Living in the deep palace

Su Chen looked at the colossal hammer that blotted out the sky, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a hint of greed.

“Perfect, I’ll use you to test the new abilities of my Longevity Tree.”

Su Chen did not dodge.

He spread his arms, and a deep bronze light suddenly shone from his chest!

hum-

An illusory ancient bronze tree appeared behind him.

Although the ancient tree was not tall, it exuded an overbearing aura that could devour all the heavens!

"Eternal Life - Devouring Realms!"

With a low shout from Su Chen.

The countless roots of that ancient bronze tree transformed into a sky full of tentacles, fiercely stabbing towards the falling giant hammer and Dharma image!
laugh!laugh!laugh!
A tooth-grinding grinding sound rang out.

That scene was unforgettable for everyone.

The seemingly invincible black iron giant dharma form, upon contact with the bronze roots, began to shrink rapidly, like a deflated balloon!
That terrifying energy, that heavy law, was actually contained by that tree...

have eaten?!
"My Dharma form?! My magical power?! This... what kind of sorcery is this?!"

Tie Wuyai was horrified to discover that the power within his body was leaking out of control!
"no, do not want!"

He tried to escape, but those roots had already entangled his body through the connection of the Dharma form!
"Want to leave now? It's too late."

Su Chen took a step forward and instantly arrived in front of Tie Wuyai, who was bound hand and foot.

He reached out and grabbed Tie Wuyai by the neck, lifting him up like a chick.

"I told you, I want your life."

Click!

Su Chen exerted force with his five fingers, and Tie Wuyai's protective aura shattered completely.

"Spare...spare my life..." Tie Wuyai begged for mercy with difficulty, his eyes filled with remorse.

Su Chen ignored him and turned to look at the Star Sea Core on the display stand, which no one dared to touch.

He made a casual gesture.

Whoosh!
The core of the starry sea flew into his hand.

Su Chen held the core in his hand, feeling its cool touch and the vast world origin it contained.

The Tree of Immortality rejoiced within his body.

"very good."

Su Chen nodded in satisfaction, then, carrying the half-dead Tie Wuyai, his gaze swept across the entire scene.

At that moment, thousands of cultivators, whether Golden Immortals or Jade Immortals, all lowered their heads in unison, trembling all over, not daring to breathe.

In this desolate realm, the strong are respected.

At this moment, Su Chen is the... god of this Black Iron City!

"From today."

Su Chen's voice was calm, yet resonant and powerful.

"Black Iron City... changed its surname to Su."

"Who is in favor and who is against?"

……

……

Inside the Wanbao Pavilion, it was so quiet that you could even hear the thunder of a heartbeat.

The once arrogant half-step Grand Luo expert, the Black Iron City Lord Tie Wuyai, was now being held in Su Chen's hand like a dead dog, his limbs hanging limply at his sides, with only his slightly heaving chest proving that he was still alive.

Su Chen stood in mid-air, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the group of big shots who usually held sway in Black Iron City below.

"I'll ask again."

"Who objects?"

The voice was flat, yet it carried a suffocatingly bloody stench.

"Gudu."

Someone swallowed hard.

Inside the private room on the second floor, Zhao Wuji, the "Bloody Hand Demon Lord," gripped his blood-red blade, his veins bulging. He was a ruthless bandit at the late Golden Immortal stage, killing without hesitation, but that didn't mean he was brainless.

Even Tie Wuyai was crippled by a single punch, would he go up there to die?
But he was unwilling to just bow down to a "wild man" of unknown origin.

“This… fellow Daoist.”

In the other private room, "The Bone Goddess" was the first to step forward.

She was an old woman with a withered face, wearing a long white dress made of bones, and surrounded by a green poisonous mist.

"Black Iron City is a land of freedom. Fellow Daoist, your strength is extraordinary. If you wish, you may take this Star Sea Core."

"But the position of 'City Lord'... involves the distribution of many interests, and even the issue of offerings to that important figure 'deep within the Void Domain.' Fellow Daoist, you're new here, I'm afraid..."

She is testing.

They were testing Su Chen's bottom line and also using their backing to pressure him.

"worship?"

Su Chen laughed. He casually threw Tie Wuyai under his feet, then stomped on Tie Wuyai's immortal aperture, crippling his cultivation, but then used the Longevity Purple Qi to keep him alive.

"Ah—!" Tie Wuyai let out a shrill scream and fainted.

After doing all this, Su Chen casually glanced at Lady Kugu.

"From today onwards, there will be no offerings or distribution of benefits in Black Iron City."

"All the resources here, all the Originium, even all of your lives... belong to me."

"you!"

Zhao Wuji finally couldn't hold back any longer, and laughed angrily, "What arrogance! Do you really think that just because you defeated Tie Wuyai you can control everything?"

"We have dozens of Golden Immortals and thousands of Jade Immortals here! We can wear you down even if we have to!"

"Everyone! Let's attack together! Kill him, and divide up his secret and that Star Sea Core!"

Zhao Wuji roared, and the blood-red blade in his hand erupted with a hundred-foot-long crimson blade light, slashing towards Su Chen first!

Under his instigation, many of the desperados in the hall also became enraged.

"Fortune favors the bold! Kill!"

"Two fists can't beat four hands! I don't believe he's made of iron!"

boom! boom! boom!
In an instant, dozens of attacks at the Golden Immortal level, accompanied by countless magical treasures, converged into a destructive torrent that engulfed Su Chen!
"Ha...a bunch of idiots."

Su Chen stood in the center of the torrent, looking at the sky full of killing moves. There was no panic in his eyes, but rather a strange excitement.

"Perfect timing. The Longevity Tree has just opened up a space and needs some 'fertilizer' to stabilize it."

"Eternal Life - All Things in the Universe!"

Om-!
Centered on Su Chen, the solid meteorite iron floor on the ground shattered instantly!
Countless thick bronze roots, like tentacles from hell, burst forth from the earth!

This time, it wasn't just a few dozen, but tens of thousands!
They intertwined and entwined, instantly transforming into a "bronze forest" covering the entire Wanbao Pavilion!
puff!puff!puff!

Those cultivators who charged at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before the roots pierced through their bodies, leaving them hanging in mid-air!
Those devastating magical attacks, when they landed on the bronze roots, were absorbed and decomposed instantly, like mud oxen entering the sea!
"what?!"

Zhao Wuji's blood-red blade struck a main root, leaving only a white mark before being tightly entangled by more roots!
"What kind of demonic tree is this?! My life essence... my life essence is being drained!"

Zhao Wuji was horrified to discover that his prized vital energy was leaking out wildly through those roots.

"Do not--!"

Just three breaths.

Inside the Wanbao Pavilion, a deathly silent battlefield had been transformed.

Hundreds of cultivators who participated in the attack were all turned into mummies, hanging from the bronze tree branches and swaying in the wind.

In the center of the forest, Su Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe spotless.

He raised his hand, and one by one, the "blood essence beads" extracted from the dried corpse flew into his palm. He then casually tossed them into his mouth and chewed them like candy.

"The taste is just average," Su Chen commented.

This horrific scene completely shattered the psychological defenses of everyone else.

Pfft!
The Bone Goddess was the first to kneel down, trembling all over, not daring to lift her head.

"Greetings...Greetings, Lord City Lord! I...I am willing to surrender! I am willing to serve you like a slave!"

With the first, there is the second.

Pfft!Pfft!
The surviving cultivators in the hall knelt down like wheat being harvested.

"Meet the City Lord!"

Su Chen looked at the subjugated ants at his feet with an indifferent expression.

He doesn't need loyalty, he only needs fear. "Boneless, since you're the first to kneel, you'll be in charge of the daily affairs of Black Iron City for the time being."

Su Chen flicked his finger, and a seed emitting a pale purple light shot into Lady Kugu's brow.

"This..." The Bone Goddess was shocked, but dared not resist.

"This is the 'Longevity Seed Seal'."

Su Chen said calmly, "As long as you obey, it can prolong your life and increase your cultivation. But if you have any disloyal intentions..."

Su Chen snapped his fingers.

"Snapped."

Lady Dry Bones suddenly felt a sharp pain deep in her soul, as if she were about to be devoured by that seed.

"This servant dares not! This servant swears to be loyal to you to the death!" Lady Kugu was so frightened that her soul almost left her body, and she kowtowed repeatedly.

"Clean up these corpses and open the treasury of the city lord's mansion."

Su Chen turned around, carrying the unconscious Tie Wuyai and the Star Sea Core, and flew towards the City Lord's Mansion.

"I am going into seclusion. I must not be disturbed unless the sky falls."

"Yes!"

……

……

The Black Iron City Lord's Mansion, the underground secret chamber.

This place was originally where Tie Wuyai cultivated. It was surrounded by reinforced formations and even attracted a miniature immortal spiritual vein.

But now, this place has become Su Chen's lair.

Su Chen sat cross-legged on a huge ice bed, with the deep blue "Star Sea Core" floating in front of him.

"call……"

Su Chen adjusted his breathing, bringing himself to peak condition.

His previous display of power had earned him a large amount of blood and flesh essence, and now his physical body had reached the strength of the "mid-stage Golden Immortal".

The Longevity Tree within his body was thriving, its five leaves crystal clear.

"let's start."

Su Chen formed hand seals, and the faint mark of "Wu" between his brows flickered slightly. Combined with the devouring power of the Longevity Tree, it transformed into a beam of bronze light that enveloped the core of the star sea.

hum-

The core of the starry sea seemed to sense the threat and began to tremble violently, emitting rings of blue starlight ripples in an attempt to resist.

"Still trying to resist?"

Su Chen snorted coldly, "If it were the complete will of the world, I might have to go to some trouble. But you're just a dead remnant!"

"Eternal Life - Devouring Realms!"

boom!
The illusory image of the bronze Dao tree behind Su Chen suddenly appeared, this time becoming clearer, and even the dragon scale-like patterns on the bark could be seen.

Countless roots pierced into the core of the star sea like sharp swords!
Click!Click!
The hard barriers of the world were forcibly torn apart.

A vast, pure energy, imbued with the aura of ancient stars, surged wildly into Su Chen's body through the roots!
pain!
Severe pain!

That's the weight of the "world"!

Su Chen felt as if his meridians were being stuffed with stars, scorching, heavy, and as if they were about to explode at any moment.

"Give it to me... to refine!"

Su Chen gritted his teeth, and the pale golden Heavenly Emperor patterns on his bones lit up, firmly locking his physical body in place.

At the same time, he guided this enormous energy into the small space that had just been opened up within his body.

Rumble——!
Like the creation of the world.

The internal space, which was originally only ten zhang in size, began to expand wildly under the infusion of this stellar essence!

Hundreds of feet... Thousands of feet... Ten thousand feet!
Ten miles... a hundred miles... a thousand miles!
In the once empty, dark void, a sliver of light began to appear.

Those are stars!

Although they are still very small, just dust-level stardust, they are indeed glowing!

"The Starry Sea... has been rekindled!"

Su Chen was overjoyed.

As the space within his body expanded, the Longevity Tree finally had room to operate.

It no longer curled up in Su Chen's immortal aperture, but took root directly in the center of this newly born "miniature universe"!
slam-la-

The Longevity Tree grows taller with the wind!

One zhang... ten zhang... one hundred zhang!
It transformed into a towering divine tree that supported this small world!

The original five leaves quickly grew larger, transforming into a massive canopy that obscured the sky.

And finally, at the main trunk of the tree...

Click!

There was a crisp sound.

The first true "branch of the Way" has grown!
The tree branch is a deep star-blue color, with specks of starlight hanging on it, as if it carries the stellar laws of this newborn universe.

The First Branch of Immortality: The Star Branch!
Effects: It can use the power of stars to temper the body, evolve into the Zhou Tian Star Array to protect the body, and even... nurture stars!
boom!
As the branch took shape, a force of feedback instantly washed over Su Chen's entire body.

This time, it's not just about the physical body.

His "magic power"... is back!

Although it is no longer the previous Taiyi Immortal Essence, it is a brand new energy that combines the Longevity Purple Qi and the power of stars - "Longevity Star Essence"!
Its quality is so high that even a single wisp is enough to crush an ordinary True Immortal!

"Late-stage Golden Immortal!"

Su Chen opened his eyes, and two beams of starlight, as solid as stars, shot out, piercing through the walls of the secret chamber in front of him.

He stood up, feeling the surging power within him.

Although his cultivation level has only recovered to the late Golden Immortal stage, his current combat power...

"With the physical body formed from the Heavenly Emperor's bones, plus this mutated Longevity Star Essence..."

"Even if a Grand Immortal were to stand before me, I would dare to fight!"

Su Chen clenched his fist. The core of the star sea had completely disappeared, transforming into the cornerstone of the universe within his body.

"However, the consumption is also enormous."

Su Chen gave a wry smile.

That last wave of evolution almost completely depleted all the accumulation he had previously devoured.

"Looks like we'll have to keep eating."

at this time.

Su Chen suddenly frowned.

An uneasy fluctuation emanated from the Longevity Tree.

Immediately afterwards, an aura that he found both extremely repulsive and incredibly familiar pierced through layers of formations and emanated from outside Black Iron City.

That is……

The taste of order.

It tastes like "heaven"!

"You found us so quickly?"

A cold glint flashed in Su Chen's eyes, and his figure instantly disappeared from the secret chamber.

……

……

Outside the Black Iron City, a hundred miles above the sky.

The originally gray sky of the Ruins Domain has now cracked open.

A ray of golden sunlight suddenly shone down, illuminating the dark steel city below.

But this sunlight was not warm; instead, it carried a condescending and cold gaze.

Two figures stood amidst the golden light.

One of them was dressed in silver armor, wielding a long spear, with wings on his back, and exuding the pure aura of a perfected Golden Immortal.

His gaze was cold, and he looked down at Black Iron City as if he were looking at a cesspool.

Beside this silver-armored celestial soldier crouched a strange beast that was entirely black, resembled a greyhound, but had three ears.

The strange beast was sniffing frantically in the direction of Black Iron City, its nose twitching. (End of Chapter)