When the system prompt finally appeared before Lu’s eyes, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

  Given the system’s usual habits, even though Lu had already helped Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao Origin evolve into an Immortal-Martial Immortal Origin, the system would typically wait until the situation stabilized before announcing the world’s upgrade completion.

  In the past, advancing from mid-martial to high-martial had come with a formal world-upgrade trial. Later ones lacked that formality, but this unusual method was essentially a trial in disguise.

  For Five Phoenixes, the greatest crisis had always been the gods and demons emerging from the Primordial Starry Sky. Even Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor, when he appeared in Five Phoenixes, didn’t count as one of them.

  Of course, if Ancient Emperor Hao himself had come in person, the danger level would have been entirely different.

  That figure—Ancient Emperor Hao—was shrouded in mystery. Even now, from Lu’s perspective, he remained profoundly enigmatic.

  Like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, his true cards were completely unknown to Lu.

  Still, Lu didn’t particularly care.

  This time, Five Phoenixes’ transformation into the Immortal-Martial realm would bring a qualitative leap.

  Moreover, the breakthroughs of so many powerful cultivators would help elevate Lu’s own Qi Refining level.

  Without saying anything to the others,

  After finishing his arrangements in the abyss,

  Lu tore open space and vanished.

  He returned to the island at the heart of the lake on Five Phoenixes Continent.

  He needed a quiet place to settle the rewards from this battle.

  Tantai Xuan, Lu Changkong, and the others had wanted to speak with him, but Lu’s abrupt departure left them stunned.

  A chill ran through their hearts. Could there be an even more serious crisis within Five Phoenixes that Lu had sensed and rushed off to handle?

  It wasn’t impossible.

  Perhaps Lu had sensed their peril and emerged early to save them.

  For a moment, the group fell silent again.

  Gazing at the abyss and the gods and demons roaring within their sealed prison, the eyes of every Five Phoenixes cultivator gleamed with determination.

  Young Master Lu had already created the opportunity for them.

  If they failed to grow stronger now, they would truly let down his painstaking efforts.

  After Lu left,

  An immense surge of destiny began to gather in this place.

  Lu Jiulian, Tantai Xuan, Sima Qingshan, and everyone who had fought in the battle against Evil Eye received vast waves of destiny washing over them.

  Their cultivation bases rose once more.

  Tantai Xuan and Mi Jia even achieved a second inversion of their destiny seas.

  They were now half a step into the Sixth Revolution of the Golden Immortal realm.

  Tang Yimo, who had fallen unconscious, finally awoke.

  He had thought he was going to die. After opening all eight meridians, his channels had shattered, and his soul felt as if it were burning.

  The agony had convinced him his end was certain.

  But when he learned it was Young Master Lu who saved him, he wasn’t surprised at all.

  If anyone in the world could save him, it was only Lu.

  Tang Yimo too received an immense share of destiny.

  After all, that life-burning punch had severely wounded Evil Eye and delayed the Immortal-tier god and demon’s assault. He was undeniably the greatest contributor.

  Thus, he received an especially large portion.

  Even so, Evil Eye had been an Immortal-tier being, carrying an extraordinarily vast amount of destiny.

  After the division, everyone’s strength had risen noticeably.

  Of course, the real growth came from the battle itself.

  Tang Yimo’s cultivation had been pushed to the very edge of the Third Revolution.

  The Overlord was in a similar position.

  Sima Qingshan, Bai Qingniao, and others gained slightly less, but still reaped substantial rewards.

  This battle had been a bountiful harvest for all.

  A true cause for celebration.

  But…

  The joy was only temporary.

  As Lu had said, this was not the end—it was only the beginning.

  Five Phoenixes’ true enemies were not merely the gods and demons, but the Nine Heavens—the ones who had orchestrated everything from the shadows.

  Even with their current strength, facing the ancient Great Emperors of the Nine Heavens, victory was far from guaranteed.

  Yet at least they were no longer powerless, forced to rely entirely on Young Master Lu.

  …

  On Five Phoenixes Continent, the roaring finally subsided.

  The Golden Immortal tribulation slowly drew to a close.

  Gu Mangran had successfully transcended his tribulation, surviving by the skin of his teeth.

  Before the tribulation began, he had suffered a devastating blow from Fire Spirit Ancient Emperor. Without the divine medicine in his mouth, he would likely have perished long ago.

  Thus, he had faced the tribulation while already gravely wounded.

  The process had been perilous, but fortunately, he succeeded.

  The feedback from transcending the tribulation completely healed his injuries. He had become a Golden Immortal, his destiny vast as the sea. At last, he had stepped into the realm he had once only dreamed of.

  At that moment, he also sensed that the battle beyond Five Phoenixes had concluded.

  The terrifying aura of gods and demons had vanished.

  A smile spread across Gu Mangran’s face.

  Five Phoenixes had won.

  Young Master Lu had once again performed a miracle.

  “Everything has returned to normal. How wonderful.”

  Gu Mangran smiled broadly.

  With great strides, he soared into the sky to greet the returning warriors of Five Phoenixes.

  In a corner of the continent, Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor looked up, his eyes gleaming.

  “They won?”

  He exhaled slowly.

  Even an Immortal-tier god and demon had been slain by Lu Ping’an.

  It seemed he would have to reassess Lu Ping’an’s strength.

  At the very least, until his own power was sufficient, if Lu Ping’an discovered his identity, he would likely meet disaster.

  Lu Ping’an was ruthless, loved toying with people’s minds—Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor had truly come to fear him.

  Turning, he leaped down the slope and vanished swiftly into the great rivers.

  …

  Origin Lake, Heart Island.

  Lu had returned.

  Seated once more on the Thousand-Blade Chair.

  Beneath him, the colossal whale let out a heaven-shaking cry, as though sensing Lu’s return.

  Or perhaps sensing the increasingly terrifying pressure emanating from Lu, realizing its hope of outliving this human had grown even slimmer, prompting an unwilling roar.

  Lu ignored the whale’s little thoughts.

  Before his eyes, the system prompt appeared.

  “Dao Origin evolves into Immortal Origin, Immortal-Martial foundation births purple qi. Congratulations, Host, for your unremitting efforts: Five Phoenixes Continent has broken through the shackles of high-martial and ascended to Immortal-Martial. On the path to leading Five Phoenixes into the super-fantasy realm, another step forward! A cause for celebration—the world rejoices!”

  Lu sat quietly on the Thousand-Blade Chair.

  For some reason, seeing the prompt filled him with a deep calm.

  Of course, there was joy as well.

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  But more than anything, there was a sense of感慨—how difficult it had been.

  For Five Phoenixes to reach this point had not been easy.

  At least for Lu, the effort he had poured in was immense.

  Yet only with effort comes reward.

  Every world upgrade for Five Phoenixes had been fraught with hardship and danger.

  Forget the constant external threats; even the crises brought by ascending to a higher level felt like dancing on a blade’s edge.

  This time, transforming into Immortal-Martial, helping the Dao Origin shatter the stellar barrier and become an Immortal Origin, had been a nine-deaths-and-one-life ordeal.

  They had nearly failed.

  The earlier jump from mid-martial to high-martial had also faced immense suppression and rule rejection.

  Lu had broken those rules as well.

  The difficulties were many, but once overcome, the taste of the harvest was extraordinarily sweet.

  With a thought, the system panel opened.

  Host: Lu

  Title: Qi Refiner (Permanent)

  Special Title: God and Demon Hunter

  Qi Refining Layer: 10

  Spiritual Qi Reserve: 921/1000 (hundred million) strands

  Primordial Spirit Power: 1,000,000 (units)

  Chaos Power: ??? (↑)

  Current World Rating: Five Phoenixes Great World [Immortal-Martial]

  Lu studied the panel and immediately noticed the changes.

  First, the addition of the God and Demon Hunter title—its benefits needed no explanation. Though its suppression on Immortal-tier gods and demons was weak, Lu believed that as his strength grew, it would eventually pressure even them.

  By then, even against the unfathomable Primordial Starry Sky, he might possess the power to resist.

  As for his Qi Refining layer, it remained at ten. His spiritual qi reserve was very close to the breakthrough.

  In Lu’s estimation, once the Immortal-Martial feedback finished and Five Phoenixes produced a few more Golden Immortals, his reserve would likely surpass the 1,000 hundred-million mark, giving him the chance to reach the eleventh layer.

  “Hm?”

  “This Chaos Power…”

  Lu’s gaze fell on the Chaos Power entry.

  With a thought, it upgraded.

  The Chaos Power column transformed… into Innate Purple Qi.

  【Innate Purple Qi: 10 strands】

  An upgraded version of Chaos Power?

  Lu had personally experienced the might of Innate Purple Qi.

  During the high-martial to Immortal-martial transition, without that single strand, it would have been uncertain whether he could have helped Five Phoenixes’ Dao Origin break through and become an Immortal Origin.

  Now, he himself possessed Innate Purple Qi.

  Though only ten strands, for Lu, this represented a qualitative leap.

  At least, it was a fundamental change.

  “Congratulations on Five Phoenixes achieving Immortal-Martial. Reward obtained: Voice of the Quasi-Saint.”

  Suddenly, another system prompt appeared before him.

  This time, it was the reward.

  Lu had been prepared to receive a bounty of rewards. Ascending from high-martial to Immortal-martial was a massive qualitative leap—its significance was terrifying.

  Even Lu felt this breakthrough had carried an element of luck.

  But at least it had succeeded.

  The rewards for reaching Immortal-Martial should be plentiful, right?

  At first, Lu had been quite expectant.

  Yet… when the reward actually appeared, his expectations were ruthlessly shattered.

  There was only one reward.

  And… it wasn’t even a tangible one.

  “That’s it?”

  Lu was speechless.

  He was now certain: as time went on, the system’s rewards were becoming increasingly meager.

  Still, he wasn’t surprised. As the world’s level rose, the system seemed to be gradually running out of steam.

  “Perhaps… the origin of the system will be revealed soon.”

  Lu narrowed his eyes.

  His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.

  He was genuinely curious about the system’s source.

  He vaguely sensed that it might be the creation of some extraordinarily powerful being.

  At the very least, stronger than the old Daoist he had encountered during his last dream-wandering in the Immortal-Martial realm.

  “What exactly is the Voice of the Quasi-Saint?”

  Setting aside thoughts of the system, Lu began to examine the reward.

  The system’s explanation quickly appeared.

  “This Voice of the Quasi-Saint can envelop the entire Five Phoenixes Great World, allowing all cultivators across the world to hear it and accelerate the completion of the world’s transformation.”

  Lu’s brow lifted slightly.

  This reward…

  It was quite unusual—unusual enough that even with the system’s explanation, he couldn’t fully grasp its implications.

  “What level is this ‘Quasi-Saint’?”

  Lu pondered.

  Could it be the Quasi-Saint realm of the Nine Heavens?

  If so, Lu could probably kill a bunch of them with just his little finger.

  Clearly, then, this “Quasi-Saint” was not the same as the Nine Heavens’ Quasi-Saint realm.

  “Could it be… above the Daluo Immortal?”

  Lu’s eyes suddenly brightened.

  If that were the case, this reward might bring him an unexpected surprise.

  He had originally planned to carefully assess this reward. Though there was only one, it seemed to hold immense potential.

  Thus, Lu couldn’t tell whether he felt disappointed or delighted.

  “Still… accelerating the world’s transformation isn’t bad at all.”

  Lu smiled.

  Now that Five Phoenixes’ Heavenly Dao Origin had become an Immortal Origin, the entire world was undergoing changes.

  The Origin Space was evolving into the Five Phoenixes Origin Universe.

  And Five Phoenixes Continent itself seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation. If successful, it might become something akin to the Five Phoenixes Universe.

  But this process appeared lengthy—thousands of years at the shortest, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands at the longest.

  For Emperor-realm cultivators, especially peak Emperors, such a span was negligible.

  But for Lu… it was already far too long.

  “Perhaps I should enter the Sermon Platform first and simulate what this ‘Voice of the Quasi-Saint’ really is.”

  With a thought, Lu entered the Sermon Platform.

  The Eight Trigrams platform shimmered with light.

  Lu sat cross-legged, white robes fluttering, eyes gleaming.

  He began using the formation words to deduce the “Voice of the Quasi-Saint” reward.

  Yet, to his astonishment, he couldn’t simulate it.

  Every time he came close to success, an unseen, incredibly powerful force seemed to playfully interrupt his deduction.

  Lu immediately grew alert.

  The Quasi-Saint…

  Perhaps it was a realm capable of perceiving many profound mysteries.

  Had his deduction attracted the attention of such a being?

  Lu immediately ceased the simulation.

  Still, the attempt hadn’t been entirely fruitless.

  “This Voice of the Quasi-Saint… at least it won’t harm Five Phoenixes.”

  Lu mused.

  Perhaps it was time to put this reward to use.

  “The Voice of the Quasi-Saint requires a medium—a medium for preaching the Dao…”

  Lu thought.

  Glancing around the Sermon Platform, he suddenly smiled, an idea forming in his mind.

  Perhaps it was time for the long-dormant Six Paths Immortal to make an appearance.

  The Six Paths Immortal wasn’t exactly a secret in Five Phoenixes. After all, Lu had opened the Sermon Platform many times.

  The Overlord, Tang Yimo, and others had seen the Six Paths Immortal.

  But now that Five Phoenixes had achieved Immortal-Martial, and Tang Yimo, the Overlord, and others had reached the Golden Immortal Emperor realm, the Six Paths Immortal’s rare appearances might raise some questions.

  Thus, using the Six Paths Immortal this time to stir things up—not only to refresh its presence but also to enhance the Sermon Platform’s mystique—seemed perfect.

  “Back then, I used the Sermon Platform to preach… Now, I’ll preach to the entire great world!”

  The corners of Lu’s mouth curved upward with a trace of anticipation.

  …

  In the Nine Heavens, within the void rift,

  The atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

  The divine souls of the ancient Emperors intertwined, each suppressing the other with terrifying force.

  The Immortal-tier god and demon Evil Eye from the Primordial Starry Sky had been slain by Lu Ping’an with a single punch.

  That was an Immortal-tier being—comparable to a peak Emperor.

  Though gods and demons might fall slightly short in certain aspects of combat power, the fall of such a powerhouse dealt a massive psychological blow.

  Because Five Phoenixes was now the enemy of the Nine Heavens, and the stronger Five Phoenixes grew, the greater the nightmare it became for them.

  Moreover, there was no longer any possibility of reconciliation between the Nine Heavens and Five Phoenixes.

  After all, the Heavenly Dao of the Nine Heavens had invaded Five Phoenixes’ Origin Space, attempting to devour its Dao Origin.

  That was like stabbing someone straight in the heart—how could they ever shake hands?

  Though the Nine Heavens’ Heavenly Dao had ultimately been devoured in return, the enmity had been completely and irreparably ignited.

  “Five Phoenixes grows stronger by the day. Should we guide more Immortal-tier gods and demons to attack?”

  One ancient Emperor’s will surged, making the suggestion.

  If one Immortal-tier Evil Eye wasn’t enough, then bring several.

  From deep within the rift came a powerful fluctuation of divine sense.

  “Lu Ping’an must have some connection to the Primordial Starry Sky. That girl with special divine abilities who calls him ‘Dad’ seems to come from the Primordial Starry Sky as well…”

  “Moreover, Lu Ping’an possesses special means to suppress gods and demons. If those means spread to the Primordial Starry Sky, it will surely cause a huge uproar among the god and demon race…”

  The voice from the depths of the rift spoke calmly, seemingly pondering how to counter Five Phoenixes.

  “Therefore, if we wish to incite the gods and demons to act, we must have absolute certainty. At the very least… the number of Immortal-tier gods and demons we unite must be overwhelming—enough to make Lu Ping’an despair.”

  The ancient Emperors in the rift nodded in agreement.

  “Lu Ping’an grows stronger by the day. Moreover, our actions this time have made the living beings of Five Phoenixes deeply hostile toward the Nine Heavens. Sooner or later, they will invade the Nine Heavens.”

  “Five Phoenixes has achieved Immortal-Martial transformation and will only grow stronger, while the Nine Heavens, having failed to devour its Dao Origin, will only grow weaker.”

  “Thus… the plan must proceed.”

  “But we still have ample time. I estimate that Five Phoenixes will need at least ten thousand years to fully complete its Immortal-Martial transformation. That is enough time for us to negotiate cooperation with the Immortal-tier gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky.”

  The voice gradually fell silent.

  The eyes of the ancient Emperors gleamed.

  The Five Phoenixes they had once ignored had now grown into a true threat.

  However… the secret of Lu Ping’an’s connection to the gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky might very well become the spark that accelerates Five Phoenixes’ destruction.

  …

  Lu naturally had no knowledge of the Nine Heavens ancient Emperors’ plans.

  After all, in his view, simply opening a passage between Five Phoenixes and the Primordial Starry Sky was already going too far.

  It was impossible they would go so mad as to cooperate with the gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky.

  From Heavenly Spirit Ancient Emperor’s memories, Lu knew that the ancient Emperors of the Nine Heavens and the gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky shared a blood feud.

  An irreconcilable, life-or-death enmity.

  Back when the Primordial Starry Sky passage appeared in the Nine Heavens, countless Great Emperors and peak Emperors had sacrificed themselves on the frontier to protect the splendor of the Nine Heavens.

  It had even damaged the foundation of the Nine Heavens’ potential ascension to Immortal-Martial.

  That was a grudge that could never be erased.

  This was also why Lu believed the Nine Heavens’ ancient Emperors would never ally with the gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky.

  Moreover…

  Even if they did ally, so what?

  Once Five Phoenixes completed its transformation and Lu upgraded his Qi Refining, the suppressive power of his title would grow even stronger…

  At that point, Five Phoenixes would simply gain more tool gods and demons.

  For now, Lu was fully focused on preparing for the “Voice of the Quasi-Saint.”

  He felt that the benefits this Voice would bring might exceed his expectations.

  Taking out the Spiritual Pressure Chessboard,

  Lu propped his chin on one hand while gazing at the projection of Five Phoenixes that appeared on the board.

  This time, the projection encompassed not only Five Phoenixes but also the void starry sky.

  After this battle, every living being within the Five Phoenixes Great World had earned acknowledgment—even those upper-realm saint clans that had once been enemies. At the very least, when Five Phoenixes faced a life-or-death crisis, they had stood up and fought. That was enough.

  A breeze blew, carrying peach petals.

  Lu rolled up his sleeve and placed a piece on the Spiritual Pressure Chessboard.

  Buzz!

  Outside Five Phoenixes Continent, the grand time formation that had enveloped the world abruptly stopped.

  All the protective formations were withdrawn.

  In an instant, every Golden Immortal and Profound Immortal of Five Phoenixes felt the change.

  Tantai Xuan, Lu Jiulian, Mi Jia, and others stationed outside the abyss looked on in confusion.

  Though Lu’s formations suppressed the gods and demons,

  The gods and demons still posed an extremely dangerous threat.

  The Golden Immortals of Five Phoenixes were basically all stationed here, guarding against any sudden breakout.

  Better safe than sorry…

  “What’s happening?”

  Tantai Xuan frowned.

  Why had the time formation outside Five Phoenixes stopped?

  Suddenly,

  Everyone’s expressions shifted slightly.

  Because they sensed an aura emanating from Five Phoenixes Continent—one that made even Golden Immortals like them feel their hearts tremble.

  It was an utterly unfamiliar aura, one many had never encountered.

  Did Five Phoenixes still have such a powerful being?

  Meanwhile, Nie Changqing, Tang Yimo, the Overlord, Sima Qingshan, and other Golden Immortals who had once entered the Sermon Platform all paled dramatically!

  This aura…

  So familiar!

  It was engraved deep in their souls—the aura that had made their souls tremble back when they were weak!

  It was the secret buried in their memories!

  But now… that secret…

  Seemed to have reappeared in the world!

  Nie Changqing and the others sensed the changes in each other’s auras and exchanged glances.

  It seemed everyone had their own stories.

  In truth, they all now knew that the ones they had encountered in the Sermon Platform back then were each other.

  “It’s him!”

  The Overlord, Tang Yimo, and the others spoke in unison.

  The “him” they referred to was clearly the same person.

  Of course, some were utterly confused.

  Tantai Xuan, for example, had been famously “immune to immortal destiny” back then. The Sermon Platform had been completely beyond his reach.

  Yet now, the aura emerging from Five Phoenixes caused even him to change color.

  From the void starry sky, they turned their gazes toward Five Phoenixes Continent.

  Suddenly, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.

  Because…

  They discovered that above Five Phoenixes Continent, a colossal figure was slowly coalescing—seated in a meditative posture upon a formation platform, wreathed in immortal qi.

  The figure slowly opened its mouth.

  A unique Dao sound—causing their pores to tighten and knees to weaken—spread across the world!