Chapter 185

Lord of Tianheng was stunned for a long while, the Canglan Emperor's words echoed in his mind, his heart roiled like a raging sea!

That Li Zhangsheng actually used three swords to heavily wound the Lord of the Mist Ridge?!

Eternal Lords are divided by combat power from low to high as: Primary‑tier Eternal Lord, Mid‑tier Eternal Lord, High‑tier Eternal, Top‑tier Eternal!!

That Lord of the Mist Ridge has been an Eternal Lord for quite some time, a veteran Eternal Lord, a Mid‑tier Eternal Lord in power, and his strength is comparable to that of the Lord of Tianheng!

"Since Li Zhangsheng could easily heavily wound the Lord of the Mist Ridge, does that mean he is an Eternal Lord stronger than me?" the Lord of Tianheng inhaled a breath of cold air.

"Goodness, I had even considered taking him as a disciple, and now I've made him look foolish!!"

"But when did Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu produce such a powerhouse, and why have we never heard any news before?"

"If such a powerhouse could be recruited into my Po Jun Alliance camp…"

The Lord of Tianheng pondered for a moment, then swiftly headed toward the Celestial Light Realm.

……

Celestial Light Sacred Land.

After the Lord of the Mist Ridge fled, Li Zhangsheng sheathed his sword and then fixed his gaze toward a direction!

In a temporal‑spatial layer of that direction, the Canglan Emperor was hidden there!

With Li Zhangsheng's divine‑sense shrouding power, the Canglan Emperor's concealment was essentially nullified for him.

"Canglan Emperor, come out." Li Zhangsheng smiled faintly; he also did not know why the Canglan Emperor followed him to the Celestial Light Realm.

Mu Xuanyi also curiously looked toward the direction of Li Zhangsheng's gaze.

Anyone else?

In the next instant, the Canglan Emperor materialized, flashing before Li Zhangsheng, bowing respectfully: "Greetings, senior. Earlier I failed to recognize a great mountain, making you laugh at me."

"I wonder why the Emperor secretly followed me to this Celestial Light Realm?" Li Zhangsheng asked.

Then the Canglan Emperor recounted in detail the matters his teacher, the Lord of Tianheng, had entrusted to him, concluding: "I merely misjudged; given your strength, Canglan following you is truly unnecessary."

Li Zhangsheng was slightly surprised by the words.

He and the Canglan Emperor's teacher had never met, yet the other side feared he might encounter mishaps in the Celestial Light Realm and sent the Canglan Emperor to follow him covertly?

Could it be merely because he had traversed all levels of the Tower of Ascension?

"Well, I appreciate the Canglan Emperor's effort; please return and properly thank your teacher on my behalf." Li Zhangsheng smiled, saying that, regardless, the person acted out of goodwill, fearing any misfortune for him in the Celestial Light Realm, and Li Zhangsheng felt a bit moved inside.

"Senior, earlier the Lord of the Mist Ridge descended; I feared you could not contend with him, so I informed the teacher, who is now on his way." the Canglan Emperor said: "It shouldn't take long; he'll arrive soon, please wait a moment, senior."

"Oh?" Li Zhangsheng said, "The Lord of Tianheng does have concern."

Li Zhangsheng also wanted to meet the Lord of Tianheng in person to thank him.

After all, the Temporal Unification Secret Record of the Tower of Ascension was left by the Lord of Tianheng; Li Zhangsheng's study of this method yielded many benefits, and the other side seemed quite attentive to him.

The Lord of Tianheng arrived even faster than the Canglan Emperor had anticipated.

The void tore, a blue divine light refined to the extreme pierced the void, and where the light dissipated, a middle‑aged man in a blue robe with a refined demeanor stood upon the void.

He emitted no trace of divine energy outward; at first glance he seemed mortal, yet when his gaze swept over the ruined Celestial Light Sacred Land, countless fine cracks subtly appeared in the void.

This man is the Eternal Lord of the Po Jun Alliance, the Lord of Tianheng.

"Teacher!" Upon seeing the Lord of Tianheng, the Canglan Emperor quickly bowed in reverence.

The Lord of Tianheng slightly nodded, his gaze passing over him to rest on Li Zhangsheng.

Li Zhangsheng stood with both hands raised in the void, his eyes also on the Lord of Tianheng, politely smiled and said: "I suppose you are the Lord of Tianheng, Canglan Emperor's teacher; we have never met, yet you have caused the Lord of Tianheng to worry."

"I dare not accept such praise." the Lord of Tianheng clasped his fists toward Li Zhangsheng, smiled and said: "Earlier you, companion, traversed all levels of the Tower of Ascension; I assumed you sought to play among mortals, and thought you were a talent of the ages, which is why I was so attentive to you."

"I never imagined your strength to be so transcendent; it makes me look foolish."

"This visit is also to witness your bearing!"

At this moment, Mu Xuanyi stood quietly beside Li Zhangsheng, and the aura of the divine bloodline was instantly sensed sharply by the Lord of Tianheng.

"This… is… a divine bloodline?!" the Lord of Tianheng exclaimed, his face instantly filled with astonishment as his gaze swept over Mu Xuanyi.

As an Eternal Lord, the Lord of Tianheng had naturally seen divine blood before, yet upon perceiving Mu Xuanyi's divine bloodline, even he was momentarily stunned.

"How could this be? There are such people in the world?!" the Lord of Tianheng said, shocked as he looked at Mu Xuanyi, then turned to Li Zhangsheng, "Companion, I heard from Canglan that Zhou Xuan captured your person; is that this young lady?"

"Yes." Li Zhangsheng nodded, "You also know of the divine bloodline?"

"No wonder, I once roamed Shen Yin Shan in the Hun Dun Hai; the greatest opportunity there is the divine blood." the Lord of Tianheng said, "I have seen divine blood, and the bloodline aura of this young lady matches that divine blood exactly."

"A whole body of divine bloodline, I never imagined such a person existed in the world; it's incredible."

Li Zhangsheng asked, "Does this mean that before Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu there were never people with a divine bloodline?"

"They never existed." the Lord of Tianheng said, "If I hadn't come personally, I wouldn't have known such a person existed."

After a pause, the Lord of Tianheng curiously asked, "By the way, companion, may I boldly inquire about this young lady's background?"

Li Zhangsheng said, "She has been an orphan since childhood."

The Lord of Tianheng thought for a moment, then solemnly said, "I suppose the Lord of the Mist Ridge already knows of the bloodline on this young lady."

"The Lord of the Mist Ridge is a core member of the Eternal Night Alliance; you, companion, having heavily wounded him and having a person with a divine bloodline by your side, the Eternal Night Alliance will not let this go lightly."

"Oh?" Li Zhangsheng raised an eyebrow slightly, "The Eternal Night Alliance, are they strong?"

"The Eternal Night Alliance has thirteen Eternal Lords seated as pillars." the Lord of Tianheng said gravely, "Its leader, the Night Darkness Lord, is recognized by Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu as one of the topmost Eternals, its strength unfathomable."

"Besides him, there are two or three high‑tier Cosmic Lords. The Lord of the Mist Ridge is among them, ranking only mid‑tier."

Yet Li Zhangsheng's expression remained unchanged, merely giving a soft "hm."

"Companion, your strength is unparalleled; I admire you." the Lord of Tianheng continued, "But the Eternal Night Alliance is always domineering; now that news of this young lady's divine bloodline has leaked, the Alliance will certainly not let this opportunity slip."

"Even if you are unafraid, you cannot match four opponents with two fists; if the Eternal Night Alliance attacks en masse, it will be…"

He did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Li Zhangsheng glanced at him and suddenly laughed, "Lord of Tianheng, are you here to recruit me?"

Having his motive exposed, the Lord of Tianheng openly admitted, "Yes, my Po Jun Alliance also consists of Eternal Lords; within the Alliance there are eleven official members, and the Alliance leader, the Lord of Po Jun, is not weaker than the Night Darkness Lord."

If fellow Daoist wishes to join, the Eternal Night Alliance will have to think twice before acting again.

He paused, then added: "Of course, I won't use the alliance's name to compel fellow Daoist to do anything."

"Joining the Po Jun Alliance, fellow Daoist remains free, merely gaining an additional status and a few more comrades who can support each other."

"In the face of pressure from the Eternal Night Alliance, the alliance will stand together with fellow Daoist."

Li Zhangsheng fell silent for a moment, as if pondering.

Actually, he didn't care about the threat from the Eternal Night Alliance.

Whether thirteen Eternal Lords or a hundred, to him there was no essential difference.

But he was indeed somewhat bored!

Anyway, he didn't know where to go!

As one of the foremost powers in Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu, joining the Po Jun Alliance would allow a thorough understanding of this plane!

"Very well." Li Zhangsheng spoke slowly, "Anyway, I don't know where to go; since Lord of Tianheng extends a warm invitation, I will join the Po Jun Alliance."

Lord of Tianheng heard this and was overjoyed, quickly saying: "That's wonderful; my Po Jun Alliance has gained a great ally. Fellow Daoist, if you have any doubts about the alliance, I will hold nothing back."

Li Zhangsheng thought for a moment and asked: "By the way, what other forces in Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu are comparable to the Po Jun Alliance?"

"Fellow Daoist doesn't know?" Lord of Tianheng sounded doubtful; logically, given Li Zhangsheng's strength—surely an Eternal Lord—he should be aware of the top power structure of Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu.

Li Zhangsheng smiled and said: "Sorry, I actually don't know much about Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu."

"Where were you fellow Daoist before?" Lord of Tianheng asked curiously.

"I was previously in other planes, which to you would be considered lower planes," Li Zhangsheng said.

"A lower plane could produce a powerhouse like fellow Daoist?!" Lord of Tianheng exclaimed in shock.

"I'm rather special!" Li Zhangsheng said casually.

"I see, no wonder." Lord of Tianheng said: "Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu is vast and boundless; the forces worthy of being called top-tier number four."

"First, the Po Jun Alliance, whose alliance lord is Lord of Po Jun; counting fellow Daoist, we now have twelve Eternal Lords under our banner."

"Second, the Eternal Night Alliance, whose alliance lord is Lord of Nether Night; it commands thirteen Eternal Lords, one of whom is Lord of Misty Ridge."

"Third, the Myriad Phenomena Divine Hall, whose hall master is Lord of Myriad Phenomena; it commands an unknown number of Eternal Lords, but no fewer than ten. The hall acts discreetly and rarely takes part in disputes."

"Fourth, the Primordial Ancient Sect, whose sect master is Lord of Primordial; it commands eight Eternal Lords, possessing formidable strength, yet among the four major forces its strength is relatively weak!"

"Of course, most Eternal Lords roam the Hun Dun Hai!"

Li Zhangsheng nodded lightly upon hearing that!

The four major forces, dozens of Eternal Lords!

In Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu, the number of Eternal Lords exceeds his expectations!

"Since that's the case, fellow Daoist, shall we now head to the Po Jun Alliance headquarters?" Lord of Tianheng asked, "I can also introduce you to the alliance."

"All right." Li Zhangsheng nodded.

As the group was about to set off, Canglan Emperor suddenly interjected: "Master, disciple..."

Lord of Tianheng glanced at him and said gently: "Return to the Canglan Realm first."

"Yes, master, disciple takes his leave!" Canglan Emperor clasped his hands and then withdrew!

Lord of Tianheng raised his hand and unleashed a divine sigil, ripping open a passage in the void; the three stepped inside and vanished!

……

At the opposite end of Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu lies the depths of a dark star field known as the Abyss of Eternal Night.

Here there is no light, no vitality; eternal darkness shrouds everything.

Countless stars have long since extinguished, leaving only cold, dead stellar husks drifting in the void, like countless massive tombstones.

At the heart of this darkness floats a vast, wholly black divine palace.

The palace is entirely forged from a strange substance that devours light; even an Eternal Lord's perception, upon entering, is gradually weakened.

This is the stronghold of the Eternal Night Alliance, the Eternal Night Divine Palace.

At this moment, in the depths of the palace's main hall, a wretched figure stands there.

This person is none other than Lord of Misty Ridge, who fled in panic from beneath Li Zhangsheng's sword.

He no longer bears the immense might that once spanned the star river; his Divine Body has shrunk to a hundred zhang in size, his surrounding mist is thin to near transparency, and the divine light in his double rows of vertical pupils has dimmed to the extreme!

Having lost ninety percent of his Divine Body and having employed a source‑draining escape art, his strength has plummeted to an unprecedented low; without ages of bitter cultivation, he cannot recover at all.

Above the hall, three divine thrones are arranged in a ring; each throne bears a seated figure exuding a suffocating, terrifying aura.

Merely by sitting there, they cause the surrounding spacetime to continually twist and collapse, forming tiny chaos vortices.

Upon the central black throne sits a man clad in black robes.

His visage is shrouded in a layer of faint darkness, indistinct; only a pair of deep, abyss‑like eyes can be seen, seeming able to devour all light.

The lord of the Eternal Night Alliance, Lord of Nether Night.

"Divine bloodline, Misty Ridge—are you certain?" Upon hearing Lord of Misty Ridge's report, Lord of Nether Night's heart was greatly shaken!

"Alliance lord, absolutely certain—it was a woman, I saw her myself!" Lord of Misty Ridge said: "However, the Eternal Lord beside her possesses terrifying battle prowess; he must be a top‑tier Eternal Lord like the alliance lord."

"Facing him, I was struck down by three swords, losing ninety percent of my Divine Body, and only by using the Mist‑Heaven Escape did I manage to flee back!"

As his words fell, the eyes of every Eternal Lord in the hall blazed with fervor.

What it means for a person to possess a Divine Bloodline, they know all too well!

Lord of Nether Night fell silent for a moment, then slowly said: "What is the name of the one who grievously wounded you?"

"Subordinate… I don't know." Lord of Misty Ridge's face fell; he then gestured, projecting Li Zhangsheng's image: "It is this person!"

"White‑clad, wielding a sword, three swords shattered Misty Ridge..." a Eternal Lord wrapped in purple lightning mused, "When did Yuan Zhi Sheng Tu produce such a figure?"

This person is a core member of the Eternal Night Alliance, Lord of Thunder Punishment, a High‑tier Eternal Lord, whose strength surpasses that of Lord of Misty Ridge.

"Regardless of who he is, he has a Divine Bloodline at his side and has grievously wounded one of our Eternal Night Alliance; this matter cannot be left unresolved," another Eternal Lord said coldly.

He was surrounded by icy azure divine flames, his aura as strong as that of the Lord of Thunder Punishment.

The Lord of Ice Stillness, likewise a High-tier Eternal Lord!

"I think the same!" the Lord of Mist Ridge hurriedly echoed, "That white-clad person is strong, but after all he's only one person. If the alliance leader personally takes action, together with several fellow cultivators joining forces to surround and kill him, we will surely be able to suppress him!"

"When the divine bloodline belongs to the alliance, I only ask for a share to compensate for this loss!"

The Lord of Night Abyss did not respond immediately, but fell into deep thought.

Being able to shatter the Lord of Mist Ridge with three swords, this white-clad person's strength is likely also that of a Supreme Eternal Lord!

At this level of powerhouse, it is extremely difficult to kill them.

Even if he personally takes action, combined with the other Eternals in the alliance working together, it may not be possible to ensure keeping the opponent.

Once the opponent escapes, they become an immortal deadly enemy.

A deadly enemy with the combat power of a Supreme Eternal, even the Eternal Night Alliance must be wary.

But he cannot resist the temptation of the divine bloodline.

Trapped in the Supreme Eternal for countless ages, he longs too much to step into that legendary realm.

That is the divine bloodline, after all—perhaps it truly can rely on that divine bloodline to step into that legendary realm!

"First send someone to investigate that white-clad person's background." The Lord of Night Abyss finally spoke, "He wields a sword, his strength is extremely strong; such a person could not appear out of nowhere."

"Investigate which faction he comes from, what his background is, and aside from the woman with the divine bloodline by his side, whether there are any others."

"Yes!" all the Eternal Lords replied in unison.

The Lord of Mist Ridge secretly rejoiced, knowing the alliance leader was preparing to take action.

Although I suffered heavy losses this time, as long as the alliance leader secures the divine bloodline, I will be able to get a share—perhaps not only recover my injuries but also make further progress!

"White-clad person, wait for me." The Lord of Mist Ridge's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment, "Once the alliance leader acts, I will surely make you regret it!"

The Lord of Night Abyss waved his hand: "All of you go prepare; first investigate the white-clad person's details!"

"Yes!"

The Eternal Lords transformed into divine light and dissipated, leaving only the Lord of Night Abyss in the hall.

He slowly rose, his deep gaze fixed on a point in the void, "Divine bloodline, could there truly be such a person in this world?"