156: Chapter 156 One Slash Shatters the Heavenly Emperor's Dream

The blade light did not stop; it continued slashing toward Fang Yuan.

"I don't believe it!"

Fang Yuan's pupils constricted violently. In that split second, he began to struggle desperately, using everything he had.

With a gesture of his left hand, the Wansheng Banner, his Lifebound Imperial Artifact forged from Dao Tribulation Gold, soared into the sky. Under his full-powered urging, a sacred radiance actually began to flow across the banner's surface.

The banner unfurled, as if unrolling an ancient star chart.

Countless runes imbued with Imperial Dao Laws swirled out from the banner's surface, following some profound and mysterious trajectory, instantly constructing nine concentric ring-shaped arrays.

Each array was dominated by a different supreme foundational Dao principle, interconnected and resonating with each other, transforming into a flowing, all-encompassing Myriad Transformations Cosmic Veil!

Starlight flowed upon the veil, its Dao charm appearing natural, blocking the path before him.

Simultaneously, the halo of light around his body solidified, transforming into nine ancient, heavy-looking Dao steles that encircled him.

Upon each Dao stele, a foundational Dao pattern shone brilliantly. With the emergence of the nine steles, they erupted with a power that shook the heavens.

As if intending to bury all the heavens within them.

These were the Nine Origins Dao Steles, the strongest Imperial Art created by Fang Yuan.

"Six Paths of Reincarnation, my name engraved through endless cycles! By my decree, command all spirits! Across all Realms and worlds, revere my order!"

The two Imperial Arts took form in an instant, their spectacle grand, their Dao charm vast and majestic, possessing unparalleled elegance.

However, when that blade light lightly touched the outermost Myriad Transformations Cosmic Veil...

That cosmic stellar veil, composed of the imprints of countless Great Daos and Imperial Dao runes, dissipated instantly upon contact with the blade light.

The blade light pierced through the stellar veil, landing upon the nine Nine Origins Chaos Steles that contained the true meaning of chaotic evolution.

The nine steles trembled in unison. The foundational dao patterns shining upon them erupted with unprecedented brightness, attempting to resist. But in an instant, fine, dense cracks crawled across all nine steles, which then transformed into the most primitive points of light and drifted away.

The two Imperial Arts, seemingly magnificent and vast, were utterly useless before this blade light.

Fang Yuan looked down and saw a blade scar slowly appearing on his chest.

The scar was not deep, but its edges were wreathed in blade light, and within, a blade intent that made his very Soul tremble was spreading.

*Pfft!*

He violently spat out a large mouthful of Imperial Blood.

He felt his power draining away, his Great Dao loosening!

"No... impossible!" Fang Yuan was terrified out of his wits.

He no longer dared to stay, not even daring to glance at the source of the blade light. He directly burned his Imperial Blood, transforming into a mournful streak of bloody light, tearing through space, fleeing for his life!

His speed was so fast it nearly reached the limit of his lifetime.

He had arrived with imposing dominance, but left in utter disarray.

Jiang Hao's phantom did not pursue. It merely glanced at Fang Yuan before quietly fading away, as if it had never appeared.

Everything returned to calm.

Outside the South Heaven Gate, a deathly silence fell.

The guardian divine generals stood frozen in place, looking at the empty starry sky, then at the completely intact South Heaven Gate.

After a long while, that Quasi-Emperor commander was the first to react. With a *thump*, he knelt on one knee, his voice trembling with excitement:

"Heaven... Heavenly Emperor's Divine Might!"

"The Heavenly Emperor is invincible!"

"The Heavenly Emperor is supreme!"

Deafening cheers and sounds of kowtowing instantly resounded through the starry sky.

All the worries and gloom in the hearts of the celestial officials and divine generals were washed clean away under that single blade strike!

The news swept through all Realms with even greater force than before.

The Heaven Refining Demon Emperor Fang Yuan, riding the momentum of having slain the Sublimation Heavenly Venerate, descended upon the Heavenly Court with imposing might, arrogantly declaring he would change the heavens and replace the earth.

Yet, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor's true self never appeared. It was merely a phantom left behind at some unknown time, casually drawing a single blade, effortlessly erasing the Imperial Arts and defenses upon which this fearsome New Emperor relied for his path.

Severely wounding his Imperial body and Dao foundation, forcing him to flee like a desperate stray dog!

After a brief moment of stunned silence, living beings on countless stars erupted into deafening cheers and sobs, piously kowtowing toward the direction of the Ziwei Star Domain.

The chants of "Praise the Heavenly Emperor, may the Heavenly Court prosper forever!" resounded throughout the cosmos.

Those powerful individuals and major forces who had previously speculated in secret due to Jiang Hao's long absence, even harboring some ulterior thoughts, were now all sweating profusely.

The last trace of wishful thinking in their hearts was completely crushed, leaving only fear and submission.

However, those truly shaken to the point of losing their composure by this blade strike were the ancient existences within the myriad Realms.

Deep within the Life Forbidden Zone, after a brief period of absolute silence, some interwoven thoughts were filled with unprecedented gravity and trepidation.

"I knew it... it couldn't be that simple..."

"He just... left behind a shadow? A mere shadow can unleash such a blade strike?"

"Although Fang Yuan is a New Emperor, his ability to slay the sublimated Shenwu head-on means his combat power is far from comparable to ordinary Dao Attainers. Even in any era, he would be considered a formidable figure. Yet, before Jiang Hao's phantom, he was still insignificant..."

"A casual blade strike... merely a casual blade strike. He didn't even use any of his renowned Heavenly Emperor secret arts!"

"Just how strong is Jiang Hao's power? Does he have no limits?"

"Alas, terrifying to such a degree."

"What's even more frightening is, why did he only leave a phantom? Where has his true body gone? Is he impacting a higher Realm, or... has he already transcended certain limitations?"

"Regardless, this blade strike is enough to explain everything. This era still remains under the shadow of his heavenly might. Any reckless action is unwise."

"Lie low... continue to wait, endure. We must endure!"

Deep within the Lingxiao Palace.

That phantom had long since dissipated, as if it had never appeared.

Only that Chaos Heavenly Blade, lying horizontally within the hall, simple and unadorned, quietly hovered.

Within the hall, only the fortune and faith power, vast as a sea of stars, flowed silently, eternal and unchanging. Everything returned to deep silence.

When Fang Yuan fled back to the Beidou Imperial Palace, he was practically left with only half a life.

"Why, why..."

He muttered to himself, unable to believe it.

They are both Emperors, so why is the gap between Emperors so vast?

Clearly, they are both Emperors. He even merged with the Heavenly Heart and suppressed the cosmos.

Yet, he couldn't even withstand a casual blade strike from the Heavenly Emperor's phantom!

Fang Yuan looked at the blade scar on his chest and found it could not heal. The Dao intent constantly eroded his Origin.

He tried various methods: consuming divine medicines, circulating profound arts, but nothing worked.

That blade intent was too domineering.

It reduced all his power to the mundane, reverting it to its most primitive state.

What was even more terrifying was the inner demon.

Every time he cultivated, every time he sat in meditation, that grayish blade light would uncontrollably flash in his mind.

So plain, so casual, yet it made all his power, all his pride, seem like a joke.

His invincible heart was shattered!

He began to doubt himself.

Another two thousand years passed. Fang Yuan's injuries still hadn't recovered, and his cultivation had stagnated.

Whenever he stopped, he would recall that invincible blade strike, that phantom's indifferent gaze.

As if looking at him like an insect.

What terrified him was that he felt his Lifespan was accelerating its flow.

With his Origin damaged, his Lifespan drained even faster.

He attempted to live out a second life.

But every time he reached the critical point of transformation, the inner demon would erupt. That blade light would flash in his Sea of Consciousness, causing his efforts to fall short.

He grew increasingly anxious, increasingly desperate. The path of transformation had trapped him.

Before, he looked down upon those Forbidden Zone Venerables, thinking they were all trash, incapable of walking the Path to Immortality, utterly disgraceful.

Isn't it just about continuous transformation? What's so difficult about that!

But now, he somewhat understood. The Path to Immortality is indeed difficult.

During this period, many Forbidden Zones had contacted Fang Yuan.

Although Fang Yuan was severely wounded by Jiang Hao's phantom with a single blade, his strength was still considerable. After all, whoever among them went up would also be instantly slain by Jiang Hao with one blade.

No difference.

This even included the Chaos Ancient Cave.

Although Fang Yuan had slain a Chaos Ancient Cave Venerable, no one cared. Among the Forbidden Zone Venerables, everyone is just a colleague. The death of a colleague is of no concern to anyone.