Eternal Emperor's Path to Ascension

The moment Tian Yongheng’s final words fell, the entire First Summit erupted.

It was as if an enormous boulder had been thrown into a calm lake, causing countless waves to spread in every direction.

"Fifty years!?"

"How can it be so soon!?"

"Are you certain?"

"Impossible! The Cleansing is supposed to occur at the end of a Heavenly Karmic Cycle! How could it descend in merely fifty years!?"

"Could the Eternal Lord have made a mistake?"

Countless voices overlapped, some filled with disbelief, others with panic and despair.

Even those cultivators who had already mentally prepared themselves for the worst couldn’t help feeling their hearts sink upon hearing that precise number.

To mortals, fifty years could indeed be an entire lifetime. A mortal child could grow into an old man within that period.

But to Immortal Cultivators, especially those standing at the peak of the Lower Realm, fifty years was practically nothing.

A talented Acquired Realm cultivator might barely break through one or two minor realms during this period, while an ordinary Golden Core cultivator might merely consider it a normal secluded cultivation session.

As for Void Refinement, Nascent Soul, Tribulation Transcendence, or Immortal Ascension cultivators, fifty years could pass in the blink of an eye, not to mention the Half Immortals and Vagrant Immortals.

Even Tian Yongheng, who was considered unimaginably young compared to the ancient existences present, was already more than a thousand years old.

For him, fifty years was likewise far too short, and yet, after fifty years, the Upper Realm would descend.

There would be no opportunity to slowly accumulate strength, wait for another golden age, or postpone the matter for thousands or tens of thousands of years.

Everything had already entered its final countdown.

Above the clouds, Tian Yongheng remained expressionless, silently looking down at the increasingly chaotic First Summit.

Naturally, there were many people who doubted his words, with no shortage of suspicious gazes among the crowd.

After all, how could he possibly know the exact time?

The connection between the Lower Realm and Upper Realm had already been severed, and even Kunlun Divine Mountain had just admitted that they could not determine when the Cleansing would descend.

"Senior Eternal Lord."

An ancient Half Immortal couldn’t help asking, "May I know how you obtained this information?"

His question immediately attracted countless gazes.

Tian Yongheng calmly looked down at him.

"Believe it or not, it is all up to you."

He didn’t elaborate further.

He certainly couldn’t reveal the existence of the Symphony of Infinite Distance, nor could he tell everyone that Wei Yusheng had risked himself to send this information across the severed barriers between realms.

As far as everyone was concerned, Tian Yongheng had some unknown means of contacting the Upper Realm.

Although this sounded astonishing, considering his countless miracles, no one could completely rule out such a possibility.

The Half Immortal opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Indeed, there was no point in arguing.

If Tian Yongheng was wrong, then they would just have gained another fifty years of preparation, but if he was right...

Above the clouds, Demon Lord Nine Calamities, the Blade Saint, and down on the platform, several supremely powerful Half Immortals such as Qing Yunzi’s expression became solemn, and Tian Yun similarly remained silent.

The various Vagrant Immortals exchanged glances, their expressions all exceptionally grave.

None of them questioned Tian Yongheng.

After all, if he had no certainty, he would not casually announce such a terrifying piece of information before the entire Lower Realm.

There was no reason for someone of his caliber to deliberately create panic.

Moreover, someone at his level possessing a special method to contact the Upper Realm was not entirely unimaginable.

Perhaps he had encountered some ancient inheritance or possessed a supreme treasure capable of crossing the barriers between realms.

There were simply too many mysteries surrounding this young Eternal Lord; no one could see through him.

The old Perfect Vagrant Immortal with the fishing rod slowly lowered his head, his previously cloudy eyes having become exceptionally clear.

"Fifty years..."

He softly murmured.

Only several thousand years remained in his lifespan, yet compared with fifty years, even those final few thousand years suddenly seemed impossibly distant.

For a moment, the old man’s wrinkled face revealed a complicated expression.

He had survived for millions of years, watched entire generations rise and fall, witnessed Mortal Worlds flourish and decline, and seen countless geniuses emerge before disappearing into the river of history.

He had always believed that even if the Cleansing truly existed, it would still be far away from him, at least far enough for him to die naturally before witnessing it.

But now... the heavens had given him fifty years, perhaps even less.

The old man clenched his fishing rod slightly.

He did not feel fear, only an indescribable reluctance.

Having cultivated for millions upon millions of years, who would be willing to watch everything disappear?

It would be one thing if he died naturally, but how could he accept being treated like cattle by those Immortals and Gods of the Upper Realm?

At this moment, Li Daoming slowly stepped forward, his expression incomparably solemn.

"Everyone."

His voice once again spread across the First Summit.

However, this time, there was no need for him to suppress the crowd. Everyone had already become quiet. Even those who had been discussing frantically earlier now stared at him.

"Since everyone already knows how much time remains, then there is only one thing we can do, and that is, prepare."

His voice was not particularly imposing, yet that final word seemed to carry an indescribable weight.

He slowly swept his gaze across the countless cultivators before him.

"Fifty years may sound long to mortals, but to cultivators, especially those of us who have walked this path for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years, it is merely an instant. We cannot rely on miracles or wait for someone else to save us. The connection between the Lower Realm and Upper Realm has already been severed, therefore, no one can ascend, and even if some of you possess Immortal ancestors in the Upper Realm, you can no longer contact them. Presumably, they might even know but are powerless to stop whatever is going to happen."

Li Daoming’s voice gradually became heavier as he spoke.

"The path to the Upper Realm has essentially been cut off."

These words caused many people’s hearts to sink again.

Some descendants of major factions clenched their fists.

Their ancestors were Immortals, and their Dao lineages had existed for countless generations precisely because of those Immortal ancestors.

But now, those ancestors were effectively unreachable, and may even be helpless.

What did their inheritance mean without that backing?

Li Daoming continued.

"Perhaps some of you will choose to flee; that is understandable."

His gaze shifted towards the distant heavens.

"The Myriad Worlds are vast beyond imagination. There are countless worlds, hidden dimensions, and special regions beyond the jurisdiction of the Nine Great Mortal Worlds and the scope of the Lower Realm. Perhaps you can escape once, but... how long can you escape?"

The entire First Summit was enveloped in a pin drop silence.

"What happens if the Upper Realm truly intends to leave no survivors? Where can you hide? No matter where you flee, can you guarantee that the Cleansing will not eventually reach you? Can you guarantee that the forces behind the Cleansing will not pursue you?"

At this series of questions, even the Vagrant Immortals remained silent.

These were questions that no one present could answer.

The Myriad Worlds were indeed boundless, but the Upper Realm was equally unfathomable.

If those supreme beings truly intended to erase the Lower Realm completely, then escaping might only delay death.

And more importantly, who could abandon their entire world?

Their sects, families, disciples, descendants, friends, and even their countless fellow cultivators.

The Lower Realm wasn’t merely a place; it was everything they had known.

At that moment, Li Daoming suddenly bowed deeply.

The movement immediately shocked everyone.

The Saint Lord of Kunlun Divine Mountain was actually bowing before the countless cultivators gathered here.

"Therefore, whether you choose to flee or fight, Kunlun will not interfere with your decision. You are all free to choose your own path. Those who wish to preserve their inheritances may begin preparing evacuation routes, those who wish to enter secluded realms may do so, and those who wish to seek shelter in the Myriad Worlds may leave, Kunlun will not stop you."

He slowly straightened his body, his voice terrifyingly calm.

"But there is one thing that Kunlun Divine Mountain will do."

His eyes suddenly became incomparably sharp as he said the next words.

"We will fight!"

*Boom!*

An invisible pressure suddenly erupted from his body.

It wasn’t particularly powerful compared with the Vagrant Immortals present, yet at this moment, his voice seemed to contain something far greater than just cultivation.

"We are the foremost Dao lineage of the Lower Realm. Since ancient times, Kunlun Divine Mountain has represented the Immortal and Divine lineages of heaven. We have inherited their teachings, received their blessings, and always regarded the 33 Heavens Divine Realm as the ultimate celestial authority."

Li Daoming’s fists slowly clenched, his voice shaking the firmament above.

"But if the Immortals and Gods of the Upper Realm truly intend to cleanse the Lower Realm... then Kunlun will have no choice but to point its sword towards heaven!"

The entire First Summit fell completely silent, the surrounding void trembling faintly.

Li Daoming’s voice echoed throughout the heavens.

"Regardless of whether our opponents are outsiders or even our own Immortals and Gods we have worshipped for generations... we will still fight, for ourselves, for our descendants, for the countless living beings of the Lower Realm, and for the right of all living beings to continue existing!"

His final words reverberated across hundreds of thousands of miles.

At that moment, countless cultivators felt their blood begin to boil.

Even some Half Immortals couldn’t help revealing complicated expressions.

Kunlun Divine Mountain, the supreme Dao lineage that had stood beneath the heavens for countless years, the inheritance that represented the Immortal Gods of the 33 Heavens more than perhaps any other force in the Lower Realm.

Now... they were preparing to raise their sword against heaven itself!

What greater rebellion could there be?

What greater courage?

For countless low level cultivators, Li Daoming’s words were like a beacon appearing in the darkness.

They might not understand the true depths of the Cleansing, unable to comprehend the difference between the Lower Realm and Upper Realm, perhaps not even possess the qualifications to participate in such a battle, but at least... someone was willing to stand up for them!

At least someone was willing to say that the Lower Realm would not surrender!

At that moment, an old Half Immortal murmured softly.

"The future of the Lower Realm... is truly going to be decided by us."

Another cultivator clenched his fists.

"Then what are we waiting for? I’d rather die fighting than waiting for death!"

"Exactly!"

"If the Upper Realm wants to cleanse us, then let them come!"

"We’ll see whether they can truly kill everyone!"

Gradually, the fear and despair that had filled the First Summit began transforming.

It had not disappeared; fear was still present, and despair still existed, however, alongside them, another emotion began emerging, and that was...

Determination!

Tian Yongheng calmly watched everything from above.

He had expected this.

The Cleansing could not be avoided merely by announcing it, but at least now, the Lower Realm knew, and once everyone knew, countless possibilities would emerge.

Tian Yongheng’s gaze slowly shifted towards the distant heavens.

His true body had already reached the final stage before Earth Immortal Realm, and if everything went according to plan, fifty years should be enough.

But that was only if nothing unexpected happened, and with the Upper Realm preparing such an enormous Cleansing operation... how could nothing unexpected happen?

A faint coldness flashed through his eyes.

Just then, from somewhere among the surrounding mountains, an ancient Vagrant Immortal suddenly spoke up, his voice old but steady.

"Since Kunlun has decided to fight, then this old man shall accompany you."

Another voice followed soon afterwards.

"And I."

Then another.

"And this old woman."

One after another, ancient existences stepped forward.

Some of them were sect ancestors, some were lone cultivators, some were ancient races, and some had already reached the end of their lives. Yet, at this moment, they all made the same decision.

The atmosphere throughout the First Summit gradually became increasingly fervent.

Tian Yongheng looked at the scene silently, the corner of his lips slowly curving upward in an extremely subtle smile.