161: Chapter 161 The Heavenly Gate Opens - Seven Nights Descend Upon the Wilderness

Mount Buzhou, the Human Race Ancestral Land.

The void tore open, and a massive gate of time and space swung open with a boom. Tens of thousands of cultivators filed out, led by a youth dressed in white.

Li Qiye stood before the mountain, gazing at the sacred Mount Buzhou that pierced the clouds. He spread his arms, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Honghuang World, I, Li Qiye, have arrived!”

At the foot of Mount Buzhou, sacred light flowed.

This time, Li Qiye led a million ascenders out of the gate of time and space. The lineup was grand, possessing a momentum that could swallow mountains and rivers.

Looking up at the towering, majestic peak, a trace of a smile finally appeared on his otherwise unremarkable face.

“Honghuang World, I, Li Qiye, have arrived.”

His heart surged with emotion, and he couldn't help but let out a long roar toward the heavens.

Behind him, human race Supremes like Emperor Mingren, Empress Hongtian, and Emperor Jiaoheng were all boiling with excitement, their eyes flashing with brilliant light.

After hundreds of millions of years of bitter cultivation, they had finally broken through the shackles of the Supreme Great Universe and stepped into this supreme land!

“This Honghuang shall surely tremble because of me, Jiaoheng!”

“The trial is over; this realm is our true battlefield!”

“Hahaha—”

The heroes laughed together, their voices sweeping across the fields and shaking the mountains and rivers.

Amidst the clamor, a cold voice drifted down from the mountaintop:

“What’s all the noise? Making such a scene right after ascending—have you never seen the world?”

Before the voice had even faded, a youth in white descended from the peak of Mount Buzhou, treading on air. His robes fluttered, and his expression was indifferent.

After landing, he glanced at the crowd and nodded slightly. “Not bad. It’s been a long time since so many people came up at once.”

“Who are you?” Emperor Jiaoheng frowned, pointing at the youth with a chilling tone.

The white-robed youth flicked his sleeve, and Emperor Jiaoheng was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a towering mountain peak. Rocks flew into the sky as dust billowed.

“Jiaoheng!”

Except for Li Qiye, the other experts all paled. Their gazes were like knives, staring fixedly at the white-robed figure with overwhelming killing intent.

But the man remained calm, standing with his hands behind his back. He chuckled and shook his head. “Juniors, don’t be too arrogant. If you act up like this right after ascending to Honghuang, you’ll trip up sooner or later.”

“You—!” Emperor Mingren and the others were fuming, their blood boiling as they raised their hands, ready to suppress him.

“Stand down.”

Li Qiye spoke calmly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it was like a heavenly decree, brooking no disobedience.

The crowd gnashed their teeth and had no choice but to suppress their anger and retreat, though the killing intent in their eyes had not yet been extinguished.

Li Qiye took a step forward and cupped his hands in greeting. His posture was respectful but not subservient. “Junior Li Qiye greets Senior. My subordinates were rude and offended you just now; I hope you can be magnanimous.”

“Hahaha—good! You can keep your composure and have a grand vision. You’re not inferior to those boys like Shi Hao and Dugu Baitian back then.” A look of approval flashed in the white-robed youth's eyes, showing his undisguised appreciation.

“Shi Hao? Dugu Baitian?”

The pupils of Emperor Mingren and the others constricted. Who didn't know these two names? They were peerless geniuses famous in the Supreme Realm who had stepped into Honghuang a step ahead of them. Legends said they had long since ascended to the peak!

Li Qiye’s gaze narrowed slightly. His tone was peaceful but carried a hint of testing. “May I ask, Senior, are you one of our human race ancestors?”

The white-robed youth nodded slightly, a smile on his lips. “My name is Taixuan. I am among the first batch of humans personally created by the Holy Father and Holy Mother.”

Li Qiye understood; it was indeed as he thought.

The surrounding crowd was shocked into silence—this person was actually a progenitor of the human race?!

Empress Hongtian was the first to bow, followed closely by Emperor Mingren and the others. Even Emperor Jiaoheng, who had just scrambled up in a sorry state, didn't dare to be negligent. He lowered his head and offered a forced smile. “Junior was reckless and has offended you. Please forgive me, Senior.”

Taixuan waved his hand with an air of indifference. “It’s fine. There are plenty of little fellows coming up from the trial grounds who are far more arrogant than you.”

The crowd laughed awkwardly, but they were inwardly solemn. This old senior had clearly seen many great storms.

“But if we’re talking about the wildest one...” Taixuan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his tone shifting. “It has to be that First Emperor of Great Qin. Tsk tsk, that kid was truly lawless! Back then, he brought the entire Great Qin Immortal Court down into Honghuang. The heavens and earth shook, and all the worlds were stunned!”

“The First Emperor of Great Qin!”

Li Qiye’s gaze sharpened.

This name was known to everyone.

In the past, he unified the human territories of the Supreme Great Universe and was revered by billions of living beings as the number one powerhouse of all time! On the day of his ascension, even the Human Race Holy Father manifested in person, shaking the entire world!

Millions of years had passed, but his legend was still passed down by word of mouth in the Supreme Realm, never fading.

“Where is the First Emperor now?” Li Qiye couldn't help but ask.

Taixuan raised his hand and pointed south. “Not far. If a Great Daluo Golden Immortal flies at full speed for a hundred thousand years, they'll arrive.”

“A hundred thousand years?!” Emperor Mingren and the others almost jumped. That’s not considered far? Then just how big is this Honghuang?

Li Qiye’s expression remained unchanged as he asked another question, “May I ask what this place is?”

Taixuan slapped his forehead and laughed. “I was so busy chatting I forgot the main business. Come, come, let me introduce it to you.”

“This area you are currently in, spanning three trillion light-years, is all the Human Race Ancestral Land.”

“Hiss—!”

Even Li Qiye was deeply shaken at this moment. Three trillion light-years? The diameter of the Supreme Realm was only nine hundred billion light-years! This meant that the Ancestral Land alone was equivalent to three Supreme Realms stacked together!

Taixuan ignored their dazed expressions and continued, “That divine mountain over there that pierces the clouds is the Sacred Mountain, the highest holy land of the human race. A Sacred Hall is built upon it, enshrining the statues of the Holy Father and Holy Mother...”

“And those three parallel peaks are called the Three Pure Mountains. They are the places where the three great Sacred Teachers of our human race enlightened and preached. They are also known as the Sacred Teacher Mountains...”

He walked as he spoke, detailing the layout of the Human Race Ancestral Land and the current situation of Honghuang.

“I won't go into details for now. Once you complete the kowtow ceremony, you will naturally receive the full information.”

“Now—” Taixuan turned around and looked toward the White Jade Heavenly Staircase on the eastern side of the Sacred Mountain that led straight to the sky. “Follow me up to pay respects to the Holy Father and Holy Mother.”

Li Qiye and the others didn't dare to hesitate and immediately followed.

Arriving at the foot of the staircase, Taixuan stopped and said solemnly, “Our human race has a rule: if you wish to worship the sacred statues, you must first climb the White Jade Heavenly Staircase on foot to show your sincerity and respect.”

They all gazed at the White Jade Heavenly Staircase before them that connected heaven and earth. The steps wound upward like a dragon's spine, piercing into the clouds. The end was hidden within churning astral winds and flowing light, impossible to see with the naked eye.

They released their divine sense one after another, trying to gauge its height—the result made everyone gasp.

“Holy crap! This high? How long is it going to take to climb this?!”

Except for Li Qiye, everyone else looked shocked. This height was simply ridiculous. Even with their Daluo Golden Immortal-level divine sense, they could only barely touch the top of the staircase, like ants looking up at the firmament.

“Enough nonsense. Let’s go.”

Li Qiye’s gaze turned cold as he glanced at everyone. Without stopping, he was the first to step onto the first white jade step, his pace steady and unhurried.

Taixuan’s brow twitched slightly, a hint of praise flashing in his eyes as he whispered in his heart, “This kid is quite interesting. He’s not inferior to those little fellows named Shi Hao and Dugu Baitian back then.” Seeing Li Qiye set off, the others didn't dare to delay and hurried to follow.

“You guys take your time climbing; I’ll head up first.”

Taixuan smiled faintly. Before his voice had even finished, he transformed into a blinding white rainbow, breaking through the air and vanishing onto the peak of the Sacred Mountain in an instant.

Li Qiye’s expression remained unchanged. He continued to climb the steps one by one, as if he were carrying the weight of the entire world, yet showing no signs of fatigue.