My son is about to break through.

Seeing the Ancient Nether Saint Lord's expression of barely suppressed excitement, yet also tinged with a mixture of longing and trepidation for the unknown path to immortality, Gu Qingfeng remained calm and simply flicked his finger casually.

"Om-"

A faint light flashed, and a crystal, dark gray in color, about the size of a fist, with mysterious natural patterns flowing on its surface and stars seemingly rising and falling inside, appeared out of thin air. It exuded an ancient, profound, and awe-inspiring rhythm of the Great Dao and slowly floated down in front of the Ancient Nether Saint Lord.

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord's gaze was instantly drawn to the crystal, his pupils involuntarily contracted, and his face revealed an undisguised look of shock.

"This...this is...the crystallization of the Great Dao!"

As a Sixth Tribulation Celestial Venerable and the master of a sacred land, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord would naturally recognize this item.

In the starry sky, when a Celestial Venerable perishes and his own Great Dao collapses, the power of the Great Dao that he has cultivated and condensed throughout his life has a certain probability of not completely dissipating into the world under certain circumstances. Instead, it will condense into a special solid form - the Great Dao Crystal!
This crystal contains part of the original owner's understanding of the Great Dao, making it an invaluable treasure for any cultivator!

Especially for fellow cultivators who share similar paths, learning from and studying these teachings can often lead to twice the result with half the effort, and may even directly break through bottlenecks.

Throughout his long life, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord had been fortunate enough to obtain several Dao Crystals, but those crystals were vastly different from the gray crystal before him!

With just a slight touch of his divine sense, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord felt a vast and pure aura, yet carrying an indescribable sense of perfection, rushing towards him, shaking his mind and causing his own Great Dao to resonate and yearn.

That feeling was something that no ordinary Celestial Venerable could retain after their fall.

"The being who left behind this crystal possessed absolutely terrifying cultivation in life—"

An astonishing conjecture surfaced in his mind, making his heart pound.

Just then, Gu Qingfeng's calm voice rang out, confirming his guess and stirring up a storm in his heart.

"This is the crystallization of the Great Dao origin of a Nine Tribulation Celestial Venerable after his fall."

Gu Qingfeng spoke casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Based on the concept of this starry sky, it is equivalent to the supreme crystal left behind by a supreme being."

Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable!

Supreme Crystallization!

These eight words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of the Ancient Nether Saint Lord, causing him to catch his breath and his mind to go blank for a moment.

Although I had a premonition, the impact of saying this fact so casually was still beyond my imagination!

Supreme!

That is the ultimate goal pursued by billions of cultivators in this starry sky, and the legendary supreme being who has lived for a trillion years!

Their Dao power condensed into crystals, right before their eyes!
What an incredible opportunity!
If the news were to leak out, it would be enough to drive the entire starry sky into madness, with countless reclusive old monsters and top forces coming to snatch it at all costs!

Gu Qingfeng took in his reaction and continued, "I have always been fair in my actions, rewarding and punishing accordingly."

Since your Ancient Nether Holy Land is willing to pledge allegiance to me, I will naturally not mistreat my own people.

The expected benefits will certainly not be lacking.

"However, your cultivation is still shallow, merely at the sixth tribulation realm. While this is quite good in this secret realm, the things you can do for me are ultimately limited."

His gaze fell upon the Ancient Nether Saint Lord, filled with scrutiny and expectation: "This Supreme Crystal is bestowed upon you. After you have cleansed it, you will be able to break through to the Seven Tribulations Heavenly Venerable realm one day."

"Supreme Crystal..."

The voice of the Ancient Nether Saint Lord was hoarse; he could hardly believe his ears.

Such a supreme treasure, how could the other party bestow it so easily?

At this moment, any trace of resentment that might have existed in the heart of the Ancient Nether Saint Lord due to being forced to submit vanished instantly in the face of this unimaginably generous reward, replaced by an almost fanatical gratitude and loyalty!

This powerful being from beyond the realm not only brought the hope of immortality, but also offered truly astonishing resources!

This is hardly just empty promises.

This was clearly a feast that would even tempt a supreme being, laid out directly in front of him!

"thump!"

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord knelt down deeply once again. This time, his posture was even more humble, his tone even more excited and devout, and his hands trembled as he held up the heavy gray crystal.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Senior! For the rest of our lives, we, along with the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land, will be your most loyal servants! We will serve you with our lives!"

He raised his head, his eyes filled with sincerity and determination.

The pride of a holy land lord and the majesty of a Six Tribulations Celestial Venerable are nothing compared to the true path to heaven and the opportunity for immortality!
At that moment, he had only one thought: to cling to this unprecedented opportunity and do whatever it takes, even at the cost of his life, to seize this chance to change everything!

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly: "Step down, and remember what I have instructed you to do."

"Yes! This junior will take his leave!"

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord bowed with utmost respect, then carefully held the Supreme Crystal as if it were the future of the entire Holy Land and his own lifeblood, and retreated out of the hall, each step appearing extremely solemn.

Once the aura of the Ancient Nether Saint Lord had completely disappeared from perception, only Gu Qingfeng and his son Gu Xiu remained in the magnificent Ancient Nether Palace.

Gu Xiu looked at his father, his brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Father, is this person truly reliable?"

His concerns are justified.

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord was, after all, a native sixth-tribulation powerhouse of this secret realm, a local overlord, and it was difficult to know his true nature.

Now that they have been forced to submit to the situation and have received great benefits, they may be loyal in the short term, but in the long run, will they develop disloyal intentions?
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng remained calm, as if everything was under control.

"Xiu'er, you need to understand the will of the people."

If he were unaware of the vastness of the universe and the meaning of immortality, he might harbor resentment due to temporary coercion and act out of compliance while secretly resisting.

But now, he knows that this world is a cage, that the Celestial Venerables of the outside world can achieve immortality, and that he has personally witnessed my methods and received the benefits I have bestowed upon him…”

He put down his teacup, his gaze deep: "Desire is the most primal and powerful force driving people."

He longed to break free from the shackles of lifespan, to attain true immortality, and to gain greater power and access to a wider world.

And I am the only one who can give him all this hope. As long as this desire remains unquenched, as long as he retains his reason, he has neither the reason nor the courage to betray me.

Gu Qingfeng's voice was calm and resolute: "As for that Supreme Crystal, it is both a reward and bait."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"If he is truly blinded by greed, or foolish enough to think he can abscond with the treasure, or even secretly engage in some underhanded tactics... then replacing him with an obedient Ancient Nether Saint Lord would be no different to me than crushing an ant."

In this ancient and sacred land, and even in this starry sky, he is surely not the only one willing to serve for the chance at immortality.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiu felt a chill run down his spine, but then felt relieved.

My father's thoughts are far more comprehensive than mine.

He was adept at using both kindness and severity to control people's hearts.

That supreme crystal is both an irresistible temptation and an invisible shackle and touchstone.

"Your Majesty is wise; I was overthinking it."

Gu Xiu said respectfully.

Immediately, another layer of worry appeared on his face: "Father, the rules of this secret realm are strange, and there are many dangerous places. Even the forbidden area of ​​the ancient gods is so terrifying."

My second brother is all alone, and there has been no clear news of him since. Could he have also encountered some misfortune?
If those powerful members of the evil god clan also enter this place, they will encounter each other…

Thinking back to his near-death experience in the forbidden zone of the ancient gods, Gu Xiu felt lingering fear and was naturally even more worried about Gu Xuan, who was acting alone.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly, indicating that he should not worry too much about this matter. I have already made contact with Xuan'er through the blood imprint left on his body.

"What? Father, you've managed to contact Second Brother?" Gu Xiu's spirits lifted.

“Not bad.” Gu Qingfeng nodded.

"Previously, outside the secret realm, there was a barrier separating us from the world, and the special rules of this place interfered with the communication, making it difficult to transmit messages due to the blurred senses."

But now that they are in the same realm, the connection of those blood essence marks has become much clearer.

Xuan'er was lucky; he didn't fall into a desperate situation like you. He's on his way now.

……

Just as Gu Qingfeng had predicted, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord, who had received the dual incentives of the Supreme Crystal and the Promise of Immortality, was far more efficient than usual.

Just ten days later, he requested an audience again, respectfully presenting a document containing extremely detailed information contained in a special jade slip.

"Senior, this is information about this forbidden zone in the starry sky that I have compiled by using all the intelligence of the Holy Land, personally consulting the Holy Land's archives, and combining information obtained through some secret channels. Please take a look."

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord's attitude was even more respectful than before.

Gu Qingfeng took the jade slip and immersed his divine sense into it.

A massive amount of information flooded into his mind, categorized and organized clearly.

The jade slip records that there are a total of 1,365 "forbidden zones" of varying sizes in this vast starry sky that have been discovered and recorded by cultivators throughout the ages!
These forbidden zones have various origins; some are remnants of ancient battlefields, some are naturally formed dead zones, and some are strange areas formed after the fall of certain powerful beings.

The vast majority of them pose a certain threat to cultivators at the Heavenly Venerable Realm.

However, among all the forbidden zones, there are five that are called "nothingness," and their danger and mystery far exceed the others!
These are: the Ancient God Forbidden Zone, the Netherworld Forbidden Zone, the Purgatory Forbidden Zone, the Fallen Immortal Sea, and the Ancient Unborn Mine!

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord explained at the opportune moment, his voice filled with reverence: "Senior, the reason why these five forbidden zones are revered as supreme is not because they are the oldest."

In the starry sky, some forbidden zones may have an even longer history.

Their supreme reputation stems from only one reason: these forbidden zones are places where even the most powerful beings have once bled!

He paused, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes: "The Supreme Being is the pinnacle of cultivation in our starry sky, an existence that is almost invincible."

The danger of a place that could lead to their demise is self-evident.

Therefore, these five forbidden zones are considered the most inviolable taboo places in the starry sky, absolute dead zones that even supreme beings are unwilling to easily set foot in!

Only a place where a supreme being can perish can be called an unparalleled forbidden zone.

Moreover, every so often, these five forbidden zones would cause turmoil in the starry sky, with strange beings emerging to slaughter the stars.

Some powerful figures have suspected that immortal supreme beings lurk within these forbidden zones.

These supreme beings were unwilling to die when their lifespans were exhausted, so they practiced forbidden arts, using the power of the origin of all living beings to maintain their existence every once in a while.

But whether this news is true or false, I have no way of knowing!

The Ancient Nether Saint Lord shook his head and truthfully recounted all the information he had gathered.

After all.

Although he was a Six Tribulation Celestial Venerable, he did not live for very long and naturally did not experience any so-called turmoil.

As for the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land, it was created by the Ancient Netherworld Holy Lord and has no ancient lineage or foundation.

Therefore, it is difficult to verify the authenticity of these ancient records.

"Ancient Supreme Being—"

Gu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

He had no idea what the other four restricted areas were like.

However, Gu Qingfeng was certain that there were no ancient supreme beings in the Ancient God Forbidden Zone.

After all, he had completely wiped out the entire Ancient God Forbidden Zone. If there were any Supreme beings lurking in the shadows, Gu Qingfeng would have discovered them.

after all.

In his eyes, the so-called supreme being was nothing more than that.

The real danger in the Forbidden Zone of Ancient Gods lies not in those strange beings, but in that immortal severed finger.

to be honest.

Immortal severed finger.

That is the root of the entire Ancient God Forbidden Zone.

This is why even the Supreme Being could shed blood.

Having heard what the Ancient Nether Saint Lord said, Gu Qingfeng was now able to conclude that even if the other forbidden zones did not harbor ancient supreme beings, they should still be as dangerous as the Immortal Severed Finger.

otherwise.

In ordinary restricted areas, it is difficult for a supreme being to fall.

Although Gu Qingfeng held many disdain for the supreme beings in this starry sky, they were still powerful figures who had reached the Nine Tribulations Realm.

Place it outside.

Being able to reach the Nine Tribulations is considered to be among the top-tier existences.

Immortals do not emerge.

The Nine Tribulations Celestial Venerable is the end.

Killing such beings is by no means easy.

Without going into too much detail, the other party was determined to leave, and not everyone in the same territory could stop them.

The fact that the Five Supreme Forbidden Zones can cause even a Supreme Being to bleed is enough to show that such Forbidden Zones must contain power at the level of a half-step Immortal.

otherwise.

How could one possibly kill the so-called supreme being?

and this.

That's exactly what Gu Qingfeng wanted.

The immortal crystals he obtained from the Ancient God Forbidden Zone were a taste of success for him.

If I can clear out the next few forbidden zones and obtain the remaining immortal crystals, I will have a better chance of breaking through to the immortal realm.

but--

Even so.

Gu Qingfeng did not rashly take any risks.

The reason we dealt with the Ancient God Forbidden Zone earlier was simply because we hadn't figured out its origins.

Now that he has a deeper understanding, Gu Qingfeng has come to realize the extraordinary nature of this secret realm.

A secret realm opened up by a being who is suspected to be at the eleventh level of immortality is definitely not that simple.

Even if the rules here are restrictive and do not allow the emergence of immortal-level power, who can guarantee that no unexpected situations will occur?

After all.

The person who sets the rules is never yourself.

Therefore, Gu Qingfeng could not afford to be careless. (End of Chapter)