Desolate Era

by RWX

  Universe treasures provided a tremendous boost in strength, but as with all sources of external power it had its limits. Although Winesage had now reached the level of the lords of the eight Sacred Cities in power, he would definitely be at a disadvantage when fighting them. This was because the eight lords were equal to him in power but superior to him in profundity of technique.

  In comparison to the eight lords, the techniques which Winesage and Ning were using would seem a bit clumsy. However, Winesage deserved to be proud; the eight lords of the Sacred Cities stood at the true pinnacle of the Endless Territories and were second only to the three Hegemons in power. Given their status, they normally would never act against Daolords.

  Eternal Emperors innately felt a sense of superiority when meeting Daolords, because they knew that even the most supreme of Daolords would eventually die if they failed their Daomerge. There was no way for them to live longer than 108,000 chaos cycles.

  “Winesage, your Universe treasure truly is formidable. I’m unable to resist its power at all. Since I’ve experienced it for myself… it’s time for me to say farewell,” Ning said loudly. A heartbeat later, he vanished into thin air. The area around them was still covered by the nine novessence arts as well as Ning’s heartworld projection, but Ning himself had vanished. Winesage was completely unable to locate him and thus didn’t even know what direction to pursue in.

  A while later, Ning appeared more than a million kilometers away. “Winesage, farewell,” Ning called out.

  After him! Winesage continued to pursue, unwilling to give up, but Ning was able to move at a hundred times the speed of light, the same rate at which Winesage himself flew when using his magic treasure. Given that the two moved at the same speed, and given that Ning was able to use the Shadowless evasion art to disappear at will, there was no way for Winesage to catch up to him at all.

  This pursuit went on for a full day. Winesage clearly had no chance at all, but he still refused to give up. His situation was different from Ning’s. For Ning, the 108,000 limit was something which incredibly far off in the future, but for Winesage it felt imminent. He had already been alive for more than 100,000 chaos cycles! This was why he so desperately wanted the Voidsea Jadeseal.

  Boom! As Ning was flying past a series of snow-topped peaks, he suddenly felt an aura of eternity manifest out of nowhere and cover the area around him.

  “This aura…?” Both Ning and the pursuing Winesage were stunned. This aura was a vast and ancient one that radiated eternity and immortality.

  Rumble… radiant, incandescent light suddenly appeared above the Waveshift Realm. The light appeared directly above Ning and slowly began to descend, containing a degree of power that was simply inconceivable. Both Ning and Winesage felt a sense of inexplicable terror; the aura of might around this rainbow light surpassed even that of a Hegemon’s.

  The countless streaks of rainbow light began to circle around the region which Ning was in, as that aura of supremacy descended.

  “What’s this?” Ning and Winesage exchanged a glance, both looking stunned.

  “The prime essences of the Daos of the universe have come to offer their congratulations,” Ning murmured. “Yet another Daolord has succeeded in his Daomerge to gain eternity?”

  “Someone succeeded in the Daomerge and gained eternity?” The distant Winesage revealed a look of disbelief. “Someone succeeded in the Daomerge? Yet another Eternal Emperor has been born?”

  Although he was an incredible figure, his chances at the Daomerge remained incredibly slim. When he saw the prime essences of the universe descend upon the area in celebration, he understood that a new Eternal Emperor had to have been born.

  “The Daomerge gave birth to a new Eternal Emperor!”

  “Someone succeeded in the Daomerge?”

  “Who completed the Daomerge?”

  The countless Daolords of the Waveshift Realm watched as the dazzling rainbow light descended, all of them stunned by that invincible, supreme aura that came with it.

  * * *

  Book 32, Chapter 27 - Emperor Solesky

  “In every generation, only a few Daolords will become Eternal Emperors,” Winesage mused. “I never expected to see one right here!”

  “Right.” Ji Ning scanned the area as well.. “I wonder which Daolord made the breakthrough. He’s probably hiding somewhere.”

  The descent of the prime essences of the universe covered the area around them, which meant the new Eternal Emperor should be here as well.

  Swoosh. The distant Palace Lord Dawnstar flew over as well. He had been following them this entire time, but now he finally revealed himself. He was dressed in ordinary clothes and carried a great machete on his back. He was the pride of the countless cultivators of the Brightshore Kingdom… but of course, the Brightshore Kingdom now had another idol to be proud of: Daolord Darknorth!

  “Dawnstar.” Ning revealed a smile.

  “Darknorth.” Palace Lord Dawnstar smiled as well. “Haha. I didn’t have the chance to congratulate you on how powerful you have become. After this matter in the Waveshift Realm is concluded, we’ll be inducting you as the new Palace Lord of the Palace of the Sword.”

  The title of Palace Lord of the Twelve Palaces was determined strictly based on power. By now, Ning’s power had already outstripped that of any and all Daolords in the Sword Palace.

  “Your Brightshore Kingdom is growing stronger and stronger. Both the second and third positions belong to you,” the nearby Winesage said with a smile.

  “If you didn’t have that Universe treasure, you might be thrown off your pedestal by Darknorth,” Dawnstar said, then scanned the area. “Haha, I never would’ve expected for a new Eternal Emperor to be born here in the ninth layer of the Waveshift Realm. Every person in the ninth layer is an extraordinary Daolord. This new Eternal Emperor will be a very powerful one.”

  “Right.” Ning nodded.

  “Agreed. This Eternal Emperor won’t be one of the ones who are killed with ease.” Winesage nodded as well.

  Daolords of the Fourth Step were generally divided into four tiers.

  The lowest tier was the ‘ordinary’ tier.

  The third-tier Daolords included Daolords like like Patriarch Clearwind and Daolord Solesky.

  The second-tier Daolords included the likes of Kongsan and Palace Lord Woodflower.

  The supreme first-tier Daolords included Winesage, Ning, Dawnstar, Ninedust, Snowjoy, and the others.

  Daolords of the Fourth Step who succeeded in the Daomerge and became Eternal Emperors would also result in four different tiers of emperors.

  Ordinary Eternal Emperors were the weakest and were virtually unseen, primarily because almost all of them had been wiped out. Alternately, they had gone into hiding or had fled long ago.

  The elite Eternal Emperors included the likes of Emperor Mirrorsnow and Emperor Melobo. Most of the living Eternal Emperors in the Endless Territories fell into this category, and they were comparable to the supreme first-tier Daolords in might. Most of them had been alive for extremely long periods of time, and thus they had collected many life-preserving items and techniques. To kill them was very, very difficult.

  The next tier consisted of the lords of the eight Sacred Cities and the likes of Patriarch Vulturas.

  The most supreme Eternal Emperors were known as Hegemons. There were three of them in the Endless Territories!

  ……

  The one advantage Eternal Emperors had was that of time. They were alive for so long that they were able to accumulate many treasures. For Ning to face off against the eight lords of the Sacred Cities was like a second-tier Daolord facing off against a supreme Daolord! There was an enormous difference in power, and that wasn’t even factoring in the fact that the eight lords of the Sacred Cities were ancient freaks who had acquired treasures similar to Hegemon Dao-seals. Most likely, they all had many terrifying trump cards to use. There was just no way to battle them.

  “Eh?” Winesage scanned the
area suspiciously. “Who is the Eternal Emperor? Why hasn’t he come out yet?”

  “Yes, it’s time for him to come out.” Ning and Palace Lord Dawnstar scanned the area as well.

  Suddenly, Ning’s face turned pale.

  “What is it?” Both Dawnstar and Winesage noticed the change in Ning’s face.

  Ning had a complicated look on his face. It was unclear if the expression was of joy or rage. He waved his hand, causing two figures to appear atop the snowy peaks. The first was that of Daolord Badlands. The other was that of Daolord Solesky… or to be precise, Eternal Emperor Solesky.

  “Emperor Solesky,” Ning said.

  “Ji Ning.” Solesky still looked as sloppy and disheveled as ever, but his aura was now completely different. He had a stately, eternal majesty to him, as his Dao had gained eternity. Emperor Solesky said hurriedly, “It’s not what you think it is.”

  “You used the Voidsea Jadeseal?” Ning asked.

  “I used it.” Solesky nodded. “But…”

  “Used it?” Winesage looked at Solesky, then interrupted him. “You are the former Daolord Solesky, correct? I really didn’t expect this. Daolord Darknorth and Daolord Ninedust risked their lives, so I felt certain that one of them had the seal. In the end, it was with you all along?”

  “Daolord Solesky was already famous for his invulnerable aquaform,” Palace Lord Dawnstar said. “Now that he is an Eternal Emperor, his invulnerable aquaform is assuredly even better than before. Most likely, it will be extremely difficult for even the eight lords of the Sacred Cities to kill him. As for us Daolords, we have no chance at all. Emperor Solesky, congratulations. You have gained true eternity for yourself.”

  ……

  “Daolord Solesky made the breakthrough.”

  “Him?”

  “He’s legendary for being tough to get rid of.”

  The Heartforce Cultivators all chatted mentally to each other, causing news to quickly spread throughout not just the Waveshift Realm but the entirety of the Endless Territories.

  Daolord Solesky. In the past, many Daolords wished to capture him and learn more regarding the Waveshift Realm from him. As a result, many knew of him! Although his attacks were fairly weak, his defenses were incredibly strong, allowing him to survive quite a few blows from even Fiendqueen Dustrain. One could imagine how tough his defenses were!

  Now that he had become an Eternal Emperor and his invulnerable aquaform had also reached the eternal level, how much tougher would he have become?

  ……

  Many powerful Ancient cultivators resided within a location inside the distant Terror Starsea. The exact location of this Ancient homeland was a mystery, with very few knowing the answer! Even the Ancient cultivators who were granted entry didn’t know the exact location.

  An absolutely peerless beauty was seated atop an ancient throne, a royal scepter in her hands. To each side of her sat two rows of Ancients who were all Eternal Emperors.

  At the very center of this room was a levitating image that displayed the scene within the Waveshift Realm.

  “Who would’ve thought that Daolord Solesky would actually be the one to become an Eternal Emperor?”

  “He’s not that strong, but he’s good at staying alive. In the future, we Ancient cultivators will probably need to get along with him.”

  “To succeed in the Daomerge is far too difficult.”

  The Eternal Emperors of the Ancient race all spoke out in praise.

  As for Hegemon Netherlily, she said calmly from atop her high throne, “Emperor Solesky’s emergence is a minor matter. He’s not that powerful, and his existence has no impact on the situation in the Endless Territories at all! The Waveshift Realm… I can vaguely sense that something ten thousand times greater than the emergence of Emperor Solesky is going to happen.”

  “Greater?” The Ancient cultivator Eternal Emperors were all rather surprised.

  “You are too weak. You won’t be able to sense it,” Hegemon Netherlily said. “The secrets held within the Waveshift Realm are absolutely extraordinary. This is why I’ve been using my attunement to karma to keep an eye on everything happening within it.”

  The existence of the Grand Waveshift Formation prevented the other Eternal Emperors from being able to scry the realm in detail, but Hegemon Netherlily was able to accomplish it.

  And of course, Hegemon Windrain and Hegemon Brightshore were able to do the same.

  ……

  Within the Windrain Kingdom, the most sacred place of the Aberrant lifeforms, gentle rain fell down from the skies. This truly was a world of wind and rain, and it was filled with creeks, valleys, and beautiful rivers.

  “Eh?” An enormous face appeared in the midst of a vast forest filled with countless trees. It was a special lifeform that was so incredibly vast, its body spanned the majority of the Windrain Kingdom. An image suddenly appeared in the air in front of the face. This was an image of what was happening within the Waveshift Realm.

  “A new Eternal Emperor was born? Daolord Solesky might’ve broken through to become an Eternal Emperor, but this won’t have an impact on the Endless Territories as a whole, much less cause me to sense something.” Hegemon Windrain continued to watch from afar. “Waveshift… what the hell was he planning? What secrets are hidden within it?”

  The Dao Alliance’s roots and foundation were incredibly deep, and its two leaders had a very wide web of influence. Despite that, they weren’t even close to living as relaxed a life as Emperor Waveshift.

  Hegemon Windrain, Hegemon Brightshore, Hegemon Netherlily… they were far more powerful than Emperor Waveshift, but for them to go from place to place through the Great Dark was extremely difficult for them, whereas Emperor Waveshift was able to accomplish it with ease. It could be said that the most influential Eternal Emperor to ever leave the Endless Territories was Emperor Waveshift.

  ……

  “Waveshift Realm.” Hegemon Welkin had been slumbering in the Endless Territories for many years in an effort to heal his wounds. Both he and Hegemon Brightshore were paying close attention to the Waveshift Realm as well. Both of them could also vaguely sense that something big was going to happen there, something which would have an important impact on them.

  ……

  The three native Hegemons of the Endless Territories and the outsider Hegemon Welkin, as well as the most powerful and ancient Eternal Emperors, were all able to sense that something was going to happen. This was why they were so focused on the Waveshift Realm.

  * * *

  Book 32, Chapter 28 - Crimsonwave Temple

  Despite the relative indifference of the Hegemons, Ji Ning and the other Daolords were paying rapt attention to the fact that Daolord Solesky had succeeded in his Daomerge and become an Eternal Emperor.

  “True eternity.” Ning looked at Emperor Solesky, a complicated feeling in his heart. If it hadn’t been for happened to Ninedust, Ning would be celebrating… but instead he was trying to keep a tight lid on his temper and prevent it from exploding. His big brother Solesky really had used up the Voidsea Jadeseal and let him and Ninedust protect him like idiots! For Ning to do this was one thing, but Ninedust didn’t have much of a relationship with Solesky; wouldn’t Solesky be ashamed if he allowed Ninedust to die on his behalf in the outside world? They had already agreed to hand over the Voidsea Jadeseal if they were unable to continue the fight. So what the hell happened?

  Ning had wanted to ask this question for quite some time now, but for the sake of the Daomerge Solesky had completely entered a state of secluded meditation. Even his avatar had gone into seclusion, completely absorbed with the Daomerge. There had been no chance to speak to him at all.

  “Darknorth.” Emperor Solesky wanted to explain.

  Winesage barked, “Emperor Solesky, when you claim you used up the Voidsea Jadeseal, are you perhaps trying to help Darknorth and Ninedust out?” He did indeed find this rather suspicious. As he saw it, both Ning and Ninedust were much stronger than Daolord So
lesky had been. How could Solesky be the one to end up using it, while Ning and Ninedust risked their lives to defend him? What would be the point? Was it possible that Emperor Solesky was lying in an attempt to deceive them?

  “I really did use it up,” Emperor Solesky said hurriedly. “I’m not helping them out. They were helping me out! I swear on my very life itself that I’ve already used up the Voidsea Jadeseal and in the process completed the Daomerge. If anything I just said was false, let my soul be shattered and my truesoul forever dissipate!” Emperor Solesky said in a loud voice.

  Winesage shook his head. Given that Solesky had just sworn a lifeblood oath, there was no way he was lying. “Alas… all that for nothing.”

  “At least there are three more remaining,” Palace Lord Dawnstar said.

  Suddenly, a series of figures began to appear in midair. All of the Daolord squads throughout the Waveshift Realm were able to see a version of this white-robed man appear before them! It was Realmsoul Polo once more.

  Realmsoul Polo stared downwards, his gaze focusing on Emperor Solesky. “Emperor Solesky, my master has decreed that Eternal Emperors are forbidden from breaching the Grand Waveshift Formation and entering this realm! However, since you were originally just a Daolord when you entered, your presence here will not be ruled a violation of the rules. Still, you must immediately depart from the Waveshift Realm. I’ll open up a corridor for you to leave through.”

  “Realmsoul Polo, please give me half a day first.” Emperor Solesky lifted his head and said in a clear voice, “I definitely will not damage any of the formations within the Waveshift Realm.” He knew that he had to give Ning a satisfactory explanation. Otherwise… although they wouldn’t go from being brothers to being mortal enemies, the relationship between the two of them would be dramatically impacted by today’s events.

  “Fine, but only half a day.” Polo agreed to his request.

  There were many Daolords in the Waveshift Realm, and virtually all of them were Verge-level Daolords. For them to attempt the Daomerge here was reasonable. If an Eternal Emperor from the outside world dared to enter by force, Realmsoul Polo definitely would’ve launched a counterstrike! His master, Emperor Waveshift, had left quite a few tricks and traps behind. However, if a Daolord within the realm actually made a breakthrough, Polo would simply congratulate them.