Chapter 678: The Human Emperor Ascends to Immortality

Great Zhou Imperial Palace, where the high-level cultivators of the Nine Provinces were basically gathered.

These people had originally been summoned by Jiang Li to gather at the Great Zhou border. Jiang Li had killed three Golden Immortals and chased after Immortal Lord Tianyuan, disappearing without a trace. Half an hour had already passed.

During this half hour, Ji Zhi felt that this place was, after all, within Great Zhou territory, and they should fulfill their duties as hosts. So, he suggested everyone could come to the Great Zhou Imperial Palace to rest and wait for Jiang Li’s return.

Everyone didn’t particularly care about the location, but Ji Zhi’s enthusiasm was hard to refuse, so they agreed.

The Ministry of Rites officials nearly had a heart attack and passed away upon hearing this news.

Generally speaking, when all the high-level cultivators of the Nine Provinces visited Great Zhou, preparations needed to start at least seven days in advance. Now, His Majesty had suddenly pulled this stunt without any preparation time at all. Did he think everyone in the Ministry of Rites possessed the Three Heads and Six Arms supernatural power?

Inside the grand hall, Bai Hongtu was playing chess with Yu Yin while complaining about Jiang Li’s low efficiency. “It’s been half an hour already, why hasn’t Jiang Li made any move yet?”

“Just the Immortal Realm, and he can’t even handle it in half an hour.”

“Hurry up and make your move. If you lose, we can just start another game.” Bai Hongtu yawned boredly, urging Yu Yin.

Yu Yin frowned slightly, still considering where to place the white piece.

“Sword Sovereign, in order to cultivate my Leakless Golden Body, I’ve trained every part of my body. There’s not a single weak point, not even my hair.”

“My hair is as hard as my body. Now my hair is too long, I want to cut it shorter, but I haven’t been able to find a suitable barber’s blade. Could you help me get a haircut?”

“…Alright.”

Sword Sovereign fell silent for a long while, feeling the other party didn’t seem to be joking. He then drew his sword and helped the other person shave their head.

“Your cultivation method is wrong. As a demon beast, how can you have no wildness at all? You need to work hard to stimulate the wildness within you.” Li Er was instructing a Unity Stage Demon King on how to cultivate.

The Demon King found it strange why Li Er was so familiar with the demon race’s cultivation methods.

“Tianming Daoist, your Tianji Tower claims to know everything. I have a question that has been bothering me. Taking this opportunity, I’d like to ask for your advice.”

“Speak. There’s nothing our Tianji Tower doesn’t know.”

“Exactly how many versions of *The Biography of Human Sovereign Jiang* are there?”

“Are you here to cause trouble?”

Ji Zhi sat on the imperial throne, watching the Ministry of Rites officials busily running around entertaining guests, while the cultivators were happily exchanging cultivation insights. He sighed, holding his forehead. “So, no one is really concerned about Jiang Li’s safety.”

After sighing, Ji Zhi turned to speak to Old Dragon King, who was sitting closest to him.

“Old Dragon King, recently, our officials have reported that in coastal areas, some people are smuggling salt for profit, and it’s quite rampant. How about the Four Seas and our Great Zhou conduct a joint law enforcement operation?”

Old Dragon King frowned. Salt trading was an important source of income for the Four Seas. How dare someone reach their hand in here?

“The Four Seas agree. Some sea tribes truly have audacious guts. Once discovered, they will absolutely not be tolerated.”

Ji Zhi and Old Dragon King discussed how to carry out the joint law enforcement operation, completely losing any intention to care about Jiang Li.

“Look, what is that?!” Someone saw the extraordinary spectacle outside the hall and shouted.

A golden Celestial Ascension Ladder, as if cast from gold, entwined with Dao rhythms, extended from the void, stretching all the way to the Nine Provinces.

As for where the other end of the Celestial Ascension Ladder led, it went without saying.

“Is this… the Celestial Ascension Ladder?!” Bai Hongtu narrowed his eyes, quickly connecting the stories he heard as a child while leaning on Immortal Elder Changcun’s knee with reality.

“This is the Celestial Ascension Ladder!” Li Er sprang to his feet. He hadn’t expected the Celestial Ascension Ladder to connect to the Nine Provinces without any warning.

“It’s Jiang Li’s doing.”

Everyone was shocked. They all came out from the great hall to the outside.

The Celestial Ascension Ladder had become a legend in the Nine Provinces. Among those alive today, only Immortal Elder Changcun had personally seen the Celestial Ascension Ladder. The rest could only glimpse a sliver of its grandeur from the descriptions in ancient immortal classics.

“The Dao of space, the Dao of time, the swordpath, the alchemical path… Truly worthy of being the masterpiece culmination of the Immortal Realm! It’s magnificent!”

The Unity Stage cultivators marveled. The Celestial Ascension Ladder contained too many “Daos.” Even spending a lifetime would be insufficient to fully comprehend just one of them.

One could imagine, during the Immortal Realm’s peak, thousands of Celestial Ascension Ladders extending from the Immortal Realm towards the myriad heavens and worlds, with immortals traveling freely in all directions. What a magnificent sight that must have been.

Logically, only those at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage could see the Celestial Ascension Ladder. Now, with the ladder just completed, everyone in the Nine Provinces could see it.

At this moment, the pause button was pressed on the Nine Provinces. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.

Or rather, they looked at the Celestial Ascension Ladder that the Nine Provinces had yearned for for nine thousand years.

They were dumbfounded, their hearts filled with a shock difficult to express in words.

This was the reappearance of myth! This was the reappearance of immortal traces! This was the reappearance of a miracle!

“Look, there’s someone on the ladder!”

Just now, people were all astonished watching the Celestial Ascension Ladder appear. Only now did they notice a tall, straight figure on the golden ladder. The figure wore spotless white robes, transcending worldly matters, detached from the red dust.

Who else could this figure be if not Jiang Li?

“It’s Human Sovereign Jiang! It’s Human Sovereign Jiang!”

“Human Sovereign Jiang has become an immortal! He’s going to the Immortal Realm!”

“Yes, it’s Human Sovereign Jiang!”

Seeing Jiang Li ascending the Celestial Ascension Ladder, people cheered with joy, shedding tears of excitement, softly sobbing, happier than if they themselves had become immortals. They spoke incoherently, as if talking to themselves, and also as if speaking to others.

People talked on their own, not paying attention to what others said.

They didn’t know the meaning of Jiang Li stepping onto the Celestial Ascension Ladder, nor did they know what Jiang Li was going to do in the Immortal Realm. But at this moment, they all felt genuine happiness for Jiang Li from the bottom of their hearts.

Immortal power drifted out from both sides of the ladder, wanting to transform Jiang Li’s spiritual energy into immortal power.

In the long history of ascension to immortality, no one had ever refused the baptism of immortal power.

But Jiang Li refused. He kept the immortal power outside his body. The immortal power swirled, enveloping Jiang Li.

Jiang Li, surrounded by immortal power, seemed to have shed his mortal form and ascended to immortality, appearing even more like an immortal than an actual immortal.

Immortal Elder Changcun left his Secluded Cave, gazing at Jiang Li’s figure. Gradually, what he saw was no longer the present Jiang Li, but that little cultivator who was only at the Core Formation Stage.

The figure of the little Core Formation Stage cultivator gradually overlapped with the present Jiang Li, becoming one. “He has become an immortal…”

Within the Red Dust Pure Land, Mortal World Celestial sat on a branch of the Immortal Peach Tree, gazing at Jiang Li on the ladder, her face full of curiosity.

Inside the Human Sovereign Hall, Commander Liu stood by the window, watching the Hall Master ascend to immortality. His heart was filled with mixed emotions. He wanted to say something, yet didn’t want to say anything.

All his thoughts transformed into a satisfied smile.

Jiang Li walked on the Celestial Ascension Ladder, hands behind his back, step by step heading towards the Immortal Realm.

Finally, he reached the end of the Celestial Ascension Ladder and stopped. A massive bronze gate surrounded by stars blocked his path.

Shed the mortal body, ascend the celestial ladder, push open the immortal gate, knock and inquire about the Dao.

Those who become immortals, wanting to ascend to the Immortal Realm, need to perform three kowtows before the immortal gate at the ladder’s end to show respect to the Immortal Realm, and only then can they push the gate open and enter the Immortal Realm.

Furthermore, those without immortal power cannot push open this gate.

This rule had also never been broken by anyone. It was a necessary step in becoming an immortal.

Jiang Li was a person who followed rules. His choice was very clear.

Jiang Li swung his fist in a full arc and smashed open the immortal gate with one punch.

“Immortal Realm, I’m here again.”