The Asura Imperial Palace, the ancestral land.
Outside the cave dwelling, Qin Hao and the other four stood obediently at the entrance, their expressions solemn. They were now Ning Xuanyuan's personal guards and could not return to their lineages without permission.
The Asura Ancestral Land was divided into an inner and an outer sanctum. Ning Xuanyuan had spent the previous ten years cultivating in the outer sanctum. Only the Blood Scions and Asura Emperors of successive generations were qualified to enter the inner sanctum.
Before ascending the throne, however, a Blood Scion could enter the Ancestral Land's inner sanctum only once. After becoming the Blood Scion, he would have one chance to receive an enlightenment empowerment there.
The remains of the Asura Emperors of successive generations were enshrined in the Ancestral Land's inner sanctum, and within it lay the Heavenly Dao Fortune tied to the Asura Domain!
Heavenly Dao Fortune was intangible and elusive, yet it truly existed. From a single lineage to an entire ancient domain, prosperity or decline depended on Heavenly Dao Fortune.
Those blessed with abundant fortune were born emperors, destined for greatness. Those whose fortune was meager lived out their lives in obscurity, lost among the masses.
Having claimed the position of Blood Scion, Ning Xuanyuan could receive a fortune empowerment in the Asura Ancestral Land, bringing him immeasurable benefits in the future.
Ning Xuanyuan stood in the Ancestral Land's inner sanctum, looking around. Surrounding him were elevated platforms carved from blood jade. Upon them stood figure after figure, proud and upright, boundless pressure surging around them.
These figures were all emperors of the Asura Domain from successive generations. Human Emperor Realm experts could not live forever, but their bodies could remain imperishable. Even though these people had fallen many years ago, their remains were still completely intact. If not for the absence of any trace of life, they would have been indistinguishable from living people.
Ning Xuanyuan sat cross-legged and formed a seal with his hands before him. At that moment, the majestic figures on the blood jade platforms suddenly erupted with supreme radiance, dazzling and brilliant.
Wave after wave of unfathomable fluctuations, invisible to the naked eye, emerged from the figures, as though echoing with heaven and earth and resonating with the great Dao.
Heavenly Dao Fortune!
Each figure here had ascended the throne and ruled over the people of an entire domain. Which of them had not possessed abundant fortune in life? And within the inner sanctum of the Asura Ancestral Land were the remains of one hundred and eight former emperors!
Human Emperor Realm experts contended with the Heavenly Dao, seizing its fortune to strengthen themselves. How immense was the Heavenly Dao Fortune contained in the remains of one hundred and eight Human Emperors?
At that moment, boundless rosy light filled the sky above Blood Prison City. Faint, ethereal immortal figures seemed to appear, while true dragons soared and true phoenixes cried.
"This!"
Across the vast city, countless people looked up, their eyes filled with shock.
What did such a world-shaking phenomenon mean?
In the imperial palace, the Asura Emperor sprang to his feet and looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing the ceiling of the great hall. Beside him, Ye Xuankong was just as shaken.
Looking toward the ancestral land, they saw beams of light soaring ten thousand feet into the sky. Then towering figures emerged, treading on the void as heaven and earth trembled.
"The former emperors of successive generations—their fortune has taken form!" The Asura Emperor's pupils contracted, and he could not help drawing a deep breath. "That boy actually brought forth the spirit images of the former emperors!"
"Has all the fortune of the ancestral land manifested to grant Xuanyuan an empowerment?" Ye Xuankong cried out in shock. It was the first time he had seen such a phenomenon.
"It's not that simple." The Asura Emperor narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting constantly.
The Human Emperor phantoms standing in the air were all bowing slightly in the same direction, as though paying homage.
And the direction they faced was the ancestral land!
The Human Emperor phantoms themselves were enshrined in the ancestral land, so whom were they bowing to?
There was only one person in the ancestral land now!
Crack!
The Asura Emperor crushed the armrest of his throne in one hand, staring in disbelief at the sight before him.
The former emperors of successive generations were all paying homage to Ning Xuanyuan? How was that possible?
Likewise, Ye Xuankong, standing beside the Asura Emperor, was too shocked by the sight to speak.
No Blood Scion of any generation in the Asura Domain had ever received such a stunning, world-shaking homage from fortune.
In the inner sanctum of the ancestral land.
Ning Xuanyuan sat there quietly, completely unaware of the commotion he had caused. His mind was entirely focused on the Chaos World within him.
Torrents of fortune poured wildly into his body, then plunged into the Chaos World. As this immense fortune filled him, Ning Xuanyuan could clearly see his Chaos World growing brighter bit by bit. An indescribable, profoundly mysterious intent reverberated through his body.
The Chaos World had originally been a rather illusory existence. But now, Ning Xuanyuan felt it had become a little more "real."
For the Chaos World to grow, it needed the power of rules, the power of origins, the great Dao of heaven and earth, and, of course, fortune!
The vast fortune the Asura Domain had accumulated over countless years had now been plundered by him in its entirety! In other words, from this moment on, the prosperity or decline of the Asura Domain, one of the Ancient Eight Domains, was tied to Ning Xuanyuan. It would be no exaggeration to say it rested on a single thought of his.
If he abandoned the Asura Domain, it would fall apart and vanish within a hundred years.
As Ning Xuanyuan devoured and plundered the fortune, the one hundred and eight Human Emperor phantoms outside the ancestral land's cave dwelling grew increasingly indistinct. At last, they vanished completely.
Inside the Asura Imperial Palace, the Asura Emperor wore an exceedingly complicated expression. No one knew better than he did what had happened.
"That boy is forcing me to abdicate," the Asura Emperor murmured almost inaudibly, lowering his eyes. His lips curved in a smile that seemed a little bitter, but held even more excitement.
"He's the Blood Scion of my Asura Domain, its future Asura Human Emperor. With the talent he's shown, it's not impossible that he'll one day unite the eight domains. When that happens, my Asura Domain will reign supreme over all eight. Who could contend with us?"
"Most importantly, he's very likely to take that step."
The Asura Emperor's eyes shone brightly. At his realm, power and status were nothing but passing clouds; he cared nothing for them. Apart from that legendary realm, he sought nothing else.
Ning Xuanyuan opened his eyes, a faint, satisfied smile on his lips. As a transmigrator, he naturally knew what his true foundation was.
Cultivation and realm? Cultivation arts and secret techniques?
None of those were worth worrying about. As long as he had the Chaos World, they were all within easy reach. All he needed to do was continue perfecting his Chaos World.
Ning Xuanyuan rose and walked toward the exit of the ancestral land's cave dwelling. There was nothing here that could help him anymore.
Hmm...
To be precise, there was nothing that could help anyone anymore.
He had plundered every last bit of Innate Spiritual Qi and Heavenly Dao Fortune. The only things of any value left were the cultivation arts, secret techniques, divine abilities, and precious techniques—and even those were only valuable to other people.
Would the Asura Emperor burst into tears when he found out?
"Can't be helped. I want to keep a low profile too, but my strength won't allow it." Ning Xuanyuan snapped his fingers. "Go on and cry, men, crying isn't a sin~"
Humming a tune, Ning Xuanyuan walked out of the cave dwelling and saw Qin Lang and the others standing guard outside.
"Your Highness." Upon seeing Ning Xuanyuan, Qin Lang and the other four hurriedly bowed.
"Mm." Ning Xuanyuan nodded, then flicked his fingers. Five streaks of light shot out and entered their bodies.
"What's this?" Qin Lang and the others froze. Then their expressions changed drastically, and they went pale with shock. "Heavenly Dao Fortune?"
As the young kings of the five lineages, they naturally knew what Heavenly Dao Fortune was. They also knew that only the Blood Scions of successive generations had one chance to receive an enlightenment empowerment with it.
Although merging Heavenly Dao Fortune into one's body would not produce immediate results, its effects on the future were enormous. A single, intangible wisp of Heavenly Dao Fortune was enough to change a person's life!
Ning Xuanyuan had actually bestowed something so precious and rare upon them?
Qin Lang and the others were beside themselves with excitement. Even Song You'er, usually so aloof, could not help being moved, her eyes shining with wonder.
"Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world." Ning Xuanyuan curled his lip. He naturally understood the tactic of the big stick and the sweet dates. He had already given them the stick, beating the lot of them until they could barely take care of themselves, so it was time to give them a few sweet dates and make them follow him wholeheartedly.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Their faces flushed red with excitement. This was Heavenly Dao Fortune, a peerless treasure that only Human Emperor Realm experts could obtain.
The heads of the Five Great Blood Clans were all at the Half-step Human Emperor Realm. Although they could sense a wisp of Heavenly Dao Fortune, they could not seize it. In the past, they had not even dared dream of such a treasure.
Of course, the Heavenly Dao Fortune bestowed upon Qin Lang and the other four was only a wisp. Ning Xuanyuan had emptied the Asura Ancestral Land of the reserves it had accumulated over countless years, so giving away this much hardly mattered.
"Train hard. I'm going out in a few days, so just don't make me lose face." Ning Xuanyuan waved a hand and walked away.
Inside a great hall in the Asura Imperial Palace.
Ning Xuanyuan looked at the Asura Emperor seated across from him, then turned his gaze to Ye Xuankong at the side.
Their eyes met, and Ye Xuankong smiled and nodded at Ning Xuanyuan, looking refined and graceful.
"Xuankong and I have discussed it. After some time, you'll report to the Night Watch Army. Xuankong will assign you a squad, and you'll enter the Myriad Heavens Battlefield to gain experience." The Asura Emperor spoke in a deep voice, showing none of his earlier shock or astonishment.
"The Night Watch Army? The Myriad Heavens Battlefield?" Ning Xuanyuan's eyes flashed. Although he had spent ten years cultivating in the ancestral land without going out, he was not entirely ignorant of the outside world.
The Night Watch Army was the most powerful army in the Asura Domain, under the Asura Emperor's direct command. It had been given its name because the current Asura Emperor's surname was "Ye."
The Myriad Heavens Battlefield was an alternate dimension separate from the Ancient Eight Domains. It was a bizarre world of fantastical sights, filled with all manner of strange creatures. These creatures were collectively known as the Void!
In fact, judging by appearance alone, some Void creatures resembled humans, while others resembled beasts. But the greatest difference between them and human martial artists or demonic beasts was that, despite their immense strength, they did not need to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to cultivate!