Chapter 353: "It's been a challenging journey."

Chapter 353: "It's been a challenging journey."

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu used Essence Energy to form a blade and slashed at the oval-shaped stone floating in front of him. However, as soon as he struck, his brows furrowed slightly.

His first impression was that it was hard.

Extremely hard.

As an Immortal Emperor, his cultivation was unmatched in the world, and even a simple Essence Energy attack was not something an ordinary Immortal Emperor could withstand. Yet, he felt resistance against this oval stone, but it was merely a struggle.

"The harder, the better. The harder, the better."

Chen Qiu murmured, and the Essence Energy blade slowly cut through the stone like a water saw. The harder the stone, the more extraordinary it was, and he had cultivated sitting on this stone for many years.

But he had never imagined that this stone was the sleeping place of the "Celestial Path Soul."

Finally—

After a hundred breaths, the stone split into two halves from the middle, slowly breaking apart.

Immediately after.

"Ah!!!"

Accompanying a painful roar, a wisp of black mist suddenly shot out and fled towards the horizon at a speed that was impossible to capture with the naked eye.

However, this speed was not impressive to Chen Qiu.

A massive amount of Essence Energy surged forward, trapping the black mist like a prison, constantly shrinking and squeezing the mist's space for movement.

Although the black mist moved at an incredible speed, it couldn't break through Chen Qiu's Essence Energy prison.

"So, it was really here."

Chen Qiu looked at the black mist in his palm, constantly colliding with the Essence Energy prison, and suddenly laughed softly, "It's truly unpredictable. Who would have thought that you've been by my side all this time, and have accompanied me for so many years."

"Fortunately, I'm a sentimental person."

"This stone, which I brought out of Daxia Kingdom, I've always carried it with me wherever I went, and never discarded it. Otherwise, it would have been really difficult to find you."

"It's all fate."

"You and I are destined to fight, but I never imagined we would meet in such a way."

"Perhaps this is fate."

The beginning of a story is always enticing, the process is always full of twists and turns, and the ending is always unexpected.

He entered the world by chopping wood and entered the path by chopping people.

After cultivating for a thousand years.

He believed that he had made countless plans in his life, but he never expected that the most decisive plan would be the never-before-used "Array Enveloping Daxia Kingdom." When he set up this array, he never imagined that he would use it to suppress the Celestial Path.

Nor did he expect that the array would last for so many years.

He had long forgotten about this array.

After all, it was just a Golden Core Array, and he had forgotten about it long ago. But he never thought that at the story's end, this array, which he had always neglected, would have its use.

"If my entire life were written as a story, this array would definitely not be a qualified hunting rifle."

Chen Qiu looked at the struggling Celestial Path in his hand and smiled lightly.

At this moment, the people around him were all stunned, never expecting the Celestial Path to be captured so easily.

"It's captured?"

Jiang Buying was the most confused, and after a long time, he muttered, "Qiu Ge, do you know what role I had planned for myself?"

"Thirty thousand years ago, I became a lapdog of the Celestial Path to survive, and I saw many friends and family die at the hands of the Celestial Path."

"So, even after being imprisoned by the Mock Heaven Sect for thousands of years, I didn't resent them. I always felt that I was atoning for my sins."

"But I feel that's not enough."

"What I've always thought is that when the Celestial Path awakens, I will be the first to rush forward, then die miserably in its hands, and in my dying moments, I will look up and laugh, my voice filled with desolation and a satisfied roar."

"A tragic supporting male character."

"How wonderful."

"I've been looking forward to this moment for so many years. I've accompanied Chen Qiu from the Fifth Rank Immortal World, and just as my time to perform was about to arrive, you're telling me my part has been canceled?"

"So what should I do next?"

"I've been experiencing various professions all these years to ensure I leave no regrets when I die. I even wrote a will, where I wrote many sentimental words, expressing how happy I was to know you all, and I've already imagined the scene where you'll read my will with teary eyes."

"In that will, I wrote about my experiences in various professions, and it was very touching."

"But now, the story ends like this?"

"Erm," Fat Dragon hesitated and then leaned in, whispering, "Can I take a look at your will? I'm curious about what you wrote. I've always believed that when writing a will, people might subconsciously embellish, but it's mostly sincere."

"Get lost!"

"Why is this array an unsuitable hunting rifle?" July Cat was also perplexed. As a traverser, she naturally knew what a hunting rifle meant, but she didn't understand the metaphor.

"Tsk."

Fat Dragon sighed, "It's obvious that you lack culture. There's an old saying: In a novel, if there's a hunting rifle hanging on the wall in the opening scene, it must fire within three scenes."

"Qiu Ge means that the 'array' hunting rifle was hanging on the wall in the opening scene, but it fired in the last scene, so it's not a qualified hunting rifle."

"But in a certain sense."

"It's still a qualified hunting rifle. After all, no one said that a hunting rifle hanging on the wall in the first scene must fire within three scenes."

". "

Chen Qiu's mouth curled slightly, and he didn't speak further. He just clenched his right hand, and the Celestial Path Soul was slowly crushed into powder. After doing all this, he once again annihilated the "Black Robe" into powder.

Thus—

The Celestial Path's body and soul were completely destroyed!

The Celestial Path, which had once controlled countless continents, was now, in its weakest state, defeated by Chen Qiu.

If there were an "Unwillingness Ranking," the Celestial Path would definitely be at the top.

If not choosing Daxia Kingdom as the land of slumber, if not copying the old home in the weakest state, if not...

Out of countless possibilities, as long as one of them doesn't match, the Heavenly Dao would have achieved absolute victory. Unfortunately, perhaps in other timelines, the Heavenly Dao would win, but in this timeline, Chen Qiu outmaneuvered it.

The next moment!

"Boom!!!"

A thunderous sound reverberated across the continent. If one were to stand in the Void, they would witness the gradual collapse of the Heavenly Dao Shackles surrounding all the continents, slowly drawing closer to the nearby lands.

The Heavenly Dao was dead.

With the death of the Heavenly Dao, the countless consciousness clones of the Heavenly Dao on the continents also vanished without a trace. Accompanying this was the complete collapse of the program. From then on, the continents would merge into one, once again becoming a single massive continent like the "Nanong Continent."

There were no more Heavenly Dao Proclamations.

There were no more rankings.

There were no more Mystic Realms.

Only the power of "Entries" remained.

After crushing the Heavenly Dao, Chen Qiu absorbed all its power into his body. The unique powers that once belonged to the Heavenly Dao were now his, and the manifestation of this was the "Black Entries" and "Gray Entries," including the means to create the Celestial Path Treasures.

From then on, as long as he wished, he could become the Heavenly Dao.

This fusion of heaven and earth lasted for three days and three nights.

It was extremely brief, much shorter than Chen Qiu had anticipated. In just three days and three nights, all the continents merged into one, once again becoming a single, enormous continent.

And the Daxia Kingdom occupied the most central position.

Perhaps the strength of the Daxia Kingdom couldn't be ranked among the powers of this new continent, but after several years, this place would become the "Central State," a place where all cultivators would yearn for and worship, solely because it was where Chen Qiu rose to prominence.

"Let's name it."

Fat Dragon stood in the sky above the Daxia Kingdom, gazing at the distant continent with invisible boundaries, and said excitedly, "Just like the Jiang Taiping Continent back then, Qiu Ge, you should also give this continent a name."

"What are you talking about?"

Jiang Buying was annoyed and said, "Do you think Chen Qiu is as vulgar as me? Back then..."

Before he could finish, a hoarse and powerful voice echoed in the ears of everyone on the continent.

"The Celestial Path is dead. From this day forward, there will be no more distinction between the First Rank Continent and the Twelfth Rank Immortal World. All continents have merged into one."

"I name it the 'Qiu Emperor Continent.'"

"May everyone be as mighty as dragons."

"What?"

Chen Qiu smiled lightly and turned to look at Jiang Buying, a hint of pride and teasing in his eyes. "Can't I name it after myself? Is it too common? I think it's pretty good."

"July Cat."

"You continue your role as the Heavenly Dao."

"When I was crossing the Immortal Emperor Tribulation, I said some things. Although there was some teasing involved, a part of it was also sincere. I believe that the existence of Mystic Realms and Heavenly Dao Proclamations provided certain means for advancement."

"They should be preserved."

"You should re-record the Heavenly Dao Proclamation. When a cultivator reaches a certain milestone or encounters a special event, the corresponding Heavenly Dao Proclamation will be triggered. Try to keep it formal and not too frivolous."

"Alright." July Cat nodded solemnly, then hesitated, "But... what about the Mystic Realms?"

"After the continents merged, all the Mystic Realms were destroyed. We need to recreate them, and it's not an easy task."

"I already have someone in mind for this."

Chen Qiu's thoughts turned to the countless residents of the Mini World's hundred cities, and he smiled lightly, "There are people who are experts in creating Mystic Realms. Professional matters should be left to professionals."

Over the years, the Artifact Spirit Clan had developed rapidly, and their population had already occupied a hundred cities. Their ancestors were once the artifact spirits of large Mystic Realms, and they were extremely experienced in creating them.

Let this group of people slowly recreate the Mystic Realms.

"The rankings should also be re-established."

"That's right."

Chen Qiu suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Xiong Gao beside him, "You take care of this matter. I want to write an autobiography. Find someone to help me with it. Everyone should know about my deeds, and if there are any specific details they're unclear about, they can come to me."

"I'll leave this task to you and Fat Dragon."

"As for the title..."

"Make it more down-to-earth. Let's call it 'My Cultivation Journey in the Chaotic World of Entries.'"

"I think it fits the theme well. What do you think?"

"I think it's fine." Xiong Gao nodded seriously and excitedly, "Rest assured, Master. I will definitely take this task seriously and strive to spread your autobiography to every corner of the continent."

"Alright."

At this moment, Chen Qiu felt a sense of relief. He waved his hand and smiled, "Then let's disperse. Three days from now, as usual, we'll have a victory banquet!"

"This time, everyone will come!"

"Invite everyone!"

"Good!" Badan and the others shouted excitedly.

After Chen Qiu left.

Fat Dragon immediately found Xiong Gao, his expression serious and solemn, "I've known Qiu Ge for the longest, and I understand many things better. I'll write the earlier parts of the story."

As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously rolled in their sockets.

With this opportunity,

He wouldn't write himself as extremely valiant, but he should at least slightly utilize the Spring and Autumn Annals style to beautify himself. After all, this autobiography would surely spread far and wide, and what if he was criticized?

As he spoke, he saw July Cat rolling her eyes at him, and he furrowed his brows in confusion.

"July Cat."

"I haven't offended you these years, have I? I've always wondered, and I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like you have some opinion of me."

"If you have an opinion, just say it."

"Or if there's something I've done wrong, just correct me. I feel quite lost."

"Hehe."

July Cat let out a cold laugh, shook her tail, and turned to walk away, "Just write honestly about your experiences with Qiu Ge in that autobiography. Readers will naturally know if I have any grudges against you."

"You know best what you've done."

With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.

"Hmph!"

Fat Dragon was perplexed as he watched July Cat's departing figure, his eyes filled with confusion. What had he done? He couldn't remember ever interacting with July Cat.

How strange.

Women are such a bother.

Wait, women?

Fat Dragon suddenly remembered something and hesitantly turned to Bear Gao, "On my journey here, I mostly improved myself through dual cultivation. If I write it in the book, won't it affect my image?"

"No, it won't."

Bear Gao patted his chest confidently, "I'm a Brown Bear Spirit, so what's the problem?"

"Besides, even if someone has an opinion, what can they say?"

"Just like me."

"In this autobiography, I only appear in the latter half, and my role is just a lowly butler. But now, I've already reached the cultivation of an Immortal Emperor. Who dares to say anything about me?"

"That's true."

Fat Dragon sighed, "Brother Qiu has perfectly demonstrated what it means for one's success to benefit those around them. Not only Bear Gao, but even the entire Brown Bear Clan, and that little wolf who was in charge of opening the restrictions, have all become Immortal Emperors."

There was no other way.

There were too many Spirit Fruits to consume.

They couldn't possibly finish them all.

Every three months, a new batch of 200 fruits would mature, and there was no way to use them all up. Even the Seventh Prince had become an Immortal Emperor early on.

Bear Gao and the others had perfectly demonstrated one thing through their experiences.

That is—

How important it is to have a good big brother.

Three days later.

On the Qiu Emperor Continent, countless fireworks lit up the sky, set off by numerous factions to welcome the new god, Chen Qiu, as a gesture of goodwill.

The Heavenly Dao had departed, but the Qiu Emperor had arrived.

For most high-level cultivators, this was a good thing. The Qiu Emperor wouldn't kill innocents indiscriminately, but the pressure he brought was far greater than that of the Heavenly Dao. After all, for the Qiu Emperor, there was no such thing as awakening every 30,000 years.

He was in the prime of his youth, invincible in the world, and his body was functioning normally.

All the continents had merged into one, and there were too many factions, especially those with Immortal Emperors and Half-step Immortal Emperors, making it difficult for the Qiu Emperor to remember who had shown goodwill.

However, if someone hadn't, the Qiu Emperor's side would definitely have a record, even if the Qiu Emperor didn't care. The people beneath him would surely remember.

This small matter was taken care of along the way.

After all, the world had been unified, and while the leaders at the top were enjoying themselves, their subordinates hadn't. They would definitely look for opportunities to go out and show off, to feel the admiration of the masses. Where would they go to show off? Naturally, they would choose from the factions that had failed to show goodwill.

Three days later.

"Damn it!"

On a flying ship, a top-tier faction from an Eleventh Rank Immortal World looked at the central point on their route map and the point where they were, feeling like crying, "It's not like anyone told me that after the continents merged, this continent would be so huge!"

"At this speed, it'll take at least ten years to get there!"

"Damn, by the time we get there, will it be too late?"

"I'm an Immortal Emperor, and this flying ship is already flying at 70% of my full speed. If it takes this long for us, how long will it take for the other factions?"

"Well..."

A disciple standing nearby weakly said, "It's mainly because when our Eleventh Rank Immortal World merged with the Qiu Emperor Continent, we were placed in a rather marginal area, far from Zhongzhou. There's nothing we can do about it."

When the Qiu Emperor Continent merged, it was centered around the Daxia Kingdom.

The Daxia Kingdom was in the core region, while the placement of other continents was left to fate, determined by their linear distance from the Daxia Kingdom in the Void.

Everyone knew.

The Daxia Kingdom was the future Zhongzhou, and the closer a continent was to the Daxia Kingdom, the brighter its future. The spiritual energy of the entire continent would gradually flow towards the Daxia Kingdom, making it the most concentrated, with the surrounding areas gradually weakening.

"Master."

The victory banquet had begun, and this was the grandest one yet. Everyone related to the Mock Heaven Sect had come to attend, making it extremely lively.

Zhao Yishi, on the other hand, looked at his master, Zhao Dezhu, with a puzzled expression, "Master, is there something you want to tell me? You seem to be hesitating."

"I..."

Zhao Dezhu stammered, struggling to speak. He was once the sect leader of the Daxia Kingdom's Heaven Facing Sect and later submitted to the Mock Heaven Sect. Zhao Yishi was his former disciple who had been following Badan ever since.

These days, Fat Dragon had been seeking him out to inquire about the past, gathering information for Qiu Emperor's autobiography.

Unknowingly, he had seen some information about Zhao Yishi in the autobiography.

Back then, his excellent disciple had encountered Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon sitting on the roof of an inn in Mountain Opening City during his training in the Daxia Kingdom. The two were sitting on the roof, eating meat, drinking wine, and chatting about life. Zhao Yishi, being a glutton, saw a pile of dead rabbits in the inn's room and immediately started stuffing them into his mouth without caring if they were fresh or not.

The juicy meat burst in his mouth.

For so many years, Zhao Yishi had never tasted the flavor of those rabbits again.

He had glimpsed this information in the first half of the autobiography, and now he was hesitant about whether to tell Zhao Yishi. He was worried about being held accountable for leaking information prematurely and also concerned that Zhao Yishi might not be able to accept it all at once.

After a long while, Zhao Dezhu took a deep breath, patted Zhao Yishi's shoulder seriously, and said solemnly, "After Qiu Emperor's autobiography is complete, you must read it. Promise me, okay?"

"Of course I'll read it."

Zhao Yishi was perplexed, "How could I not read Qiu Emperor's autobiography?"

"Alright, let's eat first."

In the center of the banquet hall, Bear Gao poked Fat Dragon and whispered as he glanced at Zhao Yishi, "Brother Dragon, I think that when Zhao Yishi sees Qiu Emperor's autobiography, he'll definitely come looking for you to fight."

"Nonsense!"

Fei Long huffed irritably, his frustration mounting. "How can you blame me for this? I didn't even have time to stop him. He had already swallowed one, and by the time I could have intervened, it was too late."

"What's the difference between eating one and eating a hundred?"

At that moment, he finally understood why July Cat had been so annoyed with him all this time. It was a miracle he wasn't more furious. He hadn't realized that he had unknowingly come into contact with July Cat before.

You two old folks are really something else.

One, an old Heavenly Dao, kept reincarnating and wandering around Daxia Kingdom.

The other, a new Heavenly Dao, had gone to Daxia Kingdom and fallen asleep beneath a grand formation.

You two might as well just get married.

"Can't we just trim some parts?"

"Absolutely not!"

Xiong Gao shook his head firmly, his expression turning serious. "Since ancient times, altering historical records has been a capital offense. Unless the master gives the order, it's impossible to make any changes!"

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Fei Long waved his hand dismissively, deciding to let the chips fall where they may. "Just write whatever you want. Anyway, I'm the second-in-command of the Mock Heaven Sect, and I want to see who dares to touch me!"

"Seriously, if you push me, I'll feed you all a mouthful of juicy rabbit!"

"The Netherworld has successfully merged."

At the victory banquet, July Cat was reporting to Chen Qiu, "With the merging of the continents, the Netherworld has also become completely unified."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly. "Conduct a population census in the Netherworld."

"A census?"

July Cat was taken aback.

"Hmm." Chen Qiu's expression turned serious. "The governor of Central Capital City just shared an idea with me that I found quite reasonable. He suggested finding the souls of those who died at my hands in the past. This way, we can gather more information, making our autobiographies more authentic. Otherwise, it's hard to guess what our enemies were thinking at the time."

"Huh?"

July Cat turned his head in disbelief, looking at the governor of Central Capital City, who was sitting nearby with a sheepish smile. His voice rose uncontrollably as he shouted, "You old man, you're so full of yourself that you think you can just blurt out any nonsense that comes to your lips! It's easy for you to say, but do you know how much effort it would take to conduct a population census in the Netherworld?"

"Why don't you go and do the census yourself?"

"Do you want me to conduct a population census in the Qiu Emperor Continent as well?"

"That would be best." The governor of Central Capital City rubbed his nose and coughed lightly. "This way, we can find more bystanders, and through their perspective, make the entire event more three-dimensional. We can also learn about their thoughts at the time."

"We don't need a complete census; just issue a Heavenly Dao proclamation. Let the bystanders, enemy souls, and others from that time come forward and register. Offer them a reward."

"Excellent."

Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction. "That's a great idea. With the bystanders' perspective, it will be more comprehensive. After all, our autobiographies are in the form of storybooks, so we can't use the first-person perspective. The third-person view is the most perfect."

". . ."

July Cat remained silent for a long time, his expressionless face eventually giving way to a hoarse voice. "Fine."

Over the past millennium.

The scattered Dragon Clan across various continents had gathered several million members, becoming a significant clan. More dragons from other realms had also begun to gather in Central State after the unification of the continents.

The earliest follower of Chen Qiu, Ao Tian, was naturally the leader of the Dragon Clan.

By now, he had several dozen dragon children, each of whom he loved dearly. But the one he cherished the most was the Black Dragon, who had always been by his side.

"That's good."

The Black Dragon, in human form, smiled as he looked around the banquet. "Back in the Mystic Heavens Continent, many people used to jokingly call me the 'Black Dragon Emperor.' Perhaps they never imagined that one day, I would truly become an Immortal Emperor."

"It's been a challenging journey."

"I've fought countless battles, faced innumerable dangers, engaged in endless slaughter, experienced countless moments of despair, and been on the brink of death countless times. With the 'Spirit Fruits' bestowed by the Qiu Emperor, I finally attained the position of Immortal Emperor."

"Only those who have walked this path can understand."

"Ahem."

Ao Tian coughed lightly and lifted his cup. "As a father, I understand a little. I also want to share this with you, but I'm a bit shy to speak about it. After all, I feel like I haven't done much to deserve becoming an Immortal Emperor."

"You and Fei Long used to be the best of friends, right? In the future, you should spend more time with him. This way, the status of the Dragon Clan will rise in the Qiu Emperor Continent."

"Do you understand?"

As Chen Qiu wrote his autobiography, the Dragon Clan also began compiling their clan history.

However, the question of how to write it was a headache. Logically, the clan history should highlight the contributions of the leader throughout the years. But as he thought about it, the greatest contribution he had made to the Dragon Clan was initially spending countless spirit stones to acknowledge a powerful brother.

How could this be written in the clan history?

It lacked the weight and seriousness of a historical record.

Even if he wrote about it, wouldn't the section be too short? What else could he write about?

It couldn't be written like this:

"Dragon Clan, Clan History."

"∵: Acknowledged a powerful brother."

"∴: Became a significant clan."

"For the power of the acknowledged brother, please refer to the Qiu Emperor's autobiography, 'I, the Qiu Emperor, Cultivating in a Chaotic World.'"

"At least I have my shining moments."

The Black Dragon raised his cup and drank, "When I was in the Dragon Palace beneath Dragon Island, that shining moment must be written. Find a good ghostwriter to capture the essence of that time when I proved to my father that I wasn't a weakling, using my life to show him my determination."

"As for you, Father—"

"You should also write about your two thousand years of hard work on Dragon Island. It should take up a significant portion of the book, and it will be a tribute to you, who worked day and night without rest."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end