Glorious Return Home

Looking down at the Bronze Immortal Hall beneath his feet, Li Ming recalled that it had not seemed to play much of a role in the original work. In the end, Ruthless Empress had refined it into a mask and ring.

So Li Ming planned to directly refine the Bronze Immortal Hall into his Heavenly Demonic Saber someday.

However, with Li Ming's current strength, he was still incapable of dismantling and refining the Bronze Immortal Hall.

After all, it was a genuine Immortal Weapon.

Moreover, it was suspected to have fallen into this world from the Immortal Domain, perhaps even having degraded from an Immortal King Weapon into an Immortal Weapon. How could it possibly be so easy to dismantle?

Li Ming estimated that after undergoing a few more transformations, he would likely be able to refine it into his Heavenly Demonic Saber without needing the Nine-Lifetime Red Dust Ascension.

Li Ming's attainment of the Dao and ascension as a Venerable was unquestionably tremendous news for the Human Race of the Age of Mythology.

Although many members of the Human Race had attained the Dao during the Age of Mythology, the appearance of the Nine Heavenly Venerables of the Human Race in particular had brought humanity's glory to its peak, making them the strongest race in the entire universe.

One especially regrettable point in the original work was that after the Age of Mythology ended, the Undying Heavenly Emperor attained the Dao and became an emperor.

Throughout the entire Primordial Era, those who attained the Dao and became emperors were basically all from the Primordial Ten Thousand Races.

The rise of the Primordial Ten Thousand Races was truly unbelievable.

Yet for a very long time after the Undying Heavenly Emperor, the Human Race produced no one who attained the Dao.

Thus, the great holy lands and aristocratic families of the Human Race became juicy prey in the eyes of the Primordial Imperial Clans.

They became treasures coveted by those clans.

It was like a child carrying gold through a bustling market. It was impossible not to attract greedy eyes.

For some reason, many Human Race Dao attainments had taken their Extreme Dao Weapons away with them rather than leaving them to their inheritors or descendants.

Meanwhile, the Primordial Imperial Clans had generally left Extreme Dao Weapons—Ancient Emperor Weapons—to their descendants or clans.

Those Primordial Imperial Clans ruthlessly suppressed the Human Race, and many human holy lands and aristocratic families simply vanished into ashes.

In the original work, the Human Race of the Big Dipper during the Primordial Era had actually become livestock raised for food by the Primordial Ten Thousand Races.

That situation did not occur only in the Big Dipper. Similar things happened in other Life Source Grounds as well.

Fortunately, the Lunar Saint Emperor and Solar Saint Emperor finally emerged during the Primordial Era, preserving the Human Race of the Big Dipper and greatly improving the situation of humanity in other Life Source Grounds.

The Human Race truly flourished again beginning in the Desolate Ancient Era.

After entering the Desolate Ancient Era, it seemed that thirty Human Race Great Emperors appeared in succession, along with the Nine Sacred Bodies. That was the era when humanity truly prospered.

Emperor Hengyu also appeared on Ziwei Star during that time.

Ziwei Star was truly fertile ground for the Human Race, nurturing human powerhouses such as the Solar Saint Emperor, Lunar Saint Emperor, and Emperor Hengyu.

It truly deserved to be one of humanity's main strongholds.

One of the birthplaces of the Human Race.

At this time, purple qi coiled around Ziwei Star for hundreds of millions of miles. The spiritual essence of heaven and earth was incomparably dense, making it one of the most fertile Life Source Grounds.

Because of Li Ming, this era had become even more prosperous.

To put it simply, Li Ming's attainment of the Dao and ascension as a Venerable had immediately made Ancient Ziwei Star the foremost Life Source Ground of the current era, the center of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, and the gathering place of the Human Race's fortune.

Thinking of Ziwei Star, Li Ming thought of the independent cultivator who had adopted him.

Unlike other transmigrators, Li Ming had lost both parents in childhood and had been adopted by an independent cultivator surnamed Zhang.

Old Zhang's cultivation was not particularly high. He had spent his entire life lingering in the Dao Palace Secret Realm, never breaking through into the Four Extremes Secret Realm.

He could be considered Li Ming's guide on the path of cultivation, but unfortunately, the old man had already died before Li Ming discovered the Bronze Mirror's wondrous uses.

Old Zhang had now been dead for many years, and even his bones had long since decayed away.

With a casual glance, Li Ming could take in the condition of the entire Ziwei Star.

The whole of Ziwei Star was now brimming with festivity and vitality.

When facing those sages from beyond the domain, everyone held their heads high. They were truly proud of Li Ming.

Although Old Zhang had died long ago, he had given his family considerable benefits before his death, enough to lift them out of the ranks of ordinary mortals.

Before Li Ming left Ziwei Star and embarked upon the Ancient Starry Sky Road, he had also given Old Zhang's family many benefits. In particular, the complete Five Secret Realms Cultivation Method and complete sage scriptures had played an indispensable role.

Their family had now developed into a flourishing lineage.

After Li Ming attained the Dao and became a Venerable, the lineage developed by Old Zhang's family had grown into the Ziwei Holy Land.

As for Li Ming's birth family, after Li Ming attained the Dao and became a Venerable, it developed into the Bright Sect. Later, out of respect for the character Ming in Li Ming's name, it was renamed the Sun-Moon Divine Sect.

Sun-Moon Divine Sect was a very interesting name, and it was now known as the Sun-Moon Holy Land.

On the present-day Ziwei Star, amid its numerous great lineages, the two Saint lineages of Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Divine Sect stood alone. No one dared underestimate them.

According to legends passed down by word of mouth, Li Ming, who had attained the Dao and become a Venerable more than ten thousand years ago, had profound ties to these two great holy lands.

Now that more than ten thousand years had passed, many still believed the legend, but they also found it strange. Why had Demon Venerable never returned to Ziwei Star, nor come back to support these two holy lands?

Could there be some hidden reason?

Especially after their old Saints passed away, neither Ziwei Holy Land nor Sun-Moon Holy Land produced a new Saint, and they instead appeared somewhat declined.

Thinking back, after Li Ming attained the Dao and became a Venerable, many people learned that he came from Ziwei Star.

The major holy lands and aristocratic families of Ziwei Star all investigated Li Ming's origins, trying to discover which family and holy land he had come from.

In the end, people were shocked to discover that Li Ming had actually come from a tiny family tucked away in a mountain village.

And because no holy land had been willing to accept him back then, he had been forced to wander everywhere with an independent cultivator surnamed Zhang.

This discovery shook every holy land and aristocratic family on Ziwei Star.

For a time, both the Li Family and Zhang Family became highly sought-after.

Countless people wanted to cling to Li Ming but could not. As a result, the tiny Li Family and Zhang Family immediately became immensely popular.

The Holy Lords of the major holy lands and aristocratic families, along with their divine sons and divine daughters, came to visit one after another.

They even ceded some exceptionally fine cultivation lands and gifted them freely to the Li Family and Zhang Family.

This could be said to have greatly aided the rise of Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land.

Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land now both occupied treasured lands dense with spiritual qi, all thanks to this.

Although Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land had declined somewhat, the Holy Lords of the great holy lands—or rather, those Saints—still maintained respectful attitudes whenever they came to visit.

They did not respect the two holy lands themselves, but Li Ming behind them.

Although Li Ming had never married or had children, the uncles and cousins in his family had long since died. Their descendants had multiplied for more than a hundred generations, and some had entered cultivation, with even Dao Severing powerhouses appearing among them.

They regarded Li Ming, their grand uncle ancestor, as a god. They could now be considered Li Ming's dependents.

As for Old Zhang, he had direct descendants of his own. His descendants had likewise multiplied through a hundred generations, and their bloodline had become distant.

But thanks to their ancestors' connection with the Li Family, they had done quite well too.

No one even dared cause trouble for them over their use of the name Ziwei Holy Land, all because of this.

After all, not just anyone could use or dare to use the name Ziwei Star.

In short, after Li Ming attained the Dao and became a Venerable, anyone even remotely connected to him benefited. It was truly a case of one person attaining the Dao and even their chickens and dogs ascending to heaven.

One could imagine that so long as Li Ming remained alive, even if Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land no longer had Saints, they would still hold pivotal positions on Ziwei Star.

Even more people firmly believed that if Li Ming returned and casually tossed them a few unwanted items, the two holy lands would immediately become the most glorious holy lands on Ziwei Star.

It was not only the holy lands and aristocratic families of Ziwei Star that sought favor with these two lineages. Even Primordial races from other life-bearing planets came from the depths of the starry sky to befriend and visit these transcendent lineages.

Yes, the reason those sages from beyond the domain descended and humbled themselves to befriend Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land was Li Ming.

Even today, although Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land had no Saints, some sages and Primordial races descending from beyond the domain still went to visit them.

This had practically become a mandatory destination for sages arriving from beyond the domain.

Of course, there was a reason for this.

Some powerful races from beyond the domain remained filled with fear toward Li Ming.

When Li Ming had traversed the Ancient Starry Sky Road, he had either dug up the ancestral graves of certain powerful races or secretly devoured the origins of their prodigies. It could be said that he had offended those people deeply.

Although the Bronze Mirror concealed him and prevented them from locating him, after enough incidents and enough pursuers, he would eventually suffer the occasional setback and be desperately hunted down.

The powerful races of the universe in particular possessed vast inheritances. If someone disturbed their ancestral graves or harmed their peerless prodigies, they would certainly not let the matter rest.

Yet they had never expected that whether they sent Saints, Great Saints, or even Quasi-Emperors, every interception attempt would fail.

Several Quasi-Emperors had even pursued Li Ming while wielding Extreme Dao Weapons.

There were Quasi-Emperors in their twilight years who hunted him with Extreme Dao Weapons in hand.

But every time, Li Ming miraculously escaped their pursuit.

Li Ming had attained the Dao and become a Venerable while being hunted by numerous powerful races of the universe.

Heavenly Venerables could not be insulted. Every powerful race of the universe that had pursued Li Ming fell into constant dread.

When Li Ming had first attained the Dao and become a Venerable, many powerful races of the universe had wanted to prepare lavish gifts and apologize.

But after Li Ming attained the Dao and became a Venerable, he was either comprehending the Dao and cultivating or on the road to killing Dark Supremes. For a time, no one dared visit him.

Thus, the matter dragged on.

Many of those who had pursued Li Ming back then had already passed away, but their families remained.

The only way to make amends was undoubtedly to curry favor with Li Ming's dependents and with the people of Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land.

The lavish gifts sent back then had indeed caused Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land to expand dramatically. At their peak, several Saints had even emerged.

But Saints only lived for a few thousand years at most. After more than ten thousand years, they would ultimately pass away.

On this day, a chaotic divine radiance extended from the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland, emitting supreme Extreme Dao divine might.

Upon sensing such terrifying pressure, every cultivator on Ziwei Star looked up at the Divine Bridge forged from a galaxy in the sky, their eyes filled with shock.

"Ming Venerable has returned!"

"Ziwei Venerable has returned!"

Sensing Li Ming's unique aura, every cultivator on Ziwei Star erupted into excitement.

Demon Venerable had come from Ziwei Star. After more than ten thousand years, he had finally returned home.

Every cultivator on Ziwei Star, especially the Human Race cultivators, took immense pride in this.

The Holy Lords of Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land trembled slightly with excitement.

The Holy Lords of Ziwei Star's major holy lands and aristocratic families, along with their divine sons and divine daughters, immediately emerged from seclusion. "Ziwei Venerable has returned! We must go pay our respects at once!"

Those divine sons and divine daughters, holy sons and holy daughters, all wore expressions of intense excitement.

They had not lived through the Golden Age of that time. Born in the twilight of this Golden Age, they were destined to be unable to attain the Dao and become Venerables, but that did not lessen their worship of Li Ming in the slightest.

Amid the crowd's excited gazes, the chaotic Divine Bridge continued extending until it reached above Sun-Moon Holy Land.

Immortal Spirit phantoms circled around it, golden Dao lotuses bloomed, and the Grand Dao Heavenly Sound thundered. A figure radiating chaotic light walked forth from the starry sky.

The pressure unique to one who had attained the Dao spread everywhere, shaking the entire planet.

The entire Sun-Moon Holy Land was filled with divine splendor, rolling purple qi, and flashing chaotic divine radiance. The myriad Daos of heaven and earth resonated together, turning it into sacred land.

Many cultivators trapped at bottlenecks felt as though enlightenment had been poured into their heads, instantly understanding something.

Some even broke through their realms directly.

There were even white-haired elders who, bathed in that chaotic immortal light, became much younger in the blink of an eye and gained decades or even centuries of lifespan.

Everyone in Sun-Moon Holy Land was jubilant and wildly excited.

The Holy Lord of this generation's Sun-Moon Holy Land was grinning so broadly that he could not close his mouth.

After Sun-Moon Holy Land's old Saint had died, the holy land no longer had a Saint. Though he was a Dao Severing powerhouse, he had always felt unworthy of the Sun-Moon Holy Land's name.

He had strived to break through but could never find the opportunity.

Now, Li Ming, the old ancestor of their family, had finally returned.

He was so happy he could explode!

Sun-Moon Holy Land was about to soar!

Li Ming's choice to return to Ziwei Star at this time had naturally been carefully considered.

Over the years, he had continuously perfected and sorted through his own Dao, steadily increasing his strength.

He knew full well how terrifying the influence of the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art was, so he had never passed the art he created on to anyone.

As he continually organized his own Dao and cultivation methods, he finally created a second scripture unique to himself: the Thunder God's Heavenly Art.

He had decided to pass down the Thunder God's Heavenly Art as his inheritance.

As for the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art, aside from possibly leaving an inheritance for Ruthless Empress in the future, he did not intend to pass it on to anyone else.

This cultivation method was too harmful to the harmony of heaven. Ordinary people could not bear the karma within it.

Passing it on to them would bring harm rather than benefit.

This time, he had returned specifically to pass down the Thunder God's Heavenly Art.

This scripture absolutely qualified as a Heavenly Venerable Scripture. Even among Dao attainments, it was unquestionably one of the finest cultivation methods.

In the future, besides the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art, he would certainly create his own Chaos Scripture as well.

Ordinary people would be unable to cultivate that sort of scripture. Without a sufficient constitution, forced cultivation would only damage the body and could even result in utter annihilation.

After all, this world placed great importance on constitution and bloodline, while also placing immense importance on comprehension.

Even with top-tier scriptures, many cultivators could not attain the Dao and become Venerables.

As for becoming immortals, that was an even more distant dream.

The people of this world could not be certain whether immortality was still possible in the present era.

But Li Ming knew that immortals existed beyond this world, and that one could also become immortal within this world.

Based on Li Ming's understanding, most of the current Dark Supremes were utterly lost.

They did not know where the path lay, much less how to continue down it.

They could only foolishly await the Road to Immortality, cutting themselves down and sealing themselves away. In order to wait for the Road to Immortality to open, they did not hesitate to devour hundreds of millions of living beings.

Li Ming knew for certain that one could become a Red Dust Immortal in this world.

He knew that by following the transformation methods from the original work step by step, one had a great chance of becoming a Red Dust Immortal.

Since Red Dust Immortals existed in this world, Li Ming suspected that perhaps there was also a method of cultivation that, if followed step by step, could break through the limits of the human path's utmost peak and become a True Immortal.

In other words, the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands should also have possessed a path of True Immortal cultivation. It was just that this path now seemed to be gone, or no one knew of it anymore.

At least in the era of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor, becoming a True Immortal had still been relatively easy.

Unfortunately, the Primordial Ancient Realm had later been shattered, and even the laws of heaven and earth had become incomplete.

Now even the Immortal Domain was incomplete. It too had been shattered.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were likewise formed from a collection of worlds broken beyond repair.

In this era, it took ten thousand years, or even a hundred thousand years, for a Supreme to be born. Compared to the past, it was truly far inferior.

Back then, as long as one's strength was sufficient, one could attain the Dao and become a Supreme.

When Li Ming had read the original novel, he had clearly felt that the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Lands was like a leaking balloon.

From the Age of Mythology to the Primordial Era, then the Desolate Era, and finally the Post-Desolate Ancient Era, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to grow scarcer and scarcer.

The entire world seemed to be growing weaker and weaker.

At the very least, according to the original novel's descriptions, the density of heaven-and-earth essence energy during the Primordial Era far surpassed that of the Post-Desolate Ancient Era.

Many of the Primordial Ten Thousand Races had even simply sealed themselves away to endure the long Desolate Era, waiting for the Road to Immortality to open.

This was the most obvious contrast, and it had been explicitly mentioned in the original novel.

After Li Ming transmigrated to this era, he was astonished to discover that there were simply too many blessed grottos and heavenly paradises in the Age of Mythology. Such a cultivation environment far surpassed the descriptions of Ye Fan's era.

No wonder this era had so many Dark Restricted Areas and so many Dark Supremes remaining behind.

According to the original novel's descriptions, the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Lands should have been continuously weakening.

To restore it to the prosperity of the Age of Mythology would probably require the blessings of at least one, perhaps several, Immortal Kings.

Judging by the current trend, the further into the future it went, the longer the eras in which the Great Dao remained hidden would become. Even during those Golden Ages, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth would be less dense than before, and they would last for shorter periods.

Of course, Li Ming did not need to worry about such matters of the future.

The era he was in now was the best era for cultivation.

Even if he wished to help this world, that was something he could only accomplish after becoming an Immortal King.

His goal in this world was to become a Red Dust Immortal.

Other than that, everything else could be set aside.