Chapter 1268 – Empyrean Phantom

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Was the ancient calamity a great war that swept through the entire Divine Realm?

This thought instantly passed through Lin Ming’s mind. The scale of this war must have reached unimaginable proportions; even the Heavenly Dao Laws had been changed.

Just what sort of terrifying war was this, that it could even alter the Heavenly Dao Laws?

At this time, Lin Ming saw a massive purple gold divine altar appear in the void. A tall and dashing man stood atop this divine altar, wearing pure white robes.

His right hand grasped a golden scepter and his left hand grasped an ancient and solemn-looking seal. At this moment, standing atop this altar, he seemed to be the only existence in the world.

Standing alone, he faced the army comprised of over 200 Empyreans and several million Holy Lords.

“That is Empyrean Divine Seal?”

Lin Ming immediately thought.

Empyrean Divine Seal was the leader of the Divine Realm 3.6 billion years ago!

Although he was extremely far away, in the instant that Lin Ming saw Empyrean Divine Seal, his mind shook. Facing such an existence, it was like he was facing the universe and all the ancient stars within.

Afterwards, the terrifying pressure crashed down upon him like a waterfall. Endless killing intent poured past him. Caught within this pressure, Lin Ming felt like a leaf in the water, about to be swallowed up at any time.

“Is this an Empyrean will? The memories of the Divine Seal Altar?”

Lin Ming was panic-stricken. Without a doubt, he could now confirm that the ancient Divine Seal Altar was Empyrean Divine Seal’s divine tool. And, the great seal in that Empyrean Divine Seal’s hand was the Ancient Elysium Seal.

3.6 billion years ago, Empyrean Divine Seal had led the masters of the ancient Divine Realm to withstand the great tribulation. He stood atop the Divine Seal Altar, leading all the troops!

After the great tribulation passed, the ancient Divine Seal Altar went missing. In truth, it might have even been struck by some immeasurable force and been extremely damaged, otherwise it was impossible for Empyrean Vast Universe to have obtained a wisp of the ancient Divine Seal Altar’s artifact spirit to refine the Divine Seal Altar replica.

As for the Ancient Elysium Seal, it was used by Empyrean Divine Seal to suppress some unknown existence. This suppression had continued for 3.6 billion years. It was hard to imagine just what was suppressed beneath the Ancient Elysium Seal that could survive for such a long time!

Lin Ming had all these suspicions but no time to ponder on them. The pressure atop the Divine Seal Altar was too terrifying. The surging pressure ruthlessly crashed into Lin Ming. His body, soul, and inner world all simultaneously withstood the baptism of this horrifying pressure.

His divine sense seemed as if it would tear apart and his inner world was on the verge of collapse. This was the pressure that Empyrean Divine Seal left behind in the past when he once stood atop the Divine Seal Altar.

This was a pressure created by the martial arts will and thoughts of hundreds of Empyreans and millions of Holy Lord and World King powerhouses, controlling all of existence!

Even though 3.6 billion years had passed, even though this was only a dream of a wisp from the ancient Divine Seal Altar’s artifact spirit that Empyrean Divine Seal had created, Lin Ming still found this nearly impossible to withstand!

Under this pressure, Lin Ming’s entire forehead was dripping with sweat and the veins on his arm bulged up like worms.

Within Empyrean Divine Seal’s hand, that solemn and thick Ancient Elysium Seal slowly floated into the air. From that seal, 100,000 foot beams of silver radiance spread out, recklessly flying through the air. A divine might spread out, passing through the universe.

Millions of Divine Realm masters gathered, all of them solemn and grim. None of them made a single sound. Strong astral winds roared through the air, sweeping through everything. At this time, their thoughts gathered into a terrifying vortex, breaking through space itself!

Space and time collapsed, all living beings trembled!

Lin Ming struggled to continue onwards. Nearly all the blood vessels in his body were crushed but he still pressed forwards, a step at a time.

This was incomparably strenuous. Underneath this pressure, his will seemed as if it were being hammered down by a divine hammer.

“What is Lin Ming experiencing?”

“What is it? I can’t see!”

Many people discovered something strange with Lin Ming; it was apparent he was withstanding some great tribulation. In the tribulations of 70,000 feet, 80,000 feet, and 90,000 feet, they had been able to clearly see what was happening. But now, none of them were aware of just what Lin Ming was experiencing.

“In the final 10,000 feet of the Divine Seal Altar, everyone experiences something different. But since ancient times, there has never been a Divine Sea powerhouse that has managed to climb up this last 10,000 feet. It is hard to predict what Lin Ming could possibly be experiencing right now.”

“Although we can’t see, for it to be this hard for Lin Ming, it should be some sort of tribulation that we cannot hope to imagine!”

Let alone the ordinary spectators, even the high level figures in the reserved area, and even the World King Xiao Daochild himself didn’t know what Lin Ming was experiencing at this time.

Time seemed to slow down to a near standstill. Lin Ming saw a great war sweep across the heavens and earth. He saw countless trillions of lives perish. He saw ancient stars explode into nothing and worlds collapse to pieces. He saw phoenixes rise from nirvana, he saw the corpses of Azure Dragons litter the ground, and he even saw the blood of God Beasts form rivers of blood flowing to the ends of the world. Even Empyreans fell from the sky here. As for Holy Lords, their lives were as frail as dust, vanishing at every turn.

Such a scene was boundless, vigorous, bleak, tragic!

Although he was faintly aware of all these scenes, he couldn’t see it clearly happening. But, that terrifying killing intent, that gathered will, still attacked Lin Ming’s mind, nearly causing his divine sense to collapse!

“Grandmist battle spirit!”

Lin Ming shouted out loud. He displayed his grandmist battle spirit, using his sword of will to open a path in his mind!

The dark gold sword of will struck that sea of killing intent!

Peng!

As that normally unstoppable sword of will struck the sea of killing intent, Lin Ming felt his spiritual sea violently shake. A soul-tearing pain ripped through him. However, he didn’t give up. He endured this torturous pain, continuing to open a path outwards with his sword of will. Otherwise, underneath this pressure, it would be impossible for him to climb up.

Time slowly passed. A quarter hour, one hour, two hours, four hours…

Lin Ming forcefully relied on his solid unyielding will to crawl to 99,000 feet up the last step of the Divine Seal Altar!

At this time, his face was paper white and his entire body was soaked with sweat. He had overdrawn his true essence and his sword of will had dimmed to almost nothing at all. It was hard to imagine just what sort of tribulation he had experienced on his journey here.

Even though Lin Ming’s foundation was extremely deep, he had finally reached his limit. He was relying on his will alone to reach this far and continue struggling upwards.

His fingers were worn away, and he had bitten his lips so hard they were bleeding. Sweat blurred his eyes, and all sounds faded away from Lin Ming’s ears. He simply clenched his teeth, continuing forwards, unstoppable!

99,500 feet…

99,600 feet…

He would soon reach the top!

At this moment, the entire audience was roused into a frenzy.

“Is Lin Ming really going to reach the top!?”

“It’s hard to say. At the final moment he might even experience an even more terrifying tribulation! Just like the tribulations at 70,000 feet, 80,000 feet, and 90,000 feet!”

“I have no idea just what a tribulation at 100,000 feet would be like. No one can tell whether or not Lin Ming can cross that.”

Although no one knew just what Lin Ming had experienced, they could all see that he was relying on his dogged and stubborn will to climb up this far. He had already long surpassed his limits!

If he were to experience another tribulation at 100,000 feet, it would likely be even more terrifying than the one at 90,000 feet. For Lin Ming in his current state, it would be impossible for him to cross it.

At 90,000 feet, Lin Ming had relied on breaking through to the middle Divine Sea to create a miracle. Now, Lin Ming’s only hope was to break through to the late Divine Sea realm, otherwise there was nothing left for him but defeat.

But after just breaking through to the middle Divine Sea realm, it was clearly impossible for him to break through to the late Divine Sea realm right after.

“99,900 feet!”

“This is the final stretch!”

Everyone held their breath.

And at this time, the heaven and earth origin energy around the Divine Seal Altar suddenly began to swell up in chaos. A terrifying eruption of energy broke out. The massive Divine Seal Altar trembled, as if a True Dragon were awakening from deep within.

“Is there really another tribulation?”

“If there is, just who can withstand it?”

Everyone was feeling sorry for Lin Ming at this time. If there really was a tribulation at 100,000 feet, then this Divine Seal Altar was simply too abnormal. It was impossible for a human to climb up it.

“What is that!?”

Someone suddenly pointed to the highest precipice of the Divine Seal Altar.

“On the edge of the 33rd step, there’s a figure there!”

Everyone was incomparably shocked and horrified. At the highest peak of the Divine Seal Altar, there was the phantom of a tall man in white clothes. He held his hands together, as if he were standing alone in the endless flow of time, looking at the future and the past, becoming one with the boundless world.

Although this was only a phantom, the moment that he appeared, the world seemed to fall under his control, the master of the heavens and the earth, the ruler of existence. The billions of people present all had a deep impulse to fall to their knees in prostration, worshipping him.

Even Xiao Daochild, floating in the skies, was sucked in by this power, unable to continue flying!

Xiao Daochild was shocked. He rapidly formed some seals, dropping down hundreds of thousands of feet before stabilizing himself. He slowly fell down and finally landed on the ground.

Flying was prohibited above the Divine Seal Altar. But, that was only for young disciples. Xiao Daochild was a World King, thus he had the ability to fly. Yet in front of this phantom, he couldn’t even fly at all. How could he not be shocked!?

“This person is…”

Xiao Daochild’s mind raced. Even though this was only a phantom, his aura and his momentum were far more formidable than the average Empyrean’s! Xiao Daochild could not imagine just who would have such divine might!

This was also an inevitable matter. This ancient Empyrean was a figure from 3.6 billion years ago. Let alone Xiao Daochild, not even Empyrean Vast Universe knew who it was. If it weren’t for Lin Ming finding the Ancient Elysium Seal deep underneath Immemorial Imperial City, then he would never have known of the name of Empyrean Divine Seal.

“Who is he? What a terrifying and alarming aura! Facing him is like facing the endless ancient stars!”

“Just a phantom is like this. What would his true self be like?”

“I have no idea! Is this Empyrean Vast Universe?”

“It absolutely isn’t Empyrean Vast Universe. I wonder just which ancient king this is!”

As everyone was discussing, on the Divine Seal Altar, the nearly unconscious Lin Ming also saw this phantom.

Others might not know, but Lin Ming was well aware of who this was – Empyrean Divine Seal!

Empyrean Divine Seal’s phantom stood right in front of him. There was only a 100 foot distance separating them!

“Em…pyrean….Di…vine….Seal….”

Lin Ming’s lips moved, but no sound came out. At this time, he could only look at Empyrean Divine Seal, the corners of his mouth overflowing with blood.

The white-clothed phantom slowly walked forwards to the edge of the Divine Seal Altar. Lin Ming looked up but couldn’t clearly make out his appearance. All he could feel was that this phantom exuded a vast and ancient aura, as if he had stepped through the solemn and endless flow of time, bridging the gap of 3.6 billion years between then and now!

The phantom of Empyrean Divine Seal lowered his head to look down at Lin Ming. His eyes were as deep and profound as the void, impossible to see through.

Although Lin Ming didn’t understand Empyrean Divine Seal, he still felt sincere admiration towards him. This was because he shouldered the history of the Divine Realm 3.6 billion years ago!

Lin Ming wanted to open his mouth and respectfully call out senior, but he couldn’t make a single sound.

Then, at this time, Empyrean Divine Seal indifferently raised a hand and began to slowly draw something in the void…