The inheritance of Falling Emperor Mountain traced back before the primordial era, to the age when multiple Emperors coexisted.
Here, an Emperor nad Desolate Ruins fought his archenemy to the death and left behind his legacy: the Desolate Ruins Indestructible Scripture.
Su Chen gazed at the ruined landscape before him, staring into the boundless void.
"So this… is the place where Desolate Ruins Great Emperor proved the Dao?"
He felt genuine astonishnt.
Tens of millions of years had passed, yet the site of the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor's ascension remained remarkably well-preserved.
"Surprised?" The old man in hemp robes chuckled. "This is the true inheritance of Falling Emperor Mountain—the secret that has never been severed, even after countless rises and falls over tens of millions of years."
Ever since Su Chen returned from the Purple Firmant Dao Sect, the little old man had sought him out. This elusive master of Falling Emperor Mountain—this life's teacher—rarely appeared, and whenever he did, it was never for anything good.
Su Chen remained wary. He feared another errand to clean up after his junior siblings. Or perhaps the old man had lost another bet and needed him to wander the world again.
If he lost sothing valuable, Su Chen would probably have to return to the Nangong family to fetch resources and wipe the old man's backside yet again—an endless hassle. But what the old man said next caught him completely off guard.
"Little Chen, would you like to see the true foundation of Falling Emperor Mountain?"
Su Chen was stunned. His wariness deepened. No courtesy without a sche—either treachery or theft. He had long coveted the true depths of Falling Emperor Mountain. For decades, the old man had refused, always citing excuses like "the ti has not co" or "the heavenly numbers do not align."
Yet in the end, the temptation of a Great Emperor's inheritance proved too great. Curiosity outweighed caution. Nothing in heaven or earth mattered more than the legacy of an Emperor. So he followed the old man to a place he had never been before. The very site where the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor had proven the Dao!
"In ancient tis, the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor ascended here. Heaven and earth were shattered. Endless realms dissolved into nothingness. From that nothingness, he comprehended the Dao of destruction and rebirth. In destruction, he reshaped the cosmos, rising in a single leap to beco master of heaven and earth—the Great Emperor revered by all races."
Speaking of the ancient Desolate Ruins Great Emperor, reverence filled the old man's face.
Su Chen's heart trembled with awe. To reshape the cosmos from destruction—simple to say, yet it ant this Desolate Ruins Great Emperor had mastered at least two supre dao paths. Among all Emperors, he would rank as one of the strongest.
Tens of millions of years later, the traces of his ascension still lingered. Truly, every Great Emperor who proved the Dao possessed unmatched aptitude, comprehension, and destiny. Even in the primordial era when multiple Emperors coexisted, ascension was already difficult. How much harder must it be in this era of one Emperor reigning supre?
The old man continued, "You possess the Innate Supre Sword Physique and the bloodline of the Nangong family. That little girl from the Lin family has the Azure Wood Sacred Physique and the Lin bloodline. Your child would inherit both the Dao of destruction and rebirth—perhaps becoming a second Desolate Ruins Great Emperor. Are you really not tempted?"
Su Chen's face darkened. Now he understood why the Nangong and Lin families had been so obsessed with this marriage. It was all this old man's ddling!
Su Chen shook his head firmly. "I walk the path of invincibility. I need no successor."
The old man nodded in satisfaction. "That is precisely why I brought you here. Your talent and comprehension make you the foremost prodigy of the Azure Nether Dao Domain in ten thousand years. Perhaps you will comprehend sothing here. Of course, if you ever change your mind, your master will gladly go to the Purple Firmant Dao Sect to propose marriage again on your behalf."
Su Chen: "..."
The old man still hadn't given up.
Su Chen began to comprehend the fortune left behind by the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor. The ascension site of a Great Emperor—this was a dream opportunity countless cultivators would kill for. He started cultivating the Desolate Ruins Indestructible Canon. Visions appeared before him—of that supre Great Emperor proving the Dao long ago.
The old man watched silently, unsure whether his decision had been right or wrong. There was one final secret he had not told Su Chen. Though this was indeed the place where Desolate Ruins Great Emperor proved the Dao, and it could aid in cultivating the Desolate Ruins Indestructible Canon…
The lingering dao marks from the Great Emperor would gradually diminish with each use until they vanished completely. The final foundation had originally been reserved to nurture a peerless Emperor—one who could walk the sa path as Desolate Ruins Great Emperor and preserve Falling Emperor Mountain's glory for another era.
But…In the end, he had softened.
...
Ti passed in a blur. Ten years slipped by.
A major event shook the Azure Nether Dao Domain. The seal on the Black Nether Demon Domain—once imprisoned by the Azure Nether Dao Domain—had begun to loosen. This developnt drew the imdiate attention of every major power in the Azure Nether Dao Domain.
Thirty thousand years earlier, a Great Emperor of the Azure Nether Dao Domain had personally sealed the Black Nether Demon Domain. Now that the seal was weakening, the demons were certain to return in force, threatening to engulf the entire domain in bloodshed and chaos.
Su Chen erged from seclusion in the proving grounds of the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor. In those ten years, he had mastered the introductory stage of the Desolate Ruins Emperor Scripture.
Ji Changkong rushed over with a mournful expression. "Senior Brother, it's bad! Third Senior Brother has been suppressed by a prodigy from the Black Nether Demon Domain!"
The third senior brother was Su Yanbai, bearer of the Innate Integrity Physique. His talent and strength were formidable—genius of the sacred son caliber.
Su Chen raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. He genuinely acknowledged Su Yanbai's capabilities.
"Where is Junior Sister Ye?" Su Chen asked. "She should have returned from the Northern Plains by now."
The second senior sister was Ye Jinghong, born with the destiny of a spear god—her temperant fierce, willful, and ruthless.
Ji Changkong gave a helpless shrug. "Senior Sister Ye went to rescue Third Senior Brother, but sothing went wrong."
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Su Chen frowned. "Don't tell she was also captured by that Black Nether Demon Domain prodigy?"
Ji Changkong shook his head. "No… Senior Sister Ye never even saw Third Senior Brother or the enemy. She set out to save him but accidentally wandered into a forbidden zone and got trapped inside. She contacted and said she needs you to co, Senior Brother."
Su Chen: "…"
He let out a long sigh. "My foolish junior brothers and sisters."
Ji Changkong wondered whether the "foolish" included him.
After a mont's hesitation, he asked tentatively, "Senior Brother… are we supposed to start preparing incense for Second Senior Sister and Third Senior Brother?"
Su Chen shot him a sideways glance and smacked the back of his head. "Incense for what? They're your senior brother and sister. When they're in danger, how can I, their eldest senior brother, just stand by and do nothing?"
Ji Changkong blinked in genuine surprise. This was not the usual Senior Brother style.
"I'd like to see exactly who has the nerve to touch soone from Falling Emperor Mountain," Su Chen said, a spark of interest in his eyes.
He had just erged from seclusion with considerable progress in the Desolate Ruins Indestructible Scripture and was eager to test his new strength. The people from the Black Nether Demon Domain had conveniently delivered themselves to his door.
Ji Changkong quickly nodded. "A re prodigy from the Black Nether Demon Domain is no match for you, Senior Brother. With you taking action, they'll be captured in an instant."
Su Chen reached out and hoisted Ji Changkong up by the collar.
"Senior Brother! I haven't broken through to the Nirvana Realm yet—I can't leave the mountain!"
Ji Changkong's face paled as he struggled desperately.
Su Chen remained calm. "This is training."
…
At the Heavenly Pass.
Demonic qi leaking from the Black Nether Demon Domain had turned a hundred-thousand-li radius into a lifeless wasteland. The various orthodoxies of the Azure Nether Dao Domain imdiately began fortifying defensive lines. So of the more powerful sects had already ford expedition teams and ventured into the perilous Black Nether Demon Domain.
As one of the great domains, the Black Nether Demon Domain was both extrely dangerous and rich with opportunity. The demon crystals ford from the corpses of fallen beings could temper the body to an astonishing degree.
In the Azure Nether Dao Domain, such crystals were worth cities. Many supre prodigies of the domain had been stirred into action, leading their orthodoxies in a frenzied rush to slaughter demons and harvest the crystals.
Yet the Black Nether Demon Domain had once rivaled the Azure Nether Dao Domain for supremacy. Even after thirty thousand years of exile by a Great Emperor, its foundations remained terrifyingly deep, and new prodigies erged without end.
While Azure Nether Dao Domain geniuses hunted demon crystals, the creatures of the Black Nether Demon Domain hungered to devour the dharma bodies of Azure Nether talents, repairing their own flaws and advancing further along the path.
This was an inevitable war. Especially now, as the path of cultivation grew increasingly difficult and the world edged toward the Age of Dharma-Ending, survival—and the chance to live until the next great era—depended above all on resources.
This era was destined to be incomparably cruel.
Su Chen arrived at Heavenly Pass with Ji Changkong in tow.
The mont he appeared, every orthodoxy at the pass turned to stare.
"It's Nangong Chen of Falling Emperor Mountain! He's finally co out of seclusion!"
"The number-one genius of our Azure Nether Dao Domain is here! Let's see how those beasts from the Black Nether Demon Domain dare to act arrogant now, thinking our domain has no one left?"
"Young Master Nangong, please save my clan's heir! He fell into a cunning trap set by those Black Nether villains and was captured!"
"…"
Su Chen's arrival ignited hope in every heart. Countless fervent gazes locked onto him.
Ji Changkong, still dangling from Su Chen's grip, looked utterly defeated. He covered his face, trying to hide from the crowd.
"Young Master! It's Young Master Ji—sothing terrible has happened!"
An old man in purple brocade robes recognized the boy being carried and hurried forward, face alight with joy.
Ji Changkong waved weakly. "Old man, you've got the wrong person. I don't have the surna Ji, and I'm definitely not called Changkong."
The old man was unshakable. "You are Ji Changkong—Young Master of our Ji Clan. Only you call 'old man.' Everyone else addresses as Senior."
Ji Changkong: "…"
The old man grew frantic. "Young Master, the young miss has been captured by people from the Black Nether Demon Domain! She fell into a trap laid by one of their cunning prodigies. She and the heirs of many ancient aristocratic families were all taken. Those demons are vicious and brutal—our young miss is delicate and tender. Every second she spends in that demon lair could bring disaster!"
Ji Changkong's face drained of color, turning ashen. "What did you say? My little sister has been captured by the Black Nether Demon Domain?"
He lost his composure completely and looked up at his eldest senior brother.
"Senior Brother, this is really bad!"
Su Chen gave him a flat look. "I already know it's bad."
Ji Changkong gave an awkward laugh. "Senior Brother, my little sister is still young and beautiful as a flower—she can't die like this. Please, you have to save her. If you do, she will surely fall head over heels for you. She'll serve you loyally, be your ox or your horse—even if it's just pouring tea and waiting on you, she'll repay the debt for the rest of her life!"
Su Chen was stunned.
Ji Changkong, who always appeared honest and straightforward, turned out to be this kind of person.
Su Chen refused outright. "My heart is set on the Dao alone."
After a pause, he added, "However… since it is you, Junior Brother Ji, who asks, if your little sister possesses the good fortune to survive, I will act once on her behalf."
If she lacked that fortune and was devoured instead, well—he possessed no ans to bring back the dead.
Ji Changkong bead with joy. "Many thanks, Senior Brother!"
With Senior Brother taking action, what prodigy or monster from the Black Nether Demon Domain could possibly stand a chance?
The Ji Clan elder's face lit up with delight. He bowed deeply. "We are profoundly grateful that Young Master Nangong is willing to intervene. In the days to co, the Ji Clan will certainly visit with proper gifts of thanks."
Rescuing one or rescuing two made little difference to Su Chen. He then began gathering information about the situation inside the Black Nether Demon Domain.
A supre prodigy had erged there—soone nad Mo Qianren, proclaid the reincarnation of the Demon Ancestor. He carried the demon emperor remnant bones within his body and possessed the potential to prove the Great Emperor realm. Terrifyingly powerful, he had challenged nurous monstrous geniuses across the Azure Nether Dao Domain and remained undefeated.
"Could it be that both my little sister and Senior Brother Su were captured by this Mo Qianren?" Ji Changkong asked.
The Ji Clan elder shook his head. "Mo Qianren only challenges the strongest geniuses of each major orthodoxy in the Azure Nether Dao Domain."
Ji Changkong let out a relieved breath. He knew very well how unremarkable his little sister was in terms of cultivation talent. She would never catch the eye of such a supre figure.
"Then is there so other terrifying monster in the Black Nether Demon Domain who managed to capture all those Azure Nether geniuses in one fell swoop?" Ji Changkong asked, his expression growing slightly grave.
The Ji Clan elder took a deep breath and, looking rather embarrassed, explained what had actually happened. It turned out that after the Azure Nether Dao Domain geniuses won a major victory in their initial clashes with Black Nether prodigies, they grew arrogant and overconfident. Convinced the demons were no match for them, they recklessly pursued the fleeing enemies deep into Black Nether territory. They were picked off one by one.
So died. Others were imprisoned. If all those captives perished, the Azure Nether Dao Domain would suffer a devastating blow to its foundation.
Ji Changkong: "…"
"Later, many of the sleeping monstrous geniuses from various orthodoxies awakened and ventured deep into the Black Nether Demon Domain to rescue them. But every single one was defeated by Mo Qianren. None ever returned."
The elder gave a bitter smile. "Right now, the only one capable of pulling the Azure Nether Dao Domain back from the brink is you, Young Master Nangong."
Elders from the many orthodoxies gathered at Heavenly Pass turned their hopeful gazes toward Su Chen.
eting their eyes, Su Chen spoke calmly. "I will issue a challenge to Mo Qianren. The rest I leave to all of you."
Saving one life or saving two was simple enough. Saving an entire group, however, was a troubleso affair. Even so, his words were more than sufficient for the assembled orthodoxies. With Su Chen stepping forward to deal with the strongest enemy, their own heirs would fear no one else!
Su Chen left Heavenly Pass and stepped into the territory of the Black Nether Demon Domain.
A gray haze blanketed everything. The ashen mist subtly eroded the mind and, over ti, gradually weakened the vital energy within the body.
Su Chen shook the gray gas away from himself with a casual motion. Leading warriors from the various orthodoxies, he advanced deeper into the demon domain. Before long they arrived at the foot of an ancient wall.
Constructed from pitch-black stone, the wall stretched endlessly in both directions like a heavenly barrier standing firm. Dense runes covered its surface—clear evidence that the creatures of the Black Nether Demon Domain were also on high alert against invasions from the Azure Nether Dao Domain.
As Su Chen and his group approached, the demons sensed their arrival. Atop the border fortress of the Black Nether Demon Domain stood a prodigy with eight arms, his form resembling a giant spider. Flanked by nurous other demon prodigies, he looked down upon the gathered beings from the Azure Nether Dao Domain.
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