“Demon Lord!”


  “Be mindful!”


  “Earth is the first star of the humans. Dangers lurk everywhere upon it and we must not be careless even if their immortals have yet to return.”


  Several figures stepped up then. They did not look ferocious, but instead resembled Earthlings—they were obviously royalty among the Sky Demons since their aura did not lose out much compared to the Demon Lord, and each was a full-fledged Mahayana.

  And there was a dozen of them.

  If the other novice, intermediate, and advanced Mahayana eminences were included, there would be almost a hundred of them—naturally, there were even more Sufferance eminences, numbering over a thousand.

  While there was no mistaking that the Sky Demons were a small race among the stars, they still occupied dozens of living planets. But even that did not count for anything, since the elites on Earth were countless in the Era of Qi Refinist, and the Hundred Races that invaded Earth together failed to fully conquer Earth too.

  At the time, the Sky Demons were merely bottom-feeders among the Hundred Races too.

  Nonetheless, as the history of Earth’s immortal arts was almost lost after two thousand years, with Earth’s immortals and their many elites going on voyages across the stars, elites on Earth were now few and far between. Even so, the total of Mahayana elites from the various immortal sects, demonic sects, and daemon cultivators would be dozens.

  Soon, more Mahayana Sky Demons gathered, with one calling out, “Demon Lord, we must go about this carefully. Leaving aside whether the former elites of the past have left some backup measures or if there were slumbering elites who did not travel through the stars…… even those who continued the Dao tradition in seclusion should not be underestimated. ”


  The Demon Lord laughed in disdain at that. “The cultivators of the humans’ first star are divided. The immortal sects, demonic sects, and daemon cultivators could never abide by each other’s existence, and there is also the Buddha sect that is less known…… If the humans had been unified before, the Hundred Races would never have been able to invade Earth even if we worked together.”


  Then, not giving others any chance to say a thing, the Demon Lord continued, “I have made my decision, so do not try to dissuade me. Now that their Star Map array is begging to crumble, we have some time to prepare—prepare the shrine right now, for I will contact the Demon Lord. Once the array is open, we shall descend upon the Earth and advance over every direction with the swiftness of a thunderbolt for that one shot at providence. That way, we might just get it when the immortals of Earth return.”


  There was a look of irrepressible excitement on the Demon Lord’s face then, and he growled, “When the time comes, our predecessor shall have their chance to prove their Dao. Once they succeed, we, the Sky Demons would become a powerhouse in the universe with a single leap, claiming better planetary regions, securing better resources and grooming more elites!”


  ***

  Meanwhile, back on Earth, within the Taixu Sect at Mount Kunlun—


  Whoosh!

  Four figures appeared in the skies above Mount Kunlun out of the blue.

  They were the four Mahayana elites of the Taixu Sect, and they were all looking up at the horizon somberly.

  There was not a cloud in sight over thousands of miles, and the sun was hanging high overhead up in the skies.

  The average human or even average cultivator might not see or sense a thing, but peak Mahayana cultivators could clearly sense the waves of change echoing from distant space.

  One of the elites paled in shock and exclaimed, “The planet’s Star Map array is falling apart…… How could this be? It’s ten years before the projected date!”


  “Is the Star Map array collapsing?”


  “Haha! Once it falls, the hidden blessed grounds and grotto-heavens would be revealed, and Yuan Qi would be restored completely. The immortals would return…… and then comes my chance to become immortal!”


  Some elites were delighted.

  There were those who were crying from sheer delight on their knees too. “The immortals would return with the fall of the array! We finally don’t have to worry every day about that Jiang He!”


  ***

  “Achoo!”


  Jiang He, who had just stepped out of Mount Putuo, sneezed and could not help exclaiming, “Why did I just sneeze? Is someone missing me…… hmmm?”


  He promptly looked up at the horizon. He certainly could feel the change occurring over the horizon.

  In that split second, Dao itself was resonating and Yuan Qi vaguely seemed to be becoming thicker.

  Jiang He’s aura shuddered, and he could not help exclaiming in shock, “Am I becoming immortal?”


  Still, the resonance soon calmed and Jiang He realized what had happened after directing his mystic energies to carefully feel out his body. “I’m not becoming immortal. Instead, it’s whatever that had changed just now—from now on, all cultivators could ascend as immortals, and that opportunity leads to that mistaken feeling.”


  “But what has caused this change?”


  Jiang He called Dumbo, Trumbo, the Seven Bottle Gourd Brothers, and his two golden eagles to him, instructing, “You all should get home now. I’m heading beyond the skies to check on what’s going on.”


  Leaping vertically, he turned into sword flash that shot up into the skies. Soon, he had pierced the clouds and crossed the atmosphere.

  There were many other elites beyond the skies right now as well.

  They were affiliated to various immortal sects, demonic sects, and daemon cultivators, and among them were Jin Sidao, as well as that Green Scale Dragon King of Shennongjia.

  Jiang He looked around at the elites present before looking up, where he found a gigantic Star Map which were twinkling with stars that looked genuine and was so colossal it covered all of Earth.

  The real planetary bodies lay beyond the Star Map.

  Stunned, Jiang He exclaimed, “Does…… does that mean the stars and the moon were all fake?”


  Jin Sidao greeted him with a smile then. “That is not so. The Star Map is an array and an incredibly powerful soul treasure. The planets within were refined from actual planetary bodies, so does real or fake count?”


  “Moreover, the Star Map array is usually hidden and not shown. That is why the stars everyone usually looks upon are real.”


  “Oh?”


  It was quite a novelty.

  While it was usually hidden, the array would materialize and stop any cultivators trying to cross it. Moreover, while it sealed space so that nothing could teleport behind it, it would not obstruct flying objects such as satellites.

  “Where did this Star Map array come from? Why is something like this kept beyond the skies?” Jiang He asked then, and Jin Sidao explained, “It’s something left by the immortals before they left Earth, and its purpose is to seal the dimensions to prevent outsiders from entering Earth…… Moreover, it was alleged that the Star Map is connected to certain secret grounds on Earth, and once the Star Map crumbles, those secret grounds might be revealed.”


  Jiang He nodded before then asking, “I can feel the Yuan Qi on Earth increasing. Does that have something to do with the Star Map too?”


  Jin Sidao nodded, but soon frowned and said uncertainly, “It’s weird. According to the prophecy that the immortals left before leaving Earth, it would be another ten years before the star array collapses on its own. Why did it occur ahead of time? Could someone have tampered with it?”


  The many elites all shook their heads, gesturing that they had no idea.

  Then, the Green Scale Dragon King could not help butting in, asking, “How powerful is the Star Map as a soul treasure? With the array sealing the dimensions, someone would have to enter it first if they were attempting to tamper it, and who could be that powerful to crack the array that the immortals have left and enter the Star Map?”


  Someone turned to look at Jiang He with a suspicious look just then.

  Furious, Jiang He yelled, “You’re a demonic cultivator, aren’t you? Where is your sect? Are you thinking that I had tampered with the array, with that look on your face?”


  The demonic cultivator quickly shook his head and tried to explain himself, when a loud laughter could be heard.

  The laughter was extremely pompous and it was coming from inside the Star Map, exclaiming, “Haha! I truly am a child of destiny…… so this is the Paragon of martial arts……”


  “I entered her by chance and cultivated for a hundred years, and have finally improved my martial arts cultivation to Paragon…… this should be an equivalent to the Mahayana tier in immortal arts…… does this mean I could punch Jiang He now?”


  Jiang He was dumbstruck.

  Why is that laughter a little familiar?

  Was it Wang Hou?

  Moreover……

  That sly old fox was obsessed with punching him?

  He might have lost his marbles.

  To be fair, when Wang Hou left the Martial Arts Department and kept insisting that he would find providence and cultivate to greater height in martial arts, Jiang He was merely a full-fledged Sufferance cultivator who had just wiped out the Penglai Sect. Therefore, it made sense that Wang Hou would come up with such a stupid idea.

  Still, there was also that part about ‘cultivated a hundred years’.…… had it not just been twenty days?

  Could time flow different inside and outside the Star Map?

  Jiang He focused as the looked at the Star Map, and just as he expected, he found Wang Hou striding out pompously from the Star Map.

  His smug laughter promptly stopped. Stunned by the sight of the many elites outside, his gaze eventually reached Jiang He, and he asked in surprise, “Jiang He, why are you here?”


  “Did you take control of the Star Map?”


  Before Jiang He could say a thing, a demonic cultivator nearby asked.

  The realm beyond the skies became silent at those words, with many pairs of eyes turning toward Jiang He, with burning-hot greed that could not be concealed.

  That Star Map was a soul treasure!

  It was ranked above premium-grade immortal items and the many elites present would not be able to hold back their jealousy.

  Even Jiang He felt his eyes become heated.

  The Star Map did resemble the starry skies. Since there was now a sun and a moon in his farm, that was all that is left…… if he threw it up in the air, and the stars twinkled in the company of the moon high above, how great would it be to go on a barbecue night with a handful of chicks, enjoying the scenery of the moon?

  Still, Jiang He was not comfortable with stealing the Star Map after it had possibly recognized Wang Hou as its owner. He flew to Wang Hou’s side and whispered, “This isn’t the place to talk, Minister Wang. Let’s wait until we return.”


  He was about to leave with Wang Hou when several figures appeared before him in a flash, blocking their way.

  Aside from Jin Sidao and the Green Scale Dragon King, the nine Mahyanas present were all in Wang Hou and Jiang He’s way. They were affiliated with various immortal sects, demonic sects, and daemon cultivators, each of them representing a different faction.

  One of the demonic cultivators growled, “Brother Jiang He, that Star Map is a keepsake from the predecessors of our various sects. Aren’t you going to say anything when your friend is about to plunder it?”


  Jiang He scowled, and he barked with raging killing intent. “Get lost!”


  The demonic cultivator appeared wary, but he did not make way and sneered instead. “Jiang He, the immortals shall return soon with the Star Map opened! Your brief undefeated legend shall end soon!”