Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

On the ancient star Xuanheng, darkness slowly receded.

The mountains, rivers, and cities that were once hidden reappeared under the starry sky.

Everything seemed unchanged.

The ancestral hall of the Yun family still stands, and the mountain gates of the various holy sites have not collapsed.

The houses, streets, shops, and even the items on the roadside stalls in the city have all remained as they were.

Inside a restaurant, the wine pot on the table had not been overturned, and there were several plates of uneaten spiritual food next to it.

The stove in the back kitchen had been extinguished, but the stewing spirit meat in the pot was still emitting residual heat.

Outside the city, several flying boats that were originally preparing to leave Xuanheng Ancient Star were quietly suspended in mid-air.

The array patterns on the hull operated on their own, but no one could be found inside the cabin.

Whether they are ordinary mortals, low-level cultivators, or powerful figures hidden in the ancestral lands of various forces.

Everything was swallowed by darkness.

The mountains and rivers remain, the cities remain, and the traditions, aristocratic families, and imperial lineages still exist, but the living beings are gone.

A once vibrant and prosperous ancient planet has fallen into utter silence.

The wind blew through the long street, swirling up a few scattered pieces of yellow paper. The papers twirled in the empty street and finally hung on a half-open window.

The whole world was eerily quiet.

Beyond the ancient star Xuanheng, countless divine thoughts that crossed the sea of ​​stars still lingered in the distance.

But no one dared to approach.

The surface of this ancient star appears undamaged.

But everyone knows it.

Starting today.

Xuanheng Ancient Star is no longer a living ancient star.

All that remains here is a large, well-preserved tomb.

The new emperor who created all of this has not left yet.

In the ancestral home of the Yun family, Gu Changjin sat cross-legged in the former imperial ancestral hall.

The furnishings inside the hall were not damaged in any way, and rows of ancestral tablets belonging to the Yun family were still neatly arranged in front.

The bronze lamp hangs on the left, while the star gate plate rests on the right.

The auras emanating from the two imperial weapons collided with each other, causing ripples to spread throughout the space surrounding the ancestral hall.

Gu Changjin ignored him.

The "Burial of Heaven and Devouring of the Dao Scripture" is still circulating within the body.

The blood essence, lifespan, and cultivation of billions of living beings on Xuanheng Ancient Star, as well as the insights into the Great Dao left behind by various powerful figures, are being refined little by little.

The vast majority of these beings were not highly cultivated, but their sheer number was overwhelming. Countless tiny forces converged together, eventually transforming into a vast ocean of primordial energy that seemed to stretch to the horizon.

Moreover, this ancient star is home to the Yun family, various holy lands, and supreme lineages, whose members have accumulated countless years of power, and even several quasi-emperors.

Gu Changjin felt the power within his body growing steadily.

His newly acquired mid-stage Emperor cultivation level is stabilizing at an astonishing speed.

The growth rate only gradually slowed down when there was only one step left to reach the next level.

"Almost there."

Gu Changjin slowly opened his eyes.

It devoured three supreme beings from the forbidden zones, plus the entire Xuanheng Ancient Star.

Surprisingly, he hasn't directly entered the late stage of the Great Emperor realm yet.

That's normal, though; the higher the level, the more terrifying the accumulation required for each step.

Although there are many living beings on the entire Xuanheng Ancient Star, only those Saint Kings, Quasi-Emperors, and the remnants of the Emperor Dao origin of the Yun family can have a significant effect on the Great Emperor realm.

As for ordinary cultivators and mortals, it can only be used to replenish their lifespan and life essence.

Gu Changjin looked down at his palm.

With abundant Qi and blood, every drop of blood beneath the skin is like a burning sun.

The decay that originally came with the age of 3,500 years has completely disappeared.

The current state of this body is even more vigorous than that of many young emperors who have just attained enlightenment.

If I can find one or two more forbidden zones, or devour a few more supreme beings, breaking through to the late stage of the Great Emperor should not be difficult.

Just then.

hum!

A slight vibration suddenly came from deep within Gu Changjin's chest.

An ancient mark emerged on its own.

Heavenly Emperor Seal

This mark, which had only recently merged with him and represented the sole imperial throne of the time, was now trembling slightly.

It wasn't fear, it was more like rejection.

Gu Changjin looked inward and could clearly feel that the connection between the Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal and the myriad paths of the Great Universe was fluctuating violently.

When he devoured the three supreme beings of the forbidden zones, the Imperial Seal remained unchanged.

After all, the Supreme Being of the Forbidden Zone who launched the Dark Turmoil is an enemy of all living beings.

But after Gu Changjin swallowed Xuanheng Ancient Star in one gulp.

The Heavenly Emperor Seal finally reacted.

Strands of Dao energy overflowed from the Emperor Seal, attempting to suppress the "Burial Heaven Devouring Dao Scripture".

Even Wan Dao, who had been subdued by Gu Changjin, showed a hint of resistance.

Gu Changjin watched for a while, then let out a sneer.

"What? You think I'm unworthy to be the Great Emperor?"

The Heavenly Emperor Seal vibrated more and more noticeably.

The smile on Gu Changjin's face gradually turned into a cold laugh.

Within the original rules of this vast universe, the Great Emperor obtained the Heavenly Dao Imperial Seal and ruled over all paths.

Naturally, they must also bear corresponding responsibilities: pacify forbidden zones, suppress dark turmoil, maintain cosmic order, and protect their own kind.

These things seem to have become rules that emperors of all dynasties had to abide by.

Gu Changjin previously devoured the Supreme Being of the Forbidden Zone, which met the requirements of the Heavenly Emperor Seal, so all the Daos submitted and Heaven and Earth responded.

But when he turned around and swallowed an ancient life star, his actions were almost indistinguishable from those of a supreme being in a forbidden zone.

The Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal no longer recognizes it and has even shown signs of wanting to break away.

"interesting."

Gu Changjin extended a finger and gently touched his chest.

The Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal, which was just shaking, was instantly enveloped in the darkness of the "Burial of Heaven and Devouring of the Dao Scripture".

The Imperial Seal struggled for a moment, but it was unable to break free.

"I subdued all the Dao before you were willing to descend."

"Now that you've given me the power, you feel I don't meet your requirements and want to take it back?"

Gu Changjin shook his head.

"It's too late."

If it were any other Great Emperor, they might truly be restricted by the Heavenly Emperor Seal.

Because their Great Emperor realm was originally built upon the Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal.

Once the Emperor's Seal is lost, one can no longer rule over all paths, and one's cultivation level will naturally decline.

The reason why those supreme beings in the restricted area had to cut themselves in the process was also related to this.

He severed his own imperial path, broke free from the Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal, and at the cost of a drop in his realm, sealed himself within the divine source to eke out a living.

But Gu Changjin was different. For him, the Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal was never the foundation for maintaining his realm, but rather a key to unlocking his limits.

It allowed Gu Changjin to cross the threshold between Quasi-Emperor and Great Emperor.

But the door was already open, and I had already walked through.

If the key doesn't recognize him, can he be locked back in?

The cultivation power he gained from the "Burial Heaven Devouring Dao Scripture" was already inside his body.

The power of the Great Emperor at the mid-stage of perfection also belonged entirely to him.

If the Heavenly Emperor Seal is willing to cooperate, then we'll keep it.

If you're unwilling to cooperate, just swallow it.

"Those guys who rely on the Imperial Seal their whole lives and can only stay at the early stage of the Great Emperor realm."

"You dare compare yourself to me?"

Gu Changjin spoke calmly.

Of course, this vast universe is not without truly powerful beings.

For example, those who live through several lifetimes and eventually reach the realm of immortals in the mortal world.

They no longer rely on the Heavenly Dao Emperor Seal, and even the myriad paths of the Great Universe cannot truly restrict them.

Gu Changjin hasn't reached that point yet.

But the direction is already very clear.

By continuously devouring with the "Burial of Heaven and Devouring of the Dao Scripture," all power is returned to oneself.

One day, even if the whole world no longer recognizes his level of attainment.

He is still the Great Emperor, or even a celestial being in the mortal realm!

After dealing with the Heavenly Emperor Seal, Gu Changjin's mind returned to his sea of ​​consciousness.

The Dao Fruit floated quietly, its surface shrouded in countless Dao patterns.

With his premature seizure of the throne, the killing of three supreme beings from forbidden zones, and the swallowing of Xuanheng Ancient Star, the original fate of the world has been completely disrupted.

Before the grand era could truly begin, the Emperor's Path ended prematurely, the three supreme beings of the Immortal Mountain perished, and the ancient star of Xuanheng was transformed from a life-giving planet into a dead land.

Such a huge shift in destiny brought an extremely large primal feedback to the Dao Fruit.

Strands of Dao Yuan gathered, purified, and merged deep within the Dao Fruit, ultimately condensing into ten pure white Dao principles.

The ten paths ultimately converge on the same principle!

Gu Changjin finally showed a satisfied smile.

These principles can be used to further develop the "Burial of Heaven and Devouring of the Dao Scripture" and to complete one's own Great Dao.

When necessary, it can even be directly burned to propel a breakthrough in cultivation level.

However, ten paths are not enough; this universe is too vast.

A single ancient star, Xuanheng, is merely a tiny, insignificant part of it.

The impact of prematurely becoming an emperor and killing three supreme beings was not insignificant.

But it is far from truly overturning the fate of this world.

"What should we do next?"

Gu Changjin tapped his knee lightly with his fingers.

Continue searching for forbidden zones, and then kill your way through them one by one?

of course can.

But that would be too direct.

The Supreme Ruler of the Forbidden Zone isn't stupid.

After the three supreme beings of the Immortal Mountain were all wiped out, most of the other forbidden zones have been completely closed.

We really have to search for them one by one.

I don't know how much time will be wasted.

Gu Changjin looked up.

His gaze passed through the Yun family ancestral hall and fell upon the desolate Xuanheng Ancient Star.

The major holy sites, the ancestral lands of imperial clans, and countless cities have all been preserved intact.

Looking out from the starry sky, this ancient star was shrouded in a layer of darkness that had not yet dissipated.

How does it look? It resembles a newly formed forbidden zone for life.

Gu Changjin's fingers, which were tapping his knee, suddenly stopped.

Every great emperor in the past had to suppress forbidden zones.

Because that's what the emperor should do.

But who says that once someone seizes the throne, they must obediently become a great emperor who protects all living beings?

Since everything I am doing now is more like the Dark Turmoil than the Dark Turmoil itself.

Then why stand on the Emperor's side?

Gu Changjin looked at the desolate ancient star, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"What if... I myself became the master of the forbidden zone?"