Eternal Emperor's Path to Ascension

Fifty years passed by in such an atmosphere.

For cultivators, fifty years was not particularly long, but for mortals, it could be an entire lifetime.

Thus, when the fiftieth year finally arrived, the Mortal World had already become divided into two completely different worlds.

On one side was the secular world, and on the other was the cultivation world.

The former had gradually returned to normal over the course of decades, but the latter had never relaxed for even a single day.

The atmosphere between heaven and earth grew heavier the more time passed.

It was as if an invisible divine mountain had descended upon the Nine Great Mortal Worlds, pressing down upon the hearts of all cultivators.

At first, the mortals were extremely tense as well.

When the news of the Cleansing first spread, countless parents told their children stories about the terrifying beings that would descend from beyond the heavens.

Beings beyond their comprehension, existences capable of destroying entire worlds with a single thought.

They told them that fifty years later, beings from beyond their world would descend and destroy everything.

For a time, fear had spread throughout countless mortal dynasties.

Some people prayed and built temples for cultivators around their regions, some fled their homes and migrated towards areas said to be protected by powerful factions, and some even spent their remaining wealth recklessly, believing that the end of the world was approaching.

But as the years passed, nothing happened for months, years, and decades.

The Array Formations and various means hidden throughout the mortal World remained silent, the mountains still stood, the rivers continued flowing, and the sun continued rising every morning.

Eventually, the fear of the Cleansing began to fade.

People started thinking that perhaps it was merely an ancient legend, and the entire matter was nothing more than an exaggerated story passed down through generations.

After all, what could fifty years mean to the vast history of the world?

A newborn child from the year the prophecy was announced could already be approaching old age.

Those who had been children could now have grandchildren of their own, and those who had been young could already be gray haired.

Fifty years, in the end, were too long a time.

Fear could persist for a day, a month, and perhaps even a year, but fifty years?

How many people could remain frightened for fifty years without seeing anything?

The world continued moving forward, and because the world continued, people naturally began to believe that it would continue forever.

They had never personally witnessed the fear that had once swept across the world.

To them, the Cleansing was something their grandparents had spoken about, nothing more.

But the cultivation world was different.

Not a single powerful cultivator relaxed in the slightest; they remembered Tian Yongheng’s words.

And most importantly, they could feel it as well.

The Heavenly Dao was still incomparably distant and the Lower Realm Spirit had awakened, yet the connection between the Lower Realm and Upper Realm remained completely severed.

This only made the situation more frightening, as they all knew that something was coming, it was simply a matter of when.

Soon enough, the fiftieth year finally arrived.

Countless Array Formations were activated ahead of schedule, awakened Dharma Treasures were held by powerful entities, and the gazes of the entire cultivation world were fixed upon the boundless heavens above.

The entire Lower Realm was like a giant bow that had been pulled to its absolute limit, waiting for the arrow to be released.

On this day.

Kunlun Divine Mountain.

The highest summit stood above the clouds, with Immortal mist lingering between the ancient palaces, and countless restrictions silently circulating beneath the earth.

Li Daoming stood within a secluded hall, and across from him sat Tian Yun.

The two were discussing the many preparations made by Kunlun and the situation of the various continents over the past fifty years.

"Most of the disciples have already entered the secret realms."

Li Daoming slowly spoke.

"The defensive formations of the branches in the other Great Mortal Worlds have also been completely activated. The evacuation formations covering the major mortal regions are ready as well."

Tian Yun nodded with a calm expression.

Li Daoming’s expression was solemn as he continued.

"The Great Path Holy Land has completed the relocation of their mortal population, and the Celestial Valley of Light has also finished activating the Dazzling Gold Celestial Halberd. The Northern Continent’s defensive formations are also complete."

Tian Yun nodded slightly before asking.

"How about the Benevolent Buddha Hall?"

Li Daoming replied calmly.

"They have already opened several secret realms. The Supreme Bodhisattva personally took charge of the arrangements. Several other factions have also completed their preparations, at least on the surface."

He paused before continuing.

"However, there are still some ancient forces that refuse to reveal their trump cards."

"That is normal." Tian Yun calmly replied.

"Who would reveal everything they possess before the battle even begins?"

Li Daoming nodded at his words before speaking somewhat hesitantly.

"But... there is still no movement from the Upper Realm."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Tian Yun did not answer immediately, his eyes still tranquil, yet there was an inexplicable depth within them.

"No movement..."

He murmured softly.

That was precisely what made him uneasy.

Fifty years, that was the exact amount of time Tian Yongheng had predicted, but the Upper Realm was still silent.

If an ordinary person were to see this, they might think that the prophecy had been wrong, but Tian Yun knew better.

Tian Yongheng was not someone who would make careless statements, much less to this extent.

Suddenly, Tian Yun’s movements paused, his expression changing slightly.

Li Daoming immediately noticed his abnormality.

"Master?"

Tian Yun did not answer as he slowly raised his head.

The next instant, his figure vanished from the spot.

*Boom!*

He did not deliberately restrain his aura, causing the entire Tenth Summit to tremble.

Tian Yun’s figure appeared above the summit in an instant.

His white robes fluttered in the wind and his long hair moved slightly, his eyes unprecedentedly solemn.

He stared up at the still blue sky with the sun shining brilliantly and the clouds of Spirit Qi drifting lazily.

However, Tian Yun could see something that ordinary cultivators could not.

It was a faint, extremely distant fluctuation, so distant that even a ordinary Half Immortal’s Divine Sense could not reach it, but Tian Yun was no ordinary Half Immortal.

He could feel that trace of aura, immensely pure and supremely majestic, possessing a vastness as heavy as the sea.

His pupils contracted slightly.

"Immortal Qi..."

At almost the exact same moment, a fluctuation emerged from the Outer Void surrounding the Nine Great Mortal Worlds.

*Boom!*

Several terrifying auras suddenly erupted.

Hidden within the endless Outer Void, one Vagrant Immortal after another slowly revealed themselves.

There were ancient figures who had remained secluded for millions of years, inheritors of extinct supreme Dao lineages, and even old monsters who had rarely appeared before.

Within the Nine Great Mortal Worlds, Vagrant Immortals also awakened, the Golden Crows and supreme experts of the other eight Kunlun branches, the hidden trump cards of major factions, hidden Vagrant Immortals who had been sleeping since ages ago.

Yet at this moment, all of them were staring upward, their gazes fixed upon the same location, the dimensional barrier where the trace of Immortal Qi had appeared.

It was only an extremely faint strand, but the moment it appeared, every Vagrant Immortal present felt their hearts tremble.

It was like a drop of water falling into an endless ocean, but that single drop of water was enough to suppress the entire ocean.

It was purer, more majestic, and carried an indescribable aura, an aura that made even Vagrant Immortals instinctively feel insignificant.

The expression of one ancient Vagrant Immortal changed drastically.

"Upper Realm..."

At this moment, the supreme cultivators throughout the Nine Great Mortal Worlds simultaneously sensed the fluctuation.

In the First Great Mortal World, an ancient existence opened his eyes.

In the Third Great Mortal World, a terrifying aura rose from a forbidden land.

In the Fourth Great Mortal World, another Half Immortal stepped out of seclusion.

In the Seventh Great Mortal World, an ancient Dharma Treasure suddenly trembled.

One after another, the strongest beings beneath immortality, the Half Immortals, turned their gazes towards the same direction.

It was as if the entire Lower Realm had suddenly become synchronized, all of them looking towards the dimensional barrier.

In the Second Great Mortal World, Tian Yun’s expression was solemn as his voice spread across millions of miles through the void.

"Everyone... prepare yourselves."

...

Far beyond the Lower Realm, and beyond even the Upper Realm...

No, it was not accurate to say beyond the Upper Realm, as this location could not be described using ordinary concepts of distance.

It was an infinitely distant place from both the Lower and Upper Realms, hidden within the deepest core of the dimensional barrier separating the Lower and Upper Realms.

Even a Golden Immortal would find it difficult to perceive the existence of this place.

At this moment, several figures were standing there silently.

There were no less than fifteen of them, each one possessing an aura that could only be described as terrifying.

Their Dao was too high, and their existence was too profound.

Even the concepts of heaven and earth in this place seemed unable to approach them, being completely crushed by their mere presence akin to that of Sovereigns of the Immortal Dao.

The surrounding void continuously collapsed and reconstructed, and countless dimensional fragments were annihilated before even touching their bodies.

Their physical appearances could not be seen, their faces and bodies unable to even be clearly defined.

They appeared just as shadowy silhouettes, indistinct and unclear, like figures reflected upon the surface of an endless river, as if their entire existence did not reside in the definition of reality in itself.

However, that was merely because their true forms could not be perceived.

If an ordinary Vagrant Immortal dared to look directly at these beings, their mind would collapse and their soul would shatter right that instant.

This was not because the figures deliberately attacked them, but simply because the gap was too enormous.

It was like an ant attempting to comprehend the existence of the heavens, how could it possibly succeed?

If one of these beings were to casually stretch out a hand and touch the dimensional barrier, the entire Lower Realm might collapse, and if they released their aura even slightly, the Nine Great Mortal Worlds would be annihilated before the Cleansing even began.

One of the silhouettes slowly raised its hand.

The surrounding dimensional barrier immediately trembled imperceptibly as a profound Dao rhyme spread outward.

A voice, neither male nor female, neither young nor old, seemed to emerge from the depths of existence.

"Let’s begin."