Chapter 206: Centuries

Xu Zhi paused, tightened his oxygen mask, and flew higher, gradually approaching the limits of the sky. "Any higher, and it will be close to a vacuum. My wizard's protective shield might not be able to withstand it."

After a brief attempt at exploration, Xu Zhi gave up, musing again, "The energy consumption is indeed too great. Flying alone used up nearly 70% of a legendary wizard's vast mental power. This is a problem a hot air balloon could solve, yet it exhausts a legendary wizard to the brink of collapse. However, landing doesn't require as much. The test of a Level Six wizard's power ends here."

Whoosh!

Taking a deep breath, Xu Zhi began his free fall.

"This is much more thrilling than bungee jumping."

After his "bungee jump," Xu Zhi was covered in sweat, his head still reeling from the intense sensation of falling. He took a shower to freshen up. Afterward, he emerged from the living room in his shorts, took a comfortable deep breath, and lay on the black sofa. He began to ponder how he, now capable of ascending into the heavens like a rocket, could take Emperor Qi into space and release him into the universe.

At this very moment, the forum was in an uproar.

"Holy crap! Game developers, come out and take your beating!"

"Terrifying! The cheat-like Dragon Abyss and Emperor Qi! Is this boss seriously that hardcore? We worked so hard on the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art for so long, and then he just instantly learned it!"

"This reminds me of some terrifying martial arts prodigies."

"Wuji, is that you? (Image of the Golden-Haired Lion King reaching out blindly)."

"Emperor Qi, he's too strong! He's absolutely shameless! He doesn't have the talent or genius to forge new paths or innovate, but he possesses an astonishing learning ability. He ruthlessly copies and pastes, then integrates everything, making it his own. He even constantly refines it, masters it, and surpasses the original creators, then turns around and beats them all! He unites the entire world!"

"This reminds me of a certain company."

"But no matter what, he has crushed era after era. We can't beat him!"

They opened the door and released "Dao Changsheng," using this honest young man, who had once made them cry with frustration, to actually infuriate the Ancestral Witches to death. Everyone was still discussing and laughing maniacally, cheerfully asking about the extent of their psychological trauma. But who knew, before Dao Changsheng could even show off for long, the even more formidable Emperor Qi intervened and beat him to a pulp.

They were all stunned!

Their smiles gradually froze on the spot, realizing that the situation's development was causing extreme discomfort.

How could there be such a person in this world?

Originally, their plan had been rehearsed countless times: Dao Changsheng was absolutely invincible, a safe haven for the world whom no one could defeat. But then a cheater appeared!

The Ancient World.

*The Western Chronicle* records:

In the 321st year of the Kaiyuan Heavenly Court, Emperor Dao emerged, turning the tide from collapse, propping up a crumbling edifice. He fought a bloody battle against eleven ancient Heavenly Emperors in the Grand Luo Heaven, saving the world from a great calamity.

Dao Changsheng said, "Emperor Qi is too arrogant; he possesses a formidable demeanor and will not break his word. He will surely return to the Grand Luo Heaven in a hundred years, intending to easily defeat me again using my own techniques."

"All living beings in the world can come out and recuperate during these hundred years."

Creatures on Earth gradually began to emerge and recuperate. After all, Dao Changsheng's inner world was ultimately too small for long-term habitation, serving only as a refuge in emergencies.

Dao Changsheng, however, remained silent, looking at his teachers and slowly bowing. "Teachers, I will walk the path from now on."

The surrounding individuals looked at him, paused, and then nodded, for they, too, had run out of ideas.

It was then that Meng Mei and her group realized that Dao Changsheng had always followed the path they designed for him, constantly cultivating without ever having his own opinion.

He was only fifty years old!

With a hundred years left, could he truly not defeat Emperor Qi?

Perhaps their role as teachers could no longer help him grow; instead, it was limiting his genius.

He hadn't experienced tempering, and thus hadn't grown. Perhaps he could now forge his own unique path.

"At this moment, I have no one left to rely on, not even my teachers can solve this problem..."

Dao Changsheng took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground.

For three full months, he constantly evaluated the terrifying man in his mind—his posture, his every move.

"My talent is far inferior to his. He's too terrifying... Unsolvable, almost unsolvable!" Dao Changsheng's eyes grew complex. The terrifying, perfect man had no flaws; when he appeared next, he would undoubtedly have learned Dao Changsheng's Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art and use it to defeat him!

Dao Changsheng fell silent once more.

Three more years passed.

He remained motionless, and the area around him gradually transformed into a lush green grassland. His body even became covered in verdant moss, as if he had turned into a statue.

He suddenly opened his eyes. "There is still one way. Although his talent is ten thousand times greater than mine, he is an extreme specialist, lacking the ability to innovate. Therefore, my only advantage against him is my capacity for innovation."

"I can relentlessly advance my cultivation technique! As long as the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art continuously grows stronger, his learning speed won't keep up with mine, and I can leave him far behind!"

He began to integrate the cultivation technique.

Although his teachers had pioneered this technique, he was the one who cultivated it, and only he truly understood its various insights.

He could clearly feel that the "Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art" given to him was fragmented, imperfect, and largely flawed—merely a rudimentary form. Although the nine spaces were powerful, they weren't truly unified; they hadn't coalesced into a cohesive whole.

"I've cultivated the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art for fifty years, and now I have a hundred years to perfect it. If I can completely integrate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, it will be infinitely more powerful than it is now." He took a deep breath.

"Emperor Qi's terrifying strength lies in his learning ability. In our next encounter, as long as my advancement speed is fast enough and I continuously update the technique, Emperor Qi's learning speed won't be able to keep up with me!"

"Instead, because he learned my old technique, he now has a fatal flaw with the nine vital points, giving me the only chance to defeat him by overcoming a stronger opponent!"

Dao Changsheng murmured.

He was too young, only fifty years old. It was this moment of crisis that truly matured him, allowing him to genuinely possess the magnanimity and vision of a Heavenly Emperor capable of suppressing an entire era!

Pressure leads to growth.

Previously, he had lived under the protection of his teachers, who solved all his problems while he only focused on cultivation. Only when confronted with a problem that even his teachers despaired of, did he begin to explore his own unique path.

Another fifty years passed, and he gradually innovated upon the "Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art" he had learned, thoroughly transforming it into his own unique cultivation method.

He integrated the nine vital points with the central dantian, forming a unified whole. He named this technique: Nine Stars Aligned.

From this point on, the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art was thoroughly mastered and developed into his own distinct style.

"What terrifying combat wisdom," Meng Mei's eyes gleamed. "His pure and flawless Glass Heart allows him to focus intently, which might enable him to create miracles. His innate talent is indeed unprecedented and ranks among the top three, though far inferior to the monstrous Emperor Qi. However, his combat wisdom and strategy are no less than Emperor Qi's, so it's not impossible for him to defeat him."

She watched the child she had raised with her own hands finally grow up completely, feeling a mix of emotions. After all, she was only in her early twenties, yet the "baby" she had raised was already over a hundred years old.

"You're no longer pure..." Thunder Hammer remarked from beside her.

Ten more years passed.

The entire prosperous world was once again integrated. Countless beings migrated inwards, and the land outside became desolate, dark, and lifeless once more.

Countless earthly holy lands, Daoist sects, and even the gods of the Heavenly Court were discussing the situation.

"Don't worry," someone said. "Emperor Dao once stopped them. It's not impossible for him to create another miracle now."

"Heaven blesses the beings of our world. When the great catastrophe descended, Emperor Dao appeared, with combat power terrifying to the extreme, thwarting the ancient Heavenly Emperors' world-destroying plans."

"The blood of all beings will not be shed in vain," whispered Emperor Duan. "The Human Era of ancient times, the Era of Ancient Gods, the Era of Ancestral Witches—all are about to end here. Today, we shall sever all ancient and decaying existences."

They began to migrate inward. During this process, some cried, believing victory was impossible, while others comforted each other. This day's battle was a historical event that would shake the Ancient Era and surely be recorded in history.

At this point, Emperor Dao could rightly be called the strongest Heavenly Emperor throughout history. Yet, he was about to face the most ancient existences, and their hearts were not at peace. Although over the past century, the three quasi-emperors from back then had also successively claimed the title of Emperor.

Emperor Dao had also perfected his Golden Body, allowing it to accommodate several more Heavenly Emperors. Now, in addition to the original three quasi-emperors, Emperor Duan, Emperor Zhan Shen, and Emperor Qing—a total of five Heavenly Emperors—entered and empowered his body, making him incredibly strong. This was the last hope for the entire world.

However, they were about to face the strongest Heavenly Emperor in all of history!

And a hundred years was enough time to change many things.

Dao Changsheng's gaze had grown calm and profound. He was no longer a callow youth. His clothes were somewhat worn, his black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and the faint white glow that once emanated from his body was gone. He even appeared somewhat thin.

He simply waited calmly and silently in place for Emperor Qi's arrival. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky with emotion. "When I was young, I only sought to save my mother. I never imagined I would now bear the hope of the entire world... Perhaps after today, I will no longer be myself."

Whoosh!

The Grand Luo Heaven opened. A majestic and perfect ancient being, with a crystalline body resembling a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, radiating a faint white glazed light, stepped forth. He gazed calmly at Dao Changsheng, his voice cold. "Young man, we meet again."

He paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You've changed."