Chapter 890: Ascension

Xu Hei shook his head and took out a large handful of Ascension Tokens, displaying them before everyone.

In an instant, all eyes converged on him, wide-eyed, as if time had frozen.

Ascension Tokens, the very thing the five Superior Immortals had longed for.

Xu Hei actually had so many!

"I'm about to attempt ascension and may not be able to serve as sect leader," Xu Hei sighed.

Gongshu Zi's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Xu Hei, are you willing to become the next sect leader of the Divine Puppet Sect?"

Xu Hei was momentarily stunned. He looked up, meeting Gongshu Zi's gaze.

After a long pause, Xu Hei solemnly clasped his fists and knelt on one knee, saying, "I am willing!"

A formation disk floated over and landed in Xu Hei's hand.

Xu Hei recognized it as the activation disk for the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation.

The moment it touched his palm, Xu Hei's divine sense naturally connected with the disk, immersing his mind and body within it. It felt as if, with a single thought, he could command the formation and activate the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation.

Every puppet within the formation resonated with Xu Hei.

It was a mysterious feeling; Xu Hei could sense the aura fluctuations and status of each puppet and could command them with a single thought.

Including... Gongshu Zi.

At that moment, Xu Hei seemed to realize something and suddenly looked up at Gongshu Zi before him.

Gongshu Zi remained seated on the ground, gazing peacefully ahead, his face eternally serene.

But there was no longer any spiritual essence in his eyes.

Gongshu Zi had died before everyone, leaving quietly.

In fact, he had long since fallen. What had disappeared earlier was merely a remnant thought, which only dissipated once Xu Hei accepted the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation and became the new sect leader.

With his wish fulfilled and no more attachments, he departed this world.

Xu Hei knelt and bowed, his respectful voice echoing through the heavens: "Farewell, First Ancestor!"

"Farewell, First Ancestor!"

"Farewell, First Ancestor!"

The surviving disciples and elders of the Divine Puppet Sect all knelt, bowing deeply to Gongshu Zi's body. Their respectful voices resounded throughout the sect and into the heavens.

Tian Jizi, seated on the clouds, looked down at the kneeling crowd and sighed, "In the end, he went ahead of us."

Not everyone among the five Superior Immortals had immortal fate.

Gongshu Zi ultimately became a puppet, remaining within the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation, a path he chose for himself.

In a sense, he was also a Dao seeker, just on a different path.

Hei Huang grumbled, "If Xu Hei disgraces this formation, I'll snatch it from him!"

Gongshu Zi's puppet entered the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation, becoming the new core.

Daoist Sparrow was also among them. Though his soul had perished, Xu Hei could vaguely see that he was at peace, seemingly having fulfilled his wish and willing to dedicate his life.

Next, Xu Hei distributed the Ascension Tokens to the three Superior Immortals and Han Te, giving each one.

After keeping one for himself, he still had three Ascension Tokens left.

These three Ascension Tokens were left in the sect, entrusted to Liu Yunjing, the most senior member, for safekeeping.

If anyone ascends in the future, the tokens would be given to them.

The traditional method of ascension had failed in this world, and reliance on Ascension Tokens was necessary. Xu Hei would investigate the reason after reaching the Spirit Realm.

Xu Bai landed in front of a woman in green, the last survivor of Medicine King Valley, named Ye Li.

She bore the last inheritance of Medicine King Valley.

"Ancestor Green Emperor."

Ye Li quickly bowed.

Xu Bai did not refute, helping Ye Li up and softly saying, "Return to Medicine King Valley."

"Yes, return to the valley!"

Ye Li held back her grief, wiped away her tears, and nodded firmly.

Yu Huang and Shi Lan, the only two surviving Divine Transformation stage members of the Sea Star Demon Clan, eventually returned to Sea Star.

Hai Teng hesitated but ultimately followed. As the heir of the Azure Sea Dragon King, with the blood of the Sea Star Demon Clan flowing through him, he felt compelled to contribute to Sea Star's revival.

Only Gongsun Bo remained as a Divine Transformation cultivator on Heavenly Sand Star.

Most of the native life on Heavenly Sand Star had perished, making it the most tragic of the cultivation stars.

After receiving a batch of resources from Xu Hei, Gongsun Bo left but did not return to Heavenly Sand Star.

Instead, he headed to Flame Star, where the Blood Refining Sect was located.

Gongsun Bo, a solitary figure, had no home left, driven only by thoughts of revenge.

Xu Hei and Hei Huang also set out for Flame Star.

Two days later.

Blood Knife Patriarch was killed outside the sect, blown apart by a punch from Xu Hei.

Following that, Lady White Bone's divine sense was destroyed, and she was turned into a demonic puppet by Hei Huang.

Ren Pizi fled into the depths of the Sun, where he was roasted alive, turning to ashes.

At this point, Yan Dao Sect also got involved. Huang Tiancheng actively helped locate and eliminate the remnants of the Blood Refining Sect. It took a month, but every cultivator of the Blood Refining Sect was annihilated, leaving no survivors.

The sect's mountain gate and all its external assets were razed by Xu Hei, leaving nothing behind.

Thus, this historically significant and once-dominant super sect met its end, becoming history.

In ancient times, even the five Superior Immortals couldn't destroy this sect, yet now it fell at Xu Hei's hands, a testament to fate and timing.

However, when Xu Hei went to eliminate the Ancient Tomb Sect, a small surprise awaited.

The Ancient Tomb Sect had already been destroyed, with all souls absorbed, and Wei Wudao mysteriously vanished, whereabouts unknown.

Even Huang Tiancheng couldn't calculate his location.

"Dark Star!"

Xu Hei immediately looked toward a dark region in the depths of the universe.

Wei Wudao most likely fled to Dark Star, making it temporarily impossible to eliminate him.

If Xu Hei were to go to Dark Star, although he could return, waiting for the outer battlefield to open would take another ten years, which wasn't worth it.

In ten years, who knows what kind of forces the Jiang family might send against him? Ascending as soon as possible was the only solution.

Once Xu Hei left the mortal realm for the Spirit Realm, Divine Continent Star would be safe. With the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation taken away, the Jiang family wouldn't retaliate against a mortal sect out of sheer spite, as it would bring them no benefit.

"Let old man Tianji deal with Wei Wudao. He has a curse technique that can bring bad luck to the target, making them prone to being struck by lightning, if not dead, then crippled," Hei Huang suggested.

Xu Hei found this reasonable.

Thus, Tian Jizi collected some of Wei Wudao's lingering aura and crafted a paper effigy identical to him, burning it to ashes with a curse technique.

Mysteriously, the paper effigy formed a subtle connection with Wei Wudao, and Xu Hei could sense the changes.

"As long as Wei Wudao hasn't reached Void Shattering, he will die within three years from this curse!" Tian Jizi confidently stated.

"Thank you," Xu Hei clasped his fists.

"No need to thank me, Brother Xu. The Ascension Token you sent is more than I can repay," Tian Jizi replied.

Finally, Xu Hei visited Renwang Star and destroyed the Tianhen Sword Sect.

Only Yan Dao Sect remained.

When he arrived at Yan Dao Sect's mountain gate, Huang Tiancheng had already passed away, and the formation masters who had acted against Divine Continent Star had all perished within the sect.

Seeing the culprits dead, Xu Hei said no more and turned to leave.

In truth, Yan Dao Sect had done nothing wrong. They opposed the Divine Puppet Sect only to ensure their sect's survival. Had they not, they would have been destroyed by the Blood Refining Sect first.

Surviving, after all, is not a crime.

Xu Hei bore no grudges against anyone; it was simply the law of the Dao—victory to the strong, defeat to the weak.

After resolving all internal and external threats.

Xu Hei reorganized the sect and handed over the position of the next sect leader to Wang Yimao, who had recently reached Divine Transformation.

However, Xu Hei did not leave the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation behind.

He took it with him, intending to bring it to the Spirit Realm.

Gongshu Zi's words implied that Xu Hei should take it to the Spirit Realm. Only there could the enhanced Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation unleash its true power.

As long as the formation exists, so does the sect!

As long as the formation is indestructible, the sect will endure!

Within the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation lie the remains of ancestors and every cultivator who died for the sect. Xu Hei would carry their will to the Spirit Realm, where their might would be displayed!

This is the way of the Divine Puppet Sect.

In comparison, the Divine Puppet Sect left in the mortal realm is merely a seed, waiting to sprout and grow new branches.

…………

A year later.

After much preparation, the four returned to the inner hall of Guanghan Palace, standing before the Ascension Passage.

Xu Hei, Xu Bai, Hei Huang, and Tian Jizi.

As for Han Te, he had entered a year ago, acting alone for reasons unknown.

Gazing at the massive hole in the wall, Xu Hei hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent.

The other three also tacitly avoided mentioning past events.

"This time, if we encounter danger during ascension, we should support each other and not repeat the disgraceful situation of the past when we fought over an Ascension Token," Tian Jizi said.

"Hmph, back then, we had no choice. Who knew..." Hei Huang snorted, about to speak but stopped, as if touching on a forbidden topic.

"I will do my best to protect each of us."

Xu Bai stood at the back, shielded by the three.

As long as Xu Bai lived, no matter how great the danger, they had a chance of revival.

Xu Hei, holding the Ascension Token, leaped into the white light of the Ascension Passage.

The other three followed suit, holding their Ascension Tokens, engulfed by the white light.

Tian Jizi, in his robe, sat cross-legged like an old monk, soared into the sky.

Hei Huang, clad in demonic armor, was enveloped in thick demonic energy, forming layers of dark clouds around him, his eyes burning with eerie flames.

Xu Bai bathed in green light, standing on a green lotus, like a blooming lotus flower, forming a protective green lotus barrier around them.

The four's radiance merged, shooting into the sky, disappearing at the passage's peak.

Xu Hei, ascended!

—End of Volume Five, Dragon Qi Chapter.