Within the white-robed Six Paths Veritable Lord, Shangguan Hen dreamed a long dream. However, at the most blissful stage, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Wake up!”
Then, Shangguan Hen felt pain all over its body.
“Argh!”
Shangguan Hen roared in pain. Then, it woke up, trembling.
Upon awakening, Shangguan Hen felt like its body had sustained thousands upon thousands of cuts, suffering incredible pain. If not for cultivating the Eight Nines Profound Technique, its body would have been shredded to pieces long ago.
“To think that the one who woke up when I used my last mental impact is you? Haha!” Bitterness could be heard in Senior Wu’s voice.
Shangguan Hen endured the pain and looked around.
It was in an immense palace hall filled with a black liquid. A two-hundred-thirteen-meter-tall translucent Six Paths Veritable Lord sat cross-legged nearby. That Six Paths Veritable Lord had a water ball inlaid on his forehead, and Old Mister Guan Qi sat in it.
That Old Mister Guan Qi’s eyes were slightly narrowed. His consciousness seemed to be outside.
There were many water balls in the black liquid below; each sealed a person. Their eyes were closed in deep sleep. Many roots came out of their body into the black liquid below.
Mao Tianyun and Longevity were among them. However, the two were in a deep sleep. Twelve water balls were emitting golden light. Golden blessings dragon surrounded those water balls. Ao Shun and Ao Sheng were asleep, shining with azure light.
Everyone is having a blissful dream. Am I the only one awake? No, Senior Wu is awake too.
The others have roots stabbing into their bodies. However, my body has a sticky fluid covering it, trying to corrode it.
“What is this? I can’t move?” the perturbed Shangguan Hen exclaimed.
“Our energy is being plundered, and we cannot struggle free. Hahahaha! To think that I have been so cautious all my life, but I ended up falling due to a careless mistake. I understand now. The heavenly mysteries becoming chaotic? That was Old Mister Guan Qi. He used the time laws to stir up the surroundings, causing my Nine Palace Diagram to fail.” Senior Wu showed a hateful and sorrowful expression.
“This is…this is inside the white-robed Six Paths Veritable Lord? The middle heavenly palace?” Shangguan Hen said, disconcerted as he endured the pain.
Senior Wu nodded.
“Senior Wu, what-what happened to them?” Shangguan Hen stammered in shock.
Shangguan Hen saw the other profound tortoise heads and snake heads sleeping. Their flesh tore with time; the corrosive liquid ate at everyone. Even the skin on Senior Wu’s head had corrupted.
“Old Mister Guan Qi does not care to kill the others. He just needs to plunder their energy. However, it is different for us. He wants to refine us,” Senior Wu said with an unsightly expression.
“Why? Isn’t he already taking our energy?” Shangguan Hen glared.
“He wants the Nine Palace Diagram, the Nine Palace Diagram on our back. Ultimately, the Nine Palace Diagram was born on our back; we control it. If he wants to use it, he has to go through us. He finds that problematic, so he wants to refine us and turn the Nine Palace Diagram into an ownerless item. This would give him full control of the Nine Palace Diagram,” Senior Wu said bitterly.
Shangguan Hen felt slightly startled.
“No one can stop this corrosive liquid. Why are you fine? It is eating the other heads, including me, but your body still looks golden and glistening?” Senior Wu stared at Shangguan Hen.
“This is the Eight Nines Profound Technique. It cultivates an indestructible body. The greater the damage and pain, the more it tempers my physical body. This is a cultivation technique that His Reverence passed to me. I cultivated it for more than one hundred million years in the eighteenth layer of hell,” Shangguan Hen said seriously.
“Oh? The cultivation technique that you mentioned before? Tell me about it,” Senior Wu said in shock.
Shangguan Hen remained silent for a while before eventually nodding. Then, he explained the Eight Nines Profound Technique.
Senior Wu frowned slightly. “What kind of cultivation technique is this? It merges the divine Dao, the animal spirit Dao, the ghost Dao, the demon Dao, and the Buddhist Dao? No, there’s also the shaman Dao. To think that the person who created this cultivation technique could gather the leaders of these groups?
“His Reverence said that one person did not create it but a large group. This is a cultivation technique created by deities, demons, animal spirits, Daoists, Buddhists, shamans, and ghosts,” Shangguan Hen explained.
“How can this be?” Senior Wu felt somewhat skeptical.
However, the cultivation technique did exist. The facts were as such. Senior Wu had no choice but to believe.
“Senior Wu, this corrosive liquid is useless against me. Perhaps you can also cultivate the Eight Nines Profound Technique? I’ll just let His Reverence know after,” Shangguan Hen advised.
Senior Wu smiled bitterly and shook its head. “It would work if it were before. It is too late now. Unless I reach the seventh set of nines, I will not be able to resist this corrosive liquid. It is too late. It is too late.”
“The seventh set of nines? The sixty-third layer? That took me nearly one hundred million years to reach!” Shangguan Hen said with a bitter smile.
“However, your arrival might be the blessing of my black tortoise race. I’m being corroded? However, you live. You can live. You must keep living and carry the hope of my black tortoise race. You must keep living!” Senior Wu insisted as it stared at Shangguan Hen.
“Senior Wu!” Shangguan Hen felt slightly worried.
“Which layer are you at now?” Senior Wu looked at Shangguan Hen.
“The sixty-fourth layer. The further I go, the harder it is to cultivate. I have already done my best. It might be impossible to reach the seventy-second layer!” Shangguan Hen said with a bitter smile.
“I’ll help you. They will all help you. Rather than benefit Old Mister Guan Qi, we might as well benefit you,” Senior Wu said, its face dark with hatred.
“However, Old Mister Guan Qi is plundering our energy!” Shangguan Hen said worriedly.
“Yes, but the essence of our physical body remains. The black tortoise deity is still here. Our boundless experience is here, and there is the Nine Palace Diagram!” Senior Wu said seriously.
“But—”
“Shangguan Hen, you are the hope of my black tortoise race. The first head of the black tortoise prime was called Tian Hen. Back then, I was merely the weakest head among eighteen. When Tian Hen was alive, the black tortoise ruled the world. Even Heaven had to give us some face. Back then, my black tortoise race was one of the four overlords of the world. Heaven had to give in when the four divine beasts worked together. That was the golden age of my black tortoise race. I often dreamed of restoring the strength of Prime Tian Hen for the black tortoise race. However, I could not do it. I cannot even see it. Hah! Old Mister Guan Qi will kill all our heads, leaving only you. Tian Hen? Shangguan Hen? You are both named Hen? Hah! Perhaps there is a connection. You are our hope. You must bring the black tortoise race to flourish. This is my greatest hope and also my black tortoise race’s greatest shadow!” Senior Wu said gravely.
“Me? I? …Yes!” Shangguan Hen said through clenched teeth.
“Snakes, come here!” Senior Wu shouted.
Buzz!
The bodies of the nine snakes swam towards the tortoise body with much difficulty in the viscous liquid. As they moved, their bodies corroded faster.
“Shangguan Hen, close your eyes and cultivate the Eight Nines Profound Technique!” Senior Wu instructed.
“Yes!” Shangguan Hen closed its eyes.
The profound tortoise and profound snake bodies released a dark-green energy, sending it into Shangguan Hen’s body.
Buzz!
Shangguan Hen’s body started trembling at a high frequency, the golden light around it shining even brighter.
At this moment, the corrosion of Senior Wu, the other heads, and the profound tortoise body accelerated at a visible pace.
Outside:
Old Mister Guan Qi controlled the white-robed Six Paths Veritable Lord and slowly forced the heavenly deity body into the chaotic spacetime. He could do it; he just needed time. With enough time, he would succeed.
“Hah!” the heavenly deity body roared in a rage.
However, the heavenly deity body had already stimulated his potential earlier, to resist by burning his lifespan. Even so, it was insufficient. Furthermore, he had sustained severe damage from being in the void and fighting Heaven. For now, he had nothing else.
“If anyone helps me to deal with Old Mister Guan Qi, I will install him as the divine world envoy. I will protect you forever!” the heavenly deity body roared in a rage.
However, no one listened to the heavenly deity body. They were still in shock over what Gu Hai had said.
Old Mister Guan Qi wants to replicate history?
Replicate it with Old Mister Guan Qi as the immortal?
Although everyone felt shocked at Old Mister Guan Qi’s ideas and methodology, not everyone agreed with him. After all, be it Guan Qi or Six Paths, neither was better than themselves being the immortal. Everyone still coveted the Immortal Origin.
Only Gu Hai blocked the way. Everyone hesitated.
Jiang Lianshan frowned heavily, remaining silent. He felt shaken as he looked at Old Mister Guan Qi. Jealousy flashed in his eyes.
Whoosh!
Just as Jiang Lianshan was about to speak, another beam of light arrived. It was the Flame Monarch bringing Murong Yan over.
“Husband!” Murong Yan cried out passionately when she approached.
When Old Mister Guan Qi heard this shout from a distance, he trembled, and the Go Dao aura weakened.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Many stars exploded, and the heavenly deity body nearly escaped. However, Old Mister Guan Qi managed to stabilize the Go Dao aura and suppressed the heavenly deity body once more.
“Murong Yan? Humph!” The heavenly deity body showed a ferocious expression.
It is her! It is all because of her! She is why Old Mister Guan Qi is taking revenge so maniacally! If not for her, there would not be this trouble, right?
“Yan`er!” Jiang Lianshan felt started. As he looked at Murong Yan, some joy appeared in his eyes.
However, Murong Yan only had eyes for Old Mister Guan Qi. An aggrieved look flashed in her eyes, like she wanted Old Mister Guan Qi’s reply.
However, Old Mister Guan Qi did not even turn his head to glance at her.
“Yan`er? I’ve already given you your freedom. I told you to return. Why are you here?” Old Mister Guan Qi finally said.
“I don’t want to return! Husband, I don’t want to return!” Murong Yan cried.
“Murong Yan!” Gu Hai suddenly called out.
The teary Murong Yan looked at Gu Hai.
“The Heavenly Go Pavilion Master is at a critical moment of his battle. You can tell him later if you have something to say. If he loses, he will be utterly destroyed,” Gu Hai said seriously.
Murong Yan’s expression changed as she stopped speaking. Earlier, she saw her husband holding the upper hand, so she had not known the danger.
Murong Yan stopped speaking. She silently watched Old Mister Guan Qi from a distance; she had eyes for no one else.
When Jiang Lianshan saw that Murong Yan did not even look at him, a forlorn feeling filled him. Yan`er was mine initially. The one she liked at first was me. Why?!
Jiang Lianshan turned his head and looked at the Immortal Origin above the heavenly deity body’s head. Now, he was even more determined. He could get Murong Yan back only by becoming the immortal—only by becoming the immortal.
“Jiang Gautama, Ji Dihong, we were the one who deployed you in your current position. Now, we need your strength. Lend me your strength. We want the Immortal Origin!” Jiang Lianshan snarled ferociously.
