"Jian Mu..."

After listening to the tale told by Elder Shenteng, a hint of surprise flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes. He had not expected that this sacred tree would have such a background.

It far exceeded his expectations.

According to Elder Shenteng, this place was originally not a forbidden area for the demon race. On the contrary, it was a treasure land with rich heaven and earth vitality and abundant cultivation resources.

He had come here thousands of years ago and accidentally discovered a section of deadwood hidden in Emerald Lake, which was the legendary Jian Mu. He was overjoyed.

Nourishing it with his origin, he revived it. After that, he relied on the power of Jian Mu, and his cultivation steadily improved. Over the millennia, he had opened up his inner world and achieved the status of a Demon Emperor.

And he had also, over the long years, transformed this place into a forbidden area, isolated from the world, forbidding anyone to approach. Almost all those who dared to intrude without permission met their demise.

At the same time, seemingly because he feared that Chen Yuan had seen through everything, Elder Shenteng gritted his teeth and told Chen Yuan about Jian Mu absorbing the origin of this realm.

They were not on the same level at all. Even if he didn't say it, Chen Yuan would be able to detect it if he paid more attention. It was better to tell the whole truth and seek a way out.

"Realm Origin..." Chen Yuan's heart stirred, and his gaze darkened slightly.

He was very clear that once the realm origin was completely devoured, then... this realm would most likely turn into an ordinary realm, and the vitality of heaven and earth would gradually disappear.

Until it could no longer give birth to martial artists. However... this time would be very long, possibly tens of thousands of years. Now, it was only the early stages. Unless Chen Yuan destroyed Jian Mu now.

But...

Looking at the vibrant Jian Mu, filled with infinite vitality, he hesitated for a moment. He vaguely felt that this Jian Mu might be of great use to him in the future.

And now the changes in the world were not yet obvious, so there was no need to rush.

"Shenteng, are you willing to submit to me?"

Chen Yuan suddenly asked.

Elder Shenteng quickly said:

"Willing, willing."

Although he felt extremely bitter in his heart, he dared not show it. The other party could defeat him, and could kill him. And the longer he lived, the more he didn't want to die, hoping for longevity.

"I will leave a restriction on your soul."

"Please, Immortal Venerable, do it."

Elder Shenteng's already short stature shrank even further.

Circumstances were stronger than people, so he had no choice.

Seeing that this old thing was quite sensible, Chen Yuan lost the idea of sending him on his way. After all, what he wanted was destiny, and since this person didn't have it, then there was no need.

And a powerhouse at the Demon Emperor level could help him in the future.

Elder Shenteng's strength was no less than that of the Blazing Heaven Demon Emperor. However, from Chen Yuan's exchanges, it seemed that if they really fought, the Blazing Heaven Demon Emperor would have a greater chance of winning.

Not only because fire countered wood, but also because of the divine abilities and combat methods of the two. Elder Shenteng had been holed up in one place for thousands of years, and was clearly not very good at some killing divine abilities.

He only knew how to overwhelm people with his power. A strong cultivation base was fine, but if he encountered someone of the same level, he would inevitably be at a slight disadvantage.

......

......

At the bottom of Emerald Lake, Chen Yuan sat cross-legged, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. The three five elements of fire, metal, and earth were all enveloping him, manifested in the world.

He was closing up to comprehend the last two elements, the five elements of water and the five elements of wood.

Jian Mu released the rules of wood, and Emerald Lake released the rules of water. It could be called an excellent place for cultivation, and Chen Yuan naturally couldn't miss it.

After all, that was his original purpose.

After subduing Elder Shenteng and briefly informing Su Ziyue of his situation, he began to comprehend the remaining two elemental forces with undivided attention.

The five elements generated and overcame each other, endlessly. And Chen Yuan was also taking the path of the five elements generating each other. He believed that his speed of cultivation and comprehension would not take too long.

Of course, this was just his guess. The specific situation would depend on reality.

Also, he now felt no sense of urgency in his heart. All the enemies in the four directions, east, south, west, and north, had been pacified, and the entire human realm was under his control.

Except for the Immortal Realm, the Great Yan Dynasty now had no enemies.

For the time being, there was no need to be as urgent as before.

On top of Jian Mu on Emerald Lake, the short Elder Shenteng looked down, sighed secretly, and regretted and annoyed in his heart. He didn't regret fighting Chen Yuan.

But he regretted why he had been guarding this place all along, without learning about the current situation of the world. He thought he was extraordinarily strong, and believed that there was no one in this realm who could surpass him.

As a result, reality slapped him hard in the face.

If he could have known the current situation earlier, abandoned Jian Mu, left the Southern Border, or even left this realm, what if he stepped into the starry sky with his strength?

Why would he be a slave now?

A dignified Demon Emperor, but his life and death were in the hands of others... It could be said that his current mood was completely different from what it once was.

It was a pity that it was too late for regrets. There was no day to start over. He could only hope that Chen Yuan's purpose would be achieved. After controlling the human realm, he could give him courtesy, or even freedom.

"Alas..."

......

Great Yan Dynasty, Shengwu Year Seven.

Time flowed quickly. In the blink of an eye, nearly seven years had passed. After the initial war between humans and demons, the entire human realm fell into a long period of peace.

The East Sea, the Western Regions, the Southern Border, the Northern Barbarians. Now, almost all accessible places in the human realm were marked with the Great Yan Black Dragon flag, standing upright in the world, and in everyone's hearts.

Compared to the chaos of the past, both martial artists and common people had entered a golden age.

With the pacification of the four directions and the terrifying strength of Great Yan, the Central Plains became the center of the world, attracting talents from all directions to gather here, including martial artists from the Western Regions, overseas martial artists, and grassland martial artists.

The gathering of a large number of resources and geniuses naturally created a flourishing age of martial arts. Major immortal sects, major families, and Jianghu forces were constantly vying for supremacy in the Jianghu.

The gold content of the Ascending Immortal Rankings had reached its peak.

Because this was an existence recognized by the imperial court.

This was also Pingyang's proposal. She believed that once people entered a peaceful and prosperous age, many people would become idle and develop inappropriate thoughts. It was better to let them constantly fight for fame and wealth.

Her proposal was recognized by Empress Su Ziyue, and she secretly promoted everything. In fact, it was true that after the Ascending Immortal Rankings were changed, countless Jianghu heroes and talented heroes entered the imperial court's Yangmou.

One peerless genius after another was tempered by blood and fire in such a contest.

Among the younger generation, the most noteworthy was Shi Yi, the Green Envoy of the Imperial Brocade Guard. As an unacknowledged disciple of Chen Yuan, Shi Yi showed extremely terrifying talent.

In just a few years, he had made his way to the top of the Hidden Dragon Rankings, and was hailed as the most dazzling genius since the founding of Great Yan. All the heroes of the human realm bowed their heads to him.

However, time was still too short. The only thing that had changed the most was the Hidden Dragon Rankings. As for the Rising Cloud Rankings and the Supreme Rankings, there were no major changes.

Su Ziyue had even thought of establishing a Human Immortal Rankings to include all the Human Immortals in the human realm, but after discussion, it was temporarily abandoned.

As for the common people, the imperial court ruled everything, the laws were strict and clear, officials dared not oppress them, and Jianghu martial artists dared not provoke the authority of the government. In addition, there were many policies to care for the people.

They lived a truly peaceful life as if in a dream.

Although not everyone could live well, at least most people could afford to eat and dress. And this... was already their greatest pursuit.

Of course, it was a golden age in the Central Plains, but it was harsh in places outside the Central Plains. The affluent life of the Central Plains people was drawn from other regions.

This was the only thing Chen Yuan could do.

In addition, there was Chen Yuan's policy of spreading martial arts to the world, spreading the foundation-building methods of martial arts throughout the world.

In a world where personal power could rival everything, martial force was everyone's greatest reliance. Chen Yuan was not afraid of rebellion, because no one in the world could be stronger than him.

Even if they were given time to catch up, they could only look at his back.

This was also one of the reasons why the imperial court secretly dominated the Ascending Immortal Rankings. It was not only to keep those in the Jianghu busy, but also to let them temper each other, so as to create strong people in a virtuous cycle.

Nowadays, the top immortal sects were all state religions of the imperial court, or they obeyed the orders of the imperial court. As long as there was an imperial decree to summon them, no one dared to disobey.

This was the terrifying aspect of a unified dynasty. With Emperor Shengwu suppressing the human realm, as long as he did not die, no one dared to have any other petty thoughts.

On this day, inside the Brocade Guard Yamen in Shenjing City.

Suddenly, the world changed, the rolling vitality rioted, and an invisible pressure of rules shocked everyone in the capital. Everyone around seemed to be carrying a mountain on their backs.

They were so oppressed that they could barely breathe, and could only vaguely hear a heaven-piercing sword cry.

.....

"Congratulations, Grand Commander!"

"Jiang the Sword God."

"You're one step ahead again..."

Dressed in white, like an immortal descending to earth, Jiang He listened to the congratulatory voices around him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. After several years of cultivation, he had finally crossed that hurdle.

He had condensed the flower on top of his head, stepped into the sixth realm, and achieved the realm of a Land Human Immortal.

From then on, he had entered the top level of the human realm.

Dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, Su Ziyue smiled and nodded as she watched Jiang He's breakthrough, but there was still a hint of worry and melancholy in her eyes.

It had been nearly seven years since the end of the Battle of Tian Duan Mountain.

Moro, the Old Celestial Master, Ancestor Su Ming, Chu Changfeng, and others had all returned to the Central Plains one after another. Even Jiang He had been in seclusion for several years and entered the sixth realm.

But Chen Yuan was still nowhere to be found.

However, she did not have much worry, only concern, because she also knew that Chen Yuan now was enough to be called invincible in the human realm, and no one could match him.

The reason why there was no news was because he... had gone into seclusion again!

As for seclusion, Empress Su Ziyue, as a capable assistant, was already used to it. However, this time the seclusion was particularly long. Since he had instructed her several years ago, there had been no movement.

Li Suqing on the side seemed to see the look in Su Ziyue's eyes and asked softly:

"Chen... Has His Majesty not returned yet?"

As the master of the Goddess Palace and one of the top figures in the world, she should normally be stationed at the Yunzhou Mountain Gate, in charge of the affairs of the immortal sect. However, Su Ziyue summoned her for several years on the pretext of boredom.

As for the power, it was given to the former master, Feng Jiuge.

Of course, she was not the only one who was summoned into the palace. Jiang He's wife, Li Hongshuang, was also a frequent visitor to the palace, and she would often meet with the empress and chat for a long time.

This made countless princes and nobles envious.

The Jiang family had really prospered.

The emperor favored Jiang He, and the empress was even close friends with the First-Ranked Madam Li Hongshuang. If any court family were to be listed, the Jiang family would definitely be on the list.

Compared with several alien kings, they were not inferior.

"What, Sister Suqing misses him?" Su Ziyue's eyes moved slightly, and she suddenly whispered.

"You... Ziyue, you are the Empress... How can you..." Li Suqing quickly frowned, a flush flashed across her face, and she put on a stern look.

Since she entered the palace to accompany the empress in cultivation, Su Ziyue had been provoking her nerves from time to time, saying that the harem was deserted, and the other sisters were not interesting, hoping that she could also come in to accompany her.

And would definitely be a Imperial Concubine and so on...

Li Suqing sternly refused.

Entering the palace, Imperial Concubine...

If she entered the palace, what would she become?

Not to mention that she and Chen Yuan were close friends, just with Imperial Concubine Yu Qingyan and Shen Yanshu, she would not agree to such an absurd thing.

Wouldn't that be the three of them serving one husband?

Did Li Suqing still want to be shamless?

That was Su Ziyue, if it was someone else, she would have been angered long ago.

"Suqing, you're anxious..." Su Ziyue smiled teasingly. The Pingyang mother and daughter were honest, and Shen Yanshu and Madam Xu had long been subdued by her. The entire harem was as calm as water.

She was already bored, and really wanted Chen Yuan to try something like master and apprentice.

That's why she repeatedly proposed Li Suqing's proposal.

"Ziyue, if you say that again, I'll go back to Yunzhou." Li Suqing took a deep breath and suppressed the shame in her heart.

"Okay, I won't say it anymore."

"You, you're not serious even when you're the empress." Li Suqing glared at Su Ziyue.

"Hehe, but Suqing, are you really going to be lonely for the rest of your life?"

"This is called a lifetime of seeking the Dao!"

"That guy Chen Yuan also likes seeking the Dao..." Su Ziyue seemed to have thought of something and suddenly chuckled, turning her gaze to the south, her eyes filled with thoughts:

"It's time to come back..."

......

Southern Border, Emerald Lake.

In the originally calm void, rules began to become chaotic. At first, it was the essential rules of heaven and earth, but before long, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth began to gradually condense between heaven and earth.

Thousands of miles around were shrouded in it.

An invisible pressure condensed between heaven and earth, as if the sky was falling. Elder Shenteng at the top of Jian Mu suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes complex.

The five elements generate each other...

He knew that Chen... had broken through!