“Then…?” Ling Ziyun stood on tiptoe. Though this woman wore no makeup, her charm was evident in every part of her body. Even her toes, painted with a hint of pink nail polish and adorned with a ring on the middle toe, were incredibly seductive. “Now that you’ve become Chief Executive, why leave the East and come all the way to the South?”
“I’m here to find a divine artifact,” said Shi Mingyuan.
“A divine artifact?” Kan Ling, finally stepping out of the bathroom after finishing her bath, just heard the last word as she entered the room. “What kind of divine artifact?”
Since the entire spaceship was filled with women, Kan Ling had become more relaxed, wearing only a white bathrobe loosely tied across her chest. Against the white fabric, her already ample bosom appeared even more eye-catching, causing both women to stare unashamedly.
“Tsk!” Kan Ling spat at them. “You perverted women, why don’t you look at yourselves?”
“Yours isn’t as big as mine,” Kan Ling teased with a grin.
“Yours isn’t small either,” Kan Ling replied, covering her chest with both hands as if fending off perverts to block their lustful gazes. “What divine artifact were you two talking about?”
Shi Mingyuan finally turned slightly serious and explained, “After the great battle at Elder Mountain, even the Yan Rong Bow, the supreme divine artifact in the universe, was taken by the Supreme Sovereign. Now, no one in the entire universe can rival the Supreme Sovereign. To survive under these circumstances, the rebels in the East and the Shen Yu Autonomous Territory in the West must find a more powerful divine artifact to have any hope.”
“But even the Yan Rong Bow is in the hands of the Supreme One, and the ten greatest divine artifacts later collected by the Dan Ding Sword Sect ultimately ended up in the hands of the Elder Council,” Kan Ling frowned. “What divine artifact nowadays could surpass the thirty divine artifacts of the Creator?”
The thirty divine artifacts of the Creator are indeed powerful, but their rankings are not fixed. Changes in spiritual energy across the universe are common. Originally, the Flame-Fusion Bow ranked at the bottom among the thirty divine artifacts. However, after an ordinary human sealed the Shen Nong Soul inside it, the bow rose to become the supreme artifact among them all.” Shi Mingyuan rephrased the theories passed down by the elders. “There are so many powerful individuals in this world that new divine artifacts can emerge at any moment.”
Kan Ling nodded thoughtfully, recalling how Yang Hao had created the Shadow Moon out of nothing, an artifact no less impressive than any divine artifact.
“So, a new divine artifact has appeared in the South?” Ling Ziyun asked.
“Yes. According to intelligence from our spies within the Empire, a new and extremely powerful divine artifact has recently appeared in the South, causing an immediate sensation upon its emergence.” Shi Mingyuan paused, then continued, “Both the Elder Council and the Supreme Sovereign are determined to go to any lengths to acquire this artifact.”
Ling Ziyun’s face paled slightly, thinking of her master, Rongzhe Shangshi.
“So, you came to the South to find this divine artifact?” Kan Ling thought for a moment before exclaiming, “The Elder Council is willing to do anything to get the artifact. Isn’t it dangerous for you to go alone and try to seize it?”
“Isn’t being a rebel even more dangerous?” Shi Mingyuan raised her chin confidently.
Kan Ling blushed suddenly, thinking how she could get the artifact and personally present it to Yang Hao.
“Since we’re already good friends, how can we let you take such a risk alone?” Kan Ling said resolutely. “We’ll go with you to find the artifact. With two Saint Domain experts, the Elders will have to think twice.”
Seeing Kan Ling’s noble expression, Ling Ziyun and Shi Mingyuan understood exactly what she was thinking. The two women exchanged knowing smiles but chose not to comment.
Outside the spaceship, the arcs of stars in the distance seemed to laugh heartily.
The Twin Star drifted aimlessly through the skies of the South, with no real destination in mind, treating it as a sightseeing trip.
The three women decided their direction using a rather unconventional method. Ling Ziyun would spread out a star map, and Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan would choose the most beautiful and elegant galaxy based on aesthetics. The Twin Star flew around haphazardly, guided by these whimsical choices.
However, finding divine artifacts is clearly a matter of luck rather than planning. Even with the three young women acting recklessly, luck was on their side.
The Southern Star Region was the most primitive of the four outer regions, even more undeveloped than the East. Although the Eastern Region had fewer intelligent species and more exotic beasts, many planets still harbored life.
In contrast, the Southern Region was mostly populated with white dwarf stars, barren worlds with no life, containing only various resources and elements within their soil and rocky crusts.
Therefore, instead of manned spaceships, the Southern Region was filled with resource-laden freighters and mining vessels, with white dwarf stars scattered like grains of dust.
As the Twin Star passed a white dwarf only a quarter the size of Earth, Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan suddenly jumped up and shouted to Ling Ziyun, “Stop the jump!”
Ling Ziyun slammed on the brakes.
The Twin Star’s excellent performance immediately showed. The reverse nuclear device stopped within a second, while the deceleration system quickly engaged. The two forces counteracted each other, causing the ship to glide only a short distance before coming to a halt.
Below them lay an obscure, nameless white dwarf.
“What’s wrong?” Ling Ziyun asked, puzzled.
“Did you feel it too?” Shi Mingyuan asked Kan Ling.
Kan Ling nodded solemnly. “Just now, there seemed to be a fluctuation in the power of a divine artifact.”
“How do you know it’s a divine artifact?” Ling Ziyun remained skeptical. “There are countless energy fluctuations in the universe. It could just be a solar flare.”
Kan Ling was certain. “There must be something wrong. We both sensed the power fluctuation of a divine artifact. Moreover, this power fluctuation is even stronger than the Yan Rong Bow.”
“What?” Ling Ziyun and Shi Mingyuan exclaimed together.
Shi Mingyuan had never seen the Flame-Fusing Bow, and Ling Ziyun was not a Holy Domain expert, so she couldn’t sense the powerful energy fluctuations. But considering the Flame-Fusing Bow’s reputation as the number one divine artifact in the universe, it should be unmatched in power.
Yet Kan Ling claimed that the fluctuation she sensed was even more powerful than the Flame Fusion Bow.
Doesn’t that mean the divine artifact on this white dwarf is even stronger than the Flame-Fusion Bow?
Ling Ziyun fell silent, her expression serious as she piloted the spaceship down toward the white dwarf. The planet was surrounded by a faint blue haze, indicating it had an atmosphere. However, the entire planet was gray and rocky, with no natural life, a common sight in the South.
The unnamed planet was covered with undulating gray stone peaks and numerous craters obviously caused by meteor impacts. In such a place, if a divine artifact could naturally emerge, it would be nothing short of divine injustice.
However, Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan’s sense of the divine artifact’s presence grew stronger. They guided Ling Ziyun as the spaceship circled the planet completely, arriving at the far side of the unnamed star.
Suddenly, the trio noticed that the far side of the planet was completely different from the near side.
The near side had nothing but endless rocks and mountains, with no trace of life.
But on the far side, the mountains and rocks remained, yet signs of life suddenly appeared in abundance—so much so that it was overwhelming.
Even Ling Ziyun, observing from the spaceship, felt a chill at the sight of so many so-called “lives.”
Below the spaceship, the entire landscape was filled with black-roved followers of the Supreme Church. They were densely packed, appearing from above like hundreds of thousands of ants. These terrifying ants covered an area of about ten square kilometers.
All the church members were armed, shouting wildly as they charged toward a strange mountain.
This peculiar mountain was like a solitary pillar rising abruptly, with steep cliffs on all sides.
Ordinarily, it would be impossible for anyone to climb it, yet the followers of the Supreme Church were scaling the rock faces barehanded, as if possessed. Many fell during the climb, crashing into their comrades below and crushing several into pulp. Yet those around them remained indifferent, continuing their frenzied ascent.
Their target was the person standing atop the strange mountain.
This person stood on the summit, on a platform about one square kilometer in size, facing the approaching swarm of church members with a pale face and calm demeanor.
This woman did not seem to possess particularly strong powers, and might even be considered weak, lacking even the abilities of a swordsman. Her hair was short, tinged with a hint of purple, and her eyes were a mix of purplish-blue and silvery-gray, not resembling those of a native intelligent being. However, her figure was remarkably well-proportioned, even surpassing the figures of Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan.
Though this woman was weak in power and faced an attack from several million church members, she remained completely unshaken amidst the apocalyptic cries of battle, responding with cold indifference.
The source of her immense confidence was the silver axe in her hands.
A gleaming silver axe, nearly as tall as a person, radiating the glow of a divine artifact.
The fluctuation of divine power that Shi Mingyuan and Kan Ling had sensed earlier originated from this axe.
The woman coldly watched the church members charging forward like madmen and then gently swung the long axe. At a distance of dozens of meters, ten or more church members immediately fell dead.
Yet the silver axe did not even get stained with blood.
No matter how many church members climbed the mountain, the woman calmly and steadily swung the axe again and again, forming a circle of corpses around her, almost piling up into a mountain.
However, Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan could tell that this woman was nearing her limit.
The power of the silver long axe was rare in the world, yet the woman’s frailty was equally astounding. Typically, those capable of wielding a supreme divine artifact were at least experts at the Saint Domain level. However, this woman, who couldn’t even reach the level of a swordsman, had somehow acquired such an immensely powerful weapon, naturally arousing the envy of others.
Although the woman had temporarily managed to prevent her position from being overrun, her strength was nearly depleted, and the members of the Supreme Church seemed endless. Though she had slain thousands, compared to the hundreds of thousands of attackers, it was like a drop in the ocean.
Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan left Ling Ziyun on the Twin Star and quickly flew down.
Although they did not know who this woman was, the Supreme Church members were undoubtedly enemies. Following the principle that the enemy of one’s enemy is a friend, this was a clear choice.
Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan arrived just in time. The woman was just about to collapse from exhaustion. She had swung the axe for too long and was too tired, finally unable to continue and collapsing onto the ground.
The church members, no longer deterred by the divine artifact, seized the opportunity, shrieking wildly as they charged forward.
Fortunately, Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan arrived in time. The combined power of two Saint Domain experts was naturally formidable, and the charging thousands of church members were once again defeated.
“What’s your name?” Kan Ling, while summoning her sword spirit and fighting fiercely, asked the woman who was panting heavily and trying to recover her strength.
The woman looked up, glanced at them, and replied calmly, “My name is Xin Mei.”
Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan showed no reaction to this name. At that moment, the Supreme Church members launched a new attack. On the battlefield, many cultivators with considerable abilities had already begun organizing themselves, hurling their companions up the mountain one by one.
This insane tactic naturally led to an unimaginable death toll, but at the same time, many church members managed to reach the summit directly through this method.
On the mountaintop, the number of Supreme Church members had doubled.
Kan Ling and Shi Mingyuan felt unprecedented pressure.
Just as Shi Mingyuan and her companions were surrounded by the Supreme Church, Yang Hao was also caught in a trial of blood and fire.
This story must begin seven days earlier.
Yang Hao, dressed in the simplest gray robe, stood in front of the Great Dan Ding, appearing calm and composed.
“Are you really sure about this?” Tian Xuanzi and Yun Hezi stood behind Yang Hao, their faces filled with concern. “If you don’t get refined by the star power during these seven days in the Great Dan Ding, you will immediately trigger a heavenly tribulation upon exiting, with a hundredfold power. Your chances of survival are extremely slim.”
“But there’s still a chance,” Yang Hao said calmly.
Tian Xuanzi stroked his beard. Although the method of cultivation within the Great Dan Ding was his idea, a product of his genius, when it came down to it, he was reluctant to let Yang Hao go.
After all, Yang Hao was the most talented genius the Dan Ding Sect had produced in a thousand years, carrying the hopes of reviving the sect. The hopes of countless generations of immortals and deities rested on Yang Hao’s shoulders. If he died, the Dan Ding Sect might truly perish.
Tian Xuanzi hesitated, and he had every reason to hesitate.
If successful, the outcome would be wonderful. But if he failed, the consequences would be irreparable. All the efforts of Yang Hao and Hun Yuanzi, and the entire universe’s rebel forces, might be destroyed in an instant.
“But it’s worth it,” Yang Hao said calmly, gently caressing the outer wall of the Great Dan Ding. “This world has given me enough. I possess powers that others don’t, and I have been granted powers that others can only dream of, whether from the deities or the immortals. Now it’s time for me to repay the world.”
Tian Xuanzi was about to speak, but Yang Hao raised his hand to stop him. “Master, my decision is final. This is my duty, a duty bestowed upon me by the universe itself. Long ago, the Supreme One created his order with his ambition. Now, I must bring it to an end with my conviction. If this world truly needs transformation, if it genuinely requires a new order, then so be it—I will accept that fate.”
Tian Xuanzi pondered for a long time before finally nodding heavily under the watchful eyes of the immortals. “Remember the Chen Yue bracelet I gave you.”
Thus, the matter was settled.
Although this decision had just been made, all the preparations had already been completed. Under the guidance of Yun Hezi, Yang Hao slowly climbed to the mouth of the Great Dan Ding’s copper furnace. He turned back for one last look at the grass below, where the lush greenery symbolized vibrant life. Yang Hao seemed to understand something and smiled before jumping into the Great Dan Ding. Yun Hezi almost trembled as he closed the copper furnace mouth.
The mechanism of the Dan Ding was locked from the inside. From now on, the Great Dan Ding was divided into two separate worlds, and it could not be opened for seven days.
Nearly fifty immortals, each with their own responsibilities, began operating the Great Dan Ding.
This cauldron could be said to revolutionize the Dan Ding Sect’s cultivation process, so naturally, it was quite complex. In the past, even if the Dan Ding Sect had the Great Dan Ding, they might not even be able to start it.
Fortunately, the Hidden Immortal Realm had the most immortals. Just randomly selecting fifty of them and having them inject their spiritual energy into the talismans inside the Great Dan Ding caused the inscriptions carved on the cauldron to form a golden light network, which ultimately shot straight into the sky.
At this moment, deep in the unseen universe, many stars began to react to these inscriptions. The energy of many stars changed, and some stars suddenly dimmed, as if their energy had been drained, turning them into white dwarfs themselves.
However, these changes occurred quietly in the dark background of the universe, making them difficult for people to notice.
The real significant change, however, was happening inside the Great Dan Ding.
Yang Hao experienced seven days of unbearable suffering. After seven days and nights of being refined inside the cauldron, Yang Hao was almost certain that he would never fear any difficulties or feel fear again.
Because he had already experienced all the hardships and fears.
In fact, before entering the cauldron, Yang Hao had already considered all the torments. However, he had not expected the refining process of the Great Dan Ding to be so extreme.
On the first day, when the power of the stars slightly entered the Great Dan Ding, Yang Hao only felt heat and air expansion, which did not make him feel too uncomfortable, just like entering the equator in the height of summer. However, by the second day, this heat increased geometrically, with waves of flames furiously surging inside the Great Dan Ding, turning it into a sea of fire. However, even like this, Yang Hao was not afraid, after all, he mastered the essence of fire, and as long as it was not the kind of fire that could burn through a soul, almost no fire could hurt him.
On the third day, the fire inside the Great Dan Ding became the source fire. This kind of fire, which is the origin of all fires in the world, is usually difficult to find. Unexpectedly, under the influence of the power of the stars, it was refined in just three days. Yang Hao finally felt pressure. Although he could endure a bit of the energy of the source fire, the entire cauldron was filled with this flame, roasting him thoroughly. He could only rely on the power of his inner elixir and the essence of fire to barely hold on.
By the fourth day, all the source fire had transformed into a fierce blaze.
At this point, Yang Hao realized that his troubles had finally arrived.
This Xiongyan was even more dangerous than the original fire. Back when Yang Hao possessed the Yanrong Bow, he often used Xiongyan arrows to injure others. That black flame was so perilous that even Yang Hao himself dared not touch it, for the slightest contact would burn him severely, even to the point of decay.
But now, his entire body was surrounded by this fierce flame. At this point, there was truly no way out. Yang Hao had no choice but to sit calmly at the bottom of the cauldron, allowing the fierce flame to engulf him.
For several consecutive days, Yang Hao felt that the fierce flames had scorched his skin, muscles, and bones, even burning his body to the point of hollowness.
But this feeling was also quite magical, making Yang Hao feel a sense of lightness, as if he could fly up at any moment.
However, pain and fear quickly accompanied Yang Hao. From the sixth day onwards, he sank into an eternal loneliness. His soul also seemed to be tempered and burned by the Great Dan Ding, rapidly plunging him into an inescapable solitude.
Yang Hao finally understood that true pain does not come from the body, but from one’s own heart. That loneliness was like an endless night or being locked in a dry well, waiting for death day by day.
That despair made Yang Hao deeply understand the feelings of Hun Yuanzi drifting through the universe for a thousand years.
These agonizing six days finally passed before Yang Hao was on the verge of complete collapse. This was entirely due to a group of immortals supplementing his life force with their treasures. If it weren’t for this, Yang Hao would have died long ago. Unfortunately, those treasures that the immortals had cultivated for thousands of years were completely destroyed in this refining process.
Yang Hao’s suffering finally came to an end on the seventh day. A golden starlight pierced through the cauldron and spread evenly over Yang Hao’s body. This time, the light was not destructive, but regenerative; not harmful, but restorative. This golden light was the light of life itself, mending Yang Hao’s scorched body and soul, transforming his entire being.
If this step was completed, Yang Hao would completely shed his mortal shell and become an immortal.
This was the first time in history that a mortal had become an immortal through this method, through this way of dying and being reborn.
But Yang Hao did not expect that this would be the final test, the most severe and difficult to endure.
This test was not aimed at Yang Hao, but at Hun Yuanzi.
The previous six days of refining were nothing to Hun Yuanzi, because he was already dead. If Yang Hao represented life, then Hun Yuanzi was the embodiment of death, a soul dwelling in Yang Hao’s body.
Therefore, during the first six days of the test, which transformed life into death, the main sufferer was Yang Hao, whose body and soul underwent a transformation from life to death. Hun Yuanzi did not undergo much of a test. On the contrary, he constantly watched over his apprentice, continuously transferring his energy.
However, on the seventh day, everything reversed.
When the golden light representing life force pierced into the Great Dan Ding, Hun Yuanzi’s doom arrived. He had never seen such a strong life force before. It was a power capable of reshaping life, but for Hun Yuanzi’s soul, it was fatal.
So when that golden light struck Yang Hao’s body and helped him transform, Hun Yuanzi had already been struck to the brink of death.
But he stubbornly endured without uttering a sound, fearing it would trouble his apprentice. In Hun Yuanzi’s mind, as long as Yang Hao could ascend to immortality, even if he died, it would be worth it.
Fortunately, Yang Hao noticed something wrong with Hun Yuanzi during his inner observation: “Master, what’s wrong with you?”
“I… cough…” Hun Yuanzi tried to hold on. “Don’t worry about me.”
Yang Hao then realized that the golden light that made him feel so comfortable was actually harmful to Hun Yuanzi. He immediately summoned the Shadow Moon and blocked the golden light from all directions: “Master, what’s going on? You can’t be exposed to this light.”
“This is the final step of ascension, it’s… it’s good for you.”
Hun Yuanzi gritted his teeth. “It’s okay, I can endure.”
It would be a miracle if he could endure. Yang Hao soon discovered that even the divine artifact Shadow Moon couldn’t withstand the golden light. The light of ascension could penetrate the defense of the Shadow Moon as if it were nothing, striking Yang Hao’s body again.
“Roar!” Yang Hao was furious. He finally realized that if this continued, whether he would become an immortal was uncertain, but Hun Yuanzi would definitely die. He immediately used the essence of fire, unleashing a massive flame force to counterattack the Great Dan Ding, trying to suppress the golden light.
“It’s useless… it’s useless.” Hun Yuanzi grew weaker and weaker. “This light can’t be stopped. It’s the source of the stars… the energy of the Creator.”
“Then what should I do! Can I just watch you die?” Yang Hao suddenly felt an immense fear. The scene of parting ways with Hun Yuanzi in the divine realm returned to his mind. Could it be that this time, he really couldn’t escape it?
“Listen to me… listen to me…” Hun Yuanzi used his last bit of energy, his voice growing more and more distant. “Yang Hao, after you become an immortal, you must… must revive the Dan Ding Sect… because… because the Dan Ding Dual Cultivation Sect was defeated under your master’s hands. I can’t… I can’t become a sinner for all time.”
“Master!!” Yang Hao watched helplessly as the endless light of life brought him power while mercilessly draining Hun Yuanzi’s vitality.
“I’ve wandered for a thousand years, experiencing the greatest loneliness, just waiting for that day… that day when the sword light of the Dan Ding could appear on the top of the copper furnace mountain again, and I could… I could be with her again…”
After saying these last words, Hun Yuanzi’s voice grew low and he slowly dissolved in the golden light.
Yang Hao opened his mouth wide, tears streaming down his cheeks, flowing over his face and dripping onto his wrist. When the golden light pierced through Yang Hao’s tears, he suddenly saw a strange anchor on his hand.
Chen Yue!
Ranked second among the divine artifacts of the Creator God. Tian Xuanzi had once become a Golden Immortal because of it.
Before entering the Great Dan Ding, Tian Xuanzi had specifically reminded him that if he encountered difficulties, he should activate Chen Dan.
Now, it was finally time.
Yang Hao twisted the Chen Yue bracelet, but it showed no reaction at all, even under the golden light, it remained dark and lifeless.
Yang Hao watched helplessly as Hun Yuanzi was slowly dissolved by the golden light, his anxiety growing. He simply threw his entire spiritual consciousness into the “Chen Yue.”
Jin!
After a thousand years, the once invincible Chen Yue divine artifact finally activated.
Yang Hao felt as if his spiritual consciousness had plunged into a vast space, a space not only larger than the Great Dan Ding but even larger than the Hidden Immortal Realm outside.
More shockingly, Yang Hao seemed to realize that he had entered a universe itself.
Inside Chen Yue, there were flashes of starlight, countless nebulae and star clusters whizzing past him.
Before Yang Hao could even get a clear look at his surroundings, a strange change occurred before him.
Suddenly, the colorful nebulae in front of him split into many smaller groups, each operating according to its own laws.
Yang Hao was startled. He suddenly realized that this was the division of space.
The star clusters were torn apart and continued to split into smaller parts, one into two, two into four, four into eight, until the number became infinite.
Yang Hao frowned in thought. Although the division of space into so many parts seemed impressive, the energy contained in each space became less, making it practically insignificant.
As if answering Yang Hao’s doubts, the scene before his eyes suddenly expanded, growing until he could clearly see the situation inside each hair-like subdivided space.
Yang Hao was shocked to see that within those spaces, there were still countless nebulae and star clusters, still the flickering of stars and the myriad wonders of the universe.
Even though space was cut into layers, even the smallest space still maintained its own world.
This was the principle of the “Three Thousand Great Worlds,” all existing within a speck of dust, all existing beyond a speck of dust.
“One Mount Sumeru, one mustard seed,” this was the principle.
When Yang Hao understood the essence of space division, the scene before his eyes changed again. All the subdivided worlds merged back into one, and in the vast cosmic tides of the starry sky, Yang Hao suddenly saw another universe.
This was very wonderful, as if it were a prism, displaying other scenes before people’s eyes.
That world, like this one, operated slowly and orderly, neither more nor less, but Yang Hao could clearly see that this world and that world were two different worlds.
The number of faces on the prism rapidly increased, eventually reaching hundreds, and before Yang Hao’s eyes, dozens of similar yet chaotic universes appeared in disorder.
“I understand!!!” Yang Hao suddenly shouted.
The display before him by Chen Yue was not the division of space, but the most mysterious essence of the world—the planes.
Chen Yue displayed all the planes before Yang Hao’s eyes, telling him that although he was in one universe, there were other planes, other universes.
Even if Yang Hao’s power could dominate this plane, it was still just one universe, one world.
Yang Hao suddenly understood. He completely got it.
He knew what the至尊’s ultimate goal was.
（Note: “至尊” appears to be a proper noun, possibly a title or name, so it is retained as is. If further context clarifies that it should be translated, the translation can be adjusted accordingly.）
If “至尊” refers to a specific title such as “the Supreme One” or “the Emperor,” the sentence could be revised to:
He knew what the Supreme One’s ultimate goal was.
Please provide additional context if you’d like a more precise translation.
Although the Supreme One was the sole deity in this universe, the most powerful being, even for a celestial immortal, he was merely a formidable figure within this realm.
But when confronted with the existence of countless other realms, someone with the Supreme One’s boundless ambition would never feel satisfied, nor would they ever be content.
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