The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 226 Sacrifices are Required on the Path to Immortality; Destroyed Corpse Matter Appears

The path to immortality has begun, and the Heavenly Court is sending its entire faculty to ascend to immortality.

However, a stone tablet silenced them, and the words on it sent chills down their spines.

Is there only one person who can become an immortal in one lifetime?

Is the ascension of the entire sect to immortality a breaking of mythology, or is it the fulfillment of one person's potential through the ascension of the entire sect?

Even the Celestial Venerable of Nirvana wavered at this moment, recalling the words of Xiaoyao and Changsheng, and looked at the Emperor Venerable at the forefront.

"The path to immortality is lonely and solitary; one can only walk it alone, not become an immortal by oneself. If one cannot even comprehend this, what is there to talk about in terms of longevity?"

At this moment, the Emperor spoke, calming everyone's emotions. It was a sigh, not a true account.

The Celestial Venerable of Immortality remained expressionless, while Xiaoyao's eyes flickered. Both seemed to have their own thoughts. Behind them, the vast Netherworld was faintly visible, with the gaze of a supreme being watching.

"That's right, what do these things matter? We are making history. Grudges, hatred, and forbidden zones can all be put aside. Becoming an immortal is the most important thing!" Chuan Ying said, his fighting spirit soaring. Nothing in the mortal world mattered anymore.

In a sense, what they said was true. With higher aspirations, the Immortal Realm was right before their eyes. If they could break into it, they would make history and become the last immortals in history.

"Is the Heavenly Court about to succeed?" "Should we also be reborn into this world?"

Voices echoed from both the Primordial Ancient Mine and Burial Sky Island, as the Supreme Beings grew anxious, unwilling to miss this opportunity to become immortals in this lifetime.

Finally, with a loud bang, a supreme being emerged from self-imposed confinement, undergoing ultimate sublimation and soaring towards the path of immortality.

There, the celestial avenue shone brightly, the green bronze cauldron split the heavens and earth, and the celestial gate that had blocked the way had long been shattered and could no longer stop them.

"They actually broke through it all?" The Supreme Being was astonished and went straight inside. The surrounding area was littered with corpses, all of them gods, demons, and immortals, all formed from the laws of nature, yet they were so real.

Ahead was a chaotic cave, within which the celestial realm was vaguely visible. Without hesitation, he jumped in and saw a projection of a vast world.

"Fairy Realm!"

He left only a gasp before disappearing.

These two words deeply touched the forbidden zone of life, and with each resolute roar, more people were born!

But after they all jumped down, they realized that the blurry immortal world was just a projection. The road ahead was still being cleared. The Emperor used his supreme immortal power to break through the barrier and clear a path, and they proceeded on the Immortal Avenue.

Seeing these supreme beings arrive, the Heavenly Court remained unmoved. The Emperor didn't even turn around to look. The green bronze cauldron in his hand vibrated, shattering the barrier in front of him and blasting his way in.

clang!
Suddenly, a loud tremor shook the universe. The Immortal Ascension Cauldron struck something, producing a crisp sound that reverberated throughout the cosmos.

Something blocked their path, standing in the rain of light. Everyone paused in surprise. It was a monument, ancient and different from the immortal gates they had seen before. It was not formed by interwoven laws, but a real physical entity.

The appearance of a real stone tablet on the path to immortality was so shocking that it excited everyone in the Heavenly Court.

"Are we about to enter a real world, instead of just a projection area, because we're seeing actual objects?!"

"The Immortal Realm is getting closer and closer. I can feel it; my body is yearning, leaping with excitement, craving that substance!"

Not only were the people of the Heavenly Court excited, but even the Supreme Beings of the Forbidden Zones who followed behind were extremely thrilled, having witnessed a miracle.

This stele is extremely ancient, seemingly spanning the entirety of history, and possesses an indescribable charm. Some of the characters on it are not ancient divine script, but rather characters from the chaotic ancient era, which are unrecognizable.

The only saving grace is that there is still a piece of imperial script, which is the supreme immortal script that has remained unchanged since ancient times. Only those who have reached this level can comprehend and understand it.

"After passing this stele, perhaps one will truly become an immortal."

This passage, filled with doubt and uncertainty, also seemed to carry the desolate sigh of someone who had reached the summit.

Someone once stormed this place, so close to the Immortal Realm, and left this monument. Did he break through? Everyone felt a sense of unease.

"He is the master of the Desolate Tower, the Chaotic Ancient Heavenly Emperor." The Emperor spoke, pointing to the bottom of the stone tablet, where he saw a personal mark.

Following the Emperor's guidance, everyone was startled and saw the mark: a tower branded at the bottom of the stone tablet, like a name, leaving endless reverie for future generations.

Lord of the Desolate Tower, Emperor of Chaos!
At this moment, everyone became excited and quickly passed the stone tablet. Suddenly, a dazzling light appeared in front of them, and a vast world was right before their eyes.

Even Changsheng and Xiaoyao were shaken. Could it be that they had become immortals and entered the immortal realm?

This is both right and wrong.

Because they were indeed close to the Immortal Realm, but had not yet entered it, let alone become immortals.

Standing before them was a heavenly gate.

"Words have appeared!" Everyone stared intently at the text, but when they saw the patterns on it, their expressions changed drastically.

"This gate will only open when a royal expert is sacrificed; it is the only path to the Immortal Realm."

Someone read out the words above; they were Imperial script. Although profound and unfathomable, it was no challenge for them. All the Emperors present exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with cold light. In particular, Changsheng, Xiaoyao, and Jiemie stared directly at the Emperors, their expressions grim.

Is this the moment the Emperor has been waiting for?

They must be sacrificed to open the gate to immortality?
The room fell into a deathly silence, and the atmosphere became tense.

But the most distressed were not the people of Heaven, but the Supreme Beings who followed them in!
They were filled with indignation, wondering how this could have happened.
Why did you just run right into me!

"Now that you're here, don't leave." At this moment, the Emperor turned around, stared at them, his expression cold, and said indifferently, "I will take you with me to become immortals!"

Boom!

In the next instant, the sky collapsed and the earth split apart. This world of laws almost collapsed. If it weren't for the proximity to the Immortal Realm and the flickering of those supreme runes, both the battlefield and the Immortal Path would have disappeared.

But this wasn't the only place where a great battle broke out; even more intense battles took place on the cycle of reincarnation.

Wang Hongwu fiercely battled the broken immortal corpse, his immortal spirit battle body clashing head-on with the immortal body. Each physical clash was like a streak of fire, causing fragments of the void to dance wildly—it was the burning of rules, the collapse of all paths. An earth-shattering duel swept across this vast and desolate world. Although this place looked small, it could actually contain many universes, its vastness immeasurable.

The incomplete immortal corpse was unleashing its power, wielding silver blood chains that pierced through one royal corpse after another, enslaving and controlling them, and surrounding and killing them together.

"What use is a dead body? I can kill the living me at will!" Wang Hongwu laughed wildly, arrogant and domineering. His fists far surpassed all supreme divine weapons. With a single smash, he could pierce through the body of an imperial corpse. With a pull of his arms, he could tear it apart. He rampaged and smashed an imperial corpse into a pulp, shattering its bones and dispersing the laws of the imperial path.

"Human beings are but ants, defying the might of immortals! You will be condemned to eternal hell!" The incomplete immortal corpse's consciousness was becoming clearer and clearer, as if it were learning and reviving its instincts. Its strength was also growing stronger. The aftershocks and laws that emerged from its collision with Wang Hongwu caused the primordial universe to be constantly changed and reshaped. The old and new universes crushed each other time and time again, in a fierce and dazzling manner.

There, many wondrous sights appeared: the gates to the Immortal Realm opened, the phantom of the Burial Ground emerged, and the battlefields and calamities of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths unfolded. Strange phenomena and divine forms clashed fiercely, and the birth and burning of rules changed in an instant. Two people fought, with true blood splattering and the sound of bones breaking echoing beyond the realm.

A battle for supremacy among near-immortals, reshaping the legend!
Two beings of near-immortal power, whose existence was unprecedented in history, engaged in a life-or-death battle. The battle was incredibly terrifying, with their blood energy surging like a vast ocean, causing the sky to collapse and the stars to sink. The primordial universe was also crushed by the pressure. Their speed was too fast, with fragments of time flying around and flashing all around.

Only when Wang Hongwu simultaneously used the speed of Kunpeng, True Phoenix and Thunder Emperor could he overpower the incomplete immortal corpse. Relying on this speed, he relentlessly attacked and seized the opportunity to unleash his near-immortal killing move, Heavenly Will Blade!

The corpse's expression changed instantly, sensing something familiar, and it exclaimed in astonishment, "The Last Blade of Dharma's End?"

The next moment, a bronze-corroded silver sword fell from the infinite heights, its passage revealing the traces of the end times, causing the Great Dao to wither and fade, the prehistoric primordial era to flow, all living beings to pray, and together to forge this special sword; the future was vague, yet various scenes flowed in the sword's light, and various prophecies swayed and bloomed.

*Thud!* The corpse was struck and split in half on the spot, but the power of immortality within it continued to resist, actually able to resist the end of the Dharma and prove immortality amidst the desolation and hardship of the Dao. This was an unimaginable power. However, Wang Hongwu seized this brief opening, flapped his immortal wings, and rushed out in an instant, slamming his fists into the corpse.

The immense force pressed down on it, almost sending it flying backward. Then, five more immortal spirits transformed into chains and flew out, binding its falling body on the spot. Its limbs and head were straightened, like a prisoner being tortured.

Then Wang Hongwu swung his fist, which struck the corpse's chest and abdomen without any obstruction amidst a loud bang. He then turned to the side and kicked the corpse in the head, causing the corpse's forehead to cave in. The corpse was sent flying sideways and falling to the ground.

But that wasn't the end. Mingzun rushed over, lowered his body, clasped his arms together, and swung them out like a giant pendulum. The True Dragon and the Divine Phoenix appeared simultaneously, intertwining and transforming into the Dragon-Phoenix Seal, which crashed down, bending the spine of the corpse and squeezing it open from the middle, making it look like a dead shrimp.

After being struck by this series of heavy blows, the mutilated corpse's face turned terrifyingly cold. But soon, a huge hand suddenly covered it, manifesting the Wheel of Life and Death of the Heavens. The great wheel, which filled half of the universe, pressed directly onto his face, crushing him down and smashing the mutilated corpse from the highest point of the sky to the depths of the Yellow Springs. The entire desolate universe was vertically pierced through by him, and he pressed the mutilated corpse into the endless ruins, and then suddenly accelerated!

The Golden Crow flapped its wings, the True Phoenix soared, the Kunpeng rose into the sky, and the Thunder Emperor soared through the heavens. Four divine speed patterns appeared in succession, allowing Wang Hongwu to step directly onto the veins of time. He was so fast that the remnant corpse could not react at all. The smile on his face was wild and ruthless. With one hand pressing down on the remnant corpse, he fiercely plowed through the world of reincarnation. The sound of collisions rang out continuously. The star sea and chaos along the way were smashed and completely crushed!

After piercing through this desolate universe again, Wang Hongwu pinched the corpse's neck with his five fingers, threw it up, and continuously punched it with his other hand, Dragon Fist, Dragon Fist, and more Dragon Fist! He sent the corpse flying wildly through the desolate universe, blood splattering everywhere.

He was at a disadvantage in the face of unparalleled speed and was very passive for a while. He could only let the other party beat him in a venting manner and watch helplessly as the desolate universe was torn apart by the violent impact. Wang Hongwu rushed over and punched him in the chest, making him hunch back.

But the corpse's counterattack was also very sharp. Its arms suddenly thrust forward, piercing through Wang Hongwu's body and emerging from his chest and abdomen. But the more Wang Hongwu was injured, the more excited he became. His body then swelled up and grabbed Wang Hongwu's head and legs, holding them above him, trying to tear him in two!

The two struggled fiercely. The mutilated corpse, in a fit of rage, plunged its five fingers into Wang Hongwu's eye sockets, while its other hand gripped his spine, trying to pull them out by force. They roared in anger, and finally, with a sudden jolt, the mutilated corpse was forcibly broken in two by Wang Hongwu. But at the same time, the other's five fingers pierced through his face, and sharp finger beams shot out from the back of his head, leaving both of them wounded.

The next moment, Wang Hongwu's aura suddenly surged, the Heavenly Venerable Great Harmony Transformation was activated, the Nine Secrets were combined into one, and his combat power increased tenfold. He turned around and unleashed a punch to kill.

The Myriad Paths Fist! He unleashed his ultimate immortal technique, a dazzling trail of light and flame descending from the sky. With boundless power, all the Great Daos of the heavens descended, melting the fist light. He melted the myriad paths and slammed it into the two halves of the corpse.

When all the principles are fused into one furnace, this terrifying aura spreads, preventing other rules and orders of insufficient level from getting close. They all turn into flames, are burned and broken, extinguished, and disappear into the distance.

This attack, powered by the fusion of the Nine Secrets, received a tenfold amplification from the All-Encompassing Secret. The overwhelming power directly shattered the reattached legs of the mutilated corpse, and the nine-headed bird lost eight heads. The bird was thrown into the air, covered in blood, with numerous wounds, some deep enough to expose the bone.

In many places, flesh and blood had fallen off, bones had broken, and parts of the body had been twisted and deformed, all due to the immense power it had endured.

This is astonishing; two near-immortal beings fought to a draw!

The corpse was no match for the Mingzun and was severely injured. This feat was too impressive, even more so than that of the Lingbao Tianzun back then.

"Human beings, mere ants, dare to harm me!" It stared at its shattered body, its voice shaking the heavens and terrifying the netherworld, filled with rage. From its broken body, beams of immortal light rose up, and a misty immortal fog enveloped it, making it look incomparably sacred, as if a true immortal had descended to earth!

The immortal array within the bronze immortal palace was actually drawn down and merged with him, causing his aura to rise continuously. Wang Hongwu frowned slightly upon seeing this, but he was not afraid. The Six Paths Reincarnation Disc within his body was in operation, and immortal laws were also blooming. The immortal array was also helpful to the immortal artifact.

However, the corpse had other plans. He revealed a strange, evil smile. With the suppression of the magic array gone, something seemed to be reviving in this desolate universe. As a thin black substance bloomed and responded within his body, it gradually began to give back.

Soon, a black mist spread down from the top of the sky, engulfing the universe and shrouding the heavens, making everything seem lifeless.

That substance was extremely polluting and was eroding towards Wang Hongwu!

"This is... the substance that the clay figure is purifying!" His eyes flashed, and he realized that it was this kind of thing. The surrounding immortal laws were also being eroded and affected, and were stained with dark light.

Wang Hongwu could even feel that this thing was affecting his emotions and his mind!
"Fall, you ant of humanity! Your body will become my new vessel!" The remnant sneered, realizing that he was actually no match for his opponent. So he simply stirred up a disturbance in the matter here, corrupting and eroding the other party.

A violent collision occurred, and Wang Hongwu's face now had a slightly eerie quality. His body was shrouded in black mist, and he was being eroded, but at this moment, his heart was unusually calm.

Because he knows how to resolve it, and he has more ways to fight back.

On this cycle of reincarnation left by the Heavenly Emperor, this substance cannot cause any trouble.

At the same time, a great change is taking place on the path to immortality.

A muffled boom! The sky exploded, the firmament shattered, and chaotic energy erupted in this place, as if an era had ended. Heaven and earth seemed to be completely destroyed, and a supreme being had fallen, killed by an emperor.

Large chunks of flesh and blood rained down, striking the immortal gate and causing it to shine brightly, revealing a faint crack.

Seeing this, everyone seized the opportunity and launched a swift attack, joining forces to bombard the Heavenly Gate, hoping to open it and ascend to immortality.

Unfortunately, the crevice was very bright, constantly overflowing with ethereal light, but it just couldn't be opened.

The carefree Celestial Venerable roared and pushed the power of the "Travel" secret technique to its limit, attempting to transform into a stream of time to enter. Unfortunately, he suffered severe injuries, rendering his physical transformation useless and unable to pass through the portal, which was sealed by an invisible law.

"Not enough, more Dao-enlightened beings must be sacrificed!" The Emperor coldly surveyed the scene and made his move, killing the remaining Supreme Beings as well. Amidst the rumbling sounds, the gap in the Immortal Gate widened slightly, seemingly offering a glimmer of hope for passage.

At this moment, he used the "All" secret technique, which greatly amplified his immortal skills, causing his offensive power to surge to an unprecedented and terrifying peak. He also gathered the power of the immortal array into the Immortal Ascension Cauldron and launched a full-force attack on the gap in the immortal gate.

Boom! A terrible thing happened. Thunder rumbled across the heavens and earth, and dazzling celestial light instantly engulfed this starry sky, making it vast and boundless.

The Immortal Ascension Cauldron pierced through the barrier of the Immortal Realm. At that moment, it seemed that something from another realm came to stop it!
That power was incredible; it could actually block the combined power of the Immortal Cauldron, the Immortal Array, the Heavenly Court, and the Emperor. It made people wonder if it was a true immortal spirit, or if some kind of law barrier was resisting it.
"Sacrifice is not enough." At this moment, the Emperor spoke, his voice cold, causing everyone present to pause.

not enough?
But who should be sacrificed now?
"Your Majesty, you truly harbor the ambitions of a wolf!"

Then, a change occurred. The Celestial Venerable of Immortality gritted his teeth and suddenly turned against the Celestial Venerable, seizing the central hub of the Immortal Array and roaring, "Attack!"

(End of this chapter)