Gu Hai had a firm foundation. His two spiritual souls and six physical souls had attained perfection. Furthermore, the four Go soul clones were working on merging the energy in his forehead space. This made establishing the upper heavenly palace easy.
The upper heavenly palace opened with a loud report.
The most dangerous moment came after establishing the upper heavenly palace. The cultivator needed to use lifespan to manifest a soul body for the heavenly soul.
Most people would not need much lifespan, as their heavenly souls would just be a few centimeters tall. However, Gu Hai faced a disaster.
After Gu Hai established his upper heavenly palace, the image of a palace appeared around him.
Rumble…!
That palace grew increasingly taller. A vague figure was visible within the palace, apparently compressed. This was Gu Hai’s heavenly soul.
As the heavenly soul materialized, it grew as it pressed against the upper heavenly palace. Its need for lifespan was like an abyss.
Increasingly more wrinkles appeared on Gu Hai’s face, his skin became loose, and his hair started turning white. In mere moments, his hair was completely white.
Age! Gu Hai aged significantly.
At this moment, the heavenly soul was only ten meters tall, and Gu Hai’s lifespan was already almost drained.
Rumble…!
However, Gu Hai quickly absorbed the golden liquid in the pool below, his intake increasingly faster. The surging lifespan continued to enter his body, replenishing his lifespan.
The golden liquid was lifespan. The lifespan was like oil, and life was like a wick. When the oil dried up, the lamp would go out.
At this moment, this golden liquid was incredibly beneficial for Gu Hai as his lifespan depleted rapidly.
The heavenly soul in the palace grew increasingly larger and taller.
The nearby Flame Monarch’s face twitched.
The cultivation of the heavenly soul was like the mortal soul and earthly soul, supposed to make steady, gradual progress. Who could have expected Gu Hai’s heavenly soul to grow so crazily?
Ensnaring Performance showed an unsightly expression. “Previously, my cultivation was similar to Master’s. How did Master cultivate so quickly?”
Previously, Gu Hai absorbed boundless power of faith in Heaven City, entering the Lower Heavenly Palace Realm. He broke into the Lower Heavenly Palace Realm together at the same time as Ensnaring Performance, Mu Chenfeng, and various Elite Hall disciples. Just how many years had passed? Now, Gu Hai had already made it to the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm.
Furthermore, Gu Hai’s heavenly soul was ridiculous. Once it appeared, it kept growing taller and taller.
In the Gu’s Immortal Firmament, Jingwei’s face sank. “Gu Hai really has a perfect heavenly soul? This drain on lifespan is too fast, right?”
In a mere four hours, Gu Hai had already absorbed half of the lifespan in the pool. Half?! That was what Jiang Lianshan had stored up over an entire lifetime.
Using the sixty-four hexagrams, Jiang Lianshan had collected boundless lifespan to oppose Heaven. In the end, Gu Hai had already drained so much of it?
It was not over yet. Gu Hai was still absorbing more.
His upper heavenly palace grew to one-hundred-sixty-seven meters tall and was not stopping yet.
Likewise, his heavenly soul was still growing—sixty-seven meters…one hundred meters…one hundred thirty-three meters, and going.
As Gu Hai quickly absorbed the lifespan and the aged him replenished lifespan, he slowly regained his youth. His white hair slowly turned back to black, his loose skin turned sleek, and his wrinkles all disappeared. He seemed to have returned to his thirties.
However, it was not over yet.
His heavenly soul continued growing taller, demanding even more lifespan.
Pzzh!
As the lifespan in the pool dwindled, a wisp of black energy emerged from the bottom of the pool.
It was just a wisp, very unremarkable. However, Jingwei suddenly showed a ferocious expression at its appearance.
“Hah! It finally broke?! Eminent Father used the Five Element Divine Ritual Array to seal in boundless lifespan and the boundless lifespan to suppress you lot. Come out! Come out and kill Ji Dihong! No one is stopping you now! Hahahaha!” Jingwei clenched her fist in excitement.
Pzzh! Pzzh! Pzzh! Pzzh! Pzzh!
As the level of lifespan declined, more black energy came out of the pool. It finally attracted everyone’s attention.
However, Gu Hai was at a crucial point in his breakthrough and could not check it. The others appeared curious.
“Is there indeed a tomb underneath?” Longevity exclaimed in shock.
“That’s impossible! The Nine Li’s aura? Weren’t they completely destroyed back then? How…?!” Shock flashed in the Flame Monarch’s eyes.
[TL Note: Nine Li refers to the Nine Li Tribes, which consisted of minority tribes. They were a powerful group mentioned in a few myths and legends. However, there isn’t much information about them. Here is more information on the Nine Li Tribes: http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Altera/jiuli.html.]
Just as the Flame Monarch felt shocked, a roar arose in the distance. “That way! Hurry!”
Boom!
In mere moments, about one hundred experts approached.
The Future Buddha, Di Shitian, Lifespan Dongfang, and the Scarlet Emperor led this group.
Boom!
The Flame Monarch sent out vast flames and covered Gu Hai’s location.
“So, they are here? Where is this place? Where are Jingwei and the others?” the Scarlet Emperor roared in a rage.
The Scarlet Emperor felt greatly humiliated at the Divine Yan Hall and was enraged as a result. He wanted to capture Jingwei as early as possible.
“What is this? What powerful Divine Energy! Water-attributed Divine Energy?! Hahaha! Excellent stuff!” Di Shitian’s eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth, wanting to consume the water character shaman symbol.
“Humph! Keep dreaming!” the Flame Monarch snorted coldly and threw a palm strike.
Boom!
The water character shaman symbol, which had mostly dissipated, exploded and turned into a cold wind that blew at the group.
“How cold!” The one hundred-odd people could not help shivering.
“Flame Monarch, you are seeking death!” Di Shitian’s eyes blazed with fury as he threw a palm strike.
“You are the one seeking death!” The Flame Monarch glared as he countered with a palm strike.
Boom!
Two manifested palms clashed in the air. Di Shitian’s figure paused, the clash ending in a draw.
“Huh? Didn’t you give your Flame Pearl to Jiang Lianshan, and your cultivation regressed greatly?” The Scarlet Emperor’s face suddenly sank.
“How did you find us?” the Flame Monarch asked with an unsightly expression.
Suddenly, the Flame Monarch saw Lifespan Dongfang.
“It’s you? Hahaha! Lifespan Dongfang, you have indeed betrayed the Yan Nation while His Holy Eminence is not around. To think you conspired with them to attack the princess? You do know that when His Holy Eminence returns, you will die without a corpse!” The Flame Monarch glared.
“Hehehehe! Die without a corpse? Then, tell him to come out!” Lifespan Dongfang said coldly.
“Amitābha! Gu Hai is making a breakthrough within this vast flame?” The Future Buddha’s face suddenly changed.
“Huh?” Everyone appeared confused.
The Flame Monarch used the flames to conceal Gu Hai. Most people could not see inside, but the Future Buddha could because he saw with his mind’s eye.
Gu Hai’s heavenly soul had already reached two hundred thirty-three meters tall and was still growing taller. Growing taller? That meant the upper heavenly palace was already three hundred thirty-three meters tall.
Such a heavenly soul would require boundless lifespan.
“What is this place? Why is there boundless lifespan for Gu Hai to use? What is here?” the Future Buddha exclaimed in shock.
“What?” Everyone felt confused.
“Is it Jiang Lianshan’s secret? He went to such great lengths to hide it? Hahaha! Letting you flee might not have been a bad thing!” Lifespan Dongfang stepped forward with a cold smile.
“You can all forget about getting near!” The Flame Monarch glared as he waved his hand. Then, a phoenix of fire flew at Lifespan Dongfang.
“It’s useless. I’m a lifespan cultivator!” Lifespan Dongfang sneered.
Lifespan Dongfang stepped forward and disappeared.
“Oh no! He entered the nether realm. He plans to appear beside Master by traveling through the nether realm!” Ensnaring Performance’s expression changed.
Purple Subtlety goggled and yelled, “Use our Divine Energy and form a barrier to protect Gu Hai!”
Although the three’s cultivations were not high, they had just consumed the shaman symbols. Hence, they could bring out Divine Energy and form a barrier to protect Gu Hai.
“Take action now! Don’t let Lifespan Dongfang get there first! Find Jingwei!” the Future Buddha shouted.
“Yes!” The Future Buddha’s subordinates immediately charged to the center while roaring.
“Humph! If you want to get there, you have to get past me first!” The Flame Monarch glared.
Right now, Gu Hai was at the crucial point of his breakthrough. The Flame Monarch would have left him to die, but Jingwei was in Gu Hai’s Gu’s Immortal Firmament. If anything happened to him, wouldn’t Jingwei be implicated?
The Flame Monarch waved, and a vast flame poured out, blocking everyone.
The Scarlet Emperor and Di Shitain smiled coldly as they threw attacks at the Flame Monarch.
“Phoenix Deity, lend me Divine Energy!” the Flame Monarch shouted.
The phoenix deity had absorbed all the energy of the fire character shaman symbol. The phoenix deity cried out and sent all its energy to the Flame Monarch. With a ferocious expression, the Flame Monarch thrust his two palms towards Di Shitian and the Scarlet Emperor.
Boom! Boom!
Two loud reports rang out. The powerful shock waves caused the frozen sea to explode instantly, filling the sky with ice shards.
Blargh!
The Flame Monarch spewed a mouthful of blood. Clearly, he was no match for the Scarlet Emperor and Di Shitian’s combined attack, even after using his full power.
“Humph! Flame Monarch, the Yellow Emperor had given you an opportunity. By not treasuring it, you are seeking your own death!” the Scarlet Emperor said ferociously.
“Flame Monarch, you are truly loyal! Unfortunately, you are in our way today. Attack together and blow up the Flame Monarch!” Di Shitian snarled ferociously.
“Yes!” One hundred subordinates attacked simultaneously.
These one hundred people were elite experts from the Huang Nation, the Yan Nation, and Spirit Mountain Holy Land. The weakest of them was already at the peak of the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm.
The Flame Monarch was suppressed, beaten down like a dog when one hundred people attacked simultaneously. A destructive might rushed toward the Flame Monarch.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The numerous attacks caused blood to spray from the Flame Monarch’s body. It looked like he would die under the attacks.
“Uncle Flame Monarch! You can escape! Quickly run!” Jingwei yelled in horror as she watched everything from the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
Gu Hai’s heavenly soul had already reached two hundred sixty-seven meters tall, about to reach consummation, so he could not afford a distraction at this moment.
The experts suppressed the Flame Monarch while the Future Buddha flew over slowly, wanting to pass the Flame Monarch and enter the fire.
As the Future Buddha neared the Flame Monarch, the Flame Monarch revealed a maniacal smile. “Gu Hai, you bastard! This great me is not dying for you but for the princess! It’s for His Holy Eminence!”
“Don’t!” Jingwei yelled in horror.
“Explode!” the Flame Monarch bellowed ferociously.
“Oh no!”
“Run!”
The expressions of Di Shitian and the Scarlet Emperor changed. However, it was already too late.
Boom!
A thunderous sound rang out as the Flame Monarch self-detonated.
The surging sea of fire resulting from the explosion engulfed the one hundred-odd experts attacking the Flame Monarch.
Di Shitian and the Scarlet Emperor bore the brunt of the blast and went flying while spewing mouthfuls of blood.
The impact on the Future Buddha was weaker. However, the kāṣāya he wore got blown to bits.
“Argh!” Although Purple Subtlety, Longevity, and Ensnaring Performance suffered less from the shock wave, they still vomited blood.
“Uncle Flame Monarch!” Jingwei roared, having seen everything from the Gu’s Immortal Firmament. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
Uncle Flame Monarch sacrificed his life to shield everyone? He died for me?
Whoosh!
The final wisp of lifespan disappeared from the pool. Gu Hai’s heavenly soul had reached perfection, two hundred seventy meters tall.
Boom! A powerful shock wave came from Gu Hai’s body.
“The Upper Heavenly Palace Realm’s first layer!” Gu Hai shouted excitedly.
Buzz!
The image of the upper heavenly palace and the heavenly soul withdrew into Gu Hai’s body.
Gu Hai had finally broken through, reaching perfection with his heavenly soul. He felt replete with power.
“Gu Hai, we…!” Blargh! Longevity, Purple Subtlety, and Ensnaring Performance vomited blood, clearly severely injured.
The three had done their best to prevent people from interrupting Gu Hai. Although the earlier explosion did not target them, the shock wave had severely injured them.
“I’m here now. Rest first!” Gu Hai waved and pulled the three into the Gu’s Immortal Firmament.
Gu Hai stood proudly within the vast fire, looking coldly at the enemies that came in pursuit.