Chapter 284: Chapter 265: Low-grade Divine Artifact_2

Jiang Zhipan waved his hand, his face somewhat solemn, “No harm done, this little loss is nothing. I can recover in a hundred and eighty years back in the Formation.”

“Senior’s solemn expression, have you discovered something?” Li Cheng asked.

Jiang Zhipan nodded, “The Spirit of the World can record significant events that happen in this world. I was previously using its hidden location to investigate, and indeed, I found some clues.”

As he spoke, Jiang Zhipan waved his hand and a light screen appeared in front of him, displaying the image of a middle-aged man.

“A divine battle occurred here in the past, the Three-way Abyss shattered, the Divine Path was severed in two, and after the great war, this person took away a section of the Divine Path!”

“To find the Divine Path, we must first find this person.”

Jiang Zhipan sighed inwardly, as this was undoubtedly like looking for a needle in the ocean, given that this was a figure from hundreds of millions of years ago, feared now beyond recognition.

“He looks somewhat familiar,” murmured Immortal Emperor Tianyuan.

“Oh? Then think hard, the Divine Path is part of this small cosmos, and it must still be within this small cosmos; of this much, I am certain,” Jiang Zhipan said.

Li Cheng stared at the image, “If all else fails, we can make a trip to the Long River of Time and ask Blunt Empty Venerable. He’s a figure from the early days of this era, perhaps he would know of this person.”

Blunt Empty Venerable had once crossed the Long River of Time to converse with Li Cheng, so, by going to the Long River of Time and returning to that point in time, they could meet Blunt Empty Venerable again.

“Are you insane? It’s suicidal to venture into the Long River of Time, and even if not, should an eminent power take the opportunity to send their Divine Soul through the Long River of Time, it could signal the end of an era,” Jiang Zhipan shook his head continuously.

Just then, as Immortal Emperor Tianyuan pondered, a look of astonishment gradually surfaced on his face, “I remember now, there is a statue of this man in the Immortal World, right in the Demon Suppression Abyss!”

A thought struck Li Cheng. Having thoroughly read the texts of the Confucian Sect, Li Cheng naturally knew much about the Immortal World. The Demon Suppression Abyss, according to records, was said to be a place where in the earliest of times a great demon roamed unrestrained, causing chaos in the Immortal World. Later, an unnamed predecessor took action, transforming himself into a statue to suppress it for eternity.

That place was later known as the Demon Suppression Abyss.

In the northern part of the Confucian Immortal Region.

“The Demon Suppression Abyss? A statue? Heh heh, it must be the Divine Wall Technique!” Jiang Zhipan laughed.

The Divine Wall Technique, just like the Immortal Rampart Technique, was used when severely wounded or facing imminent death. Once cast, the entire body petrifies, unbreakable.

It was a method of self-protection, but whether one could come back to life depended on luck, as was the case with Yan Bei, who had used the Immortal Rampart Technique.

After this secret technique was cast, life continued to ebb away, and even faster. If no one came to the rescue before life was exhausted, the inevitable conclusion was death.

“Are you suggesting, Senior Jiang, that what is so-called the Demon Supression Abyss is actually the place where this person employed the Divine Wall Technique and has hidden that section of the Divine Path? And that this person is one of the Deities?”

Jiang Zhipan looked at Immortal Emperor Tianyuan, “Only a Deity would have the power to conceal half of the Divine Path. Anyway, we will know once we go and see; mere speculation is useless.”

As he spoke, Jiang Zhipan pointed in a direction, “I saw earlier, the exit is over there.”

Li Cheng nodded, at least they had a lead now.

“The Demon Suppression Abyss is a Holy Land in the Immortal World, with many Cultivators going daily to worship before the statue. If that section of the Divine Path really lies within…”

Immortal Emperor Tianyuan did not continue.

That person had hidden the Divine Path, resulting in no one being able to become divine since then, but also prevented the Deities of the Divine Realm from descending into this small cosmos. Was this action meritorious or a transgression?

Back then, was there really a great demon causing trouble in the Immortal World? Or was it possible that this Deity was injured in the divine battle, unable to heal in the Immortal World, and so staged the whole scene?

This mystery might soon be solved.

Two days later, Li Cheng arrived at the northern part of the Confucian Immortal Region.

The Demon Suppression Abyss was very famous in the Immortal World, and many righteous Taoist Sects would bring their new Disciples here to observe, simply to tell the new Disciples to learn from this unnamed predecessor, to emulate his fearlessness, and so on.

For untold years, this place had been forged into a paragon of righteousness.

Above in the high skies, Li Cheng was shrouded in his Domain, looking down at the plaza below, somewhat dumbfounded.

“It really is the Divine Wall Technique!” exclaimed Jiang Zhipan.

A high platform was built at the edge of the plaza, upon which stood a statue the size of an ordinary person, positioned to seemingly overlook the entire plaza.

The plaza was also protected by an eighth-tier banishing sky Formation, beyond which only an Immortal Emperor could pass; all others could only walk into the plaza, unable to fly over it from above.

Behind the statue was an endless abyss, with faint traces of Demonic Qi emanating, yet all were suppressed by the statue’s might, unable to leave the abyss.

This was the Demon Suppression Abyss!

“The entrance to the abyss has been set with eighteen layers of ninth-grade Immortal Arrays, and below that even more powerful formations, which seem to be Divine Arrays. Could it be, just below is the Divine Path?” Li Cheng murmured.

The Demon Suppression Abyss had been in existence for hundreds of millions of years, surely some had managed to cross these eighteen layers of Immortal Arrays and reach the front of the Divine Array.

Even throughout these hundreds of millions of years, perhaps some genius Array Master had managed to crack the Divine Array.

But there were no records of the inner parts of the Demon Suppression Abyss in the books. Could it be that none who entered were able to leave?

Immortal Emperor Tianyuan obviously thought of this issue too and looked towards Li Cheng with some concern, “Shall we go in?”

Li Cheng pointed towards the abyss and said, “Eighteen levels and nine tiers of Immortal Arrays couldn’t stop me for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but I’m not very confident about getting through the Divine Array below. Senior Jiang, are you proficient in formations?”

A smile appeared on Jiang Zhipan’s face, “Divine Arrays, well, out of the seven apertures, I’m familiar with six.”

“Not knowing a single aperture is also normal, I don’t understand formations at all,” Immortal Emperor Tianyuan said.

Jiang Zhipan frowned, “Having six out of seven apertures means understanding quite a bit, how did it become ‘not understanding a single aperture’ when it came to you?”

“Tian Yuan, you are underestimating deities too much. A Heaven God’s lifespan stretches over well over a billion years; in such an extended period of time, naturally, one picks up a bit of everything.”

Immortal Emperor Tianyuan’s eyes went wide, then he gradually turned to Li Cheng and coughed lightly, “Perhaps it’s a difference in eras, a different understanding of the phrase.”

Li Cheng smiled and flew towards the abyss.

Indeed, eighteen ninth-tier Immortal Arrays indeed couldn’t stop Li Cheng for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but upon reaching the Divine Array, Li Cheng found himself in trouble.

Jiang Zhipan was also examining the Divine Array, and the two of them did so for half a month.

Having made no progress for so long, Immortal Emperor Tianyuan felt that his understanding was correct, which was ‘not knowing a single aperture.’

Divine Arrays and Immortal Arrays differ by just one word, yet they are worlds apart.

Having examined it for so long without daring to make random attempts, Li Cheng simply couldn’t find any method to break through.

Finally, Jiang Zhipan seemed unable to hold back any longer and said, “This is just a level-one Divine Array, mainly for trapping. How about you enter and try to find a way out from the inside?”

Indeed, to break an array, one could only rely on brute force from the outside, but from the inside, one could utilize their Array Mastery.

Li Cheng nodded, realizing. Had Jiang Zhipan been silent for half a month just to test him?

Alright then, let’s go in!

Seeing Li Cheng nod, Jiang Zhipan pointed to the formation and said, “The twelve spots I’ve marked are the nodes of the formation. If you channel the power of all the Divine Patterns toward them, you will create a temporary passage.”

Li Cheng did as instructed, and sure enough, the formation split open, revealing a passageway.

Li Cheng quickly led the two of them into it, and in the blink of an eye, the passage disappeared, and the formation restored itself.

“Now it’s up to you. I’m not familiar with this Divine Array. Whether you can escape and reach the deeper parts of the abyss depends on your mastery!” Jiang Zhipan said.

All around was dense fog, which even contained exceptionally pure Demonic Qi, with no direction or end in sight.

But Li Cheng was not worried. Escaping the Trap Array from the inside was just a matter of time.

However, suddenly, Li Cheng sensed something unusual happening in the Fire Mysterious Realm.

Within the Fire Mysterious Realm, an old and worn-out big tripod was violently shaking. The suppressed object within seemed to be trying to break free from the tripod’s suppression and was desperately struggling.

The whole Fire Mysterious Realm trembled uncontrollably with the tripod’s shaking!

Li Cheng pondered for a moment before taking out the big tripod.

No sooner had the tripod appeared than it began wildly devouring the fog and Demonic Qi, swiftly drifting forwards.

“This… a Divine Artifact! You actually have a Divine Artifact on you?” Jiang Zhipan’s eyes widened as he quickly followed.

The tripod picked up speed, and the struggle inside seemed to be growing increasingly fierce.

“This tripod is a Divine Artifact? Shabby and worn-out, are you sure, senior?” Li Cheng was somewhat surprised.

“What do you know? This is called returning to the original simplicity!” Jiang Zhipan appeared to be irritated as he snappily retorted.

After a pause, he continued, “However, it does indeed seem quite worn-out. If I’m not mistaken, it should be Dan Xuanzi’s Pill Tripod, a lower-grade Divine Artifact.”

“Who is Dan Xuanzi?” Li Cheng and Immortal Emperor Tianyuan asked in unison.

“One of our Kunlun’s Divine Pill Masters, he died long ago,” Jiang Zhipan said offhandedly.

While they were talking, the fog in front suddenly cleared, and the path ahead became distinctly visible!

Immortal Emperor Tianyuan’s eyes immediately bulged, his face filled with disbelief!