The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 263 The King Who Cannot Be Targeted, the Ten Fierce Grounds of the Dao Palace
The Great King Peacock, in a fit of rage, stormed the Immortal Palace.

A peerless king, yet due to a karmic entanglement, suffered a calamity and was suppressed by his juniors, which was truly unexpected.

The one who made the move was one of the Ten Fiends, who had not even truly achieved flawless Dao attainment. Yet, by entering this realm, they possessed such combat power, forcefully reversing and suppressing the enemy.

"You? What kind of artifact is this! It can actually imprison a king?" At this moment, inside the sacrificial bowl, the banished immortal king was truly somewhat out of control. Immortal kings are immortal, that is the law, but the current situation seems to be somewhat different.

He could keenly sense that this place could truly threaten him, even to the point of eternal damnation and utter annihilation!
How could this be? Could it be a setup left behind by some powerful figure?

His mind was in turmoil, and the outside world was in an uproar. The Immortal Palace universe was roaring, and everyone was shocked. They knew that the Immortal King was immortal, but the situation had obviously changed. The banished Immortal King had not reappeared, but had been imprisoned!

How could this be?
Who can suppress the supreme king?
That's clearly not a giant!
At this moment, not only the beings within the Immortal Palace Universe, but even the Peacock King was in a daze. He suddenly felt that his defeat was not unjust.

After all, when they were defeated, the opponent didn't even reveal the Immortal Golden Ten Ferocious Body, while the mount at least had a life left, unlike the Immortal King who disappeared mysteriously and was even in danger of perishing.

In an instant, he became much more obedient, quietly carrying Wang Hongwu, looking down at the surrounding universe with the air of a "victor," and quickly adapted to his identity.

Looking at the desperately struggling Immortal King in the bowl, Wang Hongwu said with a playful expression, "Each king has his own grand ambition. Taixu is the one who uses the heavens as a chessboard and the myriad worlds as pieces! Taiman is the one who uses eras as fuel and the Great Dao as fire! I have a wonderful method, and you have delivered it to my door, hahaha."

For the sake of my peaceful life, you must bear the burden. Rest assured, I have great use for your essence, and your legacy from the Immortal King must also be put to good use. What I lack is a method to unleash the power of a kingly domain, and you have come at the perfect time.”

And so, between the two kings, crystalline causal lines, like the tail flame of a comet, appeared. These were the causal connections between the two, not just one, but several. Some were related to the Ten Fiends, some to the Peacock King, and others to the two of them themselves. Now, with the Immortal King being suppressed, these causal lines have also dissipated, and the matter has been completely resolved.

As for the son of the Immortal King who had previously acted as an intermediary and was responsible for communicating with the Peacock King who was blocking the way, he was also captured by this Holy Peacock Lord. Just as he was about to swallow him, Wang Hongwu raised his hand and said indifferently, "The Nine Heavens Border is in need of a gatekeeper. Send him there."

With a single sentence, the future of a quasi-immortal king was decided.

Upon hearing this, the quasi-king of the Immortal Palace turned ashen-faced. In the battlefield of the borderlands, he was no longer some high and mighty figure, but a creature charging on the front lines.

The cowardly immortal from back then was his descendant. He never expected that his ancestor would also be reduced to guarding the border and killing enemies.

With the Immortal King never appearing again, the entire universe was thrown into turmoil.

The Celestial King has been suppressed just like that!

That's still an absolute powerhouse, surpassing ordinary kings, how could he be indifferent?

The cultivators from all sides fell silent, utterly speechless. This result was unbelievable to them; the renowned Immortal King had actually been defeated!
The powerful figures of the Immortal Palace all had grim expressions. The sky had collapsed. The invincible ancient ancestor had actually been defeated? Even suppressed, with no way to reverse the situation. What were they to do?

Is one of the strongest ancient Taoist traditions destined to decline?

"A peerless immortal king, his invincible reputation has now fallen."

"His glory, his reputation, his achievements, all became the wedding dress for this Ten Fiends."

Unfortunately, it's a pity. Many people shook their heads. This was clearly the Ten Fiends' intention to establish their authority, step into the Immortal Realm, and show their power!
The king must not be insulted, much less deceived.

Moreover, after suppressing a supreme figure, the gains are naturally enormous. Not to mention the elixir of immortality, immortal gold treasures, etc., the Immortal King weapon alone is enough to shock people.

Because not every Immortal King can forge the strongest weapon. Even if they can, they can only forge one at most. The Immortal King spent a lot of effort to transform his Heavenly Halberd into a King-level weapon, but now Wang Hongwu has reaped the benefits.

This is truly a case of one wrong step leading to eternal regret.

One cause and effect led to the loss of everything, leaving no hope of recovery.

Who could have imagined that someone who was about to become a king would suddenly become one of the Ten Fiends, even surpassing the most powerful?

Who could have imagined that a minor karmic obstacle preventing one from entering the Immortal Realm would escalate into a major battle between three Immortal Kings?

The Celestial King, who understands cause and effect, is also burdened by it.

"All causes and effects are settled today. From this day forward, I shall be the Wise King."

Wang Hongwu's words were law, ending everything directly. With a wave of his hand, the bronze halberd fell into his palm, and he now possessed two royal artifacts.

Of course, if the damaged Endless Bell and Six Paths Plate are repaired, then there will be four items, making it a truly valuable possession.

"The Bright King? A powerful king has risen to power."

"The important thing is that he is too young, only about 300,000 years old, which is faster than those recorded in history, and even more terrifying."

At this moment, the powerful figures in the surrounding universe couldn't help but marvel. Such an age was still somewhat immature for cultivators with long lifespans, yet he had already stepped onto the path of kingship? He was truly unparalleled.

Upon careful reflection, it can only be in the era of the rise of the strongest immortal king that there were such extraordinary people, born holy and with unparalleled courage and strength, who shone brightly in a vibrant era!
Such a being, if even one were to appear, would illuminate an entire era.

It's a pity that those exceptional talents died young; none of them reached the finish line.
As they uttered the true name of the King, a strange phenomenon appeared. A Primordial World Tree stood tall in the sky, fluttering with golden lotus flowers. Below it stood a peacock, carrying on its back a King with eighteen arms and twenty-four heads, holding a jeweled canopy, a wheel of life and death, and blessed with dragon bells, golden maces, a treasure staff, a bronze cauldron, a six-path disc, and a banner of humanity, overlooking the rise and fall of the era.

Clearly, the name of the Bright King has been engraved in the heavens, and there will be a corresponding response when it is called. Normally, when the name of the Immortal King is called, his weapon or the vessel of the Great Dao will appear. However, the subtle thing is that the Bright King's body is his royal weapon, which makes him stand out from other kings.

"Let's go pay homage to the new king and meet the important figures!"

"Indeed, this is an incredible opportunity! This king has not yet established his sect or begun his lineage, so we may have a chance to be among the first members!"

"The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are lacking, and even Supreme Beings are rare, but what my Immortal Realm has the least shortage of are Supreme Beings and True Immortals. This time, I have a destiny with immortals."

In an instant, the crowd surged forth, all eager to pay homage to the Bright King and meet the great figure. However, faster than anyone else was the supreme figure emerging from another universe cluster, traversing the cosmos with an overwhelming aura that made it difficult for people to breathe, almost suffocating them.

"As expected." Inside Panwang City, the three kings understood. Some of those who descended were neutral factions in the Immortal Realm, while others were powerful figures from the Immortal King's faction. They had obviously come here to rescue him, after all, he was an exceptional figure.

"Be careful," the Peacock King warned, his expression stern. He had sensed that the figure was no less important than the Immortal King, and he didn't want things to fall apart just as things were starting to turn around.

Wang Hongwu sat astride it, remaining motionless, his eyes slightly closed, as he comprehended the laws of the banished immortal king, rooting his own system within them, absorbing the medicinal power, and evolving it into his own Immortal-Breaking Technique, allowing the Heavenly Will Blade to be sublimated once again.

Normally, each Immortal King's fighting style and routines are based on his own "royal law," evolving around which to form a system. For example, the Immortal King created various moves with the Immortal-Breaking Curse as the core, some to restrict enemies, some to ensure a hit, and some variations of the Immortal-Breaking Curse, all to better and more effectively utilize this method.

The same applies to the Ten Fiends, such as the Kunpeng's extreme speed and Yin-Yang Divine Transformation, the Divine Phoenix's destruction and Nirvana combined with divine fire, and the Heavenly Horned Ant's immense strength; each of them has their own routines and legal system, which can be studied and targeted, just like the kings of the foreign lands who joined forces to hunt in the past. But what surprised and did not expect of the Immortal King was that he encountered someone who did not follow the routine!
He possesses the Kunpeng Extreme Speed ​​Technique, as well as the Heavenly Ant Giant Strength Technique. He has the kingly techniques and routines of six of the Ten Fiends. He even has his own routine that combines the Extreme Word Secret, with the Myriad Paths Fist as the main attack, the Heavenly Will Blade as the weakening, and the Wheel of Life and Death as the control. There is no way for him to counter this combination!
It is ever-changing, possesses a variety of characteristics, and can even switch back and forth, giving him the feeling that he is fighting against seven people at the same time. He has no way to target or stop it. Instead, his own King Law routine is quickly figured out and he is quickly defeated by the Undying Scripture and the Ten Fierce Immortal Golden Body.

It can be said that the Immortal King was very frustrated. This Ming King's fighting style was very shameless. It was as if he relied on his physique, which others could not break, to overpower you. His own kingly laws were ever-changing and could deal with all kinds of battles. Once he figured out your kingly laws and routines, he would adjust his tactics and defeat you directly. Who could withstand that?

How can you target them? You can't! You can target one person's law, but can you target seven people at the same time? If you had that ability, you would already be a giant, and you wouldn't need to go through all this trouble.

It wasn't a fault of war!
At that very moment, one after another, the Daoist kings and ancient great figures arrived from all over the Immortal Realm, bringing with them terrifying fluctuations like raging waves. They were overlords who had existed for eternity.

These people are Celestial Kings, from different ancient lands in the Celestial Realm. Their cultivation is unfathomable, spanning countless eras and overlooking the rise and fall of dynasties.

Such a momentous event has occurred here today that has alarmed them, forcing them to make the trip. The suppression of a supreme ruler has triggered a massive upheaval and raging storm; this is far too powerful.

"So many important figures have come?" Many cultivators were shocked when they arrived. They dared not move from a distance, their bodies trembling, because kings had gathered here.

Such a spectacle has never occurred since the Immortal Ancient Era.

Even though they felt they were far enough away and in a safe zone, they were still trembling with fear, mainly because there were too many Celestial Kings here, and their auras were vast and intimidating—there were four of them!

Two of them are neutral, while the other two are powerful figures from the faction to which the Immortal King belongs.

Suddenly, a neutral Immortal King spoke, "Six Paths King, is it you who has returned?" Upon hearing this, everyone was startled. Six Paths King? Wasn't that the king of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the Immortal Ancient Era? He was an expert in reincarnation, said to have merged into this path, and died in the gauntlet battle of the kings of the foreign realms. How could he be related to this Bright King?
“I am bound to the cycle of reincarnation, not to the cycle of the six realms.” Wang Hongwu spoke calmly, but this statement made the other kings feel that he was closely related to the King of the Six Realms.

After its fall, it transformed into an elixir of immortality, mingling with the Ten Fiends' backup plans and becoming the last hope and backup plan of the Immortal Ancient. In the new era, it rose again as a living being, naturally different from its previous life, and its path was different. Otherwise, it would have already inherited the fruition and returned to the Immortal King, why would it need to do this?
“Reincarnation holds great secrets.” Another neutral king sighed, feeling that Wang Hongwu had encountered problems in reincarnation, that his primordial spirit was abnormal, and that he had denied his previous life. After all, he was using the Six Paths Inheritance while holding the Endless Bell and the Six Paths Disc, and the longevity elixir he cultivated was similar to them. If it were unrelated, no one would believe it.

Wang Hongwu remained silent, for he had a hunch that before his demise, the Six Paths King had merged himself into the cycle of reincarnation, becoming a part of it in order to complete the Dao. The successor who inherited this Dao would become the new Six Paths King. Therefore, the words of these two were not wrong, except that his Dao was not about merging into the cycle of reincarnation, but about wielding the cycle of reincarnation.

“It is not easy to become an Immortal King, and those who reach the pinnacle are even rarer. It would be a great pity if they were to perish. Fellow Daoist, please have compassion and let the Immortal King pay the price to redeem his life.” At this moment, an Immortal King from the Immortal King’s faction spoke up.

He, too, was at the pinnacle of power. His words were calm and devoid of emotion. He offered this advice because he felt that this Bright King would not be so foolish as to fight to the death with them, as that would be too unwise and would make it impossible for him to make any progress in the Immortal Realm.

"Fellow Daoist, please reconsider. The Immortal King is connected to a powerful figure and is his right-hand man." Another person advised, directly pointing out the problem: the Immortal King's faction is very powerful in the Immortal Realm and is related to a giant!

"What does it have to do with me?" Wang Hongwu replied coldly, with only these four words. If that giant dared to make things difficult for him, he would just kill him after breaking through to the Kingly Path. What was the big deal?
Upon hearing these four words, the four Celestial Kings understood his attitude: he was determined to suppress a supreme figure.

The Immortal Realm has had its share of madmen before, but they all eventually compromised. Even the infamous Demon Ape almost overturned the Immortal Realm back then, but in the end, it returned to peace, didn't it?

"Fellow Daoist, going your own way will not be good for you." The supreme king was somewhat displeased upon seeing this. Was this Ming King really so ignorant of the will of Heaven and defying the general trend?

"My patience is limited. If you utter another word, I'll suppress you as well." Wang Hongwu stared directly at the supreme king, his Anlan Spear and bronze halberd gleaming, the royal weapons surging with immense power. The Peacock King riding below also let out a long cry, a blatant threat!

He wasn't afraid, and even threatened back, daring to challenge the world on his own? Let the giants come!

"Fellow Daoist, you are too domineering!" The two kings shouted in unison, their auras pressing down instantly. Just then, a voice rang out from afar, someone stepped into the arena, blocking the wave of attacks, and said calmly, "You two, please remain on the sidelines!"

"Pan Wang?" "So it was your faction that was behind this."

The two kings' gazes narrowed slightly. Things were gradually getting out of control. Was this time really going to be a fruitless trip?

Panwang descended, he was a spirit of the Immortal Peach Tree, possessing vigorous life essence. No matter how many eras have passed, he always looked heroic and energetic, and was also a peerless figure.

In fact, it wasn't just him; the Primordial Immortal King, the Ancient King, and others also arrived. Although they were merely avatars of divine thought, they represented an attitude and stood on Wang Hongwu's side.

The four kings who had descended fell silent. With their cultivation reaching such a level, their divine senses were incredibly sharp. They sensed danger and knew that if they continued to entangle themselves, it would likely lead to a major karmic consequence.

For them, this creature was a variable, appearing suddenly and out of nowhere, and they had to be wary of it.

"This matter is none of our concern; you should decide for yourself, fellow Daoist." The two neutral Immortal Kings smiled, their attitude softening considerably, making it clear that they would no longer interfere.

This caused the other two kings from the Immortal King's faction to frown slightly. Now that there were only two of them, they really couldn't gain any advantage.

"Are you still not leaving? Do you want to keep the Immortal King company?" Looking at the two, Wang Hongwu remained calm. He didn't care about factional disputes or the state of the Immortal Realm. He would deal with whoever provoked him.

Such arrogant and domineering words were a blatant threat to the two kings, leaving everyone speechless.

The beings in the surrounding universe were stunned. This was too powerful. It wasn't satisfied with suppressing one Immortal King, and it was even threatening others.

Aren't you afraid of being targeted by the kings?
“It’s not good to leave like this.” One of the Immortal Kings spoke up. Although the situation was beyond his control, as a king, he still had his pride. Another Supreme Being said, “I will test your skills against you. If I fail, we will turn around and leave.”

Pan Wang and the others did not stop them. If their efforts were in vain, they would not say anything when they returned to their faction. After all, they could not deal with it, so it was clear that they intended to let it go.

The one who made the move was the Measuring Heaven Immortal King, an ancient figure who attained enlightenment before the beginning of time. He was known as the Measuring Heaven and Determining the Boundaries, and was famous for his love of 'weighing'.

Measuring the Heavens and Determining Boundaries! With a thought, the King of Measuring the Heavens sent countless dark lines descending from the void, carrying a scale, weaving into a complex and mysterious network of orbits. These were both cages and measuring sticks.

Wherever that trajectory went, space solidified and fractured, forming an absolute domain that trapped the enemy within the scale of "measuring the heavens," rendering them unable to move. The laws of space became ineffective before it. These lines intertwined into a complex trajectory around Wang Hongwu, actually cutting him out of the universe and the immortal realm.

"You shouldn't be called Measuring the Sky; a weight would be more suitable. You want to weigh everyone you meet."

Wang Hongwu commented, and then immediately made his move. With a tremor, the battle bodies of the Immortal Gold Ten Fiends evolved in turn with the six kinds of kingly laws, and this land of measuring the heavens was stretched open. Then, the White Gold Heavenly Ants roared and the power of supporting the heavens was released, forcibly breaking through this realm and breaking out. Furthermore, the true forms of the other Immortal Gold Ten Fiends rushed out and forcefully confronted the Immortal King of Measuring the Heavens.

Clang! A loud noise erupted, and he staggered backward, glancing at his aching hand. His expression was complicated. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, said nothing, and left.

This exchange reveals something: the Immortal King couldn't defeat this guy, and neither could he.

Even his own royal law system couldn't restrain the opponent. Normally, this royal law has a strong restrictive power, but unfortunately, the Qilin royal law is similar to it, the Kunpeng extreme speed law can be avoided, and the Tianyi royal law can work miracles with great force. So it was helplessly broken.

"Another lawless villain." Another king glanced at Wang Hongwu, feeling that the Immortal Realm was likely to be in turmoil again in the future, and then turned and left.

Only Wang Hongwu and Pan Wang remained in the arena.

"Incredible! He has coerced the King and forced the Immortal King to retreat. He has already secured a place in the Immortal Realm. He possesses unparalleled talent among giants, and no one would dare to provoke him."

Witnessing this, many people found it unbelievable. Even the Celestial King changed his mind and dared not force him anymore. The Ming King was too powerful, which amazed all the races. Although he was not as transcendent as the giants, he had already reached the pinnacle.

“Fellow Daoist, now that this matter is settled, why don’t we go to the Dao Palace to discuss things? There is also an opportunity there that is related to you.”

At this moment, Pan Wang spoke, inviting Wang Hongwu to the Dao Palace in the Immortal Realm.

That place was known as the place where kings preached, and it had a very prestigious history in the past.

An opportunity? Upon hearing this, Wang Hongwu became interested and temporarily put aside his research on the Immortal King, departing with Pan Wang.

It wasn't until long after they left that the universe gradually became noisy again, and the events that had happened before spread rapidly, shaking the world.

The Bright King rose to power by riding on the banished immortal king, and took the Peacock King as his mount, his might shaking the immortal realm!
Another top-tier expert has risen to prominence.

"A young man has arrived in the Immortal Realm."

One of the Celestial Kings sighed, wondering what kind of storms this great figure would stir up here.

"The Bright King?" Within the territory of the Ao Clan, a king murmured, his eyes gleaming with light.

"Ming King." Within the ancient city of Tai Shi, another immortal king was chanting this name, gazing at the celestial universe.

In the early universe of the Ming Dynasty, a great figure stood with his hands behind his back, sensing that a storm was brewing in the immortal realm.

At the same time, in many royal caves, people were paying attention to the Bright King. This powerful figure's sudden appearance caused a great commotion and could not be ignored.

Meanwhile, within the universe belonging to the Dao Palace, Wang Hongwu and Pan Wang have already arrived.

This place is very peculiar. From a distance, it looks like tens of thousands of real dragons lying dormant. Only when you get closer can you see that it is a series of mountain ranges. In some places, black mist rises to the sky, full of ominousness. In other places, purple aura comes from the east, bringing peace. And in other places, crimson clouds burst forth, like blood light soaring into the sky.

This is an extremely complex terrain; even a quasi-immortal king could not fathom its depths here.

Tracing back to ancient history, it has a very important origin. It once belonged to a Celestial King, but that being died in battle while conquering foreign lands, and its ruins became a Taoist palace.

“Fellow Daoist, the master of this Dao Palace was also one of the Ten Fiends in the past.” Pan Wang spoke, mentioning the opportunity for his arrival. Wang Hongwu’s eyes lit up, and the true forms of the Ten Fiends in Immortal Gold appeared behind him. He immediately sensed the place and discerned which of the Ten Fiends it was.

Nine Netherworld Hound!
"One of the Ten Fiends, the Nine Nether Hound, was extremely powerful back then, but unfortunately, he perished under the siege of the alien realm." Pan Wang sighed, "Many experts from the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, and the Immortal Realm perished in the same way back then."

There's no other reason than that both realms have a tradition of internal strife, while the other realm has always been united.

(End of this chapter)