Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Outside Borderless Heavenly Capital:

In a split second, a colossal scorpion tail disappeared into the broad sleeve of a man cloaked in black robes with golden trim.

“The Ninth Cycle? Gu Hai?” he said abruptly, his voice heavy.

Black-robed individuals thronged him, their gaze fixed on him with profound respect.

“Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, are you saying Gu Hai has returned?” one of the robed figures asked, surprise coloring his words.

“Indeed, it’s Gu Hai. I can’t believe he returned at this time,” replied the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, his tone grave.

“Isn’t that perfect, then? It’s the perfect chance for the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon to flex his skills and execute Gu Hai,” the same black-robed figure chuckled.

However, the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon shot a frigid glance at the speaker. “Fengbo, are you hoping I will continue my assault?”

“Of course! Your Poisoned Whiplash technique has already spoken volumes. The poison fog ritual array outside Borderless Heavenly Capital cannot restrain you. Defeating Gu Hai should be as easy as flipping your hand for someone of your prowess,” Fengbo replied with a smile.

“Hah! You overestimate me,” the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon retorted, his voice laced with indifference.

“How can that be?! Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, His Holy Eminence has already given instructions. After you aided His Holy Eminence in eliminating Chiyou, His Holy Eminence permitted your entry into the land of the living. This Han Imperial Dynasty will be your territory. I’ll be assisting you to control everything,” Fengbo declared with laughter.

The Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon fixed a stern gaze on Fengbo before offering a wintry smile. “I recall the Purple Jade Heavenly Demon received the same promises from you.”

“Huh?”

“Killing with the hands of others? Using me to deal with Gu Hai? Hah! Hahahahaha!” the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon scoffed with a look of disdain.

“Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, didn’t you mention that the Heavenly Demon Holy Land’s Number Six, Number Eight, and Number Nine all fell at Gu Hai’s hands? Don’t you wish to avenge this huge grudge?” Fengbo queried.

“It’s precisely because Number Six and the others have fallen that I need to be more cautious. Before Gu Hai’s return, Borderless Heavenly Capital already has a poison expert. Someone even blocked my Poisoned Whiplash. Do you think I’m foolish enough to persist bull-headedly at this time?” the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon sneered.

Fengbo’s brows knitted in mild frustration.

“The grudge between the Han Imperial Dynasty and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty is irreconcilable. Do you wish for me to go down with the Han Imperial Dynasty? I would rather wait for you to do that with the Han Imperial Dynasty.” The Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon laughed coldly.

“Aren’t you going to avenge Number Six, Number Eight, and Number Nine?” Fengbo asked, his voice sinking.

“They can’t blame anyone if their skills aren’t up to par. Besides, your Huang Heavenly Dynasty would take revenge for them, right?” the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon sneered.

Fengbo argued, “Both you and we played a part in killing Chiyou. You won’t be able to escape responsibility.”

“Is that so?” chuckled the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon. “Well, let’s wait and see. I have no further interest in this place.”

“Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, are you truly afraid? Are you scared of Gu Hai?” Fengbo asked gravely.

“Provocation? It’s useless. Unlike those fools, Number Six and the others, I am not easily goaded. Humph! Excuse me,” rebuffed the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon coldly.

After speaking, the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon flung out his sleeves and flew into the distance with some black-robed men.

Fengbo’s face twisted into a grimace as he watched the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon leave.

“Milord, this Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon is too cowardly,” commented one of Fengbo’s subordinates.

“He is not a coward but a cunning scorpion. He lurks in the shadows, ready to sting without warning. Humph! He wishes to sit back and watch us battle the Han Imperial Dynasty, hoping to profit from our conflict. But it’s too early for that. Let’s go,” Fengbo said sullenly.

Fengbo also flung out his sleeves and quickly brought everyone away.

In the blink of an eye, all those surrounding Borderless Heavenly Capital had departed. Borderless Heavenly Capital’s vicinity, which had been crawling with countless scorpions, was now devoid of any trace of them.

Soaring Palace Hall’s plaza:

Chen Xianer frowned. “Husband, they seem to have left.”

“They’ve left?” Gu Hai queried, surprised.

With a wave of Chen Xianer’s sleeve, the poisonous fog encircling Borderless Heavenly Capital dissipated instantly. Looking outwards, everyone could see that the attackers were gone.

“Humph! The Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon? He fled rather quickly. We were just thinking about how to deal with him,” Gu Hai commented.

Nearby, Vairocana sighed, “Mister Gu, you’re not thinking of summoning the Lord of the Pleiades, are you?”

Back on Earth, Sun Wukong had once enlisted the Lord of the Pleiades, a powerful rooster spirit specifically equipped to counter scorpion spirits, to eradicate the scorpion spirit troubling it. Did Gu Hai have the same plan?

“What’s the matter?” Gu Hai turned to Vairocana.

“This scorpion spirit is too powerful! Even the Lord of the Pleiades might not be able to subdue it! It has already reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm and is no longer afraid of the rooster’s crow,” Vairocana lamented.

Gu Hai nodded gravely at Vairocana’s words.

“Everyone here must still be wary of this sly scorpion spirit. It throws up smokescreens, and its venomous stinger is invincible. Furthermore, it is malicious and remains extremely hidden. It patiently waits for its adversary to drop their guard before striking a lethal blow,” Vairocana warned.

“Thank you, Vairocana!” The crowd nodded in agreement, their eyes darting around more vigilantly than before.

From within the city, cries of praise echoed. “His Reverence is mighty! Long live His Reverence! May His Reverence live for ten thousand years!”

These days had been fraught with enemy attacks, a period of unparalleled tension. However, the adversaries had been scared off, fleeing haphazardly, at Gu Hai’s sudden appearance. Naturally, the people rejoiced, their reverence for Gu Hai deepening further.

Voices echoing through the mountains declared their gratitude and excitement. Gu Hai did not bother to explain anything.

Instead, he fortified the ritual array of Borderless Heavenly Capital again with his Life Trapper Saber. A swirl of mist surrounded it instantly, making it an enigma.

“Where are Shangguan Hen and the others?” Gu Hai asked Chen Xianer.

“They are in my Hall of Great Strength; their injuries have stabilized. Mister Gu, you can come and see them,” Vairocana informed him.

Gu Hai nodded. Then he and Vairocana ambled towards the Hall of Great Strength.

“Wait outside!” Gu Hai ordered the others.

“Yes!” everyone responded, remaining outside as commanded.

Chen Xianer pulled Long Wanqing and Long Wanyu to the side to chat with them.

Only Gu Hai and Vairocana entered the Hall of Great Strength.

A large pill furnace stood in the Hall of Great Strength.

“What’s this?” Gu Hai asked, looking at the pill furnace in surprise.

“This is the pill furnace you gave me, Mister Gu. Don’t you remember?” Vairocana laughed.

“The Earthen Flame Burning the World Furnace? The Purple Jade Heavenly Demon’s pill furnace? Back then, the Southern Sea Dragon King used it to refine the Ao brothers and Shangguan Hen. Ao Shun died because of it, and Shangguan Hen turned into a golden egg?” Gu Hai questioned.

“It is indeed the Earthen Flame Burning the World Furnace, a type of Eight Trigram Furnace. It can refine pills and save people. Fortunately, we managed to save them when they came back!” Vairocana explained seriously.

Creak!

The pill furnace opened, and Gu Hai saw three figures: Gu Han, Shangguan Hen, and Ao Sheng.

Their bodies were heavily injured, nearly shattered. Cracks covered their skin, but the endless energy from the pill furnace was repairing the cracks, albeit very slowly.

Gu Hai extended his hand and waved.

Whoosh!

A surge of Mending Heaven Energy rushed into the pill furnace and immediately flowed into the bodies of the three men.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The cracks on the three’s bodies shrank and recovered at a visible rate.

“Mister Gu, your healing method is truly amazing. They are recovering much faster. It shouldn’t be long before they recover completely,” Vairocana said in surprise.

The wonder of Mending Heaven Energy left Vairocana astounded.

Gu Hai nodded, but his gaze remained concerned as he looked at the three men.

“Don’t worry, Mister Gu. At this rate, they should wake up soon,” Vairocana assured.

“Waking up is good. Their injuries are so serious; were they caused by Ji Dihong?” Gu Hai asked, frowning.

Vairocana shook his head, causing Gu Hai to show a hint of confusion.

“I’m not sure, either. One day, Chiyou City’s situation suddenly changed, and they went there immediately. At that time, there was a thick fog outside Chiyou City, and no one knew what was happening inside. Hou Yi and Xingtian also went to help. We initially thought Chiyou had enough defenses and didn’t expect…that battle. I couldn’t see what happened. A great force apparently threw Shangguan Hen and the others towards Borderless Heavenly Capital. Hou Yi and Xingtian were the same. They were all seriously injured. When Shangguan Hen and the others returned, they were all unconscious, barely alive, and on their last breaths. I only managed to prolong their lives all this while, but nobody knows what happened in the battle that day,” Vairocana explained solemnly.

Gu Hai was silent, his eyes flickering with mixed emotions.

The death of Chiyou was full of mystery. What had happened that day would only be known when Shangguan Hen and the others woke up.

“Mister Gu, you asked everyone to wait outside the Hall of Great Strength and came in alone with me. Do you have something to say?” Vairocana asked curiously.

Gu Hai nodded, waving his hand again.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai and Vairocana entered the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.

Seeing Gu Hai’s cautious demeanor, Vairocana became grave.

“Try not to mention the matter of Earth in the Divine Continent, just in case,” Gu Hai began.

“Oh? Do you want to ask about Earth?” Vairocana asked curiously.

“Yes. Does Sa control the entire immortal firmament with an iron fist back on Earth?” Gu Hai inquired, looking at Vairocana.

Vairocana nodded. “This isn’t a secret. Mister Gu, you should have known this long ago.”

“However, I recently learned something. Sa was once a being of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament. No, he used to rule the Six Paths Immortal Firmament. Then, tired of the frail creatures of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament, he entered the void, seeking other immortal firmaments. So, did Sa invade Earth?” Gu Hai looked at Vairocana.

“What?” Vairocana exclaimed in surprise.

“Is it true?” Gu Hai asked.

“No wonder, no wonder Sa is so ruthless to all life, so cruel, killing all those who gained any accomplishment in the Dao, without any emotion, as if they were pigs and dogs! He…he’s not from our immortal firmament?” Vairocana said in surprise.

“You didn’t know that he invaded the Sa’s Immortal Firmament?” Gu Hai frowned.

“We didn’t know. All the powerhouses who came before him died by his hand. We should have thought of this. We should have thought of this. To think we were still thinking about how to convince him. Hahaha! How ridiculous!” Vairocana said bitterly.

“So, Sa killed the previous Heaven to obtain his position in the Sa’s Immortal Firmament?” Gu Hai asked with curiosity.

“Yes…,” Vairocana sighed.

“Who was the previous Heaven of the Sa’s Immortal Firmament? Didn’t he reincarnate? Surely, every generation of Heaven has countless secret methods. Could he have been extirpated? Did he not leave any contingency plans?” Gu Hai asked with curiosity.

“I am unsure about contingency plans. However, you must have heard of the previous Heaven of the Sa’s Immortal Firmament,” Vairocana sighed.

“Oh?”

“His name was Pangu,” Vairocana said with reverence.

“Pangu?” Gu Hai’s expression turned solemn.

Back on Earth, everyone knew the legend of Pangu separating the sky and the earth, the first being in the universe. The story went that he later held up the sky and the earth, preventing them from closing, and transformed his body into all things in the world.

“Yes, Pangu. But the true story isn’t that simple. Once the immortal firmament was established, it naturally wouldn’t close. It was Sa…. Hah…,” Vairocana sighed lightly.