hotmtlnovel Chapter 75 Baking Furnace
Chapter 75 Baking Furnace
The Royal Family and the Noble Families shared the world.
The distribution of interests in the entire world depended on the status of each Martial Saint within the Artifact Sect.
However, other than Red Star and Snow Dragon, the identities of the Royal Families and Noble Families of the various countries were actually the same.
Disciples of the Artifact Sect.
Thus, these Noble Families were never lacking in courage to overturn the Royal Families.
What they lacked was merely the strength to contend with the Royal Families.
And strength...
"I have it,"
Alkaid said lightly.
He sat on the boss's chair, resting with his eyes closed.
Yet his mind was already focused on that ancient tree.
More precisely...
On the branches of the ancient tree that madly grew to represent the "Martial Path."
1%, 31%, 61%, 91%...
Before long, this branch had broken through the shackles of the Seventh Rank Divine Demon Body Refining, reaching the Eighth Rank.
This rank...
"The Heaven and Earth Furnace has expanded further, transforming into the Furnace Refinement Realm."
Therefore, the Eighth Rank could be called the Heaven and Earth Domain Realm.
Unfortunately, after reaching the Eighth Rank, the "experience" gap widened again.
Even though Alkaid had actually accrued three hundred billion Red Star Currency, the growth progress of the "Martial Path" branch, after breaking through the Eighth Rank and reaching 6%, still slowed down and was expected to come to a complete stop at 7%.
"Is the proportion of human cost that high?"
There was something unusual in Alkaid's eyes.
Immediately after, he realized something.
He was no longer a Grandmaster now.
He was a Martial Saint.
The status of a Martial Saint was much higher than that of a Grandmaster.
Moreover, the life-or-death struggles among Martial Saints at the World Association of Red Star were equivalent to a Martial Saint fighting desperately.
There's the price of a Martial Saint's life to deduct.
This was different from sheltering the Su Family or saving Yue Xingzhou's life; human cost naturally surged with the tide.
"Domain Realm."
Just like how Fifth Rank Divine Intent and Sixth Rank Primordial Chaos were akin to supplemental realms for the Fourth Rank Martial Saints, the Eighth Rank Domain could also be seen as a perfection of the Seventh Rank Furnace Refinement Realm.
This profound realm greatly expanded the Heaven and Earth Furnace; dependent on the cultivator's realm and the strength of their Divine Intent, it spread out to several meters, dozens of meters, or even hundreds of meters in diameter.
All beings caught within this domain would face the tempering of the "Heaven and Earth Furnace."
For those Martial Saints who had yet to break through human limits, this was practically fatal.
Moreover, the user themselves could freely control the intensity of the "furnace," causing even Martial Saints with extraordinary physiques to feel extreme discomfort. To counteract the shifting domain formed by the Heaven and Earth Furnace, their vitality would inevitably fluctuate greatly, thus significantly affecting their ability to exert their true strength.
"Domain... this turns a Celestial into a true, roaming natural disaster."
Alkaid took a deep breath.
He didn't dare to imagine what kind of changes such a powerful being could cause if they acted recklessly.
To kill millions in a city...
Would probably not take much time.
"In ancient times, such martial artists would have already possessed the power to annihilate worlds,"
The many wuxia novels he had read, with their low, mid, and high martial arts, were simply incomparable to the power of such martial artists.
"If the Eighth Rank Domain is so powerful, what would the Ninth Rank look like? And above the Ninth Rank, the realm that allows one to become an Elder of the Artifact Sect and is known as a Great Cultivator, how powerful would that be? Could it guarantee a basic level of personal safety—withstanding a nuclear blast with one's physical body?"
Alkaid was increasingly looking forward to it.
After a good while, he finally collected his thoughts.
He had achieved the realm.
But his own strength had just completed the first round of physical transformation, stepping into the Fourth Rank Martial Saint.
He was still far from the Eighth Rank, not to mention the Great Cultivator whose shadow had yet to be seen.
He shifted his attention away from the power of the Seventh and Eighth Ranks, focusing on the Dao Fruit formed upon the perfection of the Seventh Rank Furnace Refinement Realm.
This was still just the progress of cultivation relying on the momentum of Earth's meridians and nutritional replenishment. If he took some Blood Replacement Elixirs, utilized some cultivation techniques, and found a location where the Earth's meridians were more pronounced, the promotion time would be further reduced.
"Elixirs can be bought with money, and money, this kind of thing, is just a string of numbers when not used. I have the techniques, and as for the momentum of Earth's meridians..."
Alkaid thought of the peculiarities corresponding to this secret technique.
Formation!
Artifact Sect, since it has Artifact Refining, naturally also has the art of setting up formations.
Those who set up formations often also survey the trends of the Earth's meridians...
"Renowned mountains and rivers."
Alkaid understood clearly.
The more famous the mountain or river, the more prominent the momentum of their Earth's meridians must be.
"Red Star Capital City of the Red Star builds against the mountain, but the Royal Court is established on Star-plucking Mountain, and the Snow Dragon Federation, their Royal Capital is also situated at the foot of the Nine Dragons Mountain..."
In the past, Alkaid did not understand the mystery of formations and terrain, but now it seems...
The two great hegemons chose their capitals at the foot of mountains, inherently with the consideration of leveraging the momentum of the Earth's meridians for certain purposes.
"Emperor Tai Mountain, Nine Dragons Mountain aside, the most famous within Dayu Territory is Emperor Yu's Mountain, merely eighty li from the Royal Capital. As for Tian Nan Territory... Yunjing Mountain is quite famous, and it's only a hundred li from the capital."
Alkaid pondered for a moment but did not entertain the idea of taking a look right away.
Dealing with the Liao Family's issue came first, and it would not be too late to visit afterward.
If things went smoothly...
He would later be cultivating in seclusion on Emperor Yu's Mountain.
...
When Alkaid returned to the villa, Yue Xingzhou was already waiting in the living room.
Upon seeing Alkaid return, this Grandmaster of the Yue Family immediately got up.
"Alkaid, Your Excellency."
"So early? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Alkaid casually asked.
Early?
You're about to turn the Royal Family and Liao Family upside down, and you can still sleep?
Do you have any idea how much of a stir the news about you, the young Martial Saint, caused in the world of Noble Families yesterday?
Well, those ripples really shouldn't have much to do with Alkaid.
But...
"I have eaten,"
Yue Xingzhou quickly said, "Last night, the Family Head and several closely associated Noble Families discussed continuously until four in the morning. Their consensus is... they wish to pay a visit to you, Your Excellency Alkaid... Do you find it appropriate?"
"Then let them come,"
Alkaid said, "Indeed, video calls are not as safe or direct as face-to-face conversations."
After saying this, he added, "How many families?"
"All of them,"
Yue Xingzhou stated emphatically.
"All nine other Noble Families are coming?"
Alkaid glanced at him, "I recall a few of them have sided with the Liao Family, have they not?"
"Who would willingly give up their relative autonomy if there were any other choice?"
Yue Xingzhou said.
"Alright, when?"
Alkaid asked.
"Whenever convenient; they will follow your schedule,"
Yue Xingzhou promptly replied.
Upon hearing this, Alkaid quickly guessed something, "Have they arrived?"
"Although they are not led by the Family Heads in order to avoid being too conspicuous and alarming the Liao Family, each one is a core member of their family's martial forces. If we truly confront the Liao Family, they will be leading the action,"
Yue Xingzhou quickly said.
"Alright, set the meeting for one hour from now, at the first conference room on the sixth floor of Xingyu Center."
Alkaid swiftly arranged.
"They will arrive at the conference room in at most half an hour, awaiting your presence."