A Martial Odyssey

Chapter 244: The Firmament Citadel

The Firmament Citadel like the Verdant Palace was a hanging citadel that lay at the outer reaches of the imposing circular Ancient Fortress.

Yi Ping found himself standing at the edge of the citadel walls and the winds were lashing furiously. It was not long before several auroras of wavering blue and green lights lit the skies above.

He was so in awe of the beautiful lights that he gasped, "It is so beautiful!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero looked at him coldly, "These are the northern lights. The northern lights are nothing compared to the warmth of the celestial sun that only shines in the Immortal Realm. You certainly know how to mock us!"

Even the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien was looking unhappily at Yi Ping and the World Ruler Fu Xi had paused in his tracks to look sternly at Yi Ping!

The Goddess Lessica and the Alluring Goddess Theresa had paused in their tracks to look curiously at Yi Ping and the Heaven Goddess Zero!

Yi Ping looked back at the Heaven Goddess Zero and said coolly, "Maybe I should get this right first. I have no idea what the celestial sun of the Immortal Realm looks like. I have never been there before. Also, the northern lights here are really beautiful to behold. I have meant no offense to anyone!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero said unhappily, "But you are from the Immortal Realm!"

Yi Ping smiled weakly as he sighed again, "I have already explained that the Immortal Realm that you have known had been split into the Three Known Realms"

The Heaven Goddess Zero hummed coldly, "I am not so foolish to believe your nonsense!"

Again Yi Ping heaved another sigh, "I give up. Believe it or not, it is none of my business"

All of a sudden he paused in his tracks as he thought, "Why did the Great God Pangu sunders the Immortal Realm into three? We have the Immortal Realm, the Celestial Realm and the Mortal Realm now. Surely it is not just to identify the potential practitioners?"

All of a sudden an insight struck him as a thought dawned upon him, "Don't tell me that it is to protect the Immortal Realm from the Desolate Immortals? If war breaks out then at the very least, the lower denizens will be safe"

Very little was known about the Immortal Realm by the celestial practitioners in the Celestial Realm. That was a mystery even to the ancient celestials; they were only hinted of the existence of a higher realm by the appearance of the Stellar Sanctuary.

Even the real immortals that were in the Celestial Realm such as the Goddess Isa, the Goddess Celestial Alice and the Goddess Aiel did not reveal that they were immortal practitioners from the Immortal Realm. All they could reveal about the Immortal Realm was that it was unspeakable to reveal the existence of the Immortal Realm!

Yi Ping thought, "It seems that everything leads to the Immortal Realm. I wonder what is in the Immortal Realm and what it really looks like?"

His curiosity was suddenly piqued by the Immortal Realm that he had never seen!

The only thing that he had known about the Immortal Realm was that it was partitioned into NineHeavens and that the higher heavens were inaccessible to the less attain immortals. Even though the Celestial Realm was also quite inaccessible but at the very least, it still gave the impression that it was linked by lofty mountains and seas of clouds.

The Goddess Celestial Alice had also hinted to him that it was entire possible for celestial practitioners to travel to the Immortal Realm via the great mountains of the Celestial Realm that lay beyond its borders. Whether any celestial practitioners had actually reached the Immortal Realm from there, there was no mentioning by the Goddess Celestial Alice. Her only hint was that that border was highly dangerous and it was inhabited by the Great Beasts.

All of a sudden the World Ruler Fu Xi stopped in front of a pavilion that was situated to a golden bridge that led to an overhanging monstrous citadel.

He turned around and said, "This is my domain already. We can talk at ease now."

Yi Ping hesitated for a while. It was because he was aware that there were hundreds of Desolate Immortals lurking in the shadows even though none were in visible sight. And out of these hundreds of Desolate Immortals, a dozen of them had been following them ever since they had left the Verdant Palace.

The World Ruler Fu Xi said coolly, "I know what you are thinking. They are my followers."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled, "You have better sent some of them to my Oracle Palace to protect me. It won't be too long before the Great Lord Xuan Yuan attacks my domain!"

The World Ruler Fu Xi smiled wryly, "You should have already thought of that. Moreover, we have a thousand years of holy armistices. Anyone that breaks this sacred armistice will invite punitive actions by all the others."

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The Heaven Goddess Zero was getting impatient as she pointed at Yi Ping, "Alright, tell us everything that you know. How did you come from the Immortal Realm?"

Yi Ping looked at her petite face and smiled weakly, "I will surely tell you all that I know but not if you keep talking to me in this manner."

Then he looked at the Alluring Goddess Theresa to say, "After all, I need her help to return to where I am from."

As he turned to hint to the Alluring Goddess Theresa, he noticed that the Goddess Lessica and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien were looking at him with interest.

The Alluring Goddess Theresa had already seated herself as she smiled alluringly, "I will surely be able to send you back. Tell us where you got your sword and how did you come to be here?"

Yi Ping calmly sat down as he looked at the heavens above with a heavy sigh, "That is a long story. I have actually come from the lowest realm of the Three Known Realms. This realm is what we call the Mortal Realm or the Material Realm. I am just an ordinary mortal. But one day, I am able to traverse from the Mortal Realm to the Celestial Realm"

He began to describe the appearance of the Stellar Sanctuary and how it held the key to the Immortal Realm. So he entered and had found the Fantian Sovereign within the Stellar Sanctuary. After storming to the very top of the Stellar Sanctuary, he found his soul being ripped through the void and the next thing he knew, he had found himself in this place.

For the very first time the World Ruler Fu Xi began to look at him intently and said solemnly, "The Stellar Sanctuary has been unleashed upon the Immortal Realm? Impossible!"

Even the Alluring Goddess Theresa had turned ashen as she muttered, "Now it makes sense. Assuming that what he says is true, the Immortal Realm has indeed splintered into three realms now. If the Stellar Sanctuary is to materialized in the Immortal Realm then it will be known to us through the Ancient Fortress for the two are sister artefacts from the Great Cosmos Beyond."

Yi Ping was surprised as he thought, "They did not know that the Immortal Realm has been partitioned into three realms?"

The World Ruler Fu Xi nodded as he looked at Yi Ping intently, "The Stellar Sanctuary possesses many secrets from the Great Beyond. Among the many secrets, is the elusive Universal Creation Force."

The Heaven Goddess Zero nodded as she looked at Yi Ping, "Therefore it also makes sense that he is able to traverse the cosmos and arrive here."

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien touched her lips and muttered, "Hmmm, interestingThe Stellar Sanctuary, the Universal Creation Force, the Fantian Sovereign"

Yi Ping quickly said, "That is exactly what has happened to me after I have reached the top of the Stellar Sanctuary."

The usual smiling countenance of the Alluring Goddess Theresa gave way to a startled solemn expression as she looked at the World Ruler Fu Xi as she gasped, "Impossible! He has actually scaled all the way to the top of the Stellar Sanctuary?!"

Even the World Ruler Fu Xi was solemn as he appeared to ponder deeply.

Yi Ping turned to say to the Alluring Goddess Theresa, "So now, do what you have promised me and send me back to where I have come from."

The Goddess Lessica stared blankly at Yi Ping, "My lord, you have really overcome the legendary trials of the Stellar Sanctuary? Is that true? Really?"

Yi Ping turned to say to the Goddess Lessica, "I can't say for sure but I have indeed scaled to the top of the 100th floor of the Stellar Sanctuary and have talked to the guardian of the Stellar Sanctuary."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa said coldly, "Not only you have my clan heritage artefact sword the Fantian Sovereign but you have also overcome the trials of the Stellar Sanctuary"

The World Ruler Fu Xi interrupted with a cold smirk, "Back then I did not think that Pangu was serious when he wanted to partition the Immortal Realm into three realms to spare it from our wrath. So he has really given up his immortal body to accomplish it. To think that I am still waiting for our immortal fight."

The Heaven Goddess Zero shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Yi Ping before she smiled to the World Ruler Fu Xi, "Lord Brother, if the Great Lord Pangu is around I don't think you will be able to overcome him. Or else we won't be banished to the outer world."

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien smiled. "My sister, we are caught unaware the last time. Moreover this won't be the same as the last time. Even if Pangu is a Tenth Positioning Immortal, he won't be able to fight off so many Ninth Positioning Immortals at the same time. After all the only Ninth Positioning Immortals that we have the last time was the Great Lord Xuan Yuan and the World Ruler Fu Xi."

Yi Ping said solemnly, "I have already revealed to you what I have already known. So please send me back now!"

The World Ruler Fu Xi ignored Yi Ping and said to the Alluring Goddess Theresa, "What do you think of him? Can you see through him?"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa replied coolly as she stared piercingly at Yi Ping as though she could see through t, "He is indeed different and is not of our race. He has no golden skeleton within him yet he is as strong as us. What is this reason?"

The World Ruler Fu Xi nodded and said, "He is able to hide the flow of his aura from most but his animus is as strong as any of us. This empower doesn't come from his skeleton but through the strengthening of his vital energies within him."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa said, "With a strong animus aura, naturally our vital energies will be manifold and strengthened accordingly. Therefore we meditate to strengthen our animus. Only then will our immortal positioning increase in rank accordingly!"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien nodded and gave Yi Ping a curious look, "That's right. But it seems that this Great Lord Yi Ping here is different from us. His strengthening technique seems to be on his vital energies first before his animus. This is so interesting. Why is that so?"

The Heaven Goddess Zero smiled, "Maybe this is a new immortal practice?"

The World Ruler Fu Xi said nonchalantly, "It is nevertheless a weaker immortal practice that makes no sense."

Yi Ping could feel a slight tug as the Goddess Lessica whispered all of a sudden, "Be careful"

At the same time Yi Ping could feel the malevolent airs that were from the World Ruler Fu Xi, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien, Alluring Goddess Theresa and the Heaven Goddess Zero!

All of a sudden the Alluring Goddess Theresa had raised her hand to strike at Yi Ping, unleashing a flurry of furious strikes!

The Alluring Goddess Theresa said coldly to the Goddess Lessica as she forced her to scurry away from Yi Ping, "Get out of my way if you don't want to be in harm way!"

The Goddess Lessica gasped panicky, "Mistress, no please"

Yi Ping shouted to her, "I will be alright. Stay back!" as he quickly made a hasty counter with his palms as thunderous windforce erupted all around them!

He was slightly startled by the martial strength of the Alluring Goddess Theresa when he failed to halt her advances. He said angrily, "Why are you attacking me? You promise to send me back to the Immortal Realm!"

Before he could extract an answer from her, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien had raised her twin crescent black blades like whipping black dragons and had were aiming at his vulnerable flank!

This caused Yi Ping to raise his Celestial Alice to deflect her off but at the same time, the Heaven Goddess Zero had also raised her Crescent Heaven Blade as a wall of slashing sword energies erupted from the ground. This forced him to take a step backward as he raised the Sovereign Sword with his other hand in an upward arc to dissipate the approaching sword energies!

The World Ruler Fu Xi had a burst of dark animus that had burst around him and in the next instant he had flashed next to Yi Ping as he raised his dark sword to slash several times behind him!

Yi Ping received a slash on his back that immediately sent him flying backward and at the same time the Alluring Goddess Theresa had flashed immediately next to him as she raised her fingers to stab at his eyes!

Yi Ping cursed softly as he gave a great shout that immediately empowered his martial strength as he invoked the Golden Invincible Force, causing seven golden discs to hover around him. This immediately caused the Alluring Goddess Theresa to stagger back as she smiled, "Your reaction is pretty fast. To think that you are able to muster your internal energy in such a short time. You are definitely not a Seventh Rank Immortal or an Eight Rank Immortal!"

Now Yi Ping was particular upset with this Alluring Goddess Theresa as he disliked cunning or dishonorable people. She had promised to send him back yet she had gone back on her words. So he thought angrily, "I am preserving my new technique for the Great Lord Xuan Yuan but it seems that the four of you have lured me into a trap today to end my life. I am not going to hold back any longer even if I know that there are a hundred foes still waiting in the shadows!"

So he immediately merged the Celestial Alice and the Fantian Sovereign and at the same time the merging sword formed a beam of white sword energies that flew toward the Alluring Goddess Theresa!

The Celestial Alice and the Fantian Sovereign had merged into the Heaven Defying Sword now!

He thought, "This is impossible for her to dodge my Heaven Defying sword energies at this range"

But he was wrong!

Not only the Alluring Goddess Theresa had effortlessly dodged the sword energies bursts like a phantom, she was smiling and laughing jovially. "So you are angry now? Don't be because if you do, you are going to be dead pretty soon!"

She was not wrong because the Heaven Goddess Zero, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the World Ruler Fu Xi were now attacking him left and right; their barrage of attacks were like a relentless storm that were shaking the vicinity with their martial energies and forces!

Their attacks were all too powerful and it took Yi Ping all his efforts to fend them off before he dissipated all seven of his golden hover discs to the tips of his sword. He raised his voice to say coldly, "If I am not wrong then this technique of mine will surely turn the tide of this battle. If you are wise, you have better turn back with your tail!"

Immediately there was a brilliant flare of white light as he mustered the sword energies of his Thousand Memories Swords and the ground beneath him was pelleted with deadly sword energies!

The World Ruler Fu Xi shouted as he raised his sword to explode the ground, "Be careful!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero smiled coldly, "I am waiting for this. If he is not strong then it will be too boring!"

Yi Ping did not reply her. It was because he had already formed a new technique in his mind. The power of this technique that he was going to execute next would be so powerful beyond measure that it was unthinkable to him. But yet, he was now forced to use it because he was forced to face four of the most powerful Desolate Immortals in the Desolate Realm!

He was now going to merge the Thousand Memories Swords with the Golden Invincible Force. Previously he was not able to use the Thousand Memories Sword and the Golden Invincible Force at the same time. But during the duel with the Great Lord Xuan Yuan, he had discovered that he may have the sufficient strength to maintain at least one of these powerful forces through the Celestial Alice and his newly gained Universal Creation Force for just a while. And this just a while was sufficient for him to think that it was entirely to use the martial energies of the Golden Invincible Force to enhance the Thousand Memories Sword!

If the Thousand Memories Sword could be enhanced into the Heaven Defying Sword Energies through his Heaven Defying Sword then he could also enhanced the energies of his Golden Invincible Force and used it to enhance his Heaven Defying Sword!

This was the technique that he had discovered when he had placed the Golden Invincible Force on the tip of his Heaven Defying Sword when he had fought against the Great Lord Xuan Yuan. If three of the Golden Invincible Force could empower his sword energies by so much, what if he could absorb all the Golden Invincible Force into the Heaven Defying Sword instead of simply enhancing it by the tip?

Because he had not yet given a name to this new technique, so he decided to name it Technique X first!

All of a sudden, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien shouted to the rest, "Now!"

Upon her incitation the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien, the World Ruler Fu Xi, the Heaven Goddess Zero and the Alluring Goddess Theresa had all displayed their epitome techniques!

The Goddess Lessica shuddered with anxiety as the five fighters began to display their techniques at the same time. She knew that between life and death, timing was extremely crucial. Moreover the techniques that were in use were all terrifying to beholden!

A brilliant explosive flare exploded thunderously as Yi Ping was struck and flung back into the pavilion walls, crashing through to it while his other opponents were also swept aside!

So great was the blows that were received by Yi Ping that he was yelling in pain and that the crashing of his bones were thunderous!

The Goddess Lessica gasped panicky as she knew that the fight had been decisive and that Yi Ping had lost!

The World Ruler Fu Xi, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien, the Alluring Goddess Theresa and the Heaven Goddess Zero had already recovered and they were already readying their next attacks on Yi Ping!

The Goddess Lessica cried out, "Please stop! You will kill him!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa was the first to flash next to the fallen Yi Ping as she smiled most enchantingly, "That is the whole point, isn't it?"

She did not hesitate at all as she threw a powerful punch onto the semi-conscious Yi Ping; it was so powerful that the ground underneath Yi Ping exploded thunderously and debris flew all over!

All of a sudden the Alluring Goddess Theresa was flung aside by a strike from the semi-conscious Yi Ping!

The Heaven Goddess Zero gasped as she stared at Yi Ping, "So the legend is true after all!"

Yi Ping coughed softly as he stood on his ground again. Instead of feeling weary and drained of strength, he could feel as good as new again. It was as though his bones did not crack at all from the earlier assault!

That he was still wobbly was his only tell-tale sign of the earlier battle!

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien looked intently at Yi Ping and said coldly, "So this is the Omnipotent Creation Armor."

The World Ruler Fu Xi heaved a soft sigh, "He has actually unraveled the greatest secret of the Stellar Sanctuary. This is something that all the Desolate Immortals have been coveting since the beginning"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa nodded as she raised her eyes, "Indeed. Even though the Oracle Clan possessed the Stellar Sanctuary in the past but none of us had succeeded in obtaining the greatest secret of the Stellar Sanctuary which is the Omnipotent Creation Armor. To think that we have all managed to witness the Omnipotent Creation Armor today!"

Yi Ping was startled by their words and when he looked at himself, he was even more startled that he was donned in shining blue plate armor that were adorned with three stellar blue orbs!

He muttered out, "Isn't this the Divine Armor of the Great God Pangu? Why am I wearing it? Isn't this the skeleton remains of the Great God Pangu?"

That was exactly what he could remember from the Great Desolate Goddess Nuwa!

The Alluring Goddess Theresa had clearly overheard him as she hummed aloud, "Outrageous! Who was the one that told you that? There is no mistaken that this is none other than the Omnipotent Creation Armor!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero was trembling slightly as she muttered, "He has the Omnipotent Creation Armorwe can win him?"

At this moment Yi Ping saw that more than a hundred Desolate Immortals had already crept from their hiding places and were walking toward him!

All of these Desolate Immortals were all Seventh Ranking Immortals!

Yi Ping gritted his teeth and said coldly, "You can all fight me at the same time. I am not afraid to face death!"