The Heavenly Tribulation dissipated. The Heavenly Dao Record flipped upside down and flew back, landing in Ying Hao's hands.
He held the Heavenly Dao Record and examined it carefully, silently sensing its various changes.
As his strength reached the Heavenly Emperor level, his own Dao grew increasingly powerful, and he could already bring out some of the mysteries of the Primordial Violet Qi.
The Primordial Violet Qi was like the newborn Heavenly Dao, coordinating everything in the Great Desolation World. It was the core of the world's evolution.
Now, with the opening of Heaven and Earth, the Great Desolation World had already begun to take shape. What followed would be a long process of evolution.
The sun, moon, and stars needed to evolve. Mountains, rivers, plants, and flowers all needed to evolve.
Only when everything had completed its evolution could the Great Desolation World barely be considered a complete world, possessing everything such a world ought to have.
This would be a long process, closely tied to his own growth. The two were inherently complementary.
Once everything had evolved perfectly, he would face another problem: how to evolve life.
According to his judgment, even if he truly completed his transformation into a Mortal World Immortal, he probably still could not touch the level of life.
However, there was no rush for now. After the Heavenly Dao Record transformed into an Immortal Artifact, it had nearly reached the limit within this universe.
"Congratulations, Great Emperor, on refining an Immortal Artifact! This is truly cause for celebration!"
When he saw Haotian the Great Emperor return to Tanggu Valley, Laozi immediately went to greet him, his face full of brilliant smiles.
While offering his congratulations, his gaze remained fixed on the Heavenly Dao Record. This was an Immortal Artifact that had just been born!
Although its aura was not particularly pronounced, it looked extraordinary. Endless Chaos Qi hung from it, and profound Dao symbols were engraved across its surface.
Immortal Light circulated within it. In the faint distance, one could see a vast world whose edges were impossible to make out.
Even more astonishingly, the aura radiating from the Heavenly Dao Record seemed capable of suppressing the Myriad Worlds, making people instinctively look up to it in awe.
As expected of an Immortal Artifact, it truly possessed world-shaking might, far beyond any Ultimate Emperor Weapon he had ever seen.
"The Heavenly Court has only just been established, so I will have to trouble you to put in more effort, Fellow Daoist," Ying Hao said.
After he reestablished the Heavenly Court, it had used the Sun God Cult as its foundation and constructed a basic framework.
Simply reestablishing the Heavenly Court was naturally not enough. It also needed to become supreme throughout the universe before it could gradually gather the invisible Destiny/Fortune.
He could not allow himself to be troubled by the Heavenly Court's affairs, but the Heavenly Court still needed a powerful figure to oversee it. Laozi was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
He believed that with some time, it would be no difficult matter for the Heavenly Court to restore the glory of the Mythological Era.
"Great Emperor, rest assured. I will certainly devote myself to this matter!" Laozi said.
In the past, he would not have cared how the Heavenly Court fared, because all he sought was to become an immortal.
But things were different now. He had seen hope of becoming an immortal in Haotian the Great Emperor. How could he not devote himself wholeheartedly?
Besides, making the Heavenly Court universally revered throughout the universe was hardly difficult.
In fact, in name, the Heavenly Court was already supreme throughout the universe!
There was no helping it. Who could blame them for being the creation of Haotian the Great Emperor?
Haotian the Great Emperor was invincible beneath the heavens. How could the Heavenly Court fail to be supreme throughout the universe?
What he needed to do now was very simple. As long as he made the Heavenly Court's influence spread throughout the entire universe, the Heavenly Court could flourish for an entire Lifetime.
There could be no accidents. Hadn't even the Forbidden Zones vanished without a trace? Who would dare object?
Time flowed on leisurely and passed in an instant. During the days that followed, the Heavenly Court's development could be described as smooth sailing.
In a short time, the Heavenly Court's influence had already spread across most of the universe. Wherever the Heavenly Court went, all submitted.
Whether they were prosperous major powers or mighty clans that had existed since ancient times, none dared say a single "no" to the Heavenly Court.
Yet what Laozi had not expected was that, in this era, there truly was someone unafraid of death.
The Heavenly Court's newly established stronghold had been trampled, and the forces that had submitted to the Heavenly Court had been slaughtered. He had no choice but to make the journey himself.
However, before he could find the enemy, the enemy took the initiative to appear before him.
It was a youth dressed in animal hide. He had a heroic bearing, clear eyes, and an aura of world-shaking might about him.
"Stealing the Heavenly Court's name? You deserve death!"
The youth carried a stone staff and casually swung it once. His gaze toward Laozi was filled with disdain, and killing intent surged around him.
"I never expected there to be a powerhouse like you in this world. You should not be from this era!" Laozi said solemnly.
Like him, the youth before him had already reached the level of Alternative Dao Achievement. He was a powerhouse second only to the Great Emperor.
The world knew only that the Great Emperor was invincible beneath the heavens, but it did not know that those who achieved the Dao through an alternative path were likewise peerless geniuses. There had not been many of them throughout the ages.
"Die!"
The youth laughed boldly. His stone staff swept across the sky, his domineering might unparalleled. In an instant, his radiance illuminated eternity.
Laozi was not afraid in the slightest. After consuming the Pantao, he had already reached the peak of his life.
Even when facing a Supreme, he dared to fight, let alone the youth before him.
An earth-shaking battle erupted in an instant. The two were evenly matched, meeting worthy opponents and battling until the firmament shattered and Heaven and Earth collapsed.
"Who are you, exactly?"
The youth gradually sensed Laozi's extraordinariness. The more they fought, the more shocked he became. The man before him was definitely more than someone who had achieved the Dao through an alternative path.
Yet this only excited him further. Back then, he had dared to charge alone into a Forbidden Zone. How could he fear a powerful opponent?
"The past cannot be pursued. Now, I am Laozi!"
With a thought, Laozi instantly split into three. Four Laozis attacked the youth simultaneously.
The youth was slightly startled. The four Laozis were exactly identical, and their strengths showed no difference at all, as though each one were the true body.
"Nine Secrets: Shu?"
Shu, one of the Nine Secrets, had been created by Daoist Heavenly Venerate. One gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, and three gave birth to all things, allowing several clones to be created.
Each avatar was exactly the same as the true body, equivalent to multiplying one's strength several times over in an instant. It was indeed a Peerless Secret Technique.
The battle between the two grew increasingly fierce and gradually reached its climax, yet it remained an evenly matched contest.
Suddenly, an unforeseen change occurred. An ancient, unadorned cauldron approached, flying over from the distant depths of the universe.
The cauldron was covered in rust and green copper patina. It emitted dazzling light and shook out brilliant radiance as it directly tore open the void.
Laozi immediately felt himself locked down by a vast force. His expression changed drastically as he sensed an inexplicable danger.
That cauldron was no ordinary object. It was even more astonishing than an Ultimate Emperor Weapon, which made him think of Haotian the Great Emperor's Heavenly Dao Record.
However, there was no time for him to think about it. The youth was already terrifying enough, and now an extremely terrifying cauldron had arrived as well.
The void shattered. Various Immortal Lights danced through the air, and radiant rain descended like boundless stars, bearing down upon Laozi.
Laozi resisted with all his might, but to his horror, he discovered that he could not budge the cauldron in the slightest.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the youth unleashed another World-Shaking Killing Move. The terrifying force struck together, immediately bringing immense pressure upon him.
Just as he prepared to fight to the death, endless Immortal Light suddenly blazed brilliantly. Everything seemed to freeze at that very moment.
"Emperor Zun's Immortal Ascension Cauldron. Then you must be Chuan Ying, the first divine general of the ancient Heavenly Court!"
When that familiar voice rang out, Laozi's mind suddenly relaxed. At last, he no longer needed to fight for his life.
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