The highest point of the Divine Realm.
An emaciated old man faced the sea of stars and spoke softly.
"The Divine Realm has paid the price of four Great Emperors; will you keep your promise to me?"
"Should be doable," a light chuckle echoed, and the silhouette of the Martial Emperor emerged slowly, patting the old man's shoulder and shaking his head.
"Four Great Emperors, don't overthink their importance."
"Not just Great Emperors, but also opportunities for the Divine Realm," the old man replied, his gaze still fixed on the stars. After a long pause, he asked again in a heavy voice,
"So, what is the background of the Medicine Ancestor that deserves such care from you?"
The Martial Emperor withdrew his hand from the Divine Realm's master, shaking his head, "He has no special background; his talent is just exceptionally high and unique. You don't need to overthink it. I will make the Divine Realm one of the victors in this universal war."
"If we cannot take the Immortal Realm, then the Divine Realm cannot be considered victorious," the Divine Realm's master shook his head, his turbid eyes moving.
"There will be an opportunity, there must be," the Martial Emperor nodded, pointing his finger towards the Immortal Realm, his face breaking into a genuine smile as he whispered,
"In my plan, this will be the final battlefield, the ultimate battle, the end of everything, and the beginning of a new era."
The Divine Realm's master turned his head, his turbid eyes firmly fixed on him. After a long, long while, he questioned in a heavy voice,
"A beginning with you as the Way of Heaven?"
The Martial Emperor looked out into the vast cosmic expanse, his gaze seemingly pulled towards something even deeper, avoiding the stars. He didn't respond, just shaking his head.
No cultivator would understand him, no one would comprehend him—he had always walked alone.
"You're truly a madman. What's so good about becoming the Way of Heaven? You lose your self, becoming just a part of the world, drifting aimlessly."
The Divine Realm's master sighed, not denying the idea, as in his view, if it were the Martial Emperor, this method could indeed work.
The Martial Emperor lightly chuckled, reminiscing, "When I was young, I personally shattered a piece of the world. Back then, I thought I had achieved my ideal, but in truth, I had only broken one layer of my restrictive shell. There are still many layers above, even greater ones."
"I dislike being restrained, and I especially can't stand the notions of high and low, noble and humble. The distinction between major realms and small worlds is the most unbearable to me, so..."
He raised his hand, pointing at the cosmos, and declared firmly,
"I will shatter this greatest of skies."
Chen Xia's plan to cleanse the Divine Realm of its Great Emperors was remarkably successful, so much so that there was no resistance at all—the four Great Emperors of the Divine Realm merely surrendered.
This catapulted Chen Xia's reputation to unprecedented heights in the East Jia State, making him a figure that words like "the greatest of all time" could barely describe.
You might not know what the Eighth Mountain is, but you certainly know the Azure Sky Medicine Ancestor. Even discussions among cultivators began to arise,
"Why not just let Heaven Pill Gate govern the East Jia State? The Eighth Mountain seems pretty useless, Heaven Pill Gate should be the leading sect of East Jia State!"
Such talk only grew more prevalent.
Within the Eighth Mountain.
An elder sat alone, before him was a landscape map of the entire East Jia State, displaying the distribution of its qi yun (spiritual energy).
The qi yun in the rest of the state was relatively balanced, maintaining overall equilibrium, but one area was dramatically different.
Heaven Pill Gate.
Here, the qi yun was so thick it seemed to drip from the landscape map, far exceeding anywhere else in East Jia State. Compared to the previously most prosperous Eighth Mountain, it was vastly superior.
Was this Heaven Pill Gate's intention?
Judging by the current situation, it seemed the tide had already turned.
"Ah, a powerful cultivator who suddenly appeared, began selling cheap medicinal pills, and then cleaned out the Divine Realm's Great Emperors... I should have seen this coming earlier," the elder laughed bitterly.
He had realized it, but it was already too late.
If the Azure Sky Medicine Ancestor aims for the entire East Jia State, he has already achieved it.
The Nine Mountains of the Immortal Realm seem to be becoming a thing of the past.
A weather-beaten sky, thick with gloomy clouds.
The elder of the Eighth Mountain slowly climbed the mountain and visited Heaven Pill Gate once more. This time, he brought no gifts, directly walking up to the mountain gate and meeting Chen Xia's gaze, waving gently.
"The young disciple of the Ninth Mountain, step back, I need to speak with the Medicine Ancestor."
"Playing games," Huang Qingyue rolled her eyes, retreating into the sect.
The elder of the Eighth Mountain stepped forward, his small world forming as he spoke in a heavy voice to Chen Xia,
"I have finally understood."
"Too late, isn't it?" Chen Xia chuckled lightly, then shook his head, "Even if it wasn't too late, there's nothing you could do about it. Matters concerning the upper realms are beyond the reach of cultivators."
"I know," the elder of the Eighth Mountain nodded heavily, "So today, I am here to ask just one thing—what will you do with East Jia State, with the entire Immortal Realm?"
Chen Xia laughed, "I'm always known for my generosity and gentleness, my good manners and high cultivation back in my homeland."
"From what I can see, that is indeed the case," the elder of the Eighth Mountain nodded, then looked at Chen Xia, his eyes devoid of hostility, just watching. After a long time, he sighed,
"To become a world through cultivation is truly a terrifying path to tread."
Chen Xia rubbed his head, then smiled as he inquired, "So why did you come here specifically?"
The elder of the Eighth Mountain's eyes gradually relaxed, his expression filled with deep helplessness. At this moment, he seemed somewhat at a loss, pulling at his collar, lowering his head as he whispered,
"My Eighth Mountain is willing to hand over the governance of East Jia State to you."
After all, would it matter whether they handed it over or not?
The reality was that Heaven Pill Gate was on the verge of controlling the entire East Jia State—this act merely hastened the process.
"To be expected," Chen Xia revealed a confident smile, exhaling before raising his hand, allowing his sleeve to slide down, revealing the Ancestral Dragon pattern on his arm. He gestured towards the sky.
Millions of qi yun from all over East Jia State streamed towards Heaven Pill Gate like homing birds, converging above the sect, then condensing into a tiny brilliant dot, imbued with infinite weight, resting on Chen Xia's forefinger, held before him.
The glow illuminated his face, flickering uncertainly, with only a soft murmur,
"I have become master."
Before his words were finished, a figure flickered into view, towering above, blocking out the sun and the sky.
The readers, astonished, looked up with frightened faces, exclaiming,
"It's a master from the Human Ranking…"
"Sour Treasure!"