With the departure of many Immortal Venerables, the struggle for the Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruit came to an end. The events in Cloud Mist City spread like a storm across the Central Continent, and Zhang Fan's name became widely known among all the forces of the Central Continent overnight, his fame soaring.
Black Dragon Immortal Venerable felt on the verge of depression. The Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruit was personally transplanted and painstakingly cultivated by her in Cloud Mist City. It took tens of thousands of years for the fruit to ripen. She knew that with Cloud Mist City's strength, it would be impossible to hoard such a divine fruit, but obtaining a few should have been easy.
Her ideals were grand, but reality was harsh. Not only did she fail to obtain even one Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruit, but her own lair was occupied, and she was powerless to resist.
Facing the overwhelmingly powerful Zhang Fan, she was even forced to host a grand feast. Within the prefectural city, Zhang Fan brought out his parents and Qin Luoshui and the others.
"This Cloud Mist City is indeed a place where heaven and earth's spiritual essence gathers, even cultivating such a divine fruit as the Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruit. I toast you, Black Dragon Immortal Venerable," Blood Demon Flood Dragon said, ignoring Black Dragon Immortal Venerable's cold expression and trying to get close.
"Brother, will this be our home from now on?" Zhang Lüeying asked with pleasant surprise. She never imagined they would occupy a city in less than a month after arriving on the Central Continent.
Upon hearing Zhang Lüeying's words, Black Dragon Immortal Venerable and Black Flame's hearts were filled with sadness. Zhang Lüeying's happiness was built upon the suffering of others.
"Master, I can already sense the Heavenly Dao and am preparing to break through to the Heavenly Dao realm tomorrow," Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable said. He had meditated for over a hundred years within Zhang Fan's inner universe and finally cultivated the Myriad Buddha Dao to perfection.
Zhang Fan had given him a chance at rebirth and guided him on the path to becoming an Emperor. Thus, decades ago, Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable formally became Zhang Fan's disciple.
With this, Zhang Fan had four disciples: the eldest disciple Lin Haotian, the second disciple Luo Xiaoxiao, the third disciple Southern Venerable, and the youngest disciple, who ironically was the most powerful, Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable.
"Good, today is truly a joyous occasion. I toast you, my disciple!" Zhang Fan nodded, his mind, however, contemplating that it was time for him to take that step as well.
The others present couldn't help but cast sideways glances, especially Black Dragon Immortal Venerable and Black Flame. They were somewhat surprised when they saw Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable. As an Immortal Venerable who had been famous for hundreds of thousands of years, she had naturally heard of Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's name. Rumor had it that Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable had died prematurely due to cultivating the evil path, but she never expected that he not only survived but had also become Zhang Fan's disciple.
Just moments before, she had been secretly marveling at how many hidden talents Zhang Fan had around him, and now Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable claimed to be able to sense the Heavenly Dao and was preparing to ascend to the Immortal Emperor realm.
Her gaze towards Zhang Fan shifted once more. He possessed strength not inferior to an Immortal Emperor at the Sovereign realm and was about to have a disciple reach the Immortal Emperor realm. With his power, he was capable of founding an immortal sect, ranking alongside the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
"Perhaps handing Cloud Mist City over to him is not a bad thing," Black Dragon Immortal Venerable could only think this.
After the feast, Zhang Fan took out the remaining thirty-four Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruits. He tossed them out one by one, placing them before everyone.
"Blood Demon, by refining this Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruit, your Sacred Body count should reach the transcendent realm."
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, Blood Demon Flood Dragon quickly accepted it. If his Sacred Body transcended, he would possess the peak strength of the Sovereign realm, and then he wouldn't have to fear conquering this proud Black Dragon.
Thinking of this, Blood Demon Flood Dragon glanced at Black Dragon Immortal Venerable, his eyes gradually becoming excited.
Black Dragon Immortal Venerable, however, frowned slightly. Blood Demon Flood Dragon's inexplicable gaze sent a trace of unease through her.
Next, Zhang Fan arranged several Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruits for his parents, Qin Luoshui, Zhang Lüeying, and the others. The four of them cultivated divine body techniques, but their progress was relatively slow, and none had reached perfection yet.
Southern Venerable and Lin Haotian both cultivated Sacred Body techniques, so the Celestial Crystal Sacred Blood Fruits were of great benefit to them.
As for Wu Chen Sword Immortal and Tian Hua Heavenly Monarch, with Zhang Fan's help, they had both refined a Dao Origin and had reached the Void Returning realm. Further improvement in the path of Qi cultivation was extremely difficult.
However, after they entered the Void Returning stage, Zhang Fan also taught them a Sacred Body technique. Since Qi cultivation was difficult to improve, they naturally had to focus on body cultivation.
The next day, the news that Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable was about to master the Heavenly Dao and ascend to the Immortal Emperor realm spread throughout Cloud Mist City, attracting countless cultivators to watch. Looking at the bald figure in the void, Black Dragon Immortal Venerable's eyes were filled with envy. The Grand Dao realm was a state that countless Sovereigns dreamed of.
Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable, clad in black robes, stood in the void, with his palms pressed together. He looked up at the sky, and the once ethereal Heavenly Dao became clearer and clearer under his perception.
The Grand Dao rules of the entire Central Continent became incredibly active at this moment. A massive vortex formed in the void, devouring countless Dao rules, alarming even the reclusive Immortal Emperors.
"Who is sensing the Heavenly Dao?"
"Looking at this direction, it's Cloud Mist City. Could it be that person who appeared in Cloud Mist City yesterday?"
Various Immortal Emperors communicated discreetly and then all rushed towards Cloud Mist City. The birth of an Immortal Emperor was a major event, highly valued by the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
The vortex had a diameter exceeding one light-year. It absorbed a vast amount of Grand Dao rules. Under the guidance of Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's Myriad Buddha Dao, a force of Heavenly Dao was born from the vortex, transforming into a golden light that entered Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's body.
On the Central Continent, countless cultivators watched this shocking scene, feeling the pressure of the Heavenly Dao and involuntarily kneeling in reverence.
Heavenly Dao enters the body, all immortals pay homage.
This was the universe's celebration of the birth of an Immortal Emperor.
Swish, swish, swish!
Mighty figures appeared in the sky above Cloud Mist City, astonishing the many cultivators within the city. The surging Heavenly Dao power unequivocally proved that these mighty figures were all Mahayana Immortal Emperors.
"Evil Buddha, you're still alive?"
A voice of extraordinary lightness rang out. Everyone looked up to see a figure shrouded in spiritual mist stepping through the air. She was dressed in a white long dress, faintly visible within the spiritual mist. Her stunning beauty caused even Immortal Venerable powerhouses to lose themselves.
"It's White Cicada Immortal Emperor from the Great Tribulation Palace. I never thought that the two who were once together would now both become Immortal Emperors. It's too unbelievable." Some cultivators with insider knowledge sighed inwardly. How rare were Immortal Emperors? Once, Evil Buddha and White Cicada were a divine couple envied by all. Later, they parted ways because Evil Buddha fell into the evil path. Now, upon meeting again, both had achieved the status of Immortal Emperor.
Seeing his former Dao companion, a flicker of complexity crossed Evil Buddha Immortal Emperor's usually calm eyes, quickly masked. "The former Evil Buddha has perished. Now I am merely the fourth disciple under the Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable."
"Who is the Ten Absolutes Immortal Venerable? With your talent, who in this star field could teach you?" White Cicada Immortal Emperor asked.
Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable cultivated the most difficult of the Three Buddhist Daos, the Myriad Buddha Dao. Even in the Myriad Buddha Hall, no one had achieved the Immortal Emperor realm through the Myriad Buddha Dao. It could be said that Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's achievement in the Myriad Buddha Dao was at the pinnacle in this star field. Who else could have guided him?