The Donghuang Palace resembled a stretch of celestial palaces spanning the heavens.
At its center stood the magnificent and imposing Immortal Venerable Ancient Hall, towering like a heavenly mountain, with no other palace or building within the Donghuang Palace able to compare.
This was the former site of Donghuang's immortal hall, and it remained the true core of the entire Donghuang lineage.
Not to mention the current Donghuang Clan Patriarch, even the Immortal Dao Supremes of the Donghuang lineage, or even Quasi-Immortal Kings, had to receive permission before they could enter the Immortal Venerable Ancient Hall.
For within the Immortal Venerable Ancient Hall was the secluded cultivation ground of Taiyu Immortal King, the son of the once-invincible Immortal Venerable Donghuang.
Ever since Taiyu Immortal King, who had been cultivating adrift in the Chaos Sea for ages, suddenly returned an epoch ago, the entire Donghuang Clan had been shaken, unable to comprehend the reason.
But Taiyu Immortal King had said nothing, and the Donghuang Clan's peace lasting an entire epoch led many to believe his return was simply that—a return, with no deeper issues.
Within the Immortal Venerable Ancient Hall, Immortal King Donghuang Taiyu sat in meditation. If one immersed their divine sense in perception, they could sense that from within that most ancient of Immortal Venerable Halls, endless Immortal King radiance, like a sun, illuminated the entire Donghuang Holy City and spread across the vast, boundless Donghuang Domain.
At this moment, Taiyu Immortal King abruptly opened his eyes, looking towards the Donghuang Sacred Hall standing in the eastern lands, gazing distantly at the Immortal Stele left behind by his father. He let out a soft, inexplicable sigh. "This lifetime, we spared no effort in awakening the ten most potential Great Perfection Supreme Geniuses, even my younger sister was awakened, all just so they could thoroughly comprehend the Immortal Stele. I wonder who will be able to fully grasp the profound mystery of that wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence within the stele."
"The situation in the Primordial Immortal Realm is growing increasingly dire. Although a million years ago, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor took action, heavily wounding the Alien Ancient Universe, and even successfully guided the Heavenly Emperor's return, suppressing much of the Alien Ancient Universe's arrogance, in recent years, the Alien Ancient Universe has grown more and more rampant. Recently, they even persuaded a Chaos Ancient Universe, with an Ancient Colossus leading numerous Supremes to attack an Immortal King Pass of the Immortal World, nearly breaching it. Could it be that Shidai's plan is about to succeed?"
"My Donghuang Domain is located in the eastern part of the Immortal World, precisely facing the Alien Ancient Universe. Once a great war erupts, the Donghuang Domain will be the first to bear the brunt. Over these tens of thousands of years, the Alien Ancient Universe has also attacked the Immortal King Passes of the Donghuang Domain several times. Although we have managed to hold them off so far, if an Original Colossus, or even a Half-Step Overlord like Ao Yuan, were to take action, my Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother, and I would find it difficult to withstand."
No one knew what kind of predicament the Primordial Immortal Realm was currently facing. Because ever since the Heavenly Emperor returned to the Pangu Universe a million years ago, everything had seemed relatively peaceful, and many Immortal World cultivators even believed the Blood-Stained Epoch had ended.
But only those who reached the Supreme level could understand that the Chaos Sea, seemingly calm on the surface, was in fact surging with undercurrents, far more perilous than imagined.
Especially the Alien Ancient Universe. It seemed they hadn't truly acted in nearly a million years, but was that really the case?
Often, even many Immortal Dao Supremes like the Unparalleled Immortals thought so, but only Immortal Kings truly understood that the present tranquility was merely the calm before the storm.
Throughout this epoch, while stationed in the Donghuang Domain, he had also occasionally left to visit the several Immortal King Passes located within the Donghuang Domain. He had occasionally discovered Ancient Colossus-level existences lurking near the Immortal King Passes, their intentions unclear, but they carried a certain sense of threat.
There had even been several instances where an Immortal King-level battle nearly erupted.
Taiyu Immortal King vaguely sensed that the Primordial Immortal Realm was about to face a heaven-shaking crisis; the Alien Ancient Universe might be preparing to strike.
Even someone as powerful as Taiyu Immortal King questioned whether the Donghuang Domain could withstand an invasion by the Alien Ancient Universe.
If the Alien Ancient Universe launched a full-scale offensive, the Donghuang Clan would inevitably be plunged into endless calamity.
In such a situation, only Donghuang's return could truly deter all sides.
Yet, thinking of his father Donghuang, Taiyu Immortal King couldn't help but reveal a trace of bitterness.
Because as early as several epochs ago, Donghuang had vanished from the mortal world.
Perhaps others weren't too clear about Donghuang's true whereabouts, but how could Taiyu Immortal King not know? As Donghuang's offspring, he knew his father's whereabouts better than anyone.
Many speculated that Donghuang might have gone to explore the farthest reaches of the Chaos Sea.
Some guessed that Donghuang had already perished.
Others speculated that Donghuang had entered a Chaos Sea secret realm, become lost within, and was unable to return.
There were too many related rumors, but how many truly knew that Donghuang had never actually left, that he had always been within the Donghuang Holy City?
Only, his body was present, but his soul was not.
In the past, Donghuang had ascended to the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao, a peerless Immortal Venerable of his generation, his cultivation unfathomably deep, with few rivals across the vast Chaos Sea. He had been in seclusion, striving to break through to the Chaos Sea overlord level of Heavenly Emperor, Shidai, and the Immortal Clan.
Yet, ever since that day, Donghuang had never appeared again, suspected to have failed in his breakthrough attempt, his immortal soul wandering astray, utterly lost, leaving only his indestructible immortal body within the Donghuang Holy City.
By the time Taiyu Immortal King learned of Donghuang's loss, several epochs had already passed. He returned immediately and discussed with his several Immortal King realm senior and junior brothers how to bring Donghuang's immortal soul back. Unfortunately, despite employing many methods, they never achieved a good result; Donghuang's immortal soul remained lost.
With no other choice, they could only seal this information and also place Donghuang's immortal body within the Donghuang Holy City, hoping that one day Donghuang's soul would return, and that Donghuang, who had dominated past and present with no equal, could reappear in the mortal world!
Now, the threat posed by the Alien Ancient Universe to the Donghuang Domain grew ever greater. Although the Primordial Immortal Realm was not weak either, with the other four great domains also guarded by multiple Immortal Kings and Immortal Venerables, once a great war erupted, the Donghuang Domain would undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt, the first to suffer calamity.
Therefore, the purpose of sparing no effort to awaken the ten Great Perfection Supreme Geniuses this time was to hope that someone could thoroughly comprehend that wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence within the Immortal Stele, to call back Donghuang's lost immortal soul, to have him station himself in the Donghuang Domain and deter the covetous Alien Ancient Universe.
Unfortunately, Donghuang had left behind a trace of Immortal Venerable power. The wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence within the Immortal Stele could not be comprehended by a Supreme One who had attained the Dao or any supreme expert of higher level. Otherwise, Taiyu Immortal King and his several Immortal King realm senior brothers would have long since fully comprehended it and used it to call Donghuang's soul back.
Moreover, this was also the last wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence Donghuang had left within the Immortal Stele. He had left several wisps in the past, but all who fully comprehended them obtained one, and they were completely refined.
Taiyu Immortal King and the others feared that if they forcibly broke the Immortal Venerable power, this last wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence would flee, vanishing from the mortal world. That would make the possibility of awakening Donghuang even more remote.
"I hope someone can thoroughly comprehend the last wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence Father left behind this time. Otherwise, as a last resort, we can only forcibly break the Immortal Venerable power, suppress this final wisp of Immortal Venerable Essence, and attempt to call Father back," Taiyu Immortal King murmured to himself.