Leaving the battlefield and sitting alone at the summit of Kunlun, Zhang Huan held the Nether Treasure in his palm.
How can you be so strong? Impossible, it is impossible for the world to produce such a person again.
This kind of power... have you become an immortal?!
The deity was beaten to the point of having no power to resist, horrified to think that Zhang Huan had become an immortal, no longer the Emperors and Sovereigns within its understanding.
No, this is... you are walking an unprecedented path, excavating the origin of immortal power.
To it, the thirty Emperors and Sovereigns through the ages had never been taken seriously. Apart from the Imperial Venerable of that year, as well as the Undying Heavenly Emperor, who else had the ability to harm it?
Yet today its perspective changed. The person before it possessed monstrous combat strength, and had even dabbled in a part of the immortal Dao. Although he had not become an immortal, he could wield the power of the immortal Dao—how astonishing.
A faint divine sense came from within the deity. Although it was unwilling to submit, it had already fallen into Zhang Huan's hands.
Zhang Huan forcefully beat endless runes into the Nether Treasure, piercing deep into its immortal Dao origin to leave a mark.
In this way, he could be considered half its master, and no longer needed to fear it suddenly rebelling and devouring its master.
His gaze touched the immortal pool, and Zhang Huan muttered to himself.
Chaos gives birth to all things, creation is boundless, this can rival several thousand years of immortal materials.
The supreme medicine refined from the fragmented Chaos Body was also a rare find in the world. Zhang Huan did not keep it, casting the supreme medicine into the immortal pool, where it was instantly absorbed clean.
The immortal sword was still lacking a bit of innate essence from fullness. After being nurtured in these Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountain for thirty thousand years, its Dao and laws were already complete, and it only lacked that final breath to break out of the placenta.
Sitting cross-legged in Kunlun, studying the foundation of the Nether Treasure, he quietly waited for the immortal sword to be perfected and come into the world.
Compared to his tranquility, the universe was once again boiling after ten thousand years.
The shattering of Imperial Dao figures in their twilight years and suppressing an immortal artifact with sheer force was a major event. It would become an eternal topic, recorded as a myth in future classics.
The divine sons pushed from behind, and the deeds and experiences of the Great Emperor of the current era were once again praised and spread, with sages of all clans hurrying to inform one another.
Zhang Huan had already grown indifferent to worldly affairs, turning a deaf ear to the storms whipped up across the universe.
The major forbidden zones had grown deathly quiet ever since he beat the Chaos Monster to death, and Zhang Huan's combat strength left the supreme beings speechless.
The Underworld took the lead in fleeing, hiding away in the void, terrified of being tracked down and reckoned with.
Ten years later, countless wisps of immortal Qi descended peerlessly into the mortal world. The moment it appeared, it alarmed all Imperial Weapons across the boundless void.
Immortal light surged upward, scattering boundless divine brilliance. Brilliant rules flashed toward the ten directions above and below, and living beings throughout the entire universe could see it bursting forth from Kunlun, lingering for a long time without fading.
Celestial flowers fell from the sky, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, and massive auspicious portents covered the heavens and earth as if endless, with heaven and earth blessing this immortal sword.
Zhang Huan held the immortal sword in his hand. The deity was very cooperative, and he suddenly felt a spiritual connection, able to wield boundless might.
"Master."
A tender, girlish voice linked with Zhang Huan's consciousness. The deity was very happy, finally truly able to stay by its master's side.
This was a true immortal artifact, and it belonged exclusively to him.
Relying on the immortal land left behind by the Ancient Heavenly Court, hundreds of thousands of years were saved, and an immortal sword was successfully nurtured.
Zhang Huan laughed heartily. He felt that this was the happiest moment of his life, and the joy of a bountiful harvest curved the corners of his mouth.
The immortal scenery of Kunlun gradually dissipated, the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountain stopped exhaling and inhaling, and the heaven and earth essence plummeted; this place was no longer as spiritually blessed as it was previously.
Completing an immortal artifact had exhausted Kunlun's foundation. Even though it was a land of immortality, at this moment its spiritual energy had also grown thin.
Zhang Huan retrieved the dragon treasure newly condensed within the dragon mountain, stirring the grand momentum of heaven and earth across the myriad dragon veins, nurturing spirit with source art. In the future, Kunlun would still recover into an immortal land.
It might even become closer to immortality; the dragon mountain had been destroyed by the Ruthless Emperor in the past, but through his repairs, the immortal radiance it exhaled would sooner or later undergo a qualitative change.
The imperial array enveloping the entire Kunlun was not withdrawn; nested inside the ancient heavenly court's imperial array, it could conceal all activities in this place.
"The immortal sword has emerged into the world; I'll kill a few supreme beings to hone a peerless sharp blade."
For a moment, Zhang Huan's battle intent surged. He threatened the Nether Treasure to disclose the Underworld's whereabouts, for he intended to march on the Underworld and settle accounts.
According to its confession, there should have originally been three supreme beings making a move, with the Chaos Monster acting as the main force while they guarded the flanks.
Yet upon seeing Zhang Huan's strength, they tacitly sank back into slumber, none daring to harbor designs on him anymore.
The so-called turmoil was resolved invisibly, with only the Chaos Monster that rushed out first dying.
With the Nether Treasure pointing the way, coupled with Zhang Huan's divination, no matter how deeply the Underworld hid, it was useless.
The fair sword body exuded immortal light, displaying great divine might. Zhang Huan once again smashed open the gates of the Underworld, stepping into this doomed earth to start a massive slaughter.
"Brat, you go too far. Do you really intend to fight a forbidden zone to the death?"
Deep within the doomed earth, a supreme being awoke and rebuked him angrily, scolding Zhang Huan for going too far and refusing to forgive.
To take another step forward was to declare war on the Underworld, at which point several supreme beings would emerge together, and even a Great Emperor of the current era could not retreat unscathed.
Zhang Huan's eyes pierced through everything, reaching straight to that supreme being's hiding place.
Zhang Huan saw a humanoid monster growing red hair, resembling a malevolent ghost, with its whole body covered in disheveled fur.
"What kind of thing are you, daring to come and lecture me?!"
Zhang Huan sneered, slashing down with a sword. The endless doomed earth split open an unfathomable gully pointing straight into the depths.
"Boom!"
The sound of an explosion resounded through the Underworld, blasting out a surge of energy. The red-haired ghost broke out of its source to confront Zhang Huan.
Another wave of supreme aura surged, and there were two long-haired monsters covered in disheveled fur.
Origin God, Origin Ghost!
They made a move simultaneously, their source art reaching the peak of perfection. Occupying the geographical advantage, they used the thick deathly aura formed by the doomed earth over endless years to create a natural grand array, the deathly aura piercing the heavens.
Dao and laws were washing over, and rumbling sounds spread across the entire Underworld, combining with the grand array to form a peerless killing tribulation.
"Among the three of you, it must be the two of you."
Zhang Huan sneered. These two monsters and that Chaos Monster were of the same kind and naturally had an extraordinary relationship. Now that they were jumping out in such a hurry, they most likely harbored fear in their hearts and wanted to drag the entire Underworld down to give themselves courage.
He held back no mercy. Wielding the Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure in one hand to form a barrier, he used it to fend off the Underworld's deathly aura. Streaks of sword light hacked down, beating the two ghosts until they could not breathe.
In this Underworld, he did not fear accidentally injuring living beings, so he completely unleashed his hands and feet to slaughter.
The two ghosts retreated in tandem. Being struck even once by the sword light caused them to drop half a fraction of their aura, and within a few breaths it was difficult for them to even maintain the Imperial Dao Domain, struggling to fight against Zhang Huan any longer.
"We surrender! We surrender! Spare our lives!"
Origin God screamed at the top of its lungs. It had a premonition in the dark, believing that if they fought like this, it would truly lose its life.
This Great Emperor of the current era's Dao was far too profound and terrifyingly evil, capable of even intercepting lifespan, countering it to the death. It no longer had any intention of continuing to fight him.
No wonder the Chaos Monster died so quickly; if it were to end up in his shoes, the outcome would most likely be the same as the other party's!
"You say you surrender, wouldn't that mean I wasted a beating on you?"
Zhang Huan's face was cold, and he had no intention of stopping.
"I am proficient in source art, and have found many rare treasures hard to come by in ten thousand years. I am willing to offer them all, only begging the Great Emperor to stop the bloodshed."
A trace of heartache appeared on Origin God's face. As it spoke, it reached out toward the depths of the Underworld, and instantly a massive amount of divine objects were pulled forth, flying out to land before Zhang Huan. Shimmering in various colors, all kinds of rare treasures were readily available.
The light emitted by the divine objects even overshadowed the sun, shining as brightly as individual stars, forming a five-colored spectacle as far as the eye could see.
"Your life seems a bit too cheap. Besides, if I kill you, won't these things still be mine?"
Zhang Huan did not take a fancy to these things. Although they were items Origin God had dug up one by one and were incomparably rare, he was not interested; combined, they weren't even as precious as supreme blood.
"This—"
Origin God was in a difficult spot. While it hesitated, Origin Ghost opened his mouth and said, "We can produce an immortal medicine, along with emperor-grade divine materials, hoping to appease the Great Emperor's wrath."
He was very decisive, emptying out the two ghosts' family fortunes in exchange for being spared, which made Origin God feel a sharp pang of heartache.
This time they were truly cutting off their own flesh. Every single item they produced had a grand provenance, representing the accumulation of the two ghosts over countless years, and now they were giving them away for nothing.
At this moment, several other supreme beings stood up to back the two ghosts, speaking pleasant words and promising various conditions to beg Zhang Huan to spare them. After all, they were people of the same nest; it was impossible for them to stand by and watch them die.
"They once launched a sneak attack on me. Although it was unsuccessful, they had once harbored this thought."
Zhang Huan still did not plan to let them off. If they had the ability, they could let the supreme beings of the Underworld come out together; he wanted to bathe in imperial blood.
Both ghosts trembled all over with cold from fright. With the strength Zhang Huan had displayed, he truly wasn't alarmist; if he really wanted to start a massive massacre, the Underworld would be in peril.
Thinking of this, they couldn't help but feel regret. Had they known, they wouldn't have tried to match wits and pride with that old Chaos Monster; now things were as distressing as being trapped beasts.
Prison Suppressing Emperor pondered for a moment and slowly spoke.
"This matter is the Underworld's fault. Not only will we compensate you, but we can also make a move together to forge a supreme law for your descendants."
"No matter the level of their realm or the youth of their seniority, all living beings of the Underworld shall jointly revere your lineage."
"All your direct disciples will be on equal footing with the various Imperial Dao figures, capable of commanding the myriad ghosts, enjoying the boundless creation of the Underworld, and being enfeoffed as the Nether Supreme Emperor."
"Are you satisfied with this?"
Prison Suppressing Emperor spoke. He was also attacking the heart; generally, Great Emperors in their twilight years were thinking of seeking blessings and shelter for their descendants, and he reckoned Zhang Huan was no exception.
After all, he had also experienced it himself, bringing many people into the Underworld, and Zhang Huan also had his own faction, the Demonic Court.
They were truly playing their cards hard. Since ancient times, no one had ever received such a distinction; no matter who Zhang Huan's descendants were, they could be on equal footing with the emperors and jointly rule the Underworld.
It could guarantee the eternal peace of his lineage; as long as the Underworld did not perish, this lineage would exist forever.
It was even higher than the resources and specifications enjoyed by the imperial sons of supreme forces.
"Does the order you issue hold true for yourselves? What if you revoke it in the future? Do you dare to swear a heavy oath and be willing to be bound by it?"
Zhang Huan was somewhat tempted. The conditions offered by the Underworld were indeed generous—soil of all things, chaos divine materials, and immortal medicine; they had truly taken out their entire family fortune.
"A binding covenant will be established between supreme beings, and we will never excessively interfere with your lineage. If violated, the Imperial Dao Law will backlash."
"I am not at ease; I must participate to ensure you have sufficient restrictive efficacy, and Origin God and Origin Ghost must carve down restrictions."
"They have already harbored the intent to kill me, and after this battle, resentment will inevitably arise in the future. I need to leave restrictions upon their divine souls to guard against the unexpected."
"Very well, but it cannot be a restriction like enslavement; it can only affect their activities, at most preventing them from resisting."
Zhang Huan was very satisfied. Such restrictions were more than enough. He came before the two ghosts and reached out to grab their divine souls.
Even though the two ghosts were resentful, they still silently endured it without resisting. Their strength was inadequate, and they didn't even have the right to decide their own fate, having to obey the arrangements of Prison Suppressing Emperor and Zhang Huan.
At least their lives were saved, and the two ghosts breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.
Subsequently, all the supreme beings of the Underworld awakened, condensing an imperial decree with Zhang Huan using the Imperial Dao Law. Emitting golden light, they jointly bound its contents and completed the enfeoffment under Zhang Huan's supervision.
This restriction was not just black and white on paper; it genuinely had Imperial Dao efficacy and could not be fooled.
Using the Dao as a carrier, it connected to the depths of everyone's souls. Zhang Huan also personally participated, leaving behind contingency measures and directly taking the imperial decree away.
Should the supreme beings fail to abide by the contract, Zhang Huan had methods to ensure they would at least suffer heavy backlash from it.
He asked the two ghosts who the remaining person was that had also attempted to launch turmoil but failed, and they pointed their spears toward the Divine Ruins.
That person's lifespan was running out and they needed to launch turmoil to make up for their life essence, otherwise they would die in the forbidden zone within a few thousand years.
They were very honest, having been beaten into submission and with their divine souls constrained, immediately spilling everything about that person's background.
"So that's how it is. Their lifespan is running out—no wonder they were so impatient, plotting demonic arts on one side and scheming for emperor blood on the other."
Zhang Huan nodded, casting a glance to signal that their lives were spared. The two ghosts repeatedly expressed their gratitude and immediately fled out of sight.
His sparing the two ghosts' lives was not because he was truly moved by the Underworld, but because he intended to keep them for sustainable harvesting in the future.
He still remembered the red hair he saw in the past when cutting stones; an immortal treasure possessing a flying immortal spectacle had been stolen by them without a sound.
The two ghosts had a deep attainments in source art and loved searching for treasures between heaven and earth, making them the best wealth-seeking boys.
Keeping them to work for Zhang Huan would bring surprises of a bountiful harvest in the future.
The mark he had inflicted was not so easily erased; as long as the restriction remained for a single day, the two ghosts could not escape his control.
Zhang Huan put away the immortal sword.
Seeing this, the various supreme beings settled down to sleep in peace, and Origin God and Origin Ghost also successively sealed themselves. Zhang Huan was the only emperor left awake in the Underworld.
They promised Zhang Huan many benefits, handing over more than one supreme scripture related to Great Emperors, all left in the depths of the Underworld for Zhang Huan to comprehend on his own.
At this moment, he also held a title in the Underworld, jointly ruling the Underworld with the ancient emperors, and legitimately wandering deep within the doomed earth.
These supreme beings were calculating quite shrewdly, wanting to pull Zhang Huan's lineage into the Underworld and turn enemies into friends.
Yet in their wildest dreams they would never have expected that Zhang Huan's "descendants" were no one else, but Zhang Huan himself.
Eating the sweet dates sent by the Underworld now, and seizing the Underworld's family fortune in the future—returning the sugar-coated cannonballs in full after peeling off the candy coating—such a development would definitely cause the supreme beings of the Underworld to vomit blood, swallowing a bitter pill of their own making.
Ordering the Underworld Lord to lead the way, Zhang Huan shuttled among the ancient stelae, examining them one by one.
He had long wanted to explore the secrets here.
The ancient stelae contained not only the inheritances and insights of many predecessors, but also various secrets of ancient history. Only a place like the Underworld, which had existed alongside the world, could completely preserve these.
"The Harmony Flower, it once appeared in the Primeval Age! It helped an obscure figure become an Emperor!"
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