The Ancient Saint Emperor of the Heaven-shading

Chapter 172 The Ultimate Path Under the Bodhi Tree: Sweeping Away Two Saints

The second calamity star, a large tomb like a hill.

Prince Guangming's luck was bad in the Dark Path; he never expected to encounter the most dangerous and terrifying enemy right from the start.

Wang Hongwu approached with his hands behind his back, his steps seeming to pound on its heart, coldly declaring, "Is it an unwilling death, or a birth to witness a wider world?"

This terrifying pressure turned Prince Light pale. Looking back, it felt as if their last encounter was still fresh in his mind, yet the distance between them was now so vast, and he could no longer catch up with that figure.

His hand holding the weapon trembled slightly. For the first time in his life, he felt so powerless. Scenes of the eight-man battle against the Holy Venerable flooded his mind, becoming a shadow. He was the first to be eliminated and witnessed the Holy Venerable's terrifying ability to fight against many opponents. In a one-on-one situation, he knew he would definitely not be a match for him.

"They are the successors of the Ancient Emperor of Light, and also a Holy Venerable!" In the distance, a Great Sage noticed this place and unexpectedly stumbled upon a great battle among those nominated for the Crystal Tablet.

Many people gathered around, and after learning that their opponent was the Holy Venerable, they all looked at the Prince of Light with sympathy. What bad luck! He ran into the strongest one right away. It seems his fate is not good.

Wang Hongwu said nothing more, but took a step forward. His Xingzi Jue reached a terrifying level, time stopped, or rather, it reversed. In an instant, he arrived in front of the Prince of Light. The prince's expression froze on his face, his heart trembling. The Holy Venerable's speed was too fast, and he couldn't react in time.

The gods descended! The Prince of Light immediately unleashed a forbidden technique, tearing apart the surrounding void and revealing figures emerging with divine light. These were ancient gods of light, clad in golden armor and surrounded by millions of six-winged angels, coming out to wage war. This was a forbidden technique used by the former Emperors of Light in their struggle for supremacy. It was a secret art that could not be mastered with just talent and bloodline; it was very mysterious and required the initiation of a certain sacrificial ritual.

Instantly, the sky was filled with countless gods of light and angels. They simultaneously unleashed golden waves that crashed against the heavens. Wang Hongwu faced them with a light smile, activating the Eight-Nine Heavenly Technique, reviving all spirits. The Vermilion Bird, carrying immortal fire, fought across three thousand realms; the Heavenly Dragon, creating heaven and earth, roared as it soared into the nine heavens; the Kunpeng shook its wings, shattering many celestial bodies in the universe. In this place, the Qilin roared and the Tiger howled, transforming into a snake wagging its tail, and divine light pierced through eternity.

Thump! In the end, the profound power shattered the heavens and earth, and all spirits killed the gods. Wang Hongwu pressed down with another punch, which sent the Prince of Light flying backward. Blood seeped from his seven orifices, and the bones in his body were cracked by this blow. He almost collapsed, but his opponent did not give him a chance to adjust and directly stomped down.

"Submit!" A powerful kick descended from the sky, forcing the Prince of Light to confront it head-on. He swung both arms upwards, trying to block the kick, but the force of the kick was too great, crushing the laws of light and pressing down with overwhelming light, burying him beneath it.

People trembled. From afar, they saw the Holy Venerable's giant foot stomp down, and the Prince of Light fought back with all his might, his hands supporting the sky, barely managing to hold off the giant foot before being trampled beneath him, completely unable to fight back.

Even with the nomination of Jingbei, there are still gaps.

"Submit!" Wang Hongwu shouted again, not to kill, but to suppress, to completely subdue them and bring them under his command.

"Ah!" Prince Guangming cried out as his physical body was crushed by the force of the trampling. His primordial spirit floated out and was grabbed by Wang Hongwu. He was almost ashen-faced. He had not expected to be defeated so quickly and so miserably. After the Great Sage Tribulation, the gap between them had only widened.

"What are you crying about? You should be overjoyed! You should be looking forward to it. If you follow me, you will achieve even greater things in the future, and you will also have the opportunity to break free from the shackles of your princely status. Go with Shen Chen!" Wang Hongwu flicked his hand and tossed the object into Shen Chen's hands. This follower would take over and train him properly.

Shen Chen chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will make him understand what the future truly is."

"Caw! The Holy Venerable beat that prince of the Light Clan to his knees and was about to take him back as a slave!" Upon seeing this scene, someone shouted. Another nominee for the Crystal Tablet had been defeated, leaving only seven people.

"They are followers, just like the Divine Blood Supreme back then. In this way, the Ziwei Sect may have two more future quasi-emperors. They may even be able to borrow the ultimate divine weapon, the Bright Pot. Of course, it's just a possibility. That hurdle is too difficult. Who can say for sure?"

"That's enough. These are all powerhouses at the Ancient Road Supreme level. They can sweep through any opponent of the same realm wherever they go. The Holy Venerable's team is already terrifying. I heard that there's even a Heaven-Slaying Beast King who once fought against the Holy Emperor pulling the cart!"

The other Great Sages also looked solemn. Subduing competitors and turning them into their own forces, it seems the Holy Venerable has come to purchase goods from the ancient road.
Importantly, the Prince of Light also has a supreme divine weapon behind him, which is a tremendous help.

Outside the Imperial Pass, the crystal tablet shone once more. The name of the ancient prince of the Light Clan dimmed, while Wang Hongwu's name shone brightly again, as if it had moved up a notch.

"Another one lost?" "Another one suppressed by the Holy Venerable."

"There are already two. Is this one level after another?"

Those who witnessed this exchanged bewildered glances. Now, seeing someone defeated, their immediate thought was that it was the Holy Venerable who did it, simply because his record was too impressive.

After suppressing the Prince of Light, Wang Hongwu led Shenchen deep into the Blood and Flesh Burial Mound. He activated the "Former Word Secret" to illuminate the future and discern the correct path. They followed an ancient road, winding through several great mountains, until they reached a broken mountain. Auspicious energy, shimmering and colorful, spewed out from the crater of a volcano.

Below was a cluster of grottoes, ancient caves connected together in a dense, honeycomb-like pattern. Without hesitation, they stepped inside.

despair!
Suddenly, a sound came from the cave, like footsteps, followed by the sound of shackles and chains scraping against the ground, echoing from the vast depths of the earth, which was terrifying.

Shen Chen's expression changed. This place seemed to connect to hell. Terrifying beings that were locked up were walking towards it step by step, about to appear. It was very inconsistent with the aura of a celestial being that the Second Tribulation Star should have. Instead, it was more like... the underworld.
Wang Hongwu remained silent. His Heavenly Eyes of the Sun and Moon, capable of discerning illusions, revealed a deathly troop of soldiers, shackled and lifeless, passing through the dimly lit underground cave, much like the ghostly soldiers of the underworld.

"Could this be the trial left behind by Duan De?" He was speechless for a moment, and suddenly thought of the Tribulation-Crossing Celestial Venerable and the Underworld Venerable. This place was quite in line with his style.

In the darkness, the shackles creaked, and the chains gleamed coldly, like the dead passing through the underworld. The two immediately followed, and finally, at the end of a cave, they found six huge stone doors standing tall.

The groups gathered there and remained motionless, as if waiting for something, until with a loud boom, the six enormous stone doors that had been silent for so long opened simultaneously, surging with chaos, mysterious and terrifying.

Six Paths of Reincarnation? Wang Hongwu immediately realized that this was all too familiar. He then saw the ghostly soldiers and corpses in front of him divided into six groups, expressionless, each setting off and stepping into the six stone gates.

At the same time, the six stone doors gleamed, accompanied by mist, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. The sound of chanting rang out, sending people off to the next life and into the cycle of reincarnation. Clearly, this was the cycle of reincarnation that Duan De had tried, simulating the operation of the second tribulation star. It might even be the original operating mode of the underworld.

Then, the light emanating from the six stone doors grew increasingly intense, suddenly engulfing the three of them. As this force swept over them, they were swallowed into one of the stone doors and trapped inside.

"I want to see what you've figured out, Duan De." Wang Hongwu let him do as he pleased, which really did have a hint of entering the cycle of reincarnation and passing away.

As time passed, the force that carried them through the air gradually slowed down, and they entered an ancient road. On this road, they saw many figures, all with stiff expressions and shrouded in deathly aura. Ahead, a murky river flowed, and a pontoon bridge spanned it. All the corpses crossed the river here.

This is a cycle, but it's very strange. Unlike a true cycle, it's more like a cycle within a limited cage.

Wang Hongwu could clearly see with his divine eye that there was a River of the Underworld and a Bridge of Helplessness. After crossing the bridge, one would be reborn, breaking through the fleshy mounds on the ground to become a living being. When they died again, they would return to the mounds and enter the six stone gates to begin a new cycle of reincarnation. The entire Second Tribulation Star was a testing ground for reincarnation.

Ahead, at the end of the cycle of reincarnation, there stands an ancient tree, very tall, but without a single leaf on its branches. It is a half-dead old tree, its entire body dark black and bare, with no vegetation around it. The ground is dark red, the soil soft and damp, as muddy as a swamp.

Both of them possessed pupil techniques and quickly discovered that this was land irrigated by the blood and mud of countless living beings. It had not dried up even after so many years, making it hard to imagine how many lives had been sacrificed to form this blood swamp. The ancient tree rooted in it made it all the more eerie.

"What kind of evil thing is this?" Shen Chen was shocked and found it terrifying. The tree gave him a feeling of immortality, but it was also different, as if it had fallen.

“Bodhi Tree.” Wang Hongwu uttered these four words, having already recognized the true identity of this immortal root. There once was a precious tree called Bodhi, which possessed extraordinary power. Sitting cross-legged under it to cultivate made it very easy to attain enlightenment. It was known as the Bodhi Tree and was a treasure of the immortal monks during the Immortal Ancient Era. In later generations, it was also a sacred tree of the Buddhist lineage founded by Amitabha Buddha.

The tree of yesteryear was lush and vibrant, swaying with a radiant glow that seemed to reach the heavens, and was incomparably sacred. It was completely different from this one, making Wang Hongwu wonder, "Could it have been corrupted, undergone a drastic change, lost its divinity, and acquired the power of darkness?"

During the chaotic ancient times, there was indeed such a blood Bodhi tree, which later disappeared without a trace. The Bodhi tree in later generations was also held by the ancient celestial venerable, and finally came into the hands of Amitabha Buddha. It is unknown whether it is the same tree. After careful observation, he found that the power of reincarnation accumulated here was not useless, but was purifying this Bodhi tree and restoring it to its original state.
Without saying much, Wang Hongwu sat down cross-legged under the Bodhi tree, wanting to experience it firsthand. However, he also carefully protected his physical body and primordial spirit with the Fusang Divine Tree, the Xuanwu Divine Medicine, and the Kunpeng Immortal Medicine.

However, this tree was truly extraordinary, offering immense benefits to cultivation. The moment he attained enlightenment, he felt his cultivation level rapidly advancing, but he was quickly met with a terrifying shock. This was only because he was prepared; otherwise, it would have been even more horrifying. A fierce aura, like tangible weapons, slashed down, overwhelming him and crashing into his mind with astonishing power. In his hazy vision, he saw a vast battlefield, countless powerful figures locked in fierce combat, their shouts deafening, and blood constantly spilling and falling into the ground.

The tree was bathed in blood carrying various murderous auras, eventually turning crimson. Long, long afterward, he saw living beings begin to water the Bodhi tree. The container was full of blood, emitting a brilliant light—it was the blood of the Celestial Venerable.

Watering this tree with the blood of the Heavenly Venerable and chanting scriptures for it to initiate reincarnation—that was Duan De.

Then, the ancient trees swayed, and an ominous aura spread, manifesting a magnificent temple stained with blood in the surrounding area. However, it had lost its sanctity, and every brick, tile, and pillar was corroded by blood.

And inside this blood-soaked temple, someone was chanting sutras, the sound deafening. He saw a hand, covered in blood, striking a dark red wooden fish.

Listen carefully; it is a demonic scripture that leads people astray.

"The matter of deliverance should be left to the professionals." Wang Hongwu understood, but he did not back down. The Heavenly Venerable Killing Sword appeared in his hand, the Spirit Treasure Array Diagram hung above his head, and the Divine Pot that carried the Scripture of Salvation also appeared. Today, he would deliver this tree.

Ancient temples stood around him, their golden bricks radiating a sacred light. Although there was a deafening chanting, it seemed eerie. The intense golden light cascaded down, while black mist filled the air. A group of powerful figures with golden bodies rushed out and fought him.

*Poof!* With a sweep of his sword, he instantly annihilated a group of them. Wang Hongwu cleaved these Arhats in half at the waist, and his fists pounded in all directions, smashing one figure after another until not even a pulp remained. He then pushed straight into the temple.

More and more people appeared, but there weren't enough to kill them all. They couldn't keep up with the speed at which he cleared the area with his sword. Eventually, the golden monk disappeared, and a group of monks as black as ink appeared, roaring like a demon king as they pounced on him.

At this moment, the Sutra of Salvation resounded, and countless characters with a metallic luster flew out, suppressing these demonic monks and causing instability in the void, which continued to tear apart.

Wang Hongwu remained silent, focusing solely on activating the Lingbao Array Diagram. His immense divine power enveloped and melted the area, destroying all temples and strange phenomena, and refining the Bodhi tree. Furthermore, the Heavenly Venerable's Life Spring Liquid and the Bitter Sea Water were sprinkled down, giving it renewed vitality.

At this point, the Bodhi tree underwent a dramatic transformation. The black aura dissipated, the blood-red light vanished, and the Bodhi Immortal Tree of yesteryear reappeared!

"So it was the Bodhi Immortal Tree. Legend has it that it was once controlled by an ancient celestial being in the mythical era. It turns out to be the Tribulation-Transcending Celestial Being." Shen Chen suddenly realized the reason.

Behind Wang Hongwu stood a towering Bodhi tree, its bark cracked like palm-sized dragon scales, exuding a sense of vigor. The tree was lush and green, swaying with a radiant glow, and its leaves were crystal clear.

The Bodhi tree is also known as the tree of thought, the tree of enlightenment, or the tree of wisdom. The saying that seeing the Bodhi tree is like seeing the Buddha is widely circulated.

At this point, Wang Hongwu once again attained enlightenment under the tree, experiencing a sense of tranquility and awakening.

He is using this to perfect the forbidden realm and continue to build the secret of the Extreme Character.

"Exhausting all methods, flawless and perfect, uniting all paths into one, breaking limits to ascend to immortality!"

Wang Hongwu interprets the secret of the character "极" (ji), unifying all methods and breaking limits to reach the flawless realm of Tao.

This secret symbolizes the ultimate attainment of the Dao, perfection, breaking limits, and encompassing everything. Its effect is to unleash power beyond limits and to freely fuse different supernatural abilities and techniques, releasing them perfectly without conflict. Even the Eight Forbidden Rules cannot restrict it; it is the true ultimate Dao.

With his additions, the Extreme Secret Technique was able to perfectly correct flaws in the moves, and even incomplete secret techniques could briefly achieve a more advanced and near-perfect effect.

After a moment of enlightenment, this forbidden realm became more and more perfect. Although it is still very immature at present, if he succeeds in attaining enlightenment in the future, he will naturally become a true 'Tenth Secret'.

But the benefits he gained from comprehending the Dao under the tree didn't stop there; he even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, and a tribulation of lightning appeared from the high heavens!
Boom! Wang Hongwu charged forward into the sea of ​​lightning, forcefully breaking through the tribulation and ascending to the second level of the Great Sage Realm. He also happened to see a figure in the distance who was attracted by the tribulation.

That was the emperor.

When the two met, the emperor's expression was somewhat strange. He stared at Wang Hongwu for a while, then suddenly sensed something and said in surprise, "That coffin from the Heavenly Court has actually ended up on your body?"

"Do you know who's inside?" Wang Hongwu became interested. He had guessed that it was a divine general, but he couldn't be sure.

The emperor nodded, then extended his hand and said, "I know. He has a powerful background, but he won't harm you. On the contrary, he's protecting you. I'm here to verify something. I want to see if you are the same person from back then. One move is enough. If not, I'll turn around and leave."

"Then let's go." Wang Hongwu probably understood what he was thinking, and smiled slightly as he opened his palm.

In a single exchange, the two must determine the victor, and that is indeed the case. At this level, no intense battles are necessary unless the difference in skill level is negligible.

Cultivating the Emperor's Immortal Scripture, the Emperor used a secret technique at this moment. After thousands of times of stimulation, he finally reached the ultimate sublimation, broke into the Divine Forbidden Domain, and unleashed the All-Encompassing Secret Technique to attack. A vast aura spread, and a phantom was taking shape, incomparably majestic, looking down on all living beings, surrounded by gods and ghosts, as if to accept the kowtow of all living beings and the worship of all emperors.

The gods and the Heavenly Court manifested as an extraordinary phenomenon, transforming into the divine form of the Emperor Venerable. This was the forbidden immortal technique of the Lord of the Heavenly Court, which could also be considered the prototype of the Nine Secrets combined into one. Under the divine forbidden domain, it received a tenfold comprehensive amplification of the All-Knowing Secret, truly possessing terrifying and boundless power, enough to annihilate any Great Saint who came from the outer realms!
The Ultimate Secret: The Great Harmony Transformation of the Heavenly Venerable! Wang Hongwu also used the power of divine prohibition to unleash his newly created ultimate technique, which belonged to his forbidden domain!
In an instant, he was enveloped in ten-colored light, as if ascending to godhood. Every move he made was a flawless killing technique, possessing the ultimate power of the Dao that broke through limits. He exhausted the ultimate Dao, and all laws and techniques were sublimated into one, transforming into a Dao diagram of pursuing immortality in the mortal world, which clashed with the Emperor's Dharma Body. In an instant, billions of immortal lights and thousands of auspicious colors appeared. The two were violently shaken, and the Emperor suddenly coughed up blood and flew backward.

At the same time, he also showed a look of surprise, as if he had confirmed something, witnessing the inferences and conjectures from this secret word.

Even the defeated emperor's empress and the Prince of Light showed a bitter expression. "He has improved again. Alas, now it seems that becoming a follower is not so bad. If he can really break the shackles of the Emperor's Great Dao, then it will be worth it."

Originally, he was very resistant, but after seeing that the emperor had also lost, he relaxed a lot. He was not afraid of losing many people, but he was afraid of being the only one who lost!

"How was it?" With the attack finished, Wang Hongwu's secret words faded, and he smiled as he looked at the Emperor.

"I understand now, thank you, Uncle-Master." The Emperor bowed abruptly. He was now certain that the person before him was the reincarnation of the Bright Venerable, and the first-ranked successor of the Ancient Heavenly Court, alongside the First Divine General and the Undying Emperor. However, he still had many doubts in his mind, but he knew that now was not the time to discuss them in depth, so he did not say anything more.

"No need for formalities, come with me. We can discuss anything after we reach the Nine Imperial Passes." Wang Hongwu waved his hand and led the two directly through the Land of Reincarnation towards the surface of the Second Tribulation Star.

On the crystal tablet, the emperor's name dimmed, while the one belonging to Wang Hongwu shone brightly again, a sight that the people guarding this place were no longer surprised by.

It's the Holy Venerable again. That's normal, that's normal.

He had swept aside the three nominees for the Crystal Monument, and the crowd had become somewhat numb to it.

Inside the Second Tribulation Star, as they emerged from the Land of Reincarnation, they were astonished to find that a fierce battle was raging outside, with others undergoing the Great Saint Tribulation, which had even shaken open the passage to the Third Imperial Pass. The battle was extremely intense.

By this time, all the imperial forces had advanced further, their combat power had soared, and they were about to engage in the final battle.

In the distance, the Holy Spirit Emperor turned around and saw Wang Hongwu. He suddenly roared and rushed over, "Holy Venerable, we are both Great Saints now, let's have a fair fight!"

"Alright, I'll kill you today!" Wang Hongwu didn't waste any words and charged straight at the enemy. He had a plan: to kill the Holy Spirit Emperor at the Third Imperial Pass and have the spirit of the Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold artifact devour him and take his place!
By stealing the sky and changing the sun, he intends to seize control of the future Holy Spirit Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)