Alas

That was the result.

With that pressure alone, no one present—not even Jiang Ming—could reach the summit by their own strength. At most, he could climb a little over halfway.

So Jiang Ming tried to use the emperor's pressure to temper his body.

It was a rare opportunity. Rather than join the others in using the Azure Emperor's Weapon to cancel out the pressure, he relied on his own body and divine sense, inching upward against it.

He had left the fight for the coffin lid to his confidantes. Now it was up to them.

He had already told them what mattered. They certainly wouldn't hold back.

Besides,

Jiang Ming's Azure Dragon Totem, White Tiger Totem, and Qilin Totem Deity had already joined the fray.

Jiang Ming pushed upward bit by bit. As he climbed, his essence, energy, and spirit clashed with that crushing force.

So what if it was the Immortal Emperor? Jiang Ming refused to bow to him. He had his own path, and he believed he would be no worse than the Immortal Emperor one day.

At that moment, the path from Jiang Ming's previous life flowed through his mind and steadily merged with his present self. Insight after insight welled up within him.

"Ancestor, your unworthy descendant has come to bring you home."

Meanwhile, an imperial uncle of the Great Xia Dynasty, already fifteen hundred years old, dropped to his knees. He was overcome with grief after discovering words the Primordial Emperor had left on the coffin lid.

The writing was bold and free, stating plainly that he intended to use the Immortal Emperor's coffin to undergo a transformation.

But the result was clear.

The Primordial Emperor had fallen into a trap left by the Immortal Emperor.

Jiang Ming seemed to become part of the