Chapter 70: The Grand Dao, Imperial City

Now, his primary focus is on becoming a king as swiftly as possible by taking the strongest path. Otherwise, even attaining the title of king won't lift the dark curse plaguing Wang Geng. Among the many Immortal Kings, he would still remain a weakling at the mercy of others.

For now, he has put aside thoughts of the war between the alien realm and the primordial ancient world, let alone future matters.

If the border tribes are truly on the brink of suffering a historic injustice, and he has the power to help, he will lend his aid. However, if he is powerless, he will not act recklessly.

"God" silently continues on his journey, not revealing his identity as an Immortal Prince of the Wang family to the outside world.

Currently, the Wang family is at the eye of the storm, on the verge of collapse, embroiled in numerous controversies. If his identity were to be exposed, he might be surrounded instantly, with trouble following in quick succession.

Compared to being high-profile, staying low-profile offers more advantages.

"God" may currently lack cultivation and his Dao Seed has been destroyed, but his primordial spirit is strong enough. If he unleashes the Chaos Suppression Technique, even beings with rooted and sprouting Dao Seeds wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Therefore, "God" has the power to protect himself. Even if he encounters uncontrollable dangers, he has contingency plans.

Fortunately, the journey has been quite smooth, without any hindrance.

On the way, Wang Heng is not the only one heading to the border. Massive waves of cultivators are setting off to witness the grand event of kingship conferment, their divine light flying across the skies, so immense it obscures the sun and moon.

This scene that Wang Heng sees might not be uncommon across the thirty-three heavens—who knows how many cultivators will gather in the end at the border?

After all, it's a grand event of kingship conferment. Some powerhouses among the tribes will be crowned with the title "King," their blood forever marked with honor, elevating them above ordinary races. Who wouldn't want to witness the birth of such honored bloodlines?

Of course, many cultivators are drawn to see the celestial beings of the immortal path.

The kingship conferment event, which affects the entire primordial ancient world, will inevitably gather true immortals and hosts of immortal kings.

Even a single being stepping forth to preach would bring great blessings to the masses, making the journey worthwhile and perhaps breaking personal bottlenecks.

With this goal, numerous cultivators embark on the journey to the border.

Wang Heng observes everything silently, moving through vast realms until he finally nears the border.

This day is called the Heaven of Great Dao, said to hold three thousand grand paths.

The entire primordial ancient world holds but ten thousand paths, and this day alone occupies three thousand, highlighting its extraordinary nature.

Vast and extensive lands, countless tribes and races, treasures like longevity herbs, divine medicines, and immortal metals buried within mysterious hills and rivers, waiting for people to unearth them.

Dao Heaven is the realm with the most Immortal Kings in the primordial world, a place of extraordinary beauty and prodigious talents, attracting much admiration.

However, its geographical location destined it to be anything but peaceful.

Dao Heaven is situated on the edge of the primordial world, bordering alien realms and burial grounds, historically a hotspot for conflicts.

The burial grounds are relatively quiet, with its burial warriors preferring to slumber and rarely causing turmoil, posing little threat to the tribes of Dao Heaven.

However, the all-conquering aliens are a different matter.

They have long eyed the primordial world, waging numerous campaigns to invade, never giving up on their attempts to breach this realm.

The Imperial City, built at the border between Dao Heaven and the alien realm, has witnessed epochs of blood and fire.

Over the long years, this mighty city has been repeatedly massacred by alien creatures, only to be reclaimed again, and again, with countless lives lost upon its walls.

These casualties include both those from the primordial world and the alien realm, bearing witness to unimaginably fierce battles.

In the latest assault on its gates, even an undying king from the alien realm perished, his immortal soul obliterated by the pacification technique.

Wang Heng stepped into this land of legendary tales, standing atop a high peak, gazing far into the vast endless territory ahead.

"Dao Heaven... this was the precursor to the Three Thousand Dao States and the boundless uninhabited lands of the future, wasn't it?" He murmured, feeling the immensity and mystery of this land, struggling to imagine how it could be shattered into such a state in later generations.

After a moment of reflection, he resumed his journey, swiftly advancing through various teleportation arrays towards the border.

When the final teleportation concluded, Wang Heng found himself in a vibrant, verdant region full of birdsong and floral fragrances.

Emerging from the sect that housed the teleportation array, he surveyed the surroundings, greeted by lush greenery, majestic mountains and rivers, with the calls of tigers and monkeys, and the vibrant scenery of flowers, birds, insects, and fish.

It was hard to believe this was the borderland, far different from the desolate deserts Wang Heng had imagined.

Apparently, that wasteland in the Perfect World was caused by a full-scale alien invasion; prior to that, even the borderlands were not barren.

In the distance, streaks of light shot up, heading in a single direction, disappearing into the clouds in an instant.

From here, one simply needed to follow that direction to reach the location of the Imperial City.

Although Wang Heng no longer possessed his cultivation, his understanding of ancient texts remained strong.

Through the power of his profound soul, he was able to employ the language of the Dao, granting him considerable speed in flight.

During this time, numerous streaks of light approached him, their bearers sending messages to inquire if he wished to form a party for the journey.

Most of these were beings at the sprouting realm level; seeing Wang Heng's flight wasn't slow, they felt inclined to travel together.

The saying goes, "many hands make light work," but arriving at this battlefield where an Immortal King recently perished, one can never predict whether another war might break out.

Wang Heng politely declined each invitation. He had come to the Original Imperial City to meet a Celestial King, not to join forces with these people. Their paths were fundamentally different, and thus, they could not travel together.

Before long, he reached his destination for this trip.

The vegetation ahead became sparse, and the presence of living creatures sharply decreased. Ultimately, the wars between cultivators had taken their toll on the surrounding environment.

At the barren edge of the land, on the horizon, a majestic giant city stood tall, piercing the sky and bridging the expanse between heaven and earth.

Gazing from afar, one could deeply sense the city's vastness and grandeur. Crafted from certain stones, it had withstood the test of time, bearing the blood of countless celestial and undying beings. Its walls had become virtually indestructible.

In the sky, the crimson sunset blanketed the heavens, casting a blood-red glow over the lands surrounding the ancient city, as if they were drenched in pools of blood.

Ever since that Immortal King fell in battle atop the city walls, this phenomenon had persisted for many days. Even though the Immortal King didn't belong to this world and hadn't merged with the ancient world's Dao, his death still triggered earth-shattering anomalies that lingered.

As they neared the city, all cultivators descended from the sky and proceeded on foot, showing respect for the Original Imperial City and the frontier tribes.

Wang Heng was no exception. Walking towards the Imperial City, the closer he got, the more he could feel the city's grandeur, with massive stars suspended outside the city, even surrounded by a brilliant galaxy.

At this moment, streams of cultivators arrived from afar. As long as they revealed their identities and origins, they could enter this mighty stronghold.

When it was Wang Heng's turn, he simply said, "Wang Family, Wang Heng." Instantly, a commotion erupted.

At the city gate, a being from the frontier tribes exclaimed in surprise, drawing the astonished gaze of nearby cultivators.

The Wang Family Immortal King, known for using the Chaos-Quelling Arts to slay an Immortal King and quell turmoil across ten directions—who doesn't know and revere him in the ancient world today? Countless cultivators idolize him.

And now, his own child appeared at the city gates, allowing them the fortune of witnessing him in person. How could they not feel excited and thrilled?

"The Wang Family Immortal King's son has arrived at the Imperial Pass!"

Quickly, the news spread like wildfire, prompting intense discussions among the assemblage of cultivators about his father's great deeds.

Then, a middle-aged man appeared, heading towards Wang Heng. His powerful aura awed all present, and the noise swiftly died down.

This was a Supreme being, already at the Harmonious Dao realm. Moreover, he was no ordinary Supreme. He hailed from the frontier tribes, having long battled the alien beings, and naturally exuded a fierce and somber aura.

He approached Wang Heng, performing a grand salute, and said, "Stone Clan's Shi Gu greets Ancestor Wang."

The Supreme being's words were soft, yet carried enormous weight. Despite being someone who had achieved unity with the Dao, he showed utmost respect to a youth not even twenty years old.

The frontier tribespeople guarding the city gates immediately mimicked the Stone Clan Supreme's actions, bowing and calling out "Ancestor Wang."

Nearby cultivators followed suit, among them several strong beings who had also achieved the Dao.

By generational standards, Wang Heng was the son of the Immortal King, separated by countless generations from them, so addressing him as "Ancestor Wang" was only appropriate.

Witnessing this scene, Wang Heng couldn't help but sigh inwardly. For his "divine" form, which retained his original identity, the primordial world was indeed a comfort zone devoid of danger.

With Wang Geng's achievements, no matter where he went, people would address him as "Ancestor," even true immortals.

However, spending too long in such a comfort zone might cause one to lose the ambition to strive, leading only to a reliance on his father's legacy.

In this regard, it was a completely correct decision for his "divine" self to venture into the celestial realm, where the complex powers wouldn't treat Wang Geng with the same reverence.

He was momentarily lost in thought but quickly stepped forward to help Shi Gu, the Stone Clan Supreme, up.

"Senior Shi, you're too formal. My father always said he was close friends with the ancestors of the frontier tribes. There's no need for such formality between us."

Hearing this, Shi Gu felt very pleased and developed a favorable impression of this Immortal King's son whom he had never met before.

Humility is always more endearing than arrogance.

"During the recent invasion, the Wang family supported the frontier and saved us from disaster. We are extremely grateful. Henceforth, anyone from the Wang family visiting the Heavenly Dao would be our most honored guests." Shi Gu declared.

Then, amid all the attention, he personally led Wang Heng inside.

Once inside the Primordial Imperial City, one could truly grasp the city's immense scale, with towering pavilions, rivers, and mountains spread across a vast expanse, comparable to a small chaotic world.

The frontier tribes were each stationed in a particular area, maintaining close ties and frequent exchanges. With cultivators coming from the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Primordial Imperial City was now incredibly prosperous, reaching the zenith of its existence.

As they walked, Shi Gu narrated some of the city's ancient architectural history to Wang Heng.

Even though the Imperial City had undergone thorough restoration, fresh bloodstains were still visible on some of the walls, undoubtedly remnants from the massacre by the alien forces.

Wang Heng felt a pang of emotion; this city indeed deserved to be called legendary, having witnessed and endured so much.

Suddenly, Shi Gu stopped in his tracks. Not far ahead, several figures shrouded in an ethereal, otherworldly aura stood waiting, as if they had been anticipating his arrival for some time.

"Greetings to the Ancestor," they all said in unison, bowing deeply to Wang Heng.

Even though their cultivation was vastly inferior, they bowed willingly, for Wang Heng had driven back the alien forces, sparing the border tribes from greater loss.

"Your politeness is too much," Wang Heng replied.

As Shi Gu took his leave to return to the city gates and maintain order, he was replaced by several True Immortals from the border tribes to receive Wang Heng.

Having learned that he was instructed by the Wang Family Immortal King to meet their progenitor, the True Immortals dared not delay and immediately led Wang Heng deeper into the Imperial City, heading towards the seclusion grounds of the progenitor.

Originally, the progenitors' seclusion grounds were elsewhere and they weren't often in the city. However, after the recent massacre in the Imperial City, they decided to move their seclusion grounds to within the city, to personally ensure its safety and prevent another disaster.

They soon arrived at their destination.

These were a series of low hills, each different in form, some exuberantly verdant with thriving flora, others engulfed in raging fires with no sign of life, and yet others shrouded in chaotic mist, exuding mystery.

The secluded grounds of multiple Immortal Kings were no ordinary place. The moment Wang Heng stepped into the area, he felt an overwhelming presence of the Grand Dao, a presence that could greatly aid one's path to enlightenment. Staying here for cultivation would undoubtedly be immensely beneficial.

The True Immortals moved cautiously here, fearful of disturbing the progenitors.

Releasing their divine sense towards the hills, they waited respectfully.

Before long, there was movement from within the hills, and a voice arose, calm yet ancient.

"How fares Wang Daoist's injuries?"

Wang Heng bowed towards the hills, replying, "Immortal King, my father's injuries are hard to completely cure, yet not so dire as to bring immediate demise; he can endure for some years yet."

Upon hearing Wang Heng's response, the Immortal King within the hills sighed.

The Origin Blood Curse, such a pernicious affliction, even if it can be endured for a period, it ultimately leads to annihilation.

"We all owe your father a debt of life. If that blood curse had targeted any of us, the outcome would have been inevitable demise."

"Hence, we have made a vow to your father, to protect your path in the years to come."