Chapter 2162: Willpower

Once a teacher, always a father.

Under the influence of the Master Teacher Continent, the bond between teacher and student was exceptionally strong. This was especially true for Zhao Ya and his other students, who had weathered countless storms with him. Their affection was selfless, surpassing even that of family members.

This feeling encompassed pity, affection, reluctance to part, hope, and contentment. These emotions constantly filled his chest, slowly fermenting like strong liquor.

Knowing that it would take more than a day to fully comprehend this into a cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan was not in a hurry. He continued to study other knowledge, gradually deepening his understanding of the God Realm.

After an unknown period of time, a voice sounded not far away: "Young Master!"

He turned his head to see Sun Qiang and Sword Saint Xing Meng standing before him.

Not only had they broken through their cultivation realms, but they had also reached the High-tier God rank, just like him, and their level was even higher, reaching the pinnacle.

More importantly, sword qi whistled around them, giving off an unfathomable aura.

"This sword art..." Zhang Xuan frowned.

Regarding sword arts, he had created the Thousand Knots, and his understanding of the Sword Dao had already surpassed the Heavenly Dao. He could tell at a glance that the sword intent the three of them cultivated was completely different from before.

Taking Sword Saint Xing Meng as an example, her previous sword art had time effects, emphasizing a combination of speed and slowness, and was imbued with the fusion of yin and yang, giving it a Taiji feel. But now, it exuded a sense of being sealed and closed, filled with the essence of protection.

Protection, not defense.

Defense, like a turtle shell, was airtight. Protection, however, carried a counterattack, preemptively eliminating anything dangerous with the sword.

Wholehearted protection, unwavering until death.

"Is this a sword art from the Sword God Heaven?" he asked, slightly puzzled.

"It was taught by a master from the Sword God Heaven," Sword Saint Xing Meng replied. "When you were young, you endured countless hardships, and we couldn't give you the care and affection only true parents can provide. Now, even if we die, we will protect you and not let you suffer any harm!"

Sword Saint Xing Meng's eyes were filled with motherly love.

Her child having their bloodline extracted and being forcibly separated at birth was a lifelong pain for her. The sword intent of the Sword God Heaven perfectly aligned with her state of mind, allowing her to advance by leaps and bounds. In less than a day, not only did her sword art improve dramatically, but her cultivation also made a great breakthrough.

Zhang Xuan looked at his father. Although he didn't speak, the gaze in his eyes was just like his mother's, firming his resolve and leaving him unshaken.

He then looked at Sun Qiang, who chuckled and awkwardly scratched his head. "Young Master is my backing, my reliance," Sun Qiang said. "Of course, I also need to protect your safety. Otherwise, how can I show off? How can I flaunt in front of others?"

Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.

Although the three's sword arts still lagged behind his, their strength had indeed tangibly improved.

Moreover, it seemed their power was subtly surging, as if they could break through to higher realms at any time.

With a Heavenly God-level beast pet, four High-tier Gods, and the little yellow chick of unknown strength by his side, he now possessed enough power to establish himself in the God Realm.

"City Lord Wu, I wonder... have you ever heard of 'Spirit God'?" Zhang Xuan asked after a moment of hesitation.

The books he had just read contained no mention of "Spirit God." Luo Ruoxi was undoubtedly in the God Realm. Previously, his weak strength had made him hesitant to ask too many questions for fear of trouble. Now, however, there was little point in staying in Nightfall City. It was time to gather information and find a way to search for her.

Being able to cross the barriers of the God Realm, his girlfriend must at least be at the God King realm, and it was very likely she was a Conferred God King.

If she truly possessed such strength, it should be easy to inquire about her in the God Realm.

Teacher Mo Yun didn't know, but the City Lord before him surely had some information.

"Spirit God?" Wu Fangqing was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "Never heard of that! The God Realm is vast and boundless, with countless powerful experts. Many people's names are unknown to us. Do you know what skills or martial arts this person you're referring to specializes in? That would give us a direction."

Many people in the God Realm have numerous aliases. For example, the Emperor of the Ethereal Soul Heaven is sometimes referred to as Emperor Qiankun, and other times as Emperor Qiankun the Demon, or Emperor Qiankun the Great…

Although he hadn't heard the name 'Spirit God,' if he knew what she specialized in, he might be able to deduce something.

"She specializes in… sacrifices!" Zhang Xuan mused for a moment. "She can perform spatial movement through sacrifices…"

He had met Luo Ruoxi on the Master Teacher Continent, and the cultivation techniques and moves she had displayed then were all within the scope controllable by the Master Teacher Continent. These weren't necessarily her true specialties, so mentioning them or not was irrelevant.

However, for a Spirit God, performing inter-planar teleportation through sacrifices was definitely an extremely powerful ability.

He had just read many books and knew that even Conferred God Kings might not be able to accomplish this.

"Spatial movement?" Wu Fangqing repeated. "Being able to perform spatial movement, that's teleportation. Only Emperors in the God Realm can do that, not even Conferred God Kings! This is beyond my ability to discuss... As for sacrifices, I don't know about the other eight Heavens, but our Ethereal Soul Heaven is extremely proficient! The Heavenly Gods and God Kings in the Imperial City can even gather the souls of the deceased through sacrifices…"

"The Ethereal Soul Heaven specializes in sacrifices?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Yes, every city in the Ethereal Soul Heaven has an Ethereal Soul Pool, and Nightfall City has one too," Wu Fangqing explained. "It can absorb the power of vows released by lives within the city and re-gather the heroic spirits of those who have died! Although it's very slow, it is achievable…"

"Absorb power of vows? Gather heroic spirits? How… how does it gather them? And what is the power of vows?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

This involved a secret of the Ethereal Soul Heaven, one that wasn't recorded in the books he had read.

"The power of vows is essentially thoughts and wishes!" Wu Fangqing explained, without holding anything back, recognizing Zhang Xuan's extraordinary identity. "For example, if someone’s father passes away, as a descendant, they would naturally wish for him to remain, and this generates a power of vows that allows their soul to condense into form in the Ethereal Soul Pool, and even regain sentience!"

"However, this process of gathering souls is a long-term one, taking hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years," Wu Fangqing continued. "Ordinary people don't live that long, so once they die, the process stops. Once no one remembers this life anymore, the process will completely cease! Therefore, when ordinary people die, even with an Ethereal Soul Pool, they cannot be resurrected! But it's different for the relatives of God King experts."

"Their lifespans are extremely long, and their power of vows won't be interrupted, so they can often be resurrected. Additionally, for Heavenly Gods or God Kings who have made great contributions, the Ethereal Soul Heaven will help establish ancestral halls. Although the power of vows from future generations' worship is small, over time, it can also play a role, ultimately allowing them to re-form."

"I see…" Zhang Xuan understood.

He hadn't expected the Ethereal Soul Heaven to possess such an ability; the deceased could even have their souls restored through the power of vows… It was truly defying heaven.

"Do you mean... as long as a deceased person is remembered, they have a high chance of eternal life in the Ethereal Soul Pool?" Sword Saint Xing Meng couldn't help but ask.

"You could say that!" Wu Fangqing nodded.

As long as someone remembers them, the power of vows exists, and the heroic spirits within the Ethereal Soul Pool will not perish. Although they cannot fully take form, and may not even fully regain their independent consciousness, it means they are continuously alive.

"The prerequisite is to perform sacrifices and place the deceased’s belongings into the Ethereal Soul Pool to slowly gather their soul," Wu Fangqing continued to explain. "Otherwise, it’s impossible!"

"Hmm! Besides the Ethereal Soul Heaven, are there any other people or factions skilled in sacrifices?"

Zhang Xuan continued to ask.

"I don't know about that," Wu Fangqing replied. "If you truly want to inquire, you might need to go to the Ethereal Soul Imperial City. All sorts of people are there; if you're looking for information, try the underground black market... Oh, and Qi Ling'er, with whom you have business dealings, is from the Imperial City. Contacting her should be helpful; she might be able to find out what you want to know!"

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

With his parents and Sun Qiang having successfully broken through to God rank, and his many students taken away by the Nine Emperors, there was no point in him staying here any longer. Zhang Xuan returned to his residence and had Sun Qiang send a message to Qi Ling'er. In less than fifteen minutes, she arrived in the courtyard.

"Young Master Zhang!"

Qi Ling'er's attitude was respectful.

He possessed an Emperor's bloodline, and even though she didn't know which power he belonged to, he was certainly not someone a small figure from her family could contend with.

"Hmm, I want to ask you something," Zhang Xuan said. "Have you heard of 'Spirit God' or Luo Ruoxi?"

After a moment of thought, Qi Ling'er shook her head. "No…"

"Then do you have any sources of information that could help me inquire?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This would probably require going back to the Imperial City," Qi Ling'er replied. "Nightfall City is too remote; even if we wanted to inquire, we'd have no way to find anything out…"

"Alright, I might have to trouble Miss Qi to accompany us on a trip to the Imperial City," Zhang Xuan nodded. "Miss Qi, do you have the time?"

The most powerful person in Nightfall City, Wu Fangqing, was only a Low-tier Heavenly God, and his combat power was similar to Zhang Xuan's. To make greater progress and gain more information, he would certainly need to go to a larger city. The Ethereal Soul Imperial City was the closest and most suitable choice.

He was unfamiliar with this place, so if he could bring Qi Ling'er along, things would certainly be much simpler.

"Since Young Master Zhang asks, I’m naturally willing to accompany you…" Qi Ling’er’s eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded.

She had been thinking of ways to improve her relationship with him, and going to the Imperial City together would surely deepen their connection.

"However…" After agreeing, Qi Ling’er showed hesitation.

"However what?" Zhang Xuan asked. "If you have any requests, as long as I can do it, I won't refuse!"

Troubling the other party would surely require paying a price, and giving something he was capable of was no big deal.

"It's actually not a big deal," Qi Ling’er said, pausing for a moment. "Having Young Master Zhang’s word is enough. Let’s discuss this matter when we reach the Imperial City! At that time, it’s fine if Young Master Zhang doesn’t agree…"

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

If the other party was unwilling, there was no need to force her to speak.

"How far is the Imperial City from here? How do we get there?" Sun Qiang, who was at his side, asked.

"The Ethereal Soul Imperial City is at least ten million miles from here," Qi Ling’er explained. "Even with flying divine beasts, it would be extremely difficult to reach; one might even die of exhaustion… To get there quickly, we naturally need to use a teleportation array! Coincidentally, Nightfall City has one too!"

"Teleportation array?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Nightfall City had one? How come no one mentioned it, and he had never seen it?