The aura wasn't overwhelmingly powerful—it even felt somewhat subdued—but the purple qi swirling around the figure inspired deep wariness and fear.

  A human Saint... returning from the depths of the starry sky!

  Outside the Ninth Heaven passage.

  Xuan Cang Elder, seated in meditation, snapped his eyes open.

  Myriad sparks of light flashed within them.

  He stared into the void, drawing a deep breath.

  Watching the figure slowly stepping forth amid the purple mist, boundless excitement surfaced on his face.

  "The Saint... has returned!"

  Xuan Cang was no stranger to Saints. He'd once received their guidance, owing much of his current cultivation to it.

  Not just him—many human Quasi-Saints had been instructed by Saints.

  Xiaoyao Zi, Tonggu Daoist... all could be considered half-disciples.

  With a Saint returning, how could Xuan Cang not be thrilled?

  He rose from the passage entrance, bowing respectfully.

  "Welcome back, Eternal Saint."

  Xuan Cang said excitedly, voice trembling slightly—like a student clutching a perfect exam paper, eager to show the teacher.

  Today's human race dominated the Primordial Starry Sky, thoroughly suppressing the god-demon clan. This was the finest answer sheet the humans could present to the Saint.

  Though none of it was his doing, he shared the glory.

  The Eternal Saint, named Yun Qiangu, was the earliest human Saint.

  Amid the purple haze, he descended gracefully to the Ninth Heaven passage.

  "The Primordial Immortal Domain isn't where it used to be—took me forever to find..."

  Yun Qiangu smiled, stroking his white beard.

  "Little Xuan Cang, all these years and your cultivation hasn't advanced much. Slacking off—not good."

  Xuan Cang bowed. "The Eternal Saint speaks truly."

  He personally led Yun Qiangu into the Ninth Heaven passage.

  The Saint didn't instantly tear space to enter the Five Phoenixes—though with his strength, he easily could.

  Sensing briefly, he realized the Primordial Immortal Domain had fused with another world.

  This filled him with emotion—the former human ancestral land, now merged with something else.

  Along his return from the starry depths, he'd observed the Primordial Starry Sky's situation clearly.

  Never imagined it would truly become an era of human dominance, as the Gold Emperor claimed.

  Not long ago, humans were oppressed by gods and demons.

  Now, this situation was ideal—ample time for growth without god-demon threats.

  "Just Xiaoyao Zi and those kids couldn't achieve this alone."

  Yun Qiangu knew, raising a hand to divine.

  Sensing something in the ether.

  Saints could peer into starry sky origins, glimpse past and future, even reverse time.

  His power was unparalleled.

  "It's him..."

  Yun Qiangu's expression turned peculiar.

  "That drifting consciousness in the void years ago—I granted a strand of purple qi, never expecting such karma..."

  He laughed heartily.

  Truly joyful—plant flowers intentionally and they wither; casually plant a willow and it shades the yard.

  Even as a Saint, he hadn't foreseen that weak soul growing so rapidly, influencing the human race's status in the Primordial Starry Sky.

  "A strand of purple qi for this outcome—well worth it."

  Yun Qiangu chuckled.

  Xuan Cang soon led him into the Ninth Heaven.

  Accelerated by time arrays, it had transformed greatly.

  Many mid-martial worlds had emerged, soon to flourish.

  "This was a ruined world, enduring too much helplessness."

  "Countless heroes fell in the void."

  Yun Qiangu walked hands clasped behind, like an ordinary elder touring casually.

  Xuan Cang nodded, recounting the Ninth Heaven's history.

  Yun Qiangu sighed.

  How many human worlds in the Primordial Starry Sky? Few survived and grew under god-demon assaults.

  Now, with human dominance, the future would change.

  Human fruits would bloom across the stars.

  Passing the Ninth Heaven, they entered the Primordial Immortal Domain.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Still as before—holy lands unchanged, yet no longer the human ancestral land.

  Yun Qiangu silent; Xuan Cang unsure what to say.

  His excitement waned.

  No lingering—the domain was his creation; he knew every corner blindfolded.

  Exiting, they entered the Five Phoenixes starry sky.

  "Starry sky?"

  Yun Qiangu glanced around in surprise.

  Immediately spotting the five peculiar spaces.

  The beast ancestor inheritance locations.

  "So the beast ancestor inheritances have indeed activated?"

  "God-demons held the statues for eons without unlocking them—yet humans barely have them and already triggered the legacies..."

  "Truly, humans are the rightful owners."

  Yun Qiangu smiled.

  Watching cultivators shuttle busily.

  With inheritances suspended, human Heavenly Emperors streamed endlessly.

  "Wonderful—a golden age for humans."

  He marveled.

  Indeed—experts abound, prodigies rampant.

  God-demons suppressed; humans triumphant.

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  Figures streaked forth.

  One after another emerged—even Tonggu Daoist and Old He from Azure.

  Human Quasi-Saints tempering in the continent ended their seclusion.

  A Saint's return demanded proper welcome.

  Tonggu Daoist saw Yun Qiangu, lips quivering.

  "Eternal Saint... Xiaoyao Zi and the others... fell."

  Yun Qiangu had divined it, sighing.

  "Life and death are fated. They bought humanity a chance—their deaths held meaning."

  Tonggu and others had accepted it.

  Yun Qiangu said no more, gaze sweeping to the Five Phoenixes...

  "Never thought... karma would come so soon."

  He murmured.

  Tonggu and others looked puzzled.

  Yun Qiangu smiled, waving dismissal—go about your business, no need to hover.

  He tore space instantly, appearing in the Five Phoenixes.

  Didn't seek Lu immediately.

  Appeared before the Immortal Array Tower, seeing far fewer array masters, sorrow on his face.

  Though not his creation, Xiaoyao Zi was half-disciple—he'd taught array dao, passed the saint-killing array.

  Now, all changed.

  As human Saint, enduring endless ages, he should be detached—but couldn't let go.

  Saint or not, he remained human.

  Hum...

  Space mysteries surged.

  Lu, seated in Thousand-Bladed Chair, stepped from a spatial rift.

  "This junior Lu greets senior."

  He'd left the lake island directly, cupping hands respectfully—a human Saint deserved it.

  But curiously: wasn't this Saint guarding chaos depths?

  Why return suddenly?

  Unexpected.

  "We meet again, little friend."

  Yun Qiangu turned, white beard fluttering, smiling warmly.

  Lu recognized him—the Saint will in the killing array, the elder in the immortal-martial trial who'd granted innate purple qi, aiding greatly later.

  "So it's you, senior."

  Lu smiled, cupping hands.

  "Come, chat at your place."

  Yun Qiangu said.

  He'd sensed the lake island but respected Lu as current master.

  Lu tore space, bringing him back.

  "Ni Yu, tea."

  Only Ni Yu remained—Ning Zhao and Yi Yue pursuing inheritances.

  Slimmed from Lu's alchemy manual, she emerged dazed, black pot on back, sleepwalking-like, reciting passages.

  Splash.

  Poured hot water, dropped two tea leaves, served to Lu and Yun Qiangu.

  Converged aura, he seemed ordinary elder; she assumed chess friend from mortal world, paid no mind, departed numbly downstairs.

  Lu smiled awkwardly.

  "Senior, forgive her—she's not usually like this."

  Yun Qiangu laughed.

  "Smells of pills—deep in alchemy. Humans excel at it. Good... A master alchemist serving tea—already great honor."

  He chuckled, cradling cup like ordinary elder, blowing steam, sipping squinted.

  "Why return, senior—not guarding starry depths?"

  "Because great trouble looms—for you, or rather, humanity's survival."

  Serious now, he set tea aside—too weak, scant leaves.

  "Trouble?"

  Lu focused, suspecting the gate from the inheritance activation.

  Purple-shrouded, knocking in dead of night.

  Big trouble indeed?

  Behind the gate—what? System's secret?

  "You seem to know something?"

  Yun Qiangu cradled tea, thoughtful—Lu's dazed look familiar.

  His own reaction upon first seeing it.

  Why?

  A mere crack leaked terror beyond words.

  "Tell me, senior... I only recalled some things."

  Lu shook head, sipping tea, producing Spiritual Pressure Chessboard.

  "In studying the saint-killing array, I played your will. Care for a game now?"

  Lu smiled.

  Chance to play a Saint—not to miss.

  Yun Qiangu eyed him, as if peering through.

  Yet mist shrouded Lu—even Saint eyes couldn't penetrate.

  "Good, I love chess..."

  "A leisurely move—bliss beyond immortals."

  He grinned.

  They sat simply, like common players, pinching pieces, placing alternately.

  "Did you see the 'gate'?"

  Yun Qiangu placed a piece.

  "The one shrouded in purple qi?"

  Lu asked.

  "Yes... the 'gate.' Gold Emperor was right—position shifted..."

  Deep breath.

  "Terrifying?"

  Lu frowned—mentioning it, the Saint's aura grew heavy.

  "Extremely. Mishandled, Primordial Starry Sky ends—human prosperity smoke."

  Yun Qiangu fingered a piece.

  "That gate... like a demonic portal. Opened, utmost calamity emerges, annihilating all..."

  "A cycle—each era, it appears, seeking something? Disappointed, destroys everything..."

  "Perhaps beyond lies a vaster world, countless times larger..."

  "We mere experiments locked behind."

  Narrowed eyes.

  "You understand—sentient senses limited... Low-martial folk imagine Five Phoenixes' vastness? Their world is all to them."

  "Now, Primordial Starry Sky the same..."

  Lu pondered—he knew the feeling.

  "Five Phoenixes—your world. You've shaped, changed, strengthened it..."

  "I sense your ambition—beyond immortal-martial."

  Placed a piece.

  "Yet no world in Primordial Starry Sky exceeds immortal-martial—even god-demon ancestral Elemental Realm."

  Lu's eyes tightened.

  "None?"

  "None... From birth to now, across eras—no transcendence."

  "Immortal-martial peak is true peak."

  "Perhaps the gate's entity forbids it."

  Sigh.

  Lu felt chill.

  "Never transcended?"

  "Forbidden by the gate's being?"

  Frowned.

  If tied to system—contradiction.

  System's purpose: create hyper-fantasy world, beyond immortal-martial.

  Opposites.

  His guess wrong?

  System and gate unrelated—even adversarial?

  Not simple.

  Yun Qiangu ignored Lu's reaction—his own had been similar.

  New Saint then, thinking starry sky his playground.

  Found true horror awaiting.

  "God-demon emperors, human Saints, chaos survivors like Black-White Queen... guard depths, suppressing the gate."

  "Prevent opening."

  "Now, we sensed shift—likely to human ancestral land. I returned to confirm."

  "If opens, world ruins..."

  Sigh.

  Five Phoenixes ruined.

  Lu shook head—unacceptable. His heartblood, foundation.

  "So supreme experts enter Five Phoenixes to guard?"

  "Yes."

  "God-demon emperors too?"

  "Yes."

  Lu's expression changed.

  He'd eradicated god-demons—Elemental Gods dead save fleeing Wood one.

  Primordial spirits imprisoned, fueling White Jade Palace.

  Discovered—explosion.

  Emperors destroy Five Phoenixes—disaster.

  "No. Unacceptable."

  Lu shook head firmly.

  Yun Qiangu glanced surprised.

  "God-demon emperors rival Saints—I may not stop them..."

  Already siding with Lu—disagreed, but powerless alone.

  "Black-White Queen could help—she knows me."

  But shook head.

  "For the 'gate,' she may not. Too vital..."

  "Defeat means death."

  "Won't gamble."

  "Must gather all chaos power against it."

  Clearer vision than Lu.

  Frowned.

  "No. I distrust god-demons—won't allow entry..."

  Firm.

  "At worst, I'll block alone..."

  Unexpected stubbornness.

  "But you can't withstand the crisis."

  "Unwilling too—but reality demands."

  Deep breath, to Yun Qiangu: "Senior, beast ancestors' strength versus god-demon emperors?"

  Eyes brightened—grasped intent.

  "Beast ancestors—born at chaos dawn, none weaker than Black-White Queen. Stronger than emperors."

  "Then... if human prodigies claim inheritances, gain beast ancestor power—no need for god-demon emperors. We guard ourselves."

  Deep breath.

  "Naturally—with beast ancestor-level, why need them?"

  Laughed.

  "Inheritances appearing now—deeper meaning perhaps."

  Stroked beard, staring board—situation growing treacherous.

  "This era different? Beast ancestors intervening? Our only hope?"

  Myriad lights in eyes.

  Lu unaware of his thoughts.

  But time short again.

  Accelerate Five Phoenixes strength—to withstand post-opening calamity.

  Hasten inheritance claims.

  "Hm, until inheritors emerge, I'll block those god-demon emperors."

  Narrowed eyes, murderous intent.

  "Once, five emperors blocked my Elemental Realm entry. Now, I'll return the favor."

  Cold laugh.

  Lu exhaled—Saint on his side, relief.

  Suddenly recalled.

  No more hiding.

  "Senior..."

  "Guarding years—know who's behind?"

  "Last appearance... knocked."

  Curious.

  But at words, poised Yun Qiangu—crack!

  Piece crushed to powder.

  Raised head, staring.

  "The gate... was knocked?"