The Great Ruler: Starting from the Dark Ages

Chapter 132 The Heavenly Dao Collapses, I, Xu He, Will Bear the Burden!
Emperor Wushi raised his hand, intending to summon the Investiture of the Gods and use the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths imprints on it to interfere with the formation of the Emperor's World Cauldron.

But soon, he discovered that his connection with the Investiture of the Gods had been completely severed.

“It must have been destroyed when he swept across the heavens and earth last time,” Xu He said, his eyes slightly narrowed.

He was referring to the battle with the Emperor in the lower realm. At the time, he thought it was just the Emperor's random killing, but now it seems that it was more about destroying the Great Emperor Wushi's plan.

However, the Great Emperor Wushi was unaware of this matter.

At that time, perhaps the Emperor did not take Xu He's Nine Cauldrons seriously.

"Become a part of my furnace, and I will lead you to immortality!" The Emperor raised his hands, urging the World Cauldron to continuously form.

The cauldron became increasingly solid, and it seemed to be truly absorbing the sun, moon, and stars.

"You're celebrating too soon," Xu He sneered, and also mobilized the Nine Cauldrons.

In an instant, mountains and rivers trembled, and the four seas churned.

The nine celestial golden cauldrons located in various parts of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths simultaneously erupted with celestial light. Over the long and ancient years, nourished by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, washed by the thoughts of all living beings, and confirmed by the Great Dao of Xu He, the nine cauldrons all became supreme celestial weapons without exception.

At this moment, the nine great cauldrons emitted nine colors of celestial light: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, black, and white.

It doesn't soar into the sky, but rather firmly covers the stars and the universe.

Like a bamboo forest, with its thick and long root system, it firmly locks the earth, the heavens and the earth, and stabilizes this starry sky, preventing soil erosion.

"boom!"

The great cauldron roared.

The world cauldron, which was becoming increasingly solid, was affected, and the world reflected on its front and back gradually disappeared at this moment, leaving only the landscape of the strange space.

The native cultivators of the strange space were greatly alarmed upon seeing this.

The disappearance of the lower realm, which is the pattern of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, means that the lower realm will not be refined, while this realm remains above.

In an instant, countless people imagined a tragic ending.

The starry sky collapsed, the universe shattered, and all living beings trembled in despair.

Blood flowed across the land, and corpses piled up like mountains.

It is useless for people to pray to the heavens, to kowtow to the earth, and to call out to the gods and demons, but there is no response.

Many cultivators scattered and fled in all directions, just to survive, while even more heroes and supreme beings rose up and wielded their yellow axes.

Heroes rise up, and heroes vie for their lives, like moths to a flame, or fireflies vying for brilliance.

Quasi-emperors are like weeds, and supreme beings are like children.

Countless people watched as the emperor was slaughtered.
Even when kneeling and trembling, it was not for the sake of the Emperor.

Instead, they prayed to Xu He, whose tall and imposing figure was perhaps their only savior.

"We are willing to submit, and only ask the Heavenly Emperor to protect all living beings!" They did not know Xu He before, but they could hear the words "Heavenly Emperor" in the thunderous shouts.

"May the Heavenly Emperor decide our fate!"

"May the Heavenly Emperor decide our fate!"

The roar of the mountains and the tsunami eventually transformed into countless sparkling starlight.

Xu He was extremely familiar with it; this was the true manifestation of the power of thought of all living beings.

At this moment, Xu He, who held the Heavenly Heart Mark of this Realm in his hand, could clearly feel that this world's recognition of him was constantly increasing.

If it weren't for the Heavenly Heart Imprint of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths within his body, the Heavenly Heart Imprint of this strange space would probably have merged with him immediately.

This strange space was not formed naturally, but rather evolved by human intervention.

They had truly evolved towards the Immortal Realm for a long time, even being able to autonomously generate immortal matter, but clearly, they had stalled at the final step.

Clearly, the cultivators who were evolving this realm stopped halfway through.

Perhaps something unexpected has happened.

But it's conceivable that someone with the ability to evolve and repair a celestial realm must be a supreme celestial king.

Xu He believes that the strange space is unlikely to be the work of the Desolate Emperor.

Firstly, if the Desolate Heavenly Emperor truly wanted to repair the Immortal Realm, there would be no need for such trouble, nor would he stop at this final step, especially since he has gone to the Heavenly Realm.

Secondly, the origin of the small world inside the Nine Dragons Coffin remains a mystery.

It could be the work of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor, or it could be the work of the Butcher or the Burial Master. After all, both of them had entered the coffin, and their supreme combat power also gave them the ability to evolve and repair the Immortal Realm.

However, their whereabouts remain a mystery.

Perhaps they've gone into hiding. After all, even Immortal Emperor-level combatants have appeared; if they went there, they'd only be throwing their lives away. It's better for them to hide and wait for the right time, and then go to the Boundary Sea to seek a chance to break through to the King level and become an Emperor.

"Very well, it's nothing more than accepting fate, nothing more than deepening karma. Stepping onto this path is already going against the heavens, so what is there to fear about karma?" Xu He gazed at the Emperor.

He originally harbored the idea of ​​killing the Emperor.

Without the slightest hesitation, he threw a punch at the world cauldron that was forming.

In an instant, golden light appeared, and golden blood energy filled the sky. In just a moment, the entire two realms became Xu He's training ground.

Although the World Cauldron had no physical form, it was reduced to countless fragments of the void by this attack.

The moment the cauldron disappeared, the oppressive force that had been looming over all living beings, like Mount Tai standing before them, vanished, and the scorching heat that had been burning the skin of the Great Emperor cultivators also disappeared.

The Emperor remained calm, as if he had already anticipated this possibility.

The two stood facing each other, both emanating astonishing Daoist auras, with supreme laws appearing and surging forth.

A war of gods has broken out.

The Great Emperor Wushi and the Great Emperor Ruthless only pondered for a moment before deciding to stand by and watch.

One reason is the arrogance of the immortals of the mortal world; bullying the weak with the many is not honorable. Similarly, they also want to give this mythical figure enough respect.

After all, the Emperor can be said to be the most mysterious figure throughout history, revered by heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods.

Furthermore, the divine battle between the two, even if any one of their laws were to fall, would be a devastating disaster for both realms at present—this is an undeniable fact.

Only the Great Emperor Wushi and the Ruthless Great Emperor, who are of the same level, can protect the common people.

The two quickly sprang into action to intercept the laws that were falling during the divine war.

Above the sky, golden light would occasionally burst forth, and black, murky blood, exuding an eerie aura, would occasionally drip down.

All of this symbolizes the brutality of the war.

As more and more laws descended, the Great Emperor Wushi and the Ruthless Emperor, who were below and constantly protecting all living beings, found it increasingly difficult to cope.

They could sense that the war above had reached a fever pitch.

Immortal might burst forth, immortal blood dripped down—this was a desperate struggle, clearly neither side was holding back.

The Great Emperor Wushi set up a protective barrier for all living beings and arrived at Xu He's army camp. Looking at the dozens of Great Emperors, he seemed lost in thought. He knew the environment of the lower realm all too well.

The birth of even one Great Emperor is a rare feat, but Xu He not only defied the heavens to become an immortal in the lower realm, but also nurtured so many Great Emperors.

The juniors who once needed his help have now transformed into towering trees, even surpassing him in stature.

"All things considered, it's only been a little over two hundred thousand years. How could his foundation be so profound? I seem to sense the aura of countless ages on him. With such accumulation, he will reach the pinnacle of immortality in the mortal world." Emperor Wushi was puzzled and ultimately could not understand.

Although he knew about the existence of "a dream that lasts for eternity," he knew that such a dream was ultimately just a dream.

Returning from the virtual to the real, from the present to the past—who can do that? And even if they could, it wouldn't be this outrageous.

What the Great Emperor Wushi didn't know was that Xu He's Great Dream of Eternity had truly witnessed the past and present, possessing millions of years of accumulation and profound wisdom, which enabled him to stand before anyone with unparalleled prowess.

"You are very strong... You have not disgraced the Heavenly Court." The Emperor coughed up a mouthful of blood.

His consciousness wavered for a moment, and in just a short while, the clarity in his eyes gradually turned into bloodlust and madness.

The black mist rose and surged, billowing out like waves of ink.

Xu He was enveloped in endless radiance, scorching away the darkness and the ominous.

His expression remained cold and stern as he said calmly:

"What? Are you about to lose control of your body?"

The Emperor's body had already been submerged in a black ocean. He was about to continue sinking deeper into darkness when, upon hearing this, a strange feeling arose in his heart. Forcibly regaining a sliver of clarity, he spoke with a mixture of doubt and confusion:
"You...you noticed?"

"Hmm." Xu He nodded silently, speaking in the manner of an old friend:
"You want to test whether I have the ability, you don't want me to disgrace the name of the Heavenly Court, and you also want to see if my will is firm, right?"

The Emperor gave a bitter laugh, but finally nodded.

The Heavenly Court was not his original creation. He knew that it was connected to supreme figures and involved countless causes and effects, something that ordinary people couldn't even dream of.

Even he was extremely cautious.

Fortunately, he had that kind of ability.

When he began to invade the lower realm, his consciousness was already becoming blurred, and he was about to completely lose control of his body.

It was at that moment that Xu He's successive Emperor Fists temporarily injured the dark matter, giving the Emperor a chance to catch his breath.

"Now I can tell you clearly that I, Xu He, am not afraid of cause and effect!" Xu He's thick black hair fluttered in the strong wind, as if it were about to cover the sky.

"When the Heavenly Way collapses, I, Xu He, will shoulder the burden! I will support the mountains and rivers, and save the sky from its fall!"

Xu He raised his hands as if he were truly supporting the heavens!

His majestic golden figure shines through the eternal blue sky, leaving his imposing silhouette on the long river of time.

With a majestic and spirited bearing, he seems to truly reflect the past, present, and future.

At this moment, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth resounded with a great roar, shaking the entire universe.

In the very end, everything fell silent. The river of time ceased to surge, and the billowing black mist stopped spreading, as if sensing an immense cause and effect.

Everything can be summed up in one sentence:

"All causes and effects have befallen me!"

The sound was like a booming bell, and it reverberated in an instant, sweeping across the two worlds and star fields with an unparalleled and domineering manner, sweeping across the four seas and eight wastelands, and resounding throughout the ancient universe!
This statement seemed to have been confirmed by heaven and earth, and endless immortal matter and immeasurable spiritual power from all living beings converged on him.

Xu He's body grew taller and more upright.

He simply stood there, and the surrounding dark matter wailed and was completely obliterated.

Witnessing all this, Wu Shi was astonished, while the Ruthless One remained silent. The two of them might not be afraid of dark matter, but they would never deal with it so easily.

"Perhaps...perhaps he really was born to face a calamity..." Emperor Wushi remained silent for a long time before finally uttering only these words.

He knew many secrets, including the legend that the Desolate Emperor was born to meet a calamity.

"Perhaps he really can become someone comparable to the Desolate Emperor." Emperor Wushi murmured. In the past, there were rumors in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths that the emperors of the Mythical Era had the ability to rival the Desolate Emperor.

At first he didn’t think much of it, but now, if anyone had such ability, Emperor Wushi really couldn’t think of anyone else besides Xu He.

Its grandeur is unparalleled throughout history.

"Good...very good!" The Emperor's eyes were sometimes bloodshot and sometimes filled with pain: "While I can still suppress the darkness, give me a quick death."

"For millions of years, I have been enduring excruciating pain every single day. Please let me be free!"

At that moment, Chuan Ying rushed into the vicinity, completely disregarding the billowing black mist around him: "Emperor! I knew you weren't that kind of person."

He turned to look at the Heavenly Emperor and spoke in a pleading tone:

"Heavenly Emperor, I beg you to save the Emperor! I know it's difficult, but so many miracles have happened to you, I believe..."

"No need to exert yourself," the Emperor interrupted, his expression pained. He had almost fallen into a deep sleep and never woke up. If Chuan Ying hadn't appeared in time and briefly shaken his mind, he would probably have been completely controlled by the darkness.

"What miracle... Hahahaha... I've tried it countless times already!" The Emperor exclaimed indignantly.
"Throughout the ages, I have made countless attempts and exerted countless efforts, severing my body and destroying my foundation, all of which have been in vain!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chuan Ying refuted the Emperor for the first time:
"No, you haven't witnessed the wonders of the Heavenly Emperor. Some things can only be understood through personal experience."

The Emperor was taken aback when he saw Chuan Ying refute him like this.

He genuinely intended to groom Chuan Ying as his successor, and witnessing Chuan Ying become emperor filled him with no regrets.

He remembered that when he met Chuanying, he was extremely arrogant and carefree, and it would not be an exaggeration to describe him as arrogant and disdainful of everyone. He even looked down on the Supreme Ancient Emperor.

He was extremely respectful to himself.

Today, for the first time, I refuted it.

"Is there any way?" the Emperor asked, clinging to his last glimmer of hope.

Chuan Ying also looked at Xu He with the same hope.

Xu He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Nine deaths and one life, or perhaps ten deaths and no life."

"I'm willing to give it a try." The Emperor did not hesitate at all. Although the dark matter was tormenting him to no end, who would risk death if they wanted to live?

He is the Emperor, a figure revered by Heaven and Earth throughout the ages.

The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth can proclaim that "Heaven, Earth, ghosts, and gods all worship the Emperor!"

A figure rumored to be able to catch up with the Desolate Emperor.

"Dark matter can promote the evolution of living beings, but the consequence of this evolution is the erosion of the primordial spirit, turning one into another person. This erosion is something that even Immortal Kings and Immortal Emperors cannot avoid."

Xu He calmly said, "Fortunately, the source of your dark matter is the immortal corpse. It has evolved along with you over the years, but its essence is not so monstrous as to be able to corrupt immortal kings and immortal emperors."

"So you still have a chance, it's just a matter of nine deaths and one life." Xu He leaned closer and used holy light to extinguish the black aura:
"You've tried destroying your physical body, why not try eliminating your primordial spirit?"

"Sever the primordial spirit, eliminate the dark matter, and leave only a pure primordial spirit."

(End of this chapter)