There Is No Celestial Realm at All

The Heart Demon Lord was instantly overjoyed. Kowtowing repeatedly, he fawned, "My lord's magnanimity rivals the sun and moon; my lord's breadth of mind surpasses the vast seas. From this day forth, this lowly servant shall thoroughly reform, cleanse his heart, and remake himself as a demon, never betraying my lord's grace and mercy."

Having said this, the Heart Demon Lord gritted his teeth, plunged his hand into his own body, and extracted all of his origin essence, presenting it reverently.

As the origin essence was drawn out, the Heart Demon Lord's body visibly shrank and turned semi-transparent, as if on the verge of dissipating at any moment.

"My lord, this is all of this servant's accumulated essence. I beg you not to disdain it."

"Hmm, you are teachable indeed." Gu Qingfeng nodded in satisfaction before promptly devouring the Heart Demon Lord's origin essence.

With this, he had completely supplanted the Heart Demon Lord—alongside the Life-Draining Demon Lord and the Oath Demon Lord.

Having lost all his power, the Heart Demon Lord's cultivation plummeted, reducing him to nothing more than a common, insignificant demon.

By now, Gu Qingfeng's strength had surged to unimaginable heights. The divine energy within him had fully transformed into magical power, for compared to the divine energy of the Cangming Realm, the sheer quantity and superior quality of his magical power had assimilated it entirely.

His magical power now spanned two billion years!

As for his exact combat prowess, it was safe to say that shattering the Cangming Realm with a single punch would be no issue at all.

As for his cultivation realm, it was hard to define—he still didn’t know the stages beyond the Heavenly Emperor’s level, making comparisons impossible.

"My lord, who would you like to consume next? This servant knows all the notable demon lords in the Demon Realm," the Heart Demon Lord flattered.

Gu Qingfeng pondered briefly. "Who is the strongest demon lord in your Demon Realm?"

The Heart Demon Lord’s expression turned peculiar, and he hesitated awkwardly.

"Hmm?" Gu Qingfeng frowned, displeased.

Terrified out of his wits, the Heart Demon Lord hastily replied, "My lord, without exaggeration... the strongest demon lord is none other than this lowly servant."

Whack!

A resounding slap struck the Heart Demon Lord’s face, nearly dispersing his form entirely.

"You?! The strongest?! Is the Demon Realm so barren of demons that a joke like you tops the ranks?! The Demon Realm is supposed to rival the Immortal Realm, yet its so-called strongest can barely hold his own against the Heavenly Dao of a lower realm?!

"Don’t you dare spout such outrageous nonsense!" Gu Qingfeng roared.

"Wronged! Wronged, my lord! This servant speaks the truth! I truly am the strongest in the Demon Realm—no single demon lord can defeat me in one-on-one combat!" the Heart Demon Lord protested pitifully.

Gu Qingfeng sneered. "So, what, you’re the Demon Sovereign? And the immortals of the Immortal Realm—are they all as pathetic as you?"

"My lord, you misunderstand! There is no such thing as an Immortal Realm!"

"No Immortal Realm?!" Gu Qingfeng’s eyes bulged as he yanked the Heart Demon Lord up by the collar. "You told me before that in other worlds, Quasi-Emperors can ascend to immortality. Now you claim there’s no Immortal Realm?! Are you mocking me?!"

The Heart Demon Lord nearly wet himself in terror. "My lord! Ascending to immortality doesn’t mean ascending to an Immortal Realm—it means ascending to the Eternal True World! There is no ‘Immortal Realm’ in existence. Some places may refer to the Eternal True World as the Immortal Realm, but the mainstream term is the Eternal True World!"

Gu Qingfeng’s frown deepened before he released the Heart Demon Lord.

"What is the Eternal True World?"

"The Eternal True World is akin to the legendary Immortal Realm of myth. Worlds within the Sea of Realms—whether Major Thousand Worlds or Minor Thousand Worlds—all have finite lifespans. Under the might of time, they will eventually perish.

"Every moment in the Sea of Realms, worlds are born and destroyed—this is the natural order, the way of the Great Dao.

"But there is one world that resists the erosion of time, achieving eternity—the Eternal True World! Legends say it stands above the River of Time, indestructible and everlasting, the supreme realm of the Sea of Realms!

"It is also the ultimate destination for all cultivators.

"No matter how powerful a cultivator in the lower realms becomes, they cannot attain true immortality. Only by ascending to the Eternal True World and merging with the Dao can one achieve eternal life!"

"Then what of the Demon Realm? If you’re not immortals, how can you be undying?" Gu Qingfeng grew even more puzzled.

He had assumed that upon reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, humans would ascend to the Immortal Realm while demons ascended to the Demon Realm. But now it turned out there was no Immortal Realm, and the Demon Realm’s power wasn’t vastly superior to the mortal world—there was no overwhelming, dimensional gap in strength.

Even the weakest Oath Demon Lord was only on par with a Heavenly Emperor who commanded the Mandate of Heaven.

"The Eternal True World is an infinite realm—limitless in size, expanding ceaselessly, boundless and immeasurable. It contains countless planes, and the Demon Realm is merely one among them.

"As for demons... we are, in truth, aberrations of immortals."

"Aberrations of immortals? What do you mean?"

"To explain, we must first understand why immortality grants eternal life. Aside from the native inhabitants of the Eternal True World, beings from the lower realms must forge their own Dao to enter—this is their ‘pass.’ Only those who have carved their own path are qualified to ascend. These are known as Ascended Ones.

"Of course, the Eternal True World isn’t solely populated by Ascended Ones. In fact, they make up only a small fraction. Most are native beings—mortals and cultivators alike. The only difference is that native cultivators don’t need to undergo the trials of ascension. Once they reach the Quasi-Emperor realm, they can merge with the Dao and become immortals."

"Wait—you keep mentioning ‘merging with the Dao.’ What exactly does that entail?" Gu Qingfeng pressed.

"Merging with the Dao is the key to immortality! Whether native or Ascended, once one reaches the Quasi-Emperor realm and forges their own Dao, they can fuse it with the Eternal True World.

"The power of an individual is ultimately limited. Relying solely on one’s own strength to withstand the River of Time is unrealistic. Thus, only by merging with the Dao—entrusting one’s path to the Eternal True World—can one gain its protection and achieve longevity, becoming as eternal as the True World itself.

"However, once merged, one can never leave the Eternal True World, lest they risk losing their cultivation.

"This is also why we demons rarely descend in our true forms. Staying too long in the lower realms causes us to fall out of the merged state."

Gu Qingfeng’s brow twitched. This ‘immortality’ wasn’t what he had imagined—it required merging with the Dao?

Put nicely, it was ‘merging with the Dao.’ In truth, it was more like living under someone else’s roof. If the River of Time’s erosion was a storm, the Eternal True World was a shelter, and merging was obtaining residency.

This also explained why demons—supposedly peers of immortals—weren’t as overwhelmingly powerful as expected. If Quasi-Emperors could merge and become immortals, how strong could they really be?

That said, it didn’t mean the Eternal True World lacked true powerhouses. Given infinite time, anything was possible. With eternal life, strength could grow indefinitely. Even if it took a million years to improve slightly, given endless time, even a pig could climb a tree.

Ultimately, the demons’ weakness likely stemmed from their own flaws—likely tied to this so-called ‘aberration.’

"So what exactly is this ‘aberration’?"

"Attaining the Dao is not a guaranteed success. While Quasi-Emperors can attempt it, most talented individuals usually wait until they reach the Heavenly Emperor realm—the pinnacle of cultivation—before choosing to merge with the Dao, as the chances of success are far greater.

However, whether one is a Quasi-Emperor or a Heavenly Emperor, there is always the risk of failure—only the degree varies.

Failure in merging with the Dao often leads to two outcomes: either the Dao dissipates and the cultivator perishes, or they undergo a grotesque transformation.

Those who transform into aberrations become Heavenly Demons!"

Gu Qingfeng glanced at the misshapen Heart Demon Lord and mused, "No wonder it looks so hideous—it must have undergone a failed transformation."