The Great Ruler: Starting from the Dark Ages

Chapter 171 The World-Destroying Elder Appears

In the desolate and lonely universe, a mutilated corpse slowly opened its eyes as the Hong Emperor roared.

His body was utterly broken, yet his vitality was second to none. The moment he opened his eyes, an overwhelming imperial aura appeared.

He stood up, and the four directions of heaven and earth began to tremble. His broken arms and legs flew from the depths of the Boundary Sea and the depths of the Dark Land, as if combining with his body, allowing him to return to the pinnacle of darkness.

A fierce wind swept across the Boundary Sea, carrying the aura of the Old Man of Annihilation.

Even though Xu He was prepared, he was stunned for a moment by the extremely dense aura of dark origin.

His emaciated body, his gray hair as filthy as a bird's nest, his hunched posture—only his bright, piercing eyes testified to his extraordinary nature.

The Old Man of Annihilation crossed the Boundary Sea in a single step, arriving before Xu He.

Looking at the half-dead Hongdi in Xu He's palm, Xu He's expression became more emotional.

“Another junior has proven his invincible path.” The Old Man of Annihilation looked at Xu He: “You have done enough. Stop now.”

As he spoke, a powerful force that could oppress the entire world manifested itself.

"The First Emperor Since the Creation of Heaven and Earth!" Emperor Hong cried out joyfully, "Senior, save me!"

That force was far stronger than his.

Even the Feather Emperor slightly toned down his arrogance and disdain, saying, "Senior."

"Stop now, turn back before it's too late." The Old Man of Annihilation shook his head and said calmly.

Xu He looked coldly at the Old Man of Annihilation.

He knew that the so-called first emperor who created the world was actually just the ignorance of the Hong Emperor.

But he also knew that the most fundamental reason was that the Old Man of Annihilation's strength was too extraordinary.

"Turning back is the right path?" Xu He smiled.

Turning back is indeed the shore, and on the shore lies the immortal realm, the nine heavens and ten earths, the myriad worlds, and everyone he wants to protect.

If we simply stop, the shore behind us will suffer a catastrophe.

"Precisely because turning back is the right path, I will not turn back," Xu He said coldly.

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene instantly became strange.

The Old Man of Destruction showed no emotion, calmly saying, "So your choice is..."

Xu He raised his hand and suddenly exerted force, unleashing boundless imperial might that instantly obliterated the Hong Emperor in his palm.

With the roar of the Hong Emperor, an unparalleled Dark Quasi-Immortal Emperor perished completely.

He could not be found anywhere in the world, as if he had never existed. Only the trembling waters of the Boundary Sea recorded everything.

"Is this your choice? To fight to the death?" The Old Man of Destruction sighed.

"I had no choice, and neither did the people I protected." Xu He remained as indifferent as ever, devoid of any emotion.

He and darkness are mortal enemies; retreating today might not even bring him a moment's peace.

"Why bother? Why bother?"

The Old Man Who Destroyed the World was extremely saddened:

"Someone like you would be better off integrating into our clan; what good would it do to protect all living beings?"

"They are nothing but ants. Although we are of different races, we are both true immortal beings, immortal and indestructible. Look down at the human world. Are ants with lifespans of only a hundred or a thousand years really your kind?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Boundary Sea stopped, and everything fell silent for a long time, including all the beings in the myriad realms.

Seeing that Xu He remained silent, many people despaired, believing that perhaps the Heavenly Emperor had already made his choice.

Seeing Xu He remain silent, the Old Man of Annihilation continued, patiently guiding him:

"Join my clan, and your future achievements will surely be no less than mine. Dominating the heavens and ruling the world will be within your reach."

Silence remained.

After a long while, Xu He finally smiled, but it was with a hint of sarcasm.

"To rule over all the heavens and dominate the world?"

"I, Xu He, have never been invincible in my life, so how could I be bound by you?"

"As for what you mean by 'different species of the same kind'..." Xu He sneered, "When I was weak, a powerful cultivator once saved me. At that time, I was nothing more than an ant to him. What I am doing today is nothing more than passing on the legacy."

"If it's about inheritance, then how can we talk about different categories?"

As Xu He finished speaking, all living beings in the myriad realms heard him clearly.

At this moment, countless people knelt down and kowtowed, offering the purest power of their faith.

They had a thousand words in their hearts, but in the end they could not speak them, and could only pray devoutly.

Countless streams of faith power descended upon Xu He, a tremendous cause and effect. The power of faith permeated Xu He's entire body, making him radiate a dazzling light, both magnificent and sacred.

"You're still too young; you haven't lived long enough."

The Old Man of Destruction spoke calmly: "If you can let go of everything like I do, you will find that there is nothing in this world that is irreplaceable."

"Seven emotions and six desires, feelings for one's homeland, love and hate intertwined, are all just a matter of laughter and conversation."

"The Great Dao is ruthless. All I have ever sought in my life is the Dao itself, and only my Dao is eternal."

The old man who was about to destroy the world continued to extend olive branches:

"Darkness is the destiny of all living beings. Enter my darkness, receive baptism, and see eternity."

Seeing that Xu He remained unmoved, the Old Man of Annihilation sighed deeply:
"You are not from this world, so why do you protect all living beings like this?"

Clearly, he recognized Xu He's origins; the aura of the River of Time surrounding him could not escape the eyes of the Old Man of Annihilation.

“In the past, Emperor Yu, Emperor Hong, and Emperor Cang had a large number of descendants and lineages, but in the end they comprehended the Great Dao of Ruthlessness and personally sacrificed their lineages and descendants to the darkness. This is what is called enlightenment.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Yu also felt a little lost.

Recalling memories from countless ages ago, the love and affection of that time seem utterly insignificant in retrospect.

Xu He finally nodded, a hint of agreement in his expression.

“That’s right. The Great Dao is ruthless and can destroy one’s lineage and lineage. That is indeed a profound realization.”

Emperor Yu raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback, not expecting Xu He to say such a thing.

The Old Man of Destruction finally showed a relieved expression: "It's good that you understand, it's good that you understand."

His tone was quite like that of an elder who cares for his juniors.

But to everyone's surprise, Xu He's next words shocked everyone.

“However, I don’t think you understand it very well either, senior,” Xu He said slowly.

"What do you mean?" The smile on the face of the World Destroyer froze, and he looked at Xu He with a rather cold expression.

Xu He slightly raised his eyes: "Am I wrong, Senior Jiuyou Ao?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was taken aback.

The Dark Emperor, who stood in opposition to the Heavenly Emperor and had been negotiating for a long time, turned out to be a Nine Nether Hound.

The Ten Evils of Antiquity?

"Could it be that the True Dragon is not the leader of the Ten Ancient Fiends?" A Celestial King revealed a shocked expression. The Heavenly Emperor would not lie, so this matter must be an unprecedented event in all of history!

"Don't ask me, I don't know either!" The True Dragon King was also surprised at this moment, as he knew nothing about this matter either.

For a long time, he had placed himself in a very high position, after all, he was the leader of the Ten Fiends. But now, another of the Ten Fiends had appeared, one with the strength to crush him with ease.

How could he possibly bear this?
The old man's face darkened completely, and when he looked at Xu He, there was even a hint of killing intent in his eyes.

He got really angry.

"Senior Nine Nether Ao, your understanding of the Great Dao doesn't seem very clear either, not even as good as Emperor Yu, Emperor Cang, or Emperor Hong." Xu He laughed out loud:
"Is your Nine Nether Hound lineage still alive? Can you learn from Emperor Yu and the others and personally sacrifice them?"

"I'll consider your offer if you offer it yourself."

As soon as the words were spoken, all the surviving members of the Nine Nether Ao clan felt their hair stand on end.

Looking at everyone around me, I felt a sense of dread. It wasn't paranoia, but genuine fear.

At this moment, they felt extremely helpless.

Throughout countless ages, we have never heard of such an ancestor in their clan!
Seriously, how come I always get caught in the crossfire?

"Fellow Daoists, let's unite, unite, unite!" The current king of the Nine Netherworld Hound, seeing the group of Immortal Kings with unfriendly expressions, hurriedly waved his hand and spoke:
"I have also sworn a blood oath. I am also a member of the Heavenly Court. I can talk. I can love the Immortal Realm and all living beings."

"Besides, with the Heavenly Emperor's power, if he knew I had disloyal intentions, how could he have allowed my clan to live until now?"

"Loyalty to the Heavenly Court! Loyalty to the Heavenly Emperor!" The king of the Nine Nether Ao clan hurriedly pledged his loyalty.

Seeing the king of the Nine Nether Hounds clan so hastily seeking refuge, Xu He couldn't help but chuckle, simply waving his hand and saying:

"It's none of his business."

As soon as Xu He finished speaking, the Nine Nether Ao clan felt as if they had been granted a pardon and were moved to tears of gratitude.

“Senior Nine Nether Hound, you are unwilling to sacrifice your descendants, yet your descendants still need to be pardoned by others. Isn’t that laughable?” Xu He said to the Old Man of Annihilation.

The old man's face had become extremely gloomy.

He didn't know why Xu He knew about his race; no one in the world knew that.

But Xu He said it, which ruined his plans.

On the one hand, with his identity exposed and the matter of the Nine Nether Hound Clan leaked, he could clearly feel that the Feather Emperor behind him was intentionally or unintentionally widening the distance between them.

The adoration on his face gradually disappeared, and a feeling of disgust flashed across his face.

It was only a fleeting moment, but he still managed to capture it precisely.

This indicates that a rift has appeared in the trust between them.

On the other hand, the current king of the Nine Netherworld Hounds immediately begged for mercy in the face of the threat, and even expressed his loyalty and feelings to the crowd, which was a complete disgrace to him!

How could the invincible Old Man of Destruction have such a descendant?
"He is not my descendant. I will sacrifice him to the darkness later." The Old Man of Annihilation said this, but when he looked at the king of the Nine Nether Hounds, he truly had the intention to kill him.

With just one glance, the current king of the Nine Netherworld Hounds was terrified.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, and...

Why does everyone want me dead?

"Forget it, I can't stand it anymore. I'll just kill him first." The Old Man of Annihilation shook his head; this junior had really disgraced him.

As he spoke, he unleashed a palm strike, as black as ink, revealing his unparalleled combat prowess.

He truly lived up to his reputation as someone who had reached that level; the moment his supreme Daoist technique appeared, the entire heavens trembled.

Everyone saw clearly that the Great Dao Source within the Old Man of Annihilation had already changed, truly merging into the darkness and becoming his hospital.

The pitch-black palm swept across the boundary sea, heading straight for the king of the Nine Nether Hounds clan.

Almost everyone knew that this palm strike would mean certain death.

"boom!"

Just then, Xu He made his move.

He also unleashed a palm strike, which, though difficult and time-consuming, ultimately caused the old man's attack to dissipate from the world, leaving only a huge void in the Boundary Sea.

This was their first encounter, but Xu He already knew the difference in skill level.

They are indeed extremely strong, having gone much further than I have on the path to becoming an emperor, but there is no insurmountable gap between them.

"It's already quite an achievement to have done this much. I don't want to kill you, so don't make a mistake," the Old Man of Annihilation said slowly.

"Right and wrong, success and failure, all turn to nothing. You might not even be able to get past me, so how can you talk about becoming a more powerful being?"

"The Great Way is ruthless. If you truly understand it, you will soon surpass me."

Xu He simply moved his hands and focused all his energy on circulating his blood and qi, allowing himself to return to his peak condition.

"The Great Way is ruthless, but people are compassionate."

As Xu He spoke, he suddenly thought of the past.

In the past, in the lower realm, there seemed to be a group of such beings who sought immortality and transcendence. They shared a common name—Supreme Beings of the Forbidden Zone.

But now, even the Feather Emperor, the Hong Emperor, the Cang Emperor, and the World Destroyer, who have attained immortality, are now...

They, too, are pursuing transcendence.

They too became living corpses on the path to immortality.

Xu He knew that the obsession in their hearts was nothing more than the desire to control their own destiny, not wanting to be bound by lifespan or cultivation level, and wanting to truly transcend.

The Supreme Beings are like this, and so are these Dark Quasi-Immortal Emperors; they have simply gradually lost their humanity over the long course of time.

Even the Dark Quasi-Immortal Emperors, who have turned to darkness, are still subject to others' control.

How can one talk about transcendence?
For them, longevity and immortality are nothing but emptiness.

"You can't beat me," the Old Man of Destruction said slowly.

"As fellow quasi-Immortal Emperors, don't speak too confidently." Xu He sneered, "If I have an epiphany during the war, I might really soar to the heavens."

Upon hearing this, the Old Man of Annihilation found it somewhat amusing.

Through countless ages, all the insights and imperial paths have ultimately amounted to nothing.

"There is no Emperor's Path in this world. Due to our limited realm, our Great Dao can only go this far. It is already the end. Only by immersing ourselves in darkness and comprehending its origin can we have even a sliver of a chance to become an Emperor."

The Old Man of Destruction seemed to be talking about himself, looking lost and forlorn.

"Perhaps, but my path, from the day it was born, has been to break everything."

Xu He no longer hesitated and attacked the Old Man of Annihilation.

A thousand words are not as good as a truly exhilarating performance.

He did not believe that he would die today; on the contrary, this was a true opportunity to become emperor.

Seeing Xu He unleash a punch that illuminated the Boundary Sea, the Old Man of Annihilation raised his hand and struck out with a palm to neutralize it.

"Fellow Daoist, you have lived too short a life and are too constrained by these ants."

The Old Man of Annihilation sighed deeply, looking at the countless beings in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths and the Immortal Realm who were shouting "Heavenly Emperor" and offering pure faith to Xu He.

"It's simply a matter of not having a clear understanding."

Xu He charged at the Old Man of Annihilation once more: "Only by killing you can my thoughts be cleared."

The Old Man of Destruction sneered, "You have too many ties that prevent you from being ruthless. Let me sever all these ties for you."

As soon as the words were spoken, countless ancient temples of guidance appeared in the sky above the Immortal Realm.

(End of this chapter)