Chapter 585: Conspiracy

The human emperor could also be considered as the Heavenly Emperor’s chosen one.

The contest between him and the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage had actually begun long ago.

The path toward world destruction is naturally not something simple.

It is just like when a human body contracts an illness; initially, it manifests subtly, with no obvious symptoms, then gradually deepens. By the time it becomes apparent, it has already reached a critical stage, incurable even by medicine or divine intervention.

Although the Heavenly Emperor had not yet completely deciphered the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage’s plan, he had already sensed a vague outline.

The opponent must have used the Demon Immortal as a pawn, first contaminating the sacred lands of the Four Regions of Great Zhou, then planting hidden dangers through the land’s energy. Though the Four Regions seem unaffected on the surface, secretly, they must have already been completely compromised.

Then, taking advantage of the chaos in the Central Land, the opponent would incite the Four Regions to retaliate. Through human warfare and bloodshed, he would foster darkness and attack the Heavenly Emperor’s foundation.

When the entire world reaches such a state, the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage, having accumulated sufficient power, could then initiate the destruction of the world, casting the Heavenly Emperor—who possesses the world’s position—into an irreversible abyss.

Although the two possess different levels of position and power, neither can gain a decisive advantage. Thus, they can only seek to reduce each other’s strengths and enhance their own through the struggle of dragon-contending.

For the Heavenly Emperor, this is precisely a time of chaos, making it difficult for a true dragon to rise. If the Four Regions were to invade, it would indeed pose a threat to his foundation.

Although such damage wouldn’t significantly affect him, under the circumstances of the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage watching closely, the shifting balance would make a huge difference.

Therefore, he had only one choice.

That was to abandon the originally chosen true dragon and, unexpectedly, promote a variable that was both the most likely and the most unlikely to emerge.

With the Heavenly Emperor’s authority, manipulating fortune and enhancing the potential dragon, even the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage couldn’t detect it, nearly fooling Wu Ming as well.

…

Dingzhou.

“Indeed… thinking carefully about it, since E Xu declared herself king, everything has been going too smoothly!”

When something unusual happens, there must be a reason behind it!

Wu Ming contemplated Wu Zhi’s recent fortune. Although she hasn’t had everything go perfectly, her path has been remarkably stable, which is quite strange.

For a woman to be the first to declare herself king!

The world merely discussed her more but did not rise up to oppose her!

Perhaps no one took this woman seriously, or perhaps they lacked the strength, or were too far away to act. However, the combination of all these factors is more than just a simple coincidence.

“The most dangerous period during her rise to kingship passed without incident, significantly strengthening her foundation… there must have been secret assistance!”

Wu Ming’s eyes darkened, as if he had already seen through the Heavens: “Could it be that the Heavenly Emperor secretly supported E Xu, greatly strengthening her foundation and giving her the potential to become a dragon?”

That would be good news.

Otherwise, if Wu Zhi were to establish a new dynasty, Wu Ming would inevitably have to confront the Heavenly Emperor.

But now, with this unexpected boon from Heaven, combined with the previously vague trap in Taizhou, Wu Ming began to sense a subtle premonition.

“Are the two great beings using the world as their chessboard and the warlords as their pieces?”

He almost immediately fixed his attention on the Heavenly Emperor and the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage.

In the entire Great Zhou world, perhaps only these two Seventh-Level Golden Immortals could orchestrate such a refined and profound plan that even a Celestial Immortal couldn’t see through.

“Without realizing it, I’ve also become a key point on this chessboard?”

Wu Ming sneered a few times, his expression gradually turning solemn.

Undeniably, he was not yet ready to overturn the board directly and eliminate these two Seventh-Level Golden Immortals.

Although the Primordial Temple was incredibly powerful, Golden Immortals possessed the essence of the world. To oppose them within the Great Zhou world would be unwise.

He had a deep understanding of the might of Golden Immortals.

“I’ve already faintly sensed the Golden Immortal’s layout. How should I break it?”

Wu Ming rubbed his chin and began to ponder: “Revealing it directly is the worst option, possibly drawing the enmity of both sides and resulting in losses.”

“Perhaps pretending to side with one party would at least ensure temporary self-protection and buy some time.”

From this perspective, Lingzhou would naturally be the better choice, since the Heavenly Emperor is the legitimate ruler of the Central Continent.

As for that Seventh-Level Golden Immortal in Taizhou, suspected to be the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage, his setup was clearly a trap aimed at slaying dragons. Wu Ming would have to be insane to cooperate with him.

“The top priority now is to ascend to Golden Immortal as soon as possible! Only then can I have equal standing to negotiate!”

With the Primordial Temple, he was already in an unbeatable position. If he could attain the same rank as them, he could openly reveal his presence and consider cooperation depending on the situation.

After all, equal strength is the prerequisite for cooperation, and he naturally would not forget this.

In terms of cultivation, Wu Ming based on the Primordial Temple and his own observations, temporarily divided it into nine levels.

The path of Immortality could be divided similarly.

Levels One and Two were still ordinary, but upon reaching Level Three, the True Man, one could cultivate the Primordial Spirit (Yuan Shen), travel to the Netherworld (Yōu Míng), and possess great abilities.

Level Four was the Heavenly Master, attuning one’s heart to the will of Heaven, with unstoppable power in attacks.

Level Five was the Earth Immortal, possessing the power of the Dharma Realm (Fǎ Jiè), and became a domain master. However, establishing a Blessed Land (Fú Dì) required great opportunities and blessings.

Level Six was the Heaven Immortal. At this level, one could manipulate the power of the world, a level vastly different from the previous five. Those below Level Six were like ants. Within a Heaven Immortal’s Dòng Tiān (a self-contained realm), there were mountains and rivers, grass and trees, sun and moon, stars and constellations. Populations could even reproduce. If not for the need for external support to function, it would be no different from a world.

Going further, obtaining the essence of the world and acquiring a position, one would become a Seventh-Level Golden Immortal! Coexisting with Heaven and Earth, sharing the eternity of sun and moon, unyielding through myriad calamities. In many worlds, they would be considered “Sages.”

The most orthodox way to ascend to this level was to cultivate a world!

When a Heaven Immortal’s grotto-heaven could operate independently, drawing what it needed from chaos and transforming the illusions of the sun and moon into reality, that would mark the grotto-heaven’s completion and its ascension to a world!

Once this occurred, the Heaven Immortal who owned it would naturally gain the greatest benefit, becoming a Creator, a God of Creation! The essence of the world obtained would be extremely abundant, almost immediately elevating one to the peak of the Seventh Level upon entering it.

Of course, how difficult was it to elevate a grotto-heaven? The resources required were as vast as mountains and seas, something ordinary Heaven Immortals could never accomplish. Therefore, there was another method: finding a mature world, making great contributions to Heaven and Earth, and receiving a position and authority as a gift.

The Heavenly Emperor and the Supreme Heaven Immortal Sage in the Great Zhou world both followed this path.

Wu Ming aspired to transcend but disdained such a path. Instead, he intended to further develop his Huang Ting Cave Heaven into the Huang Ting World.

Although this was an almost impossible task for other Heaven Immortals, he possessed the Primordial Temple, an inconceivable divine artifact capable of plundering the essence of myriad worlds for his own use, making it highly promising.

“The last upgrade of the cave still requires a bit more time to fully assimilate…”

Wu Ming mused: “In the short term… the only place capable of providing massive amounts of world essence is that Western Fantasy Universe, the world of Seer.”

Different universes have different rules.

In that blood-red Western Fantasy Universe, the world of Seer is the core of the entire universe. Even a slight influence would cause massive changes throughout the universe, resulting in terrifying deviations, and thus producing the maximum amount of world essence when harvested.

“The avatar is currently farming there. With the different time flows between the two worlds, a few months here will equate to several years there, just in time for a harvest season.”

A traveler who obtained territory and nobility, then quietly farmed for several years, could accumulate an unimaginable amount of power.

Wu Ming was already prepared to have his avatar reap a major harvest in the world of Seer, using it as provisions to directly assault the threshold of the Seventh Level!

After finalizing his thoughts, he quietly returned to the bedroom, only to find E Xu already awake, her beautiful eyes fixed on him without blinking.

“Husband!”

“Did I disturb you?”

Wu Ming asked slightly embarrassed.

“Ever since we had Ding’er, it’s been like this…”

Wu Zhi sighed: “Although he has a nursemaid to care for him, I still often wake up at night to check on him. Is it the same for you, husband?”

“That…”

Wu Ming felt a bit awkward. Seeing Wu Zhi radiating maternal warmth, his heart stirred. He sat down beside the bed and said: “I observed the stars last night and found that taking Lingzhou would bring more benefits.”

He paused, then continued: “However, fortune-telling can only serve as a reference. Ultimately, the decision rests with you.”

Wu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh tenderly, her face filled with deep affection: “What reason would I have not to trust my husband?”

“Capture Lingzhou, reorganize the rebel armies, welcome and install the emperor, establish authority and dominate—all hinges on this campaign!”

As she spoke, a determined expression returned to her face, revealing the true nature of the King of Dingzhou who ruled over an entire province.

“Excellent!”

Choosing this path at least ensured the covert support of the Heavenly Emperor. Regardless of the rebel armies, one could expect reactions from the Great Zhou imperial court.

Although the Great Zhou dynasty might be in decline, it was still the legitimate authority. As the Heavenly Emperor, who received sacrifices from the Son of Heaven, he had countless ways to influence this small imperial court.

Wu Ming pondered for a moment and felt that what needed improvement now was not the army’s strength. Thus, he said: “I have a cultivation method here, specially designed for martial cultivators. Listen carefully…”

In recent years, Wu Zhi had lived in comfort, consuming Xian Zhong daily, and had already refined her body to the level of Martial Sage, reaching the peak of the Great Zhou world.

At this level, she could be a one-man army on the battlefield, capable of suppressing entire legions.

However, this time was different. When the struggle for supremacy across the world intensified, unpredictable dangers might arise. Even Earth Immortals could not guarantee their own safety. Therefore, the safety of Wu Zhi, as the supreme commander of the three armies, was of utmost importance and could not be entirely entrusted to her guards.

Wu Zhi listened silently, her expression growing increasingly solemn: “Refining internal energy, opening meridians and nurturing acupoints? Earth Origin, Heaven Manifestation? And even the path of shattering the void? Husband, you’ve given me another surprise!”

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement.

In the martial cultivation of the Great Zhou world, the path ended at Level Four Martial Sage, a long-standing regret for many martial cultivators.

Yet, unexpectedly, Wu Ming had a way to complete it.

This cultivation method’s Earth Origin stage is equivalent to the Martial Sage. Although there are differences, you should start from the beginning and get familiar with it slowly… If you can break through to Heaven Manifestation, you will gain the ability to protect yourself. If you can shatter the void, even if attacked by a Heaven Immortal, you might even have the chance to retaliate fiercely!

A martial cultivator wielding dragon energy—what expression would the immortals have when facing such a foe?

A faint smile of anticipation appeared on Wu Ming’s face.