Chapter 1816: The New Emperor
The withered azure lotus leaves fell, drifting down, having lost their luster. The Heavenly Emperor let out a long roar, its sound shaking the universe. With world-dominating divine power, he moved endless star fragments to bury this place.
The world thus dimmed for five hundred years. The Azure Emperor's attempt to traverse the immortal path in this era truly shocked the world, leaving behind endless legends.
Ye Fan sighed deeply. Especially those on the Heavenly Pride Chart found it hard to speak for a long time. In the end, many of them vanished from this world again, while others chose not to seal themselves away, spending their remaining years peacefully, dying with tranquil hearts.
Generally speaking, almost no one went to the Heavenly Court, because they had once contended for supremacy in the same era as the Heavenly Emperor, considered peers of the same level, unwilling to seek his protection in this life.
Maple leaves turned red year after year, deep autumn came and went, and time continued to pass. Ye Fan contemplated the Reincarnation Seal, unraveled the Soaring Immortal Waterfall, comprehended the mysteries of the Chaos Body... studying all methods of immortality.
Over ten thousand years passed, and this era finally reached its end. The great age fell silent. Although many extremely powerful quasi-emperors had appeared, they were ultimately buried in the river of time.
This era was so brilliant, yet still no one had attained the Dao!
The Heavenly Emperor sealed Kou Xiaoxiao and the others, standing alone at the absolute peak. Looking back over these hundred-plus thousand years, he could never see a single opponent. Once again, the world was silent.
Finally, as this era completely drew to a close, Ye Fan fulfilled his promise. He found Duan De, who was buried in digging a pit, and sat down silently beside him.
"Ghost!" Fatty Duan sensed something, turned around, and shouted, "Heavenly Emperor, you're truly perverse!"
Ye Fan had only teased him back then, a joke. But now, as this great age withered, he felt a deep desolation and truly came to see him off.
The Heavenly Emperor pointed a finger, granting Duan De the imprint of his previous life, then kicked him into the grave hole and turned to leave.
"This poor Daoist will return! In the next life, I'll dig up your imperial tomb!" From deep within the mountain, Duan De's indignant shouts came, gradually weakening.
The autumn wind rose, withered leaves drifted, and another golden age passed.
In the 138,000th year of the Heavenly Emperor's calendar, Ye Fan's fourth life ended. He had lived 56,000 years in this life—a lifespan that shook and astonished the world.
Everyone knew that the Heavenly Emperor had walked extremely far on the path of longevity. People could no longer see his back.
Though mentally prepared, people were still shocked. The Heavenly Emperor had defied heaven once more, living out a fifth life. This time, he pushed his methods and Dao to a glorious peak, refining all scriptures in his furnace, fusing ten thousand Daos into one, and actually transforming into a Chaos Body!
Everyone was stunned. What kind of feat was this?
It could actually be done like this!
He was not originally of this physique or bloodline, yet he transformed like this, becoming a Chaos Body rarely seen in history. How could one describe such world-dominance?
The fifth life, for the Heavenly Emperor himself, was an era of ultimate brilliance. He remained a living legend.
"Not letting the Ruthless Great Emperor have all the glory," someone sighed softly.
Back then, the Ruthless One had also walked this path, shedding an aged mortal body to give birth to a divine fetus, becoming a Chaos Body. In fact, when Yao Guang contended across the world back then, he had already shown such signs.
In this world, some paths always cross. It's not about who is higher or lower, just occasional encounters.
In this life, Ye Fan began a long seclusion in the Immortal Mountain, creating forbidden immortal techniques. He used the Desolate Tower and the Primordial Qi Cauldron—two immortal artifacts—to suppress himself, remaining motionless, as if the flow of time had slowed.
He would not affect others' attainment of the Dao, because the Heavenly Emperor used unprecedented heaven-penetrating methods to seal his own Dao, confining it to his side.
Fifty thousand years later, in the 188,000th year of the Heavenly Emperor's calendar, a special era finally arrived!
Long years had passed. Countless outstanding talents had withered and died. For nearly 200,000 years, there had only been one Heavenly Emperor. Such an ancient stretch of time, with no one else attaining the Dao—a brilliant Heavenly Emperor era, a dim age for all living things. The comparison was somewhat contradictory.
Finally, this era changed.
This was a breathtaking great age. Stars shone brightly, various bloodlines emerged one after another. Emperor stars appeared one after another, shining in mutual radiance. Finally, signs of a new emperor's emergence appeared.
Perhaps it was a great eruption after long suppression. This era was like a geyser. Heavenly prides rose wave after wave, dazzling people until they couldn't open their eyes.
On this day, Ye Fan was awakened. He sensed the Dao rumbling, ten thousand Daos harmonizing. Someone was crossing the emperor tribulation, making even his sealed Dao unstable, almost surging up to suppress it.
He immediately shook the cauldron, restraining his own Dao, avoiding interference with that latercomer, allowing him to smoothly become emperor.
"Boom!"
The whole world trembled. Countless people exclaimed and discussed, all excited and expectant. A new emperor had appeared!
Half a month later, Ye Fan rose. When he walked out of the Immortal Mountain and learned who the new emperor was, even he was stunned.
Di Que—it was actually him who became the new emperor!
The long years had cut away too much. Many people had long forgotten this name, unaware that history had once held such a world-dominating figure who could contend with the Battle Saint Emperor on equal terms.
At the end of the ancient era, Di Que was the greatest opponent on the Battle Saint Emperor's path to attainment. The Saint Ape fought him, narrowly escaping death nine times, leaving a lifelong Dao wound before barely winning.
In that era, Di Que was too stunning. Not inferior to the Saint Emperor in the slightest, he even lived out a second life, shaking past and present. Many believed he would suppress the monkey's father and become emperor.
Though the final result was that Di Que lost by half a move, and the Saint Ape lineage's supreme being became emperor, it could not obscure Di Que's brilliance. He remained a world-dominating figure.
"Didn't he die?" Ye Fan muttered to himself, remembering that back then, Di Que's nephew, Great Sage Kun Zhou, had said his uncle had died of depression.
The Heavenly Emperor walked through the world and finally learned the truth.
At the end of the ancient era, Di Que, whose cultivation had stagnated, moving like a walking corpse, was dragged by Kun Zhou to face an enemy. He passively fought the Battle Victory Buddha, only defending without attacking, then fled to another domain to bury himself. No one expected that when he sought death, there was a great amount of Divine Source liquid there, drowning him, putting him into slumber.
In this life, he was disturbed, revived, suppressed everyone, and became the new emperor.
Ye Fan sighed. Ning Fei, Chuan Ying, Gai Jiuyou, Di Que—they were all such figures, only lacking an opportunity. But only Di Que made up for his lifelong regret.
In this life, heroes contended, finally breaking the pattern of the Heavenly Emperor's sole supremacy with no one else becoming emperor. It could be said to be a new era!
The only regrettable thing was that Di Que was not a contemporary hero but an ancient figure.
Ye Fan also learned that the person who had the strongest duel with Di Que was also an ancient figure—actually the Imperial Son of the Bright Race.
When Ye Fan had walked the heavenly path back then, he had seen the Refining God Pot and learned that this race's Imperial Son had disappeared. He never expected that in this life, he would appear simultaneously with Di Que to contend.
The new emperor emerged, but the Heavenly Emperor never appeared.
Di Que reigned for only eight thousand years, because he had already lived two lives, consuming too much lifespan. Before his death, he frankly admitted that he was far inferior to the Heavenly Emperor, not even a match in a true duel.
Rumor had it that he once entered the Heavenly Court, visited the Heavenly Emperor, and briefly sparred.
But legends were ultimately legends. Until Di Que passed away, the Heavenly Emperor still did not appear. Many suspected he had dissolved into the Dao.
Thus, another ten thousand-plus years passed. Di Que's Dao traces completely faded, and signs of becoming emperor appeared again. People had to marvel—during the Heavenly Emperor's reign, no new emperor had appeared for many years, but now there was a great reversal.
In this life, heroes contended, a hundred boats racing on the river. Countless bones littered the imperial path. The final victor shocked people's souls—it was actually a God-Eating Insect!
The God-Eating Insect, when first born, was only the size of a thumb, entirely golden, shaped like a small dragon. It could devour all things, unbreakable. According to legend, a true pure-blood ancestral insect would even eat gods without hesitation.
The God-Eating Emperor rose from the insect nest, evolved bit by bit into an ancestral insect, fought across the ancient stellar path, slaughtered all competitors, and then made the ultimate leap to become emperor.
This was a bloodthirsty great emperor, iron-blooded and merciless, inspiring awe. Wherever he passed, all races in the universe fell silent. People feared him to the bone.
Because this race was too terrifying, born without emotion!
The God-Eating Emperor was truly terrifying. In the era of his rule, all races in the universe trembled in fear. But he was, after all, a great emperor, and did not indiscriminately slaughter the innocent.
Thus, eight thousand years passed. He was at his zenith, his life just halfway through, at the most glorious moment. He made a decision that shocked the world: to take over the Heavenly Court.
This was the 215,000th year of the Heavenly Emperor's calendar. The Heavenly Emperor had disappeared for sixty to seventy thousand years, unseen through two great emperors' lives. Everyone believed he must have passed away, ending his legendary life.
The God-Eating lineage migrated en masse. The endless insect sea, like a golden ocean crossing the universe, surged to the Southern Heavenly Gate.
"Since the Heavenly Emperor has dissolved, the Heavenly Court is now vacant. I am the current great emperor, master of the world's rise and fall. The Heavenly Court should be my palace for ruling the realm and patrolling the four directions. From today, it shall be the Divine Emperor's Mansion!"
Thunderous rumbles shook the universe. The supreme imperial voice spread to all races. People were shaken. The God-Eating Emperor was going to take over the Heavenly Court. Would those heavenly soldiers and generals agree?
People sighed again. There were no immortal dynasties, no eternal scepter. Everything would eventually end. Think of how stunning the Heavenly Emperor was, living five lives defying heaven, unmatched above and below. In the end, his legacy would still decline.
"The Heavenly Emperor's residence shall not be violated!"
Two hundred thousand years had passed, but the Heavenly Court's pride remained. Everyone roared, refusing to yield, even facing a great emperor!
"I have no intention of killing. I merely wish to reside in a place befitting a true emperor. You all, withdraw quickly." The God-Eating Emperor appeared, looking down on the world. His body was golden, his blood energy surging to the heavens, making souls tremble.
Behind him, endless golden God-Eating Insects covered the sky, nearly drowning the star domain.
He advanced forcefully. Heavenly soldiers and generals were either sent flying or collapsed to the ground, utterly unable to resist a current great emperor. With hands behind his back, he exuded world-dominating dominance, about to step into the Southern Heavenly Gate.
However, at this moment, a chaotic finger suddenly appeared. It was immense, covering this entire star domain, rumbling down like a heaven-supporting pillar collapsing.
The God-Eating Emperor's expression changed. He let out a long roar that shook the universe, exerting all his strength to resist.
The result shocked all heavens and ten thousand domains. This chaotic finger fell, directly sending the God-Eating Emperor flying, coughing up blood, crashing through countless stars, and landing in the cosmic border wasteland.
"Heavenly Emperor!" The God-Eating Emperor was shocked.
A finger covering the sky!
At this moment, the entire universe was in uproar. All experts who sensed this situation were shaken to their souls, horrified and unable to believe.
The Heavenly Emperor was still alive! Through two new emperors' lives, though he had not appeared, he had always been high above, looking down on the world. No matter how powerful the new emperor, he could not compare.
From then on, the God-Eating Emperor fled to the cosmic border wasteland, never setting foot in any important star domain until his death.
The Heavenly Emperor's eyes and heart had long been without rivals. He paid no attention.
In the 216,000th year of the Heavenly Emperor's calendar, Ye Fan reappeared in the world, completing a heaven-defying transformation.
For a full hundred years, that star domain was filled with chaotic qi, ten thousand Daos interweaving and roaring. He made a leap, shedding the Chaos Body, returning to his origin.
This time, he lived out a sixth life.
Fourteen thousand years later, in the 230,000th year of the Heavenly Emperor's calendar, another brilliant great age arrived. Something astonishing happened: an innate Chaos Body manifested in the world.
This year, Ye Fan awakened. He unsealed the little baby girl Ye Xian, preparing to let her enter the world.
All races in the universe trembled. One in the Heavenly Court, one outside—two Chaos Bodies actually met in the same era!