# Chapter 1394: Tasting All the Splendor of the World
The pitch-black dragon cave, bordering a sheer cliff, had ancient medicine kings growing at its entrance—not just one, but several, exuding astonishing fragrance. There were also some withered plants, clearly aged too long, having turned into medicinal mud on the ground, while their seeds had become new ancient medicine kings.
A silver dragon stretched across, like an endless snowy mountain range towering, vast and boundless. Its majestic dragon head held high, a pair of enormous horns flowing with crystalline light, scales translucent and gleaming, roaring that shook the nine heavens.
"Is this real?!" People trembled, unable to believe this fact. A true dragon manifesting in the world was like something out of a fairy tale.
The aura of an ancient great emperor permeated the area, suppressing the ancient firmament for eternity. Groups of ancient saints prostrated themselves, involuntarily paying homage. This was a tremor of the soul, kowtowing forward.
The various heroes' legs went weak, unable to stand at all. Moreover, cultivators near the cliff's edge had their bodies split open, bones breaking, turning into pools of bloody mud.
This was the pressure of an ancient great emperor. Even saints could not withstand it, like ants gazing up at a giant dragon, like mayflies trying to shake the heavens—the gap was too vast.
Ye Fan's entire body emitted a greenish glow. The broken ancient heavenly court divine artifact awakened, resisting on its own. He pulled Pang Bo and retreated again, instantly reaching several hundred li away.
The vast majority could not avoid it. No matter how powerful you were, if you approached this place, near the pitch-black dragon cave, you could not withstand this pressure—bones broke, tendons snapped.
"Ancient demon emperor, supreme being of an era, we have no intention of offending. Here we pay our respects and kowtow."
Even the great sages were no exception, kneeling prostrate. Not a single person could resist even a wisp of aura emanating from this silver dragon. It was terrifying—this was a difference between heaven and earth.
The silver true dragon raised its head, charging into the nine heavens, circling once, then descending again, like a supreme deity, its entire body emitting silver radiance, suppressing past, present, and future.
It possessed a life force like the sea, its blood energy covering heaven and earth, making all living beings tremble. By now, no one doubted anything—this was absolutely an emperor-level existence! Even the stone man, who was only half a step away from entering the quasi-emperor realm, knelt down, trembling there. That said everything.
With a rumbling sound, that sheer cliff split open. Half the stone mountain collapsed, falling into the bottomless abyss below.
Dragon qi rolled forth. Beside the pitch-black dragon cave, dozens of medicine kings swayed, emitting points of light, releasing a fragrance that made one feel like ascending to immortality.
The saints' eyes went straight, but no one dared to act rashly. Before an ancient great emperor, even if a quasi-emperor came, they would appear weak and insignificant.
Yet the shocking changes continued. Even the dragon cave split open. Several medicine kings fell off with the rocks, dropping into the abyss, wasted in vain.
Were all the people terrified? Had the demon emperor become angry? Even the dragon cave was destroyed. Was he going to slaughter everyone present? Not to mention them—even if all the cultivators from the myriad heavens and countless domains came, they would all die.
Everyone's scalp went numb. Tens of thousands of years had passed. How had a generation's demon emperor reappeared? It was said he had fallen on the path to immortality, but what was the final outcome?
This was clearly a true dragon, a genuine great emperor, reappearing in the mortal world, strongly impacting people's hearts. They doubted whether they were in a dream. Even the great sages were dumbfounded.
"Pfft"
A sage king exploded, blood and bone fragments splattering, shocking to the eye. It was only because he was too close to the dragon cave. This made everyone's blood run cold, the hairs on their bodies standing on end.
Ye Fan had retreated quickly enough, but even several hundred li away, he still felt a kind of oppression. If not for the green copper cauldron emitting its glow, if he had stubbornly refused to kneel, his kneecaps would likely have shattered.
Pang Bo's entire body trembled. He gripped the demon emperor ruler tightly. The two sections of green-gold ruler emitted immortal radiance in his palm, large swaths of light scattering down, finally allowing him to stand firm without kneeling.
"Too powerful. Is this what an ancient great emperor is like? Just a wisp of leaked aura is unbearable. Even great sages have to kneel. If he truly made a move, how terrifying would it be? I think he could destroy this universe." Pang Bo trembled.
The two of them came from the other shore of the starry sky. Even though they had cultivated for many years, some deeply rooted thoughts in their minds were still hard to change, their concepts conflicting.
However, after thinking it over carefully, they let it go. What hadn't they seen by now? Having experienced so much, this was just a brief moment of being stunned.
"Paying respects to the demon emperor!" The Hundred Calamities Daoist's body trembled from excitement. He knocked his head on the ground, kowtowing step by step. This was a respect that came from the heart.
In the sky, that silver dragon's entire body was covered in snow-white, crystalline scales, flowing with light and color. In its eyes were scenes of stars being born and dying, of the universe evolving—all kinds of terrifying scenes.
It clearly had a powerful life fluctuation, yet it turned a deaf ear to the Hundred Calamities Daoist's words. Coiling in the sky, it looked down upon the vast universe, lost in thought for a moment.
"No, this is not the demon emperor. It has long lost its soul. This is an emperor's corpse, a great emperor's body with some remaining imprints." Suddenly, the Azure Phoenix Daoist called out. Although he was old and decrepit, about to pass away, his turbid eyes shot out two beams of sharp light, seeing through the reality of this silver true dragon.
The crowd was stunned, their bodies turning cold. This wasn't a great emperor? It was a corpse that had given birth to intelligence? There was nothing more terrifying than this.
Several hundred li away, Ye Fan and Pang Bo looked at each other. They also felt a chill invading their bodies. Ancient great emperors truly could not be fathomed. Just a corpse was enough to make people unable to withstand it.
"Quick! Kill the people from the underworld, drive them away from here. Don't let them approach!" A human dao protector shouted.
That main god from the divine organization had already acted, attacking that black-robed demon god, launching the most fierce assault. Before entering this place, the great sages had already been on guard against the people from the underworld, afraid they would do something against heaven.
"Heh heh..."
The underworld great sage in black battle armor laughed very sinisterly. With a clear whistle, tens of thousands of ghost soldiers appeared in all directions, each emitting corpse qi that filled the sky, surrounding them.
"Suppress them all!" The Azure Phoenix Daoist shouted.
The stone man, the bull demon king, and several evil gods also changed color, together blocking the tens of thousands of ghost soldiers. It was said that ghost soldiers were fatal to corpses. Once they approached, they could assimilate them.
If an emperor's corpse were to enter the underworld, that would be unimaginable!
This place instantly became a Shura hell. Even with tens of thousands of ghost soldiers, they weren't enough to kill. Once a great sage made a move, everything turned to smoke. Ashes fell in patches, scattering across the universe.
However, the underworld had many visitors. Ghost drums rumbled, the Senluo hell appeared. Patches of white bone great ships and rows of yin halls manifested in the void, dropping even more ghost soldiers.
One hundred thousand ghost soldiers!
Each one was powerful, all selected from yin grave ancient lands in various ancient star domains across the universe, gathered together. This was a force that made the myriad heavens and countless domains tremble.
They weren't seeking death. They didn't attack the great sages. Instead, they sat cross-legged in the void, chanting scriptures. This was the underworld's corpse-summoning scripture, trying to turn the emperor's corpse into one of their own.
"No!"
Everyone cried out in alarm. If the demon emperor's body really fell into their hands, it would be unimaginable. The entire universe would undergo a great change.
"Retreat!" The Azure Phoenix Daoist suddenly gave this order at the critical moment.
By his side, the Hundred Calamities Daoist stood together, his expression gloomy. Clearly, he deeply detested the underworld's intentions. This was the demon emperor he most revered. He would never allow desecration.
The bull demon king, the stone man, the evil gods, seeing this, also retreated. They didn't go to fight the underworld great sage to the death. Only the main god of the divine organization was engaged in fierce battle there.
An ancient bronze coffin flew in from the depths of the universe, mottled with green rust, as if it had existed for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. The coffin lid suddenly opened, emitting chanting sounds and shooting out various kinds of radiance.
It was approaching, trying to summon away the emperor's corpse.
"Don't we really need to stop them?" The bull demon king was anxious. If the underworld really obtained this silver true dragon, it would definitely be a catastrophe.
"Wait and see." The Azure Phoenix Daoist only said this one sentence. He had extremely high prestige on the ancient path.
"Even if the demon emperor is dead, he's not someone anyone can touch. Even if the underworld comes, it won't work!" The Hundred Calamities Daoist laughed hatefully and coldly.
"Boom!"
The main god of the divine organization flew away on his cauldron, leaving only the underworld army and the chanting from all directions. That ancient coffin and that black-robed demon god sat cross-legged in the void, summoning the emperor's corpse.
One hundred thousand ghost soldiers all emitted yin qi. Some saints who approached this place directly had their souls scatter, leaving empty shells.
This was the underworld's formation, able to trap and kill great sages, eerie and terrifying. Ordinary people could not approach, or else they would be claimed by vengeful ghosts, their souls taken away.
"Pfft!"
Suddenly, that black-robed demon god's entire body split open, black blood appearing all over. His whole body trembled violently, then his body suddenly exploded.
Next, that ancient coffin also shook violently. The chanting abruptly stopped. It exploded in the void, metal fragments flying in all directions.
Then, one hundred thousand ghost soldiers turned to ashes, as if a heavenly god had slapped down, making them instantly become dust, erased from the world, no longer existing.
Even the underworld great sage was like a chicken made of clay. In the process of summoning the corpse, he himself exploded. What a terrifying scene this was! He hadn't even made real contact, using one hundred thousand ghost soldiers as a medium, keeping a sufficiently distant, yet he still suffered backlash, his form and spirit annihilated.
Boom!
The dragon cave emitted the ancient vicissitudes of ten thousand ages, mysterious and unfathomable. At this moment, it completely split open. Wisps of dragon qi rushed in all directions, while the medicine kings growing at the cave entrance fell into the abyss below the sheer cliff.
This place was about to be destroyed. The entire demon emperor mausoleum was cracking. Amid the rumbling sounds, mountains and rivers collapsed. The magnificent emperor's tomb suspended in the universe was collapsing, about to cease to exist.
The saints' hearts were bleeding. Beside the demon emperor cave were clusters of medicine kings, dozens of them, all falling into the abyss. What heaven-defying immortal objects were inside the cave was unknown, presumably even more astonishing, but they could only watch helplessly.
A silver true dragon lay across there, blocking everything. Even the underworld great sage and the extremely powerful one hundred thousand ghost soldiers had been destroyed. How could this not make people's hearts pound? No one dared to cross half a step.
Boom!
Suddenly, the silver true dragon in the sky also disintegrated. Its scales disappeared. Its life force was vast. It turned into a pool of emperor's blood, revealing its origin.
"This... is not a complete emperor's corpse, but just a pool of blood. However, it is extraordinary. Within it remains the demon emperor's indestructible obsession, guarding this place!" The Hundred Calamities Daoist cried out in shock. He felt a wave of emotion, empathizing, and shared in the sorrow.
The great tomb disintegrated. The abyss also split open. The demon emperor's cave on the sheer cliff shattered into pieces. Everything was revealed.
There, a jade box, only a foot long, crystal clear, had not faded in color for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. Divine radiance flowed within it.
Everyone's heart stirred. They could no longer hold back. The emperor's corpse was gone, having turned back into a pool of blood. The saints could not help but rush forward, wanting to seize this final treasure.
Without a doubt, this was what the demon emperor valued most. Otherwise, he would not have kept it by his side, never separating from it from life to death.
However, that pool of blood contained obsession. It turned into crystalline light, moving forward to wrap around the foot-long jade box, unwilling to separate, guarding it there. For a moment, everyone stopped, not daring to act rashly.
"Get the medicine kings first!"
The saints acted, searching beneath the shattered abyss for the dozens of ancient medicine kings that had fallen.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, the jade box cracked, emitting a soft light. Everyone's hearts trembled.
A bundle of dried flower was revealed, completely lusterless, long withered. However, through the demon emperor's spellcasting, it had not turned to dust, preserved in its original form.
Anyone could see that this bundle of flower was not a divine medicine, nor a rare ancient grass. It had no value at all. Yet it had been preserved by the demon emperor until now. Was this his most beloved possession?
One scene after another emerged, scenes of the past.
"Are you really leaving?" By a small lake, a delicate young girl whispered, her face filled with reluctance, looking hopefully at a man in white as pure as snow, longing for him to stay.
"I want to become strong, unmatched under heaven." The white-clad young man was heroic and spirited, full of confidence. His eyes shone brightly, flickering with a radiance that could make the sun and moon lose their luster.
He was about to embark on the starry ancient path, to set out on an invincible journey, to become the one and only under heaven and earth, to defeat all young supremes, to stand at the invincible pinnacle.
He was so full of high spirits, yet he did not notice the gloom in the young girl's eyes. He went without hesitation, stepping onto the heavenly path, to realize his dream.
"Will you... come back? Will you come... to see me?" The young girl's eyes held tears, calling out from behind, filled with reluctance.
The white-clad man turned back in the sky, laughing heartily, making the sun and moon in the sky dim. His demeanor was confident: "Of course. When I become emperor, I will let all the splendor of the world envelop you."
Having said this, he rushed back to the earth, picked a bundle of wildflowers from a mountain cliff, and handed them to the young girl. Then, without looking back, he charged into the outer realms, stepping onto the heavenly path.
"I'll wait for you. Don't forget me. Come back." The young girl shed tears, calling out on the earth, waving her hand vigorously.
Xue Yueqing campaigned on the emperor's path, reaching one ancient star domain after another, fighting against heroes, campaigning for who knows how many years, tempering himself, experiencing blood, pain, and success.
He fought across the ancient path, rarely finding opponents. He defeated many great enemies. His radiance spread across the starry path. Finally, he campaigned against the most powerful ancient stars.
During this time, he was an enemy to the whole world, suffering the most terrifying pursuits. All the ancient star domains besieged him. Such was the cruelty of the emperor's path.
He could not go to see old friends, could not turn back. He could only fight all the way, killing out a clear and bright world.
In the end, he became emperor, sweeping away all powerful enemies, supreme under heaven, radiant for ten thousand ages. In the nine heavens and ten earths, no one could contend with him.
He had done it. He had truly become emperor, unmatched under heaven, revered by the myriad heavens and countless domains as the demon emperor, destined to be recorded in cultivation history, becoming an unattainable existence throughout the ages.
Xue Yueqing, following the path he had once walked, headed toward that ancient demon star, embarking on the journey home. However, what awaited him was no longer that young girl, only a few old demons on the verge of death.
The young girl had passed away, having left five hundred years ago. She was buried at the place where they had parted, never to appear again.
Xue Yueqing was greatly grieved. He looked up to the sky and roared. The universe split apart. The aura of a great emperor swept through the six directions and eight wastelands, almost destroying that vast universe.
"Borrow five hundred years from heaven!" This was his great roar. Everything could no longer be changed.
Several old demons told him that the young girl had encountered problems in cultivation and had dissolved into the Dao to death, unable to even leave behind a body. When she turned into light rain, her face had been covered in tears, murmuring his name.
Xue Yueqing roared in sorrow. He was a great emperor, unmatched under heaven, unparalleled through the ages! Yet he could not change any of this, could not save that woman. He had missed her in this life.
The delicate young girl had dissolved into the Dao, gone with the light rain, leaving only a bundle of flowers—the very ones he had given her when he left back then. Now, they had long withered, faded.
In the shattered emperor's tomb, people were stunned. They finally knew why only a bundle of withered flowers accompanied the demon emperor of a generation. In his heart, this was the most precious thing.
Even if unmatched under heaven, there were times of powerlessness. He had ascended to the glorious pinnacle, but when he suddenly turned around, he realized that the simplest and most ordinary things were the truth.
Ye Fan felt something in his heart and couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "Having tasted all the splendor of the world, it is still hard to make up for a lifetime of bitterness and regret."
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