Free Web NovelChapter 112: The Ant Crossing the Sea
Beyond Celestial Grade Divine Armaments lay an even higher classification.
Sovereign Relics.
What was a Sovereign Relic?
A weapon imbued with the authority of Heaven itself.
Its power far surpassed anything a Celestial Grade Divine Armament could hope to match.
Across the entire Ascendant World, only the greatest sects possessed Sovereign Relics. Such treasures served as the ultimate foundation of a sect, anchoring its fortune and preserving its legacy.
With a Sovereign Relic in hand, crossing several major realms to defeat stronger opponents was entirely possible.
Even without relying on personal strength, the might of a Sovereign Relic alone could contend with Paragon Realm or even Immortal Realm Ascendants.
Naturally, the stronger the wielder, the greater the weapon’s power.
However, not just anyone could wield a Sovereign Relic.
Without obtaining its inheritance, one could barely draw out any of its true strength.
That was why the Divine Firmament Blade had remained dormant for so many years.
Before Caelum, no one within the Skyspire Order had ever gained its recognition.
For generations, it had served only as a symbol that safeguarded the sect’s fortune.
Until now.
Caelum had become the first person acknowledged by the Divine Firmament Blade.
Through that recognition, he inherited the Divine Firmament Codex.
If the need ever arose, he would be able to call upon the Divine Firmament Blade and unleash the full might of a Sovereign Relic.
The Worldbreaker Physique.
The Divine Firmament Codex.
With those two alone, no one was more qualified than Caelum to become the Skyspire Order’s Heir Apparent.
Just like the trial grounds, the true headquarters of the Skyspire Order also existed within a secret realm.
The pavilions, palaces, and celestial architecture visible in Skyspire City were merely the outer grounds.
"My disciple, this mountain shall be your place of cultivation from now on."
"If you require anything, simply instruct the attendants."
"Thank you, Master."
Master Heavensreach smiled.
"If you encounter any difficulties in cultivation, come to me directly."
"Do not worry about disturbing me."
"If I was willing to accept you as my disciple, then I am not afraid of whatever troubles you may bring."
"I understand, Master."
After giving his instructions, Master Heavensreach departed.
For thousands of years, Caelum was the only person in the Skyspire Order to inherit the Divine Firmament Codex.
No one could truly guide him.
He would have to walk this path himself.
Besides, every Martial Art, Mystic Art, and secret technique within the Skyspire Order was now open to him.
As long as he did not touch the sect’s core foundations, all resources could be directed toward him.
An attendant stepped forward respectfully.
"Heir Apparent, you may name this mountain if you wish."
Caelum thought for a moment.
"Let’s call it Skyreach Monastery."
The mountain floated amid drifting clouds, resembling a paradise beyond the mortal world.
A fitting name.
Without wasting any time, he headed directly into the cultivation chamber.
"Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter."
"Understood, Heir Apparent."
Finally.
Peace and quiet.
Caelum quickly immersed himself in cultivation.
The Divine Firmament Codex and the Secret of Transcendence operated simultaneously.
His cultivation began advancing at an astonishing pace.
Still, perhaps because he had entered a higher realm, the Secret of Transcendence was no longer as absurdly effective as it had been in the Initiate Realm.
Its growth rate had slowed somewhat.
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Awakened Layer 2]
...
The Divine Firmament Codex circulated spiritual energy through his meridians and every corner of his body.
Meanwhile, the Secret of Transcendence drew in World Essence and connected him to the surrounding heavens and earth.
Then, one day, something unusual happened.
A resonance formed between Caelum and the world itself.
Guided by the Secret of Transcendence, his consciousness touched a place hidden beyond ordinary perception.
An endless sea stretched before him.
Its azure waters extended beyond the horizon. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
He found himself standing aboard a solitary boat.
Across from him sat a young man.
The man lounged casually against the side of the vessel, drinking from a wine jug while singing at the top of his lungs.
Caelum frowned.
"Where is this place?"
"Hm?"
The young man looked genuinely surprised.
"You’ve come here without knowing where you are?"
Caelum shook his head.
"I truly don’t know."
"If it isn’t a bother, I’d appreciate an explanation."
The young man poured a cup of wine and tossed it toward him.
Then he leaned over the edge of the boat and pointed toward the sea below.
"This is the ultimate secret of existence."
"If one can cross the boundless Sea of Transcendence and reach the far shore, one may transcend the world itself."
Caelum looked into the waters beneath them.
The sea was crystal clear.
Through it, he could see countless scenes from mortal existence.
Joy.
Sorrow.
Love.
Hatred.
Billions of worlds unfolded beneath the surface.
From the distant past to the distant future.
Only then did he realize the truth.
This was not water.
It was an endless river of time.
In an instant, countless secrets flooded his mind.
Fragments of forgotten histories.
Ancient truths.
Lost eras.
The images felt so vivid that he might as well have lived through them himself.
The Primordial Age.
An era when kings ruled supreme.
Their power shook the river of time itself.
Then came a great war.
Heads rolled beneath immortal execution platforms.
Blood stained the heavens.
The Ancient Age.
The Celestial Court rose and brought an end to the chaos of the Primordial Kings.
A new era dawned.
Humanity flourished.
The path of Immortal Ascension was refined and established.
And eventually...
The current era arrived.
The Age of Imperial Calamity.
"The Age of Imperial Calamity..."
Caelum recalled the lyrics the young man had been singing earlier.
There were simply too many memories.
Too many fragments.
The currents of time washed over them relentlessly.
Most of what he saw faded away almost immediately.
Fortunately, not everything vanished.
A portion remained.
Among the lingering memories, one particular era stood out. freewёbnoνel.com
A glorious age when the Celestial Court stood at the height of its power.
Then suddenly—
A figure flashed across his memory.
Caelum’s eyes widened.
At last, he remembered the young man’s identity.
"The Celestial Court of the Ancient Age..."
"You’re Aurelius."
The moment the words left his mouth, the world around him dissolved.
Without realizing it, he had already returned to the cultivation chamber at Skyreach Monastery.
It was as though everything had been a dream.
He sat in silence for a long time.
Then he slowly pieced together what had happened.
He finally understood where he had been.
During the Ancient Age, a Celestial Court at the height of its glory gathered the power of the Infinite Realms and created a transcendence technique known as:
The Ant Crossing the Sea.
Anyone could cultivate it.
Even ordinary mortals.
If successful, the technique would lead directly to the far shore and grant true Transcendence.
Once the method spread, nearly every realm in existence began cultivating it.
The problem was that the technique transported practitioners into the Sea of Transcendence.
Those who failed to transcend could never return to the world.
The Sea of Transcendence was infinite.
Boundless.
Perhaps the far shore did not even exist.
Before long, the Celestial Court that created the technique collapsed.
Yet not a single cultivator had ever returned from the Sea of Transcendence after achieving success.
The Divine Heir of that Celestial Court...
Was Aurelius.
He had wandered the Sea of Transcendence from the Ancient Age until the present day.
As for everyone else who practiced The Ant Crossing the Sea...
Their consciousnesses had likely perished long ago within the endless sea.
Perhaps Aurelius was the last remnant of that ancient Celestial Court.
The journey to the Sea of Transcendence had been completely unexpected.
Caelum could roughly guess the reason.
The Secret of Transcendence likely shared certain similarities with The Ant Crossing the Sea.
That connection had accidentally drawn him into the Sea of Transcendence.
Fortunately, he had managed to return.
The greatest reward from the experience was not power.
It was knowledge.
He had learned countless hidden truths.
Not only secrets of the Primordial Age and the Ancient Age.
He had also gained insight into the Infinite Realms and innumerable lesser worlds.
Naturally.
That included the world he currently inhabited as well.
