Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 389 All Heavens
The star map is vast, so vast that it is beyond imagination; the universe is endless, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Today, the universe of Shrouding the Heavens is no longer considered vast to Li Yao; he can cross from one end to the other if he wants.

But that's only relative; in reality, it's still boundless, and it would be difficult for the Great Sage to completely traverse it. Yet, even this vast universe appears incredibly small compared to the star map before him, less than one billionth of it.

It's hard to imagine just how vast the universe is as recorded in star charts.

Even with Li Yao's current cultivation level, seeing this star map for the first time felt like a country bumpkin visiting the city—it was incredibly novel.

"This should be a star map from the Immortal Ancient Era," Li Yao guessed.

As for why he had such an idea, it was because he saw a familiar name in the star chart—the Primal Ancient Realm!
This name was used before the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were shattered. It represents a powerful ancient realm that produced powerful immortal kings such as the Immortal King of No End, the Immortal King of Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Ancestral Sacrifice Spirit, the Ten Unparalleled Fiends, and the Second Strongest in the World.

Even in the brilliant Immortal Ancient Era, the Primordial Ancient Realm was a renowned great realm, once comparable to top-tier ancient realms like the Immortal Realm and the Otherworld.

The reason why the Primordial Ancient Realm lost the battle in the Immortal Ancient Era was because its people were not united and were defeated one by one.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the alien realm to conquer the powerful Primordial Ancient Realm. The lineup of Immortal King giants such as the Endless Immortal King, the Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King, the Ancestral Sacrifice Spirit, and the True Dragon alone would be enough to give the alien realm a headache.

Inside the ancient cave, Li Yao was very focused, preparing for the future.

He will eventually march into the heavens; knowing some things now will be helpful for future reference.

Although several eras have passed and the situation in some ancient realms has changed drastically, just like the world of Shrouding the Heavens, there are still traces to be found.

Li Yao's gaze swept across the star map, and soon he found a place that interested him.

Those were two vast ancient realms, even larger than the original ancient realm. One was sacred and unique, filled with immortal essence, like the homeland of ten thousand immortals.

The other one, shrouded in black mist, gives off an ominous feeling and is highlighted in red, giving it a taboo style.

Between the two ancient realms lies another ancient realm, like a buffer zone. It is not very large, but it is filled with a sacred and peaceful atmosphere.

Almost immediately, Li Yao guessed the origins of the three ancient realms: the Immortal Realm, the homeland of all immortals; the Ancient Realm Alien Realm, corrupted by darkness; and the Burial Realm, also corrupted by darkness.

These three ancient realms are the top realms in the heavens, filled with powerful beings and immortal kings, and countless giants have emerged from them.

Even now, the Immortal Realm and the Other Realm may still exist, but they may be severely damaged, at least that's the case for the Immortal Realm.

Li Yao was extremely focused, staring intently at the three ancient realms and the primordial ancient realm. Between these ancient realms, there were many passageways allowing travel between them.

He silently deduced, using the passages between the ancient realms to calculate the current universe of Shrouding the Heavens.

Soon, Li Yao actually made some gains, discovering that some passages still remained in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, with the Big Dipper Ancient Star and the Flying Immortal Star being among them.

"There's also the Path to Immortality in the Arctic, which actually leads to the Immortal Realm, but it collapsed for some unknown reason later!"

Li Yao was extremely surprised and continued to silently deduce, then his heart was suddenly shaken.

"Yu Yuan, that's actually a passage to another realm?!"

Li Yao never expected that Yu Yuan would have such a background.

Although he knew from the first glance that Yu Yuan was definitely not simple, he was still shocked when he learned the truth.

"What about the strange world? And which passage does it correspond to?" He gazed at the dense, celestial-like patterns on the star map, unable to contain his curiosity.

This time, Li Yao was searching with a purpose: to deduce the coordinates of the strange world based on the Heavenly Road.

In the end, he locked onto a location: the former Southern Heavenly Gate of the Immortal Realm. Only there would be a need for three mortal immortals.

Wu Shi, Ruthless Man, Ye Fan, and Duan De are undoubtedly among the best of the Red Dust Immortals, with combat power comparable to that of Quasi-Immortal Kings.

The gate that requires three quasi-immortal kings to open must be an incredibly magnificent entity.

Only the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Immortal Realm could retain such defensive power even after the Immortal Realm collapsed and its divine power was greatly reduced.

Once the destination was determined, it became much easier to trace back to the starting point. Li Yao quickly located the strange world deep within this universe.

If you are not in the right place, at the right time, or with the right people, the only way to enter the Immortal Realm is through a strange world. Strictly speaking, that world is not the Heavenly Road; you need to rely on your strength to fight your way in.

Just like the Desolate Heavenly Emperor, when he was a mortal immortal, he had to painstakingly clear the way to enter the Immortal Realm. But after becoming an Immortal King, he directly fought his way to the outside of the Immortal Realm, so he no longer needed to take the Heavenly Road.

The same principle applies to that strange world; as long as you're strong enough, you can venture there at any time.

Li Yao nodded in satisfaction, lingered for a long time, and then turned and left.

The gains this time exceeded his expectations, and he was very glad that he had come here in person and learned countless secrets.

It is no exaggeration to say that the gains this time are no less than the progress in cultivation. The path ahead has become clearer, and my Dao heart has become more steadfast.

On the amber-colored star, Li Yao tore through the void and stepped inside. When he reappeared, he was already in the Dark Forest.

The sacred power of Taiyin swirled around, and after Li Yao frantically absorbed it, the sacred power of Taiyin accumulated in Yu Yuan was greatly reduced.

Returning to this place once again, Li Yao felt a different emotion.

The otherworld was undoubtedly a special ancient realm, because the ancient artifacts of origin were corrupted by the laws of the Dark Quasi-Immortal Emperor and transformed into dark creatures.

However, this group of dark creatures is different from the group of dark creatures on the plateau, because they were not directly polluted and were not greatly affected, thus retaining their own will.

Of course, Emperor Bone Brother might be partly to blame. The Immortal Emperor's will reversed some of the dark matter, which is why the dark creatures in the heavens are not like those on the plateau.

"If Yu Yuan leads to another realm, could we enter the heavens from here?" Li Yao wondered.

The world of Shrouding the Heavens is severely damaged and extremely cruel. But the myriad worlds are different; there are abundant longevity substances there, and supreme beings can live for millions of years.

For those who are destined not to endure the hardships of the mortal world, entering the myriad realms is actually a very good choice.

The emperors in "Covering the Sky" are all incredibly talented due to the fierce competition, but they cannot walk the path to immortality in the mortal world.

However, if there were abundant longevity substances in the myriad realms, they would have enough time to cultivate, and the possibility of breaking through to the True Immortal realm would be very high.

Those who can step into the realm of immortality have the hope of continuing to advance, and their future is limitless!
Li Yao was pondering whether this path was feasible.

When he couldn't single-handedly defeat everyone in the fight against the high-altitude region, he had to consider having more help.

At the very least, in a battle between kings, one side needs to have someone hold off the enemy's generals and soldiers.

The black mist swirled around, a dense concentration of Yin holy power, each wisp containing unimaginable energy that froze time and space.

Li Yao's eyes flickered, and finally he made up his mind, taking a step into the abyss.

"Swoosh!" The Xingzi Secret unfolded, time and space froze, and no array pattern could stop him. He walked as if on flat ground and entered the abyss.

"boom!"

The sacred power of the moon surged like an undercurrent in a vast ocean, extremely violent and accumulating unparalleled strength. Each impact was like a raging wave crashing against the shore.

The abyss was very dark; the divine power of the moon blocked the view, making it impossible to see ahead. One could only venture deeper on foot.

Li Yao was surrounded by chaotic immortal power, and the laws of the Emperor's Way were astonishing, protecting him.

At the same time, he also activated the Taiyin True Scripture, frantically absorbing the purest and cleanest Taiyin Holy Power. Yin reaches its extreme and Yang is born, using Yin to replenish Yang and refine chaos!
Now, his Chaos Body has evolved to 90%, and he is only one step away from becoming a flawless Chaos Body!
But Li Yao knew very well that this last point was the most difficult, even more difficult than going from one to nine.

Therefore, he would not let any opportunity to accumulate nutrients for the growth of the Chaos Body pass by, and Yu Yuan's Taiyin Sacred Power was a treasure trove.

"Boom!"

The sacred power of Taiyin surged violently, transforming into towering waves that, like the eye of a sea, flowed into Li Yao's body with a thunderous roar.

The road ahead grew darker and darker, and the journey seemed to stretch ever further; I had no idea how far I had traveled.

"Wow!"

Just then, a sudden change occurred. Accompanied by a shrill cry, a large, jet-black bird shot out, wielding terrifying laws to suppress everything below.

Claws tore through the nine heavens, and the sacred power of the moon swept in, converging into a great seal, which met the black giant bird.

Li Yao unleashed his full power; the Taiyin Emperor Seal was unstoppable, smashing the giant black bird into a bloody pulp, splattering black blood everywhere.

“It’s not a real living being, but rather a manifestation of some kind of law. It’s completely unfamiliar. Is it a law from another realm?” Li Yao’s eyes flashed with cold light.

The black giant bird was actually very strong, even stronger than someone who was about to become a Daoist. Only a Supreme Being had the ability to kill it.

In other words, there are monsters beneath the Yu Abyss that can kill those who have attained enlightenment, and there is certainly more than one.

Li Yao was very fortunate that he had sensed something was wrong and hadn't recklessly entered. Otherwise, with his cultivation level at the time, he wouldn't have been able to withstand it and would have been torn apart in a single encounter.

But it doesn't matter now. He believes his current combat strength is slightly stronger than that of the Flawless Emperor. As long as he doesn't invade the alien realm, he can handle this short distance before the passage.

After traveling for a while, Li Yao encountered another strange behemoth, a creature that resembled a black panther but had a head like a snake's, its eyes filled with venom, sending chills down one's spine.

"Roar……"

A deafening roar resounded, shaking the abyss, as dark creatures pounced.

There were no particularly sophisticated methods, just an extremely simple attack, yet it carried powerful laws, and even beings of the same level would suffer losses when caught off guard.

This time, Li Yao was prepared, and his response was simple: he raised his hand and then brought down a palm strike, crushing the opponent.

"Pfft!"

Black blood splattered everywhere as the creature formed from the laws of nature exploded, dying completely.

But Li Yao was not pleased. Instead, his eyes narrowed. "It's a bit better than the one before."

The distance between them is not far, but there is a clear difference in their strength. If this is the case, the further in you go, the stronger they will become!
"Are we going to fight our way to the very end?"

Li Yao's eyes burned with intensity, his fighting spirit surging, and he continued to advance deeper into the territory.

The surging Yin Holy Power poured into his body like a tide, causing the Yin Holy Power to surge wildly, while simultaneously boosting the Yang Holy Power.

Li Yao was radiant, the five secret realms were booming, the speed at which the Dao Palace secret realm was reopened was becoming increasingly astonishing, the five heavenly palaces were becoming increasingly enormous, and the sound of chanting sutras resounded throughout the sky.

This was a terrifying sight, meaning that his cultivation was rapidly increasing in strength, and seemingly without any upper limit, constantly improving.

At Li Yao's current level of cultivation, every step forward is extremely difficult, but once he makes progress, the boost to his combat power is immense.

The transformation of the Chaos Body is also changing, moving closer to perfection, like accumulating sand to form a tower. The speed is not fast, but there is progress.

As his cultivation grew stronger with each step, Li Yao strode forward with unwavering composure. When encountering dark creatures, he could shatter them with a single palm strike.

"boom!"

With another deafening roar, the chaotic immortal power swept through everything in its path, tearing apart a dragon-eagle.

"Not only are they getting stronger, but their numbers are also increasing, and the distance between them is shrinking," Li Yao thought to himself.

This dragon eagle is significantly closer to the previous creature formed from laws, and its strength is even greater, approaching the supreme level.

Li Yao, with an indomitable spirit, continued forward, showing no intention of retreating.

Soon, he encountered true supreme beings, all of unknown races, creatures born in other realms, now merely manifested through the laws of nature.

Li Yao was finding it increasingly difficult and began to suffer injuries, because the creatures that appeared behind him were no longer just one, but three or four at once.

He ultimately did not reach his full potential; with only the cultivation of a quasi-emperor at the seventh level and the strength of an ordinary great emperor, he was unable to deal with three or four supreme beings simultaneously.

"Roar……"

An ancient beast roared, stirring the abyss. A colossal serpent, its body covered in purple scales, with a single horn resembling a divine sword on its head, was unleashing boundless sword energy, chaotic runes spreading out and shattering everything in its path.

This is a law different from that of the world of Shrouding the Heavens; it is more ancient and its explanation of the laws is more profound.

Li Yao's debate was a clash of great principles, where different paths of cultivation collided, sparking endless inspiration.

"Instead of exploring one's own inner potential, one should understand the laws of heaven and earth to become stronger!" He had a sudden realization.

This is a treasure on the path of spiritual practice: observing different paths of spiritual cultivation and verifying one's own shortcomings.

Especially at this moment, the two different paths of cultivation are vastly different from each other. If one can take the essence and discard the dross, and integrate it into one's own cultivation, one will forge an invincible foundation for the Dao.

Endless thoughts suddenly arose, churning in my mind, a million ideas flashing through my mind in an instant. Then, with a "boom," as if the heavens and earth were created.

As if divinely inspired, at this moment, heaven and earth were moved, the ancient star Ziwei resounded with myriad paths, and various strange phenomena were held back, leaving countless people astonished and puzzled.

People were terrified, not understanding what had happened. The world had changed drastically, and a terrifying atmosphere permeated the air, but they had no idea where it came from or where it was going.

"What is this? It seems like a calamity, but we don't know who caused it, or why it hasn't happened yet." All living beings were filled with fear.

(End of this chapter)