From this day onward, the entire universe was destined to boil over.
It was not merely because the Myriad Races Ancient Road had begun opening one after another, heralding the arrival of a great era.
It was also closely tied to explosive news such as the Human Emperor's return, Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao's reappearance, and the suspected survival of the Undying Heavenly Emperor.
In ordinary times, the appearance of even one existence standing at the pinnacle of the human path would have been extraordinary. Yet now, three or four had entered the sight of all living beings in a single day.
Not long after that day, further news spread through the starry sky like a storm.
A Great Saint claimed to have discovered astonishing remnants of Imperial Dao Laws in some corner of the universe.
The lingering aura there differed from that displayed during the battle between the Human Emperor and Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao. There were also scattered fragments of flesh that ordinary cultivators could not approach.
Had a Supreme Being fallen?
Could it have been the work of the Undying Heavenly Emperor? Was that supreme god, revered by all races during the Primordial Era, truly still alive?
This discovery thoroughly shook the Myriad Heavens and Ten Thousand Domains!
Countless cultivators were horrified.
Beyond the heavens of the Big Dipper.
When the clash between those two supreme beings came to an end, the lingering fluctuations that occasionally drifted down from beyond the high heavens, making heaven and earth lose color, also subsided.
Among the beings outside the Restricted Areas, no one saw how Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao returned to the Sea of Reincarnation, and few knew the outcome of that battle.
However, when the Human Emperor's mighty figure reappeared above the Human Emperor Hall in the Central Plains—
At that moment, countless people seemed to have an answer in their hearts.
Had the Human Emperor won?!
At this, all living beings quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, cultivators from the Five Regions of the Big Dipper watched the Human Emperor descend from the sky and cried out his mighty name in reverent voices.
At the same time, as though he had sensed something.
Tan Lin suddenly stopped in midair within the great hall. Drawing upon the Soul Pearl's power, he silently activated [All-Cause Vision], then glanced at the Soul Pearl Barrier, where countless crimson threads had densely connected across its surface.
Those threads were pale in color, their glow faint and dim. They were also incredibly thin, as though they might snap in the next instant.
Yet with so many threads connected together, quantitative change would eventually bring qualitative change, and he could gain much from them as well.
In just this brief moment, quite a few Fireflies had accumulated.
However, this seemed to be a one-time deal. After providing their initial amount, some of the threads no longer maintained themselves and simply vanished.
This disappearance was not because the person at the end of the Causal Line's Anchor Point had died, nor was it like Tianling's case. It was merely because the causality was too faint; once it was no longer sustained, it naturally dissipated.
After all, a certain Human Emperor had not truly prevented any Dark Turmoil. His causality with all living beings was simply too shallow.
This small gain was already an unexpected delight.
"Threads of all living beings?"
Tan Lin fell into thought.
In his previous life, as the Human Emperor, he had led the long-weakened Human Race in resisting the oppression of foreign races, allowing humanity to rise again from the cracks between the myriad races. At that time, quite a number of such threads should have formed as well.
But compared to today's phenomenon, it was utterly insignificant.
As he pondered, he examined the Fireflies within the third Deep Crimson Light Point. Their growth had gradually been curbed, and they occupied roughly twenty percent of the entire light point.
Seeing this, his thoughts, already much clearer after this trip, became even more cheerful.
All things considered, this trip to the Central Plains had encountered a few minor twists, but its overall purpose had been achieved. It had gone even more smoothly than expected.
His remnant soul was almost completely restored.
Although a small fragment was still suppressed by Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao deep within the Sea of Reincarnation in the Restricted Area, that fragment accounted for very little. He could already nourish the rest to completion with the Deep Crimson Light Points, so it would no longer affect his reincarnation.
Besides that, two pieces of true soul residue remained outside as chess pieces.
However, after considering it repeatedly, he did not retrieve them. He only reclaimed the soul residue within the exposed golden condor.
Buzz...
Suddenly, a thought stirred in his mind. He drew out all the Fireflies from the third Deep Crimson Light Point and sent them into his divine soul, mending those irregular cracks.
This kind of nourishment and repair was unlike the fusion of true soul fragments, which could be completed in an instant. Stitching the cracks required time, little by little.
If he did not seek perfection, then after fusing with the true soul fragment inside the Human Emperor Banner, the completeness of his soul was already sufficient. With enough Deep Crimson Light Points now, he could activate the Soul Pearl and begin the next lifetime at any time.
But his current state of returning at his peak could still be maintained for some time. He could make use of that remaining time to make more preparations for his next life.
"Your Majesty!!! We pay respects to His Majesty the Human Emperor..."
"Suiren Hong of the Ziwei Star Domain's Human King Hall lineage, together with the current Human King Body, Suiren Lianlei, pays respects to the Human Emperor!!"
"..."
"Welcome the Human Emperor's triumphant return!"
"... We congratulate Your Majesty on defeating a powerful enemy and raising the prestige of our Human Emperor Hall..."
"..."
At this moment, as Tan Lin slowly descended, countless cultivators within the Human Emperor Hall's territory beneath the heavens immediately fell to their knees in a vast black mass.
Although he had slightly restrained his aura, the Imperial Dao aura he unconsciously emitted still enveloped the Five Regions of the Big Dipper invisibly. It simply lacked that terrifying pressure that made people tremble.
In the air.
Tan Lin silently listened to the rising cries from all around as his gaze swept below.
He saw the many disciples of the Human Emperor Hall, as well as the group of cultivators from the Ziwei Star Domain's Human King Hall.
Every person below looked up at him with fervor, reverence, and excitement written across their faces.
Among them were quite a few with decent cultivation, as well as young heavenly geniuses of this era.
The woman with sword-like brows, surrounded like the moon among stars by the Human King Hall cultivators from the Ziwei Ancient Emperor Star, was none other than the current Human King Body, Suiren Lianlei.
She too gazed up at that godlike, mighty figure in the air. Her starry eyes shimmered with strange light, filled with reverence and longing...
Perhaps because she and the Human Emperor were both Human King Bodies, their bloodlines resonated as they appeared in the same place. The blood within her body churned restlessly, her passion impossible to cool. Her lovely face flushed with excitement, and her heart pounded wildly.
The bearing displayed by the returning Human Emperor perfectly overlapped with the image of him she had long held in her heart.
This time, he had even repelled a Restricted-Area Supreme and returned safely. Now that he stood before her, how could she not be excited?
He was the "light" in the hearts of all cultivators with Human King Bloodline flowing through them!
He was the very embodiment of glory...
"I never expected that, after a million years, the Human King Body lineage of the Ziwei Emperor Star would produce another rare uncut jade like you..."
Tan Lin descended, his gaze falling upon Suiren Lianlei as he said calmly,
"A great era is about to begin. As the current Human King Body, you will naturally have achievements of your own... But your path does not lie in imitation. There is no need to cling to the stale wisdom of predecessors. You must have your own road."
Hearing this, Suiren Lianlei slowly lowered her head and lightly bit her red lip.
The immense joy she had felt because the Human Emperor had spoken to her seemed to be extinguished by a basin of cold water at that moment.
At her side, several ancient elders of the Ziwei Human King Hall who had placed great hopes upon her could not help but turn pale as well.
"..."
The surrounding cheers had consciously ceased the moment Tan Lin spoke, and a brief silence followed.
Suiren Lianlei said nothing.
She knew that the Human Emperor had seen through the purpose of her visit to the Big Dipper's Human Emperor Hall with her elders.
She too wished to imitate the Human Emperor of old and cultivate both Lunar and Solar!
But only after stepping onto that path did she learn how difficult it truly was.
Over the years, she had cultivated in Ziwei, stumbling and struggling all the way to her current level.
Let alone merging yin and yang, or eventually balancing them, she had suffered qi deviation several times along the way. It was already fortunate that she had not undergone Dao Dissolution.
That was why she had come to the Big Dipper's Human Emperor Hall lineage, hoping to pay respects at the place where the Human Emperor had once sat in cultivation and see whether she could gain some experience or inspiration to help her successfully cultivate both Lunar and Solar.
But the Human Emperor's words today undoubtedly showed that he did not think highly of the path to Dao Attainment she had chosen for her future.
"..."
After the Human Emperor finished speaking, the dense mass of cultivators who had respectfully gathered around remained silent as cicadas in winter, respectfully listening to his teachings. Though his words were not directed at them, they could still take them as guidance.
Before the great hall, Tan Lin stood with his hands behind his back. A mighty bearing filled his body, vast Imperial Dao charm swirling around him. His face was blurred, and no one could make out his true appearance.
The surrounding cultivators had not dared to look directly at him in the first place. Even if they were curious, they only dared to steal glances and pay their respects. Now, they found the Human Emperor even more unfathomable.
"The Human King Body is born to reign supreme among the Human Race. Your starting point is already high enough. Focus on the ground beneath your feet and build a solid foundation with every step... Follow nature's course, and then you may not necessarily be weaker than anyone."
Amid the silence, Tan Lin looked at his "junior" and spoke again. While offering guidance, he could not help saying a few things against his conscience.
The Human King Body truly could reign supreme in ordinary times, and Suiren Lianlei's talent was indeed astonishing. After all, she had cultivated both Lunar and Solar to the Immortal Platform Secret Realm without going mad and was still lively and kicking...
But this was a great era, and she was competing with the future Female Emperor on the Emperor's Road. How tragic was that?
How terrible was her luck?
Could it be that when he attained the Dao in the past, he had somehow exhausted the Dao Attainment fortune of the Human King Body lineage in later generations?
As Tan Lin thought this, part of his mind continued watching the changing Causal Lines on the Soul Pearl Barrier.
The Human King Battle Body clan into which he had been born in his previous life was descended from a branch of Human King Hall cultivators that had moved from the Ziwei Emperor Star to the Big Dipper countless years ago.
If one truly traced the lineage, the Human King Hall on Ziwei's side was the main branch.
But during the Primordial Era, he had emerged. His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and after becoming a Quasi-Emperor, he had achieved great merit. Then his "unruly" soldiers and generals had presumptuously bestowed a crown title upon him, honoring him as the "Human Emperor."
Every sixty years, Ziwei had sent people over to pay respects and worship.
Later, he attained the Dao, and the Big Dipper side became the new "main branch."
However, times had changed. The Human King Battle Body clan of the Big Dipper had always been sparsely populated, and he had left behind no descendants. After his fall, the Human Emperor Hall had endured several periods of chaos.
Coupled with rebels usurping power, the Human King Body bloodline within the present Human Emperor Hall was now nearly extinct. The few remaining bearers possessed exceedingly thin bloodlines.
"Not weaker than anyone..."
Tan Lin's voice, like a great bell or mighty chime, slowly fell.
After receiving his encouragement, Suiren Lianlei's spirits visibly rose, and she was about to bow deeply in thanks.
However.
Before she could make any move, just as Tan Lin finished speaking, he added another sentence in a slow voice:
"I see that the secret method you use to temper your physique seems incomplete... Since we have met today, it is fate..."
As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Suiren Lianlei's brow.
Whoosh!
A strand of Clear Radiance surged forth. Suiren Lianlei's delicate body trembled, and her brow suddenly shone as divine light burst forth.
At that moment, a majestic voice began chanting scriptures in her Sea of Consciousness, completing the method she lacked for tempering her physique.
Going premium tomorrow
After it goes premium, a book's continued subscriptions determine its life or death and how far it can go.
So please, my generous readers, don't stockpile chapters, don't stockpile chapters!
Don't stockpile chapters!!! (Important things must be said three times!)
For novels on Qidian, stockpiling chapters basically amounts to sentencing the book to death.
With all sorts of internal and external factors mixed together and the current environment being what it is, writing is truly not easy. So I hope readers who genuinely lack the patience to follow daily updates can, within their means, enable automatic subscriptions for this book in the backend. That will also keep this book from being stockpiled to death.
If possible, Dami would like to thank everyone in advance!!!
Before you continue