Chapter 123: Chaos of the Ancients: In Front of Enemies, I Either Flee or Face Defeat!

Chapter 123: Chaos of the Ancients: In Front of Enemies, I Either Flee or Face Defeat!

"How can there be someone so plagued by misfortune? Born to a mother who died in childbirth, losing his father at three, his childhood friend dying young, and his family being destroyed."

"Leaving home to seek a master, only to have his master killed, his sect destroyed, and the sanctuary he relied on obliterated."

"Wherever he goes, chaos follows. No one who knows him remains unscathed."

Lan Ling hid in the void, having followed Li Jiu Jie for decades, watching him grow from a child. She was utterly dumbfounded.

What kind of cursed body was this? It seemed even the heavens despised him. This was simply too much.

Of course, the world is never short of people with tragic fates. Many have similar experiences. However, someone like Li Jiu Jie, who has faced all these misfortunes and yet has not died, struggling on, is extremely rare, a phenomenon seldom seen in ancient times.

"Li Jiu Jie, enduring nine tribulations, when he has weathered nine great calamities, he will emerge from the cocoon and transform into a true powerhouse", Shao Hua's avatar said softly.

"Is that really so?" Lan Ling couldn't help but twitch her eyes.

If it truly is nine great calamities, who among his companions could possibly survive?

He is now a solitary figure, with no one left to find. The only ones remaining are himself and his path.

"Keep watching", Shao Hua's avatar stood with her hands behind her back. She had secretly saved many people but had never revealed herself.

With Shao Hua's abilities, even a mere avatar would not be detected before she validated her path.

Li Jiu Jie had fought many battles, often against seven opponents, suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of the Seven Chaos Heroes. Fortunately, his luck was good, and he obtained part of the Ascendant Han Emperor's cultivation method, which helped strengthen his foundation.

Later, he also acquired part of the Void Sovereign's forsaken edicts, using them to create a technique called "Eternal Exile." This was not a lethal technique but a method to escape when outmatched.

In a sense, this could be considered an invincible secret technique. After all, as long as he ran fast enough, the enemy's attacks would never catch up. How could this not be considered invincible?

His experiences truly embodied the saying: In front of enemies, he either flees or faces defeat!

At this moment, the Void Sovereign happened to pass by, and Shao Hua pulled him to watch the young man's struggles on the imperial path, a scene that left him speechless.

"Running is not a sin, and escape is justified. Facing great enemies and adversity, choosing a strategic retreat to preserve oneself through the void is the right choice", the Void Sovereign cleared his throat and said.

"So, you understand this too?" Shao Hua raised an eyebrow.

"I have some knowledge", the Void Sovereign had to admit.

This incarnation had already lived through most of his life. To the world, he had been dead for nearly twenty thousand years, but in his next life, he was still accumulating the essence of immortality.

Although his first life had some shortcomings, with the accumulation of three lives, as long as nothing went wrong, living a fourth life would not be difficult. The real challenge was living a fifth life, which would be the greatest test.

Not everyone could have a path that grew wider and smoother like Shao Hua's.

The Void Sovereign's path would only become increasingly difficult, and he might well stop here.

Returning to the present, the imperial path's competition was gradually coming to an end. Several imperial stars had broken through to the Quasi-Emperor level, causing the world to marvel and praise them, all considered to have the potential to validate their paths.

Many believed that the new emperor would emerge from among them, with no surprises expected.

Others found it hard to catch up, still stuck at the Great Sage level, a barrier that had stumped ninety-nine percent of the outstanding figures.

The Quasi-Emperor level was also an emperor level, a single character "Emperor" making the difference between it and the Sage realm as vast as the heavens and the earth, a significant gap.

Naturally, Li Jiu Jie was not among those few. He barely managed to reach the Great Sage level, only to find that the Seven Chaos Heroes had also ascended to this realm.

True to the saying, "Not enemies, no meeting", the Seven Chaos Heroes were also enraged and shocked.

A former fugitive who had escaped by chance was now on par with them, an unbearable situation. They pursued him relentlessly, driving him to the Imperial Pass.

At this moment, the legendary Eternal Ginseng Tree, which had once caused a stir in Beidou, reappeared in the world, drawing countless people to compete for it.

Li Jiu Jie was no exception, but he was once again driven to madness by the Seven Chaos Heroes, falling into despair, even fleeing to the borderlands, his spirit nearly shattered, his Dao heart on the verge of breaking.

It was then that he truly understood the essence of the Ascendant Han Emperor's cultivation method and the ancient scripture he had found.

To be driven mad is to truly live, to face death and find enlightenment, to sever oneself and achieve enlightenment!

"Those who cannot kill me only make me stronger", Li Jiu Jie muttered to himself. With the completion of the Oni Embryo, he broke free from his cocoon, reborn into the Quasi-Emperor realm.

This time, no one could stop him. The Seven Chaos Heroes were left behind, unable to see his figure.

"Mother, you're here too", on the other side, Shao Hua's avatar, who had been hiding in the shadows, quietly caught someone else who had been watching the spectacle on the imperial path.

It was Liu Nian, the avatar that Xi Huang had left behind at the Jade Pool Sanctuary.

The reappearance of the Eternal Ginseng Tree on the imperial path was her doing.

The Void Sovereign was surprised when he realized the identity of the newcomer, not expecting the legendary Xi Huang, who was said to have died long ago, to still be alive.

But then he thought, as the mother of the Eastern Sovereign, it made sense that she was still alive?

Then, the Void Sovereign watched as this mother-daughter duo set up a trap on the ancient path, even helping to open a secret realm where the Eternal Ginseng Tree was placed.

This forced Li Jiu Jie into a desperate situation, his Dao heart shattering as he faced death.

What about the promise not to interfere?

Shao Hua only wanted to say that times had changed. After cultivating their own scriptures, there should be some improvement, not just a last-minute surge as before.

Pushing him to take the most critical step at the Quasi-Emperor realm would make him stronger in the future.

After all, he had nothing left to lose, only his life and his resolve. These were the final two trials, and they lay within himself.

"From now on, I am the Chaos Ancient!"

Li Jiu Jie let out a long, triumphant cry. After countless defeats, the Oni Embryo had matured, breaking free from its cocoon to transform into a Divine Embryo. Everything was different now, and he had defeated all his former opponents.

From then on, he advanced rapidly at the Quasi-Emperor realm. The so-called Imperial Stars were no longer his match. He surged forward, surpassing the majority of people.

Until he finally met the two sisters.

"Here they come, finally. Let's get this fight started!" Shao Hua sat atop the Ninth Imperial Pass, in her usual spot.

Xi Huang sat beside her, their avatars leaning against each other, watching the peak battle.

Nine Heavens against Nine Heavens, one step away from Path Validation!

"Those two young girls have come this far, too. Not bad, surpassing their parents. They might even have a chance at Path Validation, but alas, they've met him", Xi Huang sighed.

If it were the Chaos Ancient before his Self-Severance Enlightenment, either Nan Jin Ping or Li Xing Ruo alone could have defeated him.

But unfortunately, the Chaos Ancient had undergone the ultimate transformation and was extremely powerful, not inferior to any of the other so-called mighty emperors before their Path Validation.

"No worries, they're not alone. Sisters united, their strength is unbreakable. They'll face the Chaos Ancient together", Shao Hua said with a smile.

One person might not be enough, but two working together was a different story.

Nan Jin Ping and Li Xing Ruo exchanged glances, clearly thinking the same thing.

One formed a seal, the other wielded a sword, the West Emperor Scripture and East Emperor Scripture resonating within them, intertwined and complementing each other.

"Eternal Exile!" The Chaos Ancient growled, opening a dimensional portal and sending Nan Jin Ping into a chaotic timeline.

"Constant!" Nan Jin Ping and Li Xing Ruo almost simultaneously used the Eternal Stance, forcefully stabilizing the chaotic timeline and breaking free.

The Chaos Ancient was taken aback, not expecting his secret technique to be so easily countered.

What surprised him even more was that the scripture resonating from one of them seemed to mysteriously connect with the nameless ancient scripture he had accidentally obtained.

The Chaos Ancient found himself at a disadvantage, but he was used to fighting multiple opponents and had a knack for it.

A one-on-one duel might have been a bit unfamiliar, but being surrounded by two was an advantage for him!

Sure enough, it didn't take long for the Chaos Ancient to break through the combined attacks of Nan Jin Ping and Li Xing Ruo using his self-created Chaos Heaven Mysteries.

When the Chaos Heaven Mysteries were unleashed, they displayed an extremely terrifying power, as if both past and present were thrown into chaos.

Not only did they disrupt the opponents' thoughts and attacks, but they also disturbed space and time, tilting the battle in his favor.

This was a holy technique for chaotic battles, growing more powerful with more opponents. In a one-on-one fight, it would seem ordinary.

"Damn, this kid is terrifying! He must not be allowed to live!" Shao Hua feigned shock and anger, drawing in a large breath of the essence of heaven and earth, shaking the arm of the stunning beauty beside her.

"Quick, go save your great-granddisciples. They're about to be killed!"

"No worries, they haven't been completely defeated yet."

Lan Ling stood quietly behind the two, her pale golden eyes gradually filling with a fighting spirit.

"Boom!!!!!!!"

The battle shook the universe, the heavens and earth thrown into chaos.

The three fought fiercely behind the nine Imperial Passes, their terrifying power causing shockwaves that swept across the star domains, making many believe that someone had already ascended to emperor status.

The Chaos Ancient grew stronger with each fight, his laws sweeping through the eight directions, making many feel his might, which was far from the rumors.

Xu Kong, who had been traveling alone, also arrived, silently watching the battle.

After a day and a night of intense fighting, the battle gradually came to an end. All their techniques were exhausted, and they fought until they were covered in blood, their dao and bodies on the brink of destruction!

The heavens and earth resonated, the divine chains of order spreading across the endless star rivers. Everyone was trembling, for this was the shocking battle behind the nine Imperial Passes, determining who would achieve Path Validation and become an emperor in this lifetime.

At this moment, the world finally learned the identities of those engaged in the final battle.

"They are a pair of sisters, one a master of formations and the other a wielder of an unparalleled sword. They are said to be disciples of the East Emperor, and even the first generation Saint Lord and Saint Daughter of the Jade Pool Sanctuary!"

Everyone was stunned, amazed at their close relationship with the East Emperor. No wonder they stood at the end of the Imperial Path, waiting to challenge the latecomers.

But when everyone learned the identity of the Chaos Ancient, they fell silent. Rising from the lowest ranks, enduring countless hardships, he had also reached the final step.

These were two extremes. The disciples of the East Emperor, their status so exalted, few could compare to them, like the most brilliant stars hanging high in the sky.

And the Chaos Ancient, a towering tree that had grown from the deepest, darkest soil, stepping the most difficult path, defying the heavens at every step, and finally standing tall in the clouds, reaching out to pluck the stars!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end