Transcendence

Descent! Upon sensing the disturbance in the Gate of Karma, the Nine Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi descended simultaneously. Or rather... Whether it was the Nine Rulers or the Lord of Yuanxi, ever since learning of the unusual movements within the Nine Great Conglomerates, they had been closely monitoring every single development. The moment they realized events were proceeding precisely according to their expectations and calculations—shaking the Gate of Karma in a single stroke—they descended without hesitation to take command of the overall situation and prepare to harvest the final fruits of victory. *Buzz! Buzz!* Waves of spiritual power, completely distinct from the cultivation system of the Three Thousand Grand Daos, rippled outward in rings from the Nine Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi. These spiritual forces possessed immense compatibility with and control over the Three Thousand Grand Daos. Not only did they suppress the power of the Three Thousand Grand Daos all at once, but in order to adapt to the local rules, they also directly utilized their spiritual dominion over the Grand Daos to condense formidable physical bodies. The condensation of these bodies drew upon diverse shares of various Grand Daos, yet as all those Dao shares circulated through them, not the slightest conflict arose. It was as if each and every one of them were an innate supreme sacred artifact. Or as if each were a Fate Dao Ancestor commanding the Three Thousand Grand Daos. Across the three thousand Grand Daos, even if they could only mobilize eight or ten shares—or even just three to five shares—of each individual Dao, the total shares they commanded still exceeded ten thousand. Combined with the compatibility and controlling characteristics of their powerful spiritual essence, they wielded these Grand Daos from a position of absolute superiority, allowing each of them to attain the majesty of a Dao Ancestor in an instant. Rulers! This was a Ruler! Transcending above all Dao Lords, True Immortals, Immortal Venerables, and Immortal Kings. Their inherent spirituality and computational power complemented each other, endowing them with divine power to control all things! "Spirituality!" Yaoguang also quietly sensed these Rulers... or rather, the fundamental nature of the "immortal spirits'" power, which differed entirely from the Three Thousand Grand Daos. Cultivators of the Ancient Immortal Realm cultivated the Three Thousand Grand Daos, using them to manifest diverse Dao arts that shook the sea of stars. Cultivators of the Hunyuan Realm, on the other hand, painstakingly cultivated their spirituality, transforming into immortal spirits. The essence of spirituality encompassed mind, soul, comprehension, state of mind, and even one's understanding of the realms of all things. When combined with vast computational power... It was equivalent to a super artificial intelligence possessing infinite computing capacity and infinite reserves of knowledge. As long as they were granted an interface with external physical matter, they could develop a super civilization in no time at all. Just like now: the moment the Rulers descended into the Ancient Immortal Realm, they immediately mobilized shares of the Ancient Immortal Realm to elevate themselves toward peak Immortal Kings and Dao Ancestors. Although what they grasped was a mixed assortment of shares from the Three Thousand Grand Daos—which might not be enough to contend with a true Dao Ancestor even with ten thousand shares—the reality was that they could command far more than ten thousand shares. Under such circumstances, the upper limit of each Ruler's power surpassed that of a Dao Ancestor. Furthermore, with the remote support of the Lord of Yuanxi's computational system assisting them in controlling these Dao shares, they could effortlessly harness the power of tens of thousands, or even a hundred thousand, hundreds of thousands, or several hundred thousand shares of the Grand Daos... Overwhelming opponents through sheer force. A Dao Ancestor was naturally far from a match for a Ruler. "One is a spiritual civilization, and the other is a material civilization. Come to think of it, the Hunyuan Realm and the Ancient Immortal Realm actually complement each other quite well." Yaoguang sensed this for a moment, and the thought arose unbidden in his mind. As Yaoguang observed the Rulers gradually taking shape and transforming toward "Dao Ancestors," uncontrollable ecstasy surfaced in the eyes of the surviving Immortal Kings. They had come! All of them had come! Nizhuan, Alpha, Taiyi, and all the other Immortal Kings projected their divine senses, detecting the shifts in the void surrounding the Gate of Karma, their hearts surging with the exhilaration of having narrowly escaped death. "They've descended! The great Rulers have all descended!" "The Lord of Yuanxi has arrived, and the Rulers are here! We're saved!" "We finally held out until the final moment and didn't let Yuxiao's plot succeed! With all Nine Rulers present and the Lord of Yuanxi presiding over the situation, no matter how deranged Yuxiao is, he wouldn't dare act presumptuously right now!" These Immortal Kings communicated via divine sense, their moods instantly lightening. Some Immortal Kings cast glances toward Yaoguang faintly tinged with resentment and hatred. However... Those looks lasted only an instant before they consciously reined them in, burying them deep in their hearts without daring to let the slightest hint leak out. What use was hatred? What use was resentment? Reporting Yaoguang and asking the Lord of Yuanxi and the Nine Rulers to uphold justice for them? Everyone, including Immortal King Taiyi with his Level 19 authority, knew very well that reporting him would be utterly pointless. At this moment, Yaoguang bore the hope of shaking and breaching the Gate of Karma and the Gate of Fate; he was the key to the Hunyuan Realm's total victory in the war against the Ancient Immortal Realm. Whether it was the Nine Rulers or the fair and impartial Lord of Yuanxi, neither would allow anything to go wrong with Yaoguang right now. In fact, after the Hunyuan Realm completely devoured the Ancient Immortal Realm, the Lord of Yuanxi would likely bestow lavish rewards upon Yaoguang, elevating his authority to Level 20 in a single leap and making him the Tenth Ruler. A Ruler! That was a realm beyond their reach for their entire lives. Under such circumstances, harboring malice toward an immortal spirit destined to become a Ruler in the future was nothing short of having a death wish, wasn't it? If you lacked the ability to retaliate, you had better rein in your hostility and obediently swallow whatever suffering you had endured. Even if they had nearly died at Yaoguang's hands just moments ago, they simply had to endure it. At least... They were still alive, weren't they? Compared to Immortal Kings like Yuankun and Zhongyan, their outcome was already vastly better. Especially compared to... Those Immortal Kings of the Ancient Immortal Alliance. ... "The Gate of Karma has finally been shaken? Good, very good." The spiritual fluctuations emanating from the Lord of Tianyuan were suffused with a joy akin to spring returning to all things. The spiritual strength of such beings was so potent that when joy stirred in their hearts, it could effortlessly infect an entire planet, bringing spring back to the earth and reviving all living things. Similarly, when displeasure arose within them, they could plunge a world into harsh winter, causing all life to wither under a blanket of death. Thus, as the Lord of Tianyuan and the other Rulers rejoiced, even the Immortal Kings present were involuntarily affected, every single one of them feeling unprecedentedly cheerful. It was like sunlight piercing through gloom, dispelling the chill and reviving the world. "I knew that this time we would certainly succeed. No matter how that so-called Fate Dao Ancestor tried to stop it, he could not prevent this outcome in the end... though it arrived slightly later than expected." Longevity Ruler's figure gradually manifested. "Not late at all. To wait a mere three million years to reap the fruits of victory is hardly late for us." Ripples fluttered across Star Sun Ruler's spiritual fluctuations, carrying a rare sense of contentment. Evidently, this turn of events left him thoroughly satisfied. From start to finish, none of these Rulers made the slightest mention of the fallen Immortal Kings. It seemed that to them, all Immortal Kings were expendable pawns. Even the surviving Immortal Kings of the Ancient Immortal Alliance, such as Tianming and Bucun, were equally inconsequential. Even though every one of them could be considered a transcendent genius of the Ancient Immortal Realm, a legend and a miracle in the eyes of countless billions of cultivators, in the eyes of the Rulers, they remained mere mayflies, carrying not the slightest weight. Whether they lived or died was of no consequence. So long as the Gate of Karma could be shaken, granting them the opportunity to shatter the Ancient Immortal Realm's final line of defense and annex the realm, any price was worth paying. Besides... Those Immortal Kings weren't truly dead. Their authority levels had merely been reset to zero, sending them back to the Hunyuan Realm. Their spiritual strength remained intact. Even if they had lost their authority levels and their Dao shares in the Ancient Immortal Realm, they would soon be able to make a comeback. At most... Returning to their previous status and standing would require a certain amount of fortune and opportunity. Yet... Since they had chosen to venture into the Ancient Immortal Realm to vie for Level 19 or even Level 20 authority, how could they expect to bear zero risk? Failure merely proved that their cultivation was limited and their capacity to withstand risk was insufficient. "Who would have thought that the one to finally reach this step would be your subordinate, Creation? Truly worthy of congratulations." The Lord of Xiyu stepped before one of the Rulers to offer congratulations. And this Ruler... The true master and ruler of the Creation Group—the Lord of Creation—smiled as he absorbed Dao shares to strengthen himself. He shifted his gaze toward Yaoguang, who had already ceased fighting. "Yuxiao, you have done very well." At this moment, Yaoguang's "Lord of Heavenly Dao" had already reached Level 20. He was on the same tier as the Nine Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi. Even the Nine Rulers and the Lord of Yuanxi could not detect the authority link he simulated. "You flatter me, Ruler. It was merely my duty," Yaoguang replied with a slight bow. "No need for formalities. Before long, you will surely become one of us," the Lord of Creation said with a smile. He then added, "To be prudent, trigger the Gate of Karma once more and let us witness how you achieved this." "Understood," Yaoguang answered. He immediately went to manipulate the Gate of Karma. At the same time, the "Dao fruits" of Void and Time within him were fully activated. In an instant, an immense Dao power—one so formidable that even the Rulers would find it arduous to interfere with—rippled outward from Yaoguang, buffeting the supreme karmic treasure in wave after wave. "Is this the power of the Void Dao Ancestor and the Time Dao Ancestor?" One of the Rulers drew slightly closer, sensing it intently. "Indeed," the Lord of Creation nodded slightly. "Back then, I clashed with them head-on; it is indeed this power." "Quite a lucky little fellow," the Lord of Dusk commented with a chuckle. "Little fellow? Before long, I'm afraid he will stand on equal footing with us," the Lord of Creation remarked with a laugh. "Which is precisely why calling him 'lucky' is not wrong," the Lord of Dusk said. These words were met with agreement from several others. Meanwhile, as Yaoguang pushed the powers of the Grand Dao of the Void and the Grand Dao of Time to their limits and manipulated the supreme treasure, the Wheel of Karma, it swiftly induced tremors in the Gate of Karma. This caused the Dao operation, which was completely integrated with the Ancient Immortal Realm, to reveal a faint flaw within its consummate harmony. The instant this flaw appeared, none of the Rulers harbored any lingering doubt: "Good, good, good! With a flaw present, breaching the Gate of Karma is merely a matter of time! If the Gate of Karma can be breached through this method, the Gate of Fate surely will be as well!" "With such a flaw, breaking through the Gate of Karma within three hundred thousand years should pose no difficulty. Having waited three million years, such a short span of time is nothing to us; we can simply wear down the Gate of Karma bit by bit," the Lord of Creation said, thoroughly pleased. The other Rulers felt the same. To their infinite lifespans, time was the cheapest thing of all.