204: Chapter 24: A real man, as he should be

Passing through the final stretch of the star path, the scene ahead caused Chen Changsheng to stop in his tracks involuntarily.

An Ancient Star hung at the center of the starry sky, its entire body enveloped in a warm and noble purple-gold halo that slowly swirled as if possessing life.

Around the celestial body, the myriad daos flickered in and out of sight, interweaving into a brilliant yet tranquil stellar rainbow, like ribbons of submission paying homage to a sovereign.

A vast, ancient, and supreme aura permeated the space. Even from a vast distance, it shook one's heart and mind, evoking sincere reverence.

The starry sky was bustling with activity. Countless streams of light converged from all directions, including ancient war chariots cutting through the Void Realm.

There were magnificent tower ships parting the stellar mists, and even more Cultivators riding divine rainbows.

Their races varied, and the strength of their auras differed, but most wore similar expressions of solemnity and piety.

As if heading to a sacred ceremony, they descended toward that purple-gold Ancient Star in an orderly fashion.

Every moment, many pilgrims came here to pay homage.

Pilgrims, pious and sincere, came from all directions solely to worship the Heavenly Emperor!

Chen Changsheng took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart. Having traveled the starry skies, he had seen many famous Life Ancient Stars.

Among them were even a few places that had birthed Ancient Emperor Heavenly Venerables. Those stars that had produced Ancient Emperors and given birth to Heavenly Venerables possessed magnificent phenomena and profound foundations.

Yet, compared to the star before his eyes, they lacked something—an aura acknowledged by the myriad daos of the heavens and sincerely worshipped by countless living beings.

"So this is the homeland of the Heavenly Emperor... Ziwei Ancient Star..." Chen Changsheng murmured to himself, a flame seeming to ignite in his eyes.

"All races come to pay homage, all beings look up in admiration... A true man, this is how it should be!"

No longer hesitating, he restrained the aura around his body, transforming into an inconspicuous stream of light that joined the flood of pilgrims heading toward that purple-gold halo.

As he passed through the atmosphere, his body felt as if it were passing through a warm curtain of water. Thick, gentle Spiritual Qi immediately enveloped him.

He landed at a massive white jade dock. The ground was smooth and glossy, with engraved formation patterns making the space exceptionally stable.

Cultivators came and went in great numbers, yet there was no clamor, only the sound of low conversations and the regular whoosh of breaking through the air.

In the distance, majestic mountains and rivers stretched out, and towering cities stood tall. Occasionally, powerful figures streaked across the sky. Those below merely glanced up before continuing with their affairs, displaying a calmness born of weathering countless storms.

Here, Chen Changsheng witnessed what it meant for strong individuals to be as numerous as clouds.

Sage Kings and Great Sages, rare elsewhere, were not uncommon on Ziwei Star.

Chen Changsheng walked into a nearby colossal city. The streets were broad, the pavilions exquisite, selling wondrous objects from across the myriad realms of the heavens, with faint glimmers of treasure light.

The people here, whether Cultivators or Mortals, carried a sense of stability and confidence rarely seen elsewhere.

It wasn't arrogance, but more like a solid, deep-rooted confidence.

Everyone knew there was heaven above and earth below. The rules were established there, and no one could easily transgress them.

Chen Changsheng stopped by a tea stall, ordered a bowl of spirit tea, and listened to the casual conversation of a few old Cultivators nearby.

"I heard the newly discovered ancient mineral vein in the Northern Region is spewing Spiritual Qi fiercely, startling several Great Sages into going to oversee it."

"What trouble could arise? The nine cauldrons stabilize the four directions, and the Heavenly Court is watching from above. No matter how big the issue, it must follow the rules."

"That's true. A few years back, a powerful expert from an outer realm came. After losing a gambling stone bet, he refused to accept defeat. Relying on his cultivation, he tried to seize the prize by force. Before he could even raise his hand, the city defense formation locked him up tight and directly tossed him to a mining planet for hard labor. They said he needed 'labor reform' for five hundred years."

"Serves him right. Didn't he see what place this is? The Ziwei Emperor Star—how could it tolerate his insolence?"

Their words revealed a natural identification with and desire to uphold the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor, and this order that had operated for tens of thousands of years.

Chen Changsheng silently drank his tea, waves of emotion stirring in his heart.

In the starry skies he had traversed, some remote places were full of strife and chaos, where the strong were supreme.

But the widespread order and peace of mind derived from the guarantee of absolute power, as seen here on Ziwei Ancient Star, was something he was truly experiencing for the first time.

He strolled to the central square of the city, where a simple, ancient stone stele stood, towering into the clouds. It had no lavish decorations, only some simple patterns resembling stellar orbits or perhaps dao marks.

Before the stele, incense offerings never ceased. Many people stood quietly, some with palms pressed together, others bowing.

A mother was holding her child's hand, standing before the stele and speaking softly:

"Child, remember this aura, remember this land. This is where the Heavenly Emperor was born. When you grow up and achieve something in your Cultivation, remember this heart that shelters all living beings."

The child looked up, small hand touching the cool base of the stele, nodding as if understanding.

Chen Changsheng stood outside the crowd, gazing at the stele, at those pious faces. Something in his chest felt as if it were burning.

He recalled the tranquility of Green Stream Pond, the bloody battles in the starry sky, the promise he made to his beloved, his thirst for power.

And now, before him, this Ancient Star, this harmonious order and reverence that permeated every aspect, unfolded like an immensely grand scroll.

Showing him what the ultimate expression of individual power could look like.

Not dominating the world alone, but stabilizing the cosmos, bestowing grace upon all living beings, receiving the admiration of all ages.

"Is this the Heavenly Emperor's Dao?" He unconsciously tightened his grip on the warm, scale-shaped jade pendant in his embrace, yet his gaze passed through the crowd, aiming for the higher, more distant sky.

There, it seemed to reflect an even greater goal in his heart. "One day..."

Chen Changsheng began his Cultivation life on Ziwei Ancient Star.

A year later, an ancient Secret Realm opened, and Chen Changsheng naturally headed there.

Within the Secret Realm, Chen Changsheng stood up for a group of oppressed minor factions, clashing with an arrogant young man.

The young man was no match for Chen Changsheng. After being defeated, he shouted fiercely, "My elder brother is Chi Yang Tianjun, one of the five great Prodigies of contemporary Ziwei! Just you wait!"

Chen Changsheng paid no mind. After teaching the young man a lesson, he let him leave.

In the Secret Realm, Chen Changsheng once again obtained an Opportunity.

After leaving the Secret Realm, by a stroke of chance, he saved an old man who was about to suffer severe injuries.

Touched by his pure and kind Heart-Nature, the old man, on the verge of death, bestowed upon him the incomplete Legacy of the Source Heaven Technique.

Chen Changsheng's spiritual senses were already sharp. Obtaining this technique was like adding wings to a tiger.

He began frequenting the major stone gambling houses across Ziwei. Relying on his preliminary mastery of the Source Heaven Technique and his unique sensitivity to Spiritual Qi and Dragon Qi, he repeatedly achieved gains.

Starting with small tests, he later dared to gamble on strange stones, cutting out quite a few divine sources, rare treasure liquids, and even slicing out a small piece of Dragon-Patterned Black Gold, attracting attention from all sides.

His wealth and resources accumulated rapidly, and his cultivation also rose steadily, breaking through successive barriers.

Not long after, a Prodigy known as Chi Yang Tianjun emerged from seclusion to seek him out, his aura blazing like a great sun.

The two fought a fierce battle on an agreed-upon arena stage. With cultivation at the seventh level of the King Realm, Chen Changsheng relied on the terrain manipulation of the Source Heaven Technique to battle Chi Yang Tianjun, who was at the ninth level of the King Realm, in a closely contested fight.

This battle spread Chen Changsheng's reputation as the 'Golden Dragon True Lord' among Ziwei's younger generation.

Several years later, at a grand gathering of Ziwei's younger generation, Chen Changsheng clashed again with several Prodigies, including Chi Yang Tianjun.

By then, he had stepped into the ninth level of the King Realm. His mastery of Divine Abilities, combined with his vast, dragon-shaped Blood Qi, was superb.

He successively defeated powerful foes, shaking Ziwei with his fame, and was praised as having the potential to compete on the Emperors Path.

Ten years later, news arrived that the Starry Sky Ancient Path was opening, stirring excitement among Prodigies from all corners of the heavens.

The competition among the myriad races' Prodigies had finally begun. Who would stand alone at the pinnacle in this era?