Thirty Thousand Years of Time

The Jade Pond Saintess possessed unparalleled talent, triggering a Great Emperor Tribulation that shook the mortal realm.

Her Innate Dao Embryo was in perfect harmony with the Dao, capable of borrowing the power of all heavens and myriad Daos, far exceeding the scope of a Quasi-Emperor in the Ninth Heaven.

She hoped to become an Emperor through this tribulation, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhang Huan, and create a prosperous era with two Emperors.

Zhang Huan shielded his aura and allowed her to undergo the tribulation without any interference.

Before the tribulation was even halfway through, she could no longer hold on. Her sole Dao could not be shaken, and she ultimately failed, entering the path of Alternative Dao Attainment.

Following this, the Divine Son and the Hegemon Body successively entered the Ninth Heaven.

This era only had these few brilliant stars; others could at most reach the first or second level of Quasi-Emperor, making it difficult to contend with them.

Emperor Calendar Year 5000.

Some time had passed since the tribulation when Zhang Huan arrived at Jade Pond, a mortal wonderland. The Holy Lord, leading many elders, greeted him on both sides of the path.

"Is the Saintess speaking of you, truly you?"

The Western Emperor Pagoda appeared in surprise and asked. The Saintess had spoken to it of her connection with Zhang Huan over the years.

In his humble beginnings, Zhang Huan had once wielded the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar to spread his teachings in the Big Dipper and had even threatened Jade Pond.

"You and the Saintess share a destiny. You've known each other since childhood. Such a connection, it would be a shame if it didn't blossom into fruit."

The Western Emperor Pagoda subtly, and not so subtly, tried to bring the two together.

"You, you, you! Our Jade Pond Saintess cannot marry!"

The Saintess's exquisite face flushed with embarrassment as she rebuked the Emperor Weapon for not adhering to the Holy Land's rules, speaking in a huff.

Zhang Huan chatted with them about daily matters and inquired about the Saintess's injuries.

Seeing that she was unharmed, Zhang Huan departed from Jade Pond.

The Western Emperor Pagoda transmitted a message, stating that neither it nor the Saintess had taken to heart the matter of Zhang Huan teaching her Demonic Cultivation Methods when she had not yet begun her cultivation.

In the Saintess's heart, the good aspects of Zhang Huan occupied a greater portion, and she harbored a sense of longing.

The Saintess, as a Dao Embryo, was now hailed as the Most Beautiful Woman in the Starry Sky, a rarity once in a hundred thousand years, and had attained Alternative Dao Attainment. The two were a perfect match.

If Zhang Huan were interested, a single word could open the Saintess's heart, and their happy union could forge a beautiful story.

Zhang Huan acted as if he hadn't heard and left. In this life, he was born solely for the Dao, and would not rest until death.

Standing high in the sky, he gazed at the vast Big Dipper land and saw the Black Wind Stockade of yesteryear, his Starting Place.

"The Ruthless Bloodline has indeed infiltrated certain Holy Lands."

Zhang Huan followed the scant clues. Nothing escaped his dharma eye, and he captured all members of the Ruthless Bloodline.

"Engrave an imprint into their souls and even their blood, so they are controlled by me for generations."

Zhang Huan pointed a world-shaking finger. The Curse Power penetrated the marrow of every cultivator of the Ruthless Bloodline, intending to control them forever and have them serve his main body in the future.

Emperor Calendar Year 8000. Zhang Huan entered the peak prime of this life, his vitality at its peak.

The Hegemon Body issued a challenge, located in a deadly silent place in the starry sky.

Since ancient times, there had been rumors that a Great Accomplishment Sacred Body could challenge an Emperor. The Hegemon Body, as an equivalent physique, was no exception and was revered by the world as an Uncrowned Emperor.

Zhang Huan smiled and accepted the challenge.

The duel between the two concluded in less than an hour. The Hegemon Body, aware of the Vast Difference in Strength, voluntarily conceded.

He requested Zhang Huan to offer him Guidance.

When the Hegemon Body was weak, he had fallen into a calamity. An Ancestor had sacrificed their life to buy them a chance at survival.

This fearless, selfless spirit reminded him of the Sacred Body.

"When there are no Emperors, the Nine Sacred Bodies battle the firmament."

The story behind this saying had always been regarded as an Epic, moving people to tears without them realizing it. That spirit made countless people yearn for it.

The Hegemon Body, conversely, embodied the character "Hegemon" throughout, prioritizing extreme self-interest. This was why no Great Accomplishment Hegemon Body had ever stepped forward to protect the world.

The sacrifice made by that Ancestor was, in essence, contrary to what he had learned within his clan.

He fell into a cycle of self-reflection.

Over the years, despite constant guidance from elders who told him that Hegemon Bodies should be fierce and selfish, he could not convince himself.

As a clan equivalent to the Sacred Body, he unconsciously felt ashamed, believing that Hegemon Bodies should not be so. The world was not only about utilitarianism, but also about great love and justice.

Zhang Huan had a long talk with him, and the Hegemon Body expressed his deep gratitude.

Emperor Calendar Year 9000. Zhang Huan's first white hairs began to appear. He had thoroughly studied the Bronze Immortal Palace and began to evolve Immortal Dao Symbols on his own.

Rumors circulated that the Divine Son had been injured. The Undead Mysterious Bird of the Underworld found him one day, seeking to settle an unfinished battle from the past.

The outcome of the confrontation was terrifying. This Undead Mysterious Bird had, at some unknown point, achieved creation and possessed an extremely terrifying power. Even the Divine Son could not defeat it and fled, wounded.

Emperor Calendar Year 10000 sharp. The Immortal Pool in Kunlun, into which vast amounts of immortal treasures had been invested, showed signs of activity. A sword-intent embryo was forming, and upon its appearance, it exuded an immortal aura.

Zhang Huan issued a Dao decree, posted at the main entrance of the Demonic Court, proclaiming it to the entire universe.

Those who could offer Emperor Scripture or peerless divine materials would receive generous rewards.

He was willing to exchange Emperor Scriptures, Immortal Medicines, and other items. If they were sufficiently rare, he would protect that clan for a hundred thousand years with an Emperor Artifact.

Furthermore, the scriptures would not be passed to a second person, only for his own reference.

Upon the news's release, the world was in an uproar, praising Zhang Huan's grand gesture, willing to part with an Emperor Artifact.

From then on, many people came to the Demonic Court to offer treasures, but none possessed items rare enough to exchange for an Emperor Artifact.

The Demonic Court suppressed the current era, and even after so much time, it remained orderly.

Most of the high-ranking officials had never even met Zhang Huan, having been replaced many times.

Zhang Huan didn't mind. Regardless of who was in charge, as long as they could continue to diligently collect immortal materials and divine ores from the universe for him, anyone could be a high-ranking official of the Demonic Court.

One day, the Divine Son requested an audience, and Zhang Huan granted it.

Upon meeting, he immediately asked a question: the Undead Mysterious Bird had already completed its foundation, reversing death to live. After its Nirvana, it became even more terrifying, with heaven-defying combat power.

If it were to impact the Great Emperor realm, it might be able to break through the restraint of ten thousand Daos and attain the status of a new Emperor.

At that time, how would Zhang Huan respond?

Zhang Huan smiled and replied softly, "I won't do anything. If it wants to become an Emperor, let it."

He was confident in his invincibility. His own path and himself could not be weaker than the thirty Emperors of the past and present, let alone a bird raised by the Underworld that wasn't even an Emperor.

He then added, "If it wants to harm the world, whether it's that bird or an Ancient Emperor, I will suppress it."

A dim light flickered in the Divine Son's eyes. He admired the Great Emperor's magnanimity and took his leave.

Emperor Calendar year 11,000.

Wrinkles appeared on Zhang Huan's face. He was beginning to decline. Although he could smooth away the traces of time with his Blood Essence, he did not do so, letting the wrinkles spread.

The Azure Gold Cauldron manifested as a deity and accused the Quasi-Emperor Artifact, the Demonic Box, of tempting it to steal the Medicine King from the Heavenly Palace.

The Demonic Box was on the verge of tears, claiming it had raised it since it was small and wanted to sever ties with the Azure Gold Cauldron.

Emperor Calendar year 13,000.

Zhang Huan was no longer in his prime. He estimated he had about three thousand years left to live. He had been enthroned for too long. He left the Bronze Immortal Palace and traveled the eight directions.

The starry sky remained, boundless and brilliant. The nebulae he stepped through were magnificent, but he had no leisure to appreciate the scenery, feeling a sense of loneliness.

No wonder most of the Ancient Emperors who entered the Forbidden Zones were unsociable, indifferent even to their own children, living only for their Dao, with only the Great Dao in their hearts.

He could somewhat empathize now. Having experienced and lost, everyone in the Forbidden Zones had seen through the world and severed all attachments.

Emperors would go into seclusion for hundreds or thousands of years. Time flowed by, and alone in this desolate universe, even with heaven-reaching skills, could one fill the inner void?

Only the eternal, elusive, Supreme Dao existed forever in this world, present everywhere, between you and me, worthy of their all-out effort, sacrificing everything, and pursuing it relentlessly.

The higher the realm, the more one felt their own insignificance, understanding the Dao, revering the Dao, like a moth, endlessly.

Everything else in their eyes was illusory, destined to return to nothingness, meaningless.

Zhang Huan saw the scenery of foreign lands, but not a single ripple stirred in his heart.

All Ancient Emperors are lonely; he was now verifying this statement. Even before consuming the Immortal Medicine, he had almost no one left to talk to, feeling out of place in the new era.

He shook his head lightly, dispelling these distracting thoughts.

Unlike those Emperors who placed all their hope on the Path to Immortality, he was, at best, just a passerby.

Stepping onto the Golden Light Grand Dao, the blazing Divine Bridge traversed the universe, sweeping through the heavens, revered by all races, Zhang Huan headed towards the Immortal Mountain.

He calculated the time. It was nearing the time when that Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree would bear its Three Thousand Dao Leaves once every ten thousand years.

The mountains were majestic, all black. Zhang Huan entered as if into an unimpeded land and sat directly by the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree in the mountain stream.

The old tea tree did not flee. It had experienced similar scenes too many times and had long since given up struggling.

Its branches and leaves rustled, showing goodwill to the new Great Emperor, hoping he would be gentle when the time came.

It had intelligence and knew that its entire being was a treasure.

Almost every Ancient Emperor had come here to take something, and it had suffered harm many times.

The three thousand leaves were lifelike, drifting on the branches and buds, each one different, with depictions of a hundred beasts and spiritual plants, in various shapes, all exuding Dao Rhyme.

Each leaf represented a different Dao, containing the Laws of Heaven and Earth, and had special benefits for comprehending the Dao, even providing considerable help to Quasi-Emperors.

He waited quietly for the moment the leaves matured, emitting a pervasive fragrance and shimmering colors. Zhang Huan took all the leaves in one go.

"I'll borrow some of your trunk for a bit."

Zhang Huan looked at the ancient tea tree and said with a half-smile.

He then requested a Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine fruit from the Supreme Being within and left, fully satisfied.

The Black Tortoise Divine Medicine, also known as the Longevity Divine Medicine, could add ten thousand years to one's lifespan upon consumption, making it the most suitable among Immortal Medicines for extending life.

Though the legends might be somewhat exaggerated, it was definitely more suitable for extending life than other Immortal Medicines.

Zhang Huan did not lack combat power; he had already reached the extreme. His various methods would make even Emperors of the same level turn pale, capable of killing Supreme Beings.

He needed time more to comprehend Immortal Dao Runes and create a False Immortal Scripture.

He also needed to nurture an Immortal Sword, and the Immortal Medicine he consumed could only be the Longevity Divine Medicine.

Zhang Huan visited Jade Pond on the way, but the Saintess refused to see him.

He refined several Divine Source Liquids and sent them to Jade Pond. He asked the Western Emperor Pagoda to relay a message: if the Saintess intended to attain the Dao, she should avoid this era and self-seal until she could become an Emperor in the future.

She had once consumed Immortal Medicine and possessed the Dao Embryo, granting her a much longer lifespan than ordinary alternative Dao attainers. After emerging from self-sealing, she would still have several thousand years to impact the Imperial Throne.

With a final glance at the Big Dipper, Zhang Huan returned. The next time he came, it might be time for him to choose his burial ground.

The Underworld had accumulated strength for so long, yet they hadn't made a move against him. Were they waiting for his late second life?

Zhang Huan remained noncommittal and returned to the Demonic Court to continue comprehending the Immortal Dao seals.

In the remaining three thousand-plus years, Zhang Huan felt his lifespan approaching its end and quietly waited. The Underworld indeed did not appear.

He had never attacked the Underworld because he believed they would actively reveal themselves. Grudges weren't easily resolved, and the Underworld would not let it go.

Most importantly, he had a persistent premonition of a future calamity. The subtle sense from the mysterious unknown was unclear, but Zhang Huan was certain.

Emperors who hunted other Emperors usually chose to do so in their second life's ten-thousandth year. At that point, their Emperor Power was less potent than in their prime, reducing the risks significantly.

The cost of the Supreme Being's vitality being exhausted and self-severing a slash allowed them to spend time in the Immortal Origin, waiting for the optimal moment.

An Immortal Medicine appeared in his hand; it was a pocket-sized small turtle, emerald green and shimmering with a rosy glow.

Zhang Huan swallowed it. His body regained its vitality, and his blood qi surged, rushing towards the eternal firmament and permeating the entire universe.

The second life began. His Life Spring gushed with vigorous life force, and the imprints on his Life Wheel vanished, replaced by a new and magnificent one.

In this life, he would live longer than in his first.

Emperor Calendar year 17,000. Zhang Huan swallowed the Immortal Medicine and was reborn.

He became immersed in the Immortal Dao, unable to extricate himself. Thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye.

Emperor Calendar year 22,000.

Someone arrived at the Demonic Court carrying the complete All-Encompassing Secret.

In the past, the Demonic Court had received many Emperor Scriptures, but they were all incomplete. This was the first time they had received such a precious scripture.

Zhang Huan exchanged it for his Movement Secret.

Kunlun had become a true Immortal Ascension Ground, with Immortal Qi flowing abundantly, overflowing and covering every corner.

The Dragon Head spewed Immortal Radiance. In the pool located at the Immortal Embryo's position, containing boundless essence, a sword embryo had already formed, showing initial signs.

Emperor Calendar year 30,000. Zhang Huan gained a profound understanding of the Immortal Dao. Pseudo Immortal Power truly replaced his own energy, causing his life aura to leap forward by half a level. His strength surged.

Through various insights and deductions, he created the "True Immortal Dao Scripture," which removed the false and preserved the true.

It contained his ultimate understanding of the Immortal Dao accumulated over thirty thousand years, as well as the research results from various secret realms in this life.

This method, in essence, surpassed all other Emperor Scriptures. It offered a glimpse into the Immortal Dao and could no longer be compared to them.

Although it had the prefix "pseudo," it could still touch upon Immortal Power. It was, in itself, one of the greatest creations in the world.

Since he began cultivating, the Pseudo Immortal Power had nourished his flesh and soul, elevating his life level by half a step and developing the potential of his mortal body to the extreme.

In the future, it would evolve into infinite wonders, leading directly to a Heavenly Road.

It provided a possibility: with unremitting deduction and research, it could truly evolve into a Longevity Method.

It was a clearly visible path.

However, it would not be a short process, especially in this End of Dharma World where ascending to immortality was extremely difficult.

After spending more than half of his second life, significant results were finally achieved.

In the remaining time, he supplemented the deficiencies in the scripture, developed the hidden Gate of Potential within his mortal body, and using the Immortal Scripture as a foundation to remove the false and preserve the true, manifested its essence and profound meaning, sublimating it into version 2.0.

He returned to the Immortal Mountain to collect the leaves of the Three Thousand Dao Ancient Tea Tree, which matured once every ten thousand years.

Emperor Calendar year 35,000. Zhang Huan entered old age.

He had two thousand years of lifespan remaining. This life would last twenty thousand years.

The effect of the Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine was significant. Although it was still some distance from ten thousand years, extending his Emperor's lifespan by several thousand years was already quite good.

Sensing that a calamity was approaching, he quietly left the Demonic Court, taking the Bronze Immortal Palace and the Emperor Cauldron with him.

Is one chapter of four thousand words per day better, or two chapters of two thousand words?