"In this battle, the Soul River has no idea what to do, and they will surely make a name for themselves!" Cao Ya whispered.

The creatures of the Soul River have lived for countless epochs. Over such a long period of time, the erosion of their Dao heart has been quite severe.

Therefore, many old monsters spend most of their time in slumber.

Alternatively, one could proactively seal away numerous irrelevant memories to prevent them from affecting one's Dao heart and causing stagnation.

Even if one's lifespan remains unchanged and one's soul and body are immortal, the aging and vicissitudes of the mind are the most troublesome, and will also cause one to lose the will to strive for progress, making it difficult to hope for advancement.

Generally, only at the moment of the birth and death of an era will the strange races fully revive.

At other times, at most a portion of the beings remain conscious and pay attention to all realms.

And this is their chance to catch Soul River off guard!

Of course, the necessary preparations are essential, and we must not be careless or underestimate the Soul River.

"On this journey, we will pierce through the darkness. Even if we never return, so what? We've been sharpening our swords for this very day. To die of old age would be utterly pointless."

The Black Emperor looked up at the sky and roared, his voice filled with a desolate yet furious tone, brimming with boundless fighting spirit!

Countless old friends from the past have died, including the Great Emperor Wushi. He had hoped to revive the Great Emperor and restore the heroes, but after many centuries, he had gained nothing. The Black Emperor also realized that finding the Three Lives Emperor Medicine was probably impossible in this lifetime!

Rather than waiting for time to ravage their bodies, for their injuries to become difficult to heal, and for their strength to decline further and further to an irreversible state, it would be better to take advantage of the fact that their power is still there and they have maintained the level of the Emperor Light Immortal King, and fight desperately to launch an attack on the Soul River!

Even if he dies on this mission, the Black Emperor will have no regrets! As long as he can take down a few powerful dark cultivators at the Immortal King level!

At worst, he could just die on the battlefield like the Holy Prince and the others, dragging the strange and formidable enemy to their demise—wouldn't that be a beautiful story? It would definitely not be a loss...

Black Emperor changed his mind without any hesitation, his will was resolute, and his murderous aura was overwhelming.

The corpse of the emperor he carried on his back and the broken bell he held in his hand seemed to sense something and swayed slightly.

"Great Emperor, you agree with my decision, don't you?" the Black Emperor murmured to himself, standing tall like an ancient behemoth, his black fur billowing, resembling a divine law of the Great Dao, capable of crushing the sun and moon and shattering the universe.

Cao Ya's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not reveal the secret. The body of the Great Emperor Wushi was infiltrating the Heavenly Emperor's Burial Pit. Revealing it would only lead to extremely terrible consequences. The strange Immortal Emperor was extremely powerful. Any clue could very well lead to the complete annihilation of all worlds, leaving no chance for life!

"The Heavenly Emperor has vanished, and the Great Emperor, you too have passed away. Although I am not in my strongest enlightened form now, and no longer possess the divine might of a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, I can still slaughter a group of Immortal Kings!"

"A blood debt must be repaid! Countless eons have passed, and we must still take revenge on the River of Souls for the countless blood debts of the past!"

The Black Emperor was unusually serious, not at all out of line. His expression was extremely solemn, and his eyes were exceptionally bright, even to the point of being captivating. They pierced through the void, passed through the Soul Light Cave, and descended into the silent Soul River!

Cao Ya was slightly shocked. Even though he already knew about the Black Emperor's power, he was still shocked at this moment!

"Even if the Black Emperor is just a projection of the remnant soul and obsession from the outside world, he is still terrifying. He is at least an unparalleled giant, most likely at the level of Emperor Light Immortal King, and his true form is even at the level of Quasi-Immortal Emperor!"

Cao Ya was solemn. His strength was far inferior to that of the Black Emperor. To catch up with the heroes of the Chaotic Ancient and Desolate Ancient eras and reach the realm of Quasi-Immortal Emperor, he still needed to accumulate vast amounts of time.

However, it is highly likely that the development of this era will not have that much time.

"Besides my own arduous cultivation, I hope that in other universes I can produce a few peak six-star beings... In the universes of [Peerless Being], [Immortal Gourd], [Primordial Era], [Stellar Transformation], [Desolate Era], and so on, there is still a sliver of hope, it's not zero..."

"If someone could attain the seventh level of Dao... alas, that's probably just wishful thinking..."

Cao Ya sighed inwardly. Seven-star level, how could it be such an easy realm to attain?!

Even if there is only a slight possibility, it would require millions of years of accumulation and other personal insights to draw inferences from one instance to another. If any one of these conditions is missing, even if all of them are met, the hope is still slim!

Cao Ya can only say that as long as you work hard and diligently, whether you succeed or not depends on future fortune!

"You bastard, why did you suddenly become so suicidal?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out beside the two. Cao Ya turned his head and saw that the void had shattered, and chaotic mist was gushing out. A rotting corpse appeared out of thin air, stepping out of the chaos beyond the boundary and appearing in the mortal realm.

The rotting corpse looked at the Black Emperor, sighed, and said, "Why did it have to come to this? You've aged to this extent, with no hope of regaining your Quasi-Immortal Emperor essence. Even if you go to the River of Souls, what great results can you achieve?"

Black Emperor grinned and said, "I knew you, you unscrupulous Taoist priest, wouldn't just sit idly by!"

The corpse rolled its eyes. "You bastard, you're trying to play me for a fool. Wait until you're dead, then I'll dig up your grave..."

The corpse pondered, then sighed softly again. Of the countless heroes of the ancient era, more than half had perished, and many of the remaining ones were still missing, their fates unknown.

Even if he wanted to dig up the grave, he wouldn't be able to find the burial site anymore.

At this moment, the Black Emperor introduced, "He is an unscrupulous Taoist priest. Stay away from him, lest you be unable to rest in peace after death and be robbed by him." He then introduced Cao Ya to the corpse and explained the relevant situation.

"So he was a great supernatural being from the era of the Three Heavenly Emperors!" Cao Ya cupped his hands, knowing that the corpse was Duan De. Before the Desolate Ancient Era, he had been Cao Yusheng of the Chaotic Ancient Era, the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerable of the Myth, and the Underworld Emperor. He had many identities and was quite complex, but his stance was beyond doubt.

Cao Ya from [Perfect World] is Cao Yu's senior, while Cao Ya from [Covering the Sky] is on par with Duan De. Only Cao Ya from [Sacred Ruins] is far behind, inferior in both seniority and strength!

However, although each of the three parts of the "Covering the Sky" trilogy features a time traveler, they exist in parallel universes, seemingly related but actually having no connection. Therefore, this so-called relationship has no impact.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable!" The rotting corpse bowed, glanced at Cao Ya, and nodded in agreement, considering what the Black Emperor had said.

"He is a promising talent! In hundreds of thousands of years, he will become the strongest in the Universe Realm, no less than the Ten Fiends of the Immortal Ancient Era, and comparable to the Mortal Immortal of the Desolate Ancient Era!"

"In terms of age, those around you are the Heavenly Emperors. Although I was once a mortal immortal, the years I've lived... ha, you don't even have a fraction of that!"

As the corpse spoke, it chuckled. Its age was similar to that of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor. The Ye Heavenly Emperor, the Ruthless Great Emperor, and the Wushi Great Emperor were all its juniors.

The big dog next to him was from more than an era later than him!

Black Emperor and Duan De have been birds of a feather since the post-ancient era. Just by looking at the expression on the corpse, how could they not know what he was thinking?

When he first entered the Immortal Realm and connected with the myriad worlds, Duan De repeatedly relied on his seniority and acted like a senior, claiming that he was a master at getting his hands on all sorts of good things and doing the work of ambushing people.

The Three Emperors ignored him, but the Black Emperor had a lot of verbal battles with him, which caused chaos!

"My past life was back in the ancient era, much earlier than yours, you unscrupulous Taoist, call me 'senior' and let me hear it!" the Black Emperor snorted, not willing to back down.

"Nonsense!" The corpse's face darkened. This dog insisted that he was the reincarnation of the little dog adopted by the Immortal King Wuzhong in the ancient times. During the chaotic ancient era, he had even interacted with the Desolate Emperor and others. Later, during the Desolate Ancient era, he was reincarnated again and continued to follow the Great Emperor Wushi. Then, he was sealed away for 100,000 years and awakened during the era of Emperor Ye Tian's rise.

Cao Ya, standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. These two, as expected, started arguing as soon as they met!

“Hey, the little one’s here. It’s been so many years since I’ve seen him. I’ve missed him terribly.”

Suddenly, the corpse looked up at the horizon and smiled.

963, suspended in mid-air, nearly threw out his back. His forehead was covered in black lines. He held a tattered, rusty spear and showed no signs of life, as if it had been discarded by the mortal world.

But all three people present knew that this tattered spear was of extraordinary quality and was the work of the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!

This is one of the remaining trump cards of the First Mountain, left behind by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor. At critical moments, it can unleash supreme killing intent that can pierce through the chaotic heavens!

The corpse gazed at the spear with a touch of nostalgia. When the Desolate Emperor rose to power, it was his first incarnation and his close friend. Unfortunately, the Desolate Emperor disappeared for countless eons, just like another friend from later generations—the Ye Emperor—whose whereabouts remain unknown.

"Don't call me that so affectionately, I don't know you at all," 963 retorted, flicking his hand to put away the spear.

The rotting corpse laughed, "How could that be! The Desolate Emperor and I are brothers. During the chaotic ancient era, when the Heavenly Court was established, I even stayed there. Back then, you were still running around in open-crotch pants, with snot hanging from your nose..."

"Stop! Stop!" Jiu Liu San looked displeased. He was one of the eight hundred disciples of the Chaotic Ancient Heavenly Court. By the time he was cultivating, Shi Hao had already risen to prominence, and Cao Yusheng was also a master of the human path. To be honest, he could indeed be considered a junior of the Corpse, but there was no need to keep bringing up such embarrassing childhood stories.

As a Celestial King, he still had some dignity to maintain!

The corpse chuckled, but didn't continue recounting 963's embarrassing moments, since there were younger generations present.

Cao Ya touched his nose. He really wanted to say that in another parallel universe, during the Chaotic Ancient Era, there was also a me, who was your elder!

"Stop stalling. Everyone's here, so we can set off. If we delay any longer, some spies and traitors might awaken the experts of the Soul River." The Black Emperor urged, carrying the Emperor's corpse on his back, eager to charge into the Soul River!

"This is my first real encounter with the supernatural!" Cao Ya said softly, his tone serious but also filled with anticipation.

The spies and traitors killed in the outer realms were either from the mortal world or had made significant changes to their cultivation paths to adapt to the mortal world and conceal their identities. However, they did not possess the complete and bizarre cultivation abilities and there was a big difference between them!

"Those bastards, you can't kill them all, you can't wipe them out. As long as you're not dead, you'll have plenty to kill!" the Corpse said, rubbing his hands together, eager to fight, even if he wasn't at the peak, he wanted to conquer the enemies of the Soul River just like the Black Emperor!

"Master Uncle, wait for me!"

Just then, a figure tore through the void and arrived, covered in dust and tattered clothes, panting heavily, as if he were extremely exhausted.

"It's you? Haha, good, good! Another old friend is still alive!"

Both Hei Huang and Duan De were overjoyed and patted the newcomer on the shoulder, extremely excited.

"Hehe." The newcomer chuckled, touching his forehead, which was shiny; he was a bald man.

"Hua Hua! One of Ye Fan's disciples!" Cao Ya thought to himself. Hua Hua was Ye Fan's disciple, who followed the path of Buddhism. His cultivation was extremely high, and he might even be a supreme giant among the Immortal Kings!

Given a favorable environment, a wealth of superior techniques and unique skills, and as long as one's own aptitude and comprehension are sufficient, and there is ample time, rising to prominence is generally not an inconceivable thing.

Of course, some bottlenecks and obstacles are extremely difficult to overcome, and it is normal to be stuck for hundreds of millions of years or even until one perishes!

"After hearing about the changes in the mortal realm, I rushed from another distant world, traversing countless heavens, and finally arrived," Hua Hualang laughed. "How could I not go to attack the River of Souls?"

"Even if we die in the end, we will drag seventy or eighty strange cultivators down with us!" Duan De said, his fighting spirit growing ever stronger.

The Black Emperor paused for a moment, then asked, "Have you encountered anyone else all these years?"

Hua Hua, abandoning her boldness, replied softly, "There shouldn't be any more. At most, there are some descendants or disciples who have multiplied in various realms."

Upon hearing this, the Black Emperor couldn't help but sigh. He wished that many of his old friends were still slumbering in realms unknown to him, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to heal their wounds.

"It's also possible that I haven't traveled much and don't know much about the world." Hua Hua suddenly laughed again. Most of the time, he was recuperating from his injuries and indeed knew very little about the affairs of the myriad worlds. This time, it was the upheaval in the mortal realm that alerted his backup plan, which is why he woke up and rushed back!

Otherwise, he might have to remain asleep for millions of years before waking up.

"Sigh, it's still better than us," Jiu Liu San said with a wry smile. "Apart from Cao Yusheng... oh, now it's that unscrupulous Taoist priest named Duan De, I can't find a single other person!"

A group of people looked sorrowful. In the chaotic and desolate ancient times, as well as other eras, countless geniuses, heroes, goddesses, and saints had emerged. But now, only a handful of them remained. The past glory had long been buried in the dust of history and could not be reproduced, leaving only endless grief for those who remained.

"If the Heavenly Emperor were to be resurrected, with the power of the Immortal Emperor, perhaps history could be reflected..." the Black Emperor said softly, gripping the broken bell tightly with his claws.

"The Desolate Heavenly Emperor, the Leaf Heavenly Emperor, and the Ruthless Great Emperor should still be alive, fighting against the Immortal Emperors and Ancestors of the strange races in places unknown to us! Beyond the myriad realms, places like the Sacrifice Sea are dangerous places that we dare not easily set foot in, so it is not surprising that there are any phenomena there," Duan De said.

Hua Hua was also very distressed. Gazing at the Soul Light Cave, she only uttered a single word filled with resentment: "Kill!"

Cao Ya remained silent, assuming that he was merely a person from later times and unable to join in the poignant words of a prehistoric master.

"Those masters are indeed dead. Even if the two emperors, Huangye and Dihuang, create a strange world to reflect and revive the heroes, it will take hundreds of millions of years before they can be expected to reappear."

Cao Ya sighed inwardly. The war between the myriad realms and the strange forces had failed countless times, with countless casualties. Even with the divine power of the two emperors, Huang Ye, they had to hide for eternity, waiting for the right opportunity to defeat the enemy. They still had no absolute certainty...

Its power is so bizarre and unparalleled that it is unprecedented in history!

Cao Ya would naturally not speak out without permission, thus exposing the two emperors' scheme, causing the entire plan to fail before it even began, resulting in a complete defeat and making him a sinner for all time!

Just like several celestial emperors who, with their backs to all living beings and concealing their secrets from relatives and friends, secretly plotted to overthrow their strange ruling positions.

As fellow Immortal Emperors, they became increasingly aware of the terror of the Mysterious Immortal Emperor and the Mysterious Ancestor!

The slightest oversight could lead to the severing of all lifelines and utter failure!

"It's not the right time yet..."