382: Above the Heavenly Dao

From the relevant information displayed by the left eye of the great wu crown prince, Xiao Shi could easily discern that he still couldn't release the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny sealed within it.

It still needed to remain sealed.

Originally, he thought that with the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, he could, like the Great Wu Crown Prince before him, apply all of it to himself to form a powerful protective aura.

However, through the relevant information he saw, he discovered that to achieve this, one must possess the ability to condense destiny.

Otherwise, once he released the sealed destiny, it would directly dissipate, making it difficult to condense onto his body.

Thus, this destiny needed to remain sealed within the left eye of the great wu crown prince.

Although he couldn't use the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny for now, Xiao Shi wasn't anxious about it.

He knew that if this Great Wu Dynasty's destiny was the key for the three demigod Heavenly Kings to establish a new dynasty, then as long as it was in his hands, these three demigod Heavenly Kings wouldn't be able to establish a new dynasty.

Xiao Shi now held the key to whether they could establish a new dynasty!

From his own standpoint, he naturally didn't want to see these three demigod Heavenly Kings establish a new dynasty.

After all, these three demigod Heavenly Kings had always coveted his Fifth Domain.

They were in an antagonistic relationship.

If they were allowed to establish a new dynasty, it would inevitably strengthen them to some extent, and his own situation would only become more dangerous.

Now, as long as Xiao Shi held the Great Wu Dynasty's destiny, the key to establishing a new dynasty, he wasn't afraid of them being able to establish one.

Of course, Xiao Shi's gains this time were not limited to this eye containing a vast amount of Great Wu Dynasty's destiny.

What he anticipated most at this moment were the items dropped after killing Cheng Riyou, a Dao Lord!

Before this operation, Xiao Shi had already considered a problem:

if the clone formed by his martial emperors cloak successfully killed an opponent through self-detonation, how would he retrieve the dropped items?

For this, he thought of the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree.

Before the operation, he had already made all arrangements.

Once he completed the kill, he would immediately retrieve the dropped items through the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree.

However, being able to eliminate Cheng Riyou, a Dao Lord, in one fell swoop this time was something Xiao Shi hadn't anticipated beforehand.

Although the power of the clone's self-detonation was formidable, under normal circumstances, it would certainly not be able to kill a Dao Lord!

The reason he could eliminate Cheng Riyou, a Dao Lord, in one fell swoop this time was largely due to Cheng Riyou's extremely poor condition, coupled with Chen Yuan having drained his power earlier.

Although Cheng Riyou had some recovery after being infused with the power of the three Imperial Guards, the power filling his body was not something he could control himself.

This led to Xiao Shi's self-detonation strike directly killing him.

Xiao Shi was very excited about this.

He knew very well that there was an immense gap between a Dao Lord and a Saint Grade practitioner.

Even he, the strongest Saint Grade practitioner, would find it difficult to contend with a Dao Lord under normal circumstances.

After all, the difference between a Saint Grade practitioner and a Dao Lord was not just one realm.

There was also the huge watershed of the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao and the Middle Three Realms of Martial Dao between them!

Throughout history, there had almost never been a case of a Saint Grade practitioner eliminating a Dao Lord.

The further one progressed in martial arts realms, the greater the disparity in strength between individuals.

It was impossible for cross-realm battles to occur anymore.

Especially for someone in the Middle Three Realms of Martial Dao to defeat someone in the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao, it was even more impossible.

Xiao Shi being able to eliminate a Dao Lord with Saint Grade strength had already set a historical precedent.

However, Xiao Shi also knew that all of this was thanks to Chen Yuan's assistance.

In fact, given Chen Yuan's state at the time, he didn't need to absorb the power of these Dao Lords at all.

He already possessed demigod-level power.

Absorbing it or not would not have any effect.

The reason he deliberately drained the power of these Dao Lords was clearly to allow Xiao Shi to escape from the Imperial Domain after rescuing Xiang Zizhen and the others.

Otherwise, if Chen Yuan died, even if Xiao Shi successfully rescued Xiang Zizhen and the others, Xiao Shi himself would not be able to escape from these Dao Lords.

After all, from Chen Yuan's perspective, he didn't know that Xiao Shi here was just a clone.

Therefore, before his death, he specifically planned a way out for Xiao Shi.

However, even Chen Yuan hadn't expected that his action would directly lead to Xiao Shi eliminating Cheng Riyou, a Dao Lord!

Thus completing the first kill of a Dao Lord!

Xiao Shi's heart was greatly excited.

Dao Lords in the Tianwu Continent were already extremely rare and incredibly difficult to kill.

His ability to eliminate a Dao Lord under such circumstances was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity.

At the same time, according to the first-kill rule, either a top-quality Dao Lord Level item would drop, or a demigod-level item would drop!

Regardless of the item, its value was astonishing!

Even among the many items he had dropped, it would be one of the best.

Although Xiao Shi currently possessed many high-tier items, such as the black coffin within his body, the heavens secret mask, the eye of imperial judgment, and the Myriad Treasure Pagoda, these were not items he had acquired through killing drops.

Among the items dropped through killing, besides the Emperors Armor, only the items dropped this time belonged to high-tier items.

After all, the items dropped this time would at worst be top-quality Dao Lord Level items, and there was even a possibility of demigod-level items dropping.

With anticipation and excitement in his heart, Xiao Shi quickly looked at the item in his hand.

This item was strikingly different from the items he had dropped in the past.

Never before had such an item dropped.

It was an illusory, blurry vortex, imbued with an incredibly profound aura.

When Xiao Shi’s gaze focused on the vortex, he even felt as if he was looking into the past.

He could clearly sense the high-tier quality of this vortex, which transcended his current realm.

Soon, under Xiao Shi's gaze, the relevant information about this item gradually appeared in his vision.

【Name: Initial Martial Retrospection Dao】

【Type: Dao】

【Grade: Dao Lord Level】

【Description: This is a unique, singular Dao that exists neither between Heaven nor The Mortal Dao. When an era spans ten thousand years, there is a certain probability that this Dao will be born.】

【Remark 1: This Dao will not bring any enhancement in strength. Even if one steps into the Dao Lord Realm with this Dao, their strength will be weaker than other Dao Lords.】

【Remark 2: Possessing this Dao allows one to open the Gate of Retrospection to The Primordial Martial Era, enabling a single person to return to The Primordial Martial Era.】

【Remark 3: The Gate of Retrospection can only be opened once.】

...Xiao Shi frowned slightly.

Based on the first-kill drop rules he had always observed, although this item was a Dao Lord Level item, it was certainly a top-quality Dao Lord Level item.

However, its relevant information made Xiao Shi feel that this item did not seem like a top-quality Dao Lord Level item... He knew very well that the key to a Saint Grade practitioner advancing to a Dao Lord Realm lay primarily in the “Dao”!

Only when a Saint Grade practitioner successfully grasped a Dao could they become a Dao Lord through it.

And the Daos in the Tianwu Continent were limited.

Moreover, most of the Daos had already been grasped by others, which was the main reason why most Saint Grade practitioners in the Tianwu Continent today could not advance to the Dao Lord Realm.

There were no extra Daos left.

Once an unmastered Dao appeared, it would immediately trigger a struggle and mad scramble among all Saint Grade practitioners.

It could be said that every kind of Dao in the world possessed an indescribably astonishing value!

And the item Xiao Shi dropped after his first kill was a kind of Dao in the world.

However, this kind of Dao was very different from other Daos.

Although grasping this Dao could also allow someone to become a Dao Lord, it would not bring any enhancement in strength.

It only had the sole function of opening the Gate of Retrospection to The Primordial Martial Era.

And this so-called Gate of Retrospection could only be opened once, allowing only one person to enter it.

No matter how he looked at it, Xiao Shi felt that this Dao did not seem like a top-quality Dao Lord Level item... In his understanding, a truly powerful Dao should enable the Dao Lord who grasped it to possess unparalleled, invincible combat power.

And not this kind of Dao that would not enhance or improve any combat power.

Xiao Shi couldn't help but frown deeply at this.

What was certain was that the first-kill rule would definitely not be wrong.

This item was definitely a top-quality Dao Lord Level item.

This was beyond doubt.

“If that's the case... then this item must contain important information that I don't know about!”

Xiao Shi mused.

Currently, his understanding of the Dao Lord Realm, including the “Dao” that a Dao Lord Realm practitioner must grasp, was only rudimentary.

There were many things he still didn't understand enough.

The reason he felt that the Initial Martial Retrospection Dao was very ordinary was most likely due to his insufficient understanding.

However, out of caution, Xiao Shi still did not rashly choose to grasp this Dao.

He felt that the most important thing at the moment was to first understand as much as possible about the Daos in the Tianwu Continent.

“It's a pity that there are no relevant books in the Martial Emperor's treasure vault...”

Xiao Shi shook his head with some regret.

But soon, he thought of an item that had dropped this time.

This time, Xiao Shi not only eliminated Cheng Riyou, a Dao Lord, but also killed several Saint Grade practitioners through the Crimson Refining Corpse, dropping several Saint Grade items.

Although for Xiao Shi, now the strongest Saint Grade practitioner, ordinary Saint Grade items no longer had much effect on him.

His combat power among Saint Grade practitioners was already unrivaled.

Even acquiring more Saint Grade items that could enhance combat power would not be of much significance.

However, among the Saint Grade items dropped this time, not all of them were items for enhancing combat power.

There was one item among them that happened to allow Xiao Shi to gain more understanding about the Dao.

Thinking of this, Xiao Shi immediately flipped his hand and took out this item.

It was a book, entirely black.

When Xiao Shi's gaze focused on the book, relevant information about it immediately appeared in his vision.

【Name: records of the upper three realms of martial dao】

【Type: Book】

【Grade: Saint Grade】

【Description: This is a book that records the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao. By paying a certain price, you can obtain all relevant information about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao from this book.】

【Remark 1: Sacrifice three Saint Grade items to obtain all relevant information about the Dao Lord Realm.】

【Remark 2: Sacrifice two Dao Lord Level items to obtain all relevant information about Demigods.】

【Remark 3: Sacrifice one Demigod-level item to obtain all relevant information about the Martial Dao Ninth Realm.】

...This item only recorded all relevant information about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao, and its tier directly reached Saint Grade!

It was evident that information about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao itself held incredibly astonishing value throughout the Tianwu Continent.

Usually, only forces like the Great Wu Dynasty, which ruled the entire Tianwu Continent, possessed information and data about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao.

Although the three demigod Heavenly Kings also knew some, the information they possessed was far less detailed and extensive than that of the Great Wu Dynasty.

The remaining major and minor forces had no information or data about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao whatsoever.

Even Xiao Shi, with his Eye of Heavenly Secrets, couldn't detect much relevant information about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao.

The information about the Upper Three Realms of Martial Dao recorded in the records of the upper three realms of martial dao would be the most detailed information.

It would even include some important secrets that even the Great Wu Dynasty did not know.

Since knowing the relevant information about the Dao Lord Realm required sacrificing three Saint Grade items, Xiao Shi could conveniently sacrifice the three Saint Grade items he had dropped this time that were not very useful.

Whoosh!

Immediately, when he successfully sacrificed these three Saint Grade items, the records of the upper three realms of martial dao in Xiao Shi's hand instantly glowed with an ink-black light.

This light directly converged and surged into Xiao Shi's glabella, allowing Xiao Shi to directly acquire all relevant information about the Dao Lord Realm.

From this, he learned that the Daos existing in the world also had some divisions, mainly between Heavenly Dao and The Mortal Dao.

Among them, The Mortal Dao was further divided into High-Grade The Mortal Dao and Low-Grade The Mortal Dao.

Basically, all Daos grasped by Dao Lords were The Mortal Dao.

Usually, only one Heavenly Dao would appear in an era, and it could only be grasped by the ruler of that era.

That is to say, the Heavenly Dao of the Great Martial Era had always been grasped by the Martial Emperor.

However, once the person grasping the Heavenly Dao fell, the Heavenly Dao would completely dissipate and cease to exist.

This led to the current Tianwu Continent having no Heavenly Dao.

All Daos grasped by Dao Lords were The Mortal Dao.

However, the current Initial Martial Retrospection Dao belonged neither to Heavenly Dao nor The Mortal Dao.

It was the most special and unique Dao!

Moreover, this kind of Dao was extremely rare, requiring an era to have lasted for more than ten thousand years before there was a certain probability of the Initial Martial Retrospection Dao being born.

For example, the current Great Wu Dynasty was overthrown before it reached ten thousand years, which meant that the Initial Martial Retrospection Dao could not have been born.

This made Xiao Shi realize that, to some extent, the rarity of the Initial Martial Retrospection Dao even surpassed that of Heavenly Dao!