A master of comedy!

If time is likened to a river, then Zhou Sheng is walking on the edge of that river at this moment.

The vast universe, the boundless void.

Only this boundless river flows slowly, ceaselessly day and night, like the winding Yellow River. But instead of yellow sand, each drop of water reflects the passage of time and the vicissitudes of life.

Through the flowing water, one can see the birth of a baby, the death of an old person, the turning of black hair to white, and the transformation of the sea into mulberry fields.

There is a reopening day, and no one is young.

Zhou Sheng was the only exception.

He walked along the riverbank, going upstream, as if trying to trace the source of this long river and see what unknown secrets were hidden at the end of time.

He had long forgotten that he was undergoing the Heavenly Demon Tribulation, and could not distinguish whether this place was reality or an illusion. He only knew that a voice in his heart kept reminding him.

Go up!

One step, two steps, a hundred steps, a thousand steps, ten thousand steps...

With each step he took, his flesh and blood seemed to be being washed by the power of time, and the white hair at his temples grew thicker and thicker, and continued to spread.

Gradually, as he walked, he turned into an old man with a full head of white hair, a hunched back, and skin covered with deep wrinkles. He had to pant for a long time after each step.

But he still didn't give up, his eyes fixed on the river, and continued walking upstream.

He was growing older and older, his breath growing heavier, as if with every step he took he was bearing the curse of time, being deeply eroded, as if the upper reaches of this river should never have been trodden by mortals.

Fortunately, at this moment, nine dragon veins emerged from his body, and the nine sons merged to transform into the Ancestral Dragon, protecting his body with the fortune of humanity.

At this moment, he was equivalent to the ancient human emperor, able to rival the Heavenly Dao.

The erosion of time was blocked, and Zhou Sheng's white hair gradually turned black. Gradually, as he walked, he transformed back into that spirited and extraordinary young man.

And so he continued upstream, for an unknown amount of time, until the once calm river suddenly began to churn, creating towering waves.

Immediately afterwards, terrifying demonic hands reached out from the long river, attempting to grab Zhou Sheng.

The dragon vein protected him like the strongest armor, blocking the invasion of those demon gods and preventing Zhou Sheng from stopping.

However, when the hard approach didn't work, they tried the soft approach instead.

The next moment, countless shrill demonic sounds began to ring in Zhou Sheng's ears—threats, temptations, howls, and cold laughter…

The demonic sound entered his ears, attempting to shake Zhou Sheng's Dao heart.

But the Heavenly Escape Sword Intent emerged, severing everything, leaving his heart calm and undisturbed, allowing him to continue comprehending the mysteries of the Great Dao of Time.

Until a traditional opera tune rang out.

For the first time, Zhou Sheng stopped in his tracks. He turned around and saw his master, Hongxian, Yaotai Feng, and the rest of the Zhou family troupe.

They stood on the stage, dressed in theatrical costumes, all looking at him.

"Isn't what you care about and are concerned about them?"

A deep, majestic, and magnetic demonic voice rang out, and as it spoke, the countless chaotic demonic sounds instantly fell silent.

It seemed that when this voice rang out, none of the other demon gods dared to speak.

“If you give up on moving forward, I can promise you that you and the people you care about will become the new rulers of the Three Realms.”

"All you need to do is contribute some 'food' to us periodically."

This great war, which lasted for a thousand years, also brought about some new changes in the demons.

They discovered that instead of devouring everything, it might be better to treat the world as a pigsty, find someone to help raise the pigs, and then eat them once they were fattened up.

Zhou Sheng was the one they chose.

"If you help those so-called gods and Buddhas, you might want to think about what will happen next?"

"The Heavenly Court has returned, and the gods rule the Three Realms. You, however, are merely an ordinary celestial being. Even though you hold a high position among the immortals, you are still subject to their jurisdiction and rule..."

"You were clearly a great hero who saved the Three Realms, but in the end you had to bow down and kowtow to the so-called Jade Emperor, just like other immortals. Are you really willing to accept this outcome?"

The voice kept ringing out, carrying a deep demonic aura, and invisibly, like a vortex, it drew people's minds in.

It must be said that His words did indeed stir ripples in Zhou Sheng's heart. The demon god seemed to sense Zhou Sheng's interest, his voice becoming even more seductive as he continued, "Besides that, I can also bestow upon you the most powerful demonic power, making your strength far surpass that of a Celestial Immortal, even comparable to the most powerful gods and Buddhas..."

"Could he be more powerful than that old man riding the blue ox?"

Zhou Sheng suddenly asked.

The demon god paused, falling into a brief silence.

It seemed that He knew very well who the old man riding the blue ox was and what terrifying power he possessed.

Even the demons who were trying to reach out their arms from the long river fell silent.

It seemed that just hearing the words "the old man riding a blue ox" made the demons tremble with fear.

"Or that woman holding the red embroidered ball, oh right, she also has a painting of mountains, rivers, and the state..."

The demon god fell silent again, seemingly wanting to speak but unable to.

After a long silence, He finally said, “Your appetite is too great. The magic we have bestowed upon you, though not enough to make you comparable to those two, is enough to make you comparable to the three Buddhas sitting on the nine-tiered lotus throne.”

Zhou Sheng immediately understood that this referred to Amitabha Buddha, Tathagata Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha.

"Hehe, I was just kidding, you actually took it seriously?"

Zhou Sheng chuckled, then turned around and continued walking upstream without looking back.

"So what if she's a celestial being? At least I have a clear conscience!"

Only the strength you cultivate yourself is truly reliable.

What others can give you, they can also take back.

Besides, once the barrier between heaven and earth is broken, who dares to say that Zhou Sheng will definitely not be able to attain the Great Luo realm in the future?

Putting everything else aside, just for this merit of saving the world, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to consider him a disciple of the Three Pure Ones.

The gods of China have never forgotten kindness and righteousness.

"If that's the case... then I'll just have to send you to your death."

Clearly, Zhou Sheng's attitude also angered the demon god, so more demonic hands reached out from the River of Time, almost densely packed.

Countless demons howled, went mad, and harbored resentment.

Under their frenzied attacks, the protective dragon veins gradually weakened and began to wail.

Ignoring everything else, Zhou Sheng continued forward.

I don't know how long I walked; it felt like a day, or maybe a year. The timeline was all jumbled up, making it impossible to judge precisely.

However, the protective dragon veins had already reached their limit.

With a mournful cry of despair, the dragon vein was shattered and returned to Zhou Sheng's body, unable to reappear for a short time.

In an instant, the erosion of time and the attacks of the demons all descended.

Zhou Sheng, however, was still immersed in comprehending the Great Dao and was powerless to resist or evade it.

He could only endure it.

puff!
A demonic hand crushed his head, and red and white fluid exploded out.

But the next moment, Zhou Sheng reappeared, the power of time reversed, and the crushed head grew back.

Beheading, heart removal, diaphragm disembowelment, leg amputation...

Those extremely cruel methods were constantly used on Zhou Sheng, causing him to die time and time again. But these demons were now also experiencing the difficulty of being immortal and indestructible.

As long as Zhou Sheng's Dao heart is firm enough, they are completely helpless against him.

And so, step by step, through countless deaths and resurrections, Zhou Sheng finally arrived at the very top of this long river of time.

...(End of this chapter)