Once the Primordial Immortal Realm was formally established atop Mount Shangfang, sustained by five Heavenly Emperors and thirteen Dao marks, earth-shaking changes unfolded with every passing moment.
Now connected to the Sea of Infinity, there were no longer any constraints on energy. These formal administrators of the Primordial Immortal Realm, enfeoffed by Li Fan, were free to reshape the world entirely to their hearts' content.
Consequently, compared to what Chaos the Nameless had witnessed during his earlier visit, the current Primordial Immortal Realm was vastly different. The five Heavenly Domains each evolved unique and wondrous landscapes.
As the saying went, when a man attained the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. The living beings across every domain saw their strength surge with each passing day.
This vibrant, flourishing vista far exceeded anything the immortals of the Shuo Star Sea had anticipated.
Though its overall scale could not match the Immortal Realm of old, in terms of sheer liveliness and vigor, it was already far superior.
"No matter. My benevolent transformation remains effective. Even if they possess superior numbers, all we need to do is strike straight for the heart," the white-robed figure said, immediately sending a voice transmission to steady the visibly wavering morale of his ranks.
The black cat perched on his shoulder chimed in at once. "As long as we successfully meet this Hidden Emperor, under the blessing of our supreme treasure, no matter what divine abilities he commands, he is bound to suffer instant defeat. Capture the ringleader, and the living beings of this immortal domain will instead serve our purposes."
The supreme treasure mentioned by the black cat seemed exceptionally persuasive, and the immortals' spirits quickly steadied.
Gazing upon the Primordial Immortal Realm, greed sprouted once more in their hearts.
After leading the immortals on a brief tour, the white-robed Shanhua bowed low toward the heavens. "Senior's achievement in recreating the Immortal Realm is truly a peerless merit, worthy of being compared to the Four Sages or the Mound-Guarding Lord.
"We admire you to the utmost, and sincerely yearn to behold Senior's divine countenance at the earliest opportunity..."
Seeming thoroughly satisfied with the white-robed figure's flattery, extraordinary phenomena suddenly erupted throughout the Primordial Immortal Realm. Golden light rained down across the sky like blossoming petals. From within the thirteen Dao marks, vibrant halos of every hue surged forth. A sound like roaring ocean winds swept in from beyond the heavens, reverberating across the entire immortal domain.
This was the sign of the Sea of Infinity releasing infinite immortal power to its heart's content.
"Indeed, this Hidden Emperor wields administrative authority!" Among the immortals, several Nameless True Immortals, including Shanhua, could scarcely conceal their excitement.
"Ever since Emperor Tianluo brought about that great catastrophe, shattering the Immortal Realm and causing the Four Sages to vanish, we assumed that this administrative authority had been lost forever. Who would have thought it would reappear upon this lower-realm Hidden Emperor... Everyone, if we can seize control of this authority, we might truly be able to rebuild the Immortal Realm atop the Dao Net!"
"What is more, it would be a mobile immortal realm capable of floating above Dao Annihilation! From then on, we would never have to dread Dao Annihilation again!" The black cat's words were intensely provocative, carrying a hypnotic magic that thoroughly unified the resolve of the once-hesitant immortals.
Kill the Hidden Emperor, seize the authority!
"You may come up!" A thunderous voice resounded from beyond the canopy of the Primordial Immortal Realm. Perhaps due to Shanhua's earlier flattery, a faint trace of self-satisfaction tinged the words.
The instant the voice echoed, every conscious being across the entire Primordial Immortal Realm fell prostrate to the ground. Even the five Heavenly Emperors in their celestial palaces revealed themselves, bowing in salute toward this true sovereign of the Primordial Immortal Realm.
By this, the immortals of the Shuo Star Sea confirmed the true identity of the voice's owner. It was undoubtedly the Hidden Emperor.
A silver path descended from beyond the vault of heaven. Like a sash of pure silk, it unfurled right before the immortals.
Sensing the profound envy radiating from all the living beings of the Primordial Immortal Realm, the immortals reined in their excitement and stepped onto the path one after another.
"Wait, Shanhua, this path..."
"A Dao Net?"
"Hiss... Could that Hidden Emperor have helpers by his side?"
The immortals of the Shuo Star Sea voiced such doubts because their own Dao Net had been forged through their collective efforts. Now that a creation resembling a Dao Net had appeared within this Primordial Immortal Realm, how could they not feel alarmed and suspicious?
"There is no need to worry. It is merely a minor convergence of Dao paths. How could it compare to the Senluo Dao Net? If he lacked even this much capability, how could he have forged an immortal domain in the first place?" Shanhua offered reassuring words.
Yet after exchanging glances with the black cat upon his shoulder, his expression turned far graver.
The immortals followed the heaven-ascending path, vanishing from view amidst the envious gazes of the realm's myriad beings.
In the next instant, however, they arrived in an abyss of total darkness.
No one knew where this darkness came from or how it had arisen. It actually blocked out the perception of all the immortals, leaving them suddenly blind and unable to discern north from south or east from west.
"Where is Senior?" Though startled, the immortals did not panic, clustering tightly around Shanhua.
Yet no answer came.
All that awaited them in the darkness was dead silence.
"Brother Shanhua, something seems amiss," someone among the immortals cautioned.
The black cat suddenly screeched, "It's Dao Annihilation!"
After a momentary daze, the immortals stared into the surrounding pitch-black void, abruptly snapping to full alertness.
The dark aura around them felt as though it shared the exact same origin as a destroyed region cleansed by Dao Annihilation. Only because it was not entirely identical had they failed to identify it at first.
The immortals began to realize that this was a trap.
Yet having survived from ancient catastrophes until the present day, they did not descend into chaos when faced with genuine peril.
"Not daring to show his true form to the world and resorting to cheap parlor tricks only proves his guilt and fear."
"Fellow Daoist, summon the supreme treasure!"
...
The immortals wore varied expressions, but most turned their gazes toward the black cat upon Shanhua's shoulder.
Though Shanhua the Nameless kept a calm exterior, an uncontrollable wave of doubt surged through his mind.
His power of benevolent transformation had clearly not failed. Throughout the journey, its effect on the surroundings had never wavered. Why, then, had this Hidden Emperor's attitude undergone such a sudden and drastic reversal upon entering this space?
*Could it be that from the very beginning, he was never affected by my power at all? Did he just want to lure us in?*
Once the thought arose, it could not be dispelled.
Shanhua's heart grew steadily cold.
The Dao principle of benevolent transformation he had comprehended was indeed formidable. As long as a target could not resist its influence, they possessed no room to fight back and were left entirely at his mercy.
Conversely, if the opponent could ignore it completely...
Then he, a Nameless True Immortal, was virtually no different from a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Just as he was about to confer with the cat on his shoulder, a cold voice rang out through the darkness.
"Since you yearn so deeply to behold Us..."
"We shall grant your wish."
The darkness gradually parted, and the Heavenly Pillars previously concealed within it emerged into the immortals' sight.
Reaching from the earth to the sky, they stood in desolate solitude, as if recounting some tragic past.
Beholding the Heavenly Pillars before them, a chill rose from the depths of the immortals' hearts.
They could scarcely believe their eyes. "That is... the Southern Immortal Heavenly Pillar?! How is that possible! Did it not completely vanish into Dao Annihilation alongside the Taili Star Domain and the Cangsheng Ancient Realm?!"
"This one is the Heavenly Pillar of Hunger?"
"And this one... I cannot sense its nature at all!"
Panic began to seize the immortals.
Primordial Beginning, the Hunger Immortal, Archmage Tiandu, Situ Xing.
The four Heavenly Pillars slammed into their hearts like four heavy hammers.
Surrounded by the four pillars, a lone figure stood quietly, regarding the immortals as though inspecting livestock trapped inside a pen awaiting slaughter.
Under such a gaze, anger and dread warred within the immortals.
"Do not panic, everyone. Watch me capture him!"
The black cat locked its emerald eyes onto Li Fan from afar, a faint sneer showing in its gaze.
Then, it leapt forward, closing the distance to Li Fan in a single flash.
Two beams of brilliant green light shot forth from its eyes, transforming into a saber and a sword.
In the spark of a flint, they converged upon Li Fan.
The black cat's sudden eruption had long been anticipated by Li Fan. Yet the situation with the green saber and sword bursting from its eyes had slipped somewhat out of control.
Li Fan discovered that the protective power of Wuji swirling around him had no effect against the green pair!
Goosebumps erupted across his skin in an instant, and his heart thudded in wild warning.
*Not within the Dao principles of the Primordial possibility?*
Within a breath, Li Fan understood.
From the green blades, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a dead world inhabited solely by implements. It seemed to have suffered an apocalyptic cataclysm where all living things went extinct, leaving behind only countless blades and cold weapons.
No one knew how many years had passed, but those implements settling in the dead starry sky had instinctively begun to imitate their former masters, gradually usurping the Dao paths of the heavens.
The Dao contest between implements was even more ruthless than that between men—devoid of emotion, ceaseless, and absolute.
Through relentless conflict and fusion, in the end, only one sword and one saber remained within that frigid expanse of stars!
The Dao Sword and Dao Saber!
Just like the Dao Transformation Mother Stone, what the black cat had unleashed was the complete manifestation of a Great Dao from an entirely different possibility!
Though it hailed from a desolate possibility that had suffered catastrophe, it was nonetheless the fusion of an entire Great Dao.
As the green blades bore down upon him, Li Fan realized he had been plunged into desperate straits.
Two icy intents of absolute slaughter firmly locked onto him.
No array, divine ability, or Daoist art could deflect the strike of this sword and saber!
*No wonder these True Immortals remained so confident despite knowing everything about the Primordial Immortal Realm, insisting on coming here to strike at me.*
*With this Dao Sword and Dao Saber in hand, the five Heavenly Emperors I appointed would likely be slain in an instant, turned into nourishment for these weapons' growth.*
Because they had grown through perpetual slaughter, the Dao Sword and Dao Saber possessed an innate instinct to kill and devour other Dao principles.
Li Fan could practically feel the greedy, excited hunger radiating from the eerie green blades.
In the span of a thousand fleeting thoughts, the saber and sword pressed closer.
With no time to spare, Li Fan made the optimal choice at the final moment.
With a howl, the green blades pierced straight through his body.
Their colossal aura sent shockwaves tumbling through the Heavenly Pillar space, causing even the four pillars to shudder violently.
And yet...
Under the watchful eyes of the Shuo Star Sea immortals, the Hidden Emperor remained standing, motionless.
He even reached out a hand, gently stroking the green saber and sword beside him.
"Kuixing? What is happening?" Shanhua's expression warped completely, and he could no longer hold back from questioning the black cat on his shoulder.
The black cat wore an equally stunned look.
Having unleashed the Dao Sword and Dao Saber, its spirit was already thoroughly drained. Seeing their enemy unharmed beneath its ultimate trump card, it was instantly gripped by an unspeakable terror and bewilderment.
Refusing to give up, the black cat attempted to command the weapons to strike again.
Yet for some reason, the figure seemed to exist outside the world. No matter how peerless and destructive the Dao Sword and Dao Saber were, they could not harm him in the slightest!
This situation entirely defied its comprehension!
...
Li Fan paid no heed to the thoroughly unnerved immortals. Shielded by Illusion is Reality, he continued to stroke the green blades beside him.
Just moments ago, in the face of mortal peril, he had decisively invoked this protective power granted by Revert to the True, transforming himself into the very essence of the saber and sword.
Moments later, the alarms in his heart faded completely.
The murderous green light filling the space could no longer harm him at all.
Just as he had once merged into the Sea of Infinity and freely drawn upon its boundless power, he had now become part of this saber and sword.
Sharp as they were, how could weapons ever cut down themselves?
*Indeed, Dao paths from another possibility.*
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, sensing a completely foreign aura from the green blades.
It was just like the Dao Essence he had encountered in the Shuo Star Sea after leaving the Great Wall—seemingly an entirely foreign system.
Yet fundamentally, it remained an evolution of the Great Dao under different circumstances.
*My Myriad Manifestations Dao Net can savor this exotic flavor today.*
The power of the Immortal Soul of Mo Sha surged from Li Fan's body.
Veiled beneath the Illusion is Reality technique, it pounced hungrily toward the Dao Sword and Dao Saber.
As long as it was a manifestation of the Great Dao, it could not escape the erosion of Dao Annihilation.
Once its offensive lethality was rendered moot, this Dao Sword and Dao Saber became nothing more than a feast prepared for the Mo Sha Myriad Manifestations Dao Net.
Only as Li Fan began devouring this aggregation of Dao principles from another possibility did the immortals of the Shuo Star Sea snap out of their stupor as if waking from a nightmare.
The black cat shrieked repeatedly, "Stop him, quickly! He's devouring my treasure!"
Though trapped in dire straits, the immortals refused to wait for death.
Displaying their divine abilities to the fullest, they launched a collective onslaught at Li Fan.
Yet every single attack vanished without a trace the moment it reached within three zhang of him!
Such a bizarre sight once again shattered the immortals' understanding.
However, the Nameless among them vaguely recognized what was happening.
The black cat named Kuixing ceased its shrieking. Despite boundless unwillingness, it was left utterly powerless. The green glow vanished entirely, seeming to depart from the cat.
"Wuji..."
"Great Venerable..." Shanhua trembled, his eyes turning entirely lifeless as he looked at Li Fan.
Though three thousand Great Daos existed in the world, the only one capable of completely ignoring the attacks of every other Dao path, just like this...
Was the legendary Wuji Great Dao, which preceded Heaven itself!
It was said to have been enlightened and sheltered by the Sacred Sovereign.
Even successive reigning Heavenly Emperors had to treat it with immense gravity. It was exalted beyond measure!
Never did they imagine that the prey they intended to hunt today would be Him!
At this moment, only endless remorse remained in Shanhua's heart.
Indeed, the reigning authority of the Heavenly Emperors had originally been bestowed by the Sacred Sovereign. Now that the Immortal Realm was shattered and the emperors had fallen, who else besides someone under the Sacred Sovereign's tutelage could possibly wield this authority?
"Great Venerable, spare your wrath! Great Venerable, spare your wrath!"
Thoroughly plunged into despair, Shanhua suddenly seemed to remember a final straw of salvation, blurting out plea after plea.
Chapter 1497