The Northern Dipper star domain was as though a great explosion had erupted from a single extreme point, causing countless stars to fall and crumble to dust!

Brilliant light illuminated the sky. Radiant beams danced through the air. This region of the universe was terrifyingly powerful — the auras of various saints surged and heaved, roars and cries of shock rising and falling one after another.

A world-shaking transformation had occurred in the Northern Dipper star domain. Outside the Primordial Forbidden Ground, the great rift burst open. In an instant, it expanded to a length of over ten thousand meters, and plunged directly into the interior of the Forbidden Zone.

A terrifying pillar of light surged into the heavens — the peerless divine power had originated from this very place, dazzling beyond measure. The Immortal Road was about to appear, and this location was shattering apart.

“The Immortal Road is about to appear — it truly will manifest in this age!”

“The heavenly gate will open wide. The immortal realm is about to emerge. The ultimate ancient road that has been awaited for hundreds of thousands of years is about to span the boundary between two worlds!”

It was like an ancient incantation, reverberating between heaven and earth. Like sacrificial hymns, it shook the nine heavens and ten earths, vast and surging, the sacred sound deafening.

The star domains were about to shatter!

The only consolation was that the Northern Dipper’s life-bearing world was extraordinarily resilient — protected by the Great Emperor’s array formations, suppressed by the many Ancient Sovereigns, and thus unable to fracture and collapse.

Were it not for these array formations and the Forbidden Zone masters, it would surely have been reduced to powder like many of the celestial bodies beyond its borders, dissolving into cosmic dust.

Though radiance burst through the heavens here, the ground itself did not stir — not the slightest sign of destruction.

“Bang!”

The Immortal Road cracked open, and a corpse fell — shaking every heart. It was either an Ancient Emperor or an Ancient Heavenly Venerable, based on the archaic style of the garments. But then it dissolved into the Dao, becoming one of the pillars of light soaring into the heavens.

This was a heavenly catastrophe on a cosmic scale. Saints rushing toward the Northern Dipper star domain had carelessly been struck by the peerless divine power blasting outward, and were reduced to a paste of blood on the spot — utterly unable to resist.

“It will not be much longer before it shatters open. The Immortal Road will appear. The Ancient Sovereigns are about to take their positions!”

“Perhaps within days!”

People’s predictions were given far too much time, for shortly afterward another great collapse occurred. Immortal radiance danced everywhere. Half-charred torsos plummeted, dissolving into pools of rotting blood, turning to ash.

Another appearance of an emperor’s corpse also ignited the chaos, causing the great rift to expand to its absolute widest — from within came bursts of roaring cries, as though living creatures were howling.

“It’s a true dragon! A true dragon — I think I just saw a dragon streak across the sky!”

“No — that was Xue Yueqing, the demon emperor of ages past. He nearly broke through, but in the end he fell. What you saw was the remnant of his will!”

On this day, the Northern Dipper star domain shook as one. Every powerful being without exception made their final preparations.

People were not rushing toward the Primordial Forbidden Ground. They were surging into the heavens, fleeing outward — for they knew the Ancient Sovereigns might be setting out at any moment, and they had to make way.

Those with little lifespan remaining stayed partly behind in the Northern Dipper, for their lives were nearly spent, having truly reached the very end. They could no longer withstand the ordeal — they might dissolve into the Dao mid-flight while trying to reach the outer domain!

All others rushed toward the nearby star domains — the farther the better — waiting in stillness for that moment to arrive.

“Boom!”

The Immortal Road was collapsing. Clouds and mist billowed and churned, white as sheer gauze, supremely serene — just breathing it in left one’s mind clear and bright, rapidly sinking into a state of enlightenment.

“True immortal qi! It can nourish the primordial spirit and the physical body. It likely has an effect even on those at the Quasi-Emperor level!”

People were astonished. Many elderly cultivators, dragging their nearly-decaying bodies forward, desperately inhaled — and found a wisp of vigor returning, their condition noticeably better than moments before.

This naturally caused a sensation. Some who had been fleeing turned back around — they truly could not bear to leave. This was immortal qi that defied the natural order, and breathing it in even once could noticeably improve one’s life force.

Boom!

The stars all trembled. Immortal light from the north pole danced across the sky like a splendid fireworks display across the age, nourishing no one knew how many people. This was the portent of the immortal gate’s imminent opening.

With a series of cracking sounds, an indistinct shadowy form appeared, towering within the darkness of the great rift, undying amid the primordial chaos — immense and magnificent.

Were those the structures of the immortal realm? Too grand and majestic — projected faintly through the barrier between worlds, the blurred outline just barely visible.

Hummm—

The great rift shattered!

Fragments of rubble actually flew out, wrapped in immortal qi, carrying an undying power. Faintly, people heard the cries of an immortal phoenix. Through a sliver of the opening, they glimpsed the lush wilderness of the immortal realm, brimming with vegetation.

But then dark clouds shifted and concealed everything once more, blocking it all behind the veil between worlds.

“It has appeared — this is the day!”

Within the life Forbidden Zones, Ancient Sovereigns roared, shaking the stars in the outer domain into trembling. Some small celestial bodies fell directly — too terrifying, too otherworldly.

“Boom!”

The heavens split and the earth cracked. The great rift of the immortal realm unleashed blinding radiance. Boulders, dead wood, and rubble flew in all directions, then dissolved into ash. There, in the depths — the primordial qi was blown apart, revealing a towering majestic gateway.

It was not built from stone, but entirely condensed from laws and principles. The many Great Sages and sect patriarchs who stood before the rift trembled, utterly unable to hold their ground.

Save for those truly too old to move, everyone else had fled. The Immortal Road had appeared — at the right time, at the right place — and people had lived to see it!

“Waited for ten thousand ages, and at last it has appeared!”

This was the ancient, worn voice of an Ancient Sovereign — how much hardship and helplessness was contained in those words? They had waited across a vast span of years, paid an irretrievable price, and at last lived to see this age.

“Aooooo!”

From the Immortal Road came the howl of a living creature, shaking the Eastern Desolation. At the same time, a small red bird flew out from that grand gateway, lingering there, blazing with towering flame.

“That is a vermillion bird! That is a creature belonging to the immortal realm!”

The aged cultivators who could no longer move cried out, eyes brimming with tears. To have seen an immortal creature — they felt that even dying now would leave no regrets!

“Roarrr!”

Another great roar, and a colossal snow-white tiger appeared, carved as though from white jade, radiating an overwhelming Pressure Aura that subdued the entire stretch of Eastern Desolation.

“Another immortal creature! Another being from the immortal realm has descended into the mortal world!”

Some elderly cultivators could no longer wait for that final moment. Eyes filled with warm tears, they dissolved into the Dao, becoming a rain of light that flew into the great rift.

“Even dying right now, there is no regret. I have witnessed the opening of the Immortal Road!”

The appearance of two immortal creatures caused many of these old souls, their lives nearly spent, to directly transform into a rain of light, becoming part of the laws of heaven and earth, returning to the great natural Dao.

“These are not immortal creatures!” someone suddenly cried out.

“These are only the laws of the immortal realm. The immortal gate has not yet opened — it is still shut. What you are seeing is the laws interweaving, guarding that great gateway and preventing anyone from approaching.”

Those elderly cultivators who had just dissolved were to be pitied — they died believing they had seen living beings from the immortal realm. But perhaps it was for the best: to find release in a state of contentment.

“Clang!”

A great bell tolled long and slow, making heaven and earth tremble. It came from the depths of the universe itself, as an immortal law tore open and struck directly toward the great rift of the Immortal Road.

Boom!

In that same instant, from beneath the Eastern Desolation, an ancient pagoda flew up and descended with suppressive force, shattering the ground, before quickly vanishing once more.

“At this moment — the right time, the right place — both have appeared. The Immortal Road will open wide. Kill your way in!”

An Ancient Sovereign roared, shaking every river of stars in all the heavens. Many great celestial bodies shattered. In that instant, all the great life Forbidden Zones blazed with light soaring into the heavens, the auras of Ancient Emperors and Great Emperors flooding outward, erupting in full force!

The world-shaking transformation had begun. The most glorious splendor of this age had arrived!

Amid a roar of thunder, laws danced and intertwined. Heaven and earth trembled. From the great Forbidden Zones came unceasing immortal music. Various dharma forms shook the mortal world. Colossal figures spread into the outer domain — every silhouette was a true vast cosmos, every one an embodiment of the supreme Dao!

The Ancient Sovereigns had appeared. They were mending their Dao fruits, restoring their combat power to its absolute zenith, preparing for the ultimate battle — to fight their way into the immortal realm.

To return to the most glorious heights of those bygone days, however, was something that demanded an enormous price. It could easily lead to death. The number of times it could be done was limited. And once this state was activated, it was very difficult to seal oneself back!

This meant that if they succeeded in breaking into the immortal realm in this age, all would be well. But should they fail, nearly all of them would perish in seated meditation, no longer able to resist the force of time.

The sovereign of the Immortal Mausoleum was the first to set out. An ancient war chariot rolled forward. This time, he sat upon it cross-legged, letting the chariot carry him forward.

Primordial Dao, ten thousand currents, swallowed that place whole. Only faintly could one see that he was a humanoid being — of what race exactly was impossible to say. He wore a purple-gold crown and a Dao robe, his true face hidden from sight. Grayish-brown hair spread across his chest and down his back. Within his eyes were images of suns, moons, and stars being extinguished.

He appeared to be a Daoist — leading many to suspect he might be an Ancient Heavenly Venerable of the mythological era!

He sat cross-legged on the ancient war chariot, an immortal sword laid crosswise on his knees. The supreme aura stirred the nine layers of heaven. In what seemed like a single breath, the chariot arrived before the Immortal Road.

Perhaps the chariot was not even necessary. But this was the dignity of a Great Emperor-level expert. Whether it ended in failure or death in battle, they would depart in glory.

On the other side, from within the Undying Mountain, qi surged to rival the constellations. A supremely powerful being appeared, his entire body encased in black armor, surrounded by a billowing mist of haze, terrifyingly overwhelming.

He rode astride a gigantic divine tiger. This tiger’s body was covered in dense scales instead of fur — glinting with a fearsome metallic luster, ferocious and blazing.

In the hands of the Undying Mountain’s sovereign, he gripped a great battle halberd — black as pitch and cold as death, capable of crushing all the heavens, capable of reducing hundreds of millions of stars to powder. It was forged from Dragon-Pattern Black Gold. The edge of its blade gleamed like snow, terrifying and world-shaking — undeniably an emperor weapon!

This sovereign appeared as well, holding the great halberd and riding the colossal divine tiger. Immortal light exploded around him, and in a single instant he had arrived before the Primordial Forbidden Ground in the Southern Domain.

In just this one instant, two Ancient Sovereigns had appeared. It was staggering beyond words. Even from the outer domain, watching through various ancient array formation platforms, the many Great Sages and patriarchs felt a chill run through them head to toe. Too powerful — if compared to these two emperors, they were not even as significant as ants!

“These are true Great Emperors and Ancient Emperors!” People trembled.

“Aooooo!”

In the Northern Domain, within the primordial mine of Tai Chu, immortal light danced and rivers of stars fell in cascades, boundless and unending, bringing extraordinary phenomena to that place and stunning the ten thousand ages.

A qilin emerged — immense beyond reckoning, its length stretching for who knew how many tens of thousands of li. It spanned the heavens and earth, shattering all things beneath the sky! Its body was covered in dense, gleaming scales, as though cast from immortal gold, radiating blue-violet light.

It stepped directly out of the primordial mine of Tai Chu and presided over the universe with an absolute Pressure Aura pressing down upon the nine heavens and ten earths — as though it could cause three thousand great worlds to collapse in an instant!

This was a supremely transcendent living being, no different from the qilin of the immortal realm. The crown of its skull blazed with a pillar of light reaching into the heavens — the mark of its fruits of attainment, proving that it had once been a sovereign of the imperial Dao.