Chapter 2056: The Mystery of the False God Realm

"Temple's help?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"To become a deity, you need a deity's recognition! This is also why the Six Sects all want to enter the Temple and seize the 'Deity' character! With the character, even if it's only half, it's equivalent to having the capital to advance to a false god..." Sect Master Kui Xiao explained.

Zhang Xuan finally understood. No wonder the Six Sects were all trying to seize the "Deity" character. He had thought it was merely for prestige, but now it seemed it was for becoming more powerful. He also understood why the Sect Master of his Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, as well as the elders from Lingyun Sword Pavilion and Seven Stars Tower, had come so readily. Everyone was probably pinning their hopes on him, wanting him to seize the "Deity" character. If he succeeded, even peak Immortal Monarchs within their sects, who had been unable to break through, might be able to do so, significantly increasing both their lifespan and cultivation. If he couldn't succeed, the others would certainly be unable to complete it either.

"Lingyun Sword Pavilion only obtained half a character, so they couldn't name their sect after it; they could only establish a 'Sword God Hall'..." He couldn't help but ask, "Half a character can also allow someone to break through to Immortal Monarch?"

"Yes, but the difficulty is much greater than with a whole character! Throughout the entire continent, only the Through-God Temple obtained a complete character, allowing true false gods to be born. That's why the Six Sects dare not oppose it and acknowledge it as their leader!" Sect Master Kui Xiao said.

Zhang Xuan suddenly realized. The Six Sects each had their own territories, and within those territories, other sects could not interfere. However, the Through-God Temple was spread throughout the entire Firmament. It turned out that a single "Deity" character was so formidable.

"Without the character, one cannot break through. But I've observed that the Sect Masters' cultivation seems to have already reached the False God realm..." Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

He had met three of the Six Sect Masters, and all were powerful False God realm cultivators. If they couldn't break through without the character, how did they reach this realm?

"This brings us to why we sought you out!" Sect Master Kui Xiao smiled faintly.

"Sought me out?"

"Every hundred years, a 'Heaven-Connecting Bridge' appears in the Temple. People from the Forsaken Continent can cross this bridge to enter the Temple and seize the Deity character... Winning one battle gives you the chance to absorb divine aura and break through to a False God... I was one of the challengers who entered a hundred years ago!" Sect Master Kui Xiao said.

Zhang Xuan nodded, "Win one battle, gain the chance to absorb divine aura and break through. So... what about the losers?"

"Losers... basically die on the spot!"

"Die?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Surely not all six Sect Masters have won a battle..."

Sect Master Qin Yuan was a False God, Han Jianqiu was a False God, and the person before him was also a False God. Even if he hadn't met the remaining three Sect Masters, their cultivation must be high. Could it be that all of them had won? He had fought against a Temple Warrior and knew how formidable they were. At the same level, they were practically invincible, not someone an ordinary person could contend with. Even Han Jianqiu and Sect Master Kui Xiao wouldn't be able to. For one to win might be luck, but for all six to have won seemed highly unlikely!

"All six Sect Masters have indeed won a battle, but... they weren't from the same batch of challengers! For example, Du Qingyuan of the Star Chaser Palace became a False God a thousand years ago. After that, the Star Chaser Palace made multiple attempts, but all ended in failure!"

"A thousand years ago?" Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. "False Gods can live that long?"

Normally, an Immortal Monarch, like a Virtual Immortal, has a lifespan limit of three hundred years. This Du Qingyuan becoming a False God a thousand years ago would mean she had lived for over a thousand years. In the Master Teacher Continent, that would be over ten thousand years old! It was simply terrifying.

"A False God normally has a lifespan of 500 years; they can't live this long. People from the Star Chaser Palace have a special physique, which allows them to live longer. Even so, her lifespan is nearly at its end; barring any surprises, she won't live for many more years... Similarly, Sect Master Qin Yuan's lifespan is also nearing its limit!" Sect Master Kui Xiao shook his head. "Therefore, they all hope that this Heaven-Connecting Bridge event can once again produce new deities to suppress their sects. Otherwise, the history of the Six Sects will inevitably be rewritten..."

Zhang Xuan was speechless. No wonder Sect Master Qin Yuan had so decisively made him the Sect Master; this was the reason. With his lifespan nearing its end, he could only place his hopes on this "genius" – himself – hoping he could cross the Heaven-Connecting Bridge and achieve False God status. After all, without a False God realm cultivator to maintain order, their territory would eventually be seized by others, and their talents would be poached. Over time, even if other sects didn't actively attack them, the sect would become a second-rate force and eventually vanish into the river of history.

"Sect Master Kui previously mentioned a competition with other sects, and that it wouldn't be dangerous. What did he mean by that?" With a sigh, he asked again. The other party had clearly stated earlier that he would be participating in a competition with other sects, not the Heaven-Connecting Bridge.

"Weren't you just wondering why all Six Sects have False God realm experts?" Sect Master Kui Xiao explained, "The Heaven-Connecting Bridge is guarded by five Temple Warriors. If you can distinguish yourself in the competition among the Six Sects and become a respected leader for the other sects, you'll have the chance to choose... to have the other five people deal with the warriors while you enter the Temple yourself. This means winning a battle without fighting... thereby gaining the opportunity to become a False God..."

"Enter alone? A bye? Then..." Zhang Xuan was startled. "The other five?"

"They will basically all die!" Sect Master Kui Xiao said. "Therefore, if the strength of the juniors from the Six Sects isn't too different, they usually don't need to compete. One is simply chosen in sequence. This means, if it's Lingyun Sword Pavilion's turn this year, next year it will be Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, and the year after will be our Seven Stars Tower... It's precisely because everyone has a chance that they help each other and jointly resist the Temple... This also allows the Six Sects to maintain a subtle balance!"

"Of course, if there's a significant disparity in strength, the order will naturally be disrupted! Just like Hall Master Kong in the past, and the founding patriarch of Lingyun Sword Pavilion, who surpassed everyone else by too much. Even without the leader's spot, they could still charge through the Heaven-Connecting Bridge and enter the Temple! In such a situation, the chance of becoming a False God becomes very high. Even if all six cannot succeed, at least two or three can!"

Zhang Xuan nodded again. The people from other sects had been so agitated upon seeing him, immediately granting him elder status and generously supplying all sorts of resources. Clearly, they all wanted him to contend for a spot on their behalf and achieve False God status. This would protect their sect's stability for a hundred years. This feeling reminded him of a book he had read in his previous life, where sect masters were chosen to go to Hero's Island. As long as someone was willing to drink Laba porridge, they could become the Sect Master, regardless of their character or loyalty...

"Elder Liu, you must give it your all then. We will also fully support you and help you break through to the peak of Immortal Monarch as quickly as possible!" Having explained everything, Sect Master Kui Xiao looked at him with a hopeful expression.

With similar strength, if he were to fight him, the Grand Elder, and others one-on-one, he wouldn't show any fatigue and could win in a single move. Once he participated in this competition, crushing the other sects was already a foregone conclusion. At that time, achieving False God status, and even potentially securing half a character for the sect, would truly etch their name in history for a thousand generations.

"Don't worry!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

If not for the other party's selfless contribution of power, he would not have been able to break through to his current cultivation and become a true Immortal Monarch. This debt of gratitude was enough for him to give his all.

With everything made clear, there was no more to say. The flying immortal beast accelerated at full speed, and in less than half a day, a vast ocean appeared in their sight.

"We've arrived at the Sea of Chasing Stars..." Sect Master Kui Xiao stood up.

Zhang Xuan also went to the window.

Before his eyes lay a vast expanse of azure water, which from afar blended seamlessly with the sky. They were flying between the sky and the ocean, sunlight reflecting off the ripples, with various fish and birds flying together, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

"This is the Sea of Chasing Stars?" Zhang Xuan was surprised.

Despite such beauty, so many powerful cultivators on the continent were unwilling to come here.

"Yes, if you navigate the sea at night, you'll find that the stars appear to be falling, and if your boat is fast enough, you can catch up to them at any time, giving one the urge to chase them. That's why it's called the Sea of Chasing Stars..." Sect Master Kui Xiao nodded. "However, the more beautiful a place, the more dangerous it is. The vessel we're on bears the Seven Stars Tower's symbol, and with so many Immortal Monarch-level immortal beasts pulling it, we're safe from sneak attacks by other immortal beasts or bandits. But for an ordinary person, it would be impossible; they might encounter countless dangers as soon as they enter the Sea of Chasing Stars and wouldn't survive. Who would care about the beautiful scenery then?"

"This..." Zhang Xuan was speechless.

The ocean was full of dangers, as he had learned back on the Master Teacher Continent. The sea surface below looked calm, but in reality, it contained countless powerful Saint Beasts and Immortal Beasts. Rashly entering their territory was indeed extremely dangerous.

"Where is the Star Chaser Palace?" After looking around and seeing the immortal beasts flying further and further, gradually entering the deep ocean, Zhang Xuan asked.

"On a huge island in the middle of the ocean, there's Star Chaser Island. The Star Chaser Palace and the so-called indigenous people of the Forsaken Continent all live here..." Sect Master Kui Xiao explained.

The immortal beasts continued flying. Less than a thousand kilometers into the ocean, Zhang Xuan indeed saw many Immortal Monarch-level immortal beasts roaming in the sea, eyeing the flying carriage in the sky, restless and ready to attack at any moment. If Sect Master Kui Xiao hadn't periodically released his False God realm power to deter them, immortal beasts would probably have charged up long ago. No wonder no one dared to approach. Even before seeing anyone from the Star Chaser Palace, these immortal beasts alone were enough to make countless people hesitate.

After another half day, a massive island indeed appeared in sight. With a diameter of several thousand kilometers, a huge city stood upon it, home to countless people. From afar, a special power spread across the island, as if forming a unique magnetic field, giving off a feeling of "strangers, do not disturb."

"This aura feels somewhat familiar..." After a glance, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but be stunned.

He had seen this peculiar magnetic field somewhere before; it felt very familiar. His Eye of Insight wiggled, and he concentrated his mind.

Boom!

Zhang Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body tensed.

"This is... the aura of the Aetheric Spirit race?"