A profound hush fell over the entire assembly, so complete that a dropped needle would have sounded like thunder.
Gazing upon the severed arm suspended in the void, golden blood flowed from the wound, seemingly weightless, the droplets themselves hovering in the air like tiny, solidified jewels of gold.
A severed arm!
The limb of an expert who had surpassed the level of a peak Divine Emperor!
A shockwave resonated through everyone present. To think that even a powerhouse like Emperor Jinshan could not escape the grasp of the Heavenly Dao Mech, forced to sacrifice an arm merely to make a narrow retreat.
“How did this Heavenly Dao Mech become so powerful?”
“Even back then, Emperor Jinshan, though no match for the Mech, could hold out for several rounds. How has it become so terrifying now?”
“Could this junior have surpassed the former Heavenly Dao?”
The gazes fixed upon the Heavenly Dao Mech were filled with sheer terror and dread. The power capable of driving an Emperor bearing a Void Heaven Artifact into a humiliating flight was clearly beyond the collective might of everyone present!
Swish!
The Heavenly Dao Mech’s massive form abruptly contracted tens of thousands of times, shrinking to a height of about eight meters, comparable to the stature of an adult Giant tribesman. With a slight ripple of motion, it drifted to the location of the severed arm, opening an intake port in its palm and drawing the limb inside.
Then, it turned around.
The Mech’s blood-red crystalline eyes, gleaming with icy light, swept across the assembled crowd. Every individual caught in that chilling gaze felt their scalps tingle and a deep chill permeate their bones, making them long only to instantly teleport away.
The Mech’s gaze settled upon Emperor Kumoku. Emperor Kumoku’s expression shifted subtly, darkening. He stared at the Heavenly Dao Mech for a moment, then finally let out a heavy, cold snort. With an annoyed glance at Palace Lord Guangming and the others beside him, he flung back his voluminous sleeve and vanished into thin air.
Seeing him take the lead in departure, the rest understood that no advantage was to be gained today. They dared not linger, each swiftly flashing away.
Through the Mech’s blood-red crystal eyes, Ye Chen watched the Divine Emperor experts depart one after another. A murderous intent roiled within him, yet he ultimately suppressed it.
Initially, he had harbored thoughts of avenging his Heavenly Dao Master. But now, he understood that if the Great Dark World invaded the Primordial Era millions of years hence, engaging in widespread fratricide now would only weaken the human race. If the Primordial Continent failed to survive that looming catastrophe, the fallen Divine Emperors would be countless, and the Kings of the Ten Halls and Ten Kingdoms, along with the patriarchs of the Nine Great Ancient Families, would surely perish as well.
It would be an apocalypse!
“Back then, when Master Heavenly Dao was passing on his legacy, he didn't mention revenge. I fear he considered this very possibility,” Ye Chen mused silently.
As the others quickly left, seeing that the Heavenly Dao Mech made no move to pursue, a wave of relief washed over them, mingled with a degree of shame and gratitude. Having heard the tale of the Heavenly Dao’s life recounted by Saint King Lunzhuan, guilt already burdened them. Now, witnessing the Heavenly Dao’s successor display such magnanimity—possessing the complete ability to slaughter them yet choosing to let them go—was more than mere kindness; it was the conduct of a true nobleman!
A nobleman possesses nine virtues, and benevolence is but one.
After the others departed, Ye Chen glanced back. The more than two hundred Divine Emperor experts were all gone, leaving behind only Palace Lord Guangming, Shen Shuang, Hei Xue, Palace Lord Tianlei, Emperor Bingxue, and Palace Lord Honglian.
“Hmm?” Ye Chen frowned, scanning the area. He realized the figure of Bai Tian was missing. During the fierce battle, he hadn't spared the mental energy to monitor that specific area and hadn't noticed when Bai Tian slipped away.
Shaking his head, Ye Chen dismissed the thought. He walked directly toward Palace Lord Guangming and the others. Seeing the gentle concern in their eyes, sensing their unspoken questions, he spoke immediately: “Master Heavenly Dao truly left nothing substantial for you. When he passed on, he only gave me the Heavenly Dao Divine Boat and the Heavenly Dao Scripture; he mentioned nothing else.”
Hearing this, the expressions of Palace Lord Guangming, Emperor Bingxue, and the others dimmed, their hearts heavy with sorrow. Shen Shuang, standing nearby, couldn't suppress a soft sob. This goddess who governed the civilization of the God Realm—her customary cold aloofness, pride, and nobility vanished, leaving her seeming merely like a fragile woman, her delicate frame looking slight against the wind, evoking an overwhelming sense of tender protectiveness.
Upon hearing the narrative of the Heavenly Dao’s life from Saint King Lunzhuan, they understood they had wrongly accused him all those years ago. At the time, everyone had harbored thoughts of killing the Heavenly Dao in anger, yet all of it had been masterminded by that figure in the Great Dark World, leaving the Heavenly Dao utterly unaware.
One could only imagine the profound desolation: suddenly, the entire world turning against you, even the woman you loved most betraying you.
Ye Chen felt a familiar ache of headache watching these women. He said briskly, “I have matters to attend to and must leave now. Take care of yourselves.” With that, his figure flashed, and he sped away into the distance.
“Wait!”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Several beams of light streaked across the sky. Palace Lord Guangming, Emperor Bingxue, and the others materialized almost simultaneously on the Heavenly Dao Mech’s trajectory. Upon appearing, they all paused, exchanging quick glances. Their eyes flickered subtly, but no words were exchanged. They turned back in unison to face the Heavenly Dao Mech.
Feeling a strange prickle of unease under their collective stare, Ye Chen rolled his eyes, exasperated. “What is it?”
Palace Lord Tianlei, clad in a fetching purple dress, looked up at the Mech with a charming pout, wrinkling her delicate nose. She declared authoritatively, “Open the hatch! I am coming in!”
Ye Chen glanced sidelong at her. “Why?”
“This Heavenly Dao Mech is the relic of the Heavenly Dao. Of course, I need to see it,” Palace Lord Tianlei stated with utter entitlement.
Ye Chen surveyed the others, noticing blushes creeping onto the cheeks of Palace Lord Guangming and Emperor Bingxue. His headache intensified. He shook his head. “No loitering allowed.”
“You!” Palace Lord Tianlei bristled with annoyance. “That’s unreasonable! I am your Master’s wife!”
Ye Chen retorted dryly, “I have countless Master’s wives. Must I listen to every single one? Furthermore, Master Heavenly Dao died by your hands, remember?”
Palace Lord Tianlei nearly drew a blade on him in fury. She shot a hateful glare at the others beside her, let out a sharp snort, then turned back, fixing the Heavenly Dao Mech with a serious expression. “The mistakes of the past cannot be undone, so today, you won't escape. Even if you won't let me in, I’m going in!”
“Me too!” Hei Xue, wrapped in a black robe, spoke with a voice devoid of emotion but imbued with unyielding resolve.
Ye Chen knitted his brows, then suddenly stared past them, feigning shock. “Master Heavenly Dao!”
This sudden exclamation sent a jolt through Palace Lord Guangming and the others. Their heartbeats abruptly accelerated, blood feeling as if it were rushing backward. Without a second thought, they whipped their heads around to look...
Empty air!
They stared blankly for two seconds before snapping back to reality, a dreadful realization dawning. They spun around, but the figure of the Heavenly Dao Mech had long vanished.
“That little rogue!” Palace Lord Tianlei gnashed her teeth. “Wait until I catch him, and I’ll peel a layer of skin off him!”
Patriarch Hei Xue’s slender fingers cracked audibly. Her eyes were frighteningly calm. “Indeed, just like the Heavenly Dao of old—worse than beasts!”
Shen Shuang, having the weakest cultivation among them, glanced at the others and whispered softly, “Do you think... he might actually be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao?”
Palace Lord Guangming and the others froze, then lowered their heads in silent contemplation.
After a long pause, Emperor Bingxue finally sighed delicately. Her gentle voice carried a deep sorrow. “He suffered the combined assault of the Nine Great Void Heaven Artifacts back then. His soul was shattered, and his life imprint was wiped clean from the Ledger of Sentient Beings, ensuring eternal oblivion. It’s highly unlikely...”
Silence descended upon them all.
For experts of their caliber, who had witnessed countless wonders and miracles in the world, they understood the immutable truth: once a life imprint is erased from the Ledger of Sentient Beings, true revival becomes impossible.
A gentle breeze swept across the vast expanse.
Clouds drifted slowly by.
...
The Sea of Asura.
An endless ocean where the waters were a deep, profound azure. Dark shapes could occasionally be glimpsed moving beneath the surface, chilling the heart, suggesting that a single fall would instantly turn one into sustenance for the myriad sea monsters dwelling within.
Whoosh~
A spatial ripple unfurled overhead. The Heavenly Dao Mech stepped out from within. Ye Chen activated the Mech’s concealment and stealth systems, completely erasing its aura and trajectory from detection.
“So this is the headquarters of the Primal Ancestor of Spirit...?” Ye Chen murmured, gazing at the boundless sea below. After a moment of reflection, he piloted the Heavenly Dao Mech toward the location marked on the space map.
The Heavenly Dao Mech consumed vast amounts of energy, but its automatic energy replenishment system could compensate for the draw under normal operating modes. Should the strongest mode be engaged, however, this compensation would be a mere drop in the ocean.
Not long after, the Heavenly Dao Mech reached the inner sea of the Sea of Asura. The map indicated that the nerve center of the Spiritual Civilization lay 1.82 million kilometers away.
Ye Chen disembarked from the Mech, retracting it. He then retrieved the Rune Spaceship, stepped inside, and commanded, “Proceed to the Spiritual Civilization Headquarters.”
“Oola!” The old man of the Green Rune Clan, having been confined for over a century, was bursting with pent-up energy. Now released, he greedily scanned the external view on the radar, the sight of the open sea and sky igniting a fierce excitement within him. Hearing Ye Chen’s command, he grinned broadly, gave a thoroughly roguish salute, and piloted the Rune Spaceship, roaring toward the Spiritual Civilization Headquarters.
Ye Chen leaned back on the sofa, casually sipping a Dragon Blood Beverage. He took a moment to assess the power surging within him. The recent battle had yielded immense gains: the corpses of two Divine Emperor experts, plus the severed arm of Emperor Jinshan. Moreover, the Vermillion Gold Heart inside him had not yet been fully refined; once completely absorbed, his physique would skyrocket.
In his current state, breaking through to the Divine Spirit realm was but a mere thought.
However, Ye Chen was in no hurry. He decided it would be better to wait for a truly significant event before attempting the breakthrough. His current objective in coming to the Spiritual Civilization Headquarters was securing a suitable location for secluded cultivation—a baptismal platform for achieving the Divine Spirit breakthrough!
Ascending to the Divine Spirit realm was vastly different from breaking through ordinary stages. The saying in the Immortal Realm was, "One ascends, the chickens and dogs follow suit!" In the Primordial World, this translated to: "One becomes a God, and all beings ascend!"
During the process of apotheosis, one communicates with the essential power of the Primordial World. The greater the disturbance caused by the breakthrough, the more benefits those observing and worshipping from below would receive.