The old man cried out in surprise, his eyes flashing as he scrambled up from the ground! The other elders beside him reacted as well, surrounding the three of them!
"It's me!"
"Good! Good! Wonderful! You're all still alive." The old man's withered hands clutched Lin Yue's sleeve, and he grew so excited that his words came out in a jumble!
"No, hurry, hurry and hide! You have extraordinary talent-you must live to grow stronger! Don't let them find you. Hide somewhere safe! Don't come out!"
Another elder spoke, his expression dazed!
After their initial excitement, the elders abruptly came to their senses and urged Lin Yue and his companions to hide, afraid the Foreign Realm would kill them! They had endured far too much despair. By now, they no longer harbored any hope of defeating the Foreign Realm; they only wished that fewer of their young people would die!
The sight of the elders made the three of them ache inside. War truly drove people to despair. The old man was named Zong Yao and had originally come from Great Yu Heaven. After his homeland fell in the war, his entire clan had migrated! Almost every member of the younger generation had died in battle, leaving only elders and underage children!
"Senior, we came here to provide support. How could we leave?" Yan said, his voice resolute!
"That's right. Even if we die in the end, we must not retreat. I would gladly die fighting for the Nine Heavens!"
Lin Yue's face was equally resolute, but then he froze inwardly. When had he, too, developed this attitude of facing death as though returning home?
"Good, good children. You're all fine sons and daughters of the Nine Heavens. But the Foreign Realm is simply too strong! Their powerful cultivators far outnumber ours. There's no hope in sight!" The old man still opposed their coming to help. He held tightly to Lin Yue's hand, unwilling to let him go!
"Rest assured, Senior," Lin Yue said. "We'll act within our abilities and won't push ourselves beyond them! If we can't match the enemy, we'll withdraw immediately!"
"Well...! Then you must promise us you won't take risks! Only while you're alive is there hope!"
Seeing that the three had made up their minds, the old man hesitantly loosened his grip on Lin Yue's hand, warning them to put survival first.
"All right! At the slightest rustle of wind through the grass, we'll run straight away!" Yu said cheerfully!
"Ha ha...!"
At Yu's words, all three burst out laughing!
The old man knew these youngsters were only trying to comfort him, but he felt much better nonetheless!
He knew their strength was now worlds apart from what it had once been, because he could no longer sense their auras. He was, after all, a great cultivator of the escape one realm. When no extreme dao figures appeared, he could be called a supreme, a figure standing above even the great sect leaders. Yet now he could not see through these three juniors!
Such strength, returning to simplicity and the true essence, belonged only to invincible figures!
Chapter 32: The Nine Heavens' Fighting Strength
As they watched the three depart, the elders no longer looked as dispirited as before. All of them suddenly brimmed with renewed vigor. Zong Yao climbed onto the city wall and struck the great bell hanging there!
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Nine deep, lingering chimes spread throughout the nearly ruined Divine City!
The cultivators in the city paused at the sound, then shock filled their hearts. Whether they were wounded veterans lying on the ground or other defenders staring blankly with their minds wandering beyond the heavens, they all rose to their feet and gazed into the distance, hoping to see what had happened.
It had been a long time since that bell had sounded! They wondered what was happening-and there had been nine chimes, the number representing the utmost limit.
Everyone knew that nine was the ultimate number. This meant an invincible figure had come to reinforce them. At a time like this, how could they remain calm?
As the bell rang, three auras erupted into the sky, faintly influencing the laws of heaven and earth as they announced the arrival of three peerless, invincible figures!
Tears filled the elders' eyes atop the city wall!
"Just as I thought, I wasn't mistaken! These esteemed ones have already entered the realm of the invincible!"
An elder murmured!
"It's not surprising that the two esteemed members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan possess the auras of invincible figures. They've matured, after all. At this stage, their physical strength alone is probably no weaker than an invincible figure's! But what's going on with Lord Lin Yue? At his age, how could he possess such overwhelming might?"
Another elder beside him voiced his confusion, utterly bewildered!
"It must be the result of some supreme secret art!"
The elders found an explanation they could accept and let the matter rest. After all, no one throughout the ages had ever overcome the extreme dao shackles barring those under five hundred. They believed that even if Lin Yue's extraordinary talent would one day allow him to enter the immortal dao, he could hardly break that curse at his present stage!
The Altar at the center of Divine City was likewise different from before. Floating boulders stood empty, one after another. The number of invincible figures at the peak of the human dao domain was dwindling rapidly!
Although many had gone to reinforce other worlds, there were still far too few left.
In the past, hundreds of invincible figures at the peak of the human dao domain had gathered here.
Now, although seventy or eighty powerful cultivators were still attending the meeting, only thirty or forty were invincible figures! Moreover, they were all old; even the youngest belonged to the previous generation. There were, however, several immortal dao figures! One had even broken through into the immortal dao domain in the midst of the previous bloody battle!
Thirty or forty invincible figures might sound like a great many, but at its height, the Nine Heavens had possessed a truly considerable number!
The Foreign Realm and the Immortal Domain were great realms, with nearly a hundred kings openly known in each. Naturally, the Nine Heavens could not compare.
Those two domains were simply too vast. Even their own kings had never seen the entirety of such great realms! Many ancient worlds and secret realms left behind from the previous epoch remained unexplored!
Yet although the Nine Heavens was a small domain, the proportion of kings and powerful cultivators it possessed was truly staggering.
At its height, the seven ancient, first-generation kings guarding the Border Wasteland-the Human King, Vermilion Bird King, Fire King, Stone King, Azure Dragon King, Kunpeng King, and White Tiger King-had all ranked among the immortal dao kings. The Immortal Monk King and the lords of several heavens were no weaker.
There was also Second Under Heaven of the Dragon Clan. After losing by a single move in the contest for the true name, he had called himself Second Under Heaven ever since. The mere fact that he had lost to True Dragon by only one move was enough to mark him as a titan among kings.
There were king-realm titans such as Immortal King Wuzhong, the Reincarnation Immortal King, and Willow Deity! Even the Immortal Domain had only three or four such titans openly known! Moreover, their fighting strength defied heaven!
Immortal King Wuzhong had once withstood a host of kings from the Foreign Realm and killed their Pu Demon King. His fighting strength had approached that of a supreme titan.
The Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King had spent his life studying reincarnation. Rumor even held that this king had begun to glimpse its workings and perceive many heaven-defying mysteries. He also possessed the Primordial Chaos Ancient Artifact known as the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. He had once stood alongside Immortal King Wuzhong against a siege by the Foreign Realm's Immortal Kings, and his fighting strength was no weaker than Wuzhong's!
Willow Deity needed even less explanation. Entering and leaving the Foreign Realm nine times, Willow Deity had slaughtered its forces until none dared proclaim themselves king. In the original story, after undergoing nirvana, Willow Deity had even begun stepping onto the path of an emperor-a truly heaven-defying being!
And that was not all. There were also mighty fiends such as the Ten Fiends, whose fighting strength rivaled the king realm! True Dragon had likewise reached the king realm and rivaled its titans. In the original story, he had fought An Lan, sending him flying with a single sweep of his divine dragon tail. He had also fought Yu Tuo and broken his arm. Most importantly, True Dragon had fought Pu Demon King as well. Pu Demon King had probably lost, though True Dragon had still failed to kill him.
Beyond them were all manner of immortal dao figures and innate sacred spirits. For an ordinary small domain to possess even a few kings was already extraordinary, yet a small domain like the Nine Heavens had produced so many powerful beings. This deeply puzzled the kings of both the Foreign Realm and the Immortal Domain.
What charm did the Nine Heavens possess to be so beloved by heaven and earth? One being after another with heaven-defying fighting strength had been born in this realm!
During that period, even the Immortal Domain had not dared put on airs before the Nine Heavens, instead treating it as an equal.
When the Foreign Realm launched its war, it had mobilized a multitude of kings. When had it ever treated the invasion of another small domain with such seriousness? And it had even lost quite a few Immortal Kings!
Had darkness not invaded in a surprise attack, shattering the Nine Heavens' battle lines and allowing its forces to be surrounded and slaughtered, the Foreign Realm would have paid an enormous price for the war even if it ultimately won!
At the Altar, the extreme dao figures and several supreme immortal dao figures were discussing matters when the sudden invincible auras startled them!
"Fellow daoists have arrived. Have they come to reinforce us?" a one-armed elder asked, his voice trembling with excitement!
"They must have. The great bell at the city gate has sounded, and they've taken the initiative to announce their arrival. They must be reinforcements!"
A white-haired man beside him also spoke. His aura was restrained and his face full of smiles, but no one dared overlook his might. He was an invincible extreme dao figure hailed as the one in his generation most likely to break through into the immortal dao!
The arrival of reinforcements kindled hope amid their despair. Even some of the supreme immortal dao figures at the center of the Altar opened their eyes!
"Wonderful! They've only recently entered the extreme dao. There's no trace of age in these auras-they brim with vitality. Has the new generation finally produced extreme dao figures? This news is far too important to the Nine Heavens!"
A woman spoke. She, too, was a rarely seen female extreme dao figure!
"We should go welcome them to show our appreciation!"
"Indeed!"
Many then looked toward the center of the Altar, seemingly seeking approval. That area was veiled in indistinct chaos, where several immortal dao figures sat cross-legged.
"Very well. You may represent us and give them a proper welcome!"
A voice rang out, carrying a hint of delighted surprise as well! An immortal dao figure had spoken!
Several figures then flew out from the Divine Altar toward the city gate!
"Old Lin, why are you in such a hurry? Is it someone you know?"
While they flew, an elder questioned the other old man beside him. Had Lin Yue been there, he would certainly have recognized the speaker as Master Jin, who had come to welcome them before. Clearly, he could sense his old friend's excitement!
The excited elder beside him was none other than the Lin Family's ancestor, Lin Zhong!
At that moment, he could feel an intimate call within his bloodline! It was the powerful pulse of an invincible figure, stronger even than his own!
Chapter 33: People of the Immortal Domain
Shortly after entering the city, Lin Yue and his companions sensed several invincible auras rapidly approaching!
One belonged to a blond, middle-aged man whose gentle, refined bearing unconsciously inspired goodwill. There was also a woman who appeared around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and peerlessly beautiful. Dressed in robes as red as blazing fire, she radiated the might of an invincible figure, carrying a faint, boundless heat! It was as though she might transform into a great sun at any moment and burn the void to ashes!
The remaining three were elders. His own ancestor was at their forefront, his face brimming with excitement!
"Oh, old man, you're looking lively!"
As they landed, Lin Yue was the first to speak, teasing him. He had already felt the pulse in his blood while outside the city. Now, seeing that his ancestor was still alive, he was in fairly good spirits!
"Ha ha ha...! You brat, you really did it! Your name will echo through the ages! You've made history, accomplishing what no one before you ever could. Our Lin Family is destined to become renowned throughout every world of the Nine Heavens! Come, come, everyone-this is my grandson! Come take a look!"
As the Lin Family's ancestor, Lin Zhong could no longer describe what he felt. First, Lin Yue had successfully walked the path of using his flesh as a seed. Now he had broken the extreme dao shackles and joined the ranks of the invincible. Whatever the future held, the Lin Family was certain to leave a bold, vivid mark upon history! For a man devoted to reviving his family, this joy verged on madness!
"Incredible! I must be dreaming. An invincible human who has broken the extreme dao curse! It feels far too unreal!"
Watching Lin Yue radiate the aura of an invincible figure, the elder named Jin Shuo stood dumbfounded. The two families were close, so of course he knew Lin Yue's age. He could not believe such a heaven-defying person stood before him! His body moved toward Lin Yue of its own accord. He reached out and squeezed Lin Yue's arms, then began trying to run his hands over the rest of him!
"Hey, hey! Master Jin, what are you trying to do?"
A chill ran down Lin Yue's spine, and he sprang away like a startled kitten!
"Heh heh! I couldn't help myself, couldn't help myself!" The elder gave an embarrassed grin!
"Say, young Lin, you're not a child anymore. It's time you thought about... hey... hey, don't walk away! You can choose any pearl of my Jin family!"
"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! You old rascal...!"
The female invincible figure beside them reacted even more dramatically. Spiritual light gleamed in her beautiful eyes as her pupils contracted. She covered her lips with a delicate hand, her face blank with shock!
"Has he truly broken this curse that has endured through the ages?"
The last elder, the one-armed man, was equally dazed. He murmured to himself, still unable to stop doubting it!
Lin Yue's talent was simply too shocking. He had accomplished something everyone had deemed impossible! So much so that even the Heavenly Horned Ant siblings were overlooked!
Not long afterward, at the center of the Divine Altar, everyone stared at Lin Yue with constricted pupils!
Even the immortal dao figures rose to their feet and surrounded him!
"A heaven-gifted prodigy. You truly broke these shackles and this curse!"
A Female Immortal spoke, her voice stirring the Nine Heavens. Her breathtaking beauty carried a cold edge, drawing countless gazes. At that moment, she parted the immortal aura surrounding her and revealed her true appearance.
She looked to be in her early twenties. A crimson snowflake mark between her brows lent her a striking, heroic air. Her snow-white hair fell to her waist, and even her eyebrows were white. Her white eyes brimmed with boundless cold! Tall and shapely, she wore an ice-blue gown with broad, flowing sleeves. The bearing unique to the immortal dao made her seem like a noble spirit of ice and snow!
This immortal dao figure was named Snow Linglong. She came from the Snow Tribe and was known as the Ice Lord. Her tribe belonged to the demon races and had few members, each born from a sacred spirit within the snow. From the moment they appeared, they were innate divine beings. She was an immortal dao expert of the Nine Heavens, whose frost power could freeze the void. Since the war began, she had slain several immortals of the Foreign Realm and countless extreme dao figures!
"Having broken such shackles and such a curse, you may be the turning point for the Nine Heavens."
An elder spoke excitedly. He, too, was an immortal dao figure. In this age of Immortal Ancient warfare, even immortal dao figures could die at any moment. He himself might perish in the next instant, yet his emotions had never wavered. He had already grown indifferent to life and death.
Yet upon learning that Lin Yue had broken the extreme dao shackles, he spoke with excitement.
Such were cultivators. Seeing someone overturn conventional wisdom and forge a way forward, allowing others to glimpse hope-could anything be more astonishing? No, because today someone had proven that the so-called supreme curse could be broken! The road ahead had begun to brighten!
To hear the Dao in the morning and die that evening would be enough! The elder was deeply satisfied!
"As expected of Lord Lin Yue!"
"The two esteemed members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan are also remarkable. They already possess the bearing of those whom none can rival unless the immortal dao intervenes!"
Some great cultivators of the escape one realm began praising the three!
"You've arrived at just the right time. The meeting is about to begin!"
Another immortal dao figure spoke. He was a young man who had only recently entered the immortal dao during a bloody battle, and he held Lin Yue in high regard.
Seats were arranged for Lin Yue and the Heavenly Horned Ant siblings directly below the immortal dao figures!
Leaving aside Lin Yue's breaking of the extreme dao shackles and their curse, the two members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan had now matured. Unless an immortal dao figure intervened, perhaps some invincible figures at the apex of the extreme dao could defeat them, but absolutely none could kill them. Their bodies were simply too monstrous!
If they entered the immortal dao domain and tempered themselves further, even kings would struggle to kill them! The name of the Ten Fiends had already begun to spread! The three of them would undoubtedly bear the banner of the Nine Heavens in the future. Even now, they were not only powerful and extraordinarily talented, but also very young.
"Next is the situation on the battlefield in Great Red Heaven!"
An invincible figure rose and tossed out the decree in his hand. It flew toward the immortal dao figures, and one of them caught it! After a glance, he was startled. The fluctuation in his emotions affected the void, sending ripples through it!
"This decree was sent by Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, and the others have left their true inscriptions on it as well! Fellow Daoist Azure Moon was surrounded by several immortals and hunted down. No one knows where she fled, and her whereabouts remain unknown! There's no information at all!"
At these words, everyone grew anxious, their brows tightly furrowed!
"The fighting in Great Red Heaven is growing fiercer. Much of several ancient lands has already been shattered. If this continues, the whole world may be annihilated! Several other fellow daoists were also surrounded and hunted down during battle. We don't know which ancient lands they've reached, and for now their whereabouts are unknown as well!"
The young man's face filled with sorrow. Although his entry into the immortal dao had strengthened the Nine Heavens, regrettably, he still could not play a decisive role on the battlefield!
Before you continue