Chapter 2032: The Mystery of the Pseudo-God Realm

"Help from the temple?"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"To become a god, you need the recognition of a god! That's why the six major sects all want to enter the temple and seize the 'god' character! With the character, even if it's only half, you have the capital to advance to pseudo-god..."

Kuixiao Sect Master explained.

Zhang Xuan understood.

No wonder the six major sects all wanted to seize the 'god' character. He had thought it was just for prestige, but now it seemed it was to become stronger.

He also understood why the sect master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, and the elders of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion and Seven Stars Tower had come so easily.

They probably all placed their hopes on him, wanting him to seize the 'god' character. If successful, those in the sect who were stuck at the peak of Immortal Monarch might break through, greatly increasing both lifespan and cultivation.

If he failed, they would surely fail too.

"The Lingyun Sword Pavilion only got half a character, so they couldn't name their sect after it; they could only establish a Sword God Hall..."

He couldn't help asking, "Can half a character also allow someone to break through to Immortal Monarch?"

"Yes, but it's much harder than with a full character! Throughout the continent, only the Tong Shen Temple has obtained a full character, allowing them to truly produce pseudo-gods. That's why the six major sects dare not oppose them and follow their lead!"

Kuixiao Sect Master said.

Zhang Xuan was enlightened.

The six major sects each had their own territories, and other sects could not interfere within them. Yet the Tong Shen Temple was spread across the entire Upper Firmament. It turned out a single 'god' character was so fearsome.

"Without the character, one cannot break through, but I observe that your cultivation, Sect Master, seems to have already reached the Pseudo-God realm..."

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

He had met three of the six major sect masters, all of whom were Pseudo-God realm experts.

If they couldn't break through without the character, how had they reached this level?

"That's where the reason we sought you out comes in!" Kuixiao Sect Master smiled slightly.

"Sought me out?"

"Every hundred years, the temple manifests a Heavenly Bridge. People from the Abandoned Continent can enter the temple through this bridge, gaining a chance to seize the god character... Winning one match allows one to absorb divine energy and break through to pseudo-god... I was a challenger who entered a hundred years ago!"

Kuixiao Sect Master said.

Zhang Xuan nodded. "Winning one match gives a chance to absorb divine energy and break through... What about the losers?"

"Losers... basically die on the spot!"

"Die?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "Surely not all six major sect masters have won a match..."

Qinyuan Sect Master was a pseudo-god, Han Jianqiu was a pseudo-god, and the one before him was also a pseudo-god. Even if he hadn't met the other three sect masters, their cultivation must be high. Could they all have won?

He had fought Temple Warriors and knew how terrifying they were.

At the same level, they were virtually invincible, not something ordinary people could handle. Even Han Jianqiu and the current Sect Master Kuixiao couldn't do it. One winning was lucky; all six winning seemed impossible!

"The six major sect masters have all won a match, but... they weren't from the same batch of challengers! For example, Du Qingyuan of the Zhu Xing Palace became a pseudo-god a thousand years ago. Since then, the Zhu Xing Palace has made many attempts, all ending in failure!"

"A thousand years ago?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils contracted. "Can pseudo-gods live that long?"

Normal Immortal Monarchs, like Void Immortals, had a lifespan limit of three hundred years. This Du Qingyuan had become a pseudo-god a thousand years ago, meaning he had lived over a thousand years?

In the Master Teacher Continent, that would be over ten thousand years!

Truly terrifying.

"Pseudo-gods normally have a lifespan of five hundred years; they can't live that long. The people of the Zhu Xing Palace have special constitutions, allowing them to live longer. Even so, their lifespan is nearly at an end. Barring accidents, they won't live many more years... The same goes for Qinyuan Sect Master; his lifespan is also nearing its limit!"

Kuixiao Sect Master shook his head. "So they all hope that this Heavenly Bridge will produce a new god to stabilize their sect. Otherwise, the history of the six major sects will inevitably be rewritten..."

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

No wonder Qinyuan Sect Master had been so decisive in making him sect master. This was the reason.

With his lifespan nearly over, he could only place his hopes on this 'genius,' hoping he could cross the Heavenly Bridge and become a pseudo-god.

After all, without a pseudo-god to suppress the sect, their territory would eventually be seized by others, and geniuses would be taken away. Over time, even if other sects didn't attack, the sect would decline into a second-rate force and vanish into history.

"Sect Master Kuixiao mentioned earlier that I would compete with other sects, and that it would be without danger. What did you mean?"

Feeling emotional, he asked again.

Earlier, the other had clearly said he would participate in a competition among the six major sects, not the Heavenly Bridge.

"Weren't you just wondering why all six major sects have Pseudo-God realm experts?" Kuixiao Sect Master explained. "The Heavenly Bridge is guarded by five Temple Warriors. If you stand out in the competition among the six major sects and become the revered leader of the others, you will have the option to... let the other five deal with the warriors while you enter the temple. That means you win a match without fighting, gaining a chance to become a pseudo-god..."

"Enter myself? A bye? Then..." Zhang Xuan was startled. "The other five?"

"They will basically die!" Kuixiao Sect Master said. "So, if the younger generation of the six major sects are roughly equal in strength, they usually don't compete. They select one in order. That is, this year the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, next year the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, the year after our Seven Stars Tower... Because everyone has a chance, they help each other and jointly oppose the temple... This maintains a potential balance among the six major sects!"

"Of course, if there is a huge disparity in strength, the order will naturally be disrupted! For example, the former Temple Master Kong and the founding patriarch of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion far surpassed the others. Even without the leader's quota, they could still charge through the Heavenly Bridge and enter the temple! In such cases, the chance of becoming a pseudo-god becomes very high. Even if not all six succeed, at least two or three can!"

Zhang Xuan nodded again.

When people from other sects saw him, they were so excited, immediately granting him elder status and generously providing resources. Clearly, they all wanted him to compete for their quota and become a pseudo-god.

To protect their sect for a hundred years of stability.

This feeling reminded him of a book he had read in his previous life, where sect masters were selected to go to the Carefree Island.

As long as someone was willing to drink the Laba porridge, they could become sect master, regardless of their character or loyalty...

"Elder Liu, you must use all your strength when the time comes. We will fully support you and help you break through to the peak of Immortal Monarch as soon as possible!" Having said everything clearly, Kuixiao Sect Master looked at him with hope.

With equal strength, he could defeat him, the Grand Elder, and others without any fatigue in a single move. Once he participated in this competition, crushing the other sects was a foregone conclusion.

Then, becoming a pseudo-god and even possibly snatching half a character for the sect would truly make him a legend for generations.

"Rest assured!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

If the other hadn't selflessly contributed power, he wouldn't have been able to break through to his current cultivation and become a true Immortal Monarch.

This debt of gratitude was enough for him to go all out.

With everything clear, they said no more. The flying spirit beast accelerated at full speed, and in less than half a day, a vast ocean appeared before them.

"We've reached the Star-Chasing Sea..."

Kuixiao Sect Master stood up.

Zhang Xuan also went to the window.

A vast expanse of azure water lay before him, merging with the sky in the distance, indistinguishable from each other. They were flying between the void and the sea, sunlight reflecting off the ripples, various fish and birds soaring together—a breathtaking sight.

"So this is the Star-Chasing Sea?"

Zhang Xuan was amazed.

With such beautiful scenery, why were so many experts on the continent unwilling to come here?

"Yes. At night, if you sail on the sea, you'll find the stars seem to fall down. If you sail fast, you can catch up to them at any time, giving you a feeling of chasing. Hence the name Star-Chasing Sea..."

Kuixiao Sect Master nodded. "But the more beautiful the place, the more dangerous it is. Our carriage bears the emblem of the Seven Stars Tower and is pulled by many Immortal Monarch-level spirit beasts, so no spirit beasts or bandits dare attack. For ordinary people, it's different. They might encounter countless dangers as soon as they enter the Star-Chasing Sea. They can't even survive, let alone care about the scenery!"

"This..."

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

The ocean was fraught with danger, as he had known from the Master Teacher Continent.

The sea surface below looked calm, but in reality, it contained countless powerful sacred beasts and spirit beasts. Entering their territory recklessly was indeed very dangerous.

"Where is the Zhu Xing Palace?"

After looking around, seeing the spirit beast fly farther and farther into the depths of the ocean, Zhang Xuan asked.

"It's on a huge island in the sea, called Zhu Xing Island. The Zhu Xing Palace and the so-called Abandoned Continent natives all live there..."

Kuixiao Sect Master explained.

The spirit beast continued flying. Within less than a thousand kilometers into the ocean, Zhang Xuan indeed saw many Immortal Monarch-level spirit beasts roaming the sea, eyeing the flying carriage eagerly, ready to attack at any moment.

If not for Kuixiao Sect Master occasionally releasing his Pseudo-God aura to intimidate them, spirit beasts would have already charged.

No wonder no one dared to approach. Even before seeing the people of the Zhu Xing Palace, these spirit beasts alone could deter countless people.

After another half day, a huge island indeed appeared in sight.

It was several thousand kilometers in diameter, with a massive city standing on it, housing countless people.

From afar, a special force spread from the island, forming a magnetic field that gave a feeling of 'strangers keep out.'

"This aura feels familiar..."

Zhang Xuan was stunned as he looked.

He had encountered this special magnetic field somewhere before; it was very familiar.

His Eye of Insight squirmed as he focused.

Boom!

Zhang Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body tensed.

"This is... the aura of the Otherworldly Tribe?"