Chapter 1664 - Arriving at the Heavenly Court

Chapter 1664 - Arriving at the Heavenly Court

During the primordial era, the Heavenly Court was the governing body of the Heavenly Realm, established and ruled by the Gods themselves. Although it was severely devastated in the massive war that engulfed the world, the Heavenly Court remained suspended above the nine heavens. It was the symbol of the entire Heavenly Realm.

The Heavenly Court was a colossal entity formed from the union of countless independent microcosms. Its exalted status was evident at a glance. At the same time, it bore the greatest external risks, standing as a bulwark that shielded the entire human race.

Like the Featherlight Sect, the Heavenly Court was positioned above a massive Demon Realm Passageway. In the past, a mighty demon powerhouse forcibly tore the passageway open. To this day, the rift has never been fully repaired, and the court can only suppress the demons constantly emerging from it.

Chen Fan kept flying upwards. The Heavenly Court was located in a unique space above the nine heavens. Had this been an ordinary sky, he would have long since broken free of the atmosphere and entered the boundless starry expanse.

Yet he flew for three whole days and nights before finally catching sight of it.

An endless sea of palaces unfolded before him. Countless beams of golden light cascaded down like rainbows, while streams of auspicious qi surged forth, exhaling vast swathes of purple mist.

Majestic palaces forged from crystalline glass shimmered brilliantly. Inside them stood towering pillars, each entwined with golden dragons, while long bridges arched between structures, multicolored phoenixes circling gracefully above.

As Chen Fan drew closer, waves of dense immortal qi rushed toward him. The primeval qi here was incomparably pure. Each breath felt as though it pried open one’s bones and meridians.

Cultivating here would be many times more efficient than cultivating in an ordinary environment in the Heavenly Realm. And the closer one came to the Heavenly Court, the richer this qi became.

However, as he continued flying higher, he discovered that fierce winds surrounded the Heavenly Court. These gales were lethally sharp, capable of flaying flesh and grinding bones to dust, even for Immortal King-level experts. Deeper within, lightning dragons roamed freely, ready to devour anyone foolish enough to force their way in.

The defenses were suffocatingly tight.

Let alone ordinary Immortal King powerhouses, even Immortal Emperors would be severely injured here, and with a stroke of bad luck, could perish outright.

Only someone like Chen Fan with his Hegemonic Golden Body could last a little longer in this endless gale. Even so, prolonged exposure would inevitably end in death.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Fortunately, Chen Fan was not ignorant. Before setting out, he had gathered extensive information about the Heavenly Court.

Although the court no longer acted as the governing body, able to command everyone, its defenses had only grown more formidable. To guard against both internal unrest and external invasion, generations of Heavenly Court experts had laid down layer upon layer of defensive formations, overseen by Sage-level existences. Even an army of thousands would find it nearly impossible to breach its defenses head-on.

They only left a few passageways open for people to enter and exit.

Following a map, Chen Fan soon arrived at one of the passageways. Unlike the desolation of the surrounding heavens, the area near the passageway was filled with hidden yet powerful auras.

On three sides of the passageways were fierce gales and endless lightning, devouring anyone who dared to force their way in.

Within the passageway, countless young experts had already gathered. Some had entered, while others chose to rest in the massive cities stationed nearby.

Even Chen Fan had to fly for three whole days and nights with his Wings of Rain Dragon activated. The sheer distance was staggering. Many cultivators had flown for over a month, battling the relentless winds of the upper heavens. By the time they arrived, their law power was nearly exhausted.

So, they had no choice but to rest at the cities nearby.

Though called cities, each was nearly the size of a small continent, home to billions of inhabitants.

In theory, the assembly was open to all rogue cultivators under a thousand years old. In reality, anyone capable of reaching the Immortal King realm before that age was an extraordinary figure blessed with immense fortune.

Powerful soldiers stood guard above the city walls. Although they were only soldiers, each of them was a Half-step Immortal King at the very least. The Heavenly Court’s wealth and the depth of its foundation could scare some to death. Many newly arrived geniuses nearly collapsed from shock.

They were prodigies and prides of heaven in their homeland, praised and nurtured by their elders. Many were called the hope of their sect. Yet here, even a random guard possessed cultivation equal to or greater than theirs. The blow to their confidence was crushing.

Moreover, each of these soldiers radiated ferocious auras. They were not sheltered flowers raised in safety, but veterans forged in endless slaughter, bathed in fire and blood. The number of lives one such soldier had taken likely dwarfed what many prodigies had seen in their entire lives.

Each of these soldiers radiated overwhelming murderous auras. If it weren’t for the formations constantly channeling within the city, dispelling the overwhelming murderous auras, the entire place would have turned into a living hell.

Although those who could cultivate to their current levels and reach here were prodigies of their respective lands and had firm wills, seeing these powerful killing gods still sent a chill down their spines.

Those soldiers stood like statues, their expressions cold and indifferent. They spared no glances, showed no reverence, and offered no mockery. To them, everyone was the same.

Chen Fan knew that these soldiers were likely the most elite forces of the Heavenly Court, as they were the first line of defense guarding the passageway. Should any upheaval occur, they would be the first to charge onto the battlefield.

These soldiers were rotated regularly, replaced by elites drawn directly from the human-demon battlefields.

Upon entering the city, one would discover a very prosperous scene.

The city was bustling with traffic. All kinds of stores were lined up on the sides of the street. The sound of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell.

Although this was the frontline of the Heavenly Court, many ordinary people lived here. Most were likely descendants of influential figures who had failed to secure positions within the court and thus lived as civilians.

Yet “ordinary” was relative. Immortal Platform realm experts here were as common as cabbages.

Having been under the rule of the Heavenly Court for countless years, the city remained unchanged. Ancient walls and buildings stood firm, weathered but unbroken. Many residents still wore archaic clothing styles, making it feel as though one had stepped back into the primordial era.

Chen Fan sat down in a teahouse, enjoying his tea quietly, feeling a rare sense of tranquility. The customers' nearby discussions reached his ears.

“Many young experts have entered the city recently. I’ve never seen anything like this. Are there really that many talents among the human race?”

“What’s wrong with that? Many young experts come whenever an Immortals Assembly is held. You’re still young. After seeing it a few more times, you won’t be surprised. Besides, these so-called geniuses are nothing compared to those raised by our Heavenly Court.”

“Then why are they here? To make our Heavenly Court’s prodigies look better?”

“Of course not. Our court’s experts don’t take part in the Immortals Assembly. Otherwise, they would never get to shine. The Immortals Assembly exists to select outstanding talents from across the world and absorb new blood. That’s the true purpose. The world is vast. Countless geniuses emerge from our human race, and many of them aren’t any inferior to the prides of heaven from our Heavenly Court.”