Chapter 2088: 接天石

It is extremely difficult to devise one's own cultivation technique, requiring immense willpower and unwavering focus. Knowing this would not happen overnight, Zhang Xuan was not in a hurry.

Soon, several days passed. The Heaven-Connecting Bridge was set to open today, so early in the morning, Zhang Xuan led everyone straight towards the Heaven-Connecting Stone. The Heaven-Connecting Stone was located in the Sea of Chasing Stars, not far from Chasing Star Island. After two hours of flying on immortal beasts, a barren stone island appeared in their view.

This island stood like a solitary peak in the sea, resembling an immense pillar propping up the heavens. Its height was unfathomable, stretching beyond sight.

"Legend has it that countless years ago, when the heavens collapsed and the continent's inhabitants suffered immensely, a mighty expert severed the four legs of a gigantic sea turtle from the seabed. These legs were then used as pillars to support the heavens. As time passed and geological changes occurred, the legs transformed into stone pillars, which is the Heaven-Connecting Stone we see today!"

"These are just legends. This solitary island is tens of thousands of meters high. How could there be a sea turtle that large in the world?"

Elder Kui Xiao shook his head, "Besides, if the heavens were truly collapsing, how could four legs possibly support them?"

"That's true..."

Everyone chuckled. Every world has its myths and legends, symbolizing human hope, and this abandoned continent was no exception.

Zhang Xuan gazed at the Heaven-Connecting Stone before them. Although he knew it was impossible for it to be the four legs of a sea turtle, as everyone claimed, the sight of such an enormous stone connecting the sky and sea, standing unwavering for countless years, was indeed peculiar.

His Eye of Discernment pulsed. As he examined it closely, he quickly detected something unusual. The Heaven-Connecting Stone, while appearing to be just an ordinary rock, was actually covered with dense, intricate array patterns. It was these patterns that allowed the stone pillar to withstand the assault of wind, rain, and marine life without suffering any damage.

"What profound array patterns..."

"The Divine Temple... is it up there?" The thought crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Yes!" Han Jianqiu nodded. He then began flying upwards along the stone. The others followed closely behind.

As they ascended the Heaven-Connecting Stone, Zhang Xuan felt an increasing pressure on his body, as if a massive hand from above was trying to forcefully suppress him, preventing him from accessing deeper secrets.

"Everyone, give it your all! Ascending the Heaven-Connecting Stone is a test in itself!" Han Jianqiu said, noticing the changing expressions of the Immortal Monarchs trailing behind. This pressure was negligible for Pseudo-Gods, but for Immortal Monarchs, even those at the peak, it was incredibly challenging to fly to the top of the Heaven-Connecting Stone in one go. This in itself was a trial! Though the six major sects boasted countless experts, only a limited number would be able to pass this test.

"It's a bit like the world in the Temple of Confucius!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. For him, the pressure from above was significant, but it wasn't enough to render him powerless. He had encountered a similar situation in the Temple of Confucius, where a unique pressure in the sky prevented flight. The Heaven-Connecting Stone appeared to be only tens of thousands of meters high, not excessively tall. However, its entire surface was covered in unique patterns that naturally formed a restrictive array. Unless one's cultivation reached a certain level, attempting to force one's way up would easily lead to chaotic immortal energy and an inability to withstand the pressure.

As he was contemplating, he heard the sound of someone spitting blood behind him. Turning around, he saw an elder from Seven Star Tower, unable to bear the pressure, plummeting from the sky.

"That's not even halfway up... Elder Kui Xiao, your sect's elders seem to have regressed in strength over the years!" Elder Qin Yuan chuckled. They were still nearly halfway from the top of the Heaven-Connecting Stone, and an Immortal Monarch expert had already succumbed. This elder was simply too weak!

Elder Kui Xiao didn't reply. Instead, he frowned and looked down. After falling for a moment, the elder stabilized himself, panting heavily in mid-air, not daring to re-ascend. With their level of cultivation, capable of autonomous flight, they certainly wouldn't die from the fall. However, he hadn't expected someone to fail even before reaching the halfway point. By past conventions, any elder capable of accompanying them was considered an elite of their sect and could typically ascend at least seventy percent of the way before succumbing to the pressure.

As he pondered, another elder not far away also spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and fell from the sky. It was an elder from the Myriad Beasts Sect.

"You..." Elder Qin Yuan's face turned ashen. He had just finished mocking someone, only for an ally to fall immediately after. It was quite a swift slap to the face.

"The pressure is greater than usual..." Han Jianqiu stated with a solemn expression.

Stunned for a moment, Kui Xiao and Qin Yuan both sensed it simultaneously, their eyebrows twitching in surprise. "It truly is..." As Pseudo-God realm experts, they were less sensitive to this pressure, which primarily targeted Immortal Monarchs, and hadn't paid it much mind previously. However, upon closer inspection, they immediately realized that the oppressive force along the Heaven-Connecting Stone had nearly doubled compared to a century ago! Normally, this oppressive force would only become noticeable after reaching about seventy percent of the total height.

"This pressure hasn't changed for thousands of years. Why has it suddenly increased so much?" Elder Qin Yuan couldn't believe it. To ascend the Heaven-Connecting Stone, one had to withstand the sky's oppressive force—a rule that had remained unchanged for millennia. Under normal circumstances, this pressure would not vary. So how had it suddenly increased so drastically?

"It's likely connected to the early opening of the Heaven-Connecting Bridge..." Han Jianqiu said. The Heaven-Connecting Bridge was known to open once every century, a fact long established, so every sect prepared accordingly. Based on past calculations, there should have been a considerable amount of time left before its opening, yet it had suddenly opened without warning. Could the increased pressure be related to this premature opening?

"Regardless of the reason, with the increased pressure, everyone must focus. Only by ascending the Heaven-Connecting Stone will you qualify to enter the Heaven-Connecting Bridge and achieve Pseudo-Godhood. Otherwise, you'll have to wait another hundred years!" Immortal Monarchs only had a lifespan of three hundred years. A century, being a third of that, was a wait many could not afford.

"Understood!" Realizing the severity of the situation, the relaxed demeanor of the group vanished. With solemn expressions, they swiftly ascended. As they ascended higher, more individuals succumbed to the pressure, falling one after another from the sky. By the time they reached about seventy percent of the total height, only a dozen or so, fewer than twenty, remained in the entire team.

The three individuals who were attempting the Heaven-Connecting Bridge with Zhang Xuan had undergone special training during this period, significantly enhancing their combat prowess. It was only due to this that they managed to persist; otherwise, they likely wouldn't have even been able to reach the platform's peak. If they couldn't even ascend the Heaven-Connecting Stone, then there was naturally no hope for the Heaven-Connecting Bridge!

"Can you still hold on?" Seeing the three individuals covered in sweat, their clothes soaked through, Zhang Xuan frowned and asked.

"Yes!" Elder Hong Wu gritted his teeth.

The group continued their ascent. Upon reaching eighty percent of the total height, only Kui Xiao, Han Jianqiu, and a few other Pseudo-Gods remained, along with the three who had undergone special training. At this point, Qin Yuan and the others felt nothing unusual, but Elder Hong Wu and his companions were already struggling to hold on. Their bodies trembled incessantly, their limbs felt weak, and it seemed as though they could fall from the sky at any moment.

"Could it be that they can't even ascend the Heaven-Connecting Stone?" Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed. With thousands of meters still to go, if they couldn't endure this, how would they enter the Heaven-Connecting Bridge? Was all his training for the past few days going to be in vain?

"Wait here for a moment," Zhang Xuan instructed. "I'll go up ahead and see what's causing this immense pressure..." He paused, then gave his instructions. Resisting this kind of pressure was related to one's strength and state of mind. In the short term, there seemed to be no better solution than to find a way to eliminate the source of the pressure itself.

As he swiftly ascended along the stone wall, the pressure grew even more viscous. With a raised eyebrow, Zhang Xuan circulated his Divine Sword Intent. In the blink of an eye, his entire being transformed into a sharp, long sword. *Whoosh!* The viscous pressure was instantly torn apart. With a slight shimmer, he landed on top of the Heaven-Connecting Stone.

It was a platform approximately a hundred meters in diameter, completely barren. Above it lay only the dark sky; there was no sign of the supposed Divine Temple. Standing on the platform, he attempted to ascend further, only to discover a natural barrier above that seemed to isolate this entire section of the world. No matter how quickly he circulated his immortal energy, he couldn't move too far upwards. This meant that even with his current cultivation, he was unable to fly high enough to search for the rumored Divine Temple.

He circled the stone platform and noticed that it was also carved with the same unique runes as the pillar itself.

"Could this pressure be generated by these runes?" Although he didn't understand the exact meaning of these runes, their ability to keep the stone pillar standing for thousands of years indicated a special power. Perhaps the pressure that prevented others from reaching this point also stemmed from them.

"Out!" With a flick of his wrist, the Phoenix Robe Sword appeared in his palm. He focused his mind, then suddenly pointed the sword towards the runes. Sword qi whistled forth like a colossal dragon, circling the stone platform before piercing into the runes in the blink of an eye. The entire platform erupted in a dazzling light, as if something had been activated.

"So it is..." Feeling the pressure around him shift after the light flashed, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, nine long swords, each at the peak Immortal Monarch level, reappeared and formed a unique sword array around him.

"Break!" With his brows furrowed, he infused the Divine Sword Intent into the array and let out a low cry. The ten long swords landed around the stone platform. Although he didn't understand the exact meaning of these runes, his extensive knowledge of array formations and his Eye of Discernment allowed him to clearly identify their weaknesses and flaws. It was precisely at these weak points that the swords struck.

*Boom!* A wave of light rippled outwards, and the immense pressure that filled the air vanished simultaneously. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* As the wind whistled past, Han Jianqiu and the others seized the opportunity to fly up, landing uniformly on the high platform.

No sooner had they landed than the surrounding runes twisted, and the pressure returned. It took only about two breaths for the pressure to vanish and then return. If the others hadn't reacted quickly, they wouldn't have made it up either.

"It can actually restore itself?" Zhang Xuan was filled with astonishment. He had thought he had completely destroyed the unique power generated by the runes. To his surprise, they had recovered so quickly. It truly was no ordinary feat for something left behind by the Divine Temple.