C708 The First Calamity of Heaven and Earth

"The Perfect Holy Body Spell" is said to have created a mythic era dedicated to body cultivation. However, this legendary time soon vanished into the annals of history when the first great catastrophe struck the world. This event marked the division between ancient times and the distant past. No one knows exactly what happened, and there are no records to shed light on it.

Woo Zhengyang heard that this catastrophe lasted for an entire month. During that time, the world lost its color, everything withered, and even the sun, moon, and stars seemed to vanish, plunging the world into endless darkness. After a month, the sun finally shone again, but the world had shattered into various regions of different sizes. These regions are now known as the Thirty-Six Domains and the Central Continent.

The place where Woo Zhengyang and his companions reside is called the Golden Scale Domain, named after the Golden Scale Sect. Dongjue Country is fairly large, and the Heavenly Martial Sect's area is already quite vast. However, within the Golden Scale Domain, the Heavenly Martial Sect is considered the weakest, and its limited power means it controls the smallest territory.

This implies that the other six sects each command areas much larger than that of the Heavenly Martial Sect, and together they form an immense expanse. Additionally, the Golden Scale Sect itself occupies a vast region, and when combined, they make up the entirety of the Golden Scale Domain, illustrating its vastness.

There are thirty-six regions like the Golden Scale Domain! Among these, the Golden Scale Domain is considered below average. Beyond these regions lies a massive continent, larger than all thirty-six combined, forming the original landmass of this world. Its vastness is beyond words.

Regardless, the past is irretrievable. After a cataclysmic event, the world is now as it is. During this upheaval, not only was the once-whole continent shattered, but something even more infuriating occurred.

The "Perfect Holy Body Spell" vanished! The legacy palace left by a formidable martial emperor was destroyed. With the mysterious forces tearing through the heavens and earth, the destruction of a legacy palace seemed inevitable. Yet, for many cultivators, this was a disaster of epic proportions.

They had embarked on the path of body tempering solely to master the "Perfect Holy Body Spell." Now, with its disappearance, all their efforts seemed in vain. Many frantically searched the ruins of the legacy palace for any trace of the spell, but it never resurfaced. It became a legend among body tempering cultivators—a cherished memory, yet forever elusive.

Lee Yuanye was among those who held the "Perfect Holy Body Spell" in high regard and lamented its disappearance. Like most, he believed the destruction of the palace that held its secrets was an accident. However, after meeting Xuan Qixing and learning the hidden truths about the recent cataclysm, Woo Zhengyang and his companions began to see things differently.

This recent upheaval wasn't just about sealing off ancestral lands; it was also about seizing Body Tempering Techniques. In fact, it seemed the lands were sealed precisely to prevent these techniques from being leaked after failing to seize them. Could it be that the previous cataclysm had a similar motive? Or perhaps its true purpose was to destroy the "Perfect Holy Body Spell"?

After all, the "Perfect Holy Body Spell" was the foundation for the rise of Body Tempering practices and was considered the pinnacle of such techniques. Woo Zhengyang and his peers found this theory plausible, though it was just that—a theory. The first cataclysm occurred so many eons ago that its reality was irrelevant to them now.

Yet, Woo Zhengyang never imagined that not long after, this legendary Body Tempering technique, lost for countless ages, would appear before him. And the one who presented this unparalleled technique was none other than Hee Wanli, the esteemed elder of the Golden Scale Sect!

At first, Woo Zhengyang felt like his very soul was under attack. Then, the tone shifted to something more amicable, and now, out of the blue, he was being offered the "Perfect Holy Body Spell." Woo Zhengyang's mind was spinning.

Was all of this really just a coincidence, as Hee Wanli had explained? Or was there something deeper at play? And what could that be?

The moment he saw the name "Perfect Holy Body Spell," Woo Zhengyang's thoughts raced, connecting dots and forming countless theories. Yet, he kept his expression neutral, reaching out as casually as possible to take the "Perfect Holy Body Spell."

Regardless of any hidden agendas, Woo Zhengyang couldn't pass up the "Perfect Holy Body Spell." Even if it turned out to be a trap, it was worth the risk.

The main thing was, Woo Zhengyang sensed that Hee Wanli's offer of the "Perfect Holy Body Spell" was a test of sorts. But what exactly was Hee Wanli testing? That was something Woo Zhengyang couldn't quite figure out.

So, he naturally accepted the "Perfect Holy Body Spell," glancing at the title on the cover as if it was no big deal. Then, he turned to Hee Wanli and said, "In that case, I thank you, Sovereign!"

With that, Woo Zhengyang moved to put the "Perfect Holy Body Spell" away.

"Hold on!"

Woo Zhengyang noticed that Hee Wanli didn't even bother to glance at the gift before tucking it away, so he spoke up to stop him.

"Is there something else you need to tell me, Sovereign?" Woo Zhengyang asked, hiding a smirk.

"Not really, but aren't you curious about the level of the technique I gave you? Or did you just look at the name and already know its rank?"

"Sovereign, you overestimate me. There are countless techniques in the world, and I've only scratched the surface. There's no way I could determine its rank just by the name. However, I trust that anything you give must be of high quality. I'm eager to take a look, but today is a big day for the Profound Heaven Sect. No matter how curious I am, I can't let it interfere with important matters," Woo Zhengyang explained.

He was sure that Hee Wanli had an ulterior motive for giving him the "Perfect Holy Body Spell" and wanted to avoid discussing it further.

"Yes, yes, business comes first. Sovereign, please take your seat!" Nie Fengyu, who also sensed something was off, interrupted before Hee Wanli could say more.

Hee Wanli's eyes narrowed for a moment, but then he laughed heartily. "Alright... alright... I'll take my seat, but I like this young man. Let him sit with me!" Hee Wanli said, pointing at Woo Zhengyang.

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