Yellow Court Daoist

The Ancient Shang Region was one of the nine major continents of the Immortal Qin Realm.

In days past, when the Immortal Qin Realm faced the exile decreed by Emperor Immortal Qin, the Immortal Qin Empire perished, and the Immortal Han Empire rose. Through tumultuous eras and transitions, the Ancient Shang Region became isolated from the other eight continents, evolving into a realm of its own.

From its ruins, the Ancient Shang was rebuilt.

Initially, the Combat Heavenly Gate established the Heavenly Court, ruling in all directions. Meanwhile, the East Sea, West Sea, and Shang River, which had split from the original lineage of the Ancient Shang Dragon Clan, each claimed their own dragon clan supreme treasure, exerting no small amount of influence.

They stood toe-to-toe with the Heavenly Court governed by the Combat Heavenly Gate.

In the countless years that followed, the One Yuan Ancestor Master enjoyed great fortune, achieved the status of an Earth Immortal, and founded the Jiuzhen Immortal Sword Sect.

Golden Light Ancestor Master soon followed suit, also achieving the Earth Immortal Dao Fruit and founding the Green Sea Youxu Palace.

Both great Immortal Sects, each anchored by an Earth Immortal Ancestor, rapidly ascended. Together with Combat Heavenly Gate, they became known as the 'Three Supreme Immortal Sects', and after countless years of friction and compromise, they jointly controlled the Heavenly Court.

Thus, they finally surpassed the Three Great Dragon Palaces.

During this period, demons also attained Dao.

Such as the Jiao Demon Palace's Beiyin Great Saint, the True Martial Tongxuan Sect's Tongxuan Great Saint, the Tongling Wuji Sect's Tongling Great Saint—all rose swiftly and became significant threats to the Heavenly Court and Dragon Palaces, dividing the realms into righteous and evil.

Later, the Lord of Dajing seized divine authority from the Heavenly Court and controlled worldly power, ultimately breaking free from the Heavenly Court and forming his own faction.

This further complicated the situation in the Ancient Shang.

But regardless.

Among these forces, the Three Great Dragon Palaces and the Heavenly Court—or more explicitly, the Combat Heavenly Gate—were deemed the most unfathomable. Dominating the Ancient Shang Region for countless years, they possessed incredibly deep foundations.

...

"West Sea."

"There is at least one Dragon Ancestor!"

After securing Ao Le, Lu Xiao, and Lu Yao, Lu Qingfeng disguised himself as an old man and ventured to the shore of the West Sea.

Across the world.

True Immortals governed and Earth Immortal Ancestors hid from view.

Some secluded themselves for Cultivation, to ponder the Great Methods or roamed the Void in search of worlds like the Chun Shen Realm and the now annexed North Sea's Beiyin Realm, aiming for conquest.

Others searched the Void for methods of Ascension and paths to transcendence.

Rarely did they appear among mortals.

Just as when Lu Qingfeng once infiltrated the West Sea and abducted Ao Yun, although it had been a setback for the West Sea's reputation. In the eyes of the West Sea Ancestor, it was likely negligible. A little loss of face didn't touch the essence, and wouldn't disturb such a being.

Thus.

Even Lu Qingfeng was unaware of how many Earth Immortal Ancestors were hidden among the powers of the Ancient Shang Region.

Including the West Sea.

"I'll emerge suddenly, the West Sea won't expect anyone to dare strike at their supreme treasure 'Dragon Gate'. Caught off guard, the chances of my success are high."

"However."

As Lu Qingfeng concealed his presence and headed toward the West Sea Dragon Palace, he pondered deeply, "Just 'Dragon Gate' alone is not entirely secure. If it can't help Le'er break through to the True Immortal Realm, it would mean cutting off all future possibilities."

Thinking this.

Lu Qingfeng steeled his heart, "Might as well take the East Sea's 'Nine Dragon Seal' and the Shang River's 'Dragon Transformation Pond' together. If Le'er becomes a True Immortal, that settles it. If not, I will fuse these three Immortal Artifacts. In their complete state, this 'Dragon Transformation Pond' might surpass the Heavenly Gang Immortal Artifact level, possibly becoming one of the rare Spiritual Treasures between heaven and earth!"

The Shang River had treated him kindly, and here he was planning to steal its supreme treasure, unavoidably ungrateful.

But for Ao Le, he couldn't be concerned with much else.

Taking just one 'Dragon Gate', if Ao Le failed to become a True Immortal, and if afterwards Lu Qingfeng went to steal the 'Dragon Transformation Pond' and 'Nine Dragon Seal', Shang River and East Sea, learning from the West Sea's past experience, would certainly be on guard, adding many complications.

Better to do it in one go.

To take all three sects' supreme treasures together!

As for the Shang River.

He would find a way to repay it later.

"I have the 'Inverted Void Glazed Glass Wall' to invert the Heavenly Mechanism, enough to shield against all divine scrutiny from the Three Great Dragon Palaces."

With his mind made up.

Lu Qingfeng employed the Invisibility Technique, easily passing through the West Sea's more stringent Arrays than existed fifty thousand years prior, heading straight for the 'Dragon Gate'.

Deep in the West Sea.

A grand portal stood, emitting flashes of golden light. A closer look revealed that the portal was carved with true dragons, their eyes open and breathing vividly, awe-inspiring.

"This is the 'Dragon Gate'."

An old man suddenly appeared there, looking towards—

[Immortal Artifact: Dragon Gate]

[Grade: Second Rank]

[Description: A supreme treasure of the Immortal Qin Dragon Clan. Lost during the chaos of the Immortal Qin's destruction and later reemerged in the Ancient Shang Region. Fought over by Shang River, East Sea, and West Sea, this treasure was split into three parts: 'Dragon Transformation Pond', 'Dragon Gate', and 'Nine Dragon Seal'. The 'Dragon Gate' held by the West Sea harbors the transformative power of true dragons. Crossing through it could evolve bloodlines and inspire spiritual insight. Anyone with dragon clan blood may potentially transform into a true dragon, greatly advancing their Dao cultivation.]

"Truly a treasure!"

Lu Shang's eyes sparkled, ignoring the Dragon Gate Generals stationed on each side of the 'Dragon Gate', undeterred, a surge of Five-Colored Divine Light erupted from his crown like the rumbling of an Ancient Divine Mountain, powerfully sweeping towards the 'Dragon Gate'.

Whooosh!

Heaven and earth trembled.

As a True Immortal, Lu Qingfeng's 'Five-Colored Divine Light', a Great Divine Power, was exponentially stronger than when at the Primordial Spirit stage. Even an Immortal Artifact, even a Second Rank Immortal Artifact,

could not withstand a single swipe from Lu Qingfeng.

Boom, boom, boom!

The West Sea trembled, waves surging.

Then the grand, ancient 'Dragon Gate', flashing with golden light, suddenly shook, turned into a beam of light, and was drawn into the Five-Colored Divine Light, disappearing instantly.

Easier than anticipated.

"Go!"

Once successful.

Lu Qingfeng didn't pause.

Having caused such a disturbance, stealth was pointless now. Beneath his feet, Xuan Light flickered, and he swiftly unfolded the Cloud Summit Step—

Roaming the Netherworld, treading the Ninth Sky, fluttering without a fixed place, wandering between heaven and earth!

Only after Lu Qingfeng was promoted to the True Immortal Realm did the Divine Skill 'Cloud Summit Step' truly display its dazzling brilliance, unveiling its mighty power.

With one step taken.

He disregarded the myriad arrays of the West Sea, floating unpredictably, and in an instant appeared above the Ninth Sky.

In the blink of an eye, he traversed millions of miles, sweeping forward.

Outer Heaven.

In the midst of chaos.

An ancient mountain existed as if it had been there since the beginning of time, with soil occasionally falling from it, and vegetation growing upon it. The Ancient Mountain watched the changes of heaven and earth and the movements of the stars—unchanging for thousands, tens of thousands of years.

And just as Lu Qingfeng used the Five-Colored Divine Light, sweeping away the 'Dragon Gate' in a flash,

This ancient mountain in Outer Heaven suddenly seemed to have two bright moons rising at its peak, emitting an unbearably brilliant radiance. In an instant, it illuminated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, casting out a myriad of ferocious lights.

Upon closer inspection.

Those were not bright moons but a pair of gigantic eyes.

The eyes opened.

The Ancient Mountain thunderously shifted, its soil and vegetation scattering as the mountain 'disintegrated' and stretched out into a range stretching over three hundred miles, dark as night.

On close examination.

Each stone resembled dragon scales, with two steep peaks at the summit like dragon horns. Below the mountain range, there were dragon claws—

"Roar!"

The 'mountain range' roared, as its dragon scales, horns, claws, and tail seemed to come alive instantly, turning into a real Ancient Divine Dragon.

All these might sound like a lengthy tale.

But in reality, from the time the divine dragon opened its moon-like eyes to fully stretching its body, it all happened in less than a blink of an eye.

Revealing a divine dragon's body that spanned three hundred seventy-six miles.

With a roar.

Its tail swept across the universe.

Boom!

Below in the Ninth Sky, Lu Qingfeng felt a swift gust of wind behind him, and the formidable might in the sky.

"Was I discovered so quickly?!"

Lu Qingfeng was alarmed and turned his head only to see a mountain radiating green light plummeting from the sky, imbued with infinite mystery and formidable power, slamming towards his back.

"West Sea Ancestor!"

Lu Qingfeng saw that the 'mountain' was densely covered with dragon scales—it was clearly the dragon tail. Throughout the West Sea, only the legendary West Sea Ancestor could possess such a dragon body!

"Taiyin Calamity Crossing Robe!"

Not daring to be careless.

Even less daring to entangle with the West Sea Ancestor, Lu Qingfeng activated the robe with a thought—

Boom!

He remarkably withstood the strike, as heavy as a mountain collapsing.

"Pu!"

In an instant.

His whole body trembled, and Lu Qingfeng immediately suffered injuries, spitting out a mouthful of reverse blood, his body flying uncontrollably deep into the Ninth Sky like a tattered kite.

However, he seemed completely unconcerned, glaring with widened eyes as he burnt away the spilled blood in the sky. Without stopping, he swept into the midst of the Ninth Sky and vanished without a trace.

"Who goes there?!"

The moment Lu Qingfeng disappeared.

Above Outer Heaven.

Following the mountain-like dragon tail, a dragon three hundred miles long descended from the Cloud Sky, transforming into an old man dressed in a white linen robe, with large earlobes, a face red as cinnabar, silver hair and beard, a pair of bright eyes full of sharp light, sporting an ancient and giant stature.

It was undoubtedly the West Sea Ancestor.

The West Sea Ancestor, with eyes that penetrated heaven and earth, produced a compass in his hand, with beads falling like pearls, continuously calculating but unable to find any clue as the compass light flashed and the needle spun wildly.

"Heaven's mechanisms are inverted."

"Untraceable."

The West Sea Ancestor's beard fluttered, his expression grave.

He lowered his head in contemplation.

His gaze turned towards the outer realms.

"The Dragon Gate is exclusive to the Dragon Clan and Water Clan."

"Who would go to such lengths to risk everything for this treasure?"

The West Sea Ancestor pondered briefly, then a thought struck him, his gaze turning to the east, "Shang River? East Sea?"

With that thought.

He leaped and transformed instantly back into a mountainous divine dragon, speeding off towards the east. In terms of velocity, it was barely slower than Lu Qingfeng's Cloud Summit Step.

Midway.

He saw two familiar auras colliding around the direction of the Shang River Dragon Palace.

Boom!

After a fierce clash, one stopped, and one fled.

"It's not Shang River!"

The West Sea Ancestor soared over Shang River and headed straight for the East Sea. Beside him in the cloud-filled skies, a formidable aura traveled through, barely visible and as huge as the West Sea Ancestor—a fiery red dragon, every part of it, from its mouth and nostrils to its eyes and entire body, blazing with flames.

It was the Shang River Ancestor.

"You old fellow!"

As the Shang River Ancestor and West Sea Ancestor met, they exchanged a look, and the Shang River Ancestor spoke first, his eyes fixed on the West Sea Ancestor, he asked in a deep voice, "What brings you to Shang River?!"

The West Sea Ancestor did not slow down, counter-questioning, "Brother, did you lose the 'Dragon Transformation Pond'?"

"Hmm?"

"Could it be that the West Sea also—"

Shang River Ancestor's face showed shock.