Undying Heavenly Emperor

Zhang Huan observed the Immortal Dao Symbols on the tower body.

He did not speak his inner thoughts aloud, so as not to become tainted with the invisible karma between heaven and earth.

The Desolate Pagoda Deity did not intend to communicate, and had not awakened from beginning to end.

Perhaps only when someone truly connected with it arrived would it cease to be cold and utter a few secrets of the era.

Zhang Huan knew the hidden details within. Its origins were astonishing, tracing directly back to Chaos Ancient and relating to that person.

If he could not take it away, he would not forcefully seize it; studying the origin of the Immortal Dao was also a fine harvest.

Possessing a Golden Finger, before he had sufficiently formidable strength, he would not forcefully contact such an entity that could pierce through all of his own secrets with a single glance.

It was best to let nature take its course; being too deliberate would only reveal flaws.

Even if the other party might not harbor malice, there was no guarantee that other beings would not covet it.

In the later eras, Quasi-Immortal Emperors were as common as dogs and Immortal Emperors walked everywhere.

There were even sacrificial-grade beings Above the Heavens and in the plateau who harbored interest in Chaos Ancient, which had stirred the winds and clouds across several eras, with too many eyes fixed on him.

Perhaps an enemy, or perhaps another faction, while researching Chaos Ancient, glanced hurriedly, cast their gaze onto him, and discovered this ant.

With a single thought, they would peel back the layers, trace the source back to the beginning, and capture him while he was still growing directly within the River of Time.

Such mighty power was too absurd, yet there truly were beings capable of it; compared to them, Great Emperors were mere ants without the slightest power to resist.

Perhaps no one would discover him, and the things he imagined would not happen, but Zhang Huan did not dare to wager his life.

In the fantasy world, cultivators did not care about human rights; weakness was the original sin.

In this regard, humans and immortals were no different. An immortal was merely a powerful human, possessing the same desires.

Zhang Huan sat at the side of the Desolate Pagoda, his eyes condensing Emperor Power as he tried his utmost to fathom the origin of the Desolate Pagoda.

Unlike other immortal artifacts, its Immortal Dao Laws were far denser, and its intertwined textures contained an extremely profound Dao and philosophy.

The three immortal artifacts Zhang Huan had studied and the fragmentary Immortal Ascension Cauldron had not evolved this deeper profundity, and looking upon it gave him a different sensation.

Perhaps the rumor that it had suppressed immortals to death was not groundless; it was more extraordinary than other immortal artifacts.

After a moment, Zhang Huan closed his eyes, carefully recreating the Dao marks of the Desolate Pagoda in his mind.

At that moment, two Saint Spirits respectfully offered the Pantao Immortal Tree, panting as they carried it over together with several kinds of immortal gold and divine materials.

They were subordinates of a Perfection Saint Spirit; the Divine Ruins not only had supremes dormant, but also several Perfection Saint Spirits.

Later generations' Green Emperor had suppressed and killed two Perfection Saint Spirits of the Divine Ruins when he "snatched" away the Desolate Pagoda.

Storing away the immortal tree and other items, Zhang Huan traveled deep into the Divine Ruins, and no one dared to interfere.

The supremes reached a tacit understanding; even when Zhang Huan took the initiative to seize various divine spring eyes and other Heaven and Earth Essence, they did not grow angry, remaining in a deathlike slumber.

Zhang Huan was happy to see this, forcefully commanding the Saint Spirits to plunder the Divine Ruins clean.

He did not pick and choose as long as it was useful to him, taking away even the dilapidated palaces, including the Southern Heavenly Gate, all falling into his pocket.

In an instant, the Divine Ruins became barren, plucked clean of all hair, with not even grass growing, resembling a wasteland.

The Saint Spirits wore sorrowful expressions, yet dared not harbor the slightest grievance, personally offering up their own family fortune.

The Divine Ruins grew much emptier, its environment plummeting drastically, inferior even to certain holy lands, and nearly resembling ruins.

From then on, Zhang Huan studied the Desolate Pagoda, sitting quietly for three hundred years. Although it had an owner, he could still see traces of the Immortal Dao, reaping profound benefits.

One day, Zhang Huan felt a stir in his heart and awoke from his state of enlightenment.

He had left a backup plan earlier, hiding the Nether Treasure on the battlefield so that he could be informed of any movement at the first possible moment.

After all this time, the person in hiding could finally endure it no longer, and came out to stealthily investigate.

The fish had taken the bait; it was a great shark that fed on supremes.

"I will come to visit the Desolate Pagoda again in the future. I hope the Divine Ruins knows what is good for it and does not harbor any thoughts of fleeing into the void."

Before leaving, Zhang Huan admonished the supremes once more, warning them to behave themselves.

Where could they flee to? It would merely cause Zhang Huan to expend a little more effort, and once found, a fierce battle would be unavoidable.

Staying right here, although a bit stifling, could at least ensure peace and safety.

Zhang Huan silently returned to the place where the two supreme beings were slaughtered.

Sweeping his gaze along, a five-colored immortal saber was stealthily patrolling the battlefield, missing not a single detail as it traced the great battle that had once taken place here.

It concealed its aura, acting low-key, not wishing to alert anyone.

Zhang Huan knew that this old thing Undying had ultimately not been able to resist the temptation and wanted to make a move against him.

At this moment, the Heavenly Blade was investigating his methods to evaluate his strength.

If it could win, it might even manufacture a fake Path of Immortality to lure him into a trap in his later years.

Undying Heavenly Emperor, one of the greatest masterminds of this realm, extremely adept at staying hidden.

Utilizing his phoenix nirvana trait, coupled with bathing in the blood of ancient emperors and great emperors, he had lived from primeval times for several million years.

He loved to ambush great emperors in their twilight years, always hiding behind the scenes, surviving through extreme caution, and proving the Dao to become a Mortal Immortal.

Given the strength Zhang Huan displayed, as long as the emperor was not in slumber, he would most likely harbor designs.

Zhang Huan concealed his form, simply watching the Heavenly Blade wander the battlefield.

From time to time, it captured traces that had yet to dissipate, deducing with secret techniques in an attempt to restore the entire course of the battle.

Yet it was merely a weapon, but its deity could act like a person, executing all sorts of secret techniques and divine abilities.

It had walked far enough down the path of artifacts; no second such weapon could be found in the world. Growing alongside the Undying Heavenly Emperor, it possessed unfathomable divine might.

In essence, it was little different from an immortal artifact, lacking only that crucial final step.

Should they engage in battle, even supremes could not rival it unless they sublimated to the utmost.

Zhang Huan did not make a move against it; as the Heavenly Blade tore through the void to cross over, he followed right behind it.

The star domains transformed into dots of light and vanished in an instant. Both man and blade possessed the speed of the world, crossing the void in a flash and arriving at a sealed barrier.

It did not seek out the Undying Heavenly Emperor, arriving alone at the edge of the universe.

This place was sealed by formations, undiscoverable by outsiders.

Entering the field of view were piles of various divine materials stacked like mountains.

Five Creation Spring Eyes surged, their divine radiance illuminating a realm of the universe.

Rich Heaven and Earth Essence continuously poured into a stone egg that radiated astonishing life aura.

It was Undying's second son; by now, its life level alone surpassed most beings in the universe.

When it sucked dry the spring essence and emerged in perfection, its potential would undoubtedly shock the world.

Undying pinned high hopes on it, cultivating it with all his might, hoping to stride side by side with him, father and son returning home together.

Zhang Huan watched from a distance for a moment, and decisively made a move!

This old fox Undying was hidden too deeply, leaving not a single trace to be found, and he had not bothered searching.

However, Undying's second son and these five Creation Spring Eyes had traces to follow; following the Heavenly Blade naturally led him straight there.

Creation Spring Eyes were rare creations in this world, and the entire universe could not produce even a few.

If he could forge his foundation with them, Zhang Huan felt that becoming an emperor in five hundred years would be as easy as drinking water.

Rending a spatial rift, Zhang Huan fiercely struck out with a palm, Chaos Qi lingering around his body, pressing down on the Heavenly Blade with overwhelming force.

He was entirely certain he could handle the Undying Heavenly Blade alone.

"Who dares to violate the Heavenly Emperor's majesty?"

The Heavenly Blade deity shouted, turning murderous in an instant, its energy surging like world creation, the five-colored immortal gold blending together and shining with dazzling light.

Its very first instinct was to protect that egg.

Zhang Huan stepped upon the Movement Secret, taking a step that stagnated time, contending for the immortal egg almost simultaneously with it.

Furthermore, he entangled with the Heavenly Blade using the Nether Treasure Immortal Sword. Under the suppression of the two immortal artifacts, no matter how heaven-defying the Heavenly Blade was, it lacked the power to protect its young master.

"This Dao rhyme... It is you!"

The Heavenly Blade deity was shaken, never expecting that just after probing the other's foundation, the opponent would catch up immediately.

The emperor of this era was terrifyingly strong; not only did he slaughter supremes like the Heavenly Emperor, but it had not even sensed the traces of being tracked.

It felt a crisis after a long, long time, and a sense of urgency rose within its heart.

The opponent had come prepared, striking to kill instantly and showing no mercy. A single blade could not withstand four fists, and it would ultimately perish.

One emperor plus two immortal artifacts—there was no worse situation than this.

"Want to take me down? In your dreams, ah—"

The deity roared, forcing out a drop of prime essence blood. This was a trump card left behind by the Heavenly Emperor, capable of recreating the Heavenly Emperor's strongest strike.

Unless absolutely forced, the Heavenly Blade would not use it; doing so would not only render it weak for a long time, but even the Heavenly Emperor would be implicated.

Burning its natal essence blood, it released terrifying energy, and heaven-sweeping fluctuations erupted, engulfing the frontier lands.

Undying's Dao was reviving. The Great Dao sensed it, auras filled the sky, and countless imprints emerged from the blood, temporarily resisting the attacks of the two immortal artifacts.

In a myriad of instants, the Heavenly Blade took the second son and desperately cut through everything in its path.

The blade radiance was destructive, as if reopening heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, even the Dao was wiped out, and the Heavenly Blade charged straight toward the distant Chaotic Stars.

Zhang Huan was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, using the Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure to suppress the essence blood with all his might, applying heavy seals to prevent it from continuing to burn.

The Nether Treasure even sparked from the burning, and the deity bared its teeth, expending nine bulls and two tigers of effort to isolate it within its body.

"The Heavenly Emperor's essence blood... good stuff."

Zhang Huan's eyes lit up. Trading Undying's second son for a drop of essence blood was a massive profit for him—simply an unexpected windfall.

If he could study Undying's secrets from this drop of blood, Undying would lose all his advantages henceforth and be seen right through.

And if he were to gift it to the Primordial Ancient Mine, perhaps soon enough there would be the shocking scene of a dozen supremes emerging together.

The Heavenly Emperor's Dao had yet to go dormant. Although it was just for a fleeting moment, the traces were still manifested externally, and a supreme could tell at a glance.

At that time, someone would likely already begin to grow suspicious.

The Creation Spring Eyes had not had time to be destroyed, and the Heavenly Blade had fled in a rush, abandoning them here along with the remaining divine materials.

"Will it go to Mars? Should I camp out and wait for another wave?"

Zhang Huan stared into the starry sky, his inner calculations spinning endlessly.

If he could bathe in Undying's blood, he could outlast even Wushi!

Mars had still been a cultivation holy land in the distant past.

Later, Undying plotted behind the scenes, causing a Primeval Divine War to break out here, killing countless people, shattering several supreme artifacts, and spilling imperial blood across the river of stars.

He might not have left after seizing the imperial blood, remaining here in nirvana ever since.

Until later generations' Wushi Bell sought it out, dragging him into the Exotic World together with Ye Fan.

"Having lived for so long, which generation must this be for Undying?"

Zhang Huan could not make up his mind, feeling it was at least the fourth or fifth.

Mars was also his home turf. Whether he could take him down if his state in this current era was good was up for debate, after all, Undying was deeply versed in the art of hiding.

More importantly, intentionally seeking out his hiding place might startle him into transferring his main body, which would be a loss that outweighed the gain.

Better to let Wushi play it out with him, and when he transformed into a Mortal Immortal in later generations, he would reap the harvest elsewhere.

Returning to the small mountain beside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, Zhang Huan refined the five Creation Spring Eyes. The immortal liquid was sparkling and dripped with brilliance, suffused with a hazy primal creation aura.

"Two have already been sucked dry and are useless. The remainder amounts to only two and a half."

Zhang Huan sighed in regret, feeling it was a pity; these should all have been his.

Over the long years, the various spring eyes had leaked much essence, and now, by any calculation, only half remained.

He knew not when the Heavenly Emperor had found them to purify the immortal phoenix's two sons.

Cooking and refining the immortal liquid, he squeezed the remaining four dry, leaving only the final spring eye that still possessed the most complete vitality.

Zhang Huan tossed it into the immortal pool he had long prepared, fusing it with immortal medicines and other divine materials.

Essence Qi permeated the air. Inhaling a single breath was enough for a mortal to open their Wheel Sea and tap into human potential.

Using the Creation Spring Eye as the carrier, blending various creations and supplementing them with the full essence blood of an Imperial Dao figure, the great medicine refined from this would be the most precious immortal liquid in the world.

Zhang Huan sealed the immortal pool, not rushing to refine it yet, as the final main ingredient had yet to be harvested.

Saint Spirit blood could be used to refine medicine, possessing the effect of cleansing the marrow and shedding mortal shell, serving as heaven-defying Heaven and Earth Essence.

Furthermore, the blood of a Perfection Saint Spirit was of immeasurable value; a single drop could revive the dead and regenerate flesh and bone, allowing a being to shed their mortality and possess sage-level aptitude.

The Ancient Road Demonic Well, adjacent to the Human Race's Tenth City, still had the Dao marks of a Heavenly Venerate suppressing the well mouth.

In the Mythological Era, a Heavenly Venerate had slain an unimaginably terrifying Saint Spirit in his twilight years, wishing to refine its essence blood to bring fortune to later generations.

Pity that due to his remaining lifespan running short, he had no time to refine it, ultimately being able only to seal it within the seven demonic wells.

Much like brewing wine, the Saint Spirit was to be worn down over a long period, leaving behind only sweet nectar and immortal liquid.

Alas, he had not fully succeeded; several demonic wells became burial grounds, nurturing ghosts and spirits that caused boundless slaughter in later generations.

Rather than letting it wreak havoc among all living beings, it was better to take this opportunity to eradicate it and transform it into a great medicine to help Zhang Huan lay down his immortal foundation.

Imperial Might like an ocean caused even Great Sages to tremble. Zhang Huan chased away a number of cultivators and forcefully stripped away the demonic well's seal.

"Ancient history records that an ancient evil spirit is sealed in this place."

"An emperor has come forth. Could it be that he is here specifically to suppress this disaster?"

Sages and worthies tacitly cleared an area, nervously watching the scene before them.

The ancient well shook violently, spewing out billows of black Qi mixed with heaven-shaking roars that chilled the soul.

Human-shaped organisms crawled out one after another, their armor in tatters and nearly weathered away.

The ghosts and spirits saw the light of day once more, disheveled with unkempt hair, their crimson eyes wide as they rushed out greedily and crazily.

"Hum—"

A Dao chime echoed to the Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations. The ghosts and spirits scattered with the wind like waves, rising and falling before vanishing without a trace.

He lifted a white lotus flower, which wrapped precisely around the flesh and blood of that former Saint Spirit, capable of transforming into immortal liquid.

"Still trying to resist?"

Zhang Huan snorted coldly. The flesh and blood hand within the lotus held a stone token, releasing world-destroying divine might as it attempted a final resistance.

It still possessed sentience that had not been erased, merely being imprisoned and unable to break free.

Zhang Huan flipped his hand, subverting the cosmos to suppress it. Even a Perfection Saint Spirit was merely a supreme before him, incapable of stirring up any waves.