Chapter 454
"Hmm... what's this 'grand auction' all about?"
"The auctions organized by the Star River Merchant Alliance are divided into many levels. There are regular auctions within a single star field, small auctions encompassing multiple star fields that feature some Chaos Rare Treasure, medium-sized auctions that can attract Immortal Kings, and large-scale auctions that require Immortal Lords to enter and feature a large number of Chaos Rare Treasure and divine items."
Ye Ruoshui paused for a moment, then continued, "Because it's not easy to collect items for large-scale auctions, the duration of these events is not fixed. However, it often takes at least tens of thousands of years to hold one, or even longer."
"Immortal King, this auction is indeed an opportunity. You can participate and see. Lifeng Immortal King is only hosting the grand auction through the Star River Merchant Alliance. It's unlikely that he can use this opportunity to do anything else. There's no need to worry too much."
The Penglai Immortal Lord also offered his suggestion.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang nodded and said, "In that case, you should contact the envoy of Lifeng Immortal King and tell him that I will participate in the auction. As for the alliance... just say that you want to discuss it with Lifeng Immortal King in person."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ye Ruoshui nodded, then led the Penglai Immortal Lord away.
Watching them depart, Xiao Minghuang thought to himself, "There shouldn't be any danger at the auction this time, so I can take Xiu'er with me."
The Lifeng Star Domain.
In a vast sea of stars, countless worlds are densely packed like grains of sand, surging like boundless waves, radiating a hazy spiritual light.
They hovered in the depths of the starry sea, drawn by an inexplicable force, revolving around a certain area.
In the center of this region stands an extremely vast super-world, stretching across the universe, seemingly eternal.
This is none other than the core of the Lifeng Star Domain — the Lifeng Great World!
This place is home to hundreds of millions of living beings, and is incredibly prosperous and thriving. It is a sacred cultivation ground that cultivators yearn for.
Within this vast world, mountains, rivers, lakes, palaces, and pavilions stand tall.
At this moment, in the largest immortal palace, the Lifeng Immortal King Feng, dressed in a plain white dress, sat cross-legged on a jade platform, her beautiful eyes closed, exuding a terrifying aura.
This is a genuine Immortal King!
Having cultivated for over six thousand kalpas, he is certainly among the top one hundred in the entire universe!
The Lifeng Star Domain is one of the few super-large starfields in the eastern region of the entire universe, and it is in no way inferior to some of the immortal kingdoms within the celestial realm!
"Buzz~~~"
The void trembled.
A dazzling silver light suddenly shone, then gradually condensed and took shape, eventually transforming into a young girl in green.
"Reporting to Master, the Ziwei Immortal King and his Dao Companion have arrived at the main realm's satellite!"
"Oh?"
Lifeng Immortal King suddenly opened his eyes, and two sharp beams of light shot out, tearing through the void.
She was a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a simple white dress. Her attire was plain, yet she exuded great dignity. There was a hint of heroism in her brows, but also a touch of gentleness.
"As expected, the Ziwei Immortal King has come. That's for the best!"
"Hahaha!"
She laughed heartily.
The girl in green looked puzzled and asked, "Master, why do you value Ziwei Immortal King so much? Although she is powerful, great chaos is about to break out. Someone as outstanding as her will surely be felled by the wind. If we cooperate with her, we might cause even greater trouble!"
"Hehe..."
The Lifeng Immortal King Li Feng chuckled and said, "You are still too young; you only know one side of the story."
"Please enlighten me, Master."
"Very well, since I will be handing over the affairs of the Immortal Kingdom to you after this calamity, I will explain everything to you then."
Upon hearing this, the girl in green beamed with joy and cupped her hands in greeting, saying, "This disciple is all ears!"
"Between the Thirty-three Heavens and the various star regions of the universe, it seems that the latter is subordinate to the former, but in reality, they only obey orders and not proclamations. You should know that the various immortal kingdoms within the Heavenly Realm have to pay a large amount of Immortal Tribute to the Heavenly Court every era, while the latter does not."
"However, the immortals within the Immortal Realm, protected by the Heaven Realm Origin, have no lifespan restrictions. True Immortals can transcend a hundred kalpas of lifespan, and Immortal Lords can transcend a thousand kalpas of lifespan. But the immortals in the various star domains of the universe not only cannot extend their lifespan, but they also find it difficult to live to their lifespan limit. The number of immortals in the various star domains of the universe is gradually decreasing, while the number of immortals in the celestial realm is only increasing."
"Therefore, as the Celestial Realm continues to expand, the star regions of the universe gradually shrink. The rate of expansion of the Celestial Realm has long exceeded the natural growth rate of the Cosmic Great Dao. Once the boundaries of the Celestial Realm exceed the limit that the Cosmic Great Dao can cover, it will trigger the final calamity!"
"The Five Signs of Decay of the Great Celestial Person!"
Upon hearing this, the girl in green was stunned. "The Great Five Signs of Decay of Celestial Person, which destroys everything and restarts the Cosmic Great Dao, is actually real? I always thought it was just a legend?"
"Of course it's true. If the expansion of the Celestial Realm exceeds the limits that the Cosmic Great Dao can withstand, the Cosmic Great Dao will collapse at an incredible speed. After shrinking back to an infinitely small point, everything within the Cosmic Great Dao will explode, including the River of Time. Everything will cease to exist, and all traces of our existence will disappear."
"Is there no way to stop it?"
The girl in green couldn't help but say.
"Of course there is a way!"
Lifeng Immortal King, "Moreover, the Heavenly Court has already taken action. As far as I know, the higher-ups in the various heavens have discovered that no new immortals have been born in the Heavenly Realm for a long time. This must be because the Heavenly Court has intervened. Although it cannot stop the continued expansion of the Heavenly Realm, it can at least prevent the expansion rate from increasing."
"In addition, the Heavenly Court issued an edict, ordering all the heavens to organize immortals to go to the edge of the universe to expand the boundaries of the Great Dao and delay the arrival of the Five Signs of Decay of the Great Celestial Person."
The girl in green frowned and said, "But this only delays the problem, and expanding the boundary of the Great Dao may not have much effect."
"You're right, but that was in the past."
Lifeng Immortal King laughed and said, "According to the latest discovery by the Heavenly Court 'Dao Research Department, those dead stars that fell into the dark depths of space outside the Cosmic Great Dao are flying back at a moderate speed, seemingly being pulled by some mysterious force. If these dead stars return to the cosmic star field and are infused with the laws of the Great Dao, they can be resurrected and revived into a brand new great world!"
"Oh, this!"
The girl in green exclaimed in shock, "If this is true, wouldn't the scope of our Cosmic Great Dao be greatly expanded!"
"Hehe..."
Lifeng Immortal King laughed and said, "You're right, but that's not the point."
"Do you know that, after countless years, nine out of ten immortals in the Heavenly Realm are people who should have died long ago? Once they leave the Heavenly Realm and lose the protection of its Heaven Realm Origin, they will immediately be corrupted by time and die on the verge of death. Therefore, it is difficult for the Heavenly Realm to send out a large number of immortals to explore the frontiers of the universe, it is also difficult to send people to guide the many stars that are about to revive, and it is even more impossible for them to preside over the reshaping of the Heavenly Laws of these stars..."
"This is our chance!"
"If the Celestial Realm wants to continue, it must rely on the immortals of the various star domains to expand it. Our Lifeng Star Domain, Ziwei Star Domain, and the Weiming Star Domain, which has always been at odds with us, are the places in the eastern part of the entire universe closest to the edge of the cosmos."
"Master, I understand. The Immortal King's intention is to unite with the Ziwei Star Domain to kick the Weiming Star Domain out of the game first. With the strength of our Lifeng Star Domain, we are not afraid of the Ziwei Star Domain. Once we kick it out, we can dominate the entire eastern part of the Reviving Star Domain!"
The girl in blue pondered.
"Very good, very good! This child is teachable!"
Lifeng Immortal King laughed and said, "However, you are wrong about one thing: we cannot shake off the Ziwei Star Domain."
"The Ziwei Immortal King is a ruthless person. She has only cultivated for a few thousand years, but she was able to usher in a new era in this universe, kill an Immortal King, and shake the world. We must never make an enemy of such a monstrous and ruthless person!"
"Moreover, I've heard that the path she follows is called the 'Star Dao,' which may have a special effect on guiding and reviving stars. Therefore, you must be extremely cautious in dealing with the Ziwei Immortal King and the Ziwei Star Domain!"
553. The Celestial King gave birth to a son; such an event has never occurred before...
Upon hearing this, the girl in green solemnly replied, "This disciple will heed your teachings!"
"Alright, go to the satellite and invite the Ziwei Immortal King. I need to prepare some gifts."
"Yes, Master!"
The girl in green bowed and withdrew.
The Lifeng Great World.
The Lifeng Immortal King.
This day.
A myriad of Immortal Light shone forth, and a thousand auspicious hues appeared.
The gates of the Immortal King's Palace opened wide, and numerous immortals filed out in a grand procession, heading straight for the ends of the heavens. Along the way, many cultivators who witnessed this scene were astonished and wondered what had happened.
But today's Lifeng Immortal Palace is different from the past; it seems to be shrouded in an invisible barrier, isolating it from all outside investigation.
Within the ethereal, misty Li Feng Immortal Palace.
Many immortals gathered together, creating a very lively atmosphere.
"The Ziwei Immortal King has arrived!"
An elderly man with a youthful face and white hair, exuding Immortal Qi, stood on the steps and spoke in a deep voice.
As a clear voice resounded throughout the celestial palace, all the immortals stood up and turned their gazes toward the palace gate.
She wore a golden-red dress, a pale red robe, a jade belt around her waist, and a seven-colored golden phoenix crown. Her face was beautiful, her figure graceful, and her temperament elegant and noble. She was surrounded by celestial charm and starlight. Every move she made exuded a faint sense of majesty, making it impossible for anyone to have any thoughts of disrespect.
The Ziwei Immortal King walked gracefully into the Immortal Palace, a faint smile on her face, like a spring breeze caressing the willows, refreshing and delightful.
Xu Xiuer followed behind her.
Upon seeing this, all the immortals bowed and paid their respects.
"Greetings, Ziwei Immortal King!"
The Ziwei Immortal King, renowned for his ferocity throughout the universe, is a truly ruthless individual.
He cultivated for only a few thousand years, yet he achieved the realm of Immortal King, and even became the first Immortal King in history to be killed.
But upon seeing her today, I felt that the Ziwei Immortal King was just a gentle and elegant woman, and I couldn't tell at all that she was the ruthless and cunning woman who dared to be the first in the world.
The void suddenly trembled, and the figure of Lifeng Immortal King emerged from it, greeting him with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist has come from afar; it is truly an honor for Yu Feng!"
The Ziwei Immortal King smiled slightly and said, "I am truly flattered that you have personally entertained me, fellow Daoist."
"In the past, I thought my appearance was among the best of the female fairy kings, but after seeing my sister today, I realize I'm just like the ugly duckling, utterly insignificant..."
Lifeng Immortal King, in a very familiar manner, took Xiao Minghuang's hand and sighed softly.
"No, no, fellow Daoist... Sister's beauty far surpasses mine, that's too kind. I can only be described as pretty at best..."
Lifeng Immortal King laughed heartily, and as the two spoke, they each took their seats.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then took their seats at the head of the hall. In the hall, a servant presented them with a bottle of fine wine.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
The Lifeng Immortal King continued talking about trivial matters.
Xiao Minghuang couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. It was very likely that Lifeng Immortal King had brought up the matter of forming an alliance when he invited her here.
However, the fact that she hasn't mentioned it yet clearly indicates that Lifeng Immortal King isn't confident she'll agree, so he's still testing the waters.
"There are still more than ten days until the grand auction. Since Fellow Daoist Ziwei is here, please allow me to do my best to be a good host!"
Lifeng Immortal King smiled and said, "Later, I will arrange for my personal disciple to accompany you on a tour."
Then, she clapped her hands.
Immediately, a young woman in green stepped out from the table and bowed to Xiao Minghuang.
"This is my personally taught disciple, Li Chenzhu. Fellow Daoist, during your time in the Lifeng Star Domain, you can tell her if you need anything. If she can't handle it properly, just come to me, and I will do my best to meet your request!"
"You're too kind, fellow Daoist!"
Xiao Minghuang smiled faintly.
"Junior Li Chenzhu pays respects to the Ziwei Immortal King!"
Li Chenzhu bowed respectfully.
Xiao Minghuang looked up and saw that Li Chenzhu had delicate features and fair skin. Although she was not a rare beauty, she was quite pleasing to the eye.
She could also tell that this disciple of the Lifeng Immortal King was actually a Thousand Tribulation Immortal Lord with extremely profound foundations, seemingly only half a step away from crossing the limit and entering the realm of Immortal King.
"No need for formalities!" Xiao Minghuang nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, young friend."
Admittedly, Li Chenzhu has cultivated for countless years, possibly dozens or even hundreds of times more than Xiao Minghuang. However, in the path of cultivation, those who have attained enlightenment are teachers, and age should not be the sole measure of superiority.
"Thank you, Immortal King!"
Li Chenzhu bowed again.
Another round of clinking glasses ensued.
The guests arrived in high spirits and departed in joy.