He was invincible from the beginning of the Heaven-Covering Era.

Zhou Qing's resolute refusal to back down frustrated the Black Emperor, but there was nothing it could do, so it eventually went to the village where Master Zhang lived.

There are three surnames in that village: Zhang, Wang, and Lei. After ten thousand years of intermarriage, the people in this entire village all have some degree of silver blood in their bodies.

In the past ten years or so, this village of only a few hundred people has produced almost all of them who are above the Dao Palace Secret Realm. The three people who have truly returned to their ancestral bloodline, Wang Shu, Lei Bo, and Lei Bo's sister Lei Ying, are already Supreme Elders of the Sendai Secret Realm.

This caused a huge sensation among the Zhou family's higher-ups. Everyone saw the village's unparalleled potential and marveled at Zhou Qing's foresight back then.

The Silverblood Clan, despite never having produced an ancient emperor, is ranked among the ancient royal families and is known as the uncrowned emperors. This is because the bloodline of this clan is so terrifying that other true royal families with royal bloodlines have to acknowledge its status.

For the Black Emperor, it was a pity that he couldn't train the Holy Body and the Dao Embryo, but it was also good to train a few young people with ancestral silver blood.

Shizhai has guarded the tomb of the Great Emperor Wushi for so many years, and now it is time for it to be rewarded. Therefore, the Black Emperor will return to Shizhai from time to time to teach these three young people whose bloodline has returned to their ancestral form.

However, while the Black Emperor went to Stone Village, Little Nannan stayed behind. This matter not only gave Zhou Qing a headache, but also made the Zhou family patriarch, Kunpeng patriarch, and the ancient demon look solemn, but they dared not make a move.

Fortunately, Zhou Qing knew that the little girl wouldn't pose any danger, just some trouble, so he could only let things take their course and eventually placed the little girl on the God Island.

Now, a month has passed, and Xiao Nannan has become familiar with everyone on Shenzhu Island. As for Xiao Nannan's problem of forgetting past memories, Zhou Qing and the others have also solved it.

"It's been almost ten years since I last saw Qi Luo in the Heavenly Court. I wonder if he has become a saint yet," Zhou Qing muttered to himself, before his figure vanished from beneath the Fusang Divine Tree.

The Village of Heaven is the last small world left behind by the ancient assassin dynasty, the Heavenly Court. It is hidden in the void where no one knows it. No outsiders have entered since the destruction of the Heavenly Court. But now Zhou Qing has entered, and Qi Luo personally welcomed him in.

Qi Luo stood beside him, somewhat excitedly, and said, "You really found the Heavenly Court's inheritance?"

Zhou Qing took out the Book of Time, and as soon as it appeared, it exuded a terrifying killing intent, as if it could break a person's bones.

The Book of Time is over a foot long, square, crystal clear and almost transparent, with speckled luster, mysterious and eerie, making people uneasy.

There are many words on it, densely packed, engraved on both sides, and most people can't see them at all because the characters are very small.

"It really is the Book of Time!" Qi Luo stretched out his old hands and stroked the surface of the Book of Time, then burst into tears.

"Heaven has mercy! The Heavenly Court's lineage has not been broken; it has at least been preserved." The old man cried out, his cries causing the surrounding void to rumble and nearly collapse.

The other villagers of Tianzhi Village

Watching from a distance, many people wiped away their own tears upon hearing Qi Luo's cries.

How glorious the Heavenly Court was back then! The Lord of Heaven held the Heavenly Scepter and the Book of Time, and no one in the world was invincible. But now, only this small world remains, with a total of forty or fifty households and only a little over a hundred people.

Qi Luo stroked the Book of Time for a long time, then looked up and said, "You could have kept the Book of Time for yourself, but you brought it to us instead. Knowing you as I do, this definitely didn't happen for free. Tell me, what do you want?"

Qi Luo looked at the god-like man beside him and knew that since he had chosen to tell them about the Book of Time, he must have other ideas.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhou Qing uttered his next sentence, Qi Luo's heart surged and his eyes widened.

"I want to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court!" Zhou Qing said calmly, standing with his hands behind his back.

Although Qi Luo had always been enthusiastic about developing the Heavenly Court, he never imagined that one of the most terrifying people in the Eastern Wilderness, the God Lord, would actually want to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court.

Their Heavenly Court has declined to only about a hundred people left. They have neither manpower nor resources, so what could possibly be of interest to them?

"You really think so?" Qi Luo asked, somewhat incredulously.

“Of course, but for me, even if the Heavenly Court reappears, it will not be the ancient killer dynasty, but the Heavenly Court of true mythology!” Zhou Qing said.

"That's alright. The ancient assassin dynasty, the Heavenly Court, was destroyed hundreds of thousands of years ago. Our ancestors proved their Dao through killing, killing too many saints from too many forces and creating too many karmas. They have nothing to say about being destroyed."

"You have obtained the Book of Time and the Secret of Travel, and with your cultivation, you are more than qualified to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court in this era," Qi Luo said.

After a moment of astonishment, Qi Luo began to seriously consider Zhou Qing's request.

In fact, for him, anyone who obtains the Heavenly Court's inheritance can join the Heavenly Court and become a divine child or the ruler of the Heavenly Court.

As he said, the Heavenly Court of the Assassin Dynasty has been destroyed, and that cannot be changed. These hundred-odd people can only be said to be the remnants of the Heavenly Court. If others want to establish a Heavenly Court, they have no right to stop them.

But Zhou Qing is quite different. He is not a rogue cultivator, but a true head of an ancient family. Even Zhou Qing himself finds it difficult to judge the impact of such a person becoming the ruler of the Heavenly Court.

However, he also knew that it would be meaningless for him to refuse Zhou Qing now, because Zhou Qing could completely abandon them and establish a separate Heavenly Court. At that time, Zhou Qing's Heavenly Court would have the Book of Time and the Secret of Travel, making their lineage appear as a pseudo-Heavenly Court.

So after only a moment's thought, Qi Luo agreed: "In that case, you will be our Heavenly Court Lord from now on!"

Zhou Qing nodded in satisfaction. It seemed this old fellow was still sensible; after all, this was a half-saint, and it was quite good to have him subdued.

"Unfortunately, I still don't know where my Heavenly Scepter is," Qi Luo sighed.

The Heavenly Scepter and the Book of Time are both among the most powerful treasures of the Heavenly Court.

However, in reality, the Heavenly Scepter is more significant and powerful than the Book of Time.

"The Yao Guang has a black gold cauldron with dragon patterns, which was born from the heavens and earth. Our scepter is the same; it has a secret that drove even the ancient sages mad," Qi Luo said in a low voice.

Zhou Qing was also curious about this and pressed Qi Luo for answers, but unfortunately, his knowledge was limited; he had only learned some things from the remaining ancient books.

“Actually, I have already seen the Heavenly Court Scepter. I obtained my Xingzi Secret from there, but the Heavenly Court Scepter is not in my possession now.” Zhou Qing told us about the last master of the Heavenly Court on the Sacred Cliff.

Years ago, Zhou Qing, Gai Jiuyou, Jiang Taixu, and the Black Emperor went to the Sacred Cliff and obtained the Secret of Movement and the Heavenly Court Scepter. Everyone learned the Secret of Movement, while the Heavenly Court Scepter fell into the hands of Gai Jiuyou.

According to Gai Jiuyou, the secret contained in the Heavenly Court Scepter is extraordinary and may play a role in his cultivation. Therefore, Zhou Qing and Jiang Taixu did not say much, and only the Black Emperor muttered a few words.

“Gai Jiuyou, who was just one step away from attaining enlightenment eight thousand years ago, is still alive? If it is him, the Heavenly Court Scepter in his hands will probably unleash its earth-shattering power.” Qi Luo said in utter shock.

Upon learning the whereabouts of the Heavenly Scepter, Qi Luo felt very gratified. Although the Heavenly Scepter was not in their hands, for him, if Gai Jiuyou could one day use the Heavenly Scepter to wreak havoc on all sides, it would be a great honor for the Heavenly Court.

Then, the two sat down on a blue stone in the village of Tianzhi and began to talk in detail.

On that very day, the two merged the Heavenly Court's inheritance, truly completing it and recreating the terrifying killing techniques of the ancient first assassin dynasty. Even if hell and the human world were combined, they wouldn't be enough to defeat them.

“I won’t be stationed in Tianzhi Village all the time, but I have a servant who can take my place. If you encounter any problems you can’t solve, you can consult with him first,” Zhou Qing said.

"brush"

A figure in black robes appeared. This person was very old, with a full head of white hair and wrinkles, but he exuded a terrifying pressure that made Qi Luo feel terrified, as if he could destroy the world.

"True saintly power! This is actually a saint?" Qi Luo exclaimed in horror, his mouth agape.

"This is Saint Chenyuan, who will be in my place overseeing Heavenly Village," Zhou Qing introduced. Then, looking at Saint Chenyuan, he said, "From now on, you will stay here and cultivate the Heavenly Court's great killing techniques. I may need you at any time, so you must seize the opportunity to cultivate."

"Yes, Master!" Saint Chenyuan, dressed in a black robe, lowered his head and knelt on the ground.

After Zhou Qing left, Qi Luo was still in a daze for a long time. He was only a half-saint, and although he was only one step away from becoming a saint, he still had an unknown amount of time to cultivate.

To him, a sage was like a god, yet now a sage was kneeling before Zhou Qing, calling him master, which was truly unimaginable to him.

A few days later, five more people arrived at Tianzhi Village. Four of them stood on the eighth small step of the Great Power, and one stood on the ninth small step of the Great Power. Their killing intent was extremely strong, as if they had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

"It's them. I never expected they were also the Lord's people," Qi Luo mused, realizing something.

After the destruction of Hell and the human world, a few people claimed to be the remnants of Hell and the human world, seeking revenge on the world and assassinating many powerful demons and strong humans.

But now that he saw that these people were actually the Lord's men, he suddenly realized that those who had been assassinated were all people who had had fierce conflicts with the Zhou family in recent years.

For example, Wang Yangzhan, the former leader of the Yin-Yang Sect, declared that even though the Holy Body had the protection of the Zhou family, he would still kill the Holy Body because the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of Yin-Yang were killed by the Holy Body.

Just a few days later, Wang Yangzhan was impaled on a mountain peak by the remnants of hell and the human world, his blood drained and his body dried up.

"It seems our new Heavenly Lord is truly extraordinary!" Qi Luo exclaimed, Zhou Qing's image suddenly becoming unfathomable in his mind.

Chapter 271: Changes in One Year

Time has passed, and it has been more than a year since Zhou Qing returned to Beidou.

Beidou continues to show a thriving trend, most notably the increase in the number of geniuses and the improvement in the speed of cultivation.

In the past, it took a long time to increase one's cultivation level. The Great Dao was suppressed and the essence of heaven and earth was scarce. Even the holy sons and daughters of the major holy lands would take about five hundred years to become great powers.

But the world is starting to change. Many people feel that the essence of heaven and earth is more active than before, and enlightenment is easier than before.

Moreover, when the major holy lands recruited disciples, they also found that there were more "immortal seedlings" than before, and people with cultivation talent were more likely to appear.

The powerful beings at the pinnacle sensed that the heavens and earth were moving again, and all the rules were beginning to repeat themselves, perhaps heralding a prosperous era.

Of course, this is just the initial sign. It is unknown how long this process of change will last. Perhaps for the next few decades or even centuries, the path of Beidou will be gradually strengthened.

Some speculate that this change in the world may persist for an endless long time and will not repeat itself.

Why make such a prediction? Because it involves another change that occurred this year.

In the Eastern Wilderness, especially in the Northern Region, strange alien races are appearing more and more frequently.

Some shimmered with silver light, covered in scales, and had four arms, exuding power; others had a pair of golden divine wings and antlers on their heads; some had a vertical eye between their eyebrows.

These alien races roam the various oases of the Northern Region. Some people find them novel, while others are afraid. Those who truly understand them know that these are not some kind of wild beasts, but rather an ancient race.

Since ancient times, the Primordial Race, especially the Primordial King, has been something that inspires immense fear. Every time such a thing appears, it causes bloodshed and chaos.

Fortunately, what is reassuring is that most of the ancient races are not bloodthirsty, but rather enter and leave the city like normal people, conduct normal trade, and have also established contact with some human sects.

These ancient races were all very small groups. The truly powerful ancient races had long since transformed into human form, and their descendants were mostly human as well. The more alien the ancient beings appeared, the weaker they were often.

Another group of ancient races were far more ferocious. They would kill anyone who displeased them, turning a mortal city into a hell. By the time human powerhouses arrived, these ancient races had already fled.

In the Northern Region, within a mortal kingdom, a mortal city was being subjected to a massive massacre. Screams, pleas for mercy, and cries of agony were accompanied by the chilling laughter of another being, making it seem as if demons from hell had descended upon the world—a truly horrifying sight.

This was a tall creature with a snow-white face and fine silver scales on its two arms. It chuckled sinisterly, "Human blood, what a nostalgic taste."

The man reached out and grabbed a terrified man, gripping his skull and twisting it forcefully, producing a cracking sound.

The man's head rolled to the ground, twisted violently, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

The massive creature then opened its gaping maw and placed it on the severed neck, greedily devouring the gushing blood.

In less than a breath, the man's body rapidly withered, his skin turning snow-white, as if skin were glued to bone, and not a trace of crimson color could be seen.

"It's still so delicious. It's a pity it's just a mortal. If only I could kill a powerful human to taste it." The creature looked on with infatuation, as if it had tasted some exquisite delicacy.

"Don't act rashly. The human race is no ordinary being these days. What we're doing now is just a small matter. If we really kill a powerful human, it might attract the attention of those holy lands and aristocratic families," another ancient being of his race warned from a distance.

"Alas, in the ancient times, humans were nothing more than slaves of all races, beings to be slaughtered at will. Now they have developed to such a terrifying degree that even we can only kill people in secret." The tall being sighed.

The mortal city below them had only tens of thousands of inhabitants, and they had also laid out array patterns around it. Only cultivators with profound cultivation could see the true appearance of this city. It had been transformed into a paradise for more than a dozen ancient beings.

Mortal cities like this are far too weak to attract the attention of powerful holy lands and aristocratic families. At most, these weak mortal kingdoms have a few human cave heavens, and the highest level of cultivators is only the Dao Palace Secret Realm. They are nothing to them.

However, just as this tall creature was searching for its next blood-sucking target...

"call out!"

A flash of sword light appeared, icy cold and terrifyingly murderous, making his hair stand on end and his pupils shrink.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint, ethereal figure suddenly appear beside him, wielding a cold, divine sword, its blade flashing with light as it pierced past.

Before the towering creature could react, a spray of blood gushed from its body. It clutched its neck, its eyes wide with disbelief, before finally collapsing helplessly from the sky.

The phantom image was like a ghost, flashing in the air more than a dozen times in the blink of an eye, instantly killing more than a dozen ancient beings.