The Emperor: Rebellion, Rebellion

The Path to Immortality has opened in this era.

The Big Dipper is undergoing a world-changing transformation.

A terrifying, massive rift suddenly tore open in the sky, surging with auspicious energy and permeated by chaos, isolating it from the mortal world.

Bursts of immortal music drifted from within, accompanied by beautiful, resplendent light and swirling immortal essence dancing in all directions, as if it were a gateway to the Immortal Domain.

This heaven-shaking change descended, and the various saints were shocked by the Immortal Path. Even the ancient Supremes were awakened, their gazes projecting deep and unfathomable power. All living beings across the Eastern Wasteland trembled in fear, involuntarily bowing their heads.

That gaze was heart-stopping, as if facing a deity capable of World Creation. Even sages dared not look directly at it; merely sensing it passively made their very souls tremble.

The Supremes in the forbidden zones were the first to wake, using various methods to investigate and frowning at the Immortal Path.

They could not discern its authenticity, yet they were inclined to believe it was real, for there were few in this world who could deceive them.

It had manifested in the world when it was not the correct time; could it be another path?

In their doubt, the Supremes joined forces to deduce the truth, seeking an answer. If it were truly the Path to Immortality, some would emerge on the spot to march toward the Immortal Domain.

The result was unexpected; even with several Supremes working together, they could not deduce whether this route could lead to immortality.

They attempted to deduce it using the Path to Immortality itself, but the result was no different from past deductions: from ancient times to the present, the time for the path that could connect to the Immortal Domain to open was always in the future.

"In other words, this one in the current era is actually fake? Even if we force our way through, we cannot become immortals?"

"Not necessarily. The Immortal Path naturally obscures heavenly secrets; perhaps it can be done, perhaps not."

"However, even if it leads to the Immortal Domain, it is not something we can force our way through. Only a Great Emperor of the current era, while their blood and energy are at their peak, would have a chance to break through."

Regardless, this was not the Immortal Path they were waiting for. Even if it could lead to the Immortal Domain, given their current foundations, forcing their way in would only result in them falling halfway.

At the same time, Zhang Huan also looked at the sky in doubt, sensing something suspicious.

The Path to Immortality—according to his memory, wasn't that an event that would only appear in later ages? How could it descend in this era?

When things go against the norm, there must be a demon; it was likely a trap.

He did not act rashly. Even with the Immortal Path right before his eyes, he was in no hurry to investigate.

He cast a forbidden technique to peer into the Immortal Path, staring unblinkingly, striving to discern the traces of the Great Dao within.

Inside was another universe, containing clear imprints of laws.

The scenes projected into this realm, shifting from time to time, transforming into the beautiful scenery of the Immortal Domain, a delicate Mulberry-Picking Maiden, and Immortal Dao Great Medicine.

These were all illusory sights, like a mirage—beautiful and magnificent, yet impractical.

Every image seemed deliberately designed to stimulate one's desires, enticing people to enter.

Seeing through these illusions, Zhang Huan delved deeper into the laws and symbols within.

He sensed a trace of a familiar aura—subtle and faint, hidden deep, with almost all traces erased.

Had he not seen this aura before and deliberately sought to match it, even a Great Emperor of the current era would not have sensed anything amiss.

He identified the lingering remnants of the aura; he had seen it on that drop of blood shed by the Undying Heavenly Blade.

Comparing the symbols within the blood, they overlapped perfectly; they originated from the same person.

"No wonder. So it is that Old Thing, the Undying one. It seems he has taken a liking to my essence blood; his wicked heart never dies."

Zhang Huan cursed under his breath, his mind clear.

So that was it.

This Path to Immortality had appeared specifically for him, targeting him.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor had set a trap, finding a path of unknown authenticity from somewhere, connecting the space at the entrance to the sky above the Big Dipper.

He had used this trick in the past to lure Great Emperors of the current era, and now he wanted to repeat the same old trick, to bathe in essence blood once more and advance further on the Mortal World Immortal Path.

The Immortal Path itself could not be faked; no one could replicate it. However, whether it could actually lead to the Immortal Domain was another matter—many were simply Broken Paths.

But the Great Emperors of later ages did not know this; lacking information, they would only realize the truth after walking it. The Undying Heavenly Emperor had set his trap based on this, succeeding several times and ambushing more than one Great Emperor.

As a Great Emperor, one dominates the universe, yet can only live for twenty thousand years. Who could be content? When their lifespan was running low, they would eventually be unable to resist; even if they knew there might be danger, they would still enter to see if it were real.

The divine factors from the other side would wash over them, making them suspect it was indeed a path to immortality.

If they became interested, or intended to enter, they would fall into the Undying one's trap and face a Great Tribulation.

Inside, the most treacherous schemer in history would be waiting in ambush, ready to launch a shameless sneak attack on an old man whose blood and energy were no longer at their peak.

Within the Immortal Path, all activity was shielded and heavenly secrets were erased—it was the Undying Heavenly Emperor's perfect hunting ground.

Zhang Huan withdrew his gaze and sat quietly in the small mountain.

The Immortal Path was wreathed in immortal light; that schemer, the Undying one, was definitely hiding inside.

He would not go in. This path could not lead to immortality; instead, it held great disaster.

The Undying one dared to target him, so his state was likely quite good. Fighting on his home turf, the outcome was unpredictable.

If he didn't act as recklessly as Taihuang and simply ignored the Immortal Path, the Undying one would eventually lose his patience, and this tribulation would dissipate on its own.

The Undying one only dared to influence the current world in such an indirect way because he, too, feared exposure.

Not having self-severed did not mean he was invincible, especially since the Mortal World Immortal Path would run into problems from time to time, causing his strength to plummet.

Even the Undying Heavenly Emperor and the Ruthless Emperor are the same; they traverse the mortal world generation after generation, their states fluctuating, sometimes high and sometimes low, in ways even they cannot control.

If the Supremes of the restricted zones were to learn of their situation, they might become quite interested in them.

If a double-digit number of Supremes were to hunt them down simultaneously, even the Undying Heavenly Emperor would have to drink the cup of hatred; after all, he has yet to transform into a true Mortal Immortal, and there is a limit to what human power can achieve.

He understands this point very well, which is why he has been lying low for these past few million years, aware of his own problems, secretly taking shots from the shadows.

Until he was dragged into the Exotic World by Wushi, the Supremes of the restricted zones still did not know that the Undying Heavenly Emperor existed in the human world, having survived without self-mutilation.

Perhaps they had suspected it, but the Undying Heavenly Emperor never exposed any evidence that could prove he was still alive.

Zhang Huan could not help but have a sudden inspiration; now is a good opportunity.

Expose the Undying Heavenly Emperor's secrets, let the restricted zones and the Undying Heavenly Emperor bite each other like dogs, and he can sit firmly on the fishing platform and reap the profits.

If I mess with the Undying Heavenly Emperor now and let the restricted zones know of his existence, can he continue to lie low and develop?

The restricted zones are not kind-hearted; if it helps them achieve longevity, they will do anything.

When the time comes, they might be eager to drink the Heavenly Emperor's blood and seize the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor is delivering himself to their doorstep; while fishing, he is also being fished.

If used well, it can set the restricted zones and the Undying Heavenly Emperor against each other, leaving neither in peace.

Think of a way to make the Undying Heavenly Emperor suffer, and let him know what it means to have the sinister hearts of men!

Above the Big Dipper, the Path to Immortality opened wide, attracting thousands of cultivators. Inside, it seemed as if there was another true world; some who approached even saw beings from the other realm waving at them.

The other party looked here with a kind smile, appearing carefree, living a beautiful life in the other world.

Some could not resist and ventured inside, their bodies wreathed in immortal energy, as if they were about to ascend to immortality, and they never came out again.

Had they become immortals? It was unknown whether it was true or false.

But many cultivators could not resist the temptation and entered the so-called Immortal Domain.

The Path to Immortality floated in the firmament of the Big Dipper, with light rain dancing, scattering divine splendor across the sky. Each grain was crystalline and brilliant, bringing vibrant life to the vegetation upon which it fell.

Aged cultivators took the initiative to absorb the immortal energy and immediately became full of vigor, their skin tightening as if they had returned to their youth, their faces changing back to how they looked when they were young.

However, they discovered that this immortal energy was limited to this; the Wheel of Life on their Wheel Sea remained weathered, the marks carved upon it never smoothed away.

It was merely an appearance of immortality; internally, there was not the slightest change, and it would only further overdraw their essence, causing them to die faster.

Within a few years, people began to fear the Path to Immortality, no longer recklessly believing that entering it meant becoming an immortal. They had concerns and were watching, especially watching the Holy Lands and the restricted zones.

If what was in the sky was truly the Path to Immortality, no matter what, the Supremes of the restricted zones would not remain indifferent.

The attitude of the major Holy Lands was also very subtle; in several years, no one from the Holy Lands had ever entered the Path to Immortality, and not even scouts had been sent.

As time went on, fewer and fewer people dared to enter the Immortal Domain, mostly old figures with little lifespan left, pinning their illusory hopes on throwing themselves into the Path to Immortality.

After a few more years, a pressure that suppressed the ages descended; the Divine Ruins returned, descending upon the Big Dipper from the galaxy.

"A Path to Immortality; if you do not enter, we shall not be so modest."

Zhang Huan hid within the Divine Ruins, the faint Imperial prestige covering the heavens and shaking the universe.

He intended to attack and enter, ostensibly leading all the Supremes of the Divine Ruins to break into the Path to Immortality.

Immortal energy billowed, and the Divine Ruins disappeared into the great rift, keeping people's nerves taut.

Before long, various world-shaking fluctuations erupted from within, shattering the entire Path to Immortality.

The Divine Ruins rushed out, and the people inside shouted angrily before the Path to Immortality.

"Undying Heavenly Emperor, you actually didn't die! You were hiding so deeply, lying in ambush for us inside."

The voice resounded through heaven and earth. Before people could recover, with a boom like the collapse of heaven and earth, the Path to Immortality crumbled immediately after.

It shattered at the zenith, agitating the immortal energy, and finally exploded into a brilliant light rain that covered the sky and the earth. The light shone so brightly it eclipsed the sun, causing even the galaxy to lose its color.

After the brief beauty came countless corpses, appearing like dark clouds covering the heavens, so many that they blocked the sunlight. They fell from where the rift had disappeared, crashing onto the earth one after another.

Piles of corpses were stacked higher than mountains, all broken limbs and severed arms, without a single drop of blood spilled.

People were horrified to discover that the identities of these corpses were all those who had previously broken into the Immortal Domain.

Even more terrifying was that the immortal mist in the rift was boiling, as if some behemoth was about to emerge.

Some cultivators stared intently; the void trembled, and a piece of twisted flesh and skin fell from the Path to Immortality.

It carried the Imperial Dao Law and shot out dazzling light. It had traces of being gnawed, and as soon as it appeared, it began to dissolve into the Dao, forming millions of runes in the air, dense and packed.

Ten thousand rays of auspicious light manifested the Great Dao of the flesh's owner, perishing in the light rain, revealing his identity.

"A part of an ancient Emperor; so it was him. He actually died on this path, murdered by someone in the dark."

Someone in the Primordial Ancient Mine woke up, their words filled with disbelief.

A generation of Emperors, actually devoured until only some skin and flesh remained; it was chilling.

Some felt lingering fear; the Immortal Domain was actually a scam, deceiving countless heroes. Even the Ancient Great Emperors were buried within it; they all died.

Who could have such heaven-defying means to carry out such a deceptive act?

Recalling the angry accusations from the Divine Ruins, the crowd looked up one after another, understanding something, and the public sentiment was filled with indignation.

Undying Heavenly Emperor, what a scourge. A fake Path to Immortality, deceiving the world and stealing its name—he has committed boundless sins, enough to invite the wrath of Heaven.

Ancient Emperor Mountain issued an urgent denial, sitting on pins and needles.

On the Fluctuating Ancient Star, within a palace of the Blood Sea, a sigh of regret echoed.

He seemed to be holding his breath, his body twisting in discomfort.

He could not understand it; he truly could not fathom why he had been discovered.

The Divine Ruins had spotted him the moment he entered the Path to Immortality. He had struck immediately, hoping to trap the Divine Ruins, yet it had fled with great speed, escaping the Path before a single blow could land.

He had clearly hidden himself well; how had he been exposed so suddenly? He had always succeeded in the past using the same methods.

"Sigh."

What a pity. Without the essence blood of a Great Emperor to absorb, and having failed to leave even a Supreme Being behind, he would have to wait tens of thousands of years longer for his next life.

Not only had he failed to retrieve that drop of blood, but he had also exposed himself. In short, it was a massive loss.

On the Big Dipper, a Divine Sense, accompanied by a drop of blood, was delivered to the Primordial Ancient Mine, where the Supreme Beings were currently in deliberation.

The Divine Sense claimed this was a token of allegiance from the Divine Ruins, concerning the Undying Heavenly Emperor.

It explained the reason: having witnessed the Emperor's strength and deeming him impossible to provoke, it had fled into the starry sky.

It had surrendered the blood to the Primordial Ancient Mine, believing the Mine possessed the power to contend with the Undying, and thus the Divine Ruins had willingly yielded it.

The Undying was hidden deep; as long as he lived, he would be a sword hanging over the heads of the forbidden zones. It hoped the Ancient Mine would shoulder the great responsibility and become the vanguard in dealing with the Undying.

As the undisputed big brother among the forbidden zones, the Primordial Ancient Mine was Zhang Huan's first choice; he held no regard for the few stragglers in the other zones.

Only the number of Supreme Beings in the Ancient Mine could accomplish such a great task, perhaps even striking fear into the Undying Heavenly Emperor himself.

For two-digit numbers of Supreme Beings to awaken simultaneously—this was the first time since the creation of the world.

In the past, no matter the circumstances, some would always remain in slumber; it was never as solemn as today, with everyone waking in unison.

This was because the events of today were too explosive. Not only had the Path to Immortality been shattered, but the Undying Heavenly Emperor was actually still alive. If true, it would overturn everyone's understanding.

This drop of blood was the essence blood of the Undying Heavenly Emperor. It contained terrifying power, steaming with auspicious light and suffused with a vast amount of blood energy.

The moment it appeared, it suppressed the surrounding heaven and earth with a domineering, absolute authority. Invisibly, it manifested myriad visions: divine birds soaring into the nine heavens, true dragons coiled in repose, and thousands of immortal beasts lingering in the air.

It could recreate the myth of the Undying; once activated, it would be as if the Undying himself had arrived, bearing his unique Heavenly Emperor Dao.

"This drop of blood was taken from the Undying, and it hides the secrets of his deepest lineage."

A Supreme Being delivered the final verdict, confirming it came from the supreme Emperor who had been the first to attain the Dao in the Primordial Era.

He had seen the miracles manifested by Ancient Emperor Mountain with his own eyes, and the Dao patterns in his memory matched the essence blood perfectly.

The Supreme Beings of the Primordial Ancient Mine were almost all Dao Attainers from the Primordial Era, and during their growth, they had inevitably crossed paths with the lineage of the Heavenly Emperor.

They all shared a common trait: the closer one was born to the Undying Heavenly Emperor, the more they revered him, and the more they understood his terror.

If the Heavenly Emperor did not age, the world would have long since become his paradise.

Because no one could defeat him; being the first person of the Primordial Era was not a title one could claim through mere talk.

In fact, he had done just that: he founded the Undying Divine Dynasty, was revered by all races, established order, and turned the Primordial Ancient Mine into a supreme holy land to adjudicate all things in the world, forming the initial laws.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Ancient Emperors here had all been influenced by him.

"The Heavenly Emperor is not dead; he is hiding behind the scenes, specifically ambushing Great Emperors in their twilight years."

"No wonder the Monkey flew into a rage back then and destroyed his dojo; it turns out there was such a reason."

"Heng Yu also said back then that he wanted to lure out the Heavenly Emperor. At the time, we thought it was just rhetoric to attack our Ancient Mine; I never expected it to be true."

The Supreme Beings spoke one after another, shocked by this discovery, unable to calm their hearts for a long time.

The order of the Primordial Era had been established by the Undying, which was a large part of why he was revered by all races.

But the conduct he had now exposed was the exact opposite.