This eerie place is too strange. My connection between the mind and the physical body is suppressed, the mind cannot return to the physical body, and the seawater can invade the mind. Coupled with the uncertainty of Zhang Chen before him, at this moment, he just wants to go back.
Having heard Zhang Chen’s words, Wu Changming calmly asked, "Do you know the method to dispel the divine power?"
Zhang Chen could certainly dispel the divine power because he possessed the ability to wield divine power himself.
He mastered the divine power of the First Heaven, and the divine power of the Second Heaven and the First Heaven were evenly matched, with no difference between them. Zhang Chen naturally had the power to oppose the divine power of the Second Heaven.
Facing Wu Changming’s inquiry, Zhang Chen said, "I have the means to counter the divine power. If Master wishes to return, I can lend my support to assist Master."
Wu Changming was moved by his words, his eyes subtly watching Zhang Chen. Though he wished to return, he faced the ’eccentricity’ and did not want to appear too eager, lest it cause trouble. So he ambiguously replied, "I don’t know how many days have passed since I’ve been away from my physical body, nor do I know the state of my physical body. I’m not looking to return; I’m just concerned about my physical body. I’ll investigate it, then come back to explore this place."
Wu Changming inwardly cursed, "Only a fool would return."
After he spoke, his eyes watched Zhang Chen, who nodded without any noticeable change: "Since Master wants to go back, I’ll send you back."
As he spoke, Zhang Chen’s surrounding Qi Mechanism flowed, countering the divine power pervading the world, clearing a space free from divine power around his body. Wu Changming immediately sensed his physical body’s presence, and without a word, his figure vanished in front of Zhang Chen.
Seeing Wu Changming’s Yin Spirit disappear without provoking anything untoward, Zhang Chen’s expression showed surprise: "Could that really be Wu Changming’s Yin Spirit? Does this old fellow actually have such immense talent?"
Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a hint of astonishment, but he looked around at the seawater and continued to transform into a Vampire Bat, flapping its wings to leave.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard in Jiangnan, Wu Changming opened his eyes in a secret room, glancing at the empty space before him with a bewildered look. At this moment, the smoke from the incense burner was curling up, and he hurried to extinguish the flame within. This Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance was a supreme treasure, and he was unwilling to waste even a bit.
Wu Changming looked at the familiar arrangement of the room before him, eyes filled with doubt: "Back again? Is that person truly Zhang Chen? Does that kid have the ability to reach the second heaven of the spiritual world?"
Within the Spiritual World
Zhang Chen rose on wings, continuously roaming within the spiritual world. Although divine power swirled in the sky, Zhang Chen also had divine power protection, undeterred by the oppressive divine power, allowing incredibly fast flight. Before long, he reached the center of the Second Heaven.
Visible before him was indeed a body of Buzhou Mountain transformed into a pillar supporting the entire spiritual world, and even the foundation of the entire world.
Zhang Chen’s gaze swept over the center of the world before him, which, compared to the Thirty-Three Heavens, was only slightly smaller, with no other special features.
The foundation of Buzhou Mountain stretched thousands of miles and soared a hundred miles high, with mysterious Qi Mechanism flowing upon it.
"How does a divine mountain like Buzhou Mountain not have any creation born from it? The entire Buzhou Mountain is barren, like a wilderness, a desolate place." Zhang Chen gazed distantly at the towering, undulating body of Buzhou Mountain, a look of contemplation in his eyes.
"Could it be possible that, in ancient times, when Buzhou Mountain was perfect, it sustained the Heaven and Earth, containing boundless creation within? But after the changes of the sea over time, countless innate spirits were born, and they excavated all the creation nurtured within Buzhou Mountain? Then Buzhou Mountain fractured, no longer gathering the divine majestic Qi of Heaven and Earth, compounded by the divine power’s oppression here, preventing the mysterious power from manifesting, thus leading Buzhou Mountain to become desolate? This Buzhou Mountain seems like a great mountain severed by excavation, its nutrients exhausted, with no Earth Qi to sustain it, hence turning barren." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon turned to glance at Zhang Chen, his voice reminiscent and mysterious.
Zhang Chen was momentarily stunned, a realization dawning within: had Buzhou Mountain died, leading to its current state?
Realizing this, Zhang Chen remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze into the distance, once again landing within the heart of Buzhou Mountain’s stone. He could sense the divine power Qi Mechanism flowing within Buzhou Mountain.
"Does this section of Buzhou Mountain have the heart of Buzhou Mountain?" Zhang Chen queried.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon shook his head: "Buzhou Mountain has only one core."
"Does that mean what lies before us is merely waste stone?" Zhang Chen incredulously asked.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon nodded: "Indeed so! Your presence here serves only to find the portal to the Third Heaven, and nothing else. If you seek any creation here, you’re only daydreaming."
Feeling a hint of disappointment, Zhang Chen further inquired: "Where is the portal to the Third Heaven of the spiritual world?"
"It’s above Buzhou Mountain, hidden within the void space. With your current cultivation, you cannot open it. Only upon reaching the tenth tier can you hope to find the celestial gate and open the door from the Second Heaven to the Third Heaven," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon replied.
Hearing the Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s words, Zhang Chen gazed up into the void, pondering: "And where has the Princess gone? Has she ventured to the Third Heaven?"
Zhang Chen wasn’t worried about entering the Third Heaven. As long as he elevated his Mental Realm, it wouldn’t be difficult to move into a higher heaven.
Zhang Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at the withered Buzhou Mountain beneath his feet, a hint of contemplation in his eyes: "How should I acquire the Divine Power in the Second Heaven?"
For him, obtaining Divine Power was the most crucial thing.
He believed if he possessed the Divine Power of Two Heavens, then his Buzhou Seal would be something Chai Chuanxin and the others wouldn’t be able to withstand.
"Perhaps I’ll have to cause damage to Buzhou Mountain to harvest a new skill," Zhang Chen speculated silently.
However, he wasn’t quick to act. He had another thought in mind: if he harvested the Divine Power of Buzhou Mountain, would the Second Heaven of the Spiritual World collapse?
This was something Zhang Chen wasn’t certain about, so he needed to perform some validations before collecting from Buzhou Mountain.
Zhang Chen moved his eyes away from Buzhou Mountain and directed his gaze towards the endless seawater below. Those were the tears of the Heaven-Opening Water Spirit, equivalent to a First Tier Divine Water.
This was a First Tier existence, so if he consumed it into the Ba Snake Space, would it convert into points?
If it succeeded, the endless seawater here would present him with the opportunity for all his skills to achieve Great Success.
Thus, Zhang Chen’s gaze fell upon the boundless sea below. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide, the Ba Snake Space expanded, and the Water Control Technique took charge, causing the surging seawater to fly into the Ba Snake Space.
The seawater rushed into the Ba Snake Space, filling it entirely. Then Zhang Chen closed the Ba Snake Space and began to digest the seawater within.
After a whole hour passed, Zhang Chen wore a disappointed expression as he digested the seawater inside the Ba Snake Space: "Digesting an entire space filled with seawater only increased my experience by a hundred points, which isn’t even worth the time."
The effort and the reward just didn’t match!
An hour for a hundred experience points was far less than what Zhang Chen could usually gain from absorbing a bit more Sun and Moon Essence or collecting a few more treasures daily, which would yield quite a lot of experience points too.
As the final seawater within the space was digested, Zhang Chen’s idea fell through.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon next to him saw Zhang Chen’s actions and couldn’t help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Hahaha! You brat still wants to get a bargain? Although this seawater contains Mysterious Power, it’s not worthy of standing out, not truly mysterious. No matter how much you devour, it’s hard to achieve anything. You brat still wants to get a bargain? If this seawater were a mysterious object, it wouldn’t be your turn to have it. Those ancient spirits would’ve taken it away. They’re too smart to give up all the good stuff, especially when world changes arrive. Those guys collect any usable materials to avoid calamity, looting the entire world clean, almost like a swarm of locusts."
Zhang Chen gave the Great Freedom Celestial Demon a dissatisfied look, a bit flustered and exasperated: "If you dare laugh again, I’ll swallow you."
"You really can’t take a joke. However, if you’re thinking of obtaining Creation in the Second Heaven, you can forget it. Even if the Second Heaven possesses corpses at the Ancient God-Demon Level, over the years, they’ve been melted by these tears. I advise you not to waste your energy. The whole world has been assimilated by the seawater; all you can gather is soil."
After hearing the Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s words, Zhang Chen nodded. The other’s words were genuinely sincere: "I know my priorities!"
Having said this, Zhang Chen looked at the mountain beneath him. In the next moment, a drop of Bloodstain Power fell from his palm. If he wanted to cause damage to Buzhou Mountain, Bloodstain Power was the only way.
Bloodstain Power could corrupt all things, derived from the Sea of Blood. It’s Zhang Chen’s most formidable means for now.
With the descent of black Bloodstain, an indescribable stench began to spread across Buzhou Mountain, and Buzhou Mountain Stone started bubbling like a carbonated drink.
"What do you want to do, you brat?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon was stunned by Zhang Chen’s actions, eyes filled with confusion, completely unable to fathom Zhang Chen’s approach.
Zhang Chen ignored the Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s muttering, his eyes instead fixed intently on his Golden Finger Interface, his gaze full of anticipation.
Sure enough, as the Bloodstain dropped onto the Buzhou Mountain Stone, Zhang Chen’s Golden Finger Interface flickered slightly, then began refreshing.
At this moment, a golden glow emerged at the area of Buzhou Mountain corroded by Bloodstain, and the Golden Finger Interface began updating:
[New skill discovered, do you want to pick it up?]
Seeing the prompt that popped up from the Golden Finger Interface, Zhang Chen’s lips curved into a smile. He knew he had succeeded.