The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 314 Selection in the Calamity Land, the Emperor's Bone Reappears

The ancestral land of the plateau, usually desolate, is unusually bustling today.

The powerful figures from all walks of life returned, all former peerless Dao Ancestors, to serve as substitute chief priests, only to witness the chief priests' dejected departure.

The fiery red glow, like the sunset over all the heavens and the myriad worlds, gathered together. It was not the sunset of the Evil Land, but the blood spilled by the supreme beings!

Wang Hongwu's expression shifted slightly. He could see the injuries on these people, all inflicted by Shi Hao. Only three chief priests returned severely wounded; the others had been killed and could only be resurrected on the plateau. Some of them had even passed away and never appeared again.

This is why Ether summoned back the various substitute priests, so that a new priest could be selected from among them.

"The number is wrong. Has one of the high priests passed away?!" The Lord of the Floating Earth's expression changed, because even including the high priests who returned in their incomplete state and those who were resurrected on the plateau, there were only nine. One was still missing!
Back then, when they were first defeated by the heavens, the Black Priest was eternally silenced, and later a peerless Dao Ancestor was promoted to fill the vacancy; during the second great battle against the heavens, a supreme being also fell, and a replacement was chosen; and now another one has been eternally silenced, which is obviously the same process.

The priest who never returned was white.

Upon discovering these events, the peerless Dao Ancestors present were not saddened, but rather somewhat excited, for their opportunity had arrived, and they had the chance to ascend to the highest position and become the new chief priests!
As for which race they belong to, that is not important, because the supreme substance will complete the baptism and automatically sublimate his ominous substance. After all, the source of the ten substances is the same, and it is not difficult to transform them with higher-level power.

This also means that substitutes from all ten tribes will compete for this position, and there may even be descendants and offspring of the former high priests.

The three returning, incomplete high priests glanced at the battlefield beyond the world, their expressions solemn, and then commanded, "Come to the Great Tree, we have important matters to announce."

The crucial moment has arrived! Upon hearing this, all the Dao Ancestors present were moved and headed towards the Great Dao Tree deep within the Calamity Land.

"It's them?" "The masters of the four outposts, who are in charge of the small sacrifice, are enough to demonstrate their strength and achievements."

"The Lord of the Underworld is the most mysterious, the Lord of the Burial Pit is the most evil, the Lord of the River of Souls was once defeated by God, and the Lord of the Floating Earth may be the most bizarre and strongest one."

"These four are all strong contenders for the position of chief priest this time, and they should not be underestimated."

Wang Hongwu traveled with the other three ancient land lords, and the four of them naturally attracted a lot of attention. Many substitute chief priests regarded them as competitors, after all, they had presided over minor sacrifices for many years and their achievements were indispensable.

Along the way, the various Dao Ancestors formed various small groups, exchanging information and mentioning many powerful but rarely seen figures.

"This time, many powerful figures who have been in seclusion will probably return. However, some of them are in seclusion at a very deep level, and they may not be able to recover this time."

"Don't forget, there are quite a few monsters deep in the Evil Land. Some people have imitated those monsters created by stitching together primordial spirits, incorporating different ominous substances!"

"I've heard of it. Just like those people in the heavens who merged multiple paths of civilization's evolution to cultivate together, success leads to heavenly enlightenment, while failure leads to violent death. Such failures are beyond even resurrection; it's a suicidal eternal annihilation."

When it comes to those who integrate multiple paths and matter, even some supreme Dao Ancestors change color, because it is too dangerous, it is risking one's life.

Wang Hongwu was somewhat interested when he heard this, because even he himself had gathered five ominous substances into one body and cultivated the sixth primordial gold substance, which could be considered as having successfully followed this path; he did not expect that there would be such a gifted person in the Calamity Land. Indeed, with the accumulation of a large base and the years, this land would not lack amazing people.

After setting foot on the land of Evil, he also discovered many things. There were really a lot of experts in this ominous place, because they had no shortage of inheritance, environment, and guidance from experts. They also had stable channels and guarantees for improvement. Even because of the special nature of the plateau, people could be reborn here even if they perished. This gave them a lot more room for maneuver.

The creatures of Evil Land are not fools. Having lived for so long and destroyed so many civilizations, how could they not understand how to utilize their own advantages? Relying on their immortality, they can recklessly try various routes and methods. This is reflected in the appearance of multi-headed monsters and the mechanism of mass-producing "Da" and "Heng" generation creatures on the cycle of reincarnation.

In Wang Hongwu's view, the real reason why they made the heavens lose was that the advancement of the Calamity Land was too stable. With the existence of ominous substances of corresponding levels, those seed beings would basically not fail when breaking through to True Immortal or Immortal King. Afterwards, they could spend time consolidating their foundation and studying higher-level wonderful techniques and secret arts, so their combat power would not be weak.

It can be said that they can steadily advance to the Supreme Realm and even the limited Supreme Realm. The only drawback is the Dao Ancestor, which cannot be created by simply piling up. However, the Calamity Land has its own methods, which is to erode and recruit other Dao Ancestors.

It is precisely because of these many similar qualities and strengths that this land remains evergreen and prosperous, and can be promptly replaced even when the chief priests pass away.

Along the way, Wang Hongwu encountered some creatures of this type, beings with eight heads, known as the Eight-Headed Supremes. They were formed by the fusion of eight different Supremes, much like the multi-headed monsters in the Immortal King realm. Their strength even made Dao Ancestors tremble in awe. However, these beings could not become Dao Ancestors and remained only Supremes, with no hope of advancing to the highest level in their entire lives, even if given material resources.

However, he also wondered if any Dao Ancestor had ever performed such a fusion. As if sensing his gaze, the Lord of the Underworld spoke up, "Such a fusion is also risky. It requires a primordial spirit as the main body. If one is not careful, one will fall into a state of madness. Dao Ancestors basically would not attempt such a thing, as it would be a waste of strategic resources. Of course, there are always exceptions. You might see one in a little while."

Upon hearing this, the Lord of Floating Earth's eyes flickered. If such a being truly appeared, it would likely be a strong contender for the supreme position.

As they talked, they arrived at the Great Tree, surrounded by cold frozen soil, a desolate plateau, the Great Tree with its eerie power, and a few ominous clumps of flowers and plants. Everything was so strange, and a terrifying atmosphere permeated the air.

Here, the nine high priests had regained their bodies, their expressions cold; the previous battle had had a profound impact on them.

The strange race has never had an enemy. Whenever a rebel appears, its evolutionary path will eventually collapse, the flame of civilization will be extinguished forever, leaving only ruins. The ten beings at the end of the path have shaken the world and have no rivals among all the brilliant evolutionary civilizations.

However, they were thwarted by the heavens, and the unforeseen events have continued to this day, which has angered them greatly. As their emotions changed, many strange phenomena arose in the land of calamity. Chaotic lightning suddenly descended from the sky, causing all realms to tremble, and blood-red whirlwinds and black rain swept across the world.

"High Priest!" At this moment, the ancestors below spoke up, and a knowledgeable being asked, "Will leaving that battlefield have any impact?"

Clearly, they also knew something about the battlefields beyond the worlds and worried that unpredictable chaos might occur after the priests left.

"It's alright. If you want to enter the ancestral land, either we will personally lead you in, or you will become one of us and transform into a being undergoing sacred nirvana." The high priests didn't care. The ancestral land of the plateau was a special place. For countless ages, no outsider had ever entered it.

To delve deeper, one must either become one of them, undergoing a transformation of body and mind, abandoning one's original true self and becoming a member of the bizarre race; or be personally guided by the ominous source.

"Now that you all know the reason for summoning you here, I will not go into too much detail. You only need to understand that we are now selecting a new high priest from among you seeds."

The gray-haired high priest in charge of this era's grand ceremony spoke, and immediately he slashed his wrist, which was as black as gold, and dripped colorful blood, each color distinct and circulating independently.

Among them, the most important was a stream of gray blood, like the blood of death from hell, which devoured all life in the outside world; after his blood sacrifice, the Great Dao Tree of the Evil Land shook violently, spreading out large ripples, and a huge white coffin emerged from the soil.

Originally, this belonged to the eternally silent White Fiend Priest, but now it is empty, waiting for its new owner.

Once a new high priest is selected, he will sink into it and wait for the ancestor to send him the highest level of ominous substance, so that he can undergo a transformation and become a brand new white high priest.

"That's the position of chief priest! It's truly something to look forward to and fascinate us." The Lord of Floating Earth and the Lord of the Underworld had burning eyes, filled with anticipation. Once they ascended to this position, they would be beings completely different from the Dao Ancestor, transcending all others. Wang Hongwu, however, revealed a faint smile. The Lord of the Burial Pit was originally from the White Clan. If he were to ascend to the position of chief priest, it would be very easy, a natural progression, allowing him to create his own White Heavenly Kingdom, with holy light shining upon the plateau.

"This coffin is where the new high priest will complete his transformation. He will be chosen from among you. By now, you should know some things. The strength of our race comes from the primordial substance, that ancient and unfathomable ash, which comes from the source of unimaginable invincible power. It is this substance that has made the land of Calamity prosperous for so long."

The so-called strange races mentioned by the Great Thousand Worlds were not a single race before accepting the primordial matter. They were various races that underwent strange transformations after being corrupted by the primordial matter, the source, and thus came together as one race. You must understand that internal competition is acceptable, but it must not go too far. The Great Thousand Worlds and the Heavens are our enemies.

The gray-haired high priest spoke, mentioning the source of the tribe's strength, the ominous origin that began on the plateau.

'Our race was created by humans?!' The powerful figures present were all moved and quite horrified; what exactly was the source of this strangeness, that so-called ash substance, that could create the invincible Evil Earth race?
"Alright, the progenitor has arrived." Then, the gray high priest said no more and looked into the distance.

There, dense crimson lightning appeared in the sky and earth, black rain poured down, and then a terrifying figure emerged and descended upon this great world.

As the true form of the enormous black shadow approached, the void cracked, the rules of heaven and earth exploded, the chains of divine order broke, and the Dao patterns quickly extinguished and then dissipated. Around it were countless phantoms of shattered worlds, ruins everywhere. These were ancient worlds that had been ravaged in the past, once brilliant and prosperous civilizations, but all had fallen at its feet.

That was the progenitor!

"The supreme white substance is here. A new chief priest must be appointed as soon as possible. The war cannot be delayed." The progenitor of the bizarre race spoke, standing outside the realm, covered in hair, even his face, and stained with black blood, his appearance extremely ferocious.

He brought new supreme substances, which he scattered into the coffin. The remaining task was to select a new chief priest.

After doing all this, the progenitor disappeared. This was merely a projection of him; his true form was still waging a great war outside the myriad worlds.

"Now that the heavens have been defeated and the entire world is in awe of our race, it is very simple to select a chief priest: strength will determine the winner."

The strongest Dao Ancestor will be promoted, while ordinary Dao Ancestors and top-tier cultivators will not be involved; they will be selected from among the reserve chief priests.

As the Gray Mist High Priest raised his hand, a terrifying change occurred in the arena. A region bulged out, forming an independent world within which appeared the phantoms of various civilizations. These were scenes of the once-destroyed Great Thousand Worlds, transformed into a battlefield belonging to the peerless Dao Ancestors.

"Go forth, the strongest who survives the chaos will be the new High Priest." The selection process was then set, simple and practical, since everyone's cultivation level was the same, the strongest would naturally rise to the top.

This region is blessed by supreme power and is capable of withstanding the aftershocks of their duel.

Instantly, everyone's expressions shifted slightly as they looked towards the battlefield. Without hesitation, the Lord of Floating Earth and the Lord of the Underworld stepped inside.

They were confident in their strength, and the position of chief priest was within their grasp, so of course they wanted to compete for it. Who would want to miss out?
"There are quite a few experts here," a peerless Dao Ancestor murmured, glancing around and already sensing several formidable opponents.

He first looked at Wang Hongwu, the man who posed the strongest threat to him. He was enveloped in a dense white holy light, making it difficult to see clearly. All he could see was that everything in the light was heading towards decay and corruption. All living beings were twisted into flesh and blood, merging together into a metal coffin, burying ancient history.

In several other directions, there were also eye-catching powerful figures. A thick fog spread out, revealing a bloody body. The right half of the body was covered with silver scales, while the left half was covered with crystals that shone with intense purple light. It was as if the body contained two different ominous substances!
Another figure continuously spreads its web, resembling a spider demon, but always in human form. It uses eras as the ends of its webs, and great worlds as the units of its smaller webs. In the end, it transforms all worlds and myriad realms into the main body of its web, and is the peerless Dao Ancestor who emerged from the Blue Light Clan.

And not far away, a bronze giant sat cross-legged on the back of an ox, with a stone mill appearing above his head, crushing the boundless universe and extinguishing one spark of civilization after another, its power limitless.

The most bizarre thing was a terrifying creature with nine heads and eighteen arms in the arena. It was actually pieced together from different Dao Ancestors, including ominous creatures, fallen powerful beings from the Great Thousand Worlds, and even half-burnt corpses. The head in the very center belonged to a peerless Dao Ancestor, which was truly terrifying.

"Once the High Priest is born, all sorts of hidden powerhouses appear. They were rarely seen during the great battle with the heavens." Someone couldn't help but sigh. Sure enough, breaking through to a higher realm is the real allure; otherwise, you wouldn't even see these guys.

"Good, very good, excellent. So many talented people, they shall all become my subordinates." Wang Hongwu looked at these 'lambs' with satisfaction. To him, these were not talented people, but rather human beings; he could simply seize them and use them.

With this thought in mind, he also took a step forward and entered the battlefield. There was no need to delay any longer; he would sweep away all enemies in one battle and unify the four ancient lands.

Soon, all the substitutes entered the battlefield, and a grand spectacle was fully unfolded.

In the end, perhaps only one person will remain, or perhaps 'everyone will be alone'.

"Hopefully, this time, a sufficiently strong high priest will be born." The red high priest sighed. Although the problem of the heavens has been solved, there is still a great worry in the world beyond.

"Perhaps." The High Priest of Gray Mist didn't have high hopes. Although everyone in the room was amazed, which Supreme Being didn't start out like this?
The earth-shattering achievements of the past are merely the basic qualities required to enter this field.

Within the battlefield that evolved from the Supreme Being, the land was vast and boundless, and the Great Dao seemed to be right before one's eyes. However, the ground was barren and desolate, covered only with hard earth and stone. This was because the radiation of the power of the End of the Road was too strong, and the traces of the Great Dao were everywhere. This, in turn, became a pressure on this land, making it difficult for any history to develop. It was shaped by the characteristics of that existence.

Looking around, Wang Hongwu saw countless enormous corpses of living beings, utterly dead, their bodies petrified and their spirits withered and decayed; these were all remnants of the world from past grand sacrifices, meager remnants in the dust of history.

Clearly, even if an being of this level dies, it can leave behind some remains. After being casually reflected by the Gray Mist High Priest, it can still barely struggle to manifest its divine power.

At this moment, peerless Dao Ancestors gathered all around, each at the pinnacle, possessing supreme scriptures and great techniques. Among them, the most outstanding had even created their own pseudo-supreme techniques. Without a fight, none of them dared to claim that they could overpower the rest.

A terrifying aura permeated the air. No one in the arena spoke or wasted words; their eyes were fixed on each other. Outsiders were all regarded as opponents. Only Wang Hongwu and the Lord of the Soul River stood side by side, their expressions calm, overlooking the storm raging in the arena.

The next moment, two ominous beings merged into one; a spider demon weaving the Great Dao cosmic network; a monster with nine heads and eighteen arms; a bronze giant on the back of a bull; the Lord of Floating Earth and the Lord of the Underworld all made their moves, revealing their own paths of evolution. As their systems unfolded, they clashed violently, resulting in a massive collision.

Those dazzling paths of evolution stretched across the sky, encircling countless trajectories of the Great Dao, reflecting their history and their personal traces. They were like pieces of celestial realms inlaid into the battlefield, dividing it into many parts. Different colors expanded, making the surroundings colorful and bizarre.

No one retreated; everyone pressed forward. They were all in the same realm, and at the highest level. Each of them was strong enough to overlook the entire ancient history and had no rivals in the outside world. The initial clash was extremely fierce. This kind of battle, which was a decisive battle from the very beginning, could not last long. Everyone pushed their cultivation to the limit.

boom!
Upon this collision, the spectrum of the system ignited, and the characters and patterns on them came to life, transforming into countless gods and demons entangled together. The power they unleashed shattered this space-time, rendering the traces of the Great Dao's radiation ordinary.

With a whoosh, Wang Hongwu raised his hand, calming the storm. All the strange phenomena and aftershocks did not affect him. He remained calmly overlooking the scene, without moving an inch from beginning to end.

On the other side, the crowd stared at him, noticing his detachment and the confidence that placed him above everyone else.

"Have you made enough of a ruckus?" Wang Hongwu glanced at them, then stretched out his hand and said, "I'm in a hurry, so all of you come at me together. I want this position of chief priest."

(End of this chapter)