Chapter 1454: Sincerity in Kaiyang

Three-pronged One had always known, Jiang Wang wished to rub its dog head...

Of course, it was impossible before. A mere cook, dared to presume so? The outcome would surely have been one of being eaten clean.

But now, it was different. The two could already be considered... what was that word humans used?

"Friend".

It knew not how to express closeness, so it offered its head, allowing it to be rubbed.

The reason this was done within the cave was naturally because of the dignity of a king. If its warriors were to witness such a scene, it would surely have to dive into the lava pool.

The great King of Disaster Hounds lowered its head to be petted, and Jiang Wang was indeed a little overwhelmed, carefully rubbing it once, then again, and yet again...

And verily, the three-pronged one's fur was smooth, its skin sleek, and its flesh soft. Rubbing this dog head felt quite extraordinary.

Most importantly, it was the sheer presence!

This was the King of Disaster Hounds, ruling countless disaster hounds on the volcanic island, a true overlord who had just slain the Bi Fang.

Its strength could completely rival a Divine Manifestation realm cultivator, and in the Sea of Mountains and Seas, a realm teeming with formidable beings, it could roam freely!

Who had the privilege of rubbing its dog head?

If this were told, no one would dare to believe it.

Jiang Wang, in a state of blissful daze, enjoyed this exclusive honor in the Sea of Mountains and Seas.

The three-pronged one also gently narrowed its eyes.

In the vast and majestic Sea of Mountains and Seas, this cave offered a rare tranquility.

Not long after, the three-pronged one retreated a few steps, leaving Jiang Wang's hand.

Looking up at Jiang Wang, it lightly opened its mouth and spat out a drop of blood that glowed with a faint light, which flew before Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang caught it, bewildered: "For me?"

The three-pronged one, however, offered no further explanation, turning and walking out of the cave.

Jiang Wang still instinctively followed behind it.

"Roar!"

The three-pronged one let out a majestic roar, and the scattered disaster hounds began to gather from different places.

The great army converged, a black tide surging.

But this time, the flowing幽光 did not envelop Jiang Wang's body.

The 幽光, like a tide, "flowed" into the spatial fissures and disappeared from Jiang Wang's sight.

Until the sky was calm and the sea was still, and the wind stirred clouds and smoke.

It was then that Jiang Wang suddenly realized...

He was free.

Intelligent as the three-pronged one was, it had certainly always known...

The cook wanted to escape every day, the cook did not like staying on the volcanic island.

The army of disaster hounds surged like a tide and receded like a tide.

Jiang Wang was like a seashell washed ashore by the waves, stranded alone on the beach.

There was a feeling of something lost.

He had originally thought that after comprehending the profundity of the True Samadhi Fire and being able to use stronger True Samadhi Fire, the three-pronged one might keep a tighter watch on him.

After all, the cook's "skill" had improved.

He hadn't expected the mighty King of Disaster Hounds to have such a non-kingly softness.

That drop of disaster hound essence blood was the three-pronged one's final gift.

Jiang Wang held it in his palm, silent for a long time.

Heaven gives birth to all things, and those with spirits all possess feelings.

If even beasts are thus, how can humans be otherwise?

From this moment on, Jiang Wang no longer considered the truth or falsehood of this Sea of Mountains and Seas.

If your experiences are real, and your feelings are real, then it is real.

Be true to your own heart, loyal to your own feelings.

Then what concern is anything else to me?

Whether it is true or false,

Whether it is praised or slandered, honored or shamed.

I will walk my own path.

At this moment, he felt a long-lost stirring.

He couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The sky was without stars or moon, and of course, the light from the distant star穹 could not be seen.

But the power of the Star Radiance Holy Tower could still project here.

He could feel how his own Jade Heng Star Tower stood in solitude, transmitting his vague understanding of the Dao to the vast universe, expounding and developing it bit by bit.

That Dao, he had actually always been able to see.

When the Bi Fang's True Samadhi Fire raged in his Five Mansions Sea, burning his body and scorching his soul, illuminating his 赤心.

He had seen it even more clearly, but...

He could not take that path yet.

That was the most free, yet also the most dangerous path.

Therefore, more caution was needed.

Although there was an urgent need to increase his combat power at this time, he should focus on the future.

Going far is more important than going fast.

More preparation is needed before he can...

But now. At least he could erect another Star Tower.

The Outer Mansion realm was not the Inner Mansion realm; one did not need to perfect every Inner Mansion before knocking open the next.

The Star Radiance Holy Towers themselves, during their long existence in the universe, needed constant change and refinement. The Star Towers, standing side by side and influencing each other, could instead promote each other's growth.

Erecting a Star Tower in the Sea of Mountains and Seas was not an easy task.

If the Star-Moon Plain was the easiest place in the current world to erect a Star Tower, then in the Sea of Mountains and Seas, which was isolated from the star穹, it was certainly more difficult to establish a Star Radiance Holy Tower than in most places in the current world.

Because in such a place, one could not touch the distant star穹 at all. Ordinary Outer Mansion cultivators, even if they could still summon the power of the Star Radiance Holy Tower, could not do anything in the distant star穹 in such a state of being "deaf and blind".

But Jiang Wang had a great deal of confidence from the beginning, even when he was working as a cook on the volcanic island.

Because his Jade Heng Holy Tower stood within the core range of the Jade Heng star.

The position anchored in the distant star穹 was absolutely clear.

And from this point, the Jade Heng Holy Tower, which had sealed the Senhai Dragon God, had a continuous source of power that could extend in the distant star穹.

Coupled with the Seven Star Holy Tower secret method, which he had long mastered, even if he could not see or hear, he still knew where the landing point of the second Star Tower he had chosen was.

What's more...

It was not necessarily true that he could not see.

At this moment, just outside the Bi Fang's cave, Jiang Wang looked up at the sky.

He had expected to erect the second Star Tower on the volcanic island, which was a preparation for escaping the three-pronged one's clutches.

As of today, his cultivation had reached its peak, and his state of mind had also reached its peak, so there was no need to delay; it was a matter of course.

The Big Dipper has seven stars. Jiang Wang's first tower was chosen to be the Jade Heng, designated with the word "Trust".

For that most free and most dangerous path, he would now establish the second tower.

The star it aligned with was the sixth star of the Big Dipper, named "Kai Yang".

In the distant star穹, a green stone tower stood majestically, emitting endless light.

The brilliant starlight instantly traversed billions of miles, from Jade Heng to Kai Yang.

The Senhai Dragon God madly pounded against the stone cell at the base, shouting loudly: "Confused, so confused, little brother!"

"I truly cannot bear to see a genius like you be buried in obscurity."

"Quickly stop this crude technique, Old Brother here will impart to you the method of the Dragon Emperor Holy Tower!"

The power being drawn at this moment was entirely Its own, so of course It had to say "confused"...

Jiang Wang paid no attention. Although he could not manifest his divine soul in the Jade Heng Holy Tower at this time, within the Sea of Mountains and Seas, his eyes underwent a transformation.

They were radiant, immortal golden-red eyes, with crimson flames flickering within them.

Previously, under the oppression of the Bi Fang's immense True Samadhi Fire, he had comprehended Samadhi at the boundary of life and death, and then instinctively released the True Samadhi Fire with his Gan Yang Divine Eyes, thus helping the Disaster Hounds completely kill the Bi Fang.

In that naturally formed state, this brand new secret technique was born.

赤心 divine ability, True Samadhi Fire, plus the Gan Yang Divine Eyes...

It was, Gan Yang 赤瞳.

The core power was naturally in the left eye, while the right eye was temporarily a repository for backup power.

When the Candle Dragon opened its eyes, the sky became bright, but there were no stars in the Sea of Mountains and Seas.

But Jiang Wang still intended to use these Gan Yang 赤瞳 to perceive the marvel of the Star Tower.

With this glance, using the Jade Heng Star Tower as a transition, he traversed the starlight and "saw" into the depths of the universe.

That was a place of boundless darkness and also infinite light.

The light from the Kai Yang star concerning all the heavens and myriad realms converged here, and all expectations, beliefs, prayers... all external attachments were also buried here.

One eye of endless light, one eye of endless darkness.

In the intersection of light and darkness, a great will quietly flowed.

Untouchable, immeasurable.

This scene flashed by in an instant, and then in the distant star穹, within the starfield encompassed by the Kai Yang star, a point of light was born.

It was like a candle in the wind, seemingly extinguishable with a breath.

But a resilient will was contained within it, and immortal light illuminated it.

It was born extraordinary.

As it gradually stabilized, the point of light began to expand, beginning to bloom with its own light in the vast and boundless starfield.

This light was this Dao.

This single word was "Sincerity".

He had come this far, without wealth, without power, often with stubborn pride, and his own persistence. Why was it that he could always encounter friends who would confide in him and interact with him wholeheartedly?

Nothing else.

Only "Sincerity".

From buying a dog from an ordinary villager in an unknown village to participating in a long-standing major case in a hegemonic country...

Regardless of wealth or status, regardless of entangled interests, he treated people and matters with sincerity.

In Linzi, he entered the Qi Palace alone to give an account to Lin Youxie, to give an account to Yang Jing, and to give the greatest account he could to everyone who had placed their hopes in him.

This was the sincerity of treating others.

When the path he sought conflicted with high office and generous emoluments, when the heart he validated walked hand in hand with dangerous predicaments, he only asked his original intention. At the risk of disobeying the Son of Heaven of Qi, he abandoned the position of Northern Court Commandant, abandoning the readily available power and steady ascent.

This was the sincerity towards himself.

Therefore, in the struggle between the three-pronged one and the Bi Fang, he turned back and embraced the fire.

Therefore, in the struggle between Yu Beidou and the Diviner, his sword struck the human demon.

It had nothing to do with interests, nothing to do with anything else.

It was just being true to his own heart.

Towards those he recognized. He did not have much, but he was willing to give everything.

Therefore, many people were also willing to give him the same sincerity.

From the Western Territory to the Eastern Territory, from Qi to Chu, he exchanged his sincere heart for a sincere heart.

Sincerity means being true and without falsehood.

This was also the path he walked.

Thus, in the depths of the universe, points of starlight fell, appearing for a moment like rain.

Innumerable starlight converged, beginning to construct Jiang Wang's second Star Tower, unique to him.

At this moment, in the Sea of Mountains and Seas, which had never had stars, a ray of starlight suddenly appeared in the sky!

Its radiance was brilliant, illuminating a thousand miles.

Throughout the entire Sea of Mountains and Seas, countless powerful beings suddenly looked up in surprise!

They were either cunning and crafty, or ignorant and chaotic, but at this moment, they also vaguely sensed that this opening of the Sea of Mountains and Seas seemed different from before...

"Who?"

Above the endless sea, Wu Ling, who was flying rapidly, suddenly stopped, surprised and uncertain: "Who is erecting a Star Tower in the Sea of Mountains and Seas?"

革蜚, one of the two from the Advancing Worthies Hat group, his eyes lit up: "This is a method! Accumulate enough power, and then erect a Star Tower after entering the Sea of Mountains and Seas. By using the resonance of heaven and earth at the moment the Star Radiance Holy Tower is erected, doesn't it pinpoint the location in the Sea of Mountains and Seas? You say, how much money can I sell this method for?"

"Let's not even talk about this being someone else's method..." Wu Ling's mismatched eyes flickered: "How can it be that easy to erect a Star Tower in the Sea of Mountains and Seas, which is isolated from the star穹 and where directions are chaotic? You can't even find the starfield!"

His tone was extremely cautious: "Who is this person? Such a radiant summoning power to the star穹 cannot be provided by an ordinary Star Radiance Holy Tower."

"Who else could it be?" 革蜚 pursed his lips: "Among the seven groups of people who entered the Sea of Mountains and Seas, only Xiang Bei, Chu Yuzhi, Xiao Shu, Jiang Wang, Qu Shunhua, and Zuo Guangshu need to erect Star Towers. The others have four towers standing together. Since you say this is so difficult, let's exclude Chu Yuzhi and Xiao Shu as incorrect answers, leaving four people."

He spread his hands: "You choose from these four people."

Wu Ling's eyebrows were tightly furrowed: "You're clearly giving me the difficult problem, so why are you speaking in a tone as if I've gained an advantage?"

"Then I'll help you eliminate a little more." 革蜚 looked at the point of starlight in the sky: "This Star Tower is not erected in the Four Spirits starfield; the essence of the starlight is different."

"You've eliminated nothing!" Wu Ling spat: "Among these people, which one can't obtain a method for a more unique Star Tower?"

After thinking for a moment, he added: "Can you tell which starfield this is in? We can just use it to determine our location!"

"Innumerable stars, billions of them. How can I tell which is which?" 革蜚 said angrily: "It's already amazing that I can tell it's not in the Four Spirits starfield!"

Wu Ling looked down at the Rivers and Mountains Plate: "I always feel like something isn't quite right..."

"We need to speed up our actions..." 革蜚 also said.

At this time, there were no major changes in the Sea of Mountains and Seas.

But a subtle unease had already begun to spread.

The Mechanical Garuda flapped its wings in the air.

Zuo Guangshu, Qu Shunhua, and Yue Tiannu stood on the broad back of the Garuda.

They had not missed the dazzling starlight.

What Wu Ling and 革蜚 could analyze, the three of them naturally could as well.

And since Zuo Guangshu and Qu Shunhua were together, the range they could narrow down was undoubtedly smaller.

"I didn't expect Xiang Bei to have this hidden move." There was a hint of wariness in Qu Shunhua's tone: "I thought that with his personality, if his Inner Mansion had reached the level he recognized, he shouldn't have stopped."

"Who isn't prepared?" Yue Tiannu said indifferently, raising her eyes to look: "It's not necessarily impossible for Xiao Shu and Chu Yuzhi to be the one who erected this Star Tower..."

Zuo Guangshu was about to say something, but seeing their discussion, he thought for a moment and finally remained silent.

That possibility was indeed slim.

The man in the red martial attire with gold trim, carrying the strangely shaped Heaven Swift Blade, walked through the air with a swagger.

He had naturally seen the starlight in the sky, but he only glanced at it before passing it by.

Erecting a Star Tower after entering the Sea of Mountains and Seas?

This meant that before entering, the four towers were not yet complete.

What was there to worry about?

No need to mention how difficult it was to erect a Star Tower here, no need to mention how rare this Star Radiance Holy Tower was.

If he didn't encounter it, so be it.

If he did, it was a matter of one blade.

Just...

Where did this Zhu Yan go?

After so many days of travel and countless battles, he had clearly found the location described in the "Records of Strange Beasts of Mountains and Seas".

But this Xiao Cizhi Mountain was empty, truly strange and peculiar!