Golden-tinged blood sprayed across the battlements of the Imperial City.

  The sudden shift in momentum sent a chill of foreboding through Tantai Mojie.

  He had been utterly confident of victory—yet now everything was unraveling.

  Ever since stepping into the Saint Realm, he had come to regard the legendary Immortals of the Five Phoenixes with disdain. To him, those figures who had once stood above the world, immortalized in ancient texts, were… overrated.

  They had cultivated for centuries, yet most were merely Human Immortals or True Immortals. True Xuan Immortals—those who could rival a Saint—were exceedingly rare.

  He, Tantai Mojie, had been a mere mortal just a few short years ago. In that brief span, he had soared to the Saint Realm.

  Such a feat filled him with boundless arrogance.

  Yes, his achievement stemmed from the single drop of golden blood in his heart.

  But that was his fortune—and therefore his rightful capital. Why shouldn’t he be proud?

  The four dire beasts, linked by the Four Dire Beasts Array, should have been invincible. Even Tantai Mojie himself could not have shaken that formation. Four Xuan Immortal-level beasts working in concert were a terrifying force.

  Yet…

  The array had been broken.

  Shattered effortlessly by a Daoist nun who arrived riding a dragon.

  So the Five Phoenixes still hid such masters?

  Only now did Tantai Mojie realize that the Five Phoenixes were far more complex—and far stronger—than he had ever imagined.

  Four consecutive coughs of blood marked the death of four peerless dire beasts.

  He could accept Nie Changqing’s Dragon-Slayer Blade suppressing the ox-headed dragon beast.

  He could accept the Cloud Gu Eagle being countered by Bai Qingniao and her nine fire phoenixes—the records had mentioned her as the “chicken-keeper” of Nine Phoenix Academy.

  He could even accept the six-tailed civet being overwhelmed by Ding Jiudeng and a swarm of cultivators.

  All those beasts had clear weaknesses.

  But…

  The first to fall was the thousand-eyed spider—poisoned to death.

  That left Tantai Mojie utterly speechless.

  Watching the old man in thin robes gaze regretfully at the spider’s corpse, Tantai Mojie felt an absurd urge to sigh: “The real masters are always hidden among the common folk…”

  There was no retreat left.

  All his allies had been annihilated.

  Now, the only one who could save him… was himself.

  “A bunch of trash!”

  On the city wall, clad in golden armor, Tantai Mojie wiped the blood from his lips and gave a cold, mocking laugh.

  He had expected Xuan Immortal-level dire beasts to dominate, yet they had shown no overwhelming superiority.

  Rumble—

  As the four beasts perished, vast tides of fortune surged above the Five Phoenix skies.

  Every Immortal who had fought in the battle raised their head.

  Tantai Mojie looked up as well.

  The scene reflected in his pupils made his heart sink.

  He had divided the human race’s fortune into eight parts, channeling them into the dire beasts to grant them explosive power.

  But the beasts had failed.

  With their fall, the stolen fortune returned to the Five Phoenix Immortals.

  And the fortune that had once shielded Tantai Mojie began to collapse.

  Before, protected by human fortune, no Five Phoenix cultivator could strike him without suffering backlash.

  But now…

  That protection was fading.

  Strange phenomena appeared in the sky as fortune surged like rivers.

  Xuan Immortals were being born!

  One after another, torrents of fortune poured down.

  Nie Changqing grasped Dragon-Slayer and received the baptism, stepping into the Xuan Immortal Realm.

  Bai Qingniao also broke through, her understanding of the Nine Phoenixes Transformation growing ever clearer.

  Lu Changkong, hands behind his back, looked mildly surprised.

  He had broken through too.

  A faint glow emanated from his body—his Myriad Poisons Physique had advanced once more.

  He had left the tomb for a stroll and somehow ended up a Xuan Immortal.

  All he did was “befriend” that mildly poisonous thousand-eyed spider.

  Such a plain, almost boring breakthrough made him sigh inwardly.

  Nie Changqing, Bai Qingniao, and Lu Changkong—three new Xuan Immortals—sent the morale of the crusading army soaring.

  But they weren’t the only ones.

  Ni Yu, panting heavily, her delicate face pale from refining batch after batch of pills, had exhausted herself saving countless lives.

  She didn’t realize that her actions had interfered with karma and claimed a share of the fortune.

  A pillar of fortune descended upon her.

  Her depleted spiritual energy instantly replenished; her spirit blazed with vitality.

  The beam was so powerful it even knocked Little Yinglong off her head.

  The little dragon rolled across the ground like a ball, then flapped its fleshy wings in confusion.

  Was this the treatment reserved for a salted fish?

  Ni Yu, too, had stepped into the Xuan Immortal Realm.

  Perhaps the most unconventional breakthrough in history.

  Ning Zhao and Yi Yue were speechless.

  Compared to their bloody struggle against the beasts, Ni Yu had practically leveled up while lying down.

  But upon reflection, they understood: without her pills, the entire front would have collapsed long ago.

  So she deserved every bit of that fortune.

  Four new Xuan Immortals.

  The phenomena in the Five Phoenix skies could no longer be contained.

  Including the earlier ones—Overlord, Tang Yimo, Kong Nanfei…

  This single crusade against the tyrant had produced seven Xuan Immortals in the Five Phoenixes!

  Other True Immortals and Human Immortals who fought the beasts also received their share.

  Breakthroughs rang out one after another outside the Imperial City, like a dazzling fireworks display.

  Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Empress Ni Chunchiu, Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and others stepped into Half-Step Xuan Immortal.

  Tang Guo, Nie Shuang, and more advanced as well.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Even the Azure Dragon that fought received a portion.

  After enduring so much bitterness, dawn had finally broken.

  The collective breakthrough of the Five Phoenix Immortals completely reversed the battlefield.

  Jiang Li’s army, previously suppressed by the Black Tortoise Guard and golden-armored guards, now began to push back.

  Without Jiang Li’s iron control, the rebel alliance might already have collapsed.

  With the dire beasts gone, the Five Phoenix Immortals joined the fray.

  Half-Step Xuan Immortals clashed with the golden-armored guards, and the tide turned decisively toward the rebels.

  One by one, the golden-armored guards were blasted back or slain on the spot!

  Panic spread among the attendants and officials on the city wall.

  “Your Majesty… please flee!”

  An attendant cried in desperation—only to be silenced by Tantai Mojie’s icy glare. His legs gave out, and he collapsed.

  Tantai Mojie watched the dynasty’s army rout, the crusaders surging toward the city like an unstoppable avalanche.

  He took a deep breath, his face hardening into cold resolve.

  “Xuan Immortals…”

  “Hah. Now that you’ve all become Xuan Immortals, who among you can possibly oppose me?”

  His voice was frigid.

  “Fortune was divided into eight parts—but I still hold the ninth.”

  He raised a hand.

  The long spear forged by the Office of Strange Scholars was brought forward.

  Gripping it, Saint Might erupted from his body in overwhelming waves.

  Step by step, he walked out from the city wall.

  His golden armor blazed; his momentum climbed relentlessly.

  Above the sky, Overlord, Tang Yimo, Kong Nanfei, and the others grew solemn.

  “To reach the Saint Realm in just a few years… is this tyrant truly a cultivation prodigy?” Overlord muttered.

  “A prodigy?” Nie Changqing said coldly, Dragon-Slayer at his waist. “My son Nie Shuang possesses the supreme Saint King Physique, yet even his speed can’t compare. There must be some secret.”

  “Should we intervene?” Tang Yimo asked, white cloth wrapped around his arm.

  “No.”

  “Although Tantai Mojie divided human fortune into eight parts for the beasts, there were only seven beasts. The remaining portion resides in him.”

  “If we strike, we’ll still suffer fortune backlash. The price is too high.”

  Kong Nanfei shook his head.

  They chose to observe.

  Below the wall, Tantai Mojie laughed.

  He clenched his fist.

  The golden blood within every golden-armored guard suddenly surged, burning like fire.

  Golden flames enveloped them; their aura and power soared dramatically.

  “Flee? Why flee?”

  “As long as I stand, this world still belongs to Tantai Mojie!”

  The routed soldiers, now wreathed in golden fire, turned and charged back into battle.

  Tantai Mojie’s gaze locked onto Jiang Li.

  He swept his golden spear.

  Saint Might roared forth, tearing a deep chasm in the earth. A beam of golden energy sliced through everything, aimed straight at Jiang Li.

  Jiang Li shouted coldly.

  Behind him, the essence, energy, and spirit of hundreds of thousands of cultivators merged into him.

  A towering blood-red War God rose at his back, drawing its blade and slashing down.

  The collision unleashed a cataclysmic explosion that shook the entire Imperial City.

  Jiang Li coughed blood, his face paling.

  Ximen Xianzhi, Luo Mingyue, and the shadowy Mo Qiqi appeared to support him.

  But the golden-armored guards, their lives burning away, blocked the Five Phoenix Immortals.

  Jiang Li was forced into a disadvantage.

  A Saint was still a Saint.

  And with fortune protecting him, Jiang Li dared not counterattack for fear of backlash.

  Such backlash could damage one’s cultivation foundation!

  Tantai Mojie’s body, tempered by golden blood, was among the strongest even in the Saint Realm.

  Jiang Li was steadily pushed back.

  Compared to the dire beasts, the tyrant himself seemed even more terrifying.

  “You’re courting death.”

  Bai Qingniao’s hair turned fiery red; her skin glowed like porcelain. Crimson light rolled in her eyes.

  Little Phoenix One through Nine lined up across the sky, releasing terrifying pressure.

  “Xuan Immortals of the Five Phoenixes…”

  “I am protected by fortune. Do you dare harm me?”

  “Do you dare risk your chance at becoming Emperor?”

  Tantai Mojie sensed the terrifying auras above and gripped his spear tighter, sneering.

  His arrogance was backed by absolute confidence.

  Jiang Li raised a hand to stop Bai Qingniao.

  She had only just become a Xuan Immortal; he could not let her ruin her foundation for his sake.

  Silver armor gleaming, Jiang Li raised his sword once more, pointing it at Tantai Mojie. He could still fight!

  “Amitabha.”

  Ding Jiudeng appeared beside him.

  Tantai Mojie no longer held back. His spear gouged deep furrows in the earth.

  Though he trusted fortune would protect him, nothing was ever certain. Hadn’t he once believed his seven dire beasts made him invincible?

  Yet they had fallen one by one.

  Above the sky, Bai Qingniao’s expression grew colder.

  She could feel Tantai Mojie’s killing intent toward Jiang Li—the pillar of the rebel army’s morale.

  If that pillar fell, the entire force would collapse.

  Then it would be Tantai Mojie’s turn to counterattack—or at least buy time for the rebels to retreat and give him a chance to recover.

  With enough time and the mysterious golden blood, he was certain he could rule the world!

  …

  On the island in the heart of Origin Lake.

  Lu sat with eyes closed, his hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

  The breeze, the pavilion, the fine wine, the chessboard—together they formed a scene of quiet beauty.

  He slowly opened his eyes.

  Terrifying spiritual pressure erupted from him.

  The giant whale carrying the island shuddered.

  This human… had grown stronger again!

  Surviving until this human died just got even harder.

  What a headache.

  But Lu ignored the whale’s thoughts.

  A system panel flickered before him.

  With seven new Xuan Immortals and numerous Half-Step Xuan Immortals, his total spiritual energy was skyrocketing.

  Still, it wasn’t quite enough to reach the tenth layer of Qi Refining.

  Everything in due time. Lu had a feeling that the tenth layer might be the greatest challenge he had ever faced in cultivation.

  He gazed at the chessboard.

  The scene reflected clearly in his eyes.

  Before the Imperial City wall.

  Tantai Mojie, clad in golden armor, swept his spear with unmatched dominance.

  “Protected by fortune?”

  “Now that your role as a tool is over… it’s time to see what that golden imperial blood in your heart really is.”

  Lu spoke softly.

  The moment the words fell, the island fell silent.

  Only the wind rustled the bamboo leaves.

  He rolled up his sleeve and picked up a chess piece.

  He was about to place it—delivering judgment on Tantai Mojie’s fate.

  Stripping away the last fragment of human fortune that shielded him.

  Fortune might be hard to bestow arbitrarily, but taking it back was simple.

  Yet just before the piece fell, Lu paused.

  Surprise flickered across his face.

  Someone had acted faster than him.

  A faint smile curved Lu’s lips, complex emotions in his eyes. He withdrew the piece.

  He knew what the other person intended—and it suited their nature perfectly.

  …

  In the Nine Hells Secret Realm, the Underworld.

  Tantai Xuan stood with hands behind his back at the edge of the abyss.

  Countless souls from the Five Phoenix lands flowed into the Underworld, entering the cycle of reincarnation.

  Mortal life and death—all followed the natural order.

  Tantai Xuan felt no particular emotion.

  What he did feel was regret: the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty had failed to become eternal.

  But he wasn’t overly concerned. No dynasty could last forever.

  “Worthy descendant… you’ve brought utter shame to the Tantai family and calamity to the Five Phoenixes.”

  “The karma of our bloodline—I alone will bear it.”

  He slowly closed his eyes.

  Memories of the dynasty’s founding flashed before him.

  The comrades who had fought beside him were now forced to stand against his descendant.

  A long sigh.

  Fate.

  Boom!

  Tantai Xuan’s mind stirred.

  Karmic power surged like a raging river, tearing through the void.

  …

  Nine Phoenixes soared across the sky, about to intervene.

  Though time had lessened her dependence on Jiang Li, she could not tolerate anyone trying to kill him.

  But just as she moved, Sima Qingshan stopped her.

  “Wait.”

  Bai Qingniao’s eyes burned with flame as she glanced back.

  The next moment, the world plunged into darkness.

  A terrifying aura spread, shocking everyone.

  From the earth, yin energy rolled forth.

  From every fallen soldier’s corpse, wisps of souls rose like countless fireflies.

  Tantai Mojie’s heart jolted. He halted his charge toward Jiang Li.

  He looked around coldly, trying to understand what was happening.

  Suddenly!

  The sky split open.

  Beyond the rift lay a vast, bitter sea of endless souls.

  Boom—boom—boom…

  The ground trembled as countless souls were drawn into the fissure.

  A colossal Hell Hound slowly stepped forth.

  Atop its head sat a figure in meditative silence.

  Jiang Li saw him.

  The Overlord and others in the sky saw him.

  Their eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

  “Tantai Xuan?”

  “A Xuan Immortal-level Tantai Xuan?”

  On the city wall, many cultivators and Black Tortoise Guards burst into tears.

  “It’s the Founding Human Emperor! The Human Emperor!”

  “Long live His Majesty!”

  “The Human Emperor has returned! The Great Xuan is saved!”

  Even more common folk knelt in joy.

  The Five Phoenix cultivators were at a loss for words.

  Tantai Mojie’s golden armor dimmed under the yin energy.

  His pupils shrank. The bloodline suppression returned.

  “It’s you!”

  He drew a deep breath.

  When he had entered the Nine Hells Secret Realm to subdue the Hell Hound, this very man had frightened him away.

  “The Founding Human Emperor, Tantai Xuan?!”

  Tantai Xuan sat calmly atop the Hell Hound, exuding an air of unfathomable depth.

  But the moment he saw Tantai Mojie, that composure shattered.

  “Scum!”

  “I’m your ancestor!”

  “The Tantai family produced a wastrel like you—what a sin!”

  “Cause in the past, consequence today… your tyranny has brought suffering to countless innocents.”

  “You dare claim human fortune?”

  Tantai Xuan thundered.

  In the void, Overlord, Tang Yimo, and the others couldn’t help but laugh.

  Tantai Xuan was still Tantai Xuan—hot-tempered as ever, even as lord of the Underworld.

  Tantai Mojie’s heart lurched. Hearing those words, a terrible premonition rose within him.

  Boom!

  Tantai Xuan stood up on the Hell Hound’s head.

  Behind him, karmic power surged like the Yellow Springs, forming a sky-covering hand that slammed toward Tantai Mojie.

  The hand seemed both tangible and intangible.

  Tantai Mojie erupted with Saint Might to resist.

  But with a single roar from Tantai Xuan, his Saint Might collapsed.

  The palm struck him squarely.

  “Hahaha… I am protected by fortune—you cannot harm me!”

  Tantai Mojie laughed wildly.

  The bloodline suppression filled him with humiliation.

  Atop the Hell Hound, Tantai Xuan stood with hands behind his back, lips curled in disdain.

  A trickle of blood soon slid from the corner of his mouth.

  Then, without another word, he turned. The Hell Hound carried him back into the Underworld.

  He had arrived domineeringly—and departed the same way.

  The black clouds dispersed. The yin energy vanished.

  With it went the very last fragment of human fortune that had shielded Tantai Mojie.

  The fortune scattered into the heavens and earth.

  The instant his protection vanished—

  “Damn it!”

  Tantai Mojie cursed furiously.

  He shot into the sky, trying to flee the battlefield.

  Too late.

  Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom!

  One terrifying aura after another filled the world, like thunder exploding across a clear sky.

  Xuan Immortal auras, rivers of fortune, coiled and lashed, distorting the very heavens.

  The moment Tantai Mojie’s fortune dispersed, the Overlord and the other Five Phoenix Xuan Immortals—pent-up for far too long—finally struck!

  A torrent of Xuan Immortal fortune crashed down like a river.

  Pfft!

  Tantai Mojie was drenched in blood and smashed into the ground.

  The earth exploded into a massive crater.

  He knelt on one knee, struggling to rise.

  But wave after wave of fortune descended—Tang Yimo, Kong Nanfei, and the others all attacked.

  In an instant, his golden armor shattered. Blood sprayed from every pore.

  Even his saintly body could not withstand it.

  In the depths of the crater, Tantai Mojie bore the fortune of seven Xuan Immortals. Blood poured from his mouth and nose; his body cracked.

  Yet he still laughed.

  The laughter stopped abruptly.

  Because high above, a girl as serene as an autumn leaf floated with eyes closed.

  Tantai Mojie, covered in blood, stared at her. His heart sank.

  “No… no…”

  He whispered.

  But Zhu Long’s slender finger gently traced through the air.

  Boom!

  An even more terrifying, colossal river of fortune slammed down.

  Crack!

  Under the crushing pressure of eight fortunes, Tantai Mojie’s body… shattered into pieces.