The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 164 The Crystal Stele Inscribes the Ancient Well, and the Immortal's Ruins Reappear

The Imperial Pass stands tall in the starry sky.

This building, which has existed since the age of mythology, has witnessed the rise of various deities and the Heavenly Court, and continues to this day, is majestic and awe-inspiring.

Wang Hongwu stepped forward and saw two familiar stone pillars, one swirling with Yin energy and the other with Yang fire, and the roar of the Heavenly Dao was incessant, symbolizing the Human Emperor and the Holy Emperor.

Their marks are etched on the stone pillars, not in a glorious way, not in a record of honor, but simply as an imprint.

He stood there, feeling the emotional journey of the two emperors who had entered this place years ago. The insights and emotions he felt were completely different.

"Are you dead? Perhaps not, but rest in peace. I will take your place and become stronger!" The Empress stood before the stone pillar that belonged to the Immortal Emperor, her expression complex. The stone pillar had no frontal features, only a back view surrounded by divine light, making it difficult to discern, but the aura of an ancient god was undeniable.

The pass was quiet, deserted, with its gates tightly shut and a huge bronze ring with a beast's head hanging above it. This was the entrance to the first level of the ultimate ancient road.

“Great Sage is only the minimum standard. Now that you have set foot here, there is no rush to return to the Big Dipper. You can first study the forbidden domain and raise your cultivation to Heavenly King, or even Great Sage.” Wang Hongwu walked past the stone pillars and saw the Myriad Dragon Emperor. He paused for a moment, then saw the Yuan Emperor, the Blood Phoenix Emperor, the Golden Emperor, and others, as well as the newest stone pillar, which belonged to the Fighting Saint Emperor.

Behind this stone pillar is a huge stone gate leading to the One True Path. This path is too terrifying; those without the strength of a Great Saint cannot even push open the city gate, let alone pass through it. This is why one cannot come here without reaching a certain level and possessing the corresponding strength.

"Some say that each level is a new heaven, and after defeating all enemies, one can attain enlightenment by ascending to the ninth heaven. Perhaps this corresponds to the ninth heaven of the Quasi-Emperor." The Empress spoke softly. Legend has it that there are nine levels on this imperial road. Behind these formidable passes, too many heroes have been buried. Some had already shown the potential to attain enlightenment and the form of an emperor, but they perished unexpectedly. Such tragedies have been playing out since ancient times.

On the stone wall to the side, there are records of each time the Imperial Pass was opened.

The fewest people ever went in was sixty, but in their opinion, this time was probably the fewest ever. Maybe there would only be five people, and at most no more than ten. The rest were just there to make up the numbers.

At that moment, as Wang Hongwu approached, a soft hum was heard, and a giant stele appeared in front of the tightly closed gate.

The stone tablet soars into the clouds, majestic and imposing. Its front shines like a crystal mirror, reflecting people's shadows, while the four corners, sides, and back are made of ancient stone.

The Heavenly Road will not open too early, but will wait for most of the trial participants of this generation to appear, giving them enough time. Before that, the pass will be closed and cannot be opened. The crystal tablet will block the way in front of the city. Cultivators who come here only need to carve their names and leave their true marks.

In the future, once the formidable pass is opened, no matter where you are, a divine gate will appear, allowing you to choose. You only need to take one step to reach this place.

Therefore, the crystal wall has a special meaning for cultivators; anyone who walks here proves that they are the strongest representative of their clan.

Once the name is inscribed on the crystal wall, it signifies the birth of an unparalleled powerhouse, possessing the strength of a Great Sage, becoming a patriarch, able to roam freely in a region, and a revered giant within a clan.

This is the lifelong dream of many cultivators!

Even without discussing the path to enlightenment, simply inscribing this name here is enough; it represents recognition and is an unparalleled honor.

In this lifetime, Wang Hongwu was the first and earliest to arrive.

"Please, our Holy Lord." The Empress snorted and teasingly stepped aside, dramatically raising her hand to invite the man forward.

Ha! Wang Hongwu chuckled, stepped forward, and extended a finger. Forbidden light swirled around it, and a terrifying aura instantly broke through the Great Sage barrier, reaching the level of a Patriarch. That finger was golden with a hint of red, as if it were forged from phoenix blood gold and Dao Tribulation gold. It was carved into the stone tablet, leaving behind three large characters in bold, iron-hooked strokes:

Wang! Hong! Wu!
Young and vigorous, it exuded a hazy, precious light, possessing a terrifying aura of the Great Dao that suppressed all directions. A red sun rose and fell above, illuminating all directions and shining equally on every revered person who would come below in the future.

The Crystal Monument is nominated as the champion, and its red sun rises to rival the heavens!

Buzz! In an instant, divine light shone on the crystal tablet, revealing scene after scene that shot into the sky, showing a supreme being rising and embarking on the path to the throne.

The scene was somewhat terrifying and shocking. As the first person to leave their name, it was naturally quite different, as their image was directly reflected into the starry sky from the Imperial Pass!

Reflecting destiny, shattering the universe, this may be the true name of the future supreme being.

"A name inscribed on the Crystal Tablet? Someone has made it to the Imperial Pass and become the first to leave their name behind!"

In an instant, divine senses emanated from the last city of each ancient road, witnessing this scene and even seeing the name, causing their breath to catch in their throats.

Because this name is too familiar, mentioned too many times in the starry sky, causing too many people to lose their souls in the heavens and shatter their dreams on the ancient road.

Taboo names, blood-stained myths!

"That's the Holy Venerable?!" Many people were parched and struggled to utter the title, feeling an emptiness in their hearts, as if something had been added, or as if nothing was left.

"My God, so fast? How many years has he been on the ancient road? Less than a hundred years, right? He's spent most of his time traveling, and now he's already broken into the Imperial Pass and become the first nominee?"

"I think this means something even more terrifying: the combat power of a Great Sage who is not even a hundred years old! That's enough to set a historical record, isn't it?"

Many more experts were shocked and amazed by this terrifying strength and speed, which truly surpassed that of emperors throughout history and could be compared with the supreme rulers and immortal emperors.

This fluctuation also affected some stars near the Imperial Pass, and some people who should have been asleep and did not belong to this era were awakened!

In a chaotic world outside the Imperial Pass, mist drifted, and several fragments of Origin Liquid fell to the ground. A young man emerged, looking very ordinary, with a plain appearance, just one of the masses, without anything extraordinary about him.

If one had to point out something extraordinary, it would only be his eyes—clear and bright, possessing extraordinary power despite being of mortal origin and lacking any special bloodline.

"What year is it tonight? This is different from the time I should have awakened. Has the era changed?" The young man wondered, closed his eyes to sense it for a while, and then said in surprise, "There is actually another person in this world who cultivates ancient methods? How did he manage to do it and become the first person to leave his name on the crystal tablet? Interesting, I really want to meet him."

With that, the young man stepped out of this chaotic world and headed towards the Imperial Pass.

Meanwhile, Wang Hongwu and the Empress had already left the Imperial Pass. They wanted to continue their training in the starry sky, so they set their sights on the remaining six Demon Wells that had not been opened before.

There are still many good things inside, and perfecting the art of mending the heavens is imperative.

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, news came that in the distant Flying Immortal Starfield, many ancient clans were gathering to beat drums and rally their forces. Among them were many supreme experts who had been sealed away since ancient times. They were the descendants of the Kunlun clan!
"They are mustering their forces. Is it to take revenge on the Holy Venerable? They killed their Great Saint and destroyed three future quasi-emperors. It's a deep-seated hatred."

Many people are paying attention, and even the major star-sky clans whose descendants were killed, such as the Winged Clan, the Golden Serpent Clan, and the Primordial Demon Clan, are watching closely and have sent people to contact the Kunlun remnants, whether for cooperation or to plot something.

"In this era, many mythical figures are still alive. Interesting, truly interesting." Within the Lingbao Ancient Starfield, a magnificent statue lit up, echoing with shouts. At the same time, he looked towards the direction of the Big Dipper, a hint of coldness in his eyes. "And that bastard, who caused the eternal corpse calamity, is still alive and kicking. Truly, good people don't live long, while evil ones live for a thousand years!"

As he spoke, Duan De, far away in the Central Plains of the Big Dipper, suddenly sneezed, his hair standing on end, and he was filled with surprise and doubt: "Who is talking about Daoist Master?"

After a while, he picked up the hoe he was using to dig up the grave, patted his butt, and said, "Who cares? I wonder when the little fire dragon will return from beyond the heavens. I've dug up a great treasure, what a pleasant surprise!"

The vast starry sky also exudes an oppressive atmosphere, as if undercurrents are surging and a storm is brewing.

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated Wang Hongwu and the Heavenly Princess had already arrived at the location of the second Demon Well, which was an unnamed, desolate star near the territory of the Giant Clan.

This holy spirit from the mythological era was just one step away from attaining enlightenment and almost transformed into a holy spirit celestial being. Unfortunately, he was ultimately suppressed and killed by the Daoist Venerable, and was transformed into seven demonic spirits.

Now, Wang Hongwu directly took out the ancient divine tablet left by Lingbao Tianzun, broke through the formation, avoided the most troublesome step, and stepped straight into the ancient well. Here, there were gods and demons evolved from the blood of holy spirits, all of them powerful. Upon seeing the outsider, they roared and approached, wanting to devour him completely.

"You ignorant fool, die!" Wang Hongwu laughed wildly, arrogant and domineering, like the most terrifying madman, extremely fierce and invincible. He directly wielded the spiritual treasure killing sword and slashed wildly, with no one able to withstand a single blow. No god or ghost that could fight against the Great Sage could withstand this killing intent and were killed as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

After sweeping through, he obtained the second section of the Heaven-Mending Technique incantation here, took away the brewed divine liquid, and the remaining holy spirit corpse continued to be refined and produced, but it would be a very long time, that was left for future generations.

"So fast?" When the Empress saw Wang Hongwu come out, she was also a little surprised. It had taken them a lot of effort to open the first Demon Well, but now it was done so easily.

"With the imperial artifact in hand and the Heavenly Venerable's Formation-Breaking Stele, it would be unreasonable to take our time." Wang Hongwu wasted no time and quickly made his way. The two of them directly passed through the star gate and arrived at the location of the remaining five ancient wells, which were scattered throughout the starry sky and involved the ancient roads of various races.

Undeterred, he traversed the area, activating the Demon Well while simultaneously training himself.

This was destined to be an unforgettable period for the cultivators of the starry sky. The Holy Venerable's aura swept across the universe, conquering all enemies, traversing ancient roads, clashing with powerful beings of different races, and opening one sealed demon well after another.

Without using any other weapons, relying solely on his own two iron fists, he earned an invincible reputation, silencing the ancient roads of all races and the heavenly realms of ten thousand races.

Battle after battle, he destroyed ancient stars, shattered ancient roads, and shattered the Heavenly Gate! The name of the Holy Venerable resounded throughout the realms, becoming synonymous with invincibility. He single-handedly dominated all paths in the starry sky, carving his name on the Heavenly Gate at the end of all races. That name contained his invincible martial will. Even a Heavenly King would be struck by lightning upon touching it, coughing up blood and retreating violently. This further shocked all races, truly confirming that his combat power had reached the realm of the Great Saint.

During this period, several people came to attack, all of them peerless kings with formidable fighting power, including some former battle saints who had been sealed away in the past. But in the end, they all perished!

Wang Hongwu swept through, writing an invincible chapter of glory. He opened the ancient wells one by one. Some of the wells were not dangerous, while others were filled with murderous intent beyond imagination. Among them, the sixth demonic well, which buried the head of the holy spirit from the mythical era, was the most evil.

Even with the ancient divine stele bypassing the formation, extraordinary phenomena still occurred on the day they went down into the well.

From that day onward, sand and stones flew, cold winds howled, a blood moon hung in the sky, and the corpses of gods and demons fell from the heavens, crashing onto the earth with a resounding clang.

This situation lasted for ten years, and no one could get close. A great saint from a nearby alien race rashly broke into the forbidden area, screamed miserably for three days and three nights, and in the end, only a skeleton remained, its flesh and soul completely devoured.

Wang Hongwu and the Heavenly Empress fought against the group of gods and ghosts in the well for ten years. The killing sword in their hands absorbed the blood of the Holy Spirits and became even more terrifying, its killing intent tearing through the nine heavens.

In the end, the head of the Holy Spirit was born, and the ancient star collapsed. It swallowed up the Milky Way, its resentment lingering, and it harbored hatred for all living beings in the world.

At Wang Hongwu's reminder, the nearby tribes all evacuated, but some greedy creatures, blinded by reason, still rushed over, ranging from Saint Kings to Great Saints, all wanting to seize the opportunity.

As a result, without the two of them lifting a finger, the Holy Spirit's head wreaked havoc, annihilating all the invaders and causing rivers of blood to flow, staining the universe red. If it weren't for the passage of time and the fact that the head had been suppressed by the Dao Venerable to the point of decay, it would be hard to imagine what kind of disaster it would have caused.

In the end, it was Wang Hongwu who used the Spirit Treasure Array Diagram, combining the two swords with the Emperor Tower and the Stone Token, to force the head back into the well and retrieve the divine liquid.

"That is a divine well left behind by the Daoist master in the mythological era! Inside are immortal pills refined by the ancient ancestor of the Holy Spirit."

"So it was the Holy Venerable who opened it. Six openings have already been opened, and there's only one left. Quick! Find it!"

"Found it! It's recorded in ancient books that the last well is in the Chaos Burial Ground on the edge of the universe!"

But this caused a sensation, and all races learned about the Demon Well and began to search for it, hoping to obtain the opportunity left behind by the Daoist Master.

How vast is the universe? Naturally, there exist many ancient tribes that have survived since the age of mythology. They pieced together their history books and soon found the location of the final Demon Well and rushed there.

"The lineage of my Holy Spirit shall be inherited by me!"

A few days later, the Holy Spirit Lord, who had been hunted down by the Sun and Moon Gods and had disappeared for a long time, reappeared, shaking the starry sky, and headed straight for the Sixth Well, which contained the Holy Spirit's head, in an attempt to communicate with the Ancient Ancestor.

It is said that on that day, the sky collapsed and the stars and seas caved in, and the universe was about to be crushed. A world-destroying aura surged violently, vast and boundless, expanding at an extremely rapid pace.

Finally, the Holy Spirit King, who considered himself a descendant, fled in a sorry state, nearly perishing there. Most of his body was reduced to ashes, a truly tragic sight.

He claimed to be a descendant of the ancient ancestors, but the Holy Spirit's head clearly didn't think so, and even had the idea of ​​swallowing him. He tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead, becoming a fresh joke in the starry sky that has lasted for a long time.

Upon learning this, Wang Hongwu couldn't help but shake his head. "Incapable of breaking the formation, and lacking any ancestral artifacts, yet you dare to venture in? Are you treating your life like it's free? What an idiot."

Amidst his sighs, he and the Empress had already arrived at the Chaotic Burial Ground on the edge of the universe.

This last ancient well, containing the half-body of the Holy Spirit and a stone scripture, was the target of a bloodbath as greedy beings from all corners of the cosmos gathered to fight over it.

Wang Hongwu made his move, determined to obtain these things. Wherever his killing sword pointed, two Great Saints were successively blasted apart, their corpses and blood splattering and piercing through the star field.

In the end, the supreme races in the starry sky all arrived. The Radiant Pot and other ancestral artifacts that were close to imperial weapons collided violently, causing countless galaxies to split and the universe to crack, resulting in the complete annihilation of some of the main races.

In fact, many desolate ancient stars were destroyed as a result, awakening many who were in slumber or in seclusion.

After one of the unremarkable stars shattered, a stone coffin engraved with the patterns of the ancient Heavenly Court flew out. A terrifying figure awakened from within, taking steps forward, with numerous stars passing by beneath his feet. He possessed an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers.

"Who is this person? How can he be so special? It's as if he can reign supreme in the universe. That kind of aura comes from his very bones!"

People were shocked and felt an overwhelming pressure. He was the only one who could be supreme in heaven and earth, looking down on all realms throughout the ages. That was the aura of that person. Every move he made was like a sovereign descending to earth!
But no one knew that he had never appeared; this great sage was too mysterious.

After the great battle, Wang Hongwu took the stone scriptures and the divine liquid, completely completed the Heaven-Mending Technique, and fully evolved this great art, greatly increasing his strength.

"This contains not only the art of mending the heavens, but also various methods of the Holy Spirit lineage. It is also an ancestral artifact, which I entrust to you. Once you have achieved success in your cultivation, kill that so-called Holy Spirit Lord, and you will lead the Holy Spirit lineage and seize their Holy Spirit Dynasty!" As for the stone scripture, he handed it over to the artifact spirit for cultivation.

Now, the spirit of the artifact sits cross-legged inside the banner, practicing the art of mending the heavens. With the stone token in its left hand and the stone scripture in its right, it is as if the ancient holy ancestor has reappeared, favored by the heavens, surrounded by thousands of rays of light and ten thousand streams of auspicious energy.

"You're truly greedy, wanting your own artifact spirit to be the ancestor of a Holy Spirit. Is there anything more arrogant and humiliating than this? If the Great Holy Spirit of the Heavenly God Mountain Range knew, he would surely tear you apart." The Empress gave a meaningful reminder, even Holy Spirits have beings residing in the world that are like forbidden zones.

Wang Hongwu nodded without saying much. Instead, he took out the divine liquid and cultivated with the Heavenly Empress. A year later, the two broke through again one after the other. Wang Hongwu reached the sixth level of the Saint King realm and was already able to fight against a beginner Great Saint. He was a unique Battle Ancestor.

Just as the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard a piece of news that reverberated throughout the starry sky.

"The most terrifying force of the ancient mythological era, the ancient Heavenly Court built by the Emperor himself, has appeared!"

"It is said that it is a remnant of the immortal war at the end of the mythical era, involving many important areas."

"Perhaps there are Emperor's scriptures among them?" "I don't know, but according to the Great Sage, there is celestial light shining there, which seems to be the ancient path to immortality!"

In an instant, a storm raged across the starry sky. All sorts of news, true or false, were hard to distinguish, but they all stirred the minds of all races, making even the Great Sage thirsty and eager to go and explore.

Even some old monsters with little lifespan left have appeared, hoping to obtain a wisp of immortal light to prolong their lives. This is destined to cause a great commotion.

Ancient Heavenly Court Ruins Reappear!
However, it is not an ordinary celestial ruin. It is said to be the location where the Emperor opened the rift on the path to immortality when he ascended to immortality.

(End of this chapter)