Domain Lord Level Primordial Heaven-Reaching Mountain (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The time it ultimately took was even shorter than expected.

Cultivation is often hardest at the beginning; sometimes a bottleneck is like an insurmountable chasm, trapping someone for decades, centuries, or even longer, impossible to see through. But once you grasp the knack and find the right path, enlightenment becomes far smoother.

In the nineteenth year of entering the Chaos Heaven Mirror.

Zhang Dong raised his hand, and a pitch-black long blade fell into his grasp. This was a very ordinary force weapon, typically used by Domain Lords and Realm Lords. Then, using the microscopic method, he could peer into the countless particles that made up the weapon.

Following that, Zhang Dong's palm clenched empty space, and the region where the blade resided seemed to freeze. The countless particles and micro-particles within came to a halt at that moment, unable to move any longer. Absolute stillness—no micro-particle could stir.

"It's done!" Zhang Dong laughed three times. Nineteen years of continuous research, and he had finally comprehended the stillness of inanimate objects. The stillness of time wouldn't be too difficult next. Although this technique wasn't very useful in battle, the key was the breakthrough in law insight.

A breakthrough in law itself brought an increase in power; it wasn't necessary to use its characteristics in combat. Many subordinate laws under major categories were meaningless in battle—even methods like teleportation were useless in a fight. What mattered was that the law itself granted a stronger divine body and a higher power boost.

Shwoosh!

Leaving the Chaos Heaven Mirror space, Zhang Dong was quite satisfied with his over a decade of cultivation. Going forward, mastering the complete major category of time law wouldn't be so easy. Those space fragments were each like a whole, still radiating intent. If they were that easy to comprehend, the Feather Slaughter Clan's group of Marquises and Kings wouldn't be stuck at their levels.

"If I can observe the traces of particles and micro-particles, then studying the Chaos Heaven Mirror's function is far superior to the Chaos Stele."

For Zhang Dong's next cultivation, there was no need to continue studying the interior of the Chaos Heaven Mirror. The intent radiated by those fragments was slightly inferior to the Universe Chaos Stele. It varied by individual—the same law manifested in different ways, and everyone understood it differently.

Arriving outside the bronze door, King Huo Yi and Gao Li both stood quietly in place. Once one became an Immortal, their lifespan became infinitely long. Even without a small universe to rely on, they had an entire cycle of reincarnation ahead of them. So Gao Li and King Huo Yi had ample patience to wait. A dozen years, or even millennia, were nothing to them—just a very brief stretch of time.

"Your Highness, you're out." Gao Li saw the joy on Zhang Dong's expression and said, "It seems these years of meditation have brought you no small gain."

"Indeed."

Zhang Dong thought to himself that it was far more than 'no small gain.' This time, his law insight had already surpassed most Immortals. If Gao Li could reach this step, he would gain an undying body, his status would skyrocket, and he wouldn't have to serve as a guard anymore.

"Please take me to see Elder Xu Jin." Zhang Dong turned to King Huo Yi. "It's better to thank him in person."

Comprehending the Chaos Heaven Mirror had led to a breakthrough, bringing his time law to the Marquis level, saving him a great deal of time. The laws of the Primordial Universe were too obscure; relying solely on his own enlightenment to reach this step would probably take a hundred years. Elder Xu Jin had saved him time, so a face-to-face thanks was only right.

"Alright." King Huo Yi smiled faintly. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Your Highness."

He made a rough guess in his mind. Given Zhang Dong's talent, before entering, he should have been at the twelfth level of the Heavenly Bridge. With a breakthrough, he might reach the thirteenth or fourteenth level. To break through to the fourteenth level in just nineteen years of closed-door cultivation on the Chaos Heaven Mirror—what an astonishing talent, what speed of progress! King Huo Yi had once been a monstrous genius himself, but compared to Zhang Dong, he was crushed into dust. Not just King Huo Yi—if Ke Di or Erosion Fire Venerable came, they'd be crushed too.

Having achieved something in cultivation, Zhang Dong had no intention of hiding his talent from the higher-ups. He already had backing, and the more monstrous he was, the better the resources he could enjoy in every aspect.

On the way to see Elder Xu Jin, Zhang Dong split off some consciousness to connect to the Virtual Universe. Challenging a Heavenly Mountain wasn't worth his full focus. His law insight was just a hair short of the sixteenth level, but in the Virtual Universe, he had many methods at his disposal. For example, amplifying the power of the Pole True Intent, or unleashing some powerful secret techniques—enough to make up for that one-level gap. When he was at the Cosmic Level, he had casually cleared the Primordial Heavenly Mountain in the Primordial Realm manor. Not long after, he was now at the Domain Lord Level Primordial Heavenly Mountain.

Heavenly Mountain Plane, at the foot of the Primordial Heavenly Mountain.

The Ox-Head was leaning against a tree, fast asleep. These beings were created as guardians, naturally possessing intelligence and their own emotions, similar to existences like Babata. The Primordial Heavenly Mountain had rarely seen challengers for eons, and in the tedium, the Ox-Head liked to sleep.

"Ox-Head, we meet again." Zhang Dong's voice arrived before he did. "Call your companions out quickly. I'm here to challenge the Primordial Heavenly Mountain."

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

In the distance, hearing the voice, the Ape-Man and the Snake Woman both transformed into streaks of light and flew over. The three guardians' faces were full of surprise. The Ox-Head said naively, "Your Highness Zhang Dong, you're here to challenge the Domain Lord Level Primordial Heavenly Mountain?"

"Your Highness Zhang Dong, you only recently cleared the Cosmic Level Primordial Heavenly Mountain. Trying the Domain Lord Level one might be a bit much, don't you think?" the Ape-Man added with a smile. "Your Highness, you should go cultivate some more."

Chi!

The only answer they received was a blade of light.

The blade rose and fell, instantly shredding the three guardians at the mountain's base. The Snake Woman's illusions had no effect whatsoever.

As Zhang Dong's blade came down, dozens of Cosmic Venerables, as well as Universe Masters like the Dark Marquis Lord and Chaos City Lord, all received the message.

Chaos City Lord's Mansion.

"Zhang Dong is challenging the Domain Lord Level Primordial Heaven-Reaching Mountain... and has already passed the mountain base?" Chaos City Lord read out those words.

Chaos City Lord could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Whoosh!

The entire Heaven-Reaching Mountain dimension—dozens of Cosmic Venerables and several Universe Masters—appeared almost simultaneously.

Seeing Chaos City Lord, the Dark Marquis Lord, and the Dragon Travel Lord, the group of Cosmic Venerables were startled and hurried forward to pay their respects.

But those Universe Masters paid them no attention, their gazes all fixed on Zhang Dong.

"Uncle Master, do you think he can really get through the Primordial Heaven-Reaching Mountain?" the Dark Marquis Lord asked softly. "This junior disciple of mine... he's far too astonishing."

The Cosmic Venerables couldn't hear a word of what he said.

Chaos City Lord was uncertain as well.

Zhang Dong had cleaved the guardians at the mountain's base in a single stroke—he must have been confident he could break through before he came.

The reason Chaos City Lord couldn't make up his mind was that, in his understanding of the world, such a monstrous talent simply shouldn't exist.

He knew Zhang Dong's life trajectory well.

The Primordial Realm, the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, the Feather Slaughter Clan—none of those places had time acceleration.

In this short span of time, Zhang Dong had gone from the twelfth floor of the Heavenly Bridge to the sixteenth. What was he, the Origin Ancestor reborn?