Within the Imperial Palace.

Elsewhere.

The Second Prince was respectfully awaiting outside a secret realm.

Currently, the Yan Han Imperial Family had but two Dharma Bodies left, one being the Unity True Monarch, and the other was the Nine Spirit Dragon Mother Primordial Monarch!

In terms of seniority and blood relations, he was more closely related to the Nine Spirit Dragon Mother Primordial Monarch and could thus speak more freely with her.

At this moment, harboring certain unspeakable deals and secrets, the Second Prince stood outside the gate of the secret realm, quietly awaiting the ancestor's decision.

It must be said, his actions were very swift.

From the deal being struck to knowing the secrets, and now entering the Palace to gather information.

'Although the Imperial Family would not deal with Donghua True Monarch directly, slapping their own face, nor would the Unity True Monarch allow such an act...'

'But I am only here to probe the state of Donghua True Monarch...'

'With the gathered information, I naturally can make corresponding preparations... According to the various tribulation transcending secret techniques of Xuanmen and the Buddhist Sect, this tribulation of Donghua True Monarch should take at least several years to break through... There's plenty of opportunity!'

The Second Prince had thought things through clearly, so he was not in the least bit impatient.

But just then, he seemed to hear a faint sigh by his ear.

"Your desires, I fully understand, but this cannot be done, step back!"

It was a woman's voice, tender like a Huang Ying's, yet carried a timbre of weathered experience.

The Second Prince realized the Nine Spirit Dragon Mother Primordial Monarch had rejected his request and couldn't help but stand there dumbfounded.

'What's happened?'

'Isn't Donghua True Monarch facing tribulation, and "Number Four" deeply regretting the loss of aid?'

'When everything seemed to be going so well, how can it be impossible?'

He couldn't comprehend...

...

"Dharma Body!"

"Once you pass the dual tribulations of Guanzhong, you can completely control transformation into essence, refine a Dharma Image into substance, the state known as Dharma Body, a colossal figure at the level of a sect leader!"

"Yan Han Immortal Dao, consuming the Nine Yin, devouring the Eight Yang, employing the Seven-locking Technique, destroying the Six Organs, annihilating the Five Viscera, and after enduring Three Disasters and Four Tribulations, finally comes the True Fruit..."

Inside Taihua Palace.

The uncertain Dharma Image that Zhong Shenxiu had transformed into was shrinking rapidly.

Whether it was the thousand hands and eyes, the tentacles and limbs, or the various mysterious symbols, they were all being contained and controlled by his powerful will... Eventually, all the palms and eyes coalesced, the tentacles curled back into the darkness, and the mysterious symbols gradually dissipated.

There remained only a shrinking Daoist in the original spot.

The Daoist's body was knotty with flesh and blood, his black hair like a dragon, still twisting.

It was then that Shenxiu realized his Dharma Body had a slight flaw that prevented it from being perfect.

'Breaking through to the Dharma Body is a major hurdle, one must retract all power and surge through in one attempt...'

'And I... still have one avatar left in the Demon Hunter World.'

At this moment of enlightenment and ascension, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly sensed something, his expression turning to one of surprise.

...

In the Demon Hunter World.

The Avatar of Zhong Shenxiu sat cross-legged, gazing up at the sky.

Over these past days, he had been maintaining the peak state of an Upper Divine Calamity, both to prevent himself from becoming a vessel for Da Mo's resurrection and to maintain the ultimate fighting strength, leveling the entire world.

Wherever a Divine Calamity was ascending to the upper ranks, he would sense it and then go slaughter it.

In doing so, he maintained the world's balance and thwarted the revival of Da Mo.

At that moment, it was night.

He was sitting cross-legged on a massive boulder, looking into a valley where a monstrous tree, comprised of countless luminous jellyfish-like creatures, loomed.

The entity, without a doubt, had reached the level of a Lower Divine Calamity, albeit only a lesser one.

However, for many survivors, this was already an unimaginably terrifying being.

Yet, Zhong Shenxiu harbored no intention to hunt it down, for as long as it did not trigger the threshold for Da Mo's resurrection, it posed no concern.

And this particular Lower Divine Calamity was still far from that...

He was here merely to enjoy the scenery, finding the galaxy-like body of the creature quite beautiful...

"I shall soon make the breakthrough to the Dharma Body?" he mused.

"But my task is not yet complete..."

"Forget it, even if it offends the tail-eating snake, the sky may be vast, the earth broad, but I am greatest... Nothing is more important than my ascension... But... my intuition tells me to wait a bit longer, the opportunity is about to arrive."

Zhong Shenxiu raised his head to the sky, only to find that the starry night had suddenly darkened.

Countless stars lost their shine instantly.

In the valley opposite, the huge ancient tree and the beautiful scene, reminiscent of the Milky Way, began to stir restlessly.

Zhong Shenxiu clutched his chest, also filled with a sense of profound loss.

It seemed... as if he had permanently lost something precious.

This was a warning from his divine essence, a lamentation...

"Has the tail-eating snake fully accommodated or, rather, digested that unique divine essence of Da Mo... After tonight, even if Da Mo revives, will he be forcibly demoted, no longer posing any threat?"

"And I feel at loss because all Divine Calamities possessing Da Mo's divinity were originally connected to that unique essence, but now... the connection is severed... Good, my task is finally complete."

"No, rather than calling it a task, it is more appropriate to say it is a trade!"

He suddenly reached out, extracting an artifact left by a Divine Calamity from the surrounding dreamscape.

He was now a Middle Divine Calamity-level Demon Hunter, only one step from the Upper tier.

And that step could be crossed at any moment!

"Since I am about to depart, why not ascend to the Upper Divine Calamity before leaving... Among the Upper Divine Calamities, a myriad of divine essences pieced together may allow me to glimpse even more of the True God's mysteries!"

Zhong Shenxiu directly devoured this portion of divine essence.

Immediately, his entire being split apart, turning into an array of hazy and mysterious dreams.

The terrifying aura of a Middle Divine Calamity, infinitely close to an Upper Divine Calamity, spread out, scaring away the Lower Divine Calamity nearby.

Boom!

In the valley, the luminous ancient tree, surrounded by a galaxy, now began a long migration as it uprooted itself.

For the terror of that ascending being, merely its aura, replete with blood and slaughter, was enough to make it retreat.

This even overrode the instinct to coalesce divine essence!

The next moment.

Zhong Shenxiu completed his ascension, transforming into an Upper Divine Calamity.

The divine essence within him was now so rich that he could sense an ancient, powerful, and even frenzied and corrupt will awakening within it.

He smiled slightly, making no attempt to suppress it, letting the resurrection process unfold.

During this process, secrets of the old god leaked uncontrollably and were etched deeply into his memory.

It was... about the sole divine essence, about the old gods, ancient gods, and Evil Gods' ultimate secrets...

It was... the beginning and the end of everything!

Zhong Shenxiu's consciousness blurred as he seemed on the verge of being assimilated by Da Mo's resurgent will.

But in the final moment, he dispersed his own consciousness, returning to his origin with the reward in hand.

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