King of Creation
Chapter 842 - 830 The Impenetrable Grand Formation

Chapter 842: Chapter 830 The Impenetrable Grand Formation

As Ye Zhen pulled the giant copper ring on the palace gate, it seemed to trigger some mechanism. A burst of crimson stream light cascaded down from the plaque below ’Ground Fire Heart Palace,’ directly enveloping Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen’s expression changed drastically, instinctively resisting, but the crimson stream light contained an extraordinary power. When Ye Zhen initially resisted, he could manage a slight struggle.

The more he struggled, the stronger the power within the crimson stream light became. Ye Zhen felt as if he were trapped in a quagmire, eventually immobilized by the crimson stream light, unable to move!

Tense and panicked, Ye Zhen even unleashed his immense and unrivaled Divine Soul Power against the crimson stream light, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea, with no reaction whatsoever.

Ye Zhen grew anxious, while all other Establishment Kings’ eyes gathered here.

At first, many were somewhat envious, thinking Ye Zhen had found an opportunity. But when Ye Zhen was fixed in a ’大’ shape by the crimson stream light, appearing to be in a precarious situation, some began to gloat.

For instance, King Zhenshan, and the five under Tiger King’s command, along with the disguised Longevity Sect Master Yin Changsheng, all wished for Ye Zhen’s immediate demise!

Ye Zhen was somewhat depressed, for touching the copper ring wasn’t without reason.

Under his Sword Heart Enlightenment perception, the Ground Fire Heart Palace presented to everyone was indeed only this pair of copper rings that had something unusual.

At first glance, the copper ring seemed enveloped by the Formation Shield, but actually not so; it was between inside and outside, seemingly movable.

Moreover, the reason for pulling this palace gate copper ring was mainly due to Ye Zhen remembering seeing a bit about Ancient Cultivators’ etiquette in ancient texts.

Among Ancient Cultivators, killings were brutal, often with various powerful formations guarding their residences. Yet, a semblance of ancient people’s simplicity remained, as they left a ring for guests to knock and notify!

This trivial knowledge was incidentally stumbled upon by Ye Zhen while researching the Five-colored Soul Light of Caiyi. He hadn’t paid much attention, but seeing the copper ring today, it came back to him unexpectedly.

Seeing Ye Zhen falter, King Zhenshan cheerfully laughed, "This kid is too reckless. This kind of thousand-year-old grand formation set by Martial Artists isn’t casually..."

King Zhenshan abruptly stopped his words halfway.

Right then, a massive surge of green light exploded again from the plaque of the ’Ground Fire Heart Palace,’ and amidst the tumult, a cross-legged, seated phantom condensed!

The phantom wore a large red Taoist robe, with facial features vaguely carrying some clarity, making the whole figure seem somehow blurry, yet the pair of eyes, full of vicissitudes, was remarkably clear.

"Youth, you are the one hundred and forty-fourth person to knock at the door of this Ground Fire Heart Palace of mine. All who come to knock here can become inheritors of my Martial Arts Inheritance!

Quite an expectation, isn’t it? Let me first introduce myself!"

The moment this green phantom appeared, Ye Zhen was stunned, and the Establishment Kings on the periphery were stunned too. Not just stunned, but King Zhenshan was directly dumbstruck.

While the numerous Establishment Kings were dumbfounded, suddenly one began to retreat backward, and then a group of them, like a startled rabbit, retreated wildly!

Why retreat?

They were attacking someone else’s Secret Mansion and scheming for it here, and judging by the layout of the Ground Fire Heart Palace, it undoubtedly belonged to someone with terrifying cultivation.

Now that the actual owner appeared, why wouldn’t they run?

Were they waiting to be dealt with by the owner?

Within a few breaths, some had already retreated several miles.

However, before retreating tens of miles, some halted their swift retreat, examining the green phantom with a puzzled gaze.

Despite many retreating, the green phantom didn’t react at all, standing there like wood.

Seemingly unable to see them at all.

This defied common sense!

Even if it were a senior expert, witnessing this, they might vent their anger!

This reminded them of some legendary existences; some Secret Mansions, whose owners may have long been gone, what remained often being a trace of Split Soul or a memory form, or perhaps a Spirit Shadow the owner specifically Condensed Refinement!

The wooden-like green shadow before them seemingly doesn’t even qualify as a Split Soul, most likely a Spirit Shadow left by a former owner with a wisp of Divine Soul Aura.

With this realization, some bold Establishment Kings attempted to approach the Ground Fire Heart Palace anew.

Then they discovered that the sudden green shadow still remained wooden-like, this discovery prompting the martial artists, who had fled from the Ground Fire Heart Palace earlier, to return, all focusing on the palace gate, itching to leap into the light screen and replace Ye Zhen!

The reason was simple; they could see the green figure’s lips moving constantly, seemingly speaking to Ye Zhen, yet those outside couldn’t hear a word, making them increasingly anxious.

Some even grew desperate, considering attack on Ye Zhen!

However, the stream light entrapping Ye Zhen was as resilient as the Formation Shield, not easily breakable.

Moreover, such attempts were promptly stopped by the crowd.

Everyone could see; the Copper Ring and this green figure were likely key to entering the Ground Fire Heart Palace. If they were destroyed, their chance to enter would be gone.

Clear what to do next, let Ye Zhen test the way. If he managed to enter, they’d try it next.

Outside, a group of Establishment Kings were so anxious that their throats were on fire, yet Ye Zhen’s expression turned incredibly shocked!

The shock was entirely due to what the elder in front of him had said.

"My favorite title is the Earth Core Fire Commander. From the year 43,000 of the Yuan Dan Calendar, I joined the Human Clan’s army and began fighting against the Demon Clan, battling for over 1,100 years, slaying countless varieties of the Demon Clan, including over 100,000 Demon Generals, 1,000 Demon Marshals, and 12 Demon Masters...."

This introduction left Ye Zhen’s heart pounding.

It was truly heart-pounding shock.

Ye Zhen knew the Yuan Dan Calendar, which was the ancient calendar.

The Human-Demon War of ancient times reportedly caused the human realm to fall apart, and the Yuan Dan Calendar ceased in the year 48,127.

The Earth Core Fire Commander’s battles started from year 43,000 of the Yuan Dan Calendar, meaning this existed 5,000 years before the end of that calendar.

After the Yuan Dan Calendar ended, there was a blank period in the calendar said to last several hundred years, after which various regions had their own records.

For example, the Black Dragon Domain adopted the Black Dragon Calendar, which is currently in the year 4,380, while the True Spirit Domain’s True Spirit Calendar is currently in the year 4,971, over a hundred years more than the Black Dragon Calendar.

Whether it’s more or less by a hundred or so years, it still represents that the Earth Core Fire Commander before him is an extremely ancient existence.

Both the Black Dragon Calendar and True Spirit Calendar have close to 5,000 years of history, not counting the blank period in between, plus the 5,000 years of the Yuan Dan Calendar, making the Earth Core Fire Commander an existence from ten thousand years ago.

And now, it seemed he was selecting a Martial Arts Inheritor.

This made Ye Zhen’s heart begin to race violently!

During ancient times, Martial Arts flourished, known as the period of Martial Divine Communication. It is said that during that time, martial artists were extremely powerful, but they were the masters of the world, and the Demon Race and Demon Beasts were all their slaves.

A martial artist could shatter space with a punch and traverse vast voids in a single step, immensely strong.

However, since the end of the Yuan Dan Calendar, Martial Arts have declined to this day.

Some ancient books within a hundred years of the Black Dragon Calendar refer to that era of Martial Arts as the Decline Era, filled with longing for ancient Martial Arts in their words.

However, what has been inherited is scarce and not recognized by today’s martial artists, who largely believe today’s Martial Arts to be extremely prosperous.

The recorded number of Demon Generals, Demon Marshals, and Demon Masters this Earth Core Fire Commander killed further left Ye Zhen dumbfounded.

Ye Zhen once possessed a General-Level Celestial Spirit Boat in the Black Dragon Domain, and its full-power strike equated to the strength of a Demon General back then.

A General-Level Celestial Spirit Boat could be filled with 100,000 Spirit Crystals at a time, which could be Low Grade, Mid-grade, High Grade, or even Supreme Spirit Crystals.

In ancient times, resources were so abundant that no one used High Grade Spirit Crystals.

Thus, the Spirit Energy Cannons on a General-Level Celestial Spirit Boat were powered by Supreme Spirit Crystals.

While Ye Zhen was in the Black Dragon Domain, General-Level Celestial Spirit Boats were generally powered by Low Grade Spirit Crystals or Mid-grade Spirit Crystals.

Firing Spirit Energy Cannons with 100,000 Mid-grade Spirit Crystals, a single shot could easily kill martial artists of the fifth or sixth stage of the Vein Forging Realm. By extrapolation, 100,000 High Grade Spirit Crystals, if available and used, could likely annihilate an Establishment King with one shot.

Then what about 100,000 Supreme Spirit Crystals?

The power to easily kill, absolutely something capable of surpassing an Establishment King in terror!

And each Demon General’s true strength was about the same as this General-Level Celestial Spirit Boat filled with 100,000 Supreme Spirit Crystals at full power.

So each Demon General had terrifying power surpassing an Establishment King, a legendary existence.

And the Earth Core Fire Commander had slain over 100,000 Demon Generals!

Not to mention slaying over 100,000 Demon Generals; even slaying over 100,000 Establishment Kings would be an incredible feat!

Let alone the more powerful Demon Marshals and Demon Masters!

And now, this terrifying existence was selecting a Martial Arts Inheritor through this formation!

Just thinking about it was incredibly exciting!

However, just as Ye Zhen was getting excited, the Earth Core Fire Commander poured a bucket of cold water over Ye Zhen’s head.

"Of course, with my reputation, I definitely wouldn’t casually accept someone as my Martial Arts Inheritor, so I have set up three trials. If you can pass them all, then you can inherit my Martial Arts legacy!

However, let me remind you, 144 Ring Holders before you, excluding five who gave up on the trials, the remaining 139 all failed to pass!

Moreover, the three Martial Arts Inheritance trials I set up, especially the latter two, come with life-threatening risks, among which 101 of those who failed died!"

At this point, the Qing Ying above Ye Zhen’s head looked at him, "Young man, tell me, are you willing to enter my Martial Arts inheritance trials?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)