I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Fire Seed Island.

Cloud City.

A streak of fleeing light zipped across the sky and then flew back a moment later.

Zhou Yi stood on the cloud's edge and looked down at the island. The city below was built somewhat crudely and small, which in the human alliance could only be considered a remote county town. However, the people in the city mostly had relaxed expressions and wore joyful smiles.

The city was surrounded by fertile fields, and to the east was the vast sea, where a small harbor had been constructed.

Many of the moored fishing boats were wooden. As the sun began to rise, the fishermen called out lively chants as they headed out to sea.

Zhou Yi flew around the island once and saw more than a dozen similar towns, most built along the coast and near mountains. Thanks to the machinery and technology provided by the alliance, they had completed initial industrialization.

"Not bad at all, this place can prolong the bloodline of the human race."

A sigh of relief filled his heart. He had thought to descend with a few streaks of spiritual light; those with profound virtue would have a chance to gain fortune.

"Forget it!"

Zhou Yi thought back to the origin of the great calamity of the Nine Provinces and slightly shook his head, continuing to fly westward on his fleeing light.

The journey here at full speed took over sixty days, but the return took a full half a year. During this time, he passed several islands inhabited by humans, where sporadic mana fluctuations were detected.

Until he reached Coastal City, a hundred miles away.

Zhou Yi's eyes sparkled with spirit light as he watched the gray fog rising to the sky, encompassing the entire Nine Provinces Continent from horizon to horizon.

"This appears to be corpse energy?"

He activated the Xuanwu Divine Armor for protection and slowly neared the edge of the gray fog, detecting a strong stench of blood and decay.
Continue your saga on empire

His soul felt bewildered and lost, his mana operating sluggishly.

Zhou Yi promptly distanced himself dozens of miles away and sat in meditation for several hours before completely expelling the corpse energy.

"This miasma is quite fierce; it can penetrate the Divine Armor even with just its emitted smell!"

His Divine Sense swept over, attempting to probe into the gray fog. The eerie corrosive force was so extreme that it could annihilate the Divine Sense, even more overbearing than the most mysterious Formation and Prohibition.

Zhou Yi flew back and forth for thousands of miles to the south and north and discovered the range of the gray fog mirrored the tortuous coastline of the Nine Provinces, extending about a hundred miles into the sea.

"Such terrifying corpse energy could possibly spread tens of thousands of miles into the Eastern Sea. Now that it only shrouds the Nine Provinces Continent, it must be the Golden Corpse controlling it from behind the scenes."

Zhou Yi's fingers worked as he calculated and faintly guessed the origin of the gray fog; it must be that the Immortal Corpse Pearl had released its seal.

"A calamity of bloodlight was destined to fall here."

"Who would have thought that the Nine Provinces' extinction calamity would originate from an ancient Corpse Immortal's remains falling from the heavens!"

"If the mere remains possess such terrifying power, just how awe-inspiring would the Corpse Immortal be when alive? Wouldn't it be capable of shattering the Nine Provinces with a single strike?"

"The path of immortality is endless and boundless; one can achieve longevity but not eternal life! Should one day I encounter immortals battling with their spells, even if I fought for my life to flee, I couldn't escape the aftermath..."

Zhou Yi witnessed the extinction of the Nine Provinces and the plight of billions of living beings like ants, which only strengthened his resolve to seek the path of immortality.

Reading scripture is not nearly as instructive as firsthand experience!

Who could witness the changing of eras and the rise and fall of countless heroes, only to discern that all living beings suffer and cultivate a resolve as firm as iron!

...

The Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea.

Blue Wave Hall.

The sound of silk and bamboo music played in waves as lightly dressed women danced gracefully.

Sea demons were seated on both sides, drinking strong liquor traded from humans in large bowls and making merry with toasts and laughter.

Ao Qin was seated at the head, seemingly smiling but actually feeling melancholic and desolate.

"The Nine Provinces have completely fallen to ruin, and here I sit, the Divine Beast Azure Dragon, relegated to wasting my life in the Eastern Sea. I think back to when I emerged from the holy temple, ambitious to unify the Nine Provinces, but it has only been over a dozen years..."

At that thought, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.

A sea demon asked, "What causes the Dragon Lord to sigh?"

"Recently, I took a fancy to a human woman whom I planned to make my nine hundred and seventy-second concubine. Who knew that the woman was so unbending and looked down on Gold and Silver treasures, hence my current worries," Ao Qin found an excuse on the spot. Since the depletion of the Spirit Vein and his ambitions thwarted, he had become infatuated with beauty.

Not because of decadence and moral decline, but rather hoping to continue the Azure Dragon Bloodline, potentially unifying the Four Seas to amass countless dragon descendants to strike back at the Nine Provinces.

The sea demon laughed, "Isn't this an easy matter? Humans value their community above all, just sink a few of their ships with fierce beasts, and any woman will submit."

Ao Qin said, "Don't act rashly; the humans have a Martial Saint among them."

"What Martial Saint with newfound skills could dare to compare with the Dragon Lord!" the sea demon flattered, "That old Marshal may seem impressive, but he has but a hundred years left. The Dragon Lord, being a Divine Beast with a long lifespan, can easily wait him out to death."

"Exactly, exactly," another sea demon echoed, "Once the old Marshal is dead, not just the Eastern Sea— all Four Seas should fall under the Dragon Lord's jurisdiction!"

"Congratulations to the Dragon Lord!"

"The Dragon Lord shall unify the Four Seas!"

The noisy crowd of demons hailed, already treating Ao Qin as the ruler of the Four Seas.

Ao Qin gradually got lost in the thunderous flattery, his fixation on the Dao and Nine Provinces faded into oblivion. Why struggle with cultivation, risking life and limb when it's more pleasurable to rule as king over the seas?

"Your Majesty..."

Before he could speak, a voice reached his ears.

"I am Sun Xing, and I seek an audience with the Dragon Lord."

"Sun Xing?"

Ao Qin tensed up, his Divine Sense scanning the area. He was unable to find any trace and immediately realized the newcomer had to be the true monarch who single-handedly stirred chaos in the Nine Provinces.

"It's truly a pleasant surprise that Sun Xing managed to evade the Demon Head's pursuit!"

Zhou Yi was astonished, "The Dragon Lord knows me?"

"Of course," Ao Qin replied, "Three years ago, that Demon Head sent a spirit corpse to relay a message to the higher-ups of both alliances. If they betrayed your whereabouts, they could continue to struggle for existence in a corner of the Nine Provinces."

Zhou Yi asked, "Why did you refuse?"

Ao Qin said, "Knowing what you have done, we consider the end of the Spirit Vein perhaps the last chance for the beings of the Nine Provinces."