Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

“Even so, that fortress is quite formidable. Seven beings of the same caliber as us guard it. Crushing it swiftly won't be easy. If our army gets bogged down, the reinforcements from that realm will arrive very soon.

If it comes to that, crossing over will come with a devastating cost.”

“No worries. This probing attack was meant to divert the realm's attention.

We have more than one edge bordering the Primordial Ancient Realm.

Now, their focus is on the Imperial City of the Primordial, which perfectly aligns with our strategy. Those Immortal Kings would never expect us to deploy the power of an entire realm against them.”

“Indeed. Attacking across realms is all about the element of surprise.

Although some ancient fortresses and pathways have been buried by time, some are still usable.

Moreover, we're not fighting alone. We have allies to contact, who can not only hold off the Immortal Domain but also help us conquer the Primordial Ancient Realm, slaughtering its beings entirely.”

“We're just waiting for a few powerhouses to emerge.

Though the Primordial Ancient Realm isn't as potent as our realm, it does have several formidable giant-level beings.

Our realm's strongest must step in to deal with them.”

...

In the Primordial Ancient Realm, Dao Heaven, the Imperial City, basking in glory and celebration, returned to its former tranquility.

The streets were sparsely populated, starkly different from the bustling day before.

The Black King lay on the city walls, gazing at the desolation below, recollecting Wang Heng's words.

“When prosperity peaks, decline follows.

Could such a brilliant species truly face a day of downfall?”

It felt a touch of sorrow and its expression was slightly downcast.

The grand hall that once brimmed with Immortal Kings now stood empty, save for the Seven Kings and a few others.

The King of the Disk and other envoy Immortal Kings had already returned to the Immortal Domain.

Wang Heng waited silently outside the grand hall, anticipating Stone King's message.

Stone King had mentioned earlier that an Immortal King acquaintance was heading to the Immortal Domain and could take him along.

At this moment, he clutched a spatial ring, exploring its contents with his spiritual sense.

To his amazement, it was filled with rare treasures. Being a child of an Immortal King, the gift from his uncle as a first meeting token was far from ordinary.

Until now, Wang Heng's resources surpassed most True Immortals, including items normally the privilege of Immortal Kings.

He was like a mobile treasure trove—anyone robbing him would hit the jackpot, with enough to cultivate all the way to True Immortal.

Now, only matters related to immortality caught his eye.

Abundant resources left him with more than enough.

He could simply find a secluded mountain and practice in silence until achieving immortality before emerging again.

But Wang Heng knew this wasn't viable—he lacked the necessary tempering experiences.

Those mighty Immortal Kings must have reached the pinnacle in every realm, besting formidable foes at each step, treading upon endless bones, gradually amassing battle experience, ultimately becoming Immortal Kings.

Without honing oneself through battles, one will become frail and fragile like a flower in a greenhouse.

Only through clashes and exchanges between arts can brilliant sparks be ignited. The creation of a new art might suddenly arise as inspiration during a battle, thereby opening the doors to a new world.

No being ever created a new art by merely burying themselves in hard cultivation in one place.

Therefore, Wang Heng, who lacks no resources, must also roam the world, to fight, to vie, to hone his own path.

As he pondered, Stone King's voice finally came, inviting him into the great hall.

Since it concerned matters about heading to the Immortal Domain, Wang Heng dared not delay and immediately walked briskly into the ancient hall.

As he was about to enter, a middle-aged man emerged from within, facing Wang Heng. Wang Heng recognized this being; it was the Celestial Horned Ant of the Ancient Immortal Ten Fiends.

Though the term 'Ten Fiends' hadn't been coined yet, the Celestial Horned Ant was already regarded as a 'Giant Fiend.' Merely mentioning his name could send shivers down one's spine.

"Wang Heng meets the Lord Celestial Horned Ant!"

Wang Heng bowed respectfully.

"Hmm."

The Celestial Horned Ant nodded indifferently, making no further gestures, brushing past Wang Heng. If not for Wang Heng being Wang Geng's son, perhaps the Celestial Horned Ant wouldn’t have given him a glance.

Wang Heng didn't give much thought to the aloof attitudes of these great figures. They were not close to Wang Geng, and now, with Wang Geng suffering a calamity and retreating from the public eye, these beings naturally wouldn’t bother with the unripe Wang Heng.

The Ancient Immortal Ten Fiends in the perfect world faced the disaster of world's end, and thus their situations were different, having different views and thoughts.

Composing his mind, Wang Heng stepped into the hall.

At this moment, only eight beings remained inside, the Seven Kings of the Border Regions, and a towering presence, his black hair dense, his eyes wise, exuding a vast majesty with every move.

Most striking was the chaotic grand bell he possessed, enveloped in chaos and the aura of immortality, ancient yet extraordinary.

"The Wuji Immortal King!"

Wang Heng was astounded, not expecting that the being spoken of by Stone King going to the Immortal Domain with them was the Wuji Immortal King.

…

In a desolate ancient path abandoned for unknown eras within the alien realm, two figures gradually appeared, becoming more solid.

"This is an extremely ancient passageway. The exact age is beyond verification. I stumbled upon it by accident back in the day, and when I tried to activate it, I found that it was still functional, though unstable and with a risk of falling into spatial turbulence."

Wang Geng explained to Wang Heng the origins of this inter-realm passage.

He then informed Wang Heng that after their recent transmission, the formation within the passage collapsed completely and could no longer be activated.

"Then how will Father return?"

Wang Heng's "essence" body inquired.

"This is merely an incarnation. It's no big deal if it disperses.

Well, we've successfully smuggled ourselves into the alien realm now. Quickly, you must reconstruct the Dao rules within your physical body and fully integrate them into this world. Otherwise, there's a danger of being discovered.

Once the Dao principles within your body entirely transform to align with the rules of this realm, you'll be free to move through the world. However, don't forget to learn the language of this domain and understand its customs and traditions. You must rely on yourself for these tasks, seeing as I never expected my son would infiltrate an alien realm."

Wang Heng nodded, indicating his understanding.

Wang Geng's incarnation scanned the surroundings with divine sense and, confirming safety, pointed his fingers. Instantly, the void surged, and various Dao rules converged to form a mighty furnace.

Without needing a reminder, Wang Heng voluntarily leapt inside and relaxed his mind, allowing his father's incarnation to proceed.

"Boom!"

Strands of Dao principles were drawn over, becoming the kindling that ignited the Dao fire which roasted the furnace.

These consisted of the primordial ancient world's Dao rules within Wang Heng's "essence" body, all obliterated, superimposed or expelled by the alien realm's rules under the furnace's scorching.

Once his "essence" body was completely integrated into the alien environment, the Dao fire extinguished, the furnace shattered, and vanished without a trace.

"Very good. Now you can walk the alien realm. Be cautious in all things. Remember, if something happens to your 'essence' body, it will break the path of the other two bodies, preventing them from achieving greatness for life."

"I will remember, Father."

"One more thing, from this moment, your name is Gen Jin. Let 'Wang Heng' remain buried deep in your heart. Unless the day comes when the three bodies unite and the Dao fruits merge, never mention this name to others."

Wang Heng solemnly nodded.

"From now on, I am Gen Jin."

Then, he watched as his father's incarnation slowly dissipated and drifted away with the wind. As the incarnation of an Immortal King, Wang Geng could not allow anyone to know he had entered this realm. If discovered, the risk of Wang Heng's "essence" body being exposed would increase significantly.

"From here on, it's all up to me."

Gen Jin muttered to himself, striding across the desolate land. Having just arrived in an alien realm, he planned to start from the basics. As Wang Geng's incarnation suggested, he would first learn the realm's language and understand its culture and customs before considering revealing his prowess or competing with the alien realm's champions.

Great Crimson Heaven, known as the "birthplace of flames," is a land where over half its inhabitants embark on the path of cultivation by merging with fire-element Dao seeds. Even the Great Crimson Heaven Lord is renowned for his mastery of the Great Crimson Heaven Fire.

Since ancient times, this land has been prolific in producing fire seeds. Occasionally, a top-tier fire-element Dao seed emerges and bestows its finder a path to rise to prominence.

When elite Dao seeds are monopolized by major powers, the top-tier fire seeds naturally born of Great Crimson Heaven attract countless cultivators. They come from far and wide, seeking fortune amidst its vast wilderness and jagged mountain ranges.

Some claim that the abundance of fire seeds is linked to the formation of Great Crimson Heaven. Legend has it that eons ago, a chaotic flame descended from the sky, exploding across this vast world. It created innumerable fire seeds and scorched the earth, leaving it a blazing wasteland now known as Great Crimson Heaven.

Although a myth, many believe it. Otherwise, how else could the origin of the fire seeds be explained?

On this day, Wang Heng, under the alias Gu Wudi, arrives in Great Crimson Heaven. This marks the beginning of his journey to attain enlightenment.

Upon entering Great Crimson Heaven, Gu Wudi immediately senses the unusual fire seed aura saturating the land. The air itself is warmer than in other realms, as if a mighty forge lies buried deep beneath, its flames scorching the entire world.

He is astonished and recalls the legend of the chaotic flame's descent. "Could the legendary chaotic flame be the quasi-Immortal Emperor fire that leaked from Footprint Quasi-Immortal Emperor?" he wonders, connecting the two since both involve fire, hinting at a possible karmic link.

Just as birds gather before a king, could flames possess a similar hierarchy? Gu Wudi considers this notion plausible. "It seems Great Crimson Heaven is indeed extraordinary," he contemplates.

Besides its abundance of fire seeds, this realm also borders an alien territory. In epochs past, a passageway connecting the two existed, akin to the Imperial City at the frontier of the Great Dao.

However, after an intense battle among Immortal Kings erupted, the ensuing shockwaves destroyed the passage, rendering it non-existent. Consequently, the Primordial Ancient Realm's kings have paid little attention here, believing the Great Crimson Heaven and alien realm gate is forever sealed.

Yet, according to descriptions in the Perfect World, Great Crimson Heaven will soon become a fierce battleground in a future conflict between the two realms.

During the Chaotic Epoch, Great Crimson Heaven suffered a devastating defeat in the End Time War. Countless true immortals perished, and with the demise of its two leaders and the defeat of many Immortal Kings, it was renamed Heaven of Sorrow.

In Shi Hao's era, the alien invasion began from Great Crimson Heaven. This realm is steeped in sorrow and regret, far from the gentle appearance it now displays.

Gu Wudi walked across the crimson earth, searching his mind for memories associated with Great Crimson Heaven. Most of what he recalled was melancholic, a tale of regret to be sighed over.

He sighed, resolving that once he had the power to take part in the war between the two realms, and the ability to influence its outcome, he would ensure to fortify this land. Otherwise, if the alien realm suddenly invaded in overwhelming numbers, anyone would be caught off guard.

For the next half month, he journeyed towards a city where cultivators gathered, all the while practicing the Dao Seed Technique.

Before encountering the Primordial Blood Curse, he had already laid the foundation to break through the Seed Dao Stage while listening to teachings in the bamboo forest of the South Sea. Now, retracing his steps with the Dao Seed Technique was a familiar task, quickly reaching the pinnacle of the Seed Dao Stage.

After fifteen days of cultivation, he finally made a breakthrough, surpassing the bottleneck of the Seed Dao Stage and entering the next realm—Rooted Stage.

In his lower dantian, the firm shell of the celestial seed embedded in his flesh and blood broke open, allowing countless roots to sprout. These roots, visible to the naked eye, merged with his flesh yet remained distinctly visible.

They treated Wang Heng's flesh as soil, anchoring deeply within, extracting nutrients while serving Gu Wudi's needs.

A symbiotic relationship formed, mutually beneficial, allowing them to comprehend and grow together.

The moment he stepped into the Rooted Stage, the advantages of the Perfect Ancient Seed manifested once more, enabling Gu Wudi to merge with the grand world again. His entire being became part of the Dao, his emotions turning ancient and distant, ignoring the passage of time.

Approach the Dao, perceive the Dao, acquire the Dao.

For other beings, to have such an opportunity even once before uniting with the Dao would be fortunate. Most seeds have limited potential, unable to frequently merge like the Perfect Ancient Seed. That is the advantage of the Perfect Seed; it offers substantial enhancement to its host.

Unknown time passed before Wang Heng's "Qi" self awoke, bringing his consciousness back to his body.

Opening his eyes, he realized a thin cocoon of Dao had formed around him, and his cultivation level had surged like lightning, passing the mid-stage of Rooted Stage and approaching the late stage.

Meanwhile, the roots entrenched in his flesh had more than doubled in length and increased in number, becoming denser.

This led to a comprehensive boost in his blood, strength, and primordial spirit.

Naturally, this body, refined through powerful medicines, matched the typical immortal prince in strength and potential, far from the might of his other two bodies, akin to the "essence" and "spirit" selves.

His three bodies seemed like three extremes, each reaching perfection in the aspects of essence, qi, and spirit.

Gu Wudi did not dwell on his condition, only briefly inspecting his inner self before shifting his gaze.

He tore through the Dao cocoon, stood up, and squinted into the distance, lost in thought.

Aside from the surge in cultivation and deeper Dao comprehension achieved during the merge with the great world's Dao, he also sensed a special energy in that direction.

It seemed to be an extraordinary fire source, giving off a serene and gentle aura despite the distance, yet inherently dangerous as turmoil and intensity often lay beneath the surface.

After pondering for a moment, Gu Wudi decided to take a look. He wasn't lacking in cultivation resources; what he truly needed was battle awareness, tempering, and an unbeatable aura.

The hidden place of top Dao seeds was bound to be bustling, teeming with powerful figures.