6: Chapter 6 Forging the Emperor's Banner in the Primordial Mine [

The banner was rectangular, with its shaft primarily made of Dao Tribulation Gold, inlaid with Dragon-patterned Black Gold for dragon decorations. The banner itself had a base of Feathered Cyan Gold, interwoven with threads of Eternal Blue Gold, Immortal Tears Green Gold, and other immortal golds, embroidered with a chaos heaven-opening diagram.

One day, a thousand years later, Chu Tianjiao arrived at the periphery of the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning, carrying the banner that had not yet fully taken shape.

He needed to complete the final ritual refinement near the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning—the Dao Laws here were ancient, and the Chaos Qi was dense, making it the optimal place for forging weapons.

"Boom!!!"

When Chu Tianjiao began the final step of the refinement, the heavens and earth changed color.

A terrifying Lightning Tribulation descended! It was an imperial weapon of the extreme dao tribulation, weaker than a Great Emperor tribulation, but still dreadful; billions of lightning bolts poured down like a waterfall.

"Heavens! It is Jiaoheng the Great Emperor! He is refining an imperial weapon of the extreme dao at the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning!"

"He is forging a new imperial weapon of the extreme dao!"

Countless Holy Lands on the Emperor Burial Star saw the banner floating and sinking within the Lightning Tribulation above the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning.

The banner was tempered in the lightning, and the nine types of immortal gold began to fuse completely; the chaos heaven-opening diagram on the banner seemed to come alive, with scenes of creation evolving within it.

Within the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning, terrifying auras awakened one after another.

"Chu Tianjiao! You have gone too far!" A Supreme roared.

Refining an imperial weapon of the extreme dao at the entrance of a forbidden zone was simply the greatest insult to them.

"I am just borrowing a place to forge a weapon; you don't need to be like this, right?" Chu Tianjiao said calmly while controlling the Lightning Tribulation to temper the banner. "Don't be so stingy, or are you saying you want me to come inside for a visit?"

Hearing Chu Tianjiao's threat, various cold snorts emanated from within the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning.

But no Supreme actually came out.

"If you are not convinced, come out!" Chu Tianjiao did not indulge them; although he no longer primarily practiced the Tyrant Blade Heart Method, that overbearing Qi remained.

"Hmph!"

The Supremes within the ancient mine clearly did not want to say another word to Chu Tianjiao.

In the end, they chose silence, effectively tacitly allowing Chu Tianjiao to refine the imperial weapon of the extreme dao on the periphery of the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning.

Seeing that those Supremes remained silent, Chu Tianjiao snorted softly and focused on refining the banner.

The Lightning Tribulation lasted for three days and three nights.

During this period, the entire Big Dipper Astral Region could see the terrifying scene above the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning—amidst billions of lightning bolts, a banner floated, and the imperial might it emitted made even Saints want to kneel and prostrate.

Late on the third night, the final bolt of lightning struck down.

"Hum—"

The banner let out a clear cry that resounded through the Universe.

The nine types of immortal gold fused completely, and the banner unfurled. The chaos heaven-opening diagram evolved into a true vision of creation—the clear Qi rose to become the heavens, the turbid Qi sank to become the earth, Yin and Yang differentiated, and the Five Elements were born.

A new imperial weapon of the extreme dao was born!

Chu Tianjiao reached out his hand, and the banner automatically fell into his grasp. The shaft felt slightly cool to the touch, and the banner surface was soft yet indestructible; the imperial might radiating from it was not in the slightest weaker than the Tyrant Blade.

"From now on, you shall be called the human emperor banner." Chu Tianjiao named the banner.

The human emperor banner would carry the faith of the world and protect the Luck of the Human Race.

Chu Tianjiao left the Ancient Mine of Primordial Beginning with the human emperor banner and returned to his small mountain gate.

He channeled all the massive amounts of Power Of Faith he had collected over the past thousand years into the human emperor banner.

"Boom!"

The human emperor banner underwent a transformation once again!

The banner surface, originally interwoven with nine-colored immortal gold, was dyed by the golden Power Of Faith, becoming shimmering gold. In the chaos heaven-opening diagram on the banner, the scene of countless living beings worshipping appeared—that was the manifestation of the Power Of Faith.

The might of the human emperor banner increased once again; it was not only an offensive imperial weapon of the extreme dao but had also become a carrier of faith and a symbol of Luck.

"Not bad, not bad. From now on, you will be responsible for collecting that faith." Chu Tianjiao tossed the human emperor banner into the air.

In an instant, the human emperor banner hovered above the small mountain gate, its surface unfurling and flapping loudly.

It began to automatically absorb the Power Of Faith surging from all parts of the Universe, purifying, refining, and storing these energies.

The small mountain gate was enveloped in the golden light of faith, resembling a celestial realm on earth.

After forging the human emperor banner, Chu Tianjiao's state of mind gradually calmed down.

He began to contemplate his path forward.

Now that he had lived a second life, his cultivation had reached the Peak of the Emperor Realm, and his Tyrant Blade Heart Method had reached Perfection. But he felt that his Dao needed to advance further.

"The Tyrant Blade Mind-Cultivation Technique is too rigid; it is no longer suitable for me." Chu Tianjiao looked within himself and discovered that his mindset was undergoing subtle changes.

When he first experienced Transmigration, he carried a reckless energy and, relying on the belief that "my fate is determined by me, not heaven," he fought his way to prove his Dao.

After becoming an Emperor, he was peerlessly overbearing and vengeful; he campaigned against forbidden zones and slaughtered Supremes like blades of grass.

But now, over twenty thousand years had passed, and his hot-bloodedness had been slowly worn away by time.

It was not that he had become weak, but that he had become more steady and profound.

"People of the Shrouding the Heavens World, souls of the Shrouding the Heavens World... I once wanted to keep fighting all the way, but after realizing that the Supremes in these forbidden zones could never be fully killed, I also felt a bit tired."

Chu Tianjiao sat under the immortal peach tree and sighed softly.

As an Emperor of the Human Race, since becoming an Emperor, he had killed ten Supremes; this achievement was unprecedented and would likely remain unsurpassed.

He had protected the myriad races for over twenty thousand years and suppressed the Dark Turmoil, making him worthy of the sentient beings of the Universe.

However, people also have selfish desires.

When living out his second life, Chu Tianjiao had once thought—what if he failed? Would he have to consume an undying peach to live a second life?

By doing so, would he be worthy of his own grand declaration of "relying not on external objects, but only on oneself"?

At the moment of his transformation into his second life, he felt death up close for the first time.

It was a very empty, nihilitic feeling, as if everything was about to return to annihilation. That was also the first time he had developed an instinctive resistance to death.

"In my previous life, I was just an ordinary otaku who watched anime and read novels."

Chu Tianjiao recalled himself before Transmigration—attending classes every day, playing games, watching anime, and reading novels; his biggest worries were failing exams or not getting good draws in games.

That life was ordinary, but secure.

After his Transmigration to the Shrouding the Heavens World, influenced by the original work, he carried a "reckless energy," fought his way to prove his Dao, and relied on this reckless energy to live a second life against the odds.

But Chu Tianjiao understood that the third life absolutely could not be like this.

He needed to settle down and properly digest all the experiences, insights, Dao, and Laws he had accumulated since he started his path.

"My Dao should not only consist of tyranny."

A glimmer of realization flashed in Chu Tianjiao's eyes.

Tyranny is a means, but not the goal. He campaigned against forbidden zones to protect sentient beings, and also to ensure his Dao Heart remained clear.

But being purely rigid and fierce is ultimately not a long-term path.

Things that are too rigid easily break; he understood this principle.

After realizing this, Chu Tianjiao took out the Tyrant Blade.

This blade, which had followed him for over twenty thousand years, trembled slightly at this moment, as if it had sensed its master's intentions.

"In the coming years, you and the human emperor banner will patrol the heavens for me." Chu Tianjiao gently stroked the blade. "You may awaken me when necessary."

He tossed the Tyrant Blade out of the small mountain gate.

The Tyrant Blade let out a metallic hum, transformed into a stream of light, and disappeared into the depths of the starry sky.

It would patrol the heavens on behalf of its master, monitor the movements of the forbidden zones, and protect the peace of the Human Race.

The human emperor banner would guard the small mountain gate, look after its master who was in seclusion, and at the same time collect faith to nourish this pure land.

After arranging everything, Chu Tianjiao took a deep breath and walked into the thatched cottage.