Chapter One: The Shadow Emperor
The universe is boundless.
There exists a domain of immortals.
Its name: Tianyuan.
This domain lies at the heart of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, at the very center of the myriad realms beneath the stars!
Vast and limitless, it is suffused with dense spiritual energy, its mountains and rivers stretching endlessly, and everywhere one looks, vitality flourishes.
Yet today, the Tianyuan Immortal Domain feels stifled.
In the void beyond the domain, tens of thousands of terrifying figures lie in wait, their eyes locked upon the far northeast of Tianyuan, gazing intently from afar.
There, in the Valley of Longevity.
The valley sprawls across a vast expanse, endless pines and cypresses encircle mountain ranges that twist and wind in every direction.
Within, the spiritual energy is tenfold richer than the world outside!
Boundless forces of ultimate life and death, mysterious and unfathomable, permeate the entire valley.
At this moment,
Above Longevity Valley, an ethereal, terrifying river flows ceaselessly.
The sound of its waters, rushing and surging, seems to echo from the dawn of creation, flowing into endless ages, resounding above the valley.
Within, a dreadful and profound aura circulates, and with its sound, it seems capable of cleansing the souls of all beings, inspiring awe in those who hear.
Beneath the shadowy river, a figure clad in a black-gold robe and wearing a strange mask stands with hands clasped behind his back, proud in the void.
The mask is ancient, bizarre beyond measure.
His identity is known to all—
King Chujiang!
Below him, tens of thousands of spectral armored soldiers stand in neat formation, their cold eyes fixed upon the dozens of abyssal figures in the void beyond the valley.
"Have you come today to witness the birth of the Celestial Son and the reopening of the Underworld?" King Chujiang swept his gaze over the powerful figures outside the valley, his voice deep yet utterly devoid of fear.
"King Chujiang, why remain loyal to a mere Shadow Emperor?"
"Step aside today, and not only Tianyuan, but the Nine Heavens, the Ten Earths, and the myriad races beneath the stars could all be your realm!"
Outside the valley, a frail elder, gaunt as a skeleton, stepped forward, a shadow flickering deep in his eyes, his voice rasping as he spoke.
"King Chujiang, you have only the Yellow Springs and a handful of ghost soldiers. How can you stand against the sacred lands of the Immortal Domain? How can you resist the myriad races of the stars?"
"Not to mention, above the Ten Domains lies the Divine Dynasty of the Nine Heavens!"
Then, a calm voice sounded, as a man in snowy white stepped out, his aura terrifying. As he spoke, endless divine light flowed around him.
Clearly, these were peerless beings!
"The Shadow Emperor, worthy of the title as the greatest throughout the ages, but..."
At that moment, a clear, gentle voice sounded. A youth, stepping upon an immortal crane, warm as jade, appeared slowly.
Those present parted respectfully to make way.
"The universe now belongs to the Divine Dynasty of the Nine Heavens."
Though the youth spoke gently, his gaze held disdain as he glanced at the figure in black-gold robes, slowly shaking his head.
When his words fell, silence descended, the atmosphere oppressive and frightening.
"When the Celestial Son suppressed the myriad races, you were like mongrels on the street, wagging your tails for favor."
After a long pause, King Chujiang chuckled softly, his voice low, as a faint aura of oppression radiated, causing the surrounding void to quiver.
Beneath his feet, frost began to spread rapidly.
"When the Celestial Son founded the Divine Palace and set the cycle of fate, you eagerly sought to worship him daily!"
"In the beginning, you were nothing but ants. Had the Celestial Son not preached and enlightened all beings, how could the myriad races of the stars have achieved such glory?"
King Chujiang spoke slowly, but his words exploded in the hearts of all present.
The sound of ice cracking continued as the frost beneath his feet spread swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, it spanned tens of thousands of miles!
Within this expanse, endless frost, a purgatory.
"Now, your wings have hardened, and you dare harbor rebellious thoughts against my lord?"
As his words ended, a terrifying aura erupted around King Chujiang, surging to the heavens!
The frigid hell beneath his feet exploded, endless blue cold air visibly coalescing into a massive cage!
It sealed all those outside Longevity Valley, trapping them tightly!
"How dare you!"
"A mere ant, and you dare resist!"
"King Chujiang, are you courting death?"
Those outside the valley grew furious, unleashing their own oppressive auras in opposition.
Yet, if one observed closely,
Though they emitted dreadful auras to resist, none truly made a move.
Their gazes remained fixed upon the depths of Longevity Valley!
Deep in their eyes, reverence flickered.
There, the true body of the Shadow Emperor resided.
The Shadow Emperor...
He had once...
Slaughtered endless evil, suppressed the myriad realms, inspiring terror across the world.
He had once...
Founded the supreme Divine Palace, set the cycle of fate, and forged a world of his own...
He had once...
Enlightened all beings, expounded on the Great Dao, showing countless living souls a path to the heavens!
He had once...
Embraced the starry sky, incarnated as the Heavenly Dao, wielded the power of endless divine punishment!
But...
Time wears all.
No matter how strong, none can withstand its erosion.
Countless ages passed, and the blade hanging above all was finally about to fall!
The Shadow Emperor's cultivation, half a step from transcendence, could no longer sustain the universe within him!
With a new era about to dawn, the myriad races of the stars were all exhilarated!
But...
The Shadow Emperor had devised an extraordinary method of endless reincarnation!
With it, he could forge an immortal soul!
He could be reborn, cultivate anew, and attain transcendence!
He had already suppressed endless ages, forcing gods and demons into hiding, starry monsters to retreat!
Countless prodigies had lived beneath his shadow!
Only dared to look up!
How could they let him live another life!!
The Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, and all worlds under his shadow had grown too peaceful!
Such peace had become utterly unbearable!
They yearned for slaughter, plunder, and conflict!
Now, it was the Shadow Emperor's last life.
Everyone knew that today, the Shadow Emperor would end his endless reincarnation, his cultivation perfected, and truly begin anew.
It was his weakest moment!
King Chujiang could not stop them, nor could the Yellow Springs.
Yet, no one moved!
They...
Did not dare!
They were waiting...
Along with the myriad races beyond Tianyuan, all awaited!
Awaiting the outcome!
Would the Shadow Emperor reincarnate and cultivate anew, or attain transcendence?
No one dared gamble.
A loss meant the annihilation of their race.
Had the method of endless reincarnation not spread, the gods would not have invaded, the myriad races would not have suddenly rebelled.
His Divine Palace would not have collapsed, replaced by the Divine Dynasty.
This method was courting death!
The Shadow Emperor must have foreseen it!
And yet, he did it anyway!
No one dared say for certain whether he was confident or had gone mad!
All feared that his reincarnation was merely a ruse!
A grand lie to slaughter the myriad races!
Buzz...
At this moment, a humming sound echoed through heaven and earth, the void of Tianyuan suddenly trembling!
The Yellow Springs flowing above the valley boiled fiercely!
Within, endless profound forces of life and death swiftly converged toward the heart of the valley!
Clang...
Clang...
Clang...
Next, ancient, weighty chimes rang from all directions, and the faces of the terrifying figures outside the valley changed drastically!
"The sound of the Heavenly Way!"
"The Divine Body descends, the sound of the Heavenly Way!"
"Has the Shadow Emperor fully awakened..."
Exclamations rang out, fear thickening deep in their eyes!
"One chime, one tenth of the Heavenly Way... Three chimes, three tenths..."
"So on, endlessly... Could it be the Innate Dao Body..."
The youth upon the crane trembled violently, unprecedented terror in his gaze!
Dong...
Then, from the depths of the valley, a clear, melodious sound emerged, immortal music echoing throughout.
Above Tianyuan, endless visions of immortal palaces and sacred halls appeared!
Without exception,
They were all black!
Splash...
Splash...
As the soul-cleansing sound, seeming to flow from the origin of all things to the end of the world, echoed, a black-clad youth seated atop an ancient altar deep in the valley slowly opened his eyes!
Those eyes—
Deep enough to pierce past and future!
Looking closely, one would see a cold indifference—
He gazed upon all beings from on high!
As if nothing in the world could stir his interest!
His features were divine, his face handsome beyond compare, and a faint divine glow flickered upon his calm visage.
The black-gold robe radiated authority without a single movement.
Around him, a dense aura of the Dao flowed, stirring souls so profoundly that many could not help but fall to their knees and worship!
With a single glance, one could see he was extraordinary!
That noble indifference toward all beings seemed etched into his bones, emanating invisibly!
The Shadow Emperor!