"This road is no easy path. From ancient times to the present, most who became emperors lost friends and family who died fighting because of them. It has always been shrouded in ill fortune and hardship."
Lin Yi entered the city and drew a crowd. His fame had spread through scores of holy cities, and everyone looked his way.
Many cultivators sighed at the sight of him. Though he kept his vital energy restrained, his presence still left them struggling to breathe. They knew they were nowhere near his equal.
Many had long since given up on the Emperor Path. They had come this far only to temper themselves so they would be strong enough when they returned to their home stars. Even so, they could not help feeling dejected.
Someone said sourly, "That doesn't mean he'll have the last laugh. People once favored the Overlord, Di Tian, and the others. Didn't he end up overtaking them?
"It happened once. It could happen again. The ancient road won't close for a long time. Who knows what astonishing figure might appear next?"
"Can you find someone stronger than the Overlord or Di Tian?" someone retorted. The first speaker fell silent.
"This is only the Human Race Ancient Road. Don't forget that the final clash will bring together the supreme talents of every race across all the heavens and domains. It's too early to call anyone the strongest beneath the stars."
"Not so. The Human Race may be weak in some Star Regions, but across the universe, it has never fallen out of the top fifteen in a great age of competition."
Lin Yi's arrival set people arguing in private. Before long, the debates grew heated.
"By your reckoning, Gu Huang is already among the fifteen strongest young cultivators in the universe