Eternal Emperor's Path to Ascension

Cloudy mist swirled around the mountains and rivers as a single pavillion stood atop the floating island, surrounded by Spirit Qi so dense it was visible to the naked eye, forming a spectacular view that could make one feel as if they had entered an Immortal paradise.

Behind the pavillion was located a garden full of exotic, precious herbs and countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures that could cause bloodbath even among those high and mighty Tribulation Transcendence Realm cultivators in the outside world.

Each one was a heaven defying treasure, ranging from being able to heal soul related injures, enhance cultivation talents such as Spiritual Roots, or even directly raise cultivation base, extremely rare.

A few boulders were spreading throughout miles of this great garden, each bearing seemingly ordinary sword marks. Yet, if one looked closely, these sword marks carried an unparalleled Sword Intent capable of tearing apart entire worlds and collapse dimensions.

This was not an exaggeration.

An Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator could destroy an ever expanding universe alongside its spacetime continuum in the Myriad Worlds extremely easily, and it was even more so for a Half Immortal, like swatting away a mosquito.

The Lower Realm, despite only being home to peak mortal cultivators, was after all still a higher dimension than the Myriad Worlds. Its heavenly rules' suppression naturally far surpassed the Myriad Worlds.

At this moment, on a white jade platform with a small roof and fences around it, a small table was set over, with two cultivation cushions on either sides of the table. Two young men, both looking to be in their twenties, sat on the cultivation cushions opposite eachother, a wine gourd placed besides the table as they sipped the wine leisurely.

On the table, an intricate yet ordinary game of Go was laid out, with the black stones surrounding a white stone, with no other openings left.

It may all seemed extremely simple and ordinary, but in fact, there was nothing simple about this setup.

Every single item in this platform, including the white jade which the platform was made of, was a priceless treasure in the mortal world, and not even some Human Immortal factions had access to them.

The white jade was the Starry Sky Divine Jade, and it was avaliable in less than ten worlds, all of which were smaller worlds in the Lower Realm outside of the Nine Great Mortal Worlds, and the floor was made of Spiritual Refinement Celestial Wood, a heavenly material only found in the Upper Realm.

The table was made with the horns of a ferocious beast who had already surpassed the Half Immortal Realm and very likely become an Immortal God, specifically designed for playing Go, while the black and white stones were also made with the bones of the said ferocious beast, with a hint of the Daos of Yin and Yang imbued into them.

One could gain insights into the dual Dao of Yin-Yang if they played Go on this table with these stones, and even a little comprehension could benefit them immensely.

The cultivation cushions were made with various special materials and heavenly fibers used by Immortal Cultivators, including the Sun and Moon Cotton, Vermilion Bird Feathers, and whatnot.

Even the people sitting on the cushions and facing eachother were no ordinary existences.

The one on the left, playing the black stones, was Tian Yun, Saint Master of Kunlun Divine Mountain, the Nine Extremities Sword Celestial, officially recognized as the strongest cultivator in the eyes of the outside world.

The one sitting opposite him playing the white stones was naturally Tian Yongheng, Master of Eternal Peak, the Eternal Lord, considered the reincarnation of an ancient Immortal God.

"Fellow daoist, it seems I've won again."

Tian Yun said calmly with a soft smile and took a sip of the cup of wine, his exquisite facial features combined with an air of detachment around him making him look extraordinary, like a banished deity from the Immortal World.

Hearing his words, Tian Yongheng gently shook his head, "I still have a lot to learn, fellow daoist."

If Tian Yun looked like a banished Immortal God, then Tian Yongheng was a living God among humans, a True Immortal in the Mortal World, even though he had yet to truly achieve that state.

It was their fifth match right now, and Tian Yongheng had consecutively lost in all five matches.

The reason was simple.

He previously had no idea how to play Go and only had some basic knowledge of the game. Tian Yun guided him and taught him how to play, including the various strategies, rules, and concepts of the game.

Even then, he was still a complete novice. There was no way he could win against Tian Yun, someone who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years and played with individuals on the same level as him.

It was truly terrifying to think how cunning these old guys were. He didn't believe that he was even a hundredth as smart as them, which was also one of his reasons to continously cultivate, so that he wouldn't need to entangle himself in schemes and mind games because he had no way to outsmart these people.

Only with truly overwhelming strength could he maintain the current situation where no one dared to mess with him.

He was even a little afraid of this old monster leisurely drinking wine and chatting with him.

He felt a terrifying Sword Intent and a mighty pressure emanating from Tian Yun before him, so strong that even he was not confident in defeating him.

Although this guy is still a Human Immortal, he's far stronger than that Demon Extermination Great Daoist from before, which means he's not far from ascending to immortality.

Tian Yongheng couldn't help but feel glad that he wasn't an enemy of Kunlun Divine Mountain. There were too many monsters here.

[Tian Yun: Grand Perfection of Half Immortal Realm.

Nine Extremities Sword Celestial. Saint Master of Second Great Mortal World Kunlun Divine Mountain. Reincarnation of an Ancient One. Celestial Sword Heavenly Spiritual Root. Dormant Supreme Daoist Physique. Having cultivated for over a hundred thousand years, he is one of the most powerful beings in the world right now. Had it not been for honing his Sword Intent to the utmost limits of mortals and creating a good foundation for future cultivation, he would have ascended to immortality long ago. He is the reincarnation of an Ancient One of the Upper Realm Kunlun Divine Mountain and currently only has a few fragments of his past life. He will regain all his memories after becoming an Immortal. His Celestial Sword Heavenly Spiritual Root is considered a powerful talent even in the Upper Realm, but what makes him special is the dormant Supreme Daoist Physique. Once this constitution awakens, he can soar to heights greater than his past life and reach the unspeakable realm. Your unawareness and past connection with the Great Tian Immortal Family combined with the fragmented memories of his past life and a reminder by the Sword Venerable have made him certain that you're not the reincarnation of an ancient existence but a true supreme prodigy, developing favorability for you.]

[Current favorability: 2-Star]

That's right!

Tian Yun was actually a Chosen One!

And a very high level Chosen One as well, probably surpassing even the Immortal Sovereigns and Immortal Emperors in terms of Providence!

Just the fact that he used to be a part of the Divine Realm Kunlun Divine Mountain was proof of this.

He wasn't sure if even his main body could contend with this fellow, let alone this clone body. He couldn't enter the Simulation Battle Trial in his clone body, and would have to wait until the main body completed seclusion to really check how strong he was compared to Tian Yun.

Such a being was not to be provoked for the time being.

At this moment, Tian Yun slightly raised the cup of wine in his hand and said, "This is called Longevity Wine, made by mixing multiple rare herbs and fruits then left for many years. A single cup of it can increase the origin lifespan of the drinker by around a hundred years. Kunlun serves it to its most distinguished guests and even elder level figures can only drink it once in a few centuries."

To his words, Tian Yongheng replied politely, "It is indeed extraordinary. Kunlun truly lives up to its reputation."

He could also see that his lifespan had increased by couple of hundred years after drinking two cups of this wine.

He secretly made a decision that he would also plant some exotic and rare fruits in the Eternal Peak to make something like this.

"So, how do you plan on dealing with the Great Tian Immortal Family after the war?"

Tian Yongheng nearly spat out a mouthful of wine as soon as he heard this.

This question was just too sudden!

He slightly narrowed his eyes, looking at Tian Yun as a trace of vigilance once again rose in his heart.

If interests were on stake, favorability could turn into hatred really quickly.

He wasn't too surprised by the fact that Tian Yun knew about who his past. He also knew that Tian Yun is also a descendent of the Great Tian Immortal Family but severed all ties with them after joining Kunlun many years ago.

But it didn't mean that he could possibly just watch the Great Tian Immortal Family be destroyed just like that.

"What does fellow daoist mean by this?"

He asked in a calm tone of voice.

"It's just as fellow daoist heard. Don't worry, I won't take action to protect the Tian Family. It's their calamity, they need to handle it themselves. And I've already cut off all ties with them long ago."

At that point, Tian Yun slightly leaned forward, both of his hands' fingers crossed on top of eachother together as he rested his chin atop them. There was a serious look in his eyes.

"I just wish...to make a deal with fellow daoist."