The Curtain Rises
"The beginning of this age of great contention is extraordinary indeed."
"In this great age, where ten thousand sails race across the waters, neither you nor I can even be counted among the players."
Beings conversed behind the curtain. They had awakened ahead of time, waiting for the perfect moment to enter the game.
"The struggle in this age is impossible to predict. Indestructible and Dao Venerable Mountain have already entered the fray."
"The eleventh level of Profound Opening may be only the beginning. The truly unparalleled great age ahead is impossible to see through."
Even beings of their stature sighed, unable to see the road ahead or fathom the future.
"The suppression of the Great Dao is growing stronger. In another hundred thousand years, my cultivation realm will fall." A being spoke in resignation, saying that these would be his last glorious years. If someone could force open the road to heaven and forge a path to supreme strength, there might still be a chance to carry on.
Otherwise, the age of Dao's sorrow would fully arrive. His realm would fall, and he would rapidly decline and decay.
"The one in the Indestructible Forbidden Zone is growing ever more terrifying. I fear no one can stand against him." Even beings of their stature sighed in wonder. The oldest emperor was also the strongest, and the gap was so vast as to inspire despair.
"Is he an ancient immortal? Those supreme immortal arts are far too extraordinary. At the beginning of the epoch, the Heavenly Emperor's secondary body frequently visited the great death grounds and forbidden zones, drawing a large number of ancient figures to his side in the hope of standing against him."
"An old undying who knows only how to run away wants to command the emperors? A fool's dream." Someone spoke with utter disdain, saying that he had once spoken with him and knew some of his plans.
"The founder of the Imperial Ancient Epoch escaped the Indestructible Heavenly Venerable several times. That alone shows how extraordinary he is." A being objected, saying that the Heavenly Emperor was already a titan with few rivals; it was simply that the Indestructible Heavenly Venerable was too powerful.
"Has that one fallen? Someone has emerged from that ruined small world."
"The Heavenly Court must not be underestimated. Qingpeng's fall is suspected to have something to do with it. Someone once saw the Second Imperial Venerable going to its Dao grounds."
"The heir of Dao Venerable Mountain has already entered the world and is active among the imperial dynasties and imperial clans. That lineage is terrifying. That old fellow Dao Venerable concealed himself too deeply-even he has placed a piece on the board."
"Who is the master of the Tribulation Sword? I have no impression of them."
"There's something very familiar about it. Perhaps an old acquaintance acted while concealing their methods. The sword has already broken, so it's nothing to worry about."
"There's something deeply strange about the World Road. It involves several major figures from the Immortal Ancient era, and there may be a tremendous opportunity there."
"That place is too strange. An emperor fell because of it, meeting with a great calamity. Only the Heavenly Emperor entered it, but it also had much to do with his departure for distant lands."
"There's no need to worry. A titan has stepped forward and reached some kind of agreement with the monsters in the World Road. Once the struggle is over, we'll force our way in."
The supreme experts continued exchanging words, touching on numerous secrets and schemes.
The guardian Saints of the great sacred lands, imperial dynasties, and supreme Dao lineages were all stirred, emerging from seclusion one after another to seek out old friends.
All the realms were in turmoil. Dao lineages that had withdrawn from the world for so long that they were thought to have vanished emerged one after another, while some ancient Saints whose deaths had been reported in the past were extremely active.
The Spirit Realm had an Ancient Saint Luan'an whose funeral had already been held. In his era, he had made friends across the world, and many imperial clans and supreme Dao lineages had sent envoys bearing gifts. Yet he was active in the present age, shamelessly claiming that he had comprehended the secret of life and death in his grave and lived a second life.
His appearance had changed greatly: he had white hair and a youthful face. Many accepted his story. This ancient Saint's talent was astonishing. He had been no more than a Rogue Cultivator, yet he had defeated prodigies from all quarters and become the foremost person in the Spirit Realm.
Some guessed that he had faked his death to collect gifts and use them to break through. Only now that his old friends had all passed away and he no longer had to return their gifts had he shown himself.
But even that conjecture was enough to inspire awe. He had succeeded. He was no ordinary ancient Saint; he was suspected of having broken through to the Saint King realm and become a titan in his own right.
The heir of Dao Venerable Mountain had emerged from the Dao Venerable Small World. He was a young Venerable whose vitality ran as deep as an abyss. Invincible in every respect, he had no equal who could withstand a single exchange in the same realm, and he could fight Saints across the gap between realms. A great many sacred lords and imperial lords held high hopes for him.
He was called the Little Dao Venerable, and many Dao lineages had placed heavy bets on him, believing that he could attain the Dao in this age and become a new emperor.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. If Nangong Mengzhu had not been able to sense that the source of the Life and Death Natal Gu was nearby and growing stronger, she would have suspected that Fu Yuan had already left.
Nangong Mengzhu's eyes flickered. Someone emerged from the Lone Lamp Pavilion, his ink-black robes in tatters and stained with blood. He seemed to have been through a breathtaking battle.
The youth walked over from afar, pale golden light enveloping his body as it washed away the bloodstains and mended his robes. They had been apart for only half a month, yet Nangong Mengzhu felt ashamed of her own inferiority, like a stream seeing the vast ocean for the first time, like a speck of dust gazing up at the stars.
Those eyes had plainly not changed, yet they were utterly different from when she had first seen them. They seemed not of this world, like the bright moon and the countless stars.
"There's quite a problem with this Natal Life and Death Gu of yours." Fu Yuan reached out with his right hand and plucked the Life and Death Gu from his spiritual altar. The ferocious-looking Gu had made itself quite comfortable there. It was momentarily dazed when Fu Yuan pulled it out, its four little black wings trembling lightly. It affectionately nuzzled his palm with its little head, looking perfectly docile.
Had Fu Yuan not known that it was one of the most vicious Life-Bound Gu, he would have thought it some fairy's little pet.
"Uh." Nangong Mengzhu froze. The Life-Bound Gu she had raised on her heart's blood was fawning over someone else right in front of her.
But she was immediately overcome with shock. How long had it been? The Life and Death Gu had actually broken through to four wings, and its life essence had increased tremendously. It was hard to imagine what kind of opportunity had brought about such a transformation.
"There are variant strains of the Life and Death Gu. All eighteen wings can be of life or of death; it isn't fixed," Nangong Mengzhu explained softly after a brief moment of astonishment.
Looking at the little black insect fawning over him in his palm, Fu Yuan nodded slightly. It was hard to imagine the terrifying death and extinction contained within its tiny, docile body, enough to leave even a holy son of the same realm at his wits' end and force him to exert all his strength to deal with it.
"It seems this little fellow likes me quite a lot." Fu Yuan closed his hand and placed it back in his spiritual altar. This Life-Bound Gu's cultivation method was exceedingly difficult and profound. Once it grew, each wing was another life, making it an excellent means of staying alive.
"You saw it. I didn't coerce it; it's willing to follow me." The youth wore a smile throughout. The Life and Death Gu frolicked joyfully above his Qi Sea. Having just broken through to four wings, it needed time to consolidate, and Fu Yuan's Qi Sea and spiritual altar were the best places for it to rest.
"I'll borrow it for a while and return it the next time we meet." Fu Yuan's voice was warm as jade as he strode forward, heading for the sixth trial.
Nangong Mengzhu was utterly speechless. Could he call it borrowing when he had never asked its owner? Wasn't this simply taking it by trickery and force?
Without her Life-Bound Gu, her fighting strength was greatly diminished. Never mind holy sons and pure-blooded beings; she feared she couldn't even defeat some of the more powerful prodigies.
Under the radiance of the great sun, a girl shrouded in black robes followed behind the youth in ink-black robes.
"What a shame. Zheng's corpse is gone..."
"How do you think this Life and Death Gu would taste roasted?"
"How about pulling back your hood and letting this young master see your face?"
Having broken through to a tenth-grade bloodline and accomplished the feat of creating the eleventh level of Profound Opening, Fu Yuan was in an unprecedentedly cheerful mood and found himself talking a little more than usual.
"Let me see your face."
"Let me see your face!"