Chapter 497: Ripening Of The Epoch Dao Fruit, Reached The Immortal Realm

The battle between the two realms lasted for months, with the Upper Realm camping outside Sky Deer City. Black clouds blocked out the sky for millions of kilometres, the size making giant stars look like dust.

The terrifying energy gave all in Sky Deer City feel oppressed and anxious. They became worried that the array protecting the city would be broken, allowing the supreme experts outside to charge in.

Many Upper Realm experts could be seen attacking the city every day, causing brilliant light to illuminate the sky and causing the surrounding area to explode and collapse. The scent of blood and burning spread everywhere as great swathes of the ground cracked. Even the arrays made by past supreme experts could not withstand the aftershocks from these attacks.

Eventually, the experts in Sky Deer City decided to stop fighting and barricaded the city to prevent more unnecessary losses. While it did fulfil its purpose, it was still a great blow for those of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. The attitude of their supreme experts seemed to indicate they were waiting for the Upper Realm to invade Sky Deer City without putting up a fight. This made the people feel desperate, even thinking that the day this city would get invaded would mean the beginning of the end, where they would start to be exploited and enslaved.

"The Sky Deer Goddess's move back then is smart in retrospect. We don't have the strength to fight against the Upper Realm Army, so it's better to surrender. That Gu Changge is far too powerful and it's unimaginable that such a person could exist."

In the depths of Sky Deer City, there was a place which seemed to be in its own universe, which resembled a deserted barren star. Terrifying puddles filled with different colours of blood could be seen on the ruined ground, emanating a terrifying aura. It was so powerful even a Sacred King Realm expert could feel his body nearly exploding. Ancient coffins which had been dug out lay haphazardly everywhere. The place was enormous, reflecting giant stars dimly shimmering. A black-coloured river flowed along, expelling black light mixed in with a myriad of Principles.

Sounds suddenly came from the dug-up coffins, which contained supreme experts who were suspected to have died in battle with the Upper Realm, who all held unrivalled power. However, no one knew that they hadn't actually died but instead hid out here. Their reason had been the fear of death. So, they had faked their deaths in order to trick those of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.

While they did not have the Sky Deer Goddess's determination to pledge her loyalty to the Upper Realm, they did not want to die for the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains either. A discussion had led to the idea of playing dead. After which, they were buried here by their respective clans.

They had been in contact with their own clans, so they knew what happened in the outside world. Many orders or messages which dictated the direction and important issues in the Ten Domains and Eight Directions had come from this place, albeit in secret since several of their peers didn't even know they were still alive.

"It looks like Sky Deer City is about to be conquered. It's better if we reach a decision quickly or the Upper Realm will find us when they march in."

A voice suddenly came from a frightening-looking coffin, which had blood seeping from. This was an unimaginably old being who held great seniority in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, who was a Vermilion Bird War God Clan Ancestor.

"We should go back to our respective clans. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to seal up our clans, barring anyone to leave. We can hide in smaller worlds, where it would be hard to find us and wait for things to quiet down before we reappear with new appearances. If Sky Deer City is conquered, leave it be. That could buy us some time to prepare."

Another voice spoke, this time from a dark and shadowy cave. While light swirled within, the voice sounded exceptionally cold as if the owner did not care about the lives of those in Sky Deer City. That made sense since if not for their clans, they wouldn't even care about the fate of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. At their cultivation level, everything was impermanent. Even Immortal Sects would fall one day, much less Sky Deer City or the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. In their view, nothing held any value except for their own Dao and their legacy.

"If so, let's send orders to our descendants to vacate the city."

Footsteps came suddenly from another direction, resonating in the deserted space. This was a youthful-looking man with pale skin and long hair, yet his gaze looked somewhat tired as Chaos Qi surrounded him. His arrival caused a great stir among those who sensed this; the coffins began to shake slightly before becoming ajar, as the figures emanating blood-coloured light within materialised. Their appearance was accompanied by an all-encompassing energy powerful enough to cause the universe to collapse.

"Lin Qinglong..." An indistinct-looking elderly being opened his mouth, his voice sounding guarded yet filled with confusion. "Why are you here as well?"

The others looked very wary of the man too. Coexisting in the same world didn't mean that they could live together harmoniously without any clashes.

Lin Qinglong was the third son of the Blood Dragon War God Clan's Prime Ancestor, and his existence could be traced back to the birth of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. Thus, many ancient beings had to call him his Senior. Many had heard of him already halfway past the threshold of the next cultivation realm a long time ago. His power could not be calculated even now. None of those present expected him to be here and besides, he was like a living fossil who had lived through the history of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.

"Why can't I be here?" Lin Qinglong asked mildly, his gaze neutral. He wasn't exactly tall but held a poorly-hidden air of invincibility. "I'm here to awaken my father."

"Your father? Is the Blood Dragon War God not dead?" The other ancient beings were taken aback, disbelief apparent in their expressions.

They all knew that the depths of the Sky Deer City formed a world of its own, which was known as the Land of Rebirth. No normal cultivators could find it due to the unique Principles and force fields surrounding it. That made it an extremely enigmatic place.

As for why their clans had chosen to bury them here after their deaths, it was in the hope that they could resurrect them.

They felt that the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains had a deep connection with the Upper Realm here and as such, existed a mysterious place. This place resembles the land where people entered reincarnation, where they could even go through rebirth and resurrection.

Naturally, even if reincarnated, the more powerful ones could even bring their past knowledge with them.

It was clear that in the depths of the Sky Deer City existed such a place. However, it was just that most dared not to venture deeper. Those who had tried exploded into ashes and died after coming into contact with the supreme Principles inside. They all knew that the place would contain Principles exceeding the Nirvana Realm since it involved the Power of Reincarnation, which was one of the most mysterious forces of all. Anyone touching it would only end up dying.

"You have ways to go in?" The ancient beings became serious as they stared at him.

"Naturally." Lin Qinglong smiled serenely, full of confidence and reassurance. He looked like he had other plans and did not care about the threat presented by the Upper Realm. He had never appeared in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains before either.

He walked along the black river, body surrounded by bright gold and silver light to counter the oppressiveness of the mysterious place. The black river converged like the Yellow Spring, to form a deathly quiet sea in a lower attitude area. It was silent and dark, with many spirits wandering along the river before transforming into clouds of bright dust, which moved into the sea.

The sea was enormous, stretching beyond the horizon while exuding obscure and profound energy. An old tree with withered leaves and branches could be seen growing within it, surrounded by faint strands of light. Black mountains stood around the sea, all possessing ancient caves which emitted multicoloured light and mist, resembling celestial caves. An oppressive energy exuded from one of those caves meanwhile, the others were silent without any sign of vibrations.

The entire place was suffused with energy, which could crush any cultivator's soul, which was the result of different Daos colliding. The vibrations caused by their mutual neutralisation made even Lin Qinglong grunt and stumble. Had Gu Changge been here, he would have discovered that the place was connected to the Fortuity of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains since it contained a similar aura to that of the Upper Realm's Source.

Lin Qinglong was respectful and submissive as he said to the cave, "Father, the Epoch Dao Fruit is ripening soon. You can reappear now."

*Boom!* A superior aura began to awaken within the cave as it heard those words, making everyone quiver and nearly fall to their knees.

After months of battle between the two realms, Sky Deer City chose to avoid any confrontation. Several unofficial sources even said that the supreme experts for every clan were planning to withdraw their forces and abandon the city. The news caused an uproar after it spread, causing shock, anger, confusion, and desperation. Of course, no one knew if it was true. Likewise, it was not like they were going to get clarification from those True Daoists. The societal levels of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were extremely rigid, so normal folk could never meet up with the True Daoists.

Unease ran rampant in the Sky Deer City, as hundreds of thousands of flags suddenly appeared in the dark clouds above the Upper Realm camp. They seemed to form an array as they fell to the ground in every direction, enclosing the Chaos Qi below and protecting the enormous Upper Realm Army. The sight was terrifying and astounding to many of the Sky Deer City, who understood that a formidable being was about to attack. Such power made them worry.

They could now see several figures standing in the distance within the fog, who looked to be building an altar. They exuded incredible energy but their true appearances could not be discerned since they were enclosed in clouds of Chaos Qi. It was clear that they were building it as a shield against the suppression caused by the Eight Wastelands' and Ten Domains' Heavenly Way.

"The oppressive power of this world is much weaker now. It's worth a try if Ancestor Gu Lang shows his hand." Gu Changge conjured runes in his hand, which fell into the altar as he stared in surprise at the distant Sky Deer City. This had been discussed by him and several Elders in the Gu Family and the other forces. They wanted to see how long the barrier of Sky Deer City could hold.

Suddenly, a loud growl could be heard, accompanied by beams of light, in the billions. The power seemed to press down around them, while countless stars shook, nearly cracking from the pressure.

*Boom!*

A giant hand, surrounded by wisps of celestial energy, far beyond everyone's imagination, blocked out the sky. That was the manifestation of the aura of Immortality exuding from the altar, which moved forward and downwards as if about to strike Sky Deer City off the edge of the world. Such force shook the universe and had to come from a being who had reached the Immortal Realm!