Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Ji Dihong could smell a conspiracy hanging thick in the air. He knew Gu Hai was definitely plotting something, but it was all happening too quickly.

Amid the chaos, he noticed the convergence of the powerhouses in the heat of battle.

To ordinary cultivators, the land they were on might seem vast and distant, but to those at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, this was nothing more than a heartbeat away. They could span it while in pursuit.

Coincidentally, the experts met in the expanse of outer space.

This encounter shocked those from Ji Dihong’s side: Fengbo, Limu, Mister Starless, Ao Ying, Xiong You, the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, and the Hidden Guards envoy commander. They sensed that something was off. However, everything was moving too quickly for them to piece it all together.

In the vastness of outer space, a giant entrance suddenly appeared, one so vast that it could swallow an entire galaxy.

As soon as it appeared, it really did devour an entire galaxy, including the seventeen extraordinarily powerful beings.

“What is this?” Cangjie exclaimed.

Thanks to the screen previously set up by Cangjie, Emperor Kong and the others could also see that region of outer space. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

“Is this the Gu’s Immortal Firmament?” Emperor Kong asked in shock.

Boom!

The giant entrance suddenly shut, like a mouth closing, and swallowed the seventeen experts in one gulp.

Outer space and even the whole Divine Continent fell eerily silent. The noise that had shaken the Divine Continent just moments ago had ceased completely. Had everyone vanished?

“This is impossible!” the sovereigns and sect masters below cried out in disbelief.

The emptiness was quiet, dreamlike. If not for the debris from the previous battles, everyone would have thought it was all a dream.

Had all the experts really vanished?

No, one battlefield remained active: that of the Unborn Man and Cangjie. Although the Mosquito Daoist had disappeared, the two continued to fight as if nothing had happened. Their combat style as lifespan cultivators might be why they did not stop.

But where were the others who had been present earlier?

Had they disappeared?

“The Gu’s Immortal Firmament? No, an imperfect immortal firmament couldn’t withstand the destructive forces of so many consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators. The Gu’s Immortal Firmament could not contain them, even if its resilience were multiplied a hundredfold,” Cangjie said, his voice heavy.

Ji Dihong’s face turned grim. His eyelid twitched involuntarily. “That wasn’t the Gu’s Immortal Firmament. It was the six paths of reincarnation!”

“The six paths of reincarnation?” His officials fell silent.

“Yes, it looked like the hell path of reincarnation. They’ve entered the eighteen layers of hell!” Ji Dihong confirmed grimly.

“Didn’t the Six Paths Immortal seal off the eighteen layers of hell? I thought no one could enter them anymore?” Emperor Kong asked, shocked.

“Gu Hai must have a special method. Moreover, he could open such a large gateway in one go. We have indeed underestimated Gu Hai!” Ji Dihong said, his face dark.

“But even if so, what can they do inside the eighteen layers of hell? They might not win!” Emperor Kong tried to reassure himself.

“That’s not right. They have one more person, the Mosquito Daoist, who is now at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm!” Ji Dihong’s face turned even darker.

With the addition of the Mosquito Daoist, the Han Imperial Dynasty had gained another formidable expert; he would be like the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

Cangjie thought back, then said, “Your Holy Eminence, it’s not only that; just before they were swallowed, the Mosquito Daoist’s eyes seemed to have turned red!”

Ji Dihong’s face darkened further, and he closed his eyes, quickly recalling the events.

Behind his closed eyes, the scenes played out in his mind. Eventually, he saw the Mosquito Daoist.

The Mosquito Daoist had shown a ferocious smile as his eyes turned blood red, just like Dahong’s when he used mind control.

At that moment, the gazes of Kong Xuan, Shangguan Hen, Ao Sheng, Lady Houtu, Mao Tianyun, Vairocana, and Gu Han were all on the Mosquito Daoist. Their eyes flickered with anticipation and excitement as if all hope lay in the Mosquito Daoist.

Everyone was looking at the Mosquito Daoist with anticipation. Did they know about what he could do with his eyes?

The Mosquito Daoist’s eyes…could it be?

“Oh no! No wonder the Mosquito Daoist wanted to devour Dahong’s replicas. After devouring Dahong’s replicas, he broke through because he needed the resentment in Dahong’s replicas. Could the Mosquito Daoist also use mind control after consuming Dahong’s heart core?” Cangjie’s face changed drastically.

Evidently, Cangjie had also recalled that fleeting moment.

The Mosquito Daoist has gained mind control abilities, and Gu Hai’s side has an advantage?

The officials felt a sudden chill at the thought of the unimaginable consequences.

“Your Holy Eminence?” Cangjie looked urgently at Ji Dihong.

“Your Holy Eminence, you said we could also enter the eighteen layers of hell!” Emperor Kong said anxiously.

“We’ve run out of time! We didn’t anticipate that Gu Hai could open the eighteen layers of hell,” Ji Dihong said, dread shading his face.

Gu Hai could open the eighteen layers of hell because of the Death and Life Register. Although the Death and Life Register could not manifest the paths of reincarnation in the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, it could function like the Reincarnation Pool to open the entrance to the four paths of reincarnation.

Just moments ago, Gu Hai had indeed opened such an entrance.

Everyone disappeared in the blink of an eye.

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Divine Flame Hall:

Ba narrowed her eyes at the distant Gu Hai. She frowned while remarking, “So, this is Gu Hai’s first stage? Truly intriguing!”

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Deity Seizing Hall:

Jiangchen stood with his hands behind his back, showing a hint of admiration for the far-off Gu Hai. He wore a faint smirk as he said, “Interesting. So, you’ve deceived the whole world?”

The previously ongoing battles had come to a complete halt. Sovereigns and sect masters swallowed hard as realization hit them. They were not the only ones stunned; countless people observing this massive war were equally shocked.

What just happened? Was it Gu Hai or Ji Dihong?

All the powerful experts disappeared with a single move. How could this be?

Everyone was taken aback.

------

A wave of anxiety gripped the officials in Xuanyuan City.

“Your Holy Eminence, what do we do now?” Emperor Kong queried, panic in his voice.

Ji Dihong narrowed his eyes. “Gu Hai prepared well, indeed. However, we have our own preparation.”

“But what if…,” Cangjie began, somewhat anxious.

“Don’t worry. We can’t afford to hesitate. We didn’t anticipate things would escalate this quickly. Since Gu Hai played his card, let’s put an end to it all!” Ji Dihong declared sternly.

Ji Dihong stepped forward, and a golden light erupted as he unleashed an imposing aura.

At that moment, almost all places in the Divine Continent seemed to sense something in Xuanyuan City, causing everyone to look in its direction unconsciously, even though they could see nothing.

In the blink of an eye, Ji Dihong appeared outside Borderless Heavenly Capital, like a meteor crashing to the ground.

At this time, Gu Hai’s face congealed in Borderless Heavenly Capital.

“Xianer, Wanqing, Ji Dihong will definitely have a backup plan. Remember what I told you earlier; be careful and follow my instructions,” Gu Hai said gravely.

“Yes!” the two women answered in unison.

“Han Imperial Dynasty citizens! Today, we face an invasion from the demonic Huang Nation. We earnestly request the assistance of the people of the Han Nation. Please raise your right hand and lend us your strength!” Gu Hai bellowed.

“Roar!”

A twenty-thousand-kilometer-long golden blessings dragon let out a roar that echoed throughout the two thousand three hundred cities within the Han Imperial Dynasty.

Perhaps the people in the recently conquered cities did not lend their energy, but the people in the other two thousand cities raised their right hands one after another.

Surging energy rushed towards the golden blessings dragon.

The twenty-thousand-kilometer-long golden blessings dragon carried this immense power and dived into Gu Hai.

Boom!

Gu Hai’s imperial robes flapped noisily as his strength skyrocketed, reaching the pinnacle.

With the support of the Han Nation, Gu Hai gained tremendous strength.

Without hesitation, Gu Hai emerged from the Soaring Palace Hall and appeared outside Borderless Heavenly Capital. He stood in the air, facing Ji Dihong while maintaining a certain distance.

Backed by the power of the Han Nation, Gu Hai was at his peak.

Ji Dihong, who had reached the consummation of spiritual souls, was at an even higher cultivation level than those at the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. He had even killed the equally powerful Chiyou. His strength was immense.

Gu Hai vs. Ji Dihong?

This showdown shocked the onlooking sovereigns, sect masters, and numerous powerful individuals.

The war between the Han Imperial Dynasty and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty had escalated to a face-off between their sovereigns so quickly?

Although surprised, the sovereigns and sect masters looked forward to the battle. Many even flew from their capitals and sects to the outskirts of Borderless Heavenly Capital to witness this upcoming unprecedented battle.

Ji Dihong did not call for other subordinates. Gu Hai did not let anyone support him.

They stood face to face, their momentum reaching the zenith. A battle that would shake the world was about to begin.

“Hah! Hahaha! Gu Hai, well calculated. We almost missed it. But it’s fine this way. Without them interfering, we can go all out. Your two empresses haven’t made a move. Are they going to support you?” Ji Dihong sneered at Gu Hai.

“There’s no need. In our Han Imperial Dynasty, we have trillions of citizens to help us. That’s more than enough to deal with you, Ji Dihong!” Gu Hai responded confidently.

In his confidence, Gu Hai drew a crimson saber, the Life Killer Saber.

Everyone knew Gu Hai had four divine sabers—Executioner, Killer, Trapper, and Ender—each possessing a mysterious ability. Depending on the opponent, Gu Hai would wield a different saber.

When the Life Killer Saber came out, its crimson light instantly pierced the world in all directions. The dazzling light carried an eerie illusion of slaughter; everyone saw a hell of carnage and shuddered involuntarily.

“The populace of two thousand cities is indeed a lot. But it also depends on whether you can bear all their energy. Those who have not reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cannot bear this power. Isn’t there a lot of the citizen’s energy in you that you can’t use? Only those who have reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm can drive the energy of the people from two thousand cities and match us. You haven’t reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm yet, right?” Ji Dihong sneered.

“Humph! How do you know we haven’t?” Gu Hai retorted coldly.

“Being stubborn won’t do you any good, Gu Hai,” Ji Dihong said in a chilling tone. “The Mosquito Daoist is a pawn you prepared with great effort in your grand game. Unfortunately for you, he won’t be able to cause much trouble once you’re gone. Let’s see what you’ve truly got up your sleeve!”

After Ji Dihong spoke, he waved.

Boom!

Suddenly, vast noble spirit appeared out of nowhere, emanating the piercing, white light of righteousness. It lit up the entire world, so bright that many onlookers had to close their eyes. A massive, golden manifested sword, enveloped by boundless noble spirit, lunged towards Gu Hai.

“A manifested Xuanyuan Sword? Humph! Tenth Cycle!” Gu Hai shouted.

Boom!

With his Life Killer Saber, Gu Hai executed the Tenth Cycle. The earlier crimson light flared over ten thousand times brighter, forcing even more eyes to screw shut from the intense glare.

The world then stood bathed in two colors—crimson and white—as the Xuanyuan Sword and the Life Killer Saber collided in midair with a thunderous report.

Boom!