The Legend of the Great Desolation: I Am the Fortress

"Master's strength is truly growing stronger." On the Qiongtian Yixin Ship, Tian Qingzi's face was full of respect.

“The ‘Duling Daojun’ of the Eternal Clan was on the same level as the ‘Kong’e Daojun’ who devoured the offspring of Emperor Qianbu, yet he was so easily killed by the master.”

After Qingzi killed Frey Daojun that day, the master and servant successfully reunited.

Upon learning that the two arriving were four-step Dao Lords from the Eternal Clan, and that one of them was even the Duling Dao Lord, who was considered to possess heaven-defying Dao Lord strength in the Chaos, Tian Qingzi was somewhat numb.

A second-step Dao Lord successively killed two beings whose strength reached the level of a Heaven-Defying Dao Lord...

In the past, Tian Qingzi wouldn't have dared to even imagine such a thing! But now, it's all happening right before his eyes.

"It's merely due to the power of the magic weapon." Lei Zhan looked calmly at the chaotic void outside.

Treasures are merely external things. No matter how powerful a treasure is, it is only temporary. What truly matters is one's own understanding of the Dao!

After all, the power of the cosmic treasures is immense and unpredictable, and they are invaluable treasures even for the Eternal Emperor, but it also depends on who uses them!

If a ruler were to activate a cosmic treasure, even a trace of its power would likely be enough to annihilate those peak Dao Lords.

If it were used by some Dao Lords of Life and Death, such as Lei Zhan himself, even without fully unleashing one-billionth of the power of the cosmic treasure, it would still be able to crush a second-level Heaven-Defying Dao Lord.

“Of all the Eternal Emperors I know, none possess a single one of the Cosmic Treasures. Even those who manage to acquire them often fail to gain the Cosmic Treasures’ approval,” Tian Qingzi said with a smile.

"The fact that the master can gain the recognition of the universe's treasure further demonstrates the master's strength and talent."

"Talent and strength?" Lei Zhan shook his head and smiled, then changed the subject, "Next, among the intelligence we purchased, there are also information about those third-step Dao Lords and fourth-step Dao Lords of the Eternal Clan who have left the Eternal Kingdom?"

"Three-step Dao Lord... Four-step Dao Lord".

After a brief recollection, Tian Qingzi uttered a series of names, "There's also Dao Lord Shang, Dao Lord Sanjue, and Dao Lord Yueling... Among them, the news about Dao Lord Sanjue dates back two thousand years, and he's the closest to our region!"

All that Tian Qingzi spoke of were the Dao Lords of Life and Death of the Eternal Clan.

Among them are Dao Lords of the third step, such as Dao Lord Frey, and Dao Lords of the fourth step, such as Dao Lord Turin.

All those who met the requirements of Emperor Qianbu's kill order were collected by Lei Zhan and his men.

“Three Absolutes Dao Lord, good.” Lei Zhan nodded slightly. “Then let’s go find the Three Absolutes Dao Lord who is closest to us first.”

After a moment's thought, Lei Zhan continued, "We are now very close to the Eternal Kingdom, and it is also very dangerous. If Dao Lords like the Three Absolutes Dao Lord don't act quickly and prepare adequately after receiving the news, it will be even more troublesome."

The Eternal Clan has now lost three Dao Lords of Life and Death in succession, including one who was a heaven-defying Dao Lord like Dao Lord Duling. It is likely that the entire Eternal Clan has been directly alarmed.

It is naturally not suitable for them to stay long around this eternal kingdom.

"Yes." Tian Qingzi nodded respectfully.

"Besides these three Dao Lords, the next one is to find Shang Yi... Hmm?" Lei Zhan was instructing Tian Qingzi, but suddenly frowned. "Be careful!"

"Be careful?" Tian Qingzi was taken aback, but then seemed to sense something, and his eyes widened as he looked at the chaotic void in the distance.

"Hmm? And who are you?" Lei Zhan raised his eyes to look at the cold and handsome man who had suddenly appeared in the chaotic void in the distance, his expression solemn.

"I've been waiting for you two in this void for a long time, and I didn't expect to actually run into you." A cold voice carried far away, and the source of the voice was a standing figure.

It was a man with a cold expression, wearing a magnificent blue robe. The robe was as smooth as water, yet the man himself seemed to be surrounded by flames.

A raging fire, like an ever-burning volcano. A spring, yet like a ceaselessly flowing river. Water and fire complement each other, appearing perfectly harmonious, as if eternal.

"Have you been waiting for us... for a long time?" Lei Zhan's brows furrowed even deeper as he looked at the cold, aloof man in blue robes and asked in a low voice:
"I have met many Eternal Emperors, but this is the first time I have met you, Senior. May I ask who you are?"

Lei Zhan was also pondering this. He had personally witnessed the Mangya Ruler and had even become the Ruler's personal disciple.

The inheritance of the Eternal Emperor obtained in the Earth's core world, and the Sovereign-level escape technique obtained by the second primordial spirit in the Blazing Sun Domain, are all aura fluctuations that can be felt belonging to the Eternal Emperor.

The aura emanating from this suddenly appearing, cold-looking man made no attempt to conceal it, and Lei Zhan was able to confirm it with just a slight sense.

"You've seen quite a few Eternal Emperors, haven't you? It seems you must be the Lord of Returning to the Dao." The cold-faced man in blue robes immediately looked over, his gaze like a blade, piercing one's eyes with pain.

“That’s interesting. I’m afraid you were indeed trained by some old monster. However, I haven’t traveled in the Endless Territory for a long time, so there aren’t many cultivators who know me.”

“Reporting to senior, my Daoist name is indeed ‘Guiyi’.” Lei Zhan was even more puzzled.

"Alright, old man, I haven't come to the wrong person." A hint of coldness flickered in the eyes of the stern-looking man in blue robes. "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. I've come here for Yan Ming."

Before seeing Lei Zhan, the Divine Banyan Ancestor was still somewhat uncertain.

There are probably only a handful of Dao Lords of Life and Death who can make a treasure of the universe recognize them as their master throughout the entire Endless Territory, from the past to the present.

And those that can be cultivated are probably only a few major forces in the entire endless territory.

Now, having met once, and only exchanging a few words, has allowed Emperor Shenrong to fully confirm his suspicions.

"Yan Ming? Daoist Yan Ming?" Lei Zhan's heart tightened. "Senior, have you come for Daoist Yan Ming? To seek revenge?"

"Hmm." Ancestor Shenrong said softly, "Which faction are you from? The Dark Kingdom? Mangya Kingdom? Or a special life form? Perhaps, out of respect for the power behind you, this old man might be willing to spare your life!"

"Spare my life?" Lei Zhan was also somewhat tempted.

Even Lei Zhan himself wasn't confident he could easily resist or escape when facing an ancient and eternal emperor.

Indeed, Lei Zhan possesses a cosmic treasure that even many eternal emperors covet.

Aside from his powerful magical artifacts, in terms of his understanding of the 'Dao,' Lei Zhan is actually only slightly stronger than those top-tier fourth-step Dao Lords. He'll probably have to wait until he reaches the third-step Dao Lord level to reach a level comparable to an Eternal Emperor.

This level of 'Dao' is sufficient for overcoming skill with force and crushing some heaven-defying Dao Lords for the time being, since their understanding of the Dao is only barely comparable to some Eternal Emperors.

If Lei Zhan were to truly clash with an Eternal Emperor, it would be like a three-year-old child wielding a giant hammer… their understanding of the Dao is vastly different. Moreover, there are distinctions in strength among Eternal Emperors. The weaker ones are only at the level of a Heaven-Defying Dao Lord, but the powerful ones, as Eternal Emperors, possess terrifying strength.

"Hmm." Emperor Shenrong nodded slightly. "Next, it's time to test your luck and see if it's as heaven-defying as your strength."

"Testing luck?" Lei Zhan had a vague sense of unease.

“Yes, luck!” Emperor Shenrong revealed a puzzled look.

“If the forces behind you happen to be my enemies, or even mortal enemies, then the outcome is self-evident: you and your servant will surely die today.”

"But if they are not hostile forces, and even have a fairly harmonious relationship, then this calamity of death and annihilation might be reduced to a minor punishment as a warning to others!"

“This…” Lei Zhan hesitated in his heart.

Although he was one of the twelve palaces of Mangya Kingdom, and the star map given to him by Daoist Lanzhou when he left Mangya Kingdom was detailed enough, there was really no record of this Divine Banyan Emperor.

As this so-called Divine Banyan Emperor said, if the Mangya Kingdom is truly in a hostile relationship with the other side... then Lei Zhan's fate is self-evident. Death and the dissipation of his cultivation would likely be the easiest way to die!

"Divine Banyan... Divine Banyan Emperor..."

Just as Lei Zhan's mind was racing and he was deep in thought, Tian Qingzi's voice quietly appeared in his heart.

“Master, I do know a little about Emperor Shenrong, but I never expected that Yan Ming has a power behind him that rivals the eight holy cities.”

"Huh? You know?" Lei Zhan was immediately delighted.

"Behind Daoist Yanming should be the Divine Banyan Clan within the Yu Xing Sea, and the Divine Banyan Emperor is the ancestor of this clan." Tian Qingzi looked up at the Divine Banyan Emperor, who was staring at him, and forced himself to transmit his voice:
"It is said that... the Divine Banyan Clan migrated from beyond the Endless Territory, and the only known member of the clan is this Divine Banyan Emperor. However, his strength is unfathomable. He once competed with the Crimson Snow City Lord, one of the eight holy city lords, for a treasure. Although he was outmaneuvered, he still managed to escape unscathed..."

"Hmm? He fought against the Lord of Feixue City and managed to escape unscathed?" Upon hearing this very familiar name, Lei Zhan immediately understood.

"The strength of the eight holy city lords? I'm afraid even with the cosmic treasures and the spacetime disk bestowed upon me by my master, it would be very difficult for me to escape from an Eternal Emperor of this level..."

The lords of the eight holy cities are the Eternal Emperors who are closest to the Sovereign! They may even break through to the Sovereign level directly if they have enough understanding of the Dao and accumulate enough power!
In the face of such powerful beings, many means of escaping and preserving one's life become ineffective.

Like the Time-Space Disc, although it contains a portion of the power of the Mangya Overlord, it is only a portion. Once it's used up, it's gone.

However, when powerful beings at the level of the lords of the eight holy cities make their moves, each strike is of that level, and they are continuous.

"Lord Guiyi, now that you know my identity and strength..."

The Divine Banyan Emperor glanced casually at Tian Qingzi, who was standing next to Lei Zhan. His gaze, sharp as a flaming scimitar, instantly made Tian Qingzi's face turn pale.

"Have you thought it through now? My patience has its limits!"

"I am one of the Twelve Palaces of Mangya Kingdom," Lei Zhan said, shaking his head as he looked at Emperor Shenrong. "And also... a personal disciple of the Mangya Ruler!"

Lei Zhan did not inquire about any further information from Tian Qingzi via telepathy. Clearly, the Divine Banyan Emperor was capable of knowing the contents of the telepathic message; even with roundabout and encrypted methods, it would be difficult to conceal it from the other party.

"From Mangya Kingdom? Or is he the personal disciple of that old man, the Mangya Ruler?" Emperor Shenrong suddenly realized.

"In the endless realm, when it comes to the art of time and space, no one can compare to the Lord Mangya. The Lord Mangya is most skilled in the art of time and space, and so are you."

"Furthermore, you were even able to kill a second-level Heaven-Defying Dao Lord at the second step of Dao Lord, and you are from Mangya Kingdom... Given the personality of the Mangya Ruler, it is only reasonable for him to take you as his disciple."

The obsession of the Mangya Overlord is no secret to these Eternal Emperors.

While the Mangya Overlord repeatedly plundered the world realms in the endless territories, these leaders of their respective forces tried their best to avoid conflict, so they were naturally very aware of these matters.

"Senior, is the Mangya Kingdom an enemy of you?" Lei Zhan asked cautiously, while looking at the still cold and stern face. Apart from the coldness like an ancient glacier, he could not see anything after looking at him for a long time.

"Hahaha! That old fellow Mangya's personal disciple..." Emperor Shenrong suddenly laughed, his already stern face now even colder.

"Boy, you're out of luck. Do you know why I haven't traveled in the Endless Territory for so long? I was seriously injured back then, thanks to the Eternal Emperor of your Mangya Kingdom! Speaking of which, that Eternal Emperor is also from your Time and Space Palace."

"Of course, he died in the end. But I am still alive!"

"This..." Lei Zhan's heart skipped a beat, and he felt quite helpless.

"My luck is terrible. The first Eternal Emperor I encountered while traveling was from an opposing force, and he was an Eternal Emperor whose strength was comparable to the lords of the eight holy cities of the Dao Alliance... It seems that if all else fails, I will have to use the Time-Space Disc. Even if there is only one last glimmer of hope, I must hold on to it tightly!"

Previously, Lei Zhan was waiting to hunt down the Life and Death Dao Lords of the Eternal Clan, but in the blink of an eye, he became someone else's prey.

It wasn't even prey.

"Boy, if you have something to blame, blame your bad luck..." Emperor Shenrong shook his head slightly and pointed into the distance.

"Boom~~~"

In the chaotic void, countless terrifying golden flames emerged from the void, and then quickly condensed into a flaming scimitar that was hundreds of millions of miles long.

The flaming scimitar blotted out the sky, hovering in the air with a terrifying, world-destroying power. Just one glance at it felt as if one were enveloped and scorched by the most terrifying flames in the world.

"Die!" Emperor Shenrong said softly.

Rumble~~~
The enormous curved blade, hundreds of millions of miles long, suddenly descended.

The flames surrounding the scimitar burned the chaos into nothingness, and wherever it passed, space itself turned to ashes!
"Damn it!" Lei Zhan's expression suddenly changed, and with a flick of his wrist, a black and white disc appeared in his hand.

This disc was the Time-Space Disc that Lei Zhan was given when he first became a disciple of the Lord of Mangya.

"The Time-Space Disc?" Emperor Shenrong looked over immediately. "You've even bestowed upon me the Time-Space Disc? It seems you really are from Mangya Kingdom!"

...(End of chapter)