Shrouding the Heavens: The Days as the Empress's Strictest Master

It was never the Human Emperor's instrument of enlightenment. It had merely been a battle banner carried by the former "Human King" as he fought the Primordial races across north and south, sometimes even serving as the core of a great array.

Later, after the Human Emperor fell, a fragment of his true soul was drawn into it, giving rise to a divine spirit and thus unimaginable wonders. It could gather the spirits of fallen heroes. It was subsequently wielded by successive masters of Human Emperor Hall, a symbol of the hall's master.

Rumble...

Late autumn, Southern Region of Eastern Wasteland.

Pressed by all sides, Human Emperor Hall finally "compromised" and revealed the location of that old site to the cultivators.

"Fortune! A heaven-sent fortune! The Human Emperor's Legacy—obtain it, and one may glimpse the road to becoming an Emperor!"

"The restrictions here are too strong! We need to join forces to blast them open!"

"Join hands! Break the restrictions first, then we'll compete based on our own abilities!"

Amid the clamor, the cultivators, whose patience had long been worn away by time, struck together.

For a moment, the divine light of countless magical treasures, secret arts, and divine abilities illuminated the night sky.

Rumble...

Terrifying ripples of Dao laws struck the restrictions and swept in all directions.

The surrounding mountains shattered, and rivers were cut off.

The restrictions here had endured since the Primordial Era and had long since weakened. Yet even so, the cultivators had attacked together for seven days and nights.

Such a result was undoubtedly shocking.

One had to know that this was still the middle to late Ancient Era. The laws of heaven and earth in the Big Dipper had not yet undergone their complete drastic change. This was far from the Post-Ancient Era, when mere Immortal Second Realm cultivators could lead a sect and call themselves Holy Masters.

Though it was not like the Archaic Era, when Saints were as common as dogs and Great Saints walked everywhere, the number of Saints and stronger combatants active in the world was still considerable.

Yet with so many of them attacking, they had still needed so much time. This only deepened everyone's reverence for that Human Emperor.

Even though that being had not merged with the Heart of Heaven, had not completed the final leap, and had never truly ruled the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands...

Whoosh!

The day the restrictions were broken.

Above the Vast Mountain Range, countless war chariots and warships rumbled through the sky.

Major powers from the northern, central, and southern regions of Eastern Wasteland, as well as Central Plains, Northern Plains, Southern Ridge, and Western Desert, had all gathered here.

In the core region, Heavenly Martial Holy Land's Heaven-Escaping Shuttle radiated killing intent. Arhats from Western Desert and Vajras pressed their palms together, quietly reciting "mercy." Taixuan Sect's immortal crane carriages shimmered with clear light, while fairies from Spring Autumn Pavilion scattered flower rain across the sky. Demon Emperor Hall of Southern Ridge, the Feathered Immortal Dynasty, Human Emperor Hall...

Beyond them, heirs of many ancient aristocratic families and powerful independent cultivators hid in the void, sealing this entire region so tightly that not even water could pass through.

At this moment, everyone's gaze was focused on the mountain range at the very center.

There, a massive fissure had suddenly opened after the restrictions were broken.

Deep within the fissure, tens of thousands of rays of rosy light and countless strands of auspicious mist erupted outward.

Yet compared to the extraordinarily bustling depths of the mountain range, thousands of miles away in a remote corner, a girl with pigtails sat cross-legged beneath an ancient tree, consolidating her recently attained Life Spring realm.

Inside the ring, Tan Lin's remnant soul slowly opened his eyes, a glint flashing past them.

Thanks to the countless experts who had gathered here these past days, quite a few fragments of true souls had been swept along and brought here as well.

Using the All-Causes Soul Pearl, he gathered some useless soul fragments, sparing himself the need to run all over the Big Dipper later. His remnant soul had now recovered somewhat. The faint gleam of Primordial Spirit light he once possessed had grown by an unknown amount.

Conservatively speaking, it had recovered to the strength of an Immortal Third Realm cultivator's Primordial Spirit.

"I had already dissolved my body and cultivation. Now, even if I reassemble my Primordial Spirit from my past life, I can only exist by entrusting it within the Soul Pearl's barrier. Once time passes beyond the lifespan limit of my previous life, I will still vanish on my own..."

While studying the altered Soul Pearl over the past few months, Tan Lin had gradually gained a trace of understanding.

This remnant soul of his was not eternal either. If his realm did not rise, then even with the Soul Pearl, unless he reincarnated, once his limit arrived, only annihilation awaited him.

He guessed that his long slumber of countless ages, cut off from the outside world, had been similar to a cultivator sealing himself away. That was how he had endured until today.

Such a state was by no means a long-term solution. Even if his limit was still far away, he had to prepare for a rainy day.

"The second Deep Crimson Light Point is already one-tenth full. At this rate, it will take at most another five or six years to light the second Soul Pearl mark. I wonder whether that will bring some new change..."

Tan Lin pondered quietly.

This progress was naturally thanks to the Causal Line connected to his young disciple. Otherwise, who knew how long it would take just to gather one-tenth of the karma for a Deep Crimson Light Point?

As his thoughts turned, his gaze passed through the ring and calmly watched the turbulent scene deep in the mountains.

He was the true owner of that so-called "legacy." How could he not know what this place had once been, or what it truly contained?

When he fell in the Primordial Era, he had still been in his prime, at the height of his ambition. Why would he have left behind any treasure for later generations?

If not for the fact that one of his remnant soul fragments and a portion of his memories happened to be inside, he would not have spared it a glance.

Rumble...

Amid earth-shaking tremors, the fissure grew larger and larger. Finally, beneath the support of endless rosy light and auspicious mist, the phantom of an ancient Immortal Palace rose and fell in midair.

At this moment, everyone was eager to make a move.

Even some thickheaded Sea of Reincarnation and Dao Palace cultivators who had rushed here after hearing the news emerged from the outer edges of the mountains, their faces full of anticipation.

As time passed, the "Immortal Palace" floating in midair became increasingly solid, beginning to emit a heart-pounding imperial pressure!

"It truly is the Human Emperor's Legacy! This imperial aura cannot be false!"

A Saint from a great Central Plains sect trembled with excitement, his beard quivering.

When the Immortal Palace fully solidified, seeming to freeze in the air without moving any longer, strands of ancient vicissitudes washed over the crowd.

But before everyone could swarm forward.

Boom!!!

The Immortal Palace crashed to the ground, connecting with the earth veins and taking root within them.

Rumble...

In an instant, the pressure of that imperial aura erupted completely!

Thud!

Thud...

At this moment, aside from a very few individuals, countless people became like kowtowing insects. Their bodies and faces were crushed tightly against the ground, unable to rise at all.

"What?! This is..."

"There is a Quasi-Emperor Array Diagram here. It may be incomplete, but it is still terrifying enough..."

Someone spoke with great difficulty while holding up a sect-defending heavy artifact.

"What are we supposed to do now? We can barely move our bodies, so how can we speak of entering and obtaining Fortune?"

"Damn it! The divine spirit within our sect's inherited Saint weapon inexplicably dispersed some time ago. The Saint weapon was damaged and can no longer be used!!"

The Human Emperor's Legacy was right before their eyes, yet they could not enter. Countless people were driven mad.

This was especially true for some foreign races who had come from beyond the region to compete for Fortune. Now kneeling before the Immortal Palace, they felt indescribably stifled and miserable.

"Amitabha..., do not worry, benefactors. This should only be a trace of the array diagram's revived aura leaking out. Before long, the outside world will return to normal."

A golden-bodied Arhat from Western Desert pressed his palms together and spoke slowly.

And indeed, after about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the kowtowing insects rose one after another and began gathering around the Immortal Palace.

"That palace is less like a hall and more like a tower. I fear it may be easy to enter but difficult to leave..."

Not far away, Goddess Gu of Spring Autumn Pavilion, her graceful immortal body seated sideways atop a Cloud Leopard's back, spoke slowly.

Unlike the others' urgency, she did not immediately approach.

"Caution is good, Fairy, but if you miss the Human Emperor's Legacy because of it, I fear you will regret it too late!"

The current sect master of Daoxuan Sect in Southern Ridge smiled. After leaving those words behind, he led his group straight past the cultivators of Spring Autumn Pavilion.

"Indeed. The restrictions here have already been broken, and even the aura of the Quasi-Emperor Array Diagram has withdrawn. If we do not investigate now, then when will we?"

A powerful independent cultivator shook his head.

In his view, this Goddess Gu was simply being overly cautious. Had she not seen that some cultivators from Human Emperor Hall had already entered?

Hearing this, Gu Qingying's soft, lustrous lips beneath her veil curved slightly as she smiled.

"Then Qingying shall wait outside for everyone's good news?"

"If the Fairy wishes to wait, then wait! Let's go!"

"Go..."

The cultivators called to friends and companions, transforming into long rainbows.

Yet during this time, several minor incidents occurred.

A certain remnant soul stabilized his condition for a while, then once again used the Soul Pearl's power to separate and draw back some nearby fragments of true souls, using them to recover further.

Crack...

"Damn it! Why has the divine spirit in my Dao artifact suddenly dispersed?!"

"Mine dispersed too..."

"Hiss... This is not an isolated case? What exactly is going on with these Weapon-Refining Grounds? This is truly bizarre!"

Some cultivators sucked in a cold breath.

"What is that compared to mine? Our sect's heavy artifact was destroyed half a month ago!"

"..."

High in the sky, fragmented words scattered into the autumn wind.

Whoosh...

Suddenly.

Among the cultivators of Heavenly Martial Holy Land preparing to enter the palace, their chief elder, whose holy might surged around him and whose bearing was extraordinary, abruptly left the group.

Without warning, he flew toward Spring Autumn Pavilion!

He looked like a young man. Clearly, he had reached the Immortal Platform and even become a Saint in an extremely short time. His features were exceptionally handsome. One could tell that in his younger cultivation days, he had likely been a peerless prodigy admired by many senior and junior sisters in his lineage.

"Senior Sister, leave Spring Autumn Pavilion and come back. The Holy Land is not the same as before..."

The young man looked at his former senior sister, who had seemed to grow ever more stunning over the years, and spoke in a deep voice.

Gu Qingying frowned slightly but said nothing.

Her beautiful gaze passed right through him as though he were nothing but air, and she could not be bothered to acknowledge him.

"Senior Sister, you..."

"Fellow Daoist, please show some respect."

Before the young man could finish, two white-clad fairies with Saint-level cultivation stepped out from Gu Qingying's sides and dismissed him on behalf of their goddess.

"Junior Brother, why humiliate yourself? Hurry back here!"

From afar came the imposing voice of Heavenly Martial Holy Land's Holy Master.

The young man had no choice but to leave. But before departing, he looked deeply at the foremost beauty of the Big Dipper and said softly:

"Senior Sister, no matter what, there are still many people in the Holy Land who hope you will return..."

Rustle... Rustle...

Not long after the young man left, several people from Tyrant Blood Ancestral Star crawled out of their human-shaped craters one after another.

The pressure from the Quasi-Emperor Array Diagram had been too powerful, and they had been too close. They had been crushed directly into the ground and had nearly died.

"Coming to the Big Dipper this time has truly been nothing but bad luck..."

Divine light flashed across Cang Yuhang's body, and his Tyrant Blood aura shook loose the mud, sand, and dust.

His mood was incomparably gloomy. Even Xin'er, his Dao companion, did not dare speak to him lightly when she saw his expression.