What is an immortal?

Chapter 1080 - 1045: Major Discovery

In the depths of the Demon World, a gigantic valley resembled the throat of a great beast. Looking into the distance, one could only see endless darkness, as if all light had been swallowed.

At the heart of this valley stood an ancient and rugged Stone Hall, appearing as if it had existed since the dawn of time, seamlessly merging with its surroundings.

Inside the hall, a large chamber where flickering campfires emitted a faint green flame, adding a touch of eerie oppression to the gloomy space.

Against this dark backdrop, the Yan Emperor on a stone-carved throne was sitting with closed eyes, performing breathing control.

Suddenly, the Yan Emperor opened his eyes abruptly, a sharp gleam flashing in his pupils.

He rose swiftly, and although his deep voice wasn't loud, it echoed throughout the entire hall: "Dead? He's actually dead! That Su Wu is truly useless!"

Through the forbidden seal left on Su Wu's body, the Yan Emperor had already sensed his demise.

"Someone come!" The Yan Emperor shouted violently, his voice filled with undeniable authority.

Before his words had faded, silhouettes materialized ghost-like in front of him. Although their auras were weaker compared to the Yan Emperor, they were still enough to instill a sense of the Demon World army's immense strength and horror.

"Relay the command! All demon armies lurking within the Wentian Secret Realm, mobilize immediately! Activate the Three Realms Immortal Boat and launch a full-scale assault on the Chuyun Realm!" The Yan Emperor waved his large hand, his voice echoed like thunder, shaking the entire hall as if trembling.

"Lord, is it not too hasty to launch a war now?" A hesitant Mahayana realm Demon Clan cultivator spoke up, his voice tinged with doubt and concern.

He had barely finished speaking before the Yan Emperor raised a hand and slapped him to the ground.

"Who else would dare question my military orders?" The Yan Emperor coldly scanned the crowd, his voice laced with unquestionable authority.

The fall of Su Wu and that Fiery Sun Body demon cultivator meant that their initial plan had been exposed.

The ambush forces in Demon Cloud Valley had likely already been discovered; thus, changing the battle strategy and launching the war in advance had become an inevitable choice.

"We obey the Yan Emperor's command!"

No one inside the hall dared harbor the slightest doubt anymore, responding in unison.

Soon after, they disappeared ghost-like into the air, leaving only the Yan Emperor standing alone in the vast hall.

"All troops stationed outside the valley, mobilize! Attack the Returning Ruins! At any cost!" The Yan Emperor continued issuing orders.

After the departure of all Demon Clan cultivators, the Yan Emperor spoke again: "Bring the Human Clan cultivator Liu Tianming to the Sacrificial Demon Hall."

His voice no longer carried the previous anger, it seemed to have regained calmness.

A moment later, in another Stone Hall, Liu Tianming received the summon from the Yan Emperor.

With a heavy expression, he stood up, filled with helplessness and sorrow: "What's destined cannot be avoided..."

He sighed silently in his heart and walked slowly towards the hall's exit.

After exiting the Stone Hall, he looked up at the sky, the distant starry sky seemed to be his only solace.

He thought of his brothers far away in another realm and whispered silently, "Relying on you..."

...

Soon, Liu Tianming was brought to another chamber within the hall.

In the center of the hall stood a towering circular altar, on which four Blood Pools were constructed, like four scarlet eyes staring at every person entering this place.

The central Blood Pool was as deep as an abyss, while the other three Blood Pools acted as guards, surrounding it in a triangular formation.

On the altar stood three silent figures: the Yan Emperor, Mountain Emperor, and Star Emperor.

Their gazes were as deep as pools, like sharp swords, simultaneously locking onto Liu Tianming, releasing an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Liu Tianming took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the anxiety and fear within him, wanting to say something: "The Supreme Immortal Body has yet to..."

However, before he could finish, the Yan Emperor cut him off coldly.

"That's not something you should be concerned about, just fulfill your mission, Chaotic Demon Species!" Yan Emperor's cold voice commanded.

His voice seemed to carry a certain magical power; the instant it sounded, Liu Tianming's mind was struck with a booming sensation, rendering him speechless.

"The time has come, let us unify our minds and achieve the fabled Immortal Demon True Body." Star Emperor's voice was like a whisper in the night wind, filled with allure and seduction.

Liu Tianming's eyes gradually became unfocused, his steps involuntarily led him towards the altar, approaching the central Blood Pool.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all his fears, then leaped forward, plunging himself into the crimson blood water.

"Begin." Yan Emperor gave a glance to Star Emperor and Mountain Emperor, the three of them stepped forward simultaneously, each stepping into one of the surrounding Blood Pools.

As they entered the water, the altar immediately surged with Blood Light. A massive array pattern emerged on the surface of the altar, like a red dragon rolling within the mountain's belly, swiftly spreading out and enveloping the entire space.

The four Blood Pools simultaneously boiled, resembling four furious beasts, roaring.

The light from the Yan Emperor, Mountain Emperor, and Star Emperor streaked like meteors, transforming into Spirit Veins tightly connecting to Liu Tianming.

Three indescribably vast powers were rapidly drawn from their bodies, merging into Liu Tianming.

Under the onslaught of this force, Liu Tianming felt as if his own body was about to be torn apart.

In the central Blood Pool, Liu Tianming's eyes widened suddenly. From the center of his forehead, complex and mysterious black Demon Patterns spread out like vines, instantly covering his entire body.

His eyes were shrouded in blood haze, and the muscles on his body constantly surged and contracted, with his strength soaring.

As the magic sigils spread, the aura he emanated began to undergo an earth-shaking transformation.

...

In the depths of the Wentian Secret Realm, Yuan Ming urgently activated the Shura Palace, exerting all his effort to rapidly journey towards Demon Cloud Valley.

However, Demon Cloud Valley was far from his current location, and even with all his might, he couldn't reach it swiftly.

Just as he was concentrating on his journey, a ripple suddenly arose in his Sea of Consciousness. He quickly investigated and found it was a telepathic communication from Vajra.

"Master, we have made a secret discovery!" Vajra's message was brief yet urgent, enough to shock Yuan Ming.

"Tell me in detail!" Yuan Ming hastily inquired.

"Following your instructions, Hua Zhi and I delved into that valley shrouded in demonic qi. There, we discovered the traces of the Three Realms Immortal Boat and a demonic army gathering." Vajra's reply was swift and detailed.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming felt a strong sense of urgency.

In the next moment, he unhesitatingly activated the Stealing Heaven Tripod, using Vajra's desire power for guidance, trying to locate the exact position of the valley.

At this moment, Vajra's communication arrived again: "Hua Zhi bravely concealed herself within the demon army and discovered that Yan Emperor has ordered them to attack the Chuyun Realm. Currently, the demon army is boarding to initiate a cross-realm attack."

On the cliff plateau in Demon Cloud Valley, Vajra and Hua Zhi were concealed behind a giant rock, surrounded by a tightly wrapped cage of tree vines that Hua Zhi had conjured, perfectly hiding their aura.

When they first arrived, they hadn't noticed anything unusual. If the Three Realms Immortal Boat hadn't revealed itself, they'd likely have been trapped in a crisis.

"What are the master's instructions?" Hua Zhi nervously asked through a transmission.

"No instructions yet." Vajra truthfully replied.

"What does no instructions mean?" Hua Zhi's voice was filled with discontent and urgency.

She was trying her best to conceal their aura, leaving Vajra to handle the communications.

However, Vajra's response clearly didn't satisfy her.

"Master just inquired about the situation but did not give specific instructions." Vajra explained.

"Then what should we do?" Hua Zhi asked anxiously.

"With just us two, we fear we can't stop this demonic army. But we also can't just watch the Three Realms Immortal Boat enter the Chuyun Realm." Vajra sighed helplessly.

Just as they were falling into despair, Vajra's expression suddenly changed, joy flickering in his eyes.

Immediately, a tremendous soul power and mana descended from the sky, and a brilliant silver light shone in the void, forming an immense silver light sword spanning hundreds of miles.

The sword stirred terrifying space ripples, as if it could rip apart the entire heaven and earth.

"Great Void Slash!" Hua Zhi exclaimed.

She had seen this move when Yuan Ming battled Su Wu within the Three Realms Immortal Boat.

Yet, the silver light sword currently observed was far more spectacular than when Su Wu performed it, with its aura being vastly overwhelming, nearly in a different class.

At the moment the silver light sword descended from the sky, the Three Realms Immortal Boat seemed to sense impending disaster, with spatial ripples on its hull surging like waves.

Ultimately, at the bow's position, a deep spatial portal gradually formed, resembling a gateway to an unknown world.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

In the void, Yuan Ming's angry shout echoed like thunder, shaking the entire Demon Cloud Valley.

Simultaneously, the colossal silver light sword descended from the sky like the manifestation of a deity, steadily standing atop the Three Realms Immortal Boat.

"Boom——"

A deafening explosion resounded across the skies, with silver light and sparks interwoven into a magnificent sea of fire outside the Three Realms Immortal Boat.

The light shield originally enveloping the ship instantly shattered under the sword's bombardment, countless spatial rifts spread like spider webs, then rapidly collapsed one after another.

The Three Realms Immortal Boat swayed violently in the shock, its internal core severely damaged, and the spatial portal originally condensed at the bow instantly collapsed into a giant spatial rift, which quickly closed by compression.

With the transmission failure, numerous figures on the Three Realms Immortal Boat scattered like meteors, frantically searching the surroundings, yet failing to catch even a glimpse of the assaulter.

In this critical moment, Hua Zhi led Vajra quickly into the mountain, concealing their forms without daring to expose themselves at all.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ming was still in transit.

He knew well that although the spatial shift of Shura Palace was mystical, its speed was not flawless.

Thus, with an idea sparked in his mind, he recalled a One Qi to Three Pure Ones technique learned from Su Wu.

He immediately employed this technique, creating a clone named "Lei Yu."

The Lei Yu clone carried Yuan Ming's main body, extending its wings, with the Electric Light Dao Seal on the wingtips instantly activated, emitting dazzling light.

Under the mana of a Mahayana cultivator, the Lei Yu clone soared high, a lightning flash bursting forth from its body like divine punishment descending.

In the next instant, the clone, along with Yuan Ming's main body, vanished into the void.