Chapter 381: True Immortal Battlefield

The Grand Elder's voice echoed through the dead‑silent Judgment Hall, each word carrying undeniable authority and maddening allure.

The qualification to challenge the Grand Elder!

When those words were spoken, even the Jue Dian Immortal Kings, whose hearts had been honed like ancient black ice, found their breaths quickening a few beats.

They knew clearly that this was more than merely a qualification to challenge.

Above the 48 Hall Masters are the Nine Elders.

Only by becoming an Elder can one truly face the "Lord" in the literal sense.

It also represents the sole ladder to the pinnacle of power in Zang Tian Ge.

It signifies a chance to glimpse the ultimate mysteries that surpass the giants and even the supreme Immortal Kings.

In an instant, countless greedy, ruthless, calculating gazes fell upon Li Hentian, who had just become the 48th Sub Hall Master.

This task, rather than being for Li Hentian, is more like a grand pie drawn for the ambitious across all heavens and realms.

And Li Hentian is merely the most suitable tool tasked with throwing the pie out.

"Sinner… at your command!"

Li Hentian bowed his head even lower, covering the fleeting complex glint in his eyes.

He knows he is a pawn, yet he has no choice.

As long as he can avenge, as long as he can see the Gu Family's downfall, he is willing to pay any price.

"Very well."

The Grand Elder's voice returned to the cold stillness of an ancient well,

"Aside from this, how is the infiltration in the Immortal Realm proceeding?"

His will turned toward another shadow.

Moments later, a vague, humanoid silhouette woven from countless shadows slowly emerged from the darkness.

It had no fixed form, sometimes becoming an elder, sometimes a child, sometimes dispersing like mist.

It is the Three Elders of Zang Tian Ge, overseeing all infiltration, assassination, and intelligence matters, and the most enigmatic being beneath the Grand Elder.

"Reporting, Grand Elder."

The Three Elders' voice was equally fleeting, as if echoing from all directions at once,

"The seed we planted in the Primordial Immortal Realm has successfully sprouted; it has now merged into the immortal lineage of the Purple Sky Sacred Land, under the mixed family of the Immortal King clan. According to our calculations, it will take at least one epoch before it can gradually influence that lineage's fortunes and open a solid breach for us."

"Too slow."

The Grand Elder's massive flesh‑bound body twitched slightly, expressing his displeasure,

"One epoch? Even the daylilies have wilted!"

"Grand Elder, calm down."

The Three Elders explained calmly,

"The Immortal Realm is not like those lower worlds; in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, each region has birthed more than one supreme giant. Its depth is unfathomable, and its strength is hardly weaker than ours. Especially Primordial Heaven, rumored to be the birthplace of the Primordial Immortal Realm, where the heavenly laws are most stable, far surpassing other realms. If our power were exposed, it would instantly draw the suppression of the Immortal Realm's heavenly Dao and a siege by other Immortal Kings, so we must proceed with utmost caution."

His words were not an evasion.

The strength of the Immortal Realm is a hard bone that Zang Tian Ge has never dared to touch for countless years, lest it pollute its world.

Thus, using the "Rural Encircling City" tactic supplied by the Nine Elders, they infiltrated and corroded like leeches, seeping bit by bit; it took an unknown number of years to penetrate the outer reaches of the Primordial Immortal Realm.

Then, by this accidental circumstance, they successfully guided the power of extinction toward the interior of the Immortal Realm.

There is a chance to infiltrate from the outside inward, waiting for decay to begin from within.

"The heir of the 'Original Immortal Unending Scripture' has already emerged; we cannot afford to wait that long."

A hint of agitation flickered for the first time in the Grand Elder's cold will,

"The Lord's plan tolerates no failure; that inheritance can have only one destination. If the Gu Family's founding ancestor were to seize it first, the opponent might truly have a chance to step into the realm of the supreme Immortal King, which would be, for the Lord… another moderate trouble."

The Grand Elder did not finish his sentence, but every Immortal King present grasped its weight.

One must understand, to have the Lord allocate a portion of his will to oppose…

It reveals how powerful that Immortal King once was.

"We must accelerate the progress."

The Grand Elder made a decision,

"When will the True Immortal Battlefield be opened, and how are preparations?"

The Three Elders' vague figure bowed slightly:

"Everything is in order; the True Immortal Battlefield is slated to open within three years. Each opening heralds a new Immortal King opportunity. Currently, the Immortal King seats across the heavens and realms are about seventy‑plus percent filled; each remaining one is crucial. We must secure the majority of them to lay the final cornerstone for the Lord's great undertaking."

"The 'seeds' we have placed will vie fiercely for the Immortal King throne; even if they fail, their displayed talents will attract those Immortal‑King‑level forces, becoming another pawn for our infiltration of the Immortal Realm."

"If successful in one go, it could push our plan forward by hundreds of thousands of years to half an epoch."

"Very well," the Grand Elder seemed pleased with the proposal. "Then open it as soon as possible. You will personally oversee this. I will go to meet the Lord to report on the 'Original Immortal Unending Scripture.'"

With that, the massive flesh monster slowly sank into deeper layers of dark void, vanishing.

The Judgment Hall once again fell into dead silence.

The several Jue Dian Immortal Kings exchanged glances, each seeing gravity, a hint of excitement, and regret in the other's eyes.

True Immortal Battlefield!

It is the forbidden land of legend where more than one giant has been buried; each opening heralds a blood‑soaked feast and an unparalleled chance to ascend in a single bound.

Unfortunately, they are already Immortal Kings, unable to enter the True Immortal Battlefield, and having already passed through the layers of the True Immortal Realm, they found no opportunity they sought.

Of course, forcing entry now isn't impossible; it would simply result in expulsion by all Immortal Kings and expose themselves.

At that moment, the ever‑silent Three Elders, beneath their ever‑shifting shadowy outline, had a pair of unseen eyes flicker faintly.

"Lord…"

Deep within the shadow, a deeper darkness seemed to stir quietly.