Daode Tianzun?!

"Demon Venerable!"

"Venerable Ming!"

"Ziwei Venerable!"

At this moment, the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Lands erupted.

Countless sages and worthies shouted Li Ming's honorific title. Even more low-level cultivators heard the news and joined in chanting Li Ming's title.

Everything was because Li Ming's performance had been far too astounding.

Twenty-six thousand years had passed, yet Li Ming was still alive. What astonishing news that was.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands boiled over, and countless people were deeply excited.

Especially the Ziwei Holy Land and Sun-Moon Holy Land on Ziwei Star. They had all gone mad, shouting without pause.

Their momentum shook Ziwei Star and reverberated through the starry sky.

The Demon Venerable had defied the heavens and returned, living out a new Lifetime and displaying an invincible bearing!

He was so young that people were astonished, like an undying deity, eternal and imperishable, his entire body radiating immortal brilliance.

Li Ming looked at his original old body.

That old body was not aged. Instead, just like him, it had the appearance of a teenage boy.

It lay there motionless on the ground.

The only difference was that it no longer carried the aura of life and seemed steeped in decay.

It was as though he were looking at another version of himself, like a pair of twins.

That was himself—his past self.

Li Ming had now transformed into a flawless Chaotic Body.

His old body had likewise undergone an astonishing transformation during its metamorphosis, becoming a flawless Chaotic Body as well.

"In the original story, after Ruthless Empress transformed into a flawless Chaotic Body, she refined her old body into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar. Should I refine my old body into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar too?"

"Why didn't Ruthless Empress discard the old bodies she shed afterward, or refine them into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar? Why did she instead place them in coffins and leave them in the Myriad Dragon Nest?"

Li Ming looked at his old body and carefully considered how to deal with it.

"When people were reading Shrouding the Heavens, someone once discussed whether, if Ruthless Empress's body from her First Lifetime had not been refined into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar but placed in that Corpse-Nurturing Land on Earth for Corpse Spirit Awakening, it would become another Ruthless Empress."

Li Ming recalled that strange post, and his heart suddenly burned with excitement.

He really wanted to try it.

If he placed this old body in Earth's Corpse-Nurturing Land and truly let it undergo Corpse Spirit Awakening, what would it become in the end?

Would it truly become another him, just as they had discussed?

What kind of strange transformation would it undergo?

At that thought, Li Ming immediately gave up on refining his old body into the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar.

For the time being, he placed the old body inside the Bronze Immortal Hall, planning to let it first be cleansed by the immortal Dao essence within.

Then he planned to throw it into the Immortal Spring Vein of the Reincarnation Sea to nurture the corpse for a time. After the war at the End of the Mythology Era was over, he would move the corpse to Earth and place it in the Corpse-Nurturing Land.

After all, the time for the Road to Immortality to open at the End of the Mythology Era was drawing ever closer. If he placed the corpse there now, it might be destroyed in the Mythic War.

Since this was an experiment, he had to be serious and cautious. He could not be careless.

Before traveling through time, one could never know how many Dark Supremes existed in this era.

Before his time travel, he had always thought there were not many Dark Supremes in this era.

Only after arriving in this era did he discover that before the Age of Mythology and after the Chaotic Ancient Era, there had been a long Primordial Ancient Era. Numerous Supremes had been born during that time, and they later sealed themselves using methods similar to self-severance.

The number that had survived into this era far exceeded that of Ye Fan's time.

The Age of Mythology truly was an extremely dangerous era.

Li Ming even suspected that the wars at the End of the Mythology Era and the End of the Primordial Era had likely happened because there were too many Dark Supremes and too few resources, leading to great battles.

As for the truth, he would find out after living through those eras.

Chaos Thunder tore through space as Li Ming stepped inside and entered a strange world.

This place was pitch-black, devoid of any life aura, as though it were a land of death.

There even seemed to be a mysterious force faintly plundering the vital essence of every living thing.

Li Ming even saw countless corpses in this world.

All the Divine Substance within them had long since vanished. A breeze would turn them to flying ash.

There were bones at the Saint level and bones at the Quasi-Emperor level.

There were even some bones at the Supreme level. It was truly astonishing.

Why had Li Ming come here?

It turned out that he had once obtained a strange coordinate from fragments of that old Teng Snake's Primordial Spirit.

According to the old Teng Snake's memory fragments, when Lingbao Tianzun killed the gravely wounded Teng Snake back then, someone had seemingly helped him.

All the secrets pointed to this mysterious place.

It neighbored the place where Lingbao Tianzun had suppressed the Crippled Immortal.

Seeing that Supreme-level experts had died here, Li Ming realized that this was likely an extremely terrifying place.

But his skill gave him courage. Trusting the blade in his hand and the Bronze Mirror within his body, he came.

After crossing the boundless land of death, a black ocean appeared ahead, with a huge island rising from its waters.

Countless streams of sun and moon essence descended like a hanging galaxy, radiating an incomparably rich aura of life.

A man in Daoist robes stood there.

He wore a violet-gold crown and an Eight Trigrams Daoist robe, his gray-white hair cascading behind him.

Sensing Li Ming's arrival, the man abruptly opened his eyes. Within them were scenes of universes opening and perishing, and his aura was exceedingly terrifying.

Li Ming was also startled when he sensed this man's aura.

This black, freezing world was filled with strange forces constantly devouring people's vital essence.

Yet where that old Daoist sat was actually a sacred land.

Endless sun and moon essence poured down, while Chaos energy surged violently. An incomparably rich life aura lingered there.

It was as though he had cultivated and comprehended the Dao there for countless tens of thousands of years.

Perhaps because he had remained immersed in a state of Dao comprehension, a faint layer of dust had even settled over him.

The instant he opened his eyes, all filth vanished. He became ethereal, almost immortal, with white hair and a youthful face.

With every breath he took, endless Chaos Essence flowed in and out of his nostrils.

Li Ming simply stood there quietly, watching the old Daoist breathe in and out without end.

Li Ming could sense that the old Daoist's divine sense was faintly present, sometimes weak and sometimes strong.

As he breathed in and out Chaos, his divine sense grew increasingly powerful.

Once the man's divine sense rose to the Heavenly Venerable state, Li Ming tested the waters based on the aura emanating from him. "Daode Tianzun?"

"That's right. It is this old Daoist."

In the blink of an eye, the old Daoist regained his youthful prime. His gray-white hair turned black as ink, and he took on the appearance of a thirty-year-old man.

He seemed to have sensed that Li Ming had cultivated the Dao Scripture as well, and he looked at Li Ming with a genial smile.

Li Ming had never expected that the one who had helped Lingbao Tianzun kill the Crippled Immortal was actually Daode Tianzun.

And in this era, he had actually encountered the living Daode Tianzun.

It was truly unbelievable.

Judging from the timeline, Daode Tianzun should have been buried in the earth at this time.

Yet Li Ming had encountered Daode Tianzun right now.

Daode Tianzun slowly swept his gaze over Li Ming's body. Sensing the incomparably powerful Chaos aura around him, he was also startled.

Li Ming was actually a Chaotic Body!

And he had successfully achieved Enlightenment as Supreme!

Li Ming was actually a Chaotic Heavenly Venerable!

"I never expected that, Fellow Daoist, you would achieve Enlightenment as Supreme with a Chaotic Body. You must also be one of the Nine Heavenly Venerables, correct?"

"You are the legendary Demon Venerable?!"

Though Daode Tianzun seemed detached from worldly affairs here, he had unexpectedly heard of Li Ming's reputation.

That was not strange. At this level of cultivation, one already possessed the ability to extract certain information from the Heavenly Heart Imprint.

They could not deduce every secret, but from scattered clues, they could roughly infer a thing or two.

"That's right. I am the ninth of the Nine Heavenly Venerables, the Demon Venerable!"

Around Li Ming's body, the Myriad Dao of Heaven and Earth submitted and merged with him. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was the current Dao-prover.

Daode Tianzun courteously cupped his hands.

"Have you always lived in seclusion here, Heavenly Venerable?"

"Were you the one who joined Lingbao Tianzun in killing that Crippled Immortal back then?"

"Did you and Lingbao Tianzun arrange that Crippled Immortal's corpse there?"

Li Ming spoke directly, voicing the questions in his heart.

Daode Tianzun nodded, then shook his head.

"Lingbao Tianzun was the one chiefly responsible for killing that Crippled Immortal. This old Daoist merely lent a hand."

"I have slept here for roughly a hundred thousand years. This place can be considered one of this old Daoist's cultivation grounds."

Li Ming keenly noticed the number—one hundred thousand years. It seemed Daode Tianzun had likely been buried in the earth here and undergone Corpse Spirit Awakening.

"As for that Crippled Immortal's corpse, after I studied it for a while, Lingbao Tianzun took it away. He intended to devour the Crippled Immortal's corpse and seize its essence to live out a new Lifetime."

"And I attempted to walk another path!" Daode Tianzun said. "I see that Fellow Daoist also relied on your own ability to live out a new Lifetime. Perhaps we can discuss this matter."

So Daode Tianzun truly had dealings with Lingbao Tianzun and had even helped him.

No wonder Li Ming had vaguely felt a connection between the Salvation Scripture and the Dao Scripture. There was even some content concerning the Salvation Scripture within the Dao Scripture.

It seemed Lingbao Tianzun and Daode Tianzun had been far more closely connected than people imagined.

"How is Lingbao Tianzun now?"

"Is he still alive?"

"Did he successfully live out a new Lifetime?"

Li Ming cared deeply about these questions.

The Four Swords of Zhu Xian, Lingbao Tianzun's Formation Diagram, the Nine-Revolution Immortal Elixir, killing a Crippled Immortal, creating the Salvation Scripture, and quelling the Corpse Calamity—Lingbao Tianzun was absolutely a heavyweight figure in the original story.

Unfortunately, by Ye Fan's era, he had long been completely dead.

Only by personally living through this era did Li Ming understand what a formidable figure Lingbao Tianzun was.

It seemed that aside from Emperor Zun and Netherworld Venerable, Lingbao Tianzun had undergone the most transformations and lived out the most Lifetimes.

Of course, perhaps Daode Tianzun before him had done the same.

However, Li Ming felt that this Daode Tianzun might not be the true Daode Tianzun.

He was Daode Tianzun after Corpse Spirit Awakening.

It was just that Daode Tianzun's state differed somewhat from Netherworld Emperor Duan De's.

Daode Tianzun seemed to have retained more memories—complete memories of Daode Tianzun.

Even the soul born from Corpse Spirit Awakening believed itself to be Daode Tianzun.

Li Ming vaguely sensed this, but he did not point it out.

Daode Tianzun shook his head.

"I do not know Lingbao Tianzun's current condition either."

"After we killed that Bloodied True Immortal back then, we carefully studied that True Immortal's corpse."

"Later, Lingbao Tianzun attempted to transform in his own way."

"And I buried myself in this world and attempted a transformation."

"My transformation this time has now succeeded."

"But I have not sensed Lingbao Tianzun's aura."

"Still, I vaguely feel that Lingbao Tianzun may be transforming somewhere."

"As for when he will succeed and whether he can defy the heavens and return, this old Daoist does not know."

Daode Tianzun spoke with some regret.

Lingbao Tianzun seemed to have been an old friend of his, and he felt regretful that his friend might not successfully revive and return.

Daode Tianzun rose to his feet and led Li Ming toward the depths of the palace.

A majestic and magnificent palace complex stood upon this island, like a Heavenly Palace in an immortal realm.

Li Ming and Daode Tianzun each sat cross-legged upon a Dao Altar.

This island was truly extraordinary. Li Ming was surprised to discover that Daode Tianzun actually possessed a Demigod Medicine.

If he was not mistaken, it should be the Demigod Medicine Fleeceflower Ancestor.

It had ended up in the Kunlun Mountain Secret Realm during Ye Fan's era.

He had not expected it to be in Daode Tianzun's hands now.

Of course, perhaps it had voluntarily followed Daode Tianzun.

Divine Spring Water flowed here, while the ground was covered in Immortal Medicine. It had more than enough reason to grow here.

Yet Daode Tianzun did not seem to care about such things and had not deliberately sought Immortal Medicine.

At his level of cultivation, he had surely consumed Immortal Medicine long ago.

Here, Daode Tianzun's Dao-Proving Weapon, the Black-Yellow Pagoda, rose and fell within Chaos.

Li Ming had not expected Daode Tianzun to naturally evolve a small world here and attempt to evolve an Immortal Domain within it. It was truly astonishing.

Could this be the result of his research into the True Immortal's corpse?

"I never expected the secret realm you created to differ so greatly from those created by other Heavenly Venerables."

"It truly carries a hint of evolving toward an Immortal Domain."

"I'm truly impressed!" Li Ming said politely.

"Demon Venerable, you flatter me!"

Daode Tianzun shook his head. "It was merely a small insight gained while studying a True Immortal's corpse. It cannot evolve into a genuine Immortal Domain."

Li Ming took a sip of the divine liquid Daode Tianzun had given him and was astonished to discover a mysterious, warm aura flowing through his body, actually extending his lifespan somewhat.

Li Ming was also startled. Although he had never taken Immortal Medicine, he had always paid close attention to treasures capable of extending one's lifespan.

He had not expected that a single cup of Immortal Liquid from Daode Tianzun would have such an effect.

Clearly, Daode Tianzun was also very pleased by Li Ming's reaction.

Even his smile revealed a trace of pride.

Li Ming suddenly recalled that in Ye Fan's era, there had been an Ancient Venerable who slaughtered those Perfected Sacred Spirits and refined them into divine liquid.

Could this be something brewed from those Sacred Spirits?

Sure enough, Daode Tianzun nodded. "I happened to slay two Sacred Spirit Supremes and used them to brew this Immortal Liquid."

Li Ming nodded. "This stuff is indeed excellent!"

"I came here to seek your guidance regarding the secret of longevity, and I also wanted to hear about Lingbao Tianzun."

Daode Tianzun nodded. "Do you find the environment of this place extremely strange?"

"Yes. It feels like a mysterious prison." That was Li Ming's true impression.

"That's right. This place is indeed a prison!"

"And one that has been passed down from an unknown era to the present!"

"Lingbao Tianzun even suspected that this might have been a prison personally established by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor back then!"

"It imprisons only the most vicious and evil people. They can never escape for the rest of their lives and can only die trapped here in the end!"

"This place has even held genuine immortals!"

Daode Tianzun spoke with a grave expression.

"Lingbao Tianzun discovered this place?"

"No, I discovered it first!"

"Back when Lingbao Tianzun and I were cultivating and seeking enlightenment here, we happened to encounter that Bloodied True Immortal who had fallen into this world from the Immortal Domain Rift..."

Things were simply that coincidental.

Lingbao Tianzun, having transformed into a new Lifetime, was at the height of his power.

Daode Tianzun was likewise at his peak.

Faced with a Bloodied True Immortal, they were extremely excited.

Faced with two overwhelmingly powerful Heavenly Venerables, that Bloodied True Immortal met a tragic end.

"Lingbao Tianzun trapped that bloodied Crippled Immortal with an array diagram, then used four Immortal-Slaying Swords to destroy that True Immortal's Primordial Spirit!"

"The two of us studied that Bloodied True Immortal's body together and benefited immensely!"

After hearing Daode Tianzun's words, Li Ming nodded.

In a sense, a True Immortal's corpse was even more precious than an ordinary Immortal Weapon.

Because a True Immortal was truly a living being, whereas an Immortal Weapon was not a life-form with a physical body.

"What happened afterward?" Li Ming pressed.

"Afterward, Lingbao Tianzun took the True Immortal's corpse and sealed it away."

"It was what I told you earlier: Lingbao Tianzun intended to use that True Immortal's corpse to live out a new Lifetime."

"As for whether he can succeed, that is truly unknown."

After thinking for a moment, Li Ming said, "Have you ever deduced a similar scenario? One where Lingbao Tianzun's corpse turns into an entire world?"

"His head becoming a life-bearing planet?"

Remembering Lingbao Tianzun's fate in the original text, Li Ming asked.

Daode Tianzun made a brief deduction, and his expression immediately changed again and again.

"This actually seems to be real!"

"It seems as though it truly will happen in the future!"

"But the heavenly secrets are in Chaos. It also seems false, as though it has not yet happened and there is still a chance to change things!"

Li Ming had not expected Lingbao Tianzun to possess so many opportunities of Fortune.

Truly, it was both because of the True Immortal and ruined by the True Immortal.

In the original text, that Crippled Immortal, after undergoing Corpse Spirit Awakening, should have perished together with Lingbao Tianzun.

Now that Li Ming had dealt with the Primordial Spirit after that Corpse Spirit Awakening, Lingbao Tianzun would most likely not die so miserably, right?

He would not end up like in the original text, his body exploding into ashes and evolving into a world.

If Lingbao Tianzun had never cut himself down and truly lived out a new Lifetime, then he would very likely become the strongest of the present era.

Lingbao Tianzun, having lived out his Fifth Lifetime, might well be stronger than Li Ming, Emperor Zun, and Netherworld Venerable.

Lingbao Tianzun was actually this terrifying.

After Li Ming killed that old Teng Snake True Immortal, he seemed to have truly changed Lingbao Tianzun's fate.

"In fact, perhaps the only Ancient Heavenly Venerables who have not died are not merely the two of us."

"I have studied many ancient legends. Through scattered clues, I discovered that the first of the Nine Heavenly Venerables, the Tribulation Heavenly Venerable, may not have died. He may also be undergoing an astonishing transformation, and one day, he may return against the heavens!" Daode Tianzun said as he looked at Li Ming, his expression grave.