Heaven-Reaching Pagoda:
Chen Qingyu hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to step into the fog.
"There's nothing here; the only thing that might be related to the 'gift' is this layer of mist."
"Since it's a 'gift,' it can't possibly hide some enormous danger..."
With this in mind, Chen Qingyu took a step.
What lies beyond the fog?
Was it a door, a box, a room, or perhaps all the Heavenly Lord waiting for him?
Various speculations churned within Chen Qingyu's mind as his figure gradually disappeared into the mist.
The moment I stepped into the mist:
His consciousness wavered slightly, and his soul in his sea of consciousness quickly fell into a state of stillness...
In complete darkness and silence.
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice seemed to come from a very distant place, echoing faintly.
"Um?"
In the darkness, Chen Qingyu's consciousness gradually began to recover.
The ripples spread outwards from near to far, quickly enlivening the stagnant pool of thought.
Sparks of thought began to flicker even brighter.
Where am I? Where is this place?
After Chen Qingyu regained consciousness, he finally heard the distant voice clearly:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
"Huh? Whose voice is that?!"
Chen Qingyu suddenly opened his eyes.
What you see:
The magnificent palace, towering above the clouds and the sun and moon, stands majestically in the heavens.
He sat enthroned on the highest throne, overlooking the entire palace, with the steps beside him carved with the Star Sea, the Milky Way, and the myriad things of the world.
"Well..."
An old man dressed in a bullfighting costume turned and looked down with a sigh, his brows furrowed with deep sorrow and disappointment.
"Splash..."
A flood of memories rushed in like a tide, a series of unfamiliar scenes and images from the past.
Chen Qingyu's sea of consciousness trembled, and he quickly accepted and digested these memories.
"The world is divided into Nine Realms! This is the ' Heavenly River Realm ' at the center of the Nine Realms!"
"I am... the Heavenly Emperor Chen!"
Chen Qingyu was deeply shaken.
He never expected that after climbing to the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda and entering that misty area, he would find himself in a completely unfamiliar world!
There are no Three Thousand Dao Domains here, no Endless Battlefield; there are only nine vast realms!
Everything was unfamiliar!
The only thing that felt familiar to him was the consistent cultivation system, which was still the [ Four Physical Body Realms ], [ Four Spirit Origin Realms ], [ Four Divine Treasury Realms ], and finally the Realm of Creation.
He is none other than the strongest being in the Nine Realms, who transcends the Realm of Creation and has reached the Half-Step Heavenly Lord realm, the supreme being who rules the world and governs Yin and Yang— the Heavenly Emperor Chen!
The seventh Heavenly Emperor in the history of the Nine Realms.
"Is this just a fleeting dream, or Zhuangzi's butterfly dream?"
"Are these so-called Nine Realms real, or were they created by the Heavenly Lord?"
A series of questions kept flashing through Chen Qingyu's mind.
"The Grand Secretary!"
He suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind and suddenly spoke, calling out to the old man who was turning around to leave.
"Ah?"
The old man in the bullfighting outfit paused for a moment, then suddenly turned around, his face filled with surprise and delight.
"His Majesty!"
"You're awake?"
He hurriedly stepped onto the palace steps, his voice filled with excitement:
"You've finally woken up... It's been over ten thousand years!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingyu narrowed his eyes:
"More than ten thousand years..."
Based on his memories:
The Nine Realms are not very large; they are roughly equivalent to nine different Dao Domains.
The cultivation system here is exactly the same as that of the Three Thousand Dao Domains, except that it greatly suppresses power and Lifespan.
Here:
Even at the Emperor Venerable Peak, one does not possess the power to destroy the heavens and seas or shatter continents, and Lifespan is only about 30,000 years.
Even Half-Step Heavenly Lord can only live for a maximum of one era—129,600 years.
This " Heavenly Emperor Chen " was born into a great cultivation clan in the " Heavenly River Realm ". He showed his talent and brilliance in his youth, and made great progress all the way. He was invincible. At the age of three thousand, he reached the Half-Step Heavenly Lord realm and his power was as great as the sun.
At that time, it was still the end of the previous era. The sixth Heavenly Emperor had reached the end of his life and passed away, and the Nine Realms were in great chaos.
With his unparalleled strength, he gathered the " Five Great Divine Artifacts," commanded the submission of various lords, and ultimately established his rule over the world, becoming the seventh ruler of the Nine Realms —the " Heavenly Emperor Chen."
Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and nothing in this world is immortal.
Ten thousand years have passed:
The once spirited and ambitious young man is now old and frail.
In his twilight years, the " Heavenly Emperor Chen " had no choice but to fall into a deep sleep to combat the decay and aging of his soul and body in order to maintain his combat power and deterrent force.
His original plan was to remain asleep for a century, recover some of his strength, and then begin to cultivate a successor to maintain his family's " Zhang Clan Heavenly Dynasty ".
But unexpectedly--
Whether due to some accident or some unforeseen event, his slumber lasted for over ten thousand years.
Now, his Lifespan is nearing its end.
"Um..."
Chen Qingyu pondered for a moment, then looked at the old man in the bullfighting outfit and slowly said:
"I have been asleep in the Heavenly Capital for so long, I fear the world has already undergone tremendous changes?"
He has decided to temporarily assume the identity of " Heavenly Emperor Chen ".
Since the mist at the Heaven-Reaching Pagoda brought him to this world, it must have had a purpose—it is very likely that the "gift" is hidden within this world.
From this perspective:
The identity of " Heavenly Emperor Chen " is extremely useful.
The fact that the Heavenly Capital have not been conquered means that even in the most chaotic external circumstances, he is still, at least nominally, the ruler of the Nine Realms and the number one person under heaven.
With this identity, he can easily obtain a lot of help no matter what he does, which is very likely to be his first "reward" for reaching the top of the tower.
"His Majesty..."
The old man in the bullfighting outfit gave a bitter smile upon hearing Chen Qingyu's words:
"Your Majesty is wise; your prediction was absolutely correct."
"After His Majesty fell into a thousand-year slumber with no sign of awakening, those rebellious ministers and traitors, intimidated by His Majesty's divine power, began to stir and secretly conspire."
"In less than three thousand years, undercurrents have already surged throughout the Nine Realms, and rumors are spreading everywhere, saying... saying that His Majesty has already passed away."
Five thousand years ago, war raged across the Nine Realms, chaos erupted, and the world was thrown into turmoil.
He paused for a moment, then said sadly:
"Because His Majesty is asleep and no one in the court can make decisions, the three Imperial Guards and the nine Divine Generals are all stationed in the Heavenly Capital to protect His Majesty's safety, and no one dares to go into battle rashly."
"As a result, the best time to quell the rebellion was missed, allowing the rebels to grow stronger and become uncontrollable."
"Especially the Four Heavenly Kings, some declined, some died without heirs, and some rebelled... leading to the state's sacred artifacts falling into the hands of the rebels!"
"As of now, the situation is completely out of control..."
You provided the starting sign-in rewards for the legendary Zhuang Shisan, featuring Chen Qingyu from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations Zhuang Shisan.