Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 469 No one in this mortal realm can become an immortal.

"From today onwards, you are the Supreme Lord of the Demonic Sect."

These words, spoken by the Demon Lord Feilian, were like a wrong note on stage, leaving both him and Chen Ye feeling an unspeakable embarrassment.

Chen Ye was quite helpless. He didn't want to be the supreme ruler of the demonic sect, but the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea, a true immortal, was above everyone else. He had no choice but to accept it, even if it was illegitimate.

Feilian Demon Lord was also distressed. He was a demon cultivator at the Dao Integration Realm, the first Demon Lord in a thousand years, but now he had to give up the title of "Supreme Demon Lord" to a junior at the Profound Realm.

This is so absurd it's like a joke, but nobody can laugh at it.

But who can blame Chen Ye when he has the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas behind him? With a true immortal backing him up, let alone the supreme being of the Demonic Sect, it wouldn't be a problem for Chen Ye to become the supreme being of all cultivators in the world.

"Let's go." In the end, it was Demon Lord Feilian who spoke first.

He flicked his sleeves as if shaking off something dirty, his voice dry and strained, "Go and report back to that Great Sage. Once this matter is settled, I will be free."

The Demon Lord Feilian spoke the word "freedom" with great emphasis, as if trying to convince or comfort himself.

With a casual swipe of his hand, the space in front of him was torn open like a fragile curtain, revealing a dark opening.

As the two stepped inside, the biting cold wind of the northern snowy region swept over them when they reappeared.

In just ten days, the place has been completely transformed.

The towering sacred mountain that once seemed to reach into the clouds has vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless alpine lake.

The lake remained completely still in the cold wind, instead emitting a faint warmth that melted away the remaining snow, revealing large patches of black soil and creating a scene reminiscent of early spring when a frozen river thaws.

This terrifying heat, capable of altering the weather of an entire region, naturally originated from the enormous creature that loomed faintly within the snow lake.

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas had already revealed his true form.

Chen Ye couldn't even get a full picture of it.

Even just half of the dragon's head floating on the lake is more majestic than a mountain.

With each breath, the wind and clouds changed color, lightning danced wildly in the void, and thunder roared. As for the body that spanned the heavens and the earth, it was completely hidden in the misty clouds and the depths of the lake, with only a massive, terrifying shadow indicating its presence.

This was much larger than the Demon Lord Wujiu that they had seen before. A giant is like a child compared to a dragon.

Chen Ye was deeply shocked, wondering what kind of immense power was needed to suppress such a dragon.

The abilities of that Erlang Shen Zhenjun are beyond imagination. If he were standing in front of him, Chen Ye would probably be reduced to ashes with a single breath.

The Demon Lord Feilian clearly felt this extreme pressure as well. He dared not approach, and from a distance, he concealed all his aura and respectfully bowed in greeting.
"Junior Feilian has fulfilled the senior's instructions. The Demonic Sect has been unified, and the current supreme leader of the Demonic Sect is Sect Master Chen."

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas didn't even lift his mountain-like eyelids, only letting out a casual nasal sound from deep in his throat: "Hmm, not bad."

Just two words, yet the sound was like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, shaking the snow-covered plains for miles and causing towering waves to rise on the lake.

Chen Ye felt his blood surging, while Fei Lian Demon Lord turned pale and suffered excruciating ear pain.

The Demon Lord Feilian felt a deep bitterness in his heart. He instantly abandoned the idea of ​​revenge. Let alone before becoming an immortal, even if he were lucky enough to ascend, he would still be far from being a match for this dragon.

However, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Being able to bend and stretch is the survival rule of a ruthless and powerful figure.

Seeing that the Great Sage Overturning the Sea was in a good mood, Demon Lord Feilian immediately pressed his advantage: "Sect Master Chen only needs to open the inheritance array to find the remnant spirit of Youluozi. Since that's the case, this junior has accomplished his mission and will now retire."

All he wanted to do now was leave immediately, find a secluded place to hide for hundreds of years, and get as far away from this capricious immortal as possible.

Saying this is actually a kind of test.

He originally thought that the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas would not let him go so easily. If the other party made things difficult for him, or if they were to kill him after he was done with him, the Demon Lord Feilian would have Chen Ye plead for him, using the favor he owed to save his life in exchange for his freedom.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas waved his dragon whiskers without a care.

Although the turmoil it stirred up nearly made the Demon Lord Feilian lose his footing, this True Immortal spoke up: "Go. Go if you want to leave. If I want to find you, you can't hide..."

The words carried a threat, but to the Demon Lord Feilian, they were like heavenly music! A huge weight was lifted from his heart, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least, this old dragon didn't intend to keep him by his side as a servant.

As for the future? We'll talk about that later.

Who knows, maybe one day the Heavenly Court will send someone down to earth and stew this old mudfish while they're at it?
Despite harboring all sorts of wicked thoughts, the Demon Lord Feilian appeared increasingly respectful on the surface, bowing deeply before tearing through the void to depart.

Just then, the voice of the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas rang out again: "What a pity."

"pity?"

The Flying Demon Lord, who was about to flee, suddenly froze, almost scared to death by those words. He was really afraid that the Great Sage Overturning the Sea would change his mind at any moment and take his life.

The Demon Lord Feilian dared not leave so easily. He was afraid that he would not be able to rest easy even if he hid at the ends of the earth without hearing this. So he simply asked, "Does the Great Sage have any further instructions?"

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas didn't even look at him. His huge dragon eyes slowly opened a crack, and his golden vertical pupils, like the blazing sun, locked onto Chen Ye: "It's a pity you're missing an assistant. Very well, I'll just pass on this water control technique to you alone."

Chen Ye was taken aback, not expecting that this involved him. He subconsciously looked at the Demon Lord Fei Lian, only to see that the Demon Lord's face instantly changed color, turning from green to white... a complexion that was extremely interesting.

"Aren't you going to get lost?" The voice of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea suddenly became louder, like a heavy hammer hitting the heart of the Demon Lord Feilian.

The Demon Lord Feilian staggered backward from the shout, but he withstood the pressure and struggled to steady himself. At the same time, an urgent divine thought pierced Chen Ye's ear: "Does your previous promise still stand? If he wants to kill me, you must protect me!"

Chen Ye understood immediately and replied, "Of course it counts. Your Excellency...does this mean you want to learn this water manipulation technique?"

The Demon Lord Feilian snorted coldly, offering no reply, but his greedy eyes spoke volumes. He gritted his teeth, ignoring Chen Ye, and turned directly to the Great Sage Fuhai, bowing deeply once more.
"If the Great Sage has any further requests, this junior will gladly die for him! This junior would also like to humbly request to learn this water-controlling technique!"

Who wouldn't be tempted by the divine powers personally passed down by a true immortal?
Especially now, the Demon Lord Feilian believes more than ever in one sentence: Realm is far inferior to supernatural power!
Chen Ye, a mere Profound Realm cultivator, received only a small amount of benefit from the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea, yet he was able to slap a Void Return Realm cultivator so hard that he was powerless to fight back. What an exaggerated level of combat power this is!

The power of his supernatural abilities is evident.

The dragon is the most powerful water-controlling divine beast in the world, and the water-controlling technique personally taught by the Great Sage Overturning the Sea is of immeasurable value.

Even if it involves some risks, Demon Lord Feilian is determined to give it his all. He has cultivated diligently for hundreds of years, not to remain a coward forever. No matter whether the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas asks him to climb mountains of knives or plunge into seas of fire, he must learn this divine power. Otherwise, how will he ever have a chance to receive the inheritance of a true immortal?
When it's time to fight, you must fight; otherwise, you'll only die silently in the wilderness.

Fortune and wealth are found in danger, and so it is in the great way!

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas let out a loud laugh, a laugh that sounded like a real thunderclap, exploding over the high mountains and snow lakes.

The entire lake surface instantly boiled, churning up towering waves hundreds of feet high that crashed against the surrounding rock walls with a deafening roar. Stimulated by this force, the waning snowstorm surged back up, wildly lashing Chen Ye and the Demon Lord Fei Lian's cheeks.

The Demon Lord Feilian, who had just relaxed, was now on tenterhooks again, fearing that this True Immortal might be capricious and turn on him while he was smiling.

As the laughter of the Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas subsided, his enormous head rose up, looking down at the Demon Lord Feilian like a giant beast staring at an ant.

"You mortal are more straightforward than I imagined! If you had hesitated any longer, I would have slapped you to get rid of your eyes. I didn't expect you to be so decisive."

The Demon Lord Feilian felt a cold sweat run down his back upon hearing this.

He then realized that he had just narrowly escaped death. If he had hesitated even slightly or made a pretense of refusal, he would probably be a shooting star in the sky by now.

This old mudfish is indeed unpredictable and cannot be fathomed by common sense.

However, just as the Demon Lord Feilian was secretly congratulating himself on his correct gamble, Chen Ye stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Great Sage, if I may be so bold as to ask, besides retrieving the remnant spirit of Youluozi, is there anything else you need to do?"

Unlike the Demon Lord Feilian, Chen Ye was never greedy. As for the methods of true immortals, the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts he practiced were the skills of true immortals, and he hadn't even mastered them yet. Being greedy for more would be useless.

Moreover, how many immortal opportunities are there in this world? Given the nature of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, if he were to offer benefits, it would mean that he would want Chen Ye to risk his life. What could possibly be worth exchanging such a secret technique for?

The Great Sage of the Overturning Seas' enormous dragon eyes slowly turned and landed on Chen Ye.

In an instant, the raging waves on the lake subsided, and the swirling snowstorm quieted down. The smile in those golden vertical pupils vanished completely, and the Great Sage Overturning the Seas said to Chen Ye in a serious tone, "You lad, you really are quite different from others. No wonder Ksitigarbha chose you as his successor."

After praising me, the Great Sage Overturning the Sea explained, "I told you, my escape and the commotion I caused would surely have been noticed by anyone in Heaven if there were still living beings there. I was suppressed for ten thousand years and still don't know the outcome of that battle. But I can confirm that those gods and Buddhas sitting high in the clouds are not all dead. If anyone from Heaven comes, I will need the two of you to help me repel the enemy."

He paused, as if recalling something extremely distant, and continued, "Otherwise, according to Ksitigarbha's calculations back then, the mortal and immortal realms should not be so isolated and fragmented as they are now."

Upon hearing that the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas had ordered him to fight the gods of Heaven, Chen Ye felt that he was not far from death. However, he was more curious about the last sentence, so he asked, "So, according to the original plan, what should it have looked like?"

Chen Ye used to be reluctant to inquire about such secrets, but now that he's involved, the more he knows, the better.

The Demon Lord Feilian stood aside, even his breathing became soft, and he pricked up his ears, not daring to miss a single word. This kind of secret concerning the fate of the world was something that even a demonic giant like him could not fathom, no matter how hard he tried.

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas fell silent. His dragon eyes seemed to hold the passage of countless years, as if he were about to take another look at the world ten thousand years ago.

After a very long time, so long that Chen Ye thought he would never speak again, the deep voice rang out once more: "The old Immortal Realm was actually the Heavenly Court. As for us demons, we stayed in the mortal world and lived a carefree life. But the mortal world back then was not like it is now, as fragile as paper, crumbling at the slightest touch."

As he spoke, a puff of white breath gently escaped from his nostrils.

It was just a wisp of hot air spewed from the body of the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, but the moment it appeared, countless winds and thunders arose, and the space in front of it seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, making a crisp "crackling" sound.

Immediately afterwards, countless dark cracks appeared out of nowhere, spreading out like a spider web, as if the heavens and earth were about to shatter.

Feilian Demon Lord's pupils contracted instantly. He could also tear apart space, turning the ends of the earth into a mere foot, but that was only limited to this area.

In other words, Feilian can only move within the mortal realm.

But the breath that the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea exhaled tore open a hole in the mortal world. Just now, he seemed to be able to sense the aura of the immortal realm, just like when he pushed open the Gate of Dao Integration, the two worlds overlapped for a moment.

In other words, for the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas, opening the gate to the Dao was as simple as blowing a breath.

"Look," the Great Sage of the Overturning Seas said with a hint of disdain, "it shattered with a single breath. This world is as if it were made of porcelain. Back then, the mortal realm could withstand my battle with that three-eyed man for hundreds of rounds. If it's as fragile as it is now, if I exert even a little more force, the entire world will be reduced to dust."

"According to Ksitigarbha's plan, it is absolutely impossible for the mortal world to become like this."

Chen Ye, puzzled, asked, "Great Sage, what exactly is the outcome of the agreement you made with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wants to rebel, and this established fact has been determined. But rebellion only breaks the old rules; what happens after that?

The saying goes, "Destruction precedes construction." What kind of new world does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva want to establish?

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Sea said, "Why would Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva tell me the details? I don't want to ask. I only know that he promised me that the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling would no longer bully me, and I wouldn't have to worry about anyone capturing me to be my mount. As for why the mortal world has become like this, I don't really know. I was suppressed by the Three-Eyed One long ago."

"But now it seems that the mortal world is so fragile, with everything withering and its foundations crumbling. I'm afraid no one in this world can become an immortal and attain enlightenment."

Fei Lian and Chen Ye were puzzled. Someone had ascended to immortality. Throughout history, there have been many eminent figures who ascended to the celestial realm.

Although none of them have returned, perhaps they encountered an accident after ascending to immortality, but the fact that they became immortals is definitely not false.

Chen Ye asked directly, "Great Sage, it is said here that many masters have cultivated to the Dao Integration Realm and then ascended to immortality. Why do you say that no one can become an immortal?"

The Great Sage Who Overturned the Seas laughed and said, "Harmonizing with the Dao? What kind of rubbish dares to call itself Harmonizing with the Dao?"

Demon Lord Feilian was immediately enraged. His achievements, which he had painstakingly cultivated for hundreds of years, were being ridiculed in this way. However, he could only endure it and asked, "Please enlighten me, Great Sage."

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas wasn't one to hold a grudge. He immediately said to Fei Lian, "The immortals you speak of are different from the immortals I saw before. As I said, both the mortal and immortal realms have changed. The mortal realm is too fragile to allow true immortals to remain. You may feel that you are only one step away from ascension, but in reality, it is the mortal realm that is too weak to hold you back."

"But you have only been banished from the mortal realm, not allowed to enter the Southern Heavenly Gate and join the ranks of immortals. You may not understand what I mean, but I can tell you that even if you leave the mortal realm, you will not achieve immortality. You are far from being a true immortal."

This really startled the Demon Lord Feilian.

Ascension does not grant immortality?

What exactly did cultivators throughout history pursue?
Chen Ye sensed that the topic had gone astray and quickly asked, "Great Sage, so why exactly did Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva rebel?"

The Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas pondered and said, "I don't know the truth either, but judging from the current state of this world, I guess Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva lied to me back then. He didn't want to rebel against the Heavenly Court, nor did he want to rebel against Mount Ling. The slaughter of immortals and Buddhas wasn't just aimed at the gods and Buddhas of the past; he wanted to ensure that there would be no one in the world who could live forever."

"Therefore, the mortal realm is now too fragile to be suitable for cultivation, let alone for people to become immortals. Once you are expelled from the mortal realm, you mortals will die quickly, and there will be no new immortals in this world."

(End of this chapter)