Chapter 2092: Entering the Temple

Zhang Xuan collected the bodies of the two False Gods and continued leading the group forward.

After walking a short distance, a peak Immortal Monarch realm Temple warrior appeared. Following its defeat, a circular platform became visible before them.

"This is an opportunity to break through to the False God realm; you may go," Zhang Xuan said to a peak Immortal Monarch, not stepping forward himself.

This genius nodded gratefully, entered the platform, and focused on cultivation. As expected, he felt the power within him boiling, ready to break through at any moment.

The group continued forward, and soon found two more circular platforms.

Each circular platform was invariably guarded by a Temple warrior, which would have made it impossible for anyone else, but for Zhang Xuan, it was incredibly simple. After defeating the guarding warriors, Zhang Xuan arranged for Elder Hong Wu and another individual to enter the platforms before continuing his journey.

Upon seeing another circular platform, he swayed and sat down. Focusing his mind and calming his breath, he immediately felt a special power surging around him. It was completely different from the spiritual energy he had absorbed on the Forsaken Continent previously. Under the influence of this energy, his peak Immortal Monarch cultivation stirred restlessly, ready to break through at any moment.

"Unfortunately," he mused, "the cultivation technique for my breakthrough to the False God realm has not yet been fully refined..." After cultivating for a while, he couldn't help but shake his head. That particular thought had been attempting to refine the technique within the Spring and Autumn Codex, but it had not yet succeeded.

In his current state, forcing a breakthrough offered a chance to achieve the False God realm. However, without a suitable cultivation technique, it would instead create hidden dangers for his future progress, making the effort counterproductive.

With a sweep of his hand, he collected the aura permeating the circular platform into a jade bottle and placed it into his storage ring. Having entered the circular platform, he understood that breaking through to the False God realm relied on this special spiritual energy. This was akin to the emergence of Ancient Sage Qi on the Master Teacher Continent; once the cultivation technique was refined, one could break through anywhere, anytime.

Leaving the circular platform, he continued forward. There seemed to be many such circular platforms in the passage. Soon, he found another one. After dealing with the guarding warrior, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment, and an identical clone of himself entered it. A moment later, the clone broke through to the False God realm. Continuing onward, soon the Flood Dragon, the Nine-Headed Fire Phoenix Beast, and other peak Immortal Monarch realm spirit beasts all successfully broke through as well.

"If we continue at this pace," Zhang Xuan thought, "we definitely won't reach the Temple within a day..." All the beast pet clones beside him had reached the False God level. Numerous peak Immortal Monarch realm longswords were also being nurtured in this aura, with the chance to become False God realm artifacts. Only then did Zhang Xuan look forward.

The Heaven-Connecting Bridge was still enveloped in darkness, its length unknown, with no end in sight. This bridge was only open for one day. At their current pace, they would definitely not reach the so-called Temple, and the talk of seizing the 'God' character would become empty words.

The number of these stone platforms was fixed. Once the 'God' character was successfully acquired, a sect would become like the Pantheon, capable of producing countless False Gods and even forging False God realm weapons. This would create a truly endless supply, freeing them from being constrained by others.

However... the Temple had always wanted to kill him, besieging him multiple times without success. If he were to actually go there, would he fall into an ambush?

"The Heaven-Connecting Bridge only opens once every hundred years," he decided. "The Temple might hold the opportunity to enter the God Realm. No matter how dangerous, I must go and see!" He paused for a moment, then his figure vanished from its spot, reappearing moments later in a blue long robe, and soaring forward. Without the Heaven-Connecting Bridge, even a breakthrough to False God would not enable him to find the Temple. Missing this opportunity would mean waiting another hundred years—such a long time that it was better to take a risk now.

Ahead, there were no more circular platforms, indicating that these items were also limited in number. Of these items, the first two had no warrior guards, while most of the subsequent ones did. This implied that the Temple's default arrangement was for two individuals from the Six Clans to break through. As for those further along, almost no one, except for powerhouses like Master Kong and the Sect Leader of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, could reach them, let alone use them. Occurring once every hundred years, most of the Six Clans only managed to have one person break through each time. Over thousands of years, only a few dozen breakthroughs had accumulated.

He collected all the spiritual energy from these circular platforms. A longsword appeared beneath his feet, and with his sword intent activated, Zhang Xuan's speed suddenly increased. Allowing numerous beast pets to break through and collecting the spiritual energy from the circular platforms had already wasted nearly three hours. Without speeding up, entering the Temple would be almost impossible!

With his Divine Sword Intent permeating, Zhang Xuan's speed surpassed that of ordinary False God realm experts. However, this bridge was simply too long. After flying continuously for three hours, he still hadn't seen the end of the bridge, its length unknown.

"To go back and forth within a day and break into the Temple... How could that be possible!" he wondered. He had already been inside the Pantheon for six hours, a full half-day, yet he still hadn't seen the end. Could it be that with his current strength, he simply couldn't reach it? According to previous records, if one did not return to the Heaven-Connecting Stone before the Heaven-Connecting Bridge disappeared, they were highly likely to fall into fragmented space, with their fate unknown. Even False God experts would find it difficult to survive.

Half a day had passed; there was still half the time remaining!

"I'll fly for another hour..." Zhang Xuan decided, gritting his teeth. During the previous three hours, he hadn't advanced at full speed. Based on his calculations, if he were to return now, he could reach the Heaven-Connecting Stone in four hours. This meant he would fly for another hour to see; if he still couldn't reach the Temple, he would have to return the way he came.

His Immortal Power circulated within him, and using all his strength, he accelerated forward. Half an hour later, the seemingly endless bridge surface changed as a pitch-black grand hall slowly emerged from the void into view.

"That's truly far..." Zhang Xuan mused, relieved. "Back then, Master Kong and the founding patriarch of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion were able to enter; their cultivation was at least as strong as, if not stronger than, mine now..." Although he was at the peak of the Immortal Monarch realm, his true strength was at least as strong as, if not stronger than, that of ordinary False Gods. Coupled with his Divine Sword Intent and beasts like the Mysterious-Backed Tortoise, it was difficult for anyone to catch up. Yet, even at this speed, it took him over six hours of continuous flight to finally see it... The length of the Heaven-Connecting Bridge was indeed terrifying! Master Kong and others were able to successfully enter it; they must also have traversed this extremely long bridge, at a speed at least as strong as, if not stronger than, his own.

The massive palace was suspended in the air, appearing as if embedded in the night. Zhang Xuan flew for another quarter of an hour before finally reaching it.

*Creak!*

As if sensing the arrival of a living being, the palace gates slowly opened. With a flicker of his body, Zhang Xuan stepped inside.

As soon as he entered, the main hall's gate slowly closed. The previously pitch-black hall instantly lit up as countless torches ignited, illuminating the surroundings.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Ten figures flickered into existence around him, each with a steady, unfathomable aura. All of them were False God realm experts! As expected of the Temple, False Gods, rarely seen in the outside world, appeared here by the tens.

On the central throne, where flames burned, a tall, dark figure suddenly appeared, standing above the fire as if emerging from it. Long robes concealed their face, making their appearance unclear, and their voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. "Knowing that the Temple has been trying to eliminate you, you still dared to come here. Zhang Xuan, your courage is indeed not small!"

"There are countless geniuses on the Forsaken Continent," Zhang Xuan said, unfazed, as he had long anticipated this situation. "I'm just curious why you've been relentlessly pursuing me. Is it simply because I comprehended Divine Sword Intent?"

"Divine Sword Intent?" the figure on the throne scoffed. "That alone is not worth the Temple's intervention!"

"Then..." Zhang Xuan frowned.

The figure said, "You must be from the Master Teacher Continent!"

"You know about the Master Teacher Continent?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

"I want him alive..." Without further explanation, the figure on the throne waved a hand.

*Swish!*

The ten False God realm Temple warriors immediately surrounded him.

"You want to capture me? It won't be that easy!" Since he dared to come to the Temple, he knew there would definitely be danger. Zhang Xuan retreated a step and flicked his wrist.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The bodies of the two False God experts he had collected into his ring on the Heaven-Connecting Bridge suddenly appeared and instantly exploded. On the way here, he had already split off a portion of his spirit to refine these two bodies into soulless golden puppets.

"Hmph!"

Before the explosion's power could fully spread, a cold snort was heard, followed by a flash of light inside the Temple. The next moment, the surging power was confined into a ball and, with a "pop!", dispersed on the spot.

Zhang Xuan's face fell. He had thought that the simultaneous self-destruction of two False Gods would at least buy him some time. He hadn't expected the Temple's defensive formation to be so powerful, instantly dissolving the force generated by the impact into nothingness.

"Escape!" With a flick of his wrist, the Phoenix Robe Sword appeared in his palm. Zhang Xuan lightly slashed, and his Divine Sword Intent spread out, striking down at the tightly closed Temple gate. The Phoenix Robe Sword was originally just a step away from the False God realm. On the way, it had borrowed the spiritual energy from the circular platforms and successfully broken through. Coupled with Divine Sword Intent, its power was extremely strong; ordinary False God realm experts couldn't even withstand a single strike.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sword qi landed on the gate, emitting sounds of clashing steel, yet it didn't even leave a white mark.

"Could it be... this gate is also a False God realm artifact?" Zhang Xuan thought in disbelief. The False God realm Phoenix Robe Sword, combined with Divine Sword Intent, was so powerful that even someone of Han Jianqiu's strength wouldn't dare to face its edge directly. Yet this gate took a blow without any damage or even a trace, its level unimaginably high!

"Stop your futile struggles..." As if they had long known he would have such an expression, the False God realm experts surrounding him all smiled at once and attacked together. A giant net composed of immortal power descended from above, and in the blink of an eye, it sealed off all of Zhang Xuan's escape routes.

"Break!" Sword qi surged from the sword tip again, and Zhang Xuan lunged towards the giant net. The sword qi met no resistance, as if the giant net didn't exist. Zhang Xuan only felt his body tighten, bound securely, and his immortal power seemed to be restrained, rendering him unable to move.