Lord of the Earth

"Is this the legendary Eastern Heavenly Gate that stands on the Penglai Immortal Island?"

Several days later, a group of human "gods" exuding a sacred aura and the power of rules stepped into the secret realm of "Penglai Immortal Island," which had been officially integrated into the Eternal Land.

When I saw that towering, cloud-shrouded, enormous gate.

Even those who already possessed divine bodies and Daoist forms couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and were deeply moved.

"Indeed magnificent and awe-inspiring! This single gate is worth far more than the combined wealth of many dynasties; it is truly priceless!"

Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, stood in his armor, which was surrounded by lightning, and looked at the Heavenly Gate with admiration.

Now that Eastern Wu has been promoted to a dynasty and has a good relationship with Qianxia, ​​it is naturally among those invited.

Furthermore, Duke Huan of Qi, Jiang Xiaobai, wore an elegant long robe and had a wise and profound gaze; King Fuchai of Wu wore a domineering royal robe and had sharp eyes; Prince Zhu Di of Yan walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, exuding a majestic and imposing aura; even Zhang Jiao, who had become the "God of the Yellow Turbans," wore a Taoist robe with the Eight Trigrams on it, held a nine-section staff, and was surrounded by a faint aura of incense and thunder...

The allure of the "First Celestial Court of the Human Race" is unparalleled. After receiving Qian Xia's invitation, aside from those forces that also possess the method to open a certain "Relic of the Gods".

All the major dynasties and top human forces sent their core experts or even their leaders to attend in person.

On the towering, mountain-like pillars, the lifelike reliefs depicting countless races in submission and worship exude an aura of majesty that transcends millennia. The gate itself is an immeasurably valuable treasure of glass!

【East Heavenly Gate - Ruined (Glass)】

[Type] Curious Objects & Architecture

【characteristic】?,?,?
[Description] This is a portal left behind after the shattering of the ancient 'Heavenly Court'. It holds both danger and opportunity, and can only be opened after the next fusion of heaven and earth!
[Note] After finding a suitable location to place the "Azure Dragon Seven Mansions" as a guide, and then combining it with the power of "Jianmu", the formal portal can be opened.

A colossal, dark blue dragon with a mighty, aura as vast as an abyss, coiled beside the door, its aura reaching the peak of the divine level!

It is this ancient guardian of the Eastern Heavenly Gate.

"Grandson pays homage to his grandfather!"

The current patriarch of the Azure Dragon Clan, who is also Zhao Yun's wife, bowed deeply in excitement.

This ancient azure dragon was the very dragon god who was sent to Penglai Immortal Island to search for the stolen Heavenly Gate, but ultimately lost his memory and wandered away until the medical master Hua Tuo intervened and restored his sanity and memories.

The ancient dragon's enormous eyes, as large as the sun and moon, swept over everyone before finally settling on Xia Tian. With a sense of relief and deep anticipation after experiencing many hardships, it slowly lowered its proud head, its voice deep and desolate.

"Sinful Dragon, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty's arrival."

Summer nodded slightly, her expression solemn.

He slowly raised his hand, and in his palm, a piece of emerald green, seemingly containing all the vitality of the world and the mysteries of space, appeared out of thin air—it was the "Heart of Jianmu" that he had obtained from the Pixiu at the "Treasure Appraisal Conference," and it was also the only key to opening this "Eastern Heavenly Gate"!

"This is... Jianmu?!"

The ancient dragon's pupils suddenly contracted, its massive body trembled slightly with excitement, and its voice was hoarse with disbelief.

"Finally... finally, the divine Jianmu tree has reappeared in the world..."

Its dragon whiskers moved without wind, as if it were lost in an incredibly distant memory.

"In the past, the incomparably powerful human imperial court, for some earth-shattering secret, actually severed the Jianmu tree with its own hands, causing the Heavenly Court to hang high and be completely cut off from the human world... If it weren't for this, my Penglai Immortal Island might not have become the only remaining remnant, isolated from the world, wasting countless ages."

Its massive dragon head was raised, and its gaze turned solemnly toward Xia Tian, ​​its breath like clouds.

"However, we only know from fragmented memories that there must have been an unavoidable and earth-shattering reason for closing the Heavenly Gate and severing the path between heaven and man at all costs."

"Your Majesty, beyond the Heavenly Gate lies not only extraordinary fortune and destiny, but also potentially ancient secrets and immense dangers capable of overturning everything... I urge Your Majesty to be extremely cautious about whether you truly wish to open this gate at this moment!"

Xia Tian's gaze was sharp as he slowly swept over the assembled officials of Qianxia standing solemnly behind him.

Bai Qi, the God of Slaughter, has a cold and stern face, his body exuding a bloodthirsty aura that he holds back. Zhuge Liang, the Marquis of Wu, wears a feather fan and a turban, his eyes as deep as the sea. Wang Yangming, the master of the philosophy of mind, has a calm expression, as still as an ancient well. Lü Bu, the Demon God, is unruly and arrogant, his halberd pointing diagonally at the ground, his murderous aura overwhelming. Li Bai, the Immortal of the Azure Lotus Sword, is free and unrestrained, holding a wine gourd, yet his eyes flash with the sharpness of a sword.

There were also generals such as Zhao Yun, Qi Jiguang, and Xin Qiji, all clad in bright armor, their eyes as firm as iron... each one of them gleaming with fearlessness and determination.

He took a deep breath, his voice booming and resounding far and wide.

"Even if there are a thousand difficulties and ten thousand calamities, I, Qianxia, ​​will forge ahead! The road ahead for humanity has never been easy; we must wield our swords and forge our own path with our flesh and blood! Azure Dragon Venerable, heed my command, open the gate!"

"Old Dragon... will obey His Majesty's decree!"

The ancient divine dragon said no more, and let out a long dragon roar that shook the universe and seemed to awaken the ancient starry sky!
Suddenly, the Jianmu Heart in Xia Tian's hand burst forth with a dazzling green divine light, a light that was gentle yet contained boundless vitality and creative power.

The divine light fell to the ground, but instead of directly impacting the Heavenly Gate, it quickly disappeared into the soil.

The next moment, the earth roared, and a tender sapling broke through the soil.

It grows wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye, its roots twisting and turning like dragons, penetrating deep into the earth, its trunk soaring into the sky, transforming into a towering giant tree in the blink of an eye, its branches without leaves, like a straight sword piercing the sky!

"This is... a sprout of the Jianmu tree, cultivated from the essence of endless plants and trees, mixed with several rare and divine herbs!"

Among the crowd, the eyes of Li Shizhen, the "King of Medicine," gleamed with surprise.

Even with Qianxia's strong foundation, it took a full twenty years to collect the relevant materials.

Ultimately, it was only through the exchange of several core artifacts that Xia Tian obtained from the "Dragon's Treasure Vault" and the "Human Race Marriage Treasure Vault" opened after he married several female prodigies that he was able to successfully bring it to life.

This is one of the reasons why the "Eastern Heavenly Gate" has not been opened yet, even though it was acquired long ago.

Of course, another key reason is that the rules of heaven and earth have not been fully unlocked, and this relic, which is of vital importance to the human race, has not truly descended into the world... At this moment, the towering Jianmu tree has touched the "Eastern Heavenly Gate", and its unique rhythm resonates with the Eastern Heavenly Gate.

The majestic gate seemed to have been completely awakened from its ancient slumber, and the reliefs of countless races on the gateposts seemed to have been infused with life, beginning to slowly move and worship.

The previously still vortex of starlight inside the gate began to spin at an unprecedented speed, emanating an even more vast, ancient, and majestic aura.

Immediately afterwards, a branch of the Jianmu tree reached directly into it, using itself as a "bridge" to build a "road to heaven"!
"His Majesty has decreed that we enter the Heavenly Gate, seek opportunities, and display the might of our Qianxia Kingdom!"

Bai Qi, as the commander-in-chief, spoke in a cold and resolute voice, devoid of any emotion.

He took the lead, transforming into a crimson rainbow that tore through the sky, imbued with the imagery of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and without hesitation, he plunged headlong into the deep, swirling vortex of starlight.

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and exchanged a glance with Wang Yangming. Both of them saw a deep solemnity and an unwavering determination in each other's eyes.

With a swift movement, the two transformed into two streaks of light, Qing Sheng and Rui Zhi, who followed closely behind.

"Hmph, alien deity, I wonder if you would be so kind as to continue refining my halberd!"

The demon god Lü Bu let out a wild laugh, and the suffocating murderous aura around him soared into the sky, as if to dye the sky dark red. He was like a ferocious beast released from its sluice gate, charging in fiercely.

"The Great Way is as clear as the blue sky, yet I alone cannot pass through it? Today, I will use the sword in my hand to cleave open this path to heaven!"

Li Bai recited a long, loud poem, drank the strong wine in the pot, and his poetic inspiration merged with his soaring sword intent. He transformed into a sharp and incomparable blue lotus sword shadow, and in a flash, he disappeared into the gate.

Zhao Yun, wielding a silver spear and clad in white armor, was dashing and heroic; Qi Jiguang, with a composed expression and piercing gaze; Xin Qiji, brimming with heroic spirit, wielded a sword with soaring aura…

The generals of Qianxia, ​​along with their carefully selected elite personal guards, transformed into beams of divine light of different colors, yet equally resolute and brilliant, like rivers flowing into the sea, resolutely plunging into that unknown gate!

Just as Qianxia and his group passed through the East Heavenly Gate with the help of the Jianmu tree, time and space seemed to be violently stirred by an invisible giant hand, undergoing an extremely drastic change.

The scene inside the gate was not the ethereal, magnificent fairyland that everyone had imagined.

Instead, it was a vast, boundless, broken world, filled with decay and desolation.

The sky was a deep purplish-purple, yet it seemed shrouded in a thick, lifeless, deathly gray. Floating celestial mountains shattered and collapsed, magnificent rainbow bridges broke in two, and towering palaces were reduced to ruins… Everywhere the eye could see, everything seemed to have been paused by an invisible giant hand, shrouded in an absolute, chilling state of “sealing.” All things lost their original color; time stood still, leaving only endless desolation and vicissitudes.

What's even more chilling is that in the distorted and solidified space near the gate, there are countless figures of different shapes, but all with terrifying auras!
There were bird-headed deities with magnificent wings on their backs and their bodies engulfed in inextinguishable flames; there were colossal gods as large as mountains, covered in thick rocky armor; there were elemental spirits wreathed in destructive thunder and raging storms; and there were also some bizarre and indescribable creatures that exuded an aura of chaos and corruption...

The divine power emanating from each of them was as deep and as dark as a prison, making people tremble in their souls, as if they could capture the stars and control the sun and moon with a mere gesture, possessing the power to destroy the world!

However, at this moment, these incredibly powerful beings, along with the frozen expressions of shock, anger, struggle, ecstasy, fear, or greed on their faces, were like insects perfectly sealed in amber, completely sealed and frozen by an irresistible, ancient, and majestic power, unable to move an inch.

Until that wisp of emerald light, representing the revival of the Jianmu tree and containing endless vitality and the power of creation, suddenly broke the deathly silence and balance that had lasted for thousands of years, like the first drop of clear water falling into a pot of boiling oil!

The spiritual power of Jianmu is gentle yet domineering, like the first spring breeze that awakens the sleeping earth, or the initial source that reverses life and death, beginning to blow and nourish this absolutely sealed world.

Wherever the light reached, the absolute, despairing gray-white that enveloped everything began to slowly dissipate like the receding tide, and vibrant colors returned to this desolate world.

The first to bear the brunt were the alien gods who had been sealed and imprisoned for countless long years near the entrance to the Eastern Heavenly Gate!

"Om-"

On the surfaces of the alien gods' bodies, the dim light gradually began to show color.

Their eyes, frozen for eternity, began to move stiffly, their numb gaze gradually being replaced by awakening consciousness.

The terrifying fluctuations of divine power, like countless volcanoes dormant for countless epochs, simultaneously revive, surge, and roar! The immense divine might intertwined, forming a monstrous energy tide that crashed against the sky and earth that had just regained their color!

"Huh? We... we're alive?"

"This feeling... is it that the seal on humanity is loosening?"

"This is... the aura of the outside world! Some living beings have opened this ancient celestial court ruin from the outside!"

"So that's how it is... No wonder... Haha, it's truly heaven's help! It's only right that we escape this predicament!"

A foreign deity, covered in dazzling golden feathers, with an eagle's head and a human body, and wings that seemed to blot out the sky, was the first to completely break free from its restraints.

He stretched out his enormous body, which seemed to have been stiff for eons. A trace of confusion flashed in his golden eyes, which were then completely overwhelmed by boundless ecstasy and the savagery that had been suppressed for eons!

"Hmm? Did you sense it? This aura... it's fresh flesh and blood, it's human! Humans have arrived from the outside world!"

Another alien deity, resembling an ancient giant lizard with nine ferocious heads, roared to the sky, its voice like billions of thunderbolts exploding simultaneously, causing the surrounding void to tremble violently.

"Hmph! Back then, that damned Human Celestial Court didn't hesitate to sacrifice its own myriad gods to set up a forbidden array that would perish with us, sealing us all here... What a vicious and ruthless method!"

"However, this has now turned out to be a good thing..."

A god, whose form was blurred and seemed to be made entirely of shadows, with only a pair of eerie blue flames leaping and burning within it, emitted a chilling and sinister laugh that sent shivers down one's spine.

"The seal was broken because of their descendants. We can use the blood and flesh of these ignorant descendants to make up for the divine source that has been consumed for thousands of years! Everything in the ruins of the first immortal court of the human race, the supreme creation within, should belong to us."

"Hahaha! That's exactly right! Slaughter them all, devour them, seize all the fortune of this place, and return to the world!"

In an instant, the thousands of newly awakened, powerful alien gods gathered at the gate, their eyes filled with greed, violence, and bloodlust, all locked onto the Qianxia group who had just passed through the Heavenly Gate!

Boundless killing intent, pure malice, and tyrannical divine power surged forth like a destructive torrent gathering all the negative emotions in the universe, instantly engulfing and engulfing all the people of Qianxia! (End of Chapter)