Chapter 1228 – Divine Seal Altar

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“We will soon arrive at Gravemoon Star. All participants, please tidy up your belongings and prepare to depart the spirit ship. 10 days from now, the semifinals will officially begin!”

After three months passed, an indifferent voice echoed throughout the entire spirit ship.

All the participants of the True Martial Great World had finally arrived at the location of the First Martial Meeting semifinals.

“We’ve finally arrived…”

Lin Ming stood atop the deck. From atop the vast and endless starry skies, he could make out the sky blue planet beneath him.

This planet was a hundred million miles in diameter and 70% of the surface was water.

This was one of Empyrean Vast Universe’s private planets. Although the planet was vibrant and filled with life, there wasn’t a single human present on it. It had always been in an idling state, but now it was being used as one of the 30 locations where the First Martial Meeting semifinals would be held.

The spirit ship passed through this last distance of space and descended directly onto Gravemoon Star.

“All participants, please depart the spirit ship. The semifinals will begin 10 days from now.”

The unfeeling voice resounded out once more. As Lin Ming flew down from the spirit ship, he saw that there were dozens of spirit ships parked high in the skies.

The participants of over 100 great worlds were gathered at Gravemoon Star. Every great world had an envoy and a spirit ship that was specifically sent to pick up the participants.

Now, the many spirit ships were parked in the skies, gathered over each other like a mountain. Hundreds of thousands of disciples flew down from these spirit ships. From afar, they looked like a crowd of ants falling from the skies.

“300,000 people have gathered here. I wonder just how we’ll compete.” Lin Ming said to himself. They clearly weren’t planning on using the Divine Dream World, and with so many people here, wanting everyone to compete on an equal playing field would be difficult.

“Mm… what’s that?”

Lin Ming suddenly discovered that in front of the many spirit ships, there were vast and endless plains, flat and even. On these broad plains was a massive purple and gold divine altar that extended for hundreds of thousands or even millions of feet upwards! This divine altar was so great that it seemed to stretch to infinity, almost impossible to measure with the human eye. A giant spirit ship revolved around this divine altar. Although this could have been called a titanic spirit ship, in front of this divine altar, that massive spirit ship appeared the same as a tiny fly.

“That is far too big. Is that an altar of some sort?”

Lin Ming was shocked. If he compared this altar to a mountain, then this would be the grandest and largest mountain he had ever seen!

This divine altar had dozens of steps. Every step was 100,000 feet high and 100,000 feet wide. Each step seemed as if it were its own separate world.

And what bewildered Lin Ming the most was that on this divine altar, the heaven and earth origin energy was so thick that it turned into essence, gathering into countless bubbles that flowed into rivers of water. At the highest step of the altar, the streams of essence gathered more and more until they began falling down the steps like a waterfall!

These rivers and waterfalls were all formed of liquid heaven and earth origin energy; it was an inestimable amount. This heaven and earth origin energy did not come from Gravemoon Star, but was stored within the divine altar. If all of this heaven and earth origin energy was completely converted to true essence and then used to attack, then the striking power could be imagined!

In the skies, the many martial artists also discovered the magnificent and strange divine altar.

Some martial artists were curious and wished to fly over and take a better look. But, before they could even get close, an indescribably terrifying pressure enveloped them. These peerless geniuses were like insects that had their wings clipped. They desperately urged all of their energy to fly away, but their speed slowly decreased until they finally fell from the skies!

Luckily, these martial artists were all extremely strong and had thick shields of protective true essence, otherwise they would have been seriously wounded.

“What is going on here?”

“There’s a horrifying pressure coming from that divine altar!”

The countless proud heaven-gifted elites all looked up towards this magnificent purple gold divine altar.

This divine altar was made from some strange and unknown stone. This stone wasn’t smooth, rather, it was covered with lines and seemed extremely rough, as if every inch had been violently hewed from the ground. But upon further inspection, one could see that these lines weren’t random at all. Each line seemed to contain its own secrets, just like the lines on the chaos stones!

Each step had different-looking lines. Carefully counting, from the bottom to the top this massive divine altar had a total of 33 steps!

A 33 step divine altar, symbolizing the 33 Layered Heavens!

Upon seeing this number, Lin Ming’s thoughts stirred. He had crossed a 33 Layered Heavens Ninefall, and this divine altar also had 33 steps.

“I’ve heard in the myths that the heavens have 33 layers, but just what does the 33 Layered Heavens mean? In the Sky Spill Continent, it was said that there were six layers in heaven, and when I flew into the skies I indeed found six layers of heaven. The lowest level was the Calmstream Heavens, followed by the Primal Chaos Heavens. Every different level had different scenery, but, the Sky Spill Planet is merely a tiny insignificant planet amongst the billion words of the lower realms. Just what significance could the heavens there have in comparison to the 33 Layered Heavens of the Divine Realm? Is it some special place?”

Lin Ming had long been puzzled about this. There were even countless opinions concerning the 33 Layered Heavens, but there was no definitive viewpoint.

At this time, from within Lin Ming’s spiritual sea, Mo Eversnow said, “Debates about the 33 Layered Heavens and just what it is have been around for a long time, and even I don’t know exactly what it is. As for this divine altar in front of us, I feel that there is something a bit strange about it. The material used to refine this altar is one of the three wondrous stone types of the Divine Realm, timeless god stone! That is a material capable of forging a weapon worthy of the Heavenly Dao!”

“Mm? Timeless god stone?”

Lin Min was a bit startled upon learning this. At this time, a great voice spread throughout the entirety of Gravemoon Star.

“The semifinals of the First Martial Meeting will be upon the grand altar you see before you – the Divine Seal Altar! The Divine Seal Altar is a divine instrument refined by a top Empyrean in the distant ancient era! It is said that anyone who can step onto the precipice of this altar can become a god!”

Those that can climb to the top of this altar could become a god! Just what kind of words were those!? Out of the hundreds of thousands of participants, all who heard this were left staggering back in shock.

“But, that divine instrument has long been lost. The Divine Seal Altar you see in front of you was refined by my Honorable Master – Empyrean Vast Universe! With 100,000 years of time, he perceived the Heavenly Dao and thoroughly researched the ancient Divine Seal Altar to create his own Empyrean spirit treasure.

“This Empyrean spirit treasure uses a planet as its main materials. By slowly forming it over 10,000 years, it was made with timeless god stone as well as 33 types of precious heavenly materials before finally being created!”

The person who spoke was Empyrean Vast Universe’s 76th direct disciple. He was the World King powerhouse who had sent an incarnation to pick up Lin Ming and the others to bring them to Gravemoon Star!

But this time, the one on Gravemoon Star was not an incarnation but his true self!

The one personally presiding over the semifinals at Gravemoon Star was Empyrean Vast Universe’s 76th disciple!

For a World King powerhouse to personally preside over semifinals was a magnificent enough scene.

“To think that an entire planet was refined as the main form of an Empyrean spirit treasure, an Empyrean’s skill is truly awe-inspiring! However, from what I hear it seems that this Empyrean spirit treasure was based on the ancient Divine Seal Altar. In other words, this divine altar is a replica, but it is also an Empyrean level spirit treasure replica.

“A replica is already so amazing, then how formidable would the true Divine Seal Altar be? It’s even said that whoever can reach the top of this altar can become a god! And… this name of Divine Seal… could the ancient Divine Seal Altar have been refined by Empyrean Divine Seal?”

Lin Ming theorized. His first thought was of Empyrean Divine Seal!

Empyrean Divine Seal was undoubtedly an incomparably powerful Empyrean. He was at least on the same rank as Empyrean Primordius, or, he might even surpass Empyrean Primordius!

This was because Lin Ming had journeyed underneath Immemorial Imperial City and encountered the ancient relic that still existed there – the Ancient Elysium Seal. From there, he learned that Empyrean Divine Seal was greatly related to the world calamity 3.6 billion years ago – he might have even been the heroic protagonist of that era!

“The true Divine Seal Altar is actually a divine instrument. The true Divine Seal Altar likely surpasses even an Empyrean level spirit treasure!”

When Lin Ming was in the Eternal Demon Abyss and walked through the Road of Emperor, he had encountered the Demon Emperor’s remnant will. From his lips, Lin Ming learned that the reason Empyrean Primordius had created the Road of Emperor in the past was all in order to successfully refine a divine instrument.

However, in the end he had failed and had even perished. As for the many secrets of the Empyreans, the Demon Emperor didn’t know about any of it.

From this, it could be seen that a divine instrument far surpassed an Empyrean level spirit treasure. Otherwise, with Empyrean Primordius’s skill, it shouldn’t have been so difficult to refine an Empyrean spirit treasure and still finally be defeated at the end.

As Lin Ming was thinking about this, the great booming voice of Empyrean Vast Universe’s 76th disciple rang out once more. “I shall now announce the competition rules for the semifinals!”

Competition rules?

All of the participating martial artists were startled and immediately pricked up their ears, respectfully listening. This was something that directly related to their results in the First Martial Meeting and even their future achievements afterwards. They naturally had to listen well!

“I am the presiding moderator of the semifinals held here. I am the 76th disciple of Empyrean Vast Universe. As for the lot of you, you may refer to me as Xiao Daochild!”

“The semifinals shall be held atop the Divine Seal Altar. The Divine Seal Altar contains the pressure of an Empyrean. Even though the vast majority of that pressure has been restrained, it will still be supremely suppressive on martial artists. In order to contend with this pressure, not only will you need a deep cultivation but you will also need determination, will, talent, all of that will be indispensable! The Divine Seal Altar is a comprehensive test that will push you to the limit in every aspect. If you cannot withstand the pressure then let alone climbing the Divine Seal Altar, even standing tall upon it will be impossible.

“Moreover, with every step you advance on the Divine Seal Altar, you will need to defeat a powerful opponent! Array formations have already been prepared on the first 21 steps of the Divine Seal Altar. These array formations will produce simulation spirit bodies of varying strength. Only by defeating them will you be able to climb to the next step. If you lose, you lose all qualifications to advance!

“As for the last 12 steps, you will not fight spirit bodies but other participants. Only by defeating your opponent will you be able to advance to the next step. If you are defeated, you will be sent back down one step. You are allowed to be defeated five times. Once you are defeated for a sixth time, you will lose the qualification to advance!”

As Xiao Daochild spoke, all of the present martial artists were dumbfounded. They would have to withstand a tremendous pressure just standing on the Divine Seal Altar. If they were to fight in this situation, the consumption of energy in their bodies could be imagined!

The first 21 steps were much easier; one would only need to fight simulation spirit bodies formed by array formations. As for the last 12 steps, one would need to fight other geniuses. However, if a participant could reach that step, they would also be an extreme genius of their generation. That would be where the true battles took place!

As for a limit of being able to be defeated five times, that was a measure to prevent bad luck. If one was strong enough to pass but actually ran into a ridiculous powerhouse, they wouldn’t be immediately eliminated before being able to take several more steps upwards.

“In this competition, you may not kill your opponent. After your opponent admits defeat, you are forbidden to attack them. Finally, I wish you all the best in reaching the summit, even though the hopes of that are extremely slim.”

Xiao Daochild’s last words aroused the rebellious fighting spirit within all the geniuses present. All of them were chosen amongst the chosen prides of heaven. If someone told them not to reach towards the top, they would climb even harder!