Chapter 374: The Indestructible Statue
“Cough.” Suddenly, the Sword Sovereign spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Li hurried forward with concern, but the Sword Sovereign waved him off. “It’s nothing. Just some internal injuries from tempering my sword path in the void earlier. Let’s continue studying this half-statue.”
“Why can’t even my sword cut through a statue made of ordinary material? And what kind of power could have severed it in the first place?”
Jiang Li absolutely couldn’t voice the thought that worshipping the Divine Vault Sovereign and killing people would earn merit.
The Immortal Elder Changcun had mentioned that the Outer Realm Demons worshipped some unknown deity whose worship altered the method of obtaining faith. Combining these facts, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the Divine Vault Sovereign was either a belief of the Outer Realm Demons or their actual deity.
Considering even Heavenly Immortal-level demons worshipped this being that could distribute merit, one could imagine how terrifying the Divine Vault Sovereign’s true form must be.
“It’s not about the material, but the statue’s likeness.”
“The original subject of this statue was an extremely fearsome individual. Though hard to judge their exact cultivation level, they’re definitely above the Heavenly Immortal stage.”
“I suspect that because the original being was so powerful, their image became imprinted upon the myriad realms. Any statue made in their likeness would consequently become nearly indestructible.”
“However, this is just my speculation. I can’t guarantee its accuracy.” Jiang Li’s theory was bold yet carried some logical weight.
Legends spoke of beings so powerful they stood firm in the river of time – any who tried attacking their weaker past selves would be slain.
Legends told of beings whose names couldn’t be spoken without drawing their attention.
Legends mentioned existences that lived eternally without reincarnation…
The truly powerful often demonstrated their might through means that defied common sense.
The Sword Sovereign fell silent, unable to imagine what level of power could make the myriad realms acknowledge an image’s inviolability. Perhaps only legendary figures like the Dao Ancestor or Buddha – supreme beings worthy of the title “Ancestor” – could achieve such a feat.
Unfortunately, the Sword Sovereign didn’t know what these two supreme beings looked like, otherwise he’d have gladly tested his sword against their statues.
Suddenly remembering something, the Sword Sovereign said, “I do have one method to test the Human Sovereign’s theory, though it might be considered disrespectful to Your Majesty.”
“No problem, feel free to try.”
With Jiang Li’s permission, the Sword Sovereign retrieved a small statue of the Human Sovereign Jiang from his spatial ring.
Sword intent gathered like autumn rivers, countless streams merging into one overwhelming current. Boundless sword energy condensed into an intensely narrow beam of light that illuminated the void.
This strike represented the most powerful sword technique the Sword Sovereign had executed since reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!
The Sword Sovereign swung at the Human Sovereign Jiang statue.
The statue remained completely unharmed, floating serenely in the void.
The two men exchanged glances. Seeing the shock in the Sword Sovereign’s eyes, Jiang Li decided to feign astonishment as well so his companion wouldn’t feel alone.
The Sword Sovereign began regretting his stubborn decision to remain in the Sword Tomb to resolve his inner demons, missing Jiang Li’s ascension to the Mahayana Stage.
He’d never imagined that a Mahayana Stage truly existed, much less that it could be this terrifying.
He’d only struck out of curiosity, yet the Human Sovereign Jiang statue proved indestructible – his full-power attack didn’t even leave a scratch.
Jiang Li was equally surprised by his statue’s durability. It was just an ordinary clay sculpture after all.
In the Nine Provinces, everyone enshrined Jiang Li’s statues with reverence. No one had ever considered deliberately damaging a Human Sovereign Jiang statue. Even if one fell accidentally without breaking, people would attribute it to good luck rather than considering the statue might be indestructible.
That would simply be too absurd.
“Human Sovereign, your power has been acknowledged by the myriad realms too.”
“Seems so.”
“Isn’t your reaction a bit too calm?” The Sword Sovereign had always pursued ultimate strength. If he possessed even a tenth of Jiang Li’s power, he certainly wouldn’t remain so composed.
Jiang Li considered this and decided he should show some reaction. Clearing his throat, he said, “In reaching this stage, I must first thank all my opponents on the cultivation path. Without their… diligent efforts in pressuring me, Jiang Li wouldn’t be where he is today. Secondly, I should thank the former Human Sovereign for his guidance…”
The Sword Sovereign: “……”
“If the statue is so hard to destroy, what kind of force could have severed this one?” The Sword Sovereign ran his fingers along the smooth cross-section of the bisected Divine Vault Sovereign statue.
Only the lower half remained, its severed surface impossibly smooth without the slightest imperfection.
After some thought, Jiang Li used a hand-chop to split the Divine Vault Sovereign statue down the middle, dividing it into two thigh pieces.
The surface Jiang Li created was equally mirror-smooth.
“It would probably take Heavenly Immortal-level power to accomplish this.” Jiang Li could only estimate, having never directly fought a Heavenly Immortal. His only comparable experience was his battle with the Mortal World Celestial.
“Could there have been an immortal battling Outer Realm Demons in the void, with the clash’s residual energy severing this statue?”
“Quite possible. From which direction did the statue drift?” Though uncertain how long ago this occurred, it was worth investigating.
They might discover traces of either immortal or demons.
“That way.” The Sword Sovereign pointed before coughing up another mouthful of blood.
The blood disintegrated instantly in the void, starkly contrasting with the intact Human Sovereign Jiang statue.
“My injuries prevent me from accompanying the Human Sovereign in this search. Please forgive my discourtesy.” Though severely wounded by the void, the Sword Sovereign’s eyes shone brightly.
His void tempering had yielded significant sword path insights.
“Feel free to go. Just keep the statue matter confidential.”
Jiang Li wanted as few people as possible knowing about the Divine Vault Sovereign. He’d deliberately avoided mentioning the statue’s identity to the Sword Sovereign.
The void was inherently unsuitable for prolonged Tribulation Transcendence Stage stays. Having endured unknown duration before Jiang Li’s arrival, the Sword Sovereign was at his limit – further stay would damage his foundation.
The Sword Sovereign hastily returned to the Nine Provinces, his wounds healing rapidly upon leaving the void.
Back at his sect, he entered secluded meditation.
After clashing with other Tribulation Transcendence experts, the Sword Sovereign felt tremendous pressure. Latecomers like Li Er, Bai Hongtu, and Yu Yin could match or even surpass his combat prowess despite his seniority.
This was particularly frustrating.
Especially since both Li Er and Bai Hongtu had survived their Ascension Tribulations, advancing further along the Tribulation Transcendence path than himself.
…
Following the Sword Sovereign’s directions, Jiang Li stored the Divine Vault Sovereign statue and wandered the void alone. True to its name, the void remained pitch-black and empty.
He found no traces of immortal-demon battles along the way.
“Am I not there yet, or is the direction wrong?”
Void currents flowed unpredictably. Perhaps the Divine Vault Sovereign statue had been blown back to the Nine Provinces by multiple conflicting void currents.
If so, locating the original battle site would prove extremely difficult.
Bored in the void, Jiang Li took out a book, protecting it with magic as he read while flying.
Absorbed in literature, Jiang Li finished dozens of popular novels including “Overbearing Great Ascension Cultivator Falls For Me” and “Reborn After 500 Years: The Mahayana Cultivator Fell For Me,” yet still found no battle traces.
However, he did discover a new world.
Jiang Li breached the dimensional barrier, entering another realm.