The exact moment of launching an offensive is when one's defense is at its most vulnerable.
The quasi-emperor avatar exploded, and the terrifyingly extreme energy swept across numerous uninhabited star domains, carrying a quasi-emperor's Dao and Dharma as it wantonly destroyed everything.
An explosion of this magnitude was tragic and horrifying, blanketing the sky and shaking the starry vault.
It was as if the universe itself had been blown apart, with hundreds of millions of strands of divine light rain scattering outward, tainted with supreme pressure and tearing apart the vast void.
Tidal waves surged continuously; this space was blasted to pieces, fractured into bottomless chasms that swallowed everything.
Before the light rain had completely dissipated, the nameless quasi-emperor wailed in the very center, his body staggering as his hands frantically clawed at his chest. He was covered in blood, and specks of brilliance flickered amid the gore.
He was undergoing transformation into the Dao; the laws stabbed into his body and took root, intent on assimilating him!
Feathering and ascending to immortality, light rain filled the sky.
His injuries from the explosion were not light, his blood kept flowing, and less than one-tenth of his life force remained. He passively endured the opportunity of transforming into the Dao, powerless to resist, and watched as he was on the verge of death.
I underestimated you.
The nameless quasi-emperor struggled to force out these few words.
Mortally wounded and eroded so severely by the Dao fragments, even immortals could not save him, and at this moment even the imperial weapon was unwilling to approach him, casting him aside.
It fled far away in the very first instant, transforming into a streak of light out of fear of being suppressed by Zhang Huan's side.
A wisp of imperial aura descended before it left, actually intending to directly annihilate the nameless quasi-emperor, its master, to prevent future trouble.
The situation changed in an instant. Zhang Huan did not give it the chance, using the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar to shatter the imperial aura while firing several pitch-black beams that pierced into the nameless quasi-emperor's body, stirring up his remaining life force.
That self-destructed quasi-emperor corpse was one he had longed for and spent a long time capturing, only to use it to deal with this nameless quasi-emperor.
Although the effect was exceptionally stellar, he had suffered a huge loss, and the nameless quasi-emperor before him had to compensate for his losses no matter what.
This person's cultivation level was not low either, having likewise reached the quasi-emperor realm; erasing the quasi-emperor law fragments within his body would also yield a ready-made puppet.
First eliminating the Dao-transforming power hidden within the body, Zhang Huan retrieved the corpse and suppressed it inside the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar.
Fortunately, it was a narrow escape.
Zhang Huan looked toward the direction where the imperial weapon had fled.
That place... It is Big Dipper. The owner of the demonic art comes from one of the forbidden lands.
He concluded that the opponent's origins were inextricably linked to a forbidden land; the imperial weapon that had appeared earlier did not match a single one in his memory.
It was not of the Primordial Myriad Clans, nor the major sacred lands, leaving only those ancient supreme beings who had already faded into obscurity and hidden themselves within the forbidden lands.
Among them, the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land was out of the question, as there was a Great Accomplishment Sacred Body residing there who would never allow such a person to exist within the forbidden land.
In other words, there were only six options, and if he investigated them one by one, he would inevitably find that deeply hidden owner of the demonic art.
However... there is no need to take risks in the forbidden lands either.
Zhang Huan murmured, gazing into the distance toward Big Dipper across hundreds of millions of star domains.
Even for a forbidden land, it was impossible to easily cultivate a character at the quasi-emperor level; once this person died, even the owner of the demonic art would feel the pain.
The other party was playing a game across the universe, and the goal was still to harvest these chess pieces in order to achieve their own Dao.
In that case, the existence of hound-like entities was indispensable; just like this nameless quasi-emperor, someone was needed to help him roam the starry sky and reap demonic art cultivators crop after crop.
In the future, he would keep an eye on these hounds and slaughter them one by one, forcing these hounds to stop their harvesting and scurry back to their nests, just to see if the owner of the demonic art could still sit calmly.
The moment that person actively appeared would be the day Zhang Huan killed him.
I need to condense the divine embryo as quickly as possible; the taste of being at the mercy of others is not very pleasant.
Recalling the scene where his cultivation had been controlled, Zhang Huan felt a chill run through him.
As this person perished, his cultivation gradually returned, feeling as though he had experienced an illusion.
Zhang Huan left this place and headed toward the cosmic frontier; the origin qi he had accumulated in the Underworld was already sufficient, and he could begin practicing the Indestructible Heavenly Art and studying the method of the divine embryo right now.
As the extreme Dao war here came to an end, countless powerhouses cast their gazes over.
The aura and Dao rhyme of the Dao transformation still lingered here, and the two imperial weapons had fought until heaven and earth turned dark, their scattered fluctuations terrifying even Great Sages.
"Even quasi-emperors fought to the death. Just how tragic was this?"
Someone discovered something at a glance and exclaimed.
"This aura... One of them was a demon god who slaughtered extensively on the True Road back then, and he used the exact same supreme Dao laws. There's no mistaking it, he actually died!"
These words instantly stirred up a thousand ripples; that executioner who had hidden his tracks for hundreds of years was too impressive, having committed boundless sins.
Sensing the corresponding laws, everyone confirmed that he was already dead, and all of them breathed a sigh of relief.
In the uninhabited frontier, possessing an eternal and unchanging scenery, Zhang Huan penetrated deep into a giant star, sinking down into its core. He set up several source art formations to seal off his aura, intending to break through his barrier here.
Those who copy me live, those who resemble me die.
Such a saying had always been passed down regarding the Ruthless Emperor's cultivation techniques.
If one did not wish to be assimilated by her Dao and remain trapped along her footsteps without finding a way out, one had to expend no small amount of effort to thoroughly understand and study them.
Even someone as naturally talented as the Holy Son of Yaoguang had been bound and unable to transcend; the demonic art had imprisoned him too much, blocking his Dao path, and he had regretfully fallen before transforming into a divine embryo.
If Zhang Huan wanted to break free from the shackles of the demonic art, he had to forge his own path and make it a part of his own Dao, rather than simply walking along her trail.
This scripture, the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art, reverses creation and seizes fortune, capable of allowing a mortal body to transform postnatally into a Chaos Body. It was created by the Ruthless Emperor after pouring a lifetime of talent into it.
And the Indestructible Heavenly Art is an ancient scripture she created later, using the former as a foundation to completely shed the demonic body, sever all karma, and give birth to a new life.
Zhang Huan slowly recalled the various characteristics concerning the two cultivation techniques.
It was not just him who had impressions; the Ruthless Emperor's bloodline that he sought out also studied both cultivation techniques deeply, and some insights could be directly used for reference.
I will use the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art to devour origin qi and strengthen myself, and then borrow the Indestructible Heavenly Art to sever all foundations and nurture a divine embryo...
Though Zhang Huan made it sound easy, he had no idea what would happen during this process.
It was entirely possible that his old body would shatter before the new divine spirit emerged, forcing a complete restart, or he might sustain indelible, unhealable injuries.
Such an action that defied the heavens could not guarantee success, even if a survivor experienced it all over again.
The most important thing was whether the collected origin qi should be used to help the old body transform first before condensing the divine embryo, or directly poured into the new embryo while abandoning the old body.
Zhang Huan comprehended the differences between the two ancient scriptures, perceived the distinctions, and chose to first let the old body sublimate using the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art.
Although the origin qi I possess is vast, I have not gathered the crucial origin qi of the myriad Dao—it barely exceeds half. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to evolve a postnatal Chaos Body, and forcibly evolving a defective one will only result in unknowingly transforming into the Dao and dying.
Zhang Huan considered this prudently; he had no intention of gambling on that one-in-a-hundred-million chance of success. Instead, he would take his own mortal body as the foundation and utilize the massive origin qi to scour his aptitudes.
Refining the origin qi into a supreme medicine of the world to stoke the furnace, he would act contrary to the Dao of the Chaos Body—not using himself to fulfill the myriad Dao, but rather letting the myriad Dao scour his own body.
Although his ultimate physical body would not compare to the Chaos Body, it would allow his mortal body to possess countless possibilities.
Only then would he nurture a divine embryo within the mortal body, sublimate to the extreme, and transform into an ultimate physique, ensuring his future aptitude would not lose to any of the famous physiques in the world.
He had this confidence: if the Chaos Body could become an emperor, a mortal body could do so as well. Physique did not determine everything; what was strong was the person.
Pulling out a small cauldron, Zhang Huan tossed in numerous supreme medicines, exhaled Dao fire to refine them into divine essence, and then leaped directly inside, continuously releasing the origin qi he had acquired over the years.
Brilliant rosy light bloomed, and various auspicious phenomena appeared. The origin qi of the human body, pointing straight to the ultimate mystery of life's existence in the world, was entirely sealed within the small cauldron.
This cauldron could shield perception and was most suitable for concealment; it was something Zhang Huan had obtained from a Saint King of the Ruthless Emperor's bloodline.
Coupled with the source art grand array Zhang Huan had set up outside, even if a Great Sage flew right past, they would not be able to detect anything.
Zhang Huan focused on refining the origin qi with peace of mind. This time, he was bound to achieve a massive breakthrough, accumulating strength for a breakthrough, and then use the two imperial scriptures to take a double leap—even after stepping into the quasi-emperor realm, he could ascend several tiers in a single bound.
The River of Time rolled forward into the future; the uninhabited star domains were as pitch-black as ink, just as they had been since eternity.
In the blink of an eye, ten years passed. Zhang Huan gathered all the origin qi and, paired with rare treasures of heaven and earth, scoured his fleshly body until it was as pure as agate.
His primordial spirit was lifelike, sitting cross-legged atop his crown. Deep within, it underwent a transformation toward an unknown direction, and unfathomable potential accumulated within.
The shocking Dao marks of all kinds inside the cauldron had vanished, leaving behind only a few colorful drops of Dao nectar that contained all sorts of miraculous effects.
The primordial spirit opened its mouth and swallowed the final few drops, retreating back into the true body. Zhang Huan immediately erupted with divine light; his life force burst forth like a blazing fire, and his blood qi became increasingly refined and condensed.
The origin qi had been completely consumed, and after ten years of scouring, Zhang Huan felt that deep-seated changes had occurred from the inside out.
It was a growth of foundation—indescribable and unclear, yet truly experienced—and his own potential had grown even deeper.
He felt the changes within himself and fully developed his potential over the following few years.
When he felt the time was right, striking while the iron was hot, he began practicing the Indestructible Heavenly Art, intending to seize the momentum to condense a divine embryo and undergo another tier of transformation atop his old body.
Executing the secret techniques within the heavenly art to absorb essences, he nurtured a new self within his primordial spirit, continuously supplying the purest life essence.
The Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art achieved the Indestructible Heavenly Art, and the old body was the same, using all of its own self to achieve a new birth.
I wonder if this can be considered living a second life?
Zhang Huan was struck by a sudden whim.
In his view, the Indestructible Heavenly Art originated from the Ruthless Emperor, and it should have certain synergies with her longevity method.
Shedding the old body to live a second life—if he could succeed, Zhang Huan could also be considered a capable person who had lived out a second life.
Calming his mind and nurturing his spirit, he supplied energy to the newly condensed divine embryo. His old body gradually withered, and the skin that had once brilliantly bloomed with divine light slowly grew wrinkled.
No destruction, no construction; born from facing death. All the essence of this Dao was contained within these eight words.
Once it began, one had to forge bravely ahead. Only thus could one bloom the divine embryo, seize the principles of heaven and earth, and reverse the turning point of life and death. If one harbored opportunistic thoughts or retained even a trace of the essence of life, it could lead to failure.
Experiencing the same mental journey, Zhang Huan could sense the unyielding and indomitable Dao heart the Ruthless Emperor must have possessed back then.
There was great terror between life and death; no one had never feared death. Those who could cast it aside and forge a new path all possessed magnificent boldness.
The divine embryo had already formed, and the old body—now a quasi-emperor frame—began at this moment to undergo the five decays of heaven and man. Its life essence lost completely, it was soon to die like a mortal whose lifespan had run out.
Accepting death ordinarily, the old body gradually decayed while the primordial spirit grew dusty, and Zhang Huan silently watched all of this.
The divine embryo was nurtured and transformed from within his body, occasionally emitting fluctuations, and Zhang Huan could clearly perceive that the mysterious Dao patterns interwoven within it were growing increasingly dense.
Life and death alternated, and past events replayed like a revolving lantern; divine abilities, secret techniques, and ancient scripture inheritances flashed by scene after scene.
In this instant, Zhang Huan comprehended all the Daoist Dharma within those visions. He had never felt such a clear perception of the Dao, as though it were right beside him, causing boundless comprehension to rise in Zhang Huan's heart.
He found himself in a profound and mysterious state.
It was as if he had become a part of the Dao, capable of immediately penetrating the mysteries of the divine patterns and meridians between heaven and earth.
He clearly knew that he was not transforming into the Dao.
A glance spanned ten thousand years, encompassing his entire life—his perception of laws, his cognition of heaven and earth, and his true understanding of the Dao.
Unknown how much time had passed, a spark of spiritual light flashed within Zhang Huan as he awakened from the divine embryo, bursting out of its shell.
Slay My Dao Art!
The primordial spirit bloomed with colorful brilliance, piercing through the darkness. Boundless might burned fiercely, rising from annihilation.
The old vessel shattered, and Zhang Huan was born from within it. His appearance was identical to before, but his aura had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation.
The moment he appeared, he leaped past the quasi-emperor realm, and his aura continuously climbed without end.
Living out a second life, Zhang Huan underwent different levels of transformation from the inside out; from then on there were no more shackles, and the Dao was within reach.
He would release all the foundations he had accumulated in recent years in a single stroke.
The lightning tribulation arrived swiftly, suppressing numerous star domains; strung together, it was an absolute astronomical figure.
The roar shook the heavens, rumbling violently. Even before it struck, the lightning tribulation shattered countless stars, turning this uninhabited star domain into a desperate situation.
"Come then! Test the first step of my life toward the peak—the stronger, the better."
Zhang Huan's thoughts were lucid. He had reached an ultimate peak he had never climbed before; this was the strongest moment of his life.
The battle intent in his eyes could be sensed across the boundless void, and at this moment, even the quasi-emperor tribulation could not harm him in the slightest.
Having undergone transformation, he no longer needed to linger, but simply strode forward. From then on, his goal was singular: to fight for that lifetime's imperial path.
This starry sky was saturated with his aura; his blood qi pierced the river of stars, encompassing the cosmic frontier entirely, even more terrifying than the terrifying quasi-emperor tribulation that filled all worlds.
Within the black clouds, streams of laws emerged, binding Zhang Huan.
By merely relying on his blood qi alone, the shackles around his body burst open. Lightning mingled with electric light, splitting the void and bringing down thousands of bolts upon Zhang Huan.
He did not dodge, directly watching as the water-bucket-thick bolts of light slammed into his body. Sparks flew in all directions, and his body was ten thousand times harder than refined iron, completely uninjured by the strikes.
Zhang Huan swallowed the universe; his entire body gleamed and scattered divine light, while a dreamlike true soul surged from his crown, bathing in the thunderclouds.
His primordial spirit was full and brimming, breaking through destiny, shattering the thunder light, and agitating with a lustrous glow. Bathing in the slaughter of the lightning without caving, no matter how it shattered the eight wastes, his primordial spirit remained steadfastly the same.
As the quasi-emperor tribulation passed, a new tribulation abruptly arose. Zhang Huan had anticipated this long ago, meeting the tribulation with the exact same momentum.
First heavenly layer, second heavenly layer, breaking three tribulations in succession. Even the endless thunder light had moments of falling short; all of it was shattered by Zhang Huan, torn apart before it could even finish falling.
Zhang Huan roared heartily, swallowing heaven and earth to draw in the endless chaotic lightning, consuming it as provisions for his own body.
Having cultivated for over a thousand years in this life, he had finally truly set foot upon this step.
Before you continue