2352 Eight Tribulation Bodiless Celestials

Since Duan Ling Tian had slowed down, Chen Yi Ru, the Four Tribulation Bodiless Celestial, finally managed to catch up. However, he did not dare to move in front of Duan Ling Tian. Instead, he just followed closely behind. This was only natural since Duan Ling Tian was his master.

While they were traveling, Duan Ling Tian asked Chen Yi Ru, "Earlier, I heard those people say you're also called Chen San Dao?" From the beginning until the end, he did not look at Chen Yi Ru at all when he spoke, it was as though he was talking to the air.

Chen Yi Ru would have been furious if someone else spoke to him in this manner. However, when faced with Duan Ling Tian, he was as meek as a cat. He nodded and responded obediently, "Yes, master."

Duan Ling Tian said indifferently, "From now on, I'll just call you San Dao… Is that okay?"

"Of course." Since Chen Yi Ru had already sworn on the lightning penalty oath and acknowledged Duan Ling Tian as his master, he, naturally, would not go against Duan Ling Tian's wish. Let alone calling him San Dao, even if Duan Ling Tian wanted to call him an idiot, he could only say yes.

Duan Ling Tian said, "I have some questions for you."

"Yes, master. What do you want to know?" Chen Yi Ru replied, an I-will-tell-you-all-I-know expression appeared on his face.

"How many Bodiless Celestials are there in the Dao Martial Saint Land?" Duan Ling Tian asked. If he did not encounter Liao Nai Jiang, the master of the Patriarch of the Human-Devil clan, he would not have known that powerful beings such as the Bodiless Celestials existed. In the past, similar to many others, he thought Eminent Celestials were the most powerful beings in the mundane realms. He felt like a frog in the well when he learned about the existence of Bodiless Celestials.

"Master, this is a difficult question." Chen Yi Ru was surprised Duan Ling Tian would ask such a question. He smiled bitterly as he said, "I'm not certain about the exact number of Bodiless Celestials in the Upper Province of Dao Martial Saint Land. All I know is there are more than 100 Bodiless Celestials here..."

"You don't know? Aren't you a Bodiless Celestial?" Duan Ling Tian frowned. Since Chen Yi Ru was a Bodiless Celestial, he thought Chen Yi Ru would know things like that.

"Master, although I'm a Bodiless Celestial, I don't interact much with the other Bodiless Celestials. In fact, most Bodiless Celestials don't interact much with one another. What I do I know is the youngest Bodiless Celestial is less than 1,000 years old while the oldest is probably about 7,000 to 8,000 years old," Chen Yi Ru patiently explained, "Ever since I failed the Celestial Ascension Tribulation and became a Bodiless Celestial, I've only met about ten Bodiless Celestials. Most of the time, I'm either traveling alone or in closed-door cultivation, waiting for the Bodiless Celestial Tribulation once every 1,000 years." Then, he added inwardly, 'However, this time I was unlucky and met you…' Naturally, he did not dare voice it out.

"I see." Duan Ling Tian seemed interested in this as he continued to ask, "Does this mean most Bodiless Celestials travel around the Dao Martial Saint Land a lot?"

"Yes." Chen Yi Ru nodded. "Apart from cultivating, we usually roam the Dao Martial Saint Land..."

"If that's the case, why do so few people know about Bodiless Celestials?" Duan Ling Tian asked curiously. He was really puzzled by this. After all, prior to meeting Liao Nai Jiang, the master of the Patriarch of the Human-Devil clan, he had no idea that Bodiless Celestials existed. Moreover, when he was in the bustling city earlier, he discovered that many people did not know about Bodiless Celestials as well. He still remembered the baffled expression on their faces when they heard about Bodiless Celestials.

"Master, it's not that we want to hide our identities… However, the dragon and phoenix clans have forbidden us from revealing ourselves." Chen Yi Ru smiled bitterly.

"The dragon and phoenix clans?" Duan Ling Tian frowned. "They forbade the Bodiless Celestials from revealing themselves? How are they capable of issuing orders to Bodiless Celestials? Based on what I know, although the dragon and phoenix clan are relatively strong, they still can't compare to the three great sects."

Duan Ling Tian found this baffling. He had, naturally, heard about the dragon and phoenix clan before. Although they were only slightly weaker than the three great sects, they were on different levels. However, Chen Yi Ru had just said that the dragon and phoenix clan had issued a gag order to Bodiless Celestials! Bodiless Celestials were the strongest in the mundane realms. A Three Tribulation Bodiless Celestial was already stronger than an Eminent Celestial who was about to ascend. As for a Four Tribulation Bodiless Celestial, even two Eminent Celestials would not be able to kill him! After all, Four Tribulation Bodiless Celestial could even tear open the void. This was something only those from the Devata Realm were capable of. There was no need to mention those who were even stronger like the Five Tribulation Bodiless Celestials, Six Tribulation Bodiless Celestials, Seven Tribulation Bodiless Celestials, Eight Tribulation Bodiless Celestials, and Nine Tribulation Bodiless Celestials! Nine Tribulation Bodiless Celestial, especially, was exceptionally rare. How strong were the dragon and phoenix clans to be able to order the Bodiless Celestials around?

"Master, those people who say the dragon and phoenix clans are weaker than the three great sects don't know any better. However, that's what the dragon and phoenix clans want people to believe… The truth is, the dragon and phoenix clans are the strongest force in the Dao Martial Saint Land." Chen Yi Ru smiled bitterly before he continued to say, "To a certain extent, the three great sects are the puppets, and the dragon and phoenix clans are the puppet masters!"

Chen Yi Ru's words thoroughly shocked Duan Ling Tian. He felt as though the door to the new world had just been opened to him. The dragon and phoenix clans were pulling the strings behind the three great sects? How was that possible? In the history of the Upper Province, there were many recorded conflicts between the dragon and phoenix clans and the three great sects.

Chen Yi Ru continued to say, "Moreover, even the current sect leaders of the three great sects are unaware that the dragon and phoenix clans are pulling the strings from behind the scene. They're unaware that their sects only managed to grow to this stage due to the dragon and phoenix clans. This is no secret among Bodiless Celestials." Chen Yi Ru answered. When he saw the frown on Duan Ling Tian's face, he continued to say, "In the beginning, the three great sects had good relationships with the dragon and phoenix clan. However, after ten generations of sect leaders had come and gone, their relationships with the dragon and phoenix clans were nonexistent. At that time, they had become strong enough to stand on their own. Coupled with the discreet help from the dragon and phoenix clans, they became the three great sects in the Dao Martial Saint Land."

Chen Yi Ru paused and looked at Duan Ling Tian at this moment. After a while, he began to speak again, "Master, as the successor of the Fog Rain Progeny and the Sect Leader of the Seven Absolutes Sect, you should know the history of the sect very well, right? When the Sword Saint, Senior Feng Qing Yang, was still around, the three great sects were completely suppressed by him. Even if the three great sects joined forces, they still wouldn't be able to stop him should he wish to annihilate them. However, do you know why the Seven Absolutes Sect couldn't completely annihilate the three great sects?" His eyes were filled with reverence when he spoke about this.

"Isn't it because Senior Feng Qing Yang didn't want to annihilate them? It's said that he wanted the three great sects around so they could serve as a challenge to the disciples from the Seven Absolutes Sect." Duan Ling Tian parroted the conversation he had heard in the restaurant. To be honest, he did not know how to respond when Chen Yi Ru said as the Sect Leader of the Seven Absolutes Sect he must be well-versed with the history of the sect. There was no way he could disclose to Chen Yi Ru that he only learned about the connection between him and the Seven Absolutes Sect just a few hours ago, right?

"Master, those are just rumors..." Chen Yi Ru revealed with gleaming eyes. "The truth is Senior Feng Qing Yang did not destroy the three great sects back then because the dragon and phoenix clans had interfered! The dragon and phoenix clan sent many Bodiless Celestials to stop him. Many of those Bodiless Celestials were Seven and Eight Tribulation Bodiless Celestials!"

Duan Ling Tian was shocked when he heard Chen Yi Ru's words. Eight Tribulation Bodiless Celestials?