The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 116 The Return of the Apocalypse God, The Calamity of the Primordial Lake

The sacred land bears traces of the Dao, gathering the wishes and power of countless beings throughout the ages.

Meanwhile, in the nearby giant palace, Wang Hongwu and Duan De unexpectedly unearthed a secret treasure left by the Boundless Heavenly Venerable that targeted the power of vows.

The contrasting attitudes and changes before and after are intriguing and seem to confirm the changes in the ancient celestial being's mind before his passing.

Immortality, self-inflicted death, and passing away with regret—even those who have attained enlightenment cannot take these things lightly. Throughout history, countless emperors and sovereigns have fallen and undergone drastic changes because of such things.

Within the forbidden zone, there are many such beings, some seeking immortality, others striving for eternal life, all employing various methods.

“Let’s wait and see. If the Celestial Venerable left behind a backup plan, it won’t be this simple. He might have given up everything he once possessed. These things might not mean much to him anymore.” Duan De seemed to be thinking of a similar existence and couldn’t help but shake his head and say, “There was indeed such a person in the Mythical Era. He had achieved brilliant accomplishments. What a pity.”

Emperor? Wang Hongwu immediately realized who the Heavenly Venerable was, and his expression changed slightly. The identity of the first incarnation of the ancient Heavenly Court's ruler was still a mystery.

Before long, they had swept the huge palace clean, finding nothing else of note, and then left to move on to the next destination.

With Duan De's guidance and guidance, the secrets of this sacred land could not be hidden and were soon unearthed. They broke through another layer of array patterns and arrived at the mountain peak where the second giant palace stood.

The second main peak is exceptionally tall, and the palace is even more magnificent and awe-inspiring. Standing here, one feels as if one is looking down on the world. Various auspicious and wondrous sights appear, and thousands upon thousands of wisps of celestial energy cascade down like waterfalls.

When they entered, there was no dazzling jewels or magnificent weapons. Instead, a rich aura of immortality rushed towards them, and various Dao fluctuations rose and fell like an endless star field, leaving them bewildered, as if they were facing an ancient universe.

"Such rich essence has greatly enhanced the vitality within my body." Wang Hongwu's expression shifted as he sensed the difference. He had previously experienced a similar fluctuation within his body—that was the Elixir of Immortality!
At this moment, the two looked ahead and discovered a spring pool in the center of the giant palace, with thousands of auspicious wisps of mist and countless rays of light. It was clearly a divine pool, with spiritual energy so rich that it was impossible to disperse.

Of course, this is not the most eye-catching part. What truly captivates the mind and holds the gaze is a single object within, interwoven with countless traces of the Great Dao, dazzling and radiant.

In the pond grows a celestial flower, shaped like a lotus, but with two stems growing side by side. The one on the left is entirely black, but its stamens are golden; the one on the right is pale gold, but its stamens are jet black. The two plants are like opposites of yin and yang, and each of them bears a fruit the size of a fist. The fruit on the left is shaped like a Kun fish, swaying with the Taiyin True Water; the fruit on the right is shaped like a golden roc, swaying around the Sun God's light.

Yin and Yang, Kunpeng rises together, twin divine plants surround the black and gold two-colored flowing light, sacred charm intertwined, with a sense of longevity.

Elixir of immortality!
This is the Kunpeng Immortal Medicine that follows the Boundless Heavenly Venerable. Around it are traces of the Great Dao, merging with heaven and earth.

The Heavenly Palace was magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters. The divine pool was located in the center of the palace, gurgling gently. They carefully examined this divine spring and found that it did not lead underground, but was just a pool of water. It was engraved with mysterious runes, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, carrying divine water, and nourishing this elixir of immortality.

"What a treasure, little fire dragon! I really think your luck is incredible. You even managed to find the elixir of immortality, and it's completely intact. But I didn't expect that the Boundless Heavenly Venerable would actually leave the elixir of immortality here. Could that fox be so kind?" Duan De exclaimed. The elixir of immortality was originally supposed to fly away from the deceased ancient venerable and seek its next master.

However, the Chaos Divine Land was sealed off by the Boundless Heavenly Venerable, so it could not leave and naturally remained there until their arrival.

"An elixir of immortality, that is indeed an extremely important thing. If I can glean some insights from it and evolve the spirit and form of the elixir of immortality, it will be of great benefit to me. Ideally, I could integrate it into the Eight or Nine Heavens Technique."

Wang Hongwu also showed a look of joy. Faced with this treasure that was comparable to an ultimate divine weapon, no one could remain calm, not to mention that this thing would be of great use to him even if he did not take it.

Just as he was figuring out how to move this thing, Duan De, with a hoe in one hand and a shovel in the other, grumbled, "Damn it, let the professionals do what they do best. Watch me, I'll dig up the whole pond!"

He acted swiftly, digging through the underground of the giant palace in no time, and unearthing the pool along with the elixir of immortality.

The Spirit Void Divine Illumination Seal! Wang Hongwu used his divine power to directly project the void arena and stuff it inside. He couldn't afford to lose such a good thing. It was just an avatar that had entered, so he wouldn't mind if it was destroyed here. He would really be heartbroken if he didn't take the secret treasure sword and the elixir of immortality with him.

After studying the area for a while and confirming that there were no other giant palaces or main peaks, they continued to venture deeper. They also saw some arriving saints ahead, but strangely, they seemed somewhat obsessed, bowing and worshipping in a distant direction while chanting "Infinite Heavenly Venerable".

As if influenced by some force, specks of incense and prayer energy began to condense from their bodies and drifted in that direction.

"Let's go take a look. It's just a clone anyway, so there's nothing to be afraid of. We're here to find out the truth."

Their curiosity was piqued, and they immediately moved closer to find out what was going on.

But a terrifying thing happened: every so often along the way, you could see those saints who had first broken in. They seemed to have lost their senses and were dazed and confused, bowing and prostrating themselves every three steps, silently chanting the name of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable, completely oblivious to everything else.

Slap! Even when Duan De ran up and slapped someone, it didn't attract that person's attention. The saint continued to worship devoutly, whispering "Infinite Heavenly Venerable," and the incense and prayers emanating from his body only increased.

This scene made Wang Hongwu's expression darken. He ignored them and rushed forward until half an hour later when he finally approached an ancient land where chaotic energy was surging.

From afar, there were five continents, radiating a hazy glow. The first continent was incredibly hot, even more intense than the sun, radiating scorching light; another continent was a vast ocean, with towering waves surging across the sky, an endless swamp; the third continent had a metallic aura soaring into the sky, clanging and ringing; the fourth continent was teeming with green energy, full of vitality; and the fifth continent was a yellowish-brown, thick and solid.

It is even possible to see various unheard-of races and creatures on the continent through the Heavenly Eye. Some have bird bodies and wolf heads, some are just a ball of light without a fixed form, and some have only a huge head without arms or body.

The races are diverse and varied, and many are even magical artifacts, having grown legs and arms, walking unsteadily, seemingly remnants of the mythological era and artificially created beings.

Wang Hongwu was taken aback by the Five Elements Continent. After careful observation, he discovered that these continents did not resemble the five internal organs of the Dao Palace. Instead, they were more like the outline of a human figure, very similar to the Five Domains of the Big Dipper, only not as vast and boundless.

Moreover, as the tides rise and fall, the five elements converge and merge, transforming into chaotic energy, which then spreads and covers the entire surface of the Five Elements Continent, making it increasingly hazy, as if it were nurturing some indescribable existence.

"Damn it, how much preparation did this old guy leave behind? First faith, then the evolution of chaos, could he really have succeeded?" Duan De's face showed surprise, realizing a huge scheme. Above the continent, the five elements overflowed, merged together, and became one, turning into chaos, hence the flowing, hazy mist.

In fact, this power was derived from and evolved from BeiDou!
Someone has set up an array to draw upon the power of the five elements and the chaotic energy within the Big Dipper, transforming them here to form another force!
The two exchanged a glance. Back then, when the Chaos Body was refined by the Boundless Heavenly Venerable and inscribed with the Five Domains Formation, it was indeed a contingency plan. It continuously absorbed the power of origin to this place, yet it did not leave the range of the Big Dipper Star Region and did not attract the attention of other beings. It was truly a well-thought-out plan.

Boom! Not long after they set foot on the Five Elements Continent, another miracle appeared in the sky. The aura was magnificent and vast, like the sun and moon falling, like a galaxy of stars shining brightly, illuminating the world in splendor. A supreme and divine aura flowed, making everyone awe.

"A miracle!" "Infinite Heavenly Venerable!"

"God has manifested in the world!"

In a short time, those devout foreign worshippers began to shout, treating the Boundless Heavenly Venerable as a god. Their transformation into fanatical believers in such a short period of time was chilling.

Wang Hongwu looked up and saw a huge altar above him, as if it were cast from divine metal. It was supreme and magnificent, radiating boundless light and exuding an aura that lasted for eternity. The power of wishes from all directions condensed into substance, filling the void.

The altar was magnificent, towering above even the most majestic mountains. There stood a human-shaped stone statue, which, together with the altar, radiated an indestructible divine light, dazzling and gazing down upon the world.

As they tried to approach, they discovered that the power of their vows had woven together into guardian deities, their faces majestic, patrolling the sky and awe-inspiring. Furthermore, brilliant rain of light fell upon them, causing divine springs to gush forth, Daoist flowers to grow, and divine blossoms to flourish.

Puff puff!
Then, a terrible scene unfolded: the fanatical saints ripped open their own chests and offered their heart's blood as a sacrifice to the sky; one saint king after another rushed toward the heavens like madmen, and then exploded, turning into a rain of blood that poured down on the center of the Five Elements Continent.

Those with lower strength became fanatical believers, while those with higher strength became sacrifices, creating an extremely bizarre scene.

However, Wang Hongwu and Duan De were not noticed because their clones were too weak. They watched helplessly as the Five Elements Continent showed signs of collapse, as if it was about to transform into a person and emerge from the divine land!
At the same time, within the Ziwei Sect in Zhongzhou, the two people who had witnessed this scene from afar through their divine senses were also awakened.

"This is terrible! This has really gotten out of hand. Someone from outside the Big Dipper Domain is doing this right under the nose of the Forbidden Zone. They're incredibly audacious. Aren't they afraid of unforeseen complications?" Duan De wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then said helplessly, "But then again, it's not a crucial point on the path to immortality right now, so of course those guys won't come out. Even the Big Dipper Chaos Body isn't very attractive to them, since it doesn't grant immortality. The Boundless Heavenly Venerable has really found a loophole. If I'm not mistaken, if his next move is to revive himself, he'll definitely cause some commotion to divert people's attention and shift the focus away from the Forbidden Zone, thus succeeding in his plan."

"Spiritual Void Divine Illumination Seal!" Wang Hongwu nodded without saying much, but instead used his great magic to retrieve the Divine Pool, the Kunpeng Immortal Elixir, and the golden demonic sword specifically designed to counter the power of will from that void.

It can be said that among all those who ventured into the Chaotic Divine Land, they were the biggest winners, having silently gained many things, and being avatars sent out, they did not need to worry about perishing.

Duan De couldn't help but let out a strange, cackling laugh. "This time we've really made a fortune. We've kept quiet and made a killing. Let those guys go after us, haha."

With a smirk, Wang Hongwu opened the palace gates and began to peruse the information gathered by his disciples.

"Recent news indicates that more and more beings are entering the Divine Land, still mainly Saints. However, this time it seems the threshold has been lowered, with many Half-Saints and Dao Slayers also entering. On the contrary, Great Saints are still unable to enter."

“There’s obviously a problem. I think these people either went in as sacrifices or were brainwashed into becoming believers. The number of creatures in the Chaos Divine Land can’t compare to that in the outside world. Opening it in time and capturing some of them would be enough to fill the gap.”

"However, it seems that we haven't seen the weapon of proof of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable?"

"Perhaps it's in the Five Elements Continent. No matter how I look at it, it feels like a smaller version of the Big Dipper, like a human embryo."

After observing for a while, the two found that the divine gate was opening more and more frequently, but many cultivators no longer believed it and regarded it as a scam. The royal family and most royal families no longer participated. Only the elderly who were about to die were unwilling to give up and were trying to break through.

"By the way, the Western Desert is so vast, doesn't your Ziwei Sect have any ideas?" Duan De's eyes flickered when he saw the news that the Western Desert had become a ghost town, where no living beings could survive. It was empty, but there was still the Zijin Iron Mine.

"You mean, expand our territory? Relocate some of the Ziwei Sect followers there, and we'll use the Duren Sutra to transform the environment?" Wang Hongwu pondered. This wasn't impossible. After all, the Western Desert was such a large territory, and the Underworld had unearthed many resources there. The various tribes abandoned it because they couldn't adapt to the environment, but they had a way to resolve that.

Seeing this, Duan De chuckled and said, "Actually, the main purpose is to find the five-colored altar in the Western Desert. The incident at the Boundless Dojo has made me uneasy, and I want to find the remnants of the Chaos Body to verify it."

"It's worth a try." After considering the pros and cons, Wang Hongwu decided to send some disciples over to test the waters first. Using the mining of the Zijin Iron Mine as an excuse, it would be easy to temporarily cover their tracks. Once they were fully prepared, they could sweep the area away with lightning speed and occupy the Western Desert, and then no one would have anything to say.

Ultimately, they are now a large royal family as well.

“I know about the Western Desert. It was originally a barren place, but after the Underworld started moving things, they found quite a few things. It is necessary to build a branch there.” Soon, the divine sense of the Great Sage of Taiyin came over and agreed with the matter of the Western Desert. However, he then said seriously, “But recently our ally, Primordial Lake, has been very unsettled. Something has happened, and we need you to go and provide assistance.”

"What?!" Wang Hongwu was taken aback, but then he realized that he was to drive the dragon chariot and take the Slaughtering Beast King with him. Only he could command this Great Sage, and with the protection of the Supreme Divine Weapon, he was naturally not afraid of any accidents. However, just to be on the safe side, he still prepared a backup plan and said, "I would still appreciate it if the Sect Leader could inform the Main God and the Fighting Saint King. At this time, it's never too much to have more people backing you up."

"Primordial Lake? It seems those Holy Spirits have their eyes on them. A great war might break out." Duan De shook his head, recalling the news of the fall of their Great Saint. Now, in the struggle for the Ancient Emperor Weapon, it's possible that it's not just the Holy Spirit lineage that's making moves!
In the depths of the universe, there are many races that covet supreme divine weapons, and in the vast sea of ​​stars, there is no shortage of Great Sages.

Meanwhile, in the outer reaches of the heavens, the beings from the Boundless Starfield did not attempt to attack the divine gate as usual. Instead, they lingered in the starry sky, frowning and deep in thought, as if receiving some kind of signal or enlightenment.

After a long pause, the Great Sage, who was leading the group, revealed a fanatical expression. He raised his fist and exclaimed passionately, "A divine miracle has occurred! He has commanded us to go to an ancient star. Everyone, the day of revelation to welcome the return of the great god has arrived!"

"The will of the gods is sending us to Mars? The secret artifacts left behind by the gods before they left were prepared for something there."

“In the past, the Venerable God once predicted that a celestial path would open on that ancient star, leaving some preparations there. But unfortunately, the time was tens of thousands of years later, which instead became the turning point of the divine war.”

"Infinite Heavenly Venerable, Heavenly Revelation: Divine Return!"

The other sages also showed piety on their faces. After a brief conversation, they all chanted "Infinite Heavenly Venerable" and headed towards the direction of Mars.

With the five-colored altars connecting them, it naturally wouldn't take much time. In the past, both Mars and the Big Dipper were under the rule of the ancient Heavenly Court and were connected by an ancient star road, which is why powerful figures from other star regions could arrive so quickly.

Ten days later, in the Eastern Wilderness, at the Primitive Lake.

The once glorious royal family now appears destitute, creating a desolate atmosphere.

Yuan Gu stood alone in the middle of the lake, directing the various arrangements within the clan. Their clan's protective formation had been revived and was constantly in operation, guarding against enemy attacks.

Meanwhile, the Saint Kings within the clan stood around the Primordial Light Heavenly King, jointly wielding the Supreme Ancient Imperial Weapon and cautiously watching the heavens to prevent any accidents.

Who could have imagined that a supreme lineage would undergo a series of changes over time, forcing it to this point?

First, the two great holy spirits fought over the ancient imperial weapon, which led to the annihilation of all the ancient princes and the destruction of the clan's protective formation, leaving only one lineage barely surviving. It was only with great difficulty that the clan survived to this day, with a great holy spirit in charge, but then the pillar of the clan fell in the battle of the Western Desert, which once again attracted the covetousness of the holy spirits and brought another crisis to the clan.

Their lineage seems to be inherently at odds with the Holy Spirit.

"Young Master, what did the Ziwei Sect say?" While observing, the Heavenly King was also secretly communicating with Yuan Gu, trying to find out what was happening outside and whether any reinforcements had arrived.

"Hoo..." Yuan Gu exhaled a breath of turbid air, loosened his clenched hands, and said, "The Great Sage Taiyin is aware of this and has indicated that he will send reinforcements."

"It's good that they're willing to provide support, but we don't know if they'll have enough time..." Yuan Guang Tianwang smiled bitterly upon hearing this, but before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and he stared intently at the heavens.

There, the sky was clear and blue, but suddenly a huge roar came, and the entire ancient star shook, and many mountains and rivers collapsed.

Ah! In an instant, some disciples of the Primal Lake branch were instantly shattered, exploding into clouds of blood mist.

It was like the end of the world; nothing could stop it, everything was to be obliterated, massive mountains collapsed, endless oceans surged and rolled towards the sky, the order of the entire world was in chaos, as if it were coming to an end.

"Primordial Lake, your clan's fortune has come to an end! The ultimate divine weapon should rightfully be in the hands of my clan."

Boom! Then, supreme holy might descended, and a giant hand reached out from the star field, appeared in the sky, and grabbed towards the Primordial Lake. The giant hand was thousands of miles in circumference and covered the sky.

Moreover, these are not ordinary human hands, but jade hands, and their owner is not human, but a holy spirit!
A divine jade holy spirit who can be called the patriarch of the star field, a giant in his own right!

"Great Sage!"

People cried out in alarm, many despairing. How could they possibly defeat such a Holy Spirit? Legend has it that Holy Spirits born from stone are extremely rare, and each one is invincible in their respective realms.

Such a divine jade stone being, born of heaven and earth, would be incredibly difficult to defeat even for a royal great saint, and most of them would likely perish at the same level.

What's even more terrifying is that the attackers are not limited to the Holy Spirit lineage. In various celestial realms, powerful hands descend, wielding magical treasures or employing divine arts, all vying for supreme weapons.

They remained silent, but their killing intent was unprecedentedly strong, causing the people below the primeval lake to turn pale.

At that moment, a deafening roar suddenly came from the distant sky, as if a calamity beast lord from the creation of the world was pulling a dragon chariot that rumbled in. Two figures stood side by side on the chariot, and the red-haired man in the lead sneered, "Heh, it's really lively."

(End of this chapter)