Chapter 921 - 645: Return
Vast Continent.
Time quietly passes, another eight million years.
Deep inside the Human Race’s territory, the Human Race’s Holy Hall.
The hall towers into the clouds, the air filled with a heavy, solemn, inviolable aura.
Below the steps, a young figure stands bowed, his posture tall, his demeanor steady.
"Xuanyuan lineage, Xu Ji, pays respects to the Emperor!"
The Fire Cloud Emperor sits at the highest point of the hall, draped in an imperial robe, his imperial majesty restrained, his eyes have long seen through the changes of eternity and the rise and fall of the Ten Thousand Races.
He gazes at the young person below, his eyes slightly focus, the deepest memories of time suddenly surge forth.
On the battlefield of Ten Thousand Races years ago, there was also such a vibrant, exceptionally talented figure whom he most valued and hoped would prove the Great Dao and become Emperor from the entire Human Race.
But he ultimately fell in a decisive battle with the prodigies of the Light Divine Race, perishing on the path to becoming Emperor, causing the Human Race to lose a future pillar.
At this thought, the Fire Cloud Emperor couldn’t help but sigh lightly, his tone filled with irrepressible regret.
"Child, raise your head."
Chen Sheng lifts his head in response.
The Fire Cloud Emperor looks at his face with a vague threefold similarity and slowly speaks:
"You and your ancestor are truly much alike."
"The same unrivaled talent, the same spirit and temperament, the same age yet deeply understanding the Great Dao of Taiyin..."
Chen Sheng stands quietly, listening, not interrupting.
The Fire Cloud Emperor gently shakes his head:
"Years ago, your ancestor was the one I saw as having the greatest hope to become Emperor. Unfortunately, Heaven envied the talented, and he ultimately passed away early before reaching the end."
He pauses, his gaze landing on Xu Ji, carrying a weighty expectation and exhortation:
"You bear his bloodline, inherit his will, carrying the hope of the entire Xu Clan."
"In future cultivation, you must be diligent and self-sustaining. I hope you can finish the path he never completed, for him, and for the entire Human Race."
As his words fall, the Fire Cloud Emperor raises his hand and waves.
A gentle yet vast and endless Dao Rhyme brilliance flies forth, landing steadily before Xu Ji.
"This is some of my understanding of the Heavenly Dao of Taiyin, most suited to your lineage. Accept it well and cultivate diligently."
Chen Sheng suddenly becomes solemn, respectfully accepts it with both hands, and immediately bows deeply in ceremony, his voice strong and firm, resonating powerfully:
"Junior Xu Ji, thanks the Emperor for the favor! Will definitely not let down the Emperor’s expectations, not let down the ancestor’s legacy, not let down the glory of the Human Race!"
Completing the great ceremony, he steps back slowly, respectfully turns, and steadily exits the Human Race’s Holy Hall.
At this moment,
Chen Sheng secretly sighs in his heart:
"The fourth life."
"Two consecutive lives ended mid-way, my luck is indeed lacking."
Although Chen Sheng is curious whether the [Hundred Generations Book] is as he imagined, he decides to temporarily give up tying off ’his self.’
The opportunities in the Vast Continent have not yet ended, and his self can also activate a fragmented version of the [Hundred Generations Book], to continue rotating.
Compared to tying off, the growth space provided by the Vast Continent is evidently far greater for him.
Therefore, Chen Sheng resolutely chooses to continue rotating.
Yet little did he expect that this time, luck was truly bad.
In the second life rotation, he incarnated himself into a Small Thousand World he created in one breath, becoming an innate divine beast within.
But before he could escape the world’s constraints, he was destroyed amid the aftermath of strong fighters’ battles as the entire world collapsed.
The third life was even more suffocating.
He rotated to the alien race territory of the Vast Continent, incarnated into the centaur race, but before even being born, was directly killed in the womb due to external turmoil, wasting an entire life’s opportunities.
Two consecutive life falls made Chen Sheng’s heart inevitably feel some helplessness.
It was not until the fourth life that his luck finally turned, and he successfully rotated back to the Human Race’s territory, reborn into the Xu Clan, becoming the direct line.
With the shelter of the clan, this life he finally smoothly passed the most vulnerable early stages, then gradually revealed extraordinary talent, advancing at a rapid pace.
After achieving the status of a Saint, relying on the protection and resources of the Human Race’s Holy Hall, steadily advancing in Realm-Breaking, it’s not long before he finally accomplished perfection, proving the position of Ancestral God.
Became the youngest Ancestral God of the entire Human Race in the current era, and the second person in the Xu Clan to reach the Ancestral God Realm.
Considering all these encounters, Chen Sheng slowly opens his eyes, with a hint of complex smile flashing through them, thinking:
"The second life doesn’t need to be mentioned, after all, it’s my own misdeeds, the Heavenly Dao is indeed about cycles."
"As for the third life... the centaur race."
He gently shakes his head, his tone full of helplessness:
"I don’t know which descendant, has such a peculiar taste."
What’s more helpless for him is that his self-version of [Hundred Generations Book], its functionality is truly fragmented.
Not only lacking the miraculous effectiveness of achievement and talent, but even the interval time between each rotation is unbearably long.
Among multiple cycles of rotation, the long passage of years, back then the Light Divine Race’s prodigy Guan Yucang of his era has already proved the Great Dao and became Emperor.
And he, has just completed the fourth life, reaching Ancestral God.
...
Half a month later.
Xuanyuan Sword City.
At this moment festooned and filled with festive atmosphere.
All over the city, gongs and drums shake the sky, cheers rising wave upon wave.
Every face of the Xu Clan people is filled with uncontrollable excitement, pride, and tears.
Xu Taimao’s cloudy eyes overflow with tears:
"We finally returned!"
"Returned!!"
Years ago, the Xu Clan’s old ancestor suddenly fell on the battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, and the clan lost its greatest support.
Back then, the Xu Clan had shallow foundations, no other Ancestral God protection, surrounded by tigers and wolves, slightly careless would mean the calamity of extermination.
To preserve the entire clan, Xu Taimao ultimately bore the pain of sacrifice, relinquished Xuanyuan Sword City, took the whole clan’s old and young, retreating to the Small Realm.
In the following years.
Countless clan members gritted their teeth in perseverance, never daring to forget the humiliation of lost ground.
Everyone held a breath, diligently cultivating, hoping to one day return to Xuanyuan Sword City, restoring Xu Clan’s glory.
And today.
They finally waited for this moment.
Having endured hardships, reborn through fire.
The clan produced an Ancestral God even younger than the old ancestor, they returned to Xuanyuan Sword City.
Everything lost in the past, today completely regained.
...
In the deepest part of Xu Clan’s ancestral land, within the great hall.
At this moment, the entire high-level of the Xu Clan has long gathered, more prosperous than before, already having four Saints!!
Xu Taimao leads all elders and clan leaders, bowing in unison, extremely excited, all with tearful eyes:
"Congratulations Venerable Master, on proving to Ancestral God!!"
"Our Xu Clan finally once more has an Ancestral God presiding, returning to the peak!!"
Chen Sheng stands in the main position of the hall, looking at this scene in front of him, his heart also slightly moved.
...
Outside Xuanyuan Sword City, messengers of various parties come and go incessantly, their private sighs more frequent.
"Truly, matters of the world are unpredictable!"
"Thinking back, when the Xu Clan was forced to retreat to the desolate realm, who would have thought it would produce another Ancestral God so quickly, and such a young prodigy!"
"Indeed, this Ancestral God prodigy is still young, with limitless potential, rather than being an enemy, it’s better to foster good relations."
"With two unparalleled prodigies emerging, the bloodline is extraordinary..."
In their amazement, the thoughts of various races began to come alive, if they could ally by marriage with Xu Clan, it would be a sure bet on a path of no loss.
For a time, numerous forces send out envoys, bearing generous gifts, explicitly proposing alliances by marriage, establishing a favorable union.
The reports from the messengers outside the hall one by one reach Chen Sheng’s ears, his face calm, but his heart ripples with complex emotions.
Alliance by marriage... this term, too familiar.
Once upon a time, it was by borrowing cultivation, relying on this strategy of alliances by marriage, that he established his foothold in the Lower Realm.
At this moment, Chen Sheng shakes his head:
"As one’s realm becomes higher, it’s actually less useful."