Chapter 377 – Su Xing’s Brush with Death, the Previous Generation’s Grudges

In an instant, Su Xing suffered a devastating blow.

His entire body was rapidly being devoured by the black miasma.

This caused Su Xing’s magical power to become extremely chaotic.

The sensation reminded Su Xing of his battle against Old Dog Zong.

This supernatural art was remarkably similar to Old Dog Zong’s, except its power was far, far greater!

At this moment, Su Xing felt pain in every part of his body. The black miasma severely suppressed his physical body’s regenerative abilities.

If not for Su Xing possessing the Great Shaman Body Forging Art, he would have lost all combat capability in an instant!

Su Xing still maintained his composure. In a flash, he retreated several hundred li, the Blackice sword appearing beneath his feet as he fled toward Celestial Demon City.

“Hmph, where do you think you’re going!”

Behind him, the Advent Cult cultivator pursued relentlessly, about to catch Su Xing in the next instant.

Between life and death, Su Xing’s heart was unexpectedly calm, without much fear at all.

“Sigh, I was too reckless in this simulation… Before I have Golden Immortal combat strength, my life and death aren’t in my own hands…”

Su Xing shook his head slightly. There was no fear in his heart—only some regret at having wasted a simulation opportunity.

The insights from the immersive simulation should have allowed Su Xing to smoothly advance to the fourth realm of Sword Dao…

But now he would have to wait until next time…

Su Xing sensed the Advent Cult cultivator mere inches away. In the next instant, he would die.

…

However, at the very last moment, the heretic cultivator’s expression suddenly changed drastically. Without a second thought, he retreated a hundred li (50 km), his figure transforming into a streak of black light as he fled in the direction away from Celestial Demon City.

Su Xing was puzzled. He had been at most one second from death—why would the heretic cultivator abandon such a perfect opportunity?

In the next instant, Su Xing found his answer.

A cold snort echoed through the air, followed by a voice:

“A mere Golden Immortal heretic cultivator thinks he can kill an Elder of Celestial Demon Prison? Dream on!”

As the words fell, Su Xing saw a massive black battleaxe hurtling from the horizon, carrying an aura as if it could cleave the world apart.

The battleaxe reached a thousand li (500 km) away in the blink of an eye, chopping straight toward the heretic cultivator.

Su Xing seemed to hear a muffled groan in the air. The Golden Immortal heretic cultivator was severely injured in an instant, yet dared not fight back. He desperately activated a secret technique once more, fleeing tens of thousands of li in the blink of an eye, barely escaping with his life.

The mortal crisis dissolved in an instant. Su Xing’s taut nerves began to relax as he lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

Just then, Su Xing sensed a figure rapidly approaching.

Looking closely, Su Xing let out a sigh of relief.

“Lord Celestial Demon General, thank you!”

The man who appeared before Su Xing wore black armor, stood several zhang tall, and his features were indiscernible.

But the black battleaxe in his hand, the blood-soaked aura emanating from his entire body—a single glance from him was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

The Celestial Demon General’s expression was impassive. After carefully studying Su Xing, he suddenly spoke:

“The body tempering technique you cultivate—is it the Great Shaman Body Forging Art?”

Su Xing was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t expected the fluctuations from his battle to be detected by this Celestial Demon General!

The Great Shaman Body Forging Art—ever since the Wu Clan disappeared, this technique had become closely tied to the Luotian Sect.

And Su Xing truly did not want anyone to know of his connection to the Luotian Sect.

After all, the Luotian Sect had made too many enemies in the past—this was what Luo Qingniu himself had said.

But now, the Celestial Demon General had already discovered this fact. There was absolutely no way for Su Xing to conceal it.

Moreover, Su Xing had heard that the Celestial Demon General and the Luotian Ancestor apparently shared some unknown history.

After much hesitation, Su Xing gritted his teeth and said:

“My lord, the technique I cultivate… is indeed the Great Shaman Body Forging Art!”

Having said this, Su Xing had already resigned himself to fate.

He didn’t know what had transpired in the past. All he could do now was gamble on the Celestial Demon General’s allegiance.

After hearing Su Xing’s confirmation, the Celestial Demon General was silent for a long time before saying:

“It seems you are the successor of the Luotian Sect in this world…”

“I never imagined that after hundreds of thousands of years… that lineage still has descendants remaining…”

The Celestial Demon General gazed at Su Xing, and in his mind, a certain figure seemed to surface.

With a wave of his hand, he laid down a barrier of restrictions around them and erased all traces of Su Xing’s earlier battle before speaking:

“Child, the matters surrounding the Luotian legacy are far too significant… You must understand that once discovered, even some Grand Luo Golden Immortals would make a move against you!”

“You are fortunate that it was this old man who found out… If it had been anyone else, not only would the legacy be impossible to preserve… your life would certainly be forfeit as well!”

After a pause, the Celestial Demon General gave Su Xing a deep look and said:

“If the opportunity arises, come find my true body in Celestial Demon Prison… There are things I must tell you, and things I must give you…”

“The grudges of the previous generation should finally come to a close…”

With that, the Celestial Demon General’s avatar waved his hand and vanished from the spot.

Su Xing’s vision shifted, and he found himself back in his cave dwelling within Celestial Demon City.

…

Half a year later, in the spirit field grotto-heaven.

Su Xing sat cross-legged beneath the ancient tree, his entire body submerged in the spirit liquid pool. Feeling the injuries within his body finally heal completely, he let out a long breath of relief.

“Whew, after that battle… my injuries have finally fully recovered!”

“Golden Immortal combat power… truly terrifying!”

Su Xing sighed. If his enemy had been a Mystic Immortal, no matter how powerful, he wouldn’t have been completely helpless.

But the gap between a Golden Immortal and himself… was still far too great!

Golden Immortals possessed a lifespan of a million years! Enduring through the ages, their accumulated reserves were beyond imagination.

“However, what the Celestial Demon General meant back then was…”

Su Xing’s mind replayed the scene of the Celestial Demon General saving him.

Since the Celestial Demon General had rescued him, the two had not made contact again.

It seemed the Celestial Demon General had certain reservations…

But Su Xing clearly remembered the Celestial Demon General’s words—to go to Celestial Demon Prison and seek him out.

“Celestial Demon Prison… that’s even farther away than the Heavenly Secrets Domain…”

“With my current strength, I cannot make the journey… Perhaps only after reaching Mystic Immortal or even Golden Immortal will I be able to go.”

Su Xing was filled with questions.

What exactly had happened to the Luotian Sect back then? What did the Luotian legacy truly signify?

Perhaps only when Su Xing met the Celestial Demon General’s true body would he get the complete answers.

Su Xing rubbed between his brows and murmured:

“I’m finally one step closer to uncovering the truth…”

“And at the same time, there’s yet another place I must go!”

“But before that, I must raise my cultivation as quickly as possible. Only then can I unravel all the mysteries of the past…”

Su Xing took a deep breath, then without hesitation drank a sip of Dao-Enlightenment Tea.

“Right now, my Sword Dao cultivation must advance to the fourth realm as quickly as possible!”

…

Riding the enhancement of the Dao-Enlightenment Tea, Su Xing felt the sword intent surging within him and began contemplating the Sword Dao.

In the blink of an eye, three years passed.

Simulation year ninety-five, in the spirit field grotto-heaven.

Su Xing slowly opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction on his face:

“My Sword Dao comprehension has finally advanced to the fourth realm!”

Su Xing willed it, and the sword intent within him surged forth eagerly. That razor-sharp sword intent was even more terrifying than before!

If before, Su Xing’s Sword Dao foundation was as heavy and solid as a mountain—

Then now, that mountain had grown into Mount Tai, with a commanding presence that dwarfed all peaks beneath it!

“Sword Dao fourth realm, finally achieved!”

“At this moment, it would not be an exaggeration to call myself a Sword Immortal of this era!”

The fourth realm of Sword Dao was something only Golden Immortals could comprehend!

Or rather, only by reaching the fourth realm could one attempt to break through to Golden Immortal…

Of course, many Golden Immortals who had cultivated for many years possessed Dao comprehension far beyond the simple fourth realm.

Currently, the fourth-realm Daos that Su Xing had mastered totaled:

Sword Dao, spatial Dao, Dao of Speed, and Dao of Cause and Effect and Destiny!

These five Daos gave Su Xing the ability to fight opponents above his level!

Though his cultivation was only at the late stage of True Immortal, he possessed the strength of a peak Mystic Immortal!

“Whew… After advancing Sword Dao to the fourth realm, I still need to further cultivate Protective Sword Aura and hone my swordsmanship to fully unleash the power of the fourth realm…”

Su Xing murmured.

This immersive simulation still had roughly fifty-five years of time remaining.

Su Xing did not intend to waste these fifty-five years.

Besides the Sword Dao needing further strengthening, the Five Elements Dao also required improvement!

“I possess the Five Elements Holy Physique… I’m not far from the fourth realm of the Five Elements Dao either… Hopefully this simulation will see both break through!”

Protective Sword Aura and the Five Elements Dao were currently Su Xing’s strongest combat methods.

If both achieved breakthroughs, Su Xing’s overall strength would absolutely ascend to another level!

“Once both of these Daos break through, would I be able to fight a Golden Immortal?”

Su Xing wondered.

But he quickly shook his head.

The gap between a Golden Immortal and himself was still too vast…

Judging from that earlier battle, even if Su Xing’s Five Elements and Sword Dao both reached the fourth realm, he would likely still be unable to contend with a Golden Immortal.

However, with both Sword Dao and Five Elements Dao at the fourth realm, within the Mystic Immortal realm, Su Xing might not be able to claim invincibility, but he could certainly be considered among the very top-tier Mystic Immortals.

“Whew… For now, there’s still enough time… I should go to the Nine Heavens Domain to comprehend the Dao!”

Su Xing set out the moment he decided.

Taking advantage of the relatively stable situation in Celestial Demon City, Su Xing immediately departed for the Nine Heavens Domain.

…

Simulation year ninety-six, Su Xing successfully arrived at the Nine Heavens Domain.

After spending half a year, Su Xing barely managed to enter the Fifth Heaven.

Arriving at the Secret Realm island where the Wu Clan presence had been in the Fifth Heaven, Su Xing lured them out and fought a fierce battle.

In the end, Su Xing paid a certain price but successfully slew them.

After accomplishing this, Su Xing began cultivating in the Fifth Heaven.

Each immersive simulation, Su Xing had three cups of Dao-Enlightenment Tea.

Each cup of Dao-Enlightenment Tea provided eighteen years of effect.

The first cup, Su Xing used to cultivate his Sword Dao from before.

This allowed Su Xing’s Sword Dao to smoothly advance to the fourth realm.

For the eighteen years of the second cup of Dao-Enlightenment Tea, Su Xing remained in the Fifth Heaven Secret Realm, comprehending the Five Elements Dao.

Eighteen years of bitter cultivation, plus the quadruple enhancement from Late Bloomer.

Equivalent to three thousand years of comprehension!

This brought Su Xing’s comprehension of the Five Elements Dao to just one step away from the fourth realm!

Simulation year one hundred and twenty, Su Xing sensed the abundant Five Elements Dao comprehension within his body and let out a long breath:

“This session of contemplation went exceptionally smoothly… Then let us formally attempt the breakthrough to the fourth realm of the Dao!”

With that, Su Xing consumed the last cup of Dao-Enlightenment Tea without hesitation.

…

Time flew by, and fifteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

Su Xing had taken a total of six sips of Dao-Enlightenment Tea, using up the majority of this cup’s effect, before nodding with satisfaction:

“Finally, the Five Elements Dao has also advanced to the fourth realm! My overall strength is far greater than before!”

Su Xing willed it, and a vortex of immortal power appeared in his hand.

This was none other than Su Xing’s signature supernatural art—the Five Elements Immortal Burst!

Previously, Su Xing’s Five Elements Immortal Burst was too powerful for him to control, and there was even a risk of injuring himself.

But now, the stability of the Five Elements Immortal Burst had greatly improved!

As long as Su Xing wished it, he could even make the Five Elements Immortal Burst precisely strike targets within a certain range without harming innocents.

Furthermore…

Su Xing willed it again, and a green cyclone of immortal power was born. Looking at the wood-element immortal power cyclone in his hand, he murmured:

“The Five Elements Dao, an endless cycle of creation and destruction… The Five Elements Immortal Burst need not only be used for killing… it can also serve as healing!”

Su Xing gazed at the vitality-brimming Immortal Burst in his hand. As long as he sent this Immortal Burst into a target’s body—

Even if the target were on the brink of death, they could rapidly recover with the help of this Immortal Burst!

“The Five Elements Dao… truly worthy of being a supreme Dao!”

“When cultivated to profound depths, it not only excels in offensive power but achieves balance between offense and defense… The immortal power within the body cycles endlessly! Extremely suited for prolonged battles…”

Su Xing came to appreciate the benefits of the Five Elements Immortal Burst more and more.

After careful exploration, Su Xing murmured:

“After the Five Elements Dao advances to the fourth realm, the Five Elements Immortal Burst seems to have room for further research… and mastery.”

“While the effect of the last cup of Dao-Enlightenment Tea hasn’t been fully exhausted… let me use the remainder to study the Five Elements Immortal Burst!”

“As for Protective Sword Aura… perhaps I can cultivate that in the next simulation.”

With this thought, Su Xing began cultivating the Five Elements Immortal Burst.

…

Several more years passed in the blink of an eye.

Simulation year one hundred and forty. With just over ten years remaining before the end of Su Xing’s immersive simulation.

Su Xing began making preparations.

First was the refinement of Dao-Hearing Pills.

As Su Xing refined batch after batch, his pill-crafting skills continued to improve.

This time, Su Xing refined a total of nine Dao-Hearing Pills—all nine successfully formed, with four being supreme-grade Dao-Hearing Pills!

Four supreme-grade Dao-Hearing Pills, combined with Late Bloomer, could save Su Xing nearly sixteen hundred years of contemplation!

Adding the five ordinary Dao-Hearing Pills, which were equivalent to a thousand years of contemplation…

Su Xing gained an additional three thousand-plus years of comprehension in total.

“Whew, if all nine Dao-Hearing Pills were supreme-grade, that would be equivalent to thirty-six hundred years of comprehension… nearly equal to the effect of one cup of Dao-Enlightenment Tea!”

Su Xing nodded with satisfaction, but he did not intend to consume these Dao-Hearing Pills.

Instead, he planned to save them for comprehending Spirit Domain.

Currently, Su Xing’s Spirit Domain range had not yet reached two thousand zhang (6.66 km).

Su Xing’s goal for this simulation, besides advancing his cultivation, was to make substantial progress in his Spirit Domain as well!

“I also have one remaining use of Inevitable Epiphany, which I can save for comprehending Spirit Domain…”

Su Xing thought to himself.

“Since the immersive simulation still has ten years remaining, I should go collect the inheritances the Luotian Sect hid in various locations… to ensure the Heavenly Abyss Army’s future needs…”

With this thought, Su Xing prepared to leave the Nine Heavens Domain.