Chapter 1978: Reincarnation Heavenly Skill

Failure would mean complete destruction and starting from scratch. Only at this moment did Xu Yang finally understand why the old dragon soul possessed such profound insight into everything.

This was because he had experienced it all before, failing to take that final step in the ultimate battle to defeat the strongest being of the previous epoch of destruction. He had witnessed all his dragon companions fall due to his failure. One could only imagine the immense suffering he, with his immortal soul, had endured.

This time, for the sake of all his past companions and the glory of the entire main continent's civilization, Xu Yang resolved to achieve the final breakthrough and defeat the opponent standing in his way.

Xu Yang suddenly recalled this crucial question and abruptly spoke, continuing to question the Grand Dao.

"I want to clarify something," he said. "Is the so-called Tribulation of World Annihilation, and the mastermind behind it, the complete consciousness of the Supreme God?"

The voice of the Grand Dao resounded once more.

"The complete manifestation of the Supreme God's will is only a part of the final opponent you will face. I can also clearly tell you that the other part of that terrifying existence is the collective entity of the First Human Emperor to the Seventh Human Emperor."

Xu Yang was stunned on the spot.

"How is that possible?" he exclaimed. "Did the complete manifestation of the Supreme God's will devour all seven Human Emperors who ranked before me?"

The Grand Dao gently shook its head in response.

"It is not as you imagine. The so-called seven Human Emperors are, in fact, all manifestations of the First Human Emperor. Apart from the First Human Emperor's true body, the remaining five—the Second to the Sixth Human Emperors—are all Dao Embryos formed from the First Human Emperor's soul."

"This is because the First Human Emperor cultivated the most powerful cultivation method in history, the Heaven Rebirth Technique. Once he perfected its nine transformations, he would have become the Human Emperor Supreme, taking your place."

"Unfortunately, an incredibly powerful evil thought had already germinated within his heart. Furthermore, as the true body of the First Human Emperor, he was corrupted by an external civilization's creation—the complete will of the Supreme God. Thus, he lost the qualification to be the chosen one in your current position."

"I can even tell you with certainty that the First Human Emperor's talent and the power of his cultivation method were far greater than yours is now."

"Had he not been corrupted by the Supreme God's will, he would undoubtedly have become the Human Emperor Supreme. Alas, fate played a cruel trick on him. The Supreme God's will suddenly intruded during that epoch hundreds of thousands of years ago, and even my Grand Dao consciousness could not foresee it."

"Therefore, the First Human Emperor ultimately bore the misfortune that should have belonged to all living beings on the continent. It was as if this greatest tragedy was forcibly thrust upon him."

"What you must do is use your power to completely eradicate all evil thoughts within his heart and eliminate the Supreme God's will, thereby redeeming his soul."

After receiving the Grand Dao's guidance, Xu Yang clearly understood the task he had to accomplish, but he also realized how formidable the opponent he would ultimately face would be.

Xu Yang had just recently become the Eighth Human Emperor, successively defeating and conquering two generations of Human Emperors, both of whom were ranked at the very bottom. He understood all too well the immense power and talent required to become a Human Emperor. Such difficulty was simply unimaginable.

If Xu Yang were to live his life over again, he knew with certainty that he could never have reached his current level.

Yet, even with such immense difficulty, it seemed like child's play for the First Human Emperor, who achieved it effortlessly. He had lived six lives, becoming a Human Emperor in each. Such astonishing talent was indeed something Xu Yang could not compare to at present.

However, Xu Yang's greatest advantage compared to the First Human Emperor was his incredibly strong will. Since arriving hundreds of thousands of years ago in this current epoch, Xu Yang had dealt with the Supreme God's will more than once.

Each time he faced the temptations unleashed by the Supreme God's profound will, Xu Yang managed to stay true to his original self. This was the most crucial reason he had reached his current position and received the Grand Dao's guidance.

"Very well," the Grand Dao said. "I have told you everything I wished to. There is nothing more I can guide you on; everything must be accomplished by you alone. Our next conversation will be when the final outcome of the continent's world-ending war is decided."

"If you can truly become my master, the true and eternal protector of this main continent, then I shall accompany you for eternity."

A faint smile appeared on Xu Yang's face. At that moment, his expression was calm, and his mind was as still as water. This feeling gradually made him forget all the effects of the spatial laws on him, as if he were deep within an eternal dream. Unbeknownst to him, all sounds around him faded away.

During this time, Xu Yang also began to release all the colors within his soul world, and every ray of light from his soul resonated with a particular Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth in his surroundings.

He was like a seedling favored by all, nourished by all the light and nutrients of the entire world. However, whether he could ultimately grow into a towering tree remained to be seen and would be proven by time.

The appearance of the Primordial Bell was world-shaking news for every corner of the main continent. A century passed in a flash.

When Xu Yang had first disappeared, Long Kun, Xiao Hua, and others frantically searched almost every part of the main continent, but ultimately, they could not find a satisfactory result. Yet, none of Xu Yang's former companions chose to give up; they continued their search.

For powerhouses of Long Kun and Xiao Hua's caliber, a century was merely a fleeting moment. Then, a hundred years later, at the end of the nine heavens, an endless crimson suddenly descended, and the Primordial Bell consecutively rang out eighty-one long chimes.

Each deafening roar seemed to knock on the door leading to a new beginning for the world. However, now, everything appeared to be teetering on the brink of falling into hell.

All fragments of the Supreme God's will fully revived due to the descent of the crimson rainbow. Every corner of the world became enveloped in endless nightmares.

And after a century of dormancy, the disciples and puppet forces of the dark powers fully emerged in every regional civilization across the main continent.

Previously, the Supreme God's will had manifested as nine fragments, each overseeing one of the nine relatively independent civilized regions of the main continent. But at the very moment the countdown to the apocalypse began, the laws between all regions completely vanished, and the entire main continent merged once again into a single, unified civilization.

Everyone understood that the true catastrophe had arrived.