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Creak.

The door gently swung open.

Outside, it was still misty and drizzling. Ye Zichen hadn't even considered the possibility that his enlightenment into the true essence of water, which had taken place within his spiritual sea, would affect the outside world.

"Rain, stop." A low murmur left his mouth, like an incantation. The drizzle instantly stopped, and the hazy clouds dispersed.

Throughout all three Upper Realms, there was no longer a trace of precipitation. The sky shone proudly in the skies, and the rainbow following this downpour of auspicious rain was dazzling to behold.

As the drizzle resided, Ye Zichen couldn't help but close his eyes.

"Is this what it's like to be a ruler?"

Gaining enlightenment into the true meaning of water had broken Ye Zichen into the ruler level. His soul power had long since reached that level, but his cultivation had been a ways away.

Now that he had truly broken through, he realized how enormous the rift between a diviner and a ruler really was.

As a diviner, he could clearly sense the laws restricting him, but now he had the sense that so long as he willed it, all of heaven and earth was in the palm of his hand.

This was a ruler's domain.

But at the same time, he sensed that the Laws restricted him even more heavily than before.

It was actually pretty easy to understand…

All the world's cultivators, in the eyes of the Laws, were nothing but slaves! Before breaking through and becoming a ruler, in the eyes of the Laws, he was nothing, a paltry, trivial figure, incapable of threatening the Laws in the slightest.

But after breaking into the ruler level, cultivators were likes slaves who'd found weapons; they now had the potential to harm the Laws. As such, the Laws would notice them and apply severe restrictions to keep them in check.

He'd only just broken through, but it was already this intense. Perhaps the restrictions on Yang Jian and the Great Sage were even heavier.

But the heavier the restrictions, the more one longed to transcend and escape their bonds.

No wonder everyone wanted to transcend!

"Ye-zi, did you succeed?" His friends had been standing guard this whole time, and they rushed to his side. They were fully aware of why he'd gone into seclusion.

Ye Zichen stared up into the sky, then noticed dozens of rulers hovering overhead. He didn't even need to think; this was Ocean Emperor Xue Yang's territory. For so many rulers to be standing guard here was naturally at his orders.

"Such a grand formation." Ye Zichen couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "You could say I succeeded."

"Alliance Head Ye."

The rulers hovering overhead all landed. Ye Zichen recognized the elder at the head of the pack; this was the Xue Family's Third Elder, who he'd met not long ago.

"Third Elder." Ye Zichen cupped his fist.

Actually, the two of them had only met once. When he heard Ye Zichen address him by his title, the elder was surprised.

"I'm honored you still remember this old man," said the Third Elder with a smile. Then he continued, "Since you've left seclusion, we shan't disturb you any longer. If you are in need of any assistance, please contact me. I will do everything in my power to aid you."

"Thank you."

The Xue Family experts dispersed, but a few remained behind to protect them from the shadows.

Venerate Spirit Treasure watched all of this play out. The, he walked over and complimented Ye Zichen, like a senior complimenting a junior.

"To gain enlightenment into the true meaning of water so quickly, you really are an unparalleled genius. Especially since you comprehended water's auspicious aspect. Not bad at all."

Ye Zichen wasn't the slightest bit surprised. Given Venerate Spirit Treasure's cultivation, it was normal he'd pick something up from that sudden drizzle. However, he chose not to mention the fact that he'd also contemplated water's calamitous side as well.

Most likely, many people could tell that the sudden downpour was the result of Ye Zichen's enlightenment into auspicious waters, but they had no idea that he understood water's dangerous side as well.

Who knew? Perhaps, one day, water's calamitous side could become a hidden weapon.

"Venerate Spirit Treasure, I'm unworthy of your praise. Actually, I broke through entirely thanks to an expert's guidance. If not for him, I might still be wasting my time trying to contemplate the true meaning of fire," said Ye Zichen.

"Contemplating the true meaning of fire? This is the Sea of Innocence…." Venerate Spirit Treasure really was a peak-level expert. The second Ye Zichen said that, he couldn't conceal his laughter.

"Right?" Ye Zichen grimaced.

"But then, I can understand why you'd attempt it. Earlier, when I saw your proficiency in the five elements, I could tell that your understanding of fire was the deepest. It's natural that this would blind you." To Ye Zichen's surprise, Venerate Spirit Treasure didn't sneer at him. "But I'm rather curious about the expert you mentioned. You saw the formation we had outside. Dozens of rulers formed a web of interlocking divine senses, and the few of us were keeping watch too. To think that someone could escape all of our notice and speak directly into your sea of consciousness! Did this expert tell you their name?"

"He didn't."

"Even so, I think I know who it was," said Venerate Spirit Treasure with an inscrutable smile.

"Senior, you know them?" asked Ye Zichen.

"There are numerous reclusive experts in the Yao Realm, but those capable of eluding my notice and speaking directly into your sea of consciousness are few and far between. But since he was unwilling to share his name, there's no need for me to tell you either. Besides, he'll come to see you soon. When the time comes, you'll naturally know his identity."

It was clear that Venerate Spirit Treasure really did know who this mysterious expert was.

Before the expert left, he'd said that he'd come to their Divine Mountain to see Ye Zichen. The Hermit Emperor had said something similar after Ye Zichen's last encounter with this expert, but none of the great emperors were willing to disclose the man's identity.

This vexed Ye Zichen, but he was also curious and eager to learn the truth.

But this was no time to worry about some mysterious expert's identity. The most urgent task at hand was opening the Yao-Sealing Pagoda's final layer.

That was where the Divine Mausoleum's final key fragment was hidden, and it also housed the pagoda's strongest fighting force.

Ye Zichen flipped his hand and summoned the Yao-Sealing Pagoda. Its pitch-black surface was still flecked with rust, but after opening the third layer, it had a newfound luster.

Without any hesitation, Ye Zichen disappeared before their very eyes and entered the Yao-Sealing Pagoda.

Those outside had been following him for quite some time, and they knew what he was doing, so there was no need for instructions or explanations.

With great tacit understanding, Yang Jian and the Great Sage sealed the surrounding space with their divine senses. Ye Zichen, meanwhile, had already arrived in the Yao-Sealing Pagoda's palace hall.

After opening each layer, he connected them. They now existed within a shared space. What remained now was one final staircase.

He took his first step, then continued upward. At the end of the staircase was an enormous, flashing, green door.

Ye Zichen took a deep breath, but lingered at the door for a while.

The true meaning of water and his ruler-level cultivation were now his greatest available methods, but he was worried that these wouldn't be enough to meet the pagoda's requirements and open the door. All he could do now was pray…

He raised his hand to touch the door, but to his shock, before his hand reached it, the green door opened on its own.