Black Heaven Sect, inside the Towering Heaven Palace.
Chu Kuangren was in closed-door meditation, refining the Divine Emblem. After experiencing several consecutive transformations, he could vaguely feel a sense of urgency.
His enemies were getting increasingly stronger.
Back then, the opponents that he faced were only sky-prides or beings below the Emperor Realm. Now, he had to face the Gods from the ancient past!
He must hasten his pace in becoming stronger.
Ten days later.
Chu Kuangren had completely absorbed and refined that Divine Emblem. With that, his cultivation realm had improved massively, from Rank Four Initial Emperor Realm to Rank Nine Initial Emperor Realm!
He had improved by a whole five ranks!
Bear in mind, he has not been an Emperor for long!
If people were to know of his rate of improvement, they would be utterly shocked.
“The energy within this Divine Emblem is just way too immense. If I can get my hands on a couple more and absorb them, won’t I be able to advance into a Heavenly Imperial?”
Chu Kuangren exclaimed in awe.
This Divine Emblem was something that only Gods could absorb.
Yet, Chu Kuangren had disproven that by being an anomaly.
“The emergence of the Gods may present a threat, but to me, it’s a great opportunity since the various Godly Secret Realms contain numerous treasures. Putting the other stuff aside, just this Divine Emblem alone would suffice. Other people may not be able to utilize it, but I can!”
“This will be a huge turnaround.”
Chu Kuangren muttered under his breath.
After advancing to Rank Nine Initial Emperor Realm, Chu Kuangren did not immediately come out of his closed-door meditation. Instead, he remained inside and continued studying the energy from Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns.
These Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns were a means that could restrict the Gods’ prowess, and it would be one of the most important utilities he had in the days to come. Hence, he must spend some time understanding it thoroughly.
Another ten days passed by.
On this day.
Chu Kuangren resumed studying the Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns as per usual. Yet all of a sudden, he felt the Dao pattern at the very heart of his palm shudder.
It seemed like some sort of reaction to something.
“What was that?”
Chu Kuangren was slightly surprised.
Then, he received news from Elder Ruyan.
“Sect Leader, someone is here to see you.”
“I got it.”
In Longevity Hall sat a man who was wearing a long white robe and had a faint spiritual veil covering his face. The energy on this man was somewhat ethereal and elusive, as though he would vanish at any given moment.
However, when Chu Kuangren arrived, he looked at this man and felt he could see this man before him with distinct clarity. On top of that, that strange reaction to his body’s Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns became more intense.
Through all these signs, Chu Kuangren already had a rough guess as to who this person was.
“You’re a Heavenly Tormentor?”
“Yes.”
The white-robed man, a Heavenly Tormentor whom countless people feared, stared at Chu Kuangren. Nobody could see what expression he wore underneath that spiritual veil. However, Chu Kuangren could sense the other’s curiosity toward him.
“I heard that you possess Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns. May I have a look?”
The Heavenly Tormentor cut straight to the point and revealed the aim of his visit here.
Chu Kuangren raised his arm to show a piece of Dao pattern swirling in his palm. Upon seeing that, the Heavenly Tormentor’s body quivered slightly.
For some reason, Chu Kuangren could sense that something was odd with the Heavenly Tormentor in front of him. It was as if the latter was utterly astonished.
Then, this Heavenly Tormentor slowly lifted his own arm to show a piece of Heavenly Punishment Dao pattern in his palm.
However, Chu Kuangren noticed that the Heavenly Punishment Dao pattern on Heavenly Tormentor’s palm was distinct from his. The latter’s looked more like… a rune?!
“The fusion of Heavenly Punishment Dao pattern and rune? I’ve never thought about that.”
Chu Kuangren’s eyes lit up.
These days, he had been studying Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns non-stop, and now, this Heavenly Tormentor’s Dao pattern had given him inspiration.
“No way. How is this possible…”
“It’s not just any Heavenly Punishment Dao pattern but the fully authentic, truly original Heavenly Punishment Dao pattern. It is the most primitive form of the Heavenly Punishment Dao energy!”
The Heavenly Tormentor looked extremely shocked. He glanced at Chu Kuangren, his voice trembling as he said, “How did you manage to get this Dao pattern?”
As such, Chu Kuangren briefly explained the tale of him encountering the Heavenly Punishment Seal.
“So that’s how…”
“The Human King has never informed us about this.”
The Heavenly Tormentor mumbled before looking at Chu Kuangren with mixed emotions. He did not know if it was an illusion, but he was beginning to take this person in front of him as the figure that he worshipped most.
Suddenly, an outrageous idea popped up in his mind.
‘Has the Human King come alive?’
‘No. No way. ‘
‘Such a thing is impossible.’
The Heavenly Tormentor shook his head, ditching that idea from his mind.
He said to Chu Kuangren, “I will now be standing guard over the Firmament Star and put the Gods’ powers under control. Since you possess the Heavenly Punishment Dao patterns, the most primitive Heavenly Punishment Dao energy at that, feel free to approach me if you have anything that you require help for.”
“I shall thank you for that then.”
Chu Kuangren gave him a respectful nod.
That was a Heavenly Tormentor’s promise.
With a Heavenly Tormentor’s promise, not even those Daoist Celestials would dare do Chu Kuangren dirty.
After that, Chu Kuangren briefly conversed with this Heavenly Tormentor.
He found out that this Heavenly Tormentor was called the Seventh Tormentor, and that there was more than one Heavenly Tormentor in this world. Besides the Seventh Tormentor, the rest of the Heavenly Tormentors were still nursing the injuries they suffered from the Great Panhuman Revolt during the archaic ancient era.
…
“The most primitive form of Heavenly Punishment energy? I never thought that in these endless ages, there would be another person aside from the Human King who could master such power. Who is this Chu Kuangren really?”
After leaving the Black Heaven Sect, Seventh Tormentor muttered as he looked up into the sky.
Then, he seemed to have recalled something. “Divine Predictor, I must go and look for him to ask about Chu Kuangren’s origins. I might have some findings there.”
The Divine Predictor was one of the most mysterious beings in all of Firmament Star.
Yet for a Heavenly Tormentor, it was not hard at all to locate this person. In fact, they had known each other for a very long time now.
Divine Predictor was very surprised to see the Seventh Tormentor. “My gosh, isn’t this the great Seventh Tormentor? I can’t believe you’ve come to the Firmament. The Gods have made a commotion, but with you here, I can now rest my mind.”
“I’m here today to ask you about Chu Kuangren.”
The Seventh Tormentor asked directly.
The Divine Predictor did not seem surprised at all, as if he had anticipated this question long ago. He shook his head in response. “If you ask me about other people, including the Daoist Celestials, I would be more than happy to fill you in with everything you wish to know. But as for this person, I am unable to provide you with that.”
“What do you mean?”
“This person’s existence is not limited to both the past and the present. Even now, his fate seems to spread far beyond the ends of time, making him impossible to fathom.”
Upon hearing that, the Seventh Tormentor frowned. “How is that possible?”
“He’s an anomaly.”
“This man wields Heavenly Punishment energy. Did you know that?”
“Oh, is he an enforcer that the Human King left behind?”
The Divine Predictor was slightly taken aback.
He had a certain understanding toward Heavenly Punishment energy.
“No, the Heavenly Punishment energy that he has is the most primitive form. I’ve only ever seen such energy on the Human King himself.”
The Seventh Tormentor said solemnly.
Upon hearing this, the Divine Predictor gasped, and his expression turned incredibly solemn. “What you’re saying… Are you certain?”
“Do you think I’d joke on matters like this?”
The Divine Predictor dished out a bronze mirror and then chanted a mantra, which he cast inside the mirror. Countless runes began to flash across the mirror’s surface.
“What are you doing?”
“This bronze mirror is an inheritance from the Phantom Valley’s First School of Physiognomy, where I came from. It records the fates of every great figure from the past till present… There it is.”
“What is it?”
“I did a brief search on every record related to the Human King’s fate. There’s only one statement summarizing it… His existence is not limited to both the past and present, free from the restrictions of fate. This description… is similar to Chu Kuangren’s.”
“A nearly identical fate and similar Heavenly Punishment energy. Adding that to the vibe he’s been giving me, could he really be…”
Seventh Tormentor was now at a loss for words.
