Immortal Martial...

  A world level above High Martial—Lu had truly never imagined it, and frankly, he couldn't have.

  In fact, now that Lu had come into contact with the Ninth Heaven, he had formed a clear judgment about its overall structure.

  In Lu's view, the Immortal Dwelling Realm wasn't truly immortal. The so-called immortal qi was nothing more than diluted primal chaos energy mixed with spiritual qi.

  Take the Sacred Ancestor of the Sacred Clan, for instance: by tempering his body with the power of the Heavenly Dao, he forged an incomparably powerful physique that carried a hint of true "immortality."

  Thus, in Lu's opinion, the Sacred Ancestor might have merely touched the threshold of the Immortal Martial realm.

  Only those in the Emperor Realm of the Ninth Heaven could truly hold sway in an Immortal Martial world.

  Lu crushed the "Immortal Martial World Memory Fragment" rewarded by the system. In that instant, terrifying changes erupted across the entire lake island. Vast waves surged from the sea, as if some supreme existence had forged a mysterious connection.

  The colossal whale carrying White Jade Capital on its back let out a frightened wail.

  If this continued, it feared it wouldn't outlive the person on its back—it would die of fright first.

  The entire Five Phoenix continent trembled, and even the Heavenly Dao of Five Phoenix seemed to roar in resonance.

  Meanwhile, Gu Mangran, who had just fallen asleep in the ancient tomb, was jolted awake, his eyes bloodshot and his heart pounding in lingering fear.

  Lu sensed none of this.

  A flood of immense memories surged into his mind.

  This experience wasn't unfamiliar to Lu. When he first encountered the Tian Yuan realm, he had accessed it in a similar way.

  But compared to the Immortal Martial world, Tian Yuan was merely a speck of dust.

  Boom!

  Lu felt his body twist in terrifying distortion.

  He traversed space and time, tumbling endlessly through the river of time.

  Time itself seemed frozen—dust rose and drifted around him.

  After what felt like an eternity of shuttling...

  Everything vanished.

  Lu opened his eyes and realized his perspective had changed...

  It was as if his consciousness had attached itself to a young child, becoming an infant in the Immortal Martial world.

  Of course, these memories were uncontrollable. Though Lu could perceive everything through the child's senses, he had no power over the child's actions.

  Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from outside.

  The child's body erupted with overwhelming aura. He slapped the bed's edge and shot out like a streak of light.

  Lu's brows furrowed. This child's strength was no less than an immortal's—and this was just a five- or six-year-old! In terms of physical toughness, he even surpassed the Transcending Immortal realm!

  After rushing out of the room, the child immediately knelt in utmost reverence, palms pressed together against his forehead in a full prostration.

  Buzz...

  High in the sky, two mighty figures sat cross-legged, locked in confrontation amid the heavens and earth.

  Lu observed curiously through the child's eyes, only to feel the world spin in an instant—radiant lights blooming in thousands of hues.

  Great Dao auras coiled like silk ribbons.

  The terrifying pressure felt as if a single glance could freeze the soul!

  Lu's mind sharpened. These two were undoubtedly top-tier powerhouses in this Immortal Martial world!

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Their standoff shook mountains and rivers.

  It had to be said, their strength was immense. Even the ancient Great Emperor "Hao," whom Lu had glimpsed in the river of time, paled slightly in presence compared to these two.

  If forced to describe it, these supreme beings seemed fused with heaven and earth itself—every movement representing the Heavenly Dao.

  After their auras clashed...

  Endless radiant glows burst forth.

  The two opened their mouths in the void, voices thundering like profound truths, mystical sounds flowing endlessly.

  One spoke, then the other, expounding their respective philosophies.

  Under the nourishment of these profound sounds, the grass and trees on the ground seemed to gain sentience, as if ready to soar into the sky.

  "This is a Dao lecture?"

  Lu was stunned, then grew utterly serious.

  Though he appeared as an unremarkable child in the crowd, he listened intently to the two powerhouses' discourse.

  The endless mystical sounds were like spring rain nourishing all things, bringing vibrant life to the world.

  Lu understood little, yet felt his soul baptized. Things once incomprehensible suddenly became clear—epiphanies dawning.

  Rumble!

  Suddenly...

  The lecture ceased.

  The two bowed respectfully in the void.

  Seven-colored glows surged as an elderly Daoist appeared, seated cross-legged.

  The lecturing pair became exceedingly deferential toward him—meek and obedient, lacking all the earlier boldness of their verbal sparring.

  Through the child's memories, Lu felt an overwhelming pressure.

  When this Daoist emerged, it was as if everything in heaven and earth lay exposed.

  The two lecturers might slightly surpass the ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven in strength, but only marginally—they could still be considered Emperor-level.

  Yet this Daoist, whom they treated with such respect, utterly transcended the Emperor realm!

  Hmm?

  High above...

  The Daoist seemed to sense something. His beard fluttered as his gaze turned downward.

  It landed on Lu, embodied as the child.

  Though Lu knew he was merely observing memories, his heart still tightened.

  He felt as if the old Daoist had pierced through the veil of memory to see him.

  The elder smiled warmly. Purple qi cascaded from his body, blurring his form—as if untouched by time, unfathomable by the Heavenly Dao.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Interesting..."

  "A glance across the river of time and space."

  The Daoist chuckled lightly, his voice grand and resonant across the heavens.

  "This shall be my final karmic entanglement. Today I plant a good cause; may it bear good fruit in the future."

  A strand of purple qi coiled and swiftly descended, shooting into the child's brow.

  Lu felt a sharp prick, like a needle's sting.

  In the next moment, he exited the memory state.

  Whoosh...

  Everything around him blurred and rewound. Opening his eyes with difficulty, he saw heavens and earth shifting, stars revolving—as if spanning vast epochs.

  Boom!

  Back on the lake island...

  Countless splashing waves, influenced by spatiotemporal forces, fell back from their crest.

  Atop White Jade Capital's pavilions, Lu abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.

  He looked at the azure, teardrop-shaped crystal in his hand.

  It remained in its freshly shattered state—fragmented into countless specks of light, slowly dissipating.

  Lu felt as if ages had passed in the memories, yet in reality, less than a breath had elapsed.

  "The power of space-time..."

  Lu murmured solemnly.

  Space-time force—the fusion of time and space.

  Incredibly difficult to master. Though Lu wielded spatial power via the "Xing" Array Word and temporal power via the "Lin" Array Word...

  Combining them into true space-time force was utterly impossible.

  "Immortal Martial..."

  "In terms of combat prowess, the Ninth Heaven falls far short... Yet the ancient Great Emperors' realm wouldn't be considered weak there."

  Lu pondered. This glimpse into the Immortal Martial world had shaken him profoundly.

  Though only a fleeting view, he knew its level surpassed the Ninth Heaven.

  "Hmm..."

  "Where did the ancient Great Emperors of the Ninth Heaven vanish to after that primordial war?"

  "Perhaps they discovered the Ninth Heaven's shackles and sought to break them—to reach that Daoist's realm of timelessness."

  Lu narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

  Vaguely, he sensed something extraordinary.

  Shaking his head...

  Lu leaned back in his Thousand-Bladed Chair, rubbing his brow.

  This journey through the Immortal Martial world had impacted him.

  Not only did it broaden his understanding of its power, but the Dao lecture from those two Emperor-level beings had enlightened him greatly.

  Straightening up, Lu retrieved his Spiritual Pressure Chessboard.

  His mind was restless; he needed a game to calm it.

  After placing a few pieces...

  His fluctuating emotions steadied.

  Closing his eyes briefly, then opening them again, Lu sensed something unusual.

  Raising his hand...

  A strand of purple qi danced in his palm like a roaming dragon.

  "This purple qi..."

  Lu's eyes sharpened.

  He recalled the old Daoist's gentle smile in the Immortal Martial world.

  That strand he bestowed...

  Had truly crossed the river of time and space to reach him.

  Lu approached it with utmost caution.

  "System, what kind of energy is this?"

  "Innate Purple Qi from the Immortal Martial world, possessing unfathomable power."

  The system actually responded.

  "As expected, from the Immortal Martial world..."

  Lu drew a deep breath, tongue clicking in awe. That old Daoist... was terrifyingly powerful.

  Lu stored the purple qi, weaving vast spiritual qi into chains to bind and seal it.

  Unknown things were the most dangerous; better not to use it rashly.

  Controlling his Thousand-Bladed Chair to glide across the island...

  Lu felt his thoughts clearer than ever.

  What had once confounded him about creating a cultivation method for the Ascended Realm now sparked ideas.

  ...

  The Underworld.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Tantai Xuan opened his eyes. His aura surged relentlessly, as if on the verge of collapsing the void.

  A breath of turbid qi exhaled, boiling the Yellow Springs of the Underworld.

  In the distance...

  Lord Beigong arrived swiftly.

  "Congratulations, City Lord Tantai. In just a century... you've completed visualization of the third path in the 'Six Paths of Reincarnation'."

  Lord Beigong offered his felicitations.

  Tantai Xuan's soul force was now immensely powerful—as if a single thought could evaporate countless departed souls.

  The Six Paths of Reincarnation visualization method had elevated his strength tremendously; it suited him perfectly.

  Compared to him, the other Underworld city lords lagged far behind.

  "Too profound. This is a true Saint's creation. Visualizing up to the third mural is already my limit..."

  Tantai Xuan sighed deeply.

  Raising his hand, vast karmic force coiled around him like pillars, rushing skyward and shaking the entire Underworld.

  Now, his presence surpassed even his past glory!

  "Beigong, at my current strength, what realm would I equate to in the Upper Realm?"

  Tantai Xuan asked.

  Lord Beigong pondered, then shook his head: "City Lord, it's impossible to judge. I've never seen the Six Paths of Reincarnation method—profound beyond measure, likely from before the ancient war... Combat prowess cannot be gauged."

  Tantai Xuan frowned slightly.

  "Fine... We'll focus on cultivation and perfect this Six Paths method first."

  "Also, Beigong, spread the Six Paths visualization to the latest batch of yin attendants. Convert the rampant departed soul energy in the Underworld into karma."

  Tantai Xuan instructed.

  Then, he sat cross-legged in the city once more, resuming visualization.

  Lord Beigong accepted the order and departed swiftly.

  He knew this was a reform—the Underworld's reform. Though unclear on Tantai Xuan's exact strength... the benefits of Six Paths would transform the Underworld anew.

  In the future, it might rival the Upper Realm—even the Third, Second, or First Derivative High Martial worlds!

  The thought of participating in such world evolution filled him with motivation.

  ...

  The Ascended Realm.

  Due to accelerated time flow in Five Phoenix, cultivators there had effectively practiced for ages.

  Deep into the night, stars flowed across the sky like a river.

  Beneath the starry vault...

  In a mountain forest wrapped in immortal qi like white pythons...

  Lu Jiulian sat on a bluestone, spotless and forming an immortal qi vortex, devouring vast amounts of it.

  Tang Guo sat farther away, also cross-legged, radiating boundless glow.

  As a Divine King Physique—a rare constitution—her cultivation speed soared.

  Opening her eyes slowly, Tang Guo's lashes trembled. She glanced at Lu Jiulian seated on the stone.

  Pursing her red lips... Since ascending, she'd sought her master. Though her brother Tang Yimo urged her to train with him, Tang Guo preferred staying by Lu Jiulian's side.

  Exhaling, Tang Guo inwardly cheered herself on. She thought ascending would close the gap with her master, only to realize it had widened.

  This made her regret her playfulness in the mortal world.

  Lu Jiulian opened his eyes, frowning with regret and disappointment.

  Seeing him awaken, Tang Guo scrambled up, patted the dust from her rear without care, and hurried over.

  "Master, have you broken through?"

  Tang Guo asked curiously.

  Lu Jiulian shook his head.

  "After Five Qi Converging at the Origin comes the Origin Convergence Realm, but it's still just refining immortal qi—no substantial strength gain."

  Lu Jiulian explained.

  "From my experience, continuing to refine immortal qi... isn't ideal."

  Tang Guo nodded repeatedly: "If Master says it's wrong, it must be!"

  Lu Jiulian smiled wryly. Why discuss cultivation with this girl? It was like playing a lute to a cow.

  "Keep working hard. Nearly a century has passed since your ascension. With your Divine King Physique, you've only refined three qi. My unremarkable constitution completed five in that time—don't slack off."

  Lu Jiulian said seriously.

  Tang Guo rolled her eyes.

  Unremarkable constitution?

  Who are you fooling, Master!

  Still, she knew refusing would lead to endless nagging.

  Her master was great in every way—except when instructing on cultivation, he became quite the talker.

  As if saving all his daily words for guidance sessions.

  "If Master doesn't wish to enter Origin Convergence, how should we proceed?"

  Tang Guo asked curiously.

  Lu Jiulian glanced at her, patted her head: "One step at a time. If all else fails..."

  "I'll challenge the Sacred Ancestor to a deathmatch and forge my own path in desperation."

  The idea ignited uncontrollably.

  His usually gentle eyes brightened fiercely.

  ...

  Within the Preaching Platform.

  After his brief tour of the Immortal Martial world, Lu gained insight—he'd fallen into a misconception.

  He created the Ascended Realm for Five Phoenix's heavenly beings to ascend into.

  He left a backdoor for them to return to Five Phoenix, yet...

  In two centuries since its creation, no ascender had returned.

  The Ascended Realm seemed to sever the mortal world of Five Phoenix from the immortal realm.

  "Underworld, mortal realm, immortal realm... They shouldn't be isolated. They must interconnect, complement each other, linked by Five Phoenix's Heavenly Dao."

  Lu contemplated.

  He continued deducing within the platform.

  The Underworld's Six Paths visualization was deeply tied to the mortal realm.

  When mortals died, souls entered the Underworld. Six Paths purified their obsessions, forming karma to empower cultivators.

  Thus, Lu believed the immortal and mortal realms must remain connected.

  What could link them?

  Lu pondered.

  Soon, he recalled the Dao lecture in the Immortal Martial world—vast auras surging like oceans across the land.

  Their discourse was a contest of auras.

  "Aura force..."

  Lu deduced, Bagua Array Words swirling around him.

  His eyes lit up—a term flashed in his mind.

  "Fortune!"

  Like a beam piercing the dark night.

  After so long struggling with the Ascended Realm's method, he finally had direction.

  "Fortune is ethereal... But what if we substantiate it?"

  Lu sat on the Bagua platform, tracing in the void.

  Dao resonances from dismantled Emperor weapons surged like seas above the Ascended Realm.

  "The Underworld's Six Paths ties intricately to Five Phoenix's Heavenly Dao. Souls bear Heavenly Dao aura; purified karma is essentially Heavenly Dao power."

  "Similarly, heavenly beings cultivating via fortune is harnessing Heavenly Dao power."

  Lu's gaze flickered.

  The Ninth Heaven's methods were outdated—immortal qi refinement in Immortal Dwelling, Five Qi Converging still refining qi. Only Sacred Realm tempered via Ninth Heaven's Heavenly Dao.

  But Lu's new method: after Five Qi Converging, cultivate fortune—linking to Heavenly Dao, fusing its power. Growth potential far exceeded Ninth Heaven's Sacred Realm!

  The idea took root like a seed, sprouting into a towering tree.

  "Moreover, as Five Phoenix's Heavenly Dao strengthens—if it one day surpasses the Ninth Heaven's—future experts via fortune cultivation will vastly outstrip Ninth Heaven Sacred beings!"

  Lu inhaled deeply.

  He began relentless deduction, his face paling from overtaxed primordial spirit.

  Yet excitement burned.

  Rumble!

  He tried refining Heavenly Dao-absorbed dao resonances into worldly fortune, integrating it across Five Phoenix continent.

  Like the imperial dragon qi he once forged—but vastly broader.

  "All beings harbor fortune. After Five Qi Converging, seek fortune baptism to commune with Heavenly Dao."

  Fortune's strength reflected Heavenly Dao connection and accessible power.

  Lu sat, gaze profound, refining the method with Array Words.

  His aura weakened, but his spirit ignited.

  After ages...

  Lu ended the deduction.

  Scrolls floated around him.

  His eyes gleamed.

  "Five Phoenix's current dao resonances are limited—insufficient for even one Golden Immortal with fortune like seas. Per the method, fortune like rivers rivals Sacred Ancestors."

  "But it's enough."

  "This method shall be called the Great Principle Immortal Scripture!"

  "Fortune like threads: Human Immortal."

  "Fortune like pillars: True Immortal."

  "Fortune like rivers: Mysterious Immortal."

  "Fortune like seas: Golden Immortal."

  "Fortune forming a world: Great Principle Immortal."