Chapter 102: Ji Xukong's Dao Validation

Chapter 102: Ji Xukong's Dao Validation

"That's not right. Your dao hasn't completely changed; it's just hidden, a form of metamorphosis." Hengyu's divine consciousness reached out, sensing carefully, and made a new discovery.

The other three were astounded. For one's great dao to undergo such a transformation was truly shocking.

"The transformation of the dao fruit is incredibly difficult. I'm just making an attempt, hoping to gain something from it", Shaohua said.

"Eastern Emperor has unparalleled talent, and we can only admire", Xiao Zicheng sighed.

Shaohua shook her head, not taking any pride in it. "The truly remarkable person is behind you. I was inspired by Emperor Heng."

She had shed her old body, transformed into a divine embryo, and achieved the transformation of her dao fruit, a path Emperor Heng had already walked.

Of course, their paths were not the same and could not be generalized.

"I once heard that the ancient Emperor also had a similar experience", Ning Fei recalled.

The Emperor was originally the last Celestial Lord of the Mythical Era, but later abandoned his dao fruit.

When he reappeared in the world, he was reborn as an infant, nurtured by heaven and earth. As soon as he was born, he absorbed the essence of the universe, becoming the most revered being.

Later, it became widely known that he was invincible in heaven and earth, walking the most glorious path. No one could even slightly impede him, and all the nine heavens and ten earths submitted to him.

Since then, he has been known as the Emperor, ending the myth of the supreme Celestial Lords and becoming the most exalted being in all eternity!

Shaohua didn't say much. She sensed that a great turmoil was about to descend upon the world and came to give a heads-up, so they could prepare.

Back at the Yaochi Holy Land, her cultivation finally advanced, and she even managed to transcend a tribulation.

After Shaohua left, another tall figure arrived at the ancient forbidden land. It was Lin Dong, who also felt uneasy, remembering what the imperial daughter had once said, and came here seeking help.

Time passed swiftly, and another thirty years went by. The world, strangely, remained peaceful.

Several life-restricted zones rarely took action, and many forces withdrew, leaving only a few restricted zones to continue operating, as they hunted down contemporary geniuses who aspired to the imperial path.

The Immortal Ascension Path on the Yinghuo Ancient Star continued to open, becoming increasingly mystical. Even Shaohua couldn't help but marvel at the Immortal Emperor's prowess, and she also had some doubts.

It was possible that at this point, the Immortal Ascension Path on Yinghuo was meant to open briefly, and the Immortal Emperor merely made it manifest earlier, making it more appealing.

After all, she was on the Mundane Immortal Path and didn't study such immortal paths much. The Immortal Emperor had guarded the place for over a million years, so it was normal for him to have deduced something.

The competition on the imperial path became even more intense. The pressure on those imperial stars was immense, but it also unleashed unparalleled motivation.

Everyone knew that if they failed to become emperors, once the Immortal Ascension Path opened, they would likely become food for the supreme sovereigns.

If they could become emperors, it would be even more remarkable, wouldn't it mean that the Immortal Ascension Path was specifically opened for them?

Validating the dao and ascending to immortality, something never seen before, was truly a matter of destiny!

At that time, what would the Emperor or the Immortal Emperor be? They would all have to step aside!

Just thinking about it made one's heart race, eager to transcend the tribulation and validate the dao, achieving all of this.

However, in this situation, the young man whom Lin Dong, the Great Perfection Saint Body, had highly regarded, Ji Xukong, quietly disappeared.

By the time Lin Dong realized something was wrong, another twenty years had passed.

Logically, after so many years, his cultivation should have advanced, and advancing meant transcending a tribulation. But there was no sign of him transcending a tribulation in the universe.

The last time he appeared, it was after the Ninth Imperial Gate, where he was already a Seventh Level Quasi-Emperor. The next two great tribulations would have been immensely powerful, shaking the universe, and could not have been hidden.

At this point, many people realized that the unremarkable-looking Ji Xukong likely had a major problem.

Others were about to break through to the Ninth Level Quasi-Emperor. If he didn't catch up, he would truly have no chance.

More and more people believed that Ji Xukong had met with an accident, either a problem with his enlightenment or being killed by someone, dying in an unknown place.

A once-remarkable genius thus vanished, leaving many to sigh in sorrow.

But the world had no time to mourn Ji Xukong's fall, as someone broke through to the Ninth Level Quasi-Emperor.

Standing at this realm, one could be called a near-validated daoist. Just one more tribulation, and they would become the supreme emperor and sovereign, leaving a legacy for eternity, revered through past, present, and future.

Everyone felt that a new great emperor would be born in the world, and might even directly ascend the Immortal Ascension Path in this era.

Powerful beings emerged from the restricted zones, not quite supreme sovereigns but close, from the Divine Ruins, including the daughter of a Supreme Sovereign who personally came to meet the near-validated daoist of this era.

"Do you know, there have been rumors in the universe that someone is about to validate and become an emperor, drawing the attention of all the major restricted zones."

"I've heard about it, but it's not necessarily to take action against the one who will become an emperor. There have been similar incidents before, where they just observed from the sidelines. It's probably just to understand the attitude of this era's validated daoist."

"Don't forget, the Immortal Ascension Path will open in this era. The peace in the restricted zones these past few years might be a show of goodwill. Perhaps the ancient supreme sovereigns also want to use the power of this era's great emperor to explore the Immortal Ascension Path!"

People were abuzz with speculation. Regardless, many sensed that a storm was brewing, a calm before the chaos.

Forty-nine years passed in the blink of an eye.

The one who had first reached the ninth level of the Quasi-Emperor realm made a final push, triggering the Imperial Tribulation, which shook the entire universe.

But just as some were rejoicing over the birth of a new emperor, he failed.

Without the interference of a Supreme Sovereign, he simply couldn’t withstand the Imperial Tribulation and died under the heavenly calamity.

People lamented, feeling he had been too hasty, having taken ninety-nine steps only to fall at the last one.

It was inevitable, with the Immortal Ascension Path opening soon and others closing in, he had no choice but to take a risky leap.

This rush led to disaster, creating one of the greatest regrets in history.

This incident also served as a wake-up call. Achieving the Dao and becoming an emperor was never about who moved the fastest. If that were the case, the older generation of powerful figures would have already succeeded, leaving no room for the newcomers.

It also wasn’t about who defeated others. Throughout history, it often took tens of thousands of years for a new Dao validator to appear.

Was it because no one could outshine the others? Of course not.

It simply meant that if one couldn’t achieve it, they couldn’t. Even if they seemed to have done everything right and were the best of their era, they were still far from it!

In the Yaochi Holy Land, Shaohua stood beside the divine spring, among the five peach trees. With a wave of her hand, she plucked a peach, a treasure revered by all.

She split it in two, not bothering to wash it, as the sacred fruit was naturally pristine.

Her ruby lips parted, and she took a bite of the juicy peach, then casually tossed the half with the seed to the young man sitting nearby.

“It’s your turn to validate the Dao, Xukong,” she said.

Who would have thought that the prodigy everyone believed had fallen, the ordinary-looking Ji Xukong, was actually in the Yaochi Holy Land?

“Thank you for your teachings over the past three years,” Ji Xukong rose and bowed deeply to the woman in the peach grove.

Three years ago, he came to Beidou and was captured by the Great Perfection Saint Body. Without any explanation, he was forcibly taken to the Yaochi Holy Land.

It was the first time he had seen the Great Perfection Saint Body treat someone with such respect, or rather, reverence.

The Great Perfection Saint Body, who feared no one, not even the Supreme Sovereigns, showed such deference to a woman who was only a Great Sage. It was almost inconceivable.

Later, he learned that she was the new Holy Maiden of the Yaochi Holy Land, and the daughter of the legendary Eastern Emperor.

In the first year, he couldn’t even speak to her, only following her and observing her every move, sensing the Dao in her actions. He knew he had encountered a divine being and quietly observed and reflected.

In the second year, he saw her occasionally meditate on the Dao and demonstrate techniques, openly explaining the profound secrets of the Western Emperor Canon and the Eastern Emperor Canon, as well as the famous Hengzi and Shiz methods.

In the third year, he finally heard her speak, her voice like celestial music. She discussed the mysteries of space and time with him, mostly speaking while he listened intently.

Of course, Ji Xukong no longer believed those words.

The person before him was not the daughter of the Eastern Emperor, but the Eastern Emperor herself!

When he heard the Eastern Emperor’s words, he bowed deeply.

The only remarkable feature on his ordinary face was his eyes, which sparkled with extraordinary brilliance.

“Are you, in fact, the Eastern Emperor?” Ji Xukong couldn’t help but ask.

He already had his answer, but he wanted to hear it confirmed.

In his view, the opening of the Immortal Ascension Path was a disaster, not a blessing. Combined with the chaos caused by the restricted zones over the past millennia, it was clear that a grand scheme was unfolding.

Even if he validated the Dao and became an emperor, he might struggle to handle it. If he could gain the Eastern Emperor’s help, he could better protect all living beings.

Shaohua turned away and slowly shook her head.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Ji Xukong’s eyes, and he clenched his fists, turning to leave with a determined stride, his not-so-tall figure appearing more upright.

He wouldn’t blame her. Instead, his resolve to validate the Dao grew stronger.

He knew that the Eastern Emperor was now only a Great Sage, and something must have happened to her.

Over fifty thousand years ago, the Eastern Emperor was ambushed by the Immortal Emperor in her later years. Surviving was already a miracle; what more could he ask for?

Could he blame her for not surpassing the Immortal Emperor?

Could he blame her for not pacifying all the restricted zones?

There was no such logic in the world.

“I will be the emperor of this era!” Ji Xukong roared to the heavens.

At that moment, he was no longer ordinary. The void shifted, and with a single step, he was far in the cosmic wilderness.

The eighth level of the Quasi-Emperor tribulation descended, and he passed it effortlessly.

Then, an even more shocking tribulation arrived, destroying the original eighth level.

Ji Xukong consecutively passed two levels of the tribulation, directly achieving the ninth level and stepping into the realm of the soon-to-be emperor, breaking all norms and setting a precedent never seen before, spanning two levels in a single leap, an unprecedented feat!

But the great tribulation was not over.

“Boom!!!!!!!!!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end