Cao Ya saw that from the sliver of light that appeared in the Heavenly Gate, various divine beasts roared, and cranes danced in the sky. A magnificent and colorful world seemed to be about to appear.
Unfortunately, at the last moment, the Heavenly Gate stopped and did not fully open!
“We’re still a little short… Perhaps, if we just sacrifice one more emperor, we can do it.” The emperors were excited, their eyes burning with fervor. They not only stared at the Golden Crow Emperor, but also kept a wary eye on each other.
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Instead, Cao Ya and Ye Fan, who had not yet attained enlightenment, were no longer the primary targets.
What do grudges and hatreds in the mortal world matter if one can ascend to immortality?
"kill!
The ancient emperors roared, unleashing their peak magical power and forbidden divine arts. Each of these could pierce through eternity, yet here, eight or nine of them simultaneously surged forth, causing the great world to tremble, clearly overwhelmed. Even with the blessing of the immortal realm's laws, it was still difficult to bear the aftershocks of the fierce battle among the heroes.
Clang!
"!" Cao Ya swung his sword, unleashing billions of blue lights. All sorts of sword intents swept across, and with a hiss, a bloody hole was pierced through Wanlonghuang's body.
The Beast God's eyes lit up, and he rushed out from the side, punching the Dragon Emperor in an attempt to blast him apart and sacrifice him to the Heavenly Gate.
"I was prepared for this." Wanlong Emperor sneered, the purple-gold dragon bell swaying and hitting the Beast God on the head, making him dizzy and staggering.
Cao Ya certainly wouldn't miss such a good opportunity. With a single move of the "Grass Character Sword Technique," he slayed the Beast God, leaving blood everywhere.
"Damn it!" the Beast God gritted his teeth.
Wanlonghuang scoffed, too lazy to even bother with him.
Cao Ya flicked his finger, and the blue sword shone brightly, focusing on attacking only one person for a period of time.
With the initial opening of the Heavenly Gate, he also realized that infighting among the emperors was unavoidable.
Everyone wants to sacrifice others so that they can ascend to immortality.
However, Cao Ya's unique form of enlightenment, as seen by the emperors, might not be able to meet the requirements of the Heavenly Gate. Therefore, the primary targets of the supreme beings are no longer Cao Ya and his companion.
When Cao Ya launches a fierce attack on an ancient emperor, another supreme being will see an opportunity to join in. As in the previous scenario, the emperor will first injure the Myriad Dragon Emperor and then severely damage the Beast God.
Cao Ya can weaken the ancient emperor's state repeatedly, and in the end, he will be confident of annihilating him in one fell swoop!
Of course, the ancient emperor wasn't stupid, nor would he sit idly by and watch Cao Ya cause trouble.
More often than not, the two supreme beings would erupt simultaneously, besieging and killing Cao Ya. With deafening roars and blazing divine light, they struck down towards Cao Ya, distorting the void and shattering the Great Dao. Before the supreme ancient emperor, even the heavens and earth seemed so fragile.
"Bang!"
In the fierce clash, Cao Ya's sword energy collided with the Myriad Dragon Emperor and the Beast God, unleashing a world-destroying light that collapsed a part of the Great World, making it impossible to recreate.
The battle between the three super-strong individuals was filled with terrifying aura. Blood was splattering everywhere, and everyone was in dire straits, at their last gasp. It was a matter of who could continue to hold on.
Although Cao Ya is young and should be in better condition, he had to burn his essence and blood and activate the "Zhe" secret technique to maintain his combat power in order to fight against multiple ancient emperors. Undoubtedly, this has greatly reduced his condition, and he is not much ahead of the two ancient supreme beings.
Cao Ya was holding on by sheer willpower.
He opened his mouth to breathe, inhaling and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth, drawing it into his body, transforming it into magical power, and then unleashing it.
"Bang!" The Dragon Emperor resisted, and the great dragon manifested, purple light rose, the dragon mouth opened wide, and with a roar, it rushed over a million miles. The dragon tail swung and injured Cao Ya, but he himself was also hit by the deathly sword intent. His face was pale, his hair was gray, and he looked even older. His lifespan was already very short, and this was a double blow.
Emperor Wanlong was wary of the Beast God and dared not use all his power to fight against Cao Ya.
"Stop!" The Beast God flew horizontally, seeing no good opportunity with the Dragon Emperor, and decided to kill Cao Ya instead.
However, Cao Ya was also wary of him. Despite the risk of injury, she used a sword finger strike that pierced through heaven and earth, delivering a vicious blow to the Beast God. Blood splattered and splashed onto the Heavenly Gate.
There were faint signs that the Heavenly Gate was opening.
Only the divine blood of a true master meets the requirements for offering sacrifices at the Heavenly Gate; those who achieve enlightenment through other means are not eligible.
Besides Cao Ya's fierce battle against the Dragon Emperor and the Beast God, Ye Fan also fought fiercely against the Immortal Tomb Supreme, going into a frenzy!
The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, the Heavenly Emperor Fist, the Nine Secrets, and countless other profound techniques, all displayed their extreme power in Ye Fan's hands, directly confronting the Immortal Tomb Supreme after its ultimate sublimation, and their battles were evenly matched.
Ye Fan's combat strength has long surpassed people's understanding of the Great Perfection Holy Body.
Comparable to a contemporary emperor!
Truly the strongest holy body in history!
Then there was the Golden Crow Emperor, who, wielding the Golden Bell of Tribulation, used his imperial body to strike at the three ancient emperors, engaging in a bloody battle, but was at a disadvantage.
Fortunately, the Human Emperor's Seal and the Immortal Tears Green Gold Gate came to the rescue, relieving some of the pressure.
Similarly, in terms of physical condition, the old Golden Crow, as the current emperor, is far superior to the White Tiger Daoist, the Supreme Being of Burial Sky Island, and the Ancestor of Blood Phoenix Mountain.
In this fierce battle, Cao Ya, Ye Fan, and the Golden Crow Emperor were all seriously injured and on the verge of death several times. However, disregarding the losses, they refined their life essence and recuperated their bodies, and immediately recovered, becoming more vigorous and fiercer with each battle.
However, this greatly hinders their subsequent spiritual practice.
Without centuries of recuperation, the body's deficiencies certainly cannot be fully restored.
If one cannot withstand the current conditions, there is no chance of longevity and carefree living for thousands of years to come.
Even if it stains the heavens with blood, we will block the ancient emperors' path to immortality and slay them on earth!
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of rounds passed. Cao Ya coughed up blood and pierced the Beast God's body with his sword, pinning it to the void. For a very brief second, the Beast God was unable to break free.
The Dragon Emperor charged in, smashing half of the Beast God's body with a single palm strike. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, bones shattered, and the flame of life of this ancient emperor began to dim.
"Wanlong Emperor! Cao Ya!" The Beast God roared, furious, but also with a premonition that he would likely not survive and would die here.
"Even if I die, you won't have an easy time!"
Just as the Beast God was about to self-destruct, he used his final attack to severely injure Cao Ya and Wanlong Emperor.
But Cao Ya let out a clear whistle and with a single move, "A Smile While Picking Flowers," he bewildered the Beast God's mind and, in just a moment, completely shredded that royal body.
The Dragon Emperor was ruthless; with a sweeping dragon bell, he swept all the blood and bones of the Beast God toward the Heavenly Gate.
"Hiss~" The gap in the Heavenly Gate grew wider and wider, but it was still not fully open.
"Wanlong Emperor, I'll send you on your way to join the Beast God. You won't be lonely on the road to the Yellow Springs," Cao Ya said loudly. He then attacked Wanlong Emperor with unparalleled sword intent. Without the Beast God, he had no scruples and could concentrate all his power to focus on killing Wanlong Emperor.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Emperor Wanlong sneered, and the purple-gold dragon bell crashed down, as heavy as a starry sky.
Cao Ya transformed into an indestructible sword light, piercing through the Myriad Dragon Bell and directly wounding the Dragon Emperor, severing one of his arms.
Emperor Wanlong cried out in pain and retreated tens of millions of miles, his eyes filled with extreme coldness.
"What kind of ancient emperor is he? Under my sword, he's nothing but a stray dog."
Cao Ya was ruthless and fierce; every wisp of sword energy posed a deadly threat to Wanlong Emperor, making his face extremely ugly.
In ancient times, the Dragon Emperor could never have imagined that one day he would be so humiliated in the hands of someone who had not yet become an emperor.
"Bang!
!
Ye Fan's Emperor Fist severely injured the Immortal Tomb Supreme, and the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron seized the opportunity to smash out, collapsing the Supreme's entire body.
Before the Immortal Tomb Supreme could refine the meager life energy he had accumulated to heal his injuries, Ye Fan blasted him apart with a single palm strike, killing him instantly!
"ah!
"The Immortal Tomb Supreme roared, his primordial spirit flew out, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, attempting to reassemble his body."
However, a Dao sword flew out from between Ye Fan's eyebrows, directly killing the Immortal Tomb Supreme, shattering his Immortal Platform, and having his remnant soul and limbs all devoured by the Heavenly Gate.
With no opponent, Ye Fan rushed out to help the Golden Crow Emperor. With the assistance of the Supreme Divine Weapon, he swiftly killed the Supreme Being of Burial Sky Island, and then the White Tiger Daoist also died.
With the fall of so many ancient emperors, the Heavenly Gate finally opened, revealing a vast and wondrous world. It was a place of dazzling lights and strange wonders, where everyone's dreams and desires seemed to be fulfilled.
"Haha! The Heavenly Gate has opened, but I can no longer enter." The Blood Phoenix Mountain Ancestor laughed bitterly.
He knew very well that Ye Fan, the Great Perfection Saint Body, and the Golden Crow Emperor would not allow him to escape or break through the Heavenly Gate.
"It's all for nothing... What a laughable ending." Emperor Wanlong said sadly.
Of the ancient emperors who were born, only two remain now: the Immortal Tomb Supreme, the Burial Sky Island Supreme, the Beast God, and the White Tiger Daoist, all of whom have perished one after another.
And they, too, are about to perish.
In the end, under Cao Ya's attack, the two ancient emperors still met their demise.
Until their deaths, they were unable to cross the Heavenly Gate and enter the Immortal Realm!
Millions of years of hope have come to nothing!
"With the fall of the Six Emperors, the foundation of the Forbidden Zone has been further weakened." Ye Fan murmured, sitting cross-legged, inhaling and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth. Like an abyss, endless immortal energy flowed into his body.
"Whoosh~~" The Emperor's Seal and the Immortal Tear Green Gold Gate shrank again and remained hanging on Cao Ya's hair.
He looked at the intrigued Golden Crow Emperor and smiled, "Brother Dao, do you want to go in?"
The Golden Crow Emperor nodded sincerely: "The greatest opportunity in all of history is right before my eyes. How could I not be tempted?"
Ye Fan stared at the Heavenly Gate, his gaze sweeping over the unique portal.
Unlike the Golden Crow Emperor, he had no intention of ascending to immortality.
At least not for now. He couldn't possibly abandon his relatives, friends, and the Heavenly Court's followers to become an immortal all by himself.
“This Heavenly Gate is not just a connection to the Immortal Realm,” Cao Ya said, taking a dragon leg and throwing it into the Heavenly Gate.
"Hiss..."
The enormous dragon leg, as massive as a mountain, was stuck inside the Heavenly Gate, unable to advance or retreat.
"Splash~~"
Countless celestial runes flashed and appeared, reflecting onto the dragon's legs, obliterating the imperial path and the order and laws of the celestial realm that originally belonged to the Dragon Emperor, and replacing them to achieve the most thorough transformation.
"This..." The Golden Crow Emperor was stunned.
Ye Fan was also taken aback.
Cao Ya chuckled and said, "The Immortal Realm has changed and is now damaged, no longer as perfect as it was in the chaotic ancient times—otherwise, why would they cut off the passage and prevent mortals from ascending?"
"And this transformation is what one must undergo through the Heavenly Gate."
"The imperial path of the mortal world and the mysterious world instinct of the immortal realm may be accepted, integrated into the heart of heaven, and complete the myriad paths."
“But an Emperor or Sovereign… hey, the Immortal Realm absolutely cannot accept that.”
"An existence that is too powerful will pose a threat to the Immortal Realm unless it is completely transformed and no longer possesses the Emperor's Path."
Upon hearing this, Ye Fan sighed, "But does that still deserve to be called a supreme being? Surely the Immortal Realm can't be without any Dao attainers."
“In terms of strength, the Immortal Realm is still inferior to the mortal realm,” Cao Ya said, shaking his head.
"Could it be that becoming an immortal is ultimately just a pipe dream?" The Golden Crow Emperor was lost in thought.
Having just attained enlightenment and initially merged with the Heavenly Heart Mark, he possessed many unique perceptions. After witnessing the Heavenly Gate and hearing Cao Ya's words, the Golden Crow Emperor instantly awoke and understood that this was indeed the truth.
His heart was filled with mixed feelings.
The Golden Crow Emperor was truly unwilling to abandon the imperial path he had painstakingly cultivated over two lifetimes.
But lingering in the mortal realm offers no hope of achieving immortality in the celestial realm...
This is a dilemma!
"Perhaps, those ancient emperors didn't face any dilemma. They could directly abandon the imperial path as long as they could ascend to immortality... For this moment, they had already given up everything, so adding the imperial path to their lives was nothing." The Golden Crow Emperor sighed softly.
But he was still young, full of vigor and ambition, and was unwilling to give up everything just to ascend to immortality!
"Why must one go to the Immortal Realm to transcend the Emperor Realm? I believe that by living life after life in the mortal world, one can still touch upon the Immortal Path and delve into it," Ye Fan said. As far as he knew, the Tribulation-Crossing Celestial Venerable, the Undying Emperor, the Beginningless Emperor, and the Ruthless Emperor were all beings of this kind.
Transform into an immortal from the mortal world!
"How easy is it to live a new life?" Emperor Golden Crow shook his head.
"Didn't you already succeed once, fellow Daoist? And ultimately achieve a great leap forward, proving your Dao in one fell swoop," Ye Fan said.
"Success once doesn't guarantee success every time," sighed the Golden Crow Emperor.
Throughout history, countless emperors and ancient rulers have lived a second life, but only a handful have actually done so.
Cao Ya stroked his chin, not joining their conversation.
"After all, I don't have to worry about my lifespan. If I live for 100,000 or 200,000 years, I still have a chance to become an immortal," Cao Ya thought to himself.
“Brother Jinwu, there is a great reward laid out before you. Do you dare to accept it?” Cao Ya suddenly laughed.
The Golden Crow Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant and asked, "Fellow Daoist Cao Ya, you mean... pacifying the forbidden zone?"
Ye Fan said excitedly, "Without the six ancient emperors, we can try to wipe out the Undying Mountain where there are fewer supreme beings, as well as the Immortal Tomb and the Divine Ruins, and finally besiege the Burial Sky Island and the Primordial Ancient Mine."
"Once all the heroes of the Golden Age have grown up and attained enlightenment in unconventional ways, even the Primordial Ancient Mine, which has the most supreme beings, will not be able to escape this calamity."
Ye Fan's eyes shone brightly. In the ancient era, dozens of ancient emperors followed one after another, unafraid of death, facing numerous powerful enemies alone, and still managed to eliminate one forbidden zone supreme being after another. Today, finally, the dawn of victory has begun to appear.
"The three of us... Brother Jinwu is already a Great Emperor, and Supreme Cao Ya and I are also at this level of combat power. With our combined strength, let alone leveling the Primordial Ancient Mine and Burial Island, Immortal Tomb and Divine Ruins will definitely be no problem," Ye Fan said excitedly.
“After the Stone Emperor was killed, there were only two Supreme Beings left in the Undying Mountain. Now, one of them has died in front of the Heavenly Gate, leaving only one person... Hmm, not worth worrying about,” Cao Ya pondered.
The Golden Crow Emperor glanced at Cao Ya, then at Ye Fan, and sighed inwardly.
Is there any room for him to refuse?
Although he has attained enlightenment, he is not confident that he can defeat either of the two in a one-on-one situation.
If the two of them were to appear together, the Golden Crow Emperor thought to himself that he would set a record and become the shortest-lived emperor in history!
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