Time flowed like water; the years flew like a weaver’s shuttle. In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Emperor’s Era reached its one-hundred-thousandth year!

Ye Fan was a legend. It would have been extraordinary enough to be unrivaled beneath the heavens — yet he had managed to remain in that condition at his absolute peak for so long, shaking all of ancient and modern history.

Now the world had begun counting its years by the span of his living existence. The one-hundred-thousandth year had finally arrived, and within his fourth lifetime, he had already lived eighteen thousand years.

One hundred thousand years — it was a legendary era belonging to the Heavenly Emperor himself. He had become a living myth.

And it was in this very year that heaven and earth began to change. Spiritual energy grew more abundant. The Grand Dao no longer suppressed all things, and every realm once again became suitable for cultivating the Dao.

Everyone erupted in jubilation, overcome with excitement — for in one hundred thousand years, only four quasi-emperors had ever appeared, a fact that had left people utterly despondent.

When the one-hundred-thousandth year arrived, Ye Fan vanished from the world. People speculated that he had used his heaven-defying power to stir all the ten thousand Daos, causing the cosmos to blaze once more with vigorous life.

The sun and moon flew past. The Heavenly Emperor’s Era reached its one-hundred-and-ten-thousandth year. An entire ten thousand years had passed without a trace of Ye Fan, and by that point everyone had grown tense.

For in the fourth lifetime, the Heavenly Emperor was approaching the thirty-thousand-year mark. Everyone waited to see whether he could live through a fifth lifetime.

Time continued to pass. In the Heavenly Emperor’s Era year one hundred twelve thousand, Ye Fan had still not appeared. By ordinary reckoning, the life of his fourth lifetime should have reached its end.

But the Heavenly Emperor was no ordinary man, and could not be measured by ordinary standards. People felt that perhaps he could live a few thousand years more, and perhaps he might yet reappear.

Yet another ten thousand years passed in this manner, and still the Heavenly Emperor did not show himself. At that point, the people of this age all let out a long sigh — the brilliance had finally come to an end.

Many felt a deep regret that they had not been able to witness the Heavenly Emperor in this lifetime. That great and magnificent existence had ultimately come to the end of his journey, and it moved people to grief.

Of course, there were also many who felt relief — that towering mountain had finally been moved away. From now on, a new era would begin, and the brilliance that belonged to them was at last about to unfold.

In this age, the natural conditions of heaven and earth underwent tremendous change. Spiritual energy flowed freely, making cultivation supremely suitable. Extraordinary people emerged one after another — a golden age of flourishing had returned.

In fact, since the one-hundred-thousandth year of the Heavenly Emperor’s Era, the cosmos had been changing. By now it had reached its zenith, with extraordinary talents appearing in an unbroken succession, prodigies of heaven-blessed gifts emerging one after another.

“Is this a cycle? After one hundred twenty thousand years, another grand age has arrived!”

People’s hearts were turbulent — grieving the passing of the Heavenly Emperor, yet also anticipating the arrival of this dazzling golden age.

The Ancient Roads of the Starry Sky had long since flourished once again, and one young prodigy after another set out on their journey, beginning a grand competition for supremacy in this great age.

The geniuses gathered all at once. Countless stars shone in the sky simultaneously. As time flowed on, one felt a surging vitality in the air — and the signs that a new emperor was about to emerge.

Everyone was filled with anticipation. In this age, quasi-emperors had already appeared in numbers beyond counting — it had truly become a time of flourishing.

Boom!

It was the Heavenly Emperor’s Era year one hundred twenty-five thousand. A certain star exploded. Vital energy surged like a billowing tide, shaking the entire universe. Every one of the most powerful cultivators was left completely dumbstruck.

“Heavens — what an overwhelmingly powerful aura! That is a fluctuation of emperor-level power! Could it be that someone has become an emperor?”

The entire cosmos trembled in every direction. This aura filled people with dread.

“Could it be… the Heavenly Emperor? Has he lived through a fifth lifetime? No — it doesn’t have the intensity of the Heavenly Emperor’s aura. In one hundred twenty thousand years, no one can compare to it.”

Far off in the distant cosmos, a figure who resembled both a divine being and a demon walked out from amid the shattered star fragments. His eyes were like lightning, slicing through the darkness of the cosmos. He had ended a self-imposed sealing that had lasted more than a hundred thousand years. His bearing was proud and tall, standing above the world with supreme arrogance.

“The Sovereign Emperor!”

He looked exactly like one of the figures on the Prodigies Chart that had been passed down from the era of the Golden Age. According to legend, he had sealed himself in ancient times — it seemed he had appeared in the mortal world once more.

In that earlier time, Ye Fan had stood supreme and alone, single-handedly becoming an emperor, holding in check every last prodigy from all the ages of ten thousand eons gathered in one lifetime. He had become a myth.

And yet in those days there had been far too many astonishing figures — the Supreme Yin Physique, the Void Phoenix Dao, Zhang Bairen, Huo Qizi, the Primordial Supreme, the Southern Demon, the Central Sovereign, and countless others.

They were not people of a single era, yet they had all been sealed into one lifetime. One could only call it a tragedy. Each of them was a king among people — yet they had still been forced to compete, with only one able to emerge victorious.

Though in the end only Ye Fan had become emperor, no one could deny that all these individuals were extraordinary geniuses. In any other era they would have stood supreme over all beneath the heavens, capable of dominating everyone of their generation.

For this reason, someone had once painted a Prodigies Chart, depicting all of them upon it, to be passed down to later generations.

Now that the Sovereign Emperor had reappeared in the mortal world, many people were cast under a shadow of dread. Even back then he had attained the Dao through an unconventional path — now, who could possibly oppose him? The quasi-emperors and prodigies of this age would likely be unable to stop him.

Boom!

Not long after, yet another desolate star exploded. Another supreme-level fluctuation appeared — someone else had emerged from seclusion.

When this person stepped into the Ancient Road of the Starry Sky and appeared before the eyes of the world, people trembled. It was the Primordial Supreme — another of the prodigies from that earlier age.

Everyone stood rooted in shock. Then they immediately understood — the most powerful cultivators of that era had chosen to seal themselves and avoid the Heavenly Emperor. Back then, they had carried unfulfilled regrets in their hearts, unable to reach the absolute pinnacle of their lives. Now, at last, they had reemerged.

Boom!

Another star exploded. Another person appeared!

In the century that followed, Huo Qizi, Zhang Bairen, the Silkworm Daoist, the White-Haired Sword God, the Void Phoenix Dao, the Golden Cicada, and a host of other ancient figures made their appearance — stunning the entire great cosmos.

Countless stars shimmered, so brilliant one could scarcely keep one’s eyes open. The most powerful figures from that golden age had all returned, making this present age seem so extraordinary and remarkable.

Then, in droves, even more appeared. Save for the absence of the Heavenly Emperor himself, nearly every last prodigy had manifested once more in the mortal world.

People throughout the world trembled. What kind of spectacular sight was this? It was as if the brilliance of that former era had been replicated — a great age of heroes competing for supremacy was about to unfold once more!

“These are the greatest figures from every different era across ten thousand ages — that such incomparable splendor exists is not strange at all…”

One of the older sages of the present age urged his disciples not to lose heart or feel inferior. Those people were powerful for good reason — each had been the supreme prodigy of their own stretch of time, and it was only right that they should be so.

And precisely because of this, people felt the unparalleled nature of the Heavenly Emperor even more acutely — that he had been able to rise in that one particular lifetime, pressing down upon all those brilliant stars. What incomprehensible combat power must that have required? No wonder he had become a living myth.

A century of the most intense battles and peak showdowns — a contest of dragons and tigers for supremacy!

The entire world was shaken. People watched this glorious great war with boiling blood, their hearts surging with overwhelming emotion.

In the end, the fires of battle spread to the Heavenly Court. After many years, the gathered prodigies converged and came together, their battle energy surging like a flood.

“Does the Supreme Yang Physique not come out to fight?”

“Where is Yang Xi, the Great Accomplished Sacred Physique?”

“Imperial Sage Prince — come and let us speak!”

…

Zhang Bairen, the Primordial Supreme, the Sovereign Emperor, the Void Phoenix Dao, the Golden Cicada, Huo Qizi, Huo Lin’er, the Silkworm Daoist — an entire group arrived. Some truly wanted to see old acquaintances and reminisce over past times, while others genuinely wanted a battle.

Heaven and earth shook. The cosmos trembled in all ten directions. The Heavenly Court, which had radiated brilliance to its absolute zenith for one hundred twenty thousand years, was at last confronted with a crisis — facing its greatest challenge yet. If it were handled carelessly, it could very well invite great catastrophe.

Indeed, there was no undying inheritance, nor any brilliance that endured forever without end.

Little Song was awakened from his sleep. He was the guardian of the Heavenly Court, and whenever a crisis arose, the several divine lamps before him would rouse him from his slumber.

The Heavenly Emperor’s second disciple, Little Song, emerged from seclusion. His bearing was ethereal, bordering on immortal, drawing people’s admiration. As he arrived outside the Central Heavenly Palace, he immediately saw the group of people who had broken through the Southern Heavenly Gate and reached this place.

The celestial soldiers and generals were utterly incapable of stopping them. These people needed only a wave of their hand to send an entire body of soldiers flying hundreds of thousands of li away — yet mercifully, there was no killing intent behind their actions. Otherwise, rivers of blood would certainly have flowed.

Little Song sighed. He knew he could not deal with so many people alone. Some had come to reminisce, and others had come to issue challenges.

Crack!

He crushed an ancient talisman. From deep within the Heavenly Court, two rays of divine light shot skyward. Then two figures descended from above, rushing swiftly toward him.

Little Song had awakened two people — and they turned out to be the Heavenly Emperor’s first disciple, Ye Tong, and the Supreme Yin Physique, Jiang Tingting, who emerged together!

Everyone was shaken. So the rumors from the outside world were true — the people sealed by the Heavenly Emperor Ye were not merely a handful after all.

“What a lively scene!” A voice rang out from somewhere in the cosmos. Outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, a figure approached. Everyone was startled — it was Dao Yi, that dazzling figure from those earlier days.

Then two more figures appeared — the Southern Demon siblings — and they too entered the Heavenly Court.

Had Dao Yi, the Southern Demon, and the others not arrived, Little Song and Ye Tong would have been in a decidedly precarious position.

For the Heavenly Court, the phrase “precarious position” would have seemed laughable in times past — but now it was genuinely the case. For the most powerful figures from all of ancient and modern history had come knocking at the same time.

“We haven’t come for battle — just reminiscing. There’s no need to be so tense.” Someone laughed — yet who could truly relax? If the conversation turned sour, it could easily erupt into a bloody war.

“Hmm — there are still people in the Heavenly Court who have not emerged from seclusion. All the old friends have come. Could it be they still put on such airs, and are unwilling to meet with us?” someone said with a cold laugh.

Just then, the celestial soldiers and generals who had been swept away hundreds of thousands of li earlier all began to glow. Each and every one of them inexplicably landed back within the Heavenly Court.

At the same time, a wave of serene and tranquil energy surged forth, restoring all of their injuries to full.

“Who is there?!” In that moment, every person suddenly felt their hair stand on end, a bone-deep chill running through them, as though they had been locked in the gaze of some primordial, ancient beast.

There, in the starry sky, a towering silhouette stepped forward. Gray hair cascaded freely. His age was impossible to determine. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, calm and composed. He walked directly through the Southern Heavenly Gate and appeared before everyone.

“The Heavenly Emperor?!”

“Ye Fan?!”

Two different ways of calling his name — everyone was struck completely dumb, filled with an astonishment beyond words.

The celestial soldiers and generals were certain — this person looked exactly like the Heavenly Emperor in the painted portraits. After a brief moment of stunned silence, a roar of cheering erupted like the crashing of ocean waves, shaking the entire cosmos.

“You… which lifetime is this?”

“The fourth.”

“What — impossible!” No one believed it.

Not long after, the cosmos shook greatly. The Heavenly Emperor had reappeared — the news spread across every realm. Everyone was rendered speechless, seized with a shuddering awe.

“The Heavenly Emperor!” The sound of mountains collapsing and seas overturning rang out across every realm, as countless powerful cultivators cried out his name.

People understood now — the heroes reborn from the Prodigies Chart were finished. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say they were fated to be overshadowed once more, for the Heavenly Emperor had appeared again!