Chapter 3084: Exclusive Performance

In the depths of Xuwang, Ye Chen had come to a stop and sat down cross-legged in meditation.

Before long, visions of the universe appeared, etched within his body and manifesting externally. They depicted mountains and rivers, outlining grasses and trees, bringing to life all that he had seen and heard in the cosmic realm, now unfolding one by one.

"Cangsheng He Zui."

It was that same heart-wrenching roar, the one that stirred the soul the most. The old man's final agony remained vivid in his mind.

Only by witnessing destruction firsthand did he realize his own insignificance.

That world-ending, sky-covering great hand must have come from a true god, a deity from the Yongheng Xianyu.

To such a being, all living beings were mere ants, as insignificant as weeds.

"Dunjia Tianshu."

Ye Chen murmured softly, and now, speaking those four words, he couldn't hide his shock.

Each character was refined from the universe itself.

This heavenly scripture, written in such a manner, surpassed anything he could comprehend. He had no idea what its true purpose was—whether it was to showcase the god's majesty or to mock the frailty of all creatures.

After a long while, he finally collected his thoughts and focused on his enlightenment.

The universe of the Tianzi had unfolded, transforming into invisible seals that etched themselves into his body. Though the character was small, it encompassed everything—a mark of a universe's prosperity and decline.

Xuwang was tranquil, silent as the void.

His enlightenment proceeded in a state of slumber. Ye Chen's eyes remained closed, but visions continued to emerge: that vast universe with its mountains, waters, grasses, and trees, all slowly aligning with his Dao. Strands of visible laws intertwined in a dance, while faint heavenly sounds formed the most wondrous immortal melody.

Once again, he glimpsed the gate of the Quasi Huangdi.

This time, it wasn't just a glimpse—he could almost reach out and touch it. Stepping through would mean becoming a Quasi Huangdi.

Boom! Rumble!

From the direction of Taigu Honghuang, thunder suddenly resounded. Upon closer inspection, it was the ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulation.

"Dammit."

That was followed by hearty, unrestrained howls.

It was Xie Yun and Situ Nan.

After years of accumulation and enlightenment, they had finally taken that step. True brothers in arms, their ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulations arrived one after the other. As the world watched, the two had already soared into the vast nine heavens. Though their path to the emperor position came late, they hadn't missed their chance.

This nirvana was brutal.

When the booming faded, only two primordial spirits remained, like flickering flames. The reformed emperor figures were retrieved from the void by the celestial powers. Though they were nearly destroyed, they had survived the tribulation. Rebuilding their primordial spirits and emperor bodies was just a matter of time.

In the days that followed, joyous events kept coming.

Many achieved the Dao and became emperors, with one stunning Emperor Tribulation after another dazzling all who beheld them.

"Looking back on our era, becoming an emperor was incredibly difficult."

Taixu Longdi sighed with emotion.

The supreme beings of the various heavens shared the same sentiment.

In ancient times, vying for a single emperor position had led to countless peerless talents falling on the emperor's path.

Now, things were different—Emperor Tribulations occurred every few days, and people achieved the Dao every so often.

Without comparison, there would be no pain.

"The great changes in heaven and earth."

Xuanyuan Di spoke thoughtfully, his Quasi Huangdi perspective perhaps seeing it more clearly.

The Quasi Huangdi of the Ancient Heavenly Court understood this well.

The reduced difficulty in achieving the Dao and becoming an emperor wasn't without reason. The lack of an emperor's Dao imprint suppression was only one factor; the main reason lay with the Huanggu Shengti lineage.

Both originating from the Heavenly Dao, if the Shengti lineage grew stronger, the sacred demons would weaken. The Heavenly Dao had lost a certain balance, and unseen forces were passively granting more to all living beings.

To put it bluntly, the Heavenly Dao's shackles on creatures were gradually weakening.

Wait and see! Once Ye Chen advanced to Quasi Huangdi, or if Di Huang challenged for the Heavenly Emperor, or if Hong Yan underwent another nirvana, the shackles would weaken further. More people would achieve the Dao. Though the number of Shengti was few, they were restraining the Heavenly Dao to a significant degree.

"Emperor Dao suppression still exists."

Shenzun opened his eyes for a moment and glanced toward the void.

As a Quasi Huangdi at the peak, just half a step from Huangdi, his perceptions were even sharper than Xuanyuan Di's.

However, the Emperor Dao suppression he referred to wasn't at the great emperor level, but at the Huangdi level.

For instance, he could see the light gate of Huangdi, yet it remained out of reach. It wasn't that he lacked brilliance or heaven-defying talent; it was because there was already a Huangdi above him—his sister. Her Huangdi imprint suppressed everything across the upper and lower epochs.

This principle was straightforward.

It was similar to the myriad heavens before the Emperor Dao changes, where peak Quasi Emperors were plentiful, but only one could achieve the emperor position. And if an emperor was alive, no one else could ascend.

The current Taigu Honghuang was much like that era: many Quasi Huangdi, but one Huangdi holding them back. Unless the female emperor fell, it would be hard for anyone to reach Huangdi.

Some might say that later generations couldn't become Huangdi because they weren't heaven-defying enough.

But that wasn't entirely accurate.

His sister, the female emperor, was indeed a heavenly barrier for later generations.

Yet, at its root, the issue wasn't her, but the Heavenly Dao. The number of Huangdi positions it allowed, or that this universe could bear, might be limited—perhaps just a few. Three were allocated to the sacred demons, heavenly demons, and calamity demons, leaving only one for all living beings.

This was the stark injustice of the Heavenly Dao.

From the start, the masses were at a disadvantage.

For example, the first-generation sacred demon was born as a Huangdi.

The same went for the heavenly demon and calamity demon—they were born at the peak. The gap for ants to chase the supreme was immense, and the Heavenly Dao meddled in the shadows, offering no privileges and even imposing shackles. After all the struggle, there was only that pitiful spot.

So, what truly oppressed living beings was the Heavenly Dao.

Thus, to become a Huangdi, one had to fight against the heavens.

As Shenzun watched, the female emperor suddenly manifested, returning from the unknown, her body stained with fresh blood.

Shenzun's guesses were mostly correct.

But certain secrets were known only to the female emperor. Only a true Huangdi truly understood the Heavenly Dao's evil. The so-called will confrontation had evolved from a concept into reality. The outer domain's three demons were prime examples—executors of the Heavenly Dao and carriers of its will, agents of world destruction.

The female emperor waved her hand, bringing out a slumbering young man and placing him on a cloud.

"Zan."

An elder Quasi Huangdi from the Heavenly Court suddenly stood up, able to see through the void to that young man.

"Master."

Over three-tenths of the Heavenly Court's Quasi Huangdi also rose, their expressions stunned.

"Master?"

Renwang swallowed hard, and the supreme beings of the various heavens were equally shocked. They had all taught disciples and acted as masters, but compared to that one, they fell short by miles.

Being a master was all about the disciples.

Look at that one—his students were a group of Quasi Huangdi. That was a true legendary figure.

What was even more terrifying was the female emperor, who had pulled that great master back to the mortal world.

In the mountains, Shenzun stood with his hands behind his back, sighing in admiration. The unknown domain was truly miraculous, able to retrieve someone like Zan. In terms of seniority, that was an ancestor-level emperor to him.

If Ye Chen were here, he would likely feel both surprised and helpless.

For the unknown, he had gone through immense hardship, reversing laws, overturning cause and effect, severing reincarnation, and getting hammered half to death by that little kid, just to pull back a great emperor at the peak.

The female emperor, on the other hand, had already brought back two Quasi Huangdi, both at the peak.

The Dunjia Tianzi were limited, so the various heavens had no choice but to yield to the Heavenly Court. Bringing back a Quasi Huangdi was different from a Quasi Emperor; in the great final battle, a Quasi Huangdi could hold the line, but a Quasi Emperor would fall far short. They might not even qualify as cannon fodder.

Under everyone's gaze, the female emperor sacrificed the Dunjia Tianzi.

Perhaps due to its ancient age or because Zan had been buried for so long, his body was covered in layers of dust from the ages.

As the Tianzi merged, the weariness began to fade.

The process that followed was surprisingly smooth. In the void, marvelous visions appeared again, no less impressive than Shenzun's had been. The ancient Dao essence made many supreme beings feel ashamed. Living for eons certainly had its advantages.

Only then did the female emperor withdraw her hand, exhausted, and sit under an old tree.

This trip to the unknown domain had been full of dangers, even for a Huangdi like her, nearly costing her life.

As for Zan, he slept peacefully, still in the midst of nirvana and transformation.

It took nine full days before he opened his eyes. Though he appeared as a youth, his eyes were etched with the weight of ages. He never imagined he could return to the mortal world, and now, an entire epoch had passed. Looking around, he could still see people from his time.

Shenzun set up a stone table, and the female emperor placed murky wine on it, as a welcome.

Zan was full of contentment; among his grand-disciples, Shenzun and the female emperor were the most extraordinary.

After the wine, he went to the altar sealing the sacred demon.

The female emperor, meanwhile, entered Xuwang again. Before stepping into the vortex, she glanced at Ye Chen.

Ten days in the outside world meant a thousand years in Xuwang.

Now, Ye Chen was even more extraordinary than before. It wouldn't be long before he could break through to Quasi Huangdi on the spot.

Boom! Rumble!

As soon as the female emperor entered the vortex, another Emperor Tribulation erupted in Taigu Honghuang.

It was Yao Xin and Qin Mengyao—one the divine maiden of Yaochi, the other a nether general of the underworld. Both possessed unmatched elegance, their tribulations manifesting as two radiant seas of thunder, one east and one west, illuminating all of Taigu Honghuang with splendor.

On the second day, the ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulation continued.

This time, it drew many supreme beings' attention, as it involved two young women who looked identical.

Indeed, it was Xi Yan and Di Jia Jiu Xian.

Not only did they look alike, but their temperaments and natures were strikingly similar.

"No blood relation."

The emperors observed closely and even used divination techniques; Xi Yan and Di Jiuxian had no connection whatsoever.

"Awkward."

Many veteran divine generals coughed, feeling outpaced by the younger generation.

Xi Yan had risen later, part of the second batch of divine generals, but her talent was indeed terrifying.

As for Di Jiuxian, it was all due to her opportunities.

During the heavenly demon invasion, she had fallen in the various heavens. Ye Chen and Yaochi had searched extensively and found traces of her aura. Her revival was thanks to the female emperor, who had collected half a strand of her remnant soul.

Those ancient matters were now irrelevant.

In the following days, the ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulations kept coming—or rather, it was the exclusive performance of the Shengti family.

After Xi Yan, it was Nanming Yushu, achieving the Dao against the heavens.

Just a day later, Beisheng ascended to the nine heavens amid the thunder tribulation, drawing awed gazes from the Heavenly Court. As supreme beings, they saw it clearly—that was the ancient Heavenly Court's Purifying Immortal King.

On the third day, Shangguan Hanyue achieved the Dao on the spot.

On the fourth day, Liu Ruyan emerged from seclusion, and the eleventh emperor of Dachu welcomed her ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulation.

On the fifth day, Lin Shihua descended from the mountains, her tribulation's sea of thunder filling half the sky.

On the sixth day, Haotian Shiyue and Shangguan Yu'er stepped out from their peaks, triggering ultimate Dao Emperor Tribulations from south to north, leaving many veteran divine generals rubbing their brows. Those two weren't particularly heaven-defying in talent, yet they had achieved the Dao.

Opportunity—truly a mysterious thing.

On the seventh day, Xuannu and Luo Xi ascended together, achieving the Dao through alchemy, making Dan Di's old eyes light up.

On the eighth day, Biyou underwent nirvana and transformation, adding another emperor.

"Truly a feast for the eyes."

Long Ye sighed endlessly. The wives of Ye Chen's family seemed to have all achieved the Dao—a whole lineage of supreme beings. If they went out for a stroll, they'd be a stunning sight anywhere, utterly unique.

"With tribulations lining up like this, will he end up marrying them one by one next year?"

Situ Nan stroked his chin, easily imagining the scene. Marrying one a day would rake in so many gifts.

Given Ye Chen's personality, he could definitely pull off such an eccentric move.

"Stealing cabbages is an art form too."

The expressions of the supreme beings from various eras were full of meaning. Not to mention others, just the female emperor and Hong Yan were figures no ordinary person would dare approach. Ye Tiandi was something else—once he made a move, he claimed a whole bunch.

"I say, didn't you ever marry a wife back in your day?"

Ye Xingchen and his Dao bodies stood with hands behind their backs, mere spectators.

This was directed at Dizun.

They had heard Dizun was quite unrestrained, yet he had no descendants. Sharing the nine reincarnations, this first life of his paled in comparison to their original self—at least Ye Chen had many wives.

"I prefer men."

Dizun's words were profound, sending Ye Xingchen and the others scrambling far away.