My son is about to break through.

Time flies like an arrow.

In the blink of an eye, a century has quietly passed.

For the past century, the Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty's war has never ceased. Its massive army, like a surging torrent, swept through and cleansed the remaining territory of the Nine Netherworld Divine Kingdom with unstoppable force.

Wherever the Immortal Dynasty's battle banner pointed, evil spirits were vanquished, and the Immortal Realms corrupted by filth were gradually incorporated into the Immortal Dynasty's order map.

Meanwhile, the other evil god kingdoms in the surrounding area remained unusually silent in the face of the Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty's military might, and could even be said to have kept their distance.

The evil god forces that had been eager to take advantage of the chaos in the past are now cowering in their own territories, not daring to cross the line.

The root of everything lies in that event that shook all the heavens and the myriad worlds a hundred years ago.

The Heavenly Emperor Ziwei, all alone, boldly stormed into the Immortal Divine Kingdom!
This matter had already spread like wildfire throughout every corner of the Endless Immortal Realm.

That immortal human, with unparalleled power, pierced through the void and descended upon the ancestral land of the evil gods. In front of countless evil gods, he suppressed an ancient immortal god-king like an ant, rubbing it under his feet.

If it weren't for the intervention of the Eternal Silence God Lord, who was also at the Twelfth Immortal Realm of the Evil God Clan, at the last moment, the entire Immortal God Kingdom would have suffered unimaginable damage under the wrath of that Heavenly Emperor.

After this battle, all forces clearly realized one fact.

Behind Gu Qingfeng stood the ancient being Ziwei Heavenly Emperor, who had reached the twelfth level of the Immortal Realm!
Under such circumstances, let alone ordinary evil gods, even other immortal god lords, after careful consideration, would not dare to easily harbor any thoughts towards Gu Qingfeng.

After all, some things can only be done once.

The warning from the Heavenly Emperor Ziwei was still ringing in their ears, and the domineering act of storming into the enemy's lair was itself the strongest signal.

not to mention.

Everyone knows that the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor is about to face the legendary tribulation of transcendence.

However, it is precisely this tribulation of transcendence that makes many immortal beings even more hesitant to act rashly.

Throughout countless ages, all those who have attempted to overcome this tribulation, regardless of their extraordinary talent or the power they wielded over an era, have invariably ended in failure and perished.

Therefore.

In the eyes of many ancient beings, the tribulation of transcendence is almost synonymous with the tribulation of death.

A peak powerhouse who knows his days are numbered and possesses destructive power is the most terrifying.

If the evil god clan really goes too far now and forces the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor into a desperate situation...

Since the other side is willing to go to any lengths, it is foreseeable that at least a few immortal gods of the evil god race will perish as burial offerings.

Although it is extremely difficult to completely kill an immortal being, if a supreme being at the twelfth level of immortality is truly willing to go to any lengths, then even an immortal being can be killed.

In this situation, other immortal gods would be out of their depths.

Otherwise, it would be impossible, and they wouldn't dare, to provoke the Purple Star Heavenly Emperor again and attack Gu Qingfeng.

Even within the evil god race, where an ancient god-king is about to face his own immortal tribulation, after weighing the pros and cons, he dares not set his sights on the rising Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty.

After all, the Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty and Gu Qingfeng are perhaps not that significant in themselves.

However, the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor, who is about to undergo tribulation and is fearless, is a terrifying variable that no one can ignore.

Under the unspoken rule that those at the Immortal level cannot intervene, even a top-tier God Lord alone is no match for Gu Qingfeng.

In the battle of the Nine Netherworld Divine Kingdom, Gu Qingfeng fought against overwhelming odds. Facing the combined ambush of fourteen top-tier Divine Lords, he not only killed two of them but also routed the remaining twelve.

These astonishing achievements have already spread far and wide, establishing Gu Qingfeng's formidable reputation as one of the strongest beings below the Immortal level.

Aside from those old monsters who have one foot in the immortal realm and remain in seclusion year-round.

Even ordinary top-tier gods would be no match for Gu Qingfeng.

therefore.

During these hundred years, the army of the Xuantian Immortal Dynasty purged the remaining forces of the Nine Netherworld Divine Kingdom like a plow sweeping through a cave.

The surrounding evil god kingdoms seemed to have vanished into thin air, all falling silent, with no powerful evil god daring to cross the border and intervene.

When the last remaining Immortal Realm, which had put up a stubborn resistance, declared its surrender, the fortune of the entire Xuan Tian Immortal Dynasty was shaken violently.

Deep within the void, the manifested thirty-three-grade azure lotus of fortune shone with even more dazzling brilliance. Its petals became increasingly solid and heavy, and the flowing Daoist charm became even more profound and mysterious. Its coverage area subtly expanded a bit more.

"Thirty-threeth grade, mid-level."

Gu Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back at the highest point of the palace, sensing the rise of the nation's fortune. His expression remained calm, without much joy.

The 33rd rank is only a mid-level position. Compared to the 36th rank required to advance to the Celestial Court, it is just a small step on a long road.

Even if you want to advance the Qi Luck Green Lotus to the thirty-fourth grade, there is still a long way to go.

He withdrew his gaze from the Azure Lotus of Fortune and turned to look at Gu Yang, who stood respectfully beside him.

"I intend to go into seclusion for a period of time to seek a breakthrough opportunity. The daily affairs of the Immortal Dynasty will be fully managed by you."

If there are any major and difficult decisions, they can be discussed and decided upon with Luo Tian and the elders of the cabinet.

Gu Qingfeng's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"At present, the Nine Netherworld Divine Kingdom has just been established, and its territory has expanded too rapidly. It needs time to digest and absorb the changes and consolidate its rule."

In the short term, it is no longer advisable to continue large-scale external expansion. The focus should now be on recuperation, developing domestic affairs, and strengthening border defenses.

"Your Majesty, I understand! I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust and work diligently to safeguard the foundation of the Celestial Dynasty!"

Gu Yang bowed and replied firmly.

After giving a brief explanation, Gu Qingfeng didn't linger any longer. With a flicker of his figure, he disappeared from his original spot and appeared directly in the Immortal Palace deep within the Imperial Palace.

Having obtained the five Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruits from the Immortal Divine Kingdom, he must refine them as soon as possible and transform them into his own strength.

Having faced the Immortal God Lord's attacks twice, Gu Qingfeng felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, a feeling of life and death not being in his own hands. He did not want to experience that a third time, nor could he.

In this world where power resides within oneself, only absolute strength is the eternal foundation, the basis for coping with all crises, and for protecting oneself and the Immortal Dynasty.

and so.

Improve your strength!

Increase your strength at all costs!

This is his most important and urgent matter right now!
……

Within the imperial palace and celestial halls, a world of its own has been formed.

The immortal energy here is so dense that it has liquefied, forming a vast lake of spiritual liquid. The Daoist charm manifests as tangible silk ribbons hanging down.

The rules of time and space seem to become blurred here.

Gu Qingfeng sat cross-legged in the void, beneath him a lotus platform formed from endless Daoist energy.

With a thought, the three thousand Great Dao Laws around him seemed to sense something, transforming into endless radiant light that cascaded down like a waterfall, enveloping his entire body.

Within that boundless radiance of Daoist energy, one could vaguely see miniature galaxies rising and falling, a terrifying cycle of the universe's beginning and return to chaos.

A vast and majestic aura naturally emanated, pressing down on every inch of space within the celestial palace, making it impossible for ordinary beings to gain a foothold there.

After adjusting his own state and raising his energy and spirit to their peak, Gu Qingfeng took out the first Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruit with a flip of his hand.

The divine fruit was crystal clear, its nine orifices breathing naturally, exhaling innate Daoist essence, and its exotic fragrance cleared the mind and soul.

Without hesitation, he swallowed the immortal fruit.

"boom--!"

The celestial fruit melts in your mouth, as if a condensed universe has exploded inside you!

A pure and powerful torrent of energy instantly swept through his limbs and bones, cleansing every meridian and acupoint. At the same time, boundless and profound Daoist principles, like characters imprinted with the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, rushed straight into his sea of ​​consciousness and merged into the origin of his soul.

next interest.

Without Gu Qingfeng's prompting, the Netherworld Dao he wielded was drawn in and manifested on its own.

A murky, vast, yellow river, carrying the meaning of life and death and reincarnation, stretched across the void of the secluded immortal palace.

The river flows ceaselessly, and amidst the rolling waves, it seems as if the birth and death of countless worlds and the reincarnation of billions of beings are unfolding within it.

Gu Qingfeng's soul and consciousness were already sitting cross-legged at the source of this Netherworld Path, like a supreme ruler who controls reincarnation, overlooking the various evolutions of the Netherworld world beneath the Path.

Under the resonance and guidance of this supreme Dao, numerous bizarre and fantastical scenes containing ancient secrets flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

These images depict the prototype and blueprint of his "new underworld," which he is building and perfecting based on the Great Dao of the Underworld.

There are also fragmented memories and scenes of the old underworld that originated from the source of the Great Dao and have long since collapsed into the river of history.

When Gu Qingfeng focused his mind and turned his gaze away from the rushing Netherworld Road, he focused more on the broken scenes and traces of the Dao belonging to the old underworld.

A sudden change occurred!

In the depths of that scene, amidst the desolate, broken, and lawlessly chaotic ruins of ancient palaces, it seemed as if some terrifying being, slumbering for millennia, was awakened by his probing of the Great Dao.

A terrifying and extremely ancient aura, like a sleeping ferocious beast, slowly awakened.

"Om-!"

Despite being separated by endless time and space, and perhaps only a trace remaining in the Great Dao Imprint, the vast and unfathomable power still caused Gu Qingfeng, who had now reached the peak of the Eight Tribulation Heavenly Venerable, to feel a strange palpitation, and his soul trembled slightly.

"Ten Halls of Yama!"

He thought to himself, and instantly understood the source of this aura.

The old underworld collapsed, and all ten Yama Kings perished.

Gu Qingfeng only obtained the inheritance of King Qin Guang, the head of the Ten Kings, by chance.

As for the lineage and whereabouts of the other nine Yama Kings, they have all vanished without a trace.

Judging from the terrifying aura that is currently reviving, which shares the same origin as the lineage of King Qin Guang but is completely different from it.

Its origin must be one of the other nine Yama Kings.

but--

Although Gu Qingfeng was startled, he was not flustered, nor did he feel much fear.

After all, the Ten Kings of Hell are long gone, dust of history.

Even if the other party was an unparalleled being who had reached the pinnacle of immortality in life, he is now a fallen being, and his power is naturally far less terrifying than it was in life.

What's more.

How easy would it be for the other party to accurately locate and threaten Gu Qingfeng, who was in the Endless Immortal Realm, across the endless space-time barrier?
More importantly, Gu Qingfeng was not physically present in the old underworld at this moment. He was merely indirectly glimpsing a trace of the mysterious scene and Dao traces left behind in the old underworld by wielding the Dao of the Netherworld and resonating with the origin of the Dao.

This is completely different from the risks he would face if he personally stepped into that forbidden land.

"To wield the Great Dao of the Netherworld, to observe the rise and fall of the Underworld, to comprehend the true meaning of reincarnation... this may be part of the inheritance, a calamity, and also an opportunity."

Gu Qingfeng calmed his mind and stopped trying to explore the secrets of the old underworld. Instead, he focused all his energy on comprehending the Dao of the Netherworld itself.

With the help of the immense energy and profound Daoist principles brought by the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruit, he had accumulated many insights about life, death, slaughter, and the end from his previous battles, slaying countless evil gods, witnessing the fall of billions of living beings and the annihilation of the Immortal Realm.

At this moment, they are like dry tinder that has been ignited, rapidly burning, digesting, absorbing, and integrating into their own foundation of the Great Dao.

He contemplated the evolution of the netherworld, experienced the cycle of reincarnation, and seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of the boundary between life and death.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Maybe a year.

It could also be ten thousand years.

As time passed, the immense medicinal power and Daoist essence contained in the first Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruit were finally completely absorbed and refined by Gu Qingfeng.

Without any pause, once the power of the first divine fruit was fully absorbed, Gu Qingfeng immediately took out the second Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruit.

……

Practice!

Practice with all your strength!

……

As each immortal fruit was refined, the vast energy flowed like rivers flowing into the sea, continuously strengthening his foundation as a Celestial Venerable and expanding his Great Dao territory.

Those mysterious fragments of Daoist essence, like the finest craftsmen, continuously sculpted and perfected his Netherworld Dao.

This allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the cycle of life and death, as if he had touched the very core essence of these great principles.

When the last Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruit was completely refined and absorbed, leaving not a trace, Gu Qingfeng suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes!

"Buzz!"

Two beams of divine light, as solid as tangible matter, shot out from his pupils, instantly piercing the silent void within the secluded immortal palace.

Within that divine light, the energies of Yin and Yang seemed to flow and reverse, and the meaning of life and death reincarnation swirled and reflected deep within the pupils like a vortex, appearing mysterious and majestic.

"The Netherworld Path at the peak of the eighth level!"

With just a slight thought, without even needing to consciously exert his power, the surrounding void was naturally affected. The order of yin and yang began to reverse, the boundary between life and death became blurred, and everything before his eyes seemed to be turning into a chaotic and disordered mess.

This is not an attack, but a natural phenomenon of the laws triggered by the aura of the Dao realm after its advancement.

But as Gu Qingfeng had another thought, he suppressed the Daoist aura that had been unintentionally released, and the chaotic scene that had just been created was as if smoothed out by an invisible hand, instantly restoring the original order and peace.

This effortless control is far superior to what it was before his seclusion.

Five exquisite fruits with nine orifices.

This saved him an immeasurable amount of time in arduous cultivation, allowing his cultivation to soar to the heavens in one step, steadily stepping into the peak of the Eight Tribulations Great Heavenly Venerable Realm.

He was only one thin layer of paper away from reaching the realm of the Nine Tribulations Great Heavenly Venerable.

"Unfortunately, five Nine-Aperture Exquisite Fruits are still too few."

Gu Qingfeng pondered to himself.

"If I could have two or three more, I might really be able to ascend to the heavens in one step, directly break through the barrier, and advance to the realm of the Nine Tribulations Great Heavenly Venerable!"

This fleeting thought of greed passed quickly, and he shook his head, his heart soon returning to calm, without much regret.

This seclusion allowed him to ascend to the peak of the eighth tribulation in one step, saving him at least billions, or even tens of billions, of years of painstaking effort. This is already an immense blessing.

If the Ziwei Heavenly Emperor hadn't stormed into the Immortal Divine Kingdom and forcibly demanded compensation, how could he have obtained such an opportunity?
Trying to break through the Nine Tribulations barrier in one go is ultimately a bit greedy.

The path of cultivation becomes increasingly difficult in the later stages, requiring opportunity, enlightenment, and accumulation of knowledge—all are indispensable.

and.

"Now I stand firmly on the peak of the Eight Tribulations, with an incomparably solid foundation in the Great Dao, and the road ahead is clearly visible."

From now on, all you need to do is accumulate experience step by step and wait for the right opportunity. Breaking through the Nine Tribulations will be a natural outcome and won't be a problem.

Gu Qingfeng stood up, his aura completely concealed, and his eyes shone with a profound inner light, as if he had returned to his original, simple self. (End of Chapter)