263: Return, changes in the underworld

"Haha, to tell you the truth, both my Array Dao and Artifact Dao have already reached the level of a Heavenly Sovereign."

The Human Emperor laughed softly. The Realm of Heavenly Sovereign was extremely difficult to achieve; even among Immortal Kings, more than ninety percent were not Heavenly Sovereigns.

As for a dual-Dao Heavenly Sovereign like him, they were even rarer; there had been few throughout history.

Qin Jiang looked at the Human Emperor with some surprise, not expecting him to be such an all-rounder.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask, "Does Fellow Daoist know if there is a higher Realm above the Heavenly Sovereign Realm?"

He really wanted to know if there was a higher level beyond Heavenly Sovereign.

The Human Emperor was stunned upon hearing this, "Above Heavenly Sovereign?"

He pondered for a moment, "That, I do not know. Logically speaking, the Heavenly Sovereign Realm already elucidates the ultimate principles of Array Dao and should be the end of the path.

However... if judged by cultivation Realm, a Heavenly Sovereign is ultimately only comparable to the level of an Immortal Lord. Although given enough time, an Array Dao Heavenly Sovereign can set up a peerless formation that even an Immortal King would take seriously.

But fundamentally, the essence of a Heavenly Sovereign is still one level lower than an Immortal King; they merely use the momentum of heaven and earth to gain the qualification to challenge an Immortal King."

He had also tried to deduce the Realm above Heavenly Sovereign, but he hadn't even reached the end of the Heavenly Sovereign Realm yet, let alone what lay beyond it.

This was a cultivation path completely on par with the Martial Dao. Although the Realm of an Immortal King gave him a great advantage, the Array Dao remained obscure and difficult to cultivate.

If one truly cultivated to the level above Heavenly Sovereign, it would be equivalent to achieving two lifetimes of Immortal King bodies. Two completely different Immortal King Dao Fruits stacked in one person would make them incomparably stronger than an ordinary Immortal King.

I'm afraid that as soon as they became an Immortal King, they would be enough to contend with the Peak of the Immortal King Realm.

Qin Jiang nodded slightly. It seemed that, at least since the Near-Ancient era, no one had achieved the level above Heavenly Sovereign.

While he was thinking, a strange fluctuation surged from all directions. It was the same sense of rejection he had felt when he first arrived here.

Compared to before, it was much more intense this time.

The Human Emperor also felt this fluctuation and casually waved out a sword-shaped mark. "This is the sword seal of the human emperor sword. With this seal, you can summon the human emperor sword at Dahei Mountain.

However, there's no rush. Although you already have the strength to challenge an ordinary Immortal King, you're still a bit lacking. If an Innate Divine being hidden behind the scenes takes action, you might not be their match.

Wait until your strength rises another level before going to retrieve the human emperor sword. Of course, you must be quick. In one year, my Evil Incarnation will be born, and it might not have much sanity. Only the human emperor sword can make it clear-headed."

Qin Jiang took the sword seal and then nodded slightly. "Fellow Daoist, we shall meet again when we ascend to the heavens."

"We shall meet again when we ascend to the heavens."

As the words fell, Qin Jiang followed the repulsive force and vanished as a streak of platinum light.

After Qin Jiang left, the Human Emperor picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and let out a long sigh.

Standing up, he looked up at the sky.

The clouds covering Dahei Mountain dissipated in an instant, turning pitch black as fanatical battle cries shook heaven and earth.

Where the clouds had been was now occupied by a dense mass of alien immortals and gods, led by three Immortal King Great Demons of varying forms.

"Jiang Li, my Royal Court is willing to share the world with you. If you cast aside your human body, you can become the fourth Imperial Venerable of my Royal Court!"

The Human Emperor smiled at the words. At the end of the Ancient Era, the world underwent a great change, and a mysterious powerhouse intervened to sever ancient history, yet three alien Immortal Kings had managed to survive.

He shook his head. Oh well, there was some discrepancy in the timing, but it didn't matter much.

Lifting the human emperor sword, a vast sword dao aura suddenly erupted.

"Since you are all here, then let us all be on our way together."

Above the River of Time, Qin Jiang suddenly looked back. The originally calm surface of the river was churning with waves.

'Time has changed. Is it because of me?'

The Corrective Power of the River of Time was extremely strong; even the power of an Immortal King could not resist it.

If the conversation just now allowed the Human Emperor to deduce some details of the future, then the Corrective Power would descend upon the time where the Human Emperor was, causing the situation at that time to change. He did not stay for long. He was the source that triggered the descent of the Corrective Power. Currently, the Human Emperor was drawing all the Corrective Power toward himself, which was why Qin Jiang was safe here.

But if he stayed indefinitely, the Corrective Power would only grow stronger.

Walking downstream along the River of Time, after crossing a million years, the sensation generated by the Corrective Power gradually disappeared.

Continuing forward, he reached a point about two hundred thousand years before the present era, which was close to the node where the Human Emperor severed the Heavenly Heart.

He looked down at the River of Time, his gaze falling upon Dahei Mountain.

But he did not see any trace of the Human Emperor's Benevolent Incarnation. The power of an Immortal King transcends the River of Time; unless they are willing, it is impossible to find their trace within it.

Without staying further, he rushed toward the present era.

Time returned to the Great Abyss, at the moment after Qin Jiang's Breakthrough.

Opening his eyes, the concealment formation dissipated. With a step, he reached the top of the Great Abyss, moonlight spilling over him.

He slightly clenched his fist. From the look of it, the mastermind behind him was not the Human Emperor.

Then the current pending targets were the Azure Emperor and the Yellow Sky Divine Mother.

But... he always felt that they didn't seem worthy?

With his current strength, even if he faced the Human Emperor, he could raise his weapon in opposition. Although he would lose, he would not die.

In this world, there no longer existed any power capable of obliterating his Immortal King Physique.

Unless it took millions of years to slowly wear him down.

With his strength at the same Realm, if he became an Immortal King—even if he ostensibly used the Great Wind Book to do so—his strength could directly enter the Late Stage of the Immortal King Realm.

At the Late Stage of the Immortal King Realm, even the Azure Emperor and Yellow Sky Divine Mother in their prime were only at that level.

At that time, even if both of them acted together, he would have no fear.

Perhaps, he really was overthinking it?

His gaze fell on the interface. Could this look, with its heavy sense of technology, really be something born of this world?

The origins of the interface might be even more mysterious than he thought.

While thinking, he raised an eyebrow and took out a transmission stone from a spatial pocket.

The transmission stone flashed with golden light, and the Imperial Preceptor's voice came out, "Heavenly Sovereign, His Majesty is in danger, please come to the rescue!"

Qin Jiang's expression didn't change upon hearing this. From the day he left the Scripture Pavilion, when the Imperial Preceptor said there was trouble in the Yellow Spirit Great Domain, he knew things weren't that simple.

However, what he didn't expect was that the Emperor Ancestor Sovereign had only lasted such a short time.

Putting away the transmission stone, he rushed toward the Imperial Capital. Before long, even before he reached the city, the Imperial Preceptor came out to meet him, his face full of anxiety.

"Heavenly Sovereign! His Majesty is trapped in the Yellow Spirit Great Domain, and now only you can save him!"

He also hadn't expected that a plan that was proceeding smoothly would suddenly run into trouble.

Even more unexpected was that His Majesty was actually trapped in the Underworld.

He knew very well that His Majesty had already refined the Immortal King Body. On the surface, Immortal Lord Linglong was the number one person in the world, but in reality, compared to His Majesty, who was stronger or weaker would only be known after a fight.

But even with such strength, His Majesty was actually trapped in the Yellow Spirit Great Domain. One could imagine how strong the hidden power within the Yellow Spirit Great Domain was.

Right now, the only one who could possibly rescue His Majesty was Qin Jiang, the Heavenly Sovereign of this era.

"Take me to the passage leading to the Underworld."