Chapter 3003: Eternal Endless

In the buzzing rumble, the Taigu Road extended continuously.

No one knew how far the road ahead truly was; they only knew that the nine supreme emperors of the various heavens had been replaced several times over, while the Nü Di alone remained eternally unshaken. Without Ye Chen to share the burden, she bore ninety percent of the pressure by herself.

"I always feel that the emperor is just a joke."

Behind her, the Fourth Shenjiang staggered, wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, his face deathly pale.

The Son of the Plane shook his head with a smile, sharing a similar sentiment.

In the eyes of the world, an emperor was a supreme sovereign who commanded the universe, but at the end of the Taigu Road, they were as weak as ants. With the Nü Di holding the front line, even they couldn't withstand the depletion; their divine power dried up time and again.

"Are you still holding up?"

Hongyan stepped forward to take Crimson's place, quietly glancing at the Nü Di. Her innate lifespan was constantly ebbing away in its incomplete form, making her eternity imperfect, so she had to compensate with her life force.

The Nü Di gave a faint smile but said nothing.

Hongyan wanted to say more, wishing to share the burden with the Nü Di, but alas, she did not understand eternity.

Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted, startling the divine generals in the cauldron to turn back and look toward the rear of the Taigu Road.

In their sight, rolling demonic aura surged, accompanied by supreme beings from the outer domain descending.

Di Huang abruptly turned and charged straight toward them. Now that the Taigu Road was being connected, no external forces could be allowed to interfere.

Accompanying him were the Jian Shen and Jian Zun.

The outer domain's forces were not insignificant: one E Mo Tian Di, two Tian Mo Great Emperors, and countless demonic soldiers and generals. The sweeping demonic aura was like a pitch-black flood, engulfing the heavens and earth in darkness.

Di Huang struck first, sending the E Mo Tian Di flying eighty thousand li with a single palm.

Before the outer domain could react, the Jian Shen and Jian Zun arrived, each with their swords, slashing down the two Tian Mo Emperors. As for the demonic soldiers and generals, the three supreme beings simply ignored them, their imperial dao pressure enveloping everything and sweeping them into ashes.

"Di Dao Sheng Ti?"

The E Mo Tian Di steadied himself, his anger mixed with shock. Where had this proven Dao Saint Body come from?

Di Huang remained silent, responding only with his most dominant attacks.

The E Mo Tian Di's defeat was inevitable; as an entry-level Tian Di without innate laws, he was beaten so badly he could barely stand. Although Di Huang was not on par with Ye Chen, he was still a dominating force, far beyond what an ordinary Tian Di could handle.

Thud! Thud!

On the other side, the two Tian Mo Emperors were in a pitiful state. Their early ascension to emperorhood was useless; they were repeatedly cleaved by the Jian Shen and Jian Zun. Their imperial bones were stained with imperial blood, scattered across the Taigu Road. As emperors, they were still far from a match.

The battle came quickly and ended just as fast.

When Di Huang and his companions returned, they were all radiating murderous aura, especially Di Huang, who showed signs of an impending breakthrough.

Meanwhile, the opposing Taigu Road could faintly be seen in the distance.

A second ancient immortal mark appeared on the brow of the Tian Ting Nü Di, and the Yongheng immortal light blazed brightly.

Suddenly, the speed at which the Taigu Road connected increased dramatically.

At the same time, all the emperors not in the formation drew their ultimate imperial artifacts, preparing for battle at any moment.

Looking ahead, they saw a dense crowd of figures standing at the end.

These were the Tian Mo from the outer domain, likely drawn by the commotion to observe. Though their numbers were vast, there were only two supreme beings among them, both at the Great Emperor level, leading their subordinates on what seemed like a leisurely excursion.

"You're overthinking it."

The Fourth Shenjiang coughed dryly, putting away the imperial sword he had drawn and tucking it back into his small world.

Boom!

Accompanied by a thunderous boom, the Taigu Road shot forward like a brilliant divine light, colliding with the opposite side.

What followed was an exceptionally bloody scene.

Perhaps due to the massive shock, even the two Tian Mo Emperors were shaken into the air. Before they could land, the Nü Di struck them down with a single palm. As for the demonic soldiers and generals, no one needed to lift a finger; if even the emperors were shaken off, what chance did they have? From demon lords to foot soldiers, they exploded into blood mist en masse.

"Do not let your guard down."

The Zhan Shen gripped his battle axe and stepped into the vast sky, while the Jian Shen and others paired up, deploying their imperial dao divine senses to sweep the area inch by inch. They had to be cautious; they still remembered how Ye Chen and the Nü Di had both been impaled by a spear in the void earlier—who could guarantee there were no more outer domain supreme beings lurking?

The Nü Di, meanwhile, wielded the Yongheng immortal light to mend the gaps between the two Taigu Roads.

Once done, she stepped into the void and headed straight for the end. Along the way, she made a move, pulling a person out of the emptiness—it was an E Mo Di, hidden quite secretly, but nothing could escape her eyes.

The emperors sighed in admiration; earlier, none of them had detected a thing.

Having found him, the E Mo Di's fate was sealed; the Nü Di extinguished his primordial spirit with a single finger.

At the end, the Nü Di strained her eyes to gaze into the distance.

This time, she could vaguely see the Taigu Road on the opposite side, meaning the distance was not too great.

"Half a shichen to recover."

The Nü Di parted her lips lightly, leaving those words behind as she entered the illusory realm, gradually fading away.

"Half a shichen won't be enough to recover."

The Fourth Shenjiang gave a dry laugh and sat down cross-legged to replenish his nearly depleted divine power.

The Jian Shen and Jian Zun did the same; half a shichen was indeed too short.

Di Huang and Hongyan stood on either side, watching the Nü Di depart. She was likely scouting the path or searching for Ye Chen. The void had no spatial concept, so it's possible Ye Chen's corpse had drifted there.

In reality, they had only guessed half right.

In all these connections, the Nü Di entered the void each time. Scouting was one reason, but the other was to search for a river called Yongheng. Back then, the complete Tian Ting Nü Di had also sought it, though no one knew why. They only knew it contained immense divine power with great significance.

As before, she returned disappointed.

When half a shichen had passed, she activated the ancient immortal formation again, standing alone at the forefront.

Di Huang and Hongyan were already in position, their divine power surging.

Another boom rang out, and after less than a shichen of rest, they set off once more.

As the Nü Di had seen, the opposite Taigu Road was not far away.

Though the distance was not great, that segment of the Taigu Road was vast beyond measure, larger than any they had encountered before, and the number of outer domain supreme beings was unusually high, including many Tian Di and Di Dao Sheng Mo.

Faced with such a lineup, even the Nü Di had to temporarily avoid direct confrontation.

Still in the Yongheng yikongjian, the outer domain supreme beings jumped around frantically, unable to find anyone.

"It's really like chuangguan all the way!"

In the Chaos Cauldron, Long Ye sighed endlessly. Every segment of the Taigu Road had outer domain forces to some extent. Not only did they have to connect it, but they also had to fight through. If the opposing forces were small, it was manageable, but if they were extremely powerful, a fierce battle was inevitable. At this rate, who knew when they'd reach the Taigu Honghuang.

"Why bother connecting it? Going around would be more reliable."

The Little Lingwa squatted on Yue Huang's shoulder, muttering to itself. It truly didn't want to see any more outer domain people.

"If you can think of it, do you think the Nü Di can't?"

Dong Zhou Wu Wang replied with a swig from his wine flask. Connecting was already so difficult; forging a new Taigu Road would be even harder. Going around wasn't impossible, but it depended on whether the Nü Di had the capability—it would take even more time.

Not long after, the Nü Di emerged alone from the yikongjian.

What followed was a divine slaughter. She avoided direct battles, moving like an assassin, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The dim heavens gained a bloody stench; wherever the Nü Di went, someone fell. No outer domain supreme being could escape, not even the Di Dao level Sheng Mo could withstand her fatal strikes.

The Taigu Road was lively, but the void remained calm.

Ye Chen had been walking along the Yongheng for an unknown distance and an unknown number of years.

"I always feel someone is watching."

Ye Chen opened his eyes for a moment; this sensation had grown stronger along the way.

Watching him were not just one or two, but a whole group.

Though he was in the void, certain scenes were projected to the Taigu Honghuang, where the various heavens' supreme beings from past eras shifted their eyes back and forth, having seen him walk back and forth several times, as if watching a movie.

Ye Chen was unaware of this and closed his eyes again, focusing on enlightenment.

This Yongheng Immortal River was more extraordinary than he imagined, not only containing Yongheng divine power but also Yongheng laws. He was absorbing the divine power while comprehending the laws, undergoing transformations countless times over the years.

"It's truly Yongheng inexhaustible."

His Dharma Body grinned nonstop, paddling along for many years, now weary and listless. An endless immortal river might never reach its end, even in death—just like this one.

"Yongheng has no end."

Ye Chen murmured these words countless times, as if gaining some insight.

And so, more years passed.

In the vast void, it remained boundless. Apart अलावा from the nagging Dharma Body, there were no other sounds. Ye Chen had grown accustomed to it, letting his mind wander in the Yongheng, only opening his eyes once every hundred years.

When he stopped again, his hair had turned completely white.

It wasn't that his lifespan was running out, but a manifestation of his dao. His snow-white hair was dyed with Yongheng light.

Another hundred years later, his snow-white hair turned red.

His blood-red hair fluttered, making him look like a demon god, yet shrouded in brilliant immortal radiance.

He did not stop, continuing along the immortal river, gradually moving farther.

At one point, he halted, closing his eyes like a stone statue standing on the Yongheng Immortal River. His flowing hair changed colors repeatedly, like some kind of illusion.

"Boss, you're running out of hair colors."

The Dharma Body had circled around Ye Chen many times, speaking earnestly. His cultivation hadn't improved, but his hair colors had cycled through sets upon sets. Over these years, it was the only entertainment.

Ye Chen never opened his eyes.

After standing for a full hundred years, he finally took a step, but not forward—backward.

"Boss?"

The Dharma Body approached, calling out tentatively, but received no response from his true self.

A strange scene unfolded.

Immortal light shot from under Ye Chen's feet, spraying with exotic colors that intertwined, outlining the Yongheng. The immortal river he had previously absorbed now stepped out step by step—it was his own Yongheng.

"Interesting."

The Dharma Body stroked his chin and followed silently. Wherever Ye Chen walked, an immortal river flowed.

In his view, his true self had comprehended the true essence of Yongheng.

Ye Chen kept walking, with each step birthing Yongheng. The ethereal immortal river was like a path exclusive to him. His flowing purple hair finally returned to its original color, and the Yongheng light surrounding him turned into profound immortal laws. The Dharma Body reached out to touch it; he could see it, but it felt illusory.

Many years later, he returned to the starting point.

The Dharma Body simply squatted on the immortal river, hands in pockets, watching his true self transform.

Ye Chen became a statue again, eyes closed and unmoving.

The immortal river drifted, with only him standing eternally, like a monument atop the Yongheng.

Time lost all meaning to him.

No one counted the time for him; they only knew a long, long period had passed, so ancient that it turned to illusion.

Huh?

The dozing Dharma Body suddenly opened his eyes, glancing here and there, his eyebrows twitching. He saw the immortal rivers on both sides of Ye Chen merging into his true self's body during their flow.

This process was extremely slow.

Yet, the sight of the immortal river pouring into Ye Chen was real, as if his body were a massive hole on the river. The water flowing from east to west poured in entirely, and the water flowing from west to east reversed and flowed back, also surging into the hole.

This metaphor was quite vivid.

Ye Chen was like a bottomless pit; the rolling immortal river poured in without causing a single ripple.

"So, this is the end."

The Dharma Body murmured softly, not looking at the Yongheng Immortal River but at Ye Chen—his true self was the end.

The fine immortal river ultimately dried up in the void.

Or rather, it became part of Ye Chen. In the haze, that Yongheng Immortal River could no longer be seen.

Looking at Ye Chen, he was truly radiant.

Even the Dharma Body gazed in a daze; his true self was right there, yet seemed more distant than a dream. The Yongheng light emanating from him cast a dreamlike hue, with the eternal heavenly sound lingering endlessly.

When the light faded, Ye Chen gently fell.

In that instant, the Dharma Body slowly dissipated, returning to his true self, and the void became dim once more.

Ye Chen remained as insignificant as ever.

He was like a drifting leaf, carried by faint winds into the deeper void.

The wheel of time rolled on in the real world; the years did not pause for him.

Outside, half a year had quietly passed, and the mission to connect the Taigu Road continued.

At the end of the Taigu Road, the Nü Di showed another trace of age.

Even she was exhausted, let alone the nine supreme emperors behind her. Powerhouses like Di Huang and Hongyan could barely stand, while others like Jian Zun and Jian Shen had pale faces without a hint of color.

In half a year, they had connected segment after segment of the Taigu Road.

Yet, the path ahead remained distant. Not only the divine generals but even the emperors felt a chill in their hearts—this road was too long, so long that it drowned out all hope, with their divine power depleting repeatedly.

The Nü Di released her hold, halting the connection.

It wasn't that she couldn't continue; it was that the emperors couldn't. She had underestimated the distance to the opposite side.

The immortal formation dispersed, and the emperors, including Di Huang, collapsed.

As before, the connection stopped midway, and the Taigu Road began retracting, slowly at first, then faster.

"Without our seventh brother, it's just not the same."

The Little Yuan Huang took a deep breath. If Ye Chen were sharing the pressure with the Nü Di, the situation would improve greatly. At least, they wouldn't have to stop halfway, and this stop meant all their previous efforts were in vain.

The Nü Di said nothing, glancing at the Chaos Cauldron.

Her gaze swept over the elder-generation quasi-emperors like Mo Zun—they needed more emperors.

Once again, she stepped into the void.

This time, she walked for three to five days, giving the emperors enough time to recover and herself time to search for that Yongheng Immortal River. Unfortunately, she found neither it nor Ye Chen.

"I'm afraid we'll be trapped here."

A divine general emerged from the great cauldron, standing at the edge of the end, straining his eyes into the distance, seeing only void.

"Just wait. Wait for them to become emperors."

Ren Wang stroked his beard, looking at the elder-generation peak powerhouses. Each additional one would provide more support.

"The Taigu Honghuang might not hold out that long."

Long Ye took a deep breath. The various heavens' reinforcements couldn't be stuck on the road.

"I've been prepared for that."

Zi Xuan murmured softly. They, the minor players, still had their value, such as offering sacrifices. The essence they refined would be more effective than divine power in aiding the emperors to connect this Taigu Road.