Chapter 1 What Level Have I Reached?

"What level have I reached now?"

Gu Shen stroked his chin, pondering slowly.

"This question is difficult to answer... After all, I haven't fought any enemies in the real world yet."

The previous battle of the gods took place in the spiritual world.

But it could already be considered a duel of gods!

Gu Shen's spiritual sea could already stand its ground against devils… Judging solely from the performance in that battle of gods, it was difficult to estimate Gu Shen's true combat power, but one thing was certain: the scale of Gu Shen's spiritual sea was unmatched by any fourth-order.

It was too difficult for a triple transcender to advance to the fourth order.

The Ice Sea's revival was already a miracle!

"What if we use the Deep Sea Trials to assess it?" Chu Ling's eyes gleamed. "Do you want to try?"

The Deep Sea Trials had a total of twelve levels!

This was also an important basis for modern transcendent beings to classify their strength levels.

But before the so-called twelve-level system was established in the Deep Sea, the strength of transcendent beings had always existed.

Except for when he had just "awakened," Gu Shen had been accustomed to accessing the Deep Sea network for cultivation.

Most of the time afterward, he relied on his own meditation to drive his cultivation. This was the "infiltration cultivation method" Gu Nanfeng had taught him. Most of the native transcendent beings in the Northern Continent cultivated in this way.

Without external assistance.

Without relying on the Deep Sea.

Only in this way could one go further!

"Use the Deep Sea Trials to test my current level?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Alright, let's do it!"

Kacha Kacha, he stood up and stretched his muscles.

Chu Ling's spiritual network enveloped the entire 001 carriage. As Gu Shen stood up, this sea area suddenly vibrated. Then, the carriage virtualized, as if it had become a part of the sea. Countless seawater poured into the glass of the virtual carriage, and the surrounding scenery suddenly changed—

This time, there was no prompt sound.

The [Source Code] activated the closed sea area of the Deep Sea to conduct this unknown transcendent trial!

"Since you have already broken through to the fourth order, then directly release your domain."

Chu Ling's voice echoed slowly.

The Deep Sea Trials after the fourth order exerted pressure based on the strength of the domain.

After hearing this, Gu Shen did not hesitate and raised his hands.

Life Fire in his left hand, Pure Land Silent Snow in his right.

These two diametrically opposed, inherently incompatible domain phenomena were displayed behind Gu Shen at the same time. On one side was the constantly burning blazing fire, and on the other was the Susu tree with snow flying.

Ice and fire were manifested in one person!

But what was truly contradictory was not the elements of ice and fire, but the life and death hidden in the deeper levels!

At the moment when these two domains were displayed—

The Deep Sea Trial ground began to tremble!

"Rumble rumble!"

Billions of tons of seawater surging toward Gu Shen encountered great resistance at the moment it was about to touch his body!

The seawater seemed to have touched an invisible barrier, instantly piling up together. The squeezing force immediately became extremely difficult. Even advancing a fraction of an inch was impossible… This was a sign that the Deep Sea's spiritual network was beginning to wrap and exert pressure, but the unfolding of these two domains directly prevented the Deep Sea network from enveloping Gu Shen!

Gu Shen looked very relaxed and was even stretching his muscles.

Next, accompanied by Chu Ling's exclamation.

A muffled blast sounded in the dream!

Gu Shen stood blankly in place, but the Deep Sea seawater had all shattered…

He had felt a burst of pressure before.

But at this moment, the pressure had disappeared without a trace.

The scene quickly recovered, returning to the 001 carriage.

Everything returned to calm.

This made Gu Shen, who was eager to show his strength, somewhat embarrassed.

He retracted the Blazing Fire and Silent Snow, looked at Chu Ling, and smiled helplessly, "What's going on? Why hasn't the trial started?"

"..."

The carriage was silent for half a minute. As the world's most powerful artificial intelligence, Chu Ling had not been so quiet for a long time. She looked at Gu Shen with a complex expression, and then sighed, "It's not that the trial hasn't started… It's that the trial has already ended."

"…?"

Gu Shen was slightly stunned.

"The twelve levels of the Deep Sea Trials were originally prepared for the vast majority of transcendent beings… These twelve levels are not the end of mortal cultivation, but the end of the Deep Sea network's current calculations. Even if the [Deep Sea] has undergone many iterations and upgrades, it has no way to develop the thirteenth sea area."

"Because the deeper you go, the harder it is to deduce."

"The possibility of mortal evolution is infinite."

"The twelfth level of the trial is reserved for those transcendent beings who have mastered 'dual domains,' such as Han Dang under Frozen Lake… From the [Deep Sea]'s deduced mortal evolution route, after comprehending dual domains, it is a qualitative change in the level of life. Next is endless, unpredictable, and complex possibilities. So those transcendent beings who break through again are titled in the sense of the mortal world."

Chu Ling looked at the wind and snow swirling around Gu Shen, and the disappearing sparks.

She murmured softly, "But you are an exception… You comprehended the [Pure Land Domain] in the third order, achieved triple transcendence, and then successfully comprehended the complete and perfect Blazing Fire Domain, advancing to the fourth order."

"The highest intensity of the Deep Sea Trials can only reach 'dual domains,' and dual domains… You already have them."

The trial ended before it even began.

Looking at the history of mankind, the monster who could achieve this step… Gu Shen was the first.

Regardless of whether it had appeared in human history before, at least it was not recorded in the history books.

No one would comprehend a complete domain that did not belong to them in the third order!

This not only required talent, but also good fortune!

Even if Gu Shen was reborn once, he might not be able to reach his current state, because two indispensable steps could not be replicated.

One was Gu Changzhi gifting the Four Seasons Wilderness, and the other was being chosen by a certain fire seed in advance!

"I see, it's actually similar to what I guessed…"

Gu Shen looked calm, without much surprise.

After the domain transformation of the Life Fire was completed, he already had a rough estimate in his mind.

The so-called Deep Sea Trials were just to divide the levels of transcendent beings and make it easier for them to find the direction of future cultivation.

His left hand held Blazing Fire, and his right hand held Pure Land. Even if only one of these two perfect and complete domains was released, it could crush 99% of the fourth-order!

How strong was he now?

Gu Shen had not fought anyone yet, so he was not sure, but he knew that… if he let Jia Wei of that year stand in front of him now.

A fourth-order transcender, standing in front of him, would surely die!

"Alright… can you rest assured now?"

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Now, if I return to the cemetery, maybe I can try to refine the 'Nether King Fire Seed.' Dealing with Jia Wei is just a piece of cake, right?"

"That's right."

Seeing how strong Gu Shen was, Chu Ling also felt a lot more relaxed. She said seriously, "Since you are determined to resolve this grievance yourself, then I will keep the news about 'Jia Wei' a secret for you."

"Alright."

Gu Shen took a deep breath and looked up at the outside of the 001 carriage, "It's time for me to leave the Ice Sea too."

His body had been soaked under the seawater for five years.

Fortunately, there had been a continuous stream of source matter maintaining his life activities for the past five years, so he was able to survive.

He had waited so long.

Finally, the day to "leave the sea" had arrived!

"By the way!"

Hearing the words Ice Sea, Chu Ling suddenly looked serious and said, "A very important event has just happened. I haven't had time to summarize and organize it yet. It just so happens that you are in the Ice Sea…"

……

……

"Chih!"

The endless darkness of the deep sea was ignited by a ray of fire.

Gu Shen's spirit returned to his body. At this moment, he trembled gently like a stone statue standing still for thousands of years, as if to shake off the dust covering his body.

This was the Ice Sea, of course, there was no dust.

However, after several tremors, the layer of gloom shrouded in Gu Shen, the ominousness covering the surface of his body, was all shattered by him.

The Life Fire flowed through his whole body.

"Finally… alive again."

Gu Shen opened his eyes and sighed. He did not use "wake up," but "live again" to describe this opening of his eyes.

Only those who had experienced it firsthand would know.

How terrifying this death tribulation was.

As the current Nether King, he was almost sent to see the former Nether King.

Gu Shen stretched and gently tapped his fingertips in the seawater. The Pure Land wind and snow instantly condensed into a palm-sized ice mirror in the seawater. Looking at the thin image reflected in the mirror, a hint of self-deprecation flashed in Gu Shen's eyes, "I've been hungry for five years. No wonder the devil didn't dare to seize my body before…"

"Today is a good day to break out of the sea and see the light of day again. Let's eat something to fill my stomach first."

Gu Shen stood up.

Dozens of strands of Blazing Fire shot out in the seawater, like chains, piercing through in all directions!

A few seconds later, he captured the strange sounds in the depths of the Ice Sea.

"Very good, there are still 'living' things."

Gu Shen grinned. He glanced back at the Longevity Stone Wall. The ancient text and patterns on this stone wall had lost their meaning, because the real Longevity patterns were all recorded in his mind.

Boom!

Gu Shen gently pressed his five fingers on the stone wall, shattering it. Although this place was ten thousand meters below the Ice Sea, for the sake of safety, he still decided to destroy the stone wall!

Only by destroying it could he ensure that no one could read and learn from it in the years to come!

The stone wall was first shattered, and then completely annihilated under the burning of the Blazing Fire, turning into nothingness.

Gu Shen did not look back.

He held the trembling Blazing Fire chain in one hand and quickly swept in the direction it was guiding. The protection provided by the Longevity patterns disappeared, but the Pure Land domain immediately appeared. A thin layer of frost and snow surrounded Gu Shen's body, forming a complete spherical domain, blocking all the coldness of the Ice Sea.

Compared with the Great Cold, this cold was not worth mentioning!

Soon, Gu Shen saw what kind of scene was at the location where the "abnormality" came from.

A silver-white sailfish of nearly twenty meters, due to transcendent mutation, had an upper jaw as sharp as a sword, protruding nearly ten meters!

Attracted by the Blazing Fire chain, the sailfish slowly approached the firelight in the deep sea.

Gu Shen's lurking and the abnormal seawater aroused its vigilance.

The sailfish captured the direction of the abnormality and then took the initiative to attack!

"Swoosh!"

The slender fish body instantly turned into a burst of silver light!

The slender jaw sword it was holding accurately found Gu Shen, who was in charge of the Blazing Fire chain, in the deep sea and stabbed fiercely!

……

……

(ps: I sincerely apologize again for the monthly ticket extra. If there is anyone who hasn’t read it yet, you can follow the WeChat official account "Hui Shuai Jiao De Xiong Mao.")