"This blade was self-created."
As Fang Xiaoyao lay on the brink of death, Chen Jiuyang's voice echoed in his ears.
To create such a terrifying divine ability?
His final wisp of life force etched a look of astonishment onto his face:
"Self-created? Good!"
With that, Fang Xiaoyao breathed his last, his vision plunging into darkness, unresponsive.
That even someone like him, a half-step Royal Dao, had fallen to Chen Jiuyang's hand, implicitly showed that the five great holy lands would gradually descend into darkness.
The battle still raged on the battlefield. With their leader, Fang Xiaoyao, dead, the remaining forces were no match.
This time, as many as the five great holy lands had sent, they would all remain here.
However, Chen Jiuyang couldn't help but sigh, realizing that the deeper one ascended, the more crucial their foundation became.
Like the Lotus Birth Mother, she was also a half-step Royal Dao. Yet, this old demoness's strength could heavily injure even Emperor Yan, who had stepped into the Royal Dao.
But for a half-step Royal Dao like Fang Xiaoyao, Chen Jiuyang could defeat him without resorting to heaven-defying divine abilities.
Fang Xiaoyao's death was ultimately due to his self-igniting furnace, forcibly increasing his combat power in a desperate attempt to take Chen Jiuyang down with him.
Seeing Fang Xiaoyao dead, no one from the five great holy lands dared to approach Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang slowly sheathed his blade and looked at Ming Huatong behind him, "How was this good show?"
Ming Huatong's lips were pressed tightly together, offering no comment.
A moment later.
Space tore open, and the somewhat disheveled figure of Ancestor 'Wumian' appeared, "This time, we were fortunate enough to have Sect Master invite Ancestor 'Bayan' to appear and resolve the crisis."
Chen Jiuyang said, "We were pushed to the brink, forced by circumstances, and could no longer endure."
"Return to the sect."
Ancestor 'Wumian' showed a slight pause, "The battle here is not yet over."
Chen Jiuyang stated, "Must the greatest pressure in every matter be borne by me, the Sect Master? When will they ever mature?"
Ancestor 'Wumian' nodded slightly, "That is also true."
Space tore open once more, and Chen Jiuyang, along with Qiu Yihan, stepped into the spatial rift, returning directly to the True Demon Sect.
Chen Jiuyang's safe return to the True Demon Sect surprised many.
The five great holy lands were enraged, having lost face this time.
Despite promising so many benefits and dispatching half of their foundational prodigies to jointly annihilate Chen Jiuyang, their efforts had failed.
Enfu Ben, Xia Daosheng, Jin Wuhen, and others, who had yet to make a move, were all top-tier prodigies. They could not afford any mistakes, as they were destined to ascend to the Royal Dao in the Golden Age and contend for the path of the Ten Thousand Races' Great Emperor.
Of course, what shocked Chen Jiuyang was that Emperor Yan had finally revealed the power of the Guardian system outside the Immortal Falling Cliff, displaying immense might and suppressing all directions.
Although Emperor Yan was heavily injured, he should be fine.
This time, the more than fifty families of the True Demon Sect had acted obediently according to his orders, earning merit and committing no errors.
"Next, I should also be able to withdraw and complete the Human King's path in the Lesser Immortal Realm, ascending to the Royal Dao as soon as possible..."
With the guidance of Ancestor 'Bayan', Chen Jiuyang would no longer seek out the remaining three sects for the Saint Dao contention before ascending to the Royal Dao.
After spending some more time with his family and children, he once again headed to the Central Continent of the Lesser Immortal Realm.
...
The war between the righteous and demonic factions continued, with some prodigies emerging and great talents appearing in the interim.
All the top-tier prodigies were diligently cultivating.
Emperor Yan no longer stationed himself in the Northern Territory but instead guarded outside the Immortal Falling Cliff.
Great demons frequently appeared outside the Immortal Falling Cliff. Even Emperor Yan, as a Guardian, sustained new injuries, but he kept the human world safe, preventing the demon race from appearing in the mortal realm.
The winds and clouds surged, and the Golden Age had fully arrived.
All major powers revived their foundational prodigies, and figures of Ancestor level emerged from secret realms, forbidden lands, and sacred grounds, willing to endure the erosion of time to serve as Dao protectors.
The forces left behind on Earth by the Ten Thousand Races began to stir. In the blink of an eye, the situation changed dramatically, with new faces replacing the old.
Five years had silently slipped through their fingers, like a fleeting moment.
Lesser Immortal Realm.
The eleventh city on the Human King's Path.
Not only was the mortal world in turmoil, but the Lesser Immortal Realm was equally so.
Outside the eleventh city on the Human King's Path, the market was guarded by numerous Ancestor-level figures as Dao protectors.
Ancestor 'Wumian' was one of them.
"Creak—"
The city gate opened.
Instantly, countless gazes swept over, all converging on the exit.
"I wonder which sect's prodigy is the one who passed this trial."
Prodigies who could travel from the first city all the way to the eleventh city had almost no problem achieving the Royal Dao.
However, achieving the Royal Dao was merely becoming a peerless mighty figure. Above peerless mighty figures were Saints, Great Saints, and then Quasi-Emperors! Emperors!
As the city gate opened, a young man with hair as black as a waterfall, clad in a black dragon-embroidered robe, a long saber at his waist, a strange mark between his brows, and a handsome appearance, walked out.
"That is the Demon Lord Qinyang of the Chongming Sea Holy Land."
"He entered the eleventh city a full ten months ago. Such a top-ranked prodigy has been in the eleventh city for so long."
"A monstrous prodigy."
"At thirty-four years old, he is at the twelfth level of the Venerable Realm. At this rate, he might be able to step into the Royal Dao at thirty-five!"
"The Chongming Sea Holy Land, which has remained hidden for ten thousand years, has now revealed such a monstrous anomaly. It seems the Chongming Sea will soon sweep back into the Central Continent."
"Heh, but that depends on whether the supreme powers in the Lesser Immortal Realm who have past dealings with the Chongming Sea Holy Land are willing to let him grow."
In a few years, Chen Jiuyang had almost completed the Human King's Path. The hundred battles in between had left him covered in scars, but he had successfully refined the water, wood, and earth primal energies, bringing his cultivation to the twelfth level of the Venerable Realm. Only one more level remained before he could stand at the peak of the Venerable Realm and attempt to ascend to the Royal Dao.
A胖子 walked up, smiling, "Big Brother, you finished the eleventh city even earlier than I predicted."
This胖子, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Qitian Sect, was Qi Degui, whom Chen Jiuyang had met when he first ascended to the first city a few years ago.
This胖子 had now reached the thirteenth level of the Venerable Realm and had condensed his Dao, being just a step away from achieving it.
Over the years, he had focused on the Human King's Path, and the two had met again in the eighth city.
However, when Chen Jiuyang walked the Human King's Path, he occasionally had to return to the True Demon Sect to handle affairs and accompany his family and children.
"Brother Qinyang." Ming Chengdao, Ming Huatong's brother, was also present.
Chen Jiuyang smiled, "Why are you all progressing faster than me this time?"
"Big Brother, you aim to gather all five primal energies to forge a furnace. That's too monstrous. Who dares to compare themselves to you?" Qi Degui chuckled.
As Chen Jiuyang carved out his reputation on the Human King's Path, having displayed the primal energies and divine abilities of fire, metal, water, and wood, no fool could guess that this monstrous prodigy intended to gather the five primal energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth to forge a furnace and ascend to the Royal Dao.
The difficulty of this surpassed the imagination of ordinary prodigies.
Only Chen Jiuyang himself knew that his path as the Human Emperor was destined to be different from others. He had his own hardships, but fortunately, this path had brought him extraordinary combat strength.
He spoke, "It seems you will ascend to the Royal Dao before me."
The position of the Ten Thousand Races' Great Emperor was only the starting point upon ascending to the Royal Dao.
It was said that the path of the Ten Thousand Races' Great Emperor had opened, and prodigies with higher cultivation had already gone to the mortal world to walk this path. However, Chen Jiuyang had not returned for eleven months, so he was unaware of the situation there.
As for him, his ascension to the Royal Dao was also imminent.
All that remained was to enter the twelfth city and pass through the final Dao Rhyme Platform to forge the Royal Dao furnace.