"This star is called the Ancient Sovereign Star!"
"It's not only the palace of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether; inside, there's also an inheritance of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether. Only those who have the emperor's aura are qualified to comprehend it. However, so far, successive generations of the imperial family have been unable to obtain it."
While everyone was staring at the Ancient Sovereign Planet, Princess Anhai's voice echoed. Along the way, she had been introducing the Grand Imperial Capital Region to Xu Qing and the others.
"As for this huge statue of the ancient sovereign sitting on the Ancient Sovereign Planet, I've seen a description in some ancient books. Originally, it didn't exist."
"After the ancient sovereign left, it suddenly arrived from beyond the sky during the era of the Human Sovereign Mirror Cloud and landed here. Accompanying it was a decree from the Holy Land."
"As for the content, there are no records in the ancient books. Very few people know about it."
"To us humans, the entire Ancient Sovereign Planet is both an ancestral land and a taboo land. You can only comprehend it from outside during special periods."
As Princess Anhai spoke, Xu Qing and the others' understanding of the Grand Imperial Capital Region slowly increased. However, while others were listening attentively, the captain looked at the Ancient Sovereign Planet with desire hidden in the depths of his eyes. Regret rose in his heart.
'I vaguely remember that I died several times trying to enter this place… but I didn't succeed.'
The captain was indignant. His gaze then landed on the abyss of nothingness and he sighed again.
'I've never succeeded in entering that place either.'
While the captain was sighing with emotion, Princess Anhai continued to introduce more things.
As for Zi Xuan, her expression became even more complicated. Finally, she looked at the Ancient Sovereign Planet and reminisced. She remembered that this planet used to be her home in her previous life.
As for Ning Yan, although he didn't know as much about the Ancient Sovereign Planet as Princess Anhai, he had been here since he was young and was used to it. Hence, he kept nodding at the side.
Beside him, Wu Jianwu had an excited expression. He felt that there was a high chance that the breakthrough to his poem creativity was here. He was even fantasizing that there must be authentic poems in the bedroom of the ancient sovereign on the Ancient Sovereign Planet.
As for Xu Qing, his attention wasn't completely on the Ancient Sovereign Planet.
His gaze followed the void between the two rings of land and looked at the abyss below the Grand Imperial Capital Region.
Previously, Princess Anhai had said that the abyss was rumored to lead to an unknown place called Brilliant Heaven. Others didn't know what Brilliant Heaven was but after experiencing the incident in the Moon Offering Region, Xu Qing had some understanding of it.
That was the hometown of Crimson Goddess and also Li Zihua's hometown. It was also a taboo that was suppressed by the Wanggu Continent.
While Xu Qing was thinking, some of the words in Princess Anhai's introduction fell into his ears, stirring up some waves and interrupting his contemplation.
"In addition, all the Heavenly Marquises, Heavenly Kings, and Great Emperors who died in battle during the Ancient Sovereign's era left their inheritances on this planet. Back then, before the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether left, the human Heavenly Kings who followed him to the Holy Land also left their inheritances on this planet."
"The last person who left the inheritance is the Sword Holding Emperor."
"He was the last great emperor of the human race. His main body died in battle to protect the human race and his clone stayed in the Grand Imperial Capital Region."
"As for the inheritance left behind by the Sword Holding Emperor, it's his emperor sword. It was buried in the depths of the Ancient Sovereign Planet and has been silent for countless years…"
Xu Qing lifted his head and stared at the Ancient Sovereign Planet.
The words 'Sword Holding Emperor' had a profound meaning to him.
Coming here to pay respects to the Sword Holding Emperor was also one of Xu Qing's goals for this trip. Hence, he suddenly spoke.
"Your Highness Anhai, is the Sword Holding Emperor's avatar on the Ancient Sovereign Planet or…"
Xu Qing looked at Princess Anhai.
This was the first time he had spoken since he arrived in the Grand Imperial Capital Region. When Princess Anhai heard this, she immediately took it seriously.
"The statue formed by the Sword Holding Emperor's avatar isn't on the Ancient Sovereign Planet. This was his choice when he was alive. He chose to place his avatar outside the Ancient Sovereign Planet as the last line of defense for the human race and the ancestral land."
"After teleporting a few more times, we'll be able to see it when we get close to the imperial capital."
Xu Qing nodded and everyone continued forward.
Time flowed by. Xu Qing and the others moved forward in the Grand Imperial Capital Region. Due to the presence of Princess Anhai, their journey was very smooth. After going through three teleportations, they finally saw the imperial capital of the Ancient Sovereign Planet the next morning.
Xu Qing also saw… the Sword Holding Emperor!
The entire inner ring was the imperial capital. At the edge of the ring-shaped land, there were towering black towers that reached into the clouds and vast statues that intersected with each other.
They surrounded the Ancient Sovereign Planet and formed a circle.
The statues inside had different shapes and auras. Moreover, they were all humans. There were men and women, old and young, and their expressions were all different. The seven emotions and six desires could all be sensed on different statues.
"The black towers are a component of the Imperial City's array formation. As for the statues surrounding the Imperial City, other than the Sword Holding Emperor, the others were all built by later generations. They are all the saints who died or left with the ancient sovereign. There are also the successive Human Emperors."
"There are the oldest 108 heavenly marquises, the former 33 Heavenly Kings, and the nine Great Emperors."
"Although there were 27 Heavenly Kings who were qualified to stand here during the Human Sovereign Eastern Triumph's era, after the Mystic Heaven Incident, the fate of the human race declined. During the era of Human Sovereign Holy Heaven, only five Heavenly Kings were qualified. During the Human Sovereign Mirror Cloud, there were only six Heavenly Kings."
"As for the Human Sovereign Dao World's era, other than the Human Sovereign, there was no one else qualified to have a statue here. It's the same in the Mystic War Calendar now."
Princess Anhai sighed softly. Kong Xianglong, who had been silent the entire time, couldn't help but speak.
"What cultivation level is needed for this qualification?"
"Ruler."
"During the era of the ancient sovereign, only the rulers could be classified as Heavenly Marquises. The so-called Heavenly Marquises were the feudal lords who could suppress a region."
"Only those at the peak of the ruler realm can be titled as Heavenly Kings. A Heavenly King can rule over many regions or just one domain, depending on their intentions. The orders of a ruler are only inferior to the sovereign and emperors."
At this point, Princess Anhai glanced at Xu Qing.
"Senior Li Zihua, the former ruler of the Moon Offering Region, was one of the Heavenly Kings under the ancient sovereign back then. His statue is also here."
"What about the Great Emperor?" Xu Qing slowly asked.
"During the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether Era, there were occasionally Great Emperors among the myriad races, but there were very few of them. Only our human race enjoyed the luck of the ancient times and nine Great Emperors appeared. Their cultivation levels surpassed the ruler and they were known as… Quasi Immortals."
"After the ancient sovereign era, there have been no more Great Emperors among the myriad races."
"Quasi Immortal…" Xu Qing mumbled. His gaze was deep as he looked at the inner-ringed imperial capital in front of him.
He saw statues and also a shocking statue in front of him that was different from the others.
This statue was of a middle-aged man. At first glance, he looked refined, but upon closer inspection, one could sense that his eyes contained sternness and domineeringness. It was as though in a fit of his anger, the ground would collapse and the sky would burn.
His gaze looked like he could kill even gods.
He placed his hands behind his back and the sword qi behind him overflowed into the sky. His entire body emitted a white light that was dazzling and lifelike. It was as though his true body was standing there, shaking the surroundings.
He was the last Great Emperor of the human race and the only Sword Holding Emperor who didn't leave with the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether and stayed behind to protect the human race.
Xu Qing stared at the Great Emperor's statue and drew in a deep breath. He then lowered his head slightly to show his respect from afar. After that, he asked Princess Anhai a question he hadn't known the answer to for a long time.
"What cultivation level is the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether at?"
As soon as Xu Qing spoke, everyone in the surroundings listened attentively. The captain also put on a curious expression. Only Zi Xuan kept looking at the Ancient Sovereign Planet.
Anhai fell silent. After a long time, she spoke softly.
"The cultivation of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether is an enigma. However, there was a record of the Ancient Sovereign in the imperial family's records."
"At the end of the chaotic era, the sovereign came from the south, stepping into the Yinghuang Province. The earth undulated, and the heavens bestowed their blessings, declaring him as Quasi Immortal. For the next three thousand years, the human race prospered, and myriad tribes came to pay homage. The Great Emperors bowed, honoring him as Summer Immortal."
"Summer Immortal!" Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. At the side, Zi Xuan suddenly spoke.
"He is the last… Summer Immortal in the myriad races in the countless years of Wanggu."
Zi Xuan's words caused everyone to cast sidelong glances at her. Princess Anhai also looked at Zi Xuan, puzzled.
Zi Xuan closed her eyes and didn't speak again.
Everyone fell silent.
Xu Qing had long noticed the reminiscence on Zi Xuan's face. He didn't continue asking and walked toward the imperial city in front of him.
As the group got closer, the statue of the Sword Holding Emperor in front of them became clearer.
The black towers that were separated by the statues also shone with a dim light. Layers of invisible array formations and restrictions spread out from each black tower and connected together, enveloping the entire Inner Ring Imperial City.
At the same time, numerous divine senses and gazes spread out from many areas and forces in the Imperial Capital, locking onto Xu Qing's group.
Some of these divine senses were filled with vigilance, some contained complexity, some were filled with curiosity, some were filled with hostility, and some were probing…
Although Xu Qing had never been to the Imperial Capital, his name had long spread throughout the Grand Imperial Capital Region.
The ruler of a large region with many Soul Accumulation cultivators behind him, as well as the lord of the Black Heaven Race's priests. He had participated in the killing of the god, and King Tian Lan had died because of him…
All of this made it very difficult for the various dignitaries, princes, and princesses in the Imperial Capital's vortex not to take him seriously. Hence, from the moment Xu Qing stepped onto the teleportation array, the information about him and his past had long been studied in detail.
Today, he had arrived.
In front of the Inner Ring Imperial City, Xu Qing and the others gradually stopped in the void.
Standing there, Xu Qing looked at the Imperial City in front of him. He could sense the terrifying power emitted by the array formation. It contained endless pressure and gave off a feeling of probing.
As long as he walked into the array formation, all the secrets in his body and even the things in his storage bag would have no choice but to be revealed in this exact array formation.
Under normal circumstances, unless over there was a special period, it was impossible with regards to there to be such a strict examination. After all, there were many people coming and going to the Imperial City and there were many people with secrets.
Xu Qing frowned and looked toward Anhai.
Princess Anhai's brows furrowed as she took out a jade slip. After transmitting her voice, her expression turned somewhat ugly.
"A few days ago, a spy from another race suddenly appeared and activated the Imperial City's array formation, causing the array formation to automatically switch from its usual state to its probing state…"
"Someone borrowed the principles of the array formation and used this exact method where no one could find any flaws to probe us. Interesting. The people in the Imperial City happened to be indeed in the role of cunning as monkeys. Their methods are sinister."
The captain swayed his very own body and walked to Xu Qing's side.
