Immortal Flame

Zhang Huan selected a few seeds with good temperaments to keep.

Cultivation was secondary; character had to be guaranteed, and the number of people couldn't be too large.

Some people would be chosen to stay here, and if any changes occurred in the future, they could be of use without waking the Hegemon Body.

The Demonic Court's headquarters was filled with countless opportunities, and future powerhouses would surely covet them, as would the Supreme Dao forces.

With their predatory nature, they were capable of anything and would rack their brains to obtain the Demonic Court's fortunes.

Zhang Huan passed down the legacy of Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerate, warning those who stayed to examine themselves thrice daily, cultivate their Dao and nurture their hearts, and not fall into karmic hindrance.

Their descendants must also do the same, cultivating their bodies and minds, and comprehending the essence and spirit within Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerate's Dao methods.

Cultivating in such a holy land of cultivation, their future achievements and those of their descendants need not be worried about; what they should guard against is the change of human hearts.

He specifically chose Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerate's Dao methods for these people to cultivate. This renowned pioneer of the Dao was most suited for opening wisdom and clarifying principles.

He also established rules that could not be changed: the leader of each generation would not be judged by cultivation, but by righteousness.

He did not take the Ginseng Fruit Tree away, leaving it behind, only picking some of its fruits and branches.

Along with the Demonic Court's last collected Divine Materials and treasures, they were placed in the depths of the Heavenly Palace, to be retrieved by him in the future.

The rarest items had already been taken by him. The remaining ones were at most materials for Saint Weapons. If they planned to establish a sect in the future, these Divine Treasures could be of use.

With the Hegemon Body here, items like the Immortal Medicine could be kept safe.

Zhang Huan flew into the void and recast the cauldron using Emperor Power. Nine-Colored Immortal Gold flew out from his sleeve and melted into the cauldron, emitting colorful radiance and auspicious phenomena.

This Azure Gold Cauldron had not been refined since he became a Great Emperor, and it had never evolved. It no longer matched his strength.

Now that it was to be left behind to guard the Demonic Court and prevent turmoil alongside the Great Accomplishment Hegemon Body, Zhang Huan naturally had to refine it as strongly as possible.

Having obtained a lot of Immortal Gold from the Bronze Immortal Palace, Zhang Huan took out most of it. Under the Heart of Heaven's blessing, he activated the profound meanings of the Immortal Gold with his own Dao.

The Great Dao Heavenly Sound chimed like bells, and the Supreme Dao laws surged like an abyss, shaking the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. The tempering sound was like the collapse of the great universe, deep and muffled, with bursts of clanging that enveloped the world.

Zhang Huan poured in the essence of the Heaven-Severing Dao from his entire life. The Nine-Colored Emperor Cauldron took shape, flowing with ultimate Dao rhythm. Several profound meanings of the Immortal Gold had been activated, shining brightly and emitting mysterious Dao patterns.

The remaining Immortal Gold also revealed traces of divine brilliance, its profound meanings gradually revealing themselves. Perhaps in ten thousand years, or perhaps longer, the profound meanings within the Immortal Gold would eventually be fully activated.

"It's not bad, after all, it's just borrowing heavenly mandate to forcibly stimulate the profound meanings within the Immortal Gold."

Zhang Huan murmured, looking at the Great Dao light within the Immortal Gold and observing the Origin Source symbols.

He arrived at a desolate border and controlled the Emperor Cauldron to attack, shattering dead stars and black holes.

After a simple test, the Emperor Cauldron's power had increased significantly compared to before, not only in hardness but also in its dominance and might in controlling the Dao.

Although it was not an Immortal Artifact, it was stronger than most Supreme Emperor Weapons and should be able to contend with several of them without issue.

If the Nine-Colored Immortal Gold were allowed to evolve with time, the Emperor Cauldron would also grow. If they were to merge in the future, it might not be impossible for it to ascend to the level of an Immortal Artifact.

In the future, it would definitely become a great killing weapon, capable of at least fighting a Supreme Being to the death alongside the Hegemon Body.

Zhang Huan gave some instructions to the Deity, such as specifically monitoring the lifespan of Supreme Beings, not waking the Hegemon Body unless absolutely necessary when attacked, and purifying any remaining people in the Demonic Court who harbored malicious intentions.

The Nine-Colored Immortal Cauldron responded with a sound, indicating that it had understood, and then transformed into a stream of light, actively guarding the great hall above the Heavenly Palace.

An Emperor Weapon is a continuation of a Great Emperor's life; this saying was not without reason. Zhang Huan had learned almost everything from his first life.

Nodding, Zhang Huan set up several more protective barriers using Origin Arts, disrupted the heavenly secrets, and concealed this star in the starry sky.

He stepped onto the golden path for the last time, with chains of order unfolding beneath his feet, stretching into the vast sea of stars.

All beings paid homage, looking up at the Great Emperor's departure. There was less reverence in their eyes than before. Birth, aging, sickness, and death were unavoidable, even for a Great Emperor who had suppressed the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

Everyone knew that the Demonic Court had been abolished within a hundred years. This was clearly a sign, indicating that this Great Emperor was about to reach his end.

"He might be choosing a place for himself to rest and sleep eternally,"

Some Sages speculated, sighing heavily.

Time was a knife that even the Ancient Great Emperors could not escape, their brilliance fading, forcing them to seek dragon veins and bury themselves, which was lamentable.

"Look quickly, is he going to the Emperor Burial Star?"

The voice was like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, as the Big Dipper's reputation was too great, known to all.

It was very special. It was said to be the resting place of various Forbidden Zones, and Ancient Great Emperors of all generations had established their Dao traditions here, and were also buried here after death.

Some people's hearts pounded, hoping that the worst speculation would not come true.

"It's the Primordial Ancient Mine, he's gone in! Heavens, will this era witness the catastrophe of the dragon slayer eventually becoming a dragon?"

A Great Saint cried out in grief, terrified and immediately fleeing the Big Dipper star field, fearing that turmoil would descend upon them. Hiding in the void offered a sliver of hope.

Supreme Beings in their later years had at most two choices: to pass away or to self-sever. Self-severing the immortal platform and falling from the Emperor realm allowed for self-sealing with immortal source, extending their lifespan considerably.

If they self-severed, to compensate for the lost blood essence, the Great Emperor might even initiate turmoil on the spot.

The thoughts of such beings were as unfathomable as heavenly might. They could do anything in a single thought. Even if they had personally quelled turmoil, under the temptation of eternal life, it was not impossible for them to turn into malevolent dragons.

During the time he was speculating, Zhang Huan had already obtained two Primordial Life Stones from the Primordial Ancient Mine.

Under his powerful threat, even the Supreme Beings had to compromise, not daring to truly fight him to the death.

"Then what are you afraid of? I haven't self-severed yet."

Zhang Huan looked out at the mass of figures fleeing through the void, shaking his head.

His voice echoed throughout the star domain, causing the sages who had been trying to hide to feel ashamed, understanding the meaning behind Zhang Huan's words.

Next, Zhang Huan entered the Immortal Mountain and the Divine Ruins one by one, extorting quite a few immortal treasures.

"Forbidden Zones are truly good places; you can get a lot of gold coins without even fighting."

Zhang Huan said sheepishly, regretting that he didn't own a Forbidden Zone himself, so he couldn't continuously produce gold coins.

If only he could conquer one.

The Supreme Being heard this and snorted coldly, angered, but chose to ignore him. Seeing Zhang Huan's frail, aged appearance, he figured he wouldn't live much longer and decided not to bother with him.

Zhang Huan strode forward and stopped in a star domain. This place had a dragon vein, suitable for a tomb. He immediately dispelled his golden light and vanished.

Another hundred years passed. The Heart of Heaven imprint became unstable and no longer harmonized with the universe. Zhang Huan's Dao began to dissipate, and the great universe's suppression descended.

Heaven and Earth sensed this, giving rise to anomalies. An era where one suppressed all Daos came to an end. Everyone knew that the Ancient Great Emperor had passed away.

Some rejoiced, while others grieved. The Supreme Beings in the Forbidden Zones felt this aura and awoke one by one, all letting out a sigh of relief.

"That Ruthless Emperor is finally dead. Over thirty thousand years, he extorted a lot from me, and even extorted more before he died."

A Supreme Being said fiercely, holding a grudge in his heart.

For years, no one had dared to threaten him like that, yet Zhang Huan had come to extort him repeatedly.

Whether to give or not to give, intimidated by Zhang Huan's ability to easily kill an Imperial Dao Supreme Being, they could only grudgingly endure it each time. They had suffered enough over the years.

"The aura feels wrong. Why is the suppression from Heaven and Earth so weak after his passing?"

"Indeed. The Great Dao suppression usually lasts for tens of thousands of years. Looking at the current situation, it won't even last five thousand years."

"He probably weakened the suppression through some method, but the traces of the Heart of Heaven's dissipation are not fake. He has definitely passed away."

"Hmph, he's still trying to mess with us even after death. Damn Demonic Emperor."

Whether there was an Emperor in the world or not was very important to them, concerning the safety of the Forbidden Zones and their plans for turmoil.

Some Supreme Beings, because there was an Emperor in the outside world, could not initiate turmoil and thus waited to die in the Forbidden Zones.

"We can't wait any longer. The method for eternal life has been abolished by the Demonic Emperor. If we don't emerge soon to consume the essence of life, we won't survive the next Ancient Great Emperor."

A divine sense from the Divine Ruins said, filled with the vicissitudes of time. His lifespan was already running out, and he had to seize this opportunity to replenish his Blood Essence.

He couldn't wait. Five thousand years was too short for them. If another Human Race Ancient Great Emperor appeared, they would have to wait another twenty thousand years.

If it weren't for the Demonic Emperor's lingering presence, he would have initiated turmoil long ago.

He had originally planned to cultivate his son into an alternative enlightened being, using Demonic Cultivation Methods to transform him into his other self.

But who knew that the Demonic Emperor would personally arrive, specifically for this matter? He could only execute this disobedient entity, replenishing a small amount of Blood Essence. Now, he had no other options.

Although he was quite wary of this Demonic Emperor, he was dead in the end. He couldn't worry about it anymore.

Just as the Supreme Being was about to emerge, a divine sense transmitted, advising him to give up and weigh the pros and cons.

Emerging at this moment would likely result in him being forced to pass away!

He analyzed with reason and evidence, stating that someone like the Demonic Emperor would have undoubtedly foreseen the situation and left behind contingency plans.

Just among those they knew of, there was a fully enlightened Hegemon Body, plus other means left by the Demonic Emperor. A single Supreme Being would likely not gain any advantage and would be beaten to the point of being unable to bear it, dying on the spot.

"So what? My Primordial Spirit is already decaying. Even if I don't emerge, I will die!"

He had no choice. Knowing that the Demonic Emperor had contingency plans to guard against Supreme Beings, he still had to go out and fight, otherwise, he could only wait for death.

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment. It's not too late to wait for that Demonic Emperor. In three thousand years, we will emerge together.

With two of us rising together to cause turmoil, even if the Demonic Emperor left behind contingency plans, it would be useless.

We will drink the lifeblood of the Hegemon Body, find the Demonic Emperor's lair, and destroy his corpse and erase his name."

The owner of the divine sense also came from the Divine Ruins, cunningly calculating. He planned to seize an Immortal Artifact during this opportunity and, at the same time, initiate a Dark Turmoil.

To prevent the Demonic Emperor from faking his death like Void, he proposed waiting another three thousand years. When the time came, the two of them would emerge together.

Joining forces would reduce the risk, and they could drink the blood of a fully enlightened Hegemon Body together. The other Supreme Being was immediately moved and agreed to the proposal.

There were also Supreme Beings who were moved but hesitated and did not join. They could endure and did not need to take this risk.

The divine senses from the Forbidden Zones gradually faded, eventually returning to silence.

On the other side of the universe, Zhang Huan gazed at the Big Dipper. After a long while, no Supreme Beings emerged, and he shrugged with some regret.

The fish didn't bite.

But it didn't matter. He had plenty of time to wait slowly.

He had deliberately abandoned the Heart of Heaven, fully integrating his Dao into himself, feigning "passing away." This was intended to lure out the Supreme Beings who wanted to initiate turmoil.

He learned from the Underworld that the Divine Ruins Supreme Being who had wanted to surround and kill him was nearing the end of his lifespan and likely wouldn't be able to wait much longer.

At least one would emerge during this window of opportunity.

"Let's see who can outlast whom. If you have the guts, don't come out, and just wait to die in the Forbidden Zone."

Zhang Huan's eyes were as calm as an ancient well. He raised his eyebrows and absorbed all the pure immortal energy from the Sea of Suffering. His depleted Blood Essence gradually returned.

This immortal energy was obtained from the Bronze Immortal Palace. For an ordinary person, consuming it could extend their lifespan by over ten thousand years.

Zhang Huan calculated that, combined with his own two thousand years of lifespan and supplemented by longevity secret arts, he should still be able to live for another five thousand years.

Five thousand years was roughly the same duration as the Great Dao suppression period, enough for him to hold on until the era of the next Great Emperor.

Setting off again, he didn't alert anyone this time, changing his appearance and disguising himself as a middle-aged cultivator.

Still in the Big Dipper, he first headed to the Fire Domain.

Here, there was a ball of Immortal Flame, burning fiercely, which had never been extinguished since his arrival.

It was very mysterious, known as one of the few rare items related to immortals. It had a great reputation, and many Great Emperors and Sovereigns had studied it since ancient times.

Yet, no one had ever figured anything out about it.

The nine-colored flame was dreamlike and illusory, surging with wisps of mist, sacred and inviolable.

Zhang Huan stepped into the ninth layer of the Fire Domain, observing the Immortal Flame up close.

The so-called Fire Domain was merely formed by the symbolic representations emitted from its Origin Source, which transformed into terrifying multicolored flames.

Zhang Huan conjured an energy palm and touched the Immortal Flame. In less than a few breaths, it was reduced to ashes by the flame.

That palm was protected by Imperial Dao laws, yet it was burned away just like that. This flame could even injure an Emperor.

Could this be the Origin Source of a true immortal-level flame?

Zhang Huan speculated that it likely was. It was constantly emitting energy, and only immortal power could achieve such endless vitality.

If it were a flame from the human domain, even if it were formed by a Sovereign, it couldn't have burned for such an extended period.

Zhang Huan meditated on the Immortal Flame here, attempting to understand its secrets. However, unlike an Immortal Artifact, it had no discernible patterns. Studying it was truly arduous, and he couldn't glimpse the truly valuable immortal symbols within.

Zhang Huan sat in meditation for three hundred years, gaining very little. Like the Great Emperors who had tried to probe the mysteries of the Immortal Flame in the past, he fell into a sort of quagmire, unable to research anything significant.

He had spent most of his life studying the Bronze Immortal Palace, and then obtained Nether Treasures and an immortal sword. He was confident that he had made some research progress on the immortal Dao from the inscriptions on these three Immortal Artifacts.

Now, however, like all the ancient Emperors, he couldn't see through the essence of this Immortal Flame, only managing to study some superficial aspects.

"Must I learn from Gai Jiuyou in later generations and risk merging with it to glimpse some of its mysteries from its Origin Source?"

Zhang Huan pondered softly. This Immortal Flame held great secrets. Perhaps his realm was insufficient, or perhaps the time was not yet right, preventing him from achieving his desire. He couldn't research the secrets within its Origin Source for the time being.

He didn't take the risk, feeling it wasn't worth it. He stopped studying the Immortal Flame and retreated from the Fire Domain.

Anyway, it was here, existing eternally. When he had the strength in the future, he would continue to study it. One day, he would unravel its secrets.

"Let's go explore somewhere else. The Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land sounds good."