The Dao of Reincarnation (155-156) (Patreon)

Chapter 155: The Eldest Senior Brother of Falling Emperor Mountain (Part 20)

In the starry sky.

Su Chen arrived in the Eastern Profound Domain.

After ten years apart, Lin Changsheng had changed tremendously. He was no longer the inexperienced, green youth who had just left the mountain. Instead, he had become one of the few major figures in the Eastern Profound Domain.

Su Chen felt deeply gratified.

Although Lin Changsheng did not possess Wang Yunfei's invincible Dao heart that allowed him to dominate heaven and earth, he had both won and lost battles. Yet he would never give up easily.

....

In a bustling alley.

Lin Changsheng suddenly felt someone watching him. When he turned around, there were only passersby coming and going.

"Maybe it was just my imagination," Lin Changsheng thought with a bitter smile.

"The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Domains for the younger generation will begin soon. It will gather countless outstanding young geniuses."

Lin Changsheng gradually forgot about the earlier sensation.

"If I can win first place in the Grand Competition… perhaps I can learn news about my parents and where they are now. And as for Qingqing, if my name spreads across the universe, the Heavenly Profound Sacred Land might no longer oppose us being together."

Lin Changsheng gazed toward the vast, boundless starry sky. That was his true goal. The Eastern Profound Domain was ultimately too small.

...

Su Chen returned to Falling Emperor Mountain.

The Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Domains naturally included participation from the Azure Nether Dao Domain. As one of the top orthodoxies in the domain, Falling Emperor Mountain sent elders to lead its young geniuses to the event.

Su Chen paid little attention to the competition. At his level, such an event was nothing more than a matter of face. However, this time Lin Changsheng would be participating.

After some thought, Su Chen reached out and directly dragged Long Qiu over.

"Nangong Chen, let go of this lord!"

Long Qiu bared his teeth and glared. As a dignified Great Saint-level dragon, being carried around like this was utterly undignified.

Su Chen said, "For this Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Domains, you will go in my place to oversee Falling Emperor Mountain's participation."

Long Qiu's eyes lit up. "Is Little Changsheng going to compete?"

Su Chen nodded.

Long Qiu patted his chest confidently. "With this lord around, nothing will go wrong. Nangong Chen, you can go into seclusion with peace of mind! However…"

Long Qiu hesitated. "That… Nangong Chen, could you give me a little more time? My cultivation is too high. Conceiving offspring is really too difficult."

Su Chen replied, "Then I'll give you a hundred years."

Long Qiu was overjoyed. This way, Su Chen would not send the little female dragon back to the Myriad Dragon Nest.

Su Chen continued his seclusion.

Fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.

Many events had occurred across the universe during this time, but the most significant was undoubtedly the Grand Competition of Ten Thousand Domains. Countless prodigies competed fiercely for the top spot.

During the competition, a dark horse emerged. At the Profound Connection realm, he fought his way into the finals, defeating ancient freaks at the Void Refining realm. He caught the attention of a supreme figure, comprehended the Longevity Cave Heaven and the Supreme Sword Dao, battled across the eight wildernesses, defeated ten thousand enemies, and ultimately claimed the top position on the Ten Thousand Domains Prodigy Ranking.

He also won the favor of the Heavenly Profound Sacred Maiden. He entered the Heavenly Profound Sacred Land, absorbed ten thousand years of its accumulated fortune, broke through to the Sovereign realm, and became an honored guest.

On this day, Su Chen was awakened from seclusion once more.

"Husband, something terrible has happened."

The person before him was Lin Wantang, who had just come out of seclusion. She was now heavily injured.

Su Chen frowned and asked, "What happened? Did something happen to Changsheng?"

Lin Wantang nodded. "Changsheng is being hunted by five major orthodoxies. He fled into a dangerous forbidden land and has since gone missing. The Purple Firmament Dao Sect, Falling Emperor Mountain, the Heavenly Profound Sacred Land, the Nangong Family, and the Lin Family have all sent experts, but they found nothing."

Su Chen asked, "Is Long Qiu still with Changsheng?"

Lin Wantang nodded.

Su Chen felt relieved.

With Long Qiu by Lin Changsheng's side, as long as they did not encounter any ancient monsters, nothing serious would happen in the short term.

"Five major orthodoxies…"

Su Chen's eyes turned icy cold. He memorized the names of these five orthodoxies. He would settle the score with them later. For now, however, he needed to personally visit that dangerous land.

Su Chen arrived at the Ancient God Death Ground… It was said that this place had formed from the fall of a god from the Ancient Divine Race in a distant era. It was filled with terrifying dangers. Even members of the Ancient Divine Race would almost certainly die if they entered.

A terrifying pressure suddenly swept across the entire Ancient God Land, causing countless beings of the Ancient Divine Race to tremble in fear.

"What a terrifying existence… Who has come to my Ancient Divine Race?"

An ancestor of the Ancient Divine Race opened and closed his eyes, filled with endless shock.

That streak of light shot straight into the Ancient God Death Ground.

Inside the Ancient God Death Ground, the place had formed from the fall of an unparalleled Great Emperor from the Ancient Divine Race in a previous era. The resulting forbidden zone was extremely terrifying, filled with hidden killing intent everywhere. Remnants of the Great Emperor's dao might lingered, along with ancient killing arrays left behind and taboo puppets powerful enough to rival Great Saints.

Su Chen's robes fluttered wildly. His Innate Supreme Sword Body sliced through everything in his path, like an unparalleled Great Emperor waging war in a forbidden zone.

On an island within the Ancient God Death Ground.

A white-haired old man with loose, wrinkled skin and a thin frame gazed at the endless sword mark stretching across the sky above.

"What an impolite fellow."

Beside the old man, a small loach looked at him with a fawning expression.

It knew exactly who this person was.

"Why did that Nangong Chen guy barge in here?"

Long Qiu stared at the sword mark, sensing a familiar aura.

When he turned back, the white-haired old man had already vanished. Long Qiu silently mourned, "Nangong Chen, you're on your own now."

At that moment, Su Chen shattered a taboo array and slew the great demon inside it.

"Not here."

Su Chen could not sense Lin Changsheng or Long Qiu's presence.

Just as he prepared to head to the next location, he suddenly noticed a white-haired old man with sparse hair and a gaunt figure standing in front of him. Without any deliberate effort, the old man emanated an aura that towered above all daos, causing Su Chen's heart to tremble.

An Emperor!

But Su Chen quickly realized the truth.

"You are not a Great Emperor. There cannot be a second flawless Great Emperor in this era. You are a former Emperor?

"No… You have no signs of life. You are merely a remnant soul left behind by a Great Emperor from the past!"

Su Chen understood.

The white-haired old man smiled. "The aura of the Desolate Ruins… It seems you are the current leader of his lineage. That little fellow who entered this place must be your descendant."

Su Chen cupped his hands respectfully. "This junior entered this place only to search for my son. I have disturbed Senior's peaceful cultivation. Please forgive the intrusion."

The white-haired old man waved his hand dismissively. "The little fellow is safe. This Emperor merely saw the successor of an old acquaintance and bestowed upon him a bit of good fortune. Whether he can comprehend it depends on himself."

Su Chen's heart shook.

The Desolate Ruins Great Emperor was a figure from the previous era. If this remnant soul of the white-haired old man knew the Desolate Ruins Great Emperor, then he too must be a figure from that previous era.

Su Chen asked respectfully, "May I know Senior's name? And what is your relationship with Ancestral Master Desolate Ruins Great Emperor?"

The white-haired old man narrowed his eyes. "My name… In that era, all living beings called me the Emperor Lord. As for that fellow Desolate Ruins, it was I who injured him and forced him into seated death."

Chapter 156: The Eldest Senior Brother of Falling Emperor Mountain (Part 21)

Su Chen's heart pounded violently. He had been careless. In the declining Ancient Divine Race, within the Ancient God Death Ground, such a terrifying figure was still hidden. The Desolate Ruins Great Emperor had been defeated by him, left with dao injuries, and ultimately perished.

Su Chen wondered whether the white-haired old man was boasting. The Desolate Ruins Great Emperor had personally slain a flawless Emperor in the past. Among the emperors of the ancient era, his strength should have ranked near the top. Being defeated by someone else and suffering fatal Dao injuries sounded far too absurd.

Yet Su Chen understood that anyone capable of preserving a remnant soul from the ancient era until now possessed unfathomable methods and represented an extreme danger, regardless of their current strength.

The white-haired old man noticed Su Chen's wariness and disbelief. His eyes grew distant, as if lost in distant memories.

"This Emperor senses the aura of the Final Land on you. You have been there and even brought out an item?"

With a wave of his hand, the bronze oil lamp flew out from Su Chen's body and landed in the old man's palm.

Su Chen immediately became alert.

Still, he knew that even if the old man before him was only a remnant soul, he might not be able to defeat him. He could only say, "The Final Land? Senior has been there as well?"

Unable to win or escape, Su Chen calmed his mind and decided to extract some information from this ancient being.

The white-haired old man sighed. "The Final Land… It holds the most terrifying secret in the world. Countless dazzling figures have sought its mysteries and died there. Even Great Emperors are not qualified to explore its secrets. Everyone who has been there carries a curse. Their physical body will remain intact, but their soul will gradually decay. Once the soul perishes, the body will return to the Final Land."

Su Chen's eyes flickered with interest. He asked humbly, "Does Senior have a way to break this curse?"

He had no desire for his body to return to that dreadful place after death.

The white-haired old man shook his head.

"This is an inescapable fate. Even beings at the Great Emperor level cannot escape the curse of that place."

Su Chen's heart sank.

The old man consoled him, "However, if you choose to destroy your soul completely when your lifespan nears its end, your body will not return there."

Su Chen's despair lifted once more.

While the two conversed, countless ancient totems suddenly appeared on a distant island, forming an ancient divine kingdom. Terrifying god-like beings resided within it, their heads supporting the heavens and their feet treading upon ten thousand daos.

The white-haired old man praised, "You want him to bear the fate of the era and prove the Dao through destiny? Not a bad idea."

Su Chen felt that this old fellow was truly unfathomable. No wonder he was an old schemer who had lived through two eras.

The white-haired old man turned back and continued, "This Emperor conducted similar experiments back in the ancient era, but they all ended in failure. Every Great Emperor's path is unique and cannot be replicated. No matter how closely later generations imitate the roads they walked, they will never surpass them. A path once taken cannot be walked a second time, just as a second 'you' will never appear in the long river of time.

"The emperors all say that to become an Emperor, talent, luck, and character are indispensable. Yet there is one more crucial factor: the choice of path. Once that choice is wrong, no matter how dazzling you are, you will never become an Emperor!"

In the current era, among trillions upon trillions of prodigies, only one could become an Emperor. How cruel was that?

Su Chen had lived through a great era. Too many people had possessed the potential to become Emperors. Yet in the end, only one had succeeded.

What disappointed Su Chen was that artificially created children of destiny had no hope of becoming Emperors.

Still, the approach had its merits. At the very least, the dao-seeking heart that Lin Changsheng had forged through his various experiences was strong enough to let him reach the peak of the universe. Living a full life without regrets seemed like a decent outcome as well.

Su Chen thought to himself.

Su Chen stayed in the Ancient God Death Ground and conversed with the Divine Emperor for another ten years. Only after Lin Changsheng emerged from his seclusion did he prepare to leave.

Before departing, the Divine Emperor gave Su Chen one final piece of advice.

"The Great Emperor of this era possesses too overwhelming a momentum. The supremes in the forbidden zones will not tolerate it for much longer. The universe will soon face a great upheaval."

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered.

All the more so for a group of former Great Emperors who had once been invincible in their era. When facing death, they would surely choose to fight with everything they had.

Su Chen left.

The universe was about to usher in a great catastrophe.

Falling Emperor Mountain had no Emperor Weapon to guard it and could not remain uninvolved.

Several days later.

Lin Changsheng also left the Ancient God Death Ground. He spent another thirty years tempering himself before finally returning to Falling Emperor Mountain. There, he met the parents he had been searching for bitterly over the decades—Su Chen and Lin Wantang.

Lin Wantang's eyes filled with tears.

Su Chen simply asked, "Changsheng, do you resent your father?"

Lin Changsheng replied, "I did feel resentment at first, but later I stopped."

Su Chen asked, "Why?"

Lin Changsheng answered calmly, "If Father had not arranged things this way, I would have been the heir of Falling Emperor Mountain, the center of all attention. From the moment I was born, I would have faced no rivals and grown arrogant. I might have become unrivaled in an era like you, Father. But I would have carried too many burdens on my shoulders, burdens that would have suffocated me. That is not the life I wanted.

"Although Father left me nothing material, you gave me the right to choose. You gave me the vast freedom of the open sky and wide seas. I have met many people, made true friends, found a lover I cherish, and felt the desire to grow stronger step by step. These are things I would never have experienced if I had remained on Falling Emperor Mountain.

"Moreover, Father has never let me suffer any real grievances."

Su Chen felt a stir in his heart.

"Tomorrow, I will announce your identity," he said.

Lin Changsheng refused. "The identity of Falling Emperor Mountain's heir is noble, but it is not what I want. It is a cage."

Su Chen's expression showed both surprise and delight.

Lin Changsheng had truly forged his own path.

Lin Wantang watched him with reluctance.

Yet Lin Changsheng still left Falling Emperor Mountain. He gave up the position of heir to Falling Emperor Mountain. He would roam the starry sky, explore countless secret realms, and witness the wonders of the world. This was the freedom he desired.

Su Chen remained on Falling Emperor Mountain and continued his cultivation.

Time flew by. Three thousand years passed.

The starry sky trembled.

In this era, Saint Kings were rare. Anyone breaking through to the Great Saint realm was enough to cause a sensation.

"It's him—Lin Changsheng! He is actually attempting to break through to the Great Saint realm!"

Catastrophic tribulation flooded the star domain. The stronger the suppression from the Great Emperor, the harsher the trial one had to endure when breaking through.

Su Chen, who had been in seclusion for three thousand years, opened his eyes. He saw waves of hostile auras surging toward Lin Changsheng.

He extended one hand and condensed a small, exquisite jade sword in his palm. The jade sword split into twelve.

"Go."

The twelve jade swords vanished into the void.

In a distant star domain, the powerful enemies who had intended to launch a sneak attack on Lin Changsheng suddenly showed expressions of terror. Twelve streaks of sword qi appeared in the void, annihilating everything in their path as the sea of stars rose and fell.