Chapter 978: The Blackwind Domain Technique
TL: Etude
Ye Tian began cultivating from the first technique of the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques. In just a few minutes, he successfully mastered the first technique, an astonishing speed.
Next, he started practicing the second technique of the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques, continually compressing his divine soul.
The second technique proved to be more difficult, but Ye Tian still completed it within a single day.
At that point, Ye Tian began practicing the third technique, while the three True Monarchs—True Monarch Dragon Sea and his companions—had only just mastered the third technique themselves and had not yet reached the fourth.
It took Ye Tian three days to master the third technique, putting him on par with the three True Monarchs.
After that, he spent five days mastering the fourth technique.
Ye Tian needed ten days to complete the fifth technique.
The difficulty of the sixth technique far surpassed that of the fifth, forcing Ye Tian to spend an entire month before he could finally master it.
By this point, Ye Tian had officially completed the trial.He glanced over at True Monarch Dragon Sea and the other two and noticed that they were still focused on their cultivation. It was clear they had not yet finished the trial and were likely still working on the fourth or fifth technique.
Without disturbing them, Ye Tian mentally connected with the black stele, displaying his success in mastering the sixth technique. Instantly, the black stele absorbed him into the next level.
The moment Ye Tian disappeared, the three True Monarchs noticed his absence.
“Little Junior Brother… did he pass the trial?”
True Monarch Dragon Sea was utterly shocked.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Ghost Shadow and True Monarch Nether River were overwhelmed with envy and jealousy. They had arrived much earlier than Ye Tian, yet they were still struggling with the fourth technique, while Ye Tian had already completed the sixth. His cultivation speed was simply too fast.
“Damn it! Could the Dao Child of Ten Thousand Laws really become the next Peak Lord of Blackwind Mountain?” True Monarch Ghost Shadow thought bitterly.
His goal wasn’t to become a Peak Lord of Blackwind Mountain; he just couldn’t bear to miss out on the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques.
The first six techniques only compressed the soul, strengthening its defenses slightly. But upon mastering the seventh technique, the divine soul would undergo a true transformation, even unlocking greater potential.
To them, the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques were incredibly precious—more valuable than Dao Artifacts.
Although this technique might not mean much in the Domain Realms, in this chaotic region, there was no soul-cultivating secret art comparable to the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques. This made the opportunity to learn it even more valuable.
Moreover, once the sixth technique was mastered, even if they failed to complete the trial afterward, they could still take the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques with them—although they wouldn’t be able to pass it on to others.
…
After leaving the first trial, Ye Tian arrived at the hall of the second trial, located just one level below the previous one. Despite being only one floor apart, his spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate it, as if an immense distance separated the two levels.
Upon arriving, Ye Tian immediately understood the nature of the second trial.
It was a combat trial! Strength was also a requirement to become a Provisional Peak Lord—talent alone would not suffice.
For instance, in the first trial, someone as powerful as a Heavenly Monarch could pass based on aptitude.
However, the second trial was different. Without sufficient strength, one would not be able to pass.
Boom!!!!
Dark rays of light illuminated Ye Tian, slowly condensing into a figure.
It was an exact replica of Ye Tian, with cultivation at the pinnacle of the True Spirit Realm.
Although this black version of Ye Tian seemed to only possess the peak cultivation of the True Spirit Realm, its aura was far more powerful than any other True Spirit Realm expert.
Additionally, strange patterns marked its body, and its blood energy surged with overwhelming force, revealing the terrifying strength of its physical body.
Ye Tian stared at the black version of himself, unable to understand how it had formed. It didn’t seem like an illusion or a manifestation of laws, but rather a real lifeform.
However, his Copy Talent couldn’t detect any talents from the black Ye Tian. It was as if the figure was nothing but a hollow puppet, devoid of essence.
The trial required Ye Tian to defeat this black version of himself to pass.
The battle began instantly!
Boom!!!
The two clashed and then quickly separated.
Ye Tian’s expression was filled with shock—his opponent possessed at least half of his physical strength! Considering the terrifying power of his body, it was unbelievable that someone with the same cultivation level could rival him like this. Moreover, the opponent had a deep understanding of the Grand Dao and displayed exceptional combat techniques, along with mastery over various secret arts and chaos divine abilities.
Such an opponent would be unbeatable even for the top-ranking True Monarch on the leaderboard! No, without the aid of wondrous objects, even relying purely on one’s own strength, it would be nearly impossible to win.
“At the True Monarch level, aside from me, no one else could pass the Peak Lord trial. The challenge for a Half-Step True Ancestor would undoubtedly be even harder—they would need to fight a Half-Step True Ancestor opponent, and it would still be impossible to pass!” Ye Tian thought to himself.
At that moment, the black Ye Tian launched another attack.
This time, Ye Tian held nothing back. With overwhelming power, he crushed the black version of himself within just a few breaths.
The black Ye Tian was torn apart and dissolved into black light, vanishing completely.
Trial Passed!
Afterward, Ye Tian was transported to the bottom-most level of the demon statue—the final stage of the trial.
In truth, the Peak Lord trial only consisted of three stages, as it didn’t require too many challenges. Once someone proved they had both the strength and potential to become a Provisional Peak Lord, that was sufficient.
Blackwind Mountain didn’t impose many additional requirements, so the trial process wasn’t overly complicated.
The third stage wasn’t a traditional test—it merely involved cultivating a technique.
While the Nine Soul Tempering Techniques from the first trial served as a test, the third stage required true cultivation. Only by mastering this technique could one officially become a Provisional Peak Lord.
“Blackwind Domain Technique!”
This was a top-tier domain technique, far superior to the Golden Eye Domain Ye Tian had cultivated before.
The Blackwind Domain Technique was also a symbol of Blackwind Mountain. Only those at the level of Provisional Peak Lords or higher were qualified to cultivate it.
However, not everyone could master it. For example, if a True Ancestor in the later stage of the Grand Dao Realm failed to cultivate the Blackwind Domain Technique, they wouldn’t qualify to become a Peak Lord.
At first, Ye Tian didn’t understand why mastering the Blackwind Domain Technique was necessary to pass the trial or how it related to becoming a Provisional Peak Lord. But once he inherited the technique, the reason became clear.
It turned out that the Blackwind Domain Technique was not only a powerful domain skill but also provided access to a unique domain created by the Ten Kings.
With this ability, Blackwind Mountain’s leaders could hold meetings within the Ten Kings’ domain, where everything would remain completely hidden.
After all, Blackwind Mountain was technically a bandit force, not a legitimate faction, and had made many enemies. Thus, they needed to act with extreme caution.
For this reason, all of Blackwind Mountain’s operations and commands relied on the Blackwind Domain Technique.
“What a marvelous domain technique! With it, even enemy spies wouldn’t be able to locate the Ten Kings or the other Peak Lords and Generals. Even if a spy mastered the Blackwind Domain Technique, they would only be able to attend meetings and participate in operations without gaining access to any core secrets!” Ye Tian remarked.
The Ten Kings might have already perished, and the so-called Ten Kings’ Domain likely no longer existed. However, the Blackwind Domain Technique remained one of the most advanced domain techniques available. It could completely replace the Golden Eye Domain. Once mastered, it would give Ye Tian’s strength a significant boost.