Chapter 2329: Emperor's Way Sixty-Four (1)

In the vast starry sky, Ye Chen had already put away his Lingxiao iron staff and was desperately stuffing pills into his mouth as if his life depended on it, restoring his depleted energy. He was about to face a one-on-one battle against the sixty-four emperors.

A buzzing sound echoed through the universe, causing the entire star domain to tremble.

In the east, the first emperor's Dao law body slowly took shape into a human form. His figure was towering and unyielding like a mountain, standing at the end of time, ancient and weathered. The emperor's Dao laws swirled around him, faintly visible, and if one listened closely, they could hear the heavenly sounds of the Great Dao weaving together.

Under the watchful eyes of all, that emperor gradually revealed his true appearance: his eyes like stars, his black hair cascading like a waterfall, his gaze evolving with Dao essence, every trace radiating an imperial divine halo that encompassed the entire universe.

Chi Yang Zi exclaimed in surprise, “Gui Di?”

Xiao Yao Zi and Wu Ji Zi said slowly, “It is undoubtedly him.”

Though they had never seen the true form of Gui Di, they had seen his statue, which matched this emperor's Dao law body exactly.

Indeed, it was Gui Di, whose full name was Di Qing, a legendary emperor who shook the ancients and dazzled the ages.

Legends about him dated back to ancient times, and countless people had been entangled in karma with him. For instance, Yue Shang, who had not yet become an emperor, and Dong Shen Yao Chi, both of whom had been afflicted by the Sun and Moon Forbidden Curse. By day, they appeared as normal people, but by night, they transformed into something else entirely, even becoming unrestrained.

Ye Chen looked on with a meaningful expression. He was truly grateful to Gui Di. Without the Sun and Moon Forbidden Curse, he would never have ended up sharing a room with Ji Ning Shuang, experiencing that beautiful spring dawn—a memory that still felt wonderful even in recollection.

Compared to him, Di Huang, far off in another part of the starry sky, was seething with anger. Back then, because of the Sun and Moon Forbidden Curse, he had been caught in countless awkward situations. It was only because it was Gui Di's law body that he hadn't sought him out for a proper talk. What a waste of a great emperor, not focusing on cultivation but instead messing with the younger generation.

“The second one has manifested,” someone called out in reminder.

At once, everyone's gaze turned to the west, where a youth in flowing white robes appeared. His form was sometimes illusory and sometimes solid, like a figure from a dream. Even his emperor's Dao laws were the same, seeming to exist beyond the world, leaving no trace.

Tian Lao stroked his chin. “Meng Hui Da Di?”

No one responded, but the elder quasi-emperors recognized him at a glance. His form was so elusive, shifting between reality and illusion—it had to be Meng Hui Da Di, also known as the Dream Demon. He had attained the emperor's throne through the path of dreams, making him the most unconventional among the one hundred and thirty emperors of Xuan Huang.

As Ye Chen gazed at Meng Hui Da Di, his mind grew hazy. Ji Ning Shuang and Yan Fei felt the same way. The three of them had each encountered the ancient dreams of Meng Hui to some degree, with Ji Ning Shuang understanding it most deeply. It was through this emperor's Dao immortal technique that she had returned to the various heavens in the past.

Under the world's watchful eyes, the third emperor's form gathered in the starry sky. This emperor had an ordinary face, kind and gentle, without a hint of imperial ferocity. He looked like a simple farmer, utterly unremarkable. This was the essence of returning to simplicity in the emperor's Dao—those who achieved it were often the most terrifying. They might seem unassuming at first, but when they erupted, it would shatter the heavens and earth. Such examples were all too common.

The people drew in a deep breath, their eyes filled with reverence. “If Dong Hua Nu Di is the only one among the one hundred and thirty emperors who became an emperor at five thousand years old, then Yuan Tian Da Di is the only one who achieved it after nine thousand years.”

Yuan Tian Da Di was another extraordinary legend. Legend had it that in his early years, he was just an ordinary cultivator, with no special bloodline or innate Dao lineage—just one of many. Even more remarkably, in his youth, he lagged three major realms behind his peers. Yet, this unassuming person possessed an astonishing willpower that his contemporaries lacked, steadily climbing step by step to the peak of the emperor's path. His existence perfectly illustrated the truth: one should never judge by appearances.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

As the people sighed, the starry sky continued to rumble. In the northern star domain, four emperors manifested together, appearing in unison like four eternal monuments standing in the river of time, as distant as dreams and unreachable. The immortal sounds of their emperor's Dao echoed like ethereal celestial music, causing all who heard it to lose themselves in a trance.

Ye Chen turned his head; he recognized all four. One was Jiu Huang Da Di, whose legacy was Jiu Huang Tian; another was Shen Tian Da Di, who left the Shen Dian inheritance; the third was Luo Tian Da Di, with the Da Luo Zhu Tian legacy; and the fourth was the founding emperor of Da Xia Long Chao, known as Da Xia Long Di.

Turning his gaze away, Ye Chen, like everyone else, looked to another direction, where yet another emperor manifested. He appeared as a youth with a powerful physique, his imperial might surging like a god.

“Heng Yu Da Di.”

Many elders murmured his name, their expressions nostalgic and weathered. Most were from the era of Heng Yue Da Di, having sealed themselves until this age. Among them was Fu Ya of Tian Xuan Men. Though his status was not as exalted as Jian Shen and the others, his seniority surpassed even Di Zun. It was only after Heng Yu Da Di's fall that Di Zun had defied the heavens to prove his Dao. That interval spanned ninety thousand years.

Then, another emperor manifested in the starry sky, clad in ethereal white robes like a banished immortal. His expression was indifferent, devoid of joy or sorrow, his ancient eyes as still as a deep well, evolving the emperor's Dao. The aura of ultimate principles he emitted was icy and desolate, a single strand of it enough to crush the immortal vault of eternity.

Murmurs rose from all sides, “Wu Qing Da Di.”

Ye Chen watched quietly. He had never seen his true form, but statues of him were passed down through the ages. As his title suggested, he cultivated the path of absolute emotionlessness. In the great emperor struggles of antiquity, the ground beneath his feet was piled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He was a prodigy without equal, one in a million across the ages.

Following Wu Qing Da Di was Zhan Gu Da Di, whose divine presence was no weaker than any other emperor. Though it was just his law body, it was etched with the marks of time, and one glance at him made the heart feel ancient.

Zhan Gu Da Di was an ordinary emperor in name, and the era in which he became one was not a golden age. That time lacked brilliant talents and dazzling prodigies. His path to the emperor's throne was the smoothest among the one hundred and thirty emperors of Xuan Huang.

But a smooth emperor's road did not mean Zhan Gu Da Di was weak. Every emperor in history was a supreme sovereign who had ruled all beings and reigned invincible for an era.

Suddenly, a phoenix's cry rang out, drawing everyone's attention. In one part of the starry sky, an emperor manifested—the Phoenix Clan's great emperor, known as Feng Huang Da Di. Like Dong Hua Nu Di, his true form was a phoenix, both descendants of the primordial Yuan Feng, though not from the same lineage. The phoenix's cry carried the immortal sounds of the emperor's Dao, resounding through the starry sky. He was an extraordinary emperor, his phoenix visions overturning the universe and disrupting yin and yang with terrifying imperial might.

Ah!

Beside Jiang Tai Xu, the phoenix let out a sigh. The Phoenix Clan had been wiped out, and she was the only one left to carry on Feng Huang Da Di's legacy. She didn't know whether to feel sorrow or grief.

The Da Chu emperor's expression remained indifferent. If given another chance, they would eradicate the Phoenix Clan all over again.

Ah!

After the phoenix, the evil demon sighed as well, for her Chi Mei Clan's emperor had also manifested—Chi Tian Da Di, an emperor from the primordial era, incredibly ancient, like an immortal king from myth reborn into the world. Like the phoenix, the evil demon was the last survivor of her Chi Mei Clan. Their so-called kin had all perished in the primordial chaos wars, a memory stained with blood.

Ye Chen suddenly turned his gaze back to the eastern starry sky. Another emperor's Dao law body appeared, shrouded in chaos, with only a vague silhouette visible deep within. It was enveloped in chaotic immortal light, and his laws were those of the chaotic emperor's Dao. No one present could clearly see his features, only the chaotic visions evolving all things.

Sheng Zun stroked his chin. “Hun Dun Da Di?”

Shen Jiang said leisurely, “Everything here is chaos; besides Hun Dun Da Di, there could be no other.”

The people's eyes gleamed as they stared at Hun Dun Da Di. Just from his title, they knew his bloodline was the Chaos Body, the most perfect in the world—not just empty words.

Ye Chen said nothing, watching quietly. Though Hun Dun Da Di was powerful, he still fell short of Xuan Yuan Di. After becoming an emperor, it was no longer about bloodline but about the Great Dao and laws. No matter how fearsome one's bloodline was before emperorship, if their comprehension of the Dao was lacking, it was all for nothing. In this regard, Xuan Yuan Di surpassed Hun Dun Da Di. There was another secret that the world likely didn't know: among the one hundred and thirty emperors of Xuan Huang, two had Chaos Bodies upon becoming emperors—one was Hun Dun Da Di, and the other was Dao Zu Hong Jun. It was just that few were aware of it.

“That must be... Pan Gu Da Di,” someone said in astonishment.

Hearing this, Ye Chen also turned his head. What he saw was a majestic figure, bare-chested with an axe for opening the heavens in hand, his long black hair flowing, his emperor's eyes dazzling. His imperial aura was the most ancient and domineering, even surpassing Dou Zhan Sheng Huang. Standing there, he was like a divine pillar holding up the sky, his every breath enough to crush eternity.

He was the first emperor of Xuan Huang: Pan Gu Da Di. Legend had it that he cleaved open the chaos, creating all things, pioneering the way for emperors, forging the universe for all living beings, and establishing yin and yang for the world. Though not the strongest emperor, he was the symbol of heaven and earth, the beginning of myths, eternal and undying.

Roar!

As the people were lost in thought, a roar suddenly interrupted them. A section of the starry sky shook violently as five emperors manifested together, their primordial aura surging and intertwining with their emperor's Dao laws. Their ultimate imperial might was ancient and terrifying, making the entire universe rumble and sway.

“Father!”

Jiu Chen's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, streaming down his face. With that single word, “father,” no one needed to ask—it was Hong Huang Qi Lin Da Di, the first kirin in the world. The so-called fire kirin and water kirin of later ages were all his descendants. As for the other four emperors, they were undoubtedly Hong Huang Zu Long Da Di, Hong Huang Yuan Feng Da Di, Hong Huang Xuan Wu Da Di, and Hong Huang Bai Hu Da Di. These were the true divine beasts in every sense; the branches that came after them didn't qualify.

No matter which of these primordial emperors, their imperial might was overwhelming, fused with the most fundamental forces of heaven and earth. Though they were merely Dao law bodies, the people could almost feel their bloodlines—utterly terrifying.

Ye Chen's face turned extremely grave. He didn't even need all sixty-four emperors; just those who had already manifested were enough to terrify anyone. Not just him—Chu Ling and Chu Xuan, along with the others, had pale and ashen complexions, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. The people felt the same way. Though they had confidence in Ye Chen, they couldn't hide their worry.