Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

After a moment of thought, he extended an invitation to Wang Heng, suggesting they attend the gathering of ancient world prodigies at the border.

A grand event was currently taking place in the city, even more magnificent than the previous gathering at the South Sea Purple Bamboo Forest, attracting nearly every prodigy from the primitive ancient world.

"Alright, I've been wanting to meet these legendary prodigies from the ancient world," Wang Heng nodded in agreement.

Since he would soon be leaving this realm for the Immortal Domain, he intended to assess the young generation of the primitive ancient world for better comparison upon his arrival in the Immortal Domain.

With that, Shi Jintian rose and led Wang Heng out of the Immortal Palace.

They traversed through imposing celestial palaces and towering mountains, eventually reaching their destination.

It was a spacious courtyard, lacking opulent gold and jade or ornate carving. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary garden, unassuming. However, no one truly believed that was the case.

The reason was simple: the owner of this courtyard was a true immortal, residing here for years. Over time, even the flowers, grass, and trees absorbed the aura of immortality, exuding an extraordinary Taoist resonance.

Entering the courtyard, Shi Jintian and Wang Heng saw a series of pavilions constructed alongside a babbling brook, adorned with divine trees and exotic flowers, emitting a vibrant breath of life.

Stone tables and chairs were arranged within the pavilions, where extraordinary, outstanding young people exchanged drinks and laughter, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.

As soon as the two arrived, they captured the attention of all the prodigies within the pavilions.

Shi Jintian, a leading figure of the Stone clan's younger generation, was well-known among all the prodigies. However, Wang Heng's face was somewhat unfamiliar to them.

Only those youthful beings who had participated in the South Sea Purple Bamboo Forest event recognized Wang Heng, standing up in amazement, seemingly unable to believe their eyes.

"Ancestor Wang?"

A young boy exclaimed in surprise, quickly stepping out of the pavilion to greet him.

"Who is Ancestor Wang? Could it be..."

The prodigies in the same pavilion as the boy had never met Wang Heng and thus were unaware of his background. Yet, from the words "Ancestor Wang," they could vaguely infer some clues.

"Hmm? Fellow Daoist Li?"

Seeing a graceful youth dressed in Taoist robes stride toward him, Wang Heng's mind recalled a name—Li Daoge.

He hailed from the Universe Sect, the supreme heir of his era. His talent was exceptional, and his potential limitless. His character somewhat mirrored his name, both carefree and unrestrained.

“It's truly an honor, Ancestor Wang! Haha, forgive us, Ancestor Wang, for not welcoming you from afar.” Li Daoge laughed heartily, making a gesture of sincere apology.

Wang Heng smiled and shook his head gently.

“There were rumors that said both Ancestor Wang and the Wang Family's Immortal Estate had vanished forever, never to appear again in this world. On hearing such, I was worried for quite some time, praying day and night for Ancestor Wang's wellbeing. But as it turns out, those were mere rumors.” Li Daoge paused slightly, his tone shifting to one tinged with sadness.

“A sudden catastrophe is something no one can foresee. Fortunately, you are still with us, unscathed. That's fortune amidst misfortune. Please take care of yourself, Ancestor Wang, and do not let this halt your path.”

“Thank you, Friend Li, for your concern about the Wang Family. I am fine, and everything is well at present.” Wang Heng could feel that Li Daoge's care was genuine and not pretentious, so his thanks were heartfelt.

At that moment, a group of individuals emerged from a distant pavilion—all familiar faces to Wang Heng, ones he had interacted with in the South Sea's Purple Bamboo Grove.

Including notable beings like the young life-form from the Nine-Underworld Hound Clan, Yucheng Zun, the True Phoenix Clan's descendant, Feng Qin, the young monk Kongjue from Mount Sumeru, and the integrator of the Primal Purple Qi Seed, Zi Shiqing...

Upon seeing Wang Heng's arrival, they all walked over with smiles, no exception.

“Greetings, Ancestor Wang!”

Wang Heng nodded and conversed with them individually, the atmosphere very congenial.

Although few days had elapsed since the end of the Purple Bamboo Grove gathering in the South Sea, for Wang Heng, who had experienced a life-and-death ordeal, it felt like a lifetime ago.

He had nearly perished under the dark curse, with no chance of ever seeing daylight again.

Therefore, Wang Heng cherished his time with these young prodigies more than ever, especially as he was about to journey to the Immortal Realm, leaving only a "Qi" avatar behind in the Ancient World.

He had no idea when or in what circumstance he would meet these young talents again; it might even be his re-emerged "Qi" avatar laughing and chatting with them.

At that time, none would realize that the "Qi" god's true body was the Ancestor Wang they respected.

Particularly with Zi Shiqing, the Primal Purple Qi Seed's integrator from the Purple Mansion. His seed and the "Qi" body's Heaven's Dome Seed were destined rivals, tied by fate, predestining a battle between the seeds' hosts.

Whenever Wang Heng thought of this, his gaze towards Zi Shiqing would turn peculiar.

Such a look made Zi Shiqing shiver from the spine.

“Ancestor Wang... You wouldn't be eyeing my Primal Purple Qi Seed to replace your own, would you?”

He asked half-jokingly.

Wang Heng smiled and shook his head, "Fellow Daoist Zi, you're overthinking it. The selection of the Harmony Purple Qi Seed regards you as the fusion candidate, leaving no chance for others, including myself."

Everyone who heard this couldn't help but smile, barely suppressing their laughter.

At this moment, the exceptional talents seated in the pavilion by the creek realized who "Ancestor Wang" was and began emerging from the pavilion to pay their respects.

"Zhu Lan of the Vermilion Bird Clan, greets Ancestor Wang."

A beautiful girl wearing a flame-colored divine gown greeted crisply, carrying a pair of Vermilion Bird wings like her progenitor, with Vermilion flames entwined around them, exuding an extraordinary aura that marked her as exceptional at first glance.

"I have long heard from Brother Shi of Ancestor Wang's astounding talents, unmatched in the ancient world. Today's encounter proves the reputation well-deserved. I am Mu Lin of the Mu Clan, greeting Ancestor Wang..." A heroic young man cupped his fists towards Wang Heng, expressing his admiration.

Subsequently, many prodigies of the ancient realm stepped forward, presenting their respects to Wang Heng.

Regardless of the Wang family's status, he was always the child of an Immortal King, his seniority was overwhelming, and among those present, none could compare.

Wang Heng nodded towards each prodigy, responding to their greetings.

He saw many stunning prodigies on the level of Immortal King descendants, all unfamiliar faces who had not participated in the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove event. This border esperiship was a monumental event shaking the era, which they couldn't miss.

"Ancestor Wang, your Dao seed has shattered. Have you considered how to continue your cultivation in the future? As an Immortal King family, surely the Wang family has more than one perfect seed stored?" Someone inquired, immediately garnering the attention of all prodigies present.

It was well known that Wang Heng ranked first in the Dao Seed realm and had never fallen. Even though his Dao seed was extinguished and he lost his cultivation, his ranking remained at the top, like a glorious sun across the sky.

This demonstrated that losing the Dao seed hadn't diminished this extraordinary being's vitality; he still possessed depths unimaginable to common folk.

The prodigies present couldn't help but feel a chill when thinking about this; if their Dao seeds shattered, their paths would likely be devastated, bones crushed.

Who would have imagined Wang Heng to be so formidable, still able to suppress the masses and rank first in the Dao Seed realm even without a Dao seed?

"The future? I'll take it one step at a time; without a suitable Dao seed, it's like trying to cook without rice," Wang Heng remarked self-deprecatingly.

However, people didn't believe he would remain inactive; they speculated on what extraordinary ancient seed he might acquire to fuse in the future.

"My elders told me the celestial seed, a nemesis of the Harmony Purple Qi Seed, resides within the Wang family. Would Ancestor Wang consider merging with this invincible seed, thus becoming my adversary?" Zi Shiqing suddenly recalled Wang Heng's earlier gaze, forming a bold conjecture in his mind.

"The Celestial Seed? That's a peerless ancient seed, on par with the Chaos Purple Qi Seed. Any being who fuses with it is hailed as a celestial's offspring, immensely powerful, destined to tread the immortal path." Someone exclaimed, revealing the formidable reputation and might of the Celestial Seed.

However, Wang Heng dismissed this speculation.

"You may not know, Fellow Daoist Zi, but indeed I thought that way. I was quite pleased when I considered becoming your rival," Wang Heng admitted with a smile.

Zi Shiqing fell silent. He was not pleased at all. Having witnessed Wang Heng’s terrifying power firsthand at the Southern Sea Bamboo Grove Gathering, he knew if Wang Heng were his rival, he would struggle to win their destined confrontation.

"However," Wang Heng continued, "when I inquired about the whereabouts of the Celestial Seed, my father told me it disappeared, probably taken by a betraying True Immortal. Now, even if I want to merge with it, there's no seed to fuse with.

It's a great regret not being able to become your rival, Brother Zi."

Hearing this, Zi Shiqing felt a cold sweat and a sense of relief—thankfully, the Celestial Seed was lost, and they couldn't become rivals, or it would have been troubling for him.

Nonetheless, Zi Shiqing quickly reflected on his attitude; it was inappropriate to feel "schadenfreude" when a friend's family had suffered.

Embarrassed, he replied, "Indeed, it's a pity. If Wang Heng could fuse with the Celestial Seed, our contest would surely become a storied legend, remembered through the ages."

"Indeed, what a pity!" Wang Heng showed a look of regret.

Others who overheard also felt the loss. That was a perfect, unparalleled ancient seed, hard to find throughout the world—only one exists—and now it was simply lost, leaving hearts unsettled.

"Fellow Daoists, did you arrive early at the frontier? We haven’t seen the Immortal Kings and True Immortals," Wang Heng deftly changed the topic. From the start till now, he remained the center of everyone’s attention, with some keen to delve into every aspect, so naturally, the topic had to shift.

"Yes, we arrived early to attend this grand meeting of prodigies. It promises to be the most complete gathering of talents in the ancient world, a chance not to be missed."

"The Immortal Kings and True Immortals are preparing for the king-sealing ceremony. They’ll arrive soon," Li Daoge responded.

"I see," Wang Heng nodded.

Thereafter, everyone returned to the pavilion, sat on stone seats, and raised their teacups, gesturing through the air.

The stream babbled gently, and occasionally, young talents snapped their fingers, ancient Daoist words danced, and an ancient seed transformed into a miniature vessel, floating downstream.

Every Taoist vessel represents the doubts and uncertainties of a prodigy on the path to enlightenment. Should someone solve the problems aboard these ships, the planter of the vessel will symbolically offer tea across space to express gratitude.

Of course, this is purely ceremonial. In reality, it serves to deepen friendships among the young prodigies. Wang Heng, adopting the belief that making a friend is one less enemy, frequently resolved these issues, unraveling the enigmas of the ships, and thereby, garnered numerous friendships.

However, he also noticed that a few beings harbored a subtle enmity towards him. They believed they concealed it well, unsuspecting of Wang Heng’s formidable spiritual prowess.

After discreetly inquiring with Li Daoge and others around him, Wang Heng learned of these individuals' identities. Without exception, they hailed from families that had past grievances with his own.

For instance, there was a young man surnamed Xu, from a vast Eternal Dynasty. For generations, his clan had never gotten along with Wang’s family, harboring enmity that had persisted across several eras, like an unbreakable knot.

This reminded Wang Heng of the chronicle of the chaotic ancient epochs, where Princess Yuechan and Wang Xi of the Wang family inherited their ancestors' hostile sentiments, always targeting one another.

After delving deeper into these families, Wang Heng frowned, noting that these families maintained decent relations with the border tribes, with frequent interactions.

Even with the imposing influence of his Immortal King uncle, it was unfeasible to annihilate these families. There lacked a direct cause for the border tribes to assault allied powers.

As for these families' stances in the original tale of the chaotic ancient epoch, Wang Heng was indifferent. If they opposed him, there was but one word—annihilation.

The Eternal Dynasty’s Xu family, by historical development, returned with the corpses of the Six Paths of Endless, their true immortals bundled in a grand flag, saturated by the essence of two behemoths, transforming it into an ultimate treasure, the Immortal King’s Shroud.

During the chaotic ancient epoch, the Xu family often lent the Immortal King's Shroud to Meng Tianzheng to shield Shi Hao. As a reader, Wang Heng had somewhat favored this family.

But now, considering their stance, those favorable impressions couldn't feed him. If the Xu family foolishly provoked him, he wouldn’t hesitate to obliterate them in the future.

In the true Immortals’ courtyard, there was a gentle stream, and the fragrance of tea lingered. Unraveling mysteries and imparting wisdom, this was the unique charm of cultivators. There was no conflict or confrontation, only tranquility.

This place seemed like a true enchanted land, where deities sat discussing the Dao, away from the battles and the stench of blood.

What cultivator wouldn't appreciate such an atmosphere?

As the atmosphere of the grand gathering reached its peak and began to cool, a resonant voice emerged, halting all actions of the prodigies as they gazed toward the courtyard beyond.

"The King of the Celestial Domain arrives."

Following this announcement, celestial music gracefully wafted through the air, as melodious as the music of the heavens.

Golden lotus flowers of the great path appeared one after another, covering the ground entirely, filling the entirety of the ancient imperial city.

The heavens and void resounded, with the sound of the great path's scriptures emanating in waves.

All the cultivators who had come to this city couldn't help but listen intently, showing expressions of enchantment.