The Dao of Reincarnation (98-100) (Patreon)

Chapter 98: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 10)

Genius prodigies from all five domains surged forward in a frenzied race to seize the Emperor Scripture.

Su Chen blended into the crowd. He watched as greed consumed the minds of these once-proud talents, turning them against one another in brutal slaughter. He made no move to intervene.

Blood dyed mountains and rivers crimson. Broken weapons littered the ground. The bones of prodigies lay scattered across the landscape.

Su Chen approached the fallen corpses and collected their remains. These were the origin essences of an entire generation of geniuses—some even carried the ancient supreme physiques of long-forgotten powers. He packed them all away without waste. Good things should never be squandered.

In the end, only the true martial monsters remained, locked in mutual combat. Divine physiques blotted out the sky with their phenomena. Terrifying auras sent shivers through the air. They dominated the eight desolations, each one invincible in its own right.

Su Chen observed the clash among those bearing divine and sacred physiques.

"As expected of the legendary special physiques… they truly are terrifying."

Even after devouring the origin essences of so many prodigies, Su Chen still felt an insurmountable chasm between his Primordial Taotie Physique and those mythic constitutions. A sudden thought crossed his mind: if he could swallow one of them, would his body undergo some extraordinary transformation?

He dismissed the idea almost immediately. The cost was far too high. Every divine or sacred physique stood behind an unfathomably powerful force. Their life-saving methods were countless. Even if he succeeded, he would expose his trump cards—and the gain would not justify the risk. Better to pick soft persimmons first. Start with the weak, then gradually move to the strong. Step by step.

In the end, after the great battle, a divine physique from an ancient clan of the Central Continent emerged victorious, suppressing all others.

Su Chen remembered his name.

Yu Shukuang—the peerless prodigy of the Yu Clan, one of Central Continent's top forces. Bearer of the Peerless Divine Physique. His clan had once produced a Quasi-Emperor… though it had since declined. Still, a starved camel was larger than a horse; the Yu Clan remained one of the Central Continent's colossal overlords.

A mysterious inheritance space appeared in the starry sky, drawing Yu Shukuang toward it.

Su Chen watched the scene unfold. He made no attempt to interfere. He did not believe an old schemer like this—an ancient Quasi-Emperor—would leave no contingencies behind.

"From this day forward, I fear the five domains of Heavenly Profound will once again be thrown into chaos. Countless lives will turn to ash."

Su Chen sighed softly in his heart. Against the schemes of an existence so supreme beneath the stars, even knowing the truth brought only deep powerlessness. This was an open plot, impossible to counter. An Emperor Scripture—anyone would be moved. Anyone would want to cultivate it.

Months later, news spread that the passage out of the ancient ruin had opened.

Outside, numerous powerful forces already waited in anticipation. Yet those who emerged numbered fewer than one-tenth of those who had entered. The ancient powers erupted in fury and demanded answers. They would uncover the truth at any cost.

"Inside the ruin… an Emperor Scripture appeared!"

"The Emperor Scripture was obtained by Yu Shukuang of the Yu Clan! It is in his hands!"

"An Emperor Scripture… an actual Emperor Scripture appeared… no wonder the slaughter was so brutal!"

"…"

The revelation of the Emperor Scripture shook everyone to the core.

No one cared anymore about how many prodigies had died inside the ruin. Those who understood either fled—like Su Chen, who left the ruin and never returned to the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land, choosing instead to vanish without a trace—or immediately sent word back to their sects and clans.

Boom—A rift suddenly tore open in the sky.

Through the crack loomed a colossal, star-like silhouette. A single hand extended outward, enveloping the direction of the Yu Clan.

"Hand over the Emperor Scripture, and you may live."

Su Chen's scalp went numb. This aura had already surpassed the Saint realm.

A Saint King… this was a Saint King!

For the first time, Su Chen witnessed a being of this level. The power was unimaginable. Merely the residual waves of its presence could grind countless extraterritorial stars into dust. If its true body descended upon the Western Regions… how terrifying would that be?

Run! This was only the beginning!

Su Chen had no desire to perish in the mere aftershock of such a battle. That would be far too ridiculous an end for this life.

At the same instant, from the distant edge of the horizon, an arrow tore through countless layers of space. It carried the blazing might of a sun and shot straight toward the Saint King beyond the starry void.

An incomparably domineering voice thundered across the heavens.

"What kind of trash dares to touch something belonging to my Yu Clan? If you're looking to die, Yu Zhenyang doesn't mind sending you on your way!"

Yu Zhenyang, the True Yang Saint King, was an invincible figure of his generation within the Yu Clan! Even a legendary existence like him had descended upon this place!

The single arrow caused the Saint King to bleed. Scorching blood sprayed across the distant star dome, annihilating an entire swath of stars.

"True Yang Saint King, this Emperor Scripture belongs to the Western Regions. It can only remain in the Western Regions."

"Hand over the Emperor Scripture, and we will allow you to leave. Otherwise, none of you will escape the Western Regions."

"Yu Zhenyang, you are not qualified to take the Emperor Scripture away from my Western Regions!"

"…"

One after another, Saint Kings who existed only in legend appeared. Five Saint Kings in total emerged from the far reaches of the starry sky, blocking the Yu Clan's path back to the Central Continent.

An Emperor Scripture had appeared in the Western Regions. They would never let it go. After all, this was the legendary Emperor Scripture. If it emerged in the Western Regions, it must remain in the Western Regions!

'As expected of the Western Regions… its foundation truly runs deep. Five Saint Kings dispatched at once!'

Su Chen marveled inwardly.

"Since ancient times, fate determines who obtains opportunity. Your Western Regions were unable to compete and lost to my Yu Clan's successor. How are you worthy of this supreme Emperor Scripture? Now you resort to robbery and threats. Is this the Western Regions' way of doing things? Truly arrogant and overbearing!

"But my Yu Clan has never tolerated threats. What we have obtained will not be handed over. Today, no matter what, the Yu Clan will bring the Emperor Scripture back to our clan. If you are tired of living and wish to taste the might of our clan's imperial artifact, feel free to try and stop us!

"If it comes to it, we will shatter mountains and rivers, exhaust the Western Regions' vitality. As long as you can bear the consequences, the Yu Clan is ready to accompany you to the end!"

Facing five Saint Kings, Yu Zhenyang showed not the slightest fear. The Emperor artifact of an ancient Emperor clan was precisely the confidence that allowed him to defy an entire domain!

"Then let us fight!"

The Western Regions' powerhouses wasted no words. Experts at the Saint King level were peerless figures of one or even several eras. How could a few sentences intimidate them?

Terrifying saintly might swept across the entire Western Regions.

In less than a few hours, the starry sky bled once more. The Yu Clan's Saint King faced six opponents no weaker than himself. Again and again, he was blasted apart. Were it not for the astonishing vitality of a Saint King, he would have perished countless times already.

"Uncle!"

Yu Shukuang watched True Yang Saint King suffer repeated defeats. Hatred burned in his heart. "One day, I, Yu Shukuang, will make every one of you pay a thousandfold!"

True Yang Saint King roared, "You push too far! Do not blame my Yu Clan for showing no mercy! Old Ancestor, save me!"

Central Continent shook.

An ancient aura rose like a blazing sun. It crossed billions of miles in an instant. The already sealed boundary between the Western and Central Domains was torn open by hand.

"How dare you bully my Yu Clan to such an extent!"

From within the Yu Clan, an ancient Great Saint emerged. Wielding a Quasi-Emperor weapon, he descended upon the Western Regions!

Chapter 99: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 11)

"This is insane—even a Great Saint has appeared, and he brought a Quasi-Emperor weapon. Are they really going to sink the entire Western Regions?"

Su Chen cursed inwardly. If the Western Regions truly collapsed under such a cataclysm, nowhere would be safe. As long as he remained here, death would find him no matter where he hid.

The terrifying might of the Quasi-Emperor weapon permeated the starry sky. Countless gazes turned toward it—only to be met with screams of agony moments later.

Though a Quasi-Emperor weapon was not a true Emperor artifact, it still bore the character "Emperor." In an age without an Emperor, a Quasi-Emperor stood as the pinnacle of the universe.

"A Quasi-Emperor weapon… your Yu Clan actually dares?!"

The moment a Great Saint wielding a Quasi-Emperor weapon descended upon the Western Regions, no one could remain calm.

The Yu Clan's Great Saint showed no mercy. He urged the Quasi-Emperor weapon into full power. The crushing pressure—thousands of times more terrifying than ordinary saintly might—surged toward the six Saint Kings.

The six did not hesitate. They scattered in every direction. Yet screams still rang through the stars. One Saint King failed to escape in time and perished on the spot. The scalp-numbing scene laid bare for all to see what true imperial clan foundation meant!

The Yu Clan's Great Saint seized the Yu Clan members in one grasp and prepared to withdraw from the Western Regions. In a distant corner of the Western Regions, a massive hand stretched forth, seemingly enveloping the entire domain in its palm.

"Old ghost Yu, you dare wreak havoc in my Western Regions and think you can leave so easily? You really don't put us old fellows in your eyes."

Above the firmament appeared an incomparably towering figure. His brilliant golden pupils gleamed like amber, shocking the soul. Plain white robes bore the trajectories of sun, moon, and stars. A single point of golden light flowed between his brows. All heaven and earth bowed beneath his feet.

A Great Saint! The Western Regions' pillar of stability had finally acted!

"Zhenyang, take Shukuang and leave first. Today, I will test the depths of the Western Regions' foundation!"

The Yu Clan's Great Saint set Yu Zhenyang, Yu Shukuang, and the others down. Then he turned, carrying the Quasi-Emperor weapon, and headed into the extraterritorial void alongside the Western Regions' Great Saint.

Both Quasi-Emperor weapons were fully awakened. The fluctuations they released made the world believe a Supreme from some ancient Forbidden Zone had reemerged to hunt.

A long time passed before the imperial might finally subsided. Both Great Saints vanished without a trace. No one knew who had won or lost that battle.

Su Chen returned to the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. The elders were stunned to see that a disciple had actually survived.

Inside Red Sun Peak, Red Sun Venerable's face lit up with joy.

"Sovereign, did you manage to obtain our Primordial Remnant Clan ancestor's saint artifact from within the ancient ruin?"

Su Chen nodded. "There was a damaged saint artifact. Unfortunately, it was too severely broken and has lost all saintly might."

Red Sun Venerable's expression instantly turned deathly pale. He shook his head in denial. "Impossible! Bring out the saint artifact. The remnant saint artifact left by our ancestor cannot possibly be damaged!"

Su Chen frowned and spoke in a low voice. "You want me to take it out here? Are you trying to expose everything right under Zhou Hao's nose?"

Red Sun Venerable realized his mistake and quickly composed himself. "Sovereign… it was my lapse."

At that moment, a voice from outside Red Sun Peak interrupted him.

"True disciple of Red Sun Peak, Zhou Chen—summoned by the Sacred Lord!"

Su Chen left Red Sun Peak without another word.

"Disciple Zhou Chen is present!"

The elder who had come smiled faintly. "Zhou Chen, the Sacred Lord has summoned you. Please follow me to the Sun-Devouring Hall."

Su Chen nodded and followed the elder toward the Sun-Devouring Hall.

…

The main peak of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land was naturally magnificent beyond measure, filled with ceaseless phenomena—including the illusion of a setting sun devouring the moon.

Su Chen had no interest in admiring the scenery. He entered the vast, empty grand hall alone.

Inside stood a single figure with hands clasped behind his back. Long silver hair flowed down, entwined with strands of dark purple lightning. He resembled a god or demon who had stepped forth from the abyss of the ninth underworld. His eyes were like two pools of congealed blood. Wherever his gaze passed, the air twisted into strange, rippling patterns.

The Sacred Lord of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land.

Zhou Hao! A peak Saint!

"Disciple Zhou Chen pays respects to the Sacred Lord!"

Su Chen bowed with utmost respect.

Zhou Hao stared at Su Chen. His calm voice exploded inside Su Chen's mind like thunder.

"This seat knows your past… now tell me—who exactly are you?"

In an instant, an overwhelmingly terrifying aura locked onto Su Chen. The owner of that aura could crush him to death with a mere thought.

Su Chen cursed inwardly: "Useless Primordial Remnant Clan… they couldn't even handle something this small!"

He understood immediately. Luo Hongying must have left some message that reached Zhou Hao, planting seeds of suspicion. Without a flawless explanation, a ruthless man like Zhou Hao would never let him live.

Su Chen spoke decisively. "Reporting to the Sacred Lord—there are traitors within the sacred land plotting against you."

A flicker of interest appeared in Zhou Hao's eyes. "Oh? Who dares scheme against this seat?"

Without hesitation, Su Chen sold out the Primordial Remnant Clan's elders and remnants completely. "It is the Primordial Remnant Clan. They still hide within the sacred land, waiting for their chance. They wanted this disciple to help them locate a saint artifact. This is the saint artifact I found. This disciple was born of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land and will die as its ghost. How could I possibly aid them in harming the Sacred Lord?"

He betrayed them without the slightest psychological burden.

When Su Chen produced the tattered soul banner—damaged yet unmistakably radiating saintly might—Zhou Hao reached out and grasped it. After a brief examination, he spoke. "Indeed, it carries the aura of the Primordial Remnant Clan. Though broken, if repaired, it could still unleash several bursts of saintly power. To think survivors still linger… right under this seat's nose. These rats hiding in the gutters truly disgust me."

Zhou Hao stored the soul banner away and continued calmly. "For those old things to trust you so deeply, your bloodline must be extraordinary. You have made the right choice. Had you followed their path, you would have walked straight into eternal damnation… You should know that every disciple of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land has a soul tether planted within them. Only the pill controlled by this seat can suppress it. Without that suppression, they die without a grave! Now, this seat will give you a chance to live. Show your worth."

The crushing pressure on Su Chen eased abruptly. The Primordial aura around him manifested openly. The phantom of a Taotie appeared behind him.

Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes. His face remained unreadable, betraying neither joy nor anger. The hall fell deathly silent. After three breaths, he spoke evenly. "So it is the Primordial Taotie Physique. No wonder those old fossils revered you as their sovereign. If you had continued down their road, the backlash from the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art would have killed you sooner or later. From this day forward, you belong to this seat. This seat will resolve the flaws of your Primordial Taotie Physique. Now… swallow this Slave Seal Pill."

Chapter 100: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 12)

Su Chen's heart sank. A man like Zhou Hao—a true hegemon—would never trust anyone so easily. A mere soul tether was far from enough.

He had once read about the Slave Seal Pill in ancient records from the Central Continent's Pill God Hall. It was an utterly vicious poison pill. Once swallowed, it would slowly erode the mind until the consumer became utterly obedient to whoever held the master seal. The method of breaking it…

"Are you… unwilling to submit to this seat?"

Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes. His towering figure loomed like a god or demon, his presence crashing down like an avalanche.

Su Chen accepted the Slave Seal Pill and swallowed it without hesitation. "This disciple is naturally willing to submit to the Sacred Lord."

Only after watching Su Chen consume the pill did Zhou Hao withdraw his killing intent. He spoke calmly. "From now on, you belong to this seat. This seat requires your cooperation to wipe out every last member of the Primordial Remnant Clan."

Su Chen nodded. After leaving the Sun-Devouring Hall, his mood was grim. A hegemon who had risen to Sacred Lord in a place as brutal as the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land was naturally far more dangerous than any opponent he had faced in his previous lives—cautious, ruthless, and terrifyingly powerful. That he even possessed something as vicious as the Slave Seal Pill spoke volumes. He had to refine the antidote before the pill's effects overwhelmed his state of mind!

Zhou Hao might be a hegemon, but he had overlooked one crucial fact. Su Chen was not merely the twenty-something Zhou Chen. He was an old monster who had lived for thousands of years. For an ordinary will, the Slave Seal Pill might fully enslave the mind in three to five months.

But Su Chen had endured lifetime after lifetime of reincarnation and tribulation. His state of mind had long been forged into unbreakable steel. How could he possibly submit so easily?

Su Chen genuinely admired Zhou Hao's cunning. At the same time, killing intent surged within him. He would absolutely kill this terrifying enemy!

Two tigers could not share one mountain.

…

Several days later, outside the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land.

Su Chen met Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi saw a familiar figure beside him.

Zhou Hao!

"Zhou Chen… you actually betrayed us!"

"You will die a miserable death!"

Zhou Yi tried to flee, but in front of a peak Saint like Zhou Hao, escape was impossible.

Before long, upheaval swept through the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. Over a hundred elders and disciples perished—including Red Sun Venerable, Su Chen's nominal master. Every remnant of the Primordial Remnant Clan was eradicated in a single purge.

Su Chen rose in status to become the Sacred Lord's personal true disciple—one of the sacred land's ranked true disciples. What surprised him was how generously Zhou Hao treated him. Endless resources poured in.

In just thirty short years, Su Chen's cultivation soared from the third layer of Void Refining straight to the peak of the Void Refining realm. He stood on the verge of breaking through to the Nirvana realm when Zhou Hao summoned him once more. The Sacred Lord wanted him to eliminate the successors of numerous Northern Desert forces.

"This old monster… he intends to ignite conflict between two domains. He plans to use the chaos of war, the slaughter of countless lives, and the resulting tidal surge of world qi—when heavenly secrets grow chaotic—to break through to Saint King!"

Su Chen finally understood why Zhou Hao had kept him alive. He was nothing more than a chess piece on Zhou Hao's path to greater power!

Su Chen lowered his head. His face remained expressionless, like a perfectly obedient puppet. He nodded in acceptance.

Zhou Hao was extremely pleased with the response. Ever since he had witnessed Su Chen's Primordial Taotie Physique, a plan had taken shape in his mind. The Saint realm had imprisoned him for far too long. To break through to Saint King, the Western Regions could no longer support his ascension. As long as the aged Saint Kings lived, he would be forever blocked.

But how could Zhou Hao tolerate such a fate? Only by plunging the world into chaos—riding the momentum of mass slaughter—could he take the next step. Su Chen was merely one of his pawns.

After leaving the Sun-Devouring Hall, Su Chen set out for the Northern Desert. This journey also presented a rare opportunity to search for the antidote to the Slave Seal Pill.

Within the Northern Desert, powerful forces stood tall and proud.

In his seventh life, Su Chen had been the clan leader of a declining sacred clan in the Northern Desert. He knew the landscape like the back of his hand.

Unfortunately, the Gu clan had long since fallen. After his battle with Lin Zhan, the entire clan had been reduced to ashes. Its people were slaughtered or scattered. The few survivors who escaped were hunted by the War God Hall.

When the Gu clan perished, the Northern Desert's major powers had simply watched from the sidelines. Not one of the forces once allied with the clan had lifted a finger to help.

Now, when it came time to slaughter their successors, Su Chen felt no mercy whatsoever.

...

Deep within a certain ruin.

Su Chen stepped inside. The ancient site was stained with blood. Countless prodigies had met their end here. Every technique he employed perfectly mimicked the signature arts of the Western Regions' major powers. To any observer, it would appear that an elite squad of Western Regions prodigies had carried out a ruthless massacre. All the treasures and resources within the ruin fell into Su Chen's hands.

The incident sent shockwaves through the Northern Desert. Yet the various powers there refused to accept so readily that the Western Regions was truly responsible. They launched exhaustive investigations to uncover the true mastermind.

Time passed swiftly. Ten years slipped by.

Despite the efforts of Northern Desert forces—even the intervention of Saint-level experts—no one managed to identify the culprit. Instead, more and more prodigies died. The killings grew increasingly covert, leaving only faint traces that pointed vaguely toward the Western Regions.

The Northern Desert could no longer sit idle. Leaders of major powers marched to the Western Regions demanding answers. The Western Regions naturally denied everything and refused to offer any explanation.

The conflict between North and West had simmered for hundreds of thousands of years—perhaps longer. With so many Northern Desert prodigies dead and their generational strength crippled, was this not the perfect opportunity for the Western Regions to close the gap and even overtake them?

Gradually, large numbers of Western Regions prodigies began to die as well. The sects and clans of the Western Regions were predominantly demonic in nature. They immediately concluded that the Northern Desert was behind the killings, seeking any pretext to create a generational gap in Western Regions talent.

How could the sacred lands, sects, and clans of the Western Regions tolerate such a thing? They launched even fiercer retaliation.

This shadow war raged on for thirty years.

Su Chen gazed at the pill in his palm and let out a long breath. For a full century, he had moved ceaselessly between the Western and Northern Deserts. The number of prodigies who died by his hand was beyond counting. Several times, Saint-level experts had personally acted against him, only for him to escape death by wielding his saint artifact at the critical moment.

He had devoured far too many prodigies and powerhouses. To gather the ingredients needed to refine the antidote for the Slave Seal Pill, entire orthodoxies had perished at his hands. With his own strength alone, he had stirred the tides of the world.

Su Chen swallowed the antidote to the Slave Seal Pill. Though the pill was notoriously difficult to counteract, how could it stump him—a half-step Saint-grade alchemist?

"It's still not enough… To truly ignite a war between the domain's powerhouses, kill Zhou Hao, and seize the method to neutralize the soul tether, I must at least eliminate one more heavyweight figure!"

Su Chen had indeed neutralized the Slave Seal Pill's effects, but he had not forgotten the soul tether planted deep within his sea of consciousness by the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. Control over the soul tether rested solely in the hands of each successive Sacred Lord. Without it, he would never escape the fate of living and dying at Zhou Hao's whim.

Aside from initiating the next life, Su Chen was unwilling to die in such a manner. It did not take long for him to select his next target. The divine physique prodigy of the current generation in Northern Desert's White Cloud City.

Lin Xiuyuan!

…