Dao Palace
The month-long enlightenment period at the Primordial Ancient Dao Ground passed quickly, and Zhou Tong further honed his unique Hegemon Fist's intent and momentum during this time.
With the trials in the Human Race Second City concluded, Zhou Tong continued his journey to the next training ground.
Zhou Tong's reputation for killing the Saint King had already spread far and wide. On the ancient road and in the training ground ahead, no one, whether Guiding Envoy, a commander, or even a fellow cultivator undergoing trials, dared to disrespect him.
Apart from a few cultivators who relied on their superior stealth skills to launch sneak attacks using forbidden artifacts, everyone avoided him. Along the way, Zhou Tong had hardly found any opportunities to make a move.
The cultivators who used forbidden artifacts to launch the sneak attack also served as a warning to other cultivators who might have designs on Zhou Tong, using their lives as a warning.
As he continued his journey, Zhou Tong eventually broke through nine levels and arrived at the Tenth Pass.
The Tenth Pass is a special place. The ancient city in this level is like a satellite, revolving around an Life Ancient Star. Standing atop the ancient city and looking down at the ancient planet, you can see the mountains and rivers below.
Although this ancient star is not as large as the Big Dipper, Eternal Ancient Star, or Ziwei Ancient Star, its situation is extremely special. It is known as the Land of Enlightenment or the Saint-Making Star, because many people choose to undergo tribulations here to become saints and accumulate power.
Zhou Tong walked quietly through the ancient city, listening to the locals' introduction to the star.
"Here lie the most primordial and powerful laws. Once a cultivator transcends tribulation and becomes a saint here, they will seize the Fortune heaven and earth, making their foundation incredibly solid and laying the deepest foundation for the future."
The reason is quite simple: this ancient star was the first Life Planet on the Human Ancient Road. Countless geniuses have lingered here throughout history, and even many Ancient Great Emperor have stayed here. The path and trajectory of countless geniuses are imprinted here.
These laws are absolutely invaluable treasures for cultivators at the Saint level. Many cultivators have remained here for decades, unaware of how many terrifying cultivators are hidden within.
"This ancient star will also be the place where I attain enlightenment!" Zhou Tong looked down at the ancient star and had a premonition that this ancient star would definitely become the key to his entry into the Saint King.
The next day, Zhou Tong followed the main force into the ancient star.
This ancient star was very large, and many trial participants were scattered.
Other trial participants searched diligently for scriptures and immortal tablets left behind by their ancestors, but Zhou Tong paid no attention to the scrolls here.
Because of the sheer number of scriptures and their profound meanings he possesses, even spending millions of years would not be enough for him to fully comprehend them all. Under such circumstances, continuing to search for scriptures is clearly pointless.
In fact, what Zhou Tong was interested in when he came to the Ancient Starry Road was only the environment of the various Refining the Dao on Ancient Starry Road ancient road, and the possible opponents who could contend with him.
He had no shortage of scriptures and secret techniques, from the Immortal Ancient Era times to the Heavenly Merit Treasure Technique of the Chaotic Ancient times, and finally to the scriptures of the Great Emperor of this era. He himself did not know how many there were.
What he lacks is simply an opponent strong enough to challenge him and fight him.
Zhou Tong casually found a place with abundant spiritual energy and sat cross-legged on a blue stone.
"If I calculate the time, I'm here at least twelve years earlier than Ye Fan in the original story..." Zhou Tong thought about the time briefly, and then he was speechless.
I arrived too early, twelve years too early. It wasn't yet time for the Celestial Venerable to refine the Stone Man Liquid, nor was it time for the most chaotic battle on the ancient road in the original story...
Although he could forcefully open the seal of this ancient star with the Azure Emperor Weapon, he didn't really care about such Fortune. The sheer number of treasures within his Ten Cave Heaven Divine Rings was enough to shock countless Quasi-Emperor and Supreme Beings.
What he truly desires are a sufficient number of opponents, opponents who can help him further refine his own principles and methods.
The Battle Immortal Path requires sufficient battles; blood, sin, war, and chaos are the best resources for advancement.
In the original story, during the battle at the Human Race Tenth City, the geniuses and powerful figures from other ancient paths joined forces and caused the Human Ancient Road to be disrupted for eighteen years. If Gai Jiuyou hadn't arrived with his Imperial Weapon to quell the chaos, the battle would have continued. This was definitely a chaotic battle that was rarely seen on the entire ancient path in ten thousand years.
In the original novel, Ye Fan also accumulated enough foundation and experience through this battle, which is why he later established his invincible momentum.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter if I arrive early. At worst, I can just turn back the way I came. This kind of war and chaos is something I absolutely cannot miss on my Battle Immortal Path," Zhou Tong thought to himself.
The Battle Immortal Path is the one that demands the most battles. The more war and chaos there is, the more terrifying his progress in cultivation becomes, and the more he can advance to an unbelievable realm.
He then took a deep breath, stopped thinking about anything else, and sat quietly cross-legged, fully sensing the laws of the universe and verifying them with his own laws.
Let's review the entire history of the Ancient Starry Road.
The ultimate test of the first stage is to surpass oneself; the Second Pass tests the Great Way of Power; the next three, four, five, six, and seven stages correspond to the Great Way of the Five Elements; and the eighth and ninth stages correspond to the Great Way of Yin and Yang.
The first nine trials for humans are actually very basic; this is a trial that comprehensively enhances a cultivator's foundation and understanding.
The purpose is to reach this Tenth Pass.
This is the place of sanctification for many who embark on this path of trials.
However, for Zhou Tong, this series of trials only gave him a slight sense of the Dao. The trial of the Yin-Yang Dao allowed him to slightly improve the flaws in his Wheel Sea Scripture; while the trial of the Five Elements Dao allowed him to vaguely comprehend a trace of the profound meaning of the Dao Palace Realm Scripture.
Zhou Tong began to meditate and comprehend the Dao on this ancient star, cultivating his own methods and walking his own path, detached from worldly affairs. The sound of chanting emanated from his body, and several secret realms shone brightly together.
Since creating the scriptures of the Sea of Wheels Realm, Zhou Tong's path has had a general direction. All that remains is to truly embark on that path and create a complete scripture.
Time flies, and three years have passed in a flash. On this ancient star, people come and go. Countless people attain enlightenment and undergo tribulations here before embarking on their new journeys. During this time, countless newcomers also enter this place to comprehend the Dao and seek opportunities. Furthermore, many trial-takers fight and battle.
However, Zhou Tong was surrounded by peace and tranquility, without the slightest hint of murderous intent.
He concealed the Azure Emperor Weapon in the Void the Great and, combined with Array Patterns and Source Technique, transformed the place where he sat into a secluded Pure Land unknown to anyone.
The Ten Cave Heaven Divine Rings shone brightly, and one could vaguely see each Immortal Divine Medicine emitting its own Dao aura. Immortal light, Auspicious Qi, Dao radiance... all kinds of Dao halos entered Zhou Tong's body, giving him the most direct boost.
The Tian Yuan Stone Tablet left behind by the Wu Shi the Great also emits a hazy Dao Sound.
Zhou Tong has been sitting cross-legged on the blue stone for three whole years without moving. He is comprehending the Dao, creating his own method, and forging a different path.
Finally, Zhou Tong moved. The sound of the Great Dao resounded from his body, and the scriptures began to vibrate on their own. There was a scene of enlightenment, and all kinds of Dao light danced around him.
"Buzz!!"
At the same time, the Heaven-and-Earth Wheel Sea within his body began to slowly emit immortal light, heaven and earth merged, and the Primal Qi rooted in the Wheel Sea was combined, transforming into boundless immortal light that expanded outwards, like the resounding of a great bell.
This signifies that Zhou Tong's path is expanding and advancing further.
His path began in the Wheel Sea and eventually began to spread to the second great secret realm of the human body.
Wheel Sea expanded, the celestial light spread, like a brilliant radiance, merging into Zhou Tong's body and connecting with his Five Great Secret Realms.
Zhou Tong's second scripture followed the conventional route, expanding from the Wheel Sea to the Dao Palace.
This is the Battle Immortal Path!
The main reason why the Battle Immortal was able to unleash such terrifying combat power was because of his foundation. The more solid the foundation, the more terrifying the power he could unleash.
Therefore, Zhou Tong's second scripture was still based on his own foundation— the Dao Palace.
Within his Wheel Sea, a vast and magnificent scene of heaven and earth appeared, chaotic and primordial, the place where all things originated.
The celestial light spread to the Dao Palace, where countless ancient characters appeared within its magnificent Dao Palace. Five Deity emerged, corresponding to the Five Elements of heaven and earth, fusing together to unleash a dazzling divine glow.
"The five internal organs correspond to the Five Elements!"
In an instant, he seemed to see millions of gods and demons become specks of light, floating and sinking within the five Dao Palace, constantly chanting scriptures.
Each god and demon was chanting different scriptures, too numerous and too powerful, including many scriptures that Zhou Tong was familiar with but had not really comprehended.
"Endless scriptures... Could it be that all the profound meanings of the scriptures I obtained from the World Tree are reflected here?" Zhou Tong was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that his foundation would manifest in this way.
"However, within the Dao Palace, all the gods are me."
As Zhou Tong gained his insights, the Primal Qi he had cultivated using the Immortal Ancient Method also began to stir.
The Primal Qi slowly dispersed, like wisps of mist, and entered his Dao Palace. It then gathered again, repeating the cycle, cleansing his physical body!
Large swirling showers of light surrounded Zhou Tong, cleansing his body and making it more resilient, tending towards immortality!
At this moment, the gods gathered within the Dao Palace, and the phantoms of three Deity began to slowly emerge: the Past Self, the True Self, and the Dao Self.
"The three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man; the three lights of the Sun, Moon, and Stars; the three ages of the past, present, and future; the boundless Great Dao—all are contained within these three numbers."
Immortal energy permeated the air, and his three streams of immortal energy also began to move, condensing into a flower of the Great Dao above his head. The three flowers gathered at the top, corresponding to the past self, the original self, and the Dao self in the Zhou Tong Palace.
"The departed me recites scriptures for this life; the present me is invincible; the future me will be Eternal Ancient Star immortal!"
In that instant, Zhou Tong Palace shone brightly, its magical power surging, and its dazzling rays tore through the void, illuminating eternity and traversing the ages.