My cards can be infinitely combined.

Chapter 585 Dragon-Slaying Empire

Upon entering the Heavenly Gate, one arrives at a sea of ​​clouds, with endless waves of clouds and a sparse connection between heaven and earth.

The guide blew the bone flute, and then the sounds of cattle mooing and tigers barking could be heard, along with rising clouds and swirling mist. Nearby, a mountain range of white clouds began to rise.

That mountain range was actually a giant Kun, so large that it was impossible to see its entire body with both eyes.

"Above the heavens, amidst the sea of ​​clouds, dwell the Kun, sir. Please aboard the Kun's back, and we shall proceed immediately to Lingxiao City!"

The guide was a young boy dressed in a yellow mandarin jacket, holding a bone flute in his right hand and a lantern in his left. He invited Zhou Nan to board the back of the giant Kun, which then flew through the clouds and mist, its speed immeasurable.

Zhou Nan was deeply shaken, as if he were facing a miracle. The entire sea of ​​clouds gave him an epic sense of vastness, making him feel insignificant.

"Is this the Dragon-Slaying Empire?"

He exclaimed in surprise.

The young guide chuckled, "It's merely the edge of the Cloud Sea Realm. The Empire's territory is boundless. In the center of the Cloud Sea lies Lingxiao City, the Easternmost Land, the Primordial Secret Realm, the Westernmost Land, Leiyin Temple, the Northernmost Land, the Supreme Divine Realm, the Southernmost Land, and the Purple Bamboo Forest! Below the Cloud Sea lies the Tenglong Continent, endless Demon Mountains, myriad demon kingdoms, the Qilin Academy, the Azure Sea Dragon Palace, and the River Connecting Heaven! Above the Cloud Sea lies the Xuantian Dao, the Nine Realms of the Heavenly Domain, the Taiyin and Taiyang, and towering stars! There are also Kunwu Mountain, Yunluo Mountain, and many other sacred lands!"

Zhou Nan was stunned. Just by listening to the guide boy speak, he could feel the vastness and power of the Dragon Slaying Empire.

The boy continued, "Sir, you are an honored guest, invited by the Great Emperor. Apart from some sacred lands, you may visit the Cloud Sea Great Realm and the Soaring Dragon Continent. However, you must first go to Lingxiao City to pay homage to the Great Emperor."

Zhou Nan nodded, not daring to disobey. Suddenly, he saw a five-colored mountain peak in the sea of ​​clouds, ethereal and misty, surrounded by lightning and shimmering light. Curious, he asked the guiding boy, "May I ask where that is?"

The boy said, "Yunluo Immortal Mountain is the Daoist temple of the Demon-Suppressing Immortal, the Great Sage Yunluo, and also a sacred land for sword immortals. Each mountain is a realm, containing three million sword immortals and countless sword pavilions. At the summit stands the Demon-Suppressing Thunder Peak Pagoda. The Great Sage Yunluo occasionally holds a sermon, which you can attend. However, if he is not holding a sermon, you must not approach him!"

"Three million sword immortals? Do sword immortals really exist in this world?"

Zhou Nan sighed aloud.

The boy laughed and said, "In the Great World of Cloud Sea, Xuan Tian reigns supreme. The civilization of metaphysics and the civilization of cultivation coexist, so there are naturally immortals. Among the immortals of Cloud Sea, there are also Hongmeng Immortals, Wuji Immortals, Taiyi Immortals, and Daluo Immortals. You are a divine being, and your divine quality is close to the highest. You should know that the Heavenly Dao, Hongmeng, Wuji, Taiyi, Daluo, etc., are all ancient and powerful immortal spirits, which are enough to rival perfect and supreme divinity."

Zhou Nan was deeply shaken upon hearing this.

Supreme Celestial Being!

Heavenly Dao, Primordial Chaos, Limitless, Taiyi, Daluo!

Is this something from the Dragon Slayer Empire?

What am I here?

The boy continued, "After paying homage to the Emperor, you may wish to travel to the Northern Divine Realm. There are also supreme deities in my Cloud Sea Great Realm. If you wish to join the Empire, you may be able to obtain a fiefdom in the Northern Divine Realm."

"A fiefdom?" Zhou Nan asked curiously, "May I ask which supreme divine beings reside within the empire?"

The child said, "There are six conceptual beings: Truth, Paradox, Destruction, Doomsday, Revelation, and Giving Birth, as well as three physical beings: the Moon, the Lord of the Abyss, and the Black Hole of Light. Your physique may be somewhat similar to that of the Lord of the Abyss."

"Nine supreme deities! And conceptual beings too?"

Zhou Nan was shocked once again.

At this moment, the boy picked up the lantern and said, "We have arrived at Lingxiao City. Sir, please follow me off the back of the Kun. We will travel on clouds for the road ahead."

"good!"

Zhou Nan looked ahead and, without realizing it, there was a huge gate in front of him. The gate had a plaque with the words "Lingxiao" on it. Visibly behind this Lingxiao Heavenly Gate was a majestic divine city, shining brightly.

"A world within a world?"

Zhou Nan could foresee that once he entered the gate ahead, he would find himself in a completely different world.

As expected, he followed the guiding child onto the floating clouds, flew over the Lingxiao Heavenly Gate, and saw the Heavenly Court and Divine Realm that resembled those in mythology. Ahead was a wide avenue, and at the end of the avenue was a huge staircase. Above the staircase, a magnificent palace shone brightly.

Zhou Nan dared not act rashly and followed the boy. He noticed many strange towers on both sides of the road leading to the Baoguang Hall. Seeing these towers, he felt a sense of unease and cautiously asked, "May I ask, boy, what are those towers?"

The boy laughed and said, "A defensive tower!"

"Defense tower?"

"Yes, they guard Lingxiao City. Even the most powerful immortals and the highest divinities that dare to trespass into Lingxiao City will be shot down on the spot by these defensive towers."

"That strong? According to you, even the Heavenly Dao and the Primordial Chaos wouldn't be able to enter Lingxiao City; they'd be shot down?"

"Yes, even the Heavenly Dao can't do it! These defensive towers were specially upgraded by the Great Emperor before he left the Cloud Sea Realm. Even a level 1200 Sky-Stepping expert wouldn't be able to break through them head-on!"

"Huh?" Zhou Nan was confused. "Before the Emperor left? Level 1200? A Sky-Treading expert? Wasn't the Emperor in Lingxiao City?"

The boy scratched his head and said, "It's because I didn't explain. The Great Emperor you mentioned earlier is my master, Li Hanqiang. The Great Emperor in this city is the Dragon-Slaying Great Emperor, Li Hanqiang."

Zhou Nan frowned, even more confused.

The child said, "My lord has severed his three corpses. The benevolent corpse is Li Hanqiang, the Lord of Chaos City, on the Tenglong Continent; the malevolent corpse is Li Hanqiang, the Dragon-Slaying Emperor, who rules Lingxiao City; and the true self is Li Hanqiang, the Taiyi True Person, in the Taiyi Immortal Realm. My lord has long since ascended to heaven, left this realm, and gone to the deep space. Now, the three corpses guard the empire!"

"oh oh……"

Zhou Nan only half understood what he was hearing, but anyway, it was clear that Li Hanqiang had gone to deep space.

He then asked, "What does level 1200 mean?"

The child said, "The levels in my realm represent strength. The strongest immortal spirit and the most perfect divinity are at level 1000. Those who exceed level 1000 are heaven-stepping powerhouses, inconceivable beings. When my lord left, he was already at level 1200!"

"I see. May I ask if I currently hold a certain level?"

"While your divine power possesses the potential for supreme divinity, it is not yet fully developed. If we were to impose a level upon you, let's say level 500!"

"Level 500!" Zhou Nan thought to himself that this was not low. "Master Li Hanqiang has the strength of level 1200, he should be the strongest in the empire."

The boy laughed upon hearing this: "Of course not. My master is a cultivation failure. He can only reach the heavens because of his alt account. My master's alt account is the strongest, at level 1600 or 1700! By the way, remember that my master is easy to talk to. If you encounter him, it's fine to joke with him. But you must not be disrespectful to the Three Corpses, especially the Dragon Slayer Emperor Li Hanqiang. You must remain humble and respectful in front of him unless you have the strength to match him. Otherwise, if you show the slightest disrespect, you will not have a good outcome."

Zhou Nan said, "Understood, thank you for reminding me!"

As Zhou Nan continued onward, he asked the child some more questions and felt even more strongly that the Dragon Slaying Empire had a profound foundation. He thought that even if the Great Emperor of the Universe came to the Dragon Slaying Empire, he would probably be nothing but trash.

Unbeknownst to them, they had walked up the steps and entered the temple. Inside, golden-armored guards stood motionless, like statues. Behind the temple, on a dragon throne, sat a tall figure dressed in an ancient imperial robe.

Zhou Nan caught a glimpse and immediately recognized him; it was none other than the Dragon Slayer Emperor Li Hanqiang, whose appearance was exactly the same as the NPC Li Hanqiang in the Loop Game.

The young boy who was leading the way bowed respectfully and then took his leave.

Zhou Nan followed his example and bowed to Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer.

The latter laughed heartily and said, "No need for formalities!"

He stepped down from the dragon throne, toying with a nine-story pagoda that shimmered with tiny electric sparks in his hand, and said, "Black Card Emperor, you are quite good. You have obtained the core holy sword, become a divine being, and are about to ascend to the deep space. If you do not perish prematurely, you will have a bright future. Reaching level 100 is within reach, and you may even achieve something extraordinary."

Zhou Nan was terrified and said, "Your Majesty flatters me. I was just lucky."

Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer, said, "No need to be modest. In my empire, luck is also a form of strength. My empire is ruled by the Xuan Tian, ​​and the Xuanxue civilization is prevalent. This Xuanxue civilization emphasizes luck. If you are interested, I will send a ritual officer to you later to teach you a Xuanxue ritual to improve your luck... No, you are a supreme divine being, and I'm afraid you cannot learn this Xuanxue ritual!"

The emperor frowned, and continued, talking to himself, "That's the problem with divine beings: they're not agile enough, they're stubborn and extreme, easily bound by their own power, becoming manifestations of divine power. They can't learn metaphysical rituals, they can't learn metaphysical rituals..."

He sighed for a moment, then realized he had gone off-topic. He coughed lightly and said, "Black Card Emperor, the reason I invited you here is to discuss matters of deep space. Soon, a God-King will seek you out to enter deep space. This matter cannot be refused; do your best to accomplish it. After it is done, she will likely grant you a wish. If you make a wish, there will be many benefits. Even wishing to immediately reach level a thousand, achieve perfect supreme divinity, and reach the half-step Inconceivable realm is possible. But if you trust me, do not make a wish!"

"Is it possible to instantly reach level 1000 by wishing for it?"

Zhou Nan wondered, "Is the Wish-Granting God King really that powerful? According to the guide boy, I'm only level 500 now. If I make a wish to the Wish-Granting God King, I can reach level 1000? On par with ancient and supreme immortal spirits?"

Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer, said, "If you make a wish, then there will be karma involved, and you will have to repay the vow in the future. Although that God-King may not necessarily require you to repay the vow, the karma has already been formed, and the power of the unseen will entangle you, which will definitely have an impact on your future achievements. I am telling you this because you are the first strong person in countless years to walk out of the imaginary void of that deep space probe, and your original body was also human. I hope that you can go even further."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Nan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty!"

"It's not exactly guidance," Emperor Li Hanqiang waved his hand. "Besides, I intend to assign you a protector to help you make your journey through deep space smoother. Are you willing?"

Zhou Nan quickly replied, "Of course I'm willing!"

"Haha, not bad!" said Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer. "However, I also have a request, or rather a commission, that I hope you can fulfill for me in deep space."

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

"You are a divine being, and you have obtained the Holy Sword with the core control program of that probe. You will be like a fish in water in deep space. My true form is Li Hanqiang, and he is also in deep space. I don't know which layer he is having fun on. If you see him, please ask for a destiny for us."

"Death seal?"

"Indeed, when the original body left the empire, it laid down a decree that all powerhouses above level 800 were not allowed to leave the empire's territory. Those who came to train outside the empire and reached level 800 were also required to return to the empire. Over the years, the empire has developed rapidly and produced many powerful figures. Now, there are countless powerhouses above level 800. However, despite its powerful national strength, it has no rivals. In recent years, forces from the deep space have repeatedly provoked us. For example, the Cosmic Emperor, a mere divine insect, dared to plot against our realm. This is all because the powerhouses of our realm are not allowed to leave. If you see the original body, Li Hanqiang, in the deep space, please tell him to remove that decree."

Zhou Nan said, "I will remember this matter."

"Well, the reason I summoned you here is to invite you to join the Dragon-Slaying Empire. Join my empire and live a carefree life, with only one obligation: to protect Earth. You have the potential; are you willing?"

Zhou Nan thought for a moment and said, "It seems there's no reason to refuse."

"Then I will take this as your agreement. When you return from deep space, I will request that a temple and palace be set up for you."

Zhou Nan said, "That depends on whether I can return from deep space."

He cupped his hands in greeting and asked, "Your Majesty, I have another matter to inquire about."

"What is it? Tell me!"

"I have an old friend named Yue Baiting, who should have ascended to the Cloud Sea Realm. I wonder where she is now. May I meet her?"

"This is easy. Please wait a moment, I will summon the Duke of Zhenguo to assist you!"

Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer, made a hand seal and stomped his foot. A dog-headed man wearing a long-sleeved official robe emerged from the ground, just like the Earth God appearing.

After the dog-headed man appeared, he took six steps clockwise before bowing to Emperor Li Hanqiang and saying, "First-rank Duke Badas greets Your Majesty. May I ask what Your Majesty has summoned this old minister for?"

Emperor Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer, said, "Help me check the list of ascendants and see where an ascendant named Yue Baiting is now."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhenguo Gong Badas pulled out a mobile phone from his pocket, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and casually fiddled with it for a bit before saying, "Yue Baiting, recognized by Yunhai Zhenxian for his aptitude, ascended to heaven in the Void of Imagination, obtained the sixth layer of the Underworld to forge his Earth Soul, and later ascended to the Taiyin Star Longevity Hall. A year ago, he was given the Limitless Immortal Pill, achieving an immortal body. He is currently cultivating the Dao of Sword Immortal at the Chilian Sword Pavilion on Yunluo Mountain. It is said that his aptitude is excellent, reaching level eighty-seven. Elder Jian Jiujiu of the Sword Pavilion wants to take him as an inner disciple, and Jian Sansanliu 8451 intends to form a Daoist couple with him. They have reported this to the Heaven and Earth Hall of the City God Temple, but have not yet received approval!"

When Zhou Nan saw that the First-Rank Duke of Zhenguo had actually pulled out a mobile phone, he was initially a little shocked. But when he heard him mention that a guy with a long string of numbers wanted to become a Daoist couple with Yue Baiting, his brows immediately furrowed.

"Forming a Daoist partnership? Is that even possible?"

Zhou Nan immediately bowed to Emperor Dragon Slayer Li Hanqiang and Yue Baiting, saying, "I wish to see her immediately, is that alright?"

"Of course!" said Li Hanqiang, the Dragon Slayer. "Duke Zhenguo, I'm entrusting this matter to you!"

"This old minister understands!"

Duke Zhenguo, Badass, bowed respectfully, then cupped his hands to Zhou Nan and said, "Young sir, you are new to the Cloud Sea. Please follow me, and I will show you the scenery of Yunluo Mountain."

"Thank you for your help!"

Zhou Nan returned the greeting with a bow, and then left Lingxiao City with Badas on a cloud.

(End of this chapter)