Chapter 323: Sword Heart (Part 1/2)
Li Hao followed the Great Dream Master to cultivate the Painting Dao within the Painted Realm of Langya, while the others continued their studies there, making their final breakthroughs and insights.
Meanwhile, the other great sects of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty refused to fall behind. Knowing that this Southern Domain Battle Assembly would determine the rankings of their sects, all sacred lands and secret realms within the dynasty had been opened to provide their disciples with a final opportunity to charge ahead.
In the imperial capital of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, within the royal clan’s Divine Crow Secret Realm—
A massive golden tree stood there, upon which ten Golden Crows perched. Like ten miniature suns, their radiant brilliance illuminated the entire secret realm.
The flowers, grass, and ground throughout the secret realm shimmered with gold, appearing as if coated in gilded splendor.
Beneath the golden tree flowed the Divine Crow River. The river’s surface shimmered with golden ripples and extended toward a mysterious end, where countless shadowy forms loomed beneath the surface—ominous and still, in stark contrast to the sacred golden tree above.
“This Southern Domain Battle Assembly—you must give it your all. As members of the imperial family, you must not lose to the royalty of other immortal dynasties. Our Yan Chu bloodline descends from the souls of ancient kings, who once battled across the Eight Desolations and contended with six great dynasties, traversing the Forbidden Imperial Zones of the Immortal Realm. Even in defeat, you must fall standing tall. Never bring disgrace to the divine might of our ancestors!”
The Chu Emperor spoke calmly, yet his voice carried an overwhelming pressure. Even the seasoned princes who had long since cultivated profound arts dared not speak and simply bowed their heads in silence.
Chu Tianhuang and the others felt as if their hearts pounded like war drums, their blood surging wildly in reverse. None dared to slack, and all quickly pledged their resolve.
Regardless of their peerless talent, in the presence of their father, they all felt a bone-deep awe and dread.
For among the countless prodigies born over the last hundred thousand years—like grains of sand in a river—none had ever caught up to the shadow of their father.
In other words, even if they reached the pinnacle of their cultivation, the ultimate limit of their potential would still be the figure before them—their father.
“Go, seek enlightenment. When the Southern Domain Battle Assembly concludes—if any of you can enter the top ten—I shall grant you a Divine Crow to protect you for ten thousand years.”
The Chu Emperor’s voice remained calm.
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianhuang and the others all had fire ignite in their eyes, but most of the princes and princesses turned to look at Chu Tianhuang.
They knew their limits. Even in the Ancient Immortal Realm event within their own dynasty, they had failed to break into the top ten. With the addition of talents from the other six dynasties and the Supreme Celestial Palace, entering the top ten now would be near impossible—like scaling the heavens.
Among them, only Chu Tianhuang stood a real chance.
“Divine Crow...”
In the crowd, Chu Yueli raised her head and gazed at the Divine Crows resting upon the golden tree. If she could obtain the protection of a Divine Crow for ten thousand years, it would help her survive this current period of vulnerability.
Though she had already stepped into the Immortal Lord Realm and was considered a high-level cultivator in the True Realm, the interests entangled with her were immense. If someone truly intended to target her, it would take a being at the Immortal King Realm at the very least. At that time, she would be helpless to resist.
But with a Divine Crow, she could safely mature into an Immortal King, gaining the strength to roam unchallenged across a region—and finally seize control of her own destiny.
At this thought, the image of a young man surfaced in her mind, and her eyes gleamed with a cold light.
If she gained the Divine Crow’s protection, the first thing she would do was eliminate that young man.
That way, even if her father insisted on the marriage, the person in question would be gone—and there would be no marriage to speak of.
Each of the imperial princes harbored different thoughts, but Chu Tianhuang keenly noticed that several elder brothers standing nearby, including Chu Xiangtian, had cast meaningful glances his way.
Clearly, if he could gain the Divine Crow’s blessing, he too would qualify to compete for the throne—joining those elder brothers of monstrous talent as a legitimate contender to inherit the emperor’s legacy.
Having realized this, he knew that this battle would be pivotal for his future.
...
In the Red Border Immortal Dynasty, within a certain Forbidden Ground of the Fallen Emperor—
All around lay bones and broken remains. Occasionally, enormous shadows streaked across the sky from above the stars—so far away they were thousands of miles distant, and yet still clearly massive, exuding an ancient, savage aura.
On the ground, colossal footprints hundreds of meters wide had left deep craters in their wake.
It was said that an Immortal Emperor had once perished within this forbidden zone. Yet, the death seemed incomplete, giving birth to a perilous region filled with inconceivable, savage beings.
Atop a solitary peak within this forbidden land, a white-haired elder sat calmly, a fishing rod in hand.
Before him lay a deep pool, its waters pitch black and bottomless. At the edges, a faint green shimmer could be seen, suggesting it ran unimaginably deep.
Suddenly, a tremendous rumble echoed from the distant woods. A massive black shadow soared toward the mountain.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one would notice a youth flying ahead of the shadow. His hair was fiery red, his eyes gleamed with divine light, and his pupils were a glowing gold—utterly extraordinary. Though his figure was small, he radiated a primitive, fierce strength.
Whoosh!
The youth landed with a thud, dragging the enormous black beast behind him and flinging it to the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently.
“Careful! You scared away all my fish!”
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