Chapter 13: This world is crazy after all! The destined male protagonist, Xiao Tu!
Cough cough cough!
In the Ancient Forest, Ning Ye leaned against an ancient tree, recovering his strength while opening his System panel.
[Name: Ning Ye]
[Age: Eighteen]
[Cultivation: Gathering Stars First Realm]
[Lifespan: 105 years]
[Bloodline: Reverse Moon - Three Lives Body]
[Love Interest: None yet]
[Sworn Enemy: Luo Jia]
[Comprehension Ability: 100 points (Divine Rank)]
[Reverse Moon Prohibition Gates: Ultimate Intent (Max twenty times amplification already activated), Heavenly Prohibition (Not yet activated), Immortal Slaying (Not yet activated)]
[Weapon: Sealed Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber (1/7)]
[Heavenly Mandate Essence: 0 (Obtainable by completing side quests)]
[System Store: Not yet activated (Requires 1000 Heavenly Mandate Essence to activate)]
He glanced at his System panel.
Ning Ye tapped his fingers on the ground.
In tonight's battle, his lifespan had not only increased by a solid five years, but his cultivation had also risen to the Gathering Stars First Realm.
Even the first Reverse Moon Prohibition Gate—Ultimate Intent—had transformed from a ten-fold combat power amplification to a twenty-fold amplification.
"Good!"
"Very good!"
"But, not good enough!"
Ning Ye took a deep breath.
Below the Gathering Stars realm, one was merely called a Martial Artist; the Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber couldn't even harvest their lifespan and cultivation.
However, starting from the Gathering Stars realm, one became a true Cultivator, and after this, the gap between realms would grow larger and larger.
The enemies he would face in the future would also become stronger and stronger. Most importantly, he was about to face the great villainess, Jun Qianyue!
Looking at it this way, the combat power amplification of the first Bloodline Prohibition Gate would eventually be insufficient.
Therefore, finding a way to activate the second Bloodline Prohibition Gate—Heavenly Prohibition—or unlock the second seal of the Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber and learn the second blade of the Heaven-Defying Seven Demonic Blades was crucial!
But a problem arose: neither activating Heavenly Prohibition nor unsealing the second seal of the Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber was simple.
After all, activating Heavenly Prohibition required ten thousand Heavenly Mandate Essence, and how to unseal the second seal of the Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber was still a mystery. Moreover, unsealing it seemed to be related to Jun Qianyue!
Therefore, compared to the unknown second seal of the Reverse Moon Heavenly Saber, earning ten thousand Heavenly Mandate Essence seemed a bit easier.
"Ten thousand Heavenly Mandate Essence!"
"How can I get my hands on it?"
Ning Ye rubbed his brow, deep in thought.
Just then, a clear System notification sounded in his ears.
[Ding! System notification, instance sign-in selection mission activated.]
[Option One: Sign in at Scarlet Blood Dragon Cave, receive sign-in reward—Dragon Blood Sacred Scripture.]
[Option Two: Sign in at Burial Ground, receive sign-in reward—Ghost Spear Without Evil.]
[Option Three: Sign in at Mass Grave, receive sign-in reward—Bone Spirit Demonic Ring.]
[Option Four: Sign in at Dark Sacrificial Temple, receive reward—Sunflower Manual {Nine Heavens Immortal Martial Edition}]
'Hmm?'
Ning Ye raised an eyebrow as he listened to the familiar sign-in locations.
Among the Southern Border Forbidden Lands, there were four great forbidden areas: Scarlet Blood Dragon Cave, Burial Ground, Mass Grave, and Dark Sacrificial Temple.
It was worth mentioning that the locations of the first three forbidden areas had already been discovered and became death zones that all cultivators avoided, but the location of the Dark Sacrificial Temple remained a mystery to this day.
Fortunately, Ning Ye knew exactly where the Dark Sacrificial Temple was!
Because the Dark Sacrificial Temple was the place where Xiao Tu, one of the nine Children of Destiny in Against the Nine Heavens, defied the heavens and changed his fate!
So, he absolutely couldn't forget this location!
"System!"
"I choose four!"
Ning Ye didn't think much and directly chose to sign in at the Dark Sacrificial Temple.
[Ding! System notification, Host's selection successful.]
[Mission: Sign in at Dark Sacrificial Temple.]
[Mission Duration: 24 hours.]
[Mission Reward: Sunflower Manual {Nine Heavens Immortal Martial Edition}]
Listening to the System notification in his ear.
Ning Ye let out a slight sigh of relief. He wasn't coveting the sign-in reward—the Sunflower Manual. After all, although the legendary Sunflower Manual was powerful, it was a cultivation technique that exacted a painful price.
No matter how strong it was, he wouldn't possibly practice it. What he coveted was the opportunity hidden within the Dark Sacrificial Temple, exclusive to the Child of Destiny!
One had to know that that opportunity was a top-tier opportunity in the entirety of Against the Nine Heavens!
Compared to this top-tier opportunity in the Dark Sacrificial Temple, this sign-in reward could be said to be negligible!
Therefore, his true intention was not the wine itself!
Besides, thinking carefully, although he wouldn't practice this Sunflower Manual, he could give it to others to practice!
Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste?
His thoughts stopped there.
Ning Ye, dragging his weary body, walked step by step towards the west of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains... all the way west!
Four hours later.
Ning Ye arrived at a strange cliff. In front of the cliff stood a stone tablet inscribed with several large characters—Soul Severing Cliff!
'The opening cinematic of Against the Nine Heavens concerning Xiao Tu began here!'
'Xiao Tu is the Third Young Master of the Xiao Family, one of the four warlord families of the Junlin Dynasty!'
'Three years ago, the Xiao Family's Eldest Young Master, Xiao Changhe, was getting married in Gusu City. On the day of the wedding, the three hundred and seven members of the Xiao Family's main lineage were all slaughtered!'
'From then on, the Xiao Family was annihilated, leaving only Xiao Tu, who was cultivating outside, to escape the calamity. That day was later known as the Bloody Wedding!'
'It is worth mentioning that one year ago, Emperor Jun Lin, Wu Yuan, issued an imperial decree stating that one year later, a martial arts competition for marriage would be held at Tianmen Pass of the Junlin Dynasty.
Whichever cultivator from the entire Eastern Barren Continent could win the competition would be able to marry the Eldest Princess, Wu Yao.'
'And Xiao Tu and the Junlin Dynasty's Eldest Princess, Wu Yao, happened to be childhood sweethearts. Wu Yao was also his "white moonlight" (first love)!'
'The best way to get revenge was to marry Wu Yao and use the power of the Imperial Family... to fight against the woman who annihilated his entire family—Jun Qianyue!'
'From then on, Xiao Tu came to the Southern Border Forbidden Lands to gain experience. After he was forced to jump into the Soul Severing Cliff, he unexpectedly awakened the Divine Rank Bloodline within his body—Abyssal Dragon—thus gaining entry into the Dark Sacrificial Temple and obtaining the supreme legacy of Against the Nine Heavens, thereby beginning his Child of Destiny career!'
Ning Ye recalled the development of the Against the Nine Heavens plotline as he walked to the stone tablet, looking down at the cliff below that made people fearful, like a giant abyssal mouth spewing black clouds, and whispered.
"This is the entrance to the Dark Sacrificial Temple!"
"According to the setting of Against the Nine Heavens, only cultivators with a Divine Rank Bloodline can enter the Dark Sacrificial Temple."
"Cultivators below Divine Rank jumping down the Soul Severing Cliff will surely die!"
"So... I, who now possess a supreme-grade bloodline, should be fine, right!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Ning Ye took three deep breaths, shook his head, and said with a hint of helplessness.
"This world is truly crazy after all!"
"I didn't expect that I, a villain, would have to follow the Child of Destiny and jump off the very cliff he jumped!"
With that, Ning Ye closed his eyes and directly leaped towards the Soul Severing Cliff, plunging into the endless abyss...
The wind howled in his ears.
Torrential currents of Qi were tearing at his body.
Ning Ye could feel his body continuously falling.
"It should be soon, right!"
Ning Ye mumbled.
As soon as his voice fell...
Streaks of strange starlight held up his body.
At this moment, Ning Ye only felt his falling speed slow down.
Before long, he safely descended to the bottom of the Soul Severing Cliff.
He circulated his star essence, barely stabilizing his figure.
Ning Ye then looked up.
Before his eyes lay black land and an ancient black forest.
In the distance, black cliffs stood like sharp swords, piercing into the clouds. On the mountain peak stood a sacrificial temple surrounded by starlight. This sacrificial temple seemed to be embedded with the bright moon, extremely magnificent and spectacular!
"I've arrived!"
Ning Ye murmured, then flew towards the Dark Sacrificial Temple.
As Ning Ye continued his journey, he quickly arrived at the foot of the black mountain peak. Looking up, three thousand stone steps stretched upwards, disappearing into the clouds. This path seemed like a Heavenly Road!
In front of the Heavenly Road, a stone tablet stood, on which was written an ancient line of text:
[Pilgrim, one step, one kowtow; at the end of the Heavenly Road, see Reincarnation!]
"Only a fool would kneel!"
Ning Ye shook his head and silently complained. Three thousand Heavenly Steps; if he really knelt one step at a time, then he could forget about the sign-in reward.
With that, Ning Ye raised his head and looked at the Heavenly Steps. When he saw the blurry figure climbing up towards the Dark Sacrificial Temple, kneeling one step at a time, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and muttered to himself.
"Found him!"
"Xiao Tu, one of the nine Children of Destiny in the Nine Heavens World!"
With that, his figure flickered, and he stepped onto the Heavenly Steps, ascending to the heavens.
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