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Synchronous and melodious 'Pu' rang out from everyone's mouth as they listened to Duan Li.
Cultivating to the Immortal ascension realm could be achieved in just a few months you said?
Pu!
Going higher than that realm and reach the whatever-shackle so that you can annihilate the Sun Dragon at a flip of your palm you said?
Pu!
Even the Emperor himself could not help but had to suppress himself from choking loudly as he pressed that quivering lips of his forcefully in view of his high standing.
Brother! The Immortal ascension realm was a stuff of legend that hasn't been seen at least for the past couple hundred of years! This should be a testament to how difficult it was to reach such a realm.
Yet, you claim to be able to do just that in but a few months?
Aren't you too over-exagerating yourself?!
And flip your palm to destroy the Sun Dragon? Why don't you flip your head instead and break your neck? Stop dreaming!
"Eh? You guys don't believe me? As a matter of fact, I could have reached the Core formation realm already a few days ago if I wasn't planning to return and enter the Eternal maze once more!" Duan Li said with a frustrated look to him.
The Emperor jerked his body to suppress himself from becoming agitated as his beards trembled.
"Bian Tianyu, is what he just said true?" he asked at the Principal.
Although it was hard to swallow Duan Li's words that seemed as if the latter was boasting, they had already seen the future where the other party had stepped into the Immortal ascension realm.
Perhaps, there was a unique cultivation method that he used?
"Y-yes.. if I am not mistaken, the total time he took to cultivate to this point from the Early stage of the Qi condensation realm should be about.. 2 weeks ago" the Principal answered as he retold the story of when Duan Li first stepped into the realm of cultivation with a deep voice.
It was as if the principal was an elderly man retelling the myths and legends to his grandchildren.
When the Emperor as well as everyone listened to the story told by the principal, their bodies shook as they were sent into a daze, their sights vaguely turned dark, almost fainting on the spot when the principal was done.
To think that when the other party first stepped into the realm of cultivation from just a mere insignificant mortal, he had managed to cultivate all the way to the level 9 of the Qi condensation realm in one shot?
Damn it! We must have been the trash of society in our previous life for our innate talent to be so wretched as compared to his!
We have heard people that had managed to cultivate to the second or third level of the Qi condensation realm on their first try before, but those were all peerless genius that then became the legendary figures of the Jiu Empire back in the past!
Even the Emperor himself, despite his extensive means of using top-notch treasure and expensive elixirs as well as hiring numerous experts to help him step into the realm of cultivation back then, could only reach the Level 4 of the Qi condensation realm!
Back then, the Emperor was lauded as the number one peerless and supreme genius that the Jiu Empire has ever been bestowed with by the heavens!
But now, compared to Duan Li, the Emperor felt himself to be laughable for being so proud before.
"I was a fool.." the Emperor sighed dejectedly to himself.
The rest of Duan Li's party, were obviously more affected by this reality that was presented before them.
Shen Murong especially, has been a very proud man as he was able to directly enter the Level 2 of the Qi condensation realm back then.
It was just a skip of one level, but at that time, he felt that he has a unique destiny to fulfill and felt that he was some kind of a hero somehow that will leave a mark in the following history of the Tian continent.
Now, all that was left from that proud heart of his, was a broken hope.
Hais!
Suddenly, the Emperor seemed to recall a certain sentence that Duan Li just said before.
"You want to cultivate beyond the Immortal ascension realm? Does such a thing even exist for us mortals?"
Duan Li nodded.
"En! Back when I was at the First region inside the Eternal maze before, I encountered an old man called Jing Zhianghu whom appeared to be one of the Guardian there." Duan Li said.
"He was someone at the Immortal ascension realm, close to the pinnacle stage as well. But, it was him that explained to me regarding the realm after reaching the Immortal ascension realm!" he added.
Duan Li then told them regarding the cultivation realm beyond the Immortal ascension realm.
...
"I see.. so the proceeding realms after one entered the Immortal ascension realm is called the Nine shackles of mortality? Interesting." the Emperor said as his eyes gleamed with excitement.
All these while, he had thought that the final limits of mortals would be at the pinnacle stage of the Nascent soul realm, and the Immortal ascension realm was off-limits to only be attained by those favored by the heavens.
But now, after listening to Duan Li and discovering the fact that there was someone else at such a realm right now, which was the Guardian of the First region inside the Eternal maze..
He now knew that such a realm was attainable even for the mortals!
Just that, what was the impetus required to ascend into the Immortal ascension realm hence embarking towards the real journey of becoming a true immortal?
Every single one of them that heard these new cultivation realms for the first time was equally elated as well.
"Indeed.. I have already felt what it was like to be at the Immortal ascension realm.. it was a realm where a single skill art could change the entire topography of the land in a single instant.." Duan Li said as he nodded in agreement.
"If one's battle prowess were already at such a level in that realm, no wonder we mortals were suppressed somehow to only be able to reach the pinnacle stage of the Nascent soul realm in our lifetime!" Liu Sheng Juan said.
Hearing this, the Emperor furrowed his brows and asked curiously.
"What do you mean by that?"
Liu Sheng Juan shook his head.
"Everyone here had just saw those previous scenes before. Imagine if most mortal could cultivate beyond the Nascent soul realm? Wouldn't the notion of an Empire be useless by then?" he said.
"Furthermore, this was a topic that I've always been considering in the past. Why were we not allowed to cultivate beyond the Nascent soul realm? It was as if there was an intangible barrier that prevented us from ascending further." he added as he cupped his chin.
He stopped for a while before continuing.
"This is only a conjecture of my part, but it seems that this world has a certain law that prohibits the existence of someone beyond the Nascent Soul realm!"
"The first clue I have for the basis of this theory of mine is that of the old man, Jing Zhianghu, whom Duan Li mentioned as the Guardian of the First region. He was someone who came from the Tian continent back then, and as he stepped into the Eternal maze, the world's limitation was no longer impossed on him. Therefore, he was able to cultivate to the Immortal ascension realm!"
"But as a result, he couldn't get out from the Eternal maze due to this world prohibiting their entry! Perhaps, this might've been also the case for all those experts we have sent into the Eternal maze.. either they really died.. or.."
"Or they have ascended!" the Emperor interjected before Liu Sheng Juan could finish with clenched fists.
Liu Sheng Juan nodded, "That's right!"
At this moment, everyone in the hall seemed to have strucked into an epiphany.
This theory sounds extremely correct!
After all, there was no other way to explain why they couldn't ascended further other than this!
"But wait, if that is true, then how did Duan Li managed to cultivate into the Immortal ascension realm as shown in that image recording?"
It was Shen Murong whom asked this question.
The principal stepped forward with both hands clasped behind his back and a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Perhaps, that is because of what Ancestor Zong had said before to me, that Duan Li was not bounded by fate, which could also means.. that he was also not bounded by the rules of this world!" the Principal answered this question as his voice quivered coming forward with this realization!
Now, most of the puzzle has been pieced together slowly and everyone became more excited as they nodded in agreement to what the Principal had just said.
That seems to be the most plausible reason!
"Then, this means that, if we wanted to step into the Immortal ascension realm, we have to leave this world somehow in one way or another to escape from the rules of this world?" the Vice-Principal chimed in.
"I think so too, but my Brother Duan Li here, since he could both exist and step into the Immortal ascension realm while being still in this world according to that image recording, means that we could bypass the rule somehow!" Shen Lu said by the side.
"Impressive. You've come to the same conclusion as mine as well." Liu Sheng Juan complimented.
Suddenly though, his expression turned grim and serious.
"However.. again.. this is only my conjecture as well.. and it could be either right or wrong as I have no way to prove it.."
The Emperor's countenance changed as well when he saw how serious Liu Sheng Juan were.
"Continue and explain!" he commanded.
Liu Sheng Juan nodded.
"As a result of going against the rule of the world.. 'Time' has retaliated.. and what happens next.. was probably why the Sun Dragon descended down from the skies.." Liu Sheng Juan added.
Everyone's hair stood on end as the hall became eerily silent..
...
I finally managed to string together most of the plot in this chapter nicely, and I hope that this would make your past questions answered! ;)
But yea, the dao of cliffhanger sect is strong in this one too!
Enjoy and thanks for reading! ;)