Chương 296: Leaving the continent zone

End of Volume 1; Continent Zone Arc Long Feng's mouth hung open briefly before he closed it and regained his senses. Then he took out the two cultivation manual jades from the ring and held them in his hand gently. Ao Zhentian stared at his actions with a very amused smile.

"Kid, those aren't too shabby. The thunder crest Incantation especially, it should be one of the weaker manuals of the thunder sky sect. It can enable a person to cultivate to the mid Deity Realm." He stretched his arms and said casually.

"Unfortunately, you can't cultivate it for two reasons. One, you need to be an Imperial at least to cultivate a manual, and only trash manuals allow that. Really strong cultivation manuals could require a peak Imperial to barely cultivate it." He paused and glanced at Long Feng who was listening seriously.

"Secondly, cultivating such a low rank manual will be crippling your future. You'll find it hard to exceed the Dao realm even if you later switch to a powerful manual. Your body will already be completely changed by the low ranked manual and you won't ever surpass that limit of the manual. That's why many geniuses never cultivate any manual unless it's a rather high ranked one, at least mid grade mortal cultivation manuals. Those can take you to the peak deity realm.

The Supreme Heaven Sect has more cultivation manuals than you can ever imagine. With enough strength and achievements, you'll easily be able to cultivate even an earth grade manual. Of course, it's just my advice. You can do whatever you want." Long Feng froze after listening to Ao Zhentian's words and he suddenly recalled something.

"In the center of this world, you should find somewhere called the Eternal Void Land. In that place, you will find what you need the most. But mind you, you shouldn't cultivate any of the Cultivation Manuals you come across before then, no matter how tempting they seem to you." These were among Wu Kong's final warnings to him before he left. He had made it clear that Long Feng couldn't cultivate any manual he found, no matter how tempting it was to him. Long Feng had always wondered why that was so.

Now, after listening to Ao Zhentian, he seemed to understand. His guess was that Wu Kong or his master had left a powerful cultivation manual for him in the so called Eternal void Land; that was probably 'what he needed the most', or at least, he would need it the most soon. But before he found that manual, he couldn't cultivate any other manual. Otherwise he would be crippling his future potential as Ao Zhentian explained.

His body would be limited by the first manual he would cultivate, and Wu Kong didn't want that. And truthfully, after having this guess, Long Feng also didn't want that. He wanted to aim for the peak. He understood that there was perhaps a huge mystery or conspiracy between Wu Kong and his master and it somehow involved Long Feng, but there was nothing he could do about it. So if they were willing to make his oath to the peak easier, then he wouldn't reject.

He might as well take as much advantage as he could before he figured out what exactly was going on. Thinking of this, Long Feng made up his mind. He was originally a decisive person, so he wouldn't hesitate to much on something.

"I understand senior. I won't cultivate either of these manuals." He nodded and placed the manuals back into his Dantian. Ao Zhentian nodded. He had seen the slight hesitation in Long Feng's eyes get replaced by determination, so he didn't doubt him at all.

"Good. Your decisiveness will help you a lot in the future. If only you'd direct all that decisiveness to your killing intent as well. That way, you won't hesitate to kill anyone at all." Long Feng merely smiled without replying, and then he thought of something else. He had ten new Martial skills, and they were mostly sword based skills. Also, they wer extremely higher ranked than his original skills. Was it worth it to cultivate even one of them?

That would mean abandoning all other skills except for the Firmament Sword Art. It was hard enough to cultivate one Imperial skill. He couldn't join more on it; he would be biting more than he could chew. Right now, he could pick a single peak imperial skill and focus on it and the Firmament Sword Art as his main offensive skills. But that would be a major waste of time. The effort he would need to place into comprehending a peak imperial skill could help him to understand the Heaven Firmament strike to perfection.

Now that he thought of it, he was dividing his attention, which was why he couldn't focus on just the Firmament Sword Art.

"I've wasted my time in comprehending the heaven ripping finger, and I haven't really used it much. The demon annihilation skill is now far too weak. The way I see it, the Firmament Sword Art and the Nine Firmament Steps together is my best path right now. It'd be best if I forget everything else and focus solely on them. After all, I'm a swordsman." He thought. Then he sighed and came to a decision. From now henceforth, he would no longer divide his focus.

He would abandon all other skills he had learnt and focus solely on the Firmament Sword Art. That way, he would actually be pushing himself to comprehend more of it and increase his strength. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. If someday he ever comprehended even just five of the scene Firmament Sword strikes, then he would be able to use any of them to unleash earth shaking might, an offense that couldn't be blocked.

Having decided this as well, he turned to Ao Zhentian again.

"Senior, since we're still in the Yihua continent, can I quickly drop off some resources for my clan? Just a short while." Ao Zhentian nodded.

"Fine. Wouldn't hurt anyway. Come on, I'll take you there and we'll leave." He slowly rose to his feet and brought Long Feng out of the supreme heaven mystic realm, then they vanished and reappeared in the center of the Long clan. Strangely, no one seemed to be able to see them. Many Long clansmen passed by them without giving them so much as a glance which amazed Long Feng. They seemed to be… invisible?

"Hurry up kid. We don't have the whole day." Ao Zhentian urged when he saw Long Feng staring around.

"Right." Long Feng nodded and rushed into his father's bedroom silently. He thought of actually meeting his father but decided against it. He had already bid him farewell; it was better to not meet him again the same day. He sneaked into the room and silently dropped all ten martial skills he had received, as well as the two cultivation manuals. He had no use for all of them.

Then he left one of the two spirit armament swords behind and kept several pill bottles as well with short notes to explain the uses if everything. He thought of leaving a few imperial crystals, but that would cause a disaster to the Long clan if it was ever exposed, as they didn't have an Imperial master. They didn't even have any spirit realm warriors yet.

Before he left, he left behind a jade that advised his father not to reveal any of these treasures to anyone, not even to the most loyal clansmen unless the Long clan was strong enough to protect themselves. After that, he left as silently as he arrived and returned to Ao Zhentian's side.

"Done?" Ao Zhentian asked with a glance. Long Feng nodded.

"Very well. We're leaving right now. I've given you enough time to finish anything you wish to do before you leave. The journey to the mainland will take a month even with my speed, and it won't be a smooth journey. Prepare yourself." Ao Zhentian waved his hand and they both vanished.

The Jade Sea was a near endless sea that separated the mainland from the continent zone. It was extremely vast and no one had ever reached the ends of the sea. It just seemed to go on and on for ever. Within the sea lived countless creatures, from the smallest fishes to massive leviathans and other underwater creatures. According to rumors, the creatures in the depths of the Jade Sea could easily destroy the mainland completely. Of course, they were just rumors, but there was some truths to it.

The undersea creatures were very strong. Even the weakest of them were spirit level beasts, which was barely enough to survive the terrifying pressure underwater. It was easy to be attacked by a deity and even Dao realm beast suddenly, which would make it impossible for anyone below those realms to survive. Moreover, the sky of above the jade sea lacked natural energy.

It was impossible to recover the energy spent, and only Dao realm masters and above had enough energy to travel the jade sea without exhausting their energy. At this moment, far away from the continent zone entirely and close to the massive mainland, a beautiful snow white palace flew through the air at a terrifying speed. Sonic booms were generated by the extreme speed of the palace. Suddenly, a massive whale like fish leapt out of the ocean with it's jaws wide open.

It was extremely large and shockingly fast, and the palace was very small before it. The whale could easily swallow the palace with a single bite. Moreover, the aura that the whale exuded would leave anyone gasping for breath. It's aura was entirely above even the deity realm! Before this aura, the world seemed to bend and the natural energy of the world seemed to be completely under its control. Anyone would recognize this aura instantly, even if they had never sensed it before.

Without doubt, this aura could only belong to a single realm… Dao Realm! A Dao realm wild beast! And one as large as a whale! This was inconceivable. As the whale approached the palace, the palace slowed down and gradually paused. Then the palace doors opened and threw figures appeared, three ladies. They were each dressed in pure white, looking like fairies that descended from the heavens. They all had an icy aura that made them unapproachable, and their auras were each very powerful.

The three ladies stared at the approaching whale indifferently.

"Yue'er, This is an early stage Dao realm beast, the sky devouring whale. It's just a baby. Watch carefully." The woman on the left spoke, turning to glance at the lady in the center. This was Mu Binglan! And besides her was Li Yue'er as well as the final woman who was with them. My Binglan turned back to the whale and vanished from her spot, suddenly appearing right in front of the whale. She was unbelievably tiny before the open jaws of the whale, and it could logically swallow her without knowing it did. But…

could it? Mu Binglan calmly raised her delicate right arm with her palm facing the whale, then she pushed forward slightly. Her indifferent eyes reflected the scene that happened next. A wave of extremely cold energy gushed out of her palm and the sky seemed to overturn. The weather changed and it began to snow all around. Her casual attack had actually affected nature itself! This level of power was shocking. The massive whale was completely frozen in a giant block of ice without being able to resist at all.

It's mouth was still wide open, but it was already dead, it's life source snuffed out by the cold. A Dao level beast had died so easily! Mu Binglan barely moved at all! She reappeared before the palace doors again and glanced at Li Yue'er.

"We should arrive at the at the mainland in three more days. It'll take us several more days to reach the Frozen Empress Valley. Have you made up your mind?" She asked coldly. Li Yue'er glanced behind her at the bast sea and the horizon that stretched endlessly. Her gaze was filled with some indiscernible emotions.

"I already said it. There's no mind to make up." She replied calmly. Mu Binglan frowned slightly.

"Are you really going to destroy your future for a weakling? Listen to me, in a few years, he won't even be able to hold your shoes. What is so good about him?"

"You won't understand. You think I will surpass him easily, but I think the exact opposite. In a few years, I'll not be his opponent. You just don't know him." Li Yue'er replied softly. Mu Binglan breathed heavily as she stared at Li Yue'er with some helplessness.

"There's no need to quibble. Since Yue'er believes so much in him, then it's fine. He's also coming to the mainland soon. We'll know if he is a fish or a dragon as well." The final woman smiled and interrupted gently. Mu Binglan huffed and returned to the palace, followed by the other woman. Li Yue'er remained outside for a few seconds before she returned as well and the palace resumed it's journey at the same ridiculous speed.

"Kid, this is the Jade Sea. The moment we step off the continent, there is no turning back. Your destiny will change. You will either fall and remain unknown, or rise. There's no third option." Ao Zhentian stood on a high cliff and beside him stood Long Feng. Below the cliff was a ocean that extended into the horizon, as far as the eyes could see. This was the border of the Yihua continent, and before them was the Jade Sea.

"I understand senior." Long Feng took a deep breath and replied.

"Very well. I'll tell you more about the mainland and the Supreme Heaven Sect in detail along the way." Ao Zhentian nodded and waved his hand. A large palace appeared behind them, emanating an extremely powerful aura.

"This is my personal treasure. We'll use it to travel to avoid too much waste of energy. Get in." Ao Zhentian began as the palace entrance swung open, then he paused and stared at Long Feng.

"As I said, from now on, there's no turning back. You've lived in the continent zone where strength is revered and there is slight order, but in the mainland, there is no order. There is only one generally accepted rule; The strong rules, the weak are prey to the strong. The law of the jungle is demonstrated to the extreme, even within sects. You aren't nearly the most talented genius I've met from all I've seen in you. You have some mysteries, but that's all there is to you.

People more monstrous than you fail to rise and instead get buried, even losing their lives easily. I hope you won't face the same fate." His expression was serious as he said this and Long Feng instantly felt very grateful, but he couldn't think of the words to say, so he nodded heavily.

"Good. Let's go, shall we?"Ao Zhentian laughed and walked into the palace. Long Feng paused and stared out into the vast sea, then smiled.

"Li Yue'er, Hua Liuli, I'm coming to find you two. Liu Shan… enjoy your remaining days and wait for me. Huang Fang Hao, everyone else. I am coming!"