The First Marquis of Daxuan

Zhang Jiao and the others looked puzzled.

They didn't understand why, after finally finding the Heavenly Emperor, Su Mu didn't take action but instead let the Heavenly Emperor leave.

Since the Heavenly Emperor has been allowed to leave, why are they still being asked to continue tracking him?
Is it just to make things difficult for them?

If you want to kill them, just kill them. What's the point of torturing them like this?

Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings harbored resentment in their hearts, but dared not say anything aloud.

"Let's go."

Zhang Jiao said with a hint of helplessness.

They continued to wander through the universe.

Several months later, they ran into the Heavenly Emperor again.

Without saying a word, the Heavenly Emperor turned and ran.

Just like last time, Su Mu simply watched the Heavenly Emperor leave without making a move to stop him.

Everything seemed like a repetition of the first time.

The third time, the fourth time...

Over several years, Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings caught up with the Heavenly Emperor six times in a row.

The Heavenly Emperor escaped six times in a row.

Until the seventh time.

The Heavenly Emperor stared at Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings as if he had seen a ghost.

This time he didn't run away.

"You're not going to run away?"

Zhang Jiao asked instinctively.

Screw you!
The Heavenly Emperor cursed inwardly.

I'm running away, you can chase me.

I had just settled down and hadn't even recovered from my injuries when you guys caught up with me again.

Why are we even running?

You can catch up with me no matter where I run!
I regret it now. Why did I raise all these kinds of bastards back then?
If I had known this would happen, I should have wiped out all of you celestial beings back then!

"Not running away anymore?"

Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings all breathed a long sigh of relief.

They've had enough.

Let everything be destroyed.

They really didn't want to chase the Heavenly Emperor anymore.

For the first time, they realized that there could be such cruel punishments in this world without beatings or scoldings.

Although Su Mu simply allowed them to roam freely, the constant presence of a sword hanging over their heads prevented them from ever relaxing.

They really didn't want to continue this awkward, unfortunate situation.

Every time they thought they had found the Heavenly Emperor and would be free, the Heavenly Emperor would escape, and they would have to continue.

Su Mu was the same; he never made a move and just watched the Heavenly Emperor escape.

What are they doing if not playing with them?
They now only want to perish together with the Heavenly Emperor.

"Su Mu, if you're a man, then fight me!"

The Heavenly Emperor roared.

He's had enough of running away.

He had figured it out: as long as Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings were in Su Mu's hands, he would have no way to hide.

He, the Heavenly Emperor, was actually defeated by a nobody named Su Mu!
"Su Mu, come on, if you can kill me today, you will be the master of this universe."

The Heavenly Emperor straightened his body, his face revealing a fighting spirit.

Faced with a situation where there was no way to escape, the Heavenly Emperor regained the aura of a top-tier expert.

He is the Heavenly Emperor, one of the three beings at the beginning of the universe.

Even if he were in dire straits today, he would not kneel down and beg for mercy.

Even if he were to die, he wanted to die a glorious death.

If Su Mu can really kill him, then what's wrong with him giving Su Mu a great opportunity?
"Come on, Su Mu."

"It has been a long time since I have fought a war with all my might."

The Heavenly Emperor laughed heartily, and his aura exploded forth.

The universe trembled, and almost all the stars lit up.

The entire universe seemed to come alive.

Streams of power surged into the Heavenly Emperor's body, causing his aura to rise steadily.

Zhang Jiao and the others were forced to retreat by the overwhelming aura.

"Is this the difference between us and the Heavenly Emperor?"

Zhang Jiao sighed inwardly. Every time he saw Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor fight, his heart was filled with deep despair.

He once thought that the gap between him and the Heavenly Emperor and Su Mu was small, and that as long as he had the opportunity, he could surpass the two of them.

But now, he has completely given up.

He was well aware that the gap between him and the Heavenly Emperor, and between him and Su Mu, was unimaginably large.

He is at the high level of the Primordial Realm, because the high level of the Primordial Realm is his limit.

The Heavenly Emperor and Su Mu are both at the Dao Saint Realm, but that's only because this universe can currently only accommodate Dao Saint Realm experts.

That is the limit of the universe, not the limit of the Heavenly Emperor and Su Mu.

That's what makes him different from them.

No matter who dies in battle today, the other person can absorb the power of the other person, thereby greatly improving their own cultivation.

Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings didn't know who they were hoping would win.

But they knew that no matter who won, they were doomed to die.

"I used to find it ridiculous when people said, 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.'"

No matter how you die, you're still dead. There's no such thing as high or low in death.

Now I suddenly feel that even if I die here today, I will have no regrets.

A celestial being suddenly spoke up, “Because I have witnessed the pinnacle power of the universe.”

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

"This is not the power of peak strength."

Zhang Jiao shook his head and said, "Didn't you hear what Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor said?"
The true pinnacle would be if someone could possess all the power in the universe.

At that time, there will be no other martial artists in the universe.

Currently, there are two Dao Saints in the universe, as well as us Primordial Realm cultivators, and countless other martial artists at the Primordial Beginning Realm.

Neither Su Mu nor the Heavenly Emperor are yet to reach their peak.

"What kind of being would it be if one truly became the ruler of the universe?"

A celestial being asked curiously.

Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor are now stronger than they imagined; they simply cannot fathom what they would be like if they were even stronger.

"That is the Dao Ancestor."

Zhang Jiao said.

Knowing he was going to die, he calmed down considerably and peacefully discussed martial arts with everyone.

To be able to glimpse the pinnacle of martial arts before one dies is a kind of happiness.

"The Dao Ancestor, the ancestor of all Daos, that is the true pinnacle, the ruler of the universe, an omnipotent being."

Zhang Jiao slowly said, "When you reach that level, as long as the universe exists, he will not perish. He can even create things at will."

"That is the true god."

A celestial being asked, "Do you think there are other universes in this world?"

Zhang Jiao looked thoughtful. "I don't know, but I'm inclined to think it's not true."

I don't think so.

Another celestial being said, “The world is vast and full of wonders. Just like when we lived on our own planets, did we know that there was such a vast universe beyond our world?”
What's the difference between us now and us from the past?

Even a celestial being is nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well.

"What does it have to do with us?"

Zhang Jiao chuckled and said, "We can only go this far."

I'm just a little curious whether Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor can actually become Dao Ancestors.

"If he were the Heavenly Emperor, he would definitely become the Dao Ancestor; there is no doubt about that."

If he can kill Su Mu, he will surely slaughter all martial artists in the universe.

One of the Heavenly Paths said, "But if it were Su Mu instead, I think it would be a bit risky."

Su Mu's biggest weakness is that he is too sentimental and loyal.

His subordinates included Zhao Baiqi, Huo Tu, Chi Mingtang, Qian Gong Liu, and that so-called Great Xuan Dynasty.

Su Mu absolutely could not bear to let those people die.

"If those people don't die, Su Mu's power will never reach its full potential, and he will never be able to become a Dao Ancestor."

"To be honest, I was fortunate enough to witness the battle between Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor. If I had some time, I think my cultivation level could also rise to another level."

Another celestial being sighed and said.

All the celestial beings sighed; they all knew they had no chance.

This sentence brought the celestial beings back to reality.

Their gazes drifted into the distance, and they fell silent for a moment.

…………

boom!
The Heavenly Emperor slightly arched his body and flew backward.

He managed to steady himself, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Are you insulting me?

The Heavenly Emperor straightened up and said coldly, "You're not even willing to use your full power?"
Don't I even deserve your full effort?

"Heavenly Emperor, are you still going to hide it?"

Su Mu slowly lowered his fist and said calmly.

"Now that things have come to this, are you still unwilling to use your true trump card?"

Su Mu looked at the Heavenly Emperor calmly.

"You want to use me to die? That's a bit unreasonable."

Shouldn't you ask for a favor first, and perhaps offer something in return?

Su Mu's voice reached the ears of Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings, causing them to exchange bewildered glances.

They could understand each word Su Mu said individually, but when put together, they couldn't understand it.

What exactly did Su Mu mean by those words?
The Heavenly Emperor wanted to use Su Mu to die.
The Heavenly Emperor was clearly no match for Su Mu and had no choice but to die, so why does it sound as if the Heavenly Emperor deliberately sought death?
What exactly happened?

The celestial beings thought they had grasped the truth, so why do they still feel like they know nothing?

Did they meet the Heavenly Emperor first, or did Su Mu meet him first?

Why do they feel that Su Mu understands the Heavenly Emperor better than they do?

"Did you understand?"

Zhang Jiao spoke softly, referring to the celestial beings of the Heavenly Realm. They had served the Heavenly Emperor for far longer than he had.

Those celestial beings shook their heads.

Although they had been following the Heavenly Emperor, they always thought that the Heavenly Emperor was the same kind of person as them, at most just a little stronger.

Little did they know that the Heavenly Emperor harbored so many secrets.

Besides, didn't Su Mu already expose all of the Heavenly Emperor's secrets last time?

Could it be that the Heavenly Emperor was hiding some secret in that situation last time?
What a deep and cunning scheme this is!

One floor after another.

They thought they had reached the second floor, but the Heavenly Emperor was still on the 10th floor.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you after all."

The Heavenly Emperor, standing in the distance, straightened up and spoke slowly.

"Since you've already seen through it, then you're unwilling to kill me?"

If you don't kill me, then I'm leaving.

I'm telling you in advance, once my cultivation level improves further, I won't hold back against you.

"I will kill you, and everyone connected to you."

"You can't leave."

Su Mu shook his head and said, "I won't kill you, but I won't let you go either."

I will imprison you just as you imprisoned Yang Tianjun.”

"you--"

The Heavenly Emperor's expression changed drastically.

Zhang Jiao and the others were stunned.

Was Yang Tianjun imprisoned by the Heavenly Emperor?
So all these years, the Heavenly Emperor has been putting on an act with them?
If Yang Tianjun was imprisoned by the Heavenly Emperor, wouldn't the Heavenly Emperor be able to seize Yang Tianjun's power at any time?
"No, no! Even if Yang Tianjun was imprisoned by the Heavenly Emperor, that power should be Yang Tianjun's self-defense power."

Otherwise, the Heavenly Emperor would probably have already seized Yang Tianjun's power.

Even acting isn't done like that.

Zhang Jiao said in a low voice.

The celestial beings nodded in agreement. They couldn't believe that they had been fooled by the Heavenly Emperor for so long.

You think you can imprison me?

The Heavenly Emperor said coldly, "Su Mu, I admit that you are indeed stronger than me now."

I can't do anything to you.

But you think you can capture me alive? No way!

I would rather die than fall into your hands.

You either kill me or let me go.

The Heavenly Emperor sneered.

He did not mention a third possibility.

That was his suicide.

Because that's not a third possibility at all.

His suicide was also a way for him to leave this place.

With his cultivation level reaching that point, he could easily self-destruct and be reborn in another place.

Although immortality was created by the Heavenly Emperor to deceive the people of the world.

But for the Heavenly Emperor himself, he was indeed almost immortal.

Faking his death was also one of the ways he escaped from Su Mu's grasp.

This is one of the reasons why he is not particularly afraid of Su Mu.

Even if Su Mu's strength surpasses his, it would be almost impossible for him to completely kill him.

He had been deliberately feigning weakness all along.

"You can try and see if you can get away."

Su Mu lightly stomped his foot.

suddenly.

A ray of light burst forth beneath his feet.

In an instant, the entire area within a radius of a hundred miles was enveloped in light.

Beams of light shot into the sky, instantly weaving into a net that stretched from heaven to earth.

"Formations? Who doesn't know how to do that?"

The Heavenly Emperor chuckled coldly twice.

His figure soared into the sky, transforming into a great sun, and crashed into the heavenly net.

With a loud bang, flames that seemed capable of burning everything burst into flames.

The protective net formed by the formation was instantly burned open, creating a large hole.

Even illusory power could be burned through by those flames, which shows how powerful the Heavenly Emperor was.

But Su Mu's expression did not change at all.

He didn't even make a move.

Just as the Heavenly Emperor was about to break free.

suddenly.

One after another, figures appeared in the universe.

Those people occupied various positions and poured their power into the formation.

The already damaged formation was instantly repaired, and at the same time, layer upon layer of formations appeared in the void, trapping the Heavenly Emperor completely.

Zhang Jiao and the other celestial beings widened their eyes again.

Where did these people come from?
With their cultivation levels, they hadn't even noticed that so many people were lying in ambush here!

Moreover, these people had clearly been hiding here for a long time.

"I understand."

Zhang Jiao muttered to himself, "Su Mu deliberately forced the Heavenly Emperor here."

He had someone set up an ambush here beforehand—”

"But how did he know the Heavenly Emperor would come here?"

One of the celestial beings asked in confusion.

"Although the universe is vast, there are only a few suitable places to hide. Sooner or later, the Heavenly Emperor will be forced to come here."

Zhang Jiao said.

They had encountered the Heavenly Emperor so many times before, but Su Mu had never made a move.

The Heavenly Emperor has been hiding and fleeing; if he doesn't come here once, he'll come again next time.

Anyway, Su Mu has plenty of time to slowly catch up with the Heavenly Emperor.

Zhang Jiao and the others couldn't help but sigh.

Compared to Su Mu and the Heavenly Emperor, they were really as naive as greenhorns just starting out.

They were manipulated at will.

"Why do you think the Heavenly Emperor would willingly die at Su Mu's hands?"

A celestial being asked in confusion.

Zhang Jiao and the others all shook their heads; no one could answer his question.

The Heavenly Emperor struggled within the formation, but could not escape, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

"This is impossible!"

He couldn't help but growl.

Nothing is impossible.

Heavenly Emperor, you consider yourself the master of the universe and do not take the living beings born in the universe seriously.

But over the years, the creatures in the universe have also developed many incredible abilities.

The martial arts and formations they've figured out are no less advanced than yours.

You only think about seizing the power of the universe and becoming a saint or ancestor, while they think about how to utilize the power of the universe and live in harmony with it.

Today, you are trapped here by the human race, whom you despise, using an array. How do you feel about that?

Su Mu stood calmly in the void.

Those who controlled the formation included Zhao Baiqi, Chi Mingtang, Huo Tu, Qian Gongliu, and others, as well as Luo Anning, Dongfang Liuyun, Jin Hou, Mingyi Hou, and other members of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

All of Su Mu's subordinates, whose cultivation had reached a certain level, were gathered here.

It was they who set up the formation here, trapping a peak expert.

The one who designed the formation was Luo Anning.

Over the years, Luo Anning has been trying to catch up with Su Mu. She has studied array formations in detail, and to this day, her mastery of array formations has even surpassed that of Su Mu.

Moreover, she herself created this trapping formation.

With the combined efforts of everyone, this great formation was revealed to the world for the first time.

Seeing that the Heavenly Emperor was truly trapped, Luo Anning breathed a long sigh of relief.

She clenched her fists, a blush of excitement flashing across her face.

She did it!

She really did it!

Su Mu's gaze fell upon them, and he nodded approvingly.

Luo Anning felt that all her hard work over the years had not been in vain.

"Heavenly Emperor, give up struggling. With me here, all your schemes will fail."

Su Mu spoke slowly.

As the Heavenly Emperor looked at the layers of formations, he gradually calmed down.

He simply sat cross-legged in the void, facing Su Mu directly.

"Su Mu, do you think you've already won?"

The Heavenly Emperor said coldly.

"Otherwise what? You can choose to fake your death. But I can tell you that this formation has sealed off the past and present, so your fake death technique may not work."

Su Mudao.

“I admit I underestimated you, but you’re putting me in a difficult position.”

The Heavenly Emperor coldly said, "Since you know that I am a branch of the Mysterious Root of Heaven and Earth, do you know what the Mysterious Root of Heaven and Earth means to this universe?"

"Su Mu, let me tell you!"

The Heavenly Emperor burst into laughter, his face contorted with madness. "The Mysterious Root of Heaven and Earth means that if I so choose, I can drag the entire universe to its death at any time!"

"Are you willing? No, you are not."

You're unwilling to even assimilate with the universe, you can't even bear to relinquish your own self-awareness, so of course you're even less willing to die.

Su Mudao.

"I don't want to die, but you forced me to."

The Heavenly Emperor opened his hand, and a soft, clear light suddenly emanated from his body, causing the universe to tremble violently. (End of Chapter)