CHAPTER 552: CHAPTER 552: CLOSING

"Zongmen Dabi? What is that?"

Upon hearing Elder Ling Jian’s words, Yang Tian immediately furrowed his brows.

The High Priest’s blade flashed as he said, "This is a matter dictated by the heavens. Although the cultivation realm has always earned our respect, the positions of the Three Families and Four Sects haven’t changed. They are all composed of female cultivators and are located beyond the Thousand Flower Valley.

Isn’t this different from what we imagined?"

Hearing this, Yang Tian immediately recalled the moment of his death in Tianyuan City when he was killed by Luo Tong, the young master of the Luosa Sect!

At that time, Luo Tong once mentioned that the Rashamon Sect was originally one of the Four Great Sects, but later it politely withdrew, giving way to the Chenjian Sect’s current position!

So that’s how it is. Yang Tian had always thought that the so-called replacement was simply because the Divine Sword Sect pressured the Rashamon Sect. Yet now, hearing Elder Ling Jian’s words, it seems there’s another hidden story!

Next to him, Chen Xue immediately asked curiously, "Elder Ling Jian, are you saying the positions of the Three Families and Four Sects are connected?"

"Yes, my lady!"

The Sword of the High Priest nodded and said, "It’s said that this was a rule set by the elders who first established the cultivation realm, to ensure that we cultivators never grow complacent. Every hundred years, all powerful families gather in the Spiritual Domain to compete. Ancient legacies of the strong decide the rankings, determining the Three Families and Four Sects’ domain over the next four centuries. Four hundred years ago, I was the master of Yemen."

At this point, Old Ling Jian suddenly glanced at Yang Tian, yet his gaze paid no great heed to him, and he solemnly continued: "Four hundred years ago, Brother Wudao emerged from the heavens and directly killed the master of Luosa Sect. This allowed our Shenjian Gate to grasp hegemony in the northern region!"

"Is that so!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Tian suddenly laughed and said, "Elder Ling Jian, are you suggesting that four hundred years have passed and Zongmen Dabi is upon us again?"

"...That is indeed the case!"

Old Jian immediately nodded, let out a sigh, and said, "This time, what I fear most is God’s Divine Sword Sect... I am afraid we lack the qualifications to participate. Of course... I mean no doubt toward your strength, but the rules of Zongmen Dabi stipulate that each sect must have at least three strong experts during such a period! But now..."

At this, the Priest Longsword said no more.

Yet the meaning was all too clear!

In the current Shenjian Gate, the three major tribulations of the heavens have dwindled. One descended to the Lower Realm and has disappeared; another was slain by Yang Tian!

There aren’t even three eligible for this stage!

And although Chen Xue could count as filling the number for the tribulation period, she is but at an empty realm. Lacking the proper mindset and experience, her full strength in the tribulation phase is unlikely to be unleashed.

As it stands, Yang Tian is the only one!

Hearing this, Yang Tian furrowed his brows deeply.

If what Elder Jian said is true, then the Sword Sect indeed lacks the qualifications to participate.

How could he then enter the battlefield of the Immortals?

"Can’t we break the rules?" Yang Tian muttered with a sigh.

On the other side, Chen Xue, naive as ever, suddenly interjected, "If it’s just about three tribulation-phase individuals, that’s easy! Yang Ge counts as one, and if I count as one, doesn’t that just leave us short one? What’s the big deal? Let’s just find another person!"

"You... You think strong tribulation-phase cultivators are some kind of cabbage growing out in the fields!"

Elder Ling Jian sighed helplessly and said, "The stability of the Three Families and Four Sects over the last four centuries owes to the fact that only our Divine Sword Sect was able to replace Rashamon among those ranks. The other three clans and sects have remained unchanged. This is because even with external assistance, it’s incredibly difficult to reach the tribulation phase. And if a sect does manage such a shift, they’d instantly replace us in becoming the new member of the Four Great Sects."

"That’s why!"

Hearing this, Chen Xue pouted and said, "But weren’t the three elders of Tianjian missing? Where are Tianjian and Renjian?"

"The Snow Sword from the lower realm... With the spacetime passage closed, it’s impossible for them to return!" Yang answered immediately.

Chen Xue, hearing Yang Tian’s explanation, stuck out her tongue with resignation and threw up her hands, saying, "Then it’s impossible. That’s impossible. So what do we do now?"

"Actually... there might still be a way. Even with the spacetime channel closed, there’s something that might allow us to ascend to the level of the Sword Saint!" the Old Swordsman unexpectedly uttered.

"What way?"

Hearing this, Yang Tian and Chen Xue grew excited.

Because the solution involved...

The Endless Sea?

Chen Xue, who had just pulled herself out of dismay, gasped at the mention of this term.

Though she hadn’t been cultivating long, she followed the Divine Sword Sect under the tutelage of Yun Han Immortal, the Ye Dao couple’s master.

Even though Yun Han showed some favoritism toward Chen Xue, her instruction was fair. Occasionally, she’d recount stories from the real world, and among these, the "Endless Sea" often came up.

But those tales were never good news!

So, upon hearing "Endless Sea," Chen Xue’s face changed immediately.

As for Yang Tian, he was no stranger to the Endless Sea. After all, when he first passed through the spacetime channel to enter Xiu Zhen, there lay an infinite sea on the horizon!

At the time, even when Xie Ann invoked the Shenjian Gate’s northern hegemony to stop his pursuers, it didn’t deter his enemies in the slightest. This showed just how chaotic the Endless Sea truly was—the most turbulent region in the Three Oceans Cultivation Realm.

Old Ling Jian, with concern laced in his words, continued, "I don’t need to elaborate on the chaos of the Endless Sea. But as for the place where the Flying Pool is located, that is even more dangerous—a core of this chaos, lying in the very heart of the region: Chaotic City!"

"Chaotic City is a place where those who committed crimes against humanity, or even more monstrous crimes, rule. People stronger than monsters, those summoned and hunted down thrice by the Three Families, Four Sects, and one valley, have all fled to this place. It is overflowing with the cruelest and most powerful forces found in the cultivation realms."

Stronger than monsters?

The most ferocious?

Upon hearing this, Yang Tian let out a cold smirk and said, "I must see for myself."

Old Jian, now nervous, quickly sputtered, "You wouldn’t possibly... You surely wouldn’t want to go to Chaotic City, would you?"

"What? Do I not dare?" Yang Tian laughed coldly.

"No, no, no!"

The Old Swordsman hurriedly waved his hand and said, "My lord, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just... that place is more complicated than words can convey, and threats are beyond just one or two. Even God himself would face risks there."

"That doesn’t matter! Now, tell me—do you know the exact location of the Flying Pool or not?" Yang Tian replied coldly.

Many powerful adversaries? More than one?

So what of it?

If they hide within the Endless Sea, it only proves that these so-called ferocious and evil elites are nothing more than stray dogs!

If Yang Tian could stand alone on these lands, facing the Sword Sect in confrontation, would he hesitate now?

Moreover, as the Priest Longsword had spoken, in the perception of cultivators, Devils were synonymous with ferocity and bloodthirst.

Yang Tian didn’t mind letting these so-called strong ones in the vast sea witness what a true Devil looked like!

Seeing Yang Tian firmly set his mind, Old Lingjian could only abandon any thoughts of persuasion and said, "If we trace back to Shenjian Gate’s founding, it was Emperor Dragon’s Divine Dragon Dao ancestor who inherited ancient techniques. When he obtained Emperor Dragon’s Sword, he also mastered secret skills, which included the method to locate the Flying Pool."

"That’s fantastic!"