Chapter 2136: The Power of Will

A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime.

Under the influence of the Master Continent, the bond between teacher and student was very solid, especially for Zhao Ya and the others who had weathered countless storms with him; their feelings were selfless, not family yet surpassing family.

This feeling contained pity, affection, reluctance, expectation, comfort... these emotions always filled his chest, slowly fermenting like strong wine.

Knowing that comprehending it into a technique was not something that could be done overnight, Zhang Xuan was not anxious. He kept learning other knowledge, and his understanding of the God Realm grew more and more.

After an unknown amount of time, a voice sounded nearby: "Young master!"

Turning his head, he saw Sun Qiang and Xingmeng, both Sword Saints, already appearing before him.

Not only had they broken through their realms, they had also reached the Upper Grade God Spirit like himself, and at a higher level, reaching the peak.

Crucially, sword qi howled around their bodies, giving a sense of unfathomable depth.

"This sword technique..." Zhang Xuan frowned.

In terms of sword techniques, he had created the Thousand Knots, and his understanding of the sword path had reached a level surpassing the Heavenly Dao. He could see at a glance that the sword intent the three were cultivating was completely different from before.

Take Xingmeng Sword Saint for example; her previous sword technique carried a time effect, emphasizing the combination of fast and slow, with the fusion of yin and yang, a sense of Taiji. But now, it gave a feeling of sealing and guarding, full of the flavor of protection.

Protection is not defense.

Defense is like a turtle shell, airtight, while protection carries counterattack, cutting down all dangers in advance under the sword.

Wholehearted protection, unto death.

"Is this a sword technique from the Sword God Heaven?" He looked over with slight confusion.

"It is a sword art taught by an expert from the Sword God Heaven. When you were young, you suffered many calamities and never received the care and love that true parents could give. Now, even if we die, we will protect you and not let you suffer any harm!"

Meng Sword Saint's eyes were filled with maternal affection.

Her child had his bloodline extracted at birth and was forcibly separated from her. This was a lifelong pain for her. The sword intent of the Sword God Heaven exactly matched her state of mind, which was why she had advanced by leaps and bounds, in less than a single day, not only her swordsmanship skyrocketing but also her cultivation making a great breakthrough.

Zhang Xuan looked at his father. Although he did not speak, the gaze that flowed out was the same as his mother's, firm in his heart, no longer wavering.

He looked at Sun Qiang, who chuckled, scratching his head awkwardly: "The young master is my backing, my support. Naturally, I must protect your safety; otherwise, how can I show off? How can I flaunt in front of others?"

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly.

Although the three's sword techniques had fallen behind his, their strength had indeed improved substantially.

Moreover, it seemed their power was faintly on the verge of breaking through at any moment, charging to a higher realm.

By his side, one Heavenly God level beast pet, four Upper Grade God Spirits, plus the little yellow chicken of unknown strength, he now had the power to establish a foothold in the God Realm.

"City Lord Wu, have you... heard of 'Spirit God'?" After hesitating, Zhang Xuan asked.

In the books he had just read, there was no record of 'Spirit God'. If nothing unexpected happened, Luo Ruoxin was definitely in the God Realm. Previously, with weak strength, he feared trouble and dared not ask much. Now, staying in Yeming City was of little significance; it was time to gather information and find a way to search.

Able to cross the barriers of the God Realm, this girlfriend of his must at least have reached the God King realm, and it was highly possible she was at the level of a Title God King.

If she truly had such strength, it should be easy to inquire about her in the God Realm.

Teacher Moyun didn't know, but this City Lord in front of him surely had some information.

"Spirit God?" Wu Fangqing was stunned, then shook his head: "Never heard of it! The God Realm is vast and boundless, with countless experts. Many people's titles are unheard of. Does this person you speak of have any signature moves or martial techniques? That would give a direction."

Many people in the God Realm have various epithets. For example, this Emperor of the Netherworld Heaven is called the Qiankun Emperor, also the Qiankun Demon Emperor, Qiankun Great Emperor...

Although the name 'Spirit God' had not been heard, if he knew what she specialized in, he might be able to deduce something.

"Specializes in... sacrificial rites! She can perform spatial movement through sacrifices..." After pondering, Zhang Xuan said.

He and Luo Ruoxin had met in the Master Continent. The techniques and moves she used there were all within the controllable range of the Master Continent, not her most proficient, so mentioning them or not was irrelevant.

However, for the Spirit God, performing inter-plane teleportation through sacrifices was definitely an extremely strong ability.

From the many books he had just read, he knew that even Title God Kings might not be able to do this.

"Spatial movement?" Wu Fangqing said: "Being able to perform spatial movement means teleportation. In the God Realm, only Emperors can do it; even Title God Kings cannot! That is beyond my qualifications to discuss... As for sacrificial rites, I don't know about the other eight heavens, but our Netherworld Heaven excels at it! The Heavenly Gods and God Kings in the imperial city can even gather the souls of the dead through sacrifices..."

"The Netherworld Heaven excels at sacrificial rites?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Yes, every city in the Netherworld Heaven has a Netherworld Pool. Yeming City also has one. It can absorb the willpower emitted by the lives in the city and gradually gather the spirits of the dead! Although very slow, it is possible..."

Wu Fangqing said.

"Absorb willpower? Gather spirits? How does that work? And what is willpower?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

This involved the secrets of the Netherworld Heaven, and the books he had read did not record it.

"Willpower is actually longing and wishes!" Knowing that the person before him was no ordinary figure, Wu Fangqing did not hide anything: "For example, if a person's father passes away, as a descendant, they certainly hope he could stay. This generates a kind of willpower. This power can cause his soul to condense into form in the Netherworld Pool, and even restore his intelligence!"

"However, this gathering of souls is a long-term process, often taking hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. Ordinary people's lifespans are not that long; once they die, it stops. When no one remembers that life anymore, it completely ceases. So, for ordinary people, even with the Netherworld Pool, resurrection is impossible! But it's different for the relatives of God King level experts."

"They have extremely long lifespans, so the willpower does not cease. Therefore, they can often be resurrected. Additionally, for Heavenly Gods or God Kings with merit, the Netherworld Heaven will help establish ancestral halls. Although the willpower from later generations' worship is very small, over time it can also take effect, eventually allowing them to condense into form again."

"I see..." Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

He hadn't expected the Netherworld Heaven to have this ability—using willpower to restore the souls of the dead... that was almost heaven-defying.

"Do you mean... as long as a dead person is remembered, they can potentially achieve immortality in the Netherworld Pool?" Meng Sword Saint couldn't help asking.

"You could say that!" Wu Fangqing nodded.

As long as someone remembers, willpower exists, and the spirit in the Netherworld Pool will not perish. Although it may not take form or even restore much autonomous consciousness, it means they are still alive.

"But the prerequisite is sacrificial rites. The deceased's belongings must be placed in the Netherworld Pool to slowly gather the soul; otherwise, it's impossible!" Wu Fangqing added.

"Hmm. Besides the Netherworld Heaven, are there any others who excel at sacrificial rites?"

Zhang Xuan continued asking.

"I wouldn't know. If you really want to find out, you might need to go to the Netherworld Imperial City. There, people of all sorts gather. For information, you could look for the underground black market there... Oh, and Qi Ling'er, who has business dealings with you, is from the imperial city. She should have connections and can help you find out what you want to know!"

Wu Fangqing said.

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

With his parents and Sun Qiang successfully breaking through to God Spirit, and many of his students taken away by the Nine Emperors, staying here was meaningless. Zhang Xuan returned to his residence and had Sun Qiang send a message to Qi Ling'er. Within a quarter of an hour, she arrived at the courtyard.

"Young Master Zhang!"

Qi Ling'er's attitude was respectful.

Having the bloodline of an Emperor, even if she didn't know which faction he belonged to, he was definitely not someone a small figure from her family could contend with.

"Mm, I want to ask you something. Have you heard of 'Spirit God' or the name Luo Ruoxin?"

With nothing to hide, Zhang Xuan asked directly.

After thinking for a moment, Qi Ling'er shook her head: "No..."

"Then do you have any sources of information to help me inquire?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"That would probably require returning to the imperial city. Yeming City is too remote; even if I wanted to inquire, I wouldn't know where to start..." Qi Ling'er said.

"Alright, I may trouble Miss Qi to accompany us to the imperial city. Do you have the time?" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The strongest in Yeming City, Wu Fangqing, was only a Lower Grade Heavenly God, similar in combat strength to him. To make greater progress and learn more information, he definitely needed to go to a larger city. The Netherworld Imperial City was the closest and most suitable choice.

He was unfamiliar with the place; bringing Qi Ling'er along would certainly make things easier.

"Since Young Master Zhang asks, I am naturally happy to accompany you..." Her eyes lit up, and Qi Ling'er quickly nodded.

She was just thinking about how to build a better relationship with him; being able to go to the imperial city together would definitely bring them closer.

"However..." After agreeing, Qi Ling'er showed a hesitant expression.

"However what? If you have any requests, as long as I can fulfill them, I won't refuse!" Zhang Xuan said.

Troubling her would certainly require compensation; giving what he could was not a big deal.

"Actually, it's nothing major. With Young Master Zhang's word, that's enough. We can discuss it when we reach the imperial city! Even if you don't agree then, it's fine..."

Qi Ling'er paused, then said.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since she was unwilling, there was no need to force her to speak.

"How far is the imperial city from here? How do we get there?" Sun Qiang asked from the side.

"The Netherworld Imperial City is tens of millions of li away. Even with a flying divine beast, you'd exhaust yourself trying to get there... To go quickly, we naturally need to take a teleportation array. Fortunately, Yeming City has one!"

Qi Ling'er smiled slightly.

"Teleportation array?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Yeming City had one? Why hadn't he heard anyone mention it, nor seen it?