A century passed in the blink of an eye.
Time had left no mark on Chen Jiuyang and Yao Zixuan.
For a hundred years, the two had lived in seclusion in the crippled old village, spending their days exploring the scenic spots within the forbidden grounds of the village.
As the inheritor of the Human Emperor's path for this generation, Chen Jiuyang had become familiar with the people of the crippled old village over the past century.
The leisurely pastoral life truly brought solace to the two.
On this day, the armless old sword emperor brought Kunwu to see Chen Jiuyang and Yao Zixuan.
Yao Zixuan, at the Nascent Soul stage, had a lifespan of a thousand years, while Chen Jiuyang, at the Emperor realm, had a lifespan of two thousand years. A century was not a long time.
Upon seeing the armless old sword emperor and Kunwu, Chen Jiuyang asked, "Is it time?"
The armless old sword emperor replied, "Yes, the path to Emperor has been fully opened. Someone could ascend to the Emperor's position at any moment, triggering the dark tribulation. We may have to depart at any time, and no one will be able to seal your loved ones then."
Yao Zixuan and Chen Jiuyang showed no sadness. This was merely a slumber, and Chen Jiuyang would not leave them.
They had long anticipated this day.
The two bowed in unison to the armless old sword emperor and Kunwu, clasping their fists, "Thank you, senior."
Then, 'Kunwu' raised his hand, and immediately the Emperor's Flow Divine Nectar surged out, slowly enveloping Yao Zixuan's body. Yao Zixuan gradually fell into slumber.
Chen Jiuyang personally carried Yao Zixuan into the courtyard and placed her beside their other loved ones.
Dozens of loved ones were in slumber, protected from the erosion of time, enveloped by the Emperor's Flow Divine Nectar.
A hundred years of companionship was the most romantic confession.
Afterward, Chen Jiuyang took out a jade slip from his spatial ring and handed it to 'Kunwu', "Senior, this is the Immortal Martial Law we agreed upon."
'Kunwu' glanced at it without looking, a smile on his face, "Good, good." With that, he turned and left.
The armless old sword emperor looked at Chen Jiuyang and said, "Your cultivation progress in the past century has been normal. From now on, you must focus wholeheartedly on improving your cultivation."
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask us. It's best to immerse yourself in the divine spring for twelve hours a day, otherwise, your cultivation progress will not keep up."
"Immersing yourself in the divine spring can ward off the erosion of time. Cultivating while immersed in the divine spring is equivalent to cultivating for longevity. Back then, 'Qiankun' from the Chongming Sea saw this method, which allowed him to forge his own path and establish the Great Dream lineage."
Chen Jiuyang kept this in mind and asked, "Senior Qin, will many people from the village be involved in this dark tribulation?"
The armless old sword emperor nodded slowly, "Over the long years, we have accumulated strength and forged a further path beyond our previous steps."
Chen Jiuyang asked again, "What compels you seniors to fight?"
The armless old sword emperor sighed with emotion, "Would you be willing for your descendants, generation after generation, to live under the oppression of the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court?"
"Before this epoch, it was the Primordial Era, with Heavenly Gods and the peaceful coexistence of all races."
"Later, for reasons unknown, the most powerful innate immortal artifact in heaven and earth, the 'Book of Life and Death', split into two."
"The Book of Life was seized by the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court. As long as one's name was inscribed in the Book of Life, they could achieve eternal life."
"The Book of Death and Underworld was brought to the mortal realm by a supreme being, who then separated the Immortal Realm from the lower realms."
"Legend has it that as long as a name is written in the Book of Death and Underworld, it can cause death, and no one below the Nine Realms Dao Fruit stage, who has transcended the five elements, can resist it."
"Over the long years, the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court has resorted to all means to search for the whereabouts of the Book of Death and Underworld in the lower realms."
"Initially, the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court deceived the myriad races' demons, promising that by killing humans and causing sufficient bloodshed, the Book of Death and Underworld would appear, leading to the great wars of long ago."
"Later, Emperor Suigu pushed the martial path to the Emperor realm, gaining the recognition of heaven and earth, allowing him to dominate an era, but only for a mere tens of thousands of years."
"The Immortal Realm Heavenly Court then orchestrated the dark tribulation..."
Chen Jiuyang's heart trembled as he heard these secrets, "What exactly is the dark tribulation?!"
The armless old sword emperor's expression darkened, "It cannot be spoken, cannot be uttered, cannot be described. When you witness the dark tribulation of this era, you will naturally know."
"In the previous great era, we plotted to break through this dark tribulation and guide it towards the Immortal Realm. As you can see, the result was that we were left crippled, only able to linger on in this land."
"At the beginning of this era, the old village chief, in conjunction with other forbidden lands, decided that in this era, we would tear open the mouth of the Immortal Realm, break this dark tribulation, and prevent widespread suffering."
"If this dark tribulation is not broken, our descendants will forever be bait for the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court to summon the Book of Death."
"Until the Immortal Realm Heavenly Court obtains the Book of Life and Death, unifying and governing all realms, all things, and all living beings. Those who follow will prosper, and those who defy will perish, with no hope of ever turning the tables."
Chen Jiuyang's heart grew cold. The Immortal Realm Heavenly Court was truly terrifying.
"This time, all of us who are disabled will leave the village and go all out, leaving behind only young descendants with lower cultivation, like you, as embers."
"After this great era, you will fall into slumber like us, and only when the next great era shows signs of revival will you awaken. Until then, you must cultivate diligently."
A sense of powerlessness and loneliness washed over him.
After revealing these secrets, the armless old sword emperor turned and left.
Then, Chen Jiuyang left the Human Emperor Sword in the house to guard his slumbering loved ones.
He, however, entered the divine spring to cultivate.
Thirty-three layers of the Celestial Stairway, each layer a world.
While cultivating the divine platform, Chen Jiuyang deepened his understanding of his Yuan Dao and began to create other divine abilities and techniques.
Living in the crippled old village, every night that arrived, Chen Jiuyang could feel a sliver of his Human Emperor's path's Yin energy being devoured, accelerating his cultivation speed and gradually shedding some of the previous impurities and karma on him.
In the blink of an eye, a thousand years passed.
On this day, Chen Jiuyang was, as usual, soaking in the divine spring to cultivate.
Suddenly.
Heaven and earth trembled.
Everyone in every corner of heaven and earth was awakened, even the beings in the forbidden lands.
All looked up at the sky. Although it happened in a corner of the universe, every sentient being in the universe could sense it.
Someone was undergoing tribulation!
The Emperor Tribulation!
In the one thousand one hundred and thirty-odd years of the Golden Great Era, someone was truly undergoing the Emperor Tribulation.
All living beings trembled under this Emperor's Heavenly Tribulation, as if it were the end of the world! As if it were impossible to overcome!
The heavenly prodigy undergoing the Emperor Tribulation let out a roar that all beings in the universe could hear clearly.
The tribulation lasted for a month.
The universe rumbled, as if a ray of light illuminated the entire universe.
"I am the Human Emperor! Fu Zhao!"
"Rumble!!!"
A psychic storm erupted, and this name echoed in the hearts of every living being.
"From this era onwards, the Human Race shall be supreme!"
"Those who defy, kill!"
...
End of this volume. As per tradition, a concluding poem is attached.
This journey into the mortal world severs karma,
One disaster, one tribulation, shall not befall me.
Ten thousand years of silent cultivation bury the past,
In the future awakening, an invincible body.