Living in the deep palace

[Ruins Realm, Immortal Imperial City]

When the bronze warship, laden with the flesh and blood of a quasi-emperor and the laws of the Void, tore through space and time and slowly descended above the City of Immortality, the entire Void Domain trembled.

At this moment, Su Chen had already restrained his aura to the extreme.

He stood at the bow of the ship, no longer appearing as sharp and domineering as before, but instead exuding a sense of simple ordinariness. He stood there, yet seemed not to belong to this space and time; the laws of space around him flowed around him automatically, as if he himself were a being of a higher dimension than "space".

This is the [Immortal's Great Luo].

Transcending the Three Realms and not bound by the Five Elements, he has stepped halfway into the supreme realm of "Primordial Chaos".

"Welcome back, Dao Ancestor!!"

"Welcome back to the Venerable Meng Po!!"

Within the imperial city, the remaining Giant Spirit Guards and countless believers knelt on the ground, their shouts shaking the heavens. Although they couldn't fathom Su Chen's current realm, the tremor emanating from the depths of their souls told them that their king had become even stronger. So strong that even a glance from him felt like blasphemy.

"Everyone, get up."

Su Chen waved gently.

This gesture did not utilize any magical power; it was merely an extension of will.

hum-

A gentle, spring-like force swept across the entire city.

A miracle happened.

Those cultivators who were injured in resisting the aftershocks of the Haotian Mirror had their wounds healed instantly; those array nodes that had withered due to overexertion regained their brilliance; even the withered spiritual herbs in the city sprouted tender green shoots and bloomed with flowers more splendid than before.

Words become law, a single thought gives rise to all things.

This is the "creation" authority granted to Su Chen by the ninth branch of the Longevity Tree—the [Origin Branch].

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor, for your blessing!!" Everyone was overjoyed.

Su Chen nodded slightly, took a step, and arrived directly at the secluded cultivation place deep within the Imperial Palace. Lady Kugu (Meng Po) followed closely behind.

"Dao Ancestor, the flesh and blood of that Quasi-Emperor Corpse Demon..." Lady Kugu asked respectfully.

Although she had already attained the Great Luo realm, she still felt like an ant facing a dragon in front of Su Chen. The terrifying methods Su Chen had displayed in the Void Realm—the ability to devour everything and even refine the world—had been completely imprinted on her Dao heart.

"That's good stuff, we can't waste it."

Su Chen sat down cross-legged, and the Longevity Tree within his body manifested.

The Dao Tree at this moment is no longer what it used to be.

It stretches for billions of miles, its canopy reaching into the unknown void, its roots anchored in the chaos. Nine thick branches each have their own function—divine weapon, giant spirit, soul-capturing, void, withering and flourishing, stars, chaos, reincarnation, and the most core and mysterious [origin].

Especially that tender green origin branch, although it looks weak, exudes a primal aura that makes the other eight branches submit to it.

"rise!"

Su Chen gave a soft shout.

The massive amount of quasi-emperor blood and flesh essence that he had swallowed but had not yet fully digested was drawn out by the [Origin Branch] at this moment.

woohoo-

Countless golden points of light flew out from Su Chen's body and merged into every inch of land and every brick of the Longevity Imperial City.

"This is... the Imperial Blood Forging City?!" Lady Dry Bones stared at the scene in shock.

"Since we are going to have a decisive battle with the Heavenly Court, relying solely on our previous resources is not enough."

Su Chen remained calm, his hands continuously forming hand seals.

"This city will no longer be an ordinary city."

"I will forge it into the only one in all the heavens and myriad realms... the Eternal Ark!"

Rumble!
With the infusion of imperial blood, the Eternal Imperial City began to undergo an astonishing transformation.

The city walls, originally dark blue-black, turned a dark gold, and "immortal" Dao patterns, found only on the corpses of quasi-emperors, appeared on their surface. The underground spiritual veins were replaced by imperial blood, and what flowed was no longer spiritual energy, but almost tangible divine power.

Every building in the city is transforming into an "acquired spiritual treasure".

Even the dust particles in the air contain enough weight to crush a true immortal.

"Giant Spirit!" Su Chen's voice pierced through the void.

"I'm here!" Giant Spirit One, who was counting his spoils outside the city, quickly responded.

"Take your three thousand giant spirit guards and soak in the blood sea of ​​the underworld."

Su Chen flicked his finger, and a clump of essence blood exuding an ancient and savage aura flew out—it was the most essential drop of primordial blood from the heart of the Corpse Demon.

"This is the essence of the Ancient Demon God Technique that the quasi-emperor cultivated before his death."

"Since you call yourselves the Giant Spirit Guards, then cultivate the true... Demon God's Body!"

"Yes!!" Giant Spirit One trembled with excitement as he rushed into the Underworld, clutching the drop of essence blood.

After arranging all of this, Su Chen did not rest.

He slowly raised his head, his one black and one white eye piercing through the defenses of the Eternal Life Imperial City and the mist of the Ruins Domain, looking towards the distant Heavenly Domain.

The Heavenly Court, which should have been radiant with golden light and filled with celestial music, was unusually quiet at this moment.

It was eerily quiet.

It's like the suffocating low pressure before a storm.

"Is he finally... going to wake up?"

Su Chen touched his chest, feeling the faint hostility and resonance emanating from the Origin Branch.

"You feel it too, right?"

"That being that has occupied the source of the 'Wood' Dao of this universe..."

"That old gardener who sees all living beings as fertilizer."

……

[The Celestial Realm, above the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Lingxiao Palace]

This is the highest point of the Heavenly Court, the center of power in all realms.

At this moment, the bronze imperial gate, which had been tightly closed for countless epochs, was emitting a series of muffled rumbling sounds.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The sound wasn't knocking, but... a heartbeat.

With each pulsation, the entire Thirty-Three Heavens trembled, countless immortal islands teetered on the brink of collapse, the Milky Way flowed backward, and the stars dimmed.

Outside the main hall, tens of thousands of celestial officials and divine generals knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

At the very front, the Four Heavenly Kings (except for the dead Northern Heavenly King's clone, all the original bodies were still there) were kneeling there with pale faces, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Especially the Eastern Heavenly King, who held the Haotian Mirror with a missing corner, his hands trembling as if he were being shaken.

"It's over...it's all over..."

The Eastern Heavenly King was covered in cold sweat, his heart filled with despair.

The Haotian Mirror was damaged, the Xuanhuang Realm was destroyed, the Milky Way was drunk dry, and the Northern Heavenly King's avatar was devoured...

Each and every one of these offenses is a capital offense.

And now, that supreme emperor is about to emerge from seclusion.

Om-! ! !
Suddenly, an indescribable, terrifying will awakened from the depths of the hall.

This will was too immense; it transcended the laws of nature and the constraints of time and space. Under its influence, even the so-called Great Luo Golden Immortals were as insignificant as a weed beneath a towering tree.

Followed by.

The bronze imperial gate slowly opened.

There was no dazzling golden light, no celestial music playing.

Only endless... roots.

Countless thick, dragon-like brown roots emerged from the darkness behind the door. They climbed the jade pillars, coiled around the imperial throne, and even took root in the void, greedily absorbing the nutrients from the entire celestial realm.

And in the center of those countless roots, a figure sat upright.

He was a man who looked very young, yet appeared as if he had lived for millions of years.

He wore an ancient imperial robe woven from tree bark, and his long hair cascaded down his shoulders. His skin had a woody texture, and his eyes were closed, as if he were still asleep.

Even so, the terrifying pressure from the [Fifth Realm - Creation Realm (Eternal)] still made the Four Heavenly Kings feel suffocated.

"Welcome...welcome His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor upon his return from seclusion!!"

The four Heavenly Kings kowtowed in unison, their foreheads slamming heavily onto the ground, drawing blood.

The man did not speak.

He just sat there quietly, as if still adjusting to his awakened body.

After a long time.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Those were green eyes.

But there was no life in that green, only indifference. It was the gaze of Heaven that viewed all things as worthless weeds and all living beings as nourishment.

"My mirror."

The Heavenly Emperor spoke.

His voice was hoarse, like two dry branches rubbing together.

The Eastern Heavenly King trembled, and with difficulty raised the Haotian Mirror in his hand, stammering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I deserve to die... The mirror... was... bitten... and broken by that demon..."

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze fell upon the broken Haotian Mirror. He did not become angry.

He simply extended a finger and gently touched the mirror.

hum!
A stream of green, transformative energy flowed in. The shattered gap began to slowly heal, as if a wound were being repaired.

"Did you bite it?"

The Heavenly Emperor chuckled softly.

The laughter was devoid of joy or anger, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.

“There are not many teeth in this world that can break the teeth of the Primordial Bronze Mother.”

“There are even fewer stomachs capable of digesting the Primordial Light.”

The Heavenly Emperor slowly stood up.

As he stood up, countless roots behind him swayed, as if the entire Lingxiao Palace had come to life.

"I can smell it."

The Heavenly Emperor took a deep breath, his nostrils twitching slightly.

"A... unpleasant, peculiar smell."

"Plunder... Devour... Evolution..."

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze pierced through countless palaces and across distant time and space, locking onto the young man in green robes deep within the Ruins, who was sitting cross-legged in the Imperial Palace and gazing at him as well.

Two gazes collided in the void.

No sparks.

Only silent annihilation.

The thousands of small worlds that were separated by these two gazes instantly collapsed and turned into nothingness.

"I see."

The Heavenly Emperor withdrew his gaze, a playful smile curving his lips.

"How dare a wild, overgrown weed try to steal my authority?"

"The Tree of Immortality?"

"Heh... it's just a piece of 'evil root' that I cut off back then."

The Heavenly Emperor looked at the Four Heavenly Kings kneeling on the ground.

"You... have been defeated?"

"Your Majesty, we are utterly incompetent! We beg Your Majesty to grant us death!" The Four Heavenly Kings were terrified out of their wits.

"If we lose, we lose."

The Heavenly Emperor said calmly, "Faced with your own kind, you fertilizers are naturally no match."

fertilizer?

The Four Heavenly Kings felt a chill run down their spines. In the eyes of the Heavenly Emperor, these Great Luo Golden Immortals who had followed him for countless years were merely fertilizer?
"Since they are weeds, they should be removed."

“Since it’s the root of evil, it should be taken back.”

The Heavenly Emperor slowly raised his right hand.

His arm changed at that moment; his skin turned into tree bark, and his fingers turned into sharp branches.

"Transmit my decree."

The voice of the Heavenly Emperor resounded throughout all the heavens and myriad realms.

"Today, the heavens will unleash a calamity."

"The Ruins Realm...should be destroyed."

boom!
As the word "annihilate" fell.

The Heavenly Emperor's palm pointed towards the direction of the Ruins, pressing down from afar.

This press was neither a supernatural power nor a magic spell.

Rather... it's a rewriting of the rules!

……

……

[Ruins Realm, Immortal Imperial City]

it's dark.

It wasn't because night had fallen, nor because of the dark clouds.

Rather, it was because the concept of "light" was forcibly stripped from this area by some supreme will.

"What's going on?! I can't see anything with my divine sense!!"

"Spiritual energy... spiritual energy is depleting!!"

"The laws... the laws are collapsing! The fire is no longer hot, the water has stopped flowing, even gravity has disappeared!!"

The Changsheng Imperial City was instantly plunged into a state of immense panic.

The cultivators were horrified to discover that their once-proud cultivation was rapidly diminishing, and everything around them was collapsing into nothingness.

This is not just darkness, this is... mass extinction!

"Is this the method of the Fifth Realm?"

Deep within the imperial palace, Su Chen suddenly stood up.

He could clearly sense that the Heavenly Emperor had not used any fancy moves, but had simply used his own "Dao" to cover up and replace the original Heavenly Dao rules of the Ruins Domain.

His path is the path of Jianmu, the order that connects heaven and earth.

And now, he has sentenced the Ruins to death.

Therefore, the Ruins must die.

"Words become law, altering reality."

"You think you're the sole ruler of this universe?"

Su Chen sneered and took a step, directly arriving at the highest point of the Imperial City.

At this moment, the sky above was no longer the heavens, but a gigantic "net" woven from countless green runes. The net was slowly shrinking, and with each shrinkage, a layer of the void's space crumbled.

That's the Heavenly Emperor's [Severed Heavenly Connection Formation]!
He wanted to refine the entire Void Domain, along with Su Chen inside, into a single pill!
"Dao Ancestor! The city-protecting formation can't hold on any longer!!"

Lady Dry Bones flew over, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Under the dimensional attack of the rule level, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal is as fragile as a child.

"Why panic?"

Su Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the destructive storm.

"Since he won't give us a way out, then we'll... fight our way out!"

"The Tree of Immortality has appeared!!"

boom--! ! !
The Longevity Tree within Su Chen's body erupted completely.

A colossal, chaotic tree, obscuring the sky and blocking out the sun, rose from the ground of the Immortal City!

It was so big that its canopy pierced through the darkness, and its nine thick branches, like nine angry dragons, frantically tore at the falling green net.

"Origin - Boundary Wall!"

With a thought, Su Chen's ninth Origin Branch suddenly lit up.

A thin, yet indestructible, transparent film spread out instantly from the center of the Immortal City.

Within this thin film lie Su Chen's own independent laws.

Here, the fire still burns, the water still flows, and Su Chen's words are the only truth!
sizzle-

The Heavenly Emperor's Net of Order collided with Su Chen's Origin Boundary.

This is a clash between two different "paths".

One is the corrupt yet vast old order, and the other is the newly emerging and domineering path of plunder.

"blocked?!"

The cultivators in the city, seeing the strange phenomenon in the sky, wept with joy.

However, Su Chen's expression did not relax.

Because he knew this was just an appetizer.

The real killer move is yet to come.

really.

Just as the net was blocked.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the green sky.

One... finger.

A finger, seemingly withered and resembling an old tree root, slowly emerged from the crack and gently pressed down towards the Immortal City.

This finger gesture looked ordinary, even somewhat slow.

But the moment it appeared, Su Chen's Origin Boundary Wall began to tremble violently, emitting cracking sounds as if it were about to collapse under the strain! (End of Chapter)