I Become a Battle Immortal?

The movement of the Emperor Weapon caused a tremendous uproar among Shaking Light's upper ranks, sparking discussion after discussion.

In the end, however, nothing came of it, and all the turmoil subsided.

Qin Sheng was, after all, only at the Four Extremes realm, and the Dragon-patterned Black Gold Cauldron had merely shown some unusual movement. It was nowhere near as exaggerated as its divine spirit awakening on its own.

Hand the Dragon-patterned Black Gold Cauldron over to Qin Sheng? Or hang him from the cauldron and have him constantly try to communicate with it?

That was clearly impossible.

All they could do was pay closer attention to Qin Sheng from then on, grant him better treatment, and help him grow.

That was a good thing for Qin Sheng. After all, he had gained tangible benefits.

Seven days later, Qin Sheng left Dragon-Pattern Peak and arrived at an island floating in the air.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mortals waited on the island, passing one by one through an Immortal Gate capable of examining their physical condition.

At the center of the island stood a bright, gleaming Profound Jade Platform.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qin."

The Shaking Light disciples guarding the place all saluted Qin Sheng, treating him with great respect.

Some of the things Qin Sheng had done seemed like mythology to ordinary disciples.

"When can the Domain Gate be opened?" Qin Sheng asked one of the disciples.

His deal with Duan De was set in the Northern Territory. It had been some time since he had left the Emperor's Daoist Arena, so the Wicked Daoist had presumably made some gains by now.

Shaking Light lay in the Southern Territory of the Eastern Wilderness, separated from the Northern Territory, where the Jiang Family and Yaochi were located, by countless billions of miles.

Not to mention mortals—even cultivators flying at full speed would need a considerable amount of time to cross such a distance.

Yet by inscribing Dao Patterns and erecting a Domain Gate, one could instantly cross endless space and arrive at the destination.

Of course, only a great sect like Shaking Light had the means to construct such a high-level Domain Gate.

"Once these mortals have finished being examined, Supreme Elder Zhang will open the Domain Gate."

Qin Sheng looked at the several thousand mortals and asked, "What are these mortals going to the Northern Territory for?"

"To mine Source Stone Mines."

The disciple explained, "The Northern Territory is sparsely populated, and it is the home ground of other holy lands and aristocratic families. That is why the holy lands and aristocratic families of our Southern Territory bring people from here to mine and extract Source."

Mining...

Qin Sheng vaguely remembered that, in the original plot, Ye Fan had also worked as a miner when he first arrived in the Northern Territory.

So what if he was a Heavenly Emperor?

Even after "ascending" from the Southern Territory to the Northern Territory, he still had to mine. If the poisonous insects in the mines did not sting him to death, then Heavenly Emperor Ye had simply been lucky.

"Among mortals, there is a legend that the Northern Territory is a land of abundance, where gold lies everywhere. They think they can get rich after taking just a few steps, and that even the air is sweet."

A Shaking Light disciple shook his head with a smile. "What an impractical fantasy."

"Our Shaking Light Holy Land is already relatively decent. We recruit miners voluntarily and even provide settlement money and wages," someone else said.

"Some small sects and factions are not nearly so particular. They simply abduct people by force."

As they spoke, all the mortals had passed through the Immortal Gate. A white-haired old man appeared atop the Profound Jade Platform.

He was one of Shaking Light's Supreme Elders, surnamed Zhang.

He put away all the mortals, then said:

"Any disciples heading to the Northern Territory, come to the Profound Jade Platform."

Several dozen Shaking Light disciples stepped forward. Supreme Elder Zhang's gaze swept across them, lingering on Qin Sheng for a moment longer.

"You are Qin Sheng?"

"Reporting to Supreme Elder, this disciple is Qin Sheng."

Supreme Elder Zhang nodded. "You are quite good. The Northern Territory is a chaotic place. Be careful once you get there, but do not disgrace the prestige of Shaking Light."

Before Qin Sheng could answer, he activated the Profound Jade Platform and opened the Domain Gate.

With a flash of light, everyone vanished.

On Dragon-Pattern Peak, the Dragon-Pattern Peak Master withdrew his gaze, which had been fixed on Qin Sheng all along, and sighed softly.

"Once he goes there, who knows how many people will suffer again."

This disciple was too insane. His Demonic Nature was far too heavy.

Absolute silence and Void; darkness and dislocation. Qin Sheng and the others entered the void.

It seemed as though time no longer flowed there. It felt like an instant, yet also like eternity.

The void split open. Qin Sheng and the others saw the light again and arrived in an entirely new world.

Qin Sheng fell silent as he looked at the scene before him.

The land was barren and lifeless. As far as the eye could see, there was only reddish-brown dirt and rock, bare and devoid of even a trace of green.

This was a dead land, with scarcely any sign of life.

Gold everywhere? Sweet air and freedom?

Though Qin Sheng had long known the truth, he still wanted to say that this was outright false advertising.

"Qin Sheng, are you going to the Source Mine?" Supreme Elder Zhang looked over.

Qin Sheng shook his head. "Reporting to Elder, I plan to train in Divine City."

He was free to go wherever he wished, with no sect mission binding him.

"Very well. Go, and be careful in all things."

Supreme Elder Zhang left with the others, entering the Source Stone Mine region shrouded in Dao Patterns. After getting his bearings, Qin Sheng departed alone.

The Northern Territory was vast, but unfortunately sparsely populated. One could travel a thousand miles without seeing a single village.

A divine rainbow streaked across the sky. Watching the unchanging desolation stretch across thousands upon thousands of miles below, Qin Sheng sighed inwardly.

"The Fighting Saint Emperor was truly a fierce man."

During the Primordial Era, the Northern Territory had actually been very prosperous, filled with green mountains and clear waters, with divine splendor gathering everywhere. It had been brimming with life.

Unfortunately, the final emperor of the Primeval Era had failed in becoming a Battle Immortal and died in the Northern Territory, triggering a great transformation of heaven and earth and ending the Primordial Era.

Not only did it plunge the Shrouding Universe into a long Dao-Hardship Era, it also turned the Northern Territory into the godforsaken place it was today.

"Battle Immortal..."

Thinking of that path, Qin Sheng could not help shaking his head.

"The Fighting Saint Emperor's combat power was indeed exceptional among Great Emperors, making him one of the very best. But the Battle Immortal Path is a dead end."

"Even the Milk Baby could not become a Battle Immortal, much less the Fighting Saint Emperor."

Could the Fighting Saint Emperor possibly have been more talented and powerful than Shi Hao?

That was naturally impossible.

Becoming a Battle Immortal required ability, you know.

Still, Qin Sheng understood the Fighting Saint Emperor.

In the Dharma-Degeneration Era, there was no path ahead. No one knew which direction was right, so they could only use their lives to test the Dao.

Especially in the Fighting Saint Emperor's era, neither Emperor Lord nor the Immortal Emperor could guarantee that their own Red Dust Immortal Paths would lead anywhere.

The Fighting Saint Emperor had acted. Even if he failed, it was still better than dying without doing anything.

Besides, the Saint Emperor and Emperor Qing were different kinds of idea men.

The former had been forced into it. He had truly had no other choice and could only take the most tyrannical path: the Battle Immortal Path.

As for Emperor Qing...

I wish him success.

"The Red Dust Immortal Path still requires one to live nine lives in reverse before transforming into an immortal, yet the Battle Immortal Path seeks to shatter all restraints with supreme combat power during the Dharma-Degeneration Era and ascend to immortality in one or two lives."

"To complete in one life the path others need nine lives to walk—just how strong would one's combat power have to be?"

"At the very least, one would need combat power capable of killing a Flawless True Immortal in reverse while still in the Great Emperor realm, right?"

"The Human Dao ultimately has limits, unless someone can rely on nothing external and, through their own power alone, increase their combat power a thousandfold, ten thousandfold, or more beyond the foundation of Heavenly Emperor-level combat power..."

Qin Sheng suddenly stopped. It was as though a divine thunderbolt splitting heaven and earth had exploded in his mind.

If a Heavenly Emperor who had lived into a second life and raised his combat power to its absolute peak could increase that power another thousandfold, ten thousandfold, or even more beyond his own foundation, could he successfully become a Battle Immortal?

Did anyone like that exist in the Shrouding the Heavens World?

There definitely had not been in the past. Even looking across the Chaotic Ancient Era and the Immortal Ancient Era, no one could possibly have achieved it.

But might there be someone in the future?

Qin Sheng raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. Surging power coursed through his body.

"Perhaps there will be."

Qin Sheng suddenly realized that, with his own conditions, he might be able to walk a path unprecedented in the past and unmatched in the future.

The wind of the Northern Territory blew past him with a mournful howl, as though carrying the sigh of an ancient Saint Emperor.

A Battle Immortal might not be impossible after all!

"Thinking about it carefully, the Battle Immortal Way is the path most suited to the Shrouding the Heavens World."

If a path could not be walked, then open it with your fists!