throughout the land tumbled down, falling into a deep sleep. Gou Wuyue’s body swayed violently. He instinctively resisted, his soul and consciousness seemingly detaching, only to see his own body collapse to the ground. At just this one phrase, Gou Wuyue’s mind stirred, his spiritual will trembling. Not from fear, but from excitement! He actually perceived, in the single word ‘dream,’ a Dao rhythm and radiant light even more vigorous than when Sword Ancestor emerged from the Gate of Profundity. He immediately ceased active resistance, likewise immersing himself in the dream realm that encompassed the entire Saint Divine Continent. He wished to witness this profound mystery!

These were merely the aftershocks of a single sword strike. Hua Changdeng, who was the direct target of the ‘Dream Sword’ and already in an unstable spiritual state due to Dao integration, was instantly pulled into the gray, misty dream space. He kept his eyes open, seeing an ominous feeling of losing the River of Oblivion’s protection in the vast world, and a beam of tangible azure light streaking from the distant sky.

“Azure Dwelling, please reside in my heart...”

A single sword from the East!

All cultivators in the five regions who awoke in the dream saw this scene: a Sword Immortal with a single sword from the East—was it Azure Dwelling this time? But the dream was illusory, hazy, and incredibly indistinct. They couldn't even discern if that ‘Azure Dwelling’ was truly Azure Dwelling, or what its true form was. Even the white-robed figure holding Azure Dwelling was extremely shadowy, resembling Eight Honored, yet even more like someone beyond Eight Honored... Who? Who, indeed, could surpass Eight Honored in the Dao of the Sword?

“Illusory Sword Art...”

As soon as Hua Changdeng saw the sword coming from the East, he immediately understood Eight Honored’s intention, and his heart trembled slightly. This, coupled with all his previous actions—swallowing the sword sea, swallowing famous swords, swallowing three tribulations, yet suppressing everything until now for release—made Hua Changdeng’s heart clench.

“This fellow, he intends to enter the Dao with Illusory Sword Art, using his sword to open the Gate of Profundity?”

A famous sword had indeed opened the Gate of Profundity before, but ‘Profundity’ was intercepted by the Sword Ancestor, and cultivators in the five regions only saw a human figure. Yet, true ‘Profundity’ should have been the ultimate application of ancient sword arts, the third realm capable of reaching the power of ascending to God or Ancestor.

Eight Honored... He wants to use Illusory Sword Art to interrupt my Dao integration state, preferring to be shattered jade rather than an unbroken tile?

“Stubborn fool!”

Hua Changdeng let out a long cry. The three Sword Ghosts swirled around him, and the Intent Ghost pierced the void, intending to interrupt this Dream Sword.

A single sword. The white-robed figure holding Azure Dwelling was directly pierced through. Yet, it did not vanish. Instead, it transformed into countless ethereal white light points, scattering across the sky and encircling Hua Changdeng. Each white light point fissioned, forming an Eight Honored. Thousands upon thousands of Eight Honored figures appeared, not the Eight Honored from his time as the Holy Slaves’ Chief, but the Eight Honored of thirty years ago.

His ‘self’!

His ‘sword self’!

Ethereal sounds once again reached his ears, like the murmuring of one deeply intoxicated and lost in a profound, blissful dream. Thousands of Eight Honored figures drew their swords, thousands of Azure Dwellings slowly rose, and thousands of profound white light gates opened, sealing Hua Changdeng, whose mind was in turmoil.

“The Dao also comes from dreams, Azure Dwelling, please reside in my heart...”

“Awakening, the flowers remain vibrant, the sword ceases, a lone tower’s shadow...”

Amidst the faint sword verses, what resoundingly exploded in the minds of the cultivators across the five regions was the resolute final form of the Dream Sword:

“Illusory Sword Art: Third Realm: Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns!”

At that moment, the hairs on Gou Wuyue’s body stood on end; he felt a profound clarity of soul, as if enlightened. Entering the Dao through dreams? From the initial foray into spacetime through spatial leaps... To the Dao of Space in the second world... Finally, using ‘dreams’ to enter time, a method even the Sword Ancestor never possessed, to affirm the Dao through all eternity and open the Gate of Profundity with a sword?

“He can wield a sword like this?”

“Dreaming into time, proving eternity with a sword, explaining illusions—how can a single word ‘marvelous’ suffice?”

The cultivators of the five regions lacked Gou Wuyue’s unique insight. Yet, from the resounding declaration of ‘Third Realm,’ they confirmed their initial conjecture about this Dream Sword. Eight Honored, imitating Sword God Gu Louying, integrated with the Dao of Emotion Sword Art, manifested the third realm with his sword, opened Profundity, and ascended to Ancestor God. And his Dao was in the Illusory Sword Art, pushing it to its extreme?

“Impossible...”

When thousands upon thousands of light gates inundated his vision, then instantly shattered into the breathtaking splendor unique to a dream, even Hua Changdeng lost himself. He was an Ancestor God. He had also sought a path to open the third realm with Ghost Sword Art and prove the Gate of Profundity—this was the dream of all ancient sword cultivators. But he had failed. Or rather, due to the Ghost Ancestor’s influence and the success of the Divine Court’s Underworld, Hua Changdeng had no choice but to, and indeed actively, shifted to another direction.

In a forest, two paths diverged. Hua Changdeng chose the broad, smooth road, and naturally, in countless midnight awakenings, he had fantasized about the romance that the shaded, narrower path might have held. A path no one had ever trodden, one could be certain, would invariably be more extraordinary than the established route. And now, the shaded path he could never truly comprehend at the end of his journey, Eight Honored had walked it out.

Envy, jealousy, and even a hint of hatred... All Ten Revered Ones felt the same! Why could they, without power, influence, or resources, still advance rapidly along various diverging paths? Yet he, possessing Saint Emperor resources and being escorted all the way to Ancestor Godhood, had originally thought he could cast those prodigies tens of thousands of miles behind him. But looking back, Kui Leihan had almost caught up, only for his path to be severed by Hua Changdeng. Eight Honored, like a maggot on a bone, still clung tightly to his heels; with this sword alone, he was already qualified to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him!

“Calm down...”

The impact of Dao integration was too immense. Hua Changdeng could barely control himself; this was an emotion that should not have appeared in him. An Ancestor God’s mind should be broader than even the five regions. But the next second, when he clearly saw what Dao had been proven by this ‘Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns,’ Hua Changdeng again nearly lost control of himself.

The profound light gates dissipated. All cultivators in the five regions could see it: thousands upon thousands of Eight Honored figures lost their true forms, transforming into thousands upon thousands of different ancient sword cultivators. From low, to high... From present, to ancient...

Divine Sword Profound Azure streaked forth, landing in the hand of one of the ‘Eight Honored’ figures, whose form then materialized. A lonely tower, a silver moon, and a back figure also materialized. One person, one sword. He glanced over, his voice cold and arrogant: “My name is Yu Mù, the mù of solitary wood!”

The five regions shook in unison. Sword God, Gu Louying? Eight Honored, with a single ‘Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns’ sword, had invited him back? Vastly different from what they had seen before, the Sword Ancestor at this moment was aloof and proud, clearly unaffected by external forces, fully displaying the demeanor of the Sword God Era’s foremost figure.

Closely following, a humming sword chant echoed, and the Sword Pavilion’s sword—Moonchaser—streaked through the air, landing in the hand of another ‘Eight Honored’ figure, whose image likewise materialized. It was a white-haired old man, possessing an immortal demeanor, riding a human-sized azure wine gourd, soaring through the clouds. With the sword in hand, the man seemed to gain sentience. His eyes flickered, spirit born, and he immediately burst into hearty laughter, filled with soaring heroism: “Long winds for ten thousand li above azure clouds, invite me to pluck stars and gather moon frost!” He turned his head, looking towards the foremost figure in the Dao of the Sword, his gaze filled with melancholy and fervent desire. Completely disregarding the current situation, he raised Moonchaser high: “Brother Gumù, long time no see! My hands are itching for a fight. How about a match?”

Hua Changdeng’s gaze solidified, his expression complex as he listened. The cultivators of the five regions were simultaneously dumbfounded and seething with excitement. This one... Could it be the one who was like a divine dragon—seen only in glimpses, never fully revealed—and whose image hadn't even been passed down to this era...

“Divine Sword, Feng Wuchen?”

Feng Tingchen was also in the dream, religiously excited to the point of being unable to contain himself, silently astonished like the Feng family disciples everywhere: “Old Ancestor! Old Ancestor!”

Sword God Gu Louying, Divine Sword Feng Wuchen—all had been invited! But it was far from just these two; as famous swords streaked through the air, figure after figure in the Grand Dream of a Thousand Autumns had their names and power borrowed! Over thousands of autumns and myriad eons, various imprints etched into famous swords were restored within the dream.

Peach blossoms fluttered, and a wooden sword was tucked into a waist. A familiar figure, somewhat reluctantly, also appeared, standing politely behind the Sword God: “Humble Hua Weiyang, at your service.”

Nine more swords streaked forth, led by Purple Heavens’ Drunkenness, spontaneously unleashing a sky full of purple mist, brimming with immortal aura. From among them stepped a long-haired, green-robed swordsman, standing with arms crossed, his expression serene, his voice low and powerful: “I am Luo Xian.”

Ten thousand swords stirred, outlining another figure who cupped his hands to the myriad people of the five regions, extremely humble: “My humble self, Bai Riju.”

Crane Sword soared... Great Sorrowful Tears Without Sword soared... Spirit Sword Pure Wind, Tomb-named City Snow soared, followed by Death Sword Nameless also soaring...

“Chao Dao.”

“Long Wan’er.”

“...Hmm, Cheng Xue.” That was a figure with a likeness to Divine Sword Feng Tingchen, appearing desolate and solitary.

The shadowy figure that followed was incredibly blurry, exuding monstrous malevolence, wielding Peerless Enchantress and Nameless. In the dream, the representation of the Four Fierce Swords also materialized. His gaze was extremely complex, filled with surprise, shame, resentment, and frenzy... Staring at the one who called himself ‘Cheng Xue,’ he uttered an obscure name, his voice very hoarse:

“Xiao Hei.”