Divine Emperor's Legacy

The Human Emperor Banner unfurled, its flags shrouding the ten-mile Dao Field. It brimmed with the aura of the Great Dao, shielding the cultivators below.

"Those who still wish to follow the Great Emperor, gather here by me. Unless a Supreme Being descends in person to settle accounts, I have the power to keep you safe."

The Deity spoke calmly.

In this world, the highest combat power of any faction, including the Forbidden Zones, is an Imperial Weapon.

Yet, the confrontation between Imperial Weapons is like children throwing mud; they cannot inflict any real damage upon one another.

In this age where no Great Emperor has emerged, the only force capable of harming them is the Supreme Beings hidden deep within the Forbidden Zones.

They do not emerge easily; the cost is too high, and it is not something that can be traded for by merely shattering an Imperial Weapon.

Their goal is the Path to Immortality; everything else is of no concern to them.

"That's right, we still have the Imperial Weapon! As the continuation of the Great Emperor's life, it also possesses Supreme Dao Might and can keep us safe!"

"No matter how transcendent the Forbidden Zones are, they cannot stand above all beings. How dare they be so presumptuous!"

Some spoke with excitement, their eyes gleaming.

Many weighed their options before flying toward the Human Emperor Banner, seeking protection while expressing their loyalty, swearing to live and die with the Dao Field.

They spoke with great passion and fervor.

In the shadows, however, many were using their Divine Sense to contact the Human Emperor Banner, hoping to lure it away.

If they could gain the recognition of the Imperial Weapon during this crisis, they could eventually inherit the greatest wealth left behind by the Divine Emperor.

The Divine Emperor had no family or descendants; whoever was recognized by the Imperial Weapon would be the legitimate successor. No one would dare say a word about them seizing the entire estate.

With the Imperial Weapon right here, it was like the inheritance of a Great Emperor within arm's reach. It would be a lie to say they weren't tempted.

Besides, after enduring for so many years, they couldn't possibly leave empty-handed.

Dreamy purple light surged toward the heavens, forming a defensive posture. It shimmered with heart-stopping radiance, rich with purple energy, like a vast, rippling ocean that encompassed the very heavens and earth.

The Human Emperor Banner knew what they were planning. It neither agreed nor refused, instead demanding that everyone hand over all the Spirit Stones and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures they carried for it to absorb.

It had no use for these things, but it could certainly fleece these people for all they were worth.

The Human Emperor Banner claimed the situation was dire, noting that the Quasi-Emperor from the Immortal Mountain might arrive with an Imperial Weapon of his own. Since the enemy had a Quasi-Emperor to drive it, they would hold the advantage.

Once they fell into a disadvantageous position, it would be powerless to protect the disciples and would require more energy.

Some were miserable, forcing smiles as they pulled out their Storage Bags. They vented their resentment on the enemy, staring fixedly at the figure above, their eyes reflecting his every move.

The unknown Quasi-Emperor, hidden beneath his robes, spoke flippantly.

"Overestimating yourselves. Why would a great Supreme Being need to make a move personally to deal with you? It would be beneath them. I am enough. I can shatter any Imperial Weapon with a flip of my hand."

Hearing such arrogant words, some gritted their teeth in indignation and retorted.

"How insolent! A mere Quasi-Emperor—so what if you come from the Immortal Mountain? Think back to when the Divine Emperor trampled the Immortal Mountain; we didn't hear a peep from you then."

"To insult the source of my master's lineage is unforgivable! Call your Supreme Being here!"

With an Imperial Weapon behind them, they felt emboldened. Like disciples pumped full of adrenaline, the group feared nothing, despite the vast gap in cultivation level between them and the Quasi-Emperor in the sky.

What did it matter if he came from a Forbidden Zone? Did he dare to challenge the Imperial Weapon behind them?

Hearing this, Zhang Huan suddenly burst into loud laughter, though it was unclear if he was still acting or truly mocking them.

"Heh, the Divine Emperor? My Immortal Mountain's Supreme Beings have never known fear. If he and the Supreme Being Stone Emperor had lived in the same era, he would have been beaten to death within ten moves."

He curled his five fingers into a claw, gripping cruelly as if he had truly entered his role, treating his opponent like a mere insect he could crush into pulp in an instant.

"You lot probably don't even know how we at the Immortal Mountain are so certain the Divine Emperor is dead. That Immortal Sword he raised is truly a fine treasure; many Supreme Beings have been coveting it."

Zhang Huan suddenly drew a brilliant, snow-white Immortal Sword. It was nearly three feet long, crystal clear, and covered in mysterious, intricate patterns.

Immortal energy intertwined in the sky, its pressure weighing upon the ages. Even the light of the Emperor had to retreat, its radiance scattering.

"To obtain it, my Immortal Mountain suffered quite a few losses."

The Immortal Sword, seized from the place where the Divine Emperor was laid to rest!

The sword light was jagged and sharp, causing an uproar.

The disciples looked back and forth between the Human Emperor Banner and the Immortal Sword in terror, their faces falling into despair. Was it too late to run now?

No wonder the Immortal Mountain was bold enough to attack; they had even managed to acquire the Divine Emperor's own Immortal weapon.

This made it clear why they were so certain the Divine Emperor had passed away. After all, unless he were dead, who could watch their own Immortal weapon be seized and remain indifferent?

An Imperial Weapon fighting an Immortal weapon, controlled by a Quasi-Emperor—they had lost all their advantages. Perhaps they really wouldn't be able to hold out.

The sword light was white and brilliant, reflecting infinite visions. In the sky, thunder roared and ghosts wailed, as if a vicious, evil demon had been resurrected to wreak havoc upon the world.

To play the part of someone from a forbidden land, one must naturally act the role.

With this disguise, even if the true masters came out to clarify things later, no one would believe them; others would be convinced that this was the handiwork of Immortal Mountain.

Having snatched the Immortal Sword of the Divine Emperor and smashed his orthodoxy, Stone Emperor would find himself unable to clear his name of this accusation.

Zhang Huan brandished the Immortal Sword and, without a word, charged toward the Imperial Banner, right above the Big Dipper and in full view of the public.

The invincible Quasi-Emperor struck with his sword, cleaving through the better part of the Dao field and extending the rift for tens of millions of miles. The earth split into bottomless chasms, the scene resembling the arrival of the apocalypse; a few more strikes like that, and even the Big Dipper would be destroyed.

Those with ulterior motives at the center of the Dao field were slaughtered on the spot, leaving not even a corpse to be found.

The Imperial Banner unleashed a void vortex to protect the living, then took the initiative to fly into the high heavens to engage him in combat, both parties putting on a grand performance.

They headed to the Mythological Battlefield, where the great battle erupted. Immortal light clashed with Imperial Dao Laws; a single wisp of their aura leaking out turned countless stars into powder, reducing them to fly ash.

This battle was world-shaking. Powerhouses across the universe felt their hearts tremble. Though they could not see the combat within the Mythological Battlefield, covered as it was by the interweaving of Immortal Dao and Supreme Dao Laws, the waves of increasingly powerful auras leaking out still filled them with terror.

What kind of immense power could affect experts on the other side of the universe? It was as if an Emperor were waging war, the roaring sounds shaking the firmament.

Zhang Huan and the Imperial Banner fought a bloody battle here, trading real blows as Imperial Dao Laws and Immortal power overflowed.

Though he held back somewhat, the Imperial Banner's strength was truly formidable, capable of suppressing even a Supreme Being.

After fighting for a day and a night, Zhang Huan saw that the time was right. He feigned defeat and broke away, fleeing toward the starry sky.

He and the Imperial Banner chased each other through the universe, flying toward the Big Dipper; wherever they passed, whether ancient stars or black holes, all were crushed into dust.

Finally, he let out a great shout, loudly praising the prestige of Immortal Mountain and vowing to return one day for revenge, before flying down near Immortal Mountain and vanishing without a trace.

The Imperial Banner drifted through the starry sky, bearing the weight of countless awestruck gazes.

When it returned to the Dao field, the place was already deserted; those who had been quick to change sides had all fled.

The few who remained were the true disciples, those with firm wills who believed the Imperial Banner would return.

The Imperial Banner marked them and recommended them to certain Extreme Dao Families, ensuring their future Dao Path would be smoother.

It stated plainly that its origin had been damaged in the clash with the Immortal Sword and could not be restored.

It had used a life-for-life tactic earlier, barely managing to repel the opponent, and was severely wounded; now, cracks had appeared upon the Imperial Weapon, and it was clearly on the verge of disintegration.

However, the opponent had not fared well either; the Immortal Sword was likely heavily damaged, and perhaps Immortal Mountain would wait a long time before making another move.

As it spoke, a crisp sound emanated from the Imperial Banner.

The Imperial Banner was about to shatter and could no longer guard the Dao field; to prevent further retaliation from Immortal Mountain, it declared it would seal the entire Dao field away.

Perhaps in later ages, this Dao field would appear in the world again, but not in this era.

It arranged for the remaining people to leave, telling them to report the truth if anyone asked about today's events.

Finally, it sealed the Dao field, burying it deep within an alien space beneath the earth, and voluntarily split itself into two parts, falling to a certain location on the Big Dipper to await a future "fated person."

Those who witnessed this event today would spread the terror of Immortal Mountain throughout the Big Dipper and even across various star domains.

Rumors in the world claimed that the forbidden land of Immortal Mountain had seized the Divine Emperor's fortune and taken the Immortal Sword into its possession.

The news was taken as truth; many had witnessed it firsthand, seeing with their own eyes the Quasi-Emperor of Immortal Mountain attacking the Divine Emperor's Dao field with the Immortal Sword.

The final words of the Imperial Weapon were also recounted countless times.

Powerhouses from all walks of life came to search for the lost treasures, attempting to find the Dao field buried by the Imperial Weapon that day.

Alas, no clues were found. As batch after batch swept through, the number of seekers dwindled, and as time passed, people slowly forgot about the Dao field.

The Divine Emperor became a thing of the past, eventually passing away, and his biographies were updated with new ink, describing the regret of his "lost integrity in his twilight years."

Zhang Huan himself hid in a small mountain beside the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, leisurely and carefree, completely ignoring the news that was burning up the outside world.

The matter of the Dao field was finished; the next step was the entrance of the Imperial Banner.

Selecting geniuses and guiding them to pave the way for him, Zhang Huan, though isolated from the world, still controlled the universe from the shadows.

Time slipped away.

Things changed and people moved on; the younger generation of the Big Dipper began to take the stage.

Twenty years later, a genius on the Big Dipper stumbled into a cave and picked up a Headless Spear.

It was crafted entirely from Divine Mark Purple Gold and contained extraordinary Dao patterns. The genius was overjoyed, believing it to be a blessing from the heavens that he should have such good fortune.

Scriptures would sometimes appear on the spear, and the genius carefully recorded them. As he practiced, he found himself terrifyingly powerful.

He immediately switched to studying these scriptures, and thereafter, it was as if he had divine assistance; he used this as a foundation to sever his Dao, and his cultivation proceeded smoothly.

Through communication, he learned that this spear was an Imperial Weapon that had been cleaved in two by the Divine Emperor's Immortal Sword. While overjoyed, he was also anxious, fearing the karma he would inherit from the forbidden land.

However, he believed that things would work out in the end, and he would not give up such a heaven-sent opportunity; as long as the forbidden land did not find out, having an Imperial Weapon as an escort would ensure his Imperial Path remained prosperous.

The Imperial Weapon had been damaged, and the techniques it provided were incomplete. It claimed that if one day he could complete them, he might reach the same heights as the Divine Emperor, looking down upon all Emperors.

He believed it, studying day and night, and initially unearthed some new mysteries.

The Imperial Weapon praised him with satisfaction.

Two hundred years later, he reached the Great Sage realm and encountered a Saint King on the Ancient Path whose aura was similar to his own.

Filled with suspicion, he struck out fiercely, and just as he had guessed, the other party was also practicing the Divine Emperor's Immortal Scripture.

However, the fluctuations were slightly different; they walked similar paths, but they did not overlap.

The opponent also possessed the Divine Emperor's Legacy, likely practicing a different incomplete scripture.

If he could obtain the scripture from the other party and combine the two, even if not perfect, his future Dao Path would at least be smooth sailing.

The Saint King resisted with his life, but the gap was too great; he faced constant peril during the battle, nearly losing his life several times.

In the end, he glared and unleashed a banner that radiated Imperial might, using it to escape into the stars while vowing to return and kill him.

He did not continue the pursuit, knowing that with the other half of the Imperial weapon protecting him, he could not kill his opponent.

There was a faint intuition that this person would be his Destined Enemy in the future.

After this, he cultivated even more diligently, striving to raise his realm, both to merge the Divine Emperor's Unrivaled Imperial Foundation and to break the destiny shared with his rival.

He quickly reached the Great Saint Peak and accepted many followers after the Seven Heroes of Chaos Ancient died mysteriously.

However, for the next three hundred years, he was trapped by the incomplete scripture, unable to see the path ahead, and his cultivation did not advance an inch.

Hearing news from time to time of his arch-rival showing his prowess on the Ancient Path, he felt anxious, wavering between eliminating the opponent first or improving himself.

At this moment, he followed the advice of the Imperial weapon's Deity, stepping onto a path of nine deaths and one life; success meant a Great Opportunity, while failure meant death and dissipation.

To become the second Divine Emperor, he gambled.

He inscribed Immortal Dao Symbols onto his flesh and drove them into his soul, practicing his Dao with his own body.

The Deity silently recorded every change in him.

On the other side, the heaven-gifted talent holding the banner also took risks to delve deeper into the Immortal Scripture; it was similar to his Dao, but the path was different. If successful, it would also be a Great Opportunity.

They both broke through the path ahead; although it was partial and the evolution was incomplete—possibly harboring unknown hidden dangers—they indeed gained greater potential, both stepping into the Quasi-Emperor realm.

The two agreed to fight to the death in a wasteland in the starry sky, without using their Imperial weapons.

Two dragons fighting was also a test of their own Dao fruits; only the stronger could win and prove that their path held more potential.

The battle turned the sky dark and the earth dim, with flesh and blood flying everywhere; the two geniuses fought until their eyes were bloodshot, swearing to take everything from the other.

One was beaten to death on the spot, and the other was also near death, the struggle being tragic and intense.

Both were defeated and injured, knowing they could no longer obtain the other part of the legacy. Before death, he spread the news regarding the two Imperial weapons.

The theory of the Divine Emperor's Legacy being a matter of destiny became famous overnight; it was rumored that obtaining the Divine Emperor's legacy and combining the two could manifest the Immortal Scripture and lay an Unrivaled Imperial Foundation.

The Battle of the Twin Heroes became a widely discussed topic.

They were the first two to break into the Quasi-Emperor realm, yet they ended in tragedy, linked to the Divine Emperor's Legacy like a story from a book, giving people infinite room for imagination.

Not long after this, the third Quasi-Emperor Appeared.

He was the outstanding talent who once had a grudge against the Seven Heroes of Chaos Ancient and had been issued a kill order by them.

Later, having survived a disaster and found another opportunity, he returned to the Ancient Path to settle scores, killing the Seven Heroes one by one.

His growth was rapid, surpassing other cultivators by a wide margin, and some speculated that he had hope of attaining the Dao in the future.

A hundred years later, the Human Emperor Banner re-selected two geniuses, sending out the incomplete law for them to complete themselves.

In the Small Mountain on the other side, Zhang Huan rarely felt a sense of resonance and awoke from his deduction.

He had attained mastery in the Dao of Luck and could Sense the fortune and misfortune related to himself; he felt that Something was wrong.

The next moment, the sky split open a ten-thousand-foot crack, spilling light across the world, drawing the attention of all.

"The Path to Immortality has descended in this world?"