Chapter Ninety-Six: Even Ascending to Immortal Emperor Is Merely a Frog at the Bottom of a Well

Emperor Antuo was unconvinced, but Wuyun spoke leisurely: "The God Realm you are in is the highest point of this dimension. Even so, to travel to other dimensions requires a tremendous price. Just like the Dream-Devil, which came from a small space; upon entering this Immortal Realm, it had to transition from a substantive state to an ethereal one, resulting in a loss of power. If we were to enter their domain, we would similarly have to transition our substance into their form to survive."

"As for beyond the God Realm, there are countless other God Realms and countless alien worlds; only the highest points of each dimension can perceive them. Time passes like the changing of the seas into mulberry fields, fleeting in an instant. Even the infinite God Realm, which knows no time, faces the day it may be invaded, devoured, or extinguished."

Emperor Antuo did not dare to refute, for with a mere flick of his finger, Wuyun had shown him various truths. These were but a small fraction of Wuyun's memories.

"My fellow Daoist, your divine abilities are truly profound. I, having cultivated to the level of an Immortal Emperor, was nothing but a frog in a well!"

Having said this, Emperor Antuo suddenly calmed, his restless heart at peace.

The surrounding specters slowly dissipated, while Long Yi, Rong Ya, and the others fought with increasing vigor. Rong Ya, in particular, having just entered the Immortal King realm, was using his nascent grasp of unique laws to display tremendous power.

Furthermore, whenever their immortal energy ran low, the formation diagram would emit a beam of immortal light to heal them.

"This is even more effective than consuming immortal elixirs!"

Xiong Laosan, Dou Wang, and Xiao Chong watched with envy; their own cultivation had yet to break through to the Profound Immortal stage, lingering at the peak of the Great Immortal realm.

"Study hard. Look at that loach; though he seems powerful, his future cultivation will be difficult because his system is already set. In the future, your achievements will only surpass his."

Xiong Laosan beamed with pride, but Wuyun murmured again: "However, if he reaches the highest realm, you truly would not be his match. After all, your race has too few masters and lacks faith. In that regard, you are at a disadvantage!"

These words inspired Xiong Laosan to resolve to sire a bear of the Immortal Realm.

While chatting, Wuyun kept a close eye on the movements outside. As the specters began to vanish, those remaining sensed one another; some merged while others retreated, forming two distinct trends.

Those that retreated were specters that had awakened their intelligence and could avoid disaster. Those that merged fought for territory and food; in an instant, a dozen Immortal King-level specters appeared.

As these specters materialized, a tribulation lightning manifested in the sky, and subsequently, these specters had their consciousness usurped by entities creeping through spatial rifts.

"Kill! Capture these intruders and devour them!"

"You fools! Run! They can prevent our resurrection!"

Before the twelve merged Immortal King-level specters could form a unified front, Wuyun flicked the formation diagram, and all twelve massive specters were sucked into it.

They were harder to catch when scattered, but once they merged and grew larger, it was easier for the formation to engulf them.

Once the twelve specters entered the diagram, they were instantly divided into twelve separate zones, completely cutting off their ability to touch or grow stronger again.

However, possessing intelligence, they began to chant secret mantras. A language of profound mystery echoed, and the formation’s cutting attacks struck nothing but thin air.

"Dream-Devil, are these not your tricks? They know them too!" Wuyun coughed and tossed the black stone from the crystal orb out with them. The mist-like specter was immediately sucked into the crystal orb, forming a mass of gas.

Subsequently, the remaining eleven followed, arranging themselves in a circle around the black stone.

The gases formed by these twelve specters began to battle with the stone formed by the Dream-Devil. The microscopic combat displayed was tempestuous, and when magnified tens of thousands of times by Wuyun, it left Xiong Laosan, Xiao Chong, and Dou Wang stunned.

"Is something so small also a world?" Dou Wang was shocked. This was a live lesson, and Wuyun, acting as the lecturer, began to narrate the profound principles within.

...

"In short, once one's divine sense reaches a certain level, one can ignore the limits of this space, shrink oneself to a minute size, and hide one's body in another micro-space. Almost all the great demons and monsters do this when they are weak. But the more they do this, the less terrifying they become, because they require time to emerge. At such times, if one can find metal or objects with spatial power, grind them into powder, and refine them into a spell, one can delay and prevent them from manifesting their true forms."

Wuyun boldly took the black stone out of the crystal. The stone had a chance to escape, but surrounded by the twelve gaseous specters, it was suppressed and helplessly missed the opportunity.

"My fellow Daoist, your knowledge is indeed profound. I am filled with admiration." Emperor Antuo revealed a shadow of himself. In his prime, he would have scorned such minor techniques, pursuing only the limits of power, believing that one force could break ten thousand laws.

However, what Wuyun described touched upon the mysteries of the God Realm, from which he gained much.

"It's here!"

Emperor Antuo’s eyes flickered, and he vanished without a trace.

Wuyun looked up, rolled up the formation diagram, and gathered his helpers, who had been slacking off, into the diagram. Then, countless branches surged from the ground—all sixth-grade immortal artifacts—forming a glowing square formation that lifted the diagram into the space.

Soon, Lan Chulian reappeared, beaming with pride, his cultivation having advanced from the early stage of the Immortal King to the middle stage.

In such a short time, not even taking medicinal supplements could allow for such rapid advancement—unless it was Wuyun doing it.

As Lan Chulian held a castle-like object in his hand, Wuyun revealed himself and said in surprise, "It seems you have grown quite well; you can control a portion of the restrictions here."

Lan Chulian, high-spirited, bragged, "I am the reincarnation of Emperor Antuo, the master of this Imperial Artifact..."

Before he could finish, Wuyun interrupted: "Have you accepted the inheritance bestowed by the Imperial Artifact?"

"Hmph!"

Lan Chulian brandished the castle in his hand. In an instant, the Immortal Tree Jialan rose, and their combined strike forced the covered formation diagram into the castle.

This miniature Imperial Artifact possessed immense power; in an instant, the Six Heavens and Eight Earths activated their maximum defense to withstand the powerful pressure and intimidation.

Inside the diagram, Ling Tong and the others were just about to rest when the sharp imperial aura left them gasping for breath. Only when Rong Ya summoned the jade coffin did the group feel a bit better.

Wuyun was calm and indifferent. He said to the artifact spirit pressing down on the diagram, "Let’s speak plainly. His soul and remains are within my body. If I die, this entire Imperial Artifact dies!"

The miniature Seven Seas Castle remained silent, but Lan Chulian was enraged, commanding the Immortal Tree to unleash its strongest strike.

Without the suppression of the Imperial Artifact, Jialan’s attack intensified abruptly. Countless leaves and branches formed a conical sword, reaching the level of a top-tier second-grade immortal artifact. Moreover, bolstered by its main body, the power was infinite, and a momentum was about to be unleashed.

Even if Wuyun summoned the Fear-Hate Immortal Sword, he could not stop it; an immortal artifact is a different entity when controlled versus when it is not.

Just as the formation was suffering a fatal blow, Wuyun left the diagram, ignoring the pressure of the Seven Seas Castle, and stepped out. He stood effortlessly before Lan Chulian, leaving the latter to wonder: Is this the power of an Imperial Artifact, that it cannot even trap one person?

"Do you know why it cannot trap me?" Before he could guess, Wuyun said with a smirk, "This Seven Seas Castle is mine. I am also the reincarnation of Emperor Antuo."

Everyone in the diagram, including Lan Chulian and the Immortal Tree Jialan, was stunned.

Wuyun’s move caught even the formation diagram hiding within off guard. He could hardly tell Lan Chulian the truth: that the main soul of the Imperial Artifact was within Wuyun.

"Nonsense! We shall see soon enough!" Lan Chulian flicked his finger, forming a spatial channel. He merged with the Imperial Artifact, manipulating it with ease. Once the channel was formed, the imperial aura of the artifact surged from a specific point, striking Wuyun.

As long as the imperial aura washed over him, Wuyun’s lie would be exposed immediately.

However, after the imperial aura struck, Wuyun stood firm. He even fanned his hand, looking as if he felt quite warm.

This situation drove Lan Chulian to the brink of madness. He looked expectantly at the Immortal Tree; the strongest strike he had just brewed stopped. As long as it involved the master’s soul, this tree dared not attack.

He hurriedly questioned the artifact spirit. After a long silence, an artifact spirit with the body and head of a deer appeared and said emotionlessly: "If you cannot kill them with my help, then there is no meaning in your existence. Only by devouring each other will you become stronger and be able to form the master’s complete divine soul."

If he had not passed the Immortal King tribulation, Lan Chulian would not have believed it, but having been baptized by the inheritance, he subconsciously believed it now.

The inheritance had blinded his eyes! Jealousy breeds hatred!

"Blue Lake Divine Light!" Lan Chulian unleashed his ultimate technique again. However, after firing it, he felt a moment of trance. The Blue Lake Divine Light was sucked into the suppressed formation diagram again, vanishing without a trace.

"You have become a fool, your consciousness manipulated; you are no match for me. Artifact spirit, I am talking to you. No matter how meticulous your calculations are, you have no chance of winning against me."

The Seven Seas Castle’s artifact spirit did not respond; it replied with Lan Chulian’s immortal sword.

With Wuyun’s current cultivation, resisting Lan Chulian’s attack was difficult.

Just as Wuyun subconsciously reached out to block, the Jialan tree behind Lan Chulian used its branches to obstruct him, dissolving the various divine abilities he was employing.

Lan Chulian glared in anger, but the Immortal Tree said heavily: "I smell the scent of the old master. Hong Lu, I know what you want to do, but I cannot do it."

Jialan’s interference finally caused the artifact spirit, Hong Lu, to change color. A spatial rift formed, intending to banish Wuyun; unexpectedly, when it enveloped Wuyun, the expulsion channel closed on its own.

"With all my calculations, how did a variable like you get in to disrupt my plans?" Facing Wuyun, the artifact spirit dared not kill him. If the two merged into one, Wuyun would be Antuo, and Emperor Antuo would be Wuyun.

"Expulsion is a ruse; banishing him outside to make him easier to subdue is the truth!" Wuyun spoke the truth, chanting under his breath. Suddenly, his expression changed. He was no longer the innocent youth, but had become the Immortal Emperor of a generation: Emperor Antuo.

Having gained the body, Antuo used attack as a defense, striving to control everything within the Seven Seas Castle. Taking the opportunity, the formation diagram once again shrouded his surroundings.

Everything around him turned black, and countless black vapors emanated. The gases formed by the specters in the space and the Dream-Devil acted like engines and fuel, allowing him to exert the strongest power of an Immortal King.

If it were an ordinary peak Immortal King, it would be difficult to shake the Imperial Artifact. But Antuo was originally an Emperor, and within his soul, there was the incessant chatter of Wuyun, pointing out every mistake he made.

Even the most perfect techniques, powerful moves, and inescapable strikes became riddled with flaws under Wuyun’s muttering.

"Ah!"

The Imperial Artifact had never seen Antuo so frantic. Roaring, he pointed to the sky, and the entire Seven Seas Castle established a connection with him. The entire Imperial Artifact was something he had painstakingly forged; this time, by attacking from within, he shook it to its foundation.