Chapter 2637: Refining the Void to Great Perfection

Azure Glass Sea, Golden Sparrow Islands.

At Golden Sparrow Market, the door to a certain private chamber suddenly opened, and Wang Changsheng emerged, a smile gracing his face. His aura was considerably stronger; he had clearly reached Void Refinement Grand Perfection.

Aided by six-grade spiritual water and the True Spirit Origin, which improved his physique, Wang Changsheng successfully advanced to Void Refinement Grand Perfection. Without the True Spirit Origin, it would have taken him several millennia to reach this point.

Wang Changsheng was already over seven thousand years old. A spiritual body cultivator with sufficient resources would have long since entered the Integration stage by now. It was also thanks to the True Spirit Origin; otherwise, Wang Changsheng would at most be at the late Void Refinement stage.

His second Grand Heavenly Tribulation was imminent. He needed to leave the market and find a place to undergo the tribulation. After surviving the Grand Heavenly Tribulation, he planned to return to Xuanling Continent to attempt to break through to the Integration stage.

Wang Changsheng sent a sound transmission talisman to Wang Ruyan. Not long after, she emerged from a private chamber, having already advanced to the late Void Refinement stage.

It had taken her over two thousand years to advance from the mid-Void Refinement stage to the late Void Refinement stage. Without the True Spirit Origin, reaching this point would have required at least three thousand years, perhaps even longer. This is also why most Void Refinement cultivators must survive five Grand Heavenly Tribulations before they can possibly enter the Integration stage; their cultivation speed is simply too slow.

"My dear, you've reached the late stage! That's wonderful! Once I've passed my Grand Heavenly Tribulation, we'll take the Trans-Spirit Treasure Ship back to Xuanling Continent," Wang Changsheng exclaimed, overjoyed.

He took out a communication plate and contacted Wang Xiangrong: "Have there been any major events in the cultivation world these past years?"

"Several centuries ago, several markets in the Golden Maple Islands put out a bounty on us. It was reportedly issued by True Monarch Jinhong. My portrait was accurate, but yours were fake," Wang Xiangrong reported truthfully.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan frowned. Fortunately, they had been cautious and used the Heavenly Illusion Pearl to alter their appearances. Wang Xiangrong hadn't initially expected to be treasure hunting with others and had always shown his true appearance, not anticipating such an incident.

"True Monarch Jinhong? Have you found out his background?" Wang Changsheng asked with a frown. If he wasn't mistaken, the Integration stage cultivator was likely after the Soul-Shaking Gong. Soul-attacking treasures were exceedingly rare, primarily due to the difficulty in finding their materials. Such treasures were typically forged with Profound Soul Divine Crystal as the main ingredient, a material only found in the Netherworld. This material had also appeared in the Demon Cave Heaven. The Myriad Treasures Divine Monarch had once forged a powerful treasure, the Soul-Severing Blade, and earned a fearsome reputation with it. However, the Myriad Treasures Divine Monarch had long since passed away, though a few of the treasures he forged remained.

"He is from the Seven Hues Sect, a medium-sized sect said to have three Integration stage cultivators. The Golden Maple Islands are within the Seven Hues Sect's sphere of influence. Seven Hues Sect disciples have also appeared in the Golden Sparrow Islands, but they shouldn't have discovered me," Wang Xiangrong reported truthfully.

"Be careful. Stay at your residence. I'll come back for you after I've handled my current affairs," Wang Changsheng instructed, then left.

He sent a sound transmission talisman to Wang Xiao. Not long after, Wang Xiao emerged from a private chamber. He was still at the early Void Refinement stage; his cultivation speed was relatively slow without the aid of items like the True Spirit Origin. Wang Changsheng put Wang Xiao into his spirit beast bracelet, then left their residence with Wang Ruyan.

They circled the market a few times, finding nothing unusual, though they did encounter some Seven Hues Sect disciples. Upon leaving the market, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan transformed into two streaks of light and shot through the sky.

Over a month later, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan appeared above a small island about a hundred li in circumference. The island was flat with sparse vegetation. Wang Ruyan took out formation flags and a formation plate and began setting up a formation. After arranging the formation, she cast several incantations into the formation plate. A white mist rose, engulfing most of the island. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan flew into the sea of mist and vanished. A moment later, a strong gust of wind blew, dissipating the white mist, and Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were nowhere to be seen.

Golden Maple Islands, Seven Hues Sect.

Seven Hues Island, the Seven Hues Sect's main headquarters. In a private chamber, True Monarch Jinhong sat cross-legged on a golden prayer mat, holding a golden communication plate in his hand, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Master, we've sent out a large number of people but haven't found them. They likely used a treasure to alter their appearance." When treasures are used to change one's appearance, it's impossible to detect them unless one possesses special eye techniques or exotic treasures. Spirit Eyes are categorized into Innate Spirit Eyes and Acquired Spirit Eyes. Innate Spirit Eyes are rare, while Acquired Spirit Eyes are relatively more common. Eye techniques are easy to learn, but achieving great mastery is difficult, requiring the aid of special spiritual items for cultivation. It's already quite good if there are enough materials for a few people to cultivate, as their quantity is scarce.

The Azure Glass Sea is vast; without knowing their whereabouts, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. "Increase the bounty to three hundred million spirit stones, or treasures worth three hundred million spirit stones. We must find them! By the way, what about the Profound Soul Divine Crystal? Have any Profound Soul Divine Crystals been collected?" True Monarch Jinhong pressed.

"No." True Monarch Jinhong's expression darkened. He said, "Send more people. Notify me immediately if you get any news." After saying this, he put away the communication plate.

"If we had the Soul-Shaking Gong, that item should be obtainable," True Monarch Jinhong murmured to himself, his gaze burning with fervor.

Spring turned to autumn; thirty years quickly passed.

A certain deserted island in the Golden Sparrow Islands. A massive thundercloud hovered high in the sky, flashing with lightning and rumbling with loud thunder. Streaks of silver lightning struck down.

Wang Ruyan stood atop a steep peak, gazing gravely at the thundercloud high above. In a small valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, Wang Changsheng stood. A small blue umbrella, flickering with light, floated above his head, its ribs showing fine cracks. Some green-glowing wood shavings were scattered on the ground as streaks of silver lightning continued to strike.

Wang Changsheng's gaze was solemn. The second Grand Heavenly Tribulation was far more powerful and lasted longer than the first. As time passed, more and more cracks appeared on the surface of the blue umbrella. A quarter of an hour later, the blue umbrella's spiritual light dimmed, and several small holes appeared on its surface.

A thunderous roar came from high above. The thundercloud violently churned, and a silver lightning bolt as thick as a water vat struck down, instantly engulfing Wang Changsheng. The earth trembled, and the ground shook. After a moment, the lightning dissipated. Wang Changsheng was covered in dust and grime. A yellowish-brown shield, flickering with spiritual light, floated before him—it was the Earth-Departure Shield.

A deafening thunderclap echoed from high above, and another silver lightning bolt struck down, even larger than the last. Wang Changsheng lightly tapped his finger, and the Earth-Departure Shield's spiritual light surged as it flew up to meet the attack. The silver lightning struck the Earth-Departure Shield, and dazzling silver lightning once again engulfed Wang Changsheng's figure. A powerful surge of energy spread outwards. Wherever it passed, rocks cracked, vegetation turned to dust, and mountain peaks were leveled.