Above the Great Barrens, gale winds swept through the clouds, carrying dust and the scent of Emperor's blood, yet there was not the slightest sign of heaven and earth mourning together. Everything was as calm as if an ordinary living being had passed away. Only the enormous ravine in the ground and the lingering imperial might spoke of the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place.
The Celestial Race Great Emperor's body crashed to the ground. Having lost all life, it crumbled inch by inch, turning into motes of light that merged into heaven and earth. Almost the instant he fell, the gaze of the Heavenly Dao that had shrouded him withdrew and silently swept across the entire Great Barrens, seeking the next inheritor of the Great Emperor's position.
This gaze of the Heavenly Dao was exceedingly well concealed and disturbed no experts, secretly examining potential candidates. The inheritance of the Great Emperor's position had never been an open proclamation, but a hidden struggle and contest.
All Ten Thousand Races of the Great Barrens knew of an unwritten rule regarding the passing of the Great Emperor's position: only Celestial Realm perfected Saints or Demon Emperors who learned of the old Great Emperor's death at the first opportunity and stood nearby had a chance to undergo ultimate sublimation, win the Heavenly Dao's recognition, and ascend to the imperial throne. This was both an opportunity and a peril; the slightest misstep meant death and the dispersal of one's Dao.
After slaying the Celestial Race Great Emperor, Jiang Ping'an stood proudly atop the Great Barrens. He circulated his qi, blood, and dharmic power, and the grievous wounds he had suffered in battle healed at a visible rate. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked into the distance, where