Above, the sky was black as an abyss. The howling astral winds sounded like the mournful weeping of gods and demons, capable of scattering the luminous conscious spirits of grandmasters. Traces of the old era drifted into view—a trembling phantom of an old woman hobbling past, and a mutilated, real head bound in iron chains, fluttering like a kite in the astral wind as the links clattered and rattled before suddenly snapping taut.
Light appeared only when the Dao Chains flickered into view, like lightning slashing across an ink-black firmament on a rainy night. Such was a glimpse of the realm above the ninth heaven. Divine chains of law and order interwove, locking away an expanse of blessed pure land above the sea of night mist. Beneath its base, pressed down amidst the wind calamity, lay traces of bygone days—including no shortage of decaying remains of beings that had surpassed the Earth Immortal rank.
Thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes, positioned at specific nodal points, were now steadily grinding upward, intending to puncture through that very sky!
Amidst the darkness stood one hazy silhouette after another. An old woman robed in red brushed back the snow-white hair clinging to her brow and sighed softly. "Never thought that now, when I am old and frail, hot blood would rush to my head and make me act with such impulse."
She knew there was no turning back. Heaven and earth were about to be turned upside down.
Pale golden vitality surged around the Old Barbarian God. Turning his head toward her, he said, "It proves we are not old yet, that we still possess vigor and vitality! At worst, we leave the Northern Desolation and start over from scratch. Who knows, we might even live another life!"
"An old lady brushes back her hair with youthful abandon, haha..." chuckled the sage of Pugong.
No one knew the true origin of the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes. Classified as forbidden artifacts, they were the supreme implements of destruction in Night Province, brought out only when the fate of clans hung in the balance.
Now, the fates of the Earth Immortals from beyond the territory were swept up in it as well.
Within the sea of night mist, dazzling light erupted. The thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes expanded, resembling gigantic pillars propping up heaven and earth. Exceedingly resplendent, dense arrays of inscribed talismans flared to life as they hammered straight into the locked pure land high in the celestial dome.
***
High above, inside jade palaces, several Earth Immortals leisurely sipped wine, enjoying peaceful and idyllic years. Though the aroma of the wine was tempting, one of them shook his head and remarked, "Recent vintages of Zui Qianqiu are not nearly as mellow as those from years past."
Between his fingertips rested a divine glazed goblet adorned with interlocking lotus motifs. Within it rippled an iridescent sheen like dawn clouds, and its mellow fragrance wafted through the hall, yet he found it wanting.
Another Earth Immortal smiled. "Make do with it for now. The time draws near. Once heaven is thoroughly sealed, the blessings here will endure endlessly, and all manner of aged herbs across the celestial fields will sprout anew and exude auspicious radiance. Will we be short on superior immortal brews then?"
Beside them, someone spoke up. "Mm, I hear matters on the ground are progressing slowly. Could unforeseen variables have arisen?"
"They cannot stir up any significant waves. In our Star Mountain, a supreme Earth Immortal is preparing for the grand prosperity of the future 'Heaven-Opening' epoch and wishes to refine a devastating weapon. If disturbances arise below, it will merely give him an excuse to make a descent and gather the calamity fires of the mortal realm."
"Do not be careless. Lost treasures might exist on the ground. By the way, I heard just now that the old fellow from Zixiao Cave has awakened and personally inquired into recent affairs. Could it be he has not completely decayed?"
The old fellow they mentioned—Zhuo Kun—was gaunt as a skeleton. He slowly sat up from his couch, brows deeply furrowed, overcome by a persistent sense of unease.
"Old Ancestor, there is no need to worry. All is well in heaven, and an envoy delegation has descended to investigate the surface. The world below was leveled long ago and is nothing like the past. Even if wild immortals occasionally rebel, they are merely insignificant ripples against the great tide."
The skin-and-bones Zhuo Kun spoke: "Mm. Has our Zixiao Cave produced any new seven-day stackers in recent years? We must not suffer a gap between generations, lest in the end, sealing heaven only lays the groundwork for someone else's harvest."
"Within three years of sealing heaven, a new powerhouse will likely emerge. Moreover, he is a descendant of your lineage."
A faint smile surfaced across Zhuo Kun's wrinkled face. He nodded and said, "Good. Regardless of lineage, it is enough as long as a talent of extraordinary aptitude rises. My greatest fear is that our Zixiao Cave will lack successors, forcing this old man to crawl out of his coffin to maintain appearances when heaven opens once again."
"Rest easy, Old Ancestor. Once heaven is sealed, the vitality of your physical body will heighten and your lifespan will extend. It would not be impossible for you to live out another life. You will continue to look down upon the world, and once your command is issued, none under the four seas shall dare disobey."
"Mm." Emaciated, Zhuo Kun nodded as he accepted a bowl of medicinal broth rippling with golden glow. Brewed with a two-thousand-year-old ginseng as its primary ingredient, he merely took a sip to moisten his throat before setting it aside, drinking no more.
At the same time, inside Leize Palace, someone frowned and put down a teacup, saying, "The tea broth has been rather bitter lately, full of inferior aged leaves. It is truly difficult to swallow."
An immortal tea that would be nearly impossible to buy for ten thousand pieces of gold in the outside world was cast aside by the Leize Palace Master, dumped out to feed the dragon carps in the divine lake outside the palace.
"Once heaven has been sealed for a period, we can pluck the tender shoots of the Tree of the Great Dao." Outside Leize Palace, spiritual radiance rippled across the divine lake, adorned with waterside pavilions and covered corridors. A female immortal leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance. Faint, astonishing seven-colored divine halos flickered around her body.
She looked back and asked, "Zhuo Kun of Zixiao Cave has revived. Can he truly be pulled back from a decayed state? Does our Leize Palace possess old fellows like that?"
The Leize Palace Master replied, "Do not speak wildly. Your only concern is to strive for your own grand nirvana after heaven is sealed!"
***
High above, melodious strings and woodwinds played heavenly music. White mist drifted amidst swirling immortal radiance. Between the various ancient mountain factions, flood dragons coiled and cranes danced; time passed serenely, untroubled and tranquil.
Young descendants of immortal clans went about untethered: some carrying jade flutes and musical scores, treading clouds to visit friends; some sitting quietly beside the Heavenly River to comprehend the Dao; and others gathering amidst the lingering fragrance of orchids at the ruins of the Sky-Reaching Tower to reminisce about the past. Just as before the great upheaval of heaven and earth, their robes remained unstained by worldly soot, entirely carefree and at ease.
A fairy robed in snow-white murmured, "Why has not a single one among Taiyi, Realm Faction, and Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword ascended? I hear some of the top-ranked are not very old at all. I truly cannot wait to meet them!"
A young man in gold robes nodded. "Mm. Such figures might become commanders in the Slaughter Department in the future."
Though left unspoken, they all knew that even if the outstanding talents selected from below possessed extraordinary aptitude, they could hardly compete for the third—or the future fourth and fifth—flowers of the Great Dao.
Top rankers could be heavily employed, but with measured restraint.
"I hear certain figures in the lower realm did not participate in the New Board competition, such as Jiang Ran, Chunyangzi, Jin Puti, the Innate Fire Physique, and others. Hopefully, they can all be recruited upward this time to serve our needs."
Above the ninth heaven, every ancient mountain faction was a former grotto-heaven. Divine lakes rippled with light, and spiritual peaks surged with immortal splendor, illuminating the surrounding gloom in resplendent harmony—a world apart from the boundless darkness and barren earth below.
Right then, a heavy thud resounded.
Above the night sky, the immortal pure land—rich with endless blessings and removed from worldly strife—began to shake violently.
Amidst thunderous rumbles, it seemed as if heaven and earth were turning upside down. Terrifying astral winds rushed into several territories, accompanied by boundless nocturnal darkness that swept inward and snuffed out large swaths of immortal radiance.
"What happened?" No one could have foreseen a massive upheaval in heaven. Several palaces fractured and collapsed amidst billowing clouds of dust.
Some witnessed colossal pillars as massive as mountain peaks thrusting upward from below. Dark clouds and astral winds poured in alongside them, as if the realm was now joined directly to the sea of night mist.
An even more terrifying scene unfolded: the Dao Chains interlaced through the void were coming under ferocious assault. The luminous protective canopy draped over the heavens manifested fully, only to reveal cracks and fractures.
Immediately following that, some mountain ranges shattered, the earth split open, and the Dao Chains snapped with sharp crunches.
Within the sea of night mist, thirty-six massive divine stakes gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. The forbidden runes within them had been activated, erupting with blinding radiance as an assembly of cultivators propelled them straight into the firmament.
"Shatter!"
"Detonate!"
The crowd roared, their blood surging hot. It felt as though they had returned to their youth—wild, unbridled, and fearless. Without hesitation or regard for the consequences, they drove forward to punch thirty-six gaping holes straight through the heavens.
These forbidden artifacts—the divine stakes—had just been refined with the blood essences of four Earth Immortals. They unleashed unimaginable power, severing vast sections of Dao Chains and gouging completely through the semi-decayed immortal grotto-heavens.
Amidst horrifying sounds of collapse and surging Dao rhythm, heaven and earth seemed torn apart. The entire firmament shuddered and roared, as if about to plummet out of the night sky.
Above the ninth heaven, many palaces dimmed and their array patterns went dark. Jade tiles scattered in all directions and golden bricks flew through the air as structures disintegrated.
Across the celestial fields, crisscrossing, pitch-black chasms opened, allowing astral winds to whip inside.
Across the ancient mountain factions, an instant of stunned silence gave way to earth-shaking roars. Immortal beams surged into the sky one after another, and devastating killing artifacts began to awaken.
"Hold the line!"
"Activate the Heaven-Guarding Grand Array!"
Voices barked commands, urging all high-level experts to intervene simultaneously to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Rare treasures shot up from every ancient mountain faction, anchoring the void. Most formidable of all, mysterious formations revived, rapidly stemming the inflow of astral gales and the creeping spread of darkness.
Even thicker Dao Chains materialized to bind the cosmos, while numerous powerhouses lent their strength to patch the tears and mend the shredded pure land.
*Rumble!*
With one final jolt across the ancient mountain factions, sections of mountains collapsed as the thirty-six divine stakes swiftly withdrew.
*Spurt!* Several powerhouses deep in secluded meditation coughed up mouthfuls of blood, visibly shaken and struck by backlash from the disturbance.
A few ancient monsters with little lifespan remaining saw the light in their eyes fade, suffering devastating blows from this unexpected catastrophe.
Many younger disciples felt their hearts tremble with dread, their faces pale. Even now, they could not comprehend what had happened. Did someone actually dare invade heaven?
"Could something have happened to... our slumbering ancestors?" someone whispered.
"Heavens, cracks have appeared on the Celestial Magnetic Nest! Mend it with Dao Chains at once!"
"A portion of the roots of the Tree of the Great Dao has snapped! Fallen leaves cover the ground!"
"Two coffins deep within the Extremely Cold Nine-Color Ice Mountain have shattered! Two senior predecessors have completely withered, leaving no hope of revival!"
...
For a time, terrible and alarming reports spread across the ninth heaven. Cries of dismay echoed everywhere, swiftly followed by boundless, mounting fury.
The leaders of the ancient mountain factions above were practically driven mad. The losses suffered this time were simply too catastrophic to fathom!
At the same time, they found it difficult to accept. Once the Heaven-Sealing Array had been laid down to isolate the heavens from the outside world, it should have been far safer. How could anyone have breached it?
"Could decaying Heavenly Gods still linger in the world, and was it them who took action?"
"Even if beings of that rank exist, under the current circumstances they can only exert power at the Earth Immortal Great Circle at best. After the upheaval, there are no more sovereign gods; they could hardly shake the heavens!"
"The outside world... possesses an unimaginable killing weapon!"
The upper echelons in heaven were both alarmed and enraged. Among the younger generation, some were terrified, others indignant, and several clamored to strike back and exact revenge immediately.
"Mend the heavens first! Otherwise, under the erosion of the astral winds and night mist, the Nine-Color Ice Mountain will absorb harmful external Dao rhythms, and some senior elders on the verge of natural death will perish entirely, losing all chance of rebirth!"
Heaven fell into utter chaos!
***
"We should leave!"
Within the sea of night mist, the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes had already been retrieved. The group felt their hearts race with complex emotions; they had truly punched a hole straight through the sky.
"Above the ninth heaven, it wasn't as impregnable as we imagined. I thought it was completely impenetrable. How about we launch another grand assault?" proposed one aggressive Earth Immortal.
"Look, having pierced the sky, the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes seem to have undergone a further blood sacrifice. Their spirituality has grown immensely—enough to sustain another battle."
They realized the stakes had been baptized by heavenly Dao rhythms. Much like nails hammered into a sealed 'heavenly coffin,' they had absorbed extraordinary, mysterious substances.
The sage of Pugong spoke up: "Stay calm. Heaven possesses power exceeding the Earth Immortal rank, such as ancient weapons, grand arrays, and perhaps even decaying Heavenly Gods!"
"Let us leave!" Leng Mingkong and Chu Canglan stated one after another, agreeing that lingering here was ill-advised.
Even the most aggressive among them recognized that their current strength was insufficient to mount a full-scale conquest of the ancient mountain factions. It was time to retreat.
Once their minds were made up, they wasted no time, transforming into streaks of light and diving toward the earth without delay.
They understood all too well that a colossal storm was brewing in heaven!
Across the night sky, streaks of light fell toward the earth like shooting stars as the counter-attacking group rapidly returned.
"Everyone, may the green mountains remain unchanged and the clear waters flow forever. Until we meet again!"
Some Earth Immortals had already decided to flee to distant alien realms for now. Even if conflicting Dao rhythms aggravated their ailing bodies, they had no choice; heaven would surely pursue them with savage vengeance.
"There is no need to worry excessively. We only need to endure through this stretch of time. The Heaven-Sealing Array is irreversible and was already on the verge of closing completely. Once they spend time patching things up, this window of opportunity will end. The blessed pure land will recede and vanish from heaven and earth."
"Mm. Most likely, they will only be able to emerge from their self-locked 'cocoons' when heaven opens again. If we are still alive then and have made no progress, we will truly be in peril and hard-pressed to survive!"
"Everyone, farewell for now. Take care!"
The gathered patriarchs and Earth Immortals were about to scatter to the winds, taking to the ends of the earth as fugitives.
"Wait, not good! Those in heaven didn't rush to patch things up; someone has charged out immediately, bringing along a terrifying killing artifact!"
Almost simultaneously, the surface powerhouses looked up and saw a dazzling rain of light pouring down from above the ninth heaven, illuminating the entire skyline.
Sword light crisscrossed above as a figure clad in liquid metal armor, with a terrifying diagram floating above his head and exuding a suffocating aura, led a contingent in hot pursuit.
"It is a supreme powerhouse, suspected to be a seven-day stacker! He wields a specialized weapon and carries a slaughter array diagram capable of manifesting a mysterious sword array!"
The crowd was stunned. Heaven possessed abundant resources and could indeed produce terrifying experts. This was likely an established seven-day stacker who had not altered his form—showing no signs of decay, overwhelmingly formidable.
Most crucially, in an era where everyone else suffered from severe ailments, he had remained hidden within the sealed pure land, completely unscathed and at his peak.
"He is growing overly confident. He only has four Earth Immortals beside him. I say we reap a major harvest before we leave!"
"That will likely be difficult. He has a specialized weapon and that mysterious array diagram; at worst, they can guarantee his safe withdrawal."
Helian Chengyun spoke: "Not necessarily. It isn't as though we lack specialized weapons ourselves. Stop holding back, everyone—bring them out! Furthermore, our Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes might not necessarily fail against his slaughter array diagram. Before we depart, let us strive to kill him!"
These were all ruthless figures. Whether the patriarchs of Night Province or the Earth Immortals from outside the territory, none who had ascended to this height on the barren earth were ordinary.
They struck an instant consensus, resolved to slaughter this pursuer before departing to leave behind a deterrence.
"Everyone, I have an idea. Let us draw them near the 'nascent Yujing' to fight! In my view, those ancient mountain factions do not represent the true will of Yujing. If living beings still exist within that newly formed city, they might sense the commotion!" an aged Earth Immortal suggested, wishing to take a slight gamble in hopes that some entity or mighty consciousness within Yujing might awaken slightly during this juncture.
"Mm. According to what we learned through soul searches, the current actions of those ancient mountain factions severely violate Yujing's original intent. The herb fields, the Celestial Magnetic Nest, the Tree of the Great Dao, and various blessed grounds above the ninth heaven were meant for all remarkable talents within Yujing's reach. Yet that group of old fellows sought to monopolize them entirely for those in heaven. Going to stir up trouble near the newly formed city of Yujing might truly produce miraculous results!"
"I agree it is feasible. Just maintain a safe distance and do not get too close to Yujing!"
Aside from the Dog Sword Immortal, who was heavily influenced by Old Man Liu, nearly everyone else agreed.
After some consideration, the black-and-white bear decided to accompany them as well, saying, "What must be experienced in person must be experienced in person. I will go near that mysterious city to see what makes it so special."
The reason the newly revived Yujing was called "nascent" was that it hung exceptionally far away, exceedingly hazy and suspended beyond the heavens like shifting mist, not yet having fully coalesced.
"Attack!"
The group from the ground was aggressive to the extreme. Even on the verge of fleeing for their lives, they still dared clash head-on with a seven-day stacker at the peak of his power.
Instantly, they mobilized the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes and soared skyward to meet the terrifying powerhouse descending from the ninth heaven.
"A bunch of aged, weak, and ailing cripples riddled with disease—how dare you fight with such desperation?" High in the night sky, the seven-day stacker was indeed formidable and chilling. In the blink of an eye, he arrived before them.
The old Earth Immortal of the Eastern Lands warned, "Everyone, no need to clash directly in the initial engagement. Drag him along and unleash everything near Yujing!"
Across the night sky, boundless sword qi blanketed the firmament like a shower of falling meteors, crashing down until the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes rang continuously.
At this moment, within all the cities across the vast earth below, everyone was petrified. The clash in the night sky was far too terrifying. The immense killing intent caused many people to tremble and collapse to the ground, even from such an immense distance.
The faces of those charging up from the ground to meet the enemy also shifted slightly. The attacker was formidable indeed; that sword array seemed capable of cleaving through anything.
Under the coverage of such an array, even an experienced senior Earth Immortal caught alone would be ruthlessly executed with no hope of survival.
Fortunately, the Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes unearthed from beneath Night Province were no ordinary artifacts. Growing stronger the more pressure they faced, they held off the horrifying slaughter light pouring from the sword array above.
"The thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes are truly remarkable—a miraculous forbidden artifact whose origins can hardly be traced!" The crowd was overjoyed.
Moreover, they did not lock themselves in a fight to the death. After a brief clash, they pulled away in an instant, darting toward the void beyond the heavens.
"Where do you think you're going!" The seven-day stacker was brimming with confidence. In the present era, when Heavenly Gods no longer walked the world, he wielded a specialized weapon and was shielded by liquid armor, making him virtually indestructible and inherently invincible.
Furthermore, the devastating killing weapon in his hands hailed from Star Mountain, one of heaven's ancient mountain factions. It was a sect-guarding treasure, unrivaled in its offensive might in this era.
At the very least, he was fully capable of protecting himself. Thus, without the slightest hesitation, he led his followers in hot pursuit.
One side traveled atop the divine stakes, while the other pursued atop the array diagram. Like streaks of light slashing through the curtain of night, they vanished beyond the dense layers of clouds in the blink of an eye.
With a booming crash, the two sides briefly clashed beyond the heavens. The seven-day stacker was thrown back, his brows furrowing deeply. The opposing divine stakes had actually withstood a blow from his array diagram.
His throat itched as a mouthful of blood nearly surged up.
"A relic of the surface?" His expression grew solemn. Even so, he showed no fear, requesting the four Earth Immortals beside him to assist in unraveling a portion of the array diagram's seals to unleash an even more terrifying might.
Chu Canglan of the esoteric sect spoke: "Everyone, that newly formed Yujing hangs inverted, hazy as smoke and resembling a shadow. Could this so-called mysterious city not truly exist in our world?"
In truth, the others harbored the same question. Even among Earth Immortals, most were seeing Yujing from such close proximity for the very first time.
Of course, "close proximity" was relative—they were still separated by countless leagues, only able to glimpse its vague outline amidst the pitch-black night mist.
It seemed a realm that could only be viewed from afar, forever unreachable.
Right then, both sides collided once more. This clash was exceptionally violent, violently churning the night mist beyond the heavens and shattering large fields of floating meteorites into dust.
At this moment, on the ground, Qin Ming stood before a void tunnel leading to an alien realm. His expression suddenly shifted as he discovered that the ragged cloth had awakened and was beginning to act up.
"What is going on? Old Cloth, calm down!" he hissed in a low voice.
He had been watching the sky all along, preparing to flee into the alien realm at the first sign of trouble. But now, something was amiss with himself. The perpetually silent Old Cloth flapped and fluttered, threatening to shoot straight into the night sky.
Qin Ming grabbed onto it tightly with all his strength, only to be yanked off the ground.
With a sharp swoosh, he was carried into the high sky in an instant, man and cloth traveling at a terrifying speed.
Clearly, had Qin Ming not held fast to the ragged cloth, it would have already vanished into the azure vault on its own.
Qin Ming was completely dumbfounded. He was being taken along for an involuntary voyage!
"With my current strength, if I let go, falling to the ground wouldn't kill me, right?" was his first thought.
Yet he feared that if he let go now, he and Old Cloth would part ways forever.
He knew very well that this piece of exotic metal cloth possessed an unfathomable origin. After all, even the yellow silk canopy umbrella was terrified of it.
In just a fleeting breath, he had already broken through the cloud layer.
The only thing that brought him relief was that the ragged cloth was not heading toward the pure land where the ancient mountain factions resided, where Dao Chains had once densely interwoven.
Before long, Qin Ming felt as if his body were about to tear apart. The astral winds in certain regions above the ninth heaven were far too terrifying. He quickly unfurled the yellow silk canopy umbrella.
"Old Huang, block the wind calamity!"
*What is happening?* The yellow silk canopy umbrella awakened and, thoroughly bewildered, asked, "Why are you flying beyond the heavens? With your cultivation, that dangerous area is no place for you."
"Old Cloth is flying us both there!" Qin Ming explained.
"!" The yellow silk canopy umbrella desperately wanted to say it had no wish to be around this ragged cloth, but it dared not speak those words aloud to its face, fearful of being overheard.
"This..." Soon, Qin Ming was filled with shock as he realized where Old Cloth was headed. It was flying toward the vicinity of that inverted Yujing hanging beyond the heavens, causing his very soul to tremble.
"Can I still let go?" Looking down, the ninth heaven beneath his feet was pitch-black, filled with howling astral gales. And above his head, extraterrestrial noxious fires and celestial rays raged past from time to time.
"Well, since I'm already here, I might as well see what happens," Qin Ming muttered to himself, feeling entirely unsure of what lay ahead.
Chapter 471