Ch. 696 - Eternal City, God Ascension Staircase

From afar, Eternal City stretched boundlessly, vast beyond measure.

It resembled a massive beast lying prone upon this desolate land.

The city bustled with activity. The entire place was built of bluestone bricks and tiles. The ancient city walls, some newly rebuilt, others scarred with the marks of time, clearly hinted at their age.

Back when the world on the other side of the Immortal Dao Bridge invaded the Eternal Lands, Eternal City stood as the first line of defense. It played a monumental role in that war.

It’s said that battle nearly destroyed the entire city. When people rebuilt it, they preserved many ancient ruins.

Xu Zimo and Jiu You entered the city.

The city was divided into four districts, each massive in scale.

They entered from the North District.

At the gate, guards in golden armor stood solemnly on both sides. On the towering city wall were just two characters: “Eternal.”

The characters were bold and powerful, seemingly engraved into the wall itself, blending perfectly with the bluestone and green tiles, imbued with a sense of antiquity and grandeur.

It’s said those words were personally inscribed by the Eternal Godly Monarch.

When the city was rebuilt, remnants of stone with those inscriptions were found among the ruins and pieced back together.

Upon entering the city, the main road ahead was broad and smooth, wide enough to hold dozens of people walking side by side.

People bustled about on the streets. Besides the shops lining both sides, special zones were allocated for vendors and hawkers to set up stalls.

By this time, it was already late afternoon.

The autumn dusk was dim, with no evening clouds or fiery skies, just the sun struggling to cast its final rays.

Eternal City had strict regulations: once the afternoon passed, the teleportation formation to the God-Demon Battlefield would close.

It would only reopen at dawn the next day.

Since each region had only one teleportation formation to the battlefield, everyone from the entire Southern Region had to gather in Eternal City if they wanted to go.

The North District of Eternal City was specifically designated for those heading to the God-Demon Battlefield.

Because of the sheer number of people, everyone had to line up and wait according to regulations.

Xu Zimo and Jiu You went to the North District to collect their identification plates. Their position: number 3,015.

With over three thousand people ahead of them, and only 500 allowed through each day, Xu Zimo would have to wait at least a week before he could go.

...

The two of them found an inn in the North District.

Although they were eager, there was no rushing this.

Fortunately, Eternal City was vast and filled with things to do. They could explore while they waited.

After collecting their ID plates and returning to the inn, night had already fallen.

Xu Zimo began cultivating in his room.

For now, opening more strange meridians could wait. With fifteen already opened, plus the power of Heaven-Shattering Force, he was unmatched among Godly Monarchs of the same realm.

Once he opened more meridians, he might even rival Zenith Immortals.

Ordinary Immortals held little interest for him.

Back in the Slaughter God Tower, Xu Zimo had obtained a powerful technique: the Great Dream Scripture.

Slaughter God Bai Changfeng had cultivated it and ultimately perished after experiencing the changes of ages.

Later, Xu Zimo made Bai Changfeng the Lord of Hell in his God World, overseeing the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

Now, Xu Zimo also wanted to try the Great Dream Scripture.

Its power lay in its ability to temper the mind and allow immense time for refining battle techniques.

But it was equally dangerous, one mistake could trap the user in a dream for three thousand or even thirty thousand years, ending in real death.

“A great dream lasting three thousand years, I seek to sever all emotions.”

Xu Zimo entered the river of time in the God World, using it to control the dream’s timeline.

He slowly closed his eyes and entered his dream world.

Inside the dream, he simulated countless scenarios.

A mortal’s life through birth, age, illness, and death. A pampered young master’s decadent life.

The daily life of a great Immortal. The endless search of a Dao seeker.

Not only human lives, he simulated beasts, flowers, and trees.

Inside the dream, Xu Zimo’s consciousness remained clear.

He reviewed everything he had learned, reflected, and practiced.

From the Nineteen Forms of Dao-Seeking, to the War God’s Nine Transformations, to the Ten Forms of Demon from the previous Infernal Lord, and even the Heaven-Shattering God-Scripture, one of the Ten Primordial God-Scriptures left behind by Heaven’s Equal Emperor.

Step by step, he comprehended and practiced each.

In this dream world, cultivation itself was meaningless, after all, it was still just a dream.

Even if one reached Immortal Realm in the dream, waking up would return them to the same God Vein stage.

But understanding of battle techniques gained in the dream was very real.

Though not quite three thousand years, this dream did benefit Xu Zimo greatly.

Time was irrelevant in cultivation. Who knew how long had passed before Xu Zimo slowly opened his eyes within the river of time.

In that moment, his gaze was deep and ancient, as if he had witnessed countless eras and seen through the illusions of the world.

When he emerged from the God World, only a single night had passed in the real world.

Dawn had just broken, and the insights from his dream began feeding back into his mind.

This kind of training had to be spaced out. Doing it too often could easily lead to a fractured personality.

After summarizing his current strength, Xu Zimo left his room and headed to the first floor of the inn.

Jiu You had already ordered breakfast. They found a window seat and sat down.

“I heard there are several interesting places in Eternal City. If you’re free after breakfast, let’s go check them out,” Jiu You suggested.

“Sure. We’ll be here for about six days anyway,” Xu Zimo nodded.

After breakfast, they left the North District and headed to the East District.

There stood the famous God Ascension Staircase.

Legend says that during the God-Demon Era, when the Eternal Godly Monarch had just ascended to the Godly Monarch realm, he personally erected this staircase in Eternal City.

Anyone who reached the top would meet a remnant projection left by the Eternal Godly Monarch.

What benefits this projection offered, no one knew for certain, but rumors abounded.

In any case, meeting a Godly Monarch was already a lifelong dream for many.

Unfortunately, the God Ascension Staircase had stood for countless generations, yet no one, whether from the Eternal Divine Sect or outsiders, had ever reached the top.

Over time, the staircase became one of Eternal City’s most iconic landmarks.

Everyone who came to Eternal City would try it at least once.

When Xu Zimo and Jiu You arrived, the area was already packed with people.

Straight ahead stood a towering golden staircase, reaching into the clouds.

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