Chapter 149: The Commoner Lives On, a Momentary Emperor!

Chapter 149: The Commoner Lives On, a Momentary Emperor!

"Cough, cough. To witness such a great battle, I can die content!"

On a desolate planet, an old Great Sage with white hair trembled with excitement, inscribing his observations onto a broken bone fragment. He had run out of space to write.

"Has my Path of Testimony come to an end?" The light in Lu Ren's eyes gradually faded.

He was too old, having lived for too long—from the ancient era to the post-ancient age. He had seen the Eastern Sovereign achieve enlightenment and followed Emperor Wu Shi. Now, he had witnessed the tumult of this era for over seven or eight hundred years. He should have been content.

But, there was still a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

Would the future bring even more glorious golden ages?

At that moment, a dog bark echoed in his ears, followed by a refined human voice: "Old man, why are you here?"

Someone had breached the damaged concealment array, picked up the scattered bone fragments, and let out a shocked exclamation. Without hesitation, they produced a luminous and fragrant fruit.

This person was none other than Wu You, who took out a fruit of the Immortal Elixir and refined it for the elderly Great Sage Lu Ren, restoring his vitality and granting him a new lease on life.

"How foolish, this is the life-saving Immortal Elixir left by an emperor. You could have used it to heal yourself, and yet you gave it to an old man?"

Black Sovereign barked in alarm, unable to stop it in time, and could only watch as the Immortal Elixir was refined.

He couldn't understand why they would save this old man who was about to die.

"Take a look at this." Wu You didn't explain further, tossing a broken bone fragment over.

Black Sovereign smacked his lips, pressing the bone fragment to his forehead. Soon, he understood why his young master had saved this old man.

"Woof, you once witnessed the Eastern Sovereign's enlightenment and followed Emperor Wu Shi. Impressive, very impressive!" Black Sovereign nearly bit his tongue.

No one had expected that this earth-shattering battle would end without a true victor.

Wu You was accidentally injured and voluntarily withdrew from the conflict, displaying the demeanor of a sage and earning the admiration of the Central Plains' prodigies.

Little Baihu exhausted all her strength, and Black Sovereign was reduced to a bald dog.

Mu Chen and Tai Chu fought to the point of severe injury, while Liu Nian, Yu Feng, and Wang Bo engaged in a three-way battle that ended in a stalemate. They eventually reached an agreement to fight again in the future.

"Still not strong enough, do you think I can go further?" She seemed to be talking to herself, yet also seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"Do you want to dominate this era?" A clear voice echoed in Liu Nian's ear. Shao Hua reached out and gently stroked her hair, unable to suppress a light laugh.

A ripple appeared in Liu Nian's indifferent, beautiful eyes as she seemed to suddenly understand. "So that's why so many extraordinary figures have emerged in this era."

The descendants of Wu Shi and those strange beings were one thing, but the appearance of a Primordial Chaos Body and an Immortal Artifact Spirit was clearly abnormal.

Now, her doubts were finally answered.

"Raven, you knew all along, didn't you?" Shao Hua smiled casually, increasing the pressure and thoroughly messing up her already disheveled hair.

"Is this a test for me?" Liu Nian frowned, not caring about her hair.

"You can think of it that way." Shao Hua finally stopped, restoring her appearance and pinching her cheek. "What I want to see is your transformation."

Shao Hua wanted to see how Liu Nian would change after absorbing so much Cosmic Fortune and with her guidance. If she remained the same as other spirits, if she couldn't fully assimilate the Cosmic Fortune, or if she didn't achieve a spiritual elevation and true transformation, it would be disappointing.

Fortunately, Liu Nian didn't disappoint Shao Hua.

Causing things to improve is what Shao Hua liked most. Coming to this world, she wanted to make some changes, to strive for improvement.

Liu Nian couldn't help but close her eyes in deep thought.

Shao Hua smiled, looking at the others. How far could they go?

It was truly something to look forward to!

Afterward, these people all entered the realm of alternative enlightenment.

The prodigies of the Central Plains, Tai Chu, and Mu Chen even attempted to achieve enlightenment.

Unfortunately, none of them succeeded. It was Wu You who used a secret artifact left by his father to protect their lives.

Because this era was a false golden age, and when the one behind the scenes stopped pushing for the recovery of the world, the suppression from the greater universe became even more severe.

Apart from these few individuals, the entire cosmos lacked any notable strong figures. Not to mention emperors, even Great Sages were scarce, and on many life-source planets, even Saints were rare.

The current world was not suitable for cultivation, making it even harder to achieve enlightenment. The suppression from the myriad paths was stronger than ever.

Additionally, their accumulated strength might still be insufficient, and these three ultimately failed to cross the threshold.

Only Mu Chen, with his Holy Physique, didn't give up. Over the next thousand years, after recovering from his injuries and feeling some improvement, he attempted to achieve enlightenment twice more.

Others also expressed their encouragement, hoping he could create a miracle.

"I feel like you're all just waiting for me to fail", Mu Chen said after drinking, unable to resist complaining.

In the Undying Mountains, a group of young people laughed joyfully.

People who once fought to the death now sat together in harmony, even the usually cold and distant Liu Nian couldn't help but smile, becoming more human.

"Come on, Brother Mu Chen, I believe you can do it. Break the barrier that says a Holy Physique can't achieve enlightenment!"

Wu You poured another cup of wine for Mu Chen, a rare drink he had obtained from his father, made from rare fruits and the essence of the Immortal God Tree.

He constantly cheered Mu Chen on and shared his best things, fully supporting him.

He truly wanted to see a pure Holy Physique become an emperor and for his good brother to fulfill his wish.

"Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!" Mu Chen was somewhat immune to such words, sighing deeply.

"Growl, if you're going to keep trying, you're clearly not giving up. Give me some of your blood, don't waste it when you get struck by lightning." Black Sovereign pounced and bit, wanting to draw some of Mu Chen's blood.

He was frustrated because he saw his young master use the secret artifact to protect Mu Chen's path several times, which seemed wasteful and offered little in return.

As for himself, he was wise enough not to attempt enlightenment, not wanting to be struck by the Imperial Tribulation.

Besides, even without enlightenment, no one in the world could touch him.

After all, even dogs have their masters!

As for Little Baihu, her situation was unique. Originally, the Immortal Elixir should have transformed her into a powerful being, but she wasn't transformed on her own. Shao Hua used some forbidden means, referencing the transformation of Wan Qing, to imbue the white tiger spirit with intelligence.

Sometimes she seemed a bit dull, not very smart.

In that battle, she exhausted all her strength and almost reverted to a plant. She had truly used up her potential, and Shao Hua took her away to continue her cultivation.

As for Liu Nian, Wu You, Wang Bo, and Yu Feng, they were all extremely special, not suppressed by the world. Achieving enlightenment was just a matter of will, so they didn't mind if someone went first.

Five hundred years later, Mu Chen prepared to attempt enlightenment again. If this failed, he might not have the heart to try again.

The Imperial Tribulation for the Holy Physique descended, and this time, Mu Chen almost made it to the end. He was almost exhausted, having exploded countless times, and the onlookers were deeply moved.

"I'm still exhausted, about to fall at the last step. Unacceptable, I'm still one step short." Mu Chen let out a long howl to the sky.

This tribulation was too strong, surpassing ordinary Imperial Tribulations. It seemed the world recognized this persistent fighter and thought he might succeed, so it unleashed the strongest heavenly tribulation to prevent his enlightenment.

"Brother Mu Chen!" Wu You's face changed drastically, rushing into the still lingering lightning sea to protect Mu Chen, who was now a charred mess, with a secret treasure.

"Am I dead?"

In a daze, Mu Chen thought he saw a slender figure, someone he had once met in his youth, a supreme being.

"I understand now, it was the Eastern Sovereign who saved me, dispelling a fraction of the tribulation and preserving my last spark of life."

Mu Chen was initially disheartened but quickly regained his resolve. As long as he was alive, there was still hope.

"Ha, in a sense, I have achieved enlightenment, even if only for a moment. One day, I will reach the peak again!"

At that moment, the myriad paths resonated, and all races in the universe trembled, thinking a new emperor had been born.

But in the next instant, the resonance of the great path dissipated, leaving everyone in doubt.

Mu Chen had almost overcome the Imperial Tribulation and had achieved enlightenment in that last moment, but he was severely injured, nearly dead. He didn't have the chance to imprint his own path before "falling."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end