Upon hearing Cao Ya's question, the Eternal Emperor remained silent for a long while, then shook his head and said:

“I can’t answer that. I hope that my path will lead to the other side, but such things… indeed, as you said, depend on the facts. If we only talk about ‘hope,’ who here doesn’t hope for it?”

Everyone listened in silence.

Yes, the other shore is their lifelong pursuit, something they dream of achieving.

Over the past 120,000 years, countless people have passed away, but only a handful of them have made it this far.

But among them, can a being truly reach the other shore?

No one has the answer to this question, and no one is certain of its outcome.

“In short: ‘Man proposes, God disposes!’ At worst, we’ll just fall on the way to the other side. What’s there to fear?” Hong Yi said, his will resolute, full of determination and unyielding spirit.

"Ah, falling on the road to the other shore... Over countless eons, countless people have fallen on this road, too many to count, probably exceeding hundreds of millions," sighed the Eternal Emperor.

"The only regret is that things from the past eras cannot be preserved. When a new era begins and new beings are born, we will have to start all over again." Cao Ya shook his head and said, "If we could stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, perhaps the other shore would have already appeared. Who knows?"

An era in the world of Yang Shen seems long, lasting 129,600 years, but upon closer examination, it is actually quite short.

Most importantly, the other side of the [Yang Shen] world is an extremely ethereal realm that no one has ever reached.

Even the path to the other shore is subject to disagreement among people due to differing beliefs.

Otherwise, how could this scene have happened today?

"I wonder if there were people like us in the past eras, or if there were any kings of divine artifacts?" The Longevity Emperor spoke with a longing tone, then turned somber.

"What a pity, what a pity..."

The Emperor of Immortality, after speaking, sighed several times and said:

“My initial thought was not much different from yours. We all wanted to use the King of Divine Artifacts to cross the Sea of ​​Bitterness and reach that illusory other shore. But later, I realized that even the person who forged the King of Divine Artifacts was still struggling to cross the Sea of ​​Bitterness. So why should the King of Divine Artifacts forged by such a person be able to cross the Sea of ​​Bitterness?”

The smile on the face of the Immortal Emperor had faded, leaving only a sense of vicissitude, antiquity, and sorrow.

This first person of antiquity did not actually look old, but rather somewhere between middle age and adulthood. Whether smiling or sorrowful, everything about him was perfectly natural, as if following the natural way.

Moreover, the expression of the Longevity Emperor carried a magical charm that could even be visualized by beings at the "Creator" level who had undergone seven tribulations of lightning, thereby enhancing their cultivation.

At present, the greatest threat to Cao Ya is not the Daoist of Creation, nor the many powerful figures inside the Ark of Creation, nor the large number of experts in the Eternal Kingdom, but the Longevity Emperor, the "Number One Yang God"!

Of course, Cao Ya was not afraid at all; no thought of retreating or being cowardly even crossed his mind.

“Brother Changsheng, I disagree with your view,” said the Daoist of Creation. “The King of Divine Artifacts is merely an auxiliary means. The human world is a sea of ​​suffering, and all beings are drowning within it. If one could escape this sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore solely through one's own strength, that would naturally be the best outcome. However, what are the chances of that? You and I both know in our hearts—extremely slim. When necessary, what is wrong with using the power of external objects to climb to the other shore? Power, as long as it is under my control, is my power, whether it originates from a divine artifact, a physical body, a divine soul, or a servant!”

Barn

The Creator was also resolute in his will. He believed in absolute power and wanted to rely on the most powerful force in countless eras to forcibly break free from the sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore.

Although, his current strength is not enough to be called "the strongest".

Putting aside other matters, the three of them—the Longevity Emperor, Ya, and Hong Yi—are no less capable than the Creation Daoist.

"This Daoist of Creation... sigh, he's thinking the same thing as me." Cao Ya thought to himself, he also held the idea of ​​"proving the Dao through force".

However, unlike the Daoist of Creation, who can only wander and exert himself in the world of Yang God, exhausting his efforts to enhance every bit of power and increase the chance of reaching the other shore, Cao Ya can experience and cultivate in many universes. The source of his power is very complicated and quite special.

Moreover, some universes have reached a level of five-star, six-star, or even seven-star.

Therefore, Cao Ya truly has the potential to "prove the Way through force".

There are also Daoists of Creation, but their numbers are much, much smaller.

"On the other side, one can have a bridge or not. The bridge builder has the heart of a bridge builder, and the boat builder has the heart of a boat builder..." Hong Yi said softly. After merging with the spirits of the various philosophers, his mind was free from any hindrances, and he achieved perfect enlightenment, attaining the highest realm of the soul path, the Yang God. He finally stood on the same level as the Longevity Emperor and the Creation Daoist.

“Emperor of Immortality, since you don’t need this bridge, please go down. There’s no need to suppress it.” Hong Yi spoke, his mind emanating a fluctuation as he attempted to communicate with the Golden Bridge on the other side.

However, the Eternal Emperor was like a divine mountain, a world unto himself. He stood on the bridge, pressing down on the golden bridge on the other side, rendering it immobile.

No matter how Hong Yi tried to communicate, it had no effect whatsoever.

Hong Yi understood that only by defeating the Longevity Emperor could he obtain the Golden Bridge to the Other Shore left behind by the ancient philosophers.

If Hong Yi had the Golden Bridge on the other side, he could say that he had a near-perfect chance of winning.

Right now, it's around 50-60%, just over half.

This is already very good; previously it was only two or three tenths.

"I once discussed the Dao with the philosophers and made a bet. None of them could defeat me. But they said that there was one last one among them who had not yet appeared. When that one appeared, he would completely defeat me. Now, 'Yi Zi,' you have appeared. It is time to continue the bet," the Eternal Emperor laughed.

Perhaps this is why he had a neutral attitude towards Hong Yi's attainment of Yang Shen.

Of course, Cao Ya's attack did indeed have some impact on the Longevity Emperor. His figure swayed, his strength deviated for a moment, and the suppression force had a gap, allowing the spirits of his sons to break free.

"Are you two going to fulfill your bet? I'll be watching." The Creator Daoist said calmly.

"Brother Zaohua, you are still the same as you were back then, unchanged at all. It is a good thing that your true nature remains unchanged." The Longevity Emperor laughed. "Yi Zi, defeat those people and then challenge me. If you die at their hands, it will show that your strength is far from enough. Then I will naturally win the bet between me and the other disciples."

Upon hearing the words of the Eternal Emperor, Cao Ya immediately smiled.

"The Immortal Emperor, you are truly confident. Nevertheless, I do believe you have the ability."

The Eternal Emperor smiled and nodded at Cao Ya.