221: Chapter 221 The Imperial Road Reopens?

The gates of the underground palace closed slowly with a dull thud, as if sealing off all vitality and light from the outside world.

Ye Chen stood before the stone platform with his hands behind his back, a hint of astonishment in his long, narrow, dark red eyes.

He gazed at the figure that had stepped out from the crack in the Void Realm, his heart filled with uncertainty and alarm.

Back so soon?

Although the Southern Region is not far from the Central Plains, even a Quasi-Emperor powerhouse could not make a round trip in such a short time, even at full speed.

"Senior, you... why have you returned so quickly?" Ye Chen suppressed the confusion in his heart and bowed as he asked, his tone respectful yet tinged with a hint of probing.

The old man stood in the shadows, his withered form completely shrouded by a black robe. His silver-white slit pupils narrowed slightly, and no emotion could be discerned on his face.

His voice was hoarse and low: "Things have changed."

Ye Chen frowned: "Changed? In the Southern Region..."

He paused, carefully choosing his words: "Could that person... truly be someone from the Heavenly Realm?"

"Some things are not for you to ask." The old man raised a withered palm, cutting off Ye Chen's words, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority. "You should return first and keep an eye on the movements in the Southern Region. I have my own plans for that person."

Ye Chen opened his mouth, wanting to ask more, but upon meeting the old man's silver-white slit pupils, he swallowed the words back down.

He knew the old man's temper well and naturally would not provoke him over this matter.

"This Junior obeys." Ye Chen bowed, took a few steps back, and turned to walk toward the entrance of the underground palace.

His dark red robe left a blur in the dim candlelight, and his figure quickly disappeared at the end of the passage.

Only the old man was left in the underground palace.

The candlelight flickered, causing the runes covering the walls to brighten and dim.

The old man stood before the stone platform with his hands behind his back, his silver-white slit pupils gazing into the dark space deep within the great hall, his eyes filled with terror.

He remained calm on the surface, but his left hand, hidden within his wide sleeve, was trembling slightly.

His fingertips were icy cold, and most of the Meridians beneath his skin were severed. The inside of his sleeve was already soaked with blood, but he had forcibly congealed it with spiritual power, preventing it from dripping onto the floor.

The piercing wound on his chest was shocking. Although his Quasi-Emperor Realm Physical Body was forcibly healing, the Sword Intent remaining in the wound was like a maggot in the bone, constantly eroding his life force.

"One sword... just one sword..."

The old man finally spoke, his voice hoarse and trembling uncontrollably.

He raised his right hand and slowly stroked his chest—there, the robe was intact, and the runes on its surface were still flowing, but the flesh beneath was charred black over a large area.

He did not dare to reveal even the slightest flaw in front of Ye Chen.

If this ambitious Master of Tiansha Abyss knew he was seriously injured, heaven knows what complications might arise.

Ye Chen appeared respectful on the surface but was secretly coveting his Legacy; he knew this better than anyone.

"That sword... who exactly is it? Since when did Cangxuan have such a formidable figure?" the old man muttered to himself, a flash of deep wariness in his silver-white slit pupils.

He was a Peak Quasi-Emperor Realm existence who had dominated Cangxuan for tens of thousands of years. He had seen many powerhouses, but he had never seen anyone reach such a level of strength that they could force him back with a single sword strike.

Even if that pitch-black sword contained surging power and had already surpassed many extreme dao emperor weapons, relying solely on the power of an extreme dao emperor weapon would not have been enough to make him so dishevelled.

It was not merely a suppression of "power," but a suppression of "level." It was as if the owner of that sword had an understanding of the Heavenly Dao and the world that was far superior to his own.

"An Emperor... no, impossible." The old man shook his head, casting that absurd thought out of his mind.

The Heavenly Venerable had personally said that the imperial path of this world was broken, the Heavenly Dao was incomplete, and it was absolutely impossible for an Emperor to be born again.

Although that person's strength was terrifying, it did not necessarily mean they were in the Emperor Realm; perhaps it was some kind of forbidden technique, or perhaps some secret treasure.

But even so, he understood that he was no match for that person.

"I must report this to the Heavenly Venerable first." The old man took a deep breath, suppressed the terror in his heart, and turned to walk toward the depths of the underground palace.

He passed through a dim corridor and arrived at an even more secretive chamber.

The chamber was not large, only about three zhang square. The surrounding walls were covered with dense, blood-red runes. These runes were profound and complex, with some kind of pattern faintly flowing within them, emitting a hair-raising, eerie aura.

In the center of the chamber, a pitch-black altar stood silently. The surface of the altar was engraved with dark golden lines that spread like blood vessels to the floor, connecting with the blood-red runes on the walls.

The old man walked to the altar, knelt on both knees, and touched his forehead to the cold surface of the altar.

"Heavenly Venerable, your subordinate has an urgent matter to report." His voice was hoarse but carried unprecedented piety.

The dark golden lines on the altar suddenly lit up, and rays of light slithered like living creatures, converging toward the center.

A moment later, a ball of dark light condensed above the altar, transforming into a blurred phantom.

The phantom's face could not be seen clearly; only a pair of cold eyes could be vaguely discerned, like ice that had not melted for eternity, devoid of any emotion.

"Speak."

One word, hoarse and low, exploded in the chamber.

The old man shuddered, pressing his forehead even lower.

"Subordinate... encountered a powerhouse of unknown Origin. That person's strength is extremely terrifying. Before I could even step out of the forbidden zone, I was severely injured by a single sword strike. That sword... is an extreme dao emperor weapon, and the power it contains seems to have already exceeded the scope of a Quasi-Emperor Realm."

The phantom on the altar was silent for a moment, and those cold eyes narrowed slightly.

"Exceeded the scope of a Quasi-Emperor Realm? Are you saying that person is an Emperor?"

The old man shook his head hurriedly: "Subordinate dares not jump to conclusions. But that person's strength is indeed far superior to mine. If I hadn't retreated quickly, I fear..."

He did not finish, but the meaning was self-evident.

The phantom was silent again, and the air in the chamber seemed to solidify.

After a long while, a sharp gleam flashed in those cold eyes: "Hmm? The heavenly secrets are obscure, yet there is a vibrant vitality. Cangxuan has changed... is the broken Dao actually gradually healing?"

"The Dao is healing?!" The old man looked up abruptly, his face full of shock, followed by some excitement, "Does your Excellency mean that the imperial path is about to reopen?"

"Indeed." The phantom's voice was still hoarse but carried more fluctuation than before, "Cangxuan's Origin is recovering, and the broken Dao Laws are healing. In the near future, the Emperor fruit position will descend, and the Opportunity to become an Emperor has arrived."

The old man trembled, and a scorching light suddenly erupted from his silver-white slit pupils.

At this moment, his heart was filled with pride and overwhelming joy.

The Heavenly Dao is healing, the imperial path is reopening.

This means his Opportunity to have a Breakthrough to the Emperor Realm has arrived!

He had been trapped at the Peak Quasi-Emperor Realm for thirty thousand years, from his prime to his twilight years, from being high-spirited to his oil running dry and lamp dying out. He had been lingering on in this underground palace for tens of thousands of years, just waiting for this day!

Now that the imperial path has reopened, with the foundation he has accumulated over tens of thousands of years, who could contend with him?!

The Emperor fruit position must be his!

The phantom did not speak, but the ball of dark light fluctuated slightly, and a streak of dark golden light flew from the altar, landing precisely between the old man's eyebrows.

A power so immense it was unimaginable exploded within his body!

That power was vast as the sea, containing the most fundamental Law dao rhyme between heaven and earth. It flowed along his Meridians through his limbs and bones, and wherever it passed, those wounds eroded by the heaven-slaying sword's Sword Intent actually began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"This is... the Dao Origin?!"

The old man exclaimed, his voice trembling.

This was the thing he had dreamed of!

Even for a Cultivator at the Peak Quasi-Emperor Realm, wanting to touch the Dao Origin was a fool's dream.

Only existences at the Emperor Realm level could condense Dao Laws into an Origin.

"Your Lifespan is not long, and you only have one chance for a Breakthrough." The phantom's voice echoed in the chamber, carrying a hint of exhortation, "Use this Origin well. Within three years, break through the Quasi-Emperor Realm shackles and step onto the imperial path! If you succeed, this seat will guide you to Ascension to the Heavenly Realm..."

The old man kowtowed heavily, his forehead slamming against the cold altar with a dull thud: "Subordinate will definitely not fail the Heavenly Venerable's trust!"

The dark light slowly dissipated, and the chamber returned to dead silence.

The old man knelt before the altar, feeling the surging Dao Origin within his body, a look of unprecedented fanaticism appearing on his withered face.

Thirty thousand years!

He had waited for a full thirty thousand years!

Finally, he had waited for this day!

He stood up, stood with his hands behind his back, and his silver-white slit pupils gazed at the pitch-black stone wall at the top of the chamber, as if piercing through thousands of mountains and rivers to see the direction of the Southern Region.

"Just you wait. When I seize the Emperor fruit position and become a true Emperor, that will be the time I tear you to pieces!"