The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 103 The Heavenly Blade Reappears in the Desolate Tower, Saints Behead and Slay in the Burial Pit (6K)

Zhui Ridge is a legendary place created by a celestial fire falling from the sky.

On the southern land, there was no shortage of ancestral kings who came to explore, nor were there saints who descended from the heavens. However, when they went deep into it, without exception, they all chose to retreat.

Today, in the ninth level of the Fire Ridge, which even saints fear, three figures stand.

Nine-colored holy flames flickered, as if countless gods and demons were wailing. Various mysterious and ancient voices rang in the ears of the banner spirit, as if it had entered a battlefield of gods. Its body was being tempered, and the blue patterns and red jade designs were peeling away inch by inch, leaving behind a pure phoenix blood red gold body and feathered cyan gold and immortal tears green gold adorning it, which had a somewhat sacred meaning.

Gradually, the Star River Divine Sand and the Nine Heavens Crimson Jade King were burned into liquid and flowed out, wrapping around Wang Hongwu's fingertips. This was a truly legendary sacred material with unfathomable divine power. However, the divine embryo within his body felt waves of hunger and began to actively absorb this sacred material.

As it absorbed the essence, the surface of the divine embryo also developed a mysterious luster, actually extracting the profound Dao traces of the Nine Heavens Crimson Jade King and the Star River Divine Sand, which were the key to their formation and contained a portion of the essence of the heavens.

"The extracted essence can be combined with the changes of the Eight-Nine Heavens Technique to temporarily transform my body. It seems I can refine and collect more of it in the future." Wang Hongwu's eyes showed a strange light. He circulated the Heavenly Technique to absorb the Dao traces and treasure materials. His entire body suddenly collapsed into a sky full of blue-purple crystal sand, which was very similar to the legendary Star River Divine Sand, except that the quality was much different, but it still had its divine characteristics.

He was pondering that if he could reach a higher realm in the future and devour immortal gold like a gold-eating beast, he could achieve a reversal through the Eight-Nine Heavens Technique, transforming his body into immortal gold, the hardness of which would be unimaginable.

Whoosh! The nine-colored flames on the side had diminished considerably. Not only were Duan De and the Holy Spirit absorbing them, but the black gourd was also guzzling them down like a bottomless pit, as if it wanted to drain the ninth layer of the fire domain dry. It kept rising and falling, and the power contained within it was becoming more and more terrifying.

Just then, as the firelight was extinguished, the tenth mountain range came into view.

A rustling sound came from behind, as if some creature was crawling. Wang Hongwu looked over and saw the Ultimate Immortal Flame again.

At the edge of the fiery domain lies a barren, lifeless land devoid of any life, not even a flame. Yet, legend has it that an immortal was burned to death here, and the desolate tower has lain here for thousands of years.

A small tree was moving there, and the rustling sound came from it. Flames danced on its body, forming layers of mysterious runes that could burn down the heavens and destroy eternity.

This is a place that inspires awe. Even saints tremble at the sight of this ultimate flame. No one can withstand it; anyone who touches it will be reduced to ashes.

The ancient records of the myriad races are vague about this, and many ancestral kings believe that this tree flame does not exist and is a fabrication. However, Wang Hongwu saw it every time he came, which can only be described as a kind of fate.

Duan De was also awakened by its appearance. He felt a powerful aura and a burning sensation, and he ran over with a wobbly belly. He was exhausted and covered in sweat after only a few steps.

Upon seeing the tree, the unscrupulous Taoist was initially very excited, but after examining it closely, he wailed, "This is the fire tree you told me about? I thought it was the elixir of immortality from the Sun God Tree!"

“Such a rare object is something ordinary people can only dream of seeing. Don’t you need pure yang energy? This should provide plenty.” Wang Hongwu smiled and winked at him, wanting to see if the immortal fire would make Duan De oily.

That seems to make sense... After hearing what he said, Duan De couldn't help but ponder it. What he said was true, but whether he could withstand the immortal fire was another matter. After thinking for a while, he suddenly said, "Speaking of which, I also have a request. The Tribulation Transcending Heavenly Technique that I cultivate is difficult to practice, and the conditions required are too many and too harsh."

Therefore, the human body contains both life and death energies, and it is very difficult to completely eliminate the death energy unless aided by the imperial laws, transforming the body into pure yang life energy. Only then can one achieve a major breakthrough in this cultivation method! I have been stuck at this hurdle for a long time, and I once thought of relying on your help to draw upon the lightning tribulation. However, now that I have seen this immortal fire, I have a better idea. Perhaps I can use your Sun Emperor Tower to transform and help me refine myself in the immortal fire, cleansing my yin energy, which will surely lead to a qualitative leap!

“Why not? Old Duan, you’ve helped me so many times, so of course I’ll help you with this. After we finish this battle in the Western Desert, I’ll bring the Sun Emperor Tower to help you.” Wang Hongwu understood. Rather than waiting for Duan De to find the Ancient Emperor’s Decree and enter the Primordial Ancient Mine to seek death, it would be better for him to help him get through it in a gentler and safer way.

"Good brother!" Duan De was a little excited when he heard this. He was about to step forward and give Wang Hongwu a hug when he was knocked over by a ripple from the tenth level of the Fire Ridge and fell flat on his back.

A powerful fluctuation emanated from there, like the sound of breathing, as if a colossal creature was inhaling and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth, drawing the attention of the two.

Origin Heaven Divine Eye/Sun and Moon Heavenly Eye!

The two opened their Heavenly Eyes at the same time and looked into the distance, both revealing expressions of shock.

Because above that fiery tree, a tower was floating prominently.

The tower looked very familiar, surrounded by celestial light, and engraved with totems from ancient eras, recording lost scenes from history. It was ancient and weathered, possessing unfathomable power.

A deserted tower?!
Wang Hongwu and Duan De blurted out at the same time that this immortal artifact had made a stunning appearance in the Divine Ruins, absorbing the power of the ancient Heavenly Court's divine spring, and had attracted the attention of the supreme beings in the forbidden zone, who wanted to take it.

To their great surprise, they actually saw the legendary immortal artifact, the Desolate Tower, here again. It was even immersed in the immortal fire, floating and sinking, as if it had just taken a bath in the Heavenly Court ruins and was now enjoying a sauna. The tower itself was stretched out, as if it were stretching, which was quite human-like.

Around it, world after world was collapsing and then reforming, an eerie scene, as if the immortal power from two different places was being combined to repair something, and the aura was becoming increasingly unfathomable.

"Strange, this tower looks so familiar to me. Where have I seen it before or come into contact with it?" Duan De muttered to himself. He was very bold and not afraid of any unexpected changes. He walked straight to the desolate tower and poked it with his finger.

The tower swayed slightly, as if greeting the two, and surprisingly did not drive them away.

Wang Hongwu also came forward to examine the desolate tower closely. This immortal artifact has an ancient origin and many secrets, preserved from ancient times.

"It would be great if we could go inside and take a look. I've heard there's a small immortal world inside the Desolate Tower. I wonder if it's true or not." Suddenly, Duan De patted the body of the Desolate Tower, as if asking it to open the door.

Surprisingly, the desolate tower bent its body as if it had glanced at them. A strange fluctuation swept over the two of them, triggering a response from the fragments of the Immortal Ascension Cauldron. Sensing something from the fat Taoist, it actually opened the portal, shooting out a stream of light that enveloped the two of them and swallowed them directly into its inner world. Then, it lazily lay back in the immortal fire to enjoy itself.

Swish!
In an instant, the world changed. When Wang Hongwu and Duan De opened their eyes again, they were greeted by a mountain covered in peach blossoms, pink with the glow of the sunset. The old trees were like dragons, with strong and vigorous branches. It truly looked like a paradise on earth.

In the distance, the sacred mountains stretch like a sea, with silver dragon waterfalls cascading down, towering red cliffs and strange rocks, ancient divine trees standing tall, and ancient medicinal herbs exuding fragrance.

The stone platform was spotless, with a lone Qilin beast lying on it, surrounded by spiritual herbs. Purple mist rose from the cliff face, and the air was filled with the fragrance of orchids and magnolias, as colorful phoenixes danced in the air.

Divine flowers bloom in the mountains, strange trees sway, longevity deer and fairy foxes appear, and spirit birds and black cranes fly and disappear from time to time. Auspicious air swirls around, and clouds rise and fall, making it a veritable paradise on earth, which is breathtaking.

"My goodness, it really came in? Is the Desolate Tower so easy to talk to? Or did the Daoist Master's demeanor captivate it?"

Duan De rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then pinched himself, howling in pain, before excitedly running around.

He looked around, searching for good things, hoping to find opportunities and good fortune here. He set his sights on a divine tree and wanted to dig it up.

"This is indeed my good fortune. The environment here is excellent, just right for me to take the ancient method to the next level." Wang Hongwu simply sat down cross-legged on the spot, circulated the ancient method, and the seeds formed from the secret realm within his body lit up one by one, gathering the immortal light and law power within the Desolate Tower World, and rapidly evolving and evolving.

After the Divine Fire came Zhenyi, also known as the True God. He had been accumulating strength here for a long time, but had not found a suitable environment. Now that the time, place, and people were all in place, he made rapid progress.

With a boom, the brilliant white divine fire on his body suddenly intensified, reaching the heavens and shaking the earth. A real Daoist aura emanated from it, as if it had materialized from the void and given birth to laws. If the Dao-Slaying technique can shatter the Dao and laws of those below, then this true fire can burn away a person's lifespan and vitality. It is extremely domineering, and the combination of the two will be terrifying.

Through this breakthrough in ancient techniques, he underwent a transformation, his body's hidden potential was unlocked, and he unleashed his full potential.

Layer after layer of old skin peeled off his body, and the gate of potential emerged in a visible form, opening again, allowing him to feel that his solar body origin was also growing stronger!

The so-called physique is actually the natural opening of some special potential, and now he is exploring it to a deeper level, with the two methods complementing and breaking each other.

In an instant, a surge of vital energy erupted, shooting straight into the heavens like smoke from a wolf's beacon, illuminating the entire sky with exceptional brightness.

While making a breakthrough, Wang Hongwu was also multitasking, combining the mysteries of true fire with the Dao-slaying blade, aiming to combine the power characteristics of the two systems and evolve into the true 'Heavenly Will Blade'!
He directly entered the forbidden realm of gods and continuously activated the All-Encompassing Secret, directly triggering an eleven-fold amplification with the help of immortal energy.

It is as if his comprehension, talent and creativity reached a peak that ordinary people could never reach in their lifetimes at this moment. In a short while, he was equivalent to others' enlightenment and practice over thousands of years. The speed was so fast that it was like a dream. He practiced and improved the idea almost as soon as it arose.

A moment later, a flash of light appeared within the tenth level of the Fire Ridge, and the fat Taoist priest appeared out of thin air, thrown out at the crucial moment when he was about to dig away a divine tree.

"So it really is just going in?" Duan De clicked his tongue, somewhat regretful. He should have told it to follow him; things might have turned out differently.

However, when he looked back, he was surprised to find that Wang Hongwu had not followed him out.

Is that guy still in the Desolate Tower world?

"Hey! I should have stayed longer if I hadn't dug up the tree! You're such a stingy pagoda!" The fat Taoist priest angrily accused the desolate pagoda of being unfair. The desolate pagoda ignored him completely.

Ten days later, within his inner world, Wang Hongwu also achieved some success in unifying his techniques.

Chi!
Above the dome, a blade slashed down at lightning speed, its blade gleaming and chilling. With a single stroke, it shattered heaven and earth, destroying eternity, accompanied by numerous tangible and substantial Dao traces falling like rainbows bombarding the earth, dazzling and magnificent.

In mid-air, meteorites spun around, all brought down by the surging sword energy. Stars were annihilating and shattering, and the sky was torn apart. Dark rifts extending from Wang Hongwu and the long sword intertwined, threatening to destroy everything.

A sense of impending doom, a divine will as sharp as a knife, and the essence and rhythm of the Dao emerge.

Ordinary people cannot see this knife because it is invisible, a vessel of the Dao. Only the person in question can see it. The blade is extremely bright and dazzling, capable of severing a person's Dao foundation and life force. Even a saint would not be well affected by this knife, and a half-saint would be cut down in realm and fall back to the Great Completion King level. It is terrifying beyond measure.

"The Heavenly Will Blade is complete!" Wang Hongwu opened his eyes and, with the help of the Divine Restriction and the Immortal Qi All Word Secret, created another divine power. This move can be said to be closely coordinated with the Great Heavenly Tribulation Technique, and can be launched in conjunction with it, forming another set of killing combos.

After creating this supernatural power, as if struck by a stroke of inspiration, his breakthrough to true godhood was achieved naturally. The new and old methods progressed in tandem once again, reaching a balance like the cycle of yin and yang.

The next step, the Celestial God Realm, is similar to that of a Half-Saint, possessing an insurmountable Half-Saint barrier. The next step, the Void Path, is similar to that of a Saint, possessing a Saint Domain barrier that overwhelms all others. Coupled with the essence of using one's body as a seed, this can be said to be the point where the two systems truly merge and become one, which is very important.

After stabilizing his True God realm, Wang Hongwu discovered that this realm did not have any particularly outstanding characteristics. It was simply more indestructible than the Divine Fire, and could extend into the afterlife. However, the increase in the strength of the physical body and the primordial spirit was quite obvious.

The benefits of cultivating two methods simultaneously are immense. His foundation is far more solid than that of ordinary people, ensuring that his level of mastery after each breakthrough will not drop, eliminating the need to spend time rebuilding it. Furthermore, he can use this to make great strides in the realm of divine prohibitions. He can already feel the ceiling of the realm of divine prohibitions loosening again, showing a trend towards further advancement.

Once all this was done, the Desolate Tower sensed it and sent him back to Fire Ridge.

"Oh dear, I was so anxious! You've finally come out. If you had waited any longer, I would have dug into the abandoned tower to find you."

As soon as he came out, he heard Duan De's voice. That guy was shamelessly circling around the desolate tower.

"I've gained quite a bit; this trip was worthwhile." Wang Hongwu laughed heartily, indicating that he was alright. Just then, the immortal fire took a turn for the worse. The tree flames flickered, less than ten feet high, and a small bird appeared on a branch. Its feathers were magnificent, and it chirped incessantly. Like the flames, it was also composed of runes and Dao principles.

It resembles a phoenix, lifelike, smaller than the palm of your hand, rising from the flames, mysterious and unpredictable.

"This desolate tower seems to be communicating with birds? It mentions 'the war of gods'?"
"This humble Taoist priest will also give it a try, chattering away, chattering away?" The unscrupulous Taoist priest curiously stepped forward to explore, muttering in a strange language of unknown race, and began to perform a ritual.

Wang Hongwu took out the Immortal-Slaying Gourd for protection and stuck it on the surface, wanting to see what was happening.

At that moment, the dazzling bird fixed its gaze on the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, tilted its head to look at it, seemingly communicating with the Desolate Tower, then chirped twice and emitted a sliver of light.

The faint light was so small that even before it got close, the terrifying temperature arrived, as if it could incinerate all the worlds, sending chills down one's spine.

This was the ultimate flame at the end of the Fire Domain. Although it was only a faint glimmer of light, it was unbearable. Duan De was so terrified that he jumped a hundred feet high, his robes were burned to shreds, and he scrambled away.

However, the Immortal-Slaying Gourd took the initiative to meet it, absorbing the flame and devouring all the order and laws within it.

Wang Hongwu was surprised. After the wisp of fire merged into the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, it actually repaired part of its broken laws, revived some of the power of the former supreme weapon, and possessed incomplete imperial laws and a wisp of pressure, exceeding 90% of a quasi-imperial weapon. Perhaps it could be called a 'supreme weapon'.

This is equivalent to the weapons forged by Great Accomplished Holy Body, Overlord Body, and other types of Dao-accomplished experts. They are different from ultimate weapons and do not have the tribulations and baptisms of "Crossing the Boundary". However, they can still be used in battle, but they are not qualified to be fully revived because the spirit of the Immortal Slaying Gourd died too thoroughly. The repaired weapon spirit is only a quasi-Emperor spirit, and the power that can be used is limited.

However, this was quite extraordinary. Under the force of the explosion, even the quasi-royal weapon was shattered. Although the two extreme weapons on his body were temporarily lent out, he unexpectedly gained another protective foundation. After all, although the fragments of the Human Emperor Seal were precious, they actually had little power. At most, they only had hardness. The weapon spirit and power were all on the main seal.

"What a stroke of luck! What incredible luck! I've discovered that everything goes exceptionally smoothly when I'm with you, and I often reap unexpected rewards. It proves that we're a match made in heaven!"

Duan Dexi was overjoyed and clapped his hands. He also took out some items from his pocket and placed them in front of the fire tree. However, the phoenix just glanced at him and ignored him completely, let alone help with the tempering.

Finally, seemingly fed up with the fat Taoist's antics, he casually spat out a burst of flame, burning the Taoist to a crisp, with black smoke billowing from his seven orifices. The Taoist sat down again with a bitter face, muttering something about differential treatment and unfairness.

"It's time to set off now. It's good to resolve the matter of the Underworld as soon as possible." Wang Hongwu put away the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, activated the Digital Secret, and immediately separated his body into the body of the Departed One. The Departed One looked calm and transformed into the Sun King, while he himself reverted to the appearance of the Heavenly Dragon King, ready to stir up trouble in the Western Desert War.

When they returned to the Central Region, the main force was already ready to depart. After arranging the relevant matters, the Great Saints and the ancient imperial heirs set off together, heading straight for the Western Desert.

Three days later, at night.

The moon was large, and the earth seemed to be covered with a layer of white snow. It was a very peaceful night, but a murderous intent was brewing.

Deep in the Western Desert, a murderous aura suddenly soared into the sky, shattering the void. The people of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Races abruptly descended upon an important stronghold of the Underworld. Three enormous warships covered the sky, and five war fortresses hovered in the air, gleaming with a cold light. Other saints surrounded them.

Even the weaker individuals could unleash their divine might while riding this war machine. Upon arriving here, they immediately cut off all communication. Duan De then used the Origin Heaven Divine Runes to seal off the area and made his move instantly.

Boom! The power of the war fortress was immense, comparable to a saint's strike. Dao runes flashed, and divine light swept out. Many beings in the underworld perished before they could even react. A few people were torn apart, their flesh and bones flying everywhere, trying to escape.

Everyone charged forward together, various war chariots rumbled, and magical artifacts shot out, flying towards the restrictions.

boom!
Divine light soared up, and Dao traces emerged. A devastating explosion occurred here, with boundless energy and dazzling brilliance. This stronghold of the underworld was caught off guard and blasted open, revealing a passage.

Just then, a tremendous roar resounded, causing many people's blood to surge and many others to explode, dying instantly.

This is an overwhelming divine might!

Just ahead in an open area, a stone beast roared, emanating a powerful holy aura, and opened its blood-red eyes.

"You beast!" Qiankang Ancestral King roared, and he and several other royal ancestral kings immediately took action, quickly killing it and splashing a handful of holy blood.

Wang Hongwu collected the sage's essence with the sacrificial bowl, beaming with joy as yet another resource was added to his account.

The experts of the Myriad Races Alliance immediately pressed forward, quickly eliminating all the defenses within the stronghold in a blitzkrieg.

"There is indeed a node here, and it's quite active. Leave the rest to me!"

Duan De stepped forward and began to carefully arrange the area. The surrounding ground was pitted and cracked, yet covered with patches of Origin Heaven patterns, which gradually twisted into a vortex in the void.

As he threw out the array flags, the vortex rapidly expanded and stabilized, forming a channel.

"Go! Quick and decisive!" The decapitation force of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Races rushed in and traversed the passage into a new world.

Amidst the gloomy mist, footsteps echoed from ahead of the bone-strewn land. A troop of soldiers clad in heavy armor marched past, wielding iron halberds and spears, their presence exuding an eerie aura.

They patrolled this place, which was eerily cold. There was no sign of life on their bodies; they were like cold, lifeless puppets.

"A ghostly army borrowing a path to wage war in distant lands?" Upon witnessing this scene, the Dragon Girl was astonished and suspicious. Such legends have existed since ancient times, but few people know the secrets behind them. This is clearly a cross-star domain troop deployment. How terrifying is this? Just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.

The group bypassed the ghostly soldiers and continued forward. In a wide-open space, they came upon a massive city, an immortal royal city built upon bones.

One after another, black mist swirled around the ancient city. There weren't many ghostly soldiers, who calmly entered and exited the city to patrol.

This was practically a miniature underworld, devoid of life, filled only with these lifeless ancient corpses. Suddenly, the entire ancient city surged with a chilling aura and violently erupted. A furious shout, sensing the presence of living beings, shattered the void:

"On the path of reincarnation, there is a single barrier; who dares to venture into the underworld!"

(End of this chapter)