A Living Immortal

The New Emperor Sword fell silent.

It suddenly felt that its loyalty to its master was worthless.

Just then.

The system’s voice rang out once more.

【Sign-In Point intel has been updated.】

【Current intel is as follows.】

【Intel One: Xuanming, the founding patriarch of the Dark Immortal Sect, has not perished.】

【Intel Two: Xuanming has already reached the True Immortal Realm. His true body lies beyond the Nine Provinces, sleeping within the shattered Immortal Domain.】

【Intel Three: The Dark Ancestral Court has changed hands. The patriarch’s statue has responded, and True Immortal Xuanming has awakened.】

【Intel Four: Within ten breaths, a True Immortal projection will descend upon the Nine Provinces and rescue the remaining inheritors of the Dark Immortal Sect.】

【Intel Five: The True Immortal projection will be rejected by the heavens and earth of the Nine Provinces and can remain for only three breaths.】

Wang Hao’s expression suddenly turned solemn.

A True Immortal!

Not a half-immortal.

Not a remnant soul.

Nor was it the indistinct shadow behind the door.

This was a genuine existence that had crossed the path to immortality!

The Demon Lord had been watching Wang Hao closely.

When he saw the change in Wang Hao’s expression, he suddenly realized what was happening.

His body began to tremble.

Not from fear.

But from excitement.

“Patriarch…”

“The patriarch has awakened!”

The Demon Lord knelt before the stone statue and burst into wild laughter.

“Wang Hao!”

“You’re finished!”

“With a True Immortal descending into the world, the entire Nine Provinces will have to kneel!”

Wang Hao ignored him.

First breath.

Wang Hao raised his hand and unfurled the Great Xia Mountains and Rivers Register.

“All registered assets, transfer immediately to the national treasury node within Great Xia!”

The golden pages flipped frantically.

The treasure vaults, spirit mines, and medicinal gardens in the Dark Ancestral Court that had yet to be relocated all transformed into illusory mountains and rivers.

They crossed through space.

And merged into Great Xia’s territory.

Second breath.

Wang Hao shouted:

“All Great Xia martial artists and participating Martial Gods, retreat behind me!”

“Put down all spoils of war!”

The White Bone Old Monster was clutching a piece of ten-thousand-year-old bone jade.

When he heard this, he immediately grew anxious.

“Why put it down?”

Wang Hao replied:

“So you can run faster.”

The White Bone Old Monster immediately shoved the bone jade into his storage pouch.

“I don’t think this little bit of weight will slow me down.”

Third breath.

Wang Hao recalled the Thunder Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, the New Emperor Sword, and the Ten Thousand Contracts Origin Seal.

Then, he enveloped everyone in his power of transcendence.

A golden avenue, independent of the space of the Nine Provinces, unfolded beneath his feet.

Fourth breath.

The stone statue within the Patriarch Hall opened its eyes.

Boom!

In that instant.

The sky over the Nine Provinces turned completely black.

It was not because dark clouds had obscured the sun.

Rather, all the stars, the sun, and the moon lost their light at the same time.

A pair of eyes too immense to describe appeared beyond the heavens of the Nine Provinces.

The mere reflection cast by those eyes stretched across millions of miles of mountains and rivers.

In the deepest reaches of the Eastern Sea.

A giant turtle that had slumbered for countless tens of thousands of years suddenly awoke.

It raised its head toward the sky, its enormous body trembling violently.

“Immortal…”

“There is still an immortal in this world!”

In the forbidden lands of the Western Wastes.

More than a dozen ancient cities buried beneath the yellow sands began to quake at the same time.

One aged figure after another emerged from beneath the earth, staring toward Black Heaven City in shock.

In the demon mountains of the Southern Region.

Ten thousand demons prostrated themselves.

A demon god who had lived for eight thousand years knelt atop the mountain peak, not daring to raise its head.

In the various imperial dynasties of the Central Province.

Countless dragons of national destiny let out uneasy roars simultaneously.

In the Imperial City of Great Xia.

Billions of citizens saw the eyes in the sky.

Some fell to their knees.

Some cried out in terror.

Some believed the end of the world had arrived.

But even more looked toward the imperial palace.

They did not know what was happening.

They only knew that the Emperor of Great Xia was still in Black Heaven City.

Strands of the people’s collective will crossed mountains and rivers, surging madly toward Wang Hao.

The Dark Ancestral Court.

All the Martial Gods stood frozen in place.

Even figures at the peak of the Martial God realm, such as the Taiyin Old Matriarch and the Yellow Springs Ancestor, were unable to withstand the gaze of those eyes.

The martial laws within their bodies trembled.

Their knees bent uncontrollably.

It was not a sign of weak will.

It was the instinct of life itself.

Mortals gazing upon an immortal.

Like dust looking up at the universe.

Wang Hao stood at the very front.

The Transcendent Great Dao thundered beneath his feet,

protecting everyone behind him.

He did not kneel.

Nor did he retreat.

For the first time, a ripple appeared in those eyes beyond the heavens.

A voice, impossible to distinguish as male or female, crossed the endless void and rang directly within the souls of every living being in the Nine Provinces.

“The Tenth Realm.”

“In this era, someone has actually completed the path of martial transcendence.”

It was only a single sentence.

Yet countless mountains across the Nine Provinces split apart.

The seas surged into waves towering ten thousand zhang high.

Cracks visible to the naked eye appeared in the laws of heaven and earth.

The Demon Lord prostrated himself on the ground,

his voice trembling with excitement.

“Your disciple pays respects to Patriarch Xuanming!”

“The Dark Immortal Sect was destroyed by Great Xia!”

“Our ten-thousand-year foundation has been completely seized by Wang Hao!”

“I beg the Patriarch to kill this man and reestablish the Immortal Sect!”

Those eyes slowly shifted.

Their gaze fell upon Wang Hao.

The Transcendent Great Dao surrounding Wang Hao suddenly shook violently.

The collective will of the people condensed on its own.

A massive golden shield enveloped everyone.

This was the faith of countless citizens of Great Xia.

It was enough to withstand a full-force strike from a peak Martial God.

Yet beneath the gaze of a True Immortal,

the shield of collective will lasted only an instant before its surface filled with dense cracks.

Wang Hao’s expression grew solemn.

The gap between an immortal and a Martial God was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

Even after entering the Transcendence Realm,

he still sensed the threat of death when facing a genuine immortal.

However,

what had descended from beyond the heavens was merely a projection.

Moreover, it could remain for only three breaths.

Wang Hao looked toward the immortal eyes beyond the heavens.

“The Dark Immortal Sect blood-sacrificed millions of living beings.”

“They colluded with the Shadow Beyond the Gate and damaged the Nine Provinces.”

“Now that they have been defeated and gone bankrupt, the Ancestral Court’s assets have already been legally registered under Great Xia’s name.”

“If you want to save your people, I will not stop you.”

“But if you want the money, that is not happening.”

The heavens and earth fell utterly silent.

The Taiyin Old Matriarch struggled to raise her head.

She wondered if she had misheard.

Faced with a True Immortal,

Wang Hao was still arguing over ownership of the assets?

The corners of the Yellow Springs Ancestor’s mouth twitched.

“This bastard…”

“He really doesn’t care whether he lives or dies.”

Those eyes beyond the heavens fixed upon Wang Hao.

First breath.

The earth of the Dark Ancestral Court split open soundlessly.

A palm wreathed in immortal light reached down from beyond the heavens.

The palm was not enormous.

It was no larger than that of an ordinary person.

Yet the instant it appeared,

space, time, and the laws of heaven and earth all lost their meaning.

The palm reached for Great Xia’s Mountain-and-Rivers Register.

Wang Hao took a single step forward.

The Transcendent Great Dao transformed into a golden river, stretching across the path of the immortal hand.

Heaven-Imprisoning Earth-Covering Palm!

Nine Palms in One!

The moment Wang Hao attacked, he unleashed his most powerful offensive technique.

With the support of transcendent power, the might of the Nine Imperial Palms was no longer comparable to what it had been before.

Palm prints covered the heavens and earth for a hundred thousand li.

Like an emperor of the mortal world, he challenged the True Immortal beyond the heavens.

Boom!

The immortal hand collided with the Imperial Palm.

The mountains and rivers stretching a million li across the Dark Ancestral Court sank simultaneously by a hundred zhang.

Behind Wang Hao,

the shield of collective will shattered with a thunderous crash.

A thread of golden blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

But the immortal hand also halted in midair for an instant.

A trace of astonishment appeared in the immortal eyes beyond the heavens.

“Only newly entered the Transcendent Realm, yet you were able to withstand a single finger from this immortal.”

“The Human Emperor.”

“You are quite impressive.”

Wang Hao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you.”

“But praise from Your Excellency does not exempt you from paying taxes.”

The Martial Gods no longer knew what to say.

He was facing a True Immortal, yet he still dared to collect taxes.

Across the entire Nine Provinces, Wang Hao was likely the only one who would do such a thing.

On the second breath—

the immortal hand no longer reached for the Great Xia Mountains and Rivers Register.

Because True Immortal Xuanming had already seen through the situation.

All the wealth of the Dark Ancestral Court was connected to the Mountains and Rivers Register and the national destiny of Great Xia.

To forcibly seize it

would be equivalent to crossing countless billions of miles and contending with the national destiny of all Great Xia.

A mere projection did not have that much time.

Thus—

the immortal hand turned toward the Demon Lord and the remaining disciples of the Dark Immortal Sect.

The Demon Lord was overjoyed.

“Ancestor, save me!”

The contract chains shattered one after another.

The Bone Nails turned to ash.

The Lunar Stone and the Chains of the Yellow Springs simultaneously lost their radiance.

The Demon Lord’s body flew uncontrollably toward the heavens beyond.

Throughout the Ancestral Court,

those disciples of the Dark Immortal Sect who had yet to be judged and had never participated in the Hao-Slaying List were also enveloped in immortal light.

Tens of thousands of figures were lifted from the ground.

Wang Hao did not stop them.

The system’s intelligence had already made the situation clear.

True Immortal Xuanming had come only to save them.

His true body had not descended.

Wang Hao could withstand a single finger from him, but it was impossible for him to protect everyone while simultaneously blocking the projection of a True Immortal.

Besides—

all of the Dark Immortal Sect’s assets had already entered the Great Xia treasury.

The people could be rescued.

But the debt remained.

Wang Hao raised his head and said:

“You may take the people.”

“But the money the Demon Lord owes Great Xia—are you going to repay it for him?”

The immortal eyes beyond the heavens fell silent for a moment.

Clearly,

True Immortal Xuanming had existed for endless ages.

He had witnessed the war between immortals and demons.

He had seen countless worlds destroyed.

He had watched one era after another rise and fall.

Yet he had never seen anyone pursue a debt repayment while a True Immortal was saving someone.

The Demon Lord roared hoarsely:

“Ancestor!”

“Do not pay any attention to this madman!”

Wang Hao raised his hand and sent a golden contract into the immortal light.

“Debts must be repaid.”

“It is only right and proper.”

“You are his ancestor. Stand as his guarantor.”

The contract—powerful enough to bind a Martial God—turned to ash the instant it drew near the immortal hand.

Yet before it completely dissipated,

a wisp of Great Xia’s national destiny descended onto the Demon Lord’s soul.

The mark was exceedingly faint.

It could not harm a True Immortal.

It could not even continue sealing the Demon Lord.

But the debt itself remained.

So long as the Demon Lord lived,

the account would never vanish.

The immortal eyes gazed deeply at Wang Hao.

“Human Emperor.”

“You have quite the courage.”

Wang Hao shook his head.

“Your Majesty does not possess courage alone.”

“I also have a ledger.”

On the third breath—

True Immortal Xuanming’s projection began to fade.

The immortal hand supported the Demon Lord and the tens of thousands of disciples of the Dark Immortal Sect.

The stone statue within the Ancestral Hall also slowly rose into the air.

When the statue left the great hall,

a streak of immortal light, more dazzling than the sun and moon, pierced through the sky above the Nine Provinces.

At the end of that radiance,

the living beings of the world vaguely saw a shattered, ancient realm.

There were galaxies hanging upside down.

Immortal palaces floating in the void.

A broken Gate of Heaven.

And a black-robed figure seated among countless stars.

The figure opened its eyes.

The mere strand of a single hair was enough to crush vast expanses of space.

That was the true Xuanming Immortal.

Not a half-immortal.

Not a remnant soul.

But a living immortal.

All the martial artists who witnessed this sight found their minds turning blank.

The ancient bells of the various sacred lands rang of their own accord, though no one touched them.

The hidden Martial Gods scattered throughout the Nine Provinces emerged from their secluded retreats one after another.

Some fell to their knees.

Some were overcome with terror.

Some saw their Dao-hearts collapse.

Some people, too, stared fixedly at that shattered Immortal Realm, their eyes blazing with unprecedented fervor.

Immortals truly existed in this world.

The path to immortality had not been severed.

Above the Dark Ancestral Court.

The projection of True Immortal Xuanming completely dissipated.

The Demon Lord and the remaining disciples of the Dark Immortal Gate were carried away from the Nine Provinces by an immortal hand.

All that remained was an empty Patriarch Hall.

And the Dark Ancestral Court, which Wang Hao had looted so thoroughly that even three layers of floor tiles were missing.

The heavens gradually returned to brightness.

But the world as a whole could never return to its former peace.

Billions of living beings still gazed upward.

They watched the crack of immortal light that refused to fade.

For the first time, they truly understood—

Immortals…

were still alive.

Above the Dark Ancestral Court.

The crack of immortal light that pierced the heavens of the Nine Provinces still showed no sign of closing.

Beyond the crack.

The shattered Immortal Realm appeared and vanished in turns.

A reversed river of stars flowed soundlessly, while ruined immortal palaces drifted through the dead void.

Beneath a broken Gate of Heaven, corpses carpeted the earth.

Some of those skeletons resembled humans. Others had twelve wings growing from their backs. Some were reduced to nothing but a single skull, yet were still larger than the grandest mountains of the Nine Provinces.

Even though they had fallen countless ages ago,

the faint traces of aura they left behind still caused the laws of the Nine Provinces to tremble.

The entire world fell silent.

The Taiyin Old Matriarch looked up at the heavens beyond.

There was not a trace of color in her aged face.

“The Immortal Realm…”

“Is that truly the Immortal Realm?”

The Yellow Springs Ancestor did not answer.

In an ancient tomb dating back to a bygone era, he had once seen murals depicting the Immortal Realm.

In those murals, immortal birds soared through the skies, divine trees supported the heavens, and the substance of immortality fell like rain.

Once a martial artist crossed the Gate of Heaven,

they could shed their mortal body

and enjoy a lifespan equal to that of the heavens.

Yet the shattered world before them was entirely different from the Immortal Realm of legend.

There was no immortality there.

No auspicious omens.

Only ruins.

And corpses.

It was as though a calamity had once taken place there—one so devastating that even immortals had been unable to escape it.

The White Bone Old Monster shrank his neck.

“I suddenly feel that living too long is rather pointless.”

“Eight hundred years is actually just right.”

The Yellow Springs Ancestor shot him a sideways glance.

“When you saw the immortal gate just now, you had already stepped one leg through it.”

The White Bone Old Monster did not even blush.

“I merely wanted to see what the immortal gate was made of.”

“I had absolutely no intention of becoming an immortal.”

The New Emperor Sword transformed into a silver-haired youth and stood beside Wang Hao.

It stared at the crack of immortal light, its eyes growing brighter and brighter.

“Master.”

“Do you think there are lots of strange artifacts over there?”

Wang Hao nodded.

“There should be.”

“When can we go over and collect them?”

“When you can withstand a single slap from an immortal.”

The silver-haired youth fell silent for a moment.

“Master.”

“I suddenly feel that the Nine Provinces are pretty good too.”

“The people here are pleasant to talk to, and their strength is weak.”

“I like it here very much.”