Back in the lifetime when his avatar had evolved into the Sacred Emperor, Cat Treasure—whose true depth had never been fully plumbed—had already displayed three heaven-defying abilities: item duplication, creature mimicry, and the cleansing of marrow and transformation of meridians.
Even now, when Li Fan stood virtually as the creator of a genuine immortal domain, he could not easily duplicate such feats.
Yet Cat Treasure was merely a vanguard scout for hunting. The terrifying strength of the faction behind it was readily imaginable.
Crucially, Li Fan now understood the layout of factions in the Shuo Star Sea fairly well, yet he had not uncovered the faintest trace or clue related to Cat Treasure.
Therefore, the power backing Cat Treasure either hailed from a starry sky far beyond...
Or perhaps...
It came from another possibility entirely!
If it were merely the former, that was manageable enough. But if it were the latter...
Then he might need to reexamine the Fishing Pond concealed within the Xuanhuang Realm.
Presently, within the entire Great Wall, only one location remained outside Li Fan's control: the grounds of the Fishing Pond.
Inside the Fishing Pond, myriad treasures glittered like starlight, all caught by the pond from various places. Yet the withered starry sky of the "Primordial" possibility seemed utterly incapable of supporting the emergence of so many treasures.
Treasures in the Fishing Pond always possessed exceptionally vivid characteristics; nearly every single one originated from a distinct civilization. The Primordial possibility, ravaged by the Dao Annihilation Tribulation and its Immortal Realm destroyed, was no longer capable of nurturing so many varied cultivation civilizations.
What the Fishing Pond connected to might well be the true myriad heavens and realms.
This was the fundamental reason why Li Fan, despite possessing the strength to effortlessly handle Nameless True Immortals, had never rashly meddled with the Fishing Pond.
In any case, so long as one left it alone, the Fishing Pond sat as quietly as an ordinary pool of water. Li Fan was unwilling to shoulder the risk of interfering.
In the past, Li Fan had required the various treasures from the Fishing Pond to assist his cultivation. Now, however...
Having comprehended the transformation of true and false, aside from Revert to the True, there was no treasure left in this world that Li Fan could not bear to part with.
Setting aside the matters of the Fishing Pond and Cat Treasure for the moment,
once Li Fan manipulated the scroll to unfurl, the True Immortals of the Shuo Star Sea were already on their way to deliver their congratulations.
Not wishing for this group to discover the existence of the Great Wall, Li Fan dispatched Li Buren and three Scars of Heaven to wait directly outside it.
Soon, led by "Chaos," the True Immortals of the Shuo Star Sea emerged beyond the coverage of the Dao Net and stepped into the Annihilation Lands.
Compared to before, thanks to Li Fan actively drawing upon the abundant Dao principles of the Shuo Star Sea, the Annihilation Lands near the Great Wall showed a faint semblance of vitality. However, the regions devastated by Dao Annihilation could not be restored; the terrain remained narrow and elongated.
The instant these True Immortals set foot upon it, they felt the Great Dao passageway manifested by Li Buren.
"Interesting."
"Isn't this another form of the Dao Net?"
"A pity that lot from Immortal Hunt couldn't come. Otherwise, seeing this road, the looks on their faces would have been quite a sight." A voice sounded from the leading point of nothingness.
The other True Immortals walking along the path wore varied expressions.
Having clashed with them for so long, they were well acquainted with the Shuo Star Sea's Dao Net. In their eyes, the road beneath their feet appeared scarcely inferior to it.
The question was, how could that be?
The Dao Net of the Shuo Star Sea had been founded upon multiple Nameless beings and upheld by numerous True Immortals, not to mention that particular being who had imprinted the Dao Net with a single hand...
Only through the concerted efforts of multiple parties could such a creation emerge—one that allowed mere mortals to leap into contention against True Immortals.
Yet what did the path before them depend upon?
Could it truly be the personal handiwork of that Hidden Emperor alone?
If so, then this Hidden Emperor's might was likely even greater than they had anticipated.
A flicker of worry crossed the eyes of the gathered immortals.
Before they had walked long, everyone's gaze was drawn to a stone pillar standing in the void ahead.
The massive character "Stillness" carved upon the pillar gave them a sudden start.
They had all heard that Elder Wei of Immortal Hunt had been suppressed and transformed into a pillar, but witnessing it with their own eyes still sent a faint chill through their hearts.
*He isn't called the Hidden Emperor for nothing,* they thought privately.
Though they sympathized deeply with Elder Wei, none offered to rescue him.
Passing the stone pillar, they found Li Buren and the Eleventh through Thirteenth Scars of Heaven already waiting for them.
"Greetings once more, everyone," Thirteen said with a chilling grin.
Meanwhile, Eleven and Twelve stared at the True Immortals with the eyes of predators appraising their prey.
Having witnessed the might of the Sea of Infinity radiating from Thirteen before, seeing two others beside him who were not the least bit inferior made the immortals inevitably tense up, filled with unease.
Among them, only Chaos kept his attention fixed entirely upon Li Buren from start to finish.
Seeming to sense the distinctive aura Li Buren carried from his recent return from the Sea of Infinity, Chaos's attitude subtly shifted as well.
Li Buren manifested a seven-colored pathway to usher the immortals forward.
Stepping onto the route, they were enveloped on all sides by myriad glowing mists, unable to see or hear.
They seemed to soar forward at tremendous speed, traversing ten thousand mountains and rivers in an instant.
When the seven-colored glow finally dispersed, the majestic, sacred Primordial Immortal Realm abruptly burst into view.
Even Chaos the Nameless froze on the spot.
Catching a glimpse through a scroll was entirely different from experiencing it in person.
What they had sensed from the scroll before did not equal a ten-thousandth of this moment.
The heavens were lofty and the earth stretched vast and boundless.
Great lakes spread like bright mirrors, mountain peaks were tucked away in clouds and mist, and grand palaces stood tall above the high heavens...
Vitality surged, pregnant with infinite possibilities.
What left the immortals in a daze, as though returning to their ancestral Immortal Realm, was the extraordinarily abundant, infinite immortal power suffusing this realm.
They did not know how long it had been since they had savored such comfort.
Although the moment they had attained the Dao as True Immortals, their own strength had also taken on the nature of infinity,
they still harbored an immense yearning for an atmosphere where everything around them was infinite.
Living in the lower realm, with their cultivation, they suffered no substantive harm, yet their existence remained profoundly uncomfortable. It was like dwelling deep in a muddy swamp: though one could still take strides, the mud spattering with every step left them constantly ill at ease.
Now, setting foot in this Primordial Immortal Realm was truly like fish returning to water or birds taking to the sky.
It was just like coming home.
Several True Immortals broke into tears on the spot.
After slaughtering their way through the cruel environment of the lower realm for so many years, they had never imagined they would one day see an Immortal Realm again.
Even if it were merely a single immortal domain, it was enough.
...
While the immortals were overcome with emotion, the Primordial Immortal Realm suddenly fell dead silent.
All living creatures looked up toward the sky in unison, holding their breath.
Then, slowly, they prostrated themselves.
The True Immortals followed the gazes of the world's beings.
Across the canopy of heaven, the thirteen Scars of Heaven hung in deliberate alignment.
And beyond the heavens, five palaces adrift in purple mist loomed faintly in and out of sight.
"That is..." The immortals caught faint glimpses of five pairs of deity-like eyes gazing out from those structures,
looking down from on high, surveying them all.
In that instant, the immortals fell into the illusion of paying audience to the Ruling Immortal Emperor of ancient days.
Infinite immortal power stirred around them like gusts of biting wind. Under the pressure forged by this distinct environment, several True Immortals grew so unsettled that they nearly bowed down to the five figures on the spot.
Yet Chaos the Nameless held them back.
"Realm consciousnesses."
"One divided into five."
Worthy of the Nameless realm, with a single look he saw through the reality of the five figures beyond the heavens.
As five realm consciousnesses naturally conceived by the Primordial Immortal Realm, their strength surpassed even that of the thirteen Scars of Heaven.
Chaos felt confident he could face those thirteen Scars of Heaven without fear.
Yet confronting these five sovereigns of the Primordial Immortal Realm...
*Without resorting to my final trump card, it might prove a stretch,* Chaos assessed internally.
*To think this immortal domain would assemble so many colossal innate beings...*
This had caught Chaos entirely off guard.
In the ancient Immortal Realm, boundless as it was, innate beings had been extraordinarily scarce. Those capable of linking to the Sea of Infinity were rarer still, like phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.
Yet here, in this single immortal domain, they were gathered en masse!
*Just who is this Hidden Emperor...?*
Chaos's heart sank. He searched ceaselessly, attempting to locate the Hidden Emperor who had forged this immortal domain.
Yet after scouring the surroundings, he still came up empty.
Moments later, there was no longer any need to search.
Amidst the absolute silence of the world's creatures, Li Fan's voice finally rang out.
It came neither from the heavens nor from the mortal world.
Instead, it rose spontaneously from every corner of the Primordial Immortal Realm, as if omnipresent.
"Through arduous years, the immortal domain is rebuilt. An imperishable achievement, fulfilled this day."
"Today the Immortal Realm is settled; the Celestial Court is inaugurated."
"Conferred: Great Emperor Wuji of the Central Juntian."
"Conferred: Great Emperor Ziwei of the Eastern Cangtian."
"Conferred: Great Emperor Jade Sovereign of the Western Haotian."
"Conferred: Great Emperor Youming of the Southern Huangtian."
"Conferred: Great Emperor Changsheng of the Northern Xuantian."
...
As each proclamation resounded, the tall figures seated within the five palaces beyond the heavens shifted in countenance and attire.
If they had seemed indistinct earlier, like flowers seen through mist, their crowns and imperial robes now settled into unmistakable clarity.
The instant the five realm consciousnesses received Li Fan's bestowal, natural boundaries and barriers took form across the celestial canopy and the land beneath it.
By the words reverberating between heaven and earth, the Primordial Immortal Realm was divided into the Central Juntian, Eastern Cangtian, Western Haotian, Southern Huangtian, and Northern Xuantian.
The five Heavenly Emperors took their seats in their respective heavens, perched in solemn majesty.
Distinct environments began to evolve across the five Heavenly Domains.
In the Northern Xuantian, for instance, all things attained longevity; its vitality was noticeably richer than that of the other domains.
The Eastern Cangtian carried an aura of supreme nobility. Merely by residing within its borders, the domain's living creatures began an upward ascent in their life forms; in tangible terms, the upper limit of infinite immortal power they could draw upon by connecting to the Sea of Infinity began to rise gradually.
The Central Juntian was balanced, centered, and tranquil. Like an uncrowned king, though it contended for nothing, it triumphed endlessly.
...
The investiture of the five Heavenly Emperors weighed upon the heads of the True Immortals like five immense mountains.
This was pressure exerted by the entire Primordial Immortal Realm, something this group of immortals could not withstand.
Thus, deeply reluctant though they were, they were forced to lower their heads, unable to gaze directly upon the five Heavenly Emperors. Even Chaos the Nameless did the same.
*These five realm consciousnesses have grown stronger,* Chaos thought, appalled.
*The conferring voice echoing between heaven and earth must belong to the Hidden Emperor.*
*Because of his bestowal, the realm consciousnesses truly gained the acknowledgment of this world, enabling them to govern all within it...*
Chaos's mind raced.
Even the Ruling Immortal Emperor of old had never possessed such absolute, supreme authority within the Immortal Realm. After all, the Immortal Realm had been jointly established by the Sacred Sovereigns.
*By comparison, the Ruling Immortal Emperor and the five Emperors invested just now are peers of equivalent standing.*
*Could it be...*
A tremendous tremor shook Chaos's heart as an audacious speculation surged into his mind.
*Has that Hidden Emperor already embarked upon the path of becoming a Sacred Sovereign?!*
*Otherwise, how else could his present actions be explained?*
Chaos could no longer keep his composure.
Though the Immortal Realm had seen a succession of Immortal Emperors, the four Sacred Sovereigns had remained constant and unchanging.
No one knew how many eons had passed since its genesis, yet a fifth Sacred Sovereign had never been born.
*Could it be that, following the collapse of the Immortal Realm, a fifth Sacred Sovereign is about to emerge?*
Chaos kept his head lowered, searching for any trace of the Hidden Emperor.
Yet this Hidden Emperor seemed to have forgotten about their delegation of observing True Immortals entirely.
Following the investiture of the Heavenly Emperors came the bestowal upon the thirteen Scars of Heaven.
The status of the Scars of Heaven was half a rank below that of the realm consciousnesses, earning them the title of "Venerable."
The Scars of Heaven, initially formless and immaterial, instantly solidified and took definite shapes upon their investiture.
Some resembled primordial beasts, some towering peaks, others ordinary mortals—each uniquely formed.
Only after the thirteen Venerables were fully invested did the grandiose voice gradually fade away.
The five Heavenly Emperors and thirteen Venerables set about choosing commanders and soldiers from among the living beings of the immortal domain. For a time, the realm bustled with activity.
Meanwhile, the visiting True Immortals of the Shuo Star Sea were left entirely out in the cold.
By the time all the commotion subsided, a hundred days had already passed.
Yet from start to finish, Li Fan never showed himself to receive them.
On this day, Thirteen appeared before the congregation dressed in elaborate robes.
"Greetings, Venerable."
Led by Chaos the Nameless, the other True Immortals had no choice but to bow in salute.
Having been invested with the title of Venerable, Thirteen's speech and demeanor were no longer as frivolous as before.
"The Grand Master decrees: the observation is concluded. It is time for you to depart."
The immortals were taken aback. "But we have yet to meet..."
"Hm?" Thirteen's expression hardened, the contempt on his face unmistakable. He stopped just short of asking if they thought they were worthy.
*This Venerable Thirteen is also far stronger than before.* After a brief pause, Chaos the Nameless cupped his hands in farewell. He then led the delegation along the newly manifested seven-colored pathway, departing from the Primordial Immortal Realm.
"Ugh..."
Perhaps from having lingered too long in an environment overflowing with infinite immortal power, the moment they returned to the Shuo Star Sea, the immortals instinctively suffered waves of nausea and discomfort.
The jarring sense of disparity made them look back toward the location of the Primordial Immortal Realm. Regrettably, with the closure of the seven-colored pathway, they could no longer return.
It took the True Immortals a long while to readapt to the harsh conditions of the Shuo Star Sea. Their expressions were complex and guarded, their thoughts hidden.
Chaos the Nameless had fulfilled his duty, bringing the True Immortals back safely. Moreover, the intelligence they brought was of utmost significance. In particular, their conjectures regarding the Hidden Emperor Li Fan's strength forced the factions of the Shuo Star Sea to adjust their strategic posture toward him.
As for Chaos himself, he remained utterly absent-minded from the moment he returned.
Chapter 1494