The ultimate darkness in the deepest reaches of the Boundary Sea remained like a bottomless abyss, waiting in silence—waiting for the final outcome of this world-shocking battle. Would a new legend be born, or would another challenger be devoured by the eternal darkness…
And within that temporarily suppressed Ancient Hall of Guidance, Lu Xuan, Xi Huang, and the others were racing against time to uncover the crucial secret that might break the balance.
Time was becoming increasingly precious for the Nameless Quasi-Immortal Emperor locked in fierce battle.
Lu Xuan, Xi Huang, and the others carried the Ancient Hall of Guidance that had been forcibly suppressed. After braving countless dangers, they finally escaped the most perilous region of the Boundary Sea and returned to the relatively safe borders of the Immortal Realm.
They did not make it public. Instead, they secretly found an absolute hidden realm controlled by Xi Huang and began jointly studying this eerie ancient hall from the source of darkness.
Even after temporarily losing its activity, the ancient hall still radiated a heart-palpitating aura of darkness. Its material was neither metal nor stone, yet incomparably hard, and the runes carved upon it contained Dao rhythms that surpassed the level of Immortal Kings.
Several Immortal King giants joined forces, spending a long span of time washing over and analyzing it with their own Great Daos before they barely glimpsed a trace of its mysteries.
“This thing… is absolutely not something an Immortal King could forge!”
The Heavenly Sword Immortal King’s expression was incomparably grave. His sword intent could sense the abyssal, prison-like essence of darkness deep within the ancient hall.
“The laws contained within have already touched upon the domain of the ‘Emperor.’ Though they are only fragments, their essence is exceedingly high.”
The Panshi Immortal King spoke in a deep voice. His Dao was related to stability, so his perception was the clearest.
“It is like a ‘coordinate,’ a ‘beacon’!”
Xi Huang’s eyes burned brightly.
“It is constantly and extremely covertly transmitting some kind of information toward the depths of the Boundary Sea. At the same time, it is also guiding the power and will from the source of darkness to descend!”
In the end, they reached a conclusion that made their hearts tremble: this Ancient Hall of Guidance was connected to a true dark emperor!
It was an important tool used by the dark camp to infiltrate, monitor, and even guide power into the myriad heavens!
The secrets and terror behind it far exceeded their initial estimates.
This discovery made everyone feel a heavy pressure. At the source of darkness, there indeed existed an ultimate terror above Immortal Kings!
Lu Xuan looked at the ancient hall, his thoughts surging even more violently.
He had personally seen the Nameless Quasi-Immortal Emperor, and knew just how terrifying a battle at the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level could be.
And this ancient hall was merely one of the chess pieces casually laid down by such existences.
“Strength! I need even greater strength!”
Lu Xuan’s desire to become stronger had never been so intense.
He did not merely want to protect himself—he wanted to possess the qualifications to participate in that ultimate confrontation in the future!
After sharing his insights from studying the ancient hall with the various giants, he resolutely chose to enter seclusion!
He needed to digest all the gains from this journey through the Boundary Sea—the insights from discussing the Dao with the heavenly prodigies and Immortal Kings of various worlds, and the inspiration gained from debating the Dao with the counterfeit-medicine seller and the Butcher.
He had personally experienced the terrifying pressure in the depths of the Boundary Sea, observed the clash between the Nameless Quasi-Immortal Emperor and Emperor Cang—even if only through distant perception—and gained knowledge of the essence of darkness through suppressing and studying the Ancient Hall of Guidance.
He wanted to integrate all of this into his own “Chaos War Immortal Dao” and the method of “Severing the Three Corpses,” seeking a breakthrough and launching an assault toward an even higher realm!
The place he chose for seclusion was the very core heartwood of the primordial Fusang divine tree that supported the Immortal Realm’s Solar Star. It was an exceptional place for comprehending the Dao, where the solar origin and chaotic qi converged.
While Lu Xuan sank into deep seclusion and paid no heed to worldly affairs, a major event that shook the myriad heavens and worlds occurred in the outside Immortal Realm!
Xi Huang, who had led the creation of the Immortal Realm and was an emperor-light giant, had successively witnessed the cruelty of the dark turmoil, the terror in the depths of the Boundary Sea, and had personally participated in the founding of the Immortal Realm, gathering the fortunes of myriad Daos. His state of mind quietly underwent a change.
His strength had already stood above all the kings of the Immortal Realm, making him one of the beings with the greatest hope of breaking through from king to emperor.
Now that the Immortal Realm had just been stabilized, all spirits had given him their allegiance, and fortune had gathered upon him alone. A majestic conviction that destiny belonged to him began to grow and flourish in his heart!
He believed that a loose alliance would not be enough to face the dark storm that might sweep across the myriad heavens in the future. A more centralized and powerful unified order had to be established!
A supreme divine dynasty capable of integrating all the power of the Immortal Realm, and even radiating its influence across the myriad heavens and worlds, to contend against the source of darkness!
Thus, after discussions with several other major founders of the Immortal Realm, such as Pan Wang and the Hunyuan Immortal King, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the newly born Immortal Realm and swiftly diffused toward the myriad heavens and worlds:
Xi Huang would join hands with the kings of the Immortal Realm to establish the Heavenly Court beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens! It would rule the Immortal Realm, govern the order of all worlds, resist the darkness, and protect all living beings!
And Xi Huang would ascend to the throne of Heavenly Emperor, taking the honored title—Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor!
As soon as this news emerged, the Immortal Realm shook, and the myriad heavens erupted in uproar!
Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor! This title possessed heaven-piercing grandeur. Taking his own race as his name and crowning it with the title of Heavenly Emperor, his ambition was laid bare for all to see!
The enthronement ceremony was set for the beginning of the third epoch after the founding of the Immortal Realm, to be held in the newly built Lingxiao Treasure Hall suspended at the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm!
On that day, ten thousand rays of rosy light shone, and countless strands of auspicious brilliance descended!
Throughout the Immortal Realm, heavenly flowers fell in profusion, and golden springs gushed from the earth!
Beyond the newly born Thirty-Three Heavens, palace halls stretched endlessly, with carved beams and painted rafters, emanating supreme majesty and a glorious aura.
Above the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Xi Huang—no, now the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor—wore an imperial robe encircled by nine dragons and a crown of stars upon his head. Emperor light coiled around him, his aura vast as an abyss, as he sat upright upon the supreme throne of the Heavenly Emperor.
His imposing presence was so overwhelming, illuminating the myriad heavens, that all the Immortal Kings present felt reverence arise in their hearts and dared not look directly at him.
Below him were the kings of the Immortal Realm, led by Pan Wang and the Hunyuan Immortal King.
Farther away were representatives from powerful races and ancient Dao lineages from all regions of the Immortal Realm, as well as envoys and giants who had received the news and hurried over from the myriad heavens and worlds. They crowded densely across the firmament, paying homage in unison and congratulating the Heavenly Emperor on his ascension!
“We pay our respects to the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor!”
“May the Heavenly Emperor’s sacred longevity be boundless, and may the Immortal Realm prosper forever!”
“We are willing to follow the Heavenly Emperor, sweep away the darkness, and stabilize the myriad heavens!”
The tsunami-like cries of homage resounded through the Thirty-Three Heavens!
Golden dragons of fortune coiled and roared. Endless power of faith gathered into a golden ocean, blessing the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor and causing his aura to seem to rise faintly once more, his emperor light growing even more resplendent!
Congratulations came from all directions, and ten thousand kings submitted!
At this moment, the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor had reached the peak of his prestige and power!
He looked down upon the countless spirits paying homage below, his eyes flashing with boundless ambition and confidence to look down upon the myriad heavens and grasp destiny in his hands.
Thus, the Heavenly Court was established!
The name of the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor shook the universe!
However, beneath this ultimate splendor and clamor, certain discerning figures such as Pan Wang and the Hunyuan Immortal King had a faint trace of worry hidden in their eyes.
The Heavenly Court had just been founded. It seemed like flowers adorning brocade, like oil added to a blazing fire—but how could integrating all worlds be an easy matter?
And how could the dark terror in the depths of the Boundary Sea be frightened off by a mere title?
The path of the Heavenly Emperor was destined to be filled with thorns and challenges.