Living in the deep palace

In the deepest part of the Longevity Palace, in the "Chaotic Chamber" that Su Chen forcibly created with his great supernatural powers, time seemed to lose its meaning.

Only a few days may have passed in the outside world, but in this secret room, it felt as if the world had changed dramatically.

The severed arm of the Southern Heavenly King, which Su Chen had bitten off, had completely disappeared. In its place was a wisp of gray energy floating on Su Chen's chest, emanating a chilling aura.

This energy flow is no longer dazzlingly golden, nor does it possess that lofty, eternal sense of "order." Instead, it exudes a most primal, savage, yet all-encompassing...chaos.

This is the seventh branch of the Longevity Tree—the Chaos Branch, the essence extracted from it after forcibly digesting the eternal matter of the fifth realm!
"call……"

Su Chen sat cross-legged, and with each breath, the surrounding spatial barriers creaked under the strain.

He slowly opened his eyes.

In his left eye, the pitch-black vortex representing "Wu" remained deep, seemingly capable of swallowing all light; while in his right eye, the once brilliant star was now shrouded in a layer of hazy gray mist, no longer dazzling, but even more oppressive, like an undeveloped chaotic star core.

"So this is... the Chaos Immortal Body?"

Su Chen lowered his head and examined his body.

His once domineering purple-gold skin had subsided, replaced by a grayish-white complexion with the texture of ancient rock. This skin tone appeared dull and lifeless, devoid of any divine radiance, but Su Chen gently clenched his fist—

Click!

The space in the palm of his hand instantly shattered into the finest stream of particles.

Without using spiritual power or operating the laws, the mere compression of the physical muscles shattered the spatial structure of the Void Domain!

"So strong."

"It is at least ten times stronger than the previous Purple-Gold Emperor Body."

A glint of light flashed in Su Chen's eyes.

"That old bastard, the Southern Heavenly King, although he ran fast, the arm he left behind is indeed a rare and highly nourishing thing."

"The eternal substance contained within, while insufficient for me to reach the true fifth realm, has allowed my life level to undergo a qualitative leap."

"At present, although my cultivation has only just entered the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal, my Dao Fruit has not yet been completely stabilized."

"But in terms of physical strength..."

Su Chen's lips curled into a sinister smile as he stood up, his entire body cracking like thunder.

"Even if they are late-stage Grand Luo cultivators from the Heavenly Court, if they dare to let me get close, I can tear them apart like roast chicken!"

"A chaotic body, impervious to all laws, capable of melting all things. This is truly the body suitable for 'eating'."

Su Chen internally examined his body.

That inner universe has now expanded to a full thirty million miles!
In the center of that vast sea of ​​stars, the towering Longevity Tree, millions of feet tall, stands majestically. Its seven thick branches, like seven colossal pillars supporting the heavens and earth of this small universe, provide for its existence.

In particular, the newly grown seventh branch, the Chaos Branch, although it was only in its early stages, firmly occupied the core position of the tree crown. The other six branches—Star, Withering and Flourishing, Soul Capture, Giant Spirit, Divine Weapon, and Void—all surrounded it, as if ministers were paying homage to an emperor.

"The Dao tree takes shape, with its seven branches merging into one."

"Next, it's time to go out and check out my 'ranch'."

Su Chen took a step out, and the door to the Chaos Chamber swung open with a roar.

……

……

Outside Changsheng City, although the city has been largely restored to its original appearance after the repair by the [Withered and Flourishing Branch], the desolation and tension of the post-war era still linger in everyone's hearts.

Lady Kugu was inspecting the array nodes on the city wall with a group of stewards. Her face was still pale; her soul, which had been injured by the Southern Heavenly King's aura, had not yet fully healed, and she was only kept alive by the Longevity Seed.

"Madam, the Originium in the resource vault is almost gone."

An old demon cultivator in charge of logistics reported with a bitter face, "The repair of the great formation and the healing of wounded soldiers have consumed too many reserves. Now we have plundered the surrounding ten thousand miles of ruins. If there is no new income, the city's protective formation may not last three months."

"If you don't have Originium, go mine it!"

Lady Bone shouted sternly, "Go even further! Dig deep into the Chaotic Ancient Abyss! Even if you have to dig with your bare hands, gather all the resources you need!"

"But... things haven't been peaceful in the Abyss lately. I've heard that some kind of 'unspeakable' thing is wandering around, and several of our mining teams have gone missing..."

"Then send the Giant Spirit Guards!" Lady Dry Bones gritted her teeth. "No matter what, Longevity City must not be thrown into chaos before the Dao Ancestor emerges from seclusion!"

at this time.

Boom-!
A muffled heartbeat suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.

The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like it was striking everyone's heart directly.

Followed by.

An indescribable sense of oppression slowly emanated from the depths of the city lord's mansion.

This oppressive aura was different from the previous domineering and aggressive one; it was more like...heavy.

It was as if the entire sky had collapsed.

The once clear sky over the Ruins suddenly turned gray. Countless gray currents of air appeared out of thin air and gathered into a huge chaotic auspicious cloud above Changsheng City, obscuring the sky for tens of thousands of miles.

"This...this is..."

Lady Bone suddenly looked up, feeling the aura that made the immortal seed within her both cheer and tremble, and her eyes flashed with fanatical light.

"Dao Ancestor! It's the divine might of the Dao Ancestor!!"

"Welcome, Dao Ancestor!!!"

No commands are needed at all.

Whether they were the Changsheng Guards on patrol, the cultivators healing their wounds, or the newly recruited rogue cultivators, at this moment, they all involuntarily knelt on the ground.

That absolute suppression, originating from the level of life itself, left them without even the courage to raise their heads.

Surrounded by the chaotic energy, a gray-blue figure slowly walked out of the Longevity Palace.

With each step Su Chen took, a gray lotus flower would automatically appear in the void beneath his feet to support his feet.

He ascended to the sky, overlooking the city that belonged to him.

"too small."

Su Chen frowned slightly.

This city, which was transformed from Black Iron City, has been expanded many times and incorporated the Dragon Bone, but in the eyes of Su Chen, who is now a Great Luo Golden Immortal, it still looks like a simple earthen village.

He is not worthy of his current status, nor can he bear the consequences of a full-scale war with the Heavenly Court that is about to break out.

"Dry bones," Su Chen said calmly.

"This servant is here!" Lady Kugu prostrated herself, her voice trembling.

"This city is too small in scale."

“Since we want to establish a religion and claim ancestor status, and since we want to rival the Heavenly Court, we need a proper place.”

Su Chen raised his right hand, and in his palm, the fifth silver-white [Divine Weapon Branch] and the seventh gray [Chaos Branch] lit up simultaneously.

"Today, I will rebuild the capital for you all!"

boom!
Su Chen waved his hand.

Within his inner universe, the wreckage of the Heavenly Court fleet he had previously devoured, the mechanical god and demon fragments of the Chaotic Ancient Abyss, and countless accumulated divine metals and strange irons transformed into a mighty river of metal that roared out from his body!

The long river surged through the air, radiating a suffocatingly sharp golden aura.

"melt!"

Su Chen spoke the truth.

Chaotic energy surged into the river of metal, and the divine metals that were originally incredibly hard and difficult to refine instantly transformed into the purest liquid state under the erosion of the chaotic energy.

"Congeal!"

Su Chen clenched his fists loosely, as if the hand of God was kneading clay.

The liquid metal ocean descended from the sky, directly covering the original Changsheng City!
At that moment, the cultivators in the city watched in horror as the metal waterfall cascaded down from above, thinking that the end of the world had come. But miraculously, the molten metal did not harm them in the slightest. Instead, it was incredibly intelligent and avoided all living beings, seeping into the city walls, streets, houses, and even the underground spiritual veins.

The originally mottled city wall, after being fused with these divine metals, instantly turned into a deep cyan color, and countless intricate defensive Dao patterns automatically appeared on its surface.

The city is rising!
It's expanding!
The city, which was originally only a hundred miles in circumference, expanded wildly outwards under the infusion of Su Chen's magic power.

Five hundred li... one thousand li... three thousand li!

Finally, a magnificent city, spanning three thousand miles, entirely forged from Taiyi-level divine metal, with walls reaching ten thousand feet high, stood on the land of the Ruins.

It doesn't stop there.

Su Chen pointed again.

"Stars, take your positions!"

The Star Branch vibrated, and thirty-six enormous meteorites were forcibly taken from the depths of the Void Domain by Su Chen. After being refined, they floated above the giant city, arranged according to the number of the Heavenly Dipper, forming a natural star array.

"Wither and glory, live and breathe!"

The withered branches swayed, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the city instantly increased a hundredfold. Countless exotic flowers and rare herbs grew out of the metal gaps, adorning this steel behemoth with vibrant life.

After doing all this, Su Chen nodded in satisfaction.

He looked down at the cultivators below, who were already dumbfounded, and his voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the heavens and earth:
"Black Iron City is a thing of the past."

"From this day forward, this city shall be renamed—[Eternal Life Imperial City]!"

"It will be the only center of this desolate region, and also the bridgehead for the future conquest of the Heavenly Domain!"

Rumble——!
As the four characters "Eternal City" were uttered, heaven and earth responded, and the Great Dao resounded.

A massive pillar of auspicious energy shot into the sky from the center of the city, directly dispelling the perpetual gloom that shrouded the ruins.

"The Immortal City! The Immortal City!!"

"Long live the Dao Ancestor! May the Dao Ancestor live forever!!"

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators who witnessed this miraculous creation were overwhelmed with a shock that defied description.

With a wave of his hand, he transformed decay into magic and forged a magnificent city spanning thousands of miles!
This is a Great Immortal!
This is their king!
Su Chen stood in the void, enjoying the surging power of faith. The Longevity Tree within his body greedily absorbed this power of faith, transforming it into the purest longevity energy.

"good."

Su Chen felt another slight increase in the power within his body.

"Although the power of these ants is very weak, little by little, it adds up to a lot."

"and……"

Su Chen turned his head and looked towards the distant horizon, in the direction of the Heavenly Court.

"Those four old geezers may have escaped, but they certainly won't let this go."

"The next one will probably be a real trap."

A cold glint flashed in Su Chen's eyes.

"Before that, I need to sharpen my teeth."

"The Giant Spirit Guard's axe is still nowhere to be found."

……

The Imperial City of Immortality, with its central Taoist Palace.

The palace today is no longer the simple place it once was.

After incorporating a large amount of Heavenly Divine Metal and the core of mechanical gods and demons, the entire hall was a thousand feet tall, with a dark golden hue throughout. Ninety-nine giant dragon pillars supported the dome, and each pillar was carved with a totem of the Longevity Tree devouring all things.

In the main hall, Su Chen sat high on the imperial throne made of pure chaotic stone.

He rested his chin on one hand, his gaze sweeping lazily and authoritatively over the area below.

On both sides of the main hall, the high-ranking officials of the Longevity Imperial City were kneeling.

On the left is the "Internal Affairs Department," led by Lady Dry Bones, mostly composed of former demonic cultivators and cultivators skilled in formations and alchemy.

On the right was the "War Force," led by "Giant Spirit No. 1," consisting of 2,800 giant spirit guards, each three zhang tall and with bulging muscles. Although they had concealed their auras, the bloodthirsty aura, like that of prehistoric beasts, still made the air in the hall feel exceptionally heavy.

"Everyone, get up."

Su Chen spoke calmly.

"Thank you, Daozu!"

Only then did everyone dare to stand up, but they still kept their heads down, not daring to look directly at the figure on the throne.

Su Chen's gaze first fell on Lady Kugu.

This woman, though of average strength, managed Changsheng City impeccably during Su Chen's seclusion. She never flinched in the face of the Southern Heavenly King's oppressive aura, her loyalty beyond question.

Su Chen was never stingy with rewards for obedient and useful dogs.

"Dry bones".

"This servant is here." Lady Kugu hurriedly stepped forward.

"You did a good job defending the city this time."

Su Chen flicked his finger.

call out!
A leaf shimmering with a grayish-white light floated out from his body and hovered in front of Lady Bone.

The leaves were covered with naturally interwoven patterns of tiny skulls, exuding a strong aura of the laws of the ultimate death realm.

"This is..." Lady Dry Bones sensed the terrifying Daoist aura contained within the leaves, and her breathing instantly became rapid. "This is the original leaf of the [Withered and Flourishing Branch]?!"

"good."

Su Chen calmly said, "I see that you have been stuck in the late stage of Golden Immortal for many years. Although your soul is strong, your physical body is too weak, and your understanding of the Law of Death is too superficial."

"This leaf contains a glimpse of my understanding of 'the ultimate death is life'."

"Swallow it."

"I will help you transcend the Golden Immortal realm and ascend to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm!"

"of course."

"This Taiyi Golden Immortal was created later in life, so it is certainly not comparable to a true Taiyi Seed. However, it can still increase your chances of becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal by 30%!"

Entering Taiyi?!

As soon as this statement came out, the whole palace was in an uproar.

Everyone looked at Lady Skeleton with envy and jealousy.

Taiyi Golden Immortal!
In the nearby Ruins Domain, apart from those few overlords deep within, the Taiyi Golden Immortal is the highest level of existence!
And now, the Dao Ancestor actually says he can create a Taiyi at will?
Lady Dry Bones trembled with excitement. Without any hesitation, she grabbed the withered leaf and swallowed it whole.

boom!
A massive surge of death energy erupted within her body, and then, guided by Su Chen's will, that death energy rapidly transformed into the purest form of life force.

Life and death cycle, yin and yang complement each other!
Lady Bone's originally aged and withered face began to look younger and fuller, and her dry white hair turned black.

Only ten breaths later.

hum-

A powerful aura belonging to a Taiyi Golden Immortal surged into the sky from her body!

It really did!

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your life-saving grace!!"

Having regained her youthful appearance, Lady Skeleton now looked like a cold and beautiful young woman of sixteen or seventeen. She slammed her head against the ground, her forehead bleeding, her eyes filled with unwavering fervor.

"From this day forward, this life of Kugu belongs to the Dao Ancestor! If the Dao Ancestor commands me to die, I will never live again!" (End of Chapter)