"After Nirvana comes Loose Immortal, Wandering Immortal, Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal, Unrestrained Primordial Immortal, Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal, Dao Void Profound Immortal, Divine Thought True Immortal, and Free Immortal. These make up the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao as known by the world. Beyond the Free Immortal Realm are the Dao Repository Free Immortal and the Profound Origin Free Immortal."
Gu An's voice echoed in the ears of everyone present, making their eyes widen in astonishment.
Seeing their confusion, Gu An added, "Although the Dao Repository Free Immortal and the Profound Origin Free Immortal are both considered 'Free Immortals,' the difference between each level is far greater than the gap between the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao. Once one reaches the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, a Dao Fruit will naturally form. This so-called Dao Fruit..."
He stopped speaking and turned his gaze toward the massive, mysterious fruit on the horizon.
Dao Fruit...
Chen Chuan couldn't help but ask, "Master, could this Heavenly Dao Fruit be the Dao Fruit of a cultivator?"
Everyone else also looked at Gu An, their faces tense, anticipating his answer.
Gu An responded, "That's right. The Heavenly Dao Fruit is indeed the Dao Fruit of a certain cultivator. And the catastrophe facing this world is the result of those who seek to destroy him."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shaken. They turned their heads to look at the ever-expanding Heavenly Dao Fruit, suddenly feeling an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
How many years of cultivation would it take to reach such a level? And yet, even an existence of this magnitude could still be hunted down and slain...
They couldn't even begin to fathom what kind of entity was capable of killing the creator of the world itself.
They only understood one thing—
The sky was falling!
Shen Zhen stared at the Heavenly Dao Fruit, an intense impulse surging in her heart—she had to capture this sight in a painting. Without hesitation, she vanished from the spot.
An Xin looked at Gu An, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Master, the oppressive aura that appeared before the Heavenly Dao Fruit… why does it feel like I've encountered it before?"
As soon as she said this, everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
Had she met a Profound Origin Free Immortal before?
Gu An glanced at An Xin, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He casually replied, "You have indeed encountered it before. Her name is Zhu Xi, and she is also the reincarnation of Divine Sovereign."
Divine Sovereign's reincarnation!
Tian Yao'er's eyes lit up with excitement as she asked eagerly, "The ruler of the Sacred Court?"
"Yes."
Hearing Gu An's confirmation, everyone grew even more excited as they started discussing the legends of Divine Sovereign.
Gu An, however, said no more and disappeared into thin air, leaving the rest of them to experience the event for themselves.
With the emergence of the Heavenly Dao Fruit, all the major sects were alarmed, and countless great cultivators rushed toward it.
Even Li Ya stepped onto the Nine Absolute Sacred Heart Sword and headed in that direction.
As he gazed at the Heavenly Dao Fruit from afar, his pupils failed to fully reflect its vastness. Even the mystical spirit standing on his shoulder wore a look of disbelief.
"What is that?"
The mystical spirit trembled as it asked, instinctively feeling a deep fear upon witnessing the Heavenly Dao Fruit.
Its sheer enormity shook the vision of all living beings. Faced with such an entity, all creatures felt an innate sense of reverence, unable to summon even a trace of blasphemous intent.
Even Li Ya felt an overwhelming pressure, and his flying speed began to slow down.
His rational mind told him that this was something far beyond his reach. But another voice inside him urged him forward, pushing him to seize this ultimate opportunity.
As he hesitated, one figure after another shot past him from above, streaking through the sky at astonishing speed.
Seeing so many people rush toward it without fear, Li Ya's courage grew.
There was strength in numbers—what if he actually managed to snatch it?
Gritting his teeth, he accelerated forward.
The massive and majestic Heavenly Dao Fruit floated above the vast lands and endless seas. Zhu Xi and Xunxian Daoist stood atop the Heavenly Dao Fruit, looking up at the dazzling starry sky.
The Heavenly Dao barrier that had shrouded the Heavenly Spirit World had become thin, as if it would completely dissipate at any moment.
Zhu Xi had changed into a golden fitted robe. Her long hair was tied up beneath a phoenix crown, two golden dragons coiled around her shoulders, and a crimson halo floated behind her. At this moment, she radiated an unparalleled dominance, her gaze indifferent and aloof, as though she stood above all living beings.
The ruler of the Sacred Court, Divine Sovereign!
A Profound Origin Free Immortal!
Xunxian Daoist lifted his head and sighed, "There are just too many fools who don't know their place."
As soon as his words fell, a massive black hole appeared in the starry sky above them. Streams of blood-red mist surged out like writhing tendrils, eerie and terrifying.
"I never expected that even in the broken era, the Heavenly Spirit World could still produce a Profound Origin Free Immortal."
A majestic voice rang through the heavens, reverberating across the land for all living beings to hear.
Zhu Xi did not look up. Instead, she gazed downward at the Heavenly Dao Fruit beneath her feet.
Countless golden runes flickered with their own light, emanating a mysterious aura.
Xunxian Daoist spoke softly, "The Supreme Demon Emperor of the Supreme Demon Realm has arrived. If you want to merge with the Heavenly Dao Fruit, you'll have to deal with him first."
As soon as he finished speaking, black holes of various sizes appeared in all directions. Terrifying auras seeped from their depths, gathering together and causing the world itself to tremble.
Zhu Xi didn't even glance at them. She simply uttered a single word.
"Good."
Boom!
Thunder rumbled as a palace trembled violently.
Seated in the main hall, Jiang Qiong frowned deeply.
She looked toward the palace gates. The sky outside had turned dark, filled with lightning and raging winds that swept through the mountains. In the distance, a terrifying giant object loomed at the horizon.
The Heavenly Dao Fruit!
Staring at it, Jiang Qiong felt an overwhelming unease, as if this was the last day of the world itself.
Just then, a female cultivator hurriedly flew into the hall. She landed at the foot of the steps and bowed to Jiang Qiong.
"Master, the fiends have already left. They seem to be heading toward the mysterious giant fruit. Should we deactivate the sect-protecting formation?" The female cultivator hesitated when mentioning the mysterious fruit.
Jiang Qiong shot her a sharp glance. "Feel the ominous power in the heavens and earth—do you think we should deactivate it?"
The female cultivator replied helplessly, "Master, maintaining this formation consumes a massive amount of resources. If we keep it up for too long, it will drain us completely. For years, you have forbidden us from fighting for resources…"
At this point, her voice carried a hint of grievance.
Jiang Qiong responded, "You've seen the cultivators from other sects fighting for resources. Didn't you notice a common trait among them?"
The female cultivator was puzzled. "What trait?"
"They've all become crazed, reckless, even obsessive. Once they step onto this path, they can never turn back. I don't know if my decision is right, but if the disciples of Gathering Flower Sect become like them, our sect is doomed."
Jiang Qiong's words left the female cultivator silent. She thought back to those cultivators and realized that something about their expressions was indeed unsettling—a maniac, almost deranged determination.
The palace continued to shake. Waves of scorching heat and bone-chilling cold surged in from outside.
Just as the female cultivator was about to take her leave, an oppressive voice echoed through the heavens.
"Divine Sovereign! I truly underestimated you, but the path you've chosen leads only to eternal damnation!"
It was the voice of the Supreme Demon Emperor, carrying an undeniable trace of fear.
Jiang Qiong did not know who this Supreme Demon Emperor was, but she knew the legend of Divine Sovereign.
"With demons running rampant and gods waging war, even those in the Nirvana Realm are no different from mortals in the face of this catastrophe."
Her tone was heavy. She looked at her disciple and spoke softly, "In such turbulent times, mortals like us can only choose to hide rather than rush forward like moths to the flame. That kind of opportunity is not meant for us."