Chapter 1987: The Belief of the Common People

"Shen Jiang is mighty," the roars echoed through the starry sky like thunder, shaking the universe.

"With the bloodline limit, Shen Jiang is destined to turn the tide."

"Back then, the sacred body crossed the Nai He Bridge against the heavens, awakening the bloodline limit."

"Today's scene is strikingly similar to the past."

The spectators were all pumped up, their sleeves rolled up as if they'd been injected with energy, each one more excited than the last, cheering with all their might. Shen Jiang was truly formidable.

Amidst the roars, the thumping sounds resumed.

Shen Jiang moved forward, his steps heavy yet resolute, causing the Nai He Bridge to tremble violently. By defying the heavens and activating the bloodline limit, he entered an undying state, granting him the power to withstand the overwhelming pressure.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Shen Jiang's immortal body continued to explode, blood spraying everywhere.

However, in the bloodline limit state, his shattered body regenerated instantly. One force brought utter destruction, while the other ensured immortality and invulnerability—these two powers clashed fiercely on the Nai He Bridge.

Only nine steps remained, like an insurmountable chasm.

Yet, Shen Jiang pressed on step by step, with unmatched dominance, just as he had in the past when following Di Zun in conquering the world—invincible and unstoppable. The so-called pressure of the Nai He Bridge had become mere decoration.

Four steps, three steps, two steps...

The spectators were quite considerate, counting down for Shen Jiang, each shout more exhilarating than the last.

As Shen Jiang took his final step, the bloodline limit state vanished abruptly. With his footfall, the Nai He Bridge behind him exploded with a tremendous boom, dissolving into strands of dazzling light.

This moment was worth commemorating.

This moment brought a deathly silence to the starry sky.

All eyes fixed on Tian Jiu. His back appeared desolate and forlorn, his face etched with the marks of time, yet it remained calm as still water, without a ripple of emotion.

Shen Jiang had succeeded in crossing it, whether for love or for Di Zun. He had lived up to the name of Shen Jiang.

"Good." After the silence came waves of applause like crashing tides.

"I told you, the heavens are not without heroes."

"Shen Jiang under Di Zun is no joke. Look, they've been humbled!"

The spectators laughed heartily. How many years had it been? So many had perished on the Nai He Bridge because of the so-called tearless and emotionless fate, weaving tale after tale of scarred romances. Though the Nai He Bridge was magnificent, it was stained with the blood of living beings. Now, with someone crossing it, how could they not feel elated?

"A perfect ending." Ye Chen and Ren Wang both smiled. It was indeed a joyous occasion for Shen Jiang to overcome the tribulation, and on top of that, he had found his love, making it a double celebration.

In contrast, Wu Lei City was quiet.

Ah!

Sometime later, a sigh echoed from the city, coming from the lord of Wu Lei City.

Then, the gates of Wu Lei City slowly opened, and a graceful figure emerged, stepping on a wisp of immortal clouds. She wore a veil over her face, her entire body enveloped in divine radiance and immortal aura, like a banished immortal from the mortal world—pure and flawless, dreamlike and illusory, untouched by worldly smoke or dust.

Though her beautiful eyes were clear and bright, they were utterly indifferent, devoid of any human emotion.

She was just like Chu Xuan from the past—tearless and emotionless.

The spectators' eyes gleamed with curiosity, all eager to see her true face. The woman for whom Shen Jiang was willing to risk his life must be extraordinarily stunning.

However, their cultivation was too shallow to pierce through her veil. They only knew that the face beneath it must be incredibly beautiful.

Tian Jiu smiled and took her hand, then silently turned away. The two figures gradually faded into the distance.

It was a warm scene. Who said Shen Jiang had no love? This late-blooming romance was destined to be eternal, a beautiful story to be passed down through the ages.

Even after the two disappeared, the spectators lingered, still not satisfied.

Looking again at Wu Lei City, it gradually became illusory amidst the hazy mists, eventually vanishing from the world. No one knew its origins, and no one knew where Wu Lei City had gone.

The show was over, and the spectators dispersed one by one.

It was worth noting that as each one left, they sighed with emotion.

History's scenes were strikingly similar.

Wu Lei City had been defeated twice, both times by the bloodline limit—or rather, by the deep emotions of the world. It was precisely the profound affections of living beings that awakened their hidden powers.

Cang Sheng's belief was like the bloodline limit—undying and indestructible.

The vast starry sky became empty again as Wu Lei City dissipated and the spectators left.

Ye Chen and Ren Wang also departed, each wearing a cloak and following behind Lin Xing and Liu Dao.

Those two were quite the buddies, sticking together like shadows, making Ye Chen and Ren Wang afraid to get too close. Capturing Lin Xing would be easy, but if they disturbed Liu Dao's tribulation, that would be ridiculous.

"Walking like that, those two won't end up in bed together, will they?" Ye Chen said meaningfully.

"It's weakened again, gotten even weaker." Ren Wang didn't respond to Ye Chen's words, only gazing up at the void.

"What's weakened?" Ye Chen asked in confusion.

"Di Zun's emperor path suppression has weakened further," Ren Wang replied. "The interval this time is exactly half of the last, and the speed is accelerating. It won't be more than three thousand years before the emperor path suppression completely dissipates."

"Are you saying someone might become emperor after three thousand years?" Ye Chen probed.

"It won't take that long," Ren Wang pondered. "This era has far too many prodigies, and peak quasi-emperors are countless. Once the emperor path suppression weakens to a critical point, it's likely someone will defy the heavens and achieve emperorship."

At this, Ren Wang turned to look at Ye Chen. "As a prodigy yourself, you have great potential."

"I'd rather hope that Di Huang predecessor becomes emperor first," Ye Chen laughed. "If the sacred body achieves emperorship, it would be invincible across the three realms. Who knows, we might even follow Di Huang predecessor to invade the heavenly demon domain and wipe them out completely."

"Do you really think the heavenly demon domain is a joke?" Ren Wang said leisurely. "I can assure you, the heavenly demon domain has more than just multiple emperors; there are definitely heavenly emperors, and not just a few."

"Heavenly emperors?" Ye Chen's eyes were full of curiosity. "Higher than the great emperor level?"

"That's obvious, old man—hmm?" Ren Wang's words cut off as he suddenly turned his head to look in one direction.

Seeing this, Ye Chen instinctively followed his gaze.

There, they saw a person cloaked entirely in black robes, even their face completely hidden, leaving only a pair of dull, vacant eyes that occasionally flickered with strange, illusory light.

Ye Chen couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, for he couldn't see through the person's true appearance or cultivation. He only knew they were ethereal, with no aura at all, like a dead person.

As for their movement, it was otherworldly, each step ordinary yet seemingly treading on the river of time, defying spatial laws. Such footwork was on par with Ren Wang and the evil demons.

As the black-robed figure passed by lightly, they showed no reaction despite knowing Ren Wang and Ye Chen were watching, like a ghost—arriving quickly and leaving even faster.

"How strange," Ye Chen murmured softly.

"Keep an eye on Lin Xing and Liu Dao." Ren Wang left those words and vanished into the void.

Clearly, he was going after the black-robed figure.

Before leaving, he had left a quasi-emperor sword for Ye Chen. Without a quasi-emperor weapon, Ye Chen couldn't handle Lin Xing. Even if Liu Dao and Lin Xing separated, Ye Chen still couldn't take him down.

Ye Chen integrated the quasi-emperor sword into his body, paused for a couple of seconds, and then followed Lin Xing and Liu Dao.

Those two were strolling leisurely, as if they had endless topics to discuss.

They perfectly illustrated the idiom "late meetings feel like old friendships."

"I don't believe you two can stick together forever." Ye Chen's face grew darker. What could two grown men have to talk about? Could they really develop real feelings?

Ahead, Lin Xing and Liu Dao were unaware that Ye Chen was tailing them. It wasn't that their vision was lacking; it was just that Ye Chen's concealment techniques were too profound, masking his origin with the ways of the heavens.

This pursuit lasted three days.

The two stopped at a vast continent suspended in the starry sky, boundless and expansive. Naturally, it paled in comparison to Xuan Huang Continent.

Ye Chen glanced around and, in his divine sea, located the star map of this region, finding this continent. Its name was You Ming Continent.

Legend had it that You Ming Continent was formed from the collapse of an ancient giant star, gradually accumulating stellar sands and meteorites over endless ages to become what it is today.

As Ye Chen spoke, he entered You Ming Continent. It was indeed vast and majestic, even larger than Da Chu, with no end in sight. The spiritual energy here was abundant, filled with wild forests, towering mountains, and roaring rivers, exuding a grand momentum—ideal for cultivation.

"Why come here?" Ye Chen scanned his surroundings and continued to follow Lin Xing and Liu Dao into an ancient city on You Ming Continent.

As soon as he entered the city, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, then subconsciously lowered his head. Peering through the ground to the deepest layer beneath, he saw an immortal sword quietly suspended there. The sword body emitted no light at all, embodying ultimate simplicity and natural antiquity.

"Xian Wu Emperor Sword." Ye Chen murmured, his expression puzzled. Why was Di Zun's life-bound emperor weapon here in You Ming Continent, hidden underground? It seemed to have been there for quite some time, with all its emperor aura concealed. If not for his innate sensitivity to emperor weapons, he wouldn't have known that this rundown ancient city hid Di Zun's emperor sword.

"Do you still recognize me?" Ye Chen used his divine sense to call out to the Xian Wu Emperor Sword.

The sword seemed to be in slumber, only trembling slightly in response before falling silent again.

Ye Chen called out once more, but the emperor sword didn't reply. Instead, its body flickered with immortal light, blocking his scrutiny.

Ouch!

Ye Chen covered his eyes. The sword's flash didn't bother him much, but it made his eyes see stars.

After being dazzled by the emperor sword, Ye Chen behaved himself and stopped prying. The sword was sleeping peacefully, and suddenly being disturbed would annoy anyone.

Withdrawing his gaze from the emperor sword, Ye Chen rubbed his eyes while walking to one side. Passing by a tavern, he turned and entered, heading straight to the third floor.

Lin Xing and Liu Dao were there. Ye Chen took one look and felt annoyed again—those two were drinking once more.

Helplessly, he found a table and waited quietly.

Over time, he noticed something odd. Lin Xing was no ordinary person; his unusual favoritism toward Liu Dao, a royal realm expert, was abnormal. It wasn't just because Liu Dao looked identical to him; there had to be another reason, and the key lay with Liu Dao.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen sipped his drink while using his reincarnation eye to observe Liu Dao.

At this sight, he suddenly stood up and couldn't help but curse: "Damn it."