Chapter 993: The Azure Saint Watchtower (1)

The Greenridge Immortal World, though not reliant on any major power, had nonetheless established a colossal voidrealm, one expansive enough to encompass the entire macrocosm.

At the pinnacle of this immortal realm stood a Sovereign Temple, where seven Sovereigns usually convened. These seven Sovereigns comprised the totality of Greenridge Immortal World’s Sovereign force. They were averse to the constraints of Saintdoms and pursued freedom. Hence, they followed the lead of Sovereign Qing Ling, commanding authority in the region.

Recently, Sovereign Qing Ling had summoned the other six Sovereigns to the Sovereign Temple to relay the discovery of an essence stone ore mountain.

Upon hearing the news, the six Sovereigns were ecstatic and immediately dispatched their mana bodies to head over, while also projecting their avatars to observe the skirmish within the voidrealm.

They watched as the events unfolded through projections of Sovereign Qing Ling's memories.

Initially, Sovereign Qing Ling’s arrival was met with swift success, effortlessly dismantling Sovereign Zhen Guang’s intricate arrays. The six Sovereigns remained at ease, certain that a single Sovereign Zhen Guang could hardly pose a threat to Sovereign Qing Ling. It was merely a matter of time before the treasure fell into their grasp.

But quickly, Ming Jian appeared, challenging Sovereign Qing Ling to a fierce duel, shocking the remaining six into a stunned silence.

"Such strength?"

"Comparable to Sovereign Qing Ling?"

"They’re evenly matched?" The six Sovereigns were incredulous, deeply aware of Sovereign Qing Ling’s prowess. None would ally with him without absolute confidence in his power. Yet, Ming Jian could match him blow for blow?

"Rest assured," Sovereign Qing Ling remained unfazed, "This impudent Ming Jian dared to face me today; I shall slay him here and now."

“Alright.”

"But exercise caution; killing Ming Jian may stir a hornet’s nest." They believed that Sovereign Qing Ling wouldn’t make claims of slaying his opponent without having the means to back them up.

Sovereign Qing Ling unleashed a fearsome secret art that caused the hearts of the six Sovereigns to tremble with dread. But in an unexpected twist, Sovereign Qing Ling was attacked and slain.

"Damn it, no..." he growled, fury and disbelief gleaming in his eyes, as his avatar’s aura vanished in an instant. The projection dissolved.

Rumble~

Immediately after, the originally stable Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm began showing signs of collapse. A voidrealm was built upon the Destiny Voidscape of a Sovereign. As the Sovereign who constructed it met his demise, it too crumbled.

The six Sovereigns were left in stunned disbelief.

"What happened?"

"This cannot be!"

"Sovereign Qing Ling fell just like that?" Their shock and fear were palpable.

Sovereign Qing Ling had been a renowned figure for eons, rising in power during the early days of the Greenridge Macrocosm. He was blessed with countless fortuitous encounters and possessed extraordinary self-preservation abilities. How could he suddenly fall? And within the Greenridge Macrocosm, no less, slain by a junior yet to cultivate for a hundred thousand years? It was sheer absurdity.

For a moment, the Sovereigns struggled to accept this surreal outcome.

"Sovereign Hai Xuan, what now?" Finally, a man clad in golden robes broke the silence, turning to another Sovereign dressed in blue robes.

"Indeed."

"Brother Hai Xuan, what are our next steps?" The Sovereigns turned their gaze towards the blue-robed Sovereign.

Sovereign Hai Xuan, who wielded the combat power of a sixth-stage Sovereign, had always been the second most powerful after Sovereign Qing Ling among the macrocosm’s Sovereigns. Now, with Sovereign Qing Ling's fall, the others naturally considered Hai Xuan their leader.

"The Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm is on the brink of collapse," Sovereign Hai Xuan said, his expression bleak. "Each of you should think for yourselves and then convene at the Greenridge Immortal Hall headquarters. We will deliberate together.

“For now, I advise everyone to activate all arrays and security measures at once, in case of a surprise attack from Ming Jian," he advised in a low voice. "As a Sovereign of Space, it might only take him three to five breaths to reach the heart of our immortal world from the Sacred Flame Ravine."

With those words, the faces of the four Sovereigns paled. The greatest threat posed by a Sovereign of Space lay in their ability to stride through higher spatial dimensions at astounding speeds, often crossing billions of light-years within mere breaths.

Had Sovereign Qing Ling been present, his mana body or true self stationed in the realm, they could fearlessly rely on their arrays to fend him off. Even an Overlord would be helpless.

But with Sovereign Qing Ling's sudden death, his mana body at the Greenridge headquarters had also perished.

...

The Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm was the highest grade voidrealm in the Greenridge Macrocosm. A staggering multitude of immortal cultivators were active there, many of whom gathered to network, exchange cultivation insights, and navigate trial grounds.

On this day, everything changed.

"What’s happening?"

"I was just inside the trial tower when it suddenly crumbled."

"The void continent is also beginning to vanish."

Waves of shock rippled through the immortal cultivators throughout the Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm. Such malfunctions of the voidrealm were unprecedented in its history.

Yet, the destruction of various regions was just the beginning. Following that, the consciousnesses of countless cultivators were automatically ejected from the voidrealm, unable to stay connected any longer.

Massive numbers of mortal immortal cultivators, Archimmortals, and Archdeities were astounded, turning to contact each other through artifacts in the physical world and alternative voidrealms.

"What’s going on?"

"No one knows!"

The mortal immortal cultivators did not know of Sovereign Qing Ling’s existence. But the Astral Monarchs roaming the immortal nations understood all too clearly that there was only one possibility for the sudden failure of the Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm—Sovereign Qing Ling had fallen!

"Sovereign Qing Ling, the mightiest figure in our macrocosm!"

"Our Greenridge Immortal World’s pillar, has he fallen?"

"How did he fall?!"

"What are we to do now?"

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Countless Astral Monarchs throughout the Greenridge Immortal World were left shaken and panicked, seeking desperately to contact their direct Sovereign superiors or seniors.

Soon, many powerful Astral Monarchs received confirmation from their Sovereign superiors—Sovereign Qing Ling had indeed perished.

In an astonishingly brief span of time, unmatched chaos gripped the Greenridge Immortal World.

Such was the nature of the cultivation world—where a super powerhouse could usher forth the rise of a faction, yet their demise would trigger its swift decline.

...

The Greenridge Immortal World was a major faction of the macrocosm. Naturally, other factions, like the Cang Feng Eldritch World, the Voltari Temple, the Desolation Divine Court, and the Eight Mountains Alliance, all had agents embedded within it.

The collapse of the Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm was so monumental that it could not be concealed even if Sovereign Hai Xuan had attempted to. Thus, in an incredibly short span of time, numerous Archimmortal and Archdeity agents communicated this news, broadcasting it to major factions across the Greenridge Macrocosm.

"What’s this?"

"The Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm has collapsed? Could Sovereign Qing Ling have fallen?"

"What happened?" The highest echelons of the Desolation Divine Court, Eight Mountains Alliance, Cang Feng Eldritch World, and other such factions, previously kept in the dark about the battle raging in the Sacred Flame Ravine, were now utterly blindsided.

Nonetheless, the fall of Sovereign Qing Ling constituted a cataclysmic shift in the macrocosm’s balance of power, prompting these supreme leaders to devote extensive resources to uncover the truth.

Of course, the highest ranks of factions like the Voltari Temple, Eternal Sun Immortal World, and Bloodforge Devil Hall were already aware of what had happened.

...

In the Voltari Plane’s Immortal Court Voidrealm, five Sovereign avatars gathered, their expressions grave, underscored by subtle shock.

Before them hovered a light screen, showing the intense clash between Wu Yuan and Sovereign Qing Ling. The projection displayed Sovereign Qing Ling unleashing a lethal strike, only to fall to Wu Yuan's counterattack.

Silence enveloped all.

"This showcases the complete process of the battle I watched," said Sovereign Shi Qing, his voice hoarse and heavy. "Ming Jian’s strength exceeds our imagination; the power he unleashed utterly outmatched Sovereign Qing Ling... Even if he hasn’t wielded the combat power of a ninth-stage Sovereign, he is close.”

The last exchange between Wu Yuan and Sovereign Qing Ling was swift and ferocious. On top of that, the clash of two mighty domains hindered Sovereign Shi Qing’s perception. Thus, he was only able to form a rough assessment.

"I suspect Ming Jian employed a Xiantian artifact, though he's perfectly refined it to mask its aura from our detection," said Sovereign Shi Qing.

"And what's more," he continued, "our agents in the Greenridge Immortal World have sent news of the collapse of the Greenridge Immortal Voidrealm, confirming Sovereign Qing Ling’s demise." His voice dwindled to a whisper.

The other Sovereigns of the Voltari Temple were gripped with pressure.

"For now, halt the treasure-seizing operation," Sovereign Voltari finally spoke. "Whether Ming Jian used a Xiantian artifact is irrelevant. His strength is beyond what we can handle.

“A Sovereign of Space with ninth-stage Sovereign strength... Incurring his wrath would be our Voltari Temple's ruin." Sovereign Voltari gently shook his head.

By this point, even Sovereign Sha Fan and Sovereign Sang Cheng saw no choice but to nod. It was the stuff of nightmares.

"The essence stone ore mountain—should we abandon it?" Sovereign Shi Qing asked, unable to suppress his reluctance.

"Abandon it," declared Sovereign Voltari decisively. "Yes, it is an ultimate treasure, and seizing it might be a pivotal turning point in our destinies, yet the reality is we will fail to obtain it.

“Previously, I proposed gathering numerous allies to form a battle array to contend against Sovereign Qing Ling," murmured Sovereign Voltari. "Though formidable, he had no backer. As long as we could stall him, the other Sovereigns of the Greenridge Immortal World posed no concern.

“But Ming Jian is different. Firstly, the disparity between eighth-stage and ninth-stage Sovereigns is vast," Sovereign Voltari stated gravely.

"Indeed." The assembled Sovereigns fell silent.

A coalition of dozens of fourth-stage Sovereigns, led by a sixth-stage Sovereign, might have hope of contending with an eighth-stage Sovereign. But against a ninth-stage Sovereign, particularly a Sovereign of Space? Even sending a hundred, a thousand foreign Sovereigns was useless; they would just be picked off one at a time.

Currently, Ming Jian essentially had the power to rule over the entire macrocosm; the deterrent force of his presence nearly rivaled that of an Overlord.

The mere thought sent chills coursing through the Sovereigns of the Voltari Temple—Sovereign Voltari and Sovereign Sha Fan among them.

"Secondly, behind Sovereign Ming Jian lies the formidable Taiyuan Divine Court," Sovereign Voltari lamented. "Ming Jian’s backing is vast."

"Let it go. While the treasure is indeed precious, we need to be alive to claim it," Sovereign Voltari emphasized.

His counterparts relented, even Sovereign Shi Qing. Confronting Sovereign Qing Ling? He had some confidence. By confronting Ming Jian? There was little hope of winning.

"Ming Jian’s cultivation pace is astonishingly fast," Sovereign Voltari sighed. "In less than a hundred thousand years, he's achieved this level of power... I suspect Wu Yuan will not lag far behind; soon, our macrocosm may birth two Overlords.

"This is significant. I will immediately report this matter to the Overlord. Furthermore, Sha Fan, Shi Qing, I propose we relocate the treasures accumulated by our temple, and the multitude of Astral Monarchs nurtured over the eons," Sovereign Voltari suggested. "We should prepare to leave."