The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 228 Returning to the Immortal Path, The Tragedy of Ascension
On Earth's Kunlun Mountains, the Immortal Palace trembled, and a seal within was broken.

Then a figure emerged from within, continuously casting hand seals to seal the passage, silencing this cycle of reincarnation.

He looked at the Holy Spirit being nurtured within the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountain, raised his hand, and sent out a stream of silver immortal blood into it for baptism. Although the corpse was dead, it left behind a great medicine.

"Now that this problem is solved, it's time to head to the Immortal Path. It seems quite intense there."

Wang Hongwu sealed the Cycle of Reincarnation, completely eliminating future troubles, before leaving Earth and heading towards the path to immortality. The Big Dipper is now shrouded in countless immortal lights and imperial laws, resembling a terrifying killing field.

On the path to immortality, everything changed because of the Emperor's outburst. He relentlessly attacked, furiously bombarding the gateway to the Immortal Realm, trying to shatter it. The laws of immortality were trembling, and boundless rain of light splashed, causing the entire universe to sway.

"Your Majesty, what exactly do you want?!"

The Heavenly Gate is unstable and shows signs of collapse, which is worrying. It is possible that only one person can become an immortal in this lifetime. This is like a curse echoing in people's hearts, making the Four Heavenly Venerables and all the Supreme Beings uneasy and anxious.

"The Venerable One has suffered a calamity. I no longer care to distinguish right from wrong. No one in this life can become an immortal!" The Emperor ruthlessly blocked their path, allowing them to advance but they could not pass. To become an immortal and cross the Heavenly Gate, they had to undergo baptism. However, with such a powerful figure blocking their way, even luck could hardly help them.

With great difficulty, they managed to create an opening using the power of the Immortal Array and the Immortal Bell, and forcibly approached the Immortal Gate. However, not long after, all four of them cried out and were kicked out by the Emperor. They were filled with hatred and rage. At this critical moment, if they didn't break through now, they would truly have no chance at all.

At this moment, many supreme beings from the Primordial Ancient Mine and Burial Sky Island have arrived. Three people have emerged from each forbidden zone. With the addition of the six supreme beings and the four heavenly venerables, there are a total of ten imperial beings here, all vying for the opportunity to become immortals.

But how could the Emperor allow them to have their way? With the Immortal Ascension Cauldron in his hand, he became the greatest nightmare of all the Venerables. No one could get past him, and no Supreme Being would willingly help someone else become an immortal. In the end, they were all trapped here, and no one could leave.

"If we cannot ascend to immortality as a sect, then let us slaughter until the world is utterly silent!"

The Emperor roared and charged into the midst of the Venerables, like a tiger among sheep. With a flick of his palm, he smashed the head of one of the Venerables, and with a clenched fist, he pierced the chest of another. When he went berserk, even the Four Heavenly Venerables could not stop him.

Xiaoyao's legs were broken, and he crawled on the ground with difficulty; Changsheng's head was torn off, and his headless body staggered and fell; the arms of the Annihilation Heavenly Venerable were also crushed, and he swayed and collapsed to the ground; the Prison Suppressor Heavenly Venerable was torn to pieces, and bits of flesh and blood flew everywhere.

In this vast world, there is no one who can stop us!
Seeing the Emperor's fierce power, everyone present was quite frightened. He was too strong, almost inhumanly strong. Could it be that the Emperor was already able to "spar" with the legendary immortals?
"Use the sword formation! We must kill him today!" Xiaoyao reassembled his physical body, his face fierce. He raised his hand and summoned a formation diagram from behind him. Four beams of killing light fell and were planted in the four cardinal directions, sealing off the area.

In an instant, a feeling of unease rose in their hearts, and everyone seemed to see a scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and immortals falling, all of which was crimson before their eyes.

The next moment, the place changed drastically. The stench of blood filled the air, and even the path to immortality was stained with blood. A hazy red mist swirled around, which was quite astonishing. The murderous aura was overwhelming, and the killing calamity was boundless. In different directions, four killing swords hung, their bodies dark red. The killing aura they exuded was terrifying and astonishing, making even the supreme beings watching feel their hearts pound.

Each of the killing swords bore terrifying marks of immortality-slaying techniques, chilling to the bone. The aura emanating from them caused even the most powerful primordial spirits to tremble with pain. At the center, an array slowly rotated, its chaotic energy hazy, and the laws of the Great Dao spreading out, creating an atmosphere of boundless terror.

"The Spirit Treasure Formation Diagram and the Four Great Killing Swords!"

In an instant, the six supreme beings in the forbidden zone exclaimed in shock, for those were actually the four killing swords of the Heavenly Venerable Lingbao, capable of slaying immortals and killing venerables, and were invincible.

The four immortal swords are the most terrifying weapons in the world. They accompanied the Celestial Venerable Lingbao in slaying the mutilated spirit corpses. They are indestructible and have been passed down to this day, causing boundless bloodshed.

"Your Majesty, these are weapons stained with immortal blood, used to slay the mutilated immortal corpses that possessed spiritual power. Today, we will use them to end your life. You can be considered to have looked down upon the mortal world."

The Carefree Celestial Venerable sneered, entering the Western Heavenly Gate, achieving immortality at the Eastern Heavenly Gate, and entering annihilation at the Northern Heavenly Gate, while suppressing the prison at the Southern Heavenly Gate.

This weapon, if the sword formation is complete and it is presided over by a royal figure, can definitely kill a peak royal supreme!
Now, however, four Celestial Venerables are presiding over this unprecedented killing formation. Who can break it? Being trapped inside is practically a death sentence.

In a sense, it can also be seen as the Emperor simultaneously fighting against the five Heavenly Venerables of Longevity, Freedom, Nirvana, Spiritual Treasure, and Prison Suppression.

"Using this to stop me won't work." The Emperor replied coldly, confident that he could break the formation.

Seeing this, the four Venerables snorted coldly and released their ultimate imperial weapons, merging them into the array gate to increase its power. Only Xiaoyao was special; his weapon had long been broken, and he was now using the Underworld Venerable's weapon in place of his. The two had once sat and discussed the Dao, and both had attainments in reincarnation and time.

With them intervening, the remaining six supreme beings became extremely excited and began vying for the path to immortality.
One of the supreme beings from Burial Sky Island possessed extraordinary origins, having inherited the Extreme Speed ​​Bloodline from years past. Relying on this, he managed to sneak into the Immortal Gate, only to find himself stuck there. Immortal runes flickered and seeped into his body.

This was a devastating pain, threatening to obliterate his original path, with the order of another realm set to take its place. But how could the imperial path be destroyed so easily? Naturally, fierce resistance ensued.

"Wait, don't act rashly, let's see what's going on first!" The other five Supreme Beings did not make a move for the time being, but instead used him as a pawn to see how things went.

The supreme being's flesh and blood exploded, runes flashed, and he almost shattered on the spot. It was a painful transformation that sent chills down one's spine, as if he were about to be shattered and then reassembled.

His foundation was being severed, while mysterious runes were being infused, transforming into a peaceful and immortal power.

"Hmm, the Dao traces are about to be erased. Could it be that they will be replaced by the foundation of immortality?"

"No, although there are mysterious runes injected, I don't feel stronger. It's just that the laws of the Immortal Realm have been replaced."

Before the Heavenly Gate, several people were observing intently, trying to understand the final secret to becoming an immortal.

The laws of the Immortal Realm are constantly being replenished, and the laws of the Ultimate Dao that disappear are rebuilt in equal measure. But no matter how you look at it, it seems a bit strange, as if the Immortal Realm and the mortal world have different structures, and the laws of the Ultimate Dao are not connected to them.

During that supreme transformation, they finally understood that once they broke free from their original universe, everything ceased to exist. Would the laws and principles of the past still hold true? In fact, everything would be obliterated. Only by traversing all paths, relinquishing the will of Heaven, and abiding above them could one remain unaffected!
This is also why the Emperor was not injured; he was the right person.

But right now, those who are most capable of becoming immortals have given up on it, while those who are unlikely to become immortals are obsessed with it—it's truly absurd.

"Enough! We can't let him really become an immortal!" Then, the five supreme beings attacked without mercy, smashing their former comrades to pieces. Covered in blood, they rushed back and reassembled their bodies in the distance, filled with hatred.

This interruption infuriated and frustrated him. He couldn't change the fact that transformation takes time, but no one was giving him the chance.

After reappearing, the Supreme Being disintegrated multiple times, as if this world could not tolerate him, and the immortal laws that had been added to him were useless in this world.

"What happened? He seems to have suffered a severe injury because of this? Does he have to complete the transformation completely, and may he never be able to return?" The five supreme beings were shocked, but none of them were willing to give up, because they had already abandoned everything and had only one goal in this life: to enter the Immortal Realm.

Afterwards, the remaining five supreme beings entered the Heavenly Gate one after another, but they were all knocked out by others.

Everyone wants to go through the transformation, but this process takes time and there's no way around it. However, no one wants others to become immortals first, so the six of them are stuck at the Heavenly Gate.

Boom! In an instant, a great earthquake shook the Immortal Path, completely dividing it into two areas. One side was the killing field of the Spirit Treasure Sword Formation, and the other side was six people constantly going in and out of the Immortal Gate, creating a scene of utter chaos.

At that moment, a crimson golden road stretched across the universe and entered the Big Dipper.

A figure stepped onto the Immortal Path, passed through the Chaos Cave, and fought his way through. Nothing could stop him along the way. Even the phantoms formed by the laws of the Imperial Path were torn apart by his bare hands and shattered into nothingness.

"That aura...it's him?!" "He's not dead?"

"Oh no, if he returns, won't the Emperor gain power?"

In an instant, the six supreme beings changed color, realizing who it was.

The peerless powerhouse who had previously disappeared from Earth, Mingzun!
Thud! With a muffled thud, the node was broken through again, and a figure burst in, his eyes blazing. After scanning the area, he knew what had happened and couldn't help but sigh.

The Supreme Celestial Venerable! The hearts of the six Supreme Venerables sank. A powerful competitor had emerged. He was not only the tenth Celestial Venerable, the strongest after the Emperor Venerable, but he had also personally killed a broken spirit immortal corpse. In a sense, he had also killed an immortal and created a legend. At least they knew they were inferior to him.

It is so great that even the former enlightened beings admit their inferiority; apart from the Emperor, there is probably only one like it.

The sudden appearance of this external pressure intensified their internal competition. Two of them were locked in a fierce struggle, pressing against the gate of the immortal realm, neither willing to give way, and were simultaneously subjected to the baptism of the laws of the immortal realm.

"Brother!" The Phoenix Maiden was incredibly excited and flew over immediately. The frost and sorrow on her face vanished, replaced by joy. She had almost thought that something had really happened to the most important person to her.

Fortunately, the other party was unharmed and managed to break through. "I'm fine, but it seems I'm still a step too late." Wang Hongwu returned, embraced her, glanced at the spirit treasure killing array that was isolated from the outside world, was somewhat speechless, then stared at the immortal gate in front of him and strode forward.

"My Lord, you've slain the incomplete immortal corpse, how much strength do you still possess!"

"Back then, even the Celestial Venerable Lingbao had his path to immortality severed and had to hastily fall into a deep sleep. I don't believe you can be much better than him!"

“Supreme Celestial Venerable, in your prime, we were indeed inferior to you, but now you have rushed here after your battle with the Immortal Corpse, and you are not in good condition. We are not afraid of you.”

The four Supreme Beings rushed over to stop Wang Hongwu from advancing.

However, he was invincible, striking each of them head-on, causing the four men to cough up blood one after another.

With a series of strikes against the Supreme Being, shattering the myth of the invincible Supreme Being, Wang Hongwu clenched his left hand, divine light spreading out, the trajectories of the Great Dao intertwined, evolving into the Wheel of Life and Death of the Heavens, which slammed down, smashing a Supreme Being into a pulp with a "poof". The Supreme Being's primordial spirit fled, his face filled with horror.

This is simply a myth. He moved through the siege of supreme beings as if they were nothing, and even blasted one person's body apart.

At this moment, the two supreme beings who were crowding in front of the immortal gate also looked over, their expressions changing. Wang Hongwu didn't waste any words and directly unleashed the Myriad Dao Fist, sending them flying in a whirlwind. The two were almost squeezed into a ball, their arms piercing each other's bodies, their chests pressed against each other's backs, their heads linked together, rolling several times on the ground with a series of crackling sounds.

Immediately, the Venerable One stepped forward, examining this immortal law and personally experiencing this transformation.

"Does the Venerable One intend to become an immortal?"

"In a sense, he hasn't truly attained enlightenment yet, and perhaps he'll be different from us?"

"Let's see." The six supreme beings were too obsessed with becoming immortals. At this moment, they did not make a move. Instead, they wanted to see if the Bright Venerable would be different. Because he had not merged with the myriad paths and the heart of heaven of this universe, his situation was similar to but different from that of the Emperor Venerable. However, he was also an existence that could break free from constraints.

There, Wang Hongwu stepped into the Immortal Gate and felt the Immortal Realm Laws baptizing him. That power repelled the extreme laws of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. To be precise, it required the transformation of the Heavenly Heart and the Myriad Paths. However, he had not truly attained the Dao, and the Heavenly Heart and the Myriad Paths on his body were evolved from the Dao Seed, which had nothing to do with this universe. Instead, he was unaffected and naturally reached into one of his arms.

Within this fragment of the immortal realm, there also grows phoenix trees with crystal-clear branches and vibrant colors. Nourished by immortal energy for a long time, they are exceptionally different. Thinking of the phoenix perching on the phoenix tree, he picked out the most unique one.

"As we expected, it's actually harder to enter the path after achieving enlightenment. Why is that?"

"I suspect that this baptism will bring about unpredictable changes. After all, it is meant to erase our traces of imperial power. If something goes wrong, a lifetime of cultivation will be in vain."

“That makes sense. If our foundation in the imperial path is destroyed, yet we still cannot become immortals, wouldn’t that be the most ridiculous and tragic ending?”

The six supreme beings' expressions shifted. They thought of themselves, having lost all their cultivation, and how they were replenishing the divine marks of the laws of the Immortal Realm, which made them uneasy.

But soon they realized that this meant the Venerable One was about to become an immortal. They hurriedly took action to blast him out.

"Stepping into the fragments of the Immortal Realm is not the same as becoming an immortal. It is meaningless to me. It is just changing places. It is far less useful than becoming an immortal on my own."

Wang Hongwu shook his head. He was also a correct person, but he, too, did not want to become an immortal.

However, he did not waste this opportunity. He used the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc to obtain the longevity substance, which, together with what he had obtained from the fragments of the Immortal Realm, was enough. It might not be of great use to those who had attained the Dao in this world, but it was enough to restore the Supreme Beings who had severed their own lives, and even extend their lifespan so that they could emerge to fight again.

Although he himself does not need it, the Qilin Emperor, the Golden Emperor, and the Myriad Dragon Emperor can use it to revive and reverse their state; it can even be used as material to refine the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

The Phoenix Maiden glanced at him. This was not her homeland, nor was it the way home, so naturally she did not want to go. She wanted to stay with her brother.

So Wang Hongwu turned around and walked down the immortal gate, completely unconcerned. Instead, he caused the gate to close a little more. This scene drove the other supreme beings crazy, unable to accept such a fact.

They pursued immortality for eternity, but to others it was something to be casually discarded.

If you're not going in, fine, but why did you close the door?
The impact is enormous.

"Kill him, seize his destiny! The power to manifest myriad paths and the will of heaven is key; it can help us enter the Immortal Realm!"

"It's all worth it to become an immortal!"

Without hesitation, they all besieged Wang Hongwu and the Divine Phoenix Maiden, wanting to seize the fortune within them in order to rush into the Immortal Realm.

Ignoring the obvious, Wang Hongwu sneered and attacked directly. Although he was injured, it was not from killing the immortal corpse, but from being crushed by the stone mill, so it had no major impact.

He spread his five fingers and grabbed at the sky. There was no dazzling light, but it was as if he had snatched something down from the heavens, making the starry sky feel oppressive.

A violent upheaval suddenly erupted from the darkness, and a terrifying sense of decline, decay, and the extinction of all beings emerged, coalescing into a bronze sword that represented the trajectory of Heaven's will and symbolized the authority of the heavens.

As the blade mercilessly fell, the vast light of the Great Dao spread out in all directions like ripples. Countless celestial structures silently turned into dust in this sacred ripple. In the process, the illusory image of the Immortal Realm shattered, and streaks of blood-red lightning flashed across the sky, causing a chill to rise from the hearts of all the supreme beings present.

Various terrifying phenomena appeared, making the atmosphere of the entire world increasingly unusual. Sometimes it was blurry and imperceptible, and sometimes it was violent and threatening to kill all living beings.

It was as if the end times had arrived, with the environment visibly decaying, and the blades were aimed directly at them.

Ah! Someone screamed in agony as the cracks in the altar deepened, the flames of the primordial spirit flickered, and the already thin lifespan was further reduced, causing the body to wither and die; someone retreated in panic as their flesh was shattered by the blade light, coughing up blood continuously.

Even more so, the Supreme One let out a shrill cry as his primordial spirit fire was extinguished by the blade of the end of Dharma, and he was severed from his sublimated state!
He immediately fell from his peak state, and was then targeted by Wang Hongwu. With a clench of his five fingers, the Myriad Paths Fist reappeared, a divine technique of absolute killing. The dazzling myriad paths intertwined into a millstone, mercilessly crushing him, shattering the self-severed supreme being. His path returned to the fist technique, his soul returned to the Wheel of Life and Death, his origin returned to the sacrificial bowl, and his mark returned to the Six Paths Wheel, thus disappearing completely, leaving nothing behind.

This is simply unbelievable, beyond people's imagination. How could there be such a method for sublimation?
If one isolates oneself, this blow will force one to emerge from the world, and may even make it difficult to achieve transcendence; if one strives for ultimate transcendence, this blow may cause one to fall from grace, leaving one in a dilemma. What should one do?
The other supreme beings were all stunned and extremely wary of this strike.

At this moment, seeing that Wang Hongwu had also returned and entered, the creatures deep within the Primordial Ancient Mine and the Burial Sky Island could no longer sit still.

With a deafening boom, a source of immortal energy shattered, and two figures from its deepest depths rushed toward the path to immortality. Furthermore, strange array patterns formed by the mark of the forbidden zone surrounded them, and together they descended upon the Big Dipper.

Those two beings were too decayed and too ancient. The aura they carried did not resemble that of beings from this era, yet it was also very strange, carrying a hint of the mythical era, as if two unrelated beings had been forcibly mixed together.

The two, wanting to reap the benefits, rushed into the immortal path while everyone was engaged in battle!

"Their primordial spirits are strange; they are part of themselves, but also part of others. Is it possession or fusion?"

Wang Hongwu sensed something was amiss. Those two figures were very strong. Although they were not as powerful as the Emperor and him, their strength was still formidable, and they possessed a fragmented immortal array and a near-immortal artifact!
Even the Celestial Venerable of Carefree Heaven within the array patterns sensed something, and looked at the two figures, his expression changing slightly. "This method is somewhat similar to the fragment of the Ancient Netherworld that I obtained in the past. Could they be the source? Perhaps the method of fusion of primordial spirits can be completed in them!"

As they approached, the scene became increasingly chaotic.

"Heh, haha, since I can't enter the Ultimate Path, then I'll just cripple my cultivation and erase all traces of the myriad paths, and see if I can break in!"

In the end, even the Supreme Demon went mad. He slammed his fist on the Immortal Platform, unleashing all of his Imperial Laws and sealing them into the Supreme Divine Weapon. He also poured his Emperor Body Origin into it, crippling his own cultivation level as if he had fallen from the ninth level of Quasi-Saint.

His primordial spirit trembled and rapidly weakened, but he charged towards the immortal gate. This time, the obstacles he encountered were much smaller, but since it was impossible to sever his cultivation level just like that, he was still being baptized, only for a much shorter time.

This scene gave him hope, but it enraged the other supreme beings: "You still want to secretly become an immortal? No way!"

In an instant, they acted simultaneously, shattering the Supreme Primordial Spirit that had been slashing itself repeatedly, causing it to vanish into thin air.

It's pitiful that such a supreme being, in his quest to become an immortal, severed himself twice, only to die due to a drop in his cultivation level. It's truly tragic.

His ultimate divine weapon was also completely shattered, and the imperial laws and origins within it were all divided up, benefiting other supreme beings.

(End of this chapter)