"Shooting stars from beyond the heavens are falling to earth!" Beneath the veil of night, in a remote village, a child pointed toward the sky, eyes wide with pure wonder and longing.
An old man in the town snapped his head up, his face filled with shock. "How can they be so bright? A great star plunging from above almost certainly portends a great upheaval!"
The pitch-black, heavy clouds were pierced by a terrifying, blinding glare.
The night sky, originally deep and oppressive like an inverted abyss, now saw four streaks of light plunge fiercely downward. They grew ever brighter, vivid with brilliant, interwoven hues.
"It looks like heavenly fire pouring from beyond the world! Could a great catastrophe be upon us?"
Throughout the villages and towns, many were horrified. Mortals turned deathly pale at the sight, for the firelight spreading across the sky made the entire world appear as though it were ablaze, radiant and scorching.
In the earthen city, as well as among the few major surface factions that had pledged allegiance to the heavens, word had already arrived in advance. Aware that Earth Immortals would descend into the mortal realm today, they knew full well what those lights were.
The four streaks of brilliant streaming fire linked together, luminous and clear as colored glaze. Seven-colored immortal radiance shone down upon all creation, finally descending upon the imperial capital of Darui.
Ruicheng was magnificent and imposing, its city walls undulating like mountain ranges. It was the capital of one of the three great imperial dynasties, ranked among the top ten famous cities in the world.
The four Earth Immortals had their reasons for choosing Ruicheng for their descent into the mortal realm. They sought not only to seal the heavens, but also to unify the surface world.
Heaven and earth were brightly illuminated, as bright as day.
The four Earth Immortals drifted down in fluttering feathered robes. Some had white hair and youthful complexions, while others had jet-black locks; as their wide sleeves billowed, they appeared ethereal, untainted by the mundane, transcendent and otherworldly.
"We pay homage to the Earth Immortals."
A contingent of Darui's imperial clan immediately bowed in solemn homage. Having long thrown their lot in with those from the heavens, they had awaited this moment for a long time, their emotions running high.
They knew that the unification of Night Province would be accomplished by Darui, and that an immortal legacy was within their grasp.
As for the stubborn old fossils within Darui's royal line, they would simply be forced to step down into obscurity following the Earth Immortals' descent. To do otherwise would be a mantis trying to stop a chariot—grossly overestimating their own strength.
At this moment, even the Rui Emperor had knelt prostrate, chanting praises to the true immortals above, his dragon robe spread across the lapis lazuli pavement.
The seven-colored immortal light emanating from the four Earth Immortals enveloped the entire magnificent palace, cloaking it in swirling luminous mist, sacred and ethereal, as though an immortal grotto-heaven had merged into the mortal realm.
When the news broke, Night Province erupted into an uproar!
Four Earth Immortals had descended in their true forms, subduing a mighty imperial dynasty the instant they appeared, thoroughly shaking the realm.
That very day, numerous factions throughout the Darui Imperial Dynasty submitted, sending core figures into Ruicheng to pay personal audience to the four Earth Immortals.
Though some were reluctant, they had no choice but to bow their heads. Such was the irresistible tide of events. They had all received talismanic edicts from the Earth Immortals, and none dared disobey.
A temple bathed in pale golden fire springs belonged to a sect of the esoteric path. Although not an ancestral court, it was quite renowned within Darui's borders.
They had not gone to pay homage to the Earth Immortals. At "noon," when the night was at its shallowest, as the temple's supreme elder guided Dao resonance from the night sky into his cultivation, virulent fire from beyond the heavens suddenly cascaded down with terrifying force. Though a Grandmaster, he was severely wounded on the spot, his body nearly burned through.
With the world undergoing drastic upheavals, every Grandmaster already carried injuries. After suffering this calamity, the renowned veteran Grandmaster came within an inch of his life, striking terror into the hearts of many factions.
Could it be that the Earth Immortals had called down thunderous fire to punish this sect? People could not help drawing such connections.
"This was not our patriarchs' doing," a being from the heavens stepped forward and solemnly declared, warning against besmirching the Earth Immortals' reputation.
Many believed that old monsters of such stature would not stoop to attacking a Grandmaster; furthermore, had they called down a tribulation, the entire temple would have been reduced to scorched earth.
Nevertheless, every major organization and prominent clan across the lands felt crushing pressure. The descent of Earth Immortals from the ninth heaven to the ground brought a palpable sense of an impending storm, tightening the nerves of every faction.
People could not help looking toward the outer realm, as well as the ancestral courts of the esoteric sect and the Newborn path, wondering how the leadership of each path would react.
Yet the patriarchs of the Newborn path, the esoteric sect, and the Immortal path made no move whatsoever, maintaining complete silence.
For a time, many great powers throughout Night Province followed suit and fell silent, all bearing the invisible weight of apprehension. Would the four Earth Immortals seek them out next?
"The patriarchs of each path haven't shown themselves in a long time. Are they all right?" people began murmuring in small circles.
Everyone now knew that after the dramatic shift in the world's environment, everyone from patriarchs down to Great Grandmasters was plagued by afflictions, and some might even face fatal tribulations.
Some wondered: Were the leaders of each path even still in Night Province? Had they already fled the territories ruled by Yujing, pioneering outward into the unknown to seek a path of survival?
"It is likely difficult for them to leave. Clashing with the Dao resonance of distant lands might be tolerable for a short while, but staying long-term in an alien domain would only aggravate their illnesses if they failed to adapt."
For a time, unease gripped countless minds.
"Fangwai Immortal Land also lies within Darui's borders, yet their people haven't gone to see the Earth Immortals!"
In fact, all major organizations were watching closely to see if any Earth Immortal would pay a personal visit to Fangwai Immortal Land.
As night deepened, observers saw the dark cloud layers torn open as several streaks of light rushed toward Xian Land, one of the Immortal path's most important blessed lands.
Tension mounted on all sides as everyone waited for crucial news.
In Xian Land, defensive formations were fully opened, auspicious haze billowing forth as a golden thoroughfare rolled out beyond the mountain gates. They received their celestial guests with impeccable courtesy.
Soon after, confirmed news spread: the four Earth Immortals had not moved, remaining seated serenely within the Darui imperial city. It was their direct disciples who had traveled to Fangwai Immortal Land.
"The envoys are all chief disciples, the eldest disciples of the four Earth Immortals in person. Each is at the perfection level of the Sixth Realm, capable of standing eye-to-eye with any supreme patriarch of any path."
At present, Night Province had no Seventh Realm patriarchs—this was universally recognized.
And the status of an Earth Immortal's chief disciple was naturally exalted enough to meet with the highest echelons of Night Province.
People realized that the Earth Immortals, possessing immense self-assurance in their true descents, would surely shake the world the moment they acted; for now, they were overlooking the realm, controlling movement through stillness.
Would they make a move against the patriarchs of each path? That was the question countless people cared about most.
Inside the Darui imperial city, within a blessed land veiled in immortal mist, the four Earth Immortals sat in silence. At this moment, all of them frowned, for they had attempted to divine the whereabouts of Taiyi and the Realm Faction, yet found no clues whatsoever.
"The Dao beacon has dispersed; there is no trace to be found," spoke Nian Songhe. With white hair and a youthful, ruddy complexion, he indeed resembled an ancient divine immortal, yet his tone was utterly detached.
They had extracted a portion of qi from the New Board, but tracking back with it now yielded only vast, boundless night and dense fog—not a single clue remained.
"Could an expert be opposing us, concealing the heavenly secrets on his behalf?" remarked Xiao Qingheng. She was the sole woman among the four Earth Immortals, with fair skin, cascading black hair, and clear eyes. She appeared no more than twenty years old, bearing hardly any trace of the passage of time upon her.
Qi Yunding's hair fell loosely to his waist. Though a genuine old monster, he looked no older than twenty-five or six, his entire body radiating immortal light.
He declared, "With our personal arrival, four Earth Immortals striding across the world, what phantom or demon could ever hide their tracks?"
Mu Cangwu nodded and said, "Indeed. Tomorrow, we shall proceed to the ancestral courts of the various sects, but before that, we will take the Dagan Imperial Dynasty."
With lustrous black hair and profound eyes, he bore the appearance of a middle-aged man. His flesh and blood were translucent, interwoven with immortal patterns, exuding an aura of sublime transcendence.
Once the "heavens were opened" in the future, Yujing might project down into Night Province, requiring a unified immortal dynasty as its physical terrestrial foundation.
The four were brimming with confidence. Not only did they carry lethal instruments of supreme destruction, but they had also brought Dao chains for self-protection, locking in their own qi so that the hostile environment of this world would not corrode their true bodies in the short term.
Even if there were Earth Immortals on the surface, they had nothing to fear.
That evening, the chief disciples of the four Earth Immortals returned to report.
"Xian Land is guarded by only one elderly Sixth Realm expert. None of the other so-called patriarchs are anywhere to be seen. Furthermore, this man appears near the end of his lifespan. Though polite and courteous in receiving us, he held an attitude of total indifference, as if resigned to fate."
"When we bluntly told him that we wished to invite him to ascend to the heavens, he merely chuckled, nodded, and asked for an extension of his lifespan, claiming that otherwise he would pass away within days of arriving up there, so he might as well let his bones rest in Night Province."
Such an old patriarch with exhausted potential was not someone they needed; even if the heavens possessed precious medicines, none would be squandered to prolong the life of such a person.
In truth, they had merely wanted to test their stance.
"As for the immortal seeds, most have ventured out on travels. In particular, Jiang Ran, whom Master specifically named, has vanished without a trace."
"Xian Land lacks sincerity!"
The four Earth Immortals said nothing. Having listened quietly to the report, they dismissed the disciples.
When news spread that night, unease gripped every quarter. Clearly, the people of Xian Land were avoiding the brunt of the four Earth Immortals' might, with every promising patriarch and disciple having departed.
The patriarchs of Night Province had always been overbearing, possessing a notorious reputation in the outer regions. Now that even they lay low, what could anyone else do?
The next day, the four Earth Immortals stepped out of the blessed land in the Darui imperial capital. In an instant, unbroken seven-colored immortal radiance transformed into vibrant clouds and auspicious haze, blanketing the sky.
Not only were they armed with lethal supreme treasures and protected by Dao chains, but they also carried the Sky-Patrolling Mirror, preparing to sweep across the world and ferret out everyone on their list.
The four Earth Immortals traversed the night sky with their physical bodies, moving at a speed that struck terror into all who beheld them.
Across the night sky, one could see the darkness torn apart, four blinding corridors plowed through the firmament as cloud layers detonated and black mist completely scattered, accompanied by terrifying roars of thunder.
Before long, they crossed into the territory of the Dagan Imperial Dynasty and descended upon its imperial capital.
Moments later, the old emperor of Dagan was pinned to the ground, unable to move. He had already learned that the surface world was to be unified, with Darui at the head.
Naturally, he was unwilling in his heart to become a subject of the Rui dynasty and harbored great resistance. Yet he dared not make any rash remarks or actions—facing Earth Immortals, after all, he could only tactfully express his helplessness.
However, the four Earth Immortals paid no heed to his feelings, refusing to listen to his words.
Chiefly, Dagan was feeble. The royal clan's Sixth Realm expert had only recently passed away, and while they still had two deities to rely upon, in the eyes of Earth Immortals, those were mere lesser gods.
Thus, the imperial clan of Dagan was held firmly pinned to the ground.
Word from this encounter spread swiftly. Flocks of lightning birds took flight carrying letters into the distance, instantly sending shockwaves across the realm.
People felt the overbearing might of the four Earth Immortals; even an imperial dynasty was held of no account in their eyes, leaving no room for choice.
Before long, Dagan was "subdued." They felt utterly powerless, incapable of mounting the slightest resistance.
Before the four Earth Immortals, the so-called experts of Dagan's imperial clan and the princes and marquises of the realm amounted to mere secular strength, utterly inconsequential.
The four Earth Immortals did not linger. Rising into the air like seven-colored heavenly fire scorching the firmament, they illuminated heaven and earth as they flew toward the distance.
"Might anyone on the surface think we only pick on the soft persimmons?"
"Then let us pay a visit to the ancestral courts of the Immortal path and the esoteric sect."
The spectacle of Earth Immortals passing overhead was terrifying. Pitch-black clouds detonated incessantly with immense commotion, aweing every city and orthodox sect along their path.
Moving like wind and lightning, riding seven-colored immortal mist, they arrived at the outer pure land to personally set foot upon this ancestral court of the Immortal path.
Earth Immortal Nian Songhe's chief disciple, aware that the four powerhouses would arrive in person, had come ahead of time to make contact.
He was greatly displeased, for no Sixth Realm expert had come out of the mountain gates to greet them. He demanded, "The four Earth Immortals have arrived in person. Where are your patriarchs? Why have they not come in person to welcome them?"
An aged, decrepit cultivator shuffled forward and said, "The patriarchs are all severely ill and have already gone abroad to seek medical help."
The Earth Immortal's chief disciple wore a cold expression. For injuries of that magnitude, what famous physician could possibly cure them? It was nothing more than an excuse to leave.
Nearby, several lingering cultivators sighed in secret upon hearing this news. Facing the four Earth Immortals, even the mightiest patriarchs of Night Province could only choose to evade.
If so, then going forward, it was feared that no one on the surface would dare oppose the will of these visitors from the heavens.
The four Earth Immortals did not speak, maintaining an absolute calm. They stepped directly into the pure land and deployed the Sky-Patrolling Mirror to search for extraordinary auras in this place.
"Indeed, there is no Sixth Realm expert holding the fort. Even of Great Grandmasters, only two remain, both decrepit with age. Are none of those so-called peerless immortal seeds here either? The Congenital Fire Body is nowhere to be seen as well."
Suddenly, Xiao Qingheng, the only woman among the four Earth Immortals, stared into the Sky-Patrolling Mirror. Her delicate brows knitted slightly, and her expression turned solemn. "An aura bordering on the Seventh Realm has been left behind here."
Nian Songhe, with his white hair and youthful face, also turned grave. "Hmm? Could the outer pure land be on the verge of producing an Earth Immortal?"
Only now did the four old monsters speak more, forced to take this matter seriously.
Qi Yunding, who appeared only twenty-five or six, remarked, "More likely, someone is seeking to become a seven-sun stacker—most probably that Helian Chengyun. But he shouldn't have succeeded yet!"
Afterward, they visited Yangtu and Etu in succession, their expressions exceedingly solemn as the Sky-Patrolling Mirror captured further auras approaching the Seventh Realm.
"Barring any surprise, that should be Leng Mingkong!"
"He does not tread the Earth Immortal path. How arduous it is to become a seven-sun stacker! Especially in this kind of environment, when they all carry injuries—one false step, and body and soul are wiped out completely!"
"What if he succeeds?" Mu Cangwu asked. Bearing the guise of a middle-aged man, his transcendent air carried a faint, imperceptible majesty.
In a single day, the four Earth Immortals swept across the outer realm, aweing the entire world.
"Where is Lu Zizai?"
With the arrival of a new day, the four Earth Immortals came to the Six Imperials ancestral court. Failing to find Patriarch Lu Yu, they directly called for Lu Zizai.
"He left Night Province before the great upheaval of heaven and earth," someone informed them.
"Hmm? Could someone be on the verge of mastering the Seven Imperials force?" Suddenly, Qi Yunding frowned, gazing into the Sky-Patrolling Mirror, which reflected vague images and the circulation of an unfathomable heavenly light force.
Undoubtedly, an indelible qi had been left behind in the Six Imperials ancestral court.
Shortly after, they departed and headed straight for the Rulai Sect, demanding to see Present Rulai, and also mentioned other names, such as Xiang Yiwu.
Yet once again, they came up empty-handed.
"The aura left by this Present Rulai is not simple either. Could a petty Night Province, a mere pool of stagnant water, actually raise several true dragons?"
"Even if they have hopes for the Seventh Realm, they cannot break through now. The changes in heaven and earth are too violent. Moreover, even granted the best environment, it would be fortunate if even a single person managed to break into the Seventh Realm without altering their lifeform."
Becoming a seven-sun stacker was considerably more difficult than becoming an Earth Immortal.
"If Present Rulai is absent, this old man remains—Past Rulai," a feeble voice called out from the direction of the rear mountain just as the four Earth Immortals were about to leave.
Past Rulai, having been crippled by the Six Imperials Patriarch and others, was still clinging stubbornly to life. He thirsted for power, yearning to revive and become a powerhouse like the sage.
Mu Cangwu spoke, "Hmm? Your lifespan is almost spent, your body and soul rotting away, riddled with cracks and forcibly bound by flood-dragon sinews. Your potential has been mined nearly dry. What use do we have for you!"
The four did not spare him a second glance, drifting away.
*Pfft!*
Past Rulai coughed up a mouthful of old blood, beside himself with fury, and muttered, "I will live another life, achieve nirvana, and be reborn!"
He cursed viciously in his heart: *Motherfucking Earth Immortals, how dare they look down on me!*
The four Earth Immortals proceeded to the Qingtian Sect and Yuqing Sect one after another, yet still came away empty-handed; everyone on their list was absent from their respective ancestral courts.
In the distance, upon hearing the news from the Rulai Sect, the Big Red Dragon immediately flapped its wings to deliver the report.
"Sage, those four Earth Immortals held your disciple in utter contempt! Word is they enraged Past Rulai so badly he couldn't stop spitting blood. That useless disciple of yours is about to drop dead."
"Utterly useless!" At the fringes of Night Province, one of the origins of the silk book method, the living sage sighed upon hearing the report.
Then, turning his head, he asked, "Have you found that dog carrying the green bamboo sword yet?"
"Haven't found the dog, but from afar I did see a round, chubby black-and-white bear munching on bamboo shoots," the Big Red Dragon reported.
***
Four Earth Immortals striding across the world, with no one daring to stand and oppose them, thoroughly shook Night Province inside and out.
Afterward, the four old monsters headed for the esoteric sect, visiting the major ancestral courts of that path one by one.
"The esoteric sect has profound foundations. According to rumor, a patriarch once walked out of Night Province and became a Seventh Realm deity in the distant outer domains."
After meticulous inquiries and investigation, they finally learned that this figure was likely an Earth God, equal in standing to themselves, lurking in the Eastern Lands. If he could be found, he could be invited to ascend to the ninth heaven.
"This esoteric ancestral court truly has something to it. Sense carefully, probe into the minds of those disciples—a patriarch of this place possesses the talent of a Heavenly God."
Soon, the four old monsters turned solemn. Probing deeply, they at last discovered that a ruthless figure of the esoteric sect was cultivating inside a perilous restricted zone in Kunling.
That person did not seek to become an Earth God, but rather aimed to become a peerless powerhouse of the Seventh Realm without altering his lifeform.
"He is refining several perilous zones in Kunling, and it seems he might succeed?"
"Come, let us take a look!"
All four Earth Immortals took on grave expressions. Could a True God truly be about to emerge on the surface?
"The four old monsters have departed, heading for Kunling—most likely to seek out the ruthless esoteric ascetic!" After the four powerhouses left, an old man transmitted word to the distance.
Someone whispered, "Some time ago, faint seven-colored luminous mist billowed within the perilous zones of Kunling. Did that ruthless esoteric figure succeed? If the four old monsters dare dig into it, who knows if disaster might strike."
Chapter 465