Jiang Chen spent only a single night in Miracle City before checking out of his guest room the next day. He left behind a generous supply of Ling Shi and several life-saving measures for Hua Ming, then quietly departed.
While at it, he purchased a map of the surrounding sea regions from a shop in Miracle City. After locking down the location of Corpse Purgatory Hell Island, he set off.
Miracle City was the nearest major metropolis to Corpse Purgatory Hell Island. Even so, the distance between them was a full two hundred thousand li.
Moreover, the route to Corpse Purgatory Hell Island was fraught with peril at every turn. The region within several thousand li of the island was classified as a Death Forbidden Zone — a place no one dared approach head-on. Most cultivators in the surrounding waters had to take long detours to avoid it.
"Chen Shao, this Spirit owes you its gratitude. You have done so much for me. If this Spirit can complete its Nirvana of Life this time, it will repay you with everything it has."
The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian was a spirit creature that valued promises and emotional bonds above all else. If it hadn't been, it would never have honored a single oath to the Sacred One Sect throughout the ancient era — standing guard for countless millennia on the strength of one word alone.
"Senior Vermilion Bird, what we have is a bond forged through life and death. There's no need for such formalities between us. I have always believed that our friendship and our cooperation are a union of two powers joining strengths. It benefits us both."
The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian burst into hearty laughter. "What a fine way to put it — a union of two powers joining strengths! Among human cultivators, truly outstanding individuals are rare, but there are always a few. You, Jiang Chen, are one of the great heroes of this era — and one who is no less impressive than the heroes of the ancient age."
"Haha! Senior, if you say so, then this junior will be bold enough not to argue. Haha!" Jiang Chen's spirits soared.
Riding on the back of the Vermilion Bird Divine Avian high above the sea, the two of them conversed as they passed over the peaceful, tranquil waters. A profound sense of calm settled over Jiang Chen's heart.
Back in the Human Domain, Jiang Chen had always carried countless burdens, forced to weigh every action against a web of considerations. But here on Myriad Abyss Island, he was alone — apart from Huan'er, he had no ties holding him back. That meant he could finally cut loose and act on impulse, without needing to second-guess himself.
The feeling was magnificent. It gave him a sense of boundless freedom — the open sea for fish to leap through, the vast sky for birds to soar in. Now, even if the heavens were to collapse and the earth to sink, he would face it without a shred of fear.
More importantly, on Myriad Abyss Island, Jiang Chen could clearly feel that the pace of his cultivation, his speed of advancement, had accelerated dramatically. The spiritual energy density of Myriad Abyss Island far surpassed that of the Human Domain. It gave him an ideal environment for training that he had never enjoyed before.
After his last battle, he had broken through to the mid-stage of the Emperor realm. Now, over the past several months, his relentless training and the continual elevation of his mental state had sent waves of inspiration crashing through his cultivation. He had entered a period of explosive growth.
The high stage of the Emperor realm felt like it was only a single step away.
Once he broke through to the high stage, the next goal would be to charge toward the pinnacle of the Great Emperor stage — toward the absolute peak.
Jiang Chen firmly believed that at his current rate, once he refined the Emperor Ascension Pill, he would absolutely have a chance to reach the peak of the Great Emperor stage within a single year.
Reaching the peak of the Great Emperor stage would mean the greatest turning point of his entire martial life. The Celestial position would finally enter his field of vision.
The Celestial position — it represented the laws of heaven and earth. It meant earning the acknowledgment of heaven and earth, gaining recognition from the fundamental laws of the cosmos. Entering the Celestial position meant that one's martial path had truly reached the hall of mastery, that one had finally earned the right to gaze upon the Myriad Heavens.
The Celestial position was the true Heavens.
Below the Celestial position, truth be told, even an Emperor-realm cultivator could only be called a worldly martial artist — at best, the pinnacle of worldly warriors.
Only the Celestial position was the true mark of having been acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao.
Thinking of all this, Jiang Chen's heart surged with endless anticipation. He felt that far greater wonders awaited him in the future.
"Chen Shao…" The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian suddenly spoke, pulling Jiang Chen from his thoughts. "This Spirit once resided at the Peacock Sacred Mountain for a time and heard them discussing you. They said you received guidance from a mysterious senior in your youth. Was that mysterious senior from Myriad Abyss Island?"
Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. "What do you think?"
The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian smiled bitterly in return. "At first I believed it was true. But now it seems… that may not have been the case."
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.
"You are already here on Myriad Abyss Island. If such a mysterious senior truly existed, they would certainly have left you some means of contact. Yet in all this time, I have never seen you make any attempt to reach them. That being the case, I suspect that even if such a mysterious senior does exist, they are probably not from Myriad Abyss Island."
The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian's powers of perception were as sharp as ever.
Jiang Chen felt a moment of mild embarrassment. He realized he had not been entirely forthcoming.
With a soft sigh, he said, "Senior, just as you guessed — there is no mysterious senior on Myriad Abyss Island. Those stories were nothing more than a well-intentioned fiction I concocted to address the speculation of others."
"So it was indeed so." The Vermilion Bird Divine Avian let out a quiet sigh. "Then that raises another question. You hail from a mundane mortal kingdom — so where did all your vast knowledge come from? What is the source of your learning? This Spirit has always had the feeling that you are far too exceptional to have been cultivated by a place like the Myriad Symbol Region. I sometimes even feel that you do not belong to this world at all…"