“Woo woo…” The sound of the horn echoed, long and deep, resonating through heaven and earth as if blown from ancient times, carrying its call into the present era.
This was a horn from the Upper Realm, rumored to be crafted from dragon horns. It was held in rotation by ancient sects, and when sounded, it could shake three thousand provinces—only blown for events of great significance.
Clearly, today was a day to be recorded in history. The Immortal Dao Flower Bud bloomed for the final time, marking the end of this epoch!
Within the ancient land, high in the heavens, three thousand petals unfurled, dazzling and magnificent to the point of stupefying onlookers. People stared in awe, entranced.
This was the manifestation of the Dao—each petal bore a unique path, blooming continuously from antiquity to the present. Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine petals had been witnessed before.
Today, the three-thousandth petal bloomed for the first time, radiant and dreamlike in its hues.
Not just those at the Divine Flame or True One realms, but even the ancient titans of the Upper Realm, who had lived for millions of years, narrowed their eyes, scrutinizing it intently.
If one could comprehend its secrets, they might attain a rebirth of sorts!
The flower was colossal, each petal bearing a distinct Dao. Now, it manifested in reality, enveloping millions of cultivators, allowing them to stand upon the petals and stride toward their respective Immortal Gates.
All wore solemn expressions, silent and focused, advancing step by step while contemplating the Dao. This was the easiest place to gain enlightenment—any insight reaped here would benefit them for life.
Raindrops fell, each one luminous and shimmering with misty colors—this was the dew of the Dao!
Some couldn’t withstand it, crying out in shock as they experienced sudden enlightenment, breaking through the Noble realm and igniting their Divine Flame, flames licking from their heads down to their heels.
“Boom!”
As a result, over a hundred thousand were swept away from the sacred radiance of the Great Path, expelled from the area and plummeting toward the earth below.
“No!” they wailed, filled with frustration, unwillingness, and regret. They had been so close to the Immortal Gate, on the verge of entering the Immortal Ancient, only to be cast out due to their breakthrough.
This served as a warning to others—caution was paramount.
“What a pity!” sighed some elders in the distance, while others wore grim expressions, having witnessed their sect’s geniuses fall, missing an unparalleled opportunity.
The Immortal Flower bloomed, each petal capable of carrying over a thousand people—such was its vastness.
Upon each crystalline petal stood a radiant gate, woven from the Great Dao, exuding luminous rain that connected to an ancient, hidden land.
Some were fortunate—just as they were about to ignite their Divine Flame, they let out a cry and leaped through the gate, continuing their enlightenment within.
“Move quickly, don’t linger here. There are more Daos to comprehend inside, perhaps even more refined,” someone whispered to their companions.
The three thousand petals, slender and translucent like celestial rivers, intertwined not only in visual splendor but also in the perfection and simplicity of the Great Dao.
The scene grew even more resplendent, with multicolored lights dancing and divine rainbows cascading like waterfalls. At the flower’s stamen, misty radiance gushed forth like the Heavenly River, a breathtaking sight.
Nearly everyone had entered, save for a few stragglers.
Among them was Shi Hao, who glanced left and right before attempting to charge toward the stamen. Finding no gate there, he abandoned the effort.
Next, he fixed his gaze on the three-thousandth petal—the last to bloom in this era—and leaped toward it with sudden determination.
Regrettably, a tremendous force swept him back, nearly knocking him down. He landed heavily, returning to his starting point.
“The newly bloomed petal must resonate more with this era. It’s worth comprehending—I must reach it!”
Shi Hao’s body blazed with light as he exerted himself again, unleashing astonishing potential to traverse the void. Yet, he failed once more, struck down by the Great Dao’s aura.
After several attempts, he relented. His plan to explore different paths had failed, leaving him no choice but to proceed forward with resignation.
Many who witnessed this were speechless. Which sect’s disciple was this, stirring up trouble when others were anxious just to enter? While they fretted over admission, he was leaping about outside.
When Shi Hao finally entered, the gates on all three thousand petals closed, vanishing without a trace.
Undoubtedly, he was the last living being to enter.
“Does this… make him the one with the least potential?” murmured some in the outside world.
There was a pattern to this—the first hundred thousand to enter usually included all the prodigies. Even if exceptions occurred, they wouldn’t rank beyond the hundred thousand mark.
The rest were ranked by potential, with the weakest entering last.
“Well… he delayed himself, so he shouldn’t be ranked last. But whether he belongs among the prodigies is uncertain.”
“He must be from some minor sect, barely qualifying to ascend. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he know to rush in first?” someone shook their head.
Though the last to enter, Shi Hao still drew attention—though not in the form of praise.
“Fellow Daoists, let us combine our efforts to illuminate the scenes within the three thousand petals,” a sect master declared.
They couldn’t sustain this daily due to the immense expenditure, but the first day demanded scrutiny—to check for anomalies.
After all, this was the final opening of the “Immortal Ancient.” No one could predict if complications would arise.
**Boom!**
From the distant horizon, a group of sect masters unleashed their power, igniting the heavens. Divine radiance flooded forth like an ocean, surging into the forbidden zone.
The three thousand petals swayed, absorbing divine energy. First, they blazed brilliantly, then mirrored the light like glass, reflecting myriad scenes.
**Within the Immortal Ancient—the Land of Beginnings.**
Stone staircases stretched forward and upward, each wreathed in wisps of chaotic energy, as if climbing a lofty slope.
Unsurprisingly, there were three thousand such staircases.
Now, each was crowded with figures trudging forward with difficulty.
Nearly five million Nobles traversed these steps, none speaking, all seemingly eager to be the first to crest the slope.
“Nothing unusual—just as in the past. Three thousand bluestone staircases, each bearing a different Great Dao. Standing upon them subjects one to immense pressure,” remarked a sect master.
This path had remained unchanged since antiquity.
Next, the sect masters pooled their strength again, illuminating the scene beyond the staircases.
There lay a kaleidoscopic, dreamlike world—though too indistinct to discern without Nobles entering it.
“Once someone steps into that radiant world, inscribe their name upon the petal to observe them and their surroundings.”
The Upper Realm sect masters were patient, for they had experience. It might take ten days before anyone crossed, as the bluestone staircases were arduous to traverse.
However, the path wouldn’t bar the Nobles forever—each would eventually pass, though in a strict order.
“What is that fellow doing?”
One petal displayed a scene from a bluestone staircase—a Noble sitting at the very rear, chin in hand, watching the others advance.
“That’s the youth who entered last,” someone noted.
Though shrouded in chaotic energy and only his back visible, there was no mistaking him. This drew more attention.
“He’s standing up. No—he’s crouching again. He’s… digging at the staircase!” The crowd was dumbfounded.
“Is he searching for treasure? What nonsense!”
**Within the Immortal Ancient—on the Bluestone Staircase.**
Mist swirled here, thick with the aura of the Great Dao and immense pressure, growing heavier with each step forward.
Shi Hao tapped and knocked, crouching at the rear, studying the bluestone for hidden Dao patterns.
Disappointingly, he found none. But meditating here did allow him to grasp fragments of rules.
Rising, he surveyed the broad staircase and the dense crowd ahead, frowning.
“Can I cross to another staircase this time?”
After contemplating briefly, he decided to attempt it—to compare the differences between paths.
Of course, his primary goal remained the final petal’s Immortal Gate—the last staircase.
**Boom!**
He struck, aiming to breach the barrier between paths. This time, he succeeded—the resistance wasn’t overwhelming.
Satisfied, Shi Hao stepped onto another path, paused briefly, then shattered another barrier, heading for the staircase formed by the final petal.
Thus, he traversed repeatedly until he arrived.
“What is he doing?”
The outside world was baffled. What was the point of such futile efforts?
Alas, the roiling chaotic energy obscured even their mighty vision, leaving only vague outlines.
“If we knew his name, we could inscribe it on the petal for a clearer view.”
“Forget it. These bluestone staircases have existed since time immemorial—nothing special. It’s not worth the effort to watch him,” someone dismissed.
To observe an individual required inscribing their name on the petal with supreme power—a costly endeavor.
Thus, even names like Six Crowns Ning Chuan, the Immortal Palace’s heir, and other ancient freaks remained unwritten, reserved for when they entered the radiant world.
Soon, the day ended. Even combined, the sect masters couldn’t sustain the expenditure, and the three thousand petals dimmed.
In truth, the next six or seven days saw no further infusions of power—history showed that even the fastest took ten days to exit the staircases.
During this time, three thousand towering jade steles were erected outside the forbidden zone, each corresponding to a petal.
Only the mighty could channel power to glimpse the Immortal Ancient through the petals. Lesser cultivators relied on the steles, where sect masters projected the scenes for all to see.
On the ninth day, the sect masters acted again, illuminating the petals like mirrors to reflect the Immortal Ancient.
“Ah! Someone is nearing the end already—about to enter the radiant world! A day earlier than ever before!”
Additionally, battles were seen—at the ends of several staircases, divine light surged as fierce clashes erupted.
“Is that Six Crowns Ning Chuan? Look—a bead string transforming into a dragon, locked in combat! How intense!”
“Indeed, it’s him!”
“Quick, inscribe his name on the petal for a closer look!”
A sect master focused, wielding immense power to etch “Ning Chuan” onto the corresponding petal across the vast void.
Instantly, the petal clearly displayed the scene—confirming it was him!
Outside the forbidden zone, a massive stele lit up, imprinting the sect masters’ vision for all to witness.
“Ning Chuan is battling a man—someone unfamiliar.”
“No, that man is renowned—an ancient freak named Li Fanming. Though he only emerged once before sealing himself, it’s said he slew a Four Crowns in that era.”
The crowd gasped.
Next, a sect master inscribed the Immortal Palace heir’s name, only to find him also embroiled in fierce combat.
“Who is that?” Many were stunned, staring at the stele’s display.
The heir’s opponent was a man wreathed in flames, wielding a fragment of a divine disk that unleashed terrifying might!
“A fragment of the Cycle Disk!” Even sect masters widened their eyes.
“Impossible! Even damaged, such a treasure couldn’t be brought inside.”
“That disk is peculiar—its power is suppressed, so it was allowed in?”
This stele caused an uproar, drawing crowds to watch.
“What about the Ten Crowns, hailed as the strongest Noble? Inscribe his name!”
Soon, a figure appeared—serene, unopposed, nearing the radiant world.
“Speaking of which, there’s an ancient freak who never ignited his Divine Flame yet once claimed the title of world’s strongest Noble. Let’s see how he fares.”
Shortly after, a stele displayed a being—also undisturbed, facing no rivals on his path.
Yet, adjacent to his staircase, an astonishing brilliance flared.
“Who is that? That seems like the Heavenly Human Clan’s techniques!”
Speculation ran wild. Even the clan’s prodigy, You Yu, paled in comparison. Who else wielded such supreme might?
“Don’t tell me it’s the missing Three Stones Heavenly Lord!” a sect master exclaimed.
“Quick, inscribe his name!”
No sooner was “Three Stones Heavenly Lord” written than the petal revealed a figure—indeed, the legendary being lost to history, alive and well!
Now, he single-handedly suppressed five young supremes, each terrifyingly powerful!
“Incredible—worthy of his legend.”
One by one, illustrious names were inscribed, each shining with their destined brilliance, displaying boundless potential!
“What about ‘Huang’? Where is he? How is he faring?”
“And that sinner’s descendant—let’s see his progress.”
Meanwhile, beside the Everlasting Immortal Qin Changsheng, someone whispered, “Ancestor, should we check if that youth from the Lower Realm still lives? I’ve uncovered some secrets lately.”
Qin Changsheng remained silent, pondering.
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