"You intend to send me into the Myriad Heavens Battlefield?" Ning Xuanyuan was somewhat taken aback. He knew little about the Myriad Heavens Battlefield, only that people from the many factions of the Ancient Eight Domains had entered it. He wasn't very clear on why, though he guessed it had something to do with the Void.
The Asura Emperor nodded. No one knew what he had recalled, but boundless savagery suddenly surged into his dark eyes, a truly terrifying sight.
"You are now the Blood Scion of my Asura Domain. Sooner or later, you will have to go to the Myriad Heavens Battlefield. It is also one of the conditions for your eventual ascension to the throne."
"Besides, the Myriad Heavens Battlefield is better suited to your cultivation than the Ancient Eight Domains." The Asura Emperor reined in his gaze before continuing.
"Why do the many factions of the Ancient Eight Domains all enter the Myriad Heavens Battlefield? Is it because of those Void beings?" Ning Xuanyuan asked curiously.
"There is no need for you to know now. Once you reach the Myriad Heavens Battlefield, Xuankong will tell you himself," the Asura Emperor said calmly.
Ning Xuanyuan's face immediately scrunched up in discomfort. The emperor had only told him half the story before leaving him in suspense. Sure enough, those cliffhanger dogs were the worst.
"You've only just finished receiving the empowerment. Go back and rest." The Asura Emperor paid no attention to Ning Xuanyuan's expression and waved a hand. "I've already made arrangements for you. You'll leave tomorrow morning for the Heavenly Wind Ancient Domain. The seal on the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm will likely open within the next few days."
"Also, I have now made your status as the Asura Blood Scion known to the world. Quite a few people will probably go there when the time comes, so don't disgrace my Asura Domain."
"Damn, you really don't mind making a bigger mess, do you?" Ning Xuanyuan's eye twitched. It seemed he wouldn't be able to keep a low profile this time, even if he wanted to. He then shrugged helplessly and said no more. After bidding Ye Xuankong farewell, he turned and left the hall.
"Father, I still think it's a little too hasty to send Xuanyuan into the Myriad Heavens Battlefield so soon. Wouldn't it be better to let him cultivate for a while longer?" Ye Xuankong said.
The Asura Emperor shook his head. "There's no need. Letting him visit the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm first will be enough."
Although Ning Xuanyuan was only at the Soul Sea Realm, his strength far surpassed his apparent cultivation level, something he had revealed beyond doubt in the contest for the Blood Scion title. The Asura Emperor even felt that Ning Xuanyuan was likely to gain something from this trip to the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm. If so, his strength would advance another step.
In truth, there was something else the Asura Emperor had left unsaid: if Ning Xuanyuan stayed in the Asura Domain any longer, he feared the entire domain's accumulated wealth would be lost to him. He might as well let him wreak havoc somewhere else.
Outside the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm in the Heavenly Wind Ancient Domain.
Recently, as the seal on the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm had gradually weakened, more and more people had gathered there.
Scions of ancient clans, great sects, top-tier sects, secluded holy lands, and supreme imperial dynasties across the Ancient Eight Domains had all come.
Though the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm was located in the Heavenly Wind Ancient Domain, it did not belong to any faction there. Outside the secret realm was a natural seal formed by the Great Dao of heaven and earth, while ancient rules suppressed those within. Anyone whose cultivation exceeded the Life Palace Realm was simply unable to enter.
Most strangely of all, whenever the seal on the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm opened, the realm itself chose who could enter, entirely beyond human control. Otherwise, those ancient old monsters would have claimed it for themselves long ago, allowing no one else to lay a finger on it.
Rumor had it that a Primeval Inheritance lay within the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm. The opening of the seal meant that the inheritance was choosing its successor.
Yet over the years, countless people had entered the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm one after another, but none had ever earned the inheritance's recognition. No one had even found where it lay.
This had led many to believe that it was merely a legend distorted through retelling, and that no such inheritance existed at all.
Even so, whenever the seal opened, countless chosen of heaven flocked to the realm.
What if the legend was true? If someone truly obtained an inheritance left by an ancient mighty figure, it would be enough to send them soaring into the heavens.
"Clang!"
A piercing sword cry suddenly rang through the sky. In the distance, streaks of light came hurtling across the horizon. In an instant, Sword Qi howled across the sky and shot into the clouds, while endless sword intent flowed through the heavens.
The streaks of light stopped, revealing a group of figures to the crowd.
At their head stood an extraordinary man in white robes, his hair long. Sword Qi swirled around him, and he resembled a sword towering above the heavens, radiant from end to end, seemingly releasing boundless currents of sword Dao. He stood with his hands behind his back, his pride reaching the clouds.
"Jian Wuya of the Sword Emperor Sect in the Wanxiang Ancient Domain!"
Seeing the young man clearly, along with his many followers, the crowd recognized the newcomers and immediately erupted in cries of surprise.
The Sword Emperor Sect was one of the top factions in the Wanxiang Ancient Domain. Its sect master was a human emperor of the sword Dao, renowned far and wide. Jian Wuya was an outstanding prodigy of the sect's current generation. He was said to have comprehended a sword Dao rule and possessed extraordinary strength, ranking among the Seven Peaks Sword Disciples. Who would have thought he too would come to contend for fortune when the seal on the Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm opened?
"Whoosh!"
Just then, in another direction, an endless demonic wind suddenly howled between heaven and earth, and billowing demonic clouds rolled over the void. Within them, layer upon layer of demonic silhouettes could be glimpsed dancing wildly, appearing and disappearing amid the clouds.
"Screech!"
A piercing cry rang out as a demon peng vast enough to blot out the sky swept across the heavens, followed by a roaring demon dragon. For a moment, demons danced in a frenzy, and the very heavens and earth changed color.
"The people from the Heavenly Demon Divine Court have arrived!" Many gazes flickered, and faces grew solemn.
The Demon Domain, one of the Ancient Eight Domains, had always been the realm of demonic beasts and a forbidden land for human martial cultivators. The many clans of the Demon Race had joined together to establish the Heavenly Demon Divine Court.
Although the Heavenly Demon Divine Court was only an alliance, its influence had spread across the entire Demon Domain, at least on the surface.
Of the Ancient Eight Domains, only the Demon Domain and the Asura Domain had achieved complete unification. Of course, in terms of authority, the Heavenly Demon Divine Court could not compare to the Asura Domain.
In the Asura Domain, the Asura Emperor alone reigned supreme. In the Heavenly Demon Divine Court, however, many demon emperors shared authority rather than a single person holding absolute power.
The demon peng folded its wings and descended from the sky. Beside it, the roaring demon dragon also landed. Both great demons then shifted and assumed human form.
Even in human form, however, they retained some of their demonic features.
"Ao Mo, the dragon scion of the Demon Dragon Clan, and Teng Yi, a prince of the Demon Peng Clan."
"The Demon Dragon Clan and Demon Peng Clan are the two giants of the Heavenly Demon Divine Court. Princes from both clans have actually come?"
"I heard that the dragon scion Ao Mo has already awakened his True Dragon Bloodline and has been chosen as the successor to the Demon Dragon Clan's next clan leader."
"That Teng Yi is no simple figure either. The Demon Peng Clan is said to be descended from the ancient divine beast, the Golden-Winged Great Peng. Although his bloodline isn't pure, he has already awakened a bloodline divine ability."
The arrival of the two caused another outburst of astonishment. Many people's expressions changed, and wariness showed in their eyes.
The Demon Race was savage and brutal by nature, exceedingly bloodthirsty and eager for battle. Over the years, the Heavenly Demon Divine Court had been in constant conflict with the other seven ancient domains. On the Myriad Heavens Battlefield in particular, they had slaughtered human martial cultivators on a massive scale, using exceedingly bloody and cruel methods. Human martial cultivators therefore held deep hatred for these members of the Demon Race.
Unfortunately, the Heavenly Demon Divine Court was powerful, with far more demon emperor-level experts than the other seven ancient domains. If it had not been riddled with internal conflicts and divided against itself, it would likely have threatened the other ancient domains long ago.
Ao Mo and Teng Yi stood side by side, their gazes wildly arrogant as they swept unrestrained over the surrounding crowd. Their eyes were full of provocation.
"Rumble!"
A deep peal of thunder suddenly exploded in the sky as a figure came striding through the air from afar. As the group advanced, lightning seemed to flash around them, and their bodies contained an incomparably overbearing might.
They continued forward until they reached the very front, where they stopped. One young man among them was bathed in brilliant lightning, his entire being radiating an extremely overbearing air. Faint thunder could even be heard from within his body, a truly frightening thing.
"Thunder resounding through his body, an Innate Thunder Venerable?" Countless eyes turned toward the young man, their hearts shaken, for they had thought of someone.
Heaven's Gate Palace of the Zhenlei Ancient Domain, one of the Ancient Eight Domains!
What distinguished the Zhenlei Ancient Domain most from the other ancient domains was that more than ninety percent of its martial cultivators practiced only lightning arts. Among its many clans and sects, most focused on cultivating lightning arts.
Among them, Heaven's Gate Palace was the greatest and strongest lightning-arts sect, without equal! It was said that of all the lightning arts in the eight domains, Heaven's Gate stood supreme, with none to rival it!
And among this generation of Heaven's Gate Palace disciples, there was a monstrously gifted figure of astonishing talent: Su Ting!
According to rumor, Su Ting possessed an Innate Thunder Body, and a natural phenomenon had appeared at his birth. Thunder had rumbled through the nine heavens, and wild lightning had startled the clouds. His father was an elder of Heaven's Gate Palace, so he had received the palace's full support in his cultivation from childhood and had even been taken as a personal disciple by its palace master.
Su Ting was only eighteen now, yet his cultivation had already broken through the Soul Sea Realm and reached the Life Palace Realm! Across the entire Ancient Eight Domains, those who could break through to the Life Palace Realm at such an age were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
More frightening still, Su Ting was said to have already comprehended the Thunder Rule and grasped a trace of the intent of the Great Dao of Thunder. How terrifying his strength was went without saying.
At that thought, countless hearts trembled violently. Who would have imagined that such a peerless monster would also come this time?
After stopping, Su Ting swept a glance over the wildly dancing demons before his gaze settled on Ao Mo and Teng Yi. A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
As though sensing it, Ao Mo and Teng Yi also looked toward Su Ting. Threads of ferocity then crept up from the depths of their eyes.
"What? Looking for a fight?" Ao Mo grinned, a bloodthirsty air showing on his cheeks, which were covered in patches of azure scales.
"If you want to die, I can grant your wish." Su Ting stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold.
"Oh?" The vicious light in Ao Mo's eyes flared, and his scarlet tongue slid across his lips. "Very well. I'd also like to have a taste and see what the blood of someone with this so-called Innate Thunder Body tastes like."
The gazes of the surrounding crowd flickered. The Thousand Mysteries Secret Realm had yet to open, and already a great battle was about to erupt outside it?