“After countless bloody battles, after glimpsing countless shattered traces of ancient history, I finally understood a secret.”
For the first time, a ripple of inquiry entered the voice of the nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor.
“To break through the king realm and become an emperor is not the simple accumulation of power, nor is it a deeper mastery over existing laws. Rather, it requires… creating a law that belongs to oneself! A system never before seen, unique to oneself, capable of deriving ten thousand Daos and standing above them… an entirely new system!”
Creating one’s own law!
Lu Xuan’s heart shook violently. How similar this was to his path of “Severing the Three Corpses,” to his “Dao of the Chaos War Immortal”!
So as early as the Era of the Emperor’s Fall, this quasi-Immortal Emperor had already comprehended this truth!
“And yet, how easy could creating one’s own law be?”
The nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor’s tone returned to its ancient, unruffled calm.
“That meant denying all past understanding, breaking through the barriers that had always existed, and forcibly treading out a path to the heavens where no road existed. I failed countless times. My Dao body collapsed; my divine soul shattered. I wandered amid extinction, struggled at the edge of Guixu…”
His words were calm, yet Lu Xuan could sense that behind that understated account lay unimaginable hardship, loneliness, and peril spanning several epochs!
“It consumed… I know not how many epochs of time.”
The nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor spoke slowly.
“Amid endless attempts and failures, amid my hatred for Xuanhuang’s destruction and my insight into the essence of darkness, I finally… walked out. I took the will of destruction that bore my blood feud, the dark end I had glimpsed, and my ultimate understanding of annihilation and return to the source, and fused them all into one furnace. From that, I created… the Heavenly Art of Annihilation.”
“Once this art was complete, the barrier of the king realm broke in response.”
He spoke lightly, but Lu Xuan knew that it was the accumulation and struggle of several epochs, the final earth-shattering breakthrough after countless trials of life and death!
A true legend who had relied on his own power to create an emperor law and break through the king realm stood right before him!
“I became… a quasi-Immortal Emperor.”
The nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor stated it plainly. Yet not the slightest joy or excitement could be heard in his tone—only a stillness like stagnant water.
“When I looked back, the World Sea was vast and boundless. Those I had known had long since turned to dust, and my enemies had likewise been buried by my own hand. There was not a single person… with whom I could speak of it. Not a single person… who could offer me congratulations.”
His family, his friends, the living beings of his world—all had long since passed away countless years before.
He stood at the peak of power, but he also stood upon the absolute summit of loneliness.
“Thus, I decided to set out and completely resolve the source of this dark turmoil.”
His gaze sharpened once more, falling beyond the dam.
“I knew that behind that darkness, there was more than one existence on the same level as me. I had always been waiting—waiting for a fellow Daoist… who could walk shoulder to shoulder with me.”
At last, a trace of anticipation seemed to emerge in his voice, as though it had been sealed away for countless years.
“I waited atop this dam for several epochs… watching the tides of the World Sea rise and fall, watching worlds be born and perish in cycles… Yet I never did manage to wait for one.”
That faint trace of anticipation ultimately turned into an even deeper desolation.
He looked at Lu Xuan. That indistinct gaze seemed to pierce through time and see the potential and radiance in Lu Xuan, who was likewise opening a new path.
“You… are very good.”
In the end, he said only those three words, yet they contained far too much left unspoken.
Lu Xuan’s heart was filled with emotions too complex to describe.
Admiration, pity, helplessness, and a trace of resonance as a fellow seeker of the Dao.
He now knew this quasi-Immortal Emperor’s complete past, and he also understood his resolve to walk alone toward death.
The nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor said no more. He gave Lu Xuan a slight nod, then resolutely turned around and took a single step. His figure crossed that towering dam.
He completely vanished into the ultimate darkness behind it, which devoured all things, leaving only a shallow line of footprints upon the dam.
Lu Xuan stood there alone, silent for a long time.
The deathly wind of the World Sea seemed to be playing a soundless elegy for this lonely emperor’s expedition.
He knew that this farewell might well be forever.
And his own road still had to continue.
Deep within the World Sea, perhaps there were also answers and responsibilities that belonged to him.
Watching the nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor’s figure completely disappear into the absolute darkness beyond the dam, the heaviness in Lu Xuan’s heart born from his inability to change the ending swiftly transformed into an even more blazing desire to become stronger!
He could not stop here. He had to see it with his own eyes!
Without too much hesitation, chaotic immortal light once again lit up around Lu Xuan. This time, he no longer circled around. Instead, he flew straight toward the direction in which the nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor had vanished, resolutely heading for the dam of the World Sea!
The instant he crossed the dam, it was as though he had pierced through an invisible membrane. The surrounding environment changed drastically!
This was no longer the relatively gentle World Sea, but a place filled with violent, chaotic storms of destructive energy powerful enough to annihilate all things!
Fragments of laws here were like sharp blades. Dark matter was so dense that it had turned into a viscous mire. There were also spacetime rifts that appeared silently like venomous snakes, devouring everything.
Even though Lu Xuan had already attained the Dao as an Immortal King and condensed the body of a Chaos War Immortal, being in this place made him feel like a mortal caught in raging waves. His Immortal King law body was scraped until it ached, and his divine soul endured an immense sense of oppression.
However, although the figure of the nameless quasi-Immortal Emperor was no longer visible ahead, the path he had taken had left behind a clear trace.
It was not a tangible path, but rather the remnant of a Dao rhythm, an imprint of mighty power that had forcibly smoothed the violent energy ahead!
Lu Xuan saw that in the distance, the terrifying energy storms capable of severely injuring or even killing Immortal King giants were silently parting to either side the instant they touched that invisible trace, forming a relatively calm passage.
This was not smashing through with brute force, but a higher-level absolute command and mastery over laws!
The might of a quasi-Immortal Emperor had reached such a degree!
Merely by moving forward, he had temporarily opened a road for those who came after him!
Lu Xuan dared not be careless. He sped forward along this briefly opened safe path.
He saw the wreckage of shattered ancient worlds frozen within fragments of spacetime. He saw the colossal bones of giant beings floating in the darkness. He also felt countless gazes filled with malice and greed cast from the deepest reaches of the World Sea. The owners of those gazes all had auras no weaker than Immortal Kings!
He followed closely along that gradually weakening trace of Dao rhythm, not knowing how long he had advanced through the darkness.
Until at a certain moment, the trace of Dao rhythm belonging to the quasi-Immortal Emperor ahead suddenly grew indistinct, then completely vanished without a trace.
Lu Xuan understood. It was not that the trace had disappeared, but that the environment in the depths of the World Sea ahead had already become so terrible that even the Dao rhythm left behind by a quasi-Immortal Emperor could not persist for long. Or perhaps that emperor had already entered a deeper, more dangerous region, and his Dao rhythm was no longer something Lu Xuan could perceive or follow.
He stopped and looked at the ultimate darkness ahead, which was like a great beast opening its jaws, as though it could devour all light and hope.
Reason told him that with his current strength, if he went any deeper, he would certainly die!
That was a battlefield for quasi-Immortal Emperors, not a place where a newly advanced Immortal King like him could set foot.
A sense of powerlessness surged into his heart once more, but it was soon replaced by even stronger determination.
He needed power. He needed to improve even faster!
He changed direction and no longer advanced straight inward. Instead, he began exploring the relatively “outer” regions of the depths of the World Sea.
His target was the ancient hall that had always existed in his perception. At the same time, he was searching for any opportunity that might increase his strength.
Just as he was passing through a strange mountain range formed from shattered stars and condensed dark matter, intense energy fluctuations and a familiar scorching aura suddenly came from ahead!
He concealed his aura and approached. In a relatively open stretch of dark void, he saw several figures emanating vast auras of giants engaged in fierce battle with strange beings formed from pure dark matter!
The figure at their head burned with eternal, undying solar Dao flames. His imperial might was boundless, far surpassing that of ordinary Immortal King giants. It was none other than Emperor Xi!
And beside him were several others: a human sword immortal, a true dragon sovereign, and a stone holy spirit. All of them were giant-level existences who had shaken their regions with their fame as early as the Era of the Emperor’s Fall!
They had clearly also fallen into a bitter battle. Those dark beings could not be killed off completely, and could continuously draw power from the surrounding dark matter.
Lu Xuan’s appearance immediately drew the attention of both sides.
“Hmm?! It’s you?! Lu Xuan?!”
Emperor Xi shattered a dark being with one palm and abruptly turned his head to look at Lu Xuan. His golden pupils were filled with unbelievable shock!
“You… you’ve actually become an Immortal King?! How is that possible?!”
He clearly remembered that when Lu Xuan had left the Divine Kingdom of Emperor Xi, he had only been in the True Immortal realm. How long had it been since then?
By the scale of the World Sea, it was no more than the blink of an eye!
Yet he had actually crossed that heavenly chasm and become an existence on the same level as them?
Moreover, he could sense the unique chaotic battle intent on Lu Xuan. The depth of his foundation and the strangeness of his Dao rhythm actually made even Emperor Xi, an old-generation giant, feel a trace of alarm!
The other giants also cast astonished gazes at him.
Lu Xuan swiftly took action. Chaos War Immortal power surged, and with one Claw of Chaos Opening the Heavens, he tore through the void, directly crushing several powerful dark beings that had been besieging Emperor Xi, resolving his crisis.
“Ancestor, fellow Daoists, I trust you have been well.”
Lu Xuan cupped his hands, his tone calm.
Emperor Xi suppressed the shock in his heart and joined forces with his old friends to swiftly clear out the remaining dark beings. Then he looked at Lu Xuan with a grave expression.
“You brat… you truly amaze me! This place is dangerous and far from benign. How did you come here?”
Lu Xuan did not explain the secret of his traversal through spacetime. He only said,
“I came to seek the Great Dao and pursue certain karmic ties. Ancestor, what are you doing here?”
Emperor Xi’s gaze swept over the endless darkness around them, and he said in a deep voice,
“Like you, we are here to explore the secrets of the depths of the World Sea, to pursue the source of the darkness, and also… the opportunity to break through the king realm and become emperors!”
He pointed into the distance. At the end of their line of sight, within the dark mist, towering, ancient bronze halls that emitted a strange power of reception could be vaguely seen standing deep within the World Sea like tombstones!
They were precisely the Receiving Ancient Halls!
“These ancient halls are strongholds of the darkness, and also doors leading to deeper secrets.”
A human sword immortal giant spoke. He was known as the Sword Sect Immortal King, and his aura was incomparably sharp.
“We have observed this place for a long time, and we intend… to join forces and bring one of them down!”
A trace of resolve and fervor flashed in Emperor Xi’s eyes.
“If we capture an ancient hall, perhaps we can glimpse some secrets of the darkness’s source from within it, and even find the key to resisting them!”
Bring down a Receiving Ancient Hall?!
Lu Xuan’s heart shook. This was a tremendous undertaking!
These ancient halls were mysterious beyond measure and closely connected to the source of darkness. They were absolutely not easy to deal with.
“Count me in.”
Without any hesitation, Lu Xuan looked firmly at the target ancient hall that flickered in and out of sight within the darkness.
This was an excellent opportunity. Not only could he gain a deeper understanding of the darkness, he could also temper himself by fighting shoulder to shoulder with giants!
Emperor Xi looked at Lu Xuan, the admiration in his eyes growing even stronger.
“Good! With you, a newly advanced War Immortal, joining us, our chances are greater by a few more points! There is no time to lose. Prepare to act!”
Several Immortal King giants, together with Lu Xuan, this newly advanced Chaos War Immortal, connected their powerful auras into one, locking onto that lonely Receiving Ancient Hall floating in the distance.
A surprise assault against a stronghold of darkness was about to erupt in the deepest reaches of the World Sea!
Once the target was set, there was no need for further words.
Led by Emperor Xi and the Sword Sect Immortal King, several old-generation giants, together with Lu Xuan, this newly advanced Chaos War Immortal with astonishing foundations, instantly united their momentum into one, like an unyielding flame ignited in the deathly darkness of the World Sea’s depths!
The locked-on Receiving Ancient Hall seemed to sense that undisguised hostility and threat as well.
The dormant dark runes on the surface of the ancient hall suddenly lit up, emitting a deep and eerie glow. The hall trembled slightly, causing the dense dark matter around it to boil like living things. It transformed into countless twisting tentacles and ferocious faces that let out soundless roars!
“Attack!”
Emperor Xi roared and was the first to manifest his Golden Crow dharma body. His wings unfurled, and true solar fire capable of burning the heavens burst forth with a roar, turning into a golden torrent that tore through the darkness and charged first toward the ancient hall!
Wherever he passed, those dark tentacles and faces melted and collapsed one after another like ice and snow meeting the sun!
“Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate!”
The Sword Sect Immortal King pointed with two fingers like a sword, and behind him appeared the illusory image of a giant sword that pierced through the starry sea.
His incomparably sharp sword intent condensed to its limit. With a simple downward slash, the sword light seemed to contain the supreme will to open heaven and earth and sever karma. Though launched later, it arrived first, slashing fiercely at the main gate of the ancient hall!
The stone holy spirit giant—Immortal King Panshi—let out a low roar. His body expanded explosively, transforming into a granite giant that stood between heaven and earth.
His fists were wrapped in heavy Dao principles capable of suppressing the ages. Like two falling ancient stars, they smashed violently toward the foundation of the ancient hall!
The other true dragon sovereign—Immortal King Ao Lin—let out a dragon roar that shook the World Sea. He manifested his true form as a five-clawed golden dragon. His dragon claws tore through the void, drawing forth vast dragon might and the baleful qi of the World Sea as he clawed at one corner of the ancient hall!
Lu Xuan also held nothing back. His Chaos War Immortal power erupted in full!
He did not manifest a colossal law body. Instead, he restrained his power to the utmost. His twin claws secretly aligned with the intent of chaos opening the heavens, and his figure flashed like lightning as he pounced directly toward a region on the side of the ancient hall where the runes were relatively dim!
His attack seemed less grand and imposing than those of the other giants, but the power of chaotic destruction condensed into a single point
caused even that ancient hall to let out an ear-piercing creak, as though it were enduring unimaginable pressure!
“Boom, boom, boom—!!!”
The combined strike of several Immortal King giants landed solidly upon the Receiving Ancient Hall!