158: Chapter 158 Dao Fruit, Awakening

Time flowed on.

Another two thousand years passed.

The blood and fire from two thousand years ago, the complex and intense conclusion of the Heaven Refining Demon Emperor Fang Yuan, gradually faded from the center of heated discussion across the heavens under the erosion of the long river of time.

It became a lamentable record in ancient history texts, or an occasional legendary topic brought up after tea and meals.

Time is the most grand and fairest force in the Universe; it can heal wounds and can also fade away glory and sin.

However, there is one existence who seems to stand outside of time.

The Heavenly Emperor has stood above the heavens for one hundred thousand years.

One hundred thousand years!

When this number is mentioned by Cultivators across the heavens, it is always accompanied by a sense of near-dizzying shock and incredulity.

For a cultivation civilization, one hundred thousand years is also a long stretch of time.

An ordinary Great Emperor or Ancient Emperor, the Peak of one lifetime is only ten to twenty thousand years; being able to live a second life is already considered good luck.

Many Celestial Venerables and Ancient Emperors only live for two lifetimes, and some even only live one.

For these Supreme Beings, reaching forty thousand years can be considered long-lived.

Yet the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Jiang Hao, since proving his Dao, has suppressed his era, ordered the myriad daos, established the Heavenly Court, and has been invincible for one hundred thousand years to this day!

His imperial majesty has not diminished with time; on the contrary, after each seclusion and transformation, it has become increasingly unfathomable. He seems to have broken a certain common sense, infinitely extending the present era.

While sighing with emotion, all living beings across the heavens have also grown accustomed, accustomed to the same supremely high 'sun' forever hanging above their heads.

The new generation of Cultivators can hardly imagine what an era without the Heavenly Emperor's rule would be like.

Deep within the Life Forbidden Zone, the moods of those ancient Supreme Beings who have endured the long, dark years are far more complex and gloomy.

'One hundred thousand years... How on earth did he achieve it?'

'The Mortal World Immortal Path... He is truly walking it, and walking faster and more steadily than any recorded attempt in ancient texts. How can his transformations be so simple?'

'We thought he would eventually disappear like the Daoist Venerable, or conclude like the other Emperors, but who would have thought...'

'We seal ourselves here, scheming and waiting for the Immortal Path to open, like a joke. And him? He is right there, as if time has lost all meaning upon him.'

'Even more terrifying, he shows no signs of decline. How much longer will this present era... last?'

A sense of powerlessness and faint despair spread within the forbidden zones.

Facing a present-era Heavenly Emperor who has lived too long, is strong beyond comprehension, and by all appearances will continue to exist, all their schemes and endurance seem pale and laughable.

Deep within the Heavenly Court, in its most core forbidden ground, beside a misty, Immortal Qi-filled pool of water.

Infinite vitality diffused, and Dao charm permeated the air.

The scenes within the pool and on its banks were strange and wondrous.

A green lotus swaying with chaos qi was rooted in the immortal pool, its lotus leaves holding dewdrops, each drop seemingly containing a nascent Small World.

A moon laurel and a fusang tree, though opposite in nature, coexisted harmoniously here, their branches and leaves sprinkling the essence of the Supreme Yin and the Supreme Yang.

A human-shaped immortal medicine, like a small jade-carved figure, inhaled and exhaled radiant light by the poolside.

An immortal egg enveloped in immortal mist floated and sank in the center of the pool, with natural patterns of the Great Dao flickering on its shell.

Nearby, a Seven-Colored Immortal Gold Saint Spirit instinctively absorbed the creation essence of this place.

They were all glowing faintly, gently swaying or floating up and down with a certain rhythm, as if immersed in the most exquisite musical movement.

The source of this rhythm came from a figure sitting quietly on a meditation cushion by the poolside.

It was Jiang Hao.

At this moment, he appeared in an elderly form, with white hair cascading over his shoulders and a peaceful countenance.

Logically speaking, he was far from his late years in this lifetime and shouldn't have white hair, yet now he had reached old age.

No oppressive Aura emanated from Jiang Hao's body; instead, there was a sense of harmony, breathing and pulsating in unison with heaven, earth, and the cosmos.

Strands of an indescribable Dao charm naturally flowed from within him, permeating the entire immortal pool area.

It was precisely this Dao charm that made the immortality medicines, the immortal egg, and the immortal gold saint spirit in the pool intoxicated, accelerating their absorption of nourishment and the spiritual opportunities of the Great Dao.

He had sat in stillness like this for many years.

Suddenly, the Dao charm flowing around Jiang Hao's body underwent an extremely subtle fluctuation, like a calm lake surface brushed by a gentle breeze.

After a while, in front of him, light and shadow intertwined, and another Jiang Hao appeared out of thin air.

This Jiang Hao was also in an elderly form, with white hair and a kindly, benevolent face. His eyes were filled with wisdom and vicissitude, as if he had seen through the cycles of worldly affairs.

He wore a simple gray cloth Daoist robe, with not the slightest fluctuation of magic power on his body, just like the most ordinary old man, a well-read elder who had weathered many storms.

This was Jiang Hao's dao fruit body, the key to his fourth-life transformation path.

A brand new method of transformation.

After the elderly dao fruit body appeared, his gaze swept over the highly spirited little ones in the immortal pool, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

Then, he slightly raised his head, as if listening, or as if reading something.

In an instant, the information circulating in the Universe over the past ten thousand years—the changes of realms, the reproduction of living beings, the struggles of powerful experts, and even the entire story of the Heaven Refining Demon Emperor Fang Yuan—flowed into his awareness like streams converging into a sea.

'So that's how it is,' Jiang Hao spoke softly, his voice calm.

'An extraordinary figure emerged in the Universe during these years of my slumber. Achieving the Dao through devouring, yet able to hold the bottom line of not becoming a forbidden zone, ultimately concluding in such a tragic manner... Fang Yuan, this person is rather special.'

His evaluation was plain and objective, like a historian stating a past event he had just learned about.

There was no emotional stance, nor any superfluous sentiment, just an evaluation based on facts.

'The phantom I left before my transformation did come in handy,' Jiang Hao's gaze seemed to penetrate the layers of palaces, looking towards the direction of the Southern Heavenly Gate.

'It seems leaving some contingencies is never wrong.'

Before his transformation, to prevent accidents, he had left behind a phantom. He hadn't expected it to actually serve a purpose.

Jiang Hao couldn't help but sigh that this Fang Yuan's courage was indeed great, daring to charge into the Heavenly Court.

But it was also understandable. Fang Yuan had never seen him take action, didn't know his true strength. With inflated confidence, it was inevitable he would commit acts others found difficult to comprehend.

There were many such people, in any world, in any era.

Jiang Hao had seen many of this sort. He didn't pay much attention to Fang Yuan; this was just a passerby in his long life.

He couldn't even be considered a Fellow Daoist, because Jiang Hao did not approve of Fang Yuan's conduct and cultivation methods.

At this moment, the little ones in the immortal pool seemed to sense Jiang Hao's appearance and speech, and they all became more active in response.

Haloes flickered, leaves gently swayed, eggshells brightened and dimmed, conveying curious and affectionate thoughts.

Jiang Hao looked at them, his smile deepening:

'You little ones certainly know how to enjoy good fortune. Growing up in this immortal pool, listening to the unconscious Dao charm emitted by the main body—these Foundations, once you emerge into the world, will truly shake heaven and earth.'

His tone carried a hint of teasing, like an elder watching thriving children.

Having raised these things for so long, Jiang Hao indeed felt a sense of raising children.

These guys truly enjoyed matchless treatment, drinking immortal pool water and listening to the Heavenly Emperor's Dao lectures.

This was the top-tier treatment in this world.

Jiang Hao then looked towards the Sword Tomb on the other side of the immortal pool, sensing the faint Dao charm within it, and nodded with a smile. 'It seems Fellow Daoist Numinous Treasure also succeeded.'

Having Dao charm meant success, which made Jiang Hao breathe a sigh of relief.

It was good that the Heavenly Venerable Lingbao hadn't failed.

Jiang Hao withdrew his gaze and fixed it once again on his own main body, which still sat silently with closed eyes.

'Old age, childhood, youth... a complete cycle,' he murmured to himself, the light of wisdom flowing in his eyes.

'Primordial Beginning's creation, the Daoist Venerable's flourishing, Numinous Treasure's conclusion, representing the past, the present, and the future. The three Daos faintly resonate with each other, forming the great cycle of heaven, earth, and human life.

If not for discussing the Dao with Fellow Daoist Numinous Treasure and exploring the ruins of Fellow Daoist Primordial Beginning together, personally sensing the connections therein, I would also have found it difficult to capture the spark of inspiration for this transformation.'