The Dao of Reincarnation (180-181) (Patreon)

Chapter 180: The Life-Slaughter Demon Lord (Part 20)

Inside the Killing God Hall, Su Chen toyed with the bronze oil lamp in his hand. With this mysterious bronze oil lamp, he could easily live from this Dharma-Ending Age all the way until the great era opened.

The Killing Ancestor was quite surprised. "What exactly is this item? Could it be more precious than an Emperor Weapon?"

To this question, Su Chen only replied indifferently, "This item is naturally not as precious as an Emperor Weapon, but in the hands of the right person, the effect it can produce is not much weaker than an Emperor Weapon."

Emperor Weapons were ultimately external objects. The bronze oil lamp, however, gave Su Chen the hope of proving the Dao—a slim chance at Emperorhood. That was something no Emperor Weapon could compare to.

The Killing Ancestor remained puzzled but did not ask further. In essence, he was merely a servant of the Killing Emperor's successor—a tool created by the Killing Emperor to protect his heir.

Su Chen refined the bronze oil lamp. In his previous life, he had relied on it to extend his life for one millennium after another.

"The Emperor Path has not yet opened. Do you intend to walk it now?"

The Killing Ancestor was surprised when he learned of Su Chen's plan.

Su Chen nodded. "I have a trump card that allows me to live until the great era. At that time, I will become Emperor!"

Hearing Su Chen's answer, the Killing Ancestor seemed to think of something and simply said, "Take care."

The universe was vast. Beyond the Eternal World and the starry races lay endless territories and countless star systems. No one knew how large it truly was—perhaps only Great Emperors knew. And within this boundless domain existed a place called the Other Shore… where traces left behind by countless Emperors of past eras remained. It was known as the Ancient Emperor Realm!

The path from the myriad races of the universe to the Ancient Emperor Realm was called the Emperor Path. Along this road, one would encounter peerless geniuses from the major powers of the universe who emerged only once every ten thousand or even hundreds of thousands of years, as well as countless obstacles. Only the truly strong could reach the end!

Su Chen had not walked this path in his previous life. This time, he intended to reach the finish line ahead of everyone else!

In the Dharma-Ending Age, even the Emperor Path had become desolate.

Still, Su Chen encountered geniuses from various races and supreme overlords who ambushed him along the way. Fierce battles erupted.

He looked at the powerful corpse floating in the void—one of the great enemies he had slain after a hard-fought battle. The foe had called himself Bone Heavenly King and possessed a terrifying physique. He had lurked in a star domain, ambushing heavenly geniuses who passed through. The enormous white bone throne had shattered during the fight. Every piece of bone was engraved with different origin runes.

It was impossible to know how many geniuses had died at the hands of the Bone Heavenly King. Many of those geniuses had possessed the "potential of a Great Emperor," talents that a single force might produce only once every tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.

After slaying this great enemy, Su Chen's cultivation advanced from the fifth stage of the Great Saint realm to the sixth stage. Previously, it had taken him five hundred years to go from the fourth to the fifth stage. Now, killing a single powerful heavenly genius had allowed him to break through another realm. The Killing God Demon Embryo had given him immense assistance—truly worthy of being the reliance of a person with a great destiny in an era.

Su Chen refined the origin divine patterns of the Bone Heavenly King and fused them into the Killing God Sword. After spending several decades on this, he continued advancing toward the Ancient Emperor Realm.

Two thousand years later.

In a certain star domain, Su Chen raised his head thoughtfully.

The laws of this universe had become more complete, and spiritual energy had grown richer. The world was beginning to warm up. Perhaps in another two or three thousand years, more and more Saint Kings would break through to the Great Saint realm. This phenomenon was sensed by only a small number of people.

Su Chen knew that the aura of his sworn brother had weakened once again. He could no longer maintain his peak state. The once-invincible Great Emperor was inevitably heading toward decline. Time… truly was the cruelest word in existence. Throughout history, countless Great Emperors had been unable to accept their slow decline and had chosen to sever themselves, retreating into forbidden zones in search of a longevity method.

…

The star domain trembled. Countless living beings felt an extremely terrifying aura sweep across the cosmos. In mere moments, billions upon trillions of creatures felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. Every major orthodoxy stood on high alert. That dreadful killing intent made them think that one of the forbidden zone powerhouses was about to emerge!

In an ancient burial ground, a figure flew out from a tomb. With three steps, it headed straight toward the star where Su Chen resided.

Only the oldest existences in this star domain opened their eyes and murmured, "That person has emerged… It is said that he is an invincible figure who once contended with a heavenly king-level monster. To think he has been startled into appearing… Could it be that he intends to walk the Emperor Path and compete once more in this life?"

Heaven and earth surged. Endless spiritual energy gathered into tides that submerged an entire star system.

Over the past two thousand years, Su Chen's cultivation had advanced from the sixth stage of the Great Saint realm to the eighth stage. Now, with the suppression of heaven and earth loosening, he broke through the limit once again and reached the ninth stage of the Great Saint realm. In an era without Quasi-Emperors, a ninth-stage Great Saint was how terrifying?

He could be called unrivaled in the universe!

However, Su Chen felt no arrogance. He sensed an equally terrifying aura rapidly approaching. Soon, a silver divine being crossed countless spaces and appeared in this star system. The silver being had eight silver wings growing from its back and a golden divine wheel condensed from countless origins hovering above its head.

This was an existence even more powerful than the Bone Heavenly King Su Chen had encountered two thousand years ago!

The silver being spoke, its tone carrying a trace of shock. "There is no imprint of another era on your body… Could it be that you are a heavenly genius of this Dharma-Ending Age, stepping onto the Emperor Path?"

The Dharma-Ending Age meant the laws of heaven and earth were incomplete. In this era, even an ordinary divine body could become a top-tier figure among the myriad races. It was nearly impossible to give birth to taboo-level physiques. Throughout history, very few beings from the Dharma-Ending Age had ever proven the Dao in a great era.

Yet in this era of incomplete laws, someone had defied the suppression and cultivated all the way to the ninth stage of the Great Saint realm. It was truly terrifying!

No wonder the silver being was so shocked. Even he could not have achieved this!

Su Chen looked at the silver being that had appeared and asked, "Who are you? And what is this 'era imprint' you speak of?"

The silver being replied, "I come from the Winged Angel race. You may call me Silver Wing Heavenly King. As for the era imprint, it is a unique mark carried by all beings born in each Great Emperor's era. It is the trace left behind by the existence of a Great Emperor. The older the imprint, the more difficult it becomes for that being to break through, as they are rejected by heaven and earth."

Su Chen's eyes flickered. The being who called himself Silver Wing Heavenly King, like the Bone Heavenly King he had slain earlier, was not a heavenly genius of this era. He clearly knew the ancient secrets of the Emperor Path.

Facing a being he could communicate with, Su Chen temporarily set aside his killing intent.

…

Chapter 181: The Life-Slaughter Demon Lord (Part 21)

From Silver Wing Heavenly King, Su Chen learned many secrets about the Emperor Path. Perhaps because Silver Wing Heavenly King did not wish to make an enemy of this terrifying monster who had reached the ninth stage of the Great Saint realm under the suppression of the Dharma-Ending Age, he chose to befriend him. He openly shared with Su Chen many secrets of the Emperor Path that Su Chen had never known before.

This was Su Chen's first time stepping onto the Emperor Path across all his reincarnations. Although the major powers had records of the Emperor Path, those records were vague and unclear. It was a path that had been lost to exploration and could no longer nurture a true unrivaled expert.

The Emperor Path hid far too many secrets. There were countless terrifying forces and invincible heavenly geniuses who had lived from various eras until now.

These heavenly geniuses were divided into ordinary geniuses, heavenly king-level geniuses, and… the legendary taboo-level existences!

Anyone who could step onto the Emperor Path, even the most ordinary genius, possessed the ability to fight across realms. Insight realm cultivation and divine body level talent were the bare minimum.

As for the heavenly king level… in Su Chen's view, these beings had walked a single path to its extreme. Their divine or saint bodies were nearly at great completion, and their cultivation had reached the peak of Insight.

However, there were still vast differences even among heavenly kings. The Silver Wing Heavenly King before him was likely one of the top figures among heavenly king-level geniuses. Killing the Bone Heavenly King from two thousand years ago would not have taken him more than ten moves.

As for the legendary taboo level, Su Chen guessed they were monsters on the level of Wang Yunfei—beings destined to become Emperors, provided their luck held. There might be more than just Wang Yunfei at the taboo level… Unfortunately, they were all unlucky. They possessed the potential to become Emperors, yet they had missed their chance.

Silver Wing Heavenly King also spoke with Su Chen about the powerful orthodoxies on the Emperor Path and the deeply hidden reclusive clans. Among them were colossal powers that had given birth to two Great Emperors, as well as terrifying orthodoxies that had lasted for millions or even tens of millions of years and produced four or even five Emperors… These forces existed solely to nurture Emperors. Even when the Dark Turmoil swept across the universe, not a single one of them would emerge to stop it. They were willing to let the darkness rage.

All of these existed only on the Emperor Path. Even in his previous life, Su Chen had never heard of such terrifying powers. To nurture a Great Emperor was an incredibly difficult task. It meant not only fighting against the geniuses of the current universe, but also against the supreme heavenly geniuses of past eras. Even in the Nine Heavens Domains, the total number of Great Emperors born since ancient times would not exceed the fingers of two hands. Aside from the Extermination God Hall—which had produced two Great Emperors—Su Chen had never heard of any other force that had given birth to two Emperors!

A power with four or five Emperors would make even a Supreme, and perhaps even the current Great Emperor, feel some wariness!

Silver Wing Heavenly King smiled bitterly. "I can sense that your strength is very powerful. Perhaps in this great era, I will once again be unable to reach the end. I am truly unwilling. When I first stepped onto the ancient path, I encountered that fellow Divine Evolution and was defeated by him. I waited bitterly for one great era, only to emerge and meet a taboo existence. Even though that person had not yet proven the Dao… In this great era, I cannot prove the Dao. Even if I seal myself, I cannot live until the next great era. My body will not decay, but after hundreds of thousands of years, my soul will perish."

Su Chen asked, "You want to fight me?"

Silver Wing Heavenly King cupped his hands and said, "The struggle for the Great Dao waits for no one. Although this is not yet a great era, having met you, I can no longer wait for one."

Su Chen could not refuse. If he refused this battle, Silver Wing Heavenly King would only resent him, and it would obstruct his own Dao heart. He had to defeat Silver Wing Heavenly King fair and square, even if it meant death. This was the Dao heart and pride of a heavenly king-level genius—something more important than life itself.

Silver Wing Heavenly King spread his wings, scattering dense runes. This was an extremely terrifying physique that was on the verge of great completion. The golden divine wheel above his head revolved, blooming with divine light. This was another fearsome innate divine ability. He transformed into a streak of silver light and charged toward Su Chen.

Su Chen attacked with full force. His Origin Spirit Divine Body manifested as a Rakshasa image. The great completion divine body shook the star domain. The killing intent of the Killing God Demon Embryo descended as the Killing God Sword swept out with its sword light. The two clashed fiercely.

The battle raged from the vast star domain into a forbidden land and lasted for several months. Blood rain poured down, and the residual laws dyed an entire dead zone red. Within a few years, that dead zone regained vitality and became a blessed land.

No one knew that a peerless heavenly genius who had once contended with ancient Great Emperors in their youth had fallen here.

…

Silver Wing Heavenly King still died—killed by Su Chen's hand.

At that very moment, the Killing God Demon Embryo stepped into great completion!

Su Chen stayed in this place for another fifteen hundred years. Only after he had completely suppressed the great completion Killing God Demon Embryo did he continue onward into the depths of the starry sky.

Another five hundred years passed.

Su Chen arrived at a silent, dead star domain.

A terrifying aura emanated from here, as if it wanted to devour all things, yet it felt somewhat familiar to Su Chen.

He went to investigate.

"This is… the aura of a demon embryo. Someone is undergoing transformation!"

Su Chen sensed that within this dead star domain, another demon embryo was forming. Unlike his own Killing God Demon Embryo, this one carried a devouring malice toward all living beings. The familiar aura made him think of an old acquaintance from his life as Zhou Chen—his younger sister, Zhou Hanchan.

She had not died in the great upheaval of the Western Domain. Instead, she had stepped onto the Emperor Path, obtained a great opportunity, and was now undergoing her final transformation!

Su Chen narrowed his eyes but did not attack. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

He left.

Another three thousand years passed. Su Chen traveled to many places and left behind many legends, yet he never found the legendary Ancient Emperor Realm. Perhaps it truly only appeared when the great era opened.

Gradually… Su Chen no longer appeared, and no news of him surfaced. The Life-Slaughter Demon Lord became a legend on the Emperor Path, and also a regret in the hearts of countless forces along that path—an unrivaled heavenly genius born in the wrong era.

With Su Chen's disappearance, more and more heavenly geniuses began to emerge and step onto the Emperor Path.

Another Golden Great Era slowly unfolded.

Ancient and invincible orthodoxies emerged one after another. Their heirs also walked the Emperor Path.

Countless heavenly geniuses and powerhouses died along the way.

The great era was magnificent, yet it featured many familiar or unfamiliar figures.

Taboo-level heavenly geniuses from the previous era emerged, sweeping across the myriad races. Legendary men who had sealed themselves in powerful orthodoxies rode dragons and suppressed the world with their swords.

There were also monsters from four-Emperor orthodoxies, carrying the heart to prove the Dao and walking a path that would shine through the ages.

The legend of the Life-Slaughter Demon Lord was gradually forgotten.

The curtain of the Golden Great Era had fully opened. This was an era where stars shone brilliantly. Their radiance covered all of history!