Chapter 1642: Importance of Preparation

"It's really too hasty, and there are still those with ulterior motives watching us closely!" Despite Shang Xia's determination, Ge Qingzhu still tried his best to dissuade him.

Shang Xia chuckled in response, “If even we think it’s too rushed and I’m being reckless... Everyone else definitely won’t expect it!”

Ge Qingzhu frowned. "The problem isn’t whether we’re able to catch them off guard or not. It’s whether you can successfully break through!”

Instead of taking it seriously, Shang Xia laughed, “If this was before I returned, I might have some doubts about advancing to the Seven Star Realm. However... The moment I arrived outside the heavenly screen, most of my doubts disappeared. I am confident I will be able to succeed.”

"How so? Was it that burst of energy above the heavenly screen?” Ge Qingzhu's eyes brightened, momentarily forgetting that matters like that were usually cultivation secrets and were taboo to ask.

However, Shang Xia didn't mind and generously explained, "Indeed! But it wasn't intentional; it was actually a case of my inner qi going out of control at that moment."

"Losing control of your qi?” Dou Zhong couldn't help but yell in shock. At the side, Ge Qingzhu also showed a strange look of worry.

Shang Xia chuckled, "Exactly, I lost control of my qi for a moment. The preparations I made in the various worlds in the different Heavenly Fields were complete, along with the suns that we surveyed, I was ready to break through. The moment I returned, the process of ascension started and I had to forcefully interrupt it. As for what happened next... All of you were there.”

Ge Qingzhu thought for a moment before he asked, "Did that brief moment of near ascension make you realize something? Is that why you stopped it?”

Shang Xia nodded in response. "Indeed! It won’t be that easy to enter the Seven Star Realm. However, that moment was more like a rehearsal for my breakthrough and it allowed me to realize the preparations I made in the various worlds weren’t just essential for my progress into the Seven Star Realm. They will also provide protection during the process.”

Seeing Shang Xia's determination, although Ge Qingzhu and Dou Zhong still felt that initiating the ascension process was inappropriate, they knew they could no longer change Shang Xia's mind. After exchanging a glance, Ge Qingzhu asked, “So... What should we do next?”

Shang Xia turned serious the next moment. "The You Continent is key. I need you 2 to protect the You Continent at all costs! Even if the Jiao Continent and Bing Continent are lost, as long as we control the You Continent, we will be able to turn the situation around any time!”

"Just the You Continent?" Dou Zhong confirmed.

"Yes." Shang Xia affirmed.

Dou Zhong was the first to express his stance, "Alright, that’s what you said. If anyone with ulterior motives tries to make a move against us and interrupt your ascension process, they’ll have to step over my dead body.”

Compared to Dou Zhong's fervor, Ge Qingzhu was much calmer. "The You Continent is where our institution first rose. Even though I’m only a second tier True Immortal, with the support of the Tongyou Elysium and the continent, I can match up to a fourth tier True Immortal here. Dou Zhong might have ascended from the Bing Continent, but he should be able to stop a second tier True Immortal. We still have the rank six Formation Chu Jia personally set up... Unfortunately, Haiwei isn’t here. Otherwise, we will be able to utilize even greater might.”

Hearing his analysis, Shang Xia laughed, “Have you forgotten about the patriarch? Even though he’s injured, and we haven’t heard anything from him, as long as he’s not dead, he will be a super deterrent.”

Feeling Ge Qingzhu’s taut nerves relaxing, Shang Xia couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Soon after, he continued, “Also... Aren’t you forgetting about my External Avatar that has the ability of a high-level True Immortal? Right... Zhu Nang might also be a first tier True Immortal and might possess limited strength in our world, but he can still be very useful if he just controls our rank six Grand Formation.”

When Shang Xia mentioned his External Avatar, Ge Qingzhu finally relaxed completely.

Dou Zhong also asked, "If you fully focus on breaking through, don’t you need to recall the strength of your External Avatar?”

Shang Xia shook his head slowly. "It won't affect much."

Dou Zhong stared at Shang Xia for a moment before finally gasping in shock, “You are incredible...”

It was then that the Grand Stargazers who were studying the Star Charts finally approached.

Seeing them talking to each other, Yan Ming interjected, "We heard the intense discussion from over there. However, you seem to have underestimated us Grand Stargazers!”

Raising an eyebrow, Dou Zhong wondered, “What are you guys planning to do?”

Yan Ming raised an eyebrow at Yuan Qiuyuan, and Xin Lu patted his shoulder.

Yuan Qiuyuan grunted once before he scratched his head. While scratching, he said, "When Instructor Chu set up the grand formation over the heavenly screen, I asked her to survey over a dozen asteroids over dozens of miles in diameter and several pieces of floating islands. We left specific paths in the grand formation. Initially, we only planned to use it to experiment with our Stargazing art, but now, we can draw them over as we wish and smash them at the territories of the other Elysiums...”

As soon as he spoke, he saw 3 True Immortals staring at him with their mouths agape.

Dou Zhong took a long while to respond, excitedly slapping Yuan Qiuyuan on the shoulder. Ignoring his pained grimace, he yelled, "Good shit! This is good shit, lad! I didn't expect you to have such skills! Asteroids tens of miles in diameter suddenly falling from the sky is definitely not something a few Martial Dipper Realm cultivators can withstand. If several falls at the same time... Even a True Immortal might struggle to stop them all. If we catch them by surprise... Heh, we might be able to blow up an Elysium if the impact is great enough!”

Yuan Qiuyuan scratched the back of his head and continued, "I can control at most 2 or 3 large asteroids to strike the same area at once. To maximize the power, all 3 of us will have to work together. We will use the Stargazer to gather the power of our Stargazing Hall.”

Ge Qingzhu couldn't help but exclaim, "I never expected our great Grand Stargazer Yuan to have laid out such a horrifying scheme in secret!”

Shang Xia smiled slightly and said, "Since that's the case, let's get ready to start. It's time for the various sects to fulfill their promises."

Only a day had passed, and every so often, a transmission talisman would streak across the sky above Tongyou Institution, sending dozens of luminous trails flying towards various sects, blessed lands, and forces.

In less than half a day, the entire Spirit Luxuriant World knew that Shang Xia, the sixth tier True Immortal of Tongyou Institution, was not only forcefully initiating his ascension to the Seventh Order, but also starting the transformation of their world into an Essence World.

As the news spread, nearly 90 percent of the warriors in the Spirit Luxuriant World thought Shang Xia was insane.

Despite their world having 24 continents in a state of perfection, and even though Shang Xia was at the grand completion stage, an Essence World and becoming a Sage was still considered an unreachable goal by many.

Ultimately, it was still too soon since the Spirit Luxuriant World’s formation from an Azure World. For most cultivators who had just experienced the ascension dozens of years ago, it seemed utterly fantastical to try to become an Essence World.

Simply put, the cultivators of the Spirit Luxuriant World had not mentally prepared themselves to become cultivators of an Essence World.

The foundation of the Spirit Luxuriant World was simply too shallow.

As for the high-level experts of the various major powers and Holy Lands... When they received a personal transmission from Shang Xia, there were some who were shocked and astonished. Some responded, advising caution, and there were also some who were ready to watch the world burn. There were also some who remained indifferent and there were naturally others who held malicious intentions.

However, regardless of how unwilling the various sects and powers were, given Shang Xia's resolute determination and the oath all of them made, they had no choice but to cooperate. They started to release the energy contained in their faction to nourish the World Origin Source.

In an instant, the World Origin Source of the Spirit Luxuriant World started to bubble. The skies above the Elysiums and Holy Lands were filled with spectacular visions and heavenly phenomena. The density of heaven and earth qi began to rise sharply, soon creating a vibrant and intense scene.

Within the Northern Sea Mystic Sect, Eternal Palace, and Divine Capital Sect leading the way, the various factions had no choice but to follow.

In the Elysium in Five Pillars City of the Jiao Continent, Dou Zhong had already arrived through the Five Element Teleportation Formation. Looking at the celestial phenomena in the skies, he revealed a complicated emotion. A moment later, a soft sigh escaped his lips, “May everything go as you wish."

He released the world origin contained in their Elysium, and leaving only enough to sustain the existence of the Elysium, the rest returned to the World Origin Source.

As it happened, Dou Zhong recalled what Ge Qingzhu secretly instructed him before his return.

If required, destroy the Elysium to inject more world origin into the World Origin Source. We will be able to support the world’s ascension and help Shang Xia in his breakthrough at the same time. In fact... Even the Tongyou Elysium can be sacrificed if required!

Ge Qingzhu, being a second tier Elysium True Immortal, had long since integrated his soul into the Tongyou Elysium.

If The Tongyou Elysium was destroyed and he failed to relocate his soul into another Elysium, Ge Qingzhu’s life would be forfeit.

Moreover... The Elysium in the Jiao Continent would be the first to be destroyed, and there would be no Elysium in their Spirit Luxuriant World left capable of housing Ge Qingzhu!

Even if there were, which power would be willing to accept an outsider?

Without a doubt, following Shang Xia's forceful initiation of the ascension process, Ge Qingzhu had already chosen to gamble his life alongside the potential Sage.

"They’re fucking crazy!"

...

Shang Xia was well aware that even with the infusion of the energy of the various Elysiums and Holy Lands, the World Origin Source of the Spirit Luxuriant World would be far from reaching the limit.

Under such circumstances, even if the world's ascension were forcibly initiated, the Spirit Luxuriant World was likely to ultimately fail in the future due to insufficient energy.

However, Shang Xia's experiences in the Azure Ruling World, which had already become the Spirit Ruling World, gave him more ideas about the world ascension process.

His Six Harmony Supporting The Heavens, which had connected the heaven and earth in the Azure Ruling World, was naturally able to support the heavens of the Spirit Luxuriant World!

The approach might seem like he was killing the golden goose and was using the Spirit Luxuriant World’s potential, the Spirit Ruling World was a good example. As long as he managed to replenish the world origin required, all potential disasters would be mitigated!

As for the reason he had the balls to do that... It was naturally because he was confident he would reach the Seven Star Realm before the transformation of the world failed!

After all... The transformation of a Spirit World to an Essence World would take years or even decades! Shang Xia’s breakthrough process might take mere months if all went well.

With the difference in time, Shang Xia had faith he would be able to make up for everything the world lacked.

Of course, in such a scenario, Shang Xia, who originally had little obligation to the Spirit Luxuriant World, would inevitably form a deeper karmic connection with it. If he failed to make up for the lack of world origin and the ascension failed, he would be devoured by the World’s Will, ending his life.

Unfortunately, he had no other choice!

Above Tongyou City, Shang Xia's figure hovered high in the sky.

Everyone in the Martial Dipper Realm and above knew what was going to happen. All of them raised their heads to look at the lone figure standing in the air above.

Sensing the rising density of heaven and earth qi while feeling the rapidly bubbling World Origin Source, Shang Xia understood that he had fully squeezed out the potential of the Spirit Luxuriant World.

Everything else was up to him.

As Shang Xia spread his arms, the Six Direction Qi in his dantian was fully activated. A tangible projection of the Crimson Soul Tablet started to gather in front of his chest and the second it formed, Shang Xia grabbed it. Swinging his arms downwards, he stabbed it straight into the world.