Chapter 141

Chapter 141: The Central Continent Shall Be Safeguarded by Me

As the dust settled, the numerous divine beings of the Pure Yang Heavenly Sect stared at their ruined mountain gate, trembling with fear one after another.

"Relay my command."

The voice of the old man in fiery red robe echoed through the air. "The Pure Yang Heavenly Sect withdraws from the contest for the True Martial God Sect’s territory. All disciples return to the sect and defend our mountain gate. Those who defy this order shall be executed!"

Having witnessed the Great Emperor’s power, the old man in fiery red robe finally understood. Possessing territory without strength merely made them lambs awaiting slaughter.

Let Tianyin Palace and the Blood Devil Sect fight over that piece of rich land!

Ye Xu had long since departed.

He flew toward Godfall Ridge with Ye Xian’er in tow.

During this period, spiritual energy was reviving while supernatural phenomena spread. He wanted to see how far the strangeness of Godfall Ridge had expanded.

"Hmm…"

Suddenly, Ye Xu sensed an immensely powerful strand of Divine Sense. The rules of heaven and earth also shifted—the cloudless sky promptly turned into a roiling expanse of dark clouds, accompanied by rumbling thunder.

Vast heavenly might enveloped the firmament, as if someone were facing a tribulation.

Focusing his Divine Sense, Ye Xu observed a simple mountain gate. Though palaces stood nearby, they appeared extremely plain, lacking opulence. Most structures consisted of bamboo huts and thatched cottages.

The source of that Divine Sense emanated from within these mountain gates.

"Yuan Daokong is about to prove the Dao as an emperor."

A glimmer of admiration flashed in Ye Xu’s eyes.

Naturally, this mountain gate represented the Daoist tradition. Given the incomplete rules of the unchanged Yuan Realm, achieving enlightenment remained nearly impossible.

But Yuan Daokong had deciphered the profound mysteries, managing to prove the Dao before the upheaval of heaven and earth—this was indeed an extraordinary feat.

Whoosh!

A figure soared into the sky. Clad in a green robe with long hair flowing, he held a bamboo sword, radiating an aura of transcendence.

His primordial spirit emerged from the Purple Palace—an ancient tree vibrant with life, every leaf inscribed with the power of the laws. As his flesh emitted imperial might, those laws now underwent transformation.

Yuan Daokong’s metamorphosis proved far more comprehensive than Bai Yuehong’s had been.

His laws had nearly fully evolved into divine principles, marking his entry into the emperor’s realm. Once he weathered this heavenly tribulation, he would become the Yuan Realm’s first contemporary emperor.

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion…"

Yuan Daokong also saw Ye Xu directing his gaze toward him.

Ye Xu nodded in acknowledgment.

Boom!

They had no time to exchange words before heavenly thunder descended.

"Elder, if he succeeds, wouldn’t he become the Yuan Realm’s sole Great Emperor?" Ye Xian’er’s eyes sparkled with yearning and admiration.

Ye Xu nodded silently.

He was an outsider, not native to the Yuan Realm, and thus could not be included.

The ancient divine clans at Godfall Ridge possessed profound heritage, producing multiple Great Emperors generation after generation. Trapped within one world, they naturally didn’t qualify.

Yuan Daokong wielded his bamboo sword. Divine patterns on the bamboo sword revived, sending sword light stretching thousands of miles to meet the Divine Thunder.

Boom!

With a single strike, the bamboo sword cleaved the Divine Thunder apart, clean and decisive.

Boom! Rumble! Rumble!

The clouds of tribulation expanded wildly, instantly covering over five hundred thousand miles in radius and still growing.

The commotion in Central Province was immense. Yuan Daokong ascending to emperor alone stirred the hearts of countless quasi-emperors.

At this moment, multitudes were rushing towards the Dao Sect.

Within the Pure Land.

Yue Ruyi gazed towards the Dao Sect, her bright eyes unfathomably deep. "He ultimately took that step before me."

Her expression remained tranquil, revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

…

The second Divine Thunder descended. The void crumbled like dried earth, shattering into fragments. Structures across hundreds of thousands of miles instantly turned to ash.

The Dao Sect disciples trembled violently.

Ye Xu frowned slightly. With a wave of his hand, the power of the Great Dao enveloped the entire Dao Sect, coalescing into a protective barrier of Creation. It shielded all living beings within tens of thousands of miles.

The residual waves of the Divine Thunder spread, causing ripples to form upon the barrier.

After one hour.

The clouds of tribulation dissipated entirely. Yuan Daokong’s bamboo sword was riddled with cracks, and his Primordial Spirit’s ancient tree similarly fissured, seeming as if the slightest touch would shatter it entirely.

His magical power was depleted.

The thunder tribulation was finally over.

Yuan Daokong drew a long, relieved breath.

His robes were tattered. He landed on the ground and began meditating to regulate his inner energy.

"Daoist friend, how does it feel to become an emperor?" Ye Xu teased.

"Being struck by lightning wasn’t pleasant," Yuan Daokong replied with a bitter smile. "I must also thank Senior for shielding the Dao Sect. Otherwise, this tribulation wouldn’t have been just mine; it would have been a catastrophe for the entire sect."

"It was just a minor matter, hardly worth mentioning," Ye Xu said dismissively.

"Sect Master!"

With the heavenly tribulation gone, the white-haired woman and several Dao Sect elders rushed forward. They positioned themselves defensively in front of Yuan Daokong, their gazes wary and fixed on Ye Xu as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Cease your insolence! All of you, step back!" Yuan Daokong cracked his eyes open, weariness etched on his face. "This is the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Without the barrier he cast earlier, our entire Dao Sect would have been reduced to ashes under that heavenly tribulation."

"Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

The white-haired woman’s expression was greatly shocked.

"I pay my respects to the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion and thank you for saving my life."

The elders of the Dao Sect bowed deeply and paid homage one by one.

The name of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was renowned like thunder; anyone in the Yuan Realm was practically aware of it.

The crowd never expected that the young man before them would turn out to be that legendary figure.

"Everyone, no need for formalities."

Ye Xu smiled faintly and said, "I was just passing by this place and came to take a look."

"Congratulations, Dao master, for successfully becoming an emperor."

At that moment, Lian Jiuyou’s voice rang out; he was clad in a black robe, exuding an air of nobility, and had regained his dignity as the demon emperor.

He appeared together with Ao Bing; both had been attracted by the commotion.

The two looked at Yuan Daokong with complex expressions.

Ao Bing was extremely envious and said, "My Daoist friend, you cultivated for less time than I did, yet you were the first to step into the emperor realm. I am so envious of you!"

He had pursued it throughout his lifetime; seeing Yuan Daokong successfully become an emperor filled him with mixed emotions.

"My two Daoist friends, don’t be in such a hurry; I merely took the first step. Both of you will catch up to me sooner or later." Yuan Daokong stood up, his aura recovering somewhat, and his face showing a rosy glow.

"Actually, it had a lot to do with Heaven’s Secret Pavilion that I was able to become an emperor."

Yuan Daokong’s expression was calm and composed.

Ye Xu’s heart stirred slightly.

"How so?"

Both Ao Bing and Lian Jiuyou pricked up their ears.

The two of them had definitely spent more time at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion than Yuan Daokong had.

Could it be that the master had concealed the secret to becoming an emperor?

"Don’t all look at me."

Ye Xu laughed and said, "I only met Daoist friend Yuan once; I never imparted any secret to him about becoming an emperor. What’s more, he didn’t even ask me about it."

"This is his natural talent; you two can’t just envy it away. You’d better focus on your cultivation diligently."

Ao Bing and Lian Jiuyou became downcast.

"Master, you are too modest."

Yuan Daokong straightened his robes and hat, and bowed deeply to him.

"The information I learned from you that day, along with that conversation, benefited me greatly."

"If I hadn’t had that meeting, I probably would have had to wait several months, until the great change occurred in the Yuan Realm, to be able to become an emperor."

"Master, please accept my bow."

Yuan Daokong bowed once again.

"It seems you have thought it through and made your choice," Ye Xu observed thoughtfully.

"Yes," he replied.

Yuan Daokong’s voice was firm, each word resounding with conviction. "The Daoist tradition has always remained reclusive, rarely stepping into worldly affairs. But in this era of chaos, how can we who cultivate the Dao remain holed up in a corner?"

"This Central Continent, its millions of common people — from this day forth, my sect will guard them."

He had already anticipated that the emergence of the ancient divine clans would plunge the Yuan Realm into great turmoil.

Yet, Yuan Daokong’s decision remained unchanged.

"Good."

A glimmer of admiration appeared in Ye Xu’s eyes. To persist despite knowing the impossibility of success — that was the mark of a real man.

Lian Jiuyou and Ao Bing both looked grim.

As overlords in their own territories, they too had discerned Yuan Daokong’s intentions.

However, neither possessed Yuan Daokong’s compassionate heart that embraced the well-being of the world; such a path was beyond them.

Their only hope was that after the great change in the Yuan Realm, when the ancient divine clans descended, a place of refuge would be left for them. Resisting the ancient divine clans was inconceivable.

"Daoist Friend, you have just survived the heavenly tribulation. You need to recuperate and consolidate his realm. I won’t disturb you any longer."

Ye Xu thought for a moment, then drew out a sword and handed it to Yuan Daokong.

"The True Martial Emperor Sword?"

Yuan Daokong stared at the blade, his expression astonished.

This sword was left behind by the founding ancestor of the True Martial God Sect — its very foundation and most treasured artifact.

Its appearance in Ye Xu’s possession now could only mean one thing.

Bai Yuehong was dead.

Thinking this, Yuan Daokong could not help but feel emotional.

The two of them had contended for a lifetime, yet Bai Yuehong had not died by his hand. Instead, his own foolish actions had led only to the destruction of his sect and his own utter annihilation: body gone and soul scattered.

"This imperial weapon… think of it as my backing for you," Ye Xu said with a smile.

"My deepest gratitude, Senior."

Yuan Daokong accepted the True Martial Emperor Sword and bowed deeply.

"We respectfully bid farewell to Senior."

The delegation from the Daoist sect stood respectfully in place, watching as Ye Xu departed.

Lian Jiuyou and Ao Bing followed close behind.