Space distorted, and several figures emerged.
At the front stood a young man with black hair and eyes, tall and imposing, radiating a terrifying aura.
The others, whether middle-aged men or hunched old figures, were clearly protectors of some kind.
"Young Master, up ahead is the Tianyuan Imperial Palace—the residence of our Human Clan's Great Emperor," the hunched old man with wrinkled skin stopped and gazed at the majestic palace ahead, speaking in a low voice. (Changed Celestial Emperor to Great Emperor, reasons below)
"Tianyuan Imperial Palace?"
The black-haired youth's eyes gleamed sharply with battle intent.
Ever since the Tianyuan Great Emperor had swept through the alien forbidden zones twenty thousand years ago, the Human Clan had entered an unprecedented golden age of cultivation.
In the past twenty thousand years, countless Human cultivators, geniuses, and special physiques had emerged one after another, each trying to shine as brightly as possible.
And as a supreme genius, it was only natural that his goal would be the strongest of the Human Clan. The black-haired youth's purpose in coming here was to challenge the Tianyuan Great Emperor—to lay the foundation for his own imperial path.
In terms of strength, he had already reached the Quasi-Emperor realm. In this world, cultivators below the Great Emperor realm had a maximum lifespan of about one hundred thousand years.
Many cultivators broke into the Quasi-Emperor realm after just a few thousand or ten thousand years. The black-haired youth was such a case.
"Young Master, are you truly going to challenge the Great Emperor?"
Another middle-aged man asked hesitantly, clearly not optimistic.
"Uncle Lu, I've been a Quasi-Emperor for over ten thousand years. I've even ventured into forbidden zones and fought against ancient supremes—never once have I lost. Even if I can't match the Tianyuan Great Emperor, I doubt I'll be crushed."
The black-haired youth replied. He hadn't come to defeat the Great Emperor, but to personally experience the power of this legendary figure up close.
Hearing this, the protectors exchanged glances and said no more.
Indeed, the black-haired youth had returned unscathed from many forbidden zones. Though only a Quasi-Emperor, his combat power wasn't far off from that of the ancient supremes.
With a special bloodline and powerful inheritances, a Quasi-Emperor might indeed reverse-challenge a Great Emperor.
But the Tianyuan Great Emperor?
He wasn't an ordinary emperor.
The power he had displayed twenty thousand years ago was at least that of a Supreme Emperor at the starting level.
"Rest assured. Even if I lose to the Tianyuan Great Emperor, my state of mind will remain unshaken."
The youth continued. He, too, held immense reverence for the Tianyuan Great Emperor. Without this legendary figure, the Human Clan would never have reached its current flourishing era.
Without the Great Emperor sweeping away the alien forbidden zones, any genius who dared to show a hint of brilliance would have been hunted and killed.
The black-haired youth knew full well: without the deterrence of the Tianyuan Great Emperor, his ventures into the forbidden zones would never have ended so smoothly.
Any slight awakening of the ancient forbidden lords would've cost him dearly.
It was true that a Quasi-Emperor had the potential to slay a Great Emperor—but potential wasn't reality. Even Great Emperors had to tread carefully around those ancient lords, let alone a Quasi-Emperor.
"It's good that you understand, Young Master."
The protectors finally relaxed slightly.
They had all lived through the era when the alien races held sway and thus understood just how terrifying the Tianyuan Great Emperor was.
To push through countless ancient supremes under their watchful eyes—there had only ever been a handful of emperors capable of such a feat throughout history.
Unfortunately, after that legendary display twenty thousand years ago, the Tianyuan Great Emperor never acted again. That was precisely why so many Human geniuses now yearned to challenge him.
Most of today's geniuses were born within the past twenty thousand years. They had never experienced the days of being overshadowed by alien races, and so their awe for the Tianyuan Great Emperor was not ingrained in their bones.
Which was why they still dared to harbor the thought of challenging him.
Very soon—
The black-haired youth and his group arrived outside the Tianyuan Imperial Palace.
"So many people…"
The youth looked around, startled.
He saw dozens, no—hundreds—of figures sitting cross-legged outside the palace.
These figures radiated overwhelming power, most of them not inferior to him at all.
"That's… Yu Taiyin, with the Bright Moon Divine King Physique?"
"And the Black Fu King with God-Eater Bloodline?"
"A Chaos Physique—rare across the ages…"
The youth's brow twitched.
Yu Taiyin had been a peerless Quasi-Emperor from fifteen thousand years ago. His Bright Moon Divine King Physique was a top-tier special constitution. In his time, he had defeated every other Human cultivator and even ventured deep into forbidden zones, clashing with ancient supremes.
But he had vanished suddenly, and many believed he had gone into seclusion to break through to the Emperor realm.
Who would've thought that after fifteen thousand years, Yu Taiyin would reappear—right here?
The Black Fu King with the God-Eater Bloodline was also a peerless Quasi-Emperor, walking the path of devouring all. He, too, had mysteriously vanished…
The Chaos Physique was the same—regarded as the next Human Great Emperor upon appearance, only to disappear without a trace.
The black-haired youth studied them closely. Among the hundreds present, some were familiar, others unknown.
Yet the unknown ones sat alongside the known, meaning their strength was equally terrifying.
"You're here to challenge the Tianyuan Great Emperor too?"
While the black-haired youth was still in shock, Yu Taiyin—who sat nearest—opened his eyes and said casually, "From there to the palace is thirty-three steps. If you can take them and reach the palace, you'll see the Tianyuan Great Emperor and can issue your challenge."
"That simple?" the youth blurted instinctively.
To challenge the Tianyuan Great Emperor, all he had to do was walk to the palace?
"Simple?" Yu Taiyin closed his eyes again.
With that bit of guidance, the black-haired youth walked to the starting point.
From here, it was thirty-three steps to the imperial palace.
"Tianyuan Great Emperor…"
The youth's heart pounded as he solemnly took the first step.
In the next moment—
His mind plunged into a boundless world.
The heavens were high, the earth vast—he felt like a mere speck of dust as an invisible pressure swept over him.
He felt his mind collapsing. The boundless world shattered, and he was pulled back to reality.
Cold sweat poured down his back. The step he had taken had retreated on its own.
"What…?"
He was in disbelief.
He had known the thirty-three steps wouldn't be easy—
After all, they were the threshold to meeting the Tianyuan Great Emperor.
If it were truly that simple to meet the Great Emperor, then he wouldn't have time to cultivate—he'd be meeting visitors all day.
But he never expected that he wouldn't even pass the first step.
Thirty-three steps—each harder than the last.
And the first was the easiest.
"Still think it's simple?"
Yu Taiyin opened his eyes and looked at him.
"Not simple. Not simple at all."
The youth shook his head and glanced at the surrounding figures. "They…"
"We're just like you—we came to challenge the Tianyuan Great Emperor," Yu Taiyin said, his tone tinged with complexity.
The youth fell silent.
All of them came to challenge the emperor? Yet all were sitting outside?
Clearly, not one of them had completed the thirty-three steps.
"Is the gap between us and the Tianyuan Great Emperor really that great?"
The youth couldn't help asking.
He had prepared to be defeated, yes—but this? Not even being able to take a single step to reach the emperor?
The disparity left him shaken.
"A gap?"
"Us?"
Yu Taiyin smiled faintly.
He looked toward the palace beyond the thirty-three steps and said quietly, "From here, the palace doesn't look so overwhelming. But every step you take closer, you'll realize just how vast and majestic it is."
"The strongest among us managed to take seven steps. From there, the palace looked like it filled the sky—encompassing all things."
He turned to the youth. "But when you view it from thirty-three steps away—or even farther—it doesn't seem so distant. You think the gap isn't that big."
The youth listened, his expression thoughtful.
In a barren hilly area—
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged. He had already left the Tianyuan Palace eighteen thousand years ago, roaming the Source World.
"It's done."
He let out a soft breath. With the Undying Substance fully fused into his body, the final portion of his flesh had transformed.
Now, both his body and soul were unimaginably powerful.
Even without relying on other means, his physical strength alone could suppress an ordinary second-level thirteenth-rank time lifeform.
In this world's terms, a second-level thirteenth-rank being equaled a Celestial King.
Mortal Immortals corresponded to the first level, Celestial Kings to the second, and Celestial Emperors to the third. Beyond Celestial Emperor? Still within the third level, just deeper and further along.
Across countless dimensions, even among thirteenth-rank third-level Lords, there were weak and strong. The strongest showed traits of a fourteenth-rank perfect lifeform, able to return to the distant past and significantly alter it, thus changing the future.
"Two hundred centuries to fully transform my body…"
Lin Yuan smiled. It had taken him ten years to transform one-tenth of his flesh.
The remaining nine-tenths? A full twenty thousand years—especially the final trace, which alone cost him nearly a thousand years.
But the gain was immense.
Twenty thousand years ago, Lin Yuan had unleashed his true form and soul just to barely suppress Hui Ancestor, a second-level time being—and even then, the enemy escaped.
Now?
His mere presence could suppress Hui Ancestor. A full-power strike would easily trap his main body.
At this moment, Lin Yuan's strength likely approached that of a third-level time Lord.
"Level seven of Infinite Void is complete."
Looking within, Lin Yuan inspected his internal universe. Aside from the Undying Substance, the third Source World's Dao flow had greatly aided his creation of the seventh level of Infinite Void.
After twenty thousand years, it was perfected. His internal universe was now no weaker than the Chaotic Void itself.
Once he broke into the second level, the natural evolution of his internal universe would surpass the Chaotic Void.
"I can feel it—you've grown stronger again. Monster. You're a monster."
Not far away, a seven-aperture stone man looked at Lin Yuan in numb disbelief.
Born after billions of years of nurturing, this natural sacred spirit had emperor-level strength from the start. When Lin Yuan met him, he was nearly a Supreme Emperor.
Such beings were heaven-favored, their talent surpassing anything naturally born.
That was also the stone man's original mindset. He never sought to contend with the emperors. Even in the ancient era, when many Great Emperors emerged, he paid them little attention.
"Still not a match for a Celestial Emperor," Lin Yuan said with a smile.
He had stayed here because it was a sacred place for spirit birth—rich in Undying Substance, aiding his transformation.
"Not a match for a Celestial Emperor?" The stone man twitched.
How rare were Celestial Emperors? Only two or three had ever existed.
"I'm leaving," Lin Yuan stood up, giving the stone man a glance.
"Leaving?" the stone man looked back.
After over ten thousand years together, he had complex feelings for the Tianyuan Great Emperor who constantly shattered his understanding.
Compared to Lin Yuan, he didn't know who was truly heaven's chosen spirit.
"Yeah."
"This place doesn't help me much anymore."
Lin Yuan said.
He had absorbed Undying Substance to its limit. More wouldn't do much.
As for comprehending the Dao flow of the Source World—so long as he remained within its bounds, he could continue that anywhere.
Above the Ninth Heaven, before a bronze Immortal Hall—
Lin Yuan appeared out of thin air.
The true nature of the Immortal Hall was a seal—
A seal linking the Source World to the Immortal Path.
Long ago, countless Mortal Immortals and Celestial Kings had charged into the Immortal Path from here.
As Lin Yuan appeared, many figures emerged from within.
"Lord Tianyuan."
"Greetings, Lord Tianyuan."
They bowed with respect. Eight thousand years ago, Lin Yuan had nearly blasted through the entire hall.
Since then, the residents had shown him great reverence—for even then, Lin Yuan had power beyond ordinary Celestial Kings.
One must know—even in the ancient era, Mortal Immortals were already peak-level beings, and Celestial Kings were almost unheard of.
"Lord Tianyuan, what do you require of us?"
The leading figure asked at once.
Lin Yuan hadn't returned since he shook the hall eight thousand years ago.
His appearance now meant he wasn't here for a casual visit.
"Unseal it."
Lin Yuan gazed at the bronze Immortal Hall and said calmly, "I'm going into the Immortal Path."
...