Chapter 118: Epilogue (1)

The sun shone brightly over the Heavenly Court as Zenith Heaven Emperor stood at the center of a grand hall. Soft Feather, his newly wedded empress, stood gracefully by his side, radiating an ethereal beauty that captured the hearts of all who beheld her.

With their marriage sealed, Zenith Heaven Emperor's mind turned to the next task that lay before him, the completion of the Ninth Heaven Saint Dimension Prosperity Project. This momentous endeavor would mark a new chapter in the history of All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

Gazing out at the vast realm that stretched before him, Zenith Heaven Emperor knew that the time had come for a complete restructuring of the powers in their world. The rules of the current world were too often broken, and the existence of numerous exploits had become a prevalent issue. It was clear that profound change was necessary to rectify this situation.

However, it wasn't just the issue of broken rules that concerned Zenith Heaven Emperor. The Nine Serenities, over time, had witnessed the birth of an increasing number of rulers who posed a significant threat to the world. Even the current number of rulers was deemed excessive by most. This realization emphasized the urgency for change.

The Heavenly Way itself needed to undergo transformation as well. The Fourth Heaven, with its maniacal desire to annihilate the world, served as a haunting reminder of the dangers that lurked within the existing system. Preventing the emergence of another such threat became a paramount objective.

To address these pressing concerns, Zenith Heaven Emperor harnessed his transcendental powers, channeling his divine authority into a plan that would reshape the very fabric of All Heavens and Myriad Realms.

First and foremost, he decreed that the Nine Serenities would be allowed to persist but without the possibility of new rulers being born. This decision aimed to maintain the delicate balance of power within the world while preventing the proliferation of destructive forces.

Turning his attention to the Heavenly Way, Zenith Heaven Emperor took bold steps to ensure that he would be the last Heavenly in the current cycle. He dismantled the Mandate of Heaven completely, leaving no room for another Heavenly Way to emerge. By doing so, he severed the ties that bound the world to its previous order, setting the stage for a new era.

Next, he divided the All Heavens and Myriad Realms into three distinct portions. The upper world was created to represent the heavens, a realm for the most powerful cultivators. These were five distinct Heavens that he created for this purpose only.

The current world, became the lower world and is the representation of the realms part from the name All Heavens and Myriad Realms. This world stayed the same, but the fundamental laws were changed.

Then Zenith Heaven Emperor fused the Nine Serenities as the fourth world into the present world. This integration eliminated the Nine Serenities' previous role as an independent entity. This made it into the counterpart to the lower world only. It is no longer the counterpart of All Heavens and Myriad Realms, but just the lower world of it.

In addition, he forged another new realm known as the Underworld, a place where souls could find solace in their journey after death. This realm not only improved the reincarnation system but also provided souls with expanded choices and opportunities for their spiritual growth. This world is also an upper world similar to the Heavens.

With the completion of the restructuring of All Heavens and Myriad Realms, Zenith Heaven Emperor's focus shifted towards implementing the changes necessary to ensure a harmonious coexistence between the newly formed realms. The fundamental laws of the lower world underwent a significant transformation, marking a profound shift in the dynamics of cultivation.

Firstly, Zenith Heaven Emperor enacted a crucial decree that would forever alter the path of cultivators ascending to the Sage realm. Henceforth, any individual who reached the level of Sage would be automatically transferred to the Upper World. This transformative step not only elevated the Sage realm to new heights but also bestowed the Sage Sermon with an additional purpose. It became a farewell gift, imparting profound wisdom and guidance to those cultivators bidding farewell to the Lower World.

Furthermore, the fate of souls in the mortal realm found a new home in the recently established Underworld. Upon death, all souls would now journey to this realm. The reincarnation system underwent enhancements, offering departed souls expanded choices and opportunities for their continued evolution.

In a significant development, Zenith Heaven Emperor introduced a means for cultivators from the Upper World to descend to the Lower World. By suppressing their cultivation to the Venerable level, cultivators from the higher realms could temporarily reside in the Lower World. This decision fostered a bridge between the two realms.

To maintain the equilibrium and protect the integrity of the Upper World, Zenith Heaven Emperor implemented stringent restrictions. Only those at the Eight Stage and above were permitted to reside in the Upper World, while individuals possessing lower cultivation levels faced expulsion upon entry. This selective measure ensured that the Upper World remained the domain of the most elite cultivators.

This rule is another reason why the Eight Stage was chosen as entry point. Upon reaching the Eight Stage cultivators can no longer have children, therefore no expulsion of small babies exist. Those that found a way around this rule of no children after the Eight Stage can still have them, but they need to descend to the lower world, or else the child would be expelled upon birth.

Another essential aspect of the lower world was its fundamental shift in the density of Qi. Compared to the lower world, the Upper World boasted an environment with significantly denser Qi concentration. This concentrated Qi provided a more suitable and nurturing atmosphere for high-level cultivators, enabling them to cultivate with greater efficiency and harness their full potential. Meanwhile, too dense Qi can be harmful for lower stage cultivators and this rule protected them from this.

To compensate for the absence of a Heavenly Way position, Zenith Heaven Emperor realized the importance of providing ordinary cultivators with a chance to become Imperishable and Inextinguishable like himself. With this in mind, he embarked on modifying the cultivation system, introducing a groundbreaking solution that would ensure equal opportunities for all.

In his wisdom, Zenith Heaven Emperor established a new Heavenly Law, one that would govern the cultivation path for countless generations to come. According to this law, a momentous competition would take place once every trillion years, offering a single cultivator the opportunity to vie for the coveted chance to become Imperishable and Inextinguishable.

The competition itself would be a rigorous and awe-inspiring event similar to the current Vying of the Heavenly Way, but compared to it, he will ensure that it takes place in a much more orderly manner.

Zenith Heaven Emperor carefully chose the duration of a trillion years for each competition, recognizing that it aligned with the time needed for the Heavenly Way to recover its strength sufficiently to grant another Imperishable Body.

Furthermore, every time someone won this event, a spirit tide will occur, replenishing the depleted Qi in the All Heavens and Myriad Realms. The tide will mark a new Golden Age or a prosperous time for cultivators, since the abundant Qi will allow for easier breakthrough to the next stage, spirit plants can grow faster and spirit beast can propagate easier.

But these are just the beginning of many more changes.