“Huh? Discovered.”

  Lu arched a brow, his gaze shifting to the petrified head of the Heavenly Spirit Clan saint on the ground.

  Though petrified, the saint could still perceive external changes—and clearly witnessed the emergence of Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao.

  Lu didn’t mind. Normally, upon discovering Five Phoenixes’ secret, he would ruthlessly erase the witness’s will to keep it hidden.

  But this time, he chose otherwise. This head-only Heavenly Spirit Clan saint still had use—his brow emperor imprint could aid Five Phoenixes’ profound immortals in comprehension and breakthrough. Moreover, under Lu’s careful watch and array seals, escape or transmission of information was impossible.

  For extra caution, Lu picked a chess piece and tapped it on the petrified head’s crown. Any anomaly, and he would know—instantly maximizing this tool person’s utility.

  Boom!

  With a gentle toss.

  The head streaked like a meteor, hurtling across the sky before crashing into a corner of the Five Phoenixes Continent.

  Boom!

  The earth quaked. The head soon transformed into a massive stone mountain—resembling a giant skull from afar.

  Atop the mountain, the engraved emperor imprint’s mysteries radiated. Even true immortals could gain substantial insights from it.

  Five Phoenixes’ true immortals in breakthrough sensed the new peak’s appearance.

  The imprint’s aura and fluctuations shook their minds and spirits.

  Undoubtedly, this stone mountain would become another vital cultivation site in Five Phoenixes.

  Vast fortune flowed like rivers across the heavens.

  Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao manifested, radiating seven-colored radiance.

  Slaying the beast Liu Ying redistributed the heavenly fortune it had fused.

  The Overlord bathed in fortune.

  His aura surged.

  Faintly, it seemed on the verge of breaking shackles.

  Yet to his disappointment, it fell short—he was but a hair’s breadth from profound immortal.

  Now, he could be called half-step profound immortal.

  In truth, not just the Overlord.

  Sima Qingshan, Tang Yimo, Kong Nanfei, and others gained significant boosts from the fortune infusion, all reaching half-step profound immortal.

  Their fortune accumulation neared torrential rivers.

  Fortune distribution was simple: Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao allocated based on contribution to slaying the beast.

  The Overlord, Sima Qingshan, Nie Changqing, and others performed admirably.

  But the one who truly created the beast Liu Ying’s flaw…

  Was none of them.

  It was Mo Tianyu.

  A heavenly immortal defying an ancient emperor.

  Mo Tianyu survived—though reduced to a blood-soaked figure, nearly crushed by Heavenly Dao’s will.

  Yet he lived, turning calamity into blessing with immense gains.

  His cultivation soared from heavenly immortal to peak true immortal—half-step profound immortal.

  In slaying the peerless beast Liu Ying, Mo Tianyu contributed most—the sole breaker of the impasse.

  Thus, his largest share of fortune was justified.

  Others in Five Phoenixes received varying portions.

  The continent’s overall cultivation level rose dramatically.

  …

  Five Phoenixes Continent.

  Origin Lake, Lake Heart Island.

  Before Lu, the Spirit Pressure Chessboard glowed faintly. Lines danced in his eyes, observing Five Phoenixes’ current state clearly.

  “No new profound immortals yet…”

  Lu frowned.

  But upon reflection, it made sense. The Overlord and others shone, but the lion’s share went to Mo Tianyu.

  From mere heavenly immortal to half-step profound immortal—already remarkable growth.

  One peerless beast’s fall failed to birth a profound immortal.

  Contrary to Lu’s expectations. Disappointed, he pinned hopes on the remaining beasts.

  Now, the Cloud Venom Vulture in the Heavenly Gate and Hell Hound in the Nether Realm.

  These two, fused with vast fortune, were Lu’s prepared challenges to birth profound immortals for Five Phoenixes.

  Withdrawing his gaze.

  Lu ceased monitoring. The battle ended—time to tally spoils.

  So many imperial weapons acquired—their importance to Lu, to Five Phoenixes’ foundation, went without saying.

  “Six new imperial weapons… First, strip the ancient emperor auras for later crafting new peerless beasts.”

  Lu pondered.

  Primordial spirit surging, he summoned the Heaven Stealing Tower.

  It hovered over Lake Heart Island.

  One by one, Lu extracted the imperial weapons.

  Various treasures emerged, floating around the island.

  Unactivated, they appeared plain and ancient.

  Lu sat in his Thousand-Bladed Chair, guiding it forward slowly.

  He raised a hand, placing it on one imperial weapon. Primordial spirit delving in—soon, an ancient emperor phantom materialized.

  The lingering ancient emperor aura within.

  Boom!

  Seawater around Lake Heart Island boiled. Lu sensed an overwhelmingly supreme aura.

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  Ancient emperor aura—Golden Immortal-level might.

  Of course, merely a wisp—Lu could handle it.

  As his primordial spirit vibrated, the aura gradually dissipated.

  Yet Lu memorized and etched it deeply in his mind.

  The age of ferocious beasts had just begun. With Liu Ying’s fall, it truly unfolded fully.

  Lu was in no rush. Nine sacred clans’ imperial weapons collected—he had time to convert all ancient emperor auras into beasts.

  Let Five Phoenixes’ immortals slay them, seize fortune, birth more profound immortals.

  Though Five Phoenixes now had immortal-martial foundations, Lu avoided forcing growth. Steady, silent strengthening was key.

  Moreover…

  Lu rolled up his sleeve, picking pieces from the box, placing them on the board.

  He frowned.

  Current developments carried one matter Lu found deeply wary.

  The vanished ancient Great Emperors of the Nine Heavens.

  And the hidden one in the Heavenly Spirit Clan.

  Where had the vanished emperors gone? Why had the Heavenly Spirit Clan’s remained unseen—as though in hiding?

  Lu sensed these emperors might be plotting something grand.

  Related to Five Phoenixes?

  Leaning in his Thousand-Bladed Chair, Lu placed pieces slowly. The profound board radiated unique intent.

  “Hmm… Besides slaying beasts with ancient emperor auras for growth, those fleeing ancient sacred clan saints—if slain, could also grant breakthroughs to Five Phoenixes’ half-step profound immortals.”

  Lu thought.

  Like Lu Jiulian’s breakthrough: slaying saints… could shatter barriers.

  The Heaven Stealing Tower suppressed six imperial weapons, boundless imperial might radiating. Lu’s eyes gleamed, envisioning the surging Dao reserves within.

  Each held at least eight or nine hundred thousand.

  Six together—oceanic.

  With a thought.

  The tower flashed brilliantly. He began devouring and refining the Dao reserves.

  Boom!

  As an innate spiritual treasure, the Heaven Stealing Tower’s might was formidable.

  Hovering over one imperial weapon, Dao reserves wormed out like crawling insects, merging into the tower.

  It grew heavier. Surrounding void seemed on the verge of collapse under its mass.

  Lu inhaled deeply.

  Sitting cross-legged, primordial spirit surging.

  Hair flying, he rolled sleeves, picked pieces.

  Placing on the board.

  A beam soared skyward, stirring clouds. Soon, beyond Five Phoenixes, the sundial reappeared. The time-acceleration array reactivated.

  Five Phoenixes resumed peaceful, harmonious development.

  With the array restarted, Lu focused solely on controlling the tower to absorb the vast Dao reserves from six imperial weapons.

  Tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands—even for Lu, the workload felt immense.

  Draining them completely would be exhausting.

  …

  With the saint-realm war’s end.

  Five Phoenixes’ high-end forces unscathed—the Heavenly Spirit Clan saint captured alive.

  This stunned Lower Third Heavens experts.

  But mere stun. Current Five Phoenixes far surpassed the Lower Third—equivalent to a third-tier high-martial, no ordinary one.

  War concluded, Lower Third Heavens cultivators fully aligned with Five Phoenixes, devoting to cultivation, striving to maximize strength.

  The Daluo Immortal Scripture’s fortune cultivation spread through every high-martial world there.

  Now, a fifth-tier high-martial birthing immortal abodes but no heavenly immortals didn’t qualify as fifth-tier.

  Heavenly immortals marked fifth-tier status.

  Yet due to time flow disparity between Lower Third and Five Phoenixes.

  Many ancestor experts chose ascension grounds for cultivation, nurturing their worlds’ powerhouses there.

  Of course, many faintly noticed: refining fortune seemed to link their worlds’ Dao reserves uniquely to Five Phoenixes.

  They became tools aiding Five Phoenixes’ fortune refinement.

  But they didn’t mind. After discussions with Five Phoenixes’ immortals via ascension grounds, they learned the immortals felt similarly.

  Thus, they deemed it a drawback of the Daluo Immortal Scripture.

  Unbeknownst to them, their refined fortune funneled Dao reserves into Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao.

  It faintly trended toward encompassing the entire Lower Third Heavens.

  Boundless Heaven, Blood Evil Heaven, Primordial Magnet Heaven grew peaceful and stable.

  With Upper Realm sacred clans’ retreat, development stabilized further.

  Yet many Lower Third experts remained tense—they knew this stability held only while the First Heaven’s foremost sacred clan, the Heavenly Spirit Clan, stayed idle.

  If it sent forces again…

  Five Phoenixes might face a crisis far graver.

  After all, the Heavenly Spirit Clan had a living ancient Great Emperor!

  That was the true terror.

  …

  Five Phoenixes Continent.

  With the southern battlefield beast Liu Ying dead, the world-ending crisis faded.

  Five Phoenixes gained a slew of half-step profound immortals.

  Many in number, but true breakthroughs to profound immortal—uncertain.

  Splash!

  Over the vast sea, waves surged.

  Powerhouses streaked across waters, converging.

  If Five Phoenixes cultivators saw this lineup, they’d be terrified.

  Overlord, Nie Changqing, Tang Yimo, Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao…

  All newly half-step profound immortals.

  These top Five Phoenixes immortals gathered—what grand event?

  In the Great Xuan Academy.

  Lu Jiulian floated amid blooming lotuses, gazing seaward calmly before resuming cultivation.

  Atop Buzhou Peak, Zhu Long sat on pristine bluestone, eyes closed. Invisible candle dragons coiled, as though devouring Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao from origin space.

  Over the sea, the gathered immortals seemed in conference.

  Discussing something.

  Mo Tianyu joined—bald now, but none dared belittle. His fate-reversing divination had slain the peerless beast Liu Ying.

  Seemingly just a diviner, yet his divinations proved lethally toxic.

  Below profound immortal, above heavenly immortal—nearly all gathered.

  Discussing what? Naturally, methods to break into profound immortal.

  Slaying beasts could achieve it—what else?

  “Slaying saints can too, like Great Xuan Academy’s Lu Jiulian…”

  One suggested.

  The words lit eyes among Five Phoenixes’ half-step profound immortals.

  “Upper Realm sacred clans repeatedly bullied Five Phoenixes. This world-ending crisis—internal and external woes—the external from these sacred clan saints seeking to destroy us with imperial weapons… Without Young Master Lu and General Gu, we might have perished, homes lost.”

  All spoke gravely.

  “Upper Realm sacred clans threaten Five Phoenixes’ safety. If we expel them, perhaps Heavenly Dao acknowledges, fortune blesses.”

  “For us half-step profound immortals to break through—beyond waiting for beasts—only desperate battles against Upper Realm sacred clan saints. Slay saints… to shatter barriers!”

  The Overlord’s eyes blazed.

  “Indeed… Heard all Upper Realm sacred clans’ imperial weapons trapped in Five Phoenixes—our chance. Without them, gathered half-step profound immortals… might fight!”

  Nie Changqing added.

  Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Empress Ni Chunqiu, and others gleamed with resolve.

  “We need righteous cause. Thus, in the name of the ancient Heavenly Court in ascension grounds—establish Five Phoenixes Heavenly Court, conquer the Upper Realm!”

  Words spoken.

  Half-step profound immortals soared, opening Heavenly Gates, entering ascension grounds.

  Establishing Five Phoenixes Heavenly Court at ancient Heavenly Court ruins.

  News spread—ascension grounds boiled.

  Lower Third Heavens ascendants, learning Five Phoenixes Heavenly Court immortals would assail Upper Realm for fortune via saint-slaying—eyes lit.

  Many Lower Third high-martial ancestors voluntarily joined the crusade.

  What began as a spark snowballed into a vast avalanche.

  Army formation took little time.

  Five Phoenixes’ half-step profound immortals, true immortals—plus Lower Third, Blood Evil, Primordial Magnet, Boundless Heavens’ forces—gathered.

  Forming an immortal grand army.

  Jiang Li, inheritor of Soldier King, stepped up as commander.

  Ancient warships spanned the void, racing toward Upper Realm.

  At each prow stood fluttering-robed Five Phoenixes immortals.

  Once oppressed by Upper Realm—Five Phoenixes and Lower Third now struck back fiercely!

  Warships seized in prior Upper Realm wars now served the coalition.

  Dao and Cloud Clans extinct.

  The fleet surged past their Fifth Heaven, toward the Fourth.

  Fourth Heaven—Water and Fire Clans’ domain.

  Arrival brought surprise.

  Both clans’ lands already war-torn. Returning sacred ancestors of other clans, learning Water and Fire sacred ancestors dead—ruthlessly ordered assaults on their ancestral grounds.

  To carve up accumulations and Dao reserves.

  No imperial weapons—deciding factor: saint-realm experts.

  Not just sacred clans—Upper Realm’s other ancient races, once cowed by imperial weapons, now bared fangs. Rebelling against sacred clan rule, vying for resources.

  Five Phoenixes coalition’s arrival fueled the chaos.

  Water and Fire Clans suffered countless Origin Realm deaths. Water Clan abandoned ancestral grounds, migrating away.

  The mighty Water sacred clan—thus extinguished.

  Fire Clan—directly annihilated, like former Dao and Cloud.

  Ten sacred clans—two more fallen.

  But not the coalition’s goal. Overlord and others sought saint-slaying for fortune blessing, impacting profound immortal.

  Thus, they pressed upward—assailing Wood Clan, Thunder Clan, and more…

  Sacred clans horrified.

  Never expecting the once-despised, oppressed Lower Third Heavens to unite—invading Upper Realm.

  War erupted.

  Five Phoenixes coalition clashed endlessly with remaining Upper Realm forces.

  Learning no saints fought for the coalition, Upper Realm sacred clan saints engaged—to intimidate.

  Unexpectedly, their involvement excited Overlord, Tang Yimo, and half-step profound immortals. Fighting fiercer, desperately seeking saints—dragging into extraterrestrial battlefields.

  …

  Lu knew of the grand crusade but chose not to interfere.

  Focused wholly on refining imperial weapons.

  Urgency gripped him—what if the Heavenly Spirit Clan’s ancient emperor descended, demanding them back?

  Thus, Lu eagerly stripped Dao reserves, merging into the Heaven Stealing Tower.

  Cooking the rice—then even emperor descent useless.

  Lu knew: if the Heavenly Spirit Clan truly had a living ancient emperor…

  He would sense it. Though Lu spared the saint—no imprint shattered—the emperor’s power could likely deduce anomalies.

  Even if no emperor descended…

  Per the saint’s words, the Heavenly Spirit Clan’s Sacred Hall might not yield easily.

  Thus, daily Lu urged the tower, absorbing vast Dao reserves from six imperial weapons—racing to drain them before discovery.

  Halfway through the sixth’s reserves.

  Lu sensed something. Head snapped up, gazing beyond.

  Boom!

  In Boundless Heaven.

  Void tore abruptly.

  Faintly, behind the rift—a majestic mountain of myriad radiance emerged.

  Gu Mangran, sleeping in the ancient tomb, jolted awake, clutching his chest.

  Lu narrowed his eyes.

  Gaze piercing distant void.

  Was the foremost sacred clan’s Emperor-realm…

  Finally appearing?