Chapter 699: Born of Destiny

Han Jue opened his eyes, his heart still racing with lingering fear.

Was the future Great Dao Calamity truly this terrifying?

A casual strike from Qin Ling had directly shattered the Dark Forbidden Zone; it was too exaggerated.

Fortunately, there were still over twenty billion years left.

Who was that mysterious figure that appeared at the end?

They should be in the same camp as Qin Ling.

Could it be me?

Because Han Jue saw many phantom images behind that figure, each looking absolutely terrifying.

It was very likely his Taiyi Zizai Dharma Idol!

Additionally, Qin Ling had mentioned the Grandmist.

A Primordial Chaos Demon God opening up the Grandmist—that made perfect sense!

Han Jue adjusted his mindset.

"The future is so terrifying; I must maintain my attitude of bitter cultivation and cannot slack off."

Han Jue thought silently.

He had to stand at the strongest position to truly feel at ease.

Once he reached the peak of strength, he would definitely indulge himself properly.

Han Jue stopped overthinking and continued to comprehend the Dao.

One thing was certain: even twenty billion years later, Great Dao Sages were still a minority. Among the Heavenly Dao experts following Qin Ling, there wasn't a single Great Dao Sage; there was only one Free and Unfettered Saint, and fewer than twenty Heavenly Dao Sages.

Of course, there was another possibility: that the Chaos Gods had destroyed the Heavenly Dao and killed all its Great Dao Sages.

The next boss: the Chaos Gods!

…Mount Buzhou.

Atop the mountain peak, in front of a Daoist temple, Qin Ling, dressed in white, sat in meditation at the edge of a cliff, absorbing the heaven and earth innate qi.

Han Yu walked out of the temple and came to his side.

Qin Ling opened his eyes, looked up at Han Yu, and said, "Grandmaster."

He was extremely respectful toward Han Yu.

After spending so many years together, he already treated Han Yu as family.

Normally, his Master, Tian Yong, didn't bother with him at all; it was always his Grandmaster teaching him how to Cultivate.

Han Yu reached out to rub his head and smiled. "Before I knew it, you've already become an Immortal Emperor. Recently, the Human Race is going to hold the Myriad Dynasty Pilgrimage Ceremony. The Human Emperor will arrange for the Prodigies of various dynasties to compete. As part of the Human Emperor Temple faction, we must also send a Prodigy to participate. This is a chance to make a name for yourself. Do you want to join?"

Hearing this, Qin Ling sprang to his feet, clenched his fists, and said excitedly, "I'm willing! Grandmaster! When do we set off?"

He had long grown tired of sitting and cultivating every day. He had always wanted to spar with others, but unfortunately, the living beings on Mount Buzhou were all quiet cultivators, and Han Yu wouldn't allow him to cause trouble.

Han Yu chuckled. "No rush. I'll teach you some Divine Abilities first."

Qin Ling nodded excitedly.

The Human Race, as a Heavenly Dao race, was about to begin the Myriad Dynasty Pilgrimage Ceremony, an event that caused a massive stir in the Immortal Realm.

Prodigies from other races and Fortune Sects were being recruited by various Human dynasties, preparing to compete for supremacy.

This was an era of Prodigies.

The Prodigies were all high-spirited and self-assured, waiting for such a grand opportunity!

Who wouldn't want to become the number one Prodigy of the Heavenly Dao?

Perhaps this Myriad Dynasty Pilgrimage Ceremony wouldn't determine the absolute number one of the Heavenly Dao, but it would surely bring the standout Prodigies closer to that title.

For a time, the winds of change shifted in the Immortal Realm… Rumble—

Lightning intertwined as red mist surged and churned within the endless darkness.

Pan Xin knelt on a sacrificial altar, surrounded by four giant pillars, each carved with the ferocious and eerie figures of Demon Gods.

In front of him stood a massive purple crystal, rotating and floating silently.

"So, you are unable to control the Heavenly Dao?"

A vast, ancient voice rang out.

Pan Xin lowered his head even further, saying shamefully, "My apologies. The situation in the Heavenly Dao is too complex. The roots of the various Saints run too deep; it is difficult for me to control them."

He was stronger than the Saints, but within the Heavenly Dao, he could not kill a Heavenly Dao Sage, which meant they didn't fear him at all.

What frustrated him most was that these Saints almost never left the Heavenly Dao, seemingly on guard against him on purpose.

The vast voice said, "Forget it. After all, this is the foundation the Dao Ancestor managed for so long; how could you change it just because you want to? The Chaos Heavenly Road is not bad. It may not show results now, but once all beings in the Heavenly Dao can no longer grow stronger within it, the Chaos Heavenly Road will be their choice. At that time, by protecting their growth, you can gradually expand your network."

"Very well,"

Pan Xin replied.

His eyes darted around as he said cautiously, "I wish to attain the Great Dao, but relying solely on the Pangu Great God's Legacy is not enough."

He wasn't stupid. Since he couldn't out-calculate the Saints, he would find a way to widen the gap in cultivation.

He was currently at the Perfection of the Free and Unfettered Chaos Realm, but he had no clue how to Attain the Dao, and there were no such records in the Pangu Legacy.

The ancient voice answered, "Your foundation is insufficient. For now, wait. First, increase your own Heavenly Dao fortune."

Pan Xin frowned but could only let the matter drop.

"A Prodigy has appeared in the depths of Chaos. Though he is not a Chaos Demon God, he possesses the potential of one. You may go and take him under your wing, letting him guard the other end of the Chaos Heavenly Road."

The ancient voice commanded.

Pan Xin asked in surprise, "If he is not a Chaos Demon God, how can he rival the potential of one?"

The ancient voice said, "Do not be confined by fixed concepts. Chaos Demon Gods are merely born of the Chaos's destiny. As time passes and eras change, new Aptitudes will inevitably surpass those of the past; otherwise, how would Chaos continue? When Pangu burst onto the scene back then, the Chaos Gods didn't think much of him either."

"The Aptitude of any being born of destiny cannot be fathomed. Never mind Chaos, even beings born of the Heavenly Dao's destiny can possess transcendent Aptitude—for example, Laozi or Han Jue."

Pan Xin was lost in thought.

A beam of light shot out from the purple crystal and entered the space between Pan Xin's brows.

Pan Xin stood up, bowed, and then departed.

The altar returned to silence as the flashing lightning continued… Within a virtual space of the myriad worlds projection, the Personal Disciples of the Hidden Gate sat around a long table, discussing heatedly.

Xing Hongxuan suddenly appeared and found a seat.

After being in Seclusion for so long, she also needed to relax and wanted to learn about the situation in the Immortal Realm.

The myriad worlds projection had always been the intelligence exchange center for the Hidden Gate. Even Li Daokong, who had attained the Dao and become a Saint, often returned, never distancing himself from the Personal Disciples just because he had become a Saint.

Xing Hongxuan heard them talking about the Myriad Dynasty Pilgrimage Ceremony, mentioning many Prodigy names.

For instance, Dugu Xing, Xuanyuan Che, Qin Ling, Hua Yin, Zhao Zheng, and so on.

Xing Hongxuan listened with great interest; the Immortal Realm was becoming more and more exciting.

She couldn't help but touch her abdomen, a look of anticipation appearing in her eyes.

Seeing Xing Hongxuan appear, the Black Prison Chicken suddenly laughed and said, "Tell me, what kind of Aptitude will our little Master have after being born?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at Xing Hongxuan.

Xing Hongxuan was the Dao Companion Han Jue openly acknowledged, so the Disciples naturally didn't dare to make reckless jokes.

Li Daokong said thoughtfully, "The best in the current world."

He wasn't just flattering. As a member of the Human Race being nurtured for tens of thousands of years, the child's blood qi already surpassed the Immortal Realm; even a Child of Calamity could not compare.

The other Disciples agreed.

Xing Hongxuan shook her head and smiled. "What's the use of having good Aptitude? Don't you know your Master? Once this boy is born, he'll surely be locked up in the Hundred Peaks Immortal River and not allowed to leave."

She didn't deny Li Daokong's words.

She knew her child's Aptitude best, because with his help, her cultivation was growing much faster than before—it could even be described as skyrocketing.