Chapter 402: We Never Run From a Fight
For a brief moment after Zhu Dong uttered those words, neither of them spoke.
The rain continued falling, the heavens remained dark and gloomy, and endless clouds blotted out every trace of sunlight as if the entire world had been covered beneath a massive gray curtain.
The atmosphere became strangely silent, and even the rain seemed quieter.
The Divine Sovereign...
Tian Yongheng slowly repeated the title in his heart.
This was a Dao title that had survived for over a billion years, a title worshipped throughout the Lower Realm and feared by countless Immortals and Gods in the Upper Realm.
A title that had unknowingly influenced his entire life.
At that moment, a strange thought suddenly appeared in Tian Yongheng’s mind.
When an Immortal Deity’s true name is spoken, that Immortal Deity could often sense it.
The stronger the existence, the greater this phenomenon became.
At the Vagrant Immortal Realm, Tian Yongheng could already sense when beings mentioned his true name.
Although the sensation was extremely weak and difficult to pinpoint, it existed nonetheless.
As for Earth Immortals, Heaven Immortals, Origin Immortals, and above, such abilities probably only became increasingly terrifying.
The most horrifying part was that they weren’t even Immortal Sovereigns yet, and if they already possessed such terrifying divine abilities... then what about the Divine Sovereign?
That was an existence who had shaken all three realms, a being acknowledged as the Number One Genius Since Ancient Times.
If Zhu Dong openly mentioned his Dao title... could that existence sense it?
The thought caused Tian Yongheng’s eyes to narrow slightly.
At the same time, a faint sense of caution emerged within his heart.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
The rain was still falling peacefully, dark clouds drifting across the sky as thunder occasionally rumbled in the distance.
No terrifying gaze descended, and no incomprehensible phenomenon appeared.
Everything remained exactly as before.
Only then did Tian Yongheng’s taut nerves relax slightly.
However, another question soon emerged in his heart.
How strong was the Divine Sovereign now?
Around 1.2 billion years had passed since that person achieved the Immortal Sovereign Realm in less than sixty thousand years of age.
Even using the most conservative estimate possible, the Divine Sovereign should have long surpassed the Immortal Sovereign Realm.
Above Immortal Sovereign? Immortal Emperor?
Tian Yongheng immediately considered the possibilities.
After all, reaching the Immortal Sovereign Realm at fifty-three thousand years old was already an achievement beyond common sense.
If such an existence continued cultivating for over a billion years, becoming an Immortal Emperor would hardly be surprising.
However, strangely enough, the more Tian Yongheng thought about it, the less convinced he became.
Immortal Emperor.
That was the highest known realm he had come into contact with until now.
The title sounded supreme, and it indeed was so.
Even throughout the 33 Heavens Divine Realm, they were supreme entities standing above all living beings.
But for some reason...
He felt as if he was underestimating the Divine Sovereign.
Even Yang Wei, a destined Immortal Emperor, after nearly a thousand years of cultivation, was only nearing the Immortal Ascension Realm.
And that was with the advantage of a cultivation technique like the Supreme Harmony of Heaven and Earth given to him by Tian Yongheng, combined with the blessed environment of the Eternal Peak.
The Divine Sovereign, on the other hand, was someone who achieved the Half Immortal Realm within a thousand years and supposedly did not have any significant background or powerful backing that could provide him all those advantages which Yang WeI has.
Even so, he still managed to overturn the Upper Realm, achieved the Immortal Sovereign Realm at fifty-three thousand years old, and altered the structure of the Heavenly Karmic Cycles.
Could such an existence truly be described just as an Immortal Emperor after more than a billion years have passed?
The answer felt very wrong for some reason.
Just then, Tian Yongheng recalled a particular piece of information.
On Wang Daoyun’s information panel, he had once seen a term.
Future Unspeakable Existence.
At that time, he wondered just what that could possibly mean.
If it were an Immortal Emperor, the system would have just displayed it as a Future Immortal Emperor or Destined Immortal Emperor, like Yang Wei, but instead of that, Wang Daoyun was labeled a Future Unspeakable Existence.
Was that realm above even Immortal Emperor, possessing karma so great that just by knowing what it was could cause great consequences for Tian Yongheng’s current self?
If that was truly the case, and Tian Yongheng’s cultivation had just been too weak to withstand the karma of knowing the real name of that realm...
Things became very different.
Unspeakable, a realm that could not even be described, at least to the current him.
A realm beyond Immortal Emperors, beyond the highest mountains towering over the Divine Realm.
Could the Divine Sovereign have already reached such a level?
The possibility slowly emerged within his heart.
And strangely, it felt actually reasonable!
Perhaps because the Divine Sovereign himself had never been reasonable from the very beginning.
A thousand years to become a Half Immortal, three thousand years to become a Heaven Immortal, twenty-one thousand years to become a Golden Immortal, and fifty-three thousand years to become an Immortal Sovereign.
Every achievement shattered common sense, breaking all records in the history of heaven and earth.
If anyone in history could break through an unspeakable realm, it would probably be him.
The rain continued falling as Tian Yongheng’s thoughts drifted even further.
Everything, from the current Heavenly Karmic Cycles, the upcoming catastrophe, and even the inheritance his family obtained at the very beginning which led to their destruction and subsequently, his own rise, all of it seemed to trace back toward a single point.
That person, that one existence from over a billion years ago.
The Divine Sovereign, the Number One Genius Since Ancient Times, the invincible divine myth.
A strange feeling arose in Tian Yongheng’s heart.
He had heard of that person’s legends many time, but because he was so distant, so far away, he never thought much of them.
But now, for the first time, the legendary figure no longer felt like a distant myth.
Instead, he felt real, absolutely, terrifyingly real, as if the Divine Sovereign was not merely a historical figure but an active participant hidden somewhere behind the curtain of heaven and earth, still watching.
The thought caused a faint chill to creep into Tian Yongheng’s heart, his eyes deepening slightly.
Did he predict my existence?
My rise?
But I didn’t even exist in the previous timeline according to Yan Jingfei, then how?
Several questions emerged involuntarily.
After all, too many coincidences existed at the same time, making it difficult not to wonder.
Did the Divine Sovereign foresee all of this?
Had he already seen Tian Yongheng’s arrival over a billion years ago?
The more Tian Yongheng thought about it, the less certain he became.
Because if such a thing were possible, then the Divine Sovereign’s level would surely exceed his imagination.
No, perhaps it had already exceeded his imagination long ago.
Beside him, Zhu Dong suddenly smirked, pulling him out of his reverie.
"You look troubled."
Tian Yongheng glanced at him.
"Wouldn’t you be?"
Zhu Dong immediately paused before he nodded honestly.
"Fair point."
The two fell silent again.
Eventually, Tian Yongheng asked,
"Do you think he’s still alive?"
This time, Zhu Dong did not answer immediately.
His expression became slightly more serious.
For a long moment, only rain echoed around them.
Finally, he slowly spoke.
"Alive?"
His eyes became distant.
"Honestly, I don’t know. Immortal Sovereigns have a lifespan of around a trillion years, but most do not live till the end of their natural lifespans; those are only the most ancient, rare Immortal Sovereigns across history. The rest either advance to higher realms, die contending for opportunities, are killed by their enemies, venture into forbidden lands and are never seen again, or just disappear into the long river of history."
His voice carried genuine uncertainty.
"Even for me, the Divine Sovereign disappeared too long ago, especially since he’s suspected to be at a level far beyond Immortal Sovereigns or even Lords. He’s not someone I can pry into, and I had no reason to as well in the past when I was an Immortal Sovereign."
Zhu Dong shook his head.
"There are countless theories as to what happened to him in the circle of Immortal Sovereigns in Eighteen Heavens, but none have ever been confirmed."
Tian Yongheng listened quietly as Zhu Dong continued.
"However..."
His tone suddenly changed.
"If you ask me personally..."
A strange light appeared within his eyes.
"I think he’s still alive."
Tian Yongheng looked at him, "Why?"
Zhu Dong smiled bitterly.
"Because that person doesn’t seem like the type to die."
The answer sounded absurd, yet Tian Yongheng found himself nodding slightly.
For some reason, he understood exactly what Zhu Dong meant.
An existence capable of creating so many miracles, repeatedly accomplishing the impossible, someone whose shadow still stretched across heaven and earth after more than a billion years, such a person really didn’t seem like the type to die.
At least not easily.
The rain continued pouring from the heavens.
After a while, Tian Yongheng raised his head, his crimson eyes gazing toward the endless sky above.
Beyond the clouds of the Lower Realm, majesty of the Upper Realm, and vastness of the 33 Heavens Divine Realm, somewhere within that immeasurable height...
Perhaps the Divine Sovereign still existed, watching, or perhaps he had already reached a realm where observing heaven and earth held no meaning anymore.
No one knew, not even a former Immortal Sovereign like Zhu Dong. The truth had long since disappeared beneath the river of endless years.
"Tian Yongheng." Zhu Dong suddenly spoke, "What are you planning to do?"
Tian Yongheng lowered his gaze, "What do you mean?"
"The great upheaval."
Zhu Dong’s expression became serious.
"The Divine Sovereign’s story is impressive, but stories are stories. The current crisis is real, the realms are disconnected, the Providence vortex is becoming increasingly unstable, and something is clearly approaching."
His voice became heavier.
"What will you do?"
Tian Yongheng remained silent for several breaths at these words.
The memory of that terrifying gaze surfaced in his mind once more.
That overwhelming majesty and incomprehensible Dao, that feeling of being less than dust, the fear, the powerlessness, the uncertainty, everything flashed through his mind again.
However, he remained terrifyingly calm, both inwardly and outwardly.
"I’ll just cultivate."
His answer was extremely simple, causing Zhu Dong to be slightly surprised before he understood.
Sometimes, the simplest answer was also the most correct.
Tian Yongheng continued.
"Whether the upheaval comes from the Upper Realm or the 33 Heavens, and whether it involves Immortals and Gods or something even greater, it changes nothing."
His voice was indifferent.
"If I’m not strong enough, I’ll become stronger, and if I’m still not strong enough, then I’ll continue becoming stronger."
A faint pressure slowly emerged around his body.
This was not the pressure of his cultivation base, but the will of a True Immortal.
"The future hasn’t arrived yet, so I still have time."
His calm crimson eyes reflected the dark heavens above as he continued.
"And as long as I still have time, then nothing is decided."
Zhu Dong stared at him for several moments with a dumbfounded gaze before shaking his head speechlessly.
"You really seem like a peerless prodigy of the new generation rather than the reincarnation of any old monster. Though, I must say, you are right indeed. As long as one is still alive, the outcome remains undecided. That’s exactly how Immortal Cultivators should be. And..."
An arrogant smile appeared on his face.
"It’s not like you are the only monster currently residing within the Lower Realm. This Era... has far too many monsters to count. Every monster on the path to eternity has one quality, and that is, we never run from a fight!"
Fear, doubt, and even despair ould be understood, but surrender?
That was unacceptable.
The path of Immortal Cultivation was originally a path walked against heaven, stealing the creation of heaven and earth, deceiving the Heavenly Dao, to pave a road that leads toward eternity.
If one surrendered before even reaching the end, then they had never truly been an Immortal Cultivator.