Myriad Homes' Lights

"Stop right there!" An ancient voice rang out, carrying an aura that surpassed the Saint King realm, sweeping across everything like a tidal wave.

Everyone, including Xu Changqing, suddenly found their breath caught, their entire bodies pressed down as if by towering divine mountains, unable to move.

If just their aura could cause such an effect, what would happen if they actually struck?

The several commanders were instantly targeted by that terrifying pressure, heavily pinned to the ground, their faces stuck against the Bluestone Road, their eyes staring at the high sky in terror.

A bloodstained old man with white hair slowly walked out from the Starry Sky, occasionally coughing up mouthfuls of blood, with blood droplets appearing from his nose and eyes.

It seemed he had been through a fierce battle.

"Pang Tong, Gou Yi, Sun the Guide, colluding with foreign races, attempting to wipe out my Human Race's Heavenly Prides!"

"Deserving death!"

The aged yet domineering voice spread throughout the entire Forty-ninth City, leaving everyone stunned and breaking out in cold sweat.

Boom!

The next moment, the white-haired old man struck without expression, directly slapping down at the few who had just acted. A massive hand instantly covered them, crushing them into bloody mud in a single blow.

There was no room for resistance at all. The old man had even mastered his power to the extreme, not letting a single ripple of aftershock spread outward.

Everyone fell silent, never expecting such an incident to occur.

If Xu Changqing hadn't come, it would have been fine, but the moment he arrived, several strong figures died—this was absurd.

After easily dealing with those few, the white-haired old man looked at Xu Changqing and said, "Your appearance has made many strong figures feel threatened, so they will stop at nothing to eliminate you."

"Of course, it's not just you. Tun Tian, the Feathered Divine Son, Tian Youqing, the Overlord Emperor, and all the other Heavenly Prides have also been targeted."

"The Saint Spirit Race has produced an extremely monstrous member of the Younger Generation. It should be them making moves against you. Be careful."

After helping Xu Changqing resolve the trouble, the white-haired old man left.

He didn't ask Xu Changqing to do anything; he was just doing his duty.

After all, the Guide Envoy's mission was this—to protect the Imperial Pass and safeguard the Human Race's Heavenly Prides from being assassinated by old monsters of foreign races.

But the Guide Envoys of the Imperial Pass weren't all like him.

"Our Human Race, in this era, has hope of Becoming Emperor..."

The white-haired old man didn't want to see that hope shattered, because for the Human Race to produce a Great Emperor would bring immense benefits.

Xu Changqing remained silent. After taking a deep look at the white-haired old man, his intuition told him that this old man was the Guide Envoy of the Human Race's First Pass.

Still, he didn't ask and simply left this place, continuing on his own journey.

From the moment he started traveling until now, he hadn't rested for a single moment.

He wanted to rise as quickly as possible, defeat all the Heavenly Prides, carve out a bloody path, and finally have his decisive battle with her!

From now on, he understood that he had entered the view of the entire Starry Sky, with life-threatening danger at every turn.

There might be Great Sages coming to besiege him, or foreign race members sneaking in to surround and kill these Human Race Heavenly Prides.

"He's on the road again, truly not stopping for a moment. He didn't choose to enter Secret Realms or trial grounds, but directly took the Broken Path of the Starry Sky." Many of the Younger Generation sighed in admiration.

Just reaching this place was already a struggle for them; going further was impossible.

Because the Human Race's Fiftieth Pass was very special.

The fiftieth pass had a Secret Realm, a gathering place for Heavenly Prides from across the universe, a battleground for all races.

A monotonous and tedious journey, a Starry Sky where darkness and cold coexisted. Xu Changqing walked alone, with no distractions in his heart. When bored, he studied Cultivation Techniques; when lonely, he found a random spot to sit down and silently drink wine.

One day, as he neared the Fiftieth Pass, there was a Life Ancient Land.

Xu Changqing entered the Life Ancient Land, which was different from what he had imagined.

There was no smoke of battle here at all—only tranquility.

At night, the Starry Sky was brilliant, countless stars twinkling with dazzling light. A bright half-moon hung high in the sky, its surface emitting a faint golden glow, but when it shone on the ground, it was cold and clear.

Xu Changqing flickered and left this dense forest. He planned to stay here for a while, because he hadn't rested in a very, very long time.

Moreover, his killing intent was too strong, and there was no suitable environment for enlightenment. So for now, he decided not to fight or kill, but to live quietly for a period.

At night, he passed by a small town.

Under the moonlight, rows of houses lined the roads on both sides of the town, with crimson lanterns hanging above them. Shadows moved back and forth behind the windows, accompanied by laughter and chatter, lively and bustling.

It wasn't late yet—by the time, it was only around eight in the evening.

Xu Changqing sensed his surroundings. The cultivators here seemed weak; the strongest was only at the Dao Palace, stationed in a large building at the town center.

"Haha, today it's my turn to be the dad!"

By the roadside, under a willow tree, a few young children were playing, with a pile of sand and mud at their feet as they played house.

At the entrances of some courtyards, white-haired elders sat—both old men and old women—discussing whose family had trouble, whose family had lost someone.

Some also talked about their wild days back then, boasting about how handsome they used to be.

"Today is New Year's. Have you all thought about your plans for next year?"

"Why think so much about it? It's New Year's, so don't dwell on things. Everyone's happy, joyfully reuniting, eating the New Year's Eve dinner—isn't that good? Why must you talk about next year's plans?"

"Older Brother, come on, let's go set off firecrackers!"

The town was bustling, every household filled with laughter and joy. Children wore happy smiles on their faces, clutching their New Year's money from their parents as they headed to various shops.

Through the windows of the town's houses, five or six people could be seen gathered together inside, chatting and laughing, some drinking loudly, others who hadn't seen relatives in years finally back home.

Myriad Homes' Lights, the brilliance of the Mortal World—all of this was a scene only mortals could have. As for cultivators, Secluded Cultivation lasted years; who knew how long it had been since they'd taken part in such a reunion?

What were they even pursuing?

Eternal life?

But after eternal life, the familiar people from before would be gone. What meaning would it hold then?

Stepping onto the Emperor's Road, waging war across the lands?

Yet not everyone was the Protagonist.

Their goal was to Become Emperor. After Becoming Emperor, they would be revered across the universe, invincible throughout the heavens. But so what? Were they happier than mortals?

Xu Changqing didn't envy everyone here. Myriad Homes' Lights, but not a single one shone for him. Still, so what? The path he walked was destined to never blend into such an environment.

"This Big Brother is an out-of-towner, right?"

"Why is he so young with White Hair? That's so unlucky."

Some people on the street, upon seeing Xu Changqing, let out sighs.

And some elderly folks, seeing Xu Changqing's expression and gaze, understood—this person was lonely, exuding an aura of solitude and an unyielding, forward-charging momentum from head to toe.

"Big Brother, have you eaten? Want to come to my place for a meal? It'll be lively and fun," a middle-aged woman said, a warm smile on her face as she walked up to Xu Changqing, took his hand, and started pulling him toward her house.

Though Xu Changqing had White Hair, his features were truly handsome, even if he Looked a bit cold.

Xu Changqing was stunned for a moment, but he didn't refuse. He followed the woman into a simple, humble house.

Why didn't he refuse? It was only because he was reminiscing about his past self.

He hadn't extinguished all humanity or all emotion; he had merely removed the feelings he considered shackles.

As for killing countless people, that was about cutting the roots to prevent all kinds of trouble from finding him.

An oil lamp hung on the wall. As soon as he entered, the place was filled with a strange smell—one he couldn't quite describe.

That scent was familiar yet foreign, like the first time you visit a friend's house.

Inside the house were an old man and four young teenagers—two boys and two girls.

Their features were pleasant enough, but their skin was rough and sallow, their Pores large, and they were a bit dark-skinned, dressed in Hemp Cloth. Yet judging by the fabric, it looked new.

"Come on, have a bite with us," the warm-hearted woman said, pulling Xu Changqing over to sit at a small table before serving him rice.

Xu Changqing never spoke, just sat there silently, occasionally observing his surroundings. The four young teenagers all stared at him without blinking.

"Big Brother, are you married?"

"Big Brother, where's your hometown?"

The warm-hearted woman asked all sorts of questions, full of curiosity, but her ultimate goal was to find out whether Xu Changqing had a wife or a Woman he fancied.

Xu Changqing, however, only shook his head, his gaze turning a bit colder.

The people here were warm and simple. He did miss his past self, but that was only the past.

Now, his heart was as firm as a rock; no one could shake his State of Mind.

After countless years of struggle and hardship, he had forged a heart of steel.

He had only come here to calm the killing intent within him, not to covet the beauty of this place.

From now on, his days would be nothing but blood and tears, nothing but battlefields ablaze with warfire, the magnificent Scroll Painting of slaughter along the Emperor's Road.

He might as well enjoy it now.