Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Eight Trigram Mountain’s entrance:

Gu Hai, supported by Long Wanyu and holding the Candle Epoch Azure Lamp, slowly left the Eight Trigram Mountain region.

He turned to look at the fog-shrouded mountain, shock flashing in his eyes.

“An Eight Trigram Candle Dragon Ritual Array? Truly dangerous!” Gu Hai said, his face pale.

Neither Houqing nor the eighty-one giants were what Gu Hai expected, but the ritual array was the most terrifying thing of all. Had it not been for Long Wanyu’s guidance, he might have fallen here.

“Brother-in-Law, this is just Eight Trigram Mountain. Should we go to Blood Maple Forest next?” Long Wanyu asked.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Gu Hai coughed for a while before shaking his head. “No, we won’t. My injuries are serious, and I must return to heal. We can’t go to Blood Maple Forest for now.”

“Oh.” Long Wanyu immediately nodded.

Gu Hai’s injuries took priority over everything.

“You know when to back down, I see!” A voice suddenly rang out near Gu Hai.

His face sank. Suddenly on guard, he turned and saw a woman in red imperial robes.

Ba?

His expression tightened, and he became extremely wary.

Seeing Gu Hai’s caution, Ba smiled faintly.

“You managed to achieve this as a seventh-layer Upper Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator. You are braver than Jiang Lianshan and smarter than Chiyou,” Ba said indifferently.

“Yan Heavenly Emperor, have you already been to your two ambush locations?” Gu Hai asked.The sourcᴇ of this content is Novᴇ(l)Fɪre.net

“Indeed, they were perilous. However, without Ji Dihong’s careful preparation, they were easily dealt with. Your plan worked. Have you taken Chiyou’s torso?” Ba asked calmly.

Gu Hai nodded. “First Brother’s torso is with me. Have you taken his arms and legs?”

“Yes, each ambush point had a different ritual array, but Chiyou’s souls are in his head. The seal in Blood Maple Forest must be the strongest!” Ba looked north.

Gu Hai nodded, and a third eye suddenly appeared on his forehead.

He surveyed the two battlefields.

“It’s too late already. I can only retrieve First Brother’s head another day. Ba, I bid you farewell!” Gu Hai said.

“Wait!” Ba suddenly called out.

“Huh?” Gu Hai looked at Ba and shielded Long Wanyu behind him.

“Did you capture Chiyou’s eighty-one brothers?” Ba asked seriously.

“What about them?” Gu Hai asked, puzzled.

“Give them to me!” Ba demanded.

Gu Hai’s expression darkened, and he paused for a moment. “I can give them to you, but please hand over First Brother’s arms and legs. When I take his head, I’ll need them to piece him together.”

Ba looked slightly surprised but eventually nodded.

Creak! Creak!

Ba took out two bronze coffins, and Gu Hai immediately brought out the eighty-one giants.

“Hah!” they roared as though about to attack, but Ba waved them away with a sweep of her sleeve.

Whoosh!

The eighty-one giants vanished in an instant.

Gu Hai also put away the two bronze coffins.

“Goodbye!” he said gravely.

“Let me give you a lift!” Ba said indifferently.

Before Gu Hai could object, a red light swept Gu Hai and Long Wanyu north, towards Borderless Heavenly Capital.

Whoosh!

Ba’s speed was incredible, and they reached Borderless Heavenly Capital in no time. Most people did not even see Ba’s figure.

Gu Hai remained on guard against Ba.

Ba turned her head and looked at a nearby nameless hall and then strangely at Gu Hai. “I didn’t expect you to conceal such strength. Just now, on Eight Trigram Mountain, there were eyes on me, protecting you, right? Unnecessary. I’m still counting on you to deal with Ji Dihong!”

Thud!

Gu Hai landed in Soaring Palace Hall’s plaza.

Ba’s figure flickered, turning into an afterimage before vanishing into the horizon, heading back to Great Desolation City.

“Husband?” Chen Xianer and Long Wanqing exclaimed joyfully.

“Your Reverence?” the officials cried out in delight.

His Reverence has returned. No one knew how Gu Hai had returned, but as long as he was in Borderless Heavenly Capital, no one had to worry. With Gu Hai present, all was safe.

Gu Hai stood in the plaza of Soaring Palace Hall and glanced at the nameless hall.

The gaze that Ba had mentioned earlier must have been Long Zhanguo’s. After a faint smile, Gu Hai looked southwest, towards the Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s Xuanyuan City.

Buzz!

Gu Hai’s heavenly eye opened, instantly revealing all that was happening at Xuanyuan Palace Hall’s plaza in Xuanyuan City.

“Ji Dihong? His true body? Then the one that left the Six Paths Immortal Firmament earlier was…” Gu Hai’s eyes narrowed.

Far away, Xingtian and Hou Yi were about to be trapped by Ji Dihong, when a red light from Ba saved them. Ji Dihong did not pursue but looked at Gu Hai from a distance, his gaze spanning the vast expanse of the Divine Continent.

Gu Hai and Ji Dihong glared at each other, one at Soaring Palace Hall’s entrance and the other at Xuanyuan Palace Hall’s entrance.

Across the Divine Continent, countless experts felt the intense confrontation between the two emperors and held their breath.

This battle of sovereigns had already exceeded everyone’s expectations from the very beginning. Was it about to resume?

Xuanyuan Palace Hall:

Ji Dihong looked at the distant Gu Hai with icy eyes. “Gu Hai? The Han Imperial Dynasty? When will you advance to a heavenly dynasty?”

Ji Dihong’s voice was not loud, but his voice reached everyone outside Xuanyuan City. Advance to a heavenly dynasty? Does this mean the Han Imperial Dynasty is already qualified to advance to a heavenly dynasty?

If there were doubts about the Han Imperial Dynasty’s strength before the war, no one would question it now. If such an imperial dynasty were claimed to be unqualified, no one would believe it.

Soaring Palace Hall’s entrance:

Gu Hai replied with a cool smile, “The Huang Heavenly Emperor is too kind. The Han Imperial Dynasty still needs more seasoning!”

Needs more seasoning? The Han Imperial Dynasty and the Huang Heavenly Dynasty had fought to a close draw, showing nearly equal strength. Is Gu Hai suggesting that the Huang Heavenly Dynasty has not lived up to its name as a heavenly dynasty by saying the Han Nation lacked seasoning?

Many experts eyed Gu Hai strangely. What a sly way to criticize the Huang Heavenly Dynasty!

You refuse to advance but are criticizing the Huang Heavenly Dynasty while you are at it?

Of course, only Gu Hai was qualified to say such words. If one was incapable and said they could, that was arrogance. If one could but said they could not, that was humility.

Ji Dihong smiled coldly in the distance.

The outcome was clear to both, and there was no need for further verbal sparring.

“This farce is over!” Ji Dihong declared.

Rip!

As he spoke, he reached into space and tore it open.

A fissure appeared, revealing a raging battle within, featuring the Mosquito Daoist, Kong Xuan, Ao Ying, and others.

“His Holy Eminence can easily open the entrance to the eighteen layers of hell?” Emperor Kong exclaimed in surprise.

The expressions of the combatants inside changed suddenly.

“That is…Xuanyuan City?” Kong Xuan wondered aloud.

Soaring Palace Hall’s entrance:

Gu Hai’s expression darkened, but he, too, reached into space and pulled.

Rip!

Space tore, also a massive tear showing the eighteen layers of hell.

The fighting experts suddenly saw another spatial tear.

“Your Reverence!” Shangguan Hen exclaimed joyfully.

Both Gu Hai and Ji Dihong had the power to open an entrance to the eighteen layers of hell.

Ji Dihong looked at Gu Hai in surprise, and Gu Hai returned the look.

Moments before, Ji Dihong thought he could take advantage of the eighteen layers of hell to interfere.

However, Gu Hai had also easily opened a passageway to the eighteen layers of hell, causing Ji Dihong to abandon his plan.

“Enough! Return to court!” Ji Dihong called.

“Return to court!” Gu Hai echoed.

“Yes!” A unified shout came from inside.

Boom!

A resounding report came from within.

Ao Ying, Xiong You, Fengbo, Limu, the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, the Dark Guard envoy commander, Mister Starless, and the ancestor dragon’s corpse all stepped through Ji Dihong’s exit, arriving at Xuanyuan Palace Hall’s plaza.

Kong Xuan, the Mosquito Daoist, Shangguan Hen, Ao Sheng, Lady Houtu, Vairocana, Gu Han’s Three Lives Buddhas, and Sha all took Gu Hai’s exit, arriving at Soaring Palace Hall’s plaza.

Both sides bore injuries, but the Huang Heavenly Dynasty’s people’s were more grievous. The battle was unresolved, but the prior clash had already shaken the world.

Buzz!

The two spatial tears vanished in an instant.

Gu Hai and Ji Dihong stared at each other across an endless distance.

“Gu Hai, Chiyou’s head in Blood Maple Forest awaits your retrieval!” Ji Dihong sneered.

Fog enveloped Xuanyuan City as Ji Dihong reset the city’s defense ritual array.

“We will come!” Gu Hai promised coldly.

Whoosh!

Fog likewise slowly shrouded Borderless Heavenly Capital.

The Divine Continent’s battle had ended. Ji Dihong did not want to see Gu Hai, and Gu Hai did not want to see Ji Dihong.

Xuanyuan Palace Hall’s plaza:

Ji Dihong comforted his confused people, who had learned of the earlier situation.

“That makes no sense. Since Number Three went and even Milord went, why did they retreat?” the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon wondered in astonishment.

Cangjie looked seriously at the Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon. “Facts are as such. Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon, can I trouble you to find out from the Unrestrained Heavenly Demon what’s inside the nameless hall? What exactly made him retreat, causing victory to slip from our hands?”

The frustrated Divine Scorpion Heavenly Demon agreed, “Sure. I must find out why they retreated when I was risking my life there.”

Cangjie said gravely, “We will wait for your good news in Xuanyuan City.”

------

Soaring Palace Hall’s entrance:

Gu Hai turned his head to look at Sha.

“Sha, many thanks for your help in this battle!” Gu Hai said earnestly, with gravitas.

Sha shook his head, a gentle smile on his face. “Back in the Southern Sea, you helped me too. Furthermore, with the Mosquito Daoist on your side, the balance of strength between the two dynasties would have been equal even without me.”

The Mosquito Daoist quickly waved his hands. “No, I only broke through later on. Your support earlier was crucial, Mister Sha!”

Sha smiled again, not pushing credit away. Then he looked at Gu Hai. “Since that’s the case, I must leave.”

“Take care!” Gu Hai nodded, offering no objection.

Before leaving, Sha glanced towards the distant southeast, then turned back to Gu Hai. “Gu Hai, be careful of Ba!”

“Ba?” Gu Hai asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Sha nodded. “Ba isn’t as weak as people think. Her true strength has never been revealed. Why do you think Ji Dihong chose you first?”

Gu Hai’s pupils narrowed, a realization dawning. In Ji Dihong’s eyes, he really appeared an easy target, unlike Ba, who was not to be trifled with.

Seeing that Gu Hai had taken the warning seriously, Sha stepped forward, instantly transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon.