As he strolled through the vast starry sky, Zhang Huan's white hair occasionally fell, and his face had become weathered without him realizing it.
The world knew of the Demonic Emperor, but not of him. He was too distant; though the Great Emperor's might was sung, there had been no news of him for tens of thousands of years.
The Hegemon Body that had achieved Great Perfection was no longer discussed. The battle between it and Zhang Huan was unprecedented, and the entire universe had been immersed in a fervent wave of excitement.
Few people remembered it now; it had become a part of ancient history.
Thirty thousand years of desolation had changed the world.
He arrived at Kunlun. This embryo of immortal dao was finally about to be born.
Nourished by the resources of the entire universe for thirty thousand years, and nurtured by the land of immortality to create an opportunity for immortal dao, a peerless immortal sword had taken shape and was about to descend into the world.
Soon after, the Underworld's army mobilized, all spirits retreated, and they marched directly towards the Demonic Court.
The aura of the Supreme Beings revived. They intended to strike when Zhang Huan was at his weakest.
However, Zhang Huan had long been prepared for this.
He went to a desolate patch of starry sky, quietly waiting for the Supreme Beings to deliver themselves to his doorstep.
"Your twilight has arrived, Zhang Huan. The Underworld will be your burial ground."
A sinister, sharp voice cut through the endless void. Its residual power alone made countless beings tremble.
The Undead Mysterious Bird had already achieved an alternative path. It arrived with an Emperor Formation, its eyes filled with malice.
It hated Zhang Huan for cutting off its path and for once severing half of its Origin Source, nearly killing it.
The great universe roared, and myriad rays of light descended, billions of divine radiance shining brilliantly.
A Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure, along with a figure, emanated boundless pressure, wreathed in Chaos Qi, tearing through the universe. It emerged from the Underworld, startling all directions.
"An immortal artifact about to be birthed, plus the legendary Bronze Palace.
To obtain two immortal artifacts in one day, I truly have great fortune."
Within the chaotic divine light, a figure laughed, filled with joy.
It resembled a human, enveloped in Immortal Light, with a surge of Chaos Qi spewing from within. It landed in the center of the Emperor Formation along with the Nether Treasure.
Zhang Huan stared at it, recognizing its true form.
This Chaos Monster had never become a true Emperor. It was a monster created by the Emperors of the Underworld by evolving Chaos.
It had merged with the Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure, its strength equally unfathomable, equivalent to a Supreme Being, capable of fighting a Great Emperor.
When Zhang Huan was undergoing his Great Emperor tribulation, it was this creature that triggered the curse, stirring up chaotic killing intent, nearly causing Zhang Huan to fall. He had shattered it with the Bronze Immortal Palace.
"Just you alone isn't enough to kill me. Go back and call some more people."
Zhang Huan said indifferently.
"Heh heh, such big talk.
Do you think you're Emperor Venerate, wanting to fight several Supreme Beings alone like him?"
The Chaos Monster sneered. Emperor Venerate's achievements were indeed dazzling, but how many Great Emperors could achieve that?
Facing the twilight years of a Great Emperor from a previous life, it believed it could harvest him with just one person and one artifact.
The Nether Treasure chimed softly, controlling the formation. The Immortal Light contained boundless killing intent. The monster emerged from the Nether Treasure, its surroundings evolving with incomplete Chaos. Its eyes, as they met, were greedy and sinister, like a wild beast.
With a single step, it unleashed world-shattering divine might, covering all heavens. Its Blood Essence was dominant throughout the cosmos, terrifying the beings between heaven and earth.
Some powerful individuals wore expressions of tragic determination, believing that turmoil was imminent, that the Dark Age recorded in ancient history was about to arrive, and that even Great Emperors would face dire fates.
The Supreme Beings dared to confront the current Great Emperor, meaning they had made preparations in secret and believed they had a chance before daring to emerge and damage their own auras.
Zhang Huan stood within the Emperor Formation, lightly chuckling, looking down on the Underworld's actions as a mortal would look down on ants.
"I really am being looked down upon."
Suddenly, he sighed again, somewhat disappointed. A mere Supreme Being was not worth his serious attention.
The monster shed Chaos, evolving the mechanism of creation, as if forming a complete great universe. All Dao were stirred and hurled towards Zhang Huan.
The Nether Treasure also cooperated with it, casting down waves of immortal dao divine patterns.
Zhang Huan snorted, uttering true words. His gaze blazed, and he spared no effort from the moment he acted, employing thunderous methods.
He intercepted the Dao of Heaven and Earth, severed Chaos, and cut off Origin Source. Everything outside himself could be intercepted and used for his own benefit.
Before the great universe could even approach, it dissolved into a mass of Chaos Qi. Zhang Huan traced it back to its origin, returning it to its original state.
His body was covered in the laws of the Great Dao, intercepting the power of all methods. He was powerful and profound, and even the immortal dao divine patterns could not penetrate him, burning away without a trace.
Looking at the Chaos Monster, Zhang Huan targeted it first, unleashing a forbidden technique to strip away its cultivation.
Then, he severed its Chaos divine abilities.
For a moment, it was terrified like a mortal. The Nether Treasure shielded it, protecting it from harm, stating that this was only a temporary weakening and that it would recover after some time.
As long as it held on, its cultivation would naturally return.
But Zhang Huan would not give it a chance to breathe. Even with an immortal artifact protecting it, it could not be saved. He flicked a finger, containing thirty thousand years of Emperor Dao's ultimate principles.
It condensed the Dao of Heaven Interception, defiled the magic treasure, merged False Immortal Power, and the "All" character secret technique into a single move. Even an Ancient Emperor would not be able to withstand this peerless forbidden killing technique.
The Nether Treasure cracked open, revealing a hole. It was an Immortal artifact, indestructible through countless tribulations, sturdier than Immortal Gold, yet it had been cracked with a mere flick of a finger.
The deities were stunned into silence. How could this be? It was too terrifying. They finally realized that what Zhang Huan had said earlier wasn't a joke; he truly intended to kill several Supremes by himself.
Following that, a massive palm descended, crushing the Chaos Monster into a pulp. It died instantly!
Everything happened too fast. Zhang Huan looked down at the Mysterious Bird, which no longer dared to confront him. It fled like a stray dog.
The Azure Gold Cauldron was summoned. Zhang Huan didn't even deign to act himself. The Emperor artifact, imbued with laws and borrowing the Heavenly Dao's Emperor Power, slaughtered the Mysterious Bird millions of miles away.
"How can you be so strong!"
The Nether Treasure couldn't believe it. Logically, even Great Emperors had limits; how could they so easily kill an Imperial Dao figure?
The Chaos Monster was already dead, and it was desperately trying to escape back to the Underworld.
"You will be my research subject for the remaining time. You have no choice."
Zhang Huan said coldly. With a thunderous boom, all myriad paths chimed, and the entire universe vibrated with his aura, vast and surging like an endless ocean.
This was the first time he had unleashed his full power. Even the Emperor Formation crumbled under this surge of energy.
He unleashed several blinding beams of light, his palm as crystalline as jade, cleaving towards the Nether Treasure.
The void trembled as if the heavens and earth were being split apart. Imperial Dao laws surged, and all things were annihilated in the light.
False Immortal Power bloomed like myriad Great Dao Immortal Flowers. When the light and heat dissipated, the Nether Treasure was already bound within his palm.
Brilliant rain of light scattered across the land. Before it could even fade, only Zhang Huan's aura remained on the battlefield.
"A few cats and dogs, and you call this a killing tribulation?!"
Zhang Huan was somewhat disappointed. The turmoil had ended in an utter annihilation.
The next moment, he looked towards another end of the universe. From an infinite distance, an aura of extreme Dao rose again.
The Divine Race Divine Son emerged from the Divine Source, coming to aid in the fight against the Supremes!
He had transformed from a handsome and elegant youth into a decrepit old man, yet he remained as fearless as in his youth, wielding the Spirit Treasure Four Swords and the Killing Formation Diagram.
On the Hegemon Body's ancestral star, a Great Accomplishment Hegemon Body flew out from a purple qi cave. Despite a Divine Sense's plea, he left without hesitation.
Just as the Great Emperor had said, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.
He finally understood what the Hegemon Body lacked.
Changing the future of the Hegemon Body began now. He would become the first Great Accomplishment Hegemon Body to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sacred Body, guarding all living beings, ushering in an unprecedented transformation, and planting a seed of protection in the hearts of future Hegemon Bodies and many others.
The world shouldn't be like the Forbidden Zone Supremes devouring all life, where everyone attacked the weaker. Besides self-interest, there should be righteousness.
He was now practicing this belief.
He left all his lifelong learning on the Hegemon Star and departed from it without hesitation.
Within the purple qi cave, a Great Accomplishment Hegemon Body sighed.
Two auras rapidly approached. By the time they arrived, they saw Zhang Huan holding the Nether Treasure.
"You're a step too late."
Zhang Huan chuckled. He had already collected all the heads.
The two men exchanged glances, stunned on the spot.
They had both come with the determination to fight to the death, only to find Zhang Huan standing alone, holding an Immortal Dao Nether Treasure, before they even reached the battlefield.
The battlefield bore traces of heart-palpitating Extreme Dao laws that had yet to fully dissipate. The Divine Son avoided it from afar, his Spiritual Sense warning him. The remaining aura alone made Quasi-Ninth-stage powerhouses feel endangered.
On one side lay broken bones and shattered fragments, containing terrifying energy, dazzling and brilliant. The bloodstains were infused with Chaos Qi, and Extreme Dao laws emanated from them, hiding boundless divine power.
They belonged to an unfamiliar Imperial Dao figure. Just looking at them made the two uneasy, their breathing becoming heavy, as if the owner of the bones and blood was not yet dead, still possessing world-shattering might, invincible throughout eternity.
That unfamiliar Imperial Dao figure had been killed just like that, dying on the spot, like an ant, ending tragically without even a ripple.
Were Imperial Dao figures so easy to kill? For a moment, they had a delusion.
"The Great Emperor is powerful, invincible throughout history, and should be called the Heavenly Emperor!"
The Divine Son was the first to react, his eyes filled with fervor as he raised his arm and shouted.
He now understood that the Great Emperor had always stood on a higher plane, beyond his comprehension.
Even if the Mysterious Bird had become an Emperor, it would have been just another Imperial Dao corpse. Recalling the Great Emperor's words to him back then, the Divine Son's admiration grew even stronger.
"What Heavenly Emperor? I haven't reached that stage you imagine. I'm just a little stronger than most Emperors."
Zhang Huan smiled and shook his head.
The title of Heavenly Emperor was not just about having formidable strength but also about achieving great deeds, which led to the world calling them Heavenly Emperors.
He had only eliminated one Supreme; he didn't have the face to call himself a Heavenly Emperor yet. The major Forbidden Zones in this era still existed.
Zhang Huan and the two hadn't seen each other for tens of thousands of years. They talked a great deal that day.
"I have deduced the Heavenly Secrets. A true path to immortality will open in the future.
The ancient Supremes of the Forbidden Zones, who refused to perish and instead cut themselves down, are all related to it.
They are all waiting for the Path to Immortality to open so they can make a desperate gamble for a chance to become immortals."
Their eyes gleamed with excitement. No wonder there were Supreme Beings lurking in the Forbidden Zones. Now that they knew the truth, it turned out to be related to the Immortal Path in later ages.
A true path to Immortality, it was probably the greatest fortune since the creation of the world.
Even Emperors had to fight for it. In the seven great Forbidden Zones, who knew how many Supreme Beings were waiting for that path.
"How astonishing! It involves Immortals. No wonder the ancient Emperors and Sovereigns were unwilling to give up and turned themselves into Forbidden Zones."
Immortality!
The obsession of so many people.
Countless individuals in ancient history had pursued traces of Immortals.
Regrettably, from ancient times to the present, the existence of Immortals had never been confirmed. Eternal life and immortality were illusory and ethereal. No one knew if it was a realm or another form of life.
No one had ever truly become an Immortal. Even the Ancient Great Emperors were merely powerful cultivators.
They possessed world-shattering abilities, but they still had lifespans.
Only certain ancient texts had left behind related legends, saying that in a distant, unrecordable past, there was a person who truly became an Immortal.
He had opened the Immortal Path, entered the Immortal Domain, and become a true Immortal, eternally living and immortal.
Unfortunately, the texts only contained fragmented records. Most people in later ages inferred that this person had become an Immortal, but due to a lack of evidence, no one could truly confirm if he had indeed become an Immortal. It couldn't be taken seriously.
But what Zhang Huan was saying at this moment seemed to confirm this record. The Immortal Path truly existed, and even the Ancient Great Emperors were driven mad by it, waiting with all their might.
They would rather abdicate their imperial thrones, suffer torment between life and death, just to see the Immortal Path and attempt to tread it.
"Even ants cling to life, let alone Supreme Beings."
The Divine Son murmured, beginning to understand the thoughts of these Supreme Beings.
For the sake of eternal life, they would do anything. Wasn't the Dark Turmoil a living example?
The Hegemon Body snorted coldly, holding no good feelings towards these Supreme Beings.
"What I'm about to say is related to this."
Zhang Huan said as he cleaned up the battlefield, completely erasing the Imperial Law, collecting the Chaos Blood, extracting the essence of flesh and blood, and refining it into great elixirs for the mortal world.
"When the Immortal Path appears, the Supreme Beings will emerge to fight for a chance at Immortality. They have waited for too long and will not give up this only opportunity.
However, becoming an Immortal is incredibly difficult, and the Immortal Domain is not easy to enter. Even if they manage to enter the Immortal Domain, some Supreme Beings will undoubtedly fail.
Only two or three individuals will become Immortals, and the extra Supreme Beings are destined to fail. They waited for eons, only to meet such an end. What they might do is truly unpredictable."
At least several Supreme Beings who had attacked the Immortal Path would be in their ascended state, and even the Great Emperors of this era would have to avoid their radiance.
Some might fall into despair and drag the entire universe down with them, while others might be unwilling to accept their fate and launch a Dark Turmoil to devour all living beings.
That would be the darkest era in history, far surpassing all previous Dark Turmoils.
The Immortal Path would become the greatest disaster in history, potentially destroying the entire universe.
Zhang Huan was planning ahead and had already begun his preparations in this era.
He asked the Hegemon Body if he was willing to sacrifice himself to prevent this catastrophe. The Hegemon Body readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.
He deeply understood the gravity of Zhang Huan's words regarding the greatest disaster in history.
He had not yet consumed the Immortal Medicine. In the future, he would seal himself in the Demonic Court and awaken later to consume the Immortal Medicine and return to his peak, capable of stopping one or two Supreme Beings from causing chaos.
"My words don't count. I have already consumed an Immortal Medicine, and my lifespan is not long. I don't plan to seal myself either; I have more important things to do."
The Divine Son said with a hearty laugh, like an old man whose time was running out.
He had an Ancient Life Tree at home and had already consumed an Immortal Medicine once, making it difficult for it to be effective again.
In his youth, the Hegemon Body had also coveted this Ancient Life Tree, but the Divine Son had guarded it closely, and the Hegemon Body had never obtained it even after reaching great mastery.
Now, it was perfect for him to use to extend his lifespan in later ages and restore his peak Blood Essence.
The two departed one after another. The Hegemon Body went to the Demonic Court, and Zhang Huan would personally refine the Immortal Source with Emperor Power to seal his vital energy flow soon.
As for the Divine Son, after leaving, he excitedly took out an ancient book, on which was the half-written biography of the Divine Emperor.
Slaying a Supreme Being was a feat of immeasurable merit and should be recorded in history!
He wiped the table of contents and changed Divine Emperor to Heavenly Emperor.
Then, remembering what the Great Emperor had just said, he changed Divine Emperor back and added a parenthetical note with an alias.
Since the Great Emperor did not wish to be called Heavenly Emperor, he took a step back, naming him Divine Emperor, also known as Heavenly Emperor!
In his heart, the title Heavenly Emperor was well-deserved, and the Divine Emperor possessed great magnanimity!
For the rest of his life, he would dedicate himself to writing a biography, detailing the peerless legend of the Divine Emperor of this era, widely publicizing it so that people in later ages could glimpse even a fraction of the Divine Emperor's imposing aura.
"How unfortunate for people in later ages, that they cannot witness the Divine Emperor's ancient and divine might firsthand."
The Divine Son tutted, expressing his regret for future generations.
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