Chapter 1089: The Origin of the Heavenly Emperor Calendar

The first year of the Heavenly Emperor era witnessed a monumental event in the Yang Realm.

At that time, the Great Dao roared as the Chaos Mace, Myriad Calamity Mirror, and an ancient lamp simultaneously appeared. They swiftly converged, joined by other fragments that flew from a desolate land, merging into the three artifacts to form a hazy and indistinct object.

The ultimate powerhouses, dormant within the Yang Realm, sensed this, and all were inexplicably shocked. Was this the complete manifestation of the Great Dao’s essence?

Ji Caixuan recounted the old events of that year in detail.

In those days, all top powerhouses were deeply stirred, speculating that someone had finally taken the crucial step to become an ultimate evolver! They deduced this from the three artifacts and smaller fragments, and through further inference, they believed a being had successfully evolved.

Those ultimate powerhouses possessed profound abilities. To evolve and grow stronger, they had excavated various ancient ruins and explored countless paths, gaining an extremely deep understanding of the evolutionary journey. In their initial deductions, the ultimate powerhouses already knew that the merging of the three artifacts with other smaller fragments heralded the formation of the ultimate Fruit Status in the Yang Realm.

“Therefore, people at that time believed an Emperor had been born, having reached the ultimate realm of the evolutionary path,” Ji Caixuan said, her eyes sparkling as she recalled that momentous event, her heart stirred. That year, the strongest evolutionary lineages, including the Buddhist Clan, Heng Clan, Ji Clan, Dao Clan, and Li Clan, all unanimously believed that someone had indeed successfully taken that step. Consequently, that year was named the first year of the Heavenly Emperor.

So that’s how it was—a revelation that caused Chu Feng’s heart to surge with emotion.

Was there a Heavenly Emperor in the Yang Realm?

You Yu mumbled, “But we’ve never seen him! We have a Heavenly Emperor calendar, but for crying out loud, we have no idea what this overlord looks like or where he is.”

In fact, this was a common doubt among others, and something Chu Feng himself wished to understand.

“Indeed, no one has ever seen the so-called Heavenly Emperor, because he might not even exist,” Ji Caixuan sighed, the divine light in her eyes dimming. Initially, everyone saw hope, believing the path of evolution was not broken. With a clear goal, the ultimate realm they had deduced seemed truly achievable. Yet, to their dismay, just as the evolvers in the Yang Realm unanimously believed someone had succeeded, merely a few days later, the condensed Great Dao and the merged tangible artifacts suddenly cracked and disintegrated once more!

The Chaos Mace, Myriad Calamity Mirror, and the ancient lamp each shot off in a different direction, while even smaller fragments scattered like shooting stars! At that moment, all top powerhouses trembled, speechless, staring wide-eyed at the void, unable to accept the outcome. The supposed success, the theoretical step taken, turned out to be a mere illusion, a mirage. Had that so-called overlord truly failed?

Too many powerful evolvers had fallen on the path, and ultimate figures were destined to die tragically. No one had ever been able to take that final step. From ancient times until now, all races had been exploring the path forward, hoping for success. Yet, after finally seeing a glimmer of hope, despair returned in the end!

“People did not abandon their original intention; they continued to explore, and they still designated that year as the first year of the Heavenly Emperor,” Ji Caixuan said with regret.

“So there was such a hidden truth! I was born in the Yang Realm and yet I never knew such a monumental event had occurred!” Fairy Phoenix sighed.

“That’s because your clan’s ancestors haven’t told you yet,” Ji Caixuan said, confident that with the family’s profound heritage, they surely knew the truth of that year.

Of course, each clan’s interpretations differed, and the historical events passed down to their descendants could also vary. For instance, even now, some top evolutionary families hold the view that someone truly became an ultimate evolver back then, worthy of being revered as the Heavenly Emperor, and is still alive! Naturally, adherents of this view also admit that the ultimate evolver’s physical condition is currently poor, suggesting a mishap occurred, and they are now in dormancy.

Furthermore, another view holds that the ultimate evolver is not merely a theoretical Fruit Status deduced by people; someone might have achieved it even in the most ancient times. For instance, during the Buried Immortal Era, it’s highly probable such a master appeared! However, in that era, not only were Immortals buried, but much of the Yang Realm was also entombed. Some even believe that the ancestors of various clans in the Yang Realm perished alongside the Immortals or were trapped in a spacetime rift.

The astonishing phenomena in the first year of the Heavenly Emperor, where several artifacts attempted to merge into a complete entity, were very likely caused by an ultimate master, whose path was cut off in the Buried Immortal Era, briefly re-opening a path for return, thus leading to that anomaly. Unfortunately, that path was still broken when he attempted to return.

All of these are mere speculations, different views held by ultimate ancestors, none supported by concrete evidence.

Hearing Ji Caixuan’s account, Chu Feng felt increasingly heavy-hearted. The Yang Realm was simply unfathomable; he always sensed that someone was steering the course of events, orchestrating a grand scheme. He even suspected that even a truly dominant and unstoppable figure, like the resurrected individual from Yongzhou, might not be able to fully step off this chessboard.

“Everyone, there’s no need to doubt or worry,” Ji Caixuan said. “If the one from Yongzhou hadn’t met with an accident back then, how could he have stopped at controlling only a fraction of the territory? He was at the peak of his power. And now, he’s returned alive, truly in control of everything, destined to be the Yang Realm’s strongest player.”

Ji Caixuan said this, intending to draw those present to Yongzhou, clearly valuing the families and lineages they represented.

The atmosphere was heavy; who could easily express their stance?

Chu Feng lowered his head in thought, feeling that this world was shrouded in thick fog and the Yang Realm was far too terrifying; its depths were enough to drown even the most supreme evolvers. He thought of the mud figurine sitting cross-legged in the Cycle of Reincarnation realm, and the crude stone millstone along the path. He also recalled a group of decaying gods and devils, carrying Reincarnation Blades, forging a path to an unknown destination, whom he had seen upon returning from the foreign land where he had practiced the Small Six Path Time Art.

Undoubtedly, the aspect of reincarnation harbored ultimate terrors, and the beings capable of participating were unimaginably powerful. Next, he naturally thought of the Buried Immortal Era and the potentially existing fractured spacetime. What was buried there? And who emerged victorious between the Immortals and the Yang Realm evolvers? Delving deeper into this was quite unsettling; if certain beings were to return one day, monumental events were guaranteed!

Undoubtedly, the so-called Buried Immortal fractured spacetime held secrets that could shake all of history and involved ultimate strategists. At the same time, there were terrifying special nodes throughout evolutionary history. If one were to seek them out, the vanished evolutionary branches must harbor terrifying karma. The Yang Realm itself might now be merely one evolutionary branch. If all these were to be uncovered, Chu Feng merely pondered it for a moment and felt a chill run down his spine, his scalp tingling, a sense of terror emerging from the depths of his soul light.

“Furthermore, there’s also a so-called Buried Heaven era…”

Chu Feng’s head ached. He thought of all these aspects, each involving beings of the strongest caliber, true strategists, yet appearing separated and independent from each other. Some traversed ancient and modern times, such as the Cycle of Reincarnation realm. Some were buried in the past, like the Buried Immortal Era. While others seemed to be in fractured spacetime…

He vigorously shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore. He swore that after leaving this place, he would find a suitable location for secluded cultivation, such as famous mountains, great rivers, or perilous lands with immense opportunities. Until he cultivated to a certain level, he did not plan to show himself again! No matter what he wanted to do in the future—seek revenge or live freely—only sufficient strength would be the most secure guarantee to support him throughout his journey.

At this moment, Ji Caixuan was strenuously trying to win over the Roc Emperor, knowing that the Sub-Immortal Clan stood behind him, as the Roc Emperor’s fiancée hailed from that clan. It was clear that the Ji Clan, one of the strongest aristocratic families in the Yang Realm, had personally entered the fray this time, determined to stir up boundless turmoil and support the individual from Yongzhou.

“Everyone, I will reveal just one point,” Ji Caixuan warned. “In this changing situation, at the crossroads of fate, no one can remain aloof. All forces must participate and make their choice wisely.”

Next, she had a secret discussion with Li Jiuxiao: if he could persuade the ultimate evolutionary aristocratic Li Clan to support the individual from Yongzhou, a marriage alliance between the Ji Clan and the Li Clan would not be out of the question. Hearing this, Li Jiuxiao’s blood surged, his eyes glowed with fervor, and he immediately became excited. However, he quickly regained his composure. After all, as the Tenth Divine King of the current era, he always maintained his rationality. He sighed lightly, recognizing that while he was a carefully groomed successor within his clan, influencing the decisions of the dormant ultimate ancestors was an impossible task. The difficulty was simply too great.

“Fairy Caixuan, are you certain that the individual from Yongzhou has broken free, transcending all, and is one of the strongest players in the Yang Realm?” Chu Feng asked earnestly.

Everyone was surprised. The so-called strategists were beings even ancient existences wouldn’t dare discuss, let alone them. Yet Chu Feng, a mere young boy, showed such concern, which seemed a bit odd.

“I am certain that after dying once, he was reborn from the ashes, returned through nirvana, and is stronger than before!” Ji Caixuan said solemnly.

Not far away, the Nine Netherworld Creature in the stone coffin was secretly grieving, while also feeling a deep shock. Its elder brother had also suddenly passed away during his prime back then. Could it be that he too… Its heart pounded violently. However, it shook its head again. If there truly was a grand game, its elder brother would certainly be qualified to participate, and as a top player. The Nine Netherworld Creature felt that its elder brother’s demise must be different from that of the individual from Yongzhou, implying another hidden truth.

At this moment, Chu Feng pondered that, setting aside the Cycle of Reincarnation realm, the Buried Immortal Era, and evolutionary branches, the current upheaval in the Yang Realm alone would require a terrifying touchstone. That touchstone would be the Martial Madman! It remained to be seen if this old fellow would make a move—whether he would personally enter the fray or remain detached and observe coldly. Many things could be discerned based on the Martial Madman’s reaction then. Because the mere fact that the Martial Madman had survived the sinister plot of the Nine Netherworld Creature’s elder brother, escaping covered in blood, meant he possessed sufficient qualifications to participate. Few in this world knew that the Martial Madman was still alive.

“I wonder if the Buddhist Clan and Heng Clan will also enter the fray to support a contender,” Phoenix said, recognizing it as a very serious question.

Ji Caixuan replied, “No one can remain aloof; they will choose a side to support.”

“Everyone, I must take my leave now. I want to return to my clan immediately.”

“Hmm, I also need to leave,” another said. “After today’s farewell, I wonder if we will meet on the battlefield, drawing blades against each other.”

Some people couldn’t sit still, all wanting to return to their respective sects. A major event had occurred in the Yang Realm, and early preparations were necessary.