Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

The infusion of boundless medicinal power caused the ten celestial caves to shine with brilliance, finally concluding in splendor, only to shatter into nothingness.

Exhausting everything, extinguishing all, and then rebirthing from nothingness—this process is perilous in the extreme, fraught with danger and often leading to severe injuries or failure.

Yet, if successful, the fruit of the Dao achieved would be astonishing, beyond imagination.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a massive roar erupted from beneath the ruins, heralding the imminent eruption of vast potential.

In the next instant, beams of light soared skyward, and resplendent sigils of the Great Dao rose, accompanied by a divine rain of light, enveloping the ruins of the celestial caves in a veil of mist, with chaotic energy swirling, embodying a primal Dao resonance of the nascent universe.

Ten globes of light ascended from the ruins, as if worlds were being nurtured in the chaos, not yet opened, cloaked in profound mystery.

“Is he really going to create new celestial caves?” the Black King wondered aloud, his eyes widening, unwilling to miss this spectacle.

Ten entities, akin to blazing suns, hung suspended in the void, radiating light and heat, fiercely burning.

They emerged from the ruins formed by the collapse of the celestial caves, revived from extinction, undergoing a rebirth amidst the ruins, surpassing mortal limits.

Even before manifesting fully, they exuded an imposing aura.

However, just as the ten suns were about to recreate the heavens and the celestial caves, a sudden and unexpected transformation occurred—they abruptly dimmed, extinguishing in an instant, accompanied by the terrifying sound of fracturing.

“Pfft!”

Wang Heng was affected, his body shattering on the spot, revealing blood-stained white bones in many places.

Fortunately, he had established a body celestial cave and practiced the Hunyuan Great Dao, rendering his physical form abnormally robust, capable of withstanding the horrific impact brought about by the collapse of the celestial caves.

The celestial caves are foundational to a cultivator, and after their destruction, how easy is it to recreate them?

The path ahead will surely be filled with thorns, with hurdles and the very laws of heaven and earth obstructing the way, making the reconstruction of celestial caves exceedingly difficult,” the Black King lamented.

Although not a particularly extraordinary being, the Black King was still a true immortal, with the insight to discern the fundamental reason behind the shattering of Wang Heng’s new celestial caves.

To undergo a rebirth in the complete grand world of the Immortal Domain is no simple task, for there are far too many obstacles to overcome and breakthroughs to accomplish.

Wang Heng panted heavily, his psychic celestial cave and body celestial cave glowing together, quietly mending his wounds, while simultaneously embarking on a new round of attempts.

He immersed his heart and mind completely into the ruins left after the explosion of the ten suns, hoping to determine the cause of his failure to reconstruct the celestial caves and how to proceed further.

"Splat!"

Wang Heng coughed up blood once more. Another failure, stopping just short of success at the crucial moment.

This time, the injuries he sustained were grave, his physical form nearly shattering, drenched in blood, a truly ghastly sight.

However, he refused to give up, continually striving to break through into the realm of his imagination.

Thus, Wang Heng, undeterred by fatigue nor by the cumulative toll of injuries, charged again and again, failed again and again, only to rally once more.

At last, a turning point appeared as the embryonic form of his celestial cave threatened to break apart. Amid this chaos, Wang Heng caught a glimpse of the pivotal fragments of the Dao, crucial for reconstructing his celestial domain.

He immediately focused all his energy on comprehending those fragments.

The time that these Dao fragments manifested was fleeting, only visible at the moment when the embryonic celestial cave shattered. Therefore, Wang Heng had to exchange injuries for a fleeting glimpse of opportunity, failing repeatedly, gravely wounded each time, his aura gradually growing fainter.

Despite his waning aura and deteriorating body, Wang Heng's spirit grew ever more vibrant, exuding a radiant splendor, as if undergoing a sublime transformation.

"Buzz!"

His soul cave emitted a humming sound, mildly trembling, releasing a pitch-black divine force, making Wang Heng's enlightenment process smoother.

"Boom!"

With a resounding crash that shook the heavens and the earth, a massive external celestial cave took form.

This time, it did not shatter.

Wang Heng stood beneath the celestial cave, resonating with the mysterious symbols within, weaving with them, creating endless vitality.

The celestial cave seemed to have acquired life, vast and magnificent, akin to a gigantic sun, ablaze in radiant hues, emanating boundless divine energy, transforming into a river of essence, cascading over Wang Heng, providing him with unending mystical power.

"Did he succeed?" Black King was too astonished to speak.

With each failure, with each infliction of serious wounds, it had assumed Wang Heng would collapse, his efforts in vain. Unexpectedly, he showed such tenacity, forcing a breakthrough.

Following this method, Wang Heng spent half a day methodically reconstructing the remaining nine celestial caves one by one.

Now, above him hovered ten fully reconstructed celestial caves, grand and imposing, their size immeasurable compared to before. As their auras merged, they resembled a vast immortal domain stretching across the horizon.

However, even after reaching this stage, Wang Heng remained unsatisfied, for he knew that returning to oneness was the ultimate and most powerful expression of a living being.

When Wang Heng finished explaining his concept of unifying the celestial caves, the Black King was left utterly speechless.

“Kid, are you crazy? So young and already courting an early demise?” it couldn't help but retort, intending to dissuade Wang Heng.

Yet Wang Heng was resolute, a determination beyond the Black King's persuasion.

“A singular celestial cave; this is the true pinnacle of the Celestial Cave Realm.”

He muttered to himself, then gazed at his transcendental Celestial Cave of the Divine Soul, whispering in his heart, “Since this body is my divine body, then the Celestial Cave of the Divine Soul should become the only one.”

After some brief preparation, he began his assault on the true peak of the Celestial Cave Realm.

Ten external celestial caves, like ten brilliant stars, revolved around the Celestial Cave of the Divine Soul, each pouring out a waterfall of vital energy, sowing it within the Celestial Cave of the Divine Soul, even Wang Heng’s physical celestial cave did so.

To him, having the 'vital' body to traverse other realms was enough in the physical aspect, while the divine body should solely pursue the path of the Divine Soul. Even if it meant using the physical shell as a mere resting place for the Divine Soul, it could be discarded and transformed into nourishment, achieving an unparalleled path of the Divine Soul.

“You are truly mad!”

The Black King's eyes shone brightly, understanding Wang Heng’s intent, and immediately exclaimed this sentiment.

Could a cultivator really abandon their physical shell and rely solely on their Divine Soul?

In the Black King's view, perhaps Wang Heng’s Divine Soul had inherited his father’s talent, being extraordinarily powerful and transcendental, but if he abandoned his physical shell to nourish the Divine Soul, then the Divine Soul would lose its foundation.

Without the flesh, the Divine Soul would be akin to a leaf without roots, naturally declining over time. More importantly, the Divine Soul itself was inherently fragile, becoming even more so without the barrier of the physical body, completely incapable of contending with others.

Moreover, the Divine Soul had limitations in its abilities, not as comprehensive as ordinary cultivators. For example, close combat and the powers of vitality and mana required the physical body as a support. Losing the body equaled losing these abilities, making it a reckless deviation.

Therefore, the Black King believed Wang Heng was obsessed, too extreme, and this path would only lead to his ruin.

It held Wang Heng in great regard, and if Wang Heng perished because of this reckless path, ruining his bright future, it would be deeply pained.

“Kid, listen to me for once. Your achievements so far are already astounding; why not stop here? Beyond the Celestial Cave Realm, countless other stages await for you to break their pinnacles and lead new directions in cultivation. Why become fixated on the Celestial Cave Realm?” the Black King urgently urged, trying to calm Wang Heng.

Nevertheless, Wang Heng shook his head, resolute in his decision. As the 'divine' body among the three, he aimed to perfect the Divine Soul path, achieving immortality with the Divine Soul alone, rather than advancing all fronts evenly, for he could never surpass the 'vital' body in the physical aspect, nor exceed the 'spiritual' body in mana.

Each of the three Great Laws aimed to perfect the different aspects of a cultivator. His current choice was a reflection of embodying the essence of these Great Laws.

"Alas, if only Lord Wu Zhong were here, he could surely persuade and stop you," sighed the Black King deeply.

It didn't forcibly halt Wang Heng, for the Black King knew that with such a genius, blocking his path is futile. Once he set his mind on a direction, there was no turning back. Forcing a change would be counterproductive; it was better to choose to believe, as a miracle might happen. After all, that Primordial Spirit Domain was something even it, a True Immortal, could not fathom.

At this moment, Wang Heng completed the first step, connecting his twelve domains with the cascading waterfall of vital energy. Each was an extreme point, and merging them into one was a daunting task, akin to ascending to the heavens, requiring painstaking and persistent effort.

"Boom!"

An earth-shattering sound reverberated as one of the domains outside his body fell like a plummeting star, charging towards the powerful and mysterious Primordial Spirit Domain along the direction of the vital energy waterfall. It eventually collided fiercely at the boundary of the Primordial Spirit Domain.

Wang Heng momentarily staggered, with blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. The collision of two extreme points naturally caused great turmoil in both his spiritual foundation and physical body.

Yet, he paid it no heed, continuing to control the reformed external domains to strike at the Primordial Spirit Domain. Ten domains transformed into ten meteors, attacking a single point in succession.

The terrifying rumble echoed throughout the great hall, fortunately concealed by the Black King, preventing any disturbances from leaking out.

With each crash, Wang Heng's body froze at the spot, cracking continuously as blood poured forth.

It was well known that these domains were his spiritual foundation. If they collapsed, the foundation would cease to exist, and his whole being would be abolished. But Wang Heng was determined to shatter the Primordial Spirit Domain with the external domains in order to break and then reform.

The Black King's scalp tingled at the sight, perceiving it as sheer self-mutilation or even self-destruction.

Who knows how much time had passed when even Wang Heng's physical body domain became fractured, resembling a finely crafted porcelain forcibly glued together and shattered once more.

Finally, a crisp crack resonated from the outskirts of the Primordial Spirit Domain.

A mysterious fissure appeared, expanding increasingly with Wang Heng's intensified efforts, rapidly spreading outwards, heralding a complete collapse.

A dreadful ripping sensation surged through him, shrouding Wang Heng's vision in darkness, as if slipping into eternal oblivion.

He knew this was the omen of the Primordial Spirit Domain's obliteration. Without his spiritual essence, the destruction of this domain would signal the end of his life.

Yet Wang Heng remained unperturbed, biding his time while simultaneously wagering everything.

What secrets lurked deep within the Primordial Spirit Domain that had astonished even two Immortal Kings? Wang Heng was eager to uncover the truth, obscured ever by mists. Now, at life's brink, perhaps a glimpse of those secrets might emerge from beneath the iceberg.

The darkness was endless, swallowing Wang Heng from all sides, gradually eroding the light in his eyes.

As the last thread of light was consumed, he heard the urgent cries of the Black King, rapidly fading away.

Slowly, the surroundings quieted down, plunging into absolute darkness and silence.

Had he truly perished in his own game?

Wang Heng did not think so.

In the absolute dark, he heard a sound, ethereal and distant, like the chanting of sutras or perhaps a call, yet on closer listening, it was like a sharp blade slicing through the void.

He moved, stepping toward the source of the sound. In this process, the darkness was endless, continuous, devoid of any sound or sensation from the outside world, as if he had entered another realm, leading to the underworld.

As Wang Heng took each step forward, the sound became nearer and nearer.

When he was but a step away, he stopped, stunned at what lay before him.

In the darkness, he saw a silhouette, its entire form pitch black, yet starkly contrasting against the surrounding dark, almost as if it could be described as “brilliantly radiant.”

Wang Heng was shocked, what kind of "black" was this? Even in absolute darkness, it was still so striking.

This being held a black sword hilt, standing with its back to Wang Heng, very still, saying nothing, an aloof figure distanced from the world. Though only a few yards away, it seemed separated by an eternity.

Just as Wang Heng was about to speak, the being suddenly turned, wielding the sword, slicing out a pitch-black sword beam, as if rushing from a distant river of history, cleaving through the vast sky and night.

"Crack!"

The dark world shattered like a broken mirror.

Wang Heng awoke with a start, his eyes wide open, the reality of the world now appearing before him.

Without hesitation, he sacrificed ten external caves, turning them into kindling, placing them in the ruins of the Primordial Spirit Domain.

He then sacrificed his corporeal cave, casting it into the flames, letting it blaze vigorously.

The once fractured Primordial Spirit Domain, akin to a scrap of iron, crackled and popped in the flames of the Great Dao, not only resurrecting but also undergoing deep refinement, ascending in the blazing light.

Finally, all was consumed by fire, leaving nothing but a robust Primordial Spirit Domain, hovering there quietly, serene and ethereal, like a bright moon, pure and radiant.

Was it an illusion? The Black King felt that the domain had become even more mysterious, exuding a vastness as if it contained an expansive immortal realm within.

“Did it succeed?”

the Black King muttered in confusion. Earlier, Wang Heng's vitality had extinguished completely, the Primordial Spirit Domain dimmed into silence.

The Black King became frantic, constantly calling Wang Heng's name but received no response, fearing that a prodigious talent had fallen.

However, not long after, life reignited.

Then, with surging momentum, he sacrificed the other eleven caves, all transforming into nourishment, reviving the Primordial Spirit Domain to become the sole domain.

The journey was winding yet profoundly stirring.

Now, Wang Heng had lost his corporeal body and external domain, leaving only the singular Primordial Spirit Domain.

If he was still alive, then his will and consciousness should reside within this domain.