Yang Qing sat cross-legged. After sensing the Wheel of Life, he began diligently guiding his vital essence to strike at the Sea of Suffering.
After some time, Yang Qing, still as a rock, suddenly shuddered from head to toe. Brilliant light burst forth from within his body.
Li Quan was slightly startled, then his eyes widened. As though he had witnessed something unbelievable, he stared fixedly at Yang Qing.
By any calculation, Yang Qing had cultivated for less than half a day. And he had already succeeded?
The next moment, waves of sound like a roaring tsunami arose. Endless divine radiance surged from Yang Qing's Sea of Suffering, a vast expanse of glittering gold.
"Ten thousand rays of divine light, dazzling as rainbows; golden waves surged violently, accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder."
Li Quan was naturally no stranger to this sight, for this was exactly what he had witnessed when he opened his Sea of Suffering all those years ago.
The tsunami reached the heavens, its roar like thunder. Countless towering waves crashed together. This was clearly the unique phenomenon that appeared when a Saint Body opened its Sea of Suffering: the Golden Sea of Suffering.
The Golden Sea of Suffering phenomenon could suppress the phenomena of others and possessed the power to break through all techniques with sheer force. It was the distinctive mark of their Saint Body lineage.
In other words, the moment the Golden Sea of Suffering phenomenon appeared, it meant that Yang Qing had successfully opened his Sea of Suffering.
But how was that possible?
He had successfully opened his Sea of Suffering in less than half a day. What kind of unbelievable cultivation speed was this?
Could it be that his days were numbered, leaving his old eyes dim and causing him to see illusions?
While Li Quan was stunned, Yang Qing was experiencing something entirely different.
He had sensed the Wheel of Life with ease, and the process of guiding his vital essence to strike at the Sea of Suffering had gone smoothly as well.
Then he saw a golden ocean, its colossal waves soaring into the sky amid flashes of lightning.
The towering tsunamis intertwined, setting heaven and earth ablaze. Sea and sky merged together, and dazzling golden light filled every corner.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Qing slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his master crouching beside him, his eyes as wide as bells.
"You opened your Sea of Suffering?"
Seeing Yang Qing open his eyes, Li Quan's breathing quickened as he impatiently asked.
Although the facts were already before his eyes, he still found them hard to believe and wanted Yang Qing to confirm it himself.
When Yang Qing nodded, a radiant smile immediately appeared on his face, though a sense of melancholy and loss welled up in his heart.
"Master, what is it? Shouldn't you be happy that I successfully opened my Sea of Suffering?" Yang Qing asked.
He had not thought much of it. He felt that successfully opening his Sea of Suffering was perfectly normal.
After all, this was not the Post-Ancient Desolate Era. The Saint Body had yet to be shackled by heaven and earth and reduced to a useless physique incapable of cultivation.
While speaking with his master, he had already learned that this was the Ancient Desolate Era, and moreover, the era of Nine Great Saint Bodies Battle the Heavens.
In the Ancient Desolate Era, the Saint Body was an unparalleled physique favored by heaven. Not only did it cultivate at an astonishing speed, but its physical body was also peerless.
A Great Accomplishment Saint Body like his master, at his peak, possessed blood energy that pierced the heavens. Before he even arrived, his health bar had already been shoved into the opponent's face.
With his vigorous blood energy, wearing down Supremes to death was merely routine!
"If only I had met you sooner!" Li Quan sighed.
Heaven had truly shown him mercy. In the twilight of his life, he had encountered a Saint Body blessed with unparalleled talent.
Yet the tragic part was that he had little time left to guide Yang Qing and could not protect him as he grew.
If such an extraordinary genius of the Saint Body lineage died prematurely before he could mature, how could Li Quan face the predecessors of the Saint Body lineage after his death?
"It is not too late now, Master. Rest assured, I cultivate very quickly!" Yang Qing said with complete confidence.
Leaving aside how powerful the Saint Body was in the Ancient Desolate Era, simply loading Huo Linfei's Character Template was enough to fill him with confidence.
After all, Huo Linfei was the protagonist famed for smashing the multiverse in seven days. How could his cultivation speed possibly be slow?
"There was once a young man who said the same thing. He also said that he would Achieve Dao at 501 Years Old!" Li Quan's gaze grew distant.
A similar scene had appeared several centuries ago. It had involved a youth much like his current disciple.
He had looked ordinary, yet his talent was peerless. He was the most outstanding human prodigy Li Quan had ever seen in his life.
Whether in talent or perseverance, he had been among the very best. One could say that he was the most exceptional member of the younger human generation of his era.
That youth had once said he would grow quickly, reach the summit, and ask Li Quan to hold on a little longer.
But the time left to Li Quan had been far too short—at most a few centuries, gone in the blink of an eye!
Throughout the long ages since ancient times, had anyone ever achieved Dao within several centuries?
The curse that no one could achieve Dao before the age of five hundred had always existed. No one had ever broken it.
Yet he still remembered that youth's answer. Even now, it still rang in his ears like thunder.
"Since Dao cannot be achieved by five hundred, then I will Prove Dao and Become Emperor at five hundred and one!"
"Who was that person?" Yang Qing asked curiously.
Prove Dao and Become Emperor at five hundred and one?
Why did that sound so strangely familiar? It could not be the person he was thinking of, could it?
"Ji Xukong!" Li Quan said.
Vast heavens above, why were you so harsh upon me!
If only he had been given another thousand years or so, he could have protected the growth of two human descendants.
Then, with a Great Emperor and a Great Accomplishment Saint Body joining forces to suppress the world, which Forbidden Zone of Life would dare act recklessly?
Yang Qing's eyes widened. It really was the person he had been thinking of!
Ji Xukong—wasn't that the Void Emperor?
Did that not mean he was currently living through the most difficult period of the entire Ancient Desolate Era?
As far as he knew, during this period, the Forbidden Zones of Life emerged one after another, and Great Dark Upheavals came in endless succession.
After achieving Dao, the Void Emperor had fought in bloodshed without pause, never resting for even half a moment.
Because of this, although the Void Emperor possessed Immortal Medicine, he had been unable to live a second life.
Moreover, the Void Emperor's life had been exceptionally brief. Among all Great Emperors, it could be said to rank near the bottom.
It was not that the Void Emperor had been insufficiently powerful. Rather, faced with ceaseless battles, he could only drag his wounded body into battle again and again.
Once Dao Injuries covered his entire body, even Immortal Medicine could not prolong the Void Emperor's life.
"Master, do not worry. One day, I will definitely bring my Saint Body to Great Accomplishment!" Yang Qing said firmly.
Being born in such an era was undoubtedly unfortunate, for he would face the most terrifying Great Dark Upheavals in history.
Yet being born in this age was also fortunate, because he would have the chance to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Void Emperor.
Though he had only just opened his Sea of Suffering and remained unimaginably far from bringing his Saint Body to Great Accomplishment, he was brimming with confidence.
Next, he would see just where the limits of Huo Linfei's Character Template truly lay!
"Good! We of the Saint Body lineage should possess the Ambition to Reach the Clouds!" Li Quan said with a smile.
He suddenly realized that Yang Qing was still only a youth!
When Li Quan had been Yang Qing's age, had he not also been high-spirited, regarding all the heroes of the world as nothing?
No! These old bones of his had to endure for a while longer!
For no other reason than to protect the hope of the future. Even if he shed his last drop of blood, he would have no regrets!
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