Chapter 478: The Third Fated Battle (Part 1)

Ling Jiuxiao was very curious.
When he saw the item sent by the current Sect Master of the Mountain and River Sect,
Ling Jiuxiao suddenly froze.
"This...this is?"
As the jade box opened, it didn't contain anything valuable, just an ordinary tree branch.
The branch transformed into sword energy, heading directly towards Ling Jiuxiao.
Faced with the sudden sword energy, he didn't dodge. As the sword energy approached his face, it suddenly transformed into a gentle breeze, ruffling Ling Jiuxiao's white hair.
"Sect Master...is back!"
A myriad of emotions welled up in his heart with the gentle breeze. He took a step forward, standing before the current Sect Master of the Mountain and River Sect.
Seeing the legendary ancestor of the sect, the current sect master of the Mountain and River Sect was extremely respectful, thinking to himself, "Could that young man be a descendant of the Nine Heavens Ancestor? So many years have passed, and the Nine Heavens Ancestor hasn't left. Why would he leave because of a token?"
Ling Jiuxiao spoke, "Take me to see the sect...that person."
The current sect master of the Mountain and River Sect felt a little strange. He seemed to have sensed a slight tremor in the Nine Heavens Ancestor's voice just now?
However, he had no time to ponder these thoughts, as Ling Jiuxiao grabbed him and used him as a guiding light.
...
Several epochs have passed since Su Chen left the Mountain and River Sect.
The Mountain and River Realm has evolved into a new Immortal Realm, becoming the supreme and unique power within it.
In this life, Su Chen had spent a considerable amount of time just to arrive at the Mountain and River Sect.
Suddenly, Su Chen sensed a shift in the surrounding space. Faced with this unexpected change, he didn't resist. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at a grand hall, where only two people were present.
A vibrant young man and an elderly man with white hair, yet still sharp and vigorous.
The old man bowed respectfully upon seeing the young man.
"Ling Jiuxiao greets Sect Master."
The young man nodded slightly: "Young Ling, it's been a long time. You've aged quite a bit."
Ling Jiuxiao smiled wryly: "Sect Master, you jest. No one escapes aging..."
He suddenly paused, then asked curiously: "Sect Master, what is your cultivation level?"
Su Chen's current cultivation level was merely an ordinary Immortal Emperor Realm.
Su Chen said: "You can consider my current self as an avatar. My true body is being held back by a powerful enemy outside the realm."
Su Chen didn't hide anything, revealing some secrets to Ling Jiuxiao, which made Ling Jiuxiao's expression turn solemn.
"So, if the Sect Master fails, this world will completely disappear, and we will leave no trace of our existence?"
Although Ling Jiuxiao didn't understand what the Sect Master had encountered, he realized this concerned the lives of all living beings in the myriad realms... no, not just lives, but the very existence of them!
Death, whether as insignificant as a feather or as weighty as Mount Tai, meant they had existed in this world.
Su Chen nodded and said, "Therefore, I need to cultivate different powerful avatars as much as possible to help my true self share the burden."
Ling Jiuxiao swallowed back his words of reminiscing, then asked solemnly, "How can the Mountain and River Sect and I help the Sect Master?"
Ling Jiuxiao knew that the existence that could truly trouble the Sect Master was far beyond his reach, nor was it something that dragon could interfere with. Their only role was to assist the Sect Master.
"I need cultivation resources, the more the better!"
This was also Su Chen's purpose in returning to the Mountain and River Sect. He wanted to become stronger and quickly advance to True Immortal, and then to Immortal King, which required a massive amount of cultivation resources. Collecting these resources himself was far too slow. Only Immortal King Shanhe and Dongfang Yunxiao remained outside. Without new Immortal Kings joining the battlefield, their defeat was only a matter of time.
Even the most powerful Immortal King was still just an Immortal King. Without surpassing that level, the sheer number of Immortal Kings was still effective. Moreover, the Immortal Kings on the side of the 'disaster' weren't all ordinary Immortal Kings; there was also an existence like Immortal King Xuanyi. One wrong move could lead to total defeat.
Not many people knew of Su Chen's return to the Mountain and River Sect... Perhaps only the current Sect Master knew that the sect's cultivation resources were being nurtured by the Nine Heavens Ancestor, who had once carried the token. This filled the current Sect Master with emotion; perhaps that young man was a descendant of someone very important to the Nine Heavens Ancestor.
...
Time flies.
In the boundless realm, life suddenly revived.
In the Dragon Palace, Long Jueshen seemed to sense something, and his figure vanished abruptly.
At the same time, in an ancient hall brimming with life, an ancient being also opened his eyes and disappeared.
Within the Mountain and River Sect, Ling Jiuxiao's expression brightened. He knew that the Sect Master's cultivation had entered the legendary Immortal Realm.
However... after the joy, a bitter smile followed. He had desperately pursued the Immortal Realm but failed, while for the Sect Master and his companion, it was as natural as drinking water and eating rice.
A beam of light rippled through the void, coalescing into a figure—not tall, yet possessing the aura of an unparalleled sovereign.
That was Su Chen, who had recently broken through to the True Immortal Realm.
“My Lord, it really is you!”
A dazzling golden light and a green light appeared, followed by Long Jueshen and Wang Shu.
Su Chen nodded slightly upon seeing the dragon and the tree.
Long Jueshen lamented bitterly, “My Lord, do you know how much I’ve missed you? I’ve searched the entire universe for your trace, but I haven’t found a single trace of you! Waaah!”
Long Jueshen hugged Su Chen’s leg in delight.
His peripheral vision glanced at Wang Shu and Ling Jiuxiao.
Ling Jiuxiao: “…”
This must be a search for beauties of all kinds and races—flying, walking, and swimming in the universe…
However, Ling Jiuxiao didn't expose this lecherous dragon.
Wang Shu, on the other hand, was somewhat delighted, yet also conflicted. After Su Chen left the Mountain and River Realm, Wang Shu also left. He traveled throughout the heavens, only to find that he had suddenly become an immortal, leaving Long Jueshen and Ling Jiuxiao speechless for a long time.
However, Wang Shu knew that his entry into the Immortal Path was all related to that strange thing within him... He wanted to know his true identity!
Su Chen said, "You want to know your true identity?"
Wang Shu nodded.
Su Chen spoke again: "Your origins are not simple. Once you know your true identity, you will completely lose your dominant position. At that time, you may not be yourself anymore."
Wang Shu resolutely replied: "Over the years, I've experienced all the new things in this world. I know I don't have the mindset to face the long years ahead. This power doesn't belong to me; sooner or later, I will disappear and become 'He'."