The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 269 The Kings Come to Pay Homage, Forming Their Own Faction

The Immortal Realm trembled, and a giant emerged.

Once you enter the path of the king, the sea is wide enough for fish to leap and the sky high enough for birds to fly.

In particular, even before he truly became king, this lord was already at the pinnacle, possessing three great royal artifacts. Now, he has gone even further, leaving even the kings in awe and filled with complex emotions. Such a person is truly outstanding among the giants.

"Such a young giant is unbelievable. You two must not provoke him again." Deep within the Immortal Realm, a giant spoke, his expression somewhat helpless. He was the former leader of the Immortal King's faction and a giant himself, but now he was unwilling to offend the newly promoted giant, so he specifically instructed the Heavenly King and another Immortal King.

The two Immortal Kings fell silent for a moment, recalling the scene when the Bright King first entered the Immortal Realm and suppressed the Exiled Immortal King. They had even stepped forward, wanting him to release that fellow Daoist, but after weighing the options, they themselves retreated. In just a few decades, the other party had actually become a Dao giant. The difference was simply too great.

It's like they're leveling up every single day! How are they supposed to cultivate when they've been stuck in the same place for millions of years?

"Alright, you two should prepare some more gifts and personally deliver them to resolve the karmic ties. Even I have to be wary of such a person; it's almost like facing Qi Yu." In the end, the giant sighed, deciding to have the two Immortal Kings resolve the past karmic ties to avoid incurring the giant's wrath and implicating him!

What shocked the two Immortal Kings even more was the last sentence of their own leader, which felt the same as Qi Yu's! That person was the number one in the Immortal Realm, comparable to Kun Di from another realm, and his strength could rival that of the giants of the Boundary Sea. Could a Ming King who had just broken through already have such a level?

With this thought in mind, they dared not delay and hastily prepared gifts, not caring whether they would bleed or not, as resolving the karmic conflict was the most important thing.

"A new fellow Daoist is worth celebrating. Send someone to prepare some generous gifts. This old body of mine can finally get some exercise and go see him in person." At the same time, a voice also came from the cave of Qi Yu, a giant in the Immortal Realm, who was paying attention to the breakthrough of the Bright King.

He was even very interested and wanted to see it for himself.

It can be said that not only them, but the entire Immortal Realm was affected, causing ripples.

"Back then, we wanted to recruit him into our faction, but we never expected that he would form his own faction in such a short time." One of the Celestial Kings sighed, recalling the words he had used to recruit the Bright King, promising him the protection of a powerful figure. He couldn't help but chuckle, realizing that the man himself was now a powerful figure!

Why seek protection? His success alone brings peace to the world.

“A giant. Senior Lu Gu was a giant back then. He later went deep into the Boundary Sea to cultivate, and he is still incomparable to the younger generation.” Inside the Ao family’s royal city, the three Immortal Kings gathered together and discussed how to deal with it, but in the end they decided to hold back.

In Panwang City, Hunyuan City, Ancient City and other places, celestial light burst forth, indicating that the Celestial King himself had come to offer his congratulations.

The entire immortal realm was moved by one person.

At this moment, Wang Hongwu, who had just emerged from the tribulation, closed his eyes and began to comprehend his own Dao fruit. After becoming a supreme giant, his entire domain underwent a qualitative change.

Especially since his physical body was originally a vessel, after this transformation, it possessed unparalleled heavenly might. The Kingly Mother Gold emitted a blurry light, and although it was very grand in size, it gave people a feeling of extreme hardness and immovability.

"This kind of immortal gold has melted down all the immortal materials known from ancient history. Such a body is rather frightening." Some giants also glanced at him, feeling immense pressure from Wang Hongwu's body. He seemed to be standing in a prehistoric immortal land, or entrenched at the other end of time, standing alone at the highest point of eternity, looking down on countless living beings.

The mere instant he moved caused a massive tremor in the cosmic cluster, shifting its position. Even the Heavenly Horned Ant, once hailed as possessing the ultimate strength, was no match for him, and even a true dragon could not defeat him.

"The seeker inquires about immortality; the timid pray for reincarnation. One nature encompasses all natures, forging a thousand-year legacy; one law contains all laws, establishing my name for eternity!"

The hazy figure spoke, and with that single word, the entire universe roared, on the verge of collapse and destruction.

This is not a pose, but a genuine look of superiority, the confidence of a powerful leader.

He could only be called a Wise King before, but now he is a true Great Wise King. In the realm of the Way of the King, the difference between the two is like heaven and earth.

One word that surpasses all kings.

At this moment, Wang Hongwu was focused on the evolution within his own body. The human body, which transcended the universe, was undergoing a sublimation. The six secret realms were brilliantly merging, more dazzling than the sun and moon, illuminating the entire Immortal Realm.

Using their own bodies as seeds! The kings immediately understood. The method calculated by the Immortal Ancients had actually succeeded in two people: a young man named Huang, and the Great Ming King before them, the former King of the Six Paths!
Yin and Yang gave birth to the two polarities of Qi, giving birth to all phenomena. The Five Elements transformed Heaven and Earth, creating all things. The nascent universe was born, evolving the outline of the human body. Nine dragons pulled the coffin across the vast expanse, forming a bridge connecting the entire human body and the universe. The Tree of Ten Thousand Paths took root at the very center, becoming the heart of the universe, giving birth to all paths. Then, the Primordial World Tree appeared, suspended above the universe, scattering boundless light and boundless rules.

Gradually, a barrier-like light shield expanded outwards from it, enveloping the entire human universe. Then, a brand new Great Dao appeared above all the Dao, perfect and flawless, further driving the new evolution of the universe. Universes were born outside the universe, forming one cosmic vortex after another.

When so many human universes come together, they form a community, which, under the evolution of the Primordial World Tree, becomes the Great Human Realm!
When this path is followed to its end, one will find that the heavens are conceived within one's body, and all things are forged from the outside, with all spirits guarding and all objects forming the bones.

"When I become the Dao Ancestor, my body will contain all the heavens and myriad worlds; if I go further, I should evolve the heavens and the calamities."

Wang Hongwu muttered to himself, his imposing aura receding, but his transcendent spirit was still awe-inspiring, as if he did not belong to this world, nor to this ancient history; he was a being traversing the cycle of reincarnation.

This is an unparalleled powerhouse, a giant among the Immortal Kings!
All the kings couldn't help but marvel and were shocked. Could there really be such a young Immortal King? Time is merciless and has buried too many. In the past, there may have been some peerless geniuses who became Immortal Kings at a very young age, but it was impossible for them to achieve the status of a giant at this age.

Now, the name of the Great Ming King has shaken the Immortal Realm. Whether it is an ordinary being or a powerful figure at the highest level, everyone knows him.

"The Giant, the Lord of the Qi Clan, pays his respects to the Great Ming King's ascension to the throne!"

"Panwang, Hunyuan Immortal King, Guwang, and He Daming King have achieved perfect merit!"

"King Zijin, King Yutian, and King Jiuxuan have come with gifts to offer their congratulations!"

"King Tianyu congratulates the Great One on his attainment of enlightenment!"

"The Heavenly King and the Earthly King congratulate the Great Ming King on his attainment of enlightenment, bringing gifts to apologize and request the resolution of past karmic debts."

In an instant, kings came to offer their congratulations, and ten thousand immortals came to pay homage!
Such power was truly dazzling even to the Peacock King, who had never seen such a spectacle before.
Even at the height of his career, he could only act as a gift-giver at this time, which shows the difference in their abilities.

However, there are also benefits. After Wang Hongwu became a giant, the symbiotic nourishment finally repaired the flaws in his Dao Fruit, and now he is a flawless Immortal King!
On the other hand, the appearance of the Heavenly King and the Earthly King surprised the kings even more, because they were once in the same faction as the Immortal King, advancing and retreating together, with a powerful figure behind them. They had had friction with the Great Ming King in the past, but they did not expect that they would come to apologize so decisively today, wanting to resolve the cause and effect.

Is this because even the giants behind it are wary?
"Previously, the Immortal King was blinded by karma and acted recklessly. Please forgive him, fellow Daoist. These 'small gifts' are not meant to express our respect, but please accept them." In fact, after they sent their congratulatory gifts, the powerful figure behind them also appeared, personally came to apologize, and resolved the grievances.

Such a scene was awe-inspiring, even the veteran tycoon was wary, it seems that the strength of this Great Ming King is even greater than everyone thought!
"Fellow Daoist, I have heard of your reputation for a long time. Meeting you today, I can confirm that a hero is indeed born young!" A laugh rang out from not far away, shaking the entire Immortal Realm. It was the arrival of the giant Qi Yu.

"Greetings, Senior Qi Yu!" Immediately, many Immortal Kings present bowed in greeting. This person's status in the Immortal Realm was like that of Kun Di in the Other Realm. Both his strength and his character were worthy of respect.

Even Qi Yu showed up to congratulate him?

This scene shocked the other Immortal Kings as well. They were revered figures among the giants, yet they treated this young man as an equal, giving the impression that they were on equal footing. It was truly astonishing.

That means this is not just any giant, but the supreme among giants!
Seeing this, the other Immortal Kings became even more enthusiastic. At first glance, all they saw was goodwill. There was no sign of the turbulent undercurrents and impassable terrain that others had described in the Immortal Realm.
With enough strength, you'll be successful and welcomed wherever you go.

“I understand your intentions and will not forget them. Please come to the palace for a chat.” Wang Hongwu accepted the gifts and invited the princes to the Dao Palace for a chat.

After some conversation, several Celestial Kings invited him to visit their dojos. He was a powerful figure, comparable to the leader of a faction.

He is a faction in himself, and if he wants, he can recruit other Immortal Kings to join his cause at any time to form a group of interests that advance and retreat together. In fact, some Immortal Kings have even shown this tendency.

Among them, one peerless and two flawless Immortal Kings were like this. They had also experienced the bloody battle of the Immortal Ancient Era and deeply understood the cruelty of the war of kings. At the same time, they were on good terms with the Ten Fiends of that time, which is why they had this idea.

A single Immortal King family can be awe-inspiring in the Immortal Realm and rule over a region of the universe. Not to mention the giants, even if war breaks out again with other realms, they can still be protected. They are truly great figures.

Just like Ao Sheng and his two companions in the past, they fought against various factions and had grudges against powerful immortals, but they still survived unscathed thanks to the giant Lu Gu behind them.

"Fellow Daoists, why not move your cave dwellings and mountain gates into the Dao Palace Universe as well?" Wang Hongwu smiled and accepted the three Immortal Kings' goodwill, asking them to move their mountain gates and universes over.

This is bad! Upon seeing this scene, the Peacock King felt a great sense of unease; something was amiss.

What can he do when three people suddenly show up to compete for his job?
He didn't want to end up like the banished immortal king, shining like a seed.

No, I can't afford to lose my position!

With this thought in mind, the Peacock King's gaze sharpened. He had now achieved perfect harmony with the Great Ming King and was a respectable figure. These three were still newcomers and needed to learn from him to know how to please the Great Ming King!

This palace carries the weight of the entire universe, encompassing eighteen regions.

The three Immortal Kings, the most powerful of whom is named Tianhuang, once helped Kunpeng forge a halberd and was an old friend of his. He was at odds with the lineage of the Banished Immortal King and had many conflicts with him. He was also the source of the exile of the Remnant Immortal and others. The other two are Tianxuan and Gouchen, who are also quite powerful, but they are taciturn in the Immortal Realm and rarely appear in the world. They had friendships with Tianjiaoyi, Jiuyou Ao and others in the past.

“Fellow Daoist, with your talent, perhaps one day you will be able to break through the King Realm and shatter the myth of the ages.” Inside the Dao Palace, Pan Wang sighed. Back then, they were the Ten Fiends they were preparing to guide, but now they have transformed into giants. The leap in this transformation is truly remarkable.

The ancient king said, "Once you reach the level of a Celestial King, it's very difficult to make any progress. There are some ancient methods in the world that can help you advance faster."

"Although Immortal Kings don't place all their hopes on external forces and focus primarily on their own cultivation, assistance is still beneficial," Hunyuan added.

The three men's intention was simple: they suggested that Wang Hongwu build a temple to nourish his primordial spirit through the power of faith, requiring only that he leave his true name within the temple. This so-called true name was a name containing a spell; calling upon the true name was equivalent to reciting a spell, a silent prayer and communication with the Celestial King.

When a Celestial King nurtures his primordial spirit, the immense power of his vows will resonate, potentially leading to the descent of a Dharma body.

Of course, there is a price to pay for reciting the true name. Only powerful families dare not easily recite the true name of the Immortal King, because a sacrifice is required afterward; or rare treasures such as immortal gold and world stones are offered; or more clans are guided to worship the statue of the Immortal King.

With the help of Pan Wang and others, Wang Hongwu built a temple in the Immortal Realm and opened its doors to the public.

Some people honor him as the Great Bright King, while others call him the Ten Fierce Kings, the Immortal Gold King, the War Immortal King, the King of Ten Thousand Paths, and so on.

People also know that this is a newly emerging giant, powerful and lacking in a base of support, which naturally attracted enthusiastic responses, with many forces flocking to him, wanting to join his ranks.

During this period, Wang Hongwu chose to go into seclusion to perfect his own "royal law and self-attachment cycle".

This method is the product of the unification of all the methods he created. It runs through the cycle of birth and death, saves people from the torrent of time, and outlines the trajectory of destiny. It uses "I" as the core to control the power of reincarnation.

Therefore, a single thought can give rise to countless eons; as long as ego persists, the cycle of reincarnation continues.

Strictly speaking, this method already had its prototype when he severed his path and faced off against his future selves who had severed their paths.

Later, when he transformed into a battle immortal, he fought against twelve future incarnations with different methods of achieving immortality, which further gave this method a framework.

But it only truly took shape today.

This method, spanning countless lifetimes and seeking variables and parallel trajectories, is, in essence, about witnessing 'different selves,' all similar to yet different from those of the present life, the result of distortion and deviation from a certain point in time.

By operating the King's Law, Wang Hongwu can actively perceive, guide, and even briefly borrow the power of those beings that have left a deep mark in the cycle of reincarnation and the long river of time, such as "crossing" the river of reincarnation and picking up or drawing in the brilliant "stars" in the river.

This method requires relying on cause and effect or related things to summon the self on other paths, or relying on the mark of reincarnation to evolve a self on a corresponding path. This "reincarnated body" carries the unique Tao and Dharma of the mark's owner, such as different possible future selves.

By interpreting the attachment to self, one can generate attachments to oneself, leading to different paths of the self; by interpreting the attachment to phenomena, one can generate attachments to external things, leading to weapons and laws, which one can then use for one's own purposes; if applied to an extreme degree, all things become the image of self, thus the heavens are the manifestation of one's thoughts, and all sentient beings are a dream of one's reincarnation; breaking attachments will overturn the universe, and the movement of a thought will turn eternity into dust.

For Wang Hongwu, the more important guarantee of this method is that it anchors the true self. When he encounters a fatal crisis or gets lost in the cycle of reincarnation, the core "self" becomes an indestructible anchor point, which can force him to break free and return to his true self. This is the strongest ability to save his life and break through illusions.

His laws may not be the strongest, but they are certainly the most suitable for him. They are formed from his experiences and battles and are closely related to his principles.

In other words, the ego-driven cycle of reincarnation evokes different possibilities of the "self," which are projections and convergences of the "self" in different dimensions of time and space. It is the "self's" voyage and control in the river of life and the trajectory of destiny. When it reaches its culmination, it will take two directions:

One is the unity of all things, which is itself an aggregate of concepts such as the existing and the non-existent, encompassing all possibilities and variables, and is itself the only one, an infinitely changing possibility.

Another approach is to take a more extreme view, believing that everything in the cycle of reincarnation is a manifestation of the self, defining everything as a different evolution of the "self." Spacetime and the Tao are seen as different facets of the "true self" in the cycle of reincarnation; mountains, rivers, stars, civilizations, and dark matter are all concrete extensions of the "self-attachment" in the material world.

External objects are all dust particles of consciousness scattered by the true self in endless reincarnation. All the trajectories of reincarnation are extensions of my consciousness, which are the directions evolved by incorporating the primordial chaos and reincarnation. From this, methods can also be derived for those who have 'lost their true self and fallen into darkness', such as the newborn primordial spirit after being eroded by dark matter.

It too has undergone reincarnation, but its original self has dissipated, replaced by a dark primordial spirit. This allows it to be influenced by the concept of "all things are self," forcibly assimilated, and its self-awareness dismantled, transforming it into an "other self." If it is not a dark being, but rather one that has been corrupted, it can use this to rediscover its former self—a healing method. [If it is a normal person with a flawless primordial spirit, such as normal beings of the heavens, it will not be affected, because its true self remains.]

However, the opponent's strength will not change because of him, and he cannot use it on beings stronger than himself. It is still a method for beings of the same or lower level. The stronger the opponent, the shorter the effect. In the end, he still has to suppress them first and then enlighten them. Of course, it also has a certain control effect in battle, causing the opponent to lose control for a short time.

This is what is meant by: All the heavens are my manifestations, but the one true reality is eternal!
The core objective of this method is to transcend the bondage of reincarnation and to control the reincarnation trajectory of all beings according to one's own will.

However, borrowing the power of another's reincarnation mark requires bearing the consequences, and evolving a new need to overcome that possibility. This is fair, because this is the newly created law of the king, which is not yet perfect. When it is truly perfect and no longer bound, it will probably be the law of the emperor.

In particular, when the law was created, Wang Hongwu could sense that it was influenced by the drop of blood and the line of writing from the Heavenly Land. Otherwise, relying solely on the Immortal King Law and its system, he could not have reached this level!
Following the eternal cycle of reincarnation, only I can transcend and transcend all!
When the Wangfa transformation was complete, Wang Hongwu opened his eyes and found that temples throughout the immortal realm were responding to him, chanting his name and requesting sacrifices.

When his consciousness descended, he discovered that it was actually an ancient lineage that had lost the battle in the Immortal Realm and migrated to the vicinity of the uninhabited area. They offered up a secret place, which they had accidentally found during the great battle at the end of the Immortal Ancient Era and brought back to the Immortal Realm by the seriously injured ancient ancestor. It was the place where the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass had taken root!
They offered this sacrifice in the hope of seeking the protection of the Great Ming King, so that they might join his ranks and escape the purging and suppression of their enemies.

The group that has been suppressing them is another supreme immortal king's clan in the Immortal Realm. They also became enemies because of the ancient Immortal War, and the suppression has lasted for an entire era.

Such a person was naturally not worth Wang Hongwu's attention. He immediately agreed and issued a decree, sending the Heavenly Gang Supreme Immortal to deliver it to the Supreme Immortal King's clan territory to quell the matter.

"So you are the envoy of the Great Ming King, please come in." The clan did not dare to be negligent and solemnly invited Tiangang Immortal in.

When the Immortal King of that clan learned of their intentions, he paused slightly and began to ponder.

But in the end, he realized the gravity of the situation and bowed to the imperial edict, saying, "Since the Great Ming King has spoken, this matter will be dropped, and my clan will not intervene again."

"good."

A faint voice came from the imperial edict, and the matter was considered closed.

The people of the clan remained silent. Was this the leader? He had dismissed the grudges and feuds of the royal path with just one word?
A decree was issued to suppress the highest peak!

After this news spread, the Great Ming King's prestige grew stronger and stronger, and the entire Immortal Realm understood that he was not to be trifled with.

That's an unparalleled giant!

Wang Hongwu had already arrived at the shattered territory of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass clan and found their inherited artifact.

It's not a pool of blood, nor is it a skeleton, but a metallized plant!

The resounding sword cry pierced the heart and soul. It was not the sword itself, but a vessel that recorded the sword techniques. Silver light flowed through it, as if the Milky Way had been formed, and intricate bone script adorned its surface.

With a single sweep, Wang Hongwu could cleave the universe and shatter time, even a blade of grass, displaying boundless divine power.

Among the Ten Fiends, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass has leaves shaped like swords, with nine leaves growing together. When the nine leaves flutter, the heavens and earth are overturned, and the sword energy cuts through the universe, making it invincible.

During the ancient war between immortals, it was unfortunate that it encountered four immortal kings crossing over to another realm. It happened to be rooted there and had no way to avoid it, so it had to fight a bloody battle.

In addition, it is said that there are three great sword techniques from ancient times to the present, representing the ultimate in offense and defense, and known as invincible techniques; one of them is the "Pacifying Chaos Technique", which is known throughout the world. It once successfully stopped an invasion from a foreign land during the mid-stage of the Immortal Ancient Era and pacified the chaos in the world!

The Grass Sword Technique inherited by the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass is also one of the three great sword techniques. It is invincible. If one can cultivate it to the peak, one can cut through the past and present and see eternity!

Now, Wang Hongwu has obtained it. Its cultivation method is very different from the Pingluan Jue. The latter forges the primordial spirit and transforms it into a sword embryo, while the Cao Zi Sword Jue tempers matter into a sword embryo, even using arms, finger bones, etc., as sword embryos, making them indestructible.

After merging the metal grass into his body, a nine-leaf sword grass crafted from divine purple gold appeared behind him, roaring across the heavens and slashing across foreign lands with unparalleled power.

With the completion of the ninth layer of the Immortal Golden Ten Fiends True Form, Wang Hongwu gained another layer of royal law, and the overall framework in his mind became increasingly clear.

The day of his perfect reign will be the day he breaks all the laws of the land.

However, at present, the benefits that the Ten Fiends' true form brings him are not as great, because his own strength has surpassed that of the Ten Fiends, but it still has wonderful uses, so he will not ignore it.

"Fellow Daoist, there is news about the ancestral land of the God-Slaying Stone that you asked me to find. It is the goodwill of several other Immortal Kings."

Three years later, Pan Wang sent a message that he had found the location of the last of the Ten Fiends.

Wang Hongwu immediately set off, leading the three kings Tianhuang, Tianxuan, and Gouchen to the uninhabited area of ​​the Immortal Realm, a terrifying place that even Immortal Kings were unwilling to easily set foot in.

"Your Majesty must be careful. The creatures in the no-man's-land are extraordinary, even the giants are wary of them," said the Heavenly Desolate King. A giant had once subdued the creatures there and discovered some terrifying things.

Some of these primordial spirits were once renowned and powerful figures in history, but later they became completely different. They were filled with contradictions and chaos, and were tainted with terrifying darkness. It was as if they had devoured each other. Many renowned and peerless masters in history had merged into one, making them extremely powerful!
Wang Hongwu nodded slightly, knowing what was going on. Following the coordinates, he soon arrived at an ancient stone ground. There were still many broken buildings and ruins here, as if they had been hit by something, leaving traces. The golden light was also intertwined with strands of darkness.

The ancestral land of the God-Slaying Stone was later sunk here, where it underwent even more bizarre changes.

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?" Just then, a peaceful voice rang out from the stone ground, followed by a burst of light that surprised the three kings of Tianhuang.

Because it was a strange creature with a human head, ten arms and two legs, as if it were pieced together from multiple creatures. At first glance, it looked like a primordial bull, but it also had the characteristics of a golden Pixiu. Upon closer inspection, it even showed the appearance of famous bloodlines and forms such as Taotie, three-legged toad, and Vermilion Bird.

This is like a monster stitched together!

The territory of the clan that attacked the divine stone was occupied by it.

Moreover, his strength is by no means inferior to that of the giants.

(End of this chapter)