The Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm Revives

Between the Mortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm lay the cosmic cesspool. Calling this place a cesspool was polite; in truth, it was thousands of times worse. Immortal Emperor Supreme, Supreme Zaohua, and Daoist Yuji steered a small wooden boat—barely large enough to hold three people—straining with all their might to make headway across the cosmic cesspool. The expanse was choked with fractured space-time. Shards of space-time coalesced into roaring, sweeping torrents, engulfing their little vessel and dragging them toward the bottomless dark. All three were rare paramount experts of the world. Even Daoist Yuji, whose cultivation was the weakest among them, had once fought Daoist Jiugong to a mutual standstill in the Dark Mortal Realm. Though he no longer held the geographic advantage, his cultivation and might remained nothing short of formidable. Yet even the three of them could do no more than protect themselves amidst the violent space-time torrents, unable to break free anytime soon. Having weathered the storm in the same boat for so long, they discovered that the cesspool's history was far more ancient than they had imagined—it could be traced back to the Dragon Court era, and perhaps even earlier! This was because the cesspool was filled with all sorts of things discarded throughout those ancient eras: good friends, the skeletons of good friends, treasures belonging to good friends, or lovers, beloveds, fathers, mothers, and the like. Beyond that were severed heads of emperors, sliced-off Dao injuries, every variety of negative emotion, silenced worlds, wild and runaway Dao methods, and so forth. It was so evil that the mere stench saturating the air made even these three supreme beings feel as though they could be corrupted at any moment. Compared to the corruption here, the immortal Dao corruption of the Earth Immortal Realm was truly insignificant. "Watch out!" Daoist Yuji shouted a sudden warning, doing everything in his power to steer the wooden boat sharply aside. The boat was pushing upstream against the space-time torrent when a colossal vortex opened directly ahead. Before this maelstrom, the tiny vessel was like a speck of dust, on the verge of being swallowed at any second. Immortal Emperor Supreme and Heavenly Venerable Zaohua both took action, steadying the craft and resisting the vortex's pull as they tried to break out. Suddenly, more than a dozen lurid, multicolored tentacles lashed out from the vortex. It was impossible to tell what manner of monstrosity it was—flesh and magic treasures fused together in a bizarre, nauseating mass. In several places, human faces or torsos protruded from it, whipping viciously toward the boat! It was a monstrous aberration formed under the chaotic influence of space-time, forged from the experts, stray thoughts, Dao injuries, and other detritus dumped into the cesspool! The three frantically maneuvered the boat to evade, yet the tentacles relentlessly drove them closer to the vortex. "You two handle the boat, I'll fight it!" Immortal Emperor Supreme bellowed, lunging toward the tentacles. The moment he collided with the flailing limbs, dark-green, foul-smelling slime splattered across his body, carrying dozens of distinct Dao injuries that invaded his flesh! Enduring the revolting discomfort, Immortal Emperor Supreme circulated the Ten Absolute Great Void Dao Scene Technique, warding off one crushing blow after another. The tentacles struck with devastating weight, rattling him to his core. In the current era, the "good friends" thrown into the dump were at most Daluo Golden Immortals. But during the ancient times and the Dragon Court era, even existences of the Wondrous Realm of Great Luo and the Eighth Heaven of the Dao Realm had been cast in! Immortal Emperor Supreme had no idea what the core of these tentacles truly was; likely, it was a demon spawned from the lingering remains of some expert from the Dragon Court or an even older age. He fought fiercely while Supreme Zaohua and Daoist Yuji poured their strength into driving the boat forward. Inch by inch, they dragged themselves free of the great vortex. Finding its prey beyond reach, the tentacles sullenly withdrew and sank back into the depths. Immortal Emperor Supreme and the others let out a collective breath, finally relaxing. Navigating through this space-time turbulence was far more exhausting than battling an expert of the Supreme realm. Immortal Emperor Supreme spoke up suddenly. "Martial Uncle Zaohua, Martial Uncle Yuji, if we encounter another creature like that, we must take turns fighting." Supreme Zaohua frowned in displeasure. "Nephew, we are in the same boat and working just as hard as you. Is there really any need to divide things so meticulously?" Without a word, Immortal Emperor Supreme pulled open his robes. Supreme Zaohua and Daoist Yuji looked over and saw patches of slime adhering to his chest. The Dao injuries contained within the slime were visibly branded into his flesh! Their scalps tingled with dread. The slimy monster had not wounded the Emperor with raw force—it had corrupted him. And that corruption meant the Dao injuries cast away in this place were now taking root and growing upon his very body! Such a bizarre form of taint was virtually impossible to guard against! Supreme Zaohua nodded. "Very well! We will take turns." Immortal Emperor Supreme circulated his Dao scene technique, attempting to refine and purge the Dao injuries. But these wounds had been incurable afflictions even to ancient powerhouses, who had had no choice but to carve them away and cast them into this abyss. If those experts could not refine them over tens of thousands of years, how could he? The Dao injuries had already woven themselves into his flesh and blood, beginning to erode his Dao methods. Gritting his teeth, Immortal Emperor Supreme suddenly raised his hand, sliced away the infected flesh from his body, and tossed the scraps into the space-time turbulence. Watching this, Supreme Zaohua and Daoist Yuji felt a chill run down their spines. "No more resting!" Daoist Yuji rallied his spirits and barked, "If we grow lax, the negative consciousness lingering here will invade us! We must cross this place in one breath!" They pressed onward, breaching another swath of space-time turbulence until they finally caught sight of surging indestructible spiritual light on the far side. Overjoyed, the three exerted every ounce of strength to reach it. The turbulence grew wilder, shattered fragments of space-time battering them from all sides. Another immense vortex appeared, and this time Supreme Zaohua took the front to hold off the monstrosity within. Working together, they finally broke free of the whirlpool and burst into the River of Spiritual Light! With a resounding splash, they cleared the cosmic cesspool and landed upon the far shore. Supreme Zaohua burst into hearty laughter filled with relief and delight. Daoist Yuji and Immortal Emperor Supreme could not hide their smiles either. Daoist Yuji chuckled, "We must be the first in history to ever escape the cosmic cesspool." Suddenly, Supreme Zaohua's laughter died. He stared blankly straight ahead. Startled, Daoist Yuji and Immortal Emperor Supreme followed his gaze, and the smiles on their faces froze. Directly ahead of the wooden boat, the River of Spiritual Light broke off once more, and a second cosmic cesspool appeared before them. Remembering something, Immortal Emperor Supreme turned pale. "The River of Spiritual Light is shattered into ten segments, with nine cesspools in total. The one we just crossed was only the first..." "Eight more..." The corner of Supreme Zaohua's eye twitched violently. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Gentlemen, we cannot give up halfway!" "Indeed!" Immortal Emperor Supreme also gathered his resolve and said grimly, "Without accumulating half-steps, one cannot reach a thousand li; a journey of ten thousand li begins with a single step!" Daoist Yuji, however, began to retreat in spirit. "If we jump back into the previous cesspool, we can still return to the Mortal Realm. We don't have to suffer like this." Supreme Zaohua and Immortal Emperor Supreme turned to him with murderous, menacing glares. Daoist Yuji sighed. "Fine, fine." They pressed on, steering the wooden boat into the next cesspool. Advancing under such harrowing conditions, fending off repeated attacks from monsters, they nevertheless persisted until they reached the fifth cesspool. As they were struggling through the muck, the Mortal Realm suddenly brightened. The radiance of the Heavenly Dao shone through the darkness, illuminating even the cosmic cesspool. Standing on the boat, the three turned back to look toward the Mortal Realm in a daze. The Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm had shifted; the Dark Mortal Realm and the Heavenly Dao Mortal Realm had reached a state of balanced harmony. Supreme Zaohua was stunned. "Did the Ancestral God... unify the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm?" This sight meant the Ancestral God had comprehended the Heavenly Dao of the Dark Mortal Realm, folding both halves into his own domain! Daoist Yuji said abruptly, "If the Ancestral God masters the Dark Heavenly Dao and unifies the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm, doesn't that mean his power can pierce straight through between the Mortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm?" Supreme Zaohua and Immortal Emperor Supreme looked grim. Daoist Yuji said, "We could ride the Ancestral God's power back to the Earth Immortal Realm!" Supreme Zaohua sighed. "The Ancestral God might not be willing to help us. Besides, we are trapped in the fifth cesspool—four behind us, four ahead. Let's just paddle on honestly." *** In the morning light of the Earth Immortal Realm, Xu Ying met with the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch. To ensure his decisive battle against Xu Ying would proceed without distraction, Emperor Changsheng had severed the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch from himself, allowing the entity to unexpectedly survive. The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch sensed no killing intent from Xu Ying. He was merely a residual thought severed by the Imperial Monarch; Xu Ying harbored no grudge against him. "Back then, Emperor Changsheng obtained three Ginseng Dao fruits," Xu Ying said, glancing at the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch. "Of those three, he consumed one himself, intended one for his son Ling Wuxin, and one for his consort, the Primordial Monarch. But Ling Wuxin died, and Mingzun bestowed a Ginseng Dao fruit upon the Primordial Monarch, so Changsheng gave his own fruit to the Eastern King. That means he still had one Ginseng Dao fruit left. "That fruit is nowhere to be found. I had the Dou Department scour the Yantian realm, yet they found no trace of it. Since Emperor Changsheng did not leave the Dao fruit behind, he must have given it to someone closest to him. That person was not Ling Wuxin, but someone else." The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch said, "You suspect he has other children out there, and that he gave the remaining fruit to them?" Xu Ying nodded. The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch replied, "He would never have severed that memory and placed it into me." "I know," Xu Ying said. "Nor do I intend to pursue who Emperor Changsheng's other children might be. My father was right: I do not live for hatred. My vengeance against the Imperial Monarch ends here." He gazed toward the dawn breaking over the Earth Immortal Realm, his eyes deep and distant. "From now on, the one I must deal with is the mastermind behind the Kunlun tragedy—the person who took the Imperial Monarch into his carriage when he walked out of the Yuehui World." The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch did not know whom he spoke of, and changed the subject. "The Nine Heavens and Eight Emperors are preparing for Xu Jing's accession to the throne. They broke the seal on the Supreme cave abyss and allowed Xu Jing inside to cultivate. They are also looking for an outstanding Heavenly Monarch to break through and achieve Daluo Golden Immortal, filling the vacancy left by Emperor Changsheng." "Can they find one?" Xu Ying asked. "Easily. The Immortal Realm has no shortage of Heavenly Monarchs, and many are stuck at the peak of their realm, lacking the resources to ascend to the next stage," the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch replied. "With the Nine Heavens willing to open this spot, countless Heavenly Monarchs will fight tooth and nail for it. Furthermore, the Eastern King's rebellion claimed over a million immortal lives, leaving over a million vacancies behind. This is a golden opportunity to placate the people." He gave a faint smile. "Turning funerals into celebrations—the Immortal Realm is best at that. The vacant seats for Heavenly Venerables, Imperial Monarchs, and Primordial Monarchs are all high offices, and countless pairs of eyes are fixed on them. Below those are seats for Immortal Kings, Immortal Monarchs, Heavenly Immortals, and Earth Immortals, all hungrily watched. Meanwhile, Qi Refiners who have yet to ascend are staring at the vacancies left by the million immortals who will be promoted. That gives everyone an avenue to climb. Everyone is pleased, and the Immortal Realm is unlikely to see unrest anytime soon." In the past, the lack of ascension channels drove people to strive and clash for upward mobility, breeding instability. Coupled with Mingzun's disappearance and the fall of the three wondrous realms, the Immortal Court had been left leaderless, hanging by a thread. Now, following this upheaval, numerous positions had opened up. With everyone's attention fixed on these spoils, there was no reason to incite further unrest. "There is another amusing matter," the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch chuckled. "After Emperor Changsheng fell, the Eight Emperors moved to confiscate the nine great cave abysses, only to discover that a man named Ji Man had seized the opportunity to steal them and flee. The Jiuyou Emperor chased him all the way to the Great Luo Heaven before discovering he was a disciple of Dao Lord Jiugong. When the Eastern King plotted to seize the cave abysses, things were so hurried that he never managed to track Ji Man down, allowing him to survive. Later, when the nine great cave abysses fell into Emperor Changsheng's hands, Changsheng never noticed him either." Xu Ying could not help but marvel. Ji Man was the Son of Heaven of Zhou. To have survived under such treacherous conditions, his fortune was truly remarkable. "He clings to the nine great cave abysses and refuses to surrender them, claiming he will only return them to the Immortal Court once the new emperor ascends the throne," the Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch said. "Since he is Dao Lord Jiugong's disciple, the Eight Emperors could not press him too hard, so they left the matter aside for now. "Does Xu Jing truly intend to take the imperial throne? If he becomes the Immortal Emperor, you will be the Eastern King Crown Prince." At present, Xu Jing's prestige stood toweringly high. Quelling the Netherworld rebellion, subjugating its Four Emperors and the Ten Yama Kings, and restoring order between the yin and yang realms had already caused his reputation to soar. In this recent rebellion by the Eastern King and Emperor Changsheng, Xu Jing had devised the overarching strategy and dispatched his son Xu Ying to execute Emperor Changsheng and suppress the turmoil, earning merits that eclipsed the contemporary world. In terms of both seniority and prestige, he was lacking in neither. Xu Ying laughed aloud and shook his head. "If my father takes the throne, he will die without a doubt, and I wouldn't last long as crown prince either. He merely entered the Supreme cave abyss to cultivate for a few days; he won't actually ascend. To Mingzun, taking the throne is rebellion, and rebellion means death. Were my father to take the throne, Mingzun would have a thousand ways to kill him." With the Imperial Monarch dead, Xu Ying's true enemy was the culprit behind it all: Immortal Emperor Supreme. Yet Immortal Emperor Supreme was entirely different from beings like Emperor Changsheng or the Imperial Monarch—he was far too dangerous. Xu Ying could not afford a single mistake, for a mistake meant death. Nor could he allow Xu Jing to make a mistake, for that too would bring ruin. For now, father and son stood as the greatest contributors to resolving the chaos in the Earth Immortal Realm. Their merits were so colossal that if Immortal Emperor Supreme dared make a move against them, he would face the condemnation of the world, and the Nine Heavens and Nine Emperors would seize the pretext to strike. The situation in the Immortal Realm was exceedingly delicate; whoever moved first or rashly would be in the wrong. The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch chuckled. "Xu Ying, this world is far too complicated. Even as a heavenly fiend, I find the human heart unfathomable. I am returning to the Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain; the Earth Immortal Realm and the mortal world are too filthy for my liking." Seeing him off, Xu Ying smiled. "People often say heavenly fiends understand the human heart best, but heavenly fiends are merely the stray thoughts severed by mortals. What is truly complex is the heart itself. Take care, Dao brother." "Farewell." The Heavenly Fiend Imperial Monarch transformed into a streak of black light, piercing through the sky and vanishing into the distance. A look of envy touched Xu Ying's eyes. "The Heavenly Fiend Immortal Domain is the only true immortal realm, after all." At that moment, an inexplicable tremor rippled through space-time. The entire Earth Immortal Realm shuddered along with it, and vast waves surged across the surfaces of both the Heavenly Sea and the Dao Sea. Startled, Xu Ying looked toward the distant horizon. The dark expanse of the cosmos was growing increasingly bright—half shrouded in darkness, half bathed in light, sharply divided between black and white. *The Ancestral God must have achieved something extraordinary in the Mortal Realm to produce such a divided spectacle.* Just as the thought crossed his mind, a sudden premonition struck him. He looked behind him, and a colossal shadow loomed into view at the rear of the Earth Immortal Realm. The shadow cast itself over the Earth Immortal Realm, bringing with it an incomparable sense of oppression! For the very first time, the Heavenly Immortal Realm appeared before the eyes of the world. Yet both the Heavenly Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm were still unimaginably far away. Xu Ying stood in the wind, his heart churning with turbulent emotion. The cause of the spatial-temporal tremor in the Earth Immortal Realm was the approaching alignment of the Earth Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Immortal Realm! An even vaster Great Three Realms Tide was taking shape! Mountainous clouds gathered over the Earth Immortal Realm, heralding an even fiercer storm. Above the Immortal Court, the Nine Heavens drifted atop the storm, looking exceptionally fragile, while the Great Luo Heaven high above them shone with brilliant radiance. From atop the Great Luo Heaven, a pair of eyes quietly watched the mortal world below. Two months later, at the Heavenly Sea Ferry, the immortals stationed there spotted a small wooden boat drifting toward the dock from afar. Upon the vessel stood three figures, their clothes tattered and ruined like old beggars who had wandered for years. The moment they saw the ferry, they could not contain their cheers, weeping with joy as they embraced one another.