"Whoooosh!"
As light flowed and shimmered, all one hundred players who had made it onto the Ancient Heaven-Defying Stele simultaneously found a battle robe manifesting on their bodies!
The design of this battle robe was extremely flashy and handsome—
white fabric as the base, black patterns woven throughout, and golden trim along the edges, exuding luxury and dominance!
Although it did not provide any stat boosts or cultivation increases, being purely cosmetic, it came with multiple powerful functions:
One-click outfit switching
Soul binding
Automatic self-repair
It was, quite literally, a top-tier tool for showing off!
Especially when paired with the previously obtained Ancient Warrior Cloak, the look was simply perfect!
"Hahahaha! This is way too damn cool!"
"Quick, take screenshots—no, screw that, record a video! I'm preserving my most handsome moment for eternity!"
"Holy crap, this battle robe is insanely cool! I'm begging—please sell me one!"
…
In an instant, countless players were overwhelmed with envy, jealousy, and hatred. Many whale players tried to buy one—but unfortunately, these battle robes were non-tradable. The moment He Yiming bestowed them, they became soul-bound.
And precisely because of that—
They were even more precious!
Soon, players wearing the battle robes discovered something else.
On the chest, there were four large characters.
On the back, there were also four—but in reverse order.
On the chest:
Ancient Heaven-Defying (太古逆天)
On the back:
Heaven-Defying Ancient (逆天太古)
Handsome. Truly handsome as hell!
At the same time, Old Thousand Hands Hashirama, If You Don't Show Off at the Beginning, You Lose Half the Game, and God King Enel each received a special notification!
"Congratulations, player, on ranking in the top three of the Ancient Heaven-Defying Stele!"
"You will receive an exclusive PV! Your most spectacular combat scenes will be compiled into a highlight video, paired with a dedicated BGM, and permanently published on the official website and forums!"
As this notification appeared, many nearby players leaned in and saw it as well.
Instantly, the crowd exploded!
"Holy crap! An exclusive PV?! Why don't I have one?!"
"Damn it—jealousy is killing me!"
"I'm furious! I'm shaking! Why the hell am I ranked 101?! WHY?!"
…
No matter how much the players raged or complained, the outcome was already decided.
"Three days from now, I will bestow exclusive Divine Artifacts upon eighteen players," He Yiming said calmly, while simultaneously releasing another announcement.
"Three days from now, eighteen players will receive their mission rewards: exclusive Divine Artifacts."
"After the Ancient Era storyline concludes, the official website and forums will release the exclusive PVs of the top three on the Ancient Heaven-Defying Stele!"
…
As the announcement went out, another wave of envy-filled howls erupted among the players.
With the mission rewards now basically fully distributed, He Yiming spoke once more.
"All right. Disciples, begin post-battle operations."
"The injured should seek treatment. Those in good condition should assist the Ancient People."
With that, the players scattered in all directions, immediately getting busy.
He Yiming, meanwhile, quickly went to find Mu Xueying.
At the critical moment earlier, He Yiming had genuinely not expected Mu Xueying to step forward and help King Lufei and the other four enter a state of enlightenment!
And He Yiming faintly sensed that although Mu Xueying's words were effective, she had likely used another form of power as well—otherwise, it would have been impossible for five people to enter enlightenment simultaneously!
It could be said that this time, his successful completion of the Legendary Mission owed an enormous debt to Mu Xueying.
She was, without question, a major contributor.
He Yiming could clearly feel it—
Mu Xueying was definitely not a good person.
And yet, he still couldn't understand why she had helped him.
What troubled him even more was what the Sixth Heavenly Calamity had said earlier—that Mu Xueying possessed the Reincarnation Heterochromatic Eyes. That point lingered heavily in his mind.
Especially the way the Heavenly Dao Five Calamities' Complete Form had behaved before dying—
that fear of death—
It didn't feel like the Heavenly Dao at all.
It felt far more like… a cultivator.
There was something seriously wrong with the Heavenly Dao of the Ancient Era!
"He Yiming, are you all right?"
When she saw him appear, a trace of visible relief flashed across Mu Xueying's expression.
"Hm? You didn't know what happened on my end?" He Yiming asked, slightly surprised.
"You suddenly disappeared! I couldn't sense your aura, couldn't perceive your existence at all! It was as if you simply… stopped existing," Mu Xueying replied.
"I was just now taken by the Sixth Heavenly Calamity…"
He Yiming didn't hide anything and briefly explained what had happened earlier.
Of course, he did not mention the Reincarnation Heterochromatic Eyes, nor his own Second Demon Body.
"The Sixth Heavenly Calamity? How could there be a Sixth Heavenly Calamity?"
Mu Xueying seemed genuinely startled, but she quickly regained her composure.
"As long as you're fine, that's what matters. Perhaps it's because of your arrival that the Heavenly Dao itself changed—giving rise to variables that never should have existed."
"Is that so…"
He Yiming nodded, then asked another question.
"Right—does the Ancient Era have Heavenly Tribulations? If someone breaks through to the Nascent Soul Realm here… what would happen?"
...
"I don't know," Mu Xueying replied.
"Because in the Ancient Era, there were no Nascent Soul cultivators at all."
...
He Yiming didn't get the answer he wanted and felt a bit disappointed—but he quickly steadied himself.
Since the situation was unknown, the safest option was not to break through for now.
To be cautious, it would be best to wait until returning to his original era before attempting the breakthrough.
Unless an emergency forced his hand.
"It's mist…"
At that moment, He Yiming's gaze sharpened.
Dozens of kilometes ahead, a strange mist suddenly appeared.
This mist—
He Yiming was very familiar with it.
"The Bridge of the Other Shore is about to appear again… probably within three days," Mu Xueying said softly, having noticed it as well.
"The Bridge of the Other Shore…"
He Yiming recalled the words of the bridge guardian, Ghost Evil Ichiro.
'The Bridge of the Other Shore only appears where it should.
Only before those it should.'
"Then if it appears again… does that mean my mission in the Ancient Era is complete? That it's going to take me somewhere else?"
He Yiming frowned, unable to fully grasp it.
There was clearly something wrong with the Heavenly Dao Five Calamities of this era.
They were absolutely not a normal Heavenly Dao!
Their malice toward the Human Race was unmistakable—far too targeted.
Yet the Bridge of the Other Shore had deliberately appeared before him, sending him to this Ancient Era—
At the same time, the system had issued missions to protect the Ancient People and oppose the Heavenly Dao Five Calamities!
What exactly was the connection between all of this?
He Yiming could think of many possibilities, but for the moment, he couldn't link them together.
It felt as though one crucial piece was still missing—
one that, once found, might reveal the truth!
"Forget it… I should prepare as soon as possible."
"No one knows where the Bridge of the Other Shore will take me next—or rather… which era it will take me to."
With that thought, He Yiming returned to his secluded cultivation ground and quietly began absorbing and refining the system rewards.
At the same time…
"So strong… I—I can't win…"
Purgatory spat blood as he knelt on one knee.
Before him stood a five-colored, patterned figure, its aura and bearing—
Almost identical to the Heavenly Dao Five Calamities' Complete Form that had been defeated by Show-Off Vegeta earlier—
Only far weaker.
It was another Heavenly Dao Five Calamities' Complete Form.