Chapter 3048: Master

In the dim twilight, Ye Chen continued walking.

Ahead, a faint glow appeared.

Upon closer inspection, it revealed a galaxy formed from eternity, suspended across the nine heavens like a striking streak of color, part of the ancient great array.

At last, he had arrived.

In the distance stood an immense altar. Upon it rose four brilliant eternal light pillars. At the altar's center, demonic energy surged and churned, concealing within its depths the sealed supreme Sheng Mo, bound by chains of order that shackled his hands, feet, bones, and very essence of the demon.

Ye Chen stepped forward, ascending the altar.

With each step, an invisible pressure grew heavier, as if he carried an eight-thousand-zhang mountain on his shoulders, making every movement excruciatingly difficult.

By the ninth step, he finally halted.

He had reached his limit; any closer would risk his body being crushed.

Ye Chen remained silent, simply gazing intently. Only by straining his vision could he pierce through layers of dark demonic energy to glimpse the supreme Sheng Mo. He couldn't make out his features, only a pair of hollow eyes stained with crimson blood, evoking visions of utter destruction.

This moment held profound historical significance.

The supreme of the Sheng Ti lineage and the supreme of the Sheng Mo lineage had finally met, a moment that might be forever etched in time.

"All living beings are mere ants."

The primordial Sheng Mo snarled, his voice booming like thunder, forcing Ye Chen to stagger back half a step, his mind nearly shattering and fresh blood trickling from his lips. His once radiant face turned instantly pale and bloodless.

Under that gaze, Ye Chen felt an overwhelming chill, as if dragged into the depths of Jiu You, doomed to eternal unrest.

This was the might of Huang Di.

This was the power of the supreme Sheng Mo.

Ye Chen still said nothing.

After retreating half a step, he advanced another, silently reciting the Di Dao Sheng Xin Jue to ward off the Sheng Mo's corrupting words.

One sensation was unmistakably real:

His bloodline—the ancient Sheng Ti bloodline—was stirring violently here. The essence of the Sheng Ti even showed signs of bursting from his body. He absolutely believed that one more step forward would either pulverize him under the pressure or cause his Sheng Ti to disintegrate on the spot due to the supreme Sheng Mo's bloodline. The supreme of the Sheng Mo lineage far surpassed Di Sha, Can Zhu, and Qi Wan in bloodline and essence. In this regard, Ye Chen's own bloodline and essence were utterly suppressed.

"Destroy the eternal light pillars."

As Ye Chen watched, the supreme Sheng Mo spoke again, his words laced with an irresistible demonic force, like a nightmare lingering in Ye Chen's divine sea.

In an instant, Ye Chen's eyes turned vacant.

Soon after, his expression grew wooden; his mind had been disrupted, turning him into a puppet from just one phrase by the supreme Sheng Mo.

It was the supreme Sheng Mo attempting to beguile him.

To beguile him into destroying the eternal light pillars, allowing an immediate escape from the seal—one that even a true female emperor might not stop.

Ye Chen's Sheng Ti trembled, and his mind snapped back. His eyes now held a hint of wariness; if this were an ordinary Tian Di, they would likely have been controlled.

"Very strong."

Ye Chen murmured inwardly.

This was his assessment of the supreme Sheng Mo—truly like a bottomless abyss, where even a glance made his Yuan Shen feel on the verge of being devoured.

Yet, this supreme great demon was not the ultimate enemy of all living beings. The so-called primordial Sheng Mo was merely a general.

The true enemy was his master: Tian Dao.

Yes, Tian Dao, which could also be called Cang Tian or Shang Cang. It was formless and intangible, yet omnipresent—the embodiment of order, rules, will, and an unseen existence in the void.

It was the one enslaving fate.

It was the one toying with all living beings.

Long ago, Tian Dao was fair. But from some unknown moment, that just and impartial Shang Cang became corrupted by malice.

Or perhaps, the ant-like multitude of beings had exceeded its control, growing disobedient. The emotions of the world and the desires of living beings to break free from chains filled Tian Dao with immense fear, leading to the birth of malice and the urge for annihilation.

It was the greatest unseen demon of all.

In the mortal realm, what were these so-called era endings or great destructions of heaven and earth? They were simply the result of living beings and Tian Dao's will losing balance in their conflict. As beings grew stronger and Shang Cang weaker, Tian Dao sought to destroy and rebirth, recreating obedient ants.

That ancient Heavenly Court war arose from this, fought across the three realms against Shang Cang—against that so-called Tian Dao.

Regrettably, living beings lost.

Not because they were weak, but because the ancient Heavenly Court could not eradicate Tian Dao.

More precisely, they lacked one thing.

What was missing? A Huang Gu Sheng Ti.

Sheng Mo originated from Tian Dao.

Sheng Ti also originated from Tian Dao.

Of the same root and source, Sheng Ti and Sheng Mo were innately opposed—one representing light, the other darkness.

Whenever a Sheng Mo died, the Sheng Ti would grow stronger.

The reason lay here: each diminishment of Tian Dao's darkness strengthened the Sheng Ti's light. In the void, there was a scale; with each Sheng Mo's death, the balance tipped slightly toward the Sheng Ti.

To destroy Tian Dao, light must illuminate the darkness.

In the previous era, the Heavenly Court lost in this way. If the female emperor gambling against Tian Dao had been a Sheng Ti, perhaps Tian Dao would have been the one defeated. Only a Sheng Ti from Tian Dao could truly shatter that detestable Shang Cang.

This was why the female emperor chose Ye Chen, waiting endless ages for a pioneering Sheng Ti.

The inability of Sheng Ti to achieve Dao and become emperor was not a taboo, but the meddling of Shang Cang, granting privileges to Sheng Mo while imposing shackles on Sheng Ti, erasing the path to emperor from the start.

Beyond that, there was the bloodline limit.

The Sheng Mo lineage could freely unlock bloodlines, but the Sheng Ti lineage could not—all due to Shang Cang's covert interference.

As for Tian Mo and E Mo, Ye Chen was uncertain whether they originated from Tian Dao or Sheng Mo. He only knew that their fusion could produce Tian Dao's aura, but merely in form, not in the most fundamental bloodline.

"Boss."

Accompanied by a call, the Hun Dun Ding arrived.

Buzz!

The arrival of the Hun Dun Ding made the Sheng Mo tremble violently and gnash his teeth, as if detecting the aura of the Zhu Xian Jian from within it.

Indeed, the Hun Dun Ding had devoured the Zhu Xian Jian.

That supreme divine weapon, known as the sword of Shang Cang, was granted by Tian Dao to punish ant-like living beings.

In the past, the Sheng Mo had left the Zhu Xian Jian in the various heavens, not for display, but to fulfill Tian Dao's mission: to slaughter Sheng Ti.

The Zhu Xian Jian had performed admirably.

Throughout history, including Ye Chen, it had slain nearly every Sheng Ti, practically completing the set.

Speaking of which, one had to thank the Zhu Xian Jian.

If it hadn't relentlessly targeted Sheng Ti, the Heavenly Court female emperor wouldn't have uncovered the clues. Why kill so many others yet fixate on Sheng Ti? Anyone with a clear mind could see the issue.

Thus, she saved the successive Sheng Ti.

Through endless ages, she studied this lineage and ultimately realized the source of hope. It wasn't that she lacked strength; she simply lacked a sword capable of slaying Tian Dao.

And that sword was the Huang Gu Sheng Ti.

Now, it seemed that sword, that Sheng Ti, could be defined as Ye Chen. He was the first in history to defy heaven by unlocking a bloodline, and the first to defy heaven by achieving Dao and becoming emperor.

If this counted as two games of chess, then across the Huang Gu Sheng Ti lineage, Ye Chen was the only one who had defeated Tian Dao twice.

Therefore, in the gamble against Tian Dao, anyone could die except him. If necessary, any being, including the ancient Heavenly Court female emperor, would unhesitatingly stand before him.

A minor Sheng Ti might not be the strongest, but his existence held immense significance. Weak cultivation didn't matter; living beings would wait until the day he stood shoulder to shoulder with Tian Dao.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The altar still shook violently.

"So strong."

The Hun Dun Ding trembled, hiding behind Ye Chen.

Ye Chen said nothing.

As a Sheng Ti, he knew why the Sheng Mo was enraged—it must be because of the sword of Shang Cang, once shattered by him, with all its essence becoming nourishment for the Hun Dun Ding. Now that the Sheng Mo had learned of it, fury was inevitable.

"I only kill those with emotions."

Recalling the past, when the Zhu Xian Jian controlled Chu Xuan, it had uttered those words, which Ye Chen later deduced were accurate.

Hearing it again confirmed it.

The so-called "those with emotions" referred to the multitude of living beings. With their feelings and tears, Tian Dao sought to enslave them as puppets, creating an innate opposition. If they couldn't be controlled, they would be destroyed.

And Sheng Ti was the primary target.

Though that sword belonged to the supreme Sheng Mo, it was forged by Tian Dao, not from immortal or divine iron, but condensed from laws and rules into a physical form. Its strength and durability far exceeded any immortal or divine iron. As long as the laws endured and rules remained, it would exist forever. Only a Huang Gu Sheng Ti could truly destroy it, not even a Huang Di-level female emperor could.

But that was no longer important.

What mattered was that the Zhu Xian Jian had been completely destroyed, becoming part of his Hun Dun Ding. The so-called sword of Shang Cang was now mere dust of history.

"Is that the supreme Sheng Mo?"

The Hun Dun Ding hid behind Ye Chen, full of curiosity, though its vision was limited, allowing only a vague glimpse of a shadowy figure amid the rolling demonic energy.

"Boss, why not destroy him?"

The Hun Dun Ding quivered lightly, asking in confusion. As Ye Chen's natal weapon, it possessed high intelligence and had pieced together many things, yet couldn't fathom this point. With the ancient Heavenly Court female emperor's power, she could have obliterated the supreme Sheng Mo, yet she had expended so much effort to seal him in the Taigu Hong Huang.

"If he dies, the Tian Mo's seven calamities will manifest."

Ye Chen replied calmly.

He hadn't understood before, but now he did.

The supreme Sheng Mo had his purpose.

And so did the Sheng Mo supreme; in essence, the female emperor was using him to restrain Tian Dao.

It wasn't that she wouldn't destroy him—it was that she couldn't.

The Hun Dun Ding seemed to grasp it but not fully, unable to quite follow.

Ye Chen had already lifted his gaze to the vast heavens.

Even before coming to Taigu Hong Huang, he knew the secrets: sealed here was not just the supreme of the Sheng Mo lineage, but something far more terrifying.

That was Tian Dao.

More precisely, a part of Tian Dao. No one could truly see it, for it was formless, and Sheng Mo, E Mo, Tian Mo, and even Zhu Xian Jian were merely its agents and tools for annihilation.