Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Ji Dihong was so powerful that the vast net of laws failed to hold it. The purple dragon quickly reached the spot where Cangjie had been. What greeted its eyes was total chaos—a clear sign that a major battle had taken place. Cangjie was nowhere to be found.

“Mister Cangjie!” it called out, its voice echoing throughout the hungry ghost path of reincarnation.

However, there was no reply from Cangjie.

Ji Dihong’s expression changed dramatically.

Ji Dihong instantly reached the source of the glint and found a black-and-white crystal.

Ji Dihong tapped it, and energy resembling the Yinyang fishes emerged. Space trembled as an entrance formed.

A remnant will appeared beside the entrance.

“Mister Cangjie!” Ji Dihong said with concern.

It was Cangjie’s remnant will. It said to Ji Dihong, “Your Holy Eminence, if you see my remnant will, it means I met danger and had no time to call for help or say goodbye. The energy inside this crystal can open an entrance to the outside world for one day. Leave as soon as you can.”

“Mister Cangjie, what happened? Are you in danger? Are you still alive?” Ji Dihong asked the remnant will, its anxiety palpable.

“I don’t know. I prepared this remnant will two years ago,” the remnant will replied, shaking its head.

The fate of Cangjie, whether he lived or died, remained a mystery. However, Cangjie prepared this exit two years ago in anticipation of danger?

“Mister Cangjie must have tossed out the crystal when he ran into danger. Something unexpected happened to Mister Cangjie? Did he get killed? No. Mister Cangjie can’t be killed. Gu Hai, if anything happens to Mister Cangjie, I’ll have your life for it!” Ji Dihong snarled.

Ji Dihong turned around and sped towards Gu Hai’s location.

If Cangjie was dead, Ji Dihong would avenge him. If he was alive, Ji Dihong was determined to save him.

Ji Dihong moved extremely quickly, reaching Gu Hai’s location in no time.

Using its world devouring ability, Gu Hai consumed countless hungry ghosts, which were drawn from across space by the power of the laws.

As Ji Dihong returned, a dark energy brought all the hungry ghosts into Gu Hai’s body, and Gu Hai’s belly expanded to a diameter of nearly seventeen kilometers.

Gu Hai’s scales released faint black energy as its body returned to normal size. Now, Gu Hai’s body had also reached its limits.

Fifty-two kilometers long!

Even after consuming all the hungry ghosts in the Hungry Ghost Path Secret Realm, Gu Hai only reached fifty-two kilometers long.

After all, Ji Dihong was fifty kilometers long.

Ji Dihong’s physical soul body was the crystallization of Chiyou’s physical souls. Chiyou had consumed billions of living beings, including the physical souls of the ancient shaman race world devouring geniuses; he had built his physical body by accumulating all these.

Gu Hai had devoured the entire Hungry Ghost Path Secret Realm yet was not significantly stronger than Ji Dihong.

Although their sizes had just a two-kilometer difference, the black dragon was noticeably more robust than the purple one.

Nearby, Ao Sheng suppressed Ao Ying with Shangguan Hen’s help. At this moment, they had subdued the ancestor dragon’s corpse, putting Ao Ying at a distinct disadvantage against the two.

Elsewhere, Bing Ji held the bloodied Cangjie, who was still alive. Ji Dihong’s face lit up with joy at the sight.

“Bing Ji, are you betraying us? Release Mister Cangjie immediately!” Ji Dihong shouted in fury.

Bing Ji replied coldly to Ji Dihong, “Now, I serve as the Third Corps commander of the Han Imperial Dynasty and answer only to His Reverence. Why would I heed your command?”

“You are my granddaughter. You owe your life to me,” Ji Dihong retorted sharply.

“Hah! Hahahahaha! Is that so? From the moment you handed me over to Cangjie to be turned into a puppet, that ceased to be true. Ji Dihong, it wasn’t my father, the Supreme Singularity, who brought about my mother’s demise—it was you. You are the mastermind!” Bing Ji yelled in rage.

“Audacious!” Ji Dihong roared, poised to swoop down and snatch Cangjie.

However, Bing Ji drove her nails into Cangjie’s throat, drawing blood.

“Stay back, or I’ll snap Cangjie’s neck. Let’s see who’s faster!” she threatened ferociously.

“How dare you?!” Ji Dihong halted, rage blazing in its eyes.

Bing Ji challenged coldly, “Try me.”

Ji Dihong stopped in midair, not daring to continue.

“Audacious! You traitorous, unfilial granddaughter!” Ji Dihong glared, exuding malevolence.

The black dragon Gu Hai snaked its body and commented with a cold smirk, “Ji Dihong, Bing Ji isn’t being rebellious, and neither is she unfilial. You never treated her like family or even as a person. Where does her rebellion or lack of filial piety come from?”

“Your Holy Eminence, leave quickly. The passageway I left for you will last only one day at most!” Cangjie called out.

Ji Dihong’s face sank. “Mister Cangjie, I will rescue you today.”

Cangjie responded bitterly, “It’s futile. This official is now in Gu Hai’s grasp. Given his capabilities, which both of us are familiar with, he won’t let me leave today. Your Holy Eminence, please leave me behind.”

“We will capture Gu Hai and save you!” Ji Dihong immediately lunged at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai did not back down, counterattacking fiercely with a tail whip.

“Roar!”

Both dragons spewed energy beams from their mouths—purple and black, respectively—which caused a massive explosion upon collision and tore space.

The two dragons showed ferocious expressions as they spewed energy beams and charged at each other. They swung their claws, tearing space as they clashed.

Sparks flew when the claws met. However, neither side gave in. The immense tearing force ripped off many of the dragons’ scales.

Two humongous dragons—one black and one purple—attacked ferociously.

For a moment, the entire world shuddered as if it would split apart. Tremors opened numerous trenches and canyons in the land while spatial rips scarred the sky.

Once again, the front claws of the two dragons clashed.

The two dragons contended ferociously.

“Ji Dihong, even though you took Chiyou’s world-devouring, Chiyou passed us his world devouring ability to defeat you. You once bested Chiyou, but today, you fell to us—and thus to Chiyou again. Ji Dihong, you’ve lost!” the black dragon snarled ferociously.

With overwhelming strength, the black dragon’s claw broke the purple dragon’s claw.

With a fierce swipe of its right claw, the black dragon stripped the purple dragon of many scales, blood spraying everywhere as flesh tore.

Covered in blood, Ji Dihong soared through the air.

As it flew, its mind buzzed, continuously ringing with Gu Hai’s final words.

…

The line kept repeating like a demonic curse, smiting Ji Dihong’s mind and causing it to tremble.

“No, no, we can’t lose. Only Jiang Lianshan surpasses us. No one can surpass us! No one! Gu Hai, you certainly can’t!” Ji Dihong cried out in agony.

Gu Hai smirked coldly.

Two kilometers might not seem like much, but it was a significant difference.

Gu Hai attacked once more.

After three clashes, Gu Hai ripped apart Ji Dihong’s flesh, aggravating the purple dragon’s injuries. After the four losses, Ji Dihong slammed into the ground.

“No! Our physical soul body is the strongest!” Ji Dihong roared in despair.

“Your Holy Eminence, flee! You’re no match for Gu Hai in the hungry ghost path of reincarnation!” Cangjie shouted.

Ji Dihong trembled, immediately regaining its composure.

“Roar!” the bloodied Ji Dihong roared as it charged towards Cangjie.

“Come nearer, and I’ll end him!” threatened Bing Ji, digging her fingers into Cangjie’s neck.

The enraged Ji Dihong glared at Bing Ji.

“Bing Ji, you unfilial granddaughter! Should harm befall Mister Cangjie, we will chase you to the world’s ends and obliterate you!” Ji Dihong thundered.

Suddenly, the black dragon’s tail struck the purple dragon’s back, breaking the purple dragon’s bones with a loud report.

Injury-ridden, Ji Dihong knew any further delay would lead to its downfall.

As Gu Hai lunged with an open maw, Ji Dihong countered with a tail sweep, blocking Gu Hai’s attempt to swallow it, and swiftly dived towards Ao Ying.

At this moment, Shangguan Hen and Ao Sheng were suppressing the ancestor dragon’s corpse using the dragon pearl. Ao Ying faced imminent danger, unable to control the corpse and unable to move himself. Just then, Ji Dihong descended upon him.

“Let’s go!”

Ji Dihong knocked Shangguan Hen aside and sucked.

Left without a choice, Ao Ying could only abandon the ancestor dragon’s corpse and soar through the air into Ji Dihong’s mouth.

Ji Dihong wished to consume Shangguan Hen and Ao Sheng, but time was not on its side, as Gu Hai’s claws descended again.

Once again, scales tore, flesh parted, blood sprayed, and bones emerged.

“Gu Hai, I’ll repay today’s disgrace a hundredfold!” Ji Dihong roared and fled into the distance.

The black dragon pursued briefly but saw Ji Dihong, now in human form, enter a passageway leading to the Divine Continent with Ao Ying.

Once through, Ji Dihong shattered the exit from the other side.

When the exit shattered, Gu Hai grasped nothing but air.

“Humph! Ji Dihong, we’ll be waiting for you!” the black dragon Gu Hai growled before turning around and swiftly flying back to where it had started.

At the original location:

Ao Sheng transformed into a seven-meter-long azure dragon and opened its mouth in a bizarre manner to swallow the ancestor dragon’s corpse using the power of the dragon pearl.

Ao Sheng trembled, emitting plenty of strange energy that enveloped it in an egg shape. Within moments, Ao Sheng had been compressed to the size of a watermelon.

“Ao Sheng also turned into an egg?” Gu Hai exclaimed, reverting to his human form.

“He’s consumed the ancestor dragon’s corpse. Now he can fully assimilate the dragon pearl. He might even break through to the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm,” Shangguan Hen said with anticipation.

“That’s great!” Gu Hai nodded, watching Shangguan Hen cradle the dragon egg.

“Mister Cangjie, no offense intended,” Gu Hai said, grinning at Cangjie, who remained enshrouded in a large hat that revealed only his mouth beneath the brim. A bitter smile was all that was visible.

“Imperial Emperor Gu’s might is awe-inspiring. You’ve emerged unrivaled from such adversity. I admire you,” Cangjie said, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“Rest assured, Mister Cangjie. You won’t be mistreated. Please join me for a short stay in Borderless Heavenly Capital,” Gu Hai said.

Cangjie did not respond, knowing that words were futile at this point.

Gu Hai turned to Bing Ji and gently stroked her hair, his eyes flashing with joy and concern.

Bing Ji shivered before bowing respectfully. “This guilty official, Bing Ji, salutes Your Reverence.”

She did not want to acknowledge her feelings—perhaps she was afraid to. Guilt-ridden, she now sought to atone for her sins as a loyal official.

“Alright, let’s go out first,” Gu Hai said.

“Your Reverence, follow me,” Shangguan Hen directed, still cradling the dragon egg.

The four of them quickly arrived at the exit leading to Borderless Heavenly Capital.

In a single step, they left the Hungry Ghost Path Secret Realm.

After they passed through, the exit vanished behind them, leaving an empty world. Gu Hai had consumed all the hungry ghosts.