West of Penglai, the expanse spans hundreds of thousands of miles, sparsely populated.

Years ago, there was a demon upheaval in this area west of Penglai, with rampant Outer Dao and numerous Great Demons, emerging mysteriously, devouring nearby humans and polluting heaven and earth. Even after so long, many places remain uninhabitable.

This land finds it difficult to nurture Immortals, and even Cultivators are few and far between.

Yet the Heavenly Court still established a province here, named Zhangren, meaning the people here are over ten feet tall.

This is largely due to the barren and desolate landscape, abundant with fierce beasts and demons, forcing the inhabitants to often run long distances for food and to evade attacks, thereby growing taller and larger.

Even though the Zhangren Province is guarded by a government office of the Heavenly Court and a formidable army of Immortal Gods was assembled, control over the province has essentially become nominal. It's common to see soldiers drawing pay they don't earn, with severe shortages in the government office's military power rendering it unable to govern the province.

A Heavenly Ship, flying the flag of the Heavenly Court, sails above Zhangren Province, casting a moving shadow on the demon-corrupted land below.

Many of the Zhangren sprint under the shadow, amazingly able to keep pace with it, avoiding the demons chasing them.

Aboard the Heavenly Ship, King Li sits in a chamber, appearing unperturbed, across from him is General Giant Spirit.

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit is quite nervous, frequently glancing outside.

"This time, Your Majesty sent me here to make an example, not to instill fear," King Li smiles, "Jin'ao Island is not what it once was. In its prime, it shook the world, but now it's filled with nothing more than worthless creatures. The strongest among them is only at the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm, far from being my opponent."

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit cautiously says, "Heavenly King Chen..."

"Call him Chen Shi!" King Li's face darkens in displeasure.

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit quickly corrects himself, "Little Chen is audacious, having people from Jin'ao Island masquerade as bandits to intercept and assassinate the Heavenly Court Envoy. It's obvious to everyone, but there's no solid evidence against him. He has wolfish ambitions, biding his time to preserve his force of two hundred thousand troops, clearly watching as the Heavenly Court and Immortal Court exhaust each other. Why does Your Majesty continue to tolerate him? Why not issue an edict to eradicate him?"

King Li chuckles, "What is his cultivation? What is his strength? Is he worthy of being a player manipulating the grand chessboard of the world? Your Majesty uses heaven and earth as a chessboard, and Immortal Gods as chess pieces, with countless humans and immortals turning into dust and bones in between. He's merely a minor piece, hardly qualified to watch tigers fight. Don't give him undue credit!"

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit agrees.

King Li continues, "Chen Shi hides in this west of Penglai to avoid his destined trial, reluctant to become a Heavenly Dao Divine Person. But destiny has chosen him for this fate; the moment he ascends, the Heavenly Mechanism Strategy selected him. When he falls in battle, all divine beings will pay homage to him, supporting him to become an Incense Fire God and the foremost of the Heavenly Dao Divine People. Even I will have to offer incense and bow to him then!"

Looking outside with a smile, he adds, "He sent people to intercept the Heavenly Court Envoy as a final resistance. Your Majesty tolerates his seven ambushes on the Upper Envoy but won't allow an eighth. Hence, I was sent to tell him he's had enough fun and it's time to serve the Great Heavenly Venerate!"

Previous envoys from the Heavenly Court were also aboard similar ships, so the bandits arranged by Chen Shi will surely detect them and attempt an interception.

King Li's goal is to lure the snake out of its hole and then capture all these bandits in one sweep!

After eliminating the bandits, he plans to march directly to Jin'ao Island, and before two hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, announce the Great Heavenly Venerate's edict, dispatching Chen Shi to campaign against the Three Pure Ones Realm!

Once Chen Shi sacrifices himself heroically in the Three Pure Ones Realm, the Great Heavenly Venerate will acquire the last Heavenly Dao Divine Person and complete the Thirty-Three Heavens. King Li himself can once again ascend to the Heavenly King's throne, achieving a win-win situation.

King Li smiles at the thought. Suddenly, the Heavenly Ship shakes violently, and a woman's voice from outside calls out, "This heaven was opened by me, this mountain was planted by me; if you wish to pass here, leave your head behind!"

King Li's spirit is invigorated, "They've come!"

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit rises and strides out of the cabin, sneering, "Who has the audacity to claim they've opened heaven and planted mountains?"

Looking up, he sees the sky twisting into a massive funnel, pulling the Heavenly Ship toward its center!

Many Heavenly Soldiers and Generals aboard are caught by the funnel, helplessly drawn from the ship, spiraling toward the funnel's center.

These Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, being Immortals, struggle vigorously, employing various Immortal Laws and Escape Techniques, attempting to escape the reach of this Divine Skill, yet they cannot fly out.

"Jin'ao Island's Divine Skill, Mixed Yuan Golden Dipper?"

Standing at the prow, the Immortal of Colossal Spirit brandishes his Giant Spirit God Axe, its light cleaving through, he laughs, "During the Divine Enthronement you were fierce, but now you're just a featherless phoenix!"

The Divine Axe unleashes its immense divine power, violently disrupting Immortal Laws, slicing the Golden Dipper apart!

Hundreds of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals are caught by the Golden Dipper, feeling an unusual Daoist Skill nullifying their cultivation and mana, with their physical bodies rapidly rejuvenating and cultivation dwindling.

They seem about to fall from their Immortal Realm, but fortunately, as the Golden Dipper is split by the Immortal of Colossal Spirit, breaking this Divine Skill, they manage to escape, albeit with their cultivation greatly diminished.

Before the Immortal of Colossal Spirit can withdraw his Divine Axe, two enormous Golden Flood Dragons, each a thousand feet long, intersect and shear at him from both sides.

"The Golden Flood Dragon Clip Divine Skill, merely so!"

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit channels his divine power, instantly his body becomes enormously majestic, his muscles enveloped in Divine Dao Patterns, as steadfast as ancient mountains, impregnable.