From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 400 A malevolent immortal stands in the sky, making the world even worse.

The young man in purple robes arrived with an air-filled demeanor. His voice was not loud, but every word he uttered was like thunder, compelling Chen Xuan to leave with him, carrying an unyielding force.

He was tall and slender, surrounded by nine birds flapping their wings. Blue and purple lightning danced wildly like silver snakes, tearing through the sky and piercing the clouds. His body was also surrounded by a faint but distinct bloody aura, which seemed to be the killing intent that had been accumulated through thousands of bloody battles. It was very unusual.

Chen Xuan was somewhat bewildered, unable to grasp the other party's intentions for a moment. He strongly suspected that the other party had been seduced by Immortal Lord Xiangliu's [Imperial Edict Fruit], hence uttering such arrogant words?

"Who exactly are you?" he asked.

In the void, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the tassel bird spat out blue lightning, shattering the clouds and mist of the heavens, and the oppressive force of heaven and earth poured down like Mount Tai.

The purple-clad man's voice was like the clash of metal and stone: "My name is Lei Zhenqiong. You should know why I've come. You possess extraordinary talents, but neither the Mountain Demon Goddess nor the Tai Xuan Immortal Lord can last long. The one who can protect you is not on the Five Directions Land."

Then, he glanced in the other directions and urged, "Come with me quickly, someone has chosen you!"

These words were utterly domineering. Lei Zhenqiong had a very strong personality, probably due to his cultivation of thunder qi. After briefly explaining his purpose, he immediately urged Chen Xuan to leave with him.

"Where to go?" Chen Xuan was even more confused. At this moment, he couldn't tell if the other party was deliberately trying to make him laugh. Moreover, the world was still sealed off, so where could he go?

These five lands are all the private domains of immortals. The Empress just went to fight, she didn't die!
Moreover, it should be noted that throughout history, there have only been a handful of supreme beings. In every era, the immortals have always been at the pinnacle of mythology.

A year ago, two Immortals died in the Immortal Palace, leaving even more vacant Immortal positions. Meanwhile, True Lords are also gradually dying out, and many Near-Immortal Great True Lords are benefiting from this and are making a final gamble, but to this day, there is still no news of new Immortals being born.

But now, the other party is talking about immortal matters. Is this something a divine being should say? He's even more arrogant than the lawless Emperor Wan Shizun.

Amidst the lightning, Lei Zhenqiong's face darkened as he stared at Chen Xuan and said coldly, "How could you not know? My Lei Zu Dao Shen's invitation has been sent three times in recent days! Don't pretend you don't know!"

At the same time, his gaze swept over the female sword cultivator in the yellow dress standing on her sword to the east, with long hair like a waterfall. He seemed to recognize her identity and knew that her purpose was the same as his.

To the west, the two demon cultivators, a man and a woman, stopped in their tracks, their faces showing a slight look of surprise.

"The Thunder Ancestor's Dojo of the human race is truly domineering, but this is the ancestral land stained with immortal blood, one of the five leaders, the One Thought Sealing Heaven, the current Xinzhai." The male demon cultivator muttered to himself, this was a mushroom spirit.

"Although the Fairy Goddess has departed, we still committed a grave taboo by taking the opportunity to recruit a leader," the female demon cultivator said worriedly. She had a beautiful appearance, held a colorful mushroom-shaped umbrella in her hand, and her green robe fluttered gracefully as she moved with a lithe figure.

Upon hearing this, the male demon cultivator's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he whispered, "The Immortal Emperor is not far from death and will soon compromise. We can take this opportunity to see the true nature of Xinzhai and see if it is a true genius beneath its great reputation."

Recently, many extraterrestrial forces have sent invitations to the Southern Wilderness, but all have disappeared without a trace. Xinzhai has not responded at all, and his arrogant behavior has aroused dissatisfaction among many people.

"Roar!"

In the southern wilderness, a roar that shook the mountains and rivers resounded. The massive body of the Mountain Lord rose from the horizon, and on his shoulder stood an old black tortoise, both with eyes as cold as blades, locked onto the uninvited guest.

At the foot of the mountain, the three-tailed fox with white poles, the six-tusked white elephant, the golden-winged roc, and other mountain lord-level monsters also appeared, their faces filled with anger and their demonic aura soaring to the sky.

Amidst the lightning, Lei Zhenqiong's face grew increasingly grim as he stared at Chen Xuan and said, "The Heavenly Path is about to open. For you, this is an opportunity you could only dream of. You can follow the Supreme Seed and embark on the path to immortality. This is your only chance to become an immortal. Why don't you come with me now?"

Chen Xuan frowned, now roughly understanding the other party's intentions. Some time ago, he had indeed received an invitation from Lei Zu's Daoist temple, but he hadn't paid any attention to it and casually tossed it into a corner of his cave.

The main problem is that I've received so many invitations lately, like snowflakes, that I haven't even had time to respond to the invitation from the Mortal Realm!
"I'm not interested, you can leave," Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

Lei Zhenqiong scrutinized him, his tone growing colder, and said, "Do you know what you're saying? You are an enemy of the Venerable One of Ten Thousand Worlds, but we value your potential and are still willing to grant you an opportunity. Yet you refuse to accept our kindness and dare to reject the goodwill of our Lei Ancestor lineage!"

“You’re interesting.” Chen Xuan stared at him and blinked.

"boom!"

In an instant, a hand reached out, transforming into a vast white hand that pressed Lei Zhenqiong down. Doubu Qi rose, and Dao patterns intertwined within the hand, complex and profound.

"I don't know how to praise!"

Lei Zhenqiong's expression immediately turned cold. Nine birds cried out and flew together, carrying world-destroying blue-purple lightning to meet the attack—this was a demon-suppressing technique he had honed in bloody battles, terrifying beyond compare.

Thunder Qi inherently possesses the power to restrain evil spirits, and Xinzhai is one of the greatest evil spirits in the world!

He sneered inwardly. Although Xinzhai was the leader of the ancestral land and had amazing talent, he was still young and his realm was too low. He was nothing special. It was time to let him see the grand world from the otherworldly path.

"Crack!"

Chen Xuan's large hand was like a white, radiant millstone, indestructible. The nine lightning birds were pressed down beneath it, crying out incessantly, their feathers flying everywhere.

"This..." Many people and ghosts in the distance were shocked. This kind of strength far exceeded the rumors from a year ago.

Lei Zhenqiong's expression changed drastically. He tried to turn into a bolt of lightning and fly away. He was very cautious and wanted to keep a safe distance, but Chen Xuan did not give him a chance at all. The white, misty hand fell down and grabbed him tightly.

"A mere average Tongtian Realm expert?!" Chen Xuan grabbed the other party, examining him closely in surprise in his palm.

His eyes shone with the light of the sun, scrutinizing everything. He examined the other person's body and soul, searching for the source of that peculiar feeling. He saw a wisp of golden light flowing in the other person's blood, like a golden thread, strangely extraordinary.

what is this?
It even exuded a faint divine power.

"I am a descendant of immortals, how dare you hurt me?!" Lei Zhenqiong roared, his body surging with golden light, which was somewhat similar to the imperial golden light of the Immortal Seed Golden Core, and shot straight at Chen Xuan's hand like a heavenly sword.

"boom!"

Chen Xuan focused his gaze, and a hundred times brighter imperial golden light burst forth from his palm, like the blazing sun melting gold. With a bang, the opponent's body was squeezed until blood mist splattered, and white bone fragments pierced through the mangled body.

This is the pseudo-Golden Elixir Method. It was first perfected by Golden Elixir Master Xiao Kunpeng and others. Then, he personally participated in the battle between Immortal Palace Huo Li and Immortal Xiang Liu, and gained a lot of experience. After a year of secluded cultivation, he was tempered and refined anew, and has already been reborn, far surpassing his former self.

"Stop! I mean you no harm!" Lei Zhenqiong coughed up blood, his bones were broken and pierced his lungs.

A chill ran down his spine. He had heard some of Xinzhai's achievements during his few days in the mortal realm, but Xinzhai was no weakling either. At the same level, he was no worse than those incomplete immortal species in the ancestral land. However, when they fought, Xinzhai was completely crushed.

At this moment, Lei Zhenqiong was severely injured, like an insect caught in a net, unable to break free. He was terrified, worried that he would perish here.

"Spit out blood slowly, please die later." Chen Xuan said, staring at the other party. His deep eyes swirled like an abyss, and Taiyin Qi emerged, radiating divination power.

He was using the most brutal and domineering method to forcibly "divine" the other person's memories and information with the power of Yin Qi.

"Chief Chen, show mercy, don't kill them all." From the west, a female swordsman in a yellow dress, riding a sword, spoke up to dissuade them and approached the area.

"So you're a good bird again? Shut up!" Chen Xuan coldly rebuked. The other party had been watching the show from the sidelines, but now he was pretending to be kind. Moreover, he took advantage of the Empress's absence, which showed he was no righteous person.

Was he invited, or was he threatened?!
The female swordsman in the yellow dress froze, her beautiful, unapproachable face filled with astonishment.

She came from a very powerful background. During her time in the ancestral land, no one dared to neglect her. Even the Daoist disciples and princesses treated her with utmost respect. Yet, at this moment, she was being reprimanded and humiliated by the other party.

"boom!"

At this moment, Lei Zhenqiong exerted his last bit of strength, and brilliant golden runes erupted from every bone, radiating terrifying immortal power. Then, his divine soul seized the opportunity to rise from this great divine power and soar into the sky.

"There's some skill involved," Chen Xuan commented, without taking a single step, but simply raising his hand slightly, and the Thunder God Bow was suddenly unleashed.

"hold head high!"

With a deafening roar, a dazzling arrow streaked across the sky, falling like a meteor and blasting the fleeing soul into dust.

"This..." The female sword cultivator in the yellow dress exclaimed in shock. A descendant of immortals with an extraordinary background had been killed just like that.

"You dare to say another word?" Chen Xuan suddenly turned his head, his icy gaze like a divine sword, instantly locking onto him.

"I didn't..." The female swordsman in the yellow dress gasped, a chill ran through her body, and goosebumps instantly rose on her snow-white skin.

"Since that's the case, you can stay here too!" Chen Xuan slammed his hand out again, grabbing the female sword cultivator in front of him like a chick. He had only gotten limited information from Lei Zhenqiong, so he could try to find out more from her.

"I only came to invite you to a banquet, why did you attack me!"

The female swordsman in the yellow dress was momentarily restrained, but she forced herself to remain calm, though her shapely body tensed up.

"The Southern Wilderness is a sacred land for immortals, even True Monarchs dare not enter without permission. Is it a place you can come to? You even dared to sneak in from the Taixu to find me. Who gave you the guts!"

As Chen Xuan spoke, a fist wrapped in moonlight-like Taiyin Qi slammed out, shattering the opponent's self-protecting sword. The Taiyin Qi, like a torrent, forcefully poured into the body of the female sword cultivator in the yellow dress.

"You! Let me go!" The female swordsman in the yellow dress had a frosty expression; the other party was actually searching her memories!
Enraged, she unleashed a burst of mysterious light from her heart to resist. Although she had broken a taboo by venturing into the Southern Wilderness, she was not as disrespectful as Lei Zhenqiong, yet she was still treated rudely.

"boom!"

Chen Xuan immediately took action, slapping out a palm that shattered all of the opponent's resistance.

"No!" The female sword cultivator in the yellow dress had disheveled hair and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She saw stars after being slapped, but she immediately calmed down and opened her soul, allowing the other party to enter and search her soul consciousness.

“Shangguan Xue comes from the Chixiao Dojo…” Chen Xuan calmly examined the other party’s memories.

"hiss……"

To the west, two demon cultivators gasped and turned to leave. Xin Zhai, the leader of the Southern Wilderness, was far more wicked than rumored in the ancestral land.

"Since you're already here, don't leave!" Chen Xuan made his move, a giant hand of Dou Qi blotted out the sky, and surging energy swept over, capturing the two demon cultivators and fixing them in mid-air.

He also wanted to use these two demons to get information from the demon race.

There's nothing more to say. These unruly visitors don't respect the Empress or him at all, so there's no need to hold back when they attack.

The two demons naturally refused to submit, and two colorful divine mushrooms shot off from the ground, but how could they stop Chen Xuan? With a "poof," they were suppressed and shattered by Chen Xuan's palm.

"Wait! Human leader, I have something to say!" the male demon cultivator shouted, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He didn't want to be killed by Xinzhai for no reason.

"Spare me, spare me!" another, younger female demon begged for mercy. The mushroom umbrella treasure she had summoned exploded. The opponent's Five Treasures Warrior Immortal Body was so powerful that it couldn't withstand it at all. One hand could crush her exquisite body.

However, Chen Xuan remained unmoved. His palm force suddenly increased, and the terrifying power coming from all directions shattered all their defenses, directly peering into their memories.

Behind them, the old tortoise and the mountain lord, two newly ascended deities, along with a group of great monsters, all watched in astonishment.

"boom!"

At this moment, the female sword cultivator in the yellow dress and the two mushroom demon cultivators finally could not hold on any longer. Their bodies were almost torn apart, their tendons and bones were broken, and with a bang, their Ascension Grounds also exploded, and their cultivation was completely destroyed.

"Ah!" they screamed in agony, and finally, their souls exploded, and they lost consciousness.

Chen Xuan's eyes flickered, and four streams of wood-elemental energy flew out, like nimble vines soaring through the air, picking up the storage treasures, as well as the Ascension Grounds and fragments of treasures from these people.

"Holy Son, what should we do with them?" the old tortoise asked as it flew through the air, its eyelids twitching as it stared at the several visitors who were in a terrible state and had lost their shape.

Without a doubt, the spiritual cultivation of these few rash visitors was ruthlessly shattered.

"Hang out in the southern wilderness. If anyone dares to come and rescue you, come and tell me."

Chen Xuan spoke up, then forcibly opened the storage treasure, glanced at it a few times, and generously distributed it to a group of mountain lords and ghosts in the Southern Wilderness with whom he had a close relationship.

“Bai Zi Xiao Hu and Di Shan Xiao Xiang… they recently advanced to the Daoist Canon, so let’s use this as a congratulatory gift,” he said.

Bai Zi and a group of minor demons from the Southern Wilderness have joined the Demon Suppression Division of the Chu Kingdom in recent years, fighting against the surrounding demon kingdoms. They have made rapid progress and are now powerful demons at the Daoist level.

"This... is too precious!" The three-tailed fox and the other demons were all breathing rapidly. Most of these spoils of war were treasures of the Divine Travel level. Any one of them was worth more than all their accumulation in the first half of their lives. Yet His Highness the Holy Son had so casually bestowed them upon them.

"Everyone, cultivate diligently and ascend to godhood as soon as possible," Chen Xuan said, before returning to Tiger Mountain.

The group of powerful demons, all at the level of mountain lords, stared at his retreating figure, filled with emotion and tears of gratitude. The six-tusked white elephant muttered, "Is this because of my son's status?"

How could little ghosts be worthy of such high-class things? They are filial and sensible. In the end, the lion's share of these treasures will still fall on the heads of the big ghosts first. The Holy Son truly cares about old friendships!

"I want to win over Tao Hongchen!" The Three-Tailed Fox Master's eyes blazed with fire. The fox clan's divine soul is powerful, and it is about to cultivate a divine soul body ahead of schedule.

In fact, the chances of these great demons ascending to godhood are extremely slim, but some inside stories about the Mountain Lord's ascension have already spread throughout the Southern Wilderness. Thanks to Chen Xuan, they all have the great opportunity to escape the mortal world.

Dongfuzhong.

Chen Xuan flipped through the invitations in the corner again. Many of the forces represented, such as the Thunder Ancestor's Dojo and the Crimson Sky Dojo, had long since fallen into obscurity.

"Extraterrestrial beings have been quite active lately, even making their presence known in the open..."

……

Meanwhile, deep within the Taixu Ruins, in a dark area.

The surrounding area was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. Suddenly, a brilliant white light rose up, streaking across the Taixu Ruins. Ten thousand swords paved the way, like a cascading silver river. A proud figure stood on the swords, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his eyes as sharp as swords.

A legendary swordsman from the Xiaojian Pavilion in Zhongzhou!
"Clang!" This near-immortal True Monarch, the most powerful human in the Central Plains, had been wandering in the Great Void for more than half a year. At this moment, he suddenly drew his sword.

A thick sword light sliced ​​through the Great Ruins, like a giant blade that split the heavens, instantly tearing apart the thick, inky darkness, and actually piercing through the Great Ruins.

A crack leading to the heavens has appeared!
"Hoo!" Sword Lord Grandmaster exhaled deeply. The remaining power left by the previous Immortal Palace Master was about to dissipate, and the immortals of the Immortal Palace were also powerless. The world was no longer like a cage. Therefore, he finally found a way to the outside world!
However, just as he was about to step into the passage, an extremely terrifying wave enveloped him like a cage.

Sword Saint Grand True Lord slowly turned his head, a surge of anger appearing on his sharply defined face: "Supreme Mysterious Demon-Suppressing Immortal Lord!!!"

A Taoist figure, seemingly returning to simplicity, hovered silently in the void, his cold, icy eyes gazing at him intently.

Too mysterious!

"Come back." Tai Xuan said, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The sword rang out, and Jian Su's face was cold as he said in a deep voice, "Don't forget, your position as an Immortal Lord was relinquished by Xuan Ji, and it was through our combined efforts that you were able to seize it..."

If it weren't for the major human powers, out of respect for Ji family's Xuanji and considering the reason for Ji family's destruction, joining forces to attack Zhenyuan Yuheng Immortal Lord, how could Tai Xuan have secured its position? It might even have been destroyed by Zhenyuan Immortal Lord... At that time, when Zhenyuan Immortal Lord returned to the Immortal Palace and intercepted the Empress, who knew if the outcome would still be the same as today?!
But now, the new Celestial Palace has long forgotten Emperor Ji's sacrifices. Sword Lord Noble had no doubt that if he took just one step forward, the attack of Immortal Lord Tai Xuan would relentlessly engulf him.

Slaying immortals.

To become an immortal.

Understand the Immortals.

To become one of the immortals of the past?
Too many things have happened in this year, but the remaining True Lords all know that things have changed and people are no longer the same. True Lord Tai Xuan has become one of the masters of the Immortal Palace.

Not long ago, due to the fall of the Taiyin Immortal and the dispersal of the Dao between heaven and earth, the Heavenly Mandate Black and White True Lord did not need to destroy all the Taiyin True Lords on one path to obtain the opportunity to become an immortal, but was knocked down from the Nine Heavens by the Tai Xuan True Lord with a single palm strike.

The Celestial Palace still forbids mortal lords from ascending to celestial positions; in fact, the severity of the punishment is ten thousand times greater than before.

At this moment, this Sword Master, wielding his sword to open the Taixu Road and seek a way to survive beyond the heavens, was still stopped by the Taixuan True Lord.

Presumably, this is not the first time this has happened... Many old True Monarchs who were about to reach the end of their lifespan and reincarnate due to the gradual dissipation of their cultivation had already ventured into the depths of the Great Ruins.

It is not the residual power of the gods that is still isolating the heavens, preventing the True Lord from leaving.

Instead, it was Tai Xuan and the Immortal Palace that were obstructing them.

These immortals were even more ruthless than the old immortals, watching helplessly as the true lords of the mortal world vanished one after another.

"Come back." Tai Xuan uttered only two cold words, his tone even colder than Tai Xu's.

"Tai Xuan, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

Sword Master Da Zhenjun angrily questioned, "Over the past year, my cultivation has been declining day by day. Even though I have sought out many methods from my own resources, they are like a drop in the ocean and cannot effectively address the problem. They are still useless."

"No more immortals will emerge from the five directions of the land."

The evil spirit Tai Xuan responded, but the meaning behind his calm words was enough to send chills down the spines of all people.

"You..." Sword Master was speechless for a moment.

What cruel words of immortality! The path to immortality in the mortal world is now forever severed.

Perhaps, we should attack the Celestial Palace again?
With the Human Emperor's Dao on the verge of collapse, the other Immortal Lords also seemed to be in a more depressed state than before.

Even someone like Tai Xuan, who had stolen the power of the Old Heart Sect, could not completely resist this great calamity. Not only did his cultivation level fail to stabilize, but it also began to decline within a year, seemingly at risk of falling from his immortal position.

……

In the southern wilderness, in Tiger Mountain.

Chen Xuan welcomed a guest, Hua Liuli, the mistress of the two realms, who came to visit.

"Little Chen, you've been spending every day with the Mountain Spirit Goddess this past year, completely detached from worldly affairs. It's like you're living in a paradise, living a carefree life like an immortal!" Hua Liuli said sourly.

Hua Liuli arrived bathed in mysterious light, her white gauze dress flowing like clouds, her chest high and firm, her slender waist tied with a gilded ribbon, her graceful figure exuding a touch of languid charm.

"The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current. Hua Hua, you need to hurry up too. It's been two years and you've only just advanced to the second stage of the Divine Travel Realm. Don't let down the great reputation of the two ancient realm lords."

Chen Xuan laughed and said that the two realm lords' ascension to godhood was extraordinary. Once they entered the divine travel level, their realms could advance by leaps and bounds. Now they were no less than ordinary immortal geniuses. Moreover, as the realms of the two realm lords improved, this speed would become faster and faster.

"Do you think everyone has such heaven-defying talent as you? You've surpassed me!" Hua Liuli said irritably. Her cultivation always involved a balance of work and rest.

She has been contacting Chen Xuan more frequently lately because she has noticed that the terrifying whispers that have been lingering in the heavens have not appeared for a long time.

"By the way, why are there three people hanging outside the Southern Wilderness, motionless? Are they dead? One of them seems to be the Fairy Shangguan, who has recently gained fame in the Central Plains?" she asked in confusion.

That was an extraterrestrial being who descended to the mortal realm. His swordsmanship was exquisite and unparalleled, truly a masterpiece of creation. In just a few months, his fame was no less than that of the Sword Fairy of Yunmeng in the Southern Region... How could he be in such a miserable state now?
Since Tai Xuan ascended to immortality, the number of markets in the two realms has exploded, covering almost half of the Southern Wilderness and Central Continent. Wherever there are people, there are markets, and news travels much faster.

Chen Xuan smiled without saying a word, then said, "Senior Zhang should be certified as a True Lord by now, right? The battle on the Earth Virtue Road has been decided, and a new True Lord should be allowed to be born. When that happens, I will return to Yunmeng to congratulate him."

He estimated that not only would Zhang Dongxuan soon become a new True Lord, but the two experts from the Ji family would also try to advance to True Lord and revitalize the Ji family.

Upon hearing this, Hua Liuli suddenly stopped smiling and shook her head.

"Old Zhang seems to be preventing Little Zhang from advancing to the True Lord level," she said, frowning.

"Huh?" Chen Xuan asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

"Xiao Zhang once lamented that the Five Directions Land is no longer capable of supporting the birth of a new True Monarch," Hua Liuli said softly, then revealed another secret.

"Several months ago, the Dan Ding Daoist Temple in the Southern Region, seeing the Human Emperor enter the Immortal Palace, finally gave up completely. So they ordered Daoist Zhao Xuanding to try to become the Wood Virtue True Lord. As a result, an imperial edict descended from the sky, causing him to fail at the last minute."

Chen Xuan was stunned. The Celestial Palace did not allow divine travel to become a True Monarch?!

Leaving aside the other Immortal Qi paths, on the Earth Virtue path, Tai Xuan has become an evil immortal and can hardly advance any further, nor will he become stronger... So who is there to use the Earth Virtue Immortal Qi and Daoist charm that are wandering in the world?
Moreover, the True Lords of the world are all dispersing one after another, and only a handful can survive the great calamity... But the Immortal Palace does not allow the emergence of new True Lords. What is the purpose of this?
"Buzz!"

Just then, a beam of celestial light pierced the sky like a shooting star, falling into the Southern Wilderness and scattering fine golden light before disappearing into the depths of the Southern Wilderness in an instant. But a faint trace of bloody stench lingered in the air, like silk threads, persistent and unyielding.

"Is Your Highness injured?"

Chen Xuan's heart tightened, but then his eyelids twitched: "You won so quickly!"

Although the Demon Immortal Huo Li was corrupted for hundreds of thousands of years after entering the Immortal Palace due to the existence of the Gods, he was still a skilled warrior from the Fighting Division. How could he die so quickly at the hands of a goddess who achieved immortality through an unorthodox method?!
After all, defeating an immortal lord is easy, but killing one is difficult. This time, the Empress doesn't have his help from Xinzhai!

"All the great cultivators are having a hard time, so why is the Empress becoming even more domineering because of it?"

Chen Xuan muttered to himself, his brows furrowing even deeper. Over the past year, the Empress's rapid rise to power had exceeded all reason and was bordering on the bizarre.

……

In the Great Void, the Sword Master Zhenjun, who once settled the Central Plains with a single sword strike, ultimately did not take that step. He withdrew his sword intent, returned along the original path, and retreated back to the Five Directions Land.

However, though the sword's cry ceased, the sword's intent grew even heavier. This great swordsman who had subdued the Central Plains with his mortal body would not sit idly by and wait for his death.

Tai Xuan Zhang Daoyin hovered in the void, his figure becoming increasingly hazy and indistinct, resembling both an immortal and a ghost.

"Draining the heavens and earth to nourish one god alone." An aged and weary voice echoed faintly in the Great Ruins.

The Golden Core Immortals of the Celestial Palace have fallen one after another, and the True Lords of the mortal world are also withering away like autumn leaves, with probably less than fifty left. And those Great True Lords who were once close to immortality are no longer close to immortality.

Where there is decline, there is rise. All the great figures are getting weaker, but one celestial being is getting stronger. The dark immortal path of the Mountain Demon Goddess is like a gluttonous beast that can devour everything.

“Senior, if you hadn’t interfered and made a deal with the Empress, these matters should have been left unresolved a year ago,” Tai Xuan replied.

“Immortals are those who live far from the mortal world, and those who live close to the mortal world are mortals…Immortals should be closer to the mortal world than True Lords, and love all living beings more.” Yu Renhuang said with a smile, “Tai Xuan, your Dao heart is too cold, and your wisdom is too easily used to harm the world.”

Tai Xuan remained silent for a long time.

"With the fall of Immortal Lord Huoli, she's probably done eating." He said slowly. With three immortals falling in succession, the others basically didn't benefit from it, because the Empress had taken it all for herself.

"Ah."

"What is it that Fellow Daoist Xuanji is asking for?" Tai Xuan asked.

"No rush. The conditions offered by the outer heavens are not high enough. Let's keep them waiting... In this life, True Monarchs whose ancestral lands lack talent have no reason to continue existing. This is a breeding ground for Gu that the gods have carefully woven." The Human Emperor smiled and continued, "Besides, it's safer to let her eat more."

Taixu is bitterly cold, as it has always been.

On this ancient land, when great cultivators fight, there is never a moment when the fight ends.

The ancients fought for millions of years over mountains and seas, and now, the Palace of Immortal Conquest is doing the same.

……

In the southern wilderness, in a cave dwelling as warm as spring.

"Ah, how did you get in here!" Hua Liuli cried out in a panic.

"What are you yelling about? Can't I come in?" Chen Xuan frowned. Hua Liuli was making a fuss. He was Xin Zhai, so of course he could enter the mysterious space of the Chosen One.

"Snapped!"

Hua Liuli tumbled down from the palace made of golden books, her hair disheveled and her chest heaving. She nervously put her hands on her hips and scolded, "You're so rude!"

"This is your Heavenly Mandate Technique... [The Great Heavenly Official's Teleportation Technique]."

Chen Xuan ignored Hua Liuli and first checked her territory to see if there were any traces of Du Xin Zhai left behind. Then, he began to examine the exclusive great techniques of the two realm lords.

"It is extremely profound, in no way inferior to the Great Delusion and Joyful Meditation Technique of the Six Desire Heaven or the Great Prophecy and Chaos Immortal Technique of the Imperial Prophecy Fruit."

He was so engrossed in watching that, within a year, he had recalled and organized all the scenes of Xiang Liu's destiny that he had glimpsed during the battle of the Immortal Palace, and obtained the complete "True Scripture of Prophecy" and his exclusive great technique.

Soon, Chen Xuan memorized Hua Liuli's exclusive ultimate technique.

"The ultimate technique exclusive to the chosen ones, like the Heavenly Technique of the Heart-Cleansing Sect, is very difficult for outsiders to cultivate." He fell into deep thought, comparing the difficulty of the three exclusive techniques.

He discovered that he seemed to have some clues about the Heavenly Mandate Technique of the Six Desires Heaven, and there was a chance of mastering it quickly.

In the past two years, he has studied the "Great Floating Delusion and Joyful Zen Technique" in his spare time and has been able to vaguely deduce some of the wonderful uses of this method.

"It's time to make good use of the Six Desires Heaven cultivation tool again," Chen Xuan thought to himself. The path of spiritual travel is too long, and cultivating alone is too slow.

The Six Desire Realms are adept at taking shortcuts, and so are their methods.

"Benefactor, Holy Son! Benefactor, Holy Son!"

Just then, cheerful fox calls rang out from outside the cave. A white fox wearing a white dress held up a gilded invitation in both hands.

Chen Xuan then withdrew from Hua Liuli's Destiny Space, reached out to take the invitation, and opened it to read it.

"An invitation from the Ji family?" Hua Liuli's eyes narrowed as she recognized the invitation's design.

"Ji Youbing invited me to a small gathering in the capital." Chen Xuan said. He had ignored the invitations from some True Lords before, but the invitation in his hand now had a different meaning... This rather upright fellow Daoist had encountered a problem.

“No banquet is ever a good banquet,” Hua Liuli immediately commented, showing great shrewdness.

Chen Xuan glanced at her.

Hua Liuli blinked her bright, autumn-water-like eyes and changed her mind, saying, "Alright, now in the Five Directions Land, only you can run rampant."

The gaze of the immortals can overlook the entire Five Directions Land, and Chen Xuan now has two such figures behind him. No one can match his confidence.

Chen Xuan turned his head and looked at the cloud of mist above Bai Zixiaohu's head. His tone suddenly turned cold as he gave the order.

"Go to the capital immediately, I want to see you."

Yan Yushu is incredibly audacious and needs to be taught a lesson; he actually dared to mark all his little devil friends.

(End of this chapter)